We thought it would be prudent to go through the process of upgrading your handheld software, what with OS 4.5 and 4.6 having hit us in pretty quick succession over the last month or two. New operating systems usually have plenty of new bells and whistles that are worth getting in on, so if you haven’t yet, we’ve got instruction here on how to make the switch. The BlackBerry OS upgrade can be a daunting process if you’ve never done it before, but don’t fear - Big Papa BBCool is here to hold your hand through the whole thing.
What you’ll need…
- Desktop Manager (free 200-300 MB download)
- Handheld software (free 60-80 MB download)
- Time (about two hours, counting download, device backup, and installation)
Steps
Difficulty: Mild salsa. It’s a little worrying that the backup doesn’t go through or your device doesn’t like the new OS, but the biggest pain is finding where to download the right software, which we’ll help you out with.
If you upgrade but find out that it’s not supported, can you downgrade?
Has anyone tried it on a telus 8330 yet?
Your link states the Orange UK site is for the 8700. Will this work with the 8703e?
I find it quite disappointing that the 8830 World Edition for Sprint is not on that happy list of available 4.5-4.6 as is it’s lesser siblings of the 8800 series. I hope RIM gets it going soon otherwise I see something other than a Blackberry in my near future. I’m tired of fixing/cleaning the damn trackball and dealing with sub-par messaging services I could get otherwise with another manufacturer’s device.
I followed the process, plugged in my BB 8310, nothing happened wrt updates…
I did all the right steps, the device software shows up in BB desktop software 4.5, deleted vendor.xml file, Verizon 8330 and when I plug it in the desktop manager does not say Update available? What am I missing ??
thanks
I followed the directions, but I don’t get the install screen when I plug in my curve.
The link for the Blackberry 8320 software download doesn’t work.
Joe
http://www.execubrand.com
Executive Brand, Inc.
Yes, you can downgrade if necessary. Simply run the Application Loader with no battery in your BlackBerry to erase all installed applications, then remove the handheld software from your PC as you would any other software, and download and install the older handheld software as normal
A few things to point out - running handheld software designed for another network runs little risk of damaging your hardware, but you may notice that some things do not function as they should. The most common issue is that service books for internet browsing do no work correctly, and so you do not have a Browser icon. You might need that. Also, if your carrier catches you, they can void your warranty, as this violates the EULA.
Hey I downloaded both new desktop manager and new phone software for my 8310 (att) and once finished installing new desktop and then running 8310 software nothing happened when
I plugged in my phone to computer?
Any ideas?
Jay
Save yourself about 140 Megs of SLOW Download and get Desktop Manager WITHOUT Media Manager! The English version is only about 61 Megs, and the MultiLanguage version is about 90.
Aside from it being an awful program, it will conflict with ANY and ALL Roxio software you already have installed, and it does not play well with Vista. It also takes well over 200 Megs of disk space.
You’re better off just using Mass Storage Mode and/or using a reader (which is 10 times faster).
Oh yea - the direct link to the DM Download page is:
https://www.blackberry.com/Downloads/browseSoftware.do
Comment 2:
A list of the sites that host the latest version OS available for ALL Devices is available at:
http://blackberryforums.pinstack.com/blog.php?b=86
Browse the list for your device, then download from any of the sites listed below it.
Unless the carrier you download from happens to be your device’s carrier, don’t forget to rename or delete the file “C:\Program Files\Common Files\Research In Motion\AppLoader\Vendor.xml” after installing the OS, otherwise the App Loader will not associate the OS with your device.
Can they make upgrading an OS any harder? You’re just giving us more reasons why the iPhone is so easy to use. What a horrible user experience the Blackberry is.
^^^
Hard? WTF, seriously? One word — LAZY…
I have a blackberry 8320 for T-mobile. A few months ago, I installed a beta of 4.5 but I don’t think it was meant for the 8320 (4.5.0.42) so I think now the desktop manager is already recognizing that I have 4.5 installed so when I try to instal 4.5.75, it doesn’t work, any ideas?
Brian,
Pull your head outta your *** and see that 95% of the world finds technology difficult to use. So yeah…Hard is an understatement.
MTS 8330 OS 4.5 messed up my Sprint curve. I get a JVM Error 548-flash erase failed. How od I reload OS 4.3 until Sprint comes out with 4.5? Desktop Manager 4.5 won’t recognize my BBY, so I can’t just reload 4.3. Thanks
For those who aren’t getting a notification like the one in step 3… If you just installed the Desktop Manager and handheld software, your computer might need a reboot before it recognizes everything (as tends to be the case with a lot of software).
