Database Develop

[How To] Downgrade 2.2 To 2.1

Not sure if this has already been posted somewhere, but after my experience I figured it might be useful to someone. If it's been posted already ignore this and move on with your day/night
1. flash sbf
2. phone will go in the boot loop of death, thats fine lol.. when rsdlite says 100 percent pull the battery
3. put the battery back in, hold down the home button plus the power button till you see the moto logo followed by the triangle
4. hit search button, your now in recovery
5. do a factory restore
6. once complete reboot phone
7. thank god and swear you wont flash your phone ever again (ofcourse only to do it in a day or so after you have calmed down)
rsdlite and sbf can be found in this thread CLICK

If you made a nandroid backup of 2.1 couldn't you just restore that? I'm pretty sure you can. I remember doing it with the Moto Droid.

taypotts said:
If you made a nandroid backup of 2.1 couldn't you just restore that? I'm pretty sure you can. I remember doing it with the Moto Droid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not sure if you can use bootstrap in froyo, and besides if you ever need to go back to a unrooted state this is the way to go :: cough warranty ::

taypotts said:
If you made a nandroid backup of 2.1 couldn't you just restore that? I'm pretty sure you can. I remember doing it with the Moto Droid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do not restore a 2. 1 nandroid in 2. 2. The update changes the bootloader and recovery versions which aren't part of the backup. The phone will just hang at the MOTO logo. I learned this the hard way. You have to use the sbf. You can then apply your nandroid to get everything back.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

iB4STiD said:
Not sure if this has already been posted somewhere, but after my experience I figured it might be useful to someone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you explain?
I am holding off on switching to 2.2, always do to let everyone else find the bugs.
What was your experience?

bad4u6669 said:
Could you explain?
I am holding off on switching to 2.2, always do to let everyone else find the bugs.
What was your experience?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what i meant by my experience was downgrading 2.2 to 2.1, My g/f has the droid x, and i am the one to root or mod her phone for her. She wanted to try out froyo and liked the rom alot. there are little bugs i noticed
1. odd little animation hiccup when scrolling home screens
2. lag in gallery
3. what seemed like market delay (but the market has been slow lately, same thing on my vibrant and g1)
but this is a test build not a "final rom"
Like i said downgrading the phone is a little different than other android phones Ive used and i thought this post may help someone out. Im the type of person who wont mod something unless i know i can get back to where i started and with this sbf and "how to" you wont have to worry about that.

pjsockett said:
Do not restore a 2. 1 nandroid in 2. 2. The update changes the bootloader and recovery versions which aren't part of the backup. The phone will just hang at the MOTO logo. I learned this the hard way. You have to use the sbf. You can then apply your nandroid to get everything back.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
also i believe it updates the radio and kernel.. thanks pj for explaining that

If I wanted to go to 2.1 ,don't see why...at the moment.
Before I do a SBF would it be ok to to do a data wipe and a partition wipe in recovery mode then do the SBF bootrecovery deal???
Thank You

after you upgrade to 2.2 koush has a new DroidXBootstrap.apk out
go back to his website and DL it and reinstall then rerun bootstrap.
after that rom manager can do backups or recoveries.
sucks you all get bootloop with sbf, ive done it twice now and has worked fine
keeps all my apps and stuff
goodluck

pjsockett said:
Do not restore a 2. 1 nandroid in 2. 2. The update changes the bootloader and recovery versions which aren't part of the backup. The phone will just hang at the MOTO logo. I learned this the hard way. You have to use the sbf. You can then apply your nandroid to get everything back.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm kinda confused what you mean? I did a nandroid backup of 2.1 with the latest bootstrap and clockworld.
I just remember using a nandroid on my girl's moto droid and I went from 2.2 all the way back to 2.0.1.

when trying to sbf on my Mac I get this -bash: ./sbf_flash: Permission denied? Any suggestions I have been asking for 2 days now hopefully someone can help. Thanks

taypotts said:
I'm kinda confused what you mean? I did a nandroid backup of 2.1 with the latest bootstrap and clockworld.
I just remember using a nandroid on my girl's moto droid and I went from 2.2 all the way back to 2.0.1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also did the same from my Eris. The major difference is that the recovery on those devices were completely replaced not just patched. When you restore a 2.1 nandroid from a 2.2 droid x the android 3e recovery is not replaced. When the system tries to boot it sees that as an invalid recovery image and won't boot, it just hangs at the moto logo forever. When you upgarde to 2.2 on a Droid or an Eris your still using clockwork recovery or amon ra's recovery and not upgrading to the android 3e system recovery. Maybe it was just a fluke that it didn't work for me but it makes sense as to why it would fail, otherwise we would be able to have a full custom recovery.

dscottjr81 said:
when trying to sbf on my Mac I get this -bash: ./sbf_flash: Permission denied? Any suggestions I have been asking for 2 days now hopefully someone can help. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From my understanding sbf_flash is for linux only. To flash on mac you need to use rsd lite with a virtual windows os.
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-hacks/38671-flashing-sbf-mac.html

i cant get my phone to flash. i have done this 2 before with my droid x on 2.1 but now that i am on 2.2 every time i try to use RSDlite, i connect my phone and select my SBF but the START button will not light up so i cannot proceed. any thoughts.. im running windows 7 64 and i have all the drivers working for my phone.

failed sbf flash
Hey guys, i got an error in RSD that says "Failed flashing process. Failed flashing process. Phone[0000]: Phone is not compatible with muli-interface super-file. (0x703B); phone connected
Any ideas, i'm really new to android stuff, been using WM forever.
Thanks for the help

please ignore me as I can't read apparently
if anyone else sees this remeber to copy the pst_flash file to the Program Files/Motorola/RSDLite directory

tacticalmedicokc said:
please ignore me as I can't read apparently
if anyone else sees this remeber to copy the pst_flash file to the Program Files/Motorola/RSDLite directory
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks. i had the same problem.

