[Q] Why install custom rom? New guy here - General Questions and Answers

Hello everyone, I just registered to XDA. I ordered my nexus 5 and I expect it by the end of the week and I just have a few questions.
Please dont judge me hard as I dont have much knowledge on the subject.
1. What is a custom rom?It is a custom OS based on an android version right?
2. I see many people putting custom roms on nexus 5. Why is that? What do custom roms offer?
3. Which one would you suggest me to install to my new phone?
4.Can you help me on how to do the installation?
Thanks in advance

giannis1995 said:
Hello everyone, I just registered to XDA. I ordered my nexus 5 and I expect it by the end of the week and I just have a few questions.
Please dont judge me hard as I dont have much knowledge on the subject.
1. What is a custom rom?It is a custom OS based on an android version right?
2. I see many people putting custom roms on nexus 5. Why is that? What do custom roms offer?
3. Which one would you suggest me to install to my new phone?
4.Can you help me on how to do the installation?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Custom ROMs are basically just third-party-developer-versions of the Android operating system. They usually offer software modifications you can't find on stock versions of Android, such as overclocking your processor (making it run faster than it's supposed to). I'd recommend for starters to go with CyanogenMod. I will look for a good ROM for you to start out with, and when I find one, I'll return and post instructions on how to install it. I'll aos post instructions for how to Root and install a custom recovery (these are things you MUST do before installing any ROM).
EDIT: Here's a guide for how to get your Nexus 5 up to the point where you are running a custom ROM on it. If there's anything you don't understand, please feel free to ask what it means and I'll try my best to explain. Just as a warning, by doing this, you will probably void any warranty you may have with your device. So if you are NOT OK with a warranty being void, please DO NOT proceed. Otherwise, keep reading:
1) Make sure you have a computer with the proper Nexus 5 drivers installed.
2) Root and unlock the bootloader on your Nexus 5. Take a look at THIS for how to do both of them.
3) Read through THIS for how to install a custom recovery. I'd recommend using TWRP. If you already unlocked the bootloader in the previous step, then just ignore the part where this article tells you how to unlock the bootloader.
4) Next you need to download the ROM itself and save it to your Nexus 5's internal storage. My friend who has a Nexus 5 uses THIS ROM, and he seems to like it. Save THIS (ROM) and THIS (Google Apps) to your phone's internal storage. Remember where you put these. Do NOT extract the contents, leave them as a .zip file.
5) Boot your phone into recovery
5.5) DO A FULL BACKUP IN RECOVERY!!! IN CASE SOMETHING GOES WRONG, JUST BOOT INTO RECOVERY, AND SELECT TO RESTORE THE BACKUP AND YOUR PHONE WILL BE BACK TO THE STATE IT WAS BEFORE YOU TRIED TO FLASH THE ROM. THIS IS IMPORTANT! You should do this EVERY TIME you want to flash a Custom ROM. It should be pretty easy to find out how to do a backup in recovery. If you use TWRP Custom Recovery like I suggested, there should be a button in the main menu that says "Backup". Just press that, make sure everything is checked, and then initiate the backup. If you ever need to restore a backup, there should be a "Restore" button in TWRP Recovery's main menu as well. Just select the backup you made, press restore, and let it do its thing.
6) Do a factory reset. That means wipe the data and cache.
7) Select to install/flash a zip file. First flash the ROM zip file, THEN flash the google gapps zip file.
8) Reboot your phone
9) Give it some time to turn on. The first time your phone restarts/turns on after installing a new ROM (what I like to call "First-Boot") will usually take a lot longer than normal. Just give it time.
10) You're done!

jasonmerc said:
Custom ROMs are basically just third-party-developer-versions of the Android operating system. They usually offer software modifications you can't find on stock versions of Android, such as overclocking your processor (making it run faster than it's supposed to). I'd recommend for starters to go with CyanogenMod. I will look for a good ROM for you to start out with, and when I find one, I'll return and post instructions on how to install it. I'll aos post instructions for how to Root and install a custom recovery (these are things you MUST do before installing any ROM).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks a lot dude i really appreciate it and i'll be waiting for your reply! by custom recovery you mean save what I want before installing the rom correct?

giannis1995 said:
thanks a lot dude i really appreciate it and i'll be waiting for your reply! by custom recovery you mean save what I want before installing the rom correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, that is not what I mean by custom recovery. But yes, you should back up any important files/photos/videos/whatever to a computer or something before proceeding in case something does go wrong. Custom Recovery refers to the Recovery Mode of your device. The stock recovery mode image doesn't allow for flashing custom Android modifications such as ROMs, but custom recovery images do.

jasonmerc said:
No, that is not what I mean by custom recovery. But yes, you should back up any important files/photos/videos/whatever to a computer or something before proceeding in case something does go wrong. Custom Recovery refers to the Recovery Mode of your device. The stock recovery mode image doesn't allow for flashing custom Android modifications such as ROMs, but custom recovery images do.
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Click to collapse
i'll try to install it as soon as I get my phone. Overclocking is good but what about the battery?Will it be more demanding?

giannis1995 said:
i'll try to install it as soon as I get my phone. Overclocking is good but what about the battery?Will it be more demanding?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you overclock, then yes. It will use up more battery life, depending on how much you overclock it. The Nexus 5 already has a fast CPU, so overclocking isn't ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, but you can do it if you want.

jasonmerc said:
If you overclock, then yes. It will use up more battery life, depending on how much you overclock it. The Nexus 5 already has a fast CPU, so overclocking isn't ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, but you can do it if you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how will I overclock it if I want?Was it mentioned in one of the steps?

giannis1995 said:
how will I overclock it if I want?Was it mentioned in one of the steps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure if this specific ROM supports it, but from my past experience, CPU clock speed settings should be under Settings>Performance. If Performance doesn't show up, try going to Settings>About, look for "Build Number", and tap that very fast until you see "You are now a developer". Then go back and see if Performance is listed. If it isn't listed even after that, then the ROM may not natively support overclocking.

