Now we have a FAQ system. Feel free to PM me with changes/additions to this!
EXTRA: If you installed a ROM using CHT 2.0 and Sense keeps restarting, the solution is
here.
NO NEED TO FURTHER COMPLAIN OR REPORT THIS ISSUE!
1 - THE BASICS:
- GSM vs. CDMA: This thread and ROMs are for GSM phones ONLY! If your phone is CDMA (Sprint, Verizon, Altel, etc.), CDMA versions of this ROM can be found here. Flashing to a CDMA device will make it non-bootable (flash a stock, or CDMA specific ROM, to recover from that).
How to check if your phone is GMS or CDMA: Look the model number under the battery. RHOD100, RHOD200, RHOD210, RHOD300 are GSM. RHOD400 and RHOD500 are CDMA.
- Different flavors of the ROM: This ROM is offered in several flavors. Please read the #2 post to better understand each and pick the one you prefer.
- The numbering system used on the ROM: The ROMs have different builds, identified by a number such as 216xx or 219xx. To learn more about what the numbers mean, some differences between the builds, and performance benchmarks, check this thread.
- ROM Language: Energy ROMs are available in English and a few other languages. The Chef is progressively increasing the language options, based on demand. However, keep in mind that it is unlikely that there will be a version for every single language, so complaining about it won't help.
- New versions of the ROM: New versions are posted often. Usually twice a week. There is a changelog in the 3rd or 4th post. However, the Changelog isn’t always up to date. Often the most current changelog is made available first at the Leo (HD2) thread. In order to keep the thread clean, please DO NOT keep asking what is new, or complaining that there is no Changelog. Either wait for one, or flash the ROM and see for yourself.
- How to flash the ROM: There is an excellent guide here. Also, make sure to read topic # 4 below ("SUGGESTED SEQUENCE TO INSTALL A NEW ROM"), with a suggested sequence to install things progressively, and help you to pinpoint any issues you may have with a new ROM.
- Radio: Radios are separate from the ROM and control the phone's communication hardware. This ROM DOES NOT change your radio, the same way that flashing a new radio does not change your ROM. Radios may work better or worse depending on your service provider and your location. Radios (and discussions about them) are found here.
- Battery: This ROM is set for performance, and it is likely it will use more battery. However, after flashing a new ROM, it takes a few charge/discharge cycles for the battery gauge to stabilize, so please refrain from posting comments/complaints about battery life. Some good hints about the battery can be found here.
- Carrier Provisioning: There are many different carriers, and some require different provisioning. If you are experiencing issues such as sending/receiving SMS/MMS, or your physical keyboard is not mapped corrected, you MAY need to provision for your carrier. For AT&T and T-Mobile, go to Start > Tools > Carrier Provisioning and select your carrier. For other carriers, go to Start > Connections > Connections > Advanced > Select Networks and either select from the drop down menus to edit or click on New to add a new one (you may need to contact your carrier to get the configuration information).
For AT&T, carrier provisioning can be performed automatically through XDA_UC by copying energy_att.cab from \Windows to \Storage Card\XDA_UC.
- XDA_UC: EnergyROMs use XDA_UC, which is a tool to automate some of the installation and configuration steps. There is a good thread with XDA_UC hints and tips here.
2 - TWEAKS:
- Add-ons: NRGZ made a few add-ons available on his website. To check them, click here.
- Settings: The Sense interface has several settings, including the ability to remove tabs or change their sequence. These settings can be found on the last tab, called… Settings! Additional settings can be changed with BsB Tweaks, and Advanced Config, both can be found at Start > Tools.
- Screen rotation with keyboard closed : Some applications already have the screen rotation activated by default. In order to activate others, you either go to Start > Tools > BsB Tweaks > Menu > Rotation, or install a program such as ChangeScreen. If you are familiar with editing the Registry, additional applications can be also be added at HKCU\Software\HTC\HTCSensor\GSensor.
- Changing the Time Zone: Go to Start > Settings > Clock & Alarms.
- Changing the soft keys on the Home screen: To change the left soft key, use Start > Tools > BsB Tweaks > Menu > Left Manila Softkey. There is no user accessible way to change the right soft key.
