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!!! PLEASE DO NOT COPY ANY INFORMATION FROM THIS PAGE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION !!!

 
 

Flashing the LG Voyager Firmware

Upgrading your LG Voyager firmware at home...  

Updated: 03/01/2008 10:10 am Eastern Time.

NOTE: This process is dangerous. As always, the safest way to upgrade your phone is to have a Verizon STORE flash your phone.

I CAN NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE IF YOU FRY YOUR PHONE AS A RESULT OF USING ANY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THIS SITE!!   PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!  You have been warned!!

FLASH AT YOUR OWN RISK!!

While written for the Verizon LG Voyager, this same process works when using the appropriate DLL and Bin files for the LG Chocolate (VX8500), and enV (VX9900), however step # 23 may not apply for Non-Voyager phones, and the status messages displayed in the boxes during steps 17 thru 24 might vary slightly...

The time it takes for the flash process to complete varies based on how much "content" you have on your phone. i.e. more pictures, ring tones, music, Get-it-Now apps, etc... the longer it takes.

Based on information from -> http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1296244&page=1&pp=20

NOTE: Becuase of the problems flashing the Voyager with the V05 firmware that was experienced by a few people while working this process out, these instructions are written with a few extra precautions in place. They are included so that your phone can be restored to a working state if something goes wrong!!

NOTE: This guide was originally written BEFORE we had access to the proper MSI installer for the VX10K DLL files needed for LG Download, as such some of the steps in this process have now changed since the the DLL installer has been leaked. Contributions to the original write up done before the MSI was leaked: Thanks to phire2050 over on mobile-files.com as well as bkw13 on Hofo for the flash and DLL stuff... Plus thanks to FAUGuy, themopedwhiz, pgens, mkleiman, for fixing the non-working Vcast apps and Browser!

Required...

1.  USB Cable (included with the Voyager)
2.  Install the USB drivers
3.  LGDownload v1.3.6.3 Pro* NOTE: this process has NOT been tested with other versions of LGDownload!!
4. Package of VX10k Flash file (Bin) for VX10K firmware level you wish to flash (obtain from VX10KV05.bin or http://www.humpa.com/vzw)
5. Package VX10K DLL installer (obtain from VX10000.rar or THIS THREAD or http://www.humpa.com/vzw)
NOTE: Humpa may have a combo zip file of the BIN and DLL available for download.

If you are flashing a different model phone, download its DLL installer and flash BIN file (obtain from VX10000.rar or THIS THREAD or http://www.humpa.com/vzw)

Optional...
6 . WinRAR by Rarlabs needed to unpack .RAR files.
7. BitPim BitPim 1.0.3 (10 Dec 2007) Or NEWER (needed for cautionary steps)
8.  The LG VX8550 DLL   (obtain from LGDP_VX8550_DLL_Ver_0_0_24_0.zip or THIS THREAD or http://www.humpa.com/vzw)

*sorry, no warez links here. If you need these apps, its up to you to acquire them!

NOTE: I am not sure if LGDownload is compatible with Vista. I use XP Pro w/SP2.

Cautionary steps ... (due to some issues flashing the Voyager with the VX10KV05 firmware)

Using BitPim's file system feature, backup the following folders...

/brew/mod/obigo

Optionally backup your entire BREW tree.

For assistance using BitPim to accomplish this, see -> VX10K-Bit1.htm

 

The Process... (the following based on the steps written by bfoos in -> Tutorial: VX8300: How to upgrade/downgrade your firmware W/Pics with slight modification as it applies to the Voyager)

Verify the drivers are installed...

1. If your phone is plugged into your computer, please unplug it.

2. Make sure you do not have any applications open on your PC that might access the phone (i.e. Close BitPim, QPST, etc).

3. Power your phone OFF, then On.

4. After the phone is fully powered up, connect it to the Computer. Depending on the Setting of Menu -> Settings & Tools -> USB Autodetection, if the Voyager asks if you want to connect for Music or Data, select Data.

5. Make sure the drivers for your phone are properly installed, and its seen in Device manager. This should already be right, because you just use bitpim to back stuff up... But...

Launch Windows Device Manager (right click on My Computer, from the pop-up select MANAGE). Under Modems, you should see LG CDMA USB Modem

Under USB Controllers you should see LGE CDMA Composite USB Device.

Install LGDownload and the necessary DLL...

6. Install LGDownload v1.3.6.3, reboot your PC when prompted.

7. OPTIONAL: Install the VX8550 DLL using the included MSI file, reboot your PC if prompted. (was needed for Voyager users before the MSI installer for the VX10K was leaked)

8. Install the VX10K DLL using the included MSI file, reboot your PC if prompted.

8a. If you are using a phone other than a Voyager, please install the appropriate DLL for your phone using its MSI installer.

