Help Flashing new ROM to Captivate

[SMOGZINN]

I'm trying to install CM10.0 to my Samsung Captivate. It has been rooted for years, but I have never flashed a ROM before.

I decided that the easiest way would be to use ROM Manager.
I downloaded it from Google Play and clicked on Flash ClockworkMod Recovery.
After choosing Captivate from the next screen and confirming that I want to flash CWM it works for about 20 second then says "Successfully flashed ClockworkMod recovery!"
I have previously downloaded the latest stable release of CM10.0 onto my SD card, so I choose "Install ROM from SD card." After choosing the zip file it reboots into recovery mode, and comes up with "Android system recovery <3e>" and tells me
"E:failed to verify whole-file signature"
"E:Signature Verification failed"
"Installation aborted"

It looks like CWM didn't get flashed right?

So, I read up on how to flash manually and went out and grabbed Heimdall as well as ClockworkMod. When through the steps to get the drivers installed on my Windows 7 machine with out any problems, got the phone in download mode, but then when I use the command line to use Heimdall to install the ClockworkMod it tells me it is missing MSVcr100.dll. Okay, just install Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable right? No. My system tells me a newer version is already installed, and nothing I do can get it to install the version that Heimdall's website says is needed.

Now I can't seem to get ClockworkMod on my phone at all.

Halp?

Cliffs:
ROM Manager says it installed ClockworkMod, but didn't.
Heimdall wants MSVcr100.dll
Windows says that a newer version is already installed.
Can't Flash a new ROM because I can't get CWM.

 

[bonkers325]

i think you need to unlock it before you flash, but i havent played with a galaxy s for a while. you can also try using Odin, i have used that with much success for a few galaxy s phones.

 

[SMOGZINN]

i think you need to unlock it before you flash, but i havent played with a galaxy s for a while. you can also try using Odin, i have used that with much success for a few galaxy s phones.

I've never seen anything about unlocking it, how do I go about doing that? Point me at a link where I can read about it and I'll run from there.

I'll also look up Odin. I've seen that in some of the XDA threads but never looked into it because too many things said that is was unreliable.

 

[ImDonly1]

Install this for the dll problem
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...5E-6DE6-4D3A-A423-37BF0912DB84&displaylang=en

Or use Odin guide. You don't have to unlock to do this.

 

[RampantAndroid]

Install this for the dll problem
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...5E-6DE6-4D3A-A423-37BF0912DB84&displaylang=en

Or use Odin guide. You don't have to unlock to do this.

Yeah, use ODIN - I remember doing this with my captivate 2 years ago. ODIN is the guaranteed way to flash an android phone, period.

Also, if it exists on the captivate, I think TWRP is superior to CWM?

 

[Platypus]

Heimdall 1.4RC1 prebuilt up on the CM wiki has an issue with a debug dll missing which is being fixed as we speak, until then use 1.3.2 instead:

http://github.com/downloads/Benjamin-Dobell/Heimdall/heimdall-suite-1.3.2-win32.zip

Your device uses an initramfs style recovery, so recovery binary is part of the actual compiled zImage, not a dedicated recovery partition. You need to load the kernel via heimdall, then immediately boot into recovery to load your ROM. Don't use RM.

I'd advise against ODIN to be honest because its leaked, closed source software and heimdall is cross platform and open source, but it certainly will work.

If you have any questions let me know, I maintain the CM wiki.

 

[SMOGZINN]

Heimdall 1.4RC1 prebuilt up on the CM wiki has an issue with a debug dll missing which is being fixed as we speak, until then use 1.3.2 instead:

http://github.com/downloads/Benjamin-Dobell/Heimdall/heimdall-suite-1.3.2-win32.zip

Your device uses an initramfs style recovery, so recovery binary is part of the actual compiled zImage, not a dedicated recovery partition. You need to load the kernel via heimdall, then immediately boot into recovery to load your ROM. Don't use RM.

I'd advise against ODIN to be honest because its leaked, closed source software and heimdall is cross platform and open source, but it certainly will work.

If you have any questions let me know, I maintain the CM wiki.

Thank you! I'll try using 1.3.2 of Heimdall when I get home.

Reading on the XDA forums it looks like I have to flash a new kernel before I can get CWM on my phone because the <3e> kernel that is in froyo 2.2 is locked to only digitally signed ROMs.

 

[Platypus]

Thank you! I'll try using 1.3.2 of Heimdall when I get home.

Reading on the XDA forums it looks like I have to flash a new kernel before I can get CWM on my phone because the <3e> kernel that is in froyo 2.2 is locked to only digitally signed ROMs.

The stock recovery typically only flashes packages signed by the release key its looking for, so that's correct. The reason you need to flash a new kernel is because the actual CWMR binary lives in the zImage itself, so a new kernel is needed to access CWMR.

You mentioned froyo, but this guide (http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/index.php?title=Captivatemtd_Info) assumes you're already running Gingerbread on the device. (please read the 'note' at the top) As long as you boot directly into recovery after flashing it to put CM on it you should be ok, but that kernel will not boot a froyo rom as it's built from the gingerbread kernel sources so make sure you don't hose yourself.

 

[SMOGZINN]

The stock recovery typically only flashes packages signed by the release key its looking for, so that's correct. The reason you need to flash a new kernel is because the actual CWMR binary lives in the zImage itself, so a new kernel is needed to access CWMR.

You mentioned froyo, but this guide (http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/index.php?title=Captivatemtd_Info) assumes you're already running Gingerbread on the device. (please read the 'note' at the top) As long as you boot directly into recovery after flashing it to put CM on it you should be ok, but that kernel will not boot a froyo rom as it's built from the gingerbread kernel sources so make sure you don't hose yourself.

My phone is definitely running FROYO.UCKB1
So, how do I get to a gingerbread rom? Or is there a froyo version of the kernel?

 

[Platypus]

Hmm alright, in that case you really should put the gingerbread bootloader on the device before going further. I would recommend you find a stock UCKK4 firmware so it updates everything at once to GB, from there you can bounce to CM10 using that guide I sent you. I found this thread for you (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1300843) which contains the firmwares, you want the one WITH the bootloaders included since you're coming from a pretty ancient firmware. Perhaps read around a bit more on XDA to be sure thats exactly what you need for your device but that looks right at a cursory glance. I'll give you my standard warning about updating bootloaders, be very careful, read everything and make sure its ok, etc. Good luck!

Also, the thread recommends heimdall 1.3.1 so use that one, or if you prefer, the ODIN version they mention in that thread. It's likely because 1.3.2 wasn't out when that was written but some people have reported strange issues (in general, not with that device in particular) trying to flash with 1.3.2 so best to use what they confirmed 100% in there.