Back up EVERYTHING before rooting? - Epic 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Alright, as some of you know, I really, really, REALLY, messed up on my last root attempt.
Apparently I didn't backup what I was supposed to. That was my own stupid a55 mistake and I have admitted to it.
I DO plan to attempt a root again so that I can get this theme on my phone: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1042268
There are things that I need to know before I attempt this (and yes I know there are forums already on this but I need to be 110% sure)
1) How do I back up EVERYTHING on my phone and put it on my computer or SD card or somewhere that I can go to incase I mess up again?
2) What is the EASIEST program/method to root this Samsung Epic 4g?
3) (I'm not too sure what I'm talking about here ((remember, I'm a total noob)))
I tried CWM 3.0.0.5 before... is this a ROM that I attempted to go to?
3ii) If I should'nt be using CWM, what should I use?
4) Is Froyo and CWM the same time of thing? or two different things completely?
and finally:
5) Give me all of your recommendations on this please! I DON'T WANNA MESS UP AGAIN!
And please none of this "You messed up before, dont try it again!" crap, I know I messed up, and I know this is stupid, but the fact of the matter is, I'm trying it again to get this theme on my device. So PLEASE help me out!
Thanks everyone!

cheech92007 said:
Alright, as some of you know, I really, really, REALLY, messed up on my last root attempt.
Apparently I didn't backup what I was supposed to. That was my own stupid a55 mistake and I have admitted to it.
I DO plan to attempt a root again so that I can get this theme on my phone: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1042268
There are things that I need to know before I attempt this (and yes I know there are forums already on this but I need to be 110% sure)
1) How do I back up EVERYTHING on my phone and put it on my computer or SD card or somewhere that I can go to incase I mess up again?
2) What is the EASIEST program/method to root this Samsung Epic 4g?
3) (I'm not too sure what I'm talking about here ((remember, I'm a total noob)))
I tried CWM 3.0.0.5 before... is this a ROM that I attempted to go to?
3ii) If I should'nt be using CWM, what should I use?
4) Is Froyo and CWM the same time of thing? or two different things completely?
and finally:
5) Give me all of your recommendations on this please! I DON'T WANNA MESS UP AGAIN!
And please none of this "You messed up before, dont try it again!" crap, I know I messed up, and I know this is stupid, but the fact of the matter is, I'm trying it again to get this theme on my device. So PLEASE help me out!
Thanks everyone!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, first things first. Not to be rude, but you are at the first step of enjoying Epic goodness; rooting your phone. It should be obvious that this step is covered ALL over XDA and a simple google search would have lead you to the following page:
CWM 3.0.0.5
There are already wayyyy too many threads asking questions that were answered long before they were ever even asked in the first place.
Okay, now that that's out of the way .
1. If you're absolutely freaked about losing anything, MyBackup and MyBackup Pro will back up all your apps. Then simply plug your phone into your computer and copy the entire contents of your sd card to your harddrive. Mybackup Root can be used once your rooted and is free.
2. Use the link i posted.
3. CWM is not a Rom. It replaces the default recovery subsystem with one you can use to flash Roms. You enter it from the off state by pressing Volume Down+Camera+Power. Do not use CWM 3.0.2.4.
4. Froyo is simply the version of android. The Samsung Epic is on Froyo, or 2.2. Roms come in various flavors like Eclair(2.1), Froyo(2.2), and hopefully soon for the Epic, Gingerbread(2.3).
5. Search around the Epic Android Development for a Rom that makes you excited. A good suggestion for you would be Midnight 5.2. All you have to do is download the Rom .zip file to your SD, boot into CWM 3, Install from SD, and point it to the .zip. Read the forums for how to safely install their Roms like clearing data and making/restoring backups.
Remember, everything you've asked has been asked and answered many times, so please search next time to avoid making unnecessary threads and to gain your answer faster!

RandomKing said:
Ok, first things first. Not to be rude, but you are at the first step of enjoying Epic goodness; rooting your phone. It should be obvious that this step is covered ALL over XDA and a simple google search would have lead you to the following page:
CWM 3.0.0.5
There are already wayyyy too many threads asking questions that were answered long before they were ever even asked in the first place.
Okay, now that that's out of the way .
1. If you're absolutely freaked about losing anything, MyBackup and MyBackup Pro will back up all your apps. Then simply plug your phone into your computer and copy the entire contents of your sd card to your harddrive. Mybackup Root can be used once your rooted and is free.
2. Use the link i posted.
3. CWM is not a Rom. It replaces the default recovery subsystem with one you can use to flash Roms. You enter it from the off state by pressing Volume Down+Camera+Power. Do not use CWM 3.0.2.4.
4. Froyo is simply the version of android. The Samsung Epic is on Froyo, or 2.2. Roms come in various flavors like Eclair(2.1), Froyo(2.2), and hopefully soon for the Epic, Gingerbread(2.3).
5. Search around the Epic Android Development for a Rom that makes you excited. A good suggestion for you would be Midnight 5.2. All you have to do is download the Rom .zip file to your SD, boot into CWM 3, Install from SD, and point it to the .zip. Read the forums for how to safely install their Roms like clearing data and making/restoring backups.
Remember, everything you've asked has been asked and answered many times, so please search next time to avoid making unnecessary threads and to gain your answer faster!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay the main thing that I am confused about is number 5. Why do I want these ROM's exactly? Pretty much all I want is that Red Angry Alien theme.

cheech92007 said:
Okay the main thing that I am confused about is number 5. Why do I want these ROM's exactly? Pretty much all I want is that Red Angry Alien theme.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After reviewing your other posts, I am now aware that you have asked a lot of this and already been answered but are clearly not interested in reading the information presented to you. This should have been continued in the last thread that you started, but what's done is done. Your key problem is rooting with CWM which converts the file system to EXT4. You will have to flash a new rom or kernel immediately following or the phone can't boot. This means that you must have a new rom or kernel .zip file on your sd card PRIOR TO ROOTING. I haven't messed around too much with a rooted stock rom, but at the least you need a new kernel, search for and try VisionKernel if thats all you want.
Please refrain from starting any more threads, you've already been given more information than you need by myself and others. Search around XDA, it can be fun!

RandomKing said:
You will have to flash a new rom or kernel immediately following or the phone can't boot. This means that you must have a new rom or kernel .zip file on your sd card PRIOR TO ROOTING. I haven't messed around too much with a rooted stock rom, but at the least you need a new kernel, search for and try VisionKernel if thats all you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright, I just downloaded the EB13-DUALFS-KERNEL.zip to my desktop...is THIS what you were talking about that I need on my SD card first? I looked inside it and it has a KERNEL file in it... So I put this on my SD card, then ROOT, then UNZIP the EB13 on my devices when Im in CWM Reboot?

cheech92007 said:
Alright, I just downloaded the EB13-DUALFS-KERNEL.zip to my desktop...is THIS what you were talking about that I need on my SD card first? I looked inside it and it has a KERNEL file in it... So I put this on my SD card, then ROOT, then UNZIP the EB13 on my devices when Im in CWM Reboot?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no unzipping. In CWM, you simply select "Install from sd", point to your .zip file, and tell it to start. CWM is pretty straight forward to navigate. It will probably take a couple minutes, after which you will select the Reboot option and watch your phone load.

cheech92007 said:
Okay the main thing that I am confused about is number 5. Why do I want these ROM's exactly? Pretty much all I want is that Red Angry Alien theme.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What randomking said....and
I didn't see what the red angry alien theme was designed for.... it just says ec05...ec05 is the latest build of froyo we have. Because all you want is a theme I'm going to suggest you do the oneclick root cwm version 2.5.5(stock file system).
I assume you'll need to be on a deodexed rom to flash that, but you may want to try it(since you learned how to odin you can just about recover from anything) and see if it works.
After you run the oneclick 2.5.5 root your good to go, just boot back into clockworkmod(2.5.5 is green text and not orange) click down to backup/restore, click on it and then click backup. This is what's called a nandroid. A nandroid is a complete backup of your entire system, including all user data. The only thing it will not backup is the kernel, since your not changing the kernel it won't matter. If you have problems or mess up you just wipe everything/factory reset/cache/dalvik cache and instead of going to backup, you select restore....blaam exactly the way your phone was when you backed it up. BTW backing up and restoring takes about 10minutes and don't try it when your battery is almost dead.
Hope that helps a bit more and don't rush it, the theme will be here for a long while I'm sure.

