Question on unlocking & using customs roms.

**clockcycle** · #1 (**permalink**) 01-13-2010, 12:03 PM

Hey guys, I've been an active user on here for quiet a while. been have quite alot of fun customizing roms with the kitchen since the Apache 6700 and burning other's compilations.

But it never really occurred to me to ask, nor have i seen it asked or discussed until I saw notes on resetting a TP2 using "clear storage" because it's not sure that a hard reset really resets everything.

Always wondered too, why people have to hard reset a new or replacement phone 3-5 times before it worked properly..

Now after going through more than 5 touch pro replacements, some still having been unlocked or different carrier's radio on them...

I tend to wonder this; When running cmonex/olipro unlockers, how does that work? Do they read a unit's memory to find portions of the ROM, find the Radio portion of the rom and just patch it? Hex editing, actual reprogramming or just hacking to the Radio portion directly and sending it commands? (sorry noob here don't know the true details, just now it does what i need in order to burn custom roms to them).

If this perfect, is it clean, do things overlap, do a bunch of extra FFFF or Zeros at then end make a difference on how the unit will run?

Now same question with these custom ROMs. Do the chefs just patch up certain regions of the ROM. Is the ROM totally taken apart/extracted and divided into files (which it seems like to me) and then just patch/replace/update files as needed?

Reason I ask is, how safe or secure is the unlocker (I noticed there were some that were labeled MFG to allow for sending the Radio extra commands, but it came with warnings of video glitches etc.)..

Same question for the custom rom chefs. Is there a mish mosh, that just works or do they each leave the rom "dirty" somehow?

My further reasoning for asking this is that I was finally pushed to the point of being so upset with the performance or failures of the Touch Pro. Things just didn't make sense when certain keys or the keyboard itself would not work and be fixed after a few hard resets.. Same for other portions of the unit. reacted differently with different roms cooked in etc..

I'd like to regain faith in customizing my Touch Pro 2, but truth to the fact out of the box the units have always worked. it's after fiddling or receiving one that's been played with is when the headaches started.. I was tough to swallow about a year of craptastic internet on my TPx5..

Please let me know facts and your opinions, thanks guys/gals.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate everyones' hard work 100%!

EDIT: If we burn a stock rom and relock, does the unit end up 100% (truly nor just visually) as it was shipped out of the box or are there odds and ends left lurking?

**clockcycle** · #2 (**permalink**) 01-14-2010, 11:58 AM

Anyone know for sure that going back to stock rom and locking the unit reverts it 100% to out of box status?

**p-slim** · #3 (**permalink**) 01-14-2010, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clockcycle

Anyone know for sure that going back to stock rom and locking the unit reverts it 100% to out of box status?

Yes it does, for sure. Unless the company give you an update, because you bought the phone with one rom, verizon and tmobile for instance have updates, so they bought the phone with 6.1 but can easily take it to the store and have it exchanged even they are running the updated rom. The rom is what makes the phone and as long as you run the same rom the phone will revert back to its original status. Nothing is left lurking.

**austin420** · #4 (**permalink**) 01-14-2010, 12:24 PM

ive got a semi strange problem. after almost every new rom flash, i get a text msg. i remember it. my gf sent it to me on the 6th of jan and ive gotten it 3 more times. imediatly after flashing then doing a hard reset. the three roms ive used since then were the medium hill rom, then silence, now mightrom. its come back after every flash. whats really weird is i get no notification. its just there.

**clockcycle** · #5 (**permalink**) 01-15-2010, 04:31 PM

I almost always get anomalies, have to hard reset, clear storage or soft reset often after a new flash.

Some times even have had to revert back to stock, hard reset, clear storage and a final soft reset.. Then flash any new rom.. Even so there is the occasional quirkiness..

Reason I even asked this was that even tho I would go back to stock and relock, the units would end up acting weird or slower than virgin stock.

mathiass · #6 (**permalink**) 01-15-2010, 06:10 PM

this is off-topic, but you mentioned hard resetting then clearing storage. Isn't clearing storage just one method of hard resetting?

**clockcycle** · #7 (**permalink**) 01-19-2010, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mathiass

this is off-topic, but you mentioned hard resetting then clearing storage. Isn't clearing storage just one method of hard resetting?

Yes but it's mentioned in the unlocker thread that the hardware "hard reset" leaves stuff behind to use the software hard reset..

cbreze · #8 (**permalink**) 01-19-2010, 03:08 PM

Do I understand then it is recommended to relock also as well as going back to stock. Seems just yet another step. I've never relocked, just gone back to stock rom. Never had issues yet. Currently on stock now while deciding which, if any custom rom I want to try next. Stock oem is so sweet and stable. Might stick awhile.Lol.