Hi, I've just recently got my self a T-Mobile MDA Vario. This is also known as Qtek 9100, Imate K-JAM, O2 XDA Mini S. The first thing I did was to find out whether there is a newer rom to upgrade to and I landed on this forum. The wiki was informative but still lacking a lot of information which only resides on this forum. After digging the forum for the whole day, here is my summary.
The first thing you do when get your phone is to SIM unlock and CID unlock your phone. SIM unlock allows you to use different service provider on your phone. CID unlock allows you to upgrade your OS rom, radio rom and extended rom. The OS rom is where the Windows Mobile OS resides at, radio rom is where it controls your GSM or CDMA radio protocol. The extended rom is where your service provider does their own customization, like adding their own software, logos etc. You can customize your own extended rom too once its unlock, like adding and removing application.
To SIM unlock and CID unlock your phone, currently I only know of 2 free programs that can do that for you. You only need to do this once since the unlocking info is stored in a different part of the memory then the roms. I must stress that CID unlock will *VOID* your warranty with your service provider.
1) The first one is lokiwiz - HTC Wizard Unlocker UPDATE Version 0.2b. This utility can SIM unlock and CID unlock. It also allows you to lock it back. Thank you very much machinagod! You can get it here http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=33796
If you can follow intructions its a piece of cake.
2) The second util is aWizard ROM Utils. This ultility can *ONLY* CID unlock your phone and *NOT* SIM unlock. However this tool also allows you to change the splash logo easily. It also can backup and restore your OS rom, radio rom and extended rom independently of each other. Thanks ahlok_hk! Get this here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=37386
After you are done with the unlocking, it is advisable to backup your rom before you do anything upgrades. This is because most of the people here are on contract with their service provider. If your phone breaks and wants to send it for service, it is better to restore it to the original roms it came with otherwise they might say you have void your warranty by flashing third party roms and then you are stuffed.
I have found a few threads that deal with backing up the roms.
1) This thread explains how you can use romupdate.exe and ntrw.exe to dump raw data from the roms to your SD card. This will *WIPE* out all existing data on the SD card so becarefull. You can keep this SD card safe somewhere until you want to restore but then you won't be able to use it. You can use ntrw.exe to copy the raw binary from the SD into a file. You can then keep this file somewhere safe and then format your SD and carry on using the SD as before. To restore just use ntrw.exe to write from the restore file to the SD card and follow the instructions to restore. Thanks arnoldl!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=32866
2) This method is pretty much the same as above except that it uses different programs. This uses a terminal program (terraterm) to get into the phone and use "r2sd" to dump Rom to SD. It also uses psdread and psdwrite to read and write raw data to and from the SD. This also tells you how to be able to reformat your SD after you use it to backup. Thanks Genesis3! http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=43399
3) You can use the aWizard program to backup your roms. Follow the intructions.
4) Button is kind enough to write a program to backup all your IPL/SPL, OS rom, Radio rom and Extended rom. This program is easy to use. You will still need a SD card for this.
Read this thread for more info:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=40347
You can grab the tool from:
http://buttonwashere.narod.ru/
I think this method will backup your OS rom, Radio rom and Extended rom. I'm not sure whether it backs up your IPL and SPL. There is a bug in SPL 1.06(bootloader) *thanks Button for the hint* it will give you an error if you try to restore from the SD using the ntrw.exe/psdwrite method. The workaround is to install an older rom with SPL 1.01 such as the first Qtek Prodigy rom. Then you can restore your rom. Using the method where you backup your rom to SD and keep it there until restore is not affected. I recommend getting a 128MB SD since its relatively cheap. Its worth buying one just for rom backup.
Now that you have unlock and backup your roms. You can start flashing new roms to try out!
ftp://ftp.xda-developers.com/Wizard
You can find many different roms under the Roms directory. This roms usually are all in one packages from the OEM such as Qtek, I-mate, O2, T-Mobile etc. The ODM is obviously HTC. If you want localization for your language just choose a rom your language eg:- RUU_Prodigy_2080702_102_11310_QTEK_FRA_Test.exe for french.
These all in one packages comes as an executable which includes the flash program and the OS rom, Radio rom and Extended rom. Just click and install. To get your settings for your network GPRS settings, you might be able to find a *.cab file which has the settings in your original extended rom and copy over to the new extended rom. This only work for 1.x roms, read below for more info. You can get UK network operator settings here
http://www.htcclub.net/en/settings.php
It seems that the most popular roms are from Qtek and I-mate. This RUU_Prodigy_1060701_101_11310_QTEK_WWE_Ship.exe seems to be recommended by most. This rom is the 1.x series. There is a newer 2.x series of roms just recently released which includes the AKU2. From what I understand AKU2 is like a service patch for windows. It includes DIRECT PUSH email functionality (similar to RIM's Blackberry) and AD2P which is stereo bluetooth support.
At the moment non of the final released AKU2 roms have AD2P. If you need it, the Qtek 2.x beta testing rom does include this functionality. You can find this on the ftp. Another downside to this newer roms is that the Extended rom seems to be locked and you won't be able to access it. No one has yet found a way to crack it. These newer AKU2 roms have fixed the wifi bug which showed when using WiFIFoFum wifi scanning program.
