Ok guys
i have a hero and i absolutely love it, but after following HTC on twitter eagerly awaiting news on the official 2.1 rom i am now considering installing one of the custom roms i have seen here
Like i say im a newb to all this, i have been reading on this forum for some time but this is one of my first posts. Basically i want to know how i go about installing a custom rom
My handset is a Tmobile G2 touch from the UK
do i need to root? what is the best way/easiest way? can this be reversed to use an official rom in the future?
and which rom is universally known as the best most stable, and again how do i go about installing this, and again is it reversible
and lastly what are the risks?
alot of questions, but i will appreciate any help anyone has to offer
many thanks in advamce
ascottuk said:
Basically i want to know how i go about installing a custom rom
My handset is a Tmobile G2 touch from the UK
do i need to root? what is the best way/easiest way? can this be reversed to use an official rom in the future?
and which rom is universally known as the best most stable, and again how do i go about installing this, and again is it reversible
and lastly what are the risks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This should probably have been in the Q&A section...
1. Read my newbie guide on installing a custom rom (covers pretty much everything and if it doesn't ask and i'll add it in)
2. Root is a part of most custom ROM's, you can enable root without putting a custom rom on but it isn't usually worth it
3. Again my guide, or various others are available on the forums
4. Yes it can be reversed, just run an official rru exe from HTC and you'll go back to the way things are
5. This is more down to personal preference.
For Sense you have:
VillainROM (probably most used)
SenseHero
NeoROM
HeroDroid
Legendroid
Raidroid
For Vanilla you have:
aHero
Androbin
VanillaEclair
Vanillain 2.0 (not recommended)
and many others - again check the forums / wiki for details
6. Hehe what risks...
Seriously though:
You can brick your phone (very unlikely), if you're an idiot... (read everything until you understand it and think about what your doing before you click the button)
You can get stuck in boot loops, which are usually recoverable if you just wipe & flash again
You lose your data (sms etc) if it isn't backed up (i'm still working on a complete backup guide)
You might end up with a really pretty Hero v2.1 which is about as slow as 1.5 but you feel better about it cause it looks nice...
Hope this helps
i'd recommend flashing the mr bang 1.5 first before any 2.1s; see exactly how well your hero can perform. the danger is that (like me) that none of the 2.1s really come close, so you're measuring up the 2.1 benefits against performance, and the 2.1 benefits are pretty much limited to:
- icons in the settings menu (nice)
- 3d gallery (nice but can be sluggish)
- live wallpapers (nice for 5 minutes then :yawn
- you have to really EARN that gps lock.
flashing is fun though. get 'sms backup & restore' and pay for titanium backup & make sure you use nandroid backup. you can try a rom & have it running in 20 mins, give it 30 mins to impress you or nandroid restore back & your phone is how it was before an hour has passed.
I just purchased a 512Leo Hd2, unbranded SPL 1.42. Now this site has been an amazing resource. I have been thinking about flashing a new ROM but I'm not sure about it yet. To tell you the truth I don't really mind the stock HTC ROM. However, I'm dying to run Android 2.2, problem being is that my radio version is 2.06.51.07 now from what I understand that version won't allow me to run Android. And I've tried it, Linux starts to load and either it freezes or the screen slowly blacks out. I've tried the formatting and it doesn't work. So my ? is this. After running HSPL, also don't know which one to run 1,2 or 3?, will the stock ROM still be there? IN which case I can then go ahead ad flash a radio version that will allow me to run Android? Or do I have to find a stock ROM from somewhere and load that? Can I save the ROM version that is on my phone now then reload it? How do I do that? If someone c an fill these blanks in for me I'd appreciate it!
Cheers
htchtchd2 said:
my radio version is 2.06.51.07 now from what I understand that version won't allow me to run Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct.
htchtchd2 said:
don't know which one to run 1,2 or 3?, will the stock ROM still be there?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashing HSPL will do absolutely nothing to your ROM. It simply unlocks the phones SPL and allows the flashing of non-branded or unofficial ROMs.
