Database Develop

An ExtROM trick

Hi there!
Today I've got an idea. If I unlock the extrom, install all my programs and totally config my wizard, the backup my system with SPB Backup for WM5.0, then put the backup file into the ExtROM and write a config.txt, and make a HardReset, the backup file should be installed automatically.
Or ExtROM only works with .CAB files?
EDIT:
NOW Testing.....Will post the result

How are you going to unlock the ext-rom?

risidoro said:
How are you going to unlock the ext-rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ftp://xda:[email protected]/Wizard/Unlock/Unlock Ext Rom Wizard.cab

faria said:
risidoro said:
How are you going to unlock the ext-rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ftp://xda:[email protected]/Wizard/Unlock/Unlock Ext Rom Wizard.cab
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Click to collapse
And what about the post AKU2 roms?

There's a fix for that, too. Don't recall where off-hand.

SuperRob said:
There's a fix for that, too. Don't recall where off-hand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't work!!!

Ok. NowI have time for testing this idea. But I have some problems.
When you open the EXTRom you can see a config.txt which contains the cab configuration datas.
Like this:
CAB: \Extended_ROM\T-Mobile_Network_Customizations.cab
I'm using SPB Backup what is creates backup files in .exe format. So if I want to do a full backup and I want it to autorun after a hard reset, I must do edit this config file right?
Maybe the config file should be like this:
EXE: \Extended_ROM\Full_Backup.exe
All I mentioned here is right, or I'm wrong with something?

HyperMalac said:
Ok. NowI have time for testing this idea. But I have some problems.
When you open the EXTRom you can see a config.txt which contains the cab configuration datas.
Like this:
CAB: \Extended_ROM\T-Mobile_Network_Customizations.cab
I'm using SPB Backup what is creates backup files in .exe format. So if I want to do a full backup and I want it to autorun after a hard reset, I must do edit this config file right?
Maybe the config file should be like this:
EXE: \Extended_ROM\Full_Backup.exe
All I mentioned here is right, or I'm wrong with something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
youare correct,but it wont work because the spb .exe has an input dialog before starting to restore ,therefore it will crash the extended-rom when trying to install the .exe,the solucion is to hack the .exe file and remove the dialog input so it can install witout any user help.

faria said:
youare correct,but it wont work because the spb .exe has an input dialog before starting to restore ,therefore it will crash the extended-rom when trying to install the .exe,the solucion is to hack the .exe file and remove the dialog input so it can install witout any user help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not 100% sure on this as I have not tested it but could you not unlock the LCD while running the EXE then lock it afterwards if needed?
Something like.
Code:
LOCK:Enabled
CAB: \Extended_ROM\1.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\2.cab
LOCK:Disabled
EXEC:\Extended_ROM\backup.exe
RST: Reset
or may be copying it to the MiniSD or internal storage would work better?
Code:
LOCK:Enabled
CAB: \Extended_ROM\1.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\2.cab
CPY1:\Extended_ROM\backup.exe
CPY2:\Somewhere_On_Device\backup.exe
LOCK:Disabled
EXEC:\Somewhere_On_Device\backup.exe
RST: Reset
Not tested any of this as I just use OMA and CAB's to do all I need but it's just an idea.

djwillis said:
faria said:
youare correct,but it wont work because the spb .exe has an input dialog before starting to restore ,therefore it will crash the extended-rom when trying to install the .exe,the solucion is to hack the .exe file and remove the dialog input so it can install witout any user help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not 100% sure on this as I have not tested it but could you not unlock the LCD while running the EXE then lock it afterwards if needed?
Something like.
Code:
LOCK:Enabled
CAB: \Extended_ROM\1.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\2.cab
LOCK:Disabled
EXEC:\Extended_ROM\backup.exe
RST: Reset
or may be copying it to the MiniSD or internal storage would work better?
Code:
LOCK:Enabled
CAB: \Extended_ROM\1.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\2.cab
CPY1:\Extended_ROM\backup.exe
CPY2:\Somewhere_On_Device\backup.exe
LOCK:Disabled
EXEC:\Somewhere_On_Device\backup.exe
RST: Reset
Not tested any of this as I just use OMA and CAB's to do all I need but it's just an idea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes change to LOCK to [Disabled] or put 2 spaces betwin lock and enable in the config file] and it works ,but the there is a a screen stoping you from accessing the dialog even if you press start it will not go away thats was my experience with the program called wm5torage so i hacked it with an hex editor a now installs great.
maybe your extended rom is diferent [since there is many versions] and will let you input ,i know it use to work in the pda2k extended-rom,let me know the results.

