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

I have also bought an htc from ebay and have the same problem.

Unfortunately, i do not have a Orange sim card to start the hero with. Is there any way to start the hero without a sim card or start it with "non-Orange" sim card?
 
If it's locked, it won't start with another SIM card I guess.

Perhaps get an Orange PAYG SIM? Should work and not expensive.

Cheers.
 
I was afraid of that. My Nokia can be started without any sim card ... why it cannot? :confused: Grrrrrr ....

Well, in that case, i will try to ask someone to buy me one and send it to me by post.

Thx for the answer.
 
globalm said:
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

[ROM] Official HTC Hero RUU ROM Links - xda-developers

Make sure you get 2.73.405.5
Click to expand...

This does not work for me, I've got the exact ROM you specified and installed it, I then bought the code with the TotalGSM application but it still wont unlock. Just pauses on 'Unlocking SIM card...' with the green donut animation.

Fed up and pissed off now! Does anybody know if these things can be unlocked with relevant hardware? I might send it to a pro to get it sorted.
 
Sorry to hear you have this problem. All I can say is it didn't happen to me. I wonder if there could possibly be a different problem. Try the usual things. Different USB cable, power down with battery out then try again.

Although I found the procedure onerous it did work first time.

I also found the tech guy at TotalGSM quite helpful and he responded quickly to emails.

EDIT - There is and article on xda-developers about removing ID locks from the phone using a serial to USB cable which you have to make. Complex but might be helpful.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=559806
 
I am curious. If you originally flashed the 2.73.405.5 ROM then that is a 'vanilla' HTC ROM and NOT Orange. This should, by implication, NOT contain the unlock bug and indeed it worked for me.

The problems you had imply that something else is going on, and I wonder if ROMS released with the same release number are actually different. That WOULD be naughty! :eek:

Glad you got sorted out in the end.
 
I've bought Orange HTC Hero and can assure you that it is unlockable, but it might seems complicated to some people..but it's not that quite really. Just follow everything carefully. Hope this helps

The steps are

1.Root the phone
2.Flash a new ROM ( I used Modaco 2.9)
3.Purchase the unlock code ( just google it)

Then,I followed the step-by-step instructions from theunlockr.com here and it worked like charm.

A couple of reminder though:
1.Hero with 2.7xx Rom needs to be downgraded, to make it rootable.
- So follow this instructions

2.Those who are already with 1.5xx or 1.6xx ROM can root their phone straight away
-the instruction is here

3.Flash a custom ROM, I recommend Modaco 2.9
-the instructions is here
 
Oh great, my HTC "orange" locked phone is coming tomorrow! talk about buying a pig in a poke. i will give it a go tomorrow but i think its going straight back on ebay to get rid ASAP!!
 
robbiejmac said:
Oh great, my HTC "orange" locked phone is coming tomorrow! talk about buying a pig in a poke. i will give it a go tomorrow but i think its going straight back on ebay to get rid ASAP!!
Click to expand...

I believe your phone will be unlockable with the information posted. Try it before you sell it off!
 
I got my HTC Hero off eBay and it was locked to Orange. But within a few days, I was able to get it running with my Vodafone SIM card. I bought a Rebel Sim II (with a cutter) which arrived very quickly and I've not experienced any issues so far.
 
globalm said:
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

[ROM] Official HTC Hero RUU ROM Links - xda-developers

Make sure you get 2.73.405.5
Click to expand...
Hi globalm,
Thanks for your instructions, with success I could downgrade my phone (Orange HTC Hero) to 2.73.405.5 ROM, I can see it under settings.
But still when I entered my unluck key that I bought from unlock-now.com it didn't work.
Two things I didn't try, one of them is MoDaCo custom rom and the other one is rooting. Are any of these necessary to be able to unlock the phone with the code?
It looks like you spent quite long time on investigation you may put me to right direction.
PS: I also tried Rebel sim 2 with no luck, I don't understand it says no sim card, and I tried lots of time without any luck.

Thanks
 
davec said:
Yes I do.
I have been in GSM area for 8 years now :)

These rebel sims are manufactured in China. And they cost less than a $ to be manufactured.
They work on a number of phones, but the end result is same : Battery drains quick and in the long run you will have hardware problems.
These have happened with Sony Ericsson phones.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but you are talking nonsense. I have been involved in telecoms for a lot longer than 8 years, going right back to the days of ETACS, let alone with GSM, and have had some experience with Rebel sims, they will either work or not work, and cannot cause damage to the phone.

You say they are bad because they are manufactured in China???
Do you know where most mobile phones are made?

Do you know that HTC phones are made in the Republic of China / Taiwan?

I know of someone who used a rebel sim in an Orange Hero for months, and had no hardware issues or excessive battery drain.

Your attitude wouldn't perhaps be because of the business you are advertising in your sig? Would it?
 
As of february the something the new .66 rom update was released. Apparently the new rom update allows the unlock codes to work. The upside of this is that you do not need an unlock code directly from orange. Its the easiest way to unlock the orange hero: just update it.
 
I have HTC Hero on Orange. I bought the rebel sim card and it worked for a week and then give up. I have e-mailed Orange and asked for an unlocking code and am waiting for a reply (over 10 days now). I bought an unlocking code last night and when I entered it said "Network Unlocking Successful". The only problem is that it will not accept any other sim card except orange. I have tried Vodafone, T Mobile and BT (all UK). The phone keeps asking for code, then will not work. I love this phone but want to use it at work (BT UK). Orange seem to have the market sewed up for this pnone. Looks like I will have to buy another rebel sim card.
 
Updated the rom TO .............66 FROM HTC website and restarted the phone on BT sim card. The phone accepted the sim and it is now unlocked. Thanks for the advice.
 
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