Database Develop

[TUT]Flashing the easy way

Hey everyone!
Read lots of threads here on the xda-developers forum, many questions, many answers, lots of "good guys" who are willing and able to help (many have helped me, thank you goes to them and all the others).
The bottom line:
Saw many many questions concerning flashing, bad flashes, error messages and so on.
I really don't know WHY people won't go for the easy way?
Flashing from a PC involves a USB connection through Activesync/WMDC, an application, we all know the procedure thanks to racerx_ (http://trinityguides.info). There are so many things that can go wrong: think about it, from unplugging the device, app error, comm error, power drop, connection drop, system hang and so on.
I don't know about the rest of you but I have done it the hard way but also learned to do it the easy/safe way. There's nothing more to the story than flashing from SD card. Procedure is well described in the Wiki (http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=Trinity_SDCardFlashing).
I mean, all you have to do is press three buttons and wait for the flash, no risky connection drops, error messages, driver incompatibilites (see Vista problems), no app hangs.
I have tried many ROMs from over here and except for my first two flashes (first was Des' Crash Proof SPL, second was a cooked ROM) I've made them all using the SD card method and never got an error nor a situation with it.
So here's the question: why won't people flash the easy way?

well, have you actualy tried this procedure before posting this?

banesi said:
well, have you actualy tried this procedure before posting this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read my post once again, carefully.

hold Power button on right side and Camera button at same time and stick with stylus in RESET on bottom
This procedure brings boot loader screen, with three colors, it doesn't bring anything similar to that image posted there.

banesi said:
hold Power button on right side and Camera button at same time and stick with stylus in RESET on bottom
This procedure brings boot loader screen, with three colors, it doesn't bring anything similar to that image posted there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Follow the steps carefully.
1. SD card with FAT32 and no label (it can contain other files, no need to wipe it)
2. Renamed nbh file to TRINIMG.nbh placed on SD card root
3. Power+Camera+Reset
4. Follow instructions on screen (Power button to brgin flash and Soft reset when prompted at the end).
It don't get any easier!
It SHOULD work.

Totally agree, I don't understand why ppl persist with the multitude of errors that crop up from flashing via active sync.
Using the SD card you can chuck a few ROMs on board to test and just rename each in turn to TRINIMG.nbh, move it to the SD root and enter boot loader.
Before I test a new ROM I make a static settings image with SPB Backup so I can flash back to the old ROM and restore back to how it was in a jiffy.
Just to point out for some ppl, some of the ROMs here are packaged into EXEs, you will need to extract the contents and only use the file named RUU_signed.nbh.
This process can also be used to flash Radio ROMs in case you flash a ROM that includes a radio that you don't like/use.
Good thread

P3600i saga continues
I wonder if the SD Card method works on the P3600i? According to the Wiki, it doesn't bypass the SuperCID check.
Olipro has modified his SPL-Trin to work with the P3600i. But so far there's still no definite way to flash it. No Hard-SPL, splxploit don't work, same for JumpSPL. So maybe this is the way? Any opinions?

remofo said:
I wonder if the SD Card method works on the P3600i? According to the Wiki, it doesn't bypass the SuperCID check.
Olipro has modified his SPL-Trin to work with the P3600i. But so far there's still no definite way to flash it. No Hard-SPL, splxploit don't work, same for JumpSPL. So maybe this is the way? Any opinions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, sorry, it's not the way.
Flashing from SD card is not a workaround for bypassing SPL.
You still have to have some kind of a Hard SPL installed.
Please check the Wiki.

evojulz said:
This process can also be used to flash Radio ROMs in case you flash a ROM that includes a radio that you don't like/use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...and also bootscreens.
In other words, this method can flash any nbh file which could be flashed through the update utility method.

Easy and reliable
Fully agree with you tnyynt!
I always flash using the SD method.
Sometimes I even download the new nbh and keep it on the SD and upgrade later on when having time, not connected to a Pc... (I also have all the cab I need on my SD card).
Quick, easy and reliable (done many times).
Would be fine if the nbh would be released on this forum (rather than the .exe package).
Would allow to download them directly from the Trinity. i.e.: no more need for a Pc !!!

