[Q] How to identify a "clean" HD2

[Q] How to identify a "clean" HD2 - HD2 General

Hello HD2 forum
I am planning on purchasing a HD2 second hand, to ultimately dual boot windows phone 7 and ICS.
I am buying it from a local trade in store for good prices and warranty, ideally i would like to power it on in store before the purchase to check its clean and ready for me to follow the tutorials available.
Other than identifying that the phone is still running windows mobile, is there any other way for me to check that the phone has not previously been messed with? Something in the settings? Maybe i should check for a secondary mode with certain key combination on boot?
Thanks a lot!

You kinda need to define what you mean by "clean"...I assume you mean stock (and never been modded, but these are 2 different things totally unrelated to each other, more to that in a minute).
IMO the best thing you could do would be to read up on the flashing process. This will tell you what to look for, if you're looking for a stock never-been-modded phone.
But back to your question...the first major sign I'd look for would be HSPL. I'm not going to go into detail about how to find out if it's installed. You'll have to do your own homework. Read every 'how to' and 'newb' (or noob) guide on xda. XDA is an awesome site and the dev's here write awesome documentation. Do them the favor of reading it. I mean, I don't know what you're an expert on but it might get on your nerves if I ask you simple questions about that topic cause I'm too lazy to do the research myself. The research is easy, the reference material is all contained here in various forums, depending on what you want to do. I show my appreciation for that by taking advantage of it, and don't forget to thank the dev's if something is especially helpful...they like that.
As far as checking to ensure that it's still running WinMo...that's gonna be about as effective and informative (about the phone being virgin-stock) as whether or not it's raining that day or not. What's that got to do with anything? Exactly. Nothing. My HD2 is running (at the moment) a WinMo 6.5 build. But it's been flashed more than a hundred times. My daily software is an SD Android build. Before I flashed my HD2 for the first time, I probably spent about 30 hours just reading about the process and trying to understand the process of what I was going to be doing (while reading, I usually had video tutorials playing on my 2nd monitor...I'd give up the reading when it got interesting). So that's it, really...read read read. It's not fail safe. I can't tell you how many times I waited on pins and needles to find out if I had ****-canned my new €400 phone. If you have a heart condition, you just shouldn't ride this ride. ;-)
I just got a SGS2, cause I prefer Android to WinMo. WinMo's a full time job, as is flashing. Something was always not performing the way I wanted it to (efficiency or performance etc), which was why I started flashing, but it gets to be like a drug. Nothing's ever good enough, cause you wind up wanting the best. I'd flash a ROM and install all my **** (manually, one cad file at a time) and then flash a different one and have to reinstall everything again. It was even worse if I had set up my homescreens, and folders the way I wanted them...to that end, I'd highly recommend that you also research mass-installer programs. I can't think of the name of it right now, but you pack all of your cad's in one folder and this program installs all of them (which means like 65% typically, cause invariably about 1/3 will fail for one reason or another).
Even still, looking for HSPL (which is required to flash anything on the HD2) is not very indicative as to whether or not it's been previously modded. When I got my phone it was virgin/stock, of that I'm sure. I bought it from a person, and the person was not capable of performing such tasks (he wasn't so technically inclined). But in your case, you're going to have no idea. It is not only possible but also very easy to return the phone to stock by removing HSPL leaving virtually no trace of it having ever been modded (I say virtually, cause I don't THINK that it can be traced when HSPL has been removed, but I'm not a dev and not a guru). So even the absence of HSPL doesn't even really tell you that it's never been modded, it only says that if it was- then the modder was smart enough to cover his tracks.
Basically, I don't think there's an answer to your question. There are clues that say YES THIS PHONE HAS BEEN MODDED. But there's no definitive sign to look for that say THIS PHONE HAS NEVER BEEN MODDED, and you dunno if someone's gonna lie to you. But I am inviting you to prove me wrong, read the documentation and get back to me.
Good luck flashing, don't **** it up though. You'll be pissed if you brick your ****, which is easy to do. Hell, it's probably a thousand times safer to buy a phone with HSPL installed, then you can flash all you want with no risk. The main risk, is ****ing something up in the HSPL installation process, but there are ways to minimize the risk...which all amount to: read, read, read.
And if you decide you'd be interested in previously modded HD2 (with HSPL already installed), let me know, make me an offer. Mine's just a wifi media device at the moment and I'll probably be marketing it in the near future regardless. It currently has HSPL, and I haven't decided to remove it before sale or not. I saw one on Amazon last week that was at a premium price, cause the seller had Android running on it. It's a great phone if you like WinMo, but I find Android to be much less 'high maintenance' and I used to be a huge WinMo fan (I'm a 10 year WinMo user, if you can believe that!).
Regardless, this is getting long. Those are my 2pence. Be easy.
[EDIT] Hell, if you were closer I'd let you borrow mine for a few weeks to see if you like the phone. I'm a nice guy like that.

