Related
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?
I just got a new I9000 Running 2.2 from Vodaphone in Australia.
Getting very bored of it in stock form and want an increase its speed/features as much as I can. Unfortunately I know absolutely nothing about anything custom. This is my first smart phone.
The amount of custom stuff released for this phone is mind numbing, and I know there is a lot of potential there to be unlocked.
So my question is in mid 2011, near the end of the phones prime life, what is the generally accepted best thing you can do with this phone? I'm sure after all this time many things have become redundant and been replaced by better things?
In a nutshell I want to get my phone to the highest speed and feature rich state I can. Speed is definitely the highest priority followed by features and ease of use.
This includes any kind of modding including overclocking.
What I know about this phone is from when it was released there used to be lagfix, voodoofix etc to change the file system and speed up the phone. But have those things been replace by custom roms now etc?
I can follow instructions easily, but as long as they encompass everything from Stock form to completion.
For example I really don't like guides or instructions that as a first step they say something like
"Before you do this made you have rooted your phone, go into flash recovery mode use the Jhp.ascii and use odin to enter download mode. male sure you have the dbdata.rfs, boot.bin in the directory before proceeding"
I want instructions that tell you how to root the phone properly, how/what flash recovery to use, how do I use get Odin etc what all these files are what they do how to get them etc.
Bassicaly talking someone who has never flown before into landing a plane.
I think for many of the people who write instructions things they see as completely obvious basic and what they consider common knowledge are completely unknown to new people. I find 97% of the instructions for any modding mention things where prior knowledge is assumed.
Lastly even if you know how to follow instructions, the amount of stuff available for this phones means I wouldn't know where to start. So I need to know what are the most favoured mods to do, in as complete packages as possible.For example I would rather flash with one mega rom that comes with everything than install every little tweak manually
Hi go checkout romkitchen.org
Also live support in irc, check my sig.
See you there ;-)
Thanks. I'll definitely be checking that chanel out if I can't manage here, but it will have to be sometime next week for irc.
At the moment Im busy doing things around the house and I may need to go in out at any time so I was hoping for a forum post so I can read it and check up on it when I can.
But like I said when I get a few hours of no interuptions I may sit down to do all the mods live
So is darkys rom any good?
From what I can tell its
Root phone.
Install Darkys ROM.
Done.
I just need to get someone to tell me if my phone is fully compatible, and how to back up my vodaphone stock firmware if its not available on the internet already.
Phone info.
Baseband version
I9000HVJP3
KERNEL VERSION
2.6.32.9
[email protected] #6
BUILD NUMBER
FROYO.HVJP4
My personal experience is that whenever you're using a custom rom, you're using a lot more potential of your phone, than by using a Stock-Rom, updated by Kies.
The Guides all seem a bit hardcore when you start first, but it really is worth it. I recommend you start with the EZbase Guide which offers a step by step guide with screenshots (which I was really happy for, having no clue where to start), located here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=991792
After reading AND understanding this guide, you are good to go to start flashing, BUT every flash has a potential risk of bricking your phone, making it a pretty expensive paperweight. If you come to bootloops or a lot of force closes on start: Don't be worried, you can fix this (or at least i could after running into them). The first time I flashed was due to lots of force closes after updating with Kies, which was my start for using custom roms.
The choice of custom rom is pretty much your own. There are several roms I liked and there is one, I pretty much stick with: Insanity (currently using 8.5, which has some battery drain issues for me, after loading the battery or putting the phone to flight mode ... I'm gonna report that to nitr8, once I got 10 Posts ).
However, you got to (or rather better) find your own favorite.
When I got the phone I was told it was locked.
Will this interfere with any modding?
I was told I can call vodaphone and they will unlock it for me, but it seems there is also a hack way to unlock it.
. Unlocking your phone.
--Why, when, where: If you bought your phone with a contract, chances are that it might be locked in that specific network. If you want to also use other SIM cards in it, that are from another provider, you will have to unlock the phone (!! WARNING !! in most cases this will lead to a void warranty, please consult your contract).
--Prerequisites: Root privileges, adb.
8.1. Get the /efs/nv_data.bin file from your device to your computer. You can do this either with adb or by copying the file to your SD card with "Root Explorer" and then copying it over to your machine from the SD (Be sure to keep a backup of this file and the /efs/.nv_data.bin.md5 file.)
8.2. Open up the file in a hex editor, go to the address 0x181468, where you will see something like this:
FF 01 00 00 00 00 46 46 46...
We are interested in that first '01', that means the phone is locked. Just change it to '00' and save the file. Copy it back to your SD card and then with "Root Explorer" back to it's original location (or 'push' it directly with adb). Then remove the .nv_data.bin.md5 file and restart the device (Again, be sure to make copies of these files before modifying or deleting them!). After this, you should be able to insert any SIM card into your device and it should work without the need for any further hacks.
miui for beauty and speed
welcome to the galaxy of galaxy S ROMs..
you have made a very wise decision to buy galaxy S.... even though a year old it blows every single core phone out of the water..
now back to your question:
1. ROM :
if you are looking for speed and beauty then you don't have any other place to go than MIUI..
other custom ROMs are good but they are just some cosmetic change of galaxy ROM. .but MIUI is totally different.. (awesome would be understatement)
Trust me I have battery problem in MIUI but still I can't go back to samsung ROM>
that is how good the ROM is... others are getting good battery life out of the latest MIUI ROM... with the latest kernel you can overclock your phone upto 1.5 ghz...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=992251
head over to this link and read carefully and decide whether you want to flash this ROM or not..
there are other good gingerbread ROMs as well though I have not tried most of them..
