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I bought a BB Pearl 8100 2 weeks ago in USA unlocked to use in Venezuela, where I live, As soon as I activate the Blackberry service in my country I received a bunch of emails, addressed to an email addressed that I didnt registered… When I tried to add my email address to my phone I couldn’t do that because it asks me the user name, obviously, is the user name associated to the address i didn’t registered. The question is Should I wipe my Blackberry??

Rey,
The problem is not in the phone but in the former owner’s BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) account. The account is still registered to your phone’s EIN (ID number). The best suggestion I can give is to try to figure out which wireless carrier the previous owner used. Then, find that carrier’s BIS login page. You may be able to enter the phone’s EIN or PIN and request a password reset. The new password should come to your phone. If it doesn, you can now login and try to either disable the account or take over the account for yourself. Please let me know what progress you make.
Kelly

Thanks for this article. I have a Verizon Pearl 8130 and have been running an unofficial version of OS 4.5 for awhile. Since Verizon just released their official 4.5, I wanted to install it. But since I already have 4.5 on my phone, the new Verizon 4.5 won’t install because it “thinks” I already have it installed. So I might take this route when I get time. Much obliged for the thorough article.

I am presuming that it is possible to reload my Blackberry easily through the Desktop Manager?

Mike,
Your case is almost exactly the same as mine was. Except I made a really dumb mistake, I accidentally loaded my 8130 Pearl with the OS 4.5 download I had obtained for my 8330 Curve. (Surprisingly, lots of stuff still worked!) I had to wipe my Pearl then install the CORRECT download of OS 4.5 on my Pearl.

Yes, it downloads nicely with Desktop Manager. I should be posting an article on that soon.

Thanks for your loyalty to the site. You may well be my most frequent contributor.
Kelly

Hi Kelly,
Your site has been very helpful. I have run into a few problems, however. Looking to save a few bucks, I bought an unlocked phone from a seller on eBay in Brooklyn, New York. It is from T-Mobile, which we do not have here in Alberta, Canada. My service is currently through Rogers Wireless, and I am having troubles updating my phone. My question is, if I wipe my Blackberry of absolutely everything (if at all possible), would I be able to update my (former?) T-Mobile Pearl 8100 with the Rogers software? I cannot update it with T-Mobile software because I do not have a T-Mobile phone number. Any suggestions? Thanks, Kelly!

Fraser

Fraser,
I think you would want to update your phone with the Rogers 8100 OS download–not T-Mobile. I have never done what you’re trying to do, but I have read countless times that it CAN be done successfully. I don’t see where you have anything to lose by trying.

It’s not clear to me, but have you tried this and failed? Or tried with the T-Mobile OS and failed? If failing with the Rogers download–what failure message are you seeing?
Kelly

Hi Kelly,
Thanks for the quick reply. What I tried to do last night was upgrade with the T-Mobile OS, but I need a T-Mobile phone number in order to download it, which I do not have. I ended up downloading the Rogers OS. As of this moment, I have not wiped my handheld. So last night, with the T-Mobile OS installed, I tried to see if I could install the Rogers one “over top.” The problem is, DM did not even find the download (I am guessing that is because the T-Mobile OS is installed, but the reason for my hesitation to wipe is the fear that I will end up with an expensive paperweight. I mentioned that I am unable to download the T-Mobile OS).

So, if I understand correctly, I will first need to wipe my phone clean of everything (especially the T-Mobile OS) and install the Rogers OS. Your comment that you have read countless times that it CAN be done successfully is encouraging. And like you said, I don’t have anything to lose by trying, unless I can’t install a new OS! I suppose more research is necessary. Any more advice?

Thanks again!
Fraser

Fraser,
Sorry I couldn’t get back to you as quickly as before. Your DM won’t attempt to upgrade your phone if it finds the installed OS and downloaded OS are the same version, as I understand it. That’s why you have to wipe your phone before you reconnect to DM. I really don’t think you are taking a big risk to wipe and try to upgrade to the Rogers OS. Frankly, I’m surprised when I read how many users have wiped and loaded their phones with an OS provided by a different carrier, but there are many accounts of it being done successfully. Heck, I accidentally loaded my Pearl 8130 with OS 4.5 for the Curve 8330, and many functions still worked (not nearly enough, but some).

