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Root ROOTING For Dummies Guide.....the Gingerbread Edition

pull the battery out and press and hold power+vol down. this will get you to hboot. can you select recovery from there? you will get the white splash screen but give a few minutes to go into recovery.

did you try to flash a rom? what did you wipe if you did?
 
I'm in recovery. I wiped the first 1 that says all user data/factory reset, skipped the next 3 (which were suggested) and the 2 sd card ones, and wiped everything else. I didn't flash a rom yet I was only trying to partition the sd card.
 
I'm in recovery. I wiped the first 1 that says all user data/factory reset, skipped the next 3 (which were suggested) and the 2 sd card ones, and wiped everything else. I didn't flash a rom yet I was only trying to partition the sd card.

try wiping dalvik cache and cache and see if you can boot up.
 
I wasn't abble to get either of my Nandroids to run so I dragged in EvolvedRoms 3D Rom and then Wiped Dalvik Cache, Cache, Data and then used Super wipe. Next I the new Rom and it's allset. Thanks for the help guys!

I was nervous for a second. This one looks really great and has the things I kicked myself for not getting the EVO3D when I bought my phone.

Thanks again for the support, A great community here!

Thanks,

Naters
 
I did that and it still won't reboot.

how did you partition your card? what were the steps you followed? did you use a guide? do you have a link? i just need to know where we are at.

also you can try and flash a rom. just download a rom and in recovery select ms usb toggle and transfer the rom to the card. wipe data, dalvik cache and cache. use the superwipe and flash the rom. try mikg2.5 to start.
 
I wasn't abble to get either of my Nandroids to run so I dragged in EvolvedRoms 3D Rom and then Wiped Dalvik Cache, Cache, Data and then used Super wipe. Next I the new Rom and it's allset. Thanks for the help guys!

I was nervous for a second. This one looks really great and has the things I kicked myself for not getting the EVO3D when I bought my phone.

Thanks again for the support, A great community here!

Thanks,

Naters

nice glad you got it working. and i agree best forums ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I used the guide given on the first page. I'm transfering the rom now. Do I need to transfer superswipe also and can I use the mik3d b 1 which I already downloaded?
 
I had already put superwipe and mik3d on the card (not in a folder), but after I partitioned the card and went to flash them from the card they weren't there.
 
I had already put superwipe and mik3d on the card (not in a folder), but after I partitioned the card and went to flash them from the card they weren't there.

when you partiton your card it will wipe and format your card so your content would be deleted afterwards. that is why on the 1st step you were supposed to copy your card to the computer. and then copy it back after you are done partitioning it (i did not add this in the step. not sure why i left that out. i will add that part back in. sorry:o)

so put the superwipe and the mik3d file on the card and flash it. of course make a nandroid backup just in case and also do a full wipe before flashing it.
 
If you plug in your phone normally, does your pc recognize it? Reflash package is unrevoked and won't work on hboot 2.16 which I assume you have.

Yes because when i go to device manager it shows up Android phone. So don't use reflash package? Even without it, it still wont work
 
Have you tried unplugging and plugging in the phone again when it says waiting for device? Is this the original cable or a different one? Make sure that debugging is still on when it is plugged in.
 
Yes because when i go to device manager it shows up Android phone. So don't use reflash package? Even without it, it still wont work

no check your hboot(power off then press and hold power+vol down. you may need to uncheck fastboot in settings) if you have hboot 2.16 then you need revolutionary. if you have hboot 2.1 or less then run unrevoked.
 
Have you tried unplugging and plugging in the phone again when it says waiting for device? Is this the original cable or a different one? Make sure that debugging is still on when it is plugged in.

Yes ive tried that n I'm using the original cable that came with the phone. Also made sure that debugging was on.
 
no check your hboot(power off then press and hold power+vol down. you may need to uncheck fastboot in settings) if you have hboot 2.16 then you need revolutionary. if you have hboot 2.1 or less then run unrevoked.

I have 2.16 n unchecked fastboot n still not doing anything. Is revolutionary the only one i can use?
 
I have 2.16 n unchecked fastboot n still not doing anything. Is revolutionary the only one i can use?

Do you have another pc you can try and use? I have seen it before that something on your pc(not sure what) can cause issues but switching to another pc solves it.
 
