Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

So, I've noticed that not many users here aren't aware that many problems that they have are due to a poor flash. I posted these directions below a few weeks back in Tech1's thread, and I see few people talking about it.
When you flash a new ROM, there will always be a few files left behind in the ROM cache from your previous build. These files cannot be overwritten through Windows due to file permissions/system usage. Many users post lots of 'bugs' which neither the cook nor any other can emulate on their device... If you follow the directions below, I assure you that you will not get any bugs in your ROM [be it that the cook has released a final, bugfree ROM... Meaning not beta].
A pre-script side note: I recommend using a pagepool of at least 20 and at max 28.
1. Put your phone in bootloader mode, rather than opening the RUU while the phone is running regularly. Easiest way is to take out the battery put it back in, then press Volume Down and Power at THE SAME time. Be sure NOT to have a RAPHIMG.nbh [RHODIMG.nbh if you got the TP2] in your Storage Card, unless you plan to flash via your Storage Card. Leave these two buttons pressed until the tricolored screen comes on. On the bottom it will say Serial. LEAVE THE BATTERY COVER OFF.
2.Plug your phone into USB. The bottom of the screen will say USB now rather than Serial. Once it is connected, remove the battery [don't worry the USB will keep it powered] [IF YOU HAVE A RHODIUM YOU MUST KEEP THE BATTERY IN UNTIL THE TRANSFER HAS GONE TO 1% AT LEAST, otherwise your phone will shut off]. -This is to ensure that after a full flash the device can deplete any stored electricty which keeps a current going to your NAND and otherwise. It is important not to have a worn out or broken USB cable to ensure the device isn't powered off before the flash process is complete.
3.Open up the RUU.
4.Begin the Flash process.[Remember if you have the TP2, your battery should be in still, and removed AFTER the transfer has gone to 1%]
5.Be ready to unplug the USB from your device as soon as the computer signals the USB has been disconnected. Wait about 8 seconds... Feel free to click the power button a few times while you wait :drunken:
6.Put the battery back in, but DO NOT POWER YOUR PHONE UP YET!
7.Press Volume Down, the Center button on the D-Pad, and the power button in that order but do not let go of any of the buttons until a screen pops up.[For us Rhodium users you would press Power+Send+End rather than the TP1 combo]. Note that if your device vibrates, you did it wrong. This screen will say that you will be restoring your phone to its factory settings.
8.Press Volume UP after reading the info on the screen, and let it restore (takes 5 seconds literally).
9. Allow the device to reset itself.
10.LET THE PHONE DO ITS FULL customization. This means DO NOT press any button rather than tapping the screen to prevent the device from turning off. DO NOT RESET WHILE IT IS DOING ITS THING!
11. [Rhodium ppl skip this step]Wait about 7 seconds after the screen calibration comes up to allow your phone to fully boot for the first time. While you are doing the screen calibration, be sure to watch the crosshair, if it moves laggy or slow or glitchy go back to step 6, and do it again until you get it right.

If there is any other information I can provide you guys feel free to ask :)

EDIT: UPDATE
I added this in a new post in this thread but I figured I'd put it here since its a pretty good breakdown on why I do it how I do it.
its best off not to flash to stock first... see, be it a custom ROM or a shipped ROM, there is still data being transfered throughout the flash. flashing a stock rom only adds an extra step to the flashing instructions i posted way back and on a new thread even... and it can add its own files which may corrupt some cache within the NAND, meaning that another flash with battery removal would be necessary to release these corrupted files which cannot be overwritten from within Windows[Mobile]...

flashing means transfering files (some files of which can be fractions of kilobytes in size even)... during the flash process, it is possible to not fully flash the rom because the old ROM (Read Only Memory) cache files cannot be replaced with the new ones, due to the old ones being -besides old- corrupted (broken) and stuck...after flashing a new ROM, and taking out the battery, this depletes (kills) any +-ionization (electrical currency) within the device since it does not have a CMOS Battery (a button cell battery which goes inside Computers to keep the clock accurate and certain hardware settings which cannot be controlled from an Operating System... An example of an OS is Windows, also Linux... etc...)after all the power has been released from the device the NAND then has no place to store its old ROM data, the device then routes what it can [unneeded crap] to the RAM (Random Access Memory). every time that there is no direct power (no battery and no USB connection to PC or wall charger), the RAM is released to be never again seen. ROM, however is stored into firmware. Firmware is neither hardware (like a video card, keyboard, monitor) etc, nor is it software (programs, games, drivers) it is pretty much a software that is permanent into the hardware's chip to enable its functionality.

