Retrieveing SMS Text Messages

[GrafixGuy]

Is there a way to retrieve SMS text messages on a Sprint Palm Pre that doesn't have a SIM card that can be used in a card reader? This is VERY VERY important that I retrieve sone lost text messages. Thanks!!

[Mikey47]

I guess you will have to explain a little more. Did you delete the text messages? If so, most likely there is no way to get them back on your device, but Sprint might be able to help.

[verwon]

Nope, Sprint won't do it, either. They only do that with a court order.

There are instructions on here to extract the database file, but I don't know if it works for deleted ones.

[Trekker]

Originally Posted by verwon

Nope, Sprint won't do it, either. They only do that with a court order.

Sounds like you've had some experience!

[verwon]

Originally Posted by Trekker

Sounds like you've had some experience!

LOL!

No, I've never had any texts messages I consider that vital, however, I know a few other people that called them to try and have some recovered.

[NachoB]

You can try the below, they may or may not be there.

Using WebOS Quick Install, go to Tools, then Receive File (you'll need to be in Developer mode to do this).
enter: /var/luna/data/dbdata/PalmDatabase.db3 and select your save location.

View the db3 file with: SQLite Database Browser

In SQLite Database Browser, select the "Browse Data" tab and look for com_palm_pim_FolderEntry in the drop down menu.

This will be pretty messy because Email and SMS's are stored in the same table within the database.

The best way to view the data, in my opinion, would be to do an export in SQLite, export com_palm_pim_FolderEntry in csv format (be sure to include .csv at the end of the filename, SQLite doesn't include this for some reason), then open it up with Excel or similar app. I deleted all columns except for deviceTimeStamp, fromAddress, timeStamp, summary, and messageText. I then sorted the data by the timeStamp column which allowed me to view my messages (received and sent) in the order they occurred. Sent messages have no fromAddress so if you attempt to sort by both timeStamp and fromAddress your messages won't appear in order with received messages.

Hope all that makes sense.

[GrafixGuy]

Ok. Thanks all. I will try it as soon as I can. I'm on a Mac so I'll have to get my Parallels running or get ahold of a PC. Any other suggestions? Keep them coming. Getting these texts are vital to my sanity and marriage!!!

[HelloNNNewman]

Nacho... can you retrieve pics sent via MMS this way also?

[aramova]

Originally Posted by GrafixGuy

Ok. Thanks all. I will try it as soon as I can. I'm on a Mac so I'll have to get my Parallels running or get ahold of a PC. Any other suggestions? Keep them coming. Getting these texts are vital to my sanity and marriage!!!

Never trust a marriage to a mobile device.

Anyway, WebOS stores messages in a SQLite database. Once you delete them, it drops those records. Only real hope is having used the Save/Restore util which would of made an HTML backup of your text threads (Though not very easy to read), or having a backup of the DB that's already been mentioned.

Of course, depending on how much money its worth to you, you could always send the Phone to a data recovery company and see if they can extract the flash chips and recover the SQL database. But that's like putting a $6000 Win bet on a horse with 3 legs and monkey as a jokey at the Kentucky Derby.

[aramova]

Originally Posted by HelloNNNewman

Nacho... can you retrieve pics sent via MMS this way also?

Those are usually stored in /media/internal/.attachment/mms/ I believe.

Check and see if they're still there. If not, you could attempt to run a unix util like PhotoRec (PhotoRec - CGSecurity) on your Pre.

Try using these directions...
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/Recov...from_an_iPhone

I've used it and it works on an iPhone. Not tried it on a Pre yet.

[NachoB]

@HelloNNNewman

what aramova said. They are listed in those cryptic folders. Just have to check each folder until you find what you're looking for.

[HelloNNNewman]

Yeah.. thanks, I've been doing that (should have updated my previous post)

[NachoB]

Only thing you'll find in the db3 is text based (messages, memos, contacts, etc)

[HelloNNNewman]

Using aramova's suggestion, I was able to recover a ton of pics I had deleted, and the picture that was in the MMS that was sent to me (which I deleted before looking at it).

Worked like a charm, once I dug in and followed the step-by-step screenshot directions on the site and tweaked them for my device. If anyone uses this... remember that the program will mostly choose the settings for you automatically - but it's best to manually change the search to .png in the last screen.

Thanks aramova!

[verwon]

Originally Posted by HelloNNNewman

Nacho... can you retrieve pics sent via MMS this way also?

If they are pics you received and you haven't doctored, you can access them via Internalz.

[aramova]

Originally Posted by HelloNNNewman

Using aramova's suggestion, I was able to recover a ton of pics I had deleted, and the picture that was in the MMS that was sent to me (which I deleted before looking at it).

Worked like a charm, once I dug in and followed the step-by-step screenshot directions on the site and tweaked them for my device. If anyone uses this... remember that the program will mostly choose the settings for you automatically - but it's best to manually change the search to .png in the last screen.

Thanks aramova!

You're very welcome! Glad that helped you! I might try this on my Pre and put directions on the Wiki since there is no doubt people have deleted something they wished they didn't.

It's amazing what you think is deleted and gone could still be lingering around your drives. Problem with Flash media is it has it's own internal algorithms to write to areas of the drive and even out physical usage (those who don't know, flash memory has a limited life span. Eventually your Pre just won't work anymore!)...so if you write over the logical sectors which a file once occupied but was deleted, the flash memory will very likely write your overwrite to another area entirely to "even out usage".

This means even a "Secure Erase" utility may not fully delete a single file. Only way to ensure a file is fully erased from Flash media is to totally fill it up several times at the sector level.

A harddrive on the other hand, you can just write 1's and 0's several times to a file and be reasonably assured it's unrecoverable.

</rant> Whew. Bottom line is. Pics can be recovered a lot of times. Messages not really, they are stored in a SQL database, part of a continuing file stream.

And the only way to make sure something you *really* don't want someone to get their hands on off your Pre is to find the Flash Memory chips and physically smash them. If you have to go that far however...

[NachoB]

Originally Posted by GrafixGuy

Ok. Thanks all. I will try it as soon as I can. I'm on a Mac so I'll have to get my Parallels running or get ahold of a PC. Any other suggestions? Keep them coming. Getting these texts are vital to my sanity and marriage!!!

In case you're subscribed to this thread, updated my post with the proper way to get at messages: http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?p=2768366

[DerKneissl]

Hello everybody,

wondering if someone can help.. I was playing around earlier today, wanted to move things from my old original pre to the new veer.. I didn't watch the palm profile thing as I was never using it to backup stuff. As i was excited to power on the tiny veer i've logged on to my profile, played around and switched on old pre. During startup it showed a warning something about another phone is connected to the profile bla bla , option was restart and delete all data so i restarted and found all sms messages deleted ... to all experts, is there any way to restore them from some hidden file ?? Any chance to grab files from the old profile as everythings back to factory default now.. ?!!? All mp3s, jpgs and other things are still on there, even my memos.. many thanks in advance !!