[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] VWFeature:
Possibly an easier way to unlock the Captivate

This is one way; it worked for me with an 897 running Gingerbread 2.3.5. YMMV.

I had to root first, then used a PC hex editor to reset the locked/unlocked code.

None of the one-click unlock solutions worked for me.

This is a variant of the unlock instructions in post 761045 by dagentooboy. As a noob, I found this easier than using ADB

Overview:

Root phone

Access WIFI to put tools on phone (Because you can't browse on a 3G network you don't have access to yet-duh. This is also faster and easier than trying to do it all from the PC

with a USB cable.)

Copy files to SD card, edit files on computer

Reload files on phone, Reboot. Rejoice.

In more detail:

ROOT PHONE

GO TO:

http colon //androidforums dot com /captivate-all-things-root/483646-guide-root-official-2-3-5-guide dot html OR

http colon // forum.xda-developers dot com/showthread dot php?t=1125414 (I'm a newbie, can't post links)

Follow instructions there

General unlock instructions: post 761045

Samsung Galaxy S I9000 Galaxy S I9000 Android Development

[REF] How to unlock/unfreeze all SGS Models [NOW WORKS ON Vibrant 4G][Updated 4-9-11]

WITH the following changes- instead of

"Step 1. - Retrieve nv_data.bin file

use "adb shell" or a terminal emulator to get a terminal prompt and run the following commands"

Do this instead:

--Step 1. - Retrieve nv_data.bin file

Download ROM Toolbox via WIFI; transfer nv_data.bin file to SD card.

IMHO, this is less technical and requires less Linux/command line knowledge than the method by dagentooboy, but otherwise follows his method.

Details:

A) On PC

create two directories on your SD card: /lock and /unlock

B) On Phone

I don't even know whether it's safe to insert/remove an sd card with the phone on, but I'm chicken-turn the phone off.

Insert SD Card, turn on.

Make sure that Network Lock is the only thing on... go to phone and enter *#7465625#

(Use the back arrow to back out of applications. Yes, everyone who's used an Android phone already knows this. Noobs don't.)

go to Applications---Settings---Wireless and Network --WIFI settings and set phone to access your home (WPA secured, right?) WIFI.

C)

Go to Google Play/Android store

Search for Root file managers- I used the free "ROM Toolbox". There are many others. DL to phone.

D)

Open ROM Toolbox,

Open the Root Browser

Go to the /efs directory, and

E)

COPY nv_data.bin to the SD card (click on nv_data.bin file, hit copy, go up a level, go to /sdcard /external_sd ..... /lock , PASTE)

Do the same with nv_data.bin.md5, and if you're chicken (chicken is good) the nv_data.bin.bak and nv_data.bin.md5.bak files, too.

Step 2 Edit nv_data.bin file

A) On PC

Put SD card in PC

Go find a hex editor. I used HxD, but there are many. MH-nexus dot de

Go find an MD5 hasher. I used WINMD5Free, but there are many. winmd5 dot com

B) On PC

Save the old nv_data.bin and nv_data.bin.md5

Open nv_data.bin with the hex editor, HEX search for "00 00 00 46 46"

(mine was at line 181460, different from what dagentooboy found)

Change the leading 01 to 00

Save the new nv_data.bin file to SDcard/unlock

Save the new md5 hash in nv_data.bin.md5 file in SDcard/unlock

(Optional) Check the md5 hash on both the old and new files, compare to old nv_data.bin.md5

(Optional) Search for "SSNV" which may precede your unlock codes- mine were hashed, no joy.

(Optional) At Offset 18146E (page 3083) Change "FFFFFFFF" to "00000000" This will change your provider unlock code to 00000000.

(from http colon // forum.xda-developers dot com /showthread.php?p=8182729#post8182729 )

Step 3 Put edited nv_data.bin file & nv_data.bin.md5 on phone

(I found when I just copied the new files, the phone automagically restored them from the .bak files--I think. Thus the following:)

A)

Insert SD Card, turn on. Open ROM Toolbox, open the Root Browser.

go to the /efs directory, and DELETE the old nv_data.bin.md5 file .

Ditto DELETE the old nv_data.bin AND nv_data.bin.bak and nv_data.bin.md5.bak files. (You have backups on your SD card AND computer, right?)

B)

Copy the new nv_data.bin and nv_data.bin.md5 files from /mnt/sdcard/external_sd/unlock to /efs

C)

Go back to the first screen in ROM Toolbox, select Reboot at the bottom. Reboot. I had to do this twice.

Enter *#7465625# to confirm you are unlocked.

Rejoice. Post thanks to dagentooboy, helroz and the root instructor on androidforums.