Please help me install custom ROM...

[blues runner]

I've rooted, installed CWM, made a backup, but all the custom ROMs I seem to find that look great apparently demand EL26 instead of EL29? Does being on EL29 do me any good at all?

I'd like to install the Frankenstein's Ego ROM, but it needs EL26, yes? Can someone help me with what I need to do now? Do I really need to go back to EL26 and reset everything in order to get the above ROM? If so, I guess I've wasted a lot of time rooting the other way.

Please advise, much appreciated.

 

[VDub2174]

I believe all ICS ROMs are now requiring EL26 w/ CWM to flash. You have some choices; you can either use ODIN on your PC to flash the EL26 kernel or use Mobile ODIN from the play store to flash the kernel.

I would honestly check out the video by QBKing777 on how to install the ROM.

 

[blues runner]

Thanks VDub for the prompt reply. I've installed Mobile Odin but I don't have any instructions as to how to install said ROM. Knowing how things can go wrong I'd rather go step by step with QBKing77. Do you happen to have a link to this particular procedure? I'd appreciate it.

 

[VDub2174]

No problem.

In the first post of the ROM thread there's a link to the video right below the changelog. Unfortunately I can not access YouTube at work.

☼[ROM] Frankenstein's FIFO2 (FF02 ICS) (Deodexed)☼ 6/10/2012 - xda-developers

 

[VDub2174]

1. Download the EL26 w/ CWM kernel on your PC
2. Put the .tar file on your SD of your phone
3. Open the Mobile ODIN app
4. Select kernel
5. Select External SD-card
6. Select the EL26.tar file
7. Select Flash firmware
8. Select Continue
9. Select Check
10. Turn off your phone if it doesn't reboot on its own then press and hold power+volume up to get into CWM recovery
11. On the volume rocker, press up, down, up, down to enable the power button to select options.

 

[Sn1per 117]

Since you're on a gb cwm, you can also flash the kernel with cwm which might be easier for you.

http://db.tt/XXOHxbE7
Just put that on your phone, boot into cwm, and flash zip from wherever you put it.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[blues runner]

Thanks guys. I now know these methods and I managed to install the kernel, CWM, and then Frankenstein's Ego.

However, I'm not entirely happy. While the process worked, only 15% of my contacts (at best) were carried over. Also, many things that were supposedly included in this ROM are just not there. There's no special Beats by Dre or whatever the music software particular was, the camera nuances didn't come through either. While it is ICS apparently, looks very nice, is 80% OK, the rest is a let-down. Also, since so many of my contacts were missing, I figured I'd just restore my recovery with CWM.

Doesn't work! The restore is there, but when I try to boot into it, (either manually or with ROM Manager), the furthest I get is the Android System Recovery menu with failures at the bottom of the screen. It says it's 'installing package, finding update package...' but then 'failed to seek in /cache/update.zip (Invalid argument) - Signature verification failed - Can't open /cache/update.zip (bad) - Installation aborted.

Why is this? Have I lost my backup? Now the only working OS option I seem to have is to reboot from this menu into my custom ROM. That's better than nothing of course, but I'm kind of stranded here. Please help me with this guys, thanks.

 

[dtm_stretch]

Do not use rom manager! It has been said over and over again. You do not have a custom recovery right now. You need to flash one via Odin then restore your back up.

Beats by dre is just a gimmick and has been proven to be useless. Did you back up your contacts with Google or an app?

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[blues runner]

My contacts were saved to Google. However, with this flash, I've only 15% of them. Friggin bizarre. I can live without the music thing (I'd thought it was pretty much a gimmick).

So you're saying I need to plug into my PC and do it that way? When you say I don't have a 'custom recovery', what are you referring to?

Sorry for not knowing the ins and outs of this stuff, but could you explain what I have to do now please? Thank you.

 

[Sn1per 117]

My contacts were saved to Google. However, with this flash, I've only 15% of them. Friggin bizarre. I can live without the music thing (I'd thought it was pretty much a gimmick).

So you're saying I need to plug into my PC and do it that way? When you say I don't have a 'custom recovery', what are you referring to?

Sorry for not knowing the ins and outs of this stuff, but could you explain what I have to do now please? Thank you.

For the contacts, you should try saving them with a backup app as well just in case. I always do but rarely have to use it. Beats Audio isn't an app, it's basically just equalizer settings, so you won't notice it unless you use high quality headphones, and even then it may not help much. As for your backup, how did you make it? Did you backup/make a nandroid in cwm or? To go back the easiest way imo is to install mobile odin (along with our phones specific flash kernel for it) and flash the el26 cwm kernel with it. You'll have to use the tar.md5 version of the kernel, not the zip. Then, your phone won't boot as it's on an ics rom, but you can boot into recovery with power and volume up again. Then, use calkulins format all and restore a nandroid or flash another rom.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[VDub2174]

My contacts were saved to Google. However, with this flash, I've only 15% of them. Friggin bizarre. I can live without the music thing (I'd thought it was pretty much a gimmick).

So you're saying I need to plug into my PC and do it that way? When you say I don't have a 'custom recovery', what are you referring to?

Sorry for not knowing the ins and outs of this stuff, but could you explain what I have to do now please? Thank you.

Whenever you flash a new ROM, the EL26 w/ CWM kernel get overrided by the baked in kernel from the ROM.

 

[blues runner]

What should I do now? I have this ROM working, I like it, but I'd like to get something else too, like the 'S Voice' patch. However when I try to flash it I get the same fail message. Am I stuck here permanently now? I have mobile Odin, can I use that to get myself out of this? If so, what zip or tar or whatever do I need to download? I find this process to be very awkward (but then I'm not technologically oriented). Please tell me what I have to do now to free myself from this 'fail' trap. All I really want is the ability to continue adding new things to my phone. If you guys can bear with me, explain exactly what I have to do, I'd be very grateful indeed. Thanks.

 

[Sn1per 117]

What should I do now? I have this ROM working, I like it, but I'd like to get something else too, like the 'S Voice' patch. However when I try to flash it I get the same fail message. Am I stuck here permanently now? I have mobile Odin, can I use that to get myself out of this? If so, what zip or tar or whatever do I need to download? I find this process to be very awkward (but then I'm not technologically oriented). Please tell me what I have to do now to free myself from this 'fail' trap. All I really want is the ability to continue adding new things to my phone. If you guys can bear with me, explain exactly what I have to do, I'd be very grateful indeed. Thanks.

What rom are you on now and what is the fail message when you try to flash it?

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2