Linux
I just had a chat with the linux developers for HTC devices on irc. It seems the wizard running with the OMAP750 processor does not have enough documentation and is not well supported in the kernel yet. But the development on the HTC Universal seems to be going well. As for syncing with windows mobile 5 and linux, the synce project currently do not support WM5 yet, they just started a new mailing list for it. If you have any experience in reverse engineering please help. The only solution now for me is to install windows xp on vmware and sync from there. Then you can export your outlook as a file to be imported into your favourite Linux app. Linux cannot read the mini SD in your device, so you will need a card reader to read and write files to it.
This is what I've found out so far after spending the whole day digging the forum. I shall add them to the wiki so other ppl who don't have that much time to spare can benifit from it.
I have a few unanswered questions. What is IPL? What is SPL? I sort know its something to do with the bootloader. Does using "r2sd" backup my IPL and SPL? It not how do I backup my IPL and SPL? If I upgrade to the 2.x series roms, will I be able to restore back to the 1.x series? From what I've read, you can restore from 2.x back to 1.x but the IPL and SPL will still be 2.x, is that correct? Thanks!
Hope this helps someone. Those threads above should really be made sticky. The search never turn up what I need. I had to slow dig my way thru.
regards,
vaxen
I was considering starting a 8125 Standardization Project, much like the SX-66 Standardisation Project. I'm am just not sure I have the time.
Nice walk through BTW. You sum it up rather well :wink:
I wish you posted this 2 days ago, then I wouldn't have had to do all that digging to figure it out. It is easy once you see the BIG picture though eh?
Later; Lew
great overview. Thanks a lot !!
Really great overview! Posted the URL to my Expert Blog at http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&title=great_tips_for_htc_wizard_users&more=1 for even more exposure.
will a 512mb minisd be enough to back up everything before flashing to a new rom?
Thank you
Excellent timing just started the process myself.
oo3: Yes, 512MB is more than enough for backing up your rom. If you use a 512MB to backup your rom and write the raw data to a file. When you restore, you need a 512MB card to write the raw data back to the card. I personally bought a 128MB card just for backing up the rom. It only cost me £10 to buy it online. Its worth the investment.
good overview.
Might be worth to put it on the wiki
One flaw: ExtROm of all ROMs 1.6.x and above are locked with no real solution yet.
For the 1.6.x roms you could try to fiddle with versions in order to (one time right) make the ExtROm you want.
For the 2.x ROMs even this is not possble until now.
The aWizard tools are said NOT to be working on the 2.16.x (final aku2) ROMs they do work on the 2.8.x (beta aku2) ROM from QTek.
At this moment buzz_lightyear is fiddling with my spl to try to get the EXTRom unlocked.
The SD backup/restore process works really well btw.... I just tried a restore of the original Cingular Rom on another demo 8125 and it turned it back into a pristine stock device.... Cingular will never know we "had our way" with so many of their demos now :twisted:
Backup Restore and Upgrade Rom!
What a summary. Thank you for your effort.
Upgrade question
I've just backed up the existing ROM on my new O2 Mini S, thanks to this wonderful post. Before I proceed to an upgrade, could someone please tell me if I should leave the SIM card inside the wizard, remove it, or it just doesn't matter during the upgrade? I'm planning to go for the O2 AKU2 rom. Thanks.
Blokade
It just doesn't matter during the upgrade
Um. The OMAP can run linux. Linux is a supported OS for the OMAP. The problem is the rest of the hardware (lcd, etc).
i SO want linux on the wizard. 4x6 font and console :d
ftp a no go
can someone please help as i can't get into the ftp via the link provided
Re: ftp a no go
This overview should updated : the latest lockwiz 3a can also do the latest Tmobile-NL ROM with IPL/SPL 2.21 !!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=50768&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
A more detailed instruction to unlock can also be found at http://www.mdahacks.com/item/2006/6/7/unlock-your-htc-wizard-mda-8125-phone-using-lokiwiz
Does this also work for the CIngular 8525 or Dopod 838 Pro?
Does this upgrade also work for the Cingular 8525 also known in South Asia as the Dopod 838pro?
No. Look inside of the Hermes section for that device.
--eluth.
Great overview, I would hope that future visitors or registered users read through it and save themselves and others a lot of headaches. On that note any reason this isn't getting stickied?
@The SOundshark
If your running peerguardian you might want to dissable it, or if your running any other type of firewall. For the life of me I can't configure peerguardian to allow FTP access, so try that and hope it helps.
Related
I'm sick of waiting for an answer from T-Mobile on when WM2003 will be available for the PPCPhone Edition, if at all, so I decided to create an executable of 4.00.16 at Jeff's kitchen.
I'm a little freaky about installing it. So before I do I would like to know (1) problems encountered from those that have done the upgrade and (2) the exact instructions on how to return back to my original T-Mobile OS ROM.
I know there are many of you out there that feel the same anguish regarding T-Mobile's lack of information regarding WM2003 & the hopes of better software that improves the PPC's ability to connect via GPRS (it sucks now) and overall performance. After all, we spent a load of money on this sucker.
Thank you in advance to all the gurus out there who answer this for the rest of us
If you install the XDAtools, you can create a backup of your ROM through ActiveSync. If at any time you click on the backup file, you will be offered the option of burning it back into your device.
