Database Develop

initflashfiles.dat -- Help Needed

So I've been playing around for a little while with the intention of creating my own custom ROM. I think I've got everything all figured out - however I'm having a problem that I think is related to the initflashfiles.dat file. Basically, after flashing my new OS ROM, my 8125 hangs at the splash screen with the version numbers on it. As a test, I redid my modified ROM, except I used the original initflashfiles.dat - this worked just fine. Tried it again by building the ROM with my modified initflashfiles.dat - same problem.
Here are the steps I'm going through.
1. Parse out the nk.nbf file using typhoonnbfdecode -x
2. prepare_imgfs 80040000-OS.nb -nosplit
3. viewimgfs imgfs_raw_data.bin
4. Modify contents of dump directory. Basically I've deleted files I don't need and added new ones.
5. Modifiy initflashfiles.dat (which I've attached). After modifying the file I open it in a hex editor and remove the first two bytes - making the first byte 3B (";"). I save it and mark it as read-only.
6. buildimgfs
7. make_imgfs 80040000-OS.nb -nosplit
8. Run nb2nbf_tornado.exe. I do run this correctly, using the correct memory address for the OS .nb file.
9. Put the new nk.nbf into an existing RUU self-extracting archive and run it.
It really seems like it's the initflashfiles.dat file - as I've successfully loaded this ROM with the original file (its really not the original, it's from a summiter ROM that I'm basing mine off).
Any thoughts?

I'm going to bump this once just in case people missed it originally.
I've messed around a bit more, and have pretty much isolated that this is my problem - but for the life of me I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

CameronJ said:
I'm going to bump this once just in case people missed it originally.
I've messed around a bit more, and have pretty much isolated that this is my problem - but for the life of me I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
i see that the file you've attached isn't actually a .DAT file. It is a .dat.TXT that's the same that saying it's a TXT file!!!
If the file you're putting inside your ROM is this very same file (.dat.txt) then you've found your problem: you need a .DAT and NOT a .dat.txt file!!!
Try following this procedure on your PC (i suppose you're using XP or 2003 server):
- open a folder (whichever folder you like, it's not important)
- on the Tools menu click Folder Options.
- click the View tab.
- clear the Hide extensions for known file types check box.
- press OK
PS: Here is an illustrated guide on how to show file extensions
Now go to the place where your initflashfiles.dat is. If the file is named 'initflashfiles.dat.TXT' (like the file you uploaded in this forum) then:
- select the file
- press F2 (or right click and choose 'Rename')
- remove the tailing .txt from the name
Finally:
- let us know if it worked
Bye bye

risidoro said:
i see that the file you've attached isn't actually a .DAT file. It is a .dat.TXT that's the same that saying it's a TXT file!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:lol: Thanks for the reply.
I had to add the .txt extension otherwise the forum wouldn't let me upload the file (.dat files are not on the list of available file types for upload).
When I loaded the file I meant to put that explanation in there but forgot before I finished the post.

Hi. I don't know if you're still working on this, but I'd like to share with you my experience last night. I examined your initflashfiles.dat, and it is perfectly ok.
As I see in your initflashfiles.dat, there are a lot of folder customization like:
Directory("\Program Files\Task Manager"):-File("taskmanager.exe","\Windows\taskmanager.exe")
There is nothing wrong with this as we need the file to be in the right location. BTW, THIS FORMAT WORKED FOR ME. Just a thought, you might be editing the default.hv and user.hv (hives) to put in the registry keys of some applications?
My device (Himalaya) did not start out correctly and did not execute the initflashfiles.dat, BUT when I connected my Hima through active sync, you can actually explore the contents. SO, in this non-working state, I experimented in tracing the culprit, by restoring a couple of the original files I edited. I found out that it has something to do with the way I edited the hives.
Steps I made in experimenting:
1. I sync my Hima to my PC.
2. Copied the original default.hv to \windows directory
3. Hard Reset Hima, BUT answer NO to all three boot options
4. My Hima started normally and executed initflashfiles.dat to the detail.
Discovery from experiment:
1. The files were only copied to the directory were we wanted it, BUT the original file is still in the \windows directory. Therefore, we did not save storage memory.
2. We only benefitted from an already installed app built into the ROM.
Hope this gives you some insight.

