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Should I keep the AT&T Tilt ROM or try the HTC (or some other) ROM?

Hello all -
I am getting my Tilt from AT&T tomorrow and I've been reading like crazy on this forum + wiki in preparation of getting it. Thanks to everyone who has contributed - awesome resource!
I understand the idea of flashing ROMS, unlocking, and general tweaking - I massively hacking/tweak my Tivo, etc. and I'm pretty sure I can get through it. But, I still have one question:
What, exactly, is the advantage of the HTC rom over the AT&T Tilt rom? I have never see the HTC rom but it looks like I can avoid the bloatware and add/tweak to my Tilt to make it similar to the HTC.
So, what exactly is on (or not on) the HTC rom that makes everyone want to switch away from the Tilt rom? What does the HTC rom have that the AT&T rom can't have???
Also: I have noticed some posts about battery life being different with different roms. I assumed that battery life would result from the way the varoius settings/options are set, but maybe I am not getting this.
I have read around on the forum quite a bit and I am understanding most of the nitty gritty details about these issues, but I'm a little unclear on what the problem is with the AT&T rom in the first place!
Any advice apreciated!! thanks - Dave

I get my Tilt Tuesday and am wondering what the "bottom line" is on this as well. It seems by removing bloatware, and installing a few cabs, you pretty much get a Kaiser. Speed and battery life are concerns for me though and if either is poor, I'm pretty comfortable installing a ROM (did it previously on my Wizard). Thanks to all for all the good info and advice. I've read way too much considering I don't even have the phone yet.

Hopefully we'll get an answer. On another forum I've read that you can install cabs to make the Tilt like the HTC, but on another thread I read that the HTC rom is different and better!
I'm not seeing any major disadvantages from using the HTC rom, actually, besides the menu problems which evidently have a fix. So, it might be worth a shot.

advantages
dhecker said:
Hello all -
I am getting my Tilt from AT&T tomorrow and I've been reading like crazy on this forum + wiki in preparation of getting it. Thanks to everyone who has contributed - awesome resource!
I understand the idea of flashing ROMS, unlocking, and general tweaking - I massively hacking/tweak my Tivo, etc. and I'm pretty sure I can get through it. But, I still have one question:
What, exactly, is the advantage of the HTC rom over the AT&T Tilt rom? I have never see the HTC rom but it looks like I can avoid the bloatware and add/tweak to my Tilt to make it similar to the HTC.
So, what exactly is on (or not on) the HTC rom that makes everyone want to switch away from the Tilt rom? What does the HTC rom have that the AT&T rom can't have???
Also: I have noticed some posts about battery life being different with different roms. I assumed that battery life would result from the way the varoius settings/options are set, but maybe I am not getting this.
I have read around on the forum quite a bit and I am understanding most of the nitty gritty details about these issues, but I'm a little unclear on what the problem is with the AT&T rom in the first place!
Any advice apreciated!! thanks - Dave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
custom roms base on htc releases have many advantages:
1- get rid of all junk and restrictions of at&t one
2- reg hacks and fixes that take the most out of your phone
3- many more advantages but if numbered here will take me all night
search in these forum and you get many other reasons to change. For example i bought the tilt and in the same day i unlock it due a hardspl and change the rom to a custom one and beleive i will never come back to at&t stock rom.

I was in your guys shoes too. I read a ton on this forum before I got the phone. Here is my advice having had 2 Tilts, first one I had for a week, then returned it till I got a better deal.
When you first start the phone you go through a quick WM6 setup. After that it will say "Customizing Device" and there will be a progress bar. When this starts reset the phone with the stylus into the small hole at the bottom. That will prevent a lot of the ATT bloatware from loading.
Try that for a week, and if it isn't broke then don't fix it.
That said, there are a lot of HTC apps I love. Keep in mind you don't need a new rom to install them.
I would only try new ROMs if one or more of the following apply:
1) You are having some issues with stability or speed.
2) You need more space on the main memory.
3) You are lazy and want to try some other premade package.
Basically all the roms I tried are not that different then the stock ATT rom without the "Customizations" bloatware install. Plus you can get the phone to the exact same level by installing apps and doing small tweaks. Its not night and day or anything dramatic. However its fun to try new things and tweak the phone, thats one of the reasons I got it.
Here are my Must Have applications.
HTC Home
HTC Audio Manager
KaiserTweak
HTC Task Manager
Opera Mini Beta 4
Google Maps
Windows Live

Pops_G said:
I was in your guys shoes too. I read a ton on this forum before I got the phone. Here is my advice having had 2 Tilts, first one I had for a week, then returned it till I got a better deal.
When you first start the phone you go through a quick WM6 setup. After that it will say "Customizing Device" and there will be a progress bar. When this starts reset the phone with the stylus into the small hole at the bottom. That will prevent a lot of the ATT bloatware from loading.
Try that for a week, and if it isn't broke then don't fix it.
That said, there are a lot of HTC apps I love. Keep in mind you don't need a new rom to install them.
I would only try new ROMs if one or more of the following apply:
1) You are having some issues with stability or speed.
2) You need more space on the main memory.
3) You are lazy and want to try some other premade package.
Basically all the roms I tried are not that different then the stock ATT rom without the "Customizations" bloatware install. Plus you can get the phone to the exact same level by installing apps and doing small tweaks. Its not night and day or anything dramatic. However its fun to try new things and tweak the phone, thats one of the reasons I got it.
Here are my Must Have applications.
HTC Home
HTC Audio Manager
KaiserTweak
HTC Task Manager
Opera Mini Beta 4
Google Maps
Windows Live
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pops, thanks for your informative reply. Is there really ANYTHING that the HTC rom can do that couldn't be somehow configured into the AT&T rom? I don't really mind flashing to a new rom but if I can start with the Tilt rom and configure everything I need (even if it takes a while ) that might be fine.
Am I correct in understanding that TouchFlo can work just fine on the AT&T rom? There are mixed messages about that.
Also, does any of this have anything to do with battery life??
thanks!

