[bluenote]

Playbook seemed to have wiped itself after I swapped a new router.
I came back to the Playbook screen and wifi settings were in French, then it made me input my ID again and setup date and time again as if it were a new device. It even had me download some minor 300mb update.

None of my files were on the playbook, about 30GB, including some important audio and video files I had taken a few weeks ago at a conference. Any ideas of how to get these back?

[BerryClever]

Not sure how or why it would have wiped itself unless you inputted the wrong password multiple times or if BB did it through their end for a particular reason.

Anyways, I do not believe there is a way to restore data unless you had backed it up first (hopefully you did!). If you backed up your PB book fully then you can hook it up to your computer and restore it with your Desktop Manager (you must have the back up on your computer though). You can also hook it up to your computer as a storage device and see if anything is on it (incase it wasn't actually wiped, but if it was wiped then it won't be). Other than that, you are SOL, sorry. BB is known for security for a reason.

Also: I *believe* a full backup would have all your data, but maybe it just backs up your apps/settings.

[bluenote]

Nope. I was fixing the router, far away from the playbook.
Does not explain why it was open to the wifi settings and they were in french. It feels like the playbook rebooted itself when I swapped routers.

I did not yet back up from the trip , that is why I am asking if there is any way to recover.

This device is new to me as is Blackberry and I was just beginning to trust it...

[FF22]

Sorry to hear about your issues. As the other person said, unless it was backed up, you probably lost your files.

Any chance someone else tried using it while you were busy? Was it PASSWORD protected - entering the wrong password 10 times would wipe it. I can't imagine that fiddling with the router would have triggered "password entry" on your pb but I guess it could be possible. Or it can be wiped from the Security (Gear) option - Wipe.

And, as noted, BB's security is such that if it was wiped, all personal data would have been erased. So trying to use one of those usb/camera sd card UNerase programs probably won't do any good.

I tend to try backing up MANUALLY when I think I have some unique data on the pb or my phone - particularly photos, videos or recordings.

[joshua_sx1]

Yeah, I don't think that PlayBook is intelligent enough to wipe itself... there must be triggering task you unintentionally and accidentally done...

Anyway, as other had just shared, I don't think it is possible to restore your lost data without backing it up first... it happens to me once my nephew is trying to enter my password and reached the point that it automatically wipe itself and delete all data (including applications and games I installed and purchased)... and managed to restore them, from a month old data backup I made...

Posted via Z10

[Blackman91]

Did you enable the demo mode?

[BerryClever]

Nope. I was fixing the router, far away from the playbook.
Does not explain why it was open to the wifi settings and they were in french. It feels like the playbook rebooted itself when I swapped routers.

I did not yet back up from the trip , that is why I am asking if there is any way to recover.

This device is new to me as is Blackberry and I was just beginning to trust it...

I re-read what I wrote and thought it sounded a bit like "tough luck, suck it up" towards the end. I didn't mean it like that. It is, unfortunately, a tough luck situation but I hope it didn't come off as rude.

Searching for this problem on the internet, there are a few cases where this happened on a person's BB phone (claiming it isn't a remote wipe/protection app/password/etc). It could be a case where your PB just hit a really, really rare and strange "glitch". If your PB is new then maybe try calling BB and see if this is a known problem with a solution (particular app disagreeing with your PB?) or if this is just a rare random thing.

[PTZ]

I think my tablet did something recently as I noticed my bookmarks were all gone and I was back to the basic home screen icons. Puzzling. I am noticing that my screen sensitivity is less too. This morning I was struggling to navigate Google News and Yahoo because I could not open links by touching the screen. Bluenote there are gremlins out there-

[Chaddface]

Wasn't there a thread recently in which someone had the same problem and the cause was an app? A comic reader? The developer responded to the thread and pulled the app from BlackBerry World.

Here is the thread I was thinking of:
http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...l-gone-792622/

[FF22]

Wasn't there a thread recently in which someone had the same problem and the cause was an app? A comic reader? The developer responded to the thread and pulled the app from BlackBerry World.

