TUTORIAL: The long awaited solution on how to use the SD Image Loader for flashing

[ochman]

OK, this is finally the solution to how the mysterious SD Image Loader is used.

This tutorial has been tested with the X50v, but I suppose it will work with any X50 or X51.

You can find another tutorial of me on how to make your own flash images at http://www.aximsite.com/boards/showthread.php?t=112267

DISCLAIMER: I do not take any responsibility for any damage caused to your devices.
This tutorial is only intended for advanced users.

In this tutorial I am going to mention how to use the Loader to reflash your device, a tutorial on how to build your own flash images from a ROM-Image will be posted later.

First I'd like to mention some Basics. The most important thing is to understand, how the Axim's ROM content is built up.
It consists of the bootloader, which is similar to the BIOS in a desktop computer, of the Operating System and of the Built-In Storage in exactly that order.
Currently there are 2 different bootloaders, one for Windows Mobile 2003 and one for Windows Mobile 5. A Windows Mobile 2003 bootloader cannot boot Windows Mobile 5 and vice versa. The bootloader is language independent. As for the OSes there are quite a lot of different images, differing in OS Version, language and revision.

So what do you have to do to flash your Axim with the OS version you like?

First of all you will have to ensure that you have the correct bootloader on your device. After that you can install the OS you like.

If you do not want to change the type of OS (Windows Mobile 2003 or Windows Mobile 5) you do not have to change anything regarding the bootloader.

For this you will need a bootloader image and the corresponding CRC File, which contains a checksum, to make sure the file has been copied to your device correctly.

The filename of the images have to be of the following format: [Prefix] _ [Imagetype] _ [Revision] _ [Description].nb0


I'd like to explain the different elements of the filename the Image Loader expects:

Prefix: Depends on which Bootloader is CURRENTLY installed on your device. For the WM2003 bootloader it has to be DiMa, for the WM5 bootloader it has to be WM50.

Imagetype: Tells the Image Loader which area of the Rom you would like to refresh, for the bootloader it has to be B, for the OS it has to be K.

Revision: The Revision of the image, has to be either A00 (Official Release), or X00 (Developer Release) whereas 00 stands for any numeric digits. The revision can be anything, it is not important for the flashing process.

Description: Anything you like, e.g. X50v_WM2K5_ENG

Some examples for valid filenames:

DiMa_B_A01_X50v_WM5_ENG.nb0 --> Bootloader image, to be installed on a device currently running the Windows Mobile 2003 bootloader, if the device is currently running the Windows Mobile 5 bootloader the filename had to be WM50_B_A01_X50v_WM5_ENG.nb0

WM50_K_A01_X50v_WM5_ENG.nb0 --> Windows Mobile 2005 OS image, Revision A01

As for the corresponding CRC file the filenames would be DiMa_B_A01_X50v_WM5_ENG_nb0.crc and WM50_K_A01_X50v_WM5_ENG_nb0.crc


It is important that you always install the correct bootloader before installing the OS Image.


Now lets assume you'd like to update your device from Windows Mobile 2003 to Windows Mobile 5:

1. Copy the Windows Mobile 5 OS Image and the corresponding CRC File to a FAT32 formatted SD-Card (Valid Filename for example WM50_K_A01_X50v_WM5_ENG.nb0)
2. Copy the Windows Mobile 5 Bootloader and the corresponding CRC File to a FAT32 formatted SD-Card (Valid Filename for example DiMa_B_A01_X50v_WM5_ENG.nb0)
3. Insert the SD-Card into your Axim and start the SD Image Loader by Pressing Wireless + Power + Reset
4. The Image Loader will search for flash images on your SD-Card, as there is still the Windows Mobile 2003 Bootloader on your device it will only look for files beginning with "DiMa" and therefore will only display the bootloader image.
5. Press the action key twice, this starts the update process. DANGER: If this process fails your device will be a 300$ paperweight...
6. After the process is finished (takes only a few seconds) you will be asked to hard reset your system. Ignore this message and press Wireless + Power + Reset again.
7. The Image Loader will search for flash images on your SD-Card, as there is now the Windows Mobile 5 Bootloader on your device it will only look for files beginning with "WM50" and therefore will only display the OS image.
8. Press the action key twice, this starts the update process.
9. After the process is finished you will be asked to hard reset your device. Follow this instruction and wait for the OS to load. That's all.


