Paul's guide to... changing the HTC Touch / T-Mobile Wing PagePool size

[Guest zeflash]

I was wondering if someone with knowledge could tell me what's going on with this ROM:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=392637

the ultra clean edition.

I downloaded it, flashed it and the pagepool on my Touch (Elf) is 8 MB. Yet when I look at the hexa value, it says 00 00 20 00. And changing this value didn't modify the pagepool.

How can I change the pagepool for this ROM?

[Guest physicsguru]

Hi,

I started trying to optimise my pagepools size following the instructions in your post. However I noticed the setting on my HTC Touch P3450 (Dutch KPN) is set to 00 00 20 00 instead of 00 00 80 00 for the default 8 MB for a Touch. Does this mean mine has 2MB?

The reason I wanted to change the pagepool size was because with almost any application I installed I had messages on my Touch saying "Not enough memory".

Your post looked like the solution to my problem but these findings make me confused.

Can it be that having an apparent default setting of 2 MB in my device can cause the same memory issues as with the default 8MB and that 4MB might be a better optimised alternative?

Thanks.

[teaser]Welcome to another edition of 'Paul's Guide to...' :(

Today's guide is aimed at owners of the HTC Touch and the T-Mobile Wing, as they are 2 devices that seem to have particular problems with device memory, but the same techniques can probably be applied to other devices (untested by myself).

HTC Touch and T-Mobile Wing owners will know that these two devices suffer somewhat from low memory problems. Users need to be careful with what they have running at any one time, particularly if launching memory hungry applications such as the Camera.

Deep in the depths of the operating system of your device, there is something called the 'PagePool'. Without going into too much detail (and as I understand it!), the PagePool is a special area of memory reserved for loading apps into from ROM. This PagePool is a lot faster than ROM, so when things are executed from this 'cache' instead, the performance of a device will be quicker. On the flipside, if you have a 8MB pagepool (HTC Touch) and you're using, say, 4MB of the pagepool, then 4MB of space is wasted that could be program memory. Similarly if you have a 12MB pagepool (!) (T-Mobile Wing) in this instance you would we wasting 8MB of space!

The key is striking the balance...

On both my Touch and my Wing, i've been experimenting with the PagePool, and have personally settled on 4MB. I've tried 2MB (bad), 4MB, 6MB and 8MB, and I think I can happily use 4MB without noticing a performance decrease. I'm tempted to try 6MB out for a bit longer, particularly on the Wing (which has a generally better state of affairs than the Touch it seems), but this guide will let you choose your own.

Sadly, these PagePool settings are in an area that cannot be easily changed, hence this is a ROM guide.[/teaser]

Firstly, a disclaimer.

This guide involves downloading, editing and flashing of your device ROM.

This is dangerous, very dangerous. In a worst case scenario using these techniques, your device will become unusable, with a corrupted 'OS area'. While your bootloader will (should) still be accessible, your device will be a paperweight until such time as a RUU (Rom Update Utility) becomes available for your device with the shipping ROM. We won't be able to help you, and your operator / manufacturers won't either. It's quite possible your warranty will be invalidated by editing your ROM.

If you follow this guide, you take full responsibility for what could happen. I have of course successfully been through this guide myself, but be aware that I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY SHOULD SOMETHING GO WRONG.

You've read the disclaimer and you want to have a play, now what do you need to do? Here's the guide... enjoy :D

Step 1: Install the permissions CAB to your device

In order to be able to do the read / write operations on your ROM, the security on your device needs to be set up in a certain way. Download this CAB file, and run it on your device.

ITSUTILS_Preperation.CAB

Step 2: Create a directory and download itsutils

Now we need to create a working directory. I suggest creating a directory called 'pagepool' on your desktop. When you've done this, download this ZIP file, and extract it to the new directory.

http://nah6.com/~itsme/itsutilsbin-20070323.zip (Kudos to Willem Jan Hengeveld (aka itsme) for this excellent toolkit!)

Step 3: Extract the ROM from your device

We're now going to extract the ROM from your device. This is a completely safe operation, so don't panic yet :o Take the following steps...

