Wizard Windows Mobile 6 for newbies

From ,
wiki.xda-developers.com

Intro

A lot of people are coming to the forums asking how to upgrade their Wizards to Windows Mobile 6. Unfortunately, there is such an overload of information that it may take weeks to sift through all of it. I was one of those noobs just a few weeks ago, and afraid to incur the wrath of people on the forum, I've spent weeks reading. My success is evident: I have a Wizard with Windows Mobile 6 and all the functionality of the Elf (HTC Touch). I have decided to spread the knowledge. Consider this wiki page to be the one stop manual for Wizard noobs. Also, credit goes where credit is due. A lot of this is a straight copy/paste from all kinds of places. This guide aims to bring this all onto one page. If anyone has any problem with me using what they wrote (although I don't see why that should happen), feel free to edit the page and take it out.

Audience

This walk through is aimed at those who think that "flashing" refers to removing one's clothes in public. Don't worry, if you read this page, you'll understand a little bit more. This is not aimed at seasoned professionals who want to know how their Wizard works inside and out. I will not cover anything regarding hardware, nor will I go into how to create your own ROMs. Let's get started.

Requirements

Computer with Windows XP running on it, Recommended,But there is a way to do it with Windows Vista, you can find that tutorial HERE
Latest version of ActiveSync 4.5 for ?WinXP or, if using ?WinVista, WindowsMobileDeviceCentre (WMDC)must be installed and running
Basic knowledge of Windows Xp / Vista and a little command line (just a little) and your Wizard Phone regarding specifications and how to operate all the features
A Wizard device (Phone),known as Qtek 9100 / I-mate K-JAM / MDA Vario / O2 XDA Mini S / SPV M3000 / Cingular 8125 / T-Mobile MDA / Dopod 838 / VPA compact II (this may seem obvious, but for those with the urge to try this with a different device, please don't)
Compatible USB Data Cable.
A willingness to void your warranty and take all future problems for your wizard upon yourself
An agreement not to hold anybody in the xda-developers community except yourself responsible for what happens to your phone/computer/job/house/life/friends/family/etc. as a result of following these instructions.
A backup of everything near and dear to you on your PDA (Contacts/Messages)
A fully charged Battery (atleast with 70% charge to complete the Rom Flash)
Disable any ?AntiVirus/Firewall running on your PC prior to taking up any procedure,as they tend to create hindrance/difficulties and problems.
WST_v4.2.2 (WizardServiceTool), A must have very usefull and trustworthy tool for every wizard phone owner.

Definitions

These are "borrowed" from the Wizard's wiki FAQ page and updated/corrected. BE SURE TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH THESE TERMS BEFORE PROCEEDING! THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT! Also be sure to read all the definitions because some terms reference other terms in their explanations.

