yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
Frequently asked questions.

A. How to upgrade from 2GB to 16GB micro-sd

Step #1: Ensure you are using RA 1.6.2 as recovery image. It will be the last line in your phone, when you are in recovery mode (Check Post #9). Lower and upper versions are being reported as having some issue as on this date. If you are having any other version, Flash RA 1.6.2

Step #2: Take nandroid back up on you phone on old SD card and save it in your PC. (Post #2)

Step #3: Nandroid would have saved backup of your phone in SD card. Mount your SD card in your PC and take complete backup of your SD card's FAT32 partition.

Step #4: Prepare your new SD card as mentioned in post #3.

Step #5: Once you prepared your new SD card, mount it in your PC.

Step #6: Restore your backed up copy of old SD card to new SD card(on FAT32 partition)

Step #7: Boot your phone in recovery mode.

Step #8: Perform a nandroid restore. You need to restore from new SD card.

Step #9: Reboot your phone. You shall be up and running now using your new SD card.

B. SWAP and Dalvik-cache on SD. What can go wrong?

1. Enable Dalvik-cache on SD card, only if you have at least CLASS-4.

2. Enable swap on SD only if you have at least CLASS-6.

SWAP / Dalvik-cache might perform frequent read-write on your SD card, which might impact its life.

C. How to flash adhoc update zip

If you come across instruction to flash some zip file,

1. Copy that file to your /sdcard/ (root directory of SD card).

2. Reboot you phone in recovery mode. Refer to post #9. Then follow the instruction from Step #7 in this post. (ie. You need to perform Flash zip from sdcard)

D. How to take screenshot of phone

1. Connect your phone to PC

2. Ensure PC has ANDROID SDK installed

3. Goto tools directory of Android SDK.

4. Execute a batch file called DDMS

5. Select your device.

6. Then from menu, goto Device, Screen Capture (or Ctrl+S)

7. Save the screenshot

8. Detailed steps can be found at how-to-take-screenshots-of-android-device or at how-to-capture-screenshot-on-android-phones
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
How to remove default applications?

Even though steps are simple, it is advised to follow it under expert guidance. You shall know what you are doing and do it properly.

Step #1: Get into android SDK tools directory to access adb program. You should have learnt it by now. (Or refer to post #2 and ensure adb devices lists your device)

Better to keep a backup of application you are going to remove.

Step #2: Reboot your phone in recovery mode (Post #9). Expert might state it is not required, but will prefer this way.

Step #3: Enter following set of commands one by one in command prompt.

First command will create a directory in your PC to keep backup.

Second command will mount internal ROM and make it available for you to play.

Third command will make a copy of all installed applications.

Fourth command will unmount the internal ROM.

Your mobile shall still be in recovery mode.

Step #4: List contains application, I have removed 20 days back and my mobile is still working without any issue. To remove them get into adb shell first.

You are in adb shell prompt, which shows #

Step #5: Enter following set of commands one by one in adb # prompt.

First command mounts the internal ROM for read/write.

Second command gets you into application directory.

All rm commands removes unwanted applications. Ensure android is case sensitive and you shall respect upper and lower case. Run these command at your own risk.

cd / brings you back to root directory.

sync ensures that it is actually deleted. It is advisable to wait for few (5 to 10) sec between sync and umount command

umount command mounts it back.

reboot command reboots your mobile.

Step #6: You can reboot your mobile by typing following in command prompt
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
How to reboot into recovery mode

Simple option:

Step #1: Turn phone off

Step #2: Hold Home button while pressing power on, you'll get to the recovery screen

Complex option:

Step #1: Goto android SDK tools directory in command prompt.

Step #2: In command prompt type

Step #3: In '#' prompt of adb shell, type

Command reboot recovery will reboot your phone into recovery mode. Simple reboot will reboot it in normal way.
[Hero CDMA General] VinceOB:
Being a noob yourself you probably shouldve checked out the sticky threads at the top of every forum. There is a wiki already for this kind of stuff...Maybe this could be combined into the wiki? Perhaps? You should be able to modify the wiki with your info. Good info either way.
[Hero CDMA General] eagles16:
another way to do this is through fast boot, which i personally use, or the app quick boot

for installing custom rom remember wiping, kernel-make sure it's for your build lol
[Hero CDMA General] danbula:
Great suggestion but Wiki is down.
[Hero CDMA General] VinceOB:
Uggggh does that page EVER stay up?
[Hero CDMA General] nwkenning:
Great how-to. Thank you for your time and effort.
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
Thanks for comment. If you have steps for those two missing points, let me know. Will update.
[Hero CDMA General] ItsDon:
Nice job! I expect to link to this info often when helping out the new folks. I was one once and was guilty of not reading as much as I should have. I think they get intimidated by having a question and then seeing 1,800 posts! Yes, the search button is there but, you know..... This would have helped me a bunch.
[Hero CDMA General] vidsid:
Great idea. Thanks for the work. This would have come in quite handy when I was first getting started. I think I read for 3 weeks before I tried my first root and rom.
[Hero CDMA General] c00ller:
I read that it is a good idea to wipe dalvik after flashing a new kernel
[Hero CDMA General] nolig2278:
Wiki is always down

