Hi--I am a generally technically adept Evo owner who would like to root to a Froyo custom ROM, but I've never had to root anything before. I've read threads meant to act as guides (like those linked in the sticky thread), but there seems like so much I don't understand. I know these are simple questions, but my searching didn't really help. I'd be really grateful if anyone had any helpful answers.
Question 1: Does anyone have any recommendations for the best custom ROM that will have these features?:
Froyo (of course)
SenseUI (I prefer it, but have nothing against stock Android)
Ability to restore my apps (via Titanium Backup, I assume)
Unlocked wifi tethering (via app or Froyo's in-built capability)
Unlocked FPS (I have a Novatec panel)
Same or better camera/video capabilities as stock SenseUI (i.e., nothing broken at least)
My current software: Stock Evo, no OTA updates applied, with Superuser Unrevoked permissions.
(That is, I have not applied any OTA updates since I bought it, June 11th. I'm running 2.1-update1, version 1.32.651.6. I did the Unrevoked 1-click "root" that in fact only gave me Superuser permissions (the Unrevoked that was first released, not the Unrevoked2 or 3 updates). I.e., I can use the wifi tether and Titanium Backup, and I've backed up my apps/settings with it.)
Question 2: Can anyone tell me in a simplest method to safely root and install the custom ROM, considering I have no OTA updates and unrevoked superuser permissions?
Specifically, I've read guides that list 3 steps (gaining root permissions, unlocking NAND, gaining "full" root), but I still have a lot of questions:
What does it mean to "flash a recovery"?
[*]When do I have to manually install radio updates, and how do I know which ones I need?
[*]If I decide I'd rather go back to stock, ever, can I do that?
[*]What is the likelihood of a brick, and can I repair a brick?
[*]Can Titanium Backup really restore all my apps after I do a full wipe and root? (just to calm my anxiety, please...)
The best guide I've seen is the "IDIOT-PROOF" root guide, at thread 701004 (sorry, new user restriction, can't post links), but I don't know if it's still current. That also seems more complex than SimpleRoot (also don't know if it's current).
I think I'm looking for the simplest root method with the least possibility of screwing everything up. (It pains me to say it, but a brainless iPhone-like "slide-to-jailbreak" method would be great.)
Sorry for the newbie questions. If anyone has any advice/answers, I'd be glad to hear them!
Well best bet for you is probably going to be either the one click simpleroot, you can go to simpleroot.com its there for download. Of course it depends on exactly what software version you are on. As far as your rom choice there is no rom that offers all of those things, probably closest will be stock rooted 2.2, then you can either live with the 30fps restriction or flash a custome kernel and live with 3mp camera .... you're choice. the recovery is a program that the phone boots into that has nothing to do with the rom at all, with this you can select several operation to make on the rom. You need recovery because you cant modify the rom when you are booted in the rom. Anyway this is all a very basic explanation. My recommendation would be to follow toasts part 1 then part 2 to root and unlock nand. (unlocking nand allows writing and writing to the system area of the rom while booted into the rom) then you will be all set to flash any rom you like. feel free to pm if you need more info As far as knowing what you need I would recommend starting with netarchy's stock rooted 2.2 odexed version. In his post he will tell you flash rom then radio then wimax, all of these files are included there in the post. Then as you learn you can switch between roms to explore what each one can do for you and decide which you like best. Yes Titanium backuop will work with this.
For me and I have flashed every rom lol. Daily driver would have to be the fastest and stabliest rom which is in my opinion Caulkins v1.02 froyo. Use simple root for 1.32. Then use the flash recovery and pick ra recovery.
ifly4vamerica said:
As far as your rom choice there is no rom that offers all of those things, probably closest will be stock rooted 2.2, then you can either live with the 30fps restriction or flash a custome kernel and live with 3mp camera .... you're choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? How about a ROM with, say, just 2.2 + SenseUI, with all the standard features, and wifi tether enabled?
Thanks for the advice, by the way, both of you.
ScaryBugThing said:
Hi--I am a generally technically adept Evo owner who would like to root to a Froyo custom ROM, but I've never had to root anything before. I've read threads meant to act as guides (like those linked in the sticky thread), but there seems like so much I don't understand. I know these are simple questions, but my searching didn't really help. I'd be really grateful if anyone had any helpful answers.
Question 1: Does anyone have any recommendations for the best custom ROM that will have these features?:
Froyo (of course)
SenseUI (I prefer it, but have nothing against stock Android)
Ability to restore my apps (via Titanium Backup, I assume)
Unlocked wifi tethering (via app or Froyo's in-built capability)
Unlocked FPS (I have a Novatec panel)
Same or better camera/video capabilities as stock SenseUI (i.e., nothing broken at least)
My current software: Stock Evo, no OTA updates applied, with Superuser Unrevoked permissions.
(That is, I have not applied any OTA updates since I bought it, June 11th. I'm running 2.1-update1, version 1.32.651.6. I did the Unrevoked 1-click "root" that in fact only gave me Superuser permissions (the Unrevoked that was first released, not the Unrevoked2 or 3 updates). I.e., I can use the wifi tether and Titanium Backup, and I've backed up my apps/settings with it.)
Question 2: Can anyone tell me in a simplest method to safely root and install the custom ROM, considering I have no OTA updates and unrevoked superuser permissions?
Specifically, I've read guides that list 3 steps (gaining root permissions, unlocking NAND, gaining "full" root), but I still have a lot of questions:
What does it mean to "flash a recovery"?
