Really confused. Please Help

[9191-H]

So I'm a complete noob to this thing. As a matter of fact, my friend mentioned rooting my phone and explained that its similar to jailbreaking an ipod, which I have done successfully. (I'm not sure about my privileges as a new member so I won't link) I'm right now following the xda developers forum following the steps, and currently on step 6. It says to choose your desired ROM with a gapps (both .zip), put those on the sd card to flash. So what I'm currently looking for in assistance is which ROM would you recommend for LG optimus V (virgin mobile) 2.2.2? More specifically, which ROMs work for my 2.2.2 (would you recommend). Thanks for the help!

 

[notown]

I recommend all the IHO CM7 ROMs all of these are compatible with OVs 2.2.2 ..choose any of those, you cant go wrong with any.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/op...inferior-human-organs-unofficial-cm7-1-a.html

 

[9191-H]

Thanks for the response. Okay so I just picked two random ones (BACKside-IHO-VM670, and CM7.2.0 RC0-BobZ) for my specific phone. When I try to flash one of them with the flash image gui app with kernel image selected, it says the file is too big. Am I downloading the right thing or have something not checked or selected?

 

[notown]

Yeah, im not sure what you're doing to flash the rom. After you install your custom recovery you can boot into the the recovery and flash it there.

 

[9191-H]

Alright this is a text copy of the steps I am currently on.

Flash Custom ROM

I.H.O CyanogenMod 7 ROM (Gingerbread)

6. Copy the unextracted ROM .zip that you wish to install to the /sdcard dir. Also if installing a CyanogenMod Gingerbread ROM, the unextracted gapps.zip also needs to be placed in the same dir to flash right after the ROM .zip.
7. Boot into Clockworkmod recovery mode (From powered off state, hold vol-down, home, and power button until the LG logo appears).
8. FIRST, BACKUP ORIGINAL ROM! Don't continue until this is successful. Use vol-up/down, camera, & back keys to navigate in recovery.
9. Wipe Data/Factory Reset, wipe cache partition. Under Advanced submenu, wipe dalvik-cache. Then uner Mounts & Storage submenu, format all partitions EXCEPT /sdcard.
10. Flash the custom ROM.zip from sdcard and gapps.zip too if going to a CyanogenMod ROM
11. Reboot and enjoy the new ROM, the first boot takes longer than usual, also some problems may disappear after rebooting.

Step 6 is where I am currently at. So I click that I.H.O Cyanogen Mod link that links me to another page where I can click on another link that takes me this https://github.com/inferiorhumanorgans/android_device_lge_thunderc/wiki/Binary. I choose the first two and when I tried to flash one, it tells me on Flash Image Gui mod that the file is too big to be valid. I'm under the impression from reading step 6 that you flash the BACKside, then that gapps zip file. I hope that was more clear.

 

[kwknott]

Flash Image GUI is for flashing recovery and kernel images only. You have to flash a custom rom from within recovery. Did you follow the steps for installing custom recovery image? If not you need to install custom recovery first. Once this is done power off the phone and turn it back on by holding Home, Vol Down and Power buttons until you see LG logo (Step 7 in your post). This will take you into the custom recovery where you will install the custom Rom. Just place your custom ROM and Google Apps on SD card and continue your steps in your post

 

[notown]

Ok if you have a custom recovery then proceed to step 7. Just make sure you have the ROM zip and the GAPS zip in your sd card.... Now just continue with step 7 and flash both files through the recovery menu. Flash the ROM first then the Gaps.

 

[9191-H]

Okay, it took a while but I finally got it! Thanks a lot for the assistance. I'm currently trying to figure out how to get back to signing into my gmail account because I skipped it since I couldn't remember my password. When I sign back in, will that retrieve my apps?

