How-To: Use Yahoo IM 2.0 with AT&T

Info:
This info was compiled by numerous sources from across the web. It was my goal to simplify the instructions to help AT&T users download, install, and use Yahoo Instant Messenger 2.0

RIM's Yahoo Messenger requires a specific service book "BBFS2 [YHO]" and AT&T (Cingular) does not provide that service book. Their goal is to get users to download the OZ IM application from MediaNet because it uses text instead of data.

If your phone is unlocked, you can insert a T-Mobile SIM and download/install Yahoo IM. At that point, you should check your service books to make sure you have "BBFS2 [YHO]" listed and then switch back to your SIM. If your phone is locked, continue reading.

Instructions:

THIS DOES NOT WORK FOR MAC USERS

PLEASE BACKUP YOUR DEVICE. DESKTOP MANAGER IS VERY EASY TO FOLLOW FOR BACKING UP AND RESTORING!

- Download the Yahoo Messenger 2.0 service book (NOT THE APPLICATION) from HERE

- Open Desktop Manager and restore it to your device.

- Manually register your handset with the RIM network via the HRT editor:

Options > Advanced Options > Host Routing Tables > Menu > Register Now

- Load your own backup back to the device.

- Log into your BIS account (the same thing you did when you first set up your BB people!) and re-send service books

- Download Yahoo Messenger from mobile.blackberry.com

* If applicable, regenerate encryption keys for Desktop Manager or BES. If you're on a BES, again, make sure your BES admin can create a policy allowing Yahoo IM traffic.

** If the service does not work right from the install, try doing a hard reset (pulling/reinserting battery).

Excellent post! I will spread the word to att curve users about this. ;)

I tried the procedure below and I got an error from Desktop Manager saying that I couldn't restore a read-only database.

[QUOTE=GoDJ;46808]Info:

RIM's Yahoo Messenger requires a specific service book "BBFS2 [YHO]" to be able to use the program. AT&T (formerly Cingular Wireless) does not provide that service book even though you can download and install Yahoo Messenger just fine. Their goal is to get users to download the OZ IM application from MediaNet because it uses text instead of data.

If your phone is unlocked, you can insert another GSM carrier SIM card (such as T-Mobile) and download/install Yahoo IM. At that point, you should check your service books to make sure you have "BBFS2 [YHO]" listed and then switch back to your SIM. If your phone is locked, continue reading.

Instructions:

SORRY, THIS DOES NOT WORK FOR MAC USERS

It seems as though, and correct me if I am wrong, but AT&T users and everyone else for this matter, can skip all of this mess and every other problem with IM clients. Just spend the $20 on Jive Talk and get them all working flawlessly.

Originally Posted by rhupf

...I got an error from Desktop Manager saying that I couldn't restore a read-only database.

I was told that this is a BES issue, which I know nothing about but I did find this:

A BES administrator can disable/enable almost ANY available services with a BlackBerry handset via the right IT policies. Check with your BES administrator for further information, not just to allow Y!M services, but to also have all of Desktop Manager's functions made available to you. In fact, as for the BES permissions for actual Yahoo! Messenger traffic, I believe that there's a preset policy rule on the BES end for allowing it to pass to/from the handset. Check with your IT administrator for more details.

Originally Posted by joshtpa

It seems as though, and correct me if I am wrong, but AT&T users and everyone else for this matter, can skip all of this mess and every other problem with IM clients. Just spend the $20 on Jive Talk and get them all working flawlessly.

At this point, I'm almost positive most of us know about Jivetalk, how it uses data and not text, the 30 day trial, the file sending, the bubbles in chats, its ease of use, and its stability. However, some of us in that group like the new layout and UI of the native Yahoo Messenger 2.0 client. This, joshtpa, is a matter of preference.

Originally Posted by GoDJ

I was told that this is a BES issue, which I know nothing about but I did find this:

A BES administrator can disable/enable almost ANY available services with a BlackBerry handset via the right IT policies. Check with your BES administrator for further information, not just to allow Y!M services, but to also have all of Desktop Manager's functions made available to you. In fact, as for the BES permissions for actual Yahoo! Messenger traffic, I believe that there's a preset policy rule on the BES end for allowing it to pass to/from the handset. Check with your IT administrator for more details.

I tried loading a policy from the BES with NO restrictions, but I still get the same error. What is the problem that AT&T/Cingular/AT&T/BellSouth/AT&T has with Instant Messaging?


I wonder if there is a free version of JiveTalk?

*rhupf opens his wallet looking for the money to buy it and watches moths fly out and then sighs*

JiveTalk is free for 30 days to try.

Thanks, I had not had time to dig for this yet. I was really happy to see you did! Great post, Very easy to follow!:)

I have the service book, now downloading to see if it will work.
Otherwise I guess I will just stick with OZ, i have unlimited messaging just like the UI on Y!IM better!

Nope didnt work for meh! No biggie!

Originally Posted by EtherealLover

Nope didnt work for meh! No biggie!

Finally got this working. There is a thread over on PinStack...(sorry about promoting another site, but...) that worked for me. In a nutshell, you have to remove the "Desktop Sync" service book before restoring the Yahoo one.

Good luck to all of us.

Thanks R! But for useful purposes, whats the name of the service book because I dont see anything with a similar name.

Originally Posted by GoDJ

Thanks R! But for useful purposes, whats the name of the service book because I dont see anything with a similar name.

On my device it says

Desktop [SYNC]

Is the Provisioning[PROVISIONING] servicebook? This is the only one that is close to what the Desktop [SYNC] service book.
Just curious!

Originally Posted by EtherealLover

Is the Provisioning[PROVISIONING] servicebook? This is the only one that is close to what the Desktop [SYNC] service book.
Just curious!

Nope. I have that one too. Are you on a BES server? Maybe it's only there if you're on a BES server.

Originally Posted by rhupf

Nope. I have that one too. Are you on a BES server? Maybe it's only there if you're on a BES server.

No I'm not on BES.

But the procedure to restore the Yahoo service book didn't work? What happened...only if you care..:D

I finally got it working!!!
I realized I needed to remove the OZ IM client first.
Then proceed w/ your instructions.

woooo hooo ::dancing around::

Smiling watching ethereal dance around...

Glad I could help...but I'm not sure if I really did :)

Now, let's get busy with IM!!!

Works great for me.....i Just open the manager went to restore/backup and simply took the downloaded service book and opened the advanced menu in backup/restore and inserted the service book to my device plain and simple!!! and now i have yahoo on my blackberry with at&t.

Thanks so much. I now have Yahoo Messenger on my Red 8310 Curve from AT&T running 4.2....sweet!!!!

Kudos...V

Cool. That's the same model Curve that I have.

I still cannot get this working on my device, and I am the BES admin. I do not know of any way to push a specific service book from BES, I can only resend the existing service books a user is supposed to have. Has anyone found a way to make this work? :confused:

I still get the same error others have seen. "couldn't restore a read-only database".

I do not have restrictions in BES that should block this, it worked fine with Yahoo 1.0 before I upgraded to 2.0 .If anyone knows where I can get the older version to downgrade, please let me know.

Did you remove the Desktop [SYNC] service book from the device? I am on a BES too and after I removed that, the restore worked fine. I never had to push any new service books afterward, it came back on it's own.