I'm just starting to get into the depths of my PDA2K and this site is GREAT!!!!!!! Since I'm just one step up from "The Village Idiot", I have a couple questions for all you pros.
After reading about using the extended ROM, and unlocking it and seeing what's in there, I think I've figured it out. Whatever CABs are listed in the config file will be installed upon a hard reset....correct? If true, and since I have only 3.5MB left in Ex ROM, can I put the other CABs I wanted installed in say /storage/CABs, list them in the config file and upon a hard reset they will be installed? Is there any reason to put them into Extended ROM rather than Storage? Is it alright to put CABs in from like games, Resco Explorer, WebIS Mail, etc.? Lastly is there a way to set the programs up where I don't have to go back and enter all the registration numbers again?
Thanks a ton for your help!!!
Tom
In extended rom they are not taking up your precious storage space on the device.
cruisin-thru said:
In extended rom they are not taking up your precious storage space on the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is it possible then to keep the installation cabs on storage card,
and also, can that path be set in the config file in ext rom?
what happens if a particular cab is not found after hard reset?
is the installation stuck or it just gives a warning and keeps on going to the next cab listed in the list.
Have a read of this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?p=83119#83119
It might be a bit to deep but should help you along the way.
1) You can keep a cab anywere you want
2) make sure your cab is read only as it can delete itsself after install.
3) to run a auto install from a differnet storage place you need to hack the reg (see thread).
In all if you have a sd card you could leave your EXt rom empty.
Hack the reg to the new postion and run the Autorun from there.
Have fun
Thanks for all the infor everyone! From what I've read in other threads I need to make sure that TPdisabled is set to off so that when programs like WebIS Mail and SplashID get installed I can touch the screen to make sure they install into the right place and other things. Correct? If this is correct, should I just remove TPdisabled all together?
Thanks again,
Tom
TPdisabled can't be set off, its either run or not run. So dump it and you wont have a problem
MDAIIIUser - Thanks for the link! I looked at it and you're right, it's pretty indepth and I'll have to read it more closely at a later time....like at work.
Question1: leochan2005 had a follow-up saying "why not use backup"? While I agree this would be easier, I'm assuming that by using your method one would get a much "cleaner" install than backing up all the crap that was on the system prior to the hard reset...correct?
Question2: It took me a long time to get my TMo settings setup on my PDA2K and I don't want to go thru that again. Is there a way to backup those settings so that they can be auto-configured at a later time? I read about making a personalsettings.CAB but haven't done it yet.
Thanks,
Tom
MDAIIIUser said:
TPdisabled can't be set off, its either run or not run. So dump it and you wont have a problem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I take it it should be at the beginning of the config file so that I can access it. Correct?
q1)
Well the short of "why not use backup" is you can if you feel that:
1) Restoring Regedit values from a lower rom version
2) Restoring system applications form a lower rom version such as BT
are called for, wanted or even needed.
I fail to see that point as a upgrade is an upgrade and a backup is a backup. Now you could do a restore of your system data also (which you could also sync and that would be clean
Q2)
Most fo those settings are part of T-mobile.cabs found in Extrom, the rest would have been reg entries that you are going to have to hunt for and copy.
So sorry no way around reading the other thread (personalsettings.CAB)
MDAIIIUser - Maybe I should state what I'm trying to accomplish and you could give me a clue as to how to do it. A couple days ago I upgraded by BT on my PDA2K (generic from Expansys) to 1.0.0.3900 (or what ever the latest is) and I'm currently looking at upgrading my radio to 1.12, but that would require a hard reset. I'm not in the mood to go thru all the program installs and SMS/MMS tweaking again, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to get all my programs and configurations back after the hard reset. I thought by incorporating the personalsettings.cab (for my Tmo settings) and your method I would be up and running pretty quickly. Yes? I have Sprite Backup, but I'm not sure if that's going to overwrite anything after the radio upgrade????
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Well my logic (that could be wrong) would say that a restore of your backup would get you to were you are now.
