Database Users

Remove files from ROM

How can I remove from the original ROM some files like T-Mobile, AIM ... etc. ?
I cooked up a 4.00.10 T-Mobile with GPRS monitor and batterypack but i want some more addons.
Can someone tell me what steps are required to remove from the ROM some files ?
Thanks,
Decebal

ROM = Read Only Memory.

But, i've we're able to add Programs to the ROM in the ROMkitchen, i think we're also able to remove programs.
Regards
Stefan

cruisin-thru said:
ROM = Read Only Memory.
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obviously i do not deserve that
i was talking about the ROM image and since i've already succeded in putting into the ROM two apps i want to try something else.
so if anyone know how to remove at least T-mobile and AIM files from the image i'll be happy.
thanks,
Decebal

I believe they are in an area not able to be modified.

I was just quoting from that site, it does state that it cannot be erased, modified etc, no offence meant here. :roll:

The mkrom tools will allow you to 'unpack' a rom, i.e. extract all the files that are in it.
A rom, to the best of my understanding, has a 'native' or stock part to it, and then a series of XIP chains -- programs that are added into the free spaces of the rom.
I dont know what happens if you try to remove files from a rom that are part of the standard build...
Maybe the TMobile stuff is in a 'removeable' section of the ROM... there is also the 'operator' section... I am assuming that is a location that will give the 'operator' or creator of the rom space to put specialized programs, such as TMobiles phone apps, etc.
So, it seems that your best bet is to get the mkrom tools and read about how to extract/remove files/rebuild a rom.
Hey, it may even work!
J

You can rebuild a rom image from extracted files and leave some files out but Mkrom does not use compression and therefore the rom you end up with will probably be bigger than the rom you started with.
Richard

If I am correct, an eeprom is something else than a flash-rom.
so the article at least states it incorrectly.
if it is flash, you should be able to modify it.

XDA developer Itsme said:
If I am correct, an eeprom is something else than a flash-rom.
so the article at least states it incorrectly.
if it is flash, you should be able to modify it.
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Now, I do think that the real question is "How do we unlock the 'ROM' so that it can be modified being that it is an eeprom?"
Misterdollymaker

you need backup the ROM to *.nb1 or *.nbf file, than using tools to add/delete file to *.nb1 , write the new file back to XDA ROM. it is fun to add/delete file to your personized ROM!

cgigate said:
you need backup the ROM to *.nb1 or *.nbf file, than using tools to add/delete file to *.nb1 , write the new file back to XDA ROM. it is fun to add/delete file to your personized ROM!
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this is quite interesting...can you elaborate further?? I wish to learn more...

cgigate said:
you need backup the ROM to *.nb1 or *.nbf file, than using tools to add/delete file to *.nb1 , write the new file back to XDA ROM. it is fun to add/delete file to your personized ROM!
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Yes, please! I wish to learn more too! I am looking to remove the standard sounds and replace them with my own (using same names) as well as the boot image and desktop.

yea, no kiddin, i'd like to know how too!
im sure its not impossible, 'they' did it the first time arround.
why not hacking it? and since its all at no charge (no profit) are we realy breaking any patents?

I wanted to know if there is an easy :wink: way around, to put our own programs in the rom. xda-developers certainly can't put ezwap2.5, and the total commander appears to be older version, while new version is much better. There are some more freeware application I'd love to put in there

xda-developers already posted some tools to do job, such as MKROM ...

cgigate said:
you need backup the ROM to *.nb1 or *.nbf file, than using tools to add/delete file to *.nb1 , write the new file back to XDA ROM. it is fun to add/delete file to your personized ROM!
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I'm interested too
How can i add/delete file from nb1 file?
Thanks
Fabio

I've used mkrom suite to do this (even for Smartphone2002). This are great tools.
Unfortunately it's not as easy as you might think. It's nearly impossible to build a ZERO-KNOWLEDGE ROM file explorer which can add or delete files "on the fly".
You will still have to look for valid gap's in the original rom where you can add a new XIP block.
All .exe and .dll files are "fixed up" that means they MUST run at THE fixed ROM position where they have been initially placed (execute in place). If you dump an exe or dll file you can't use it for other than disassembly to see how things work.
Removing files is a very hard task (they are splitted over the whole rom). And the resulting gap's are mostly not more than 10-16 kB. All you can do is to "hide" files (simply patch the directory entry).
So you see compression is not the real problem (see programers corner for a .bib file which can be used with romimage.exe - a Microsoft Tool to build XIP blocks, this tool supports compression)
John Smith

only the kernel actually runs in the virtual memory area mapped to rom,
all the other XIP stuff runs from a virtual memory area mapped somewhere
in the top of each processes memory space.
( look at the 'real=' values in the output of dumprom )
so for all the other modules it should be possible to move them around
in rom a bit, I think you only need to keep the pagealignment the same.

