A1200 Flashing Tutorial
motomaniacs:
Repost From Motorolafans
Guide to Flashing your A1200
This write-up explains:
• what is firmware and how to tell what version you have
• the advantages and disadvantages of the different firmware versions
• how to change the firmware (flash) on your phone.
It was created by combining and summarizing the information provided in the dozens of threads on this forum and then rewriting it as easy-to-follow steps that new users can print off and have all the information that they need in one place to (hopefully) easily and successfully flash their phones.
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WARNINGS
Flashing your phone to a different version of firmware should be fairly straightforward, however, please read the following cautions before you start:
• Always find out what your current version of firmware is before you start (instructions below) and write it down! - so if issues then you will know what you started with.
• If you have the International version of the A1200 (A1200i) sold in Latin America - do NOT attempt to flash to any other version - you will probably make the phone unusable! .
• If you flash to firmware 24p, 25p or 30p you can not flash back to any other version. If you have flashed to 24p, 25p or 30p then do NOT attempt to flash to any other version (other than one of these 3) - you will make the phone unusable!
• Many of the versions do not have firmware files available (eg 19p) so if you flash to a different version then you can not flash back. (Check the list of firmware below to find out whether yours has a firmware file available)
Also:
• Make sure your battery is fully charged before beginning a flash
• Back up your contacts and files using Motorola Phone Tools or the new Superman app before doing any flashing as flashing will delete all of these and return your phone to a “vanilla” state. Data on your SD card is not touched.
• Give yourself plenty of time to complete the flashing and BE PATIENT. Sometimes it appears as nothing is happening and it is stuck at a certain % - but sometimes it can take up to 5 min before the % value changes. Never disconnect your phone or turn off your PC until the flashing is finished or you may make it unusable (i.e. "brick" it!!). There are ways to recover using a tool called radiocom (described in the threads) - but they are fairly complex.
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1. What is Firmware
The A1200 runs using a special Motorola version of the Linux operating system (MONTAVISTA Linux CONSUMER ELECTRONICS 3.1). This is known as the "firmware". There are several different versions of "firmware" that will run successfully on the A1200. Think of firmware as being equivalent to different versions of the operating system (just as there is Windows 98 versus Windows 2000). Every so often Motorola releases a new version of firmware with new features and enhancements. All firmwares come with both English and Chinese languages (except for the International version released in Latin America - up until now it's the only firmware that doesn't come with Chinese language).
2. Firmware Versions
It can be confusing to decipher the firmware versions as the higher the number does NOT mean the later the version. In addition, there are 4 different "models" of the A1200 with different firmware "tracks" or paths. Most A1200's sold in the world are the original A1200 or the newer A1200R, but there are 2 other "models" released into specific markets that will only run certain specialized versions of the firmware. There is no way to tell from looking at the phone which "model" you have - you can only tell by checking which version of firmware it is running (see next section).
The 4 "models" and the firmware tracks that they can run are as follows:
R532 or R532H2 - Original A1200 : It has 2 supported firmware tracks:
- 38p-->4xp-->5xp track (eg 43p, 46p, 59p)
- 03p-->06p-->08p-->12p track
R532C2 - A1200R - newer version (appeared Feb 2007). Hardware is exactly the same, but runs different firmware than the original A1200. It has a newer bootloader so can only support 1 firmware track (called the C2 track):
- 19p-->24p-->25p-->30p-->34p track
R532L4 - A1200i : the international language version only available in Latin America. Comes with Spanish/Portuguese/French/English language support. Be careful if you decide to flash this phone - see section on "Spanish/Portuguese/French Language" below for more detail.
R541 - A1200E : new A1200 Edge Series (as of Jan 07). Currently only available in China. As of June 2007, 2 versions of firmware available - the China Mobile branded R541_G_11.51.01P or the more recent generic R541_G_11.50.29P. This firmware already has Edge enabled (For all other firmwares you have to do a radiocom mod to turn on Edge). Downside is that A1200E is only a tri-band phone rather than Quad-band.
3. What version of firmware does my phone have?
To determine what version your phone is currently running do the following:
• Go to your Dial Pad and dial: WWW008W. To make the W hit the menu button while in the dial pad, then hit insert->insert wait to make the W .
You should see something like:
R532H2_G_11.20.08P
BP: R532H2_G_11.20.08PPB
PFlex: GSZHNANT677JF014D
SP: 631F1F00
Look at the numbers at the end of the second line for the version. The version shown here is .08P.
