[How-To] properly install Android

N!ghty · Feb 28, 2010

It is not quite self-explaining how to install Android on our Windows Mobile devices. Therefore I took some time and wrote down all the steps for people who are new to "Android".

More testers -> more experience -> more knowledge -> faster/better development.

I hope this way the forum is kept clean(er) from all kinds of questioned that have already been answered many times.

ReadMe Includes:
- Partitioning
- Device preparations
- Boot loader
- Install steps
- Fixes
- Links
- more...

If you are a developer (you create your own package) feel free to use my ReadMe for your packages (update regularly though).

to download the ReadMe click the [Android Repository] button in my signature.

sraaj · Feb 28, 2010

It goes to a rapidshare page with 3 files, and when I click on the filename Android_README.TXT

or start download, I get the error

The file could not be found. Please check the download link.

N!ghty · Feb 28, 2010

ok thanks. i fixed it (rs bug when renaming files ^^)

TheATHEiST · Mar 3, 2010

How would i partition a 1GB SD Card? ie what sizes etc are the last 3 same but the unallocated is just whats left over?

I want to use a spare card rather then the one that came with my HD.

N!ghty · Mar 3, 2010

ATHiEST said:
How would i partition a 1GB SD Card? ie what sizes etc are the last 3 same but the unallocated is just whats left over?

I want to use a spare card rather then the one that came with my HD.

normally just calculate how i wrote in the readme:
whole space -768 (3* 256) and then the other 3 x 256
but in ur case i would make the swap smaller (i think its not even used at all) and the fat32 bigger; for instance:
fat32 - 384 MB
ext2 - 256 MB
ext2 - 256 MB
swap - 128 MB (rest)

Geeba · Mar 4, 2010

To be honest the bit I find most confusing is all the different versions!

ghosty_uk · Mar 4, 2010

i didnt create any partitions on my card, and android works as good as it does on any, mind you i have not updated the files fo0r a month so alot might have changed

N!ghty · Mar 15, 2010

ReadMe updated!

updated a bit...

qtype · Mar 15, 2010

Geeba said:
To be honest the bit I find most confusing is all the different versions!

i agree...

i've been looking these posts here for a couple of days now and i still don't know how to do it....

especially the DualBoot thing...

is it possible to make a little bigger how-to manual?
or at least explain the versioning and the needed thing a little more?

N!ghty · Mar 16, 2010

the readme is about 50 times longer than anything else u will find about installing android anywhere else

the different versions are just like in windows mobile, theres not much to explain, its rather up to ur personal preference. doesnt take as long as flashing a wm rom, so its easy to try out more versions, especially with more sd cards.

dual boot is easy:
1. install the cab
2. open the dual boot program and make all your settings, for example: auto boot android (click on the checkbox/ratio under android logo), check auto boot checkbox and check fast boot (means 3 instead of 10 secs).
3. restart your device, DONT LAUNCH HARET because that will destroy all the dualboot settings. if you restart/shutdown the device normally, the settings will be stored and android will automatically booted at next startup (or whatever you set before)

if you have android autoboot and u want to boot wm, just QUICKLY press the wm LOGO when the dual boot screen appears.

i might include this in the readme soon, just dont have the time right now unfortunally

qtype · Mar 16, 2010

N!ghty said:
the readme is about 50 times longer than anything else u will find about installing android anywhere else

the different versions are just like in windows mobile, theres not much to explain, its rather up to ur personal preference. doesnt take as long as flashing a wm rom, so its easy to try out more versions, especially with more sd cards.

dual boot is easy:
1. install the cab
2. open the dual boot program and make all your settings, for example: auto boot android (click on the checkbox/ratio under android logo), check auto boot checkbox and check fast boot (means 3 instead of 10 secs).
3. restart your device, DONT LAUNCH HARET because that will destroy all the dualboot settings. if you restart/shutdown the device normally, the settings will be stored and android will automatically booted at next startup (or whatever you set before)

if you have android autoboot and u want to boot wm, just QUICKLY press the wm LOGO when the dual boot screen appears.

i might include this in the readme soon, just dont have the time right now unfortunally

Thanks for the dualboot help... i'll try that...

the first problem I have encountered yesterday when trying to put Android was SD card formating...

i downloaded the program you said and followed the instructions oh how-to and was not able to do it under Windows 7 with my 16GB SD card... does it even work for Windows 7??? is there another program I can try to do it with???

