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FAQ: Browser Default Configuration Options – JavaScript & More

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:00:00 +0000

I get asked all the time by developers what features are turned on by default in the BlackBerry browser. This includes features such as HTML tables, JavaScript, & CSS. Turns out RIM has provided a nice little table that details the capabilities of every BlackBerry OS back to version 4.0 in this article. I just can’t help but notice that JavaScript is disabled on all of them…

BlackBerry Device Software	Default values
BlackBerry Device Software	Support style sheets	Support HTML tables	Use background images	Support embedded media	Support JavaScript®
4.0	No	No	No	No	No
4.1	No	No	No	No	No
4.2.0	No	No	No	No	No
4.2.1	No	No	No	No	No
4.2.2	No	No	No	No	No
4.3.0	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
4.5.0	Yes	Yes	No	No	No

For BlackBerry Device Software 4.6 and later, cascading style sheet (CSS) and HTML table support is automatically included and it can no longer be turned off.

BlackBerry Device Software	Default values
BlackBerry Device Software	Use background images	Support embedded media	Support JavaScript*
4.6.0	Yes	Yes	No
4.6.1	Yes	Yes	No
4.7.0	Yes	Yes	No

* By default, the Hotspot Browser (Wi-Fi®) has JavaScript enabled because that browser is primarily intended for logging into hotspots, where JavaScript is often required.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, October 2, 2009, 1:00 pm. | FAQ: Browser Default Configuration Options – JavaScript & More | One comment |

FAQ: What Does Granting “Trusted Application” Status Mean?

Ronen Halevy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Awhile back RIM introduced a new prompt after you download an application that asks if you want to grant the application “Trusted Application” status. I have always wondered what the hell that means and the knowledgeable Brian Z. has finally answered my question on the RIM Developers Blog. Brain says the prompt only started with OS 4.6+ but I remember getting it on my 8310…

The following are the scenarios that can happen at this dialog box:

If you select Yes and grant “Trusted Application" status:

Commonly needed permissions will be granted to the application and all permissions will be set to Allow except for:

Prompt – Recording, Security Timer Reset
Deny – Input Simulation, Browser Filtering, Display Information While Locked

If you select No and are connected to a BES server:

All permissions are set to “Allow” with the exception of:

Prompt – Recording, Phone, Location Data, Server Network, Internet
Deny – Browser Filtering, Input Simulation, Security Timer Reset, Display Information While Locked

If you select No and are not connected to a BES server:

All permissions are set to “Allow” with the exception of:

Prompt – Recording, Phone, Location Data
Deny – Browser Filtering, Input Simulation, Security Timer Reset, Display Information While Locked

Brian goes into further detail for developers and how to handle these prompts. Good reading if you develop BlackBerry apps.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, October 1, 2009, 2:00 pm. | FAQ: What Does Granting “Trusted Application” Status Mean? | 2 comments |

Cruel Reality – Even With A Password Your Phone Can Be Wiped!

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:00:00 +0000

As I always tell users who are on BIS accounts: You MUST backup your device!!! A colleague came to me last week asking if there was any way to recover information from a wiped BlackBerry. I promptly replied that it was not possible and asked him what happened. Turns out that somebody maliciously tried to break into his password protected BlackBerry. After entering in the password incorrectly 10 times the device wiped itself and all of his precious information.

This “Feature” is by design and there is no way to turn it off. Your device will wipe itself after a incorrect password is entered 10 times. RIM even implemented a safety feature recently so that after the fifth incorrect password you need to enter in the word BlackBerry for subsequent attempts. This at least prevents your phone from being wiped by your kids playing with it.

Still it opens your information to being wiped at any time in the hands of a malicious user. It could even be a truly cruel April fools joke. So I remind you all! Make sure to backup your device! Or at the very least subscribe to a service like SmrtGuard to backup your critical information to their servers.

Personally I am waiting for RIM or some other developer to create an application that would lock down or password protect only certain parts of the device. For example, I don’t want anybody who has access to my device to be able to wipe it. Or also offer a lower security option where instead of wiping your device it would just lock it for 30 minutes or a set time limit. I can only imagine how pissed it would make me if entering in a wrong password on my laptop would wipe my laptop by default! BES administrators could always raise this limit for sensitive devices. For now another option is to just put your device in standby which does not offer any security other than locking your keyboard.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, September 25, 2009, 3:00 pm. | Cruel Reality – Even With A Password Your Phone Can Be Wiped! | 9 comments |

FAQ: How to Add & Remove Dedicated Instant Messaging Icons

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:00:00 +0000

When we mentioned that RIM updated their suite of instant messaging applications to version 2.5 there was one feature that really stood out. The ability to add a dedicated homescreen icon for a specific contact. This icon always shows their current status and their current avatar. I started using it for my wife but I cannot imagine having more than one.

One of the questions we kept on hearing was how do you actually setup these dedicated homescreen icons. To experienced users this may be a no brainer but we got asked a few times so its not that obvious.

To add a dedicated conversation shortcut to your homescreen

Install and sign into the IM v2.5 client of your choice
Hover over the contact you wish to add to your homescreen
NOTE: if you highlight a active chat it will not work. You need to highlight the actual contact. You can do that simply by searching for their name.
Hit the menu button and select the option to show in homescreen
The homescreen icon is supposed to appear in the same location where the IM client icon is but that is not always the case. Mine showed up in the downloads folder and some other people had it show up in the IM clients folder.
To remove the icon just hover over it and click remove from homescreen

Let us know if you have any questions!

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, September 25, 2009, 2:00 pm. | FAQ: How to Add & Remove Dedicated Instant Messaging Icons | 4 comments |

FAQ: Merge Multiple Calendars Into One Calendar

Ronen Halevy — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:00:00 +0000

One of the features that came with OS 4.5+ was the ability to have multiple calendars. This can be a good and a bad thing. People were used to having one calendar that was synched and some users on BES are used to only having the one BES calendar. Now there is one for each BIS email address along with another one for Facebook if you have it installed. Sometimes my wife will send me a meeting request to my Gmail account instead of my BES account and then they don’t sync… You get the issue.

RIM has provided some instructions in this knowledgebase article on how to get around this multi calendar issue by permanently collapsing all of the calendars into one calendar. It is actually a little hidden keyboard shortcut that I had never heard of detailed below and fully at this link.

NOTE: These instructions will permanently move the calendar entries from one calendar to the default calendar. There is no way to undo it…

If calendar entries exist on a Device Default calendar, complete the following steps:

Open the Calendar.
Press the menu key.
Choose Options
Type MOVE on the keypad.
You will be asked to move all appointments in the base system calendar. Choose YES to accept moving all entries in the Device Default calendar to the default active calendar.
Perform a hard reset of the BlackBerry smartphone by taking the battery out while the BlackBerry smartphone is still powered on and placing it back in.

This operation will move all calendar entries existing on the Device Default calendar to the active calendar shown in Options > Advanced Options > Default Services.

If calendar entries are split between two BlackBerry® Internet Service calendars, complete the following steps:

Go to Options > Advanced Options > Default Services.
Verify the correct email address is shown for Calendar [CICAL].
Press the back arrow and save the changes if prompted.
In the Advanced Options menu, choose Service Book.
Highlight the entry for the calendar you do not want. This will appear as email@domain.com [CICAL].
Press the menu key and choose Delete.

By deleting a CICAL, any calendar entries associated with it are moved to a Device Default calendar. This step can be repeated if additional calendars contain entries you want to move.

Once all desired entries have been moved to the Device Default calendar using the above steps, follow steps 1 through 5 at the beginning of the resolution area, then resend service books to the BlackBerry smartphone.

Service books can be resent to the BlackBerry smartphone by completing the tasks in KB02830.

If the calendar is synchronized to a computer with BlackBerry® Desktop Manager software, the configuration for BlackBerry Desktop Manager will need to be reset and set up again before completing another synchronization. For more information on synchronization settings, see KB17022.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, September 24, 2009, 3:00 pm. | FAQ: Merge Multiple Calendars Into One Calendar | 13 comments |

FAQ: How to Test Your BlackBerry Hardware – BlackBerry Tour Trackball

Ronen Halevy — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:00:00 +0000

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!

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, September 15, 2009, 1:00 pm. | FAQ: How to Test Your BlackBerry Hardware – BlackBerry Tour Trackball | 11 comments |

Hack to Remove 2.3MB BlackBerry Browser Download Limit?

