How To Unlock HTC Hero (especially the Orange UK)

Did it work?

  • Yes

    Votes: 7 38.9%
  • No

    Votes: 11 61.1%

  • Total voters
    18
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crazyVII

Senior Member
Jul 16, 2008
300
18
----
update:
-- just2mention: (22.03.2010)
latest HTC update (ROM Version:2.73.61.66 for Orange /Release Date: 2010-02-04)
and ROOT rights + flashing custom ROMS will NOT WORK
check page (3) for further information and problem solving :=)
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continuing with original post
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hey guys,

i bought my HTC Hero (Orange UK) locked a few days ago, and it arrived yesterday at morning :)
I spent at least 12h trying to unlock it :=) reading all posts over the whole www :) At 6am in the morning :) today, i finally could say: yeah i got it unlocked :=) and yeah, i also got the firmware downgraded :)

:eek:
So, there is just one requirement (if anyone did it without one, please let me know): At least, for some time (borrowed from a friend) you need an Orange-Sim-Card
You need it to logg into your phone once, so that your pc installs the correct adb interface drivers (if you never got a sim card, you will never be able to contact adb interface) and enable the usb debugging mode on your android phone (so that adb works).
Otherwise i wouldn't have been able to get the Point 1 done correctly. (get the CID...) :rolleyes: ;)

=> Other Things you need to install:
- unlock code (maybe from http://www.unlock-now.com/)
- Android SDK
- i took the normal usb drivers (sdk-supports, folder "usb-driver")

so the exact how to:

1) at first (there is no way to bypass it) do exactly the following (create a Gold-Card):
Create a Goldcard (xda-post)

2) flash a custom recovery rom via adb interface (Android SDK):
Code:
adb shell reboot bootloader
fastboot boot recovery-RA-HERO-v1.2.3.img
adb shell mount /sdcard
adb push recovery-RA-HERO-v1.2.3.img /sdcard/recovery-RA-HERO-v1.2.3.img
adb shell flash_image recovery /sdcard/recovery-RA-HERO-v1.2.3.img
adb shell reboot
(got code from: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=561124

3) Now you can flash any rom u like (maybe at first, if everything works, do a custom backup (nandroid))

i chose: HTC Generic 2.73.405.38
originally from: http://android.modaco.com/content/htc-hero-hero-modaco-com/291942/09-10-hero-roms-radios-in-update-zip-format/

really important: check the requirements above!
get access to an orange sim card. not important which one...
live here in austria, and got an AUT-Orange Card from a friend, but I think you definitely need one!

This was performed on a Windows 7 64 bit machine :)

greets && good luck to everyone who does this, hope this saves you a lot of time! :D
 
Last edited:

Paradaz

Senior Member
Dec 28, 2007
151
19
I am a novice and having probs....will be trying these steps over the weekend but a few questions in the meantime:-

I can successfully create a goldcard...
but the ROM downgrade bombs out with the 131 error which I believe is because Orange have tweaked it and is effectively locked to them?

Does the custom recovery get around the downgrading problem? I'm guessing it replaces the 'Orange Rom' with a basic image?

If the custom recovery is successful, are you 'unlocked' at that stage? Is your phone bricked if the custom recovery fails?

If the custom recovery is successful, does that give you the ability to do a Nandroid backup or are there specific steps that need to be done first?....(where does Nandroid backup the image to?...sd card? another part of the phone memory?

If custom recovery is successful, is it simply a case of getting the rom you want (such as modaco) and then launching it from the pc with your phone synched and goldcard inserted?

Apologies for all the questions but I'm trying to get my head around how this whole process works. Thanks for any help.
 

foxmeister

Senior Member
Mar 10, 2008
4,035
383
Ealing
Trying hard to see the point of this thread/poll, when this method for unlocking the Orange Hero has been known for a while now! ;)

Regards,

Dave
 

crazyVII

Senior Member
Jul 16, 2008
300
18
I can successfully create a goldcard...
but the ROM downgrade bombs out with the 131 error which I believe is because Orange have tweaked it and is effectively locked to them?
sry, never seen before

Does the custom recovery get around the downgrading problem? I'm guessing it replaces the 'Orange Rom' with a basic image?
custom recovery, i think, replaces just the "recovery" ;=) boot loader image, the running rom stays the same meanwhile

If the custom recovery is successful, are you 'unlocked' at that stage? Is your phone bricked if the custom recovery fails?
not yet ;) regarding to above, the rom hasn't change and so the unlock key, won't work either.

If the custom recovery is successful, does that give you the ability to do a Nandroid backup or are there specific steps that need to be done first?....(where does Nandroid backup the image to?...sd card? another part of the phone memory?
no, if the custom recovery is complete, you can do an nandroid backup as u like. it backups directly to /sdcard/nandroid/..

