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Hi guys. I'm hoping my post hasn't broken any forum rules... but anyway, i am very new to android, and i'm still trying to read up on/learn about rooting a phone + flashing a ROM to it. I have a few questions that i'm hoping some experienced people could answer for me =]
1. Does my HTC sensation need to have a certain update before i can try archieve S-Off? (I'm on the Three network [UK] and my software number is 1.34.771.1)
2. How easy is it to brick a device? Im good with computers, and can follow instructions, but seeing as i have no past experience with android, i'm anxious to try flash new ROMs to my phone without insurance - as £500 for a new device would kill me... =P
3. When flashing a new custom ROM to my phone, what kind of 'wipe' do i need to perform? I've read a few articles, all of which say to perform different wipes.
4. I dont understand ' Radio Flashing' could someone kindly explain that to me please?
5. What exactly does CWM backup? =P
I hope i'm not wasting anyones time here, i have read through the articles for noobs, just need some clarification =]
Thanks for everyones time.
~Tbestie~
tbestie said:
Hi guys. I'm hoping my post hasn't broken any forum rules... but anyway, i am very new to android, and i'm still trying to read up on/learn about rooting a phone + flashing a ROM to it. I have a few questions that i'm hoping some experienced people could answer for me =]
1. Does my HTC sensation need to have a certain update before i can try archieve S-Off? (I'm on the Three network [UK] and my software number is 1.34.771.1)
2. How easy is it to brick a device? Im good with computers, and can follow instructions, but seeing as i have no past experience with android, i'm anxious to try flash new ROMs to my phone without insurance - as £500 for a new device would kill me... =P
3. When flashing a new custom ROM to my phone, what kind of 'wipe' do i need to perform? I've read a few articles, all of which say to perform different wipes.
4. I dont understand ' Radio Flashing' could someone kindly explain that to me please?
5. What exactly does CWM backup? =P
I hope i'm not wasting anyones time here, i have read through the articles for noobs, just need some clarification =]
Thanks for everyones time.
~Tbestie~
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. As long as you are on Android 2.3.3 there shouldnt be a problem. 2.3.4 donesnt have a S=off just yet, i think
2. Bricking is actually very hard to do, if u follow instructions you should be good
3. all you need to wip is the system data, cache, and i reccomend wiping the battery status too
4. Radio flashing is chaning your radio number. this is actually a very easy process. Dont worry about this, all you do is put a zip on ur sd card, and the phone does the rest.
5. ClockWork Mod backs up quite literally everytrhing. Think "Macrium Reflect" for a PC. Or a "Ghost Backup" for a PC.
6. I just added this. don worry about wasting peoples time. We are here to help each other like a community. Let me know if u have any other questions.
I am following this thread, and when u reply i will answer you again. So feel free to ask any more questions.
If you feel like ur ready to root just go to the Development forum and see the 1st sticky thread. Or if u ask i will send u a few links on how to root.
Alankrut said:
1. As long as you are on Android 2.3.3 there shouldnt be a problem. 2.3.4 donesnt have a S=off just yet, i think
2. Bricking is actually very hard to do, if u follow instructions you should be good
3. all you need to wip is the system data, cache, and i reccomend wiping the battery status too
4. Radio flashing is chaning your radio number. this is actually a very easy process. Dont worry about this, all you do is put a zip on ur sd card, and the phone does the rest.
5. ClockWork Mod backs up quite literally everytrhing. Think "Macrium Reflect" for a PC. Or a "Ghost Backup" for a PC.
6. I just added this. don worry about wasting peoples time. We are here to help each other like a community. Let me know if u have any other questions.
I am following this thread, and when u reply i will answer you again. So feel free to ask any more questions.
If you feel like ur ready to root just go to the Development forum and see the 1st sticky thread. Or if u ask i will send u a few links on how to root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much =] Think i'll give rooting a go within the next week... just want to make my sensation that much faster and improve the battery life!
If you don't mind me asking;
What exactly is a Radio number for?
I am on android 2.3.3 , just my software number seemed different to other peoples phones =P
So if i use this 'Clockwork Mod' to backup everything, once the new ROM has installed, will everything just be the same (apart from the changes on the ROM obv) such as app placements on homescreens etc. Or will i have to put everything back?
Also, say android releases 2.3.5 , im assuming i would just flash an updated ROM over the top of an older 2.3.4 ROM when it is released?
I've read through the 1st sticky a few times already, just to familiarise myself with certain words/actions =]
Finally, what is hboot =]
Thanks again for your time!
~Tbestie~
tbestie said:
So if i use this 'Clockwork Mod' to backup everything, once the new ROM has installed, will everything just be the same (apart from the changes on the ROM obv) such as app placements on homescreens etc. Or will i have to put everything back?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Clockwork Mod is just a recovery program to allow you to install new ROMs to your device, but most importantly, to let you backup and restore your current device configuration (like a sort of time machine). Most developers recommend Clockwork Mod (CWM) because it is so good at what it does. If anything fails, and you need to use your phone in a pinch, just revert to a CWM backup, and all's well!
So, to answer your question, unfortunately, no. One of the only ways to do that is with Titanium Backup, a program from the Android Market.
CWM is for reverting to previous incarnations of your phone's software and firmware.
Sorry I only answered one question, but it was the only one I knew how to in an effective manner.
Sorry, I can answer another!
tbestie said:
What exactly is a Radio number for?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A radio is the way that your device communicates with your mobile networking. (wifi, 3G/4G, etc) Different Radio versions (numbers) work better for different people. Most developers will release a matched radio with their ROMs, which is usually what works best for them. Depending on your area, different radios may work better for you. Ultimately concerning radios, Your Mileage WILL vary. it's one of the other big trial and error pieces to flashing custom ROMs.
tbestie said:
Thank you very much =] Think i'll give rooting a go within the next week... just want to make my sensation that much faster and improve the battery life!
If you don't mind me asking;
What exactly is a Radio number for?
I am on android 2.3.3 , just my software number seemed different to other peoples phones =P
So if i use this 'Clockwork Mod' to backup everything, once the new ROM has installed, will everything just be the same (apart from the changes on the ROM obv) such as app placements on homescreens etc. Or will i have to put everything back?
Also, say android releases 2.3.5 , im assuming i would just flash an updated ROM over the top of an older 2.3.4 ROM when it is released?
I've read through the 1st sticky a few times already, just to familiarise myself with certain words/actions =]
Finally, what is hboot =]
Thanks again for your time!
~Tbestie~
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Radio Number/Version is the version of ur radio. This is signal related.
So when updates come out they typically update the
radio and make the signal strength better.
This is something to be careful with, when changing ROMs
make sure that the some you are about to change into
supports ur radio version.
When u use ClockWork Mod to backup it will backup your current settings. So if u backup it consists of your rom , apps, settings, etc. so if u restore that then everything would be like the old one. So Yes, u would have the set everything back on the homescreen. Its ok, u will get used to that.
When they release android 2.3.5 you might have to "wipe" your phone and do it again. Maybe, depending on your rom, you might be able to flash on top of 2.3.4
H-Boot is similar to the Bios of the computer. And you know how carefully you have to be to change that.
But the H-Boot version that the 1st sticky says allows changing of certain things, thus allowing you to have root.
