TROUBLESHOOTING: Activity Phone Dialer Not Responding

[cgarnes]

First, my original Droid has been replaced. This new one has been a dream. Eveything has been working perfectly this morning, until 6:51. I received my morning messages (as usual), and some of them were duplicates, but that is no big deal and that happens from time to time with any network, but the thing that really bugs me is that my PHONE IS NOT WORKING. I can not make a call. Period. I can web browse, I can Facebook, I can message, but I can't call... Not from my numeric keypad or from my list of contacts or from my favorites.

Is anyone else having this issue? I have restarted the phone several times. Removed the battery and the SD card several times - and still nothing. I've virus scanned. All clear. I've shut down all applications, unnecessarily, since I had 109 mb free.

I can't call Tech Support yet, since I will need a landline phone, but I have sent them an e-mail, ironically, from my Droid.

Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance.

 

[cgarnes]

Hmm. I remember reading on here that some people had issues with Handcent, so I uninstalled this app, and coincidence, or not, I am now able to dial out. Is this coincidence, or what?

 

[cgarnes]

I reported this issue to Handcent, and I am waiting on a reply. Will post when I have a response.

 

[calclarkerolscom]

After you try all the stuff cgarnes did, try killing anything that might be occupying your communications channels... settings>applications>running services... (killing running services is different than killing an app)

If that doesnt work... go back into running services and kill as much as you can.

If that doesn't work... turn off phone and remove the battery and then repeat above steps to kill running services.

If that doesn't work... get MyBackup (30 day trial)... Backup all apps and data (to do this requires two separate backups)... factory reset your phone (in settings)... go to mrket and install MyBacups again... then use it to recover...you will lose some settings, username/pw, formatting, and and a few apps that don't backup properly, etc... but you will save most everything.

If you can't install new software because your phone is totally hung for all outgoing datflow. Do a factory reset (you are now risking a lot and will spend a lot of time setting up and reinstalling software)... go to Market... menu downloads... download everything you previously installed (do not leave downloads until ALL apps have been downloaded)... then go back and re-enter username/pw, setups etc.

I went to Verizon Store with this problem and wish i hadnt. They gave me a new phone, but while activating the new phone they went into Market downloads and then exited downloads without recovering my downloads. So I lost ALL my apps because you only get one chance to reinstall apps after reset and entering market download for the first time.

Everyone should have a backup

 

[calclarkerolscom]

Any SMS program can cause the activity dialer hanging bug. I think aSMS was the cause of my problem. I have been using Handcent both before and after my problem.

I think the bug has to do with moving into and out of areas with less coverage (no 3G) but that is mostly a guess based on circumstances (like cgarnes multiple SMS messages do to the first message recieve not being confirmed, my own similar problem, and others I have found on various boards)

If Verizon doesn't figure this one out, a lot of less technical users will get spooked because they can't make phone calls from their phone. This one almost lost me as a customer and I have moderate tech skills.

 

[calclarkerolscom]

One last thing.. incoming calls still work. It is just outgoing dialing that gets hung.

 

[cgarnes]

Excellent detective work, calclarkerolscom! Thank you! I have heard back from Handcent, and they said that I was the first person to have documented this issue. He asked me to reinstall the app (I did not have the extra Handcent font packs, by the way), and he also asked me to download an app called Log Collector, and if that issue re-occurs, I am supposed to send him the log.

Right now, without Handcent, I'm okay. Hopefully I can get this fully resolved. I did everything that I could think of (forgot about "running SERVICES" though, so that was a great point)!

Will update once I reinstall Handcent.