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[HOW TO] Rooting Unlocking and De-Branding your ZTE Crescent [Updated Now Complete]


Guest Bouncer5

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Thanks a lot for all the hard work, SFO2 unlocked and rom flashed smoothly.

Just one question, I flashed the de-branded rom, there have been some apps already installed, how can I uninstall them please? Not the system app, I'm talking about facebook, twitter, etc. The uninstall option in the usual place disappeared, replaced by a greyed out "Cancel".

Checked with root check, the phone dos have root acces.

btw, the rom I flaashed is cresent.zip

Thanks a lot.

Rae

Edited by raeuk
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Guest Reider59

+1 for Titanium, I use it too. Was worth paying for the peace of mind but the free is pretty good too. Now no matter what ROM I put on I know I can get my bits and pieces back. Getting rid of FB and Twitter is a bonus, never wanted those at all. I think she`s a great little phone, so glad I made the leap n chose the SFII for my first Android. This forum rocks!

Steve

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Spent most of the day repeatedly failing with this. sad.gif Downloaded all files to PC, got into FTM mode, & opened QPST configuration. Showed COM9 - status "Waiting" a couple of times then COM3 "diagnostic" (I read somewhere it should be COM5??). When selected I got error messages "dellvostro *?*?*? not available. Desperate for help now so I hope you can explain what I'm doing wrong. Thanks.

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Guest Reider59

Spent most of the day repeatedly failing with this. sad.gif Downloaded all files to PC, got into FTM mode, & opened QPST configuration. Showed COM9 - status "Waiting" a couple of times then COM3 "diagnostic" (I read somewhere it should be COM5??). When selected I got error messages "dellvostro *?*?*? not available. Desperate for help now so I hope you can explain what I'm doing wrong. Thanks.

You don`t say which phone you have so lets assume the SF II or the Vivacity. The following is for the SFII so you`ll have to amend it for the Vivacity but both sites cover them both. I`ve only done it once but I struggled at first too, nor am I an expert or much more than a newb. The main thing is whichever com port works for one person is not necessarily going to be the same for all. Much depends on which USB port you plug into, I think mine was com port7. The first thing is install the drivers before plugging any USB cable in, other than to charge up. Make sure too that the phone is at or close to 100% charge, giving you time to work on it without rushing, getting flustered and the phone going flat and not transferring all the data.

I used this site for the SF II;

http://ztecrescent.b...-unlocking.html

This is for the Vivacity;

http://ztecrescent.b...lock-steps.html

Once you reach number 9 and see FTM plug in the USB cable again, at this point it should tell you what com port number to use, so go set it from that info and it should be plain sailing. Once you reach and complete number 20 close that site. Its an older ROM file and you`d be better here in this site for the rest. I just found that bit easier on the nerves for me personally. Then found the rest of the info here perfect, its just got better and better in this site from there on in. If you just wanted to unlock then thats perfectly OK. But this is where you want to be if you decide to change ROMS;

http://android.modac...d-now-complete/

Use section 2 and 3 as you already unlocked, by section I mean the rectangular boxes. But read the whole thing quite a few times over, take your time and don`t get flustered. You must, once you get into Restore, use the Crescent.zip then use the Sanfran2kernel.zip for the San Fran II or the Vivacity kernel for the Vivacity, both use the same Crescent.zip file BEFORE you reboot the phone-the kernel will ensure the buttons all work correctly and you must do the two files one after each other BEFORE rebooting the phone. You proceed at your own risk, all I can say is everything worked out for me and others.

Steve

Edited by Reider59
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Guest Thomas J Marshall

It's been OK for most of today so hopefully it was just a blip. One thing I have noticed is that the battery doesn't last that long. Is that an issue with the rom or the phone? (or the battery!!)

Also, is there a tutorial on flashing a different rom? I came across CyanogenMod and wondered if it is suitable. Of course, because I know so little about it, I may be using it already!! :D

No service error back I'm afraid! Seem tohave a few problems, battery drain, no signal and the power light flashes continually. Sim is OK as far as I can tell. When i search for networks none are found and automatic connect says unable to connect.

Just wondering what to do, should I re-flash?

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Guest Thomas J Marshall

No service error back I'm afraid! Seem tohave a few problems, battery drain, no signal and the power light flashes continually. Sim is OK as far as I can tell. When i search for networks none are found and automatic connect says unable to connect.

Just wondering what to do, should I re-flash?

Put in another sd card - power button flashing stopped and signal back, must have been a corrupt card?