Feel free to ask away, im here to help you
Andresehn said:
Sorry, I can answer another!
A radio is the way that your device communicates with your mobile networking. (wifi, 3G/4G, etc) Different Radio versions (numbers) work better for different people. Most developers will release a matched radio with their ROMs, which is usually what works best for them. Depending on your area, different radios may work better for you. Ultimately concerning radios, Your Mileage WILL vary. it's one of the other big trial and error pieces to flashing custom ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol. you posted both while i was writing up my response.
Its good though, because then the OP will get to read 2 times as much, which will make him even better at the terminology and the process
Lol. I'm just trying to be helpful so i can get to posting on the Dev. forums. There are plenty of easy questions there...
Appreciating the help guys =] Starting to understand a bit better!
So when i flash a new ROM, i must flash a new Radio? If i flash the recommended radio, how likely am i to get a good signal? And if im getting poor signal, i just have to keep trying new Radios? ( I Heard flashing radios is one of the ways you can brick your device)
Also with CWM - When the backup is made... do i have to keep it on the Sd card? Or can i move it to the computer so it takes up less space?
And if i understand correctly - CWM basically creates a backup just incase things go wrong you can always revert back?
... If i use titanium backup, what benefits does that bring over CWM? - Is it worth the money?
Thanks again
~Tbestie~
Also, how do i find my hboot version?
Ive started trying to get S-Off... just be reading ahead, it says that Custom ROMs come with root already? Does that mean i just need CWM with S-Off to flash a ROM? Or do i need to Root + Do the Super-Cid thing?
tbestie said:
Also, how do i find my hboot version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- Hold the power button, untill you get Shut Down, Airplane Mode or Restart.
- Click on Restart then Yes.
- Wait until all the lights on your device turn off.
- Hold the Vol. Down Button until a white screen shows.
There you'll find HBOOT-XXXXXX
This is your HBOOT version.
To get to your OS again:
- Make sure FASTBOOT is hightlighted.
- Press the <Power> button.
- Go to REBOOT by pressing Vol. Down.
- Press the <Power> button.
Hope it helps
tbestie said:
Ive started trying to get S-Off... just be reading ahead, it says that Custom ROMs come with root already? Does that mean i just need CWM with S-Off to flash a ROM? Or do i need to Root + Do the Super-Cid thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't need Root to install a custom Root.
Just S-OFF, CWM and SuperCID I believe..
Just note down your old CID before writing the new SuperCID as you may need it later if you want to flash RUU and afraid of doing something wrong
Later on, if you want to flash RUU (Rom Upgrade Utility) without the fear of flashing a wrong one, you can just write the old CID to your device again
Check this post to know more
Sorry for the silly amount of posts... i cant find how to delete them!
Just so you know - I've archieved S-Off now , and installed CWM successfully.
Am i ready to flash a ROM?
-Also i have save files in games... such as FF7 - FPse , which a really dont want to lose... is their anyway i can copy them/save them somewhere ?
claudenegm said:
You don't need Root to install a custom Root.
Just S-OFF, CWM and SuperCID I believe..
Just note down your old CID before writing the new SuperCID as you may need it later if you want to flash RUU and afraid of doing something wrong
Later on, if you want to flash RUU (Rom Upgrade Utility) without the fear of flashing a wrong one, you can just write the old CID to your device again
Check this post to know more
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do i find/note down my old cid?
tbestie said:
Sorry for the silly amount of posts... i cant find how to delete them!
Just so you know - I've archieved S-Off now , and installed CWM successfully.
Am i ready to flash a ROM?
-Also i have save files in games... such as FF7 - FPse , which a really dont want to lose... is their anyway i can copy them/save them somewhere ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To flash a ROM, you mean Stock ROM (RUU) or Custom ROM?
If Custom Rom, please read my post #13 then do the SuperCID thing as you will need it for custom ROM..
About your saved games, the only way I know you can backup your saved data with is using Titanium Backup, which can be found in the Market.
Obviously, if you still don't know what you're doing, research more and then do whatever you want.
I take no responsibilities about anything that may happen to your phone using any of the methods above.
Good luck
tbestie said:
How do i find/note down my old cid?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I posted all the instructions in the other link I posted.
You'll find CID: XXXXX, keep this code with you, in-case you need it later for installing RUU and confused about which one to use.
claudenegm said:
To flash a ROM, you mean Stock ROM (RUU) or Custom ROM?
If Custom Rom, please read my post #13 then do the SuperCID thing as you will need it for custom ROM..
About your saved games, the only way I know you can backup your saved data with is using Titanium Backup, which can be found in the Market.
Obviously, if you still don't know what you're doing, research more and then do whatever you want.
I take no responsibilities about anything that may happen to your phone using any of the methods above.
Good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im going to try install Android Revolution 3.0.0 =]
Starting to understand what im doing. About to make a backup using CWM. =]
*UPDATE* - Performed backup with CWM - Everything seemed to go fine... however i noticed it said ''No sd-ext found, skipping backup of sd-ext''...
Does that mean my SD card isnt backed up?
tbestie said:
Im going to try install Android Revolution 3.0.0 =]
Starting to understand what im doing. About to make a backup using CWM. =]
*UPDATE* - Performed backup with CWM - Everything seemed to go fine... however i noticed it said ''No sd-ext found, skipping backup of sd-ext''...
Does that mean my SD card isn't backed up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what happened to me when I backed up.
I think you should ignore it, as it is trying to backup an extension in the SD-Card, as you can re-partition your SD-Card using CWM as I understand.
I would be pleased if someone explained to me what exactly sd-ext is and what I'm missing
Good day to you all
claudenegm said:
I would be pleased if someone explained to me what exactly sd-ext is and what I'm missing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ignoring it is ok. sd-ext not being backed up is most likely an indicator that an EXT4 formatted portion of your SD card was not found. By default, your SD card is formatted as FAT32 because of its universal acceptance by all OSs. Some users report a performance boost/personal preference toward EXT4, YMMV.
tbestie said:
Does that mean my SD card isnt backed up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most importantly, ClockworkMod does not back up your SD card. that is something you have to do manually on your computer, should you choose to do so. CWM is only responsible for backing up the internal storage of the phone that can be changed or wiped by ROMs (or mike1986's SuperWipe.) ROMs shouldn't change the contents of the SD card.
I have ATT HOX 2.20, unlocked, rooted, superCID, S-off, latest TWRP (thanks to all of you). I'm prett lost as to where to go next. I'd like to keep all of this and update to the latest stock ota Jellybean. However, when I check for ATT updates on the phone, nothing happens, even when I manually check in.
I would like the latest and greatest on this phone but more important is full functionality and full stability. If I could hit a button, return this phone to original, and download the latest ota, I would. I would then just use Titanium Backup to remove any bloatware that I didn't like. But I (and I suspect many others) spent weeks unlocking this phone because it was unclear when, or if, an official JB would ever arrive. So here I am, stuck in an inbetween moment. The part where this site offers way too many options with unclear results. I am looking for the least complicated, way to get the most fully functional and stable JB onto this phone and I'll be done. And, I can't figure out if it's the official update or one of a thousand offered Roms, kernels, radios, etc. Any and all specific advice would be appreciated. And, as always, thank you to all who post here. I've had a lot of fun (and a few scary moments).
runaway said:
I have ATT HOX 2.20, unlocked, rooted, superCID, S-off, latest TWRP (thanks to all of you). I'm prett lost as to where to go next. I'd like to keep all of this and update to the latest stock ota Jellybean. However, when I check for ATT updates on the phone, nothing happens, even when I manually check in.
