PPCGeeks - Task29

PPCGeeks (http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/index.php)

- CDMA TP Development (http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=68)

- - Task29 (http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=121736)

I have put together some info and a couple of files pertaining to task 29. This info is from memory of several threads here at PPCGeeks and XDA. I will give credit where dueif at all possible. I don't have all the information so maybe with your help i can edit this post and make it complete and give credit where due.

Task 29 should eliminate the "flash dance" when reflashing to a custom rom that many of us have become accustomed to.
If you are not familiar with flashdancing it is the process of flashing the stock rom then the custom rom instead of just flashing a custom rom. This has been a solution promoted by several chefs for people who have had problems with random bugginess and even more random lockups and self initiating hard resets.

Why should I do this instead of flashdancing? Well it is alot faster and it works!

The following is the best explanation of task29 that I have found. It is from MordyT's TP2 guide. http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=116920

Quote:

Originally Posted by MordyT (Post 1679967)

Ok, I have seen a few questions around the forums asking about Task29, so with this post I hope to answer all.

Q: What is Task29?
A: While the exact details of what Task29 does is beyond the scope of this post, in short what it does is wipe the RAM on your device.

Q: Why would I use Task29?
A: When flashing custom ROM's, you will find after a lot of flashes that things are buggy. You can help most of these bugs disappear when you do a clear storage. However, after many flashes, clear storage doesn't seem to clear all bugs.

Q: So what does Clear Storage do?
A: When you flash a ROM, you overwrite the data on you RAM chip with new data. Sometimes data that might be on a block in one ROM may not exist in another ROM. As a result, since the data doesn't exist in the second ROM, you don't overwrite it. That data then interferes with the new ROM. Clear Storage attempts to "wipes" all the data off the chip...but not all of it. Comes close, but there is still old data sometime.

Q: What is the difference between Clear storage and a Hard Reset with the button combo?
A: A Clear Storage, for reasons beyond the scope of this post, clears more data then doing a Hard Reset with the button combo. Both methods clear all data.

Q: What does "The Flash Dance" do?
A: Since stuff still can be left behind even after a clear storage, you sometimes need to flash your SP's (Service Providers) Stock ROM. The stock RUU goes through Task28 before the flash. Task28 clears FATFS (storage memory), Task29 clears BINFS (where our XIP is and the files we cooked in to a rom). So technically, flashing stock is even better then this...more info1, more info2
Q: All of this was great, what does it have to with Task29?
A: Task29 "wipes" EVERY SINGLE block with blank data. After running Task29, you should not be able to boot past the splash screen! Sine you wiped the entire chip (instead of overwriting with a different ROM)

Q: OMG, I did Task29 and now I can't bot into windows to flash a new ROM.
A: Establish a active-sync connection by 1) Going into bootloader from power off by pushing and holding Power+Volume down until you see the tricolor screen. Connect your phone to you PC, wait till it says USB on the bottom, flash as normal. Or 2) Place the rhodimg.nbh (orginally named ruu_signed.nbh) on the root of the storage card and go into bootloader using above method.

Q: What is that I hear about Radio flashing etc?
A: Task29 runs from a RUU just like a custom ROM/Radio. It needs to flash something, since we don't want to use a ROM, we can use 1 of 2 things...a Radio or a Splash Screen.

Q: Can I just flash my current radio? Or must I change to a different one?
A: You can use your current one if you want.

Q: Should I re-flash the Radio or the Splash Screen?
A: I would HIGHLY recommend only re-flashing the Splash Screen. One of the ways to brick a phone is a bad radio flash. Splash Screens are much safer.

Q: Do I need to be Radio-Unlocked?
A: You need to be HSPL Unlocked...which if you are flashing ROM's you are. Nothing else.

Q: Where can I find the OFFICAL Task29 thread?
A: Here.

P.S. - Please note that there is no "readme" included in the RUU that Ziggy provides.

Parts of quote edited to avoid confusion between TP and TP2

By running task 29 before flashing your new rom it wipes the memory clean thus eliminating many of the problems that some users experience, examples include random hard resets etc.

These files are for the Touch Pro CDMA.

Task29 with splash screen: I have tried and it works. I also have not experienced any hard resets even without doing a mandatory hard reset post flash.

