Help and support restoring BlackBerry backups

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What does the BlackBerry Backup Extractor do?

The BlackBerry Backup Extractor can extract files from BlackBerry Desktop Software backups of your BlackBerry data.

About BlackBerry backups

Running the BlackBerry Backup Extractor

The BlackBerry Backup Extractor on Windows

Running the BlackBerry Backup Extractor on Windows is as simple as double-clicking on the icon. However, users experiencing problems with the extractor on Windows should email us at the address below.

The BlackBerry Backup Extractor on OS X

In order to use the BlackBerry Backup Extractor on OS X, users must have the Mono framework and X11 libraries installed. Users of OS X 10.5 will have the X11 libraries already installed by default.

Once Mono is installed, users should open a Terminal window and navigate to the directory with the unzipped backup extractor (cd ~/Desktop), then run mono BlackBerryBackupExtractor.exe. This will run the extractor using Mono.

Some OS X users may find the extractor reports an error when run, complaining about X11 libraries. If this error appears users are advised to create a symlink from /usr/X11 to /usr/X11R6. This can be done by running the following command in the console: sudo ln -s /usr/X11 /usr/X11R6

If you are using Mono 1.2.4 you may encounter an error stating Mono.Data.SQLite.dll cannot be found or similar. This would seem to be a bug in Mono 1.2.4 which can be worked around by copying the file /Library/Frameworks/Mono.framework/Versions/2.6.4/lib/mono/gac/Mono.Data.Sqlite/2.0.0.0__0738eb9f132ed756/Mono.Data.Sqlite.dll into the folder where you unzipped the BlackBerry Backup Extractor.

There are instructions to uninstall Mono on OS X here. Unfortunately, we cannot offer support for questions on Mono.

Please do send us feedback on using the extractor under OS X.

The BlackBerry Backup Extractor on Linux

Running the software under Linux is straightforward, particularly for Ubuntu users. So long as the Mono framework is installed, including the libmono-winforms2.0-cil package, the BlackBerry Backup Extractor will just run. The quickest way to get Mono installed, if it isn't already, is to run sudo apt-get install libmono-winforms2.0-cil and choose to install all dependancies.

Users can bring up a terminal window and run mono BlackBerryBackupExtractor.exe as they would with any other binary file, and browse for remote or local backups as appropriate.

Registering the BlackBerry Backup Extractor

The registration window is brought up by clicking "register" (circled in green), and your unique identifier will be shown in the field we've circled in red below.

If you accidentally sent us the wrong identifier when you registered, the key we send you will likely not work. Use our new self-service key generator to create a new registration key. You'll need to have your original purchase details to hand.

Having trouble registering the BlackBerry Backup Extractor?

If you have purchased a key for the BlackBerry Backup Extractor but the "Register" button is not highlighting when your details are entered, there's one of three things that can be wrong:

  • You haven't entered your details correctly. In order to register, your name, company and key need to be entered exactly as they are in the registration email. We recommend you copy and paste these into the window.
  • Your unique ID is wrong or has changed. Double-check it, and if it has, use our self-service key generator to create a new registration key. If that doesn't work then forward us your registration confirmation email along with your new unique identifier.
  • You're using an older version of the BlackBerry Backup Extractor. You can see which version you're using by looking in the lower left-hand corner of the main window. Download the latest version and try again.

Restoring extracted files to my BlackBerry

Importing contacts from VCard or VCF

Importing your contacts into Outlook, Google Mail, or other modern email systems is easy. Our blog describes how to import your BlackBerry VCard contacts into Google Mail.

Can I use the BlackBerry Backup Extractor on a computer without BlackBerry Desktop Manager?

The BlackBerry Backup Extractor will automatically search in the default BlackBerry Desktop Manager backup location for your backups. However, the software doesn't require that BlackBerry Desktop Manager is installed on the computer on which you use it. You can copy your backups to another machine and use the BlackBerry Backup Extractor there. It is possible to extract on Windows from a backup made under OS X, and vice-versa.

Where does BlackBerry Desktop Manager store its backups?

Under Windows XP, BlackBerry Desktop Manager will store backups in \Documents and Settings\USERNAME\My Document\BlackBerry.

Under Windows Vista and Windows 7, BlackBerry Desktop Manager will store backups in \Users\USERNAME\Documents\BlackBerry.

Are data recovered with the BlackBerry Backup Extractor forensically sound?

Yes, data files are. The files are not manipulated in any way in the backup or reading process. Contact and calendar data is manipulatd into VCF and ICAL formats.

I'd like to suggest a new feature. How can I do that?

Click here.

Further reading

If you're struggling to do something particularly complicated with your BlackBerry backup, the following resources might help:

Volume pricing

Contact us for more information on volume pricing discounts.

Contact us

The BlackBerry Backup Extractor is produced by Reincubate, a small company based in London, England. We've been helping people recover lost information from their phones since 2008.

You can email us .

Yes. We'd love it if you blogged about us.

Why we charge VAT

We are required to charge VAT at a rate of 20% to all our customers who live in the European Union. We send all customers a VAT invoice which our business customers who are registered for VAT in their particular EU state can use to reclaim the VAT.