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Root [Guide]ROOTING HTC android 2.2.1 or lower with unrEVOked - Windows (updated 20th December 2012)

Ref HTC sync; you need to install then uninstall HTC sync. That will leave you with just the drivers.

If you want to keep things really simple root with UnRevoked then, having booted normally, run Revolutionary. The advantages are that UnRevoked will give you root & a custom recovery (clockworkmod) in one easy step then Revolutionary will give you S-Off.

Oxygen 2.3.2 is an excellent ROM (& my personal favorite). However Oxygen by itself will not solve your storage problem. The issue is that the phone storage is broken down into partitions (system, cache and data). Oxygen is a smaller system but without changing anything else you will gain very little other than inaccessible space on the system partition. To use Oxygen to it's full advantage you will need either an EXT partition creating on your sd card or you will need to flash a custom hboot. This thread explains it far better than I can. Do bear in mind that Oxygen 2.3.2 is a gingerbread ROM so you will need to flash the latest radio for the Desire to make it work.

Unfortunately there is no quick fix to storage problems on the Desire but it can all be done. If you are nervous of using command prompts and fastboot the first step is to follow the instructions in the opening post of this thread and root using UnRevoked. Next Follow the instructions from the Revolutionary thread as far as gaining S-Off. Then come back to us & we can talk you through installing 4EXT recovery (which will partition your sd card for you), flashing the latest radio and installing Oxygen.
 
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Thanks for the advice - sounds sensible; I'm afraid I'm all for taking things in easy steps. I haven't actually done anything yet, tbh; we're in the middle of the arrival of our first grandchild, & other things are taking priority at the moment!
 
If I use UnrEVOked, should I stick with 2.3.1, which I've not found to download yet, or go for 2.3.2, which I managed to track down? I haven't got the Arab build, seemingly, but the erase size is 40000 on PVT4, so I've downloaded the Amon-Ra img.
Cheers
 
Do you happen to know of a download link for it? I still can only find 3.22, which is why I was wondering whether to use it.
 
No rush, thank you, if you think it's best to use that version. Granddaughter born 4.30 this morning, so other things to think about . . .
 
Hi Pete
Unfortunately I have been unable to locate a copy of UnRevoked 3.2.1. Sorry!

The revolutionary guide is not that hard to follow & if you really dont want to attempt command prompts I can talk you through how to use a different interface to flash the recovery.
 
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Hi again
Thanks - I'm sure it'll be OK ; I was just concerned that I wasn't supposed to be using 3.32. I'd normally go for the latest version of any software, but I thought there was some reason why I should use the earlier version. If that's not the case, that's fine - I'll go ahead with 3.32, which I've got downloaded & ready to go.
 
I've never tried 3.3.2 so I couldn't tell you. There's probably a reason why Suroot specified it for the ARA build, but I've no idea why he didn't for the world wide and European version that most of us have, and he no longer frequents these forums so we can't ask him. Personally I would follow the guides to the letter.

If I were you I would use revolutionary because I know that works. If you don't want to go to the trouble of setting up command line prompts to flash the recovery I can recommend a utility that will do it for you.
 
OK then, Revolutionary it is. In which case, can go back to my original question, which was whether to just follow the steps in Hadron's first post in this thread? Your utility sounds like a good idea, if it simplifies things, so yes please to it, though you'll have to say whereabouts it would be used in Hadron's guide.
Thanks for your patience - you've probably got better thigs to do on a bank holiday weekend!
 
The first steps of Hadron's guide actually tell you to come to the opening post of this thread and complete all 9 stages of the prerequisite steps.

Then run revolutionary to gain S-Off.

Once S-Off you can use Fastboot Commander to flash your custom recovery (4EXT recommended). I can provide a step by step guide if you need it.
 
OK - fallen at the first hurdle. Booted into HBOOT, connected the phone, which changes to HBOOT USB PLUG . . . but there's no 'Android 1.0 device' in Device Manager, jus a message that a USB device has malfunctioned. I'm on Windows 8.1, if that makes a difference.
 
Windows 8 has given a number of problems in the past. I'm still using visa so may not be of much help. You have got USB debugging selected in settings? You did install and unintelligible HTC sync? Try another USB. Do you have access to an older operating system?
 
I didn't think USB debugging had to be enabled until the next step. Still, it's now enabled, but still no joy from Device Manager. HTC Sync's uninstalled. Tried a registry edit from xda-developers, still no joy. Same on all US ports, & no other OS available at the mo. Ah well.
 
Sorry - tried keeping an eye on Device Manager; even expanded every tree in it to look for unrecognised devices or exclamation marks; the only thing with a question mark under Other Devices is a Bluetooth Peripheral Device. Tried the USB drivers on that, in case, but no joy. I'm reasonably OK with computers - it's just phones I'm clueless with.
I'll have a rummage for something with an older OS, see how that goes.
Thanks again for your assistance
 
Just realised, got an ancient laptop (cracked screen, no battery life etc) that I put W7 on some time ago; plugged phone in, up popped 'Android 1.0'. Now got to install & uninstall HTC sync, copy over all the utilities . . . but later; got to get some 'proper work' done now!
 
Pete
I am going to be away from home with no access to files on my PC for a few days. I have put everything I think you will need into a file on my dropbox (Link removed).

Continue to the end of the prerequisite steps you have been following then connect the phone too your laptop with Android running normally and run Revolutionary. This will get you S-Off.

Boot into fastboot mode (from Off hold the back key & press power) & connect to PC. Open FastbootCommanderV.1.5 and it should detect your phone. On the Hboot, Recovery & Radio page click on the Recovery button on the left & navigate to where you have saved the recovery.img from the dropbox file. Click Flash recovery button on the right. Now select the custom tab and edit the text to say fastboot reboot-bootloader and press return. Once the bootloader has rebooted you can disconnect. You now have a custom recovery.

Place the Superuser-3.1.3-arm-signed.zip file on your sd card but not in any other folders. Boot into recovery (from off hold the vol - key & press power, after a few seconds you can navigate to recovery using the volume keys & select by pressing power). In recovery make a back up by selecting Back up | Restore, Back up & confirm your action. Then:
1. Select - install from sdcard.
2. Select - chose zip from the sdcard
3. Scroll to the bottom, you will see the superuser zip file.
4. Select the zip file and confirm your action.
Reboot the phone & you should see that superuser has been installed as a system app. You are now rooted.

I suggest you might also like to download Titanium Backup from Google Play & back up your apps because when you flash a new ROM you will need to do a full wipe. Titanium will restore your apps & data afterwards (not recommended for system apps).

Come back to me before you flash a ROM because we need to install the correct radio for gingerbread ROMs.
 
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Wow! That's excellent, thank you. I'm just installing Dropbox, as it seems I need an account for a shared folder; it'll be interesting to see if your files are the same as the ones I've collected together.
My next question was going to be about the radio; I know you said it would need the latest radio flashing, plus the SD card partitioning - I'll see if I can get that far by early evening. As far as apps are concerned, I haven't got that many installed - no space! & those that are don't have anything much in the way of data, apart from Whatsapp & messages. Contacts are all Google.
 
Hmm . . . Dropbox doesn't like that link - got me to set up an account, but now says the folder Public/JustPete doesn't exist, presumably cos it's now looking in my own new Dropbox. Perhaps you could just a read-only link rather than actually sharing the folder?
Which recovery is it, btw? I had downloaded 4-ext.
 
Actually, that's the private link, no big deal.

@nicka3200 please tap the info on that and post the Dropbox hashed link that they'll give from the sharing option.

Well done on your help here, I've been following with great interest. :)
 
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