RandomKing said:
There is no unzipping. In CWM, you simply select "Install from sd", point to your .zip file, and tell it to start. CWM is pretty straight forward to navigate. It will probably take a couple minutes, after which you will select the Reboot option and watch your phone load.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great, Thank you so much I really appreciate it.
Now all I need to do is get my theme on here xD

cheech92007 said:
Great, Thank you so much I really appreciate it.
Now all I need to do is get my theme on here xD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On second thought cheech, go herehttp://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1009997 and watch every single one of these videos and don't ask anything more untill you have.....deal?

epic4GEE said:
On second thought cheech, go herehttp://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1009997 and watch every single one of these videos and don't ask anything more untill you have.....deal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yessir!

cheech92007 said:
yessir!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll thank that post later if you really watch ALL those videos.....they're really helpful

Related

[Q] very new to htc and smartphones and i don't know anything, i need HELP

hi everybody you guys are geniuses!
i m new to this whole spartphone thing! i just bought my htc evo and i m trying to root it but i don t even know the basics! what is a flash and how do i flash? what is sd configuration and how do i do that! how do i do backup ;nandroid backup?what is a kernel and how to put it into my rom!! basicly i need all the info from the begining until i run a custom rom! i really need help on this one! thank you!
Google is your friend
_MetalHead_ said:
Google is your friend
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
There are plenty of people around here that like to help, but asking to have the entire android guide spelled out for ya is a bit much. Go search and read up on what you can understand, then read a little further. When it starts to get confusing again, come back and ask a specific question or two. You will get a lot more help that way.
That s why I m asking! I did look it up, and it s confusing
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
utzu said:
That s why I m asking! I did look it up, and it s confusing
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You gotta look up the tutorials. Flashing means moving something to your SD card and installing it.
unrevoked is kinda advanced since ur brand new..search on youtube for how to root evo 4g
swyped htc supersonic
stay stock
Google the basics . Most people don't have time to explain everything to you. There is a lot to learn, and I would advise you to not mod your phone unless its something you like to do. Your home work too google.
What is : nand recovery, back up, restore
What is: flashing
What is: recovery
What is: sd card, what is stored on it
What is a : rom
What is a :kernel
How do I flash them?
Learn what a ".apk" file is
What two recoveries do you have to choose from?
What is root? And its history (where it came from)
What is "su command"
What is "s" off and "s" on
Like I said, if you don't like too do this stuff and aren't a geek like the rest of us then I wouldn't bother, it takes a lot of reading and learning, one thing we all have in common is we are all still learning.
Sent from my netarchy_toast, froyo beast of a machine evo!
Honestly, I would love to help, but you are asking too much. It takes weeks, months, even years to get fully acquainted with android and hacking it, especially if this is your first smartphone. If I were you, I would enjoy being stock for now. Once you figure out how to use either terminal or command prompt (Mac or pc, in that order) then maybe start making gradual changes. If you need ANY actual help, pm me as you would not be the first noob i helped. I consider it my duty (ha). Take developments from the experts, give info to the noobs. Really, get familiar with everything, look up some stuff, watch some videos, and if you still need any help, shoot me or another one of the experienced and helpful devs at the xda a pm (private message. Click their name and it will give you the option.) and you will be helped, I garuntee it.
utzu said:
hi everybody you guys are geniuses!
i m new to this whole spartphone thing! i just bought my htc evo and i m trying to root it but i don t even know the basics! what is a flash and how do i flash? what is sd configuration and how do i do that! how do i do backup ;nandroid backup?what is a kernel and how to put it into my rom!! basicly i need all the info from the begining until i run a custom rom! i really need help on this one! thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahahaha really! I mean c'mon did you even read any of the sticky's (threads at the very top of the forums)? Youll be amazed that all or most of your answers are there..
Heres a link to get you started read the page and click the links and read some more.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=HTC_Supersonic&useskin=vector
Not picking on ya but you need to understand the basics on yor own because its likely your phone will get messed up if you dont, and you are the only one to blame if it does. Thays why its important to fully understand what you are doing, remember flashing anything to your phone WILL void the warrantee if you screw up so be carefull.
Read for a month!
Read up on everything for a month, then start your EVO hacking experience!
Here are a few that are great starting points:
Common Misconceptions and Info
HTC EVO WIKI
How To Use These Forums
How To Search XDA
Helpful/Popular Threads
REMEMBER! - Any question you are thinking to ask, has most likely been asked and answered before on these forums SO SEARCH!
Good luck, and welcome!
I would start here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=706411
once you get that done the custom recovery is installed things will be much easier
I used that root method one my replacement evo and it worked just fine.
BrianDigital said:
I would start here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=706411
once you get that done the custom recovery is installed things will be much easier
I used that root method one my replacement evo and it worked just fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is if the OP does NOT have Android v2.2.
OP - If you go this route you will need to downgrade in Regaw's 2.2 ROOT METHOD, but stop before using unRevoked.
I am in an overly good mood today so i will help out with some basic information
What is : nand recovery, back up, restore - A nand back up is basically a way to back up your phone its rom and settings. a nand restore uses the a nand back up you made to put your phone back to where is was when you made the nand back up (think about a restore point on a windows computer very similar concept).
What is: flashing - Flashing is the process used to install system files. this is usually done through a recovery which i will get into below. the reason it is called flashing and not installing is because it needs to be done through recovery and is a slightly different process but in more basic terms it is basically installing your rom or radio or other system critical pieces onto the phones internal memory.
What is: recovery - a recovery is basically a program that lets you access some advanced system features, these include nand back up and restore, wiping cache, data, and dalvik, and the ability to flash (install) certain files to your phone. to get into a recovery with your phone off hold volume down and the power button you will load to a white screen with several options (this is the hboot or bootloader) select recovery.
What is: sd card, what is stored on it - Out of the gate your sd card is set up as it should be. their are a few reason you might change this however with 2.2 it has become less of a need and i recommend just leaving it be. The main reason people configure there sdcards is to allow a script called apps2sd to work. what this does is it allows you to store all your apps on the sd card they are normally stored on the phones internal memory. Froyo or 2.2 (the android os version on your phone) has the ability to allow apps to move to your sd card through the settings. now this doesn't work for all apps as it has to be turned on by the app creator but many it will. Because of this i would leave your sdcard alone while you learn the ropes.
What is a : rom - a rom is basically the operating system of your phone. what a rom does is replace the default os with a custom one that has been tweaked or built by a developer. this is the piece of the phone you interact with.
What is a :kernel a kernel is basically the software that translates what you do in the rom to the hardware. think of it as the phones steering wheel. you let the phone to do this and the kernel interprets it so the hardware knows what to do,
How do I flash them? To flash files is relatively easy you place them on the root of your sd card (basically drag and rop onto the sd card but not in any folder). then you boot into the recovery. in the recovery you shoudl be able to find the options to wipe cache, wipe data/factory and wipe dalvik. you select each of these and then yuo select flash .zip from sd. next you scroll to the file you want to flash (the rom or kernel etc you want) and select it (normally power button) you should then flash the rom. once it is flashed select back until you see reboot phone and then reboot it and you should boot up with your new rom.
What is "s" off and "s" on - s on and s off is basically the way you can tell you are rooted in the bootloader (or hboot i talked about above) at the very top you should see one of these options. what these mean is whether your phone requires a signed file (s on) or whether it can flash unsigned files (s off). for now just consider a signed file as an official file with an unsigned file being unofficial or modded.
Now hopefully this explains a bit of the basics better and gives you enough information to better understand what is going on. My recommendation is to take the steps to root flash etc 1 at a time it is easy to read through all the instructions and go wow this is confusing. it really isnt as bad as it seems and as long as you follow each step you should be fine. just do exactly what each step tells you to do and dont worry about the next steps till you are there. you still have a lot to learn and the best way you can learn it is by searching the forums think of it as your library.
many people are glad to help however as you can see from some of the posts it is expected that you at least try to learn and research things for yourself. if you get stuck on something ask and you will normally get an answer just try remember if you cant take the time to search and research things you shouldn't expect others to take the time to help. i'm not saying you did i ma jsut giving advice for the future.
anyway best of luck and hopefully this will get you in the right direction.
NOTE: i have "dumbed" down some of the explanations to give the jiest of the idea with out getting to technical so for those that are more technical it is on purposse.