[*]When do I have to manually install radio updates, and how do I know which ones I need?
[*]If I decide I'd rather go back to stock, ever, can I do that?
[*]What is the likelihood of a brick, and can I repair a brick?
[*]Can Titanium Backup really restore all my apps after I do a full wipe and root? (just to calm my anxiety, please...)
The best guide I've seen is the "IDIOT-PROOF" root guide, at thread 701004 (sorry, new user restriction, can't post links), but I don't know if it's still current. That also seems more complex than SimpleRoot (also don't know if it's current).
I think I'm looking for the simplest root method with the least possibility of screwing everything up. (It pains me to say it, but a brainless iPhone-like "slide-to-jailbreak" method would be great.)
Sorry for the newbie questions. If anyone has any advice/answers, I'd be glad to hear them!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd like to suggest something before you actually move forward. I usually back up with MyBackup and with Titanium backup. I am completely rooted and nand unlocked but something i've seen Titanium for some reason after i grant it superuser tell me my phone isn't rooted on different roms, also i have seen Mybackup crash the sense and try to reboot it over and over in a loop. Luckily I did a Nandroid restore to a more stable setup. Some of the other forum members here are more likely than not less new to the process than myself, but I thought i had covered everything and when i did simple root, I was on 1.47, with the factory reset and everything lost my data... luckily it wasn't a lot or important. I just thought i'd let you know that it is not a bad thing to have a zipped backup of all of your apks+data, and your contacts with both programs before you go ahead. Hope that possibly can steer you out of trouble if one of them fails to perform as it should. Best of luck.
Exohart said:
I'd like to suggest something before you actually move forward. I usually back up with MyBackup and with Titanium backup. ... Hope that possibly can steer you out of trouble if one of them fails to perform as it should. Best of luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool, thanks for the tip.
You can get a rooted stock 2.2 ROM, odexed or deodexed. Then you can install a wifi tether app. Personally, I use Fresh 3.1.0.1, I don't notice any differences in general to stock, but you should probably just try different ROMs out and see which one you like. It's easy to switch around.
See this for ROMs.
As for rooting, You can use Simple Root, but I highly suggest doing it yourself using toast's or TheBiles' guides. You learn a lot and it's the same thing as using Simple Root, but you can deal with problems better (although I didn't have any issues when I did mine).
See here for guides.
There is a lot of info on how to get around any issues you have, so be sure to search if you do run into trouble.
And if you need the files for rooting, check here.
Awesome response, SilverZero, thanks! I'm starting to feel comfortable with the rooting procedure.
I think the difficulty I have in choosing a ROM is that many ROM threads don't list conclusively whether a feature works or not. So, for instance, I presume that the Fresh ROM has a fully working camera (8MP/720P with all settings), but I've read other ROM threads that talk about downgraded camera bugs, so I am not sure if I should assume things work fine. Conversely, I think wifi tethering doesn't work, since it *seems* to suggest it isn't working, but doesn't flat-out say so...
I don't suppose some source exists somewhere that lists/compares all of these ROMs' features in a table format, listing whether they work or not, or are downgraded? Having something like that in a central, often-updated location would be incredibly useful...
I used toast's method for rooting, and havent had any problems whatsoever. All I had to do after that, was install the new RA recovery image ( was more current ).
Is this the simplest way? probably not. But, i perfer doing the method with the most manual work. Automated processes tend to scare me, 'oh, our mod does steps 1 through 19 all at once'... well, thats fine, but what happens when it fails half way through? Toast's method, while a bit involved, is pretty simple, and if something happens, you can go "hey, when i do this command <whatever>, it does this, helps?!".
as for your 'questions 2s'
1: Are you sure you dont mean, flash from recovery? recovery is where you do all of your flashing, do your nandroid backups, and wiping. theres 3 ways to get there ( once your rooted/nand unlocked ).. volume -, and power while the phone is off, hold it til you get the menu. use quickboot ( a feature of damagecontrol mod ), or use adb using a command prompt on windows ( adb reboot recovery ).
2: Most people install radio updates when they go to change to new roms. The reason being, 2.2 'code' is based around having a certain radio version, and for things like 4g, and good 3g signal, you need to match.
personally, every time i go to install a new rom, i verify what the most recent radio version is out there, and install it ( same with wimax )
3: Once you are fully rooted, there are walktrhoughs for 'starting over / going back to stock'.. but I would just use one of the rooted stock images, as it gives you the ability to change your mind. for instance, right now 2.2 isnt rootable, so if you changed your mind after switching back to it, your kind of screwed. I'm not sure if the engineering image you install for root would go away if you reverted to stock/root though, as have never tried.
4: as long as you have the phone rooted, any 'bricking' that i have caused ( boot loops, power turning off on boot, etc ), were easily recoverable by just booting into recovery and reflashing. the only way I could see bricking in a totally bad way, would be if you somehow messed up the rooting process and corrupted the bootloader in such a way it couldnt recover. Otherwise, i have yet to see a rom that will flash / change your bootloader or recovery image, so it shouldnt be an issue.
5: It can, but i've seen issues where backing up stuff from a 2.1 rom, and installing a 2.2, causes weird issues. its safer to just redownload them if you are using a 2.2 rom. Another benefit of 2.2, is now google backs up your app selection you had installed, so when you wipe / flash a new rom, it auto-reinstalls all your apps you had from before ( it doesnt backup your settings though, just the applications themselves ).
