htcdev unlock vs S-OFF / downgrade - HTC Desire S

Hello,
i am totally newbie here. Spent last 2 nights studying forum threads, but im still confused.
What is better to unlock via htcdev and remain S-ON and HBOOT 2.00.0002 or to downgrade HBOOT ?
I would like to tryout AOKP, Cyanogen and Fallout roms. Alternatively i want to try official ICS ASAP.

remusator said:
Hello,
i am totally newbie here. Spent last 2 nights studying forum threads, but im still confused.
What is better to unlock via htcdev and remain S-ON and HBOOT 2.00.0002 or to downgrade HBOOT ?
I would like to tryout AOKP, Cyanogen and Fallout roms. Alternatively i want to try official ICS ASAP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlocking via HTCdev leaves the phone S-ON. Therefore you always have to flash the the kernel (boot.IMG) from a PC via FASTBOOT when you flash a new rom with a different base. E.G. CM and Fallout. If the base hasn't change you don't need to.
If you downgrade and S-OFF your device you don't have to do that. Plus you can flash different radios (barely necessary).
HTCdev unlock is easier to do and gives you a lot of possibilities.
S-OFF is a little more advanced and there is a little more danger to brick your phone when you don't do it carefully.
Nevertheless I prefer the hard way since HTCdev is not the way I would go. Plus HTC knows that my device is unlocked.
Gesendet von meinem HTC Desire S mit Tapatalk

Agreed. Although if you're changing ROMs often then HTCDev is not the easier way. Flashing the boot.img can be quite a pain if you're doing it often.

There was a nice text about that in another thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=27511649
Gesendet von meinem HTC Desire S mit Tapatalk

Ok,
so what you guys are basically saying is, that when i unlock my phone thru HTC-Dev, the company knows about it.
From this point of view, it's better to downgrade hboot and S-OFF.
I have one more question - if original ICS for DS will be realeased, how can i install it ? Do i have to revert to original hboot and original sense rom to find the update and install then ?

You'll find it here ...

Finally i temprooted this way
Zergush & misc - to temp root and prepare phone to be downgrade
Downgrade to RUU with 0.98.0000
S-OFF & install ClockWorkMod Recovery
Install Cyanogen 7.2
As rom i chose Cyanogenmod 7.2 stable. I am unexperienced with custom roms and dont want to be disappointed by semi-functional ICS roms by now.

If you're going for gingerbread take a look at reaper as well. It's basically a much faster version of CM7

For now, i am going to stick with ginger till the kernel will be released and the roms fully functional.
In future i would like to test ICS roms, but after new kernel. And of course Jelly Bean, if someone port it.
Basically if i want to change ROM, i just put it in root of SDcard, boot revolutionary, wipe and install from ZIP ? Is that simple now, after S-OFF ?
Thanx for the tip to check out reaper, btw

Yep that's all you need to do. I have to say though don't be afraid to just make a backup of your current ROM in CWM and try out other things.

Dan-fish, thanks for all your help
But i have one more question. What is all that mess around eMMC chip ? How can it happen to me ? Often flashing, installing from zip or ?

No the most common reason is pulling the battery out while the phone is on.
Check this thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1284196
Sent from my Desire S using Tapatalk 2

remusator said:
Finally i temprooted this way
Zergush & misc - to temp root and prepare phone to be downgrade
Downgrade to RUU with 0.98.0000
S-OFF & install ClockWorkMod Recovery
Install Cyanogen 7.2
As rom i chose Cyanogenmod 7.2 stable. I am unexperienced with custom roms and dont want to be disappointed by semi-functional ICS roms by now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dear remusator..
I'm trying downgrade hboot from 2.00.0002 to 0.98.00000 but I could not.
Can you explane how you make downgrade?
My device is "UNLOCKED"
Hboot - 2.00.0002
RADIO - 3822.10.08.04_M
eMMC - boot
Thanks..

Mine was locked. Check the first post. I didn't unlock via htc dev, maybe that's the problem.
I followed these tutorials :
1, Downgrade ruu and hboot to make root possible
sw 2.10<= http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1399331
sw 2.11>=http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1443636
2, S-OFF
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1186401
section How To: S-Off your device with Revolutionary: S-OFF & Recovery Tool (For HBOOT 0.98.0000, 0.98.0002)
3, Choose rom you like and flash via recovery. First i tried was cyanogenmod 7,2. Then i made backup, wiped again and installed AOKP. I'm not going back )
While browsing forums, i found topic about downgrading while UNLOCKED. Search forums, i can't find it anymore.
Btw, check your software version - tutorials differ from sw version.
PS: don't be afraid. In my case, everything went just fine.

Stock Rom needed
Hi remusator, which stock ROM did you use?
I'm mostly finding a lot of dead links and very few live ones for stock Desire S Roms.