It all comes down to preferrences. I have a Tilt, and I have installed just about every ROM available here. I keep going back to HTC oriented ROMS, but there is some drawback in that you have to "tweak" it a bit usually to get full AT&T usability. AT&T ROMS are good for staying "true" to the carrier's mindset, but usually are buggy or slower. Dutty's right now is my fav, but that could change
Battery life is best controlled with 2 applications, both the Kaiser Tweak program, and with a good comm manager program to disable comm when not in use. Or at least move between 2G and 3G connections. 3G is awesome fast, but a hugh battery drain.

Thanks for your input! I played with a Tllt for a while and the AT&T rom might have been slower (I don't know cause I've never seen the HTC!) but it was totally stable as far as I could tell. Is there some specific bugginess that you saw or are you just referring to the general sloppiness of the AT&T bundles, etc.?

dhecker said:
Pops, thanks for your informative reply. Is there really ANYTHING that the HTC rom can do that couldn't be somehow configured into the AT&T rom? I don't really mind flashing to a new rom but if I can start with the Tilt rom and configure everything I need (even if it takes a while ) that might be fine.
Am I correct in understanding that TouchFlo can work just fine on the AT&T rom? There are mixed messages about that.
Also, does any of this have anything to do with battery life??
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, there is nothing you cannot do with the AT&T rom given enough time and tweaking. Before I got my phone I some how got the impression ROMs where almost like a different animal. I think a better analogy would be comparing them to a house with furniture. The different ROMs are just different styles.
But if you are a real power user, and it sounds like you are, I would just use another ROM and start from there. You will save some time. I'm a fan of the "clean" ROMs that some with almost nothing installed. Then I build them up from there. They are very easy to install if you read the instructions. And it only takes like 10-15 mins max.

Pops - That last comment was interesting. I can totally see the advantage of installing a lite rom or for that matter, a fully loaded Dutty's rom, etc. My concern was that if I did that, I'd actually wind up having to tweak for a while to get things smooth on the Tilt since I wouldn't be using the 'stock' rom. The assumption is the everything would work on day 1 with the stock rom, so I can tweak but I never have to really get things going.
In your experience, if I installed the most recent version of Dutty's Hybrid Kaiser TouchFlo Final (if I'm gonna flash the rom, I might as well load it up) that things would be about as stable/easy as if I spent time customized the AT&T rom?
If there's not too much risk or BS I might just go for it! There is something about keeping the original rom that makes me feel more confident, but it's also fun to tweak on the thing!

Well there are two types of Kaisers right now. The original HTC branded one and the Tilt. They are different in 2 ways. For the Tilt, some roms require you to install a keyboard fix for a minor adjustment. Also you have to configure the AT&T internet settings. It depends on the ROM. Some of the ROMs are already designed for the Tilt.
To answer your question, yes some of these ROMs can have you up and running without any tweaking or adjustments at all. Just read their instructions, it varies for each one.
For me, if I start with a stripped down ROM it takes me about 2 hours or more to install all of my apps and tweaks. For the fully featured ROMs like Dutty's, you can be ready to go in 20-30mins.

I installed the HTC stock ROM on my Tilt for the same reason I install reference drivers for my video card:
1. They are more true to the manufacturer's specifications.
2. There are more frequent and faster updates available.
Number 2 was the most important for me, even though HTC has not released an updated ROM yet...but when they do, I know that I can install it and it will be closer to what I have been using.
I had the Tilt ROM installed for a few weeks before I reverted to the HTC ROM. I also installed the HTC customizations on the Tilt ROM and played with that for a while. I noticed slight differences between the applications like the HTC Home application UI behavour has minor differences. There was also more available memory on the HTC ROM from the Tilt ROM even after I cancelled the Tilt customizations from installing.

Oh here is a neat program to help you test different ROMs without losing your contacts, SMS, call history etc.
PIM Backup

Have to throw my 2 cents in also.
Just got the Tilt last month,and after my initial fear of flashing(and succesfully installing HARDSPL) I've flashed lots of these ROM's too. I however, have to agree with Pops_G, the best solution I've found has been a "clean ROM" and customize it the way I want. I prefer the ATT versions over the monochrome/big clock/UGLY UI that the Kaiser ones have. I've been using Kyphur's Tilt XDA-Live v1.1 and love it. It provides the most storage of ANY of the custom ROMs and has the newest radio also. It shows a significant difference in my area;where the signal borders on weak.
Alemaker

Ok, these kinds of opinions and comments are really helping out. I think I'm gonna do this:
1) When the Tilt comes (today!) I'll play with the AT&T stock ROM for a while and get a feel for it.
2) Then, I'm going to flash Dutty's ROM - it has just about everything and it will give me a chance to look at everything from the Cube to the HTC apps and everything else. In general, I like to strip things out of my systems rather than bloat it out, but this sounds like an easy way to check it all out in one go.
3) Most likely I'll be want to install Tilt XDA Lite once I've had a chance to fool around with the others. With a clean start like that I can install the apps I want and get the thing fast/stable for good.
Sounds like fun! Here I go..

