[DashRiprock899]

Hello all from the heart of the USA !

Sorry about the long first post, but could use a little help....

I'm fairly new to this whole 'smartphone' thing. I had a trusty Sanyo scp-5500 for 6+ yrs prior and now I've had a Curve 8530 (on Sprint) for ~ 9 months.....I'm hoping to be enlightened!

This is my second unit. My first had some RF fault that caused many, many dropped calls until Sprint finally acknowledged the issue. They graciously sent me a refurb'd unit to replace my new one & it took several frustrating hour$ (& several tech ph calls) to xfer all of my old data & get it going. Well, most of it. This one doesn't drop calls, but spontaneously reboots ~ 1/wk & the battery only lasts a few hrs igf its being used. I've given up on any resolution from Sprint..they'd prolly send one even worse than this one...fresh off of Craigslist...

I can get/make/send emails (multiple accounts with the mangled version of my Outlook contacts that the BB Desktop mgr created) and the calender usually picks up meeting invites in emails, but that's all I've used (or trusted) it for other than basic phone ops.

Web browsing and other online activities are painfully slow...even when using a WiFi cnct. Reminds me of the dial-up days. 30+ secs to load a simple HTML page (on WiFi) ? C'mon.

I don't do FaceBook or any of those sites, and don't do any chat other than responding to someone who has SMS'd me. (Seriously, who could hold a timely technical chat convo using those tiny keys?? - a ph call would be wayyy quicker) A lot of BB Apps seem to be geared toward the twitter/FB/chat crowd. These, along with 'convenience' apps like weather or maps, or entertainment stuff makes up the vast majority of apps.

BBs seem to be popular business tools, but it also seems that unless you have a corporate issued BB with a whole BB server/support staff behind it (I don't), you're out in the wind as far as sophisticated, integrated, & timely communications.

Learning the limitations is more time consuming than learning & trying to use the applications. I have lost hours & hours (& time is money to me as I'm self employed) trying to perform seemingly simple tasks, diagnosing errors (on this site! Thanks!), on ph w/tech support, or tolerating wait times for downloads, reboots, etc...

I want to enjoy this device & use its capabilities (if it has them), but its not making it easy...

Help me out, please. What am I missing ?

TIA

[pkcable]

I moved this thread to the General Discussion forum so that other 85XX and 5.0 OS users can help you with your issues.

[Laura Knotek]

Hi and welcome to CrackBerry.

I don't know if you've seen the BlackBerry 101 lectures, but they are really helpful. I'd suggest checking those out if you have not already done so.

[SRR500]

Yes, check out the 101 lectures they are very good.

It also sounds like you might be having some software trouble.

First thing to check: are you closing out apps when you are done using them? If you just push the "end" button that sends the app to the background instead of closing it. Much like minimizing a window on the computer. The best way to close an app is to use the menu and select close or quit. Another way is to press the back key left of the trackpad until you are back at the home screen.

To see what you have running press and hold the menu key to the right of the trackpad. The ribon will open and show what is running. Phone, home, messages, browser, and bbm are always on. Anything else needs to be shut down if you aren't using it.

If you get too many apps running in the background it will bog down the whole phone.

Another thing to try is a battery pull. Pull out the battery and wait about 20 - 30 seconds before putting it back in. Most people do this at least once a week some every day. A fresh start up will clear out the memory and stop any apps that were accidentally left running in the background.

Welcome to Crackberry. The 8530 is a nice device and usually runs pretty well. I had one myself for a while and really liked it. My daughter is using it now. I'm sure we can get you fixed up and running smoothly.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[DashRiprock899]

Thanks for the welcome & guidance..!

I have checked out some of the BB 101 lectures, & learned some. But still have some questions:

1. I'm confused on the claim that the RIM push tech allows for instant emails. This isn't the case with me. I can get an email on one of my PCs and then 5-30 mins later it shows up on the BB. After digging around it seems that only BES users have this feature. Us 'civilians' are doomed to the 3/15 min cycle (although I have had emails appear on the BB 30+ mins after rec'ving them on my PCs ) . I am loathe to call Sprint on this....

