Frequently Asked Questions About A810 Modding
1. Can the Motorola A810 be modded? What do I need?
2. Is modding a violation of my warranty?
3. What can go wrong when I'm modding?
4. What will modding my phone give me?
5. What new features will I get from modding?
6. Can the Google Android OS be installed on my A810?
7. Does A810 support the iPhone firmware?
8. How to enter bootloader mode in the A810?
9. What different firmwares are available?
10. My browser connects to the internet but my Java applications don't. How come?
11. Who are the key people that initiated A810 modding?
12. How come www.modmymoto.com does not have an A810 section?
13. Does the A810 support the MPKG mod (.system folder)?
Answers:
1. Can the Motorola A810 be modded? What do I need?
Duh! Of course the A810 can be modded! You will need:
a. A Windows XP computer - for flashing.
b. Any other operating system for other mods.
c. Special USB cable. You can either make this or buy one ready-made here.
d. Read the "Beginner's guide to Modding the A810"
2. Is modding a violation of my warranty?
Yes, modding your phone is a violation of your warranty. It is not illegal because you are allowed to do whatever you want to with your own phone but flashing it might void your warranty from the shop from where you purchased your phone and also from Motorola! If your A810 gets spoilt (or dies) due to flashing or you have a flashed phone that get hardware problem - you won't be able to bring it to repair shop without paying. Be careful and do not process with anything without informing yourself for all procedures. If you are a beginner and you need help - post a comment with any questions.
Yes, modding your phone is a violation of your warranty. It is not illegal because you are allowed to do whatever you want to with your own phone but flashing it might void your warranty from the shop from where you purchased your phone and also from Motorola! If your A810 gets spoilt (or dies) due to flashing or you have a flashed phone that get hardware problem - you won't be able to bring it to repair shop without paying. Be careful and do not process with anything without informing yourself for all procedures. If you are a beginner and you need help - post a comment with any questions.
3. What can go wrong when I'm modding?
If done improperly, a lot of things can go wrong. Other than the issue of warranty violation, there is a risk of:
a. you bricking your phone - not following the steps and flashing the wrong firmware can cause this. If it gets bricked, you will have to go to the service center to get it fixed. Tip: Play dumb with the service centre guys and you might just get it fixed under warranty.
b. short-circuiting because of a bad USB cable that will irreparably damage your phone and your computer. If you have never used a soldering iron before, I can send you a ready made USB cable. Post a comment for more information.
Most other problems can be fixed by flashing again.
4. What will modding my phone give me?If done improperly, a lot of things can go wrong. Other than the issue of warranty violation, there is a risk of:
a. you bricking your phone - not following the steps and flashing the wrong firmware can cause this. If it gets bricked, you will have to go to the service center to get it fixed. Tip: Play dumb with the service centre guys and you might just get it fixed under warranty.
b. short-circuiting because of a bad USB cable that will irreparably damage your phone and your computer. If you have never used a soldering iron before, I can send you a ready made USB cable. Post a comment for more information.
Most other problems can be fixed by flashing again.
a. New features - TONS of added functionality. The next answer lists the new features that you get from modding (currently) your A810.
b. Better reliability - generally, newer versions have lesser bugs.
c. YOU choose what to do with the phone - From having your girl's photo when the phone starts up to changing themes, its about what you want. You can even make your own firmwares and themes (guides for these will be posted soon)!
d. Great for showing off. :|
5. What new features will I get from modding?
1. Accessing/controlling the phone via FTP/Telnet
2. It can automatically extract ZIP/RAR files!
3. Change the boot logo and startup sounds.
4. Execute scripts in real time. You can actually write a shell (a linux kind language) script in 'Notes' and run it from your phone! Eg: you can backup all your contacts, messages, etc in one click to your memory card and restore it too!
5. Increase memory by adding SWAP - like the paging file in windows! Makes it run faster!
6. Partition your memory card into upto 4 partitions (transzoning)!
7. Install Java Applications to memory card and not phone memory.
8. Change themes!
9. A few others that I can't recall just now and many more to be added with newer versions of this operating system!
6. Can the Google Android OS be installed on my A810?
Technically, yes. A developer has even made a custom Android kernel for the A810. The only problem is that the original A810 kernel (in your phone right now) is signed (protected). To replace it there's a special type of flashing required called "OTP flashing". If you learn anything about this, do let me know!
Note: There are many videos on YouTube featuring an A810 with Android (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYtD_gDtVPU). As of 14 December, 2009, these videos are fake.
Even if it does (which I doubt), the problem of a protected kernel still makes this an impossibility at this time.
8. How to enter bootloader mode in the A810?
To enter the bootloader mode, you need to first turn off the phone and remove the battery. Then connect the special USB cable. It should now be in bootloader mode (blank blue screen).