• An A1200R will have something like R532C2_G_11.31.25P.
• The A1200i (Spanish/Portuguese/French language version) will have something similar to "R532L4_G_11.40.0FR" or the more recent "R532L4_G_11.40.19FR" or "R532L4_G_11.40.1ARBP" versions.
• The A1200E will have either "R541_G_11.51.01P" or the more recent generic "R541_G_11.50.29P".
4. What Firmware Can I Flash To?
A1200: For the original A1200, you can flash to any other firmware version listed on its 2 firmware tracks (eg .8p-->59p, 43p->12p).
If you have any of the firmwares listed under the original A1200, you can also flash to any of the C2 track firmwares (24p, 25p, 24xp30, etc). BUT you can not flash from the C2 track back to the original A1200 track as it has a newer bootloader that doesn't allow downgrade to older version. So if have an original A1200 and you do flash to one of the firmwares on the C2 track - be certain about it as you will not be able to go back!
If you have any of the firmwares listed under the original A1200, you can also successfully flash to either of the two A1200E firmwares - although users report that they can not get their internet connections working after doing this - so recommended that you do not try this unless you are experienced. See this thread for more information.
A1200i: see next section on "Spanish/Portuguese/French Language Support".
A1200R (C2 track): If you have the 24P, 25P, 30p or 34P firmwares you can flash to any of the other two in this same track or to any of the numerous 24P, 25P or 30P monsterpacks that have been created for these firmwares. Do NOT try to flash to any other firmware.
A1200E: It appears you may be able to flash from A1200E firmwares to other firmwares - but you are advised not to try it at this time as most users report not being able to complete the flash successfully. See this thread for more information.
5. Spanish/Portuguese/French Language Support
The only original firmware with Spanish/Portuguese/French language support is on the A1200i released in Latin America. There are a couple of different versions: R532L4_G_11.40.0FR; or the more recent R532L4_G_11.40.19FR and R532L4_G_11.40.1ARBP. Unless you had one of these firmwares on your phone when you bought there is no other way to get them as they are not available for download.
There are, however, a couple of other firmware versions available for the A1200 (46p, 08p, 24p and 30p) that members (mischka and eduprogramador) have modified to include support for english/french/portuguese/spanish. These versions have keyboard, GUI, VR and word prediction support for these languages (only for french there's no VR).
R532L4_G_11.40.19R
Advantages:
• Better volume than 0FR
• better camera
• realplayer can hold more than 200 songs
• reads 2GB card
If you have a phone with the original Spanish/Portuguese/French firmware it is STRONGLY advised NOT to flash your phone to any other firmware. There are some people here who tried that and ended up with a nonworking phone! See this thread for more information
[May 2007 - with the release of the C2 firmware track (24p, 25p, etc), the A1200i can now be successfully flashed to these new versions. Even people with bricked A1200i's, have been able to flash to these to get the phone working again. But once on the C2 track you can not flash back to the A1200i firmware.
June 2007 - Mischka and eduprogramador have developed 24p and 30p EMEA hybrids with Spanish/Portuguese/French keyboards. Many users have reported flashing their A1200i's to the 24xp EMEA version and find it faster, better battery life, speaker is louder, has superman included, support for startup1.txt, and better camera support.
User's Guide for A1200 in Spanish available here ==> http://www.motorolafans.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11814
motomaniacs:
6. China Mobile versus Generic (Unbranded) Firmware
Some of the firmware versions are generic (straight from Motorola) while others are China Mobile branded. This means that the Chinese mobile operator "China Mobile" has added their stuff to that firmware, like modified icons, wallpapers, startup and shutdown animation of their own brand. Some of the main differences are:
• Startup screen is a red China Mobile one.
• web browser is called Monternet
• additional icons for a customer service program and 'China Mobile In" (whatever that is!)
• additional icon for kodak app in Chinese (removable) and a bowling game
• No MSN
• File Explorer is called “My Favorites” which includes a bunch of MMS cards and the folders are named a bit differently. There are a lot of Chinese settings for e-mail, internet etc. Some can be removed, some cannot.
You can also tell if your phone was originally China Mobile branded if has a "CM" printed on the back of the battery cover.
