Android being an Open Source operating system for mobile phones, offers limitless possibilities of optimization and customization as per your requirements. Half the charm of an Android phone lies in the root-based apps, beautiful mods and patches, and custom ROMs. If you have not rooted your phone yet, believe me, you are not getting the most out of it. Rooting offers many advantages indeed but, at the same time, it is also a little risky as it breaks into the wall of security build by the operating system.
According to a survey, 80% of Android phone users live happy with an unrooted device and the reasons for this are various- some people think of it as a sort of criminal activity, some are afraid of losing warranty, some are afraid of bricking their phone, while most people do not even know about the existence of a term like “rooting”. If you are one who has enclosed himself inside that great wall of security and have doubt in mind related to rooting, do not forget to read the following article:
Anyways, the procedures like rooting and installing a custom ROM is a bit risky and it’s true, but if you go through it carefully, no harm will ever done to your Android device. People brick their phone because they make some mistake. That’s the way accidents happen! As an Android blogger, I have to root, flash stock and custom ROMs, install mods and patches almost every day. And believe me all my device are pretty healthy and sound. If you understand things, take precautions, create backups and do things carefully, you’ll never be caught into an uncomfortable situation.
Here are a few tips that that will help you keep things under your control and you will be able to not only keep all your data safe but also restore your device to its normal condition.
Got TWRP Recovery on Your Device?
Do you think you are well familiar with all the features, functions and possibilities of the TWRP Recovery? Think again! Read our detailed and in-depth introduction to the TWRP Recovery.
Ensure Decent Battery Level
Whenever you have to install a custom ROM or mod or mod on your phone, try to be ready for the worst situations. Just imagine you are installing a ROM and your phone turns off in the middle of things due to low battery! You will have to charge the battery with an external charger because your device will not be able to charge the battery because it does not have any ROM that makes this function work. In such a situation, you will not be able to restart the procedure or even restore from a backup Therefore, it very important that your phone is amply charged before you set out on the adventure.
Backup Your Apps, Contacts, Messages, etc.
Whether you have rooted your phone or not, always backup your apps, contacts, call log, messages, bookmarks, calendar entries, etc. The best way is to schedule regular backups, preferably to external storage of your device and your computer. Here are some nice free backup apps that will make this task easy for you.
Enable USBย Debugging Mode
The term “debugging” is used in connection with development. Putting your Android device in debugging mode prepares it for direct connection with your computer via a USB cable without notification or read log data. Flashing/installing anything that does not come under the official method, might be regarded as a development activity. It’s another thing that you did not develop the ROM you are going to install, but still, it is a work of custom development.
That’s is why, whenever you perform any such task, it is highly recommended that you turn on the USB Debugging mode from Developer Options under Settings of your device. On Android phones with Jelly Bean 4.2 and higher, the Developer Options are hidden by default and can be made to show by tapping 7 times on “Build Version” from Settings> About.
Further, you should also install the appropriate USB Drivers on your computer as you can need them anytime. To download the compatible USB Drivers for your phone/manufacturer, visit our USB drivers collection page.
Backup Your Phone’s IMEI (Samsung Users Only)
When you install a custom ROM on your phone, sometimes it happens that the folder that stores your phone’s IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number is wiped. As a result, your phone’s IMEI number is lost it does not receive a network signal. To avoid this happen to your phone, do not forget to back up theย “efs” partition.
To back up your Samsung Galaxy phone’s IMEI or EFS data, read our guide by clicking the following link:
Enter Recovery Mode Easily:
If you are a hard-core Android enthusiast who likes to play with new ROMs and mods every now and then, be careful or you might damage the hardware keys of your Android phone. Since booting into theย recovery mode of a phone or tablet requires hard-pressing of aย certain combination of hardware keys, doing it frequently can have a negative effect on the functioning of these keys. I have experienced it myself when I had a Galaxy S. Fortunately, there are several apps that can make booting into theย download, bootloader or recovery mode very easy without being cruel to the poor hardware keys.
Here are some good reboot apps for you that will let you do this without touching the hard keys. If you have installed a custom ROM, you need not install any such app separately as most ROM developers integrate the boot options in the ROM itself. Besides, we have a vast collection of methods of entering Fastboot, Bootloader, Download and Recovery modes on most Android devices.
Backup Current ROM (Important)
Being able to install a custom ROM on your Android phone means that you have installed aย custom recovery like ClockworkMod or TWRP on your Android device. Well, having a custom recovery on any phone is a great advantage. It can perform all tasks done by stock recovery while adding lots of other useful options.
One such great feature is its ability to backup the whole ROM, custom or stock, on your phone’s internal or external storage. You can back as many ROMs as your phone’s storage can afford. I strongly recommend that you always keep a backup of your phone’s original/stock ROM. Before you install a new custom ROM, always create a backup of your current ROM. Scroll down to the “backup and restore” option and backup the ROM to the internal or external storage of your device. If you select “backup”, the ROM will be saved to internal storage. To save it to external SD card, select “backup to external sdcard” option.