I always use this method, it is the only one that works for me and it's the most convenient I think.

I tried this method several times, but I was never able to get it work.
Yes I followed instructions carefully, but no. I only get three colored bootloader screen, that's it. No button to start flashing, nor screen that looks like that photo in wiki.
I really wanted this to work, cause I have an OsX. Since I couldn't get it to work I had to install xp and use it as virtual machine. From there everything works just great. Because of that, I still have to have windows on my laptop :-(

Speed
About this method: is it faster, same or slower than usb? (consider an average SD card, no high-speed)

Sure SD is faster
g77 said:
About this method: is it faster, same or slower than usb? (consider an average SD card, no high-speed)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I flashed recently FinixNOver 3.0.2 (BTW - superb ROM) - only OS + splashscreens and it took 2.5 mins in SD (regular 2GB miniSD SANDISK). I think it is fast enough...

Hi!
I want to tell me,if anybody knows, if i make my device superCID i loose the waranty!
I try to flash it with Trinity_SDCard Flashing from wiki (i make 3 step) and after the reset when is in the grey screen and loading i saw in the up side of screen the number 00068002 and after that change to 3 colored screen!
Any help?

jukkus said:
I tried this method several times, but I was never able to get it work.
Yes I followed instructions carefully, but no. I only get three colored bootloader screen, that's it. No button to start flashing, nor screen that looks like that photo in wiki.
I really wanted this to work, cause I have an OsX. Since I couldn't get it to work I had to install xp and use it as virtual machine. From there everything works just great. Because of that, I still have to have windows on my laptop :-(
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
me second, i also have tried many times and still just can go to the tri-color screen.
i am using hardspl 1.20, and a 4GB sd card with fat32, will these matter?
thanks.

manos_23 said:
Hi!
I want to tell me,if anybody knows, if i make my device superCID i loose the waranty!
I try to flash it with Trinity_SDCard Flashing from wiki (i make 3 step) and after the reset when is in the grey screen and loading i saw in the up side of screen the number 00068002 and after that change to 3 colored screen!
Any help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, super-cid will void the warranty.. use hard-spl.. there's no reason to super-cid your device if you're flashing cooked roms..

racerx_ said:
yes, super-cid will void the warranty.. use hard-spl.. there's no reason to super-cid your device if you're flashing cooked roms..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, and thank's you very much!

ctrlaltdel said:
me second, i also have tried many times and still just can go to the tri-color screen.
i am using hardspl 1.20, and a 4GB sd card with fat32, will these matter?
thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting, I'm sure someone will shoot me down but I'm not convinced it works with all SDHC cards... is your 4GB SDHC?
I can't get it to recognise the NBH from my 8GB but I have flashed many times successfully from my 2GB. Not to bothered, as long as it works

Nope, I'm using 2Gb normal sd-card. Also tried 512Mb card.

Trouble with ROM flashing

Hey everyone,
I am trying to flash a new rom (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=418320), but I think I have run into a problem along the way. Please forgive me, but I am a very beginner at this stuff.
I was following the steps from this page (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=2707841&postcount=4035). I have reached step 6, but in stead of a menu appearing, I only get the "loading..." on a gray screen appearing, and it has been like this for the last 15 minutes.
Any idea of what can be wrong? I have Olinex 1.30 Hard SPL.
Any help apprechiated.
Daniel

Need more info. What kind of device do you have? Are you trying to flash a GMS ROM on a CDMA device?

One more thing: what format is your internal storage. I'm not positive, but I think it has to be formatted as FAT32, and it comes as plain FAT. If you didn't reformat it, it might not be able to read your ROM file, and thus you won't be able to flash it that way. You'll have to use a Windows PC and try to flash it that way.

I have the Touch Diamond. I assume it is a CDMA device? I do not know what a GMS rom is really? Please forgive me if I have started something im really not qualified to do. After having read through several guides here, I assumed that flashing a ROM was pretty general as long as I stuck to the right device section?