If you do try this and it doesn’t first work, one other thing I’ve read about is to search for the file named vendor.xml (should be found in the directory where your downloaded OS got installed) and delete it. Then, try again. I didn’t have to do that in an experiment I tried once, and it still upgraded. But I read that sometimes that is necessary.
Kelly

Kelly,
I bought an AT&T Blackberry pearl, (I’m not sure of the version, 8110 or 8120 all it says under the battery on the phone is pearl) that i bought off of craigslist! The phone would get to the AT&T boot screen and power off or go black! I did some googling and found this to be a software issue! So, i downloaded the lastest desktop manager software for blackberry 4.7 and the OS from AT&T website for the 8110. I also d/led the 8120 just in case! Now i went through and deleted the Vendor.xml like pretty much every site says to do! Now when i go into my APP loader for the bb it finds the update! I check the ones i want to load on to the phone and click next! It comes back with something about the “Email Client” does not have all of the files necessary to install and wont go any further! I go back to the APP loader and check through everything and notice that the “browser” and “email” boxes are check but not highlighted like the rest! So, i cant even uncheck it if i want to!! I’m pretty much stuck here!! Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

…oops I also forgot to mention! The pearl has been wiped! It also shows a JVM error 513.

Chas,
First, it may really matter whether it’s an 8110 or 8120, so you should figure that out first. Try removing the battery and reading anything printed back there. Or take it to an AT&T retail store and see if they can tell you which it is.

Once you know for sure which model it is, use the AT&T download for that model.

Your 513 error is explained here: http://www.blackberry.com/btsc/kb13003/.

Repeat what you’ve been doing with the correct download. It may be that more than one try is required.

Did the person you bought the phone from give you any background on the phone? This is probably why he/she sold it.
Kelly

Hello,

First of all tanks for article.

My problem is about the USB port; i connected my 7290 to my PC on USB port when i execute :
” JavaLoader -usb wipe ”
it returns :
RIM Wireless Handheld Java Loader
Copyright 2001-2007 Research In Motion Limited
Connecting to device…debug: COM error during Open: (0×80040001)
Error: unable to open port

i do not know what to to bu when i execute :
” JavaLoader enum ”
it returns :
RIM Wireless Handheld Java Loader
Copyright 2001-2007 Research In Motion Limited
0×24f60425

pls help

Ergun,
There is some possible help if you are willing to read through a long, long, long page:
http://www.pinstack.com/blackberryforums/archive/index.php?t-5178-p-2.html.
Kelly

Kelly,
Thanks for your help! I went to an AT&T store it turned out to be an 8100! As far as the person i bought it from on craigslist he told me in advance what the problem was! He was only selling it for 10 bucks! Needless to say i got it up and running fine now!! So, i think a $10 pearl was a great deal! Again, thanks for the info!

Chas,
That’s so great that you got it fixed. I hope it continues to function well. Yeah, $10 for a Pearl is a real bargain.
Kelly

I have two Pearl 8100s that I purchased in the US from T-Mobile. I have been relocated to China. Before leaving the States I unlocked both phones. In China, one phone works with no problems, the other gives the Data Connection Refused error.

The only thing different between the phones was that, just prior to leaving the States, I cancelled my data plan on my wife’s phone which, incidentally, is the phone that now will not work with the China Mobile data service.

I have tried upgrading / downgrading the OS to no avail. What can i do?

David,
So, you’re saying the phone that doesn’t work had its DATA plan cancelled but still should work with VOICE–but it’s NOT? I think the wireless carrier (still T-Mobile, I presume) would need to check into that. I don’t think that’s a problem with the phone itself.

Please let me know if your carrier can or can’t resolve the problem.
Kelly

Update:

Hi Kelly,
I went ahead and found the Vendor.xml file, deleted it, and switched OS’s from T-Mobile to Rogers. No complications whatsoever. Thank you for the help!

Fraser

Im getting an error code 543 with the white screenis this process i must go through to reload the OS? i have a blackberry curve 8300

Lorne,
Here is RIM’s (too brief) explanation of Error 543 and what to do about it:
http://www.blackberry.com/btsc/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=KB11212&sliceId=SAL_Public&dialogID=133598968&stateId=1%200%20133596996

My process may or may not be adequate for you to recover your BB. It’s certainly worth a try, but…here are some links for really serious problems that require a special approach to reloading the OS:

http://www.crackberry.com/blackberry-101-lecture-12-how-reload-operating-system-nuked-blackberry

http://blackberryforums.pinstack.com/5178-how_reinstall_os_when_computer_wont.html

I wish you the best. Please let me know how it goes.
Kelly

i have a t-mobile pearl 8100. i performed a security wipe on it.
i also downloaded the latest desktop manager v4.7 but the wiped pearl is undetected by my pc. i have tried the same pc & usb cable with other blackberries and they work fine. is there some service i need to restart / load to enable usb detection?

