Simple Guide to Installing a ROM

[TomorrowSpace]

This is my first real contribution to the forum, I hope some of you find this useful. Developers: If I missed anything important please let me know.

Simple Guide to Installing a ROM

Most of the process is trial and error and short of you working for Microsoft, there's never going to be a manual. There are many guides out there by people smarter than me so this is "Idiot's Guide" as it were.

Hopefully this streamlines the process...

Install Windows Mobile Device Center if you haven't already.

Also as pointed out below you need to CID unlock your phone. Instructions and links to the software needed can be found HERE (http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=Hermes_SimUnlock)

Find a version (build) that you like or try a bunch of them (that's the best way)... when your looking at the forum that this post is made in you'll know that your looking at a ROM because the post title will tell you that it's a ROM. Don't download developer builds or anything that says "beta" until you know what your doing.

Once you have your ROM ready make sure your battery is at at least 50% (that's the standard answer, I've installed with as little as 20%, but it's my phone to F up so if you F up your phone by not following the 50% rule, that's on you).

Sync your phone with Windows Mobile Device Center and leave your phone connected.

Run the EXE usually named something like RUUWrapper.exe and follow the onscreen instructions.

Ba-da-bing you've got a new ROM installed.

edit reason: CID Unlock step added

[tonidekohlanta]

I know you want to do good, but yeah you missed something seriously important. For a post dedicated to newbies, you MUST remind to INSTALL HardSPL. It's the first thing you should say!!! Who cares about battery if you even install something to allow a safe flash!
And by the way this is a far better explanation on what people shoud do, it's the first sticky of this section and it is idiot proof : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=299462 .
But still thank you for trying to explain it simply. But remind people to use the safety belt!
toni

Mod EDIT: Lets use Professional Language Please. :)

[zocster]

I can't think of anything easier than finding what's on the sticky here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=299462).

Why re invent the wheel?

[TomorrowSpace]

@tonidekohlanta... If you feel strong enough to curse at me on what I thought was a family friendly website why not report the post to a mod and have it deleted.

[zocster]

@tonidekohlanta... If you feel strong enough to curse at me on what I thought was a family friendly website why not report the post to a mod and have it deleted.

Agree and I will report that post myself re the language used. no need for such language

[TomorrowSpace]

Added step for CID unlock

[aga080]

captmorgan needs to lay off the captain morgan

[tonidekohlanta]

Sorry for the language, don't get offended for it. I should say I have the bad habit of speaking in a bit casual way. Sorry again! And I didn't report because there were nothing to report! You're allowed to post want you think is interesting, as I'm allowed to tell if I think something important is missing. F* da* s*!
toni

edit : I read your post again, I think you missed the point. It's not just SuperCIDing the phone, it's about securing the rom from bad flash. There are method of SuperCIDing (first of them is to unlock the phone with a commercial software) without installing HardSPL. And HardSPL IS the important thing. It protects the flashing process, but in the same time allow to bypass the CID protection. But the security reason is the point!

[TomorrowSpace]

Sorry for the language, don't get offended for it. I should say I have the bad habit of speaking in a bit casual way. Sorry again! And I didn't report because there were nothing to report! You're allowed to post want you think is interesting, as I'm allowed to tell if I think something important is missing. F* da* s*!
toni

edit : I read your post again, I think you missed the point. It's not just SuperCIDing the phone, it's about securing the rom from bad flash. There are method of SuperCIDing (first of them is to unlock the phone with a commercial software) without installing HardSPL. And HardSPL IS the important thing. It protects the flashing process, but in the same time allow to bypass the CID protection. But the security reason is the point!

No problem mate, thank you for the apology, I apologize for taking it personally myself, it struck me as a little harsher than I believe you meant it which is why I reacted the way I did.

As far as the SuperCID, I admit, I forgot. It is a very important step in the process, but it's been a while since I had to do it since I did it and I just forgot, which was why I asked the people with real knowledge to correct me if I was wrong (the bolded part of the original message).

The only reason I put this thread up was because like everyone else I'm sick of people asking the first most basic question of "how and what" that we hear in at least one forum everyday and I thought if there was a flat basic basic tutorial people might quit asking. Heck, if people see the post and then read your 1st reply they get the link to an in depth tutorial and my goal is still accomplished.

Honestly it was all done out of selfishness. I though maybe if I could cut down on the crap in the forum, I could find ROMS easier since there really isn't a way to sort anything in vBulletin (boo! prefer ipb myself, but not my show so not my call).

[tonidekohlanta]

I understood exactly why you started your thread, and I'm also annoyed by the same newbies questions, that can be prevented by little search and common sense. But actually your thread will not be sticky, so it will disappear as soon as we will stop discussing here. So maybe it was not a worth thing to do. But as you said, the link to MrVanx thread is there, so yeah, mission accomplished. And good luck "cutting the crap" (you are also fond of some very very bad words!).