[FAQ] Android Customization: Tips and Tricks

[Mr. Officer]

Yups!

Can imagine how it feels...

Someone's bad experience serves another as a warning!

Too bad, I should've asked before flashing CWM recovery over AmonRa

Can't see the Nandroid folder since I'm not using the same recovery though it should ideally be there on the SD card.

In such a case, will an app like "root explorer" or similar help locate the Nandroid folder at least ?

[Vyom]

^^ Try Root explorer or Astro File manager to locate the folder.
If your card was not formatted, it should be there.

[Mr. Officer]

Flashed new Baseband [V20g] and ROM - [Premature] CM9 ICS 4.0.4, It's very stable plus the battery life is a bit more when compared to mik's CM7 although the former is not as fast and smooth as the latter, yet. ICS 4.0.4 on LG P500, Rocks !!


Sam, Vyom, Krishnandu thanks for all your help and suggestions

Spoiler:

Step 1:
- Download - P500-v20G-baseband.7z for v20[a/b/d/g] ROM's
- unzip it via 7-Zip

Step 2:
- Browse to the folder where you unpacked the 7z and run LGMDP-v1.5.exe
- Click Download in menu
- Select Port
- Choose your phone, click Connect
- Click Image Folder button, browse to the directory where you unpacked this
- Click OK about 3 times on the warnings
- Do NOT mess with anything else. Leave everything else as is.
- Close the window
- Click Download button
- Let it do the job. It will backup your IMEI and MACs to .NV2 file, reboot your phone to emergency mode, flash recovery, reboot and restore the NV2 backup.

How to do the last part?
Also, dont like the dialer at all, please share your favourites.

[sam]

err you have already flashed the baseband. so don't need to do anything now. Its done by the LGMDP software. congrats Try REDPILL.

ICS is faster as well as offers more battery but the ram usage is monstrous at times. Sometimes cleaning up ram using fast reboot shows 150MB cleaned. You can also remove unused apps from zip to make the rom light. That will further increase battery but not much.

^^ Try Root explorer or Astro File manager to locate the folder.
If your card was not formatted, it should be there.

i have long ago deleted the nandroid folder (actually antimalware detected z4root as malware and deleted the whole damn zip). Once the mobile is up and running on a custom rom you don't need to go back to stock LG crap. And if you ever need to visit service center again, most likely your mobile is in such a state you can't restore the nandroid backup. in short bricked.

[Mr. Officer]

Yep, updated BB and flashed ROM.
My bad, REDPILL was released the very next day I flashed PREMATURE.


Battery is certainly better than Mik's CM9.
Never going back to LG crap

Thanks again.

[anupam_pb]

What things are backed up when I do a backup using CWM recovery ??

I came to know that it backs up the ROM. I'm currently using rooted stock ROM.So it completely backed up along with all apps & user informations(like contacts, messages, etc)?

[sam]

by default the rom (whole rom inc contacts, notes, playlist, bookmarks, etc). there are options to choose the ext partition if any (where the apps stay if you move them using script), cache, android_secure (where the apps stay when you move it to sd card using built in android settings) and even dalvik cache.

[s18000rpm]

Hi,
I just Rooted my 1.5year old Samsung GT5510, using SuperOneClickv2.3.3-ShortFuse
(SuperOneClickv2.3.3-ShortFuse dialog box opened up saying "Rooting done...")
Now in phone, SuperUser app, it shows "No apps in list".
I just want to clear somespace in Internal memory, by moving apps like FB, Maps, AllShare, Layar...
How to do that?
before rooting, i had once used App2SD, but then found out it did the same as Froyo's app manager & cant move apps like FB/Layar...

[sam]

Now in phone, SuperUser app, it shows "No apps in list".

It is history list. Apps that you grant superuser permission will show up in this list.

I just want to clear somespace in Internal memory, by moving apps like FB, Maps, AllShare, Layar...
How to do that?

you mayn't get free memory. These apps are part of rom and will only free up space in system\ and you can't use that space for installing apps.

[s18000rpm]

I wont be installing any app in Int. mem., just want to free up, its currently 151/173MB
& i have these apps that i want to move to SD card

1. Quick profiles (248KB)
2. Advanced Task Mngr (1.34MB)
3. Daily expense mngr (1.28MB)
4. Solitaire (200KB)
5. ThinkFree Office (12.5MB)
   
6. Google Search (1.2MB)
7. Facebook=12MB
8. Yuotube (5MB)

OS is default, Froyo 2.2.

[Vyom]

Don't move Quick Profiles (looks like a system app).

Rest you can link2sd or move to card. Btw.. better to remove the crap facebook app. It's a bloatware. And sometimes taxes too much battery.

[s18000rpm]

Thanks guys,
Quick Profiles is not system app, Its a app that works like Nokia's profiles
will try Link2SD.

Update:

a newbie question- is it absolutely necessary to have TWO PARTITIONS in SD card for Link2SD to work?
because , i dont have it
& whenever i try to move Think Free Office, the phone restarts in 5 seconds
why is that?

[Vyom]

a newbie question- is it absolutely necessary to have TWO PARTITIONS in SD card for Link2SD to work?
because , i dont have it
& whenever i try to move Think Free Office, the phone restarts in 5 seconds
why is that?