[Q] To Froyo or not to Froyo... that is the question.

Hello everybody. I've never unlocked, rooted, or done any modding to a phone before... I'm also not much of a unix/linux guy, but have SOME familiarity with it.
OK, so.....
I've been doing some reading around this forum & am still confused about some things, and also have some questions I haven't found answered. I apologize if these have been asked/answered elsewhere, but I have tried searching.
1. Some terms are used in this forum that I am unfamilar with: adw, adm? jig?
2. After flashing to froyo, everyone has the same Android Device ID? So, how do you restore your own ID, I haven't seen this answered anywhere.
3. I've seen people mentioning phone batches... what is this info needed for? Mine is batch 1009 if that matters.
4. OK, so if you screw something up & brick your phone... you can use ODIN w/JF6 to fix this? There is no way to be unable to un-brick your phone, as long as you have ODIN & JF6?
5. I've downloaded the GalaxyS OCR software, but you still need to use another program to flash your ROM file over? Am I understanding this correctly?
6. Where do I get the ROMs for froyo.. and what is the easiest software to use for flashing the rom? I see people mentioning Cognition a lot, but they also mention some others like Axura. Is there a definitive comparison of the various ROMs someplace that I am missing?
Thanks in advance everybody!

Hello everybody. I've never unlocked, rooted, or done any modding to a phone before... I'm also not much of a unix/linux guy, but have SOME familiarity with it.
OK, so.....
I've been doing some reading around this forum & am still confused about some things, and also have some questions I haven't found answered. I apologize if these have been asked/answered elsewhere, but I have tried searching.
1. Some terms are used in this forum that I am unfamilar with: adw, adm? jig?
Adw is a launcher
Not sure on adm
Jig is a device some have put together and used to recover from brick
2. After flashing to froyo, everyone has the same Android Device ID? So, how do you restore your own ID, I haven't seen this answered anywhere.
There is an app on the market android id changer. I believe you need to be rooted. Download app, click save id. When you load a froyo rom some will automatically use the saved id, others may not. In the case that it does not get same app load id, click change. Phone still reboot id will be changed
3. I've seen people mentioning phone batches... what is this info needed for? Mine is batch 1009 if that matters.
You should be fine. I am the same batch
4. OK, so if you screw something up & brick your phone... you can use ODIN w/JF6 to fix this? There is no way to be unable to un-brick your phone, as long as you have ODIN & JF6?
Odin will save you from just about everything. Couple things, only works on pc. Download drivers for the phone prior to flashing anything. Make sure your phone is recognized by the pc. Attempt to get into download mode. Pull battery, sim, external sd. Put battery back in. while holding volume up and down plug in usb while connected to pc. Screen should show orange guy with shovel. If works just pull battery to get out of that screen
Attempt to get into recovery. Volume up and down and per at the same time. When at &t screen comes up, let go of all three. A screen should come up with blue letters
If you can not get into either of these I would not flash
5. I've downloaded the GalaxyS OCR software, but you still need to use another program to flash your ROM file over? Am I understanding this correctly?
Yes
6. Where do I get the ROMs for froyo.. and what is the easiest software to use for flashing the rom? I see people mentioning Cognition a lot, but they also mention some others like Axura. Is there a definitive comparison of the various ROMs someplace that I am missing?
Roms can be found in the captivate development section. There are several froyo roms.
You install roms using free app, rom manager. Download app, open, top option says flash clockwork recovery, click and scroll to captivate. This puts an update zip on your sd card. Power phone off. Get into recovery, three button combo you tested before. Navigate in recovery using volume up and down, select with power. Scroll to reinstall packages. You may get butted back to the same screen, click reinstall packages, will take you to a green recovery screen. Reboot phone.
Find the rom you want and download, can be done directly on phone. Move file to the root If your sd card. Power off remove sim and external sd. Make sure your battery is fully charged. Open rom manager app. Click install rom from sd. Navigate to file, select clear cache and data. If you want to backup your current state there is an option to do so. Click ok, put your phone down, be patient. Couple minutes later you will be booting into your new rom.
Hope this helps
Thanks in advance everybody![/QUOTE]
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Personally... I don't know if everyone should be trying to install custom ROM's on their phones.
Alot of people have too many issues figuring out how to root, sideload enable, and then download ROM Manager to install a custom ROM. Then when things go south they don't know how to restore their phone and end up having to warranty it.
Doing any of the above will immediately void your warranty.
But... with all that said I'm running a "stock" Eclair OTA JH7 right now with a few tweaks - and I really can't say I'm missing all the "Froyo goodness" at the moment.
I've rooted and allowed non-market apps with CLShortfuse's One-Click Root program.
Then I downloaded a Lag Fix (RyanZA's OCLF) from the market... and the phone has been screaming along just fine.
And of course.. GPS still doesn't work - but at this point I'm used to it.
No issues with headphone's not working, or terrible battery drain, or the other myriad of issues you will find by installing the latest and greatest. So... rather than start in with the latest popular ROM - I'd just Root and apply a Lagfix and see how it goes from there. If at that point your really comfortable with flashing a ROM - go for it.

avgjoegeek said:
Then I downloaded a Lag Fix (RyanZA's OCLF) from the market... and the phone has been screaming along just fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, so I've dipped my toe in & rooted the phone using TGA_Gunnman's "GalaxyS_One-Click_Root_All_Models"
According to the program, I'm rooted. Phone rebooted into that recovery mode & I chose "Reinstall all packages".
Phone rebooted as it's supposed to. Went into Market, all seems good, but I can't find this OCLF you mention. Searched on RyanZA, OCLF, and also "lag fix" but don't get any results... ??
Also, The AT&T programs are no longer listed under my applications manager, were they uninstalled by default? I still see a couple of AT&T apps when I go to view all applications, but can't find these apps to uninstall in the app manager section.
Thanks!
Bill

OCLF I believe had been taken off the market but I would not suggest using that program for anything other then rooting your f device
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

So it has... whats the deal?

