My Experience

How to Update the Galaxy S GT i9000 with MIUI We UI v0 8 5 Custom ROM

While many other devices are getting their ICS updates, via official or not so official channels, some older models are still struggling with driver and performance issues with the newest edition of Android. Among these older devices we can also find a former flagship star, the original Samsung Galaxy S. Thanks to the dedicated developer community the old timer is still getting some real action, and now we can present you with an easy and safe way of upgrading your Galaxy S to Android 4.0 ICS in the form of the MIUI We UI v0.8.5 Custom ROM.
You will be tempted to try out this new MIUI ROM on your Galaxy S but you should keep in mind that installing it will void your warranty, in case it has not already been voided by the rooted process. Exactly like in all the other guides we presented we are obliged to mention our disclaimer: As with any software that is not our own creation, we must warn you that you cannot hold us responsible for any damage that might occur to your device by following the procedures in this guide. However, we will try to help you sort out any glitches or problems that might arise by following the steps in this guide to the extent our knowledge limits us. You should however note that you are not the first person to update their device to this ROM and that the procedure has been tested before release.
We will begin this guide with the change log of the MIUI We UI v0.8.5 Custom ROM:

• Updated to Glitch Kernel Beta 6 (Released on March 24th) for all devices
•  New Alarm, Clock, and Settings from MIUI
•  Fixed Updater FC
•  Added Updating support in the ROM from the updater app
•  Better installer compatibility if coming from Gingerbread
•  Reboot check in the installer
•  More app options in the installer
•  Another lib from MIUI
•  New WeUI logo (thanks to fatjoez/publo)
•  New bootanimation from new logo
•  Possible performance improvement
•  Old gallery as an option on installer
•  Misc changes (ROM and installer)

This particular update will erase your personal information from the Galaxy S , so you have to make sure you have backed up everything properly before proceeding. Below you will find a couple of suggestions regarding the applications and procedures you can use to back up your data, and if you are wondering why we chose third party apps, the reason is fairly simple: Samsung KIES does not support custom ROM’s. Please follow the advices below and most importantly the couple of rules that can help prevent your Galaxy S turning into a brick.

• Make sure your device is either rooted and already running a custom ROM or a rooted stock ROM with the version XXJVU.
• Pictures, Music, Videos, and other files – Simply copy them to your microSD card.
• Internet & MMS Settings – Write down all the settings from this path “Applications > Settings > Wireless and Network > Mobile Networks > Access Point Names”
• Text messages – We will back them up with this application : SMS Backup & Restore
• Phone Contacts –  You can simply synchronize them to your Gmail account or export them as a .vcf file
• Call Log – We will use the following application: Call Log Backup and Restore
• Charge your device to full or to a minimum of 50% to ensure that the phone will not power off during the updating process.

The last part of this guide will present the actual steps needed to be taken in order to apply the MIUI We update. Updating your device with custom software shouldn’t be a new thing for old time owners of the Galaxy S, but an easy to follow guide will surely come in handy for all users:

• We will start by downloading this MIUI We UI v0.8.5 custom ROM Package to your computer and then copying it to the root of your Samsung’s Galaxy S memory card. Be sure not to place the file in any sub folders and also to use the original USB cable.
• The second step involves disconnecting the USB cable and rebooting your device into Download mode. The Download mode of the Samsung Galaxy S can be entered by pressing the Volume Down key, the Ok key and the Power On key simultaneously after the device has been shut down.
• The third step is actually some cleaning that needs to be done so you will have to select the Wipe data/factory reset & Wipe Cache partition options in order to clear some important areas needed by the new custom ROM.
• The fourth step is the one that actually installs the MIUI We UI v0.8.5 Custom ROM. All you need to do is select Install zip from sd card > Choose zip from sd card, and then choose the MIUI We UI v0.8.5 Custom ROM Zip which you have conveniently placed in the root folder of the phone’s microSD memory card.

Now all you have to do is wait 5 to 10 minutes for the software to do its trick. After a successful flash, the Samsung Galaxy S will boot to either the recovery console or to the normal starting phase. If the smart phone does not reboot in the normal way all you have to do is select the reboot now option from the recovery menu and then simply wait for it to start. Mind you, the first boot might take a bit longer than usual because the software needs to do some additional tinkering.
In the unlikely case you encounter problems during flashing you should follow the steps above again and re apply the firmware update. You should also re apply the update if you encounter the boot loop issues, but before doing so, you might want to restore an earlier nandroid backup.
After finishing these steps you should also flash the MIUI We UI v0.8.7 patch that fixes some bugs present in the main release. You can flash it the same way as you did with the MIUI We UI v0.8.5 version.
If everything has gone smoothly you can rest as you have successfully installed the MIUI We UI v0.8.5 Custom ROM on your Samsung Galaxy S and all that’s left now is for you to enjoy your revitalized Galaxy S.