Personalising ROM's... without Ext_ROM

Okay, there a couple of CAB files I install no matter what ROM I use (Total Commander, Today Screen Speed Dial, MortRing [by .exe], Morphy's Call Filter etc), now that I'm getting to grips with the whole ROM building thing I have a question:
How can I add a program installed via a CAB into a ROM so that it is installed into ROM, I've searched on the forum and can't find much. I know it can be done as ROM's such a TuMa's, Logout's and Ivan's have apps in ROM which aren't there by default...
EDIT: In addition, I overwrite some of the default ROM stuff once I've installed (ETEN M600 Dialler in particular), so again, how can I get the 'bits' out the cab and overwrite the default contents of the ROM, this would make my life much easier...
If this has been posted previously then please point me in the right direction

First extract files, shortcuts and registry entries from the .cab using wince cab manager or similar http://www.ocpsoftware.com/, take note on what directory each file/shortcut is in. (often more reg entries will be stored as a file called 'platformxxx.reg' use these too)
Normal rom edit way: add the contents of the exported .reg files to default.rgu, making sure that you leave a blank line on the end, copy all the files to the \dump directory and edit initflashfiles.dat to copy them to the right directory on first boot. (remeber to remove the first two bytes - ff fe with a hex editor). then build your rom!
Bepe's rom edit way: create a folder '[your software name]' in the oem folder and get yourself a guid from here http://kruithof.xs4all.nl/uuid/uuidgen. create a blank file called '[yourguid].dsm and a blank text file called '[yourguid].rgu'. add the contents of the exported .reg files to '[yourguid].rgu' and make sure you save as unicode. then copy all the other files to the folder and create a blank unicode txt file called 'initflashfiles.txt' and use it like initflashfiles.dat in the first method except there is no need to hex edit out the first two bytes. then build your rom!

midget, you're a star, I thought it may be something simple... I'm off out with the family now for the day, but I'll work on this later, cheers!

Cooking a rom...

Hi, I followed the thread: "How to reconstruct a dumped ROM"... (obviously I had, before, did a rom dump!). Now I have a directory named "dump" with several subdirs.
In the step 3) there is written: "After this step you can optionally edit the OS files with the proper tools"... now the question is: what are these proper tools? I searched in the forum, in the other threads but I didn't find anything... My needs are: to delete some programs that are in the rom (for example Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, other..) in order to obtain more space, but to install other tools at the free space.
Thanks in advance for your help....

Great question ! i can't help you , but i wait for answers ....

I asked the same thing the other day, and got an answer(thx again to him).
Actually, I'm doing it right now, as a test I've successfuly dumped and rebuilt lsvw's rom using enhanced imgfs tools batch files, nbdump.bat nbname.nb & nbbuild nbname.nb, now I'm removing files from the rom and maybe add some other, like that quick gps thingy, latest msn(optimized for trinity, removed vga resources), phone pad, and some other thing on my custom extrom.
I had the same doubt as you, but it seems that we're overcomplicating things, you can simply use the file explorer to remove files from that dir, beware of which files you remove/alter.. initflashfiles.dat has some operations to be done after flashing the device(creating folders,renaming files, moving them to startup/start menu/etc folders), I thought that if the file didn't exist on the windows folder, whatever invoques initflashfiles.dat would crash, but it doesn't seem to be the case, I haven't put this to test, but I've found several missing files on the initflashfiles.dat(and a typo, "floder", go figure what it means - lazy/rushed editing IMO), so there seems to be some tolerance to the operations contained in that file.
I won't edit the wiki until I'm 100% sure that what I know is correct, but to sum it up:
dump the files
add/delete files with explorer
edit the registry using rgucomp
edit initflashfiles.dat using the original windows notepad & use an hexeditor to remove the 1st 2 bytes
run NBBuild.bat to create the *.nb file
OSchecker.exe to validate the *.nb file
nbhtool.exe to create the nbh
flash it(I prefer the sd card method)
Code:
rgucomp needs setting _FLATRELEASEDIR environment variable to current directlry like this:
set _FLATRELEASEDIR=.
Dump default.hv/user.hv file to .reg with:
rgucomp.exe -nologo -o default.hv > default.reg, then add line "REGEDIT4" to the beginning of REG file.
Modify the .reg file to your liking, (save it in UTF-16 with CR+LF terminations and a new line at the end of the file) and convert it back to .hv
And don't forget to flash Olipro's Hard SPL before, it may save your device.
"and convert it back to .hv"
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=1186635&postcount=1
(no wonder I didn't find this info, forum search is almost useless, googled for rgucomp and voilà, first result(above) right answer)