I would like the latest and greatest on this phone but more important is full functionality and full stability. If I could hit a button, return this phone to original, and download the latest ota, I would. I would then just use Titanium Backup to remove any bloatware that I didn't like. But I (and I suspect many others) spent weeks unlocking this phone because it was unclear when, or if, an official JB would ever arrive. So here I am, stuck in an inbetween moment. The part where this site offers way too many options with unclear results. I am looking for the least complicated, way to get the most fully functional and stable JB onto this phone and I'll be done. And, I can't figure out if it's the official update or one of a thousand offered Roms, kernels, radios, etc. Any and all specific advice would be appreciated. And, as always, thank you to all who post here. I've had a lot of fun (and a few scary moments).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do you want to go stock? Stock currently has only 4.1.1. There are various ROMs on the XDA, if you want a sense one try out the Viper XL and also there are various options for non-sense ROMs.
Anyways if you do want to flash the stock ROM here is the link: -
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2181399
Make sure you rea carefully before you flash the stock one from anywhere. There have been bricks. Also check out the FAQs. Hope this helped
runaway said:
I have ATT HOX 2.20, unlocked, rooted, superCID, S-off, latest TWRP (thanks to all of you). I'm prett lost as to where to go next. I'd like to keep all of this and update to the latest stock ota Jellybean. However, when I check for ATT updates on the phone, nothing happens, even when I manually check in.
I would like the latest and greatest on this phone but more important is full functionality and full stability. If I could hit a button, return this phone to original, and download the latest ota, I would. I would then just use Titanium Backup to remove any bloatware that I didn't like. But I (and I suspect many others) spent weeks unlocking this phone because it was unclear when, or if, an official JB would ever arrive. So here I am, stuck in an inbetween moment. The part where this site offers way too many options with unclear results. I am looking for the least complicated, way to get the most fully functional and stable JB onto this phone and I'll be done. And, I can't figure out if it's the official update or one of a thousand offered Roms, kernels, radios, etc. Any and all specific advice would be appreciated. And, as always, thank you to all who post here. I've had a lot of fun (and a few scary moments).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think pretty much everybody here will tell you to stay away from the new ota. It offers nothing new and some people have even bricked their phones while updating. My suggestion would be to install one of the custom roms as they're better optimissed and don't have all the bloat and are more customizable. I've found viperxl to be as stable as stock while adding a load of tweaks to highly personalize it. Cleanrom on the other hand doesn't have all the tweaks but is a stripped down Rom that's fast and stable. But you'll have to try you like best but I advise you not to ota. The ota will also update your touchscreen firmware that causes a lot of problems for cm users. If you think you might want to install cm10 don't update.
Sent from Xparent Red using my Venomized Evita
If you want stock flash CleanROM 6 r2. In fact, just flash everything in my signature + turge's WiFi fix. That will give you the latest "stock" experience for AT&T.
Sent from my HTC One XL
There's no need to "stay away" from the OTA if you know what you're doing. It contains some updates that are not in any of the Sense ROMs. If you want to update everything on your phone, it's easy and safe to do so since you're s-off. The only people who bricked were SuperCID and s-on. Here's what to do:
-Confirm that you're s-off (just to be safe)
-Make a full backup and copy it off your phone.
-Run 2.20 ruu. You need this to restore stock recovery.
-Download the ota, rename update.zip, and copy to internal storage.
-Reboot to bootloader, select recovery, press power and vol+ to get to recovery dialog.
-Ignore errors that come up. Select install from internal storage, select update.zip. Your phone may reboot a couple of times. Return to bootloader when done.
-Push custom recovery back on.
-Flash rooted rom
-Restore backups as necessary
I did all this a couple of weeks ago, and my phone is running faster and more smoothly than ever.
You will need to downgrade your touchscreen firmware if you ever plan to use an AOSP rom.
I'll try this
iElvis said:
There's no need to "stay away" from the OTA if you know what you're doing. It contains some updates that are not in any of the Sense ROMs. If you want to update everything on your phone, it's easy and safe to do so since you're s-off. The only people who bricked were SuperCID and s-on. Here's what to do:
-Confirm that you're s-off (just to be safe)
-Make a full backup and copy it off your phone.
-Run 2.20 ruu. You need this to restore stock recovery.
-Download the ota, rename update.zip, and copy to internal storage.
-Reboot to bootloader, select recovery, press power and vol+ to get to recovery dialog.
-Ignore errors that come up. Select install from internal storage, select update.zip. Your phone may reboot a couple of times. Return to bootloader when done.
-Push custom recovery back on.
-Flash rooted rom
-Restore backups as necessary
I did all this a couple of weeks ago, and my phone is running faster and more smoothly than ever.
You will need to downgrade your touchscreen firmware if you ever plan to use an AOSP rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is what I'm looking for. My second choice would be the highly recommended Viper Rom, and thirdly a CleanRom. I tried the CleanRom once and softbricked my phone so I'm a little shy now. I like the HTC Sense and don't mind keeping it. I just want a ROM designed specifically for this phone where everything works, is updated, and is stable. I feel like the official ota is the answer. The info on this site gets quite scattered when you get to this point. Do I stay locked, or do I re-lock? Do I keep TWRP or not? Do I flash or update? Boot image extract or no? S-off ok or no? etc. etc. I'll try your way first. Provided I come out the other side ok, I'll post the results here. Thank you for your help.
runaway said:
This is what I'm looking for. My second choice would be the highly recommended Viper Rom, and thirdly a CleanRom. I tried the CleanRom once and softbricked my phone so I'm a little shy now. I like the HTC Sense and don't mind keeping it. I just want a ROM designed specifically for this phone where everything works, is updated, and is stable. I feel like the official ota is the answer. The info on this site gets quite scattered when you get to this point. Do I stay locked, or do I re-lock? Do I keep TWRP or not? Do I flash or update? Boot image extract or no? S-off ok or no? etc. etc. I'll try your way first. Provided I come out the other side ok, I'll post the results here. Thank you for your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, to clarify, by "backup" I meant both a nandroid (always a good idea when making changes), and your user apps+data.
When restoring, only restore user apps. A nandroid will put you back where you were. Don't restore system apps+data either, as this can cause problems, esp when upgrading your base.
iElvis said:
Also, to clarify, by "backup" I meant both a nandroid (always a good idea when making changes), and your user apps+data.
When restoring, only restore user apps. A nandroid will put you back where you were. Don't restore system apps+data either, as this can cause problems, esp when upgrading your base.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to confirm, After downloading OTA and doing my backups, I need to find the original 2.20 file for this phone and restore stock recovery? (I'll have to admit, I'm a bit lost on this site and overwhelmed by all of the files I've downloaded to get this far. If anyone can post a link here to this file, and or, instructions, I'd appreciate it)
Here is where I stand right now:
Andriod 4.04, HTC Sense 4.0, Software number 2.20.502.7 710RD, HTC SDK API level 4.23
Tampered
Unlocked
EVITA PVT SHIP S-OFF RL
CID-11111111
HBOOT-1.14.0002
RADIO-0.19as32.09.11-2
OpenDSP-v29.1.0.45.0622
eMMc-boot
Jun 11 2012 14:36:28
runaway said:
Just to confirm, After downloading OTA and doing my backups, I need to find the original 2.20 file for this phone and restore stock recovery? (I'll have to admit, I'm a bit lost on this site and overwhelmed by all of the files I've downloaded to get this far. If anyone can post a link here to this file, and or, instructions, I'd appreciate it)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, there is a link to the 2.20 ruu in the development section roll-up thread.