Interesting result with AKU3.2 and custom Ext ROM

OK, so I finally got curious enough to cook my own ROM then added it to Ell82's AKU3.2 ROM and stumbled across something pretty cool...I followed Faria's instructions (turns out not very well...) and added a cab with spaces (I know, I know, freakin noob...). Anyway, it apparently just skipped over that cab and kept going. Now here's the cool part, the total cabs I added to my ROM was only 2.6 MB so I thought I was OK. Didn't pay close enough attention until later and realized the nk.nbf file was about 10.5 MB. When faria says the Ext Rom shoudl be less than 9.5 MB, is he talking the total of all the cabs, or the nk.nbf file???
Bottom line is even though the nk.nbf file was 10.5 MB it installed and ran fine on AKU3.2 (except for the cab with spaces). I then tried to load this into Molski's 2.26 ROM and the ExtROM wouldn't take. Went back and fixed the cabs with spaces and it still won't take.
This leads me to the initial conclusion that the AKU3.2 ROM allows you to exceed the 9.5MB limit. Can anyone else confirm this?

total n00b for sure... (not flaming)
when you make an extended rom it defaults to a size of around 10meg, no matter whats in there.. you could have 1 [email protected] 10k or 500 [email protected] 10.5meg (just cant go over the 10 meg limit).. so if you have 1 cab then no matter what the size is automatically 10meg.. everything in the rom is addressed my memory locations, everything has a set start and end address
and you can prevent cabs from being installed by removing them from the config.txt

OK, then help a ROM-cooking n00b out. Faria's tutorial mentions the instructions were tested up to the 2.24 ROMs--anything that would cause a problem with his ext-rom-base on a 2.26 ROM? I just can't get it to install. The ExtROM is not corrupt because I can manually install each cab in the ExtROM using total commander, but can't get them to install from hard-reset...

jorge_culv said:
OK, then help a ROM-cooking n00b out. Faria's tutorial mentions the instructions were tested up to the 2.24 ROMs--anything that would cause a problem with his ext-rom-base on a 2.26 ROM? I just can't get it to install. The ExtROM is not corrupt because I can manually install each cab in the ExtROM using total commander, but can't get them to install from hard-reset...
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Click to collapse
well actually the ext rom could be corrupt.. i have had that problem before(actually with my latest UWC beta, which caused almost a week long delay).. all cabs would install manually but the ones listed in the config.txt wouldnt install at all... what cabs are you trying to install that arent? and what does the contents of your config.txt look like?

Thanks for the help ShogunMark--is it possible for an ExtRom to install fine for AKU3.2, then same extact ExtROM (no rebuild, no changes, didn't even look at it funny!) not install on 2.26 (installed it twice on 2.26 in case it might have been corrupt the first time)? That's the situation I'm looking at. Originally the extROM (the one that worked for AKU3.2 but not on 2.26) had a few cabs with spaces in their names. When I started having problems on 2.26 I started looking closer and rebuilt the ExtROM with new file names, but it still wouldn't install on 2.26. Just to make sure I'm not crazy, I'm about to down-grade to AKU2.3 OS version 2.24 to fully comply with the ROM building tutorial that says its tested to at least OS version 2.25. I'll let you know how that goes in a few hours. In the meantime, here's the Config.txt I'm using now that won't go in auto, but allows me to install the cabs by hand in 2.26:
LOCK:Enabled
CAB: \Extended_ROM\cLaunch.arm.CAB
CAB: \Extended_ROM\Molski.Biz_VoiceDial_Button_Customizer.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\Molski.Biz_Customizing_Tweaks.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\Molski.Biz_Performance_Registry_Tweaks.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\nullkb.ARM4.CAB
CAB: \Extended_ROM\rar360.ppc_arm.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\SmartDial+EtenSkinPortretD_v2.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\fileaslf.arm.cab
LOCKisabled
RST: Reset

jorge_culv said:
Thanks for the help ShogunMark--is it possible for an ExtRom to install fine for AKU3.2, then same extact ExtROM (no rebuild, no changes, didn't even look at it funny!) not install on 2.26 (installed it twice on 2.26 in case it might have been corrupt the first time)? That's the situation I'm looking at. Originally the extROM (the one that worked for AKU3.2 but not on 2.26) had a few cabs with spaces in their names. When I started having problems on 2.26 I started looking closer and rebuilt the ExtROM with new file names, but it still wouldn't install on 2.26. Just to make sure I'm not crazy, I'm about to down-grade to AKU2.3 OS version 2.24 to fully comply with the ROM building tutorial that says its tested to at least OS version 2.25. I'll let you know how that goes in a few hours. In the meantime, here's the Config.txt I'm using now that won't go in auto, but allows me to install the cabs by hand in 2.26:
LOCK:Enabled
CAB: \Extended_ROM\cLaunch.arm.CAB
CAB: \Extended_ROM\Molski.Biz_VoiceDial_Button_Customizer.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\Molski.Biz_Customizing_Tweaks.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\Molski.Biz_Performance_Registry_Tweaks.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\nullkb.ARM4.CAB
CAB: \Extended_ROM\rar360.ppc_arm.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\SmartDial+EtenSkinPortretD_v2.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\fileaslf.arm.cab
LOCKisabled
RST: Reset
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Click to collapse
the problem is that you are missing the disable security cab, i have attached in case you need it.. I would also bet those spaces arent suppose to be there... you should have this:
LOCK:Enabled
CAB: \Extended_ROM\Default_Signed_DisableSecurity.CAB
CAB: \Extended_ROM\cLaunch.arm.CAB
CAB: \Extended_ROM\Molski.Biz_VoiceDial_Button_Customizer.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\Molski.Biz_Customizing_Tweaks.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\Molski.Biz_Performance_Registry_Tweaks.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\nullkb.ARM4.CAB
CAB: \Extended_ROM\rar360.ppc_arm.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\SmartDial+EtenSkinPortretD_v2.cab
CAB: \Extended_ROM\fileaslf.arm.cab
LOCKisabled
RST: Reset

