[HOWTO] Create a GoldCard - Bypassing the RUU/SPL CID check to Root/Downgrade

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Jesterz

Jesterz

Retired Moderator
Apr 27, 2006
443
122
If you are stuck on a ROM you don't like (t-mobile/asian carrier etc.) you can use this howto to create a goldcard to bypass the CID checks so you can downgrade and root your Hero.


01. Download QMAT 5.06 here
It’s a demo version so will only run for 10 minutes.

02. Format your SD card to FAT32. Please keep in mind some brands of SD cards do not work.

03. Use adb to run this command: adb shell cat /sys/class/mmc_host/mmc1/mmc1:*/cid

04. Copy the SD card cid code displayed after the adb command.

05. Start Qmat and Click on Cyptoanalysis Tools > Crypto Toolbox.

06. Look at the bottom, there is a text box (beside the “Reverse String” button) enter the SD card cid code you got earlier.
Click on the “Reverse String” button, the result is reversed…
Example: 532600bd227d9c0347329407514d5402

07. Copy the reversed SD card cid code.

08. Go to QMAT goldcard site here to generate your goldcard (yes it says for G1 but works for our Hero too).

09. Enter your email. For the correct SD card cid code, you need to replace the first 2 characters to 00.
Example: From “532600bd227d9c0347329407514d5402” to “002600bd227d9c0347329407514d5402”

10. Click Continue and you will receive the goldcard.img in .zip format in your email.

11. Go to your email, download the zip file and save it to a directory and unzip it to goldcard.img

12. Download HxD Hex Editor from here
13. Install and launch HxD Hex Editor program. (make sure you use "Run as Administrator" under Vista and win 7)

14. Go to Extra tab > Open Disk. Under Physical disk, select Removable Disk (Must be your SD card), uncheck “Open as Readonly), click OK.

15. Go to Extra again, Open Disk Image, open up goldcard.img which you’ve saved/unzipped earlier.
Now, you should have two tabs, one is your removable disk, the other is goldcard.img. Press OK when prompted for “Sector Size” 512 (Hard disks/Floppy disks), click OK.

16. Click on goldcard.img tab. Go to Edit tab > Select All, edit tab again > copy.

17. Click on the “removable disk” tab. Select offset 00000000 till offset 00000170 (including the 00000170 line), click on Edit tab and then Paste Write.

18. Click on File > Save. now you can exit the program.

19. Reboot your phone with this SD Card (now GoldCard) inside

20. Use the Official HTC RUU to downgrade to 2.73.405.5 (which you can get here) from which you can fastboot boot and/or root your phone with flashrec.

Done.


Credits:
Original heads up by tangzq with link to this
That site used the XDA Sapphire goldcard howto here

And apparently myself and XDA as this builds on the HTC knowledge from the old days (here)


In any case, enjoy your new found freedom :)
 
Last edited:
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kazuni

kazuni

Senior Member
Aug 28, 2007
679
213
Hong Kong
Hmm. I've followed the guide and successfully skipped the CID lock check of the device and flashed it to version 2.73.405.5 WWE. Problem is, I can't seem to get the device to boot into recovery mode after using flashrec (I did download and flash it just fine). the recovery mode (home + power) booted the device but it hangs at the boot screen where it says HERO. Any idea?

Edit: Ah. a little bit of the update. while the buttons do not work, i can use adb shell reboot recovery; however, after using flashrec, it still shows the old recovery screen :(?

Edit2: confirmed, recovery flasher doesn't work :( now im using the SEA rom :D
I'll try the RUU_Hero_HTC_WWE_1.76.405.6_WWE_release_signed_NoD river.exe rom later :D
 
Last edited:
D

d0s

Member
Aug 11, 2007
18
0
I had the same issue with Recovery Flasher I couldn't to boot into recovery. I was also unable to downgrade to the 1.7 roms due to a bootloader version error, arghhh. Anywho, managed to work my way round it, i'll explain below. I've got a T-Mobile G2 updated to the latest rom (so no root access).

I first followed the instructions on making a goldcard and then flashed the 2.73.405.5 WWE rom fine.