ROM: Read Only Memory - commonly used in the form of "ROM upgrade". The ROM is the firmware/software, which controls everything on your phone. ROM itself usually comes in a package, with IPL/SPL, OS, Radio, and ExtRom. However, in most cases, "Upgrading a ROM" usually means just the OS and the ExtRom, as these are the obvious/visible part of an ROM upgrade.
IPL/SPL: IPL : Initial Program Loader -Initial hardware bootup. Just like a BIOS. SPL : Secondary Program Loader it is the bootloader. Jumps in the OS after Access the DOC and also starts the radio module. IPL/SPL are the boot loader of your phone, much like the BIOS is the boot loader for your PC. Note: IPL/SPL are highly hardware dependent, flashing the wrong IPL/SPL is very serious and fatal than a flashing the wrong ROM.Flashing a wrong IPL/SPL, Not meant for your device will certainly render your device a 'BRICK'. It may be noted that, sometimes a ROM package also contains the IPL/SPL which will be flashed into your phone. Hence be extra careful what you are flashing. Note: although a ROM may also contains the IPL/SPL, ROM usually refers just to the OS (eg. the Windows Mobile 5, not the IPL/SPL) and the ExtRom.
OS: Operating System - the platform software for your phone, much like the Windows XP for your PC. Upgrading the OS is like, in PC terms upgrading from Windows 95 to Windows XP.
ExtROM: Extended ROM - is the section of the ROM which the distributor of the phone (eg O2, T-Mobile, iMate, etc) store their customization (eg. Today theme, ring tones, extra software) data. In WM5, the customization data will be automatically installed immediately after the initial configuration (and after every hard-reset), just after the security section. In most cases, ExtROM can be unlocked to allow users to store/build their own customizations that will be automatically installed upon every hard reset(this capability does not extend to owners of G4 devices).
CID: Carrier Id - commonly used in the form "CID-Unlocking". If you purchase your phone (example) from Qtek (Qtek is the 'carrier'), your phone will only accept Qtek ROMs (the carrier's ROMs). If you want to flash ROMs from other carrier, you'll need to CID-unlock your phone, so that your phone will accept other ROMs. Note: In general, the phrase "unlock your phone" usually refers to SIM-unlock, not CID unlock.
Radio: Also refered as GSM (see below) - commonly used in the form "upgrading the Radio/GSM" - in the field of ROM upgrading. The "Radio" is essentially a ROM that controls the phone function part (as oppose to PDA function part) of your phone. Upgrading this "Radio" software may effect on your phone's Signal reception quality,GPRS,Network and battery life (optimized phone function), signal strength, etc.
GSM: A system of mobile radio communications. Most common 2G standard. Often used on xda-developers somewhat confusingly to refer to the radio protocol stack or "Radio" in XDA devices. This is slightly misleading as 3G HTC phones use a W-CDMA stack for the 3G communications, and GSM for 2G.
Protocol: Similar to "Radio". Both terms refer to the radio protocol stack, which is the software which handles communications with the mobile network.
SIM: Subscriber Identity Module - commonly used in the form "SIM unlock". Some phones are locked to the specific telco from which you purchase your phone, eg. you can't use a locked O2 phone using a Vodaphone SIM/smart card. To use SIM card from other telco, you need to SIM unlock your phone. Note: In general, the phrase "unlock your phone" usually refers to SIM-unlock, not CID unlock.
AKU: Adaptation Kit Update - Starting with Windows Mobile 5 Microsoft began a policy of updates similar to that of the desktop windows. Rather than replacing the whole OS some functionality may be added. For example AKU 2.0 introduced push mail. These updates are distributed through the OEMs and are given to the consumer in form of ROM updates. Note that OEM may choose not to create an update with the latest AKU for their devices. Getting an AKU for your phone is like getting the SP2 (Service Pack 2) for your Windows XP. We will not be doing this, we'll jump right to WM6.
WM6: Windows Mobile 6, the operating system we're trying to install.
TouchFlo: Hyped up marketing name that means nothing. TouchFlo is HTC's system that can tell the difference between a finger and a stylus. It is an amalgamation of touch scrolling, HTC Home Plugin, HTC Cube, HTC Album, HTC Media Player, and others. All these applications can be finger operated without the need for a stylus. Furthermore, most of these programs can be installed independently of each other once you get a ROM that supports touch scrolling (and most WM6 ROMs nowadays do). Please don't ask for a ROM with "TouchFlo" because although there are such ROMs out there, what defines "TouchFlo" is up to the person who made the ROM.
Wizard: PDA/Phones manufactured by HTC known as Qtek 9100 / I-mate K-JAM / MDA Vario / O2 XDA Mini S / SPV M3000 / Cingular 8125 / T-Mobile MDA / Dopod 838 / VPA compact II
Bootloaders Mode The bootloader (IPL/SPL) is the first thing to load once you turn on the device, this does the job of booting up the device hardware and loading various items into memory before the ROM starts in the device. The bootloader is also responsible for enabling the flashing of new ROMs and other components such as the Radio and the Ext_ROM.To enter the bootloader Mode, press and hold the Camera and POWER buttons while inserting the stylus into the reset hole.The device will restart and Boot into Bootloader mode,a screen with multi colors (RGB) and display 'IPL/SPL/GSM' in red color on top right corner of the screen and 'RUU' in the top left corner.Wizard devices have commonly two types of Bootloaders (IPL/SPL), a) Flash Chip type: M-Systems G3 DiskOnChip@G3(DOC CHIP) commonly known as a G3 device, b)Flash Chip type: M-Systems G4 DiskOnChip@G4(DOC CHIP) commonly known as a G4 device
Flashing Term meaning to write something (usually a ROM image) to a non-volatile chip.Simply,meaning installing a new OS(Rom) on your wizard,as installing a new windows on PC
Soft Reset Restart,just like PC,Occasionally you may need to reset the device when its running slower than normal,or a program is not performing properly or device hangs.A Soft Reset of your device clears all active program memory and shuts down all active programs.To perform a Soft Reset, use the stylus to lightly press and hold the 'RESET' button/hole on the left side of your device.The device restarts and displays the Today screen
Hard Reset Full Reset, A Hard Reset should be performed only if a normal (Soft Reset) does not solve a system problem.After a hard reset,the device is restored to its default Factory settings,the way it was when you first purchased it.Any new program you installed,data you entered and settings customized on the device will be lost.Only Windows Mobile software and other pre-installed programs will remain.To perform a Hard Reset a)Press and hold the Comm Manager button and Voice Command button on the device b)Keep the two above mentioned buttons pressed,and at the same time,use the stylus to lightly press and hold the Reset button.The phone will restart and ask for confirmation,click 'yes',it'll boot up into windows.
RUU: Rom Update Utility - This utility updates the Rom (OS) Image on your PDA/phones.Its essential and integral part in every Rom (OS) package,when run will start to flash and upgrade the Rom (OS) on your PDA/phone,just like setup.exe installer application in Windows installation on a pc
Brick: - Brick is the slang term for an electronic device which cannot function (or has been rendered useless by damaged firmware). This comes from the fact that the device in question can be considered only as useful as a brick, and little else. Commonly used in the phrase "brick your phone". This is a term used to describe what can go wrong with your phone if you follow the instructions incorrectly. Household bricks can't be flashed with either WM5 or WM6, and they do nothing flashy that a PDA phone can. If you want to turn your phone into a house brick, then rush ahead without reading carefully. Everyone else:- take time to read everything here slowly. If you are unsure about anything that you read, then don't proceed with the update!