Related

[Q] how 2 b pr0 leik u guys

Okay. Ignore the title, I couldn't think of anything to put. In short, I want to know about roms, about clockworkmod, cyanogen mod, and stuff like that. What they do, how to put them on, and I pretty much wanna know about the general stuff you do past rooting your phone. And I know that the section says No Noobs, but technically, I'm a newb, as far as I know i'm not annoying anyone or being completely nooblike.
Mainly with cyanogen. I read the instructions, and they seem too, I dont know, simplistic. I'd prefer exact details. Like, after I have clockwork mod installed, and I flash cyanogen, can i restore all the stuff I had on it? And once cyanogen is on there, is it already rooted, or must i root again? And if someone would explain to me how clockworkmod works in the first place. And how would I flash cyanogen? I thought it'd be through clockworkmod, but if I wipe everything and factory reset, wouldn't clockworkmod be gone?
My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S (Vibrant or not vibrant, I dont even know) It's a GT-i9000M. Running android 2.2.1, Rooted, I have clockworkmod installed, but still no idea what to do past that point. Also, my Kies isn't telling me about any 3.x upgrade, so how would i go about manually installing a new version of android? I know it has to do with Odin, but whenever i tried i ended up not doing anything.
And one last thing about MetaMorph. Where could i find themes for it? And do i need to have a certain Rom running in order to use metamorph themes?
I'm mainly used to iPhones and such, where there isnt really much to do besides jailbreaking and such, and moving on to android phones is pretty intense. XD So much more to do with Android phones.
Well uh, thats about all i can think of at the moment. Also please post anything you feel that a (somewhat) newb to android modding should know.
Sorry for all the questions, and to those that help me, I love you. <3
And if any moderators deem this thread as against the 'No Noobs' rule, at least send me a message telling me you deleted it, or else I'll end up looking endlessly through the forums for my thread. I've done that before, not fun. LOL (Couldn't find a 'My Threads' thingy on the forum i was using.
Gutana said:
Okay. Ignore the title, I couldn't think of anything to put. In short, I want to know about roms, about clockworkmod, cyanogen mod, and stuff like that. What they do, how to put them on, and I pretty much wanna know about the general stuff you do past rooting your phone. And I know that the section says No Noobs, but technically, I'm a newb, as far as I know i'm not annoying anyone or being completely nooblike.
Mainly with cyanogen. I read the instructions, and they seem too, I dont know, simplistic. I'd prefer exact details. Like, after I have clockwork mod installed, and I flash cyanogen, can i restore all the stuff I had on it? And once cyanogen is on there, is it already rooted, or must i root again? And if someone would explain to me how clockworkmod works in the first place. And how would I flash cyanogen? I thought it'd be through clockworkmod, but if I wipe everything and factory reset, wouldn't clockworkmod be gone?
My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S (Vibrant or not vibrant, I dont even know) It's a GT-i9000M. Running android 2.2.1, Rooted, I have clockworkmod installed, but still no idea what to do past that point. Also, my Kies isn't telling me about any 3.x upgrade, so how would i go about manually installing a new version of android? I know it has to do with Odin, but whenever i tried i ended up not doing anything.
And one last thing about MetaMorph. Where could i find themes for it? And do i need to have a certain Rom running in order to use metamorph themes?
I'm mainly used to iPhones and such, where there isnt really much to do besides jailbreaking and such, and moving on to android phones is pretty intense. XD So much more to do with Android phones.
Well uh, thats about all i can think of at the moment. Also please post anything you feel that a (somewhat) newb to android modding should know.
Sorry for all the questions, and to those that help me, I love you. <3
And if any moderators deem this thread as against the 'No Noobs' rule, at least send me a message telling me you deleted it, or else I'll end up looking endlessly through the forums for my thread. I've done that before, not fun. LOL (Couldn't find a 'My Threads' thingy on the forum i was using.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I guess to first start off, here's a few pointers:
1. don't put the title in 1337 (people will most likely not click on it, thus no help)
2. you're right about this being the wrong thread. You should post this under the Samsung Galaxy S section (google your model number and you'll see it instantly) and should probably try the Q&A moreso than a general area (but it doesn't really matter all too much)
3. no matter how nooblike you may or may not be, you're still a noob XD
Now that we've gotten past the anally parts and all (hate doing that, but gotta =P), let's talk about what you came here for: answers.
Let's start with some definitions:
ROMs - these are the (usually modded) softwares that you flash to your phone. Depending on which phone you have, you can only flash ROMs made for your phone. Of course, if you have root/custom recovery, you can also install custom ROMs.
ClockWorkMod (CWM) is a recovery system made in order to allow people more features while they're in recovery mode. Of course, this is one of a few out there, but people stick to CWM cause of its huge support plus it's popularity. When you think of CWM, think of custom features being installed in (almost) one step (modding files and such will be taken care of for you, so you don't have to do it yourself). You can usually also fix a bricked system this way by reflashing either the entire ROM or the boot.img/other files (we'll get to this in a second)
CyanogenMod (CM) is an example of a very popular custom rom. They have a great team and usually is available for most devices, which in turn makes them so popular. It is widely supported and has a lot of extra features like updating to the latest OS and features not previously available on your phone. It's skinned, but usually follows the stock Android look for the OS in which they've skinned.
lol The reason why the instructions look so simple is because they've taken out all the hard work and all the stuff where you can possibly screw up your phone, so that they don't get a million messages saying "OMG MY PHONE BRICKED WHAT HAPPENED" and stuff like that. Protects them, makes it easier for you. If you had made a backup before you flashed CM (usually you only have to back up whats on the phone if it has internal and external memory, but back up your sd card always just in case. never hurt to), then yes. If you backed it up with your previous ROM, then you'll probably need to revert to get it back. If you didn't, chances are whatever you didn't backup and didn't sync, is safe to say gone. You can try recovering it using a recovery software on the computer like i detailed here for another person, but of course you'd skip the whole trying to save the phone part and just start with mounting the phone to your computer and running the software.
CM is a custom rom, and so most (if not all) custom roms have root preinstalled (besides, who wouldn't want root?!) As for CWM, it works by being (usually) flashed into the recovery partition of your phone. The nice thing about the phone is that it's split up into parts: boot, recovery, system, and some other ones i can't think of off the top of my head. Those three are important, as if you get a softbrick, you might still be able to recover all your data simply by using CWM/fastboot (a dev-tool used to flash/unlock, but only available in certain phones, as it is disabled usually) to reflash the boot.img (one requires command line, whereas CWM only needs you to flash a created/pre-made package). Also, since they're in separate partitions, even if your system and boot.img doesn't work, you can probably still access recovery (unless you screwed up really REALLY bad, and in that case I can't help >.<)
Observant you are =] Yes, if you were to flash CM, your CWM will be gone (i don't understand why most people don't just bake it into the ROM in the first place) but, not all is lost. Just go back into the Android Market and redownload ROM Manager. Of course you'll need to open it up and flash the same exact recovery again (annoying, isn't it?) but unless you know how to mod zip/img files and edit the script, you'll just have to make do with that. If you do, you could just (usually) take out the recovery partition and just leave the one you have already in there (but its usually safer and better to just redownload/reflash it as annoying as it is). But yes, you would use CWM to flash it. It's as simple as "Install from SD Card" which is why custom recoveries like CWM are popular. So simple
At this point, I would look into a few things. One is skinning your phone (though you probably can't do too much if you don't want to touch system files). If you find a psuedo-rom (slightly modded) that themes it, that's your best bet. Another is gaining access to certain features in apps you didn't have before (i.e. androidLost, LBE Privacy Guard, titanium backup) and of course more control by the ability to control your system files (if you know what you're doing, of course). Lastly, you can use stuff like MetaMorph to theme out certain sections of your rom (provided that they give you one compatible with your phone model/rom), minus having to flash it and having more fine-tuned controlled. Usually, Metamorph will run on all ROMs, but it doesn't guarantee that there'll be stuff for every ROM. Also, want themes? google it (google is your best friend!)
Kies won't tell you that you have an upgrade because it is ROM-dependent. It looks for their official ROM and says "Hey, this guy has our ROM. Check for an update". Think of owning a custom rom like being kicked out of your family. You won't get anymore updates from them XD. However, if you're looking to get the latest updates, check out the Samsung Galaxy S Dev threads. They will usually have another method of loading in the new ROM into your phone. And if you want to stick with ROM Manager, shell out for premium and they'll include "Check for Updates" in ROM Manager, along with several other functions (though you can check for free via computer/browser ). Mostly, manually updating the software requires the "Install from SD Card" feature in CWM/other recoveries, so you don't have much to worry about.
Odin is, as you stated, most likely your best bet. Not too many people repackage official ROMs into easy-to-flash zips. Odin is the Samsung equivalent to Motorola's RSD Lite from what I googled (i have motorola, so no exp. on odin >.<) It's mostly like a dev tool allowing you to flash/re-flash phones and is also usually your one-way ticket out of a semi/full brick (assuming you didn't mess up the hardware and you can get into download mode). It's the flashing tool that can access the core system of the phone even without root and allows you to reflash OFFICIAL ROMs. Should you use Odin (should be your last resort), you WILL lose root and all your data. No questions asked. Its like reinstalling everything to the state in which you got it in when you bought the phone. Word of advice: BACK UP OFTEN! (did i forget to mention Titanium Backup? )
Yeah, the transition from Apple to Android is so different and had I not had experience with my PSP, i'd be dying with the information overload. However, just read a lot of stuff on the forums (*cough*general android forums*cough*) and you should be just fine. We have an excellent community here that will try our best to fix whatever problems you encounter (note the key word: try. we're not gods XD) You'll get the hang of it soon enough.
Oh, well, I don't want to keep you for much longer, but since you mentioned something that any noob should know, it's definitely ADB (Android Debugging Bridge). This is where you'll probably spend a lot of time, as people's fixes usually involve shell (terminal for your phone). If anything, get acquainted with it, as it might save your butt in the future/unlock a few extra features for you ;D .
Well, that's all i can think of, and honestly, after typing this thing up for about an hour now, I think I'm going to grab me some breakfast Good luck to you and welcome to the Android commmunity! (and next time, remember to post in the right place! XD)
~jojojohnson7410
P.S. PM me if you need anything. =]
Observant you are =] Yes, if you were to flash CM, your CWM will be gone (i don't understand why most people don't just bake it into the ROM in the first place) but, not all is lost. Just go back into the Android Market and redownload ROM Manager. Of course you'll need to open it up and flash the same exact recovery again (annoying, isn't it?) but unless you know how to mod zip/img files and edit the script, you'll just have to make do with that. If you do, you could just (usually) take out the recovery partition and just leave the one you have already in there (but its usually safer and better to just redownload/reflash it as annoying as it is). But yes, you would use CWM to flash it. It's as simple as "Install from SD Card" which is why custom recoveries like CWM are popular. So simple
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to nit-pick a bit. CWM is part of the recovery partition, and unless the Galaxy S is different from every other android device, flashing will not remove it. ROM Manager and CWM are two different things. ROM manager will allow you to download the roms, which will then instruct CWM to flash the rom (when it reboots).
jojojohnson7410 said:
Well, I guess to first start off, here's a few pointers:
1. don't put the title in 1337 (people will most likely not click on it, thus no help)