Back to no service, appears to be something to do with sd card. Sometimes the phone sees it, sometimes not. battery is haywire too, goes from fully charged to almost zero, then back again. Any ideas?

Edited by Thomas J Marshall
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Guest PsYcHoKiLLa

The versions of clockwork mod on this forum are custom versions, the official author has not released a version for these phones yet, as I'm sure it actually says in the topics, so you have a choice of 2 custom versions on this forum.

Sebastian404s ClockworkMod 4.0.1.5

or

Flibblesans ClockworkMod 5.0.2.7

Edited by PsYcHoKiLLa
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Guest Reider59

Put in another sd card - power button flashing stopped and signal back, must have been a corrupt card?

I want to put clockworkmod on so I have installed rom manager. When I go to flash CWM my phone isn't listed, do i need a specific version?

I have the same phone. I noticed a clockworkmod folder on my old Micro SD card that I used previously so I copied that to the new card. On opening Rom Manager I used the second option down the list "Reboot into Recovery". It asked me to OK it and give Super User permission and restarted the phone. This placed me into the Recovery screen.

Prior to all this Rom Manager just blinked when I tried it, then all of a sudden started working perfectly every time. Now even when I swap ROMS (quite often) I do a backup from Titanium, put my ROM Manager on one of my 5 screens and it works perfectly. I only really use Rom Manager for the Recovery screen. Its the free one, with the hat on it. Good luck,

EDIT: as per Killas post above, I think at some point that`s what I did to end up with it on my SD Card in the first place. Its the earlier version as Flibs is not compatible with the older backups, hence why I didn`t use it. Here`s a direct link to instructions and its easy enough by the looks of it.

http://blog.podtwo.c...E%20Blade2.html

Steve

Edited by Reider59
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Guest Thomas J Marshall

The versions of clockwork mod on this forum are custom versions, the official author has not released a version for these phones yet, as I'm sure it actually says in the topics, so you have a choice of 2 custom versions on this forum.

Sebastian404s ClockworkMod 4.0.1.5

or

Flibblesans ClockworkMod 5.0.2.7

Not sure if I'm talking about the right thing. Using rom manager I can boot to recovery which has blue writing and 4 options. I'm looking for the one with advanced option so I can wipe the battery cache. I think that's needed to solve my battery charging issues. I thought clockworkmod was installed during unlock?

Also, I can't get the system to see my sd card, I can view in windows but not on the phone. Folders created on the phone are visible on windows but not on phone. And of course, I am still getting no service!

Woulda reset fix things?

Edited by Thomas J Marshall
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CWM is installed and removed in the unlock docs. What do you mean you can't see the SD card on the phone? Obviously it detects and mounts ok or windows wouldn't see it. Are you using the default file manager or another one?

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Guest Thomas J Marshall

CWM is installed and removed in the unlock docs. What do you mean you can't see the SD card on the phone? Obviously it detects and mounts ok or windows wouldn't see it. Are you using the default file manager or another one?

In the notification bar it says blank sd card or unsupported format. In filer sd card is blank. In storage space allocation shows unavailable, 2 options are mount or erase, neither work although they are available.

I should have said windows sees it from a card reader, can't see on phone.

Edited by Thomas J Marshall
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Ah ok. Can you see the card with the phone connected with USB? (I presume there's a power problem too?). If you can't flash from SD card your options are limited.

You say you have another SD card... does everything work with that or do you get the same symptoms? Are the contacts on the card/ in the phone clean - grease from touching them can prevent the contacts working.

.

Edited by fr0do
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Also, is there a tutorial on flashing a different rom? I came across CyanogenMod and wondered if it is suitable. Of course, because I know so little about it, I may be using it already!! :D

There is no CyanogenMod ROM for these devices yet. Stick to the Crescent area of this forum!

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Guest Reider59

I had 3 faults n a refusal from my MicroSD Card, Windows suggested it needed formatting but all my stuff was on it-panic stations! I took the card out n wiped the MicroSD Adaptor contacts with a clean lint free cloth, perfect! I then wiped the contacts on the microSD as well and make sure my grubby greasy fingers don`t go anywhere near the contacts.

If you download Rom Manager for free, the second option on the first screen when you start it allows you to go into Restore. If theirs no Advanced link then maybe its time to start over from the beginning and carefully ensure each step is followed.