Task29 with splash screen includes the stock splash screen. you flash it and it wipes the memory without wipeing out your radio. after the flash is complete and the device reboots it will hang at the splash screen, this is normal. You are now ready to flash your phone by putting the phone in bootloader mode by pressing power+vol down+ soft reset.

Task 29 no NBH does not include the splash screen and needs the radio NBH file of your choice added to it. It will then wipe your device and then flash the radio for you. Again ready to flash via bootloader mode when done.

The task29 with radio WILL CLEAR your memory unlike a normal radio flash. These are useful if you want to reflash your current radio or try a new one. Please remember that these will task29 your phone and you will lose all data and need to reflash a rom afterwords.

The remainder of the task29 radios are in post #5
Swinn has uploaded an additional file in post #21 that flashes neither a radio nor a splash screen

Again, some help would be appreciated in making this an accurate and helpful post.

I have done task 29 with my sd card installed, It does not format the sd card.

The file without the NBH, I have no idea what would happen if you used it with no NBH or the incorrect NBH, be careful.

Interesting links:
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=116920
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread...29#post1739714
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=670358 Note: this is a GSM link, but relevant
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showpost.php?p=1614089 the post Tank refers to in post 4

Special thanks to Tank, Swinn, NRGZ28, Accessing, and MordyT for their help.

wow this is interesting. good information, will be curious to see how this continues to develop. great work!

Neat stuff! Thanks for the post.

Flashing with radio NBH works great I have had to do this before and even have Task29 tool attached in my 2.1 ROM thread (post #10) with Telus radio NBH for anyone to use

Quote:

Originally Posted by tank001 (Post 1762635)

Flashing with radio NBH works great I have had to do this before and even have Task29 tool attached in my 2.1 ROM thread (post #10) with Telus radio NBH for anyone to use

Thanks for responding Tank. I added a link to your post at the top.

Looks good I will add a link to this thread in my ROM threads so people can task29 to any radio they want

Great Work!!!

I see task29 mentioned in alot of the rom threads, most recently NRG said it was a good idea.

http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread...765606#1765606 see post 25996 and 25997

If we can get some feedback on whether or not it works better or faster than a flashdance to solve random hiccups it could be helpful to others who are on the fence about using it or haven't heard about it.

This is great! Anything to get around doing a flashdance.

I used 'task 29 with splash screen'. Pressed the 'action button' (d-pad) to skip the custom rom on the SD card and then it connected via USB to execute task 29. When it rebooted to the TouchPro screen, I loaded the rom the SD card.

Cool!

This thread should be made as a sticky

Quote:

Originally Posted by accessing (Post 1768618)

This thread should be made as a sticky

Thanks, I am not sure if its ready for prime time yet as I think it needs more editing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrebo (Post 1767323)

so it appears that it is ok to task 29 with the sd card in the phone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrebo (Post 1767323)

Man, You got Balls!

Nice.:rr:

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlindDude (Post 1776708)

Man, You got Balls!

Nice.:rr:

It shouldn't be too scary. if you read the links in the first post alot more people are doing this with the TP2

I've noticed a change in my signal strength after using the Task29+Splash Screen. They way I read it, my radio would be untouched with that one. After using, I have gone from a consistent 3-4 bars to 0-1 bars.

Is this just something in my head or could something have changed?

Quote:

Originally Posted by neff (Post 1786828)

Yes, your radio is untouched. Did you flash a different rom? As different roms may display signal strength bars differently.
The true way to know would be to access the diagnostics as described in the radio thread and actually see db levels before and after.

"Q: How can I view my signal levels?
A: - ##33284# is the DEBUG menu. If you are prompted for a password,
enter 183729. Under here you should look at the following 3 sections
(the closer to 0 you are, the better):
Rx Power
Rx Ec/Io
Rx FER
"

worked like a charm,,, used task29 w/ telus radio...

much faster than going back to stock,
then I clear storage, to clean everything out,,
then had to put my telus radio back on...
then flash rom, and clear storage, then install a few things at a time,

Flashed with task29 Sprint TP Radio V1.03.15F Shipped R. This was the same radio version as my phone was showing. I am on Sprint.

Phone sits at the start up TOUCH PRO screen and does nothing else. Cannot flash the phone. I hope this did not just brick my phone.

