Hi,
I am new to PDA world and I was reading about unlocking the extended rom recently.
1. What good will that do to me? I have a 512MB miniSD, isn't that enough?
2. Isn't that dangerous? What if I accidentaly delete something on it, is it fatal?
10x
Cant answer your question as im new to the Wizard also ( do have some ppc experience ). All I would say is that unless your device isnt doing something you want it to, I would leave it be.
My device is coping with my demands at the moment so I havent even thought about rom changing, or extended rom unlocking.
Would be gutted if I broke it when I was doing something just for the sake of it
real + is being able to install apps to new ROM thus being able to install more and/or leaving more working storage, you can also play with registry and move things like ringtones to this area and not be worried about space. I am still relatively new to all this but I have done this twice now (old ROM version and latest from TMobile) and as long as follow instructions on this site then all should go fine. Just be sure to make backup of current ROM and Operator extended rom (this contains all apps,updates,fixes,customizations) so you should always be able to recover.
As you say, 512mb card is enuff to play with, but you wouldnt be reading this site if you werent a little adventurous.
Read all you can, other sites have similar forums as below, then take the plung 8) Links below are all the ones I read before performing.
http://pocketpcdubai.infopop.cc/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/582600994/m/170105659/p/1
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=BackupExistingRom
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=23391&highlight=ring+tones
On previous HTC phones, there was an area of ROM which was in fact 'locked'. Cleverer people than me worked out how to 'unlock' it and use the space for whatever they wanted to put there rather than HTC, O2 etc.
The extended ROM on the Wizard isn't locked (at least not on my Qtek one), just hidden. File Explorer can't see it, but Total Commander can.
Why dabble? Well, if you hard reset, after initial boot, stuff in ext-rom can be made to auto install. So, if you like Total Commander or PocketInformant, you could have them install after any hard reset. Maybe you'd do it with TomTom so if your device needs a reset, you'd still get home.
One neat option on other devices is a util to text you with the phone's number if your device is stolen and somebody tries to use a different SIM in it.
On the i-mate version, you might decide you're never going to run the anti-virus s/w, so you mod the ext-rom to prevent it being installed each reset.
Altenatively you could forget you'd ever heard of it and be no worse off ;-)
Dox
Altering name/location of "My Documents" (+ Extended ROM & Basic/Corporate questions)
Hi,
I've been lurking at these forums for quite a while (after a Google search to determine why I couldn't receive files over Bluetooth led me here) and I recently registered so I could ask a question I apologise for the length of this post and offer [virtual] coffee & cookies & thanks in advance to anyone who bothers to read it all the way through! I swear I did try to keep it short, but sadly that's never been one of my strong points ;P
These are the details of the phone I have:
- HTC Wizard (WIZA200) branded as an 'O2 XDA Mini S' (G4).
- 1GB MiniSD card installed.
- IPL/SPL: 2.21.0001
- ROM Version: 2.21.4.1 WWE
- Radio Version: 02.07.10
- Protocol Version: 413.1.03
To the best of my knowledge my Wizard is a G4 (it seems to meet the criteria posted at the top of this G3 unlocking thread) and I've done some searching & reading, so I'm aware that there are limitations to what I can do unless I'm prepared to pay to have my phone CID unlocked which... I'm not, honestly. I'd love to play about with different ROMS but it isn't a priority at the moment -- my Wizard is running relatively well (and infinitely faster without the O2 gunk).
However (isn't there always a 'however'? heh) I have a couple of questions I haven't been able to answer for myself...
Question 1:
I hard-reset my phone earlier today with the intention of reinstalling to Corporate (to remove the O2 standard software, which sucks and takes up more space than I'm prepared to compromise) and... corporate wasn't there. I know you only get a few seconds to choose and I was watching for it like a hawk, but my Wizard didn't give me the option, it just automatically defaulted to basic.