EVO GINGERBREAD HAS S-OFF
The exploit is called Revolutionary and it is packaged by the unrevoked and AlphaRevX teams. Here is the official page for the exploit: Revolutionary

REVOLUTIONARY
81152493.jpg

Please read this guide thoroughly before attempting this.
keep in mind that this is still a work in progress. also i'm not responsible for bricking your phone and ROOTING YOUR PHONE WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY.

How to use this guide
hint: press the show button below.
85680746.jpg

Congrats now you know how to use this guide. now get your root on!:D

Before Rooting

things you will need to do:
  • first thing to do is read the Revolutionary S-OFF & Recovery tool wiki
  • download the htc drivers:HTCDriver3.0.0.007.exe and install it onto your computer.
  • *do a factory reset on your phone go into phone settings/ sd storage/factory data reset. you will also loose all of your contacts and other data like text messages. so make sure that you backup accordingly. App List Backup or SMS Backup & Restore are good apps to use. also make sure your phone's contacts are linked to google which backs up your contacts to the cloud. when you sync with google again your contacts will be back.(optional)
  • *reformat your sd card by backing up the content of your card to the computer and in your phone go to settings/sd storage/unmount sd card/erase sd card.(optional)
  • make sure your phone has usb debugging on. go to phone settings/applications/development/check usb debugging
  • download this and put this file, superuser su-2.3.6.3-efgh-signed.zip on the root(not in any folder) of your card via usb cable.
  • make sure that htc sync is uninstalled and also any anit-virus prgrams you have running on your computer is turned off.
  • also if you have pda net or doubletwist installed on your computer uninstall them.
  • and last but not least make sure that fastboot is unchecked. phone settings/applications/ uncheck fastboot.

*optional but recommended because you want to get the phone as clean as you can before rooting it. it is not necessary.


On to Rooting your EVO!!!!!

1.go here Revolutionaryand download the revoltionary file and extract it somewhere on your desktop.
2.connect your phone to the pc and select charge only.
3.run the executable revolutionary file.
4.it will detect your phone's specific serial number. use that to generate the beta key on the revolutionary website.
5.enter the beta key in the revolutionary dos window on your computer. people have been reporting that the key is invalid. if this happens, the icon on the upper left of the DOS command window is a drop-down button that will let you get to the edit option that allows you to copy/paste between DOS and a window. so just copy and paste the key in.
6.it should then run and do its thing.
7.when it finishes it will ask you if you want to download and install clockwork mod recovery, select yes.

next we need to go and verify that you have s-off and if you have recovery
8.select bootloader by using the up and down vol. buttons and using the power button to make a selection.
9.on the hboot screen at the top it should say s-off, if it does then congrats!

next we need to flash the superuser file (superuser su-2.3.6.3-efgh-signed.zip)
10.select recovery in bootloader.
11.select install .zip from sdcard.
12.find the superuser file and flash it.

time to make a nandroid backup.
13.still in recovery go back to the main menu
14.select backup and restore.
15.select backup.
16.after it is done you can reboot.

now a lot of people are reporting that revolutionary stops in the middle giving you s-off but with no recovery (you get a red triangle with an exclamation mark). reboot the phone (or pull the battery) and rerun revolutionary. it will ask you if you want to download clockwork mod. select yes and it should work the second time.

CONGRATS YOU ARE NOW ROOTED!!!!!!

For Those Who have Macs:
thanx EarlyMon!!!!

Life After Root
ok so you are rooted so now what?

here are some apps that you can now use, now that you are rooted.


what about bloatware you ask? well some of the apps are safe to delete. you can go here to see the list:xda-developers - View Single Post - [WIP] /system/app APK's - Safe to remove list and functions now this list is from froyo so some apps are missing from the list. if you are going to delete apps i would use titanium backup and freeze the apps first.

