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Root Help with changing bootanimation and startup sound

I've read through 100s of posts and sites and watched YouTube videos on how to change the startup animation and sound, but it's not working.

The locations I've copied the new bootanimation.zip file to is:
hidden/data/CDA/content/Start-up-image/bootanimation.zip
hidden/data/Power-on animation/bootanimation.zip

The new startup sound I also placed in 2 locations:
hidden/data/Power-on sound/VMU_Power_Up.mp3
hidden/data/CDA/content/start-up-sound/VMU_Power_Up.mp3

I created a bootanimation.zip file that is constructed the same as the original from the phone with the same number of images, images are named and numbered identically to the original, I even changed file dates to match the original, I reduced the ppi to 28.340 as the original images were. Nothing is making the new animation appear though.

The phone is rooted with Gingerbreak but it still has the stock ROM. I've searched the phone to find if there's anywhere else those files are hidden and I've had no luck, but I still get the Virgin Mobile animation and startup sound after replacing the files with mine.

Oddly, the shutdown images and sound file changed on the first try just copying the files over, like you would expect it to. They also seem to be in only one location.

What's the trick to this and what step am I missing or doing wrong? Or is it just not possible with the stock ROM?

Thanks for any help, this is now to the point of driving me mad :D.
 
I had seen one video about placing the file in system/media, even though original files were never in that location.

I just tried it and there's still no animation that plays. Usually I also get no service and need to activate the phone until I put back the original Virgin animation, but this time I do have service on booting this way. But still no animation. The annoying Virgin sound is gone, but my sound didn't play either. It just was a totally silent boot (which is preferable to the Virgin squawking).
 
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I had seen one video about placing the file in system/media, even though original files were never in that location.

I just tried it and there's still no animation that plays. Usually I also get no service and need to activate the phone until I put back the original Virgin animation, but this time I do have service on booting this way. But still no animation. The annoying Virgin sound is gone, but my sound didn't play either. It just was a totally silent boot (which is preferable to the Virgin squawking).

that's the location on custom roms, not stock
 
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So is it that it's just not possible on the stock ROM? I have no idea which ROM to switch to if that's the case. All the digging I've done so far seems there are issues with most, like no HDMI (the least of the problems), to limited or no camera. I'm not willing to sacrifice key functions of the phone even if I gain something else in return for it.
 
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I've done this successfully with the stock ROM, so here are some notes that I made for myself of the important file locations, etc. There does seem to be some redundant copies, elsewhere in the systerm, but these locations and technical notes worked for me:

Power-on sound is located in
/hidden/data/Power-on sound/VMU_Power_up.mp3

Original file, even if renamed, or given a different extension, CANNOT be left in this folder. It's okay to cut and paste it into the parent folder, if you want a backup copy of the original VM sound file.

--

Bootanimation is located in
/hidden/data/Power-on animation/bootanimation.zip

The bootanimation.zip file must be uncompressed. In other words, even though it's a ZIP file, the files and folders inside must be stored, instead of compressed. I also found it useful to edit the desc.txt file from an existing, working bootanimation.zip file (like VM's file) and to use Notepad++, rather than Notepad in Windows to edit it, because regular Notepad will save the line-breaks incorrectly for an Android data file.
 
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Still no animation. Could it be the .zip process? I'm using WinZip.

I checked the .zip file on the phone and clicking it shows the folders just like the original, and clicking on a folder shows all the image titles exactly like with the original. I used the exact untouched desc.txt since I kept all image sizes, ppi, and titles identical to the original.
 
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Still no animation. Could it be the .zip process? I'm using WinZip.

I checked the .zip file on the phone and clicking it shows the folders just like the original, and clicking on a folder shows all the image titles exactly like with the original. I used the exact untouched desc.txt since I kept all image sizes, ppi, and titles identical to the original.

raillard's instructions are correct.
I haven't used winzip in quite awhile, so I can't really walk you through it, but compression must be set to none. If you are just using the default settings when you zip it up, that may well be the problem.
 
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Finally, success! Yes, it was the zip process. I went through the options and selected no compression, and now everything works as it should. Tiny bit of very important information that everyone leaves out of the guides about it. But I'm a happy camper now! Thank you so much for the help.

It also seems if you don't have a sound file, the animations won't play either for both shut down and start up. I accidentally deleted the shut down sound trying to clear out all the original backups and when I would shut down, there would be no animation or sound and it would simply reboot back on, it would never even shut down correctly.

Now to change the logo!