I know I've seen it show up before... but I hard-reset twice more after the first attempt and it didn't show up on any of the three tries. I was able to use the information in this FAQ instead and soft-reset before the O2 crap could force itself on my precious Wizard, but I'm curious as to why I no longer seem to have the Corporate option.
Can anyone suggest a reason why this is? Has anyone run into this little Wizard 'quirk' before? Is it an O2 bug? Something else?
Question 2:
I'd like to rename my "My Documents" folder to "Documents" and place it on my storage card. I've found the instructions for altering its location at the Wiki and followed them to the letter -- they worked perfectly -- but I can't seem to permanently rename the folder. I know it's a silly little thing to want to change but the Windows style of naming it "My Documents" instead of just "Documents" has irritated me (somewhat irrationally, I'll admit, heh) for years.
I use a MacBookPro as my primary computer (though I do have a desktop PC as well) and I wanted to store my files on my storage card in a similar file structure, i.e.:
Code:
\Storage_Card
\Documents
\Photos
\Videos
\Program Files
...etc, instead of having everything store itself inside "My Documents".
Using Total Commander (found via a post from these forums; couldn't live without it!) I've modified the filepaths I found at the following locations:
Code:
\\\registry\HKLM\SOFTWARE\Arcsoft MMS UA\Config\Folder\
\\\registry\HKLM\Explorer\Shell Folders\
\\\registry\HKCU\Software\IA Style\IA CameraWizard(Pocket PC)\3.00\Strings\
...but it doesn't seem to have helped me out much. When I take a picture, for example, it re-creates the "My Documents" folder I renamed to "Documents" and stores the photo in a "My Pictures" folder within it. I've altered filepaths in other registry folders before as well (..and now I wish I'd written them down!) but nothing I've found and altered so far seems to solve the problem.
Is it at all possible to change this permanently? I really, really hate the "My [whatever]" format and would love to be free of it, but if it isn't then I'll reset again to remove the mods I've made so far -- I don't want to be half&half, that's bound to cause me a problem later on. If it's possible though, even if it's tricky, I'd love someone to let me know how to change it. Another night of combing through the registry trying to figure it out myself is going to drive me insane!
Question 3:
If I navigate to "\Extended_ROM\" with Total Commander, I can delete the O2 files stored there (which I didn't think I could do with a G4 but I'm not complaining). However... after a soft reset, they're back. I don't have any of them installed (hello, free memory!) and they let me delete them, so I'm not sure exactly why they keep restoring themselves.
Can anyone shed some light on why I can't delete these "lovely" pieces of software permanently? Are any of them useful and worth installing? The Java voice-calling/MMS one? None of them?
If you made it through the whole post, thank you! If you need me to clarify anything further, just let me know and I'll do my best to provide the information.
This forum & all of you who post here to help others out are awesome Thanks for building such a useful and interesting resource!
Hi,
Please forgive me for my ignorance, I am new to the 'flashing' field and PPC's in general, and I won't ever know unless I ask.
What is the point of the extended ROM, and what is the point of 'unhiding' it? Like why should one do it? What's the benefit? What can one do with it?
Thanks
The extended ROM is about 10Mb of memory used by the carriers for configuration / customisation information. It is usually programmed to autorun after a hard reset so that the customisation files in there can be processed first. For example, with O2 UK, the customisation puts in the GPRS/3G/locale settings, makes the Uni look pretty (if you don't use corporate mode) at the expense of it being very slow indeed!
If you empty the extended ROM, you then have 10Mb which you can use for storage / running progs. I run TomTom 6 and various other key apps from there with no difficulties.
The only downsides are if for some reason you need some particular form of customisation installed by your carrier. I have happily dispensed with all of the O2 customisation and all I have to do when I hard reset (after a new ROM) is to reinstall the O2 GPRS/MMS settings, which takes about thirty seconds.
If you do empty the extended ROM, bear in mind that it will be re-locked whenever you change the main ROM so you will need to unlock it again. Also, one of the unlocking progs around also wipes the Extended ROM - there is another (which you will find somewhere on this site) which only unlocks it.
