Problem

Your BlackBerry Smartphone has multiple "Desktop" address books listed, and you are not able to synchronise via the BlackBerry Desktop Manager.

Cause

This can be caused when a device is added, or re-added, to a BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) under a new user account without first being security wiped to remove the previous owner's information.

Resolution

RIM have released a free application to the App World that provides BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service) subscribers with the ability to use the Enterprise Activation feature of their Smartphone to register their device over the air with a server running BES Express or the MDaemon Messaging Server. The full BES product is not supported.

The BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express Edition offers businesses the ability to enable their staff to use BlackBerry devices to receive push-based email, contact and calendar data from an existing Lotus Domino installation, version 8.0.2 or later.

A free download from the BlackBerry web site, the solution is not limited to any set number of users and requires only that users have a BlackBerry data tariff on their SIM card with their network operator.
A 10,000 user CAL is supplied with the download by default.

In the unlikely event that your BlackBerry refuses to load one day and simply displays an error message on the screen reading "Error 302 - Reload User Software", all is not lost. You can re-load the software from your PC using the BlackBerry Desktop Manager application.

The BDM can be downloaded free of charge from the BlackBerry web site here - http://na.blackberry.com/eng/services/desktop/

Install the software before connecting your device to the PC via the USB cable if you have not done so already. The main dashboard will be displayed:

Whilst a BlackBerry handheld activated with a corporate BES server will receive contact and calendar data over the air from either an Exchange or a Domino server, devices used with the BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) can only receive emails over the air, and must synchronise contact and calendar information locally with your PC via the BlackBerry Desktop Manager software, available for download free from the BlackBerry web site- http://na.blackberry.com/eng/services/desktop/

The BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) is RIM's consumer-oriented platform which provides push-based email delivery from your own POP or IMAP-based account to your handheld, without the need for your own BlackBerry server deployed somewhere. It does not offer the device management functionality of the corporate product, the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), but then you don't necessarily need it as a consumer.

In order to use the BIS service you will obviously need a BlackBerry device, and also have the BIS tariff enabled on your SIM card by your mobile operator.

RIM will soon be releasing a version of the BlackBerry Desktop Manager software for the Mac platform, although a version has already surfaced on the web, which was used to create this post.

In order to use your BlackBerry as a modem with your PC to connect to the Internet via your cellular provider, you will need to have data service enabled on the SIM card in the BlackBerry device in addition to BlackBerry service.

The BlackBerry Desktop Manager software, available for free download from the BlackBerry web site (https://www.blackberry.com/Downloads/entry.do?code=A8BAA56554F96369AB93E...), includes an IP modem configuration wizard that is configured with the required connection settings for a wide variety of popular global cellular provider.

New to version 5.0 of the BlackBerry Device Software is the built-in diagnostic utility which enables you to quickly check that the device is registered with the network operator, with the RIM infrastructure and also with your corporate BES server (if you're using BES service as opposed to BIS service).

The Blackberry Unite software is a free application aimed at the connected family or small office. Installed on a Windows XP or Windows Vista-based PC, it enables up to 5 users to share Contact and Calendar information from their Blackberry handheld devices, as well as providing access to any files held on that PC. Users can also transfer videos, photos and movie files from their Blackberry handhelds to the Unite PC.