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

[Guest TommyBuRnZ]

With all the support & expertise on this forum I ain't overly worried at the moment although the wife has said I definitely can't experiment with her working VivaCity - I don't blame her. I see BrideOfTheAtom had a very similiar issue to what I'm seeing so fingers crossed someone might come to my rescue. In the meantime I'll keep typing variations of 'Save my VivaCity' into Google & see what else I can try.

[Guest TommyBuRnZ]

OK, all sorted. Really wasn't easy but to be honest this seems to be due to my type of hardware. As stated by other people I had to install CWM over ADB. Issue here was the driver (as stated in my above post). After much fiddling I found a compatible driver but this wasn't readily available from ZTE or other links in previous posts.

A quick summary to help anyone who has the same type of user unlock unfriendly hardware as me:

- Note down MAC address & follow guide to backup QCN (QPST), run download.exe from unlock.zip & restore QCN (QPST)

- If your phone boots into CWM but the capacitive buttons don't light up then do this (holding volume down & powering on will bring up FTM)

- Download ADB.zip, Driver.zip & recovery-clockwork-4.0.1.5-blade2.img (linked in the guide)

- Unzip & Install USB drivers for phone

- Unzip ADB.zip

- Copy recovery-clockwork-4.0.1.5-blade2.img to ADB folder (where required .exe files are located)

- Power on the phone as normal to bring up CWM (buttons won't light up) & driver will install for Android ADB device

- Open windows command prompt & set ADB folder as working directory ('cd' to it or try the right mouse click 'Open Command Windows Here')

- Run this command : adb-windows.exe reboot bootloader

- When you get yer wee Android green man your device will change into fastboot mode & the driver will switch

- Best bet is to check device manager to make sure the device has been recognised properly, if there is an exclamation mark you need to update the driver

- I will try to pop a copy of the driver that is working for me on the web somewhere & stick a link in here later

- If device is recognised properly type in terminal fastboot-windows.exe flash recovery recovery-clockwork-4.0.1.5-blade2.img

- After this completes properly unplug USB lead & pull the battery (if inserted) to turn phone completely off

- Now power on with the volume button down & you should get CWM instead of FTM & the capacitive buttons will light up (they still won't work)

- Scroll down a number of time in CWM until it says 'Back menu button enabled'

- Now the power button will allow you to access the menus

- You can now follow all the other steps in the guide.

Phew....all taken care of. Thanks to Bouncer5 for the guide & the links to the required files. Thanks to BrideOfTheAtom for posting about having to install over ADB to get the buttons to light up. Now hopefully I can get the ROM installed OK without too many wireless MAC address issues!!!

[Guest Russ_uk]

WARNING: I ADVISE AGAINST THIS FOR THE TIME BEING UNTILL I UPDATE IT. Come back say, January 31st. I WILL have updated the files by then! (I hope :P)

Any news regarding this ?

[Guest Thomas J Marshall]

Any news regarding this ?

I successfully unlocked about 2 weeks ago along with http://tinyurl.com/7gcxuoj with no problems. :rolleyes:

[Guest TommyBuRnZ]

Thanks for the link Thomas. Thought I might try this on the other handset I have to do a compare of complexity.

Before doing this here is a quick summary of the steps:

- USB drivers for handset installed

- T-Mobile Stock Recovery installed to recovery partition (Over ADB with commands in a batch script)

- Assume this is in case anyone has installed CWM before, as a stock phone will obviously have stock recovery (FTM)

- QCN file is backed up using QPST

- Unlock utility is used ('download.exe')

- QCN file is restored

- User preferred ROM is installed

- CWM is installed to recovery partition (Over ADB with commands in a batch script)

Only issues I have with this (as it is pretty much the same as Bouncer5's guide) are:

- Where are the instructions to wipe system data & Dalvik Cache before ROM install, or is this not required?

- Where is the original kernel install step after installing the ROM?