Hope that helps. I think that pretty much covers it! Ask if there's anything else.
ahhhh I c...ok...great...thanks
apd said:
The extended ROM is about 10Mb of memory used by the carriers for configuration / customisation information. It is usually programmed to autorun after a hard reset so that the customisation files in there can be processed first. For example, with O2 UK, the customisation puts in the GPRS/3G/locale settings, makes the Uni look pretty (if you don't use corporate mode) at the expense of it being very slow indeed!
If you empty the extended ROM, you then have 10Mb which you can use for storage / running progs. I run TomTom 6 and various other key apps from there with no difficulties.
The only downsides are if for some reason you need some particular form of customisation installed by your carrier. I have happily dispensed with all of the O2 customisation and all I have to do when I hard reset (after a new ROM) is to reinstall the O2 GPRS/MMS settings, which takes about thirty seconds.
If you do empty the extended ROM, bear in mind that it will be re-locked whenever you change the main ROM so you will need to unlock it again. Also, one of the unlocking progs around also wipes the Extended ROM - there is another (which you will find somewhere on this site) which only unlocks it.
Hope that helps. I think that pretty much covers it! Ask if there's anything else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nicely explained. You can also use the extended rom to save your internet cache. if you browse the net often you will find the cache file keeps increasing in size and occupies useful device storage space. If you relocate the cache file to storage card, browsing slows down so Extended rom is indeed the prefered location for PIE cache.
Strange Issue - Device does not show "free space left" when installing apps. - help?
Bit of a strange one this, but can anyone shed any light.
With my other WM5 devices, a Vario, and a MDA Pro (Wizard and Universal), whenever I install applications to the device via the .cab file, I am asked where I want to install to, Device or Storage Card, and it shows the amount of memory required for this install, and the free storage remaining for that location, which obviously changes as you press the relevant radio button for Device or Storage Card.
However, as best I recall since day one of owning it, on my T Mobile Vario 2, whenever I install applications, it never shows me the free memory remaining bit, so I simply have to make a guess as to where to store it.
Is this a known bug for the Hermes with the standard T-Mobile ROM... or can other normal T- Mobile ROM users state that this behaviour does NOT occur for them, adn that it DOES show all the necessary information whilst installing...?
Thanks in advance.
Ok, let me put it another way...
Can ANYONE tell me if on their Hermes based device, they DO get an indication how much free space is remaining, when they install an application...?
If so, what ROM/Operator...
Almost this entire forum has a Hermes, if you are reading this, likely...
If so, can you do me a quick favour and try this by going through the motions of installing an application, and see.
You don't even need to install the application (any application cab file will do to test this). Simply CANCEL the install, once you ascertain whether it does or doesn't show you how much free space you have, whilst it tells you how much room it will need.
Come on, help me out here - you all have Hermes' - is this just me with this issue...?
Well, just for you I re-syncd my pda and no, it doesn't tell me on my Vario II how much space I have left, only how much space the app will take up.
I don't think it ever has told me.
Hope that helps
On mine it shows spaced required and space available.
I think my sig shows what else I have.
Thanks both...
It sounds to me like it's a ROM issue then... Marissa, is yours T-Mobile or what?
Curious that the AKU 3.3 and thus possibly cooked rom (or the beta one that got released semi-officially), DOES work properly in showing the space required AND space remaining...
That's what makes me think it's a ROM issue...
So can anyone else contribute...?
marisa4755 said:
Well, just for you I re-syncd my pda and no, it doesn't tell me on my Vario II how much space I have left, only how much space the app will take up.
I don't think it ever has told me.
Hope that helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Er Marisa, having re-read your message, I'm now a bit confused...
Not sure what you mean by "having re-synced my pda"...
Can I clarify, this has nothing to doing with a sync...
I merely mean that if you go to install software on your PDA, usually by way of clicking on a cab file using File Explorer on the device, the device will then sometimes prompt you with a warning, do you wish to install untrusted source etc etc.