However: since your new ROM is 4.00.16, you need to know there is a problem: you cannot use the normal upgrade program called "Programme A" to move away from 4.00.16. But you can use the option in the XDAtools to write your old old OS to an SD card using the XDA (all files on the SD-card will be erased in the process). Then you can boot the device in bootloader mode and press the center of the rocker switch to load your old OS.
My guess is you'll be almost perfectly happy with 4.00.16 though (at least happier than with any 3.x ROM) . Just be aware of the one remaining problem: occasional SD-card erasures have been reported by some people (they do not seem to affect everyone), so do not store valuable data on SD without backup.
I upgraded to 4.00.16 yesterday and still can't get GPRS to work. Sometimes it says it connects but I can't get to anything and other times it gives me an error trying to connect. I've been trying everything I can think of for GPRS settings. I'm on T-Mobile in Atlanta with Radio version 6.18.00. I'm not sure if you will have the same problem or not.
I had trouble connecting through GPRS too at one point where I thought it was ROM 4.00.16. But I finally did connect.
One of the major reasons for upgrading was an expected improvement in GPRS performance. If anything, it got worse. Do I have to upgrade the radio rom too for improvement in GPRS?
rfeagin:
I had similar problems following the upgrade, and as an afterthought I went to my local TMo store and exchanged my SIM chip. Mine was three years old, and the new SIM fixed the problem. Also, if you upgrade the radio stack to 6.24 or the AT&T stack, you will gain persistent GPRS connectivity.
David
SO the TMo store will swap sim cards with me if I go in and tell them I want a new one? Also... where can I find the radio stack 6.24 stack or the AT&T?
Thanks for your help. I really would like to get this working again.
I've heard that its very difficult if at all possible to downgrade the Radio ROM back to its normal state. This is why I have not done it yet.
I posted instructions in the following thread for locating and installing the 6.24 radio stack: http://xda-developers.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=2452&highlight=. If you would like the AT&T files (I prefer the TMo files), send me a PM and I will help you get them.
Downgrading radio stacks is difficult, and maybe impossible in some cases, but as long as you have the four files listed in the referenced thread, it seems to work well.
David
I backed up my original ROM on an SD Card so I could revert back to it from 4.00.16. I tired to revert back today but for some reason the image is not on the SD card. Now what?
How can I get my old T-Mobile ROM back? Any ideas?
If you have a Card Reader, you can use XDATools to burn a rom image onto it, then use that image to reload your XDA via the SDCard method...
I just bought a SDCard reader from WalMart, for 19 bucks, it is a Lexar JumpDrive Trio, and it can read SD cards, XD CArds, and Sony Memorystick, and it is USB 2.0..
It is nice, albeit a bit flimsy..
But it works.
B
camarao said:
How can I get my old T-Mobile ROM back? Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you can download it from here:
Current T-Mobile 2002 ROM Update:
http://www.t-mobile.com/products/handhelds/pocketpc/downloads.asp
Will upgrade to this version:
ROM version: 3.14.40 ENG
ROM date: 11/26/02
Radio: 6.18
Protocol: 324e4
HTH
camarao said:
I'm sick of waiting for an answer from T-Mobile on when WM2003 will be available for the PPCPhone Edition, if at all, so I decided to create an executable of 4.00.16 at Jeff's kitchen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there anywhere the more adventurous among the non-linux population can try this baby?
Cato
Qman:
Are you saying that I will be able to download and install the T-Mobile executable over my 4.00.16 version?
camarao said:
Qman:
Are you saying that I will be able to download and install the T-Mobile executable over my 4.00.16 version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure about if the executable will work or not but if does fail you can always use the bootloader method!
Hi All,
After a LOT of reading and mucking about, I've been able to update my ROM, get full use of GPRS and revert back to the manufacturer's ROM. There are a number of instructions, some of which are pretty dangerous. The following forum topic is the invaluable guide you need to read if you wish to revert back from a T-Mobile installation :
http://xda-developers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3274
The place to get your ROM's is http://www.yorch.net, from the ROM Kitchen. Use the XDA Tools from the above forum link to burn ROM's you download from Yorch's onto your beloved XDA (use the .nb1 format, NOT the .exe method and burn using XDA Tools through your USB cradle).
I happen to have the 5.17 Wallaby bootloader which means that it will not let you simply whack in an SD card with a new O/S and burn off a backup ROM, it won't happen. Don't try to upgrade your Wallaby bootloader. The safest method is to use the Wallaby bootloader patch which can be downloaded from a link at the top of the forum topic link I posted above. That allows you to do a simple O/S restore from your SD card, providing you have an SD reader which presents your SD card as a new drive on your computer. The instructions are simple, just use xdrit as per the instructions in the forum topic link above.
So, from my experience I backed up my original ROM using XDA Tools and stored it on my hard disk in .nb1 format. I then downloaded the .nb1 for 4.00.16 and installed it using XDA Tools without a hitch. Everything worked fine, but I wasn't comfortable until I knew I could revert back to my original ROM. So my next step was to write the Wallaby Patch tool onto my SD card using xdrit using the instructions as laid out in the forum topic link above (take note, use the 1K header option in xdrit). The SD card reader I used was an X-Drive that you normally use for digital camera style stuff. Once written, I put the SD card in the XDA and did the bootloader boot (hold the power button whilst pressing the reset button), and was then given the option to press the Action key to go into the diagnostic mode which is where the patch program resides.
