***original post copied verbatim******************************************************************
So I was rummaging around the dev section, QA, so forth. And I have seen numerous threads, questions, posts, where people have had issues with ROMs or just general left field issues that were resolved by going back to square 1 doing a fresh clean install of "rom.zip..
My goal with this thread is to contribute some insight and experience with customizing android devices in the way we all do... at square one, clicking the download button.... we also do not have a thread dedicated to this one subject alone, so here it is. I feel stickying this thread would be extremely useful, as so many people could see it right from the get-go and get valuable information from it. Also, I would recommend this be posted in the dev section as this is where people go to install ROMs, not the QA section. People go to QA after they have an issue. This is meant to be preventative, not a fix for an already broken device.
Just getting right into it, I will say this, I have flashed (I'm sure) damn near 1,000 ROMs to various devices. Mine. Friends. Etc. And never once have I installed a corrupt zip file to these devices. This should never happen, and among other important details to any installation of a ROM, this one is the most important...
VERIFY THAT YOUR DOWNLOADS ARE GOOD!
How do you do this??? Well I will show you... it is with this handy little app called md5 checker from the play store. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE OF US.... should have this app, guys (and gals, because I know you are out there it is a free app. No excuses
What is an MD5 checksum? Trusty link to get the gist of it.. http://www.fastsum.com/support/md5-checksum-utility-faq/md5-checksum.php
Making this simple - I will break this down into steps. Follow this meticulously and 99.9% of the time you will not have an issue or be one of the random bugs popping up when everyone else seems fine.
1. Download md5 checker.
2. Download all zip files needed for your ROM. (whether you do this from your mobile device or a desktop/laptop it doesn't matter, because you WILL verify the file AFTER you have transferred it to where it needs to be allocated - your device). Basically, download it, transfer it.
3. Open md5 checker, the app is pretty easy to use. Much like a file explorer in its layout with the obvious differences.
4. Retrieve md5 for your zip files.
5. Verify them with ROM developer, or others using that particular ROM. Any discrepancies - back to step 2.
6. All is well? Boot to recovery.
7. Wipe data 3 times (you don't need to wipe dalvik cache, that directory is found in the data partition - wiping data = wiping dalvik cache)
8. Wipe cache 3 times (this sometimes does not need to be done either depending on whether or not your recovery wipes cache with data.. most recoveries will spit out some text during the wiping phase letting you know the details of the process and you'll see see something like this when wiping data)..
"Wiping /data...
"Wiping /cache
If you see cache being wiped, you are good. No need to manually wipe cache.
9. Format your system partition through recovery 3 times
10. Install your ROM. Reboot. Let it sit for a minute or two, reboot it again. If you are not installing a custom kernel, stop here. You are done, and winning.
11. Reboot to recovery, wipe cache partition 3 times AND dalvik cache. They are both there as options, for this reason - the goodies we install after a full ROM install.
12. Flash kernel zip. Reboot. Let it sit for a minute or two, reboot it again. You are done, and winning.
Interesting fact about all the ROMs I have installed over the years, NOT ONCE, have I ever installed something corrupted, and every issue/bug I have ever had with a ROM was a known issue. This also doesn't mean your particular device is always going to be able to run for weeks on end without needing a quick reboot. Sometimes its good to do the dishes, I get that. But my disclaimer here is for all to note, if you follow these steps meticulously, you will ALWAYS be able to say to yourself with confidence "nope, did it right, there is something else going on here." And thus you will be a greater problem solver and contributor to the community as a whole every single time you pose a thought or question regarding any problems you are having.
"Do it right once, instead of doin it wrong twice before doing it right."
We are nothing useful without useful information. Useful information = posting in a thread in this tone...
"Hey, installed ROM correctly/thoroughly, verified downloads, XXX is buggy blah blah etc etc... can somebody else here verify if they are or aren't having this issue? Thanks!"
Based on people's response you'll know if it is just you or a legitimate issue, in which case, you brought it to the attention of us all, and the dev(s), and you have now been very useful.
What you don't want to do is this....
"My phone keeps rebooting!!! Haaaalp"
The reason why you shouldn't post like that is because you will ALWAYS get a sour response or people will just ignore you. Or, they will reply with questions you should have already asked yourself... "did you verify your downloads were good??? Did you do a clean and thorough install???"