Hello Guys.... M really new to XDA as well as HTC devices.... had a Sony and a Samsung before... Seems HTC is entirely different!
i just needed some expertise on following questions i had in my mind:
1) i have bought an HTC one xl (snapdragon version) that is unlocked.. will a "FACTORY DATA RESET" or flashing of a custom rom lock it again??
(does this phone need to have an unlocked bootloader)
2) what is the best and most secure way to root it? (link to any guides will be much appreciated)
3) things that can possibly brick the phone and i should AVOID?
4) the best custom rom in terms of speed?
5) any necessary mods for stock rom?
PLEASE i neeed some help!
You need to find the correct root method for your current hboot. If your phone is the at&t model, click the link in my signature, then find the right root method for you. If it's not, just go to htcdev.com and unlock your bootloader, then you can flash TWRP recovery, and flash a custom ROM.
Sent from my Evita
1)Factory data reset in bootloader just clears the /data partition but does not function correctly at all if you unlock the bootloader for this device.
The only way to relock the bootloader is to do fastboot oem lock
2)As timmaaa said, follow the index. You want to unlock bootloader, flash ROM with root, get supercid, s-off.
The catches are:
AT&T devices need to gain temp root to get supercid before they can unlock bootloader.
Newer HTC updates eg new 3.17 and 5.xx updates may prevent you from getting supercid even with root, you may need to investigate downgrading things to get supercid.
With an unlocked bootloader, you are well on your way. You should check if you have supercid and if you are s-off.
3)Do not attempt to install HTC updates after you modify the phone. OTA is particular can be dangerous but even RUU's can be dangerous under some circumstances. OTA have many rules which are easy to follow once you have an idea of what they do, best bet is to just ignore them, RUU is fine if you have both s-off and supercid.
4)You can not ask that question and we can not answer it. It is unfair for someone to rate ROM's over other ROMs as the devs put a lot of effort in to these things. Each ROM is special in its own way, you need to check them out yourself.
A typical vibe is HTC stock ROMs will typically give the most reliable experience, eg less crashes, less bugs, etc, but tend to also lack features.
Unlocking your phone and modding it requires you to read and understand what you are getting yourself in to. It is not a perfect smooth ride, it is not for the average "non technical" user.
5)Not really
twistedddx said:
1)Factory data reset in bootloader just clears the /data partition but does not function correctly at all if you unlock the bootloader for this device.
The only way to relock the bootloader is to do fastboot oem lock
2)As timmaaa said, follow the index. You want to unlock bootloader, flash ROM with root, get supercid, s-off.
The catches are:
AT&T devices need to gain temp root to get supercid before they can unlock bootloader.
Newer HTC updates eg new 3.17 and 5.xx updates may prevent you from getting supercid even with root, you may need to investigate downgrading things to get supercid.
With an unlocked bootloader, you are well on your way. You should check if you have supercid and if you are s-off.
3)Do not attempt to install HTC updates after you modify the phone. OTA is particular can be dangerous but even RUU's can be dangerous under some circumstances. OTA have many rules which are easy to follow once you have an idea of what they do, best bet is to just ignore them, RUU is fine if you have both s-off and supercid.
4)You can not ask that question and we can not answer it. It is unfair for someone to rate ROM's over other ROMs as the devs put a lot of effort in to these things. Each ROM is special in its own way, you need to check them out yourself.
A typical vibe is HTC stock ROMs will typically give the most reliable experience, eg less crashes, less bugs, etc, but tend to also lack features.
Unlocking your phone and modding it requires you to read and understand what you are getting yourself in to. It is not a perfect smooth ride, it is not for the average "non technical" user.
5)Not really
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks a lot man....
i appreciate since u elaborated on every aspect...!! =)
btw m sorry if i am wrong but what i meant in my first question was does rooting or a reset or flashing affect the "sim unlock" (or the factory unlock or jailbreak)? [the vendor says its unlocked to work on all networks]
besides you are right i was wrong with the approach.. every developer puts in a lot of efforts in ROM development and its not fair to rate it!
the only reason i would possibly root is to remove bloatware.
and rvhaval
timmaaa said:
You need to find the correct root method for your current hboot. If your phone is the at&t model, click the link in my signature, then find the right root method for you. If it's not, just go to htcdev.com and unlock your bootloader, then you can flash TWRP recovery, and flash a custom ROM.
Sent from my Evita
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks i will surely go through that!
the thing that actually haunts me is this phone doesn't have a removable battery so if anything goes wrong and i have some boot loops i would be in a very hopeless situation.. So I need to go through everything!
Sonone said:
thanks i will surely go through that!
the thing that actually haunts me is this phone doesn't have a removable battery so if anything goes wrong and i have some boot loops i would be in a very hopeless situation.. So I need to go through everything!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can simulate a battery pull by holding volume down and power buttons together. When you do this the button lights will start flashing, when they stop flashing you can let go of the power button but keep holding volume down. This will take you to the bootloader.
Sent from my Evita
Sim unlock is unrelated to bootloader unlock, ROM flashing, etc etc.
The sim unlock should survive most everything you will do. Although I have not tested as my device was never locked.
thanks!! i hope it survives!
timmaaa said:
You can simulate a battery pull by holding volume down and power buttons together. When you do this the button lights will start flashing, when they stop flashing you can let go of the power button but keep holding volume down. This will take you to the bootloader.
Sent from my Evita
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that sounds good!!
the people on this device forum seem very helpful:good::angel::highfive:
timmaaa said:
You can simulate a battery pull by holding volume down and power buttons together. When you do this the button lights will start flashing, when they stop flashing you can let go of the power button but keep holding volume down. This will take you to the bootloader.
Sent from my Evita
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that sounds good!!
the people on this device forum seem very helpful:good::angel::highfive:
so Timaaaa i have done the following...
please i would like to give you a brief update of the following things..
1)Unlocked Bootloader
2)i have s-off
3)supercid is 11111111
4) installed twrp version 6.xx.xxx
5)my radio is 1.30a.32.45.18
6)hboot is 2.15.0000
7)device is now rooted
so m i good to flash custom roms like Cm,PAC,SLIM?
That all looks fine apart from two things.
The TWRP version you mentioned doesn't look right, the latest TWRP is 2.6.3, could you double check that?
Also, your hboot is 2.15 which will be ok for flashing cm, but I think PAC still has a restriction to hboot 2.14 and I'm not sure about Slim. Hboot 2.15 is perfect for running the latest Sense 5 ROMs though.
Sent from my Evita
timmaaa said:
That all looks fine apart from two things.
The TWRP version you mentioned doesn't look right, the latest TWRP is 2.6.3, could you double check that?