dhecker said:
Ok, these kinds of opinions and comments are really helping out. I think I'm gonna do this:
1) When the Tilt comes (today!) I'll play with the AT&T stock ROM for a while and get a feel for it.
2) Then, I'm going to flash Dutty's ROM - it has just about everything and it will give me a chance to look at everything from the Cube to the HTC apps and everything else. In general, I like to strip things out of my systems rather than bloat it out, but this sounds like an easy way to check it all out in one go.
3) Most likely I'll be want to install Tilt XDA Lite once I've had a chance to fool around with the others. With a clean start like that I can install the apps I want and get the thing fast/stable for good.
Sounds like fun! Here I go..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Give yourself some time with each Rom (a few days) to really get a feel for it. Also know that your battery is going to be crap for a couple of weeks until it is properly "conditioned" so don't even include that in your comparison.
Another thing you need to consider what are you looking to gain from using a cooked rom? While it can be nice to have a lot of apps mixed in once there is a new version of an app you have to either flash an updated rom or install the update over the cooked version in which case you are now losing memory as the files in the rom can't really be deleted (only marked as such)...

kypher: Thanks for your input. I am interest in your comment about having apps in the rom, space, etc.
Am I understanding that when there are apps built into the rom, those apps can't really be updated/upgraded/(deleted?) without reflashing the rom?
So, with a stripped down rom could a user install the various apps and have the ability to upgrade/uninstall/delete those apps whenever they wanted to?
That seems like a major advantage to using a lite rom then building it up on your own, which is looking more and more like the way to go! Any clarification appreciated.

dhecker said:
Am I understanding that when there are apps built into the rom, those apps can't really be updated/upgraded/(deleted?) without reflashing the rom?
So, with a stripped down rom could a user install the various apps and have the ability to upgrade/uninstall/delete those apps whenever they wanted to?
That seems like a major advantage to using a lite rom then building it up on your own, which is looking more and more like the way to go! Any clarification appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Technically you can update (or even delete) the apps that are cooked in BUT... you've already paid in storage space for the files. When you upgrade the cooked files are marked as deleted so the files from the cab can overwrite them BUT... the files can't actually be deleted so if you have a 4MB program (like MS Voice Command) cooked in and you get an upgrade then you are actually paying 8MB of storage for the program now.
In short, even though the files are marked as deleted and you phone acts like they are deleted, you can't recover the memory they used if the files are cooked into the Rom. This is the primary reason I'm stripping XDA Live down as close to the undershorts as I can.

Well, the phone came this afternoon and I've been fooling around with it ever since. So far, so good!
I like the AT&T Tilt setup a lot. But, being a long-time geek I just couldn't resist and now I'm flashing Dutty's Tilt Rom. I'll play with that for a while, then maybe think about a long-term setup. It's kind of nice being able to flash the rom as I don't have to worry too much about screwing up the configuration since I can reflash at any time.
much fun! thanks everyone

I would like to try different ROMs as well, but I would like to be able to go back to ATT Tilt ROM if need be. How can I backup my original ATT ROM, so that I can flash back to it, if I needed to?

Which Dutty Rom to Choose?

Currently using the Last tilt specific beta and it works well.
What current dutty rom is 1) most stable
2) most likely not to need a keyboard fix
3) most like the one currently using
4) which radio to us if in United states or is this just trial and eror?
I have done the reading, but don't know which to try next. This is my work phone and I can't be down for the count if I screw things up.
Any advice would be appreciated. If I am not going to gain much from upgrading, please advise.

afavre said:
Currently using the Last tilt specific beta and it works well.
What current dutty rom is 1) most stable
2) most likely not to need a keyboard fix
3) most like the one currently using
4) which radio to us if in United states or is this just trial and eror?
I have done the reading, but don't know which to try next. This is my work phone and I can't be down for the count if I screw things up.
Any advice would be appreciated. If I am not going to gain much from upgrading, please advise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why is everyone flooding this forum with questions like these?
1) You have to find out yourself, but V3 (will be released soon) seems to be stable
2) Tilt will always need Keyboard fix, cause of the different keyboard layout
3) The most like your current ROM?? Hmmm.... Maybe one without changes??
4) There is a thread (sticky) about Radio ROMs. Read that thread, and when you download a ROM just see what Radio ROMs are compatible.

1. N/A because I don't run any of them for over 24 hours. His ROM factory has a good production.
2. All of them need a keyboard fix unless you flash a mentioned at&t version. To my expriences, always keep the keyboardfix cab handy in card.
3. N/A. Flashing a different ROM is highly addictive action.
4. x.xx.xx.11, .17 or .32 is fine. .09 for at&t specified ROMs only.

afavre said:
Currently using the Last tilt specific beta and it works well.
What current dutty rom is 1) most stable
2) most likely not to need a keyboard fix
3) most like the one currently using
4) which radio to us if in United states or is this just trial and eror?
I have done the reading, but don't know which to try next. This is my work phone and I can't be down for the count if I screw things up.
Any advice would be appreciated. If I am not going to gain much from upgrading, please advise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got a tilt as well and I'm running Dutty's DualTouch V.2 Medium...
As for what's most stable? They're all pretty stable. try a couple and decide for yourself.
The keyboard fix is unfortunately a necessity for any rom originally designed for an HTC branded Kaiser. The Cingular/AT&T tilt has a slightly different keyboard setup than the HTC branded Kaiser. HOWEVER... I wouldn't worry about it. there are several SUPER easy ways to fix it, the most popular seem to be a cab file available from Dutty's download site in his signiture and a utility called Advance Config 1.1
If you're looking for something like your original AT&T rom... Look elsewhere... Dutty has done a good job of modifying this rom with ALOT of different packages. Most of the familiar apps are there but you may be able to access them in different ways. Also he has tweaked and tuned things to work better than originally.
As for the radio there is a sticky that gives a real good overview of the different radios. But most of it is trial and error based on a) the rom you are using and b) the configuration of the network you are using. I live in an area that is JUST getting 3G and has NO HSPDA So most of the roms seem to work about the same (ugh...) But others have reported that one works better or has better battery life... it's often a give and take and seems to be ALOT of subjectivity. but one thing... the "AT&T" 14.09 radio doesn't work with most Kaiser based ROMs. So unless the rom your using is specifically built for it (most of Dutty's aren't) don't bother you'll have problems with no sound and other things.
Hope this helps! but my best advice... READ READ READ... there's ALOT of info out there. And realize that like most threads, questions that people feel are already answered will bring about some rather curt posts from people. So try to be sure your question hasn't already been answered somewhere else.