2. you're right about this being the wrong thread. You should post this under the Samsung Galaxy S section (google your model number and you'll see it instantly) and should probably try the Q&A moreso than a general area (but it doesn't really matter all too much)
3. no matter how nooblike you may or may not be, you're still a noob XD
Now that we've gotten past the anally parts and all (hate doing that, but gotta =P), let's talk about what you came here for: answers.
Let's start with some definitions:
ROMs - these are the (usually modded) softwares that you flash to your phone. Depending on which phone you have, you can only flash ROMs made for your phone. Of course, if you have root/custom recovery, you can also install custom ROMs.
ClockWorkMod (CWM) is a recovery system made in order to allow people more features while they're in recovery mode. Of course, this is one of a few out there, but people stick to CWM cause of its huge support plus it's popularity. When you think of CWM, think of custom features being installed in (almost) one step (modding files and such will be taken care of for you, so you don't have to do it yourself). You can usually also fix a bricked system this way by reflashing either the entire ROM or the boot.img/other files (we'll get to this in a second)
CyanogenMod (CM) is an example of a very popular custom rom. They have a great team and usually is available for most devices, which in turn makes them so popular. It is widely supported and has a lot of extra features like updating to the latest OS and features not previously available on your phone. It's skinned, but usually follows the stock Android look for the OS in which they've skinned.
lol The reason why the instructions look so simple is because they've taken out all the hard work and all the stuff where you can possibly screw up your phone, so that they don't get a million messages saying "OMG MY PHONE BRICKED WHAT HAPPENED" and stuff like that. Protects them, makes it easier for you. If you had made a backup before you flashed CM (usually you only have to back up whats on the phone if it has internal and external memory, but back up your sd card always just in case. never hurt to), then yes. If you backed it up with your previous ROM, then you'll probably need to revert to get it back. If you didn't, chances are whatever you didn't backup and didn't sync, is safe to say gone. You can try recovering it using a recovery software on the computer like i detailed here for another person, but of course you'd skip the whole trying to save the phone part and just start with mounting the phone to your computer and running the software.
CM is a custom rom, and so most (if not all) custom roms have root preinstalled (besides, who wouldn't want root?!) As for CWM, it works by being (usually) flashed into the recovery partition of your phone. The nice thing about the phone is that it's split up into parts: boot, recovery, system, and some other ones i can't think of off the top of my head. Those three are important, as if you get a softbrick, you might still be able to recover all your data simply by using CWM/fastboot (a dev-tool used to flash/unlock, but only available in certain phones, as it is disabled usually) to reflash the boot.img (one requires command line, whereas CWM only needs you to flash a created/pre-made package). Also, since they're in separate partitions, even if your system and boot.img doesn't work, you can probably still access recovery (unless you screwed up really REALLY bad, and in that case I can't help >.<)
Observant you are =] Yes, if you were to flash CM, your CWM will be gone (i don't understand why most people don't just bake it into the ROM in the first place) but, not all is lost. Just go back into the Android Market and redownload ROM Manager. Of course you'll need to open it up and flash the same exact recovery again (annoying, isn't it?) but unless you know how to mod zip/img files and edit the script, you'll just have to make do with that. If you do, you could just (usually) take out the recovery partition and just leave the one you have already in there (but its usually safer and better to just redownload/reflash it as annoying as it is). But yes, you would use CWM to flash it. It's as simple as "Install from SD Card" which is why custom recoveries like CWM are popular. So simple
At this point, I would look into a few things. One is skinning your phone (though you probably can't do too much if you don't want to touch system files). If you find a psuedo-rom (slightly modded) that themes it, that's your best bet. Another is gaining access to certain features in apps you didn't have before (i.e. androidLost, LBE Privacy Guard, titanium backup) and of course more control by the ability to control your system files (if you know what you're doing, of course). Lastly, you can use stuff like MetaMorph to theme out certain sections of your rom (provided that they give you one compatible with your phone model/rom), minus having to flash it and having more fine-tuned controlled. Usually, Metamorph will run on all ROMs, but it doesn't guarantee that there'll be stuff for every ROM. Also, want themes? google it (google is your best friend!)
Kies won't tell you that you have an upgrade because it is ROM-dependent. It looks for their official ROM and says "Hey, this guy has our ROM. Check for an update". Think of owning a custom rom like being kicked out of your family. You won't get anymore updates from them XD. However, if you're looking to get the latest updates, check out the Samsung Galaxy S Dev threads. They will usually have another method of loading in the new ROM into your phone. And if you want to stick with ROM Manager, shell out for premium and they'll include "Check for Updates" in ROM Manager, along with several other functions (though you can check for free via computer/browser ). Mostly, manually updating the software requires the "Install from SD Card" feature in CWM/other recoveries, so you don't have much to worry about.
Odin is, as you stated, most likely your best bet. Not too many people repackage official ROMs into easy-to-flash zips. Odin is the Samsung equivalent to Motorola's RSD Lite from what I googled (i have motorola, so no exp. on odin >.<) It's mostly like a dev tool allowing you to flash/re-flash phones and is also usually your one-way ticket out of a semi/full brick (assuming you didn't mess up the hardware and you can get into download mode). It's the flashing tool that can access the core system of the phone even without root and allows you to reflash OFFICIAL ROMs. Should you use Odin (should be your last resort), you WILL lose root and all your data. No questions asked. Its like reinstalling everything to the state in which you got it in when you bought the phone. Word of advice: BACK UP OFTEN! (did i forget to mention Titanium Backup? )
Yeah, the transition from Apple to Android is so different and had I not had experience with my PSP, i'd be dying with the information overload. However, just read a lot of stuff on the forums (*cough*general android forums*cough*) and you should be just fine. We have an excellent community here that will try our best to fix whatever problems you encounter (note the key word: try. we're not gods XD) You'll get the hang of it soon enough.
Oh, well, I don't want to keep you for much longer, but since you mentioned something that any noob should know, it's definitely ADB (Android Debugging Bridge). This is where you'll probably spend a lot of time, as people's fixes usually involve shell (terminal for your phone). If anything, get acquainted with it, as it might save your butt in the future/unlock a few extra features for you ;D .
Well, that's all i can think of, and honestly, after typing this thing up for about an hour now, I think I'm going to grab me some breakfast Good luck to you and welcome to the Android commmunity! (and next time, remember to post in the right place! XD)
~jojojohnson7410
P.S. PM me if you need anything. =]
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Click to collapse
Wow, thanks a lot. I still have a question or two, bear with me.
Well for one, is flashing roms made for different firmwares alright, or no? Since I have 2.2, and im assuming the latest cyanogen is made for 3.x, would I have to upgrade my firmware to the corresponding firmware.
And about Clockwork, if my phone bricks, I'd have to restore using odin, right? But if the phone still works, i can just root and cwm and restore it using rom manager?
And uh, I'm not sure if this is a problem or im just doing something wrong, but in RomManager, i click Backup Current ROM, and it goes into recovery mode, and theres no new options, there's just like, format, factory reset, clear cache, reboot, but nothing involving rom manager. And when i check for the recovery file in my sd card, it's not. Wut do.
WoZZeR999 said:
Just to nit-pick a bit. CWM is part of the recovery partition, and unless the Galaxy S is different from every other android device, flashing will not remove it. ROM Manager and CWM are two different things. ROM manager will allow you to download the roms, which will then instruct CWM to flash the rom (when it reboots).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol true true that would be my mistake. XD Nice catch
~jojojohnson7410
Gutana said:
Wow, thanks a lot. I still have a question or two, bear with me.
Well for one, is flashing roms made for different firmwares alright, or no? Since I have 2.2, and im assuming the latest cyanogen is made for 3.x, would I have to upgrade my firmware to the corresponding firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you wouldn't have to upgrade to the latest firmware to get the ROM installed. So long as the ROM is confirmed to work for your device, you can flash any ROM you want (which is convenient in my case since I have an Atrix 4G and it was oh-so-lonely without some Gingerbread XD)
Gutana said:
And about Clockwork, if my phone bricks, I'd have to restore using odin, right? But if the phone still works, i can just root and cwm and restore it using rom manager?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the thing is, you really only need that usually if you're on a stock rom or some official version and either you want to flash a new stock ROM from Samsung or you want to pull your phone out of a brick. Most of the time, however, even if you bricked it, so long as you can get into the recovery menu, you'll be alright. Just re-flash the ROM that you want (or in my case yesterday when I was dealing with an Inspire, I had to use a different ROM to unbrick the phone. I don't know why this happen, but it was being nit-picky >.<)
Gutana said:
And uh, I'm not sure if this is a problem or im just doing something wrong, but in RomManager, i click Backup Current ROM, and it goes into recovery mode, and theres no new options, there's just like, format, factory reset, clear cache, reboot, but nothing involving rom manager. And when i check for the recovery file in my sd card, it's not. Wut do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol nooo this is not a problem at all. See, like the guy above me posted, the Recovery Menu is completely separate from anything in the ROM. It's located in the recovery partition rather than the system and the boot partitions, so they usually don't touch the recovery. ROM Manager is just a means of providing GUI to CWM so then you can either flash the CWM to your phone or help download ROMS into your SD card. Stuff like backup and everything needs you to boot into recovery as you can't be backing up the system while your system is mounted on, so they send you to CWM. From there, there's an option called "backup and restore". In this place, you can choose where to save the backup. And since the backup is made by CWM, it will be recognized by CWM if you want to restore it. I think it saves it in a zip file, but im not 100% positive, so take that one with a grain of salt.
Hope this answers the questions! Let me know if you need more help (or just PM me. I check that regularly )
~jojojohnson7410
jojojohnson7410 said:
No, you wouldn't have to upgrade to the latest firmware to get the ROM installed. So long as the ROM is confirmed to work for your device, you can flash any ROM you want (which is convenient in my case since I have an Atrix 4G and it was oh-so-lonely without some Gingerbread XD)
Well, the thing is, you really only need that usually if you're on a stock rom or some official version and either you want to flash a new stock ROM from Samsung or you want to pull your phone out of a brick. Most of the time, however, even if you bricked it, so long as you can get into the recovery menu, you'll be alright. Just re-flash the ROM that you want (or in my case yesterday when I was dealing with an Inspire, I had to use a different ROM to unbrick the phone. I don't know why this happen, but it was being nit-picky >.<)
lol nooo this is not a problem at all. See, like the guy above me posted, the Recovery Menu is completely separate from anything in the ROM. It's located in the recovery partition rather than the system and the boot partitions, so they usually don't touch the recovery. ROM Manager is just a means of providing GUI to CWM so then you can either flash the CWM to your phone or help download ROMS into your SD card. Stuff like backup and everything needs you to boot into recovery as you can't be backing up the system while your system is mounted on, so they send you to CWM. From there, there's an option called "backup and restore". In this place, you can choose where to save the backup. And since the backup is made by CWM, it will be recognized by CWM if you want to restore it. I think it saves it in a zip file, but im not 100% positive, so take that one with a grain of salt.
Hope this answers the questions! Let me know if you need more help (or just PM me. I check that regularly )
~jojojohnson7410
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But theres no backup and restore options, its jut the recovery options you'd get if you were on a brand new phone.

