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[Fixed][HELP] Unlock HTC Hero on Orange Failed

M

morph3u5

Lurker
Hi

I have purchased an unlock code from unlock-now.com.

They have emailed me the code, then I have inserted the sim card into the phone entered the code. A prompt message says Unlock successfull, but then a looping screen appears saying "Unlocking SIM CARD" and it stucks there.

I have tried 3 different active sim cards from different providers and still no luck. I have just bought this device and I can't use it.

I need all of you who can help me out here, since I'm freekin out and at the moment I am without a phone :(

Thanks for your support
 
i have the same problem. i tried unlocking with 2 seperate companies both refunded because the code did not work(both supplied same code). same problem as you phone accepts code as unlocked and then cant find sim. tried with varying sim cards .no result. I checked with orange to see if sim card was blacklisted and they said not. I have paid them for the unlock code and am waiting to receive it to see if I have any better luck. pls let me know how you get on
 
Not much help I know but I bought an Orange HTC unlocked and it wouldn't work with my SIM. The guy I bought it from (ebay) kindly agreed to meet me as I didn't live far away and the phone did work with his SIM.

However he had another unlocked handset which worked with my SIM and he swapped me over.

So, there's obviously some issue...
 
My problem is that the ebay seller won't help and I live far away from him! He is in England. I'm in Malta. He told me to go to a specialized local shop.

I was told that Hero bought from ORANGE UK, have different unlock codes since they have a type of agreement that all phones shipped to them they will change unlock codes so they will have a full monopoly on them.

I have contacted orange, but they told me that the person who had initially the product has to register it and after 3 months they could send him an unlock code!

3 months without a phone :confused:

I don't know what to do!

if anyone can help PM me to send my IMEI

Thanks for anyone who can unlock this beautiful device
 
yes in fact i missed that

if you enter a 8 digit random number as unlock code. It still tell you Unlock Successful then the loop thing appears

wtf could it be??
 
Hi all just joined the forum have waited in anticipation of the HTC Hero and can't wait to get rid of my iphone. Got one last week through Orange and now can't get it unlocked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bought two codes both ended up being the same, the phone does exactly what eberybody in this post has described when trying to use the code. Surely there is a solution? Forgive my ignorance (newbie to the Android phones) but rooting the phone and then re-installing the phone with the HTC original o/s not the stupid Orange one would this work. Or have I misunderstood what rooting the phone does? I have managed to obtain the original HTC o/s free from the Orange rubbish but of course this fails to install as it checks what is currently installed on the phone!
 
When I got my hero, I tried everything I could think of to get it to accept the code I bought online... nothing worked after a lot of searching and emailing I gave up and got a refund for the code (took 2 days for them to admit it didn't work though).

The best and most helpful email I got was from unlockingonline.com:

The HTC factory codes that we source from HTC work in around 98% of all cases.

Unfortunately, it seems that the HTC Hero on Orange, UK is one particular
handset which has been subject to an arrangement between HTC and Orange
whereby the default unlock codes have all been changed and then the correct
codes batched to Orange so that they can retain exclusive control of the codes.
The codes were either reprogrammed at Orange after despatch or more likely
at HTC before despatch. Either way, the default codes do not work.

All other online suppliers of unlock codes will source from the same place so you
will be wasting your time with most other suppliers too.

Your best option would be to source the code from Orange.
Click to expand...

After this I bought a rebelsim for
 
Thanks Ajthomason, I will try Orange (tried everything else so why not!) Rooting the phone did not work, the lock must be held someware else, I don't understand enough about android phones to fully understand them. I have never heard of a rebelsim, but google here I come and maybe that is the only way, Do you loose any functionality by having a rebelsim? I would be happy to pay Ornage
 
I have no idea how the rebelsim works, it's just a thin piece of film-like plastic and a tiny little PIC attached but somehow it just does work. I didn't want to buy it at first because it seems like something that would be unreliable or would just not work how it should, but I've had no problems at all - the network is listed as O2-UK on the phone and everything from MMS to voicemail notifications works flawlessly.

I can't say if I've lost any signal strength or battery power by using it because I have nothing to compare against, but the signal is just as good if not better than it was with my iPhone 3GS and the battery seems to last a long time...

Please let me know how you get on with Orange as I'll probably get them to send me a code if you can confirm it works - I just couldn't wait 2 weeks when I got the Hero!

EDIT: I forgot to say that I read somewhere online that if you say you bought the phone on ebay or from someone then they don't make you wait 3 months before they will sell you the unlock code. This may or may not be true though! I assume you did buy it from someone else if it's locked to orange.
 
I have read that as well about the three months. No I have bought it from orange as I am a business user I have a few contracts on O2 and some on Orange. One of the orange contracts came up for renewal and the person that the contract is allocated too doesn't need a new handset I thought it would be the ideal time for me to get my hands on the Hero. I have an Iphone and although it is a good phone I am fed up with how locked down it is and how it doesn't like Pc's. I will try Orange on Monday and see if they will oblige after all I can't cancel the contract. Where did you get the rebelsim from?
 