Ahh, so even though one of Molski's cabs does this, I need to disable security first to allow the other cabs to install? I think I get it! Thanks again,
Geo

jorge_culv said:
Ahh, so even though one of Molski's cabs does this, I need to disable security first to allow the other cabs to install? I think I get it! Thanks again,
Geo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, you need that or the other cabs wont install, most importantly it needs to be first, or else anything else that isnt signed wont install

TO: c_shekhar

1. You must be seeing a folder \ExtROM here which has few cabs and tsk files. Place this folder on \Storage Card of your device.
2. You can add the files which you wish to autoinstall after hard reset to this folder. But, dont forget to modify the \Storage Card\ExtROM\Config.txt accordingly.
3. Mark all cab files as read only.
You now have the Extended ROM back on your device but on the storage card this time.... Enjoy.
4. Install PPCPimbackup utility by Dotfred on your existing ROM and backup your SMS using that. And then flash the new ROM.The utility is available in this folder also.
C_shekhar
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Hi C_shekhar,
I have two questions in upgrading your ROM and the ExtROM
1) How to do this step ->Mark all cab files as read only
2) Can i flash the ROM first, the copy all ExtROM files to the SD card, and then do a Hardreset -> i have done this but seems not work.
Thank you.

you can mark the files read only using a file explorer utility like resco explorer. and as long as u add the appropriate entries to config.txt whenever u hard reset the cabs will get installed.
n btw im sorry im not c_shekhar but i think the answers correct

xPreSiDenT said:
you can mark the files read only using a file explorer utility like resco explorer. and as long as u add the appropriate entries to config.txt whenever u hard reset the cabs will get installed.
n btw im sorry im not c_shekhar but i think the answers correct
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Click to collapse
thank you very much for your quick reply.
now i have reflashed the ROM and the ExtROM works now.
I am wondering why we have to hide the files in the ExtROM folder, as i found all CAB files still there after the installing.
another question: can we hide teh ExtROM folder not the files inside?
Thanks.

yeah sure again that could be done with resco file explorer or something similar... although i dont think hiding is one of the requirements. the only thing required is marking them readonly.

Anyone unhide Extended Rom?

I did a softreset before the T-Mobile branding but now I want to see what I'm missing.

HERMES_MountALLExtROM.cab
That does not work. Or am I doing something wrong?

there is no extended rom, all files are in \windows

chineseleper said:
there is no extended rom, all files are in \windows
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Click to collapse
So why can't i simply uninstall all the stuff from the pre-installation when there is not extended ROM ??

There is no Ext_ROM in Diamond.
Check that 5 files in Windows directory:
config.txt
config_AP.txt
config_end.txt
config_operator.txt
Config_PT.txt

maymaymay said:
There is no Ext_ROM in Diamond.
Check that 5 files in Windows directory:
config.txt
config_AP.txt
config_end.txt
config_operator.txt
Config_PT.txt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That explains why I could not find it...

help using auto customization

I need help bad, no matter what I do I always get an error stating it cannot be installed. What I do is i put this line in config.txt, CAB: \WINDOWS\blue.cab
I put blue.cab in the same folder as config.txt to ensure it makes it to the windows directory. but no matter what I get that error. I have set the cab as read only. Is there some security settings I need to change to get it to install? It's really frustrating, thanks

noone use autocustomization tool anymore or what? lol

husker91 said:
I need help bad, no matter what I do I always get an error stating it cannot be installed. What I do is i put this line in config.txt, CAB: \WINDOWS\blue.cab
I put blue.cab in the same folder as config.txt to ensure it makes it to the windows directory. but no matter what I get that error. I have set the cab as read only. Is there some security settings I need to change to get it to install? It's really frustrating, thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to put that relative path to it ON THE STORAGE CARD, not where you want it to end up. Like this-
CAB: \Storage Card\Cabs\Blue.cab