[REF]Gathered knowledge of VP roms

Background info:
All Dell android devices use 'pkgs' as their method of doing rom updates.

The VP uses FFUs as it's a WP7 device, I believe that pkgs (which are unique to dell devices) are functionally very similar to FFUs (which are used by all WP7 devices(?) )

I am the master maintainer of Dell device pkgs and have the largest collection outside Dell itself. I am in the process of researching VP FFUs in the hopes of being able to mirror and provide guides on restoring back to stock roms.

Unfortunately the biggest difference is that FFUs appear to be internal-use only, as in they're ment for servicing tools used only by dell(?).
PKGs are intended for consumer use, and the OTA ones are available on dell's update-site: mobileupdate.dell.com

If this is true, then FFUs are much less common, and from what I've seen the only FFU available is for 104 (See Dell Venue Pro # Official Roms - XDA wiki for more information, and Dell Venue # Official Roms -XDA wiki for a comparison)

updatewp7.exe is similar to fastboot on android, it allows you to directly upload images to the device's respective partitions(?)

Also: the words 'rom' 'firmware' 'drivers' will be used interchangably here, they all mean the same thing.

Information:
The updates available to you are the same as on dell android OTAs, it depends on your currently installed rom.
Currently the track is:
00 EU/US (unlocked) devices get updates first
31/33 (at&t and tmobile USA respectively) get updates afterwards, which is consistant with the way dell manages their ota updates.

Bar the fact that Dell is contractually obligated to release them in a 'timely' manner, 31/33 devices are usually last to get them as they're carrier branded devices.
When the VP was released the primary region was 33 though so it was by default the target region.
As the VP is available unlocked the 00 region has taken over as the one to recieve them first.

Externally (visible to all users though system:about) there are two major version numbers:

• OS version: which is the installed version of WP7
• Firmware version: which is the part we're interested in

Internally, it's somewhat different (checkable though EM:phone information)
SW version:

• OS version from before
• Actual oem version
• current lock status (?)

SW build date & time:


Example:
My current rom is OS 7720/FW 219, which would look like:

Externally:

• OS version: 7.10.7720.68
• Firmware version: 2250.1800.7720.219

Internally:

• 2250.1800.7720.219
• GLEOS2A421933_s
• TMO-US
• Build date: 20110822 18:33:15

Translated: WP7 7720
Firmware version: 219
Hardware version: 2A4
Region: 33 (TMO-US)
Build date: Aug 22, 2011

General rom update process:
When an update is available, zune downloads the following files:

1. If available, a delta from <your installed version> to <the current version>
2. VP driver cab

The first set is an oversimplication, but essentially it is a dozen cabs that comprise the full update.
These are not device specific and are the same for all devices that are eligible to update(?)
The last file is device and carrier specific. These are what sets each individial device and carrier apart from eachother.

What I need from you:

• Internal version numbers from EM app
• Charastics of your device
  • Relative age (launch, near launch, very recent, etc)
  • Side of preinstalled sd card
  • Original lock condition and current lock condition

How to find internal version numbers:

• Turn on device and open up dialer
• Dial "##634#" (without the quotation marks)
• Select "Phone Information"
• Finished

What I hope to come out of this:

• More complete list of VP roms (firmware)
• Information on the hardware submodel numbers
• Possibly a guide for flashing the VP

Currently confirmed submodels and regions:

• Submodels:
  • 1A4
  • 2A4
• Regions:
  • 00EU - Unlocked EU Retail
  • 00US- Unlocked US Retail
  • 31 - At&t
  • 33 - T-Mobile (USA)
• Current OS version:
• 00EU - 8107
• 00US - 8107
• 31 - (?)
• 33 - 7720

Yea, yours looks pretty much identical to mine. Is yours an 8gb one?

Once I get a couple version numbers from non tmo branded devices I can draw a conclusion.

But my current thinking is that 219-33 ones that came with it preinstalled are intentionally not being given updates (or the converse, they forgot to add 219-33 to the update whitelist)

On the S5 and V, several pre-installed roms have no upgrade paths and must be manually upgraded for this very reason. These specific roms are ONLY available pre-installed and other devices of the same grouping can update because they have a common rom.


Example:
An S5 with 347 preinstalled cannot OTA to 351, but an S5 with 318 can OTA to 351. 347 can be easily manually upgraded to 351.

All 3 mentioned roms are intended for generic/retail S5's which is now the majority of the remaining S5's available.

Igoran said:

Mine Europe Factory unlocked 8Gb with Mango update installed. Buyed new early summer 2011.

From EM:
SW version
2250.1800.7720.219
GLEOS2A421900EU_S
000-88
HW version
2.1.2.0.0
SW build date & time
20110822 17:12:49

From Settings/About:
OS version 7.10.8107.79
Firmware revision number: 2250.1800.7720.219
Hardware revision number: 112.576.2.0

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Ah finally an AWS user that isnt tmo (hardware wise it's an AWS model still) Like I thought EU would be 00 or something, I'll update the OP.

00EU is a funny way to do it, then again the way they did it on the S7 isnt any better

They could have done 00 = Unlocked EU, 30 = Unlocked US

Perhaps 219-00xx is given updates and 219-33 isnt. So far that fits the pattern

Nokser said:

Partition Layout FFU file - example:

information table --> HashTable.blob
amss.mbn
appsboot.mbn
apps.mbn
dbl.mbn
dsp1.mbn
fsbl.mbn
osbl.mbn
+
OS Section
-->User Part etc...
-->BLDR
-->SLDR
-->NK
-->IMGFS
-->Users Sector etc....

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Is there a DT.img? Besides that and the android-specific boot/recovery/system.imgs it's virtually identical to the contents of a pkg (which makes sense, they fulfill the same role)

Edit: Managed to extract the NK and imgfs parts, havnt figured out how to extract the others

It doesnt work with the VP as dell doesnt host them themselves (because it runs WP7), it's all done though windowsupdate.com

The FFU's, even though they are similar to PKGs are not intended for general release. It would be closer to QDL tool as those are not ment for general release, but have the capability of restoring a bricked device.

heineken78 said:

What do you mean- Flashing of VenuePro_flash_GLEOS2A...ffu via zune updatewp.exe will lead to brick?
QDL tool, as we seen on service manual. I bet update rom is stored on sd-card too. Yes another questions who can get this tool and how to read unknown formatted sd-card?
I need any PDA retail or TM ffu for this device to try to flash and modify if it works..

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Not sure what you're talking about,

but with regards to the sdcard, WP7 devices 'lock' them so they're difficult to reformat for use as a normal sd card.

Updated op with more info, will eventually move it all over to the wiki once there's enough to warrent it's own page/section on a page

Still missing info from a at&t VP, and any other carrier ones that i'm unaware of