All backed up ROMs are saved in a folder called “clockworkmod” on your device’s internal or external SD card, depending on what location you chose while creating the backup.
It’s is always better to store the backed-up ROM on the external storage because sometimes the phone is caught in a bootloop, or the screen goes into a frozen state, or you may experience lags or anything, and decide to reset/wipe your phone to get it back to normal. In doing so, all data stored on the internal storage is deleted. In certain situations, you might have the opportunity to backup your data but in some cases, you might not be able to do that.
Restoring a Previously Backed up ROM
As I said earlier, you should always keep a backed-up copy of the rooted stock ROM on the external SD card of your phone. If the phone does not have an external SD slot, you can save the backup to the internal SD card (not safe though). If you frequently flash an AOSP, AOKP or CM based ROM, always keep a copy of the Google Apps flashable zip saved on your phone.
So if you installed a custom ROM and you are having problems with it or you just want to go back to the previous or any backed up ROM, do this:
- Boot you phone into CWM recovery mode
- “wipe data/factory reset”
- “wipe cache partition”
- Then go to “backup and restore> restore”, select the location (internal or external) of the backup.
- Select the file and confirm your choice by selecting “yes”.
So, this was a detailed tutorial to help you land safely whenever you install a ROM. I have tried to be inclusive but if feel that something is missing, do not forget to share with us via comments. I believe the tips given here will prove useful to you. Thanks for being with us! For more Tips & Tricks on Android, take a tour of our other tutorials.
Installing a Custom ROM
Now here is my classic way of installing a custom ROM. I recommend it to all because it has proved perfectly successful and never hurled down my phones into a single bootloop so far. Always follow these steps in CWM Recovery:
- “wipe data/factory reset”
- “wipe cache partition”
- Go to advanced and “wipe dalvik cache” and “wipe battery stats”
- Go to mounts and storage and “format system”
- Then go to “install zip from sdcard> choose zip from sdcard” and select the ROM file you want to install.
- In case, the developer has recommended installing GApps too, you should install it just after flashing the ROM (use Step 5).
- When it is installed, reboot the device.
Installing a custom ROM with these wipes has great advantages. Whenever you flash a new ROM, install it as a fresh copy. Fewer wipes mean more chances of old and new system files’ clash, resulting in poor performance, lags, and even a bootloop. While some enlightened giants might disapprove of the idea of wiping the battery stats of the old ROM, I still recommend to wipe it as it takes nothing. However, you should also listen to any recommendations of the developer whose ROM you are going to install.
Installing Google Apps
Most AOSP (Android Open Source Project), AOKP (Android Open Kang Project) and CyanogenMod based ROMs do not come with the Google apps pre-installed, so you have to install them separately. Download and install the latest and compatible Google apps to your phone.
Getting Signature Verification Error While Installing?
Well, it is an uncommon situation that while installing a custom ROM on your Android device you see installation aborted message because of Signature Verification error. Two possible reasons for this to happen might be-
- You are trying to install a custom ROM using stock recovery that comes default with all Android phones. Remember, a custom ROM or mod requires a custom recovery like CWM or TWRP installed on it. If you are getting a signature error, first of all, try to find out the type of recovery your phone has. Boot into the recovery mode and read the lines on the top of the screen. If it reads “Android System Recovery”, you need to install a custom recovery first.
- The most common reason for the signature verification error while installing a ROM is a badly downloaded zip. All custom ROMs and mods for Android devices come in ZIPs that are packed with an MD5 Signature. If a downloaded zip is corrupt, it is sure to have a corrupt signature. To fix this, you can take the aid of an MD5 Signature verification tool. You can also try to extract the downloaded zip on your computer. One nice quality of a ZIP archive is that it cannot be extracted properly if it is corrupt. In the case of a bad zip file, you should re-download it and try installing again.
(Status 7) Installation Aborted Error
Another instance of installation of a custom ROM or mod aborted might be due to the presence of an older or incompatible version of ClockworkMod Recovery on your Android device. In such cases, you will get the following message while installing the ROM:
โ installing : /sdcard/xxxxxxxxx.zip finding update packageโฆ opening update packageโฆ installing updateโฆ assert failed: getprop(โro.product.deviceโ) == โm0โณ || getprop(โro.bulid.productโ) == โm0โณ || getprop(โro.product.deviceโ) == โgalaxy s3โณ || getprop(โro.bulid.productโ)== โgalaxy s3โณ E: Error in /sdcard/xxxxxxxxx.zip (status 7) installation aborted.
To solve this issue, you can try updating your CWM recovery. There is another solution to this too but it’s is a little tricky. In this method, you’ll have to edit a code line in the “updater-script” found inside the ROM .zip file without extracting it.
