SMS messages have disappeared

[becky2393]

I have only had my blackberry bold for a short period of time and i noticed it was deleting my SMS messages, so i changed the "keep messages" to "forever". Then last night i removed the battery from my phone and now i noticed that the only SMS messages stored on my phone are MMS messages and SMS from three days ago. The rest have dissappeared. Any explanation would be greatly appreciated?

[stevetaz]

I have only had my blackberry bold for a short period of time and i noticed it was deleting my SMS messages, so i changed the "keep messages" to "forever". Then last night i removed the battery from my phone and now i noticed that the only SMS messages stored on my phone are MMS messages and SMS from three days ago. The rest have dissappeared. Any explanation would be greatly appreciated?

Hi becky and welcome to EB:

First, we need to know if you are experiencing a memory leak as this could be the explanation as to why the messages werer being deleted. Take a look at our Tips and Tricks thread, post #1 for an explanation of what I mean.

Since you pulled the battery we can't know how low your memory had gone, but I would be willing to guess that low memory was the issue.

How much free memory are you showing now? Follow the instructions in the guide to see the number.

I hope you enjoy your time here at EB. Visit and post often...

[becky2393]

Thank you for your help, I think this was the reason for deletion of my SMS messages as the reason I pulled the battery was because my phone was taking much longer than usual to perform basic actions which is described as a symptom of low memory in your "tips and tricks". To avoid this happening again i just need to make sure that memory doesn't get low again? Also is there anyway I can retrieve the lost messages back?

[stevetaz]

Thank you for your help, I think this was the reason for deletion of my SMS messages as the reason I pulled the battery was because my phone was taking much longer than usual to perform basic actions which is described as a symptom of low memory in your "tips and tricks". To avoid this happening again i just need to make sure that memory doesn't get low again? Also is there anyway I can retrieve the lost messages back?

Sorry to say, unless you were backing up the messages to a drive or folder on your PC, they are gone.

Keeping the memory from getting below 10mb or so will prevent that problem. Did you check to see what you are at now? Once a week is usually a good timing to reset, but if you have loaded up on applications and store large amounts of emails that have large attachments you could be running low. Applications that run in the background can also memory eaters. Apps like IM programs connected and waiting for messages, RSS Feeds, Weather apps, and the like. Facebook mobile is also believed to to a memory hog. Heavy use of GPS software can fill up the cache memory, which can also slow the BB down too.

Since you have a Qwerty keyboard device there is an easier way to do the reset instead of physically removing your battery:
Press ALT + Right Shift + DEL at the same time and your Bold will reboot and clear out the memory.

I hope this helps you....

[becky2393]

Yes thank you this has been a lot of help, my memory is now 43.1 mb free. So shall i just be aware of how low my memory is getting to avoid this happening again?

[stevetaz]

Yes thank you this has been a lot of help, my memory is now 43.1 mb free. So shall i just be aware of how low my memory is getting to avoid this happening again?

Yes. You should get into the habit of checking the available memory a couple of times a day until you and the BB get used to each other. You will get a feel for how often you really need to check it after doing that for a bit.

Enjoy the new Bold and please come by often....

[becky2393]

thank for your help. one last thing - is there anyway to delete more than one message at a time?

[stevetaz]

thank for your help. one last thing - is there anyway to delete more than one message at a time?

Sorry for the delayed response. Just drove to Pennsylvania.

From the Tips and Tricks thread, Post #3:
Deleting All Messages Prior to a Date:
-In the Inbox highlight the date from which you want to delete prior messages
-Press the BB Menu key
-Choose Delete Prior from the menu and press the trackball
This can help you clean up your inbox quickly, but make sure you know what you want to delete, BEFORE you delete them

Delete A Selection/Group Of Emails:
-Press and hold shift at the first message you want to delete
-Scroll down or up and messages will be highlighted as you scroll
-When you get to the final one to be deleted release shift
-Press the BB Menu key and select Delete