This little hidden feature in the BlackBerry address book can either be your best friend or the beginning of the worst prank ever. For example, I have been having an issue with my device where my BES contacts are duplicated on my device twice. A few quick keystrokes later I can force a re-sync with the Exchange server. On the other hand a prankster can use it to delete your whole on device address book within a few seconds… Definitely a double edged sword so use it with caution!
The process requires you to follow these simple instructions listed below. Just PLEASE make sure to make a backup using desktop manager if you do not know what you are doing.
- Click on the address book homescreen icon
- Press the menu button
- Select options from the menu
- Type the letters rset
- WARNING: If you proceed you may lose your whole address book. We take no responsibility for any issues that may arise. Please make a backup first!
- Select yes to the prompts to delete your on device address book if you wish to do so. If you are connected to a BES server it will then remove all contacts and re-sync your Exchange address book to your device.
It will then ask you if you want to delete your whole address book. If you are on a BES server it will ask you twice. Once for your BlackBerrys default address book and one for the BES address book. This should sometimes clear your BlackBerry of address book issues but you will be starting from square one or an old backup. I found this helpful sometimes when I had issues synching Outlook with my BlackBerry so I would just delete all my BlackBerry contacts and sync them back from Outlook again.
Let us know if it works for you!
Thanx Jose & JohnnyB for reminding me about this shortcut!
Sith_Apprentice Not Registered
Posted: March 15, 2010 at 5:39 PM EST
This will reload any wirelessly synced address books (BES) from the server. A great way to clear duplicate entries. Also works on Calendar
steve Not Registered
Posted: March 15, 2010 at 6:34 PM EST
Hey ronen, this is off-topic but you once posted a tip about contact auto-complete when composing emails. Do you know how or where that setting is? The new leaked OSes may have removed it I cant (i did before) find that option anywhere!
thanks!!
Tom ( View Profile) Enthusiast - Posts: 365
Posted: March 15, 2010 at 7:48 PM EST
One more caution… If you use this method to re-sync contacts from the BES server, all group contacts will be lost on the device as groups do not sync.
globaldanish86 ( View Profile) Newcomer - Posts: 21
Posted: March 15, 2010 at 9:25 PM EST from my BlackBerry 8820
Omg this is scary yet sooo fing cool
Mike Not Registered
Posted: March 16, 2010 at 10:03 AM EST
What’s next? How to rape and spell check an email?
Ronen, you’re an idiot for completely unnecessarily adding a Japanese word to your title that has nothing to do with this topic. Your douchebaggery has offended me this morning.
Have a nice day.
Ronen Halevy ( View Profile) Senior admin - Posts: 5299
Posted: March 16, 2010 at 10:11 AM EST from my BlackBerry 9700
Hi Mike I’m sorry to hear you getting all wound up by me mentioning a published RIM debugging command. I chose seppuku because that’s exactly what I feel like whenever I perform it…
Mike Not Registered
Posted: March 16, 2010 at 10:19 AM EST
Let’s get things straight…I’m not wound up over your debugging command. I think you’re a douchebag for trying to be kewl by using a word out of context. Perhaps you should act on your feelings and actually go through with it.
Randy Not Registered
Posted: April 12, 2010 at 12:28 PM EST
WOW. Thanks so much for this great tip. I have been very frustrated by the dups and now they are gone! No problems.