[Q] Root My Desire Z But Keep HTC Sense? - G2 and Desire Z Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Basically the title says it all.
I'm a total nub to Android in general, and rooting probably isn't something I should worry about. But unfortunately I'm an organizational / resource freak, and want to be able to uninstall any app I wish.
But I also love the HTC Sense UI.
Is there any way I can root to get permission to remove the apps I don't want while still keeping the HTC interface intact? I'd just rather not run the stock UI.

Bloodlvst said:
Basically the title says it all.
I'm a total nub to Android in general, and rooting probably isn't something I should worry about. But unfortunately I'm an organizational / resource freak, and want to be able to uninstall any app I wish.
But I also love the HTC Sense UI.
Is there any way I can root to get permission to remove the apps I don't want while still keeping the HTC interface intact? I'd just rather not run the stock UI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting is just rooting; it does nothing to your OS beyond unlocking it. After rooting, the only way you'll lose Sense is if you flash a Senseless ROM.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

Well actually yes getting root will allow you to delete anything you wish however once you have root make sure you don't delete important stuff.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

So that being said, can anyone point me in the right direction to root the phone?
And if I root it, is there any way to restore it back to non-rooted condition should I decide to sell it?

How to root is here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=HTC_Vision#Rooting_the_Vision_.28G2.2FDZ.29_and_DHD
How to unroot and return to stock for warranty purposes is also in the same Wiki. You may or may not have to worry about unrooting, if you decide to sell the phone. People actually pay money to have their phones rooted, or pay extra for pre-rooted phones. Depends on who you sell to, they might not care about the phone being rooted, and may even prefer it. But unrooting is required if you need to send the phone for warranty repair. If they find your phone rooted, your warranty is VOID.
Sticky page has ton of links to various useful guides and other stuff.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=916431
Just get reading, and you will be up to speed in no time.
Rooting does not remove and change anything. It just changes the permissions on the phone, so you have access to system files which are normally not accessible. You can remove/change what you want after you root. And you can also backup everything using ROM Manager (free app on the market) in case you mess anything up. Keep in mind that some system files/apps are tied into Sense or Android, so removing them can cause problems. Just be careful what you change. Don't go messing around by trial and error. Everything you can think of has been attempted by somebody else, so can come on here and read what is safe to remove, and what is not.

Related

Questions about rooting an EVO

Let me first say I'm a noob to this whole rooting thing and I would like to get some more info on. I tried searching the forums for the answers, but I failed to find what I was looking for.
1) What is this nand people are talking about? RUU? ROM (what's the difference between sense and no sense)?
2) How do I backup my apps, etc before trying to root?
3) Which guide do I use? My Evo came with 2.1, but I did the stock update to Froyo.- I don't wanna end up with a 500 paperweight.
4) If I need to bring my phone in for service how do I return it to stock?
5) I know you can turn your phone into a free wifi hotspot after rooting, what are some other advantages to rooting?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
ok now let me remind you im not far ahead of you so let me tell you i would wait for a few more posts before taking what i have to say to heart, but i cant leave someone i may be able to help (even a little in need)....
1. the phrase "NAND" refers to the term nandroid backup, which is when you create a backup file. like a system restore point for windows, so when u start doing some different customizations or just try flashing some different roms assuming something goes wrong you will always be just one click away from doing a restore back to a fully functioning rom that you backedup previously. i believe the 2 main programs associated with this is amon_ra and clockwork.....
2. as far as backing up apps i just save the .apks on my pc and reinstall them once i reflash a new rom, but from what im reading you can use a program like titatnium backup, app brain...etc. but then again as far as personal experience goes...none here just what ive gathered from reading.
3. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=765496
(personally ive rooted with this method and it was very simple just read through the steps before starting and follow them accordingly, dont be discouraged general computer knowledge is needed though) or atleast the ability to move about the computer)
4. returning your phone from the method discribed below is simple as it seems...but again have not done personally only from what ive read: you are rooted (assuming you've used the thread above) with unrevoked3 meaning you have s-off(in laymen terms: the position of the bootloader {ON or OFF} which checks images being flashed to make sure they are signed with the htc security signature),,,you just need to download the unrevoked s-ON file and use that to return the phones security settings and re-download an RUU(RomUpdateUtility) thats official from the htc site and ull be back to unrooted good old-fashion stock evo.
5. and as far as the wifi tethering goes just go to the market place and download a wifi tethering .apk, once rooted of course ....and run it from your evo to connect to your pc wirelessly
*this should help*
http://handheld.softpedia.com/progDownload/Wifi-tether-download-76020.html
and as far as why root, well because when you buy a phone i assume you wanted it to be YOUR phone and with rooting its all about flashing opensource/custom roms to your phone and other things such as kernels to customize the phone to your liking and you cant flash unsigned data to your phone without having su permission, meaning you need ROOT access....
-now again let me disclaimer myself i am also very very new to the whole android community and may be spewing lots of wrong info and am probably quite confused my self but i figure id risk making a fool of my self to help u in the off chance that what im saying makes any sense at all....but yea
If I can root a phone trippin on 28 triple cs you can do it
Boss dextromethorphan.....is no fun, and I dunt suggest rooting ur phone or opperating heavy machinery under the influence of triple c's....
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Bump
Victory for L---S---U