thank all for the advice. May make the switch over to a dual touch rom over a holiday when I don't need the phone.
You all have been much more patient than most with some semi newb questions that I have had. I know I don't add much to the "development" discussion, but I sure as hell can break some things and make people feel smart when the tell me how to fix it (or "f" off and search the forums, newb).
The radio install is the only sort of "out there" portion of this whole thing and I will do my homework before my next flash.

radio
I have tested both .17 and .32 and I like .17 better I notice little diff. in battery life but service seems better and the internet is much better. I'm in the mid west and I have HSDPA service mostly.

ROM Advice for SPV C600

Hi,
I am really wanting to upgrade my SPV C600 to WinMo6. But first i need advice.
What ROM will keep all of my current working functions, working?? i want to be able to use my phone as i do now, just on WM6.
Also, i would quite like it to look like this IF possible.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wv5aeDB6kwY
What are your recommendations?
Keith.

Which ROM?
The video you've been looking at is the standard WM6.1 Home screen. GnatGoSplats WM6.1 Clean ROM uses this interface, and it seems to be a good, stable ROM. Personally though, and this is just a matter of personal preference, I've found that although WM6.1 is the latest, WM6 ROM's tend to work better, be more stable and keep your device running with most if not all of your current 'stuff'.
I'm using SGregory's WM6 with the 'Neo' home screen, which in my opinion is a far better home screen interface than the standard WM6.1 you're talking about - but again, it's just personal preference.
One thing you will find though is that most ROM 'cookers' remove a lot of useless apps which most people never use so you can have more free memory to install the stuff you do use - I think it's called 'user choice'! Rather than Microsoft dictating which software is on your device, you can add the stuff you want and leave all the crap out.
If you're worried about upgrading your ROM because your device won't be the same, don't do it... that's the whole point of upgrading - your device WON'T be the same, it will be BETTER!!

Haha, thanks.
Have you got any screenshots of NEO? Also, could you link to that rom you thought was best and say what i would be losing/gaining?
Also , how easy is it to get it back to stock orange?

All the info you need my friend is right here in this forum. It's too time consuming for anyone to list all the pros and cons of various custom ROM's - just try one, if you don't like it, try another.
If you want to put the original Orange ROM back on (you won't when you've tried a decent ROM), you can download it from Orange website. Just type 'Orange SPV C600 ROM' into Google.

Is it really that easy to put it back as it was? If i did the recovery (hold 2 soft keys) would that not work anymore?
Also, will upgrading the radios not bother it in any way?
And by the orange rom, do you mean the one that adds the push email?

By 'Recovery' I assume you mean hard-reset. If so, no, that won't put it back to how it was. That will just reset all the settings to default and remove any third-party software which you have installed, thus leaving the device in a 'new' state (new, according to the ROM you have installed, not new as in just bought from Orange).
If I were you, I would leave it as it is because you're obviously way too concerned about messing up your device

I dunno about that last part, he's just a newbie. When I first got my Tornado I was scared to death to upgrade from WM5 to WM6 because I was afraid of bricking my phone. But I had a buddy who owns a Wizard watching over my shoulder while I followed the tutorial step-by-step, which was a big confidence-builder. And when it installed perfectly, I had the hang of it, and I've been experimenting occasionally with new ROMs ever since.
Keithoms, as long as you follow Karhoe's tutorial you're golden. And you'll never want to go back to the original ROM again - this I promise you. WM6 and WM6.1 are light years better than WM5. And don't you worry about bricking your phone - you have to seriously screw up the process to do that. Upgrade the radio for better reception, upgrade the ROM for better functionality.
And, I recommend doing like I did: read. Spend some time on this forum and just read threads. Read, read, read. Forums like this are great for getting questions answered, and chances are your question has been asked at least once before, and you're quite likely to find the answer to your question before you need to post it. If you can't find it, post, and we'll answer away. And, as an added bonus, by digging through the forums each day, you're likely to come across questions that you never thought to ask, and answers that fix problems you didn't realize you had.
And, last but not least, ENJOY! I've been in love with Windows Mobile phones ever since I got mine, and the number of things you can do with them are limitless.
Some threads you should read:
Karhoe's WM6 upgrade how-to. It looks like a lot of steps, but it's not really. It goes very fast - if you're SLOW, it might take you 25-30 minutes.
Nitro's WM6 ROM - you can substitute this for the ROM suggested by Karhoe's tutorial without any ill effects at all.
A whole collection of ROMS and software for the Tornado.
Hope this was helpful, and hope you have an awesome day!