I have used quite - Fallout / AOKP / Cyanogen 7.2
But i returned back to Stock. I used pre-rooted. I don't need root at the moment, but the prerooted rom can run on custom bootloader.
I use 2.10.401.9 sw version, take a look here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1480576
Before root my official rom was 2.10.401.8 - but the link here on forum is dead, so i decided to use newer 2.10.401.9 instead. I haven't found any bug yet. It seems to work fine.

remusator said:
Before root my official rom was 2.10.401.8 - but the link here on forum is dead, so i decided to use newer 2.10.401.9 instead. I haven't found any bug yet. It seems to work fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2.10.401.9 contains a minor bugfix for the Russian region. I doubt that you will notice any significant difference compared to 2.10.401.8

Related

[Q] A couple of questions concerning new Desire S

hey there,
bought my gf a desire s to christmas. i, as a sensation user at the moment am very comfortable with development. flashing, adb, fastboot and things like that are working flawless.
as i don't have so much time to read atm, i have some questions concerning the way to set the desire s up. it was shipped with 1.47 rom, t-mobile branded, sense 2.1, android 2.3.1 and hboot 0.98.0002
i want to flash this rom: endymion sense v3.1 (android 2.3.5, sense 3.5)
i already achieved s-off with revolutionary, hboot is now 6.98.1002 with radio 3805.06.02.03_M. 4ext recovery 2.2.7RC5 is installed as well.
now i saw, that there is RUU_Saga_S_HTC_Europe_2.10.401.8_Radio_20.4801.30.0822U_3822.10.08.04_M_release_225161_signed.exe availble. i also read in the forum, that this ota brings some parts for firmware, which are not flashed with a custom rom.
so would you recommend to flash this ruu first? wouldn't i lose s-off then? would i be abled to achieve s-off again after flashing this? also, for my sensation i would have to supercid first - i didn't read about this here in the forums.
what i would want to do:
1. flash RUU_Saga_S_HTC_Europe_2.10.401.8_Radio_20.4801.30.0822U_3822.10.08.04_M_release_225161_signed.exe
2. run revolutionary again
3. flash custom recovery
4. flash endymion v3.1
would it be possible this way? or would you recommend any other way to me? i want to have all firmware parts as up to date as possible before i flash the custom rom.
smint86 said:
hey there,
bought my gf a desire s to christmas. i, as a sensation user at the moment am very comfortable with development. flashing, adb, fastboot and things like that are working flawless.
as i don't have so much time to read atm, i have some questions concerning the way to set the desire s up. it was shipped with 1.47 rom, t-mobile branded, sense 2.1, android 2.3.1 and hboot 0.98.0002
i want to flash this rom: endymion sense v3.1 (android 2.3.5, sense 3.5)
i already achieved s-off with revolutionary, hboot is now 6.98.1002 with radio 3805.06.02.03_M. 4ext recovery 2.2.7RC5 is installed as well.
now i saw, that there is RUU_Saga_S_HTC_Europe_2.10.401.8_Radio_20.4801.30.0822U_3822.10.08.04_M_release_225161_signed.exe availble. i also read in the forum, that this ota brings some parts for firmware, which are not flashed with a custom rom.
so would you recommend to flash this ruu first? wouldn't i lose s-off then? would i be abled to achieve s-off again after flashing this? also, for my sensation i would have to supercid first - i didn't read about this here in the forums.
what i would want to do:
1. flash RUU_Saga_S_HTC_Europe_2.10.401.8_Radio_20.4801.30.0822U_3822.10.08.04_M_release_225161_signed.exe
2. run revolutionary again
3. flash custom recovery
4. flash endymion v3.1
would it be possible this way? or would you recommend any other way to me? i want to have all firmware parts as up to date as possible before i flash the custom rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cause you are already s-off I would say it's senseless to use the ruu first, because it would put you back to s-on like you suggested, but only if the revolutionary bootloader doesn't make problems.
There are many reports of problems with it and I would say you should replace it with the 2.00.2002 engineer bootloader.
before just flash a custom recovery (I would recommend 4ext touch) and if your done with the bootloader flash the ROM of your choice.
To get bootloader, recovery,... just look at the index thread at the development section, it's all in there.
The last step to achieve a full upgraded phone would be to update the radio to the latest version, this you will also find at the index thread.
Happy modding
Oh and welcome, sry^^
Swyped from my desire s running damn sweet ice cream
Tectas said:
There are many reports of problems with it and I would say you should replace it with the 2.00.2002 engineer bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is there a guide you are referring to? i already got 4ext recovery installed, but i don't find any post concerning 2.00.2002 bootloader. if i flash this one i would stay s-off? and it would bring me all parts which i would be missing without 2.10.401.8 RUU?
/edit:
now i found this one, you are referring to that?
Tectas said:
The last step to achieve a full upgraded phone would be to update the radio to the latest version, this you will also find at the index thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i guess you are referring to this? 20.4801.30.0822U_3822.10.08.04 with my sensation i would also have to flash a matching ril, isn't it recommended with desire s?
smint86 said:
is there a guide you are referring to? i already got 4ext recovery installed, but i don't find any post concerning 2.00.2002 bootloader. if i flash this one i would stay s-off? and it would bring me all parts which i would be missing without 2.10.401.8 RUU?
/edit:
now i found this one, you are referring to that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes this guide is to "downgrade" (in fact it's an upgrade, even if the version number is lower).
Yes you would stay s-off.
No it not brings you all what is missing, just a part of it, the rest you get with flashing the radio and the rom.
smint86 said:
i guess you are referring to this? 20.4801.30.0822U_3822.10.08.04 with my sensation i would also have to flash a matching ril, isn't it recommended with desire s?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not really needed, you can do it if it's in the zip (or better said if it's there it's done at the flashing procedure), but you're also good to go without it.