Long post, but I hope somebody will find it useful and utilize it. It will increase your experience with your android device in a positive way, as it has for me. Cheers
posting a link to youtube would be an awesome way to show us noobs how to Exactly go about it also..when i had my captivate i flashed a rom called cognition,super easy following the guy on the video
What about other ROM's?
Can you show us how to flash ROM's from another carrier such as AT&T? There are a couple of ROM's I am really interested in trying out but have no luck doing so because of me not knowing what the heck I'm doing or how to do it. If you could post instructions that would be really nice.
Since I'm already rooted I can't make a video on how to root but ill make a how to flash a rom once you're rooted for the note 2 if you guys are interested
Interesting!
Next time I flash a ROM, I will wipe thrice, as you say.
But do you know why it is important to wipe thrice? Does the extra two times really do something additional to scrub the disc?
I am truly interested, and I would like more insight on *why*
Also, the dev for the Jedi ROM suggests fixing permissions after the first boot.
In my experience, this has led to better performance on other devices in addition to the GNII - perhaps that is also worth mentioning.
techn0crat said:
Interesting!
Next time I flash a ROM, I will wipe thrice, as you say.
But do you know why it is important to wipe thrice? Does the extra two times really do something additional to scrub the disc?
I am truly interested, and I would like more insight on *why*
Also, the dev for the Jedi ROM suggests fixing permissions after the first boot.
In my experience, this has led to better performance on other devices in addition to the GNII - perhaps that is also worth mentioning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There has been debates forever about the wiping more than once theory. I have always done this out of habit. You could compare it rinsing a dish in the sink that has some food on it... you wash it once really quick... you see nothing on the dish... you throw it in the cabinet. Later you see some small smudging on it and end up cleaning it again. Same idea. Just being thorough. As I said in the OP I have always done it this way simply to be thorough. And I have never once been the rogue user with an isolated issue.
To answer your q about permissions, if the ROM dev suggests that for his ROM, do it. It is not always required. But if instructed to do so, it should be done.
Is there a reason why it suggests to wipe three times?
I think it may go back to floppy disk days, or hard disks possibly leaving "footprints" on it, old images or data but im not sure. Just a theory.
G●Note~2 {Jedi X5}
Yes please add a section to the OP about flashing roms from other carriers. The steps are identical, except you flash a modem. We onky have the one availabke now so its very easy. Keep in mind n7100 roms will not work, and n7105 roms need minor porting. But you can take any rom from the us variants and flash it. Reboot, let it sit a bit, etc, flash modem. Its very easy and the att forum seems to be getting more love anyway
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
I don't promote people flashing ROMs that are not built for that specific device so I will not do it. Sorry.
krayzielilsmoki said:
Since I'm already rooted I can't make a video on how to root but ill make a how to flash a rom once you're rooted for the note 2 if you guys are interested
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you could unroot and then do a step by step vid. this guy is so good at explaining it,for example,,http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsafJ-9uRqk yeah i know its for the captivate,but i didnt know anything at all about rooting and flashing . i just followed him and iwas a happy man after being stuck on eclair cause at$t was so slow to update,,,any how just an idea,seems like alot of work but i think it would kill off many questions,i know i ask enough now as it is..lol
cobraboy85 said:
I don't promote people flashing ROMs that are not built for that specific device so I will not do it. Sorry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to agree with this. If you need flashing instructions, flashing ROMs meant for other devices is probably not the best idea at this point.
G●Note~2 {Jedi X5}
This is great advice about the MD5 verification. Everyone should check before flashing, it will ensure you have a good download with 100% confidence. If the MD5 doesn't match, don't flash it! And if a developer doesn't provide an MD5 with each download, ask them to.
However, wiping three times (or any other number of times except one) is nonsense. Would you format a USB thumb drive 3 times? An external hard drive? Android partitions are no different.
If it makes you feel better to wipe multiple times, go ahead, it won't hurt anything. You're just wasting time.
^kind of agree with you there. I would ask anybody here why they wipe dalvik cache when flashing a kernel then, considering the /data/dalvik-cache/ partition is nothing more than dex opted files of all your apks. I will also say that recently I have gotten in the habit of never wiping dalvik when flashing a kernel and it has not made a single difference in stability.
