The firm I work at has just switched over from a mix of Droid phones and Blackberries to just one option - the iPhone 4S.
The switch is mandatory. So, it's time to learn a new phone, figure out how to get the same or similar apps installed and transfer the data to it.
Goodbye to the Droid X, and now onwards to the Dark Side.
Well it took a reset to factory option to clear the problem. To do a factory reset option on the droid to unbrick he phone after the Gingerbread install bricks it, do the following:
Note this formats the phone and kills all your data and customizations. You have been warned.
1. Hit the power button and home button at the same time.
2. when the triangle appears on the screen hit both volume buttons.
3. Then scroll to restore to factory default and press the power button.
Interestingly enough it did not restore the factory installed operating system but made the Gingerbread update operating system work.
The downside is that all data, customizations, downloaded apps are gone due to the factory reset.
Luckily, the work server backed up the calendar, contacts, and email and the phone is synced and data is flowing once again.
If you haven't backed up all your personal data or do not have a server it syncs to, don't try the update or you may end up being badly hosed.
So I'm now busy reinstalling the apps and trying to redo the customizations I had done.
At least now my brief non-communications dark age is over, allowing me to no longer violate Rule 2 of carrying a gun.
Rule 1 of course is: Have a Gun.
Rule 2 is: If you're carrying a gun, carry a cell phone.
I ran the Droid "Gingerbread" update on my phone last night.
Others in my office had complained that it required them to redo their account settings manually. I ran it anyways figuring I could easily reestablish the account if necessary and looking forward to some improved security and allegedly better functionality. So figuring that was the worse that could happen I ran the update from the settings feature on the phone.
The update downloaded, I executed it, it ran and after some time I got a red Motorla icon and then nothing.
After about 45 minutes, I took the battery out to reset it and on reinstalling the battery I get the start-up screen including rotating eye, it takes me to the home screen, gives about 5 seconds of functionality, and then locks, hard.
Touch screen does not work, pressing the power button blanks the screen and on pressing it again the home screen disappears, leaving only the top indicator showing the time (which freezes and does not change), the 3g , bluetooth and connection bar symbols, not pressing the power button results in the same black screen with top bar. The phone will not receive calls or work in any fashion, and the time indicator freezes at the time it bricks.
Removing the battery for up to 45 minutes does not change the result, it always starts with a white M with a red background, does the eye roll, goes to the home screen and locks, and every reinsertion of the battery results in the same effect leading to the bricking.
This sucks and I'd strongly advise anyone with a Droid to not run the Gingerbread update until Google announces they've un-screwed up (a more angry word would be used but this is a family-friendly blog...) this upgrade.
You'd figure that Google could handle an upgrade on Droids given that they're all running the same operating system and are on the same Motorola phone hardware but No....
Perhaps Google could issue an appropriate warning with the update:
"This update that we produced and delivered to you may turn your phone into a brick, with less utility than a brick as it doesn't offer a lot of structural support when mixed with mortar. Would you like to continue y/n?"
If anyone can offer some help or suggestions on backing this out, or doing some other reset procedure, it would be appreciated.
