Paul's complete guide to upgrading your Omnia to HH1, and what to do when things go wrong!

[Guest Ericmky]

Hi Paul, I was trying to upgrade my omnia firmware from G3 to G5, everything went ok til the GrandPrix showed Job Done.Perform HW reset!. now my omnia won't reboot. I tried pin the reset button, tried press & hold ON/OFF button, nothing work. WindowXP won't detect my Omnia, what should i do now?

Please help. Thanks

hlay

one question, you follow this guide to upgrading your Omnia or use another process??

thanks

[Guest hlay]

hlay

one question, you follow this guide to upgrading your Omnia or use another process??

thanks

I followed exactly what the guide says. very sad.

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Update: A real HH1 build is now available, see this post for details!

[Guest M Seif]

Update: A real HH1 build is now available, see this post for details!

so, there is no GrandPrix or HG5 first , right ?

Just the modem driver and the big zip file.

Can you confirm please ?

tahnks

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Correct.

P

[Guest uno e nessuno]

pls anyone help me ..i need to return my original firmware omnia italian , i have installed hh1 but now i wont return tu my my g3

i have this file

PDA_i900XIHG3

Phone_i900XXHG3

i ve just triede some times to return g3 ..but the omnia after flash stop in samsung omnia logo ,, i resolved this just upgrading alredy hh1 and omia don t have problem .. tur on normally .pls help me

sorry for my english

[Guest Unisoldrew]

Hi.

I took the plunge and updated from HG5 to HH1.

Well, i think i may have only partially done it because on the last stage of the install i got the error message PORT CREATED FAILED.

In the window was PORT CREATE RETRY(9) counting down to (0) then said Download failed.

The phone restarted fine and the version number now says ...

PDA: i900DXHH1/DXHH1

PHONE: i900XXHG5

which makes me think it's partially worked?

Can anyone confirm this or suggest what the problem was (i installed the modem driver and followed the installation to the letter)

P.S. I've now re-installed SPB Mobile shell and the Batti application and everything seems fine. The accelerometer transition effect has been updated which, again, makes me think it's worked.

Thanks.

[Guest Unisoldrew]

Bump.

Anyone?

[Guest Jlarsen]

Hi.

I took the plunge and updated from HG5 to HH1.

Well, i think i may have only partially done it because on the last stage of the install i got the error message PORT CREATED FAILED.

In the window was PORT CREATE RETRY(9) counting down to (0) then said Download failed.

The phone restarted fine and the version number now says ...

PDA: i900DXHH1/DXHH1

PHONE: i900XXHG5

which makes me think it's partially worked?

Can anyone confirm this or suggest what the problem was (i installed the modem driver and followed the installation to the letter)

P.S. I've now re-installed SPB Mobile shell and the Batti application and everything seems fine. The accelerometer transition effect has been updated which, again, makes me think it's worked.

Thanks.

You flashed the PDA successfully, but not the Radio.

Install the Samsung Modem Driver on your PC and then flash the phone again.

[Guest Unisoldrew]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I thought i had installed the modem driver?!?!?

I did this the day before however - assuming once installed it was done for good or am i wrong - should i have run it before flashing?

[Guest M Seif]

Hi

My Omnia came with DXHG4 for both the pda and the phone .

I have installed the modem driver and the rom, after some minutes , I had an error message , then a retrial for about 25 times.

then a message saying update is failed.

I did soft reset and the omnia is working fine in all aspects, however the versions now are

i900DXHH1/ DXHH1 for the pda and i900DXHG4 for the phone ( as the old version ).

the device wrks good with rather big improvement in the response , and the camera works fine now.

1- What is the advantages of the phone part DXHH1 over the old one I have now ? Does it worth re updating ?

2- If I better update again ? are they the same steps or can I update the phone only ? and how ?

Many thanks in advance

[Guest Unisoldrew]

So it can't be because of the modem driver then.

Hmmmmm.

[Guest Deroo]

When I leave it to detect, Grand Prix won't detect my phone, It hasn't been installed on my computer before, do I need to do that? And if so, how?

Edited September 9, 2008 by Deroo

[Guest jakeordie]

Bought a used Omnia yesterday, the seller got it in Singapore & couldn't work out how to change the display language. Followed your instructions & she's apples! Thanks for taking the time to help novices like me. ;)

[Guest nocturnalvin]

device lock issue

sorry, but i cant seem to quote the post. anyway, back to the device lock issue, it was discovered that if you select "prompt if device unused for" under settings>lock, then the press and hold "end call" key will NOT lock the phone.

this is really stupid...anyone has a solution.

