Case Study: Flashing to Stock BEFORE flashing Custom Roms

marcjen · #1 (**permalink**) 04-23-2009, 12:39 AM

I know we have ALL beat this into the ground in each custom ROM thread, but I wanted to provide an example that happened to me. Whether a flash to stock would have helped or not is irrelevant, I want to point out that files/settings can for whatever reason remain from previous flashes. (Cliff's at bottom for ADD peeps)

I had been running Frugal 1.1 for about a week. Last night I wanted to check out RSTG's SPB Mobile Shell 4/21 (I had been running SBP MS3 on Frugal and liked it, thought I'd try a ROM focused version.)

After I flashed RSTG's Rom, I did a hard reset on it. (I have done it this way for months. Essentially 2 hard resets each new rom.)

I ended up not liking the missing icons (no offense to RSTG, great ROM otherwise), so I wanted to try out Bear-Bonz Rhodium Rom. Did a Flash and subsequent hard reset. Again, I run into minor issues (Rhodium bugs that prevent productive use of the phone) and decide in the morning I'm gonna flash to Calkulin's 2501 4.6.2a ROM.

I flash and hard reset. Go through the day. By the end of the day I've decided I'd rather just stick with Frugal, so I flash and hard reset to Frugal 1.1.

Now HERE's the WHOLE point of this post. While I'm setting up Frugal 1.1, I get a text and the "sound" it makes is this...

zzz_My_Sounds_OEM - Customized Rom Sounds
- Ringer: Third Rock from the Sun Theme
- ActiveSync Connect: "Device Connected to activesync"
- ActiveSync DisConnect: "Device Disconnected from activesync"
- Text Messages: "You have a text message boss.."

That's from RSTG's Rom.

Cliff's:
Flash From Frugal to RSTG.
Hard Reset (Clear Storage)
Flash From RSTG to Bear Bonz
Hard Reset (Clear Storage)
Flash From Bear Bonz to Calkulin's
Hard Reset (Clear Storage)
Flash From Calkulin's to Frugal
Hard Reset (Clear Storage)

Recieve text that plays Sound file from RSTG ROM.

Now I hope that I haven't made a fool of myself and find out that Frugal Rom uses the same default sounds as RSTG, but I'm pretty sure that's not the case.

Anyway, I think it's a good eye-opener for everyone. Files or sections of the ROM seem to remain between flashes. So if you ARE having issues, take the advice of everyone on this forum and flash to stock/shipped ROM first, then flash your shiny new ROM.

Soaa- · #2 (**permalink**) 04-23-2009, 01:39 AM

Frugal uses whatever the default on the kitchen was. I believe I packed in the Rhodium Ringtones package as well. Not sure if it's the same default as RSTG.

shortbus182 · #3 (**permalink**) 04-23-2009, 01:54 AM

I flashed shipped rom many times over without resolving issues associated with 6.5 Until I cleared my internal cache. After cleaning out the junk on the 4gig storage, I have had no issues flashing to whatever rom I choose.

Zeddicus · #4 (**permalink**) 04-23-2009, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marcjen

I know we have ALL beat this into the ground in each custom ROM thread, but I wanted to provide an example that happened to me. Whether a flash to stock would have helped or not is irrelevant, I want to point out that files/settings can for whatever reason remain from previous flashes. (Cliff's at bottom for ADD peeps)

I had been running Frugal 1.1 for about a week. Last night I wanted to check out RSTG's SPB Mobile Shell 4/21 (I had been running SBP MS3 on Frugal and liked it, thought I'd try a ROM focused version.)

After I flashed RSTG's Rom, I did a hard reset on it. (I have done it this way for months. Essentially 2 hard resets each new rom.)

I ended up not liking the missing icons (no offense to RSTG, great ROM otherwise), so I wanted to try out Bear-Bonz Rhodium Rom. Did a Flash and subsequent hard reset. Again, I run into minor issues (Rhodium bugs that prevent productive use of the phone) and decide in the morning I'm gonna flash to Calkulin's 2501 4.6.2a ROM.

I flash and hard reset. Go through the day. By the end of the day I've decided I'd rather just stick with Frugal, so I flash and hard reset to Frugal 1.1.

Now HERE's the WHOLE point of this post. While I'm setting up Frugal 1.1, I get a text and the "sound" it makes is this...

zzz_My_Sounds_OEM - Customized Rom Sounds
- Ringer: Third Rock from the Sun Theme
- ActiveSync Connect: "Device Connected to activesync"
- ActiveSync DisConnect: "Device Disconnected from activesync"
- Text Messages: "You have a text message boss.."