That you would need a restore as you have to do a hard reset after the 1.12 radion install.
But I can't answer the question will the radio be restored as well,
I don't know, I don't know the settings in the backup application, so am sorry I will have to let somebody else answer this one.
Hi,
just upgraded to wm6.5 using your great tutorial, and used one of the ROM files in there (21198.7Z)
After succesful upgrade, I get a messgae that this copy will expire in 30 days .
Do you know anything about that? Is there anything I can do to remove this time limit thing?
If I'll need to flash another ROM of wm6.5 (because of this trial limit, or just to try another ROM), do I follow the regular steps, starting from "put your device in Bootloader mode", or should I downgrade again completely to windows 2003SE?
Any help to this confused soul will be appreciated...
yes, the expiration date of the 21198 is known. what you need to do is upgrade to 21202.
the procedure is the standard one, bootloader, flashing, hard reset, extrom
password for RAR files
http://www.brsbox.com/filebox/down/fc/61f981ae01254fb02966f2d3eceed652/rand/604774532
i've download the file *.Nbf
but cannot extract the prompt is wrong password
But at xda-developers
the password is [email protected]#$DEWBSH^g47HW$%UN#%GYMK%#$?W5xxwIHJYH
i've try but always interupt.
want to upgrade but unsure seeing others problems
Hi, new to flashing PDA's but literate with pc's.
I have read a number of times through the instructions to upgrade BA (xda iis) from wm2003se to wm6.5.
Firstly, I have downloaded the upgrade 21198 but now I see that this has an expiration. You advise above to use a different file but I can't find this revision on the xda site. Can you advise?
Also, the main reason I haven't progressed any further is unsure of steps in relation to the placement of the files. As I said, I have read the instructions but still not quite sure what to do.
I have downloaded the file 21198 (although this may change prior to doing an upgrade) but where do I put this? On the SD card or on my PC?
Do I need to unrar it first or leave as is?
When I run maupgrade_noid, is this run from the PC or from the SD Card?
In step 5, it states "quickly press buttons prior to version appearing" what happens if the version appears first and if it does, what steps do you need to go back to to rectify?
Sorry for so many questions, but I don't want to stuff my device or spend hours trying to return to a functional wm2003se system.
Your assistance is appreciated. (I am very much a step by step person when it comes to doing these things. Once understood, no problem from then on)
Thanks,
yes, you should not try the 21198 anymore, download the 21202 here: it is the release r6.1 (yes, it is wm6.5, not 6.1).
then make sure to read this and follow all the wizard's steps: http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=HTC_Blueangel_WM6_WizzardMain
that wizard also explains, how to resize the storage, which needs to be done BEFORE you flash another rom.
then, to go to your further questions, the file you downloaded needs to be extracted on your pc and it contains a rom file named nk.nbf, a few other files, and very important: a MAupgradeut_noID file, which you need to run to flash the device (on the pc, of course).
you couldn't start anything on your device anyway, because prior to that, you put the device into bootloader mode, which means it is not really running, it means it opens a soft-port to accept the rom, being transfered.
about the hard reset: you can also press the four buttons at once, to make sure, to access the menu, mentioned in the wiki. if you don't make it to press the 2 buttons in time, the device will boot, but not work properly, so you can give it a try again, no need to worry to miss the window.
if still there is something left, you didn't get, i can explain further. just re-post
Thanks Chef Tony, I did it! However, device is slow...
Thanks for the help.
Now, I have a question: I am not sure whether it is my device or it is just the normal.
I notice that the time it takes for the machine to react (for example, when opening an app, or more precisely simply clicking on an icon) is somewhat slow - let's say there is a delay of 2-3 seconds between clicking and untill the device reacts. Is that the way it should be (I am really a newbie to this things, so I do not have any prev experience)?
Another thing: I tried to install some Java games (which I guess were meant for smart phones) and installed succesfully, but trying to open them, they either stuck, or not working (showing a grey screen, and that's it). Is that means that they are not compatible with Blueangel with this win6.5 OS, or is the device too weak, or what?