... point I am trying to make is what you said here, if it makes you feel better, do it lol. Doesn't hurt anything.
Indeed, cache wipes are seldom needed too. In fact, a lot of flashable .zip files have scripts which wipe the appropriate partitions automatically anyway when you install them. I guess old habits die hard...
I would also add that after flashing a ROM and you reboot that ROM, for use, you should wait at least 10 minutes before doing ANYTHING with your phone. That will allow the phone to fully and properly build cache and dalvik cache.. after a flash I let my phone just sit for 20min. Doing this has saved me from lags and bugs.
First I just wanted to say great job to the OP on creating this thread. I also strongly believe that this type of post really should be in the Development section, and you definitely nailed the reasoning for it. I've always considered writing up a thread like this myself, but I never got around to it unfortunately (<--Procrastinator ). There's just a few thing's I'd like to chime in with because I really believe they can help people who are new to the world of rooting. First and foremost (imo) I strongly believe that insecurity plays a huge role in determining whether or not you'll be successful with rooting and Android in general. I completely understand that statement can be applied to almost anything in life, but there's a very good reason why it's especially true when it comes to rooting. It simply boils down to people not wanting to feel (or look) stupid, and it seriously impacts the way a person handles different situations. My advice is to be comfortable with saying "I don't know what I'm doing" and "It's most likely not working correctly because I missed something or I didn't follow the directions exactly". I am not saying that to be ignorant or joking whatsoever, because if you have little to no experience when it comes to this stuff, it's nothing more than the hard truth. It doesn't make you stupid if you don't know how to fly a jumbo jet if you've never done it before, so why would it make you stupid for not knowing how to root a phone if you've never done it before? It doesn't and that's the entire point. If you try flashing a rom and it doesn't boot up or something isn't working correctly, 99.999998 percent of the time it's because you messed something up along the way. Especially when you see tons of posts in the thread like "awesome rom" or "it works great", because it's WAY more likely that you messed something up, versus you happening to have the one messed up phone out of thousands that are working perfectly. That's not saying you're stupid or incapable of doing it, again it's nothing more than the hard truth. It's also not impossible for that to happen either because it has, but it's few and far in between whereas making mistakes or forgetting something is a frequent occurrence for all of us. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people complaining about how something didn't work right, when the vast majority aren't having those issues (or just the known issues). Those types of posts are another example of what you should never do, because in reality you're blaming everybody else since you're apparently incapable of making mistakes. You'll be surprised how many times a problem you're having will turn out to be from forgetting something, even though you were absolutely positive you've done everything correctly. Anyway I really think that accepting the fact that you don't know what you're doing (yet), can make it WAY easier to learn in the long run. One last thing that I'd recommend especially if you're new to this whole rooting world, is to get in the habit of making nand backups (especially before you flash anything) because the 5 minutes it takes to do one can save you hours of frustration. Hope this helps somebody anyway
Paragraphs man. They make reading easier by separating thoughts.
I'm sure what you have to say is insightful but a megablock of text is tough to get through.
Don't sell yourself short by making your posts impossible to ponder.
Hastily spouted for your befuddlement
True in most cases but in our case every lte note two in the world regardless of carrier is identical. the only differences are minor software ones.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
I also think wiping three times is a waste of time. These devices are digital not analog (the plate analogy is much more fitting in the analog world). A wipe is a wipe, doing it more than once seems like voodoo to me .
Sorry in advance as I'm sure these questions are added somewhere. Just looking to be pointed to some threads or other places with good info.
I just got a new 2013 N7 and it came with 4.3 build A# JWR66N.
Upon first run, there are a couple of system updates available that I am hesitant to install. I'm guessing they are to update it to the newest 4.4. Just wondering if I should do this or if it will cripple or lock anything else having to do with rooting or flashing custom ROM's
First thing I noticed is it looks just like the custom EOS 4.1.1 I flashed into my Xoom tablet a few years ago and coming from a Galaxy tab, there is no option to clear all recent apps (the Galaxy has a small garbage can symbol in the recent apps list that gets rid of everything with one touch). I was wondering if there is something like this for the N7 (either an app or a custom ROM that has it).