thats as english as i can put it down... i dont know how else to explain it... you either understand or you dont...
nonetheless I know that this is a good thing to do before using your phone with its newly flashed ROM. it prevents countless errors over time
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Really? I'm glad I could help you... Let me know that I did by clicking this http://67.228.199.237/forum.ppcgeeks...ost_thanks.gif button you see on the bottom right of my posts.
Your welcome :smile:

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

Thanks this is something I have been looking for to solve some of the wierd bugs on these roms. :)

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

Your welcome :D

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

While the effort is appreciated, the guide seems excessive and partially inaccurate.

Look at what you posted:
How do you put the battery back in, if it was in already?

If you are really worried about a "clean flash", I would suggest the following process instead:

1. Flash to your ship rom
2. Let it load until the first "tap here" screen
3. Plug in phone and flash custom rom.
4. Let it fully load, and then do a "clear storage" -- start>settings>system>clear storage
5. Let it fully load, and enjoy.

Honestly, however this is often not necessary, especially if the chef of the custom rom uses a good xip based on the stock rom in the visual kitchen.

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

This was a copy paste from my original posting... And i missed that part on the editing, thanks. As far as the ship rom, when flashing a new ROM, the old cache which was from the Shipped ROM flash will remain there until reflashed as posted. I assure that this method works and clears the old cached files which can at times be problamatic to a different ROM. Please don't depreciate my post by going against a proved method.
Thanks again for pointing out the typo :headbang:

EDIT UPDATE:
Groove lol I had actually already posted to remove the battery in step #2. You must have skipped it, because I went back to add the take the battery out part to see it was in the above step.
Thanks anyway...

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

Well, my method is prooven too and much simpler, but you are right I did miss step 2 as noted.

I am curious as to your "proof" that "the old cache which was from the Shipped ROM flash will remain there until reflashed as posted".

I'm not trying to depreciate, simply trying to provide accurate information.

Also, btw: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=65925

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

+1..Grooves way works, and it seems pretty much every other chef suggests this method.

I am too lazy when flashing to do all that crap LMAO!! Whatever works for you though. Thanks for the information.

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

My mistake I figured since it was actually about flashing and theres a flashing sticky, I thought it would be here. Mod move to HTC Touch Pro forum please?

Also, any device that has RAM and or ROM will always have temporary cache files, which eventually can go corrupt on an abrupt soft reset just like in a PC when you reset it while it is doing something. The original reason why soft resets started being performed on Smartphones/PPCs was due to these corrupt files which would become then engraved into the ROM or RAM chip until it were forcefully overwritten or released from any electrical current. Which is why I flash with the battery off and unplug it when it is done. Then the hard reset ensures moreover that anything still miraculously 'alive' within said system storage is properly overwritten. On a PC you can simply take out the CMOS battery and reset the BIOS as to where on the phone I flash and then remove all power. On phones however we do not yet have a BIOS. I'm tired of typing and what not... If it helps anyone great... If you guys don't think it helps... Ask around the Tech1 CDMA thread and see how many people had ghost bugs... Later guys

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

Will receiving a test message while the phone is going through the customization detrimental? Or what about if the phone turns itself of before you are able to calibrate the screen, meaning you waited too long before taping the screen when it asks.

Thanks for the right up. I hope this will take care of some random bugs int the ROMs that I have used. I never understood why some people had a perfect ROM while I had a buggy one.

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

From what a lot of peoples problems with that rom seemed to be I don't think it was all attributed to them not flashing your way.

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

Lol precisely. Please don't bring up another thread's misdeeds tilde.