Now make sure you have the cm-hero-recovery.img (http://content.modaco.net/dropzone/modacopatchedrecovery-1.0.zip) on the root of your sdcard. Aswell as Instant Root (http://neilandtheresa.co.uk/Android/) now install Instant Root on the phone. It should pop up with a notification "instant root was sucessfully" or along those lines. (If you have a problem installing Instant Root make sure Settings>Applications>Unknown Sources is checked)

Instant root then allows for root access with adb shell using the following 2 commands:
1) adb shell
then
2) su
the icon should change from a $ to #.

Now flash the recovery image with the following command:
1) flash_image recovery /sdcard/cm-hero-recovery.img

This shouldn't take that long once completed it will go back the # prompt example below.

# flash_image recovery /sdcard/cm-hero-recovery.img (I typed this)
flash_image recovery /sdcard/cm-hero-recovery.img (this pops up)
# (this shows the flash completed)

Now pull out your usb cable and battery, turn on the phone with the battery in place while holding the home button and it should boot into the custom recovery :).

Well, I hope this helps someone and I didn't just waste my time :D. Oh, thanks for posting the goldcard instructions.
 
Last edited:
csasek

csasek

Senior Member
Dec 10, 2007
168
6
Shenzhen, China
funUSBdrives.com
it worked!!!

Thanks so much! I did the exact process before (see other thread) but I must have missed something. Following this process exactly is what did it. I am guessing something about the reboot and the RUU is where i went wrong before.

I can confirm this works on the 2.73.707.9 ROM
 
S

salmanbodla

Senior Member
Sep 10, 2009
114
0
Yaaahaaaayyhaahhahahaahaayyyyyyyyyyyy!!! :D I feel so happy for all you guys who had this problem (although I myself did not!!) :D
 
kazuni

kazuni

Senior Member
Aug 28, 2007
679
213
Hong Kong
I kind of half gave up at 6:00 am yesrterday and i just woke up (1
:27pm) and followed the instructions here and BAM! got a working nandroid backup and a custom rom \o/!!! thanks to all of you!
 
D

dying4004

Senior Member
Oct 15, 2009
960
24
umm ... guys.. if u dont mind me asking...... why do we need it?

do we have hero versions which cant be rooted with any methods?
 
masterpfa

masterpfa

Senior Member
Mar 17, 2008
587
32
London UK
My Hero..... lol

:):):)

Thanks, I thought I would be owned by T-Mobile for ever after the ROM update
Now I'm back to the HTC default ROM (NOT T-Mobile G2 Touch!!!), cup of coffee time before Rooting flashing etc and remaining from now on faithful to Paul and the MoDaCo ROM
 
G

gyounut

Member
Nov 27, 2007
20
0
hey guys!

i have a question

im a owner of an tmobile g2 touch and want to have the new firmware of the htc hero can i use this hack to update to the newest firmware because at the moment it says if i want so update: error this rom is not for your device, and so on..

thx !
bye


sry for my english im from germany
 
Jesterz

Jesterz

Retired Moderator
Apr 27, 2006
443
122
gyounut said:
hey guys!

i have a question

im a owner of an tmobile g2 touch and want to have the new firmware of the htc hero can i use this hack to update to the newest firmware because at the moment it says if i want so update: error this rom is not for your device, and so on..

thx !
bye


sry for my english im from germany
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

ja das stimmt
 
T

taz5176

Senior Member
Sep 3, 2008
94
0
thx jesterz
successfully update singapore hero 2.73.707 to 2.73.405, rooting in a while...

2734055.png
 
B

burgess_boy

Senior Member
Sep 8, 2009
396
82
Bristol
Xiaomi Poco F3
d0s said:
I had the same issue with Recovery Flasher I couldn't to boot into recovery. I was also unable to downgrade to the 1.7 roms due to a bootloader version error, arghhh. Anywho, managed to work my way round it, i'll explain below. I've got a T-Mobile G2 updated to the latest rom (so no root access).

I first followed the instructions on making a goldcard and then flashed the 2.73.405.5 WWE rom fine.