2. VOODOO sound!!!!!
this is the biggest thing that has happened to galaxy S... google it once and you will know its awesomeness.. It's basically well tuned sound driver made by supercurio... most of the people after using voodoo sound have considered galaxy S to be the most awesome sounding music player (not just phone) ever..
better than iphone and other DAP..
(most of the custom ROMs comes with kernel supporting VOODOO sound... you just need to download voodoo app from the market)
I think those are the two awesome things you can do with your galaxy S...
there are other things too that you can learn if you follow xda..
happy XDAing
steps for installing MIUI ROM
to make things short,, just follow these 8 steps.. that's it
0: Be sure that you're based on a Froyo FW! CRUCIAL.
1: Load these files:
a) galaxy-efsbackup.zip / Mirror
b) cm7-galaxys-initial-kernel.tar / Mirror
c) MIUI MCGv1 / Mirror
d) speedmod-kernel-k13c-500hz.tar / Mirror
(thanks to creative59 for mirrors!)
2: Copy all files except:
speedmod-kernel-k13c-500hz.tar & cm7-galaxys-initial-kernel.tar
3: Flash speedmod-kernel-k13c-500hz.tar via Odin, wait for reboot and after that shutdown
4: Start via 3-button-combo in recovery mode and install galaxys-efsbackup.zip
5: Pull out battery and in again, start via 3-button-combo via download mode and flash cm7-galaxys-initial-kernel.tar via Odin BUT DON'T check repartition and auto reboot
6: Pull out the USB cable and start (in download mode) with 3-button-combo in recovery mode (waiting until samsung logo appears)
7: Choose "mounts & storage" and format system, data, cache
8: Flash MIUI MCGv1.
First and foremost check if bootloader locked...then check the recovery / download modes work and then proceed...
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA Premium App
Thanks for your post ujjwal321. For a first attempt, I am very happy with what you suggested. I think there is enough there for me to try it on my own and MIUI seems good.
A few things I'd like to point out though. The ONLY reason I actually decided I have enough information from your post to mod is because of the youtube video that goes through the install process. There is absolutely no way would ever know what to do without the video, and most roms do not come with it.
I am very unhappy at the level of ease and lack of instructions in the written instructions of roms...
For example If I did not watch the video, I would never know to put the phone in "USB Debug" mode.
Why are things like this not listed in step by step instructions?
Secondly, even the things that are listed like
": Load these files:
a) galaxy-efsbackup.zip / Mirror
b) cm7-galaxys-initial-kernel.tar / Mirror
c) MIUI MCGv3 / Mirror
d) speedmod-kernel-k13c-500hz.tar / Mirror"
are baffling.
To someone doing this for the first time the word "load" is as meaningless as kaka
Load to what!?
"Copy all files except:
speedmod-kernel-k13c-500hz.tar & cm7-galaxys-initial-kernel.tar
3: Flash speedmod-kernel-k13c-500hz.tar via Odin, wait for reboot and after that shutdown"
Copy to what? Flash to what, how? what is flash?
Luckily by looking at the video, I know exactly what to do. However its all because of monkey see monkey do, there is no level of good communication through a good set of instructions or guide, and thus there incomplete understanding on my end.
IMPORTANT
Before doing any of these things, does my phone need to be rooted? Currently it is locked and completely stock. Or Can I just follow the youtube video instructions from the get go? I also just read "When upgrading to 1.5.20 you need to wipe data, datadata, cache and system!". What? All I know is how to go to settings>SD card and storage and format the SD card, as well as Privacy>reset settings>Factory settings, Is this enough?
I ask because form what I have seen so far nothing is clear cut and your meant to already know 99 facts for every 1 mentioned.
Lastly, before I do any flashing, I really NEED to know either how to back up my current firmware, or if it is available online. It is Aussie vodaphone 2.2
What do I do in case I need to claim warranty? I need to put the stock one back on. I have 2 years of warranty after all, If I don't back it up I loose all that.
So, can anyone shed some light on this?
P.S blackheart, I can enter the download mode and the recovery mode by doing the 3 button combo, it goes into the respective screens and i can scroll up down using the volume button. I have not done anything more than that, I hope that means its not locked.
Hey!
About the loading of files. It just means u copy them to your phone.
There are 2 ways of flashing. With odin/heimdall, and through the phones recovery. To flash in the recovery the files need to be located in the phones memory.
Before flashing without having any clue i suggest reading a lot of faqs etc.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
I realky recomend ezbase as your start point. Idiot proof instructions, it worked for me so they must be!