If you prefer to do this, remove the following lines found at the beginning of โupdater-scriptโ found at this path: ROM.zip> META-INF> com> google> android> updater-script:
assert(getprop("ro.product.device") == "m0" ||
getprop("ro.build.product") == "m0" || getprop("ro.product.device") == "galaxys3" || getprop("ro.build.product") == "galaxys3");
Upgrading Custom ROM without Losing Apps & Settings
We always recommend a full wipe before installing a new custom ROM for best performance. Doing this deletes all the apps and resets the Settings of your device and this is certainly not a desirable thing. Nobody wants to install all apps and configure the device again and again. While you have no option but to wipe everything with a new ROM, things can be more pleasant if you are going to install a greater updated version of the same ROM.
You can upgrade your phone’s custom ROM without losing your installed apps, data, contacts, messages, call-log and settings. Here are the steps that you need to follow while installing the newer update package of a ROM over an older one:
- Copy the custom ROM in zip package to your device.
- Boot the phone in CWM or TWRP recovery.
- Wipe the cache partition
- Wipe dalvik cache (found under “advanced” option in CWM)
- Then install the ROM and when it is done, wipe dalvik cache again.
- Finally, reboot the device.
Installing an updated version of a ROM this way will keep your apps and settings intact.
Recovering from a Bootloop
Having performed the wipes recommended above, there are nominal chances that your phone might be stuck on the boot screen but in case you get into such a situation, what would you do?
Bootloop is a situation when your phone refuses to boot/start normally due to some system file clash or incompatible element that prevents it from booting. To recover from a bootloop, follow the steps given in this tutorial.
How to Install a Mod or Patch or Kernel:
If your phone is on the stock ROM with CWM installed or a custom ROM, you can find different Mods and patches and Kernel for your device. If you have to install any such file, do this:
- Boot your phone into ClockworkMod recovery mode.
- Again, do not forget to backup your current ROM before flashing anything on your phone.
- Go to “install zip from sdcard> choose zip from sdcard” and select the file you want to install.
- When the installation is done, go to “advanced” and “wipe dalvik cache” (not necessary in all cases).
- Finally, reboot device using “reboot system now” option.
Avoid Restoring Apps & Data Backed Up on Another ROM
Whatever ROM we install on our device, we want it to be quickly ready for our favorite apps and configuration. And therefore we keep all such data backed up so that they we can restore them in case we factory reset the device or install a new ROM. Restoring previously backed up apps or data is a a very convenient thing as it saves a lot of time and effort but this convenience might give rise to another inconvenient situation.
In fact, all such backup apps (Titanium Backup, for example) are meant to restore data on the same ROM on which the backup was created. Due to system file discrepancies among different ROMs, restoring apps and data this way might make your phone laggy and slow. Therefore, I recommend you to avoid doing this for better performance of the new ROM.
Fixing Battery Heat Up and Drain
Better performance and battery-life is why most of us turn to custom ROMs. We keep trying from the available ROMs and stick to one that meets up to our expectations. Now there are two ways to find out how the battery performs- with the help of a battery monitor app (stock or third-party) and by taking note of the battery performance during the hours of a day.
If you feel that your device is not yielding good battery just because the battery monitor stats show it, you might be wrong in your judgment as most such apps sometimes lie to us.
Remember that with any ROM installed on your Android device, you will discover two things: 1. battery heat-up, and 2. battery drain. And these issues, for the most part, are due to the process of your phone’s new software and battery sync. It usually requires 3-4 full charge and discharge cycles before things go to a normal state and after this, you will notice a great improvement in battery performance. So, do not be quick in concluding anything about the battery.
Let the battery calibrate and while you wait, try one more thing. Whether you get a new phone or new software on your old device, avoid putting your device into charging mode frequently. Turn off the phone, plug charger, wait till it is fully charged and then use it till it is fully discharged. Repeating this several times will improve the battery life of your device. I have tested it and it really works.
For more tips on improving the battery performance of your Android phone, read our articles.
Hi! I have a Motorola droid turbo xt 1254, bootloader unlocked using Sunshine’s tool, TWRP, a fantastic recovery, and currently am running Nexus Experience 10.4. I have tried other custom ROMs, eg., cr- ROM 6.0, RR nougat, and now this Nexus exp., which I believe is 6.1. My question is: I am using 20.4 GB of space and wondered if I should upload the backups, efs, and nandroids of all the past and current ROMs, to a cloud storage or???? Thanks in advance. Carrie
hello i have rooted my motog2 and installed the custom rom(exodus) unfortunately forgot to backup the original os and not able to get network on my new os not detecting the simcards can u please help me out!!!!!
Hi, I have i9505 with CWM 6.0.4.7 recovery and CM 12.1 Nightly. When I’m updating i usually wipe cache and dalvik cache only. My question is if I wipe cache and dalvik cache and format /system partition I should install also the gapps and the supersu zip, right? /data partition will not be wiped so i think it will have all my apps and data.
