[ohondareal]

I had to tear apart my Storm to fix an issue with the clicking, and took a lot of pics doing it.

Here are a few showing some detail on how the whole screen-click mechanism goes together...

First, the back of the screen:

Attachment 8880

The backplate shown above mates to this midplate / button board (like a sandwich):

Attachment 8881

And to get your bearings, here is what is on the backside of the midplate / button board:

Attachment 8882

The SIM / media cards are on the other side of the mainboard. In "sandwich order" it goes glass screen, metal screen backplate (the first pic), the button board, the midplate, the mainboard (radios / chipset), then the SIM / media cards. The battery is the thickness of the mainboard and cards put together.

The famous "loosen the screws to fix the click" fix allows this button board and midplate to spring up a bit, putting the button closer to the screen, leaving a shorter distance for the screen to travel and click.

The flip side is every time you click, the button board and midplate flex the other way. Given time, the screws need to be re-adjusted because this motion will loosen them.

Something mtoomey79 found is that adding support behind the SIM/Media card (between the cards and the back door) is a better fix as it provides support directly behind the button. I refined his fix by using thinner material to support the same area without pushing anything out of it's natural position:
Attachment 8884

So, with the screws tight, and the above fix, the click is solid and consistent, and nothing moves or flexes unnaturally when the screen is clicked.

On my phone, the screen click now feels very much like the click of the lower buttons.


YMMV...

i clicked on the link in the red area and it brings me to the thread about talklock. is it just me or is the link wrong?

[JRSCCivic98]

If I had to venture a professional guess, I would say that there is a different revision of the mainboard for WiFi, for WiFi with GSM, for CDMA, etc.

This part is incorrect when it comes to the 9500 and 9530. Both are identical hardware inside and out (like I said above), the model branding (low level software) is what's controlling it's radio capabilities.

[bkr6891]

Great post!! Thanks for sharing!!

[minigts]

Someone should hax0rz it and put Linux on it! Then we could control the universe with 6 letters of the alphabet and the Tab key!

[TBacker]

i clicked on the link in the red area and it brings me to the thread about talklock. is it just me or is the link wrong?

Sorry about that - grabbed the wrong post. It's a semi-OT post in that thread.

The link is corrected.

[TBacker]

This part is incorrect when it comes to the 9500 and 9530. Both are identical hardware inside and out (like I said above), the model branding (low level software) is what's controlling it's radio capabilities.

Yes - the 9500 and 9530 have the same radios, so the same hardware. The 9500 is just set up via the OS to primarily use GSM and roam on CDMA.

My point is if a model (like the 9520) has a different combination of radios, it's gonna have a mainboard with a much different component layout on the RF side, not just another chip added to the existing layout.

When someone can get pics of the mainboard on the 9520, we can see what is different, including mainboard part number.

If it is the same mainboard / PN, we can fairly safely assume that a WiFi radio is on the 9530 but disabled in the OS. Until then, it's all conjecture unless someone on this board works for RIM and want's to spill their guts

[stanfna#AC]

WIFI...i have my fingers crossed!

[Rooster]

wow! this is some really excellent info! thanks much for doing this and posting!

[JRSCCivic98]

Yes - the 9500 and 9530 have the same radios, so the same hardware. The 9500 is just set up via the OS to primarily use GSM and roam on CDMA.

My point is if a model (like the 9520) has a different combination of radios, it's gonna have a mainboard with a much different component layout on the RF side, not just another chip added to the existing layout.

When someone can get pics of the mainboard on the 9520, we can see what is different, including mainboard part number.

If it is the same mainboard / PN, we can fairly safely assume that a WiFi radio is on the 9530 but disabled in the OS. Until then, it's all conjecture unless someone on this board works for RIM and want's to spill their guts

Yes, I agree with you on this... except the OS controlled part. The OS is not what controlls the radios and capabilities of the different models.

[TBacker]

Someone should hax0rz it and put Linux on it! Then we could control the universe with 6 letters of the alphabet and the Tab key!

It would be interesting if someone could just crack the BB OS. I have no ill will toward RIM or their bottom line, but it seems that sometimes a small group of enthusiasts with the source code for an OS can come up with fixes and enhancements faster than a company could with their necessary timelines for research, documentation, testing, carrier approval, etc.

The other side of that coin is a cracked OS is many times a dangerous one from the perspective of security and stability - definitely something one would not use on a mission critical berry.

[TBacker]

Yes, I agree with you on this... except the OS controlled part. The OS is not what controlls the radios and capabilities of the different models.

You're right - I "mis-spoke". Posting while working is dangerous

I believe those types of options are burned into ROM somewhere, along with the hardware branding ID, etc.

I haven't gotten too deep into smartphone software / firmware (yet) to know the dirty details.

It's amazing to see all of the ROM cookers out there making customized OS's (mainly for WM devices). That can be some tricky stuff.

[JRSCCivic98]

Custom firmware is why I love smartphones like WinMo devices and the iPhone. I like anything that's hackable. I think it's great for the consumer. They get an awesome device that they can tailor to get it to do what they want it to do and not be tied down to capabilities imposed by the manufacturer or vendor. Some people would disagree with me, but hey... that's why they call them opinions.