To enter the bootloader mode, you need to first turn off the phone and remove the battery. Then connect the special USB cable. It should now be in bootloader mode (blank blue screen).
9. What different firmwares are available?
There are numerous stock (original) firmwares available. The latest one is the 94R. 'Yan0', a Chinese modder, has made a custom firmware for this version. This is presently the only modded firmware available.
There are numerous stock (original) firmwares available. The latest one is the 94R. 'Yan0', a Chinese modder, has made a custom firmware for this version. This is presently the only modded firmware available.
10. My browser connects to the internet but my Java applications don't. How come?
This is an annoying thing with the A810. The WAP settings have and an option for 'proxy' but the Java Apps use the GPRS Wap option which does not have this option. So if your network provider (Airtel, Vodafone, etc) does not allow direct access, you're out of luck.
This is an annoying thing with the A810. The WAP settings have and an option for 'proxy' but the Java Apps use the GPRS Wap option which does not have this option. So if your network provider (Airtel, Vodafone, etc) does not allow direct access, you're out of luck.
11. Who are the key people who initiated A810 modding?
Well, the first known guides are by 'Yan0', a Chinese modder. His guides are in Chinese, however. The people that brought these to the English speaking world are VSVJ (MMM) and Vasant (Motorolafans) and now me.
Well, the first known guides are by 'Yan0', a Chinese modder. His guides are in Chinese, however. The people that brought these to the English speaking world are VSVJ (MMM) and Vasant (Motorolafans) and now me.
12. How come www.modmymoto.com does not have an A810 section?
The A810 is not a very popular phone in India. The release time (when Moto was wrapping up in India) was one big factor here. This model wasn't released in the US or Russia..places that MMM.com get their stuff from..So, no separate section for the A810. Not yet, anyway. Its okay though, we have this website now right? ;)
13. Does the A810 support the MPKG mod (.system folder)?The A810 is not a very popular phone in India. The release time (when Moto was wrapping up in India) was one big factor here. This model wasn't released in the US or Russia..places that MMM.com get their stuff from..So, no separate section for the A810. Not yet, anyway. Its okay though, we have this website now right? ;)
Sadly, no. Even though the Motorola E6's operating system is linux, it is different from the A810's. Work is on to try and get this feature.
Please ask any other questions through the comments feature below.
39 comments:
hello sir plzz giv de answers fast we awl r wating 4 ur answers
@Anshul: Answers have been updated!
Well once i tried to flash my a810 but it died i got it repaired form Motorola center free of cost because i played DUMB!HA HA HA!
but i want to know the if i flash it will i b able to return to the orignal OS anytime i want?
and can i backup my orignal os?
@Nipun: Good for you. ;P
If you've modded any other motorolas you'll be used to the idea of backing up the entire phone as an SHX file using Flash & Backup. Sadly, Flash & backup does not support the A810 and this is not currently possible.
What you are using is the Indian firmware. You should be able to backup contacts/calendar using the Motorola Phone Tools though. After you flash to the modded firmware, you can backup a LOT of things in one click (from the phone itself!).
The stock 94R firmware is the Chinese version. Trust me, this is way better than the one Indian A810s come with (aren't you sick of all the Yatra icons that you can't remove??). You will miss only the PC Connectivity icon in the main menu (its been moved to inside settings).
What I'm trying to say is that you can return to the OS that you want to anytime, provided you have the image (.BIN file). You could do us all a favour by playing dumb once more and asking the motorola service center guy for the Indian version of it..:D. Will upload it then.
cool man thnx n plzz make thix web site update thnx
HI ... i am from TRICHY.south india..
I cant find that Micro USB cable.. im nly having Normal type of cable.. How to Change that..
thnx man ill give it a try when my exams are over.!! i used to mod my L7 with the help of guids availabe in M3 doing it was a breeze!!
motorola supplied the cable with the phone itself.
if u dont have one go out and purchase oneit is very easily available on mobile shops and costs around Rs50-100. Pl buy a good one and not that skinny ones!
@Srika: You need a a normal Usb to micro USB cable (like the one that came with your phone). You need to modify this cable (solder) and make a few more connections to it...
DO NOT MODIFY your ORIGINAL MOTOROLA CABLE. It is cheaper to go out and buy a wire.
@Nipun: It is recommended that you buy a cheap, flimsy wire because it is easier to modify them. Again, DO NOT MODIFY the original motorola wire.
If you have difficulty making this wire, I can make them and send it over by courier. Let me know. :)
Sorry, the wire is a USB-miniUSB wire not a microUSB. One end is the normal USB and the other is the type that you find on your motorola charger.
