Urgent! USB jack broken, cant backup

[ilans1]

USB jack is broken. I have about 100 messages on my device that I need to save, yet have no way of getting them off the device. Is there a way to forward all messages to another account? What about my address book? Any way to get it backed up without a usb cable?

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted (8700g: BlackBerry8700/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

Is bluetooth connection for backup an option for you?

Don't know of a way to forward emails in mass. Just one by one.

[ilans1]

How would I transfer over bluetooth? Actually, the only other bluetooth device I have is another phone.

[aiharkness]

I was wondering if you had bluetooth on a laptop, maybe. Or a friend with a bluetooth on a desktop or laptop who will help you out. I haven't done it myself, but I believe I've read of people using BT connection for sync and backup.

Maybe others will have better ideas.

[aiharkness]

Just in case it will help: Set up Bluetooth connectivity with BlackBerry Desktop Manager (http://www.blackberry.com/btsc/articles/835/KB04132_f.SAL_Public.html)

[Sith_Apprentice]

aiharkness is right, pretty much bluetooth is your only option for backup of full data. If you have fewer than 250 contacts you can copy one by one to the SIM card. You can also email all the contacts to yourself if that helps as well using the "attach address" option

[aiharkness]

My only other advice is that from now on backup your blackberry every day. Set desktop manager to do it automatically.

[aiharkness]

I lied.... One more suggestion: I know zip about bluetooth, but if it were me I would probably even see if I could find a usb bluetooth adaptor or something like that.

[ilans1]

I have access to a mac with bluetooth, will it work on a mac?

[Sith_Apprentice]

pocketmac.com
thats the software you will need. it will allow you to backup PIM data

[aiharkness]

Sounds like you may be in business, ilans1. Good luck!

[ilans1]

pocketmac.com
thats the software you will need. it will allow you to backup PIM data

I looked at the website and it syncs with usb cable, so thats not an option for me. My only option is bluetooth, and the only bluetooth pc i have is a mac...so, can I make it work?

[aiharkness]

Amazon.com: BLUETOOTH 1.2/2.0 USB 2.0 100M: Electronics (http://www.amazon.com/BLUETOOTH-1-2-2-0-USB-100M/dp/B000BZTKNC/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1202084494&sr=8-1)

Looks like these things can be relatively inexpensive.

[Sith_Apprentice]

try this page Macworld | Get in Sync: BlackBerry (http://www.macworld.com/article/54553/2006/12/sync_blackberry.html)
It says that there is bluetooth syncing available as of the pearl

[ilans1]

try this page Macworld | Get in Sync: BlackBerry (http://www.macworld.com/article/54553/2006/12/sync_blackberry.html)
It says that there is bluetooth syncing available as of the pearl

It says that bluetooth sync only works with the pearl. So the question is, if I get a usb bluetooth adapter, will I then be able to sync with a mac, or better yet, will I be able to sync with a pc if I follow the instructions in the previous link?

[Sith_Apprentice]

yes with a PC. and this article was written when the pearl was new, it doesnt have information on newer devices because they were not out yet

[aiharkness]

Probably you need to look at what is the least expensive and quickest solution for you. Or if fast turnaround is the driver, the quickest.

[ilans1]

yes with a PC. and this article was written when the pearl was new, it doesnt have information on newer devices because they were not out yet
I got this from the pocketmac website:

Bluetooth syncing is not supported at this time. You must plug the BlackBerry directly into the Mac with a USB cable.

Unfortunately, this is also true with some of the newer models that can sync via Bluetooth in the PC world.

Research in Motion, the creator of the BlackBerry, has not yet opened the Bluetooth channels to us so that we can sync over that method yet. We have shared with them your intense desire to do so. As of this writing (August 2006) we have received no dates from RIM when this might become available to us

[Sith_Apprentice]

well a PC is definately the easiest way to do it.

[aiharkness]

well a PC is definately the easiest way to do it.