Have a Droid Razr Maxx (Verizon XT912) that is unlocked and rooted, in India. Need advice on whether I can install a Lollipop Rom (5.1.1). Also, will it need a new/updated kernel? What is the best recovery (TWRP, CWM, or other) that I should use? What else to keep in mind. Your help is truly appreciated. First time I will be installing a custom ROM on any device. Thanks.
Fo installing a custom ROM, you need to root your phone and install a custom recover, preferably TWRP.
You can then install a Lollipop ROM.
Hey brother I have SM-G530F With Android lollipop OS and I want to install the Lineage OS ROM Android Nought 7.1 so how should I do it and can I go back after installing the COUSTOM ROM TO STOCK ROM AFTER Wiping and Format the data in Custom Directly with TWRP AND THE ROOTED ZIP FILE OF MY STOCK ROM ..
Please help me out email me if got the Time….
Irshadshaikh1996@gmail.com thanks brother RAKESH in Advance.
Please i also need another help, my friend just bought this new SAMSUNG GALAXY WIN DUOS GT-18552 about 3days ago and he downloaded and flashed in Recovery on it using Mobileuncle.apk app and ever since his phone has been unable to Detect Sim(s) and also it doesn’t boot into Recovery in Normal mode. Thanks
Why is it that every time i wipe delvic cache, cache, and wipe partitions when I reinstall my rom, my photos and other files are still there, please, HOW DO I TOTALLY WIPE ENTIRE SYSTEM, REPARTITION AND THEN REINSTALL. This is very much a painfull experiance as I have a full disc and then when I wipe and reinstall i still only have 2GB left from a 32bg HD space.
Go to DCIM folder/pictures folder in My files app to manually delete the photos you don’t want. Backup some of these photos to cloud if need be before manually deleting photos from Gallery/pictures/DCIM folder. You could wipe internal storage by twrp/cwm but it’s hard to get back or impossible
Pls I need the first 12 or 10 imei digits of the new Samsung Galaxy S6, forward to my email pls: mattjoe19@gmail.com
000000000000, you think IMEI is generic?
Really? I’m only trying to work something out of it pls, that’s why i didn’t ask of the full/complete 15digits. Please help me out. thanks.
why do my backups not boot after restoring I have s4 i9505 plz help
hello i got a problem in my samsung galaxy ace s5830i.i forget to backup imei no. when i flash custom rom.after finishing flashing process i lost my imei no. how i restore it???????????????plz help me………….
Hello. I got one problem here. I juz rooted my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7100. Its said the process was successfully done. But when my device was booted it was stuck on NORMAL MODE screen. Its saying failure on last recovery. So how can I fix this problem so I can get my Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7100 alive back. Please I really need help. Thank in advances.
Show me the pic of the phone as it looks now.
Boot you phone into CWM recovery mode
โwipe data/factory resetโ
โwipe cache partitionโ
Then go to โbackup and restore> restoreโ, select the location (internal or external) of the backup.
Select the file and confirm your choice by selecting โyesโ.
Thanks, this worked for me without any issues. Went from Stock Android 4.2.2 to CM11 Snapshot kitkat 4.4.4 to back to stock and then to LiquidSmooth 3.2 Official Kitkat 4.4.4!
Thanks for sharing your feedback.
Please can i have your contact, i seriously need help on SAMSUNG DUOS GT-18552 not detecting sim(s) and showing INVALID IMEI(s). Thanks
I want to clean installation with custom rom, i wanted to use the 16gb(except few gb for custom rom) bcos the custom rom files takes probably 200mb, and after installation may be it take 2-3 gb i guess…is there any way to maximum space in my phone?? may be a 13gb usable storage out of 16gb?? Please someone help me…Am using Samsung galaxy s3 LTE version phone.. Thanks..Ram
it is my first time to customize my ROM and I didn’t wipe the data and cache but i did the back up and restore and the install .zip from SD card, now my phone is still in recovery mode, is it normal? I mean does it really take that long? i think its been 10-15 minutes, did i do something wrong? or its okay bc for the first timers, it usually takes long? pls reply and answer thank you…
You must have made some mistake. Install the ROM again but this time do not forget to wipe data, cache partition and system before installing the ROM. Also, you did not mention your device model.
can any one please tell me how to disable “signature verification”
Thanks in advance
Which recovery are you using?
My mobile is “Celkon A95” (Indian company) I dont have any Clockworkrecovery. I have rooted my device. when I tried to install custom rom from sd card by pressing “Volume up key+Power key” it says signature verification failed. I tried different zip files (custom roms) but same message “signature verification failed” please help me.
Since you are trying to install a custom ROM using stock recovery, you are getting that error.
I have google for cwm recovery for my phone but failed to get the appropriate one. can you help me to find right cwm for my mobile (Celkon A95)
thank in advance
Hi there. If i may ask. I have a thl w100 phone which is a china brand, and i have a firmware version of thl w100 (130912) but the custom rom that i want to flash is based on thl w100 (130711) with this should i change my firmware or is it ok to flash this.. thank you to those who can answer. ๐
Please answer my question, I just backed up my current rom, and I was wondering if I flash another ROM, I would have to factory/reset. So wouldn’t this delete the backup of the ROM I just did. So do I have to place the backed up ROM to an external drive?
