Secure File Storage for PlotSafe Data

Data security is critical. PlotSafe has been created with a number of features to help secure your data from loss or corruption, and hence its name.

PlotSafe is designed to run on Windows CE3.0+ and PocketPC 2002+. On each of these devices you will need to setup directories (folders) to store your data. It is important to consider the location of these folders to ensure that your data is safe when your batteries run out.

A place to store all current data being collected. Use the Edit > Settings > Options > Default data location to set this as the default data storage location.

A place to store template (skeleton files) which can be used to create new inventory files for each dictionary used.

A place where you can store old data files. Also where you will define PlotSafe to store the “Autosave” copy of the current active PlotSafe file. Use the Edit > Settings > Options > Backup location, to set this.

These are not installed automatically as it depends on what type of device you have to where you should install them.

It is important to store all data on an external flash ROM card such as Compact flash or SD cards (some devices have an internal flash ROM card that appears as”In-built storage”, which can be considered a safe place for data). See more info below “Why is Windows Mobile 5 different” Also PocketPC devices have a “alll folders search” option which limits the storage of information in nested folders (subfolders) so you must install them in the “root” directory of your storage card.

These devices run Windows CE 3 and 4 respectively. It is important to store all data on the Allegro provided flash ROM (called C_Drive) or on a card such as compact flash cards mounted in the PC card slot. See more info below”Why is Windows Mobile 5 different”

It is ok to store data within a windows mobile 5 device directly within its normal operating system environment (see below). We suggest setting up 3 main directories under”My Documents\” This way ActiveSync will automatically sync datafiles to your PC on connection. Note that the “all folders” search used for opening files will still not display files hidden in directories deeper than the root level of “My Device” or “My Documents” folders.

Windows Mobile 5 as it has now been released combines these two previously separate versions of operating system in one, so in essence it is also known as Windows CE 5.

Prior to this new release your user data (email, contacts, calendar, settings, apps you installed, etc) were stored in RAM. RAM has the advantage of being really fast, but the significant disadvantage of needing a constant source of power for it to hold its data. Leave your device unplugged for long enough, and you’ll lose all your data, unless you had specifically stored it on a external storage card (CF,SD card etc).

Windows Mobile 5″Persistent Storage” (PS) on PocketPC is new for Windows Mobile 5.0. Persistent storage gives you a nice sense of certainty about your data. Batteries running low? No problem. Worst case, the device shuts off and you can’t use it again until you get to a power supply. But when you get there, it’ll boot back up and all your data and software will still be there. It uses flash ROM rather than RAM to store all your information. Doing this also saves heavily on battery life, as you now have the option of shutting down your device instead of just suspending it, in addition to a reduction in failsafe battery life that was previously in place in all versions of Windows CE prior to Windows Mobile Version 5.