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Welcome to the wonderful world of taking screenshots of your BlackBerry display. Whether you are interested in creating a demo of an existing application to show to friends/clients, or you simply need to take a quick screen grab of an error to forward to tech support, BBGeeks.com is here to help.

This primer is broken down into separate sections, each focusing on a different step in the screenshot creation process. Please click the appropriate links for the information you need to get started.

Getting Started

Before taking your first screenshot you must install the required system files linked to below. If you are not quite sure of the process involved, jump over to our Installing Necessary System Files tutorial for a step-by-step guide to preparing your system.

If you are looking for an application to produce static screenshots of individual BlackBerry display screens, BBScreenShooter is the choice for you. Jump right into this extremely easy process by following our step-by-step tutorial on Taking Static Screenshots with BBScreenShooter.

Looking for a slightly more engaging method of capture? Look no further. BBScreenStream allows you to capture multiple screenshots in sequence, saved in an .AVI format. If all of that sounded a little complex, no worries, our BBScreenStream step-by-step tutorial will walk you through the entire process.

NOTE: These instructions are formatted for use with 8700 model blackberries. I am attempting to go through the process using an 8800 model and will highlight any differences in procedure required for the 8800.

REQUIRED FILES:

• You will need a BlackBerry OS which is version 4.0.2 or higher.
• The BlackBerry Desktop Manager or Device Manager has to be installed on the PC.
• The BlackBerry needs to be connected via USB.
• If you have content protection enabled, screenshots of a locked screen will not work.

NOTE: The multimedia area (cam, videos) of devices since the PEARL cannot be captured.

BBScreenShooter and BBScreenStream require the file javaloader.exe from RIM in order to function. It needs either to be in the same folder as the tool or a pop-up window will ask for the path to javaloader.exe.

You can download javaloader.exe as part of the BlackBerry JDE Components package 4.x from RIM.
Download the BlackBerry Java Development Environment Here.

You can download javaloader.exe independently by clicking on the following link.
Download Javaloader.exe

Keep in mind that you will have to register as a member of the pinstack.com forums in order to download the file directly.

BBScreenShooter:

Supports: 71xx, 72xx, 8xxx BlackBerry
Download BBScreenShooter now.

Created by Oppitronic, BBScreenShooter is a great, lightweight application which in conjunction with BlackBerry Desktop Software, allows you to take a static screenshot of anything that is currently visible on your BlackBerry Display.

BBScreenStream:

Supports: 71xx, 72xx, 8xxx BlackBerry
Download BBScreenStream now.

Also created by Oppitronic, BBScreenStream is a slightly enhanced version of the BBScreenShooter shown above. With this application, you can create fluid motion demos/screen captures of virtually any portion of your BlackBerry display. With various settings made available to you, you are given the ability to choose between file sizes, scaling, compression and frequency of frame grabs.

Please have a look at our Installing Necessary System Files tutorial for a step-by-step guide to preparing your PC for taking BlackBerry Display screenshots.

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