Who is your phone carrier?

I have a windows PC (vista). However, I chose to follow the steps Suiller (post linked above) explained, as I got the impression it was safer (and faster).

My phone carrier is Network Norway. The phone was bought in Australia in october, but it is unlocked.

Ok, you have a GSM phone (that's the type of radio it uses). I believe you pointed to a GSM ROM, so it should be Ok.
It's probably the formatting. Can you still boot into the phone with the old ROM, or does it only go to the bootloader screen? If you can boot in, try formatting the internal memory (this will destroy all the data, so back it up). If that still doesn't work, try downloading another ROM file. That will let you know if you just got a bad copy of the ROM you want or if there is something wrong with the way you're trying to install it.

Thanks for your help!

Is it bricked? (Upgrade ROM error)

(I'm not 100% sure this is the correct forum, but since it is very ROM related it didn't feel all wrong to put it in here...)
Hi guys. After som serious flashing of cooked ROMs I decided for some unknown reason that I should try to restore a stock ROM. Now, being very tired as I was, i completely forgott that its probably a good idea to flash a new Stock ROM on the unit BEFORE flashing it with a signed SPL....so I just flashed the Signed SPL to the device. That in it self seem to have gone ok, because when I start the unit it say "SPL-1.15.0000". Problem is though that it also says "Upgrade ROM error, please try again"
Now, what should I do? Have tried put both signed and unsigned SPLs on the storage card and started up via the volume down/pwr button thingy, but that does not seem to do anything. I have also tried to attach the unit to a USB port when in tricolor mode ("USB" shows up on the screen) and tried the CustomRUU program. It finds the device and starts to "upgrade" (grey screen on the device with 0%) but then it just doesnt seem to get any further...
As the device was working fine with a custom ROM before I started all this, I suspect that the main problem proably is that I now have a Standard SPL with a cooked ROM, and that they collide sort of. I, as well as the Blackstone, is now stuck and I am all out of ideas what to do? Have also tried Hard and Soft resets, but that doesnt seem to change anything.
Help!

try removing the SD Card and put the phone into bootloader mode and re-flash the stock ROM! if this doesn't work ... still with the SD Card removed try flashing to USPL and flash the stock ROM again!
hope this helps

You can try USPL on your HD and flash a custom or stock ROM with it.

PapaDocta said:
try removing the SD Card and put the phone into bootloader mode and re-flash the stock ROM! if this doesn't work ... still with the SD Card removed try flashing to USPL and flash the stock ROM again!
hope this helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the feedback!
Just be be sure, "into bootloader mode" is when you start the device holding down volume down and powerkey until you see the tricolor screen? Then that is probably what I have tried to do for a while now without success (total success that is, I do get into the tricolored screen)). Or maybe I am doing something wrong, could you perhaps point to a detailed explaination besides the one in "HardSPL" thread?
USPL I havnt tried, will do that! Is it still so that trying to do USPL on Vista is asking for trouble?
I read somewhere that Stock ROMs should only be flashed from internal storage, not SD cards, is that true? If so, how do I go about accessing that storage now when it doesnt show up in the file explorer on my PC (PC recognizes it as USB device, "HTC Sync" but I get no file access to it).

improwise said:
Thanks for the feedback!
Just be be sure, "into bootloader mode" is when you start the device holding down volume down and powerkey until you see the tricolor screen? Then that is probably what I have tried to do for a while now without success. Or maybe I am doing something wrong, could you perhaps point to a detailed explaination besides the one in "HardSPL" thread?
USPL I havnt tried, will do that! Is it still so that trying to do USPL on Vista is asking for trouble?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just do uspl it will work