Ronen Halevy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:25:00 +0000

Yes that screenshot on the right is a 600mb+ download of the Ubuntu ISO image. Andre let us know about a hack that Omie has posted that lets you bypass RIM’s arbitrary 2.3MB download limit in the BlackBerry Browser. I am not sure how many of you need to download huge files but I can see myself downloading larger MP3’s and such.

I tried the hack on a test device and it worked but I am not sure how comfortable I feel about putting it on my main device. The hack requires you to selectively restore an IPB file with a service book from China Mobile which deletes your email service books. You can easily get your email service books back but I honestly don’t know if this service book could allow somebody to snoop on web traffic. In truth there is probably very little risk but I am a bit paranoid and I don’t really need to download files from the Browser.

This hack adds the NET Browser to your list of possible browsers which you can then use to download any size files as long as you have space for them. Pretty cool right?

Check out the instructions on Omie’s website or follow the discussion on BBOS forums. Let us know if you try it and it works for you!

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, August 31, 2009, 10:25 am. | Hack to Remove 2.3MB BlackBerry Browser Download Limit? | 21 comments |

FAQ: RIM Explains The Cause & Solution for 507 Errors During Upgrade

Ronen Halevy — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:00:00 +0000

I cannot count the hours I have spent fixing BlackBerry devices with 507 errors. This error is explained in great detail in our article detailing the BlackBerry Java Virtual Machine error codes.

Error 507 Unsatisfied Link A dependency on a .COD file could not be satisfied because the .COD file is missing.

Isn’t that enlightening? Essentially I have found it to mean that you have no operating system installed on your BlackBerry. This is usually caused by an error in the upgrade process while upgrading your OS. I have had it happen twice recently, once when trying to upgrade on my Macbook using VMware fusion and another time when upgrading an OS 4.6 device with Desktop Manager 4.7. You can also purposely get this error by wiping your device clean using JL_cmdr or BBSAK.

I found the easiest fix to be just running the AppLoader.exe directly from Program Files -> Common Files ->Research In Motion –> AppLoader. Then plug in your BlackBerry into the computers USB cable and the second it says USB-PIN:Unknown you just click next to reload the latest BlackBerry OS you have installed on your computer.

If you are still having issues I recommend reading RIM’s article on 507 errors at this link. I once ran into the issue where my USB ports were set to power down to save battery life and it caused a 507 error every time using my ThinkPad.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, August 11, 2009, 1:00 pm. | FAQ: RIM Explains The Cause & Solution for 507 Errors During Upgrade | 2 comments |

FAQ: Easily Add Hebrew Fonts To Your BlackBerry Tour OTA

Ronen Halevy — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Earlier this year we let you know that Nathan made OTA and desktop installation files to easily add Hebrew capabilities to your BlackBerry. He let me know that he has updated the files available and added support for the BlackBerry Tour.

It has been possible for quite awhile to add Hebrew fonts to your BlackBerry by installing a multilingual OS on your device but you had to hunt around for the right one. The problem is that you had to reinstall your OS to get the Hebrew font to work which turned away many people who were interested.

That is why Nathan created a simple download page where you can easily find the right files to install Hebrew fonts on your device. The best part is that you do not need to reinstall your OS to get Hebrew fonts since this installs like an application. Currently you can add the read only fonts OTA but if you want to be able to write with the fonts you will need to do this using the desktop install files on the same page.

Check it out at www.cheservices.com/blackberry/

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, August 4, 2009, 1:00 pm. | FAQ: Easily Add Hebrew Fonts To Your BlackBerry Tour OTA | 3 comments |

FAQ: RIM Details Top 10 Troubleshooting Tips – Step 2: Hard Reset!

Ronen Halevy — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:00:00 +0000

I got a kick out of reading a recent RIM knowledgebase entry about the top 10 troubleshooting steps for BlackBerrys. The kicker is step 2 which is a hard reset. It kind of reminds me of Windows where the first troubleshooting step is rebooting. The only difference is that the 10th troubleshooting step for Windows is kicking your computer… Oh and step 11 on AT&T is using a payphone. (kidding)

Check out the list at this link or below:

Use this article to try to resolve a problem involving or relating to the BlackBerry smartphone, before engaging the help of your wireless service provider’s technical support services.

Troubleshooting steps

Check the signal strength
Perform a hard reset
Check the network settings
Register the BlackBerry smartphone on the wireless network
Check the BlackBerry smartphone’s connection to the computer
Confirm that the BlackBerry Smartphone can receive email messages
Confirm that the BlackBerry smartphone can send email messages
Check for service books
Access the BlackBerry Help application
Search the BlackBerry Technical Solution Center

Tip 1 – Check the signal strength

A sufficient signal strength is required to send and receive wireless information.

Turn on the BlackBerry smartphone.
On the BlackBerry smartphone Home screen, click the Options icon and then click Status.
In the Signal field, verify that the value is between -40 and -100 DBMS. For instructions on changing the signal strength indicator, see KB02142.

Tip 2 – Perform a hard reset

For instructions, see KB02141.

Tip 3 – Check the network settings

Appropriate network settings are required to send and receive information from the BlackBerry smartphone to the wireless network.

On the Home screen, click the Manage Connections icon and then click Mobile Network Options.
If the Network Selection Mode field is set to Manual, perform a manual scan for available networks. For instructions, see KB02516.

Tip 4 – Register the BlackBerry smartphone on the wireless network

For instructions, see KB00510.

If the registration was successful, you will receive an email message on your BlackBerry smartphone stating that your BlackBerry smartphone has been registered with the wireless network.

Tip 5 – Check the BlackBerry smartphone’s connection to the computer

Check the BlackBerry smartphone’s connection to the computer to confirm that the BlackBerry smartphone is detected by the BlackBerry Desktop Manager application.

Connect the BlackBerry smartphone to the computer using a USB port.
If the BlackBerry smartphone is not detected, close and then re-open the BlackBerry Desktop Manager.
In the BlackBerry Desktop Manager, click the Options menu and then click Connection Settings. The personal identification number (PIN) for your BlackBerry smartphone should appear in the connection field.
Click Detect. If the BlackBerry smartphone is connected properly, you will receive a message indicating that a USB device was found.
If the BlackBerry smartphone is not detected, see KB11439.

Tip 6 – Confirm that the BlackBerry smartphone can receive email messages

To confirm that the BlackBerry smartphone can receive email messages, send a test email message using an external email client or web interface, such as Microsoft® Outlook®, IBM® Lotus Notes®, or Windows Live™ Hotmail®.

Send a test email message to the email address for the account that is associated with the BlackBerry smartphone. If the email message is successfully received by the BlackBerry smartphone, you will see a new email message in the BlackBerry smartphone message list. This indicates that the messaging and collaboration server* is able to process incoming email messages and forward them to your BlackBerry smartphone.

*Depending on the environment and BlackBerry services you are using on your BlackBerry smartphone, the messaging and collaboration servers may be different. For example

Work environment: Your BlackBerry smartphone might be integrated with Microsoft® Exchange (messaging server) and a BlackBerry® Enterprise Server (collaboration server).
Prosumer environment: Your BlackBerry smartphone might be integrated with Windows Live Hotmail (messaging server) and a BlackBerry® Internet Service account (collaboration server).

Tip 7 – Confirm that the BlackBerry smartphone can send email messages

To confirm that the BlackBerry smartphone can send email messages and PIN messages, send an email message from the BlackBerry smartphone back to the BlackBerry smartphone, and a PIN message from the BlackBerry smartphone back to the BlackBerry smartphone. For instructions, see KB02913.

A PIN message that is sent successfully from the BlackBerry smartphone to the BlackBerry smartphone should show the sent PIN message in the BlackBerry smartphone message list with a check mark and a D beside it and the received PIN message in the BlackBerry smartphone message list with a check mark and a D beside it. A D indicates that the PIN message was delivered to the specified PIN number.

An email message that is sent successfully from the BlackBerry smartphone back to your BlackBerry smartphone, should be received in your email application such as Microsoft Outlook, IBM Lotus Notes, or Windows Live Hotmail. The collaboration server will then attempt to send the new email message to your Blackberry smartphone. The received email message should appear in the BlackBerry smartphone message list.

