Root Changing ROMs in Under an Hour! Instructional

[inssane]

I edited this from my D1 instructional post to the D2
**I put this up with minimal proofing for D2 specific** Please let me know if something is off - I will double check later.
--Ignore kernel instructions for now, but I am keeping them in for the future--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I try lots of ROMs and the best way is to wipe then install, but the icons can be tedious.

This SEEMS complicated, but it's really not, it's very logical.

Here is what I do and it's very easy - IN THIS ORDER (for the most part)

*This is MY method and am NOT responsible if you fark things up*
Remember - you need BOOTSTRAP before ANYTHING on this - I didn't include this in the instructions!

**On your computer / phone**
DL ROM from wherever and put it somewhere that you can access in Recovery easily (SD Root is good)
DL. rename to identify, and place kernel somewhere easy on SD as well (SD Root is good)

**Switch gears now and go to main screen in Android OS**
Update all apps in Market
Draw out your screen icon setup on paper
TiBu apps with data and uncheck items you will not carry over
Weed out and touch up anything you may have been pushing off to reduce clutter on the Nandroid
Use Rom Manager to backup and name it something descriptive:
ie - "RootedD2_with_all_apps_FC_ issues" --- this way you know preexisting problems to troubleshoot or independent to that ROM, or title it "stable"
Double check that you didn't forget anything!!!

**Reboot into Recovery**
!!Navigate to "Nandroid" folder to ensure your BU file is there BEFORE WIPING!!
Triple Wipe Data and Cache (I triple wipe, you don't have to)
STAY in recovery

*Here is where you have options to install with my method*

Cautious
-Locate and install ROM via CW Recovery (or manually through recovery, make sure to MOUNT)
-Reboot - login (or skip) and test out OS to make sure there are no major glitches
-Reboot into Recovery now
-Locate and Flash Kernel
-Reboot

Experienced (non NOOB)
-Locate and install ROM via CW Recovery (or manually through recovery, make sure to MOUNT)
-Locate and Flash Kernel
-Reboot
(this method is the one I use, and have not had issues - I am not responsible for issues)


Once you are confident things work pretty well DO NOT RESTORE APPS (Only ROM Manager from Market right now)
-BackUp this image as "RootedD2_with_all_apps_stable" for instance - (no spaces or ROM Manager may note restore, you will have to do it manually in recovery)

The major recovery portion is over
----------------
-Setup Order-
-Login to Google everything
-Settings - Applications - checkbox for Unknown Sources - check it
-Load BusyBox under "Problems" in TiBu - if you need
-Restore Apps and Data with TiBu
-Refer to your "Icon Map" and begin to place icons, shortcuts, and widgets
-Set up OS Settings (ringtones, alerts, etc)
-Make sure everything is JUST how you like it (for now )
-Fix Permissions
*NANDROID Back UP NOW*


Name the above: "RootedD2_with_all_apps_stable", for instance (no spaces or ROM Manager may note restore, you will have to do it manually in recovery)
Back up and then reboot
DONE!!!

I usually keep it for a couple days and then BU again and name it "XYZ...Complete" So long as it's all stable for me


NAMING the backups is important - you can even tag them 1 through 10 as to how you liked it in the BU
You have a bare image and one with apps so you can troubleshoot and restore if you have issues to narrow it down.

This way you can keep a few ROMs and switch them out in ten minutes loaded and ready to go, but you have alternates for trouble shooting.

This all saves a lot of back and forth with file transfers, downloads, etc.

I am pretty quick at this now - but the whole shabang should take you 45 minutes to an hour from old ROM to new ROM with apps and settings.

Trust me when I say that this method in ORDER is tried and true for me. It's the most streamlined way possible while still being very meticulous in case issues arise.

ENJOY!!!
Nick

 

[inssane]

Seriously, no one cares?
, lol

 

[mach1man]

I care I want to switch Roms but I'm a complete noob to this so im a lil worried about doing it. LOL

 

[inssane]

Get comfortable - print out these instructions and check them off.
I have changed ROMs easily almost 100 times and it gets easier, just need to pop the root cherry.
If you rooted already, and know how to back up your system with nandroid/RomManager - you are pretty golden.

Just ask for help

 

[asilver]

I searched for nandroid, can't find it on the market, I have bootstrap, and fumbled my way through a back up..no clue where it stored it or how to recover (if necessary)

what's nandroid versus bootstrap?

