1. spiketoo's Avatar
    Been trolling through the Switch Device vs restore BU threads. Moving from 9000 to 9900 this Thu (UPS willing).

    Just plan on using SD for contacts and email and stuff. No apps. ATT BIS has option to switch device for email accounts tho I can just resend service books if needed.

    So one thread stated 'be sure to switch devices via DM before activating new phone'. Why? What's the impact here?
    11-15-11 04:54 PM
  2. tfp's Avatar
    I've always done a "Switch Device" through DM and have never had an issue with my BlackBerry's. Connect the old BB via USB, start up DM, choose "switch device" and let let it do its thing. Then when its done, connect the new BB and hit "continue" or whatever the option is. I just find it so much easier when setting up a new BB. It transfers over all your contacts and settings as well as setting up emails. Even transfers over browser bookmarks. Never had an issue and I'm on my 5th personal BB as well as doing several for family members (2 each for both sisters as well as 3 for my brother-in-law)
    11-15-11 05:02 PM
  3. BB_Bmore's Avatar
    this option will also transfer all of your apps from one phone to the other so be careful do to compatibility issues..i actually got a weather app built for my 8530 transferred to my 9670 doing this and it kinda worked out good as the app does not support the 9670 although the 8530 build worked flawlessly on it.
    11-15-11 05:18 PM
  4. albee 1's Avatar
    There were earlier warnings against using the Device switch when coming from an older platform. I activated mine, logged into BB ID and all my email accts popped up. I just had to add passwords for each and all were activated at once. I then loaded all my contacts and data from an earlier backup from my old 8330. All has been well. If you have apps that were purchased from App world, its also a no brainer. BB ID will take care of that too if you go to My World. Enjoy your new Bold, they Rock!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    11-15-11 07:35 PM
  5. salexs11's Avatar
    i generally don't use device switch.
    in addition, going to new operating system versions, i'm also wary about bringing over apps.

    so i just use backup/restore and bring over my data (calendar, emails...tasks....) etc.
    for applications, i do fresh installs. i do not install anything not listed as compatible with my OS even if they WILL work.
    11-15-11 08:24 PM
  6. red-angelz's Avatar
    i switched using DM (Device switch). just make sure, when the DM tell you to plug in the new device, connect the new device first and let it transfer all your data to the new handheld.

    when everything is done, then you move your sim card and memory card if you wish.
    DO NOT, put the simcard before. otherwise, it will mess your BBM contacts (not updating to the new device).

    as for BB Groups, too bad.. the geniuses at RIM still couldn't solve this problem..
    if you're lucky, some of the groups will transfer tho :d
    11-15-11 10:38 PM
  7. marcin.warmuz's Avatar
    I have read that a battery issues that people have with 9900 can be linked to the fact that they did simple device switch. I think that if you start from scratch and do everything manually you are going to end up with much cleaner system that will less drain the battery.
    urbanguy and crackberryangie like this.
    11-15-11 11:36 PM
  8. spiketoo's Avatar
    Appreciate all the comments but I didn't intend for this to become another 'restore back-up' vs. 'Switch Device' thread - there seem to an ample number of those.

    I'm just wondering the order of steps to take - should I activate the phone before or after I use SD to load data? Someone mentioned not inserting the sim card prior to using SD (FWIW I'm not planning on bringing over the apps - just contact info).
    11-16-11 06:08 AM
  9. autobahntoo's Avatar
    Would that be a viable, possibly even cleaner, option?

    Force a sync on the old device, download blackberry protect and sync the new device. You get all of your calendar, contacts, etc. data synced over to the new device and you didn't even have to connect to DM.

    What do you experts think?
    11-16-11 09:12 AM
  10. crackberryangie's Avatar
    I learned my lesson and will never use the switch device option again. I switched from the 8900 to the 9900 with the switch device option just fine but then my 9900 started having issues. When I got a replacement 9900, I used the switch device option and somehow, the same issues I had with my old 9900 got transferred to my new one. Anyway, I'm on my 3rd 9900 right now (which I didn't use the switch device option on) and have not had the same types of issues I was having previously. I guess there's no way to for sure know that the switch device option was the culprit, but it would be too much of a coincidence that I got 2 9900's with the exact same issues.
    11-16-11 12:25 PM
  11. red-angelz's Avatar
    what issues are those angie?
    11-16-11 11:06 PM
  12. otacon#AC's Avatar
    Had Berries and Verizon for years and this is the easiest (and safest) way I've found on switching to a new device.

    1. Make sure you have all the Licenses/Product Keys for any paid apps you have.
    2. Backup just your Contacts via DM
    3. Turn off the Radio on your old BB and new BB
    4. Activate your new BB. With Verizon it's simply done online takes 5 mins.
    5. Turn on the Radio on your new BB, *228 and option 1 to activate (if it doesn't prompt you to activate it right off the bat which it should)
    6. Hook up DM get your new BB setup with it but don't sync anything
    7. Sync your contacts ONE WAY from computer to BlackBerry
    8. Install all the apps you have previously.

    The reason I do pretty much everything manually is because some things you had on previous Berry might not be compatible with your new Berries OS.
    11-17-11 12:37 AM
  13. jcp007's Avatar
    Activate first and setup. Since my 9900 is for work, I did not do device switch since I have a 9810 as my personal phone.
    11-17-11 06:01 AM
  14. xtremez's Avatar
    Recently I helped a friend switch his trusty Bold 9000 to the new Bold 9900 via Blackberry Protect. The gap between the two was night and day. OS 4.6 to OS 7.0. He never updated his Bold 9000.

    Of course, this is in my opinion not the best way to perform a device switch. My ideal method is to use desktop manager, perform a full backup of all the old device. Then plug in the new device and just restore and wait for completion.

    However, he wanted only a few things like his contacts and email accounts working. The other stuff were secondary, so my focus was to get those stuff in. So performed the backup on Blackberry Protect, and it was done. I shut off the old device, took out the sim card.

    Fired up the new device with the sim card inside. Once it detected BIS and push Blackberry Protect, I just like proceeded like (when reinstalled a newer version of Blackberry Protect) normal.

    Then it asked for him to key-in, his Blackberry ID. (This part is abit blur in my memory) After picking restore, it will show a list of previous backup made with this ID, and just hit restore (or whatever the word is) and wait. If i'm not mistaken, Blackberry Protect also shows the date and size of the file you selected, so you can tell if it's the right one or not. (Not just by file name which can be rather confusing)

    Later will need to verify some of the emails and it will start receiving emails and loading up BBM contacts after that. (Though my advice is always make a local backup, i.e. saving on Media Card when it comes to BBM contacts)

    I think he has been using the device since that upgrade without complains. So i guess everything is working fine.
    11-18-11 09:54 PM
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