Files with the .BBB extension are known as BlackBerry Backup files. These are single files containing a copy of both personal data and configuration settings from a BlackBerry device (phone or playbook). Depending on the options selected when first creating the backup, .BBB files can contain many different types of data.
The most common types of data stored in a BlackBerry backup are the device owner's Address book (contacts), SMS messages, emails and calendar.
If the data stored on a BlackBerry device becomes corrupt, lost or accidentally deleted; the data can be restored from the .BBB backup file.
Note: With the release of BlackBerry OS v10, the internal structure of these backups changed (version 3). These backups now contain multiple encrypted .TAR archive files (app.tar, media.tar and settings.tar for example).
How to Open a BBB file
The only software available to reliably view the data within a BlackBerry .BBB file is phoneMiner. This software allows you to view the address book (contacts), SMS messages, emails and calendar inside a BlackBerry backup file.
phoneMiner also allows you to export the data to common formats such as Excel, CSV, VCF (vCard) and XML.
How to Create a .BBB file
BlackBerry backups can only be created using the 'Blackberry Desktop Software', an application developed by Research In Motion Limited (RIM), the creators of BlackBerry devices.
Blackberry Desktop Software is bundled with all new BlackBerry devices, however the most up-to-date version can be downloaded directly from RIM's website.
Once the software installed, a BlackBerry must be connected to your computer using a USB cable. Running the BlackBerry desktop software will give you the option of creating a full or partial backup.
Full backups will result in a .BBB file containing all personal data and phone settings from the BlackBerry. Selecting a partial backup will create a file with the chosen databases only (E.g Address Book and messages).
Before actually generating the backup, the software will provide the additional option to password protect the backup; doing so will encrypt the data using 256-bit AES encryption. Anyone attempting to view the data will then need to provide the original password.
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Comments (10)
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1-10
jack
2010-01-13 07:53:14
#1
is there any software to convert .ipd files to .bbb format?
Sue
2010-01-18 16:31:14
#2
How do I get a Blackberry back up address book from my Mac into my Mac address book and then sync with my new iPhone to upload the information onto it?
Jason Shepherd
2010-09-11 04:33:14
#3
How do I convert my bbb files to vcf files for my mac - need to upload them to my iphone 4?
Hannah
2011-01-30 15:52:26
#4
I'm a mac user. I have followed everything from blackberry HELP and have saved the file as an .ipd - however, my mac wont let me open the .ipd with Microsoft excel. Help?
UAE user
2011-04-05 06:41:08
#5
Open Microsoft Excel and then click on the open button, navigate to your file and make sure that the drop down list is set to "all files" and then you can open the .ipd file via excel
Warren
2012-03-06 19:43:47
#6
Used phoneMiner to extract my .BBB file, worked great - thanks :)
Diana
2012-03-13 12:50:51
#7
So i downloaded from RIM the updated software. Plugged my old bold in to do backup assistant. I think I may have deleted contacts. Went to sync, and replaced rather than merged. I thought it would be replacing the computer with files from the phone. Now they are off my phone and I don't see them on my computer. Any help? Do you think they would be on my sd card? This is my boyfriends phone and I was trying to be helpful and I feel just terrible. I do see a bbb file. Maybe I made a backup, but how would I get this file on my new phone?
Florence
2012-04-02 19:05:50
#8
Change the version of Desktop manager and before that the software did a save file .BBB without asking for a password. Now I want to reload this .BBB but I can't because I don't have the password to re-opened
What can I do?
Thank you
Mike
2012-07-29 13:46:11
#9
Thanks, just the info I needed.
Wkd
2012-10-23 12:26:21
#10
Since 2012 .BBB is the new format for all backups on Windows and Mac, only PhoneMiner can open them.
