Database Develop

FOR NEW CAPTIVATE USERS - READ HERE FIRST - FAQs | HELPFUL LINKS

Strange we have many FAQ's WIKI's, Great topics on <x> subject - but not one place for the suffering new user to go to. After even myself duplicating topics that have been posted multiple times it is my hope to create this topic to help guide the newly wayward Captivate user to the correct topic and keep the repeated topics down a bit.
I AM IN NO WAY RESPONSIBLE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO YOUR DEVICE - YOU THE OWNER OF YOUR CAPTIVATE TAKE 100% RESPONSIBILITY.
This is going to be a long long post - so make sure you use your CTRL-F in your Browser
Special Credits go to the following for putting together the information. I'm just the one gathering it up. So if something you read here helps - make sure to DONATE to them. Also if I have forgot to list you and you wish to be credited? PM me and I'll be happy to add you.
Mikey1022
CLShortFuse
Design Gears
bobbylx
nbs11
BEFORE EVEN READING THIS POST IT WOULD BE WISE TO READ THE WIKI FIRST!
Also some tips before Posting your Question!
Use the SEARCH FEATURE on the Forum and keep your search simple. (ex. GPS, Bricked, Shutdown etc..) Odds are your issue has been posted and answered a few times.
Follow the Rules: Failure to do so could get you banned or worse ridiculed!
Be Courteous and Patient! - If your posted is filled with expletives and I hate this phone, and you come off as being overall rude? Don't expect an answer and expect your post to get removed and you possibly banned.
1) What USB Drivers should I get for my computer to recognize my Captivate? These are the drivers I have used on both a Windows XP 32-bit and Windows 7 64-bit machines - so I know they work.
For Windows 64bit Click here.
For Windows 32-bit Click here.
2) How do I Root my Captivate?
By far the easiest method that I've been able to use is CLShortFuse's One-Click Root and Allow Non-Market Apps. It is a VERY SIMPLE application to use.: Click HERE to go to the post to read about it and download the application.
There is a new tool out there that is a "do-it-all-in-one" called AIO - I would check out the post here and check out the youtube video. This tool appears to do it all.
And users have asked what do I lose if I root my phone. The short answer is nothing! You will not lose any settings, pictures, media, application data etc. But you do gain a lot! I would suggest reading about rooting your device here to learn more about the benefits to rooting your phone.
3) Oh crap I have "bricked" my device!
Um no you didn't. Unless you are unable to get the phone to power on, or it will not be recognized by your computer it is not bricked. "Most" (as in 99.99999%) of the time you can get the phone back into download mode and then ODIN 1-Click back to stock. I would highly recommend going to the links posted before reading the methods I have below them.
Go to DesignGears Odin3 One-Click back to Stock thread and do what it says there.
You should also go to bobbylx's READ ME BEFORE FLASHING!!!! Thread as well by clicking here.
If your phone is still able to get to CWM You can download the stock OTA JH7 from this thread here! I would still recommend the Odin 1-Click method as it will definitely wipe all the gremlins from your phone.
You can watch this tutorial on youtube here if you wish. Credit to BlinkPhaseVideos for the tutorial.
If for some strange reason you absolutely cannot get the phone into download mode you can try one of two things:
The first method - It will take a few tries to get the timing just right so be patient:
Unplug your Device
Pull out the SIM, External SD Card, and Battery
Plug in the mini-USB Cable back into your phone.
While holding down BOTH Up/Down Volume Buttons re-insert the battery.
If you get the "grey battery charging" screen. Then you will need to try and re-attempt it as it didn't work. You should get the download screen and be ready to go back to stock.
Build a Jig to force the phone to go into download mode by reading this thread here.
Mind you this is not for the feint at heart and AT&T warranty centers might be a better option then completely frying your phone.
4) My Phone is Randomly Rebooting or Shutting down after I do <insert whatever action it was doing when it did it here.>
I was informed of two separate posts here and here and now here.
If you have a build 1008 phone and the IMEI # matches what is in this thread here then you might get a replacement device.
Feel free to try what they are posting on there and who knows? You might get lucky. But the overall consensus from what I've read is that if your phone is shutting down and it's not related to some errant application, a custom ROM, or you dipped it in water then it is hardware related and you will want to do a warranty replacement. (No warranty - OUCH! That $4.99 a mo seems pretty trivial now eh?)
5) My GPS is not working because of <insert your random thought/idea here>?
There are two awesome posts on the developer forums on thought, ideas, potential fixes that will at least help if not completely fix your GPS. Keep in mind a lot of this is speculation, personal user experiences, and some folks just madly mashing buttons and getting lucky and having no clue as to how they fixed it.
If your not having GPS issues GREAT! You don't need this then!
My personal favorite thread as it has a lot of information about how GPS works is the [GPS/AGPS] REAL solution analysis thread (Jupiter Tweaks) thread. ***Note: This is most likely only for Froyo 2.2 ROM's.
Another one that has a lot of information and might possibly work for your is:
GPS Flawless/I am requesting XDA Community and Developers to please read!!
6) So.. You think your ready to Install that Awesome <insert Name of ROM here> ROM that will CHANGE YOUR LIFE?
Uh-uh... not until you have read here first. This is that sticky topic that says "Read BEFORE flashing!!". This is probably THE MOST IMPORTANT reading you can do before you start flashing as it shows you how to backup and restore your device.
Then you need to read up on nbs11's guide on his [GUIDE] How to Install a Custom ROM by going here. This guide is VERY easy to read and can apply to most of the custom ROMs that utilize a *.zip to install. ***edit - now includes a video(s) on youtube on how to install that custom ROM.
And failing to follow the developer/cooker's instructions to the "T" could cause catastrophic issues with your phone and yes... possibly bricking your device. Make sure when you go to the ROM you wish to install that you read their install instructions as it could slightly differ from other ROMs out there.
7) So your Battery is Going Down to 0% faster than your USB can Charge Your Phone?
This - by far is probably the best thread I have read about the subject. Although some of it might be speculation - it does seem to be pretty solid work. I would suggest reading this post:How to isolate and fix battery drain (and maybe lag, too) and then see if your battery performance improves.
I hope this guide helps you out. I wish I had known this information before I started flashing ROMs.