Hi,
The virtual memory address is also fixed in the module. (That's why I've to rebuild all the stuff I want to copy from other roms).
Since all relocation info is gone the module can't run from another memory position. So the only thing you can do is to move it in it's own XIP section...
John

Can we create the ultimate ROM???

We have the technology we can rebuilt it.
It occured to me that we should be able to build the ultimte "base" rom to use in the kitchen.
I would propose that it be based on the TMO 4.01.16 but make the installation of all the additional apps such as TMO toolbar, myemail, pdf and ppt viewers optional. I would also propose that sample windows media files and be removed.
Such a rom would give us the maximum space into which to add the appilications we chose but still allow us the flexibility to add some of the apps and settings that service providers supply. (much as the old Devlopers ROM did)
Just a thought
maudc
PS 3 cheers for Lumpistefan and Makis!!! :!: :!: :!:

That is a good idea. I think we can do it with mkrom.zip. We will need a linux op. but I think it will do the job under windows with cygwin.
I started to see the txt files, ini files etc, but I am at the beginning.
I want to make a good rom, like you. With no helps, no unneccesarry files, custom files (my ringtones for example) in the rom.
I only need time.

how
can you actually remove files from ROM ?
I couldn`t do it.
It will be great indeed.

Re: how
decebal said:
can you actually remove files from ROM ?
We want to build a ROM without some files. Not to remove files from a working ROM in the devices flash memory.
There is a file in the mkrom/cfg folder:
initobj.txt
It contains a filelist. I think there is a place to delete the files. But I have not tried. I have not time now.
Gabor
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Re: how
decebal said:
can you actually remove files from ROM ?
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I think this is the big problem.....
Until now it´s not possible to remove Files from the rom....
What should be able is overwriting files from the ROm. But i think this doesn´t make much sense....
Stefan

Re: how
LumpiStefan said:
decebal said:
can you actually remove files from ROM ?
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I think this is the big problem.....
Until now it´s not possible to remove Files from the rom....
What should be able is overwriting files from the ROm. But i think this doesn´t make much sense....
Stefan
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Click to collapse
So what do we do in that case?

Re: how
Sallala said:
There is a file in the mkrom/cfg folder:
initobj.txt
It contains a filelist. I think there is a place to delete the files. But I have not tried. I have not time now.
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Click to collapse
You're wrong.the initobj.txt file just conatins a list where to copy some files out of the rom. All Files are located in \Windows. The initobj.txt files contains the list, which file should be moved to wihich directory.
90% of this are the files in "Start Menu" and Help ....
So i see now chance to delete files out of the rom....
Stefan

Re: how
LumpiStefan said:
Sallala said:
There is a file in the mkrom/cfg folder:
initobj.txt
It contains a filelist. I think there is a place to delete the files. But I have not tried. I have not time now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're wrong.the initobj.txt file just conatins a list where to copy some files out of the rom. All Files are located in \Windows. The initobj.txt files contains the list, which file should be moved to wihich directory.
90% of this are the files in "Start Menu" and Help ....
So i see now chance to delete files out of the rom....
Stefan
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Stefan I can get from you this file is like the Config.txt in the Extended_Rom in Himalaya. I can understand now how you could remove the Msn messenger shortcut into \WINDOWS\START MENU\PROGRAMS\INTERNET\CHAT & IM ????

nk.nbf

Is is possible to extract files from an NK.NBF file? I am interested in just pulling all the CAB files from within. If so, how?
Thanx.

Another semi-related question...
Is there any way to install a phone rom WITHOUT the extended_rom section so as to have more memory available on the phone? Seems kinda useless to have all that stuff in extended_rom that is only used on install.
Thanx again.

