Blackberry Theme Help- FAQ's

If you're having problems installing a theme or have never done it before, please read this first. It may help prevent common mistakes.

Note that in all cases your BlackBerry needs to have System Software 4.1 or higher to use the themes available on this site. You can find this from the Options, About menu on your device.

Installing

Installing a theme on a BlackBerry is very simple and can be done two ways: 1) Downloading a file to your computer and using the BlackBerry Desktop Manager tools to install it with the device connected to the PC, or 2) Direct install to your device using what's called OTA, or Over-The-Air installation.

First Time Requirements. If you have never loaded themes that are developed using the Plazmic Theme Builder software tools, you will first need to install the Theme Reader application on your BlackBerry. This small application is required to interpret the theme files that are installed. You only need to load this application once. However, there is one caveat- if you install themes using both installation types, be advised that OTA-installed themes require the OTA version of the Theme Reader to be installed (via over-the-air installation). This seems like a bug, but that's what experience shows needs to be done.

 1) Download and Install. Use the links on the theme pages to download the ZIP file. The ZIP file will need to be opened and the contents extracted to a location on your PC hard drive. You will need to have the BlackBerry Desktop Manager software installed (came with the device) and it will need to properly connect to the BlackBerry using the USB cable. Please refer to the instructions that came with the BlackBerry to install and connect the device. Once its connected, launch the Application Loader and select the Add option. Navigate to the files you extracted from the ZIP file and select the file with the name of the theme that has a .alx extension. Use the Next buttons in the Application Loader to complete the process. The BlackBerry will reboot when done and you'll need to use the Options/Theme menu to select and activate the new theme.

 2) OTA Install. The OTA install method is easy and fast and requires no PC or USB cables. You should use the Internet browser on your BlackBerry (not the WAP browser) to navigate to the web page containing the link for the installation. For this site, I have compiled them all onto one simple text page so you can find what you need very easily. The URL of that page is: (Here)

You can type this into the browser on your device or paste it into an email you send to yourself and launch it from the email message. Select and click on the theme's name, then use the Get Link option from the pop-up menu. The next screen will prompt you to download the file or cancel. Some information about the file is also displayed. Select Download and the process will begin. On EDGE and EVDO networks, the download should take less than one minute. Upon completion, you will be prompted to reboot the device.

If this is your first time installing a theme via OTA, I recommend you download the theme file first, do NOT reboot, then download the Theme Reader (same web page) and then reboot. After that you'll be ready to use the new theme.

Activating

Activating themes is done by scrolling to the Options icon and then Theme menu choice. The names of all the installed themes will be shown. Simply highlight the theme name and hit the enter key or click the thumbwheel and select Activate.

If a theme you loaded is not present in the list, please see the FAQ below.

Deleting

If you decide you no longer want to keep a theme file on your device such as to free up space, from the home screen, navigate to Options, then Advanced Options, then Applications. Scroll through the list until you see the name of the theme you want to remove. Click the trackwheel and choose Delete. You will need to confirm the delete operation. The device will prompt you to reboot. Choose yes and it will be deleted from your BlackBerry.

FAQ

1) I used OTA to install a theme and it does not show in the Theme menu, where is it?
This might be due to two reasons: First, your BlackBerry MUST have System Software 4.1 or higher. If it does not, the theme and theme reader will show in the Applications list but themes will not activate. Contact your wireless carrier to obtain the system software update. Second, experience has shown that you need to install the Theme Reader application using the OTA method for OTA-installed themes to be available on the device. This is true even if you have already installed the theme reader via the Application Loader. You can get the Theme Reader via OTA install from here: (coming soon)
 

2) I am using a theme  but can't change the fonts the way I like, why not?
There is a known bug with the Plazmic themes and the theme reader application that prevents users from changing any fonts for all applications. A fix for this should be in a future update but Plazmic has advised this may require a change to the BlackBerry system software as well. I will correct all themes if and when a fix is provided for this situation.

3) Can I get a copy of the theme file so I can modify it myself?
Unfortunately, I do NOT release (.thm) theme files. This is to maintain configuration control and copyright materials included in the themes.

4) Is there a charge for BlackBerry themes?
There is currently no charge for themes downloaded from this site. :)

5) The symbol menu rolls off the right edge of the screen- what's the story?
This is a minor bug in the Plazmic theme builder software that duplicates the symbol menu background and forces the top one to the right. Plazmic is planning to fix this in the next release.

6) The icon for my purchased software or other 3rd party software does not look the same as the other icons- why not?
The icons for 3rd party applications are embedded in them and cannot be modified. In most cases, I attempt to work around this by having icon focus overlays that mimic the other icons in the theme.

7) Can I get a custom theme?
Possibly. If time and sufficient graphical resources are available, a custom theme can be developed. Please use the contact information below to contact srl7741 with your request.

8) I found a problem or have a suggestion, how can I contact you?
Please contact srl7741 using the contact information below. All feedback is welcomed!

Contact

If all else fails and you need some help, you can email me at srl7741@gmail.com. Please be advised this is a hobby and I may not be able to support your every request.