[Q] [QUESTION] SD card and Android - HD2 Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting and Genera

Before I posted this, I did some searches, did some reading, and then hit myself with a big stick repeatedly for you just to get that out of the way!
First, I am old.
Second, I am new to the smart phones.
I have a HTC HD2 from T-Mobile. I was not able to get into the Android Market, and was wondering what I was doing wrong. First thing I read was about a SD card. I looked, and, Nope no SD card. So I will be going to pick one up tomorrow, what size would be best? Then I read about moving the Android file to the SD card. I looked and could not find a Android File. Hmmmmm. If there is a Android File, where would it be?
Here are the stats for my phone, maybe I can't load Android, I don't know.
It has Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional,
the OS Version is 5.2.21913,
Manial version is 2.5.20181424.0
ROM version is 3.14.531.1 WWE
ROM Date is 09/29/2010
Radio Version 2.15.50.14
Protocol version is 15.42.50.11U
I really like the phone, but thought it would be nice to get some nice apps from the android store. Any help, and advice is more than welcome Just don't tell me to sell the HTC and buy a Jitterbug phone!!
Thanks again, Bob

TMO US or EU?

This is the US version my carrier is T-Mobile.

to speak about what a good sd card it would really be useful if we knew how you use your phone. if you store a lot of files/folders/pics/roms etc on your sd card and transfer them often to your computer i would suggest buying a 8gb class 6 or higher but if you dont store a ton of info on your sd card and dont transfer your files over often you could get away with a 4gb class 2-4. you can get them on ebay really cheap, i found a 8gb class 10 for under $15 but if you buy a sd card off ebay make sure you test the card because there are a lot of sellers out there that have a memory hack which will make the sd card say its a 8gb when really its only a 3-4gb. i have not had that problem with any name brand like sandisk, trancend, pny, kingston or samsung.

Thanks for the info.

talking about apps i would start with appmonster..free on the market. it will backup your apks onto your sd card which i find very useful.
1 way i find cool apps is by looking at some of the icon requests. people wouldnt request an icon for something they dont find useful so i think thats a good starting point. another way is by going to the market on your pc, found here. i like it a lot better because i feel you can view it better, quicker plus you can hit the install button and it will install it directly to your phone.
i could give a breif list of some apps i like but what i like and what you like may differ greatly. there are apps that suggest other apps based on what you have installed but right this second i cant remember the name. i will try & find out and edit this post when i do.

AppAware found here
Appsfire found here
Best Apps Market found here
all of these apps will show you some of the best apps found on the market. it can be a bug to sort through some apps that are really a waste of space.

Bob Davis said:
Before I posted this, I did some searches, did some reading, and then hit myself with a big stick repeatedly for you just to get that out of the way!
First, I am old.
Second, I am new to the smart phones.
I have a HTC HD2 from T-Mobile. I was not able to get into the Android Market, and was wondering what I was doing wrong. First thing I read was about a SD card. I looked, and, Nope no SD card. So I will be going to pick one up tomorrow, what size would be best? Then I read about moving the Android file to the SD card. I looked and could not find a Android File. Hmmmmm. If there is a Android File, where would it be?
Here are the stats for my phone, maybe I can't load Android, I don't know.
It has Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional,
the OS Version is 5.2.21913,
Manial version is 2.5.20181424.0
ROM version is 3.14.531.1 WWE
ROM Date is 09/29/2010
Radio Version 2.15.50.14
Protocol version is 15.42.50.11U
I really like the phone, but thought it would be nice to get some nice apps from the android store. Any help, and advice is more than welcome Just don't tell me to sell the HTC and buy a Jitterbug phone!!
Thanks again, Bob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hiya Bob,
...a Jitterbug phone, huh? I think you're even older than me. As long as you're not too old to learn a few new tricks then... you shouldn't have any problems. You're going to have to have some patience and take your time if, by your own admission... you're new to smartphones. You have A LOT of reading to do.
If I'm understanding this correctly - You don't have an Android phone yet. You have a stock (as opposed to customized) T-Mobile HD2. It natively runs WM6.5, and ships with an eight or sixteen MB SD card already installed. It's not an Android phone. YOU would have to install the Android OS onto the phone first. No wonder you didn't have access to the Android market. If you're in the USA - your HD2 would have had the Transformers movies, and a number of demo WM apps & games, installed on the SD card. The fact that you don't have an SD card installed doesn't really matter. I would guess you bought yours pre-owned from some idiot who kept the card and didn't provide a copy.
(as an aside), I bought my USA HD2 pre-owned also. The seller (I'm guessing) kept the 16MB card, but at least he provided a 8MB card with all the files copied over. --- You're not missing anything that you can't get back. Much of it 'junk' but the movies are pretty cool.
I see you've already had some reco's on what to buy for an SD. Depending upon your media needs, I'd suggest at least, an 8MB card. I replaced mine with a 16MB class 4 card. It's working well.
Personally... I flashed my own HD2 with one of the custom WM6.5.x ROMs on this site. It's far better than the stock phones ROM. The only thing that can't run is the Blockbuster app (for silly reasons I can't get into here). What I really wanted was to be able to run the Netflix app... and this was accomplished by installing one of the Android SD ROM versions. It took me some time and research to understand just how... but it's all do-able.
I'm assuming you're going to keep your HD2 as a Windows mobile phone (although you don't necessarily have to). You could flash your HD2 with an Android NAND ROM... but that would wipeout Windows Mobile, and I wouldn't suggest that route for you just yet. Installing Android on an SD card isn't difficult... and it works a trick! But you do have some reading to do. Have fun with it. -Rob

Thanks for the reply Rob, Yes, I am new to smart phones, but am open to learning. I got the phone through T-Mobile, it was a refurb unit, and there was no SD card. It did have the Transformer movies on it.
I will be picking up a SD card probably tomorrow, I will be going with a 16MB.
So from what I have understood so far, is that the phone is not a android, and currently runs on a windows platform. So could I install Android on the SD card and keep windows also? What system would be running? I guess there is a lot to learn, but I am recently retired, and have nothing but time. If you have anything you suggest I should read, let me know.
Bob

thats correct, its winmo by default. i would take a look at this post which will explain all you need to know about flashing android to your htc hd2. also you can install RunDroid found here which will allow you to dualboot into either winmo or android from your sd.

Bob Davis said:
Thanks for the reply Rob, Yes, I am new to smart phones, but am open to learning. I got the phone through T-Mobile, it was a refurb unit, and there was no SD card. It did have the Transformer movies on it.
I will be picking up a SD card probably tomorrow, I will be going with a 16MB.
So from what I have understood so far, is that the phone is not a android, and currently runs on a windows platform. So could I install Android on the SD card and keep windows also? What system would be running? I guess there is a lot to learn, but I am recently retired, and have nothing but time. If you have anything you suggest I should read, let me know.
Bob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(I'm guessing again - and I'm curious), If you see an icon in the Start Menu for Transformers... that's only a link to open the movies... that's not actually the movies themselves... but see for yourself. Click the link. What happens? The movies themselves are 1.3 and 1.4GB (gigabytes) and are stored on the SD card. If you have no SD card from TMOUS, where are the actual movie files? In RAM? In ROM? I don't think so... Let me know.
I'm a long time WM user and I won't yet give up WM6.5. I like it a lot and need it. I still activesync everything with my Outlook desktop, running XP on the PC. I haven't yet migrated to Windows 7 (and don't plan to for a while). WP7 on the handheld doesn't do it for me, but I wanted to try Android.
It IS very different from WM, and I'm still not entirely comfortable with it but I am comfortable with technology and so it's an ongoing somewhat fun learning experience. Android DOES have some strong advantages...
I think (guessing again - but I'm pretty certain) that Android would be at its absolute best running from NAND... but then, goodbye WM. And I'm not willing to completely rely on Android for my needs. Besides, I really do enjoy having my HD2 be a WM phone AND an Android phone, depending upon what I choose to do ATM. So if like me... you're unwilling to completely give up windows mobile, your only choice would be to run it from the SD card. I can only suggest that you start reading the Android subforums; specifically the HD2 Android SD Development forum.
Android would boot via Magldr or via a dual boot program like Exceller (which I use), from inside of windows mobile... you'll have to read-up on these things. Speed isn't a problem. It runs very well & fast. The only downside to SD is that battery life isn't the greatest. But so what? Get yourself one or two spare batteries. The upside is that you have two OS's... you get to have your cake and eat it too (if you know what I mean).
Rob

Thanks for the links, the Dualboot is what I thought might be involved. I will start reading in the morning!

Rob,
When I first got my HD2, I had it for about four months, and started having some issues with it. I had watched the movies on it, but when I sent it back I must have sent the SD card with it. I am new to this remember!! When I try to bring the movie up it says file not found. Surprise, it was on the SD card.
I will keep windows also, and run the Android on the SD card. I don't do a lot of fancy stuff on my HD2, but am still learning.
Bob

also with RunDroid you can keep many different android (sd) roms on your sd card and can choose at random which android you would like to boot. i would check out this link, it will show you all the android roms found here on XDA. i find it a lot more easier to look at instead of trying to go through countless pages and reading about each rom. the link will give you some basic info about each one like if its a sd or nand version, when it was posted/updated, if it has sence or not & some other info that could be useful.

htccraze said:
also with RunDroid you can keep many different android (sd) roms on your sd card and can choose at random which android you would like to boot. i would check out this link, it will show you all the android roms found here on XDA. i find it a lot more easier to look at instead of trying to go through countless pages and reading about each rom. the link will give you some basic info about each one like if its a sd or nand version, when it was posted/updated, if it has sence or not & some other info that could be useful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 (what I used) Great suggestion!

Thanks, The reading will start today, it may take some time, but I feel I will get there.

