Important information about DEVICE ALREADY EXISTING error

Hi all,

i have had several reports about error message “device already existing” when registering the device to the avast! portal account.

First of all, i want to describe why this happens. Actually it happens every time a device already registered to our database with a given IMEI tries to register a second time, but to a different account. The reason for this is that this is (one part of) our security measures to avoid illegal access to device data in the web. Just FYI: there is a lot of additional security measures, the IMEI comparison is just one of them (as IMEIs can be changed, it would not be enough to just go for this).

Now you may state that your device has never been registered before and you get this error anyways. One common reason is that you have some custom ROM installed. Some exotic versions of ROMs come with their pre-programmed IMEI or that modify/delete the phone’s EFS partition (which is the area that contains data like the IMEI). This may result in that every device installed with that ROM will have the same IMEI and the avast! portal will only allow ONE of those users to register the device + block all other users. I am very sorry but we can not help you in that case, also note that installing a ROM that modifies the IMEI is ILLEGAL as users may not change their IMEI by law in most countries.

Please take a look at this thread for an example on how you can backup your EFS partition BEFORE flashing a new ROM: http://androidadvices.com/backup-efs-data-fix-imei-sim-detecting-issue-samsung-android-phones/ (if this does not apply to your phone try to google for EFS backup Android to find a solution for your phone).

I hope this helps a bit understanding that issue.

thanks & best regards
Reinhard

Just appendix:

this is the IMEIs we already know of being corrupt:
004999010640000

I’ll update the list once i run into other obvious cases.

Thanks Reinhardholzner, explains why this has been happening to me but only partially.

What happens if you are stuck with an IMEI like you mentioned, but its legitimate? I bought a brand new HTC Flyer (wi-fi only) pretty soon after release, and it had gingerbread preloaded all fine and dandy, but nice ol’ HTC soon came out with an OTA upgrade to honeycomb for us in europe - all official, all above board. Not had a problem like this come up with any other app but since it has now and Ive had to look a little more into it I can see your point, but it still leaves those of us who simply followed the official HTC releases out in the lurch. There is the ‘Device serial number’ which is different to the IMEI - could you guys use that for instance, as that seems to be unique enough…

Reinhard, do you know if this service http://www.trackimei.com/ is trustable for tracking the IMEI?
Can’t avast! track the IMEI either (at least in the future)?

Hello all, here is an interesting twist: I have an Asus TF101 tablet - I do have a custom ROM installed (Megatron v1.1.6 - Cyanogen 9 derived), but I don’t think the issue is that the ROM installed some new IMEI. When I bring up “about tablet” it shows me that my IMEI is “Unknown”.

Now being that this device is a tablet and not a phone - isn’t this correct? There shouldn’t be an IMEI on a tablet should there? Looking at my new Nexus 7 (rooted running custom ROM as well - Bugless Beast) in the same “about tablet” section of settings, there is not even any mention of IMEI.

I have my Droid3 and Nexus7 registered and secured just fine, but I can’t add the TF101 - I think because it won’t register with “Unknown” as the IMEI. So the question is: how do tablets register with you? Am I just wrong about IMEI and if so where the heck would I find it, there is of course no user accessible battery compartment!

Also help me understand this: would wiping completely and then reinstalling the factory OS restore the IMEI if there is/was one? I have full access to this device, without getting into meaningless detail - it’s unbrickable. So I will try anything you think may work. I can’t guarantee I can stomach the factory OS and it’s bloat forever, but I would be happy to do some testing to help us all understand this better.

-Cadstar

Hi Cad, not sure if its different for your Tablet but for my Flyer the box it came in did have an IMEI printed on the side of it and yes the about tablet section doesnt tell you this information, but what does the avast anti-theft say it is? (open it, select ‘help,system state, about’ ,select system state and scroll to IMEI/MEID) if it still says unknown then as far as i know that means it is empty or unreadable. mine has an entry, but the middle has a heck of a lot of zeroes which makes me think its some generic one that came with the OTA update to honeycomb that was pushed out in the first wave of the promised upgrades by HTC. and whilst i dont have my box to hand i’m 99% sure this is different to the one originally assigned to the device. Put it this way I googled the IMEI number and Ive seen it pop up on a couple of other boards (even for a verizon thunderbolt) which is what leads me to think its generic.