Not sure why it was removed but I only used it as an easy way to root. The lag fix on that app was an ext 2 lag fix that is obsolete. If you are willing to apply a lag fix and want froyo read the cognition, perception, auxura, etc threads in development and decide which one you want.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

If you just want your phone to work, I'd suggest just doing one of the lag fixes and staying as "stock" as possible. There's a one-click root/unroot for the captivate for rooting. The rest is up to you. But, for me having exchange support for work is a must and Froyo works perfectly with my company's exchange set up.
If you're a "tinkering" type of person, then go for some custom stuff! I believe best way to learn is just go do it. Read through the development section for a week or so (post your questions in this section though... devs seem to be a little snippy lately) and have fun. Odin has saved me from bricking my device a few times. Like was said before just make sure you download and test working usb drivers and can that you can access your device from windows.
Good luck!

Billbo1970 said:
2. After flashing to froyo, everyone has the same Android Device ID? So, how do you restore your own ID, I haven't seen this answered anywhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ARG! I flashed Perception build 5 without backing up my original device ID. What is the importance of the device ID?
If I go back to the my stock ROM backed up with ROM Manager, will it still have my original device ID?

loonieryan said:
ARG! I flashed Perception build 5 without backing up my original device ID. What is the importance of the device ID?
If I go back to the my stock ROM backed up with ROM Manager, will it still have my original device ID?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe perception 5 generates a random one.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

mcord11758 said:
I believe perception 5 generates a random one.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
K, thanks, but that still doesn't answer my question regarding the significance/importance of the device ID. How is it used and what is it used for?

loonieryan said:
K, thanks, but that still doesn't answer my question regarding the significance/importance of the device ID. How is it used and what is it used for?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The market and some games access it. So with leaked froyo, when everyone has the same id it causes issues because there can be like a thousand people with the same id trying to download at the same time.
As far as the games,i never had a problem do I can not say which ones and what the issue was
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Billbo1970 said:
OK, so I've dipped my toe in & rooted the phone using TGA_Gunnman's "GalaxyS_One-Click_Root_All_Models"
According to the program, I'm rooted. Phone rebooted into that recovery mode & I chose "Reinstall all packages".
Phone rebooted as it's supposed to. Went into Market, all seems good, but I can't find this OCLF you mention. Searched on RyanZA, OCLF, and also "lag fix" but don't get any results... ??
Also, The AT&T programs are no longer listed under my applications manager, were they uninstalled by default? I still see a couple of AT&T apps when I go to view all applications, but can't find these apps to uninstall in the app manager section.
Thanks!
Bill
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T applications are system applications and therefore do not show under the default application manager view. If you are still "stock", you would do Settings>Applications>Manage Applications>Press Menu button>Filter>All. This will list all the applications on the phone. Be careful what you try and remove if you do this. Remove the wrong system app and your phone will dump. Most system apps won't let you remove them this way, you would have to use ADB or Titanium Backup to remove.
Search and read. Good Luck!

iirc batch 1009 doesnt have download mode.
you should flash the one click that enables the 3 button download mode before you do anything...
then make a jig so that you can recover if anything ever messes up...
then go nuts and flash 10x a day.

Ah thanks for the info, that shows them. So, I havne't done a thing other than root the phone so far. I've been trying to find the 'lag fix', but haven't been able to. I have however found a lot of posting on how the lag fix makes the phone much faster, but also drains the hell out of the battery. Any opinions on that? That's really all i wanted right now, a faster phone & get rid of some AT&T apps. One of them seems to run all the time (I use my wifi a lot), is it safe to kill AT&T Hot Spots, or will I lose wifi connectivity if I do that?
Bill

Billbo1970 said:
Ah thanks for the info, that shows them. So, I havne't done a thing other than root the phone so far. I've been trying to find the 'lag fix', but haven't been able to. I have however found a lot of posting on how the lag fix makes the phone much faster, but also drains the hell out of the battery. Any opinions on that? That's really all i wanted right now, a faster phone & get rid of some AT&T apps. One of them seems to run all the time (I use my wifi a lot), is it safe to kill AT&T Hot Spots, or will I lose wifi connectivity if I do that?
Bill
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only lag fixes out there come with custom roms or kernals. Battery life depends on the rom but common sense would dictate if you are driving 100 mile per hr it will take more gas then going 50
I do not think you will have any issues killing at&t hot spots. It is gone from all custom roms so it can not be too important. Do not mess with anything google especially gtalk
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Thanks for the info! Well, I've bought the paid version of Titanium Backup & just backed up the phone; and I have Odin w/the correct ROM file, so I may start delving a little deeper into the phone now.
Any suggestions on a ROM for someone that just wants to speed up the phone a bit & lose the ATT bloatware? Don't really care if it's 2.2, I can wait for the official to come out & be ROM'd up by the geniuses here
Bill

Billbo1970 said:
Thanks for the info! Well, I've bought the paid version of Titanium Backup & just backed up the phone; and I have Odin w/the correct ROM file, so I may start delving a little deeper into the phone now.
Any suggestions on a ROM for someone that just wants to speed up the phone a bit & lose the ATT bloatware? Don't really care if it's 2.2, I can wait for the official to come out & be ROM'd up by the geniuses here
Bill
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you do not care about 2.2 a good starter rom would be cognition 2.16. You can get it here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=786532
Click on get cognition here. It will bring you to a page with a bunch of links. Personally I would use the 2.16 without hsupa. If you never use bluetooth then it does not make a difference. This rom uses the voodoo lagfix. The only downfall is that everyone had moved to 2.2 roms do if you post questions in that thread I am not sure you will get much back.
If you are going 2.2 I would read and try this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=856877
Perception is also an option but from what I am reading I would not flash the latest update until it gets worked through some.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

mcord11758 said:
Personally I would use the 2.16 without hsupa.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's huspa?

