BLACK SCREEN OF DEATH! Devastation!! or Fatality?!

[lamakachop]

Greetings Berry Addicts!

Been perusing your site as of late (the past 2 weeks) due to my BSOD problems.

Some info first:
Carrier - VZW
OS - .524 (latest official from VZW)
Bought off a friend - Used
Batteries - Standard batteries x3
Dropped or not? - We all drop phones but always has a soft landing and prior to this problem hadn't been dropped for a 2-3 weeks (never dropped on hard ground)
Wet or not? - Didn't dunk in anything or leave it to get wet/soaked. The only wetness I can think of is my sweat when I use the BB but I hadn't used the handset for a few days prior to the BSOD.


So my BSOD problems started 2 Thursdays ago. As I was heading home to pick up my wife, I decided to call her to let her know I was late. I look down and my phone is black (but LED is blinking because text messages were making it through). I do the whole pull battery out reboot thing.

Sequence of events:

Upon boot up, the home screen shows up, the security verification progress bar finishes, and the top of home screen (Network info, time, etc) is highlighted blue, and the screen turns black on me ... again.

Repeatedly I'm pressing the lock/unlock, mute/unmute, camera/camera, random buttons to no avail. So I figured I'd do another battery pull. Same problem persists x 6 battery pulls.

After the 6th pull I decided, "maybe I don't have enough battery power or my screen is broken or something." So I plug the BSOD phone into my car charger and the BB clock face appears (not a broken LCD screen). The phone charges up to 100% though it was only around 95%. I try to move the phone/exit out of the BB clock to NO AVAIL. Then I notice the Trackpad stays depressed (so it doesn't click) and I then decide, "Maybe my trackpad is causing the problems."

Frustrated, I just take the battery out and drive quite pissed off at the phone.

I wait about 5 days before ordering a trackpad thinking there's another reason why this whole thing wasn't working... I tried everything on here and blackberryforums and nothing works so i decided, "Hey! It's the trackpad!"

So I order a new trackpad, replace the old one with the new one (Yes! clickage), and powerup the BB 9650 expecting the problems to go away.

Epic fail. The whole sequence pops up again (See above). But this time, I can click my trackpad so i feel like 2nd place instead of a winner. About to give up I keep searching all the forums again.

I did everything short of wiping the BB and re-loading the OS (.524). I go to VZW and they said they've heard of this problem and there's nothing you can do about it except... UPGRADE/Buy a new phone! Thinking this is a dubious sales tactic to leech me of $$$ I refuse and decide, "Imma wipe this sucker!"

I download BBSAK, download the current OS for BB via Verizon (I assume Verizon has some kind of proprietary OS?? No idea), and prepare for the wipage. Backed up all my files/goodies via Desktop Manager and connect the BBSAK and proceeded to backup all my 3rd party apps. COMPLETED!

I then proceed to wipe and re-load my OS. Strangely, DM re-loaded my Verizon OS 6.0.0.524 and I assume that's the same as if i used BBSAK to re-load my OS (if that's not the case, I will re-attempt re-loading). Prior to assessing whether or not any of the tactics i used work, I restore my BB with my backed up files from DM.

I restore most for the most part and the only thing that didn't get stored was Network something or other (just 1 thing that didn't back up).

I successfully disconnect my BB from the computer (mind you battery is at 100%) and I still have a BSOD.

I do the whole battery pull again and the BB loads and instead of a homescreen, I'm greeted with the typical "This is RIM software ... " etc etc So basically the same start up as if you had a new BB. I try to scroll down to no avail. I try to exit out to no avail. I try to press "Y" and "A" for yes & Accept and "N" and "U" for no and unaccept and all the random letters in between to no avail. After a few seconds the screen turns black on me again. I can't do anything.

I decide to plug my charger in to see wht I can get, and I only get the BB clock.

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?!

As I typed this I'm thinking to myself, "Is my keyboard messed up?" (COULD THIS BE THE PROBLEM?) the connection from my trackpad to the board is clipped correctly, no pins were messed up in the process. I'm lost.

Maybe my phone thinks I'm always "pressing" up. So it doesn't register anything but UP but I can't verify it or anything.

Anymore help would be gladly appreciated. I'd rather not move onto another phone. I like the BB family and am quite pissed this happened. The other BB I had, Tour 9630, worked great till i flew out my car window while making a Left handed turn. I don't wanna lose another BB.

Please help. AND.. thanks for reading!

Cheers.

[pcgizmo]

I didn't read your enitre post, but I haven't heard of the BSOD issue on 524 before. If it is in fact OS related, loading up the same OS over and over won't solve your issue.

Try installing 6.0.0.587; in my opinion is the best 6.0.0.587 out there, and I have run them all.*

This excludes the 6.0.0.706 OS that just became available today.

Is your device under warranty still? Get it swapped out.

[tandaina]

Take it in and get it replaced.

My 9650 did something similar. Sprint swapped my battery 3 times over 5 months. Kept happening (mine would come back after being connected to a charger). Finally on the third battery replacement they noticed the battery had swelled and decided the phone was killing batteries. They swapped it for $35 (since it was out of warranty and I don't buy insurance).

[shrewsburysq]

You already have a lot of time invested, but you could try this link. You have nothing to lose except a little more more time.http://crackberry.com/blackberry-101...ked-blackberry

[spencerdl]

Very interesting, I've never heard of BSOD on .524, however the newest update from Sprint OS 6.0.0.706 has fixed this problem that I thought only occured on .600. I would try the newest update before returning

[Culex316]

Originally Posted by spencerdl

Very interesting, I've never heard of BSOD on .524, however the newest update from Sprint OS 6.0.0.706 has fixed this problem that I thought only occured on .600. I would try the newest update before returning

I second this post...definitely go for .706...not only does it fix the BSOD for good but the device runs smooth as butter even after more than a day of usage!

[pcgizmo]

Originally Posted by shrewsburysq

You already have a lot of time invested, but you could try this link. You have nothing to lose except a little more more time.How to Reload the Operating System on a Nuked or Bricked BlackBerry | CrackBerry.com

It's not nuked or bricked