So it seems
[Hero CDMA General] myke66:
great writeup, thanks. bookmarked, wiki can be cluttered sometimes.
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
Hi thanks.will update. I modified the steps to wipe dalvik before flashing new kernel as I maintained wipe before flash in other steps. Is it ok?
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
Thanks. Hope this will help the community.
[Hero CDMA General] COWHEAD:
Thank you. Very helpful.
[Hero CDMA General] c00ller:
I know it sounds inconsistent, but I keep seeing ppl advise flashing data + dalvik + ext (if you have a2sd) BEFORE flashing ROM, then flashing dalvik AFTER flashing kernel. I never asked why, but that's the response I've gotten
[Hero CDMA General] cephraim:
Great post! Thanks!

Can you comment on the a2SD swap size and partition size choices? Why did you choose those sizes? Can they be changed after initial configuration?
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
Yes. You can change. Swap can be 0. In that case phone will fully use internal memory. It might impact max number of simultaneously running applications.

You can reduce EXT partition size also. Reduced EXT size will limit number of application you can install.

As I am having 8GB CLASS4 micro SD I used this.

Let me know if this info is helpful. Will update the partition post.

If you want to change the size later, you will loose data. Re partitioning mean you will loose data.
[Hero CDMA General] zachslavin:
Using the Emulator on the phone

I flashed a recovery image using the emulator on my phone and everything seemed to work just fine, I am wondering what are the risks of running commands through the emulator? What's the difference between opening an adb shell on my computer and just using the terminal on my phone?
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
Hope you are a unix expert. You will be able to access terminal on your phone, when the phone is not in recovery mode. In that case, mounting / un-mounting /system, /data, /system/ad etc is risky.

You can play with sdcard partition. Nandroid backup, wipe etc through phone might damage your phone.

adb allows you to copy between your phone and PC.
[Hero CDMA General] zachslavin:
Not an expert my friend but am a fast learner. Just trying to figure out why some guides, partitioning sd cards for example, ask you to open an adb. Couldn't you mkpartfs primary fat 32 xx-xx right from the terminal, so on and so on.
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
I am not sure whether it is possible (atleast mkpartfs) as mkpartfs will erase data and not recommended to perform on a running phone. Copying from phone to PC etc can be performed by connecting phone to PC and following steps in phone manual. I asked experts advise on its impact on A2SD scenario and will wait for their recommendation. Even if it works, be sure to bring it back to charge only mode to connect it back through adb.

As this phone is my primary phone, I read lots of thread for 4 months (since Feb '10) and finally flashed custom ROM on Jun '10. I can not afford a crash with this phone.

I just wanted to keep it consistent for noob. They might be well aware of adb shell as part of rooting procedure and might find it easy.

If someone suggests another easy way, I will update corresponding post. Idea is to KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) for noob and reach a stage when a newbie will get the required confident to start within few days of reading. lol
[Hero CDMA General] muppetman462:
Ok, I guess I will jump in and bite...

I am not a programmer, not even close. I know enough to be dangerous...

A few questions though....

1) A2SD....I read about it, I think I have it up and running on my phone, but I don't know....I formatted my SD card for A2SD....I know I did this because I jumped in with both feet and formatted my card without backing it up...whoops....Anywho, how would one go about checking this?

2) I always see "push" this or that....and I'm assuming that is via terminal.....because I am dangerous, I mess around with ubuntu.....is this possible??

3) Where oh where can I learn to be dangerous on an android phone??@?@ I like the "KISS" statement, because I believe in that also..but if I go and google "kiss android" I end up with pages that I would not show my mom...any ideas?

BTW, thanks for a great thread....it's helped me out a lot....
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
Thanks for the comment. I added a warning just before partition step

Removed push and added simple instruction. I had a doubt about application in SD. It is confirmed. We can mount/unmount SD card through phone option.

Learning never end.
[Hero CDMA General] bodyshop:
Thanks a Million!!! This should be a Sticky. The only thing i didnt see for noobs is how to disable OTA updates.

Thanks
[Hero CDMA General] bodyshop:
Also let the noobs (myself included) know what can be deleted from your sd card after it is installed onto your phone. Such as zip files etc. freeing up even more space for other things.

