Password not accepted - Pls Help!

Question

Please help -- All of the information I need for life is stored in my Blackberry Curve.  I cannot access my phone, though, because it is demanding my blackberry password (whch it does not usually do).  Although I have given it, and even changed it a few times successfully via the online system from my laptop, my phone WILL NOT accept the password. 
I only need access to my phone, not to a blackberry service, per se.  Is there any way around this?  I only have two attempts left!  Any help much appreciated.

Answer 1

houserrovers wrote:
Thanks very much for your reply.  
I must admit that I understand very little about the BB system.  The password it requested was my user created one.  I entered it, but it would not accept it.  I changed it online, just to be sure there couldn't be any problem with the password. It still wouldn't accept it.
OK...I think you may have the two confused. The on-device user-created device-lock password is only on the device...nowhere else. Hence, it could not be changed online. Therefore, we must deduce that you mean your BBID credentials, and not the device lock password.
houserrovers wrote:
It also stopped producing stars, in response to my entering the password.  The password itself would just appear, alternating with requests to type "blackberry" to continue.  That part worked fine, but then it would request the password again, and the same lack of stars & lack of acceptance of the password would recur.
This is as expected...for security reasons, the passwords are not displayed clearly...until such time as you fail too many times, and then it displays it as you type, as an aid to help you get it right.
houserrovers wrote:
I finally let it wipe itself, unfortunately.  Now it seems happy again, and it accepting the password.
Well that is odd. From your first statements (changing it online), I would deduce the password in question to NOT be your on-device password, but rather your BBID credentials. However, failure of the BBID credentials does not result in a device wipe...only failure of the device-lock password results in a wipe.
So, now I am thinking that you are not sure which is which. The on-device password can only be affected on the device itself, and if too many failures occur, will indeed wipe the device. The BBID credentials are stored "in the cloud", and you can work with your BBID account via other means (e.g., PC/browser).
What I think happened is that it failed to accept your on-device password, and you mistakenly thought you could change that via PC/browser...you cannot. Only directly on the device itself can you do anything regarding the on-device lock password. And, as it continued to reject your attempts at the on-device password, it dutifully allowed only the pre-programmed number of attempts (normally 10...with the password displaying "in the clear" usually after 5 failed attempts), and when those were exhausted, it dutifully wiped itself clean of everything (a security measure, guarding your priceless data against theft of the physical device).
houserrovers wrote:
Any further thoughts on what this was or how to fix it appreciated.  I did also try to back it up before it self-destructed, but with the phone attached, the backup system would also not accept the password (even though online it accepted it fine, and changed the password fine). 
There is nothing at all to "fix".
When you connect your BB to your PC and if your device has a device-lock password, then that password must be entered on the PC before you can do anything with the device...yet another security measure.
The device has been wiped clean, and is as if it were brand new, never before configured...none of your data, none of your added apps, etc...just like it was fresh out of the box. If you have no backup from which to restore to the device, then there is nothing to do but start over, just like you did when you first obtained the device.
houserrovers wrote:
I am not sure what the BBID password really is, btw.
The online password you changed was (I surmise) your BBID credential...but has nothing whatsoever to do with the on-device security lock password. Your issue was caused by the on-device password, which you could not affect via any online means.
If you are not sure what your BBID credentials are, refer to the link I gave you above, as it contains much useful information in that regard.
Good luck!
Occam's Razor nearly always applies when troubleshooting technology issues!
If anyone has been helpful to you, please show your appreciation by clicking the button inside of their post. Please click here and read, along with the threads to which it links, for helpful information to guide you as you proceed. I always recommend that you treat your BlackBerry like any other computing device, including using a regular backup schedule...click here for an article with instructions.
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