ARCHIVED: With a BlackBerry, how do I back up and restore data?
With a BlackBerry, you can use the Backup and Restore tool in Desktop Manager to save files from your BlackBerry device to your computer or to restore saved files to your device. UITS recommends backing up your data before updating your BlackBerry's software.
Besides providing data protection, backing up also allows you to edit your Address Book and text files using your desktop computer rather than your device.
The Backup and Restore tool allows you to make full backups or selective backups, in which you select which databases on your device to back up. Similarly, you can choose to restore a backup completely or selectively restore only some databases. Additionally, you can configure an automatic backup.
On this page:
Full backup
To make a full backup of your BlackBerry on your computer:
-
Cradle your device. If you have a password enabled, enter it so your device will connect to the desktop.
- Open BlackBerry Desktop Manager, and double-click the
Backup and Restore
dialog box. icon to bring up the - If you wish to back up everything on your handheld, click
Backup-(today's date).ipd
, for example,Backup-(2008-01-23).ipd
. If you create more than one full backup in a day, an incrementing number will be inserted after the date. Select the desired filename and location, and then click . . The default filename format is
Selective backup
To create a selective backup:
-
Cradle your device. If you have a password enabled, enter it so your device will connect to the desktop.
- Open BlackBerry Desktop Manager, and double-click the
Backup and Restore
dialog box. icon to bring up the - Click
Backup/Restore
dialog box that appears, you can select individual databases to back up from your BlackBerry by selecting them in the "Handheld Databases" box on the right and then clicking the left arrow button to copy them to the "Desktop File Databases" box on the left. . In the
- You can also use the
Backup/Restore
dialog box to edit your Address Book on your desktop computer. - Once you have selected all the databases to back up, from the
.ipd
backup file. menu, select or to
save them to an
Full restore
To fully restore a backup:
-
Cradle your device. If you have a password enabled, enter it so your device will connect to the desktop.
- Open BlackBerry Desktop Manager, and double-click the
Backup and Restore
dialog box. icon to bring up the - Click
Select file for Full Restore
dialog box, find your backup file and select it. Click . . In the - Before restoring the backup, you should see a warning that the backup will overwrite the information currently stored in the listed databases on your device. Click to continue.
Selective restore
To selectively restore some databases from a backup file:
-
Cradle your device. If you have a password enabled, enter it so your device will connect to the desktop.
- Open BlackBerry Desktop Manager, and double-click the
Backup and Restore
dialog box. icon to bring up the - Click
Open
dialog box, find your backup file and select it. Click . . From the menu,
select . In the - You can select individual databases to restore from your backup file to your BlackBerry by selecting them in the "Desktop File Databases" box on the left and then clicking the right arrow button to copy them to the "Handheld Databases" box on the right. Each time you restore a database that is present on your device, you will be prompted to confirm that you want to overwrite the device version. Click .
Automatic backup
To configure your desktop to automatically back up your device on a regular schedule:
- Open BlackBerry Desktop Manager, and click
Backup and Restore
dialog box, click . . In the - In the
Backup and Restore Options
dialog box, check . In the text box, replace7
with the number of days you want to wait between automatic backups. - Under "When automatically backing up my handheld:", select whether to back up all handheld data or to back up all but certain kinds of data. You can choose to not back up email and/or data that will be synchronized using desktop PIM applications, such as your Calendar and Tasks.
- Click . Your BlackBerry device will be backed up automatically when you plug it into the cradle according to the schedule you specified.
Automatic backup with BlackBerry Enterprise Server 4.1
Using BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.1, limited backup and restore functions are performed by the BES server on a scheduled basis to ensure that your settings are preserved in case your device is lost or fails. This functionality, which is enabled by default and controlled by the BES, allows backups of device settings (e.g., icon positions, font settings, browser bookmarks). This backup process is limited and does not back up third-party applications, pictures, or mail messages on the device. To ensure that all data on the handheld is backed up to the desktop, UITS recommends that you continue backing up your device via the cradle.
Note: The BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) service will be retired by January 1, 2015; see ARCHIVED: About the retired BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server). As of January 1, 2013, no new BES accounts are being created. UITS recommends you replace your BlackBerry with a device that is compatible with ActiveSync.
This is document allm in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2021-09-07 17:13:05.