Root looking for official 2.3.5 rom with no bloatware

[D-U-R-X]

As you are currently rooted, you should take a backup with Titanium, so that you can restore your data afterwards. Make sure that your contacts are sync'd with Gmail and you can even backup your SMS/Call logs with apps available from the market. I'd make a folder on your desktop and copy the entire contents of the SD card to it... that way, should anything get wiped off the SD card (shouldn't, but you never know), you will be able to just copy it all back after.

With regards to Super User... I think you can flash that in recovery... may be worth waiting a little, to see if scotty/ral/someone else can confirm.

The RUU is easy to run... like scotty said, open it on your computer and follow the steps... it's like when you install something on the computer... keep pressing next, until it's complete. Think it takes like 5-10 mins.

Once the RUU is run, you will be back on stock, non-rooted but you will be S-Off (meaning that it is real easy to re-root). The bloatware will probably all be back again, but it's just a case of renaming the recovery (as per scotty) to PD98IMG

 

[D-U-R-X]

Having re-read what you actually asked (should have read it properly in the first place... sorry... only just got up), you put the full zip on the root of your SD card... no need to extract

 

[scotty85]

correct! do not extract the recovery zip or the superuser zip.

the recovery is flashed in hboot as a PD98IMG and superuser is then flsahed in recovery

im off to work soon,but ill try and watch if you have more questions :smokingsomb:

 

[ral]

I am watching this one with interest. Never tried this before.

 

[D-U-R-X]

It's pretty easy really mate... I rooted a friends DHD once he changed for a Note (his next contract phone) and then ran an RUU to put it to stock, non-branded, so he could pass it on to another friend on a different network

 

[D-U-R-X]

You'll have to let us know how you got on malcster

 

[ral]

the recovery is flashed in hboot as a PD98IMG and superuser is then flsahed in recovery

This is the part I am intrigue with. Always assume flashing an official ROM would unroot the phone and return to S-ON.

 

[D-U-R-X]

Running an RUU doesn't put the phone back to S-On... means that it is easy to re-root if you want

If you want to fully unroot your phone, there is a bit more work involved than just running an RUU.

 

[malcster]

Just got home so getting ready.
Just to clarify
Backup apps with titanium
Run ruu
Rename pdimgbfile and drop on to SD
Reboot
Remove PD file
Drop on super user

Done ??? Or have I missed something
Scotty mentioned back up a recovery but I'm unsure how I do this bit and what to do with it afterwards

 

[malcster]

I am watching this one with interest. Never tried this before.

guess i'm the guinea pig

 

[D-U-R-X]

Just got home so getting ready.
Just to clarify
Backup apps with titanium

I'd also look at backing up SMS/Call logs (if you're bothered about them) and make sure that you sync contacts with Gmail... I'd make a copy of everything that's on the SD card and put it in a folder on your desktop just in case too

Run ruu

yep

Rename pdimgbfile and drop on to SD

Here you're renaming the recovery (whichever of the 2 scotty suggests)

Reboot

in to hboot - power off completely and then power on, whilst holding the volume down button... this will make the phone think that it has to do an update.

Remove PD file
Drop on super user

Reboot the phone normally and remove the file and replace with the Superuser file

Done ??? Or have I missed something

almost there

Scotty mentioned back up a recovery but I'm unsure how I do this bit and what to do with it afterwards

What scotty was saying was, once you've put the superuser on the root of your SD card, you need to reboot in to recovery (same as booting in to hboot but, when it can't find a PD98IMG filde, you would tell the phone to go in to recovery) - It is in recovery that you flash superuser... can explain it when you get to this step though

 

[malcster]

ok so i'm at the point of removing the pdimg from the root after it has flashed
do i need to rename the super user file to just super user or as it is called

its currently called "CWM-SuperSU-v0.96" without the speech marks

 

[D-U-R-X]

right... all you need to do is drop the Superuser on to the root of your SD card.

You then boot in to recovery (power on whilst holding the volume down key) and, when it you get the option, select "recovery" to get in to recovery.

Could you let me know which recovery you actually used?

 

[malcster]

PD98IMG_ace_recovery_ext_4.zip thats the one i used

just rebooting for the final time
i reckon i need to reinstall titanium to remove the bloatware ???

 

[D-U-R-X]

When you are in recovery, you should be able to go to "install zip from SD" or something like that.

If you have a touch recovery, you can navigate using the touch screen... if you have clockworkmod, you use the volume keys to navigate and the power button to select.

Once you have flashed SuperUser, you should be able to navigate to reboot system and get back in to the phone itself.

Once here, use Titanium to restore the data for each apt/remove bloarDownload the call/sms backup apps (if you used them) from the Play Store and you can put the SMS/Call Logs back and you should be pretty much done

 

[D-U-R-X]

Ah... you replied while I was posting... 4EXT is a touch recovery, so you will be able to use the touch screen (it's nicer to use than ClockWorkMod, IMO)

 

[malcster]

I found it initiative
Just transferring files back on to SD
Reinstalling titanium
Then I'm done

Thank you so much I'll report back when I'm fully finished

 

[D-U-R-X]

Awesome!!