The backup is saved in a folder named CWM/TWRP on the internal or ext sd card. If it lies on yhe internal storage, move it to the ext sorage first. You can also keep a copy of it on your computer.
Usually, the data factory reset option in cwm/twrp foes not wipe the internal storage but it is good to ttake precautions.
OK thanks for the quick reply, but I don’t have an external storage, cuz I got a nexus 5. So u meant to move it to computer then?
Yes, copy it it to the computer too. Before installing the ROM, wipe only data, cache and system. Do not touch the storage and it will be alright.
Tnx dude, I followed u
Hey,I just so u didn’t realize I’m new to Android, and got my nexus 5 a week ago. So I might have lots of questions on customization, and it seems like u know lots about this stuff. So can I like ask u any question about Android. Is so what’s the best way to contact u. Tnx
Hi, I have flashed the phone but its not rebooting it showing green lead (charging) how long it will take to reboot
I have done root+CWM based on the instruction and tried to install CM 11, but unfortunately it doesn’t work. After reading some other web site it says require CWM 6.0.4.3 minimum version for Kit Kat, but the installed version along with root is 6.0.3.1. Now, my backup image is hanging. Where can I get the latest version of CWM and how do i upgrade it?
Can someone please help me, I tried to install cm11 m2 release on my galaxy s3 t-mobile and every time I try to install the rom or the Google apps it says E: cannot open … (bad) installation aborted. Now none of my recent backups work either they all say md5 mismatch! Please help, I don’t know what to do.
Try disabling the signature verification option before restoring the backup. It should be fixed.
Thanks, I got the ROM and Google apps to work by reinstalling them then it worked fine.
The battery of my Razr xt925 discharged during the installation process… what do i do??
That’s was a great mistake. One should always ensure ample battery before performing such things. Did you try connecting the device to a charger?
Yeah… it just light the green led but it does not appear to be charging. and it does not show the battery charging… and i can’t turn on the phone even in fastboot mod… i am in serious trouble!
Yes, it’s a serious trouble as the device does not have a removable battery. If you somehow manage to get it replaced, the problem can be resolved.
i’ve just made a homemade factory cable and it did worked!! the phone turns on again… but i’m still stuck on that unlocked bootloader rebooting… i’ve tried to flash some bunch of stock and custom rom’s… but nothing came along… just the reboot loop! i’m really tired already!
I accidentally wiped my internal sd card………now My galaxy s won’t boot anymore plzz help ๐
Copy the ROM file to ext SD and install it via CWM or TWRP.
Hello! I am very new to dis flashing the roms.I have tried to flash my samsung galaxy pop usin the steps u have discussed above.Every thing was alright untill it is rebooted.but after that my phone got stuck at the home screen.wat to do now?? please help me fix this !!
Hello! I need some help! I could not make a back up and did the wipes and all but the CWM does NOT recognize my ROM zip!!! Now im stuck at the CWM without any ROM! What can i do!^? I have a S4 9505 and my CWM is v6.0.3.2. Please help!
Okay, try this: pull out the battery and put it back after a minute. Take out the micro SD card and download another ROM: https://www.droidviews.com/best-custom-roms-for-samsung-galaxy-s4-gt-i9505/
Copy the ROM file to sd card and reinsert it in the phone. Now boot in CWM and you know what to do then. Next time be careful while doing such things. ๐
Installing a Custom ROM -> Step #4 -> Go to mounts and storage and โformat systemโ
Won’t that delete everything on the sd card… including the zip file that we copy?
No, it just wipes the system apps, audio and configuration files. System here means the partition of your internal storage that keeps system file.
oh… k.
What if I want to erase my sd card completely?? How would I do that?
You can find another option for that. If you have CWM, go to “mounts and storage” and wipe sd card.
Yes, I have CWM, After I’ve done that.. the sd card will be completely, including no system files, right?
Then how would I install a ROM? How would I boot into recovery to copy the zip file(s) as I would’ve erased everything?
PS: I’ve a GNex JB 4.3, Wanna flash my first custom ROM
Thanks for your quick responses!
Install the ROM first and then wipe the sd card.
Lemme get this right, as I don’t wanna mess up my first time..
[I wanna flash carbon] || [GNex doesn’t allow for an external sd card]
Copy zip file to sd card,
Boot into recovery,
Wipe Data, Cache, Dalvik,
Flash carbon rom zip file,
Flash Gapps zip file,
— At this point I will now have Carbon ROM —
….
Boot into Recovery,
Go to mounts & Storage,
wipe sd card.
Right?
Then what? Coz If I get this correctly, After doing the above… I won’t have anything on my sd card… and I’ll need to flash a rom again.. and I won’t be having CWM anymore, right?
