[Q] Question - Xperia Arc Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Sorry if this was already covered. I am an US Citizen stationed in japan. I have the Sony Arc here. The problem I have is that most of the apps and stuff are all converted to Japanese. They also have a bunch of crap apps that I don't know what they do nor can I read/understand them because of the language. If I root it and put a new kernel etc on it, will it mess up the carrier based part of it, i.e. will I still be able to make phone calls and such? I don't want anythign to happen like that if that makes any sense. I apologize because Im sure it's a dumb question. I am new to this type stuff. Thank you in advance

It won't, these are completely independent. Hack away!

Related

Backing Up Everything

Apologies if this appears elsewhere but I have looked without success. If it does then a link to the solution would be great.
Basically I found this site a few weeks ago and since then have been tinkering with my phone. I've tried various roms, added different programs, played about with the settings and so on. Today I have finally got it just how I want it. It is overclocked to run quickly but safely. The today screen is perfect. It contains everything I need including my huge list of contacts. And my theme is spot-on. However usually in life when everything is right something big and hairy appears out of nowhere and dumps on you. Its got to the point where I panic every time I turn it on just in case it crashes and I need to start all over again.
My question therefore is if anyone knows of a utility (or can give detailed instructions) to completely back up the phone. Right down to the user settings, theme and contacts. If possible maybe even to create a rom image of my phone so that if it does ever crash I can reinstall the whole thing from one simple file. I assume this sort of thing must be possible because Kavana and Ricky produce such wonderful roms with various programs, etc pre-installed.
Can it be done? And if so - can it be done by an enthusiastic amateur or do you need to be a tech guru? I should add I don't mind paying if I need to buy a piece of commercial software to achieve this.
GS
Did you even bother to search google for "smartphone backup" ? The very first link that comes up, takes you right to the software you say you need. I apologize for being harsh, but I hate the lack of common sense...
An option
Not sure about the cooked 6.1 Roms. Maybe someone else might know or have tried.
http://www.spritesoftware.com/
I use this and it's well worth it.
if u just mean the saved registry values and what not u can always export the registry so that way if u have to hard reset the phone or if a new amazingly wowlike rom is released and u NEED to flash u can always import the registry values of the chomes and it'll be the way u left it (thats what I do for my myfaves and my programs)
OrganicM said:
Did you even bother to search google for "smartphone backup" ? The very first link that comes up, takes you right to the software you say you need. I apologize for being harsh, but I hate the lack of common sense...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem, and you are entitled to your opinion. however its replies like that which stop people making posts to forums like this. Everyone has to start somewhere, and one man's obvious "common sense" answer is another man's dilemma.
As for using google... yep I could have done that but google links to hundreds of pages, some owned by people trying to sell software which obviously means they won't be objective. Others have methods which could damage a phone and because I don't know the writers how do I know which methods to trust? Ergo I decided to come to site I know, with people whose technical knowhow I trust, and to search the forum and then ask them for advice. To me, that is common sense. Isn't that one of the reasons that places like this exist? So non techheads can ask guys like you for help?
No offence intended and, for what its worth, you are one of the guys whose advice on this forum has helped me countless times. So thank you for that no matter what. Without your posts I'd never have got this far in the first place! I mean that.
As for the other replies... thanks guys. I will look into the registry stuff. And I will certainly check out the software link. If I do find some info on google, I hope you folks will help me pick the best method to use and avoid bad advice.
Thanks again.
GS
Okay the Sprite software is perfect. And now I've checked it out maybe my question was a stupid one. Still, its nice to have a recommendation from an independent source. I've been burnt in the past by bad google advice.
Sorry if I've wasted anyone's time.
GS

