- Important Note: This post is meant for people who have recently bought a BlackBerry Phone BB from a Friend / Grey Market / questionable sources!
This Post is NOT for people who have been given BB from their respective companies. DO NOT Mess with your Company’s BB. YOU CAN GET Fired!!
- You have a Generic Data Plan i.e. EDGE/GPRS/3G Activated
OR - You have BlackBerry Internet Service [BIS] Activated.
With This Post you will be able to access Internet using a Simple DATA PLAN.. You DO NOT NEED Costly BIS Plan! A money-Saver Post!!!
Please note IT is NOT Illegal to use Data Plan.. You will be charged for the Data Usage. This functionality has been introduced since the Version OS 5 & above! However, GSM Service Providers have yet to design Competitive Rates for BIS.
BlackBerry is an awesome piece of Hardware. However, the most important aspect why Corporations prefer it is the Tight Noose a System Administrator can have on the BlackBerry handed out to an employee.
Something Called as a IT Security Policy. This is a VERY Nasty piece of Software installed (NO… hardcoded) into the Blackberry. You can’t even wipe it away with:
Wiping the Blackberry (terminology familiar with BB users)
Wiping the OS & re-installing a NEW / Leaked / Hybrid OS!
It can be VERY Frustrating.
The above methods are familiar ONLY to hardcore BB enthusiasts. For general public (Read NOOB ) it can can utterly confusing. WHY certain things are not working the way they should be!
IT Policy restrictions can range from Mild to Extremely sever:
Some Examples:
1) Restricting Installation of Third-party apps
2) Preventing SMS / Phone Calls
3) Connecting Phone to a non-approved PC
3) Restrict Data Access & such…
The combination can vary as per Policy Decision taken by Management in conjunction with IT Security advisor!
To Confirm your Phone is “Crippled” or not… Go to Menu -> Option -> Device -> Device Information and Status ->
Once in the Menu.. Simply Hit Keys: B U Y R (it actually stands for Buyers Remorse!)
You should see THREE new lines Pop-up at the END
If the IT Policy says “Enabled”… Then you SURE have a “Crippled” Phone.
NOW, the trouble is, there’s NO way of knowing WHAT are the restrictions. Hence you might get VARIOUS restrictions as some mentioned above! Hence the Best Way is to COMPLETLY disable the IT Policy.
OK…. Enough of the prelude… Let’s assume you have recently procured a BlackBerry through whatever means & are now facing some or all problems as highlighted above in the IT Restrictions List!
Do not fret…
1) [OPTIONAL] Go into options—> advanced—> Service Books – HOLD THE ALT KEY and type SBEB. This will enable “Legacy Service-Book restore” mode which allows you to backup/restore ALL of your Service Books (Not just the ones RIM allows you to backup).
2) [OPTIONAL] In Desktop Manager, plug in your phone, go to backup-restore/advanced, on the right hand side select the Service Books on your phone and press the “Left Arrow” to copy them to your PC. On the left hand side highlight the newly copied service books, click file/save and name them something, OS6-Servicebook.ipd for example, and save the file to the desktop. You’ve just made a COMPLETE BACKUP of your carriers Service Books.
NOW, Backup any required Data.. For most, simple backup like: SMS/Phone Book, Bookmarks, Call Logs, memo-pad, calendar etc should be enough.
2) Now Uninstall your Desktop manager & restart. Your File(s) should be safe in the Backup Folder as DM does not wipe out those. If paranoid
2) As highlighted in my First Post about BlackBerry [Please read this First: HERE]. ONLY Install the Desktop Manager (DM).
3) Download the Files Given Below:
4) Copy the Files to C: (Referred to as ROOT of C: Drive)
5) Execute (Double-Click) the Policy.reg file. DONE
What this does it PREVENTS DM from Force-Loading IT Policy to your BlackBerry Phone EVEN after a complete Wipe. (YES! It is Capable of Doing that… I told you BBs are VERY secure)
This is a VERY Safe Process… So do not worry.
6) Now, Download:
7) Install CrackUtil & restart PC
8 ) First Connect your Phone & then Start Crackutil & enter password (Keep it Blank if no password)
9) Once your Phone is connected then go the LAST Tab:
Select “Reset IT Policy”… CrackUtil will ask you to to CONFIRM.. Do so.
Note:
The OS you install on the BB remains, but all data on the BB will be lost (contacts, messages, call logs, calendar MemoPad ..)
