I8000L Flashing Questions

[Guest redzone321]

Hello All.

This is my first time having a smart phone and am very interested in trying out the custom rom that RFD has made. From what ive read i can just flash the PDA section and leave the CSC and PHONE part alone

My question is simple. If i dont like the rom can i just revert back to my original rom?(using a hard reset) Or do i have to install one of the stock roms from this forum? Or is there a way to back up my rom so i can restore it if i have problems with RFD's.

I just got the phone so I really don't want to break it (considering i signed a 3 year deal for it!)

My reason for flashing is im not pleased with the memory disappearing slowly over the day and i want to run SPB or similar and have some room to run other stuff in the ram.

Thanks for any help you can give me!

I will gladly be a i8000L guinea pig if its not too complicated to restore my original firmware.

my Device Details are as follows

PDA: I8000LUGIJ6

CSC: I8000LBMCIJ6

PHONE: I8000LUGIJ6

WinMo 6.5 Build 21856.5.0.65

[Guest touchprogeek]

redzone,

Yes, you CAN flash RFD's custom UltraLITE ROM on the I8000L, but ONLY the PDA part is safe thus far. I have done so and it works great. It has a few minor glitches in some settings, but AFAIK everything else checks out. But because it is a LITE ROM, many programs have been stripped out. So you will have to search the web to find the programs that you want on your phone, like Opera, Google Maps, Youtube client etc...

I have NOT yet flashed the CSC from any other ROMs listed on Modaco, so I cannot confirm if they work or not. Anyone wanna take a go at this?

As for backing up your ROM, you can use the utility on this post here: http://www.modaco.com/content-page/296097/...-etc/page/140/#

This will dump your PDA section of the ROM only, not the CSC or PHONE parts. I don't know yet how to dump those, still working on it. However, I have restored my phone's PDA ROM from the dump of my own ROM successfully. The instructions are listed here: http://www.modaco.com/content-page/296097/...-etc/page/160/#

The links to my Bell Omnia 2 I8000L ROM dump using that program from above is listed here: http://www.modaco.com/content-page/296097/...-etc/page/140/# (It should be identical to the what you would get if you dumped your own ROM)

You MAY want to hold off flashing the UltraLITE ROM to your I8000L because rodrigofd recommends erasing the CSC when you flash the new PDA ROM. That means you won't have a backup of the CSC to flash back if you need it later. You probably will be able to get it off this site at some time in the near future, but as of right now, you wouldn't be able to get the CSC that you originally had back. However, I've flashed the Lite ROM and erased the CSC and had no problems, it just gets rid of the Bell logo and startup sounds and actually puts back some nicer Samsung logos and startups.

Hope this helps and answers some of your questions..

By the way, you CAN disable much of the Samsung bloatware/crap TouchWiz stuff manually instead of flashing the ROM and install SPB Mobile Shell on the phone directly and it will work fine. It just won't have as much available RAM. As long as you install all your programs to the My Storage section and make sure you edit the registry to save all your emails and attachments to the My Storage area of your phone, you should still have lots of room on your Main Memory / Program RAM even after installing a few programs.. Of course, it won't be as much space as if you flash the ROM, but that's a decision I leave up to you.. :D

[Guest Goodge]

What disadvantages is there to only flashing the PDA section, and not the CSC? What is in the CSC? Would this also work for secany's ROM? I also have a I8000L, and have been too afraid to flash anything due to concerns of bricking my phone (normally I wouldn't have these concerns, but with the 800 versions of the i8000....).

[Guest redzone321]

Ok

So i manged to dump PDA from my i8000L . So in order to make this into an nb0 file i need to use WinHEX and add the header info from another nb0 file? (such as RFD's ultra light rom). While also adjusting the file size in the header info to match my new dumped rom? (http://www.modaco.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=296097&view=findpost&p=1118666)

Then use Octans to flash only my PDA section?

Sorry, like i said i just got the phone 6 days ago and am very interested in helping and maybe some day making roms But my knowledge is very limited .

Also if i do a hard reset after flashing a new PDA will it restore my orginial firmware/rom or just reinstall the one i flashed.

Thanks!

Edited December 5, 2009 by redzone321

[Guest bennyx8903]

sweet! a discussion on i8000L. im a bell user too. just go the phone. Someday I'll help out too. much to learn

[Guest Jaivan]

I flashed Secany's IK5 PDA rom yesterday on my I8000L and all is working fine you get rid of most of the bell bloatware, except the boot screen I think that's in the CSC.