what is an ROM

hello everybody
i dont know if im just a retard, but i dont know what a rom is.
can i get a definition, is it like touchflo 3d or is an update
please help me
/mr. stupid
Mr. Stupid said:
hello everybody
i dont know if im just a retard, but i dont know what a rom is.
can i get a definition, is it like touchflo 3d or is an update
please help me
/mr. stupid
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried asking google?
Google knows a lot of things, & I think he might just know what a ROM is.
no i think hes mad at me cause hes not telling me anything about roms
You had a fight with google or something Mr. Stupid? May that is why Mr.Google is mad with Mr. Stupid
BTW, type in "what is a rom" in that stupid textbox at google.com to know what is a rom
The rom is a image file in your phone, just like you have a image "rom" in your pc, Vista or XP
is it a kind of program?
that cant be changed
is it then a program you install then you can choose if you want touchflo or others while you have both?
and google never shows me what im looking for so i hate him
don be so confident of your stupidity
Mr. Stupid said:
is it a kind of program?
that cant be changed
is it then a program you install then you can choose if you want touchflo or others while you have both?
and google never shows me what im looking for so i hate him
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You were given instructions to go to google .. also you were told that it is like your operating system ( windows xp , vista ) ...
the best thing is he started a thread too ...PLEASE CONSULT GOOGLE
i will try
but i hate that guy!
i think i got it now
but 1 last question:
can i have 2 installed at the same time or can i only have 1?
(can i shut one down and start the other like an ordinary program)
Nice try my friend...
Whatever, ROM is the name for the capital of Italy in german language. Or is it the acronym for Regional Office Manager?
Mr. Stupid, by reading those posts you had proven that you actually know how to read. So be so kind and instead of generating forum traffic put this skill to use.
SEARCH & READ!!!!!! and only then come back.
P.S. Maybe if you don't get it, it too serious of a topic? Start reading...
the question has been answered
so before the flame war starts....THREAD CLOSED!

Total noob question

Hey guys sorry to be a total noob but we all have to start somewhere. I have preordered the evo from RS and this will be my first smart phone. I really have no exp with aps or what these phones can do.
I guess what I am wondering is what is rooting and why is it useful.
Thanks again in advance. I apologize for my ignorance on this topic.
sasigns said:
Hey guys sorry to be a total noob but we all have to start somewhere. I have preordered the evo from RS and this will be my first smart phone. I really have no exp with aps or what these phones can do.
I guess what I am wondering is what is rooting and why is it useful.
Thanks again in advance. I apologize for my ignorance on this topic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting is basically hacking your phone.
It is useful to get super admin permission. Allow's you to customize your phone more and remove carrier app that you may not want. There is alot more stuff but I am new myself to Android.
Basically it's useful for removing crapware. It's kind of like when you buy a Dell computer and it comes with useless programs that may be really good but you find no use for. You can also edit things such as wallpapers and enable hidden menu options for features.
Rooting gives you literally UNLIMITED access to the software operating system on the computer.
When compared to a Windows computer think of your default phone as a Guest account. You can generally use everything but anything important can't be deleted or modified, which also prevents you from pretty much modifying anything at all.
Once you gain Root you're on the Administrators account, you can edit anything you want, move, delete, & in general do whatever you'd like with the device. Sometimes this can introduce risk to unexperienced users -- Think about what would happen if you deleted your entire sys32 folder on Windows...you'd break something.
That is the best explaination of rooting that I have read...thank you! Very simple to understand when put into the Guest/Admin scenario.
thanks ohwut that really puts it in perspective !
you also get wifi tethering and can overclock