More about HSPL 1&2 and HSPL 3
Which one you need depends on your device. I think HSPL3 might work for all but to be honest I've never bothered to look at it since I have HSPL2 and it works for me.
htchtchd2 said:
IN which case I can then go ahead ad flash a radio version that will allow me to run Android?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you can. One of THESE will do the trick.
htchtchd2 said:
Or do I have to find a stock ROM from somewhere and load that? Can I save the ROM version that is on my phone now then reload it? How do I do that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android works perfectly for me on my stock ROM with radio 2.12.50 For some people, the stock ROM does not work so the short answer is: "it depends". I say try a new radio ROM, leave the stock ROM alone and see if it works. If not, then look into flashing a custom ROM also. As for saving your current ROM, that's a bit more tricky, and more trouble than it's worth since you can find pretty much all the stock roms in the rom development threads such as THIS one.
If you have any other questions or need more clarification ask away (or PM me).
One more thing about flashing ROMS... Use caution and ask questions if you are unsure about something. Make sure you read and understand the threads dedicated to flashing in the links provided... Otherwise, you will have an expensive paper weight on your hands.
Faelok said:
One more thing about flashing ROMS... Use caution and ask questions if you are unsure about something. Make sure you read and understand the threads dedicated to flashing in the links provided... Otherwise, you will have an expensive paper weight on your hands.
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Click to collapse
Hi!
I've been reading all your posts and i have a similar problem with my Leo.
I'm new at this so i am affraid to, like you said, have an "expensive paper weight".
I tried running the "FLASHAHOLIC RUU.." via USB but it keeps hanging while running task29. I then tried the official HTC web site but i doesnt work either.
I baght my device on amazon so it comes with WWE and o want to change it to Portuguese specially because of some keybord letters like "ç" for example.
Can you please give me a step by step guide so i can instal a new rom?
Thanks in advance.
Bitas said:
Hi!
I've been reading all your posts and i have a similar problem with my Leo.
I'm new at this so i am affraid to, like you said, have an "expensive paper weight".
I tried running the "FLASHAHOLIC RUU.." via USB but it keeps hanging while running task29. I then tried the official HTC web site but i doesnt work either.
I baght my device on amazon so it comes with WWE and o want to change it to Portuguese specially because of some keybord letters like "ç" for example.
Can you please give me a step by step guide so i can instal a new rom?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything you need to know - about flashing the HD2 - * HERE * (to the Mods, andchange this vauable info can be made a sticky in the ROM section?)
Okay I have searched, looked at videos, commented some topics but still I have not found my answer.
If I was to download this Android Build: (Ex. [BUILD]15.09.10|mdeejay Froyo Sense v. 2.1) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=780525
or
[BUILD] [18.08.2010] [darkstone HD2Froyo V2.1 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=735532
Do I need to download anything else other than what's already included in the Android Build? I keep hearing about this radio rom, Cooked rom, etc.
Do I need that stuff?
Thank you very much.
They are READY-TO-USE BUILD....
I am no expert but this is my understanding, most importantly Android causes problems somehow with the stock ROM on you HD2 so you will want to put a custom WinMo ROM onto the phone before you try using Android. In order for you to flash to a different WinMo rom you will need to follow the va0rious steps there too, there are a lot of great guides on the forums but during that process you make your phone able to take major changes (like ROM and Radios).
All the guides include steps on how to change your Radio as well as the ROM, I know there is at least one stickied in the ROM discussion forum (not Android ROM). The builder of the Android you choose will invariably offer suggestions as to what ROM they use for WinMo and what Radio they have had the best results with. That is what I think you are talking about as far as Radio in relation to Android. Like WinMo different Radios are more or less effective, and even more so than WinMo they can cause major havoc if you disregard the instructions about what Radio you should use (I know of some that will apparently brick the phone)
I am sure someone that knows more than me will answer sooner or later but hope that helps
1. Install HSPL if you are still on Stock ROM
2. Install Android Compatible WM ROM from this forum (ChuckyDroid,OzDroid,VBNROM)
3. Install Radio >= 2.08.50.xx (Dont install .51 Radio)
4. Install Android build of your choice as instructions in respective threads
For all the above, search using keywords HSPL, etc and you will reach gold.
