Noobs Guide to rooting and installing custom rom

coderunknown

Retired Forum Mod
INSTALLING CUSTOM ROM:

Q: What is official rom?
A: Google releases Android source code. Manufacturers compile it & add their own apps, tweaks, UI/Launcher (themes) and you have their own Android Rom.

Q: What is custom rom?
A: In simple terms, a rom made by a user (DEV, modder; whatever you call). There are many different types but I won’t go deep into this as its offtopic.

Q: Why should i try a custom rom?
A: Cause either your mobile manufacturer is way too lazy to push out an update or it no longer supports your mobile.

Q: What are the advantages & disadvantages of using a custom rom over official rom?
A: Custom rom usually offers better performance as it includes various tweaks and all crapwares removed. The same can be done with stock rom too but why do the heavy lifting when custom rom is usually one stop for solving most of the problems. I'll list the advantages and disadvantages below.

Advantages:
  • Included tweaks.
  • More battery life.
  • No or less bloatwares.
  • More free space.
  • Pre-root access.
  • Many unique built in features (varies from rom to rom)

Disadvantages:
  • No warranty or official support
  • Custom roms are not always stable.

Q: Explain a bit more about warranty & custom rom
A: Once you install a custom rom, custom recovery, or even root your warranty is void. Of course, unrooting is as easy as running Z4Root or some rooting software again.
But remember that if you break something (remove a system app like browser, calendar) you can’t contact mobile service center to fix it for you. You’ll have to reinstall rom. Also if you brick your mobile in the process of installing something or by overclocking, you are not eligible for warranty. Though once bricked, I doubt service center will be able to know what OS the mobile was running before and should provide warranty services anyway.

Q: How to choose the best custom rom for my mobile?
A:
  • Go to specific XDA section dedication to your mobile.
  • Enter the development section.
  • There will be list of different threads.
  • Check each of the rom there about their unique features & bug list.
  • Pick the one which is most stable & suites your taste.

My suggestion is to pick a light rom with less preinstalled applications so that you can install those which you need. This in terms will boost battery life as well as offer more free space.

Q: How to install custom rom?
A: Installing rom is more or less the same irrespective of what mobile you are using. But read the instructions given in the first post of the rom thread carefully as sometimes you need to flash certain patches before & after installing rom.
Installing rom is exactly same as going from CWM to any other recovery. I won’t repeat the same steps again. Check the earlier post.

Q: I have a mobile with a locked bootloader. How to install a rom?
A: If you have successfully flashed custom recovery, simply flash a rom of your wish.

Q: What if I want to go back to official rom after flashing a custom rom?
A: NANDROID BACKUP (or simply nand backup). Check the CWM recovery picture I have posted earlier. It has an option backup and restore. Just select it & take backup with default option. Always take backup when going from official to custom rom & even before trying any custom rom. It can save time in case you don’t like the new rom & wish to go back to the previous one.

Q: Can I copy backup folder to my PC?
A: Yes you can & it’s advised to copy it to your PC in case our memory card gets erased in the process of flashing a new rom. When you want to restore, copy the folder back to memory card & use the same option.

Q: I flashed a new rom & can no longer make any call or receive any. same for sms.
A: There are 2 possibilities:
  • Either the new rom you have flashed doesn't support your baseband. Check in the rom thread or ask the DEV.
  • Your IMEI number got replaced by some generic one. Always backup efs (encrypted file system) of your mobile before trying to flash any untested rom. This warning is specially for HTC & Samsung mobiles users.
 
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