Billbo1970 said:
What's huspa?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am probably not the best to explain this but it is a faster upload and download capability that us not standard on the Captivate. Meaning if you have it, and the data in your area is strong, you should have a faster download/browser experience
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

[Q] Help with rebooting hero. $$$ for fix...

Before you tell me to 'Google it' (which I have, and leads me to 1000 posts of people telling other people with the same problem to 'Google it'), please read.
I will PayPal anyone $20 with working instructions of how to resolve this
Phone: HTC Hero w/ chin
Carrier: Alltel
Story:
Switched from WM6 Palm Treo Pro to HTC Hero. Came with 2.1 and needed apps2sd. Want CM7 stable.
-Rooted using AndRoot.
-Installed SuperUser and Root Checker. Root Checker said I was good to go. SuperUser would not show any apps in the list this whole time.
-Installed Titanium Backup which said I needed BusyBox, but it would fail to install. Tried to install busybox and it said I was not rooted. Alright...
-Installed ClockworkMod and flashed recovery. Tried to reboot into clockwork recovery, but when I clicked it, it did nothing. When I clicked rom from sd card, and clicked the CM7, it said 'going to reboot now' but again, nothing happened.
I booted into recovery manually, but it was still in Android system recovery. Apparently there was some sort of rooting problem, so I tried z4root. Permanent root was stuck on 'rebooting', and temporary root said successful, but something was still wrong as BusyBox installer would say I was not rooted, and SuperUser app didn't show any programs to allow permissions.
I turned the phone off, and back on. It goes to the white 'HTC' screen, reboots, and then comes to a black page with a picture of a Hero and a red triangle and exclamation mark. I hold home and hit power, and it takes me into the Android system recovery. I wiped data and cleared cache, rebooted, and it does the same thing.
- - -
Now i've done many hours of research, and found nothing to help me. I guess i'm a bit confused on what the SDK does and how to use it, because it won't connect to my phone since I can't even boot my phone into the OS. I tried to download the RUU and rename it update.zip, but it says signature verification failed or not found in android recovery. I've done the clear data method by holding home, back, and power, but still nothing.
I need a clearcut answer for getting back to a stock Alltel 2.1 OS on my phone. I am more advanced than a basic user, and have flashed many roms on Windows Mobile, but remember I might not exactly understand everything.
I'm a silent browser on these forums but now I come to you guys for help. I hope to grow into a dev and hopefully help someone in the future in my position.
I read somewhere to wipe EXT2, but still confused on that process as it seems I don't know how to get into adb command line on my computer.

Try reflashing the cwm recovery. Sounds like you have no recovery image.
-----
Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Gingerbread-on-Hero action here!

Dumb question...did you flash a ROM? Maybe I missed it in your post, but I see you installed Clockwork, SuperUser and all that, but don't see that you flashed a ROM. *EDIT* I see you did...
So...worst case scenario, if you can't even boot your phone, just start over from scratch...
Download the original AllTel ROM from here.
If you don't have HTC Sync set up and can't restore from your computer, use this method to flash it...your phone should now boot...
Then try to reroot, using this (preferred) or this.
Download ROM Manager from the Market and install ClockworkMod Recovery
Boot to recovery (hold home and power at the same time).
Once in recovery, wipe cache, system, data and boot (make sure you don't wipe your sd card! Do it twice for good measure)
Select install .zip from SD card, select zip and you should be good to go with a rooted phone and a new ROM.
I think that should cover it...

Ok, on your first link to flash my phone, the step says:
"With phone powered on, do "adb reboot bootloader" to enter fastboot."
How do I get the command prompt on my computer to communicate with the phone? That was my biggest problem when reading other people's posts. I guess i'm a bit lost. I installed the r10 android sdk which I believe is the first step? And when my phone is connected to the computer to enter these commands, is it okay if it is sitting at that screen with the red triangle?
Thanks for your help btw your steps sound simple, and simple is nice. One step closer!

Do you have HTC Sync set up? If you do, you should be able to restore from that to get you back to official AllTel...That's going to be the easiest way to get you back to stock I think.
And...I am on a Mac So, helping someone on a PC is not my forte with ADB
I'd try setting up HTC Sync and get yourself back to stock that way.
EDIT - To get it to communicate, you need to set up ADB and all that. Then just use command prompts...Try this thread for help/instructions.

I actually got it to load that rom with vol down + power but eventually got to 'CID incorrect! Update fail!', so i'll try connecting to sync.

damienisxcore said:
I actually got it to load that rom with vol down + power but eventually got to 'CID incorrect! Update fail!', so i'll try connecting to sync.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What ROM? The AllTel one?
I have to take off until about 8:30 or so...get yourself set up with HTC Sync and get the USB drivers and all that set up, first thing you need to do is get your computer to talk to your phone...download the official AllTel RUU and restore to stock. That's task 1
Then we'll get ya rooted

I think I found a rom that worked. Currently rebooting. I can follow the rest and if I need anymore help, I'll give you a hollar. I should have had it right the first time, but I was following about 5 sets of different directions and mixing them around to avoid certain programs. I like yours though.
Send me a PM with your paypal e-mail and I can send it over. Least I could do.

