[TUTORIAL] Flash Menus on Sony Ericsson

[Blob]

Hello,

Has anyone noticed that Splatta theme on the new Sony Ericsson W595? This tutorial will teach you how to put that theme (and many more) onto any other Sony Ericsson so you aren't stuck with normal menus.

Allowing your phone to have flash-desktops (menu)

If you get a branded phone, like on Orange (like mine), they will normally disable flash-menus in a folder called Customize.xml. This is located deep in the system, which can be reached using A2 Uploader (http://www.4shared.com/file/73391542/d5468088/A2_Uploader.html). This may look scary but its not.

A2 Uploader - Accessing Files

Start it up, and then click the "Filesystem tool".

http://i42.tinypic.com/9qgtx4.png

A2 Uploader will then tell you to press "C" and then insert the usb cable. Your phone must be turned off. Once turned off, press either C then insert the usb cable into your phone, or 2+5 and then enter the USB cable into your phone. A2 Uploader should then recognise your phone (you will notice in the left hand pane things will start showing up). It may take a while to load up.

Reaching Customize.xml

Customize.xml is located in tpa/preset/custom. DONT EDIT THIS FILE. Editing this file will basically be useless as the phone won't know to update it. What you should do is right click and then click "Read". Then go to the directory you unzipped A2 Uploader into. There should be a folder called "ph_out" and it will be located in there. Have a read through it and edit anything you don't agree with (like un-deletable apps or games, just change deletable from false to true). Now the important bit. Search for "flash", then look for <flash-desktop>. Then look at the settings (normally 3rd line down from the <flash-desktop>. Set enable to true. If its already at true your ok for now, otherwise save the document, rename to customize_upgrade.xml (this tells your phone to upgrade customize.xml) and then go back onto A2 Uploader and drag and drop the customize_upgrade.xml into the folder with customize.xml in, press "Close down" at the bottom then re-insert your battery and turn on your phone. After you get a "please wait" screen and thats done, just turn off your phone.

Uploading SWF flash menus.

Now, to upload the flash menus. Flash menu files are located at tpa/preset/system/desktop/flash. If you search around for SWF's you will find them, or you can download them from www.se-nse.net. I won't link to any because some phones like DB3150 (new 3 softkey style) ones won't work on older phones. After uploading the flash menus, press "Close" then turn on your phone, and upload the themes that came with your SWF's to the themes folder as you would normally do if you are upload music or pictures on your phone.

You should be able to then have flash menus.

If you can't, or the tutorial is missing a bit, please contact me as I can assist you as much as I can. Also I have a pack of 41 flash menu themes for DB3150 phones.

THIS WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY AND I CAN NOT BE HELD LEGIBLE FOR ANY MISTAKES YOU MAKE. I ONLY WROTE THIS TUTORIAL, I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MIS-HAPS.

Sorry for the lack of screen shots.

If this tutorial is bad, you can find much better ones at www.se-nse.net

Thanks

Ryan

(This probably isnt very useful, but it is great to show off some flash menus to your friends).

[Recursion]

Give us the source next time ;)

[awelsh]

Wouldn't work for me :(

Go to the bit where you read the customize.xml file and it never appeared in the a2uploader folder. Did you have this problem atall?

[Blob]

Give us the source next time ;)

What source? I wrote this my self from loads of tutorials that never worked on my phone, and found out the customize_upgrade.xml myself before reading it on a forum post like 10 minutes later (gutted), but yea, go to www.se-nse.net if you want some more tutorials/resources


Wouldn't work for me :(

Go to the bit where you read the customize.xml file and it never appeared in the a2uploader folder. Did you have this problem atall?

Look in your ph_out/ folder.

[awelsh]

What source? I wrote this my self from loads of tutorials that never worked on my phone, and found out the customize_upgrade.xml myself before reading it on a forum post like 10 minutes later (gutted), but yea, go to www.se-nse.net if you want some more tutorials/resources



Look in your ph_out/ folder.

The folder isnt there, anyway now the phone just refuses to be found by the program. I turn phone off, take out battery, put battery back in. Hold "c" then plug in the data cable and the phone just goes into mass storage mode now. No clue why its doing it.

[Blob]

The folder isnt there, anyway now the phone just refuses to be found by the program. I turn phone off, take out battery, put battery back in. Hold "c" then plug in the data cable and the phone just goes into mass storage mode now. No clue why its doing it.

