Develop Bugs

[Q] Bricked HTC Desire after installing OTA 2.2 Update

Hi,
I'm new so please excuse any of my stupid questions.
I have an unbranded, unlocked HTC Desire, in Australia, apparently it was a t-mobile device. Being naive I didn't realize this could create issues with OTA updates - I know now though! I don't think it's rooted, but wouldn't know the difference. There are no telco logos etc.
My desire got stuck in a rebook loop when I installed the OTA update to android 2.2. It seems to me the update hasn't completed. I finally got restarted after removing the battery.
In about phone it says I have:
Android 2.2 installed
build 3.13.720.1 CL233262
Baseband version 32.36.00.28U_4.06.00.02_2
Kernel 2.6.29.0cb9f166
I have
HBOOT 0.82
RADIO 4.06.00.02_2 if that's relevant.
The phone won't recognize my sim card or SD card and gets an error when I try to turn on wifi. For added joy it frequently force closes.
I tried to do a factory reset but it never seemed to complete. Then I turned on with vol down + power and did clear storage. It removed my data but didn't otherwise help.
I gather from reading various forums that I need to go back to the 2.1 version?
Do I need a goldcard to do this? How do I make one?
How do I know which file to use?
Is there anything else a newbie needs to know so I don't make a bad situation worse?
Thanks!

I think you should first downgrade to 2.1.
Also you are going to need a Goldcard, but i don't
know if you can make it without the phone working properly.
Try to find and install branded RUU in order to make the phone work and then proceed with making the goldcard and debranding.

Thanks for the links!
I'll take a deep breath and have a go. Looks like I'll need to get a microSD adaptor first.

It's better to start by searching a branded RUU suitable for your phone. At this point your phone's SD slot is unusable so you won't be able to make the goldcard.
IMO sd adapter is not needed, you might use the phone as a card reader (assuming that you have installed the branded RUU).

So I don't need a goldcard to install the RUU?

No but it has to be 2.2 and branded. I think it is also safe to try to install previous versions if you are not able to find a 2.2 RUU. Don't forget to check tel company's site, here and here.

I'd recommend you root the phone (no goldcard required) and install a custom rom (mine will work). That will get the phone running normally again, then you can create a goldcard and run official unrooted software if you want.

teppic74 said:
I'd recommend you root the phone (no goldcard required)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SD card is required so you are going to need a card reader, as you can't use your phone at this moment. Or you can try unrevoked.

The r6 root method is obsolete now, and shouldn't be used. unrevoked3 might not work, it depends on how far the upgrade got before failing.

How would I root the phone? Do I use the usb cable and run a file?
If I shouldn't use unrevoked where can I find one I can safely use? It's all new to me.

Unrevoked is what you should use. You need to enable USB debugging and run the file.
If it works you'll end up in custom recovery, where you can install a rooted ROM.

I was downloading an RUU from TMO, but it was taking forever so I guess I won't be doing anything until tomorrow when I have a faster connection.

If you have an SLCD screen then running that is really not a good idea.

OK. So do I copy the custom ROM to the SD card before I root the phone or do I run it on the PC as well?

Yeah I don't think I have an SLCD screen, but would rather not take unnecessary risks.

Yes, you'll need the custom rom on the sdcard so will need to copy that separately. Unrevoked3 runs on the PC/Mac. If you have no card reader it's possible to upload the rom to the sdcard while in recovery, but it's a bit fiddly.
If you're certain you have an AMOLED screen then the t mobile RUU should work.

My phone came in July so I think it's AMOLED.
Looks like unrevoked3 is down at the moment with a redirect to unrevoked2.
I should be able to get the ROM on the SD card with a friend's non-android phone. Do I need a goldcard though as that may be a problem with my phone down.

Just follow the link to download version 3.14 (it's still unrevoked3).
No goldcard is needed to root or install a custom rom.