I then took the SD card out, leaving the diagnostic screen still open, put the card back into the X-Drive, formatted it using default options in Windows XP, then wrote the ROM backup I had (you can use any ROM here) onto the SD using xdrit, selecting the 3.5K header option (because we are still using Wallaby 5.17 regardless of patching). The last major step was to place the SD card back into the XDA and select Restore SD and accepted the risk notices. The restore appeared to go fine, but at the end it said Incorrect CRC. That in itself is a worry, but I had at least restored to a point where I could burn whatever ROM I like using the simple XDA Tools method, which is exactly what I did after reviewing the connection info (once more), going to 4.00.05.
Before I originally went to 4.00.16 I recorded all my connection details, including proxy info. When I went to 4.00.16 and re-entered all the gprs info, I found that the internet worked, but MSN Messenger would not connect, stating that the proxy info was incorrect - even though the values were exactly as originally setup. That was one major reason for wanting to go to another ROM. However when I ultimately got 4.00.05 on, I kept getting exactly the same error message with MSN Messenger. The answer came from a hint in another forum topic where someone (with AT&T I think it was) said not to put anything in the proxy info. That did the trick. Un-ticking the proxy option allowed the internet and MSN Messenger to work perfectly.
For Telstra GPRS (I think this is universal) the access point name is : telstra.wap.mnc001.mcc505.gprs
GPRS Authentication method is PAP authentication.
Hopefully this info might help someone out there, because I spent close on 8 hours sweating over trying to get my original ROM back up and running.
Oh yeah, thanks to the XDA Developers, Yorch and the whole XDA community. ROM updating really is easy when you've got the right info, and I can tell you it's really worth upgrading to PPC 2003 (WM2003?), it seems so much more stable, my GPRS has never stayed on as long and it's fun! You can get creative in the ROM kitchens (such as http://www.yorch.net), adding the software you like.
Just a piece of advice, search the threads for problems with any ROM you want to try out first so that you know the traps before it's having a party on your XDA at your sanity's expense.
I have some more observations now that I'm getting more comfortable with doing ROM updates. There are some advantages in going from the 4.00.05 ROM to 4.00.21, such as button lockout while off.
When I initially did the 4.00.21 upgrade I happened to go into the "band" option in phone settings and left the options unselected. Unfortunately setting this to nothing defaults to USA which is totally incompatible with Australia. The result was the phone would not synchronize and I could no longer go into phone settings. The fix for this scenario can be found in this thread : http://xda-developers.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=2893&sid=1e7be62705d2831332c7f0bd5a75e364. It's standard stuff to the die-hards, the scariest thing in the world for us newbies.
Once you set the band for Australia (same as Europe - 900/1800 I think it is) you then get a signal, can synchronize and start customizing your settings. You can get rid of most of the T-Mobile garbage, so far everything is working fine.
Thanks for that buddy, i'm about to do the same downgrade tonight (once Yorch's kitchen is back working properly). You saved me many many hours of pain!
Thanks to all who add to these wonderful forums.
Steve
Just to keep this info updated for the Aussies (and same applies for Asians, and Europe too I think), basically the same applies for 4.01.00 as I explained for 4.00.21 further back. 4.01.00 seems much the same as 4.00.21 at the moment.
Hi guys,
I have a similar set-up as yours, ie I am in Australia nd I upgraded my rom to a 4.00.16. I would like to downgrade it to the original O2 one as I have to return the phone to my company (I am being made redundant).
I tried the method you described but I failed. Basically, I can write the patch on the SD card and when I put it back into the device nothing changes...
Could you please be more specific as to what you did ? Typically, did you switch off the device then put the card then stop/soft-reset or else ?
As well, I only have the NBF version of the O2 rom that I got from the update on their site. Do you think it works or should I try to find a "pure" NB1 rom (I think there's one on Yorch's website).
Thanks a lot in advance for your help.
Bob.
Hi Bob,
Sorry to hear you have to give up your XDA, hope you have replacement work for your redundancy.
Once you have written the Wallaby Patch onto the SD card using XDRIT you reset the device using the stylus and hold down the power button at the same time (with the SD card with the patch in place). That will load into bootload mode, and you press the action button at that point to actually go into the patch.
Once the patch has loaded you leave the device on, and remove the SD card, write your ROM image onto it using XDRIT, and place the SD card back into the phone. On the patch screen select "Restore from SD" using the little directional arrows button below the phone screen. It will then ask you to confirm, then you will see the progress - it takes about 5-7 minutes.
The details on how to write the patch and write ROM's are further up in this thread. I think you can use the NBF file but I am not certain. If you don't want to risk using an NBF you can use the same method above, but revert to the 3.17 ROM from Yorch, then you should be able to use the ROM upgrade from O2 to get a clean install of the manufacturer's ROM.
Let us know if you have any problems.
Thanks Mate.
I have tried once again to patch my Wallaby 5.17 (funny name, isn't it...). It failed. Once I go into the bootloader and press the OK button, I get to the diagnostics screen and nothing else is happening.
Could you shed some light on this ?
Thx.
Bob.
Re-reading your posts...
Would it be possible for you to send me the wallaby patch tool you used ? I tried the one from here (http://xda-developers.com/XDArit/wallaby-patch-tool.nb2), as is and renamed to nb0, but it seems to be the key.