Sounds like all has gone according to plan.

I guess that it is all looking like it did before you started messing with it? The wife wouldn't know that anything had been done with it, if it wasn't for the fact that it's gonna have no bloat on it!

Will wait to hear back from you

 

[malcster]

everything went well

thank you everyone who assisted

oh and ral follow whats been posted its as straight forward as that with a few minor steps (like swiping to the left in titanium to removing the apps) missing but if you do decide to go ahead let me know and ill help where i can

if i can do it anyone can i reckon


DURX i salute you

and thanks as well to scotty85

 

[D-U-R-X]

Great... glad it's all done... hopefully that all = one happy wife!

When you have the Nexus 4 and she has your nexus, be sure to come back, to have a bit of a go at flashing ROM's n that

 

[ral]

everything went well

thank you everyone who assisted

oh and ral follow whats been posted its as straight forward as that with a few minor steps (like swiping to the left in titanium to removing the apps) missing but if you do decide to go ahead let me know[/QUOTE]

More curious that it could be done. Flashing Recovery as a PD98IMG was a brilliant idea.

But me, I Won't be going back to the official ROM. There is a near stock custom ROM, Android Revolution HD 6.3.3 which looks and works 100% like the stock ROM, but runs faster as well as being more battery efficient. When I rooted my phone I used this ROM for sale bit.

I have been on Ice Cream Sandwich ince August, I don't see myself reverting back to Gingerbread.

 

[D-U-R-X]

Flashing a recovery as PD98IMG was possible, as the phone was previously rooted. If you do ever return to stock (flash an RUU), you can re-root that way, as long as the phone is still S-Off

 

[malcster]

Although its running a stock ROM albeit with the bloat removed it seems to run a lot quicker

Boot up time from restart has shortened as well

Thank you again

 

[D-U-R-X]

No worries - happy to help

Glad the phone seems snappier... bet the wife will be happy!!

 

[scotty85]

This is the part I am intrigue with. Always assume flashing an official ROM would unroot the phone and return to S-ON.

there are basically 2 types of s-off:
1)radio s-off. this is where the secure flag changes its actual status from on to off. when the bootloader encounters a particular situation,it checks the radio secureflag to see how it is to react. if it finds on,it goes thru its battery of checks(CID,main version,signiture,etc). if it finds off,it does none.

the radio secure flag is not stored in a partition that is contained in an ruu,or ever updated with an OTA. it is therefore present until you intentionally remove it. this obviously is a very strong advantage- no matter what hboot you run,what ruu you flash,or even accept OTAs,you will stay s-off.

2)eng s-off,or engineering s-off. this is where a special bootloader is used to simply ignore the radios secure flag status. basically,it just does not bother to even check the secureflag. factory engineering or eng hboots exist for speical developer devices,and have with them an extra assortment of commands.

your factory eng hboot IS overwritten when an ruu is run,leaving you with s-on(if you overwrote it with an ruu containing a norma hboot) so caution must be used to protect the s-off hboot,and prevent it from accidentally being replaced.

another way to get eng s-off is thru a "patched" hboot. this is pretty much as it sounds- an hboot is modified to ignore the radio(i.e.,be s-off)and modified to provide the extra fastboot commands. it can be further modified to ignore CID checks(givng the same result as superCID) and even prevent itself from being overwritten.

a patched hboot protecting itself from overwrite is almost as good as radio s-off,with exception of when a new hboot is needed for new software. the change from gingerbread to ICS is a perfect example of this. without the new hboot,modifications must be made for the new software to run,or a new hboot must be patched that is compatible with the new software. radio s-off wins here,since you can just run the new required hboot and still be s-off.

a prime example of a patched hboot that wont let itself be overwritten is the "blackrose" hboot for the nexus one.(blackrose)

More curious that it could be done. Flashing Recovery as a PD98IMG was a brilliant idea.

But me, I Won't be going back to the official ROM. There is a near stock custom ROM, Android Revolution HD 6.3.3 which looks and works 100% like the stock ROM, but runs faster as well as being more battery efficient. When I rooted my phone I used this ROM for sale bit.

I have been on Ice Cream Sandwich ince August, I don't see myself reverting back to Gingerbread.

youmay not want to run an ruu to get back to stock,or to run GB,but if you ever get jammed up enuff that a recovery flash isnt fixing an issue,you may need to run one to get up and running. so hopefully this is still useful info,as you now know its easy to recover to a booting device,reinstall recovery,etc. as long as youre s-off :smokingsomb:

Although its running a stock ROM albeit with the bloat removed it seems to run a lot quicker

Boot up time from restart has shortened as well

Thank you again

glad its worked out without a hitch(other than the higher than mormal consumption of nicotene and caffine ).

hopefully the wife is happy,and as we all know,happy wife=happy malcster(at least it works that way in my household )

just holler if you have any other questions!