[Touch Viva, MDA Basic ROM Development] jagan2:
Hello all,

There are many new users who want to install/upgrade to a custom rom but totally don't know from where they should start. So, they ask the same question again and again in irrelevant threads. Here is a very short guide which will help you to install/upgrade to a custom rom and will hopefully prevent newbie's from asking the same question. :D

@All New users: There is no problem in asking question and everybody is ready to help you but many ppl just don't go through the pages even tho the question has been answered several times in a single thread.

Things to be known:-

1. Flashing The term flashing means installing or upgrading. When we say Flashing a rom that simple means we are installing the rom. But sometimes you would have seen in forums ppl saying flash Hard spl or so. Here too flashing simply means installing.

2. Basic information On powering up your phone the basic information displayed on the screen are: ONBL version, SPL version, GSM or Radio version and OS version.

For flashing a custom rom we only need to know about SPL for now.

3. SPL Here is the description of SPL by krazy_about_technology,

SPL or Second Program Loader is a part of your phone's firmware. Its responsible for both loading of operating system and it is also used by operating system for some low level tasks. By Default, HTC and Other Manufacturers too, design it in such a way that it does not allows custom ROMs to be flashed in the phone. It does no by checking for the Digital Signature of HTC on roms. So it need to be patched in order to flash custom ROMs made by chefs in this forum.

4. H-SPL As you can see in the above description that SPL are designed in such a way that it doesn't allow you to flash custom roms. So we need a H-SPL ( Hard SPL). When we flash a HSPL it simply patches the current SPL or in other words it unlocks the device for flashing custom roms.

The flashing process

1. Flashing HSPL First flash HSPL, head over to this thread ( here ) for all the instructions and downloads of HSPL.

2. ROM Now after flashing HSPL choose a custom rom. Almost all the custom roms are compressed commonly with winrar or 7zip.

So, if you dont have winrar or 7zip to uncompress the package get any one of them. My suggestion is get 7zip from here.

After uncompressing the custom rom package there are two cases,

Case 1: There is a single *.nbh file, generally the rom file is named as RUU_signed.nbh ( but remember it may be of any other name too, just it will be of *.nbh format ). In this case you need some additional tools to flash this file into ur device.

How to flash the nbh file (this only guides you to flash nbh not unlocking ur device (hspl)​

Here is a short method.

1. Download this Installation package (295 kb). here

2. Extract the above downloaded package anywhere on pc (say desktop)

3. Copy the downloaded nbh to the extracted folder. (Here the extracted folder name is Installation package)

4. Double click on ROMUpdateUtility.exe

5. Follow the onscreen instructions.

Thats it!

Case 2: After uncompressing the custom rom package you will see there are additional files with the rom file. These additional files are nothing but the tools required to flash the rom into your device. So in this case you don't need any additional files and you can directly for for flashing.

Flashing the rom:

For XP

1. Download and install Microsoft Activesync 4.5 (the latest) if you don't have it in your pc. It can be downloaded from here.

2. Connect your Device with PC via USB cable. As soon as you connect you would see a pop up window on your device. Probably there will be three options, you have to select the option which is Activesync.

Now you should see in your PC Activesync connected, if it didn't sync open Activesync go to connection setting and select the port through which your device is connected. Now re plug-in your device.

3. Run the ROMUpdateUtility.exe remember the flashing tool should be in a folder where the rom file is also present. Follow the on-screen instructions. Thats it.

For vista/windows 7

1. Download and install Microsoft Device centre from here.

2. Connect your Device with PC via USB cable. As soon as you connect you would see a pop up window on your device. Probably there will be three options, you have to select the option which is Activesync.

Now you should see in your PC Device center is connected, if it didn't sync open Device center go to connection setting and select the port through which your device is connected. Now re plug-in your device.

3. Run the ROMUpdateUtility.exe remember the flashing tool should be in a folder where the rom file is also present. Follow the on-screen instructions. Thats it.

Essential thing to be known:-

1. Bootloader mode Knowing how to enter into Bootloader mode is one of the most essential thing to be known for a opal user (windows mobile users).

How to enter?

There are two way to enter into bootloader mode.

1. If you device is on, open your device's back cover. Press the soft reset button ( red button ) using stylus. As soon as you press it, immediately press the volume down button and keep holding it until you see a tri-color screen on your device's screen.

2. If your device is off, press the power button as soon as the device vibrates immediately press volume down button and keep holding it until you see a tri-color screen on your device's screen.

Uses?

If you flashed a damaged rom, you would be no longer able to use your device. In that case enter into bootloader mode. And flash a different rom.