DO NOT USE ROM MANAGER it is very buggy and creates more issues then it is worth. i would do everything manually in recovery. also this is a good way to get to know your recovery. you never know when something happens and all you have is recovery. as long as you have a working recovery you can pretty much get out of any trouble.​

Switching Recoveries
speaking of recovery i would really recommend that everyone switch to amon ra 2.3. it is a much better recovery then clockwork mod. you can get the recovery here:PC36IMG RA 2.3.zip
here are the instructions:
1.download the file.
2.rename the file by erasing the "_RA_2.3" part of the name so that it is only named PC36IMG. make sure not to add ".zip" to the name as windows hides extensions.
3.transfer the file to the root (that means not in any folder) of the sd card.
4.power off (you most likely need to uncheck fastboot. settings/apps/uncheck fastboot.) then press and hold power+vol down.
5.hboot should see the file and select yes to update.
6.select no to reboot because we want to go into recovery and make a nandroid backup.
7.select recovery.
8.select backup and restore and select backup
9. select the first three and wimax. the other partitions do not need to be backed up. always keep one nandroid backup with wimax keys backed up on your computer.
10.now you can reboot.
11.using a file manager of some sort or even through your computer via usb, you should rename or delete the PC36IMG file on your card. otherwise you will be asked to update every time you go to the hboot screen. you do not need that file any more.

you can get older versions of clockwork mods and amon ra here:Free File Hosting Made Simple - MediaFire.
also there is a new recovery from teamwin :TeamWin Recovery Project (twrp) v1.0.3

Nandroids
what are nandroid backups and why are they important? well nandroid backups are a complete snapshot of the current state of your phone. it will save everything (contacts, apps and its data, emails and text messages, and any other mods or settings you have on your rom). think of nandroid backups as a safety net. if anything goes wrong or if you change your mind on a rom you do not like, you can always go back and restore a previous nandroid backup. just remember that anytime you make any changes to your phone always make a nandroid backup.

also to save space keep only a few nandroids on your card. nandroids can be pretty big depending on the rom and what you are backing up. and you can rename your nandroid backups. just make sure not to have spaces or weird symbols in the name.

when doing a nandroid backup in amon ra, make sure to keep the first three checked then check wimax (you do not need to do this all the time.) just keep one nandroid backup with your wimax keys backed up on your computer. the rest of the time when doing nandroid backups, you can just backup the first three in amon ra. also if you have your sd card partitioned (see the Partitioning and Moving Apps to the Card section for the how to's) you should select sd ext as well. this wiil also backup all your apps.

clockwork mod will backup wimax automatically.​

Flashing
this is all good, but how do i flash a rom or kernel?

good point so here is what you do:
1.first you need the vr superwipe: ZZZVR_SUPERWIPE.zip. download it and put it on your card. (optional)
2.download the rom of your choice and transfer it to your card.
3.go into recovery
4.make a nandroid backup
5.wipe dalvik cache, cache, and data
6.select install (or flash depending on which recovery you have) zip from sdcard
7.find the superwipe file and flash it.(optional)
8.find your rom and flash it.
9.reboot.

first boot will take a bit longer then normal, so be patient. now as far as kernels go the steps are the same except that all you need to do is only wipe dalvik cache and cache. there is no need to wipe data. also there is no need to flash the superwipe when flashing kernels.​

Roms, Kernels, Themes and More
Roms​
ok so now you know how to flash a rom, so now where do i go to get them? there are a bunch of places that you can go to get your roms. there is a thread here in this forum ROMs and Kernels Download Page check it out. also check out the xda development forum:EVO 4G Android Development - xda-developers. make sure that you read the dev's op as it will tell you the download instructions as well as give you what is in the rom and some of its features. the main idea is to know what you are flashing before flashing the rom.

there are two main types of roms that are out there. there is aosp (android open source project)roms then there is sense roms. sense roms are the roms that most people are familiar with. it has the familiar sense launcher that htc installs on all of their phones. while aosp is pure android. it has no sense launcher. depending on the rom it will use a launcher like adw or launcher pro.​

Kernels
what are kernels? basically kernels communicates with and adjusts the voltage between the hardware(battery) and software(either sense or aosp) of your phone according to frequency. how much voltage a kernel decides to provide to and from your phone and at what frequency will depend on the type of kernels.

all roms comes with its own custom(usually stock) kernel. they are like roms in that they come in two types. one is for sense roms and one is for aosp roms. they can't work on both. so like roms you need to checkout the changelog to see what is going on with kernels and what was updated. also gingerbread roms needs a kernel designed for gingerbread. the froyo kernels will not work on gingerbread.

