Guide to beat the wait for 2.1 on Branded phones in UK.

I agree and perhaps the thread starter can add a warning to avoid W7

Just flashed my 3UK hero to 2.1 and am loving it. I am using Windows 7 (64bit) and I have to say htc sync is the worst piece of software I have ever seen. I got the same usb errors as everyone else but I kept at it and finally got it to work.

My experience:

1. installed latest htc sync, windows 7 then updated the driver, htc sync couldn't find the phone. Went into device manager and saw that under ADB Interface the My HTC entry had changed to HTC Dream Composite ADB Interface.

2. In device manager I called up the properties and went to update driver/browse/and pointed to the C:\Program Files (x86)\HTC\HTC Driver\Driver Files\Win7_x64. This reinstalled the My HTC entry. Rebooted.

3. htc sync could now connect to my phone so I carried on with the goldcard method.

4. Ran the RUU_Hero_HTC_WWE_2.73.405.5_WWE_release_signed_NoDriver.exe

5. All went well until it got to the bootloader part, windows 7 made a couple of low beeps and the install just sat there. Back into device manager and the entry under ADB had changed again from My HTC to bootloader with a yellow !, did the driver update again as above (point 2) and rebooted. (also battery out/in on phone to reboot that).

6. Ran the RUU again... and it worked!!!

This is just my experience and fumblings to get it working but it might help others

Moko76 said:

Hi! I have added a warning to the top of the guide suggesting that those who wish to attempt this method should avoid windows 7 where possible.

Click to expand...

I wonder if the "XP Mode" / VirtualPC feature Win7 of this gets around the problem?

Spiny said:

I wonder if the "XP Mode" / VirtualPC feature Win7 of this gets around the problem?

Click to expand...

Unlikely, as the correctly-installed drivers will still be required for the host OS i.e. Win7.

My best advice is to ensure that you have Sync functionality beforehand, regardless of OS. If you connect the handset to the PC and the Sync icon turns green then you're good to go.

Xyro says earlier in the thread - If you're using an Orange branded phone, please do not de-brand it
It seems that the OTA update includes a radio incompatible with orange branded phones, and it will reject your SIM card saying the phone is network locked (even if your SIM card is an orange one) -

I have a locked to Orange, Hero, and want to unlock it, put on Android 2.1, and use with 3 network sim. Therefore, what should I do so that I don't have the problem mentioned by Xyro.
Thanks,

Wow. Worked perfectly on my 3UK HTC Hero which was running 2.73.771.73. Followed the instructions to the letter and it has worked.

Got the official ROM from the HTC website, just download the one which doesn't have 3UK, Orange or T-Mobile in brackets next to it and use the serial number on the first page of the thread.

As soon as that installed prompted me to install the OTA preparatory update, which ran smoothly and then when that rebooted it prompted me to install 2.1.

Worth noting you will loose ALL data that isn't backed up, as you have to erase the SD card. Also if you want root, do NOT update as 2.1 has not been rooted (yet...).

When updating to 2.1 the phone restarts several billion times (about 4 tbh) so don't get worried when you keep seeing the same screen over and over. It will eventually finish. The progress bars also have a tendency to freeze, stay patient

Many thanks to Moko76 for the help!! Couldn't have done it without you!

This also fixed a problem I had with the trackball not scrolling left

-Ollie

Just completed the guide on my Orange unlocked hero have had no problems here. Updated straight to 2.1 with no problems.

The guide was easy to follow and killed two birds with one stone by updating to 2.1 and getting rid of the useless Orange branding.

Thanks very much. The Use Windows XP tip was useful also as Windows 7 consistently got an error (170).

Sam

I have been helping my friend in the UK install stock HTC Hero ROM on his Orange handset.

The whole process went swimmingly, he ended up with no branding, got the OTA to 2.1 etc... wonderful, until he put his Orange UK SIM card in and got the beloved Contact Customer Services.

I read that the issue could be do due to the update on the radio. So, we now wish to downgrade the radio to the previous one.

Now I do not have a HTC Hero, so I am blindly guiding him on everything (tho I am used to hacking Nexus One, Desire, Milestone) what gets me is not having a recovery mode in stock. Am I missing something here?

FYI we have the radio.img (also in the form of an update.zip), also the special SPL from Modaco, but neither of them can be installed with out signature failures (even with goldcard, which only seemed to help in installing the entire RUU image)

Anyone who could fill in the blanks please?

Kind regards

Moved

after a few goes i got it up and running and it works great now, thanks for the info

First I want to thank Moko67 for his outstanding step by step guide to debrand hero. I have a Hero on contract direct from Orange. I had previously unlocked it using unlock code from htccode.com. My rom was orange rom 2.73.61.66 which was the ROM the phone came with when i bought it in february from orange.

I followed the steps given by Moko67 and took probably 1hr over dinner to do it. There were no issues at all, no network unlock nothing. just a smooth update. The build number now after update is 3.32.405.1 C191507 - release-keys..