WARNING: SUCH SERVICES ARE USUALLY SCAM!!

hi, if you keep with stock updates, you’ll be fine!

send me your imei to holzner (at) avast.com i’ll check if it is a generic one.

Hey all,

Geeez, I thought we were all fairly well versed in Android so I didn’t realize I had to spell out the exact steps needed to get to the IMEI info on an android phone/tablet! Yes, or course I am bringing up about tablet and then select ‘help,system state, about’ ,select system state and scroll to IMEI/MEID. There is no other way to find the IMEI on Android that I have ever seen. JB though appears to have changed that as I can’t find the IMEI anywhere on my Nexus 7 - will look at the box when I get back to my office this morning and see if it’s there.

And yes, that’s exactly what my TF101 shows there, just the word “Unknown”. That said has anyone ever found any kind of info on how to edit the IMEI on something other than a Samsung phone, cause that’s the only instructions I have been able to find. Heck I will open up a custom ROM edit and re-package - that’s all no problem, hexadecimal format doesn’t scare me, I just don’t know where to find the setting.

If all else fails maybe I will restore this the Asus factory image on this tab and see where that puts me in terms of IMEI. In fact I can probably dig up the original box and see what that shows. If I can find a way to edit I could restore it myself. I’m a Linux Systems Admin by trade so I know my way around Android better than most.

One thing I do know: if I had bought a legit brand new device, or had just received a new OTA and ended up having a generic IMEI on it I would be damn upset and calling the manufacturer instantly!!

Hey reinhardholzner can you provide a link to back up this statement as I would like to find out more, like which countries are affected? This is news to me. I am the veteran of many a custom ROM on my phones/tablets and have NEVER run into an issue with IMEI before now.

also note that installing a ROM that modifies the IMEI is ILLEGAL as users may not change their IMEI by law in most countries.

I have to add that I absolutely LOVE the new web interface!! 3 cheers avast! Incredible job there, I have waited for that update for a long time, and am completely satisfied now that it has arrived!! Many thanks …

-Cadstar

note that we do not only rely on IMEI but also use fallback mechanisms. The IMEI ID used in Anti-Theft can be found in Anti-Theft system state.

Regarding the legal stuff: i read it on several places all over the web.

note that we do not only rely on IMEI but also use fallback mechanisms. The IMEI ID used in Anti-Theft can be found in Anti-Theft system state.

Now there’s some handy info, will check on this when I get into the office and get back to you. Never thought to look inside avast and see if it showed the IMEI there. Thanks! Just looked at the Nexus7 which I do have with me and it does indeed show what appears to be a valid IMEI there (can’t find any hits on google with this number anyway) - wonder where JellyBean has hidden this on us?

Guess I will do some googling on the legal issues cause that is sticking in my head and I need to know if this applies to the US - being that we are the ones with that damn FCC, I would bet it does include us! The whole mess probably started with them - why didn’t someone think to hard code the IMEI so installing custom ROM could not over-write??

Wow - there is an avast widget included now too! Didn’t see that until just now, way cool. Avast just rocks!
Thanks

-Cadstar

Hi,

I’m no lawyer so take this just as “a link to the Internet”, but I found this in the Australian law - http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/claoaoma22004729/sch1.html (check out 474.7).

Filip

Hi all,

Thanks for the link Flip. Of course I expected to see things like this that show why there is a restriction on IMEI numbers:

Paragraph (a)--For example, GSM mobile phones use an industry-recognised International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. This number identifies the particular phone, as compared to the SIM card number which identifies a particular telecommunications account. Carriers are able to block service to lost and stolen mobile phones based on their IMEI numbers.

Makes plenty of sense and leads me back to asking why it is possible to over write the IMEI in the first place. You would think that manufacturers would not be doing things in that way especially with the huge android ROM and modding community! It’s not like they don’t know we install custom ROMs! Of course I am not a developer so I haven’t read the guidelines on creating ROMs, so it’s likely to me that it’s part of the information out there already and there are some dev’s that either haven’t read the guidelines, or choose to ignore them.