Re-engineered HBOOT 2.00.002 and ICS.

Hi, guys, first of all I'm an absolute noob so bear with me if I didn't found all the answer even after having searched through the forum.
My big question is about the re-engineered HBOOT 2.00.002. I have a virginal Desire S, non s-off'ed and non rooted, HBOOT is the latest, that is 2.00.002. I want to load the latest official ICS rom from htc and, as I think I understood, HBOOT must be latest version, therefore non s-off since there is no way to s-off that version. But I also would like to just go to CM10 in the future.
Then I read about the re-engineered HBOOT 2.00.002. This HBOOT should give me s-off and the ability to load the ruu rom. Only catch is that you should re-partition the phone. And that's when things get weird. Does I need to do the re-partitioning before installing the ruu ICS rom after installing the re-engineered HBOOT? If so, in order to install the ruu ICS rom, does I need to have any working rom on the phone, that is, does I need to do the nandroid backup to have back my ginger bread 2.3.5 before installing the ruu ics rom?
And going on, currently there is any way to root the phone while on ICS htc stock rom?
But most important of all, what this re-enginnered hboot really is? The revoked/revolutionary mod only works on hboot versions before the 2.xxxx. Is this re-engineered hboot a 2.00.002 official hboot that has been modified to be s-off or is it a previous hboot s-off'ed via revolution but with a different version number?
Thank you all,
Vincent.
zipponap said:
Hi, guys, first of all I'm an absolute noob so bear with me if I didn't found all the answer even after having searched through the forum.
My big question is about the re-engineered HBOOT 2.00.002. I have a virginal Desire S, non s-off'ed and non rooted, HBOOT is the latest, that is 2.00.002. I want to load the latest official ICS rom from htc and, as I think I understood, HBOOT must be latest version, therefore non s-off since there is no way to s-off that version. But I also would like to just go to CM10 in the future.
Then I read about the re-engineered HBOOT 2.00.002. This HBOOT should give me s-off and the ability to load the ruu rom. Only catch is that you should re-partition the phone. And that's when things get weird. Does I need to do the re-partitioning before installing the ruu ICS rom after installing the re-engineered HBOOT? If so, in order to install the ruu ICS rom, does I need to have any working rom on the phone, that is, does I need to do the nandroid backup to have back my ginger bread 2.3.5 before installing the ruu ics rom?
And going on, currently there is any way to root the phone while on ICS htc stock rom?
But most important of all, what this re-enginnered hboot really is? The revoked/revolutionary mod only works on hboot versions before the 2.xxxx. Is this re-engineered hboot a 2.00.002 official hboot that has been modified to be s-off or is it a previous hboot s-off'ed via revolution but with a different version number?
Thank you all,
Vincent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I was you I would forget about the re-engineered HBOOT and just run the RUU and put ICS on your phone.
The re-engineered HBOOT is only for people who have S-Offed using the revolutionary method and have had trouble with the Android 4.0 Sense ROMs. You have absolutely no need to use it now.
If you want CM10 in the future then all you need to do is unlock your bootloader with htcdev, flash a new recovery (4EXT or CWM) and install CM10 from your custom recovery. You will be required to flash the boot.img file separately if you are S-On.
Hi Kavrocks, thank for your prompt answer. I'll surely follow your advice, it's the easiest way and my first goal is to get an easy ICS on my phone. My only doubt is about being able to get to cm10 or whatever else since no rooting hack has already been developed for the new ICS rom.
Do you think HTC will push updates on the new ICS rom or, being it for developer only, it will be just stuck to its original state?
Kavrocks said:
If I was you I would forget about the re-engineered HBOOT and just run the RUU and put ICS on your phone.
The re-engineered HBOOT is only for people who have S-Offed using the revolutionary method and have had trouble with the Android 4.0 Sense ROMs. You have absolutely no need to use it now.
If you want CM10 in the future then all you need to do is unlock your bootloader with htcdev, flash a new recovery (4EXT or CWM) and install CM10 from your custom recovery. You will be required to flash the boot.img file separately if you are S-On.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
zipponap said:
Hi Kavrocks, thank for your prompt answer. I'll surely follow your advice, it's the easiest way and my first goal is to get an easy ICS on my phone. My only doubt is about being able to get to cm10 or whatever else since no rooting hack has already been developed for the new ICS rom.
Do you think HTC will push updates on the new ICS rom or, being it for developer only, it will be just stuck to its original state?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Original.
By what I understand, now that an official ICS ROM is out and thus binary drivers are available, we should expect a fully working non-original ROM in a short time. How much time do you think it will take for the CMx developer to integrate the binaries into the CMx ROM?
zipponap said:
My only doubt is about being able to get to cm10 or whatever else since no rooting hack has already been developed for the new ICS rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't tell this my Desire S, HBOOT 2.00.002, S-ON, unlocked with stock ICS and root
Just do this:
- unlock your phone: www.htcdev.com
- Install stock ICS
- install a custom recovery using fastboot
- install superuser using custom recovery
Ok, I've succesfully got ICS on my Desire, eventhough I had to do a 'fastboot oem lock' to get past a 155 error. Now, would you please be so kind to tell me the exact filename of the superuser exploit that you have applied on ICS? I'm asking this to you because I've tried the 3.1.3 on GB2.3.5 and it always hang on 'waiting root access right'.
Thank you.
Vincenzo.
esque said:
Don't tell this my Desire S, HBOOT 2.00.002, S-ON, unlocked with stock ICS and root
Just do this:
- unlock your phone:
- Install stock ICS
- install a custom recovery using fastboot
- install superuser using custom recovery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, I'll answer to myself, use the CWM-SuperSU-v0.95.zip archive. It works with ICS.
zipponap said:
Ok, I've succesfully got ICS on my Desire, eventhough I had to do a 'fastboot oem lock' to get past a 155 error. Now, would you please be so kind to tell me the exact filename of the superuser exploit that you have applied on ICS? I'm asking this to you because I've tried the 3.1.3 on GB2.3.5 and it always hang on 'waiting root access right'.
Thank you.
Vincenzo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