Basically, even though I get the following message : "Successfully copied image of 514 blocks", after having chosen the 1k header, as it's explained in the very detailed post you mention, I still get to the diagnostics screen instead of the patch one...
Thx again in advance for any help.
Bob.[/img]
I tried the one from here (http://xda-developers.com/XDArit/wallaby-patch-tool.nb2), as is and renamed to nb0, but it seems to be the key
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, I had no problem at all with the bootloader... one thing though is that you don't rename the .nb2 to .nb0, you use the file as-is. In XDARIT you should be able to select the .nb2 file to write to SD.
It is a diagnostics screen that you get to, that is the purpose of the patch. In that diagnostics screen should be options such as backup ROM to SD and restore ROM from SD. If it still doesn't work for you then maybe I should send you the versions of the patch and XDARIT that worked for me.
Hi,
I am using the O2 3.20.06 ENG ROM and 4.21.00 Radio. Do you think I can upgrade to 4.00.21 ROM directly?
Should I just run the exe file from the Yorch.net? Is it that simple?
What about the radio? Do I have to install a new one or is the 4.00.21 ROM included the radio?
Also, why people need to upgrade bootloader to higher version? I am using bootloader 5.15.
Thanks very much in advanced.
Well, I wouldn't use an exe for upgrading, and I wouldn't try upgrading the radio unless it's an official one posted by your supplier.
Use a .nb1 ROM from yorch and use XDA-TOOLS to do the ROM upgrade. Remember that if you go to a T-Mobile ROM you will need to use the SD card method to change to a different ROM.
Don't try upgrading your bootloader, 5.15 is fine. It's the higher versions that can be problematic and require the patch.
Thanks very much for your reply.
I am about to upgrade my device.
Just a few more questions,
1. Is this 4.00.21 ROM worked okay with the 4.21 Radio in Asia?
2. Also, other encounter a problem with SD card with this new 4.00.21 ROM, have you find any? (every 48 hrs the device wipe out the data in the SD card!)
3. It seems to me when using SD card method to change ROM with bootloader 5.15, the procedure is the same as upgrading or downgrading, isn't it?
4. The file from Yorch.net "upgrade" is only nbf file. It's not nb1. Is it the same?
Cheers,
Hi Chris
1. Yes, 4.00.21 does work fine with the 4.21 radio. I've touched on moving from 900/1900 to 900/1800 band if you should strike that problem.
2. Funny thing that, but I just checked and my SD card is erased after some 3 weeks of no problems.
3. Yes.
4. I do know that if you make a ROM in Yorch's kitchen you can choose .nb1. If you download an 'upgrade' I'm not quite sure what you get.
Not successful with the upgrade
Thanks so much for your reply.
From Yorch.net "upgrade", I can only get the 4.00.21 nbf file which is not nb1.
I can't use xdarit to burn that rom to SD card, an error occurred. But when I use the new OSImagetool, I can burn the ROM to the SD card and I can even change the name to nb1 file.
For both cases (nbf or nb1 file), I put the SD card in my device and press to the bootloading mode, nothing happen!
The device can't detect there is a ROM upgrade there. How can I do that?
Chris,
You need to download the .nb1 from the Rom Kitchen link on Yorch, not from the upgrades link, if all you are getting is a .nbf. With .nb1 you can use the osimage tool or xdrit with the sd method.
The bootloader will not restore from sd unless you have a correctly written image. In Yorch's kitchen you will see that .nbf is tagged for advanced users, that's a strong hint that different methods need to be used to install those.
I see....
Thanks v much.
Sorry for the delay in reply but I had gone back to Europe for Christmas.
I would be happy to use your wallaby patch file as mine doesn't seem to work. You can mail it to me on [email protected].
Thanks in advance for your help,
Bob.
Ok Bob, I'll send it in a few days when I get back to a PC. But I can guarantee it's the same patch that I linked back to in this thread.
I wanted to install one of the ROMs from www.yorch.net. But before doing so I have some questions:
1. If I choose to build ROM as an installer.exe, is installing it to my device as simple as running the .exe file? (of course with the device connected thru Activesync)
2. Is my present ROM (see specs below) supported?
3. If Murphy comes to visit and I screw up, will my phone be completely unusable or can I just reinstall old ROM, do hard reset and everything will be back to how it was?
My specs:
OS: Pocket PC ver 3.0.12039
ROM:3.20.06 ENG( 07/30/03) (O2 Asia I think since I bought it here in the Philippines)
Radio: 4.21.00.
Thanks
1 as far as i know yes havent don it to my own device yet though
2 a rom dont have to support a rom since it'll overwrite it
3 of cause merphy can also show his ugly face
but if all fails a sd flash reader writer can save many a tears
also if your phone is working ok then i would not mess with the
radio stack and beware because some roms include the radio stack
and if you try to update your radio stack to a US (900/1900) and you network is 900/1800 you could be in for a world of pain
ROM upgrade step by step
OK I'm really dying to give it a go but I'm just a overly cautious bloke. So I'm gonna outline what I interpreted (after reading lots of posts I think I'm getting it but not sure) to be the way do the upgrade. Please correct me if i'm wrong:
Equipment I have:
1. My notebook (Windows XP, Activesynch 3.7)
2. O2 XDAI
3. Cradle and USB connection.
Steps that I think I should take:
1. Place XDA on cradle and make sure it's connected with PC.
2. Backup?? (not so sure what to back up since contacts, calendar, notes are synched with outlook, docs are also synched, I have copies of cab and program files since I download them to PC before installing them to XDA.) If i'm missing something please slam a frying pan (this is a kitchen right?) on my head.
