Other BlackBerry® Smartphones

[sponsonhead]

Ever since I updated my Blackberry 8820 to ver. 4.5 software, I have been unable to open attachments that I used to be able to open:  .doc, .xls, .pdf and so forth.

To answer the two most obvious remedies, YES I have Blackberry Attachment Service installed and enabled.  and YES, I have pulled the battery out of it on NUMEROUS occasions and done a reset boot that way.  Neither have changed the situation.

At this point, I am ready to attempt to downgrade to the software that came with it when I got it, or change phones completely.  Not being able to open basic attachments is a real deal-breaker here.

And, please--do NOT suggest I BUY a third party solution that will open anything.  All I want to do is to get back to the same functionality I was at previously, with the ability to open basic attachments, without having to pay for something I previously had for free.

Any suggestions out there?

Thanks!

[sdgardne]

Hi and Welcome to the Forums!

Sure -- we understand your frustration...but will take what you say and volunteer our help regardless...

Here are a few things to try:

1) Register HRT:

• Homescreen > Options > Advanced Options > Host Routing Table > BBKey (it does not matter which line is current) > Register Now

2) Resend Service Books:

• KB02830 Send the service books for the BlackBerry Internet Service

3) Restart from scratch:

• Remove your device OS update package from your PC
• Cleanly uninstall DTM:
• KB02206 How to perform a clean uninstall of BlackBerry Desktop Software
• DL a fresh version of DTM
• DL a fresh copy of your device OS package (from your carrier)
• Install DTM and the device package to your BB
• Run the Apploader in DTM and see if the Attachment service can be restored

BTW -- Of those you mention, I think that the only attachment that the Attachment Service opens natively is PDF...the others it hands off to the ToGo apps I think. Did you get the ToGo apps with the update?

Good luck and let us know!

[sponsonhead]

Thanks for the suggestions. 

I registered HRT, and resent the Service Books.  That got me PDF-enabled, and that's working great.  I checked to see if I had downloaded Documents ToGo and I hadn't, so I installed that.  Still not able to open an .xls file.  I pulled the battery and booted the phone.  Still not able to open. 

So then, I forwarded an email to BB from a different email account, with a different .xls file and a different word doc.  VOILA!  It works.

But curiously, attachments in mails (.xls, .pdf) that came in prior to my installing ToGo still don't open  What's up with that?

"It's getting better all the time."

[sdgardne]

Whew! I'm so glad something worked! Some days I wonder if my advice is of any value whatsoever! Yay!

As for the behavior of old email attachment xls's not being openable...that is odd indeed. A little synapse wants to fire to tell me something about that, but it won't quite fire...just an inkling of recollection that the situation indeed acts the way you describe. I suppose the workaround would be, from the email, to save the attachment to your BB...then you could use the ToGo apps to open it as a file on the BB.

[sponsonhead · Accepted solution]

I thought about that...downloading the spreadsheet to my card on my BB, but the weird thing is that ToGo doesn't have an icon to click on to open a spreadsheet....even though if I attempt to open a spreadsheet that comes in now, it lets me.  How weird is that?

Anyway....I guess I won't sweat the previously received emails that I can't open attachments on, since they only stay on my phone for about a week, and if I was without attachments for the past 4 months, if I lose a few more, it's not the end of the world...especially since it now seems to work for everything new that's coming in.

Thanks again for the welcome, and for the help!

[sdgardne]

Hmmm...I don't recall an icon inside of ToGo...but, you should have two ways to get to the saved document.

• Homescreen > Media > BBKey > Explore

Now navigate to the folder/file and then click it...ToGo should launch.

Or, launch the appropriate ToGo app (might be in Applications, Downloads, or wherever else you've put it)...in our example, it would be Sheet To Go. Then, the top of the screen should say "Open a File"...click that and you will have a navigation interface to find and open the file.

Enjoy!

[rm68]

I concur.  OLD attachments don't open.  I've been troubleshooting all morning.

I had to reload device software, and when I did, attachment manager didn't add.

all new emails attachements work.