120 replies to this topic

[PaulOBrien]

WARNING: You do this at your own risk! I've done all I can to try and ensure it is a safe process, but I take no responsibility if it breaks your phone / kicks your cat / sleeps with your wife. You have been warned!

1. If debranding a non generic handset (e.g. a T-Mo device), first create and insert a 'Goldcard' using this guide.
2. Download and run this RUU file on a Windows PC.
3. Party like it's 1999.



P

[TheAshMan]

When you're installed the generic ROM, does it write to the system partition?
Is there nothing you could do exploit at that point, maybe run a custom script during installation, and/or replace the extracted update.zip in the temp folder with a rooted one?
Possibly even have a custom script in the custom ROM that runs during installation?

Just a newbie thought...but it's probably never going to be that simple

Edited by Paul, 03 June 2011 - 02:20 PM.

[PaulOBrien]

You're right, it's never going to be that simple.



P

[kman123]

Is this easily reversible for warranty purposes? or does it not affect the warranty if i do this?

thanks

[pipomolo42]

TheAshMan, on Apr 2 2010, 12:12, said:

When you're installed the generic ROM, does it write to the system partition?
Is there nothing you could do exploit at that point, maybe run a custom script during installation, and/or replace the extracted update.zip in the temp folder with a rooted one?

When installing a rom, there are two checks :
- is the rom meant for your CID
- is the rom signed

If either check fail, the SPL will refuse flashing it.

The goldcard only bypasses the CID check

You have to turn off the security mechanism to bypass the signature check. Or you have to re-sign your patched rom.

[Karolis]

Is the upgrade at all possible on a linux machine?

[TheAshMan]

Paul, on Apr 2 2010, 11:23, said:

You're right, it's never going to be that simple.



P

Thanks.  Wondered if that would work after reading that you were stuck on the Tattoo method with the r/w permissions

pipomolo42, on Apr 2 2010, 12:38, said:

When installing a rom, there are two checks :
- is the rom meant for your CID
- is the rom signed

If either check fail, the SPL will refuse flashing it.

The goldcard only bypasses the CID check

You have to turn off the security mechanism to bypass the signature check. Or you have to re-sign your patched rom.

Signing a custom ROM isn't difficult AFAIK.  All the custom Hero ROMs were signed, and in fact dsxida's kitchen makes it really easy to build a signed ROM.

[PaulOBrien]

You can't sign the ROM in a way that the Desire SPL is going to accept. We need an ENG SPL and a way to get it on if you want to go down the fastboot route.

P

[Karolis]

If I update from T-Mobile ROM to generic one, will I loose my data?

[jazzk]

Hmm. I'm getting the following error during the reflashing process:

ERROR[155]: UNKNOWN ERROR

The ROM Update Utility cannot update your Android phone.

Please get the correct ROM Update Utility and try again.

It happens when the progress bar is around 30-40% complete. The phone recovers back to the T-Mobile ROM upon a reboot, I don't have to use the "Recover" option in the flashing utility.

Any ideas what may be causing this?

I've followed the steps to create a GoldCard. Could it mean I don't have a proper GoldCard? Is there a way to verify my GoldCard?

[PaulOBrien]

Strange, i've already done the process, so it's hard for me to test! Anyone else?

Try a different microSD for the gold card if you have one?

P

[sparkzzz]

Has anyone managed to do this with a Sandisk card.

Unfortunatley, these are all I have, but I have tried 5 of them, from 2gb up to the oem 4gb card. Whenever I put it back into the PC, it is asking me to format it.

Cheers, Shane

[scotch whisky]

sparkzzz, on Apr 2 2010, 15:28, said:

Has anyone managed to do this with a Sandisk card.

Unfortunatley, these are all I have, but I have tried 5 of them, from 2gb up to the oem 4gb card. Whenever I put it back into the PC, it is asking me to format it.

Cheers, Shane

I did mine with a bog standard 2GB Sandisk MicroSD card.  

Are you sure you transcribed the code correctly? I'd reformat the card (FAT32) and try again.

[jazzk]

Paul, on Apr 2 2010, 15:13, said:

Strange, i've already done the process, so it's hard for me to test! Anyone else?

Try a different microSD for the gold card if you have one?

P

Awesome, I tried a different microSD card and it worked. Thanks!

[sparkzzz]

Hiya Scotch

Tried it numerous times now, poor phone is getting a complex at the amount of times it has been rebooted. Thinks it's turning into a Winmo device, lol

SUSSED - What a frickin plonker I am. Missed the bit about logical/physical drives & was just picking the drive letter. Nadgers, DOH!! <S>

Aah well, that is the Goldcard created, now just to get the rom on it<S>

Cheers peeps, Shane

[TheAshMan]

Paul, on Apr 2 2010, 13:40, said:

You can't sign the ROM in a way that the Desire SPL is going to accept. We need an ENG SPL and a way to get it on if you want to go down the fastboot route.

P

Cheers, thanks for explaining!

Edited by Paul, 03 June 2011 - 02:52 PM.

[pipomolo42]

Karolis, on Apr 2 2010, 14:24, said:

Is the upgrade at all possible on a linux machine?

you could try fastboot, or you could try to extract the rom.zip file from the RUU (it's a winrar self extracting archive), rename it to update.zip, and put it on a goldcard

Edited by pipomolo42, 02 April 2010 - 05:26 PM.

[Karolis]

pipomolo42, on Apr 2 2010, 18:25, said:

you could try fastboot, or you could try to extract the rom.zip file from the RUU (it's a winrar self extracting archive), rename it to update.zip, and put it on a goldcard

I've already upgraded using my wife's computer, but I will try update.zip method next time.

Cheers!

[Need_A_Username]

I've had the same thing once with the modaco rom for the Hero, don't know what caused it, don't know what solved it I'd say just wait a while maybe it works again after that

[Drefsab]

I got a generic rom from the XDA forums site but its odd oh well