Here is the thread I was thinking of:
http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...l-gone-792622/

I remember that thread. I'm not sure that that incident basically wiped the pb to back to the initialization process which is what this thread suggests happened but it does show that an app can go rogue accidentally (why isn't it spelled accidently?) and wipe out all data.

In any event it would be nice to help pin down what happened in this case as the loss of all data spontaneously should not be a constant fear with the pb. But for all of us, it is a lesson to backup unique/new data a bit more often if possible.

Rim could help with this if they would finally enable usb-on-the-go. When I was in Europe for 3 weeks this past Winter I was concerned with the loss of data and no way to backup or restore.

[robsteve]

There are a few cases where the PlayBook will wipe itself and reboot with a second copy of the OS stored on the PlayBook. This usually related to bad memory and sometimes never reoccurs. The rooters also ran into it if they edited a protected file. The OS would fail a security test, get wiped and the secondary fallback copy of the OS was loaded.

[PTZ]

F2 I learned to back the PlayBook up awhile back. There is nothing of solitaire importance, everything is copied. I use my PlayBook daily since purchasing it. That is why I noticed it is back to basic home screen and browser has only basic icons. Yahoo has become a bad experience, sometimes Google, but Yahoo is not functioning right. I did a full wipe and os update about the time of that last update. I thought I would respond to this post to say hey it has happened to me too, maybe others? I don't use to many apps, mainly Docs to Go, Box, Mahjong, Relax Book Birds(therapy for my lonely Canary), E-Manuel 2012.

[baruman]

Sure wish we had Blackberry Protect on this device.

[FF22]

Sure wish we had Blackberry Protect on this device.

Or usb on-the-go or host mode to connect to a usb drive.

[bluenote]

There are a few cases where the PlayBook will wipe itself and reboot with a second copy of the OS stored on the PlayBook. This usually related to bad memory and sometimes never reoccurs. The rooters also ran into it if they edited a protected file. The OS would fail a security test, get wiped and the secondary fallback copy of the OS was loaded.

The OS that was restored required the small update to 2.01...56, similar how I got the Playbook.
The only weird things I had noticed that day was that Fast Browser was crashing when there were only 4 tabs open and this recently after I had turned the playbook off and turned it back on so I wondered if something was being kept in memory.
I had also recently deleted a handful of android apps--qpdf reader, ghost commander,npr news, FreeNote, Swoodle, maybe 1 or 2 google map type apps or maybe not. I was trying to use only blackberry apps.

The other idea--about the password being entered 10 times. It could be the cats walked over the tablet but I doubt it would be 10 times although maybe so as I did notice I was gone this morning and the password had been entered incorrectly 3x (they must have walked on it)

ps: blackberry support was polite but not of help, they said the files were gone for good and had no explanation. They also suggested the update wiped the files but I patiently explained a few times that the playbook had already been reset and required a blackberry id before i did the small update to 2.10....56 or whatever it was.

[FF22]

Actually, a CAT canNOT run the Password routine alone. At try Number 9 (or less?), the user is prompted to Enter BLACKBERRY so that you know you are typing correctly and so that a cat or other ghost canNOT wipe out your data.

[bluenote]

Actually, a CAT canNOT run the Password routine alone. At try Number 9 (or less?), the user is prompted to Enter BLACKBERRY so that you know you are typing correctly and so that a cat or other ghost canNOT wipe out your data.

Thanks, then that rules out the password issue.

[wyrdfool]

It just happened to me. My PlayBook wiped itself clean after I accidentally touched the screen password for what I can swear as the first attempt on wrong password. Well maybe two.

It should be impossible to happen since usually on sixth password attempt we must enter the word BLACKBERRY.

Well, I lost many family photos and videos that I took using PlayBook. Sigh.

Time to suck up and accept the loss as I didn't do the backup.