Overall I've got more ram and more free space than the stock bell rom, also it seems more responsive.

[Guest bennyx8903]

How much ram do you have at boot? im still using the stock rom, and using SPB 3.5, and Spam alert as dialer, i have about 73 after boot.

Also, can someone explain what PDA, CSC, and Eboot is? i see so many parts to download for roms, and i have no clue what these things are.

I flashed Secany's IK5 PDA rom yesterday on my I8000L and all is working fine you get rid of most of the bell bloatware, except the boot screen I think that's in the CSC.

Overall I've got more ram and more free space than the stock bell rom, also it seems more responsive.

[Guest iWiNMo]

How much ram do you have at boot? im still using the stock rom, and using SPB 3.5, and Spam alert as dialer, i have about 73 after boot.

Also, can someone explain what PDA, CSC, and Eboot is? i see so many parts to download for roms, and i have no clue what these things are.

As of RAM, in my case, after booting and loading to SPB MS, I am gonna be left with 80MB free RAM

for other FAQ, take a look at this thread, It might clear things up :D

Edited December 6, 2009 by iWiNMo

[Guest KILLvino]

i accidently flashed all the parts on my bell omnia 2. everything seems to work except the 3G. anyone have the phone bell rom? or another solution?

[Guest rodrigofd]

What disadvantages is there to only flashing the PDA section, and not the CSC? What is in the CSC? Would this also work for secany's ROM? I also have a I8000L, and have been too afraid to flash anything due to concerns of bricking my phone (normally I wouldn't have these concerns, but with the 800 versions of the i8000....).

CSC section, gets stored in a special invisible part of ROM of the phone, and the phone uses it as a 'customization' for the basic configuration . Among other things, it contains boot images (not the animated ones, that correspond to power_on/off.gif, but the one that goes before that), much like the HTC devices' splash .nb files, .. also, the charging animation when device is plugged but off, animations for the EBOOT program when you are flashing the phone, and also files and settings that get applied to your Win Mobile when you flash or hard reset. CSC can include, for example, wallpapers, themes, connection settings, etc. I suppose it can also contain apps an other stuff.

If you have advanced knowledge of this phone and WM , specially if you flash custom ROMs, it might be more recommended to dont flash CSCs since you dont know exactly what is being modified with it... but if you are an average user that just want it to get it done, then probably you should flash the CSC corresponding to your rom version/ phone carrier / language/ etc...

note for beginners: although in flasher program CSC file seems to let you select languages, CSC file just have possible language choices, but not the files/settings corresponding to those languages. Those are all packed in the PDA part (NB0 or MST).

[Guest redzone321]

Also if i do a hard reset after flashing a new PDA will it restore my orginial firmware/rom or just reinstall the one i flashed.

Thanks!

can anyone answer that?

[Guest rodrigofd]

can anyone answer that?

Hard reset will restore the latest rom you flashed.

[Guest redzone321]

Hard reset will restore the latest rom you flashed.

Anyone try Secany's L2 rom on there I8000L yet?

I think I may try tonight.

Is there a copy of the original i8000L PDA in nb0 format on the forum yet? if not how hard is it to convert my dump to one.

[Guest Jaivan]

Just flashed the L2 rom and all is good it seems a little bit faster especially startup times. Rams usage is about the same.

On the other hand has anybody with and i8000L flashed their CSC?

[Guest redzone321]

Just flashed the L2 rom and all is good it seems a little bit faster especially startup times. Rams usage is about the same.

On the other hand has anybody with and i8000L flashed their CSC?

I will be flashing my I8000L tonight with L2 or maybe "L2 Ultra Lite" if RFD releases it. Only going to do the PDA.

wish me luck!

[Guest Goodge]

I will be flashing my I8000L tonight with L2 or maybe "L2 Ultra Lite" if RFD releases it. Only going to do the PDA.

wish me luck!

Good luck...post results...we L users must have more info!!

[Guest redzone321]

Good luck...post results...we L users must have more info!!

OK figured it out myself. leave it blank if you dont want to flash the CSC!

installed secany's L2 rom and its runnign great. so much faster then the stock one! cant wait to modify it! lol

I installed PDA only and did not change the csc file.

Edited December 10, 2009 by redzone321

[Guest Goodge]

OK figured it out myself. leave it blank if you dont want to flash the CSC!

installed secany's L2 rom and its runnign great. so much faster then the stock one! cant wait to modify it! lol

I installed PDA only and did not change the csc file.