one last thing on kernels and that is that not all kernels will react the same way on every phone. what works for me may not work for you. the only true way to know is to make a nandroid backup and flash the kernel. give it a few days for it to settle in before deciding if the kernel works or not.

you can get the kernels from the xda or the rom/kernel download page. you can read more on kernels in the KERNELS For Dummies

Themes
ok so i want to theme my phone. are there themes i can flash? yes there are a lot of themes out there that you can just flash from recovery. head on over to EVO 4G Themes and Apps...xda. and don't forget to read the op for installation instructions. just keep in mind that most of the themes are rom specific. when you flash a theme all you need to do is wipe dalvik cache and cache and flash the theme.​

Partitioning and Moving Apps to the Card
the issue is that the evo has a small amount of ram on the phone. not sure what htc was thinking when designing the evo. but there is the apps2sd that can be sort of helpful. when you go to settings/applications/manage apps and then move the apps to the sd card, you are using apps2sd. it moves the apps to the sd card, but it only moves part of the app to the card. the other part is still left on the phone. that is why you can't use any widgets attached to the app when it is moved to the card.

so what is taking up all of the ram then? well your phone, as it is, has the dalvik cache which the phone uses to load any executable files that it needs. and then there is cache where your temp files are stored. of course there is your apps. and finally there is the stock rom with sense 1.0. so you can see how fast your ram will disappear.

the only way to get around this is to be rooted. the custom roms that are out now are much smaller and faster then the stock rom. plus you can partition your card and use a2sd which is different then apps2sd. a2sd moves the entire app to your card. the only thing left on your phone is a symbolic link that tells the phone where to find the app on your card. it saves a ton of ram by doing this. just to give you an idea i have 160 apps with still 250mb left!

there are two types of a2sd scripts. one is cm a2sd and the other is darktremor a2sd. usually if a rom has a2sd cooked in, it usually has cm a2sd. when you flash your rom your apps when restored with titanium backup will automatically be move to the sd card. with darktremor a2sd, you would first need a rom to have support for it, and then you need to flash darktremor into the rom. once flashed then you can manually push the apps to the card by using terminal emulator to enter the commands.

you will need a higher class card to do this, preferably a class 6 or higher. the higher class card is need especially if you use intensive apps like games and such. the reason is that since the apps are on the card the phone then needs to read and write on the card as the app runs. so if you have a slower card your apps will suffer.

Partition Your Card
it is recommended that you do this before trying to flash a rom.
so here are the directions on how to do it:
1.copy your content of the card to a computer because partitioning will wipe the card's content.
2.go into recovery and select partition your sd card
3.enter 32 for swap, and 1024 or 2048 for ext2, and do the rest for FAT
4.select upgrade ext2 to ext3
6.select usb-ms toggle and transfer your contents of your card on your computer back to the card.
5.go to the main menu and do a full wipe (min data, dalvik cache and cache)
6.flash the superwipe
7.flash the rom of your choice.
8.reboot

from now on it is recommended you wipe dalvik cache, cache, data and sd ext.before flashing roms. MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO NOT SELECT WIPE SD CARD as it will do just that. your card will be erased. also make sure that when making a nandroid backup to select sd ext to be backed up as well.​

How to Install Darktremors
1.download the file:Version 2.7.5.3 Beta 04
2.transfer the file to the card.
3.wipe dalvik cache and cache and flash the file and reboot
4.getAndroid Terminal Emulator from the market
5.type in the command a2sd reinstall. this will move your apps to the ext 3 of the card.
6.the phone will then reboot
7.type a2sd cachesd. this will move the dalvik cache to the ext3 on the card.
8.the phone will reboot again.

if you want more commands for darktremor here is a list:Darktremor Apps2SD Command Line Help | Facebook
here is the original thread: [Script][A2SD]Darktremor 2.7.5.3 Beta 04 [Evo] (01/29/2011) - xda-developers

Unrooting
yay! i have s-off but what if i need to get my phone serviced? or i hate all this rooting business and i want to go back to my boring gingerbread phone. how do i get s-on?