Have you installed USB drivers for your phone? (Search google for Gordons Gate USB Drivers)

[awelsh]

Have you installed USB drivers for your phone? (Search google for Gordons Gate USB Drivers)

Yeah their installed, works now. But still isnt letting me read the Customize.xml file :S

Heres the print screen just to make sure im on the right thing:

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/6708/a2uploaderr.png

[timROGERS]

It may wellbe that your phone isn't compatible with the application unfortunately :(

[Blob]

What phone have you got? You sure? Try right click and put readwrite access then read it? Or make a txt file with


readdir:/tpa/
readdir:/sys/
readdir:/boot/
readdir:/ifs/
readdir:/system/
readdir:/usb/
readdir:/QUEUE/

in it, then load up a2 uploader then were you see the "MISC files" browse the the txt file there, then click "Write script" and then it will backup your phone to PH_OUT, then browse to your customize.xml. Or you can just skip the reading of customize.xml and upload customize_upgrade.xml (pm me for an example) and upload flash menus.

[awelsh]

What phone have you got? You sure? Try right click and put readwrite access then read it? Or make a txt file with



in it, then load up a2 uploader then were you see the "MISC files" browse the the txt file there, then click "Write script" and then it will backup your phone to PH_OUT, then browse to your customize.xml. Or you can just skip the reading of customize.xml and upload customize_upgrade.xml (pm me for an example) and upload flash menus.

w890i with virgin addon crap.

Thanks for that ill give it another go on Friday :)

EDIT: just tried and I can't even open A2 :( the .exe gets shown as a Trojan and it wont let me even open it :(

[//Tom]

I think I might give this a try
I have w910i (awful phone I woudn't recommend it!) and it also has the awful virgin addon stuff.
I'll let you know how it goes.

[awelsh]

I think I might give this a try
I have w910i (awful phone I woudn't recommend it!) and it also has the awful virgin addon stuff.
I'll let you know how it goes.

Uchhh the virgin extra stuff is rubbish, what did they add to yours?

Im pretty sure mines just edited the top two sections of the menu with "Search" and "Virgin Bytes" which couldnt look more out of place and rubbish.

Alot better than Orange branding though, atleast the walkman isnt called orange music like my old phone was :P

[eLv]

I think I might give this a try
I have w910i (awful phone I woudn't recommend it!) and it also has the awful virgin addon stuff.
I'll let you know how it goes.

Same, it sometimes keep restarting automatically and a red light will shine on the back just on top of the camera. :(

[//Tom]

Uchhh the virgin extra stuff is rubbish, what did they add to yours?

Im pretty sure mines just edited the top two sections of the menu with "Search" and "Virgin Bytes" which couldnt look more out of place and rubbish.

Alot better than Orange branding though, atleast the walkman isnt called orange music like my old phone was :P

Umm they have this big internet button right above end call, I always click it and it always charges (im on contract) so its annoying!! :@ and on menu ive got Search and Virgin Bites like yourself.


Same, it sometimes keep restarting automatically and a red light will shine on the back just on top of the camera. :(

Yeah its proper annoying! It randomly freezes aswell.. like if you click to fast or text to fast it'll just freeze -.-

[awelsh]

Same, it sometimes keep restarting automatically and a red light will shine on the back just on top of the camera. :(

Yeah, thats all the new sony ericssons though, my mate has one on Orange and his does the same. Mine crashes when doing nothing, beat that!


Umm they have this big internet button right above end call, I always click it and it always charges (im on contract) so its annoying!! :@ and on menu ive got Search and Virgin Bites like yourself.

Yeah its proper annoying! It randomly freezes aswell.. like if you click to fast or text to fast it'll just freeze -.-

Same, the right soft key above end call goes to "Virgin" I don't mind though because I get free internet with them, when it works anyway, most of the time it just fails to load because their service is so crap :P

[//Tom]

Ah lucky... I've got 6 months free MSN and then doesn't work half the time lol.
Yeah I get charged like 30p each time I click it even if it doesnt load the page up!!
:@

[Blob]

Well getting a flash menu gets rid of that crap, or you could just debrand your phone by flashing it, but I'll go onto it later

Editing the customize.xml has been done by me (on my w890i) and my sister (by me, on her w910i) and I will help you lot privatly if you add me on ryan@fango.co.uk

Thanks
Ryan