1. Hilamonster's Avatar
    My husband recently passed away and a couple weeks later, his BlackBerry Bold 9900 went black. Even the little red charging light will not turn on. I am devistated and desperate to get this thing up and running again. It has our texts, his voice messages and every account password we've created. I've tried ordering "new" batteries, changing cords, outlets etc but it hasn't worked so far. Any help would be greatly appreciated
    11-18-19 02:12 PM
  2. Chuck Finley69's Avatar
    My husband recently passed away and a couple weeks later, his BlackBerry Bold 9900 went black. Even the little red charging light will not turn on. I am devistated and desperate to get this thing up and running again. It has our texts, his voice messages and every account password we've created. I've tried ordering "new" batteries, changing cords, outlets etc but it hasn't worked so far. Any help would be greatly appreciated
    Welcome to CrackBerry!!!! I’m sorry to hear of your recent loss.

    Let’s see if we can get you some help.
    @idssteve any ideas
    Hilamonster likes this.
    11-18-19 06:17 PM
  3. idssteve's Avatar
    Let me add condolences also. Sorry to hear of your loss. Messages contained in that device are likely pretty cherished. Good news is that the device battery probably just ran down over a prolonged period. Odds are favorable that it can be restored. Imo.

    I'm far from a "professional" phone troubleshooting expert but have worked with 9900s. Pretty good chance that there's enough experience around here to get the device running.


    To start with, let's assure it's getting power. The surest way to bypass charger, cord, usb, contacts, etc is to get a charged battery into it. You've mentioned new batteries but is there any assurance that those batteries are, in fact, charged? Do you have another device to try that battery in? Or, a stand alone external battery charger like ASY-18976-003 can assure the battery gets charged... It has a light that changes color indicating battery charge state, at least.

    If assured of a charged battery and still no response when inserted... Try cleaning the battery contacts? Both battery and device. A really small eraser gently rubbed on the contacts might clean any oxidation causing problems. Be sure to clear out any rubber crumbs. Also, be sure all four spring loaded contacts are free to extend. If stuck, they might not make contact. Be sure to "Jiggle" the battery when inserting, also.

    Other steps are on the list but let's start with simpler stuff, first... Let us know...
    Hilamonster likes this.
    11-18-19 07:28 PM
  4. idssteve's Avatar
    here's a link to an external battery charger that should get a 9900 battery reliably charged. it's about $8.50.

    Blackberry ASY-18976-003 Extra Battery Charger for BlackBerry J-M1 - Non-Retail Packaging - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E20SXE4...UvbUpU13464861

    There WAS, about an HR ago, about 8 still available for about $5.50 but those evaporated before I got them posted... hoping 99 community will try to leave at least one of these available for a greiving OP? ??

    if all else fails, op, we might figure out a way to send you one of mine...??
    Last edited by idssteve; 11-18-19 at 08:59 PM.
    Hilamonster likes this.
    11-18-19 08:49 PM
  5. XWintech's Avatar
    Hey. Sorry to hear your loss. There must be something going on with the power. Can you explain how did it go black? Like after you removed the battery and re-inserted it and it didn't boot up or else? We need to know how did it go black so we can help you. But for now I can suggest one thing.

    Go buy used original battery for bold 9900. I know this sounds strange but trust me, bold 9900 is checking the integrity of the battery when starting up, for example a new but not original battery can work for 2+ months then there would go some problems. That is all because the new non-OEM batteries are very bad quality.
    Hilamonster likes this.
    11-18-19 09:51 PM
  6. conite's Avatar
    We're all going to do our best to get this resolved.

    There may also be a backup of the phone on your computer. We can extract quite a bit from it if needed.
    Hilamonster and idssteve like this.
    11-18-19 09:59 PM
  7. Hilamonster's Avatar
    I just ordered one! it should get here Monday, I'll work on cleaning it in the mean time. Thank you so much for the info!
    idssteve likes this.
    11-18-19 10:13 PM
  8. Hilamonster's Avatar
    Before his phone died, I had been running a back up before restoring it to an old file, reliving our life together was the only thing giving me comfort and I would do that about twice a week. I had his phone in my bag for my meeting with our lawyer, and later when I pulled it out, it was completely unresponsive. The back cover had fallen off but that wasn't a surprise (he had been securing it with a piece of tape for a while now) but battery was still snug in place, as was the SIM card. As soon as I got home I tried plugging it in for a few hours and when I checked on it there was no change. His BlackBerry has definitely seen better days, I do know that he had been getting an occasional SIM card error and his phone would do random reboots but I'm not sure how often it happened though.