Are there any "Android for Dummies" manuals or write ups??

Seriously, lol..
I am coming from a CE device and going to android is a little bit of a learning curve.. Not that its harder but its different obviously.
What I am asking basically.. All these guides that are written out talk about things as if we already know them..
Don't get me wrong, they are written great, but I don't know certain lingo.. For example I am really wanting to install a ROM.. Just got my evo a few weeks ago, Rooted it and thats it.. Looking into Roms and reading the instructions, its like "WHATTT??"
Sure they explain how to do it, but they don't explain in detail certain steps.. It happens as many people assume they should know..
For example (and they are all like this)
I am looking at the FRESH'S rom.. Seems like a good Rom from what I read, but looking at the instructions for just the Radio
http://geekfor.me/faq/flash-radio/
2) Boot in to RA and pick “Flash zip from sdcard”
RA?? What is RA??
Before these instructions it says "Don’t flash this unless you have a CDMA Evo 4g"
I am sure most people know what CDMA is, but I don't.. Have no Idea, lol
I am basically hoping there is a guide "FOR IDIOTS"
Thanks all
ra is a recovery, you can have either clockworkmod or amon_ra, they both do the same so its personal choice.
cdma is type of network, ie sprint, verizon, cricket. gsm is the other, ie att etc.
now that your phone is rooted, make a backup before anything else. you boot into recovery by turning the phone off, then give it 5 secs then hold Volume down button and then pressing the power button, when it responds you can let go. wait for img file checks to finish then press volume down once to highlight recovery and press power to select. you will now be in recovery. go into nandroid and make a backup.
you can use rom manager from the market to flash many roms however the fresh and damagecontrol links are currently erroring.
before flashing any roms be sure to wipe data and cache either in recovery if done manually or by checking the box in rom manager
Anyone wanna help a fellow brotha out and make a quick 10 bucks.. Lunch money at least.. Just to call me and maybe walk me through some of it, or atleast verbally explain some things
Paypal will be done right away..
Id really appreciate it..
install rom manager, you can make a backup through it. its an automated app, tell it what to do and it will boot into recovery and do it then reboot again
Have Rom manager.. I just did a "boot into Recovery" I then did a nandroid backup.. But why? I did this with Titanum.. How many back ups do I need? This is where I get confused..
I did a couple things with Titanuim and it took like 600 megs of space, now I am doing what seems like the same thing with nandiod back up?
Now, do I just unzip both the fresh rom and the radio, put it in a folder on my Sdisk, open rom manager, choose manually install or whatever it says, and point it to the unzipped Fresh Rom??
If yes, then how do I do the radio?
THANKS
Also, I know my apps will be gone by doing a root, and I could just download then again,,, (correct??)
What about my contacts and pictures and videos??
THanks
you don't unzip the rom, and you shouldnt need the new radio, put the fresh zip on your sd card and in rom manage tell it to flash it and check wipe data and cache.
you can always redownload your apps from the market, purchased ones stay purchased
no loss of pics or vids. sd card isnt wiped
you can check your current baseband version and if its the same then your already set
fastfed said:
Have Rom manager.. I just did a "boot into Recovery" I then did a nandroid backup.. But why? I did this with Titanum.. How many back ups do I need? This is where I get confused..
I did a couple things with Titanuim and it took like 600 megs of space, now I am doing what seems like the same thing with nandiod back up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Titanium will backup your apps and app data too if you want. When flashing a new ROM you can download titanium from the market and then restore all of your apps.
Doing a nandroid backup in essence takes a snapshot of what your phone looks like at that point in time (apps, user preferences, theme, etc) and saves it. At any point later on, after trying different ROMs, changing settings, etc you can revert to that nandroid backup and restore it. Doing so will bring your phone back to that exact state when you performed the nandroid as if you never did any of the changes afterward.
And a lot of your questions can probably be answered in the post linked in my sig.
m4rk0358 said:
Titanium will backup your apps and app data too if you want. When flashing a new ROM you can download titanium from the market and then restore all of your apps.
Doing a nandroid backup in essence takes a snapshot of what your phone looks like at that point in time (apps, user preferences, theme, etc) and saves it. At any point later on, after trying different ROMs, changing settings, etc you can revert to that nandroid backup and restore it. Doing so will bring your phone back to that exact state when you performed the nandroid as if you never did any of the changes afterward.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for explaining that.. MAkes sense now..
Also.. You say I don't need a new radio, but the main Fresh Rom post, says I "SHOULD " get the new radio, (which he posted) and install that before or after..
fastfed said:
Also.. You say I don't need a new radio,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did?
you would install the radio after, manually in recovery. leave it zipped too, put it in an easy place to get, like the root of the card.
m4rk0358 said:
I did?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I said it mark, I was assuming OP had all current updates which include the radio
m4rk0358 said:
And a lot of your questions can probably be answered in the post linked in my sig.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you write that? its really the best I have come across.. Thanks!! I am on my way.. Its in the middle of the rom install..
Wish me luck
I still need to find out if I should install the "Recommended" Radio or not..
THANKS GUYS!!
NewZJ said:
I said it mark, I was assuming OP had all current updates which include the radio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well.. I have all the current (Sprint/Evo) updates.. But nothing from aftermarket..
Phone just rebooted.. Here we go
Oh one more thing..
If I feel to revert back to stock and use the "nandroid" back up, will it back up the radio I had then too??
Looks Like I am done... That was nice and easy (thanks to Rom manager)
I am now going to install the radio that was recommended.. Can I use Rom manager for that too??
in TitaniumBackup (tiB) ... go to Batch .. Backup all user apps
(i would suggest purchasing tiB. the paid version is MUCH faster and you won't have to click on each app to restore it. i also like that you can create a flashable zip file for your backup. ie: an update.zip file. it's under the the "More" section.)
i would suggest using Amon_RA as your loader. here is the thread to review it http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=705026&highlight=amon_ra
do a nandroid. (don't forget to copy a nandroid onto your computer once in a while...having ur nandroid exist only on ur sdcard sux if you lose ur phone or ur card melts)
- between ROMs..do a full wipe. (ie: From Fresh to BakedSnack or CM6) just do it. it will save you stress and irritation. it will also help you streamline your recovery process and develop overall familiarity with the system.
- when upgrading a ROM (ie: Fresh 3.1 to Fresh 3.1.1 or 3.2) usually you can just wipe your Cache and DalvikCache (always read the FirstPost of your ROM ... some times you need to full wipe)
- Flashing a kernel can have significant impacts on your device. always flash Cache and DalvickCache. always have a good nandriod ready. always be plugged in or have >50% battery. always in this case means...not technically "Required", but don't cry to me if something goes awry.
the tiB will restore your applications but not settings. some apps like launcherPRO OR adw.Launcher or SMSbacup+ etc will allow you to export your settings. then you simply import your settings when needed. usually works quite well.
the nandroid is more like a 'Ghost Image' we use on computers. it will allow you to recover your devices almost 100% to the point it was when the image was taken. similar to tiB but diferent. tiB backups up the apps. nandroid backs up the whole system.
check this thread for Radios... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=715485
yes, you will flash the radio zips in the recovery console as well
this is a combo zip and should work fine http://www.mediafire.com/file/ry3k8....00.09.01_WiMAX_26023_R01_PRI_NV_1.77_003.zip
OK.. Now that I have FRESH ROM.. I would like to get a theme.. Right? Isn't this what most people do after a Root,Rom,Radio, Theme??
Thanks
Umm this is not good.. where are all my contacts? I was under the impression they would stay.. How do I get them back? I did a nandroid back up and a Titanium too.. Where did they go? Or should I just sync to my computer again?
Thanks
if your contacts are synced to gmail they will appear shortly after sync, if you have them on your computer you can sync them that way
once the radio is current you don't have to update it again, it won't be downgraded with flashing roms

[Q] Opinions and Advice for first time EVO root.