[TBacker]

I had a WinMo device before my Storm (Asus A696 - soon to be on EBay).

The ROM was factory, but I had WinMo's horrible UI covered up for the most part with apps and custom UI's made by regular guys that frequent the xda-developers forums.

I think it borders on illegal that carriers can force manufacturers cripple devices before they get to consumers. It sets technical advancement back.

[MPSmith1]

The famous "loosen the screws to fix the click" fix allows this button board and midplate to spring up a bit, putting the button closer to the screen, leaving a shorter distance for the screen to travel and click.

The flip side is every time you click, the button board and midplate flex the other way. Given time, the screws need to be re-adjusted because this motion will loosen them.

This explains why the t-6 fix worked for about 2 weeks before returning to its prior issue. Today, I started noticing the Storm would randomly stop clicking COMPLETELY. I call CS and they are sending me a new one (at least he SAID it would be new - lol)

Nice job, OP. You are a braver man than I!!!

[TBacker]

In the meantime, try completely re-tightening the screws and putting 2-3 layers of electrical tape on the back cover like the last picture in the first post.

See if it goes anywhere for you....

[ALFIE74]

Very impressive, even with the posted step by step, I wouldn't dare to do it, lol.

[leecher]

Good post! Love this site for users like TBacker

[rednukleus]

is there any reason for electrical tape over duct or masking tape? I have the latter two. A+ thread.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[TBacker]

is there any reason for electrical tape over duct or masking tape? I have the latter two. A+ thread.

I chose electrical tape because it is durable and just a tad soft (conforms to the little protrusions of the SIM/SD brackets).

Masking tape will probably do fine, although you will need 3 layers as it is not as thick as electrical tape. The goal is to have full contact with the plastic framework & card brackets when the door is closed, but not to force those parts forward (toward the screen). You should be able to test by seeing if there are any light imprints of the structure on the tape after closing the back cover and reopening it.

I would avoid duct tape. It has a nasty tendency to get gooey and leave residue, then dry out completely and get dusty with time.

Finally, don't forget to make sure the ground points on the back of the phone can still contact the back cover - size your tape as shown in the pic on the first post.

[dawilliams660]

Ya know, that black wire antenna sure looks mightly close to a wifi antenna to me.

What if (for the sake of argument), RIM made one hardware model for the Storm (9500) and controlls the hardware via software branding for each model 9500/9530/9520? We already know that the 9500 and 9530 are identical in hardware inside and out... software (not OS) controls the capabilities of the radios. How badass would it be if they all have the same capabilities, but we're just locked out based on what model number branding we have? Ouch!

I guess we'll know once the 9520 comes out. If the Hardware ID states 9500 in the #HELP* screen, then this is most likely true.

JR, you might have something there because when I was a WinMo user I had a Mogul and there was talk of why there was no Rev A & GPS it was on the board but was not running until a software updat turned it on, so maybe, maybe we have Wifi on our storms and it just needs software to turn it on....but just like you said maybe the 9520 will have the same specs as ours....we can only hope

[MPSmith1]

In the meantime, try completely re-tightening the screws and putting 2-3 layers of electrical tape on the back cover like the last picture in the first post.

See if it goes anywhere for you....

I tried one, two and three layers of tape and each time it makes the keyboard 100% non-responsive. Any ideas? I'm certainly willing to experiment, since my replacement is on the way. Thanks.

[TBacker]

I tried one, two and three layers of tape and each time it makes the keyboard 100% non-responsive. Any ideas? I'm certainly willing to experiment, since my replacement is on the way. Thanks.

Define non-responsive. Touch works but no click?

Is there any screen movement at all?

Do you have any functionality with no tape (before)?

Also, it may be helpful if you know the date code for your storm. Some early ones had a self-adhesive plastic dimple on the back of the screen to contact the button (instead of a metal dimple). That plastic one has been known to move and make the click behavior inconsistent or not work at all.

[MPSmith1]

Define non-responsive. Touch works but no click?

Is there any screen movement at all?

Do you have any functionality with no tape (before)?

Also, it may be helpful if you know the date code for your storm. Some early ones had a self-adhesive plastic dimple on the back of the screen to contact the button (instead of a metal dimple). That plastic one has been known to move and make the click behavior inconsistent or not work at all.

I can move the screen around with my finger.
The touchscreen does not respond to my touch.
The touchscreen does not click at all.
I do have functionality with no tape, but it randomly would stop working.

I got mine on DAY ONE. How can I find the date code? On the battery door, it says "08 46A" and "26-1" Behind the battery, its says "PRD 19502-002 & made in Canada" and "RBW71CW"

Does that help?

[TBacker]

I hate to say it, but it looks like you have bigger issues than the reinforcement of the button.

If the touch aspect (changing what is highlighted) stops working, the digitizer or it's ribbon cable has become intermittent.

One or two layers of narrow strips of tape in the position shown below shouldn't cause that amount of dysfunction unless something else is bad.

Attachment 8985

I guess it's good that you've got a new one on the way!

[MPSmith1]

I guess it's good that you've got a new one on the way!

True dat!!!