Thanks for all the help!
actually, i gotta admit, i don't know about those 2 things. it's been a while since i first flashed a wm6 os, so i don't have a direct coparison between speeds, i know that the 21202 is the fastest rom i had on my device so far, which probably means, when i first upgraded i stepped on the brake, and now, from rom to rom, it's getting a little faster again. as it is not the native os it can never be as fast as in wm2003. still, i can hardly tell from here, whether your device's speed is ok.
you can try different things:
- if you use tcpmp for video playback and maybe have tested it before, run a benchmark and see how much speed your device actually has in rendering a video.
- you can use the chome and flip it a little and try that on how fluent it runs
- if it is just when starting programs, make sure you performed a hard reset after upgrading (reset+power+camera+record->YES, NO, NO->NO, YES, YES)
- you can also make sure that, if you have external programs installed, they are on the device instead of the sd card
- if some of them are on the sd card, defrag it using pocket mechanic or your pc's card reader
if nothing of that fits, either your device is rather slow and maybe you should try xcpuscalar to overclock it, or you are just not used to cooked roms' speed yet
about java: the java support the device has, comes from an addon program to be found in the extrom folder, called JBED....cab. since you apparently installed the extrom that came with the rom, the chef of the rom, xplode, picked the right version to run with. what you can do is:
- copy that cab file to the device again and re-install it
- try and download another version of the file somewhere
- whereever you got the java programs, look there about the compatibility, maybe get other versions
i know that is vague but i have not used java since wm2003, i don't even have jbed installed, everything that i can't get as a cab, as a real windows mobile program, i don't install in the first place. most java apps out there are games and i realized in wm2003 that they tend to work like they want. sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. it is very strange, which i quit that topic. maybe someone here has mor experience when it comes to that.
P.S. if you want to check the speed again and have access to a camera, you can make a video of the device in action and post a link here. i will surely have a look and while speed might be subjective, then we know for sure.
P.S.2 i know, just having the device upgraded and the first few steps are done, the problems show up can be frustrating, but give it a chance, you'll love it
Thanks for the help!
Thanks for this long d completenexplanation, chef Tony. I'll try your advice and let you know.an
WM 6.5 Upgrade
Thanks Chef_Tony for your response.
And yep, I do have another question.
Firstly though, I have all the necessary files downloaded, including the memory resizer etc. Just waiting on a go.
The reason for my question of the SD Card is due to the following step in the upgrade section:
_____________________________________
6.(if removed earlier) Put back your SD Card before you do the setup. This way the installation from the SD will continue after you have done the setup
_____________________________________
I didn't, and still don't understand what this step does. What installation continues from the SD Card?
One more question, If I stuff it or am not happy with WM 6.5, to go back to WM2003se, do I only have to reflash using the wm2003se ROM? or are there other steps involved due to the changes made to the BA?
Thanks,
Giles.
before you start the actual upgrade, so, before you click maupgradeut_noid.exe you are supposed to take out the sd card, i really can't explain, how an sd card in the device would influence the upgrade process but more importantly is the above mentioned putting the card back in.
to explain that: if you ever hard resetted your device in wm2003 you will have realized that after you align the screen and set the clock there are still programs that install afterwards automatically. those programs and customizations, e.g. a wallpaper, a dialer skin, some other programs, are not part of the rom but are cabs, stored in the extrom. the extrom is the storage space that you resize and format in the first steps, meaning your future wm6.5 is lacking those extra programs. since wm6.5 is larger in installation size, programs like the internet explorer or office are taken out and stored in the new extrom. you probably downloaded an extrom.zip file. before coming to that mentioned step 6 of yours, you are supposed to extract that archive and put the folder called extrom on the sd card. and putting that in at that given moment, together with the hard reset, it causes the same effect as in wm2003, that after the first start with the align screen and set clock, there are programs installing. after that you can delete the folder from the sd card, as there are no cabs in that folder anymore anyway.