Hi all!
I have recently joined the forums because I have heard that you guys are the best when it comes to smart phones including rooting and what not. I have scoured the forums looking for direct answers on how to root my EVO 4G and what I need to use for the best and easiest root. I work as a Network Administrator so I am familiar different technologies and different O/S's including many variations of Linux.
So, moving forward, I want to root my EVO. I have installed all of the latest updates released by both Sprint and HTC. But I have seem so many different ways to do this most notably using Unrevoked. But I've read in the forums that Unrevoked may not work well with the Kernel or Software I have?
I found the leaked Gingerbread and Sense 3.0 image (I believe it was an image) on the forums here and thought about using that one but with so many different ways to "root" an EVO I have no idea on where to begin. I know that many have posted about this before and I hate to be "that guy" whom posts it again but I truly need some expert advice here.
First off, which root method should I use? Secondly, which custom ROM should I use or should I use a custom ROM? I backup my data and apps with myBackup Pro by the way.
And here are the exact specs for my phone:
Software Information:
Android Version:
2.2 (Froyo of course)
Baseband Version:
2.15.00.11.19
Kernel Version:
2.6.32.17-gee557fd
htc-kernel"ampersand"and18-2 #15
Build Number:
3.70.651.1
Browser Version:
WebKit 3.1
PRI Version
1.90_003
PRL Version:
60677
If I'm posting in the wrong forum please do not hesitate to move my thread, I will not be offended like some people are. Lol!
Thanks guys!
Use unrevoked, it should root all versions of the Evo. There were compatibility issues at one point, but I believe that has all been fixed.
You will need to uninstall HTC Sync if you have it installed. If you haven't installed it, do so & then uninstall it. You will also need to install the modified hboot drivers if you're using Windows. You can get those from the unrevoked site. Make sure you have usb debugging turned on before you start the root process & that you've uninstalled anything that syncs with your phone - Doubletwist for one example. If you have problems, disable your antivirus as well.
If unrevoked works for you, I would make sure to do a nandroid backup via recovery before you do anything else. Unrevoked flashes Clockworkmod Recovery. I prefer Amon Ra, but whichever you use is up to you. You can switch recoveries through Rom Manager.
Also make sure you've backed up your RSA keys. Clockwork does this automatically with each backup. You can choose to include/exclude with AR, or do a separate backup of only your wimax keys.
The new GingerSense roms, while neat, are probably not a good idea for a first rom... or even a daily driver. They're going to be really buggy.
If you need anything else or another method to root, I'll be around. Good luck & have fun!
Sweet!
Thanks a ton PlainJane!
I won't be able to try this until tomorrow but rest assured I will try and most likely succeed with your advice. Speaking of Nandroid, I haven't been able to find it on the Android Market, unless I'm over looking it. So if you were doing it, which recovery/backup method would you use and where can you find it if not in the Android Market?
Again, thank you so much and I will probably wait until I get Nandroid or one of the others before I proceed. Hopefully that will be tomorrow.
Regards!
PAinguIN
Nandroid is just the name for the backup made in recovery. If I remember right, ClockworkMod doesn't call it that, nor does Rom Manager (the dev that made Clockwork made Rom Manager to go with it). Recovery is where you'll be doing all of your flashing & backing up. Titanium Backup (or MyBackup) will be needed to back up your apps + data so you can restore them after flashing a new Rom. Doing a nandroid backup is needed in case anything goes wrong or you just want to go back to the ROM/setup you had before. Nandroid backups take an image of your phone at that given time. When you restore a nandroid, it looks exactly as it did when you made the backup. Your rom/kernel are restored as well as your homescreens, apps, everything. They really come in handy. I'd suggest keeping at least one, along with your RSA keys if they're done separately, on your computer just in case. You cannot restore backups made with Amon Ra with Clockwork or vice versa, so I would go ahead and decide which recovery you want to use to avoid having to switch around later.
To get to recovery, you need to power down the phone. Hold the volume down button & the power button at the same time until you see a white screen - that's the bootloader. At the top in should say Supersonic something something ship S-off. The s-off means that you're nand unlocked, fully rooted. Use the volume buttons to move up & down through the menu. Hit the volume down button to highlight "recovery" then the power button to select it. You'll see the white Evo splashscreen & then you'll be in recovery. I'm not sure how Clockwork is laid out because I haven't used it in a while, but there should be a backup/restore option in the recovery menu. Choose that & the rest is pretty self-explanatory. In Amon Ra, choose backup/restore then nandroid backup. You'll be given options what to backup (only in AR, not CWM). Leave the first three checked and do your backup. If you want to include wimax keys, just use the volume down button to highlight it & power to select it. You'll see the box next to it checked. I would suggest doing a separate backup of only your wimax keys after doing a full backup. Just uncheck the first three and then check only wimax.
Remember, before flashing a new ROM, wipe everything in recovery but the SD card. When flashing anything else that goes with the rom - kernels, themes, add-ons, etc - just wipe cache & dalvik cache. In Clockworkmod, I think dalvik is under advanced.
Let me know how it goes!
EDIT: I'm not sure of what wipe options are in Clockwork, and I don't want you to accidentally wipe something on your SD or something else that you shouldn't. So if you use CWM, just wipe data, dalvik, and cache. Or you can use a format all zip (King's format all will work with Clockwork) to do it. In Amon Ra, it's safe to do what I said before, even though data & dalvik/cache should be all that's necessary.
plainjane said:
Nandroid is just the name for the backup made in recovery. If I remember right, ClockworkMod doesn't call it that, nor does Rom Manager (the dev that made Clockwork made Rom Manager to go with it). Recovery is where you'll be doing all of your flashing & backing up. Titanium Backup (or MyBackup) will be needed to back up your apps + data so you can restore them after flashing a new Rom. Doing a nandroid backup is needed in case anything goes wrong or you just want to go back to the ROM/setup you had before. Nandroid backups take an image of your phone at that given time. When you restore a nandroid, it looks exactly as it did when you made the backup. Your rom/kernel are restored as well as your homescreens, apps, everything. They really come in handy. I'd suggest keeping at least one, along with your RSA keys if they're done separately, on your computer just in case. You cannot restore backups made with Amon Ra with Clockwork or vice versa, so I would go ahead and decide which recovery you want to use to avoid having to switch around later.
To get to recovery, you need to power down the phone. Hold the volume down button & the power button at the same time until you see a white screen - that's the bootloader. At the top in should say Supersonic something something ship S-off. The s-off means that you're nand unlocked, fully rooted. Use the volume buttons to move up & down through the menu. Hit the volume down button to highlight "recovery" then the power button to select it. You'll see the white Evo splashscreen & then you'll be in recovery. I'm not sure how Clockwork is laid out because I haven't used it in a while, but there should be a backup/restore option in the recovery menu. Choose that & the rest is pretty self-explanatory. In Amon Ra, choose backup/restore then nandroid backup. You'll be given options what to backup (only in AR, not CWM). Leave the first three checked and do your backup. If you want to include wimax keys, just use the volume down button to highlight it & power to select it. You'll see the box next to it checked. I would suggest doing a separate backup of only your wimax keys after doing a full backup. Just uncheck the first three and then check only wimax.
Remember, before flashing a new ROM, wipe everything in recovery but the SD card. When flashing anything else that goes with the rom - kernels, themes, add-ons, etc - just wipe cache & dalvik cache. In Clockworkmod, I think dalvik is under advanced.
Let me know how it goes!
EDIT: I'm not sure of what wipe options are in Clockwork, and I don't want you to accidentally wipe something on your SD or something else that you shouldn't. So if you use CWM, just wipe data, dalvik, and cache. Or you can use a format all zip (King's format all will work with Clockwork) to do it. In Amon Ra, it's safe to do what I said before, even though data & dalvik/cache should be all that's necessary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PlainJane,
Thank you again for your advice. So from what I understand this is what I need to do. First, I need to "root" my device using Unrevoked. Once rooted I then boot my phone up in "Recovery Mode" and at that point I will be able to make my Nandroid image via the recovery method I choose. Correct?
But, where and when do I install these mods? For instance, just for an example, if I wanted to use ClockworkMod would it already show up in Recovery since my phone is now rooted or do I have to install it separately?
