To unlock or not to unlock... - MDA, XDA, 1010 Software Upgrading

I have a SX-56 with AT&T. As many of you know, AT&T service has gotten pretty bad and they are no longer adding sites that use 1900. T-mobile still services 1900. My questions are the following:
1. Should I unlock the phone so that I can have T-mobile service. I have read posts where the AT&T rom does not work well with T-mobile service.
2. Have any of you done this in Southern California and experienced problems?
3. Also considering upgrading to PPC 2003 but I've read posts of damaged roms. Really can't afford to lose my phone till I get a new one. Should I upgrade before or after unlocking?
I am new to a PPC phone but have used a PPC for a while. I do not understand the terminology with cooking roms and such. If someone can break this down for me in very easy to understand information, it would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Your current RSU can still work with TMO if the device is unlocked. There are 2 ways to unlock:
1. Use the XDAunlock tool. This will keep your current ROM.
2. If the above doesn't work, you have to flash your device with the special edition ROM v1.2 which will unlock your device with the first boot.
Then it will be your decision to stay on PPC2002 or to upgrade to WM2003. ROM flashing is very safe process if you know what ur doing, but stay away as possible from RSU flashing.
Good luck

Related

Just got my Siemens SX56 today. HELP MEEEE

ok, i'm as n00b as they come when it comes to this. Can someone tell me what firmware, ROM, OS upgrades I need/should get. It's the AT&T version of the phone and I want to make all the neccesary upgrades before I start using it. Thank you soooooo much, John
If it is brand new you have the most current stuff. Go to www.my-siemens.com and you can download the a.20.17 update if you dont have it on your device.
If you just got it you would be CRAZY to screw with it. Especially if you haven't read EVERY SINGLE POST here pertaining to the dangers of flashing.
If you still want to noob it and screw around, invest in a card reader, make a backup of your rom, and be prepared to have a shiny silver paperweight just in case. DO NOT use any .exe upgrade packages that are not from Siemens.
yeah... i kinda wanted the new OS 2003 though
i know i was looking before i got my phone and i saw a package that was released by AT&T wireless, specifically for this model of phone, and now i can't remember where the hell i saw it.
also, the phone is locked... i thought that the rogers US and rogers at&t canada networks were identical. any advice/suggestions on that?!?
Thanks for your reply by the way
Most phones come with the SimCard locked for a particular carrier. Since you are most likely not going to switch for awhile, this is no big deal. If you do ever decide to switch to a different carrier, you can break the sim lock using a utility located on this site. I WOULD NOT do this until you are sure you want to switch carriers though. Otherwise it is a waste and potentially damaging to your unit
actually, i cannot use the phone right now. I purchased it off ebay and it is locked for the US AT&T, however, i'm in Canada using the AT&T service up here. I need to unlock it.
Should i buy the cable, upgrade the ROM? help?!
chewan said:
Should i buy the cable, upgrade the ROM? help?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need to panic...
Just download and run this
Then if you want to upgrade to WM2003, simply visit here and cook a self-extracting exe based on 4.00.11 (just my personal suggestion, tastes differ).
(Yup, we added 4.00.11 and 4.00.16 to the kitchen menu)
Any obvious benefits of .11 or .16 over .05 or .10?
holy ****... everyone here has been so damn helpful so far. thank you so much...
alright, so far so good... i just finished upgrading to the xda developers rom and it unlocked the phone for me
this would be the ultimate now...
i want a ROM with just the Mobile 2003 factory settings and nothing else installed. This ROM has a bunch of crap on it that I wouldn't know how to use if my life depended on it. I just want the new Mobile 2003. What is the best way to do this?
Do I just cook one up with only the 4.00.11 ENG WM2003 selected... Is there a better way... Thank you so much again, John
Just take the .16 ROM and deselect all the progs you don't want. Then you will have the latest ROM as it comes from Tmobile. Just a few cosmetic changes in the cooked rom.
is it recommended to use the t-mobile ROM despite the fact that i'm using a rogers at&t phone?
Make battery warning adjustable
Fix 'multiple resets make device slow' bug (WM2003 only)
Remove 'stk.lnk' from Startup folder (WM2003 only)
also which of these do you recommend installing?
The rom version doesnt make a difference. You will not get the "G" which lets you know you can make an internet connection with any of the roms above 4.00.05 though.
Install all of stuff you mentioned.
so last and FINAAAAAAAAAAL question...
4.00.05 ENG WM2003 (3906 kB available)
4.00.10 ENG T-Mobile US (2119 kB available)
4.00.11 ENG WM2003 (3906 kB available)
4.00.16 ENG T-Mobile US (2119 kB available)
if you were picking? and why? thank you so very much
That is personal opinion. If you want only the basic tmobile install you can go with any of them and just deselect the other programs. Keep in mind that having these programs doesn't hurt you for the don't take up any memory on your device until you run them. That is the beauty of having the in ROM not RAM. Just be careful what you play with. The idea is that the higher the number, the later the release, so the more stable it may be. Again this is just an idea.
chewan said:
so last and FINAAAAAAAAAAL question...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would personally pick 4.00.11 unless you're on US T-Mobile, or happen to need the PDF and/or Presentation Viewer.
I would suggest you to take the 4.00.11 if you are not on the T-mobile.
Btw, this 4.00.11 is tested to fit the AWS along with the A20.10 I think....

