Related
I'm sure I'm going to get attacked for posting this since it's probably been answered in 3000 other posts, but that's actually part of the problem. There's too much information and too much of it is different and confusing, so a noob like me gets lost quickly. I would like to take the stock Verizon ROM and add just a couple of things to it. I don't want to use "Bob's super special ROM" that he's added a ton of crap to and I don't want to use "Bob's super special ROM lite" that has just about nothing in it. I'm OK with what's in the stock ROM for the most part, but I want to include a few other things.
So first off, can I take the Verizon MR1 upgrade for my XV6800 and extract, uncook, whatever the term is the ROM out of the setup - or - can I get the ROM off of my XV6800 that already has the MR1 upgrade applied to it?
Second, assuming I can do that, how do I cook the ROM. I understand I need a kitchen, which I've actually played with PPCKitchen a little, but what else do I need, or is there a better kitchen?
Third, where can I go to get simple, concise, and intelligible instructions for taking my stock ROM I extracted from the setup or the phone itself, and add a couple of applications and then flash it back to my phone.
One other thing, do I have to flash another radio or if I'm OK with how the phone works after the MR1 upgrade, can I just leave that alone?
For the people that are going to abuse me for asking question that have already been asked before, sorry, it's just too much and too scattered. For those who understand the confusions and frustrations of being a noob, thanks for the sympathy .
bump....
Ouch. One last attempt at a shameless bump...
Go to ppc geeks. their forums are divided up by phone. also you will find (usually at the top of list as a stick note) step by step instructions. Easy to follow.
Thanks. I forgot about that site.
Hi Guys,
I have an Unlocked T-Mobile G2 Touch - AKA - HERO !!!
I have installed new firmware / roms on Nokia phones numerous times but Android is new to me - however i wont go back to Nokia as the Hero is great...
CAN SOMEONE ON HERE POST AN IDIOTS GUIDE MAYBE WITH VIDEO ON HOW TO DEBRAND / INSTALL ORIGINAL HTC HERO ROM
I have tried and failed reading numerous posts and there are plenty of newcomers here that are after the same.....
Please, Please help us newbies to ANDROID out...
Thanks
Checkout this link:
http://android.modaco.com/content/h...and-your-orange-t-mo-etc-device-via-nandroid/
Explain
packetlss said:
Checkout this link:
http://android.modaco.com/content/h...and-your-orange-t-mo-etc-device-via-nandroid/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi - Thanks for that but i got lost on the keep original name etc..... - I think i must be an idiot !!! HELP - someone put a step by step guide up please...
I'd second this request.
Looking through posts on modaco and here it's not obvious what you have to do and why you are doing it.
What is nandroid and recovery image etc ?
cheers
And if it could be Mac and Windows information, not all of us are Windows based here
joemax said:
And if it could be Mac and Windows information, not all of us are Windows based here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly!!!
A lot of us are Linux users too!!!
No offense, but please get more into adb and all the tools needed for reflashing.
Making things idiot proof is useless in my opinion. If you have no idea how to use adb, why upgrade anyway? Chances are you won't understand most custom upgrades/tweaks anyway..
All releases by HTC will be idiot proof, no doubt about it, but installing a custom rom takes skill, knowledge and patience.
In general, an idiot posseses none of the above.
Second, there are no custom roms available for the Hero.
If you want to install custom roms in the future, take some time to understand things. Spoonfeeding this info won't learn you anything.
Sykow said:
No offense, but please get more into adb and all the tools needed for reflashing.
Making things idiot proof is useless in my opinion. If you have no idea how to use adb, why upgrade anyway? Chances are you won't understand most custom upgrades/tweaks anyway..
All releases by HTC will be idiot proof, no doubt about it, but installing a custom rom takes skill, knowledge and patience.
In general, an idiot posseses none of the above.
Second, there are no custom roms available for the Hero.
If you want to install custom roms in the future, take some time to understand things. Spoonfeeding this info won't learn you anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Sykow, I understand your point but it wasn't helpful. It's comments like these that can deter a newbie from asking questions. A person must ask questions to learn.