ScaryBugThing said:
Awesome response, SilverZero, thanks! I'm starting to feel comfortable with the rooting procedure.
I think the difficulty I have in choosing a ROM is that many ROM threads don't list conclusively whether a feature works or not. So, for instance, I presume that the Fresh ROM has a fully working camera (8MP/720P with all settings), but I've read other ROM threads that talk about downgraded camera bugs, so I am not sure if I should assume things work fine. Conversely, I think wifi tethering doesn't work, since it *seems* to suggest it isn't working, but doesn't flat-out say so...
I don't suppose some source exists somewhere that lists/compares all of these ROMs' features in a table format, listing whether they work or not, or are downgraded? Having something like that in a central, often-updated location would be incredibly useful...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's a project that one user is putting together comparing different ROMs.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Aguc0npJCrWxdEFyU2NRNG1jNnRkY2trdXBsYlJLdWc&hl=en#gid=0
imiddlet said:
I used toast's method for rooting, ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, thank you for taking the time--you really answered all of my questions.
SilverZero said:
Here's a project that one user is putting together comparing different ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Greeeeat. Exactly what I was looking for.
You guys are awesome--I think I know what I need to know now, and in the next few days I will probably try rooting and installing Fresh Evo or BakedSnack. I'll update once I know how it went!
Urg...Well, I did the manual root method. Everything went fine through the initial root (using the classic method by toastcfh), and through the manual recovery mode where I made a nandroid backup.
Then, in recovery mode, I attempted to flash the latest Fresh Evo 3.1.0.1. It gave me no error messages, and I rebooted.
Now, it is stuck on an infinite reboot at the Fresh Evo ("FRESH!!!") bootup animation. It just keeps running that animation, never loading up. I've let that animation run about 15 times before I had to pull the battery to make it stop. Any time I try to boot the phone, I am stuck at that infinite reboot/load sequence.
The only thing I could do was hold Vol- while powering up to get into the bootloader and redo my stock root. I redid the Fresh Evo install, and it still just keeps rebooting for 10 minutes, before I pull the battery. I'll try Baked Snack next, but I don't want to press my luck with too many flashes... Any ideas anyone?
ScaryBugThing said:
Urg...Well, I did the manual root method. Everything went fine through the initial root (using the classic method by toastcfh), and through the manual recovery mode where I made a nandroid backup.
Then, in recovery mode, I attempted to flash the latest Fresh Evo 3.1.0.1. It gave me no error messages, and I rebooted.
Now, it is stuck on an infinite reboot at the Fresh Evo ("FRESH!!!") bootup animation. It just keeps running that animation, never loading up. I've let that animation run about 15 times before I had to pull the battery to make it stop. Any time I try to boot the phone, I am stuck at that infinite reboot/load sequence.
Anyone have any advice? Am I screwed?
The only thing I think I can do is hold Vol- while powering up to get into the bootloader and have it check PC36IMG, after which it gives me the same normal root Step 1 option to "Start Update" (Vol+ for yes, Vol- for no). Will this just restore to "stock" root? I'd like to get FreshEvo working somehow...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try doing a full wipe, Data, Dalvik Cache, everything except the SD card. Then try reflashing the ROM. That was how I had to fix mine when it did the same thing.
Also don't forget to update your Radio, WiMax and Recovery if you havent already.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=715485
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=6877247&postcount=98
As far as the best ROM is concerned I've been using SteelH's deodexed stock ROM with the netarchy-toastmod kernel and it's been running great. FPS are unlocked, its quick as hell and my battery life is excellent.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=743781
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=719763
xHausx said:
Try doing a full wipe, Data, Dalvik Cache, everything except the SD card. Then try reflashing the ROM. That was how I had to fix mine when it did the same thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately, I did a double-wipe (cache, dalvik cache, and data/factory reset x2) before each of the 3 times I tried to install Fresh Evo. Same infinite reboot loop always.
Then I installed Baked Snack just now. I was able to actually boot (54 fps looks great!) but ROM Manager was giving me an error message about flashing the Recovery replacement, Wifi Tether force closed every time I opened it, and every time I plugged in the USB cable, it would disconnect about 2 seconds later, rendering the phone essentially useless since it wouldn't recharge or accept files in that two seconds.
So now I'm flashing back the stock root image, PC36IMG.zip.
I guess this isn't going very well. If anyone has any advice about these problems I'm having, I'm still in the depths of rooting hell. I appreciate the SteelH suggestions. Maybe I'll try that next. But it's definitely worrying me that every ROM I try has some major problems.
ScaryBugThing said:
Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately, I did a double-wipe (cache, dalvik cache, and data/factory reset x2) before each of the 3 times I tried to install Fresh Evo. Same infinite reboot loop always.
Then I installed Baked Snack just now. I was able to actually boot (54 fps looks great!) but ROM Manager was giving me an error message about flashing the Recovery replacement, Wifi Tether forced close every time I opened it, and every time I plugged in the USB cable, it would disconnect about 2 seconds later, rendering the phone essentially useless since it wouldn't recharge or accept files in that two seconds.
So now I'm flashing back the stock root image, PC36IMG.zip.