Tip 8 – Check for service books

A service book contains information that configures how your BlackBerry smartphone interacts with the BlackBerry® Infrastructure. Service books turn on specific services for your BlackBerry smartphone. The types of service books that are on your BlackBerry smartphone depends on the features provided by your wireless service provider along with the types of email accounts integrated with your BlackBerry smartphone. When sending email messages from the BlackBerry smartphone, you must have a service book responsible for the integrated email address type that you are using to attempt to send email messages with.

To see what service books are present on the BlackBerry smartphone, click the Options icon, then click Advanced Options, and select Service Book. For more information about service books, see KB03151

For instructions on sending service books, see KB02830.

Tip 9 – Access the BlackBerry Help application

To access general information about using your BlackBerry smartphone and troubleshooting certain events, use the BlackBerry smartphone Help application.

The BlackBerry smartphone Help application can be accessed in the following ways:

On the BlackBerry smartphone Home screen, click the Help (?) icon. Then, click Troubleshooting and select the topic you want more information on.
In an application on the BlackBerry smartphone, display the menu and click Help. Select the Help topic that you want more information on.

Tip 10 – Search the BlackBerry Technical Solution Center

For specific issues and troubleshooting tips, search the BlackBerry Technical Solution Center.

Additional Information

If you are still experiencing issues after attempting these troubleshooting tips, contact your wireless service provider.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, July 29, 2009, 3:00 pm. | FAQ: RIM Details Top 10 Troubleshooting Tips – Step 2: Hard Reset! | 4 comments |

FAQ: Understanding How BlackBerry Applications Connect to The Internet (Development)

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Over the years I cannot count how many times I have had to explain the convoluted ways that a BlackBerry can use to connect to the internet. Everything from WAP to WAP2 to TCP/IP to BIS to BES to Wi-Fi are just not that simple to describe. Every new BlackBerry developer needs to understand this so their applications can make a reliable connection to the internet. Sadly RIM has yet to provide a comprehensive guide to those not in the BlackBerry Alliance.

From now on I have a solution. Peter Strange has posted a brilliant thread on the official BlackBerry support forums detailing how BlackBerrys connect to the internet and all the issues a developer must deal with. Its a great starting point an may solve most of your questions.

Check out his thread at this link and let me know if you found any other good development resources!

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, July 24, 2009, 2:00 pm. | FAQ: Understanding How BlackBerry Applications Connect to The Internet (Development) | 4 comments |

FAQ: RIM Details Hearing Aid Compatibility for Each BlackBerry

Ronen Halevy — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:59:00 +0000

I know that every single BlackBerry needs to officially file its hearing aid compatibility report with the FCC but that is not always so easily accessible. I have quite a few friends with hearing aids or one sort or another so when I saw this knowledgebase article from RIM I knew I had to post it. In this article RIM describes the hearing aid compatibility of practically every BlackBerry available.

It also breaks down the ratings between M3/M4 and T3/T4. M4 is the higher rating and causes less interference with hearing devices. T4 is the higher rating for hearing aids with telecoils. You can read more about it in RIM’s whitepaper.

Let me know how well your BlackBerry works with your hearing aid if you have one. I am curious how well RIM takes care of this in terms of supporting hearing aids.

The following table lists BlackBerry smartphones rated for HAC and their respective M and T ratings.

BlackBerry smartphone	M Rating	T Rating	Wi-Fi
BlackBerry® Storm™ smartphone	M3	–	–
BlackBerry® Curve™ 8900 smartphone*	M3	–	*
BlackBerry® Curve™ 8350i smartphone*	M3	–	*
BlackBerry® 8830 World Edition smartphone	M4	T4
BlackBerry® Pearl™ Flip 8220 smartphone *	M3	T4	*
BlackBerry® Pearl™ Flip 8230 smartphone	M4	T4
BlackBerry® 8703e smartphone	M4	T4
BlackBerry® 8705g smartphone	M3	T3
BlackBerry® 8330 smartphone	M4	T4
BlackBerry® Curve™ 8310 smartphone	M3	T3
BlackBerry® Curve™ 8320 smartphone *	M3	T3	*
BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8130 smartphone	M3	T3
BlackBerry® 7250 smartphone	M4	T4
BlackBerry® 7230 smartphone	M3	–
BlackBerry® 7130e smartphone	M3	T3

*In Cellular bands only

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, July 6, 2009, 11:59 am. | FAQ: RIM Details Hearing Aid Compatibility for Each BlackBerry | One comment |

FAQ: What Device Data & Settings are Automatically Backed Up by your BES?

Ronen Halevy — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:00:00 +0000

One of my favorite features on a BES is the fact that all of your BlackBerrys settings are backed up automatically. Your BES administrator could turn this off but most have it on. This means that if you lose your device or break it you can easily switch over to a new device. Everything from your browser bookmarks to your theme icon positions are saved and are automatically restored when you reactivate on the BES.

I always knew that the BES was backing up quite a bit but I did not know exactly what I could count on it to backup. For example, my BES is not backing up my saved messages or SMS. Your BES administrator has the ability to backup SMS and PIN messages but companies only really enable that if they are required for compliance purposes.

RIM recently provided this useful knowledge base article detailing what is included in the automatic backup. This way you know what is safe and what is not. Keep in mind this does not include calendar, notes, & tasks which are already stored on your Exchange or Lotus Notes server.

NOTE: Many BES implementations do not repopulate your device with your previous email after you reactivate. BES administrators have the option to repopulate up to 14 days (I think) of your BES email but not all have that enabled.

Automatic wireless backup allows settings and data that are not already stored in the mail system to be backed up. The following information is backed up:

Application	Settings
BlackBerry® Browser	Bookmarks Folders Channels Browser options
BlackBerry smartphone options	AutoText entries Font settings Help options Default service selector Profiles BlackBerry device agent Home screen display options Firewall options Wireless Application Protocol push options
Messaging	Attachment viewer options Searches Filters Settings Message list options
Phone	Recently called list Phone options Phone call logs
Personal information Management (PIM)	Address book options MemoPad options Calendar options Task list options Categories On BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 4.1 and later, the following information under information technology (IT) Policy settings is also backed up: personal identification number (PIN) messages Short Message Service (SMS) messages The following two IT policies, found in the PIM Synchronization Policy Group, need to be set to False to enable these messages to back up: Disable PIN Message Wireless Synchronization Disable SMS Message Wireless Synchronization

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, June 22, 2009, 4:00 pm. | FAQ: What Device Data & Settings are Automatically Backed Up by your BES? | 2 comments |

FAQ: BIS Filters Have Implicit Wildcards & Top Bottom Processing of Filters

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:32:00 +0000

Josep pointed me towards a interesting thread on the official BlackBerry forums by QueBall. QueBall did some digging and found some interesting information about how filters are processed in the BIS setup.

Rules are processed from the top down (which makes sense) but there is no way to reorder a rule so that it is processed before the previous rule
Rules automatically have implicit wildcards. That means email@berryreview.com will also catch ronensemail@berryreview.com in the same filter. Essentially every filter is *email@berryreview.com adding a wildcard to the beginning.

That last rule can get really annoying. Say for example you have a friend who has halevy@gmail.com and you want to filter his email. That filter will also apply to other emails like ronenhalevy@gmail.com.

Read up on all of QueBall’s finding at this link. I doubt that a ton of people are going to run into this issue but I can see it coming up so its worth knowing.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, June 19, 2009, 12:32 pm. | FAQ: BIS Filters Have Implicit Wildcards & Top Bottom Processing of Filters | Leave a comment |

FAQ: BIS Website & On Device Cryptic Error Messages Explained

Ronen Halevy — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:00:00 +0000

I always hated RIM’s cryptic error messages that are impossible to understand. Recently I discovered a list of the Java error codes and now RIM has posted a list of the possible errors you can get using BlackBerry Internet Service both on your device and through their website. Its a pretty useful list if you are running into issues and are looking for some further details. I copied it below for easy access.

My personal favorites that I get asked about frequently are:

Password error message – That means Gmail has locked you out and you need to login from a desktop to do the CAPTCHA verification
HTTP Error 406 – An IT policy is restricting the BlackBerry smartphone user from downloading third-party applications or themes.