Also, your hboot is 2.15 which will be ok for flashing cm, but I think PAC still has a restriction to hboot 2.14 and I'm not sure about Slim. Hboot 2.15 is perfect for running the latest Sense 5 ROMs though.
Sent from my Evita
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As u said i checked again its 2.5.0.0 how to update twrp?
it actually works well......
btw is it possible to change hboot version?
and thanks as always!
TWRP 2.5 is full of bugs, you should update to at least 2.6, here's how:
Download TWRP 2.6 from here. Put the file in your fastboot folder. Connect phone in fastboot mode, open command prompt from within fastboot folder, issue the following commands:
Code:
fastboot flash recovery "filename.img"
(the exact filename, minus the talking marks)
Code:
fastboot erase cache
Code:
fastboot reboot-bootloader
Now you'll have a much better version of TWRP.
You can upgrade and downgrade your hboot, there's a thread on our forum somewhere but I can't remember where, just search downgrade hboot within our forum and it should appear.
Sent from my Evita
did that... btw when i installed it... and tried to clear the cache partition and dalvik cache it said it "failed"...!!
Btw also i wanted to know..
since i had a Samsung before flashing a rom just meant copying the zip file and installing it through cwm followed by a resets (if needed)
is this the same way for HTC ONE xl. or like Sony do i have to first unzip the downloaded rom.. and flash the "boot.img" separately??
So even after putting TWRP 2.6 on your phone you get a failed message when trying to wipe?
With this phone all you need to do is copy the ROM zip onto the phone and install it, you are s-off so you don't need to worry about flashing the boot.img via fastboot.
Sent from my Evita
i tried it again mate and it works absolutely fine!
yay!!!! :laugh: flashing roms will be great!:good:
wish if we had a dual boot interface like we have on our computers installing every single app again becomes so inconvenient!:fingers-crossed:
btw m really sorry to bombard you with all the quetions:silly: i just needed to ask one thing that do we have a list of bloatware apps which are safe to remove..
i did google it but then it was very specific to carrier bloatware. as i have got an unlocked version there are no carrier bloatware apps but i do have some apps which seem useless at the moment.. i did freeze a few... but it would have helped if there would have been a list!
I'd love a dual boot setup too. In terms of bloatware, you can remove a fair bit but be careful while doing it. Removing anything that is integral to the running of the ROM will cause problems. Things like Stocks, Picasa, Talkback can be removed if you don't use them. Obviously don't remove anything like Phone or Messages lol.
Sent from my Evita
timmaaa said:
I'd love a dual boot setup too. In terms of bloatware, you can remove a fair bit but be careful while doing it. Removing anything that is integral to the running of the ROM will cause problems. Things like Stocks, Picasa, Talkback can be removed if you don't use them. Obviously don't remove anything like Phone or Messages lol.
Sent from my Evita
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ya i wont ripp off phone or system ui etc :laugh:
m thinking of flashing clean rom 7.0.1 but den it seems it has an at&t bootscreen or something like that during start up which m not very inclined to have....
so i will stick to the rules not asking for any advice on which rom is preffered as every one of dem i great and i will check them out one by one.
I haven't tried the new Cleamrom, it's a very stock kind of ROM which isn't really my flavour but it's a very popular ROM.
Sent from my Evita
Hello,
I am trying to update my phone without losing all of my data and of coarse, root as well. Below is what I am working with:
*** TAMPERED ***
*** UNLOCKED ***
EVITA PVT SHIP S-ON RL
HBOOT-1.14.0002
RADIO-0.19AS.32.09.11_2
OpenDSP-v29.1.0.45.0622
eMMC-boot
Jun 11 2012, 14:36:28
Recovery TWRP v2.6.3.0
Android Version 4.0.4
Sense 4.0
software # 2.20.502.7.710RD
API Level 4.23
HTC extension 403_1_GA_20
Kernel 3.0.8-01558-g7f75e5b
baseband 0.19as
build 2.20.502.7
That's probably way more than you needed to know, but I like to be through. (c;
anyhow, I want to update everything to the latest version... firmware, hboot (if applicable), OS, radio, etc. without losing my data, recovery or root.
I have downloaded RUU_EVITA_UL_JB_45_S_Cingular_US_3.18.502.6_Radio_0.24p.32.09.06_10.130.32.34_release_signed_With_Partial.exe from HTC
and OTA_EVITA_UL_JB_45_S_Cingular_US_3.18.502.6_0.24p.32.09.06_10.130.32.34_release_3061616bcty3drvawwo01k.zip from my phone.
I tried upgrading using adb sideload (renaming zip from carrier to update.zip) and it failed
I tried upgrading using install feature of TWRP using update.zip and it failed
I then thought I will just extract the .img files and flash using adb, but quickly discovered I don't know what .img file is which. If some one has a better way of accomplishing my goal i am all ears, however if someone can assist in identifying which .img files i should flash and how to best approach it I would be very appreciative.
the files extracted are attached (didn't want to flood the post)
It's better to provide too much information than not enough, which is what most people do lol.
I think you're a bit misguided on the whole process so I'll break it down for you. You've downloaded the right RUU but you don't need the OTA. You're also approaching it with the wrong methodology, you're not meant to extract the RUU and flash any image files manually. All you need to do is connect your phone to your PC in fastboot mode and run the RUU exe program in Windows then follow the prompts. You must get s-off first though, very important, do not skip this step!
You will lose your custom recovery and root, there's no way around that. But getting them back is as easy as flashing the custom recovery again and installing root or a rooted ROM. The RUU shouldn't wipe anything from your sd card but it's a good idea to make a backup just in case. You'll lose text messages, call logs, things like that but you can back those up using backup apps before the process.
So head over to the Rumrunner site and get s-off first and you'll be good to go.
Sent from my Evita
timmaaa said:
It's better to provide too much information than not enough, which is what most people do lol.
I think you're a bit misguided on the whole process so I'll break it down for you. You've downloaded the right RUU but you don't need the OTA. You're also approaching it with the wrong methodology, you're not meant to extract the RUU and flash any image files manually. All you need to do is connect your phone to your PC in fastboot mode and run the RUU exe program in Windows then follow the prompts. You must get s-off first though, very important, do not skip this step!
You will lose your custom recovery and root, there's no way around that. But getting them back is as easy as flashing the custom recovery again and installing root or a rooted ROM. The RUU shouldn't wipe anything from your sd card but it's a good idea to make a backup just in case. You'll lose text messages, call logs, things like that but you can back those up using backup apps before the process.
So head over to the Rumrunner site and get s-off first and you'll be good to go.
Sent from my Evita
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response!
I figured I didn't need both the ruu and the ota, but I didn't know if one had newer componets than the other. Also, I didn't know that s-off had been accomplished, last I checked it was still unavailable.
The reason I was thinking of flashing the images manually was because it was so simple for the nexus 7 upgrade, and prevented data loss. The ruu says data loss will happen on it, so I was skeptical to run it as is. So now I am off to check out that link and get this party started! Thanks again!