I guess this isn't going very well. If anyone has any advice about these problems I'm having, I'm still in the depths of rooting hell. I appreciate the SteelH suggestions. Maybe I'll try that next. But it's definitely worrying me that every ROM I try has some major problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you're using clockwork try switching to Amon-RA. That may be whats doing it
xHausx said:
if you're using clockwork try switching to Amon-RA. That may be whats doing it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion and the very fast responses. I'll give Amon-RA a shot, if I can install it. (note: I didn't use Rom Manager to install any actual ROMs here--it was just what I was about to begin using.)
Sorry if I have so many questions, but: What is the best method to flash Amon-RA recovery? Rom Manager seemed easy because you could simply download the program, run it, and choose an option in the settings menu to replace the stock Recovery.
For Amon-RA, there are two options--fastboot, and adb. I only have a vague idea of what these are and how to make them work.
As an UPDATE: I installed SteelH's ROM, and it booted, but it definitely didn't have 54 fps on mine (clearly 30 fps, Novatec panel FWIW), and I had the same problem with the USB cable disconnecting 2 seconds after plugging it in. I of course wiped everything before installing.
So I'm trying to figure out if I did something wrong in my original root--though it seemed to work fine. Could a locked NAND be causing these problems?
ScaryBugThing said:
Thanks for the suggestion and the very fast responses. I'll give Amon-RA a shot, if I can install it. (note: I didn't use Rom Manager to install any actual ROMs here--it was just what I was about to begin using.)
Sorry if I have so many questions, but: What is the best method to flash Amon-RA recovery? Rom Manager seemed easy because you could simply download the program, run it, and choose an option in the settings menu to replace the stock Recovery.
For Amon-RA, there are two options--fastboot, and adb. I only have a vague idea of what these are and how to make them work.
As an UPDATE: I installed SteelH's ROM, and it booted, but it definitely didn't have 54 fps on mine (clearly 30 fps, Novatec panel FWIW), and I had the same problem with the USB cable disconnecting 2 seconds after plugging it in. I of course wiped everything before installing.
So I'm trying to figure out if I did something wrong in my original root--though it seemed to work fine. Could a locked NAND be causing these problems?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used the fastboot method earlier and it was a piece of cake. Just move the recovery to the Tools folder for the SDK, put your phone in fastboot mode and copy paste the two lines in a cmd prompt to install it. I was bored reading through the recovery thread I linked to earlier and apparently clockwork is not wiping properly, others were also having problems with Fresh because of it.
For the FPS fix that is done in the kernel so you would need to flash a custom one.
xHausx said:
I used the fastboot method earlier and it was a piece of cake. Just move the recovery to the Tools folder for the SDK, put your phone in fastboot mode and copy paste the two lines in a cmd prompt to install it. I was bored reading through the recovery thread I linked to earlier and apparently clockwork is not wiping properly, others were also having problems with Fresh because of it.
For the FPS fix that is done in the kernel so you would need to flash a custom one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to do as instructed. I rebooted into Fastboot mode on my phone, verified the device was seen by fastboot on my PC, then entered:
C:\android-sdk-windows\tools>fastboot flash recovery recovery-RA-evo-v1.7.0.1.img
sending 'recovery' (5032 KB)... OKAY [ 1.406s]
writing 'recovery'... INFOsignature checking...
FAILED (remote: signature verify fail)
finished. total time: 2.094s
I tried to redownload the file, but the same result occurred.
EDIT: I was able to flash the Amon-RA recovery, going back to toast's instructions. I don't know why it wasn't flashed before...
I'm also not sure that my wiping the data is the problem--I wiped factory settings/cache/dalvik cache each time using only the stock recovery. I think my mentioning Rom Manager might have suggested I used that program to wipe my data, but I haven't done so...
Anyway, I appreciate the help. This is tough for me--I can't seem to get anything to work.
EDIT2: Problems solved! Indeed, I had not properly unlocked NAND. I redid the toast NAND unlock steps, and Fresh Evo installed on the first try!
My only remaining question: how do I flash a kernel? I simply flash a ROM and then the kernel? I think Fresh Evo is great, but fps2d is still showing me locked at 30 fps.
EDIT3: I think I found the answer. Flash it like any other ROM from zip. (Doing it with Netarchy's Kernel 4.0.3: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=719763 )
(Probably looks silly reading me answer my own questions, but I thought it was better to look stupid if it might help a future beginner like me.)
Just my oppinion simpleroot never really worked for me and ive read bad things about unrevoked so just follow toasts method to rooting it is very simple and straight forward, as for rom i prefer baked snack themed version it is by far the most sexy rom i have seen it uses manups theme and u can enhance it even more, its very stable and has no fps cap on it, as well as both cameras work and video recording works, im not sure if blue tooth has been fixed yet and am not sure if 4g works because i dont have it where i live try it out and tell me what u think.
So...Everything works! A couple of final notes in case it ever helps anyone in the future:
Note 1: The call part of the phone was not working well at all. I could send and receive calls, and hear the other party, but the audio was very noisy and the other party didn't hear my voice when I talk.
I tried to update PRL and Profile, but I got an error code 1012: "The profile update could not be completed. Please try again later. If the problem persists, you may need to contact customer service. Error code:1012"
I thought the problem might be me overwriting some system files with Titanium Backup (though I was careful). But when I tried wiping factory settings/cache/dalvik cache, and rebooted, still the same problems. Ultimately, it turned out simply that Sprint's servers were down, so I couldn't update my profile/PRL. I finally was able to update the Profile and PRL (now 60669) when they came back up, and everything seems to be working.
