Database Users

Un-Root my Hero

I need to take my Hero back to factory specs because I'm taking it into a sprint store tomorrow. What all do I need to do... should I just flash my original rom back on there or can I download a rom from htc and it will clear everything? I understand I need to flash a new recovery image too.
Thanks
oh also, I'm running FreshRom.

nautical34 said:
I need to take my Hero back to factory specs because I'm taking it into a sprint store tomorrow. What all do I need to do... should I just flash my original rom back on there or can I download a rom from htc and it will clear everything? I understand I need to flash a new recovery image too.
Thanks
oh also, I'm running FreshRom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can flash the original rom back on there and be fine. They wont EVER press Home+power and boot into recovery.
If you really want to go back to default.. Run this RUU
http://outboundlink.us/anxo/dr_ta_1.../2uQunBaV/RUU_Hero_C_Sprint_2276515_R_si.html

Running the sprint 2.1 update will un-root your phone.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

neuro_genesis said:
Running the sprint 2.1 update will un-root your phone.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its not the sprint update.. thats the .5 ruu

Thanks for the link, that worked out great!

Jus10o said:
Its not the sprint update.. thats the .5 ruu
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually newest ruu is .6 I think

after you run this can you re-root?. im new to android and i want to be able to restore to factory settings whenever after root just so i can re-root and practice it, as well as know how to fix it if i do something stupid or just brick the darn thing.
like i said im new and not good with forums where can i get a copy of the original rom? i would like to have that before i attempt to root.
also kinda off topic but do i have to be rooted to make nanoid backup. i would also like to have that before i root.

proman95 said:
after you run this can you re-root?. im new to android and i want to be able to restore to factory settings whenever after root just so i can re-root and practice it, as well as know how to fix it if i do something stupid or just brick the darn thing.
like i said im new and not good with forums where can i get a copy of the original rom? i would like to have that before i attempt to root.
also kinda off topic but do i have to be rooted to make nanoid backup. i would also like to have that before i root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you can re-root after running the .5 RUU
the original rom is contained in the RUU program linked above
You don't have to be rooted to make a nandroid backup, though you do need to flash a custom recovery image. Being rooted means that you basically have administrator access on your phone, can run things like wifi tether and can overwrite the /system/ folder. A recovery image is a little different than that...

ok thanks, i know root is just admin, but a lot of root guides have you flash a recovery image, by doing that you replace the original recovery image? the one that takes you back to factory reset? thats what im not sure about and im really nervous about changing that and messing it up and bricking my device, thought one forum said its almost imposable to brick.
ok so i have that RUU and another one i download. do i just run it or do i need to have a specific program on my pc?
i know i need to Google it and just search the forums but i don't have a lot of time on my hands right now.

If you're planning on going back to root, don't run the .6 RUU. I don't think it's rootable. At least that was the case when it came out. .5 IS rootable.

vidsid said:
If you're planning on going back to root, don't run the .6 RUU. I don't think it's rootable. At least that was the case when it came out. .5 IS rootable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how do you determine what version the RUU is?

proman95 said:
i know i need to Google it and just search the forums but i don't have a lot of time on my hands right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am seriously sure it wouldn't hurt to type a couple words into a search query, right? At least people helped you out though. Good luck!
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

proman95 said:
how do you determine what version the RUU is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Menu - settings - about phone - software information - software number.
If it is .6, who cares. You can get root by going to the development section and finding the root guide written by regaw_leinad, and the solution for software number .6 is in there, too. Dunno why people make it out to be such a bad thing to have .6... seriously.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

jerry43812 said:
Menu - settings - about phone - software information - software number.
If it is .6, who cares. You can get root by going to the development section and finding the root guide written by regaw_leinad, and the solution for software number .6 is in there, too. Dunno why people make it out to be such a bad thing to have .6... seriously.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well you still can't root .6 but all you need to do is flash .5. So yeah I don't know why people are making a big deal either
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

