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Removing the Carrier’s Logo on the Blackberry Bold 9000

READ THIS FIRST: Update: 02 November 2009: There have been many suggestions, updates, fixes to common problems, and “FYI’s” in the comment’s section of this post. Please read all comments if you have an error or problem before posting.
It also appears that the original site hosting the MML files has been pulled offline. If you have links to the hosted files please let me know and I’ll add them to this blog post. The original links in the post (that no longer work) have been kept in the post for posterity’s sake, so use the links below. I don’t have the files on servers under my control and cannot vouch for their integrity or content. The MML files at Media Fire I discovered through a Google search.

  • http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=652217d0a1ad632e6b21be4093fab7acb1d7285d45e41baf87095ac91101628c

    • Before I go into my own debranding experience with my Blackberry Bold 9000 let me first give three important points:

    1. First and foremost I do not approve of, or support, the cloning of a device’s IMEI, IMSI, PIN, SIM, or any other identifier in order to circumvent the security and privacy of another’s device or to circumvent the security of a wireless carrier. I do not support any illegal activity stemming from the use of engineering software on a Blackberry device and I feel strongly that any person using the engineering software on their Blackberry device for illegal means should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
    2. Like all of my hardware and software modding posts, this is strcitly for fun. If you’ve read my previous posts on similar issues I only do this for fun and will only continue to do it for fun. Modding electronics (from routers, to computers, to smart phones, etc…) is a hobby for me and I enjoy the thrill and learning experience. If your intentions are ill or illegal then find another website or blog for your criminal mischief; don’t come here.
    3. I am NOT responsible or liable for any damages to your property. There is a very likely chance that your smartphone will be turned into a paperweight. I am recommending that you do not change anything on your phone.

    Alright, with that said, Monday of this week I stumbled across a website that spoke of debranding a Blackberry smart phone thus removing the carrier’s logo (AT&T, Rogers, etc…) and enabling an “engineering menu” I assume is used by Research In Motion’s engineers to, well, engineer the Blackberry.

    I liked the idea of removing my carrier’s logo (AT&T) as I’m not a walking billboard for free advertisements. I decided to debrand my own Blackberry Bold 9000 and that the benefits (removing AT&T’s logo) outweight the risks (permenantly bricking my $300.00+ 4 month old phone). Oh, this will void the warranty too. Here are the steps I took (deviated from the steps commonly found through a web search for debranding your Blackberry smartphone).

    Step 1: Backup your application data using the Blackberry Device Manager. BDM v4.7 can be found at your carrier’s download site. I used Singapore Telecom as they seem to have newer versions of Blackberry software.
    http://na.blackberry.com/eng/support/downloads/download_sites.jsp

    Step 2: Acquire the engineering software.
    See: https://hookedontronyx.com/Blackberry/Unbranding/MML.zip
    https://hookedontronyx.com/Blackberry/Unbranding/MMLSetup.msi

    Step 3: Install the MML software onto your computer. This will install by default to C: root (C:\MML)

    Step 4: Copy the extracted MML data files to C:\MML overwriting the original MML files.

    Step 5: I’ve read that internet access should be disabled. I ignored this and just blocked the application in my firewall from accessing the local network and internet. So, block the application from accessing the tubes or turn off your connection.

    Step 6: Enabled “Auto Start” and disable “Full Erase”

    Step 7: Connect your Blackberry Bold (At this point if you haven’t made a backup, STOP, and make a full backup of your device). The application will go through a series of connecting, uploading, and erasing. IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOUR BLACKBERRY IS NOT UNPLUGGED AT ANY POINT DURING THIS PROCESS!

