[Crucial_Xtreme]

***UPDATE FOR DM 4.7***

1) Plug in device>Open DM>Device Switch Wizard

2) DSW>BlackBerry devices

3) Make sure ONLY 3rd Party Applications is checked>Select Next

4) DM will back up 3rd party apps, when finished DO NOT select Next or Cancel!!!

5) Search your computer Files & Folders and DEFINITELY make sure to search HIDDEN FILES & FOLDERS for a folder with the same name as your PIN and a .alx file.

6) Move both the folder and .alx file to an easy a
accessible place you remember.

7) Go back to the DM and cancel the process.

PIN Folder- Search Method for VISTA Users

1) Click Start Circle

2) Click on Help & Support

3) Enter "Search Folder"

4) Click on "Find a file or folder"

5) Click on "To find a file or folder using the Search folder"

6) Click on "Click to open search"

7) Click on the expand arrow next to "Advanced Search"

8) Click on "Location" and use Local Disk C: (usually!)

9) Enter the PIN of your BB under "Name"

10) Make sure the box is checked next to "Include non-indexed, hidden, and system files"


If you do not want to follow those instructions you may take this path also:

C:\Users\[name]\AppData\Local\Temp


Thanks to jfksabal for the Vista search method.





RESTORE PROCESS

1) Plug in device>Open Desktop Manager

2) Select Apploader>Add/Remove Applications

3) Select Add

4) Browse to Folder named your PIN #

5) Select the .alx file and Select Open>Select Next

This Tutorial was made by Crucial_Xtreme. Please do not copy and paste this tutorial anywhere without my permission. You may however, post links. Thank you very much and I hope this helps atleast one person.

[Yesterdays Shoveler]

So when I do this, the list of applications does not update in DM. When I try to load the backed up applications using Loader.exe, I get a prompt that says "No additional applications designed for your device were found".

Any way around that?

[nightfishing]

Did you try disconnecting from the interenet before you ran DM?

If you open up the .alx file in Notepad, are your apps listed?

[Yesterdays Shoveler]

If you open up the .alx file in Notepad, are your apps listed?

No, they're not. That would probably be the problem. That stinks.

[topherserrano]

i ran into the same problem. for me, when i backed up my apps and searched for the folder with my pin #, there was a separate pin#.alx file as well listed on the screen. you want to save BOTH the folder with your PIN # and also the PIN#.alx file in a safe location. i made a "APP BACKUP" folder and placed those TWO items in there. then, i TRANSFERRED the PIN#.alx file INSIDE the PIN# folder. the PIN# Folder has all the apps and now has the .axl file inside. when you try to restore now, you'll no longer get the message you were getting. took me a min. to figure it out, but it works now.

what i do:

1) Plug in device>Open Desktop Manager

2) Select Apploader>Add/Remove Applications

3) Select Add

4) Browse to Folder named "APP BACKUP" <---like i said, i created a "APP BACKUP" folder where i save my PIN# Folder with the .alx file

5) Browse to Folder named your PIN #

5) Select the .alx file and Select Open>Select Next

hope this helps.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

i ran into the same problem. for me, when i backed up my apps and searched for the folder with my pin #, there was a separate pin#.alx file as well listed on the screen. you want to save BOTH the folder with your PIN # and also the PIN#.alx file in a safe location. i made a "APP BACKUP" folder and placed those TWO items in there. then, i TRANSFERRED the PIN#.alx file INSIDE the PIN# folder. the PIN# Folder has all the apps and now has the .axl file inside. when you try to restore now, you'll no longer get the message you were getting. took me a min. to figure it out, but it works now.

so now you can:

1) Plug in device>Open Desktop Manager

2) Select Apploader>Add/Remove Applications

3) Select Add

4) Browse to Folder named your PIN #

5) Select the .alx file and Select Open>Select Next

Did you not read step 5? It's says a folder with your PIN AND the .alx file. And says to move BOTH.

