Help Help - Lost everything :(

[disambiguation]

So I connect my phone to my PC to transfer the Angrybirds apk over. Then it says updates available. Foolishly, I take the update, follow all the instructions and now - it seems I've lost everything.

No contacts, no apps, no history, no ADW launcher with all the lovely themes and widgets and all the set-up I spent ages doing,...

What's going on? Have I lost it. Nothing much recovered when I tried to restore a back-up. Need to google register everything again.

I can see folders for apps that I had in the PC companion; but I can't seem to recover anything.

This phone has been nothing but trouble since day 1.

Helpppppp

PS - Not sure what was updated, it's still on R2BA024

 

[CuBz]

Where did the update come from?

What exactly did it say?

 

[disambiguation]

Sorry. I was quite vague in my angst!

I connected my phone to a Pc. This launches Sony Erricsson PC Companion 2. I was intending to use the "File Manager" in here to move an apk file from my PC to the phone.

A Sony Ericcson Software update window came up, so I decided to update (thinking perhaps I can get R2BA026 at last - I knew this wouldn't be 2.1 ). I went through all the update processing. Disconnecting, switching off for 5 seconds, reconnecting whilst pressing back etc. and the update was apparently successful.

At no point was there a warning to make a back-up (though that wouldn't back up all my apps and ADW launcher set-up would it, anyway), or warning that all my set-up would revert to "as new" settings.

But on re-boot of the phone I find I have lost everything and the phone is like it has just come out of the box (though, in the Sony Erricsson PC Companion 2 "File manager" I can still see folders of apps that I installed). All my contacts have gone, which is my first priority; but am seething at losing my ADWlauncher set-up too. How can this happen?

Had to make an emergency download of Foursquare so I didn't lose some mayorage . This revealed that I had to re-register my google mail account. Everything else needs re-registering too. It's going to take ages to get my phone back to how it was. I was hoping that, as I had some remnant files I can see through "File Manager", then some sort of PC to phone recovery can be done?!?!

 

[CuBz]

An update via the Sony Ericsson Update Software, will overwrite all data on the phone, and although there is no pop up message warning you, it does display a message notifying you of this, then you have to click continue to confirm you agree with this. See image below

Unfortunately, as far as I know, nothing can be recovered

 

[X10iUser]

So I connect my phone to my PC to transfer the Angrybirds apk over. Then it says updates available. Foolishly, I take the update, follow all the instructions and now - it seems I've lost everything.

As you mention that you can see stuff when you use PCC, I'm guessing you used PCC to transfer AB over, and it's in PCC that you saw an update was available, and with everything gone it seems like you've flashed your phone which obviously remove everything.

EDIT: Just seen your reply, and yes you've flashed your phone, so unless you backed it up appropriately you're going to have to start from scratch.

 

[disambiguation]

CuBz & X10iUser - you're right. Looks like it is my fault for not RTFM. I just didn't read it properly (or at all), as I didn't envisage such an issue. I can't believe that upgrading your phone causes you to lose "contacts, messages, photos, files and settings". That's just extremely poor coding in my book.

Heck, I gotta start again!

So - what does one use when(if) the update to 2.1 comes through? Presumably not the "Sony Erricsson PC Companion 2" software if you want to keep everything as it is?

 

[CuBz]

CuBz & X10iUser - you're right. Looks like it is my fault for not RTFM. I just didn't read it properly (or at all), as I didn't envisage such an issue. I can't believe that upgrading your phone causes you to lose "contacts, messages, photos, files and settings". That's just extremely poor coding in my book.

Heck, I gotta start again!

So - what does one use when(if) the update to 2.1 comes through? Presumably not the "Sony Erricsson PC Companion 2" software if you want to keep everything as it is?

Well I believe that updating OTA doesn't erase anything, but I could be wrong

 

[X10iUser]

Heck, I gotta start again!

Well, at least you've learnt something new, as frustrating as it may be.

So - what does one use when(if) the update to 2.1 comes through? Presumably not the "Sony Erricsson PC Companion 2" software if you want to keep everything as it is?

To be honest I think the update to 2.1 will use the exact same procedure especially as it's a completely new OS.

 

[xx_raj_xx]

the last few OTA updates havn't cause me to loose anything ;-)

 

[disambiguation]

the last few OTA updates havn't cause me to loose anything ;-)

I went from R2BA022 (I think) to R2BA024 and did not lose a thing.

Then, this new update came up today, and I thought I would be joining others on R2BA026, so I went for it! Instead, I lost everything, and am still on R2BA024. Grrrrrrr.

Have delved as deep as I can into the phone file structure and cannot retrieve any contact numbers, dammit!

Now, I'm worried for when OS2.1 comes through.

I will be wanting to update to 2.1, but without losing any of my settings, contacts, etc. etc.

I hope that when this time comes, Sony will have updated their software to be able to handle this. Is this asking too much?

 

[X10iUser]

I hope that when this time comes, Sony will have updated their software to be able to handle this. Is this asking too much?

As long as you've backed up you'll be ok. I've never used OTA so have always expected that I'll have to restore my phone, and just like I do with my laptop would prefer to fully wipe it before updating anyway.

 

[CuBz]

As long as you've backed up you'll be ok. I've never used OTA so have always expected that I'll have to restore my phone, and just like I do with my laptop would prefer to fully wipe it before updating anyway.

I'm the same as you, I prefer a clean install, laptop anorl

But when I first got my Xperia, I did an OTA update and didn't loose my contacts, messages, and few photos I had, so I assume they don't overwrite OTA. I prefer to do it via SEUS tho, because for some reason, I feel like I'm not getting the full update OTA as I would with SEUS

 

[X10iUser]

But when I first got my Xperia, I did an OTA update and didn't loose my contacts, messages, and few photos I had, so I assume they don't overwrite OTA.

I have seen it said before that one method doesn't but couldn't say for certain which it was but sounds like it is OTA, and could be hit and miss with the repair option.

 

[rosered]

I have gone with the laptop route because people were reporting only getting 41mb of data OTA whereas on the pc they were getting 141 approx, so I figured in my very non techy way that it was probably better.

I did get two options on screen, the first was to keep all data/contacts etc and the second was to factory reset and install the update.

I know the expression shutting the stable door is probably not what you want to hear, but it is useful information... you can back up your ADW Settings in the ADW menu. Don't know how good that is but probably worth a go although how effective it will be when we change from 1.6 to 2.1, I don't honestly know.

Had you ever synced your contacts with either google or SE so at least you can get them back or at the very least a slightly out of date version of them. Or saved them to the SD card. I do try and do Backup and Restore once a month and have contacts in Google, Outlook and on SD card. I got caught out bigstyle on a PC once and have been over cautious since.

 

[CuBz]

I have gone with the laptop route because people were reporting only getting 41mb of data OTA whereas on the pc they were getting 141 approx, so I figured in my very non techy way that it was probably better.

Which is exactly the reason I use SEUS on my laptop

 

[X10iUser]

Don't know how good that is but probably worth a go although how effective it will be when we change from 1.6 to 2.1, I don't honestly know.

That is why I think it would be best starting from from scratch when it comes. Everything important will be backed up and even my SD card will be getting a format too before running the update.

I got caught out bigstyle on a PC once and have been over cautious since.

I know that feeling, you should only ever lose your pics and contacts once.