If you say yes, the next thing that will happen, is that you will be asked by the pda, where you want to install, if you have a storage card inserted, and have a radio button choice of Device, or Storage Card.
And as you tick one or the other, the text below this will tell you how much space is REQUIRED, and the killer>>> on all previous devices, also how much is REMAINING on whichever storage type you tick - device or card.
But on my Vario 2, it DOESN'T show any info at all about how much is left remaining...
On a vario 1, and a universal, and all my previous windows smartphones, it DID tell you this.
So were you meaning something else, as this is what I was referring to. Or did you just mean you installed an application initially via a PC .exe file, with your device connected, so it then triggered a normal install as above, on the pda...
Just not clear where the bit about PC sync came in.
This has got me a little frustrated, as all I am doing now is banging everything on card, as I now have no indication of how much free memory is on my device, while I install.
(I can go in to check via System Tools from time to time, but this is not the solution...)
Cheers all.
S.
Hi I always install software if possible through an exe file through activesync, most people do.
It does just the same thing, and you get the same messages when you install, and on my install message, it asks on the pda where I want to install the app, main memory or storage card, and how large the app is. But nothing about how much space is left.
It's a T-mobile with the original rom, radio etc etc.
Hope this helps.
I Found That It Doesn't Show How Much Room You've Got Out Of The Box, But When I Unlock My ExtRom Or I Must Enable Some Other Tweak Using HTweakC, Then The Amount Of Free Space Gets Shown.
Cheers
When I install cabs directly from the phone (not activesync), it always shows the required space / remaining space for each medium. I haven't done any ExtROM or CID unlocking, just SIM. Sounds like a rom thing...see sig for details.
marisa4755 said:
Hi I always install software if possible through an exe file through activesync, most people do.
It does just the same thing, and you get the same messages when you install, and on my install message, it asks on the pda where I want to install the app, main memory or storage card, and how large the app is. But nothing about how much space is left.
It's a T-mobile with the original rom, radio etc etc.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Marisa - yes that's great thanks, as what you describe is just another way to trigger the installation - using activesync etc - it just copies the cab across and triggers the install itself, as I do manually.
So you have confirmed that T-Mobile ROM has this problem. Cheers.
mousey_ said:
I Found That It Doesn't Show How Much Room You've Got Out Of The Box, But When I Unlock My ExtRom Or I Must Enable Some Other Tweak Using HTweakC, Then The Amount Of Free Space Gets Shown.
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers mate - so it sounds like the base Orange ROM also has this issue too.
Unless you do some magic -jiggery pokery...
Don't suppose you can have a better think what it was you did to fix it...?
But cheers - another confirmed issue.
Toleraen said:
When I install cabs directly from the phone (not activesync), it always shows the required space / remaining space for each medium. I haven't done any ExtROM or CID unlocking, just SIM. Sounds like a rom thing...see sig for details.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, another Cingular user with an updated ROM, that is NOT having this issue.
So it's more and more sounding like an early ROM issue...
Cheers mate.
Hi im new to smartphones, with the wing being my first. Ive installed some applications, like orb, tcmrp, etc. Some i have uploaded are either not working or confusing me and was wondering of you could help:
http://www.freewareppc.com/download/games/newescapemobile.shtml- the file downloads, but then cannon read
http://www.aspecto-software.com/rw/applications/wififofum/index.html-downloaded .cab. Not sure how to actually connect to the given access points.
http://gpsvp.garminmapsearch.com/?page_id=5-this was a total mess. It loaded and i loaded up a map i downloaded (just navigate through site to find) but it just shows up as blue screen
Also i dont wanna use 3g/gprs since it uses data connection(right?) so i wanna know how to disable it permentaly.
Edit: the slide to unlock.cab, how do i use this?
Re-Edit: how do i set songs as ringtunes? what requirments have to be met?
Edit: How do u use .exe's. they cannot be read when i try on phone (this is for games)
Also any other really useful applications would be helpful
thanks