    Where do you recommend finding an original battery and how can you tell?
    11-18-19 10:49 PM
  9. Lex24's Avatar
    You need JM1 battery and they are easily available on Amazon and Ebay. The battery should be as new as possible and from OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer, which is RIM, later renamed BlackBerry Ltd.). Also please remember that any new battery arriving in the mail or by a courier will be completely discharged, that's why it is so important to also get an external battery charger ASY-18976-003 mentioned in previous posts. Please check post #8581, 8582 and subsequent posts at the link below. You will find some pictures showing how to check the date of manufacturing of the battery. We were just talking about all this over the weekend with other members in another thread. I have suggested one reseller in my post (#8582) who has some batteries made in 2016 but please keep in mind that I have a different BlackBerry model which uses a different battery, not JM1.

    https://forums.crackberry.com/blackb.../index344.html

    Once you get the phone working again it would be a good idea to immediately do the backup with BlackBerry Desktop Software. This will allow transferring the data like text messages, emails, Password Keeper entries, address book, etc. to another legacy BlackBerry with OS 7 or 7.1. There are lots of them available brand new on Amazon or Ebay.
    Hilamonster likes this.
    11-19-19 05:59 AM
  10. Hilamonster's Avatar
    The battery charger arrived yesterday, I charged one of the new batteries I had purchased off of Ebay, and his old one. The process for each battery took about an hour to an hour and a half, the little light went from an orange to green. I tired each battery in his Blackberry, being sure to wiggle them in trying to ensure good contact and there was no response. Usually once the battery is in place, the loading screen will pop right up. The contacts all look really good, but I tried the eraser again, and double checked the springs which seem to have good bounce back. I also tried removing and reinserting the SIM card and put a small piece of paper to see if that was an issue (I found an older post about the SIM card error that suggested this) and nothing worked. The new batteries I purchased from Ebay, I hope are legit, They too arrived in a sealed anti-static pouch (Lex24 had mentioned that theirs did on a different thread). I've attached some pictures to see if they can provide any incite to you wonderful people. I cannot thank you all enough for the your kind words and help you've offered me.
    Bold 9900 went black-20191124_095808.jpg
    Bold 9900 went black-20191124_095650.jpg
    11-24-19 09:42 AM
  11. Lex24's Avatar
    If the light on the external charger turned green then it means the batteries are fully charged.

    You would need to somehow get this phone working for a few minutes, just to connect it to the computer and perform the backup with BlackBerry Desktop Software. I'm not sure if there is any trick available to power it straight from the PC, through USB cable, maybe try to Google this. The other option is to try to find a repair shop with technicians who have experience with older BlackBerry devices. Just explain to them that you only need that phone to recover the data from internal memory.

    There are three backup options available, but BlackBerry Desktop Software is the best because it offers the fastest and the most complete backup. Once you get the phone working you could run all three types of backup, just to be on the safe side.

    1) BlackBerry Desktop Software on PC
    - files are saved on PC
    - address book (contacts): yes
    - emails: yes
    - text messages: yes
    - password keeper: yes

    2) Phone - Setup icon - Device Switch
    - files are saved on phone's SD card
    - address book (contacts): yes
    - emails: yes
    - text messages: yes
    - password keeper: yes

    3) Phone - BlackBerry Protect icon
    - files are saved in the cloud
    - address book (contacts): yes
    - emails: no
    - text messages: yes
    - password keeper: yes
    - you need to know BB ID credentials to restore all that to another phone

    The download link for BlackBerry Desktop Software can be found in paragraph #1a here:

    https://forums.crackberry.com/blackb.../#post13459666

    Some more information about restoring the data to another phone can be found in paragraph #16 here:

    https://forums.crackberry.com/blackb.../#post13459745


    ----------
    Sent from my BB 9320 using CB Forums app on Bell Canada BIS
    Last edited by Lex24; 11-26-19 at 01:23 PM.
    Hilamonster and idssteve like this.
    11-26-19 01:41 AM
  12. idssteve's Avatar
    Well, pretty safe to say batteries are truly charged, at least. Now we can pretty safely assume the problem is likely more than battery deep. I don't think the device will fully power up on usb, or charging contacts, without battery power... BUT there is an option for establishing PC-usb communication with battery removed. For really stubborn cases, as I recall. It's been too many years since I've done it myself to accurately recall details. AND, it MIGHT wipe everything if done improperly so... best we ponder that option with care...

    As pointed out by a couple other members, extracting data from previous backups is still an option. Restoring to a "new" device is also on the table. Might be good time to start pricing "new" devices?