- Ensure device is connected to PC and Activesync'd / WMDC'd

- Open a command prompt at your new directory

- Type 'pdocread -l' (minus the quotes of course)

You will then be presented with something that looks like this:

 70.95M (0x46f2000) TrueFFS<BR>	   |		   3.06M (0x30fc00) Part00<BR>	   |		   3.06M (0x310000) Part01<BR>	   |		  64.82M (0x40d2000) Part02

We want to read the Part02 area (the bottom line above), so...

- Type 'pdocread 0 0x40d2000 Part02.dump' substituting 0x40d2000 with the appropriate value from your 'pdocread -l' output

You will see something like 'CopyTFFSToFile(0x0, 0x40d2000, Part02.dump)' appear, and after a wait of a few minutes (it is dumping a lot of data!), you'll be returned to the command prompt. During the operation you can open Windows Explorer to your working directory and see the file growing.

Step 4: Use a hex editor to modify the pagepool size

To edit your Part02.dump ROM image, you'll need to use a Hex Editor. The instructions below assume use of the excellent, free HxD application.

After installing and launching HxD, do the following...

- Open your new 'Part02.dump' file

- Click 'Search'

- Enter 'NKKD8'

- Press F3 to find the second instance

- Click 'Search' again

- Change 'Data Type' to 'Hex Values'

- Enter 'FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 9B 4F FF FF 64 B0 00 00' and hit search

You will then be presented with the search results as shown below.

After 8 more values, you'll see your pagepool setting. In the screenshot aobve, it is set to '00 00 40 00', which means 4MB. The possible values are as follows:

4MB = 00 00 40 00

6MB = 00 00 60 00

8MB = 00 00 80 00 (HTC Touch default)

12MB = 00 00 C0 00 (HTC Wing Default)

(for reference, on both my Touch and my Wing the offset location is 37B558... you can go straight to this location be selecting 'Search -> Goto').

So, to change your pagepool size...

- After locating your current pagepool value, update it to one of those shown above by selecting the value and overtyping

- Select File -> Save As, and enter a new name (e.g. Part02.4MB.dump)

- Exit the hex editor

You have now edited your ROM dump, and are ready to flash it back to the device!

Step 5: Flashing your edited dump back to the device

So this is where it gets dangerous. If you've done something wrong with your dump, then nasty things could (probably will) happen. If the flashing process goes wrong, then nasty things could happen. One final warning - you undertake this step at your own risk! Ready to continue? OK then...

- Ensure device is connected to PC and Activesync'd / WMDC'd

- Put the device in flight mode. This is for safety reasons... receiving a call during the flash would probably be bad

- Open a command prompt to your working directory (or use the one you already have open)

- Type 'pdocwrite Part02.4MB.dump' (or whichever name you used in the step above)

You will see something like 'CopyFileToTFFS(part02.4mb.dump:0, 0, 040d2000)' appear, and after a wait of a few minutes (it is writing a lot of data!), you'll be returned to the command prompt. DO NOT USE THE DEVICE DURING THIS OPERATION!

Step 6: Soft reset, cross fingers

Has that command finished (i.e. you have control again at the command prompt)? Then you're done! Simply press the soft reset pin on your device, and when it comes back up, you should see you the amount of program memory in the Settings -> Memory applet has changed. Good job! You can breathe easy again :lol:

P

[Guest bugmenot111]

There is a (official Touch ROM) RUU available at pdamobiz:

RUU_Elf_DOPODASIA_WWE_1.11.707.1B_4.1.13.42_02.93.90_Ship.exe

I think this would help to get the Touch back to life if you damaged it with a wrong flash.

Can you provide the instruction on how to restore the ORIGINAL flash (RUU) ???

Thanks.