There is no way of knowning to be honest, unless you go into bootloader and you see the firmare on it has been tinkered, ( i.e. Hspl, radio, rom ) and depending if it is a eu or tmous version. good luck tho!

Related

Is it really worth it...?

Ok...so i have picked up my SPV M5000 which has been put aside for the last two years and have decided to show some interest in it again.
The only mod from it being original is that it is unlocked and had the changes to run Tomtom 6, apart from that it is original Orange spec.
Being a newbie on these sort of things i have been reading up on cooked roms etc and fancy having a go at an upgrade but...blind as I may be what difference can i expect and, is it really worth risking a bricked phone....what advantages are there..??
I know there are many roms out there but, now there appears to be some stable ones with plenty of feedback what rom should i go for...?
Any advice..?

Suppose it is not then..!!

Dude... you expect an answer to that question within the hour?
The advantages are pretty much that you get the next generation of an OS, with the changes in UI and visualisation that come along with it.
Let's face it, if there was no reason to want to change from WM 5 to WM 6 and higher, they wouldn't have made the newer iterations of the OS at all.
Whether or not it's worth it is pretty much up to you. Who are we to tell you what changes are worth the risks? If you are perfectly happy with your phone the way it is, there's no reason to change it. If you see the newer WM builds and think "Hey, that'd be much cooler on my phone", then obviously it's up to you to figure out whether it's worth the risk.
You said it yourself, the phone's been put aside for two years. I, personally, would think making that phone more interesting again is worth it just because it isn't put aside again.
For that matter, I like the process of tinkering as much as I do the results...
As for which ROM to use: again you said it yourself, all of them have lots of feedback posted.
Read it and decide for yourself which one sounds most fitting for your wants and needs.
Because honestly, if you can't be bothered finding out for yourself then maybe you shouldn't start a project like this.

You are just about to get one of the best HTC devices ever!!
Read the Wiki to learn hot to flash a ROM and I personally recommend Tomal ROM´s
Good luck,

Thanks guys and yes, suppose i was really answering my own questions, as in most instances I should "read the book first".

Yes it's really worth every risk...well the chances of getting bricked device is 10 in 100 and even though it gets bricked you will be able to make it work in couple of minutes... so there is no risk at all... well wm 6.X adds new features and functionality... it's way better than wm5... and try tomals v8.5 or (8.9 if you are a bit high end)... or v12 if you want the latest in the os... which is far more finger friendly ... AND BELIVE ME YOU WILL NEVER REGRATE DOING IT AND THE PHONE WON'T BE LEFT ASIDE
Cheers
Rajiv

polaroid look for HD2 pictures

Hey guys,
As an Ex-iphone user, i loved too playing around with photo applics that add effects to pictures, i.e. vintage look, polaroid etc... Can you recommend on any applications for HD2 of the same nature?
I have found VintagePic in the marketplace, but i can't purchase it since my credit card does not match any of the countries in the list. Any other suggestions?
Thanks, Guy

Vignette, or camera 360 are excellent for that. (android)

thanks for the suggestion, however I'm still running stock rom, which means i'm limited to apps in WM...
Any other suggestions in that department?

any clues?

Like you said, you are limited if you sick with wm ;-)
I have 3 apps who makes that and much more on my hd2

Hi,
I must admit, as a new user of HD2, I'm very concerned about messing around and ending up bricking my phone. i finally got to the stage where i have everything working fine on my WM, so I'm less eager to go about and mess things up.
However, maybe i can start reading and learning from other people's experience on the different 'adventures' that i may run into if i try to install Android on my system. as far i i understand there is still no 100% working version, but it's getting close.
Can you reference me to the main discussion thread on the forum for the android on HD2? (how to install..etc...)
BTW - do i need to take something into consideration if my Phone is a t-mobile?
Thanks,
Guy