[Q] Chinese DHD is making my life miserable

This is a long rant manifested by my anger from the last few days event dealing with BestBuy China and HTC
I've tried to summarize my problem at the bottom if you don't feel like reading through the horrors of buying a smartphone in mainland China.
Story
-----------------------------------------
I recently decided to say goodbye to my samsung galaxy spica when it was stolen a few days ago. I live and study in China so I head over to BestBuy to get myself a new phone (yes, china has BestBuy). Once I enter the store and announce that I am in a search for a cellphone I am swarmed by five or six cellphone experts. I love android so I tell them I want the HTC desire HD; this temptress of a phone which appeals to my most inner desires. The best buy cellphone guys assures me that the phone is in English and that everything will be to my satisfaction. It is a fine day for spending credit and I am psyched as I draw my golden credit card from my back pocket as a modern warrior. I swipe my card elegantly and fast, as if I am a man who have made purchases of this magnitude many times before. I tell the lady behind the counter, who by the way does not speak a word English:
"Today is the day I am reborn!!"
I grab my newly purchased baby and throw myself into a taxi. I force the phone out of its wrappings and switch it on as soon as I'm done telling the taxi driver to take me home. The HTC logo appears "quietly briliant" it proclaims. After a few seconds of that the phone asks me weather I want English or Chinese? As my English is substantially better than my Chinese I went with English, cool enough! As I get home in range of my wireless I enter my google account details and I'm set! I tell this baby to automatically sync everything I got. I receive my first email after only 3 minutes of syncing and can see my entire inbox, really cool! My contacts and calendar is probably right around the corner but since it's kind of late I go to bed, I'm a very happy first time HTC customer and I dream a happy dream about flowers.
You can probably guess that this is the paragraph where it all turns to ****. Correct. I wake up and find that neither my contacts nor calendar have been synced. Probably a glitch. I enter the sync settings and find that my google account isn't there. Probably something I've missed. I press "Add account" and find that there is no option to add an google account at all, not cool. I search high and low for an answer, read cryptic texts translated by the mighty google translate. People keep saying to just look press "add account" and add my google account and follow the on screen instructions. Since I know I'm following the instructions correctly I just figure I give HTC a call to finally just fix this minor issue. I hit up HTC Hong Kong (HTC China doesn't have a English site so it's hard to navigate). They tell me that I have a Simplified Chinese rom. Ok, well that figures, I think to myself.. So how can I sync my google account? "I'm sorry sir that's not possible, you can however try to sync your gmail account to Microsoft outlook 2003/2007 and manually sync contacts every time you connect to your computer."
(excuse my language but I don't know any other way to express my feelings at that time other than...) "What the ****!?"
Is it not an android device I am wielding in my hand? Do I need a workaround to sync my google account? The tech support-guy asks for my email "to check if my device has that function (read: sync google accounts)" and he will contact me later. Turns out I can sync my contacts and calendar semi effectively through exchange activeSync. Alright, not exactly what I wanted but, pheeeew!! I can work with this.
I start customizing my DHD and think to myself, would it not be nice with some apps to go with this phone? Yeah, it would! I head over to the android market and install all the apps I could ever dream of. No wait, where is the android market? Oh there it is.. it's just called 'HTC Marketplace', figures, since this is an HTC device I'm holding. I head over to the HTC Marketplace.
HTC Marketplace greets me:
"I will provide you with the best application to your specific device, son!"
"Great, like apps that are customized to fit the DHD?"
"No, apps that are in Chinese."
"Oh, so how do I access my regular apps, like barcodescanner, facebook, youtube, spotify, etc? You know, the good ol' apps I've come to love over the years?"
"Sorry son, I don't know why, but that's just impossible for me to do for you, because my programming tells me I hate you"
Since HTC marketplace hates my guts I hit up HTC tech support again. My conversation goes a little like this:
"Hello, I'm having trouble with the android market"
"Yes, you want access the android market?"
"Yes"
"I'm sorry to inform you that you that you cant access the android market, but you can however access the beautiful world of 'HTC marketplace', a world of possibilities and anime!"
"I wish I bought an iPhone 4..."
Yeah well, I guess it just wasn't meant to be, I should just return the DHD to bestbuy and order one from America or europe. What do you know? In China there is no such thing as a return policy. And the cellphone guys who told me I would be more than happy with my new DHD can't understand why I possibly can be unhappy with it and they suggest stuff like "Go on the internet", "Try calling HTC and ask them to open your phone for american internet access" and my favorite "You can call and send messages? Yes? Then no problem with your phone, go home"
So now I'm stuck with the most expensive phone I've ever purchased which China ruthlessly ripped the heart and soul out of, only to sell it to me and tell me the phone is more than good enough since it can make calls and send messages.
Sure to say, I had the worst day..
I should have ordered from Hong Kong.
/rant
-----------------------------------------
Problem
In short, I have a Chinese DHD without the ability to access the android market and it is generally crippled. This is apparently because of the Traditional Chinese rom it comes with. I would ultimately like to have a generic/stock DHD rom (I'm not quite sure what you call them but vanilla, out of the box, etc in world wide english) and I have no idea if this is possible or where to start my journey towards fixing this.
I've been reading about rooting for two days now and I still am unsure as to what I should do and where to start. Please, help a fellow out, I'm having a really bad week.
My phone:
Android version: 2.2.1
Build number: 1.75.1400.4
Software number 1.0.0.A9191
(If you need any other info from me please do tell me)
Impossible to do anything, as rooting not possible.
Chinese user with a HongKong DHD
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
In theory, you could install WWE (world wide english) stock ROM, but unfortunatelly, not with your software version as it is not rootable yet
Bloody hell that sounds bad, is this will all Chinese Desire HDs then? It's almost like one of those knock-off phones although you have purchased it genuinely. Don't know how things work in China but if you cant root it then give HTC a call and demand a replacement from Europe/America.
Again, don't know how things work in China but i would so furious that i would cancel my credit card and tell them to go screw themselves. Speak to a lawyer if you intend to do that..
if you really cant give the phone back, try to sell it.
perhaps anyone else will buy it.
than get one from europe or the US.
thats so damn pity, caus the phone os realy godlike i think.
if u cant sell it and dont have enuff money for a new nice phone, wait a little until an root hack for your version comes out.
thats really bad, i know
sry m8!
Just wait around for the root to come out for the software just like the rest of suckers who updated! ;p
Would the Goldcard method work here?
It should in theory work. I'm not sure you need root access to just flash a ROM from a different region. I did it on my previous Desire which I got from Hong Kong. Flashed a WWE ROM when Froyo was released.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