2.26 Rom Rocks!!!!!!!!!

Last Night I made a clean install of the 2.26 rom on my wizard and I have to say, overall peformance is way better than the previous roms ive used. On my previous roms, the highest speed I got up to when surfing the net was 79 kbps, with the 2.26 rom, ive got true edge speed going up to 155kbps. Service never drops, and its much much faster. Although I excluded all t-mobile customizations since they are really no use at all. I get 4 bars almost everywhere I go. Streaming radio audio never drops. So, for me this has been the best rom that Ive used. Finally T-mobile has done something appreciative.
I agree, having had two issues with the 1.08 ROM. First, Voice Speed Dial would lose its list about every five days and Speed Dial's list would become simultaneously corrupted, some items being recoverable, some not. I got so tired of re-creating the list I just quit using VSD. MS Voice Command is on order. Second, the handset speaker volume was too low even when at max volume.
I won't be using VSD again, but so far (two days) SD has not become corrupted. I'll be satisfied when a week passes without an incident. The handset speaker volume is improved, and I can now hear conversations in noisy atmospheres without as much straining.
I've also noticed that it is more stable, and faster. Overclocking at 240 makes the MDA run like my old Ipaq running at 400 mhz., and menus zip in and out, with programs loading faster. Soft resets are also faster.
In the past I've resisted loading new ROM's, but this time it seemed like the right time, especially with the hope those two issues would be fixed. I'd say I'm happy so far.
...
I just don't understand. I was using the old, custom 2.08 or something ROM and was doing just fine (other than it disconnecting sometimes)... and after upgrading to the 2.26 ROM, I can barely get any signal anywhere at all. I used to have four bars at home, now I'm lucky to get two and usually get one. Sometimes, I get zero and have to wait before making calls. This NEVER happened before.
Is there something I'm supposed to reset after upgrading my ROM? This just doesn't make any sense.
I will never learn. Everything was fine, except of course MS Voice Command & Bluetooth, on the ROM version my Wizard shipped with earlier in the year.
Friday I installed the T-Mobile 2.26 update, then reinstalled Goodlink. Fine, then Smartskey & RegistryWizard. Looking good, then Goodlink errored out. On a soft-reset, the Wizard hung at a Windows splash screen. Hard-reset, reinstalled Goodlink and Smartskey. Seeming fine for a while, installed MS Voice Command (skipping past the message about Microsoft being an unknown developer). Still ok, then a day later errored out again. A soft reset hangs the Wizard again at the Windows splash screen.
I'll try it now with just Goodlink.
is there anybody know how to install the rom only without the extended rom, as i need to keep my extended rom as it is.
ROM 2.26 on Dutch T-mobile MDA Vario
Hi people,
I wanted to know is it possible to install the 2.26 ROM on my Vario.
If I'm not mistaken the 2.26 ROM is the US version of the MDA Vario.
I'm currently using the MDA Vario Dutch OS. But would like to have the English OS.
Do I need to CID unlock and/or SIM unlock my device before attempting to install this ROM?
Is there any risk in attempting to install it without CID/SIM unlocking it.
Thanks in advance.
Shah
you probably can. im not really sure, but if its still the same phone provider, i dont think you have to cid/sim unlock the phone.
the US version should be fine...its runnig on my UK Vario
if you are running a v1 ROM (no push function) its worth CID and SIM unlocking now..cos at the moment there is no tool to do it on a v2 rom.
As long as your phone is a T-mobile, you dont need to CID unlock before upgrade, but if you wanted to use a QTEK/Imate rom, then you would