dump rom problem

hi all
it's already few days (and nights) that I'm looking for how to dump my french rom and I managed to dump the raw parts O 1 2 3 following all the tutorials with the tricky memory adresses but I cannot manage to rebuild it then
I extract it throught the kitchen after havin put the parts and the ruu signed in the baseRom folder but when i try to cook it with the builOS program
I indicate the ROM folder but there is always the file OS.nb missing
I have only a folder XIP with a file called boot.rgu inside the ROM folder
I had a look in the whole kovskykitchen folder, there is no OS.nb, just one called OO_SPL.nb created after extraction in the base ROM folder.
did I miss a trick ? sorry if so but I didn't find any help in the threads...
thanks guys

bill'o said:
I had a look in the whole kovskykitchen folder, there is no OS_SPL.nb, just one called OO_SPL.nb created after extraction in the base ROM folder.
thanks guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried copying 00_spl.nb to OS_SPL.nb and then re-building ?

sorry the file needed is called OS.nb and not OS_SPL.nb
yes I did it, rename the file 00_SPL.nb by OS.nb and put it the ROM folder,
then I indicated it into the buildOS soft package tool, it looks like it is workin fine and finish sayin work successful then I close it,
the dos window takes the relay but displays an error 'input file OS.nb.payload has no valid boot sector aborting...'
that's rude right ;°) ?

bill'o said:
hi all
it's already few days (and nights) that I'm looking for how to dump my french rom and I managed to dump the raw parts O 1 2 3 following all the tutorials with the tricky memory adresses but I cannot manage to rebuild it then
I extract it throught the kitchen after havin put the parts and the ruu signed in the baseRom folder but when i try to cook it with the builOS program
I indicate the ROM folder but there is always the file OS.nb missing
I have only a folder XIP with a file called boot.rgu inside the ROM folder
I had a look in the whole kovskykitchen folder, there is no OS.nb, just one called OO_SPL.nb created after extraction in the base ROM folder.
did I miss a trick ? sorry if so but I didn't find any help in the threads...
thanks guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's all in here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=446691

no, this still doesnt fix the Could not find the file 'C:\KovskyKitchen\ROM\ON.NB'
issue??

Modification.

i cant find how to modify a ROM..
i mean after converting NK.NBF into DUMP folder if i want to remove any application and add another one how to do that?
like i want to add some plugins like arcsoft MMS,office and adictionary into a ROM how to do that..
thanx

well, that is done manually, you need to remove all the files/add the files from the OEM package there (exclude the option.xml and initflashfiles.dat and the dsm's and RGU) just copy the files, then when you goto the next step,or the step where you need to modify the HKLM and HKCU files, just open the OEM's RGU file, cpoy the keys and paste it in the Presented HKCU/HKLM and when you go to the other step, where you are required to edit the initflashfiles.dat, open the OEM's initflashfile in notepad, copy its content and paste it into the Main initflashfiles.dat of the ROM you are extracting, ther, that should do it
Note : make shure you hex edit the initflashfiles.dat and remove the first 2 bytes from the file (something like dd dd) or else your rom wont boot!!
if you dont want to hex edit, you can use my intiflashfiles Builder which is included in my kitchen, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=378498
Ps. there is a guide too there