No doubt some of the skills needed to load custom firmware or even stock HTC firmware to de-brand your Hero are needed in order for many of us here to upgrade to the rumoured minor update and major update coming soon.
Having a handset from the telco on contract and then having to wait for weeks or even forever to get a bug fixed / performance enhanced firmware update from HTC is not something I want to have to suffer.
As soon as HTC release updated firmware, I will want to know how to load it via my Mac running OS X (preferred) or booted into my Windows partition (not preferred).
All without drama and with little risk of toasting my Hero.
Its not too much to ask surely
joemax said:
No doubt some of the skills needed to load custom firmware or even stock HTC firmware to de-brand your Hero are needed in order for many of us here to upgrade to the rumoured minor update and major update coming soon.
Having a handset from the telco on contract and then having to wait for weeks or even forever to get a bug fixed / performance enhanced firmware update from HTC is not something I want to have to suffer.
As soon as HTC release updated firmware, I will want to know how to load it via my Mac running OS X (preferred) or booted into my Windows partition (not preferred).
All without drama and with little risk of toasting my Hero.
Its not too much to ask surely
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I can tell, it is pretty straight forward, just like the first time you flash a phone, a bit never racking, and a bit foreign. A co-worker of mine has assured me it is as easy as a WinMo phone.
Nice to be easy as a WiMo phone... but I've had Nokia for years.
Easy to de-brand.
Use Nemesis.
Change Product Code to one like a generic EU code.
Go back to Nokia Software Update.
Download new manufacturer direct firmware... Orange as far as I know, never approved new firmware while I used an N95, N82, N85.
Android de-branding seems to involve a complex trip to a command line editor, a download of firmware that you don't really know where it came from and a large dose of prayer and crossed fingers and toes...
I guess I will wait until someone posts how to load the upcoming updated firmware from HTC so I will end up with a more reliable, stable and faster performing handset... like the one I thought I'd signed up for.
joemax said:
Nice to be easy as a WiMo phone... but I've had Nokia for years.
Easy to de-brand.
Use Nemesis.
Change Product Code to one like a generic EU code.
Go back to Nokia Software Update.
Download new manufacturer direct firmware... Orange as far as I know, never approved new firmware while I used an N95, N82, N85.
Android de-branding seems to involve a complex trip to a command line editor, a download of firmware that you don't really know where it came from and a large dose of prayer and crossed fingers and toes...
I guess I will wait until someone posts how to load the upcoming updated firmware from HTC so I will end up with a more reliable, stable and faster performing handset... like the one I thought I'd signed up for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am getting my Hero sometime mid-september... I will post up a walk through when I get some personal experience.
Sweet
That sounds like a plan...
Sykow said:
No offense, but please get more into adb and all the tools needed for reflashing.
Making things idiot proof is useless in my opinion. If you have no idea how to use adb, why upgrade anyway? Chances are you won't understand most custom upgrades/tweaks anyway..
All releases by HTC will be idiot proof, no doubt about it, but installing a custom rom takes skill, knowledge and patience.
In general, an idiot posseses none of the above.
Second, there are no custom roms available for the Hero.
If you want to install custom roms in the future, take some time to understand things. Spoonfeeding this info won't learn you anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A touch patronising.
I Flash Roms all the time on my Blackstone, and manage to use the custom upgrades/tweeks....
Android is a new OS, and has a new set of terms and abreviations etc, As the OP says, there seems to be little out there to explain things
When there are pages and pages of wikis for the Hero/Android then yes, I can understand being frustrated about noobie questions, but until there IS threads/stickies/Wikis out there then I'm afraid there will be questions put forward like this.
Correct. But those things need time. How long has the Hero been out now? Couple of weeks? C'mon..
And a person doesn't learn by asking questions. At least, not here. There are TONS of threads around. All the things you need are in there. It's just a matter of looking, taking the time to actually learn and read. If you still don't get it after the proper research, ask questions. Give the exact problem so we can tailor the reponse to it.
I flashed my old Wizard so many times.. Then I got on to the iPhone 2G, making it work in The Netherlands. I took the time to read all the reports, stickies and the necessary info to make it work. With some motivation and some common sense every person can do this.