@RobertSmith It doesn’t look like there’s an OS 4.5 for the 8703 or the 8830 just yet. If you find a download link, please post it!
@Joe Thanks! Fixed.
can I go to the at&t store and have them do it?
The upgrade to my 8330 went smoothly (BOS BIS 4.5). Had never updated my BOS before but seems to have gone without a hitch. I guess time will tell. I do not seem to have HTML mail viewing capability but that might be an issue on VZW’s side.
Thanks for the guidance on how to set up.
Thanks Simon! I’ll keep a lookout!
Can I upgrade to 4.5 on my bb curve my carrier is us cellular?
I installed the new OS on my 8700g. The upgrade went fine, but now I’m having trouble viewing the reminders of the calender and the tasks. You can see that rinminders popped up while the device is loccked, but as soon as I unlock the device the reminders are gone
Also, is there a way to unlock the Blackberry with the trackwheel?
Stefan
i installed the new OS, it was all good for a couple of hours, then it started to reset it self time and time again.
need help!!
Every time i tryy to upgrade my phone it says theres no new updates for my bb??? SOMEONE HELP MEEEE
I have a 8130 from US Cellular and followed the steps and also don’t get the upgrade notices when I plug it in (I double-checked after a reboot). I checked the about in my BB Connect and it lists 4.5 in the device software tab so I should be a go. Ideas?
@Ang Only if they’re really nice.
@Casey Your Curve is definitely upgradeable! Check Options>About to check your Curve’s model number, and download the appropriate OS from page 2.
@confused as hell
I was having the same problem till I looked at the notes on the vender.xml file. I just renamed it to _vender.xml and it notified me of the update. I will post how it goes.
For me it was:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Research In Motion\AppLoader\Vendor.xml
I managed (after much trouble, perseverance and vodka) to get the update onto my Telus 8330. The headache was caused by the fact I’m running BDM under Windows XP in Parallels on a MacBook Pro with OS X Leopard 10.5.2
I’m assuming if I had been on PC hardware I would not have had as much trouble.
UPDATE: Been running 4.5 for a day now without any hickups. Apps include: Viigo Beta, Yahoo IM, Facebook, Google Maps. Viigo download even seem to work better. Google Maps still doesn’t use my GPS info but that didn’t work before. US Cell might block that or something.
The “vendor.xml” file did not install on my PC.
Thank you for the step through. Without this I would have been completely lost. - bb 8320
Does this update come with the video camera?
I have a blackberry 8320 for T-mobile. A few months ago, I installed a beta of 4.5 but I don’t think it was meant for the 8320 (4.5.0.42) so I think now the desktop manager is already recognizing that I have 4.5 installed so when I try to instal 4.5.75, it doesn’t work, any ideas?
Okay, so I downloaded the DM 4.6
And I can’t find the operating system for my AT&T BlackBerryCurve 8310
Any help is appreciated
Email me at xxAndrewGarrettxx@gmail.com
Many thanks.
just installed the soft ware but it dosent come up any thing when i opend desktop manager what do i do
Those of you having trouble with the 8310 install, make sure you’re looking in the _Common Files_ folder under Program Files, not just the ProgramFiles/RIM folder.
Look in C:\Program Files\COMMON FILES\Research In Motion\AppLoader. I was working on this for a few hours before I looked more closely at the directory. I went there, deleted the vendor.xml file, and started Desktop Manager; it came right up.
oh, and if you have a MicroSD card installed, take it out if you’re having an error during the backup procedure.
There is a known issue w/ UMA and bluetooth, knownst to RIM @
http://www.blackberry.com/btsc/dynamickc.do?externalId=KB14673
&sliceId=SAL_Public&command=show&forward=nonthreadedKC&kcId=KB14673
I’ve read online that OS 4.5 will resolve the issue so I’m going to give this a shot. Also, I am having problems with the Curve choosing another network when the home network (T-Mobile) is avaliable. One question, what needs to happen if I need to rollback to the previous OS? Do you have steps for that?