OK. Thanks for your patience! I guess I need to rename the ROM update.zip as I've seen mentioned elsewhere before I save it to the SD card.
I'll give it a go and post the results once I'm done , tomorrow I hope

You don't need to rename it. That's just for stock recovery. In custom recovery you get a basic filemanager where you can select the file.

please help me achieve root ive tried everything!!

hi, ive been trying to achieve root with unrevoked for the past 3 days, but i cant do it.. ive been able to (according to unrevoked 3.21) achieve root.
but in Hboot it says that i am not nand unlocked.... (i do have root to an extent because superuser is installed and busybox does say i have root although i cant install it)
so i also tried using unrevoked forever, but that gives me an error saying: unsupported system...
any details u need i will give you, please help..
stock desire, latest update.
thanks in advance
supa.

You won't necessaily have s-off, or nand unlocked, it depends on what phone you have for this to work using Unrevoked. There are other methods available if you wish to do this.
Have you actually tried installing an app that requires root access, like Setcpu or Titanium Backup, to see if it actually works?

I got an htc desire a month ago and got errors when I tried rooting with unrevoked. It turned out the hboot version was too recent (0.93) so I had to downgrade to 0.83 using this guide: forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=768256
It actually downgrades your phone to android 2.1 with Sense, but after that you can root your phone normally and then flash the Rom to any 2.2 Rom you want. It's a bit involved but the only way I could get root.
I wrote a quick guide for this before, which I'm reposting below. You can skip step 1 since it sounds like your phone is not branded.
Step 1:
Get an extra MicroSD card (2gig or whatever) and create a goldcard. You ONLY need this because if your phone is branded (eg. by a carrier... if any other names come up during boot, your phone is branded) and this is part of getting rid of that. If your phone is not branded, skip to step 2. Find out how here: android.modaco.com/content/general-discussion/305672/creating-a-goldcard/#entry1233023
Tip: you don't need an microSD card reader. You can format the microSD card in your phone by connecting your phone as a USB drive, and right-clicking the drive and formating. It MUST be FAT32 format, NOT FAT, so do it from the computer controls, not on the phone itself (because the phone itself does it in FAT format)
Step 2:
With your goldcard in your phone, you can now downgrade to Android 2.1. This kills two birds with one stone. A. It removes any branding from your phone and B. Lowers your hboot from higher versions to 0.83 which makes it possible to root your phone. Instructions here:
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=768256
Tip: if it fails the first time (as mine did) and it can't find the zip file at the end, make sure your goldcard was FAT32.
Now your phone will be running HTC Sense 2.1 unbranded. The next two steps will allow you to put any of the Froyo versions (with Sense or without, your choice) on your phone.
Step 3:
Root your phone with UnrEVOked. Instructions here:
rootmydroid.co.uk/guides/general/howto-root-your-htc-desire-wildfire-evo-incredible-with-unrevoked/
Tip: His instructions are great. His download pages are horrible, but they work eventually, just keep clicking.
Step 4:
Install any of the custom Android ROMs available. Instructions are also found on the above link for rooting the phone.
You can choose from any of the ROMs listed here: forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=809328
I went with DeFroST, which is a nice Android ROM without Sense, since Android is better off on it's own, IMO.
Tip: If you don't have an MicroSD card reader, make sure you put the ROM's zip file on your MicroSD before you wipe your phone (Pt. 3, point 4 in the guide).

wow thanks for that..
my phone is rooted, i just want s-off.. but i have read that unrevoked doesnt work for gsm phones, which is what i have..
so i tried alpharev, which seems to be working for most people, but when i tried it using virtualbox, it tells me that i have a cdma phone, and to go back when i know what im doing or something like that..
i 100% have a gsm phone... why do i get this??
thanlks.

Download this:
http://alpharev.nl/alpharev.iso
Burn the image to a CD and boot your PC from it. Follow the instructions
All being well you'll end up S-OFF

as i said previously, ive tried that and it says i havent got a gsm phone when i do.

Dunno, ask them in their thread...

EddyOS said:
Dunno, ask them in their thread...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol, cheers anyway. i'm going to try booting from cd instead, see if that will make a difference..

