Unlocking an O2 phone to use a different SIM card.

[Anonymous]

i bought a mobile 2nd hand for my daughter over a year ago and shes been using it fine with a giffgaff sime in since but now we are travelling abroad to the mioddle east for a few months and were trying to get it unlocked so we can use a local sim in it - the problem is o2 keep saying they cant unlock it over the phopne and i have to use the web form but once ive filled the first page out i hit a stumbling block on the second page as it asks about the billing side but ive never had a bill or even an account with o2 is ther a way i can get this phone unlocked

[SmartPhoneMum]

It's a Lenovo B and obtained direct from O2.

As said, the alternative network provider's sim works fine after I put the unlock code in the network locked page (ie it shows on screen/in settings and I can phone, send texts from it etc), but the 'network locked' page appears again each time I switch phone on.

I know this shouldn't happen, as the code should permanently unlock it from O2. I've tried a 'soft reset' of my phone, but problem persists. Was wondering if maybe I have one of my settings switched off that should be on before I do the unlock.

[MI5]

No settings for that.
Your device is faulty or you have some anti virus software installed which is preventing the system from writing to the EFS file.

[SmartPhoneMum]

Thanks for taking an interest and trying to assist, it's appreciated. Mmm...I'll check your 'anti virus' suggestion as I think I might still have McAfee running on it.

[MI5]

If you do have, turn it off and do the unlock process, then reboot the phone to allow the efs file to be overwritten, then turn McAfee back on afterwards, although AV on a mobile device is pretty much unnecessary and just causes lags and other problems.

[SmartPhoneMum]

I've now disabled McAfee, restarted phone, entered unlock code again at 'network locked screen', then restarted once more, but 'network locked' screen is back yet again.

I know I can keep entering the unlock code each and every time, but it's obviously not ideal.

[MI5]

No, not ideal and really annoying.
I'd get it sent in for repair if I was you.

[SmartPhoneMum]

ps

As a 'classics' student of many moons ago (Latin and Greek), I am indeed trying to keep in mind the Latin motto in your signature.

[MI5]

A motto to live by

[SmartPhoneMum]

Indeed! (except, of course, if your 02 phone is the cause of the despair)

[MI5]

You wouldn't be the first person afflicted that way