9. Unpack the BIN file you wish to flash with. Usually put it in the C:\LG Electronics\LGDownload\Model\[PhoneModel] folder.

Now to flash the phone... (Please remove any MicroSD or Transflash cards!!)

10. With the phone connected to the PC, start LG Download.

11. LG Downlaod should find/detect your phone, and load the VX10000.DLL file. If it does, you'll see information about your phone in the Upper Right, and the DLL Version in the lower right [SCREEN SHOT]

11.a. If LG Download does NOT find your phone, you may need to use the CONFIG pull down menu and select Port Setting. From the next screen, put a check mark in the com port that corresponds to your phone.

12. If you are not on the upgrade screen, click on the Upgrade(F8) icon in the Short Cut List along the left of the window.

13. From the Upgrade screen, 1. click the "..." button to right end of the BIN File Path box. 2. From the pop-up, click on the BIN file you wish to flash with (example VX10K05.BIN), 3. Click the OPEN button. [SCREEN SHOT]

14. DO NOT TOUCH the other boxes on the screen!!! Leave them EMPTY!! i.e. do not fill in SCR File Path, PRL File Path, ERI File Path.

15. Click the Upgrade Download Start button [SCREEN SHOT]

16. When prompted for the Service Program Code

enter 000000 (six zeros) and click OK.

17. When prompted "Do you want to reset Media FLO" (NOTE: only on phones with MobileTV feature)

you may click YES to reset MobileTV back to its "out of the box" state. The next time you launch it, the MobileTV demo will run. NOTE: I do not subscribe to Vcast MobileTV. If you do, this should not hurt your subscription.

NOTE: the following Status messages up to step #24 can/will vary depending on what firmware and model phone you are flashing with.

18. You'll see a progress screen that will start with "changing to DM mode" (NOTE: it may seem to hang here, don't panic, it can take up to 4 full minutes)

19. The Status will switch to Offline-D.

20. Status will then say "Burning"...

20.a. While this happens your phone will show "Downloading do not unplug!!"

the blue progress bar will move across the Phone's screen (this picture was taken near the very end..)

21. When "Burning" has completed, the Status will change to Reset

22. The phone will be reset during this time, and come back up to the "Charging Battery" screen.

23. LG Download will continue, now writing the upgraded BREW apps. Status will show as "Brew Script Writing..."

NOTE: If you do NOT see this happen, then you may NOT have the Vcast Music Player, Vcast Video, or Mobile TV applications after the flash has completed. DO NOT PANIC!!! we have a fix for that later (at the bottom of this page)...

24. LG Download will again reset the phone. This time, the phone will reboot and turn on.

25. When complete, LG Download will prompt you "All process is complete..Continue?"

26. Click END!! (NOTE: if you click continue, the flash process will start all over again).

27. Exit LG Download.

28. It is now safe to unplug your phone from the computer.

29. (optional) power your phone off, then back on.

 

Testing your phone to make sure the flash was successful...

Check what flash version the phone reports... Menu -> Settings & Tools -> Phone Info -> SW/HW Verison. Does SW Version report the firmware level your flashed with? If yes, good.

Voyager users... Test the following apps....

My Music... (Menu -> Music)
Vcast Music (Menu -> Get It Now -> Music & Tones -> VCAST Music)
Vcast Video (Menu -> Get It Now -> Picture & Video -> VCAST Videos)
MobileTV (Menu -> Get It Now -> Picture & Vidoe -> VCAST MobileTV)
Web browser (Menu -> Browser)

If any of these applications do not launch, see the "Fixing the apps" section below...

 

Fixing the apps... (LG Voyager)

Vcast apps (Music, Video and MobileTV)... Use BitPim's file system feature to manually add the folders and files from C:\LG Electronics\LGDownload\Model\VX10000\files_for_upg rade\brew_script\brew\mod to your phone's brew/mod folder (you'll have to create the folders one by one, then copy the files to them). Then add the MIF files from C:\LG Electronics\LGDownload\Model\VX10000\files_for_upg rade\brew_script\brew\mif to your phone's brew/mif folder... restart the phone, and test.

Web Browser... This is more complex as there are more files/folders to do... Use Bitpim to restore the /brew/mod/obligo files and folders from C:\LG Electronics\LGDownload\Model\VX10000\files_for_upgrade\EFS_SCR\brew\mod\obigo to your phone's brew/mod/obigo folder. Restart the phone, and test. If the browser still doesn't work, restore the Brew/Obigo backup from -> obigo.zip