2, how can i lock the phone such that my girl cannot access it without my password ?

thanks

[Guest forme1981]

monahan is the 628mhz processer inside i900

i guess it shows up as devise name means, any samsung rom is completely wipe out

[Guest pacaskurban]

Hello,

I tried to update my omnia exatly how its described here, after everything went ok at the end my device also didnt reboot. I didnt get a startupscreen at all. Also my computer does'nt recognize my omnia not even a monahan usb. The only thing that works is the standby button on top of the omnia it is burning red.

I think i have to send my mobile to a repaircenter. Or if someone has a other solution it would be great, but i dont think there is because the computer doesnt even recognize monahan usb ):

[Guest SheepWorrier]

Are these instructions still valid for upgrading to the DXHI1 ROM in Secany's ROM research thread?

I'm running XXHG5 - should I flash to another ROM first, or straight to DXHI1?

This will be my first ever phone ROM flashing, so want to check everything before I start...

[Guest MEDAGETH RULES]

Update: A real HH1 build is now available, see this post for details!

Since there's a bit of confusion out there about how to upgrade to HH1, I figured i'd write a little post about upgrading your Omnia ;)

First of all, some background.

At the time of writing, the HH1 ROM is NOT available officially for download from Samsung.

Unfortunate, but hopefully they will release a ROM newer than the current officially available ROM (DXHG4) in the near future. Now, HH1 has a number of benefits over previous ROMs including improved stability, improved speed, improved finger-friendliness and most importantly for many, the return of haptic feedback in the input methods that disappeared from earlier ROMs. For this reason, after seeing that an Omnia user had successfully obtained an upgrade to HH1 from his local service centre, I set about seeing if we could make it more widely available.

In a nutshell, I found the blog of said person, found his mobile number on the blog, texted him asking if he would be willing to help make the ROM available, and it turns out he was already a MoDaCo member! :wacko: I then e-mailed him some instructions on how to dump, provided and FTP login, and he then did the business :( At this point user 'chaimd' stepped in, and repacked the raw files from the dump into a flashable format. After he uploaded this to the mediafire file hosting service, we were ready to go!

Flash formats

Omnia updates can contain a number of different parts. They can contain an updated bootloader, a PDA part (the main part you use), and a radio part. The radio part is the part that deals with the interaction with the mobile network... and contrary to popular misunderstanding is not related to the FM radio ;) The PDA part and the radio part have seperate version numbers (which you can see in the 'versions' application in Start -> Settings -> System), the format of which is explained here.

While experimenting, we have learned that PDA parts sometimes do not like to co-exist with newer radio parts. For this reason, I would generally recommend that you flash the HH1 update on top of a radio ROM / base that is known to be compatible.

The tools

Omnia updates are generally flashed one of 3 ways. Firstly there is the standard updater that Samsung ship, which flashes with an Activesync'd device as it's starting point. This is all well and good, but if for some reason you have a device that won't fully boot, it won't work. Secondly there is something that looks very similar to the standard updater, but flashes the device from bootloader. The Polish SAHH2 update is an example of this. This is a good recovery tool. Finally, a Samsung internal application called 'Grand Prix' allows you to flash from the bootloader too. This is very clearly an internal engineering tool, and should be used with extreme caution!

The bootloader

I've talked about flashing from bootloader, so i'll say a few quick words on how the bootloader is found. Contrary to HTC devices, where the bootloader is accessed by pressing a key combination, the Omnia seems to enter the bootloader under specific circumstances. When the device is booted (i.e. when the reset pin has just been pressed), it seems to look for an application requesting bootloader access via USB (e.g. either of the second two update methods above). If this is found, it'll stay in bootloader ready to be flashed. If not, it will continue to boot normally. When the device is in bootloader, the 'Samsung Omnia' logo is on screen. This state is also the state the device seems to be getting stuck in when people are having a problem flashing.

How I recommend flashing HH1

For the best chance of success, I strongly recommend flashing HH1 from a Windows XP box. I know that not everybody has access to this, but I personally have had issues using Vista, and in the community there have been reports of this being a problem too.