That's what I said to do and you said you've done it!!

ive tried it again using virtual box and it seems to be working this time, i havent done anything different... dont know y it didnt work last night, neither the phone or the computer have been rebooted..
if all goes well u wont hear from me..

Why not just boot your PC from the CD? It's SO much easier

too lazy to pick up my ass to go buy cdrs, it worked anyway whoop!!
thanks.

[Q] Undo old permaroot & S-OFF from pre-gfree, or update to new S-OFF?

Hi guys,
I've been reading through the forums over the past two days but I have to admit it's hard to find what I am looking for now that the G2 forum and the DZ forum are merged, and the search isn't getting me anywhere for this one.
I have Bell Canada Desire Z permarooted and S-OFF'd, with CWMod. I did this before the newer gfree method and from what I can gather this can lead me to some kind of endless loop if I try to flash back to the a Bell RUU or other RUUs for that matter. It also worries me that I can't try new radios, etc.
I am getting very poor battery life compared to others so I want to have my phone replaced. I have an extended warranty from FutureShop so I probably don't even need to reset the phone to stock again (they swap on the spot) but I would like to anyway. It will also allow me to test the battery again with the stock ROM.
So, how do I go about flashing back to the Bell ROM and turning S-ON, and unrooting? Keeping in mind that I used the pre-gfree method. I believe it was Visionary R12 and gtab's guide.
Also as the title implies, I was wondering if it's possible to use the new (better) S-OFF even if I am already S-OFF'd the old way?
Any help is appreciated!

You can use gfree and achieve "real" S-OFF without having to unroot.
Just run it. Worst that'll happen is it fails if you happen to be on a kernel it doesn't like. If this happens, no harm is done, just a reboot.

Just run gfree from where you are, as the previous poster said.
That will put you in a much safer position, where you can get stuck in that boot loop that you can if you've only got the eng hboot.
Then you can flash whichever ROM you want. Then you can undo gfree if you want via its new options (see the Wiki).
Regarding your point about the merger, IMHO this issue isn't anything to do with the DZ specifically, and lots of users are posting about similar stuff with their G2s. It's all the same

Thanks guys,
I've done gfree (which is MUCH easier than the thread and wiki make it look - they need to simplify the text, it's overwhelming to look at given how simple the procedure is) and flashed the Bell RUU.
Now I am just about to root, and use gfree to undo the S-OFF I guess?
Will let you know how that turns out. Thanks again!

Ok,there is a new gfree method to get root and S-Off.
And gfree can now also be used to set radio S-ON.
But what about the backup "part7backup-1291675121.bin"
which gfree created at my sdcard?
No longer needed?
And with the new root and S-Off method,is it now possible to
to flash stock RUU 1.34.405.5 to get all original?
Because with old UBERROOT method this doesn`t work!

Ganii said:
Ok,there is a new gfree method to get root and S-Off.
And gfree can now also be used to set radio S-ON.
But what about the backup "part7backup-1291675121.bin"
which gfree created at my sdcard?
No longer needed?
And with the new root and S-Off method,is it now possible to
to flash stock RUU 1.34.405.5 to get all original?
Because with old UBERROOT method this doesn`t work!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd keep that backup file as it is a dump of your original partition 7 before gfree mods it. You can dd i back and put everything back to how it was, if you ever need to. Do you need to keep it on the phone? No.. store it somewhere on your PC.
With the old "fake" S-OFF you would get stuck if you flashed a stock rom because it would overwrite the engineering HBOOT which was the only thing making your phone think it had S-OFF. With gfree method, you have real S-OFF, so this should be fine.
See http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=838484 for details.
tl;dr You should be fine.

Hm,little bit confused!
The backup I need to get original original partition 7
but not to get S-On.
To get S-On I can use the new gfree method,it`s now
possible with this!
I did the old UBERROOT method with real S-Off!
P.S.I read here about this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=HTC_Vision#Rooting_the_G2

Not 100% sure I understand the question...but:
You don't need that backup file. If you delete it nothing bad will happen. Paranoid people (like me) would copy it to a safe place, but there's no real need.
You can flash whatever roms you like, including stock ones, as long as you have real, radio (gfree) S-OFF.