Okay...need only four CAB files...can ne1 help me out here?
T-Mobile HotSpot Login Utility
OZ Communications OZ IM
DAT MailTrigger
Winwap Technologies Oy WinWAP
Thanx.

stmasi said:
Is is possible to extract files from an NK.NBF file? I am interested in just pulling all the CAB files from within. If so, how?
Thanx.
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stmasi said:
Another semi-related question...
Is there any way to install a phone rom WITHOUT the extended_rom section so as to have more memory available on the phone? Seems kinda useless to have all that stuff in extended_rom that is only used on install.
Thanx again.
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The answer to the first question is yes. You have to: use typho5 tool (search the forum for it) to extract the extrom from the nk.nbf file; use winimage (windows xp shareware) to open the extrom .nb file.
The answer to the second question is no, you cannot join the extrom partition to the main one. It was possible with Magicians (the phones!) but no one has been able to do the same in wizards.
bye

HD2 cab install

hello guys, i dont own an hd2 yet but ill buy one this month but i have a question i want to add some cabs file on my device when i get. My question is i have download some cabs BUT when i open the winrar i dont get any cab file, all i get is some files that has bunch of numbers and one of them says "_setup.xml" so what should i do? should i directly put the winrar file on my hd2? since i dont get any cab file inside the winrar?? and if there's a cab file inside the winrar and i press the button "extract here" should i just upload the cab file only to my hd2 right??
Hope you guys can help me.
Thank you.

Hi.
A CAB file is a compressed installer file for mobile phones.
If you open it with winrar, you will see all the files it contains.
Just copy the original .cab file to your phone.
Click on the .cab file, and it will run the installer, and install the program on your phone.
You can choose to install to the main memory or the sd card.

Yeah - as above. What you're calling a "winrar" file is the cab file.

Extract a cab
Ok, I know this isn't the original question but...
is it possible to extract a .cab file - i mean to extract all the different files that make up the program , all the .exe .dll .ico etc etc. Wanting to do this to help me reverse-engineer a couple of omnia 2 cabs that don't work.

kinsago said:
Ok, I know this isn't the original question but...
is it possible to extract a .cab file - i mean to extract all the different files that make up the program , all the .exe .dll .ico etc etc. Wanting to do this to help me reverse-engineer a couple of omnia 2 cabs that don't work.
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yes extract the files with winrar

ohhh okok i get it now.. so i just donwload thw winrar which is the cab file and i copy it to my hd2. thanks guys

Richy99 said:
yes extract the files with winrar
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Tried that, all I get are 10 files. One of them is _setup.xml, the others are numbered files.
I've attached a screen capture of the files so you can see what they are.

kinsago said:
Tried that, all I get are 10 files. One of them is _setup.xml, the others are numbered files.
I've attached a screen capture of the files so you can see what they are.
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Yes that's what you would expect as they are the cab install files.
If they don't mean anything are you sure you know what you're doing?

That's what I'm trying to find out. I assume that the WM program works in a similar way to windows program in that its a collection of files (exe, ico, dll, cfg so on so forth) that get installed in the appropriate places on the device. If so, how do you 'unpack' these files from the setup files

use a cab manager program. I don't so I can't recommend, but wincecab manager sound familiar. u can use them to create cabs of your tweaks, install files and such.

it seems that you have never used windows mobile (just copy the winrar file into the device and run it from the device)

hoss_n2 said:
it seems that you have never used windows mobile (just copy the winrar file into the device and run it from the device)
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I'm not trying to install a cab file (which the first post was about) I'm trying to decompile the omnia 2 video editor to get it to run on the HD2 but instead of starting a new thread, I asked on this one because it seemed (partially) relevant.
BTW, I've got the cab 'extracted' so thanks - no for the difficult part...

Extract & edit .cab setup files

I have a question that is how can I extract or edit .cab files to add sth to it or use some of its file on my new programs ??
I found some software such as magiccab but is not free & I couldn't even test it
please help me
tnx

try to use CECabmgr, its also paid but the tryal version lets you play with it for 30 days..

Look up Wince Cab Analyzer (I think that's the name). It's free, and you can look at cab contents and dump them. Also, the cab tool in sk tools lets you unpack cab files.

thanks
I'm using CECabmgr but I couldn't found 2nd one

You can use SKtools too.

Check out my post considering cab's.

Senax said:
Check out my post considering cab's.
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thank you that's fantastic