Once you do get into Restore, see Advanced and see the wipe battery stats your phone needs to be 100% charged first before you start to wipe the stats. Once you wipe the stats YOU MUST NOT CHARGE THE PHONE until it goes flat. But just continue to use it normally and keep an eye on the battery level to drop low enough. For me I waited til it got to 3-4% then charged it, you need to do it so it takes a reading from flat to full and how it got there. It played wonky donkey for a few minutes so I left it alone, it was ok after that. Then its back to normal usage from there on in. This is what I read and what I did (it said let it go fully flat but I wasn`t prepared to), I get 1-2 days out of mine with a fair amount of use too. But then I use Power Manager and its Profiles turn off the WiFi, GPS etc. at certain percentages, to maintain remaining power on the battery. I paid 62p for the full version and it was worth it for the peace of mind I got as a result.

Steve

Edited by Reider59
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Guest Thomas J Marshall

Ah ok. Can you see the card with the phone connected with USB? (I presume there's a power problem too?). If you can't flash from SD card your options are limited.

You say you have another SD card... does everything work with that or do you get the same symptoms? Are the contacts on the card/ in the phone clean - grease from touching them can prevent the contacts working.

Came across a fix that appears to have worked. Basically I ran chkdsk in windows, no errors found but card mounted OK afterwards. Working at the moment but we shall see.

About installing clockworkmod recovery, now I have an sd card I have put the image on it. Do i use adb?

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Guest Thomas J Marshall

I had 3 faults n a refusal from my MicroSD Card, Windows suggested it needed formatting but all my stuff was on it-panic stations! I took the card out n wiped the MicroSD Adaptor contacts with a clean lint free cloth, perfect! I then wiped the contacts on the microSD as well and make sure my grubby greasy fingers don`t go anywhere near the contacts.

If you download Rom Manager for free, the second option on the first screen when you start it allows you to go into Restore. If theirs no Advanced link then maybe its time to start over from the beginning and carefully ensure each step is followed.

Once you do get into Restore, see Advanced and see the wipe battery stats your phone needs to be 100% charged first before you start to wipe the stats. Once you wipe the stats YOU MUST NOT CHARGE THE PHONE until it goes flat. But just continue to use it normally and keep an eye on the battery level to drop low enough. For me I waited til it got to 3-4% then charged it, you need to do it so it takes a reading from flat to full and how it got there. It played wonky donkey for a few minutes so I left it alone, it was ok after that. Then its back to normal usage from there on in. This is what I read and what I did (it said let it go fully flat but I wasn`t prepared to), I get 1-2 days out of mine with a fair amount of use too. But then I use Power Manager and its Profiles turn off the WiFi, GPS etc. at certain percentages, to maintain remaining power on the battery. I paid 62p for the full version and it was worth it for the peace of mind I got as a result.

Steve

Thanks for that. I have a working sd card now so I'll install CWM and have a go.
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Be careful unplugging from your PC that you 'safely remove' - you often get corruption by not removing safely. If you didn't remove the card badly and cause it you're very unlucky and have got bad cards.

Personally I'd copy over the 40mb cache resize (http://android.modac...-into-recovery/ ) and unzip it to sdcard/images/ and do a system update to install ClockworkMod fully and then boot into Clockwork and flash the rom zips - far easier in my opinion. And you can flash roms with the one step of booting into CWM every time after that should you want/ need to.

.

Edited by fr0do
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Guest Reider59

Frodo has a sound idea above, I haven`t tried that option but it gives the Restore and frees up some of the SD card for your own use too. However, I`d watch that phone. If after wiping the battery stats it continues to show full charge then zap to flat and back again I`d say either the phone or the battery is suspect. In which case I`d be tempted to flash the stock ROM on it, check it out and take it back to swap for another one. You need to know you can rely on the phone not just in the short term but in the long term too and it aint gonna make the distance if its showing errors like that this early on in the game ~IMHO. Just forget to mention any flashing though its unlikely to be the cause.

Steve

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You don`t say which phone you have so lets assume the SF II or the Vivacity. The following is for the SFII so you`ll have to amend it for the Vivacity but both sites cover them both. I`ve only done it once but I struggled at first too, nor am I an expert or much more than a newb. The main thing is whichever com port works for one person is not necessarily going to be the same for all. Much depends on which USB port you plug into, I think mine was com port7. The first thing is install the drivers before plugging any USB cable in, other than to charge up. Make sure too that the phone is at or close to 100% charge, giving you time to work on it without rushing, getting flustered and the phone going flat and not transferring all the data.