- Closing or changing the soft keyboard: The builds running Windows Mobile 6.5.3 have a special way of dealing with the soft keyboard. If you tap on the the right side of the keyboard icon, you get the menu which presents you with a choice of soft keyboards. Tap anywhere on the icon to open or close the soft keyboard.
- Disabling internet push: Newest versions of EnergyRom have internet push enabled. If you prefer to disable it, the instructions are here.
- Notifications: If you are not receiving a notification (such as when you receive a SMS or e-mail), or want to change your notification settings and sounds, go to Start > Settings > Sounds & Notifications > Notifications. Click on the drop down menu to select the event you want to configure. If you want to manage the led notifications, install the cab posted here.
- The phone no longer asking about USB connection type when connecting it via USB: Go to Start > Settings > Connections > USB to PC and check the last box (the one that says “Ask me first…”)
- FM radio: Newest versions of EnergyRom were modified to allow the use of FM Radio without headphones. However, the headphones also worked as antenna. So, if you don’t have a strong FM signal in your area, you may not get any station. Some people resolved the problem by plugging the headphone adapter (the rectangular dongle) into the phone, and sticking the stylus into the adapter's headphone jack. This way, the stylus works as an antenna.
- Twitter tab: If you don't flash new ROMs very often, or if you get many tweets in a short period of time, you may want to clean them once in a while as ALL of them get stored on your phone, and this can cause performance issues. To do that, turn off Sense (Start > Settings > Home > Items > uncheck HTC Sense) and then delete the files in \Temp\twiteng\Db. Make sure not to delete any other files in the \Temp\twiteng directory. The other folder stores your log in token file. After doing that, do not forget to turn Sense on again.
- SMS "traditional" look: If you don't like the new style of SMS in some of the EnergyROM builds (the "balloons"), you can revert back to the traditional one by installing this cab, ripped from the stock ROM.
- Increase the Number of Allowed Recipients in Group SMS: The max number of default contacts to send a group SMS is 10. You can change it to 50 by changing the registry entry
HKLM\Software\Jataayu\Messaging\MaxRecipients
- Change Windows Mobile SMS Client skin: To change the "skin" used for Windows Mobile SMS Client ONLY please follow the directions in this thread. For example: The Astronaut Manila skin is available as a .CAB and will revert your SMS style back to "default" or "original" style. Additionally, you may choose to further customize your own style by making changes to the CSS (documentation is in the posted thread).
- Video Codec suggested settings: If you are copying a video to play on your phone, these are some setting a member successfully tested:
Xvid/Divx compatible (h.263)
File Extension: m4v or mp4
fps: 23.976
Resolution: 800x480 (400x240 for smoothest video)
Video Bitrate: 600-800 kbps
Audio Bitrate 128-192 Stereo
This was tested with AVS Video Converter. Results with other encoders may vary. VBR (variable bitrate encoding) will give better quality if you encoder supports it but will take longer..
- Splash Screen: The splash screen is that initial screen that shows when you turn the phone on. Usually it shows "TouchPro2". Some ROMs change the splash screen, but EnergyROMs don't.
If somehow you changed your splash screen by either flashing a different one, or by flashing a different ROM that changed it, and you want to revert back to the original screen, download it from here. To flash, follow the same procedure you would execute when flashing a ROM.
NOTE: Performing Task29 DOES NOT erase your splash screen (or your radio).
- Physical keyboard repeat rate: In Settings> Personal> Buttons, there is an "Up/Down Control" tab. There, you can adjust the repeat rate and the delay before repeating for all hardware keys (despite the name "Up/Down Control"). Both are set to the fastest settings on EnergyROMs.
- Playing music with screen off: If you want to be able to play music with the screen off to save battery, install this cab. NO LONGER NEEDED AFTER AUG 22, 2010 as the change is already cooked in.
- Changing the environment variables, such as default save path for cameras, documents, etc.: To change the default locations, go Start > Tools > Advanced Config> Locations and make the changes you want by either picking the right folder from the drop down menu or by clicking on "browse", and navigating to the folder you want, and then clicking on "Select". Do not forget to press "Done" in order to save your changes.
- Increasing the in call volume: If the volume while in call is too low and you already adjusted the volume to the maximum, install this cab, and restart the phone.
- Enabling Cingular Video for AT&T users: Apply the cab posted here.
- Additional Tips & Tricks: Can be found on this post created by JVH3. It also has his reviews of ROM versions.
