BlackBerry® Curve™

[Marathon04]

Long-time BB Curve 8530 user.  Currently have both desktop software issues (a separate post) and device issues. Most likely related to contact database. I'm an Outlook 2010 user.  Contact database will not sync, and so not all of my contacts have made it onto my device.  When I attempt to re-boot the device (battery out, then place back in) I receive the following dialogue box - "Uncaught Exception: !java.lang.NullPointerException"  there is an "OK" box to click.  I do so.  However, how do I fix this exception?  And what may have caused the exception? My contacts' database is still incomplete after the re-boot.

Appreciate the help. 

[sdgardne]

Hi and Welcome to the Community!!

There's pretty much no diagnosing those -- they are the equivalent of the random errors in Windows for which tracing the root cause is fruitless. Basically, these are the last out in the programming code -- some event occurred for which there is no handler in the code. The fix is a code update that handles the event...but, again, knowing what the event is is pretty much impossible. So, there are a few things to try:

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Sometimes, the code simply becomes corrupt and needs to be refreshed -- just like a reboot:

• Anytime random strange behavior or sluggishness creeps in, the first thing to do is a battery pop reboot. With power ON, remove the back cover and pull out the battery. Wait about a minute then replace the battery and cover. Power up and wait patiently through the long reboot -- ~5 minutes. See if things have returned to good operation. Like all computing devices, BB's suffer from memory leaks and such...with a hard reboot being the best cure.

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If it won't boot up cleanly, then you may need to try Safe Mode:

• KB17877 How to start a BlackBerry smartphone in safe mode

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There might be an updated code set from the carrier -- check them via this portal:

•  http://na.blackberry.com/eng/support/downloads/download_sites.jsp

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The toughest possible cause is a badly behaving app. To find it, there are a couple of options. One is to see if you can read the log file:

Go to the home screen. Hold down the "alt" key and type 'lglg'. (You will not see anything while you type).This will bring up the log file. Scroll down (probably many pages) untill you see a line that says 'uncaught execption'. Click on this line. The name of the app will be in the info. Alternative methods for bringing up the logs are in this KB:

• KB05349How to enable, access, and extract the event logs on a BlackBerry smartphone

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The other method is to remove apps one at a time, waiting a while in between (I usually recommend a week), until the problem ceases...thereby discovering the offending app. Still another method is to reload the BB OS cleanly, leaving some time between adding other apps onto the BB so as to be able to determine exactly which one is the cause.

Good luck and let us know!

[Marathon04]

Thanks for the tips.  The "alt lglg" worked.  However, now that I've found it, how do I correct it? As I suspected it has to do with the address book.

[sdgardne]

If your contacts database is complete outside of the BB, then starting over for the BB might be good...see steps 8 and 9 of this post:

• http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/Desktop-Software-for-PC/Cleanly-quot-Starting-Over-quot-with-...

If it's only the database on the BB that is corrupt, then this clearing and repopulating of it might work. Otherwise, you might have to wipe your BB and reconfigure/restore everything...see the link in my auto-sig on this post for a thread that discusses how to be sure you have a full and complete backup from which to restore.

Good luck!

[Marathon04]

Thanks for the responses.

Before I "pull the rip cord" and perform the wipe, I looked at my back-up files.  I thought possibly restoring a back-up file would do the trick.  When I view my back-up file from Monday to restore, the "Address Book - All" indicates 767 entries.  However, it is "dimmed", and below the dialogue box it states, "Dimmed entries are read only and cannot be restored".  So, the entries are there, I just cannot restore them.

I posted the issue of my Blackberry Desktop Software indicating "Contacts (not available)" under a separate post for the Curve 8530 under the subject line "Sychronization - Contacts (not available)" earlier today.  No responses yet.

Any thoughts you have would be appreciated.  I'm following your advice, I'm just hesistant to perform the security wipe, as I am unsure how that may address the BDS sychronization issue of Contacts (not available).  How can one move the Contacts from read-only status?

[sdgardne]

When a database is dimmed like that, it usually means that there is configured to the BB another means of synchronizing that data besides the direct USB sync. Typically, it's some OTA sync with GMail, BES, or some other service. You can backup the database, but because that other method of synchronization is active, you cannot restore until you defeat that other method.

So please check carefully all methods of synchronization you have active for your contacts, and then choose carefully which method to keep. For instance, if you do have OTA sync active, then there is no purpose behind direct USB sync anyway.

You need to check carefully in two places...within the Contact List Options, as well as within the Email Configuration Wizard for the email account that may be configured for OTA sync of contacts.

Good luck and let us know!

PS -- whenever you choose to post separately an issue that is related, please at least provide links in both places back to the other thread. It is pretty much impossible, for example, for someone to read your other thread and even know that this discussion even exists. What happens is that someone who wants to help over there cannot benefit from any of the discussion here...resulting in potentially redundant and/or conflicting advice for you. Typically, when working a particular issue, it is always best to just keep the entire discussion in one single thread.