...and just a clarification. I'd also used HTC HD2 Android Roms/Builds, as a good place to compare and research different Android offerings. Ultimately, I went with what appeared to be the most widely used SD ROM. I don't know if it's the best one (that's always a personal choice born of trial and experience)... but it seems to work well. Honestly, I'm just getting my feet wet with Android. Not yet up to running multiple OS's on my card... maybe one of these days, so haven't yet tried Rundroid. I have flashed a number of different WM 6.5 roms. For me, WM is easy. I'm finding Android - on the surface, a lot of fun, but under the hood... I'm still somewhat dazed and confused.

All the links and suggestions have been a big help, I am still reading at this point. One other question I have is, when I start to install the Android ROM, if I screw up can I still just do a hard reset to be able to start over? I don't really have anything on the phone other than phone numbers. Basicly I have been using it as a phone, and light internet news browsing.
Thanks!

Bob Davis said:
All the links and suggestions have been a big help, I am still reading at this point. One other question I have is, when I start to install the Android ROM, if I screw up can I still just do a hard reset to be able to start over? I don't really have anything on the phone other than phone numbers. Basically I have been using it as a phone, and light internet news browsing.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ROM's on the SD card, installation is on the SD card, so don't worry about hard resetting the phone... and even if you had to, it's all pretty easy. No worries. Read-up on dual booting and format the card prior to starting the process.

Thanks Rob, just got back from picking up a SD card, wound up getting a 8MB, no 16's in the store. Do I format the card on the phone or my PC? I assume the phone.

Related

HELP! new to site and want to adjust phone

I am not sure if this is the proper section for such advice but I am seeking help with my t mobile wing which I believe is considered part of the herald? heh..
So here's the deal..I had this phone for a year now with no custom addons to it..but lately...my wing has been running so slow up to the point where I can't answer calls on time or takes so long to load..I just rebooted my phone and was wondering if anyone in steps can direct me anything I can do to make my phone run more smooth,customizable and being able to clean it properly..
I used to have battery status with the overclock on MHZ and memmaid..but I realized mem maid was a paid program so I was shady about putting my credit card... I also was trying to get touch flo installed..but I can't find the Ruu anywhere..I must be doing something wrong lol
layl0ww said:
I am not sure if this is the proper section for such advice but I am seeking help with my t mobile wing which I believe is considered part of the herald? heh..
So here's the deal..I had this phone for a year now with no custom addons to it..but lately...my wing has been running so slow up to the point where I can't answer calls on time or takes so long to load..I just rebooted my phone and was wondering if anyone in steps can direct me anything I can do to make my phone run more smooth,customizable and being able to clean it properly..
I used to have battery status with the overclock on MHZ and memmaid..but I realized mem maid was a paid program so I was shady about putting my credit card... I also was trying to get touch flo installed..but I can't find the Ruu anywhere..I must be doing something wrong lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First things first, some things you'll need to know:
RUU: Stock Operating System (ROM)
ROM: Phone Operating System
CAB: Application Installer File
Flash: Reformat your phone with a new ROM.
SuperCID: Unlocks the device to allow flashing of non-stock and custom ROMs.
USPL: Allows you to temporary SuperCID your device to enable flashing using a Flash Center Utility in Windows. You cannot use LZX compressed ROMs, and you cannot flash ROMs requiring an SD Card.
HardSPL: Permanently (Well Almost) SuperCIDs your device to allow you to flash any ROM of any type, as long as it is a Herald/Wing ROM. You can flash using SD card, or through a Flash Center. I say it is almost permanent because it can be reversed.
Next:
I suggest you use a whole new ROM on your phone. T-Mobile's stock ROM is so bogged down with useless crap it takes forever to do anything. Plus, most custom ROMs already come with at least TouchFlo kinetic scrolling.
You are going to need to backup your Contacts, Photos, etc. You can do this manually, or you can use Microsoft MyPhone to do this automatically.
Next you are going to need to flash your device with a ROM, but first you have to find a ROM.
http://thewingster.com/ivanmmj.aspx
If you go there you can find screenshots of two ROMs I suggest you try first. JustStable is a stable ROM based off of Windows Mobile 6.1. It's pretty fast, but its more of a simple kind of ROM without the flashy features. JustHome is a ROM based off of Windows Mobile 6.5. It is what I am currently using. The ROM is really good and it's got a lot of flashy stuff, and it is a lot more finger friendly.
Next you need to Flash your device: I suggest you use the USPL method for flashing because it poses less danger to your device. You can find steps for USPL flashing on this post http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=3903811&postcount=2 .
After you flash: You may find that you are missing some T-Mobile things you used before like MMS, MyFaves on homescreen, or the T-Mobile IM client.
MMS: Ivan decided not to include MMS in his ROMs because some people complained they didn't work (SMS still works though). Don't worry, you can still get MMS to work. Follow these steps on this page: http://thewingster.com/arcsoftmms.aspx
MyFaves: Don't worry about missing the MyFaves, you will still get all calls to the 5 people free if they are on your list. You can change them on your my.t-mobile.com site.
T-Mobile IM: If you have a data plan, I wouldn't suggest you use this at all. If you don't have a data plan, T-Mobile IM is one of the few applications that can use AIM through SMS, so you don't have to pay extra (assuming you have unlimited text/picture messaging).
You can find other useful Cabs on the link in my signature.
First thing to do is use that search thingy at the top of your screen.
raptoro07 said:
First thing to do is use that search thingy at the top of your screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And end up following a guide for another phone... Good idea, good way to brick his phone.
Heh yea I was up all night searching stuff since it does look a bit unorganized here with 07-08 material..but I think I figured out some of the basics, now if I change my rom..will that be a permanent change? I know windows is a terrible idea for the wing to begin with but I would like to mess around with a few in the future to my liking
I went and installed some cabs into my phone and I love it, I did some of the basic registry inputs as well and my phone is managing so smooth heh.
But I am still left with odd numbers compared to what other roms offered(maybe cause of windows?) I have 11.12 mb free in storage out of 31.44 20.32 in use and 49.89 total in program 38.01 in use and 11.88 free.. :s but thanks for the guide I am gonna keep searching around..I just need to finally buy myself a micro SD to help me move those roms over.
layl0ww said:
Heh yea I was up all night searching stuff since it does look a bit unorganized here with 07-08 material..but I think I figured out some of the basics, now if I change my rom..will that be a permanent change? I know windows is a terrible idea for the wing to begin with but I would like to mess around with a few in the future to my liking
I went and installed some cabs into my phone and I love it, I did some of the basic registry inputs as well and my phone is managing so smooth heh.
But I am still left with odd numbers compared to what other roms offered(maybe cause of windows?) I have 11.12 mb free in storage out of 31.44 20.32 in use and 49.89 total in program 38.01 in use and 11.88 free.. :s but thanks for the guide I am gonna keep searching around..I just need to finally buy myself a micro SD to help me move those roms over.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to go back to factory defaults, you would just flash the T-Mobile Stock ROM. You can either get that from T-Mobiles website or from here.
Your Program memory is essentially your RAM, and your Storage Memory is how much space you have left to install programs. 11.88 is not good at all for leftover RAM, and this number will not change by adding a storage card. JustStable gets about 24mb free RAM, JustHome gets around 17mb of free RAM...
All ROMs are based on Windows Mobile, including the current one. Some are just based on newer versions than others. The current one you are on is Windows Mobile 6.0. JustStable is based on Windows Mobile 6.1. JustHome is based on Windows Mobile 6.5. The reason you have low levels of Program memory and RAM are based on a few factors. T-Mobile overloads their ROMs with crap, most of which you probably don't use and it's all pretty out-dated. Also, any applications you may have installed thinking it will speed up the phone, just cost more space. And since a lot of applications won't run properly if you install them to a storage card, you have to limit your list of programs to the ones you use the most.
The cooked ROMs on these forums are just cleaned up versions of the same ROM you have on your phone now, so the applications you love on your phone now, you can install on a cooked ROMs. And the ones you don't use, you don't have to install. I can promise you, however, once you flash one of these stock ROMs, you won't ever want to go back.
if you haven't flashed a rom yet you can watch 1 on youtube before you attempt it. dangerous but well worth it. i'm running 6.5 and its spectacular. i'm still learning though.
apreichner said:
If you want to go back to factory defaults, you would just flash the T-Mobile Stock ROM. You can either get that from T-Mobiles website or from here.
Your Program memory is essentially your RAM, and your Storage Memory is how much space you have left to install programs. 11.88 is not good at all for leftover RAM, and this number will not change by adding a storage card. JustStable gets about 24mb free RAM, JustHome gets around 17mb of free RAM...
All ROMs are based on Windows Mobile, including the current one. Some are just based on newer versions than others. The current one you are on is Windows Mobile 6.0. JustStable is based on Windows Mobile 6.1. JustHome is based on Windows Mobile 6.5. The reason you have low levels of Program memory and RAM are based on a few factors. T-Mobile overloads their ROMs with crap, most of which you probably don't use and it's all pretty out-dated. Also, any applications you may have installed thinking it will speed up the phone, just cost more space. And since a lot of applications won't run properly if you install them to a storage card, you have to limit your list of programs to the ones you use the most.
The cooked ROMs on these forums are just cleaned up versions of the same ROM you have on your phone now, so the applications you love on your phone now, you can install on a cooked ROMs. And the ones you don't use, you don't have to install. I can promise you, however, once you flash one of these stock ROMs, you won't ever want to go back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you would recommend getting juststable then? I probably won't get that till I get my micro sd ordered unless it can go in right now, now is there a limit to what I can get? I was hearing you can get 6gigs, but I am hearing 4 is the limit from sandisk, someone can confirm it? also...with the HTC skin, is there a way to adjust the weather temp from C to F instead?
layl0ww said:
So you would recommend getting juststable then? I probably won't get that till I get my micro sd ordered unless it can go in right now, now is there a limit to what I can get? I was hearing you can get 6gigs, but I am hearing 4 is the limit from sandisk, someone can confirm it? also...with the HTC skin, is there a way to adjust the weather temp from C to F instead?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't need an SD card to flash a ROM using the Flash Center tutorial I gave you, unless the ROM is LZX or a Micro ROM. You just need to backup your contacts, photos, etc. You can do this using a utility from Microsoft called MyPhone . It will backup your data to a secure place online, and then when you flash the new ROM, you'll reinstall MyPhone (Unless you use JustHome, in which case MyPhone comes with it) and it will sync all of your data back to the device. Or you can do all of this manually as well.
It really depends on what you like... If you prefer a more finger friendly flashy ROM, use JustHome. If you prefer more RAM, use JustStable. I am personally willing to sacrifice some RAM for JustHome. But to really find what you like, you have to try it out.
www.newegg.com . You can order an SDHC card, it should be supported up to 16gb now. 8gb are pretty cheap though, 20-30 dollars. Sandisk also sells a couple 8 and 16gb SDHC cards. Although Kingston might be cheaper.
If you need any further help, please feel free to PM me with any questions you have. I check the forum pretty often, so I'll get back to you pretty quickly.

