T-Mobile haven't actually released a new MDA Vario rom in the UK yet, but internet response to the AKU2 (Adaptation Kit Update) roms that Qtek and I-Mate have released has been excellent. On the strength of this, I upgraded my MDA Vario rom to the latest I-Mate K-Jam release a few days ago.
The upgrade process went smoothly once I'd managed to make all the pieces fall into place, but I had a few hoops to jump through beforehand. Ashleigh helped a lot by pointing out that the cable I was using was entirely inadequate! As a result, I couldn't get the rom update to talk to my phone – it would start off OK, but disconnect when it entered the bootloader – but changing the cable resolved this. So the process was basically: Get LokiWiz app from here, follow the instructions to perform a CID unlock (install cab, run batch file: nothing taxing), then run your chosen rom update – simple. You must have at least 50% battery life on the phone to upgrade, and it will destroy all your data, so make a backup. You also need to make sure you've got a USB2 cable – a older usb sync cable won't work. This is particularly important as once the update is done, you lose the ability for ActiveSync to work over the older cables.
The update didn't take very long, and once it was finished I was very conveniently prompted to select my network provider. This configured MMS settings, but not GPRS. Instructions for setting up GPRS can be found here.
The benefits of upgrading are immediately apparent. The device feels significantly faster in every respect: the phone dials and hangs up without the few second lag that was present before, screen reorientation is immediate, application switching is almost immediate, allowing ActiveSync to run on the device no longer causes it to slow to a crawl, the camera is of a higher quality and doesn't take as long to launch, all of the irritating T-Mobile customisations are gone (that hideous pink branding), and their folder reorganisation isn't present either (they insist on grouping various PIM functions into their own folders). Even the speakerphone and phone reception are better after the update. Oh, and it looks like battery life had a bit of a boost too.
There are one or two rough edges though: many people have complained about the battery icon in the taskbar. This doesn't bother me, although the lack of the clock when on the today screen did. That is, until Ashleigh pointed out that I could install TodayTime. This is a configurable today plugin that displays the date and time in whichever format your heart desires. You can then make the clock appear when you're not on the today screen, and use TodayTime to display the clock when you are. The only other gripe I have is that the "Text message could not be sent" bug isn't fixed. This means that if you're in a low signal area and attempt to send a text, but turn off the screen before realising that this error has appeared, you won't be notified of any other text messages until you clear it. It's a fairly minor problem assuming you live in an area that's well covered by your network provider, but it would be nice if Microsoft fixed it.
If you're using the MDA Vario, or any other equivalent device (any of the HTC Wizard line) I can't recommend one of the AKU2 updates enough. I can't vouch for the QTek one myself, but I'm incredibly pleased with the I-Mate rom. It's the sort of software upgrade you always hope for – significant improvements with no cost!
Must blog my Universal upgrde. Suffice to say the experience is similar to the Wizards, most of the nasty edges are now smoothed out.
Can anyone tell me how to gain access to the Qtek site, or get the ROM upgrade for the 8100? I have a TMobile SDA and I am tired of waiting on them for Bluetooth stereo support. Does this ROM update support stereo?
I started my updating here. So thanks.
Also i found out that you can get the classic Bettery meter in the bottom by adding a shortcut in the start up folder to the powerstart.exe in the windows folder.
I’ve done the rom upgrade to my Vario. Now i cant send any text messages at all. what do i do to resolve it. pls help
Which rom? The iMate? Did you select T-Mobile when asked for your network?
Yes the imate k-jam rom update.- K-JAM_WWE_216901_2169101_020710_ship.zip to be precise. Yes i’m sure i selected t-mobile. So what do u suggest i do? hard reset?
Is it easy to input the GPRS and MMS settings?
