22/May [GUIDE] How to Install a Custom ROM on the ZTE Blade [GEN1]

[Guest tonydl]

Hello StevenHarperUK,

This is my first post - and I want to give it to you :)

I just got my Orange San Francisco at Saturday (and it is AMAZING!) - and want to thank you very very much for your great step by step guide. The scene around the OSF was one of the reasons I actually bought it. I read many different topics and glossars to understand what I am doing - and your name seems to be in each of them. I installed the Japanese Jellyfish (I am still trying to figure out which ROM/Firmware I am going to take - seems do be a tough choice without many real differences) two days ago and everything went fine - oh and android 2.2 on the OSF rocks! ;)

With Sebastians new RecoveryManager things tend to be even easier. I am glad to be a part of this community now.

tony

[Guest aleckxander]

Done!

I enjoyed doing that

amazing O.o

[Guest TimJBart]

Just wanted to say, thank you to everyone who spends the time compiling this information for the noobs amongst us.

I took the plunge yesterday using your guide, and installed 2.2 Jellyfish R8. I AM AMAZED. It has turned this cheap handset into something that feels like it's worth £400.

I used android 2.1 on my phone for a week and was a little bit dismayed about all the stuttering of the OS. 2.2 has completely eliminated all of this and is now running super smooth. A good example is the Gallery which before really struggled to display my few hundred photos, and was difficult to browse around. After the ROM upgrade the Gallery is smooth as silk, and this is also noticeable when navigating the OS as a whole.

So basically, I urge everyone to try out a custom ROM, the difference is night and day.

[Guest Phoenix Silver]

really great job and great guide.

for me i was lucky because i had bought my phone before to know this site.

i even don't remember why i have found this site ;)

[Guest davelong]

Hi Thanks for the tutorial.

This is my first post I flashed flbs latest 2.2 rom last night following this guide, just one issue I had was you wrote the following:

2. How to Install a ROM using Clockwork via Recovery Manager

We are almost there - we can now enter Clockwork by:

In the ZTE-Blade Recovery Manager App choose Reboot into Clockwork

Hold down the VOLUME DOWN button when booting up the phone

However we are going to use ZTE-Blade Recovery Manage to tell Clockwork what to do

For those of us who are as impatient as me what I did was reboot into clockwork from Rec Man instead of staying in Rec man to tell clockwork what to do. However once I rebooted out of clockwork after realising my mistake when I got back to Rec Man it wouldnt work it just kept closing itself, even after reinstalling through ASTRO but I went back to clockwork and installed from there , first to a boot loop but then again after clearing files/cache/reset etc it booted up to what seems to be a stable ROM.

It might be worth re arranging the above statement so no one falls into the pit that got me.

Great work though.

Dave

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

It might be worth re arranging the above statement so no one falls into the pit that got me.

Done, thanks for the suggestion

[Guest Seagull81]

I've installed UniversalAndroot and Recovery, the root reported as successful but after installing Titanium Backup, that gives me a message saying that the phone is not rooted. I've tried rooting a few times and it seems to root each time, restarting the phone hasn't helped.

Recovery has installed OK, I'm running a backup at the moment.

Any ideas?

Edited January 19, 2011 by Seagull81

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

I've installed UniversalAndroot and Recovery, the root reported as successful but after installing Titanium Backup, that gives me a message saying that the phone is not rooted. I've tried rooting a few times and it seems to root each time, restarting the phone hasn't helped.

Recovery has installed OK, I'm running a backup at the moment.

Any ideas?

Titanium Backup is super fussy about the root and busybox install it wants - I think there is a FIX menu item to install the ones it wants.

[Guest Seagull81]

Titanium Backup is super fussy about the root and busybox install it wants - I think there is a FIX menu item to install the ones it wants.

Yes I tried the 'Problems' button but that didn't help, if it's going to be problematic then I'll use a different backup app.

I'm now trying to choose a good 2.2 rom for my wifes phone, she doesn't have an ext partition and I doubt that she'll need one for the apps that she uses.

Decisions decisions ... (hints welcome)

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

Yes I tried the 'Problems' button but that didn't help, if it's going to be problematic then I'll use a different backup app.

I'm now trying to choose a good 2.2 rom for my wifes phone, she doesn't have an ext partition and I doubt that she'll need one for the apps that she uses.

Decisions decisions ... (hints welcome)

Have a look in the Stickied POLL (a bit later I only just made it) you will see what other people are using

[Guest Seagull81]

Have a look in the Stickied POLL (a bit later I only just made it) you will see what other people are using

Thanks Steven. Should Rom Manager work after using UniversalAndroot? I thought I'd install it to partition the SD card but that gives me this message "You must have ClockworkMod Recovery installed before continuing! Install the recovery through ROM Manager first". There's are 'install' & 'cancel' buttons, I've selected cancel as I don't want to mess up the already installed and working ClockworkMod.

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

I would let it install clockwork 2.5.1.8.

[Guest stanno]

Just a quick question. I have all the tools installed and am just about to use Recovery Manager to instal my first ROM (so a bit nervous). Once I go into the "firmware" page and select "install firmware" do I get an option to clear cache and do a factory reset? If not when/how do I do these things? Cheers.

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

Just a quick question. I have all the tools installed and am just about to use Recovery Manager to instal my first ROM (so a bit nervous). Once I go into the "firmware" page and select "install firmware" do I get an option to clear cache and do a factory reset? If not when/how do I do these things? Cheers.

Use the boot into clockwork

Then install the rom using install zip and the factory reset.