I'm completely new to Android and I managed to root, update and tweak my Hero within 1 hour.
I just have a problem with these guys coming here, "demanding" a guide for idiots, making no effort at all to understand the complexity of it all.
This device hasn't even been out for a month! Chill out! When the stuff is ready, it will come.
Hmmmmm
Sykow said:
Correct. But those things need time. How long has the Hero been out now? Couple of weeks? C'mon..
And a person doesn't learn by asking questions. At least, not here. There are TONS of threads around. All the things you need are in there. It's just a matter of looking, taking the time to actually learn and read. If you still don't get it after the proper research, ask questions. Give the exact problem so we can tailor the reponse to it.
I flashed my old Wizard so many times.. Then I got on to the iPhone 2G, making it work in The Netherlands. I took the time to read all the reports, stickies and the necessary info to make it work. With some motivation and some common sense every person can do this.
I'm completely new to Android and I managed to root, update and tweak my Hero within 1 hour.
I just have a problem with these guys coming here, "demanding" a guide for idiots, making no effort at all to understand the complexity of it all.
This device hasn't even been out for a month! Chill out! When the stuff is ready, it will come.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sykow - thanks for your comments, please dont call us "demanding idiots !" Like you I and many others are new to Android and yes its a huge learning curve, I have rooted my HERO and Tweaked it but merely wanted advice on some of the explanation given as i did not think it was that clear !!!
I have programmed, tweaked and installed numerous roms on blackberry and nokia previously and wanted advice on Android - you were not born with the knowledge you had to learn it....
Anyway after a polite request at least someone was polite enough to assist and it is sorted - bring on the cooked roms.
I have to agree with Sykow here to a degree. Rooting, flashing and backing up isn't for the weak of heart, and one wrong move could mean that the same newbie comes back to this forum crying about a bricked phone and bad instructions, and that would just distract people from the real point of this sub-forum, i.e. actual ROM hacking, stuff like what Haykuro is doing in the background.
Here's a starting point that worked for me:
Rooting the Hero: http://theunlockr.com/2009/08/08/how-to-gain-root-access-on-your-htc-hero/
After that, if you're looking at replacing built-in apps and cooking your own ROMs, you're better off looking in the Dream Android Development sub-forum where it all started. If you're having problems looking for technical pointers in those sub-forums and instead finding that most questions are about how-do-i root/flash/etc, you'll start to understand where Sykow is coming from
Me, I don't think you're an idiot. I just think it'd help to spend your time with the Android SDK as well as searching the other Android Dev sub-forums in XDA for what you're looking for. If you're confident enough after that to come up with a How-To of your own for the benefit of newbies, feel free to go ahead, but from what I have seen from time to time, it can be a thankless job when newbies fail to follow the instructions to a T, brick their devices then come back crying or *****ing, and expect someone to fix it for them.
I found the HTC Dream wiki section on rooting/hacking etc quite informative:
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=HTC_Dream_overview_and_useful_information
I managed to work out how to make a backup last night, using files from Paulatmodoco's rooting guide:
http://android.modaco.com/content/htc-hero-hero-modaco-com/291397/12-08-1-4-modaco-hero-patch-a2sd-root-busybox-much-more/
Simply follow his instructions up to stage 5. Then you will be in the recovery image menu and you can select to make a nandroid backup.
If I have some time later, I'll write up a dummys guide to making a nandroid backup, which is one of the most important steps I reckon And rooting using paul's system is then very, very easy. as is flashing a new ROM.
I must also agree with Sykow. I only recently got my Hero and had no knowledge of rooting. I'm sure a step by step guide would be lovely but actually it is possible and it pays to read up about it yourself.
I knew the Android SDK was needed, so I downloaded and installed that as per Android website, read about what adb and fastboot did. The files and commands were easy to source from here. About and hours reading and a complete Android noob was rooted and away. I do feel that some folk maybe can't be bothered with the reading part, but think - if something goes wrong in the process, you aren't going to know why or how to fix it.
My sentiments exactly.
Hello, guys!