[Q] I think I killed my Nexus S! Please help! (unlocking process/rooting stuff)

So, this is what has happened so far:
I googled for a small and easy to follow guide to unlock my phone so that I can later on install a custom rom. I followed the steps provided here:
http://nexusshacks.com/nexus-s-hacks/how-to-root-nexus-s/
What I didn't notice on the first place was the "UPDATE: DO NOT FOLLOW THIS GUIDE INSTEAD Please see new root method which works on all Nexus S and Nexus S 4G!" link. Don't ask why - really don't know.
The result was having my Nexus S stuck on a screen that shows Google logo on the middle and an unlocked padlock on the bottom.
It seemed, or to be exact, I figured out that, the problem was the .img file mentioned on some point in the middle of this.. tutorial.
So, I decided to follow the newer guide that can be found here:
http://nexusshacks.com/nexus-s-hacks/how-to-root-nexus-s-or-nexus-s-4g-new/
Although all went well (didn't have to go all over the same processes up to the .img installatin point), I ended up with the same screen that shows Google logo on the middle and an unlocked padlock on the bottom.
I figured out that I could just install a rom at this point, and decided that I should go back to stock. So, I followed this guide here:
http://nexusshacks.com/nexus-s-hacks/how-to-unroot-nexus-s-i9020ti9020ai9023/
But, when I choose to install the .zip file, I get this error:
assert failed: "getprop ("ro.product.device") == "crespo" || "getprop ("ro.product.device") == "crespo"
E: Error in /sdcard/i9020t_i9023.zip
(status 7)
Installation aborded
..let me add to this point that I have bought my Nexus S from EU, it is an i9023. Let me also add that all I wanted is to flash an ICS rom and I think I have ended with a f****d device I don't know what to do with!
Any help, really, would be so much appreciated since I need to use this phone. I have a backup for calls etc but I need some smartphone features!
I seriously doubt you killed your Nexus S. Temporarily disabled is more like it.
From off position, hold down Power + VOL-UP. You should be greeted with a screen with a green android and 4 options. If you can get there, that's the bootloader, and unless you manage to kill it (which is VERY hard to do), you can reflash everything from there via usb and adb.
What model Nexus S do you have? That's important for helping you to flash it.
nickmv said:
I seriously doubt you killed your Nexus S. Temporarily disabled is more like it.
From off position, hold down Power + VOL-UP. You should be greeted with a screen with a green android and 4 options. If you can get there, that's the bootloader, and unless you manage to kill it (which is VERY hard to do), you can reflash everything from there via usb and adb.
What model Nexus S do you have? That's important for helping you to flash it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I can enter this menu - there already. My model is an i9023GSM.
OK, then you DONT have a dead phone. You just need to reflash it correctly.
I'm sorry I can't be helpful for longer, because I am at work,but follow this guide and make sure you follow every detail (take note of step 6 in particular).
I know it's a long guide, but it's VERY detailed, and should get you up and running.
On a side note, for ROM selection, are you looking for an Ice Cream Sandwich alpha ROM (android 4.0) (less stable) or the older Gingerbread ROMs (2.3.7)?
nickmv said:
OK, then you DONT have a dead phone. You just need to reflash it correctly.
I'm sorry I can't be helpful for longer, because I am at work,but follow this guide and make sure you follow every detail (take note of step 6 in particular).
I know it's a long guide, but it's VERY detailed, and should get you up and running.
On a side note, for ROM selection, are you looking for an Ice Cream Sandwich alpha ROM (android 4.0) (less stable) or the older Gingerbread ROMs (2.3.7)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You gave me the good news so, thank you for that. Now, I should follow this guide and come back in case I have a problem.
As far as the rom, I wanted to flash an ICS since I cannot wait any longer for Google to release the official update. But right now, anything that can get my device up and running would be really good!
Edit: nvm. >_<
kijp15 said:
Why don't you just use shabby's one click root. Simple & much easier. Saves all sorts of troubles.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will this solve the problem I'm facing? If yes, then it's fine by me.
Ok, just saw the edit, no worries!
nickmv said:
but follow this guide and make sure you follow every detail (take note of step 6 in particular).
I know it's a long guide, but it's VERY detailed, and should get you up and running.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, stuck already. On Part 2 what I understand is that I have to open the CMD and copy-paste the path to the "tools" folder? Because this is what I do, and after - since this is what I have understand - I type "fastboot oem unlock" and I get "'fastboot' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file."
What do I do wrong?
EDIT:
Tottaly stuck on Part 2. It seems that there is no fastboot.exe file inside "tools" folder. I don't think the problem is something else - I'm sure I give the right commands since I tryied for fun another folder I have with fastboot.exe inside and it worked - to be exact it just gave me a FAILED messsage since device is already unlocked. Plus, regarding Part 3, Step 1, the first file for download is missing so I used the second link and downloaded 5023-cyan file. Hope this was a right move to do.
EDIT 2:
Ok, here is the story so far: I followed the guide given step by step. The USB drivers has been installed correctly so the device can be connected to the PC.
In the "tools" folder there was no such fastboot.exe file so I manually added one that I've found on the newer guide given on the 1st post. The unlocking process is failing because the device is already unlocked.
I did manage to install after this, the 5023-cyan.img file since this is the only link working from Part 3, Step 1. This gone well too!
Now, I couldn't go on with Part 4, I mean, I could not install the .zip file as it describes so through recovery mode I installed the .zip file succesfully (confirmation message to Nexus S screen).
I reboot and still get the same Google logo on the middle and an unlocked padlock on the bottom.
I cannot understand what I do so wrong? Oh, I'm so disappointed..
OK, people, head's up! I did manage to install the latest stable rom of cyanogenmod and the phone is up and running! It means that somehow everything went well! Now, how do I return back to OEM? Because I just need to make things as they where before..
..or should I give cyanogenmod a chance?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1063664 or use ROM manager and select Stock ROM (you should then receive OTA upgrades to 2.3.6).
On the latter: You colud just back up different ROMs and switch between them using CW.
skatastamoutrasas said:
Will this solve the problem I'm facing? If yes, then it's fine by me.
Ok, just saw the edit, no worries!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are still facing problems. Try locking your bootloader again with this method. Then it will let you go back on stock. Use v3 it is stable solid and easy to use.
Nexus S + CM9 kangs = Awesomeness
mixtapes08 said:
If you are still facing problems. Try locking your bootloader again with this method. Then it will let you go back on stock. Use v3 it is stable solid and easy to use.
Nexus S + CM9 kangs = Awesomeness
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you give me a CM9 kangs link since as new here, I'm kinda lost?
Ok new problem this time! After I installed my 3rd rom (probably, a totall noob thing to do) which was the OEM one, I tryied to re-enter recovery mode to wipe all data and re-install the rom I want. But now I get this mark of the small green android with a big exclamation mark on top of his head. What is this new hell that found me?
skatastamoutrasas said:
Ok new problem this time! After I installed my 3rd rom (probably, a totall noob thing to do) which was the OEM one, I tryied to re-enter recovery mode to wipe all data and re-install the rom I want. But now I get this mark of the small green android with a big exclamation mark on top of his head. What is this new hell that found me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try re-flashing the recovery. Either threw rom manager or fastboot.
Fastboot flash recovery "nameofrecovery".img
kijp15 said:
Try re-flashing the recovery. Either threw rom manager or fastboot.
Fastboot flash recovery "nameofrecovery".img
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Worked just fine! Thank you!
skatastamoutrasas said:
OK, people, head's up! I did manage to install the latest stable rom of cyanogenmod and the phone is up and running! It means that somehow everything went well! Now, how do I return back to OEM? Because I just need to make things as they where before..
..or should I give cyanogenmod a chance?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice, glad to see you managed to get it working. Honestly, the hassle is kind of worth it, because you learn more about the process anyways.
That being said, give CyanogenMod a chance. There's also several other ROMs. Unless you need stock OS for warranty service, I'd recommend going with one of the many custom ROMs we have here.
There are several minimalistic AOSP-built ROMs that mimic the feel of the stock OS, but are optimized for speed, and still have some very nice tweaks that you may enjoy. Just take a look through the dev section, and you'll see we have tons of options.
nickmv said:
Nice, glad to see you managed to get it working. Honestly, the hassle is kind of worth it, because you learn more about the process anyways.
That being said, give CyanogenMod a chance. There's also several other ROMs. Unless you need stock OS for warranty service, I'd recommend going with one of the many custom ROMs we have here.
There are several minimalistic AOSP-built ROMs that mimic the feel of the stock OS, but are optimized for speed, and still have some very nice tweaks that you may enjoy. Just take a look through the dev section, and you'll see we have tons of options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It did worth the hassle, that's for sure. Now I think it's so easy to unlock a Nexus plus I now have a little more knowledge regarding Android .
I will stick with CM 2.3.7 as it looks just fine. I don't care about warranty, I don't think I will ever need the official service for a software issue. Now I have to re-install my apps, re-sync my accounts and setup the phone the way I want it. It will take a little more time.
But I'm glad that I pulled this through - with your help of course! Guys, you rock!
I wish that I'll be as helpful as you at the near future.
Today's latest CM9/ICS kang is here
I'd also recommend getting a custom kernel.
For batt life, morfic's SEUV kernel.
For reg performance, perhaps Matrix's kernel
MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE CLOCKWORKMOD PERMANENTLY INSTALLED BEFORE DOING THIS. It saves time if you mess up. Also, make sure you get the latest gapps HERE
Instructions:
1. Go to clockwork recovery
2. Select data/factory reset/wipe
3. Select clear cache as well
4. Adv Mounts and Storage > wipe /system (note, this wipes android off the phone. It's a good idea since youre going from ver 2.x to 4.x)
5. Choose "flash from zip" (or whatever it's called.....NOT flash from update.zip)
6. Flash the cm9 update file first, then flash the kernel of your choice, then flash the gapps file.
7. Back out of the menu and select reboot.
Take note though, that the new ICS OS has incompatibilities with certain apps while GPU rendering is turned on, etc. It'll prob reboot on you sometimes, etc. For the most part it's stable, but that's completely subjective.
If you do run ICS, make sure you turn on GPU rendering in Dev Options. It takes full advantage of the GPU for UI animations, etc. Sometimes there's a stray app here and there that doesnt play nice, and you'll notice if the window looks really tiny or funny. Turning it off will fix the problem.
nickmv said:
Today's latest CM9/ICS kang is here
I'd also recommend getting a custom kernel.
For batt life, morfic's SEUV kernel.
For reg performance, perhaps Matrix's kernel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two questions:
The link you give me to download the ICS rom keeps loading for ever. So, I choosed this one instead:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1356228
Right or wrong thing to do?
It it essential to install a custom kernel? I ask because I forgot to copy/paste the .zip file and due to lack of time, I procceded without it, installing the ROM and G-APPS.