That's from RSTG's Rom.

Cliff's:
Flash From Frugal to RSTG.
Hard Reset (Clear Storage)
Flash From RSTG to Bear Bonz
Hard Reset (Clear Storage)
Flash From Bear Bonz to Calkulin's
Hard Reset (Clear Storage)
Flash From Calkulin's to Frugal
Hard Reset (Clear Storage)

Recieve text that plays Sound file from RSTG ROM.

Now I hope that I haven't made a fool of myself and find out that Frugal Rom uses the same default sounds as RSTG, but I'm pretty sure that's not the case.

Anyway, I think it's a good eye-opener for everyone. Files or sections of the ROM seem to remain between flashes. So if you ARE having issues, take the advice of everyone on this forum and flash to stock/shipped ROM first, then flash your shiny new ROM.

I dont believe thats a file left from a previous ROM, but a file that was backed up via Activesync, then put on your phone when sync'd with diff ROM. Because I have that file as well and have had several flashes (including shipped) since then and it still loads on my phone via active sync.

fadi33 · #5 (**permalink**) 04-23-2009, 10:17 AM

i agree with the OP, flashing to stock before moving to another ROM is a necessity. Last night I flashed to Calk's 4.6.3 from MR4.8 to test 6.5. It flashed with no problems. I setup activesync to my exchange and it freezes. So I soft reset and it performs a hard reset. Ah well, I continue with the setup and it freezes. Pull out battery and put back in, power on, just stays on boot up screen. I perform a hard reset, freezes up during customization. Perform a reflash from bootloader, same thing. At this point, phone cant not boot to normal screen, phone out of service. Put phone in bootloader and flash to stock with no problem. Than i flashed to 4.6.3 and its working with no issues. Starting now, I will flash to stock every time before going to a another ROM.

**rstoyguy** · #6 (**permalink**) 04-23-2009, 10:49 AM

I highly doubt that a file could survive a flash, as the image is totally overwritten with the new image. And for those that flash back to stock when flashing a custom rom, it's only 15 minutes of your life. What makes you think some of the files from the stock rom might not be there still be there too if that's your logic? I have never flashed back to stock for this purpose...

I suspect that your a expierencing the "shared" zone. 99% of roms all use the same ingredients. While customized, they are all pretty much the same. They all usually originate over at xda as a .cab or from a rom release.

If you are concerned about only the sounds and that's why you started this thread, keep the following in mind.
1. Your chef was bored with the regular windows sounds.
2. I do have a Custom Rom Sounds tutorial that has the same files available for download by anyone.
3. I often release my kitchens/OEM directory that has that available.
4. I borrow from other kitchens all the time, it's a great timesaver. Hopefully others are borrowing from me as well...
5. That "text message boss" comes standard with xbmods rhodium .cab..

I highly doubt that files being left over are the cause of this. I am happy to see chefs customize more. When I got here, all that was customized was to skin manila in black...Boring...

chad.wray · #7 (**permalink**) 04-23-2009, 11:05 AM

Question.
Should I be using the Clear Storage after I have loaded a rom?
Should it be load stock rom, run clear storage.
Then load custom rom, run clear storage.
Or do you ever have to run the clear storage?

**rstoyguy** · #8 (**permalink**) 04-23-2009, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chad.wray

Question.
Should I be using the Clear Storage after I have loaded a rom?
Should it be load stock rom, run clear storage.
Then load custom rom, run clear storage.
Or do you ever have to run the clear storage?

Debated, but I have never done this either. The only advantage would be if windows had a hiccup when setting itself up.

bwest411 · #9 (**permalink**) 04-23-2009, 01:27 PM

One thing I noticed when I flash sometimes. Is when i flash from a 6.1 rom to a 6.5 rom without flashing stock first is that it will keep the 6.1 style menus and sure enough it will be messing up like random resets. So I do believe it leaves stuff behind and the only way i can fix it is to flash stock.

parkjam · #10 (**permalink**) 04-23-2009, 03:36 PM

It seem that this whole line of thought has started with the Diamond and Pro with the use of an application to hard reset the phone(clear storage). Maybe that is the issue in and of itself. I have always hard reset after installing a new rom, but I do crazy tricks with my fingers to do so. I have never ran into any issues whatsoever in that method. This is with a Mogul, Touch, Diamond, and Pro

It would also seem that the most plausible cause for that ringtone being on your phone is the active-sync case made by Zed