Yeah, it’s a piece of cake. MMS is simply a case of opening your inbox, pressing menu, then mms configuration. Open the server tab, tap the server in the list (if you’ve used the iMate firmware on T-Mobile, this will be called T-Mobile MMSC) then ensure that Connect Via is set to the correct connection. Personally, I’d say the correct connection is My work network (as this seems to be more compatible with ActiveSync, but I’ll post about that later). To configure GPRS, go to Start – Settings – Connections, then Connections, open the advanced tab, tap select networks, and then tap edit with My Work Network selected. Tap new, then name the connection and select Cellular Line (GPRS) from the dropdown. The acces point details can be found in the link I posted.
Hope this helps.
Can anyone tell me how and where to access the Qtek or I-mate latest update Rom for the Vario T-Mobile. In both websites they require the phone identification which isn’t compatible because mine is a T-Mobile.
Thanks.
The iMate rom can be found here.
The Club Imate website says you can’t downgrade after you install this ROM. Does this mean that it will be difficult to load the T-Mobile AKU2 ROM when they eventually pull their finger out and release it ?
I believe it can be done – this thread provides a mechanism for unlocking an AKU2 rom (although I’m unsure if this is required if you’ve already unlocked your device). I’ve also heard more than one person say they’ve tried a variety of roms on their device, which suggests it’s possible.
I have a t-mobile MDA that i just bought here in the U.S. I cannot get wifi to work at all at my house. It just says connecting, and then goes back to available. Does this rom update fix that? And what exactly will i lose as far as programs. I do text messaging alot, so that is a must. I also check my email when im out of a wifi area, so my gprs connections have to work. Anyone have pics they can send me of how it looks? Please let me know guys. Thanks!
I’m on an Orange UK contract, and just bought a t-mobile MDA Vario on ebay. I unlocked the phone and CID from Lokiwiz, and all was fine – although the GPRS seems not to be able to be configured. I called Orange to check the settings – but they couldn’t fix it.
I’m hoping a change of ROM will help this to work, and I want to do the IMate one – but will it work considering I’m on Orange not Tmobile????
As in the above post – i need GPRS to work, Wifi, and texting.
Can you also explain how to update the rom. I’ve downloaded the k-jam rom update.- K-JAM_WWE_216901_2169101_020710_ship.zip and extracted it – but next – do i open it on the PC, and then copy over to the My Docs folder on the vario? Should it be connected by activesync when i click on the unzipped file?
Thanks in advance for any help you can give!
I’m awaiting your response!
Cheers
Jonny
jonathan_byers@hotmail.com
Sonny – I believe the only software you’ll not have on the new rom is the GPRS monitor. Email, SMS, etc will all still be fine. The iMate rom should include the GPRS settings for your service provider, but failing that they shouldn’t be too hard to find online.
Jonny – The iMate ROM sounds like your best bet. It should include settings for Orange in the UK, but again, failing that they are online. Modaco.com have a forums section for GPRS settings. As far as upgrading goes, you run the exe found in the zip on your PC. Assuming that the device is connected, it will connect to the device and perform the update (you have to run the Lokiwiz app first, but it sounds like you’ve already done this).
Hope this helps.
dan. Thanks for the reply. Can you tell me if wifi issues get fixed as well? And what is the GPRS monitor? and does your mda ever freeze or need rebooting?
thanks
Sonny, GPRS Monitor is a little tool that tracks GPRS usage. I believe it’s present on the T-Mobile phones, but can’t be sure. My Vario rarely locks up and hardly ever needs rebooting these days. Prior to upgrading it needed rebooting a few times a day.
I’m not sure about wi-fi: I never had any problems prior to the update, and certainly haven’t since then. I do recall something about wi-fi problems being fixed though. Do a search on the XDA-Developers forums, that might reveal something.
Thanks so much for all that….a great help.
Once last question….do you reckon the usb cable that comes with the T mobile MDA Vario is USB 2 or not?
I’m scared to start changing the rom in case it’s not a usb2 cable.
If it’s not – any ideas where best to purchase?
