Method for returning CSouth Milestone to stock?
I've read through the different threads on here and on droidforums.net and I still don't fully understand/can't find a method to 100% return my Milestone to stock once rooted/installed a new ROM.
From what I understand, there's really three parts to the stock setup on our CSouth Milestones:
--actual "ROM"
--bootloader
--baseband radio
Now, what I'm looking for is a way to return the Milestone back to full "stock/out of the box", including the bootloader (and possibly the baseband radio). I downloaded Universal Androot (1.6.5 beta 3 -- the latest one from their website) and noticed it's pretty straightforward: you root or unroot and that's that. The next thing I grabbed was ROM Manager. I notice that it has a method to backup my current ROM -- but in order to do that, I have to install the ClockworkMod bootloader. The only thing is I can't find any way to backup the existing bootloader.
Also, from what I understand, if I've re-flashed the bootloader, then any OTA updates from Cellular South WILL NOT INSTALL. So I would like to know of a method to backup the bootloader (and possible the baseband, just in case) for the phones.
Now, the old HTC Hero I used to have, I know you could download the update file from CSouth and run it and it would do a full restore of the phone. I know the Milestone won't have any such thing until (if/when) they release an official 2.2 update for it.
So, I know a lot of people will say "Hey, once you go with a ROM you'll never be able to go back to the stock ROM!" And I felt the same way on my HTC Hero -- once I rooted it, the custom ROMs run a lot faster. But, I'd really like to be able to return to a 100% stock phone. I know I've read posts on here from people saying they did that, but I'm just curious as to how (ROM + bootloader).
Thanks in advance for any help,
DrHogie
Hate to reply to my own thread, but digging through google I found another thread on droidforums.net -- http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-labs/73565-frg01b-ota-enables-feature-undo-custom-recovery-partitions.html -- that talks about how the Flash Recovery System works. If I'm reading this right, it looks like the .img for the stock bootloader stays with the stock ROM for the Milestone.
So, if one were to backup the stock ROM using ROM Manager, then restore the stock ROM at a later date, you could then run /system/etc/install-recovery.sh to restore the bootloader -- and then return to a truly stock phone. Is this line of thinking correct?
And is there anyway (even with root access) to perform a backup of the baseband?
Should be as simple as restoring the first backup you did when the phone was first flashed, then unrooting. Then remove all apps such as androot and rom manager. I'm going to return mine to stock in a week or so and will let you guys know if you haven't gotten a stright forward answer yet lol. Or better yet, send asmith001 a pm, he is a pro at the wireless phone game lol