This gets more and more confusing as time goes by. I would certainly want to make my Nandroid backup before I would root the phone I would imagine but doing so is not possible unless the device is already rooted correct?
I'm going to give this a shot right now starting with the first set of instructions you gave me.
I hope all goes well.
Thanks and please feel free to respond with any additional information I may need or if it sounds like I have confused myself, which I believe I have.... Lol!
PAinguIN
PAinguINx said:
PlainJane,
Thank you again for your advice. So from what I understand this is what I need to do. First, I need to "root" my device using Unrevoked. Once rooted I then boot my phone up in "Recovery Mode" and at that point I will be able to make my Nandroid image via the recovery method I choose. Correct?
But, where and when do I install these mods? For instance, just for an example, if I wanted to use ClockworkMod would it already show up in Recovery since my phone is now rooted or do I have to install it separately?
This gets more and more confusing as time goes by. I would certainly want to make my Nandroid backup before I would root the phone I would imagine but doing so is not possible unless the device is already rooted correct?
I'm going to give this a shot right now starting with the first set of instructions you gave me.
I hope all goes well.
Thanks and please feel free to respond with any additional information I may need or if it sounds like I have confused myself, which I believe I have.... Lol!
PAinguIN
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unrevoked automatically installs ClockworkMod Recovery, so no need to do that. If you want to use Amon Ra - I think it is the more popular, easy to use option - you will have to flash it over CWM. You can do this easily by downloading Rom Manager from the market & choosing "flash alternate recovery". Other functions of Rom Manager won't work without Clockwork, but trust me, learning to do everything manually will really help you out.
Since it seems that you're a little confused on this point - you only have one recovery at a time. For the Evo, there's ClockworkMod & Amon Ra. You have to have one or the other to boot into recovery, otherwise you'll get a black screen with a red triangle in the corner.
If for some reason flashing AR doesn't work from Rom Manager, let me know & I'll walk you through the manual installation. If you just want to learn that method, I'm all for that too. I just don't want to confuse you with that information unless you need it.
You cannot do a nandroid backup until you root the phone. It's just one more limitation of not being rooted. You have to have a custom recovery installed, and I don't think this is possible without being rooted. You can go ahead & do the backup once you've rooted, just be sure to switch recoveries first if that's something you plan on doing. I'm not saying Clockwork is bad, I just recommend AR for multiple reasons... one of them being that Amon Ra supports both edify & amend scripting. With newer versions of ClockworkMod, you can only flash edify scripted zips, older versions are amend only. If you flash enough you'll run into a problem with this one-or-the-other way of doing things.
Any other questions, don't hesitate to ask. I found that watching videos on YouTube helped me feel more at ease before my first time rooting and my first time flashing. Once I saw how easy it was, I felt more comfortable doing it. Read the stickies and any kind of guides you can find in the Evo forums. I've learned a lot just by reading the Evo Q&A section.
If you want to pm me with any more questions, go ahead. You can ask them in the thread too, if you want... either way.
I'd like to hear how everything goes for you. Most people are happy with how easy unrevoked is, but a few do have problems. Anyway, good luck!
PlainJane,
Well, I've installed the modified HBOOT drivers successfully. I have ran UnrEVOked3 and am now in the process of creating my first NANDROID backup. I just stuck with ClockWorkMod because once I actually ran UnrEVOked3 and it finished it reboot my EVO into recovery mode. So rather than rebooting my phone again and flashing Amon Ra (and possibly running into any problems) I just stuck with CWM. I may regret this later but at this point I am just glad that my phone hasn't been "bricked". Lol!
It's still running the NANDROID backup right now. Now I need to clarify what needs to be done when that has finished. I guess I need to flash a custom ROM of my choosing right? Will I do this using ROMmanager or do I need to d/l one from the net somewhere first?
Also, you mention something about wiping the data on my phone aside from the SD Card. I only need to do this just before I flash a "New ROM" correct? Or should I go ahead and do this now?
Anyway, it looks like "so far so good" in my case. Thanks to you that is! ; ) And the backup has completed, I'm going to see if I can boot into my phone now.
Oh, and this is what I am seeing in CWM:
ClockworkMod Recovery v2.6.0.1
- reboot system now
- apply sdcard:update.zip
- wipe data/factory reset
- wipe cache partition
- install zip from sdcard
- backup and restore
- mounts and storage
- advanced
- +++++Go Back+++++
So that's what you see with ClockWorkMod these days.
Now, back to what I was saying. Do I choose a custom ROM now or am I good with what I have? Also, about wiping, that's only done when I flash a new ROM?
Thanks yet again PlainJane!
PAinguIN
I created the attached document for myself when I was learning how to root and what all steps that need to be taken. Its not perfect, but when i root a phone for my friends, i still reference this and make changes when needed.
/*** Follow these steps at your own risk. Like is said, these are the steps that I use and this is NOT an "official" guide.
/*** I take no responsibility for "bricking" during this process
I have to put some sort of disclaimer in here, lol
fikusunc said:
I created the attached document for myself when I was learning how to root and what all steps that need to be taken. Its not perfect, but when i root a phone for my friends, i still reference this and make changes when needed.
/*** Follow these steps at your own risk. Like is said, these are the steps that I use and this is NOT an "official" guide.
/*** I take no responsibility for "bricking" during this process
I have to put some sort of disclaimer in here, lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
So what ROM/Kernel is the best or coolest to have these days? I already tried to uninstall some factory installed apps with no luck. I also tried to use the "Root" features in JuiceDefender and when I allowed the app to scan to see if my Kernel/Rom supported CPU controlling it said that it was not supported. So I certainly need to get a new ROM/Kernel.
Perhaps you guide will hold the secret!
Thanks guy!
PAinguIN
yw, check out this site. This person put together a page that makes looking for roms very easy. http://evo4g.roms-db.com/
As far as what is the "best" or "coolest", that just depends on what you want. I basically wanted a rom that that was stable and had hotspot and tethering enabled and working. I think that I have had almost every rom that is on above link and I finally decided on sticking with the Eternal Prophecy rom. I kept going back to it so now im sticking with it until I get more knowledge to build my own.
I dont know enough about Kernals to flash one or make modifications, yet.
to uninstall some apps that come default on a rom, I use "root explorer".
just check out the section of the file called:
######## TO REMOVE BLOATING HTC / SPRINT APPS, FOLLOW THE STEPS HERE OR KEEP READING ########
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I downloaded the Eternal Prophecy v5.7 ROM. Do I place this in the root of my SD card? Also, can I flash this rom using ROM Manager or do I have to do it through ClockWorkMod recovery? Do I have to wipe my phone beforehand if I use ROM Manager?
One other question, how do I choose a Kernel and what is the benefit of using a different Kernel. For instance, if I use this Kernel "Netarchy 4.3.4 CFS HAVS SBC More Aggressive" what will it do for me? And do I have to have a custom kernel for a custom rom?
Thanks!
By the way, your guide was helpful. I like what has been done in the Eternal Prophecy Rom, I haven't installed it yet but based on the change notes I've read it sounds great. Although I don't see why someone would want to remove Adobe Reader. I have to work with PDF files a great deal and I also read e-books in PDF format as well. I guess I'll just install it after I flash the ROM.
Thanks again,
PAinguIN
Wow, I missed a lot overnight apparently, hah.
First off, don't wipe data unless you're about to flash! Otherwise you won't have any data. Sorry for the confusion.
I'm not familiar with the Rom you chose, but I'm sure it'll be fine. The most popular roms are usually on the first couple of pages of the Evo Development forums, but popularity shouldn't be the deciding factor. Run through the thread for the rom & just make sure it's stable & people aren't having a lot of problems. It's usually best to choose a rom that's up to date, but I stuck with CM6 until CM7 nightly 20-something was out because I liked how stable it was & didn't feel the need to jump on the Gingerbread bandwagon.
Okay, since you downloaded the ROM externally, you can't flash through Rom Manager... I think. I've never used it so I'm not sure. But for learning purposes, go ahead and do it manually. Read the thread for the rom - at least the first few posts, not the whole thing - and make sure there isn't anything else that's required before flashing. If you don't need anything else, you can go ahead and flash the rom by itself. You can flash kernels, etc later. Now I'm not exactly sure where things are in Clockwork (thanks for showing me the first level, it sounds odd compared to what I'm used to), but you need to wipe cache, dalvik cache & data. I have heard that dalvik is under advanced, but I don't remember if the rest is under wipe data/factory reset or not.