Black screen, forced to remove battery to restart.

Hey guys this is my first post here on the forums so go easy on me
So I bought this phone a couple weeks ago off of eBay. The phone was already rooted when I bought it and it is my first experience with a rooted android. I've been doing my best to learn everything I can about all the different things I can do with a rooted phone and I've learned a lot so far.
One thing that's stumping me though is that my phone will randomly just not turn back on after I lock the screen. This happens very randomly and happened to me last night which meant that my alarm didn't go off and I was late to work.
I've tried searching the forum but I can't seem to find a cause or a fix for this problem. If there is any information that I neglected to include, I apologize and will be happy to include that in another post.
Anything that y'all could do to help me would be greatly appreciated!
Sent from my Nexus S using xda app-developers app
it's happen for me too. JB 4.1 stock rom
Maybe try another kernel. I use AIR and.have heard great things bout MATR1X and Marmite as far as stability.
I would back up your apps and do a wipe and reinstall your ROM. For back ups and system tweakage I.use Android Tuner.
I guess we should know your current set up to help you the best. Please tell us what ROM Kernel combo you ate running.and I will do my best to offer suggestions as I'm sure the test.of the community.here will.
Sent from my phone using my thumbs and a keyboard
happen to me twice in the same day on stock unrooted JB. since then, nothing
Nexism said:
Maybe try another kernel. I use AIR and.have heard great things bout MATR1X and Marmite as far as stability.
I would back up your apps and do a wipe and reinstall your ROM. For back ups and system tweakage I.use Android Tuner.
I guess we should know your current set up to help you the best. Please tell us what ROM Kernel combo you ate running.and I will do my best to offer suggestions as I'm sure the test.of the community.here will.
Sent from my phone using my thumbs and a keyboard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok I think that the screenshot I attached is what you are asking for. If it isn't please let me know what else you need to know. Like I said earlier, I bought the phone pre-rooted so I'm not very sure how use another kernel or flash a different ROM. The whole process seems a little intimidating to me but I would be willing to try it out. I just really don't want to brick my phone because I don't know what I'm doing haha.
You're running a build based of the SDK.
Simply put. Get that crap off of your phone. Flash official stock , a custom ROM or whatever but that needs to go
albundy2010 said:
You're running a build based of the SDK.
Simply put. Get that crap off of your phone. Flash official stock , a custom ROM or whatever but that needs to go
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, well that makes me feel great about my purchase
Would you mind telling me what the best way to do this is, or directing me to instructions how to do it? I'm really new to this and I would hate to ruin my phone because of my inexperience.
I really appreciate the help.
NikoStone said:
Ok I think that the screenshot I attached is what you are asking for. If it isn't please let me know what else you need to know. Like I said earlier, I bought the phone pre-rooted so I'm not very sure how use another kernel or flash a different ROM. The whole process seems a little intimidating to me but I would be willing to try it out. I just really don't want to brick my phone because I don't know what I'm doing haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
follow this thread to update to the official stock jellybean
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1736645
Cascabreu said:
follow this thread to update to the official stock jellybean
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1736645
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thanks. Is this the latest update? Please forgive me for the complete noob questions that follow:
1. I've downloaded the file, but how do I open it and perform the update?
2. Will updating it this way cause me to lose root?
Well first off you should be posting in the Q&A section.
Use fastboot to install factory images. You can download fastboot and the driver for it from the links in my signature.
1. Download the factory image for your device and extract all the image files in it, put them in the folder where fastboot.exe is located.
2. Hold shift + right click on the folder where fastboot.exe is located, choose "Open command window here" (if you're using Windows 7)
3. Boot the phone into bootloader/fastboot mode and connect it to the computer. (While the phone is off, hold VOL+ and POWER).
4. The computer should now ask for the driver, point it to the location of the drivers you downloaded.
5. Open up the file "flash-all.sh" that you extracted along with the factory images with a text editor, it will tell you the commands you'll need to type to install the images:
fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-crespo-i9020xxlc2.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash radio radio-crespo-i9020xxki1.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot -w update image-soju-jro03l.zip
I can't remember if this process will wipe your entire internal storage or not.
Now if you want to root, try this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1479831, although there are other ways to root.
Or you can follow these instructions to install Clockworkmod and using it to flash root: http://dottech.org/25412/how-to-root-nexus-s/.
eksasol said:
Well first off you should be posting in the Q&A section.
Use fastboot to install factory images. You can download fastboot and the driver for it from the links in my signature.
1. Download the factory image for your device and extract all the image files in it, put them in the folder where fastboot.exe is located.
2. Hold shift + right click on the folder where fastboot.exe is located, choose "Open command window here" (if you're using Windows 7)
3. Boot the phone into bootloader/fastboot mode and connect it to the computer. (While the phone is off, hold VOL+ and POWER).
4. The computer should now ask for the driver, point it to the location of the drivers you downloaded.
5. Open up the file "flash-all.sh" that you extracted along with the factory images with a text editor, it will tell you the commands you'll need to type to install the images:
fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-crespo-i9020xxlc2.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash radio radio-crespo-i9020xxki1.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot -w update image-soju-jro03l.zip
I can't remember if this process will wipe your entire internal storage or not.
Now if you want to root, try this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1479831, although there are other ways to root.
Or you can follow these instructions to install Clockworkmod and using it to flash root: http://dottech.org/25412/how-to-root-nexus-s/.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the extensive list of instructions you provided. I tried my best to follow them but I couldn't quite figure out what I was doing wrong. I decided to try to install a custom ROM instead and was able to install cm9 pretty easily. Will this be sufficient to remove the aforementioned problem I was having?
If your already rooted then you don't need to go through a lot of that even.though it was a good walkthrough. If you flashed a new ROM then.you have.some sort of recovery in place. As long as you do a full wipe to get the previous owners garbage off of there and then flash a new ROM like CM9 then you should be golden the new ROM will come with it's own kernel so you don't need to start learning about those until you want to.
If I may make a suggestion, give AOKP Build 4 a try the ROM you chose is good but is using old code (ICS) If you just got a new phone why not put the latest on it.
Keep me (us) posted as we the reason a lot of us belong to this forum is to offer any help we can....AOKP4 you won't regret it.
Sent from my phone using my thumbs and a keyboard
That works too, you can flash the stock roms here (using CWM) or stay with the custom rom: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1843301
Nexism said:
If your already rooted then you don't need to go through a lot of that even.though it was a good walkthrough. If you flashed a new ROM then.you have.some sort of recovery in place. As long as you do a full wipe to get the previous owners garbage off of there and then flash a new ROM like CM9 then you should be golden the new ROM will come with it's own kernel so you don't need to start learning about those until you want to.
If I may make a suggestion, give AOKP Build 4 a try the ROM you chose is good but is using old code (ICS) If you just got a new phone why not put the latest on it.
Keep me (us) posted as we the reason a lot of us belong to this forum is to offer any help we can....AOKP4 you won't regret it.
Sent from my phone using my thumbs and a keyboard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First I want to say thank you to everybody for all the help so far. :highfive: I'm still learning but I am slowly figuring all of this out.
Nexism, I would be interested in trying AOKP build 4 if you wouldn't mind explaining the easiest way to do it or point me somewhere that can explain it to me. I don't know what all goes into flashing a new ROM and I don't want to forget something that will mess up my data or my battery life.
Here is the AOKP thread. Its located in the general section.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1645400
As far as flashing goes...
Download the ROM from the above thread
Download a good app backup app (I use Android Tuner, it seems like everyone else uses Titanium Backup or ROMToolbox all have free versions only thing you'll miss is batch restore)
Back up your $hit
Boot I recovery (phone off, hold vol up while powering phone on) then scroll to recovery
(At this point opinions differ a bit) I go to mounts and storage and format the following data, cache, system, then boot then back out to the main menu and wipe all factory reset (I'm kind of a neat freak just.like to make sure I'm always starting with a clean slate)
Then install your.ROM and Gapps after a few min main recovery menu will come up
Select reboot
Go through the norm set up
Re-install backup app
Restore your apps
Then play around with all.the new features on your Nexus
Sorry if this is too basic of a walkthrough no offense if so. You can PM me if you need more detail. Good luck, happy flashing.
Sent from my phone using my thumbs and a keyboard
Nexism said:
Here is the AOKP thread. Its located in the general section.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1645400
As far as flashing goes...
Download the ROM from the above thread
Download a good app backup app (I use Android Tuner, it seems like everyone else uses Titanium Backup or ROMToolbox all have free versions only thing you'll miss is batch restore)
Back up your $hit
Boot I recovery (phone off, hold vol up while powering phone on) then scroll to recovery
(At this point opinions differ a bit) I go to mounts and storage and format the following data, cache, system, then boot then back out to the main menu and wipe all factory reset (I'm kind of a neat freak just.like to make sure I'm always starting with a clean slate)
Then install your.ROM and Gapps after a few min main recovery menu will come up
Select reboot
Go through the norm set up
Re-install backup app
Restore your apps
Then play around with all.the new features on your Nexus
Sorry if this is too basic of a walkthrough no offense if so. You can PM me if you need more detail. Good luck, happy flashing.
Sent from my phone using my thumbs and a keyboard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, thanks man.
It was exactly what I needed to know - not too basic. I flashed it and now I'm checking it out. Is there any reason I would need to use a custom kernel for anything?
No, only i u find it slow as it is now. If u want a custom kernel go for matr1x one
Sent from my Nexus S using xda app-developers app
Glad to here your Nexus is doing well.
Now that you have a good build make a backup (in recovery) so you will always have a working configuration to go back to then experiment all you want. I may get corrected on this but as long as I have a backup and access to recovery mode I know that the chances of me bricking my phone is slim to none. So I am a flash happy fool. I try everything new when it comes out.
Get comfortable with your new ROM and flashing in general and as you see a need try different stuff out.
I use a custom kernel because I use the on screen navbar and I like to turn off the hardware key backlight. You also have control over CPU min/max Frequency,governors, and I/o schedulers as well as some extra tweak options. If you're like me the more you learn the more you'll flash.
Check out NSTools it is one of the must have apps for our phones.
Again, I am available for anymore help I can.offer.
Sent from my phone using my thumbs and a keyboard