Note 2: I realized too late that I lost all of my visual voicemails. I don't think there's a way to restore them, and I don't know if there's any way to back them up. But something to think about if you've racked up a fair amount of downloaded visual voicemails.
Thanks everyone for your help.
Was wanting some more help with rooting my Evo for the first time. I know there are a lot of guides for n00bs out there but this stuff moves too fast and they are out of date.
Anyways, my phone is stock:
-Android 2.2
-Software number 3.29.651.5
-PRI version 1.77_003
-PRL version 60671
My intention was to use Unrevoked 3.21 but I read through ALOT of information from different sites and am thoroughly confused. Since my phone has all the recent OTA updates can it be rooted with this? And if so, I most definitely need to not take the Sprint OTA updates and wait for the "rooted" versions correct?
I like the Sense UI (but never used any others) and am happy with the phone the way it is. My hope is being able to use the hotspot feature and remove the bloatware from the phone.
Can anyone walk me through some of this (specific to my need)? As said before, I know there are already some n00b walkthroughs out there but most are too dated and some things apply and some don't which makes it very confusing.
Unrevoked 3.21 is the way to go. I just used it to root my replacement evo and it worked beautifully. Here is the thread for it, just read it and follow the relatively easy instructions and you won't have any issues.
Great.....thanks. This one is the most current I have seen.
I have read that if I take this route the phone could still be flashed back to a stock state in case warranty service (by Sprint) is needed. Am I still correct in assuming this?
Absolutely. It is very easy to unroot and return your phone to stock.
I'm going through the process now. However, my phone has rebooted and unrevoked3 has been sitting doing nothing for awhile. It still says:
Waiting for root...(safe to restart if this doesn't work)
Recovery image: ClockworkMod Recovery
This has been on there for around 5 min now. Do I re-run unrevoked at this point? Do I need to do anything with my phone? What happens if I re-run it and same thing happens?
Thanks.
That happened to me the first time I did it. It worked fine the second. You're ok to run it again.
Nice....it was a success the second time. Thanks.
Now all I have to do is find out what to do from here! lol
You can find info on anything that you might want to do by searching the forums here at xda and by using google. I recommend reading up as much as you can before you start deleting or flashing anything.
The best piece of advice I can give you is to do a nandroid backup before you modify ANYTHING on your phone. That means do one right now so if by chance you screw something up, you can always restore it and be back to where you started. If you don't know what a nandroid is or how to do one, use the search feature here or once again, google.
Good luck and welcome to the xda community
Sorry to jump in on the post but metalhead has been so helpful to how I would like to root. I have searched for nandroid, nandriod backup, and back up nand. None of theme gave a clear path for tutorial. If you could lead me in the right direction I think that this should be made a sticky.
Thanks in advance.
mainstang said:
Sorry to jump in on the post but metalhead has been so helpful to how I would like to root. I have searched for nandroid, nandriod backup, and back up nand. None of theme gave a clear path for tutorial. If you could lead me in the right direction I think that this should be made a sticky.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know what recovery you flashed? regardless, there are two ways to go about it. 1. turn your phone completely. hold Power and VOL - until the boot menu appears, use volume to move the selection and power to select. pick recovery. nandroid backup.
2. get Rom Manager(market). it has a one-touch button to reboot into recovery. easy peasy.
each recovery is different. Whether you have RA or Clockwork or some other third thing, you will get the same result, you just have to go about it differently.
good luck!!
I'm back post root! However, have some questions that I haven't been able to find answers to.
1) Am I OK to take my phone out of USB debug mode, or does it need to stay like that?
2) Can I re-install HTC sync and will it work with all ROMS?
3) I downloaded ROM Manager and Titanium Backup (both paid). When flashing a new ROM, all settings are gone as well as apps from the market. Is there a way to restore a rom without having to go back and re-download ROM Manager from the market then use it to restore? It takes to darn long to reboot the phone into recovery and restore that way.
Also with Titanium Backup, since it just backs up apps what is the point of doing a backup with it? If a complete image is saved by whichever backup you do, all apps in that image will be restored as well. When would anyone ever need to restore just the apps from before with the same rom?
4) Can I do a batch flash with a custom ROM and a custom theme? Or should I do the ROM first then the theme? I wouldn't think the theme can be applied until the ROM is flashed first. I'm not sure if ROM Manager will do this in a specific order.
Thanks.
CCallahan said:
I'm back post root! However, have some questions that I haven't been able to find answers to.
1) Am I OK to take my phone out of USB debug mode, or does it need to stay like that?
2) Can I re-install HTC sync and will it work with all ROMS?
3) I downloaded ROM Manager and Titanium Backup (both paid). When flashing a new ROM, all settings are gone as well as apps from the market. Is there a way to restore a rom without having to go back and re-download ROM Manager from the market then use it to restore? It takes to darn long to reboot the phone into recovery and restore that way.
Also with Titanium Backup, since it just backs up apps what is the point of doing a backup with it? If a complete image is saved by whichever backup you do, all apps in that image will be restored as well. When would anyone ever need to restore just the apps from before with the same rom?
4) Can I do a batch flash with a custom ROM and a custom theme? Or should I do the ROM first then the theme? I wouldn't think the theme can be applied until the ROM is flashed first. I'm not sure if ROM Manager will do this in a specific order.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) i would leave it enabled. it doesn't hurt anything and there are a lot of programs and modifications that use it.
2) in the half dozen roms i've tried, HTC sync does work. i am curious though. what are you using it for?
