Since the Tour was launched there has been quite a bit of chatter about how some shipped with defective trackballs. I know many people have taken their devices back to Verizon with some success in terms of replacing them. I cannot confirm if there are actual defective trackballs but RIM does provide a hidden testing application that was found awhile back to test certain parts of your BlackBerry to see if they are functioning correctly. Freebirds87 was kind enough to remind everybody on the BBOS forums about this little tool.
The app is accessible by heading to OPTIONS->STATUS and then typing in the word test
The tests available are:
- Trackball & keyboard
- MISC – (light sensor, backlight, LED, etc.)
- Handset audio
- Headset audio
- Bluetooth audio
- RF components
- GPS
I have yet to see anything fail on any of these tests but please email in screenshots of failures if you do get them!
Thanks Andre for sending this one in!
royeiror Not Registered
Posted: September 15, 2009 at 1:15 PM EST
any clue if suretype devices have this test tool?
mikepags Not Registered
Posted: September 15, 2009 at 1:27 PM EST
yep.
mikepags Not Registered
Posted: September 15, 2009 at 1:29 PM EST
be nice if i could figure out how to get out of it, tho…
Ronen Halevy ( View Profile) - Posts: 3311
Posted: September 15, 2009 at 1:33 PM EST
I knew I should have mentioned that.
All you have to do is click in on the trackball and click skip all
mikepags Not Registered
Posted: September 15, 2009 at 1:36 PM EST
no trackball on my storm!
… i ended up holding Menu for the App switcher, and then Quickpulling to reboot
not sure if it matters, but I started with the Misc test, which started with the ambient light sensor…
royeiror Not Registered
Posted: September 15, 2009 at 1:53 PM EST
I tried TY ER AS TY as well as TY ER AS AS TY and nothing happened, OS 4.5 and all
Ronen Halevy ( View Profile) - Posts: 3311
Posted: September 15, 2009 at 2:13 PM EST
Just found the documentation:
http://www.blackberry.com/btsc/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=KB16037&sliceId=SAL_Public
But it looks like RIM pulled it down. I did a search and luckily Labnol copied it
http://www.labnol.org/gadgets/completely-test-blackberry-phone-for-problems/4690/
They say “If you have a BlackBerry Pearl or another model that supports SureType, use the multi-tap input method to type “test”. “
royeiror Not Registered
Posted: September 15, 2009 at 2:20 PM EST
sweet, works like a charm, thanks
mikepags Not Registered
Posted: September 15, 2009 at 2:15 PM EST
sorry about that, i read suretype as surePRESS…
automan69 ( View Profile) - Posts: 548
Posted: September 15, 2009 at 2:28 PM EST from my BlackBerry 9630
This also fixes GPS for ie: google maps,blackberry maps. I use to own a curve and had to do this for it to work. Just remember every time you do a battery pull you have to do this steps again. The first step is to go to options and scroll down for status and click on it. Now you just type TEST and a pop up window will show you Device Self test Application. This is where you click your tracker ball and a pop up windown show. Click on start then you will see a list, scroll down to GPS and click on the box. It will put a check mark. Then scroll down and click RUN. This will open up and window, you should see GPS idle, click on this and click start fix. It could take up to 2 minutes to find your Gps fix. Don’t worrier if it says time out just go to start fix again. Now it has found your fix click trackball and click next. It will ask you to go to the next fix click yes, it will ask you did this past the test. Click yes. It will now say no more test click close. Now Hit you menu button and close. You are all done and your bbm and gm will work. These steps work on all blackberries, even with sure type.
Mig. Not Registered
Posted: September 16, 2009 at 12:41 PM EST
fine, but how to get out of it on Storm mobile?