[SOLVED] force update by editing build.prop, Also: [WIP] list of CDA strings!

dryhte · Dec 8, 2011

Hi all,

I was fed up with waiting for an official update for my branded SK17i (with azerty keyboard so I couldn't just flash the generic global and anyway, I rather wanted an update through SEUS).

So I found out that it's possible to fool SEUS into thinking your phone belongs to another region by editing the region codes (CDA strings, they're called, apparently) in /system/build.prop

Prerequisites: only a rooted phone and a way to read and change files in the system directories (either via ADB or via a root file explorer like ES file explorer which I used). No need to unlock bootloader as seems to be required for other flashing methods!

So for those of you who wish to try the same, I'll try and compile a list of region codes. Feel free to post your region code (it can be found in /system/build.prop)
and I'll add it to this list!

PHONE: Mini Pro - SK17
1251-0622 - Generic - French - AZERTY
1250-5673 - Mobistar - Belgium - AZERTY
1254-0468 - Generic - Belgium - AZERTY (thanks to Swimon)
1248-7407 - Generic UK - QWERTY (thanks to Raph4)
1249-8051 - Generic Baltic - QWERTY (thanks to Raph4)
1249-8044 - Generic Nordic 1 (SE/FI) - QWERTY (thanks to Raph4)
1249-8053 - Generic Nordic 2 (NO/DK/IS) - QWERTY (thanks to Raph4)
1250-2159 - Generic Iberic - QWERTY (thanks to Raph4)
1250-0859 - O2 UK - QWERTY (thanks to Matchstick)
1249-1887 - Generic - German - QWERTZ (thanks to Ragalthar)
A whole list of SK17i codes(thanks to koperta4512)

Phone: Live With Walkman - WT19
1254-1864 - Czech: T-Mobile (thanks to strby)
A whole list of WT19i CDA codes(thanks to boyq)

Phone: Mini - ST15
A whole list of codes(thanks to koperta4512)

Phone: Arc - LT15
A whole list of codes(thanks to koperta4512)

Phone: Active - ST17
A whole list of codes(thanks to koperta4512)

Phone: Ray - ST18
A whole list of codes(thanks to koperta4512)

Phone: Neo V - MT11
A whole list of codes(thanks to koperta4512)

Phone: Neo - MT15
A whole list of codes(thanks to koperta4512)

Phone: Arc S - LT18
A whole list of codes(thanks to koperta4512)

Explanation of the country codes in the links found above: Here, thanks to MSTHETERROR

NOTE: while this fools SEUS into doing a firmware upgrade to a localized firmware, it is of course possible to just accept having a generic world firmware, and to just set the language of your hardware keyboard (see this guide here: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1224511 )

(below is the original post)

Hi,

is there any way to fool my Xperia Mini Pro (or PC Companion) into thinking it should be a generic French phone instead of a Mobistar Branded one?

I'm fed up with waiting for an update to .58 while everyone else has got it, and I'm not willing (at this time) to unlock the bootloader in order to flash with flashtool.

Maybe there's a text file somewhere that can be edited so the phone thinks it's an unbranded one?

My phone:
Belgium - Mobistar branded:
ro.product.name=SK17i_1250-5673;
ro.build.fingerprint=SEMC/SK17i_1250-5673/SK17i:2.3.3/4.0.A.2.335/sPb_3w:user/release-keys

EDIT: changed into 1251-0622 which should be generic french...

Gustavo RD78 · Dec 8, 2011

dryhte said:
Hi,

is there any way to fool my Xperia Mini Pro (or PC Companion) into thinking it should be a generic French phone instead of a Mobistar Branded one?

I'm fed up with waiting for an update to .58 while everyone else has got it, and I'm not willing (at this time) to unlock the bootloader in order to flash with flashtool.

Maybe there's a text file somewhere that can be edited so the phone thinks it's an unbranded one?

Use wotanserver!

Peppoid · Dec 8, 2011

Gustavo RD78 said:
Use wotanserver!

Hi. As the mate writes upstairs, this one is a solution.

There's another one. It worked in X10 Eclair times.