Btw, is there any way to access all the hidden directories on the phone through the USB connection? It would be so much easier swapping files around through the PC if possible.
 
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Finally, success! Yes, it was the zip process. I went through the options and selected no compression, and now everything works as it should. Tiny bit of very important information that everyone leaves out of the guides about it. But I'm a happy camper now! Thank you so much for the help.

It also seems if you don't have a sound file, the animations won't play either for both shut down and start up. I accidentally deleted the shut down sound trying to clear out all the original backups and when I would shut down, there would be no animation or sound and it would simply reboot back on, it would never even shut down correctly.

Now to change the logo!

Btw, is there any way to access all the hidden directories on the phone through the USB connection? It would be so much easier swapping files around through the PC if possible.

Not really. You could do things with ADB, but that is not a easy as using a file explorer. And the file you are looking for is not in the /hidden directories. You'll find it in download mode. I personally would find a flashable splash screen (I think it's splash.img) that you could replace the image in and have the protection of not having to mess around in that part of the phone. If you mess up the wrong part you will be back looking for real help.

This brings up the question of a custom recovery. I would recommend one. It's the only time I would recommend messing around in download mode. How to Install ClockworkMod Recovery on Motorola Triumph - YouTube
This looked pretty good. I would go with a ClockWorkRecovery of 5.5ish. There are others, but that's the one I used.
 
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I did the splash screen replacement last night right afterwards and that went fine on the first try. I found "Splash Flasher" but only used it to change my image into the correct format. It named the file as "custom.img" instead of the required "splash.img" for the Triumph, so I just renamed it, and then booted into download mode with Power/Volume Down and just copied the new file over after renaming the original for safe-keeping. I didn't realize the CWM process was the same, I could have done it at the same time, but I'll definitely do that today.

I'm not sure yet if it's worth installing a custom ROM though. So many choices, and not sure any will add anything I need to my phone (other than the fun optimizing :D).

Thanks for the info. After coming from the LG Rumor Touch which was hard to even get your own ringtones on the phone, this phone is a lot of fun to customize.

Edit: I did get CWM installed and made a backup, as well as saved the original recovery.img on my hard drive and downloaded the MT_stock_recovery file just in case. If I do decide to install cm7 or MIUI, I'll have to first do a complete wipe of everything? That part won't be fun, but at least I've been saving links to all apps I have installed. Any suggestions which is better, less bugs?
 
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I did the splash screen replacement last night right afterwards and that went fine on the first try. I found "Splash Flasher" but only used it to change my image into the correct format. It named the file as "custom.img" instead of the required "splash.img" for the Triumph, so I just renamed it, and then booted into download mode with Power/Volume Down and just copied the new file over after renaming the original for safe-keeping. I didn't realize the CWM process was the same, I could have done it at the same time, but I'll definitely do that today.

I'm not sure yet if it's worth installing a custom ROM though. So many choices, and not sure any will add anything I need to my phone (other than the fun optimizing :D).

Thanks for the info. After coming from the LG Rumor Touch which was hard to even get your own ringtones on the phone, this phone is a lot of fun to customize.

Edit: I did get CWM installed and made a backup, as well as saved the original recovery.img on my hard drive and downloaded the MT_stock_recovery file just in case. If I do decide to install cm7 or MIUI, I'll have to first do a complete wipe of everything? That part won't be fun, but at least I've been saving links to all apps I have installed. Any suggestions which is better, less bugs?

There are several ways to keep most of your information so you don't have to start from scratch. If you want to move over to another ROM, just holla. We'll help.
 
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I'd be much more tempted to do it if I didn't have to start from scratch (especially after the trouble changing the boot animations!). I'm leaning toward MIUI, it seems to have the least amount of bugs from what I've been reading.

And I would definitely do it in a heartbeat if there was one that changed that annoying unlock screen swipe. The only way I can use my phone is with 2 hands, 1 to hold it while the other does the swipe... it's impossible to hold in the same hand for me and manage that long swipe.

Or is there a 3rd party launcher app that will change that swipe? I seem to remember a video of someone pulling that unlock down rather than sliding it across, that would be great if it was possible. I'm currently using Launcher Pro and I love it, but to be able to change that unlock screen swipe, I'd switch either the launcher app or install a custom ROM.

Edit: I found one video that shows pulling down to unlock the screen, right after the boot up sequence it's at :35 seconds in. Is this a feature only with MIUI? Or is it from a 3rd party app that changes the unlock screen swipe, anyone know who uses MIUI?
 
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