Now make sure you have the cm-hero-recovery.img (http://content.modaco.net/dropzone/modacopatchedrecovery-1.0.zip) on the root of your sdcard. Aswell as Instant Root (http://neilandtheresa.co.uk/Android/) now install Instant Root on the phone. It should pop up with a notification "instant root was sucessfully" or along those lines. (If you have a problem installing Instant Root make sure Settings>Applications>Unknown Sources is checked)

Instant root then allows for root access with adb shell using the following 2 commands:
1) adb shell
then
2) su
the icon should change from a $ to #.

Now flash the recovery image with the following command:
1) flash_image recovery /sdcard/cm-hero-recovery.img

This shouldn't take that long once completed it will go back the # prompt example below.

# flash_image recovery /sdcard/cm-hero-recovery.img (I typed this)
flash_image recovery /sdcard/cm-hero-recovery.img (this pops up)
# (this shows the flash completed)

Now pull out your usb cable and battery, turn on the phone with the battery in place while holding the home button and it should boot into the custom recovery :).

Well, I hope this helps someone and I didn't just waste my time :D. Oh, thanks for posting the goldcard instructions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Did it last night and got it working, used the AMON Hero recovery image instead and partitioned my sd card without going through the manual adb solution.

Cheers
 
kazuni

kazuni

Senior Member
Aug 28, 2007
679
213
Hong Kong
have you guys tried using thesame method and got anywhere? I mean, from what I know is that you can't even boot in to recovery mode right? have you guys tries the adb method to boot into rec mode at least?
 
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    htc fan89
    htc fan89
    thanks for posting this guide
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    Jesterz
    Jesterz
    If you are stuck on a ROM you don't like (t-mobile/asian carrier etc.) you can use this howto to create a goldcard to bypass the CID checks so you can downgrade and root your Hero.


    01. Download QMAT 5.06 here
    It’s a demo version so will only run for 10 minutes.

    02. Format your SD card to FAT32. Please keep in mind some brands of SD cards do not work.

    03. Use adb to run this command: adb shell cat /sys/class/mmc_host/mmc1/mmc1:*/cid

    04. Copy the SD card cid code displayed after the adb command.

    05. Start Qmat and Click on Cyptoanalysis Tools > Crypto Toolbox.

    06. Look at the bottom, there is a text box (beside the “Reverse String” button) enter the SD card cid code you got earlier.
    Click on the “Reverse String” button, the result is reversed…
    Example: 532600bd227d9c0347329407514d5402

    07. Copy the reversed SD card cid code.

    08. Go to QMAT goldcard site here to generate your goldcard (yes it says for G1 but works for our Hero too).

    09. Enter your email. For the correct SD card cid code, you need to replace the first 2 characters to 00.
    Example: From “532600bd227d9c0347329407514d5402” to “002600bd227d9c0347329407514d5402”

    10. Click Continue and you will receive the goldcard.img in .zip format in your email.

    11. Go to your email, download the zip file and save it to a directory and unzip it to goldcard.img

    12. Download HxD Hex Editor from here
    13. Install and launch HxD Hex Editor program. (make sure you use "Run as Administrator" under Vista and win 7)

    14. Go to Extra tab > Open Disk. Under Physical disk, select Removable Disk (Must be your SD card), uncheck “Open as Readonly), click OK.

    15. Go to Extra again, Open Disk Image, open up goldcard.img which you’ve saved/unzipped earlier.
    Now, you should have two tabs, one is your removable disk, the other is goldcard.img. Press OK when prompted for “Sector Size” 512 (Hard disks/Floppy disks), click OK.

    16. Click on goldcard.img tab. Go to Edit tab > Select All, edit tab again > copy.

    17. Click on the “removable disk” tab. Select offset 00000000 till offset 00000170 (including the 00000170 line), click on Edit tab and then Paste Write.

    18. Click on File > Save. now you can exit the program.

    19. Reboot your phone with this SD Card (now GoldCard) inside

    20. Use the Official HTC RUU to downgrade to 2.73.405.5 (which you can get here) from which you can fastboot boot and/or root your phone with flashrec.

    Done.


    Credits:
    Original heads up by tangzq with link to this
    That site used the XDA Sapphire goldcard howto here

    And apparently myself and XDA as this builds on the HTC knowledge from the old days (here)


    In any case, enjoy your new found freedom :)
    View

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