Trouble Installing BB OS

Relatively new to Blackberries, but learning as I go here.

I have a BB Pearl 8100. It is unlocked, but loaded with T-Mobile OS (according to Options/About it's: v4.2.0.64, platform 2.2.0.37).

I am using with an ATT/Cingular SIM card - for the most part this is successful but occassionally I will get a rash of "call failed" errors upon trying to make calls. Often turning the phone on and off will solve but not a permanent solution.

So I'm trying to load the appropriate AT&T OS on the device. I am following all instructions that I have seen posted on many different sites, including Blackberry.

In short, I am:

1) Downloading and Installing the right ATT OS for a Pearl 8100 from the BB website.

2) Open BB Desktop Manager

3) Connect BB Pearl to computer (via USB).

All of this seems to be working as designed.

However - the directions say that DTM should either prompt me to "Update Now" (assuming the Application Updates Available window appears) - or I should open Application Loader and launch the wizard process. I have to do the latter because it does not prompt me for auto Updating.

Once I do the latter, it does not detect that I have the newly installed OS waiting to be installed onto the BB Pearl. It detects a few applications that are already installed on the Pearl, but no new OS.

I'm very confused!!

I have tried this process with Desktop Manager 4.6 and 4.2 with SP, thinking maybe it had something to do with version of Desktop Manager, but same results.

What am I missing????

Thanks
Brad

Did you delete the vendor.xml file? You have to delete it to install another carrier's compatible OS. Search for it with windows search tool and delete it. C:\Program Files\Common Files\Research In Motion\AppLoader\vendor.xml

wouldnt it be easier to use crackmem jeff?

Yes, using CrackMem is excellent advice. It's linked in my sig.

Who oh WHY is it that just about the first thing a BB newbie wants to do after opening the box is update the O.S.?! Amazing, simply amazing LOL!

Lol well I updated my os the day after I got mine, just seemed like the better thing to do since it was outdated... But I wouldn't recommend it at all unless you read everything you possibly can on it, and I do mean EVERYTHING.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Excellent help Jeff - removing vendor.xml did the trick!

HOWEVER - after installing the 8100 ATT OS I downloaded from Blackberry, my Pearl is STILL booting up with a T-mobile OS. That is, even after the install, there is no difference!??

So unfortunately I must ask again, what am I missing?

btw - CipherDias - thanks for the words of encouragement, I think. As I tried to explain in my original post, I'm not simply trying to update my OS for the sake of updating. Rather, I'm trying to install MY carrier's OS on the device, which was given to me. It's an unlocked T-mobile device - I'm using ATT and thought I would load the ATT OS on there because I thought I was having connectivity issues.

Any help in my quest to successfully load an ATT OS on here is greatly appreciated.

Originally Posted by bsn321

Excellent help Jeff - removing vendor.xml did the trick!

HOWEVER - after installing the 8100 ATT OS I downloaded from Blackberry, my Pearl is STILL booting up with a T-mobile OS. That is, even after the install, there is no difference!??

So unfortunately I must ask again, what am I missing?

btw - CipherDias - thanks for the words of encouragement, I think. As I tried to explain in my original post, I'm not simply trying to update my OS for the sake of updating. Rather, I'm trying to install MY carrier's OS on the device, which was given to me. It's an unlocked T-mobile device - I'm using ATT and thought I would load the ATT OS on there because I thought I was having connectivity issues.

Any help in my quest to successfully load an ATT OS on here is greatly appreciated.

Please don't be offended by my question, but how do you know you aren't running the new OS? When I check Options / About, it doesn't say anything about my carrier. Does the version and build number match what you intended to install?

No offense here!

It's a good question - and I will need to check this and report back. However I can say for sure that BEFORE I attempted to load the AT&T OS, the phone was booting with a T-mobile logo, and I originally received a text message from T-mobile welcoming me, etc (even though I'm using a Cingular/ATT SIM card and ATT network).

Upon "installing" (?) the ATT OS (so the App Loader tells me) - I'm still getting the exact same interface - the T-mobile logo and t-mobile welcome message, etc.

I assume that this phone is indeed "unlocked" because it wouldn't work with my ATT SIM card if not?

Do I need to uninstall the t-mobile OS or other apps for the desired AT&T OS to take over?

I will check on the current OS in "Options/About" and report back. I really appreciate the help.

Best -
BSN

If you look at Manage Connections / Mobile Network, that will tell you which carrier you are using. The boot-up logo may be burned into ROM and unchangeable; I don't know. The text message from T-Mobile I can't explain though. That makes me wonder if you've really changed carriers.

I have a 8100 from t-mobile, and a friend of mine install the 4.5 software, the phone works very very slow, how do I change to 4.3?
Thank you

There is a link in my sig to an Upgrade / Downgrade Procedure. The critical piece you will need is the 4.3 OS. If your friend deleted that from your PC, then you may have a very hard time finding it. If it's still installed on your PC, the procedure will be easy to follow.

Okay - update on my AT&T OS saga:

Apparently my Pearl did indeed update the OS - as "About" now says v4.2.1.96 (platform 2.3.0.78), which is consistent with the AT&T OS I downloaded/installed.

Also - "Mobile Network" is indeed listed as "Cingular" (which I assume is synonymous with AT&T.

So - I guess I was expecting that when I installed the AT&T OS, it would also default to the AT&T Theme, which was throwing me off. Although it is running the new OS, it is still running the T-mobile Theme. I can switch to other themes, but the AT&T theme is NOT loaded.

I'm trying to understand why I wouldn't have the AT&T theme come along with the AT&T OS. Can I download the AT&T theme? I can't seem to find how to do that from either AT&T or BB sites. Is it possible to somehow copy the AT&T theme via desktop manager from another AT&T BB Curve I have?

[[btw - I know many will chime in to discredit the merits of the AT&T theme - but that's not the point]] :)

Any help greatly appreciated.

I'm not an expert on themes. I use the BBDimension Zen and have deleted all the others. I too would have expected the AT&T OS to install its specific theme. Did you run CrackMem as suggested to delete Vendor.xml? If you did, did you check the box to delete carrier themes? That would have taken out the AT&T theme.

Thanks Jeff -

No - I did not use CrackMem as I just deleted the file vendor.xml in the file path you provided above (on my PC).

In addition, I went back to the itemized list of elements that App Loader has while installing the ATT OS - and while it has a few themes listed there like Sunday Funnies and Phantom, I don't see anything that looks like an AT&T theme. but I assumed it was baked into the core OS and not included as a separate or 3rd party element like the other themes.

As far as vendor.xml - should I remove that file on both my pc AND my BB? As I said, I only removed it on my PC, which apparently made the difference and allowed the new OS to be installed.

Thanks!

vendor.xml only exists on your PC. It has no function on the BlackBerry and is not an installed file.

I've never used the AT&T themes.

Hi bsn321,

Did installing the AT&T OS fix the rash of "call failed" errors you've been getting on the T-Mobile 8100? My wife's phone has the same "call failed" problems (unlocked T-Mobile 8100 used on AT&T network) -- I've been wondering if an AT&T OS update is how to fix this problem.