Important Links with Additional Information about your Captivate
I have found all of these quite helpful. If you think your post should be added please PM me!
Wiki's and How-TO Basics!
The XDA Samsung Captivate Wiki
XDA and Android Terms and Acronyms Thanks to jmtheiss for creating this. Basic guide to XDA and your Captivate
AIO Captivate Toolbox: This is the all in one tool that allows you to do everything from install drivers, root your phone, and install custom ROM's. If your new this might be the tool for you to use.
Samsung HOW-TO Wiki (3rd Party Link)
The Main XDA Wiki: Lists all the phones that XDA has in their forums. Also has additional information there.
ADB for Dummies! - ADB is probably one of my best tools for tweaking my phone (and restoring stuff I break). If your going to be changing your phone around at all - READ THIS THREAD
Theming Your Phone
Captivate Theme Sticky: Go here to see all of the different themes/tweaks/mods for your Captivate phone.
MetaMorph Home Page on XDA - This is a 3rd party application that will modify the look of your phone without you having to modify any type of *.apk files yourself.
Circle Battery Mods - How to change your default Battery Icon on your status bar.
Transparent Widgets - Just what it says. But please be careful and understand what you are doing before attempting these mods.

Common Sense Before Posting Your Question - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ
Before you post a question on XDA - Please make sure you have utilized the SEARCH Feature - as your issue has probably been answered at least once.
If your going to post a question, make sure it makes sense! i.e. a bad example is ZOMFGBBQSAUCE WTF DO I DO!!!1111!!!!111!!!!!! vs. Phone is Soft Bricked After Attempting to Odin 1 Click. Which one do you think people are going to know how to answer by looking at the topic? Just saying..
In the body of your text it will be very helpful if you do the following:
State clearly the issue - bricked my phone etc.
What ROM are you currently using?
What is the EXACT ERROR of the issue you are reporting?
Is your phone rooted?
Did you have USB Debugging turned on?
If you fail to put pertinent information such as the above - there is no way for anyone to answer your question.
And.. this shouldn't need to be said but I'm adding it anyways...
Be patient. Be polite. Just because you cannot understand something does not mean u can show your frustration at folks here.
Of course this does not encompass all questions - mainly this is useful for when something goes wrong with your phone.

Good resource to put everything together.

w00t Sitckied! Thanks!

JF6 to JF7 Kies Mini Update. Is it necessarily?
Question guys. After using Odin to obtain JF6, do I need to use Kies mini to get to JF7 to be able to use another ROM or I can just master clear everything and from JF6 install a new ROM? Asking because I bricked my phone trying to do OTA to JF7. Got a replacement phone. The boot loader is shot probably so its safe to say my Captivate is bricked. It won't power on at all. I think upgrading to JF7 is pointless but need your expert advice. Thanks.

I have never upgraded from jf6 to jf7 before I flashed another rom, never had any issues. Think it would be an unnecessary step if you are planning to flash over out anyway.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Mr.Pirate said:
Question guys. After using Odin to obtain JF6, do I need to use Kies mini to get to JF7 to be able to use another ROM or I can just master clear everything and from JF6 install a new ROM? Asking because I bricked my phone trying to do OTA to JF7. Got a replacement phone. The boot loader is shot probably so its safe to say my Captivate is bricked. It won't power on at all. I think upgrading to JF7 is pointless but need your expert advice. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After you use ODIN back to JF6 - you can then upgrade back up to any ROM the Dev Forums have available.
The only caveat to this - is READ THEIR INSTRUCTIONS! Some are highly experimental and require you to install them different from the standard CWM install method. (i.e. Cyanogen and the Gingerbread port going around).

i wish this thread was around when i first started out a while back. good job on this one guys.

Can someone post something that shows how to install a theme? I have flashed a custom rom and see a theme I wanna install on it. (Already downloaded the .zip file for it, not sure what to do next)
Thanks.

nice stuff

I find that installing PDAnet as my drivers for my Captivate works well for rooting.

Nice thread. I wish I had seen this before I started flashing.

I think the OP needs to be updated with the line "Be patient. Be polite. Just because u cannot understand something does not mean u can show ur frustration at folks here."

A couple of questions. I've rooted my phone installed a custom rom (serendipity 5.5) and installed that steam. What does jpy and all those others mean? and where would I find out what mine is?

Deadclown said:
A couple of questions. I've rooted my phone installed a custom rom (serendipity 5.5) and installed that steam. What does jpy and all those others mean? and where would I find out what mine is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think all of that is listed in the WIKI with definitions.
When you see JPY - it is the last 3 letters of the Baseband Version typically - but could be the Modem or Kernel being utilized in the ROM your running. You can see what baseband you are currently running by going under Settings -> About Phone and you will see under Baseband Settings something like: "I9000UGJK4"
But... you would be better off going to the Dev's forum and looking at their release notes. 99% of the time tell you what build the kernel is based off of and the modem they are using.
LOL and yes being patient and courteous is kind of a given. If you guys have any updates, ideas, etc.... to add to the post please let me know.

diablo009 said:
I think the OP needs to be updated with the line "Be patient. Be polite. Just because u cannot understand something does not mean u can show ur frustration at folks here."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol Added it!

Thanks This is helpful

thanks for posting this.

How do you upgrade a ROM?
I just flashed Super Nova 2.0.2 last night. It was updated to 2.0.6 since I flashed. How do I update? Do I have flash back to factory?

