I'll start by saying I am a newby and hope that some of you BB veterans can help me.
1) Purchased At&T branded BB BOLD 9700 from internet
2) I wanted to set up multiple email accounts gmail, hotmail etc
3)I successfully unlocked it..still could not set up emails
4) I read on this forum about IT policies So I wiped those with the utility recommnded...Still no email settings possible except for BES

A) How do I get the BIS menu to appear?
B) Is it possible to have a fully functional BB 9700 without any branding or other limitation?
c) What other limitations does my at&t branded phone have that I can remove?

I read that I need Small Business Server or MS Exchange to set up BES..I just wanted standard emails.

Hope you can help me...THX

First, you need a BB data plan from AT&T. Do you have that? That should set you up with a BIS account. Assuming the seller canceled their BIS account and released the PIN, then you should be able to set up email. If the PIN has not been released, then you will need to contact the seller.

Please read our FAQ article on buying a used BB from eBay. It has good information on buying any used BB.

You cannot change the opening splash screen as it is part of the device firmware. What carrier branding is on the device now?

yeah I should have read that section before buying!! I thought BB were like other phones only with better security..but I am wrong they are dedicated corporate phones
So you are saying that the BIS option only appears on my BB when I insert a data plan sim card?..I should have done my homework before.
If so, are you saying that the BES option is the only standard option that appears on the settins wizard when you buy an off-the shelf-non-branded BB 9700?

I am in Australia (which is why I unlocked the phone) and I just contacted Vodafone here and they told me something similar buy a monthly contract BB data plan or there are no warranties on BB working on my prepaid account.

Does that mean I cannot do sms and MMs with the BB without this dat plan?

thank you for your help Dubdub

No, you need a blackberry data plan to setup email.
Voice and SMS will work, MMS usually requires a data plan.

Is there a version of the BB OS which is totally restriction-free?
Un locking from AT&T does not remove previous AT&T restrictions?

Its not a restriction set on the device.
Unlocking merely allows for use on another carrier.
You would need a blackberry data plan from whatever carrier you use it on, to get email.

Never mind. MD beat me too it and I ended up saying pretty much the same thing.

Thank you MD and rambo47... I called the local Vodafone carrier and they asked me to connect the phone to the desktop manager to get me to use the BB as a modem for my computer..NOT POSSIBLE...apparently my Desktop manager(latest version) does not have some options on the TOOLS menu The guy said that maybe the at&t branding of the phone does not allow me to download the full Desktop version.(are there different destop manager options for different carriers?)

Ok, I guess what I am trying to find out is whether I have a "restricted" BB or not.

Can I debrand the phone so that it becomes a virgin BB from a phone shop? (Does such a BB exist or are they all tailored to the phone carriers' specifications?)


Sorry for my rambling but I've been a Nokia owner and with Nokia and other phones there is a PRODUCT CODE which governs which firmware will upload to the unit. So if you get an at&t branded nokia you can change the PRODUCT CODE and make the nokia an unrestricted "straight from the shop box" unit, or you can brand it for vodafone Uk, Italy etc

Is there anyone who can assist, I am a newbie, I have just sign on to My Plan Basic Plan with Etisalate - UAE, and got my BB 9800. I have a small issue I cannot get my e-mail set up and also not sure is BB messenger is working properly.

I do have a dat package with elisalate "EDGE" by have not prescribed to BB services.

Any help will be appreciated in settin up e-mail and messenger.

Why vodafone told you to use the phone as a modem, I've no idea. That's a) not gonna fix the problem, and b) won't work cause you need a data plan for that to work.

No, there is one desktop manager.

All blackberries are the same [except the startup image] and everything "carrier" related is controlled by service books.
You need a blackberry data plan to get service books.

I understand about Nokia [had a N95 at one point] but no, you cannot rebrand it.

You need to call your carrier and ask for a BLACKBERRY DATA PLAN.
If the carrier you want to use it on doesn't offer Blackberry data on prepaid, then you are going to have to a)get a contract, b) find a carrier that does offer blackberry data on prepaid, or c) get another phone that isn't a blackberry.

I asked Vodafone for the settings so that I could use the BB as a MODEM (in jargon it is a TETHERED MODEM function.) This would have allowed me to :

1) use my PC without a wireless card (expensive!)
2) use the 3 GB of data on my Vodafone prepaid plan which i cannot use with my Nokia 5800 because it is simply "too slow"

But here is what I discovered. The reason my DESKTOP MANAGER did NOT have the additional TOOLS menu option is because my 9700 does NOT have Tethered Modem facilities.
This is what BB has to say about Tethered Modems:

BlackBerry - PDA Wifi - Tethered Modem on BlackBerry Smartphones

I would have expected the Vodafone technical support to know this! Instead they told me I have a limitation on my DESKTOP MANAGER.
I shall contact another carrier to see if I can get a prepaid BB plan

UPDATE!!!!!!!

I just had a look at your past threads and I found this comment from trax95008:

"its disabled (referring to the TETHERED MODEM OPTION) if you have an att branded phone. there is a way to edit an .alx file to get it to work and i HAVE done it and it DOES work. but for the life of me, i cant find the write up i used to edit it. i will keep searching and let you know when i find it"

So this would indicate that "All BB are NOT equal" each carrier seems to adapt it to its own needs to some extent. Will try to find file to change and come back...