[HD2 General] ashasaur:
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED THIS TO THE FRONT PAGE!!!

Alright people, I am making this to aggregate information for the n00bs among us. And I’m not talking about just people new to the HD2; I’m talking about TRUE WinMo n00bs, as well as people new to the HD2. This is mostly from my own research, so anyone that has anything to add please do so. This guide is meant to be super easy for ANYONE to follow along with, and as such, PLEASE read ALL the information before posting a question. At certain points in the guide you will see the following tag-[IMG(X)] where (X) is a number. When you see this tag, it means that there is an image at the bottom of the post that refers to or helps explain what the text is telling you, so please refer to those images to help you along.

Onto the guide!

Note that this guide assumes that you are using your US T-Mobile HTC HD2...on T-Mobile US service. Other carriers need not apply.

Please note that things in CAPITAL LETTERS and RED are IMPORTANT AND SHOULD BE READ. DON'T SKIP OVER STUFF!

PLEASE NOTE!!! THIS GUIDE IS !ONLY! FOR THE T-Mobile US VERSION OF THE HD2!!! DO NOT! I REPEAT !NOT! FOLLOW THE FLASHING INSTRUCTIONS IF YOU ARE USING AN INTERNATIONAL HD2! I TAKE !NO! RESPONSIBILITY IF YOU BRICK YOUR DEVICE FOLLOWING THIS GUIDE!!!

CURRENT SECTIONS:

SECTION 1-ANDROID

SECTION 2-WINDOWS MOBILE

SECTION 3-WINDOWS PHONE 7

SECTION 4-INTERNET ON THE HD2

SECTION 5-PROGRAMS, HACKS AND TWEAKS

SECTION 6-GENERAL HD2 Q&A

SECTION 7-WARRANTY RETURNS

SECTION 8-MAGDLR AND NANDROID

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Section 1-ANDROID ON THE HD2 AND YOU!

Alright, this is going to be a simple, broken down, easy to understand answer to the most common Android questions.

Q1-CAN I RUN ANDROID ON MY HD2?

A1-Yes, you can.

Q2-ALRIGHT, HOW?

A-Almost all Android distros come in a folder called "Android" that you then copy to your storage card. Now, where is the most common question. The answer-to the ROOT of your storage card. The ROOT of your storage card is where all of your files begin. [IMG1] is a screenshot of my HD2 connected to my PC via USB. The icon on the left with the name of "\" is your device's internal memory, and of course "Storage Card" is your Micro SD card inserted into your device. THAT is where you will copy your Android folder to. Double click on the "Storage Card" icon and then copy the Android folder inside it. See [IMG2].

Q3-ALRIGHT I'VE DONE THAT, NOW HOW DO I RUN IT?

A-Hold on there Skippy, you need to check something first. Are you running the stock T-Mobile ROM on your phone? If so, most builds of Android WILL NOT have the proper sound support. To check which version of Windows Mobile you are running, please see the next section. If you ARE NOT running the stock ROM, OR have a build of Android that is confirmed to work on the stock ROM then you are good to go! To run Android, simply navigate to the Android folder that you copied to your storage card using File Explorer, run the CLRCAD.exe program(nothing will happen, it’s not supposed to), then run the HaRET.exe program to begin booting Android. See [IMG3] for what this looks like. For more detailed instructions please refer to your particular builds thread for more information. DO NOT ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT SPECIFIC ANDROID PROBLEMS IN THIS THREAD. THEY WILL BE IGNORED.

Q4-COOL, ANDROID IS BOOTED. NOW, WHY DON I HAZ INTERNETS?!?

A-Because you have to setup your APN settings. Some builds of Android don't include the T-Mobile APN settings, and you have to enter them manually. Please refer to your builds thread for more information.

Q5-BUT WAIT, DO I NEED HARDSPL TO RUN ANDROID?