7. Advantages/Disadvantages of each A1200 Firmware Version
Each version of the firmware has a number of advantages and disadvantages. Unfortunately at this time there is no version that has everything - so you have to pick which best suits your needs. The main enhancements/bugs that the various versions fix are:
• Voicemail bug - in some versions a blank text message is sent to your phone every time you check your voicemail or someone leaves you a voicemail.
• Network time bug - the A1200 has a feature that permits it to receive a time signal from your carrier (eg tmobile) to automaticaly set the time on your phone rather than you having to manually set it. (To turn this on click the time icon --> Options --> Network time. Check this box to enable it). However, in some fw versions this network time function does not work.
• Speakerphone fix - permits you to use the speakerphone with the flip shut
• Photo autosave fix - some versions of the firmware permit you to take photos continuously without being prompted to save each picture before making the next; while others make you select whether you want to Save or Delete each picture after you take it.
• Volume fix - many people find the volume of the speakerphone is too low. Some versions of the firmware increase the volume. There is also a fix posted that can fix this independently.
If your version of firmware has one of these bugs, most of them can be fixed by performing a SEEM edit using a tool called Radiocom.
Firmware Versions
There are constantly new versions of firmware being released so you should check the threads for the latest. However following is a summary of the versions that were available as of July 2007 - along with their advantages and disadvantages gathered from user's posts - so you can see where you stand with your current version.
** Most important versions marked by
The 38p --> 4xp --> 5xp Track
38p - original "China mobile" branded version
43p - "China mobile" branded version
44p - comes in both generic and "China mobile" branded versions. in 2006 was probably the best version of firmware available.
46p - generic version.
Advantages:
• Voicemail bug fixed
• Photos autosave.
Disadvantages:
• Takes a long time to find cellular signal when switched on
46p Spanish – same as 46p, but modified to add support for Spanish keyboard and Spanish language Voice Recognition.
48p - comes in both generic and "China mobile" branded versions. Generic 48P is not available for download. Appears very similar to 44p. Not much posted about it.
53P - comes in both generic and "China mobile" branded versions, however only the "China mobile" version is available for download (so if your phone came with generic 53P, it is recommended that you do NOT flash it unless you are really sure you want to go to a new version - as you can not go back]
Advantages:
• excellent battery life (3+ days)
• internet speed is faster
• carrier logo/date are displayed further down on Home screen which many users think looks better.
• more ringtones
• good photo quality. Night shot option
• photos autosave
Disadvantages:
• only comes withe 2 USB modes: Modem and Mass Storage
• Speakerphone function does not work (and can NOT be fixed with seem edit on 53P)
• Voicemail bug issue (can be fixed with seem edit)
• network time issue (can be fixed with seem edit)
• poor video quality
• has limit on size of MMS attachments
• Superman app can be installed - but only backup/restore works - not MPKG or Linloader - these have to be installed separately.
57p - buggy version. Not much is posted about it.
59P - Recent version. Comes in both generic and "China mobile" branded versions but generic 59P is not available for download. Full list of advantages not posted yet, but seems very responsive with good picture quality. Go to here for the file.
Disadvantages:
• Voicemail bug issue (can be fixed with seem edit)
• network time issue (can be fixed with seem edit)
• speakerphone function does not work (can be fixed with seem edit)
• users report poor battery life
The 03p --> 06p --> 08p --> 12p Track
03p - only 2 users have reported having this fw. Nothing known about it - but probably out of date.
06p - outdated version; poor battery life and blurry camera, however speakerphone function works with flip close. Not recommended.
08p - popular generic version.
Advantages:
• speakerphone function works with flip close.
• has slower internet connection than 53Pv3
• better camera resolution
• able to transfer large files with bluetooth to your SD card
• reception, generally seems better than the .06p, and .43p
Disadvantages:
• Voicemail bug issue (can be fixed with seem edit)
• photos ask you whether to save each one
• network time issue (can be fixed with seem edit)
• some users report menu touch response is slightly slower and while playing games.
• has a small bug that if language setting is on "automatic" then English keyboard is replaced by nonworking "Turkish Board" . This is easily fixed by changing language from Automatic to English.
• does not have the option "USB net" under USB Mode in setup. This permits your phone to communicate through the cable as a tcp device, i.e. telnet, samba etc.
08p Spanish – same as 08p but modified to add Spanish keyboard and Spanish language Voice Recognition.