[SOLVED] Help to choose rooting method and backup method

Got my phone (AT&T Captivate, firmware 2.1-update1 version JH7, kernel 2.6.29, build eclair.UCJH7) on december 28 from a AT&T store (it even came with a pic taken december 20 ) and I've already been able to boot into download mode (power off, hold volume keys then plug usb) and into that menu used to install packages (power off, hold volume keys then power on). Guess my hardware and firmware are ok, so I may be able to recover my phone by myself in case things go south.
I've been doing my homework lately (been reading stickys, tutorials and faqs for 10 days) but I'm still confused about some procedures. I'm not going to list everything I've read here, but I would like someone to correct me if I've learnt wrong. I don't really need the easiest methods, I want to understand the options available and to choose the best ones (aka the hardest path).
First of all, it seems I need to root my phone in order to be able to create backups, carrier-unlock it and flash custom roms. But it doesn't make much sense to me, since rooting it seem to be enough to prevent it from receiving FOTA updates - and I want to make the most comprehensive backup possible, in such a way I could restore my phone to 'factory condition' if needed.
Second, I realize there are many ways, programs and guides to root the phone - the most famous ones, One-Click root/unroot and z4root, seem to be listed in the wiki (http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Samsung_Galaxy_S/SGH-I897), but there is also CLShortFuse's One-Click Root and Allow Non-Market Apps, which sounds interesting but I don't know if it is undo-able. So there are different ways to root the phone, but there is little to none information on what's the difference between these methods, which is 'better' and what difference does it make if I root it permanently or by some reversible method. Does it affect performance? How each of them work? I have no clue.
The mess gets even greater when it comes to creating backups. People mention different programs to make these backups (clockwork recovery, titanium backup) but I don't understand if they back up different parts of the phone. Some even seem to change the bootloader of the phone - shouldn't it be backed up prior to any modification? Do I flash these backups using Odin? Which programs should I use to have a full backup? Is there anything left I should back up manually?
I'll quit talking for now because I've already written a lot and I still have many questions; if I write all of them at once, no one will ever have the patience to read them.

Erk, a long post deserves a long answer
So first off, il tell you about recovering your phone. Since you just got it, you can go back to the store and play dumb to get a new one in case anything goes wrong. You can also use the 3 button combos to get into download mode and use odins back to stock to get back to your original 2.1 eclair firmware . To do that you would need to get into download mode. Now there are a couple ways to do this, and i can only explain two since ive actually used two. (Well 3 actually, but il get to the third after these 2)
The first method is using the 3 button combo which you should already know. The second method is using adb commands such as (adb shell, adb reboot download, adb reboot recovery, adb devices). The third way is building a jig. Thats basically connecting 301k 1/4 watt worth of resistors together and placing them on pin 4 and 5 on your micro usb slot. You can read more about that on the tutorial on how to build a jig for your phone.
To restore to your factory setting, odin's one click back to stock thing should do the job. It simple installs the stock 2.1 eclair all over again (without the root).
To root your phone, any method from the wiki should work. None of them are really "better" :S, they all do the same job and give you super user permissions. None of them root your permanently since you can always go back to stock using Odin's... It does not really affect performance, not to any extent i have noticed :S, and unfortunately, i dont really know how it works.
As for creating backups, Titanium Backup is the best solution. Whether you have the few extra bucks to spend for the premium one or simply want to use the free one, its one of the best tools out there. I personally use it and its one of the best. It backs up all the data (except for my text messages). It creates a folder on your internal memory which you can just copy to your desktop. When the time comes that you need to restore your backup, just copy the folder back into your internal memory, load up titanium backup. Restore it and voila .
I think ive answered everything, if ive missed anything, let me know
Edit : Forgot to mention this . If your truly interested in customization. Custom roms are the best there is a howto in the themes and apps section on how to install it. It comes pre-rooted (if that is the word to use :S) and theyre much better than the stock firmware. Im currently using serendipity v3.0 (flashed it yesterday)