[Q] How to get started from my situation

Hi! I'm a newcommer to Android world . I really like the idea of being able to get my phone customized but the more I read the more difficult it gets. Right now I'm trying to process some data and i would really like some help .
1. The S-Off
As far as I have got the s-on is some kind of security system protecting system partitions from getting modified/ersed. But i have found guides here that claim that I can get root acces without getting s-off my phone. But the root is acces to the system files, right? So how does it work? To do flashing i have to have root or s-off?
2. The HBOOT
So the HBOOT is a bootloader, it gets phone up when I push the button. Bu it is also the partition on the NAND. It gets me confused as some say that bootloader is like a BIOS. But as far as I understand BIOS it can be manipulating crucial PC settings like for example the CPU clocks. But I read that in the Android we have kernel for that. Is this right?
3. Mu current phone state
After some reading I tried to get some information about my phone. So when I got to the HBOOT (?) it says:
***LOCKED***
SAGA PVT SHIPS S-ON RL
HBOOT-2.02.0002
RADIO-3831.19.00.110
eMMC-boot
What bothers me is how from there i can get to flashing some Custom Roms? Currently I'm using official ICS becaouse I needed fully functioning phone for a while and didn't want to get it bricked. But right now I'm interested in change but when I think about it I'm getting confused. I would like to test Flinny's Cyanogen but I'm not sure can it be flashed on my hboot? Do i have to change hboot like it is in guide in here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1318919
or just get my phone rooted on my HBOOT following the guide here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1525100
?
Ok **roll up sleeves **
You need to decide what you want.
You can just unlock your bootloader via HTC Dev and still be S-ON and flash custom ROM's.
This is the easy process. The disadvantages are that you will loose warranty and will need to flash the kernel separately using a PC and some commands every time you flash a ROM.
On the other hand you can downgrade your HBOOT to 0.98 and then proceed to use revolutionary to gain S-OFF and unlock the bootloader. With this method you can still revert to stock in case you need to send the phone for warranty. You also don't need any additional steps to flash the kernel. It will be flashed along with the ROM.
In either case, after HTC dev unlock or downgrade and S-OFF you will need to flash a custom recovery which will enable you to take full nandroid backups and flash ROM'S.
Choice is yours
Read about both the methods and decide. Everything can be found in the index.
Tapatalked from Desire S running Andromadus
VnnAmed said:
Currently I'm using official ICS becaouse I needed fully functioning phone for a while and didn't want to get it bricked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are already using official ics i dont think u can go for the s-off method without unlocking first.
Ohh yes, forgot about that.
If you are on ICS, the only option for you now is HTC Dev unlock.
Tapatalked from Desire S running Andromadus
rain987 said:
If you are already using official ics i dont think u can go for the s-off method without unlocking first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it seems that way http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1318919 Guide here that is showing the proces of getting older HBOOT includes HTC-Dev unlocking. The bigger problem is that it includes many really advanced steps like creating gold cards and using Android Windows Tools which i guess are not the same thing as ADB(?) and there are no files becaouse
I will not supply the necessary files that is needed, you MUST know how to use SEARCH. I also suggest to give THANKS to those who originally made/uploaded the files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wchich is overwhelming. The problem is that I don't want to get my phone bricked. My friend has Galaxy SII and is just flashing customs through Odin. I guess there isn't such thing for Desire S? So should i go this way? And if i follow this guide http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1525100 i will have custom rom but stock kernel? I have read that some Roms need specefic kernel otherwise some features or whole ROMs doesn't work which is just sad. And the only guide i have found of flashing kernel while S-On is here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1794867 but the guy there has different phone and different HBOOT so i guess it doesn't hel me...
You need to read more. With your current level of understanding I suggest you put your rooting plans aside and keep reading.