Nope. Wiping SD will delete all data from user memory, not system memory. It’ll not delete the installed ROM or CWM.
oh…k
Thanks!
๐
In this article, under the heading “Avoid Restoring Apps & Data Backed Up on Another ROM:”, you have mentioned as follows: “In fact, all such backup apps (Titanium Backup, for example) are meant to restore data on the same ROM on which the backup was created. Due to system file discrepancies among different ROMs, restoring apps and data this way might make your phone laggy and slow. Therefore, I recommend you to avoid doing this for better performance of the new ROM.”
My question regarding this is “Is the above also applicable to simply backing up APK files of installed apps?”
If the answer to this question is “No” (I mean to say, if that’s not applicable to the activity of simply backing up APK), then can you suggest the best way of backing up the APK files of installed apps and restoring after restoring a custom ROM?
The line you have quoted, I am talking about avoid using apps that backup app data too. Backing up the APKs and restoring them does not pose any problem.
https://www.droidviews.com/backup-apps-contacts-logs-messages-and-settings-without-rooting-your-android-phone/
Thank you for the answer.
After installing ‘LiquidSmooth’ “thousand” times, my S III is so slow and sometimes freezes I don’t know why? I want to go to the stock ROM. I also want to release it from its freezing mechanism. Also, my phone go really hot at times I think of the working of “SetCPU” and “Seeder”. I already removed them but still there are some issues.
Try some other ROM. What device do you have?
The international version Galaxy S III. Tried CCyanogenmod, Ugly Muiu (or whatever) even the laggy touchWizz. All suck and still I have the freezing technique, but today it became less.
Same problem here. Tried to instal CM, Omega rom and they freeze every minute! I am following all the good advices here to wipe data/cache/davlik/system before installing the new rom. I cannot understand why i cannot install a new rom without problems after this! Did you find a solution?
Actually, I found one. I turned off my phone for about 5 days and then I tried it again and restored the original OEM TouchWiz and it was smooth as butter. I couldn’t stay for long with TouchWiz so I flashed the “stable” release of Cyanogenmod 10.1 (4.2.2) and it was lightning fast El7. ๐
Question about IMEI saving.
It says to use X-Plore File Manager, which I did, and it says to copy EFS folder to external SD and have a copy on the computer which I did too. Now, when i open the EFS folder it is EMPTY, I mean there are no files at all in it, is this normal?
No, that is not normal. Try this instead: http://droidviews.com/2013/how-to-backup-and-restore-efs-data-imei-on-samsung-galaxy-devices-did-you-do-it/
I have a Samsung Galaxy Ace GT-S5830i and It is stuck on boot screen. It loads into recovery mode, but not download mode. I lost the IMEI no. and just today it stopped working and stays on boot screen unless using recovery mode. Please help.
If you have backed up EFS, your could restore it to get back IMEI otherwise it is very difficult, but not impossible, to get IMEI back. To reboot the device, try wiping data factory reset and cache partition in recovery mode.
I have Samsung Galaxy note(1) running on Android 4.1.2.I have rooted the phone and installed ROM manager.I am trying to install cyanogenmod 10 on this phone as you have mentioned in this everything goes as you said but when i try to install zip from sd card,it gives error saying”unable to mount external card.and I have to cancel my installation and reboot.
please help as I am new to this.Thanks
Put the rom zip on internal memory instead and try again.
Thx 4 reply but i have done that nd yet it’s aborted
Do you have a custom recovery?
I am newbi,so tell me where to look for custome recovery and If no then how to create it.i have installed ROM manager
And now my mobile stuck up with Logo screen,not booting up even after rebooting for recovery.Please Help
Can you boot the phone in download mode?
I can boot but please tell me how to go download mode
http://droidviews.com/2013/update-samsung-galaxy-note-gt-n7000-to-android-4-1-2-jelly-bean-official-firmware/
Ya I done as per the link u mentioned and I see Firmware upgrade and initialization screen but selection all option in that window,the start upgrade button is grayed out.so what next.sorry i m giving lot of trouble
Do not check any other option on Odin except Auto Reboot and F Reset time.
I have one question, I don’t see a folder named “efs” in my internal storage and im using ROM Toolbox root browser. My phone is a Motorola Defy MB525, is there another way to backup my imei because im not installing a new rom until I have this backed up
.
Hi Jordan, the loss of EFS/IMEI data issue is associated primarily with Samsung devices and that is why you are unable to find the EFS thing on your Defy. Just backup your current ROM before installing the new one.
i have just flash my phone with cm10.1 which is android 4.2, after the installation the phone is stock at boot screen and is unable to boot to desktop, i even forgot to backup the old rom before installing the new one. please help. am using htc sensation xe
Hi, i used to install custom roms on my nexus s , but recently my phone gets restart when i turn on bluetooth and gets stuck on boot screen for 10 to 15min…, i tried installing another rom but it wont recieve carrier signal , d stock gingerbread too has d same carrier issue.., it only receives signal on my backdup slimbean rom which has that reboot bluetooth issue , i tried changing kernals and radios but none of them worked…,
Kindly help if you have any solution for any of d prob??