A-If you are going to be using the stock ROM and radio, no; you do not need HardSPL in order to boot Android. But since most builds of Android don't work on the stock ROM, you will need to flash HardSPL and a custom ROM in order to boot Android. Please refer to the Windows Mobile section below.

Q6-MAH PROGRAMS ARE SLOW ON ANDROID!

A-Of course they are. Android was not built to run on the HD2, all of the builds are unofficial ones that people have made in their spare time, so some programs may not work very well or at all on the HD2. Which leads into the next question...

Q7-OH NOES! BLUETOOTH/Wi-Fi/GPS/CAMERA ETC DON’T WORK! HALPS!

A-Not all builds of Android have everything working. Some don't have GPS, but have full camera. While others have no GPS but great Bluetooth, it all depends on the build and who made it. Please refer to the builds thread for more information. DO NOT POST ABOUT NON WORKING HARDWARE FEATURES IN THE GUIDE. THEY WILL BE IGNORED.

Alright, that's about it for Android I think. I will update it as I see fit. Onto WinMo!

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SECTION 2-Windows Mobile, the dyeing giant.

Lets face it people, as awesome as Windows Mobile is...its dying. I love it, and most people at XDA love WinMo (it IS what XDA was founded for after all contrary to popular belief), but it’s now overshadowed by iN00b OS, Android and pretty soon WP7...but WinMo can still be awesome! Thanks to the EXCELLENT work by the cooks at XDA, WinMo is still alive, and better than ever. Let’s get to it!

Q1-WHAT VERSION OF WINMO DO I HAVE?

A-A good question! With so many out there now, it can get a bit confusing, but never fear, it’s not hard to find out which you have. If your Start button is in the top left hand corner of your screen, you are using Windows Mobile 6.5.1 or earlier. If your Start button is on the bottom left of your screen, then you are using Windows Mobile 6.5.3 or later (maybe). To get your specific version and build numbers, simply navigate to Start->Settings->System->About. On that page at the top is displayed your OS version and build number. Please see [IMG4] for an example of what mine looks like.

Q2-KK, I'VE GOT 6.5.1, AND I WANT 6.5.3!

A-Cool, then you will need to flash a custom ROM. Doing so is relatively easy to do. But you will need some things before you start. Here's what you need:

#1-A T-Mobile US HD2 (this guide is ONLY for the US version!)

#2-A MicroUSB cable

#3-The HardSPL3 kit

#4-The ROM of your choice

#5a-If on Windows XP-Activesync

#5b-If on Windows Vista/7-Windows Sync Center-AKA Windows Mobile Device Center

HardSPL3 can be downloaded from the main section of the T-Mo LEO forums. I am not going to hotlink out of respect to the creator, and WMDC or AS can be downloaded from http://www.windowsmobile.com.

After you assemble all these components, first things first, a proper warning. BACKUP ANYTHING YOU DO NOT WANT TO LOSE BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO FLASH! Files, pictures, texts, emails...anything you don't want lost. You can either use a backup program, or move these items to your SD card. EVERYTHING ON YOUR DEVICES INTERNAL MEMORY WILL BE DELETED WHEN YOU FLASH A NEW ROM!!! PLEASE KEEP THIS IN MIND! Now, follow these steps to get yourself flashed with a new ROM!

#1-Install WMDC or AC.

#2-Connect your device and let it fully sync. If some windows pop up asking you to enter a device name and such, just close them. Every time you flash a new ROM you will have to go through that process again as your computer thinks that it is a new device.

#3-Once your device is connected and synced unzip HardSPL and follow the instructions in the HardSPL thread to get it applied.

#4-After HardSPL is applied, connect your device again, and then navigate to your custom ROMs folder that you downloaded earlier and run the "CustomRUU" program from within and follow the instructions. THAT'S IT! If all went well, you have now successfully flashed a new ROM onto your HD2!

Q3-BUT, FOR WHATEVER REASON, I CAN'T FLASH USING USB!!!