improwise said:
Thanks for the feedback!
Just be be sure, "into bootloader mode" is when you start the device holding down volume down and powerkey until you see the tricolor screen? Then that is probably what I have tried to do for a while now without success (total success that is, I do get into the tricolored screen)). Or maybe I am doing something wrong, could you perhaps point to a detailed explaination besides the one in "HardSPL" thread?
USPL I havnt tried, will do that! Is it still so that trying to do USPL on Vista is asking for trouble?
I read somewhere that Stock ROMs should only be flashed from internal storage, not SD cards, is that true? If so, how do I go about accessing that storage now when it doesnt show up in the file explorer on my PC (PC recognizes it as USB device, "HTC Sync" but I get no file access to it).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bootloader mode is when you power off the device and hold the volume button down and press power till you get the tricolor screen...
so here is what you need to do .
1. remove the sd card
2. go into the tricolor mode connect your device to the pc and make sure it says (USB) at the bottom
3. run the stock shipped exe from you pc
if that didn't work then you should try the USPL version.. and there is a guide if you are using vista.. i just tried and worked fine.. here it is
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=3331078&postcount=153
and the reason i'm asking you to remove the sd card because if you have a rom (blacimg.nbh) it won't let you do anything it will try to flash from the sd card and right now you don't want to do that.
and you shouldn't put any rom into the internal storage of the phone..

PapaDocta said:
and you shouldn't put any rom into the internal storage of the phone..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What happens if you do that? will it try and flash over the flash? Proper *&@! it up?

nicelad_uk said:
What happens if you do that? will it try and flash over the flash? Proper *&@! it up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i don't think anything would happen... the file will get deleted when you flash as the rest of the files in the internal memory

Thank you everyone! The USPL thing solved it, when I did it from a XP machine! The once bricked Blackstone is not alive an kicking again!
About USPL, I saw the workaround for Vista, but downgrading a few components to make it work just doesn't seem like a safe way to do it. And I cant help but to think that it might have unwanted side affects, ie affecting system stability. But maybe I am wrong?

Going back to shipped ROM without bricking?
Hi,
After reading this thread I am now a bit worried and, as a newbie, would appreciate maybe a "simple" answer to my question.
I''ve been experimenting with various cooked ROMs after following the guide in the WIKI for installing HardSPL and then putting the ROM file (BLACKIMG.nbh) on my SD card and installing it using the power on + volume down button method.
However, I now want to revert back to the original "shipped" ROM, which I have downloaded from the list of shipped ROMs via the WIKI (I downloaded the one which closely matched what was originally on my HD - as I didn't know how to backup the actual ROM on my HD at the time).
So, my question:
How should I put the downloaded original/shipped ROM:
RUU_BlackStone_HTC_WWE_1.14.405.3_Radio_52.49a.25.26_1.09.25.14_Ship.exe
into my HD without bricking it?! Do I just run it on my PC with ActiveSync enabled or do I need to do something to remove the HardSPL or something first?
Sorry if this has been answered previously but I get confused when a thread just makes loads of references to SPLthis and SPLthat etc.!

if you have the HardSPL already installed on your phone then you don't need to do anything more.. just connect your phone to the pc and let it sync (activesync enabled) and flash to any shipped rom you want by simply running the exe file..

PapaDocta said:
if you have the HardSPL already installed on your phone then you don't need to do anything more.. just connect your phone to the pc and let it sync (activesync enabled) and flash to any shipped rom you want by simply running the exe file..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Brilliant! Thanks for the simple answer Worked no problem!

Xperia brainfart: Problems with flashing

So people around here sometimes get troubled with regular flashing that doesn't work anymore.
I'll explain my problem on this part:
I flashed to a new ROM just to find out that i didn't like the content so i wanted to flash back to TOUCH X.
I did the usual stuff to flash my phone with, Hardspl, then bootloader etc. etc.
PROBLEM!
Now all my phone seems to be doing is go into bootlader and start updating. However, after 3 seconds i get the message that the update is complete. My phone resets itself, and i found out that nothing has changed. I tried it a number of other times, without results.
Now my question is: is there any other way to do this, this is obviously not working!
post all your ideas here so other people can read this in case that they have the same problem!

Everytime you flash a ROM, you do not need to hardspl your device, only once...I would reformat your memory card,use a stock original rom and see if it will flash with that....usually the issue you are seeing is because the nbh file is not being read properly, make sure your nbh file is named correctly.I have had the issue earlier in my days where if I copied the nbh file through active sync something gets screwed in the transfer...used an external card reader and copied it to my memory card after formatting it and it went through....just some suggestions....Good Luck
Regards,
WC

didn't solve it at all.
More suggestions?

