What is a ROM? - Upgrading, Modifying and Unlocking

Please forgive my ignorance, I'm a new pda user and new to this site..
I've seen posts regarding new ROM versions and installation issues etc... but I don't actually know what a ROM is.
I'm assuming it's a software update but if anyone can give me a more detailed (but easy) explanation, I'd be eternally grateful..
Thanks,
Chrono..

Strickly speaking a ROM means Read Only Memory. But in this case topics/thread regarding ROM refer to the Operating System (OS) versions which eventually reside in the ROM portion of the unit's memory.

Can I give you a 'for instance'....
I have a new XDA Mini S, my partner has an XDA II, (o2) but an older version.
My contacts list can store the photo of the contact, his can't... he wants to upgrade his software to include this feature, ... should I be looking for a ROM update or take up the issue with Microsoft / o2 ?
(Sorry for being a pants newbie, ... I'll get better in time)!

Related

O2 XDAII ROM upgrade failed?

I have just downloaded the rom upgrade off the O2 website (ver 1.60.50) and installed. Initially it was trying to connect to the internet! Eventually I got it working, but after hard resetting the version still says 1.60.00wwe, Rom date 12/03/03, extRom ver 1.60.50 - all as before.
Does anyone know if the upgrade has actually worked but the info not been updated, or does this mean that the update hasn't worked and I must have had an error somewhere?
Any help, advise appreciated.
I thought these forums where to help each other out and provide information. It is disappointing that no one wants to help, or provide a little guidance.
I thought these forums where to help each other out and provide information. It is disappointing that no one wants to help, or provide a little guidance.
Absolutely nothing changed?
I thought it's not possible? Did you see a progress bar on XDA's display during the upgrade? if so, the memory has been accessed, so your rom is the new one, there is just a mess in identification. As far as I know, extROM changes the identity (it is it's main purpose), did you use it?
flintanis said:
I have just downloaded the rom upgrade off the O2 website (ver 1.60.50) and installed. Initially it was trying to connect to the internet! Eventually I got it working, but after hard resetting the version still says 1.60.00wwe, Rom date 12/03/03, extRom ver 1.60.50 - all as before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe I'm wrong - but it seems that you are upgrading from 1.60.50 to 1.60.50. Right? As such, everything WOULD be the same!
I did see the progress bar, and the documentation before the upgrade on the O2 website sugests the Rom to be 1.60.00wwe and the extRom to be 1.60.50
I would have expected the actual Rom to now be 1.60.50wwe.
Has anyone else managed to upgrade to the official O2 ROM that is on their site and can confirm the ROM info? Also what apps etc would confirm that it has been upgraded if the info hasn't been updated but upgrade has work?
Many thanks for help and advice.
I'm not sure, but doesn't higher number mean later+better ROM?
If yes, have a look at 1.72 by T-mobile - there should not be many differences! :lol:
Since I have only just bought it I don't want to upgrade to an unofficial ROM in case it invalidates the Warranty should anything go wrong with it. May look at using a ROM from another supplier in a few months though.
Can anyone confirm if the ROM ver should be changed?
Thanks
flintanis said:
Since I have only just bought it I don't want to upgrade to an unofficial ROM in case it invalidates the Warranty should anything go wrong with it. May look at using a ROM from another supplier in a few months though.
Can anyone confirm if the ROM ver should be changed?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to give people time to reply mate - we don't LIVE on these forums you know.
Anyhow, to answer your posts, yes, you have worked it out, the O2 ROM update, which is described as 1.60.50, is actually just the extended ROM element.
The system ROM is still 1.60.00
This confused me, and no doubt, lots more people too, and it's a bit STUPID of O2 to describe it this way.
Thus, you have in effect flashed your XDA2 to the exact same ROM it had before hand.
Curses to O2 for the confusion. Not good of them!
Thanks, and sorry for being impatient
O2 need to sort this out as I have done a ROM upgrade that could have fried my machine if I did it wrong that was unneccessary.
Thanks again.
Well, O2 is not alone in this - the current i-mate ROM is listed as 172126. The ROM version is 1.72.00, but the Extended ROM is 1.72.126.
I think they do this for internal tracking purposes. They get the ROM from MS, but they tweak the ExtROM themselves. It is possible for them to release multiple ExtROM versions in the same ROM version, so THAT is what they specify.
Make sense? Just a stab in the dark as to the logic of the release numbers.

So how does a complete newbie move ahead with wm6?