[Q] Unroot EVO and still keep a custom rom?

Is this possible? I know most unroot the phone to take it in for service/exchange etc but my situation is different. I have to use Good for Enterprise to access my company's email and as you may know, Good does not allow rooted phones. So, I have no choice but to unroot my Evo.
The image that is used in unrooting is a stock ROM. What I want to do is setup my phone - the way I want it with Mikfroyo - with all the tweaks etc and then "just do the unrooting part". If that makes any sense - I don't need any superuser permissions etc.
Long story short - can a phone be unrooted with a custom ROM instead of a stock ROM?
im pretty sure this is impossible dude, sorry, just leave it all rooted, whats the problem
I know you can't unroot and keep a custom ROM but I wonder if there is a way to hide the fact that you're rooted from the app. What kind of message pops up when you install it?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
It just says that Good cannot run on a rooted phone and just locks the app - I have to call IT to get an unlock code using the device ID that is displayed in Good's pop-up message.
It has to be checking for something specific and I bet there is a way to fudge it but unfortunately that's outside my realm of understanding. I would ask one of the devs here about it.
What permissions does the App request when you install? It could just check for SuperUser
SSjon said:
What permissions does the App request when you install? If could just check for SuperUser
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I which case you could either delete superuser or use it to block the app... perhaps?
I am sure its more complicated than that - if they are touting themselves as a replacement for blackberry security for iPhones and Android - I seriously doubt a simple fudging of the superuser permissions will deceive it. Also, I'd like to comply with my company's requirements for using an Android phone so I don't get into trouble.
So from what I understand - you cannot have a custom ROM on an unrooted phone. Thanks so much guys - I'll just have to learn to live with the bloated stockware and manual restores arghh......
It's not possible.... to unroot, you'd have to RUU, which returns the phone back to stock. And then, you'd have no way of flashing a custom rom unless you rooted again
ok this is one thing that I am starting to not understand here...
so many people when they answer - say "yes" it can be done or "no" it can not be done...
...ummm where is the why? It would be very informative to know such things or if someone has even tried said thing before.
like why can't you just run a ROM or other flash file from renaming the file and letting the stock loader do the flashing? ......answer: because the stock loader does a file signature check - see? that makes sense and answers the why. it also helps users to retain the information as well as understand it.
I would love to know why the OP can't just run the unrevoked s-on tool from here http://unrevoked.com/rootwiki/doku.php/public/forever#custom_splash (in the FAQ section) without removing his custom ROM and just make sure he doesn't use any apps that need the su access. sounds like it should work? has someone done this and found that it does not work? flashing back to s-on should just prevent flashing to any other ROM's I would think from everything I have read in this forum.
or once s-on is back does it also check the current ROM on the phone and would cause some issues? would be great information to know. because if the security only checks file signatures of flies to be flashed and not the current ROM it seems like the OP could do what he is wanting to.
well, just thought I would ask to see if I could gain some more understanding as to the mechanics of everything
It would be good to know if this works with Good for Enterprise. I am stuck on an SGS 2.1 with Telstra and want a non stock ROM but really need to use Good.
ushkand said:
Is this possible? I know most unroot the phone to take it in for service/exchange etc but my situation is different. I have to use Good for Enterprise to access my company's email and as you may know, Good does not allow rooted phones. So, I have no choice but to unroot my Evo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not know that, and that SUCKS. My company's piloting Good now, and I was really looking forward to it. This just infuriates me. Mobile device makers are getting away with things that desktop/laptop makers never dreamed of trying. We shouldn't even NEED to "root" a phone. Imagine if you needed to hack your Windows machine in order to get the admin password and be able to install whatever you want. Now yes, I get that companies often do add those restrictions on their devices, and that they need to protect their data. Allowing access to company data on a personal device might make it a little more of a gray area, but it still blows. Good should be able to develop a system that can be secure, even if you have root access.
Here's a thread I just found. It sounds like you can just delete su and the superuser.apk. I think you can keep the custom rom, but you probably wouldn't be able to run anything that needs root, like Wireless Tether, Titanium Backup, or whatever. But you could probably have a flashable zip to re-add them when you need them. Or maybe one of the temp root methods would work. But it makes me furious that this is needed.
http://androidforums.com/droid-x-all-things-root/207397-good-enterprise.html
bkrodgers said:
I did not know that, and that SUCKS. My company's piloting Good now, and I was really looking forward to it. This just infuriates me. Mobile device makers are getting away with things that desktop/laptop makers never dreamed of trying. We shouldn't even NEED to "root" a phone. Imagine if you needed to hack your Windows machine in order to get the admin password and be able to install whatever you want. Now yes, I get that companies often do add those restrictions on their devices, and that they need to protect their data. Allowing access to company data on a personal device might make it a little more of a gray area, but it still blows. Good should be able to develop a system that can be secure, even if you have root access.
Here's a thread I just found. It sounds like you can just delete su and the superuser.apk. I think you can keep the custom rom, but you probably wouldn't be able to run anything that needs root, like Wireless Tether, Titanium Backup, or whatever. But you could probably have a flashable zip to re-add them when you need them. Or maybe one of the temp root methods would work. But it makes me furious that this is needed.
http://androidforums.com/droid-x-all-things-root/207397-good-enterprise.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My thoughts exactly
Update- I was able to get Good running finally on a custom rom - However, I had to forgo my superuser capabilities. I just renamed both the Su and Superuser.apk and then was able to run Good without any issues. I can easily restore Superuser access by adb when I need to. The good thing is that with the recovery being there, I can still flash updates without needing superuser access.
Thank you all for your help.
ushkand said:
Update- I was able to get Good running finally on a custom rom - However, I had to forgo my superuser capabilities. I just renamed both the Su and Superuser.apk and then was able to run Good without any issues. I can easily restore Superuser access by adb when I need to. The good thing is that with the recovery being there, I can still flash updates without needing superuser access.
Thank you all for your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the information. What is the ROM that you are using?
bkrodgers said:
Or maybe one of the temp root methods would work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are there still temp root methods that work on the EVO?
I am using Mikfroyo 4.5.
Just came across this thread and was seeing if your GFE was still working? I have a DX and put a custom ROM and could not get it to work. I'm waiting for my new PIN and have removed SU to see if it works.
ushkand said:
Update- I was able to get Good running finally on a custom rom - However, I had to forgo my superuser capabilities. I just renamed both the Su and Superuser.apk and then was able to run Good without any issues. I can easily restore Superuser access by adb when I need to. The good thing is that with the recovery being there, I can still flash updates without needing superuser access.
Thank you all for your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rooted my HTC Salsa to install apps2sd which is great, but what commands do i have to run and where to be able to rename su.apk ?
Thanks,
Mike