about your other question: your shipped rom probably consists of one single exe file. you can't re-flash using that file that easy. it is a self-extracting pack that you'd have to extract first and start the downgrade with the maupgradeut_noid again, because you'd get a country id error if you wouldn't, since you bypass the country id by upgrading and your device is WWE then.
another thing is the storage space, meaning you need to resize the storage to gain space for the extrom again. basicly you revert the steps you go to with the upgrade. detailed instructions can be found here:
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=BA_Downgrade_WM5
but i think you wouldn't wanna go back to wm2003, it might be fast, but you hardly get any programs for it these days and with the great UI and finger friendlyness of wm6.5 you will be satisfied.
i hope that although my explanation was long (and not clearly thought through in before ) you got my point: sd card is for the extrom, for going back to wm2003, visit the link i posted.
greetz
Chef_Tony
Technical Question - still understanding
Ok Chef-Tony, I am understanding more and more, but still a little more to go before you earn your donation. (if you can get my learnin up to speed).
I understand what you have said so far.
I assume the merge process merges the ExtRom, Rom and storage (All ROM) together, albeit setting the Extrom space to 128 kb and the remaining 95MB to storage? Leaving Storage 95MB, Extrom 128kb and RAM 128MB.
And secondly, you mention downloading an Extrom.zip file with the extra progs needed. I haven't downloaded this file and can't see where it is downloaded from. I have downloaded the unlocker and the re-part files/apps and also the 21202.7z Rom upgrade. The instructions for the Extrom say to access it by doing an unhide and then an unlock but nothing to say copy any files to your SD card.
I have also checked the 21202.7z file contents but no extrom.zip contained. Can I assume that the necessary files are part of the ROM upgrade itself and no extra files need to be copied to SD Card prior to upgrade?
Come on now, stop laughing at me, just because half a milion others have already done this successfully doesn't make me stupid!
Almost there,
Giles.
about storage locations:
the blueangel as shipped comes with the following memory specs:
- Extrom 16 MB
- ROM 32 MB
- RAM 128 MB (devides itself dynamically into storage space and actual RAM, program memory)
- Storage 43 MB
the programs by default installed into the ram, your pim information was stored there, too. that is why whenever the device ran out of power for a longer time, everything was lost. it was like a hard reset.
you got that right there is 96MB of rom (rom, extrom and storage) which does not get lost in case you run out of electricity.
but the ram of 128MB was cleared, whenever that happened.
the new memory in wm6.5 is:
- (old) extrom 128KB (empty)
- ROM 32MB
- Storage: 60MB (old storage 43mb+extrom 16mb)
- RAM 128 MB (90mb show up in memory)
that seems like not much of a difference so far, but it is.
what took me long to understand is:
your RAM is now ONLY RAM, it is just used like the ram on a pc, it is completely just for working the programs and the UI, and NO storage space at all, that is why you don't have the bar to set the ratio between program and storage memory anymore.
and while in wm2003 the Storage is shown in explorer like a memory card, now you access the storage simply as \\blueangel\
this means, although the numbers are similar, e.g. when you run out of power or don't touch the device for a month, still all your data will be saved, that's because nothing is stored in ram anymore and that makes the hard reset more complicated, because you manually have to choose, that you actually want to format the storage, because the power+reset empty the ram, which was enough to format the old OS's storage, as it was battery-dependent.
in general that means, you have a little less storage space, because your ramdrive will be gone, but therefore the device is much faster and installing on the sd card is easier now (needs no extra program like cab installer, you can always pick the drive you want to install to.
to make that more visual, i post a screenshot below of my memory state at the moment.
for the second part, yes you are right, the extrom is an extra file, which needs to be extracted and then the folder extrom needs to be put on an sd card, which causes the before mentioned taking out the card and putting it back in for the first start.