Hi everyone,
I've been going through the numerous threads talking about different versions of ROMs for wm6(on XDA EXEC). As a newbie, I would appreciate if you could help/suggest me the safest way and the best/latest WM6 Rom. I see different threads talking about upgrading using the bootloader method. However, the downloaded ROMs (XDA_Exec_WWE_20108_20301_11300_wwe_ship) have a inbuilt installer. I'm confused and wondering if bootloader was an older method used while having the inbuilt installer(exe) is the lates one.
I know some of you would refer me to already existing threads here which I've already gone through and thats what is causing the confusion to me.
Thanks
Rajat
that rom upgrade you mentioned the file name of is the newest released and easiest to install. just connect to active sync and run the upgrade, that's basically it.
There are a couple of additions to that just to be on the safe side...
1. Make sure battery fully charged before flash
2. Remove SIM card and SD card
... then, flash away.
Basically with ROM updates, there are OEM releases from your provider which are bundled packages consisting of Radio, OS, and ExtROM updates. Then there are the ROMs here written by the developers who mostly release just the OS ROM for you to install to give you choice on the other components (this is where bootloader is required). Jwright has released a full package in his latest WM6 release which does not require bootloader.
It's all quite straightforward if a little nerve racking at first, and well done for not blindly flashing before doing a little research.
Each developer's ROM will have different features and add-on's. Each radio seems to perform differently depending on geographics (don't quote me on that, just appears work for some, not others) and each ExtROM will contain further optional add-on CAB's or blank so you can use as storage.
You really have to read each release thread and work out if the components included match closely enough with your requirements... then read through some of the thread to see what tweaks are necessary, freezing problems, etc and take it from there.
I've tried all but one of the WM6 ROMs and they are all great, but each different too, and Jwright's suits my needs best, and is the most stable with my installed apps and tweaks, but this may not be the case for you.
Don't be put off by bootloader. It's just for developed ROMs not packaged with an installer like you say.
My advice: Stick with your current Radio! Start with a OS ROM flash that you like the sound of. My personal favourites are Midget's and Jwright's. One thing I can say for sure is that any one of the developed ROM's will completely change your device's performance and capabilities compared to your operator's releases!!!
Hope it helps, and good luck
What exactly does WWE Rom mean
Please pardon my ignorance. I have gone through most of the posts but could not find a clear explaination giving the difference between WWE Rom and other ROMs. Could anyone explain.
Where can I get the WM6 rom from, as I had a look on the FTP site and couldn't find the one mentioned in the first post.
Basically, I have the O2 XDA Exec and just want to upgrade to WM6, so what are the different roms (Midget/JWright). Are there different roms for different providers?
Also, what are radio/extended/cooked/dumped roms?
Thanks/...
d_ranade said:
Please pardon by ignorance. I have gone through most of the posts but could not find a clear explaination giving the difference between WWE Rom and other ROMs. Could anyone explain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wwe means "world wide english"
aniel1 said:
wwe means "world wide english"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks aniel.

Advice for foreign TP2: What should I do?

Hi. I'm obviously a noob but I tried searching and looking in the posts and stuff. I'm an American living in Taipei. There are TP2s everywhere but they're all in Chinese, both Windows and HTC's Touch Flo are in Chinese. I've tried shopping in HK and Taiwan and can't find any in English.
What should I do? Should I get a Chinese TP2 and get an English version of WM6.1 and figure out a way to install an English Touch Flo? Or can one ROM fix it all? Or can I get something from you guys here that would just switch it to English? I really don't even understand what my options are.
I keep reading about HardSPLs and flashing the radios and I have no idea what's going on even after reading the noobie walk-though for first time Rom flashes. Is this like an android phone flash? You pick the "flavor" of OS you want and then load it up and you're good to go? Any advice would be appreciated! Even if it's just telling me what threads I didn't find that already answer this question.
From the looks of it, you guys probably have some kind of tweaked version of HTC's touch flo that runs better than the original and has more options? If that's right, that would be really cool to get. I'd like to use my phone for internet browsing and video viewing. Retaining Chinese-input would be a plus, but beggars can't be choosers! Thanks.
Probably doesn't matter where you get the phone. Just flash you a WWE rom ( World Wide English).
I would go with a Chinese TP2 and learn to flash the ROM to English. Do remember to backup your original ROM though, you may need to restore it to claim warranty repairs.
Where did you look in HK? English versions are only stocked in small quantities in stores here due to most ppl are mainly Chinese proficient, so they are sold out very quickly.
Welcome to forums,
No matter where you buy it in the world, all are made in Taiwan, or some place close.
So is not really an issue..you can reflash your desired ROM.
Great. I guess I just need two things.
1. The Rom. Could someone tell me which ROM to use, or maybe give me a link to where to download it or what thread on the form talks about the ROM I should use.
2. How to install it. I read the "installing a ROM for the first time" sticky post and it seemed a little over my head. Is there a more step by step example or anything out there? Or maybe a program I can download to flash my ROM?
Thanks!
Do a search on Rhodium section, you´ll find all you need!