The forum is super but here is ocmplete disorder. Where are the ROMS?
How can one find a ROM file here?? The forum is huge and the search leads to discontinued results (2008 year)
Can someone point me to ROM file archive here?
BR
I'd demand a full refund of the money you've paid....
Seriously, if you scroll down through this list a few pages, some kind person has compiled a thread with all the links in one place. Search is terrible and you have to spend lots of your own time. Still, it's free.
Man its full of ROMs. Most active topics or most discussed ROMs are showed on first page. U dont need to search, just click on thread one the rom u like. Its noted by Cook, Built, WM version, sense version, and ROM Version.
Its easy as it can be.
But it's a mess here!
No normal instructions. All are outdated.
Well, as it was said - it's free and therefore it's messy.
ROMs here - one file, no Ruupdate.exe , no nothing. Like if any user comming here is a professional HTC developer. I am simple user and i am sick of spending hours of my time by gathring info by tips. Well, like i said -- good forum, but no order.
What are you complainin?
Please just have a look at recent posts as already said.
The threads where you have a lot of activity are the threads with new roms.
There are also plenty of tutorials!
For example this one: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=416211
For sure you will need some time to compare different roms and find your best fitting one....which comes with the big choise of roms.
And also there will be little problems from time to time which I'm sure you can solve in a short amount of time.
I can recommend the google search, not built in forum search.
Concerning flashing you don't need to use Ruupdate.exe, it's way easier to name your .nbh file DIAMIMG.nbh, move it to the phone's internal storage and flash directly (see tutorial)
Kind regards and have fun with your new roms
Shark_XXL said:
What are you complainin?
Please just have a look at recent posts as already said.
The threads where you have a lot of activity are the threads with new roms.
There are also plenty of tutorials!
For example this one: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=416211
For sure you will need some time to compare different roms and find your best fitting one....which comes with the big choise of roms.
And also there will be little problems from time to time which I'm sure you can solve in a short amount of time.
I can recommend the google search, not built in forum search.
Concerning flashing you don't need to use Ruupdate.exe, it's way easier to name your .nbh file DIAMIMG.nbh, move it to the phone's internal storage and flash directly (see tutorial)
Kind regards and have fun with your new roms
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My complain is that forum is full of unimportant trash in topics and no really helpfull info. Like now, i have found a ROM, flashed it and i lost TouchFlo ) Super!
And no original ROMS, only some outdated.
Well, i am a bit tired reading this forum today within 8 hours to find more or less fresh tut, so i can not tell you exactly what is wrong, but i am telling you - i am professional software developer, not a lamer and not a pumpkin head BUT i lost in this forum, jumping from link to link.
I would delete ALL and put all in order:
Flash (ROM) files here:
Radio files here:
Boot loaders (Hard SPL or whatever it's called) here:
Flashers (Software) here:
Tutorials here:
Discussion here:
Instead i see 13248 topics with xxxxx messages inside and 1% of useful info.
Well, if you take donations then make it user friendly.
I will donate 100 USD to make it in order.
And PS - this is a problem that there are Plenty or tutorials!
Like we say in my language - brevity wit! Try to write the less and put sense the more.
Like when i read - hard SPL... then 100 lines text, cheers to authors and then - a patched bootloader..
LOL
Dear all,
I have HTC TP2 device, and I tried to add shortcuts on the home page, when I got the steps from the HTC site, I could not apply them, can anybody help me in this?
- I could not find the '+' button.
- When I press and hold on an icon in the start menu, I can find only one command in the popup menu (Move to top).
---
From HTC site:
Personalizing Your Home Screen: Shortcuts
Placing shortcuts on your Home screen gives you quick access to your favorite programs, contacts you most frequently communicate with, and other information.
Adding a shortcut
Press HOME and then tap the + button. You can also press and hold an empty area on the Home screen.
When the Add to Home options menu opens, tap Shortcut.
Select the type of shortcut to add to the Home screen. You can create a shortcut to a Bookmark, Gmail label, your mail inbox, music playlist, a contact, or a program.
To quickly add an application shortcut that is on the All programs screen to the Home screen, press and hold an application icon. When the phone vibrates, drag the icon to an empty area on the Home screen, and then release it.