3. Go to www.yorch.net, check mark on all appropriate options, then (since I have to Unix box and dont know Unix at all) just go for the easy option of cooking the .exe install file.
4. Assuming, the .exe is downloaded to my PC. This time I just run it. I expect this to be just like installing PPC apps. If not, throw a tomato on my face
5. Assuming everything worked and Murphy's in the Arctic freezing his A**e off, then all I do now is hard reset.
6. I have a new ROM and I'm singing happy-happy-joy-joy.
To the wonderful people at xda-developers, am I in the right direction or am I as lost as Bill and Ted? If I'm lost, is there a step-by-step guide for non-unix programmers? (Sorry, there was a sticky but I thought it was for people with Unix boxes)
Once again, thanks for all your help and your patience.
2. Backup?? (not so sure what to back up since contacts, calendar, notes are synched with outlook, docs are also synched, I have copies of cab and program files since I download them to PC before installing them to XDA.) If i'm missing something please slam a frying pan (this is a kitchen right?) on my head.
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well i can think of one thing to backup and thats your current rom
so if you dont like the new rom you are getting you have the option to go back
of cause if the rom you have now is downloadble from a place you know like your isp then maybe it dont matter
Thanks for the reply. That's a good point. Question: When you back up old ROM, is it just the ROM that gets backed up or is it the whole content of the device, like how you do in PCs?
Also, since no one, besides you, has made any comments regarding the steps that I outlined, is it safe to say that they are the correct steps?
Thanks
When you backup your ROM, no stuff that you customised will be in the backup - the backed up ROM will be the same as when you received it from your retail shop, or if you upgraded, it will be the upgraded ROM without any of your stuff. Do a backup and store it on your hard disk.
DON'T use the .exe cooked ROM, use a .nb1 or .nbf, and use XDA Tools from this site to do the upgrade. It's very easy that way, and less dangerous. Don't upgrade your radio stack unless you know exactly what you're doing, or your phone supplier has made an update available just for you.
If you use a T-Mobile ROM above version 4.00.05 it blocks the XDA-Tools from updating the ROM. At that point you need to use XDARIT (from this site) to low-level write the ROM image you have onto your SD card using an SD card reader which shows the card as another drive on your computer. Once you do that you need to boot into the boot-loader (press the reset button while holding the power button) and follow the prompts to restore from an SD card. If you're unlucky and are running bootloader 5.17 (or above I think) you need to write the bootloader diagnostics patch (wallaby patch from this site) onto your SD card first before doing the boot into the bootloader thing. You can then remove the SD card, write the O/S ROM onto it with XDRIT, and put it back into your phone while it's still sitting on in diagnostics mode. Then you can restore from the SD.
It sounds complicated, but it's easy, as long as you have an SD card reader, and as long as you don't mess with trying to update the bootloader or do an unknown radio update. There's lots of info in these forums if you get stuck.
I made a thread that summarised all the steps using the new tools and ROM's at this address : http://xda-developers.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=3860. It's for Asian/European users, but if you are in the US the instructions are the same, except instead of using European 900/1800 radio you use 900/1900.
Further questions on ROM update
Thanks. It's becoming clearer and clearer. Have more clarifying questions:
1. How do you know whether or not you're including the radio stack with the ROM upgrade at yorch.net. I did not see any options there.
2. At www. yorch.net, nothing happens when I press the "Build ROM Now" command button. Is the download supposed to happen in the background or is there something wrong with my PC or the site?
3. I dont think I'm using the T-mobile ROM but how do I know if I'm runing bootloader 5.17? Is bootloader 5.17 only for T-Mobile users or all?
Once again, thanks for the help and bearing with a newbie.
2. At www. yorch.net, nothing happens when I press the "Build ROM Now" command button. Is the download supposed to happen in the background or is there something wrong with my PC or the site?
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Click to collapse
it should start to write some text about the progress of making the rom
and when it's finished then it should init a std download dialog
The meter down at the status bar does move, same as when you're loading a webpage, then it says Done. That's about it. Didnt see any other messages or dialogue boxes.
Can anyone confirm if it's up today or has it been down?
Thanks
PS. Tried to email using the email utility at the website but getting errors there as well.
OK, firstly to answer your question about Yorch's site... well it worked for me in getting all the ROM's I wanted, then when I went back again the download didn't work. I guess it's just on and off, so unless Yorch finishes getting married or someone else makes another kitchen it's a matter of pot luck. You can get away without using the kitchen if you can find another download source for ROM's, whether it be FTP or whatever. Just remember if you get an exe you can usually pull it apart with winzip to get the .nb1 or .nbf out of it.
Now, for Q1 :
An operating system ROM is generally just under 32MB, but when zipped from Yorch it's usually about 14 or 15MB - the operating system ROM will NEVER be smaller than that. I'm not sure about the exact radio stack size but I know it's a lot less than that. Also, doing some homework about the operating system ROM helps. eg. reading about the 4.01.00 ROM tells you that it's not a radio stack upgrade, it's an operating system upgrade - and the filename and the size of the file you receive reflects that.
Q2:
answered above...