A-Follow my man Snarksneeze's guide here in the T-Mobile HD2 forums for COMPLETE details on flashing both your ROM and radio via Micro SD card. I can't explain it any better than he does...so I'm not gonna even try!

Q4-COOL! I HAVE A NEW ROM!!! BUT IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THE OLD ONE...

A-Of course it doesn't. All ROMs are different, and every cook is different. No two ROMs are ever exactly the same. Try them all out! Which leads too...

Q5-WHICH ROM IS BEST?? JUST POINT ME TO IT!!

A-Asking this question, ESPECIALLY making a new thread about it, is about the fastest way to get hated at XDA. Lemme say this nice and calm...WHICH ROM IS BEST IS A SUBJECTIVE THING. THERE IS NO ONE BEST ROM, THERE IS ONLY THE BEST ROM FOR YOUR NEEDS. PLEASE PEOPLE, WE DON'T NEED MORE THREADS ABOUT THIS!

Q6-I DON'T THINK I LIKE THIS CUSTOM ROM, CAN I GO BACK TO STOCK!!

A-Yes! You can! Simply connect your phone via USB again, download the CORRECT stock ROM for your device (look below for more info) and flash away1

Q7-CORRECT STOCK ROM? QUE?

A-The T-Mobile HD2 is NOT, IN ANY WAY, compatible with international, or other carrier ROMs. It is imperative that you ONLY flash the T-Mobile US carrier ROMs to your US HD2 or you will end up with a nice shiny brick of a device. You can find T-Mobile US HD2 carrier ROMs in the "Official ROMS" thread in the ROMs section.

Q8-WHAT ABOUT RADIOS?!

A-Radio ROMs are what control your cell radio, your GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, among other things. And they can be JUST as dangerous as custom ROMs, if not more. You CANNOT flash a radio ROM to your HD2 if it has the number (.51) in its name. CANNOT. IF you do, it will insta-brick your HD2 beyond repair. Radio ROMs that have .51 in their name are specifically for international HD2s and will not work with the T-Mobile US version. Radio ROMS flash just like regular ROMs.

Q9-MAH SPL! IT CHANGED!

A-If you flashed an official T-Mobile ROM via MicroSD, then yes, it did. When flashing via USB, your SPL is not touched. But when flashing via MicroSD, it overwrites ANY SPL you have applied, even HardSPL.

Q10-HOW DO I INSTALL PROGRAMS?

A-Windows Mobile programs generally come in a format that ends with ".cab". These files are simply installers, very similar to .exe's on your PC. To install a WinMo program, simply copy that .cab file to either your device or storage card, navigate to it using file explorer on your device and click on it. Follow the instructions and BAM, new program.

Q11-ZOMG WHY CAN'T I DOWNLOAD THE NEW OFFICIAL ROM UPDATE???? WHERE CAN I GET IT?!?

A-Because you aren't a T-Mobile customer, or because you aren't looking very hard. To make this easy for people, I have downloaded the official update, and uploaded it to Multiupload. You can download it from this link-http://www.multiupload.com/6W0HRU5PGU

Q12-I HAVE A MAC, HOW CAN I FLASH MY PHONE?

A-The RUU of course will not run under a Mac OS environment, but there are a few ways to get your phone flashed. Some users have had success using DarWINE, a Windows API emulator to run the RUU, but some have also run into problems with Mac OS not having proper RDIS drivers to recognize the device with. Other Mac users simply create a Bootcamp partition, install some flavor of Windows, and flash normally. And the third, and easiest way to flash your phone while using Mac OS, is to simply extract the ROM itself and flash it via SD card, here's how; If you download an official T-Mobile ROM it will come in the form of an .exe, which is simply a self extracting archive that extracts the ROM file itself (xxxxxx_SIGNED.nbh) and the RUU to a temporary folder on your PC, then runs the RUU and flashes your phone, then deletes the temp data. Under a Mac OS system, you can simply download this .exe, and use an archiving program such as StuffIt to un-archive the .exe and gain the raw files. StuffIt may or may not recognize the .exe as an archive, but select it anyways and it should continue. After you have extracted the files to a folder, connect your SD card to your computer through a reader of some sort, and follow the directions in Snarksneeze's stickie on how to flash a ROM via an SD card. If you downloaded a custom ROM, then you can skip the un-archiving step, and just follow the SD card flashing guide.