I recommend first flashing the Portugese HG5 complete flash via 'Grand Prix', then flashing HH1 using chaimd's updater. The reason for this is that it will give you a HG5 radio ROM, but also it will give you a starting point before HH1 that we know will work. It removes the unknowns that I have seen so far causing problems.

IF YOU CONTINUE WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS, YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK! I / MODACO TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANYTHING THAT MAY GO WRONG! YOU RISK BRICKING YOUR DEVICE IF THERE IS A PROBLEM!

Hope I made the above point clear :D

The usual flashing safeguards should be adhered too. Make sure your device has plenty of battery power, if you are flashing from a laptop make sure it is plugged in and has power in the battery and never, ever interrupt the flashing process or turn off either your PC or the device during the flash.

Got it? Good... let's go!

Step by step!

Step by step guides always go down well... so here's my step guide to HH1'ing your Omnia!

1. Ensure Omnia is charged

2. If flashing from a laptop, ensure it has plenty of battery power!

3. Make sure your flashing machine is running Windows XP (duh!)

4. Close down all applications on your flashing machine.

5. Download this file - this is the 'Grand Prix' flashing tool

6. Download this file - this is the HG5 update image

7. Download this file - this is the HH1 flasher

8. Download this file - this is the Samsung XP driver for the radio flash bootloader mode

9. Ensure you have an application installed capable of extracting RAR files, e.g. WinRAR

10. Extract all of these archives to a new directory

11. Switch to the new directory

12. Run the installer for the Samsung XP driver

13. Run USDL_GrandPrix_v1.5.2_XP.exe

14. In 'Step 1', drop down the box and ensure 'GRANDPRIX LV image' is selected (as shown in figure 1)

15. In 'Step 2', click 'EBOOT+PDA+PHONE(+CSC)' and browse to the 'Code_i900XCHG5.img' you extracted from the HG5 archive (your application will then appear as shown in figure 2)

16. Click 'Detect'

17. Plug your Omnia into a USB port, then press the reset pin...

18. The download will automatically start! Do not touch ANYTHING until it tells you it is done!

19. When the process is done, your device should boot into Portugese Windows Mobile 6.1. Let it boot to the startup wizard... it will automatically reboot one. Wait for the startup wizard to appear again.

20. Exit 'Grand Prix'.

21. Ensure your device is now showing as 'Connected' in ActiveSync.

22. Run 'i900DXHH1_PDA_updater_xp.exe'

23. Click the two checkboxes, and hit 'Verify device'... the flashing process will now begin.

24. When this process is completed, you can exit the updater, boot your device and all being well, you should be at HH1!

;)

IF THINGS GO WRONG!

If something terrible happens, you will likely end up at 1 of 2 scenarios. The first scenario is that you will be stuck at the 'Samsung Omnia' logo, and the device won't boot. If this is the case, restart from step 13... that is reapply the complete HG5 update. You should then be back in business. The second scenario is that something really terrible will happen and you won't even get the bootloader. You will get a blank screen, and XP will identify a device called 'MONAHANS', with no suitable driver. Should this happen, at this time, YOU WILL HAVE TO RETURN YOUR DEVICE TO A SAMSUNG SERVICE CENTRE!

And finally...

I'll try and keep this topic updated as new updates come out, please vote in the poll and indicate whether you have successfully completed the process.

Thanks! ;)

P

HELP !!! My OMNIA has died on biblical proportions ! I’ve followed the guide to the letter,

After the step 23 the updater show finished, restart the device, the device was completely

OFF, and now it won’t start, not even turn on the power button, I’ve plugged in to the charger,

It has passed 8 hours now and still nothing !!! I’m in Brazil, a friend brought my OMNIA from the

US a few days ago, there is no repair here , if no software solution, I’ve got a US$ 800 BRICK !!!

Please help....

[Guest MEDAGETH RULES]

Thanks Paul for quick reply.

I don't see anything, just a black screen. Yeah, i think it's dead. Could you please guide me where & how i can return it to Samsung center. I'm in Canada, I bought it from eBay. Thanks in advance.

Hello, did you manged to get your phone back to life ? It seams tha we both have the same problem...

Black screen off death... It won't charge, won't turn on the power led, nothing... so sad...

[Guest dinik]

i have a german omnia....PDA i900XGHG5/BHHG6...Tel. i900XXHG3

1. if i updade like in your faq...will i be able to have german lang? or are the all roms in eng?

