[Lotus99]

First time in 10 OS installs this has happened to me... great.

The instructions say:

Originally Posted by Raptor464

BlackBerry Handheld Software v4.5.0.255 (EastAsia)

The process takes about 45 minutes to an hour depending on how much data you have to backup and restore during the process. Once it's done loading the new OS it will reboot (it may do this twice during the entire process.) You will see a white screen with an hourglass for up to 20 minutes at a time while the DM says "waiting for initialization."

If, for some reason, you end up with a white screen with small icons and the number 507, simply connect to the PC again and run Loader.exe again and it should load the OS to the device.

So I've disconnected the BB's cable to the PC, reconnected it, I double click Loader.exe, but on the next screen where it says your PIN usually and shows the communication port selection, it's blank in the drop down menu, and I can't connect to it. I even pulled the battery, but it didn't help.

Am I supposed to double click the Handheld Software v4.5.0.255 (EastAsia) again?

Help please!

[Lotus99]

And I've tried to use JL commander to wipe it, from here: How do I wipe the BlackBerry using Jl Cmder? - BlackBerryFAQ but got no luck as it couldn't connect to it, so then I tried the instructions here What to do next if Jl Cmder will not connect and wipe if JL commander couldn't connect, and I'm still not getting anywhere.

F&%#$! What have I done???

[Lotus99]

Well, I kept poking around here, and found a post saying that connecting to hubs might cause problems. My monitor has a few USB ports on it and it plugs into the PC, so I suppose it's technically a hub. I'd not thought it might be the problem, as I've done like 10 OS installs this way without an issue. But as soon as I connected the wire directly to a USB port on the PC, it managed to connect to the BB, and I then ran loader as per the original instructions, and it finished it.

How can I get my old third party apps back?

One question now though: I had a bunch of apps on the BB before, that would have been backed up when I was doing the install the first time. I recall seeing them when apploader started, and had checked them off to be re-installed. The second time I launched apploader though (after the 507 error) I didn't see those third party apps anymore.

When I loaded my backup that was made before the first OS install, they didn't get installed - all my other stuff like messages did. Is there no way to get them from that backup?

If not, what should I have done differently so I can avoid having to go out and get all the apps again in the future?

[NJBlackBerry]

The applications themselves are located in a file folder (on your PC) with the name of your BB PIN.

If you look in the %TEMP% folder on your PC, you should see it.

Start / Run and type %TEMP% - it should open the temp folder.

You should see 123123AB (or whatever your PIN is) - you can copy that entire folder to somewhere else.

Then use Desktop Manager and add the applications in. Point to the pin.ALX file in the folder. They will all add in.

Good luck.

[Lotus99]

Thanks NJBlackBerry, I found a folder whose name was my PIN right where you said it should be. I was excited initially, as the date stamp on it even matched the time when I was doing the install. But there was no pin.ALX file in it though...

The only ALX files on my PC right now are all in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Research In Motion\Shared\Loader Files\ I have no pin.ALX file anywhere on my PC in fact.

What to do now? So they aren't in the big backup file made just before my first install? (called "LoaderBackup-(2009-09-02).ipd")

PS Was there a way to have backed up the apps separately that I should do next time in case it happens again, seeing this method of getting them back may not always work?

[NJBlackBerry]

There is a thread on how to just back up third party applications - they go into the %TEMP% folder. The IPD file does not have applications.

Are you missing applications that were loaded over the air, or through desktop manager?

[Lotus99]

I just found this link to backup 3rd party apps, I assume that's what you're referring to? http://www.blackberryforums.com/rim-...arty-apps.html

I had downloaded all my apps OTA, as far as I recall, like Google Maps, blingball, Opera, Bolt, Vlingo (this one really gets me, as my version is no longer downloadable and the new version doesn't have all the goodies the old one did).

Does your method to find them again in the TEMP folder only work for desktop manager installed apps?

[NJBlackBerry]

No - it is only for OTA apps!

[Lotus99]

I don't get it. So why am I not seeing this pin.ALX file?

PS I just realized you might mean the file would be called 12345678.ALX, but even that isn't there. All ALX files on my PC are in the folder I mentioned in the above post.

[NJBlackBerry]

Don't know. On mine, the <pin> directory has pin.ALX and all of the OTA applications.

[Lotus99]

Bummer. Thx for the help anyway. Guess I'll have to redownload them.

You think there's a way to get older versions of apps (not what the vendor's currently got out)? I was looking for vlingo 2, and 3 is out now, and you have to pay for some of the things that 2 would do for free.