Exactly. .6 isn't rootable yet but you are losing nothing by flashing back to .5 except for the patch they released to fix root exploit. What a waste of time for them.
cp0020 said:
Well you still can't root .6 but all you need to do is flash .5. So yeah I don't know why people are making a big deal either
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

jerry43812 said:
I am seriously sure it wouldn't hurt to type a couple words into a search query, right? At least people helped you out though. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats the thing though most of my search's come up with nothing or so much stuff that its all over the place and dose not help at all, believe me I am trying. I am vary interested in learning as much as i can so when I have to to root/ or flash i can do it easily.
(thats why I don't post that much, I am trying not to sounds like an idiot, thought i probably already have)
jerry43812 said:
Menu - settings - about phone - software information - software number.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But thats after you run the RUU.exe I meant how do you know what version of the RUU.exe coincides with what version of the software with out installing or running it. I am still a little confused on what I need to do with the RUU.exe and or what it dose. I have been searching the forums but there is not a Good sticky or wiki about it, its only the definition. I am assuming it re-installs a fresh copy of whatever that version of the OS is, but i don't know for sure.
jerry43812 said:
If it is .6, who cares. You can get root by going to the development section and finding the root guide written by regaw_leinad, and the solution for software number .6 is in there, too. Dunno why people make it out to be such a bad thing to have .6... seriously.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry I am such a noob and thanks for the help but i just want to clarify that .6 stands for 1.6 or donut?
-Thanks for helping the noob!!!

2.27.651.5 is the original Hero update.
2.27.651.6 is the update that was released solely to disable the ability to root.
The RUU for each was released by Sprint/HTC and flashed your phone from 1.5 to 2.whatever.
If you root, then you can run any of these to revert back to the stock Sprint image. If you chose to go to 2.27.651.6 then the only way to re-root would be to flash back to 2.27.651.5 which would only be a pain in the bum.
Since 2.27.651.6 gives you nothing but the inability to root then it only makes sense to revert to .5.
If this makes no sense to you...feel free to give up on rooting altogether. If it does then good luck.
BTW I only figured out how to root on Monday so these forums are most excellent..if you take the time to search through them.

Thanks its starting to make sense, right now I'm software 2.1 update 1 or 2.6 so i just have to go back to 2.5 . once i have more time i will thanks for the explanation! yes this site is the best and yes i need to search more.

[Q] How do I go back to stock JFD?

Hello,
Sorry if this has been answered, but I couldnt find anything when I searched.
I am trying to go back to stock on my Vibrant just like when I first got it out the box.
I flashed the unofficial update JI2 and then the JI6 through Odin, but now I want to go back to stock to see if I get the update from Tmobile or just do it through Kies.
In order for me to do this I have to go to stock and I cant find or know to to do it. I seem to be getting this whole Odin thing so if I can do it this way it would be great. Please let me know. Thanks.
I search Development section, but none of those worked for me. Not sure if Im doing something wrong.

I am no expert by any mean just a noobie but I downloaded the files on the link posted in I believe it was the Development section that was the JDF Odin stock rom etc. Look for it posted in there or search it and it will come up. I used Odin and it went smoothly and then I updated to ji6.I believe the link below is what you are looking for.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=734475

Here is the link again for some reason it shows up when I save it but when I exit out and come back it is gone
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=734475

Ok, so I did find this one, but I had no luck!
So did you click on the last one that says All 3 Files?
Or did you click them one by one?

you should try a custom rom before going back to stock!

htc2364 said:
Ok, so I did find this one, but I had no luck!
So did you click on the last one that says All 3 Files?
Or did you click them one by one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Either way you want to do it. The 3 files-in-one is a smaller download if that matters to you. But they're all the same...
Also, in the Vibrant Bible, there's a link to Odin1.3 which worked well when I had to go from JI5 (via Kies) back to JFD for the Kies Mini update to JI6. Just fyi, I'm running Win7 Pro 64-bit, not sure what your setup is like.
When you say you had no luck, did you mean you couldn't get into download mode or Odin didn't work for you? For Odin to work you have to make sure the ID:COM in the upper left is populated with a number. Otherwise Odin is essentially saying that it doesn't see your phone, most likely due to driver issues.

Thanks for the help! I finally got it to work!
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

htc2364 said:
Thanks for the help! I finally got it to work!
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would you want the OTA if you already flashed it? Now you may run the risk of soft bricking after accepting the update... Maybe it's just past me at this early hour, but can't figure out why you wanna do this.

posting to save this thread to refer back to later

The reason I wanted to try Kies OTA is because of the missing Market apps and also because I was having lag problems with the flashed version.
Actually everything went smooth after I figured out how to do it.
Unfortunately there are still missing apps, But my phone runs alot smoother.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

stuck at "vibrant" screen

what do i do btw im in 8th grade

Did you get the update from Tmobile? A msg at the top saying an update is available, and did you go ahead and download and install it?
If so, and after it tried to reboot it got stuck at the Vibrant screen... here's a fix... follow the instructions, very easy. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=803492
If you don't want to attempt that then go to TMO and tell them and you'll be sent a new Vibrant

yes and i posred this today why does it say yesterday

mrbloo said:
yes and i posred this today why does it say yesterday
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes to what? that you did the update and then it got stuck?
Also, On my screen it says today... but that's not the problem here, your phone is.

