Friday 6 March 2015

FASTBOOT METHOD OF RECOVERY TO FIX ALL ISSUES IN YOUR PHONE AND RESTORE IT TO FACTORY STATE

Hola Friends,

First things first. If you are not a Xiaomi Redmi 1s user, this post is not for you. I couldn't include that part to the title due to obvious reasons.

When will you need this?

  1. If you found some issue in one rom that keeps occurring in future ROMs as well, look no further, this is for you.
  2. If your phone is on a custom ROM and it has so many issues that need fixing
  3. If you want to get the phone back to factory state in all aspects

 Note that using this method will re install all the basic stuff such as audio drivers etc

Stuff you will need


  1. A PC - we are gonna be doing the flashing via pc
  2. Fastboot rom - note that the fastboot rom is not the same as the other normal ROM zip file that you use to flash via custom recovery. Fastboot ROMs are larger in size and can be found here
  3. Minimal adb fastboot set up  from here
  4. A .tar file extractor like Peazip from here to initially extract the fastboot rom and another one like 7-zip here to extract the initially extracted file.
Obviously you will need to have a Redmi 1s  that can boot to fastboot mode which we will talk about later and a usb cable and the phone should be charged to atleast 60%.

PROCEDURE

We need to first setup adb. For this, install the Minimal adb fastboot that you downloaded in 3.After that right click on My Computer and click on properties. The on the left hand side, click on Advanced system settings. Then in that box at the bottom, click on Environment Variables. Inside this, under system variables, scroll down to path. Click on it and then click on edit.To the end of the text, add
;C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot 
if you have a 64bit OS or
C:\Program Files \Minimal ADB and Fastboot
if you have a 32 bit OS.
ADB is now ready. 
Follow the steps below 

  1. Extract FASTBOOT ROM in "Drive C:" using Peazip





2. Extract this file you obtain with 7zip.


3. Open this folder and the folder inside it and copy this address(ctrl+c)


3. Right Click on "Computer" -> Go To Properties -> Then Advanced System Settings


Click on environment variables


click on temp in the user variables section and path in the System variable section and then click on edit

click in the variable value box and to the end of the text , add a ; and then paste the text copied in step 3 here. Click on OK.

4. Close everything and open My Computer > C and navigate to the place where we extracted the fastboot rom. The address will be something like C:\armani_global_images_JHCMIBL50.0_4\armani_global_images_JHCMIBL50.0_4.3_in
Here there will be 3 .bat files namely 
1. Flash_All 
2.Flash_all_except_data_stroage 
3.Flash_all_except_storage

Boot your phone in fastboot mode by pressing and holding Power button+Volume down button after switching off the phone.

Next double click on one of the three options you saw above
I would recommend you to go with the first option(flash_all.bat)
Wait until the the process completes and the phone will automatically boot after the procedure is complete.

ENJOY YOUR REDMI 1S IN IT'S BRAND NEW STATE!!! :D

In case you have any queries or clarifications, feel free to leave comments below. I shall answer them ASAP!!! 

Wednesday 25 February 2015

ROOTING, FLASHING AND CUSTOM ROMS

Hello there,

This one should have been the very first post on this blog but It never crossed my mind that somebody without the knowledge of rooting, flashing and custom roms would ever visit my blog. How ignorant!!! I am here to fix that with this post. Feeling a bit lazy today, so I am going to indulge in some shameless copy pasting from across various websites( so u can be sure of the legitimacy of what you see here) and sometimes so lazy that I will just give you the link :P. But hey, I am the one compiling it, so no complaints!!! I will try to keep it simple so that even the least of you tech savvy folks will be able to keep up( though I don't understand what you are doing here if you aren't unless you plan to become) OK so here goes!!!


What is Root?



Rooting is the process of allowing users of smartphones, tablets and other devices running the Android mobile operating system to attain privileged control (known as "root access") within Android's sub-system.Rooting is basically gaining root access to the system files of your device, and unlocking the Superuser ability to make changes otherwise blocked by the manufacturers. Rooting itself does not change anything, other than allowing you to have access to the internals of the OS. With Root access you can back up your apps and settings, freeze bloatware, tweak your CPU, install custom ROMs, and a whole lot more.
Rooting is often performed with the goal of overcoming limitations that carriers and hardware manufacturers put on some devices. Thus, rooting gives the ability (or permission) to alter or replace system applications and settings, run specialized apps that require administrator-level permissions, or perform other operations that are otherwise inaccessible to a normal Android user. On Android, rooting can also facilitate the complete removal and replacement of the device's operating system, usually with a more recent release of its current operating system.As Android derives from the Linux kernel, rooting an Android device gives similar access administrative permissions as on Linux or any other Unix-like operating system such as FreeBSD or OS X. Root access is sometimes compared to jailbreaking devices running the Apple iOS operating system.



