I have searched high and low for a solution and the general consensus was to upgrade the device software. This is not recommended for beginners though and so I had a play about.

On both devices I discovered that their profile was set to “Loud” and changing it to “Normal” cured the problem, even when the volumes were set to max in the “Normal” profile.

If you have this annoying problem, before sending it away or attempting to upgrade it yourself then just try changing the Profile and see if it fixes it.

Please leave comments below if this does (or does not) work.

David

BMcClure from CrackBerry Forums has posted a great guide on best practice for performing the update successfully. There are two actually, one for beginners and one for more advanced users.

These are highly recommended reading for anyone attempting to update their BlackBerry.

Check the full guide here.

You see I am of the opinion that if the main function of a device (after making and receiving calls) is to get email whilst you are out and about then a BlackBerry wins hands down. My reasoning is that the email application is built in to a BlackBerry as part of it’s normal operating function. You don’t have to open an email application like you do on some other devices, it’s there already; just open, read and reply to your messages – they have already downloaded to your device without you having to do anything. Push email means that there is no “send and receive”, not delay whilst you run the email software.

Better still, with most network operators, the BlackBerry add-on means that all of your email is included in the price (whilst in your home country). That means no big shocks when the bill arrives for expensive data usage. Even when used abroad, the data used by a BlackBerry is a lot less than that on a Windows device so the roaming data costs to get your email are a lot lower. The most I’ve spent in Europe for 7 days’ BlackBerry use was around £9 and that was with email being hammered every day!

Some IT departments argue that the Windows device will integrate with their server without any additional software or costs but they need to look at the options available on BlackBerry. For BIS it can easily be configured at no extra cost and the Professional Solutions is now free for up to 30 users, you even get the first CAL included.

If my clients are looking for web browsing as well the BlackBerry works well there as well but it’s not ideal. If they need to visit lots of “scripted” web sites that use big applications then the BlackBerry browser is not always usable. My suggestion? use a laptop with a Mobile Broadband dongle! Seriously, if you need to do lots of work on heavily scripted sites, view videos etc then any small screened device will cause problems and it’s easy connecting a laptop to the internet these days, wherever you are.

If you are faced with the same dilemma, about which mobile office device to go for then call me. My office number is 01204 595335 or use the contact form link at the top of this page. My advice is free and I always give my honest opinion about what tool would suit your needs the best, even if I am BlackBerry biased!!

David Allen

This confused me the first time I got a “trackball” BlackBerry and I was not alone.

You go to Profiles and can view and select all the available Profiles but there seems to be no way to edit the volume, ringtone etc. It’s crazy!

So, you need to go to Profiles in the menu and click in to it. You will see all the Profiles but you need to keep scrolling down to the “Advanced” option right at the bottom (yup, it’s well hidden!). Click in to Advanced and then select the Profile you wish to edit, you will now have umpteen options you can change and assign different tones and alerts for calls, emails, sms etc. Please note that there are separate settings for both In and Out Of Holster so if you do use an holster then you may want to edit those settings as well.

Once you are happy, click Back and then Save.  Job done!

The messages normally have text in them like the following:

This message is used to carry data between the BlackBerry handheld and an associated server. Please do not delete, move or respond to this message – it will be processed by the server.

BEGINETP 203AUKuwOMAAAAAIBAIMjU4NjQ5MWQgEG1kYWxlQHBmc2×0ZC5uZXQAAkfxaFAFQ0lDQUwDQICAgIESAAAwMURBREMyMjYrRysxAEx3KCIbPn8JqV98Hc2GiaoAGU7HTW9Nt0Or3nn62MzxqvkB5xbNxsyLsZLNBo5SJmZyfEiID8W1psULAOSpUw8TBuV5W/ee5qconmU1qtB/HQrgngtCWExqN1E4zno/xMm885TFeyJa3ckwpCcSzRgNQ82LdvN68w8s//1EqAvaTiM!ENDETP -1755737569

The common cause is because you are running on the BIS system but have installed the Desktop Manager software on your PC for BES, now it is trying to send everything over the air and BIS only does remote email.

The first thing you need to do is un-install the DTM software and re-install it but… when you come to the part of the set up about email choose either “BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service)” on older versions or “Personal Email” (even if you are using it for work related email) on newer versions of the software.

 The next thing you need to do is navigate in the Menu to Options>Advanced Options>Service Book

There should be two service books (amongst others) in there that are CMIME and CICAL – you need to delete both of these. Delete them by highlighting each and pressing the Menu key (with the dots on) and then delete.

This should cure the problem of the etp.dat messages!