Try editing your build.prop file. Look in /system/build.prop.

Open it with RootExplorer and edit ro.semc.version.cust=xxxx-xxxx and ro.product.name=WT19i_xxxx-xxxx where x are your region firmware brand.Mine is 1254-1854, German.

Then edit the ro.semc.version.cust=xxxx-xxxx file in /system/etc/customization/settings/cust.prop

Save and exit for every file you modded.

Reboot your phone. Turn off and use SEUS.

I hope it works

dumraden · Dec 8, 2011

Peppoid said:
Hi. As the mate writes upstairs, this one is a solution.

There's another one. It worked in X10 Eclair times.

Try editing your build.prop file. Look in /system/build.prop.

Open it with RootExplorer and edit ro.semc.version.cust=xxxx-xxxx and ro.product.name=WT19i_xxxx-xxxx where x are your region firmware brand.Mine is 1254-1854, German.

Then edit the ro.semc.version.cust=xxxx-xxxx file in /system/etc/customization/settings/cust.prop

Save and exit for every file you modded.

Reboot your phone. Turn off and use SEUS.

I hope it works

Only dont put WT19i because then you will recieve the WT19i update

Peppoid · Dec 8, 2011

dumraden said:
Only dont put WT19i because then you will recieve the WT19i update

Lol

Don't worry, in your build.prop will be the right device written

If this should work, we could open a thread like that

dryhte · Dec 9, 2011

Peppoid said:
Hi. As the mate writes upstairs, this one is a solution.

There's another one. It worked in X10 Eclair times.

Try editing your build.prop file. Look in /system/build.prop.

Open it with RootExplorer and edit ro.semc.version.cust=xxxx-xxxx and ro.product.name=WT19i_xxxx-xxxx where x are your region firmware brand.Mine is 1254-1854, German.

Then edit the ro.semc.version.cust=xxxx-xxxx file in /system/etc/customization/settings/cust.prop

Save and exit for every file you modded.

Reboot your phone. Turn off and use SEUS.

I hope it works

Ok, so:

Code:

Belgium: Mobistar branded:
ro.product.name=SK17i_1250-5673;
ro.build.fingerprint=SEMC/SK17i_1250-5673/SK17i:2.3.3/4.0.A.2.335/sPb_3w:user/release-keys

EDIT: Since I couldn't find any other product names around, I decided to give Wotanserver a try... however, upon downloading the client, it continually tells me it's old and needs to update. Anyone around who used it before?

oh, and by the way, if anyone has a non-mobistar belgian AZERTY mini pro (with .58 firmware), please share your region code with me

I'd love to have normal OTA updates working...

Peppoid · Dec 9, 2011

dryhte said:
Ok, so:

Code:

Belgium: Mobistar branded: ro.product.name=SK17i_1250-5673; ro.build.fingerprint=SEMC/SK17i_1250-5673/SK17i:2.3.3/4.0.A.2.335/sPb_3w:user/release-keys

EDIT: Since I couldn't find any other product names around, I decided to give Wotanserver a try... however, upon downloading the client, it continually tells me it's old and needs to update. Anyone around who used it before?

oh, and by the way, if anyone has a non-mobistar belgian AZERTY mini pro (with .58 firmware), please share your region code with me I'd love to have normal OTA updates working...

Hope it works. Give a try.

Bye

dryhte · Dec 9, 2011

Peppoid said:
...

Hope it works. Give a try.

Bye

Peppoid, I don't think that will work

unless you phone is specifically Belgian? (you don't have a SK17 either)

I don't want to end up with a QWERTY layout instead of my AZERTY keyboard... (I know I should have chosen a QWERTY phone instead, but hey, 70€ cheaper tickled my fancy

)

Thom4s · Dec 9, 2011

I have a belgian Mini too (sk15i), it's unbranded and the software version is also .42 and not .58!

I think the software update is just not released for our region.

dryhte · Dec 21, 2011

Crossing my fingers now... I found that 1251-0622 is generic french; I updated all occurrences of the location code in build.prop and now SEUS is downloading an update. We'll soon know if the azerty for FR is the same as for BE

And we know now that editing build.prop works if we want to fool SEUS into thinking we're in another region.