 

[anthonycr]

Any apps you bought on the market will be available, but you'll have rom restore the non-purchased ones using whatever app you backed them up with

 

[kwknott]

To setup your google account go to Settings > Accounts & Sync and click add new account. It will sync your contacts but not your apps. You'll have to download em again or restore backup if you backed them up

 

[9191-H]

Okay I've been looking for a while now and I'm not even sure if I made a backup for my apps, contacts.
In that same of instructions I was following

Install custom recovery image

The recovery image is an alternative bootup instead of normal Android Operating System. It allows low-level operations such as backup/restore a ROM, wipe partitions, and flash ROMs.

4. Download and copy the recovery image VM670NH_recovery.img (works with new & old OV screens) onto your /sdcard.
5. Install the Flash Image GUI app (save the .apk to a /sdcard directory, then open it with file manager) Run the app & select 'Recovery Image' option with the file above.

Were these the steps which saved my contacts and all the apps? I did these, but I'm not sure how I am supposed to recover them now.
I was able to get back into my gmail account.

 

[watskyhotsky]

Okay I've been looking for a while now and I'm not even sure if I made a backup for my apps, contacts.
In that same of instructions I was following

Install custom recovery image

The recovery image is an alternative bootup instead of normal Android Operating System. It allows low-level operations such as backup/restore a ROM, wipe partitions, and flash ROMs.

4. Download and copy the recovery image VM670NH_recovery.img (works with new & old OV screens) onto your /sdcard.
5. Install the Flash Image GUI app (save the .apk to a /sdcard directory, then open it with file manager) Run the app & select 'Recovery Image' option with the file above.

Were these the steps which saved my contacts and all the apps? I did these, but I'm not sure how I am supposed to recover them now.
I was able to get back into my gmail account.

HOPEFULLY you made sure to save your contacts into your gmail account, that way you can just go to settings >accounts and sync > your account > sync contacts, and they will all be back in your Dialer app.

as for apps, go to the android market (assuming you flashed GAPPS correctly) and search for them and download them. any apps that require a sign in, like facebook or twitter, need to be signed into again.

flashing the recovery image in those two steps you quoted does NOT save your apps, it only flashes the recovery. which you then have to turn off the phone and boot into, and once inside it you have to backup the rom. but since you already wiped the rom you WERE on, this will only backup the rom thats currently installed.

so basically you need to download everything from the market again.

 

[9191-H]

Okay, got the contacts synced.

If I did flash GAPPS correctly, that means that Market would be in the phone? Yes I am able to acess the Market re-download my apps and recover history from them as well.

I think that answers all my questions about rooting. Thanks a lot for the help!

Now that that's done, is there anything people would recommend to me now that my phone is rooted and synched?

 

[anthonycr]

Well did you just root? Or did you also flash a ROM (roms are NOT the same as the recovery you flashed)...? If you haven't flashed a rom, flash either BACKside iho or harmonia 2, both threads center be found in the rooting and roms subforum

 

[9191-H]

Yeah, I flashed I think BACKside onto my phone so now everything can be customized. Sorry, I don't know the differences between the terms.

 

[anthonycr]

You're forgiven. You can be excused for your mistake of terms. I don't think there's really anything else to do cept customizing in cyanogen.

 

[9191-H]

Alright then, thanks for the help!

 

[watskyhotsky]

CM7 offers themes. people can make these and they are installed as .apk files from the SD card, then you go in the Theme Choose app and select it, reboot and tadaaa!! a whole new look.

google "cm7 MDPI themes" and look through the various forums. find some you like and try them.

HDPI and LDPI themes wont work on your phone. so make sure the themes are MDPI, they will be listed.
once you get everything set up how you like, go to recovery and make a backup, so in case anything happens you can restore your phone to the exact state it was in when you made the backup.

I strongly suggest making a backup of the rom while your apps are downloaded and your accounts are signed into, makes fixing the phone easier after messing something up, becuase you dont have to go through that whole set up process again if you flash a rom fresh.

also, the app GO SMS, lets you backup your text messages, and view them in a cool way (better than stock sms app) this helps when restoring backups because you can set it to backup every week or at different intervals. really helpful.

thats about it, enjoy the phone.