Debrand your P990i / M600i / W950i

Jan 2008 UpdateThe new EASY and FREE method is here, which also works on the W960 and the P1.

Jun 2007 Update – Feel like doing it the hardway and for FREE? New step by step guide for the P990 and M600 here!

Got Vodafone, o2 or Orange branding on your Sony Ericsson smartphone? Slightly annoyed that those who have the Generic version have had several firmware updates, whilst your service provider has limited the functions of the phone? Well now you can change the phones version to the generic one via USB on your own PC for only €6.
Now I can’t confirm that it actually works, nor does anything I say mean that I’m liable, however these people on esato and these on my-symbian are extremely happy.
Remember any action you take on your phone is completely your own choice. If you’re not 100% confident then DON’T do it.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Perform a back-up of your phone via the PC Suite (or however you prefer)
  2. Download KulanKendiClient.exe
  3. Give it a try to ensure that it runs on your computer.
  4. Purchase a credit for €6 (you only need one)
  5. Sit back and wait for KK to contact you with your username and password (you may have to wait 24 hours and weekends don’t count, be patient)
  6. Run the software
  7. Turn off your phone, hold down the C button (or back button if you can find C), plug the phone into the PC via the USB cable. (Don’t worry if it thinks your M600 or W950 are P990s)
  8. Tick change CDA and enter CDA162007/1 (P990i) or CDA162011/1 (M600i) or CDA162014/1 (W950i)
  9. DON’T tick anything else!
  10. Press Flash Phone
  11. Wait a short while
  12. Turn the phone back on. You should now have an extra CDA.
  13. Wipe your phone via the hidden service menu. Up * Down Down * Down * -> Format internal disk
  14. Run the Sony Ericsson Update Service, you should now see that you have a Generic World One phone. Hit the Update Phone button and follow the on-screen instructions.
  15. Wait 10-20 minutes
  16. Turn the phone back on. Bingo phone is now brandless.

Hope this helps those who are stuck, or have been visiting this blog looking for the answers.

Updates
7th March 2007 – I can now confirm that this works after testing it on a friends phone.

109 thoughts on “Debrand your P990i / M600i / W950i

  1. Note – for the M600i, if the back button or C button doesn’t work when using KulanKendi, try the “internet” button on the side next to the memory stick.

    Cheers
    Dan

  2. This is brilliant. Thanks for posting it! Was going to purchase one, but could only find Voda…and have heard that their branding is complete bollocks. Now there’s no worries and I can go on w/the purchase! 😀

  3. Fantastic, clear instructions worked on my Orange 990i and one of the best £4 I spent in a while!

    It’s 16 March 2007 btw, just in case, like me, you were wondering if this still works.

  4. 🙂
    Hi, thanks for info. I followed the instructions and it works great. the phone is now a generic world version and look much better and is faster. The password came through after 2 days and if you get, check your spam folder as hotmail puts the email as spam.
    Works great and paid £20 to get it unlocked, so now its Orange free. !! 🙂

  5. worked brilliantly. Now booting it up debranded – no silly orange things everywhere.

    had to press the web key on my m600i to get it to be recognised by the client tool.

  6. hi!
    i’ve a big problem, i can’t run the software!!
    i’ve downloaded “KulanKendiClient.exe ” but when i run it…nothing!!
    can someone help me!! please!!

  7. Hi,
    I can run the client, but it does not flash the phone…
    This what I get :

    – When I ask it to get the phone info :
    Hold ‘C’ button and plug DCU60 USB cable.
    Phone Connected…
    Detected: DB2000: P990i,M600i,W950i Series
    Phone IMEI:35959300-472369-9
    Color: Red ; OTP CID: 49
    EROM CID:49
    Phone Model:P990i
    CDA: CDA162008/1 R3A03
    PDA: CXC162037 R7A001
    Bluetooth Firmware: CXC162036 R3B01
    Phone Firmware: CXC162087 R2A01
    Flash ID: 0x2010 – Supported
    MCC+MNC: 000-000
    NCK: – Unlocked – 5
    NSCK: – Unlocked – 5
    SPCK: – Unlocked – 5
    CCK: – Unlocked – 5
    PCK: – Unlocked – 5

    Phone Code: 0000: – Empty
    Phone Code lock state: – Unlocked
    All Done! – Time:00:00:01

    When I push the flash phone button I get this message :

    Detected: DB2000: P990i,M600i,W950i Series
    Not Supported

    Any ideas/tips ?
    Thanks

  8. Tagazou, sounds like you aren’t following the instructions.
    You should only tick the change CDA, enter the new value CDA162007/1 (P990i) or CDA162011/1 (M600i) or CDA162014/1 (W950i)
    And then press Flash Phone.