This can only be done if you are running Sense 2.5. Most TP2/Tilt2 phones came with TouchFlo 3D or an earlier version of Sense. These have a Programs page where you can choose which program icons you want to appear, but they won't be on the Home page.
Thanks a lot for you reply. May you please tell me what is the difference between Sense and TouchFlo, are they two different programs, which is better and if those programs are supported from HTC or not. In other words, can I go to an HTC shop in my country to install it for me or it is downloadable from their site?
mrtarrouk said:
Thanks a lot for you reply. May you please tell me what is the difference between Sense and TouchFlo, are they two different programs, which is better and if those programs are supported from HTC or not. In other words, can I go to an HTC shop in my country to install it for me or it is downloadable from their site?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can get in touch with your carrier to see if an upgrade is warranted for your device. Only a couple of carriers got the Sense "upgrade." It is considerably slower than TF3D if you go through their options. If you really want to experience Sense the way it should be, try one of the many custom ROMs on this site.
Thanks a lot. Can you refer me to one of the good ROMs here in the forum.
What country, carrier are you on?
Couple reason I ask this. Firstly, some carriers released an official ROM update to Sense 2.5.
Also, custom ROMs on this website are limited to GSM versions of the TP2, although there is CDMA subforum, with links to ROMs for CDMA devices.
redpoint73 said:
What country, carrier are you on?
Couple reason I ask this. Firstly, some carriers released an official ROM update to Sense 2.5.
Also, custom ROMs on this website are limited to GSM versions of the TP2, although there is CDMA subforum, with links to ROMs for CDMA devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even though some carriers released updates to Sense from TF3D, I don't think it's a good idea to use them. I have yet to see a single one that was stable enough for continued use. They are generally resource intensive. Chefs of custom ROMs take the device's hardware into consideration unlike the carriers who only seem to want to load it with their own software.
redpoint73 said:
What country, carrier are you on?
Couple reason I ask this. Firstly, some carriers released an official ROM update to Sense 2.5.
Also, custom ROMs on this website are limited to GSM versions of the TP2, although there is CDMA subforum, with links to ROMs for CDMA devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here are the info and other info that might help:
Country: Egypt
Carrier: Vodafone
ROM Version: 1.86.415.2 (67102) WWE
ROM Date: 12/28/09
Radio Version: 4.49.25.17
Protocol Version: 61.44tc.25.32U
ExtPkg Version: 1.48.415.70
redpoint73 said:
What country, carrier are you on?
Couple reason I ask this. Firstly, some carriers released an official ROM update to Sense 2.5.
Also, custom ROMs on this website are limited to GSM versions of the TP2, although there is CDMA subforum, with links to ROMs for CDMA devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cajunflavoredbob said:
Even though some carriers released updates to Sense from TF3D, I don't think it's a good idea to use them. I have yet to see a single one that was stable enough for continued use. They are generally resource intensive. Chefs of custom ROMs take the device's hardware into consideration unlike the carriers who only seem to want to load it with their own software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for you both. Here are the info and other info that might help:
Country: Egypt
Carrier: Vodafone
ROM Version: 1.86.415.2 (67102) WWE
ROM Date: 12/28/09
Radio Version: 4.49.25.17
Protocol Version: 61.44tc.25.32U
ExtPkg Version: 1.48.415.70
cajunflavoredbob said:
Even though some carriers released updates to Sense from TF3D, I don't think it's a good idea to use them. I have yet to see a single one that was stable enough for continued use. They are generally resource intensive. Chefs of custom ROMs take the device's hardware into consideration unlike the carriers who only seem to want to load it with their own software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some people seemed pleased with the latest ATT ROM with Sense 2.5. I never flashed it, so I can't personally comment. And the shipped ROM was so horrible, I have trouble believing it myself. Plus, you get the usual ATT bloat. But I mentioned the possibility of an official ROM update, only because many people are scared of flashing a custom ROM.
But I completely agree with you that a custom ROM is probably the way to go.
