ROM Advice for SPV C600

[Keithoms]

Hi,
I am really wanting to upgrade my SPV C600 to WinMo6. But first i need advice.

What ROM will keep all of my current working functions, working?? i want to be able to use my phone as i do now, just on WM6.

Also, i would quite like it to look like this IF possible.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wv5aeDB6kwY

What are your recommendations?

Keith.

[grahamkdt]

The video you've been looking at is the standard WM6.1 Home screen. GnatGoSplats WM6.1 Clean ROM uses this interface, and it seems to be a good, stable ROM. Personally though, and this is just a matter of personal preference, I've found that although WM6.1 is the latest, WM6 ROM's tend to work better, be more stable and keep your device running with most if not all of your current 'stuff'.

I'm using SGregory's WM6 with the 'Neo' home screen, which in my opinion is a far better home screen interface than the standard WM6.1 you're talking about - but again, it's just personal preference.

One thing you will find though is that most ROM 'cookers' remove a lot of useless apps which most people never use so you can have more free memory to install the stuff you do use - I think it's called 'user choice'! Rather than Microsoft dictating which software is on your device, you can add the stuff you want and leave all the crap out.

If you're worried about upgrading your ROM because your device won't be the same, don't do it... that's the whole point of upgrading - your device WON'T be the same, it will be BETTER!! :D

[Keithoms]

Haha, thanks.
Have you got any screenshots of NEO? Also, could you link to that rom you thought was best and say what i would be losing/gaining?
Also :P, how easy is it to get it back to stock orange?

[grahamkdt]

All the info you need my friend is right here in this forum. It's too time consuming for anyone to list all the pros and cons of various custom ROM's - just try one, if you don't like it, try another.

If you want to put the original Orange ROM back on (you won't when you've tried a decent ROM), you can download it from Orange website. Just type 'Orange SPV C600 ROM' into Google.

[Keithoms]

Is it really that easy to put it back as it was? If i did the recovery (hold 2 soft keys) would that not work anymore?
Also, will upgrading the radios not bother it in any way?

And by the orange rom, do you mean the one that adds the push email?

[grahamkdt]

By 'Recovery' I assume you mean hard-reset. If so, no, that won't put it back to how it was. That will just reset all the settings to default and remove any third-party software which you have installed, thus leaving the device in a 'new' state (new, according to the ROM you have installed, not new as in just bought from Orange).

If I were you, I would leave it as it is because you're obviously way too concerned about messing up your device ;)

[djsleepwalker]

I dunno about that last part, he's just a newbie. When I first got my Tornado I was scared to death to upgrade from WM5 to WM6 because I was afraid of bricking my phone. But I had a buddy who owns a Wizard watching over my shoulder while I followed the tutorial step-by-step, which was a big confidence-builder. And when it installed perfectly, I had the hang of it, and I've been experimenting occasionally with new ROMs ever since.

Keithoms, as long as you follow Karhoe's tutorial you're golden. And you'll never want to go back to the original ROM again - this I promise you. WM6 and WM6.1 are light years better than WM5. And don't you worry about bricking your phone - you have to seriously screw up the process to do that. Upgrade the radio for better reception, upgrade the ROM for better functionality.

And, I recommend doing like I did: read. Spend some time on this forum and just read threads. Read, read, read. Forums like this are great for getting questions answered, and chances are your question has been asked at least once before, and you're quite likely to find the answer to your question before you need to post it. If you can't find it, post, and we'll answer away. And, as an added bonus, by digging through the forums each day, you're likely to come across questions that you never thought to ask, and answers that fix problems you didn't realize you had.

And, last but not least, ENJOY! I've been in love with Windows Mobile phones ever since I got mine, and the number of things you can do with them are limitless.

Some threads you should read:
Karhoe's WM6 upgrade how-to (http://karhoe.net/content/view/21/1/). It looks like a lot of steps, but it's not really. It goes very fast - if you're SLOW, it might take you 25-30 minutes.
Nitro's WM6 ROM (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=365023) - you can substitute this for the ROM suggested by Karhoe's tutorial without any ill effects at all.
A whole collection (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=379258) of ROMS and software for the Tornado.

Hope this was helpful, and hope you have an awesome day!

[Keithoms]

Hi, thanks for the replies. For the radio, i was only meaning, would it bother the old orange rom in any way if i decided to go back with the radio still updated.

I am a bit paranoid, but that is only because i bought the phone yesterday and spent all of my money on it.
I have read karhoes guide around 20 times. Giving it a thought, i take it the only way to brick it is to either not SuperCID it before its flashed, to do format BINFS wrongly and to knock out the cables and/or run out of batterys as it is doing GMSUpdate and the actual rom flash.

So if i avoid those things, i should be fine? :S

[grahamkdt]

:o - Perhaps I was a bit short with you to tell you to leave it alone. djsleepwalker is right... if you follow the guide to the letter, you shouldn't have any issues. Even if you do, someone in this forum has the answer you need.

You will never regret upgrading your ROM and you'll never want to put the original Orange ROM back on, that's for sure. I've used Windows Mobiles since 2002 and I've only started messing with ROM's a couple of years ago.. I wish I'd done it sooner. The benefits far outway the risks :)

[Keithoms]

Well, i just went ahead and did the full shebang!
I bought a new housing from fluffcat1, fitted that.

Then.... installed GGS's WM6 :D

Uber-Epic romz....

Thanks to all that helped me get through this without any damamamagamage to my phone.