Spy_64 said:
Hello,
I am trying to update my phone without losing all of my data and of coarse, root as well. Below is what I am working with:
*** TAMPERED ***
*** UNLOCKED ***
EVITA PVT SHIP S-ON RL
HBOOT-1.14.0002
RADIO-0.19AS.32.09.11_2
OpenDSP-v29.1.0.45.0622
eMMC-boot
Jun 11 2012, 14:36:28
Recovery TWRP v2.6.3.0
Android Version 4.0.4
Sense 4.0
software # 2.20.502.7.710RD
API Level 4.23
HTC extension 403_1_GA_20
Kernel 3.0.8-01558-g7f75e5b
baseband 0.19as
build 2.20.502.7
That's probably way more than you needed to know, but I like to be through. (c;
anyhow, I want to update everything to the latest version... firmware, hboot (if applicable), OS, radio, etc. without losing my data, recovery or root.
I have downloaded RUU_EVITA_UL_JB_45_S_Cingular_US_3.18.502.6_Radio_0.24p.32.09.06_10.130.32.34_release_signed_With_Partial.exe from HTC
and OTA_EVITA_UL_JB_45_S_Cingular_US_3.18.502.6_0.24p.32.09.06_10.130.32.34_release_3061616bcty3drvawwo01k.zip from my phone.
I tried upgrading using adb sideload (renaming zip from carrier to update.zip) and it failed
I tried upgrading using install feature of TWRP using update.zip and it failed
I then thought I will just extract the .img files and flash using adb, but quickly discovered I don't know what .img file is which. If some one has a better way of accomplishing my goal i am all ears, however if someone can assist in identifying which .img files i should flash and how to best approach it I would be very appreciative.
the files extracted are attached (didn't want to flood the post)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you get stuck or need more info, I threw together a guide with info from the forums that may help:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2593037
By the way, tell me about your footer "HTC Evita Gummy 4.4.2 | Torched KK Kernel S-off | 2.14 | Modified TWRP 2.6.3"..... Cooked rom? How do you like it? How does it compare to stock?
Madcat8686 said:
If you get stuck or need more info, I threw together a guide with info from the forums that may help:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2593037
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
Spy_64 said:
By the way, tell me about your footer "HTC Evita Gummy 4.4.2 | Torched KK Kernel S-off | 2.14 | Modified TWRP 2.6.3"..... Cooked rom? How do you like it? How does it compare to stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a really good Rom. Extremely stable with excellent battery life. It's my current "go to" Nandroid back up I use during the day now. I flash new Roms almost daily when I don't need the phone for work. It's based off AOSP and that's what I like most about it. It has tweaks but not too many. For someone making a jump to 4.4+ Roms, I would highly recommend this one as a starter. We are very fortunate to have many like this and I'm getting around too try all of them (we are very lucky to have some talented individuals working Roms in our Forum.)
As for stock, I have to be honest, I can hardly remember what stock is like. I tried most of the stock Roms a few months ago and I have Nandroid backups of them. I remember a few were very stable but as I said, I'm a sucker for pure AOSP.
AHHH shoot, I suppose I just fielded a question meant for Timmaa, my bad!
Madcat8686 said:
It's a really good Rom. Extremely stable with excellent battery life. It's my current "go to" Nandroid back up I use during the day now. I flash new Roms almost daily when I don't need the phone for work. It's based off AOSP and that's what I like most about it. It has tweaks but not too many. For someone making a jump to 4.4+ Roms, I would highly recommend this one as a starter. We are very fortunate to have many like this and I'm getting around too try all of them (we are very lucky to have some talented individuals working Roms in our Forum.)
As for stock, I have to be honest, I can hardly remember what stock is like. I tried most of the stock Roms a few months ago and I have Nandroid backups of them. I remember a few were very stable but as I said, I'm a sucker for pure AOSP.
AHHH shoot, I suppose I just fielded a question meant for Timmaa, my bad!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the insight. (c; Know of any place i can see screenshots or more info? better battery life is very important to me. I have been steering clear of aftermarket rom's because it always seems that there is always one thing or another that doesn't work... and it always seems to be either or a combination of, tethering, GPS, MMS, or wifi, all are rather important to me. (c;
Spy_64 said:
Thanks for the insight. (c; Know of any place i can see screenshots or more info? better battery life is very important to me. I have been steering clear of aftermarket rom's because it always seems that there is always one thing or another that doesn't work... and it always seems to be either or a combination of, tethering, GPS, MMS, or wifi, all are rather important to me. (c;
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Roms are in the development and original development threads. I don't want to steer you down the wrong path and tell you that one Rom is better than another because that's not the XDA way. It implies that one dev's work is better or inferior in some way (plus it's against the rules.)
I can recommend Gummy Rom as a starter if you are ready to try out a custom Rom. I like it and I consider it a daily driver but a couple of the others are just as good. You just have to flash and find out. Many of the 4.4+ Roms on our Forum are stable and work really well.
well I have tried two different PC's running different OS's, and two different USB cables and I cannot get past
....
Checking for updates......
Test 1: Rebooting into bootloader
Waiting for fastboot (11/120)
Waiting
Test 2: Booting device
Waiting for ADB (49/120)
Device detected.....................
[TTTT********************************************** **********]
Press ENTER to exit
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
when running rumrunner. I cannot seem to find anything out there that fixes it either )c;
Any thoughts?
Sometimes Rumrunner says it's failed but it has actually worked, does it still at s-on in your bootloader?
Sent from my Evita
timmaaa said:
Sometimes Rumrunner says it's failed but it has actually worked, does it still at s-on in your bootloader?
Sent from my Evita
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yah bootloader still says s-on. )c;
It's possible that it's the ROM/kernel that's the problem. You might consider flashing the latest MagioRom, I've had confirmed reports of success with that ROM.
Sent from my Evita
timmaaa said:
It's possible that it's the ROM/kernel that's the problem. You might consider flashing the latest MagioRom, I've had confirmed reports of success with that ROM.
Sent from my Evita
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wont I lose all my data doing so?
What do you mean by data? If you mean your images, music and such on your sd card, no you won't lose it. You never lose that when changing ROMs, I've flash multiple ROMs every week for the last few years and I've never once lost that data in all this hundreds of flashes.
You will lose your text messages, call logs, apps, stuff like that, but you can use several apps to back those up before you flash and then restore it afterwards. Do you use Titanium Backup? If not I suggest you look into it, it allows you to backup pretty much everything.
Sent from my Evita
timmaaa said:
What do you mean by data? If you mean your images, music and such on your sd card, no you won't lose it. You never lose that when changing ROMs, I've flash multiple ROMs every week for the last few years and I've never once lost that data in all this hundreds of flashes.
You will lose your text messages, call logs, apps, stuff like that, but you can use several apps to back those up before you flash and then restore it afterwards. Do you use Titanium Backup? If not I suggest you look into it, it allows you to backup pretty much everything.
Sent from my Evita
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mainly just, well data and apps...stored on sd or internal storage. That's great news though!
No problems. The rule of thumb is this: if it's worth worrying about it's worth backing up, just in case.
Sent from my Evita
I was going to backup using twrp to USB and an OTG cable but apparently that is not implemented in this kernel... so now its onwards to titanium backup... i haven't tried it for a few years now.
another question.... the romrunner page has modified hboots for htc one....does that include onex? could I use it once i get this all sorted out?
No. You don't want to use a modified hboot. Also, in TWRP recovery you can use the mount usb storage feature so your internal storage shows up on your PC and you can backup that way.