Hi, I have just installed custom Rom Xperia z ized on my note 1 but it caught in bootloop. I have done all the things which is required for installing the new rom. Kindly help if you have any solution for that??
Wipe cache partition and format cache from mounts and storage.
Hi, i just recently started with this whole custom roms installation and i loved it on my s3 but i’ve ran into a major issues and i need some help. i installed the cyanogenmod 10.1 nightly build rom and everything works fine but i cant hear anything when making phone calls. now the call goes though but i cant hear anything such as the dial tone or the person speaking to me. I’m thinking its something to do with the kernel but even so i dont know where to get the right kernel.
If i cant fix this in the next few days im going to try going back to the stock samsung rom. hopefully that would fix the problem.
It might be due to a bug in the nightly version as they are experimental in nature. Try the stable release to ensure if it is really a Kernel issue. Also, has your device a custom kernel or the stock one?
No, I’m new to flashing roms so i havent looked into custom kernels, i have the sock one.
and just an update, i flashed it back to sock samsung and it the problem was a bug in the rom. i tried the nightly build a few days later and it fixed the phone call issues so its all cool now ๐
Hello, I have Xperia Neo L, since it has pretty bad internal RAM, can I improve its overall performance by rooting and installing custom ROM? I have rooted my phone, but performance is still same(I understand that) but I am still novice in flashing custom ROM and scared that I may brick my phone. Please suggest a detailed steps that I need to do to improve performance. Thanks much!
Sir,i want to root galaxy S2 internatioanal version running on indian stock 4.1.2 rom..pls tell me the right root to choose and the correct steps.i have read ur tutorial.and please suggest a good kernel also.i suppose ,i cant back up my efs without rooting?so,isnt there a chance to lose it when i root?
Look here to find rooting guide: http://droidviews.com/tag/samsung-galaxy-s2/
Rooting only modifies the kernel so it have nothing to do with Dev/block directory that contain EFS data.
Hi guys, I’ve a doubt with sd card partition(increasing internal memory)…
Suppose I partition my sd card to ext4 with 1048MB size and then flash a custom ROM…if I have to flash a new ROM again, will that sd card partition get wiped? do i have to partition my sd card again if I’ve to flash a new ROM? kindly clarify…
Flashing ROMs does not affect SD card partition.
cool…thank you….:)
heyy plzz help me ….I accidentally wiped my internal sd card and ah few other things @ recovery mode …………now My galaxy s won’t boot anymore….can u help?
hi guys i backup the ‘original rom’ using cwm, but i cant find the backup file on my phone. Do you guys know where to find it? i already search into the clockworkmod folder in the storage but its empty
The location depends on your selection of storage while backing it up. CWM creates “clockworkmod” folder on internal and external storages both.
Can you see the backup file when you try to restore a ROM?
yeah i can see it, but if i open the “clockworkmod” folder i cant see a single file there. I read in forums that it uses adb to pull it out. Do you know the command? thanks ๐
Thanks for all the great efforts, I can’t copy the efs file from the galaxy toolbox app, it’s required root while I’m using now the original ROM preparing to root, I download another app called All-in-one, it shows that the efs file empty, also I can move the file or delet it only. which app do you recomend for my N8000 g note
Did you try this: http://droidviews.com/2013/how-to-backup-and-restore-efs-data-imei-on-samsung-galaxy-devices-did-you-do-it/
do i need to flash stock kernel to restore stock rom in cwm……………….currently iam in cyanogenmod 10.1
No, just restore the ROM.
thanks..
I can’t find efs on my galaxy ace gt-s5830
Install a root file manager and search the system root, it should be somewhere on the phone. Since I do not have my Ace now, I am not sure about it.
hey rakesh! gr8 article. really helpful during flashing cm7.2 on my htc wildfire. there’s one problem m not able to sort out… i installed gapps on this thing. the market opens up but i cannot download any app… it shows an error “gmail could not be downloaded due to an error”. same goes for other apps…. there are 2 other problems also , gtalk shows “authentication failed” error and the homescreen google search widget shows an error “problem loading widget”….. any clues ?? thanx….
1. Flash ICS gapps
or
2. Clear data of apps
or
3. Remove and add google account again
thnx for the reply… ๐ ๐ it started working on its own… i only wiped the dalvik cache..
I guess you have flashed the wrong gapps. Install the gapps recommended by the developer or the apk files from here:http://droidviews.com/tag/google-apps/
Hai ism using samsung galaxy ace s5830i recently i have flashed it with jellyblast custom rom after installing that i lost my imei i tried galaxy tool box and efs pro tools also nothing is worked pls tell me a way to backup and restore imei of my galaxy
So where’s the actual “things to do” part?
