Huckleberries Online

SOS: Taryn’s Cell Phone Acting Up

Posted by DFO

March 24, 2009 10:47 a.m. • 35 comments

Taryn Hecker: I have an SOS from Spirit Lake. My Motorola cell phone, which was working perfectly last night, now has a blue screen with the motorola logo and the words “bootloader usb init.” I googled that and it looks like this fun blue screen is the blue screen of death. Does anyone know a phone techie who might be able to help me via email since I can’t call any of the support lines seeing as my phone is dead and my landline phone isn’t working either?

Question: Can anyone help Taryn?

35 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

tarynahecker on March 24 at 10:55 a.m.
Thanks! I’m at home with two sick kids, so I can’t really venture out to use someone else’s phone or buy a new one today. Bah.
Cabbage Boy on March 24 at 10:59 a.m.
Reminds me of the old days when the modem manual gave a BBS number for tech support. How the ???

Sorry Taryn, I am a techie, but not a phone one.
Cabbage Boy on March 24 at 11:04 a.m.
Here is one I found, if you are brave enough to open up the phone.

The reason why the phone is going into Boot Loader mode is because the charger port shorted. Theis is because of the corrosion by the port. Dissassembel the phone, and put a small amount of rubbing alchohol on a cotton ball and try to rub the corrosion away. This has worked for me in many of occasions. Its worth a shot.
tarynahecker on March 24 at 11:12 a.m.
I plugged in my old phone and called Verizon Customer Service to see if they can just transfer my service from my new crappy phone to my old crappy phone. On hold …
Cabbage Boy on March 24 at 11:13 a.m.
Also, your # and * may be stuck. drop kick the phone a few times. Might release the keys.
tarynahecker on March 24 at 11:20 a.m.
Ouch. That hurt my toe.

And the phone is still not working.

And the Verizon guy on the phone seems lost.
tarynahecker on March 24 at 11:20 a.m.
I’ve been transferred to two different people so far.
GaryIngram on March 24 at 11:31 a.m.
No help for Taryn. That’s what you get for running off Gookiin, DFO :)
PatrickH on March 24 at 11:33 a.m.
If both your phones use the same kind of sim card just swap the sim cards and thay should transger the service.
Duffer on March 24 at 11:38 a.m.
Try taking the battery out momentarily, replacing it and then turning the phone on again. That is, if you haven’t already tried this. :) Good luck!
tarynahecker on March 24 at 11:43 a.m.
They can’t help me so they just said to bring my phone to where I got it and it’s under warranty so they’ll just give me a free one. Works for me.
Thanks all.
Escapee on March 24 at 11:56 a.m.
Free is good. In this day and age, it’s just cheaper all the way around to get a free replacement. Technology’s advancing so fast, and it seems that things are made to work for a while, then when it doesn’t work anymore, you just get another one. Qualified service personell are harder to find all the time. In the end, It’s no skin off the company’s back to give you another phone. After all, that new phone means you’ll keep using their service, which in the end means more $$$ for the company.
poolman on March 24 at 12:32 p.m.
That reminds me of the VCR repair shop days. We used to take our broken down VCR into a shop to have the heads cleaned and maybe a little rubber band belt or gear replaced for some outrageous cost. ~The VCR is eating tapes again – take it to Bob’s TV and VCR repair – he’ll have it fixed in a few days. Funny
Digger on March 24 at 12:38 p.m.
@Taryn - Just take the battery out, let it sit, and put it back. That usually solves most issues. The other is to quit using Verizon all together and switch to a good cell company - like AT&T which still has call centers in the US.

@Duffer - SIM cards are only found in GSM or UTMS technology phones such as the ones carried by AT&T or Unicel.

Verizon and Sprint both use CDMA technology which does not support SIM cards. To swap phones with a CDMA provider you must call the company and have the IMEI (serial number) swapped in the computer system so it will register on the network.
Duffer on March 24 at 1:41 p.m.
Digger…You need to re-read my comment…slowly…
tarynahecker on March 24 at 2:25 p.m.
Thanks all. Two Verizon stores later I was able to get my phone replaced. Whew. I can’t believe how out of whack I felt not having my phone.
Frum Helen Back on March 24 at 3:18 p.m.
I can believe it Taryn. My husband and I mainly use our cell phones to find each other in WalMart or Costco. And I seem to be rather distructive with my cell phones, like washing them with the clothes, causing me to hang out with my husband when shopping like in the old days.
Digger on March 24 at 5:46 p.m.
Gah - sorry Duffer - I was reading Patrick H’s comment and thinking it was you. My apologies!

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.