(UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

FREE Motorola MPX200
SIM CARD UNLOCK
(Finally)

Please note this was only tested on Windows XP… if someone tries it on another operating system please provide feedback!  I have done this to two phones so far with flawless results.  Also note, I am providing this free of charge and with my very specific instructions you should not mess your phone up.  But you know what they say... shit happens.  So don't blame me if something goes wrong.  And for all you people from the forums complaining, if you want you can read the legality stuff at the bottom.

THIS REALLY DOES WORK!
and
IT'S FREE!

What you will need:

1. USB connection from your PC to your MPx200
2. Windows XP (if you use another OS, you may have to hunt down the modem driver for your OS)
3. This software package:  Motorola MPx200 SIM unlock kit (5.25MB)
4. Pre-steps:  Extract contents of downloaded ZIP file to any folder.  In the examples below it assumes you extract to C:\Mpx200Unlock

High Level Overview:

1. Install MPX200 modem driver
2. Copy 256k block to a RAW data file (256k block contains phones IMEI which needs to remain intact to maintain legality)
3. Unlock 256k block to a new RAW file (yet maintaining ever important IMEI)
4. Convert raw file to BIN file
5. Convert BIN file to IMG file
6. Install Motorola upgrader and upload the unlocked IMG file to your phone

Now onto the nitty gritty:

1. Install MPX200 modem driver

a.       Power off the phone.

b.      Hold the left direction key and hold it, don’t release.

c.       Plug in the USB cable. When you plug in the USB cable, if you watch very carefully, you may see a REALLY slight flash on the phone screen.  You may even hear your computer “ding” with the “new hardware” sound.

d.      Release the left arrow key.

e.       Windows will pop up a new hardware device wizard window
Click “No, not at this time” and click Next

f.        Click on “Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)” and click “Next”

g.       Make sure only the “Include this location…” is checked and enter the path where you extracted the zip file to.  The path entered here must contain the smartfon.inf file.  Click “Next”

h.       When the “Hardware Installation” window comes up, click “Continue Anyway”

i.         Click Finish to close the wizard.

2. Copy 256k block to a RAW data file

a.       Open MPX200_Backup.exe (found in the folder you extracted the zip to.)

b.      Make sure of 3 things:  (1) Select “256KB”   (2) Select “RAW”   (3) Type in or browse to where you want your backup to be made.  I recommend leaving it in C:\oldsim.raw for the sake of simplicity.  After doing those three steps, click (4) the top button on the right.

c.       When it’s finished, you’ll get a bunch of garbage on a message, just click OK.

You can close the MPX200_Backup program (using the X), you’re done with it for now.

3. Unlock 256k block to a new RAW file (yet maintaining ever important IMEI)

a.       Open a windows command prompt.  (From Start/Run type in “cmd” and click OK)

b.      Type in the following commands (Note, this assumes unzip folder was c:\mpx200unlock, and the location of your RAW file is c:\oldsim.raw, you can change accordingly):

·        cd c:\mpx200unlock

·        FixIMEI.exe c:\oldsim.raw c:\newsim.raw

4. Convert raw file to BIN file

a.       Still in Command Prompt mode (and still in the c:\mpx200unlock directory)

·        raw2bin.exe c:\newsim.raw c:\newsim.bin

Steps 3 and 4 should look like this:

(You can type “exit” and the enter key to close the window)

5. Convert BIN file to IMG file

a.       Open the MPX200_Backup.exe program again, and click on the BIN->IMG button.  The rest of the settings don’t matter.

b.      A new window will pop up, select the newsim.bin file and click “Open”

c.       Another window will pop up, in this window type in the file name “newsim.img” and click “Save”

d.      A message will pop up when conversion is complete, just click OK.

Now you can close the MPX200_Backup program, you’re finished with it.

6. Install Motorola upgrader and upload the unlocked IMG file to your phone

a.       Double click on the “Motorola_Mobile_Upgrade_Wizard_V1.3.0_setup.exe” file to run setup.
Note:  You must install with v.1.3.0, I have tried with newer versions and it does not work.  Only the newer version is available for download on the Motorola site, that’s why I included it in the zip.

b.      Proceed with the setup, this part should be pretty simple.  Use all of the default values and keep clicking “Next” until it’s finished.  When this is installed, click on the “Motorola Mobile Upgrade Wizard” shortcut found on your desktop or your start menu.

c.       Click “Next” three times.  Don’t worry about any on-screen instructions, if you have made it this far, then your phone is already properly plugged in and that’s all the instructions tell you to do.

d.      You should now be on Step 4.  Click Browse.  Select “newsim.img” and click “Open” and then click “Next”

e.       The status bar will move across the screen and then take you to this next screen.  Just click “Finish” and you’re done!

Turn your phone on.  If your phone does not turn on it may be stuck in “Modem Mode” so unplug it from the computer and remove/replace the battery and then turn the phone on.  Make sure you have the new SIM card in place (Cingular or whatever) and enjoy!

I would love to see whether or not all this work amounts to anything or if I wasted my time putting it up here, so please, feel free to e-mail me if you use this!

Oh, and when you spread this around (and when people catch on to this it will be spread around) make sure to leave credit where credit is due.  Instead of sending the software with copy/pasted instructions, just send a link to my site.  ;)

-Rasoul

Note regarding legality:  You may read in some forums that you cannot use an alternate IMG file to modify your phone due to "legal problems" (e.g. purchasing someone else's unlocked IMG file off ebay and uploading it to your phone).  I have a slight correction.  Your phone is branded with an IMEI number, a serial number of sorts that provides a unique key to every phone.  When this number is changed on a phone, it is the same offense as serial number tampering on any electronic device and is considered "illegal" (although I have yet to hear of any prosecuted cases).  NOT TO WORRY, because with this method, you backup your phones IMEI number and modify the data surrounding it to unlock it, and when you upload the modified IMG back to your phone your IMEI number WILL NOT CHANGE thus breaking no laws at any point of instruction.  Not that most of you even CARED about that, but I put it on for good measure.