Procedure

Now you know all the wonderful words, let's think about what has to happen. Since you want WM6, you have to install ("flash") a new ROM. By default, the wizard comes with Windows Mobile 5, that is incompatible with the latest and coolest program that you want. And it's old anyway, who wants to use it? However, before you start flashing, consider the following:

Is your device a G3 or G4 Wizard? As, Its very important to determine the correct DOC Chip version of the phone,before taking up any procedure, because upgrading procedures are all together different for both the devices. If it's G3,*Follow the G3 portion of the tutorial*,well, if its a G4 device Follow the G4 portion of the tutorial. If you follow the G3 tutorial for upgrading a G4 device,Take my words for granted, you will effectively BRICK your phone. I'll tell you how to tell the difference between G3 and G4 below.
Its mandatory to have your phone CID unlocked to upgrade to wm6,Now,Did you get your phone through a carrier (or is it carrier branded)? i.e. does your phone say T-Mobile or Cingular, or O2, or anything that identifies it as having come from a cell phone company? If yes, it's probably SIM/CID locked. As you now know, a SIM lock is different from a CID lock. We'll need to SIM unlock the phone,which'll give us the option to insert and use SIM of any Cellular Network without any prompt to put SIM unlocking code, and most important,we'll definitely need to CID unlock your phone in order to flash WM6.
Get the right IPL/SPL version. Mostly all the wm6 ROMs require BOTH IPL and SPL to be 2.xx.Its also a mandatory requirement for upgrade to wm6, If you're at 1.xx, you need to take an additional step of flashing an official ROM. v(G3 Only step)
After successful CID unlock,Pick a latest wm6 or wm6.1 ROM and flash it!
Enjoy your new functionality!
Do additional stuff (install applications, change splash screens, and anything else you ask me to write about)

1. Phone version (aka "Which guide do I follow if I don't want to have a brick?")

The Wizard (somewhat unfortunately) has two hardware versions: G3 and G4. Fortunately, there is an easy way to tell which Wizard you are using. Shut down your device (by holding down the power button until a message on the screen comes up asking to confirm that you want to shut down). Start the device back up. Alternatively, you can perform a soft reset, but I don't like to do those. Watch the boot screens carefully, there will be an IPL and SPL version shown in red figures/numbers during the boot sequence.