For right now, that's it for the WinMo section...now onto something ALOT worse...

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SECTION 3-Windows Phone 7...on the HD2?

Yes, it’s true; Windows Phone 7 CAN be installed on the HD2.

Q1-WHERE CAN I DOWNLOAD A WP7 ROM?

A-By using Google. At this time, there is no OFFICIAL Cotulla release of WP7 for the HD2, likewise posting direct links to the leaked release are AGAINST the XDA rules.

Q2-WHY CAN'T WE HAVE IT?

A-Because the current release hasn't been officially released to XDA yet, but only on Cotulla's personal site.

Q3-WELL, WHO IS DEVELOPING IT? CAN I HELP TEST?

A-Cotulla and his team are currently working on porting WP7 to the HD2, and if they need your help they will ask. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not bother Cotulla or his team about WP7, they are doing what they can, and if it works they will release it to the public. Not any sooner, begging for it will only make it take longer.

Q4-BUT, THE HARDWARE IS THE SAME, WHY WON'T WP7 JUST BOOT NOW?

A-Because the hardware isn't actually the same. Yes the HD7 has more or less the same specs, but the hardware itself is completely different. Different processor, different type of RAM, different storage. It’s not as simple as just hacking the RUU to work with the HD2; proper drivers have to be written first. It’s just like Android at this point.

Q5-OKAY, I HAZ WP7...BUT I CAN'T DOWNLOAD APPS!

A-No, you can't. Currently ALL WP7 devices have what is called a PVK(private key) embedded in the software, which basically acts like Windows Genuine Advantage for desktop versions of Windows.

Q6-CAN I BYPASS THIS "PVK"?

A-Not officially no. Methods do exist, but we at XDA DO NOT recommend or support them in ANY WAY. Users posting activation keys or requests for such keys will be warned.

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SECTION 4-Internet on the HD2....whatsup?

As some of you may know, it seems that T-Mobile has finally decided to close the T-Zones proxy loophole with the HD2, and force people to upgrade their plans to the 20USD or more a month mobile internet plan. It is currently unknown if this is permanent, here-say or a wives tale as the effect does not seem to be nationwide. We will just have to wait and see how it pans out.

Q1-DO I NEED AN INTERNET PLAN TO USE THE HD2?

A-It's not required in order to use the phone, but highly recommended. As with all WinMo phones, the HD2 has loads of options to be connected...streaming video, music, full desktop like browsing, IM, downloading programs, Twitter, Facebook...the works...and it all uses the internet to connect of course. You can of course use Wi-Fi with the HD2, but that will only work if you have a hotspot to connect to. While internet service isn't needed for the HD2 to function, I DEFINATELY recommend it.

Q2-DOES THE HD2 SUPPORT Wi-Fi N? OR N+?

A-Using a registry hack yes, the HD2 does indeed support Wi-Fi N. N+ is currently not supported and is unlikely to ever be supported as the HD2 lacks the hardware to do so.

Q3-UNDER NORMAL USE, HOW MANY MB OF DATA DOES THE HD2 USE A MONTH?

A-This is completely upto you. If you hardly ever use data, then very little. If you are like me, and have 4 email accounts syncing every 30 minutes, stream music with Slacker at least an hour a day, update Twitter and Facebook every now and then, and use Bing for navigation, you can EASILY use 500MB or more of data a month. I usually average about 1.2GB of downstream data a month with my kind of usage but your mileage will of course vary.

Q4-DOES THE HD2 SUPPORT HSPA? OR HSPA+?