Hi Guysu,
I do believe there are effects within your camera options that allows a few effects, under advance, on the 3rd page, you will find effects, limited to GrayScale, Seipia (for ur old look) and Negative (for whatever only God knows!)
But I do hear you, because I too am looking for some fun Cam Apps for my beloved phone. It's always a little harder to find fun stuff for a serious phone.
Benedict
guysu said:
Hi,
I must admit, as a new user of HD2, I'm very concerned about messing around and ending up bricking my phone. i finally got to the stage where i have everything working fine on my WM, so I'm less eager to go about and mess things up.
However, maybe i can start reading and learning from other people's experience on the different 'adventures' that i may run into if i try to install Android on my system. as far i i understand there is still no 100% working version, but it's getting close.
Can you reference me to the main discussion thread on the forum for the android on HD2? (how to install..etc...)
BTW - do i need to take something into consideration if my Phone is a t-mobile?
Thanks,
Guy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

we should open a support group for these kind of issues. meet once in a while exchange painful stories. long live hd2!
on a more serious note, can someone direct me to the right thread on the options to migrate from WM to Android?

guysu said:
Hi,
I must admit, as a new user of HD2, I'm very concerned about messing around and ending up bricking my phone. i finally got to the stage where i have everything working fine on my WM, so I'm less eager to go about and mess things up.
However, maybe i can start reading and learning from other people's experience on the different 'adventures' that i may run into if i try to install Android on my system. as far i i understand there is still no 100% working version, but it's getting close.
Can you reference me to the main discussion thread on the forum for the android on HD2? (how to install..etc...)
BTW - do i need to take something into consideration if my Phone is a t-mobile?
Thanks,
Guy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As someone who is only just a few months into his 24 month contract (a contract that has no built in data connection), I know the fear of mucking up your hardware. However I've found the whole experience to be quite safe.
The first step would be to get HSPL onto your phone from this thread - forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=611433
Then reading this thread - forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=713977 should give you everything else you need to know to find and install a new ROM, Radio and Android build.
I went from stock ROM on my HD2 to cooked ROM, new Radio and Android all in a day with those threads.
The only issues I've noticed so far as not being able to change the alarm times on the built in clock (just download a new one from Android market) and sometimes the screen stops responding to touch for 10 seconds or so.

thanks for your help in getting started...
I tried to catch on my reading right away, but i noticed this warning in big red scary font:
1024LEOs (from T-Mobile with 1024ROM) ARE NOT SUPPORTED
so, as a T-mobile HD2 user, that means bye bye sweet android adventure for me i guess?

Looks like your android adventures don't have to be over quite yet forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=653614

I'll swop my HD2 with yours
But my experience with Android on my HD2, it's weird, sluggish and not fun. However that jumping cow game is fun in it. .
To be honest, the last I tried, I was on stock roms and radios, now with my new artemis rom and upgraded radio, maybe i should try again.. but i recalled I couldn't make phone calls lol..
guysu said:
thanks for your help in getting started...
I tried to catch on my reading right away, but i noticed this warning in big red scary font:
1024LEOs (from T-Mobile with 1024ROM) ARE NOT SUPPORTED
so, as a T-mobile HD2 user, that means bye bye sweet android adventure for me i guess?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Here's an app I found via Google.
EDIT: Nvm, it looks like it's not even good.

[Q] Intro and a uple ??s

Hi people,
I am a noob as far as Android goes, but I am pretty good at PC stuff. I run a 3D CAD department and I've been the "unofficial" tech guy at every job I've had in the last 10 years.
That being said, I just got the HTC Hero from Sprint last weekend, Android 2.1, update 1. I have always wanted to play with Linux but have never really had the time. So, this is my first encounter with Android or Linux.
So ..... , as much as I'd love to root the phone, I'm afraid to brick it. Is there any way to get rid of all the bloatware without rooting my phone? Also, what are the chances of bricking the phone? I've read a couple "how to root" articles on the net and it doesn't seem like it would be that hard, but I LOVE this phone so far (other than battery life) and I honestly can't afford to go buy a new one at full price if I end up killing my phone.
Another question; I've seen a few people in other posts who have the HTC Hero and say they're running 2.2. How is this done? Is this something else that I would need to root the phone to accomplish?
Also, I just ordered an 8GB microSD card. My laptop has a card slot, so I'm figuring I can put the new card in the slot, connect my phone via USB, and copy everything on the phone to the new 8GB card, then just swapping the cards.
Am I correct thinking this should be as simple as it sounds, or is there more involved?
I appreciate you taking the time to read my post, and I look forward to reading/posting here on a regular basis.
Thanks,
Eric Mortenson

Hey, welcome to XDA!
It is VERY HARD to brick this phone, so don't worry....about the only way we've seen that is by flashing a GSM radio to it, so just don't do that and you'll be fine trying anything else.
There are a couple rooting methods here, and there won't be any problems at all as long as you follow the instructions. It's not as daunting as it may first seem. You do have to root to get rid of bloatware, it can't be done without rooting. I recommend this guide: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=694572 although there are 'one-click' and 'universal' methods out there too.
The ones running Android 2.2 are doing it through a custom ROM called Cyanogenmod. Check out the Development section to find it. It doesn't have the HTC Sense UI though, so it will look and feel different than your stock 2.1. But lots of people here are using it and loving it. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=755795
And yes, you should just be able to swap out the SD cards with no problems.

