BlackBerry® Bold™

[Spud1]

Hi my Blackberry Bold keep turning itself off randomly! It happens usually while Im using it it screen just goes blank and it take a few minutes to reboot and turn back on. The battery is fine but I have noticed the battery has been running down much quicker than it used to! Also sometimes the touch screen goes a bit funny and things start to select or move as if a ghost is swiping and touching my touch screen, this has been a issue since a bought the phone. I can stop it by locking the phone and unlocking it again so I guess this is a software glitch? Please help!!

[sdgardne]

Hello!

I recommend that you attempt to boot into Safe Mode:

• KB17877 How to start a BlackBerry smartphone in Safe Mode

It may take you multiple attempts to get the ESC key sequence (press/release/hold) correct, so be patient. When successfully into Safe Mode, see what happens.

If the behavior ceases, then think carefully...what happened just before this behavior started? A new app? An update? A Theme? Something else? Think carefully as the smallest change could be causal...and attempt to undo whatever that was.

If the behavior continues, then you may need to consider more drastic remedy attempts (e.g., WIPE, OS reload, etc.)

Another thought...any chance of water damage? What you describe sounds like those symptoms...and, if so, you should immediately take out your battery and do the 5-day dry rice trick. It might not work, but it also might.

Good luck and let us know!

[Spud1]

Hi Thanks for your advice but your link to how to turn on in safe mode doesn't work. Any chance you could give me a web address for this guide please?

[sdgardne]

Interesting...I just clicked it and it worked fine, perhaps there is a glitch with your internet connection? In any event, here's the full URL:

• http://btsc.webapps.blackberry.com/btsc/viewdocument.do?externalId=KB17877&sliceId=2&cmd=displayKC&d...

Good luck!

[Spud1]

great thanks, Ive restarted my blackberry in safe mode now. Do I now just leave it safe mode and see if the behaviour ceases or do I have to look for and delete any apps that might be causing the phone to turn itself off and run the batt down so quickly? What is the difference between safe mode and normal bootup?

[sdgardne]

Safe Mode prevents 3rd party apps from auto-loading. It is a diagnostic mode intended to allow you to deduce if one of those may be causing your issues. So, you have to wait long enough for either a) the behavior to repeat or b) for you to be confident that it's not going to repeat. If b, then you indeed start investigating which apps might be the cause (e.g., remove one, reboot normal, wait again for a or b). But if a, then you know that it's not one of your 3rd party apps, and you have to then dig deeper (e.g., WIPE, reload, etc...things that work on the core OS itself).

[Spud1]

Amazing, so helpul thanks. I keep you posted!

[Spud1]

Hi there. Since being in safe mode this morning my phone has continued to misbehave! It has turned itself off twice and a full battery has run down in 4 hours. I have also now noticed that the backlight on the keypad is flickering and the battery is abnormally warm. What should I do now do you think?

[sdgardne]

OK...so that rules out 3rd party apps as causal. Which leaves the core OS itself, or even hardware.

Your next step starts with making sure you've got a good backup...see the link in my auto-sig on this post for steps to conduct that. Everything else you are going to do now will wipe out the data on your BB, requiring you to restore...so be sure you've got a solid backup before proceeding.

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The first thing I'd recommend is an on-device WIPE:

• KB14058 How to delete all data and applications from the BlackBerry smartphone using the Security Wipe option

Then see what happens (don't restore yet, until you are sure the behavior does not return).

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Failing that, an OS reload (of your currently running OS level). At the top of each device forum, there should be some "sticky" threads that discuss the OS levels available for many models. If they include your model, then please use those as reference as you proceed. Otherwise, you will have to dig through the official download portal for OS packages for your model:

• http://us.blackberry.com/support/downloads/download_sites.jsp

From a PC, you can install any compatible (e.g., for your exact BB Model Number) OS package to a BB via this procedure:

• http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/BlackBerry-Device-Software/How-To-Reload-Your-Operating-Syste...

Note that while written for "reload" and the Storm, it can be used to upgrade, downgrade, or reload any BB device model -- it all depends on the OS package you download and install to your PC. If that OS package is from a carrier other than the carrier for which your BB was originally manufactured, then delete, on your PC, all copies of VENDOR.XML...there will be at least one, and perhaps 2, and they will be located in or similarly to (it changes based on your Windows version) these folders:

• C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Research In Motion\AppLoader
• C:\Users\(your Windows UserName)\AppData\Roaming\Research In Motion\BlackBerry\Loader XML

Be sure that you remove, from your PC, any other BB device OS packages as having more than one installed to the PC can cause conflicts with this procedure.

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You may also want to investigate the use of BBSAK (bbsak.org) to perform the wipe it is capable of.

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You may also want to try this procedure to perhaps narrow down the precise causal item:

1. Load your OS "bare bones"...if anything is optional, do not install it.
2. If the behavior presents immediately, then try a different OS with step 1
3. If the behavior does not immediately present, then run for as long as it takes for you to be sure that the behavior will not present.
4. Add one thing -- no matter how tempting, just one.
5. If the behavior does not present immediately, then again run for long enough to be sure it will not have the same problem
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until all things are loaded or the behavior presents

When the behavior presents, you know the culprit...the last thing you loaded.

If the behavior does not re-present, then you know that either step 1 or 2 cured it.

If the behavior presents no matter what, then you likely have a hardware level issue for which no amount of OS or software can cure.

Good luck and let us know!

[Spud1]

OK I might have to do this tomorrow. As I wont be around my computer to create a suitable backup until then, speak tomorrow thanks for your help so far, ill let you get back to your Sunday!