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It's a safe practice to backup your BlackBerry 10 device once in a while just in case you have some kind of issue and have to start fresh. Thankfully BlackBerry Link makes the process easy and you can easily backup to your Mac or PC with very little effort. BlackBerry Link isn't as robust as the old BlackBerry Desktop Software, so you do lose some advanced functions like selective backup and restore, but it still gets the job done. Keep reading to find out how to backup and restore your BlackBerry 10 device using BlackBerry Link.
Backup and Restore your BlackBerry 10 Device Using BlackBerry Link
Getting Started
First, you obviously need to have BlackBerry Link installed on your computer. You can download the latest Windows and Mac versions here.
After you get BlackBerry Link installed, connect your device. If it's your first time using it, you'll have to sign in with your BlackBerry ID and run through a few setup screens.
After you're up and running, plug your device into your computer using a microUSB cable. Once the device is recognized in BlackBerry Link, click the gear icon on the right.
This is your device settings screen. There are various options here for sync and other items, but for now we're not concentrating on those. Check the box labeled Select data to include in your backup files. For most cases, just be sure all the boxes are checked. This ensures that all of your settings, media and applications are backed up from the device. If for some reason you don't want something backed up you can uncheck the appropriate box.
On the far left, you have three options - Back Up Now, Restore Data and Remove Device. The first two are self explanatory. Remove Device will remove the device from BlackBerry Link.
Backing Up
To back up your device, click Back Up Now. The process will start automatically and you won't be able to use your device until it's finished. It does take a while so grab some coffee or head into the forums while you wait it out.
Once completed you'll see a confirmation dialog and you can then disconnect your device and carry on with your day!
Restoring
Restoring your data works in the same manner as backing up (it does take quite a bit longer however). You may need to restore your device if you have a new one, reset a device to its factory settings or just botched up something along the way.
From the same settings panel, click the Restore Data button. The process will begin and you can see a progess screen in BlackBerry Link. Again, your device won't be usable while it does its thing, so take a break and come back when it's finished.
One of the downsides here is that you can no longer perform a selective restore or backup of certain databases as you could in the past. On the BlackBerry Desktop Software, you could backup or restore just your contacts or calendar info for example. On BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Link that isn't an option, however most of this data should be in the cloud somewhere so it doesn't pose that much of an issue anymore.
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