PS : I am not responsible for you bricking the device. If you are hesitant, dont do it !
can someone here guide me step by step so i could flash a new rom like energyrom to my hd2?
now my rom is 1.48.482.4 my radio is 2.05.51.05_2 my manila 2.5.19211619.0 all i want is to have fun with my hd2 and play with colors icons apps e.t.c thanks in advance
Hope this can helps you sir;
1) Some Custom Rom's need HSPL;
Here is the link to get it.
And her how to do it:
2) you may also will to update your radio;
Here you have a thread with a collection of all Radio's.
Attention; if you have a USA T-Mous device don't install a x.XX.51.x Radio; this will brakes your device.
And here how to do it:
3) Install custom ROM;
The choices are huge; take a look here.
No mater witch stock ROM you choose; thy have all the same rule.
- Reed the install instructions on there first page, (better reading it twice than once)
- Follow the instructions
- Follow the recommended radio version (in case the ROM builder mention it)
Here you have one example on how to install custom ROM.
Hope this helps you.
hi everyone !
I'm a noob here, at XDA
I'm in a trouble, please help me to get out of this =(
but before posting my real problem (may be I will resolve it my self after getting the answer), I want to know:
how can I select the correct ROM for my HTC Amaze 4G ?
actually my phone has no firmware right now, I wipe / format all, accidentally without any backup.
now I have no idea about ROM. There are many:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/HTC_Amaze_4G/ROMs
[email protected] said:
hi everyone !
I'm a noob here, at XDA
I'm in a trouble, please help me to get out of this =(
but before posting my real problem (may be I will resolve it my self after getting the answer), I want to know:
how can I select the correct ROM for my HTC Amaze 4G ?
actually my phone has no firmware right now, I wipe / format all, accidentally without any backup.
now I have no idea about ROM. There are many:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/HTC_Amaze_4G/ROMs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Wiki article is a good place to start, however, it isn't up to date. Select any of the stock ICS based ROMs if you want full functionality as these are the only ROMs where everything works correctly. There are many ICS ROMs both themed and stock Sense available. If you can live without WiFi tethering and some Bluetooth functionality there are several JB based AOSP based ROMs that are otherwise stable and work well. So far all of the KitKat builds have camera exposure issues in addition to the same problems as the JB ROMs. They are more in flux and under heavy development.
It's against the rules of the board to recommend a specific ROM, so you'll have to try for yourself to see what fits your needs and tastes.
However before proceeding you should look over the various threads that are pinned to the top of the different forums. There you will find tons of useful information that will save you trouble later. Remember that if you're coming from any ROM before ICS that you need to first flash a stock ICS factory image so you can install the proper radio baseband otherwise it won't work. None of the after-market ROMs have radios in them. Once an ICS ROM has been flashed you can install other ROMs since all of the later ones use ICS radio basebands.
Edit: One more thing that will help guide you in making your decision. Look at the Dev threads for the ROMs that you're interested in. Usually somewhere in the first or second post the author of the ROM will list the known bugs and issues associated with their ROM, and in the case of ROMs undergoing heavy development they will also list what they know is working well.
Good luck and welcome to the board
Odysseus1962 said:
The Wiki article is a good place to start, however, it isn't up to date. Select any of the stock ICS based ROMs if you want full functionality as these are the only ROMs where everything works correctly. There are many ICS ROMs both themed and stock Sense available. If you can live without WiFi tethering and some Bluetooth functionality there are several JB based AOSP based ROMs that are otherwise stable and work well. So far all of the KitKat builds have camera exposure issues in addition to the same problems as the JB ROMs. They are more in flux and under heavy development.
It's against the rules of the board to recommend a specific ROM, so you'll have to try for yourself to see what fits your needs and tastes.
However before proceeding you should look over the various threads that are pinned to the top of the different forums. There you will find tons of useful information that will save you trouble later. Remember that if you're coming from any ROM before ICS that you need to first flash a stock ICS factory image so you can install the proper radio baseband otherwise it won't work. None of the after-market ROMs have radios in them. Once an ICS ROM has been flashed you can install other ROMs since all of the later ones use ICS radio basebands.