A-Yes and yes. The HD2 does support both forms of pseudo-4G that T-Mobile is providing right now. You do not need to sign up for anything or enable anything in order to receive 4G speeds, you just need to be in an area that supports it...which leads to...

Q5-WHEN WILL I GET 4G?

A-Who knows? T-Mobile does. T-Mobile's website has a map that shows what coverage and where is provided in any given state of the US. Check it out at http://www.tmobile.com/coverage.

Q6-MY DOWNLOAD SPEEDS ARE SLOWER IN WINMO THAN IN ANDROID!

A-For some reason...yes, they probably are. For reasons that I cannot explain, nor have found an answer for, download speeds seem faster in Android than in WinMo. Go figure. I currently get 4MBps down in WinMo so I don't complain .

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SECTION 5-PROGRAMS, HACKS AND TWEAKS

So you have an HD2. AWESOME! Now, you want some cool programs to make the iTards jealous eh? AWESOME. Now, how do you get them?

Q1-I WANTS ME SOME PROGRAMS!

A-Well that's cool.

Q2-SERIOUSLY, GIVE THEM TO ME!

A-Alright, alright. There are literally hundreds of thousands of freeware programs available for Windows Mobile nowadays, and there are some great resources to find them aswell. One of the BEST places is the Opnmarket, a program that runs on your phone and connects you to the depository of programs at http://www.freewarePocketPC.net and download them straight to your device. Best of all, EVERYTHING at FPPC is, as the name implies, FREE...and so is the program! The only thing you need in order to use the program is an account at the site, which is ALSO free. Seriously, it’s a win/win/win situation. You can download Opnmarket from the main page of FPPC, and then register for an account right on your phone and start downloading. If the OpnMarket isn't your thing, then there is also the inbuilt Windows Marketplace for Mobile. The Marketplace isn't all that great in my opinion, but it does have its benefits...such as downloading free updates to Microsoft built programs. To use it simply hit Start and find the icon for Marketplace. If you are using a custom ROM and the Marketplace isn't already installed, simply search the forums for "MS Skymarket" and you should be able to find it. The third option is the new-ish XDA-Marketplace. Now right now there really isn't all that much there, and the program itself is pretty buggy, but before long I feel confident that it will become the premiere repository for XDA members to post applications. The XDA-Marketplace is where XDA members can post their work for FREE, and allow XDA members to download them...FOR FREE! See a pattern here? So far there isn't much there...so please be patient. And lastly, there is the internet...AKA, the world’s LARGEST app store. Seriously, if you need a program, fire up your nearest browser and search away, as I stated above, there are hundreds of thousands of WinMo compatible programs out there, and not all of them are available in marketplaces...so search around!

Q3-AWESOME. IVE GOT SOME PROGRAMS FROM THE INTERNET. NOW, WTF IS THE ".cab" FILE?

A-It is an installer that runs under WinMo. To install programs to your device you must first copy these .cab files onto either your storage card or internal memory and then navigate to them using File Explorer, on your device, and clicking on it. The installer will then start and ask you where to install the program. Unless specifically stated to install the program to internal memory, it’s usually best to install things to your SD card. The more free internal memory you have, generally the faster your device will run as WinMo caches to the internal memory of your device. One of the few exceptions to this is registry hacks or tweaks to internal Windows functions, if asked, go ahead and install those to main memory as installing them to your SD card usually will not yield any results.

Q4-COOL. THAT MAKES SENSE, WHAT ABOUT IF I DOWNLOAD STUFF FROM ONE OF THE MARKETS? WHERE DO THEY INSTALL?

A-If using either the OpnMarket or XDA-Marketplace, after the program is downloaded through the program, the installer will ask you where to install the program to. If using the MS Marketplace, you can change where programs default their install locations to using the Settings menu from the main page. If your storage card is full, or if a program must be installed to main memory, the Marketplace will notify you upon beginning the installation.

Q5-WELL, ARE INSTALLERS CACHED SOMEWHERE?

