Backing up HA & AAA secret keys.

[Ultima]

Here it is guys, how to back up your HA & AAA shared secret keys in case you break your evdo through flashing roms or *228 or something similar.

Requirements:
QPST 2.7 Build 301
QXDM 3.11.36

Put your phone in DMR mode.
##3424 (send) if you use a Verizon ROM
##3424# for Sprint
I am not sure which is used by Alltel, Telus, etc. Please post if you know and I will update this post.

Run the QPST config and plug in your phone, make sure your phone is detected in the COM port list. If not click Add New Port and add the one that it has detected your phone on. What it says may vary but USB will often be in the description.

Run QXDM click Options -> Communications and set the Target Port for the same one QPST config listed for your phone.

In the command box at the top type "spc 000000"
Note: If your SPC is not 000000 then you need to use the correct number instead!

If successful you will see a window titled "Command Output" that will output some text with the final line reading "SPC Result = Correct"

Next in the command box type "requestnvitemread ds_mip_ss_user_prof"

This will get you a lot of stuff in the Command Output window. It will start with the "DIAG TX item" section, ignore this one, we are interested in the "DIAG RX item" part.

The actual keys are 16 lines and marked in the output as 0-15. You will notice that quite handily both HA and AAA are both there. Take the part after the "0x" and that is actual key data. Just write down (or use word, notepad, whatever) to record this for safe keeping.

If you are doing this right then you have a long string of 30 characters all strung together for each key. DOUBLE CHECK YOUR COPYING! A single mistake will cause this to fail.


Putting the keys back into the phone:

Load QPST service programming, go to the M.IP tab. Double click profile 0 (in the white box) and use "Enter hex value" to enter your backups of your HA and AAA keys.

Write to phone.

Soft reset. (may not be required but I do it for good measure)

Enjoy data again without another call to support for a DMU reset or multiple ESN changes.

Please leave feedback to let me know about your experience and any issues you may have!

Good QXDM information is pretty rare so please contribute if you have anything to add!

Thanks to aarondeep from the original thread http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=52727 for pointing me in the right direction.

[aarondeep]

Awesome, i had to sit on the phone this morning with a verizon tech who didn't know what she was doing for 30 minutes! This will save me any future headaches thanks alot!

[Zenoran]

Originally Posted by Ultima

Run QXDM click Options -> Communications and set the Target Port for the same one QPST config listed for your phone.

What's QXDM? I don't see that in that as one of the options installed under QPST...

thanks

[Ultima]

Originally Posted by Zenoran

What's QXDM? I don't see that in that as one of the options installed under QPST...

thanks

QXDM is a separate program from QPST, although QPST is required for (and must be running) to use QXDM.

[oshea85ppc]

if your phone is working, you can use QPST to read the service profile (?) from the phone, then save it to a file...and you can load that file back up later and write it to the phone to restore the keys....I just tested this and it works.

[Ultima]

Originally Posted by oshea85ppc

if your phone is working, you can use QPST to read the service profile (?) from the phone, then save it to a file...and you can load that file back up later and write it to the phone to restore the keys....I just tested this and it works.

Hmmm since QPST didnt show the values I wasn't aware that it saved them. Although I would be careful in using this method if you've been flashing ROMs, especially radio, it might have the potential to cause issues.

[jmorton10]

I copied & saved them with out even using QDXM (although I have it)

I put mine in to EPST (##778, EDIT, 000000, view info, M.IP default profile) then highlight HA shared secret & click edit. That will show you the key & you can then copy & paste it to a note file (you need a KB with a ctrl key for ctrl C & ctrl V commands)

Do the same thing with the AAA shared secret & you're good to go.

You can save that note file to your laptop, a flash drive, the card in your phone or anywhere you want. If you lose data connection, copy the note file into the phone (or retrieve it from the card & reverse the above procedure & paste the info back in.

This works perfectly, I have done it probably six times now.

~John

[Zenoran]

Originally Posted by jmorton10

I copied & saved them with out even using QDXM (although I have it)

I put mine in to EPST (##778, EDIT, 000000, view info, M.IP default profile) then highlight HA shared secret & click edit. That will show you the key & you can then copy & paste it to a note file (you need a KB with a ctrl key for ctrl C & ctrl V commands)

Do the same thing with the AAA shared secret & you're good to go.

You can save that note file to your laptop, a flash drive, the card in your phone or anywhere you want. If you lose data connection, copy the note file into the phone (or retrieve it from the card & reverse the above procedure & paste the info back in.

This works perfectly, I have done it probably six times now.

~John

I noticed there are some binary characters in there that show up as squares... do these copy properly??? I was using PHM Notepad and they appear as squares in there too.. just wondering if the copy/paste copies everything properly or not...

I haven't done a *228 or had the need to restore keys from any ROM flashes yet... honestly the only time this should ever ben an issue is if doing a radio I believe... in any event, would be good to know I have them saved properly if it does happen.

[Glitch4583]

Originally Posted by Zenoran

I noticed there are some binary characters in there that show up as squares... do these copy properly??? I was using PHM Notepad and they appear as squares in there too.. just wondering if the copy/paste copies everything properly or not...

I haven't done a *228 or had the need to restore keys from any ROM flashes yet... honestly the only time this should ever ben an issue is if doing a radio I believe... in any event, would be good to know I have them saved properly if it does happen.

Yes, I did this with my old TP and John's process works perfectly.

- Glitch

[jmorton10]

Originally Posted by Zenoran

I noticed there are some binary characters in there that show up as squares... do these copy properly???

I wondered about that too (the code looks like hieroglyphics) but it copies & pastes just fine.

~John