If your IPL/SPL numbers are in the form X.xx or X.xx.xxx (i.e 2.26, 1.08,or 2.25.000 etc.) you have a G3
If your IPL/SPL numbers are in the form X.xx.xxx1 (i.e. 2.26.0001), you have a *G4*(Note the trailing .0001)
HOWEVER !,there's another easy and excellent option available to get the correct and 100% accurate DOC Chip version of the phone. Download the latest version of WST_v4.2.2 (WizardServiceTool),install it on your PC and run it to get all the info about your phone.

I cannot stress this enough, please please please make sure you follow the correct tutorial to avoid damaging your phone. If you don't know what you have, re-read this tutorial to make sure you know exactly what you have before continuing. If per chance the numbers don't come up during the boot sequence, ask for help on the forum. It's much easier to help identify the version of your device than to help you un-brick your phone (which is not always possible).

2. Unlocking (CID and SIM) G3 and G4 Tutorials.

G3 ONLY!

(Credit to Dr. Puttingham for the walkthough which I used as a basis for this portion of the tutorial.)

I thought I'd include both CID and SIM unlocking because it can be done in one go. During this step, you will get your first taste of what flashing ROMs is all about. At this point, you may want to go sip some tea, do your meditations, prayers, and whatever else you do because from here on, the procedure requires patience and nerves of steel. There may be times when you think all is lost, but unless you're using this portion of the tutorial with a G4, it's most likely not and someone will be around to help you. Also, make sure that your phone is nearly fully charged(at least 75%), otherwise things may go loopy.

Download the Button ROM (mirror) to your computer
Attach your Wizard to your computer using the USB cable. For the love of G-d, do NOT do this over bluetooth or IR. It will most likely not work, but if it does, all hell will break loose.
If you have ActiveSync, make sure there are no active partnerships with your device. With your device NOT plugged in, go into ActiveSync file->delete mobile device. Once you plug the device back in, cancel synchronization. Your wizard should be showing up in ActiveSync as Guest.
With your device connected to your computer as Guest, run the file that your downloaded. It's pretty much self-explanatory. Agree to everything, and let it do it's thing. It is downgrading your IPL to 1.05. You can only unlock your phone if the IPL is 1.xx, you can't do it if your IPL is 2.xx. Always have lots of patience. The 10 minutes to complete statement is a guide, if your computer is running at a 90% CPU load with 99% of your RAM full (which it shouldn't), expect this to take a lot longer. If it so happens that you get an error at 99%, try The Xda_MiniS_LaunchROM_v154102.exe.
Once the flash is done and your Wizard is rebooted, it will display most probably an IPL of 1.xx and an SPL of 2.xx. Its mandatory to have IPL 1.xx to successfuly unlock the phone
Download Lokiwiz 0.2b. Note: I couldn't download the file from that location. Found it here
Use Winzip or Winrar to extract the files to any folder on your computer(it is recommended you create a folder specifically for lokiwiz),Another option if you feel comfortable is to extract lokiwiz 0.2b to your C Drive, DO NOT JUST COPY THEM! THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, EXTRACT THE FILES !!! There is a directory structure inside the zip file, and this will not work if that directory structure is not maintained. This had driven me nuts the first time I did it, it was giving me all kinds of "file not found" errors.
Copy enablerapi.cab from your PC to anywhere on your Wizard, preferably 'My documents' using ActiveSync. Remember not to create a partnership (make sure you're still connected as a Guest).
Go to your Wizard and use the File Explorer to find the file you just copied. Click on it and install it to the main memory ("Device", not extended memory).Wait for it to finish. THIS STEP IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT !, if you forgot to execute 'enablerapi.cab' in your phone,you won't be able to SIM/CID unlock the phone and will receive many Errors
Back on your PC, open the folder you just created when you extracted Lokiwiz and click lokiwiz.bat.You'll be presented with a black MS Dos command prompt(CMD) type window, Another option is if you had extract lokiwiz 0.2b to your C Drive then open up command prompt type in "cd C:" without the quotes. This should take you to your C:\ drive. Type lokiwiz.bat.
You will see the following:

U. Unlock
L. Lock
C. CID Unlock (SuperCID)
Q. Quit
Unlock refers to SIM Unlock and CID unlock refers to...well. If you still don't know the difference, go back and read from the beginning.