Sent from gt i9000 insanity 8.5/fugumod
Get CM7 and you'll never look back
splendidtry said:
I just got a new I9000 Running 2.2 from Vodaphone in Australia.
Getting very bored of it in stock form and want an increase its speed/features as much as I can. Unfortunately I know absolutely nothing about anything custom. This is my first smart phone.
The amount of custom stuff released for this phone is mind numbing, and I know there is a lot of potential there to be unlocked.
So my question is in mid 2011, near the end of the phones prime life, what is the generally accepted best thing you can do with this phone? I'm sure after all this time many things have become redundant and been replaced by better things?
In a nutshell I want to get my phone to the highest speed and feature rich state I can. Speed is definitely the highest priority followed by features and ease of use.
This includes any kind of modding including overclocking.
What I know about this phone is from when it was released there used to be lagfix, voodoofix etc to change the file system and speed up the phone. But have those things been replace by custom roms now etc?
I can follow instructions easily, but as long as they encompass everything from Stock form to completion.
For example I really don't like guides or instructions that as a first step they say something like
"Before you do this made you have rooted your phone, go into flash recovery mode use the Jhp.ascii and use odin to enter download mode. male sure you have the dbdata.rfs, boot.bin in the directory before proceeding"
I want instructions that tell you how to root the phone properly, how/what flash recovery to use, how do I use get Odin etc what all these files are what they do how to get them etc.
Bassicaly talking someone who has never flown before into landing a plane.
I think for many of the people who write instructions things they see as completely obvious basic and what they consider common knowledge are completely unknown to new people. I find 97% of the instructions for any modding mention things where prior knowledge is assumed.
Lastly even if you know how to follow instructions, the amount of stuff available for this phones means I wouldn't know where to start. So I need to know what are the most favoured mods to do, in as complete packages as possible.For example I would rather flash with one mega rom that comes with everything than install every little tweak manually
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here are some instructions I gave to someone in a similar situations. Install videos are available on my site sgsromreviews.weebly.com. Hope you find this useful
1. Download Odin 1.3, Tweaky ROM, CF Root Kernal and JVH firmware 2. Use Odin to flash JVH.(you need to get the phone in to download mode using the vol down key + home key + power at the same time. (If this does not work I WOULD STOP NOW AND LOOK AT HACKING YOUR PHONE TO ENABLE THIS FUNCTION) 3. In select the JVH .tar file in the PDA section. DO NOT TICK RE-PARTITION and then click start 4. The initial boot will take longer than usual so be patient, if your phone begins to vibrate constantly and for no reason then take the battery out and enter download mode again for re-flashing (if this happens feel free to email me again for further advice) 5. Once you are running JVH copy Tweaky ROM over to your INTERNAL SD card 6. Enter the back in to download mode 7. Use Odin to flash the CF Root Kernal, select the .tar file in the PDA section again and again DO NOT TICK RE-PARTITION 8. Once this has booted turn the phone off and enter clockwork recovery using the vol up key + home key + power at the same time until the white Galaxy S I-9000 writing comes on the screen then let go 9. Navigate clockwork recovery using the vol keys and the power key to select. Go down to install .zip from SD card, then choose .zip from SD card and choose to install Tweaky 10. Use clockwork to wipe data then wipe dalvik cache (found in advanced section) 11. Reboot phone and enjoy Tweaky
I have provided the download links for you, if you need more help feel free to ask.
Thanks Chris
Odin 1.3 http://www.multiupload.com/4JLU4QHUV7 Tweaky http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php? t=1059561 CF Root http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php? t=788108 JVH http://www.samfirmware.com/ (free account needed to download)
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
Im a relatively new flasher as well, so I know exactly what you're going through just now!
That said, I've done about 15 flashes now so I feel I have a good grasp of what's required. I would also like to suggest MIUI. I have tried a few of the roms out there, but MIUI simply takes my breath away it's that good.
To give you an idea of how good it is, I've flashed it onto 4 other peoples phones because they were blown away by it!
If you need any help with what to do, PM me. I'll put together a package of everything that you need and I'll happily sit and explain each and every step to you personally if need be (if you are a gamer and use Ventrillo I'll verbally speak you through the process as well).
As for returning to stock, you can restore your phone back to it's original state by downloading stock firmware and isntalling that on your phone. It's very simple. EXBase is probably the most straightforward one there is that I have come across.
alright installed MIUI.
Looks like it will take a while to get used to compared to the stock rom. I dont know if its any better yet. Just different. I am not seeing any more features, actually kind of less, but I am sure I am missing a lot.
It is faster though.
Anyway, how do I overclock now? There seems to be no options for that.
I also dont like how its all symbols and no writing.
Al in all seems like a decent stable rom.
I'm planning on updating my ROM soon and was wondering if there was anything special I need to do to my phone prior to flashing the new ROM?
I'm currently on JPP with the hardcore speedmod i1r2, so pretty old compared to what's out there now. I flashed the hardcore kernel previously via Odin.
If I follow the instructions on [email protected] http://insanity.rollus.net/EZbase/EZbase-2.00.pdf but replace the insanity ROM with any other ROM (e.g. JUWE ROM), will it work ok?
