[frankd1]

It's amazing as one browses this board how many people are just now encountering their first "brickings" of their Tour (a 552 or other 5xx error that prevents the Tour from booting, requiring a "wipe/reinstall" to get it working again). Since the common thread in these errors appears to be they seem to occur after the recent installation of a new or upgraded app and the subsequent battery pull, people always end up assuming it's the fault of the recent app, and go about collecting evidence to prove it. Others, like myself, have been dealing with these 552s for months, and we can most assuredly tell you the problem IS NOT with the app you recently installed/upgraded, but with the recent 4.7 OS releases, and how they process app installs/upgrades. As much anecdotal evidence you think you have to prove that App X is the culprit, please search the boards for "552", and you'll see equally fervent discussions discussing the "obvious evidence" that Apps W, Y, Z, etc are the problem. Bottom line, there is a problem with the Tour's 4.7, and it's the proverbial time bomb: it's triggered by installing certain apps under currently unknown circumstances (these apps work perfectly for some people, trigger the brick for others). If you haven't encountered this problem yet, feel grateful, but DON'T ASSUME your Tour is "fine", when in all likelihood you'll eventually encounter the problem unless your app collection is completely static (no new or upgraded apps). Even RIM's own, recent official release of the new BBM5 client, one you'd assume is "safe" to install, hammered a significant percentage of users with 552s.

If you do search the boards for these 552 discussions, you'll always see someone piping in about how the recent OS5 leak users have absolutely NO PROBLEMS with this, and I've even been guilty of this once myself (I jumped ship to OS5 after my 3rd 552 on various, official 4.7 builds). IT IS very likely that this specific 4.7 problem is resolved in the OS 5 leaks (and presumably the eventual official OS5 release), but these leaks have their share of bugs and app compatibility issues. Plus, with these leaks, you run into the likely loss of tech support from your carrier and/or app developers because you're running an unofficial OS. So it's not a universal slam dunk that people should try the leaks. I'd encourage people to browse the OS Beta/Hybrid section of this forum, and decide for yourself if an OS5 leak is right for you.

So rather than get into a pro/con discussion of 4.7 vs 5, or "I've never seen a 552 on my Tour, so you must be doing something wrong" vs "I've never had a problem with the old release of App x, so it must be the new app/upgrade" arguments, I thought I'd throw a very generalized warning out:

There IS A PROBLEM with Tours and OS 4.7. If you haven't encountered it yet, consider yourself lucky, but most of the people now encountering the brickings are just as intelligent as you, many are very BB savvy, and they're NOT doing anything wrong with their app installations. If you haven't been bricked yet, your dodging the bullet up to now does not provide you with any immunity of it happening in the future.

Rather, as long as you continue to run any of the current 4.7 builds on your Tour, the following precautions could save you incredible misery:

• FREQUENT backups of yout Tour
  Include backups of 3rd party apps, which is NOT PART of the standard DM backup procedure. The CB site has an excellent how-to on backing up your 3rd party apps.
• DO NOT INSTALL OR UPDATE APPS ON A WHIM,
  unless you are able to temporarily survive without your Tour. I'm not saying don't download apps, but avoid the tendency to do them casually during the day, or when you won't have access to your DM equipped computer for an extended period. This is ridiculous, because you SHOULD be able to install apps whenever the heck you feel like it. But as many people here can attest to, it's a kick in the gut to get that 552 when you least expect it, and when you most need your Tour.
• Rather, do your best to hold off on the new app or upgrade until you have an hour or two free, and can survive loss of use of your Tour for that hour or two.
  Before the install/upgrade, fire off a new backup. Install the app. If you encounter any kind of errors upon running the new/upgraded app the first time, it's very likely the pin has already been pulled on the bricking grenade. Regardless, even if the new/upgraded app is working, do a battery pull. Most apps don't require a battery pull after installation, so not doing one as the last part of the install/upgrade of ANY app may lull you into a false sense of security. Imagine the scenario of days later, doing a preventative battery pull to get your Tour in peak performance before a meeting, flight, or some situation where you most need your Tour performing at its best, only to be then confronted with the 552. Anyway, the battery pull is the "litmus test" of whether you've run into this problem. If you reboot without incident, you should be fine. Otherwise, this is when the 552 will rear its head, and if you've followed the above suggestions, you'll still be miserable while you recover from the brick (lots of great tutorials on unbricking here in CB), but you'll be prepared to dig yourself out quickly.