[Yesterdays Shoveler]

Yeah, did all that, except for some reason my [pin].alx file was screwed up and did not have all of my apps listed. Weird.

[DCoy82]

Great post, it'll come in handy for a lot of people.

When you are upgrading, before you start the upgrade process after DM tells you there is an update available once you hook the phone up to your computer, click on Advanced instead of next to install the update. It'll pop up a screen where you can choose everything you want to backup/add/remove during the upgrade process. This includes everything; languages, all factory apps, 3rd party apps, etc. I do this every time I upgrade so I don't have to do the tedious 3rd party app backup mentioned above.

Don't get me wrong, you will not be able to do this if you are switching to a new device, or after a fresh wipe. So if you are just upgrading and are confident that your phone will upgrade fine with no problems, don't worry about backing the 3rd party apps as you can do it during the advanced choice list. But if you ARE upgrading from a fresh wipe, or switching devices, or just plain don't trust your phone not to have an issue while upgrading then by all means, DO BACK UP ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAVE VIA METHOD ABOVE!

Hope this helps anybody as I have not seen this trick posted anywhere on the forums. And sorry for the vague description on how to do it, I'm not doing an upgrade right now so I don't have the ability to type out the exact key presses as you go. If need be, on the next upgrade I will do so if anybody asks.

[SirLance99]

So I did the step by step method. Got my replacement and then went to load the apps and it will not let me. The file is there but nothing is in the file itself.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

So I did the step by step method. Got my replacement and then went to load the apps and it will not let me. The file is there but nothing is in the file itself.

Yes the file is attached to your PIN. Use the switch device wizard.

[TheMisses]

THIS ACTUALLY SEEMS TO HELP OUT WHEN IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO BACK-UP ANYMORE USING REGULAR MEANS WITH DM. In my case after an upgrade to the .85 beta. (temp files through browser emptying didn't help either, just to be sure I'm mentioning it).

It worked like a charm. Connected it to the laptop. DM said that there were a few files not recognized, so I let it update them. No probs. Untill I tried to backup. Not possible. Failed on DB here and DB there. Removed some of the apps and their DB's but still the backup would crash with the "error: cannot read (backup?) databases".

Then I connected to the desktop in another room, backed up (never had BB attached to it before), still would not work also. BUT when I then tried to use the backup method described here (but this time not only select the 3rd party apps but also the databases), then the device would be read completely.

So since this is already occuring since the beginning of time with the BB's and DM's this is DEFINATELY a DM issue. NOT a BB OS one. Maybe DM is too rigid.

However, I'm not sure my messages and tasks have been backed up now, so I'll use the "Advanced" normal way of backupping to see which DB's I can still backup completely, and which not.

Then I'll wipe my as* with it, the device I meant, and upgrade to .85 again. I'll remove and reinstall the DM from the web on the laptop, connect the BB and try to restore everything.

I'll be letting you guys and gals know how it turned out. Could be it will help out a lot of us since this error is sticking its ugly head up where ever I look on the web and RIM does not seem to be able to fix it.

Well... I'm not surprised actually. You guys do know what rimming means right? :-P

[corpnetsolutions]

Good post, thanks Crucial

[anon(1607177)]

i ran into the same problem. for me, when i backed up my apps and searched for the folder with my pin #, there was a separate pin#.alx file as well listed on the screen. you want to save BOTH the folder with your PIN # and also the PIN#.alx file in a safe location. i made a "APP BACKUP" folder and placed those TWO items in there. then, i TRANSFERRED the PIN#.alx file INSIDE the PIN# folder. the PIN# Folder has all the apps and now has the .axl file inside. when you try to restore now, you'll no longer get the message you were getting. took me a min. to figure it out, but it works now.

what i do:

1) Plug in device>Open Desktop Manager

2) Select Apploader>Add/Remove Applications

3) Select Add

4) Browse to Folder named "APP BACKUP" <---like i said, i created a "APP BACKUP" folder where i save my PIN# Folder with the .alx file

5) Browse to Folder named your PIN #

5) Select the .alx file and Select Open>Select Next

hope this helps.