Thanks
MIUI is awesome i can second that !!
since i switched to MIUI on RC3 months ago, i havent looked back.
MIUI is packed full of features and gets updates weekly / sometimes daily lol
just get familiar with it and you will discover its true beauty
azzledazzle said:
MIUI is awesome i can second that !!
since i switched to MIUI on RC3 months ago, i havent looked back.
MIUI is packed full of features and gets updates weekly / sometimes daily lol
just get familiar with it and you will discover its true beauty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(Be aware I don't know much about MIUI or smart phone software in general.
and I just installed it about an hour ago)
What features is is packed full of? I want to know so I can try it out/make use of it.
The only new thing I see extra is that maxthon internet browser.
Everything else I notice that is different, its funnily enough things missing compared to stock.
For example where are is the ability to add all the shortcuts/apps etc on the main screen by just holding the screen down? A lot similar features like this seem either not there or or at least harder to find/make use of comapred to stock.
Some things are just definitely taking a step back, for example adding a Doom 1 style grey border on the camera.
And my fav live wallpaper, Aurora, doesn't work on MIUI. It just crashes and I have to force close?
Also TV out doesn't work, and choppy movie playback?
And my 3d performance seems to have gone down about 15% from stock Stock, frames hit about 570, MIUI, about 470.
I'll be using it for longer but I gotta figure out what all the hype is about.
I think a stock rom + speedmod and lagfix is the most easy and the fist step to any new user of SGS?
as its really simple to apply
yihinlau said:
I think a stock rom + speedmod and lagfix is the most easy and the fist step to any new user of SGS?
as its really simple to apply
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So by flashing to MIUI from complete stock phone, did I achieve all of this plus more? OR did I miss something? E.g do I have lagfix as well? Or do I need to install this on top of MIUI?
I followed the install instructions step by step. 3.11 MIUI.
It seems like my Benchmark scores aren't flying like I expected them to, and the phone still lags/jerks on animations doesn't respond etc...
My Quadrant standard score went from 1000 on the stock phone to 1700 when I flashed to MIUI.
I also decided to install setcpu and overlocked to 1.2 ghz then 1.4 on both the on demand and performance setting
And still my score only goes up to about 1900 quadrant standard score on 1.4ghz :S
I find it strange that people are getting much higher much more easily.
For example how did this phone get 2500 just on 1.2ghz? Is it MIUI that sucks?
http://www.intomobile.com/2010/08/1...ck-hits-1-2ghz-delivers-off-chart-benchmarks/
I feel like I would have to go to 2.5Ghz to get that score.
Not to mention 3100? Wow?
http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/overclock-samsung-galaxy-s-to-1-6-ghz-blows-off-competition/
What am I doing wrong here? What are they using?
like I said I also noticed 3d perf went down from stock 2.2
On the stock 2.2 the total frames was higher. For example in the test with the corridor and cube, my frames would reach about 570 at the end of the test on 2.2 stock ROM.
On MIUI ROM it only reaches about 476.
Welcome existing xda members, and new comers.
To clear things up before you read any information is that if you preform any tasks mention from within this thread me, and other members of the XDA community are not responsible for lost data,bricked devices or anything of that nature. If anything like this happens you are on your own, we can try to help you out of the problem if you post in this thread, however, we are not liable for any damages as said before.
Code:
#include
*
* Your warranty is now void.
*By you using my Mods, Roms etc...
* I am not responsible for bricked devices, or dead SD cards,
* thermonuclear war, or you getting fired because the alarm app failed.
* Please do some research if you have any concerns about features included in this ROM
* before flashing it! YOU are choosing to make these modifications, and if
* you point the finger at me for messing up your device, I will laugh at you.
Before we start there are some words of which some member may not know the meaning of, so to clear things up here we go:
"Dirty flash" This is a word used by people refering to not clering any data or cache before the flash, this can lead to issues depending on the type of rom your flashing
"Clean Flash" This is another word used by member here on XDA, it is where they wipe both the data and cache before a flash to minimise any bugs in the rom what may occour.
The main purpose of this thread is to resolve potential issues such as cache errors, dalvik issues, force closes, sluggishness etc... There will be a FAQ at the end of the main posts, to resolve some of the most common issues reported by other members to me, via another thread or PM.
Currently there are three main roms of which most people are using, these include:
Nameless Rom, all editions mainly build 7.2 and up
Explosion Rom, others may move from this rom to the nameless, due to it being unsupported
Stock Rom, many people will choose custom roms over this, because they are faster.
ReVoluTioN RoM, all editions from v1.0 this includes both the sense and de-sense editions.
Whichever Rom you decide to flash weather it's stock, custom or whatever some of the most common problems are mostly the easiest to fix, for example; Let's say if a member at XDA has Nameless Rom 7.1 and they "dirty" flash 7.2 they may have problems such as force closes and market apps not installing, this is caused by cache errors, so clearing the cache is a simple fix to resolve the issue.