OP, glad you got it. What rom?
Ranger, nice!
sent from a series of tubes.

il Duce said:
OP, glad you got it. What rom?
Ranger, nice!
sent from a series of tubes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He flashed CM7. Gotta get him on aospCMod

damienisxcore said:
I think I found a rom that worked. Currently rebooting. I can follow the rest and if I need anymore help, I'll give you a hollar. I should have had it right the first time, but I was following about 5 sets of different directions and mixing them around to avoid certain programs. I like yours though.
Send me a PM with your paypal e-mail and I can send it over. Least I could do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's tough sometimes to follow things...and as much as we always tell people to search, ya know, the search kinda sucks I searched for all the threads I linked for you, but I knew what I was looking for. If you don't know what to look for, searching is kinda tough. Glad you got it!
Now...if you want a real ROM, I'll just toss this one out there In all actuality, CM7 and aospCMod are quite similar, I am just partial to aosp's builds.
Let me know if you need any more help.

[Q] Flashing Roms

Ok i'm new to this so i will not hesitate to ask for help.
I have a Sprint Hero, and i have Rooted it, using Regaw's Guide. That part was simple. I have also found the Wiki related to the hero on this site my problem is this. I'm new to this i don't want to brick a perfectly good phone and i understand what is being said in the wiki about flashing but i just want to like double check before i try anything.
So is there like a step by step walk through somewhere i'm missing? Like "Flashing Roms for Dummies".
The first step on the flashing guide wiki says to make sure you have a custom recovery installed. Would this be the nandroid backup made when rooting the phone or something else completely?
Also what are the best Roms for the hero?
I Apologize if this has been asked and answered.
Thanks for any and all help in Advance.
Great bunch of helpful people on this forum.

Looks like regaw's installs Amon_RA as part of the process of rooting. Try this:
1. Power off your phone.
2. Hold down the home key and press the red power button.
3. Hold the power until the htc screen pops up and release it. Keep the home button pressed until something besides the htc screen shows.
4. If done correctly, you will either get a screen with a triangle and exclamation point, or a menu with various options. menu is good, means you have a recovery installed.
5. If you get the triangle, you do not have a recovery installed. Go here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=581521
Follow the directions in the first post.
Check that and we can go from there.
-----
Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Ginger-on-Hero action here!

You can also check out the README on the OP from aosp's gingerbread thread. Lots of good information on flashing from original ROM, other ROMs, recoveries, workarounds, etc.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=864403

user7618 said:
Looks like regaw's installs Amon_RA as part of the process of rooting. Try this:
1. Power off your phone.
2. Hold down the home key and press the red power button.
3. Hold the power until the htc screen pops up and release it. Keep the home button pressed until something besides the htc screen shows.
4. If done correctly, you will either get a screen with a triangle and exclamation point, or a menu with various options. menu is good, means you have a recovery installed.
5. If you get the triangle, you do not have a recovery installed. Go here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=581521
Follow the directions in the first post.
Check that and we can go from there.
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Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Ginger-on-Hero action here!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok it comes up with android system recovery with a menu and at the bottom it says "Build: RA-heroc-v1.5.2"

Ok first thing I would recommend is to open up your settings, select 'about phone' and find the update prl and profile options. Then download the app Rom Manager from the market, open it up, and at the very top select 'flash clockwork mod recovery'. Then select backup current rom. This way you have a reliable nandroid of your stock rom to fall back on if you ever need to. Next thing is to start reading through the various threads on XDA about the different rom's and stuff to get more of an idea of what your looking for in a rom.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

trip187 said:
Ok first thing I would recommend is to open up your settings, select 'about phone' and find the update prl and profile options. Then download the app Rom Manager from the market, open it up, and at the very top select 'flash clockwork mod recovery'. Then select backup current rom. This way you have a reliable nandroid of your stock rom to fall back on if you ever need to. Next thing is to start reading through the various threads on XDA about the different rom's and stuff to get more of an idea of what your looking for in a rom.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 on updating prl and profile. As for rom manager, you don't need it, you already have a recovery installed.
Find you a rom you want to try out, I suggest cyanogenmod 7, but I run it, so i might be biased.
Get a file manager from the market, I use root explorer, it's a paid app, but worth it, and titanium backup.
Once you pick out a rom, holla back and we will get it flashed.
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Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Ginger-on-Hero action here!

user7618 said:
+1 on updating prl and profile. As for rom manager, you don't need it, you already have a recovery installed.
Find you a rom you want to try out, I suggest cyanogenmod 7, but I run it, so i might be biased.
Get a file manager from the market, I use root explorer, it's a paid app, but worth it, and titanium backup.
Once you pick out a rom, holla back and we will get it flashed.
-----
Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Ginger-on-Hero action here!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure CM7 seems like a good a rom as any, its 2.3 on the hero, can't get much cooler than that. Does it allow installing/moving apps to the SD card? Also i'm assuming changing roms changes which programs are on the phone by default so which ones are included in this or stripped away if any?
I use astro file manager, downloaded the Titanium backup. I am unable to update the prl/profile atm cause the phone isn't active just learning the rooting/romming thing on it.
When i Rooted it i had to downgrade from 2.31.651.7 to 2.31.651.5 to do it, should i go through update to .7 and re root then proceed with romming?
also more newbness i've seen in some posts this mention of s-off, what does that refer to? Is s-off required to change the image and the animation that shows when it boots?
Thanks for the step by step so far user7618

I only suggested rom manager because if your recovery glitches you can easily use it to flash another recovery
Lots of people downgraded to root. No need to update and re-root.
Yes cm7 has moving apps to SD. And you can use Astro or Titanium to back up your apps and restore them to a different rom
S-off means even if your phone wont boot up and you can't get to your recovery then you will still be able to flash something (ex. A new recovery image or a RUU) Also can flash splash screens and boot animations with it
Did I miss anything?
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

