1. Reed McLay's Avatar
    When your device fails to start, it show one of these symptoms:

    1. Totally dead.

    2. Trying to restart, LED activity only.

    3. Failed to start, a white screen with an error message.

    __________________________________________________ ________

    1. Physical damage, water is the worst enemy of delicate electronic device. Try drying it with a desiccant and replacing the battery. If there is no activity, you can still try the last ditch technique, nothing to loose anyway.

    2. Your device is not able to start, something has gone wrong and the OS is corrupt.

    Failed Upgrade suggestions.
    Link failed, Post #384 of this thread.

    3. Geeks call this an "Uncaught exception error". That is a polite way of saying, the last thread has terminated, the OS has halted because it is corrupt.

    In many cases, the Application Loader can be used from Desktop Manager or Windows, see Ref #1 for the CrackBerry 101 discussion.

    If that fails to connect, there is one final solution. Go Old Skool ...

    __________________________________________________ ________

    The good news, starting from scratch, you will be back in service in a couple of hours.

    1. ...

    2. You need to install a BlackBerry OS file that is specific to your device. The original version, as supplied by the carrier, is the safe choice, but you can use any model specific version. This is not supplied on your BlackBerry CD, Ref: 3 links to BlackBerry's download pages.

    3. Once the OS has been installed, you have to prepare it for the device.

    Select Start / Computer and select the Drive C: Icon.

    Open Program Files / Common Files / Research in Motion / AppLoader.

    Navigate to the bottom and delete the file Vendor.XML file.

    4. You are now ready to restore your device. Verify that BlackBerry Desktop Manager is NOT running. Plug the device directly into the computer's USB port.

    We are about to venture into the bowls of the beast. Windows is not suitable for this job, we are going to invoke the Command line interface with an option switch. This was the way all 'puters worked prior to Mcintosh and Windows.

    Windows XP: Start / Run... / Command

    Windows Vista: Start / Command (type this into 'start search')



    You will see a black window similar to this. I have used UPPERCASE to highlight the typed commands.

    Windows Vista
    CD \
    CD PROGRAM FILES
    CD COMMON FILES
    CD RESEARCH IN MOTION
    CD APPLOADER
    LOADER /NOJVM
    Windows XP
    CD \
    CD PROGRA~1
    CD COMMON~1
    CD RESEAR~1
    CD APPLOA~1
    LOADER /NOJVM
    When using Vista 64 bit operating systems the command should look like this...

    CD \
    CD PROGRAM FILES (x86)
    CD COMMON FILES
    CD RESEARCH IN MOTION
    CD APPLOADER
    LOADER /NOJVM

    When you hit enter at the last command a forced rebuild will start. No data or setting will be saved, however, they can be recovered from a previous backup.

    5. Wait for it to finish.Thirty minutes is typical, do not interrupt it.

    Once it has recovered, you can use Desktop Manager's Application Loader to customize it and restore from your backup files, if you have saved them previously.

    Update: Members have reported success after numerous failures with the following technique:

    Remove the Battery, then run the Loader program. It works.

    Ref:
    BlackBerry 101: How to Reload the Operating System on a Nuked BlackBerry | CrackBerry.com
    Current BlackBerry Desktop Manager
    BlackBerry Desk Top Manager
    BlackBerry OS Source list

    Version 1.1 Corrected EXE file name.
    Version 1.2 Expanded troubleshooting and installation instructions.
    Version 1.3 Detail command line instructions.
    Version 1.4 XP specific command line.
    Version 1.5 Vista 64 command line.
    Version 1.6 Remove battery prior to running loader.

    Thanks to acnst @ BlackBerry Forums
    Credit to cmedeir for the XP command line.
    Credit to Afterfreeze for the Vista 64 command line.
    Credit to jamesyouwish for the no battery technique.

    Last edited by Reed McLay; 01-30-09 at 11:39 AM.
    04-28-08 12:11 PM
  2. nikeman_23ph's Avatar
    can you help me step by step to do the process....i have window XP and i have the curve. can you give command by command



    thanks
    05-22-08 10:06 AM
  3. Reed McLay's Avatar
    The fact is, there are many individual steps in setting up for a restore.

    I have a parallel thread where I detail the more challenging steps, exactly the same procedure.

    http://forums.crackberry.com/f3/how-...-memory-34633/

    You want to follow the instructions for steps 1 & 2. Then return to this thread for the final instruction, the actual file commands.
    05-22-08 10:28 AM
  4. SOUJAH345's Avatar
    this is awesome thanks for taking the time to put this together. I have an 8700 that was dropped in water and when I turn the screen on its all scrambled green and red and it looks like a tv with horrible reception i thought i needed a new motherboard, what do you think?
    06-03-08 12:19 PM
  5. Reed McLay's Avatar
    With water, you can try to dry it out and hope for the best.

    The best advise I have seen, use dry rice in a sealed container with the device. The rice will act as a dissicant, extracting the last traces of moisture.

    A couple days in a warm place, one last hope.
    06-03-08 12:25 PM
  6. SOUJAH345's Avatar
    this happened months ago my bro in law got it working for a little while but it konked out again

    i dont think there is water in it anymore
    06-03-08 12:37 PM
  7. TampaDude's Avatar
    With water, you can try to dry it out and hope for the best.