[Q] so many things, so insecure

So, i have updated my phone ota by htc so that now i have hboot 1.29 and ics installed with sense 3.6
I have no wifi/bluetooth anymore (MAC adres missing and bluetooth ID missing), so i was thinking in installing a custom rom/kernel whatever necessary to get my phone working properly again.
I think i read all the big guides and tutorials to be found in the sensation forum here. :good:
But that made me even more insecure.
What is it with the tools like the super utility from kgs1992, or the all-in-one toolkit.
i find threads about S-off, Super CID root, dev unlock and so on.
so, maybe someone here can give me one clear answer what i need to do in what order to exactly get my phone in a custom rom (let's say elegancia sense 4.1 themed?)
question one, what should i do first and what next?
first unlock over HTC dev (this i also a factory reset, isn't it?)
S-off (wire trick) (there are enough video's in youtube i guess)
then flash/install recovery (which one?)
Is this all correct?
at this point, am i rooted? and if not what comes next?
So what then? customrom? (how, what)? perm root? super cid? what do i need in what order?
in more than one place i read about rom as a file with the extension .img. But the elegancia download is a zip file.
what about the super tool, there they talk about a kernel, not a rom to flash.
And what about radio, is that a total different game? or is flashing a custom rom doing the interface, the kernel AND the radio in one go?
I hope i don't ask to much from anyone. I know there is a LOT of tutorials to be found already, but they are not all the same and often written to cover all versions and stuff. I can't see through all these things and hope to get some confidence by asking for my specific situation. :angel:
I'll try to explain stuff briefly ..hoping that it will solve other confusions too
well here it goes ...
1. First...Sensation by default is completely locked device (internal memory is locked )..so to either root the phone or run a custom rom ..you need to first unlock it.
2. Remember rooting the device and running custom rom are different
rooting: by doing this you will have complete control of the rom you are running be it stock or custom rom (its like administrative privileges in WIndows 7)
custom rom: this is changing the rom itself (like changing the OS From windows 7 to linux on PC )...and all custom roms comes pre rooted ..so once you flash/install a custom rom no need to root it again
3. Now The unlock procedure can be done in two different ways
3.1. HTC-DEV unlock : a process provided by HTC itself to support rooting of devices and running custom roms
(its a semi unlock...confused? will explain the difference later ..read on )
3.2. S-OFF: it means Security-off ..which implies unlocking the device completely (complete internal memory is unlocked)
S-OFF in turn has couple of ways to achieve it
3.2.1 S-OFF using revolutionary...It will only work on old bootloaders ..i.e. upto 1.18 HBOOT/BOOTLOADER (to put it simply it's for the sensation devices on gingerbread version of Android I.e. 2.3 version)
3.2.2 S-OFF using juopunutbear ..it will unlock even the current hboots (1.27/1.29 etc etc) (this method is primarily for sensation devices on ICS version of Android I.e. 4.0)
This juopunutbear inturn has two more ways
3.2.2.1. using juopunutbear after doing HTC-DEV unlock ..this process wipes the phone (because of HTC-DEV unlock) but the wire-trick (most imp step) is easier
(why juopunutbear ..if you already unlocked your device using HTC-DEV ? ..explained later ..read on )
3.2.2.2. using juopunutbear without HTC-DEV unlock required ..this process is harder at wire-trick part (comparatively)​
4. Difference between HTC-DEV unlock and S-OFF:
to explain this ..I'll try to give a pictorial representation of Sensation Device
Sensation as a whole has different partitions (or blocks ) ..so the whole device can be divided like this
Recovery --------firmware--------ROM (or OS)
Recovery: its a recovery mode ..the name says it all ..we change/tweak/modify rom from here ..(remember only ROM ..not firmware)
eg: stock recovery, 4EXT recovery, CWM recovery, TWRP recovery etc etc (the later 3 are custom recoveries for flashing
custom roms
Firmware: all the lowest level stuff comes here ...typically bootloader, radio etc etc
we flash/install Recovery and stock ROMS from bootloader.
stock roms are ..called RUU's (Rom Update Utility) and are provided by HTC ...they are in .exe format and the actual stock ROMS are extracted from the RUU which will be in "img" format
ROMS: the actual custom/stock rom comes here ..this typically has three partitions/areas
1. data partition: all your apps/app data and all the phone data you eneter goes here
when you factory reset your device this partition is erased so that phone gets resetted to factory state
2. system partition: all the system apps and system stuff will lie here
(in case of carrier locked Sensation ..like T-Mobile all the T-Mobile junk apps reside here)
this area is locked in general ..rooting typically means getting this region unlocked ..so that you can change
anything in the rom
3. boot partition: your kernel lies here along with other stuff (this region is responsible for the phone to boot)​ Now it should be obvious that Radio aka a part of Firmware wont be there in a custom ROM and typical custom roms comes in zip format
Now HTC-DEV process only unlocks Recovery and ROM partitions (which are more than enough for installing custom roms or rooting)
This way of unlocking is safer as tinkering with Firmware is not really needed and if mistakes were made in changing the firmware the device can get bricked permanently.
but SOFF provides unlock on every partition of the Device ..thus complete unlock..thus more ease also more risks