12p - recent generic version. Has started appearing on a few phones. Nothing known about it yet. No source file available.
The 19p --> 24p --> 25p --> 30p --> 34p C2 Track
IMPORTANT: Once you flash to one of the firmwares on the C2 track, you must stay on this track. You can not flash back to any other version of firmware (eg .8p, 59p, etc).
19p - A1200R generic version. Has started appearing on a few phones. Little known about it yet. No source file available.
Advantages:
• good quality pictures
• real player can hold 500 songs
• can handle 2GBflash card
• has volume fix.
24p - new A1200R firmware release March 2007 - at the moment only a ChinaMobile branded generic version available. Check the thread for the latest on this, but as of May 2007, the thread reports:
Advantages:
• Faster - especially menu response & mass storage USB mode loading
• Animated icons
• QR barcode reader - see Bint's 59XP below for more info on this app.
• New real player with equalizer & higher resolution
• Faster Bluetooth connection
• Better resolution for video recording (320x240 and 355x288). However fps decrease to 8 with 255 and 9-10 with 320.
• Photos have autosave option
• Better image quality
• Increased volume
• 2 additional USB modes - Media Sync & USB Lan
• Google Mobile Search launch
• Quad band
• 24p has the best Voice Response of the firmware on this track (VR is very poor on 25p and 30p)
Disadvantages:
• Can not install mpkg and linloader - which limits other apps you can install - but can install "Superman" app that does same thing.
• File Explorer is called “My Favorites”
• Superman not installed
• Can only run 1 java applet at a time (30p, 34p can run multiple)
• Network time issue (can be fixed with seem edit)
motomaniacs:
25p - A1200R firmware released April 2007. Both ChinaMobile and generic versions available. See here or here for download links - but I would probably skip this for the newer 30p.
Advantages:
Has all the advantages of 24p plus:
• Able to change all 4 shortcuts on homescreen.
• Battery life is reported to be better than 24p and 30p
• Has additional low light option for taking pictures at night.
• FM Radio without headphones app (from FAQs) works
• Faster than 24p
• Quad band
• Can install MPKG (Need to flash with yan0's 25p MPKG Installer - see here for instructions)
Disadvantages:
• Some users have reported not very stable
• Voice response does not work very well.
• Superman not installed
• Can only run 1 java applet at a time (30p, 34p can run multiple)
30p - released May 2007. Both ChinaMobile branded and debranded XP versions available.
Advantages:
Has all the advantages of 25p - but appears to be more stable.
• Camera quality improved over the 24xp
• Can run multiple java apps at same time
• Improved sound quality
• Faster boot speed
• Webcamera option under USB
Disadvantages:
• No equalizer for Realplayer
• Superman not installed
• Poor battery life
34p - brand new firmware released June 2007. Both ChinaMobile branded and debranded XP versions available - latest version is V1 (34PV1 OENT). Early reports indicate few improvements from 30p - so appears no strong reason to flash to it.
Advantages:
All the same as 30p plus
• Has Edge enabled by default
• Speed - same as 30p
• Volume - same as 30p
• Camera - same quality as 24p and 30p
• Autosave: enable by default w/o sound... with flip open and close
• Reported has better VR than 25P and 30P (about as good as 24P)
• Superman already installed
• Language: Chinese (Pinyin and Zhuyin boards) and English
• Business Card reader: working
• Screen 3: working - in Chinese
• USB modes: Modem, Mass Storage, USB net, Webcamera (not working)
• Boot/icons/theme: Xpish (default black theme has CM icons)
• Video: up to 352*288
• Can run multiple java apps at same time
Disadvantages:
• Triband not quadband (quad can be enabled via Seem edit)
• No equalizer for Realplayer
• Battery life same as 30 (poor)
• Webcam not working
• Push email: not installed
MonsterPacks
There have also been a number of modified versions of the firmware (aka "monsterpacks") posted to the forum. These are usually debranded versions of ChinaMobile versions (ie the mod had removed the Chinese icons and other CM added stuff). The most popular are from two talented developers:
- Bint who posts his on a Chinese language site club.ccmove.com - which are then reposted to MotorolaFans and
- Mischka - a developer from Germany who specializes in adding in Spanish/Spanish/Portuguese/French language support to his versions.