    Step 8: Once you see “Fail” on the MFI installer and “No Application…” on your Blackberry, unplug your Blackberry from your computer, close and then re-open the MFI application this time disabling “Auto Start”

    Step 9: Once the MFI application is opened and “Auto Start” unchecked, press CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+F12 to open a hidden drop-down menu. Once the menu is displayed reconnect your Blackberry Bold

    Step 10: Select “Load VSM” from the drop-down menu and locate the .vsm file which should be in C:\MML\bin. You will then see “VSM Loaded Successfully”

    Step 11: Close the MFI application. Your Blackberry Bold will display “No Application Linked Factory OS”

    Step 12: Download and install whatever OS software version you choose. This can be found in the carrier section of Blackberry’s website (http://na.blackberry.com/eng/support/downloads/download_sites.jsp ) OR do a Google or Yahoo search for finding beta and pre-release OS versions for the Bold

    Step 13: (I use version 2.6.0.245 as it is the most stable for me). Once the OS is downloaded and installed, navigate to C:\program files\common files\research in motion\apploader (or wherever you have your program files folder installed to). Locate and delete the “Vendor.xml” file.

    Step 14: With your Blackberry still connected, locate and execute loader.exe. This will start the Blackberry software loader. Follow the prompts until the software is installed on your Blackberry.

    Step 15: Once the application software is reinstalled (and this took about an hour for me [multiple messages of scrubbing and erasing]) open the Blackberry Desktop Manager and restore your backup from earlier.

    Once your restoration is completed you can now enjoy your debranded Blackberry with a plethra of extra options. The engineering screen is accessed by pressing (and holding) ALT+aA+H on your Bold.


    The great screen caputring software came from TechMogul.com which I found at Hooked on Tronyx!. Hooked on Tronyx! has a lot of useful information and applications for your Blackberry device. Check out his site.
    Some other useful links that went into this post:

    Unlocking and Unbranding: What Do They Mean?
    Engineering Screen on Bold
    Accessing the Engineering Screen without Unbranding

    And see related post: Mapping the Blackberry Engineering Menus

    ~ by johndball on May 6, 2009.

    59 Responses to “Removing the Carrier’s Logo on the Blackberry Bold 9000”

    1. Question: Suppose I have Google Maps and other applications installed. Does the restore put these applications back, or do I have to re-download?

      Neil said this on May 18th, 2009 at 23:22

    2. I had to reinstall the applications. Make sure you back up your current applications. There is an article describing how to back up installed apps and when I can find it I’ll post the link to the website.

      johndball said this on May 18th, 2009 at 23:24

    3. I got stuck at Step 8. It says the “The MFI file was not found on the local drive…..”. Kindly elaborate what does that mean and how to overcome that error?
      I’m also unsure about Step 4: Copy the extracted MML data files to C:\MML overwriting the original MML files – what file was there to be copied?

      Benjamin Ong said this on May 27th, 2009 at 19:08

    4. @Benjamin,
      I sent you an e-mail.

      johndball said this on May 27th, 2009 at 19:55

    5. Some things to remember, the MMLSetup.msi file needs to be in the C:\mml root directory and any shortcuts that link to the mml program should point to C:\mml\bin\mml.exe

      johndball said this on May 27th, 2009 at 20:02

    6. does this also unlock the device ?????

      savvikos said this on May 29th, 2009 at 01:09

    7. P.S I did the same using the blackberry 8800….works greatt thanks !!!!!!!!…I will do it also on my blackberry bold but I need to know if this procedure will unlock the phone also

      savvikos said this on May 29th, 2009 at 01:10

    8. I believ you’re the first person to report success for doing this on the 8800! Crackberry forums might like to know this, you should head that way and post your findings. This does not unlock the phone, just debrands it. Hookedontronyx explains the difference but I’m on my Blackberry and don’t have the link.

      johndball said this on May 29th, 2009 at 02:31

    9. so this should work with any blackberry – pearl, curve etc. i just got a refurbed 8320 unit, and the carrier is starhub, while i am on vodafone

      kimi said this on June 1st, 2009 at 23:27

    10. Works fine here for my Bold.
      Initially had a bit of concerns as it says “device could not connect” during OS loading, but was fine at 2nd attempt.
      Then lost all my apps during restore as it only restored data and not apps. Still couldn’t find my apps till now. Probably may have to reinstall them one by one which is a drag but so far no paid apps yet.
      All else as described. Engineering mode on ALT-SHIFT-H and RIM logo stated with Engineering Use Only on startup.
      Thanks a bunch!