In the UK you will have connected your BlackBerry via T-Mobile, Orange, Vodafone or O2. The first thing you need to do is visit your network’s BlackBerry web client page:

T-Mobile
www.instantemail.t-mobile.co.uk

Orange
https://bis.eu.blackberry.com/html?brand=orangeuk

Vodafone
www.mobileemail.vodafone.net

O2
www.o2email.co.uk

It’s important when you first turn on your new device , that you skip the email set-up wizard as the web client gives you a lot more flexibility when adding, removing and editing email accounts. If you try to set it up on the device, even if you don’t complete the set up, the PIN (which is the unique BlackBerry identification number) will be classed as allocated and you won’t be able to set up the web account.

Once you have arrived at the web address for your network (see above) you must click on the Create New Account button:

Please note that before you create your account you must have the sim card in the device, have it switched on and either GPRS,EDGE or 3G in upper case at the top, near the signal meter. This notifies the BlackBerry system that the device is connected and has a BlackBerry data account (BIS).

Next, agree to the terms and on the next page you need to enter your PIN and IMEI codes. These can be found on the box your device came in and can also be found by going to Options>Status in the main menu.

Enter the codes and hit Continue. If successful you will be prompted to choose a user name and password. If the user name is not taken you will be directed in to the main web client area, if it has been taken you will be prompted to choose a different user name.

Once inside the web client you will see two options for adding email accounts. The top one is for your existing accounts like Hotmail, AOL and Yahoo etc plus maybe you have your own POP email account, this can be added here as well and the smart wizard usually only requires the email address and password.

The bottom option is to set up BlackBerry email addresses.

 Any emails sent to a BlackBerry email address are received within seconds rather than minutes and the BlackBerry servers are very reliable. If you use the traditional (top) method with a POP email account, the BlackBerry will be logging in to your mailbox every few minutes to drag emails to the device. Now problems can occur if your server is down (say for maintenance etc) and also if Outlook is open on your desktop PC and has downloaded and deleted emails from the server before the BlackBerry system has grabbed a copy you won’t get them on the device.

Now here is what I always do, and recommend my clients to do as well;

Set up a BlackBerry email address, once created you can go in and edit your display name. You also need to change the “Reply To” email address to your normal email address and save it. Then, in your main email account’s control panel, set up a forwarding rule so that a copy of your emails is forwarded to the BlackBerry email address that you just created. If you are running Windows Small Business Server without web access then read this article to find out how to set the forwarding rule.

This now means that your emails arrive in seconds and when you write an email or reply to one that you have received, it will look like it’s been sent from your main email address. In effect, the BlackBerry email address is just a “middle man” to make the system run smoothly. You also don’t suffer from invalidated email accounts on the BlackBerry because the server was down.

I hope that this helps to make your BIS set up a bit easier and keep reading for more tips.

David

First, create a BlackBerry email address using the online control panel that your mobile network provides. The good thing about a BB email address is that emails are received within seconds.

Then follow the instructions below to get emails forwarded to that email address.

STEP 1 ADD A CONTACT
 
Goto Start
          All Programs
          Administrative Tools
          Active Directory Users & Computers
 
From the tool bar select  Action
                                           New
                                           Contact
 
Enter Contact Name ( just enter the name as per exchange and add blackberry on the end ie johnsmithblackberry)
     Click Next
     Next to “email box” click modify
     Select smtp address then click ok
     Enter Blackberry email address and click apply then ok
     Click Next
     Click Finish
 
STEP 2 Forward exchange emails to blackberry address
 
On Desktop Select Server Management
                      Select Users
                      Double click the user whose emails you want to

foward to the blackberry
                      Once Users properties opens select the exchange general tab
                      Select delivery options
                      Halfway down you should see forwarding address
                      Click on Forward To
                      Then on Modify
                      Enter  first 3 letters from contact name from step 1 then click check names
                      The contact name should appear
                      Select the contact name and ok
                      Tick the “Deliver messages to both forwarding address and mailbox” tick box
                      Click ok
                      Click Apply
                       Click ok
 
Job done!

Many thanks to Nigel at LDG Preston for sharing this.

Overview

The BlackBerry is primarily used as a mobile email device but can also be used as a mobile phone and can be used for text messaging too.  It features an address book, memo pad, tasks, alarm, calculator, calendar/diary, WAP (mobile internet) and basic web page viewing! The best thing about using the BlackBerry for email is that it uses “Push Mail” technology; this means that you don’t have to search for mails, they are instantly sent.