Tuvan03 said:
Sure CM7 seems like a good a rom as any, its 2.3 on the hero, can't get much cooler than that. Does it allow installing/moving apps to the SD card? Also i'm assuming changing roms changes which programs are on the phone by default so which ones are included in this or stripped away if any?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, any 2.2+ ROM can natively install and move apps to the SD card. Also, yes changing ROMs will change which programs are on the phone by default. This will be most noticeable when changing from a Sense ROM to an AOSP ROM like CM7. AOSP ROMs come with vanilla android apps--that means no Sprint Apps and all that.
Tuvan03 said:
When i Rooted it i had to downgrade from 2.31.651.7 to 2.31.651.5 to do it, should i go through update to .7 and re root then proceed with romming?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, no point in doing that. The main objective in rooting is to gain control over your device. With that control, usually the next objective is to install a custom recovery. And with that custom recovery you are free to install any ROM you want.
Tuvan03 said:
also more newbness i've seen in some posts this mention of s-off, what does that refer to? Is s-off required to change the image and the animation that shows when it boots?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're still new to modding, I wouldn't worry about it. But to answer your question it allows you to flash any recovery, system, radio, etc image to your phone from hboot, and can be used as an emergency rescue tool in case you ever screw up your recovery or anything else.
Also just as an FYI, there are only 2 ways that I know of to brick your phone: 1) flash wrong radio or bad radio or flash radio incorrectly, and 2) flash wrong SPL or bad SPL or flash SPL incorrectly. ROMs do not ever change either of these. Remember, as long as you can turn on your phone and boot to recovery (home+power), you are more than safe!!

Theres nothing for me to say. You guys covered it.
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Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Ginger-on-Hero action here!

user7618 said:
Theres nothing for me to say. You guys covered it.
-----
Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Ginger-on-Hero action here!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

thanks for all the replies and help. i can locate the cm7 mod in the development forum?
I was asking about the apps because i want the phone to resemble a stock phone as closely as possible for the moment just one running 2.3.
so other than the sprint apps what else will be missing?

The Sense UI as a whole will be missing. CM7 is not a Sense-based ROM and you will never be able to make it be like stock, not even a little without some heavy theme-ing. If you want to stay "stock-like" your only fully developed ROMs are those based on 2.1. nfinitefx45 and others have worked hard on getting a 2.2 Sense ROM but that ended a long time ago and I'm not sure what the ending status of it was.

Ok CM7 installed succesfully with Google Apps. This is way too cool. Gingerbread on a phone that wasn't supposed to have above Eclair. TAKE THAT SPRINT!
Thanks for all the Help guys this is alot of fun, hope to learn more and be able to do alot more.
Edit: haptic feedback working now.

NTSense theme will give you an approximation of Sense on cm7, just no htc widgets.
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Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Ginger-on-Hero action here!

Tuvan03 said:
thanks for all the replies and help. i can locate the cm7 mod in the development forum?
I was asking about the apps because i want the phone to resemble a stock phone as closely as possible for the moment just one running 2.3.
so other than the sprint apps what else will be missing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
first off, the crappy HTC Sense UI that slows the Hero to a crawl will be history. That alone will make it feel like you just got a new phone. But for things you actually want to have... Most noticeable for me was the disappearance of Visual Voicemail - I will get to that in a second. Google apps will have to be installed via a separate zip but you just install it right after the custom ROM (before rebooting). Facebook phonebook widget is no longer available (facebook's fault).
About voicemail - I originally didn't want to use Google Voice, so when I ran CM6.1, I found a link to install Sprint VVM app but you also have to install an SMS redlisting app to handle the text notifications that program gets as the hacked app doesn't work 100% like the stock rom. That had problems from time to time and my CM6.1 install never worked quite right, and I blame the Sprint VVM. I recommend using Google Voice - my only complaint is you have to press Menu-More-Delete, instead of just having a Delete button. Other than that it has way more cool potential - you won't get notifications or voicemails unless the phone has data service.
I use ROM manager because of it's easy backup management and the rebooting menu. Also, if your recovery (clockworkmod by default) gets messed up, you can flash RA over it, get your phone working, and then flash back to clockworkmod. That only happened to me once, but the flashing saved me. Also, it had some other features that came in very handy and I recommend using. Here's what I would recommend:
1) after getting ROM mgr installed, backup your stock ROM and then do the "Fix Permissions". I had some strange things happen on my first mod and this cleared them up.
2) use CM7.0.2 - it works without lag, has more features than 6.1, and my battery seems to last longer.
3) before you flash the ROM + gapps, write down whatever apps you want to reinstall, and uninstall all applications and updates. (unless you have so many it's a real pain, or you need your app data to come through)
4) reboot to recovery and wipe EVERYTHING but the SD card (wipe data/factory reset + wipe cache + wipe dalvik cache + wipe battery data)
5) now install the CM rom followed by gapps, then reboot
6) gapps runs a special one-time installer on the first boot - best idea is to install everything, then you can go uninstall what you don't want or use later. I had a couple of the individual apps fail to install during this process (maps/nav) and after everything had loaded, went to the market and got google maps the old fashioned way.
** the first gapps individual app installer stuck on the loading screen, so I hit the back button and the rest worked fine.
7) USB tethering will now work (not sure if wifi will without paid app). I downloaded "Tethering Widget" from the Market and it gives you a simple USB icon to toggle the tethering mode. I tested with my Win7 laptop and works great (you need HTC sync software installed for the driver to load)

Tuvan03 said:
Ok CM7 installed succesfully with Google Apps. This is way too cool. Gingerbread on a phone that wasn't supposed to have above Eclair. TAKE THAT SPRINT!
Thanks for all the Help guys this is alot of fun, hope to learn more and be able to do alot more.
Edit: haptic feedback working now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent! If you have anymore questions don't hesitate to ask. One suggestion, if you decide to stay with Amon-RA for your recovery, update it to the most current, 1.6, I believe it is. You can get it from the link I posted earlier.
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Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Ginger-on-Hero action here!