Why Root?


Advantages of rooting include the possibility for complete control over the look and feel of the device. As a superuser has access to the device's system files, all aspects of the operating system can be customized with the only real limitation being the level of coding expertise.[9] Immediately expectable advantages of rooted devices include the following:[10][11]

Full theming capabilities, meaning that everything can be changed and themed from the color of the battery indicator, to the look of the dialer or contact list, to the video that plays while the device boots up.

Full control of the CPU and kernel.

Full application control including the ability to backup, restore, or batch edit applications, or to remove bloatware that comes pre-loaded on many phones.

Processes can be automated on the device through the use of applications such as Tasker.

Ability to install custom firmware (also known as custom ROMs) that allow additional levels of control on a rooted device. As Android is open source, anyone with the proper skills can create their own customized version.

For more on that, head over to this page here


Flashing



There are two types of flash. A full flash and a partial flash. A full flash involves re-writing the phone's operating system (the OS i.e. how you install windows on a computer to use it) to flashable ROM (Read-only Memory). Flashable means although it is called a ROM it is possible to write to it in special cases such as when installing, changing, or upgrading the OS. A full flash does erase all of your stored data (contacts, pics, txts, etc...) and settings, however a professional technician or at least a knowledgeable phone geek will know how to properly backup and restore all your data and sometimes even your settings/preferences. The OS comes as what's called a monster pack, for typical mobile phones, or a ROM image for Smart phones. The phone technician/geek will have software that allows them to access your phone at the hardware level via a usb cable so that the OS can be written to the phone's ROM. 

Partial flash is, I am afraid beyond the scope of our current discussion, so I will leave it to google to answer any queries pertaining to that.


When a person says  he is going to flash a ROM, it means he is going to 'install' that rom( though I would recommend you not to use the word install and ROM together, ever :D, unless of course you want to be thought of as a noob which you probably are but wouldn't want them to know!!!:P not that it is bad to be one, but just saying ;) )

Now onto ROMs.....



ROMs



ROMs are the low level programming (also often called firmware) that contain the operating system and basic applications to make your phone work.


Custom ROMs are versions of Android modified by anyone who chooses, and distributed to people to run on their phones. Often they are debloated (carrier junk removed), have performance modifications or battery life changes, and may come themed. These are often used to be running the latest version of Android before the manufacturer or carrier pushes the update out. As they are typically done as a hobby, they will usually have more bugs than a standard ROM, especially when new. There are two different types of major custom ROMs. AOSP or stock. Stock is built on top of the original ROM or one from a similar phone. They will be TouchWiz (Samsung) Sense (HTC) or Blur (Motorola) based ROMs and look similar to what came on your phone. On the other hand, AOSP (Android Open Source Project) ROMs are versions based on the vanilla android Google produces, that exists on Nexus devices. it has no Touchwiz, Sense, or Blur. It's a preference. These may have more bugs as they're significantly different from the manufacturer's software. Popular AOSP distrobutions include CyanogenMod, AOKP, and many others. Almost all custom ROMs come pre-rooted.


Kernels are the lower level of the ROM. I'm not an expert on kernels to be honest, but these are what allow overclocking. They tend to vary by device and some may be buggier or have bad battery life, so you'll have to test these yourself. Be sure to flash the right kernel, however. AOSP kernels and TouchWiz/Sense kernels are not interchangeable usually. For the most part, kernels cannot be changed without an unlocked bootloader, but custom ROMs sometimes can be changed a bit (though it's much harder for developers!).


People usually turn to custom ROMs if 


1. They are looking for a more recent version of the OS (for example from Android 2.3 to 4.0 or 4.3 to 4.4)

2. To get more features out of their OS especially if the stock ROM ( the one the phone ships with) is unsatisfactory in terms of aesthetics or performance or both.

Fortunately there is often a great solution to both of these problems: Installing custom ROMs (Read-Only Memories) on your phone. For the iPhone and iPad those ROMs come from Apple and can typically only be updated when Apple issues updates. But for Android devices there are literally hundreds of developers working on custom ROMs for most common models of phones and tablets, which they are happy to share with the community. The big question for most users is whether it is worth the hassle of installing a custom ROM, and if so, what is the best way to do it safely.