That's my thinking. I'd be on my way to Best Buy, Circuit City, whatever for the usb adaptor.

[ilans1]

Thanks guys for all your help. I'll pick up an adapter tomorrow and see if it works, will report back....

[aiharkness]

Thanks. Do let us know. Seeing how inexpensive the bluetooth usb adaptor is, I may get one just to play with. Looks cool.

[ilans1]

Here's the update:

I got the usb bluetooth adapter, took me a while to figure out how to install it as the bb device manager isnt compatible with the included driver (had to find a windows generic driver). Finally got it paired and recognized in device manager....However.... When I go to 'Switch device Wizard', I get a message 'Switch device wizard is not supported over bluetooth'. I am able to backup my messages onto the laptop over bluetooth though. So my question is, once I backed up my messages, can I then transfer them to my new 8800 from the laptop?

[Sith_Apprentice]

dont switch devices, use the backup/restore function and backup your address book/PIM information that way

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted (8700g: BlackBerry8700/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

That's interesting about switch device wizard.

I agree with Sith. If backup works, do that, then restore to new blackberry.

[Sith_Apprentice]

only backup/restore works through bluetooth AFAIK.

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted (8700g: BlackBerry8700/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

I didn't know one way or the other. Just surprised me to learn backup would and the wizard would not.

[Thatzmister2u]

Nice save aiharkness and Sith!! You guys are awesome! (y)

[ilans1]

Indeed, you guys are the best...thanks again for your kind help(y)

[ilans1]

One quick question: What I want to do is get the messages off the old bb and onto the new one. I already have several messages on the new one and dont want those deleted. So, when I go to do a restore, will it delete the existing messages or will it just add the old messages to the new device?

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted (8700g: BlackBerry8700/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

I'm 99% sure the restore will overwite the data on the blackberry. You will probably see a warning when you start restore. You ought to take some measures to preserve data on the new blackberry. For the emails, perhaps forward them to another account for the time being.

[ilans1]

You mean forward the emails on the old device to another account? I did not think you can do a mass forward from the device? Is there another option?

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted (8700g: BlackBerry8700/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

You mean forward the emails on the old device to another account? I did not think you can do a mass forward from the device? Is there another option?

You will have to forward them one by one.

Another idea, possibly, if this is a Yahoo email account, is to move the email out of the inbox into a folder. After you have restored to the new blackberry, move the email from the folder to the inbox. In my experience, it will be delivered to the blackberry again, but I can't guarantee it will work. Don't know anything about gmail, but maybe it will work in that case, too. You could always experiment before you do it.

Maybe someone has a better idea. As far as I know those are your options.

[ilans1]

It is a Yahoo account, but the messages that are on the device have been deleted from the server, so I cant download them to the new device. Are you guys sure that a backup and restore will overwrite all messages on the new device?

[JSanders]

No, restore will not overwrite the existing messages on the BB.

[ilans1]

Oh, in that case, problem solved...Thanks

[JSanders]

You will be fine.

You could aways backup this device also, just in case. It does not overwrite the backup files... they should be named by DATE of the backup.

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted (8700g: BlackBerry8700/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

What JSanders said, then.

[ilans1]

Well, it says it will overwrite my 'messages' database when i try to do a restore, so that means my new messages will be deleted....is there any way to get around this? Im really surprised theres no option to merge the old messages with the new.

[JSanders]

What is "it' that says that?

[ilans1]

Im in Desktop manager, I select 'messages' and click on the arrow to transfer them onto the BB, thats when I get "this will overwrite your current database". I just want to add my old messages to the new database without deleting the newer messages...does that make sense?

[Bizeau]

USB jack is broken. I have about 100 messages on my device that I need to save, yet have no way of getting them off the device. Is there a way to forward all messages to another account? What about my address book? Any way to get it backed up without a usb cable?


I got mine fixed at Cell Phone Fixed in Seattle, WA. They replaced my usb port in less than an hour. They also do mail in repairs.