[Tilt, TyTN II, MDA Vario III Windows Mobile ROM De] quicksite:
Clarifications please, re entering Bootloader mode, RUU.exe, and Bootloader.exe

mskip, I have shot a new series of close-up videos that show every step of the HARD SPL process, as well as Flashing a New ROM... I also shot some intentional mistakes, to demonstrate some "recovery" issues.

There are many great "How to Flash a ROM" guides; I particularly like yours, which I've only found *since* I've already shot these videos (because I have a Herald/WING vs Kaiser)... There are a few discrepancies here and there between various guides, (not major ones), and thus I want to ask a few clarification questions... so i hope you will reply. My goal in these new videos is to speak to mainstream people who have no background at all in any of the lingo that underlies these processes. Thus I am triple-checking amongst guides written by senior developers Ivan (in Herald section), Dutty, you, various others so as to reconcile some of these discrepancies.

In the quotes below, I am proceeding more or less in order, but skipping many steps to isolate the ones I want to clarify.

** When is this step (during initial HARD SPL or FLashing a ROM post-HardSPL) necessary and required, as opposed to "Best Pratices"? What is it accomplishing?

** Again, is removal of SIM and SD cards only recommended before a Hard SPL process, or also for post-HardSPL phones when seeking to flash a new rom?

** The issue of differentiating between "a cabled USB Connection to your PC" vs "enabling the application called Active Sync" is often vexing. (Personal note: I find that the whole "Active Sync" component in flashing ROMS is unnecessarily confusing, but I blame this on Microsoft's co-mingling of two separate actions: a USB connection, and the synchronization of contacts and outlook data between a PC and a hand device.)

So, from a layman's perspective, please tell me if this is accurate or not:

(1) One should always make sure their phone data is backed up before performing any type of ROM flashing, and this is accomplished by (a) synchronizing your phone data with PC's Outlook app, and (b) thru use of PIM Backup app, saving data to your storage card.

(2) After data has been backed up, by way of "Active Sync"... thereafter, when performing any ROM updates, whether HardSPL or just flashing a new ROM, the application "Active Sync" is technically no longer involved in the flashing process, but rather, what's necessary is having a USB connection from device to PC (if installing via PC, vs installing via Storage Card). And these various steps one is advised to take in these Flash guides is to handle the fact that Microsoft launches ActiveSync when that cable-connection is detected, seeks to run a syncrhonization session -- which fouls up the basic data connection from phone to PC necessary to flash a ROM. Is this accurate?

** same as above: More compensations all necessary in order to disable MS's assumption that "presence of USB cable = want to run a sync session".

** Why, exactly, is is required to unplug the USB cable -- is it just a "Best Practices" precaution to prevent any kind of accidental read/write of data?

--

A few questions re entering Bootloader mode, in various scenarios:

1. In many of the guides written in 2007 and some in 2008, even for when flashing a rom to phone device from your PC , a step is specified to "enter Bootloader mode by holding & pressing xxxxxxxx and xxxxxx on your phone, and then xxxxx".

2. Is this correct: If you have an RUU folder that includes the .exe named Bootloader.exe, along with the RUU.exe and .nbh file, then by running the RUU.exe app, entering bootloader mode is handled automatically, sending the commands to phone which place it into the tri-color screen mode? -- as opposed to one having to manually press xxxx and yyyy on phone to enter bootloader mode?

3. If correct: then, does it matter on which screen or in which mode your phone is currently on in order to begin the flash-ROM process? For example, could I just as well be on a Total Commander app screen or on a TouchFlo Today screen or some other "home" page of an app launcher?

(Note: I already understand that there are those, such as I believe dutty, who recommend users run a hard reset on their phones before starting a new flash-rom session, just for "best practices" purposes.... And that this step is considered by others to be superfluous and irrelevant, and that what matters most is that a Hard-Reset be run immediately AFTER flashing a new ROM.)

** Why is it recommended to remove SIM and storage cards? Is this, again, a precaution step, or a necessary step? Many guides do not list this as a step.

** Just to be clear, again re this differentiation between USB connection and "Active Sync", would it be more accurate to say "until your PC confirms it has a USB connection to your phone"? (Again, it is my view that the term "Active Sync" creates more confusion than helpfulness in this whole realm of moving files from PC to phone. This is why I ask, to be clear.)

** Going back to my earlier question re discrepancies in guides, I am assuming that these ROMS folders typically have the .exe file Bootloader.exe within those folders, and that KaiserCustomRUU.exe calls the Bootloader.exe app which sets the phone into bootloader mode from the PC, without one needing to manually set the phone intp bootloader mode.

But for argument's sake: Let's say that someone gets confused in their recollection of how one flashes a new ROM via microSD card -- vs -- how one flashes a ROM via PC and USB cable... and that person is set to run the RUU.exe file from a PC... Suppose he/she goes ahead and manually sets the phone into bootloader mode, and gets the tri-color screen: Does that conflict with or hamper in any way the running of the RUU.exe program from the PC? I assume that the phone would simply be set AGAIN into bootloader mode by the RUU wizard file, then continue as usual. Is this correct? Or is it a problem, or NOT ADVISED to manually set phone into bootloader mode if you are going to be running an RUU.exe process that includes the bootloader.exe file in the RUU folder?

** In at least one other Guide, again, they don't insist that one remove SIM and storage cards before flashing to a new ROM. But again I think it is dutty who DOES say, "after customizing your phone, power down your phone, then power it back up". So I am just seeking clarification... and for that matter, why can't one perform a SoftReset at that point vs power down, then power on. What is the difference as it pertains to that specific step after customization?

** I understand your guide is for Kaiser phones. And other guides, for Vogue or Raphael, for example, use a 4-LETTER ABBREVIATION for the name of the their specific phone.

** Where does one get the correct 4-LETTER CODE for their phone if one wants to flash via MicroSD card? (Note: This is impt because when one searches the XDA site for "Guide to Flashing" etc, these various other guides show up, but I have never seen any of them say: If your phone is a XXXXXXXXXXX instead of a Kaiser, and you are following this guide, be sure to obtain the correct 4-letter code for your phone by going to XXXXXXXXXX page.)

Thank you in advance for any and all answers to these questions, whether from mskip or anyone else.