chromiumleaf
Thanks for the quick and helpful reply. It is greatly appreciated.
I think I am going to try to root my phone. Pre-installed "bloatware" on PCs is one of my biggest pet peeves. So, the biggest reason I have right now for rooting my phone is to get rid of the stuff I don't want/need/use.
I will probably leave the 2.1 on the phone because I love the phone so far and if as you say, it will look and feel different. Maybe I'll keep digging through the site and change my mind later. Thanks for the "heads up".
Please do me one favor, and I hate to sound ignorant (I did say earlier I was new at this), but what does "flashing a GSM radio to it" mean, and is it something I could do my mistake?
Sorry, tried doing a search so I wouldn't have to bother you but I'm just not sure.
Thanks again.
Eric

Eric_1966_FXE said:
...what does "flashing a GSM radio to it" mean, and is it something I could do my mistake?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To "flash" some code means to burn it into your phone's read-only memory. A number of things can be flashed to your phone's memory, including the radio operating code, high-level operating system code, and "kernel" (system "core") code.
What the poster meant by "flashing a GSM radio" is "downloading the code that operates the phone's radio". Our Sprint Hero phones have what is called CDMA radio hardware, while European Hero phones have GSM radio hardware. The two different radios are not compatible with each other's operating code. So if you ever download ("flash") the wrong radio code (GSM code) into your CDMA phone, that will render your radio inoperative, which will effectively brick your phone.
With that in mind, just read carefully any information relating to any system code you're considering flashing to your phone, and make SURE it's for a CDMA phone, and you'll be fine.

I loved sense and was all against even trying an aosp rom( vanilla/ stock android), but once I flashed CM6 and found beautiful widgets and launcher pro plus and dialer one I haven't looked back. The speed of my phone and the overall appearance is far better than Sense UI. Rooting the 2.1 is far easier than it was when I got mine. You had to download and type in a whole bunch of crap, now its as easy as installing an app and running it.

Thanks
Thank you to all three of you for your quick (and more importantly useful) answers.
You guys are awesome.

Go for it
I have 4 Hero's here at my home on a family plan,and mine is the only one running CM6-RC1 and they are all jealous. Every one that has a Hero at work or a different Android running 2.1 that has seen mine including a few Evo users loves the way mine looks and how fast it is. I thought in the beginning I wouldn't want to loose Sense and feared I would brick my phone as well,but these guys here are great and are a very supportive Hero community and walked me through the process. It is a lot easier now with the universal 1 click method than before,so that was what I did. The nice thing is if you do everything correctly,you can revert right back to you stock phone if you ever have to take it in for service.
Taking your time and researching all of this pretty good before deciding what to do is a good thing,but I can honestly say, there is so much more you can do once you unlock your phone than just downloading apps and bloat ware...you can actually make it work and do what you want it to do.
The chiefs here at XDA are working hard to bring us stable working Roms for everyday use,and I tip my hat to all of them and I certainly am loving how my Hero is now compared to what it was when it was stock.The RC-1 build I am running is awesome and (knock wood) haven't crashed 1x with it where I needed to do anything nor have I had any shutdowns or unexpected forced closed programs that were installed correctly.
So I say... Don't be afraid and just go for it.. you can still have it similar to what it is now,or you can see what aosp is all about like many here have and try it.That's the beauty of Rooting...YOU have the choice of what is on your phone..not someone else.
Good Luck
Mac

Thanks Mac
And Thank you to all who responded.
Like I said in my intro, I am a tech geek when it comes to PCs but this is my first venture into this kind of forum.
You have all been extremely helpful and have made me feel welcome.
I only hope that I can return the favor at some point to others on XDA.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend.
Thanks again,
Eric

Why bother....

As I'm reading all these forums, I am seeing more and more people downloading roms that are destroying their phones, particularly with the HD2. Now don't get me wrong I have flashed the android Nand Rom, yet I'm missing what I love about the original HD2 Rom so I went back (Android just doesn't pack a punch). I recommend that if your unsure, and you don't want to brick your phone, then don't do it. XDA has many talented Devs, there work is admirable to say the least. I have an original HD2 TMO Rom 3.14. Have I reset a few times, hell yes, I even had to hard reset cause I was a dumb ass. If you look at my phone you would never know it was a stock Rom, everything is changed. I have tweaked my registry settings, some I found by screwing with them (then had to hard reset) some also were really cool and i had no problems. If your a noob...read...read....don't go messing with registry settings, new roms until you do your research. What I would like to see is more development on programs for the HD2, Winmo is bad ass, don't let it die!!!!