good luck..the upgrade is worth it
Thanks people for the quick response.
I will consider upgrading to the new rom.
But one last question is the language issue a problem for a ROM upgrade? I just want to be postive before going through with this venture.
Because T-mobile Netherlands give a 2 year warranty on the Vario, but if I install the new ROM even if it is the T-mobile (other country) ROM
my warranty will void (really stupid T-mobile)
and if the update fails for any reason. I will need to do some extra work for nothing.
Shah.
Update on Uk T-mobile Vario.
I cant get it to work on my vario. Comes up with "wrong vendor" error.
Please post a link or info for UK version please.
Thanks .
Re: Update on Uk T-mobile Vario.
Stu308 said:
I cant get it to work on my vario. Comes up with "wrong vendor" error.
Please post a link or info for UK version please.
Thanks .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You cannot install on a UK t-mobile wizard a USA t-mobile rom, even if they're both from t-mobile.
You must either:
- CID unlock your device if you're still using a 1.x rom (use lokiwiz 0.2b for the unlocking)
OR
- follow my tutorial to install the rom if you've got a 2.x rom (the tutorial is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=56088 )
Bye
Thanks risidoro,
I will then try to unlock my 1.x ROM first and then update my ROM. I have interestingly followed other threads in this forum.
But I couldn't find any answer to the queston: When CID unlock in ROM 1.x is the device still unlocked when installing newer ROM 2.x?
In my case installing the US ROM 2.26 is it still unlocked??
EDIT: Reason is to find out if it might be possible to install or try other ROMs if I want to lateron.
Thanks in advance.
Shah
Shah2 said:
Thanks risidoro,
I will then try to unlock my 1.x ROM first and then update my ROM. I have interestingly followed other threads in this forum.
But I couldn't find any answer to the queston: When CID unlock in ROM 1.x is the device still unlocked when installing newer ROM 2.x?
In my case installing the US ROM 2.26 is it still unlocked??
EDIT: Reason is to find out if it might be possible to install or try other ROMs if I want to lateron.
Thanks in advance.
Shah
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CID unlock is like death: you can have only one
[yes, CID unlock is sticky. Do it only once and it'll last forever, even if you go to 2.x]
Thanks Risidoro,
I'm gonna try the unlocking one of these days.
Just hope the US rom also corrects the errors in the ETEN dialer of PaulyA.
I think other language ROM aren't that compatible with the ETEN dialer.
Just love the phone dialer, only those stupid buttons (End button) that never becomes a Talk button.
Once again risidoro a lot of thanks.
Shah
lsnizzle said:
On my previous roms, the highest speed I got up to when surfing the net was 79 kbps, with the 2.26 rom, ive got true edge speed going up to 155kbps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are u using to test your edge speeds? i'm on 2.24 and would like to know what i'm surfing at. I tried a couple sites but they were giving me resulst of 6kbps and crap like that which is not true.
I use SPB GPRS Monitor to check the data rate. It works great, but it's not a freebie.
fone_fanatic said:
lsnizzle said:
On my previous roms, the highest speed I got up to when surfing the net was 79 kbps, with the 2.26 rom, ive got true edge speed going up to 155kbps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are u using to test your edge speeds? i'm on 2.24 and would like to know what i'm surfing at. I tried a couple sites but they were giving me resulst of 6kbps and crap like that which is not true.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use this,
http://www.dslreports.com/mspeed?jisok=1
And this,
http://reviews.cnet.com/7004-7254_7-0.html

Cingular 8525 Remote IMEI Unlocking?