Well, it worked

so now let's start and compile a list of region codes known to work! If you reply to this post with your region code and hardware keyboard layout (QWERTY/QWERTZ/AZERTY/DVORAK

) I'll add them to the first post!

dryhte · Dec 25, 2011

LOL - nobody interested in building this list? It's an additional way of getting newer firmwares on your phone B-) apparently this was quite a popular topic in the Xperia X10 forum...

Sent from my SK17i using XDA App

r33p · Dec 26, 2011

X10 who?

tianGO · Dec 26, 2011

Hey, nice job!
I'd love to get the code for the Latin America region.

What's the difference of updating with SEUS and PC Companion?

Thanks!

dryhte · Dec 26, 2011

tianGO said:
Hey, nice job!
I'd love to get the code for the Latin America region.

Maybe someone is so good to share it with us

tianGO said:
What's the difference of updating with SEUS and PC Companion?

My guess is that it should be exactly the same... Except that seus does nothing else than updates/restores whereas pcc tries to be everything to everyone ;-)

Sent from my SK17i using XDA App

fredgoddeeris · Jan 12, 2012

Hey,
after long searching i'm glad to have found this post. I also have a branded phone of Mobistar and still stuck on 4.0.A.2.335 and i've tried everything described in this post, but i'm unable to succeed...
Things i've done:
- rooted my phone with Root / Unroot Sony Ericsson Xperia 2011 v1.5 (http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1346198)
- installed ES File explorer and located the build.prop file
but i can't save the file and i'm unable to change the file permissions.

Can anyone help and tell me what i've done wrong???

Many thx in advance

dryhte · Jan 12, 2012

fredgoddeeris said:
Hey,
after long searching i'm glad to have found this post. I also have a branded phone of Mobistar and still stuck on 4.0.A.2.335 and i've tried everything described in this post, but i'm unable to succeed...
Things i've done:
- rooted my phone with Root / Unroot Sony Ericsson Xperia 2011 v1.5 (http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1346198)
- installed ES File explorer and located the build.prop file
but i can't save the file and i'm unable to change the file permissions.

Can anyone help and tell me what i've done wrong???

Many thx in advance

I'm at work atm so can't go into too much detail, but what I did is:
- copy the build.prop file with es file explorer to my sd card
- edit it while connected to my pc & save
- make sure my es file explorer has root access (check settings, maybe there's a flag that must be set first)
- copy back the build.prop file (I didn't change any file permissions IIRC)

fredgoddeeris · Jan 12, 2012

dryhte said:
I'm at work atm so can't go into too much detail, but what I did is:
- copy the build.prop file with es file explorer to my sd card
- edit it while connected to my pc & save
- make sure my es file explorer has root access (check settings, maybe there's a flag that must be set first)
- copy back the build.prop file (I didn't change any file permissions IIRC)

THX SO MUCH !!!!
was finally able to update

stupid Mobistar...

dryhte · Jan 12, 2012

fredgoddeeris said:
THX SO MUCH !!!!
was finally able to update
stupid Mobistar...

;-)

Sent from my SK17i using XDA App

swimon · Jan 21, 2012

Hi,

as I promised (but with some delay

)

hope it will help you.

'cause I'm not really sure what you're trying to achieve. Could you maybe explain it one more time?

dryhte · Jan 21, 2012

swimon said:
Hi,

as I promised (but with some delay )

hope it will help you.

'cause I'm not really sure what you're trying to achieve. Could you maybe explain it one more time?

Okay, so if you edit this build.prop file (and just change the CDA code, in your case 1254-0468, to another existing SK17I code) you can fool SEUS into thinking that you have a phone from another region or operator, and give you another firmware than you would've gotten, or even give you an update even while none was available for you. Not useful for you, but very useful for people with a branded phone like me, who want to debrand or just update it.

Sent from my SK17i using XDA App

[SOLVED] force update by editing build.prop, Also: [WIP] list of CDA strings!

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