How likely am I to brick my phone

[freeze]

I understand that anytime you root a phone and/or install a custom ROM there is a chance that the phone may get bricked. What are the chances that doing either of these things will permanently brick my phone so that I am unable to restore via Odin?

From reading up on this, it sounds like USB cables can be flaky. What's the best way to ensure that I have one that will work? If my device shows up in Odin, is that good enough?

I can't really afford to buy a new phone if I royally brick it, so I'd like to understand what I am up against. Maybe I will just wait until September when my 1yr premier upgrade kicks in, just in case I cause irreparable harm.

Thanks!

 

[Paul627g]

Rooting the phone and running ROMs is two of the least likely ways to brick your device.

The way most people brick a device is the use of Odin. Not that Odin is bad or known for causing this, it is normally the fault of the user doing something wrong in the Odin process like pulling the cable unexpectedly while Odin is flashing the system. Even then most of the time it can be recovered and fixed.

Chances are very very slim you will brick your device if you follow the steps in the How To's and Guides we provide and if your ever in question, ask before you attempt the procedure. So it means waiting a few hours, big deal its worth saving yourself from trouble .

 

[drekosh]

I've probably flashed 7 or 8 ROMs and have flashed up to 20 times and only twice my phone wouldn't boot up properly. Both times I was able to flash with Odin and correct my problem. I even had Odin freeze on me the first time I used it (tried using the front USB ports) and everything was still fine. This is just in my experience but you probably have a 1 in 10 chance of something not flashing right and having to Odin to something stable. The odds of completely bricking a phone where it can't be recovered is based more on the person but if you read and understand what you are doing, it is very slim.
It seems very intimidating at first but after you do it you realize it was more simple than you thought.
As for the cables, I use the ones from my Palm Pre. I've never even tried using my Samsung cables that came with it. They are so common nowadays with cell phones, cameras, and MP3 players often using the same connectors, you probably have more than one laying around if you have problems with the one that came with the phone.

 

[tomy2001]

I understand that anytime you root a phone and/or install a custom ROM there is a chance that the phone may get bricked. What are the chances that doing either of these things will permanently brick my phone so that I am unable to restore via Odin?

From reading up on this, it sounds like USB cables can be flaky. What's the best way to ensure that I have one that will work? If my device shows up in Odin, is that good enough?

I can't really afford to buy a new phone if I royally brick it, so I'd like to understand what I am up against. Maybe I will just wait until September when my 1yr premier upgrade kicks in, just in case I cause irreparable harm.

Thanks!

I recalled when I first rooted my epic I was undecided. At the beginnign, I made some mistakes. I used odin in order to bring back my phone to stock. The usb was damaged so in the middle of the process I lost sign with odin the screen of my epic turned yellow, at that moment I was nervous. I started over and everything went through. From that day on, I have had a great smartphone to play with. New rows every now and then. Welcome to rooted world !!!

 

[freeze]

Thanks for the replies. Moving on...

Let's say I want to do this ROM flashy business. What kinds of things do I need to back up/save prior to starting (I use Gmail for my contact management)? I understand that it will wipe all my apps and I will need to re-install all of them. Do I need to make a manual list or does my Google account remember which ones I've downloaded?

I'm not 100% sure here, but I am assuming things like device registration (and my phone number, etc) are all "remembered" during the flash process? I only assume this because none of the tutorials mention it and it seems like a basic thing to have.

I guess my biggest fear at this point is the warranty voiding business. If something should go bad on the phone while running a custom ROM, I would no longer be covered for a replacement, correct? Or would using Odin to factory restore resolve this? I'm not entirely comfortable with that (morally speaking, since I would have made the decision to flash knowing this beforehand).

 

[k0nane]

I guess my biggest fear at this point is the warranty voiding business. If something should go bad on the phone while running a custom ROM, I would no longer be covered for a replacement, correct? Or would using Odin to factory restore resolve this? I'm not entirely comfortable with that (morally speaking, since I would have made the decision to flash knowing this beforehand).

Just flash back to stock with Odin. If that solves your problem, it's not a software issue! Manufacturers must cover hardware issues. If you've got a loose keyboard, and flash back to stock so you can send it in and get it fixed... What's the problem?

 

[ZiggSVO]

Thanks for the replies. Moving on...

Let's say I want to do this ROM flashy business. What kinds of things do I need to back up/save prior to starting (I use Gmail for my contact management)? I understand that it will wipe all my apps and I will need to re-install all of them. Do I need to make a manual list or does my Google account remember which ones I've downloaded?

I'm not 100% sure here, but I am assuming things like device registration (and my phone number, etc) are all "remembered" during the flash process? I only assume this because none of the tutorials mention it and it seems like a basic thing to have.

I guess my biggest fear at this point is the warranty voiding business. If something should go bad on the phone while running a custom ROM, I would no longer be covered for a replacement, correct? Or would using Odin to factory restore resolve this? I'm not entirely comfortable with that (morally speaking, since I would have made the decision to flash knowing this beforehand).

I rooted my Epic for the first time (first android root period) with these how to videos and it went flawlessly not one hiccup. i even had to relash the rom a second time just like the video lol wierd lol. but follow these videos and you'll be wondering why you thought it was so hard

http://forum.androidcentral.com/spr...rom-theme-nandroid-update-ec05-more-come.html

 

[freeze]

Once the ROM is flashed, will I have to go through the "registration/activation" process again (like when you first turn it on out of the box)?