[Q] Recover rom from non-root Desire

Title says it all.
I am new to the android world and the information you get from a google search is convoluted at best.
I have a desire that I rooted using UnRevoked3. I was however misled by all the research I did that I could make a backup of my system and data before the generic rom was flashed. I now have a rooted phone without any backup to revert back to.
My phone is Ntelos CDMA HTC Desire android 2.1
I do however have access to a non-rooted (same phone and network) phone if it is at all possible to recover the recovery and system partitions without rooting the phone my cousin will let me do so.
Can this be done? if so a detailed explanation of how to do it would be helpful.
waynestir said:
Title says it all.
I am new to the android world and the information you get from a google search is convoluted at best.
I have a desire that I rooted using UnRevoked3. I was however misled by all the research I did that I could make a backup of my system and data before the generic rom was flashed. I now have a rooted phone without any backup to revert back to.
My phone is Ntelos CDMA HTC Desire android 2.1
I do however have access to a non-rooted (same phone and network) phone if it is at all possible to recover the recovery and system partitions without rooting the phone my cousin will let me do so.
Can this be done? if so a detailed explanation of how to do it would be helpful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I understand correctly you want to "unroot" you phone. This is done by installing htc Sync and running the appropriate RUU from this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=695667.
Thre is no reason, besides the fact that you want to return your phone for warranty purposes and/or that you want to have stock system, for you to revert to stock.
Copying and pasting backups seems like a very bad idea since there might be subtle differences between phones which thus might generate more problems than it solves.
I'm not saying that it's not possible, it's not recommended. There are a bunch of other safer alternatives.
Yes I want to revert to stock rom which I no longer have. I just wanted to experiment a little. I never would have done in the first place had I known there would be no going back.
There are no stock roms availibe for my phone. I need a RUU from Ntelos not verison or USCC.
No need to, you can't backup a unrooted rom. Since you are already rooted just make a nandroid of that rom to revert to. Only when things go really wrong you need to use the ruu.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA Premium App
TheGhost1233 said:
No need to, you can't backup a unrooted rom. Since you are already rooted just make a nandroid of that rom to revert to. Only when things go really wrong you need to use the ruu.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No its just that nobody has sorted out how. I ran the US Cellular update on my phone and got a stock USSC non-root phone working on Ntelos network. I then ran root again to get my data back of course.
Their app runs on windows pc and doesn't require special access such as root. All the capability is there I'm sure. just under lock and key.
waynestir said:
No its just that nobody has sorted out how. I ran the US Cellular update on my phone and got a stock USSC non-root phone working on Ntelos network. I then ran root again to get my data back of course.
Their app runs on windows pc and doesn't require special access such as root. All the capability is there I'm sure. just under lock and key.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by getting your data back ? All your data is lost (contacts, apps, messages, etc) when you flash a new ROM. The only things that stay intact are those which you have saved on your SD.
There are plenty of ways to backup stuff from unrooted devices. However non of them provide any useful safety backup regarding rooting or flashing.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA Premium App
paul.c said:
What do you mean by getting your data back ? All your data is lost (contacts, apps, messages, etc) when you flash a new ROM. The only things that stay intact are those which you have saved on your SD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
from a backup that I had made prior to flash.
TheGhost1233 said:
There are plenty of ways to backup stuff from unrooted devices. However non of them provide any useful safety backup regarding rooting or flashing.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If there are ways then that is what I am looking for. I have no memory of Unix/Linux command line. I'm sure I have a text laying around somewhere and could refresh my memory. However I elect to ask those in the know to guide me.
I simply want to get a stock system rom from the same make and model phone on the same network without voiding the warranty on that phone. My service provider had very little bloat ware and didn't remove apps that I found missing in the verizon/US Cell stock roms. My phone being root or not is not the question. For that I don't care accept if I ever need warranty work done. And that is just my luck sometimes so.. better safe than sorry.

Why do people root?