In the meanwhile either flash method works its just a matter of who is or isn't lazy to go through with it.

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

I'm with Groove on this one. How is it possible that the "cache" of the shipped rom would survive another flash? By that logic, the "cache" from the custom ROM would survive the flash to the stock shipped ROM. Just doesn't make any sense.

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

It's much faster to just go into bootloader mode than it is to clear mem and go through all the customizations a second time!
Both are just as effective at releasing files from being used and giving you a clean flash!

As for getting into bootloader mode you don't need to remove a battery ever unless you get a connection error....

Simply hold down Power, Vol Down and hit the reset button with the stylus.

Keep the vol and power buttons pressed until you see the tri color screen.

Flash, let customizations run, then reprogram your phone as per your carrier procedures (vzw *228 1, it will reset then *228 2)
That sets up your data connection and SMS (Arcsoft) for your carrier.

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

interesting approach. I always wondered why sometimes the calibration crosshair was choppy and sometimes it was smooth. What I always did was flash from bootloader, then just let it reboot, align screen (not waiting just doing it - usually choppy) then letting customizations run, then hard resetting via clear storage and doing it over. this method is definitely faster. may be a bit overkill but it gets the job done. for one I have never thought of removing the battery when flashing..

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

Moved to the general touch pro forum.

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

No they are not. Once the precached files have been flashed over or deleted none of these issues are detrimental... Just be sure to watch the crosshair to check for any skipping or lagging.

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

Yes it is quicker to flash from the Bootloader, and do a hard reset right after the flash rather than waiting for a full customization only to hard reset again. I'm glad to see that quite a few people agree with my approach. I have flashed every popular ROM on this site... Noticing that some people would post bugs that none other would ever see... It was not only in Techs thread... It was merely the thread I chose to point out... Even after a few people did some hard resets, these bugs persisted... Once they flashed in the OP method, I'm guessing it was the placebo that made the phone believe it could do better?

All I am saying is that this method can help some, if not speed up the flash process for others...

Request to delete or close thread please, AdminMOD...

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

Um, well, um..

That could easily be a result of provxmls being loaded still or the OS getting fully loaded. It doesn't mean a bad flash necessarily.

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

this is true... but even after long wait periods with the screen on, long after all the background provisioning occurs, i've noticed still some lag [not often], but it could be an early indication of an unstable flash... or even it could be a beginner cook whom just has a beta build which needs further tweaking... but if no other is reporting any lag and you see the crosshair on first boot be glitchy then, well you know...

well im out pplz... be back later

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

its best off not to flash to stock first... see, be it a custom ROM or a shipped ROM, there is still data being transfered throughout the flash. flashing a stock rom only adds an extra step to the flashing instructions i posted way back and on a new thread even... and it can add its own files which may corrupt some cache within the NAND, meaning that another flash with battery removal would be necessary to release these corrupted files which cannot be overwritten from within Windows[Mobile]...

flashing means transfering files (some files of which can be fractions of kilobytes in size even)... during the flash process, it is possible to not fully flash the rom because the old ROM (Read Only Memory) cache files cannot be replaced with the new ones, due to the old ones being -besides old- corrupted (broken) and stuck...after flashing a new ROM, and taking out the battery, this depletes (kills) any +-ionization (electrical currency) within the device since it does not have a CMOS Battery (a button cell battery which goes inside Computers to keep the clock accurate and certain hardware settings which cannot be controlled from an Operating System... An example of an OS is Windows, also Linux... etc...)after all the power has been released from the device the NAND then has no place to store its old ROM data, the device then routes what it can [unneeded crap] to the RAM (Random Access Memory). every time that there is no direct power (no battery and no USB connection to PC or wall charger), the RAM is released to be never again seen. ROM, however is stored into firmware. Firmware is neither hardware (like a video card, keyboard, monitor) etc, nor is it software (programs, games, drivers) it is pretty much a software that is permanent into the hardware's chip to enable its functionality.

thats as english as i can put it down... i dont know how else to explain it... you either understand or you dont...
nonetheless I know that this is a good thing to do before using your phone with its newly flashed ROM. it prevents countless errors over time

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

I have a question? I have followed your instructions but on my touch pro it boots up in a solid white screen and does not say Touch Pro it is just blank with some red letters on the bottom. On the stock rom the sprint flash comes on at the end. How do I get my phone to boot with the Touch Pro and black blackground. It is fine on my girlfriends Touch Pro, not on mine.

