Help Do Custom ROMs Fix Things Like This..?

[Energyzed]

Android Version: 4.0.3
Kernal Version: 3.0.8-perf-T989UVLE1-CL508451 se.infra@SEI-46 #1 (Official ICS update)

Currently I haven't been able to figure out a way to make my homescreen wallpaper scroll-able like it was in Gingerbread. I've really gotten accustomed to that part of my Android experience, and miss it greatly.

Next, Swype...it's bothering my eyes. I love Swype, so don't get me wrong, but ever since ICS Swype has crazy animation: when it suggests a word everything kind of fades/slides up/down (text box moves up to make room for the word bank suggestions), and in Gingerbread everything just appeared in place. I'm not sure if that made any sense, but hopefully someone out there knows what I'm trying to describe.

And finally (the last issue I've noticed thus far), when going to the stock music player an editing the tabs at the top for "all, playlists, artists, etc" the app freezes the phone for a few seconds to a few minutes, and then crashes. So I cannot edit the tabs to add in "Albums".

So my question is exactly what the subject says "Do custom ROMs fix things like this?"

 

[Atma]

Hi Energyzed :hello: and welcome to the forums.

The scrollable wallpaper isn't an option in 4.0.3. using the default launcher. I would suggest using the Apex or Nova launcher. I prefer Apex myself, others like Nova. They have options for scrolling and I think they are much faster. You can find them in the play store and try both if you want to.

If you like Swype I would suggest installing the Swype beta. People seem to like it much better than the stock Swype. I prefer Swiftkey myself.

I never use the music app. The only suggestion I can give you for crashes like that is go to settings > applications > select the app and clear cache and data. Sometimes that will fix it. Many times after upgrading to ICS, a factory reset will fix a lot of problems. You would have to reinstall apps if you did that.

A custom rom can fix problems, but they can also come with different problems.

If you decided you don't like ICS, you could also go back to Gingerbread.

 

[Energyzed]

Hello, and thank you very much for your help and reply!

I cleared the app's data (cache wasn't an option available), which fixed the crashing of my music app. Thanks once again!

I'll look into Nova and Apex. I've tried the Go Launcher myself and it just wasn't for me, but the other two sound promising. Would you recommend getting rid of the Android Launcher if I like one of the others, or will that cause severe operation failures?

I've been thinking of trying out some ROMs, but there's just so many. It's pretty much like trying to choose which distro of Linux I want on my laptop...SO MANY CHOICES! If I decide I want to stick with the stock ROM, is there a way to revert back to the version of ICS I'm currently using?

Thanks again!

 

[Atma]

Would you recommend getting rid of the Android Launcher if I like one of the others, or will that cause severe operation failures?

If I decide I want to stick with the stock ROM, is there a way to revert back to the version of ICS I'm currently using?

You wouldn't really need to get rid of the stock launcher. Just make your new launcher the default. The stock launcher is a system app. The only way you could get rid of it would be to root and use Titanium Backup to delete or freeze it.

If you want to try a rom, first you should root and install ClockworkMod recovery. That would give you the option of making a nandroid backup of your system. If you ever wanted to go back you could just restore that backup.

There are also some good tips in this thread for help with unrooted ICS. Get the most out of the T989 T-Mobile Stock ICS/Unrooted without rooting

 

[Energyzed]

You wouldn't really need to get rid of the stock launcher. Just make your new launcher the default. The stock launcher is a system app. The only way you could get rid of it would be to root and use Titanium Backup to delete or freeze it.

If you want to try a rom, first you should root and install ClockworkMod recovery. That would give you the option of making a nandroid backup of your system. If you ever wanted to go back you could just restore that backup.

There are also some good tips in this thread for help with unrooted ICS. Get the most out of the T989 T-Mobile Stock ICS/Unrooted without rooting

When I rooted my phone I installed the Clockwork Recovery Mod. I've used it once before on my Samsung Prevail. The only thing about this is that I don't have an SD card at the moment. Any way I can make a back up of my system without the use of an external SD card?

Thanks again for everything!

 

[Atma]

When I rooted my phone I installed the Clockwork Recovery Mod. I've used it once before on my Samsung Prevail. The only thing about this is that I don't have an SD card at the moment. Any way I can make a back up of my system without the use of an external SD card?

Thanks again for everything!

You're welcome. I'm happy to help.

I think CWM defaults to storing the backups on the external sd card. I can't see any way to change that. If you already have CWM, you could try one now. Maybe it would default to the internal storage if you don't have an external card, but I don't really know.

 

[Energyzed]

Well I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I found a SD card in my room (2GBs) and put the .ZIP files for my ICS Stock back up, MIUI.ZIP, and CM7.ZIP on it so I can install one at a time/restore. None of them would install.

MIUI got about 1/4th of the way through and aborted. I tried several times. I even did a factory reset and wiped all the data/caches (system and dalvik). NOTHING worked.

So I used the "backup and restore" option to find the back up of my Stock ICS on my internal SD storage. It's restoring fine so far, but why can't I install a custom ROM? This all worked on my Prevail without issue, but the S2?

At least I'm rooted :/

 

[Atma]

So I used the "backup and restore" option to find the back up of my Stock ICS on my internal SD storage. It's restoring fine so far, but why can't I install a custom ROM? This all worked on my Prevail without issue, but the S2?

Im not sure what that problem would be. How big are the files? Would they all fit on a 2gb card? If I remember right, a nandroid on the SG2 is about 1gb by itself.

You also might try to reformat the sd card.

 

[Energyzed]

Im not sure what that problem would be. How big are the files? Would they all fit on a 2gb card? If I remember right, a nandroid on the SG2 is about 1gb by itself.

You also might try to reformat the sd card.

Figured it out: The sites I downloaded the ROMs from were mirrors and only had the ROMs for AT&T phones even though it was labeled for T-Mobile. Found the official sites (should have gone there in the first place, huh? lol) and tried out MIUI. Went through Hades and back just to find out that I like the Stock ROM better, haha.

Thanks for everything!

 

[Atma]

Went through Hades and back just to find out that I like the Stock ROM better, haha.

lol .. yeah me too. If you try that link I posted a few posts up, Get the most out of the T989 T-Mobile Stock ICS/Unrooted without rooting, and disable, or even freeze or delete, all the apps you don't need or use, it will run even better.

 

[Energyzed]

lol .. yeah me too. If you try that link I posted a few posts up, Get the most out of the T989 T-Mobile Stock ICS/Unrooted without rooting, and disable, or even freeze or delete, all the apps you don't need or use, it will run even better.

Reading now. DO you think it'll solve my problem with Google Play (won't let me use data/wifi to download apps at all) if I do a factory reset?

 

[Atma]

Reading now. DO you think it'll solve my problem with Google Play (won't let me use data/wifi to download apps at all) if I do a factory reset?

It may. Have your tried clearing cache and data in the Google Play app?

 

[Energyzed]

It may. Have your tried clearing cache and data in the Google Play app?

Multiple times. I'll try it once more for laughs, but it isn't working :/

 

[Atma]

Multiple times. I'll try it once more for laughs, but it isn't working :/

I guess that leaves the reset. I would assume that would fix it, but I don't understand why its doing it in the first place.

 

[Energyzed]

I guess that leaves the reset. I would assume that would fix it, but I don't understand why its doing it in the first place.

Yeah same here :/ Wish I knew the answer. Guess I'll do a reset and restore everything through Titanium Backup.