Sent from my Evita
So, i was here back when the phone came out, unlocked the bootloader and got a few Roms in the start, and ended up with Paranoid Android V2.54 i believe, and never really cared about looking for anything new since i thought it was pretty good, and i enjoy as close to stock as possible. But now my phone is getting really slow, and i need a change. And getting back onto the forums here im just really intimidated by the amount of Roms, the term S-OFF and Kernel. I generally know the basics i suppose, but when i was installing Roms back in the early days of the HTC one S it was as easy as getting the rom on the SD card an flashing it. Im probably coming off as a bit stupid here, but i dont wanna brick this phone just because i did one thing wrong.
So where im getting at is, what Rom should i go for? I just need something easy to install, and nothing super flashy. As said earlier, i enjoy the stock android, and i wouldnt mind getting the newer version of android aswell. So give me some pointers, and feel free to give me the details on how to flash it as i havent done this in a while
Jahrern said:
So, i was here back when the phone came out, unlocked the bootloader and got a few Roms in the start, and ended up with Paranoid Android V2.54 i believe, and never really cared about looking for anything new since i thought it was pretty good, and i enjoy as close to stock as possible. But now my phone is getting really slow, and i need a change. And getting back onto the forums here im just really intimidated by the amount of Roms, the term S-OFF and Kernel. I generally know the basics i suppose, but when i was installing Roms back in the early days of the HTC one S it was as easy as getting the rom on the SD card an flashing it. Im probably coming off as a bit stupid here, but i dont wanna brick this phone just because i did one thing wrong.
So where im getting at is, what Rom should i go for? I just need something easy to install, and nothing super flashy. As said earlier, i enjoy the stock android, and i wouldnt mind getting the newer version of android aswell. So give me some pointers, and feel free to give me the details on how to flash it as i havent done this in a while
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First thing you should tell us some more info about your phone, just to know better what guides and adices we should give you:
1. Phone model: S4 or S3 (is it with dual core krait 1.5 Ghz or with older dual core 1.7 Ghz processor?)
2. What hboot/firmware do you have, what radio, are your bootloader locked or not (at HTC Dev site)...in fact we need all the info that you have on your bootloader screen (power off phone then keep pressed VOLUME DOWN while pressing POWER)
3. What recovery do you use (CWM or TWRP) and what version?
4. Finally but not least....WHAT DO YOU WANT? A Sense ROM, an AOSP ROM, do you want latest Android version (4.4.2 KitKat) or it doesn't matter to you...things like this. You said something about this but maybe give more details
Then we might have some guides for you and some advices and you could choose among them based on your pers preference :good:
Rapier said:
First thing you should tell us some more info about your phone, just to know better what guides and adices we should give you:
1. Phone model: S4 or S3 (is it with dual core krait 1.5 Ghz or with older dual core 1.7 Ghz processor?)
2. What hboot/firmware do you have, what radio, are your bootloader locked or not (at HTC Dev site)...in fact we need all the info that you have on your bootloader screen (power off phone then keep pressed VOLUME DOWN while pressing POWER)
3. What recovery do you use (CWM or TWRP) and what version?
4. Finally but not least....WHAT DO YOU WANT? A Sense ROM, an AOSP ROM, do you want latest Android version (4.4.2 KitKat) or it doesn't matter to you...things like this. You said something about this but maybe give more details
Then we might have some guides for you and some advices and you could choose among them based on your pers preference :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. According to Quadrant i have a CPU Frequency of 1512MHz, so by definition that should make it a S4
2. For recovery, im almost 100 percent sure its SuperSU, and heres the details from my bootloader:
VLE PVT SHIP S-ON RL
HBOOT-1.06.0000
RADIO-0.15.315018.19
OpenDSP-v21.1.0.32.0314
eMMC boot
Mar 15 2012.23:37;23
And yes i used HTC Dev website to unlock it. got some sort of key and everything.
3. The recovery i use atm is CWM 5.8.3.1 the none touch version. Tried the touch version a few times, but it doesnt seem to work for me.
4. For ROM as i mentioned i really like AOSP, and can't really see myself going for a Sense ROM unless there's something really awesome out there. Ive used CM 9 and 10, AOKP, ParanoidAndroid and one of those Pac-man ROMs before, and they have all been decent. But now i want something newer. Preferably something over 4.1.2 as ive had that for probably a year now, and i need SOMETHING new. I dont particularly want anything that isn't as complete as possible. The ROM im rocking now reboots my phone ATLEAST 1-2 times a day, and have some minor Wi-Fi issues. (not really that bad anymore after buying an expensive new ASUS Router)
So those are like my only things when it comes to ROMs. Doesnt need to be as flashy as coming with a completly themed interface and that sorts
I like CM11. It seems to running ok, but better check the latest in the thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2528113&page=367
Jahrern said:
1. According to Quadrant i have a CPU Frequency of 1512MHz, so by definition that should make it a S4
2. For recovery, im almost 100 percent sure its SuperSU, and heres the details from my bootloader:
VLE PVT SHIP S-ON RL
HBOOT-1.06.0000
RADIO-0.15.315018.19
OpenDSP-v21.1.0.32.0314
eMMC boot
Mar 15 2012.23:37;23
And yes i used HTC Dev website to unlock it. got some sort of key and everything.
3. The recovery i use atm is CWM 5.8.3.1 the none touch version. Tried the touch version a few times, but it doesnt seem to work for me.
4. For ROM as i mentioned i really like AOSP, and can't really see myself going for a Sense ROM unless there's something really awesome out there. Ive used CM 9 and 10, AOKP, ParanoidAndroid and one of those Pac-man ROMs before, and they have all been decent. But now i want something newer. Preferably something over 4.1.2 as ive had that for probably a year now, and i need SOMETHING new. I dont particularly want anything that isn't as complete as possible. The ROM im rocking now reboots my phone ATLEAST 1-2 times a day, and have some minor Wi-Fi issues. (not really that bad anymore after buying an expensive new ASUS Router)
So those are like my only things when it comes to ROMs. Doesnt need to be as flashy as coming with a completly themed interface and that sorts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, I got more info now, maybe some others will step in and give you their opinions and advices. What I can tell
1. SuperSU is not a recovery (you already said you're using CWM)...it's the root program.
2. You have hboot 1.06 the same I had on my device some time ago (not too long ago). It has some advantages and some disadvantages. I'll try to be brief and prsent you all and you can decide what you wanna do.
First some background: S-Of basically means you are able to write to certain partitions on your device, partitions that are normally locked. Most important are the firmware/hboot partition, radio partition and kernel partition. If you are S-On, you cannot write/flash radio or firmware and you MUST flash any kernel via a separate command in fastboot.
Now what makes 1.06 hboot so special...it is behaving like a partial S-Off device even if you are not S-Off. What does this mean? You will be able to flash radios and kernels as any other S-Off user. Only thing you won't be able to flash is the firmware/hboot. On the other hand, all new ROMs require hboot 2.13/2.15 or the leaked 2.16. That means that IF your current hboot allows you to run such a ROM, you won't be able to flash it unless you're editting EVERY TIME the updater-script in the ROM ZIP you're flashing to bypass the hboot check. So things will become little bit complicated.
To avoid all these you should first S-Off then you should upgrade to hboot 2.15. This is the last official firmware and it is supported by all new KitKat ROMs. DO NOT flash 2.16 firmware unless you would like to flash and use Sense based ROMs like MaximusHD.