[GUIDE]The ULTIMATE n00bs guide to the HD2-HardSPL, Android, ROMs, Radios and more!

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED THIS TO THE FRONT PAGE!!!
Alright people, I am making this to aggregate information for the n00bs among us. And I’m not talking about just people new to the HD2; I’m talking about TRUE WinMo n00bs, as well as people new to the HD2. This is mostly from my own research, so anyone that has anything to add please do so. This guide is meant to be super easy for ANYONE to follow along with, and as such, PLEASE read ALL the information before posting a question. At certain points in the guide you will see the following tag-[IMG(X)] where (X) is a number. When you see this tag, it means that there is an image at the bottom of the post that refers to or helps explain what the text is telling you, so please refer to those images to help you along.
Onto the guide!
Note that this guide assumes that you are using your US T-Mobile HTC HD2...on T-Mobile US service. Other carriers need not apply.
Please note that things in CAPITAL LETTERS and RED are IMPORTANT AND SHOULD BE READ. DON'T SKIP OVER STUFF!
PLEASE NOTE!!! THIS GUIDE IS !ONLY! FOR THE T-Mobile US VERSION OF THE HD2!!! DO NOT! I REPEAT !NOT! FOLLOW THE FLASHING INSTRUCTIONS IF YOU ARE USING AN INTERNATIONAL HD2! I TAKE !NO! RESPONSIBILITY IF YOU BRICK YOUR DEVICE FOLLOWING THIS GUIDE!!!
CURRENT SECTIONS:
SECTION 1-ANDROID
SECTION 2-WINDOWS MOBILE
SECTION 3-WINDOWS PHONE 7
SECTION 4-INTERNET ON THE HD2
SECTION 5-PROGRAMS, HACKS AND TWEAKS
SECTION 6-GENERAL HD2 Q&A
SECTION 7-WARRANTY RETURNS
SECTION 8-MAGDLR AND NANDROID
================================================== ================================================== ======================================
Section 1-ANDROID ON THE HD2 AND YOU!
Alright, this is going to be a simple, broken down, easy to understand answer to the most common Android questions.
Q1-CAN I RUN ANDROID ON MY HD2?
A1-Yes, you can.
Q2-ALRIGHT, HOW?
A-Almost all Android distros come in a folder called "Android" that you then copy to your storage card. Now, where is the most common question. The answer-to the ROOT of your storage card. The ROOT of your storage card is where all of your files begin. [IMG1] is a screenshot of my HD2 connected to my PC via USB. The icon on the left with the name of "\" is your device's internal memory, and of course "Storage Card" is your Micro SD card inserted into your device. THAT is where you will copy your Android folder to. Double click on the "Storage Card" icon and then copy the Android folder inside it. See [IMG2].
Q3-ALRIGHT I'VE DONE THAT, NOW HOW DO I RUN IT?
A-Hold on there Skippy, you need to check something first. Are you running the stock T-Mobile ROM on your phone? If so, most builds of Android WILL NOT have the proper sound support. To check which version of Windows Mobile you are running, please see the next section. If you ARE NOT running the stock ROM, OR have a build of Android that is confirmed to work on the stock ROM then you are good to go! To run Android, simply navigate to the Android folder that you copied to your storage card using File Explorer, run the CLRCAD.exe program(nothing will happen, it’s not supposed to), then run the HaRET.exe program to begin booting Android. See [IMG3] for what this looks like. For more detailed instructions please refer to your particular builds thread for more information. DO NOT ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT SPECIFIC ANDROID PROBLEMS IN THIS THREAD. THEY WILL BE IGNORED.
Q4-COOL, ANDROID IS BOOTED. NOW, WHY DON I HAZ INTERNETS?!?
A-Because you have to setup your APN settings. Some builds of Android don't include the T-Mobile APN settings, and you have to enter them manually. Please refer to your builds thread for more information.
Q5-BUT WAIT, DO I NEED HARDSPL TO RUN ANDROID?
A-If you are going to be using the stock ROM and radio, no; you do not need HardSPL in order to boot Android. But since most builds of Android don't work on the stock ROM, you will need to flash HardSPL and a custom ROM in order to boot Android. Please refer to the Windows Mobile section below.
Q6-MAH PROGRAMS ARE SLOW ON ANDROID!
A-Of course they are. Android was not built to run on the HD2, all of the builds are unofficial ones that people have made in their spare time, so some programs may not work very well or at all on the HD2. Which leads into the next question...
Q7-OH NOES! BLUETOOTH/Wi-Fi/GPS/CAMERA ETC DON’T WORK! HALPS!
A-Not all builds of Android have everything working. Some don't have GPS, but have full camera. While others have no GPS but great Bluetooth, it all depends on the build and who made it. Please refer to the builds thread for more information. DO NOT POST ABOUT NON WORKING HARDWARE FEATURES IN THE GUIDE. THEY WILL BE IGNORED.
Alright, that's about it for Android I think. I will update it as I see fit. Onto WinMo!
================================================== ================================================== ======================================
SECTION 2-Windows Mobile, the dyeing giant.
Lets face it people, as awesome as Windows Mobile is...its dying. I love it, and most people at XDA love WinMo (it IS what XDA was founded for after all contrary to popular belief), but it’s now overshadowed by iN00b OS, Android and pretty soon WP7...but WinMo can still be awesome! Thanks to the EXCELLENT work by the cooks at XDA, WinMo is still alive, and better than ever. Let’s get to it!
Q1-WHAT VERSION OF WINMO DO I HAVE?
A-A good question! With so many out there now, it can get a bit confusing, but never fear, it’s not hard to find out which you have. If your Start button is in the top left hand corner of your screen, you are using Windows Mobile 6.5.1 or earlier. If your Start button is on the bottom left of your screen, then you are using Windows Mobile 6.5.3 or later (maybe). To get your specific version and build numbers, simply navigate to Start->Settings->System->About. On that page at the top is displayed your OS version and build number. Please see [IMG4] for an example of what mine looks like.
Q2-KK, I'VE GOT 6.5.1, AND I WANT 6.5.3!
A-Cool, then you will need to flash a custom ROM. Doing so is relatively easy to do. But you will need some things before you start. Here's what you need:
#1-A T-Mobile US HD2 (this guide is ONLY for the US version!)
#2-A MicroUSB cable
#3-The HardSPL3 kit
#4-The ROM of your choice
#5a-If on Windows XP-Activesync
#5b-If on Windows Vista/7-Windows Sync Center-AKA Windows Mobile Device Center
HardSPL3 can be downloaded from the main section of the T-Mo LEO forums. I am not going to hotlink out of respect to the creator, and WMDC or AS can be downloaded from http://www.windowsmobile.com.
After you assemble all these components, first things first, a proper warning. BACKUP ANYTHING YOU DO NOT WANT TO LOSE BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO FLASH! Files, pictures, texts, emails...anything you don't want lost. You can either use a backup program, or move these items to your SD card. EVERYTHING ON YOUR DEVICES INTERNAL MEMORY WILL BE DELETED WHEN YOU FLASH A NEW ROM!!! PLEASE KEEP THIS IN MIND! Now, follow these steps to get yourself flashed with a new ROM!
#1-Install WMDC or AC.
#2-Connect your device and let it fully sync. If some windows pop up asking you to enter a device name and such, just close them. Every time you flash a new ROM you will have to go through that process again as your computer thinks that it is a new device.
#3-Once your device is connected and synced unzip HardSPL and follow the instructions in the HardSPL thread to get it applied.
#4-After HardSPL is applied, connect your device again, and then navigate to your custom ROMs folder that you downloaded earlier and run the "CustomRUU" program from within and follow the instructions. THAT'S IT! If all went well, you have now successfully flashed a new ROM onto your HD2!
Q3-BUT, FOR WHATEVER REASON, I CAN'T FLASH USING USB!!!
A-Follow my man Snarksneeze's guide here in the T-Mobile HD2 forums for COMPLETE details on flashing both your ROM and radio via Micro SD card. I can't explain it any better than he does...so I'm not gonna even try!
Q4-COOL! I HAVE A NEW ROM!!! BUT IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THE OLD ONE...
A-Of course it doesn't. All ROMs are different, and every cook is different. No two ROMs are ever exactly the same. Try them all out! Which leads too...
Q5-WHICH ROM IS BEST?? JUST POINT ME TO IT!!
A-Asking this question, ESPECIALLY making a new thread about it, is about the fastest way to get hated at XDA. Lemme say this nice and calm...WHICH ROM IS BEST IS A SUBJECTIVE THING. THERE IS NO ONE BEST ROM, THERE IS ONLY THE BEST ROM FOR YOUR NEEDS. PLEASE PEOPLE, WE DON'T NEED MORE THREADS ABOUT THIS!
Q6-I DON'T THINK I LIKE THIS CUSTOM ROM, CAN I GO BACK TO STOCK!!
A-Yes! You can! Simply connect your phone via USB again, download the CORRECT stock ROM for your device (look below for more info) and flash away1
Q7-CORRECT STOCK ROM? QUE?
A-The T-Mobile HD2 is NOT, IN ANY WAY, compatible with international, or other carrier ROMs. It is imperative that you ONLY flash the T-Mobile US carrier ROMs to your US HD2 or you will end up with a nice shiny brick of a device. You can find T-Mobile US HD2 carrier ROMs in the "Official ROMS" thread in the ROMs section.
Q8-WHAT ABOUT RADIOS?!
A-Radio ROMs are what control your cell radio, your GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, among other things. And they can be JUST as dangerous as custom ROMs, if not more. You CANNOT flash a radio ROM to your HD2 if it has the number (.51) in its name. CANNOT. IF you do, it will insta-brick your HD2 beyond repair. Radio ROMs that have .51 in their name are specifically for international HD2s and will not work with the T-Mobile US version. Radio ROMS flash just like regular ROMs.
Q9-MAH SPL! IT CHANGED!
A-If you flashed an official T-Mobile ROM via MicroSD, then yes, it did. When flashing via USB, your SPL is not touched. But when flashing via MicroSD, it overwrites ANY SPL you have applied, even HardSPL.
Q10-HOW DO I INSTALL PROGRAMS?
A-Windows Mobile programs generally come in a format that ends with ".cab". These files are simply installers, very similar to .exe's on your PC. To install a WinMo program, simply copy that .cab file to either your device or storage card, navigate to it using file explorer on your device and click on it. Follow the instructions and BAM, new program.
Q11-ZOMG WHY CAN'T I DOWNLOAD THE NEW OFFICIAL ROM UPDATE???? WHERE CAN I GET IT?!?
A-Because you aren't a T-Mobile customer, or because you aren't looking very hard. To make this easy for people, I have downloaded the official update, and uploaded it to Multiupload. You can download it from this link-http://www.multiupload.com/6W0HRU5PGU
Q12-I HAVE A MAC, HOW CAN I FLASH MY PHONE?
