1. marcb08's Avatar
    Hey -

    I just got the BB Pearl 2 - 8130. I currently use the Verizon backup assistant to backup all my contacts. Verizon told me that there is no way to transfer my contacts from that system onto my new Pearl and that I have to do it manually.

    Is there any way to download my contacts from backup now service online and convert them to contact files that I could transfer onto my BB?

    I would just bring them to the VZ store and transfer my contacts but my current cell phone doesn't hold all my contacts b/c I lost my previous one and the limit is full. Entering 500 contacts is a big pain.

    Please let me know if there is anyway to do this. Thank you very much.
    11-11-07 04:32 PM
  2. Wegmans's Avatar
    Do you have outlook on your computer, or at least running vista? You could sync them with your PC, then convert it to the BB standard through outlook or whatever client you use.

    Can you give more info? I've never used the verizon backup... i'd rather do it myself.

    Do they let you export your contacts to a file? If so, try importing that with outlook or Vista Contacts..
    11-11-07 06:18 PM
  3. marcb08's Avatar
    No, they don't let you export them to a file - that's the problem. You can only export them onto another phone via get it now using the backup assistant application.

    I use a Mac computer and am not synced to outlook yet. I have a windows machine available if it helps. Thanks.
    11-11-07 07:14 PM
  4. Wegmans's Avatar
    Oh wow, they really have you in a jam there.

    What was your previous phone?
    11-11-07 08:15 PM
  5. marcb08's Avatar
    I was using a samsung a few weeks ago but lost my phone so I was using one of my previous phones - Motorola V710. The problem is that my samsung held alot more contacts than the v710 does, so all my contacts are still online and not on my phone...

    thanks again for your help.
    11-11-07 09:47 PM
  6. d5150's Avatar
    Ok, I have a possible solution to this. Maybe others can help make this work better.

    Steps:
    1. Log into backup assistant website
    2. At the top click the print option which will show you the list in a more simple format
    3. Highlight and copy the list from the web site
    4. Open MS Excel and select cell A1 and paste
    5. The data should have pasted correctly into multiple columns
    6. Now click file > save as and in the "Save as type" drop down select CSV (*.csv) - this is a generic file format that many applications will recognize
    7. Open MS Outlook and select file > import and export
    8. Go through the wizard selecting to import from a CSV

    This is where it gets tricky and hopefully someone good at field mapping can help. It imports the data but does not map the proper fields from my experience.

    If someone can improve upon this method it would help a lot of people. I actually support Verizon PDAs and get this issue all of the time from people upgrading from cell phones. At the very least you will have the data in Excel.
    11-16-07 03:57 PM
  7. marcb08's Avatar
    Thanks alot for your response. This is exactly what I was looking for as the solution. Let's hope someone can help us complete this process. Thanks again.
    11-18-07 05:03 PM
  8. Gibralter's Avatar
    I have virtually no experience with Outlook but the way d5150 detailed is the only way I could think of?
    11-18-07 05:23 PM
  9. marcb08's Avatar
    Ok, here's how to do this guys:

    Follow d5150's directions (very very helpful, thank you very much)
    Then you can either use Entourage (Mac) or Outlook. Using Outlook, what you do is go to File, import/export, import from another file or program, then choose excel and browse for your file. Then sync to your BB obviously.

    Via Entourage is basically the exact same thing. Choose import, import from another file or program, then sync it to your BB.

    Entourage and Outlook should recognize the Excel file and transfer it to individual contacts. Outlook did for me. Thanks everyone for your help.
    11-19-07 08:39 PM
  10. d5150's Avatar
    You are Welcome I did not notice the Excel option in Outlook. That might be the ticket, I will have to try that when I get back to work.
    11-24-07 02:06 PM
  11. rivera8710's Avatar
    Thanks for the info regarding Backup Assistant....

    I actually have to map each contact to the correct filed.. seems like alot of labor... wow

    Also how do i then sync it to my BB??

    Please help lost all my contacts and Backup Assistant is my last resort!!
    12-21-07 06:00 AM
  12. Member_No.1's Avatar
    Snip....
    Also how do i then sync it to my BB??

    Please help lost all my contacts and Backup Assistant is my last resort!!
    Use your Desktop Manager software, that is if you are using a PC. You will be able to sync your BB to Outlook and. For Mac help on this look in the Mac forum.
    12-21-07 06:41 AM
  13. rivera8710's Avatar
    Thanks memeber no. 1....

    What I should ask then is there a program or a website I can upload my contacts for the future so (similar to backup assistant from verizon) I can retrieve them when needed for right now.

    I can type in each every one of my contact info into Outlook, but I am looking for a quick fix to put my contacts back onto my BB....

    Thanks
    12-21-07 12:08 PM
  14. Gadgetgeek's Avatar
    Thanks memeber no. 1....

    What I should ask then is there a program or a website I can upload my contacts for the future so (similar to backup assistant from verizon) I can retrieve them when needed for right now.

    I can type in each every one of my contact info into Outlook, but I am looking for a quick fix to put my contacts back onto my BB....