Also, I knew before buying it that OTG was crippled. My friend has one and said he rooted and used stickmount to get full OTG read-write access. Wondering if there is a better alternative (or if there is a custom ROM with this already fixed).
I have been seeing a lot of stuff about a N7 FLO. What is this and how do I know if I have it?
Last, I am definitely interested in unlocking/rooting/adding a custom ROM to it but looking for some good direction for this. I have been searching through these boards and my head is spinning from all the different info. Last time I rooted and flashed a custom rom was a few years ago with my Motorola Xoom and I did it all manually with ADB and some other stuff and it went smooth. It seems like everything written on here is made for people that already know what they are doing and although I have done it before, and have no problems following instructions, it's been a few years I am looking for a good link or links to some beginner guides so I can kinda go back to the beginning and refresh myself before going into this. I am also not opposed to using WUG's toolkit or similar but would still like to better understand doing things manually in case something goes wrong.
Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
happy4ya said:
Sorry in advance as I'm sure these questions are added somewhere. Just looking to be pointed to some threads or other places with good info.
I just got a new 2013 N7 and it came with 4.3 build A# JWR66N.
Upon first run, there are a couple of system updates available that I am hesitant to install. I'm guessing they are to update it to the newest 4.4. Just wondering if I should do this or if it will cripple or lock anything else having to do with rooting or flashing custom ROM's
First thing I noticed is it looks just like the custom EOS 4.1.1 I flashed into my Xoom tablet a few years ago and coming from a Galaxy tab, there is no option to clear all recent apps (the Galaxy has a small garbage can symbol in the recent apps list that gets rid of everything with one touch). I was wondering if there is something like this for the N7 (either an app or a custom ROM that has it).
Also, I knew before buying it that OTG was crippled. My friend has one and said he rooted and used stickmount to get full OTG read-write access. Wondering if there is a better alternative (or if there is a custom ROM with this already fixed).
I have been seeing a lot of stuff about a N7 FLO. What is this and how do I know if I have it?
Last, I am definitely interested in unlocking/rooting/adding a custom ROM to it but looking for some good direction for this. I have been searching through these boards and my head is spinning from all the different info. Last time I rooted and flashed a custom rom was a few years ago with my Motorola Xoom and I did it all manually with ADB and some other stuff and it went smooth. It seems like everything written on here is made for people that already know what they are doing and although I have done it before, and have no problems following instructions, it's been a few years I am looking for a good link or links to some beginner guides so I can kinda go back to the beginning and refresh myself before going into this. I am also not opposed to using WUG's toolkit or similar but would still like to better understand doing things manually in case something goes wrong.
Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do not use a toolkit. If there is one thing you take from this response, take that.
N7 2013 has two models, flo and deb. flo is the wifi version, deb is the LTE version.
Updating a Nexus device will not hinder your ability to root/unlock the bootloader. Other OEMs do this, and that's why I'm not using their devices anymore. Done with them.
Clear all recents button is removed on later Android versions. Custom ROMs or Xposed/GravityBox to get it back.
OTG/Stickmount issue: I believe that if you have a custom kernel that supports it, not an issue, don't need Stickmount. No experience in this area, however.
The stock look of a Google OS is standard AOSP. That's why the ROM you flashed on your Xoom looks very similar.
If you are new to Nexus devices, I would probably recommend using stock for a while. When you become tired of the absolute lack of customization, switch to SlimKat and use Banks' minimal gapps package. The gapps thread is in the N5 apps section, but works just the same on N7.
If you are going to unlock the bootloader anyhow, here is what you want to do to update to the newest version without the extra steps.
You need to install the drivers, get ADB+fastboot, and download the KTU84P factory image for your device. All links in signature. If you have the wifi model, razor, if you have the LTE model, razorg. razor=flo, razorg=deb.
You can find the fastboot tuts all over the internet, and it's too long to type. But basically, you want:
fastboot oem unlock (this will wipe your device, but only needs to be done one time)
fastboot reboot-bootloader
<you can run the flash-all.bat file that came with your fasctory image now>
after that's done, you'll want to go back into bootloader mode and flash TWRP (link in signature).
fastboot flash recovery twrp.img
That's a lot of information written with very poor coherence. If you need elaboration, just ask. But it has you pointed in the right direction.
