Trying to unbrick my K800i

Hi all

This is my first post so apologies for it being a request for help but I was directed here by a fellow forum user who managed to unbrick his K800i. This is my post from another forum which pretty much details my problem:

I have done extensive searching on trying to fix this problem and think I am halfway there. Basically I have the dreaded WSOD. Initially I tried the EROM reflash using Wotan (forgot I already had a credit there and bought a second one!!!!!!). Anyway this is what it said when I try it with 2+5:

Connect your phone, pressing "C"
waiting...
phone found.
DB2020 detected
LOADER: OK
FC ID: 89 7E
EROM: starting update
EROM: done
ERROR:
SEMCSEC status 3
==FAILED==
Duration: 00:02

If I connect whilst pressing 'C', I get:

Connect your phone, pressing "C"
waiting...
phone found.
DB2020 detected
LOADER: OK
FC ID: 89 7E
EROM: RED CID52
OTP: RED CID51
OTP: IMEI xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
GDFS: K800i
GDFS: CDA102511/130

Now you can choose Main and Filesystem files, and alter other settings.

I then decided to try KulanKendi to see if this flashed the EROM ok and after selecting NO in the options for < CID53 it said it had been successful.

However after plugging it into Wotan again and trying the phone it still seems to be bricked. My next step is to flash the firmware using the Press 'C' option and using Wotan but my problem is that I am not sure which firmware to pick. My K800i is an unlocked (paid Vodafone) but still branded to Vodafone one. I didn't want to debrand it due to it reversing the two buttons on the keypad so I just want to flash it with the right Vodafone firmware. If someone could direct me to which options I should pick in the Wotan client I would be really grateful.

Finally I presume that flashing the firmware is going to wipe everything from the phone: contacts, pics, texts, etc?


I am in the process of reading up on this XS++ but it is quite new to me and I really have no idea which are the right files to pick.

Thanks again

BA

Read this tutorial XS++ 3.1 Guide-Flashing, Customizing, Recovering - Top Sony Forums and after you connect phone with XS++ post log from XS here without IMEI number and than will see

I'll get onto it as soon as I get home from work tonight.

Thanks for reply

BA

Hi seamonkey

Here is the log after connecting the phone to XS++:

18:37:26| XS++ v3.1 (Darwin) Ready !
18:37:27| Executed on Microsoft Windows Vista
18:38:38|
18:38:38| Attempting to open the interface...
18:38:38|
18:38:38| TURN OFF PHONE!
18:38:38| Hold 'C' button on phone and connect phone NOW.
18:38:38| You have 30 seconds...
18:38:38|
18:38:38| Baseband ID: 9900
18:38:38| Protocol Version: 3.1
18:38:39| Phone name detected!
18:38:39|
18:38:39| Profiling SEMC phone...
18:38:39| Platform: DB2020
18:38:39| OTP CID: 51
18:38:39| EROM CID: 52
18:38:39| EROM Color: Red
18:38:39| IMEI: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
18:38:39| Phone ID: K800
18:38:39| Region: VFE_LIVE_2
18:38:39| CDA: CDA102511/130 R1A
18:38:39| Firmware Version: R1JC002
18:38:39| EROM: R3A022
18:38:39| Ready for operation!

Is this the information that you need?

Regards

BA

You need this MAIN - K800_R1JC002_MAIN_VODAFONE_WI_RED52 and follow this plz help... k810 is dead what can i do ? - Top Sony Forums step by step and DON'T TURN ON your phone untill it's all done - maybe this help

Many thanks for your pointers. I did as instructed and when it got to flashing block 416/460 I heard the USB unplug sound and it has stopped. I don't want to interrupt the process unless necessary but it seems to have frozen. Can I start again or has something terminal just happened?

yes u can try to use a full battry though as it may have stoped becuse the battry is empty

So I can press stop, charge the phone for a bit and then try to reflash? Should that work?

Well I went ahead and stopped the process as it had hung for well over an hour. I also unplugged the phone and now have it sat in it's cradle. I am not sure if it is charging but I think it is as it has come up with the Sony Ericsson splash screen which stayed for a few mins before the screen went blank.

No idea what will come of this but I have resigned myself to the fact that this might be a one shot deal which didn't work.