I AM NOT a BB expert, and I'm not posting this to portray myself as one. Rather, I, and others like me (like user kaediil) have become Tour/552 experts as far as experiencing and recovering from them. I'm posting this to help users, especially newbies, from having to reinvent the wheel, and hopefully prevent users from red herring discussions on specific apps, when in fact the culprit is likely OS4.7. If you see a cluster of 552s around specific apps, definitely discuss them, because that might help identify what module(s) in 4.7 are the culprit. But don't waste time and frustration in blaming the apps and developers directly.

[syquest1]

I am not sure what the issue is but I have been running my Tour on 4.7 and have a ton of apps on it and haven't had one single issue.

[syquest1]

Good advice though Frankd to anyone that isnt extremely familiar with how to "fix" their BB if they should happen to run into the same situation you have.

[MrBrownstone]

I like the post Frank. What's crazy is the intermittent nature of the problem(s).

It bugs me that the headphone jack on my first of 3 Tours was defective out of the box, the second one never got off the ground well with NO NEW APPs installed...just factory default Slacker.

Blackberry REALLY screwed up when they tried the 'everybody should own our product' without making it everybody friendly. These devices are extremely complicated compared to many other devices, and unless you intend to spend a week educating yourself about it, newbies shouldn't even have one.

I got wind of a few on the inside of tech support and customer service that they are inundated with newbies clogging up their real technical issues...and the majority of callers? Blackberry Tour owners!!!

Effectively I ended up returning my device. Reeeeally pist mehoff

[jabo052]

I am not sure what the issue is but I have been running my Tour on 4.7 and have a ton of apps on it and haven't had one single issue.

I recently made the huge leap to 4.7 XX XX.53, lol. I had a ton of apps with the original OS and with this one. Never had the first problem.

I also have QuickPull setup for a restart every morning. Maybe that helps, but I had no issues before.

I have had the little clock appear for a few seconds while running multiple apps and browser, but that's no biggie.

[BakerGeckos]

Nice post, I encountered my first 552 today, however I didn't need to reload to get it back I hooked up BBSAK (1.6.2) and deleted the COD that I installed and it came right back up. So if you know what you install you can always try this meathod.

Mike

[axxman]

upgraded vigo last night via blackberry app world. when it was time to reboot, I went to sleep, woke up 8 hours later with a 552 screen. tried a couple of battery pulls, nothing worked. plugged it into my mac and it told me no OS found, would I like to install. so I did. I had a recent backup but I spent most of the day reinstalling/reconfiguring my apps, I still have a few to go. oh well, this has been the buggiest phone I have ever owned.

[Fuzzballz]

I am not sure what the issue is but I have been running my Tour on 4.7 and have a ton of apps on it and haven't had one single issue.

LOL didn't the OP say this is the exact type of discussion he didn't want in this thread. OMG.

Anyway, I'm amazed that there is so much variability between these same-model devices. Some seem to never have problems, some have tons of problems, and a lot fall right in between. Aren't all these devices created alike? I don't get why some people never have problems and some constantly do.

[Roy Aguilera]

LOL didn't the OP say this is the exact type of discussion he didn't want in this thread. OMG.

Anyway, I'm amazed that there is so much variability between these same-model devices. Some seem to never have problems, some have tons of problems, and a lot fall right in between. Aren't all these devices created alike? I don't get why some people never have problems and some constantly do.

Actually some are assembled in Mexico and some in Canada so they are not all alike.

[Fuzzballz]

but if they're all made to the same spec then it shouldn't matter. They must have terrible QC if different locales make the phones work so much differently.

[fjfisher601#AC]

While I have no had a 552 yet- I'm sure I will- and i appreciate the Post and advice. I have Lots of backups- and will continue doing so-

Thank you again !