Q3:
I think the bootloader is just pot-luck depending on when you phone was released. To check your bootloader it will reset your device completely, but I read somewhere that if you turn the radio (phone) off it doesn't hard reset. If you're worried, do a full backup first. But basically when you're ready to look, reset your phone while holding the power button and it will tell you the bootloader version. Don't be too turned off by that, I have read that SD card readers can be picked up very cheap if you look around, and that's all you need to get you out of trouble regardless of the bootloader version.
There's no real risk (but I won't guarantee anything), just make sure your phone is fully charged before mucking about with SD upgrades. Also make sure the radio (phone) is switched off before upgrading... using the bootloader/sd card method you shouldn't need to be concerned. I'm not sure what effect having your phone on and receiving a call while using XDA-Tools can have, but someone did mention it somewhere.
I'm a newbie too, but there's really not much you need to know, just a few caveats.
Yorch's Kitchen has been working OK for me the last couple of days. It takes maybe about 5 mins to "cook" before telling me that the ROM is ready. The 4.00.05 ROM gave me a lot of ActiveSync problems, so I went to the 4.00.16 ROM tonight and it looks like it's behaving better.
My SD reader is a Microtech Zio. It appears as a disk drive in windows, but the newer XDArit can't initialize a connection to write to the SD card. I used the "dangerous" older version of XDArit instead (available on Yorch's site), and it's worked OK for me (so far?).
One thing I wish I had realized before I started playing - going into the bootloader will reset your phone most (some?) (all?) of the time.
While I was flashing the ROM tonight I could see the GSM light flashing - I had the same "hope no one calls" feeling tht others must have had. Note that this was while I was flashing from an SD card in the bootloader - so apparently the process doesn't deactivate the phone while it's ongoing.
Muchas Gracias!
Ebswift, if ur a newbie then ur the god of the newbies. Thanks for all the help and for making me see the light. Much appreciated...
A quick Q:
Is the process for installing an .nbf file the same as that for installing an .nb1 file?
I have cooked a few ROMS to an .nb1 format and installed those OK, but now I have one in .nbf that I'd like to install.
So what I'd plan to do is put the nbf onto an SD card using XDArit, and then stick the card in the PPCPE and reboot to the loader. Is that it?
So what I'd plan to do is put the nbf onto an SD card using XDArit, and then stick the card in the PPCPE and reboot to the loader. Is that it?
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Click to collapse
You can do it that way (onto the SD card), or if you're not already using a T-Mobile ROM you can use XDA Tools which is easier. Basically the capabilities are spelled out for you with the available file types in the drop downs when you select a source.
Instaead of Hi I say you are great people
So the case is... I just need to have working Qtek 1010 with SOME additional soft on it inside a ROM...
I've read many pages in this forum and I'm able to find too many ways to change my ROM. I'm totaly confused.
I work for extremaly big worldwide company and they gave me q Qtek, told me to use it, gave me one simple application and web link... so I do.
But the Qtek is much powerfull than that so I need to flash my ROM.
Now comes a question: where can I find one document how to prepare for it, what tools do I need, how to do it... I know after some tries I will be confident enough to do such stuff easlily, my problem is I have only one try, they will make me w trouble if I screw my company recource.
I understand you had milion similar questions like that. Basicly I need help how to flash so I can be sure 100% not less that I can recover in case of trouble. I hope you understand I'm afraid to do it because lack of experience and you are able to tell me if I should try to flash...
or maybe it's better for me to ask my boss to by me a 512 MB SD and install all additional soft on it and stop worring about memory?
I'd appreciate any opinion... you are the best and I'm just new to this bussines...
Get an sd card, backup existing rom to sd card, very easy to do by bootloader method. Enter bootloader by holding down power while inserting stylus in the reset hole on the bottom left of pda then press top right function key, then choose ce to sd. Once you have done this you can check if it has in fact backed up your rom by putting sd card in the pda, enter bootloader, it will then give the option to program the rom, just remove the card and push the reset with stylus again, the other method to check a working backup is to put the sd card in the pda, the pda will ask to format it, say no and remove it. Once you have a backup you can either use xdatools to copy it to your pc or keep it in a safe place, no more files must be written to this card otherwise it will be rendered useless, if you wish to reuse the card sometime it will need formatting. Once you have your backup, go to www.yorch.net, cook yourself a rom and download it in the exe format, this will do a normal install from your pc while connected to pda via activesync, if it messes up you always have your backup. Once you become more proficient at using xdatools you might wish to try out lots of different roms until you are happy with the result, you can go on to sd card flashing which is a much better way of programming rom and much less prone to error because it doesnt rely on a pc connection. I would advise you to leave the radio stack alone, if you can make and receive call ok leave it alone. Have a thorough look around the forum before proceeding. Its good fun to program your pda and you can make it a much better tool, but make sure you always have a way out if things go wrong.
www.yorch.net not working... is there a place like that?
Hi!
I read the above post, one of the clearest here, and I almost got the confidence to finally do this ROM update...
But:
1) Can't find the www.yorch.net website where I could "cook myself a rom and dowload it in a .exe format"
2)It's still not very clear to me what exactly cooking a ROM means: it concerns the OS (the version 1.53, 1.72 type of stuff), the extended ROM (the default programs u get starting after and hard reset like the SW for the camera etc) or both?
Thanks!!!