Aerowinder said:
Do not use a toolkit. If there is one thing you take from this response, take that.
N7 2013 has two models, flo and deb. flo is the wifi version, deb is the LTE version.
Updating a Nexus device will not hinder your ability to root/unlock the bootloader. Other OEMs do this, and that's why I'm not using their devices anymore. Done with them.
Clear all recents button is removed on later Android versions. Custom ROMs or Xposed/GravityBox to get it back.
OTG/Stickmount issue: I believe that if you have a custom kernel that supports it, not an issue, don't need Stickmount. No experience in this area, however.
The stock look of a Google OS is standard AOSP. That's why the ROM you flashed on your Xoom looks very similar.
If you are new to Nexus devices, I would probably recommend using stock for a while. When you become tired of the absolute lack of customization, switch to SlimKat and use Banks' minimal gapps package. The gapps thread is in the N5 apps section, but works just the same on N7.
If you are going to unlock the bootloader anyhow, here is what you want to do to update to the newest version without the extra steps.
You need to install the drivers, get ADB+fastboot, and download the KTU84P factory image for your device. All links in signature. If you have the wifi model, razor, if you have the LTE model, razorg. razor=flo, razorg=deb.
You can find the fastboot tuts all over the internet, and it's too long to type. But basically, you want:
fastboot oem unlock (this will wipe your device, but only needs to be done one time)
fastboot reboot-bootloader
<you can run the flash-all.bat file that came with your fasctory image now>
after that's done, you'll want to go back into bootloader mode and flash TWRP (link in signature).
fastboot flash recovery twrp.img
That's a lot of information written with very poor coherence. If you need elaboration, just ask. But it has you pointed in the right direction.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for all the info. So I definitely have the FLO model.
I would like to use Titanium Backup for Root and a few other things that need root access so I definitely want to do this.
Also, being that this tablet has no micro SD, I definitely want to have read-write access with a USB drive. I've had this for almost a week already and I haven't loaded anything into it yet because I figured I'd be wiping it. I really don't want to mess with stock because of the lack of a few things. I really just can't stand having devices with restricted use. That's not what I paid for.
I never used Kit Kat before and not sure if I'll like it. Do you know if you can go back to 4.3? I know with some of the other devices (like my Galaxy S3 phone), once you update it OTA, they lock stuff up and you cannot roll back.
Also, does anyone have any idea on a completely new out of the box unit what is killing the battery so fast? On my galaxy 7 tab, it would last over a week in standby. This thing was dead in about a day and a half after I took it off the charger. and I charger it full a couple of times already. Or does battery life just suck on this tablet?
I did find a post somewhere that said to turn off google location and I just did that. We'll see if it does anything.
happy4ya said:
Also, does anyone have any idea on a completely new out of the box unit what is killing the battery so fast? On my galaxy 7 tab, it would last over a week in standby. This thing was dead in about a day and a half after I took it off the charger. and I charger it full a couple of times already. Or does battery life just suck on this tablet?
I did find a post somewhere that said to turn off google location and I just did that. We'll see if it does anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can roll back to 4.3. Google hasn't gone full Apple yet. But I strongly advise against doing so, as it's a large step backwards.
Understood on stock OS, agree no options anywhere. Slimkat+franco.kernel+banks gapps. You won't look back. Also in developer options, switch to ART. Dalvik sucks. If you're using Banks' minimal gapps, the lack of some syncing libs (for the AOSP calendar nobody uses) will cause random FCs until you reboot a second time. Nothing to worry about. Just grab the Google Calendar, or whatever calendar you use, from the play store and freeze the AOSP one with TiBu. Another FC you might see is gms.location. It should only happen once. Something with play services.
Once you are rooted, you can grab BetterBatteryStats to see what's killing your battery. On stock installs, it's mostly going to be location-based stuff keeping it awake. You already turned off reporting, but you also need to switch location mode to Device only.
