[G1 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] nephron:
The Ultimate Beginner's Guide

Rooting your Phone

Q: What is Root?

A: Root is linux operator allowing access to all files in the file system. With root or administrative rights, developers can create or "cook" roms, get access to core files and of course create themes.

For a more detailed explanation go HERE

Q: Why Should I Root My Phone?

A: Here is a couple of reasons:

- A huge preformance boost

- Multi-Touch web browsing

- Install Apps directly to your SD Card

- Wireless and Wired Internet Tethering

- Faster Download Speeds

- Bonus Apps and Widgets from other builds

- Many many many more

Ok, since you kept reading, I think you are ready to root your phone! The only question now is HOW?!?

Check your Phone Version:

1. Go to settings

2. Press on "About Phone"

3. Scroll Down to "Firmware Version" if you have 1.5 please skip to the Rooting Your Phone part of this Guide. If you have 1.6 or higher please follow the downgrading part of the Guide.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Downgrading your G1 to Cupcake 1.5

Load the DreaIMG.nbh File

1. Download the Original DreaIMG.nbh file:

Original DREAIMG.nbh

2. Extract the .zip file to get the DreamIMG.nbh file. Place the .nbh file in the root of your sd card. (root = not in any folders)

Note: Make sure your sd card is partition as FAT32 or your phone will not detect the .nbh files.

To Format:

- Load your SD card in the card reader and connect to PC.

- Make sure you back up everything on your card. a format will erase all data on the card.

- Now open “My Computer” and right click on the drive with the SD card (Warning! Make sure its the correct drive).

- Click on Format and select FAT32 on the file system drop down and click then click Start.

- Once completed, Copy your files back to the SD card and make sure the “Original DREAIMG.nbh” is at the topmost folder of your SD card.

3. Turn the phone off if it is on.

4. Turn on the phone by holding the Camera button and the End key until the bootloader screen turns on.

5. Hit the End key to start the update. DO NOT INTERUPT THIS PROCESS.

6. Once it is done, hit the trackball to restart the phone. You now are on the stock firmware RC29. You must do the next section to get back to cupcake.

Get Back to Cupcake

1. Download the cupcake update from HERE

2. Rename the .zip file to update.zip

Note: Make sure its update.zip not update.zip.zip. If you cannot update rename your file to update not update.zip

3. Turn off your phone

4. Hold the HOME key while pressing the POWER key

5. You will see a "!" which means you are in recovery

6. Open your keyboard and type alt+l to see text

7. Type alt+s to updpate

8. Congrats you have now downgraded your phone to the Cupcake 1.5 OS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rooting Your Phone

1. On your phone, Do the following,

- Go to Settings --> Applications

- Make sure Unknown source is checked ON.

THEN,

- Go to Settings --> SD Card and Phone Storage

- Click on Unmount SD Card

- Now Click Format SD Card (Make sure you backed up all your files!)

- It should remount the SD Card for you

2. Go to the Android Market on your phone and Download & Install "Linda File Manager" or "Astro File Manager" if you dont already have a file manager installed.

3. Plug the phone into the compuer via USB, then pull down the notification bar and click on the SD card notification. Then click mount.

4. Download the Following:

FlashRec.apk

Amon Ra’s Recovery Image (12/13/09)

5. Put both files in the root of your sd card (root = not in any folders!)

7. Unplug the phone from the computer once completed

9. Open the file manager and goto SDCard and then find the FlashRec apk file and click it (If asked tell it to use Package Installer to open it. It should automatically install the apk)

10. Open the FlashRec program and click on Backup Recovery Image and wait for it to finish.

11. Once done, click on the empty text box in the FlashRec program and type:

/sdcard/recovery-RA-dream-v1.5.2.img

Then click on the Flash Custom RecoveryImage button and wait for it to finish.

12. Turn off the phone and turn it on into Recovery mode by holding down Home and Power to turn it on (keep holding until the recovery screen comes up has a bunch of text on a black background).

13. Congrats! You have rooted your phone! To keep your root, you MUST continue to the next part of this guide!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Installing CyanogenMOD (Custom ROM)

1. While still in recovery scroll down and click on "USB-MS Toggle"

2. Connect your phone to your PC

3. Download the following:

- Latest CyanogenROM HERE (Download should be toward the bottom of the post)

- ADP 1.6 DRC83 Update - HERE

4. Put the .zip files you have now finished downloading in the ROOT of your SD Card (Root = not in any folder)

5. Once done, unplug your phone from your PC

6. Press HOME to disable USB-MS

7. Scroll down to "Flash ZIP from sdcard"

8. Select HTC_ADP_1.6_DRC83_rooted_base.zip and Press HOME to install

9. Once done DO NOT reboot! DO NOT!

10. Scroll down to "Flash ZIP from sdcard"

11. Select update-cm-X.X.X-signed.zip and Press HOME to install

12. Press HOME to install

13. Once Done, press on "Reboot System Now"

NOTE: Reboot will take up to 5-10 min

14. Congrats! You are now DONE!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flash the New RADIO and SPL

Q. Why do i NEED this?

A. This will give your phone more internal memory and is REQUIRED for MOST new roms! This is a requirement for ALL Hero ROMS

NOTE: Please read carefully before flashing! This could BRICK your phone!!!