Press U on your computer keyboard. lokiwiz will SIM unlock your phone and REBOOT. If it doesn't reboot, you did something wrong. Try again. The procedure may take a few minutes to complete, so if your Wizard doesn't reboot right away, don't freak out.
Rerun the lokiwiz.bat file,The same way as you did in step 10 above, this time pressing C. Wait for the Wizard to reboot.This will CID unlock your phone. (if your Pocket PC Phone does NOT reboot each time, you didn't do it right! Stop and make that work, You might have missed an important step! Redo the whole process !)
While rebooting, keep an eye on the IPL/SPL numbers. If BOTH IPL and SPL are 1.xx then great. Quite probably your IPL will be 1.xx and your SPL will be 2.xx. Rerun the button 1.05 ROM or (Whichever Rom worked for you) downgrade a second time and it will become 1.x on both IPL and SPL. You don't need to redo the unlocking..It is recommended that you make sure you sucessfully flashed the button rom(or whatever rom worked for you) and your IPL is 1.05 before you SIM and CID unlock your device.
Once you have successfully CID unlocked your phone, the next step which is to continue with the upgrade and upgrade back to IPL/SPL version 2.xx, This is a basic requirement to have IPL/SPL 2.xx for upgrading to wm6 Rom,(yes, you need to downgrade then upgrade back...it's just what you have to do however time-wasteful it may seem). Everyone seems to like the T-mobile Official WM5 ROM, so what the heck, I think you'll like it too. Flash it the same way you flashed the Button ROM (double click and go through the installation). Remember to have patience! Also, You should save the T-Mobile .exe file since you will need to flash back to that first every time you want to switch ROMs (again, no matter how time wasteful it seems, trust me, do it).
OPTIONAL STEP: Just an option not necessarily required for upgrade to wm6. Once you have successfully CID unlocked your G3 device and have the T-Mobile Official WM5 ROM back on your device, you now have the option to upgrade to IPL/SPL 3.08. Upgrading to IPL/SPL 3.08 is just like flashing a tiny little ROM It will not change the functionality of the device whatsoever but will speed up the boot sequence a little. Any little bit helps right? You can Find the download link for IPL/SPL 3.08 HERE Just download the .rar file EXTRACT it to its own folder. Run the Rom Update Utility and again, follow the simple self explanatory steps to complete the upgrade and then your device will reboot itself. Keep an eye on the IPL/SPL when the device is rebooting. It should now be 3.08 for both and your device should now boot more quickly. (Note: Although,upgrading to 3.08 will speed up the Boot up a little,but also has some downsides,if by any chance,you have to downgrade to IPL/SPL 1.xx again,it won't let you downgrade easily,it becomes quite problematic to downgrade back to 1.xx, Therefore, REMEMBER ! NEVER TO UPGRADE TO IPL/SPL 3.08 UNTILL AND UNLESS THE PHONE IS SIM/CID UNLOCKED !, Otherwise it'll become very difficult to downgrade to IPL/SPL 1.xx for unlocking, If you are not sure about CID unlock,than,its better to be on the safe side and stay comfortable at IPL/SPL 2.xx). You can verify the CID Lock/Unlock status by running the 'WST 4.2.2 Tool' and check the option 'CID Action' button

WST_v4.2.2 (WizardServiceTool)

WST_v4.2.2 Tool , now also has the option to SIM/CID a wizard device. But IPL 1.xx is still required for it. It doesn't matter what SPL...? is,but IPL 1.xx is essential.