Good luck and welcome to the board.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank You very much
here is the abstract of what I understand:
I can select any of the stock ICS based ROMs
I'm coming from a ROM before ICS (it was GB) so I need to first flash a stock ICS factory image
Then I will be able to install the proper radio baseband
Once ICS ROM has been flashed I can install other ROMs
Now the new questions are popping up (respectively)
there are many vendors before selecting an ICS stock ROM (Mobilicity, Telus, T-Mobile etc.)
is it safe to select any of them ? (without knowing your phone's vendor)
what is 'stock ICS factory image' ? Can you please mention a link to download it or a guide to flash
what is 'proper' radio baseband ? (mine was 1.13.550L.13DC_30.69b.550L.101D)
How can I change / update to a proper baseband ? Can you please mention a link here too, (if necessary)
Thank You in Advance
[email protected] said:
Thank You very much
here is the abstract of what I understand:
I can select any of the stock ICS based ROMs
I'm coming from a ROM before ICS (it was GB) so I need to first flash a stock ICS factory image
Then I will be able to install the proper radio baseband
Once ICS ROM has been flashed I can install other ROMs
Now the new questions are popping up (respectively)
there are many vendors before selecting an ICS stock ROM (Mobilicity, Telus, T-Mobile etc.)
is it safe to select any of them ? (without knowing your phone's vendor)
what is 'stock ICS factory image' ? Can you please mention a link to download it or a guide to flash
what is 'proper' radio baseband ? (mine was 1.13.550L.13DC_30.69b.550L.101D)
How can I change / update to a proper baseband ? Can you please mention a link here too, (if necessary)
Thank You in Advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since you're coming from Gingerbread I assume you have an Asian or unbranded Amaze. You need to follow the directions for those models. It requires you to attain s-off prior to flashing an ICS ROM. There are posts explaining the hack you need to do to get s-off. Once s-off you next need to superCID. Once both s-off and superCID have been attained you can flash an ICS ROM. You need to go through this procedure because the stock ROMs have carrier identification codes (CID) which prevent ROMs from one carrier running on another carrier's device. These hacks get around it.
At this point most folks flash the T-Mobile ICS ROM since it's fairly recent and the basis for most of the ICS modified ROMs. Once you've got an ICS radio installed you can then flash any ROM you'd like.
Again read through the pinned threads and familiarize yourself with the procedure. Failure to follow the directions correctly can result in a bricked phone. Then your next post will be in the Amaze unbricking project thread asking for desperate help.
I'm s-on. I didn't need s-off since I'm a T-Mobile customer and already had ICS before I started flashing ROMs. So I'm not going to be much help with the s-off procedure. Like I said, read through the appropriate threads and familiarize yourself on the procedure so you can move forward. For now, until you get s-off it's best to flash back to whatever stock ROM you had because there isn't much you can do until you get s-off and I'm sure you still want to have use of your handset.
I hope this helps.
Good luck
I followed this method, yesterday and got my phone back (as it was before)
aj_2423 said:
If you have already made the mistake of unlocking and trying to flash an ICS rom while still on GB, you can do the following to get back to GB and have a working device.
ATTENTION - Before continuing past this point, You must first have 4ext installed as your recovery if the device is S-Off.(you can use hasoons AIO toolkit to do this.) Once you have 4ext flashed, boot into recovery and in the settings Enable Smartflash
1) Download this ruby_unsigned_021812_031444.zip GB rom
2) Next, Place the the downloaded file on your sd card.
3) Now Boot into 4ext recovery (battery pull, then start phone while holding down the power+VolumeDown buttons simultaneously).
4) Once in recovery, go to the Wipe/Format section and select "Format all partitions except SDcard"
5) Finally, after formating completes, verify that you have SmartFlash enabled & then flash the Rom you just downloaded from above..
Once this is complete, you should once again have a working device.
Please use this thread for any related questions/comments you may have so we can try and keep the forums a little more organized and clean. THANK YOU
*********************&*******************
Hopefully this will help reduce the duplicate threads
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[email protected] said:
I followed this method, yesterday and got my phone back (as it was before)
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Click to collapse
Looks like @Odysseus1962 has things under control here, but I'll still add my two cents, if he doesn't mind
I read through this post and I must say, I'm glad that you got your phone working again, even though it's only GB still.
Having said that I could safely assume that you have rooted your phone and installed 4ext recovery, and I'm hoping that you've performed S-OFF and SuperCID your device.