supaphreek, guess I'll have to thank you twice: once for reading my enormous post, and again for you supacompleteanswer.
I'm being paranoid with recovery because I actually bought the phone in the US then came back to my country (Brazil), so I'm a few thousand miles away from the simple lets-return-this-thing solution.
From everything I've read, I believe the most instructive were the wiki at http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Samsung_Galaxy_S/SGH-I897 , the FAQ at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=858765 , the PDF guide from user nbs11 at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=761819 and the wiki at http://www.capfaq.com/w/FAQ. These contain most of the info a newbie user would ever need and I'd definitely recommend them to any newbie user who happen to be reading this. And for everyone afraid of bricking, it's a tremendous relief to know pretty much any mess you do can be reverted using download mode and Odin, so the first thing to test is if you can get into download mode using one of the ways described by our buddy supaphreek.
On the rooting matter, I found no discussion at all about which is better, so they should be pretty similar (though I have no idea which is the oldest version, I'd assume the recent ones might be a little improved). There is some discussion on what's the better lagfix and many of the cooked ROMs already come with some lagfix installed, but this is another story...
Once I get my phone rooted, it seems to be trivial to carrier-unlock it. There's even an app on android market for this, so I won't even need sideloading. Since all this procedure does is just give me a number, there's hardly any difference among all the unlocking procedures out there.
For the backup, I'll still do it using both titanium and clockwork, as suggested by nbs11 on the pdf I've linked on this post. Better safe than sorry, right?
And yes, I'm truly interested in customization and I'll go deep down that path, I'm just packing up my head with some knowledge to avoid being desperate if things eventually go fubar.
As a last question, is there somewhere I can get 1-click Odin with my exact firmware version? (2.1-update1, I897UCJH7, Kernel 2.6.29 [email protected] #2, build eclair.ucjh7) And how important is it to get the exact same firmware?
As I've done my research, I found 1-click odin with JF6 here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=731989
I've also found the 'standalone' I897UCJH7 on this topic (where this guy even flashed succesfully his phone using old JH2 firmware without problems, so finding the exact firmware version might not be the greatest issue): http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=10056254&postcount=36 but this process is a bit more complicated and uses regular Odin and clockwork recovery. Nonetheless, from what I've understood, I can still use any old version of odin to flash JF6 then use my own clockwork backup, right?

Hmm, unfortunately, im not sure if there is a specific Odin for that firmware :S. However what you can do is use one that reverts you to any stock version, and then flash the version you want through clockwork mod

I'll do that. Thanks again!

Also if you one click to stock, you can OTA update to the most recent firnware. I suggest titanium premium if you are going to flash a lot of custom roms, it is a lot faster to restore and also syncs with dropbox
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Be careful trying to flash with odin. Some newer builds get instabrick flashing back to jf6 and must go with jh2 or newer.
So, you may want to invest a few bucks in a jig setup before blindly using odin.

Thanks for the tip, sixstringsg.
Newter55, as my phone is brand new I believe I may have one of these insta-brickable devices. If I happen to try flashing it with a recent rom, does it get recoverably bricked (fixed by flashing an older rom), or I'm left with a $500 paperweight?

You just need to use the correct firmware version of odin if you manage to get in trouble. Many people flash rom over rom, including myself, but it is highly likely that at some point you will need odin if you are flashing roms so it is best to ensure that you have that set up first. Look for the odin thread by c3popl (sp?) in development forum and you should find what you need. Read through that and look for others with your base firmware. Or look through q&a at the "help I bricked" threads . On my phone and posting links is a pita or I would make it easy for you.

If your phone came with JH7, follow this guide:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=10056254&postcount=36
If you use one of the Odin one-clicks and brick your phone, you'll need a USB jig to recover.