Hi guys, thanks for the help! I got it all settled, it was easy.
As I mentioned above, I used gfree to do a true S-OFF, which was easy.
Then I ran Bell's RUU and it worked without any issues. I assume the RUU install also flashes the HTC recovery back to the phone, I didn't check but it must..
A little summary for anyone who needs help in the future..
If you rooted/S-OFF'd using a method older than the current rage/gfree method (the one in the wiki) then you need to redo the S-OFF using gfree.
Steps:
Use gfree -f to S-OFF again
Run the stock RUU file on your pc (you need HTC sync installed for this)
Temproot (first part of the wiki guide) the stock ROM
Use gfree -s on to S-ON your phone
Reboot, and everything should appear like stock (aside from still being sim-unlocked).

Were u sucessful in returning your phone to htc after u did the above?

I didn't have to return it to htc, just to future shop, and it was fine.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

[Q] Current method of rooting DHD (build 1.32.405.6)

Hi,
So I've done a fair bit of reading and want to root my DHD (mostly for the extra features and apps it enables, and in the future possibly custom roms, but not at the moment). However, there's so many sites all saying to use different methods.
I've found this, which was written only a couple of weeks ago so should be up to date? Even though my phone was brand new about 5 weeks ago, it (for some reason) isn't on the newer kernel (that needs downgrading). EDIT: It doesn't let me post links as I'm new. Search "android devices root desire hd tutorial" on google and it's the top one
How safe is rooting, following this (or a different guide you recommend)? I.E chance of bricking, etc.
I've taken a backup of my SD card (copy + pasted all folders in windows explorer, hopefully that does the trick) - what else should I know before carrying on?
So:
-How should I root my phone and are there any known problems?
-How should I back up my phone before rooting (and how destructive is rooting)?
-Anything else I should know.
Orange, UK, unlocked phone, bought sim-free through dialaphone (they put together a sim only contract and sim-free handset and sell it as a bundle).
Thanks

There is an excellent guide on xda. Just search Google or xda for "s-off tool HTC desire hd xda" . If you follow it step by step, you will get root, and s-off. S-off will enable you to flash custom ROMs or kernels. There is a link there also for the devs other tool "eng s-off" needed if you want to flash radios.
But, first of all you'll have to set your pc up and able to communicate in ADB. You'll need to dl: HTC sync, sdk tools, fastboot.exe, and some other I can't quite remember off top of my head....not at pc or home.
If your phone is branded, you'll need to make a "gold card". There are guides around for that.
Next follow the s-off guide exactly. There is a link to visionary, which will give you root access, but not able to install any kernels, or ROMs.
Then use the s-off tool and eng s-off tool (if you want).
If you follow these guides exactly, there will not be a problem. Just make sure you have lots of battery, read all the guides steps at least twice, and warnings. There is always a risk.
Before you flash any custom ROM, best also to make a clockworkmod recovery of your original Rom, and copy to a safe place.
So I can't be more specific with the guides, I'm away, just put those quotes into Google, and follow the links in the posts, and you'll be fine.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

Hi Tamen and welcome to XDA
Personally, I'm not a very much advanced user of handsets, so I am basically in the same position as you. Although, I have a rooted & flashed ROM&Radio.
Jkoljo's tools are a blessing, and so is the thread "+[GUIDE]How to flash a ROM onto your DESIRE HD [COMPLETE]". It utilizes jkoljo's tools well and very much tells you how to get yourself into a working custom rom. Thats how I learned
You can find the thread in the "Sticky rollup" of the "Desire HD Development section".
Have fun here! No better place for stuff like this than XDA

Yeah, the post you linked to is essentially the old school root method i.e do it yourself rather than using the one touch tools, and is the method I favour as should anything go wrong you'll no exactly where. Chances of a brick if you follow the instructions is virtually zero so no worries there either, enjoy.