I'm still rather new to Android, and I was wondering- why do people root their phone exactly? If I root my phone, will it run slower? Also, can I run the stock ROM my phone ships with if I root it?
unity04 said:
I'm still rather new to Android, and I was wondering- why do people root their phone exactly? If I root my phone, will it run slower? Also, can I run the stock ROM my phone ships with if I root it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We root, because we must... It doesn't make the phone slower. It does the opposite (With the right kernel, that is )
Rooting ONLY means, that you have the right, to accss the ROM (Read-only memory) where the system files are saved...
Which means, yes. You can have root access, on a stock-ROM phone
(If interested, check my signature ^^)
unity04 said:
I'm still rather new to Android, and I was wondering- why do people root their phone exactly? If I root my phone, will it run slower? Also, can I run the stock ROM my phone ships with if I root it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting just gives you more control over your phone, the ability to easily freeze/delete system apps, flash alternate kernels, etc... You can run your stock ROM whilst rooted, it won't slow you down.
Rooting also opens the door to being able to flash (i.e. install) alternate, custom ROMs among other things.
A basic rooted stock ROM is a good place to start out, and learn your way around things before you decide, or not, to start flashing custom kernels, ROMs, etc... OR you can happily cruise along on a fully stock phone.
Just a quick summary; there's lots more specific info available on this site, and the intarwebz to give you more detail if needed.
I'm fairly new, so hopefully I get this right. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.
My guess is that you're coming from iPhone if you're asking if it will slow it down since jailbreaking tended to do that. It won't slow it down unless you install apps and mods that run in the background and stuff.
All rooting is, is allowing programs to run as the root user (I *think* I'm right here). This means that they can access parts of the system that are unavailable to be modified on unrooted ROMs. This means you can get things that tweak system level functionality. It's very similar to jailbreaking an iPhone except apps in the Play Store aren't prohibited from having root functionality baked in.
Yes you can root the stock ROM.
Hope that answers it for you, and I hope I got it right. It's tough trying to figure some of this stuff out. Nothing out there really explains why things are done, but only HOW they're done. Bit of a nuisance trying to get into this in that regard.
myrdog said:
I'm fairly new, so hopefully I get this right. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.
My guess is that you're coming from iPhone if you're asking if it will slow it down since jailbreaking tended to do that. It won't slow it down unless you install apps and mods that run in the background and stuff.
All rooting is, is allowing programs to run as the root user (I *think* I'm right here). This means that they can access parts of the system that are unavailable to be modified on unrooted ROMs. This means you can get things that tweak system level functionality. It's very similar to jailbreaking an iPhone except apps in the Play Store aren't prohibited from having root functionality baked in.
Yes you can root the stock ROM.
Hope that answers it for you, and I hope I got it right. It's tough trying to figure some of this stuff out. Nothing out there really explains why things are done, but only HOW they're done. Bit of a nuisance trying to get into this in that regard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You just said, what I said ((and the other bloke, after me) xD
Yes, you answered it. But in a way, that no n00b would understand, unless he wrote it himself (You) lol
There are many reasons to root, my favorites are that I can access the root or the phone, meaning I can replace the rooms, kernels to my liking. I can overclock or underclock the phone. One more than I like to do it use ad blocker so I don't need to deal with the stupid ads that are in free apps
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
We root because we like to have good phones .
And the benefits like custom colors, kernels, ROMs, and all that is nice.
Nexus S (GSM i9020a)
GummyNex (9.0)
Air Kernel (3.45)
OC 1000/200 (Lionheart)
Live OC (100 -Noop)
v6 Supercharged
To get the most out of my phone. Especially in the g1 days, you pretty much had to root because of the phones limitations
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
You root to gain admin access to your phone. You'd never use a computer without admin access, same on a phone. You can tweak and change anything you can imagine with root access.
And no it doesn't make it slower, actually can make it faster.
Root access doesn't do anything in itself. It just gives you administrator access to all of the system files.
Once you have that access, you can start tweaking.
Root is only required for deep-level back-up programs, some file explorers, and rom tweakers such as Rom Manager.
Day to day stuff, Android is pretty open to anything.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Rooting allows you to release the full potential of your phone.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=21328733
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Its not just system access, its a way of life!

[Q] Are there any downsides to rooting ?

Hi all, I've done a fair bit of searching and reading up but not sure I can find definitive answers to whether there are any downsides to rooting my One X.
I am thinking similar to tethered jailbreaks in the iOS world, where if you run out of juice you have to cable up to get it to boot up etc.
I would like to root, so I have the freedom to use a few of the tweaks and mods on xda (such as the tweak to change the default - read too high - auto brightness levels), not sure I will actually replace my entire rom at this stage, just root so I can use some of these minor tweaks.
so, is there anything that I need to genuinely consider before making the leap, some specific questions that spring to mind are;
1. Can I always easily revert it ?
2. Read some posts where people are struggling to charge once it hits 0% ? Is this an actual problem if I just root ? I do not want to brick a phone or have to prize open the case to take batteries out etc
3. If I chose to replace ROM's in the future, are there actual apps that more or less backup all your apps and settings so you can just reload that one app after a new ROM is installed, restore a backup and I am good to go, or do you have to manually setup everything from scratch again ?
Thanks for any advice you guys can offer.
ta
Mart
The only downside to rooting is you get hooked on flashing. It's very easy to get back to stock. As long as you have proper RUU for your region that goes with your CID and all is fine.
At present, the only rooting method involves unlocking the bootloader. It can be locked again. But it's 'relocked' rather than 'locked'. So your warranty is still void in some cases.
I'm waiting for root method which doesn't require an unlocked bootloader. Or non HTCDEV Unlocked bootloader and S-OFF before I do mine, but that's just me
Sentinel196 said:
So your warranty is still void in some cases
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HTC will only refuse your warranty if you balls up your phone as a result of flashing roms. Everything else such as hardware defects will leave the warranty in tact.

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