Over-Clocking +1.7 GHz JellyBean 4.2

Will somebody please give me a link and go through:
STEP BY STEP on how to Overclock (1.7GHz or higher) my rooted ASUS Transformer TF300 on
-Jelly Bean 4.2.1
-TWRP 2.5.0.0
-Build # 10.6.1.15.3
-SuperSU
...If there 's anything else I missed, please don't hesitate to ask. Please also provide the zip files needed for me to flash it.
I don't know too much about flashing a custom ROM so please describe it in baby steps or provide a descriptive link in order for a NOOBIE to understand.
I have been trying to do this for a couple of weeks now... I am desperate
platinum_k said:
Will somebody please give me a link and go through:
STEP BY STEP on how to Overclock (1.7GHz or higher) my rooted ASUS Transformer TF300 on
-Jelly Bean 4.2.1
-TWRP 2.5.0.0
-Build # 10.6.1.15.3
-SuperSU
...If there 's anything else I missed, please don't hesitate to ask. Please also provide the zip files needed for me to flash it.
I don't know too much about flashing a custom ROM so please describe it in baby steps or provide a descriptive link in order for a NOOBIE to understand.
I have been trying to do this for a couple of weeks now... I am desperate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe you need a custom kernel than support 1.7Ghz
Tamaskan said:
I believe you need a custom kernel than support 1.7Ghz
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
... How the heck to I do that? how will I be able to flash it?
Please provide a link for me, please.
Did you unlock your tablet? if not you have to do that first! then download hundsbuah kernel(or a kernel that supports 1.7GHZ) here: http://www.mediafire.com/?5mr686tby6zxsi8
it is a flashable zip so you need twrp recovery!
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T
Im guessing your new to this so make sure you realise that u'll lose your warrenty if you unlock the tablet, if your still on 4.0.2 make sure you look into nvflash.
I appreciate you guys helping me out. It really means a lot!
Anywho... yes, my tablet is Unlocked. I thought by mentioning it's rooted it would be obvious that it would be unlocked. I guess I'm wrong.
What do I do AFTER I flash Hundsbuah? Which safe ROM do I flash next?
Do you guys think I can make it higher than 1.7 GHz safely?
platinum_k said:
I appreciate you guys helping me out. It really means a lot!
Anywho... yes, my tablet is Unlocked. I thought by mentioning it's rooted it would be obvious that it would be unlocked. I guess I'm wrong.
What do I do AFTER I flash Hundsbuah? Which safe ROM do I flash next?
Do you guys think I can make it higher than 1.7 GHz safely?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll answer your last question first. 1.7 is as high as I have seen this tablet oc'ed and it remain stable, and many people can't even go that high. And with Hundsbauh's kernel 1.7 is the max.
I am running CROMI-X version 4.6.9 and it is an awesome custom a ROM. I have used both of those through several versions with great results.
That said, with CROMI you need to flash it first, then flash hundsbauh's kernel after you have booted into the rom once and allowed it to stabilize. Also, be sure when you flash the custom ROM the first time that you do a full wipe from twrp first.
Finally, there is a new version of CROMI in the works that will allow you to flash Hundsbuah's kernel at the same time you flash the rom. It is due out in a few days.
Whatever you do, read, read and read some more about the rom/kernel you choose BEFORE you flash. Many people have jumped in half-cocked and bricked their tablets.
Let me know if you have any questions (I am sure you have many).
Kindest Regards
pastorbob
pastorbob62 said:
I'll answer your last question first. 1.7 is as high as I have seen this tablet oc'ed and it remain stable, and many people can't even go that high. And with Hundsbauh's kernel 1.7 is the max.
I am running and it is an awesome custom a ROM. I have used both of those through several versions with great results.
That said, with CROMI you need to flash it first, then flash hundsbauh's kernel after you have booted into the rom once and allowed it to stabilize. Also, be sure when you flash the custom ROM the first time that you do a full wipe from twrp first.
Finally, there is a new version of CROMI in the works that will allow you to flash Hundsbuah's kernel at the same time you flash the rom. It is due out in a few days.
Whatever you do, read, read and read some more about the rom/kernel you choose BEFORE you flash. Many people have jumped in half-cocked and bricked their tablets.
Let me know if you have any questions (I am sure you have many).
Kindest Regards
pastorbob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much pastor Bob for the detailed description of how CROMI and Hundsbuah works!
I actually do have many questions as a noob:
1. -How would I do a full wipe of my Tablet using bootloader?
-To branch out the question even more, what is a bootloader? and why does it matter so much? (seen many people saying to NOT full wipe from bootloader when flashing custom ROMs.)
-Did this unlock my device? (mine is apparently, JOP40D.WW_epad 10.6.1.15.3-XXXXXXXXX)
2. What the heck is SuperSU for anyways? I have it and it doesnt do anything and it keeps popping even when i do a full wipe.
3. Can you create a NANDroid backup without having to do it by using custom recovery?
What is Titanium Backup for? what is it so popular?
4. Lastly, is this a good instructions to follow in order to FINALLY overclock my tablet? ---->http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2223492
I really appreciate your help PastorBob... and also the help of the other people in this great forum community! =)
Please get back to me when you can! I can't wait to get working on my tablet improvements again!
platinum_k said:
Thank you so much pastor Bob for the detailed description of how CROMI and Hundsbuah works!
I actually do have many questions as a noob:
1. -How would I do a full wipe of my Tablet using bootloader?
-To branch out the question even more, what is a bootloader? and why does it matter so much? (seen many people saying to NOT full wipe from bootloader when flashing custom ROMs.)
-Did this unlock my device? (mine is apparently, JOP40D.WW_epad 10.6.1.15.3-XXXXXXXXX)
2. What the heck is SuperSU for anyways? I have it and it doesnt do anything and it keeps popping even when i do a full wipe.
3. Can you create a NANDroid backup without having to do it by using custom recovery?
What is Titanium Backup for? what is it so popular?
4. Lastly, is this a good instructions to follow in order to FINALLY overclock my tablet? ---->http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2223492
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doing a full wipe is done by the recovery kernel (twrp) its simply formats the internal sdcard like you would a usb flash drive on windows.
As for the boot loader, all computers have them. Their task is to fetch the kernel from memory, in our case it can fetch the android kernel and boot or it can fetch the recovery kernel. Choosing wipe from bootloader will wipe both android and recovery afaik but ive never done it.
Supersu is an application that manages access to / "root" or the lowest level of the android filesystem. Rooting your device allows applications to access / with read write permissions, Supersu and others manage applications that ask for access to / .
For a NANDroid without a custom recovery, you can backup whole partitions with NvFlash, but im not sure how or if this is possible with adb/fastboot. Titanium backup allows you to "freeze" an appplications and save the files so even if you uninstall it, it can be recovered by titanium backup.
Simply unlock your tablet, install twrp, find and flash a custom kernel and download trickstermod or the likes and you can overclock within the range the developer has designed the kernel to allow for.
Good luck mate
EDIT : By the way some of our devices can overclock far past 1.7ghz and 650mhz gpu. Ive flashed a couple of tf700 kernels and 1800mhz and 700mhz is completely stable, i saw a thread somewhere in general of someone who compiled a kernel with an overclock of 2ghz but only some tf300ts cacn handle it. It all depends on our cpu revision