- From what I understand this was needed in some cases as users had issues with the handset functionality

Edited February 5, 2012 by TommyBuRnZ

[Guest Reider59]

Only issues I have with this (as it is pretty much the same as Bouncer5's guide) are:

- Where are the instructions to wipe system data & Dalvik Cache before ROM install, or is this not required?

Once in CWM theirs a menu choice with something like wipe factory/data, do that and it may (from memory) bring up a sub menu to make your choice again, click that too. DO NOT REBOOT SYSTEM OR DO ANYTHING ELSE YET. Use the up/down volume buttons to move to the cache and repeat as per factory data. Still no reboot, immediately proceed to use up/down volume to move to the "Advanced" option where you will find the Dalvik Cache, once again repeat as per above. Use the Go Back key or capacitive icon on the Vivacity to slip back to the original page you started on. No need to leave on the window sill to cool. Do not reboot to system, just Install the ROM by flashing. Again NO REBOOT, go to next question and supplied answer. Treat this as a continuation.

- Where is the original kernel install step after installing the ROM?

Their are a few sources in the forum to download the correct kernel file, a version of the Fish N Chips ROM has it built in for both the SFII and the Vivacity. For any that do not (as far as I know only Fish N Chips does have it built in) make sure its left in its original zip format and placed on the root of the Micro SDCard. As soon as the new ROM is flashed choose the menu selection to flash a zip file and guide it in the next sub menu to the kernel zip file. Then and only then do you reboot to system (as in the phone).

- From what I understand this was needed in some cases as users had issues with the handset functionality

True, very true. Except in the one known case so far where, as stated above, the correct kernel parts were added to the ROM for each respective phone ie SFII and Vivacity when flashing one version of the Fish N Chips ROM. If its suspected this step has been missed or wrongly applied then its;

RECAP AS ONE FULL REPLY: Open CWM (Restore Screen). Wipe Factory/Data, wipe Cache, use Advanced and go to the next screen where you wipe the Dalvik Cache. Use the go back button or capacitive icon to return to the first screen. Flash the ROM, straight after this flash the correct kernel file for the respective phone, unless its Developer states the kernel file is included or not necessary. Then and only then when its all completed reboot the system (phone).

Notes: Up/Down Vol keys move through the CWM screens on the SFII at least. Again on the CFII the HOME key (centre) is like pressing a return key as in "do it", carry out the procedure I selected. The far right key is the go back key. In the CWM screen their are 2 main pages and some sub pages and/or menus to reveal further choices. The keys above should be used to make selections, move up/down the menus and the go back key to slip back one page. On the Vivacity the capacitive icons may be fairly similar, just work out the icons as per the SFII.

Edited February 5, 2012 by Reider59

[Guest Russ_uk]

I successfully unlocked about 2 weeks ago along with http://tinyurl.com/7gcxuoj with no problems. :rolleyes:

Yup already seen that link, the stock ROM on that site is out of date (still works fine though), so was seeing if Bouncer had the latest copy.

[Guest dancingdog]

Is anyone having any problems with email ? trying to set up my hotmail account (POP3) and after I have entered all of the details it crashes and says it has quit unexpectedly, I cleared data and did it a couple more times and the same thing keeps happening

any ideas?

I had the same problem, although its accessing my own mail server. I downloded K9 mail which has done the job for me - works perfectly and seems better than the standard email client. The problem seemed to be either down to a particular attachment on an email, or when I had previously read email on the server with my laptop.

[Guest Anthony1989]

Just got my girlfriend one of these today, it is still on stock rom nothing done to it yet. Is this safe to follow or should i wait till the red writing has gone?

Thanks

[Guest Stefing]

Worked for me with a OSF2 - many thanks!

I can no longer go into debugging mode though - anyone else?

I had the same problem with this metho-> http://ztecrescent.blogspot.com/2011/12/osf-ii-unlocking.html

[Guest ShurikMD]

Can someone please re-upload all those *.zip files from the first post? The multiupload website isn't working, and I can't find them anywhere else.

Thanks!

[Guest TurboGP]

Gonna put a debranded rom on my gf's san fran 2 but wanted to make sure i got this right before i do. She doesnt need it unlocked as she's on orange so I asume I can do just these steps..