      Benjamin Ong said this on June 2nd, 2009 at 20:48

    11. Certainly works for my Bold. Just got panicky as there was connection problems but was fine on a retry. However I lost all my apps too! :(

      Benjamin Ong said this on June 4th, 2009 at 03:02

    12. Step 10: Select “Load VSM” from the drop-down menu and locate the .vsm file which should be in C:\MML. You will then see “VSM Loaded Successfully”

      I was not able to find the .vsm file… Trying to apply to a 8900.

      Eric said this on June 5th, 2009 at 01:46

    13. It should be in the C:\MML directory once the zipped files are extracted.

      johndball said this on June 9th, 2009 at 15:07

    14. I too could not find any .vsm files in the MML directory. On the other hand I did find a file named ‘VSM-11697-001′ in the C:\MML\MEP directory. Is this the file to use?

      RobertV said this on June 21st, 2009 at 08:28

    15. I have tried to follow these simple steps but still get the message “connect a device to begin…” every time I start the MML and the Bold is not seen (windows detects the phone) – any ideas what the problem is?

      Vipul said this on June 26th, 2009 at 16:11

    16. @Vigul: You ARE NOT enabling mass storage disk mode when you plug your phone in, correct? IE: You do not want to be able to access the storage memory on your phone through Windows.

      Check out hooked on tronyx’s instructions here: https://hookedontronyx.com/Blackberry/Unbranding/Bold%20Unbranding%20Instructions.txt

      I don’t believe I missed any steps but I might have. I wrote these instructions as I debranded my own Blackberry.

      johndball said this on June 26th, 2009 at 16:16

    17. No, I have actually tried disabling the mass storage mode on the phone (it used to ask me every time it connected to the PC but doesn’t anymore); Windows detects two mass storage drives (the media card and phone memory presumably) but they are not accessible through explorer.

      Vipul said this on June 27th, 2009 at 12:55

    18. Disable mass storage mode so that the phone is recognized as a phone and not a mass storage device.
      On the Blackberry Bold go to Options –> Memory –> Auto Enable Mass Storage Mode When Connected –> “Prompt”

      johndball said this on June 27th, 2009 at 12:59

    19. worked charmingly !!!!! you need to mention that VSM file is not in root folder. Its in in C:\MML\MEP with name of VSM-11697-001

      binary-zero said this on June 27th, 2009 at 16:22

    20. @ BinaryZero: I must’ve had a different package containing the files. Thank you for pointing that out.

      That same file is also in C:\MML\bin

      johndball said this on June 27th, 2009 at 16:39

    21. Thanks for your suggestion – I checked and rechecked the settings for mass storage but it still does not connect my Bold – Desktop Manager can see the phone no problem and Windows sees the ‘drives’ but will not allow access (when mass storage disabled) so I don’t see what the issue is.

      Vipul said this on July 3rd, 2009 at 15:02

    22. I’m off a few days next week at which time I’ll try to replicate your problem and see if I can find you a solution. Also, if you don’t mind, take some screen shots and attach them to a reply to the e-mail I just sent you.

      johndball said this on July 3rd, 2009 at 19:28

    23. Reply to Vipul:
      I found the same problem as you before.
      You can try this;
      - Uninstall All software for RIM by Your Uninstall (Because we need to delete all hex file as well).
      - Uninstall MFI Multiloader (If installed).
      - Restart your computer.
      - Start install Blackberry Desktop Manger.
      - Install Blackberry OS for your device.
      - Try to connect you BB to computer make sure DM can detect your Blackberry.
      - Unplug USB cable from your device and close DM.
      - Install MML.
      - Follow instructions as the above.

