How To: Build your own Custom ROM!

[jeffme]

ahhh... I think I've got it -

search on:
\Windows\Microsoft

and replace with:
\\Windows\\Microsoft

in the .NET Compact Framework registry entries...

[colonel]

Jeff, you will also be given errors by the default to hv app if there is something wrong. When you get that error, it will tell you the key where the error is. As a note, always save your .hv files twice in different places. Do this because the one in the HV tools folder is used during the conversion and if you have an error, you will not get it back.

[jeffme]

All - thanks so much for all of the help and assistance. I'm now a minor threat to my coworkers, etc.

I know that people are moving on to Kitchens, 3.5, WM6, etc., but I did try to incorporate everything from this thread into a doc that builds on Mike's first post (and credits him for it!). I'm hoping it will be relevant moving forward. If not, que sera.

As I'm not going to be reverse-engineering that smart-dialer in 3.5 any time soon, I figured it was the least I could do.

I tried to break things down into very small steps, so I'm hoping it will help other n00b's, but maybe others will find it useful, too.

I didn't get it as finished as I had hoped (I have to get back to my real job...), but perhaps others can keep it moving forward.

Anyway, thanks again to everyone.

[slypher]

first i would just like to thank jeffme for the great how to update. of course i was a moron and didn't read it until after i spent hours trying to figure out why the .nba file wasn't coming out the way it should..lol.

now that i have read through this thread, and read the updated how to, i only have one (noobish) question to ask before i finish my custom ROM. when updating the default or user hv file, do i have to replace previous entries in the registry with new ones, or will the conversion process "see" the updates i make if i put them at the end of the file?

for instance, if i am putting the arcsoft mms stings into the hv file, do i have to track down all of the entries that are changed and insert the changes, or can i simply put the entire block of mms reg keys at the end of the file?

i hope this makes sense....thanks for the help.

-s

[slypher]

While creating the default and user HV files, i see the following show up in the black box:



This batch file will convert your default.txt to default.hv
to be used to replace original .hv in the dump folder.

Press any key to continue . . .
Microsoft (R) RGUComp Version 1.0.000
Registry file processor and hive builder.
Copyright (C) 2004 Microsoft Corporation All Rights Reserved.
built: Nov 19 2004 15:17:13
importing registry file ".\boot.rgu"...
InitRegistry FAILED in file ".\boot.rgu" within a few lines of line 13042.
BuildBootHive: (RGUComp) !ERROR failed importing ".\boot.rgu"
wmain: (RGUComp) !ERROR failed building BOOT hive
Press any key to continue . . .


Is this normal? It looks like the process is having a problem with the boot.rgu file? Help please

[Wideawake]

Somethings not formatted correctly or u have word wrap on when editing. Did u save as unicode? These are common mistakes that end in this result.

[colonel]

Did you have a copy of the boot.rgu in the folder when you ran the batch? You must make sure to remove anything that is created before running again. Unlike the dump-to-nba that patches the nba and needs it in the folder, the .hv and .rgu files must be deleted before running.

[slypher]

i did remember to save in unicode first, and i did turn off word wrap before opening the default.txt and user.txt. And i did make sure to kill the boot files that are created (those aren't needed for anything later right?) I'm stumped at this point . Would there be anything else i could have missed?

EDIT: Forgot that i was using notepad2 for the editing. When i use the original notepad, the errors disappear.

-s

[slypher]

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

I made my own custom ROM based off of saridnour's latest 3.5 ROM. I added the exe for voice command, added the MMS app from this site (Thanks Wideawake), pocket wakeup(english version), O2 plus (thanks colonel) , Resco Explorer (thanks Sogarth), Smartskey, added some of my fav all black .tsk's including the Iphone skins, added a couple of reg tweaks, and voila.

It booted normally and I have not had an issue in the past 2 days!

Thank you all for your assistance in helping a noob to make his own custom ROM!

-s

[BiGMatTFRomJeRSeY]

first thanks to mike for puting this together. i just had one thing didnt work the boot screen creater file. i ran it and got a error. so if anyone can post that up i appreciate it.