How To Flash Your T-Mobile G1 with custom Build ROMs

A number of reasons exist why a user may want to flash their G1. The most popular reason is the desire to install custom ROMs. This article intends to provide instructions on how to gain root access and subsequently flash the G1 in order to proceed with such a task.

Rooting the G1

Remember, this will only work on a fresh phone. If it has previously been rooted, make sure it is unrooted before proceeding with these instructions.

1. On the device, head to Settings, Applications, and ensure Unknown Source is checked.
2. Then proceed to Settings, SD card and phone storage. Unmount the SD card.
3. Click Format SD. After it completes, it should automatically remount itself.
4. Connect the phone to the computer with a USB cord.
5. Pull down the notification bar. Select the SD card notification. Mount.
6. Download this APK as well as this recovery image and save to the computer.
7. Copy them both to the SD card. Make sure they are not in any folders, but rather directly on the card.
8. From the market, download a file manager program if one has not previously been installed.
9. Open the file manager and navigate to the SD card. Open the APK file and, if asked, tell it to use the Package Installer.
10. When the APK, which was the program FlashRec, finishes, open FlashRec and type: /sdcard/recovery-RA-dream-v1.2.3.img
11. Click the button and allow the program to finish.
12. Turn off the phone.
13. Boot the phone while holding home and power. Keep it held until the recovery screen comes up.

With that, it is time to load a custom ROM into the G1.

Loading a Custom ROM into the G1

The rest of this process is as easy as the beginning has been.

First, a custom radio must be loaded.

1. Visit this website and download the G1's radio.
2. Plug in the phone to the computer using a USB cord and mount the SD card.
3. When the SD card is recognized by the computer, take the ROM zip file and put it on the card itself, not in any folders.
4. Rename the file to update.zip and unplug the phone. In some instances, the computer may automatically include the .zip extension, depending on the folder settings. If common extensions are hidden, type out update.zip. If common extensions are shown, simply type in update. Otherwise, the file will end up named update.zip.zip and this will naturally cause problems.
5. Turn off the phone and reboot into recovery mode using the method from before.
6. When the recovery screen comes up, select Wipe Data.
7. After this completes, select update.zip and apply it.
8. When this completes, select Reboot Device.

Then, the custom SPL must be loaded. Follow the same steps as the radio, using this file. After this is done, it will need to be rebooted while trying to boot itself up. When the logo pops up, turn it off and reboot.

Finally, to load the custom ROM, simply visit this website to find any desired custom ROM or grab any that is desired. Again, follow the same steps as loading the custom radio and custom SPL, with transferring the ROM named update.zip and loading it via the boot screen.

With that, the custom ROM has been loaded into the G1. To load more ROMs without wiping the phone, skip the steps for loading the custom radio and SPL.