A-The RUU of course will not run under a Mac OS environment, but there are a few ways to get your phone flashed. Some users have had success using DarWINE, a Windows API emulator to run the RUU, but some have also run into problems with Mac OS not having proper RDIS drivers to recognize the device with. Other Mac users simply create a Bootcamp partition, install some flavor of Windows, and flash normally. And the third, and easiest way to flash your phone while using Mac OS, is to simply extract the ROM itself and flash it via SD card, here's how; If you download an official T-Mobile ROM it will come in the form of an .exe, which is simply a self extracting archive that extracts the ROM file itself (xxxxxx_SIGNED.nbh) and the RUU to a temporary folder on your PC, then runs the RUU and flashes your phone, then deletes the temp data. Under a Mac OS system, you can simply download this .exe, and use an archiving program such as StuffIt to un-archive the .exe and gain the raw files. StuffIt may or may not recognize the .exe as an archive, but select it anyways and it should continue. After you have extracted the files to a folder, connect your SD card to your computer through a reader of some sort, and follow the directions in Snarksneeze's stickie on how to flash a ROM via an SD card. If you downloaded a custom ROM, then you can skip the un-archiving step, and just follow the SD card flashing guide.
For right now, that's it for the WinMo section...now onto something ALOT worse...
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SECTION 3-Windows Phone 7...on the HD2?
Yes, it’s true; Windows Phone 7 CAN be installed on the HD2.
Q1-WHERE CAN I DOWNLOAD A WP7 ROM?
A-By using Google. At this time, there is no OFFICIAL Cotulla release of WP7 for the HD2, likewise posting direct links to the leaked release are AGAINST the XDA rules.
Q2-WHY CAN'T WE HAVE IT?
A-Because the current release hasn't been officially released to XDA yet, but only on Cotulla's personal site.
Q3-WELL, WHO IS DEVELOPING IT? CAN I HELP TEST?
A-Cotulla and his team are currently working on porting WP7 to the HD2, and if they need your help they will ask. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not bother Cotulla or his team about WP7, they are doing what they can, and if it works they will release it to the public. Not any sooner, begging for it will only make it take longer.
Q4-BUT, THE HARDWARE IS THE SAME, WHY WON'T WP7 JUST BOOT NOW?
A-Because the hardware isn't actually the same. Yes the HD7 has more or less the same specs, but the hardware itself is completely different. Different processor, different type of RAM, different storage. It’s not as simple as just hacking the RUU to work with the HD2; proper drivers have to be written first. It’s just like Android at this point.
Q5-OKAY, I HAZ WP7...BUT I CAN'T DOWNLOAD APPS!
A-No, you can't. Currently ALL WP7 devices have what is called a PVK(private key) embedded in the software, which basically acts like Windows Genuine Advantage for desktop versions of Windows.
Q6-CAN I BYPASS THIS "PVK"?
A-Not officially no. Methods do exist, but we at XDA DO NOT recommend or support them in ANY WAY. Users posting activation keys or requests for such keys will be warned.
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SECTION 4-Internet on the HD2....whatsup?
As some of you may know, it seems that T-Mobile has finally decided to close the T-Zones proxy loophole with the HD2, and force people to upgrade their plans to the 20USD or more a month mobile internet plan. It is currently unknown if this is permanent, here-say or a wives tale as the effect does not seem to be nationwide. We will just have to wait and see how it pans out.
Q1-DO I NEED AN INTERNET PLAN TO USE THE HD2?
A-It's not required in order to use the phone, but highly recommended. As with all WinMo phones, the HD2 has loads of options to be connected...streaming video, music, full desktop like browsing, IM, downloading programs, Twitter, Facebook...the works...and it all uses the internet to connect of course. You can of course use Wi-Fi with the HD2, but that will only work if you have a hotspot to connect to. While internet service isn't needed for the HD2 to function, I DEFINATELY recommend it.
Q2-DOES THE HD2 SUPPORT Wi-Fi N? OR N+?
A-Using a registry hack yes, the HD2 does indeed support Wi-Fi N. N+ is currently not supported and is unlikely to ever be supported as the HD2 lacks the hardware to do so.
Q3-UNDER NORMAL USE, HOW MANY MB OF DATA DOES THE HD2 USE A MONTH?
A-This is completely upto you. If you hardly ever use data, then very little. If you are like me, and have 4 email accounts syncing every 30 minutes, stream music with Slacker at least an hour a day, update Twitter and Facebook every now and then, and use Bing for navigation, you can EASILY use 500MB or more of data a month. I usually average about 1.2GB of downstream data a month with my kind of usage but your mileage will of course vary.
Q4-DOES THE HD2 SUPPORT HSPA? OR HSPA+?
A-Yes and yes. The HD2 does support both forms of pseudo-4G that T-Mobile is providing right now. You do not need to sign up for anything or enable anything in order to receive 4G speeds, you just need to be in an area that supports it...which leads to...
Q5-WHEN WILL I GET 4G?
A-Who knows? T-Mobile does. T-Mobile's website has a map that shows what coverage and where is provided in any given state of the US. Check it out at http://www.tmobile.com/coverage.
Q6-MY DOWNLOAD SPEEDS ARE SLOWER IN WINMO THAN IN ANDROID!
A-For some reason...yes, they probably are. For reasons that I cannot explain, nor have found an answer for, download speeds seem faster in Android than in WinMo. Go figure. I currently get 4MBps down in WinMo so I don't complain .
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SECTION 5-PROGRAMS, HACKS AND TWEAKS
So you have an HD2. AWESOME! Now, you want some cool programs to make the iTards jealous eh? AWESOME. Now, how do you get them?
Q1-I WANTS ME SOME PROGRAMS!
A-Well that's cool.
Q2-SERIOUSLY, GIVE THEM TO ME!
A-Alright, alright. There are literally hundreds of thousands of freeware programs available for Windows Mobile nowadays, and there are some great resources to find them aswell. One of the BEST places is the Opnmarket, a program that runs on your phone and connects you to the depository of programs at http://www.freewarePocketPC.net and download them straight to your device. Best of all, EVERYTHING at FPPC is, as the name implies, FREE...and so is the program! The only thing you need in order to use the program is an account at the site, which is ALSO free. Seriously, it’s a win/win/win situation. You can download Opnmarket from the main page of FPPC, and then register for an account right on your phone and start downloading. If the OpnMarket isn't your thing, then there is also the inbuilt Windows Marketplace for Mobile. The Marketplace isn't all that great in my opinion, but it does have its benefits...such as downloading free updates to Microsoft built programs. To use it simply hit Start and find the icon for Marketplace. If you are using a custom ROM and the Marketplace isn't already installed, simply search the forums for "MS Skymarket" and you should be able to find it. The third option is the new-ish XDA-Marketplace. Now right now there really isn't all that much there, and the program itself is pretty buggy, but before long I feel confident that it will become the premiere repository for XDA members to post applications. The XDA-Marketplace is where XDA members can post their work for FREE, and allow XDA members to download them...FOR FREE! See a pattern here? So far there isn't much there...so please be patient. And lastly, there is the internet...AKA, the world’s LARGEST app store. Seriously, if you need a program, fire up your nearest browser and search away, as I stated above, there are hundreds of thousands of WinMo compatible programs out there, and not all of them are available in marketplaces...so search around!
Q3-AWESOME. IVE GOT SOME PROGRAMS FROM THE INTERNET. NOW, WTF IS THE ".cab" FILE?
A-It is an installer that runs under WinMo. To install programs to your device you must first copy these .cab files onto either your storage card or internal memory and then navigate to them using File Explorer, on your device, and clicking on it. The installer will then start and ask you where to install the program. Unless specifically stated to install the program to internal memory, it’s usually best to install things to your SD card. The more free internal memory you have, generally the faster your device will run as WinMo caches to the internal memory of your device. One of the few exceptions to this is registry hacks or tweaks to internal Windows functions, if asked, go ahead and install those to main memory as installing them to your SD card usually will not yield any results.
Q4-COOL. THAT MAKES SENSE, WHAT ABOUT IF I DOWNLOAD STUFF FROM ONE OF THE MARKETS? WHERE DO THEY INSTALL?
A-If using either the OpnMarket or XDA-Marketplace, after the program is downloaded through the program, the installer will ask you where to install the program to. If using the MS Marketplace, you can change where programs default their install locations to using the Settings menu from the main page. If your storage card is full, or if a program must be installed to main memory, the Marketplace will notify you upon beginning the installation.
Q5-WELL, ARE INSTALLERS CACHED SOMEWHERE?
A-If using the OpnMarket or XDA-Marketplace...yes, they are cached on your storage card. The exact location may vary. And if using the MS Marketplace, no, the installers are not cached and are deleted once the program has been installed.
Q6-I SEE SCREENSHOTS OF PEOPLE's HOMESCREENS THAT LOOK AWESOME AND DIFFERENT THEN MINE...HOW DO I MAKE MINE LOOK THAT WAY?
A-Well that depends. There are several different homescreen replacements available for Windows Mobile. In no particular order the ones I know of and have experience with are:
#1-Titanium-The basic WinMo 6.5 homescreen, also known as "Sliding Panels Homescreen"
#2-Sense-The stock homescreen that comes with a stock ROM on the HD2, used to be known as TouchFlo3D
#3-Today Screen-The AMAZINGLY old and standard WinMo homescreen from back in the day of WinMo 2003. Hasn't changed much over the years, but can be customized with LOADS of plugins
#4-SPB Mobile Shell-A commercial app that offers alot of customization, but in my opinion a massive resource hog for what it does
#5-CHT Sense-A modification of the stock Sense homescreen that comes with your device that offers MUCH more customization than stock. What I usually use personally.
For explanations on the various homescreens, please see the next post!
Alright people, that’s it for now...more to come! Please let me know what to improve!
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SECTION 6-GENERAL HD2 Q&A
We all know that the HD2 runs WinMo, and that WinMo has its share of weirdness...but what about the device itself?
Q1-I JUST GOT A NEW HD2, AND MY RESET BUTTON IS A DIFFERENT COLOR!!!
A-Yep, hopefully it's yellow. The reset button is widely believed to be a hardware revision giveaway, IE, depending on the color is what revision of the device you have. So far 2 different colors are in circulation that we know of, those being RED and YELLOW. The HD2's that have red reset buttons seem to be revision ones, or based off of the Euro hardware, and seem to be more flaky when it comes to touchscreen quality and overall stability. For whatever reason, HD2's with red buttons seem to have touchscreens, mainly the digitizers that are more prone to failure. The second revision HD2's seem to all have yellow reset buttons and as far as we know these are the only ones being produced as of late. Yellow button models seem to be more stable hardware wise, and use a completely different motherboard and touchscreen/digitizer assembly.
