FIX FOR: Activation issues on the HTC EVO V 4G/3D

[twelfth]

Since the Virgin drones on the Facebook page and their foreign phone support are clueless... and this is a common issue popping up everywhere... I'm trying to get the word out. So please let people know there is an easy fix if you have been bitten by the EVO activation bug on Virgin USA.


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Since I had been without a phone for the better part of a day and didn't get a response in 14 hours regarding my issue, I decided to be bold and try a few things. Fixed the issue myself.

If you got bitten by the HTC Activation Bug... the fix is actually fairly simple. It's just frustrating because nobody seems to know how to try to fix it. "Try a few things and it should work."

Virgin reps, PLEASE pass this around to everyone so that they can help other people fix the activation bug. There will be no need to replace phones as a result of this issue.

If:

You try to activate the HTC EVO while your old phone is still powered on, it may fail the activation. Disable your old phone (power off, pull battery), do the swap in your account, wait until you get the email that says the swap is successful and THEN put the battery into the HTC EVO to do an activation. Yes, I know, this means no playing around with your new toy until you're ready to activate it.

If:

You were unable to do an activation due to an error like: "vDC has stopped unexpectedly. Would you like to tell HTC?"

Stop trying anything else. The phone is fixed in a state due to a bad attempt at activation that it could not complete. If you continue to try to Update Profile in Settings, you will continue to get the same error message. If you try to manually activate via Settings (Activate This Device), it will give you the error message saying to call 611 or the 800 number for customer services.

You will need to do the following:

Go into Settings (Menu, Settings), Power > UNCHECK "Fast Boot"

Power off the device. Pull the battery. Put the battery back in after a few minutes. Before you power the device on, hold down the volume down button and keep both the power button and volume down button held down.

You will boot into HBOOT RECOVERY. There will be a menu with 5 options. "FASTBOOT, RECOVERY, FACTORY RESET, SIMLOCK, IMAGE CRC"... Press the Vol Down button twice to highlight "FACTORY RESET" and tap the power button to select it.

You will be doing a full factory reset on your phone.

When it reboots your phone will attempt to auto activate... and this time it should succeed.

 

[drezliok]

Great info, too bad I won't be able to get one until Xmas.

 

[zpanderson]

When I try to do the activation I get,

'Data Call Failure

Error Code 131 .Unable to establish wireless data connection. If the problem persists, please contact your mobile phone company.'

Any idea what's causing that? I ported my # over from AT&T and got the confirmation e-mail around 3 hours ago. I've tried what you mentioned in the first post but nothing has helped so far.

Thanks!

 

[itsrayray]

When I try to do the activation I get,

'Data Call Failure

Error Code 131 .Unable to establish wireless data connection. If the problem persists, please contact your mobile phone company.'

Any idea what's causing that? I ported my # over from AT&T and got the confirmation e-mail around 3 hours ago. I've tried what you mentioned in the first post but nothing has helped so far.

Thanks!

Get this figured out? I just got mine and getting same code. VM people told me turn off phone for 20 min for a full activation. Idk tho.

Sent from your mom's phone.

 

[koopakid08]

The 131 error has to do with something on there end. You cannot fix it no matter how many times you factory reset it or reboot it. You to keep calling until you get someone that knows what they are doing


Sent from space

 

[itsrayray]

Yeah they restarted my connection on their end and it activated right after turn on. Reaaaaaly smooth running stock. Loving it.

Sent from my HTCEVOV4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[Metalkid69]

Thanks for the info. I had an error 67. I tried ur method but unfortunately it still didn't work. What actually got mine fixed was going to settings then system updates then updating the profile. Hope this helps others as well..

Sent from my HTCEVOV4G using Android Central Forums

 

[jt415105]

Thank you so much. I had upgraded from the Triumph to the EVO.

Of course the guy at Best Buy who set my phone up left the Triumph on and you know the story from here.

This worked perfect to fix it after Virgin Mobile technical support failed horribly.

They should be paying you for this.

 

[iAmSupreme_]

Guys im going to buy the HTC Evo V in a couple of days i already switched to the $35 plan. What is going to be the activation process? please help

 

[koopakid08]

Guys im going to buy the HTC Evo V in a couple of days i already switched to the $35 plan. What is going to be the activation process? please help

Keep both phones off, and then go online and make the swap. Wait like five minutes and then turn on the evo and it will do the hands-free activation.

