[CrackBerry Question]

Blackberry Phone 9360
Message folder - Media Card - databases - Whats App - messagestore.db

Followed everything on FAQ's available on the whats app website to restore messages.

Problem - During restoration, it just does not pick up the messagestore.db file to restore the chats and instead creates a new messagestore.db file on the SD card.

Please help

[jaydee5799]

so keep the database and just start over. WHy would you want to take up all your free memory by adding back old conversations?

[vivekjhavar]

Hi Jaydee - have some important data. Is it possible ?

[mainely_linux]

Hi Jaydee - have some important data. Is it possible ?

Did you try letting it create the new db file, closing out the app, then overwriting the new db with your old db on the sd card?

[vivekjhavar]

Yes we did try what you are suggesting.

Unfortunately after reinstalling, it does not pick up the file but instead creates a new file and changes the name of the file that we want it to pick up.

There must be a way to restore the file.

Can provide the WhatsApp and blackberry software versions and exact message store file name if that would help.

[mainely_linux]

Have you tried contacting WhatsApp support directly?

[dkonigsberg_wa]

Are you trying to move an existing database from one phone to another, or is this reinstalling the app on the same phone?

[vivekjhavar]

Reinstalling on the same phone and same telephone no

[vivekjhavar]

Yes - but whatsapp is providing standard cut paste replies and not doing anything about it.

All our mails have the same common standard mass reply formats

[G_Unit MVP]

The trick is before installing whatsapp on the new phone, you have to create the directory structure (ie: /misc/whatsapp/backup), move the .db file to the directory and then install whastapp. Is the only way I found that the app picks up the backup file and restores all your ongoing chats.

[vivekjhavar]

Have done that but it is still not picking it up.

Is it because there is an updated whatsapp version ?

WhatsApp is changing the name of the file that we want it to pick up and creating a new message store.db file in the same directory.

The name of the message store file is 1382678813281messagestore.db

In the directory where the old file exists, there is a db exception file namely

1382678813281messagestore.db-exception

Does this help ?

There has to be some way to sort this.

[dkonigsberg_wa]

In the directory where the old file exists, there is a db exception file namely

1382678813281messagestore.db-exception

Does this help ?

Actually, that does help a little.
What it means, is that WhatsApp hit an exception (error) when trying to open your old DB file. If you open that "-exception" file in a text editor, it will likely tell you exactly what error happened when trying to open your old DB.

This won't recover your data, unfortunately, but it may give you some clue as to why it couldn't be recovered.

[mainely_linux]

Is it because there is an updated whatsapp version ?

You could certainly be on to something with this. While it may prove tricky, I would try and find the same version software and import the db there. If that proves successful you can upgrade the software at that point.

[vivekjhavar]

Many thanks....

When we tried to open WhatsApp, it refused to do so and we had to upgrade the version to what was available on the WhatsApp website i.e. The latest version and there was only one - no choice or options at all.

How do we know which version was the old db file written in or available at that time and where can we find old WhatsApp versions ?

[vivekjhavar]

Messagestore file details - 1382678813281messageStore.db dated 22-Oct-2013

Exception File details - 1382678813281messageStore.db-exception dated 25-Oct-2013

Contents of above exception file - (openOrCreatenet.rim.device.api.database.DatabaseI OExceptionError decrypting header)

[pkcable]

JUST for the record, besides several of my volunteer's helping here, one of the main whatsapp programmer's himself is trying to help! IF we can get this resolved we will! Unfortunately sometimes as that old express goes "<blank> happens!"

[dkonigsberg_wa]

Messagestore file details - 1382678813281messageStore.db dated 22-Oct-2013

Exception File details - 1382678813281messageStore.db-exception dated 25-Oct-2013

Contents of above exception file - (openOrCreatenet.rim.device.api.database.DatabaseI OExceptionError decrypting header)

Unfortunately, this error basically means the message database file is corrupted.

However, why do these files have dates from 2013? Are these files leftover from a database error that happened 3+ years ago?
(The number that's prepended to the file is actually a timestamp, from the time the error happened. That timestamp is also from 2013.)

[vivekjhavar]

Hi,

Thanks for your response. Really appreciate it.

Yes - these files are old.

Please be kind to explain the time stamp.

We cannot understand why the error would happen on 25-oct-13 when the file was made on 22-oct-13.

Is there anyway that we can remove the error from the database file ?

If not, is it possible to view the contents of the file in any other format if it cannot be restored on WhatsApp ?

We urgently need this file. Please do help.

You have been amazing so far.

[dkonigsberg_wa]

The timestamp, 1382678813281, is the number of milliseconds since January 1, 1970 GMT. Its how computers normally keep track of time. This specific one corresponds to "25 Oct 2013 05:26:53.281 GMT".
This site is useful for knowing how to read them: Epoch Converter

Since this file has such an old timestamp, are you even sure this file was created by the app when it tried to open your database? Are you sure this isn't just a leftover file from an error that occurred 3+ years ago?

If you simply rename the DB you want to use to "messageStore.db", and the app fails to open it (renaming it and creating a new one), then the resulting "-exception" file should have a new timestamp, not an old one. (Unless your phone's date/time is actually set to October 2013 for some reason.)

Unfortunately, the only way to actually read these files is by WhatsApp on the specific phone that created them. They use a very BlackBerry-specific form of encryption that's entirely handled by the OS, with these somewhat frustrating constraints.

[vivekjhavar]

Hi - thanks again.

When we try and restore the old file after renaming it messagestore.db, the software renames this file and creates another new file called messagestore.db which is more or less empty.

How can we prevent the software from creating a new file and picking up the old file ?

[vivekjhavar]

The phone is the same on which the file was created.

Would a change in the WhatsApp version to its previous one help ? If yes, how do we figure out which version it was ?

[vivekjhavar]

Should the exception file be renamed as well and kept in the directory with the messagestore.db file ?

Is that the correct way to do it ?

[vivekjhavar]

Wow - thanks !!!

How very kind of you.

[vivekjhavar]

Please advise if you need any further information from our end...

[dkonigsberg_wa]

It would be helpful for you to share the error from the "-exception" file created by the messageStore.db you are currently trying to restore, not one the app failed to open 3+ years ago.

However, it is unlikely that there is a solution to this problem.