This occupied a good amount of my day, trying to figure out what could have been wrong.

Basically my problem was that I noticed that when I’m trying to reply to an email from my BlackBerry (my @winterheim.com account), the Send option was not appearing and when I check out the email details, the Received Using field displayed Unknown.

I tried checking if this was because of transition problems with my Google Apps account where my personal webmail is hosted but it did not apply. I tried adding other accounts from that domain and everything appeared to be just fine. All the emails indicated which account received the email. Even my office OWA account worked properly. So it was just my main @winterheim.com account that was not working properly. One more frustrating thing that was happening was that whenever I tried to access my winterheim.com inbox directly (I normally access all my email accounts from the Messages application), the screen freezes and I need to open the multitasking window just to get out of that frozen state.

So I combed the net to see if anyone had a solution. The most common suggestion was to delete the related service books then have them re-sent to my BlackBerry. Tried that. Didn’t work.

The most drastic options that came about were the data/security wipe + restore option and the OS reinstall option. I didn’t want to reinstall my OS although it definitely crossed my mind since I felt that these problems started to surface when I upgraded to OS 5.0.0.900 from .681.

I’ve tried restoring to most recent “healthy” state that my BlackBerry was in which was a back-up I made prior to upgrading to the .900 build. That didn’t work either. I’ve tried deleting the email account in question as well as the service books then resend them from the BIS website for my service provider. Didn’t work.

So I mustered up the courage to do a partial data/security wipe. A partial wipe meant all my messages, calendar data, settings and whatnot will be deleted by the apps will stay there. They’ll just be in a fresh state since even the application settings and permissions will be wiped. But basically, I end up with a fresh BlackBerry but with the apps I’ve already installed intact.

After doing so, I didn’t proceed with doing a restore. I tried having my service provider resend the service books first and see if I can receive email “properly” and by properly, I meant that I’d be able to reply to emails properly and the phone will recognize what account it is using to receive the emails.

It worked! But I was left with a barebones-looking device. So I decided it’s safe to do a restore.

After doing so, I tried resending emails and replying to emails using my main @winterheim.com account. I tried receiving emails from there as well. Everything was fine!

So I didn’t need to go as far as to do an OS reinstall/downgrade after all although my computer was already being set up to carry out that task as I was trying to find other alternative solutions.

So for those who are encountering inbox/gmail icon freezes, missing reply options and received using: unknown, here’s what can do to resolve it. (note: I am on OS 5.0.0.900 and using BIS 2.0)

1. Make sure you have a full back-up of your data from your BlackBerry, hopefully from before all this started to happen. Or at least have a full back-up of all the pertinent data you need. The rest can be re-synced.
2. Do a partial data/security wipe. (Options > Security Options > Security Wipe – Emails, Contacts, etc.)
3. After security wipe is completed and device has rebooted, you will have a fresh device with no settings whatsoever so you pretty much start from scratch on the settings end. Skip restoring your settings for now.
4. Resend your Service Books.
5. Test the email account in question if the reply option appears and received using: indicates what email address you are testing.
6. Once everything is confirmed to be in good working order, restore to the healthiest Back-Up file for your BlackBerry. You’ll be short of several messages and maybe a couple of contacts but at least all is well in the world again.

Remeber, I did not get as far as doing a downgrade/reinstall of the BlackBerry OS and this might be strictly applicable to OS5 and BIS 2.0 but it’s always worth giving a shot. If it doesn’t work, there’s always the downgrade/reinstall on the OS end.

But one thing’s for sure: I hope you never experience this problem but at the same time, don’t give up on trying to figure out what went wrong. Sometimes, a complete wipe is just what a device like this needs.

I think I skipped last year for making up a Christmas wishlist so I figured it’s a good time to write another one up this year. I actually just have a devices this year that I would actually want to have. I also tried to limit the price range because the other stuff that I would like to get are ones that I can delay or postpone to later months. These ones, however, would be nice to get this Christmas season.

First up on the list is the MadCatz R.A.T.9. It’s an adjustable mouse with a really wicked cool look. I would love to have either this or the Razer Orochi as my wireless optical mouse.

Next up is the Hisense Stereo Headset HB440H. I love my current earbuds but the end keeps snagging in my pocket since the headphone jack on my BlackBerry is on the side (all of a sudden, iPod’s headphone jack positioning makes sense). So to avoid the snagging altogether, this would be a nice acquisition. If not this, then Hisense HB400C is a close second. This is also a bluetooth communication device which basically moves your earphone jack away from your device and allows you to take calls with it. But since the device is a small bit that you can hang around your neck with the earphone jack there, you can change headsets and use any compatible headset brand you like.

I’ve mentioned before that I’d like to upgrade from a Curve to a Bold. And the latest Bold release is what I would want to upgrade to. The Bold 9780 looks almost exactly like the 9700 except for that darker chrome edge. It has twice the RAM as the 9700 and comes with OS6 out of the box. The Curve is nice but with the frequency that I use it, the keyboard’s about to give out on me. I am hoping that since the Bold is of a higher-end device, it would have a better, sturdier keypad.

Aviator glasses: something I have always wanted to own. I saw a black framed one with gold mirror lenses.

The Wii is more of a party piece than anything else. If not this, then a new laptop would be just as good for me.

What’s on YOUR Christmas wishlist?

Ok, before that, this is my first post using the new WordPress 3.0.1. I know I was a bit late in upgrading but I must say, it’s definitely snappier than the previous version on the backend.

Anyways, so I’ve owned this BlackBerry for a couple of months now and I can definitely say I’m a happy user. I can see the iPhone and Android users rolling their eyes saying in the back of their minds: “That’s because you haven’t tried using an iPhone/Android”.

But seriously, I’m quite happy right now with my BlackBerry and the things I am able to do with it.

I chose to make the switch when I was finally getting tired of my old Sony Ericsson W960 and wanted to change brands and phone types. Prior to the switch, I have not owned a QWERTY smartphone so this is a bit of a change for me as well. I have always been interested in what the hype was with BlackBerry smartphones and why they were popular amongst a good number of people so when I found out that one of our telecomm companies here provided prepaid service for BIS, I figured it was the right time to get one.

My first and current BlackBerry isn’t an expensive one. It’s a BlackBerry Curve 8520. Will it be my last BlackBerry device? Probably not. Will I upgrade to a Bold in the future? Highly likely. Will I try out a touchscreen BlackBerry? No. Unless it’s the BlackBerry PlayBook. Continue Reading

First time I’m trying out the WordPress BlackBerry app for more than just approving and replying to comments on this blog so here I am writing a blog post while on a bus to work. (And then a bloke with a smelly shirt sits down beside me. Splendid.)

Still have a few toys I am expecting to arrive before this calendar year ends but I have definitely cut back on buying newer ones. Priority has started moving away from buying the latest Nendoroid releases to buffing up my savings as well as setting aside money for a new laptop. (Mr. Smelly-Shirt moved to a different seat. Thank goodness.)

It’s an interesting shift having cut back on toy expenses because before, I would quickly and readily put up a preorder request but now, I am already content with just being aware of what’s going on in the Japanese toy scene. It doesn’t mean that I’ll be stopping from buying toys or even blogging about them. Absolutely not. But I can definitely say the direction of my interests have taken a turn again. I will still pick up a toy or two down the line, especially when I encounter something that I simply could not pass up on (ex. Momohime figurine, and GFFN FA Unicorn Gundam).

Makes me wonder now if there are any blog visitors who have started feeling that slowdown in purchases especially if the uptake and peak of your purchasing was triggered by all the hype on toys you don’t necessarily want or are interested in.