From the knowledge base:

The following table lists the error messages that might be received by BlackBerry Internet Service subscribers using the BlackBerry Internet Service web site:

Error message	Description	KB article
We were not able to find the mail domain: <domain>. Please check the info and try again.	The BlackBerry Internet Service web site cannot locate the messaging and collaboration server associated with the email address that the BlackBerry Internet Service subscriber is trying to integrate.	For more information on this error message, see KB11234.
Premature end of file.; Line#: -1; Column#: -1	The Alert rule on the web page does not accept Null requests when selecting or editing filters in the BlackBerry Internet Service account.	For more information on this error message, see KB11707.
Password error message	The Post Office Protocol (POP) account is locked by the Gmail® Captcha program.	For more information on this error message, see KB11734.
NO SELECT Mailbox not found: INBOX	An inbox is not available on the mail server when trying to validate the email server and select the inbox of an associated Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) account.	For more information on this error message, see KB13791.
Old password is incorrect	The BlackBerry Internet Service account password was changed multiple times on the BlackBerry Internet Service web site.	For more information on this error message, see KB14073.
The PIN and IMEI are already in use	The BlackBerry smartphone is still associated with a previous BlackBerry Internet Service account.	For more information on this error message, see KB10286 or KB12311.
The User ID and Password provided are invalid. Please re-enter your User ID and Password and try again or Please check your information and try again.	The user ID and password are incorrect or the BlackBerry Internet Service account is locked.	For more information on this error message, see KB02171.
Maximum allowable attempts!	The personal identification number (PIN), or International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), or both, have been typed incorrectly three consecutive times when creating a BlackBerry Internet Service account.	For more information on this error message, see KB02989.
PIN or IMEI of the device does not exist	The BlackBerry smartphone is not registered on the wireless network or the BlackBerry smartphone is still associated with a previous BlackBerry Internet Service account.	For more information on this error message, see KB04264.
The service is currently unavailable.	The phone number used to log in to the T-Mobile® web site does not match the active phone number for the BlackBerry smartphone.	For more information on this error message, see KB10507.
A connection could not be established to <email.domain>/exchange/<user_name>. Please check that the servername is correct and that the server is available.	A Microsoft® Internet Security and Acceleration Server (ISA Server 2004) is causing the failure when validating the associated email account.	For more information on this error message, see KB04804.

The following table lists the error messages that might be received on a BlackBerry smartphone activated for BlackBerry Internet Service.

Error Message	Description	KB Articles
User account is in SUSPENDED mode	The wireless service provider has placed the BlackBerry smartphone in suspended mode.	For more information on this error message, see KB05055.
PIN specifies a device that already exists! OR The PIN and ESN/IMEI provided could not be properly identified	The BlackBerry smartphone PIN number is not listed on the wireless service provider’s web site or the BlackBerry smartphone is not registered on the wireless network.	For more information on this error message, see KB04340.
Message included an invalid address	There are several causes for this error message, including an invalid recipient’s email address or invalid service books.	For more information on this error message, see KB00035.
Transaction Error: User account is in invalid mode	The BlackBerry smartphone is not activated on the wireless network.	For more information on this error message, see KB03868.
Transaction error failure at service	There are several causes for this error message, including that the BlackBerry smartphone user has been removed from the BlackBerry Enterprise Server or a problem with the generated encryption key.	For more information on this error message, see KB00050.
<5.1.0 – Unknown address error 553>	The BlackBerry smartphone user is trying to send an email message using the legacy service book, Web Client [CMIME].	For more information on this error message, see KB10344.
HTTP Error 503: Service Unavailable	The BlackBerry smartphone is not provisioned for BlackBerry Internet Service browsing.	For more information on this error message, see KB04828.
HTTP Error 406	An IT policy is restricting the BlackBerry smartphone user from downloading third-party applications or themes.	For more information on this error message, see KB10934.
Invalid email address	A forwarding rule is configured to forward email messages from an associated email account to a BlackBerry address that does not exist.	For more information on this error message, see KB10066.
5.1.2 – Bad destination host ‘DNS Hard Error looking up ns(x).servername.com’	The Internet Protocol (IP) address of the destination messaging server has not fully propagated across the domain name system (DNS).	For more information on this error message, see KB11435.
5.1.0 – Unknown address error 553-’Requested action not taken: mailbox name not allowed or chunk too large	The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and Sender Rewrite Scheme (SRS) implementations are causing email messaging servers to detect an original sender email address that is incorrect.	For more information on this error message, see KB13823.
has not been delivered to the recipient’s BlackBerry Handheld The error status returned is	Service classes are not appropriately assigned with the wireless network.	For more information on this error message, see KB14109.
Unable to compress and encrypt email message.	The Desktop [CMIME] service book is being used instead of the <account name> [CMIME] service book to send email messages.	For more information on this error message, see KB04415.
Unable to look up the user info in database	There are several causes for this error message, including that the BlackBerry Internet Service account is no longer active or the legacy service book, Web Client [CMIME], is being used to send email messages.	For more information on this error message, see KB13598.
Undeliverable message	The recipient’s messaging and collaboration server is detecting that the email address of the sender is different from the sender name listed in the header of the email message and restricting email messages from the sender.	For more information on this error message, see KB10440.
More request could not be completed, service book information not found	There are several causes for this error message, including that the BlackBerry smartphone is configured to use BlackBerry® Desktop Redirector or the <email address> [CMIME] service book is not available on the BlackBerry smartphone.	For more information on this error message, see KB10473 or KB02228.
Mailbox couldn’t find original message: if forwarding or replying please resend the message. OR Desktop couldn’t find original message: if forwarding or replying please resend the message.	There are several causes for this error message, including that the original email message has been permanently deleted or the original email message is filed in a personal or offline folder.	For more information on this error message, see KB00353.
[Unable to connect to the internet please try again if the problem persists please contact your service provider].	There are several causes that can cause this error message, including that the BlackBerry smartphone is not activated for BlackBerry Internet Service browsing or the wireless transceiver is turned off.	For more information on this error message, see KB11678.
5.1.0 – Unknown address error 554-’5.7.1 Invalid Recipient	This error can be caused if a forwarding rule is set up to send to a BlackBerry email address that is not active or if the recipient’s email address is typed incorrectly.	For more information on this error message, see KB10951.
Error in parsing this message. Couldn’t display the body part.	The email message cannot be translated because it uses HTML code.	For more information on this error message, see KB11915.
Domain of sender’s email address does not exist	The domain name used in the Sent From email address field is invalid.	For more information on this error message, see KB12248.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, June 11, 2009, 4:00 pm. | FAQ: BIS Website & On Device Cryptic Error Messages Explained | 2 comments |

FAQ: How to Fix the Missing Mass Storage Icon BlackBerry Problem

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 29 May 2009 12:00:00 +0000

This seems to be a common problem with users where they no longer see a drive icon for their BlackBerry’s microSD card even when they have Mass Storage Mode enabled. Michael Jones shared with me a great guide he created on how to overcome this issue and get it all back to normal. The problem seems to stem from the Windows driver that exposes access to the Micro SD card via the USB cable gets corrupted. The only way to resolve the problem is to refresh the driver, which gets installed when you install RIM’s Desktop Manager. Since some Windows drivers are auto-installing, from a *.INF file you don’t need to do anything other than make Windows reinstall the driver. Hopefully this guide will help you too!

By Michael Alan Jones

I have had this problem several times, and could never figure out why it happened, what fixed it, or how to fix it myself. The problem is that after a while, Windows will not have an icon for the Micro SD card inside the BlackBerry. Sure, it will have an icon for the regular drive – the built-in storage, of 1GB, for example, in the Bold. But it will not have an icon for, or access to, my 2GB Micro SD card in there. I have literally had to take the SD card out, stick it in a USB external SD card reader, copy the files, and then stick it back into my old. I hate that.

The common answer is “Enable Mass Storage”, set it to Yes. That is great, but it was already set like that – it is not just that setting; it is a Windows driver issue. This is not a RIM or BlackBerry problem!

So after looking around a bunch of sites on the internet, I discovered the solution. Here are the steps:

1. Make sure your blackberry is not connected to your Windows PC.

Go to Start->Settings->Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Computer Management, in Windows, and you will see the Device Manager. Highlight the Device Manager, to see all the devices on your Windows computer. Look for your Disk drives, as below:

1. Notice that I only have one disk drive, the hard drive on my computer.

2. Now, connect your BlackBerry to the Windows PC, and look at this window again. It will look like this:

3. See the RIM BlackBerry SD USB Device? Right-click on that to Uninstall the driver. It will look like below:

4. Choose OK. It will make you reboot your computer, so do it. Don’t disconnect your BlackBerry yet, wait until Windows starts to actually shut down. If you disconnect your BlackBerry, it will remove the icon again – the icon is only visible when a BlackBerry is connected.