The first thing to know is that messing with your phone’s firmware can be risky. You can potentially “brick” your phone so that it won’t be usable without some major low-level hacking. So, at least until you are comfortable with installing ROMs, it’s best to use an older phone or tablet to work with — proceed at your own risk. 



Aaaaand that's a wrap!!! If you have any queries or find the above information incorrect or insufficient or just found it useful, leave your comments below!!!





Tuesday 3 February 2015

How to improve RAM management on any ROM on any rooted android phone

Hey Guys,


Have you found that when you try to switch between apps that are in your recents tab, it loads up once again. When this happens in the case of browser, it is very annoying, right? In this post, I will talk about how we can improve the ram management on any rooted android phone and this will be highly useful for our Xiaomi Redmi 1s due to its poor ram management.

What you need to have

1. A rooted android phone 
2. Download Init.d toggler from here and install it.
3. Download MinFreeManager from here and install it.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Open the init.d toggler app that you installed earlier.



Click on Enable Init.d .When it prompts for superuser access, click on allow.

2.Next, open MinFreeManager.





3. Press the menu key to show the options. Click on presets

     




4.Choose the mild preset.



After that, Press the menu button once again and click on apply.































You will now notice better ram management on your phone.





Thursday 29 January 2015

How to root and unroot the Xiaomi Redmi 1s

Hello Friends,

In this post, you will find the instructions for rooting your Xiaomi Redmi 1s  running on miui(stock rom- global/chinese).

DISCLAIMER!!!!!!  Rooting does not void waranty!!!

 

INSTRUCTIONS

To Root

 

1. Download update.zip

2. If you downloaded it from your phone, it will be inside downloads in your internal memory . If you downloaded it on your PC, transfer it to the internal memory of your phone.


3. Now go to Tools> updater > menu >select update package. Then navigate to the file update.zip and select it. Click on update, then start update.


4. It will now reboot your phone in recovery mode and do everything on its own.After the process completes, it will reboot the phone.


5. Go to Security > Permissions then select the Root permission and turn it on if it is off.


Congratulations!!! Your phone is now rooted.

To Unroot

 

 1. Download unroot.zip

2. Repeat the above steps but this time in step 3, navigate to the unroot.zip file that we you downloaded .


Your phone is now unrooted.



Wednesday 21 January 2015

crDroid ROM-B4[20150114] for Redmi 1s review


Hi  Readers,
This is my first post on my first blog. Please bear with me for my lack of knowledge in the art of blogging as I will soon improve as I go through this journey.
 At this point I have tried almost all the popular ROMs made for Redmi 1s. This is the current ROM I am using.

How To get this ROM on your Redmi 1s
 
STOCK ROM USERS(RUNNING FACTORY VERSION OF MIUI), FOLLOW STEPS 1 TO 7
OTHERS(ON OTHER CUSTOM ROMS) , FOLLOW STEPS 3 TO 8

1. Root your phone.
Click here to know how to root for stock MIUI ROM users

2.Get TWRP recovery
Click here to get TWRP recovery on your phone

3. Next, download the ROM zip file to be flashed from http://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-1s/development/rom-crdroid-rom-t2944415]
 and place it in the sd card.

 4. Reboot to recovery by going to updater app, press menu key and select reboot to recovery or by switching off  the phone and then press the volume up and power buttons together .


5.In the recovery, click on wipe. Inside this option, select advanced, then check the first 4 options.Swipe at the bottom to wipe.

6. Now go back to the main page of the recovery, click on install, navigate to the rom zip file that we downloaded earlier and click on it. Swipe below to flash the rom.

7. Wait until the process completes and click on reboot system.


What's great

1.Super smooth. No lags, no stutters.
2. No heating issue.
3. Good RAM management.
4. No thermal throttling.
5. Support for cm11,  PA themes.

Needs Fixing

1. Proximity sensor issue in incoming calls- the screen doesn't go off/ the touch is active triggering unwanted launches of applications.
2. Minimum Frequency keeps fluctuating.
3.  As with other non miui based custom roms, camera department is disappointing.
4. As with most of the other custom roms, occasional system ui force close ( frequency is very low). 
5. Sometimes, screen doesn't turn on and the phone has to be restarted by holding on to power button .
6. Average battery life. 

Screenshots















Overall Verdict

This ROM is definitely one of the best available ROMs for the Xiaomi Redmi 1s in terms of pure performance though far from perfect as there are still a few bugs.