3 - SOLUTIONS TO ISSUES:
ATTENTION: IF YOU ARE OVERCLOCKING YOUR PHONE AND EXPERIENCING ANY ISSUES, FIRST OF ALL TEST IT WITHOUT OVERCLOCKING. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REPORTING WEIRD ISSUES AND END UP FIGURING OUT THEY WERE BEING CAUSED BY OVERCLOCKING.
- Lack of memory to run programs (aka memory leak): If you are running out of memory you may experience correspondent error messages, or find out that some programs are unable to open, or that they suddenly close. Windows Mobile and many applications don't handle memory well, causing your phone to run out of memory to process the applications. THIS IS NOT A DEFECT OF THE ROM, so please DO NOT post complaints, or bug reports about it. A quick solution is either multi-task less, or reboot your phone regularly to "recover" the memory. An excellent analysis with some suggestions was posted here http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=7005311&postcount=21054
- Wrong physical keyboard configuration: If you are using AT&T or T-Mobile, and you are experiencing issues with the physical keyboard key configuration (FN not working, for example), you need to run the Carrier Provisioning that can be found at Start > Tools. Another alternative is to use a key remapper program such as this one.
- Wrong or not getting “My Location” (on the Weather tab or Home): Your location is determined according to the cellular towers nearby. Depending on where they are and on the signal strength you are getting, you may see a wrong location. However, not all towers work for this despite the signal strength. Possibly they just don't send the request. Possibly they don't return the result. Some people reported that switching 3G off or off/on helped, but results vary. GPS and the ROM itself have nothing to do with it. An alternative is to add your city by clicking on the clock at the Home screen and then on Add City. The location feature depends heavily on Google's data about location. If Google's servers can't figure out where you are, your "My Location" feature will simply not work.
For people with AT&T: one member successfully fixed the location issue by installing the latest stock AT&T ROM (which updated the Radio and Rilphone) and then flashed the EnergyROM. His location then started to work fine. See his post here. MAY BE similar procedure would work for other carriers, using their correspondent stock ROMs.
- ActiveSync unable to synchronize via USB: Some people reported that going to Start > Settings > Connections > USB to PC and disabling 'enable faster data synchronization' worked for them, but results vary. This issue happens more often with Vista/Windows 7.
- ActiveSync showing error 0x85010013 on the PC while trying to synchronize, unable to contact Exchange: Try the solution posted here, which was reported to have resolved the issue.
- Incorrect unread count (SMS or e-mail): Normally this is caused by a PIM backup that was restored. Two solutions (a procedure and a cab) can be found here. Microsoft My Phone (under Start > Tools) is a better alternative to backup your PIM and other things such as documents, music, pics, etc.
- Incorrect unread count (voice mail): Leave another message for yourself, retrieve and delete it. It should resolve the count error.
- Phone showing there is a voice message but there is none: This may happen once in a while. To clean it, leave a voice message for yourself, retrieve it, and delete it. This will clean the notification.
- Lack of weather updates: Sometimes the default weather server is down for a while and updates fail. An alternative would be to switch to Conflippers weather server, or enter your own in. The Weather City Editor created by JVH3 has that option, and can be found here.
- Displaying some non-English fonts: If you installed a non-English font (like Chinese) and is having issues, or if you prefer the old font used (Tahoma) than the new one (Calibri) try this fix by changing this registry entry: HKLM\System\GDI\SYSFNT\Nm =Tahoma or by downloading and installing this CAB. Either way, perform a soft reset afterwards.
- Strange characters on Quick Shutdown: If Quick Shutdown (the application that runs when you press and hold the power button) shows strange characters and you have changed your Regional Settings to something other than "English (United States)", then you will have to install a more current version of Quick Shutdown that supports other languages. It can be found here.
- Difficulty in getting a GPS satellite lock: You may want to try this solution, which uses aGPS to obtain a faster lock. If you want to automate it using XDA_UC, check this post here.
- Call waiting issues: There has been two types of call waiting issues identified:
1- Some people reported that their phones do not get a call waiting beep when they are on the phone and there is another incoming call. If you are experiencing this problem, a solution was posted here.
2- Others report that instead of getting a call waiting tone, the second call causes the first one to drop. In such case, the solution is here.