[Guest Shagman68]

Worked excellent the first and second time. I flashed mine last year when I got it and it worked great, used Win XP to do it. Then I noticed T-Mobile had a phone flash upgrade availeble recently on thier website, so I flashed mine to upgrade, and it put my page pool back to not letting my camera work again. So, I used my Vista computer now and did the whole thing just like the last and again it worked perfectly. Just wished they made it with 128 ROM and 256 RAM to begin with and we would not be having this problem. Oh well, just about wore out my touchscreen on this Wing, so I hope they have a version of the AT&T Tilt coming to T-Mobile soon and Want my 3G too, Tmob had better get its butt movin!

Anyone reccommend some good tweaking tools, all I know is that battery status one that you can even overclock with as well.

Shaggy

[Guest dutchphoto]

Worked excellent the first and second time. I flashed mine last year when I got it and it worked great, used Win XP to do it. Then I noticed T-Mobile had a phone flash upgrade availeble recently on thier website, so I flashed mine to upgrade, and it put my page pool back to not letting my camera work again. So, I used my Vista computer now and did the whole thing just like the last and again it worked perfectly. Just wished they made it with 128 ROM and 256 RAM to begin with and we would not be having this problem. Oh well, just about wore out my touchscreen on this Wing, so I hope they have a version of the AT&T Tilt coming to T-Mobile soon and Want my 3G too, Tmob had better get its butt movin!

Anyone reccommend some good tweaking tools, all I know is that battery status one that you can even overclock with as well.

Shaggy

Isn't it easier to use this easy to use Pagepool size changer. It uses the same tools as mentioned in this thread. Just start the pagepool batchfile you wat, 4,6,8 of 12mb. Backup your own PP first!

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Weird, you have a different readout!

P

[Guest dutchphoto]

Weird, you have a different readout!

P

Hi Paul,

really? whats different?

[Guest Just_Chillin]

I'm still stuck on #1. :D

I'm trying to download the attch* "ITSUTILS_Preperation.CAB"

where is the link to this download

[Guest Confucious]

I'm still stuck on #1. :D

I'm trying to download the attch* "ITSUTILS_Preperation.CAB"

where is the link to this download

Err... in the first post?

[Guest Just_Chillin]

Hi Paul,

really? whats different?

ok i make it past the first two steps now...

I can't open a cmd prompt on my wing for step 3

i tried it using my computer but it still wouldnt work. How can i open a directory on my wing device? :D ¿

[Guest Just_Chillin]

ok i made it past the ¹st two steps now how di i open a directory using the wing and active sync? :D ¿

[Guest Just_Chillin]

hey paul im stuck on step 3...on the pagepool changing i dont know how to open a command prompt in the pagepool folder/directory i make therefore i cant get passed that step if you could please help me i would appreciated thank you

im having the same trouble i cant open a cmd promt on my wing like i can using my pc and i also use windows xp not vista is this why?

[Guest Confucious]

did you create a directory on your PC? Do you have a clue what you are doing?

[Guest Just_Chillin]

Err... in the first post?

i tried to open that path in my wing and im blocked from the network i need a rom unlocker for the wing

[Guest Just_Chillin]

im having the same trouble i cant open a cmd promt on my wing like i can using my pc and i also use windows xp not vista is this why?

i guess i dont know what im doing :D dont know anything about creating new directories i've tried and no luck

[Guest Just_Chillin]

i guess i dont know what im doing :D dont know anything about creating new directories i've tried and no luck

still trying to figure out your guys are opening up the command promts on your phones. dont work on my wing. I extracted the files from my desktop in the pagepool folder but they wont -l (load) what am i doing wrong?

[Guest Just_Chillin]

still trying to figure out your guys are opening up the command promts on your phones. dont work on my wing. I extracted the files from my desktop in the pagepool folder but they wont -l (load) what am i doing wrong?

Is T-Mobile blocking this new hack or something i dunno about? i keep getting the pdocdread.exe error ("pdocread" is not a valad Pocket PC application. Does these zip files comoe in .CAB format ? :D ¿

[Guest Confucious]

Your suposed to have a directory and open the command prompt on your PC not your phone.....

[Guest Kooper113]

Oh, nevermind, my phone booted up fine all of a sudden.. At first it didn't seem like it was, odd! Well it says I have a lot more free memory now!