You guys are awesome. Thank you newter55 and GGXtreme for this info! I hope I'll never need it, but I'll buy a cable and make a jig.
The news: I've rooted my phone using One Click Root / Unroot by TGA_Gunnman (for the record: it worked with my JH7 Captivate bought in 28 dec). Once I booted windows, installed dotnet framework 4 and the samsung drivers (easy too, but a pita), rooting was easy and failproof. However, someone using linux might find it easier to just download 1-click root, find the root.zip file in there, rename it as update.zip, put the zip in the internal sdcard, boot the phone holding the volume buttons and then 'install packages'. This way there will be no need to fight Wine nor install anything nor look for a windows computer with admin privileges.
Also unlocked my phone using SGS Unlock Tool, available in the Android Market. The unrooted option won't work, but once rooted it worked like a champ. Next step: I'll do the backups, and then... start messing up my new toy!

[Q] Some questions about flashing back to stock Rogers 2.1

Hello! I apologize for adding yet another post about this, but I've looked around the forums, and it seems like all of the answers are scattered all over the place. It just ended up confusing me even more, so I'm hoping someone can clarify a few things for me.
I'm looking to flash back to stock 2.1 from Rogers, and update to 2.2 via Kies. I want to return my phone to Rogers since I'm having the shutdown problems (it's shutting down frequently now), so I'm trying to get my warranty restored. My phone is currently the unofficial AT&T 2.2 ROM from I897UCJI6-OCD-REV02-Low-designgear (ODIN one-click).
From reading around, I saw that there are two methods to restore stock - either by ODIN3 or Heimdall - but it seems like people had a different ROM from the one I have right now, and I'm not really sure if this should make a difference.
I don't really want to end up with a brick phone, so any tips you can give me will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance.

luciferyo said:
Hello! I apologize for adding yet another post about this, but I've looked around the forums, and it seems like all of the answers are scattered all over the place. It just ended up confusing me even more, so I'm hoping someone can clarify a few things for me.
I'm looking to flash back to stock 2.1 from Rogers, and update to 2.2 via Kies. I want to return my phone to Rogers since I'm having the shutdown problems (it's shutting down frequently now), so I'm trying to get my warranty restored. My phone is currently the unofficial AT&T 2.2 ROM from I897UCJI6-OCD-REV02-Low-designgear (ODIN one-click).
From reading around, I saw that there are two methods to restore stock - either by ODIN3 or Heimdall - but it seems like people had a different ROM from the one I have right now, and I'm not really sure if this should make a difference.
I don't really want to end up with a brick phone, so any tips you can give me will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=846501
edit: i see you were posting in that thread already....

Yeah. orz I probably should have waited more, but I thought no one was really looking at that thread as frequently.
Thanks though! I'll just stick to that thread instead.

well, i haven't used heimdall, but i've used odin. it won't matter what rom you are currently on. what i would suggest is making sure you have 3 button recovery working correctly before using though.... just because there are versions of the one-click odin that will remove it, and i see that's what you have used... although i believe the flash you did shouldn't have removed it. you will not be able to get to "true" rogers stock, but if you follow some of instructions in the posts in that thread, your phone will get pretty close to stock - boot screens and all. i don't know how hard rogers will look at your phone before determining whether or not it will be covered.

Thank you so much for the reply!
The three-button recovery is the vol+, vol-, and power button, right? Also, if it isn't "true" Rogers stock, does that mean it isn't advisable to update to the official 2.2 ROM via Kies?

Stock Nexus Root Steps

I've been doing a lot of reading regarding rooting the Nexus one and unlocking the bootloader etc. I wish not to unlock the bootloader at this stage (as you can't lock it again, and the fact that i'm gonna be playing around with my dad's phone and wouldnt want anything to happen to that)
Right now, the phone has stock 2.3.4 installed, which I believe needs to be downgraded to be rooted.
So I downloaded the FRG83 release.
Now is the following right/possible:
Flash the phone with FRG83 by going into the phone's recovery - so the phone is downgraded
Root the phone using the superoneclick method
Now the phone is rooted and I can flash it with any custom ROM eg, CyanogenMod 7 etc..?
Sorry if this has been covered earlier, however I tried my best to read as much as I could, however there were always a few more steps involved in the process which I thought could be left out
So would the above process be okay?
Thanks

You have to use the PASSIMG.ZIP method to downgrade.
I would just read the WIKI
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wik...des_&_Tutorials#Unroot_.2F_Restore_your_Nexus

Read the wiki. You said you been doing a lot of reading but still do not know how to root/downgrade from 2.3.4. That makes no sense.
The steps are there for a reason.
You don't know what you're doing but come to conclusion that you can skip/leave out steps. That is flat out stupid.