A-If using the OpnMarket or XDA-Marketplace...yes, they are cached on your storage card. The exact location may vary. And if using the MS Marketplace, no, the installers are not cached and are deleted once the program has been installed.

Q6-I SEE SCREENSHOTS OF PEOPLE's HOMESCREENS THAT LOOK AWESOME AND DIFFERENT THEN MINE...HOW DO I MAKE MINE LOOK THAT WAY?

A-Well that depends. There are several different homescreen replacements available for Windows Mobile. In no particular order the ones I know of and have experience with are:

#1-Titanium-The basic WinMo 6.5 homescreen, also known as "Sliding Panels Homescreen"

#2-Sense-The stock homescreen that comes with a stock ROM on the HD2, used to be known as TouchFlo3D

#3-Today Screen-The AMAZINGLY old and standard WinMo homescreen from back in the day of WinMo 2003. Hasn't changed much over the years, but can be customized with LOADS of plugins

#4-SPB Mobile Shell-A commercial app that offers alot of customization, but in my opinion a massive resource hog for what it does

#5-CHT Sense-A modification of the stock Sense homescreen that comes with your device that offers MUCH more customization than stock. What I usually use personally.

For explanations on the various homescreens, please see the next post!

Alright people, that’s it for now...more to come! Please let me know what to improve!

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SECTION 6-GENERAL HD2 Q&A

We all know that the HD2 runs WinMo, and that WinMo has its share of weirdness...but what about the device itself?

Q1-I JUST GOT A NEW HD2, AND MY RESET BUTTON IS A DIFFERENT COLOR!!!

A-Yep, hopefully it's yellow. The reset button is widely believed to be a hardware revision giveaway, IE, depending on the color is what revision of the device you have. So far 2 different colors are in circulation that we know of, those being RED and YELLOW. The HD2's that have red reset buttons seem to be revision ones, or based off of the Euro hardware, and seem to be more flaky when it comes to touchscreen quality and overall stability. For whatever reason, HD2's with red buttons seem to have touchscreens, mainly the digitizers that are more prone to failure. The second revision HD2's seem to all have yellow reset buttons and as far as we know these are the only ones being produced as of late. Yellow button models seem to be more stable hardware wise, and use a completely different motherboard and touchscreen/digitizer assembly.

Q2-HOW CAN I SIM UNLOCK MY HD2?

A-Well, if you are a T-Mobile customer, then you can do so pretty easily. Simply have an account with them in good standing for 60-90 days and call Customer Care to request an unlock code. It should be sent to your email within 48ish hours. If you are not a T-Mobile customer you can use one of the MANY sources available on the internet to SIM unlock your device...eBay usually has the best deals. Most services cost around 15USD and are instant.

Q3-OKAY I GOT MAH CODE, WHERE DO IT GOEZ?

A-Once you have your code, simply slap a different, non T-Mobile SIM into your HD2 and it will ask for the code upon reboot. If for whatever reason it doesn't ask for the code upon reboot, or you do not have another SIM handy, simply use File Explorer on your device to navigate to the \Windows folder on your phone, then scroll down near the bottom and run a program called "simlock.exe", which will then ask for the code.

Q4-ALRIGHT, MY HD2 IS UNLOCKED...BUT MY SIM ISN'T RECOGNIZED!!!

A-Are you using a prepaid SIM from a service like ATT GoPhone or TracPhone? If you are then that's why you aren't getting any signal. It is the current belief that prepaid SIM cards do not work with US HD2s, but I CANNOT 100% CONFIRM THIS. I say that they don't because of several threads here about trying to use prepaid SIMs, and getting no signal.

CHANGELOG:

10/13/2010-INITIAL START

10/17/2010-UPDATE #1

10/18/2010-UPDATE #2

10/26/2010-UPDATE #3

1/21/2011-UPDATE #4

THINGS TO COME:

PICTURES

COLOR

EMBEDDED LINKS