Frequently Asked Questions
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FAQs: BlackBerry® Transferring & Synchronizing Data

What's the difference between my SIM Card phone book and my BlackBerry address book?
How can I tell what size SIM card I have?
How do I synchronize my BlackBerry device with my PC?
I have applications on my old device. How do I transfer applications?
How can I transfer contacts from my Motorola device to my new BlackBerry?
How do I transfer my Personal Information Manager (PIM) data (i.e. contacts, tasks, memos, and calendar) from my non-BlackBerry personal digital assistant (PDA) to my new BlackBerry?
How do I transfer my Personal Information Manager (PIM) data (i.e., contacts, tasks, memos, and calendar) from my old BlackBerry to my new BlackBerry?
What is Enterprise Activation?
Q:  What's the difference between my SIM Card phone book and my BlackBerry address book?
A:  They are two separate books. The SIM Card Phone Book is a phone book of contacts that resides on the actual SIM card that you download from your device. The BlackBerry Address Book resides on your BlackBerry device.
You can upload your SIM Card Phone Book onto your BlackBerry Address Book. For more information, see SIM Card Phonebook Quick Start Guide.
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Q:  How can I tell what size SIM card I have?
A:  The last three digits of the SIM ID are printed on the back of the card.
The 16K SIM card's last three digits are 150.
The 32K SIM card's last three digits are 300.
The 64K SIM card's last three digits are 310.
The 128K SIM card's last three digits are 330.
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Q:  How do I synchronize my BlackBerry device with my PC?
A:  If you are a BlackBerry Enterprise user, you do not need to synchronize with your PC because it occurs wirelessly.
If you use BlackBerry Desktop Manager, you can synchronize your device by following these steps:
  1. Connect your device to your PC using the USB cable provided.
  2. Open the BlackBerry Desktop Manager application on your PC.
  3. If the application does not begin synchronization automatically, click Intellisync.
  4. Click Synchronize.
Note: You can synchronize with a number of other applications. For a full list, see your BlackBerry User Guide. To synchronize with other applications refer to step 3 above and then select Configure PIM.
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Q:  I have applications on my old device. How do I transfer applications?
A:  You can transfer applications from your old BlackBerry or other device by following these steps:
  1. Contact the application developer or vendor to make sure the application is compatible with your new BlackBerry model. This step is important even if the application worked on an older BlackBerry model.
  2. If it is compatible, re-download the application from the vendor's site to your PC. You do not need to re-download if you already have a version on your computer that will work with your new BlackBerry model.
  3. Connect your new BlackBerry to your computer using the USB cable.
  4. Launch the BlackBerry Desktop Manager.
  5. Double click on the Application Loader and follow the directions provided by the Application Loader Wizard.
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Q:  How can I transfer contacts from my Motorola device to my new BlackBerry?
A:  If you purchased a BlackBerry 7520™ or 7100i, you can copy all your contacts or a single contact from your existing SIM card to your BlackBerry Address Book as long as your SIM card is compatible with your new device. For example, the BlackBerry 7520 is compatible with a 32K SIM card and the BlackBerry 7100i is compatible with a 64K SIM card.
If your SIM card is not compatible, you can export your contacts from your MyNextel Address Book into a format recognized by the BlackBerry Desktop Manager. You can then import your contacts into the BlackBerry Desktop Manager and synchronize with your computer to move them onto your new BlackBerry device.
For detailed steps, see Transferring Contacts (189KB PDF).
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Q:  How do I transfer my Personal Information Manager (PIM) data (i.e. contacts, tasks, memos, and calendar) from my non-BlackBerry personal digital assistant (PDA) to my new BlackBerry?
A:  Your PIM data in most PDAs can be transferred to your new BlackBerry by configuring the BlackBerry Desktop Manager to import your information from your existing PIM desktop application. Before you import your information make sure you:
  1. Synchronize and back up your old PDA.
  2. Disconnect the PDA from your computer.
  3. Close the application used to synchronize your old PDA.
  4. Connect your new BlackBerry to your computer and launch the BlackBerry Desktop Manager.
  5. Launch Intellisync and Configure PIM settings to pull from your current PIM application.
For detailed steps, see Transferring Contacts (189KB PDF).
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Q:  How do I transfer my Personal Information Manager (PIM) data (i.e., contacts, tasks, memos, and calendar) from my old BlackBerry to my new BlackBerry?
A:  BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) users:
  1. Synchronize and back up your old BlackBerry device.
  2. Activate your new BlackBerry on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. (Contact your System Administrator for instructions.) Your PIM information should automatically synchronize once your new device has been activated.
BlackBerry Internet Server (BIS) users:
  1. Synchronize your old BlackBerry device with your computer.
  2. Back up your old BlackBerry device using the BlackBerry Desktop Manager's 'Backup and Restore' function.
  3. Disconnect your old BlackBerry device and connect your new BlackBerry device to your computer.
  4. Use the BlackBerry Desktop Manager's 'Restore' function to transfer your old device's customized databases to your new device.
  5. Synchronize your new BlackBerry device with the BlackBerry Desktop Manager.
For detailed steps, see Transferring Contacts (189KB PDF).
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Q:  What is Enterprise Activation?
A:  Enterprise Activation is an automatic synchronization used only by customers using the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.
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