Now the big question -> why SOFF needed if HTC-DEV is safer ?
Reasons:
1. Firmware and Rom partitions are dependent ..to be more clear
Ginger Bread (GB) firmware (1.17 firmware) ..supports only GB roms ...ICS or above roms wont boot
and
ICS firmware(3.32/3.33 firmware) ...supports only ICS and above ROMS (Jelly Bean(JB) roms are supported too )
thus if you do HTC-DEV unlock when on Ginger Bread you can only boot GB custom roms as you can't change/modify firmware over HTC-DEV unlock.
if you did HTC-DEV unlock over ICS rom..you are good to go with all the latest ICS/JB custom roms
2. Flashing/installing ROM from custom recovery with HTC-DEV unlock...requires an extra step...and if that extra step is not done ..phone wont boot (literally around 90% threads in Q&A section are about this problem as people didn't knew about the extra step )
3. some people require a change in radio ..to improve phone/data signal which isn't possible if you did just HTC-DEV unlock (as radio is part of firmware )​
Another question that might come to your mind... What is the advantage of rooting the device on stock rom ..before installing a custom rom?
Answer:
people might say ..why root the device before installing custom rom when the custom rom comes pre-rooted
well here is the answer ..."to backup your phone and its data"
Remember this when installing a custom rom ..you need to wipe the phone(all the internal memory ..sdcard wiping is not needed) ..thus you will lose all data
but before wiping if you root the phone..you can backup all the user apps and its data ..also call logs, messages/MMS, wifi access points, bluetooth pairings. contatcs etc etc to your sdcard using a root app (an app which requires root permission to work ) ...and once you install the custom rom ..you can restore all the backup
..(makes things easier ..isn't it ? )​
5. Miscellaneous terms:
Supercid:
CID -> carrier identification ..its a 8 characterterm used in the device to identify the proper Firmware or stock rom (RUU ..remember?)
as sensation is a global device ..there are different variants of firmware and stock Roms which are uniquely identified by this cid ..
eg: T-Mobile US locked sensation has CID: T-MOBO10, europe unbranded sensation has cid HTC__001 etc etc
so when flashing firmware/stock rom ..you need to find the proper one based on your phone cid ....
but if you do a supercid (i.e changing CID to 11111111) ..you can flash any firmware/stock rom (in form of RUU )
supercid can only be done ..over SOFF and wont/might not work over HTC-DEV unlock
also now there are Universal Firmwares ..aka Firmwares which can be flashed over ( SOFF) device having any CID ..thus Supercid is now kinda obsolete
hoping that things are clear now ..
few threads that are much detailed
1. "flashing roms while SON" by askickar in sensation general section ...(which explains flashing rom with just HTC-DEV unlock together with the extra step needed (remember ?) )..thread here
2. SOFF process threads ...for soff with HTC-DEV unlock ..thread here
3. SOFF without HTC-DEV unlock ...look in my signature for the thread
4. General way of flashing ROMS with Firmware flashing ..with ARHD Rom as reference...by joaquinf ..thread here
Happy flashing
Damn! now that is an explanation! Really really thanks for that! :victory:
I learned to always give feedback in your own words to check if you understood everything correctly.
If it is only for changing the 'interface'/running system part of the phone (that's called a ROM ), i can do with devunlock and flash a recovery, then flash a custom rom that is compatible for my version
(android 4.0.3 ICS/htc 3.6 sofware build 3.33.401.154/hboot 1.2900/kernel 3.0.16)
so any rom that has version 3.33 i can use it.
i don't need S-off per sé. (correct?)
doing above is already rooting, because i get (partially) access (or full access when S-off) to otherwise locked part of the system.
i have to flash a recovery to get influence when installing a new rom. so that means i NEED to flash a recovery to the phone before i flash a rom?
in short for my situation:
1. Do devunlock.
2. flash a recovery.
3. flash a custom rom to my phones specs as above.
so before or after step 1 i CAN do S-off using juopunutbear and the wiretrick
The easiest way to do all above is using the 'sensation all in one kit'
super CID i don't need, perm root is also optionally what can do as in the super tool kit is offered
But my fear is that the mac adres/wifi and bluetooth problems are from the 'lower level' of the system called firmware/kernel. (correct? or will flashing any custom rom already help me with solving my hardware part of the problems on the phone? besides giving me a much newer and cleaner installation with lot's of nice things, of course)
Main question still is? will a custom rom solve my wifi and bluetooth problems, or do i need more than above?
and ps, where does superswipe fit in all this? i read it's needed for instance at some versions of elegancia.
WOW Ganesh,what are you on?
@klimpetje
Wifi and bluetooth are on the "Radio" level.
Use an app from the market called "Getril"
This will show if you have the best radio/ril combination for your area.
Custom ROM MAY solve this problem.
Do not use "Superwipe" scripts.
Install 4 EXT recovery,and use the "Format all partitions (except sd card)"
doing above is already rooting, because i get (partially) access (or full access when S-off) to otherwise locked part of the system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this ..is partially true ...once you do SOFF/HTC-DEV unlock ..the system partition can be unlocked ..and to actually make it unlock ..you need root
so that means i NEED to flash a recovery to the phone before i flash a rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes
But my fear is that the mac adres/wifi and bluetooth problems are from the 'lower level' of the system called firmware/kernel. (correct? or will flashing any custom rom already help me with solving my hardware part of the problems on the phone? besides giving me a much newer and cleaner installation with lot's of nice things, of course)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the wifi and bluetooth modules are part of the ROM and drivers are part of radio ..so flashing CUSTOM ROM might/might not solve the issue
the chances of drivers getting corrupted are less ..as those areas are locked even when the OTA was applied...so custom ROM might solve your issue
superwipe -->as malybru said "not needed "..use the inbuilt wipe options present in recovery (this is done ..before flashing custom rom )
@malybru
WOW Ganesh,what are you on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
too much routine work/port im doing ...bored and came across this post
Nice guide ganeshp!
@ganeshp
Wow, that was really a nice and quick, yet thorough explanation! Cudos for being so helpful!
I was just wondering, is there any good reason to upgrade firmware after having S-OFF, custom recovery and flashed a working JB ROM?
Actually, I don't even know which firmware I have, but my last stock ROM before going custom was ICS.
My bootloader says:
Code:
=JuopunutBear=
PYRAMID PVT SHIP S-OFF RL
HBOOT-1.27.1111
RADIO-11.22.3504.07_M
OpenADSP-v02.6.0.2226.00.0131
eMMC-boot
Jan 13 2012, 17:33:34
I can't really figure out which firmware it is - wasn't it supposed to be either 3.32 or 3.33?
PS: I'm currently on Paranoid v.21.
tachylatus said:
@ganeshp
Wow, that was really a nice and quick, yet thorough explanation! Cudos for being so helpful!
I was just wondering, is there any good reason to upgrade firmware after having S-OFF, custom recovery and flashed a working JB ROM?
Actually, I don't even know which firmware I have, but my last stock ROM before going custom was ICS.
My bootloader says:
Code:
=JuopunutBear=
PYRAMID PVT SHIP S-OFF RL
HBOOT-1.27.1111
RADIO-11.22.3504.07_M
OpenADSP-v02.6.0.2226.00.0131
eMMC-boot
Jan 13 2012, 17:33:34
I can't really figure out which firmware it is - wasn't it supposed to be either 3.32 or 3.33?
PS: I'm currently on Paranoid v.21.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
based on the radio ..you have i can safely say that the firmware is 3.32
but to confirm it ..the output of this command gives you the firmware
(the command should be typed in PC ..by opening the terminal where the adb/fastboot files are there ...with phone connected to PC from bootloader (phone says FASTBOOT USB if connected properly ))
fastboot getvar version-main
tachylatus said:
@ganeshp
Wow, that was really a nice and quick, yet thorough explanation! Cudos for being so helpful!
I was just wondering, is there any good reason to upgrade firmware after having S-OFF, custom recovery and flashed a working JB ROM?
Actually, I don't even know which firmware I have, but my last stock ROM before going custom was ICS.
My bootloader says:
Code:
=JuopunutBear=
PYRAMID PVT SHIP S-OFF RL
HBOOT-1.27.1111
RADIO-11.22.3504.07_M
OpenADSP-v02.6.0.2226.00.0131
eMMC-boot
Jan 13 2012, 17:33:34
I can't really figure out which firmware it is - wasn't it supposed to be either 3.32 or 3.33?
PS: I'm currently on Paranoid v.21.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the only difference between 3.32fw and 3.33fw is radio upgrade
but you can check your fw version by doing this:
from bootloader connect your device to pc
open a command prompt and do
fastboot getvar version-main
then it will show you your firmware version
Thanks guys
My version is apparently 3.24.401.1.
I wonder if an upgrade will improve stability/performance.
Would you recommend following this guide, or should I just stay with the current version?
*edit*
I think I might give this a shot
Firmware information thread
The guy says something about most people reporting their devices to become noticeably faster after flashing.
tachylatus said:
Thanks guys
My version is apparently 3.24.401.1.
I wonder if an upgrade will improve stability/performance.
Would you recommend following this guide, or should I just stay with the current version?
*edit*
I think I might give this a shot
Firmware information thread
The guy says something about most people reporting their devices to become noticeably faster after flashing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the only difference between 3.32fw and 3.33fw is radio ugrade
but in order to flash the latest ARHD rom probably requires 3.32 or 3.33(not so sure maybe it boots with 3.24 otherwise flash a higher fw version)
Great succes! :good:
I installed universal firmware 3.33.
Wouldn't boot ROM, so I used recovery to wipe cache, dalvik and battery stats, then reflash Paranoid v.21.
Works like a charm! Lightning fast
Sent from my HTC Sensation using xda app-developers app
ganeshp said:
I'll try to explain stuff briefly ..hoping that it will solve other confusions too
well here it goes ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really good stuff Ganeshp, wish I'd come across this earlier it's just what one needs when you enter this world fun trying to piece together all the terms being banded around. A huge time saver to have the 'glossary' and explanations in one place allowing the research time to go to the meat of the matter rather than sorting out the confusion that naturally occurs when starting up.
ganeshp said:
I'll try to explain stuff briefly ..hoping that it will solve other confusions too
well here it goes ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome Ganeshp, I am also new to this forum and this clears pretty much everything! I love how this Sensation forum is soo helpfull, thanks guys Im glad I bought my Sensation