Non-C2 Track Monsterpacks
Bint's .53p Plus - modification of the 53p "China Mobile" version with the volume increase fix incorporated. There are 3 Versions - Plus 1 (which is still CM branded), Plus 2 (debranded - but not recommended as camera blurry) and Plus 3 (debranded). Plus 3 is the latest and greatest.
Advantages:
• Internet speed is faster
• Carrier logo/date are displayed further down on Home screen which many users think looks better.
• More ringtones
• Photos autosave
• MPKG and linloader already installed
Disadvantages:
• Speakerphone function does not work (but can do seem edit to fix)
• Voicemail bug issue (can be fixed with seem edit)
• Network time issue (can be fixed with seem edit)
Bint's 59p - recent debranded version of 59P with a number of improvements. So far there are 3 versions with version 2 being fastest and most stable. (Per some users V3 appears to be a downgrade!). Bint had debranded nearly all of it except for some Chinese menus and the red CM startup theme. Mischka did additional debranding, deleting some chinese stuff and changed startup animation, themes and icons to 08p version and changed language and keyboard to L4 version with english/french/portuguese/spanish GUI and EMEA keyboards. VR is North American version (not British) with L4 language - which should work better for Americans/Canadians. See this thread for details.
Advantages:
• Camera bug fixed - you can choose whether or not to auto save photos or not.
• Bluetooth: You can choose whether or not to save on the SD Card or not
• Volume louder
• New real player with equalizer with 5 presets - bass boost preset works amazing for those who like more bass in the A1200's output. Next 4 presets are practically useless. Every time you open and close the player the next time you open it you have to reset the preset (off the equalizer and then set it to preset again). While playing MP3's the tracks skip or jerk a bit like in the ROKR E2 but this problem wasn't present with aac format. The Music is better arranged in Real Player with a brand new start up animation for real player.
• QR barcode Code Reader - does not read traditional product barcodes, but new square QR-codes that point you to a product's webpage. This barcode reader is very popular in Japan. When you start the app it shows you an example of this barcode (At the moment the only way to get this app for the A1200 is bundled in 59XP or 24p. It can not be downloaded separately).
• Video Camera - supports 2 new resolutions:
- 352*288 at 7fps max
- 320*240 at 8fps
- 176*144 at 15fps
• USB Mode - consists of 4 options:
- Modem
- Mass Storage
- Media Sync
- USB Net
• PKG Installer - built in which also takes backups (not sure how to use backups as in Chinese)
• With VR turned on, new enhancement that the numbers on the dial pad and the names in your address book are read out loud to you as you select them.
• Some users report predictive text is better
Disadvantages:
• Probably most important, Call Divert (to divert your calls to other numbers or to voicemail) does not work
• Windows animation and Red Chinese themed icons (Mischka´s EMEA version fixes this)
• Menu Speed - Bint 59xp V1 is a bit slow but Version 2 is faster
• File Structure - is different from the normal A1200 (minor)
• No "Update software" application (not very important)
• Can not use joystick while playing videos.
Bint's .08p plus - 08p generic version that is popular with many users. Has all advantages of .08p plus following bug fixes:
• voicemail bug fixed
• volume increase
• Also seems to fix slow response issue.
C2 Track Monsterpacks
24p monsterpacks
There are currently 4 different 24p monster packs available:
• Bint's 24p plus - 24p debranded version. As of May 2007 there have been 2 different versions of this : "Crack 1"; "24xp (New Year version). According to some users, the Crack1 release is better than the 24xp as the 24xp broke the associations between the browser and real player for streaming media (have to manually open real player to play streaming media instead of starting automatically when link clicked). Crack1 also uses the standard startup screens versus 24xp that uses Windows startup/shutdown animation.
June 2007: 24xp30_c2_bint_emea_l4_debr_01_mis - Bint has released a 24xp/30 hybrid which people are reporting is an excellent hybrid especially as it appears to have a good battery life - unlike most of the C2 tracks fw´s.
Advantages:
• 24p has best VR of this track and this hybrid has the same
• Application manager from 30p allows you to run multiple java apps
• Has night option for camera
• Superman app already installed
• GREAT battery life.
Disadvantages
• Poor volume (can be fixed by installing VolumeUp App).