SyntheticDistortion said:
didn't solve it at all.
More suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
seems to be your problem? ---> CLICK

Nope, didn't do anything..
Any other suggestions?
EDIT: Really a lot of thanks for anyone helping, i really would love to start flashing again!

grateful for the help arnt you..

try flashing the USB method, if it works its probably due to your memory card. (unless ur already using the usb method, then try the memory card method!)

How do i use the USB method exactly?
And really guys, thanks for all the feedback, maybe make this a sticky for future reference?

SyntheticDistortion said:
How do i use the USB method exactly?
And really guys, thanks for all the feedback, maybe make this a sticky for future reference?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well what you do is download the file attached to this post (it is available in one of the stickies but when i tried to download it, it failed so i zipped this one up for you)
extract the .exe within to where your nbh file is (not on xperia, on computer)
make sure there is no KOVSIMG.nbh on your memory card!
put your phone in bootloader (tricolour screen) and plug in via USB
run the custom_RUU.exe and follow the prompts pressing next etc.
you don't have to sync via activesync 1st like it says.
ignore the version number of the ROM just make sure your using the correct nbh and flash!

urm i think you should at least try to look at the stickies .........
this is very useful. i had problem flashing using micro sd so all my flashes are via usb.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=497511

That seemed to have done the trick people!
Thanks very much and keep up the good work!

Desperately need help, may have bricked my G1...

So I purchased an HTC Dream from a friend and learned all about the wonders of rooting, and found what i thought was going to be a simple step by step guide to upgrade my phone to android 2.1, and was encouraged to use it after reading all the positive comments. I can't post the link to it as I'm a new user, but you can find it by entering "guide on how to root your htc dream to 2.1" into google, the article is on adroidheadlines.com...
I followed it step by step until I got to step 20. After entering:
adb reboot bootloader
i got "error: closed." Being stupid, I looked around on the internet and came across a page that said putting a file called "DREAIMG.nbh" onto the root of my sd card would fix all my problems. Unfortunately for me I did, and then used fastboot which i (think) flashed that rom (i think that's the right lingo, anyway) To my surprise, I turned on my phone to see "T-Mobile G1" on my screen as opposed to the regular "ROGERS" logo. My phone won't move past that screen and won't even boot into recovery or fastboot. I have this gut feeling i've bricked the damn thing and am looking for someone to tell me it isn't so. To clarify, I'm wondering if there is anyone to factory reset the phone or restore it to its original rom somehow while its in this state.
Any help at all would be appreciated, and i can't seem to find anyone else on the internet stupid enough to have made the same mistake, which is never, ever a good sign.

i think you grab the wrong Dreaimg, there is 2 different ones if im not mistaken.. have you tried turning off phone hold camera then power?
If you can get in there then you can use this guide
http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php?title=Full_Update_Guide_-_Rogers_Dream_EBI1
These are the instructions you should have followed for Rogers..

The op was actively rooting the dream (just using a clone of the instructions with a typo) 'adb reboot bootloader' instead of 'adb shell reboot bootloader'
The wiki page has this correct, the comment on the article the op read indicates the correct one and comments in the thread on XDA indicate if you are stuck all we where trying to do was enter fastboot..
Unable to find any of what I just mentioned op left the guides for rogers dreams and switched to T-Mobile Howtos and got a t-mobile nbh, having already installed danger SPL it could be flashed.
80% of the time this would have left the user with RC29, however 20% of the time system fails to flash correctly, and you need to flash it again. This is made harder since now you have the rainbow SPL (no fastboot and security locked) 1.x radio, and a Rogers CID. Thus need a gold card.
There are many nbh files however; one with the rogers CID can be flashed without a gold card.
http://www.rogers.com/dream-zip
has the current 911 patched nbh file (unzip it).. that will let you start again, but do note nothing went wrong the first time so don't enter and endless loop please.
(Note I recommend you apply it twice to ensure all partitions are flashed correctly, rogers has the partitions layout of dangerSPL, not t-mobile stock SPLs)