Ok thanks everyone, I've setup ADB etc, and got visionary installed, I'll get rooting later today.
Just one last thing - how easy is it to unroot & return to how my phone is now? Can this somehow be done if I brick it? If bricked, obviously it needs to be unrooted when sent back to orange/htc or they'll have a fit and demand £350. As I'm 1 month into a 24 month contract, I'd rather not spend the remaining 23 on a useless phone
EDIT: and do I run visionary plugged in with charge only or not plugged in?

Tamen said:
Ok thanks everyone, I've setup ADB etc, and got visionary installed, I'll get rooting later today.
Just one last thing - how easy is it to unroot & return to how my phone is now? Can this somehow be done if I brick it? If bricked, obviously it needs to be unrooted when sent back to orange/htc or they'll have a fit and demand £350. As I'm 1 month into a 24 month contract, I'd rather not spend the remaining 23 on a useless phone
EDIT: and do I run visionary plugged in with charge only or not plugged in?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you need it to be plugged in, I don't think it matters.
At least visionary has an "un-root" option, and jkoljo's tools have guides to undo everything done so far, afaik

So I clicked temproot and it said "rooting, wait a minute" (or whatever the screen is ) then went black and restarted :S
Android 2.2
kernel 2.6.32.21
build 1.32.405.6
software 1.32.405.6
Everywhere says that 1.32.405.6 should be fine - any ideas?

Hi Tamen
You do not need to connect to PC to use Visionary+.
Hmm.. your build number is at 1.32.405.6 so it should be a problem. If your phone is higher than 1.32xxxx, say, 1.72xxxxx, then yes you have to downgrade first in order you to use Visionary+.
I guess your phone is branded? Since it is from UK Orange. If yes read up the gold card thread.

The branding is not an issue. Try to reinstall Visionary.

It's not branded - Dialaphone buy phones sim-free and buy sim only contracts and put them together - my phone came unlocked and there's nothing that say orange on it, so I can only assume it's unbranded.
I re-installed and tried "temproot" - it didn't black screen this time, but it still re-booted (went to white screen with htc logo), came back, tried "su" in terminal and got permission denied. I don't want to click permroot as if it's not temporary rooted it won't work and could cause problems I think?

Tamen said:
It's not branded - Dialaphone buy phones sim-free and buy sim only contracts and put them together - my phone came unlocked and there's nothing that say orange on it, so I can only assume it's unbranded.
I re-installed and tried "temproot" - it didn't black screen this time, but it still re-booted (went to white screen with htc logo), came back, tried "su" in terminal and got permission denied. I don't want to click permroot as if it's not temporary rooted it won't work and could cause problems I think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try the method you mentioned first. Visionary, it's suggested, may misbehave on some phones the method you posted about in the OP doesn't need visionary to work.

Although I haven't perm rooted yet, it successfully temp rooted after another try (3rd attempt, second unplugged)

Tamen said:
Although I haven't perm rooted yet, it successfully temp rooted after another try (3rd attempt, second unplugged)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good show! Now go for permroot and follow around the various guides mentioned

[Q] Rooting and flashing ROM. More questions.... need some guidance

Hi
Let me open this thread by saying that I have just bricked a DHD yesterday. So I guess I was a bit unprepared. It was nice on part of the repair centre to replace it under warranty. (I dont think they knew, because the bloody thing won't even boot, no matter what you did.)
So, to tell you what I did yesterday, I followed this tutorial to root the Desire HD: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php?title=HTC_Desire_HD:_Rooting
I was already on 1.32.405.6, so I didn't need to downgrade.
I then gained Temp root access and then perma root access, as per tutorial
I DID NOT Flash the Engineering HBOOT (since it said its optional). Should I have dont this if I was installing a custom ROM?
Then, I followed this tutorial for Flashing Cyanongen. http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php?title=HTC_Ace:_Recovery,_Radio_and_CyanogenMod
Again, I did not Flash the radio. Is this absolutely necessary to flash a custom ROM ?
I successfully installed CM7 and booted. Then I decided to format the microSD card. It returned with a notification as, "Blank SD card" Clicking on the notificaiton would ask me to Format the card.Nothing happens.
I posted in another forum and someone asked if I made partitions ? This got me searching again and I then proceeded to make partitions with Clockwork Recover Manager
Another thing I want answered is if I should have created partitions on the microSD card or not ? At what stage should I create the partitions ?
What is the difference between ROM Manager and Clockwork Mod
Should I install a new kernel during Flashing ROM ?
I did a search via Google, There are hundreds of thousands of posts regarding rooting, but a lot of them use Visionary+ and then flash a ROM. I read earlier that this is not desirable. I can use adb on PC, no problem.
Any comprehensive definitive tutorial for rooting DHD and installing custom ROM