• Issues gettting Opera Mini Beta 4 to work. It won't recognize the font (Can be fixed by installing ApplyFont app and pick a .ttf file for the font)
• Edge has to be enabled manually (using EDGE Radiocomm script)
• Network time issue (can be fixed with seem edit)
Mischka's 24xp30 EMEA version(24xp30_c2_bint_emea_l4_debr_01_mis) - created May 2007, this 24xp30 EMEA version (with Spanish/Portuguese/French language support) was created by Mischka based on bint's 24xp with additional debranding and the icons and skins changed to same as 08p. Many users saythis is the best firmware available if on the C2 track.
Advantages:
• DST update
• Camera with "silent" option from 30p (video resolution as 24p cam)
• Application manager from 30p allowing multitasking with java apps
• Reintegrated files from bint (binaries in /bin incl. bash2) that where missing in former version
• 3 of 7 folders in "My Favorites" are deletable now
• VR works well (as well as 24p) and talking phone works
• Has Superman installed and you can install MPKG.
Disadvantages
• VR and Talking Phone features only work when English language selected.
• Turning on the tower information causes a text msg to be sent to you every minute containing the name of the tower - rather than displaying it on the screen.
• Battery lasts less than a day.
• Once you are on this 24p monsterpacks you can only flashback to other firmware on C2 track (24p, 25p, 30p or 34p).
• Eduprogramador's 24p/08p hybrid - made by mixing code groups of 08p with 24p. Its advantage is that you can try out many of 24p's features - but can flash back to other versions if you need to. Some cons are that Real Player has lost its icon and call divert does not work. See this thread for full discussion and download link.
motomaniacs:
30p monsterpacks
There is currently only one 30p monster pack available:
Mischka's 30xp-oent with L4 EMEA (30p-c2_oent_emea_l4_00_mis) - 30p debranded version with language support and lots of other improvements:
Advantages:
• Comes with Spanish/Portuguese/French keyboard and language option.
• Can run more than 1 java app at a time
• Can change all 4 shortcuts at bottom of home screen
• Don't have to turn off phone after each install
• Faster - especially menu response & mass storage USB mode loading
• Icons changed from CM to animated Moto
• Great new dark skin added
• Ringtones changed to English
• Good volume (no need for volume increase patch)
• Photos autosave
• Decent image quality
• Camera with "silent" mode
• 2 additional USB modes - Media Sync & USB Lan
• FM Radio without headphones app (from FAQs) works
• Superman already installed so no messing round trying to get MPKG and LINLOADER working as already available.
• Bootup.cfg edited to make usage of startup.txt script
• 3 of 7 folders in "My Favorits" made deletable
• Default USB setting changed to modem (so RSDLite can recognize it at first boot).
Disadvantages
• VR does not work very well - fails to recognize even simple commands.
• VR and Talking Phone features only work when English language selected.
• Turning on the tower information causes a text msg to be sent to you every minute containing the name of the tower - rather than displaying it on the screen.
• Realplayer does NOT have equalizer
• Battery lasts less than a day.
• Once you are on this 30p monsterpacks you can only flashback to other firmware on C2 track (24p, 25p, 30p or 34p).
NonC2/C2 Track Hybrid Monsterpacks
These are non-C2 track firmwares that have been modified to include some of the enhancements from the 24p or 30p firmwares.
• Mischka's 24p/46p hybrid EMEA version (24xp46p30_bint_emea_l4_debr_01_mis) -
made by mixing code groups of 46p with 24p. Its advantage is that you can try out many of 24p's features - but can flash back to other non-C2 versions if you need to. It is reported to not have a very good battery life. Has Spanish/Portuguese/French language support.
• Mischka's 30p/46p hybrid (30p46p_oent_emea_l4_00_mis) - excellent firmware made by mixing code groups of 46p with 30p. Almost identical to the 30xp-oent monsterpack - but its advantage is that you can try out many of 30p's features - but can flash back to other non-C2 versions if you need to.
Advantages:
• All the advantages listed under Mischka's 30xp-oent
Disadvantages
• Exactly the same weaknesses as Mischka's 30xp-oent including poor battery life.
========================================
Hopefully you have realized that you CAN flash from:
• 30p/46p hybrid --> 30p or 30xp or Mischka's 30xp-oent - YES
• 24p/46p or 24p/08p hybrid --> 24p; 24xp30 or Bint's 24p plus - YES
but can NOT flash the other way:
• 30p or 30xp or 30xp-oent --> 30p/46p hybrid - NO
• 24p; 24xp30 or Bint's 24p plus --> 24p/46p or 24p/08p hybrid - NO
8. Which Version of Firmware should I Use? (on Generic A1200 only)
That is really up to you - based on how you use your phone. There is no clear "best" firmware version. Read the list of Advantages/Disadvantages of each firwmare and decide what is important to you.