Great Thread. answered many of my questions.
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
Thanks for comment. All zip files in /sdcard/ can be removed post flashing. Even I will suggest to remove to avoid confusion. You can also remove /sdcard/nandroid/ directory, provided you have backed it up. Only point I will always suggest ==> backup your nandroid directory in your PC. Nandroid backup uses approx 150mb per backup attempt.

As suggested by GURU's you can rename the directory under NANDROID in more meaningful name like AfterRootBeforeOCKernel, AfterRootAfterOCKernelWorking etc.

Also, I recommended some application that can be removed, which will give some extra space with in phone memory.
[Hero CDMA General] bodyshop:
Thanks alot. Last question for now - I found the disable OTA updates at the end of 1st OP, i did it and i got an error. Is that whats supposed to happen? I know that sounds dumb but i know its only changing the file suffix so it wont install after download. I figured it may give the error for an incorrect file name/suffix.
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
It will not give any issue.
[Hero CDMA General] Shadomastr:
Hey guys,

What are the pros and cons to using rom manager or a similar program to flash roms? I know that rom manager requires you to flash his custom recovery image. I had regaws recovery image on the phone and made the mistake of flashing the rom manager recovery over that. However, rom manager seems to make the whole process quite a bit simpler to manage. Could you provide some insight on this point?

Thank you for the feedback!
[Hero CDMA General] silentvigilante786:
Very Helpful

Thank you for this easy-to-follow and thorough walkthrough. It helped me take the plunge and everything went fine. Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!!
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
Thanks. Credit goes to community.
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
I do not have any idea. Will search knowledge base and learn. If learnt about it, will post in faq section. If any one know steps pros cons, can post here
[Hero CDMA General] lilmikeyv:
Plz help!

Step #2: Copy downloaded ROM to root directory of SD card. It shall be available in /sdcard/. For copying, you can use the steps followed to copy files from PC to phone which you were rooting the phone by getting into adb shell. Keep the file as ZIP file only. Do not unzip.

Step #3: Reboot your phone in recovery mode as mentioned in post #9

Step #4: From Android system recovery screen select Wipe option. Rotate TRACKBALL to highlight the required option and press TRACKBALL to select

Step #5: You need to wipe data, dalvik-cache. If you are already having A2SD, you shall wipe SD:ext partition.

Select them one by one and press HOME button to wipe data.

Step #6: Go back to main menu by pressing BACK button

Step #7: Select Flash zip from sdcard

Step #8: Select the just copied ROM from the list of zip files.

Step #9: Press HOME button confirm flashing

Step #10: It will install ROM. Once completed system will go back to main menu.

Step #11: Reboot by selecting Reboot system now[

OK...I'mbrand new to this and sorry, but I need it "dumbed down " just a bit further:( Im having trouble copying zip to root of sd card. Sorry but do I save to my android sdk tools file like in the rooting guide? what file name do I push? Ahh...I want to be able to do this but...plz help!!! Also, when I was partitioning my sd card, I was given like five options...I wiped everything...is that ok? If not how can I fix. And Ihave a class 6, 16gb card cause I have a lot of music...will those partition sizes be ok...Thank you so much for any help in advance. I LOVE this post...I just need it for the seriously stupid.
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
OK...I'mbrand new to this and sorry, but I need it "dumbed down " just a bit further:(

No issue. Let us work.

Have you already rooted or trying to root?

Do you have card reader to access your SD card from pc.
[Hero CDMA General] silentvigilante786:
Partition Help?

Thanks again for this great article and to everyone who contributed to make this community so strong.

I understood all your direction and had performed all the steps correctly and everything was fine, but then I tried to change my kernels and from then on I have been having problems with my SD card. The first time I had partitioned the SD card it had worked great and my apps had been going to SD. Then I by mistake cleared some data and needed to do a fresh flash and since then my sd card is not partitioning correctly. I can still access the utility in the Recovery Menu, and it says that it is partitioning and upgrading to ext3, when in fact the SD card remains unpartitioned (even after I do an sd: ext2 to ext3, it still gives that option again when it should give and sd: ext3 to ext4 option). Any advice on what I can do....is there a way I can completely Clean my SD and try to start fresh (though I have tried this and it hasnt worked)..any help would be greatly appreciated!?

By the way, I am running Freshrom 2.3.3
[Hero CDMA General] lilmikeyv:
Thanks for the response! I was able to root, but I don't really understand what I did. I don't know where or how in the process I got the program to the root of the sd card. I think I just re-rooted when I tried to runthe custom rom. Will this cause any problems and my wiping all options on my sd card...was that incorrect? I do not have a card reader, but I did copy my sd card to my pc through the usb cable before I began. Any and all help is greatly appreciated!
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
You might be knowing some of the answer below, but I want to be bit more clear.