    The best advise I have seen, use dry rice in a sealed container with the device. The rice will act as a dissicant, extracting the last traces of moisture.

    A couple days in a warm place, one last hope.
    If you got the insides wet, the water may leave mineral or dirt deposits inside the unit when it evaporates, and those deposits can mess up the electronics. Better to rinse the BB with DISTILLED water and then let it dry for at least 72 hours at room temperature.
    06-12-08 06:05 PM
  8. cmedeir's Avatar
    For some folks, the DOS window will not recognize the full name of the directories. I don't know why Windoze is like that, but you may have to abbreviate. For instance "program files" might need to be typed "progra~1". That's 6 characters plus the abbreviated suffix. I found this out the hard way after pulling the last of my hair out.

    Cheers.
    06-16-08 11:23 AM
  9. Reed McLay's Avatar
    Good point, DOS was built around an 8.3 naming convention. When it encounters long file/directory names, it contacts them and appends ~1, ~2, etc.

    DOS is found on much older computers. This does not present an issue to Windows XP or Windows Vista.
    06-16-08 11:28 AM
  10. cmedeir's Avatar
    I was as surprised as the next person, but both my XP Home machine and my XP Pro machine refused to accept the commands without the abbreviations.
    06-16-08 01:38 PM
  11. Reed McLay's Avatar
    I have just tested XP Command ... 8.3 file names.

    Many thank for the feedback, I will update the page with the correct abbreviation directory path.
    06-16-08 01:57 PM
  12. smitt_uk's Avatar
    this guide has just fixed my BB,thanks for posting a step by step guide so even i could follow it!
    06-17-08 02:22 PM
  13. Reed McLay's Avatar
    Thank you very much, I knew it would come in handy after I went through all the other procedures, to find a simple Command line switch does the trick.
    06-17-08 02:49 PM
  14. kennylive's Avatar
    My Pearl makes no attemps at rebooting, all I get is the alternating 3 then 2 red LED flashes, and nothing I've tried will make my PC recognize it. I've 'Google'd this to death, I can find others with the same problem, but I can't find ANYONE who's been able to do ANYTHING with it! I don't have a speck of warranty left, and AT&T hates me anyway; I've been using a GO Phone prepaid sim, and there's no BB support of any kind.

    Please, if anyone knows how to fix it, please post back!!!
    06-25-08 09:14 PM
  15. VoltaicShock's Avatar
    The loader can't find my device and I can't click on the "Detect Communication Port"
    06-26-08 02:52 PM
  16. bmcclure937's Avatar
    Nice Thread Reed!! You have done it again... this will become (yet) another hit guide!

    Also... people can refer to this for some help.... BlackBerry 101: How to Reload the Operating System on a Nuked BlackBerry | CrackBerry.com
    06-26-08 02:54 PM
  17. Reed McLay's Avatar
    The loader can't find my device and I can't click on the "Detect Communication Port"
    Is there any activity, flashing LED or a non blank screen?

    You could try reinstalling the Desktop Manager, I have seen that correct USB faults in some 8330 installs.
    06-26-08 03:22 PM
  18. Reed McLay's Avatar
    this will become (yet) another hit guide!
    ...
    I hope not, this is the last hope for a dead device. Hopefully, few will need this advice.

    Thanks for the link, I mentioned it in the post, but did not include the link.

    06-26-08 03:25 PM
  19. prietatroy's Avatar
    what about those cell phone "doctors" that are on the web? Will they really be able to repair a water damaged curve?
    06-30-08 06:10 PM
  20. Reed McLay's Avatar
    Yes. It may take a replacement mother board, display and battery.

    06-30-08 07:54 PM
  21. baldwin's Avatar
    so, in no way with this process can i get my files from the phone back? Some stuff in there are pretty impotant and hadnt backup since on a business trip. no mini internal memory that i plug into? any hope?
    07-02-08 01:23 PM
  22. Reed McLay's Avatar
    There is nothing that I know of that will let you recover from memory.

    The steps are complex, but if you can recover the device, all of your files should be intact.

    What are your failure symptoms?
    07-02-08 02:44 PM
  23. baldwin's Avatar
    It's competely dead, no light when i plug to charge. i was walking with the GPS on and it stop! and never came back on. when i plug it to charge i can see a little (feaded) battery on the screen. when i plug it in the USB port my computer says "blackberry". I 've tried the steps you've showed me but whe i get to the /nojvm part the bb software only offers the com port 3 as a transfer port. Is that normal or should it show a USB port.
    07-04-08 11:54 AM
  24. baldwin's Avatar
    sorry my English...
    07-04-08 11:55 AM
  25. Reed McLay's Avatar
    Your English is just fine, I believe I understand where you are having problems.

    Start with DeskTop Manager. On the left, there is a control marked Options. That opens to two more controls marked Connection Settings and Data settings.

    Connection Setting will open a window with the options USB, COM1, COM2 and None. Beside that is a button marked Detect.

    If that fails, try selecting USB directly.

    Clearly nothing traumatic happened to the device, but from your description, it could be something as simple as battery failure.

    Do you have access to another battery for testing? If you can verify the battery is not the problem, we can continue diagnosis.

    I am encouraged that you are seeing some life, any kind of image means the heart beat is still there.
    07-04-08 12:33 PM
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