I have uploaded the following images for you to try this tutorial:


X50v Windows Mobile 2003 Revision A05 Englisch
http://www.rapidsharing.com/b75c6f60...a37ad85f5b3703

X50v Windows Mobile 5 Revision A01 Englisch
http://www.rapidsharing.com/3f9b6619...621aedfe742c0e

X50 Windows Mobile 2003 Revision A05 Englisch
http://www.rapidsharing.com/27641c54...aa750911e67214

Remember, if you want to change from WM2003 to WM5 and vice versa you will have to change the prefixes of the bootloader files after extracting... ;-)

BTW...I still need an X51v A06 Rom-Image for testing purposes...

Hi, is it possible to share with me X50v Windows Mobile 5 Revision A01 Englisch. I would like to upgrade my X50v 2003se to WM5.

[eykmak]

AximX50v_WM2k3_A05_EN.rar
http://www.sendmefile.com/00494573

AximX50_WM2k3_A05_EN.rar
http://www.sendmefile.com/00494572

Code:

To downgrade from WM5 to WM2003, 1. Format SD card to FAT32 or it won't work 2. Unrar 4 files to root of SD Card 3. Rename two files on SD Card that start with DiMa_B_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.XXX to WM50_B_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.XXX this is so you can load WM2003 Bootloader. 4. Insert SD Card 5. Press and Hold Power and Wireless buttons 6. And Press the Reset button 2 times Once in SD Image loader you will only be able to select the WM50_B_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.XXX First file is very quick. When it say to do a Hard Reset, follow Step 5 and 6 to Flash the second DiMa_K_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.XXX Second file takes about 15 mins. When its done, do a Hard Reset. On first start, you Axim will be slow. Read somewhere its formating your memory thats why is slow during screen alignment. I recommend leave it running for 5 to 10 mins after, first boot then start Setting it up.

Oh at first I did not like WM5 A02 on X50v because of filesys.exe using up all the cpu cycles, downgraded to WM2003. I did not find WM2003 any faster plus it has screen corruption when you viewing long pages using Opera Mobile. Now I am back to WM5, NO SCREEN corruption and after letting the compaction run for 10 or so mins after installing everything, I don't see anymore lag caused by filesys.exe. So far I am pretty happy with WM50.

Thanks a million, I did the infamous A02 update with the axim X50 after upgrading to WM5. I have now reverted back to WM2003 using the update with directs as above. Thanks a million I was going to send this to a company but thanks for all your advice. I will think again before upgrading!!

Regards

Eric

[pdrtor]

i have a x50 A02 dell axim. it came with wm2003 i upgraded to wm2005 but is stuck at 80%. i have the files for the wm2003:
DiMa_B_A05_X50_WM2k3_ENG.nb0
DiMa_B_A05_X50_WM2k3_ENG_nb0.crc
DiMa_B_A05_X50_WM2k3_ENG_nb0.crc
DiMa_K_A05_X50_WM2k3_ENG_nb0.crc
do i need to rename these or something
please help

I was studdying all this threads about flashing from SD, how ever, it appears like I can't find the tool to create nb0 files out of an img file. Most links in the threads are dead or not working. Can anybody help?