I don't really get your point, sir. Why bother with Custom ROMs or why bother with Android?
1) Custom ROMs are always tweaked, themed and packed with cool features not present in stock ROM
2) Android is something different from Windows Mobile and many people really prefers it to WM. Since it's running from NAND like stock Android device, I have to admit, it kicks ass ;].

What about ugly old ROMs
Humongus1 said:
As I'm reading all these forums, I am seeing more and more people downloading roms that are destroying their phones, particularly with the HD2. Now don't get me wrong I have flashed the android Nand Rom, yet I'm missing what I love about the original HD2 Rom so I went back (Android just doesn't pack a punch). I recommend that if your unsure, and you don't want to brick your phone, then don't do it. XDA has many talented Devs, there work is admirable to say the least. I have an original HD2 TMO Rom 3.14. Have I reset a few times, hell yes, I even had to hard reset cause I was a dumb ass. If you look at my phone you would never know it was a stock Rom, everything is changed. I have tweaked my registry settings, some I found by screwing with them (then had to hard reset) some also were really cool and i had no problems. If your a noob...read...read....don't go messing with registry settings, new roms until you do your research. What I would like to see is more development on programs for the HD2, Winmo is bad ass, don't let it die!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not all people have the latest perfect and stable rom from HTC.
in my case i got an Branded HTC HD2 with an original ROM 1.44 and no updates for my serial number. If you had never test an old rom on HD2, i think you cannot understand.

Humongus1 said:
As I'm reading all these forums, I am seeing more and more people downloading roms that are destroying their phones, particularly with the HD2. ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of the reports of bricking the HD2 is nothing of the sort, it is incomplete fashing or flashing the wrong ROM or not having the correct RADIO for a custom ROM.
Then there are the phones that have hardware faults and the folks are trying different ROMs to check if it is not a software problem or getting it back to stock for warranty purposes.
One of the main causes of bricking is flahing a .51 RADIO to a 1024LEO. Why does this happen? Well it could be that they were in a rush to get back to stock for warranty purposes or just never read the flashing instructions carefully enough.

fred_up said:
Most of the reports of bricking the HD2 is nothing of the sort, it is incomplete fashing or flashing the wrong ROM or not having the correct RADIO for a custom ROM.
Then there are the phones that have hardware faults and the folks are trying different ROMs to check if it is not a software problem or getting it back to stock for warranty purposes.
One of the main causes of bricking is flahing a .51 RADIO to a 1024LEO. Why does this happen? Well it could be that they were in a rush to get back to stock for warranty purposes or just never read the flashing instructions carefully enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldnt agree more....
The vast majority of issues are caused by user error, usually people not doing their research or just making silly mistakes.
Any issue I've ever had with the phone has been completely my fault (nothing serious thankfully) however some people seem unable to comprehend that they may be at fault for any problems and insist on blaming a "bad" rom / "crappy os" / "dodgy hardware"........
I cant really comment on using magldr / nand builds because I havent gone down that route (yet) but from what I have read it seems that the flashing process is slightly more complex than just flashing a new winmo ROM, we all know how many people rush into that and encounter problems, with the amount of people getting the HD2 with the sole intention of running android/wp7 then you can expect more and more people to end up having problems and finding their way here looking for help.

This was my point!!! Maybe i should clarify...I go out and buy a 500.00 phone, I download a rom that is not compatible with my system, and it crashes my phone. My point was if you dont do your research you will have a very expensive paper weight. There are roms out there that work flawlessly on my hd2. there are many tutitorials out there explainig how to flash all these roms. Its funny but when I see people purchasing the HD2, the first thing i ask them, "are you good with computers". Some look at me puzzled. The puzzled ones are the people returnig their trashed phones in a few weeks. I love XDA, I have learned so much from the devs here. If you dont want headaches ( I mean this by saying not having complete understanding of the winmo OS) then go with the android platform. If you want a phone with endless capability then get winmo. There is nothing that satisifies me the most when I look at my phone, and say "this is me, my tweaks and many from the devs here, can you do this with your phone". I didnt want a **** fest, I just wanted to start a forum, that would start up some cool conversation.