Q2-HOW CAN I SIM UNLOCK MY HD2?
A-Well, if you are a T-Mobile customer, then you can do so pretty easily. Simply have an account with them in good standing for 60-90 days and call Customer Care to request an unlock code. It should be sent to your email within 48ish hours. If you are not a T-Mobile customer you can use one of the MANY sources available on the internet to SIM unlock your device...eBay usually has the best deals. Most services cost around 15USD and are instant.
Q3-OKAY I GOT MAH CODE, WHERE DO IT GOEZ?
A-Once you have your code, simply slap a different, non T-Mobile SIM into your HD2 and it will ask for the code upon reboot. If for whatever reason it doesn't ask for the code upon reboot, or you do not have another SIM handy, simply use File Explorer on your device to navigate to the \Windows folder on your phone, then scroll down near the bottom and run a program called "simlock.exe", which will then ask for the code.
Q4-ALRIGHT, MY HD2 IS UNLOCKED...BUT MY SIM ISN'T RECOGNIZED!!!
A-Are you using a prepaid SIM from a service like ATT GoPhone or TracPhone? If you are then that's why you aren't getting any signal. It is the current belief that prepaid SIM cards do not work with US HD2s, but I CANNOT 100% CONFIRM THIS. I say that they don't because of several threads here about trying to use prepaid SIMs, and getting no signal.
CHANGELOG:
10/13/2010-INITIAL START
10/17/2010-UPDATE #1
10/18/2010-UPDATE #2
10/26/2010-UPDATE #3
1/21/2011-UPDATE #4
THINGS TO COME:
PICTURES
COLOR
EMBEDDED LINKS
[GUIDE]The ULTIMATE n00bs guide to the HD2-HardSPL, Androidm ROMs, Radios and more!
SECTION 7-WARRANTY RETURNS
As much as I would like to say that it doesn't happen, the HD2 does indeed sometimes completely fail because of user error, or just plain hardware faults and must be returned to either T-Mobile or HTC. The warranty process can be a scary one, especially if you HardSPL'd your phone or installed a custom ROM. But fear not! You can get your device back to stock rather easily! In this section I am going to cover the more common HD2 failures and their solutions, as well as how to revert back to your stock carrier ROM and SPL for warranty purposes. Now, this guide assumes that you bought your HD2 from a T-Mobile store and that you are a T-Mobile USA customer. If you purchased your HD2 through an online reseller, or are not with T-Mobile USA, the only option you have is to send your device to HTC directly and have them repair it. See the bottom of this section for more info.
Q1-MY TOUCHSCREEN DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE! WHAT HAPPENED? DID SOMEONE SET ME UP THE BOMB?
A-Where you running Android? For some reason, there seems to be a connection between touchscreen failure and running Android on the HD2. No one currently knows why it happens more often under Android, but it does happen. Please run Android at your own risk. If your screen fails under WinMo, it's more than likely just a strange hardware quirk, and not because of what you are running.
Q2-OKAY WELL NOW MY SCREEN IS BAD, WHAT DO I DO FOR WARRANTY?
A-If you bought your device through a T-Mobile store and it is COMPLETELY STOCK, IE stock SPL and stock ROM, then simply take your phone up to the store you got it from(or any store for that matter) and request that they replace it because the screen seems to be faulty. Most of the time they will have no problem doing so. If your device is NOT in warranty(the warranty period is one year from purchase) you will need to call Customer Care and request they quote you a repair cost. It is usually around 120USD for a new touchscreen includeing shipping, and takes around 4 weeks round trip to be repaired.
Q3-OH NOES! I HAZ CUSTOM ROM! HALPS!
A-No worries. Reverting from a custom ROM to the T-Mobile stock is a fairly simple process, as is reverting back to the stock SPL from HardSPL, and they can be done at the same time with one process. Simply download the latest T-Mobile stock ROM(3.14 as of this writing) extract the .nbh from it and rename it LEOIMG.nbh and place it on the root of your storage card. Then place that card into your device, and start your phone whilst holding down the DOWN volume key to go into bootloader. Follow the onscreen instructions and voila! Stock ROM and SPL in one shot! You are now good to either goto a T-Mobile store and request a new device, or send it back to T-Mobile or HTC for warranty without fears of being denied or paying an extra 50USD for "software restoration".
Q4-WHAT ABOUT A CRACKED SCREEN? IS THAT COVERED?
A-No, cracked screens are NOT covered under either T-Mobile's or HTC's warranty.
Q4.5-BUT I HAVE INSURANCE!
A-Doesn't matter, T-Mobile does not cover cracked or damaged screens, of any kind, under warranty or insurance.
Q5-I BOUGHT MY HD2 THROUGH EBAY, OR FROM ANOTHER SELLER, DOES IT HAVE WARRANTY THROUGH T-MOBILE?
A-Maybe. It all depends on wether the person who bought it originally before reselling it bought it officially through T-Mobile or not. if they did, then again, maybe it does. Warranty status and eligebility also depends on whether you are a T-Mobile customer or not. If you are, then the worst they can tell you is no. Now, if it is NOT covered by T-Mobile, and is less than a year old, it MAY be covered by HTC directly. A call to HTC's warranty department is a harrowing process, so be prepared to be on the phone for at least 30 minutes before you start the call. Goto HTC's website for a phone number for your correct region.
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SECTION 8-MAGDLR AND NANDROID
What's this? MAGDLR? NANDROID? What does that mean? Quite simply friends...MAGDLR is a bootloader that allows Android to be flashed and booted directly from NAND on the HD2.
Q1-WOW! SO I CAN BOOT ANDROID AND WINMO!
A-No. You can boot either or. MAGDLR takes the place of the WinMo loader, and as such, you cannot have MAGDLR flashed and a WinMo ROM on NAND at the same time.
Q2-OKAY, HOW DO I GET IT?
A-From the Android development section. It's a sticky near the top. Be sure to download the latest version for the most compatability.
Q3-GOT IT, FLASHED IT...NOW WHAT?
A-Now, you either flash Android or WP7.
Q4-OKAY, BUT HOW!
A-Read the directions contained within the MAGDLR folder and your NANDroid distro. Basically they are all the same.
Q5-I HATE NANDROID! I WANT TO GO BAQ TO WINMO!
A-Fair enough, simply download the proper stock WinMo ROM for your device and flash it via MicroSD card. Please note that this WILL remove both MAGDLR AND HardSPL, so you will need to re-apply HardSPL if you want to then flash to a custom ROM.
SENSE-Alright. Personally, I like Sense. On the HD2, it works well. ESPECIALLY if you apply cOokies Home Tab, or CHT for short. CHT is an extension of Sense if you will, that adds TONS more functionality to it. I mean really, the customization and flexibility of CHT is HUGE. If you are using Sense, and NOT using CHT, you really owe it to yourself todo so. Once you use CHT you will never go back. It's that good. You can download it from the main HTC LEO section of the forums.
Now, Sense is referred to sometimes as Touchflo, Touchflo3D or Manilla...and essentially it is all of those. The main core of Sense is called Manilla, and it's been around for nigh on 4 years now. TF and TF3D where the older versions of Sense, and basically didn't work unless you had a super bare-bones ROM and a powerful device like the Diamond or Touch Pro, so essentially Sense is just an upgraded Touchflo...but it's also MUCH more than that. While Sense is mainly just a homescreen, its roots go throughout your device. Many times while using the HD2, you will find that Sense-looking programs or pages will often crop up, and that is what is supposed to happen. The only big thing that people don't like about Sense is that it does hog a bit of RAM...about 25MB under normal usage. Sense is everywhere on the HD2 and it's a real shame if you disable it for another homescreen...which brings us to...
TITANIUM-Ahhh Titanium. Windows Mobile 6.5.1 brought us Titanium, which I personally think is a really boss homescreen. If you have a WinMo smartphone device, you might know this as "Sliding Panel Homescreen". Titanium, for what it's worth, is very customizable through plugins and .net programs, but isn't compatible with older WM homescreen plugins. Titanium was basically Microsoft's attempt at making WinMo more finger friendly...and in a way worked, and in a way didn't. See, Titanium starts out on a panel in the middle, which is where all the panels can be interacted with, by scrolling the panels up or down, you bring one into focus at the middle of the screen and can click it, slide it left or right, hit switches on it etc. Not a great description, but hey, sue me. Anyways, the way that it didn't work was that at the time, Titanium was only on devices that had resistive screens, IE, all of them (the HD2 is still the only WinMo device with a capacitive screen) and trying to scroll up or down with your finger was often a game of over or under scrolling trying to get to the item you wanted...and made alot of people (me included) just use the d-pad instead, which kinda defeats the purpose. Titanium looks cool nonetheless, and doesn't use quite as much RAM as Sense, try it out and see for yourself.
TODAY SCREEN-If you have used a WinMo device from around 2-3 years ago, then you more than likely have use the standard WinMo Today screen. It’s basically just a list of things aggregated to your homescreen. Ugly, but functional. It's biggest plus is that it's HIGHLY customizable through the use of plugins. Now I know that I have said that about both Sense and Titanium, but the standard Today screen is BY FAR the most customizable. The reason for this of course, is because it's been around the longest. Seriously, switch over to the Today screen on your HD2. Now...imagine the year 2002...now look at your screen. THAT is what WinMo has looked like since Windows Mobile 2002. Seriously. Not a pretty sight is it? Not really, but through the use of plugins it can be INFINITELY useful. The entire point of the Today screen is to aggregate all your stuff, emails, appointments, missed calls, texts...everything, and show it to you at a quick glance, without having to drill too far into your device, or scroll around a whole lot. There are extensions and plugins for the Today screen like there are snakes in a sugar cane field, so be on the lookout!
SPB MOBILE SHELL-Ugh...SPB. Some swear by and it uses nothing else, others (like me) have always avoided it like the plague. SPB Mobile Shell is a complete UI replacement for much of WinMo, and it's also one of the few that costs. It's around 30USD, but with one purchase you get free updates and can re-download it as many times as you like. SPB not only replaces your homescreen, but your Start menu and most of the settings as well. It makes them all nice, bubbly and shiny...kinda like the iPhone. Personally, I hate the iPhone and everything about it, and as such I hate SPB. But that's not the only reason...SPB is a massive resource hog. Historically SPB has only run on advanced or high end devices, and even on the HD2 it's slow to start, slow to move around...it's just slow overall in my opinion. It does look pretty, and if that's what you want, then go with SPB. SPB can all be customized just like all the others by the use of modules...but these modules are rather few and far between, so there is not a whole lot there. But with CHT in the running for your homescreen, it's kinda hard to justify SPB nowadays, as CHT offer the same amount of customization, for free, and works better overall.
