formatting phone and restoring data

Questions:

1) When I make a backup of the phone memory to MMC, it makes an .arc file. Can I unarc it using a PC application? Also, what information is it storing? All your programs stored in memory? All your contacts? How about program data... like it I have some data for Handy Expense?

2) I want to format my phone but be able to restore contact info, handy expense info, and calendar data... what is the best way to do this? For example, if the MMC backup copies all programs ... and I don't want to restore these... how can I just copy the contacts, handy expense, calendar stuff, MiniGPS, etc.

Even if you just know how to back up some of these.. it will be helpful.

Please share your formatting and backup experiences.

thanks,
Gail

let me make this a little more clear:

I do not have infrared or bluetooth.... ONLY MMC card.

I want to wipe everything (format the phone), reinstall all the programs, and then put back in:

Calendar,Contacts,T-zones settings
Handy Expense data
MiniGPS data

How do I do this?

thanks,
Gail