 

[Paul627g]

Once the ROM is flashed, will I have to go through the "registration/activation" process again (like when you first turn it on out of the box)?

Most ROMs have the "Setup Wizard" disabled. So when you boot up the ROM if it doesn't prompt you to enter in your Gmail account to log in for the first time then just go to your Market or Gmail app and it will prompt you there for the first time to enter your Gmail account tagged to that phone. From there it will be a few minutes and your contacts/email/calendars linked to your Gmail account will be loaded back into your device.

Thats it.. Very simple.

 

[freeze]

so the phone number and stuff (carrier related) is all stored somewhere on the phone and doesn't require a re-activation, etc?

 

[Paul627g]

so the phone number and stuff (carrier related) is all stored somewhere on the phone and doesn't require a re-activation, etc?

Correct.. By rooting and running custom ROMs you are not changing anything regarding phone numbers, your phones registration, pins, etc.. That all remains untouched. All you will be doing is just re entering your Gmail account that was used to originally setup that device. You maybe getting the wrong impression by terms like "hacking". Your simply running a modified version of the stock OS.

 

[freeze]

Thanks. I am fairly technically competent (Computer Engineer) but am new to the phone root/ROM scene. I just wasn't sure what is stored where.

 

[freeze]

so here's one for you veteran rooters: is it safe to assume that a cable/USB port combo that works for getting root via OneClickRootCWM will work for Odin? I'd hate to root, try to flash and have it screw up only to find out that Odin doesn't work with my current set of materials. I guess I could always try to recover first to ensure I can fix any problems that come up...

 

[Paul627g]

Yes, if its working for one the odds are it will work for the other. Plus there is now another option for returning to stock without the use of Odin. I'm mobile and can't post the link but I will post it here once I get back home. Either way I wouldn't worry about it.

Sent from my Epic 4g....

 

[freeze]

Sounds great! One last thing (I hope)

It appears that I should back some stuff up before I flash a ROM. I downloaded both Titanium and My Backup Root. What exactly is it I should be backing up? Is it only apps that have data I care about (like Angry Birds scores, etc)? Or should I backup everything to be safe?

 

[citiz]

so here's one for you veteran rooters: is it safe to assume that a cable/USB port combo that works for getting root via OneClickRootCWM will work for Odin? I'd hate to root, try to flash and have it screw up only to find out that Odin doesn't work with my current set of materials. I guess I could always try to recover first to ensure I can fix any problems that come up...

I was worried about that too. What I did was download all the drivers from Samsung. I made sure that all of the drivers were installed. Next I downloaded Odin and opened it up. I read that even if you put your phone in Download mode you could always pull the battery to turn it back on again, so I did just that. I put the phone in DL mode and plugged in the usb cable. When I got the Yellow Com 5 on it I knew it was smooth sailing.

You're looking at someone whose NEVER flashed a phone, never used Odin or never used a custom rom until I found here. PAUL, K0nane and ragnarokx know what they're talking about. I asked questions but I wasn't annoying about it. They pointed me in the right directions. I have to tell them thanks. The other day I looked on one of those online classified places (I'm not saying but it's a "list") and people are charging $40-50 to CWM and flash a rom to your phone....I laugh at it...

 

[freeze]

I am now rooted. Woohoo. Just trying to get my ducks in a row (stuff to backup) before I flash. I was thinking of trying the SyndicateROMFrozen. Though MidNight sounds interesting too.

Any tips/pointers on things I should backup on my phone before I wipe it?

 

[citiz]

Good question. I rooted my pone with ext 4 and I flashed an ASOP lockscreen without a custom rom and my phone hung up on the Samsung screen.
Is there a way to flash something like that without having to use a custom rom and only having Superuser permissions?

Just wondering...it's all good now because I'm on Syndicate.

BTW what's the best KERNAL for SFR and how would I flash it?

 

[Paul627g]

I am now rooted. Woohoo. Just trying to get my ducks in a row (stuff to backup) before I flash. I was thinking of trying the SyndicateROMFrozen. Though MidNight sounds interesting too.

Any tips/pointers on things I should backup on my phone before I wipe it?

You can backup whatever you like. Mybackup Root will give you some defined options to backup stuff. Its very cut and dry with Mybackup Root.

Titanium Backup you can get more selective as to exactly what you want to do. You mentioned Angry Birds, you can select Angry Birds from the list it compiles of all your apps and do a backup then restore it once your situated on a ROM.

Good question. I rooted my pone with ext 4 and I flashed an ASOP lockscreen without a custom rom and my phone hung up on the Samsung screen.
Is there a way to flash something like that without having to use a custom rom and only having Superuser permissions?

Just wondering...it's all good now because I'm on Syndicate.

BTW what's the best KERNAL for SFR and how would I flash it?

All depends on which version the ASOP lockscreen was intended for. Some are made to run with certain kernels and stuff. It gets a bit tricky at times, I will admit that. Your best bet if your going to start flashing anything custom (addon's, themes, kernels) is to pick a ROM out and customize the ROM..

Kernels are flashed by booting into CWM and flashing it the same way you do the ROM. Kernels require NO WIPE unless otherwise stated.

Quick tips for flashing in CWM.

ROMS, always wipe everything 3x unless otherwise stated by the developer.
Themes, always wipe cache/dalvik cache 3x.
Addons (lockscreens, boot/shutdown animations) just flash them no wipe required
Kernels, no wipe required.
Restore/Reverts for applications, just flash unless stated.

 

[og_president]

Slim to non IF you follow directions

Swyped from my Gingerbread'ed Optimus S