JoinTheRealms said:
Doing a full wipe is done by the recovery kernel (twrp) its simply formats the internal sdcard like you would a usb flash drive on windows.
As for the boot loader, all computers have them. Their task is to fetch the kernel from memory, in our case it can fetch the android kernel and boot or it can fetch the recovery kernel. Choosing wipe from bootloader will wipe both android and recovery afaik but ive never done it.
Supersu is an application that manages access to / "root" or the lowest level of the android filesystem. Rooting your device allows applications to access / with read write permissions, Supersu and others manage applications that ask for access to / .
For a NANDroid without a custom recovery, you can backup whole partitions with NvFlash, but im not sure how or if this is possible with adb/fastboot. Titanium backup allows you to "freeze" an appplications and save the files so even if you uninstall it, it can be recovered by titanium backup.
Simply unlock your tablet, install twrp, find and flash a custom kernel and download trickstermod or the likes and you can overclock within the range the developer has designed the kernel to allow for.
Good luck mate
EDIT : By the way some of our devices can overclock far past 1.7ghz and 650mhz gpu. Ive flashed a couple of tf700 kernels and 1800mhz and 700mhz is completely stable, i saw a thread somewhere in general of someone who compiled a kernel with an overclock of 2ghz but only some tf300ts cacn handle it. It all depends on our cpu revision
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your response, JoinTheRealms. Is THISa good custom kernel that would be able to let me overclock ----> http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=2223492
Will that be the procedure to follow? what does trickstermod do exactly? Are there better software alternatives?
Note: Ive already unlocked and installed TWRP.
platinum_k said:
Thank you for your response, JoinTheRealms. Is THISa good custom kernel that would be able to let me overclock ----> http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=2223492
Will that be the procedure to follow? what does trickstermod do exactly? Are there better software alternatives?
Note: Ive already unlocked and installed TWRP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry 404 on the page you linked, im assuming it was this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2223492 which if you scroll down, you'll find this: http://d-h.st/lmM this is a package of kernels that work with Cromi and stock/ or stock based roms. This kernel package is exactly the same as the one in the tf300t thread for cromi. When you flash it with twrp, ull get a nice gui pop up (Aroma interface) u'll then get the choose between tf300t and tf700 kernels, only a few from the tf700 are compatible (Hint: the second to last is the best).
Your not going to realistically see a difference between tf300t and tf700 kernels. If you get around 7000 in quadrant your performing the same as most tf700s with custom kernels.
After that the last step is to download an overclocking app, my personal favorite is trickstermod, there are probably hundreds so just give a few a try
JoinTheRealms said:
Sorry 404 on the page you linked, im assuming it was this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2223492 which if you scroll down, you'll find this: http://d-h.st/lmM this is a package of kernels that work with Cromi and stock/ or stock based roms. This kernel package is exactly the same as the one in the tf300t thread for cromi. When you flash it with twrp, ull get a nice gui pop up (Aroma interface) u'll then get the choose between tf300t and tf700 kernels, only a few from the tf700 are compatible (Hint: the second to last is the best).
Your not going to realistically see a difference between tf300t and tf700 kernels. If you get around 7000 in quadrant your performing the same as most tf700s with custom kernels.
After that the last step is to download an overclocking app, my personal favorite is trickstermod, there are probably hundreds so just give a few a try
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your replies, JoinTheRealms! I really appreciate it. I have "No-frills CPU" app. I assume that's one of the overclocking app that's acceptable.
ONE QUESTION though: Do I ALWAYS need to wipe to factory reset every time I flash a new kernal???
By the Way, I decided to flash this ROM I got from one of the links someone shared here: http://www.mediafire.com/?5mr686tby6zxsi8
I was able finally overclock my tablet to 1.7GHz! =)))) (Note: it does something weird everytime it boots up. The asus logo goes 'burzerk' for like half a second. Weird...)
Would you happen to know something better, in terms of performance, visual effects and stability?? hehe please do share! =)
platinum_k said:
Thank you for your replies, JoinTheRealms! I really appreciate it. I have "No-frills CPU" app. I assume that's one of the overclocking app that's acceptable.
ONE QUESTION though: Do I ALWAYS need to wipe to factory reset every time I flash a new kernal???
By the Way, I decided to flash this ROM I got from one of the links someone shared here: http://www.mediafire.com/?5mr686tby6zxsi8
I was able finally overclock my tablet to 1.7GHz! =)))) (Note: it does something weird everytime it boots up. The asus logo goes 'burzerk' for like half a second. Weird...)
Would you happen to know something better, in terms of performance, visual effects and stability?? hehe please do share! =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah no frills is good, you can try pimpmyrom it has alot of tweaks and customizations for the kernel/ os.
No you dont need to wipe anything after a kernel flash, only when flashing a rom do you need to use 'factory restore' (it just wipes system and data) and this doesn't apply to all roms it just depends on what the roms based on. e.g you can flash cromi over a stock rom without wiping system and data (because cromi is stock based, just with modifications. There are a few others that full into this category). its good practice to wipe dalvik and cache after every rom flash though.
Dont worry about the artifacts while booting, ive ran that kernel for weeks without issue.
Id say this kernel is the best in terms of performance (overclocks to 1.8ghz, ive benchmarked over 7000 with quadrant) http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=22945124161945688 (its by Surdu Petru for 4.2 bootloader and stock based roms)
If your feeling adventorous give ubuntu on your tf300t a try, im currently dual booting android 4.1 with ubuntu 12.10 works ver well
JoinTheRealms said:
Yeah no frills is good, you can try pimpmyrom it has alot of tweaks and customizations for the kernel/ os.
No you dont need to wipe anything after a kernel flash, only when flashing a rom do you need to use 'factory restore' (it just wipes system and data) and this doesn't apply to all roms it just depends on what the roms based on. e.g you can flash cromi over a stock rom without wiping system and data (because cromi is stock based, just with modifications. There are a few others that full into this category). its good practice to wipe dalvik and cache after every rom flash though.
Dont worry about the artifacts while booting, ive ran that kernel for weeks without issue.
Id say this kernel is the best in terms of performance (overclocks to 1.8ghz, ive benchmarked over 7000 with quadrant) http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=22945124161945688 (its by Surdu Petru for 4.2 bootloader and stock based roms)
If your feeling adventorous give ubuntu on your tf300t a try, im currently dual booting android 4.1 with ubuntu 12.10 works ver well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All I gotta do is synchronize it with my google account to avoid having to download every single app i had for my tablet correct?
wow... I didnt even know you can dual boot.
I think ill stick with hundsbuah's for now and see if i further need to upgrade.
Thank you for your input JoinTheRealms!