5. That’s it. When the PC reboots, and you reconnect your BlackBerry, it will say “New Device found…BlackBerry Device”. This means Windows is installing a driver for this “new” device.

6. Enjoy your mass storage device again!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, May 29, 2009, 8:00 am. | FAQ: How to Fix the Missing Mass Storage Icon BlackBerry Problem | 5 comments |

FAQ: Explanation of All BlackBerry Java Virtual Machine Error Codes

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 22 May 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Ever bricked your BlackBerry until it only shows a Java Virtual Machine error? Something like Error 507? Wonder what it meant? So did I…

That is until Luis sent me a link to a thread on eVeek where LlamaLord posted this great list of all the Java Virtual Machine error codes for the BlackBerry. They don’t all make sense to us non-developers but at least it gives you a bit more than just a number!

Check out the full list of errors below and let me know if you manage to find some more information! I did manage to find this older listing on RIM’s site but below you will find the best list I have see to date.

The following table lists errors that can occur in the Java virtual machine (JVM) on BlackBerry handhelds.

101 Previous startup failed The device has been reset during the JVM boot process. This error indicates that the JVM found the "boot in progress" flag was set on startup. The screen is intended to break continuous reset loops so that corrective action can be taken.
102 Invalid code in filesystem The system has checked the .COD files in the handheld for modification, and determined that there is a problem with one or more .COD files. If all loads fail, it could indicate a build process error where there was a problem signing the codfiles. If some user action to the device caused this problem, the reset cycle will be continuous since the code in the filesystem has been corrupted. The only recovery method is to wipe the device and restore a new system.
103 Cannot find starting address The starting address for the boot .COD file cannot be found. This may indicate that a boot .COD file has not been installed on the device, or that its format is invalid or corrupt.
104 Uncaught: An uncaught Java exception was thrown by the Java code and diagnosed by the JVM. Execution can be continued, or the handheld can be attached to a debugger on a desktop through a serial or USB cable. The event log should contain the traceback of the thrown exception.
105 Example, DbRecSize( %d ) -> %d The file system API has returned an error status for a certain operation. This could indicate a corrupt filesystem or an error in the JVM.

106 Graphics system error An error has been detected in the graphics system of the device.
107 operator new() called A C++ class in the JVM has not been coded correctly to inherit from VMRamObject that has the correct override for operator new. Extract the current (post-reset) BUGDISP
108 operator delete() called A C++ class in the JVM has not been coded correctly to inherit from VMRamObject that has the correct override for operator delete. Extract the current (post-reset) BUGDISP.
109 PriorityMessageCount error: The value returned by RimPriorityMessageCount is negative when it should always be greater than or equal to zero. This indicates an error in the OS code. Extract the current (post-reset) BUGDISP and EVENTLOG.
110 Non-idle event downtime error: A problem has been detected in the accumulation of JVM down time, which represents how long the JVM has been idle. This usually indicates an error in the handheld firmware or the JVM. This could also occur if the tick count rolls over after 400+ days of device time.
111 Font engine error An error has been detected in the font engine system of the device. Extract the current (post-reset) BUGDISP and EVENTLOG.
112 Java Native Assertion Failure An error has been detected in the Java native code. Extract the current (post-reset) BUGDISP and EVENTLOG.
200 Application manager threw an uncaught exception The application manager event thread threw an uncaught exception and so cannot continue execution.
201 Crypto initialization code failed The initialization of the crypto system failed and the handheld cannot continue execution.
202 An attack on the key store has been detected The attack has been detected and execution cannot continue.
203 Console process died The application manager console process (usually the Ribbon) has died. This is likely due to an uncaught exception during execution.
204 Persistent Content Exception An application tried to commit a plaintext object to the Persistent Store. This will only happen if Content Protection is on and a process tries to save something in the PersistentStore that is marked as plaintext. Since this exception was not handled, the persistent store is in a bad state. We need to reset to roll back to the last good commit point. NOTE: This JVM error reflects an error in the Java code, the JVM is simply diagnosing the error. This is not a JVM problem, the eventlog will contain information about the erroneous Java code.
501 VM_THREAD_SWITCHED: Internal Error This is an error return used internally in the VM. It should never be reported as a device error.
502 VM_PROCESS_DEATH: All processes exited The last Java process has terminated. There is nothing left to execute.
503 VM_THREAD_DEATH: Internal Error This is an error return used internally in the VM. It should never be reported as a device error.
504 VM_THREAD_SWITCH: Internal Error This is an error return used internally in the VM. It should never be reported as a device error.
505 VM_BAD_CODE: Bad Byte Code An error has occurred in the JIT compiler.
506 Uncaught Exception An uncaught Java exception was thrown in the initial VM Java thread thus ending the only live thread in the system. The eventlog contains the traceback for the exception.
507 Unsatisfied Link A dependency on a .COD file could not be satisfied because the .COD file is missing.
508 Invalid object A problem has been detected with a debugger command to the VM.
509 VM_PPO_INFINITE_LOOP: infinite loop in PPO phase of GC The maximum iteration count for the PPO phase of a GC must be the maximum number of file handles in the system. This error indicates that the iteration count has exceeded that count and hence there is a flaw in the PPO loop or a corrupted file system. The extra hex integer in the error string is the flash id of the current record where the infinite loop was detected.
510 Deadlock All threads are waiting on objects, resulting in deadlock. The system cannot recover from this state because no thread can release a lock.
511 Debug connection died A problem has occurred while debugging that may be caused by a VM problem or an incorrect debugging command being sent to the VM.
512 GC Aborted An idle garbage collection has been interrupted by a user event, such as pressing the keyboard or moving the trackwheel.
513 needs running An opcode requires that a class execute before it can continue execution.
514 needs running A new instance of a class has been allocated and it must be initialized by the default constructor before it can be used.
515 Object group too big The reachable objects form a group that cannot be represented properly by the JVM because either there are too many objects or the total size of the objects is too large.
516 Persistent ids exhausted When committing a persistent object, the JVM found that the persistent store id counter has reached its limit. The object was not committed and a critical error was reported. This error should never happen unless a device is heavily used for years.
517 Filesystem corrupt An inconsistency has been detected in the JVM persistent object store.
518 Unexpected longjmp A garbage collection marking phase was terminated via a longjmp. This indicates that the marking phase was interrupted when it should have completed without interruption. This should never happen because these actions are executed when the device is not idle, and GCs can only be interrupted when the device is idle.
519 Internal Error The JVM host is missing or has been disabled.
520 Internal Return An internal state that indicates a Java method return needs to be executed.
521 Dangerous Wait An Object.wait() has been executed by a thread that holds a lock on another object. This is only checked in the simulator under the control of the JvmDebugWaits application switch.
522 Interlaced synchronization A thread has acquired two locks on objects in an order that doesn’t match the order that previous locks for the two types were acquired. This indicates a future potential deadlock situation and is reported. The check is only available in the simulator under the control of the JvmDebugLocks application switch.
523 System process died A critical Java process has terminated, and the device cannot continue to operate in a normal manner.
524 LMM error An object has been marked as recovered by the Low Memory Manager, but it was not freed during a garbage collection. This is only checked in the simulator under the control of the JvmDebugLMM application switch.
525 Bad persistent object An auto-commit operation during a garbage collection has detected a non-persistent object reachable from the persistent store root. The type of the object has been output into the eventlog.
526 java.lang.Object not found The class definition for java.lang.Object cannot be found.
527 java.lang.String not found The class definition for java.lang.String cannot be found.
528 Corrupt filesystem. Unrecoverable. All data will be lost All data will be lost when execution is continued. The error message screen contains a number representing an internal "reason" for the corruption. This error is not diagnosed if a .COD file has been removed, because the JVM must delete objects that were defined in the removed .COD file; therefore, this error is not expected in normal operation of the device.
Reason codes:
1. root array reference is not a valid array reference
2. root array type is not Object[]
3. root array size < 1 (i.e., Object[0])
4. contents of root[0] is not a valid ref
5. type of root[0] is not a LongIntHashtable
6. persistent segmented array header contains an invalid reference
7. an entry in a persistent Object[] contains an invalid reference
8. an Object’s type refers to an unknown codfile
9. an Object’s type description in the codfile doesn’t match the size in the store
10. a reference type field in an Object has an invalid reference in it
11. a reference type field in an object points to an object of the wrong type
12. a persistent Object[] is missing its descriptor
13. object in persistent store is not marked as persistable
14. root array is segmented and one of the segments is invalid
529 Corrupt filesystem. About to attempt recovery. Some data may be lost
Some data will be lost when execution is continued. The error message screen contains a number representing an internal "reason" for the corruption. This error is not diagnosed if a .COD file has been removed, because the VM must delete objects that were defined in the removed .COD file; therefore, this error is not expected in normal operation of the device.
Reason codes:
1. root array reference is not a valid array reference
2. root array type is not Object[]
3. root array size < 1 (i.e., Object[0])
4. contents of root[0] is not a valid ref
5. type of root[0] is not a LongIntHashtable
6. persistent segmented array header contains an invalid reference
7. an entry in a persistent Object[] contains an invalid reference
8. an Object’s type refers to an unknown codfile
9. an Object’s type description in the codfile doesn’t match the size in the store
10. a reference type field in an Object has an invalid reference in it
11. a reference type field in an object points to an object of the wrong type
12. a persistent Object[] is missing its descriptor
13. object in persistent store is not marked as persistable
14. root array is segmented and one of the segments is invalid
530 VM_PREVENT_GC_OVERFLOW: _preventGC overflow A fixed number of native objects can be protected from being garbage collected. This error indicates that a native has exceeded the fixed limit of objects that can be protected. If the device is reset or thread tracebacks are logged, the name of the actual native can be extracted.
531 Flash exhausted There are certain operations where the JVM cannot tolerate running out of flash space. In these circumstances, this error will be reported if the JVM cannot allocate a required amount of flash space.
532 VM_ASSERTION_FAILED: Assertion failed Normally this JVM error should never be reported since the device is not shipped with assertions enabled. The simulator may report this error in debug mode indicating a VM assertion has been violated. Try typing BKPT to activate the debugger and dump the native call stack for forwarding to the VM team.
533 VM_RUN_METHOD: needs running Used internally for ECMAScript to call Java methods.
534 VM_FAST_RESET_DISABLED: Fast Reset Disabled Used internally to indicate that fast reset capability is not available. Often used in platform-specific code.
535 VM_UNUSED_535: Unused Unused vm error.
Error 535 means out of memory. A reason for error 535 could be that the virtual memory thread scheduler ceased when a thread ran out of memory. This error is known to occur during a start-up sequence or if the main event thread ceases.
Resolution
First, hard reset the handheld. If this does not resolve the issue, obtain the latest version of the BlackBerry handheld software through your carrier. Then, run Application Loader from BlackBerry Desktop Manager to update the handheld.
Delete some themes/ringtones etc to make space.
536 VM_FAST_RESET_BAD_INSTANCE: VM Instance Check Failed Used internally to indicate that the VM structure passed in is at the wrong address or has been corrupted.
537 VM_FAST_RESET_BAD_HEAP: Heap Check Failed Used internally to indicate that the VM heap has been corrupted or pointers into the heap have been corrupted.
538 VM_FAST_RESET_BAD_IRAM: IRAM Check Failed Used internally to indicate that the VM IRAM checks have detected corruption of VM data structures (threads + local stacks) that reside in IRAM.
539 VM_FAST_RESET_NOT_IDLE: Not Idle Used internally to indicate that the VM was not idle when the reset occurred and, as such, cannot continue with a fast reset.
540 VM_FAST_RESET_MULTIPLE_RESETS: Multiple Resets Used internally to indicate that the time since the last fast reset is less than a minimum time. By disallowing multiple fast resets in a short amount of time, this should prevent fast reset loops.
541 VM_HEAP_COMPACT_INFINITE_LOOP: infinite loop detected in heap compaction The VM has detected a problem in its RAM heap that indicates its RAM has been corrupted. The problem was detected by identifying a possible infinite loop during RAM heap compaction. A bugdisp log and eventlog should be extracted quickly when the device is in this condition. If possible, images of RAM should be saved.
542 Transient memory leak The JVM has detected that some memory has not been freed, which indicates that a memory leak has occurred. This condition is detected as early as possible in the hope that the cause can be isolated.
543 VM_FS_MISMATCH: Incompatible Java filesystem installed The VM has detected that the OS binary is different than the OS binary used to create the Java file system. This means that the Java native methods may not be linked properly and as such, the integrity of the system cannot be guaranteed. The system can be recovered by using the VM DLFX and DLPS commands to delete the fixups and persistent store. This will clear all data and fixups and let the filesystem relink to match the new OS binary. The recovery order is important: 1) Delete Fixups 2) Delete Persistent Store 3) Reset device.
544 VM_SECTION_MAP_OVERFLOW: a module references more than 255 other modules The VM has detected that a module is trying to reference more than 255 other modules. The filesystem should be extracted immediately when this error is detected.
545 VM_INCOMPATIBLE_FILESYS: an incompatible or corrupt filesystem was found The VM has detected an incompatible or corrupt filesystem. The filesystem should be extracted immediately when this error is detected.
546 VM_UNUSED_546: unused The VM has detected that the RAM image of its filesystem is corrupted (failed CRC check) Better to reset than to duplice the corruption into flash.
547 VM_UNUSED_547: unused Unused vm error.
548 VM_UNUSED_548: unused Unused vm error.
549 VM_UNUSED_549: unused Unused vm error.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, May 22, 2009, 9:00 am. | FAQ: Explanation of All BlackBerry Java Virtual Machine Error Codes | 2 comments |