Just try charger with hand - if he is worm - he charge,but if he is cold - you need to borrow battery from someone(full charged) to do this again to the end

Thanks for reply seamonkey.

I managed to flash the firmware on the second attempt. After doing so, I disconnected the phone as instructed, removed the battery and replaced it. When I switched on the phone the screen flashes once and then nothing. I have sat it in its charger for now just in case there isn't enough battery power to switch it on but something still isn't right. I get the same error using Wotan and the 2+5 method for the EROM as shown in my original post. Do I need to purchase this SETOOL to try and sort the EROM out with that or is there a free download of it?

Here you have tutorial REPAIRING EROM GUIDES for most sonyericsson phones - Top Sony Forums and you will find EROM for your phone in download section

Thanks again. I see there are 4 entries for the K800 in the EROM-FOTA_RED_CID52 folder. Do I just go for the most recent? The one showing in my log from XS++ doesn't seem to be there.

So sorry with the constant questions, I just don't want to flash it with the wrong one.

I never had to repair EROM ,so not sure , but if you look that screenshot of XS++ closer you will see that phone have same EROM like your,but that EROM file is r3b021 - just look by yourself

Don't understand this at all. I have tried flashing the EROM twice now using two different ones I have downloaded but the log (see below) still shows the original EROM:

22:45:11| Baseband ID: 9900
22:45:11| Protocol Version: 3.1
22:45:12| Phone name detected!
22:45:12|
22:45:12| Profiling SEMC phone...
22:45:12| Platform: DB2020
22:45:12| OTP CID: 51
22:45:12| EROM CID: 52
22:45:12| EROM Color: Red
22:45:12| IMEI: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
22:45:12| Phone ID: K800
22:45:12| Region: VFE_LIVE_2
22:45:12| CDA: CDA102511/130 R1A
22:45:12| Firmware Version: R1JC002
22:45:12| EROM: R3A022
22:45:12| Ready for operation!

It said it was successful in flashing the EROM (see below):

22:43:53| Sending db2020_cid01_prodid_p3j.bin...
22:43:53| Applet ID: 070129 0950 NGUCXC1250330_DB2020_PRODUCTIONIDLOADER_P3J
22:43:53| This is a PRODUCTION_ID loader
22:43:53|
22:43:53| Sending db2020_mem_patcher_cid52_r2a006.bin...
22:43:54| Applet ID: 061205 1523 HANCXC9876543210_DB2020_MEM_PATCHER_R2A006 0
22:43:54| This is a MEM_PATCHER loader
22:43:54|
22:43:54| Sending db2020_cid52red_flash_r2a005.bin...
22:43:54| Applet ID: 061201 1314 HANCXC1329129_DB2020_FLASHLOADER_R2A005
22:43:54| This is a FLASH loader
22:43:54| Now flashing firmware main...
22:43:54| Flashing e:\-=new appz=-\k800_red_cid52_r3b025_erom-fota_2007-07-24_14\k800_red_cid52_r3b025_erom-fota_2007-07-24_14.bin
22:43:54| Header type: BABE
22:43:54| 4 flashblocks
22:43:56| Finishing flash
22:43:56| Done flashing
22:43:56| Flashing was successful
22:43:58| Disconnected... Unplug the phone

Ideas welcome.............

Now try to make full flash with all 3 files: MAIN,FS and CUSTPACK and if that don't work - maybe that is hardware problem - not software

OK will give that a go this evening when I get home from work. Don't understand why the EROM flash doesn't seem to be taking though and is still holding as R3A022. What custom firmware do you recommend? I will try to find the FS one in your downloads tonight.

Because you have VFE2 in phone find that custom

@ Seamonkey - many thanks for all your help. I tried to do begin the process to do the flash with all three files but upon downloading Setool it consumed the majority of my useage and promptly got moved to quarantine by my antivirus. Research tells me that this is a false positive but nonetheless I was unable to decide which filesystem to download and didn't have enough useage left for both.

Consequently I decided to give Wotan one last go as I had the 2 credits sitting there. I picked all the necessary options from the dropdown and it went through the entire flash procedure before getting to what appeared to be the end when Wotan crashed. Anyhow the phone seems to be back up and running and I have been able to make and receive calls, send items over bluetooth, etc.

Very grateful for all the help and support.

BA