Probably the hardest decision is to decide whether you want to flash to the C2 track (24p, 25p, 30p, 34p) - as once you are on this you can not go back to other versions.
Non-C2 track
- If you do a lot of web browsing then currently probably 53P is the best as it has a fast internet speed and an excellent battery life
- Most other non-C2 track users indicate that they like .08p or Bints 08p plus hybrid (.08p is what Alpha43 uses)
- Mischka's 30p/46p hybrid is feature packed and fast and comes with the EMEA language support. It biggest drawback is poor battery life.
C2 track
Many users have recently moved to the C2 track. If you do go to the C2 track, then Mischka´s hybrids 24xp30 and 30xp-oent with L4 EMEA have been getting rave reviews (the main downside to these is poor battery life). An equal number of users are fans of Bint´s new 24xp30 hybrid. Read the advantages/disadvantages listed above (or try them both out) to decide which is best for you.
Note: If you decide to flash to one of the MonsterPack "Spanish" versions - IGNORE the instructions in the threads that they are not complete versions of firmware and that you need to flash with generic version then copy the Spanish files into the firmware folder. The latest download links for these now have the complete firmware files - so there is no special flashing method required anymore.
9. What is Flashing?
Flashing is the process by which you can change the version of firmware running on your phone. (Just like you can upgrade your Windows software). The process takes about 10 minutes. Generally you can flash from any version of firmware to any other – and then flash back again if desired, but note the following important restrictions:
• Many of the versions do not have their firmware source (sbf) files available (eg 19p) so if you flash to a different version then you can not flash back.
• If you have the Spanish A1200i you are strongly advised NOT to flash it as you may end up with a non-working phone.
• If you flash to 24p, 25p or 30p you can not flash back to any other version.
Flashing to a different version of firmware should be fairly straightforward if you follow the directions carefully – but if you have any problems then there are many threads devoted to resolving flashing problems.
No harm will come to the phone from too much flashing, however, there is a small chance you could "brick" your phone if something goes seriously wrong - so the more you flash it, the more chances are that something might go wrong! Depending on your carrier you may also void the warranty! So do it at your own risk and print off and read ALL the instructions before starting. That said I have successfully flashed my phone 8 times now to try out different versions.
IMPORTANT - before you begin flashing:
• Make sure your battery is fully charged before beginning a flash
• Back up your contacts and files using Motorola Phone Tools before doing any flashing as flashing will delete all of these and return your phone to a “vanilla” state. Data on your SD card is not touched.
• Give yourself plenty of time to complete the flashing and BE PATIENT. Sometimes it appears as nothing is happening and the % completed indicator does not change - but in my experience it can sometimes take up to 5 min before the % value changes (especially around 97-99%) - so wait at least 30 minutes before deciding it is stuck. Never disconnect your phone or turn off your PC until the flashing is finished or you may make it unusable (i.e. "brick" it!!). There are ways to recover using a tool called radiocom (described in the threads) - but they are fairly complex.
10. How to Flash your Phone
1. Download the file motpcsdrivers.rar to your PC and unrar it to your desktop so you can easily find it.
2. Install a program called "RSDLite" on your PC (some users prefer version 2.7 - but I used 2.8 with no issues. There is also versions 3.2 and 3.3 which some users have successfully used). See this thread for the file. For trouble free installation, if you are running Windows XP, you should have Service Pack 2 installed.
3. Download the firmware (sbf) file that you want to flash to and unrar it to your desktop.
4. Start up RSDLite on your PC. You may be asked to install a number of drivers (5 or 6) to your PC. Point it in the direction to the motpcsdrivers folder you unrared.
5. Put the phone in Bootloader Mode - MBM mode by turning on phone (with the red on/off button) while also holding down the voice record button (bottom button on the right hand side) and push down the center joystick “button” (All three buttons need to be all be held down together). The phone should start up with a red screen and say its in MBM mode.
6. Plug phone in using usb cable.
7. RSDLite should list the phone (this may take a minute or so. If it does not close down RSDLite and restart it).
8. Start the flash process, by clicking the button on the top with the ”…” and select the firmware file to install then click “Start”.
