Unlocking Ext.ROM of Pocket PC

Wednesday, 27 September 2006

In PocketPC, the ROM is a storage area where the core OS files (Windows Mobile) is loaded. This area is completely locked for modifications at user-level so you don't accidently delete any important files that may lead to mal-functioning the device. Only the ROM Upgrade packages distributed by OEM can access the locked area and and perform the upgrade or modifications with newer OS files.


Apart from the ROM, most Pocket PC devices also have an Extended ROM which is usually around 20megs in size and contains customized applications designed or decided by the OEMs.

When you hard-reset a Pocket PC, everything other than what's there in the ROM is erased. Meaning, you end up with a clean device containing just Windows Mobile files. Usually OEMs bundle their own themes, dialer-skins or other applications (sometimes crap-ware) in this Extended ROM area which gets automatically installed right after hard-reset with a customization screen loaded.

Workaround to skip crap-ware installation:

If you are a pro user of Pocket PC, you definitely may not be needing these crap-ware that gets installed after hard-reset. They usually get installed onto Main Memory of your Pocket PC taking up huge memory space rather being usefull. So when you get the prompt that says "Customising your device in 3 secs" after hard-reset and aligning screen steps, just make a soft-reset and voila!

Note: Hard reset will not erase the data contained in Extended ROM or Storage card.

Unlocking the Extended ROM:

As there are numerous models of Pocket PC devices, each variant have different methods of unlocking. Unlockers are not released per-se. Only through hacking and reverse-engineering methods could you gain access to the locked area. Sometimes you can use WinImage to modify the Extended ROM. A small tutorial based on WinImage modification is writen by one of our members over here. It was actually a tutorial written to include our software Ultimate Theft Alert v35! into his Extended ROM. You can even have a read to understand the basic steps and modify it accoring to your device. The HyperCore kitchen mentioned in the above link is actually a multi-device tool.

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Installation in Ext.ROM
RonX (59.182.55.xxx) 2007-04-22 22:50:14

Hi,
I was wondering if one installes an app in Ext.ROM then upon hard reset
will it still be available ?

The reason is I have found an app which will
send a sms when ever the sim card is changed to a receipient whose cell no you
provide during setup. This app works when your handset is stolen and the sim is
changed then you can easily catch the stealer :grin

I had my previous
wizard stolen & since then have learnt this lesson...

So if a smart stealer
hard resets the device before selling or changing the sim then am at los again
but if this app is in exr.rom then it will still be there and get activated
after hard reset also

Any thoughts...
Carty (202.56.231.xxx) 2007-04-22 23:53:18

Ofcourse our software Ultimate Theft Alert can be added to Extended ROM to
survive hard-reset. Our competors software lacks this facility because their
softwares are installed as trial version and fail to work. But our software will
work, since you add the license key and congigurations too in the
Ext.ROM..

Regards,
Carty..
engeener
hasan (217.219.226.xxx) 2007-06-16 07:46:45

hi.i am engeener.thanks for nice site and i hope be succes.
rashad (93.91.196.xxx) 2008-12-03 19:53:44

biu
Remove Q9H AT&T Bloatware
platnm6309 (76.209.16.xxx) 2008-12-22 18:42:12

Hi,

I may be in the wrong thread, and I apologize.

This week I will be
getting a never used brand new Motorola q9h. It is on the carrier AT&T.

I
was wondering if someone could possibly give me step by step instructions or a
download so that I may remove this stuff?

I would greatly appreciate
it.

Merry Christmas to All!

Carty (59.97.65.xxx) 2008-12-23 15:30:16

Begin using the pocket pc, decide if you really need those bloatware, if not,
hard-reset and during the initial installation prompt perform a
soft-reset.

Better yet, post your question here:
http://pocketpc-live.com/experts-help/
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