to quote the thread, where you got the rom from ( http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=482997 ):
"R6.1 Release (this does not mean that this is windows mobile 6.1)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rapidshare: R6.1 ROM | EXTROM
Megaupload: R6.1 ROM | EXTROM
Ziddu: R6.1 ROM | EXTROM
21202 Fixes - This cab should fix the ability to make audio recording of the call, also should fix the show of the G icon and the status for gprs connectivity"
there is an extra download link for the extrom.7z file
and finally, you have to devide between the 2 different extroms:
- in wm2003 there is an extrom stored in your device, that is the one that you resize to 128kb and practically eliminate
- in wm6.5 you put your extrom on the sd card for one time use.
that is exactly the point of resizing the original extrom. since you only need the extrom when you hard reset, which you probably don't do, when on the road, you don't need to waste those precious 16mb on your device for installation files, that are hardly ever used. plus, with the resizing and deleting of the original extrom, you make the device look for the extrom on the sd card.
but your question is fully justified, you see, your shipped rom is bigger than the cooked roms here, because it contains the actual rom, the extrom and a radio rom. that is called a baked rom, where everything is packed together and whatever state the device is in before you flash this, you definetely have the state you want afterwards.
many devices, like the HTC Universal for example are still flashed with the extrom and it is not as easy to customize it.
to customize the extrom:
you extrom folder will contain a file called cfg.txt, which will contain something like this:
Code:
LOCK:Enabled
SHOW:\Storage Card\EXTROM\Custom.bmp
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\ADC.cab
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\A2DPFix.cab
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\Extrom_version.CAB
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\GoogleMaps.cab
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\HTC Large Title Bar.cab
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\HTC_Task_Manager_2.1_34837.5.cab
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\HTC_Touch_Calculator_Skin.cab
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\HTC_WMP_Touch_Skin.cab
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\Office_6.1.21202.cab
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\PHM Regedit.cab
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\PIE8_Flash3.1_21202.cab
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\pocketrar.cab
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\psShutXP.cab
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\RDM_21202.CAB
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\sipchange.cab
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\skybox.CAB
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\skybox.CAB
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\SMS Delivery Receipt Fix
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\WMWidgets.cab
CAB: \Storage Card\EXTROM\youtubeplay.cab
LOCK:Disabled
HIDE:Enabled
EXEC: \Windows\DelCDetect.exe
HIDE:Disabled
RST: Reset
as you can see, there are a few commands, that shouldn't interest you, it is the (un-)locking of the screen and keys there, the important thing is the list of cabs. it will match the list of cabs in the actual folder, but you can also change the contents of the folder to whatever you like, you just need to adjust this list of cabs, because that is the procedure, the extrom is installed by. you will see, that this list varys from the one in your extrom, as i customized mine already.
i re-flash my device pretty often to test new roms and when i know what extra programs i need, like google maps, tcpmp or youtubeplay, i simply put them in the folder and in this list, and they install automatically after the rom upgrade. also you'll see, that for example arcsoft mms, and adobe reader are removed from the list, as i never use them.
ok, this was a little more than what you asked for, but for fully understanding what that extrom is, and how to work with it, i thought this might all help you. i fully understand that you want to be sure to understand what you are doing first, before you actually do it and i appreciate that, many people here start off wrong and then post a question, when they screwed up their device
sorry this took me so long, but it is a heck lot of text i wrote there.
greetz
Chef_Tony
Excellent assistance on Upgarade
Chef_Tony, what can I say.
I should apologise, I saw the EXTROM link when I first downloaded the 21202 ROM but at the time I didn't understand what that was for and reading back through the instructions I didn't pick up on its importance. I am glad we had this discussion or I would have been asking questions and been wishing I never tried the upgrade. Now I feel more confident that I have what I need to do the upgrade successfully.
I did understand your ealier explanation of the prog install using the EXTROM process but your additional info in your last response has really given me a good understanding. cfg.txt file is bit like a batch file to some degree.
I really have appreciated your assistance in this and I hope that all goes well when I upgrade, which won't be for a week as I am travelling and need it for TomTom. So don't want any problems prior to going away.
Thanks,
Chef baby, I've done it
Chef Tony,
I know we had this coversation this time last year, but I have finally got a second BA (I suffer from Fear of Frying, needed a spare).