Below there will be a series of posts, which will range from rules of flashing and rom specific bugs and fixes etc... these sections are:
A guide to flashing, make sure your doing it right
Common rom bugs, and recommendations I have found a lot of bugs due to my dirty flashing as a noob lol
Thread rules no spam!
FAQ
Guide to flashing
Have you been hearing about all this custom ROM business on our Desire C and wondering what in the world all those are, and what they are for?
Your maybe you already know what those are but are still afraid of trying custom ROMs on your phone because you don't know how to install them or don't want to lose your data and wreak your phone?
Well today I'm going to show you the most safe way to flash Roms to our phone, there are four main steps involved in this:
First you will want to root your phone, there are guides on the Desire C forums on this, such as the very in detail guide written by air.combat the link to this thread is:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=33066306
Download your Rom from XDA, this could be the Nameless Rom
Reboot your phone into the recovery (to do this turn off the phone, hold down VOL- and hold the power button the HBOT menu will show up, press the top button once agin and then select recovery from the list)
Backup your current Rom, this is incase anything goes wrong during flashing, it rare but can happen. (It can be found in the backup and restore section of the recovery)
flash your Rom. (using the flash ZIP section on the recovery, and select the file of your rom.)
For whatever reason, you may want to go back and thats what the backup is for, you can use the backup section in recovery to restore your image before of your system)
Above is a overview of some of the most important steps required to flash a Rom onto your Desire C, however for some new members I will explain in more detail on how to preform these steps listed above, providing you follow these steps you will be fine.
Rooting
Firstly, rooting is usually a 5 minute process, and many guides around the web that explain about rooting our Desire C, but for some users there are issues they can face, such as ADB not working and other things. I think to best way for new members to root would be to use the All-In-One-Toolkit for the HTC Desire C, by hansoon2000 so all credits of this tool go to him. Instructions on how to use this program are easy, and any noobie can do it, if you have any issues with this feel free to post here, or send me a PM.
Downloading your Rom
Second, you will need to download your Rom, now as of now youu have two main choices (This will be updated with time to a list) these are:
Nameless Rom
Explosion Rom (may not be a good choice becasue it is discontinued)
ReVoluTioN RoM
Location of Rom on SD CARD
Once you have downloaded it if you downloaded it on your phone you will find it in the following folders; /sdcard/download/namelessxxx.ZIP (namelessxxx.ZIP being the Rom file you downloaded for your phone)
However if you have downloaded it on your phone I recommend making a folder called ROMS or NAMELESS or something to do with Roms, in the root of your SD CARD, for example; /Sdcard/Roms/namelessxxx.ZIP (it is much easier to keep your Rom folder organised if you have many versions saved)
Once that is done, we will move to the next step, which is wiping your data and why;
Wiping data, cache
Wiping your data and cache when flashing a new Rom, or base is a good option as it can prevent errors, and force closes when the new Rom is installed. If the data and cache is wiped your phone will feel faster a smoother on the new Rom as there are not useless files bloating the system, which is also slowing it down. I STRONGLY recommend wiping the cache because it holds information relating the version of android base etc... and if that data from the old Rom conflicts with the new one which may have a newer base, this will mean trouble!
To wipe the data and cache is easy, hen inside recovery simply select restore to factory defaults, this will prepare your phone for the new Rom flash, without useless files, the next section will explain the flashing part;
Flashing the Rom
Before flashing any Roms flash the required boot.img, this is the kernel without it the Rom will not work properly! remember to flash a boot.img its; [fastboot flash boot boot.img] and then [fastboot erase cache] then finally [fastboot reboot] If you do not flash it things such as WIFI will not work!
When you flash a Rom you will want to make sure you backup your current Rom first, just incase anything goes wrong. To do this inside recovery go to the backup and restores section, and select backup this will make sure you current Rom is safe. (however after backing up your Rom, copy the ClockWorkMod folder in the Root of your SdCard to a safe folder on your computer incase your SD card dies for whatever reason the folder will be laid out like so; /Sdcard/Clockworkmod/backups)
After you have backed up your system, you can safely go to the flash ZIP section in recovery and find your Rom ZIP file on your Sdcard. When you select it it will ask you are you sure select "yes" and proceed, one that is done you can reboot you phone into the new Rom!.
If you have any questions regarding flashing Roms, please read the FAQ before you post on this thread or send me a PM.
Why should I wipe and Not Dirty flash?
When people refer to the term wipe, it is my understanding that it means to delete the old ROM from various locations. This ensures a more clean installation, almost like its better to install Windows afresh instead of an upgrade. However, this is not Windows, its Linux, I am sure the logic behind this is because the way Linux works, it has certain files in certain directories, that if the file is there, the service is loaded automatically. Now if you had to replace a stock rom with something completely different, some of those auto loaded files will be left behind and you will be stuck with loaded services that should not be there, this can cause issues inside the new rom such as force closes.
This is where things might start becoming slightly confusing. Many people seem to argue that when upgrading from a stock version to another stock version that you don't need to wipe, I completely agree with this, as this will almost be the same upgrade process the default upgrade will follow, just with different files. However, if you upgrade to a very different ROM, start paying attention, as things might just get slightly more complicated, for these reasons:
The Rom base is different, this means you could be upgrading android to a newer version, which uses different files, or even the same one but slightly different.