[NamelessPlayer]

i have a x50 A02 dell axim. it came with wm2003 i upgraded to wm2005 but is stuck at 80%. i have the files for the wm2003:
DiMa_B_A05_X50_WM2k3_ENG.nb0
DiMa_B_A05_X50_WM2k3_ENG_nb0.crc
DiMa_B_A05_X50_WM2k3_ENG_nb0.crc
DiMa_K_A05_X50_WM2k3_ENG_nb0.crc
do i need to rename these or something
please help

Since you attempted the WM5 upgrade, you now have the WM5 bootloader. This means that the SD Image Loader will only display files that start with "WM50", not "DiMa". Try renaming:

DiMa_B_A05_X50_WM2k3_ENG.nb0
DiMa_B_A05_X50_WM2k3_ENG_nb0.crc

to:

WM50_B_A05_X50_WM2k3_ENG.nb0
WM50_B_A05_X50_WM2k3_ENG_nb0.crc

Be warned-if a bootloader reflash fails, your device will be utterly bricked, meaning that you won't be able to even access the SD Image Loader. I don't know the likelihood of this, since I never changed the bootloader on my device.

If you want to get a taste of WM5, you can try reflashing a "WM50_K_A02" file using the SD Image Loader. That's the reason why my X50v works(WM5-upgrade-bricked devices are significantly cheaper on eBay, and I invested in one...best move I could have ever made thanks to this thread!)

[hopper64]

I can pretty easily find the nbo and crc files for upgrading to WM5 A02 but I need to downgrade to WM2003. Can anyone direct me to those? Thanks.

[ebp57]

Anxiously waiting to try this but cannot find the SD image Loader on rapidform website. Doe anyone know where I can get this. Axim X50v WM5 same old locked boot problem

[GaretJax]

Best stickey ever! Thanks so much. Managed to get my Axim unbricked again with the SD Boot Loader. Aximsite is the best ever!

[rflorkin]

I was studdying all this threads about flashing from SD, how ever, it appears like I can't find the tool to create nb0 files out of an img file. Most links in the threads are dead or not working. Can anybody help?

Hello,
Did you received an answer ?

Thanks

[datachen]

OK, this is finally the solution to how the mysterious SD Image Loader is used.

This tutorial has been tested with the X50v, but I suppose it will work with any X50 or X51.

You can find another tutorial of me on how to make your own flash images at http://www.aximsite.com/boards/showthread.php?t=112267

DISCLAIMER: I do not take any responsibility for any damage caused to your devices.
This tutorial is only intended for advanced users.

In this tutorial I am going to mention how to use the Loader to reflash your device, a tutorial on how to build your own flash images from a ROM-Image will be posted later.

First I'd like to mention some Basics. The most important thing is to understand, how the Axim's ROM content is built up.
It consists of the bootloader, which is similar to the BIOS in a desktop computer, of the Operating System and of the Built-In Storage in exactly that order.
Currently there are 2 different bootloaders, one for Windows Mobile 2003 and one for Windows Mobile 5. A Windows Mobile 2003 bootloader cannot boot Windows Mobile 5 and vice versa. The bootloader is language independent. As for the OSes there are quite a lot of different images, differing in OS Version, language and revision.

So what do you have to do to flash your Axim with the OS version you like?

First of all you will have to ensure that you have the correct bootloader on your device. After that you can install the OS you like.

If you do not want to change the type of OS (Windows Mobile 2003 or Windows Mobile 5) you do not have to change anything regarding the bootloader.

For this you will need a bootloader image and the corresponding CRC File, which contains a checksum, to make sure the file has been copied to your device correctly.

The filename of the images have to be of the following format: [Prefix] _ [Imagetype] _ [Revision] _ [Description].nb0


I'd like to explain the different elements of the filename the Image Loader expects:

Prefix: Depends on which Bootloader is CURRENTLY installed on your device. For the WM2003 bootloader it has to be DiMa, for the WM5 bootloader it has to be WM50.

Imagetype: Tells the Image Loader which area of the Rom you would like to refresh, for the bootloader it has to be B, for the OS it has to be K.

Revision: The Revision of the image, has to be either A00 (Official Release), or X00 (Developer Release) whereas 00 stands for any numeric digits. The revision can be anything, it is not important for the flashing process.