geek7899 said:
Hi
I posted in another forum and someone asked if I made partitions ? This got me searching again and I then proceeded to make partitions with Clockwork Recover Manager
Another thing I want answered is if I should have created partitions on the microSD card or not ? At what stage should I create the partitions ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1043160

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1043160
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=11557769
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=857537
Those should get you started.
Do not partition SD card, it is what caused your brick. Flashing ENG hboot is your own choice, you can choose to do it later with my one click tool (link in signature). It is not necessary to flash a custom ROM and/or radio. A ROM always comes with proper kernel, so you do not need to flash it separately. ROM Manager is just an interface for ClockworkMod, nothing more.

wnderinguy45 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1043160
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ouuchhhhh .. came a day too late ....
I was one of the ones bricked

You cannot remove it. Just post something useful to general or discuss here. Koush is working on that recovery problem, but I would advice to stay away from the partitioning feature at all times.
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk

more questions after reading Guide
WOW ,,,, thanks guys ...
Just finished reading the [GUIDE]How to flash a ROM onto your DESIRE HD [COMPLETE]. Wheew....
Now I have more questions . Thanks to anyone who answers.
Here we go
1.) I have a Vodafone branded DHD, with a boot animation splash screen and useless apps. Will I need a goldcard ?
2.) Is it OK to use Visionary+ to perma root for flashing ROM's ? I had read on some forums where they didn't approve of this method. Rather they said, use the adb command prompt. The Cyanongen guide even says that if you have Visionary+ installed, uninstall it before rooting .... /confused/
3.) To put it crudely, Radio S-ON is like a security check to see if the approved apps/software are being installed. Is that correct ?
Then what is ENG S-ON ?
4.) When you do a Permanent root (by Visionary+ or adb command prompt), doesn;t it automatically set Radio S-OFF. If it does, then why do we need to do radio S-OFF as in using the tool ?
5.) I see you are not using ROM Manager for wiping cache etc. Instead you are using Full-Wipe 1.3. Is it better than using Clockwork Recovery for doing a wipe of cache ?
6.) The Radio S-OFF and simunlock tool. Can it lock my handset, since its already officially unlocked ?
7.) Why would I flash the Radio... (last step before Flashing ROM). Is it only for getting a /possible/ battery performance or network strength ? If it is not actually required for the actual Flashing of ROM, I might leave it out. Network is pretty ****ty here anyway
Any help appreciated.
Thanks

1. Yes
2. Sure it is, the guide in Cyanogen is a bit.. Weird.
3. No. S-OFF in general is a setting that allows you to write to the internal memory (read+write rights). It also disables some version checks and so on. ENG S-OFF is a special case which enables fastboot commands. Those allow you to flash radios, splash screens and such easily via USB connection.
4. S-OFF is WAY more serious mod (like god mode) than permanent root. Visionary only gives you root, which basically gives you rights to do more stuff in Android.
5. Nah, I do not personally use that wipe.zip. It is useless in my opinion The feature in cwm does pretty much the same.
6. It does not lock your device.
7. It is not entirely necessary. But if you have crappy network, it is a very good reason to flash a radio, which will improve your signal quality. My advice, flash it.

Some more questions posted in the DHD rooting/flashing thread. If anyone feels to answer them ,,,,,, thanks
over here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=13106095&postcount=128