The current Rom could be sense based, where as the new rom may be CM based for example
As a reminder of how to Wipe your data and cache follow these steps:
Boot into Recovery Mode, this can be via the Rom inbuilt "reboot to recovery option, only for custom roms" or turn the phone off, and hold down the VOL- button to boot into HBOOT and then Select recovery from the list with the sleep button
Once the Phone is in recovery mode...
Go to Wipe Data/Factory Reset and select YES
Go to Wipe Cache Partition and select YES
Go to Advanced, Wipe Dalvik Cache and select YES
Now that all to it after these steps your phone will have no useless files, or ny user files on it, once booted it will behave like a new system with it's set up etc...
Potential Bugs in custom Roms
reserved 2
Recommended roms and things to do with it
When it comes to flashing Roms as explained on some of the posts above, there are some guidelines or recommendations of which I think I should mention.
When using roms for a long period of time on this phone it may become slower, mainly due to sense bogging down this lovely phone. So as a NOTE before you post your phone is slow etc, try a reboot sometimes it can make all the difference.
Thread Rules
This thread is about sharing experiences from both me and other members in this forum. I do not want this thread to end up like many others do on xda, this meaning things such as spam, and off topic posts.
The following information which this thread is intended to include is:
Fixes to existing bugs in roms
Questions about flashing, backing up roms etc...
Answers to problems other members are experiencing
Guide lines to flashing roms
If you have any concerns about your phone, and have problems after following all the available information, available on this thread please feel free to ask a question, remember no question is too stupid! You can post on this thread or PM me directly whichever way, Happy flashing!
FAQ
Q: Help my phone will not boot.
A: You did a dirty flash didn't you? Come on admit it, okay well all you need to do is a FULL wipe like you should of done first. Learnt your lesson?
Q: Help my battery life is really bad
A: Fully charge your phone then when it is fully charged wipe the battery stats from recovery, let it fully drain down, then re-charge now your battery is calibrated.
Well I can tell one thing stright away from the poll........ we're a bunch of liars :laugh::laugh:
Haha we have all done it, at least one, haven't we? lol
I've always done clean flashes. And this might be a stupid question... But is there a way to save your settings and configurations? Everytime I've had to redo them.... the apps download by themselves thanks to google play.
Can you FIX CM9 bugs?
I am new to developing things, I find it hard to do update scripts at the moment, when I know more it will be attempted.
Karuko said:
I've always done clean flashes. And this might be a stupid question... But is there a way to save your settings and configurations? Everytime I've had to redo them.... the apps download by themselves thanks to google play.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Titanium backup?
---------- Post added at 04:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:38 AM ----------
whoamigriffiths said:
Well I can tell one thing stright away from the poll........ we're a bunch of liars :laugh::laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dirty.
I things go bad do clean.
;- )=
Lazy whenever possible.
It's about right lol, My De-sense rom is updated with a few new apps and a new keyboard.
Updated first post with new roms, and updated FAQ.
Suggestions
russell664 said:
Updated first post with new roms, and updated FAQ.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi, i just installed ReVoluTioN_Sense_Edition_v3.1, i faced following problems.
i was not able to successfully boot using boot.img included in the zipped ROM, instead i tried a couple more and finally was successful when i used boot.img from HTCDesireC_Explos!on_v2.1.1.
i had to restart it a couple of times to finally have a successful boot
lemme try it more and will let u know
---------- Post added at 02:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:33 AM ----------
to add more, senseless / nameless ROM simply doesnt work
mzz163 said:
hi, i just installed ReVoluTioN_Sense_Edition_v3.1, i faced following problems.
i was not able to successfully boot using boot.img included in the zipped ROM, instead i tried a couple more and finally was successful when i used boot.img from HTCDesireC_Explos!on_v2.1.1.
i had to restart it a couple of times to finally have a successful boot
lemme try it more and will let u know
---------- Post added at 02:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:33 AM ----------
to add more, senseless / nameless ROM simply doesnt work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you look inside the Rev rom folder there is a folder for other boot.img's .
The one in Explosion I believe was either a very old stock or a very old oc .img . Either way it's very old and you really need to find one that is newer and works for you , as htc has made updates i believe.
The one that comes as std in rev mod is an 828oc , it only works for so many phones . There are some phones that can only handle a lower oc and some can only the stock speed(600).
So first try the ones in the Rev folder.
Also Nameless is moving to out of date , explosion is very out of date and I believe it was still buggy when the dev changed his phones and stopped developing it.
Hope this helps .
If you need a std boot.img there is one in this stock rom Stock rom
huge thanx
whoamigriffiths said:
If you look inside the Rev rom folder there is a folder for other boot.img's .
The one in Explosion I believe was either a very old stock or a very old oc .img . Either way it's very old and you really need to find one that is newer and works for you , as htc has made updates i believe.
The one that comes as std in rev mod is an 828oc , it only works for so many phones . There are some phones that can only handle a lower oc and some can only the stock speed(600).
