Installing the PM Prepcast eFlashcards on a Blackberry

Tim Clement, MBA, PMP, MCP

tim@theclements.us

Version 1.0

April 7, 2009

This guide assumes you have previously configured your Blackberry and installed Blackberry Desktop Manager software.

There are two steps you must perform.

1. Install one or more eFlashcard sets 2. Configure your Blackberry slideshow

Notes

I performed all the steps on my Blackberry 8130 (Pearl). I have Blackberry OS version 4.3 installed. The steps should apply to other Blackberry models.

Each eFlashcard set is approx 100MB in size. My 8130 has 50MB of factory installed memory. The best route is to install an add-in media card prior installing the eFlashcards.

I’ve worked in IT for many years and these concepts are very familiar to me. I may have missed some details that you need. Feel free to contact me if you have questions.

Installing the eFlashcards

I’ll provide instructions for two scenarios

Method 1 – You do not have an add-in memory card installed in your Blackberry device

Method 2 - You do have an additional memory card installed in your Blackberry device AND have the mass media feature turned on. This is my preferred method.

Blackberry Slideshow Configuration

Method 1

1. Using instructions received from Prepcast.com, Download eFlashCards™ and save to your computer

2. Using Windows Explorer, browse to the location where you saved the eFlashcards file

3. Right click on the eFlashcards.zip file and “extract” the contents

4. When the “extract” is finished, browse to the new folder named eFlashcards. You will find three flashcard sets (folders).

5. Connect your Blackberry to your computer with a USB cable

6. Find your Blackberry Desktop Manager (BDM) application and run it

7. Run the “Media Manager” application from the BDM

This application seems very unstable on my computer. I often need to disconnect/reconnect my Blackberry for it to recognize that it is connected. The application regularly crashes. If your Media Manager continues to crash, you might investigate installing an add-in memory card to your Blackberry. Method 2 does not require the Media Manager.

8. Once the Media Manager app is running, in the upper left pane, select the “folder icon” and browse to the location where you extracted the eFlashcards

9. Now you can drag the desired flashcard set from the upper right pane to the lower right pane. Accept the copy without conversion by clicking the “OK” button.

10. The copy from your computer to your Blackberry will begin after clicking the OK button in the previous step. At the time of this writing, each flashcard set is approx 100MB in size. My Blackberry has only 50MB of memory available. The copy will continue until the memory is consumed. Unless your Blackberry has more than 50MB installed or you have installed an add-in memory card, you will not be able to install a complete flashcard set.

Note, you can cancel the copy by clicking the cancel button. Then you need to double click on the “pictures” icon in the lower right pane. Then single click on the flashcard set folder , then click the red ‘X’ to delete the folder and contents. You can also delete the folder directly from your Blackberry.

You have completed the install of an eFlashcard set.

Method 2 – installing the eFlashcards if you have a memory card installed (preferred method)

1. Connect your blackberry to your computer via the USB cable 2. Open Windows Explorer on your computer 3. Look for the removable disk drive. It is (E:) on my computer

4. Open another instance of Windows Explorer (start , run, type explorer) and browse to the location where you extracted the eFlashcards file

5. Position the two Windows Explorer windows so you can see both on your computer screen

6. Double click the Blackberry folder, then the Pictures folder, then drag the desired eFlashcard set to the Windows Explorer folder that is displaying your Blackberry folders

You have completed the install of an eFlashcard set.

Blackberry Configuration (performed on your Blackberry device)

1. Select the “media” icon

2. Select the “pictures” icon

3. Select the “my pictures” bar. You can ignore the pictures of my baby girls ;=)

4. Select the eFlashcards bar “01 General PM..” on my screenshot.

5. You will see the flashcard you “installed”

6. To setup the slideshow, select “options”

7. Adjust the ‘slide show interval’ that you want. I have set to ‘5’. You may also want to adjust the ‘device memory limit’ and ‘reserved pictures memory’. You will need to play with your own device for the optimal setting.

8. Select the ‘view slide show’ to begin viewing the flashcards. In this picture you can see the menu option for deleting the flashcards folder that I talked about earlier. It is much easier to delete from this menu than going through the Blackberry Media Manager application.

Good luck with your PMP exam !!!