[madhaus]

I also posted this in Newby Questions but maybe it's more complicated than the usual so I'm posting here too. Hope that's okay, the other forums didn't look quite right and I don't think this is an issue only with my model (Curve 8330 on Verizon). Just got it a few days ago.

Device Password Woes -- Wiped my whole BB!

First, somehow it wanted me to enter a "device password" which was different than the keypad lock code. It gave me ten tries (this was after I installed Blackberry Media Sync) and then WIPED EVERYTHING! Arghghgghh! Now I have to go back to Verizon to reinstall my old phone's contacts. And it played havoc with getting everything else working again. I think Verizon helped me get about 70% of my functionality back. Running Activation (*228) brought back my email boxes.

What is a device password, where was it set, and how do I change it to something I actually know? It was NOT the password store keylock either (from the Sync program). I am afraid to re-enable the password because this burned me so badly.

For a while my email would not display hyperlinks either, but that problem seems to have gone away (this was after the wiping, until a while after the activation). The wipe clobbered my email boxes and they didn't come back until the activation, then when they did only email links were enabled, web links were "dead" and I couldn't even highlight them manually. They seem to be working again.

Sync - Why can't a BB be more like a Palm?

Next, what do those of you who HATE OUTLOOK use to sync with? I am a former Palm user, but Palm did one thing right, their desktop app has all the apps that are on the Palm so you can easily type in calendar entries, memos, contacts, etc, then sync to the PDA. You cannot do this for Crackberry unless you use Outlook! Has anyone written an app for us Mozilla Thunderbird users? I have tons of emails in Thunderbird I want to move to the Crackberry, plus I have Palm info and calendar entries I'd want to move over too. Is everything going to have to be export to ASCII and reload, every time? What a flipping pain in the ****! Hasn't someone written an app to solve this?

If you want to know why I don't use Outlook, it's because it's a security hole. And I hate how Outlook is always trying to wrest control, so I never use it at ALL.

I am running WinXP SP3 now. The 8330 has 4.3 software on it, I've seen releases as new as 4.6 on the Blackberry website. Do I gain anything by installing the new stuff? Oh yeah I am on Verizon.

thanks in advance for any questions answered! I promise to pass it along by helping others.

[sunkast]

JeffH has already answered your original post. Please do not make duplicate posts.

[madhaus]

1. Jeff didn't answer everything in my post, and not everything he did answer addressed my concerns. I do appreciate his taking the time to answer.
2. He had not answered it when I posted this.
3. Sorry for not being clear on the rules about "duplicate posts." I thought my asking something more complex in the newby area would not get an in-depth answer, and that's what I need.

[jeffh]

I am closing this thread, since the questions are being addressed in the other forum.