My two Dumb A*s questions, task 29 and going back to stock?

[rain1177]

I feel like an a** asking these 2 questions but i have been researching on installing a custom rom on ppcgeeks and xda and used google and saw some videos on youtube, and i am still kinda nervous about 2 things.

I think i am pretty comfortable to be able to run the hspl and unlock the phone and install a custom rom? but then I ran into this "task 29"? is it really necessary to do this before installing a custom rom or could i get by just using clear storage and then a hard reset? for some reason it seems kind a complicated

now, heres my dumb a*s question, i think i know the answer but i still want someone to confirm for me........ if i do install a custom rom and i miss my sprint stock rom, can I still go back to it without any problems and keep my phone unlocked right to try other roms later? ( i think i can, but when i updated from 6.1 to 6.5 i was told i cant go back to 6.1) thanks guys.

by the way ppcgeeks rocks! i might be just a lurker but i think im on it almost every other day. its an awesome source of information and making my nerdy droid friends jealous that i can run android and windows on my phone

[Wesley762]

Task29 is not a requirement but a suggestion, sometimes people have had issue that seem to be cleared up from multiple flashing using task29.

When you Flash a custom rom it does wipe out your stock rom. You can download the stock rom below if the custom rom's don't seem to be your cup of tea.

http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=91940

[austin420]

we all went a long time without task 29, so its not nessecary, but id say its a worthy tool. i dont use it every time, just every 3 or 4 rom flashes. the same method i used for flashing back to stock before task 29 was even around. i would only flash back to stock when the phone started acting janky over several different roms, or about every 5 even if the phone wasnt acting stupid.
and yes, you can go back to stock at any time. you can even pick 6.1 or 6.5! ill post links to that thread.
from mr x's stock rom thread located HERE.
sprint 6.1
sprint 6.5

[philliyxx]

did you read this topic? http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=116920

Because it answers pretty much all of your questions. In short, if you don't read it then here is my advice to you.

Since your comfortable flashing custom roms but see task 29 as complicated then don't bother with it. I would just do the "flash dance" which is almost equal to it anyways. Basically you flash a stock rom before you flash a custom rom, when you flash the custom rom after, clear the storage (hard reset) and your good to go.

It seems Task 29 is not required to get a custom rom working as it should, its really for those times that you flash and have odd issues.

[Daemonax]

Task 29 flashes an empty ROM to the phone, clearing out anything residual. Some people swear by it, by I've only used it once or twice when I was having major issues with a ROM and I flash a lot. I typically just use the clear storage option, although that really isn't necessary unless your switching ROM's (Stock to Energy, or Energy to Mighty, etc) or major changes happen within a ROM. I like to flash the ROM and test things out on it, then clear storage and restore my backups.

You can unlock your phone and run the stock ROM. Apparently, VZW's new stock requires you to re-lock the phone, but you won't have to worry about that unless Sprint picks up the idea.

EDIT: Nothing like every one posting at the same time. I guess we can consider this one well answered!

[rain1177]

thanks guys!! I am gonna be flashing away as soon as i get back from work!! : )

this opens up a whole new world for me, oh the choices!!! very excited that i dont have to use task 29

[dwizzy130]

I've been using WM for 4 years now and flashing ROMs for all 4. Task29 was just introduced to us less than 6 months ago. We never used to use it so no it's not required.

dwizzy130