1. Check if you have a PVT or DVT board

a. Power off your phone and enter bootloader (Camera + Power)

b. Check look at the top and see if it says PVT of DVT

2. If you have a DVT board YOU

CANNOT

CONTINUE BECUASE THIS WILL BRICK YOUR PHONE!

3. For all you luck PVT board people Download the following:

OTA Radio Update - HERE

Danger SPL - HERE

Latest CyanogenMOD - HERE

4. Rename ota-radio-2_22_19_26I.zip to Radio.zip. Rename spl-signed.zip to SPL.zip. Rename update-cm-4.0.1-signed.zip to ROM.zip

5. Place the 3 renamed files at the ROOT of your SD Card

6. Enter Recovery (Home + Power)

7. Scroll down and press on "Apply any zip from sd"

8. Press on Radio.zip

9. Let it install. Once done it will tell your to reboot to finish the update. Press on Reboot System now in the recovery menu.

10. It will reboot back to recovery. Once it does, Scroll down and press on "Apply any zip from sd"

11. Press on SPL.zip

12. Let it install. Once done it will tell your to reboot to finish the update. Press on Reboot System now in the recovery menu.

13. It will NOT reboot into recovery. Your phone will be stuck on the G1 screen. Once it gets there, reboot your phone by pressing Talk+Menu+Power and then hold the HOME button to enter back into recovery.

14. Scroll down and press on "Apply any zip from sd"

15. Press on ROM.zip and let it install.

16. Reboot your phone to finish.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Partition your SD Card to have EXT3 and Swap

Q. What is partitioning?

A. This breaks up your sd card to 3 file systems. Allowing apps to be stored on your SD Card

Q. What is EXT2/3/4?

A. EXT is a filesystem that is only read by a linux OS such as Android. This allows apps to be stored on the SD Card

Q. What is SWAP?

A. Swap is a space on your SD Card that the phone will use as "fake" internal RAM allowing for a major speed increase

1. Backup all your files!

2. Power off your phone

3. Boot into recovery (Hold HOME while holding the POWER button)

4. Scroll down to Partition SD CARD in the recovery menu and press on it

5. Click on Partition SD

6. In the menu, it will ask for you to input two numbers. Swap, then EXT space.

Enter the following:

- SWAP: 96 MB

- EXT: 512 MB

- FAT32: Rest of SD Card

7. Once done go back to the Partition SDcard menu

8 Click on SD:ext2 to ext3

9. Press HOME to confirm

10. Once done, you need to install your current ROM to enable auto apps2sd and swap

11. Download your currently used rom

- Latest CyanogenMOD - HERE

12. Put the .zip file you have now finished downloading in the ROOT of your SD Card (Root = not in any folder)

13. Once done, unplug your phone from your PC

14. Press HOME to disable USB-MS

15. Scroll down to "Flash ZIP from sdcard"

16. Select update-cm-X.X.X-signed.zip and Press HOME to install

17. Press HOME to install

18. Once Done, press on "Reboot System Now"

19. Congrats! You are now done!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Installing a Theme

1. Download your favorite theme

- XDA Theme Forum - HERE

NOTE: Make sure you know that the theme is ment for your currently install rom

2. Put the .zip file you have now finished downloading in the ROOT of your SD Card (Root = not in any folder)

3. Once done, unplug your phone from your PC

4. Press HOME to disable USB-MS

5. Scroll down to "Flash ZIP from sdcard"

6. Select "themeExampleX.zip" and Press HOME to install

7. Press HOME to install

8. Once Done, press on "Reboot System Now"

9. Enjoy your newly themed ROM

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Factory Reset Your Phone (Data + Cache WIPE)

1. Turn off your phone

2. Boot into recovery (Hold HOME while holding the POWER button)

3. Scroll Down to WIPE and click it

4. Click on "Wipe data/factory reset"

5. Press HOME to continue

6. Reboot your phone once done

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Full SD Card WIPE (EXT, DATA, Dalvik-Cache)

1. Turn off your phone

2. Boot into recovery (Hold HOME while holding the POWER button)

3. Scroll Down to WIPE and click it

4. Click on "Wipe data/factory reset"

5. Press HOME to continue

6. repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 for "WIPE Dalvik-Cache" and "WIPE SD:ext partition"

6. Reboot your phone once done

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donate

Hey guys, if you think my Guides have helped you and in general are very helpful, please considering Donating!

Like My Guide(s)?

Donate

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------