Chris
Another ROM Kitchen
Try the following ROM Kitchen http://lumpistefan.dyndns.org/
I noticed that you have the XDAII. Now, someone please correct me if I'm wrong but the directions above and the ROM kitchens are all for the XDA I or Wallaby version.
Re: www.yorch.net not working... is there a place like that?
cchris said:
Hi!
I read the above post, one of the clearest here, and I almost got the confidence to finally do this ROM update...
But:
1) Can't find the www.yorch.net website where I could "cook myself a rom and dowload it in a .exe format"
2)It's still not very clear to me what exactly cooking a ROM means: it concerns the OS (the version 1.53, 1.72 type of stuff), the extended ROM (the default programs u get starting after and hard reset like the SW for the camera etc) or both?
Thanks!!!
Chris
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Chris,
Those Roms are made for XDA1 beware it's not made for the device you have!!!!!!
What's the kitchen for XDA II
THANK YOU!
I was starting on the wrong foot... :-( :?
Anyway a couple of more question:
1) Is there a place like that for XDA II Kitchen? Is my undestanding of what a kitchen is correct?
2) The process for ROM backup outlined above, is still correct for XDA II?
Thanks!
Chris
I'm in the same boat as you CChris. I've been diligently a daily searching through the numerous topics on this site looking for similar information. I haven't found it yet - or at least nothing not-to-super-technical. I do know that you get to the bootloader by pressing the power button, reset button, and down on the toggle at the same time rather than the Wallaby way of the power and reset buttons only. It also seems that there are issues regarding 'country' and that it requires software to get around this. I haven't found the software yet - the links that I've seen all point to "itsme's" website which is currently down.
You can read the thread here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=9053&highlight=
Hopefully, someone with a lot more knowledge than me can go over updating the XDA II as clearly as cruisin-thru did for the XDA I.
The instructions on http://wiki.xda-developers.com/wiki/HimalayaRomFlashing are correct.
Unfortunately, there was an issue where the wiki removed the ~ from itsme's website's address. It's been replaced with %7e and now the link works.
If you download a ROM from the same vendor as your device (e.g. Qtek ROM on Qtek device, iMate ROM on iMate device, etc.) you don't need to use these instructions, you can just install the ROM upgrade from your vendor.
If you want to use the latest ROM (from iMate) and your device isn't an iMate, you need to decrypt, change the "country" code, encrypt, and then run the upgrade.
You can also edit the extended ROM when flashing, but it's easier to use itsme's extRom Tools. See http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=8422
You do NOT need to flash the ROM if you are not experiencing problems, or if you are experiencing problems which the new ROM also has (for example ugly cleartype fonts, which may be fixed without flashing). Flashing the ROM may void your warrantee. You will lose all your data when you upgrade, and you should not restore a backup, only your my documents folder.
If you are a newbie, it may be best not to flash your ROM. If you typed in itsme in google, you would have found his xs4all address as the third link, and would have quickly found out his site wasn't down at all, but the link was just wrong.
Just a warning: the things that could go wrong when flashing are potentially much worse than a wrong URL, and the answer to those problems won't be the third link in google.
NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO DON'T COME NEAR THE RADIO UPGRADE I QUOTE I FRIEND HERE THAT SAYS
DON'T MESS UP WITH A WORKING RADIO OR YOU'LL END UP WITH A SLIVER BRICK !!!!!!!!!
BEEN THEIR :x :x :x :x
Rabia said:
NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO DON'T COME NEAR THE RADIO UPGRADE I QUOTE I FRIEND HERE THAT SAYS
DON'T MESS UP WITH A WORKING RADIO OR YOU'LL END UP WITH A SLIVER BRICK !!!!!!!!!
BEEN THEIR :x :x :x :x
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Click to collapse
Rabia can you tell me how did you get out from there?
never got out of it
Hello,
how can I backup the original Rom of my I-mate jas jar ?
I am fairly new to this and I want to upgrade from WM 5 to WM 6.5.
Thanks
Regards,
Some one
Welcome to forums
Applications can be stored on your SD card with no problem, and as for your SMS and log calls search for PIM Backup.
WM6.5 is 100% working on Universal but its heavy to run unless you have a modified 128Mb RAM, if not I would recommend WM6.1 (Tomal 8.2, 8.5 and 8.9 ROM´s) as they will be fast and stable.
Instructions to upgrade on my signature link.
Good luck,
Thanks orb,
But I was asking if there was a way to backup my original Wm5 from my phone , I have already backed up the apps and contacts.Now (if there is such a way) I want to backup the actual WM which came with it.
Regards,
some one
If you mean to the ROM this will be wiped out but you can check on my signature link for WM5 ROM to have it.
Believe me once you test WM6 or above you won´t want to go back, unless video call is a must for you
Good luck,
Yes I saw the wm5 in the signature on your link but isn't there a way for me to backup wm5 from my own PPC??
Oh and from where can I get the java midlet manager for wm5 (till I have not flashed my phone ) , I want the cab file of the same one which comes pre-installed?
Backing up and reconstructing the ROM is hard work. There's usually no reason to do so unless you want to cook your own rom. If you can find the version of your rom (probably somewhere in start-settings-system, can't recall exactly where off-hand), you can download the same or a newer version if you want to return to it later. As orb3000 says though, you won't want to unless you really have to make video calls.