WM6 ROMs

Pick a WM6 ROM and flash it. Now that you have a good T-Mobile WM5 ROM with IPL/SPL at 2.26 (if one of them is not at 2.26, RE-FLASH IT!) or IPL/SPL 3.08, you're ready to install a WM6 ROM. This is where I have to step back. Due to forum politics, I cannot go ahead and suggest a ROM (neither can anyone else, and if you ask this on the forums, you will get flamed and your topic will be locked). Besides, the minute I suggest a ROM on this page, a better one will come out. All I can tell you is if you're after all the nice touch stuff (of course you are!), look at the ROMs that boast TouchFlo (TNT and ?BlackDiamond are just two examples). Go to the forum, under Wizard Mobile 6 and take your pick. It is like being a little kid in a candy store, the variety is so immense. The only advice I could give you from personal experience, is that ROMs with newer builds (higher build numbers) tend to have more bugs than the older builds (obviously, the builds that have lower numbers), which tend to be more stable with less bugs. THIS IS NOT TRUE FOR ALL ROMS!! Some ROMs with newer builds are VERY stable with only minor bugs if any but I am not going to get into that. I would also suggest reading some of the discussion regarding the author's ROM to see what bugs there are (hint: all ROMs have bugs, the question is how many and what can you live with. A relatively minor bug for me may be a show-stopper for you). You flash this ROM the exact same way you flashed the button ROM and the T-Mobile ROM. Configure it to your liking and enjoy!

G4 ONLY!

(Credits go to the equinoxe and dharvey4651 for their walkthroughs that this is based on)

During this portion of the tutorial we will cover how to Semi-CID unlock your G4 device using HardSPL, how to circumvent the unlocking process using SoftSPL([reserves warranty), and the complete process of removing HardSPL and restoring your factory SPL.

Installing HardSPL

FAQ: What is Hard SPL?

a custom G4 SPL patched by Olipro which let your device think it has SuperCID (aka CID unlocked)

What is difference between Hard and Soft SPL?

While Soft SPL is temporary, this solution is semi-permanent, it will be removed by flashing an original G4 SPL using SoftSPL. Read on for a complete tutorial on how to remove HardSPL.
If you use HardSPL, you don't need a separate loader in the future, just use the RUU provided in the ROM package.

Can I use it for other devices than for a G4 wizard?

This is for G4 Users ONLY, Use at your own risk!
You can use it for another device if you want to have a shiny new BRICK.

It's advised to make a backup of IPL/SPL in case you want to revert back to previous condition because some have complained not finding their original provider's bootloaders. You can use WizardServiceTool for that purpose and then pack the files in a nk.nbf file to flash with a RUU.

First you will need to download the HardSPL package from HERE
Now connect your device and make sure you are connected with ActiveSync.
Start hard_SPL-G4.exe
Push the "Check DOC" button.
The tool now checks whether your device is truly a G4, if not, it will give you an error and it will stop to prevent any possible damage to your phone.
After this, a dos box will pop up. This will load SoftSPL to your device. This makes hard-SPL flashing possible.
After SoftSPL is loaded, a Rom Update Utility will start. ONLY proceed if your screen is white! This will only happen if SoftSPL was successfully loaded onto your device.
Proceed with the upgrade. It will only take a minute, maybe less.
After it is complete, your device will automatically reboot. The IPL version will be 2.21.0001 and the SPL will be 2.21.olip. If you see this then HardSPL was successfully flashed to your device.

Now you have HardSPL. You can flash any ROM using the RUU provided in the ROM package, should you have trouble with upgrading, try Mun's RUU.

Loading and flashing using SoftSPL

FAQ: What is SoftSPL?

SoftSPL is a patched SPL that will temporary unlock your CID (until reboot).
It will be copied to your device and loaded (BUT NOT FLASHED!), the device is tricked into believing it has SuperCID (More accuratly g_cKeyCardSecurityLevel will be 0).

Why Temporary?

1st, because of your warranty, since there is no CID block written, your warranty will not be voided.
2nd, with this tool it is not necesarry to have a permanently unlocked CID.
3rd, it's safe. It doesn't flash a CID block or IPL/SPL to your device on it's own, but you should choose the ROM you want to flash wisely!

Can I make it permanent?

Yes you can make it semi permanent, with HardSPL(utilized the same trick, but now a patched SPL is flashed to device so that you will no longer need SoftSPL).

What does SoftSPL change on my device?

Nothing, it's loaded into memory. Only the ROM you choose to flash with the RUU included with SoftSPL will change your device.