1. ROOT process mean, getting root access of your phone to enable install some special programs like WIFI tether etc.

2. To achieve ROOT access, you need to copy zip files to root directory of your SD card. If you have card reader, copy the files to SD card root directory. For example, if your PC detects your SD card as H:, you will copy zip file to H:\

3. If you do not have card reader, you can connect your phone to PC and copy the files from PC to phone. You need to go to settings, connect to PC, Default Connection Type and select disk drive. You PC shall detect phone as mass disk drive and store the zip file in H:\ (or equivalent)

4. If you flash your custom rom, it will re-install everything. No issue. If you are not experienced restrict yourself to HTC stock based ROM like one in third post. It solves basic requirements for us to go for a root. Again it is a perception and my personal view. Try other ROMs, once you got experience with this stuff.

5. TO enable A2SD, you would have formatted your SD card. In that case you can restore your data by just copying files from your back up to SD card. It might not restore special data stored by applications like password, favourites etc... It will restore user data like songs etc...

6. Once after rooting, if the ROM is working for your satisfaction, take nandroid backup and secure it. Always you can trust it and get back to that stage by restoring nandroid back up

To verify, whether ROM is updated or not, share settings, about phone, software information ...

Hope it is clears you queries.
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
Irrespective of partition type and staus, SD: Ext2 to 3, 3 to 4, repair ext etc menu options will appear... No need to worry... Never change to ext4 as HTC Hero roms does not like EXT4 partition type.

If you really want to know, whether your partitioning is proper or not, try this link. http://androidandme.com/2009/08/news...droid-apps2sd/

You need to access adb shell

In above link stop at step #3. Do not proceed with step #4 as it is for actually formatting and partitioning ... That you can do it through menu in an easiest way...
[Hero CDMA General] silentvigilante786:
Thanks for the reply.

What I meant to say is that I am able to partition the SD through the Recovery Mode and it does not give any error messages when doing it, BUT when I actually start up the phone and look at the SD/Phone Information in Settings it remains unparted. Also, the 1st time I had done it and it worked correctly, after I upgraded sd:ext2 to ext3, it gave me an option to upgrade from sd:ext3 to ext4 (which I did not do). This is when everything was working like it should. Now after partitioning and updating sd:ext2 to ext3 it still gives me only the option to upgrade from ext2 to ext3 (as though the upgrade process didn't work).

Do you think my SD card has gotten messed up. Thanks again for all the help.

Also, is there any other way to partition the SD card and the link you added did not work.
[Hero CDMA General] lilmikeyv:
Thank you so much for the help.I'll try that when I get home...here's hoping! Thanks again!
[Hero CDMA General] lilmikeyv:
Oh and (sorry for the double post)...with the wipe...did I do it correctly to wipe all options...or should I have avoided some...and with my 16gb class six card are the partition limits listed on page 1 the ones I should use??? Also, I was hoping to push through adb like for the rooting...any process like that...just not sure what files to tell it to push. Sorry,I know I'm being a pain. Thanks again!
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
Correct link : http://androidandme.com/2009/08/news/how-to-manually-partition-your-sd-card-for-android-apps2sd/
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
No problem. Wipe will not give any issue. You will loose your data. If you are going to flash ROM, wipe will not give any issue. Wiping ext partition while applying kernal might give some issue. In your case, wipe will not give any issue. As you are having class 6, you can follow the partition, 64MB swap, 1024 MB EXT and rest FAT32.

when you are in adb shell, be careful. In particular, if you issue mount command, be very careful. You can brick your phone...

WIPE menu will wipe your SD card. At the max you will loose some data...

For push / pull here is the help...

adb push <PC File location> <Phone File location>

adb pull <phone File location> <PC File location>

First use some stable ROM ... get familiar with steps. then start playing around :)
[Hero CDMA General] lilmikeyv:
Perfect...thank you so much for ALL your help...I really appreciate your patience and advice...I'm excited...thanks again!
[Hero CDMA General] silentvigilante786:
Thanks or the help again, but it didnt work. I tried everything even going back to the original, stock RUU and then re-rooting and doing the whole process again but nothing seems to work to partition the SD. It goes through all the steps and doesn't give any errors, but leaves the SD card unpartitioned.

I might have to try a new SD Card, though this one had worked great the first time.
[Hero CDMA General] sekarpdkt:
Just want to know what do you mean by not working. Can you install Quick System info and post memory usage result.

Your phone has SD card usage report. It will report lesser size. May be 14gb ... if so partition has happened. Quick info lists a2sd usage also.....