If custom recovery is successful, is it simply a case of getting the rom you want (such as modaco) and then launching it from the pc with your phone synched and goldcard inserted?
it the easiest thing you can imagine, put the downloaded rom onto the sd drive, custom recovery lets you choose "restore: browse" you select the image file directly on your sdcard (name doesn't matteR) , wait , and it's done :)

Apologies for all the questions but I'm trying to get my head around how this whole process works. Thanks for any help.
never mind :) i'm welcome to answer your questions :)

good luck!

The one Thing i forgot above, i bought a unlock key on :)
http://www.unlock-now.com/
should be clear ;)
 

Paradaz

Senior Member
Dec 28, 2007
151
19
I presume that the 'recovery' is not available on the phone by default? When I hold the home key after powering on, it just has a sort of warning picture next to the phone.....no text displayed and no buttons do anything at that stage, only option is to take the battery out to kill the power.

Gonna have a go at unlocking this using the instructions later tonight.
 
Last edited:

Paradaz

Senior Member
Dec 28, 2007
151
19
I have finally got my Orange UK Hero sorted out.......

to cut a long story short, I had the most recent Orange UK ROM, which stops the custom recovery and doesn't alllow a change of bootloader (I got the 'remote ID' error when following your instructions and therefore couldn't flash it using your method.

In the end I went down the 'flashrec' route and eventually managed to get a standard ROM on, backed it up with Nandroid and then unlocked the mobile. Took a lot of hours faffing around and I'm starting to understand how it all fits together now...thanks for the steer. Regards Daz
 

crazyVII

Senior Member
Jul 16, 2008
300
18
can't tell you, just that they don't work with orange ;=) except you reflesh, but i read over the net, that the keys work in 98% of all cases.
 

shaff

Member
Jul 29, 2009
9
0
hi

i was wondering after the goldcard thing do i have to follow the flashrec thing? because since i dont have a network i won't be able to download a file manager.
 

Paradaz

Senior Member
Dec 28, 2007
151
19
Just to let you know my solution, as I had a PM asking for assistance.


Basically the goldcard method didn't work for me, (creating it was fine, but that's as far as it got)....after research I found out that the most recent Orange Hero's have firmware installed which blocks this process.

Anyway, I used the flashrec method, instructions are here

The url above also has the links to the two files that you need to pull this off. These aren't my instructions so credit to the author.
I have done this on two HTC Hero's now which were both locked to Orange, and they both sailed through without a problem. I also bought my unlock codes from www.htccode.com and had them both unlocked about 5 minutes after payment by PayPal.

Hope this helps anyone else with the 131 error problems (Orange firmware blocking the goldcard method) and thanks for crazyVII (thread starter) for also helping me out.
 

faisal_sherry

Member
Oct 31, 2007
47
1
Manchester
hi i am totally new to android thing and this all process. sorry if i sound stupid. when i try to run adb while creating gold card it comes on as dost windows and goes off instantly cant type any command whatsoever can u plz tell me wts wrong and i've tried on windows 7 and xp as well thanks in advance
br
 

crazyVII

Senior Member
Jul 16, 2008
300
18
it looks like you got an adb problem.

try this to see the message:

open a console window ( start-> run -> type "cmd" - pressENTER )

then run the command again!

good look!
 

crazyVII

Senior Member
Jul 16, 2008
300
18
hey, thx for the post :))

some more questions ;=)

can you explain what this update contains? is it already android 2.1?
does it realy work :D
what does your little orange logo in the right upper corner of your user-box mean ? ;D

sry man :) would be glad for info // affirmation :)

greets
 

kasmq

Member
Mar 6, 2008
30
0
bucharest
It would be so good if this would work for Orange romania also but when i try to download the update by entering the s/n it says that the upload is not for me. so i should wait ahwhile i guess.
 

ddotpatel

Senior Member
Mar 10, 2010
1,161
7
Leeds, UK
hey, thx for the post :))

some more questions ;=)

can you explain what this update contains? is it already android 2.1?
does it realy work :D
what does your little orange logo in the right upper corner of your user-box mean ? ;D

sry man :) would be glad for info // affirmation :)

greets

It definitely wont be Android 2.1 as it hasn't been released yet, you will know for sure when it is released as EVERYONE will be talking about it!!!

Does it really work?... Hmmm,... I *think* so, but I only assume that from IRFAN99's comment saying...

benedict.s

thanks alot brother u saved my time thanks very much

But dont take that as gospel, you know what they say, "assumption is the mother of all f*~K ups"!!!

Can anyone please confirm if that works????


..... And the Orange logo is just referring to the network that BENEDICT.S is on, you can select yours in your profile settings.




And lastly,...

It would be so good if this would work for Orange romania also but when i try to download the update by entering the s/n it says that the upload is not for me. so i should wait ahwhile i guess.

You can get the update that BENEDICT.S is talking about from here,... http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=559622

Let us know how it goes yeah?!

Peace out.

.