If you have done that, then I highly recommend you to the T-Mobile stock RUU before you even attempt any custom roms. Personally, I enjoyed the T-Mobile stock experience (well, I debloated it myself using Titanium Backup, removing a lot of the useless T-Mobile stuff ie; T-mobile voicemail, assist, 411 etc)
I actually used that rom for a while. Battery life was nice, the rom itself was really well done, as expected.
But this is all up to you, many of the custom roms here have so much more features than the T-Mobile, with a much smoother experience too.
But like Odysseus said, there are some flaws with the roms. Some have WiFi tether issues, bluetooth, in call volume and codec issues.
It's really a personal decision where you can settle after experiencing the roms first hand. Everybody uses their device differently, so you'll have to test the roms to find which one suits your needs and standards.
Darin_Ram said:
Looks like @Odysseus1962 has things under control here, but I'll still add my two cents, if he doesn't mind
I read through this post and I must say, I'm glad that you got your phone working again, even though it's only GB still.
Having said that I could safely assume that you have rooted your phone and installed 4ext recovery, and I'm hoping that you've performed S-OFF and SuperCID your device.
If you have done that, then I highly recommend you to the T-Mobile stock RUU before you even attempt any custom roms. Personally, I enjoyed the T-Mobile stock experience (well, I debloated it myself using Titanium Backup, removing a lot of the useless T-Mobile stuff ie; T-mobile voicemail, assist, 411 etc)
I actually used that rom for a while. Battery life was nice, the rom itself was really well done, as expected.
But this is all up to you, many of the custom roms here have so much more features than the T-Mobile, with a much smoother experience too.
But like Odysseus said, there are some flaws with the roms. Some have WiFi tether issues, bluetooth, in call volume and codec issues.
It's really a personal decision where you can settle after experiencing the roms first hand. Everybody uses their device differently, so you'll have to test the roms to find which one suits your needs and standards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank You @Odysseus1962 and @Darin_Ram
1. I followed @aj_2423
Thread : [GUIDE][GBtoICS]FOR INTERNATIONAL/ASIAN VERSION/UNBRANDED Amaze Owners-Read1st
2. 2nd Post of this Thread helped me to get back my phone in working state.
3. but as you know, this was not my aim. I had done this just to make sure that my phone is alive
4. to upgrade from GB to ICS, I carefully read and followed the 1st Post of same thread and last night I was successful to do so
Now I have perfectly working HTC Amaze 4G with ICS :victory:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Just to share my experience :
i - the 'Wire Trick' was the most annoying thing, I tried several times to do it accurate.
ii - Step 3 of this process was to 'Unlock bootloader', I had done that. But after S-OFF, during the next steps, I noticed that bootloader is LOCKED again. I don't know if it's normal. Anyhow it didn't cause any problem for me.
Happy Ending :highfive:
[email protected] said:
Thank You @Odysseus1962 and @Darin_Ram
1. I followed @aj_2423
Thread : [GUIDE][GBtoICS]FOR INTERNATIONAL/ASIAN VERSION/UNBRANDED Amaze Owners-Read1st
2. 2nd Post of this Thread helped me to get back my phone in working state.
3. but as you know, this was not my aim. I had done this just to make sure that my phone is alive
4. to upgrade from GB to ICS, I carefully read and followed the 1st Post of same thread and last night I was successful to do so
Now I have perfectly working HTC Amaze 4G with ICS :victory:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Just to share my experience :
i - the 'Wire Trick' was the most annoying thing, I tried several times to do it accurate.
ii - Step 3 of this process was to 'Unlock bootloader', I had done that. But after S-OFF, during the next steps, I noticed that bootloader is LOCKED again. I don't know if it's normal. Anyhow it didn't cause any problem for me.
Happy Ending :highfive:
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Click to collapse
Lol Glad to hear that your phone is up and running with ICS :highfive:
About your concerns.. I'm surprise the wire trick gave you some trouble. I don't know about anybody else but I'm assuming it was sort of easy since I got it on my second try.
And yes, the bootloader re-locks itself after you flash the ICS T-Mobile RUU. That's why you're supposed to keep the code saved in a notepad file on your computer