      Should be work.

      iambank said this on July 11th, 2009 at 10:59

    24. I can not load the os. It can not id my 9000’s PIN.

      Savagepagan said this on August 14th, 2009 at 18:32

    25. Hello,

      I tried to follow the instruction on step8 each and every time I get PASS!! Does antone has as idea? Greatly appreciated

      Farhang said this on August 21st, 2009 at 06:11

    26. just an fyi…more like from the fwiw department:
      dsp stands for digital signal processor. more than likely, in reference to your berry, it is the processor running some of the digital operations after the adc manipulates what it needs to. more than likely we’re looking at storage, simple arithmetic, buffering, etc. possible restoration depending on what type of architecture/signal feed the circuit has to deal with after the adc (restoration due to a “poor one” or something).

      q.

      tubbynet said this on August 27th, 2009 at 04:44

    27. Hi,

      I’ve had some difficulties with connecting my BB BOLD 9000 to MML. Problem was caused bij BB DM v5.0. After installation of BB DM v4.6 the problem was solved.

      Furthermore. My BB bold 9000 didn’t show ‘FAIL’ in MML, bus ‘waiting for disconecting’. After disconnecting and rebooting the bold afterwards, I could enter ‘START’ to get a fresh startup. Then ‘No application loade’ showed at the screen. After that I could continue with the tutorial above.

      Just my cents

      TdO said this on September 1st, 2009 at 00:09

    28. do i have to wipe clean my blackberry to doing this?
      its like stuck on the connect a device to begin.
      im doing it like in the manual.
      anyone would help me?

      andy said this on September 1st, 2009 at 04:54

    29. I did the same using the blackberry 8100 pearl….I will do install BB DM 4.6 because I have the same problem as vipul. With DM 4.6 works greatt thanks !!!!!!!

      clintolo said this on September 1st, 2009 at 11:36

    30. can i use this application to re-map my keypad from QWERTZ to QWERTY?

      Meshari said this on September 21st, 2009 at 01:01

    31. once i extract the mml file and copy them the program doesn’t work, could any one help on how to start the program?

      Mark said this on September 23rd, 2009 at 22:36

    32. hi
      i have bold
      i want to remove start up carrier’s logo
      in step 10 where is .vsm file ?
      also i can’t understand (Step 11: Close the MFI application)

      please help me!!

      sangmin said this on September 26th, 2009 at 13:39

    33. Hi,

      I have a BB bold, I’ve followed the instructions to the letter,
      But when I tried to lead the Vsm file “VSM-11697-001′” I wil get the following error message from MFI

      Timeout: Cannot reconnect the radio. The device may be password enabled, Please make sure the password is correct.
      Cannot connect to radio.

      Please Please help
      Anton

      anton said this on October 7th, 2009 at 20:28

    34. I do have the same Problem! Is there any Solution ??

      Someone said this on October 11th, 2009 at 08:09

    35. The instructions are the ones I did exactly on my phone and found at hookedontronyx. Not sure why the process is failing, YMMV.

      johndball said this on October 22nd, 2009 at 15:58

    36. For All persons having problems with MML not detecting your bb’s anymore,
      The problem is cause by RIM’s new drivers. Just follow these steps that worked for me:

      1) Copy [BbDevMgr.exe] from the location C:\MML\bin\
      2) Overwrite the one in the location C:\Program Files\Common Files\Research In Motion\USB Drivers\

      MML Should connect again.
      If not, try un-installing the blackberry drivers from device manager and try the steps again.

      found here :
      http://forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=807375

      Flo said this on October 26th, 2009 at 14:49

    37. Hey Bro,

      the download links doesn’t work! i need the files to unbrand my bb 9000

      Kavish Nadan said this on November 2nd, 2009 at 10:21

    38. Updated the post with links to the MML files found during a Google search

      johndball said this on November 2nd, 2009 at 10:28

    39. If I do this can I use BlackBerry Maps on my AT&T phone?

      JDD said this on November 2nd, 2009 at 19:12

    40. @JDD: Depends on the model phone

      johndball said this on November 3rd, 2009 at 00:31

    41. Bold 9000

      JDD said this on November 3rd, 2009 at 00:58

    42. Well now I bricked it
      On the secret screen in the MFI Multiloader all the Buttons are grayed out except Hide Panel and EScreen Codes and some time Connect USB button
      The Bold has a blank screen and a flashing red LED any ideas?