I created a backup with bootstrap, now I'm doing a backup with "rom manager"

are they doing the same thing, does this back up my data AND apps or what?

 

[JDunc]

They are the same thing. Bootstrap is what you needed, your good.

 

[asilver]

--Ignore kernel instructions for now, but I am keeping them in for the future--

what's this mean...I mean all I wanna do is load fission's rom....just so that I do 1 rom and understand it. His instructions say stuff about the Kernal which is not on fissions rom manager.....is this why he wrote up top "ignore kernal"

 

[JDunc]

I believe Kernals involve our bootloader which is locked right now so until someone finds out how to crack it we can change it.

 

[asilver]

i created a backup with fission rom manager and with bootstrap...I can not locate either of them using astro, what other method should I use to attempt to verify that the back up has been stored.

edit...in the fission rom manager app I see the backups...I guess that's good enough

 

[asilver]

used the rom manger to wipe cache and boot to recovery and load rom

running............

 

[asilver]

ok a few questions.

swype is gone...I want swype back what's up with that
my contacts are not showing the pictures from facebook on all of them ( I logged into facebook and chose both sync with existing and sync with all, niether are actually syncing pics with all.

THANKS for the assistance

 

[asilver]

oh and my texts are gone too, backup restore handcent didn't bring them back...I don't care all that much but I did expect them to come back.

 

[asilver]

ehh...no alarm clock either...I'm restoring to the original rom. I need to learn more about this

 

[JDunc]

The alarm app was blur so you just have to grab one of the market. As far as Facebook, I think you just have to give it time to sync

 

[asilver]

gotcha! I should mess with this on the weekend when I have more time...great news is the recovery worked perfect, and within just a few minutes I had my old phone back no data lost.

 

[inssane]

--Ignore kernel instructions for now, but I am keeping them in for the future--

what's this mean...I mean all I wanna do is load fission's rom....just so that I do 1 rom and understand it. His instructions say stuff about the Kernal which is not on fissions rom manager.....is this why he wrote up top "ignore kernal"

Kernel = clock speed (basically) -- it's at the bottom in Fission ROM Manager
I said "ignore" at the time of writing because the D2 was not overclocked yet - I originally wrote this for the D1 and had to do some editing, I just kept it there for the future (now).

*edit
asilver - for the future, edit your posts to add comments instead of posting multiple times minutes apart. It just saves people from having to scroll through all those posts to get to some information.

 

[CXXV]

Seems the ROM installation in the D2 is more complex than others. In other android phones all I did (once rooted of course) was to dl the new ROM to the SD card. Boot up in recovery, nand backup, wipe, select new ROM form SD and that was it.

 

[BigDreZ28]

I cannot find fission rom manager, any tips?

 

[Super_Six_Two]

I cannot find fission rom manager, any tips?

Fission Rom Manager | Team DeFuse

 

[BigDreZ28]

Fission Rom Manager | Team DeFuse

Thanks, I was looking in the market...didn't find it there.

Now I'm going to find out how to do the wipe data....and when I did a backup of the stock rom it went straight to reboot, had to pull the battery real quick and it booted up fine, can't figure out how to make sure the backup file is there. haven't found it.

 

[RJT185]

I've tried out Fission 2.5.7 Black and Fusion 2.0 RC1 Black. Liked them. However one thing I can't figure out is:

If I backed up using the Fission ROM Manager, how do I go back to my back-up? ps: Is it a full version feature?

 

[JDunc]

Not sure how you restore with FRM but I would do all my backup/restoring with boostrap

 

[RJT185]

gotcha. I decided to wipe both the phone and the cloud clean and star anew. short of actually deleting all the data under my GMAIL account I've pretty much purged everything. now that i feel comfortable loading ROMs, Rooting, Etc I can start fresh and clean.


thanks for yinz's help and thanks for the guide inssane!!

 

[inssane]

Glad you guys enjoy. If you see anything that needs to be edited, copy and paste the paragraph, then add or change what's needed in red. PM it to me and I will edit.

 

[Jmartin562]

I just rooted my Droid2 2.2ver. everything went fine, wireless tether works great and a few other apps also, but when I downloaded Rom Manager preminum it tells me the Rom I'm using does the support OTA updates, so I can't download anything, what do I need to do???

NBTT~ JMartin