    I've got so many unused around here, I'd consider donating one to the cause...??? Mine are all VZW or ATT, tho... fwiw. ??
    Last edited by idssteve; 11-26-19 at 05:32 AM.
    Hilamonster likes this.
    11-26-19 04:55 AM
  13. Hilamonster's Avatar
    When ever I tried to plug in his phone to our computer, BlackBerry Desktop identifies it as disconnected, I did run a backup a week before it stopped working and actually every time I would restore his phone (I had been using it like a time machine) just in case anything bad happened. Hopefully one out of those files, is a backup of everything...

    I have been checking Ebay trying to find a buyer that I felt comfortable with, buying a used phone always seemed like a big risk and I would be devastated if it compromised any data. That would be absolutely incredible idssteve, if you would be willing to help me, His phone is ATT.
    11-26-19 06:33 PM
  14. idssteve's Avatar
    Happy to help. I'm travelling right now but will have my team pick one out, wipe it clean, and then I'll PM you for shipping info... unless mods or anyone have other ideas?

    It should already have 1098 os.

    Question to everyone: would there be any advantage to a different os version? Any suggestions for what we might do with the handset before shipping to OP?
    Last edited by idssteve; 11-27-19 at 07:53 AM.
    Hilamonster likes this.
    11-27-19 07:37 AM
  15. Lex24's Avatar
    Hilamonster:

    Buying a used phone always seemed like a big risk and I would be devastated if it compromised any data.
    At this point idssteve's solution looks the best, but in case one day you decide to buy a phone on eBay then I would suggest to look for a new one instead of a used one. It should be labelled:

    new, unlocked, in original packaging

    There is substantial unsold inventory of brand new and unlocked BBOS phones on eBay, especially BB 9720, which was the last version of Bold and was released in August of 2013 when the first BB 10 phones were already on the market. I got one of those from a reseller who has a few hundred of them available. Here is the link:

    https://forums.crackberry.com/e?link...token=Pk8FRoBz

    The battery in that phone was manufactured in Dec. of 2016 and the OS bundle is actually newer than the last official bundle listed on CrackBerry forums. So there is no need to install a new OS. In most other cases an OS will be older and it is a good idea to wipe it and install the latest one available. If you wipe an old OS there is absolutely nothing left on the phone and Error 507 shown on the screen:

    https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img921/4831/wpDdmP.jpg

    It's like having a computer which boots to a black screen with a white blinking cursor. This solves any security and privacy concerns related to buying a phone from an unofficial source.

    You can bookmark, just in case, my guides about buying a new BBOS phone and reinstalling the OS. They are available in OS7 subforums at the link below:

    https://forums.crackberry.com/blackb.../#post13460108


    ----------
    Sent from my BB 9320 using CB Forums app on Bell Canada BIS
    Last edited by Lex24; 11-28-19 at 02:23 AM.
    Hilamonster likes this.
    11-27-19 03:41 PM
  16. idssteve's Avatar
    Holiday and weather has delayed my folks getting to my desk and retrieving a suitable device. I'm still travelling between jobsites but expect to get someone in there by Monday at least.

    Meantime, my inclination is to keep things as simple as possible for OP. ? To that end, would it be best to ship it with the same os as original? Or with 1098? Or completely wiped? Or??

    If we decided that shipping with the same OS version as original, how might we go about figuring out what version is in OP's original now?
    Hilamonster likes this.
    11-29-19 11:30 AM
  17. Lex24's Avatar
    I would suggest to wipe the phone with JL_cmder and install OS v7.1.0.1098. BB World is known not to work with some older OSes and there might be some other problems as well.

    Note for OP:

    Under that scenario the phone would be first wiped completely, which would result in Error 507 shown on the screen (as on the screenshot from my previous post) and then the latest OS version (as listed in the second sticky thread on 9900 subforum) would be installed from scratch.

    ----------
    Sent from my BB 9320 using CB Forums app on Bell Canada BIS
    Hilamonster likes this.
    11-29-19 09:56 PM
  18. idssteve's Avatar
    I would suggest to wipe the phone with JL_cmder and install OS v7.1.0.1098. BB World is known not to work with some older OSes and there might be some other problems as well.

    Note for OP:

    Under that scenario the phone would be first wiped completely, which would result in Error 507 shown on the screen (as on the screenshot from my previous post) and then the latest OS version (as listed in the second sticky thread on 9900 subforum) would be installed from scratch.