I have also dualboot on my PC with the Kubuntu being the second OS, but I'm not using it as much as Windows 7... I can try with it if you think it will work.. but first I have to download the 15GB of data from my SD card to my PC, again

I would like to put the Espresso build cause I saw that it has everything working beside the GPRS and camera...

can you tell me what should I download for my Blackstone so it works properly???

thanks alot...

N!ghty · Mar 16, 2010

qtype said:
Thanks for the dualboot help... i'll try that...

the first problem I have encountered yesterday when trying to put Android was SD card formating...

i downloaded the program you said and followed the instructions oh how-to and was not able to do it under Windows 7 with my 16GB SD card... does it even work for Windows 7??? is there another program I can try to do it with???

I have also dualboot on my PC with the Kubuntu being the second OS, but I'm not using it as much as Windows 7... I can try with it if you think it will work.. but first I have to download the 15GB of data from my SD card to my PC, again

I would like to put the Espresso build cause I saw that it has everything working beside the GPRS and camera...

can you tell me what should I download for my Blackstone so it works properly???

thanks alot...

like the readme says: partitioning is only needed for partitined builds, which means that android uses several partitions to store different kinds of data, for - hopefully - more speed. only glossy uses partitions, espresso doesnt.
for glossy, u can also use ubuntu (download parted magic or something similar) to create partitions.
for espresso, u just need to copy the stuff onto ur sdcard.
but thats all in the readme... i dont have time to explain in detail coz i need to study a whole ****in lot at the moment +.+

qtype · Mar 16, 2010

N!ghty said:
like the readme says: partitioning is only needed for partitined builds, which means that android uses several partitions to store different kinds of data, for - hopefully - more speed. only glossy uses partitions, espresso doesnt.
for glossy, u can also use ubuntu (download parted magic or something similar) to create partitions.
for espresso, u just need to copy the stuff onto ur sdcard.
but thats all in the readme... i dont have time to explain in detail coz i need to study a whole ****in lot at the moment +.+

ok... thanks for the help... you helped me a lot just with the claryfication of the versions that need partitioning and the ones that don't...

i didn't know that...

good luck with studying!!!!

qtype · Mar 16, 2010

one more question...

I get the following message '' Failed to load file\Storage Card\zImage''

Can you help me with that????

N!ghty · Mar 17, 2010

qtype said:
one more question...

I get the following message '' Failed to load file\Storage Card\zImage''

Can you help me with that????

meaning u dont have a zImage at all (ur probably using espresso?). so download one from here, copy files onto sd card and rename "zImage.xxxxxx" to "zImage" and ur ready to go.

qtype · Mar 17, 2010

N!ghty said:
meaning u dont have a zImage at all (ur probably using espresso?). so download one from here, copy files onto sd card and rename "zImage.xxxxxx" to "zImage" and ur ready to go.

yep, I downloaded it but I didn't know that i have to rename it...

It did the trick... booting up Android

thanks for all of your help...

N!ghty · Mar 24, 2010

updated the readme, not includes DualBoot howto and some other changes...

qtype · Mar 25, 2010

I managed to get the WiFi working but no matter which zImage I'm using I can't get the 3G to work...

I'm I doing something wrong or did I maybe forgot to do something????

N!ghty · Mar 25, 2010

qtype said:
I managed to get the WiFi working but no matter which zImage I'm using I can't get the 3G to work...

I'm I doing something wrong or did I maybe forgot to do something????

well, some details about what version you are using would be helpful. however, this is not the right channel to ask this question. i think this question has already been asked several times in other threads. try search function or read the thread for ur version, its probably a version-issue or only for your country/provider

qtype · Mar 25, 2010

N!ghty said:
well, some details about what version you are using would be helpful. however, this is not the right channel to ask this question. i think this question has already been asked several times in other threads. try search function or read the thread for ur version, its probably a version-issue or only for your country/provider

sorry about that...I realized it later that I should ask in another thread that question...

I managed to figure it out... I just needed to manually configure my APN settings...

[How-To] properly install Android

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Similar threads