• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Root noob 2 rooting: a few questions

schwim

schwim

Well-Known Member
Hi there everyone,

I've never rooted a phone and I was wondering if I could ask a few questions before I decide whether to go ahead or not.

1: I found this in the sticky: How To: Root the HTC Incredible (Unrevoked Method) Updated 09.20.10! | TheUnlockr it was last updated over a year ago. Is this still a good newbie method of rooting or is there a better method now?

2: reading up on it, it seems that the choice of Roms are endless. All I really want to root for is because i'd like to tether without paying the man and I want later versions of Android before Verizon decides I should have it. What Rom is stable and trouble-free for a guy that doesn't need the niche stuff?

3: if I can't live the rooted lifestyle, how much trouble is it to revert the phone back to the way the evil empire intended it?

I know you guys must get tired of the same stuff over and over, but us luddites are scared we'll brick our phones and be out of luck, so I thank anyone that might take the time to help me out.

Thanks,
Json
 
That guide is fine, I personally just followed the guide on unrevoked's website. If you are using windows to root, it is important to install the drivers correctly. Install them once with the phone completely booted, and once while the phone is in hboot. The root method is really as simple as downloading the program and running it after you get the drivers installed.

http://unrevoked.com/rootwiki/doku.php/public/windows_hboot_driver_install

You don't have to flash (install) any rom if you don't want to. Nearly every rom out there is stable as long as you flash it correctly.

It's very simple to unroot:
http://androidforums.com/incredible-all-things-root/181255-how-downgrade-official-2-2-a.html
 
Thanks very much for your help! Something you said confused me though. You said I didn't have to pick a Rom if I didn't want to. If I root the phone but dont use a Rom, what would I have to do to enable wifi tethering without using the verizon app? I thought installing a different Rom is what allowed everything that the providers didnt want you to have.
 
Rooting in itself is what allows you to do extra things on the phone. Some roms have extra features built in but otherwise it can be done with root only apps. Go to the market and get Open Garden WiFi Tether once rooted. No special Rom required and it works like a champ.
 
sdrawkcab25 said:
Install them once with the phone completely booted, and once while the phone is in hboot.http://androidforums.com/incredible-all-things-root/181255-how-downgrade-official-2-2-a.html
Click to expand...

I'm having a small issue. With the phone booted normally, the only place it shows up in the device manager is under "Disk Drives" as HTC Android Phone USB Device. I imagine this isn't what I want. Do I need to change a setting on the phone to get it to show up in the device manager when in it's normal operational mode?
 
iowabowtech said:
Rooting in itself is what allows you to do extra things on the phone. Some roms have extra features built in but otherwise it can be done with root only apps. Go to the market and get Open Garden WiFi Tether once rooted. No special Rom required and it works like a champ.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much for the explanation. As soon as I've got it rooted, I'll give it a shot.
 
As always happens for me, I'm unable to follow the tutorial.

After successfully installing the drivers while in HBOOT, my screen looks like this:

HBOOT USB PLUG

<VOL UP>
<VOL DOWN>
<POWER>

FASTBOOT
RECOVERY
CLEAR STORAGE
SIMLOCK
FACTORY RESET

So I can't scroll down to HBOOT USB, because it doesn't exist in the lower list. It's at the very top, but that doesn't seem to mean anything.

Any idea on why I don't have the option that's in the instructions?

[EDIT] Just to make sure I followed the instructions correctly, I installed evo's hboot drivers using two other machines. My phone simply does not offer the HBOOT USB menu entry.

Something that may mean something: even when I choose "charge only" after plugging in the USB cable, the option to view the new drives comes up, so it's mounting the drives regardless of what I choose.[/EDIT]
 
Just update it with the same driver I installed it with or are you saying to let windows try to find a later driver?
 
Open device manager, browse to
Android Phone
L Android Bootloader Interface

Right-click and choose "update driver"
Browse to android usb driver, choose to include sub-directories and update:

"Windows has determined the driver software for your device is up to date."
 
Well that's a kick in the jimmy. Guess you're going to have to get the hboot thing resolved after all. So you have USB debugging enabled and you're in hboot at the time of the driver update effort right? Not sure what's up here.

Try a full blown shuddown and go back into hboot and retry? Guessing you've probably already been down that road before though.
 
I do have debugging enabled and unfortunately have tried shutdowns and restart across three computers. Carefully reading the tutorial and watching the video, I can't see anything I've neglected.

Thanks very much for all your effort, however :)
 
Unless i'm missing something, looks like everything is ready to go. Boot the phone up, set it to charge only while plugged into your computer and run unrevoked.
 
I did run revoked after booting the phone up and setting it to charge only. It booted into HBOOT, I had no way to choose "HBOOT USB" like the tutorial tells me, after about 10 seconds, it boots back into normal mode and that's the end.

According to the tutorials, I need to be able to choose "HBOOT USB" during the revoked process and I am unable to, since it doesn't exist in my list of choices.
 
schwim said:
I did run revoked after booting the phone up and setting it to charge only. It booted into HBOOT, I had no way to choose "HBOOT USB" like the tutorial tells me, after about 10 seconds, it boots back into normal mode and that's the end.

According to the tutorials, I need to be able to choose "HBOOT USB" during the revoked process and I am unable to, since it doesn't exist in my list of choices.
Click to expand...

you shouldn't have to choose anything, it's an automated process. What does unrevoked say as it's running on the computer?

All you have to do is plug the phone in and let it do its thing, don't touch any keys while unrevoked is running.
 
[EDIT]scratch the below. Scrolling through a few times brought up the notice that "back menu button enabled" at which time I was able to select menu choices with the power button.[/EDIT]

Thanks very much for that. Closing an unrevoked "are you sure" popunder window hidden behind the browser started the process.

I have made it to the point that I see the superuser icon in my settings and rebooted into hboot and chose "recovery" and am now in the clockworkmod window. I scrolled down using the volume down button to backup and restore, but when I click the power button the screen just goes dark. I waited a bit before hitting the power button again and it comes back to life showing the clockworkmod main menu again with backup and restore still highlighted.

Is there something I need to do differently to get the backup process to happen?
 
schwim said:
[EDIT]scratch the below. Scrolling through a few times brought up the notice that "back menu button enabled" at which time I was able to select menu choices with the power button.[/EDIT]

Thanks very much for that. Closing an unrevoked "are you sure" popunder window hidden behind the browser started the process.

I have made it to the point that I see the superuser icon in my settings and rebooted into hboot and chose "recovery" and am now in the clockworkmod window. I scrolled down using the volume down button to backup and restore, but when I click the power button the screen just goes dark. I waited a bit before hitting the power button again and it comes back to life showing the clockworkmod main menu again with backup and restore still highlighted.

Is there something I need to do differently to get the backup process to happen?
Click to expand...

in recovery, you use the trackball to select options (press it) not the power button. If you have superuser you are good to go. Download all the root only apps you want. You'll want to start with ROM manager, and use that to flash the newest clockwork recovery. (do it at least 4 times for it to "stick")
 
I just wanted to post a thank you to everyone that helped. I'm typing this on my laptop while tethered through open garden wifi. Everything seems to be working fantastically.

Thank you all for your help. I'm off to find other apps that are must-have root only apps.

thanks,
json
 
Not to jack this thread or anything but I'm a noob as well and have been searching around this forum for an answer. My question is. Is there anyway, ANYway I can gain root access to my droid incredible running 2.3.4, I was going to try to envoke(forever) so S-OFF, but I'm not sure if that would work.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom