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Root Should I root?

I

Ianlmt

Newbie
Okay Im new to android, I bought the htc evo phone with the intention of having fun with it, because I like the open source nature of android. Now I am with sprint, I do not have hotspot connectivity, I would like to get it, and have heard you can. I did the update already on the phone...


I like all that it does as is and I am impressed with its functionality. I would like to customize some things a bit further but I dont want it to break any of my apps that I have already (like netflix etc..) and I dont want to lose any data etc...


Is rooting right for me?

What can I do if I just dont root it and still want to customize stuff?

Thanks
 
Well, basically yes. Let me preface this by saying that you should 100% read the rooting for dummies threads (both). They have so much good information that it should be a prerequisite for rooting!

1. You can root your stock rom (what you have right now). This will keep your apps and give you SU (super user, root, administrative) access. Required for several apps, including the hotspot apps.

2. You could flash a new rom, you'd lose your data (unless you backed up with TB), but then you'd get a whole lot more goodness. You could have a hacked sprint hotspot, which is just awesome!

3. You could go the AOSP route and get the 'true' android experience as professed by the Android Open Source Project powers that be.

4. You could always not root and just try to enjoy your phone within the bounds you agreed to with sprint (kinda boring though, and very much less rebellious).

5. Re-read the guides!
6. Rooting voids your warranty, so be absolutely sure you want to do it (though, you may want to look into 'unrooting' also ;) )

Hope that helps.

Any questions, ask.
 
I would highly recommend rooting. Most roms will have the free hotspot cooked in. As for customizing you can't get any better then rooting your Evo! There are so many roms and tweeks and mods you can do. Plus you can get newer versions of sense that this phone will never see. Just read this forum to see all the things this amazing phone is capable of!
 
I think Im just afraid for a few reasons,

1) I have the protection plan to where if I screw the phone up they will replace it no questions asked... which is probably voided by rooting (strong on the probably... lol)... so that means Id have to have a rooting method that I could back up my data, unroot and send back to them as stock as the day i bought it with no traces of me messing with it (at least that they can tell before sending me my new phone)...

2) I have heard that it shorts the circuits out and processors prematurely by getting them to run in ways they arent used to... now who knows this may be an old wives tale but just what I have heard that has caused some fear in my consciousness lol...

EDIT: and oh yeah... BRICKING... even the sound of it scares the bojangles out of me...

okaaaay... off to the root faq
 
Ianlmt said:
I think Im just afraid for a few reasons,

1) I have the protection plan to where if I screw the phone up they will replace it no questions asked... which is probably voided by rooting (strong on the probably... lol)... so that means Id have to have a rooting method that I could back up my data, unroot and send back to them as stock as the day i bought it with no traces of me messing with it (at least that they can tell before sending me my new phone)...

2) I have heard that it shorts the circuits out and processors prematurely by getting them to run in ways they arent used to... now who knows this may be an old wives tale but just what I have heard that has caused some fear in my consciousness lol...

EDIT: and oh yeah... BRICKING... even the sound of it scares the bojangles out of me...

okaaaay... off to the root faq
Click to expand...

1) YES, rooting does void your warranty. The great thing is, you can unroot fairly easily and take everything back to factory, they'll be none-the-wiser. Plus, if your plan is through Sprint, I hear that they typically will work on rooted phones, it just may be unrooted when you get it back.

2) Stock ROMs are developed to be used on a specific phone by a crazy number of people. That being said, they are created for the average user. You can find stable ROMs based off of stock OTAs that just have the fat trimmed out, basically getting rid of things that would take up memory and make your phone more sluggish. Going with an OTA-based ROM should relieve you of that stress and give you an excellent experience.

I'd recommend doing a full nandroid backup (keep that on your PC for safe-keeping) after you're rooted and start with something like SOS (Swagged out Stock) or SNS (Smooth n' Sexy Gingerbread). If you like the feel of those, head over to themikmik.com, register on their forums, and try out MikG 2.55, I've found it to be the most stable and one of the best overall ROMs for the OG Evo.
 
Not much for me to say but root the phone:D

Any issue that you may encounter during the rooting process, after rooting, flashing roms, flashing kernels..... there will be many helpful people here on these forums to help you if a problem arises.

Personally, I will never own a phone from now on if I can't root the phone. And once you feel comfortable with customizing your phone the way you want and trying newer things, you'll be happy you rooted. Now that sprint essentially locks us in to a 2 year contract, at least you won't feel left behind
 
I have a friend who bricked his Evo while rooting it back in the day and he had the insurance. He shattered his screen and made a claim. They never said anything bout it. He might have gotten lucky though. I wouldn't worry too much about bricking your phone after its rooted as long as you don't have to flash a radio update. Even then the chances are small that it will happen. Hope you get yours rooted cause once your rooted you'll never want to go back! :D
 
Also, if you truly brick you phone, there should be no way of anyone to tell. From what I've heard. They can't check hboot or anything like that. Again, that's what I've heard.
 
All I can say is do it! Root your phone and get the full potential of it. I was afraid at first but once I did it it was awesome and now I'm a flashaholic. You won't regret it.:D
 
Ianlmt said:
I think Im just afraid for a few reasons,

1) I have the protection plan to where if I screw the phone up they will replace it no questions asked... which is probably voided by rooting (strong on the probably... lol)... so that means Id have to have a rooting method that I could back up my data, unroot and send back to them as stock as the day i bought it with no traces of me messing with it (at least that they can tell before sending me my new phone)...

2) I have heard that it shorts the circuits out and processors prematurely by getting them to run in ways they arent used to... now who knows this may be an old wives tale but just what I have heard that has caused some fear in my consciousness lol...

EDIT: and oh yeah... BRICKING... even the sound of it scares the bojangles out of me...

okaaaay... off to the root faq
Click to expand...

I have brought my phone in twice for repairs (speaker and screen issues) and I too have the protection plan and the first time I wasn't rooted the second time I was. I asked the tech, who was around 25-30 yrs old, and he said he doesnt care if a phone he services is rooted. I went back the second time and the manager was checking my phone and asked if it was rooted I told him yes and asked if it would be a problem and he said no I don't really care. So it depends on the problem and the tech, but most of the time they are cool and will help you out.
 
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