Flashing a custom ROM to your HTC Touch Pro allows you to have an operating system that fits your likes and needs. In many cases, custom ROMs strip out non essential preinstalled software as well as apply various performance tweaks. In my experience, using a custom ROM is much better than the stock ROM simply because of performance. The difference is night and day! Touch Flo 3D does not lag, programs open faster, switching between programs is much faster, returning to the Today screen is faster, and overall system responsiveness is much quicker than before.
NOTE: These steps only apply if you have a CDMA Touch Pro. These instructions WILL NOT WORK with a GSM Touch Pro*. Also, if you to return your phone for any reason, you will have to flash back to the stock ROM and relock the phone.
Basically, there are three steps to flash a custom ROM to your Touch Pro.
- Unlock the phone to allow it to load and boot custom ROMs
- Choose and download your choice of custom ROMs
- Flash the custom ROM to your Touch Pro using the ROM Update Utility (RUU)
*If you have a GSM Touch Pro, the process is virtually similar except you will need to use a GSM unlocker and GSM custom ROMs.
Preparation
Backup your personal information using a program such as PIM Backup (freeware). Also make sure your phone has at least a 50% charge.
Please read through this guide and download the all the necessary files beforehand. That way, you know exactly what you’re getting into.
Unlock Phone
You will need to use the HardSPL utility to unlock the phone. This is a relatively simple procedure; all instructions and files needed to do this can be found here:
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=42503
Download and install Raphael_CDMA_HSPL_037.zip if you have a Sprint Touch Pro. If you have a Verizon Touch Pro, use Verizon_HSPL_Package.zip.
Choose and download your custom ROM
There are many, many custom ROMs out there for the Touch Pro. Here is where I go to find CDMA custom ROMs:
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=68
Look through the threads and find a ROM that you like. Custom ROMs differ in their preinstalled software, system settings, performance tweaks, and more.
I chose to go with Yay 4 Juggs’ v4.0 ROM because of the increased page pool and a nearly clean slate of applications. ROMs usually come compressed in a .zip file. Extract the RUU_signed.nbh file to somewhere on your hard drive temporarily in preparation for the next step.
Flash Custom ROM
You now need to obtain the ROM Update Utility (RUU) which can be found here. Extract the RUU folder to somewhere on your hard drive, like your desktop. Then copy the custom ROM file (RUU_signed.nbh) to the RUU folder you just extracted. For example, the RUU folder is at C:\RUU and the custom ROM is located at C:\RUU\RUU_signed.nbh .
Touch Pro bootloader screen while connected to PC via USB
Power off your phone by holding the power button down until you get this message:
“Power will be turned off, and you may lose data if you have not saved them. Do you want to continue?”
Choose “Yes” and the phone will shut off. Now, hold the down power and volume down button at the same time until you see the tri-color bootloader screen. Then connect your phone via USB cable to your computer. The picture to the right shows what your screen should look right before flashing.
Once you’ve got everything hooked up correctly, run the ROMUpdateUtility.exe program inside of the ROM Utility Updater folder (e.g. C:\RUU\ROMUpdateUtility.exe). Follow the onscreen instructions to flash the custom ROM to your phone. Reboot your phone at the end and you’re finished. Enjoy the new custom ROM!
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what do these roms do for my phone?
A custom ROM is essentially a modified operating system for your phone. Think of it as a custom version of Windows Mobile 6.1. Custom ROMs can strip out unwanted stock programs like the MP3 trimmer, Sprint TV, Sprint navigation, etc. They can also apply performance tweaks such as increasing the page pool.
can you select what programs you want to strip? Whats the mp3 trimmer? I don’t have the HTC Pro yet, but getting it friday. I used to have the mogul, but best buy lost the phone, those ass holes.
You can only select what programs you want to strip if you make the ROM yourself. Google PPC Kitchen for more info.
MP3 trimmer is exactly what its named, it trims MP3s to smaller segments for ringtones.
I still don’t fully get it, but whatever, i have a short attention span. I’m sure once I get the damn phone I’ll be able to process. Just one question, the only thing this is going to do is speed up the phone right? since it kinda has a delay as I hear, and it sometimes did with the mogul. Is there a way to cut of the touch flo, cuz that kinda sounds gay
I followed your directions to the letter, but when I try to run the ROMUpdateUtility.exe, nothing happens. Any suggestions?
Keith: What operating system are you running? Make sure you have the phone connected via USB to your computer.
Does anyone have an idea to copy my existing rom from my phone to copy it to a duplicate phone?
Any possibility of a video to show how fast the phone works now? I’d like to see the difference.
Sure thing! Give me a day or two.
Ahh crap, I bricked my phone installing a smartphone encryption program. I have to reflash my phone and reinstall all my stuff, give me a few more days, but I promise I’ll get it for ya!
I am real interested in trying ALL of your tweeks and hacks but fear that I will permanently damage my phone or render it useless.
What is the method of insuring that that does not happen? I just got an HTC Pro from Sprint (is that a CDMA or a GSM phone?). What I can do to preserve the phone as is, apply whatever I want, and then return the phone to its new condition should I mess it up?
Much appreciated!
does unlocking your phone effect its performance at all? i just unlocked it and now its acting really stupid…and suggestions?
No, it shouldn’t. You could re-lock the phone or continue on with flashing a custom ROM.
Do I download the HardSPL to my phone or to my computer?
Download HardSPL to your computer and connect your phone to your PC. Then run the HardSPL installer.
How can I tell if I did it right? I downloaded the MightyROM but everything looks factory now.
Im looking for a way to backup my phone/rom before doing a custom rom, like a ghost image of a pc
i have upgraded my sprint touch pro rom to mighty rom 5, backed up all my data and it works beautifully. However, all my contacts are in there, but when my contacts call it does not recognize the names…it only shows the phone numbers during incoming, but the contacts are there! Any help?
Is there a way to backup the origional factory ROM before flashing with a custom ROM? I don’t see any information in the instructions how to do that. Or does the RUU give you that option before updating with the custom ROM?
Tuggerr777 – there’s no way to easily do that to my knowledge. Best you’re going to get is using something like PIM backup to backup personal information, contacts, SMS, and calendar entries.
Thanks Eric for the reply. I just wanted to be able to backup the origional ROM in case the phone had to be returned for repair or exchange. I just don’t know how Alltel/Verizon would react getting their phone back for repair and finding a foreign ROM installed on the phone. Then I would assume once the custom ROM is installed, there would be no way to restore it to it’s origional factory state. I will research this further. Thanks again.
That’s no problem. You can restore the original ROM and relock the phone. The thread with all the files and instructions are here:
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=42741
You flash the original ROM, then relock the phone.
Thank you – very helpful!
i still do get wat to copy to from the custom rom file and the ruu ffile why do i copy both need help
do i copy the custom rom ruu file and paste it in the ruu folder?
do i copy ruu custom rom n paste it to the ruu folder help me
Jon – Yes, that’s what the instructions explicitly say to do. Copy the custom ROM file to the RUU folder.
“Extract the RUU folder to somewhere on your hard drive, like your desktop. Then copy the custom ROM file (RUU_signed.nbh) to the RUU folder you just extracted. For example, the RUU folder is at C:\RUU and the custom ROM is located at C:\RUU\RUU_signed.nbh .”
thanks,any good roms to use