whats the best way to "start over" fresh with my Pearl but with copying back vital info like saved emails, passwords, bookmarks, etc?

Do I perform a backup thru DManger and then "wipe" handheld and then hopefully restore the specific info?

Thanks in advance for any help.

fkjr2, yes you got it. Backup complete through DM (get the latest version 4.2 Service Pack 1 here:
Where do I download the latest version of Desktop Manager? - BlackBerryFAQ

Then wipe (best if doing the jl-cmdr wipe):
How do I wipe the BlackBerry using Jl Cmder? - BlackBerryFAQ

Then do a complete restore from the back up.

For a safety net, I always do a sync with MS Outlook as well, then if something in the restore fails, at least I have my most current data, calendar, address book.

JSanders... just an FYI...
Blackberry Desktop Manager 4.2 SP2 is now available on Blackberry.com and it's currently the most recent version.

* File name: Desktop Software v4.2 SP2 (English)
* File size: 231 MB
* Date posted: 18-May-07

i just now saw that post about it, yea.

Thanks.

great thanks.

So I dont have to restore the entire backup file, just certain items right?

yes, either way. make sure you have the OS you want also, downloaded on to your PC.

ok now what if I want to upgrade to a new device? how do I restore the backup file from old device to new device?

When you backup the old device it stores it as an .ipd file. To restore that file to the new device simply use the restore feature and select that file to restore to the new device.

would this still hold true even if I restore the backup file to a different device model and different PIN ? Doesnt it have to be the same devices??

It doesn't HAVE to be the same device, but you may get some flaky stuff if you restore to a way different device. I was using an 8800 and did a restore to a 7130c (Cingular had zero coverage at my house) and I got a weird profile that I can't delete. No biggie, since everything else works fine.

ok thanks - mine would be from an 8100 to 8300.

another question please - can we rename the backup file during the backup process?

Will that ruin the file?

Thanks!