EDIT: I put the phone into bootloader mode and flashed it to a different ROM.
Procedure: volume button held down + poking reset button on bottom + power button

Quote:

Originally Posted by marwolf (Post 1790109)

The whole point of doing the task29 is to wipe out the OS partition. That is why it wasn't booting. As you said, you have to put it in bootloader mode and flash a ROM.

Quote:

Originally Posted by marwolf (Post 1790109)

Sorry you had trouble. It's in the first post but I may have to spend some time a rewrite it to clarify the step by step.

I should have read more but problem solved. I'm running the Energy ROM with great success as Borat would say.

frizzlefry, I'm attaching one I just made for the Raphael that won't affect splash screens or the radio. It is just a tiny OS partition which will immediately be cleared afterwards by the task29 command.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swinn (Post 1790293)

I have referenced your file in post 1 and also given the 1st post a major overhaul. Thanks Swinn.

per request I have stickied this thread :D

Hi guys,

I did the Task29 with splash screen on my CDMA TouchPro.

After I go to BootLoader, and it says ERROR 262, when I try to flash a new ROM.

Thks For Help.

UPDATE: I Remove the SD Card, then reconnect USB and it WORK.

Great tool and great thread (as is all the info on MordyT's thread).

As a matter of clarification - If I am running Sprint V1.03.15F radio and don't want to change it, should I just run the "task 29 with splash screen.rar" ?

In what situations would you run the task 29's that have a radio attached?

thx

Really the only situation in which you would use the task 29 with a radio is if you wanted to change your radio. If you are happy with your current radio then use the one with the splash screen or the Raphael task 29 posted by Swinn in post 21.

I've been flashing all my ROMs using the SD because my device won't connect via USB. (It barely connects to charge right now.) Is there a way to use Task29 using only SD?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonesmatty (Post 1850048)

I've been flashing all my ROMs using the SD because my device won't connect via USB. (It barely connects to charge right now.) Is there a way to use Task29 using only SD?

I also flash exclusively from the SD card - but it is because I do not have a Windows PC available. Is running "task29.exe" when the device is connected to a PC the only way to do this?

Quote:

Originally Posted by zachofalltrades (Post 1856093)

I also flash exclusively from the SD card - but it is because I do not have a Windows PC available. Is running "task29.exe" when the device is connected to a PC the only way to do this?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonesmatty (Post 1850048)

I've been flashing all my ROMs using the SD because my device won't connect via USB. (It barely connects to charge right now.) Is there a way to use Task29 using only SD?

I could not find the info on doing this.
If you are adventurous and have an extra sd card you may want to try renaming the nbh for task 29 with splash to RAPHIMG.nbh and putting it in the root of your spare card and trying it.

I decided to try this myself. It did not work with splash screen task29 or the os partition that Swinn made or the radio included options either. so for now it seems that it is usb only.

Quote:

Originally Posted by frizzlefry (Post 1856939)

Yeah the task29 is triggered by the modified rom update utility. There is another way to do it, but you still have to connect it via usb.

how many times can you task29 your phone

Quote:

Originally Posted by swinn (Post 1857282)

Yeah the task29 is triggered by the modified rom update utility. There is another way to do it, but you still have to connect it via usb.

Do you happen to know if that other method requires the use of ActiveSync or even where to find out what the other method is?

Quote:

Originally Posted by fierygod (Post 1910390)

Do you happen to know if that other method requires the use of ActiveSync or even where to find out what the other method is?

It doesn't need ActiveSync:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=540290

Quote:

Originally Posted by 915_tuscani (Post 1900443)

how many times can you task29 your phone

:dontknow: I have probably done it about a dozen or more times since it has been out. Never had a problem with it, but I always make it a point to load the stock ROM once in a while. The only problem I have is my computer not recognizing my phone while in Bootloader mode. So I set up my ROM (.nbh) file on my laptop and rename it to RHODIMG.nbh and stick it on my MicroSDHC card and then put the card back into phone and hit the Volume down + Power and poof, bootloader mode and then the hit power button to upgrade comes on.!! :toothy7:

Quote:

Originally Posted by swinn (Post 1910469)

It doesn't need ActiveSync:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=540290

I will have to give this a try. I will let you know how it goes. O:)