Houston I got a problem, I dont have any file alx. I made a folder STORM BACK UP, the only files I find it's 2 back up : backup (2009-01-12).cab and another one backup (2009-01-12).ipd . I dont understand ....could you explain me.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Houston I got a problem, I dont have any file alx. I made a folder STORM BACK UP, the only files I find it's 2 back up : backup (2009-01-12).cab and another one backup (2009-01-12).ipd . I dont understand ....could you explain me.

Follow the directions from the guide. If you did, you wouldn't come close to the files you just mentioned. Those are from backups, not 3rd party applications backups. Just follow the directions in the first post and you'll be alright.

[anon(1607177)]

Thank you, all it's okay

[blunt420]

cx i am new to the bb scene 1) whats a 3rd party app is stormlock one?? 2)if i do a backup will that save mt password for the next update basically im not dure what to back up and why lol

[bcjoves]

newbie is confused... i keep following the directions, but don't see a .alx file in the folder. I find the folder with my pin on it, and a folder with pin.cfg, a microsoft config file, and device and device.cfg folders... am i doing something wrong or am i just stupid? Thanks!

[fonebrkr]

newbie is confused... i keep following the directions, but don't see a .alx file in the folder. I find the folder with my pin on it, and a folder with pin.cfg, a microsoft config file, and device and device.cfg folders... am i doing something wrong or am i just stupid? Thanks!

When you find the folder with your pin, open it, it should have your .alx file in the top left hand corner, then a list of all your current apps. So far the only ones I can't get to transfer right after the backup are slacker and talklock.

Doing this with DM version 4.7, make sure you turn the radio back on to your phone after you cancel out, since dm turns your radio off before it starts the process.

[bcjoves]

wow.. i used to consider myself very technically savvy, but i just can't figure this out. I open the PIN folder and there are other folders with number/letter combinations, BK0 files, ISH files, WRK files, BIN files, INFO files, and a configuration setting... but still don't see the .alx file.... please help- this is hella frustrating!!

[fonebrkr]

wow.. i used to consider myself very technically savvy, but i just can't figure this out. I open the PIN folder and there are other folders with number/letter combinations, BK0 files, ISH files, WRK files, BIN files, INFO files, and a configuration setting... but still don't see the .alx file.... please help- this is hella frustrating!!

In the search preferences, make sure you select look in hidden files and folders.
Just a hint the parent folder that the pin # folder is in is temp.
The search shouldn't pull up that many results. maybe do a search specifically for *.tmp files first and clear that out, then do the search for the pin#.
Also on mine, I get 2 results that matter, one is the .alx by itself, (this one is useless), then I get the folder with the pin # for its name and the .alx and all the apps in it.
Kinda long winded, but I can't do a SS right now, maybe something in all of this will help.

[bcjoves]

thanks, i'll try again in a few- i just got caught up with work... i'll let you know if it works. I really appreciate the help!

[bcjoves]

dude.. you're my hero! haha... thanks to everyone that has helped with this, for me right now and for all other blackberry newbs.. soooo helpful!!!

[huntmol]

A-freaking-mazing.
Worked perfectly.
Thanks!

[DJH]

CX, I am trying to restore my 3rd party apps. When I open apploader and select add/remove apps, there is no other feature to just select add. I have to hit start, then it brings up all the little boxes to check/uncheck. I hit browse and find my .alx folder. It adds it to the apps to be loaded, but it says to check boxes I want to add and uncheck if i want to remove apps. So, if I don't check visual voicemail, etc, it won't load them?

[Yesterdays Shoveler]

So anyone know why this wouldn't backup all the apps? I have several of the EDL Industries installed and following the steps in this procedure doesn't get them all. It's not even getting all the real apps (Instamapper, GoogleMaps, AP News App, QuickLaunch).

Is there any other way to backup ALL of the 3rd party apps?