I don't understand what you mean by "two" partitions.
You need to create an ext2 partition. And then preferably transform it to ext3 partition. For which there is an option in the Custom Recovery itself.

[devips]

Okay, I am a complete newbie. Got my first android the other day (Huawei Ideos X5 Pro). It runs on 2.3.5 gingerbread. Huawei has recently posted an upgrade to ICS on its site. Downloaded the whole 356 mb package on my PC. Now how do I upgrade my firmware?
please advise, avoiding tech terms wherever possible because I won't understand them!

[vinaysaxena93]

Hi all,

I bought my Galaxy Ace S5830i (gb 2.3.6) last month. I hadn't installed Samsung Kies until yesterday, when I launched it it prompted a firmware upgrade. First I tried to use kies to upgrade but whenever the upgrade process started (Kies started downloading the firmware files) my device automatically got disconnected..I tried reinstalling kies, restarting my phone but nothing worked.
I then decided to use odin(v1.87) to flash the firmware on my device but it kept failing at first step itself. Here's what it said :-

<ID:0/010> Added!!
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> S5830iXXLF3_S5830iODDLF1_RST_S5830iDDLF1_HOME.tar. md5 is valid.
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/010> Odin v.3 engine (ID:10)..
<ID:0/010> File analysis..
<ID:0/010> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/010> Initialzation..
<ID:0/010> Set PIT file..
<ID:0/010> DO NOT TURN OFF TARGET!!
<ID:0/010> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/010> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/010> sbl.bin
<ID:0/010> NAND Write Start!!
<ID:0/010> BcmCP.img
<ID:0/010>
<ID:0/010> Complete(Write) operation failed.
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)


I am at my wits end now so can anyone please help me sort out this problem?

Thanx in advance

PS: he phone has been working as fine as ever. Kies never got to the step of INSTALLING the new firmware as whenever it started downloading the firmware files my phone got disconnected so no damage there.

With ODIN I entered download mode but here too it fails at the beginning, so I just switch off my phone and restart it and it works as if nothing ever happened (I've made several attempts)

[sam]

^^ you tried downloading the update through the mobile's GPRS?

Else take it to service center and ask them to update. They'll do it free of charge.

[vinaysaxena93]

^^ you tried downloading the update through the mobile's GPRS?

Else take it to service center and ask them to update. They'll do it free of charge.

Yep, I tried that thrice...each time it got stuck while installing at exactly 7% although the phone reboots and works as if nothing happened with the notification- Installation of files failed

[Vyom]

^^ Are you sure you have enough space in internal memory?

[sam]

^^ Are you sure you have enough space in internal memory?

what happened to you its a firmware update. regardless of space, it'll get flashed. and usually wipes out the entire internal memory. and there is a difference between rom memory and internal memory. internal is usually 150-200MB with a 300MB rom space and can't be resized as this is fixed in the NAND controller. one can't just push stuff into rom memory the normal way.

[vinaysaxena93]

^^ Are you sure you have enough space in internal memory?

Well I have 25MBs of free space..how much is required??

[Vyom]

Well I have 25MBs of free space..how much is required??

Ignore me.
Read post no. 138

[rhitwick]

Anyone here using Jelly Bean (4.1) in SGS (I9000)? CAn you tell me some stable custom ROMs?

[Arnab boss]

hi is it safe to root a phone within warranty periods....as the service sentre says it wont provide any warranty if the phone bricks..!! i hav got galaxy y pro duos and downloaded the latest firmware from xda forum but could do it as fearing the warranty would void..!!

[sam]

ask the service center how will they find if a bricked non working mobile was rooted. a failed update from KIES will brick mobile too. and rooting doesn't brick mobile. usually it makes it unbootable and you'll have to reflash the factory image again.

[rahul_c]

I had rooted my phone a while back but I've been using the official ROM since then. Now I am getting bored of gingerbread on my LG Optimus Net, does my phone supports ICS? Will it become bloated since ICS is considered "heavy"?

[Dhirajthefreak]

I had rooted my phone a while back but I've been using the official ROM since then. Now I am getting bored of gingerbread on my LG Optimus Net, does my phone supports ICS? Will it become bloated since ICS is considered "heavy"?

Yup.

[rahul_c]

Yup.

So I can update to ICS , any of you guys using LG optimus one or net /w ICS?

Just installed ROM manager, when I select "Flash ClockworkMod Recovery" it asks for phone model, which one should I choose? Mine LG optimus net is not listed. And about how much data will be downloaded, I have a limited plan on mobile.

[sam]

check if Amonra recovery is available. CWM didn't work properly for me almost bricking my optimus one twice. Rom size will be 100-110MB.

[rahul_c]

check if Amonra recovery is available. CWM didn't work properly for me almost bricking my optimus one twice. Rom size will be 100-110MB.

Yeah me too almost bricked my phone using CWM so had to re-flash. Lost everything on SD card and phone memory. I will use Amonra from now on, which ROM should I use? I've found these, cant decide...

[fz8975]

i rooted my samsung galaxy fit(GingerBread) today
i installed ROM manager from Google Play but Clockworkmod Recovery was not showing my device. So I installed "Clockworkmod Recovery 5 " manually by the help of
Now what should I do ?

also this video >>How to install Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.4 Beta 7 on Samsung Galaxy FIT [Camera is not working]
if i do this how to UNDO it ?