[Q] LG LU6200 LTE Root/CWM/CM 10.1

Hi!
I am quite new to the Android world. I just got a LG LU6200 LTE, the Korean one. It is running 2.3.5!
There are a lot of issues with the messaging and the Korean Carriers bloatware.
I stumbled on this site http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2453565 and am planning to flash this ROM.
I need your help regarding the following things:
1. Are there any firmware updates that I need to do prior to the installation process? I haven't made any updates. The software is exactly the same as it came out of the box.
2. Rooting: I am on stock 2.3.5 I read somewhere that I need to upgrade to ICS Engineer Version(?) and then try rooting? How do I go about it?
3. Clockwork Mod Recovery : I think after the rooting part, I can do this, even then, can I just install the latest version of CWM, from their XDA thread, or do I need to use some other older version?
4. What are the best ROMs in terms of stability for this particular phone? I am not a power user and I just want the phone to work. A good battery life would be a plus though. Also, I read somewhere that there are issues with message character limits, hope I can avoid that with a good ROM.
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I am sorry if this post seems redundant, but the ones I read were more than a 15 months old and I fear the information given in that would be outdated.
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Also, I will update the post with all the relevant information I receive for this process, to help others in the same endeavour.
Thank you for your time!

URGENT HELP: pre-purchase questions

hello
i read a lot bout this mobile and its price is awesome for someone like me who's ready to purchase mid-range mobile for close price...but i lost with ROMs and i'm afraid to buy it and experience hell with it.
i'd purchase it from chinese online store which provide some ROM supports google play and semi translated ROM , so for sure i must be sure to have necessary knowledge before purchasing .
1- what's with heating issue? is it from ROM or the mobile ? cause i read a lot of threads worldwide regarding this matter, and i dont know if it's reasonable or unbearable all the time heating?
2- official ROM is indian one here which should be ZUI 2.0.093_ST_16081 , so im assuming it's %100 english language which is perfect, but i'm from arabian country so i need arabic keyboard and encoding.
i believe arabic keyboard is easy to obtain once i download google keyboard and add language, but for encoding i need someone to confirm it, cause i want to browse arabic contents from apps like whatsapp or from chrome browser, i want to know if arabic would displayed correctly or it won't be supported and appears like rubbish?
ps. i dont want arabic UI for the device.
3- GPS, i read some threads saying that official ROM is the best , and some/most custom roms have some issues, is that so far ?
4- i love STOCK ANDROID experience, never interested with extra customization whether it was official OEM rom or 3rd party ROM, especially avoiding bloatware as possible, who's giving me such a STABLE experience, is it... ?
A- official indian rom?
B- official 3rd party ROMs like cosmic-os 7.1.1_20170317_1.4 , CitrusCAF-3.1-TANGERINE or mokee MK60.1-z2-170413-RELEASE ?
i know there's other roms like lineage , but i wont use something unofficial.
5- is this the correct official indian rom that if installed, would support OTA and receive nougat in may? Z2132_Q01017.1_M_ZUI_2.0.093_ST_160811
sorry for long thread , please help me ASAP if possible, shipping is taking 3-4 weeks so i must order soon before offer/stock finish.
regards
First of all, hey there, glad to know you're wondering buying this phone. Actually, it's not a mid-phone, I guess, 'cause many other (like Huawei P9 Lite, Galaxy S6 Edge) phones are weaker than the ZUK comparing their specs.
1. Not sure where you have read about heating, but I'm not having such a problem. Using stock China version Nougat ROM just with unlocked bootloader and rooted. I haven't tried any custom ROM yet, so cannot answer if it heats with custom ROM. So to conclude, the heat depends not only on the phone itself or the ROM that's installed, but it's important where you'e living too, e.g. in hot countries or so increases your phone temperature.
2. Yeah, after everything you can set up your own language using G-board, btw, encoding is fine, I'm Lithuanian and it has many letters that other countries doesn't have, for example, ąčęė and so on, and the phone displays it perfectly, just unsure how recipient sees it, but I assume it's upon recipients' phone settings.
3. It makes sense - Custom ROM aren't officially released and it's created by some developers; and this is the reason why some custom ROM may have certain problems. On the other hand, GPS /w official ROM works flawlessly.
4. About bloatware.. There's lots of it on stock ROM. Some of them you can delete, some of them you cannot. The only way for now is to unlock your bootloader (otherwise you won't be able to root your phone - and I don't know why when many other phones can be rooter without unlocking bootloader, but whatever..), then root your phone and remove manually using some kind of app (System APP Remover, etc) or just download AdAway. It's all upon you.
5. Nougat is already released, you should receive it either with China or Indian version ROM. But yeah, you must be on that kind of stock version that you've written (I upgraded from that version to Nougat)
If you've any other questions quote me, 'll give a try to answer ASAP.

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