Hi Kelly,
My T-Mobile Pearl died and my friend gave me her old Pearl to use. I use a Mac, not a PC so no Desktop Manager just Pocket Mac to sync. I’ve already synced all my data from my old Pearl and want to delete hers and then sync the data on my Mac to the new Pearl. Would I have to wipe my friends Pearl? Is there another easier way to just delete her Address Book, Calendar, and Emails? Since they’re both T-Mobile phones, her phone works fine when I put my SIM card in, so I don’t think I need to wipe it, plus I’m concerned about being able to install a new OS without using a PC.
Your advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Meredith

i have a blackberry storm unlocked verizon.. using it on etisalat.. everything is perfect.. however if i wipe the blackberry, will it still be unlocked?

I wonder if you can help me with my BB Curve 8310 (AT&T). While upgrading to OS v.4.5, about 30 minutes or so into the upgrade, the phone began to power on and off, and it has remained locked up in this power cycle ever since. Basically, it shows a black screen, a red led goes on (then off), a white screen with an hourglass comes on (then off), and it goes on and off in this cycle. I downloaded JL_Cmder and installed it, but it doesn’t seem to work. This is what is happening: with the phone connected to USB, I select #4 in the menu, confirm “Y”, type “blackberry”, but I don’t press Enter until the phone screen comes on, then the JL screen says “Connecting to device…”; however, after a few seconds when the phone screen goes black, JL quits and goes back to the main menu (options 1, 2, 3, etc.). By the way, I am running Win XP, SP2, on a Compaq Laptop (about 2 years old). Any ideas? Thanks.

Faysal,
I can’t say with certainty, but I have read where other unlocked phones (not a BlackBerry) were locked after updating the OS. So, wiping your Storm (and/or re-installing the OS) might cause your phone to get locked.

How did you get your phone unlocked in the first place? Did you purchase it already unlocked? Can you find out how it was unlocked, so that you could do it yourself later?
Kelly

@Tinder,
I’m working on an article about problems like you’re experiencing, but am not yet ready to publish it. It’s possible that your computer’s USB driver is at fault. RIM suggests you download OS version 4.3 to your computer and install it on your computer (not your phone) and that should cause a compatible USB driver to be installed. It’s described in a bit more detail here:
http://www.blackberry.com/btsc/dynamickc.do?externalId=KB14933&sliceId=SAL_Public&command=show&forward=nonthreadedKC&kcId=KB14933.

If you need directions on doing that, let me know. It’s basically the same process as I’ve written about in doing an OS upgrade except you have to locate a version 4.3 to download instead of the newest version.

Please let me know how things work out. So many people have problems related to USB that I decided to work on an article that covers a lot of the cases. It’s turning out to be quite complex. Working with you on this problem might teach me something.
Kelly

@Meredith,
To do a wipe and clean out ONLY the Address Book, Calendar, Tasks, Messages, and 3rd-Party Application data, make sure you have Content Protection set to DISABLED. If set to ENABLED, you’ll wipe virtually everything, and you don’t want that. So, check that by doing Options > Security Options > General Settings. With Content Protection disabled, from that same place in the options, do (press Menu key) > Wipe Handheld.

After a short time (1-5 minutes, depending on size of data being erased), your phone will be cleaned and returned to normal status–except the radio (Mobile Network) will be turned off. Click the Manage Connections icon on the Home Screen to turn the Mobile Network back on. And you should be good to go.
Kelly

@John,
Sounds like you have exactly the problem described (along with a solution) here:
http://crackberry.com/blackberry-101-lecture-12-how-reload-operating-system-nuked-blackberry. I referred to that in one of my other articles, but perhaps you missed it.

Let me know if that CrackBerry.com article helps you. I’ll bet you are really frustrated by now! Hang tight…you should be able to recover it.
Kelly

Hi Kelly,

Thanks for your reply. I have already tried the steps of Lecture 12 many, many times, to no avail. When the wizard comes up, during the first step “Load JVM and System Software”, the wizard seems to “grab” the BB out of the rebooting sequence, but when it begins the second step “Wait for Device Initialization” the rebooting cycle on the phone begins all over again. After several minutes of attempts, the wizard finally announces: “Unable to Reconnect During a Multi-Stage Load Operation.” I have tried these steps on two laptops, with different versions of DM 4.2, 4.6, and even 4.7, and with OS 4.2 and 4.5 with no results. Yesterday, I tried CrackMem, but when I press “Wipe Device” on its menu, it simply takes me to the apploader wizard and won’t accomplish anything. The only thing I haven’t tried yet is the sledgehammer… Extremely frustrating…

I have a BB 8700 and it randomly turned off and now blinks red and it shows up loading but it keeps repeating this stage.. What should i do?? Thanks

Chris,
First, have you tried a battery pull (reset)? Remove battery, wait a while, replace battery, wait for phone to recover.

