WebGuru’s Blog about Digital Life

Challenge: Today when I tried to browser a website on my BlackBerry 8703e, it all of the sudden frozen up and then showed a white screen with "JVM Error 523" in the middle after a self-reboot.

I tried to scroll down and clicked the Reset link under the error message, but nothing happened. I could not even do a power off reset, since the Power button on the top was basically non-responsiveness.

So, I opened the back cover and took out the battery, and then I put back the battery. Yes, I could see the desktop after the boot-up and even the message of "verifying security software…". But unfortunately the blackberry immediately went back to the White Screen with the same "JVM Error 523". At that point, the device is totally useless, since none of any buttons on the blackberry was functional.

Trouble-Shootings: Then I looked up the information on the Internet. The first few search results kind of scared me. They all told me to wipe the OS off from the blackberry and re-install everything, the OS, the applications.

Well, I did not worry too much about the fact that all my data on the blackberry would be gone if I had to re-install the OS. Since I am using the BES and doing wireless sync with my enterprise server, the data restore is not a big deal. But I just did not like the idea to do so much wipe/re-install effort just because of this error message. I knew I did not do screw up anything at this moment since I did not install any new software on the device, or change any configurations.

I figured out there should be a simple thing we could do to bring this be-loved device back to normal. I walked to some IT phone guys, and they could only suggest the same thing - to take the battery out and wait a few minute to put battery back. And I hated to call my wireless provider because I know that should be a waste-time effort, unless I need them to send me a new replacement phone.

Anyway, I decided to do my own homework. After continuing the Internet search, I found out that this error might be due to the browser channel on the wireless device. And this error can be avoided if the device is not connected to the Internet.

Great, with that information above I successfully fixed my JVM 523 error within 1 minute. If you are the victim of the same error, and do not want to re-install your OS either. Then you are lucky to read this post since the following processes can save you a lot time. (Of course, you still need to remember to back up your data after that, just in case later on your bb device gets wild again).

Solution:

To do the following, I hope you have a quick finger like the guy in Fantastic Four since you will have to use your finger speed to beat the soon-to-appear white screen and JVM error.

Ready? Go!

1. First, turn off your phone as I suggested before. To open the back cover and take out the battery. Then wait 2 minutes (well, even longer to have bathroom break), and put the battery back. The Blackberry device will come back by itself.
2. As soon as you see the desktop appear, you should quickly scroll down to " Turn wireless off" or " Turn radio off". This has to be completed quickly before the phone connects to the network that you are using. Hint: you can use ALT+scroll to jump items by row instead of one item by one.
3. After you turn the wireless radio off, then go into your your BB browser (the globe on the screen for most). And DELETE BROWSER CHANNELS. To do so, just expand the section and then delete all the channels. Mine was only the Weather Push Channel on it.
4. Now you can turn the radio back on, you should have a full functional blackberry device back. Is it a great thing not to wipe your OS instead?

Well, I know, sometime weird thing happens. If this does not work you will still need to consider to back up your blackberry and then reload the software from RIM website using your usb cable.

Here are the directions for these un-lucky ones: 

• Please go to the blackberry handheld software download page at http://www.uscc.com/uscellular/SilverStream/Pages/x_page.html?p=bb_software
• Install both desktop manager, and the newly download handheld software
• Restart your PC, with the battery out the back of the handheld and cable unplugged
• Start desktop manager
• Run the application loader software
• During the connection screen, please plug in your device (keeping the battery out)
• Choose the USB *XXXXXXX* or USB "Unknown"
• Do no choose any additional applications for install
• Click Next, then Finish
• Handheld will be restarting, and installing the applications