after scouring these boards, internet, all available documentation, I'm wondering if anyone has ever had a problem like this. Simply put, the 7130e's cover is nearly impossible to remove.

yes, the instructions are all about pressing down the button and pulling down, but it the times where I can actually remove the back cover, it takes a good 20-30 minutes of attempting to pull before it suddenly decides to cooperate (i'm not exaggerating that time either). It's just impossible to get a grip.

Has anyone figured out the secret here? Thankfully, it's only landed across the room on soft places ... so far

thanks!

don't worry, I too (and even the Sprint rep that activated my phone who had to send it to a tech in the store) had a tough time until i took the time to figure out a proper way to do it. Simply press with your finger nail down on the tab but closer to the top with a good amount of pressure and then slide the door down. Give it a few tries and it'll be like second nature like it is for me now. I even damaged my door trying to open with a screwdriver so i was extremely pissed off after that.

Thanks! At least I know I'm not alone in this. I'm getting better at finding the "sweet spot," just wish they made it easier.

(yeah, my back cover has a few tiny screwdriver markings )

My back cover has a huge gash from this issue. A friend finally showed me how to do it. Whoops.

Put 7130 on table face down.
Grab sides of BB with thumb and middle finger of one hand at the bottom of the cover where it has the larger part.

with other hand, use index finder to push down the locking button while shifting with the first hand.

I wish I could video tape it. Just showed the Alltel rep at my local store about 1 hour ago -- he thanked me profusely

I had the same difficulty. Her is a easy solution. First I attach a four inch lenth of scotch tape on the battery cover with the loose end hanging off the bottom to use as a pull tab.

Then I use a finger nail to depress the release button just a slight amount. It's important to press down on the top edge of the button. Also it is very important not to press to hard because the amount of downward movement to release it is very small. If you press it down too far it binds and prevents the latch from releasing.

The key is to use the pull tab you made from tape to slide the cover off once you have released the latch.

Once I developed this method I find removing the battery door very easy.

The battery removal is a pain, but here are some good instructions
1. Take a letter opener or a flat head screw driver and push down on the top portion of the tab. The tab is located on the back side of the phone at the bottom.
2. Don't push down to hard
3. While pushing down use your free hands thumb to push down and slide the cover off the bottom of the phone.

Hope this works!!

as good as a point that you have this thread is over a year old.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry7130/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

An oldie but a goodie!

I'm going to reply with the most useful tip

Use a hammer :D j/k

Old Threads Die Hard :D

Good Threads Die Harder :D :D

Yeah, I second the use of a hammer! The only thing better would be a Bigger Hammer!

What a great thread, never a dull moment....