If a battery pull doesn’t fix it, it may be a bad battery. If you suspect it could be (say, the battery hasn’t been holding a charge well recently), try replacing the battery (they’re much cheaper if ordered online, if you can tolerate the wait for delivery). If you can get your carrier’s technical support (live, in a retail store) to try a new battery, that might give you a quick answer on that possibility.

Lastly, it may be your phone’s software (OS) has become corrupted, meaning you would need to try a wipe and reinstallation (the topic of the article above). You may need to follow the directions for installing an OS on a non-working phone: I reference those instructions in commentary above, as well in one of my older articles on installing an OS.

Please let me know if you make any progress.
Kelly

Hey thanks a lot kelly i tried the battery thing but it didn’t work.. What are the exact setps to reinstall the phones software.. Thanks

Chris,
I don’t know the 8700 (as my site specializes in Pearl, Curve, Bold, and Storm), but I don’t think that matters too much as far as directions go. The problem in reinstalling software on a phone that is “dead” or continually resetting itself is that normal directions don’t work.

Directions that might work are in my comment dated December 13 above. I’ll paste them below:

http://www.crackberry.com/blackberry-101-lecture-12-how-reload-operating-system-nuked-blackberry

http://blackberryforums.pinstack.com/5178-how_reinstall_os_when_computer_wont.html

NOTE: Because the success of these directions depend partly on timing (luck!), you probably will have to try over and over until you catch your phone at the precise time required for things to work. I have read where people didn’t give up and it worked, but that’s certainly no guarantee. I wish you the best. Let me know what happens, please.
Kelly

P.S.–Make sure you have downloaded the correct and desired OS version, and installed it on your computer. Make sure you have Desktop Manager installed. In other words, have everything set up on your computer BEFORE you try to do the recovery. Read my articles on OS upgrade carefully before you get into the recovery process.

i am inquiring on getting my first blackberry..most likely the bold
since i am a first time user i got a few questions since the one i will be getting is locked with the service provider, i wonder what will happen if i had the phone unlocked?what features or applications will i lose? not really sure if its true but i heard that internet will stop working since blackberry messaging as well, since its all included in the data plan.
another one is just getting an unlocked blackberry. if i did get a data plan on it will i have the same features and apps as it is from the service provider???

DB,
I highly recommend the Bold if your carrier supports its. (Mine, Verizon Wireless, does NOT!). In my opinion, it’s not sensible to get a BlackBerry unless it’s unlocked and with a data plan. The strength of the BlackBerry is in its ability to handle email so efficiently, and its ability to surf the web so well. Without a data plan, the best part of your phone will sit idle.

If the Bold won’t work on your provider, the Curve and Pearl are also excellent choices. Again, you really want a data plan.

What do you want out of your phone, so I can give you a better opinion?
Kelly

I HAVE AN UNLOCKED STORM 9530. IF I DO A SECURITY WIPE WILL IT LOCK IT BACK TO VERIZON? THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT

Jim,
I don’t think it will. On which carrier do you intend to use it?
Kelly

AT&T

Jim,
Verizon’s and AT&T’s networks are not compatible. It won’t work.

Oops! I forgot–we’re talking about the Storm, right? The Storm might work.
Kelly

THE STORM WORKS WITH MY AT&T SIM BUT NOT EDGE OR 3G, JUST edge

Jim,
Not sure if you saw my edited reply. Thanks for sharing that info. I haven’t explored that kind of usage before. Where I live and work, AT&T coverage is poor, so I have stuck with Verizon.
Kelly

Thanks Kelly, your forum is great! Happy New Year!

thanks kelly from ur reply
.since the bold (phone) will be under the ROGERS provider and completed with the data plan. i would like to get the phone unlock to use different sim cards (rather than just the home sim cards(rogers)). different sim cards like different service provider ( such as fido canada or international sim cards.
so i was saying if did get the phone unlock .. will some of the application not work,
is the data on the phone or is the whole data on the sim card.
thanks in advance

DB,
Sorry I didn’t understand the question. No, not all data is on the SIM card. Information about your identity and account are stored on it. Also, some or all of your Address Book is stored on it. I can’t find a definitive answer on contact storage on the SIM.
Kelly