Making this wire is the toughest part of modding your A810..things can go messy. Please follow the guide very carefully.
http://sites.google.com/site/motoa810/A810Usbguide_byVSVJ.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1
i told to use a thicker wire the cheap one have a very thin wire which makes it difficlt to solder and they keep breaking.
and i have rwo motorola data cables so no worry modifing 1. but in the guide i cant get where the yellow wire is solderd second time.
Hi Gopi,
can you send me the modified cable
i tried soldering but couldn't get it right.
but how to get into de blue screen ...????
@Anshul: Once you make the special USB wire, remove the battery and connect the phone to the computer with the special wire..the blue screen should come up automatically now..
does this modding increase the volume of the speakers???
@Nitesh: Not yet..But it is possible. Do check back soon.
u have mentioned in ur modding guide to flash using original 94r firmware n then with Yan0 modded firmware....
but after reading ur discussion with Vasanth on "motorola fans" it seems that memory card doesn't work with yan0's firmware...then why have u imstructed to flash using Yan0's firmware..
it would render the mem card useless
?????
u have also mentioned that after modding u can do "a lot of things"
but wat r those things and how can we do that??
u haven't even given guide for changing the themes......
it would be great if u post some guide for the same...
if there r some useful advantages of modding then i will surely buy ur special modding cable otherwise it uselles to take so much pain and risk of damaging the phone for just nothing useful...
@Nitesh: If you read the posts in Motorolafans carefully, you will see that I have fixed the memory card problem. The memory card works fine now..
Yan0's firmware allows us to partition the memory card! You can keep one as your current memory card, 2 as extra drives for the phone (which you can see from your phone only) and 1 drive as extra memory for your phone (like a paging file in windows). Or you can have only 1 drive. Thanks for pointing this out though, will have to write about this in the flashing guide.
About the new features, I have mentioned them in the FAQs but here they are again:
1. Accessing/controlling the phone via FTP/Telnet
2. It can automatically extract ZIP/RAR files!
3. Change the boot logo and startup sounds.
4. Execute scripts in real time. You can actually write a shell (a linux kind language) script in 'Notes' and run it from your phone! Eg: you can backup all your contacts, messages, etc in one click to your memory card and restore it too!
5. Increase memory by adding SWAP - like the paging file in windows! Makes it run faster!
6. Partition your memory card into upto 4 partitions (transzoning)!
7. Install Java Applications to memory card and not phone memory.
8. Change themes!
9. Some more features that I cant recall just now. Will catlog them and put it up in the FAQs.
About themes, go here. I've mentioned that I need time till at least the 26th of December to complete this guide.
http://www.motoa810.co.cc/2009/12/guide-2-changing-themes.html
@Nitesh: Actually, I've answered your question about features in the answer to Q.5. I just realised that Q.4 And 5 are somewhat similar. :)
hi gopi thanx for ur suggestions over using ucweb applictions to download unsupported files
But is it possible to enable our browser to download any file format?i think it would be more benefitial.
Hello Sagar,
At this moment it is not possible to enable that feature in the built-in browser..why don't you post a topic on our forum (http://motoa810.co.cc/index.php) asking this question..? Other users might have an idea..
Great job dude ! I am from Kerala. You are still providing data cables right ? Can i send u the money now ? Does the flashed phone come with better audio and a decent music player?
@ssk: Yes, I still have a stock of data cables. I would advice you to buy it from eBay (http://motoa810.blogspot.com/2009/12/usb-cables-for-sale-on-ebay.html). If you do not want to do that, email your address, etc at this id:
motorola.a810 -at the rate- gmail.com
hey dude gr8 work... keep it up
wanted to ask u dat pics clicked in other mobiles are generally not displayed on my cell.... can u tel me y is dat so... n is der any software or method by which pics can be displayed
also can u suggest me some screentouch games for A810
phone not switching on after flashing
please help
@Niren: Which phone's pictures are not displaying? Images upto 2 megapixels can be displayed without an issue..
will battery backup of this phone will increase after flashing. pls tell me
@krishnamurthy - Not significantly. But because its modded, you can change a lot of things like network search speed, backlight time, applications that start up by default...so you could save battery.
Why do we need to mod the USB cable?
@Sam: The only way to put this phone in Bootloader mode is with the modded USB cable. And only when you are in Bootloader mode can you flash firmwares onto the phone.
Hey Gopi i can only pay by money order right now. I have your adddress, pls tell me if u can provide the cables.IS IT Still in stock
@ssk: Money order's a problem for me...I live really far away from a post office. You could mail a DD or cheque but that'll take time.
@ssk: I have stock.
is there a descent video player 4 this phone ???? it should play all formats like flv,mpg,avi,etc
hey i am a fan of Motorola A810 inspite of the bugs!!
I want to suggest u tht u can make java application work in this phone by just going to home browser then options then tool then setup and clicking over web/wap accordingly!
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