How to install custom firmware on a phone running the official 2.1 firmware.
Note: This guide is not applicable to phones running 1.5, which are harder to root. Download the 2.1 Over-The-Air update first and save yourself a headache
- Root the phone using one of the one click root apps listed above. (I would go for Universal Androot if it was me).
Preparation:
- Put the latest Amon Ra on the root of your sdcard (i.e. not in a folder).
- Download your firmware of choice in .zip form and put it on the root of your .sdcard.
Note: Don't try to extract any .zip files during this process.
- Your ROM may come with other .zip files, such as themes, kernels and so on. These should go on the root of your sdcard too.
- Make sure you have anything you need backed up. Everything on the phone's internal memory is going to be wiped completely. (The sdcard, SIM card and anything backed up to google are safe). So contacts (if they aren't google/sim contacts), apps and sms messages need to be backed up, for example. Titanium Backup and SMS Backup & Restore are useful apps in this situation.
- Make sure your battery is fully charged!
Installing a recovery image:
- Install 'ROM Manager' from the market (the free version is fine).
- Launch RM and pick the first option to flash clockwork. The superuser permissions app should pop up and you should click allow. Let it finish and reboot.
Note: If the SU permissions app doesn't pop up, make sure you have 'USB Debugging' enabled in your phone's settings.
- Launch RM again and pick the bottom option, to flash amon ra.
- The phone will reboot when done, at which point you need to turn it off again.
- Boot by holding Home + Power, at which point amon ra should appear.
Flashing the new ROM:
- Under the backup menu, do a 'nand backup'. This backs up your current firmware, so you should be doing a nand backup before you flash anything in the future.
- Under the wipe menu, do a factory reset, a cache wipe and a dalvik cache wipe.
- Then pick the option to flash a .zip from the sdcard and point it at your ROM.zip of choice.
- Any extra .zips you need should be flashed the same way after this. (e.g. themes, kernels).
Note: When flashing radio.zip files it is absolutely vital you do not lose power or pull the battery whilst flashing. This is almost guaranteed to permanently brick your phone! Radio flashes do not act like any other flashes, but no matter what you see, do not pull the battery out.
- Reboot
- Install TB and any other backup apps used from the market, restore, and have fun