Hi, thanks for the replies. For the radio, i was only meaning, would it bother the old orange rom in any way if i decided to go back with the radio still updated.
I am a bit paranoid, but that is only because i bought the phone yesterday and spent all of my money on it.
I have read karhoes guide around 20 times. Giving it a thought, i take it the only way to brick it is to either not SuperCID it before its flashed, to do format BINFS wrongly and to knock out the cables and/or run out of batterys as it is doing GMSUpdate and the actual rom flash.
So if i avoid those things, i should be fine? :S

I'm on nights so I'm moody!
- Perhaps I was a bit short with you to tell you to leave it alone. djsleepwalker is right... if you follow the guide to the letter, you shouldn't have any issues. Even if you do, someone in this forum has the answer you need.
You will never regret upgrading your ROM and you'll never want to put the original Orange ROM back on, that's for sure. I've used Windows Mobiles since 2002 and I've only started messing with ROM's a couple of years ago.. I wish I'd done it sooner. The benefits far outway the risks

Well, i just went ahead and did the full shebang!
I bought a new housing from fluffcat1, fitted that.
Then.... installed GGS's WM6
Uber-Epic romz....
Thanks to all that helped me get through this without any damamamagamage to my phone.

Is there a HOWTO or a tutorial somewhere?

Hey guys,
Sorry for the extreme noobness of this post, but I am completely lost here. It appears that ROMeOS 4.1 is the ROM to get. But then I read that you need to install HardSPL first, then you need to pick the right radio and install that, but you need to be sure that it is the right radio for you, etc. None of this makes any sense at all to someone who has never done this before. Will I lose all the apps I've installed when I do this? If so, what is the best/easiest way to back them up so I can reinstall them after the ROM update? I also read that you need to install a keyboard fix, a screen freeze fix, and extra apps that came originally on the device need to be downloaded and installed.
I guess what I'm asking is, how do I make this $650 piece of junk that HTC won't support (they refuse to give me ROMs for it since I bought it through Amazon) into a device that is worth using with some simple step-by-step instructions? The speed and unreliability of it in its stock form for this price is completely inexcusable. I am very ready to make some donations as well.
Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

Start here

Thank you so much Kareem! That pretty much answered all my questions. Maybe I'm blind, but I did not see a link to that particular wiki in the stickied thread about tutorials. I think there should be a sticky in this forum with a title: HELP! I'm a noob and I need to flash my ROMS! With that link included.
Thanks again, you rock!
Oh, and I do have one last question, what radio has had the most reliability with the ROMeOS 4.1?

If you are looking for a section dedicated to n00bs, check out GWENI, linked in my signature. It was written for n00bs, by a self-proclaimed n00b.

baldcyclops said:
Thank you so much Kareem! That pretty much answered all my questions. Maybe I'm blind, but I did not see a link to that particular wiki in the stickied thread about tutorials. I think there should be a sticky in this forum with a title: HELP! I'm a noob and I need to flash my ROMS! With that link included.
Thanks again, you rock!
Oh, and I do have one last question, what radio has had the most reliability with the ROMeOS 4.1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to Hang Tuah's (the creator of ROMeOS) post in the dedicated thread here: "I personally tried NEON 1.58.25.17, KAIS 1.65.24.36 & KAIS 1.71.09.01".

Hi, the trickiest part of the bussiness is to do the HardSPL, which will allow you to flash any ROM or radio.
Then, if you do not want to complicate your life too much, flash one of the HTC WM 6.1 official ROMs.
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=Kaiser_ROMs
Or pick a cooked ROM that has all included (i.e. not Lite ROMs), operating system, Office, Windows Live, and a radio firmware.

hardSPL install is not tricky but its the MOST IMPORTANT thing you need to do. just follow the directions carefully and you will have no issues. Radios are personal preference BUT newer WM6.1 roms need the newer 1.65.xx.xx radios but again there is a whole thread explaining this also
enjoy your toy!

wow someone who posted with concern before bricking the device..and he did his homework as well he could before hand CHEERS!! As you'll quickly learn most noobs flash first, brick, then want the xda community to fix it without them having to do anything(like read). So I applaud you.

Heh. Thanks liquidfork. I'm pretty big into Linux and open source, so I know to read as much as I can find first and then attempt.
So, I did successfully flash ROMeOS 4.1 on my device after putting HardSPL 3.56 on it and the newest radio (forget the version offhand). It's blazing fast now. But, a small problem: When I try to restore my sprite backup, the phone will start up with the "bios" screen, but it just sits there and never boots. Now, Sprite backup complains that it needs a .sbu file that I can get from their website. I see nothing on their website about .sbu files. Is there any way to restore my stuff, or am I hosed? I do miss the HTC today screen and some of the utilities I had. I'd hate to have to roll back to an "official" ROM for this.
Thanks again for your help guys, this community is great.

Anyone? I would like to avoid reinstalling everything if at all possible. Thanks.

baldcyclops said:
Anyone? I would like to avoid reinstalling everything if at all possible. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You cannot restore Sprite Backups from ROM to ROM. It is designed to restore your files and settings when doing a hard reset of reflashing the same ROM.
Sprite Backup does have a ROM Upgrade feature, but I've yet to see it work.

