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01-10-2012, 10:35 PM
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#1
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New Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Model: 9810
PIN: N/A
Carrier: T-Mobile
Posts: 3
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the "Ghost in the Blackberry"
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I purchased, about two weeks ago, a 9810 Torch, and discovered the ghost about five days later. All I did was set up a few email accounts and load some pictures.
I've followed some threads through a search, and found a number of solutions to consider when the ghost appears in BB models. From the many threads, this ghost is obviously at work when the cursor moves by itself, jumps around your icons systmatically, ruins your typing, and scrolls your Home display horizontally. All without user input. I had to hold the tracking button in order to type anything at all.
I saw some suggestions for solving this issue:
1. Do a battery pull.
2. Get QuickPull.
3. Do a hard reboot.
Instead of adding an app to my unit, I opted for the alt+caps+delete method. Why?
First, I don't want to slide the back open and lever out the battery whenever it needs a reboot to clear the cache. Apparently, most OEMs suggest pulling it once a week.
Second, because the Torch is also a computer. For those of us who go WAY back in Windows history, the "three-fingered salute" has been a solution when all else fails. (In our newer PCs, we get to the Task Manager that way, of course.)
This problem of mine did not go away after the hard reboot.
I ran it by a T-Mobile kiosk staff member, and they suggested a software solution: through the BB Desktop Manager, delete the data, and then do a restore.
It seems that restoring the data is a good solution, although I haven't tested its success for too long yet, so the jury is still out on this one.
The method I used:
1. Do a hard reboot to clear the cache.
2. If you have a good, clean backup set from the BB, delete your entire dataset on the BB, and then restore your data from a good backup.
However, if you let the BBDM back up your unit first, you will have a dirty backup set, which you should not use. Actually, using a dirty set made my ghost twice as fast. You will need to go to an earlier backup file from a stable phone condition.
3. If you don't yet have a good backup file, it would be a good idea to reload the OS from a download, which will cause you to lose your own files, but it should stop the ghost.
You will then need to also redo your contacts, apps, pictures, videos, etc.
4. I originally loaded jpegs from my collected photo images in various places from my PC through the BBDM. You will find a Blackberry pictures folder in the directory window in the BBDM, and you can drag and drop your pictures from your PC back into the pictures directory on your BB. Of course, you will need to know where they live on your PC.
I think that the point is: since the BB is a computer, just as you would need to with a PC, you, at some point, will need to delete and then refresh your system (e.g. Windows Restore).
It's also a good idea to limit your PC "My Pictures" folder to what you want on your BB -- at least it defaults to this directory. I haven't expreimented yet with folders on the BB. You can always put your other special images on your PC into a folder you designate elsewhere.
As an afterthought, it would seem that RIM would have foreseen this issue, but, even with OS 7.0.0, it most likely has not been addressed yet. Othewise, how would it happen? With 768 MB of RAM, go figure.
Like Windows and the Mac, it doesn't always clear its own memory. It has to be forced to do it.
So far, my BB has stayed stable. I don't know whether the ghost will return, but when it does, I will again try the steps above.
This is one the T-Mobile kiosk did not combine as a solution: a hardware AND a software refresh.
Any other input on the 9810?
wdigitaldesign
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01-11-2012, 01:00 PM
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#2
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New Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: In a van down by the river.
Model: NOTE2
OS: 4.1
PIN: <- Where do I find this?
Carrier: Sprint
Posts: 15,104
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Re: the "Ghost in the Blackberry"
What is this ghost you speak of?
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When you take things for granted, the things you are granted, get taken.
Even a mosquito doesn't get a pat on the back until it starts to work.
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[BES 5.0.3 / GroupWise 2012 HP2]
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01-11-2012, 01:22 PM
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#3
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iPhone Convert
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Tulip City - MI
Model: iP5
OS: 6.0.2
PIN: to beans
Carrier: I'm not
Posts: 13,878
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Re: the "Ghost in the Blackberry"
^^ I was wondering the same thing.....
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No longer a BES Admin, but it was fun while it lasted!
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01-11-2012, 02:23 PM
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#4
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BlackBerry Extraordinaire
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Toronto
Model: Priv
OS: 5.1.1
PIN: 2AB9C463
Carrier: WIND
Posts: 2,364
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Re: the "Ghost in the Blackberry"
Phone is doing stuff on it's own. Like a Ghost in the Machine.
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fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt
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01-11-2012, 02:59 PM
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#5
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Talking BlackBerry Encyclopedia
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Boston area
Model: z10
Carrier: AT&T
Posts: 416
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Re: the "Ghost in the Blackberry"
<<From the many threads, this ghost is obviously at work when the cursor moves by itself, jumps around your icons systmatically, ruins your typing, and scrolls your Home display horizontally. All without user input. I had to hold the tracking button in order to type anything at all.>>
I have this happen on occasion with mine. Funny thing is that it is always at night outside in the dark. Will be sitting in the car waiting for wife and pull out BB from holster and Cursor just starts to spontaneously jump around to the point where it's next to impossible to enter my unlock password.
Requires a reboot to stop it.
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z10 on AT&T (plus an HTC One X)
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01-11-2012, 09:51 PM
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#6
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New Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Model: 9810
PIN: N/A
Carrier: T-Mobile
Posts: 3
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Re: the "Ghost in the Blackberry"
Further on the "ghost":
It happened tonight after I went to pictures and then exited back to Home. Perhaps so much for my solution with this particular unit.
I didn't have to view any pictures to get the ghost to walk around, and after going to Home, it stepped on my icons as if they were stepping stones, until it finally went to "roost" at the very top of the screen.
I also did a hard reboot tonight, which didn't fix the moving selection. Mine tends to move to the left and then up.
I plan to swap it for a new one under the 14 day T-Mobile swap period, since the solutions I suggested may not work if I have a bad trackpad. At least that is my suspicion at this point.
If the swap doesn't prove to rid me of the ghost, it may be that there are serious issues either with the hardware, the OS, or maybe both, since it's a newer model.
To be continued...
wdigitaldesign
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01-12-2012, 11:45 AM
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#7
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Talking BlackBerry Encyclopedia
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Model: 9810
OS: 7.1.0...
Carrier: Rogers Wireless
Posts: 470
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Re: the "Ghost in the Blackberry"
I would say get the DOA RMA. It seems like there may be an issue with the trackpad or touchscreen.
--Phil
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Phil
Emergency Medical & Disaster Response
BlackBerry PlayBook 64GB, 9900, 9810, 9800, 9780, 9700, 9000, 8310, 8220, 8700R, 8100, 8300, 7290
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01-13-2012, 12:51 AM
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#8
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Knows Where the Search Button Is
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Model: 9810
PIN: N/A
Carrier: AT&T
Posts: 26
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Re: the "Ghost in the Blackberry"
My "ghost" with my 9810 is it will enable Wi-fi on its own. Often my battery will fizzle out, much, much sooner then would be typical.
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01-17-2012, 10:03 PM
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#9
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New Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Model: 9810
PIN: N/A
Carrier: T-Mobile
Posts: 3
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Re: the "Ghost in the Blackberry"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Medic48
I would say get the DOA RMA. It seems like there may be an issue with the trackpad or touchscreen.
--Phil
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Finally did swap it out. Overall performance (both the touchscreen and trackpad) seems better on the new unit.
Jury's still out, though. Haven't had it as long as the previous one. Hopefully a couple of days will bring it past the point when the ghost showed up on the previous unit.
Glenn/wdigitaldesign
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