Anyway, upgraded BA to WM6.5 21202, Which works just fine, only marginally slower than WM2003. The only real difficulty I had, and needed to try a number of times until successful was the hard reset, Camera, record, power and reset. I don't know how many fingers you have but with the standard 4 + thumb, I found it pretty difficult. Succeeded more by luck than skill.
So, thanks for very clear instruction and understanding.
Now, I'm not lazy, but the amount of reading involved to locate relevant info on this site is significant so I thought I might ask a question:
What is the latest Rom? and is touchflo a part of the rom or can you download a cab with the application for the BA?
1 last question, is there a page here listing all cabs or just search and locate on RS or somewhere?
Ta,
i see, you've been away for quite some time. meanwhile, i wrote a detailed and stickied tutorial, also containing a full download collection of all the recent roms, radio roms and many add-on applications like different office versions, browsers, finger friendly keyboards... you'll find a link in my signature or as a sticky in the ba rom development section.
the latest rom is hard to tell, if you want touchflo 2d, one of sun_dream's roms in my thread has manila 1919.
pro:
+ newest blueangel manila version so far
+ looks very nice
con:
- a little slow
- in my test, wi-fi did not work with all encryptions
- the manila 1919 only works with this rom
d-two has one dedicated wm6.1+manila 1917 rom, where it is already integrated
pro:
+ saves a lot of space
+ fast
con:
- wm6.1 is not very finger friendly apart from manila itself
- the rom is made to be used with manila, once you decide you don't want to use it anymore, you might as well switch roms
- manila 1917 is not as nice looking as 1919 (IMO)
also, d-two has several other roms, like wm 6.5.5 build23529.
pro:
+ manila 1917 works with it
+ just one manila cab, easy to install
con:
- manila takes a lot of space, because it is an add-on app here.
the 23529 is the best rom so far, in my opinion. i'm using it myself.
someone once said, the BA hard reset is pretty easy, if you have 3 hands
i usually let my ba lie in my left hand using the index finger for the power button and the right hand for the stylus to press the reset pin, then quickly switch hands and press camera+record with the left thumb and index finger while holding the ba in the right hand. i guess, if i hadn't already gotten used to this procedure or if i was left handed, it would be easier.
in general, i think, after you've read your way through my thread, you will find your way around the "BA 2010"
if you have any questions left, just post back
with best regards
Chef_Tony
Thanks again,
Yes, a little while after I posted this I found your list of Roms and apps etc.
Funny thing was, I actually found this the other night and printed the first 3 pages to complete the upgrade. I just didn't read down far enough for everything else.
Also, due to response above from d-two, I also have a link to his Roms and guides.
Thanks again, not so afraid to do this now I have done it once, still the monkey act trying to get all 4 buttons pressed at the same time, well all I can say, it wasn't an Australian that come up with that idea.
selig97 said:
Yes, a little while after I posted this I found your list of Roms and apps etc.
Funny thing was, I actually found this the other night and printed the first 3 pages to complete the upgrade. I just didn't read down far enough for everything else.
Also, due to response above from d-two, I also have a link to his Roms and guides.
Thanks again, not so afraid to do this now I have done it once, still the monkey act trying to get all 4 buttons pressed at the same time, well all I can say, it wasn't an Australian that come up with that idea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would have been Tuatara
Radio Upgrade issue now
Chef,
I have performed the next ROM upgrade to D-twos Build 23529 and still have the Bluetooth connection issue.
So, today I tried to upgrade the Radio from v1.12 to v1.13. The upgrade keeps failing. I start with bootloader mode, run maupgradeut_noid with the applicable radio nbf file in the same folder on PC. When maupgrade starts it shows the new radio rom version but then it doesn't do anything for about 5 minutes when it tells me that it failed. I have tried 3 times with no success.
Am I doing this upgrade right?
Your guide says to do the same for radio as normal rom.
Thanks,
you could try the newest radio version 1.15.00. that should work, i never got any other radio to work than the original t-mobile radio and the 1.15.00. you are right, radio roms are flashed just like any other rom.