2. I do try to always close apps by backing all the way out using the 'back' button (or [Menu][Close/Exit]) and not just the red 'close' button ( I go back to Win3.1 as my first GUI O/S!) and know the 'Task Mgr' ribbon. There's rarely anything in Task Mgr other than the same icons on the desktop..just 4 or 5 that are the same as my first row of the main menu....ph, msgs, home, browser....& BBM,,which I've never used but can't seem to get off the Task Mgr...Any other memory tips ?

3. I see that the answer for many issues is 'battery pull'. Is a weekly (or more) battery pull what's needed to keep these things running ? Not very convenient. (Image if cars had the same design.....!) but I'll try this. I've only pulled it a couple of times while working w /tech support. Does a pull have a different effect than when it spontaneously completely reboots (~1-2/wk) ??

4. I see my Desktop mgr is prompting me to upgrade to O/S 6.x (I'm on 5.0.0.654)...but am very hesitant. I did an upgrade at some point last summer/fall & it took calls to tech support to get it working again....Any pros/cons/experiences ?

5. Is there an easier way to transfer/manage files to/from BB/PC ? I went to install Media Manager and it showed it was 133MB ! Holy ! 133MB for what is essentially Explorer with a comm piece ?? I bailed out. Alternatives ?

6. Business apps from the App World ...I see some that are interesting (scanning/reading via cam, doc mgnt, etc..) but am hesitant to try them as the only two apps I've installed resulted in either problems (a QR Scanner that did nothing but cause the ph to reboot whenever you tried to exit the app) or a waste of time. Can anyone give examples of business/tech type apps that worked for you ? Remote access/control ? MS-Outlook/Project ? DBS apps ? Advanced text/hex editors, etc... ?

Thanks !

[SRR500]

I can answer a few of your questions but not all. I hope someone else can chime in with some other answers for you.

First are you sure that you are using an 8530? if that model number is correct then DM should NOT be asking you to upgrade to os6. It isn't compatible. Do you have a 9330 perhaps?

As to the email push question. What email service do you use? Most are pushed instantly. I use Gmail and my emails come to the phone instantly. Sometimes even before the computer. If I understand what I have read, some email services are not instantly pushed and the delay like you describe could be normal for your email provider.

When it comes to transferring files to/from the phone, if you connect via usb without the Desktop Manager running you will be given the option to use mass storage mode which treats the phone's memory card like a usb flash drive. Windows will assign it a drive letter and you can then open it with Windows Explorer (it will be listed under My Computer as a removable drive) and drag and drop files to and from the device.

Reading through your posts and questions and reading between the lines a little. I'm not totally convinced that your operating system is working quite right. If it were my phone, I would do a wipe and re-install of the OS. I would choose a later version than the one you have currently. First you need to figure out what your model number is (see first paragraph) because the OS is device specific. There is great step by step instructions in the BlackBerry 101 section complete with pictures and videos. I can help you if you too if you hit a snag.

As far as business apps the only business activity I use my phone for is email and spreadsheet. Considering the trouble you have had I wouldn't worry about extra apps until you get the phone running properly.

For your question about BBM, it will always run in the background. The only way to remove it is to shrink it out of the OS before installation. That is a whole other subject.

I hope I have been some help

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Laura Knotek]

Regarding the emails, what kind of email accounts are they? IMAP such as Gmail or Yahoo is almost instant.

If the email accounts are POP3 such as Comcast, BIS will poll every 15 minutes, and if new emails are found, then it will poll every 3-5 minutes and revert to polling every 15 minutes if no new ones are found. It is a limitation of the protocol POP3, not a BIS issue.

[elvin1983]

To find out what model you are running, go to the options menu, and select About. This will tell you your model, and the OS that you are using.

It certainly sounds like there is something goofy going on with the OS, you certainly shouldn't be having these issues. I would upgrade to the 6.0 that it's offering to you. Hopefully that'll fix your problem...

Once you check your model number, can you post it here?

[DashRiprock899]

Alrighty....!