yes to i did the update and what was that update for

Start reading everything about odin and stock vibrant its really not hard at all you'll be ok if you search and read.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

^^^^ Yup, exactly.
Also, I already posted the link to the Odin thread on how to fix the Vibrant being stuck after update problem.... Just read it and do it, very easy

mrbloo said:
what do i do btw im in 8th grade
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try pulling the battery out for a few minutes and put it back in. Then wait for more than 10 minutes for it to come up. If it doesn't, post back.

I would really use odin 1.30 instead of the one in that thread.

Yeah, once someone sent me the links to exactly where the drivers, PIT and .tar files are, I found Odin (1.3) to be SUPER quick and easy, in terms of getting back to stock and un-bricking my phone.

I searched here and google but can't find a download for odin 1.3.
Can someone post a link plz? Ty in advance
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Mine is the same as him. I got the tmobile message on my vibrant and i hit update. then it said update failed. Now my phone is stuck at the logo screen. My latest nanoid backup was 10 days ago and that doesn't cut it. i have everything on my phone. is there any way to fix this without wiping the data on my phone? The only thing i did to my phone was root, segmented battery % and i used the evo blackbar metamorph.

This happened to me today. TMO sucks as a company i know i worked for them they are a bunch of morons.....anyway i digress.
Um what i did was use odin i belive the link is in the link posted. Every file u need is in there and it will take awhile to download. Once downloaded just flash it back to stock then flash it to JI6 if you want.
IMO i think anyone who gets the update should decline it and download via odin. Seriously i didn't add any custom roms cuz i wanted to be legit and get updates normally but i forgot im dealing with tmo. Flashing Bionixs now, screw being legit.

damelanalga said:
This happened to me today. TMO sucks as a company i know i worked for them they are a bunch of morons.....anyway i digress.
Um what i did was use odin i belive the link is in the link posted. Every file u need is in there and it will take awhile to download. Once downloaded just flash it back to stock then flash it to JI6 if you want.
IMO i think anyone who gets the update should decline it and download via odin. Seriously i didn't add any custom roms cuz i wanted to be legit and get updates normally but i forgot im dealing with tmo. Flashing Bionixs now, screw being legit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you lose any data when you used odin?

If you just use odin to install the update then no, you won't lose data.
If you're one of the unfortunate ones to try the ota update and got soft bricked then you will be flashing the original firmware and will lose data
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Need Desperate help

Hello guys, So I got my phone about a week ago. Bought it used cause didnt wanna shell so much to find the price of it drop down to a 1/4 of it by the end of the year. Anyways, so I have searched the internet left and right for my problems and am a few hours away from being hospitalized lol. First I had to learn so much about the andriod os itself. Then there are versions with their unique names. Then there is rooting and all the ROMS out there. I am in the IT industry, just not on the development side of it and boy oh boy, did I have my hands full. I cant even imagine to think what your avg joe would go thorugh but then the avg joe buys it to surf the web and make calls only lol. Anyways, Im gonna list the problems and will appreciate any help but the driod gurus here.
So the whole time im thinking ok when I buy the phone im going Froyo. When I get the phone it already has it. Im scratching my head thinking, the guy he said he did no updates, its only rooted, how in the world does it have froyo?!?! Then I found out that the later version actually came with froyo from the factory. Ok so then I wanted it unlocked. Well to have it unlocked, you need to have apps, right? Theres no friggin app store on the damn thing!! Im thinking ok lemme do a fresh reset of the phone and it should be back, well that didnt help. Did more research and the guys said that maybe its there, just no icon so try searching on the phone. Well theres nothing there. Then I found out a million others crying over the same issue but theres like no solution that really worked for the majority (at least i didnt come across one). So i thought, you know what, im gonna just post it here and see what responses I get. So help me out guys, how do i go about this?

I guess you can use odin to go back to STOCK JFD.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=13132341#post13132341
Guess you have to skip step 1 though.

I would use odin to go back to the old factory firmware. Then if you want you can use kies to upgrade back to 2.2, or you can root and use a custom rom. I can't begin to tell you how much better this phone is running a custom rom.