3) i'm not 100% clear on what you want, but i'll try my best. if all you're wanting to do is restore to a previous rom(for instance, if you flashed a rom to test it out and hate it) as long as you did a nandroid backup BEFORE flashing the rom, you can restore with all your settings and apps in place.
with TB i back up with it in such a way that it preserves all my settings and apps(including PLACEMENT of the apps on my docks and home screens) This is very useful. i'm not really sure why you don't see the significance in TitaniumBackup. it would be an absolute PAIN to restore all your apps from the market. or even better, REMEMBER which apps you had installed after a flash.
4) i would ALWAYS flash a rom first, reboot, check it out to make sure it loads properly. i know it takes a while but it's better to wait, then to try and flash everything at once and frag your phone. it's your phone of course, so do as you wish, but my advice is to flash the rom, reboot, then flash your theme.
good luck!!
Good stuff to know.....thanks.
In response to #2........I'm using HTC sync to sync my contacts/calendar between the phone and Outlook. I do not like using Google apps for this and HTC makes it easy to sync with this program.
In response to #3......You did answer my question. Just wanted to know if there was a faster way to recover (maybe a trick through ROM Manager) that I didn't know about.
To explain more about my Titanium Backup question......now that i think about it I guess if a custom ROM is flashed, one can re-download Titanium and restore all apps/locations on the new ROM setup, which would make things incredibly easier than downloading/placing/sizing apps individually. But, will it also restore widgets with the size/screen placement as well?
CCallahan said:
But, will it also restore widgets with the size/screen placement as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yessir, it did for me
I've been rooted with unrevoked3 (and I have verified that I have S-Off) for a few months now and I've gotten at least a decent feel for what you can do with a rooted evo. I've gotten used to a few adb terminal commands also. The next big thing that I'm trying to do is install a cyanogenmod 6 rom on it (and eventually update it to 7 after it's no longer a nightly). I've already done a nandroid backup, titanium backup, and I have a copy of my RSA keys. I've read through the installation instructions for cyanogenmod 6 (http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php?title=HTC_Evo_4G:_Full_Update_Guide) and it mentioned flashing the radio. I'm not worried about doing that part, but I want to know if the changes that I make to it will be reversible or not if I decide that I don't like cyanogenmod. Finally, if there's anything that I'm missing, or if there's an easier way to do this other than the link I posted, any advice/tips would be great.
spalding1028 said:
I've been rooted with unrevoked3 (and I have verified that I have S-Off) for a few months now and I've gotten at least a decent feel for what you can do with a rooted evo. I've gotten used to a few adb terminal commands also. The next big thing that I'm trying to do is install a cyanogenmod 6 rom on it (and eventually update it to 7 after it's no longer a nightly). I've already done a nandroid backup, titanium backup, and I have a copy of my RSA keys. I've read through the installation instructions for cyanogenmod 6 (http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php?title=HTC_Evo_4G:_Full_Update_Guide) and it mentioned flashing the radio. I'm not worried about doing that part, but I want to know if the changes that I make to it will be reversible or not if I decide that I don't like cyanogenmod. Finally, if there's anything that I'm missing, or if there's an easier way to do this other than the link I posted, any advice/tips would be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Undoing it would be as simple as restoring that nandroud backup you made. It sounds like you're ready. Have fun!
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
+1 sounds like you've done your homework.....you can go right back to your nandroid in the very small chance you don't like CM.... and when you restore your nandroid it will be as if you never changed anything in the first place...
The radio is a two step process. It will flash in recovery and then reboot and finish writing the radio. You have to let the second part complete or you will brick your phone.
Quick question based on the OP's question: Do we have to update radios when we flash a new rom? I was also looking to install CM7 as my first flashed rom today. I already have the most current radios, as my phone is only a couple weeks old, and has all the sprint updates. I am rooted just running the stock rom for right now, so do I have to flash radios even though they are the same version that I have now?
You don't HAVE to update the radios to the latest. I haven't updated either since I received my new Evo. "If it ain't broke ...." Could just give the ROM a go and see what happens. If you feel like it's necessary you can give it a shot. You can always go back if a new one doesn't appear to be working as well. It's not required, and it's not "un doable."
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Yea if you get slow internet or bad service a fresh radio flash can't hurt. But as it was said earlier, let the radios flash! I screwed up and pulled my battery because I thought it wasn't working but all I did was end up breaking my rsa keys.
Swyped from my Evo on steroids.
TheSilverStig said:
Yea if you get slow internet or bad service a fresh radio flash can't hurt. But as it was said earlier, let the radios flash! I screwed up and pulled my battery because I thought it wasn't working but all I did was end up breaking my rsa keys.
Swyped from my Evo on steroids.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I believe only 3.70 requires you to have the new radios other than that just enjoy life nandroid and flash away. Like said earlier "if it aint broke" and since mine are working fine I have not updated my radios and the fact that I run Gingerbread and not one of these new 3.70 roms makes my decision easy.
Okay, I've got cyanogenmod installed, I'm doing a nandroid backup right now, and my big questions now, if I want to switch between cyanogen and what I had before installing it, can I just nandroid between the two? and can I use Titatium to reinstall all of the apps I had before installing cyanogen without problem?
spalding1028 said:
Okay, I've got cyanogenmod installed, I'm doing a nandroid backup right now, and my big questions now, if I want to switch between cyanogen and what I had before installing it, can I just nandroid between the two? and can I use Titatium to reinstall all of the apps I had before installing cyanogen without problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you made a nandroid before switching, the nandroid will save EVERYTHING, including your apps. So if you want to switch back and forth, make a new Nandroid for CM (make sure you know which one is which), then you can boot into recovery and restore the old one, and restore the CM one whenever you want. No need to use titanium once you have made a nandroid.