4. Model & O/S from [Options][About]

Blackberry� 8530
smartphone (CDMA, Wi-Fi)
v5.0.0.654 (Bundle 1108, Platform 4.2.0.298)
yada, yada...
Refurbished: Y (Sep 28,2010)
vvww.blackberry.com

As for the 6.0 notification, I can't find that anymore. I swear I saw something about a 6.0 update in an a notification or email from BB. Sorry about any confusion this caused. There are 30-40 updates ready in Desktop Mgr...including Sys & Core updates. I decided to go ahead with these but got a warning about "Once complete, you must activate your device wirelessly...." What does this mean ? I have to call Sprint and get it 're-activated' ? I do NOT want to do that. The last time (when I got this refurb) it took 2-3 hours of phone support with battery pulls, service book downloads, being on hold while rep puzzled about something, wait 30 mins and call us back, rinse, repeat, etc... I cancelled out for now.

1. Yes. All of the email accounts in question are all POP3. And, I've learned that the 15/3 scheme is normal and cannot be changed. Some accounts are on Roadrunner which does allow for auto-forwarding. I've read that I can auto-fwd from RR to my 'blackberry.net' acct, so I created a new one on @sprint.blackberry.net & tested. Email notification was instant....but, I cannot use the other email accounts to reply...just the sprint.bb.net one even though there is what looks like a dropdown for picking accounts. This means my replies will come from bb.net and not my 'real' accounts. Any other ideas ?

5. Data xfer - Turning on Mass Storage mode worked ! Thank you! I can finally move things around without having to email them to myself!


Thanks for all of the help thus far !

[SRR500]

Whenever I have changed my OS the wireless activation has been done automatically. After the OS loads and the phone reboots, an email comes in stating that the phone has been reistered on the network. Maybe Sprint does it differently.

You can register on the network manually by going to Options > Advanced Options > Host Routing Table.

Once there push the menu button (blackberry logo) and select "Register Now"

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[albee 1]

I am thinking the "activate wirelessly" means it will need to be reprovisioned to be active. Select Menu/Options/Mobile Network/Menu/Start Provisioning. This is what we all had to do to get the BB up and running with Sprint. You should not have to do much else after this. All your Email accounts should remain intact. Best of luck. It's good to see someone wanting to make the most out of their device. Keep on Reading! And it sounds boring but in the early days I got a lot out of the help files included within the BB itself.

Oh and DM was probably trying to get you to upgrade it to the latest version 6.x.x.xx

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[DashRiprock899]

I decided to give it a try...Hoping that the updates would resolve at least some of my performance & reboot issues and praying that I wouldn't have to call Sprint....

Used an old, but trusty HP DV6000 lappy, XPsp3, no apps running, and good USB cable...

It all went fine until....

"A Fatal Error has occurred while updating your device's software. Please try again."
Have a screenshot but I can't post pics as I'm a nOOb...

..and the phone went thru its 6 minute reboot cycle...

So, I tried again. Same result.

So, I checked for a Desktop Mgr update. This where I may have seen "v6.0" as my DTM upgraded to v6.something. Upgraded, rebooted lappy, and tried again. ~45 mins later I was rewarded with....

"You software has been successfully updated."

Went thru all of the tutorials/wizard screens (again!) and when I was done I had emails from BB confirming registration and the 'We're so happy that you decided to spend with us' boilerplate email from Sprint. Sent a few emails from various accounts to & from the BB and it seems to be working.

[Options][About]
v5.0.0.1030(bundle 1675 platform 4.2.0.451)

Yay!

Time will tell if the performance & reboot issues are resolved....

[SRR500]

Glad to hear that you got everything working Dash.

The first upgrade can be tricky sometimes. I remember when I had my first BB, I installed a non-compatible app and turned it into a paper weight.

Took me a couple of tries to get the OS reloaded and the phone working again.

Now I can almost do it in my sleep. So don't be afraid to experiment and tweak settings to get the best performance. It all takes a little practice and some trial and error.

These forums are full of good people who are willing to help if you run into a snag. In no time at all you might just find yourself helping the noob that you used to be.

Once again congrats on getting your phone working and welcome to CrackBerry.

[DashRiprock899]

Alrighty...Update time!

The performance & stability issues were not resolved.

Anything using the internet (w/ either cell or WiFi) is still incredibly slow. Loading the mobile Crackberry page takes > 30 secs on WiFi. Even longer with cell. It also goes to the little 'please wait' clock sometimes when just doing simple things like opening contacts. It seems like it really struggles to do almost anything.