Thanks again
Jonny
wow,,,, i went ahead and did it – best thing ever. It all works now – a lot faster too!
Thanks for all the helpful info!
Jonny
Thanks Dan! ill try it out then! I might ask one or two more questions soon, if you dont mind! thanks again
Hey Jonny, How does it look? does everything still work fine? what looks different?
Hey guys, sorry im a little confused on EXACTLY how to run the lokiwiz. Can some write down exact steps? Im not sure how to copy it to the wizard and run it, etc. Thanks guys!
Sonny,
It looks great – the basic phone set up with out the T Mobile crap on it!
It honestly does work faster – and it automatically fixed my gprs connection problems.
Check out this website ( you need to register to be able to download from here (it takes a few secs) but it give you the following instructions that worked for me….
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=33796
Ok, now the instructions…
1 – Unzip lokiwiz.zip to somewhere in your computer
2 – Copy EnableRapi.cab to your Wizard
3 – Execute the EnableRapi.cab in your phone. Wait for it to finish
4 – Guarantee that your phone is connected via ActiveSync with the computer
5 – Execute lokiwiz.bat (on your computer! My inbox is filled with this kind of error) and follow the instructions on your screen…
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q – Will it hard-reset my device?
A – No. It will do a soft reset at the end of the process for applying the changes
Q – I locked my device and now it shows only the SIMlock window
A – Get your phone showing the SIMlock window. Connect it via ActiveSync. Use the tool to unlock your phone.
Q – Why does a r2sd backup doesn’t mantain the unlocking info?
A – r2sd makes a backup of the rom. The unlocking info is stored in the Disk-on-chip, a different memory space altogether.
Q – How about the CID unlock tool? (for using any type of roms)
A – Integrated on Version 0.2.
Q – I’m having problems with Unlocker not connecting to the phone
A – Disable all kinds of Antivirus, Firewalls and similar applications before running Lokiwiz.
———————-
Dan’s instructions were all I needed for changing the rom to the IMAte one. And i used the cable that came with the MDA – so i guess it’s a USB 2.
Just close everything except activesync when doing the rom change. I closed firewalls, anti virus, screen saver, hibernate etc just in case)
Good luck
It is worth it!
Jonny
email any other questions to jonathan_byers@hotmail.com
as i might not check back here for a while!
ps Thanks again Dan
ran the update on my MDA Vario last night.
so far there are no glitches. it runs faster, the battery life is better and the t-mobile crap is gone. connecting to wireless networks is a bucket load faster and more reliable.
i had to set the gprs stuff up again, but that was 30 seconds worth of work and no hassle.
it syncs with my companys exchange 2003 server with no probs, and tomtom 5.21 sits on there and works like a charm.
its a very easy process to do and i have yet to encounter a downside
Excellent! It’s great to hear from a few other people who’ve applied the update and are pleased with it. It makes you wonder why T-Mobile are dragging their heels doesn’t it?
can someone really quick tell me what a wizard is? im not understanding how to copy it to my wizard. Hahaha, i know it sounds dumb
ok i am running lokwitz on my computer……..what letter do i push? there are four choices…….. U, L, C, Q
well i did the C one. Sorry for all these weird questions……anyways, ill post back and let you know what happens……i already hit an error once, where the screen went into 3 colors……i reset it, and now i think its doing something……so hopefully my phone doesnt get fried……..cuz it was expensive…..thanks
Sonny – I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you! Seriously, you should be fine. If the update actually displays a percentage and starts ticking up, it’s installing fine. If you get the 3 colours (that’s the bootloader, by the way) you’ll need to reset the device and start again. Let us know how you get on!
yea it worked fine! but since i live in the United States and Use U.S Tmobile, i was not able to choose my provider. So i need help setting up the mms and text message settings….including gprs. Please help if you can. Thanks!
Hey Dan, is there anyway for me to get my AIM back? I lost all my instant messaging apps
Sonny – there are two possibilities.