Awesome. I said what the heck and experimented and found out I could do that yesterday. The one last thing that I'm trying to do now is to backup all of my sms to the sd card so I can restore them in cm. I'm gonna search around for an app for now until someone points me in the right direction.
Sent from my rooted PC36100 using XDA App.
spalding1028 said:
Awesome. I said what the heck and experimented and found out I could do that yesterday. The one last thing that I'm trying to do now is to backup all of my sms to the sd card so I can restore them in cm. I'm gonna search around for an app for now until someone points me in the right direction.
Sent from my rooted PC36100 using XDA App.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use mybackup pro or titanium backup
Sorry, wrong thread.
Ok, basically I discovered cyanogen 7 about a week ago and was pure ''
well since then I have gone from knowing nothing at all to having a rooted 2.2 (stock rom) GSM desire (A8181 - whatever that actually means), S -ON
I rooted with unrevoked and have clockworkmod 2.something.
now from what i understand I need to S -OFF so that I can use a program (run on the phone from ROM manager) to upgrade clockwork to 3.x then (correct me if i'm wrong, I'm a total noob dont forget xD) I can use ROM manager to download CM7 and instal all on the phone?
is that right? if not could someone please correct me
I've done a NANDroid backup
i think thats all i want to say :')
I get confused when browsing forums because people talk about things, especially abbreviations, that mean nothing to me xD
Thanks for the help guys
spears93 said:
Ok, basically I discovered cyanogen 7 about a week ago and was pure ''
well since then I have gone from knowing nothing at all to having a rooted 2.2 (stock rom) GSM desire (A8181 - whatever that actually means), S -ON
I rooted with unrevoked and have clockworkmod 2.something.
now from what i understand I need to S -OFF so that I can use a program (run on the phone from ROM manager) to upgrade clockwork to 3.x then (correct me if i'm wrong, I'm a total noob dont forget xD) I can use ROM manager to download CM7 and instal all on the phone?
is that right? if not could someone please correct me
I've done a NANDroid backup
i think thats all i want to say :')
I get confused when browsing forums because people talk about things, especially abbreviations, that mean nothing to me xD
Thanks for the help guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not an expert on the S-OFF side of things but ive been flashing various ROMS without ever needing to S-OFF.
Been using LeeDroid and now GingerVillain (and tried a few more along the way).
For info the GingerVillain has CM7 stuff in it and is pretty stable. Once you have flashed GingerVillain once it has its own setup for flashing updates/patches etc.
But you are right to always take a nandroid backup first. the one time i forgot my flash screwed up
wilbur-force said:
not an expert on the S-OFF side of things but ive been flashing various ROMS without ever needing to S-OFF.
Been using LeeDroid and now GingerVillain (and tried a few more along the way).
For info the GingerVillain has CM7 stuff in it and is pretty stable. Once you have flashed GingerVillain once it has its own setup for flashing updates/patches etc.
But you are right to always take a nandroid backup first. the one time i forgot my flash screwed up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's sound advice because I'm not set on cyanogen however I don't know how I'd go about flashing GingerVillain :')
And how sure are you it's alright with S-ON because I don't like the sound of a £250 paperweight
thanks though
well ive never changed my S status .....
Download ROM Manager from the Market. Make sure you install clockworkmod recovery (using ROM Manager). Backup current ROM (using ROM Manager). Download GingerVillain latest version. Flash ROM from SD card (using ROM Manager)
Any future updates to GingerVillain you can use the 'Villain Setup' utility that you will find in your app list once the Flash is complete.
If its your first ever flash be aware that you should make sure the battery level is high, and that it may take several minutes (so dont panic !)
As long as you backup first everything should be fine (although there is always some risk).
Once you have finished your first Flash it will seem like you were worried about nothing
Oh ... and if you would prefer to stay with Froyo the LeeDroid ROM has a very good A2SD version
that sounds.... easy
thanks
and ROM manager says i already have CwM 2.5.0.7 -- so thats all cool, yeah?
Will my NANDroid backup count or shall I just do it again in ROM manager?
and I'm guessing I can download GV from within ROM manager?
sorry to ask all the newb questions but i'd rather be sure lol
Ive never bothered downloading ROMs from within ROM Manager but I believe you can.
As for the backup Id copy your existing backup to your PC and do another. You can never have too many backups
The backup will be in a sub folder on your SD card in a 'clockworkmod' directory.
oh ... and it generally is easy its just summing up courage for the first one.
Might be worth using titanium backup or my backup pro to take a copy of your apps if you dont want to lose where you have got to on Angry Birds etc
you can then restore them to your new ROM
Thanks
my phone is off to charge quicker at the minute then i'll give it a shot
one last question to be extra annoying
if i can't download GV within ROM man.
..could you provide a download link for me to manually slap in on my SD please
Seriously though, I'm really grateful!
They are all under the Desire Android dev sub forum.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=880465
FINALLY about to do it and I've just thought..
