[watha]

My Bold hated the upgrade to OS 5 so I decided to backtrack to an earlier version. The desktop software made this surprisingly easy. Of course, I backed up my files beforehand, and afterward ran the restore program.

So...where are my apps? They did NOT restore. Why the heck not? Help, please.

[MidnightDraven]

Because they are not part of a standard backup.
You would have to had done the backup as per the method here:
How do I backup my Third Party Applications on my BB? - BlackBerryFAQ

[watha]

That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of. When it asks you if you want to do a full backup, I of course assumed it meant a FULL backup. Of everything! How the heck would anybody know different? RIM software is generally well-designed but this is idiotic. So now I have to repurchase apps. Sheesh.

[MidnightDraven]

Because a backup is backing up data: contacts, email, profile preferences etc.
Applications do not come under "data".

Contact the developers of the apps in questions, they may give you a refund, activation code, or files to download the app without paying again if you explain it to them. Some do this, some don't.

[watha]

Bunk. Try backing up an iPhone. The iPhone software backs up EVERYTHING, unless you tell it otherwise. Apps, address book, documents...everything. Which is--duh!--what most users will want. It literally never occurred to me that a "full backup" wouldn't mean exactly that.

[penguin3107]

Originally Posted by watha

RIM software is generally well-designed but this is idiotic.

Agreed.
I've discussed this with RIM a few times and hopefully they'll change this behavior in future versions of Desktop Software.
I also want to see them add this functionality to BES wireless backup as well. (Not holding my breath on that one.)

What's even more frustrating to me is that the apps DO get backed up and restored to a new device if you use the Switch Device feature of desktop manager.... so DM already has the ability to back up the applications. It simply doesn't back them up when you do a normal backup.
I will never understand the rationale behind this.

[gloamin]

And I lost MemoryBooster, have proof of purchase from App world but can't get any real person to answer so I can re-download. *SMH* Good luck! Try BBSAK, that may work better than DM.