So first try the ones in the Rev folder.
Also Nameless is moving to out of date , explosion is very out of date and I believe it was still buggy when the dev changed his phones and stopped developing it.
Hope this helps .
If you need a std boot.img there is one in this stock rom Stock rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
u r awesome man. i just solved many problems as i was not able to connect to data/WLAN but using 722 kernel, it worked like charm. Just a couple of questions please, wats the most active ROM for HTC Desire C? wats the difference between 722 and 767 kernel? i am using revolutionmod v3.3
thanx
mzz163 said:
u r awesome man. i just solved many problems as i was not able to connect to data/WLAN but using 722 kernel, it worked like charm. Just a couple of questions please, wats the most active ROM for HTC Desire C? wats the difference between 722 and 767 kernel? i am using revolutionmod v3.3
thanx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad I could help :good:
Now you are on the most active desire c rom atm . You have these options though depending on preferences.
You can use Rev de-sensed which makes it a bit quicker than the sense. Now I'd have thought this would be the most popular but it seems a lot of the guys love sense.
Then there is super -stripped de-sense . This is for us guys who want our phones as fast as possible .
Next up is SaM's xperialised sense .... Its whats written on the tin , based on sense but themed like a Sony . Take a look as its a cracking looking rom , though in fairness I've not tried it yet.
Next is amans MIUI themed rom which I believe is sense based too .
Then there is the Daddy that spawned it all Nameless but the Dev einstein.frat is not working on it atm and we have no idea if he will work on it again .
Finally there is Explosion but it was buggy and is way behind the times now .
Oh just remembered Sense5 (oops sorry russ) By the Dev of revolution and based on Rev sense but its sense5 themed and this is a real looker , and whilst it is sense based he is stripping away the excess ruthlessly .
I think thats pretty much all the roms , sorry if I missed any .
It's all down to what you like the look of , and how you use the phone .
As to kernels , obviously higher number= faster kernel as all the ones in rev folder are made by nikhil .Now he has some older kernels too and theres no telling if an older higher oc will work for you .
His best kernel to date was what he called "a flakey one for you to test rich" and its the one I've been using as my daily since he sent it to me to test . his thread is here Prometheus Kernel
My advice is to flash every single kernel he has on the first page and the one linked in my sig (my daily). You just never know which one will work for you . We have all found out that there is a lot of variance in our phones behaviour towards overclocking .
good luck just give a shout if you have any more questions
all the best
rich
whoamigriffiths said:
Glad I could help :good:
Now you are on the most active desire c rom atm . You have these options though depending on preferences.
You can use Rev de-sensed which makes it a bit quicker than the sense. Now I'd have thought this would be the most popular but it seems a lot of the guys love sense.
Then there is super -stripped de-sense . This is for us guys who want our phones as fast as possible .
Next up is SaM's xperialised sense .... Its whats written on the tin , based on sense but themed like a Sony . Take a look as its a cracking looking rom , though in fairness I've not tried it yet.
Next is amans MIUI themed rom which I believe is sense based too .
Then there is the Daddy that spawned it all Nameless but the Dev einstein.frat is not working on it atm and we have no idea if he will work on it again .
Finally there is Explosion but it was buggy and is way behind the times now .
Oh just remembered Sense5 (oops sorry russ) By the Dev of revolution and based on Rev sense but its sense5 themed and this is a real looker , and whilst it is sense based he is stripping away the excess ruthlessly .
I think thats pretty much all the roms , sorry if I missed any .
It's all down to what you like the look of , and how you use the phone .
As to kernels , obviously higher number= faster kernel as all the ones in rev folder are made by nikhil .Now he has some older kernels too and theres no telling if an older higher oc will work for you .
His best kernel to date was what he called "a flakey one for you to test rich" and its the one I've been using as my daily since he sent it to me to test . his thread is here Prometheus Kernel
My advice is to flash every single kernel he has on the first page and the one linked in my sig (my daily). You just never know which one will work for you . We have all found out that there is a lot of variance in our phones behaviour towards overclocking .
good luck just give a shout if you have any more questions
all the best
rich
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
again awesome brother, thanx a lot. Really grateful. Downloaded almost all ROMs and will try in next couple of days. Thanx a lot again
Hi guys, my girlfriend has a Galaxy Note that is too slow with last updates from Samsung. Battery is getting worse too.
I got an HTC and i don't know anything about rooting and flashing on Samsung. Can you give me some "fast advice" to make her phone back to life?
I got a mac so i think i need to root with the script at the end of the post in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1329360
Then the rom....what can you tell me about custom roms? I need a rom that works fine, speedy and with good battery life. I was looking at Cassie's XtraLiteRom jellybean EDITION v14.8 LSZ but the thread is closed and i don't know where to get the zip listed in the instructions:
Download philz Lm5 cwm zip
Download my rom
Download sbl cwm file from eyebees thread
Enter cwm and flash philz kernel
Reboot recovery
Follow the wipe stepa from option 1
Install rom
Reboot
Once set up power off to download mode
Flasy eyebees sbl file in cwm reboot and enjoy
Can somebody be so patient to help me? I really don't have time in this weeks to "learn" all about Samsung but i need to do this because her phone is soooo slow in every task
Thank you so much
If you do not have the time to read and learn then you shouldn't try to install a Custom Rom/Kernel.