2. how should i go on with the update with my ver of i900?

THX

Edited September 25, 2008 by dinik

[Guest GuidoParis]

Hi,

I'm a new member to MoDaCo. Obviously came across it after I bought a like-new Omnia, unlocked it, and tried to get rid of the French SFR ROM (in France the Omnia is called "Player Addict").

First of all, Thank you very much to MoDaCo for the wealth of information, links, and hints of all sorts about this phone !!! This is REALLY good news!

Since I have previously flashed all our SonyEricsson and HTC phones at home (P800, P910i, S200, Touch, Herald, TyTn), I was keen on doing the same with the i900.

So, I first tried to flash the Omnia with the official Samsung AEHH2 Rom, avbl from Samsung (very slow download - no comparison with Mediafire!), to see the process. They have a Vista Rom updater, which works just fine on my Vista Pro.

And now came the problem: trying Chaimd's DXHH1_updater (or any other after that), the phone wouldn't accept the "wrong software version" workaround. It seems to me that the French AEHH2 Rom is so built that it does not recognize the */1546792*/ string at all. And the "Grand Prix" only turned out .img file errors. Hence, no means of flashing it from Vista after playing around with the i900 for hours and trying it any possible way.

Digging out an old laptop with XP Home did the trick: Grand Prix unpacked the .img file OK, flashed the phone to XCHG5. This latter one does indeed recognize the */1546792*/ string. Flashed it to DXHH1 and then to DXHH3. Now I have PDA: i900DXHH3/DXHH3 and PHONE: i900DXHH3.

All hunky dory ! :wacko:

PS: I am now comparing the Omnia with my "old" Nokia E90, and I must say that -on a first glance- the E90 is not so bad, in terms of fast access to your information (files, contacts, Agenda, e-mails, networks, etc.). AND, the E90 has no touch screen, hence all is done by pressing one or several keys... BUT, the i900 weighs half of the E90's weight, has a cute interface (though not as responsive as the iPhone 3G - is this linked to the Rom version ?), WM 6.1, Office mobile, which I am used to, and a host of features I am not really interested in (the gaming stuff). Let's see what my wife will say when she compares the i900 to her iPhone 3G in real life. I'll check whether there's a thread on this subject... ;)

[Guest deeoo]

Thanx for the tutorial! It fixed my bricked Omnia.

Status:

PDA: i900dxhh1

Phone: i900xxhg5

One thing; GPS isn't working. It's does find the GPS-device but it doesn't find sattelites. Not inside the house. Not outside the house. Not with WiFi and/or Bluetooth turned on. Tried it with IGO8, Google map and GPS viewer.

GPS-settings:

Program port:Com6

Hardware port: Com9 / 4800 baud rate

Manage GPS automatically ON

-edit-

Sorry for polluting this topic. I found out that it's probably because I have no active sim yet that GPS won't work (bit weird though that these are connected).

-edit2-

Apparently it's not the lack of sim-card. More people have been having problems with 'no sattelite findings'.

Edited September 25, 2008 by deeoo

[Guest the-jackal]

OK, I think its time I got brave and flashed to DXHI1. Should i follow the directions at the beginning of this post or should i just double click the DXHI1.exe file I have just downloaded.

Sorry if I sound like a dumb arse but I have never Flashed a phone before and I really dont want to screw it up.

[Guest Reuben (MY)]

flashing DXHI1 doesn't need to follow this instruction. the steps are:

1) download activesync 4.5 and install it

2) download samsung driver from http://www.samsungmobile.com/promotion/omnia/index.jsp

3) install the modem driver (choose correct Operating system xp/vista, but i'd suggest using xp machine if you dont love "surprises")

4) restart your pc, connect and sync your phone with activesync

5) once completed, open the DXHI1.exe and a screen will appear with the Start button disabled (while your phone still connected)

6) simply hit the softreset button hole beside the power button on your phone, and you'll see the start button become enabled with some text at bottom screen, something like "ready to download"

7) click the start button on your computer, and let the job run

8) upon successful update, it should show "Job Done" and you may close the screen, and unplug your usb.

note: phone will restart about 2-3 times, so after the phone boot up, just wait for a small dialog to appear and it will be restarted automatically.

important: do practise performing hard reset after rom update. 1-2 times of hard reset is good enough. you can find the hard reset function in Settings->System

Edited September 26, 2008 by Reuben (MY)