    ----------
    Sent from my BB 9320 using CB Forums app on Bell Canada BIS
    Ok, we'll wipe with JL and install 1098. I'm not well experienced with ATT... Will swapping sim and performing restore from desktop get sms messages back on it for OP? What about the other ATT specific background image & apps? Is there any risk to OP's sim?
    Hilamonster likes this.
    11-30-19 04:37 AM
  19. Lex24's Avatar
    There is no risk to SIM card. The data like SMS, emails, password keeper, address book, memos, tasks, calendar events, etc. can be restored to any BBOS device with OS 7 (and probably with OS 4.5, 5 and 6 as well). The carrier is irrelevant.

    Download shortcuts to AT&T apps will be loaded when the OP boots up the phone and it connects to AT&T network. They will be loaded together with service books. Whether any of these apps is still actually available for download from AT&T servers is another story. But OP's primary concern are text messages and password keeper and there should be no problem restoring them.

    ----------
    Sent from my BB 9320 using CB Forums app on Bell Canada BIS
    idssteve and Hilamonster like this.
    12-01-19 04:52 PM
  20. Hilamonster's Avatar
    YAY!!! that's wonderful news! He didn't have any apps installed. Thank you guys so much for everything, I'm bookmarking all these links for future reference
    idssteve likes this.
    12-02-19 11:54 AM
  21. idssteve's Avatar
    Just to update, a coworker has chosen what she deems a nice looking 9900 from within my desk and left it with IT to be wiped and scrutinized (company policy). Our IT guy is taking family leave for a new family addition (a girl !! ) and promises to be back tomorrow. Him, and several on my crew, have taken interest and following this thread. I'll need to retrieve shipping info via PM?

    @OP, you likely already know this but just to be sure, don't post personal address or details in the thread. PM should be ok, tho. I'll reach out thru PM later today or tomorrow. Unless anyone has better ideas?
    Hilamonster likes this.
    12-03-19 07:01 AM
  22. idssteve's Avatar
    @Hilamonster, please see your PM.
    12-04-19 08:06 AM
  23. idssteve's Avatar
    @OP, please see PM for tracking number. Should arrive by end of day Monday. The battery arriving with it should be pretty good but will need initial charging... Since it can charge in your external charger, your other batteries can power up the device right away. .

    It's been wiped with JL_Cmdr and OS 7.1.0.1098 installed. English only.

    Anticipating that we'll be leaning on experienced members here in advising to restoring your backups.

    Just to update everyone else, our IT guy took the week for family leave. A new baby girl!! . His deputies were fully competent to assure the device was free of all company info. BUT only "IT guy", or myself, were authorized to "certify" such. Life in the corporate world. lol. This particular Bold was never on our BES, btw. I finally got back in town and to the office last night and got this going. That was the delay, anyway.
    12-06-19 10:51 AM
  24. Hilamonster's Avatar
    It arrived!!!!!! Once his SIM card was able to link up with the AT&T network, I followed Lex24's instructions on restoring a back up to a new device and just started the process. I'll let you know how it works out (fingers crossed), I'm so excited! Thank you!!!!!
    idssteve likes this.
    12-09-19 06:15 PM
  25. Lex24's Avatar
    Below are some tips for OP.

    1) Neither the SIM card nor SD card is required in the new phone just to restore the data like messages, password keeper entries, etc.

    2) In the new phone disable deletion of old messages. The following setting seems to apply to both emails and text messages:

    messages icon - menu - options - message display and actions - days to keep messages: forever

    3) Connect the new phone to the computer, start BlackBerry Desktop Software and click on "Device - Restore".

    a) select the backup file from the day when the old phone was still working without problems.

    b) select only the data elements which are really needed and nothing else.

    https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/3462/jkpZnJ.png

    Here are some examples:

    - Address Book All
    - Calendar All (calendar alerts)
    - Categories (address book
    categories)
    - Memos
    - Messages (emails)
    - Password Keeper
    - SMS Messages
    - Tasks
    - Text Messages (headers
    only)

    Do NOT select the following item (it would overwrite "days to keep messages"):

    - Message List Options (email
    options)

    Other items which might be worth restoring:

    - Bluetooth Options
    - Browser Bookmarks
    - Browser Options
    - Custom Word Collection
    (custom dictionary)
    - Mobile Hotspot Profiles
    - Options (various settings)
    - Sounds (for selected profile
    and for contacts)
    - WLAN Profiles (WiFi profiles)

    4) In case something doesn't work and you want to try another backup file then first delete all entries from the new phone, to prevent having duplicates.

    ----------
    Sent from my BB 9320 using CB Forums app on Bell Canada BIS
    Last edited by Lex24; 12-11-19 at 01:26 PM.
    Hilamonster and idssteve like this.
    12-09-19 07:06 PM
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