The Mass Storage Device Problem Rant
If the mass storage device feature on your bold does not work and you have already tried everything directed by BlackBerry Tech support, then check this thread (oops, I can't post links even to crackberry threads - you can get there by searching for this phrase: "BB storage Activation new" in a post by Sandlotje which includes step by step instructions for downloading and running the program.)
It may be that your mass storage device feature was disabled (not by the on-off setting that you can access in setup, but rather internally.) The program referenced in that link will reset the mass storage device feature. It worked perfectly on both "defective" bolds sent to me by ATT.
More importantly, I want to vent about BB's approach to this issue. I spent 5 hours with BB tech reps trying to resolve the issue. After the first 3 hours they said the phone was defective and they directed ATT to replace it. When the second phone had the exact same problem after 2 more hours they said "we'll have to consult with senior tech specialties and get back to you" which they never did.
Then I found the hahanew.exe fix.
So I called BB tech back about my open ticket and told them that I had found the source of the problem (the mass storage device feature was internally disabled) and the hahanew.exe fix for the problem.
At first, the rep acted like he knew nothing about the nature of the problem or the fix. When I confronted him about the hundreds of posts on the BB forum and other forums like crackberry and pinstack, he then admitted that in fact the mass storage device could be disabled internally by the application of third party software.
When I asked why BB didn’t simply post that information and the fix at their website he said because BB tech support is not allowed to resolve issues caused by third party software, and that the fix appears to be based on upon a program designed only for internal use by BB tech support.
Fair enough, but, when a consumer calls about the problem and all other standard methods of resolving the issue have failed, why not just say:
"It may be that your mass storage device feature was turned off internal by the application of some third party software. We do not provide support to resolve problems caused by third party software. You may be able to find a third party fix for this problem by searching the web. However, you use any third party fixing program at your own risk."
Instead of wasting hours and hours of their time and my time acting as if the problem is some unknown defect and hoping that the consumer returns the phone (if still under warranty) and gets a new phone without the problem.
BTW, I had this problem with the two refurbished phones I got from ATT. That is not an excuse for ATT because they sell the phones with the designation of "Certified Refurbished Equipment" which is another way of saying "the damn phone is supposed to be working."
BB tech suggested that this problem never exists with new phones, just "refurbished" ones. I'm not so quick to believe that because the tech's theory was that the people who returned the new phones to ATT must have "messed with the phone trying to unlock it before returning it."
That seems a bit far-fetched. And in any event, ATT should be testing the phones to be sure they work before putting the "Certified" sticker on the box.
Has any one had the problem with a new BB?