I used this site for the SF II;

http://ztecrescent.b...-unlocking.html

This is for the Vivacity;

http://ztecrescent.b...lock-steps.html

Once you reach number 9 and see FTM plug in the USB cable again, at this point it should tell you what com port number to use, so go set it from that info and it should be plain sailing. Once you reach and complete number 20 close that site. Its an older ROM file and you`d be better here in this site for the rest. I just found that bit easier on the nerves for me personally. Then found the rest of the info here perfect, its just got better and better in this site from there on in. If you just wanted to unlock then thats perfectly OK. But this is where you want to be if you decide to change ROMS;

http://android.modac...d-now-complete/

Use section 2 and 3 as you already unlocked, by section I mean the rectangular boxes. But read the whole thing quite a few times over, take your time and don`t get flustered. You must, once you get into Restore, use the Crescent.zip then use the Sanfran2kernel.zip for the San Fran II or the Vivacity kernel for the Vivacity, both use the same Crescent.zip file BEFORE you reboot the phone-the kernel will ensure the buttons all work correctly and you must do the two files one after each other BEFORE rebooting the phone. You proceed at your own risk, all I can say is everything worked out for me and others.

Steve

Hey Steve - thanks for all the advice/tips - I made a lot of progress. Notes for others - although I installed ZTE handset driver I also needed USB de-bugging driver which I let Windows find/install. Also the Vivacity download exe in the guide you suggested would not start so I substituted the one in Bouncer's guide & that was fine. I think my phone is now unlocked but I had a problem with restoring the QCN file - I didn't notice immediately but it said "Restore Failed - unable to connect in diagnostic mode". I guess this means there is no ROM on the phone - this seems to be confirmed by the fact that the phone goes straight into " Clockwork Recovery" when started (ie. without vol down). I'm not sure whether to backtrack & try to restore the QCN file again though now I don't know if I can get into FTM mode?? Or could I just flash the Crescent & kernel zips - the problem here is they are not on the microSD card & I don't know how I can get them on it. If someone could advise me while there are still some sober people out there it would get my New Year off to a much better start. Thanks & Happy New Year to all!

P.S. - I can still get into FTM but Software Download utility indicates phone is not connected

Edited by Titas
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Can you get into FTM or can't you - you've said both!?!

The QCN restore restores your mac address to enable WIFI to work. If you didn't write that down there are still ways to get it working. You should recap and get that restore working before moving on.

You can connect to the phone with a PC by putting the phone in USB mode in CWM. (Mounts & storage > mount USB storage)

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Guest Reider59

You can get them on the SD card by doing as Frodo suggests, select Advanced, select the Mounts and Storage then unmount the SD card. Put it in the adaptor and put on the correct files, crescent.zip and the Vivacitykernel.zip Safely remove the SD card from the puter when its finished transferring. Put it back in the phone and mount it again so its ready to use. For me I was lucky and unlucky at the same time, I unlocked my phone and went back to the existing ROM start first, without changing ROMS. So I knew the phone was unlocked. But then had problems getting into Restore again to flash a new ROM, something I could probably do blindfold I`ve done it that many times now. Times I`ve done it, not the knowledge gained.....

However, if this flash looks like a no starter for you after you put the swag on the SD card then I`d say its time to start over. Wipe the factory/data, wipe the cache and also wipe the Dalvik cache. Assume the unlock is done for now, though you can always redo it. But make sure the SD card has the Crescent.zip and the Vivacitykernel.zip on the SD card ready. Then follow the last two boxes of Bouncers guide to the letter. Don`t go too fast, follow it logically, make sure each bit completes, do not pass go, do not collect 200. Make sure you have a good charge on the phone before you start. As mentioned above, if you lost the original Mac number then that will have to be worked on. But that first link I posted makes it very clear, first job is to record the Mac number. All a part of not racing ahead or getting too excited, says he who forgot the kernel file and tried to put a version 2 ROM of Fish N Chip ROM on that wasn`t made for the Crescent. wink.gifsmile.gif

Steve

Edited by Reider59
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Can you get into FTM or can't you - you've said both!?!

The QCN restore restores your mac address to enable WIFI to work. If you didn't write that down there are still ways to get it working. You should recap and get that restore working before moving on.

You can connect to the phone with a PC by putting the phone in USB mode in CWM. (Mounts & storage > mount USB storage)

Thanks Fr0do. Actually I initially said I don't know if I can get into FTM mode then added an edit (after trying) to say that I could get into FTM; sorry if it was confusing. N'way, I did write the MAC address down (Phew!). I may be missing something obvious here but my first problem as I see it is that the software download utility (in FTM mode) says no phone is connected now so how can I restore anything?

Also thanks again Steve; will read through your advice too!

Edited by Titas
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