Hi Folks
I was wondering if someone know if the IMEI Unlocking services offered in many websites really work:
For example: http://www.gsmphonesource.com/reunbyimforc.html
It make the kind of unlocking like the unlocking software posted on this forum?
Thanks to all!!
Sergio
We have a FREE SIM unlocker which does the same, and more:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=282073
Ours keeps SuperCID forever, theirs not
Hi Pof
I have seen your great job. Thanks for that!
since I am just starting on this XDA world I dont want to mess with rom upgrading and stuff. So I felt that just entering an unlock code is 'safer' for now, but I wanted to know if that remote IMEI solution really works for using the phone with other SIM cards
Thanks!!!
Yes, it works. It has the same effect on the phone, but I really encourage you to try my solution instead, it's not that hard, but the warnings are there for you to be cautious
The IMEI is not used at all for unlocking, it's just to make sure you don't buy an unlocker from them and use it in two different devices: if you want to unlock two devices you have to pay twice
If you want to technically understand what their unlocker does, and what does mine, have a look at this post (comments #54 to #57):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=280819&p=1046444
My understanding is that the Cingular 8525 use BootLoader 1.06, which means that in order to unlock the phone, the BootLoader need to be downgraded to 1.04 (by installing older ROM), SIM unlock it, and then upgrade to new ROM with BootLoader 1.6.
This may seems complicated.
I used pof's method and had my phone up and running in less than an hour and it was FREE!
VideoFX
Call Cingular tell then u r going to europe
Call Cingular tell them you are going out of conutry and they will send you unlock caode for free in 5 days.
lanwarrior said:
My understanding is that the Cingular 8525 use BootLoader 1.06, which means that in order to unlock the phone, the BootLoader need to be downgraded to 1.04 (by installing older ROM), SIM unlock it, and then upgrade to new ROM with BootLoader 1.6.
This may seems complicated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not true..
Grab pof's exe, and run the bat file. There's nothing else to do. Just sit, be patient and follow the instructions.
It's really brainlessly easy. That means, that even those without brains should be able to handle it...
LegolasTheElf said:
That's not true..
Grab pof's exe, and run the bat file. There's nothing else to do. Just sit, be patient and follow the instructions.
It's really brainlessly easy. That means, that even those without brains should be able to handle it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So i am waiting my cingular 8525 in the mail, so all i need to do to get the phone sim unlocked and cid unlock is to follow the directions? no need to downgrade if i have 1.06
jemx33 said:
So i am waiting my cingular 8525 in the mail, so all i need to do to get the phone sim unlocked and cid unlock is to follow the directions? no need to downgrade if i have 1.06
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's easy. READ, READ some more, then READ till you puke. Then, follow the directions TO THE LETTER, and you'll be just fine. Nothing else to do. THEN, once it's unlocked, you'll want to flash a normal radio and a new OS.
As a newbie, I suggest you pay close attention to POF and Legolas; this stuff is EASY, but only because I've read the WIKI, lots of threads, then re-read the WIKI 2 or 3 more times.....then followed the instructions to the letter. And then go back to the WIKI just to stay sharp.
Reading the threads will give you an idea of just how many people do stupid things like NOT reading the WIKI, try flashing a new ROM or radio on a whim, follow only the directions they feel like, and turn a wonderful PDA/Phone into a useless brick. I've been around here only about 2 months but am now flashing ROM's on my CID/SIM Unlocked Cingular 8525 at will and having a ball. Will be joining the ROM Flasher's 12-step program soon.
So, read, pay attention, follow the instructions fully, read some more and read the threads so you can appreciate what happens when someone doesn't read, follow the instructions fully, etc.
Why Pay????
There's no sense in paying when POF's provided a great unlocking program here that's easy to use and works GREAT!!! This IS a no brainer.....
If you don't plan on going out of the country and wanting to change cell phone service provider, what is the benifit if unlocking the phone. I have been flashing my phone to different ROM's since the day I've had it.
I don't really see the added benifit of unlocking the phone...but then again I am a newb at this stuff.
If you have no plans on changing SIM cards, i.e. changing providers or travelling out of the country where you might want to use a local SIM to save $$, there's no need to SIM unlock your phone. If your phone is CID unlocked, then you are able to flash cooked ROMs' and ROMs' belonging to other carriers, i.e. flash a T-Mobile ROM to a Cingular phone. Unlocking also gives you access to the Extended ROM and several MB of storage space not otherwise avail to unlocked phones
Question, what difference if any is there between me getting the Unlock Code from ATT (just did it for some old V551's of mine with an email to them) and this Unlock tool of Pof's? I do plan to unlock it soon, planned on going the ATT route because I know it works. If your tool does something over and above I'd like to know.
Thank you!
question?
i'm wondering....im about to buy a 8525 tilt...i want to know:confused if i called cingular and asked for a unlock code would it cost me...also if i mess up and did it myself whats the worse that could happen to the phone......
b4mytime1 said:
i'm wondering....im about to buy a 8525 tilt...i want to know:confused if i called cingular and asked for a unlock code would it cost me...also if i mess up and did it myself whats the worse that could happen to the phone......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
at&t would provide you with the unlock code for free. the worst of course is your phone turning into a brick, but if you are smart enough to follow instructions it will be fine.
and one more thing........which device are you getting......8525 tilt????? if its the 8925/tilt you are in the wrong subforum, you should be looking at the kaiser section. the 8525 does belong here
ok so i just got sent an att 8525. I am planning on unlocking this phone.
I havent been on these boards in forever but has anything changed? Is there anything in these rebranded att phones that may not let me unlock? is there a newer tutorial?
thanks guys
Hi,
I just wanted to share that I unlocked my 8525 with HTC_Hermes_SIM_CID_Unlock_v3a on Vista. It went through with not one issue or hiccup.
Thanks
Greg