The real true beauty of Windows Mobile is how customizable it is. From things like fonts, to the pixel height of scroll bars...nearly EVERYTHING can be customized to death. All in all, it doesn't really matter what type of homescreen you choose, as they all offer the same basic core functionality, it all comes down to your preference. Do you want flashy? Functional? Stable? Choose accordingly:
HOMESCREEN MATRIX v1.0a(will one day be an inserted Excel spread, use this for now)
[X] represents a point towards the particular homescreen in a given area. [O] represents a point away.
HS NAME======EXPANDABILITY======STABILITY======COST======EYE CANDY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today......................[X].........................[X].................FREE...............[O].....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HTC Sense................[O].........................[O]................FREE...............[X].....
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HTC Sense w/CHT......[X].........................[X]...........DONATIONWARE......[X].....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPB Mobile Shell.........[O].........................[O]...........30USD PER LISC......[X].....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Titanium...................[X].........................[O].......FREE WITH 6.5.1.........[O].....
Now eventually I am going to merge these posts together...and the formatting will be correct! And the color will eventually come back aswell. Stay tuned for more updates!
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Great Post.
Yeah man that would be awesome!
I got 2 question regarding the t-mobile hd2 because I'm thinking to buy one !
I can flesh the international HD2 custom roms that are based on tmous driver ?
If I wanna cook a my personal rom for the t-mobile HD2 the only difference between the standard hd2 and the t-mobile one is that I have to use the driver of the official t-mobile roms instead of the internation hd2 drivers right ?
Android build that boot from memory card can all be installed on t-mobile HD2 or I have to check if they are compatible with t-mobile hd2 like windows mobile ?
Sorry for all this question but I need to know those things !
light_n_roses said:
I got 2 question regarding the t-mobile hd2 because I'm thinking to buy one !
I can flesh the international HD2 custom roms that are based on tmous driver ?
If I wanna cook a my personal rom for the t-mobile HD2 the only difference between the standard hd2 and the t-mobile one is that I have to use the driver of the official t-mobile roms instead of the internation hd2 drivers right ?
Android build that boot from memory card can all be installed on t-mobile HD2 or I have to check if they are compatible with t-mobile hd2 like windows mobile ?
Sorry for all this question but I need to know those things !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exactly do you mean by international version? If I had a US and International HD2 I could flash the same custom rom onto both. For example Energy Rom and Chucky Roms. I would have to first change the international HD2 radio to a .50. radio due to them having a .51. radio.
If you provide me with a link to a specific rom I could say yes or now.
These rom http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=534 for the most part are compatible with both US and International HD2 devices. With the expectation of a few which are probably International stock rom dumps with a .51. radio.
Custom rom cooking is not at all an easy task. But, yes all the drivers are available online. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=592663 is a good source for drivers.
Just because HTC cooked a specific driver into the rom does not mean it's the best. All program / cabs and easliy be found on XDA. Take a look at my sticky and you'll see links to stock cabs that have been extracted from both US and international devices. A good example is the wifi router cab which wasn't released in the US stock rom but was included in the international stock rom. The program / cab can be used on any HD2 device.
I meant the t-mobile version of the HD2 and the standard ( or european version call it how you want ! ) of the HD2, I was asking this because in many rom here : http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=534 has been specified to not be used on the t-mobile version od the HD2 to avoid brick of the phone..
So I can use rom all rom dased on tmous rom and not the one based on the "radio" series right ?
Is there this difference also for android build or no ?
Android is universal, its only loads from the SDcard.
Can you give me a link to a rom in that thread that you shouldn't load on your phone? I want to see if you know what to look for.
For example the one that say Europe Rom....don't get that one. It's mostly the shipped roms that come with a radio already installed.
If it makes you feel better here the link http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=624 to what should be an only USA rom thread.
yea I have checked now and it seems that almost all rom are compatible...maybe I have had the bad luck to find one of the few ones that are not compatible the last time I checked...the onyl big problems seems to be the HD2 with 1 GB rom from t-mobile..
plz xplain about USB host, we are all confused
Ok can someone please explain why wp7can run on hd2 but not on desire or sgs
you said it ur self that drivers will have to be written for hd2 because the hardware isnt actually the same so isnt that the case for desire and sgs write new drivers and it should work
i am not an expert and iam not saying give me wp7on my sgs
but i just want to know the reason why it cant be run on other devices
please explain and thanks.
Ps also not saying i wouldnt appreciate wp7 on sgs but it needs to have android working well first
I have a very strange problem and if anyone could help me I'd very much appreciate it as I can't find anything similar in the forums (with a solution) after a month of searching.
My HD2 has HardSPL3 and the ChuckyDroid ROM with Android on an SDCard.
The USB connector on the handset has stopped working (the metal D-shape thing wobbles about) so I cannot flash a ROM to it via the ROM Update Utility, only by the LEOIMG.nbh on an SDCard method works.
I need to send the handset back to Vodafone for a warranty repair, but obviously having HSPL3 and a custom WM ROM invalidates my warranty so I need to flash the stock ROM back to the phone to remove them both.
Problem is that I can flash any custom ROM I find to the handset using the SDCard method (Except Energy ROM's for some reason) but when I try to flash the stock Vodafone ROM using this method it fails to start the phones flash routine.
So I'm stuck with a phone I can't charge (using desktop charger for the battery atm) and I can't send back for repair.
Any ideas?????
Thanks in advance!
faresmasouty said:
Ok can someone please explain why wp7can run on hd2 but not on desire or sgs
you said it ur self that drivers will have to be written for hd2 because the hardware isnt actually the same so isnt that the case for desire and sgs write new drivers and it should work
i am not an expert and iam not saying give me wp7on my sgs
but i just want to know the reason why it cant be run on other devices
please explain and thanks.
Ps also not saying i wouldnt appreciate wp7 on sgs but it needs to have android working well first
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok so your answer in simple words is NOTHING IN THIS WORLD IS IMPOSSIBLE
of course it is possible to have wp7 running on any of the devices , android running on any device, iphone os running on any devices .. provided there are thousands of dedicated developers working on it...
when you see android running on the galaxy s or the desire there are thousands of people which these big companies hire to work for them and develop the operating systems and make it 100% compatible for running on that device
so if you want wp7 to run on samsung galaxy s or any other device its very simple.. hire thousand developers and give them this job of making it compatible for any device u wish simple as that.
the bottom line:- the people who make so many great builds, custom roms, android roms compatible for our devices put hours and months in making their roms .. and thats why please give them respect by not asking such silly questions....
nlo said:
I have a very strange problem and if anyone could help me I'd very much appreciate it as I can't find anything similar in the forums (with a solution) after a month of searching.
My HD2 has HardSPL3 and the ChuckyDroid ROM with Android on an SDCard.
The USB connector on the handset has stopped working (the metal D-shape thing wobbles about) so I cannot flash a ROM to it via the ROM Update Utility, only by the LEOIMG.nbh on an SDCard method works.
I need to send the handset back to Vodafone for a warranty repair, but obviously having HSPL3 and a custom WM ROM invalidates my warranty so I need to flash the stock ROM back to the phone to remove them both.
Problem is that I can flash any custom ROM I find to the handset using the SDCard method (Except Energy ROM's for some reason) but when I try to flash the stock Vodafone ROM using this method it fails to start the phones flash routine.
So I'm stuck with a phone I can't charge (using desktop charger for the battery atm) and I can't send back for repair.
Any ideas?????
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ohhh.... thats really a tricky situation .. may be open up a new thread so that some of the experienced dev's can help u out ..
just copy the whole thing and put it in a new thread.. cozz this post could go unnoticed ...
devabhishek said:
ohhh.... thats really a tricky situation .. may be open up a new thread so that some of the experienced dev's can help u out ..
just copy the whole thing and put it in a new thread.. cozz this post could go unnoticed ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, will do.
Any suggestions on which would be the best forum section to post it in?
Thanks!
nlo said:
Ok, will do.
Any suggestions on which would be the best forum section to post it in?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This one cuz it has more traffic
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=532
Have you tried cleaning your usb ports with a toothbrush? Turn off the computer before doing so.
My question is this.
I have the US T-Mo HTC HD 2 of course. Running a Nexus One Android ROM on it.
How do I go about modifying it? Do I have to use the Nexus One themes and apps? Where and how do I install my tweaks?
What kind of tweaks? I've never hear of any tweaks being available for only one certain build.
Tweak away.
ddgarcia05 said:
What kind of tweaks? I've never hear of any tweaks being available for only one certain build.
Tweak away.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Icons, clocks, taskbar, colorize the black & white stuff....etc
My reasoning is that since it's a N1 based ROM I figured I needed N1 themes.
And as far as tweaking where do I place it on my sd card?