Go to settings then list the version and kernel in the 'about' tab. This should tell how much your phone is modded. Also just in case you didn't know, the app store in Android is called market because app store is trade marked by apple.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

phone_noobie said:
Hello guys, So I got my phone about a week ago. Bought it used cause didnt wanna shell so much to find the price of it drop down to a 1/4 of it by the end of the year. Anyways, so I have searched the internet left and right for my problems and am a few hours away from being hospitalized lol. First I had to learn so much about the andriod os itself. Then there are versions with their unique names. Then there is rooting and all the ROMS out there. I am in the IT industry, just not on the development side of it and boy oh boy, did I have my hands full. I cant even imagine to think what your avg joe would go thorugh but then the avg joe buys it to surf the web and make calls only lol. Anyways, Im gonna list the problems and will appreciate any help but the driod gurus here.
So the whole time im thinking ok when I buy the phone im going Froyo. When I get the phone it already has it. Im scratching my head thinking, the guy he said he did no updates, its only rooted, how in the world does it have froyo?!?! Then I found out that the later version actually came with froyo from the factory. Ok so then I wanted it unlocked. Well to have it unlocked, you need to have apps, right? Theres no friggin app store on the damn thing!! Im thinking ok lemme do a fresh reset of the phone and it should be back, well that didnt help. Did more research and the guys said that maybe its there, just no icon so try searching on the phone. Well theres nothing there. Then I found out a million others crying over the same issue but theres like no solution that really worked for the majority (at least i didnt come across one). So i thought, you know what, im gonna just post it here and see what responses I get. So help me out guys, how do i go about this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not exactly sure what you are asking. Are you trying to reinstall the market app? Are you trying to root the phone? If you just got the phone and have nothing to lose in terms of information, then Odin back to stock 2.1 and then root the phone again and everything should be there. Directions for Odin are on the Team Whiskey website in Shorty's Locker along with the files you will need to accomplish this. READ the directions carefully and you should be fine and forget about reinstalling Froyo. Froyo changed recovery from 2e to 3e which affected Clockwork Mod. If you flash back to 2.1 and reroot you will be able to install custom ROM's, Kernels and Themes without difficulty.
Steps to use:
Get Odin 1.7 or 1.8
Get the USB Samsung Drivers for your PC. NOT STOCK WINDOWS DRIVERS
Download T959UVJFD - This is your baseband
Download 512.pit file - Drive partition
Read the tutorials on Odin and run the restore. You will be back to 2.1 eclair.
Then root the phone again. I use SuperOneClickv1.7 and it works fine.

Not a problem, it just so happens that I have the Market.apk and as long as its rooted (and sounds as if it is) then you should have no problem installing. I got this apk from the forums here on XDA a couple of months ago and it should still work flawlessly, hope I was able to help and good luck!

use odin to back to eclair and re root everything should work

Also you can get everything you need to go back to stock again here and is noob, and expert friendly
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=954509
Enjoy

Op must have been hospitalized.

Xanaki said:
Not a problem, it just so happens that I have the Market.apk and as long as its rooted (and sounds as if it is) then you should have no problem installing. I got this apk from the forums here on XDA a couple of months ago and it should still work flawlessly, hope I was able to help and good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey thanks for the zip file. I wasnt exactly sur eon how do you put this on to the phone through kies and didnt really know which folder to put it in. So i went online through my phone and tried it from there but got the message of Cannot download. The content is not supported on the phone. I tried downloading winzip thinking maybe it was the reason but got the same error message

Download through your PC.
Sent from my Winning Vibrant

laylovj said:
Download through your PC.
Sent from my Winning Vibrant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I downloaded it on my pc but then how do i put it in the phone? Theres Kies and then you can do it through explorer by seeing all the folders. Which folder would it go under?

phone_noobie said:
I downloaded it on my pc but then how do i put it in the phone? Theres Kies and then you can do it through explorer by seeing all the folders. Which folder would it go under?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just drop it on your sdcard. Once there you should be able to access it through an app called my files. select the apk and it should install. Once installed reboot phone for good measure and try it.

Yeah I guess I should have explained further, you need to place the file on the phone so if I understand correctly you downloaded it str8 to the phone. As previously stated by madguitarist63 go to my files and check to see if the apk is there. The file should not be zipped, XDA does that and when its downloaded it should be in its raw form which is the apk. All you should need to do is select it and it will show you or ask you if you want to install. Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help Im more than happy to assist.

