Locked Hero

[Guest onepack]

There seems to be lots of technical help on how to do all sorts of tricky things. However the information is littered with TLA's (exactly) and assumes that everybody knows all about everything anyway.

Is there a COMPLETE MORON's guide to unlocking a Hero from Orange, (those nasty people who modify HTC's factory unlock codes!) Thank you. :D

[Guest agent-5]

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Edited December 7, 2009 by agent-5

[Guest shenshang]

What type of 'unlocking' are you referring to? Custom ROMs, SIM-LOCK or something else?

From your post, I assume its to remove the SIM-LOCK to be able to use 3rd party SIMs. If it is, then it's not Orange's fault. You'll need to contact orange and ask for the code which will cost £20. All networks do this! 

If its something else, can you provide a bit more detail as to what exactly your trying to achieve?

actually you need to have had the phone for more than 3 months PLUS £20 to unlock from orange. pay a few euros to htccode.com and they will generate you a code. change your ROM from orange branded to generic or MCR2.9. the code will only work on generic or MCR (as it is based on the generic rom) as the orange one uses its own unlocking algorithm, the codes you get online are only for generic.

[Guest onepack]

What type of 'unlocking' are you referring to? Custom ROMs, SIM-LOCK or something else?

From your post, I assume its to remove the SIM-LOCK to be able to use 3rd party SIMs. If it is, then it's not Orange's fault. You'll need to contact orange and ask for the code which will cost £20. All networks do this!

If its something else, can you provide a bit more detail as to what exactly your trying to achieve?

Thanks for the response. It is sim-lock. I have not come across anyone else who modifies unlock algorithms. I have asked Orange - so far no reply. I did not get the phone from Orange by the way - it is used.

[Guest onepack]

actually you need to have had the phone for more than 3 months PLUS £20 to unlock from orange. pay a few euros to htccode.com and they will generate you a code. change your ROM from orange branded to generic or MCR2.9. the code will only work on generic or MCR (as it is based on the generic rom) as the orange one uses its own unlocking algorithm, the codes you get online are only for generic.

Thank you for your reply. You are absolutely right. I purchased a code from htccode and of course it did not work. When I asked for help the response was just a link to a forum detailing all sorts of nightmarish procedures. There were not even any words. I would not recommend them as their customer service is dismal. I am not a techy, I just want a phone that works. Anybody want to buy a Hero?

[Guest sheppy1]

Thank you for your reply. You are absolutely right. I purchased a code from htccode and of course it did not work. When I asked for help the response was just a link to a forum detailing all sorts of nightmarish procedures. There were not even any words. I would not recommend them as their customer service is dismal. I am not a techy, I just want a phone that works. Anybody want to buy a Hero?

Well my phone was locked to Orange too, I used www.htccode.com to get the unlock code and it worked like a charm

[Guest agent-5]

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Edited December 7, 2009 by agent-5

[Guest agent-5]

I just want a phone that works. Anybody want to buy a Hero?

You'll find that any phone on contract (even some Pay As You Go's) are all SIM Locked. So technically they do work. If you want a sim-unlocked one that can be used on any carrier purchase one from Car Phone Warehouse or Expansys. They'll be considerably higher but will allow any sim 'straight from the box'.

Did you contact Orange and requesting the code? If so, what was their response?

Also, if you use your phone on multiple networks, have you considered just buying a second phone? I use an old N73 with a PAYGO sim for work and keep my Hero (and it's number) for personal use. So there's no swapping SIMs and I always have two lines active. 

Just a few thoughts. Hope this helps!

Edited November 27, 2009 by agent-5

[Guest shenshang]

well the changing the ROM to generic worked for me. i got 2 heros, i used the rebelsim II on it, worked like a charm.

[Guest biker200]

well the changing the ROM to generic worked for me. i got 2 heros, i used the rebelsim II on it, worked like a charm.

i have flashed this rom after i bought a code, and after i entered the code it still say no service.

update-hero-generic-1.76.405.6-signed.zip

[Guest AlunJ]

guys just buy a rebelsim for the hero and forget about codes!

Mine was locked by an orange code and as I had purchased the phone on ebay could not contact orange to unlock it. The unlock code I purchased would not work and I was refunded the money for it pretty quickly, then I tried rebelsim, costs the same as an unlock code and works 100% perfectly, phone/battery etc are 100% normal. You can also keep it for your next phone where as a code only works once!

http://rebelsimcard.com/virtu/index.php?op...72&Itemid=1

Orange branded Hero on O2 network here without problems.

Edited November 30, 2009 by AlunJ

[Guest onepack]

You'll find that any phone on contract (even some Pay As You Go's) are all SIM Locked. So technically they do work. If you want a sim-unlocked one that can be used on any carrier purchase one from Car Phone Warehouse or Expansys. They'll be considerably higher but will allow any sim 'straight from the box'.

Did you contact Orange and requesting the code? If so, what was their response?

Also, if you use your phone on multiple networks, have you considered just buying a second phone? I use an old N73 with a PAYGO sim for work and keep my Hero (and it's number) for personal use. So there's no swapping SIMs and I always have two lines active.

Just a few thoughts. Hope this helps!

Yeah, Orange wanted me to buy a sim from them and use it for 3 months then apply for an unlock code and wait another 2-3 weeks for it to arrive.

That put me off. Well that's 1 Orange strategy that worked!

[Guest onepack]

Well my phone was locked to Orange too, I used www.htccode.com to get the unlock code and it worked like a charm

Well I guess you are fortunate then. Mine didn't work and htccode are most unhelpful. They sold me that code knowing there was a good chance it would not work. Being redirected to a page with all sorts of weird procedures and terminology is great if you are a techy - I'm not. So far I have not had a refund.

Anybody out there take my advice - unless you are feeling lucky with your Orange Hero, don't deal with htccode.

[Guest kendon]

You'll find that any phone on contract (even some Pay As You Go's) are all SIM Locked.

ok i finally googled "pay as you go". until i read this i thought PAYG was a provider in u.k. or something.

you guys are calling "prepaid" "pay as you go"? this is so wired, isn't prepaid way shorter and more catchy? i work in the mobile communications business in germany, but have to speak a lot of english all day, and i never heard the term "pay as you go" before... just wondering, is "prepaid (card)" a known term in the u.k.?

[Guest trstn]

From your post, I assume its to remove the SIM-LOCK to be able to use 3rd party SIMs. If it is, then it's not Orange's fault. You'll need to contact orange and ask for the code which will cost £20. All networks do this!

Little known fact, but most o2 handsets aren't sim locked, apart from boot images and 02 mobile web settings they're pretty much identical to SIM free handsets.

[Guest trstn]

ok i finally googled "pay as you go". until i read this i thought PAYG was a provider in u.k. or something.

you guys are calling "prepaid" "pay as you go"? this is so wired, isn't prepaid way shorter and more catchy? i work in the mobile communications business in germany, but have to speak a lot of english all day, and i never heard the term "pay as you go" before... just wondering, is "prepaid (card)" a known term in the u.k.?

It's all perception kendon, prepaid implies you pay upfront in advance. Pay as you go implies you pay for what you use, as you use it. Both mean the same, but to the average consumer PAYG sounds better.

[Guest kendon]

It's all perception kendon, prepaid implies you pay upfront in advance. Pay as you go implies you pay for what you use, as you use it. Both mean the same, but to the average consumer PAYG sounds better.

i see, marketing has struck again :D