user7618 said:
Excellent! If you have anymore questions don't hesitate to ask. One suggestion, if you decide to stay with Amon-RA for your recovery, update it to the most current, 1.6, I believe it is. You can get it from the link I posted earlier.
-----
Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Ginger-on-Hero action here!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well in your opinion which recovery mod is better? amon ra or Clockworkmod?

user7618 said:
Excellent! If you have anymore questions don't hesitate to ask. One suggestion, if you decide to stay with Amon-RA for your recovery, update it to the most current, 1.6, I believe it is. You can get it from the link I posted earlier.
-----
Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Ginger-on-Hero action here!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont mean to cut in but 1.7 is the latest "unofficial" Ra. But ra nonetheless.
#Root/Hack-Mod_Always*

Tuvan03 said:
well in your opinion which recovery mod is better? amon ra or Clockworkmod?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Neither. He already had RA installed, so why waste time installing something he didn't need? Now, if he had one click root, rom manager is easier, but he didn't, so there is no point.
@laie
Yep, you're right. I'm on 1.7, I just couldn't find the link for it.
-----
Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Ginger-on-Hero action here!

I'd like to root but.. I need advice on whether or not I should

As the title says, I'd like to root, but with somewhat limited knowledge on the phone and it's processes, and no knowledge of scripting/coding, I want to avoid taking too much risk.
I've been stock with the D3 since I got the phone in 2011, found out we aren't getting ICS, and we aren't getting unlocked by Moto. (pissed off!) >.<
The way I see it I have 2 options, 1) stay stock until my contract is up in march and get a new phone, or 2) Give root a go, and Have ICS ported to me via a Custom Rom, and do more research as I go. (I like being hands-on when it comes to learning).
As to my phone, I am running 906 OTA Stock as it gets .. -_-' I'd like to root using
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1686911 <-- ovelayer's method in this thread. (thank you Ovelayer, I can't seem to find that button so I'm just acknowledging you here since I'm new to this kind-of thing).
I just need some clarification
in his thread it says to dl the 1-click .exe, then the Motofail root tool? or is that also a way to root? I got confused with that.
Afterwards, I dl safestrap once I'm rooted? or should I just dl it and put it onto my phone all at once?
Apologies for the noobness. I'd rather be a noob asking questions than a retard who goes ahead and does things and finds out he screwed up too late.

Rooting is done to get superuser permissions within Android so you can install some advanced apps and modify system files which can all be done from within the stock ROM. Rooting then flashing an unofficial ROM is a little more advanced and something I haven't done yet so I can't help you much there. I'm waiting for something a little more stable since my Droid 3 is my main phone. You can read Hash of Codes site (the developer of ICS/JB for the Droid 3) on how to safestrap:
http://blog.hash-of-codes.com/how-to-safestrap/
To root use Motofail. I know it says its for the Droid 4 but the original Droid 3 root exploit was patched with the latest OTA so we have to use the Droid 4 method called Motofail:
http://vulnfactory.org/blog/2012/02/11/rooting-the-droid-4-a-failed-bounty-experiment/

DróidScìon said:
As the title says, I'd like to root, but with somewhat limited knowledge on the phone and it's processes, and no knowledge of scripting/coding, I want to avoid taking too much risk.
I've been stock with the D3 since I got the phone in 2011, found out we aren't getting ICS, and we aren't getting unlocked by Moto. (pissed off!) >.<
The way I see it I have 2 options, 1) stay stock until my contract is up in march and get a new phone, or 2) Give root a go, and Have ICS ported to me via a Custom Rom, and do more research as I go. (I like being hands-on when it comes to learning).
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My D3 has Maverick as non-safe for daily driver and the latest Hashcode for fun. I find that to be the best combination. Once Hash finishes the camera and JB is working reasonable well, JB will be my DD.
I also have an SGS3, TF300T, and a Spica, all of them rooted.

once rooted, make sure you use safe strap. It makes roms easy to try out before having to settle
Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk

Alright, so it appears I have been rooted, and still looks like I'm in .906 OTA. It was pretty easy using Motofail, actually. So, now I have Superuser and Titanium Backup(free, for now) on my D3.
Now, you guys mentioned Safestrap? Can you guys give me a suggestion on which one to use? There appear to be a few of them. 1 is SAFESTRAP v2.10 Recovery (Kexec) and the other is a Tweaked version of Safestrap v1.08e (Non-Kex) which one is better, or a better question, whats the difference between the 2?

DróidScìon said:
Alright, so it appears I have been rooted, and still looks like I'm in .906 OTA. It was pretty easy using Motofail, actually. So, now I have Superuser and Titanium Backup(free, for now) on my D3.
Now, you guys mentioned Safestrap? Can you guys give me a suggestion on which one to use? There appear to be a few of them. 1 is SAFESTRAP v2.10 Recovery (Kexec) and the other is a Tweaked version of Safestrap v1.08e (Non-Kex) which one is better, or a better question, whats the difference between the 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Safestrap 1.08 is the 'normal' ssafestrap
Safestrap 1.08e/f/g is an advanced safestrap with extra features like touch etc but not by hashcode
Safestrap 2.10 is the latest which allows the new kernel with the kexec ICS/JB to be used.
2.10 It appears to also work fine with normal roms so i'd use that

DróidScìon said:
As to my phone, I am running 906 OTA Stock as it gets .. -_-' I'd like to root using
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1686911 <-- ovelayer's method in this thread. (thank you Ovelayer, I can't seem to find that button so I'm just acknowledging you here since I'm new to this kind-of thing).
I just need some clarification
in his thread it says to dl the 1-click .exe, then the Motofail root tool? or is that also a way to root? .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you were stock 906, there was no reason to run the 1-click.exe - that's only for people who rooted their phones and deleted bloatware to get the phone back to stock, or people whose phones are bricked somehow. Coming from stock, just running Motofail was enough to root.
I will concur with everyone here that running rooting, installing and running Safestrap, and installing a custom ROM - and leaving your rooted stock alone - is the best way to go. It will be a lot easier to unroot later on if you want to sell the phone, etc.