To the OP, poking around on the internet, I see that Vodafone in Egypt is GSM, so you can use the custom ROMs on this website.
redpoint73 said:
Some people seemed pleased with the latest ATT ROM with Sense 2.5. I never flashed it, so I can't personally comment. And the shipped ROM was so horrible, I have trouble believing it myself. Plus, you get the usual ATT bloat. But I mentioned the possibility of an official ROM update, only because many people are scared of flashing a custom ROM.
But I completely agree with you that a custom ROM is probably the way to go.
To the OP, poking around on the internet, I see that Vodafone in Egypt is GSM, so you can use the custom ROMs on this website.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot. Yes Vodafone Egypt is a GSM operator. Can you tell me whether I can backup my original ROM before I flash a cooked one (in case I needed it) ... And also please refer me to the best cooked ROM here and the steps to flash/install it on my device.
Your reply is highly appreciated.
All you need to flash a custom ROM is on the ROM Development subforum for the TP2:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=490
The resources pinned to the top of the subforum are extremely helpful, and indispensable.
One of them is an excellent step-by-step guide for flashing a custom ROM, written for beginners:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=550540
As indicated in the guide, you will need to HardSPL the phone. This unlocks SPL (secondary program loader), which is normally locked so you can only flash "official" ROMs from your carrier. HardSPL is here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=550131
Also, optional, but highly recommended (I do it before EVERY new ROM flash) is running Task29. This formats the ROM area of the memory, and completely wipes it, so no old fragment of previous ROM linger to screw up the new ROM. It only takes a couple minutes to perform, and can possibly save you the headache of some random bugs.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=550131
Flashing is really not hard. Just read as much as you can on the threads I linked, and follow the instructions carefully. The threads are really long, and you don't have to read the whole thing, but read as much as you have patience for. Any question or issue you can possibly have about the process has probably been encountered by someone else already, and a solution/answer already posted. The more you know before you start, the less you will panic when something doesn't go exactly as you expected.
Keep in mind that flashing a custom ROM will void any warranty you may still have. Although, people generally have luck re-flashing the stock ROM, and re-locking SPL before returning for warranty service, so the repair people actually have no idea the ROM was ever modified. Also, keep in mind that there is a slight possibility of "bricking" or disabling your phone. But follow the instructions and be careful, and it won't happen. Main things to remember, is never mess with the phone (power off, unplug) while its flashing, make sure you have at least 50% battery at each step, and flash the correct software (flashing a CDMA ROM to a GSM phone, or ROM for a completely different phone are highly probably ways to brick it). But normally, it is very safe. People on here have flashed custom ROMs onto their phone dozens, maybe even hundreds of times, without ever bricking their phones.
There is no correct answer to the question "what is the best ROM". Its like asking "what clothes are best to wear", there is no correct answer, it depends on your personal tastes and needs. The best ROM for you depends on how much you want looks and functions over speed and stability, what software you want packed-in, or if you want a minimum of built-in software (a "lightweight" ROM), and to install your desired software yourself. Look through the various ROMs to see the features of each one, look at replies from users, which thread are most popular, and pick for yourself. If you still need some suggestions, Energy, simplicity, Jackos, and Valkyrie are popular. But it would be an injustice to other chefs to suggest that other ROMs are not just as great. If you scan through the ROM Development subforum, you will see some threads along the lines of "what ROM is best, fastest, etc.", and you can look at those for more suggestions/opinions.
Also be sure to read through the first several posts on the ROM thread you pick to flash, as there are often specific instructions and FAQs for that ROM posted by the chef.
You don't need to backup your old ROM. If you need to return to the stock ROM for some reason, just go to shipped-roms.com and download it:
http://shipped-roms.com/
You will however, lose your personal data (contacts, texts, email) when you flash the ROM. There are a bunch of ways to back these up. Microsoft My Phone, synching to your PC on Outlook, or if you are a Gmail person, using Google Synch, are all popular methods.
redpoint73 said:
All you need to flash a custom ROM is on the ROM Development subforum for the TP2:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=490
The resources pinned to the top of the subforum are extremely helpful, and indispensable.