Humongus1 said:
This was my point!!! Maybe i should clarify...I go out and buy a 500.00 phone, I download a rom that is not compatible with my system, and it crashes my phone. My point was if you dont do your research you will have a very expensive paper weight. There are roms out there that work flawlessly on my hd2. there are many tutitorials out there explainig how to flash all these roms. Its funny but when I see people purchasing the HD2, the first thing i ask them, "are you good with computers". Some look at me puzzled. The puzzled ones are the people returnig their trashed phones in a few weeks. I love XDA, I have learned so much from the devs here. If you dont want headaches ( I mean this by saying not having complete understanding of the winmo OS) then go with the android platform. If you want a phone with endless capability then get winmo. There is nothing that satisifies me the most when I look at my phone, and say "this is me, my tweaks and many from the devs here, can you do this with your phone". I didnt want a **** fest, I just wanted to start a forum, that would start up some cool conversation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What?? Uh.. What? Honestly, that statement alone troubles me. Sure WinMo has tweaking possibilities, but it's pretty limited to what Microsoft decided to give the OS update wise now. WinMo is on its way out, sadly. Android is not a "headache free" environment and the whole gingerbread development we're getting just proves that the phone can handle alot. Tweaking the Android OS can go way beyond what WinMo can do according to my experience, and I've owned every phone with every OS imaginable (WinMo 5, 6, 6.5.x, Android 1.6, 2.1, 2.2.1, 2.3.x, iOS, Blackberry OS 3, 4, Symbian OS, etc.) and to each his cup of tea. I just don't get your WinMo vs Android comparison. Android has endless capability when you know what to do with the OS.

@TO
Well, I assume that is all just your personal opinion.
What I don´t get is why bother other people with strange assumptions. HD2 is available since more than a year, and trust me, my device only became fast and stable after installing custom ROMs.
Also, the usability as it is possible today has nothing to do with Microsoft, nor HTC, for that matter. It is much more related to all the great stuff offered by highly creative people here - especially CHT is one unique piece of software.
I am extremely happy I decided to buy an HD2 more than a year ago; as of today, it is the most versatile smartphone on the market, at least for people like me who want to play around and try various things.
Thanks to tutorials, also made by xda devs members, you can almost completely avoid the danger to brick your phone. This way, I learnt how I can try Android, and even WP7. And guess what: I do like the simplicity of WP7, but I strongly miss the possibilities to personalize the interface on my device.
Now, what can we learn from your opening statement?
No big thing, actually. According to Microsoft, Windows Phone Classic won´t die (let´s see) - means, you don´t have to worry.
Also, other users should not worry about bricking the device - as long as you really read, read, read the f**king manuals. And dare to ask questions if you don´t understand any particular thing...
Have fun playing around with your HD2, I would say...

[Q] Getting an HD2, is it worth it?

Hi!
I know this question was probably asked here lots of times,
and I apologize in advance, because I still haven't found the answer to my question
I have an option to buy a practically mint condition HD2 from a friend (he got a Desire HD, lucky him, I don't the money), he can sell it to me cheaper.
He says he installed Android on it, but as an app, (I still have no idea what ROMs, Flashing and all that means) not as a self loading OS, and the phone is still running WM.
So the question being, is it really worth my while getting the phone, fiddling around with it, installing Android and/or WP7 (I heard that's possible) and losing on battery time?
Is the battery time the only problem affecting daily usage?
How difficult/risky is it to install android/wp7 on the HD2?
Or should I just get a simple android phone (desire, legend, wildfire etc...)?

The HD2 is a beast of a device, and as long as you read, flashing isn't really all that hard at all. May I suggest my guide in my signature?
The HD2 can indeed run Android and WP7 directly from NAND, and most Android builds on the HD2 are actually faster than "real" decicated Android devices.

Thanks,
The guide is very interesting,
but turns out I'm a bigger noob then I thought,
Where can I find a guide on the basics (what is NAND, ROMs, Flashing etc...)?

I'm a little reluctant to reply but I'll give it a go.
It's not difficult to flash a ROM but before you do anything you MUST READ THOROUGHLY about whatever it is that you are doing.
Firstly, it is possible to put Android onto an SD card and run it without making any changes to your phone. You have to boot into Win Mo then switch Android. When you re-boot the phone it will boot back to Win Mo. This is what this whole section of this forum is about. http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=735
If you want to change your phone permanently then you have to flash a ROM and it is the slightly risky element. READ all the ROM flashing guides here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=713977
You can also Flash Android to your phone so that it replaces Win Mo. This is what this whole section of this forum is about. http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=928
To put Win Phone 7 or Win Mobile 6.5 on your phone you have to flash it like an Android NAND ROM.