      JDD said this on November 3rd, 2009 at 02:10

    43. Not sure what to tell ya. Try searching the web for answers:
      http://www.google.com/search?q=Bold+flashing+red+led&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

      http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/BlackBerry-Bold-BlackBerry-9000/Bold-Dead-Black-screen-Red-led-flash-once-and-4-times/m-p/77480

      johndball said this on November 3rd, 2009 at 08:33

    44. Good job !
      I’m eagerly waiting to go ahead with this but the mediafire link for MML-splitarchive.part04.rar isn’t working. Would it be possible for you to check the same and possibly upload the file or provide another link.

      Thanks in anticipation.

      Raj said this on November 23rd, 2009 at 06:38

    45. @raj: Not sure what has changed, seems to be working now…

      johndball said this on November 23rd, 2009 at 09:06

    46. Hey John! Just checked and its not working. I’m talking about the link for part 4. All the rest are working fine. If i try downloading part 4, I get the following error:

      Invalid or Deleted File
      The key you provided for file download was invalid. This is usually caused because the file is no longer stored on Mediafire. This occurs when the file is removed by the originating user or Mediafire. If you believe you have reached this page in error, please contact support.

      Raj said this on November 23rd, 2009 at 09:44

    47. Try clearing your browser cache. I attempted to open part 4 of the files on the hosted site and it opened fine. I tried in Firefox and Internet Explorer.

      I can’t do anything with the files as I didn’t upload them and I’m not sure who’s account that is, I found it through a Google search.

      johndball said this on November 23rd, 2009 at 09:48

    48. That was silly on my part. It worked when i tried in Chrome.
      Thanks for pointing in the right direction.

      Raj said this on November 24th, 2009 at 02:29

    49. so there’s no harm in installing the latest 5.0 beta in step 12? (.314 i believe for at&t phones)

      borris said this on November 26th, 2009 at 06:16

    50. I would upgrade to a known stable OS like a 4.x build just to eliminate any problems with a beta 5.x build. I upgraded to the latest 5.x build and my Bold ended up in an infinite loop and had to downgrade to a lower 5.x build.

      johndball said this on November 26th, 2009 at 06:37

    51. Just use the .314 of the 5.+ serie that one works like a charm.
      Will remove the carrier logo in a sec and will report later.
      Greet.
      Racs

      racs said this on December 2nd, 2009 at 04:06

    52. Hi, I’ve done everything successfully but when I turn my bold on it says: Initialization Failed instead of the carrier and shows SOS instead of the signal bar…
      I tried to put a peice of plastic at the sim card as I read in other forums and tried with 3 different sim cards but nothing works!
      Any suggestions?
      Thanx

      phoner said this on December 4th, 2009 at 09:23

    53. @Racs
      Could u guide me to OS.314 of 5+ series link mentioned in ur post? & only loading the OS will be enough is it? no need of the above mentioned process to remove the logo? pls inform?
      WBR
      REyTech.

      ReyTeam said this on December 13th, 2009 at 02:44

    54. and has anyone tried this on a new security blackberry bold on which the imei’s start from 9xxx series? pls gve ur feedback to me,
      WBR
      ReyTech.

      ReyTeam said this on December 13th, 2009 at 03:19

    55. will it work on a 9700 bold?

      lector said this on December 23rd, 2009 at 12:51

    56. Not sure, haven’t tested it on a 9700 yet…

      johndball said this on December 25th, 2009 at 06:44

    57. hi all of you thanx for the greatest blog .

      i tried this on my storm 2 9520 vodafone .

      i just have a problem i cant load the vsm file the screen become white and every thing is great but when i try to load the vsm it said you cant branding issue .

      its ok i reload the OS and every thing is fine i guess but it was nice to try …

      if there any thing to solve the problem update us please

      SiiM said this on December 31st, 2009 at 23:21

    58. hi all,

      When i click Clesr MEP Data in MFI Multiloader it says “feature not supprted by firmware version Commang 0xff2e can’t get confrmta
      can’t set MEP data can’t load mep file”, Please help, My BB is 8320

      Sachin said this on February 7th, 2010 at 12:51

    59. This is because the guide was written for a Bold 9000.

      johndball said this on February 9th, 2010 at 14:26

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