The first is to go here and download the cab file. You need to be signed in as a member to see attachments.
If that doesn’t work, find the “extended rom” for your original rom (which is presumably T-Mobile US). This will be on the XDA Developers FTP somewhere. The extended rom is essentially a load of cab files that install all the software that you originally had on your device. One of these cab files will be AIM.
Hope that helps.
I tried looking for it, but am not sure exactly what version or file to download….is there anyway you can help me find the right extended rom for my phone?
The extended rom is here.
I’m not sure which file in there is AIM though – looking at it I’m not sure any of them are. Are you sure you didn’t install it yourself? Failing that, it might be worth looking at one of the other IM clients for the phone.
For those having prolems with their Wireless Home Networks with or without the ROM update, here are the proper instructions. Loads of the ones on the Internet are not very clear or proper. Try those first if not then try this…
Wireless LAN configuration
Start Menu -> Settings -> Connections Tab -> Connections Icon
Select Advanced Tab -> Select Networks
Change the first dropdown to My Work Network
Change the second dropdown to T-Mobile GPRS
Click Edit on the My Work Network dropdown -> Proxy Settings Tab
Check the first box (This network connects to the internet), but NOT the second (This network uses a proxy server to connect to the internet)
Now do the same for the T-Mobile GRPS settins in the edit menu, only check both boxes this time. Then type in 216.155.165.50 as the proxy server.
In ZoneAlarm…
Allow 169.254.0.0 / 255.255.255.0 as Trusted Subnet
Allow 169.254.2.0 / 255.255.255.0 as Trusted Network
For ActiveSync make sure all its 4 exes have full access to Internet, act as Server and send mail are all ticked.
All should be working ok now.
my wifi at home still does not work. I cant get it to connect to my home network. But it does say avaliable. Do you think it has something to do with my router? I have a belkin pre n router with b and g networks set to work on it. Please help if you guys can. Thanks
I just upgraded my phone using the instructions here.
Tmobile MDA. I’m in the US.
Couple things. I still have all the tmobile theme and it says tmobile on boot. however it does not have the extra software and IM stuff. Obviously has Pocket MSN. No problem if I really want to I can get them.
I got the 3 colors and just let it go and it finished the install fine. Maybe it would have been faster if I reset? Anyway dont panic on the three colors. Remeber this thing is DOggg slow processor. And the person that did the ergonomics on the keyboard. well maybe they didnt have a person to do that. Function, Function…… gag. Ohh i liked my sidekick keyboard…
I also found setting up the gprs to be a total pain. I did finally find the correct settings.
However. I have noticed an increase in battery life. Not by much but noticable.
I have not noticed any faster GPRS speeds.
I have noticed the screen switch is faster.
My Exchange 2003 will FINALLY after having this POS phone for 4 month, SYNC!!! So that by itself was worth everthing. I finally am starting to like this phone.
(its worth the 19.99 for the SSL from Godaddy.
Thanks for the Links Dan.
good luck people
Hi,
I want to upgrade my MDA Vario, but I don’t know which ROM to choose?
Do you have a tip which ROM is the best? from I-mate?
I’m now downloading from Czech T-mobile firmware version 2.21.2.111 …
Should I use the one from T-mobile?
If I want to use firmware from another vendor, i need to unlock the device, right? What software is the best for unlocking?
Thanks a lot
To be honest, SCorp, I’ve now tried a custom “brewed” rom (Mr Clean), the official T-Mobile rom, and the originally released I-Mate one. Of the three, I’ve been most impressed with the I-Mate, but it’s possible that it’s simply because that was the most significant upgrade.
The T-Mobile one is a safe bet, works quite nicely, and has the added benefit of not requiring you to mess with the settings if you reset your device.