The problem is with Google, not China or HTC. Just like most of the 3rd world countries can't buy anything on the Android Marketplace (nevermind that fact that we cant even develop a paid app to publish on the market).
hehehehe ... i just read through your rant ... made quite a read .. ok now to fix your problem
Root your phone .. its no biggie follow this link and you will be all set
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=841076
next go to the development section , choose a rom of your liking .. suggest android revolution hd or leedroid .... read instructions and flash your phone .. .that should pretty much fix your problem ... do let us know how it went
Edit: Oops just saw that your build is 1.75 ... Sorry mate , no root for the phone at the moment
Maybe you should re-read his post, especially the end.
The latest HTC update has been applied, there is no root or ENG HBOOT options at the moment.
A little update
I've been emailing HTC asking them to fix (read: let me return) the phone ever since I realized I wouldn't be able to return the phone to BestBuy and I just got a call from HTC.
First a guy who could only speak Chinese called, sure to say that wasn't a very productive conversation as my Chinese is very basic. I then recieve a second call late at night from someone at the Hong Kong office who speaks English. After about 5 minutes of telling me that he understood my situation, could feel my pain, was sympathetic to my problem and would do everything in his power to help solve it, I thought things were looking up! The conversation progresses like this but gradually he starts saying stuff like "help you make use of your device as best as we can" and "make it easy for you to operate". This was when I realized this person was not going to help me. I knew that if he was going to actually help he would have told me by now that I could return the phone, not this about "easing me into the phone". Finally the guy gets to the point and says "But although we understand your problem, there is nothing wrong with the hardware itself and we can not help you return the phone. Your perceived problem is with the software."
Christ..
To this I of course reply "Even though the problem is software related it's not any less of a problem, it has rendered the phone completely useless to me and I don't think the phone fulfilles the vision I got after reading reviews and watching the ads before buying it" ...And here we go again with the appoligizes and general willingness to help me use the phone as it currently is. He even asked me which applications I was missing so he could try and find Chinese "replacement apps", or Chinese apps that would fulfill my needs.
I'm not giving up yet, I'm sure HTC is willing to help me with this if I could only reach the right people in the organization. This is has turned into a genuine nightmare first time experience with HTC..
@RED_ I think this is how all Chinese DHD works, yes. And I don’t think I want to risk seeing the inside of a Chinese prison by cancelling my credit card although it is very tempting :\
@Eddie1506; tranceonline; momavujistic; irteza_h, I guess I have to wait for someone with the know-how to make my version rootable. I’m turning off automatic updates on my phone to prevent it from further updating.
@leppie, I can’t even access the free applications. I think HTC (or google) made this ‘HTC marketplace’ to be accepted by the government. When I was speaking with HTC today I asked why there was no access to the android market in the first place. They told me “because your phone is Chinese and the market you can access is specialized to your location and the customers in that location”. Which I think means that they can’t sell phones with the open android market in China because of government restrictions. The real android market works down here though, I could access it through on my European Samsung Galaxy.
andyharney said:
Would the Goldcard method work here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
olivierlee said:
It should in theory work. I'm not sure you need root access to just flash a ROM from a different region. I did it on my previous Desire which I got from Hong Kong. Flashed a WWE ROM when Froyo was released.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you guys saying it might work? If there's a chance I will try. How can I test this? Or is it safest to wait for someone to come up with a way to root this device?
How long does it generally take for a new root technique to be ready? Also, I've seen people complaining because they updated to version 1.72 or something. I have 1.75, does this mean 1) that I have to wait a lot longer or maybe 2) that my phone has some kind of special software?
hey there,
after reading your messages through this morning and everything, you should be able to flash a WWE Rom using this guide --> here <--
i hope this helps you liberate your DHD, if you need any help with this guide let me know ill guide you through
its the goldcard method.
Yep, try the goldcard method. If it works you'll get a WWE Desire HD. Not sure you need to do all these. You might just try to create a goldcard, have it in your phone, and just run any WWE RUU you want. I'd stay away from the 1.72 one as it seems to be causing alot of problems. However you might not be able to buy apps from the market since buying paid apps from the market is not possible from China. See http://market.android.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=143779 .
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
well there is a liberated market somewhere on the forums for DHD
your phone was 'harmonised' by the communist government
I think you really should gain root access to your device and flash a customised ROM on it, in *should* solve your problem. though you probably want to have a backup before you do so
To be honest scientist, i wish you read earliar he cant root a 1. 75 rom. So he'll have to use the goldcard method
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
His best option is as suggested by flo. Just hours ago a method has been released which will allow him to downgrade to the wwe stock rom 1.32 version. From there he can root and install a custom rom, or if preferred simply keep it at stock and update it to wwe 1.72 version. As far as market restrictions go it is possible to use "market enabler" hacks to allow paid access to the market anywhere.
This sounds like good news!
Yesterday when I wrote the original reply I was kind of drunk and it was 6am I think so I'm just rewriting the entire reply. For all it shortcomings when it comes to smartphones, China do have a lot of opportunities for people (like me) who want to stay out all night singing karaoke and eating popcorn. Anyway, I think the best approach, instead of asking any of you to hold my hand through this is that I just post what I think I should do and then you can tell me if I'm way off target.
Is this correct?
Step 1 - making a goldcard
I think you are saying that I need to make a goldcard and for that I follow the 'creating a goldcard' over at modaco.com. It looks quite straightforward so I don't think this will be a problem. However, I need to venture out into China and find a real SDcard with an adapter (guess I'm heading over to BestBuy again)
Question: In the downgrading thread it says to "Use MMC2!!", what does that mean?
Step 2 - Downgrading
I've extracted the downgrade folder conveniently to d:\downgrade and will open cmd and type inn all the commands I have no idea what actually does (I'm used to this ). Then I will look for "#" and proceed. I will copy PD98IMG.zip to the goldcard and hopefully there will be some instructions of some kind that I can follow.
Step 3 - profit?
If all this works what should I do next? Or more, where am I? What will happen after this? Do I have a stock rom now? And can I just stop there and update the rom and be happy? I do plan to root my device some time later, but for now I will be more than super happy just to have a wwe stock rom with no root, fully updated with the android market. Am I far off?
Success! Got myself a goldcard!
Now what do I do with it? (for real, it's not really clear in any of the guides what I should do with the goldcard microSD). Do I put it into the phone?