You know, when I read your comment on on my phone, I was surprised. I thought what this man is saying! But when I open the article on my desktop, I was even more surprised to see just a paragraph and not the full article.
Thanks for notifying. It was due to some technical error and has been fixed now.
Haha,
Well I’m glad that it was an honest mistake. I honestly thought that it was misinformation in the title. I’ll be sure to read it! Thanks for posting!
thanks for this..
I already tried all ways to update my Ace 2 GT-I8160, but the attempts have always failed, and Odin 1.85, when the word came modem, appeared the word failure. So quit updating it.
hello can you help me out?
am sharath am using galaxy ace GTS-5830 mobile and a custom rom “The Ultimatum” based on cyanogenmod 2.3.7…
now coming to my problem is my phone USB is not working and when ever i connect my phone to PC its showing as “Code Error 43.Device not found”. I have gone through so many blogs,patches, and all methods, processes..but none of them worked with me..:(
So please help me out..:)
Thanx in advance
Try these:
Uninstall and install drivers, reboot PC and phone then try again.
Try another USB cable
If the above does not help, it might be a ROMs issue. Try this:
http://droidviews.com/2012/how-to-install-the-official-stock-firmware-on-samsung-galaxy-ace-s5830-using-odin/
Hi rakesh..im using n7000 running on ultimate jellybean v6.0 rom..and now im getting notification that requires me to update my kernel to SpeedMod N7000 Jelly Bean [K5-5 CWM CIFS ROOT / NO-ROOT]..can i just flash it or is there any important step to update my kernel?? tq..
You can just flash the Kernel but do a dalvik cache wipe before and after flashing it.
Thanks alot rakesh..will do it right away..
hi admin.. after insatlling a cutom rom.. my cell automatically hang n forcly shutdown den not start.. finally i hav to pull d battery n restart again..wen i also choose any app pob still behind it most of d tym m facing same prob.. my kernel is philz ddlsc… varun jellybean….plz help ๐
Do full wipe before installing rom, if still its giving problem…use stock kernel. Dont flash any mods and check
i can’t find efs/ on my galaxy ace s5830
What ROM you have- stock rooted, or custom?
sir,
my note gt n 7000 when checked with chainfire says that it has got the emmc bug chip..can I root my note? pls tel me how to root it safely
Hi,
I would suggest you not to flash any leaked kernels or kernels based on sources where MMC_CAP_ERASE is present. Have you installed the latest JB?
This is a firmware bug and is related to ICS firmware for Note.
thank u…ys..I flashed german JB with odin.since my phone is jb now, is it free from bug? can I reset it? how can I know whether a kernel contains mmc cap erase?
its the same application that told me I have defective chip.after jb..everywhere in blogs the bug is related to ics kernel.I am confused.
Well, I know dozen of people who have rooted their Note and installed custom ROMs. You can try too.
okay.but how to exclude mmc cap erase kernel? can you name a safe kernel pls?
This kernel does not work with AOKP and CM Roms. It’s only for Samsung JB.
ok..thanks a lot…
Hi sir..thank u so much for ur support!!! i rooted my note and it is running on jellybam now.4.2.2.everything working fine .but i miss s pen functions,s note and multiwindow. can you suggest anything that can bring back multitasking multiwindow?also ,i cant see the option to change default storage of photos to sd card..pls help.
In an AOSP ROM, you will not get S Pen features. Install the Ultimate ROM:
http://droidviews.com/2013/best-custom-roms-for-samsung-galaxy-note-gt-n7000-2013-edition/
Oh..i see..thank you..what about multiwindow?ultimate rom is 4.1.2 right?i am on cwm.how can i instal this on my jellybam rom?
All info and tutorial is given at the page- http://droidviews.com/2013/best-custom-roms-for-samsung-galaxy-note-gt-n7000-2013-edition/
Great guide. I have learnt a lot from this site. I rooted my phone galaxy s2 after I read your post ‘To root or not to root’ and now I’m running supernexus rom. Thanks a lot for such guides. I visit the site daily and I always find such interesting articles. Keep up the good work.
Very good article, Rakesh and thank you. I visit your blog quite often and find it very informative, well designed, with competent articles and everything is put in order so one could easily find his way. If you just allow me to add some more info: Wipe data/factory reset wipes /data and /cache, too. With this procedure /dalvik is also wiped because it is located in the /data partition. So it might not be necessary to wipe these partitions separately. But It is very important to wipe the /system partition, too because not all custom ROMs include “format system” script and system files from the previous ROM might remain in the new one. That is why it is good to do it manually before flashing the ROM of your choice. The last procedure leaves the system with no ROM at all so one would not be able to boot until a new ROM is flashed. Additionally some devices use the /preload partition to store system apps in order to save some system space. So it would be a good idea to format the /preload as well.
Hi Kalin,
Thanks for your still informative and nice observation. Actually, I just tried to share has always worked for me since I first stepped into Android. However, I agree with what you say and I will gladly update the article pretty soon.
Thanks and regards!