I haven't looked into the flashing software much myself yet...as everyone was warning not to do it with the 8000L...the PDA vs CSC sections are just checkboxes which you can select which you want (or don't want), right? Do we have the stock Bell ROM somewhere just incase?

[Guest redzone321]

I haven't looked into the flashing software much myself yet...as everyone was warning not to do it with the 8000L...the PDA vs CSC sections are just checkboxes which you can select which you want (or don't want), right? Do we have the stock Bell ROM somewhere just incase?

If you use Sorgs mini Octans you only have 2 buttons and a check box .

you only need to put in the PDA and ignore the CSC (assuming you want to keep the stock CSC)

then the check box is if you want to keep MyStorage contents.

[Guest Jaivan]

I haven't looked into the flashing software much myself yet...as everyone was warning not to do it with the 8000L...the PDA vs CSC sections are just checkboxes which you can select which you want (or don't want), right? Do we have the stock Bell ROM somewhere just incase?

There is a bell rom floating around some where, but it is in .bin format and you need to do some editing in order for it to be flashable.

If you just flash the PDA section though you should be fine, using win xp with sorg's mini octans is a piece of cake.

[Guest Goodge]

Any other i8000L owners try flashing with some of the roms?

[Guest redzone321]

Any other i8000L owners try flashing with some of the roms?

I flashed RFD's HD2 rom and it worked as well . Only PDA part. i have to take it off though as it locks up when going to sleep. Most likely you need to flash the eboot as well and im not willing to try that.

[Guest gmarcoux]

redzone,

Yes, you CAN flash RFD's custom UltraLITE ROM on the I8000L, but ONLY the PDA part is safe thus far. I have done so and it works great. It has a few minor glitches in some settings, but AFAIK everything else checks out. But because it is a LITE ROM, many programs have been stripped out. So you will have to search the web to find the programs that you want on your phone, like Opera, Google Maps, Youtube client etc...

I have NOT yet flashed the CSC from any other ROMs listed on Modaco, so I cannot confirm if they work or not. Anyone wanna take a go at this?

As for backing up your ROM, you can use the utility on this post here: http://www.modaco.com/content-page/296097/...-etc/page/140/#

This will dump your PDA section of the ROM only, not the CSC or PHONE parts. I don't know yet how to dump those, still working on it. However, I have restored my phone's PDA ROM from the dump of my own ROM successfully. The instructions are listed here: http://www.modaco.com/content-page/296097/...-etc/page/160/#

The links to my Bell Omnia 2 I8000L ROM dump using that program from above is listed here: http://www.modaco.com/content-page/296097/...-etc/page/140/# (It should be identical to the what you would get if you dumped your own ROM)

You MAY want to hold off flashing the UltraLITE ROM to your I8000L because rodrigofd recommends erasing the CSC when you flash the new PDA ROM. That means you won't have a backup of the CSC to flash back if you need it later. You probably will be able to get it off this site at some time in the near future, but as of right now, you wouldn't be able to get the CSC that you originally had back. However, I've flashed the Lite ROM and erased the CSC and had no problems, it just gets rid of the Bell logo and startup sounds and actually puts back some nicer Samsung logos and startups.

Hope this helps and answers some of your questions..

By the way, you CAN disable much of the Samsung bloatware/crap TouchWiz stuff manually instead of flashing the ROM and install SPB Mobile Shell on the phone directly and it will work fine. It just won't have as much available RAM. As long as you install all your programs to the My Storage section and make sure you edit the registry to save all your emails and attachments to the My Storage area of your phone, you should still have lots of room on your Main Memory / Program RAM even after installing a few programs.. Of course, it won't be as much space as if you flash the ROM, but that's a decision I leave up to you.. ;)

Would you be able to give a step by step guide to the restore since I couldn't make sense of the steps in the link, or even better, would you happen to have the PDA .nb0 section of the bell rom that I could flash the restore with? Your help would be vey much appreciated

[Guest gdrijver]

I'd like to purchase an I-8000L but without a contract. Any recommendations where to find a reliable seller? I'd like to unlock it and use it on the US at&t network. That should work right?

Thanks

Gordon

[Guest rodrigofd]

I'd like to purchase an I-8000L but without a contract. Any recommendations where to find a reliable seller? I'd like to unlock it and use it on the US at&t network. That should work right?

Thanks

Gordon

I can get you one for USD 900