Sent from my HTC Evo V 4G

 

[twelfth]

Keep both phones off, and then go online and make the swap. Wait like five minutes and then turn on the evo and it will do the hands-free activation.

Sent from my HTC Evo V 4G

Wait until after you get the email that confirms your swap was successful. It's Virgin. A generous 5 minutes may not be enough.

But yes, you must not turn on your EVO until you're ready to activate.

 

[iFake3G]

So, what if Radio Shack decide to activate your phone while the old one was still powered on and was working? I have had a brick (2 actually because the VM site says the HTC Evo V 4G is activated not my old Optimus anymore) for about 2 days. Strangely enough though, it picks up usable 4G signal but then drops it after about 5-10 minutes. Calls and texts do not work. I've tried battery pulls, factory resets, two trips to RadioShack just to have them do the same thing for 2 hours...sigh. I would return this phone but it just seems to have potential and I've already switched from the $25 a month to $35 :/

 

[twelfth]

So, what if Radio Shack decide to activate your phone while the old one was still powered on and was working? I have had a brick (2 actually because the VM site says the HTC Evo V 4G is activated not my old Optimus anymore) for about 2 days. Strangely enough though, it picks up usable 4G signal but then drops it after about 5-10 minutes. Calls and texts do not work. I've tried battery pulls, factory resets, two trips to RadioShack just to have them do the same thing for 2 hours...sigh. I would return this phone but it just seems to have potential and I've already switched from the $25 a month to $35 :/

Your first mistake was allowing Radio Shack to activate the phone for you. Every person I know having more issues with their phone that can't be fixed by resetting it had their phone activated through Radio Shack's system.

You'll have to call or email Virgin support and have them reprovision your phone. Email and explain the situation and keep resending your last email if they don't respond within a few hours. saveme@thevirginangels.com (yes, that's really their email address. F'in stupid. I know.)

 

[iFake3G]

Well, I've went through 3 sessions of on the phone tech support only to have the first two hang up on me around 15 minutes in and the third actually got me to an "escalated" state of support. They said it was being investigated and will get back to me in 24-72 hours. Supposedly, there's something wrong with my account and both my Optimus and Evo are active on it. (Groan.) I'll try emailing them and if it can't be resolved... Well I guess its goodbye Virgin Mobile and hello T-Mobile pre paid w/Galaxy nexus. This really is an awesome phone though!

Sent from my HTCEVOV4G using Android Central Forums

 

[jaydro]

I read this and played it safe with my activation--had both phones turned off/batteries out during switch, patiently waited for e-mail (seemed to take forever! but really just 30 minutes or so).

I was, however, baffled by the voicemail change, which I did not see mentioned here. Good thing I had no new messages on my old VM voicemail and that no one called and left a message during the phone switch....

So far I'm pretty happy. Phone is incredibly fast, screen looks great (though it seems to burn through the battery). 4G seems like just a headache and it might be best if I just left it off.

 

[emburybrett1]

Keep both phones off, and then go online and make the swap. Wait like five minutes and then turn on the evo and it will do the hands-free activation.

Sent from my HTC Evo V 4G

For some reason no matter what phone I try to activate i always get an error so I just program the phone meself... cant you still do it on this phone? ##Virgin# and click edit?

 

[twelfth]

For some reason no matter what phone I try to activate i always get an error so I just program the phone meself... cant you still do it on this phone? ##Virgin# and click edit?

For the EVO it's ##CLEAR#

Might as well do a factory reset and have it activate properly upon first boot. It's a known software issue.

 

[emburybrett1]

For the EVO it's ##CLEAR#

Might as well do a factory reset and have it activate properly upon first boot. It's a known software issue.

thanks just making sure I still can do it that way. Going to buy mine before the deal for $239 ends

 

[stevek28]

888-322-1122 they'll do it. They will want to charge you but complain then they won't

Sent from my ROOTED HTCEVOV4G using Tapatalk

 

[twelfth]

888-322-1122 they'll do it. They will want to charge you but complain then they won't

Sent from my ROOTED HTCEVOV4G using Tapatalk

That is the number to their Thailand outsourced call center and they don't know the slightest bit of what they're doing or talking about there. It's nothing but a total waste of minutes to call them.

Also: For those of us who ran into this activation issue (like myself) where the Virgin Mobile phone that we use is our only phone we can call with (again, like myself)... it's a bit difficult to call that number (or any, for that matter) when your old phone is disabled due to the swap and the new one can't be activated.

So... yeah. Your advice doesn't help.