BlackBerry® Bold™

[cymrucyprus]

how can i restore my blackberry bold 9700 back to factory settings? 

the phone has a mind of it's own and is driving me nuts, only some buttons are working and it keeps turning itself off, calling random people and so on and it's only been since the last update it did.. need to restore please help!!!

[sdgardne]

Hello...and apologies for the delayed reply!

Hopefully you already have this sorted...but just in case.

To truly do exactly as you ask (reset to factory), follow this procedure:

• KB31291 How to reset a BlackBerry smartphone to factory settings using BlackBerry Desktop Software

But, that may or may not help, depending on things. If, for instance, something went wrong during that last update, then the actual thing to try might instead be to reload the OS from scratch.

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.

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If you are on MAC, you are limited to only your carriers sanctioned OS packages...but can still use any levels that they currently sanction. See this procedure:

• KB19915How to perform a clean reload of BlackBerry smartphone application software using BlackBerry Desktop Software

Good luck and let us know!