Modifiying the Main ROM nk.nbf - PDA2, XDA IIi, 2020i Software Upgrading

Hi all, love the site btw
I have been asked by my employer to customize an XDAIIi so that basicly none of the O2 rubbish is installed, phone features and additional software are gone and our own PPC application inserted into the ExtROM to load everytime the device is Hard Rest....
With the help of this forum, HTC64 Extended ROM Tool.exe and Extra Drive Creator i have managed to do what the boss has asked.
Now i still need to trim more fat so to speak...
I understand that the Main ROM is located in nk.nbf, but the methods used to edit the ExtROM are failing....basicly i want to remove all the main .exe files so that ppl cannot use the device for anything else but our software.
Things like File Explorer, Games, etc all need to be trashed because the ppl using these things are not allowed to play...its for work only and one application,
Are there any guides or suggestions on how to edit the main ROM if this is at all possible...
I would appreciate any help available....and i thank you all in advance

To date there is no way of editing the nk.nbf on the Alpine. I believe someone has managed to decode it but encoding it has proved more of a pain in the arse and he has, after a lot of effort, ditched the idea.
It's a shame it can't be done from a personal point of view but that's the way things go......

You could look at Spb Kiosk - it permits you to control what is and isn't available. It might do what you need. It's enterprise priced though... $$$$!

Related

Adding programs in ROM

Does anybody know how to add software in ROM.
I succcesfully added small 1-file programs (and a couple of 2/3 file programs) using mkrom.
I often needed to modify the default.reg file to achieve this...
But how do I install more complex programs like Batterybar/Journalbar and Fonix Voicedial ?
I hope someons has the answer!
its not easy. u have to use the snap utility to find out what changes were made and manually add each entry into default.reg file. also if any files need to be somewhere other than windows directory u have to copy them to ram via the initobj.txt file.
alex
Thanks, that worked....
It took some time though!
kalex said:
Also if any files need to be somewhere other than windows directory u have to copy them to ram via the initobj.txt file.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool! People are figuring out how this works!
It has to be noted that putting files in any other place than Windows means you're making a RAM copy, which ofcourse uses RAM you could use for other things. So it would be better to figure out how to convince the software to run from Windows instead, which, sometimes after a little tinkering, has worked for us in all cases.
If need be, you can also try creating a link to the program in Windows, and copy that instead of the real file.
It has to be noted that putting files in any other place than Windows means you're making a RAM copy, which ofcourse uses RAM you could use for other things. So it would be better to figure out how to convince the software to run from Windows instead, which, sometimes after a little tinkering, has worked for us in all cases.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's true. but some apps want to put something else where. for example Pocket Plus has 4 txt files which it modifies during use, so they have to be copied to RAM otherwise it wouldn't be able to modify it. some apps put dlls to \windows\appmgr, so i have to add that. so far i added Pocket Plus 1.2, Resco File explorer 2003, Soft Reset, and Pocket Gamer D9 dialer, as well as i localized it to US specs. the only thing i can't figure out yet is how to add T-mobile USA GPRS configuration to the auto setup.
XDA developer Peter Poelman can you share on how to do this?
thanks
alex
Laundry list of things to add to ROM
I have a laundry list of things to add into the ROM. I'm sure it all won't fit, but I'm very energized about hearing what you guys have been saying.
I have a legal copy of battery/journal bar, fonix voice suite + dial, pocket informant, and All Locations Traffic Counter. Additionally I am most certainly interested in getting T-Mobile US settings setup in the autoconfig.
I'm far from a UNIX guy, but I have Cygwin now installed and I'm working on getting Perl setup. One of the guys in my department helped me build SER1.1 on his Linux box.
I've had the T2Tech guys squeeze 128M inside the phone (64/64) so I'd like to add the driver for it into ROM so I can use it after a hard reset without having to dig out the installer.
If there's any assistance I can lend along the way please let me know.
MAXLW can you shoot me some basic instructions for Fonix and Battery/Journal bar?
Thanks all for the great tool!
[email protected]
US T-Mobile PPC-PE 128M SER1.1
rdm128,
Are u able to access 128mb of ram after u did the ser1.1? i heard it didn't work with the current drivers by ppctechs.
I doubt Fonix will work in the ROM as there are about 100 or so files that need to be copied as well as i'm not sure which files are being modified by the program and if they are being modified you will need to do a Ram copy before u can use it. all locations i guess u don't need either as t-mobile now offers unlimited GPRS. PI i'm not sure how its going to react to ROM install but u can try it and let me know if it works as i want to add it.
alex
128M w/ SER1.1
The 128 upgrade is split into 64M RAM and 64M "t2t storage card". I am able to access both of them quite easily with the driver installed.
The most impressive part, though it does make sense, is that I have only done soft resets and never a power cycle when installing the SER1.1 and therefore all files are still intact in the t2t storage card. Not bad for volatile RAM!
The only Fonix I'd really like in ROM is Voice Dial. I think I can get PI to work only because of the directory structure it uses. It places lots of files in the windows directory, but then puts all the 'writeable' files in the WebIS folder in my documents (at least as far as I can tell so far).
I'm just starting to play with snapview (since it came on SER1.1) to see what it will take to get this stuff crammed into ROM.
rdm128

