Getting Ready For ICS - Want To Install Gingerbread 2.3.6

[rozel]

Hi all

I seem a little bored since the festivities ended and am thinking about upgrading my phone to Gingerbread 2.3.6. I am a newb here but some months ago, I Rooted my phone using the CF Root Kernal and have reset the Binary Counter to "No" using a USB-Jig and removed the Yellow Triangle. I say this stuff as I am rather pleased with myself that I have got this far!

My current Kernal version is: - 2.6.35.7-I9100XWKI4-CL575468

I have read and re-read all at the XDA forum but am confusing myself on a few points and would like to know some best practice before I proceed.

Hope you don't mind me listing my questions: -

1. As I have never flashed my ROM before, does the process "Wipe" my phone of data and all? I have a 16Gb SD Card installed - will the process wipe the data on that also? I mean I do have some apps installed on it but after upgrading, will these apps still work? Should I remove the SD Card before flashing?

2. Assuming the upgrade process "Wipes" my phone clean, what is the best method to "backup" and "restore" everything as to how it was before? And will this restore all my settings/Apps/Contacts and SMS conversations etc etc? There seem to be several ways - I am unfamiliar in using any of them with this phone so would appreciate some guidance. I do have Titanium Backup and CWM installed but never used them - they seem complicated too!

3. Given that I am Rooted at the moment, will I need to Re-Root after upgrading the ROM? If so, using what Kernel?

4. I would like to stay as close to the Official ROM as possible. I am currently on Gingerbread 2.3.4 with the Official XXKI1 ROM - I am based in the UK - my phone was bought from Carphonewarehouse - ie; unbranded. I think I need a XWKL1 ROM or later (if there is one?), but which one? There seem a few out there and they come with 3 files PDA/MODEM/CSC and am totally confused as to which one to download and which files to Flash using Odin. Some help here is definately needed

Once I get into the swing of it, I am sure I will be fine with future updates etc and obviously want to be ready for ICS. Of course I could wait but I want to upgrade my phone now, particularly as people are saying 2.3.6 gives improved battery performance so as to get into the swing of exactly what to do. With previous phones my experience has been "no pain - no gain" and I daresay this will be the same for the Galaxy S2 hehe!

I just need some really nice kind person to guide me through it all, with perhaps some nice working links to the relevant files please in order to mitigate the experience.

Happy New Year to all on the Forum and looking forward to having some fun

roz

 

[greggebhardt]

You phone will have an entirely new landscape with ICS. Everything will be gone from the new OS. I would keep all of your data on your SD card and cloud.

You will also even have a bit of a learning curve going to ICS.

 

[rozel]

Thanks - I understand that but want to get into the upgrade process first - can you help me with my questions to upgrade to 2.3.6?

roz

 

[ironass]

MOD'S... you may like to move this thread to, "All Things Root", for the SGSII

As you are now rooted and are wanting to know about ROM's, the best place is in this forum here:-

Galaxy S2 (International) - All Things Root - Android Forums

This contains the excellent sticky:-

http://androidforums.com/galaxy-s2-...ot-guide-updated-00-11-gmt-dec-29-2011-a.html

This contains links to official 2.3.6 firmware updates.

If you are after a fairly foolproof guide to getting a custom, 2.3.6, ROM then perhaps CheckROM Revolution v4 would be a good start as it is both very popular and comes with full instructions and even videos on how to install it... a real "Dummies Guide".

[ROM][XWKK5][2.3.6] CheckROM RevoHD™ V4 | DarkKnight™ V2.5.2 it's live!! - xda-developers

Hope this helps.

 

[rozel]

Thanks ironass - as I have already rooted, I bypassed the root guide. As I said there is so much stuff out there, it is very confusing. I am currently learning how to use Titanium Backup and think I have been successful in creating my first backup. However for example, where does it say what it will and won't backup? It's clear it will backup apps etc but what about contacts and all the other stuff? Or do I do a further backup in Kies?

I would not go so far and say your other link is a foolproof guide though. My guess is that you think it is! But where exactly does it answer my detailed questions above? These were asked because of countless hours searching.

If nobody wants to answer those questions, then fair enough. But please refrain from giving me answers which "you think or believe" to be "all embracing" answers. Please try and give specific answers if you can.

My guess is the answers I have raised are the ones a lot of newbies would want answering consisely, before embarking on upgrading their ROM.

Ta much

roz

 

[ironass]

Thanks ironass - as I have already rooted, I bypassed the root guide.

It is a shame that you chose to ignore my link above as it contains the following:-

AndroidNZ: [At Your Own Risk] How to backup your Rooted 'Droid - NANDROID & Titanium Backup

which includes the excellent guide on how to nandroid and Titanium, backup and restore, with a step-by-step, illustrated, instructions and written by one of our own forum members.

Oh well, never mind.

 

[rozel]

Hi and thank you for bearing with me

I have, in the last 15 mins established the difference between a CWM backup and a Titanium Backup. CWM is a "whole phone backup", including the Rom (and kernel too?) in case you mess up. Titanium is a backup of your phone's applications and settings etc which you restore over a new ROM (and kernel?). This is a very important bit of info and I got to this via AndroidNZ: [At Your Own Risk] How to backup your Rooted 'Droid - NANDROID & Titanium Backup I am reading everything right now and this backup procedure is very important for me to proceed - if I mess up then I now know how to recover.

