Nooby Unlock & Flash question for Desire - Orange

[Longfellow78]

Hi,
Can someone explain to me a few things please:

If you unlock your phone with a code, does that mean you can put any sim into it? If so, does it re-lock onto the new network/sim that you put it? and if so, can you unlock it again with the same code or is it permanent?

Secondly, I understand that if you debrand an Orange Desire, you can install a generic ROM, but if you do an OTA update, the phone screws up (loses wi-fi) as you have updated the radio version which is incompatible with Orange and you then have to Unlock the phone to make it work again. Does this work permanently?

Also, in relation to this, if you apply an unlock code first, can you then use the OTA update from HTC and not have your phone screw up? As it is no longer an "Orange" handset, or is the phone always hard coded to Orange in some way?

Thanks a lot for the answers to any of these questions.

 

[anoniemouse]

Hi,
Can someone explain to me a few things please:

If you unlock your phone with a code, does that mean you can put any sim into it? If so, does it re-lock onto the new network/sim that you put it? and if so, can you unlock it again with the same code or is it permanent?

Secondly, I understand that if you debrand an Orange Desire, you can install a generic ROM, but if you do an OTA update, the phone screws up (loses wi-fi) as you have updated the radio version which is incompatible with Orange and you then have to Unlock the phone to make it work again. Does this work permanently?

Also, in relation to this, if you apply an unlock code first, can you then use the OTA update from HTC and not have your phone screw up? As it is no longer an "Orange" handset, or is the phone always hard coded to Orange in some way?

Thanks a lot for the answers to any of these questions.

Finally

Yes if you unlock your phone you can use any sim card.

If you debrand your phone & upgrade to the 1.21 ota update wifi stops working, but if you are unlocked & update with your goldcard in the update works fine.

Don't use the goldcard to update before unlocking though as it will simlock all unlocked phones

 

[Longfellow78]

Thanks a lot for replying,
So you're saying I should:

- Buy an unlock code and unlock my phone.

- Then debrand the phone with a goldcard, and install version 1.15.

- Then use the HTC ota update to get it to 1.21.

AND because I unlocked first, my phone won't think it's an Orange branded phone, and therefore even though I will be using Orange network, the OTA update won't screw my wi-fi.

Will my phone stay unlocked? Or will it Simlock to Orange (I don't mind the latter, if I can still get future OTA updates, and the wi-fi won't screw up.

Oh yeah, and if you update via OTA, does the Goldcard need to be "in" the phone? If so why? what does this do?

If you can answer these questions I will be very grateful and will be able to fix my phone immediately!

Thanks a lot for previous answers. Or to anyone else who can help.

 

[Geeba]

Been lurking a while so just joined when I saw this thread... I have an orange branded desire which I have unlocked and run a sim only contract in....

I want to flash a stock HTC ROM... so from reading above now I have unlocked it if I flash a new ROM it will lock to orange again?

Geesss Andriod is sooooo much more complex than winmo when it comes to flashing..

 

[nx1977]

It's only been Orange branded that gave had issues, which confirms how much they must mess with things

 

[Geeba]

It's only been Orange branded that gave had issues, which confirms how much they must mess with things

Any pointers on a Droid noob flashing guide? Like I said I have no problems with winmo flashing so not a complete numpty.... I just wanna get rid of this Orange junk splattered all over my phone..

 

[Longfellow78]

Hey.
what I posted above was my interpretation of anoniemouse's kind reply. I don't know that what I wrote is neccesarily right.
There are lots of flashing guides with goldcard around however, and I think that it is easier than rooting and flashing.

Orange really have done their best to ruin a lovely phone, and i cant wait to get their crap off.

Geeba, are you running v1.15? and do you have 3g internet/reception problems?

Also to anyone please answer my questions above if you can

 

[Geeba]

Hiya - yep running v1.15. I bought the phone off ebay as I wanted a Black Desire and only Orange have them at the moment... but I run it on a TalkMobile sim only contract... I have had problems with it dropping calls occasionally but not had internet problems...

Like you I just wanna get the Orange crap off my phone! I had a Vodafone Desire prior to buying this one and the software was alot more unmolested and was heaps better!
I'd just like to put HTC factory software on so it runs the way HTC intended.

So do I have to root to use a goldcard?