So it would be much better to reset your girlfriends device from settings - I assume with "latest updates from Samsung" this means JB is now active. Then you'll see if it gets faster. And battery: simply buy a new one - even only 1-year-old ones go down fast.
If you try to change the Rom in the requested simple but quickndirty way there is a chance that your girl might soon be your ex-girlfriend.
Please be careful with the Note - on ICS there have been many members who hard-bricked their device (you'll find many threads and posts about it here).
ThaiDai said:
If you do not have the time to read and learn then you shouldn't try to install a Custom Rom/Kernel.
So it would be much better to reset your girlfriends device from settings - I assume with "latest updates from Samsung" this means JB is now active. Then you'll see if it gets faster. And battery: simply buy a new one - even only 1-year-old ones go down fast.
If you try to change the Rom in the requested simple but quickndirty way there is a chance that your girl might soon be your ex-girlfriend.
Please be careful with the Note - on ICS there have been many members who hard-bricked their device (you'll find many threads and posts about it here).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok...i'm not new with roms and kernels (i have an htc one with i used to change rom every week last year) but i'll try to clean all data.
Dear Android users,
I am new to the whole rooting procedure and have a few questions regarding installing new roms and kernels.
1. Is it harmful to install new roms one after the other? For example, I just installed a new rom and after one hour of experimenting with it I wanted to try out a different rom so I just re-flashed my device. How often can you flash your device without the risk of bricking it or something else going wrong during the process? I know that in order to find the perfect rom for yourself one must flash their devices a several times until they have found what they want but suppose if i were to install 10 different roms in an entire day, would that be harmful to the device or is it fine as long as you know what you are doing and you are installing it properly and carefully ?
2. Suppose if a certain rom was installed with a preferred kernel of your choice and during the rom installation you did not know exactly what features to install or remove e.g. with Aroma installer or any other kind and then once the installation was complete and you were using the new rom you felt that you wanted to go back and install a few more things which you didn't earlier. Will you then have to Install the rom all over again or do you have the option to modify the rom while its installed?
Sorry if any of the questions sound stupid or irrelevant but these are some things which are important to know
Hi there! Allow me to welcome you to the rooting world! I'll do my best answering your questions. Not to come off as someone who's pompous, I've been using a rooted device for nearly 6 years now, so I've been through the woods quite a bit. I've had my HTC One since June of 2013.
1. Even though sometimes it's looked at as "okay" to dirty flash (flash one ROM over another; this method is mostly used when updating a ROM and the two ROMs are on the same version of Android), I don't take any chances. Besides, if you flash more than one ROM on top of another, it can cause your device to get super slow. So here's my rule of thumb: Almost always wipe before flashing, unless it's a minor update to the ROM you're currently using. Also, when in doubt of whether or not to wipe before flashing a new ROM, ALWAYS DO IT. Haha, better than having a very expensive paperweight! Flashing multiple times in a day isn't a bad thing, as long as your phone is plugged into some power source and you wipe your data and cache before every flash. One thing to keep in mind though, for a ROM to "settle in" to your device, the battery will drop excruciatingly fast the first day you have a new ROM that you decide to keep. I personally let my phone die after I decide to stick with a ROM and leave it off while charging to 100%. Obviously, this can't be done by most because of time restraints and busy lifestyles, so just be aware that you will have pretty... misleading battery results for the first few days of having a new ROM. It's simply optimizing the experience and what you do on your phone around the battery. So to sum up, wiping and flashing is all good as long as you're careful, but don't expect the battery to last you all day for the first few days after deciding on a ROM.
2. This sort of thing depends on the ROM and how the Aroma is set up by the developer. Most of the time, the answer is that you can go back in later and change things at the expense of minor battery issues and sometimes, depending on the modification, it can stop your phone from working correctly. Because of that latter fact, I usually play it safe and wipe before flashing to make the modification to the ROM. If you're installing a separate file to modify the ROM (aka, a mod) then flash it after the ROM is already flashed. A real advantage to having a separate, flashable mod is that you don't have to wipe before flashing it. Just flash it after whatever ROM you plan to use is in place.
Misc. tips:
- Try your best to keep your firmware as up to date as possible. Because we don't get notified of when this updates (roughly every 4 or 5 months), it's our responsibility to make sure we take care of the firmware asap. Not updating it can result in poor performance, low compatibility with newer ROMs, and bad battery life.
- Never, EVER flash more than one GApps package on top of one another. This can cause a ton of issues.
- Speaking of GApps, always flash them (if necessary, of course) after the ROM is flashed, but don't reboot the phone in between those two flashes.
Don't worry about the "irrelevancy" of your questions, man! We were all new to this at a time too, and back then, I bet most of us wished this sort of information was given to us without attitude or the "this guy's a noob" mentality. You should be all good to go! If you have any other questions (or if you want any ROM/mod recommendations) feel free to ask, my friend!