I made S-Off by using Rummrunner because I found it the simplest way to do it...it's like a one-press-S-Off. If that doesn't work for you, you can try other methods like Facepalm or Moonshine. You can find separate threads for each in Dev section and I'll also link them below
Rummrunner
Facepalm
Moonshine
After you made S-Off, next step will be to upgrade your hboot/firmware to 2.15. You can use the flashable ZIP from THIS thread and you'll find info on how to do it in the thread. I would suggest you to choose the Unbranded 2.15 hboot and that has also the red warning gone (the one you see when start up the device with "This device is for development purposes only...bla bla bla")
For all the above you might also want to check/try a tool that incorporates most of them. You can find it in THIS thread.
Now that you have S-Off and upgraded your hboot, you might want to flash a newer radio. Hint:If you're satisfied with your current signal strength, mobile data and so on, don't flash another radio. Even if in a ROM thread it is recommended or mandatory a certain radio, my advice is to first try the ROM with your current one and only if performance is not satisfactory, flash another radio.You can find radios in tecardo's thread HERE or if you want the newer radios you can find radio 1.20 HERE or 1.35a HERE. One more note regarding tecardo's thread with the radio collection...that thread is old and some info is not updated. Just remember that you must flash ONLY the V6 Sense Radio installer for any ROM you'll be using, being it sense based or AOSP. Also ignore that warning that the procedure is only for hboots below 1.3...at that time there was no S-Off (remember what I've said about the particularities of 1.06 hboot earlier). Now things are different, you're S-Off so you will just need to flash it
Before flashing, you might consider upgrading to a newer recovery. I would recommend you the latest official TWRP 2.7.0.0 that will support flashing anything made for hboot 2.15. If and only if you decide to try sense ROMs based on hboot 2.16, you'll need a different recovery specific for 2.16 and that you'll get from that specific ROM thread. Official TWRP downloads for Ville S4 are HERE
Now youre almost done. You just need to pick your ROM and flash it...pretty difficult task considering how many they are. I tested most of AOSP ones and also some Sense based ones (not the ones for hboot 2.16 tho). I don't want to advice too much here since it could be considered I favour one or another...the truth is I do and that's normal, but I'd like to be objective
First, all KitKat ROMs are pretty stable. On CM11 there are regular nightlies and there are also less stable or bugged builds but this is expected. So you might try several ROMs to see which suits you most and you can decide by reading each ROM's thread. I'll list some ROMs (not all), the ones that are updated most often and I've tested, in no particular order...in fact I'll list them alphabetically to avoid interpretations
AOSP based
Beanstalk
CandyKat
CM11
Infamous (IOAP)
PAC-Man
TwistedKat
Vanir
Sense based
Viper ROM 3.1.3
Liberty ROM
Sorry for the long post but I wanted to get most in a single place and if you'll have more questions we'll detail them later. Just try something... READ READ READ...each thread contains valuable info about each procedure and step and also the experience of the users. I know it is easier to ask but don't forget it's YOUR PHONE and YOUR INTEREST to see things working on it. So you should make some effort to read and search also
Good luck
I've read the entirety of your post now, and it's definetly helpful!
As it's pretty late here atm, i will come back to the tread tomorrow and S-Off and all that jazz. Im not a complete moron on this area, allthough thats what it probably seemed like Im glad i asked before i did anything, cause this was alot more complicated then when i was flashing ROMs when the phone came out.
I will definetly try to hold on to my current Radio as i have had no complaints ever on connection and service. So thanks for telling me about that, otherwise i would probably have flashed a new one each time.
Ill be sure to keep you posted on my progress tomorrow, just incase i totally **** up or something, or just cant get myself to understand something. If it is as easy to flash ROMs as it used to be once im ready to flash again, ill figure out my Next ROM, so im grateful that you listed a few of them that i can try out.
Again i wanna thank you for taking the time to explain a total Noob how to go about doing this, i really appreciate it!
rapier's post just about expresses all the basic info you need, couldnt have been put better!!
as far as going on to the newer sense based roms i'd suggest not to take that road yet as they require hboot 2.16 and it can get fairly tricky to go back to the previous hboot.
also for hboot 2.15 also you have more choice for roms available... just a point of view!!
happy flashing!!
So, now im totally lost. did the S-off, and now im trying to do the firmware, but im clueless here as i cant find the folder adb/fastboot in my platfomr-tools sdk folder or whatever you wanna call it. It wants me to place the firmware inside the adb folder, and i cant find any folder with that name.
I followed a guide on how to get adb working on my computer as i did not have that anymore on my PC, so had to redo it.
was following the guide, and did not see this "2. Now place the Firmware_named_something.zip into your adb/fastboot folder" at first, and tried to flash and was welcomed with cannot open "named file here" for obvious reasons when i saw step 2.
but this step 2 is what is confusing me, as ive mentioned, there is no adb/fastboot folder. is this a folder i make somewhere in my sdk? or what am i missing here. to give you the full info, i used this guide:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1752270
the second post.
i remember having fastboot in that sdk folder on my old PC, but did not get it this time around when following these instructions, maybe thats what im missing
Jahrern said:
So, now im totally lost. did the S-off, and now im trying to do the firmware, but im clueless here as i cant find the folder adb/fastboot in my platfomr-tools sdk folder or whatever you wanna call it. It wants me to place the firmware inside the adb folder, and i cant find any folder with that name.
I followed a guide on how to get adb working on my computer as i did not have that anymore on my PC, so had to redo it.
was following the guide, and did not see this "2. Now place the Firmware_named_something.zip into your adb/fastboot folder" at first, and tried to flash and was welcomed with cannot open "named file here" for obvious reasons when i saw step 2.
but this step 2 is what is confusing me, as ive mentioned, there is no adb/fastboot folder. is this a folder i make somewhere in my sdk? or what am i missing here. to give you the full info, i used this guide:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1752270
the second post.
i remember having fastboot in that sdk folder on my old PC, but did not get it this time around when following these instructions, maybe thats what im missing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ADB/fastboot are not folders, are commands. What that instruction meant was to place the firmware zip in the same folder where your ADB/fastboot executable is. Usually this is in "android-sdk/platform-tools". You'll notice there the ADB and fastboot executables
Rapier said:
ADB/fastboot are not folders, are commands. What that instruction meant was to place the firmware zip in the same folder where your ADB/fastboot executable is. Usually this is in "android-sdk/platform-tools". You'll notice there the ADB and fastboot executables
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OMG! That makes more sense, still that sentence he used in the guide was pretty misleading though. literally tried making a fastboot folder with the .exe in alot of different folders xD
Will try that one out and see if it works! Thanks, AGAIN!
EDIT:
Just tried to put the firmware inside C:/android/sdk/platform-tools/ folder, but still i got
"Error: Can not open 'Fuu_Downgrade2.15_Unbranded.zip'
EDIT:
Turns out there was a program instead of a .exe :s just tried though, and it failed.
"FAILED (rempote: 99 unknown fail)
EDIT:
Apparently the S-OFF didnt work. Tried Rumrunner, as i didnt understand jack **** about the alternatives
EDIT:
Tried Facepalm aswell, not 100 percent sure if i did it right though, as there was no confirmation anywhere, but still no S-OFF