Through experimentation, I figured as much. That's too bad. I've come to find that while the ROMeOS is quite a bit faster than the WM6 that came on the device, it is very spartan. I've gotten used to the little gadgets in the HTC roms, particularly their today screen, some of the settings, and some of the utilities. I think I'm going to flash with a shipped WM6.1 from HTC and see how it works, I will try doing a Sprite backup restore on that as well, but I'm not holding my breath that it will work. Is there a huge difference in speed between the shipped HTC ROM and a cooked ROM? Better yet, is there a cooked ROM that gives most or all of the HTC functionality but is faster?

baldcyclops said:
Through experimentation, I figured as much. That's too bad. I've come to find that while the ROMeOS is quite a bit faster than the WM6 that came on the device, it is very spartan. I've gotten used to the little gadgets in the HTC roms, particularly their today screen, some of the settings, and some of the utilities. I think I'm going to flash with a shipped WM6.1 from HTC and see how it works, I will try doing a Sprite backup restore on that as well, but I'm not holding my breath that it will work. Is there a huge difference in speed between the shipped HTC ROM and a cooked ROM? Better yet, is there a cooked ROM that gives most or all of the HTC functionality but is faster?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The perfect ROM is like the perfect beer. Everyone has their own opinions and taste.
However... I will say this. It is better to find a fast rom and then search these forums for the appropriate cabs for those applications you can't do without.
Not only will you only have the ops you want, but I have all those cabs on a secure digital card... then you use sashimi to load them when you perform a flash...
Because once you have done a flash... you will be doing more...
As they say on the TV about golf weenies... these guys are good... and there is always a new ROM that looks marvy.

cyjeff said:
The perfect ROM is like the perfect beer. Everyone has their own opinions and taste.
However... I will say this. It is better to find a fast rom and then search these forums for the appropriate cabs for those applications you can't do without.
Not only will you only have the ops you want, but I have all those cabs on a secure digital card... then you use sashimi to load them when you perform a flash...
Because once you have done a flash... you will be doing more...
As they say on the TV about golf weenies... these guys are good... and there is always a new ROM that looks marvy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, I can see that now. I think the main thing I'm missing that I can't live without is being able to click in the upper right on the today screen and stop running processes from there. Especially since with ROMeOS 4.1, going into the task manager has locked up my phone twice now. If I can figure out how to get that functionality back, I think I can live with the rest. Is that functionality in the HTC home CAB that is in the extended cabs for ROMeOS? I'll probably install the CAB anyhow just to see.

Download and install this cab I've attached.

Heres a link to AllTheWays 4Shaered pages he's one of the mods on here. It has all the applications you're looking for.
http://www.4shared.com/dir/5551593/20b4549a/sharing.html

Ok...So I got the TP2 for Sprint and I need to start modding

I don't have the knowledge of what I need to do to my phone before I start all this
I just got a Sprint HTC Touch Pro 2 and it has WM 6.1. Do I need to immediately upgrade to 6.5 or can it just be 6.1 till WM7 comes out.
What do I need to do with my ROM....is it necessary to FLASH my phone(whatever that means) I don't wanna mess up my phone and void my warranty.
I don't know what Manila it has because for some reason when I try to go to Software Info in Device Info...there is no Software tab(weird right?)
Do I need to go ahead and dwload the latest Manila? What is the latest?
I want to get the most out of this phone and do all the cool tweaking and stuff.
I also want to beable to do the upgrades on the ppcmods website
They weren't working for me for some reason(can't tell what version of Manila I have)
anything else I need to do to be on the same page as all of you let me know. I don't want to mess up my phone or break it so this is why I'm asking.
thanks in advance

Ben6485 said:
Do I need to immediately upgrade to 6.5 or can it just be 6.1 till WM7 comes out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whether or not to upgrade to 6.5 is entirely up to you. Some ppl like myself have tried 6.5 and have gone back to 6.1 because of performance issues. Give it a try and see for yourself.
If you've been following the news related to Windows Phone 7 Series, you'll realize that the Touch Pro2 doesn't meet the minimum requirements. In fact, there are some leaks that say even the HD2 (with its superior specs) might not get upgrade. There's about zero change M$ or HTC will release an official WP7S ROM for our Touch Pro2s. We can only put our faith in XDA chefs.
Ben6485 said:
What do I need to do with my ROM....is it necessary to FLASH my phone(whatever that means) I don't wanna mess up my phone and void my warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, whether or not you flash to another ROM is up to you. If you flash to an official ROM, then you won't void your warranty. If you choose to flash to custom cooked ROMs, then you'll need HSPL which will void your warranty. But you can undo it. Please read the stickies in the ROM section for further info.
Ben6485 said:
I don't know what Manila it has because for some reason when I try to go to Software Info in Device Info...there is no Software tab(weird right?)
Do I need to go ahead and dwload the latest Manila? What is the latest?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to the Settings tab in TouchFlo3D. Scroll down and you should be able to see your Manila version in the "About" section. Otherwise you'll have to look in your registry at this key: "HKLM\Software\HTC\Manila\Version"
The latest is 2.5 which runs considerably slower than 2.1 on our devices. And you can't just install different versions of Manila. They have to be cooked into the ROM.
Ben6485 said:
anything else I need to do to be on the same page as all of you let me know
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't know what else to tell you since it's impossible to know what you want out of your device. Just read all the stickies in each thread and read the wiki.

ohyeahar said:
Whether or not to upgrade to 6.5 is entirely up to you. Some ppl like myself have tried 6.5 and have gone back to 6.1 because of performance issues. Give it a try and see for yourself.
If you've been following the news related to Windows Phone 7 Series, you'll realize that the Touch Pro2 doesn't meet the minimum requirements. In fact, there are some leaks that say even the HD2 (with its superior specs) might not get upgrade. There's about zero change M$ or HTC will release an official WP7S ROM for our Touch Pro2s. We can only put our faith in XDA chefs.
Again, whether or not you flash to another ROM is up to you. If you flash to an official ROM, then you won't void your warranty. If you choose to flash to custom cooked ROMs, then you'll need HSPL which will void your warranty. But you can undo it. Please read the stickies in the ROM section for further info.
Go to the Settings tab in TouchFlo3D. Scroll down and you should be able to see your Manila version in the "About" section. Otherwise you'll have to look in your registry at this key: "HKLM\Software\HTC\Manila\Version"
The latest is 2.5 which runs considerably slower than 2.1 on our devices. And you can't just install different versions of Manila. They have to be cooked into the ROM.
Don't know what else to tell you since it's impossible to know what you want out of your device. Just read all the stickies in each thread and read the wiki.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks!
is says in the about section
touchflo3d 2.1.38416.1
what are some of the Official Roms that are pretty cool? I think I want to go the official route...is Max Manila official?
Also..I did read a few stickies....but how long does "flashing" take. I get calls throughout the day so I can't just not have a phone for a few hours. If I mess up how can I backtrack to fix it?
I just wish there was someone I knew that knows how to do all this stuff and let him do it but I will try this myself...probably wait till this weekend that I way I have some stuff planned out
Also...I like 6.1 and I think I'm just gonna stick with that

so I guess I need to flash my rom to get the right version of manila
what are some of of the "official" roms out there?