Hope this gives other orange owners who have unlocked their phone some hope to go to android 2.1. I got fed up of waiting and am glad I gave it a try

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Today, 04:27 PM #1260 (permalink) android1230
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Ok I am going to have a go tomorrow, got my phone direct from Orange with the same build as you

I will let you know how i get on.....fingers crossed!

If it dosn't work I hope its easy to go back to my original 1.5. rom

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Today, 04:29 PM #1261 (permalink) android1230
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Just a thought

Do you think unlocking your Orange phone before installing the above makes any difference ie. Radio not working?

It seems that people with unlocked branded Orange Hero's don't get the "NETWORK LOCK" message

great guide! have unbranded my g2 touch and updated to 2.1. very excited now!

Today (6. July 2010) my phone suddenly told me, that a new firmware update was available. Asking me if I would like to download it.

Yes, I said, and the phone started to download the update. After a while, it started to install the update and then rebooted itself. And then it starts over again, installing the update. It seems like that, because there is a picture of a package with an yellow arrow coming out of the package pointing on a telephone next to it. And below their is a progress bar that slowly moves to the end. When the end is almost reached, the phone reboots and the process starts over again. And again. And again.

Now it has rebooted like 30-40 times, for the last 3 hours, and it doesn't seems to go anywhere.

I have tried to take out the battery, to make a hard reset. Pressing the HOME + END CALL and the BACK buttons at the same time. But it starts with the install screen again.

Does anyone know whats going on? Or how I can stop this endless loop?

After waiting for a whole night, the telephone suddenly installed the update. I went to bed and the next morning it was updated.

So everything seems to be good. All contacts, Messages etc. are intact. Only my home screens are totally cleared, but all applications is still in the phone and seems to work.

Z.

I managed to use an XP laptop and updated my T-mobile phone with the above method ok, but when I tried to do my wifes phone today, all went well untill the reboot, it downloaded and installed the first update fine, but there has been no prompt to update to the large 2.1 download, I have tried to check via the phones software updater too, but nothing comes up, I have re-flashed twice and still the same.

Any ideas on where i'm going wrong with this phone ?

Just updated my T-Mobile G2 which had the 1st update on it no problems with the above method.
While in local T-Mobile I asked sales guy when the 2.1 was coming out "Not sure they keep delaying it but its called frog or something, try on the net for more info " !!!
After checking a T-Mobile Pulse which has 2.1 running told him don't matter I'm off to de-brand Hero.
All done now installing ringtones etc.

One question though, is there no LIVE wallpapers options ?

Cheers Xyro.
Not really too bothered, just didn't want to waste time trying to work it out !!!

not sure if this has been mentioned before as I havent read the whole thread but upgraded my tmobile g2 without touching the computer at all.

Downloaded a rom from here 22/Jan - Stock ROMs + radios in update.zip format for GSM Hero - Android @ MoDaCo think it was the generic 1.79 rom or one of the earlier 2.73 ones but not 100%.

Installed Amon Ra custom recovery using flash recovery which i downloaded and installed using apps installer. Needed to back up the original recovery flash for later.

Rebooted into recovery mode and installed the rom.

Used flash recovery mode to put the original recovery flash back on (if you dont do this step it wont install the first update). If you get the message for the first update before you do this step ignore it for the time being. If you have any problems with flash recovery the rom you are using is too new do the first step and put an earlier one on.

if you dont get the first ota update put date forward and install. put second update on and jobs a good un.

Moko76 - thank you for a very explicit and simple guide. I read it and read it then finally took the opportunity to upgrade last night. Does exactly "as it says on the tin" easy to follow and worked a treat. took 1.5 hours and the OTA upgrade was instant on switch on.
My 3 branded hero is now running 2.1 and I find it slightly faster and more responsive.

The only question I would ask is I notice that the signal bars I now get at home are slightly less than previous, usually at least 4 bars and now only one but I still have H connection. I seem to remeber reading somewhere that there was a radio update - has anyone else noticed a reduction?

I want to add my thanks to moko67, debranded my TMob G2 last night flawlessly and now running 2.1. I used a spare 2GB card as the goldcard, so I could use it again if the Tmob version gets good reviews...

Love 2.1, makes the phone fly... love the little extra touches all over the place...

Hi there thank you very much for a great guide to getting 2.1 on Hero phones finally.

However i have sucessfully debranded my HTC Hero phone and it works great, But I haven't recieved any notifaction of an update to 2.1. I've set up wi-fi, my question is how long do i wait for the for any notifacation to come through about the update? I have checked that the firmware prompts me before download, i've waited for 2 hours but nothing seems to be happening is this normal?

Please share your experiences about sucessful updates many thanks.

Mine was asking for the 2.1update 1 as it was going through google account setup etc. which I had to set up to get to the wifi settings to put in my router password. Then lost it all again when it installed !!!

While I'm here will the T-Mobile 2.1 update really be any different from the one we have now?