See guide lower down on first post.

[Guest Dave L]

Can I ask

when you say * From the clockwork menu choose: Clear Cache on the display it says > wipe cache partition

Factory Reset > wipe data/factory reset.

These are what im being displayed is it what I should do?

Dave

[Guest haamiah]

Can I ask

when you say * From the clockwork menu choose: Clear Cache on the display it says > wipe cache partition

Factory Reset > wipe data/factory reset.

These are what im being displayed is it what I should do?

Dave

yes.so i did that.

[Guest jampton]

Great work, thanks very much.

It's so simple that even me and my fellow idiot have successfully installed Froyo!

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

Can I ask

when you say * From the clockwork menu choose: Clear Cache on the display it says > wipe cache partition

Factory Reset > wipe data/factory reset.

These are what im being displayed is it what I should do?

Dave

Yes your right I have not got the names right - I will fix them now.

so YES choose them 2

[Guest umster]

Hi Steven,

Just got myself another Blade!! just received it now. :)

I want to install Jap Jelly R8

which is the best way to install now, should I use Clockwork or TFT,

what about the system partition? should I change it

Also which addon are recommend by you?

Many Thanks

;)

[Guest Phoenix Silver]

Hi Steven,

Just got myself another Blade!! just received it now. :)

I want to install Jap Jelly R8

which is the best way to install now, should I use Clockwork or TFT,

what about the system partition? should I change it

Also which addon are recommend by you?

Many Thanks

;)

well my 2 cents opinion

new users and some other users should use the clockwork method

it's the easier and risk-less method

users should use recovery manager if they have connection problems (usb doesn't work and so on)

i recommend transfer phone method for advanced users (more risks to brick your phone especially if your model number has not been tested yet)

for the partitions there are 2 schools

some roms use app2sd with fat32 partition

nothing to to do let your scdcard with a full fat32 part

some roms (like paul baked rom) use a2sd and a2sd+

you have to split your scdcard with a ext 2/3 partition (512 megs is enough)

you have to create fat32 partition first and ext partition in second place

for an ex in my phone (2gigs sdcard) i have a fat32 partition 1.5 gigs and a ext3 partition 512 megs with a2sd and a2sd+ installed

running Paul's rom r11

[Guest umster]

well my 2 cents opinion

new users and some other users should use the clockwork method

it's the easier and risk-less method

users should use recovery manager if they have connection problems (usb doesn't work and so on)

i recommend transfer phone method for advanced users (more risks to brick your phone especially if your model number has not been tested yet)

for the partitions there are 2 schools

some roms use app2sd with fat32 partition

nothing to to do let your scdcard with a full fat32 part

some roms (like paul baked rom) use a2sd and a2sd+

you have to split your scdcard with a ext 2/3 partition (512 megs is enough)

you have to create fat32 partition first and ext partition in second place

for an ex in my phone (2gigs sdcard) i have a fat32 partition 1.5 gigs and a ext3 partition 512 megs with a2sd and a2sd+ installed

running Paul's rom r11

Thank you Phoenix Silver for taking the time to reply back,

one more question, should I change system partition to 128mb, as mentioned below!! would it be better too

Changing system partition size to 128Mb and data to 286Mb(FOR ADVANCED USERS ONLY ON THEIR OWN RISK!)

Thanks

[Guest Phoenix Silver]

Thank you Phoenix Silver for taking the time to reply back,

one more question, should I change system partition to 128mb, as mentioned below!! would it be better too

Changing system partition size to 128Mb and data to 286Mb(FOR ADVANCED USERS ONLY ON THEIR OWN RISK!)

Thanks

i would wait before to do this

especially if you would want to try a couple of roms

when you will be fixed which rom you'll use every day you could do the operation

if you want my opinion don't do this lol

but if you want to risk in very first place check if your phone model is in the already approved list

just a tip : replace recovery.img in image directory by recovery_clockwork.......img (rename recovery_clockwork2.1.... in recovery.img)

if something goes wrong you can always reboot phone in clockwork mode

[Guest umster]

i would wait before to do this

especially if you would want to try a couple of roms

when you will be fixed which rom you'll use every day you could do the operation

if you want my opinion don't do this lol

but if you want to risk in very first place check if your phone model is in the already approved list

just a tip : replace recovery.img in image directory by recovery_clockwork.......img (rename recovery_clockwork2.1.... in recovery.img)

if something goes wrong you can always reboot phone in clockwork mode

Hi,

where can I find the approved list please.

There are two ways to install a ROM

Using Clockwork

Using the Total Phone Transfer System (TPT)

which is a better method? please

Best Regards

Edited January 20, 2011 by umster

[Guest Phoenix Silver]

Hi,

where can I find the approved list please.

There are two ways to install a ROM

Using Clockwork

Using the Total Phone Transfer System (TPT)

which is a better method? please

Best Regards

first post green paragraph number 4

the two ways are easy

tpt method you need the OP give you the files in this format (.img files)

clocwork you need a .zip file

[Guest umster]

first post green paragraph number 4

the two ways are easy

tpt method you need the OP give you the files in this format (.img files)

clocwork you need a .zip file

If I use TPT and the partition sizes change, is that permanent or can it be changed for the next rom you decide to install??

TPT also has the power to change other much deeper parts of the device, please explain??

"TPT also has the power to change other much deeper parts of the device; the first discovery has been that you can change the partition sizes.

This means the the Spare space (MB) in the system partition location - can be squeezed down so that you have more space to install Apps in the data partition.

The ROM developer will pick the correct size partition for their ROM."