Alright, Safestrap 2.01 is installed. According to Hash's Blog, I should create a backup when in the Recovery Menu since its my first time accessing the Safestrap Menu. Can I get a little more detail as to how I do this? When I select backup, it asks if I want to backup from Internal SD or External? I'm assuming Internal, but I just want to err on the side of caution and ask those who already know.

DróidScìon said:
Alright, Safestrap 2.01 is installed. According to Hash's Blog, I should create a backup when in the Recovery Menu since its my first time accessing the Safestrap Menu. Can I get a little more detail as to how I do this? When I select backup, it asks if I want to backup from Internal SD or External? I'm assuming Internal, but I just want to err on the side of caution and ask those who already know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't matter. Choose which has enough space.

DróidScìon said:
Alright, Safestrap 2.01 is installed. According to Hash's Blog, I should create a backup when in the Recovery Menu since its my first time accessing the Safestrap Menu. Can I get a little more detail as to how I do this? When I select backup, it asks if I want to backup from Internal SD or External? I'm assuming Internal, but I just want to err on the side of caution and ask those who already know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's asking where to backup TO, like the post above me, choose wherever has space. Backups are about 1GB. You may wish to move it to your computer after if you don't have much space on your device. You can always stick it back on your external sd via card reader if needed, but it's really hard to brick while using safestrap
Also one of the most common errors for noobs on safestrap is, the first time you engage safe mode, you must flash a rom. Since its using a different partition for system, it's currently empty and if you switch to safe and try to boot you will get a black screen as you are booting an empty partition. All gingerbread roms are stable but there are no ics roms that are fully functional, although one is in the works
Sent from my XT860 using xda premium

I saw that, and before I rooted, I did a Factory Reset on the phone and formatted my SD card. So I have 11+gig free on Internal and 15+gigs on External.
Now, I just need to learn to Flash RoMs (probably more to it than just hitting a button that says flash .zip) and find some info on the "must-have" apps for a rooted phone.

Well guys, I've successfully installed CM9 Kexec ICS Sept 5th update from Hashcode on my Droid 3! Now, another big question, How will I restore stuff like contact and account info? I've read somewhere around here that Restoring Data from my google account is a bad idea?? Are there other ways of doing so without Titanium Backup, or should I just go ahead and buy the Pro Key? (currently limited funding)

DróidScìon said:
Well guys, I've successfully installed CM9 Kexec ICS Sept 5th update from Hashcode on my Droid 3! Now, another big question, How will I restore stuff like contact and account info? I've read somewhere around here that Restoring Data from my google account is a bad idea?? Are there other ways of doing so without Titanium Backup, or should I just go ahead and buy the Pro Key? (currently limited funding)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your contacts are on your google account they will show up.
What other account info do you mean?

You should go ahead and restore contacts. just go to Settings>Accounts and Sync>Google, then turn contacts sync on.

Endoroid said:
Also one of the most common errors for noobs on safestrap is, the first time you engage safe mode, you must flash a rom. Since its using a different partition for system, it's currently empty and if you switch to safe and try to boot you will get a black screen as you are booting an empty partition. All gingerbread roms are stable but there are no ics roms that are fully functional, although one is in the works
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must have made another noob mistake. Everything went well, up until my first startup with the new OS (cyanogenmod9). It has been at the startup screen for over 15minutes right now. I must say, it is one awesome startup screen, with the blue effects and all, but I would love to get to the desktop/homescreen, haha.
If you guys have any advice I would greatly appreciate it. This is a Droid 3, it was rooted a couple hours ago, I did the safestrap as described, created a backup file, etc. My only guess is I jumped the gun by trying this OS on my Droid3 and it may still be under development? FWIW to you, this is the first I've rooted or modded a smartphone in my life, from 0-full speed in a couple hours is what I was shooting for using everyone elses experience.
thanks

Make sure you wiped the data/user settings in Safestrap. You lose your apps & settings but those items from a previous install can cause that type of boot issue.
Sent from my XT862 using xda app-developers app

Phibernaut said:
Make sure you wiped the data/user settings in Safestrap. You lose your apps & settings but those items from a previous install can cause that type of boot issue.
Sent from my XT862 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks. since my last post I used a more detailed how-to, and wiped 3 different areas for data. Now, i had only a black screen (with power, barely lit) and it never even got to the cool blue screen.
I'm currently in safestrap after pulling my battery again, just trying to figure out how to revert back to my standard OS (rooted) and try a ROM like MavRom since it's suppoedly fully capable and stable. I'd love ICS, but I just want a working phone right now
---------- Post added at 10:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:14 PM ----------
good news is, I did enough steps correctly, that I was able to startup in my unsafe mode, and my normal rooted system is functioning fine. That makes me very happy.
This duel boot thing is pretty cool, reminds me of having bootable thumb drives on my old linux system with different OS's. I hope i can get a seperate OS working, however, that fits my needs for a day to day functional phone, without all of Verizon's crap on it

Once rooted use titanium backup to back up apps and data.
Only restore with the same ROM though, the following is in increasing order of risk
restore app only to exact same ROM+version
restore app+data to same ROM+ver
restore app only to update of same ROM
restore app+data to updated ROM version
play chicken with a bus on a highway
restore apps to different kernel e.g. CM7 backup => restore to CM9
check to see what a gun firing looks like down the barrel
restore app+data to different kernel
restore app+data to an older ROM or kernel
do anything at all with system apps+data if you don't know what you're doing