Right now, the only official ROM from Sprint is the one that shipped on the phone. IMHO I would not recommend flashing a VZN ROM to a Sprint phone.
The only other option for other ROM's are the cooked ones. A WORD(s) OF ADVICE -- if you decide to flash to a cooked ROM -- READ, READ, READ, READ, READ and then READ, READ, READ some more. For example, if you read you will find out that flashing a GSM ROM on a CDMA phone can have very undesired affects (and if you read, you will know that you should never do this) -- DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST. I'm saying that it's not cool to flash to a custom ROM, I'm only saying that you need to understand a little before you do it.
Have fun if you decide to flash to a cooked ROM and DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS IN THIS FORUM IF YOU ARE UNSURE.

JohnnyFucknuts said:
Right now, the only official ROM from Sprint is the one that shipped on the phone. IMHO I would not recommend flashing a VZN ROM to a Sprint phone.
The only other option for other ROM's are the cooked ones. A WORD(s) OF ADVICE -- if you decide to flash to a cooked ROM -- READ, READ, READ, READ, READ and then READ, READ, READ some more. Flashing a GSM ROM on a CDMA phone can have very undesired affects -- DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST. I'm saying that it's not cool to flash to a custom ROM, I'm only saying that you need to understand a little before you do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I def wont be flashing a verizon rom to sprint.
is there no custom cdma roms?
I guess I have alot of reading to do because I want to make sure I don't mess my phone up..lol
not afraid to ask questions....just don't know the right questions...haha
I seem to be clueless on the phone stuff even though I'm a whiz at the computer

to tell you the truth...i like the way it is right now...i just want to beable to change the slidebar, background, clock, take the curtains off the top and bottom of the today screen and add lots and lots of cool aps
but to do that I need manila 2.5 and right now i think i have 2.1
If there was a way to get this without having to flash that would be great but I don't think there is a way to.
It would be nice to beable to have some of my fav aps on the today page but it's not a big deal...i can just hit Start and it takes me to a good enough page

Here are some helpful links:
Hard SPL : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=578660
Hard SPL allows you to unlock your phone for flashing custom ROMs. This does not unlock your radio (which is something you probably wont mess with yet, link below).
SIM Radio unlock: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=578642
Custom ROMs sorted by most popular: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=98&daysprune=30&order=desc&sort=views
You can use any of these, be careful downloading the ones on XDA as they are mainly GSM roms and can brick your device. Read each ROM page carefully to find one that is right for you. I currently use MightyRom and it works great for my needs. Very stable and responsive.
Flashing the phone generally wont take long, my first time it was probably around 25-30 minutes at most. Also, i'm not sure how its done on sprint but I had to call vzw and get a unique activation code, until then I could not make calls (but I could receive them still). Take a look at this video for some tips for flashing your phone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te7CPM3yeUk
*edit*
Just saw your second post, check out these links:
http://tp2.bfgreenberg.com/tf3d.htm
Also, there are two different versions. tf3d is one and the other is sense UI. More info here:
http://tp2.bfgreenberg.com/tp2main.htm
Most of the cool apps can be installed on either version, just depends on exactly what you are talking about.

burtonsnow8 said:
http://tp2.bfgreenberg.com/tp2main.htm
Most of the cool apps can be installed on either version, just depends on exactly what you are talking about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I Dloaded and installed a slider from there....the icons are too small and so I uninstalled it
It's stays like that and I can't get back the stock sliders

Ben6485 said:
I Dloaded and installed a slider from there....the icons are too small and so I uninstalled it
It's stays like that and I can't get back the stock sliders
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what icon set did you use? make sure you only use tf3d as you do not have sense UI. Try using this file to reset back to stock.
http://tp2.bfgreenberg.com/files/Default_White.cab

burtonsnow8 said:
what icon set did you use? make sure you only use tf3d as you do not have sense UI. Try using this file to reset back to stock.
http://tp2.bfgreenberg.com/files/Default_White.cab
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cool thanks...i'll give it a try
I think this weekend though I am going to flash the Rom and really get everything I can out of this phone
If I have to take it in for work I can just flash it back to stock

Ben6485 said:
cool thanks...i'll give it a try
I think this weekend though I am going to flash the Rom and really get everything I can out of this phone
If I have to take it in for work I can just flash it back to stock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
np, let me know if you have any questions while flashing etc.

burtonsnow8 said:
np, let me know if you have any questions while flashing etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh..they're will be questions
right now all I need to know is the approximate time it takes to flash it....as in
how long will I not beable to get calls...that way I can pick the best time to do the flash
also...what all do I NEED to save on my phone....I have most stuff(apps, music, pictures) on my miniSD card
I have all my contacts and messages on my Microsoft My Phone app
What is the least buggy ROM?
I was looking at Max Manila(if that's a rom) and it was pretty cool
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/4017/ultimate6.jpg
mightyrom is pretty cool too but I wish that some of the apps could be on the today screen
http://i33.tinypic.com/n48cco.png