  9. I can’t seem to buy a credit. Allpay is not working.

    How do I enter the service menu on a p990i, up * down down * doesnt work for me.

  10. Fredrik, it’s Up * Down Down * Down *, with the ups and downs as one click on the jog wheel best to do it in the phone screen.
    As for Allpay are you trying to pay via Switch/Maestro? As that won’t work.

  11. Having bought my “1 credit” and spent two days reading the manual, i finally flashed my SE M600i Vodafone.
    I works so beautifully. If you want to debrand your fone just check “CDA change” with the new CDA number, that is all.
    All you need for the instruction to debrand is this “https://blog.artesea.co.uk/2007/02/debrand-your-p990i-m600i-w950i.html”
    I am vry happy with the result. Many thanks
    :):):)

  12. ryan, i did contact the vendor, he said it was a brand new replacement from orange, and he had only switched it on to check it worked. Orange were no help, and Sony Ericsson suggest i should send it back for repair (at a great deal of expense) its hard to believe there isnt a software fix available cheers Banjo

  13. I have recently purchase 2 credit and I copy and paste the password with spacing. Now my account have been lock.

    I have tried to contect kulankendi via “..:: GSM info ::..” and [email protected] since 3/4/2007.

    Till now no reply… 🙁

    No contact number or address….. HELP !!!!

  14. Debranded my m800i today from Vodafone’s crappy version. Changed from a ‘dunb’ phone to a smartphone. Thanks for putting together the instructions. 🙂

  15. I followed the indications for changing the CDA of a P990 but after formatting the internal disk, when I run SEUS and keeps the “C” pushed nothing happens. What can I do ???

  16. Aaron, not tried a W950 myself, however many people have reported successful firmware changes on the forums.

    Ggna, try using the @ key on the side, or the back button or even plug it in without holding anything.

  17. I understand everything except the hidden service menu thing.

    Up * Down Down * Down *

    Does the * Mean Click ?

    And also, is this to be done on the buttons on the number pad or the side scroll wheel?

    Thanks !

  18. Tommo, Up and Down are with the jog wheel (and only one notch)
    * is the star button on the phone, you can either press Star with the flip on or press Star on the screen in the phone mode with the flip off.

  19. thanks Ryan. Worked a charm debranded p990i now and v. happy! All or that welcome to orange, and the orange custome menu and standby screen GONE !!

  20. Only one question:
    i’m in the mood of debrand my p990i, i’ve downloaded the kulankendiclient.exe and i’m ready for get a credit.
    Can you tell me if after installed the program i’ve to download manually some flash files or if the only thing i’ve to do is put user id and pass and thant press “flash phone” (and yes, pick the CDA change)? the program download all that it needs automatically? i’ve to download or search nothing else but kulankendiclient.exe,right?
    thanx guys

  21. man, really thanx! xD
    it was my only fear and now is vanished.
    As soon as my account will be activated i will become an happy member of the generic world…ahah

  22. great, i did it! the site works again…the KKclient either! 😉 i’ve just flashed and de-branded my p990i!
    now with the generic world it runs better than before…a lot better!
    bye

  23. I Have a problem

    After the Format internal disk , still I have in my phone two CDA

    CDA 162007/1 R6A05
    CDA 162008/1 R6A05

    Can you helpme please?

    Thanks

  24. hey guys, am from australia n ma fone is on crap vodafone branding…
    do u fink using this method i could remove da branding ???
    ma phone is a M600i Sony Ericsson….

    has anyone from australia used this method…
    thanx everyone. 🙂

  25. Has any1 experienced any problems with the phone (P990) after they ran seus presuming they debranded the phone beforehand usin KK…. ie. in the forum i read the phone dies when updated using seus …which has made me think twice….

    Thanks…

  26. Ohhhh one more question guys…
    i didn kno voda brandin was this shit so i have updated ma voda phone through SEUS about a month ago to da latest version…
    do u think tht this might stop seus to change ma cda to da world generic one since da other one is fully updated….

    i hope u guys understood what i meant n could supply me with a reply,
    cheers to all:)

  27. indo, thousands of people have flashed their phones successfully and so far no-one has posted a comment on my blog to say that it went wrong.

    Brad, a recent SEUS update shouldn’t make any difference.