10) After the Phone has rebooted… “Restore” your Data.
11) Go to Menu -> Option -> Device -> Device Information and Status –> & Hit keys B U Y R & Across IT Policy you should NOW see Disabled!
You have just successfully “removed” the restrictions!
Technically….. You are good to go… However, personally, I prefer:
12) After you have removed the IT Policy… WIPE the Phone with BBSAK [Read First Post] & Do a fresh Install of the OS.
13) Make Sure you have ENABLED a BlackBerry Internet Service OR Plain Simple GPRS/EDGE/3G Plan. Confirm it by either calling your Customer Care or you simply must be knowing.
14 Make Sure you have the Service Books… Confirm it by going to:
Home Screen –> Options –> Advanced Options –> Service books
If these are missing… Then Do a Battery-Pull [Term Familiar with BB users. Basically u Take out the Battery while the BB is ON… Wait for 30 Sec & then Put the Battery Back On. Once the RED led has stopped.. Start the BB]
An interesting Observation here is “Email [CMIME]” Stands for Enterprise Email & is usually governed by the Enterprise Security Policy…
I have found out that the APN Settings too, need to be tweaked:
On the Top-right corner of Home-Screen there’s a magnifying glass icon (Known as Universal Search). Press it & type: TCP. You will get the TCP IP Settings. Many other Wonderful shortcuts open up with this “Universal Search”
PLEASE DO NOT PLAY AROUND WITH ANY OTHER SETTINGS. It will prove disastrous. You have been warned.
Enable APN Settings (Tick-Mark Should be Present)
There are TWO Options for Vodafone [For rest… READ THIS]
VODAFONE
APN address: portalnmms
Username :
Password :
OR try this
APN address: www
Username :
Password :
Make Sure you RESTART / Battery-Pull after this.
Now Install your favourite Third Party Apps.
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List of Third Party Apps that are working without BIS i.e only on WAP/EDGE/GPRS/Wi-Fi are:
1. SocialScope
2. BlackBerry Browser
3. Browser on Wi-Fi
5. Snaptu for BlackBerry (Takes Care of FB / Twitter)
6. Nimbuzz Mobile for BlackBerry (Takes Care of all Chat apps including Facebook)
7. Gmail App for BlackBerry (Takes care of all mails with an option to add multiple email account)
8. Google Maps (Takes Care of Navigation)
9. Uber Twitter (Another Tweeting pleasure)
10. Opera Mini (Browsing)
11. Foursquare for BlackBerry
12. BlackBerry App World
13. Seesmic for BlackBerry [Recent Update: NO LONGER Supported ]
14. Chat for Facebook
15. Google Sync
16. LinkedIN
17. Worldmate Live
18. ScoreMobile
19. Gmail app
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Conclusion:
So now you a have a blackberry that is an awesome phone with NO RESTRICTIONS!!
One LAST NOTE: Your recently “Freed” BlackBerry will STILL NOT be able to “Add” Personal E-mail ID for the world-famous PUSH E-mail! You Ask WHY??:
Do you have a BlackBerry Data Plan / BlackBerry Internet Service [BIS] enabled on your account with your carrier or mobile provider?
YOU MUST, in order to get the RIM Push Email functions you are looking for, as well as additional BlackBerry data services such as the internet browser, Facebook for BlackBerry, BlackBerry Messenger, and much more.
So, call your carrier and inquire about having the BlackBerry Data Plan added to your account.
When you do subscribe to BIS, you will get the “Personal Email Setup” icon.
BlackBerry is a nasty Company. Under the Guise of “Security” they are Pushing (pun intended) COSTLY BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) Plan for “PUSH E-mail”. IF you Activate BIS… your Service Provider will “Automagically” Send you Service Book & MAGICALLY an Additional Icon (for setting up personal E-mail) will be Visible.. If you are using a Generic Data Plan… You will NOT See this Icon at-all… Crazy isn’t it?
Well now you are AWARE of the various Issues associated with Owing a Blackberry for a “Private / Personal” Use..
Want my advice: If you don’t want to shell out excess of money JUST for the BlackBerry Status.. Abandon your BlackBerry & go for other Phones..
Hint: Use Android
I sincerely suggest you read more here:
[BlackBerryFAQ Credits: Mark Rejhon]
Excellent Software list: [BlackBerryForums]
Good luck.