One of them is an excellent step-by-step guide for flashing a custom ROM, written for beginners:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=550540
As indicated in the guide, you will need to HardSPL the phone. This unlocks SPL (secondary program loader), which is normally locked so you can only flash "official" ROMs from your carrier. HardSPL is here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=550131
Also, optional, but highly recommended (I do it before EVERY new ROM flash) is running Task29. This formats the ROM area of the memory, and completely wipes it, so no old fragment of previous ROM linger to screw up the new ROM. It only takes a couple minutes to perform, and can possibly save you the headache of some random bugs.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=550131
Flashing is really not hard. Just read as much as you can on the threads I linked, and follow the instructions carefully. The threads are really long, and you don't have to read the whole thing, but read as much as you have patience for. Any question or issue you can possibly have about the process has probably been encountered by someone else already, and a solution/answer already posted. The more you know before you start, the less you will panic when something doesn't go exactly as you expected.
Keep in mind that flashing a custom ROM will void any warranty you may still have. Although, people generally have luck re-flashing the stock ROM, and re-locking SPL before returning for warranty service, so the repair people actually have no idea the ROM was ever modified. Also, keep in mind that there is a slight possibility of "bricking" or disabling your phone. But follow the instructions and be careful, and it won't happen. Main things to remember, is never mess with the phone (power off, unplug) while its flashing, make sure you have at least 50% battery at each step, and flash the correct software (flashing a CDMA ROM to a GSM phone, or ROM for a completely different phone are highly probably ways to brick it). But normally, it is very safe. People on here have flashed custom ROMs onto their phone dozens, maybe even hundreds of times, without ever bricking their phones.
There is no correct answer to the question "what is the best ROM". Its like asking "what clothes are best to wear", there is no correct answer, it depends on your personal tastes and needs. The best ROM for you depends on how much you want looks and functions over speed and stability, what software you want packed-in, or if you want a minimum of built-in software (a "lightweight" ROM), and to install your desired software yourself. Look through the various ROMs to see the features of each one, look at replies from users, which thread are most popular, and pick for yourself. If you still need some suggestions, Energy, simplicity, Jackos, and Valkyrie are popular. But it would be an injustice to other chefs to suggest that other ROMs are not just as great. If you scan through the ROM Development subforum, you will see some threads along the lines of "what ROM is best, fastest, etc.", and you can look at those for more suggestions/opinions.
Also be sure to read through the first several posts on the ROM thread you pick to flash, as there are often specific instructions and FAQs for that ROM posted by the chef.
You don't need to backup your old ROM. If you need to return to the stock ROM for some reason, just go to shipped-roms.com and download it:
http://shipped-roms.com/
You will however, lose your personal data (contacts, texts, email) when you flash the ROM. There are a bunch of ways to back these up. Microsoft My Phone, synching to your PC on Outlook, or if you are a Gmail person, using Google Synch, are all popular methods.
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Dear redpoint73,
Really thanks a million, you unleashed a lot of information to me with your very descriptive answer . As I'm new to the Windows phones world, I was confused with its terminologies like chief, ROM, cooking, flashing ... etc etc. But now it is very much easier than ever ... Thank you.
I want to be clear, I used the search feature before posting here. I was able to find vaguely related threads, but there was a similar issue with each. They all were made on the assumption that the reader has a basic understanding of the terminology and the purpose of each of those things. While I've jailbroken iPhones in the past, I find that there is a world of difference between doing that and doing anything on the droid. While there is usually only one model of iPhone to worry about, there are several different versions of each model of phone released that runs the Android OS. This, coupled with all of the different things you can do discourages me from reading the mode advanced threads and blindly following the instructions. I want to understand the basics so that I can understand why I'm flashing a rom, why I'm rooting, what a flash counter is, etc.
If anybody remembers coming across a good thread or website that gives a good intro to Android (modification, upgrading, etc), then please let me know where I can find it! I would be grateful even if the information spans across 5 different sources, as long as it is a good introduction. I'm mainly interested in:
Stock Roms
Rooting
Recovery
Odex vs. deodex
Flash Counter
Flashing Rom
Thanks in advance guys!