First you need to download the SoftSPL package. You can find it HERE. - THIS WILL NOT WORK IF YOU ARE USING WINDOWS VISTA!
Unzip SoftSPL.zip to a SoftSPL folder.
Copy the nk.nbf file from your desired G4 SAFE ROM to the SoftSPL folder.
Fully connect your device to ActiveSync. If you are not connected, this will not work.
Run START-sSPL.exe to begin the process.
The screen of your device will turn white and the device will appear to have crashed, don't panic, this is perfectly normal. Just proceed with the upgrading process.
SoftSPL will now run the RUU. Proceed as usual(the screen of the wizard will stay white during the whole process. Again, don't panic!) --DO NOT PROCEED WITH RUU if your device's screen is not WHITE, OR when in bootloader, SPL version isn't 2.21.olip.
When flashing process is complete, your device will automatically soft-reset itself and your IPL/SPL will return to normal.
There you have it! You should now be setting up your new ROM. Enjoy!

WM6 ROMS

Just as with G3 Wizards, nobody can recommend which ROM to use. However, G4 users must be very careful with the ROM they select. The ROM has to be "G4 Safe", in other words contain only the OS, Radio, or Splash Screens. If you flash a ROM that contains IPL/SPL information, your device will become bricked(unless you flash the IPL/SPL using SoftSPL first --See Removing HardSPL tutorial below). If you're not sure if a given ROM is G4 safe, ask.

Removing HardSPL -USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!

In the unfortunate event that you need to revert back to your carrier's official ROM to send your device in for service or an exchange, with HardSPL installed on your device you will be unable to do so as technically it voids your warranty. Fortunately there is a solution to this. There is one way to revert back to an Official Rom should you need to and in this portion of the tutorial we will discuss how to do this.

Download SoftSPL by the-equinoxe. You will find a link to the download above under the SoftSPL tutorial.
Download the appropriate IPL/SPL based on your device and carrier.

Extract SoftSPL to its own folder and then extract the nk.nbf file from the correct IPL/SPL to the SoftSPL folder.
Run Start-sSPL.exe and follow the simple directions. It is almost fully automated(your screen will turn white during the flashing process and it will appear to have crashed. This is normal so just proceed like normal.)
HardSPL should now be removed if everything worked properly*(If your SPL is still 2.21.olip then you did something wrong and are probably staring at a pretty expensive paperweight)*. Depending on your device and Carrier, download the appropriate Rom for your device:

Flash the ROM you just downloaded. There you have it. You have successfully removed HardSPL and reverted back to your carrier's latest official ROM and restored the CID lock.

Troubleshooting

I'll just cover on a little bit of troubleshooting and hope that others can step in and add to the body of knowledge that is this wiki.

What to do if HardSPL did not change your SPL version

When flashing the ROM, the wizard shuts off and nothing else happens. The program then says it can't communicate.

This has happened to me. All it means is that your computer cannot put your phone into "bootloader mode". No big deal, turn off the ROM installation program (called RUU), disconnect your phone from your computer, and put it into bootloader manually:

Take out the miniSD card or dummy card or any SDIO device you have.
Press the camera button and hit soft-reset. Let go of the soft-reset, but keep holding the camera button. You will soon find yourself in a three-coloured screen.
Once in the bootloader, let go of the camera button, connect the USB cable and rerun the RUU on your computer. It should work now.

When flashing the ROM, it fails/freezes at 99% or 100%

Use a different ROM. I'm quite serious, that's all you can do. If you didn't heed what I set before about installing the t-mobile ROM before any WM6 ROM or when switching from one WM6 ROM to another, install it and try again. Also, make sure your computer's CPU/RAM isn't bogged down. If you're trying do this while running PhotoShop, three videos, and an active skype conversation, good luck. You won't get anywhere.

Error 260

When you get the Error Message 260, maybe our PC is the foo. Try to install the ROM with an other PC on your Wizard

Contributors:

evilmonkey1987 - wrote the initial guide with the help of aforementioned individuals
dharvey4651 - G4 walkthrough
zabardast_1 - Editing/Amendments/Updates

DUpa! epic247` (t-mobile link updated - firetime)

Tuesday, September 22, 2009