【Guide】How To flash ANY Captivate ROM from Stock (including ICS)

[hellboyborn]

bootloader

Hi friends


I had completely stock captivate, I just used 1 click heimdall without bootloader, now its running gingerbread but I see those rainbow colors when it boots up. So I guess its still on froyo bootloaders. Now I want to upgrade the bootloader to gingerbread. Please link me to the bootloader file that I need to flash.

Edit- I downloaded this file i897 GB BL.zip. It has a file name PDA.tar.md5. Do I need to flash this as it is or remove the .md5 from the last and then flash.


Thanks

 

[4-2ndtwin]

U can flash that either way. U don't have to remove the .md5 in order to flash it. If u got it from the OP of this thread u can trust it.

Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda premium

 

[hellboyborn]

First of all thanks for quick reply now
When I am trying to flash as it is, I am getting this message-

<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> PDA.tar.md5 is valid.
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 0

It made no changes to the device.
what to do?

U can flash that either way. U don't have to remove the .md5 in order to flash it. If u got it from the OP of this thread u can trust it.

Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda premium

 

[4-2ndtwin]

R u in download mode ? (no offense...gotta ask though). And there is a stickied thread in the General forum that has helpful info as well..."Captivate Connection Issues and Download Mode Help"

Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda premium

 

[hellboyborn]

No offence taken my friend, I have seen people making this silly mistake over here

Yes I am in download mode, few minutes back only I flashed it via heimdall and it is totally recognized by PC.
This is what I did-

1. I put phone in download mode.
2. Unzip the i897_GB_BL.zip file I found PDA.tar.md5 this file upon unzipping.
3. Lauch the odin and clicked on pda, and selected the file PDA.tar.md5.
4. Clicked on start and I got those details in odin box.

 

[4-2ndtwin]

Use a different usb port than the one u used when u used Heimdall, because it uses different usb drivers. Heimdall only installs it's drivers to the specific port u r connected to at the time of the install.
Should be good after that hopefully.

Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda premium

 

[hellboyborn]

Didnt work that way, downloaded another ROM with GB bootloaders. Now everything is as I wanted

Thanks for your replies

 

[mmm.waffles]

Thanks for the easy to follow guide. I've lurked this site for ages and finally decided to get into customizing my phone. Odin method was simple and smooth. I think the hardest part now is going to be sticking to one rom! (picked hellybean 4.1.1 9/20 to start off with)

 

[daddybux]

Hi! This is actually for my son, he just got a captivate and is currently unrooted. Could you please provide the rooting and unrooting zip files and instructions? I own a sgy and am familiar with the process on that phone. But I see that with the captivate zips get placed on the internal card and not the external sd so if that's different I assume that other things will be too. So thank you in advance for the zips and instructions.

Proverbs 20: 7

 

[mmm.waffles]

Hi! This is actually for my son, he just got a captivate and is currently unrooted. Could you please provide the rooting and unrooting zip files and instructions? I own a sgy and am familiar with the process on that phone. But I see that with the captivate zips get placed on the internal card and not the external sd so if that's different I assume that other things will be too. So thank you in advance for the zips and instructions.

Proverbs 20: 7

The steps in the first post can be done from an unrooted phone. All files are copied to the internal card (no micro sd required). Downloads are in first and second post. Grab a rom from the dev section and make sure to read its instructions to work alongside the ones in the first (possibly added steps like flashing gapps or wiping prior).

The first post is not a rooting your captivate guide. The thread is for flashing a custom rom and acquiring root in the process is an added bonus. I'm sure your son would like a faster custom rom on his new captivate instead of just root access.

 

[daddybux]

Thank you, I wanted to teach him from scratch, I mean rooting the phone then flashing the rom via cwm and so forth, more of sharing an experience with him. Is it possible to flash a rom on the captivate the long way, thanks again.

Proverbs 20: 7

 

[mmm.waffles]

AFAIK I'm not sure of a better way of doing it. After verifying bootloaders, you're using Odin to do a kernal swap and from there you use CWM to flash a new rom along with a replacement kernal for the initial one you loaded with Odin. I suppose the only difference is that you don't root and boot into stock with this method or install something like Rom Manager to do so.

This is all very new to me so please correct me if I'm wrong! (edit: see below - definitely a different way to go about it!)

 

[TRusselo]

it is possible to do it the long way...depending on what stock you have....


froyo and eclair (any carrier) and ROGERS gingerbread (basically any stock except AT&T gingerbread) you can root with pc program "SuperOneClick root" (find on xda).
then you must replace stock 3e recovery with a modded 3e recovery to remove signature verification, this will allow you to flash any OLD update.zip through recovery to flash froyo based roms and kernels...
**after gingerbread, cwm recovery (and cwm zip files) changed to a different install script language that stock 3e recovery wont understand.
to find the 3e recovery fix, search xda for the term " captivate verification error fix " or "captivate 3e recovery fix ". there is a bat script that you run from your pc to replace recovery even if you dont have root. it uses a temp root exploit. or if you are already rooted you can just manually copy the recovery file.... search and read for more info on that.


so root, replace stock recovery with modded stock recovery, then flash a rom from stock recovery (which will include a CWM kernel. note on the captivate CWM is built into custom kernels, therefore not needing to install recovery separate.)


or replace stock recovery using bat script, then flash a root.zip file from stock recovery, then flash a kernel or rom ect...


but most of this info is over 2 years old, so... search and dig deep. the past year, everyone uses My Method in post 1 here.

 

[4-2ndtwin]

^

Whew !!! I am out of breathe just reading all of that.

Plz for the love of all that is right and easy.....Choose Post #1 !!!! :thumbup:

New is Better... just sayin (that is, after u teach ur son the old, hard way, daddybux)

Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda premium app

 

[mmm.waffles]

Very informative. Thanks for the breakdown on that. I'm definitely glad I went the newer easier route!


Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda app-developers app

 

[jackjack078]

Hey TRusselo,

I just wanna thank you for your guide here.... again. You have been always helpful.

I was following your instructions 2 yes ago to flash from stock 2.1 to firefly. And now I based on this guide to flash to jelly bean.

Again, I just wanna show my appreciation here, for all the time and your work hard.

Sent from my reborn captivate powered by Helly Bean

 

[tsaxena]

Great info

Great info

I tried couple of them at different times and they all worked perfect

 

[MDMonster]

^

Whew !!! I am out of breathe just reading all of that.

Plz for the love of all that is right and easy.....Choose Post #1 !!!! :thumbup:

New is Better... just sayin (that is, after u teach ur son the old, hard way, daddybux)

Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda premium app

I would, but the download link for the heimdall is a no go

 

[hellenicboy]

GB bootloaders

How do I know if I have GB bootloaders? If am on GB that means I do?
IF i am on GB and install the GB bootloaders would that harm anything?
Also does this procedure work for Jelly Bean too? Can I go from ICS to Gelly Bean?

Thank you

 

[RootTheMachine]

How do I know if I have GB bootloaders? If am on GB that means I do?
IF i am on GB and install the GB bootloaders would that harm anything?
Also does this procedure work for Jelly Bean too? Can I go from ICS to Gelly Bean?

Thank you

If you are on stock gingerbread, then yes, you have them. Flashing them won't do any harm unless something goes wrong, which will brick your phone, so it's not recommended unless you know you need them.

As long as you have GB bootloaders, it doesn't matter what rom you flash.