Sony Ericsson K800i white screen of death (wsod) fix

Contributor Icon Contributed by seamonkey420 Date Icon June 10, 2007  
Tag Icon Tagged: Entertainment

This is just a quickie on how to fix any WSOD or Blank screen w/blinking IRDA problems for a Sony Ericsson K800i.


You will need to purchase a credits to fix your phone however the update will not use it so you have a credit in case you ever need to update firmware or run EROM update again; the problem from what i’ve read around the forums seems to point to a problem w/K800i and its EROM.

It seems when poweroff the device, you can corrupt the EROM and that in turns causing your phone to not power on or just power on to a white screen. Wotanserver’s client can fix the EROM by updating it before it tries to flash the phone.

Normally, you have to hold the C button prior to connect to put your phone into a firmware update mode, however when you get the WSOD or no screen; the C does nothing. You will actually have to hold the numbers 2 and 5 to enter the update mode.

I will give a quickie run through on doing this (sure beats sending your phone back to sony for like a month and then having it happen again; hell might as well learn to fix yourself! its easy and cheap!)

This might not work in all cases or wsod problems, but seems to be a major first thing to try if you do have these problems. You will need to have an account w/a credit in it but update does not use the credit. (about $10 USD)

Software needed:

    wotanserver client ( http://wotanserver.com)
    wotanserver usb drivers (on main page)
    Step 1. Install the wotanserver, flash USB drivers.

Step 2. Download the latest wotanserver client from their main site. Run the .exe to start the client.

Step 3. Remove your phone’s battery and put back in. Then hold down the 2 and 5 buttons on your keypad. Connect the phone to the USB cable.

Step 4. You might get some prompts to install the flash driver, just click the install automatically options.

Step 5. In Wotanserver, click the start button and hopefully you’ll see some info and data shown to the left. Here’s what i saw when i fixed my EROM. Notice the part about EROM: starting upgrade.!

Step 6. Do as wotanserver says, remove the battery and let the phone sit for a few minutes and then put battery in and SMILE that your phone now works again!!!!! :)

Thanks Wotanserver and the howardforums.com peeps for the info/tips. Just putting this fix somewhere thats easier to find.

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Viewing 4 Comments

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    This recipe got me started but my WSOD problem was worse.

    My K800i would turn on very quickly with WSOD and vibrate once, (no red LED flashing as seems to normally be the case) it could only be turned off by removing the battery.

    I tried SEUS but could get no further than 3% although the client reconised the phone.

    After much reading up and tearing out of hair here is how I fixed it.

    First of all put the phone on charge for 2.5 hours to ensure it is fully charged. Most of the help tells you to do this and it made all the difference even though I thought that the battery was fully charged.

    Download the wotanserver client and USB flash drivers.

    install the USB flash drivers by connecting the phone and letting XP find the new hardware. If it will not install you may need to get into control panel/system/hardware/device manager and find the phone/flash device under USB to install the driver manually. This step is quite difficult but the driver must be installed correctly before proceeding.

    Use the wotan client to flash the EROM (this does not require credits). Clear the Login and password boxes, remove the battery and sim card from the phone. Press start on the client and reinsert the battery. Hold down the 2 + 5 keys then connect the usb lead to the phone then release the 2 + 5 keys. Wotan should now flash the EROM.

    Remove the battery for a while as directed by the client.

    If this stage does not work (mine only worked the first time I tried it) use Kulikandi client which seems to do the stage much easier and is also good for reading the information from the phone.

    Once the EROM has been flashed succesfully we can proceed.

    Now you need to set up an account with wotan (loads of hoops to jump through). Its very unclear how you are supposed to get your log in number but I got mine by setting up an account, purchasing a credit then clicking lost password. Wotan then emails you the login number and password.

    Once you have done this activate wotan client and fill in your login and password and check your account has at least one credit. This can take some time before the credit shows (mine took about half an hour).

    At this stage watch the wotan video to show you how the next stage is done.

    When you have credit, press start then dissconect the battery then re insert, hold down the C key and connect the cable, release the key as soon as the client reconises the phone.

    Select the CDA for your region and select finalize.

    Wotan will now flash the firmware (takes a little while).

    Once the complete dialog with the time taken is shown, disconnect the phone and turn on allowing the phone to update itself.

    Now remove the battery and insert the sim card then replace the battery.

    The phone should now turn on normally (mine acted a little odd to begin with).

    Now put the phone back on charge for a while.

    Hope that helps someone else get over this nightmare problem.
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    • v
    There is a much better and simpler solution to this problem: [list=1][*]Switch on the K800i so that you can see the white screen of death.
    [*]Put the phone on a hard surface, for example a concrete floor.
    [*]Take a heavy hammer and hit the phone with it as hard as you can, around 20-30 times should be enough.[/list:o]You will never see the white screen of death on this POS phone again. Now go out and get yourself a real mobile phone and avoid anything from Sony-Ericsson. :twisted:
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    You dont actually need any credit on wotanserver to perform this fix.
    Simply clear the username and password fields and the update will still be applied :D
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    • v
    I wonder if the WSOD problem is what they were talking about in the 10facts article about the K800i with that student in the UK
 
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