After you've wiped, choose install zip from sd card. All of the zip files are at the bottom, so it's easiest to hit the volume up button to take you to the bottom unstead of going down from the top. If I remember right, Clockwork makes you choose yes in the middle of a bunch of noes. I think that's what I miss the least about CWM, lol. When it finishes flashing just choose to reboot, and hopefully you'll be done with that ugly boot animation & sound from Sprint :]
Okay, on to kernels. Most likely all you need is a CFS kernel. BFS kernels give you better quadrant scores, but quadrant scores are just a competition for teenage boys. You can use them for testing purposes, but take them with a grain of salt. There's a great kernel starter guide. I have it saved, but just search for kernel starter guide & you should be able to find it. With a havs kernel, you can't change your cpu speed without interfering with the kernel. Havs kernels do a good job of undervolting to save battery when the phone isn't in use, eliminating the need for SetCPU or anything similar. You will still be able to use the app, but doing so will kind of fight the kernel. Make sure you choose an AOSP kernel for AOSP & Sense for Sense. Also take into account if you're on 2.2 or 2.3, but this mostly matters for AOSP right now. You do not need a custom kernel, every rom comes with one. You can choose a different one to suit your needs.
I'm sure I missed something, so if I think of anything else, I'll let you know
Ok, well, I've already bought SetCPU and I've purchase Rom Manager Pro and Bloat Freezer. Problem though, I was going to try and d/l and flash a rom using Rom Manager but when I press download ROM it tells me this: "You must have ClockworkMod Recovery installed before continuing! Install the recovery through ROM Manager first."
But I already have ClockworkMod installed because Unrevoked did it for me. If I click on Reboot into Recovery it works fine. But why does it tell me I need to install ClockworkMod recovery when it's already installed? It gives me the choice to install it but I don't want to reinstall it and cause any problems you know?
What should I do? Should I use Rom Manager at all now or should I just work manually?
Thanks!
PAinguINx said:
Ok, well, I've already bought SetCPU and I've purchase Rom Manager Pro and Bloat Freezer. Problem though, I was going to try and d/l and flash a rom using Rom Manager but when I press download ROM it tells me this: "You must have ClockworkMod Recovery installed before continuing! Install the recovery through ROM Manager first."
But I already have ClockworkMod installed because Unrevoked did it for me. If I click on Reboot into Recovery it works fine. But why does it tell me I need to install ClockworkMod recovery when it's already installed? It gives me the choice to install it but I don't want to reinstall it and cause any problems you know?
What should I do? Should I use Rom Manager at all now or should I just work manually?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was more of a curiosity question to be honest with you. I have copied the ROM and Calkulin's combo update to the root of my SD card and am performing my NANDROID right now. I decided to try out "Myn’s Warm TwoPointTwo" ROM instead of Eternal Prophecy. I will probably flash a Cyanogen ROM later and perform a NANDROID of that as well so I can switch back and forth.
I really appreciate all of your help PlainJane, oh, and Fikusunc too!
This is truly the best forum for Android/Linux development and modifications. I'll spread the word about XDA to my friends for sure. ; )
Still curious about that Rom Manager thing though...strange....
I bought the Pro key too when I first rooted. I used it to download one ROM that I never flashed and I haven't touched it since. I learned to do everything manually from the get-go... I think I just didn't trust Rom Manager to do its job. As for the error, I got that too with the premium version. I think I downgraded to a previous version & it worked for me. You can also try reflashing the recovery through Rom Manager, that may help. If not, go to settings and clear cache/data for Rom Manager & then try again. I really think you'd benefit from learning to do it manually... it's not hard at all, and if you're in a pinch where your phone won't boot, it'll help to know your way around the recovery. If you can get Rom Manager working and want to use it, go ahead, there's nothing wrong with using it. You've already paid for it.
I think you'll really enjoy Myn's, especially coming from stock. It took me some time to flash a custom rom after I rooted, but once I did I was amazed to see what I'd been missing.
Let me know how you like Myn's, though. I've pretty much settled between CM & MIUI, but I feel it's time for something new. I haven't used Sense in what feels like forever, so I may give it a shot.
Wow! Quick learner! It took me some time to wrap my head around all this stuff! You had good coaches also. Good luck and have fun with your "new" Evo!
New EVO user as well and I'm eager to get rooted and get CM7 flashed. I've read that WiMax isn't working with most custom ROMs. I'm wondering, if I decide to restore back to stock ROM, would WiMax work again? (assuming of course I back up my RSA keys) or am I SOL after flashing a new ROM?
Thanks all! Just upgraded from an HTC Rhodium 400 and am still new to this whole thing.
BTW - thanks for the thread, It's been useful
gm87 said:
New EVO user as well and I'm eager to get rooted and get CM7 flashed. I've read that WiMax isn't working with most custom ROMs. I'm wondering, if I decide to restore back to stock ROM, would WiMax work again? (assuming of course I back up my RSA keys) or am I SOL after flashing a new ROM?
Thanks all! Just upgraded from an HTC Rhodium 400 and am still new to this whole thing.
BTW - thanks for the thread, It's been useful
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is actually not correct. wimax works with most roms. EVEN CM7 NOW! it took 4 months for 2 guys to reverse engineer closed-source wimax drivers to the evo. so now you have 'MOAR GEES' as we call it, on cm7. even if you flash a rom w/o 4g, you'l still have it when you come back to one that does.
btw, SAVE YOUR RSA KEYS! have at least one nandroid bakcup wiht wimax.img so that if you keys (the way into sprint's 4g network) gets corrupted, you aren't sol.
plainjane said:
I bought the Pro key too when I first rooted. I used it to download one ROM that I never flashed and I haven't touched it since. I learned to do everything manually from the get-go... I think I just didn't trust Rom Manager to do its job. As for the error, I got that too with the premium version. I think I downgraded to a previous version & it worked for me. You can also try reflashing the recovery through Rom Manager, that may help. If not, go to settings and clear cache/data for Rom Manager & then try again. I really think you'd benefit from learning to do it manually... it's not hard at all, and if you're in a pinch where your phone won't boot, it'll help to know your way around the recovery. If you can get Rom Manager working and want to use it, go ahead, there's nothing wrong with using it. You've already paid for it.
I think you'll really enjoy Myn's, especially coming from stock. It took me some time to flash a custom rom after I rooted, but once I did I was amazed to see what I'd been missing.
Let me know how you like Myn's, though. I've pretty much settled between CM & MIUI, but I feel it's time for something new. I haven't used Sense in what feels like forever, so I may give it a shot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Painjane,
Actually I think I'm going to stick with your advice and handle everything manually from now own. While I could probably reflash recovery through ROM Manager and get it working properly recovery does work. So as they say, if it's not broken don't fix it right? Lol!
I'll keep ROM Manager though, since I've paid for it, and possibly try to use it when I flash my next ROM. Just to see what happens.
One of the guys posted in the thread something about how fast I caught on and that I had a good coach. Thanks! I think I did catch on pretty quickly, and yes I had a very good coach. Lol!
I've actually owned my EVO since its day of release. I pre-ordered that device once I heard of it and did my research. I originally wanted the Nexus One but settled on the EVO as the NEXUS One was only available through T-Mobile or something. Nothing against T-Mobile, they just don't offer good service in my area.
Anyway, it took me this long to buildup the courage to finally root my phone. The last thing I wanted was a $600 paper weight you know? Lol! But as smooth as this process went I would recommend this process to anyone.
And PlainJane, Myn's is working great! It has an amazing interface and is just plain (no pun intended) sweet!. Here's something for everyone else out there which I did differently.
Instead of wiping ALL of the data on my phone I only wiped the dalvik and cache instead of doing a complete wipe. This way everything was still setup exactly the way I had it before the flash. i.e. E-Mail, Contacts, SMS logs, music, photos, etc. Moreover, wireless tether works great, Wimaxx still turns on but we don't have 4G around here so I've never been able to use it. Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS work just fine too.
In fact, there is nothing that doesn't work the way it should. So, in my opinion, wiping your device of all of it's data is not necessary but I did not develop the ROMS so check with the devs before doing anything out of the norm.
; )
PAinguIN