Im on clockwork 2.x
don't i need 3.x for ext4 which makes gingerbread more stable?
also, ROM manager didn't have GV so i downloaded the zip from the link you gave me and extracted it to the root of my SD
rom manager doesnt find the image file, only the 3 folders
..and i feel really stupid :')
[edit 5 mins later]
NOT unzipping it was a better idea, its working now
...my excuse is that im learning
Good thing it worked for you. Some users have reported a host of problems flashing ROMs from ROM Manager. I'd advice you to do it the tried-and-tested old way: through Recovery (which in your case is ClockworkMod).
If you decide to repartition, ROM Manager can do that too, but that's not too advisable either, as some have reported problems with that method, and ROM Manager only allows up to 512Mb partitions, if I remember right.
funny that ^
ROM manager ended up leaving me on the white screen with the green HTC logo untill i pulled the battery
i did it through recovery and it worked a charm
just went through ALL of the settings and i LOVE it
there are a few things i dont like but i'm yet to try different themes etc yet
I'm a happy bunny!
Glad you managed the Flash OK
Never experienced any problems with ROM Manager myself ....
Thing is, now you have recovery and a nadroid backup you are fairly safe. Anything goes wrong you can recover to a previous image from recovery
I always keep a nadroid on my SD card just in case
Of course if you try S-OFF and all sorts of HBOOT changes then you expose yourself to more risk apparently so be careful.
Happy Flashing
oh ... and if you are on GingerVillain go to the Villain Setup and flash the adfree add on. For me it always takes 2 attempts to work, which is strange, but adfree is great
and on GingerVillain you also might want to flash the 'new market' add-on too ...
.... and then there are the Kernels to try too
A week from now you will wonder what you were worried about and will be flashing daily
wilbur-force said:
Glad you managed the Flash OK
Never experienced any problems with ROM Manager myself ....
Thing is, now you have recovery and a nadroid backup you are fairly safe. Anything goes wrong you can recover to a previous image from recovery
I always keep a nadroid on my SD card just in case
Of course if you try S-OFF and all sorts of HBOOT changes then you expose yourself to more risk apparently so be careful.
Happy Flashing
oh ... and if you are on GingerVillain go to the Villain Setup and flash the adfree add on. For me it always takes 2 attempts to work, which is strange, but adfree is great
and on GingerVillain you also might want to flash the 'new market' add-on too ...
.... and then there are the Kernels to try too
A week from now you will wonder what you were worried about and will be flashing daily
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm already wondering it
I though last night (well, 4.20 this morning) that I might bite the bullet and try flashing cyanogen
-which i did with sucess
then downloaded the google add on pack and added that
I felt all happy like
onr of my friends did his hero at the same time too because he was interested when i showed him
I think for now I'll keep cyanogen, but i've left it in note form: no homescreens properly set up, very few apps etc, until i find a ROM that I really like the look of
I'll keep ginger in mind though, especially as i hadn't tried the stuff you mentioned above
Hi there,
Saw the thread and thought i could help you with some information.
S-ON/OFF refers to Signature Verification on or off. S-ON stops things that the phone manufactuer do not want changed. It is totally separate to Root access to android. The main advantage of turning S-OFF is that you can change the size of the partitions on the device to give you more space for you apps. Basically playing around here can be dangerous if you are not aware of what it's actually doing at all times.
The great news is that as you have already discovered, you definately don't need to play with S-OFF to flash ROMs. Just root access and a recovery. The ClockworkMod 2.0.5.7 that comes with the Unrevoked root method should is fine for flashing all ROMs from ROM manager or by booting into recovery. But if any of your ROM instructions call for later versions you can just store the later version zip on your SD and use the older recovery to flash the newer version. It will be usable until your phone re-boots. You can't flash the image of the new recovery without S-OFF
Glad to have you experimenting in the community. I think this sort of stuff is exactly why Android is excellent. Apple hate that people Jailbreak their phones but Google openly encourage this development!
Thanks Jimmy
I flashed GV again (because i'm getting a bit carried away now ;D) and tried to install new market, adfree and a 3d desire bootlogo. I've got debugging and unknown apps enabled but it says there is a problem downloading?
Any idea why?
hmmmm.... not seen that one. Have you tried wifi and 3G ? whats the exact message ?
Did you wipe between flashes ? you dont normally need to do this when flashing updates (eg gingervillain 2.0 to 2.1) but when flashing between different ROMs (eg CM to GV) then you should do a full wipe ....
jimmytheflea said:
Hi there,
Saw the thread and thought i could help you with some information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great summary! I definitely recommend s-off as I found it as easy as root.
I have close to 300mb free on internal and usually over 200mb free ram.
You can also change the HTC quietly brilliant (should be "loudly" if you ask me!) splash screen after s-off, and write to any of your device partitions, including /system and /data while booted, saving some time using advanced for certain tasks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
spears93 said:
Thanks Jimmy
I flashed GV again (because i'm getting a bit carried away now ;D) and tried to install new market, adfree and a 3d desire bootlogo. I've got debugging and unknown apps enabled but it says there is a problem downloading?
Any idea why?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that just the market message telling you there is a problem downloading?
My best guess is that there is a setting in GV that allows direct install to the SD-ext partition for apps. Do you have an EXT2/3/4 partition on your SD card?
When ROMs talk about A2SD, Data2EXT and Data2SD the EXT partition is required.
have a look at the blog for the Starburst ROM for desire for a great tutorial (can't post an external link in here)
It is for a specific ROM but the process is the same. I would recommend using EXT3 because it is the most compatible with ROMS.
See how you go with that.