Xanaki said:
Yeah I guess I should have explained further, you need to place the file on the phone so if I understand correctly you downloaded it str8 to the phone. As previously stated by madguitarist63 go to my files and check to see if the apk is there. The file should not be zipped, XDA does that and when its downloaded it should be in its raw form which is the apk. All you should need to do is select it and it will show you or ask you if you want to install. Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help Im more than happy to assist.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, thanks so much, it worked!!! I was just wondering how it the world do i get to it from my phone directly but thank you so much!!!! Now that I have the market I need to unlock it.
Another question guys, I see this Team Whiskey logo when the phone reboots (Im assuming this is one of the rooting programs out there?).

phone_noobie said:
Wow, thanks so much, it worked!!! I was just wondering how it the world do i get to it from my phone directly but thank you so much!!!! Now that I have the market I need to unlock it.
Another question guys, I see this Team Whiskey logo when the phone reboots (Im assuming this is one of the rooting programs out there?).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That probably means you are running a Team Whiskey custom rom. Go to settings/about phone and go down the list and look for Software version and I believe you will find the name of the TW rom you are running., Perhaps it could be nero or bionix. Good luck!!!

tenbeau said:
That probably means you are running a Team Whiskey custom rom. Go to settings/about phone and go down the list and look for Software version and I believe you will find the name of the TW rom you are running., Perhaps it could be nero or bionix. Good luck!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!! ok so whats TW now? and looks like im running nero v.3 is that a good thing? lol and what is the software version? I dont see anything of that name on the list

Nero is an older ROM from TW, but I recommend trying out other ROMs man, you're gonna have a crapload of fun... xD
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=13132341#post13132341
Use that guide as a.....guide.
TW-Team Whiskey-Developers of the Nero/Bionix ROM.
ROMs-Better than stock. (lul I know bad definition.)

phone_noobie said:
Thanks!! ok so whats TW now? and looks like im running nero v.3 is that a good thing? lol and what is the software version? I dont see anything of that name on the list
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Team Whiskey is one of the best ROMs on here. I'd reccomend trying Trigger and Simply Honey as well. Follow their instructions for flashing and find the one you like best. I personally like both Trigger and Simply Honey and switch back and forth.
Got any questions about doing this or in general pm me. Im not as much of a noob as I use to be
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App

[Q] Any i9000M Experts in Calgary AB ???

Howdy!
(sorry... guess Stampede is getting to me...)
I am looking for a Bell Vibrant (Samsung Galaxy S i9000M) expert in the Calgary AB area.
I have successfully rooted, installed custom ROMs and then "bricked" two (yes, 2) i9000M phones. Both times, I "bricked" when using ODIN.
Yes, I had researched how to use ODIN before using it... trading weeks of my "life" for the said pearls of ODIN wisodm . I've obviously missed something important, have very bad karma, or I am just an idiot...
After "ODINing", both phones ended-up looping at the SGS Logo. I have tried re-flashing via ODIN many times, always with the same result. I can get both phones into "download" mode (i.e. the yellow triangle screen).
Anyways, I am hoping to find a local expert who is willing to meet me somewhere (library???), look at my phones and confirm:
1. My SD cards have crashed; OR
2. I am a uber noob idiot;
I am also hoping that if #2 is proven the case whether the charitable expert individual might suggest a way and/or help me to fix these expensive plastic paper weights.
So, any charitable local experts willing to help-out an unlucky moron?
t.

What version are you flashing via odin?

you'll most likely have to take them in for warranty repair

@ BottleB:
I tried flashing JH2 (Stock Bell Vibrant ROM???) and 512.pit.
I had original installed CM 7.1 RC1 (via CM wiki method). Everything work awesome.
I decided to try some OC'ing, and flashed the Glitch v10 kernel... with spectacular speed results! Unfortunately, post Glitch flashing, SMS would receive but not send. Researched possible causes and cures for this, could not find any, and decided to revert to stock and try again...
... and here I am.
@graison:
I bought these i9000M's "used" off Kijiji (HATE contracts!). Both worked fine until ODINing.
As such, Bell won't "warranty" these devices (tried with the first one).
I have no problems paying for repairs... if the cost is reasonable. Any ideas/suggestions on the "how's and where's" I can go about trying this?

They most probably had lagfix installed which was not disabled when reflashed to stock. You need to flash the rfs...bin file (i'll upload it later tonight for faster accessing). I found the fix here on xda under a thread on bricked phone.
The lagfix change the filesystem used by the phone. Stock firmware is only compatible with the RFS filesystem. Also, i recommend that you flash KC1 instead oh JH2. Froyo is way better than eclair.
Sent from my GT-I9000M using Tapatalk

Found the fix
Here is the link http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=984140
Sent from my GT-I9000M using Tapatalk

urself25 said:
Found the fix
Here is the link http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=984140
Sent from my GT-I9000M using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Pretty sure thats the problem. You flashed stock kernel on a EXT4'ed filesystem.