Okay, I understand what I did wrong, and I understand how I WOULD flash the file you provided using fastboot, except that my computer no longer recognises my phone when I connect it, and as a result I can't access the phone using adb... Not sure what to do next. Would placing that file on the sd card using an sd reader change anything? Or is that what you meant for me to do?
EDIT: Nevermind, I figured out what I was supposed to do with that file, though the problem remains that my computer no longer recognizes my phone when I connect it via USB. Is this hopeless?
EDIT (again) I tried holding camera while powering up, before it didn't do anything but now the phone has booted to a screen with 4 horizontal coloured bars. the screen reads
"DREA210 PVT 32B
HBOOT-0.95.0000
CPLD-4
RADIO- 1.22.12.29
Sep2 2008
Serial0"
Not sure if that means anything but I figure it could. Please advise.

weezerx said:
I looked around on the internet and came across a page that said putting a file called "DREAIMG.nbh" onto the root of my sd card would fix all my problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is also how you can flash the rogers 911 nbh from the 0.95.* spl that has no fastboot..
It may fail but it will likely then have 1.33.0010 and the 3.x radio that if you flash it a 2nd time will work.
Once done remove the file from the sdcard

ezterry said:
That is also how you can flash the rogers 911 nbh from the 0.95.* spl that has no fastboot..
It may fail but it will likely then have 1.33.0010 and the 3.x radio that if you flash it a 2nd time will work.
Once done remove the file from the sdcard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really appreciate the help but I'm very new at this and I'm not entirely sure of what it is you're asking me to do

So does that mean all i need to do is remove the G1 image from the sd card and put the rogers one on via an sd reader and I'll be okay?

weezerx said:
So does that mean all i need to do is remove the G1 image from the sd card and put the rogers one on via an sd reader and I'll be okay?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And power on while holding camera it ought to ask you if you want to flash it..

Well I followed all of the instructions and removed the bad image from the sd card and put on the one you provided, turned on the phone, attempted to flash it, and got to a screen that says "Update terminate UPDATE FAIL" ... ideas?

Remove sdcard, boot holding camera, tell me all the text at the top of the screen

"DREA210 PVT 32B RUUNBH
HBOOT - 0.95.0000
CPLD - 4
RADIO - 1.22.12.29
Sep2 2008
Serial0"
Interestingly enough, when I boot to that screen now (despite having no sd card in the phone anymore) it still switches to the screen it tried to update with before (light blue background, darker blue text) for a split second before switching back... it never did that before, I'm not sure if that means anything.
Again, I really appreciate all the help though I'm starting to consider sending it to someone for JTAG if we can't find a solution

Hem I think rc29 on a gold card will make your phone into a T-Mobile dream that can be rooted with the telnet method.. remember you will have a 1.x radio so you will not want to directly install danger spl.
The big trick IS unless you have another HTC phone making the goldcard

I'm nt sure what you mean by all of that I tried backing up the fles on the sd card and only putting that nbh file on the card and that didnt work. I tried putting it on with all of the other files that were on it before in place of the other nbh that screwed up the phone in the first place... unsure what to do next. Was i supposed to put the "HTC update" file on the sd card without unzipping it? :S I'm so lost. ezterry, you're from toronto and do jtag service right? cause I'm not too far away...

Okay so scrap everything I said before. I decided to investigate the whole goldcard thing and to me it sounds like it's my best bet. I have a buddy who's willing to let me use his HTC Magic to complete the process. I found a guide online here
http://www.droid-den.com/android-guides/android-guide-how-to-create-a-gold-card
It sounds easy enough to follow, but I have a few questions. First, does the app "GoldCard Helper" still exist, because i know google has taken apps off the market before. Secondly, would you recommend this method/ have any advice or maybe a different way of doing things? and thirdly, just using my friends phone to get the CID for the sd card doesn't pose any threat to it at all, right?