It seems like you have most of the stuff you would NEED already backed up. Maybe text messages are the only other thing I can think of.
It usually takes me less than 20 minutes to completely flash my ROM and get it ready (provisioning, favorite apps, etc). My first try was around 30 minutes, with about 15 minutes of actual phone downtime. At MOST plan for about 30 minutes of phone downtime...and depending on how your carrier does it you may have to wait on hold for outgoing calls to work again (call from a landline/different phone and get custom activation code).
Max manila is going to be less stable and more buggy by nature. Our phones just don't have the best cpu for sense 2.5. Juicy r10 seems to be one of the favorite sense 2.5 roms, but has some issues with mms. Energy leo is another good 2.5 rom with max manila but also has some minor issues, read the respective threads to find out more info. MightyRom and Energy Pheonix are going to be your two most stable roms IMO, but they come w/ sense 2.1. Only sense 2.5 will have the today screen launch icons.

burtonsnow8 said:
It seems like you have most of the stuff you would NEED already backed up. Maybe text messages are the only other thing I can think of.
It usually takes me less than 20 minutes to completely flash my ROM and get it ready (provisioning, favorite apps, etc). My first try was around 30 minutes, with about 15 minutes of actual phone downtime. At MOST plan for about 30 minutes of phone downtime...and depending on how your carrier does it you may have to wait on hold for outgoing calls to work again (call from a landline/different phone and get custom activation code).
Max manila is going to be less stable and more buggy by nature. Our phones just don't have the best cpu for sense 2.5. Juicy r10 seems to be one of the favorite sense 2.5 roms, but has some issues with mms. Energy leo is another good 2.5 rom with max manila but also has some minor issues, read the respective threads to find out more info. MightyRom and Energy Pheonix are going to be your two most stable roms IMO, but they come w/ sense 2.1. Only sense 2.5 will have the today screen launch icons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cool...maybe I'll do it sometime on Friday or Saturday when I have nothing to do
if it doesn't take long maybe I'll try out one of the 2.5 ones...then if it's just too buggy I'll check out MightyRom

i'm excited to do this...I wish I could do it 2night
do you recommend to just to do it and follow instructions precisely(after reading it once) or should I read it and about it over and over again(when I have time that is) and then do it this weekend
Edit: NVM...this is alot to read so I'll just make sure I do it right on Saturday
I'll probably get Mightrom Impact..looks cool
but I like the background image of "love"

so far my today screen looks like this
I do plan on flashing it but for now just wanted SOMETHING...haha
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/458/screenshot9mh.jpg
I downloaded the whole theme
Theres a few problems with it(on my phone...don't know if others have same problems) but it will work until I flash my ROM and stuff

Ben6485 said:
so far my today screen looks like this
I do plan on flashing it but for now just wanted SOMETHING...haha
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/458/screenshot9mh.jpg
I downloaded the whole theme
Theres a few problems with it(on my phone...don't know if others have same problems) but it will work until I flash my ROM and stuff
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just keep playing with your phone (while erring on the safe side) and continue learning. Keep searching the forums and reading when you have questions. There are a lot of great themes and apps out there, so don't think you are stuck using sense (although I still enjoy using it from time to time). At the very least you are on your way to really understanding how to make this phone YOUR phone.
Watch the youtube video I posted earlier in this thread, its a great visual way to learn how to flash your phone, and it is done in under 10 minutes.

Ben6485 said:
so far my today screen looks like this
I do plan on flashing it but for now just wanted SOMETHING...haha
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/458/screenshot9mh.jpg
I downloaded the whole theme
Theres a few problems with it(on my phone...don't know if others have same problems) but it will work until I flash my ROM and stuff
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oooh, I'd like to help a little here. I'm also a Sprint user, so here's my cent:
This site is mainly comprised of users that have GSM devices (ATT&T, T-Mobile, and such.) So, I advise you to use this and PPCGeeks as well, since that's sort of a CDMA counter-part to this site. Some knowledge!
- You currently have TF3D 2.1 on the Stock ROM, but when most people compare and ask whether you have 2.5 or 2.1, they are referring to HTC SENSE 2.1 vs. SENSE 2.5. This is because all the other Touch Pro 2 variants have already had the 6.5 upgrade from their carrier, which comes with Sense 2.1. We are supposed to get ours by the end of first quarter of this year (Which leaves by the end of this month.), but Sprint still hasn't specified a date.
- Here's the thread you want to look at for most of your CDMA needs: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=98
- Here's the thread for unlocking your phone to flash custom ROMs: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=93252
-Unlocking your phone is not too hard and the way the peeps have made it, it's pretty much safe. In the second post of the thread in the above link, there is the relocker, if you wish to lock it for warranty purposes. Remember, always flash back to Stock ROM (If you're on a custom one.) THEN re-lock.
- Here's the thread you'll find the original STOCK ROM download, in case you want to flash back to stock after a custom ROM: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=91940
Also, from your last screen-shot of your home screen, you are using tab icons meant for QVGA devices, since they're so small (Of course, the messed up flip-clock, top cutain, and icons, are also a little messed up, haha.). HOPE I helped, and if I mentioned stuff you already knew, maybe someone else can benefit from the info.

Stick- you posted a very nice piece there.
I would also add, try reading up flashing from the ROM card. What I do is place the Stock Sprint ROM there so that I can always go back to stock when needed.
Sometimes some cooks suggest flashing to stock first then a custom ROM especially when moving from one cook's ROM to another ROM.