Flashing Nokia Device

Flashing means re-installing phones firmware (Operating system) files. There are many situations when it becomes necessary to flash a mobile (Deletion/corruption of system files, phone is dead etc). Besides, flashing is also useful to update to latest (Or any available) firmware, to install a custom (cooked) firmware or to install an older firmware over an updated new firmware. So here goes the process, carefully follow the instructions given below as such:

First up, note down your phones firmware version/release (Find by pressing *#0000# at standby, in the form of x.xxx.xx), product code (On the sticker under battery in the form of 0XXXXXX) and type (Look at the sticker under the battery in the form of RM-xxx).

1. Download and install Phoenix Service Software (2009 or 2010) in your (Windows) PC/Laptop from www.4shared.com or elsewhere (search Google)

2. Download and install latest version of Navifirm from here

3. Run Navifirm and wait until it loads the Products (Phone model names/codes) list (Requires fast internet connection)

4. Find your phone model and code in the list and select it (For example, select RM-596 for Nokia N8)

5. Wait for a while until it loads “Releases”. Select the desired release (22.14 in case of N8)

6. Wait until Navifirm loads “Variants” (Product code of the phone – you can find yours at the sticker usually below battery). Select the desired variant and wait until Navifirm shows firmware files in the last pane.

7. Check all the boxes (in the last pane) and click “Download with program” button below the last pane. Choose the folder where you want to download the “Official” firmware files. After download is complete, copy the files.

8. Go to “C:/Program Files/Nokia/Phoenix/Products” and create a new folder in the last folder (“Products”) of the above path and name it RM-xxx (which is your phone type code that you noted earlier, replace “xxx” with your phones actual code numbers, for example it will be RM-596 for N8). Now paste the downloaded files (copied in the Step 7 above) to the newly created folder “C:/Program Files/Nokia/Phoenix/Products/RM-596″. Phoenix will look for the files in the above folder when flashing the phone (Nokia N8 in this case)

9. Launch “Phoenix” in PC and connect your mobile (Nokia N8 in this case) via Data/USB cable (Select PC Suite mode). In Phoenix, Go to “File/Scan Product”, Phoenix will detect the phone. Now select “Flashing/Firmware Update”

10. At the firmware update window, Phoenix will automatically look up and find the official firmware files earlier downloaded via Navifirm. However if it doesn’t find the files

a. Check that the directory “C:/Program Files/Nokia/Phoenix/Products/RM-596” exists, (create if it does not and place the firmware files into it – Step 8 above)

b. Check that the above path is present in all the three boxes in Tools/Options/Product Location (In Phoenix), set it if it does not and repeat steps 9 onwards.
If everything upto step 10 goes successful, select “Refurbish”, ignore all the warning boxes that appear during the process. Wait until the “Successful” dialog box appear (DO NOT touch or disconnect the phone or USB cable during the process). Press OK, phone will disconnect and restart. Thank God that everything went well….hopefully….best of luck

For any problem please leave a comment
You may also try flashing with J.A.F. software, described step-by-step in this post

Note – If Phoenix gives error while running in Windows Vista or 7 then try running Phoenix in compatibility mode (Right click on its icon – Properties – Compatibility – Tick/Check “Run this program in compatibility mode for Windows XP (Service Pack 3 or 2) – Click “Apply” and then OK).

WARNING: Phone flashing is a double-edged sword; it may be useful and dangerous at the same time. It may brick/damage your phone for good (If not done carefully), so please DO NOT flash your device if you don’t know what the hell “Flashing a phone” is.
Also note that Phoenix is available for Windows only (not available for Linux or Mac)