to get s-on
1.download this file:PC36IMG6.17.zip
2.rename the file by deleting the numbers so that it is only PC36IMG and do not add any zip to the name as windows hides extensions.
3.transfer the zip file to the root of the sd card.
4.power off (make sure that fastboot is turned off) then press and hold power+vol down.
5.hboot should scan for it. select yes to update.
6.reboot your phone

next we need to get a stock rom and stock recovery
7.download this file:PC36IMG_SuperSonic_GB_Sprint_WWE_4.24.651.1_Rad..z ip PC36IMG_SuperSonic_GB_Sprint_WWE_4.24.651.1_Rad..z ip
8.rename the file to PC36IMG. again make sure that you do not add a zip as windows hides extensions.
9.connect your phone via usb to the pc and transfer the file over to the root of the sd card.
10.power off then press and hold power+vol down.
11.hboot should see the file and will ask you to update, select yes.
12.verify that you have s-on by going to the hboot screen.

if you have s-on then congrats you are now unrooted!

you can also use this ruu:[ROM]RUU_SuperSonic_GB_Sprint_WWE_4.53.651.1_Radio_2.15 .00.0808_NV_2.15_releaseto get you the latest ota stock rom and stock recovery. just connect the phone via usb and run the exe file on your computer.

OTA's (Over the Air)
Ok so we just had an update a few months back called gingerbread. and as many of you guys know it closed the previous exploit so that rooting was not possible until now. so what do we do when the next ota (if there is another ota)is released? DO NOT ACCEPT THE OTA. it could really make a mess out of your phone. or it could even unroot your phone and then you will have to wait again for a rooting process as the ota will most likely close the previous exploit. this also goes for any rooted phone regardless if it is an evo or not.

so how do we get updated then if we are rooted? well usually the devs will get a hold of the source code for the ota earlier then the actual release. so all we would have to do is flash a rom with the latest update ota and we are updated.​

Links and Guides:

Hey I have a couple of questions.

I heard rooting with certain methods can make you lose some features such as the Market or 4G, does that happen with this method?

Will this work with Gingerbread 2.3.3 (4.24)

Will it brick my phone?

Can I put on here the original Android (that the Nexus S has)
 
Rooting itself does not take away features. It just comes down to the Rom you choose. Some take away features and others do not.

I think you are asking about "Vanilla" android. from my understanding an AOSP rom would be like that. A Sense Rom would be what you have on a stock EVO 4G.

You should read the Stickies that are posted at the top of this forum. Such as the "Kernels for Dummies", "Rooting for Dummies", Rom's for Dummies". There is alot to learn so read up. I've been reading it for a few weeks and finally gave it a shot.

Here is one of the links.
http://androidforums.com/evo-4g-all-things-root/389360-kernels-dummies.html
 
Hey I have a couple of questions.

I heard rooting with certain methods can make you lose some features such as the Market or 4G, does that happen with this method?

Will this work with Gingerbread 2.3.3 (4.24)

Will it brick my phone?

Can I put on here the original Android (that the Nexus S has)

Rooting in itself only unlocks the security on your phone to allow you to make changes and to run root only apps like Wifi Tether for Root and Titanium Backup.

This works on hboot version 2.16 which came with the 4.22, 4.24, and 4.53 OTA updates released from HTC. You can check which one you have by powering off your phone, then hold volume down +power til the white bootloader screen comes up. If it reboots normally, you will need to go to Settings>Power and uncheck fastboot then reboot to hboot.

It is highly unlikely to brick your phone. The only sure way to brick your phone is to pull the battery during a radio flash.

If you are referring to pure google, that is basically the same as AOSP roms and CM7 based roms are very good.
 
Ok so I'm going to partition my sd card. I backed up my whole card onto my computer. Not sure if I needed all that was on the card but it was a simple back up. So all I do after partitioning is add all back to the card, or just what i want on it? You guys always help and i really apreciate it.

Thanks,

Charles
 
Ok so I'm going to partition my sd card. I backed up my whole card onto my computer. Not sure if I needed all that was on the card but it was a simple back up. So all I do after partitioning is add all back to the card, or just what i want on it? You guys always help and i really apreciate it.

Thanks,

Charles

most of the stuff on your card is not needed. you can leave it empty and everything will work. most of your apps and stuff will have data backed up on the card. so it will be up to you what you put back on the card.
 
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