Checked my Nexus 7 box and there is no IMEI as such, but there is a CSSN number that does match what avast show on the tablet. So Peter Alphonso at least is one developer that understands this mess and doesn’t over-write your IMEI! I have recommended Bugless Beast ROMs for a long time now and this just re-enforces that position. http://www.peteralfonso.com/

Back to the Asus TF101 - it appears that Cyanogen based ROMs are a real bad choice - unless of course you backup and restore your IMEI. My TF101 with the Megatron ROM shows all zeros for the IMEI in avast’s system state. Now that I know all this I may take some time and re-flash the factory ROM, check IMEI and back it up if it’s correct. That’s if I can find a way to backup/restore the IMEI on something other than a Samsung Galaxy Nexus 2 or 3 - still haven’t found that anywhere.

Thanks so much for this thread it has helped me a great deal. Now one last question: if avast uses more than just the IMEI to identify, can’t we come up with a way for me to register this device using some other means of identification?

Thanks
-Cadstar

the problem is that we only fall back if we get NO IMEI - but in those cases, the device delivers a valid looking IMEI so it does not fall back to other identifiers.

PS: interesting, but in that australian law article penalty for modifying IMEI is 2 YEARS!!

Thanks. Do you know any that we can trust?

all those IMEI services are scam AFAIK.

I have been chatting with my droid buddies throughout the day today, and I have yet to find anyone who knew about the custom ROM and IMEI issue. After google showed me how often it’s happening I am really even more surprised. 99% of these guys I talk to flash ROMs more often than I do! Apparently there aren’t too many apps out there that like avast, want to see your unique IMEI.

I even ran across a thread where a guy had some cheapo China tablet of some kind and found that every single one the company produced had the same exact same MAC address!! That’s yet another thing I though hard coded (in the wireless chip), but he claims after the company denied the issue for several weeks they finally released a firmware update that resolved it.
It was quite funny as the guy called like 15 times and every person he spoke to denied the issue. He even talked to the same guy twice and had to remind him that he had just told him about the issue like 2 days ago.

Last week I saw that Graig (yep, the old cheap-o early 80’s car stereo company - you younger guys may not recall the name at all - these were the cassette tape days!) even makes a tab now. Found it in Rite Aid drug store. It was a 7inch tab, and the box claimed 1G RAM, 8GB storage and Android 4.0.1 - I was tempted to buy for my son so he could play on a tablet without destroying a good one. Hell, maybe I still will buy one - I am curious about it! But I am getting off topic too much …

I also made 4 or 5 Avast converts today! After I explained all that the latest avast version can do, it’s not a hard decision for people to uninstall Lookout - even if you were paying for their “Premium” services.

Thanks so much for the knowledge everyone. I will update this thread after I reinstall an OEM Asus image on my TF101 and see where that leaves me. I did find the original box and the IMEI is NOT on it, only the serial number. I should probably add though that this was originally a refurbished unit I got from Tiger Direct - so just came in a plain brown cardboard box when I received it.

-Cadstar

Ok quick update, I spoke with the HTC CS and they were quite polite, I had my box with me which indeed had a sticker with IMEI : xxxxetc and MANU SERIAL :XXXetc on it too. Though the lady was quite bemused that the sticker claims the IMEI should start with five 0’s. I thought that strange at the time too, and it is certainly not what avast anti-theft’s system state reports. She nonetheless has escalated it after validating the device through the serial number (even knew where it was bought from so that confirms its the correct device), but did say that she was informed that Tablets should not have IMEI numbers unless they are the ones with sim cards (i.e. phone-capable) and if the non-sim ones do have an IMEI number, it would not be unique (hence the problem).

Of course the usual game of pass-the-buck then ensued saying I needed to contact avast to see if they could get it to register any other way but obviously you guys have your reasons for doing it the way you do - I’m just here to keep you all informed of what I find out once they email me with more info.

On that note, Reinhardholzner : Do you need me to PM both what avast says my IMEI number is, or what the box my device says it should have been, neither or both?

hi no dont need it but i’ll check if the thing the support said is true and will possibly think about a fix for this.