@urself25,
Ah-ha... I have a feeling that you are right, and that I did miss something CRAP!
I await your upload on bated breath... in the mean time, I will search the million posts for the fix you mentioned.

ooops... you beat me to my response.

Tell us how it went when you'll try the RFS fix.

Tried the RFS fix as per the instructions in the link.
After rebooting, both phones go into a SGS start-up screen loop.
Downloading ODIN files right now (JVE - Gingerbread???). I will try and reflash and let you know how it goes.

I'm in Airdrie, don't flash gingerbread! Sell me both phones for $100. Or search for the "trick to unbricking my sgs" thread. It worked for me. Though I am worried that because they were on Eclair firmware, they may be dead if they never got the bootloader update. I repeat, DO NOT FLASH GINGERBREAD!
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App

try a deodexed KC1 (current firmware for Bell Canada) firmware from [Ramad]
Using ODIN -- use a 512.pit file, re-partition ticked, Bootloader Update (just in case), and put PDA -> PDA, PHONE -> PHONE, etc.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=948790
IF it takes you to android recovery 2e or 3e (i cant remember), do a factory reset/cache wipe, and even format sd if you want. it SHOULD work (i just did this too and it worked mint.

Holy crap! It's near 4:30 a.m., and I FINALLY restored/recovered my two phones! Truth be told, I spent half the night screwing up my phones WAY worse than they were ... and the second half of the night cleaning up my mess
@urself25 & @BottleB - I can't say definitively whether or not your link really helped me any... but it definitely put me on the right path. Thanks a lot boys!
@xWarMachine04 - Thanks for the directions and link! I *kinda* went that route in a round-about-way... I just wished I would have check my post and found your reply 4 hours ago! Regardless, my gratitude.
@hansonator - Thanks but no thanks; for $100, I'd use my bricked phones as door stops. REGARDLESS, I do thank you for your gingerbread warning. I did have problems with gingerbread, and (successfully) shifted to froyo on your recommendation. Thanks dude!
All's well that ends well...
- t.

Most probably the firmware didn't install properly because fo the problem RFS problem. A fresh reinstall of the firmware with bootlader finally fix the problem. Glad everything worked out for you.

I'm in Calgary. But I'm hardly an expert. I think you've gotten further than I have.
So I have nothing to contribute to this thread. I'll see my way out.

Glad u got your phones up and running! Good thing is you probably learned a lot during that night!
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App

BottleB said:
Glad u got your phones up and running! Good thing is you probably learned a lot during that night!
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
~~~~~~
Learned a lot? No kidding...
Why is it that the biggest/best lessons always have to be soooo painful???
I must admit that my opinion of ODIN has sure changed; it's a pretty slick piece of software when it works right (i.e. when you have half a clue about what you are doing)!
@urself25 - It wasn't so much a firmware installation problem, as much as the SD card file format (like you suggested in the first place). I kept getting a message along the lines of "can't mount sd; storage not ready... blah blah blah... file format blah blah blah...". I did have to do a complete reinstall (PDA, Phone/Modem, CSC) WITH repartition... and on the second phone, a Bootloader update. Didn't do the repartition in the first place because 95% of the threads out there advise against it. Anyways, my solution was pretty much @xWarMachine04's approach/solution.
Unfortunately, I have developed the "randomly self-invoking" back button problem on the second phone. Fortunately, there seems to be an easy fix for that... but that's what I thought at the beginning of this journey!
Again, thanks everyone!
- t.

Now if you want to flash gingerbread it should be OK. I only advised against it because the phones were bricked. Good to hear you got it sorted out.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App

davanw said:
I'm in Calgary. But I'm hardly an expert. I think you've gotten further than I have.
So I have nothing to contribute to this thread. I'll see my way out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm in Calgary too, but i am no expert either... however i have been able to upgrade my phone from froyo (after taking my i9000m to market mall due to the internal card dying back in December), to gingerbread.
First went with Darky's 9.5... then upgraded to 10 and had NO issues with GB. I'm on GB still using the F1 Rom V9 now and love this.
For the OP: Glad to see you were able to fix both of your phones! Congrats... definitely no easy feat!