Most directions "how to root" seem to be from 2012...

On July 20th 2013, I bought a new Verizon Galaxy S3 i535 (no contract due to I need unlimited data). As a 50 year old guy, I admit that I never rooted before. I decided to do some research on the web which also included this XDA site. By the way, this is the best site!!
As someone who never rooted, I found multiple different ways of rooting which caused great confusion. Some told me to download Odin, while some did not. Some told me to download a superSU or something like that, while other directions did not, and so on and on......
But what really concerns me is that most of the directions were written back in 2012. Should this be a concern?
I don't want to seem like a retard or impose, but would someone do a video skype with me and walk me thru rooting my phone for the very first time? Perhaps during that skype session I could ask a few questions? I would pre download all files so that the session would not take too long.
Any volunteers?
Respectfully,
Bryan
All you need to Do is visit this link:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=42791826
Those are the most straight forward directions you can find. And it will Root, unlock your bootloader, and install a custom recovery.
thank you for the reply. this is yet another way off rooting. why does this not use Odin? will this method allow me to undo or fix something if something goes bad?
BKSinAZ said:
thank you for the reply. this is yet another way off rooting. why does this not use Odin? will this method allow me to undo or fix something if something goes bad?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't use Odin because it doesn't need to. The one click solution includes all the tools needed to make the necessary changes to your phone.
If something goes wrong, then you would use Odin to go back to stock no matter what root /unlock method you used. This is because Odin has the lowest level access to your phone, and can rescue it as long as you can boot into download mode.
As long as you don't flash files intended for other phones (including s3s from other carriers) your phone should be safe.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Please read forum rules before posting
Questions and Help issues go in Q&A and Help section
Thread moved
Thank you for your cooperation
Friendly Neighborhood Moderator
funnyperson1 said:
It doesn't use Odin because it doesn't need to. The one click solution includes all the tools needed to make the necessary changes to your phone.
If something goes wrong, then you would use Odin to go back to stock no matter what root /unlock method you used. This is because Odin has the lowest level access to your phone, and can rescue it as long as you can boot into download mode.
As long as you don't flash files intended for other phones (including s3s from other carriers) your phone should be safe.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok... here is one of my last questions before I begin the root process....
Do I need to make a backup of my stock phone? There are no pictures or music, but do I need to make a backup in anyway first so if things go bad I can return to stock?
BKSinAZ said:
Ok... here is one of my last questions before I begin the root process....
Do I need to make a backup of my stock phone? There are no pictures or music, but do I need to make a backup in anyway first so if things go bad I can return to stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm going to pop in here and help out. Once you do the casual root process, it will also install a recovery for you. You can make a nandroid backup with your recovery and just keep that somewhere safe. There are also directions on how to recover and return your phone to Verizon here. Hope that answers your question.
BKSinAZ said:
Ok... here is one of my last questions before I begin the root process....
Do I need to make a backup of my stock phone? There are no pictures or music, but do I need to make a backup in anyway first so if things go bad I can return to stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, as I said above, as long as you can reach download mode on your phone you can always Odin back to stock. If you somehow break download mode, then your phone is pretty much bricked without sending it out to someone with a JTAG programmer. The risk of that happenning though is minimal unless you flash a ROM intended for a different device (such as the international i9300 S3).
funnyperson1 said:
No, as I said above, as long as you can reach download mode on your phone you can always Odin back to stock. If you somehow break download mode, then your phone is pretty much bricked without sending it out to someone with a JTAG programmer. The risk of that happenning though is minimal unless you flash a ROM intended for a different device (such as the international i9300 S3).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK... did exactly what you and the directions stated. Upon the phone booting up, there is a 'padlock' and the option to swipe. When I swipe, I am not as the home screen that I am accustomed to. I am in the Team Win Recovery Project" with the only option to 'select zip to install" and 6 buttons to press (install, backup, mount, advanced, wipe, restore, settings, reboot)
This was an unexpected step and was wondering what to do next?.... or did I mess things up?
BKSinAZ said:
OK... did exactly what you and the directions stated. Upon the phone booting up, there is a 'padlock' and the option to swipe. When I swipe, I am not as the home screen that I am accustomed to. I am in the Team Win Recovery Project" with the only option to 'select zip to install" and 6 buttons to press (install, backup, mount, advanced, wipe, restore, settings, reboot)
This was an unexpected step and was wondering what to do next?.... or did I mess things up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It sounds like you were successful in rooting and unlocking your phone's bootloader. The program you are seeing (TWRP recovery) allows you to flash roms/mods (install), backup your phone, wipe and restore your phone. However, this shouldn't be what you see on bootup unless you pressed volume up while booting. Your stock ROM may have been wiped during the root process.
I suggest you dive into the world of Custom ROMs with CleanROM which is basically a de-bloated and tweaked version of the stock ROM.
Download the file from here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1832070
Use your PC to put it on a microSD card. In TWRP recovery, perform a Factory Reset (from the Wipe Menu), then navigate to the external_sdcard and install CleanROM (from install menu). Wipe caches and reboot once installation is finished. You should boot straight into CleanROM.
funnyperson1 said:
It sounds like you were successful in rooting and unlocking your phone's bootloader. The program you are seeing (TWRP recovery) allows you to flash roms/mods (install), backup your phone, wipe and restore your phone. However, this shouldn't be what you see on bootup unless you pressed volume up while booting. Your stock ROM may have been wiped during the root process.
I suggest you dive into the world of Custom ROMs with CleanROM which is basically a de-bloated and tweaked version of the stock ROM.
Download the file from here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1832070
Use your PC to put it on a microSD card. In TWRP recovery, perform a Factory Reset (from the Wipe Menu), then navigate to the external_sdcard and install CleanROM (from install menu). Wipe caches and reboot once installation is finished. You should boot straight into CleanROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems that when I went into the backup area and made a backup (a backup of what, I do not know because I am totally new to this) and after the backup the phone rebooted to the normal home screen with all the normal icons. I even just received a phone call so I guess all is good.
I don't know what to do now that my phone is rooted. My goal was just to uninstall unwanted programs etc, So when I get the courage, I will use the CLEANROM.
Question.... do I now have to constantly update my existing root or Cleanrom once installed? Do I now avoid Verizon or Samsung updates?
BKSinAZ said:
OK... did exactly what you and the directions stated. Upon the phone booting up, there is a 'padlock' and the option to swipe. When I swipe, I am not as the home screen that I am accustomed to. I am in the Team Win Recovery Project" with the only option to 'select zip to install" and 6 buttons to press (install, backup, mount, advanced, wipe, restore, settings, reboot)
This was an unexpected step and was wondering what to do next?.... or did I mess things up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're not ready to flash roms just touch reboot and you'll be back to your stock jellybean. In regards to the padlock, I also got that after using CASUAL and underneath the padlock it says custom. I haven't gotten a definitive answer about that but the general consensus is that it's nothing to worry about. I suppose it's just Verizon letting you know that they detected changes to your phone.
Do yourself a favor and read for days and days before you start flashing roms. You'll find the answers here and YouTube.
BKSinAZ said:
It seems that when I went into the backup area and made a backup (a backup of what, I do not know because I am totally new to this) and after the backup the phone rebooted to the normal home screen with all the normal icons. I even just received a phone call so I guess all is good.
I don't know what to do now that my phone is rooted. My goal was just to uninstall unwanted programs etc, So when I get the courage, I will use the CLEANROM.
Question.... do I now have to constantly update my existing root or Cleanrom once installed? Do I now avoid Verizon or Samsung updates?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great. The backup you made is what is called a "nandroid" backup. By default it includes the Android System, your apps, and associated application data and settings. This is great because it basically includes everything you need to restore your phone to it's previous state. So if you were to flash a custom ROM and ended up not liking it you could always restore this backup and it would restore your phone to how it is now.
Being rooted allows you to install and use applications from the Play store that require root. There are tons of them. The one I use most often is called Titanium Backup. It's primary purpose it to backup and restore your data and applications on an individual basis. I use it mostly to save my text messages and game save data between ROM flashes. It also allows you to uninstall, wipe data, and freeze (disable) any application on your phone.
Right now since you are still running stock rooted, you want to avoid installing any official updates, otherwise you may have to re-root. Beanstown may have disabled system updates through the rooting method, but I am not sure. If a new update is released, keep your eyes on the forums here, someone will create a flashable zip of the new firmware that maintains root/unlocked bootloader, you can then flash that in TWRP. Also once you flash a custom ROM like CleanROM, they removed the Samsung Firmware updater most likely so you don't have to worry about it.

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