Layout/Buttons

On the front of the 7230 are a QWERTY keypad and the “ON” button (which also doubles up as the backlight button). It is on the front of the device, bottom right, and looks like a “SUN”

On the right hand side of the 7230 is a “Trackwheel” button. This is the main menu control. You use this to scroll (up or down) to the menu feature you require.  When you have highlighted the desired menu function, simply click the button in to the device to select it. If you make a mistake or need to go back a step, there is a “Back/ESC” button, just underneath the Trackwheel. Click this button to go back one step at a time.

Additional buttons on the qwerty pad are the “Shift” key which is bottom left and is used to select the numbers and characters above each qwerty button, the “CAPS” key for upper case letters, the “DEL” key for deleting and backspacing, the “Return” key and the “SYM” key for accessing characters that aren’t  visible on other keys (£ for example).

Turning the device on and off

To turn on the device, simply press the “ON” button, it will take a minute or two to boot up and log on to the network. When it is fully connected, the top right of the screen will display “GPRS” (in upper case letters) next to the signal strength meter.

To turn it off, click the Trackwheel button and scroll down to the very last icon which resembles a switch and displays on screen “Turn Power Off”.  You can either click the Trackwheel and select “Power Off” or press the Return key and select “Power Off”.

There is also an Auto Power Off feature which will turn the phone off and on at pre-set times, for example OFF at 11PM and ON at 7AM etc.  To set this feature scroll on the menu to the “Spanner” icon, which also will display “Options”.  Press Return or click the Trackwheel in to select this option and scroll down to “Auto On/Off”.  Select this option and you will see the settings.  Using the Trackwheel, scroll to the time options and select “Change Option” to set the desired times. When the times are correct, scroll to “Disabled” and again, using the “Change Option” feature, set this to “Enabled”.

Do the same for weekend times and when you have finished, click in the Trackwheel and select “Save”. The unit will now switch itself on and off at your desired times.

Charging the BlackBerry

In the box there are two USB type leads. Plug one of these in to the mains charger and the other end in to the socket on the left hand side of the device.

You can also charge it by plugging the large end of the lead in to the USB port on a PC. Please check with your IT Manager before using this option though.

Making a phone call

The easy way to make a call is to press the “SPACE” button. This brings up the number prompt box. Just enter the number using the QWERTY keypad. The numbers will automatically be available in this mode so you don’t have to use the Shift key. To dial, press Enter or click in the Trackwheel button.

To end the call, press and hold the DEL/ESC button.

Accessing Voicemail

To retrieve voicemail messages, scroll up to the “Phone” icon and select it. Click the Trackwheel in and select “Call Voicemail”. This will automatically dial out for you.  End the call as before.

Please note that at present, voicemail is free of charge on T-Mobile.

Email

When you receive an email the 7230 will alert you, whether by a tone, vibration or both depending on your profile settings. It will also display an envelope icon on the top left of the screen with a number to indicate the number of new messages received.

To access emails scroll up to the “Envelope” icon which will also display “Messages”.  Select this option and you will see a list of all emails received and sent. Also, if relevant, will be a list of calls made and received.  To view a particular message, scroll to highlight it and press Return or click in the Trackwheel key and select “Open”.  You can now scroll down to read your mail.

With the message open, if you click in the Trackwheel key once more, you will see a list of further options. These include “Reply”, “Forward” and “Save”.  To reply, select “Reply” and type in your message, then click in the Trackwheel and select send. The same goes for forwarding emails, using the “Forward” option.

To create a new email, scroll down to “Compose” and select.  When you have names in your Address Book you will see your Contacts list, we will come to this later. To send an email to a new person select “Use Once”. You will now be presented with several choices. Select “Email” and enter the recipient’s email address. A good time saving tip – when entering the address, rather than using Shift to select the “.” and “@” symbols, press the space bar and it inserts them automatically.

Once you have entered the email address press Return and type in the message Subject then press Enter again and type in your message.  To send it, press in the Trackwheel button and select “Send”.  When the message has sent a copy of it will appear in the Messages menu with a green tick to the left of it to indicate that it has actually sent.  If any other icon appears, press in the Trackwheel button and select “Resend”.

To Save a message, highlight it and press in the Trackwheel. Select “Save” and the message will be saved in the “Saved Messages” menu option (surprisingly!).

To Delete a message, highlight it and press the DEL key, then the Return key to confirm.

There is also an option to delete all messages prior to a certain date. In the Messages folder highlight a desired date press the Trackwheel.  Select “Delete Prior” and then select the “Delete” option in the confirmation box and Return (or press Trackwheel).