Edited August 20, 2008 by Kooper113

[Guest Just_Chillin]

Your suposed to have a directory and open the command prompt on your PC not your phone.....

ok, hello everyone.. day 3 at trying to her more memory here :D

i've gotten this far but i dont see any "M"s in the cmd prompt dialog. i see an example at the bottom. Any suggestions (good sugestions? , not trying to ruin a good phone) :D

[Guest Kooper113]

ok, hello everyone.. day 3 at trying to her more memory here :D

i've gotten this far but i dont see any "M"s in the cmd prompt dialog. i see an example at the bottom. Any suggestions (good sugestions? , not trying to ruin a good phone) :D

I don't think you typed the command corretly, case sensitive I believe.

pdocread -l

You're better off copying that and then right clicking into cmd and pasting it to do it right.

[Guest Just_Chillin]

I don't think you typed the command corretly, case sensitive I believe.

pdocread -l

You're better off copying that and then right clicking into cmd and pasting it to do it right.

:angry: I figured out what i had to do. i had to reinstall step 1. then it was hella-confusing tryin to follow pages 1 and 3 but eventually i got through it, got stuck at the editing part then figured it out. I'm just getting done. i didnt know how long it took to flash back. my cmd prompt froze i juse took a deep breath and did a hard-reset (turning it off for like 10 sec) i went straight into the memory after it loaded up with my iphone theme and everything else that i have installed the memory jumped up to 19MB wow... but for some reason it drops by it self slowly and settles between 17 and 18MB thanx this 3 day process is finally over thanks Paul and to everyone else who helped me :D now... goodnight its 12:55amtook me all nite :D (and three days_

[Guest Just_Chillin]

:angry: I figured out what i had to do. i had to reinstall step 1. then it was hella-confusing tryin to follow pages 1 and 3 but eventually i got through it, got stuck at the editing part then figured it out. I'm just getting done. i didnt know how long it took to flash back. my cmd prompt froze i juse took a deep breath and did a hard-reset (turning it off for like 10 sec) i went straight into the memory after it loaded up with my iphone theme and everything else that i have installed the memory jumped up to 19MB wow... but for some reason it drops by it self slowly and settles between 17 and 18MB thanx this 3 day process is finally over thanks Paul and to everyone else who helped me :D now... goodnight its 12:55amtook me all nite :D (and three days_

ps...lol last post

someone let me know how it works out when u change the pagepool beyond the 4mb like baybe the 8 or 12 on the wing

1:00AM

[Guest Just_Chillin]

ps...lol last post

someone let me know how it works out when u change the pagepool beyond the 4mb like baybe the 8 or 12 on the wing

1:00AM

you guys are amazing... thank for the posts (not much help but i managed) I think i am finally happy with my wing. its a SUPER WING now has everything.. i didnt have to delete tzones or my messenger to install my iphone theme thanx for the pagepool trick. now i have so much in here on top of SNES and Nintendo gameboy emulators which seem to work fine. The only trouble i had with that was trying to find working roms. Now i have bookmarked a page with tons of free roms and quess what? they all work. from mario to donkey kong.. lol but my fav.. lol (pokemon red, blue, yellow) look for my super wing on youtube soon.. its so cool

[Guest Just_Chillin]

Can anyone help me with my problem? I go through all the steps and the first time i did it ok. But i decided to do a hard reset and do it again coz i want to reset something. But the 2nd time i did it, My HTC Touch just go off. Can't start , even i try to press the start button, i can't start anymore. I do a hard reset again, but it got stuck at Smart Mobility screen.

What should i do? Is it totally gone for my touch. Or there are still ways to revive it.

Thanks

Finally yeh, i got a way to solve the problem now....

thanks guys.... i did the 6mb on my T-mobile wing and it rund exellent... a month ago when i had broke my LCD screen i tried the 4mb it was still gettin low memory messages. i called HTC mailed them my phone last week via Fedex. they reset it and i had to start from scratch. the not attatch said i had illegal software on my phone so i got back on this site and did a 6mb pagepool hack... thanks this is so great.. (now i just pray i dont break my screen anymore) expensive...