Does it need to be SID unlocked to change ROM?

Hey all, maybe a basic question here but I am wondering if the T-Mobile Wing needs to SID unlocked before you can change the rom. I had an T-Mobile MDA previously and went through the unlocking procedures, and have been happily switching roms since. I need desperately to remove the factory rom T-Mobile installed for obvious reasons.
Should I request an unlock code before I attempt to install another rom?
Thanks
no read around the forums i use open touch v2.0
What reasons, besides leaving T-Mobile, do you have for getting away from the T-Mobile rom?
The stock ROM sucks. It's got very little memory from stock, it's got major memory leaks, and you can gain more space. You can also gain a lot of cool apps while STILL gaining storage space.
t-mobile rom is horrible
The rom just plain blows. I will continue to use T-Mobile service, but wish to wipe off all the T-Mobile junk. It makes the device really really slow. Just need to know if it must be unlocked prior to attempting a rom change.
^Mine didn't have to be unlocked.
Search for USPL, Hard-SPL for your Wing (if there even is Hard-SPL for you)
USPL will work for you

Complete Noob Guide To The Wizard

Okay folks, this here guide is to alleviate some of the aggravation that us senior members and mods have every day with n00bs not wanting to search and read in order to find answers to stuff. So I am gonna make it really easy for ya'll. I am going to provide links and information to the top questions and concerns that noobs have here at XDA-Devs.
And before I start, yes, I know that this is a futile attempt at gettin some order around here, but it makes me feel better, so there!
Also, yes, I know that this is in the Wiki, but no one reads that either...so thats another reason why I am making this.
DISCLAIMER!!!-Neither I, nor XDA-Developers, nor any of the authors or programmers of any the programs contained herein shall be held accountable or responsible for damage done to you, you Wizard, your wife/husband, dog/cat/bird/gerbil etc because of the mis-use or dumbassary that YOU ALONE cause. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
Mods/other members, PLEASE correct me or add to this as you see fit!
Ahem, now onto the guide!
QUESTION 1-How do I tell what type of Wizard I have?
ANSWER=Whether your device is called an O2 XDA, T-Mobile MDA, Qtek 9100 etc, you have an HTC model name Wizard mobile telephone device. There are however 2 versions of said device. They are called G3 and G4 devices, and their differences are as follows:
G3=The G3 type Wizard was the original type available. It can be both SIM and CID unlocked, and most any ROM can be applied to it. You can both CID and SIM unlock a G3 model with the Wizard Service Tool, available from here:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=329170 . READ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS TO BOTH SIM AND CID UNLOCK YOUR WIZARD! More detail on ROM upgrades is below.
G4=The G4 type Wizard was introduced some time after the original G3 model came out. It can be SIM unlocked for free, but not CID. It features a different bootloader(a little program that loads Windows) type, that we currently cannot unlock. You can however get a G4 CID unlock by visiting http://www.imei-check.eu, and by paying them 25 or so USD. Most any ROM can be applied to a G4 Wizard by what is called "HardSPL'ing it". HardSPL is a specially made SPL by Olipro that fakes the HTC Rom Upgrade Tool(RUU) into thinking that the Wizard has no CID lock placed on it, when in reality it does. If you go the IMEI check route, you do not need to HardSPL your device. HardSPL can be downloaded from this thread:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=332320 . READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!!! You can SIM unlock your G4 Wizard by using either the Wizard Service Tool(WST) or by using Lokiwiz 0.3, available from here:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=265928 . MORE INFO ON ROM UPGRADING BELOW.