If you can buy it cheap, then yes go for it.
It's highly addictive and most of all very impressive device.
I wouldn't say that the battery is still an issue now since it lasts at least a full day and USB to charge is everywhere nowadays.
Like Bouncypete wrote you will have to read alot on the go.
The safest bet is to use the standard WinMo and start Android from the SD-card.
If you like that you can always go to a Nand version which replaces the actually WinMo version inside the HD2.
You can always go back to WinMO incase you don't like Android (or WP7) or warranty purposes.
Most Nand and probably other SD versions have a good tutorial in the thread itself on how to get it on the device, or there are the stickies.
We are also not un-human so if you need something do a search, read, read again and then ask. No person will shoot you if you have searched and don't know what to do.
Now if you don't like the HD2 you can probably resell it for the same price you bought it for.

TDB!
The HD2 is still the best pda on the market. For anybody who wants anything just a bit more than a phone/media player, windows mobile still has the the largest and most flexible range of apps with the most options. I'm booting winmo 6.5 with Android 2.2 running from sd and there's nothing I see on the market at the moment which could begin to tempt me away from it. All the preceding of course subject to the all embracing "IMHO"!

patcooke said:
The HD2 is still the best pda on the market. For anybody who wants anything just a bit more than a phone/media player, windows mobile still has the the largest and most flexible range of apps with the most options. I'm booting winmo 6.5 with Android 2.2 running from sd and there's nothing I see on the market at the moment which could begin to tempt me away from it. All the preceding of course subject to the all embracing "IMHO"!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, the range of free and custom apps is what keeps me on WM. I have several preferred applications that I use. And I like the fact that there is (was) such a large developer community for the device. It encouraged innovation. I think there is less such activity when one is forced to deal with an "App" store that is monitored by the OS manufacturer.

OP,
Just make sure that you are indeed getting it for "cheap".
While the HD2 is a great device, it does not change the hard reality that it is an antique by today's tech standards.
You need to know how long your friend has owned the device, how much calls has been made on it.
I ask this because the longer he has owned the device, the greater your risk of having the physical buttons eventually fail on you. As much as I love my HD2, I am aware that the buttons will eventually fail. Please consider this.
Cheers.

just my 2c as the guyz above have given you tremendous input.
I have an option to buy a practically mint condition HD2 from a friend (he got a Desire HD, lucky him, I don't the money), he can sell it to me cheaper.
-> just check how "mint" the condition is. screen scratches, button usage (are they still springy or dull), etc.
He says he installed Android on it, but as an app, (I still have no idea what ROMs, Flashing and all that means) not as a self loading OS, and the phone is still running WM.
-> android is installed in the microsd of the phone. the hd2 is essentially still running windows 6.5 but you can launch android and use this as your os. the advantage being is if android crashes...and that's IF given the stability of the roms developed by the rom-Gods here....your phone is still fine as it was originally in windows. if you want to get android up and running again, you simply have to reformat your microsd and reinstall a new android build
So the question being, is it really worth my while getting the phone, fiddling around with it, installing Android and/or WP7 (I heard that's possible) and losing on battery time?
Is the battery time the only problem affecting daily usage?
-> battery life will probably be your first problem as you get into android. but as you go along, i would recommend that you "sample" the other roms and find out which one gives you the optimal results. the way you set up your phone is also vital. as i mentioned in another thread regarding battery usage, i'm quite pleased with my current set up. i normally unplug my unit from charging at around 10pm. in the morning when i get up, the battery shows 97% remaining. not bad considering that was an 8-hour standby and i'm also using live video wallpaper. again, it'll depend on the set up
How difficult/risky is it to install android/wp7 on the HD2?
-> installing android is EASY as everything is in the microsd. if you want to boot up via android then as the chaps recommended, you have to do further reading.
to answer your question, i would say yes it's worth getting the phone. the hd2 is an awesome device. it's a great way to get started if you want to have android or wm7 or other operating systems
some things to consider if you do decide to get the phone:
-upgrading the rom itself (the windows rom)
-upgrading the radio
although not essential to run android, upgrading these will definitely give you better stability when running the os. again, the guides are all there and the chaps are happy to help out.

With reading, the HD2 can be a very fun device. But if you have the mentality of unwilling to search, read, try out, then I'd say you should stay away from this phone. The HD2's isn't marketed to people who want something that just works, it's marketed to people who like to tweak, tinker, play around with or hack their phones.
So if you're unwilling to go read, understand, etc and just want something that works "perfect" out of the box, then I suggest you get a WP7 phone or iPhone.