FAQ: Complete BlackBerry Vendor ID List Compared With Carrier Names

Ronen Halevy — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:46:45 +0000

The vendor ID of a BlackBerry is used in many different situations. It used to be you had to remove it from ALX files to get certain features or themes enabled. Now RIM uses it to block devices from the App World. There are even tools leaked out there that will let you change your vendor ID. You can always check your vendor ID by going to the HelpMe! screen on qwerty devices by hitting ALT+SHIFT+H.

Somebody shared this great list with me in an email and I thought I would post it for future reference. You never know when you will need to reference a vendor ID back to a carrier or vice-versa. Let me know if you find it useful for anything specific. A little over a year ago I posted about 10+ vendor ID’s that I knew but now this list is in the hundreds.

0×01    1    RIM
0×64    100    T_MOBILE_US
0×65    101    CINGULAR_WIRELESS
0×66    102    AT_T_WIRELESS
0×67    103    NEXTEL
0×68    104    SPRINT_PCS
0×69    105    VERIZON_WIRELESS
0×6a    106    ALLTEL
0×6b    107    ROGERS_AT_T
0×6c    108    MICROCELL
0×6d    109    BELL_MOBILITY
0×6e    110    BT_CELLNET
0×6f    111    O2_GERMANY
0×70    112    DIGIFONE
0×71    113    TELFORT
0×72    114    T_MOBILE_GERMANY_AUSTRIA
0×73    115    TIM_ITALY
0×74    116    HUTCHISON
0×75    117    BOUYGUES_TELECOM
0×76    118    VODAFONE_SFR_FRANCE
0×77    119    ORANGE_FRANCE

