WM2003SE: "10+ version trick", switch ROM language without rollback

[gwinter]

Ok, amid all the WM5 posts, this one is for the older version.

Imagine you have the lastest ROM on your device. You wanted to reload the same ROM, or an older version, but the upgrade program won't let you. Why do you want to do that? Look at Kazuni's guide to change English to Japanese ROM. You'd have to rollback to an older version with a backup RIS file. Don't have an old RIS file lying around? Tough luck. But now you can finally change the ROM anyway you like, provided you can download the ROM from Dell's site. I call this "10+ version trick".

Take a look at the picture I've attached below. The header of the ROM is the short part before the zeros. It is a label that tells the upgrade program about the ROM, like:
- what device? (eg. x50v)
- what software? (eg. WM2003SE)
- what version? (eg. A05)
- what language?
- the checksum of the ROM

The good thing is that the checksum of the ROM does not take into account the header. So we can change the header without having checksum error. As you'd expect, what we'd like to do is change the label to something that allows the program to upgrade, ie. same language and higher version number.

I think the picture made it pretty clear what to change (btw, it's showing a Japanese A02 ROM). Let's look at the language tag. If you have an English device, you'd change the language tag to "74 10 34", "7B 0E 3D" is Japanese, "72 16 20" is Simplified Chinese. For other languages, you'd have to download the correct ROM and look at the tag.

In the picture, the A02 version tag is "3C C4 17". If you change C4 to C5, the version becomes A12. On the current A05 English ROM, the tag is "3C C4 10". Again, change the C4 to C5 and the version becomes A15.

Then lastly, other things to take care of includes changing the folder name and ROM filename to your current language.


Let me give an example in case everthing is not clear. Let's say I have an A05 English device and I want to change to A02 Japanese ROM.

1. Open the ROM file and change language tag "7B 0E 3D" to "74 10 34".
2. Change version tag "3C C4 17" to "3C C5 17".
3. Rename the ROM file AximX50v_A02JA.IMG to AximX50v_A12EN.IMG.
4. Rename the Folder ROM\Japanese to ROM\English.

Note: If you're wondering whether you'll end up with ROM A12 version in your System Information, the answer is NO. Which brings me to this point: we are not editing the actual ROM itself, only the label. In fact, the upgrade program will enforce the checksum and if the ROM is corrupted it will stop. So this method is as safe as the original upgrade program is, no less and no more.

Update (6 Feb 08):
I've downloaded every ROM provided by Dell to obtain all language tags, folder names and filenames. Hope this is helpful to those who are still using WM2003SE.

Brazilian Portuguese (POR): 61 0A 31
ROM\BrazilPortuguese\AximX50v_A02BR.IMG

Chinese-Simplified (CHS): 72 16 20
ROM\SimplifiedChinese\AximX50v_A02SC.IMG

English (WWE): 74 10 34
ROM\English\AximX50v_A05EN.IMG

French (FRE): 77 0C 32
ROM\French\AximX50v_A02FR.IMG

German (GER): 76 1B 21
ROM\German\AximX50v_A02DE.IMG

Italian (ITA): 78 0A 32
ROM\Italian\AximX50v_A02IT.IMG

Japanese (JPA): 7B 0E 3D
ROM\Japanese\AximX50v_A02JA.IMG

Spanish (SPA): 74 0D 3D
ROM\Spanish\AximX50v_A02ES.IMG

[FleshWound]

I don't forsee having any need for this, but I do want to say that this is pretty darned cool...nice find! Well-written, easy to understand and you answered any questions I would have had regarding the process. :approve:

[lynx_deb]

tested.. work very well!
thanks :D

[sonkun]

I just found this post tonight. Wow, this worked like a charm! Thanks for the info! :approve:

[jpaulo]

I guess this would work the same way to make an A02 Brazilian Portuguese into a A05 English?
Has anyone tried another langauge to English like this?

Tks

[lynx_deb]

i've done with A02IT to A05EN and to A05EN to A02IT, and it's work fabolous! :D

[afbi98]

Thanks a lot!!

It worked perfectly to upgrade an Axim x50v from Spanish A02 to English A05.

You have done me a great favor...

[rlarson_mn]

gwinter, great post. Bet it took you a bit of time test and validade the process your have documented above. Lots of users will be helped by it when requiring this process. Thanks again!

[jpaulo]

Ok, just tried out and worked perfectly from A02BR to A05EN.

Tks!

too bad Dell never releases Trad Chinese ROM
luckily, I have grandfathered Monster Chinese (used on 5 machines with 1 license)

[bsfrazier]

Ok, just tried out and worked perfectly from A02BR to A05EN.

Tks!

I downloaded the hex editor and went over and over the instructions and kept getting "does not support this language. I am trying to change from Portuguese to English as well.
Any advise,
frazieb

[gwinter]

Let me try to explain:

- You download the English ROM, but it won't update because the ROM is English, your device is Portuguese.

- So you must now change the label on the English ROM so that it appears to be a Portuguese ROM, right?

- So you need to change the language label on the ROM to say Portuguese. What is the value? This is the gotcha, you need to download a Portuguese ROM, and read the label.

I hope that helps you further. Good luck!

This is great info. Many thanks. :)

Just one question :-

After forcing a foreign X50v to take an English ROM, will future english ROM upgrades work without alteration?

Edit: I answered my own question. It works perfectly. I've just cross flashed a German X50v to English WM2003 then upgraded normally to English WM5. How cool is that? :) Many thanks!!

[jashry]

Works a treat, completely idiot proof tutorial, well done !!

[dePrins]

Very good :approve:

Thanks a Million