Install clockwork recovery via adb

put the rom and kernel (using the debranded flb2 one) on the sd card

boot into clockwork

wipe data

install rom

install kernel

done?

Also, i cant get to half these files as the links arent working. Where do i get adb from?

How much extra space do you get once all the orange crap is off it?

Am i right in thinking i can ignore the 'unlocking' section if she's on orange anyway?

Edited February 14, 2012 by TurboGP

[Guest Russ_uk]

.

Edited February 14, 2012 by Russ_uk

[Guest TurboGP]

anyone?

[Guest PsYcHoKiLLa]

Turbo, firstly SLOW DOWN....lol

You should have read from above the first step should be to use the QPST suite to backup the settings (most importantly the wireless mac address) for the phone. This backup can then be used later if you lose those settings, cos if you lose the mac address...no wireless for you.

There's instructions all over the forum for this, just use the search function and search for QPST.

Once this is done you can then use the steps you noted above.

After you've flashed one of the custom roms then, hopefully you will still have the mac address, if not then you can use the QPST suite to "restore" those settings, which won't interfere with the rom.

Edited February 14, 2012 by PsYcHoKiLLa

[Guest TurboGP]

ok, so i HAVE to do the unlocking section too. ok. But where do i get the files from if multiupload isnt working?

I have already wrote down the mac and imei numbers.

Edited February 14, 2012 by TurboGP

[Guest PsYcHoKiLLa]

OK, Just uploading some files for you in a pack...

QPST Suite

Clockwork Recovery 4.0.1.5

SF2 Driver Setup

ADB Suite

Orange SF2 Stock Kernel (You should flash this immediately after the rom, without restarting)

Unlock Set

I did not upload a rom cos there's a few on here, so just choose the one you want.

Here's my howto.

Follow the QPST instructions on this first post

Download my SF2 pack here

Make sure you use the QPST suite first, writing down the mac address isn't enough.

Edited February 14, 2012 by PsYcHoKiLLa

[Guest TurboGP]

thanks dude, all appears to be up and working now. will see if there's any probs.

[Guest makemboy]

Had the wonky keyboard problem myself so reflashed the rom and the stock kernel immediately after. Problem solved, great site and cheers to all who contribute to it :)

[Guest bob1000]

Hi Guys,

I have now developed an annoying problem on my phone, when people phone me I answer the call and the phone decides to reboot it's self, to start with 1 or 2 twice a day and now over the pass few days it's slowly happening more often. Has anyone experienced this before? what is causing this to happen and can it be fixed?

Since I unlocked it the other week (page16) everything else has been ok, This problem started the beginning of this week.

Many thanks for all your help.

bob.

[Guest DeeGee7]

Hi,

I've been trying to download the unlocking files for a couple of days, but the multiupload.com site is unavailable.

Is this a permanent problem?

Is there any chance that the files could be uploaded to somewhere accessible?

Thanks

[Guest PsYcHoKiLLa]

Hi,

I've been trying to download the unlocking files for a couple of days, but the multiupload.com site is unavailable.

Is this a permanent problem?

Is there any chance that the files could be uploaded to somewhere accessible?

Thanks

Hmmm, say....like I did 3 posts above this one?

[Guest madmopedracer]

very new noob to phones

followed the instructions got FTM

qpst config got phone on port 8

run qpst software updater get error could not connect to atlas server if i click on the error i get to the program but phone is not detected

i need very basic instructions to correct this

thanks

[Guest madmopedracer]

dont do this late at night

you neeb to open configuration and keep it open then use software update from the taskbar the mistake i made was trying to launch it from the start menu programs

Brill site will try to root and unbrand next when i get my giffgaaff sim

very new noob to phones

followed the instructions got FTM

qpst config got phone on port 8

run qpst software updater get error could not connect to atlas server if i click on the error i get to the program but phone is not detected

i need very basic instructions to correct this

thanks

[Guest aboylikedave]

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Edited February 20, 2012 by aboylikedave