0×78    120    VODAFONE_UK_NETHERLANDS
0×79    121    TELCEL_MEXICO
0×7a    122    TELSTRA
0×7b    123    T_MOBILE_UK
0×7c    124    VODAFONE_GERMANY
0×7d    125    O2_UK_IRELAND_ISLE_OF_MAN_NETHERLANDS
0×7e    126    TELUS
0×7f    127    SMART
0×80    128    STARHUB
0×81    129    TELEFONICA_SPAIN
0×82    130    VODAFONE_SWITZERLAND_SWISSCOM
0×83    131    CABLE_WIRELESS_WEST_INDIES
0×84    132    VODAFONE_ITALY
0×85    133    VODAFONE_SPAIN
0×86    134    T_MOBILE_NETHERLANDS
0×87    135    CINCINNATI_BELL
0×88    136    TELEFONICA_MEXICO
0×89    137    VODAFONE_AUSTRIA
0×8a    138    VODAFONE_AUSTRALIA_FIJI
0×8b    139    VODAFONE_IRELAND
0×8c    140    TELENOR_SWEDEN
0×8d    141    CSL
0×8e    142    ORANGE_UK
0×8f    143    VODAFONE_NEW_ZEALAND
0×90    144    SINGTEL
0×91    145    GLOBE
0×92    146    OPTUS
0×93    147    ORANGE_BE_MOBISTAR
0×94    148    VODAFONE_HUNGARY
0×95    149    BHARTI
0×96    150    KPN_NL
0×97    151    WIND_HELLAS_TIM_GREECE
0×98    152    VODAFONE_BELGIUM
0×99    153    VODAFONE_PORTUGAL
0×9a    154    TIM_BRAZIL
0×9b    155    BT_MOBILE
0×9c    156    EARTHLINK
0×9d    157    AETHER
0×9e    158    E_PLUS
0×9f    159    BASE
0xa0    160    DOBSON_COMMUNICATIONS
0xa1    161    VODAFONE_EGYPT
0xa2    162    ORANGE_SWITZERLAND
0xa3    163    RIM_WLAN
0xa4    164    T_MOBILE_SUNCOM
0xa5    165    MAXIS
0xa6    166    VODAFONE_DENMARK_TDC
0xa7    167    VODAFONE_SINGAPORE_M1
0xa8    168    VODACOM_SOUTH_AFRICA
0xa9    169    T_MOBILE_POLAND
0xaa    170    T_MOBILE_CZECH
0xab    171    T_MOBILE_HUNGARY
0xac    172    AT_T_SPRINT
0xad    173    MTN_SOUTH AFRICA
0xae    174    TIM_CHILE_ENTEL_PCS
0xaf    175    ORANGE_SPAIN
0xb0    176    VODAFONE_SMARTONE_HONG_KONG
0xb1    177    TCS_TELECOMMUNICATION_SYSTEMS
0xb2    178    AVEA
0xb3    179    FAST_100
0xb4    180    TURKCELL
0xb5    181    PARTNER_COMMUNICATIONS
0xb7    183    ORANGE_ROMANIA
0xba    186    TELKOMSEL
0xbc    188    VODAFONE_GREECE
0xbd    189    UNITED_STATES_CELLULAR_CORP
0xbe    190    MOBILINK
0xbf    191    VELOCITA_WIRELESS
0xc0    192    VODAFONE_CROATIA
0xc1    193    VODAFONE_SLOVENIA
0xc2    194    VODAFONE_LUXEMBOURG
0xc3    195    VODAFONE_ICELAND
0xc4    196    VODAFONE_FIJI
0xc5    197    VODAFONE_ROMANIA
0xc6    198    VODAFONE_CZECH
0xc7    199    VODAFONE_BAHRAIN
0xc8    200    VODAFONE_KUWAIT
0xc9    201    T_MOBILE_CROATIA
0xca    202    T_MOBILE_SLOVAKIA
0xcb    203    NORTEL
0xcc    204    CHINA_MOBILE
0xcd    205    MOVILNET
0xd1    209    SYMPAC
0xd2    210    PERSONAL_ARGENTINA
0xd4    212    ETISALAT_UAE
0xd5    213    CBEYOND
0xd6    214    AMX
0xd7    215    TELEFONICA_VENEZUELA
0xd8    216    TELEFONICA_BRAZIL
0xd9    217    ORANGE_ROMANIA
0xda    218    KTPOWERTEL_KOREA
0xdb    219    ROLLING_STONES
0xdc    220    DOCOMO
0xde    222    VODAFONE_BULGARIA
0xdf    223    NEXTEL_INTERNATIONAL
0xe0    224    PCCW_SUNDAY
0xe1    225    HAWAIIAN_TELCOM_CREDO_MOBILE
0xe2    226    VERIZON_MVNO
0xe3    227    MOBILY
0xe4    228    BWA
0xe5    229    O2_CZECH_REPUBLIC
0xe6    230    HUTCHISON_INDIA
0xe7    231    CELCOM
0xea    234    DIALOG
0xeb    235    XL
0xec    236    RELIANCE
0xed    237    VERIZON_WIRELESS_WHOLESALE
0xee    238    VODAFONE_TURKEY
0xef    239    TELEFONICA_MOROCCO_MEDITEL
0xf0    240    INDOSAT
0xf1    241    ALCATEL_SHANGHAI_BELL
0xf5    245    3_UK_ITALY_SWEDEN_DENMARK_AUSTRIA_IRELAND
0xf7    247    VODAFONE_ESSAR
0xf8    248    CENTENNIAL_WIRELESS
0xfa    250    T_MOBILE_AUSTRIA
0xfe    254    OI_BRAZIL
0xff    255    TELECOM_NEW_ZEALAND
0×102    258    HUTCHINSON_3G_AUSTRALIA
0×103    259    CABLE_&_WIRELESS_TRINIDAD_TOBAGO
0×10c    268    BMOBILE
0×10d    269    TATA_TELESERVICES_INDIA
0×10f    271    T_MOBILE_CROATIA
0×111    273    BT_ITALY
0×112    274    1&1
0×115    277    MTS_MOBILITY
0×116    278    VIRGIN_MOBILE
0×118    280    ORANGE_SLOVAKIA
0×11a    282    TAIWAN_MOBILE
0×11d    285    ORANGE_AUSTRIA
0×11e    286    VODAFONE_MALTA
0×120    288    BASE_JIM_MOBILE
0×127    295    CMCC_PEOPLES
0×12a    298    DIGITEL_WIRELESS
0×12b    299    SK_TELECOM
0×12c    300    SOLO_MOBILE
0×12d    301    CARPHONE_WAREHOUSE
0×12e    302    20:20_MOBILE_GROUP
0×134    308    XL_INDONESIA
0×135    309    FIDO_SOLUTIONS
0×136    310    WIND_ITALY

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, May 21, 2009, 11:46 am. | FAQ: Complete BlackBerry Vendor ID List Compared With Carrier Names | 5 comments |

FAQ: MicroSD Card Corruption Requires Disk Error-Checking Utility

Ronen Halevy — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:48:00 +0000

This has happened to me a few times on my BlackBerry and I am glad RIM has finally addressed the issue with a recent knowledge base article. Ever gotten this error after unplugging your BlackBerry from your computer?

A Media Card has been inserted that contains errors. To correct the errors please use a disk error-checking utility on a computer.

My first reaction when I got this error was “CRAP what about all my pictures!” Then I realized it is a simple as plugging your BlackBerry into your PC and running CheckDisk to fix the errors. Some of you may not have realized that so I thought I would share.

Plug your BlackBerry into a Windows computer and turn on mass storage mode if it is not already turned on
Open My Computer.
Right-click the appropriate Removable Disk.
Click Tools, and then click Check Now.
Select Automatically fix file system errors, and then click Start.

Things should work just fine after that! At least it worked the last two times I got this error. Not sure if there is a way to do this on a Mac but let me know! I personally think it sucks that RIM cannot just include the disk checking utility on your BlackBerry since your only option from the device is to format it completely and lose your data…

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, May 7, 2009, 11:48 am. | FAQ: MicroSD Card Corruption Requires Disk Error-Checking Utility | 22 comments |

FAQ: Email Reconciliation Features for BIS With Different Accounts

Ronen Halevy — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:00:00 +0000

A bit back we shared with you a list that RIM provided of webmail accounts that give you real time delivery with BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service). RIM has been kind enough to also adds some more information in a nice and easy to digest chart that shows you the email reconciliation features. This breaks it down by email type/service and what features you get with each. Very useful if you are tying to decide which features you care about most. Real time delivery, two way read/unread reconciliation, saving sent items, wireless deletion… This just lays it out straight by comparing them across BIS and BES.

Source	Wireless Deletion	Save Sent Items	Wireless read/unread status
Microsoft Outlook Web Access	Yes	Yes	Yes
Microsoft Exchange (BES)	Yes	Yes	Yes
IBM Lotus Domino (BES)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Yahoo! Mail	Yes	Yes	Yes
Windows Live Hotmail or MSN	No	Yes	No
AOL	Yes	No	Yes
Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3)	Yes	N/A	N/A
Internet Message Access Protocol 4 (IMAP4)	Yes	Yes, in some cases	Yes
Gmail	Yes	Yes	No

via RIM knowledge base

So far it looks like Yahoo Mail or Outlook Web Access seem to be the best options since Gmail does not have the Wireless read/unread option. The thing that I cannot understand is how RIM manages to do wireless read/unread with regular IMAP4 but cannot do it with Gmail… I know Gmail is setup a little different but I am sure it is possible.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, April 29, 2009, 2:00 pm. | FAQ: Email Reconciliation Features for BIS With Different Accounts | 9 comments |

FAQ: Stuck Language or “EN” Icon? Here is a Possible Fix

Ronen Halevy — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:23:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I ran into an issue where the language icon on the top right just got stuck and refused to go away. I could hit ALT+Enter as many times as I liked and it still refused to budge. I finally managed to get rid of it by clearing a specific database on my BlackBerry and thought I would share. Denis asked me the exact same question so I decided to write about it today.

