5 days ago, I incidentally cracked my screen of a 2yr old Bold 9700. 3 days later, the device ceased to turn on. So, up I went to the nearest AT&T store, negotiated a price a purchased a new Bold 9900. I carefully setup my email, however, my att.blackberry.net account was deleted. No worries, a quick phone call to AT&T and they informed me that I just needed to re-setup the account. O.K., Done.
Before the att.blackberry.net account was setup, but after setting up my Blackberry ID and gmail account, I ran Blackberry Protect. I easily navigating the options, certain I had selected the right choices, adding a new device to BB Protect. I then go to restore the data from my old 9700, but there's no data!!!! On my call with AT&T, they knew nothing and send me to RIM support. Wonderful folks Ross and Raven were. They helped me out as best they could.
At first, it seemed that AT&T must have deleted my account. Hence the account was gone, and thus all backed-up data with it. But, Raven decided to do more research, and found what I believe to be KB25063. Ah, that small little text, found on the bottom of the page of a knowledgebase article (last place one turns when stepping through an applications menus):
If restoring from a file is not necessary, and previous backup files do not need to be kept : select Add Device. This will reset the account, clearing all previously backed up files. An automatic backup will now be performed.
Wow... So that's where I screwed up, I added a device.
!!!!***WAIT***!!!!
I added a device, so my data is deleted!?!? That's about as logical and as obvious as creating a new MS Word document deleting all existing and open word documents. Obviously, this is NOT what one would expect... Imagine now, my surprise when finding my data is GONE... Because I ADDED a device?! I'm perplexed, appalled, raged, irritated, frustrated, angry, yet inside I am grateful for Raven's calm, kind, helpful attitude. She encouraged me to seek out my 6+ month old backup to restore many contacts, although not all. She apologized, however, realizing that she could neither change the outcome nor help change the software. I post here hoping that blackberry aficionados, blackberry developers, blackberry experts, blackberry marketing and others will realize and hold RIM accountable. This Blackberry Protect software is supposed to be useful and protecting, yet can obviously fail to do both, quite easily. I've wasted much time on this issue as I've spent over 2 hours on this now...
I set forth this appeal that if you have a way to restore the Blackberry Protect data, you call me ASAP, as I seek to slowly reassemble contact information (<removed>). I ask that if you are a developer able to do something, DO IT. The future of RIM depends on you doing not just your job, but stretching yourself to fix the non-obvious software issues as this. You MUST clarify this performance and fix this issue if PROTECT will do it's very namesake.
For those wondering why I post, you probably don't understand and needn't reply. For those who share my pain,
please reply so developers can sense if anyone other than myself have been impacted. For Raven and Ross, my greatest gratitude for your help. For RIM employees, consider this a minor, meager, very very small plea for your best, brightest products (HW and SW) in the future. I believe RIM has the ability to bring Blackberry back to the top of it's A-game... had I not, I wouldn't have just bought a Bold 9900 and I wouldn't post this plea
Ken
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