"I have no idea whats going on right now"

Man,
For 3 days, i've been reading and getting distracted and confusing mysef with this OG EVO.
Can I backup with nandroid, TB, or mybackup?- which is the most current and reliable?
Can I backup to dropbox, drive, or flash card cos I'm temporarily without my 6ram HP and accessing this info through my phone and a different pc.
Do I back up before visiting HTC DEV for the bootloader?
Where is the folder I'm supposed to put my recovery.img and .zip fies in for s-off functionality?
Which new, updated and most reliable recovery should i flash?
You got the time to tweet tips to me @niteridet?
I have no idea what's going on right now and i need a devoted individual to tutor me please and thank you.
posted by another annoying noob troll with 2.3.5 android; stock 2.6.35.10 kernal; build 5.07; PRL 60690; hboot 2.18.0001; hardware 0004
niteridet said:
Man,
For 3 days, i've been reading and getting distracted and confusing mysef with this OG EVO.
Can I backup with nandroid, TB, or mybackup?- which is the most current and reliable?
Can I backup to dropbox, drive, or flash card cos I'm temporarily without my 6ram HP and accessing this info through my phone and a different pc.
Do I back up before visiting HTC DEV for the bootloader?
Where is the folder I'm supposed to put my recovery.img and .zip fies in for s-off functionality?
Which new, updated and most reliable recovery should i flash?
You got the time to tweet tips to me @niteridet?
I have no idea what's going on right now and i need a devoted individual to tutor me please and thank you.
posted by another annoying noob troll with 2.3.5 android; stock 2.6.35.10 kernal; build 5.07; PRL 60690; hboot 2.18.0001; hardware 0004
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes: Nandroid BKUP
Yes: Either Or
N/A: Either Or
N/A
N/A
NO
Tell everyone a little bit more of whats going on. I still don't know what your problem is, be specific.
i think i need a book of this stuff.
I just want to be pointed in the right direction..I don't know much about tweaking gadgets, but i'm a fast learner and i'm more hands on then a visual observer.its hard for me to visualize specific steps of something, but i know as i get into a routine doing this, i'll be more comfortable and not so much a loof.
whats the correct order with the root and the best up to date one?
i want to tether internet and have something other then this boring setting customization option HTC gives us, and I want my phone to be smooth....Mybad, earlier I typed out a whole thread like it was a freakin novel and it randomly disappeared. wow.
Is it possible to flash a jb custom rom after first rooting OG? All these guides are in different locations and its constant flipping back and forth between directions and i lose track of what i'm doing because I get distracted easily. I need someone to hold my hand and watch over my shoulder to correct my every kink. is that even possible. I need training! What you got? :silly:
First off, you are thinking way, way to hard. Slow it down a notch and think things through. I would really recommend that you use Youtube. I mean, since you and me both are more of a visual type of person. Try this link first http://youtu.be/zEwEM641gBs
and or/ go to Youtube and type in How to root HTC EVO4G and find the most recent one.
Second choice is to actually find a "How To" on here, but like you said, you are more of a visual person, as am I also.
Rooting is overwhelming, with all the custom Roms, Kernels etc etc. Once you are rooted it basically gives you permission to do anything with your particular phone. With following the "How to root", the recovery is included. Basically, once I was rooted I found a Rom that I wanted that looked cool and looked suitable to my needs, I downloaded it, made a new folder on my SD card called "Rom" and transfered the Rom I downloaded from my PC to my Rom folder on my SD card. I then went into recovery mode, made a backup, wiped all 3 (factory reset-dalvik cache & cache), went to flash zip, went to my Rom folder, found the Rom I put in my folder and flashed it. Re-boot and BOOM you now have a custom Rom! If need be, send me an E-Mail. [email protected] and I can help you some more.
Thanks, I'll do that and let you know Nick.:good:

[Q] Wifi not turning on! Please Help.

Hello, Im new to all of this so please understand. Okay, I have a Sprint GS3, I rooted it using the toolbox thing it worked but I decided that I didnt want the root anymore. I loaded stock software and booted it up normal. The only problem now is my wifi isnt turning on. Ive searched page after page on google, ask and bing. I dont know what to do anymore. Im just about to just say screw it and give up. Any help will be much appreciated.
You Odin'd back to Stock, and now your WiFi is not working correctly ? Are you certain your connecting to your Router ? Did you check the Router to make sure it's working correctly ? Did you try to connect to the Router with another Device ?
If you still have a custom recovery installed, I'd say to just flash another rom. The toolbox kills your WiFi fir sine reason, which can only be fixed by flashing another kernel, and roms have the kernels built in so, you might as well kill two birds with one stone
You could just flash stock rooted though, no need to go full out custom
Wifi not turning on
What I mean is my phone's wifi wont turn on at all. How do I get everything back to normal like before I rooted it?
Brblank44 said:
What I mean is my phone's wifi wont turn on at all. How do I get everything back to normal like before I rooted it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, this method should work and do exactly what you wanted, but you'll still have root access.
Below, I have quoted a post I made a while back when trying to help someone out.
Down below I link to Freeza's stock Rom, which is what you want if you want the stock phone with root. The one you want to download is the DeOdex MD4 one:
DeOdex:
Sprint Touchwiz Jelly Bean 4.1.2 L710VPBMD4 | Mirror
MD5: 77262D9D6CF1A6AF30A8981A95A75D57
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In step #4, the wipe system is very important. It's most likely that something in your /system folder is messing up your wifi. Just flashing a new Rom over might not fix it. I'd also wipe /data, 'cause a fresh wipe is much less likely to have issues.
Ok, let's start at the very beginning (it's a very good place to start).
Before we get started, I'm going to make the following assumptions:
You successfully rooted your phone through Odin.
You currently have a custom recovery (either TWRP or CWM).
You have a Rom you'd like to flash on either your internal storage or your SDcard (I'd recommend the SDcard, but that's your prerogative).
If either of the first two is not true, I'd recommend going back to the rooting guide and check out the videos on how to use Odin to gain root and a custom recovery.
If number 3 above is not true, download a ROM (nor someone new to flashing/custom Roms, I'd recommend Freeza's stock rooted Rom, as it's identical to stock TW, but just with Root). Once you download a Rom, check it's md5sum to verify that it's a good download. Copy the file to your SD card and get ready to flash (make sure you have decent battery life left, I try to keep at least 50% or more when flashing Roms, although it shouldn't take too long.
I'll give directions on how to flash a Rom below. The instructions will be for TWRP, but CWM has similar options/settings
Turn your phone completely off (hold down power for 3-5 seconds)
Boot your phone into recovery. Hold Up, Menu, and Power for a few seconds (until SAMSUNG appears on your screen and the phone vibrates)
Make a Nandroid backup. I can't emphasize this enough. In flashing, it's almost a certainty that one time, something will mess up. When that happens, you want to be able to restore a backup. In TWRP, just go into Backup Menu and choose where you want it (internal vs. External storage). It takes my phone a few (5-10) minutes to completely backup my data.
In TWRP, click the wipe button, then system. This will completely wipe the Rom from your phone. Doing this will allow you to get a "clean" install, without any settings or leftover files from your old Rom getting in the way. Instead, you could only wipe data (factory reset), which is good enough for most Roms. I'd still recommend a system wipe, though.
Also while in the Wipe menu, wipe Cache and Dalvik Cache.
Go back to the TWRP main menu.
Click Install, then find your Rom zip file (may have to switch from internal to external storage).
Let TWRP do it's thing.
If you're installing a TW-based Rom, chances are it had gapps already installed. If not, you should now flash the correct gapps package from goo.im. Make sure you're flashing the correct one, as if you don't, your google apps will force close upon use.
Reboot into system and give it time to boot (first boot sometimes takes a couple of minutes).
Set up your phone the way you like.
These should be the directions to follow whenever you flash a new Rom. Some Roms have the Aroma installer, so you'll have more options once you choose to flash the Rom zip, but those are typically easy to follow (and vary from Rom to Rom, so I won't be able to give you a good guide on that).
Hope this helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Brblank44 said:
What I mean is my phone's wifi wont turn on at all. How do I get everything back to normal like before I rooted it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. The toolbox kills your WiFi completely and you have to flash another rom to fix it. Flash stock rooted from freezas thread and you should be good to go.
CNexus said:
If you still have a custom recovery installed, I'd say to just flash another rom. The toolbox kills your WiFi fir sine reason, which can only be fixed by flashing another kernel, and roms have the kernels built in so, you might as well kill two birds with one stone
You could just flash stock rooted though, no need to go full out custom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do people use a toolbox on a phone that's so easy to root without it?
flastnoles11 said:
Why do people use a toolbox on a phone that's so easy to root without it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I first rooted my phone (back pre LJ7 days), I used it because I came from the EVO 4G, which was notoriously difficult to root (and which needed a toolkit). So when I came to the GS3, I figured it'd be the same way. Fortunately, the toolkit worked better back then and I didn't have an issue. Now that I've helped others use Odin (and have used it myself a number of times), I don't point to the toolkit anymore.
But my point is, sometimes people assume it's difficult, see a toolkit that is meant to make it easier and decide that's the way to go.
topherk said:
Ok, this method should work and do exactly what you wanted, but you'll still have root access.
Below, I have quoted a post I made a while back when trying to help someone out.
Down below I link to Freeza's stock Rom, which is what you want if you want the stock phone with root. The one you want to download is the DeOdex MD4 one:
In step #4, the wipe system is very important. It's most likely that something in your /system folder is messing up your wifi. Just flashing a new Rom over might not fix it. I'd also wipe /data, 'cause a fresh wipe is much less likely to have issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much. I will try this as soon as I can.
topherk said:
When I first rooted my phone (back pre LJ7 days), I used it because I came from the EVO 4G, which was notoriously difficult to root (and which needed a toolkit). So when I came to the GS3, I figured it'd be the same way. Fortunately, the toolkit worked better back then and I didn't have an issue. Now that I've helped others use Odin (and have used it myself a number of times), I don't point to the toolkit anymore.
But my point is, sometimes people assume it's difficult, see a toolkit that is meant to make it easier and decide that's the way to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get that, but just a tiny bit of reading around well show you the toolkit is actually the harder way to root this phone in my opinion... Just saying
flastnoles11 said:
I get that, but just a tiny bit of reading around well show you the toolkit is actually the harder way to root this phone in my opinion... Just saying
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree that the toolkit is much more complicated and a bit of a "black box." Hence why I don't recommend it anymore.
But back then, even though I read a whole lot, I decided to go with the toolkit because it felt safer. Heck, I eevn donated so I could get the "pro" features! And for people who aren't that comfortable "hacking" things, it's tempting to use something that'll do the "hard work" for you, even if the normal way of doing it is relatively simple.
That's why I always try to spell things out very clearly for people (I do like numbered lists, don't I?). If someone responds to a thread with "just wipe data and flash a new rom," most "noobs" will hesitate because while they may know those terms, they don't know the procedure and will be afraid of messing it up. With the numbered list of instructions, they typically feel much more comfortable with doing it themselves.
Just my two cents.
Yeah, very true (@topherk). The first time I rooted my firdt phone, I saw all the guides and stuff, but settled on a toolkit sort of program to do it for me...subsequent phones I've always rooted by hand. For me it kinda sucks that there's no way to root the S3 manually (as in like, push this to.the phone, reboot, run this command then flash recovery)
Having come from 2 HTC devices (evo and evo shift), I kinda feel like ODIN is a "cheating" way to root lol. But that's just me.
Whats a md5? It says no md5 file and gives me an error.
Brblank44 said:
Whats a md5? It says no md5 file and gives me an error.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats normal,.the great majority of flashable zips do not include an md5 file.
What that is referring to is a hashing function, called the md5sum, that can be used to verify the integrity of a file. Most devs will provide this (in number format) so that you can check the md5sum of your local copy/download against what they provide. If anything goes wrong in a download or file transfer, the md5sum of your copy will not match the expected value, confirming that it was a bad download or that something went wrong along the way.
For your case, TWRP always checks to see if the flashable zip includes an md5sum check file that it can check your file against as an added precaution that you're not flashing something corrupted.
Brblank44 said:
Whats a md5? It says no md5 file and gives me an error.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't do the md5 verification in the Recovery. That typically fails, even if the md5 is correct.
I typically do it in Windows (I use this program, works great). If it's a really large file or I don't feel confident about the cable I'm using, I'll also check the md5sum in ES Explorer on the phone after I transfer it.
Okay I flashed it and I have the same problem. Wifi not turning on. The detox whatever its called didn't work. So I took it to sprint today after having flashed it and everything and they did a hard reset. I lost everything. Sprint couldn't swap the phone out for a new one. I am thinking about sending it back to samsung. So they can fix it. Any other ideas guys? Also thank you for your understanding and helping me.
Brblank44 said:
Okay I flashed it and I have the same problem. Wifi not turning on. The detox whatever its called didn't work. So I took it to sprint today after having flashed it and everything and they did a hard reset. I lost everything. Sprint couldn't swap the phone out for a new one. I am thinking about sending it back to samsung. So they can fix it. Any other ideas guys? Also thank you for your understanding and helping me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Brblank,
Try this easy method to return to stock everything including recovery, flash count reset and device status normal. It worked perfectly for me.
Before flashing wipe Cache and Dalvik and factory reset.Then flash the file. Make sure you choose the correct file (16gb or 32gb version).
Even if it doesn't fix your WiFi issue it will put your phone in the proper state to send to Samsung.
You can place the file on your internal or external card.
Return to Stock Link
With much thanks to billard412
Hope this helps you.

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