All you need to do is:

Plug in your BlackBerry to your PC and fire up desktop manager
Click the backup and restore section
Select advanced restore
On the right you will see the databases on your BlackBerry
Select the input method switcher option
Then click the clear button on the bottom of the page
Unplug and reboot

This method worked for me but I have heard reports that it may not. You may also have success by doing a selective restore of the input options database from a backup before the issue occurred. Another option is to backup and wipe your device and then do a selective restore of everything other than the input options but that is a bit drastic.

Let me know what works/worked for you!

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, April 27, 2009, 2:23 pm. | FAQ: Stuck Language or “EN” Icon? Here is a Possible Fix | 2 comments |

FAQ: Pretty Comprehensive List of Hidden BlackBerry Shortcuts

Ronen Halevy — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Yesterday one of our readers, ShvartzBerry, asked me where he could find a list of BlackBerry shortcuts. I know of a few locations with pretty good lists but Mackie sent me a link that is pretty comprehensive. It seems to be sourced from a list dgrover compiled on CrackBerry Forums. I hope neither of them mind that I edited and copied it below for your reference but I have seen similar lists all around so I am not sure where it originally came from. Kudos to whomever did! Also some of the keyboard shortcuts are missing in here like copy and paste but those are really tips instead of hidden shortcuts.

NOTE: Keep in mind that some of these codes may be a little different for SureType and touchscreen BlackBerrys. If I am not mistaken on the Storm you need to go to landscape view and open the keyboard from the menu and then hold down alt and type the keys.

General

alt+nmll @ home screen – Change the network signal status bar from graphical indicator to numerical indicator and back
alt + lglg @ home screen – show event log
alt + thmn @ any menu – no theme
alt + cnfg @ enterprise activation email field – Enterprise Activation Settings for Enterprise Activationalt + eace/ alt + shift + h @ home screen – device info
alt + right shift + del – soft reset

Address Book

ALT-VALD In address book list Validate the data structure and look for inconsistencies
ALT-RBLD In address book list Force a data structure rebuild

Browser

ALT-RBVS Any HTML/WML webpage View web page source code

Calendar

ALT+VIEW Inside any Calendar item Show extra info for a Calendar event
SYNC Calendar app>Options Enable Calendar slow sync
RSET Calendar app>Options Will prompt for a reload of the calendar from the BES
RCFG Calendar app>Options Request BES configuration
SCFG Calendar app>Options Send device configuration
DCFG Calendar app>Options Get CICAL configuration
SUPD Calendar app>Options Enable detailed Cal. report for backup
SUPS Calendar app>Options Disable detailed Cal. report for backup
SUPN Calendar app>Options Disable Cal. report database
LUID Calendar app>Options Enable view by UID
SRSL Calendar app>Options Show Reminder status log

Messaging

ALT + V I E W For messages, displays the RefId and FolderId for that particular message. For PIM items, displays only the RefId.

Search Application

ALT-ADVM Search Application Enabled Advanced Global Search

MMS

MMSC Options -> MMS Show MMS hidden options

Home Screen

ALT-JKVV Home Screen Display cause of PDP reject
ALT + CAP + H Home screen Displays the Help Me screen
ALT + E A C E Home screen Displays the Help Me screen
ALT + E S C R Home Screen Displays the Help Me screen
ALT + N M L L Home screen Switches the signal strength from bars to a numeric value.
ALT + L G L G Home screen Displays the Java™ event log.

WLAN

ALT-SMON WLAN wizard screen Enable simulated Wizard mode
ALT-SMOF WLAN wizard screen Disable simulated Wizard mode

Theme

ALT-THMN Any menu Change to no theme (B&W)
ALT-THMD Any menu Change to default theme

Date/Time

LOLO Options -> Date/Time Show Network time values

SIM CARD

MEPD Options>Advanced options>SIM card Display MEP info
MEP1 Options>Advanced options>SIM card Disable SIM personalization
MEP2 Options>Advanced options>SIM card Disable Network personalization
MEP3 Options>Advanced options>SIM card Disable Network subset personalization
MEP4 Options>Advanced options>SIM card Disable Service provider personalization
MEP5 Options>Advanced options>SIM card Disable Corporate personalization

Test Procedure

To perform a test using the hardware diagnostic tool on the BlackBerry smartphone, complete the following steps:
On the Home screen on the BlackBerry smartphone, Select Options / Status.
On the Status screen, TYPE test.
Note: On BlackBerry smartphones that support SureType® technology, use the multi-tap input method.
From the menu on the Device Self Test Application screen, select Start.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, April 27, 2009, 12:00 pm. | FAQ: Pretty Comprehensive List of Hidden BlackBerry Shortcuts | 12 comments |

FAQ: Start Your BlackBerry in Safe Mode (OS 4.6+ Only)

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Safe mode is a new feature that RIM introduced with OS 4.6 that has been present in later builds too. All it does is stop third party applications from loading automatically on boot. This lets you remove troublesome applications before they start running. This is not exactly new but a friend of mine needed this fix yesterday so I thought I would remind everybody about it. Keep in mind safe mode is only available on OS 4.6+ devices and I did find that it did not work on one OS 4.6 build so no promises.

To startup in safe mode (via Knowledge Base):

Remove the BlackBerry battery and reinsert it
Hold down the Escape key after the red LED goes out and keep holding it (The escape key is the one that looks like a sideways “U” shaped arrow by the trackball on the Bold commonly called the “back key/arrow”)
You will then see this dialog box to the right and click ok
To exit safe mode just remove the battery and reinsert again

Let me know if you have any issues!

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, April 24, 2009, 3:00 pm. | FAQ: Start Your BlackBerry in Safe Mode (OS 4.6+ Only) | 15 comments |

FAQ: Translating BlackBerry Signal Bars to Numbers

Ronen Halevy — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:04:00 +0000

Many BlackBerry users know that they can use the shortcut ALT+NMLL to show the signal strength of their BlackBerry in numbers instead of bars. On the other hand it does not look all that pretty. RIM was kind enough to offer a translation chart between the numbers and the bars on your BlackBerry in a current knowledge base article. Keep in mind that as the number goes further into the negative your signal strength is getting worse. This is because the better the signal the less power your BlackBerry has to use to send and receive data thus saving battery life.

Signal Bar Strength Indicators	RSSI Indicators
5 bars (optimal strength)	-77 or higher
4 bars	-78 to 86
3 bars	-87 to -92
2 bars	-93 to -101
1 bar	-102 or lower

The problem I still have is that these RSSI numbers are a vendor independent standard. Which means that they mean something different from each vendor compared to the standard dBm’s. Anybody found a way to convert them?

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, April 22, 2009, 2:04 pm. | FAQ: Translating BlackBerry Signal Bars to Numbers | 9 comments |

FAQ: Unread Messages or Missed Phone Call Indicator Does Not Go Away

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:00:00 +0000

This issue has happened to me countless times on my BlackBerrys over the years. I would get a stuck message or phone call indicator and it would just not go away. I would have no unread messages or phone calls and still the little bugger would not disappear!

Turns out that RIM has finally coughed up a few simple and more drastic approaches to clearing these indicators most of which I don’t like. There should just be a simple tool that will reset them! RIM provides six options that you should go through serially until the message indicator goes away. Truthfully I hate wiping my device just to get rid of an indicator.

From the Knowledge Base:

NOTE: Backup the BlackBerry before performing any database deletion.

Hard Reset the BlackBerry – Pull out the battery
Go to Messages icon and highlight the most recent date, hit the Menu key and choose mark prior opened.
Go to Messages icon and highlight the most recent date, hit the Menu key and choose delete prior.
Change the theme
Delete the Message Database then hard reset the BlackBerry
Wipe the handheld

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, April 10, 2009, 11:00 am. | FAQ: Unread Messages or Missed Phone Call Indicator Does Not Go Away | 7 comments |