QUESTION 2-Okay, so what does SIM and CID mean anyways?
ANSWER=SIM stands for Subscriber Identity Module(most of the time, some people have different definitions), and its the little piece of plastic that you put into your Wizard under the battery that lets you make phone calls, use the internet etc. You get one when you sign up for GSM phone service from a company. If your current phone DOES NOT use SIM cards, then you are on a CDMA network(in the US they are Sprint, Alltel, Verizon and others) and the Wizard WILL NOT work with your cellular service. Whenever you buy a GSM phone, it is usually "locked" to a specific carrier, meaning that you cannot put a different carriers SIM card into the handset and makes calls with it. SIM unlocking means taking away this lock, and enabling you to use a SIM card from any GSM provider to make calls etc.
CID stand for Carrier Identification. Basically it is a little file contained within the bootloader of the phone that says what carrier the phones ROM, or OS is signed to. For example, a CID locked T-Mobile MDA can only be upgraded with an official T-Mobile ROM upgrade package. Trying to use an un-official one, or one from another carrier will result in an error message, and a failed upgrade. CID unlocking, or for G4 devices, HardSPL'ing simply re-writes this file to read that the device is not signed to ANY carrier, and that it may accept any and all ROM upgrades, regardless of who they come from. Carriers do this to protect liscensing agreements that they may have with software providers, since most carrier ROMs contain a bunch of bloatware and un-neccesary software out of the box, and if you use a different carriers ROM, than that carrier is not making the money they should. Also, different carrier ROMs have different settings for things like voicemail numbers, and internet connections.
QUESTION 3-Okay, thats all well and good, now, how do I tell what kind of device I have? Is mine a G3 or G4?
ANSWER=The best way is to use the Wizard Service Tool(WST) and have it check your bootloaders. There is an option to do this on the main WST window. Follow the instructions within the WST thread to find out how to do this. Alternitavely, you can check your device version by looking at your bootloader versions. You can see them by turning your phone off, then turning it back on. After the initial HTC or carrier brand screen, you will see a screen with red writing in the upper left hand corner. Check your IPL/SPL against these here:
If your IPL/SPL is this format:2.26.00x, where (x) can be any number, than you have a G3 Wizard.
If your IPL/SPL is this format:2.26.000x, where (x) can be any number, than you have a G4 Wizard.
After you find out which Wizard version you have, simply follow the CID or HardSPL guide, whichever one may apply to you and BAM, CID unlocked Wizard.
QUESTION 4-Okay, I have my Wizard CID unlocked, now, which ROM is the best?
ANSWER=There is no ROM that is "the" best, only the one that is the best for you. I have written a thread the gives some information about most of the newer ROMs that can be found on the Wiki here:http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=Wizard_Compatible_ROMS . It needs to be updated, but most of the big ones are there. My suggestion is to flash to one and try it out. If it doesnt work for ya, then flash to a different one and try it out instead.
END OF DOCUMENT AS OF 11:00PM EST 12/16/2008, MORE TO FOLLOW IN THE COMING DAYS!

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