Still unexpectedly reboots. This will almost always happen if I unplug the power cord and then press any button/key within ~ 20 secs. If I unplug and don't touch it for a min or two, it is usually fine. Seems like the unplugging process must not be disturbed for min upon unplug. If there is any activity (key press, on ph, etc..) within ~20 secs of the unplugging, it will reboot ~75% of the time. It also rebooted once when it was not plugged in and I just picked it up to make a call. I hit the ph button & it went black & restarted.

New issues since O/S update:

Lost settings/data
- All game scores wiped out (not a big deal, but c'mon)
- All downloads gone
- Several historic SMS msgs gone
- Notifications are now different - I used to see missed calls with the number in the Call Log area. Now I just have the VM notification in SMS/MMS and nothing in the Call Log. I've no way of knowing what the missed call's number is until I listen to the VM... which brings me to..

VM check in is sporadic. ~ 50% of the time when I try to check VM, it goes silent. Call clock is running, but nothing happens. No dialing or passcode sounds. Just a slight hiss. I let it run 2 solid mins on the clock once. Nothing ever happened. Usually it will work on the next try, but I've had it where I did 3-4 retries before it dialed.

Battery life has dropped significantly - If I leave it plugged in all night (on wall charger) from 11:00PM to 07:00AM, it will be dead again by 11:00PM even with light use.

Errors trying to send SMS - Keep getting "Message sent with invalid number of digits - .....2114" when trying to text to numbers that worked before update. Have tried changing the contacts entry by adding/removing a '1' and/or area code. Nothing helps. Only seems to affect certain contacts. Its not Sprint or recipient as my wife can send fine from her ph ( a cheap freebie ph from Sprint).

At this point I'm throwing in the towel. I have spent way too much time trying to get this thing to work. If you figure the well over 100 hours I've spent at a nominal $10/hr, its just not worth it. I'll limp along with it until I find replacement....but it prolly won't be a BB device as this is my 2nd that had issues. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...

I do want to thank all of you who provided guidance/suggestions !

[DashRiprock899]

Thought I'd throw a little addendum here....

Dropped by a Sprint store the check my contract status and talk to someone knowledgeable about my ph and its issues. After talking to the sales rep, the lead tech guy came out and after some Q & A, he told me :

- People who bought Curves were a constant problem because it was a cheap version of a 'real' BB and Curve users weren't 'real' BB users so they have issues because they're not 'real' BB users.
- He knows this because he used to work for BB.
- Refurb phones are tested more thoroughly than new ones.
- He knows this because he used to work for BB (again).
- Battery pulls should be done every 1-2 days.
- I'm 'doing it wrong' by running the battery all the way down. I should be charging more often so it will last when I need it. (Wait. What ? This goes against everything I know about rechargeables....and I might not be somewhere I can charge...)
- My lack of battery life is because I have 4 email accounts configured. My 12 hr life is normal (wasn't 6 months ago).
- I should get a PlayBook and tether it to my Curve via 'the bridge' and most of my issues will be resolved.
- Sprint uses MS Exchange thru a BES for internal use and theirs all work fine. So I should get Exchange and BES servers, but "there may be some sort of fee " (What ? Its not free ?!?!).
- My random reboots ?...well, he kept changing the subject when I brought this up so he didn't tell me anything other than I should do more battery pulls.
- My messaging errors are because DTM mangled my Outlook contacts and now everything's fubar'd (but it worked prior to the update)
- I should Google to find some sort of 3rd party app that will let me 'repair' my BB contacts and buy it, learn it, and run it.

I thanked him for his time and left.

Honestly guys & gals, if this is what BB has facing potential customers, they're not long for this world......

Cheers...

[Deathcommand]

Ugh. Cheap version my a*&^$#^$
I don't like him.
Anyways,
For internet, Try using Opera Mini, Its MUCH Faster, BB Browser has always been slow. Not only because they browser was unpolished in OS 5.0 but also because the wifi radio sucks in these devices.
Email,. What email do you use? Hotmail needs you to activate iMAP protocol or something, same with gmail,

Battery running 100% down is bad for it, But you should be using the battery. somewhere in between charging forever and killing repeatedly would be nice.

I have no clue about the messaging errors..