Hi all,
i need to reinstall my android phone (Galaxy W I8150) due to an error with google play. I'm currently running android 2.3.6 I8150XXLMI. While researching how to reset my phone i found CryanogenMod and this forum. Despite some basic knowledge on windows OS and how to reset them even after 4h of research im quite lost with the different possibilitys and methodes.
1) If i want to install CM which version should i use? (10, 11, 12.1?) Are there any advantages/disadvantages to the versions.
2) Is there a tutorial video you can recomend? I found several but as a complete newb in android moding, i can't judge how trustworthy they are.
Thanks in advance
Chris
I think that no one will answer you, so as fellow beginner user I'll write you a few suggestions.
There is an overview of i8150 ROMs which could be useful for you choosing one: http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-w/development#romList
A few months ago I also decided to switch from factory installed to custom ROM, and very easily I got into troubles (soft bricked phone, here is my current situation: http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-w/help/bricked-dead-upload-stock-rom-odin-t3294141). There are several MUST DO points in that process, so be very careful not to miss one, and be very cautious. Some ROMs are not compatible with some recoveries. There are several guides here which should be red first, so take your time, be patient. One of starting guides is: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1941028
And, stick to the i8150 guides/Q&A, you can learn there a lot about device specific issues.
Good luck!
The most confusing part about all of these is when you google. Why? Because you get all sorts of correct, wrong, out-of-date and downright useless, etc answers.
4h of research? I probably spent a lot more than 4 days. (so Ok, I'm slow ...).
With the latest apps, 2.3.6 is no longer usable. I jumped to 4.4.4 Kitkat, CM 11. There's some improvement in CM11, but it's also laggy as heck in other areas. An stability is also a question. YMMV. I installed an app to schedule reboot daily, and that helped noticeably. That kept going for a while, but the lagging problem became worse as I installed, and uninstalled, more apps.
Then I tried CM12. Guess what, gapps doesn't work. I don't care about all the other Gapps, but without Google Play, the smart-phone is useless.
And I went back to CM11. I suspect if you use only the basic apps and features, and make/receive phone calls/emails/whatsapp, it should work fine. So should CM10 and CM12. (without Google apps)
But I've also decided, I'm going to get a new phone.
Thanks, that helped a lot
anyone tried CM10?
So I recently found an old Galaxy SII Epic 4G Touch lying around and I thought I would play around with it a little bit.
Little did I know it was gonna be a complete hell
So in all of the confusion of simply not being able to flash whatever the heck I wanted (since the kernel and recovery are apparently both within one monolithic binary), I have now run into a different issue.
So, on this phone so far, I have somehow managed to crash, break, and soft brick my way into successfully installing CyanogenMod 11 (4.4.4 KitKat), CWM 6.0.5.1(I think yeah totally), and the pico loadout for 4.4.4 gapps. I reeeaaally enjoy taking these phones that manufacturers destroy with preloaded launchers, bloat, etc. and fixing them up nice to look like they just rolled off the Google showroom with a fresh installs of all stock gapps, and silky smooth android. But here's where my issue comes in. I spent the good part of today just looking for a full gapps package with all stock gapps that would work on this thing. I sifted through unsafe websites, dead links, and throughout (what i think is) most of this forum to find something that would work, but couldn't. Thought it was issues with not being able to install PA packages onto Cyanogenmod. But that wasn't my issue. (the recovery kicked out error after error each time I tried. So it was an issue for sure. I realize that. Just not the issue I want to solve here and now) So then, I decided to simply run another factory reset, do another fresh install of the OS, and cave in, and use the nano app package. This package was the only one to give me some kind of response. It essentially said that my /system/ partition was too small to accept all of the apps on it. And then it dawned on me. The internal storage on this phone is separated into 2 partitions. 16gb. 1.97gb for system use, and the rest for downloaded apps, media, etc.etc. . I want to know if there is a process - for this phone specifically - to merge those two partitions together so that I can get a stock looking gapps install on this guy. I don't plan on using this phone for anything in particular. Just doing this for fun.
Anyone got any answers? I've seen similar situations floating around here and other places with other devices. And it's doable(????????), but all of the methods shown are for those specific devices, and I would rather not try and replicate them here if somehow something is critically different.
Thanks for any response at all. Seriously. If it's just to tell me I'm a big stupid and this won't and can't work, I will still appreciate it.