Does flashing software have to match existing S/W?

[MacLite]

Can someone confirm the following:

I read somewhere that any software that I flash to my phone has to match the existing software S/W Version or I will brick the phone.

Is this true?

I have a V235 that I am playing around with. S/W R3512 (BL 08.E0). If I flash a MP does it also have to have the prefix S/W R351?

Another Question:
I saved the existing PDS, Boot and CG files with Flash&Backup 3.0.7 Trial Version. Even though the PDS and Boot options weren't there originally I removed the semi-colon from the v235 Profile at C:\Program File\Motorloa Tools\Flash&Backup 3\Profiles using Notebook and the option for PDS and Boot was there when I re-started the program.

However, I also read this won't really save those files. Is this true?

[trimesh]

The short answer is "it depends" - some firmware is designed to work with a specific version of the bootloader and PDS, and others don't care. What you can say is that it's always safe to flash the same version. My advice would be to make sure you have good backups and then just try it - most of the time if it doesn't work it just doesn't work and you can just force BL mode and reflash with the old firmware - in a few cases, you have to restore the PDS, too.

For your second question, it seems to backup the boot correctly, but not the PDS - try again and save as .smg files and then open pds.smg in a hex editor - you will probably find it contains nothing but FFs.

[MacLite]

You're right. I saved it as you described and that's exactly what I got...a bunch of FFs.

How does one save the PDS? Do I use an earlier version?

I really want to save all the information on this phone before I brick it.

[trimesh]

You're right. I saved it as you described and that's exactly what I got...a bunch of FFs.

How does one save the PDS? Do I use an earlier version?

I really want to save all the information on this phone before I brick it.

The cracked version of MSTOOL8r works - at least for backing up and restoring the PDS. The "unlock" and "Repar PDS" functions seem to be borked, though.

[MacLite]

The cracked version of MSTOOL8r works - at least for backing up and restoring the PDS. The "unlock" and "Repar PDS" functions seem to be borked, though.

First, thank you so much for your help. I will thank you as many times as allowed for sure.

In light of what you have said, I'm going to try this, let me know what you think:

1) Find MSTOOL8r to save the PDS.
2) Save the CG file and the BL with F&B 3.0.8 (already done)
3) The following instructions I got from a fellow ModMyMoto user:

Unlock v235 you have simlock
I have a few suggestions
Please make backup PDS and BL + fullbackup (cg1,...)
Run P2K Easy Tool 3.9 and flashing v235 file "simlock TP v235 by Taxido"
Upload file will last about two minutes.
Extracted and insert the batterie, the phone is detected as "S Blank Neptune LTE2" (that is, we test point).
In P2K Lock tab check "Unlock SP" and click "Do Select Jobs'.
And restore backup(cg1,..) or flashng repair fullflash

(He's great but as he's from Poland, his English is a bit broken)

Two points got me confused:
1) The "that is, we test point" - Do I have to take the phone apart to apply the test point at some point?
2) "And restore backup(cg1,..) or flashng repair fullflash"

There is no option on P2K v3.9 to "Restore" the CG files. There is a "Repair" tab with 3 options: "Full Repair PDS Zone with DSP Checksum" or "Write Bootloader (Double Click to open file)" or "Write PDS (Double Click to open file)"

I am flashing a sim unlock program, why do I have to restore the backup-ed CG files? Or even flash a full repair? Is it a necessity?

If I save (and restore) the PDS file with MSTOOLr8 can I also save (and restore) the Boot and CG files even if I flashed the phone using the P2K program?

Wow, I'm sorry for all the questions, but I am new to this. If I get the phone flashed properly I will post it with all the details - might be useful to someone else.

[trimesh]

First, thank you so much for your help. I will thank you as many times as allowed for sure.

In light of what you have said, I'm going to try this, let me know what you think:

1) Find MSTOOL8r to save the PDS.
2) Save the CG file and the BL with F&B 3.0.8 (already done)
3) The following instructions I got from a fellow ModMyMoto user:

Unlock v235 you have simlock
I have a few suggestions
Please make backup PDS and BL + fullbackup (cg1,...)
Run P2K Easy Tool 3.9 and flashing v235 file "simlock TP v235 by Taxido"
Upload file will last about two minutes.
Extracted and insert the batterie, the phone is detected as "S Blank Neptune LTE2" (that is, we test point).
In P2K Lock tab check "Unlock SP" and click "Do Select Jobs'.
And restore backup(cg1,..) or flashng repair fullflash

(He's great but as he's from Poland, his English is a bit broken)

Two points got me confused:
1) The "that is, we test point" - Do I have to take the phone apart to apply the test point at some point?
2) "And restore backup(cg1,..) or flashng repair fullflash"

There is no option on P2K v3.9 to "Restore" the CG files. There is a "Repair" tab with 3 options: "Full Repair PDS Zone with DSP Checksum" or "Write Bootloader (Double Click to open file)" or "Write PDS (Double Click to open file)"

I am flashing a sim unlock program, why do I have to restore the backup-ed CG files? Or even flash a full repair? Is it a necessity?

If I save (and restore) the PDS file with MSTOOLr8 can I also save (and restore) the Boot and CG files even if I flashed the phone using the P2K program?

Wow, I'm sorry for all the questions, but I am new to this. If I get the phone flashed properly I will post it with all the details - might be useful to someone else.

Sorry, I didn't see this until just now.

OK I think when he says "we test point" what he's saying is that the phone is in the same state as it would be if you had used the physical testpoint - you should not have to take the phone apart (well, unless you lose power while flashing the bootloader or something similar).

MSTOOL has it's own formats for backing things up (*.BKP, I think) - and they are not compatible with anything else - although I haven't tried this, I would assume that you could reflash the backed up bootloader in F&B from blank mode.

By "restore" he just means flash them back again - the backed up files in F&B are just like regular flash files and can be flashed into the phone using any flasher. Again, I'm not sure, but a lot of unlockers put patches into CG1 to do the unlocking, and the reflash is needed to restore the main phone firmware.

[Danation]

As far as I know, the unlocking doesn't do anything to CG1, just to the PDS. If you use somebody else's unlocked PDS (with the appropriate patches to allow this) with an unlocked CG2, then your phone is unlocked.