: You would connect your "bricked" 9900 to a PC, launch the autoloader, and watch a command prompt window spring to life.

An is a self-contained, executable file that:

A firmware autoloader is a tool used to load firmware onto a device, in this case, the BlackBerry 9900. It allows users to update or restore their device's firmware, which can help resolve software issues, improve performance, or add new features.