    Thanks
    That is exactly what DM sync does. Contacts revised on the handheld will sync to Outlook and vise versa... revisions to Outlook contacts will be sync'd witht the handheld.
    12-21-07 12:29 PM
  15. valaoritis's Avatar
    Has anyone figured out how to arrange the fields in Excel to get Outlook to read them? From Backup Assistant to Excel I did a "paste special - values only" and that got me a column with each name and number separated like this

    Alex bilotta
    6033204535
    6038836240
    6038834408

    Alex Shkreli
    9144905886
    2125792188

    But now I need to arrange it so Outlook puts the names and each number in the appropriate field.

    Thanks! - Dino
    02-08-08 03:45 PM
  16. Kerbear's Avatar
    I copied all of the contacts from the download assistance page. Then I pasted them all into Excel. (I use 2003 version). Then I saved it as a .csv and answered yes to all of popups. I closed excel and reopened the file. That got rid of all the hyper links and buttons. What you are left with is double rowes of data separated by an empty line. like this

    Fred Flinstone 3335551234
    Fred Flinstone 3335551234

    That gives the phone number and the name each in their own field. No, I don't keep addresses in mine but I think if you follow onto how I did it you can adjust for yourselves.

    I deleted every duplicate name and address so I was down to a single entry separated by two blank lines. I sorted the data. That's tools, data sort sort by name column and then I saved it.

    I opened up outlook and started on import to my contacts. When you get the option to let Outlook assign the fields itself is where I selected to let me assign the fields. (I use outlook 2003). Then you just drag and drop the name onto the name field on the right and the number onto the business number on the right. All of mine are business related. When you finish up they are all in your contacts and once you sych they are all in your phone. Hope you all have great success with this in the future.

    Kerry!!!
    Last edited by Kerbear; 07-11-08 at 03:35 PM. Reason: Spelling, grammer etc
    07-11-08 03:32 PM
  17. aeroshiro's Avatar
    I made a single contact entry in outlook and the exported it to an excel file via outlook. This file can then be used as a template for formatting the vzw backup assistant data with the correct field names and locations.
    01-09-09 10:27 PM
  18. D-Block's Avatar
    I had a similar problem, used Backup Assistant with Verizon for my old phone, then found out BB didnt have the same easy program to use!

    What I found was the easiest.... was taking my old phone and my BB to a verizon store and they sync'd the numbers with their fancy little machines!

    Good luck!
    01-11-09 08:18 AM
  19. mrberger202's Avatar
    In case anyone needs it, I wrote a utility to make it very easy to export backup assistant contacts into vcf format. You can get it here, free of charge:

    HowardForums: Your Mobile Phone Community & Resource - Backup Assistant Exporter - Download your contacts into a vCard
    03-07-09 03:29 AM
  20. scotch_2cubes's Avatar
    this site
    danshultz.blogspot .com /2009/01/import-verizon-backup-assistant.html

    had a quick scriptfor converting and importing all you contacts as a .csv file.
    Just be aware there is a "note" field that includes the message it was imported using his script, just open the csv in excel and delete that fileld before you import them into Outlook

    (couldnt post the link with my post count you'll have to do it manually
    03-13-09 11:47 AM
  21. rakehell's Avatar
    The original post almost works but there are a few important nuances needed. First, importing to Excel does NOT work unless you get it exactly right for Excel. Even then, you end up with a lot of extraneous stuff that you have to delete. There's no need for Excel at all. You don't need Excel to convert from tab-delimited to comma-delimited. Just use the text find-replace functionality. Here are the step I used:

    Steps:
    1. Log into backup assistant website

    2. At the top click the print option which will show you the list in a more simple format

    3. Highlight and copy the list from the web site

    4. Open a text editor and paste everything into it.

    5. Use Find/Replace to change the tabs to commas. Remove these keywords (case-sensitive): "Home", "Email", "Work", and "Fax".

    NOTE: When you do the Outlook mapping, you create a mapping as described below but you can't change it on an individual contact basis. So, I dragged the name to "Name" and the 2nd field to "Mobile Phone". Unfortunately this maps anything in the 2nd field, including email addresses.
    To fix that, use the text editor to position the cell phone number, fax, email, etc in their own "columns", e.g.
    <name>,<cell phone #>,<email addr>, <fax>

    Here are some examples:
    -----------------------
    For name, cell #, and email, format the entry in the text file like this:
    john, 3038881515,[email protected]

    For name and email, format the entry in the text file like this:
    john,,[email protected]
    ^^ note the empty cell # field denoted by 2 commas

    For name, cell #, fax #, format the entry in the text file like this:
    barry,3308881515,,3205556161

    6. Now click File > Save as and in the "Save as type" drop down select CSV (*.csv) - this is a generic file format that many applications will recognize

    7. Open MS Outlook and select file > import and export. Select "Contacts"

    8. Go through the wizard selecting to import from "Other apps", i.e. a CSV file

    When you do this you have to help Outlook understand how to map what you have in the text file to Outlook. A "Map Custom File" wizard will pop up. You only need to map the first entry in your list. Outlook will assume that you want everything else mapped the same way. However, when it's done you may want to check all of your contacts to make sure they all got into Outlook Contacts with the fields mapped correctly.
    05-11-09 11:47 AM
  22. SomeOneTookMyName's Avatar
    on the backup assistant page, there is an option to export to csv. a little more convenient. but this was posted two years ago so it probably wasn't available.
    11-06-09 02:27 PM
  23. Stonemason's Avatar
    the key is to make sure you save the excel file of your contacts as a .csv or comma separated value format then import to outlook.
    03-10-10 01:00 PM
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