Ahh OK,

If you are an Orange customer then you can always threaten to leave them!

This is the one I bought: HTC Rebel Sim II Unlock card

I too have gone from an iPhone (3GS) -> HTC Hero. I got sick of having to play cat and mouse with Apple in order to jailbreak the thing just so I could install some apps that should have been included in the first place. You have to make sure you don't upgrade to a new version too soon or upgrade iTunes or at one point even upgrade the OS on your computer and it would then not be possible to do for a while.

Rooting my Hero was so much easier! Plug it in, copy some files and run them from the phone itself. Job done. :D Although even with an unrooted Hero you can do so much more than you can with the iPhone.
 
Success, well kind of. Spoke to Orange, verified my account details and they have ordered the unlock code for me cost
 
Hi,
Did anyone manage to unlock their HTC Hero from Orange? Surely there must be a way? I should be getting mine this week...would the only way to unlock it be to call Orange or use RebelSim II?
Thanks
Tom
 
Hi,

I have the same problem, tried various unlock codes (purchased ones), did not work with Hero Locked to orange, tried to talk to orange, they said only after three months of contract. Has rebelsim worked for anyone, I want to use a tmobile sim on orange locked HTC Hero. If so where did you buy it from?
 
Hi Guys

The only way I managed to open my phone is by buying a rebel sim card which first didn't work for me. I had to go to my mobile provider and change sim card since it was an old 1. After that the phone works perfect. I have updated the phone with the original software of ORANGE and made the update that they released. So far I'm happy.

After installing the sim, you will notice that the weather gadget change city according to your mobile network location.

Main issue is the battery! I have to charge it every night! If HTC can work on a new battery for HTC hero which last long like IPHONE, then IPHONE can be thrown away :)
 
Well as a mentioned in my previous post I have contacted Orange for the unlock code. They were very helpful and said that the code would be emailed me to within ten days. Well the code arrived and it was exactly the same code as I had bought from one of the unlocking websites that didn't work. They suggested I tried a different Sim card which I did and same issue! Waiting to hear from them again. But looks like Rebelsim is the only way forward!!!
 
At the moment and subject to further discussion with their tech support, the unlock code offered by Davec's organisation has exectly the same result as above - i.e. none.

The advice to create a 'gold card' to allow a downgrade to the standard ROM thus removing the Orange-specific one also worked perfectly of itself, allowing the downgrade BUT had no effect on the lock situation.

I have asked for effective advice or a refund and await a response. I shall post here the outcome of my attempts.

EDIT - an unfortunate effect of the new ROM (2.73.405.38) is to prevent the installation of a recovery image. Fastboot won't work, flashrec won't work and ADB won't work.
 
davec said:
After the gold pass, you need to flash it with a non orange rom.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your response.

After Gold Card, I flashed it with the generic (non-Orange) HTC ROM 2.73.405.38 and would not unlock. This ROM is 'perfected' as well so I cannot root.

I propose to try the earlier 2.73.405.5 ROM to see if that will work.

Any further tips?
 
I would be quite happy to continue this discussion privately if only Tech Support would answer. I expect the dreadful word 'Refund' discouraged them.

However, I must say that I see no reason why, having paid a sum to unlock my phone, I should have to virtually rewrite an operating system to obtain any value for my money.

If you can provide a link for the ROM you mention I shall try it.

Thank you.
 
christ im glad i did a bit of reading online before i bought my htc hero..

fleabay is full of orange hero's maybe this problem is why.....

this might sound a bit mecenary but ... stick the things on ebay as locked orange phones.. and look out for an unbranded factory unlocked one like i got..

i know its not a tech fix ...but.... its a fix.
 
I would think that to may users a locked phone is not a problem. My own issue is that I am often out of the country and do not wish to pay high roaming charges for use of the home network so I want to put a 'foreign' SIM in the phone.

The phone companies would take the view that the phone is free only because we use their network so they have a right to make sure that we DO use their network.

I accept therefore, that unlocking a phone may not be straightforward but I think that the potential difficulties should be made clear before monies are accepted.

On the bright side, I have learned a great deal about how the phone works!
 
OK. I now have an unlocked phone!

The secret of success was to use the HTC generic 2.73.405.5 ROM.

WARNING:- The 2.73.405.38 ROM does NOT unlock!

totalGSM DO have an unlock for the phone BUT it is dependent on you being confident with making Gold Cards and carrying out ROM changes. Also, the use of the correct ROM is important, 2.73.405.5 is needed.

The good news is that this ROM is also rootable so I have an unlocked rooted phone.

The cost to me in time, effort and nervous stress has been greater than the cost of the unlock code but I am glad it is now done.

Thanks all.

Gold Card stuff is here

HOWTO: Create a GoldCard - Bypassing the RUU/SPL CID check to Root/Downgrade - xda-developers

ROM downloads here

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=559622

Make sure you get 2.73.405.5
 
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