FAQ: How To Disable BES Wireless Sync So You Can Selectively Restore & Disable Grayed Out Databases

A friend of mines BlackBerry was having problems with its profiles and I thought it might help to use BlackBerry Desktop Manager to clear the Profiles database. Turns out that this is not that easy on a device hooked up to a BES! All of the BES synchronized databases are grayed out in the selective/advanced restore options which means that you cannot restore or clear them… For the calendar, contacts, & tasks you can fix this by turning off the wireless sync but you don’t have this option for all the other databases on your BlackBerry.

I thought I was up a proverbial creek until I ran across some great instructions by Lamlamz on how to get around this restriction. Turns out there are two solutions. One requires cooperation from your BES admin and one you can easily do by yourself.

With the help of your BES admin:

  1. Use BlackBerry manager to find the BlackBerry user
  2. Right click on the user and select Edit
  3. Select PIM sync and change “Automatic Wireless Backup Enabled”
  4. Then hit apply
  5. Do your selective restore or clear and then set Automatic Wireless Backup Enabled to True.

Without the help of your BES admin:

  1. Go to settings/options->Advanced Options->Service Books and select the Desktop [Sync] service book
  2. Click the menu button and select delete.
  3. Then do your selective restore or clear from your desktop
  4. Then disconnect your BlackBerry and click the menu button on that same service book and select undelete

Big thanks to Lamlamz for the solution!

4 total comments on this postSubmit your comment!
  1. A far better way to backup the primary PIM applications (Address Book, Calendar, Tasks, and Memo Pad) is to go into the individual application on your BlackBerry, CLICK the Scroll Wheel or Menu Button and select Options. Then scroll to the line “Wireless Synchronization”, and hit [Space] to change it from Yes to NO.

    Now you will be able to back up the data in these applications. You do NOT need to delete any service books for this operation.

  2. Oh yea – don’t forget to turn Wireless Sync back on when you’re done!

  3. Thanks for this essential information that I haven’t found elsewhere on the web for this problem. It has saved me twice now.

    At least now I have it bookmarked! 🙂

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