Description: Anything you like, e.g. X50v_WM2K5_ENG

Some examples for valid filenames:

DiMa_B_A01_X50v_WM5_ENG.nb0 --> Bootloader image, to be installed on a device currently running the Windows Mobile 2003 bootloader, if the device is currently running the Windows Mobile 5 bootloader the filename had to be WM50_B_A01_X50v_WM5_ENG.nb0

WM50_K_A01_X50v_WM5_ENG.nb0 --> Windows Mobile 2005 OS image, Revision A01

As for the corresponding CRC file the filenames would be DiMa_B_A01_X50v_WM5_ENG_nb0.crc and WM50_K_A01_X50v_WM5_ENG_nb0.crc


It is important that you always install the correct bootloader before installing the OS Image.


Now lets assume you'd like to update your device from Windows Mobile 2003 to Windows Mobile 5:

1. Copy the Windows Mobile 5 OS Image and the corresponding CRC File to a FAT32 formatted SD-Card (Valid Filename for example WM50_K_A01_X50v_WM5_ENG.nb0)
2. Copy the Windows Mobile 5 Bootloader and the corresponding CRC File to a FAT32 formatted SD-Card (Valid Filename for example DiMa_B_A01_X50v_WM5_ENG.nb0)
3. Insert the SD-Card into your Axim and start the SD Image Loader by Pressing Wireless + Power + Reset
4. The Image Loader will search for flash images on your SD-Card, as there is still the Windows Mobile 2003 Bootloader on your device it will only look for files beginning with "DiMa" and therefore will only display the bootloader image.
5. Press the action key twice, this starts the update process. DANGER: If this process fails your device will be a 300$ paperweight...
6. After the process is finished (takes only a few seconds) you will be asked to hard reset your system. Ignore this message and press Wireless + Power + Reset again.
7. The Image Loader will search for flash images on your SD-Card, as there is now the Windows Mobile 5 Bootloader on your device it will only look for files beginning with "WM50" and therefore will only display the OS image.
8. Press the action key twice, this starts the update process.
9. After the process is finished you will be asked to hard reset your device. Follow this instruction and wait for the OS to load. That's all.


I have uploaded the following images for you to try this tutorial:


X50v Windows Mobile 2003 Revision A05 Englisch
http://www.rapidsharing.com/b75c6f60...a37ad85f5b3703

X50v Windows Mobile 5 Revision A01 Englisch
http://www.rapidsharing.com/3f9b6619...621aedfe742c0e

X50 Windows Mobile 2003 Revision A05 Englisch
http://www.rapidsharing.com/27641c54...aa750911e67214

Remember, if you want to change from WM2003 to WM5 and vice versa you will have to change the prefixes of the bootloader files after extracting... ;-)

BTW...I still need an X51v A06 Rom-Image for testing purposes...

Thank for your simple and clear explanation.
It's really work and my X51 has been alive from the failure of updated rom previously! Thank you indeed!!!!

[Tecknotom]

I've been reading on here for a week and still have a problem with the sd loader. I upgraded my x50v to WM5 using activesync and the files on dell's website and it was working great for a month or 2. Then the battery went dead and i started getting the blue boot screen stopping at 80%. Now I can't even get it to turn on. After several tries and a full charge I can get to the diagnostic screen while its in the cradle but the mail and calender buttons are non responsive. I've gotten to the SD loader screen but it only says "SD Image Update A01" with a blank white screen under that. I got the files from a link to an FTP site earlier in this thread which have worked for other people. I have them named beginnign with WM50_. I've used two different SD cards formatted to FAT32. What am I missing? I dont care which OS it runs as long as the thing works again. Thanks in advance!

[dragof]

Could anyone please upload anywhere AximX50v_WM2k3_A05_EN.rar ? The link above is dead.
My Axim is sitting on the bloody 80% boot after upgarding to WM5. Thanks in advance.

[seb92]

Hi!

I tried to flash a new rom, but there's allways an error message "No suitable image files found"
The name of the image is DiAd_K_AximX51v_WM5_A12EN.nb0

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Sebastian