Hi people, I can clear this up. I probably owe the user base a separate FAQ on this, as I think the info is buried in other questions but this one is really it's own topic. To address the questions at hand...
First the basic concept, I know it twists the brain some! It's obvious to me, since I know how the system works, but it's not obvious to you, the OrBit user:
With that in mind, to the specific questions asked here:
So this is not correct, you don't need anything from the old computer. OrBit can "Restore to OEM" it doesn't need a backup. So in your scenario, you can install OrBit on a new computer, connect the car, create the profile, save the PIN(s) in the profile, then Restore to OEM to put the car back to original. No backup is needed to do it.
You CAN transfer the profile from the old computer, or OrBit also backs them up to "the cloud" so I can retrieve a copy of the car profile for you. This is only useful for convenience, exmple if you have entered the CEM PIN and then forgotten to keep a copy of it somewhere. In that case you would contact support, and I can help you recover the CEM PIN from a backed up car profile. For most cases, it's easiest to just connect the new computer and create a new profile from the new install of OrBit. As long as you have the PIN(s) you need, there is nothing else in the old profile that you would need, it's just stored ECU info that OrBit reads directly from the car.
You need no backup. You can literally install OrBit on any computer, connect to the car, create profile, enter your PIN(s) and then Restore to OEM. No backup is needed.
So something isn't right about this story...you see, it's actually impossible to Restore to OEM and have any config item be different than what it was originally. It can't actually happen, because it doesn't work that way. (*)
(*)Now there IS one caveat here, that could be helpful to know. I hate to potentially confuse things by going into it, but it illustrates why you should always use "Restore to OEM", and making your own backups and loading saved settings to "restore" is NOT the same. Stop reading here if you are not a freak for the details. You don't need to know any more than that. If you like the details, here is a scenario, which is a rare thing to happen, but shows why "Restore to OEM" exists and why you should always use it to put the car back to original:
Occasionally, Volvo will change the config of your car. They actually change it every time you install software updates, but OrBit handles that so you don't get yourself in to trouble even if you do things the "wrong" way. Accessory installs, adjustments (like tire size change), and very occasionally a software update, done at the dealer through VIDA, will change the config of the car. Not the same way that OrBit does it, but the build (aka variant) config of the car, and the result is changed config settings. Let's use the tow hitch for example, if you have the dealer install the tow hitch, the build config of the car is changed to "with tow hitch" settings. Now what happens with the car, when you later try to restore to the original config with OrBit?
The above is the reason, along with the fact that there is no need for a backup, that you should always use "Restore to OEM" to revert the car to original config settings.
First the basic concept, I know it twists the brain some! It's obvious to me, since I know how the system works, but it's not obvious to you, the OrBit user:
- OrBit never needs a back up, ever! It doesn't work that way. Restore OEM returns the car to original, always.
- You don't need to make your own backup! You can do whatever you like of course. Saving a "backup" file of config settings, that you can later load and write, may return the car to the same config settings as you started with. But that doesn't restore the car to original...Only "Restore to OEM" restores the car to it's original state, before you used OrBit.
- It's better to think of "Restore to OEM" as the way to "wipe all customized config settings" as that is closer to what is happening under the covers. When you write a config to the car, we "take over" the config and change the things you like to change. When you Restore the car, we overwrite that with a bit of original software, and all customizations then disappear.
With that in mind, to the specific questions asked here:
(08-14-2024, 10:16 PM)wirelessnate Wrote: If I change computers, ie Did the original install on one and created a profile...So my assumption is that second profile it created would show the configs that I changed, and "Return to OEM" would in fact return to changed configs and not full OEM?
So this is not correct, you don't need anything from the old computer. OrBit can "Restore to OEM" it doesn't need a backup. So in your scenario, you can install OrBit on a new computer, connect the car, create the profile, save the PIN(s) in the profile, then Restore to OEM to put the car back to original. No backup is needed to do it.
You CAN transfer the profile from the old computer, or OrBit also backs them up to "the cloud" so I can retrieve a copy of the car profile for you. This is only useful for convenience, exmple if you have entered the CEM PIN and then forgotten to keep a copy of it somewhere. In that case you would contact support, and I can help you recover the CEM PIN from a backed up car profile. For most cases, it's easiest to just connect the new computer and create a new profile from the new install of OrBit. As long as you have the PIN(s) you need, there is nothing else in the old profile that you would need, it's just stored ECU info that OrBit reads directly from the car.
(08-17-2024, 07:14 AM)Apansson Wrote: I wonder this as well. If I loose my computer in future and want to restore to oem. What do I need to backup?
You need no backup. You can literally install OrBit on any computer, connect to the car, create profile, enter your PIN(s) and then Restore to OEM. No backup is needed.
(08-17-2024, 10:04 AM)danthe88 Wrote: I don't think OEM is saved on the server for each car, I have changed computer and return to OEM option didn't returned it so I had to revert everything manually, to save configuration file as OEM, and now when I need it, I just load OEM cfg file...
So something isn't right about this story...you see, it's actually impossible to Restore to OEM and have any config item be different than what it was originally. It can't actually happen, because it doesn't work that way. (*)
(*)Now there IS one caveat here, that could be helpful to know. I hate to potentially confuse things by going into it, but it illustrates why you should always use "Restore to OEM", and making your own backups and loading saved settings to "restore" is NOT the same. Stop reading here if you are not a freak for the details. You don't need to know any more than that. If you like the details, here is a scenario, which is a rare thing to happen, but shows why "Restore to OEM" exists and why you should always use it to put the car back to original:
Occasionally, Volvo will change the config of your car. They actually change it every time you install software updates, but OrBit handles that so you don't get yourself in to trouble even if you do things the "wrong" way. Accessory installs, adjustments (like tire size change), and very occasionally a software update, done at the dealer through VIDA, will change the config of the car. Not the same way that OrBit does it, but the build (aka variant) config of the car, and the result is changed config settings. Let's use the tow hitch for example, if you have the dealer install the tow hitch, the build config of the car is changed to "with tow hitch" settings. Now what happens with the car, when you later try to restore to the original config with OrBit?
- If you make your own "backups" and restore with saved settings file (wrong way): You will restore some old settings, changing the configs for the tow hitch back to "without tow hitch" settings. And your tow hitch will not work.
- If you use "Restore to OEM" in OrBit to restore to original config (right way): All settings are restored as original, even if that original config has been changed by Volvo. Tow hitch config settings will be correct, the tow hitch will work as it should.
The above is the reason, along with the fact that there is no need for a backup, that you should always use "Restore to OEM" to revert the car to original config settings.