The process will take up to 10 minutes so be patient, the screen on you phone will turn off, but RSDLite will still show progress. BE PATIENT - sometime the % complete indicator may not change for up to 3-5 minutes.
9. When the "Found New Hardware" screen pops up, select “NO” for “Can Windows connect to Windows Update?” then select “Y” for “Install Software from a specific location” and point it to the motpcsdrivers folder you unrared. Once the driver has installed, click on “Finish” on the “Found New Hardware wizard” to continue the process.
[A popup may appears stating that Microsoft has not certified this software - just click on Continue]
10. You will need to install quite a few drivers – so just keep repeating.
11. It may ask you to manually restart the phone – if so, unplug the cable from PC, remove the battery for 5 seconds (make sure unplugged first!), put battery back in then turn phone back on (before plugging back into PC).
12. Once its fully on, go to Setup --> USB Mode and change mode from "Mass Storage" to "Modem".
12. Plug phone back into the PC using the cable. RSDLite should say "complete" or “PASS”
13. Unplug the phone again, turn it off and on. All should be complete.
You can now restore all your contacts, calendar and tasks back to your phone using MPT. (Be sure to remove the SIM card before doing this as the recovery function from MPT deletes any contact on SIM for some reason!)
11. What to Do if Problems
If you have any problems then don’t panic – the best thing is to close RSDLite, unplug the phone, take out the battery, replace then try again from the start.
If you get any of the following error messages that have been reported by users, then it appears most have been resolved by starting the flash process from the start:
- The "secure_motorola_flash" interface could not be found the super-file is secure and for re-flash, the phone needs a super-file that is not secure and for reflash. (0x7066)
- “flashing couldn't be complete because of licensed data”
- “error jumping to RAM downloader”
- "error verifying subscriber unit info chipset type does not match "
- a red line across their battery after flashing
Most times it will go right through the second time - although some users have reported having to repeat the process up to 5 times before getting the "PASS".
If flash fails and you are unable to get it back into boot mode by pressing the 3 buttonns together - then take out the battery, wait 10 secs and try again - that usually seems to do the trick.
If you flash again and it is still unsuccessful:
1. Try a different USB port – a lot of users have stated that changing the USB port they have their phone plugged into helps, this is most likely because windows will reinstall all the drivers.
2. Try a different version of RSD Lite.
3. Make sure you put your phone in to USB MODEM MODE before plugging it back in. If you do not do this your system will not install all the devices correctly.
4. Try a different version of the firmware.
Postings indicate that if all else fails, then as a last resort you can flash your phone to one of the firmwares on the C2 firmware track and it will be successful (however you will be stuck with that firmware). Even users who attempted to flash their Spanish Language A1200i phone and ended up with a dead phone were able to flash to 24p successfully (though lost all of their Spanish language functions).
Problem: Phone does not turn on after flashing
If after flashing, the phone does not appear to turn on then take out the battery, wait at least 10 seconds then put back in. If still does not turn on then put it down, plug it in to charger and leave it for at least 30 minutes. This has happened to me a couple of times. After coming back to it - it turned on fine.
Problem: Phone can not read SIM card or has no signal after flashing
Some users experienced problems with the phone reading the SIM card or not getting a signal after flashing (ie it searches and finds nothing). If this happens to you then try the following:
1. Tap on status bar in home screen. Switch off antenna tap ok on the bottom. Then switch on antenna again. (You may need to repeat this a couple of times)
2. If that doesn't work, change the network band to 850/1900 [dial pad-->menu button (at bottom left)-->setup--> network setup--> menu button--> search setup--> band and put it on 850/1900. After that close all those things and you should have service again. Once you get your service back, repeat the steps and put it on automatic again.
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All of the information presented in this write-up was obtained from user's postings from the various threads on this forum. A best effort was made to ensure it is complete and accurate including performing all of the steps presented on my own phone - but there are no guarantees there are not errors!!
This Guide took many hours to research and put together. If you found the information useful, perhaps you would consider donating a few dollars to keep the Motorolafans site funded as it costs $60 each month in hosting fees. See the announcement at the top of the A1200 forum for details on how to do this or contact me (Alpha43 or Admin) for details on how to do so.
Thanks and happying Moto'ing & Good Luck to you all!
~Alpha~
Special Thanks to Kiwiguy for the help with the write up.
error398:
gimme a driver A1200
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