Posted from Z10 via CB10

[quackquack147]

normal no.
forensic yes.
normal no way.
forensic, they will pull the chip out and will run a scan dump. there is something called as filesystem metadata.
what this wipe does is? it mostly formats some portion of the drive say some region of the emmc ssd and then new activation is kicked off.
so i think if your metadata is saved? and something of great value is there? then go for a forensic method, else jtag. i havent finished with jtag. so i cant help you with jtag. and you can pull the metadata and i think this metadata will have the old content.
in such short time you can not wipe a destructive DOD standard wipe. so its a clean format, but metadata will be stored in a special sector.
lengthy and complicated process and you would never do it, unless something priceless is on it. and you want it back at any cost.

hope this helps!
thanks!
-paul

[FF22]

It just happened to me. My PlayBook wiped itself clean after I accidentally touched the screen password for what I can swear as the first attempt on wrong password. Well maybe two.

It should be impossible to happen since usually on sixth password attempt we must enter the word BLACKBERRY.

Well, I lost many family photos and videos that I took using PlayBook. Sigh.

Time to suck up and accept the loss as I didn't do the backup.

Posted from Z10 via CB10

Sorry about that. Except when on vacation away from the desktop, I generally immediately (when I get near the computer) copy or move such unique data (pictures, video) off the pb.

Fortunately, I've never pushed it to that BLACKBERRY trigger word so I really don't know how many tries we have and whether there is a potential glitch in the routine that checks.

[quackquack147]

Sorry about that. Except when on vacation away from the desktop, I generally immediately (when I get near the computer) copy or move such unique data (pictures, video) off the pb.

Fortunately, I've never pushed it to that BLACKBERRY trigger word so I really don't know how many tries we have and whether there is a potential glitch in the routine that checks.

6 th, 8 th, 9 th -> blackberry trigger work.
10 -> soft format. confirming. atleast it happened with me.
hope this helps!
thanks!
-paul

[bambinoitaliano]

Actually, a CAT canNOT run the Password routine alone. At try Number 9 (or less?), the user is prompted to Enter BLACKBERRY so that you know you are typing correctly and so that a cat or other ghost canNOT wipe out your data.

Is that an insult?

[loubeelou123]

this exact thing just happened to me!!!! I have lost all my photos and bookmarks and music and notes and.......EVERYTHING!!!!! cant believe it! I just put my playbook down about 30 mins ago and when i next looked it was asking what country im in as if its a new device I have lost everything from the last 10 mths and for absolutely no reason. after it had "reinstalled" or wotever it was doing, i went on the playbook app manager thing to see if my apps were still ok and was asked for payment for the overpriced crappy apps i had already purchased!!!!! THE NERVE!!!! Then I went to complain and apparently if my playbook is over 30 days there isnt even a link to complain to rim! think im probably gonna chuck the piece of s**t in the bin and stick with apple from now on!!!!

[FF22]

this exact thing just happened to me!!!! I have lost all my photos and bookmarks and music and notes and.......EVERYTHING!!!!! cant believe it! I just put my playbook down about 30 mins ago and when i next looked it was asking what country im in as if its a new device I have lost everything from the last 10 mths and for absolutely no reason. after it had "reinstalled" or wotever it was doing, i went on the playbook app manager thing to see if my apps were still ok and was asked for payment for the overpriced crappy apps i had already purchased!!!!! THE NERVE!!!! Then I went to complain and apparently if my playbook is over 30 days there isnt even a link to complain to rim! think im probably gonna chuck the piece of s**t in the bin and stick with apple from now on!!!!

I am sorry to hear about the loss of your data. It is more than unfortunate and I, too, would be pissed. If you used the same BBID, you should be able to get back any apps (unless they increased in price). You might have to step through the "purchase" but it SHOULD then recognize your prior purchase.

You can contact a different email for app purchases:

[email protected]

I don't think that they changed the email address to match blackberryworld or whatever.

Good luck.

[sara369]

Omg the same thing happened to me aswell yesterday, my PlayBook just reset by it self ... Urghh I'm soo annoyed!!!!