Thanks again. Before I embark upon the upgrade, I will need to embark on the [ROM][XWKK5][2.3.6] CheckROM RevoHD

 

[ironass]

The CheckROM Kitchen app is an app that installs to your App Drawer automatically when flashing the ROM.

The Kitchen is basically an Argos catalogue of mod's, (modifications), themes, kernels, modems, boot animations, widgets and utilities that you can choose from, at your leisure, to enhance and reconfigure your phone. There is a brief explanation by each one and usually a web-link for more information and in the case of themes, there are thumbnails.

After choosing the, "mod's", you require you can select to download and install them OTA, (Over The Air), automatically... like the Market.

To flash CheckROM v4...

1. Download the CheckROM RevoHD v4 .zip file from here:-

xda-developers - View Single Post - [ROM][XWKK5][2.3.6] CheckROM RevoHD™ V4 | DarkKnight™ V2.5.2 it's live!!

and install the .zip file on your internal SD card.

2. Ensure that you have made a nandroid and Titanium backup (although you may only be using the Titanium restore. The nandroid is your get-out-of-jail card).

3. Make sure that you have read the FAQ's in this post:-

xda-developers - View Single Post - [ROM][XWKK5][2.3.6] CheckROM RevoHD™ V4 | DarkKnight™ V2.5.2 it's live!!

4. Watch the video here so you know what to expect:-

Flashing a Custom ROM on the Samsung Galaxy S2 Flashing Tutorial & Guide - YouTube

5. As per the video instructions, use CWM to boot into Recovery and select, "install from internal sdcard".

6. When your phone has rebooted you, "may" need to use Titanium restore to re-install your app's and settings.

N.B. In the unlikely event of a total, "Tits-up" situation whereby you cannot boot -up or you completely mess up the flashing, then all you need do is power off the phone... pull the battery if need be. Then press and hold the following keys... Volume up + Home + (lastly) Power and continue hold them until the Recovery menu is displayed. Then use the Restore feature to navigate, using the Up+Down Volume keys, to your nandroid backup and select it with the Home key. Your phone will then bootup in your present configuration... none the worse for wear!

Good luck!

 

[rozel]

Thanks, so I figure that you must install the ROM first then you can tweak it using Kitchen then?

I think I'm ready to go for it now - I have downloaded the latest CheckRom - this .zip file contains loads of files but I presume you simply transfer the .zip file to your external SD Card?

OK so this is what I propose doing: -

Do a CWM backup
Do a Titanium backup
Do a full Kies Backup to be sure
place the .zip file on the root of my external SD Card
Get into recovery mode and do a factory restore to wipe evrything
reboot again into recovry mode and install ROM

I guess there is something wrong with this - for example do you extract the .zip file or not? and/or do you place the files in the root of the external SD Card - if not where exactly as if you do a factory wipe then everything on phone will be deleted.

Just a few outstanding issues before I move forward

Thanks again

roz

 

[ironass]

place the .zip file on the root of my external SD Card

Not good with instructions are we?

1. Download the CheckROM RevoHD v4 .zip file from here:-

xda-developers - View Single Post - [ROM][XWKK5][2.3.6] CheckROM RevoHD™ V4 | DarkKnight™ V2.5.2 it's live!!

and install the .zip file on your internal SD card.

Get into recovery mode and do a factory restore to wipe evrything

Probably not a bad idea as you are coming from another ROM... better safe than sorry. You will need to do a Titanium restore afterwards in that case.

I guess there is something wrong with this - for example do you extract the .zip file or not? and/or do you place the files in the root of the external

See 1. NO extracting and internal SD card.

f not where exactly as if you do a factory wipe then everything on phone will be deleted.

Only the Phone's memory is deleted. The internal memory SD card is untouched... unless you choose to wipe it!!!

 

[rozel]

Ahh - yes it is confusing So what exactly do I "wipe" using what option? Assuming I have already installed the .zip file on the internal sd card, then a wipe will delete it will it not? The vids don't play back well as they are not HD and the exposure doen't allow me to follow the proceddure too good.

roz

 

[ironass]

Ahh - yes it is confusing So what exactly do I "wipe" using what option? Assuming I have already installed the .zip file on the internal sd card, then a wipe will delete it will it not? The vids don't play back well as they are not HD and the exposure doen't allow me to follow the proceddure too good.

roz

From FAQ's here:-

xda-developers - View Single Post - [ROM][XWKK5][2.3.6] CheckROM RevoHD

 

[rozel]

Ahh that has cleared up a massive misunderstanding as I did not appreciate there was a distinction made between the phone's memory and it's "internal sd card".

Thanks

roz

 

[ironass]

Ahh that has cleared up a massive misunderstanding as I did not appreciate there was a distinction made between the phone's memory and it's "internal sd card".

Thanks

roz

Ahhh! You were thinking of it as all one thing.

You should be good to go now then...

After you have done that you can have a go at installing a custom kernel...

see here:-

http://androidforums.com/galaxy-s2-...-6-2-dummies-guide-installation-settings.html

 

[Slug]

MOD'S... you may like to move this thread to, "All Things Root", for the SGSII

Done, but for future reference using the "Report this post" button to request the move will get almost-immediate attention from any mods online at the time.