  28. Hello, I have a singapure version (bought it in USA through Ebay). Will this method allow me to have a world 1 generic version and hopefully lose the chinese character configuration?

  29. King, there is no need to spam these comments with the same message. Try ensuring that PC Suite is closed, and maybe a reboot of your PC, otherwise look at the forums mentioned above and see if they have an suggestions.

  30. Hi there, is the server running at the moment?
    trying to do my orange p990. GRRRRR!
    When checking account balance, it says:
    ReadTimeOut
    Communication Closed
    ?????????????

  31. Hi, I’m in Australia. My M600i is locked under 3 (three) operator. Do I need to unlock it first and then debrand it ? Or I have to unlock it first ?

    Thanks.

  32. thankyou very much, i have purchased a credit form there. And yeh i had a look at the FREE debranding, but decided i woul use KK, since im a noob in this area! One question before i begin debranding, before i start i need to know im not going to kill my phone! i have a w950i and read a lot of forums of people killing their fones after SEUS update due to illegal CDA numbers. My current CDA version is CDa162017/2 R1A21- will thsi be OK to change to World Version 1, then SUES? without killing!!

    Thankyou

  33. cool thankyou so much, im just waiting for my credit now! steps away from stable firmware, finally! Orange really do butcher up phones.

    Thankyou:)

  34. hey i followed all the steps above, however SEUS is still recognsing my fone as old firmware and is saying no update available 🙁 any help?

  35. Fine instructions worked just fine in my voda(portugal) P990i, except usb driver give me some problems to install (had to do it in another PC and do it manually, maybe because already been installed in previous SEUS update )…one thing is not clear is: flash with or without (the way i did it) SIM on and after flashing disconnet usb cable and then turn the phone on. The phone now looks like real SE. THANX ALL

  36. I have a couple of questions for debranding my P990i, and I hope you can answer them.

    1. Do I have to install the Hermione drivers (HermioneDrivers.zip) and USB Flash driver (USBFlashDriver.zip) downloaded from the KK site?

    2. Do I have to take the SIM and the MMC out before the procedure?

    3. Do I enter the username and password in the client and press “Check Account”? before I begin anything?

    4. When does the “Download Files” button need to be pressed?

    5. Does the “Read Phone” button need to be pressed anytime during the operation?

    I hope you can answer these questions for me. Thank you

  37. when i run SEUS says that i had the latest firmware and they don’t give me the option to update anyway.it says to go to the start of SEUS.What am i doing wrong?

  38. Hi, I just tried to folow the recommended instructions. P990i is now dead. CDA change with one credit was successfull. than update with seus. After done update tried to get it working. without success. secound try with seus said no update neccessary. can somebody help me? 🙁

  39. Hi, I’m french with that bullsh… orange menu !
    My phone is AZERTY, do you think the change CDA in world generic will change my phone to QWERTY

  40. Just update:

    I got SEUS to make the identification but now its UPDATE NOT AVAILABLE the software on your phone is up-to-date????

    Any ideas why this is happening?

  41. Worked perfectly on UK Voda W950i, thanks for making the guide there.

    Incidentally, I have found that the Vodafone firmware has patchy mp4 playback (deliberately perhaps?). My Generic World w950i phone plays everything, including a number of files that would crash the player when it was on the Vodafone formware.

  42. there is a free method of updating the P990i! I did it and it worked flawlessly, the only drawback is that the free method requires slightly more works to do, and 3 updates is needed.

  43. Did somebody figure out how to get rid of the Singapore chinese input? I just got the M600i & it’s driving me up the wall tryna figure out how to get rid of it. Bought my fone on eBay in the USA but the shipped from Hong Kong 🙁

  44. Hello !
    I have a SE P990i branded with the Vodafone software. I would like to use the method presented here. I have read on some other sites that if the phone is locked on a specific network [ it doesn’t accept SIM cards from other networks ], the debranding process might block the phone permanently. Before I start the debranding process I would like someone to tell me if this is true and if I should be concerned. Firstly, should I take care of this problem ?

    Thank you.

  45. hey ryan ,

    i tried ur method with my p990i .it didnt work and instead locked my phone up .. even though i have a working sim inside. it says “insert sim card”.i tried to undo the whole thing by using the old file to do the update but it didnt work . i sent it to several shopd to fix the problem but they don even know whats wrong . can anyone help me with this ? i am currently in malaysia and i really nit to revive my phone back . can anyone help me ? i read about some phone unlocking services but i dont own a credit card . can there be any other ways to fix it ? pls reply asap ..
    thanks

    cheers,
    nic

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