ONCE YOU INSTALL 4.5
First, run your applications (you know, set up your email, open your browser, log onto to any IM’s), and then PULL YOUR BATTERY. This will alow your device to gather the saved information and register with your mobile network correctly. Just sayin’. :p
Hi, after removing the vendor.xml file it all worked perfectly (I have a 8310 Curve). However, it is now giving me an error message when I try to sync that says:
“The computer must be connected to the internet in order to initially configure syncronisation settings. Please ensure that you are able to connect to the internet and try again.”
Only problem is - I AM CONNECTED to the Internet!! I have checked my firewall settings (windows and anti-virus) and cleared Desktop Manager to work. Now I cant sync at all.
Can anyone help me???!! Urgent…
I have a sprint bb curve. Does anyone know if os 4.5 has the “join” feature for calls? OS 4.3 won’t allow me to merge my current call with the caller on hold/waiting.
Tried to upgrade my 8820 to 4.5. It now hangs on the “verifying security” screen and doesn’t finish the install. It’s gone from being a wonderful tool with lots of information to a worthless piece of frustration. I would have never tried upgrading if I’d known the position I’m in now! Am now considering going back down to 4.2xx. I did a manual backup of data before jumping off this cliff but doubt I will be able to get my 3rd party applications back … a true bummer. I just hope I can get it back to normal use and all data is intact.
The directions are a bit ambiguous. You have to delete the vendor.xml file after you install the device software, not just the desktop software. That will fix the issue of it not prompting you to upgrade.
Wow! What an endeavor! Visited two AT&T stores and both advised me to trade it back in if it was under warranty, otherwise cough up the paid technical support charges! Arrrgh! What happened to good old customer service that has a clue about their product?!
Anyway, I found a thread that detailing instructions on downgrading back to v2.22 when the desktop software doesn’t connect! Basically downloaded both the desktop and devise software, then connected with no battery, once all was installed and before devise began initializing I connected the battery again .. and, wham, bam, thank you ma’am, it started uploading all the software. Once done, I had my faithful BB back minus all data and third party programs! ran my back-up and got the data back. Lost the third-party stuff but the lesson was learned!
A friggin’ ridiculous manner in which to get everything back but it worked. Now I drool to try again but am hesitant to go through this ordeal once again! Maybe later. You’d think BB would have a better way to upgrade. This is the d=first drawback I’ve experienced with my BB but it was almost bad enough to make a consumer seek other alternatives … I’m cool now but the glimmer has lessened! Oh well.
so far things are going swell… im curious about the following warning..
Warning: After completing the loading operation, you must activate you device wirelessly to continue to send and receive messages and use other blackberry services. If you do no want to continue with loading operation press cancel.
so yeah whats that all mean more less.. Am i good to hit finish?
please help. i downloaded everything and followed all first four pages. when i came to the fifth, i did what i said, plugged in the berry, ran desktop manager, and waited for the popup. i didnt get one? help!!!! thanks in advanced
I have an 8800 on the Rogers network. As of late it is power off on it’s own for no obvious (at least to me) reason. Any ideas what can be done to correct this very annoying occurence?
I have just upgraded my 8310 and everything went great but now I can not use google maps it just loads to 10% and stops can any one help me with this
can you have the video camera on your 8310 without upgrading
Dante
@Dante,
Sorry buddy, but video recording is a software update, version 4.3 or higher.
THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!
IT WORKED FOR MY PEARL AND MY FATHER’S CURVE!!
THANK YOU THANK YOU!!
same here no prompting to upgrade, what is happening, I strictly follow the rules!!! help!
In the process of upgrading…”waiting for device initialization” has been running for 15 mins or so, is this normal?
I started the update and the Task in Progress window has been sitting on Retrieving this Instant Messaging module for a while… I can’t cancel it and the progress bar isn’t doing anything. What to do?
Tony, I had that problem too. I went into my task manager and closed all device manager related processes and when I reopened them, it worked. Just an idea.
It worked on my AT&T 8310… no issues with anything at all thus far.
Thanks for these instructions; they were easy to follow. I have a BlackBerry Curve 8320 from T-Mobile USA, and everything went pretty smoothly, though I was wondering for awhile if something went wrong when the hourglass on my phone was busy for about 20 minutes. Everything seems to run faster, for some strange reason…but can’t complain about that. Email looks better; YouTube streams nicely, video cam seems to work. Will try the other features soon, but again this is tremendous; thanks a lot!