- Garmin not working or freezing: This is caused by Ameba's position fix. Make sure Garmin (My Device/Garmin/que.exe) is in the exception list for position fix (NOT close button exception) or disable position fix. Access the options for this using the X-Button application in the Tools folder.
- Opera displaying an error message every time you boot the phone: If every time you power or reset your phone you get an error message such as "You tried to access the address file://localhost/at, which is currently unavailable. Please make sure that the Web address (URL) is correctly spelled and punctuated, then try reloading the page", and your ROM is 21xxx, this may be due to PushInternet being enabled by default. In order to disable it, install this cab.
- Stuck at "Launching HTC Sense...": If you get stuck on this message or if Sense is not loading even though it is checked under Settings > Home > Items, try deleting the folder "Application Data\HTC\databases" on the SD card, if any. Sense will recreate it and it should work fine. If you want an application to do it for you, check this post. NOTE: In the most recent EnergyROMs some changes were made and this folder may no longer exist, what is normal.
- Freezes: This post addresses several possible reasons and solutions for freezes. Attention: Overclocking your phone may cause freezes. Test it without overclocking to figure out if OC is the culprit.
- Problems with SD card: If your SD card has problems, it may cause the two issues listed above. If you want to check its integrity and fix any issues, please follow the steps on this post.
- Wrong SMS Timestamp: If you are receiving text messages (SMS) with the wrong timestamp, what may cause them to be in the wrong order, a solution was posted here.
- Unable to add a contact from the dialer: On the Aug 28 ROMs, there is a problem with Sense that prevents adding a contact from the dialer (someone calls you and after the call you want to add that person to your list of contacts). This should not be a problem in the most recent ROMs, but if you experience the problem you can use Pyrorob's fix, which can be found here.
- Wrong time: Several people outside of the US reported problems with time after the US changed to/from daylight savings time (aka summer time and winter time). If your clock is one hour (or more) ahead or behind, do not use "get carrier time" and disable "automatic change time zone and clock" in personal -> phone settings.
- Non-Transparent Contact Background: In some of the recent ROMs the Contact page has some reddish background that makes it difficult to read. The solution (a cab) to make it transparent can be found here.
4 - SUGGESTED SEQUENCE TO INSTALL A NEW ROM:
When flashing a new ROM for the first time, first disable XDA_UC or anything else that automatically installs or configures the ROM. Simply do the carrier selection when it comes up.
- Download new ROM
- Disable XDA_UC and the like
- Perform Task29 on the phone
- Enter Bootloader
- Flash the new ROM
- Select carrier
- Do some basic testing
- Set up some basic stuff manually
- Do some testing
If all goes well, and you want to ensure XDA_UC is working fine, you can then re-enable XDA_UC and then Task29 and flash again. If you then seem some odd stuff (like Sense not even loading) you can start to troubleshoot your XDA_UC stuff.
Also, be careful with what other programs such as SPB Backup, PIM Backup, CHT import, Sashimi, etc. restore, as sometimes things don't translate well from one ROM to another.
5 - HOW TO POST A QUESTION ON THE THREAD:
First and foremost, read
at minimum the last 2-3 days of posts on the thread to make sure the question was not already answered. If that does not help, then use the
search feature of the thread. If nothing is found, then post your question to get help. In the majority of the situations, someone already experienced the problem and a solution was already posted.
In order to get help from other XDA members, when posting a question please make sure to include at minimum:
- The ROM you have (Sense 2.1 or 2.5, build, date)
- The device you have (there are variants of the Rhodium)
- The steps you took to get to the problem so we could try to reproduce it
- If you tested it with a bare ROM to confirm it is not something you installed/restored
- Any pictures showing the screens affected (if applicable)
6 - HOW TO REPORT A BUG:
If you believe you found a bug on the ROM, please report it by sending a Private Message to me, and I will compile a list to be sent to the Chef.
Please make sure to include the items listed above on #5, plus any potential solutions you may have identified.
ATTENTION: IF YOU ARE OVERCLOCKING YOUR PHONE AND EXPERIENCING ANY ISSUES, FIRST OF ALL TEST IT WITHOUT OVERCLOCKING. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REPORTING WEIRD ISSUES AND END UP FIGURING OUT THEY WERE BEING CAUSED BY OVERCLOCKING.