 

[Longfellow78]

No you don't have to.
Rooting gives you something called superuser access i think, which takes you to a lower level than goldcarding and flashing.

basically it seems you can take your orange back to the generic version, if you keep the same orange radio version, but your phone now asks htc not orange for an OTA update. if you update OTA from HTC, it gives you version 1.21 but also updates the radio, which is incompatible with orange and screws your wi-fi. So you can flash to 1.15 and keep that, or try unlocking the phone with a code, and then goldcarding/flashing/debranding, and then getting the OTA update, which should let you get the radio update and not screw up your wifi.
Thats my understanding but I could be wrong!

Here are a load of links on flashing/debrading:

(see here kimble123's post)
http://android.modaco.com/content-page/305746/updating-to-1-15-405-4-genericifying-your-t-mo-handset/page/80/

http://community.giffgaff.com/t5/Other-Off-Topic/Debranding-Unlocking-an-HTC-Desire/td-p/23317

http://android.modaco.com/content/htc-desire-desire-modaco-com/305746/updating-to-1-15-405-4-genericifying-your-t-mo-handset/ (same as first link but at start of thread)

http://androidforums.com/htc-desire/67098-how-flash-debrand-your-desire.html

WILLIAM ANDREWS: HTC DESIRE ON ORANGE UK: REINSTATING THE ROM - A FOOLS GUIDE

 

[anoniemouse]

No you don't have to.
Rooting gives you something called superuser access i think, which takes you to a lower level than goldcarding and flashing.

basically it seems you can take your orange back to the generic version, if you keep the same orange radio version, but your phone now asks htc not orange for an OTA update. if you update OTA from HTC, it gives you version 1.21 but also updates the radio, which is incompatible with orange and screws your wi-fi. So you can flash to 1.15 and keep that, or try unlocking the phone with a code, and then goldcarding/flashing/debranding, and then getting the OTA update, which should let you get the radio update and not screw up your wifi.
Thats my understanding but I could be wrong!

Here are a load of links on flashing/debrading:

(see here kimble123's post)
http://android.modaco.com/content-page/305746/updating-to-1-15-405-4-genericifying-your-t-mo-handset/page/80/

http://community.giffgaff.com/t5/Other-Off-Topic/Debranding-Unlocking-an-HTC-Desire/td-p/23317

http://android.modaco.com/content/htc-desire-desire-modaco-com/305746/updating-to-1-15-405-4-genericifying-your-t-mo-handset/ (same as first link but at start of thread)

http://androidforums.com/htc-desire/67098-how-flash-debrand-your-desire.html

WILLIAM ANDREWS: HTC DESIRE ON ORANGE UK: REINSTATING THE ROM - A FOOLS GUIDE

Thats correct you have to do the update using the goldcard otherwise the wifi will stop working, you also need the phone unlocked otherwise it will simlock forcing you to get it unlocked anyway

 

[Geeba]

Right created a goldcard - flashed a stock HTC ROM and did the OTA update... all looking good... I do seem to get alot of "forced close" now thou when browsing menues? Do I have to do a hard reset now like I would in WinMo? or are crashes/closes common on the Stock ROM?

 

[Longfellow78]

Hey Geeba, what version did you flash to?
Did you buy an unlock code?
what happened with the OTA update?

pls give more details!

 

[Geeba]

Hi Longfellow...

I flashed this ROM
RUU_Bravo_HTC_WWE_1.15.405.4_Radio_32.30.00.28U_4. 05.00.11_release_122704.exe

From this thread on XDA..

[ROM] Official HTC Desire RUU ROMS and OTA Update URLs - xda-developers

After making the original SD card into a goldcard - it was way simpler than I thought it would be.

As soon as I fired the WiFi up it said there was an update for my phone... which was good ... but like I say I do seem to be getting alot of "Force close" when using it now which isnt good.

the OTA update installed very similar to the original flash.... then reloaded my details from the SD.

I'd already unlocked the phone some weeks ago now with a code from ebay... he gave a great service too. I would definitely recommend him

Unlock code for HTC DESIRE TOUCH 2 HD2 LEO HERO LEGEND on eBay (end time 23-Jul-10 10:41:19 BST)

Does anyone know why I'm getting so may forced closes? do I need to hard reset like WinMo?

 

[Longfellow78]

Thanks a lot for this information.
And is your 3g working ok for internet? Was it ok before?

 

[Geeba]

Yeah all seems fine... I have web access and market, so I guess all is good... I had to put the APN in manually thou...

Yeah worked before when I unlocked the phone too...