Umm, i went to the tmobile website to get the latest handheld upgrade and they only had the same version that i currently have. version 4.2. i would like to upgrade to version 4.3, mostly for the video recording capabilities. is there any other way i can get it? please help
Beware that if you previously upgraded to a pre-release of 4.5, you must first downgrade your OS to install an official release.
Worse, I seem to be stuck on 4.2 now because the updater thinks I’m on the most recent version.
Anyone familiar with a 507 error. My unit crapped out in the middle of software upgrade and it wont restart!! HELP!!
Hi
Just thought I’d let you know that the following is the link for BB users in the United Arab Emirates:
https://www.blackberry.com/Downloads/entry.do?code=A00E5EB0973D24649A4A920FC53D9564
One can find the 4.2 and 4.5 software for their BB phones there.
Vineet
Everything downloaded and installed perfectly for me! Had some problems at first. First, download the desktop software first. Second, if you’re downloading a 4.5 OS, you need to have the 4.5 desktop software. If they do not match, you will not get the install screen. So just d/l the desktop software, delete the vendor file, download the OS software, open the desktop software, and pesto!
Please help!!! I upgraded my 8300 and had no issues, but now my BB won’t come back on. It just keeps restarting and restarting with that pinwheel rolling over and over again!
Any solutions?
If not, How do I downgrade? I just got this BB last month!
how i can instal 4.5 OS on blackberry 8310 curve
i started the updating and it’s stacked…what do i do?
I updated the DM and clicked the link for different carriers but sprint has not posted a download for v4.5 yet. I would try it without carrier support but im sure if i do that some features like GPS navi and other sprint services wont work after the upgrade so is there any other options???
I am trying to use the docs to go. I can edit but when I try to save the edit I get the message “not enough storage space to perform this action” whats going on? I have plenty of storage space?
Chris
I am a Sprint customer. I downloaded 4.5 so that I could use docs to go. You will not lose your sprint apps if you do it correctly. There are a couple tricks to making the whole thing work which I can help you with if you would like but it works. The DM will download the apps, save them, replace the OS and then reload the apps. What I dont know is what Sprint would do if I ever needed support on my device now that I have this OS.
sure stacey that would be great. my email addy is sk0rpius77@gmail.com
i followed the directions to the tee, was upgrading a pearl 8110 from 4.3 to 4.5. at one point the device kept connecting and disconnecting (i kept hearing the sound windows makes when u connect a usb device)then desktop manager gave me an error saying “Unable to reconnect to the device during a multi-stage load operation.” Now the phone won’t even turn on, I even tried taking out the battery and popping back in and nothing, it still wont turn on. what should i do?
I have an at&t blackberry with a t-mobile network. Which update do i use???
I updated my curve 8320 with the 4.6 Desktop and v4.5 handset upgrade and all went smoothly just following all the precise directions by Simon… Kudos!!!! Thank you.
Having successfully upgraded my Pearl 8120, I now find that ever time I synchronise there is a request if I wish to upgrade my software. Has anybody else had the issue and obviously it goes without saying how do I prevent it, other than restoring to an old backup and downgrading?
Just upgraded 8320 on T-Mobile. I saw the 507 error on a reboot after the OS was copied and the initialization took roughly 25 minutes or so, but the device is up and going through the setup wizzard right now…
Side Note: I followed directions to the letter and didn’t know touch a single button on the device at any point during the upgrade. The 507 error was a little concerning.
Setup is now complete and the device seems to be functioning normally. I’ll let you know if there is anything odd that may be attributed to the 507 error.
I have a TMobile 8320, I followed all the steps but nothing popped up when i plugged the phone into the usb. Please advise. The software on the phone still says 4.2.
thanks,
Hey, I have the T-mobile Curve 8320, Installed The New 4.5 OS, everything went smoothly as planned. I loved it at first, but something slipped my radar, I was typing in the dark and …. i noticed myself typo-ing repeatedly, Couldn’t figure out why, until i realized that my keyboard backlight was not on. So i reset my backberry, see if im not going crazy, pull the battery out, reboot, my keyboard went out nice and bright my smile hung from ear to ear. So im waiting for it to start up right, and right as the T-mobile logo pops up!!!! my keyboard goes dark. Moral?? DONT UPDATE YOUR T-Mobile 8320 Curve…….. DONTTT DO IT
I’ve upgraded to v4.5 but its knocked out my maps - can’t find them anywhere on the handset
Download Google Maps, its better than BBMaps, You probrably forgot to click the BlackBerry Maps Box when you approached the applications screen. Naughty! Naughty! You rushed through the upgrade, didn’t you?. Eager Beaver.