SMS/Text Messaging

Text messages are managed in exactly the same way as emails. Just choose “SMS” when creating a message and follow the instructions above for sending, saving, deleting etc.  Obviously, these must be sent to a mobile number rather than an email address.

Contacts/Address Book

To add a contact scroll to the “Address Book” option in the menu and select.  Press the Trackwheel and select “New Address”.  Type in the relevant details press the Trackwheel again then “Save”.

Depending on the information you store for each contact, when you go in to your Address Book and select a contact, you can send an email, send a SMS or phone the person direct from that location. Use the Trackwheel to select the desired option.

Calendar/Diary

Scroll to the “Calendar” option in the menu and select it.  The default view is Today. Using the Trackwheel you can change the current view to “Week”, “Month” or “Agenda”. You can also choose to go to a particular date or go forward on backward and day or week at a time.

To add an appointment click in the Trackwheel and select “New”.  Fill in the information using the keypad and the Trackwheel and when finished, press the Trackwheel and select Save.

Profile Settings/Sounds etc.

To customise the device scroll to the Spanner icon (Options) again and press Enter.  Here you have various options but the main ones to customise are
 
“Profiles” for Ringtones and Alerts
“Screen/Keyboard” to customise Fonts/Screensavers etc.
“Security”  to add a Password, Security Timeout and to turn the Auto Keylock on. (This last option locks the keypad when in the holster).

Online Control Panel

You can also manage your mail and personal preferences at

T-Mobile
www.instantemail.t-mobile.co.uk

Orange
https://bis.eu.blackberry.com/html?brand=orangeuk

O2
www.o2email.co.uk

Vodafone
www.mobileemail.vodafone.net

Your user name is the first part of the Instant Email address (the part before @instantemail.t-mobile.co.uk) Please refer to Management for the relevant password.

General Use/Handy Tips

Here are some tips to help you get more out of your BlackBerry.

1. Press ALT while rolling the Trackwheel to scroll horizontally in any screen where you can type or view text.

2. When typing text, press and hold a letter while rolling the Trackwheel to scroll through the accents, symbols, or marks associated with that character. When the desired character appears, release the letter key.

3. Press ESCAPE to exit any menu, dialog box, or screen.

4. Press the first letter or an item in an options list or menu to move directly to that item.

5. To find a contact in the To or Find screens, type the first letters of a name, or the initials separated by a space.

6. To copy and paste text, press ALT and click the Trackwheel. Roll the Trackwheel to select text. To copy the selected text, press ALT and click the Trackwheel. To paste the selected text, place the cursor in an editable field, and then press SHIFT and click the Trackwheel.

7. Press and hold a letter to capitalize it (you must have Key Rate enabled).

8. Press SPACE twice to insert a period when typing text (the letter following the period will be capitalized automatically).

9. Press the SPACE key to insert the “@” and “.” characters in an Email field.

10. Press R in an open message or in the Messages application to reply to the sender.

11. Press F in an open message or in the Messages application to forward the message.

12. Press L in an open message or in the Messages application to reply to all recipients.

13. Press ENTER to move down a page in an open message. Press ALT + ENTER to move up a page.

14. Press ALT + RIGHT SHIFT to turn on CAP-lock mode. Press SHIFT again to turn it off.

15. Press ALT + O to view outgoing messages. Press ALT + I to view incoming messages.

16. Press T to go to the top of a list or an open received message. Press B to go to the bottom.

17. Press N to go to the next date on the Messages screen. Press P to go to the previous date and press U to go to the next unread item.

18. Press number keys, without using ALT, to insert numbers in the Phone, Work, Home, Mobile, PIN, and Fax fields.

19. In the Calendar’s Day view, press SPACE to go to the next day. Press SHIFT+SPACE to go to the previous day.

20. In the Calendar’s Week view, hold ALT and roll the Trackwheel to scroll horizontally through the days.

Unless that is, that you happen to be with O2 and have an O2 branded device. For some reason they choose to only give a 12 month warranty which has caused some problems for certain of my clients.

At the time of writing, in the UK, T-Mobile and Vodafone give 24 month warranties and Orange offer Care to business customers depending on the length of contract.

If you are buying for business use then make sure to check the warranty period if you are on a longer contract.

Using one of the Wi-Fi enabled BlackBerries (8320, 8900, 9000 etc.) on the Orange network in the UK  you can connect via your broadband wireless router and make calls as normal. It uses a system called UMA which Orange allows and is an absolute godsend for users who live in remote locations where coverage is poor.

It doesn’t work with all internet providers but does with most.

To find out how you may benefit from UMA on Orange for your business then please call me on 01204 595335 (ask for David) or you can email here.