HD2 Windows Phone 7 Overview

If you're looking to hack your HD2 to get Windows Phone 7, be aware of this:
1. It's completely unsupported by Microsoft or HTC
2. It will erase all data on your phone and SD card in it
3. Unless you get a correct micro SD card, it will randomly reboot. A short term fix for this is to play an album in Zune and put the phone on vibrate.
4. It will greatly diminish your battery life. You will need an extended battery just to make it through a whole day.
5. You have to jailbreak it and install a certificate and move a file or two using third party app to download apps and then call up Microsoft in hopes they will give you the code.
6. There is a minor 3G problem; to fix it, try going into the settings, then tap on cellular, scroll down and click add apn, then in the APN field, type in internet2.voicestream.com and leave the user name and password fields blank. If that doesn't work, try typing in wap.voicestream.com or epc.tmobile.com. Make sure you turn roaming on. Note: Only works if you have T-Mobile.
I tried it but I put WP6.5 back on because it has a file explorer, you don't need Marketplace to install all of you apps you can just download them from the internet and install them, it has internet sharing, and for $25 I can get a personal hotspot. I also like the camera better because it is widescreen and takes panorama. I can do prettymuch anything with it!
I was JUST about to see what the fuss was about... And now I see its not worth it. Thanks! You saved me some headaches, lol
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA Premium App
Ared777 said:
If you're looking to hack your HD2 to get Windows Phone 7, be aware of this:
1. It's completely unsupported by Microsoft or HTC - Who gives a hoot? If people are on XDA, they're not very likely to worry too much about that... They get all their support right here...
2. It will erase all data on your phone and SD card in it - True, but anyone thinking of going WP7 on their HD2 should already be aware of this and have purchased a decent card...
3. Unless you get a correct micro SD card, it will randomly reboot. A short term fix for this is to play an album in Zune and put the phone on vibrate. - True, but anyone thinking of going WP7 on their HD2 should already be aware of this and have purchased a decent card...
4. It will greatly diminish your battery life.- I have not found this to be the case... I find it drains about the same as the stock rom that was delivered with my phone... You will need an extended battery just to make it through a whole day.
5. You have to jailbreak it and install a certificate and move a file or two using third party app to download apps and then call up Microsoft in hopes they will give you the code. Crap, just get the code... I didn't have to jailbreak a thing...
6. There is a minor 3G problem; to fix it, try going into the settings, then tap on cellular, scroll down and click add apn, then in the APN field, type in internet2.voicestream.com and leave the user name and password fields blank. If that doesn't work, try typing in wap.voicestream.com or epc.tmobile.com. Make sure you turn roaming on. Note: Only works if you have T-Mobile. - T who?
I tried it but I put WP6.5 back on because it has a file explorer, you don't need Marketplace to install all of you apps you can just download them from the internet and install them, it has internet sharing, and for $25 I can get a personal hotspot. I also like the camera better because it is widescreen and takes panorama. I can do prettymuch anything with it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Without marketplace and xbox live the WP7 is pretty spartan, but when fully operational there's not an OS near it...
My view for anyone thinking of trying WP7 is, try it fully working and then make a decision... Have a stock WM rom ready if WP7 aint for you...
Im sorry but most of this is utter FUD!
There are a few things wrong with the HD2 running WP7 but given that it was never supposed to work with it anyway i think its amazing
WP7 has been on my HD2 for months, it works fantasticly, and i wont go back to Droid or WM for my main OS
Note i do sill use a WM6.5 device for some key software that i cant get on WP7 but other than 2 pieces of software its great!
SD cards are a big issue, its luck if you get one taht works, that is one of the things you have to pay to be able to use this OS on our Device, if you dont like it buy an HD7
APN settings are operator specific, use the HTC connection tool and it will sort it all out for you
you dont need to unlock the device if you intend to use LEGAL apps from the market place, if you wish to use dodgy apps or unsigned XAPs developed by users then you will need to unlock it. Normally ALL you have to do is phone MS or use the chat and get a code, and thats it, everything works
Of course its unsupported by MS, your using software on a device that it was never intened for, why would you think other wise? and it is exactly that thinking that would stop MS from allowing (but not supporting) the HD2 because people like you assume MS should help them! Why!? anyhow, thats why we have XDA-DEV
Battery life is much the same, and very good if you consider PUSH is working
of course it will format the card, i dont see the argument here?
Install linux on your windows computer (not VM), does it format anything? yes it does
GunBuri said:
I was JUST about to see what the fuss was about... And now I see its not worth it. Thanks! You saved me some headaches, lol
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mate, talk to people on here that know what they are talking about before you make your mind up, of course the choice is yours but at least make an informed decision based on facts.
argentocruz said:
Without marketplace and xbox live the WP7 is pretty spartan, but when fully operational there's not an OS near it...
You forgot to mention facebook, but anyway those three things are what WP7 is targeted for. I got to play around with two native devices and to me they feel like a mobile gaming device that has the added advantage of making phonne calls and accessing the internet via a mobile network and not WiFi
My view for anyone thinking of trying WP7 is, try it fully working and then make a decision... Have a stock WM rom ready if WP7 aint for you...[/B]
I agree totally as WP7 as it is currently even in native WP7 devices is not for everyone. Maybe in the future it will improve but something tells me it will not as it is not geared to be a functional OS for a mobile device but just a gaming and social networking device OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Blah, blah, blah, blah
I just had to reply to this.
I'm tech savvy, but not so when it comes to phones, so i spent weeks reading up on here. No way could I do what you guys do, but I read enough to not brick my phone.
I followed one of the guides, phone worked but was buggy.
Then followed another guide, installed a different ROM and phone is great. Activated via online chat with microsoft rep who was very patient and helpful as I originally entered code using caps, should all be lower case.
I now have a fully functional wp7 device, bing maps works very quick, hotmail contacts sync constantly, zune music sync is flawless, battery now actually lasts more than a full day (used to barely do that on wm6.5) and now I even have a full res camera too, nothing wrong at all with wp7 on my phone.
Every once in a while it stops accessing my apps, but to be honest my hd2 already had the occasional quirk. A quick reboot fixes that (and it is quick).
I bought a 16gb class 2 sandisk sd card from amazon for £16 as I read that is likely to work. Not had an issue with it.
If you read around and understand it takes a little work (though not that much) then having wp7 on an hd2 is really good.
The only thing I'm missing is turn by turn with voice satnav, but that's missing from wp7 itself and will hopefully be resolved legitimately soon.
Sorry for the long post, but I really felt like I needed to comment.
by the way, thanks to all you guys for the amazing work you've done, allowing me to post the above.
guys is there any way i can dual boot wp7 and android , either from nand or sd card ??
Absolutely, via SD card and MAGLDR.
There is a thread with full instructions on the Development forum - here
deleted by user
true........ but
argentocruz:
1. True dat
2. 16 gb micro sd card: $50, for that much, just extend your contract and get a refurb HD7, same price.
3. [Same]
4. Not in my experience
5. I live in the U.S. enough said.
You are still forgetting the internet sharing, which doesnt exist on WP7, which was one of the main reasons I bought the HD2. Also you have the file explorer, which was also very nice. I could be wrong, but I don't think you can download files directly from the internet, either in WP7; didn't have long enough to try it.
Bottom line: WP7 is just a glorified iPhone, Windows Mobile gives you true freedom.
I absolutely love WP7 on my HD2. Sure there are a few....I mean VERY few things I miss from WinMo, but not enough to revert back or go to android (bleh). I actually have a phone that works now, lol! The main thing I miss from WinMo on HD2 is the camera. Other than that, I'm EXTREMELY happy with WP7. And getting the activation code & unlocking the phone are so easy, it wouldn't deter any real poweruser. Plus I love the challenge of learning/hacking a new OS, especially one that's a challenge.
Ared777 said:
argentocruz:
Bottom line: WP7 is just a glorified iPhone, Windows Mobile gives you true freedom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i agree that WM is an amazing OS, it was seriously hampered by the networks and very poor driver support though, IF we had the correct drivers for the graphics it would rival WP7 and Android.
However, that is not the case, so whilst WM remains a beast of an OS that can do almost anything its not got a good UI and its social intigration isnt as good.
which is exactly why i want to dual boot WM and WP7, at the moment i have to take my old Touch HD around if i wish to use WM which isnt ideal
To say WP7 is like an iPhone isnt completely correct, its similar yes, are targeted to the same demographic but after using an iphone and android for quite a long time, you wont find me moving back.
If they cant get WM to dual boot with WP7 i would love WP7 to have a sandboxed WM environment to allow me to run WM apps or even better as devices get more powerful with dual cores to have an Emulated WM OS
The potential for WP7 is massive, we can only hope they take WM and somehow shove its functionality in to WP7, sand boxed for course to maintain OS integrity, which unfortunatly is what WM failed at.
The carriers buggered it for WM, and MS got the blame for it, what people dont realise is that MS had little to do with what happened to MS, other than its inaction and sorting it out that is!
yeah
dazza9075 said:
i agree that WM is an amazing OS, it was seriously hampered by the networks and very poor driver support though, IF we had the correct drivers for the graphics it would rival WP7 and Android.
However, that is not the case, so whilst WM remains a beast of an OS that can do almost anything its not got a good UI and its social intigration isnt as good.
which is exactly why i want to dual boot WM and WP7, at the moment i have to take my old Touch HD around if i wish to use WM which isnt ideal
To say WP7 is like an iPhone isnt completely correct, its similar yes, are targeted to the same demographic but after using an iphone and android for quite a long time, you wont find me moving back.
If they cant get WM to dual boot with WP7 i would love WP7 to have a sandboxed WM environment to allow me to run WM apps or even better as devices get more powerful with dual cores to have an Emulated WM OS
The potential for WP7 is massive, we can only hope they take WM and somehow shove its functionality in to WP7, sand boxed for course to maintain OS integrity, which unfortunatly is what WM failed at.
The carriers buggered it for WM, and MS got the blame for it, what people dont realise is that MS had little to do with what happened to MS, other than its inaction and sorting it out that is!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^agreed. I'm waiting for someone to release (probably cotulla) to release WM6.5 or WP7 for an SD card and just boot into whichever system is necessary. WP7 would probably be my primary because it is less buggy, easier to use, and has much better apps. Also I agree with you that they should have put WM functionality into WP7, because WM was probably the closest mobile OS to an actual computer OS, because it had the file explorer, also you can install programs from anywhere, not just Marketplace. That was what really disappointed me about WP7, and also it didn't have internet sharing, which was such a great feature! All you had to do was tap the button, plug it into your computer, and click connect and within 2 minutes you were getting internet on your PC through your phone.
Actually, if properly installed WP7 runs better than its native WinMo 6.5, and much better than Android!
I have been using it for the last few months without glitches, bugs, etc.
It is simple, all your basics (texts, emails, contacts, IE) are easily accessible; typing on it is better than anything out there (including Iphone), very simple and intuitive graphics.
However, when you get into 'hubs' and apps WP7's sheer graphic beauty comes forward. And this is what makes it a great OS, simple for every day use (too many screens and widgets in Android come to mind as something I wish to avoid), and beautiful when you get deeper into it!
Also, it is very FAST and stable!
There is also something called Touch Explorer which is same as File Explorer in WM6.5.
You can also download Navigo for your navigational needs, and may I tell you it runs perfectly and is very accurate.
There is a plethora of apps here on XDA which you can download onto your unlocked HD2 (an advantage over native devices) just do some research and you will have everything you had on your old WM6.5.
Do you remember the Voice Commander on the old OS, you had to reinstall it every time you flashed a ROM, it was slow, and leggy. On WP7 is fast and very accurate.
My advice is to properly flash this OS, use it for a month and you will not revert to WM or Android.
Also, it would not hurt to see the upcoming Mango update (go to Youtube) to see in which direction this OS is moving.
Microsoft did not enter the mobile market with this OS to play, it came to kill.
mfrey0118 said:
deleted by user
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for being off topic, but this guy's sig attracted me.
"Black HTC HD2" .. lol wut ?
I love the fluidity of the OS, but sometimes it is so simple and clean that it become annoying (Coming from Android NAND). I would still prefer android but you really can't beat WP7 on the HD2 since it has 720p recording. The HTC Hub application is pretty nice too.