I downloaded the OS4.5 on my Blackberry Curve 8320. However, ever since installing the phone keeps restarting. The only time it doesnt do this is when it is connected to the desktop software.
Please assist…the phone just keeps restarting and restarting
Oh my phone is a T-Mobile 8320 if that makes any difference. I need it fixed though so if someone could assist that would be great.
I took all the upgrade steps and it worked fine. My device is now constantly thinking (hourglass spinning) and will not get past that point. What’s wrong and what can i do?
If you have a memory card in your phone that is the problem. You will need to take it out, save data to your computer, and format memory card (wipe clean). Then put back in formatted card in your pone and all should be well.
Dear Simon,
I have one huge problem to my 8320, I live in CAMBODIA, and there is no BB technical support here. As i try to upgrade my 8320, system as me to enter password then after i type someting in, upgrade has go through and finally my BB now doesn’t boot up any more. Please Help.
READ BROOKS POST!!! IF U HAVE A 8310 IT WILL WORK!!! I DID IT IN ONE TRY AND I GOT THE 4.5.0.55 WITH NOOOOOOO PROBLEMS. I HAVE AN AT&T 8310 CURVE.
I DOWNLOAD A CARRIER’s OS from CENTENIAL WIRELESS
https://www.blackberry.com/Downloads/entry.do?code=F21E255F89E0F258ACCBE4E984EEF486
FROM:
http://blackberryforums.pinstack.com/blogs/jdellasala/86-latest_os_all_models.html
Brooks
August 23, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Those of you having trouble with the 8310 install, make sure you’re looking in the _Common Files_ folder under Program Files, not just the ProgramFiles/RIM folder.
Look in C:\Program Files\COMMON FILES\Research In Motion\AppLoader. I was working on this for a few hours before I looked more closely at the directory. I went there, deleted the vendor.xml file, and started Desktop Manager; it came right up.
37 Brooks
August 24, 2008 at 3:35 am
oh, and if you have a MicroSD card installed, take it out if you’re having an error during the backup procedure.
Thank you so much for these WONDERFUL directions! I was trying to upgrade my Pearl software to 4.5 and was not having luck. Some of the applications were not working properly. I went back through and followed your directions and it now works perfectly. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I have BB Pearl 8100C with ATT. I installed 4.6 from the BB update center for ATT. I removed the Vendor.xml file and downloaded and installed the OS 4.5 from the link on this site. I couldn’t get it the application loader to recognize there was updated software to be installed. What I finally noticed is that the Vendor.xml file got replaced somewhere along the line. So I removed it again, and then it worked. However, my OS 4.5 was extremely slow and would at times just keep restarting. I read about a media card scanning issue on blackberry.com forums, and I removed my card, and everything worked fine after resending service books (required to get html mail). Still working on the media card issue. Very worthwhile improvements in OS 4.5.
my Blackberry says APP53 error on the screen, after trying to download the 4.5 update…???
Can anyone help????
Sweet! very helpful and simple guide! kudos to all! im now on a 4.5 OS Globe Telecoms Philippines. Sweet!!!!!
Hi guys, I just got my first Blackberry, AT&T 8310, so I am new to this. I’m trying to upgrade to 4.5. I’ve downloaded desktop manager 4.6 and the software. Installed both, deleted my vendor file and restarted several times. It still will not recognize the update. Any suggestions?
I’ve had my 8310 AT&T for a while updated to desktop 4.6 & device mgr 4.5 deleted the xml and rebooted but still nothing as well. Can it have something to do with Vista??
Can anyone tell me the handheld software v4.5 link for the 8330 curve(sprint, if it’s necessary)? I can’t seem to find it
I downloaded the desktop manager thingy already but I just can’t find the link for the handheld software
I thought it might have something to do with vista until i watched a video of a guy on youtube. he was updating his, and he was using vista. I’ve done everything he did, and it worked for him but not for me.
Ayli
November 16, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Can anyone tell me the handheld software v4.5 link for the 8330 curve(sprint, if it’s necessary)? I can’t seem to find it
I downloaded the desktop manager thingy already but I just can’t find the link for the handheld software
As far as I know, Sprint has not released 4.5 OS as of yet…which sucks for me and the rest of the sprint customers. I hope they release it soon…..