[Q] Adding phone functionality to "inactive phone rom"

Hey everyone, I have a couple of questions. First off as you can see from my post count I'm a lurker. I can remove/install ROMs, the basics, but never have I tried to add/remove apps or functions to one. So I've found a ROM I love, but it was designed with inactive phones in mind, to make them into second life usable music/video players. It has no phone functionality because of this. The one I'm interested in is by frickinjerms - Ubersonic - I hope I can modify others work for my personal use. Guess that should be a question too.
Would it be ok to add in phone functionality or would it be easier to find one with that already and just remove the fluff I don't want and add what I do?
As I understand it, I can just add it back in, but I'm unsure what files go back in. Is there a resource that outlines that anywhere, or can anyone throw me a bone?
Is it ok to modify the work of others for your personal use without asking, or should you seek approval first out of proper etiquette?
I've been searching through XDA and other sites looking for some basic beginners stuff for cooking up ROMs, but have only come across limited collections. I'm toying with dsixda's Android Kitchen right now, but would love to find other resources. So any pointers to learning resources would be great too.
Thanks!
For the last one, I personally believe that its not necessary to ask before modifying a rom thats for your personal use because only you will know about it anyway, and people do it all the time
You only need to ask for permission if you're reposting your personal version of someone elses rom
Sent from my PG06100
CNexus said:
For the last one, I personally believe that its not necessary to ask before modifying a rom thats for your personal use because only you will know about it anyway, and people do it all the time
You only need to ask for permission if you're reposting your personal version of someone elses rom
Sent from my PG06100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figured that was likely the case I just wanted to clarify it for myself. I know people put in a lot of work on some of their ROMs and don't want to step on toes.
Thanks for the response.
You know you could use a rom that does have phone functionality. Just throwing that out there.
PlatinumPenguin said:
You know you could use a rom that does have phone functionality. Just throwing that out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whats the point of flavors if you're forced to pick the one you don't like? Just throwing that out there.
I don't think my questions were unreasonable either. I'm not asking for someone to build me something, I'm asking for the fishing pole, not the fish.

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