Thanks
Thanks baseballfanz Yeah I've read the wiki and I was going to use the PASSIMG method, hence downloaded the FRG83 file, but somewhere else I had read that you had to flash it to froyo then back upto gingerbread :/ hence was a bit confused.
The problem is there are too many threads about it. And there are a few tiny differences in all.
So I guess I have to flash down to froyo and then use superoneclick.
And after that, I can just flash any ROM from the forum?
Alubundy2010, mate I did read it all and understood it. However I still had a few questions. If you didnt wanna help, it would've been best to keep your mouth shut.
Thanks

It is clear you did not and still don't understand it.

Yeah probably not, hence why I posted asking for help in the first place. Just spent an hour trying to do it, but stuck at froyo for now till I do an official OTA update tmrw morning and have a stock unrooted phone, cus I honestly don't have the balls to brick my dad's phone. So not rooting till I'm 100% sure of what I'm doing.
Thanks a lot for all the amazing the help.

Wiki clearly says:
"Gingerbread 2.3.4 can be rooted only when downgraded to 2.3.3 or to Froyo, using PASSIMG method, which will wipe the phone"
And the link is given - landing you on the same page, a bit upwards. The link contains EVERYTHING needed to downgrade.
Moreover, the following sentence points you to a VERY simple guide, which says: when you downgrade, you root. Without any additional steps. And from that point you do whatever you want.
The main guideline of XDA should say - "if you don't know what you're doing - stay away from rooting until you do". Obviously you don't, and you don't seem willing to learn by reading the proper guides, even when pointed to.
And just to make sure you got it: you can't root the latest OS version. Which means, if you downgrade and wait for the OTA to upgrade you back to the latest version, you'll finish (again) without the ability to root, and this time also without the ability to downgrade. Not quite smart, yes? If you want to avoid unlocking the bootloader, that is.

Now that the phone is running froyo you can root.
You should also have gotten the ota notification basically as soon as the phone finished booting.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

I've read through
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=939243
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wik...des_&_Tutorials#Unroot_.2F_Restore_your_Nexus
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=636795
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=705460
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1084978
think that's a fair few guides I've been through, and that's probably why I can't get it write cus I'm jumping from one page to another :|
Oh well thanks for the help guys, and I did actually do all the reading that was required.
Oh and I also rooted the phone when it was on Froyo through the manual superboot process.

[Q] How to pull kernal and rom from stock phone

My wife just received the text from ATT that Gingerbread was ready to download to her Captivate. We are planning on doing that since she is still on Froyo.
My question is this, is there a way to pull the kernal and rom from her phone after she updates and put it on a different Captivate. I would like to learn a little bit about the procedure if there is a way and give it a try. Would Rom Manager do the trick? I have an extra Captivate that was given to me by a friend who upgraded to a different phone so I have a Captivate to "play with". I am trying to learn a little about how all this works so any steps, links, advice, etc would be grealy appreciated. Thanks in advance.

If you are looking for a stock rom I would recommend checking out the stickie in the development thread. It has a variety of one click packages. It would also recommend doing a lot of research before hand. There is a ton of information on these forums. The more you read, the less likely you are to have problems in the process. Good luck!
Sent from my ICS powered SGH-I897.

Here is a method of backing up the whole rom or parts of it. How to make a tar ball, etc. Easier on a Linux system or Mac OS. Cygwin is anoying at time, but will make it work on Windows.

Thanks. I appreciate the info.

You will need root to do that (see the su command?). Search official kk4.