[Q] Prepairing the HD2 for android...

So, I am going to installing Android for someone on their HD2, and while I have contacts and media covered (synced with both g-mail and myphone, and all media is stored on the sdcard), I figured I will probably need to test out several roms and see how they perform, how buggy they are, etc until I find a good one.
Yes I know there are guides here for that, those are what I am using.
HOWEVER, if it doesn't work out and we decide to switch back to Windows Mobile, while I know there are stock roms to do that too, is there any way I can sort of capture an image of the contents of the phone and directly just restore that? So I don't need to restore windows mobile and THEN start restoring it to the way it was?
I can only think of one thing that might do what you are wanting to do and that is SPB Backup.(Google it to find it)
Maybe someone else knows of something else too.
why not go for an SD ROM, see if you like android first, and keep WM 6.5 as is?
Robbie P said:
why not go for an SD ROM, see if you like android first, and keep WM 6.5 as is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
I agree with this, it won't affect your wm os by doing this, and you can get a feel for how it works.
Android runs unusably slowly when off if stock sdcards
Cyber Akuma said:
Android runs unusably slowly when off if stock sdcards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That depends entirely on the sd card you are using.
Cyber Akuma said:
Android runs unusably slowly when off if stock sdcards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Moon2 said:
That depends entirely on the sd card you are using.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and also on the build used - generally Sense-ROMs tend to be slower than the non-Sense ones,
for the last 3 months I've been running AmeriCanDroid (port of CyanogenMod made especially for HD2) from painfully slow 32gB card with no problems/lags/slowdown whatsoever...
The advantage of testing Android on SD cart before to pass to Nand is you can even have more than one build installed on the card at the same time.
you just have to change the name of the android directory (without space character) and edit the config file of the build to indicate the file path.

[Q] Creating a snapshot of my HD2

I'm currently running a stock ROM.
There are some apps I absolutely need/want on my phone. Stuff like Remote Desktop, WiFiRouter, TomTom, Skype, Live Messenger and the ability to play streaming ASF/ASX files. All this works perfect in WM 6.5 - which is the reason I've never tried something like Android.
Although everything is running perfectly smooth, I'm kinda annoyed by the lack of apps available for WM 6.5. Which is the reason I want to experiment with Android on this phone. But I also want an easy return-path, meaning that if I can't find alternatives for the earlier mentioned WM6.5 apps, I want to go back to my old setup.
I know I could simply re-flash a stock ROM. But I'm not looking forward setting up/installing all my apps again. Even though I don't have many apps running on WM6.5, setting them up properly was a b**ch.
So I was wondering if there is a way to create a snapshot of the entire phone? Sort of like a Ghost/Image on a PC? So that when I want to go back, I only have to do a single restore and my phone is again exactly as it is now?
To take a quick snap shot of your HD2 theres this small app called VSnap http://mobisapienz.com/index.php?option=com_jdownloads&Itemid=82&task=view.download&cid=55 and alot of other apps you can use. =) Make sure you thank the Author too. =) And to get back all your registrys try this http://www.xda-developers.com/windows-mobile/easily-backup-registry-values-with-settingsexporter/ i hope you found what you were looking for. =)
Have you considered dual booting? Android runs very well off the SD card and you can leave the WM 6.5 installation intact. The files from both OS's will peacefully co-exist on the SD card... No need to partition it, and Android is easily removable if you don't care for it.
thebest1 said:
To take a quick snap shot of your HD2 theres this small app called VSnap http://mobisapienz.com/index.php?option=com_jdownloads&Itemid=82&task=view.download&cid=55 and alot of other apps you can use. =) Make sure you thank the Author too. =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I understand the OP would like to make a complete dump of the content of his device. Not just a screenshot. That is something that you can do with a number of programs. VSNap appears to be one of them.
Thats what i tought that he meant that he wanted a complete dump of all his content. But the OP also said that :
So I was wondering if there is a way to create a snapshot of the entire phone?
zippy1970 what i recomment is http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1159797 from GhostXSeries make sure to thank him if you download. It allows you to build your own rom with all your settings and programs. i hope this helps.
RobE. said:
Have you considered dual booting? Android runs very well off the SD card and you can leave the WM 6.5 installation intact. The files from both OS's will peacefully co-exist on the SD card... No need to partition it, and Android is easily removable if you don't care for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I ended up doing, using RunDroid. But I was wondering if there was a speed penalty for running of the SD card. I tried a few Android flavors and some seem to run very slow while others fly. Also, I'm kinda shocked to see that with some Android builds I seem to get no more than a few hours of battery life. But that's a story for an entirely different thread I guess.

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