unlocking software licensing restrictions

is it true that xda2 has very strict restrictions on wat is allowed to be installed on it?
if so is it then possible to unlock that feature so i can write my own c programs for it?
maybe even write a new browser that has jvm say ?
Dave
No. You can write and install whatever you like. Where did you hear that rumour?
Surur
Dave,
So youre a programmer.
I am still looking for someone who can contribute the following software to this community:
Today pluging that makes ot possible to toggle Bluetooth & TomTom GPS being switched on / off. If youre interested, let me know, I can supply you with more exact specs. It seeems to me quite simple: just reading / updating some registry values.
programming
sure ill give it a go.
email me with specs and sourcecode
[email protected]
this would be my first xda2 programming experience tho, so it ight take me a little while to get fammiliar with xda2 programming first. im mostly a pc proammer good in c++ and opengl graphics, however im fast learner.
there are enoug forums for PPC programmers where u can read how to modify registry:
www.devbuzz.com
www.pocketpcdn.com
amd of course www.msdn.com
etc
flashing the phone rom what does that do for u practicaly?
flashing the phone rom what does that do for u practicaly?
flashing means to upgrade the s/w (firmware) that is stored in (flash) "rom".
Normally you only flash the device when
- You suffer from bugs in the old'rom
- The new rom has specific benefits
There are 3 types of rom on the device that can be flashed:
OS- the operating system
Phone (aka Radio)- the gsm/gprs radio functionality
ExtendedROM- add-on and customisation s/w (usually put together by the service operator)
Flashing the rom on the xda 1 since the developers got their hands on it is a whole new ball game, they discovered that the autoconfig program was taking up acres of space and wasnt really needed, there was also some unused space. They devised a way of writing complete programs to this space and my xda has numerous programs in rom that would normally be taking up precious ram when installed. These guys are brilliant in adding value and funcionality to a brilliant device.

hacking 2003 SE

is there any way of removing fileexplorer, pocket excel etc from my PDA 8XDAIIi, Apline) or even better from the ROM image before flashing?
firstly i don't have a 2003 device but hopefully it's similar,
unless I'm very mistaken, no you can't do either. but as it's part of the ROM it won't release extra memory if you delete them.
if you want to tidy up your menus create a new program folder with all the stuff you do want in it, and put that in you start menu using any file explorer, removing the other before
hacking is a great word to use when talking about modifing a rom, you should use it all the time.
secondly considering the dependancies the rom has one programs you mentioned (like file explorer) you should by all means try to remove them, oh and to make it run really really fast you should also remove the screen cpu and memory from your device.
this techique is known as sarcasm and can be avoided by reading a few pages from most of the mainstream forums provided by this site such as General discussion (in no way related to the military)
this is a community service announcement
mnazmi: you may well have a valid reason to remove these apps from ROM. I can't imagine why, but you need to investigate "rom cooking".
We don't do much cooking of the WM2003 roms these days. XDA Devs was formed around one of the first "rom kitchens". Rom cooking is not for the feint heart though! Be careful.
V

where can I find cabs for my Wing?