Hey,
Tried to update the rom today! Not much sucsess though. I downloaded and ran lokiwiz and did C for a CID unlock. The phone appeared to reboot! Does this mean it worked? Then thinking it had worked i ran the i-mate rom update and it then got to the screen which shows the progression and 3 colour boxes came up on the phone! Then there was an error on the Phone updater on the pc saying upgrade only! I am thinking this means that actually i have not unlocked it! Please could someone help me! I am not a complete novice but i am not 1337 with this sort of thing either. Also can someone confirm that the new i-mate rom does support Ad2P for my stereo headset previous research says that it does!
Cheers all help is much appreciated!
Hi
Hello im from india and this is a very useful site.
I was on Tmobile contract while in london. Now im here back in India. After reaching home i unlocked my MDA Vario with the help of a local mobile vendor.
After visiting this site i too would like to upgrade rather update my gadget with I-Mate K-Jam ROM.
Can some one tell me is it safe to do this in india because we dont have this equipment available for sale any where. Im using an Airtel connection and i have already downloaded I-Mate K JAM ROM from ftp site.
kindly help
thanks and regards
vinod
Well I must say I am very impressed with the wealth of knowledge here. I recently purchased my T-mobile MDA and installed a 1 GB memory card and now I’m having problems with my text messaging. It says “message cannot be sent.” Any assistance would be greatly appreciated guys. By the way I’m in the USA. Thanks in advance.
Hi have two varios (mine and my wifes), updated both using these instructions approx 6 months ago and both have worked fine until recently.
In the last couple of weeks both have started crashing regularly and both keep resetting their dates back to febuary 2006 every so often. Because both have exactly the same symptons I don’t think it’s a fault on either phone – I don’t know if it’s down to this update or not but I’m interested to see if other people are experiencing similar problems. If you are about to install this update be warned!
For the record the only other common software running on both is skype, tom tom 6 and GPRS monitor. I’m going to try resetting my phone back to factory settings and not installing any aftermarket software to see if this solves the problem.
Sonny, I couldn’t get my wifi to work until I change the settings to best performance rather than best battery – be warned though it eats through the battery if left on when not being used.
Jonny, what do you mean by :
“Copy EnableRapi.cab to your Wizard”
I am about to perform the imate rom upgrade on my
mda vario, just want to be completely sure i understand
what i am doing before i start. Also i saw something
about selecting a letter, is ‘C’ the letter i should be selecting?
Stephen,
You may have already done this, but I’ll reply anyway. You need to copy the enablerapi.cab onto the wizard, and run it. This will install it, and reboot your device iirc.
Once that’s done, you’ll be able to run the tool to unlock it. I _think_ C is the right option, but can’t be sure. You want the sooperdoopermegaunlock option.
Have fun. I’ll be posting about my latest rom soon…
Thanks for the response, upon further searching i found the answer i needed, i was confused as i had never heard the vario/kjam being called the ‘wizard’ before. Total begginer to this kind of thing im afraid.
Thanks
Hi, dan? I have a question! Okay i was playing around with my MDA! I went to setting and clicked on the phone settings! I clicked something with a password or something and now a code thing comes! Can you or someone help me out with this! Also i am not getting any signal on my phone now!
Hi there I just bought MDA vario a few days ago on ebay and there is mobile password I dont know them.
So what can I do with that???
pleas help.
i am using t-moble mda vario but i cant update its software from tmobile's website because they r not offering windows 6 update. my current mda vario software version is 5. so kindly can u help me to update my pocket pc mda vario software. thanks,
Hi,
My wife has been using a T-Mobile UK MDA Vario for a couple of years. She recently changed to Orange UK and asked me to unlock the Vario as she wanted to continue using the phone. I downloaded lokiwiz and ran it successfully. The phone can make and receive calls. It won't make or receive texts however, and I can't get access to the phone settings to change them. When I go to “Start-Settings-Phone” I get the message “The phone is not ready, wait 15 seconds”. No matter how long I wait, nothing changes. Can anyone help solve this. I'm guessing from what I've read that I need to change the ROM, but I don't understand how to do this, which ROM to choose, or where to get it.