Custom ROMS

Custom ROMS

Introduction

Ever wondered what the whole custom ROM business was all about ?

What is this so called “aftermarket firmware” and why would you use it ?

Are there any pitfalls ? Will my warranty get voided ?

In this article I will explain all these things about Custom ROMs.

ROM – A Rom is an abbreviation for Read Only Memory but its meaning in terms of Android Terminology is something slightly different. A ROM means the actual OS image of a device, that is installed onto the Read only memory of any Android device.

Stock ROM- These are the ROMS that are installed by default on any Android Device by it’s manufacturer. These ROMS are generally filled with bloatware, and littered with restrictions.  This is where Custom ROMs  come to the scene.

Custom ROM – Due to the open source nature of Android, developers can modify the stock ROM and remove all the bloatware and/or add features that were not present/disabled in the stock ROM. This is known as a Custom ROM. Custom ROMs are designed to be fast and efficient but they do have pitfalls which is discussed later in this article.

The Why ?

Custom ROMS have a wide array of advantages over Stock ROMs including but not limited to :-

No more Manufacturer induced bloatware :-  Custom Roms are free from the pesky bloatware that not only consume memory but also your internet data bandwidth. The result – A Clean and Fast droid !

Overclocking/Underclocking Support :-  Custom ROMs add support for overclocking and underclocking. What this does is, if you experience lag in performance of any app, like for example – Angry Birds , you can overclock your android device by increasing the core clock speed of your Android’s CPU, thereby increasing the net overall performance. Underclocking is the opposite – If you need battery life, you can decrease the core clock speed and thus save some juice for that much needed phone call !

Better UI :- Custom ROMs are generally modded to have a better UI than the stock ROMs. They generally look better while not compromising on the performance.

OTA updates :-  The developers of popular Custom ROMs like Cyanogenmod release OTA updates frequently, much faster than their manufacturer counterparts.

No more Bugs :- Chances are, the stock ROM may  come riddled with a multitude of bugs. Custom ROMs in general, provide a fast, bug free experience.

Do note that Custom ROMs in Beta stages are usually full of bugs. These are developer only ROMS, which only beta testers should use. If you are new to Custom ROMS, you should install the final version of the ROMs only.

The How ?

Installing a custom ROM may be an intimidating task at first sight, but it gets easier once you get the basics right.

There are multiple ways of flashing custom ROMs but the most useful and effective way is by using a custom recovery called ClockWorkMOD.  Some devices come with a locked bootloader . You will need to unlock the bootloader to proceed.  Remember doing so, will void your warranty.

To get CWM recovery, install ROM manager and select flash Clockwork MOD recovery. There are other ecovery alternatives as well like RZRecovery.

Use vol up and down to navigate,
 power button to select

After it is done, you will have to download a particular rom for your device. Just try google to search for ROMS specific for your device.

<Your Device Model> Custom ROM

Will get you appropriate results

Remember to browse xda-developers.com, androidforums.com for more information about Custom ROMS before flashing.

Once you have downloaded it, it will be in .zip format. Copy it to your SD card.

Reboot into recovery- again this step is different for different devices but most devices support recovery mode using the native keypress mechanism. Turn off your device, press vol down + Power button, the device should boot in recovery mode.

Using the vol up and down button to navigate and power button to select, select Install ZIP from SD card and select the rom you just downloaded. Select Yes when it asks to and sit back and wait till the ROM is flashed , after which select Reboot system.

Some custom ROMs need the dalvik cache and data to  be wiped completely before installing. So make sure you do that.

You are done and will be greeted with a new bootanimation to confirm that flashing was successful.

If you encounter any problems during the ROM installation (Device doesn’t go past Bootanimation Bootloop), you can restore your stock ROM using a nandroid backup. 

To make a backup, Reboot into recovery, Select Backup and Restore and select Backup. It will take some time but after it is done, you can restore your device if something goes wrong.

The Downsides of Custom ROMS

Warranty Void :-  Installing Custom ROMs will void your warranty, because when you install a custom ROM, you “break the seal” which is irreversible on most device.

However sometimes custom ROMs can be better than having warranty like in the case of old legacy device HTC Hero.

Chance of  Bricking :- Something may go wrong with the flashing process  and leave your device in a bricked state. The chances of this are pretty low nowadays, and most of the time you can restore it back to normal.

Try to go for the ROM that has been tested by time and has lots of positive feedback.

All Data erased :- Installing a custom ROM performs a clean wipe on the system, which deletes all user data on the device. Again, using a data backup utility like Titanium backup will save you all the trouble from installing all the apps/contacts all over again.

Conclusion

It’s all up to you whether you want to install a custom ROM or benefit from the device’s manufacturer warranty. Make sure you do your homework before attempting anything otherwise you will end up with a pricey paperweight.