Kailkti
You touched a nerve there, I'm currently using (or better say, being abused by) a Nokia 5800 with the latest firmware, and just 10 minutes ago, during a call it just froze up, wouldn't let me close the call, so I restarted it, and it took 3 minutes to connect to the network, what the hey?!
on one hand I love twinkering, but as long as stuff works, and gets better,
not twinkering for basic usability, which is kinda what's in store for me if take the HD2
regarding the condition of said phone, it was bought about a year ago, for my friend's father (being the largest screen available) and he never got around to use it much, just some skype calls from abroad, and a little of regular calls here and there
didn't leave the house much, so it's about as mint as they come.
price wise, how much does an HD2 cost nowadays?

Eugene_N said:
Kailkti
You touched a nerve there, I'm currently using (or better say, being abused by) a Nokia 5800 with the latest firmware, and just 10 minutes ago, during a call it just froze up, wouldn't let me close the call, so I restarted it, and it took 3 minutes to connect to the network, what the hey?!
on one hand I love twinkering, but as long as stuff works, and gets better,
not twinkering for basic usability, which is kinda what's in store for me if take the HD2
regarding the condition of said phone, it was bought about a year ago, for my friend's father (being the largest screen available) and he never got around to use it much, just some skype calls from abroad, and a little of regular calls here and there
didn't leave the house much, so it's about as mint as they come.
price wise, how much does an HD2 cost nowadays?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
New ones are between 450 and 500 on ebay. Used ones generally go around $300 - 350.
But be careful of those cheaper "New" ones on ebay: many of them are in fact replacement phones sent by the carrier as warranty fixes - and my be refurbished, not actually new.

Eugene_N said:
...price wise, how much does an HD2 cost nowadays?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Asking price on CL here in the Bay Area is generally $200-$300.
I picked a pretty clean used one up Saturday for $150.
Got it running the unofficial CM7 nightlys now.
Bit of a learning curve but not bad.
I hadn't really touched anything but Nokia devices for several years.

Eugene_N said:
Kailkti
on one hand I love twinkering, but as long as stuff works, and gets better,
not twinkering for basic usability, which is kinda what's in store for me if take the HD2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The HD2 running WinMo has been VERY stable and useful for me regardless of all the crap people say about WinMO. To me it sounds like the HD2 would be a good choice for you as you can tweak WinMo as much as you like and have Andriod on SD and play with that as well.

If you like to explore and tinker, then feel free to get this fun device. It can entertain you in many ways.

So, I got it for a trial run,
It's awesome!!!
So I'm using an SD Android, with some sense features, dunno what it's called. But it's a bit sluggish and the screen freezes up from time to time, used a more stockish SD Android before, worked better though
But the battery times are lousy, after 4-5 hours with WiFi on, without 3g (no dim inside) I have to recharge it,
Is it normal? Or is the battery dead?
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

I've owned a number of devices over the last 8+years and the HD2 is the best so far.
I dropped my HD2 last year and had the option to sell the insurance replacement or keep it. I kept it.
I probably won't upgrade from my HD2 until there is a dual core phone on the market with both cores running at 1 Gig.
RAM ? I have plenty on the HD2, make it a LOT faster and I'll upgrade.
ROM ? Ditto.
Micro SD expansion ? Again, haven't used the whole 16Gb I have on this device.
What else is there ? Retina type display like on the iPhone (spit) ? Yes please.
HDMI Out ? I don't use HD content in that way preferring VLC or DLNA
Android ? Already doable but Android is still in beta, too, and it's still a bit rubbish
Is the HD2 worth it ? For me, the HD2 is the first fully converged device I've had and
it does everything I need it to do reliably, in a decently sized package without fuss.

@ eugene
If you're browsing the web, you can expect that amount of battery usage, especially if you're watch videos.
With normal use, and I mean say just about 2-4 hrs of on screen time, and the rest stanby, you can expect the battery to last two days.

buy it now!!!!!!!!!!!

I will add my two cents if i may...
terms ROM ( which can either be WM6.5, WM7 or Android)
HSPL ( a secondary boot-loader that should be flashed first to safeguards us noobs bricking our phones)
RADIO ( the software that talks to the hardware )
KERNEL ( don't know what this does as yet or how to upgrade it)
I bought mine only two weeks ago...
1. i read alot....from the HTC leo section
2. I flashed first MAGLDR v1.13 (HSPL) to safeguard against any major mishaps
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=10197474&postcount=1
3. and then flashed a NAND android rom ... this we not so smooth as the phone kept on rebooting without notice
4. I upgraded the radio to as xx.50.xx.xx
5. I downgraded again to WM6.5
6. then back up to a nand CMYLXGO's BlueTopia HD(2)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=916707
It is bascially that simple......run as smooth now as a baby's bottom

Database Users

welcome