I have Wizards, a Blue Angel and a Hermes.
With the Wing I have discovered that some cab files from the other units don't execute properly or seem to have been written for very old versions of Windows Mobile. I am never sure if they are going to be resource hogs or are not going to release memory when they close and such like. (or is this more to do with the ROM than the applications I am trying to use?)
Or they ask me whether I am installing onto some elderly processor (mips or arm or etc) and I am never sure either which one to choose for the Wing. And often the ones I choose dont work
Where can I find repositories for cab files (or indeed exe files to be executed from the computer) which are new enough to work with the Wing please? Any applicatoin will do, games, utilities, etc etc
most apps will, and the only truly system specific ones are like customization and tweak stuff.
there a bunch of freeware sites with lots of fun stuff thats totally device inspecific.
You can startout by browesing www.pocketpcfreeware.com .
Once/if you get through that site, just google "ppc freeware"
Hope that helps.
If you are still looking try this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=356480
Thanks for this specific answer guys: I was just unsure what to do when given a choice between installing an elderly program designed for a 2001 computer on the Wing when the hcoice seems to refer to installing for those elderly processors
Thanks for this specific answer guys: I was just unsure what to do when given a choice between installing an elderly program designed for a 2001 computer on the Wing when the hcoice seems to refer to installing for those elderly processors

Program Memory

I am fairly new to this forum and I am sure this has been explain on here once before. But I though this might be a little easier than searching through countless pages of posts. I want to know if there is a way to clear up the program memory. If I could I would like to be able to delete the Office mobile stuff if that would help. Dont see a need for it since I work on macs mostly. Of if there is way to trim it down. At the moment my program memory is 43.87 MB and it says 40.91MB is in use but I only have window media running and only 3MB available. Is there something I can do. What is taking up all memory. Even after a soft reset. The most I have ever seen it go up to is like 14MB and that is just for a while then it begins to rundown. Thanks for you help in advanced.
Carlos
CleanRAM - http://thewingster.com/cleanram.aspx
Thanks Ace..good work..is there a way to get into the registry and delete some of the office mobile stuff, like work powerpoint and excel or would I have to do a complete flash
toreone said:
Thanks Ace..good work..is there a way to get into the registry and delete some of the office mobile stuff, like work powerpoint and excel or would I have to do a complete flash
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You would have to flash a ROM without Office Mobile. Look on The Wingster (http://thewingster.com/roms.aspx) and find a ROM that doesn't include Office Mobile. I tell you if it doesn't include it, so it should be fairly easy to identify that.
But going into the registry wouldn't be where you'd delete that stuff. You'd find it in the file explorer, \Windows. I'm not sure if you can delete those files though. I'd just flash one of the numerous ROM's that doesn't include Office Mobile, there's many of them.
Office Mobile is in most cases (there are CABs out there, so that you can install it on stirage card) in the ROM and can't be deleted in an easy way. The File Explorer doesn't delete it. Midnight Commander can delete files, which are in the Main ROM, but only use if you know what you're doing! This program can delete all files - important system files, too!
The most easy way is, as ace already said, to flash a rom without Office Mobile. But be careful and read a lot before you flash a new rom! A broken flash may cause a broken phone!
That is one of my biggest fears is bricking my phone and not being able to bring it back. I am currently running SPB Mobile 3.0 and I like that a lot. That is what I would like to run permanently. Maybe when i upgrade or buy a new phone I will practice on my old wing. Thanks guys for the info!
program mem == application mem
storage mem == files on your device
application mem is used by programming which are running nothing else
storage mem is used by files stored on your device
freeing up app mem don't give more storage and virsa versa

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