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

what rom are you on? have you tried just pulling the battery and starting over?

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

lol, thats because of the rom you flashed, it had a boot screen changed by the cook i would assume, could also be a bad flash where the bootscreen file wasntflashed correctly. simply flash the stock rom, which will flash the nb file which contains the image... dont worry about all the steps when you're flashing the stock...but do it when you flash your new rom. if it happens again then it is the cook who added the file. the file is in the RUU folder you downloaded, i dont remember the name now but it ends in .nb rather than .nbh. just delete that, and when you flash it wont override the stock bootscreen. id help more but im on my phone... no laptop available.

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

Thanks I have a sprint touch pro, and loaded the exe. stock rom from ppc geeks and still have the white screen. I use the tech rom so I am stuck.

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

pull the battery and then put it back in, hold down volume down and power button at the same time. do you get to tricolor bootloader mode?

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

Yes I do.

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

i have just flashed my stock rom with mighty. i didnt follow these steps exactly.
do you have lag at all? so what you are doing is flashing till that calibrate screen moves smooth? i think mine did but phone still lags from time to time.

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

it is very very odd that even after your phone was flashed to stock the bootscreen wasnt replaced. i remember two different roms i had flashed which chaneged my bootscreen... one instead of saying Touch Pro, it showed the Diamond bootscreen... the other i cant remember... both, however i replaced after flashing the stock shipped ROM... your phone still functions right everywhere else right?
his bootloader wasn't replaced... it was his BootScreen... (when you power up your device, the Stock screen is all black and in white letters it says TOUCH PRO,,, His just shows a white screen then boots normally.

be sure that there is no lag on the first calibration, if you didnt notice when you did it i would recommend to backup and reflash whilst following exactly as my procedure states...](*,)

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

What I do is hard reset existing rom.
Then B4 it starts up to load rom, I put it into bootloader and flash new rom.
then after it loads and finishes starting, and I know I have a working rom.
Then I hard reset again.
Never thought about removing battery though, that is a very interesting tip :)

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

You get an A for effort Tild88!

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

I just flashed energyrom and for some reason my phone's evdo wont work. any idea's why? I flashed using your method 3 times and i've asked in that thread and no one seemed to be able to answer. Thanks

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

hi everybody
now, , since 2 days ago, i got avery big and weird problems to ask all of you, actually, it a touch pro verizon, that's i forgot to remove micro sd card and sim card before flashing

actually, i'm not sure

there is 1 big problems
when i make a call out, a phone utomatically add 1 in front of comon call no, and so thereis a sound saying that i can't connect, however, i ca recieve a call or sendand recieve sms normally

thanks a millions in advance for those try to help me

thanks again

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

alot to read.....quick question which better if i have cooked Rom to flash to stock before i go to another cooked Rom or from cooked to cooked :D


thanks.

Re: Flashing Instructions to Ensure Full ROM Functionality
 

Tilde88, IAM SURE MANY PEOPLE LIKED YOUR IDEA OF FLASHING THE ROM, BUT TO MAKE IT MORE EASY AND POPULAR IN THE PPC COMMUNITY I WOULD KINDLY ASK YOU TO MAKE A VIDEO CLIP OF YOUR ALL INSTRUCTIONS AND UPLOAD IT ON YOUTUBE.... AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO PUT A LINK FOR US HERE ON PPCGEEKS LOL ...IAM SURE YOU WILL GET A LOT OF VIEWERS HERE AND MANY CLICKS ON YOUTUBE AS WELL LOL :mrgreen:

Thanks for sharing some useful information but I'm sure some people would have hard time in understanding it and some like me may be scare to take any risk without seeing it done by someone else. :headbang:
Thanks