[Q] Whats next?

So I tried to root my phone awhile back and just ran out of time. Ive using the phone as is since but its time I finish what I started. Right now in the bootloader I have the 2 little bars on the top one saying tampered the other saying unlocked. It still says S-on(which where Im a little unsure of). I can boot into recovery without an issue from the bootloader. So i guess my question am i ready to install a custom rom or is there more i need to do before i do that?
Cbaird said:
So I tried to root my phone awhile back and just ran out of time. Ive using the phone as is since but its time I finish what I started. Right now in the bootloader I have the 2 little bars on the top one saying tampered the other saying unlocked. It still says S-on(which where Im a little unsure of). I can boot into recovery without an issue from the bootloader. So i guess my question am i ready to install a custom rom or is there more i need to do before i do that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you can install an ROM you wish, but depending on hboot you may have to flash the boot.img in fastboot. There is an easy method of getting stuff in the original android development section of this phones forum, so do that and you won't have to work. Happy flashing
Original android dev section is lame. S-off your device, then flash CleanROM JB beta and ElementalX vanilla. You won't be disappointed.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
S-OFF your device first this is all most noob proof just follow the instructions to the T. Then you wont have to flash the boot.img every time you flash a new rom in recovery, if you're on Hboot 1.14 and up. If you're on Hboot 2.14 I believe all 4.2 AOSP roms touch screens don't work, not sure though I know that cm10.1 doesn't for sure, but you can easily downgrade your Hboot to make it work after you've S-OFF'ed your phone or downgrade your touch panels firmware, again after your S-OFF .
S-OFF: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2155071
Downgrade HBOOT: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2156686 or http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2156368
Downgrade touch panel: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2159863
ECEXCURSION said:
Original android dev section is lame. S-off your device, then flash CleanROM JB beta and ElementalX vanilla. You won't be disappointed.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lame. Lol.
Its all a matter of opinion, in your opinion it is lame..
Android Dev section - anything not built from source (usually sense Roms)
Original Dev section - anything built from source (aosp based, such as cyanogenmod)
Sent from my Google Nexus 4
mirGantrophy said:
Lame. Lol.
Its all a matter of opinion, in your opinion it is lame..
Android Dev section - anything not built from source (usually sense Roms)
Original Dev section - anything built from source (aosp based, such as cyanogenmod)
Sent from my Google Nexus 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why aren't sense kernels in original development? I could be wrong but aren't they built from source
a box of kittens said:
Why aren't sense kernels in original development? I could be wrong but aren't they built from source
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To prevent confusion
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Wubbz said:
S-OFF your device first this is all most noob proof just follow the instructions to the T. Then you wont have to flash the boot.img every time you flash a new rom in recovery, if you're on Hboot 1.14 and up. If you're on Hboot 2.14 I believe all 4.2 AOSP roms touch screens don't work, not sure though I know that cm10.1 doesn't for sure, but you can easily downgrade your Hboot to make it work after you've S-OFF'ed your phone or downgrade your touch panels firmware, again after your S-OFF .
S-OFF: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2155071
Downgrade HBOOT: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2156686 or http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2156368
Downgrade touch panel: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2159863
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I flashed a rom through recovery and had no issues with having to flash the boot.img.(but maybe that was done before and i just dont remember) I also just checked my Hboot and its at 1.11. So would you recommend i do this still or not?
Cbaird said:
I flashed a rom through recovery and had no issues with having to flash the boot.img.(but maybe that was done before and i just dont remember) I also just checked my Hboot and its at 1.11. So would you recommend i do this still or not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since your on a Hboot lower than 1.14 you shouldn't have to downgrade anything, Hboots or the touchscreen firmware, But I would still recommend doing the S-OFF still. If you do, read through the instruction before you start then give it a go. Once your device is S-OFF you can downgrade or upgrade to any Hboot or change to what ever Radio you wish and no more flashing boot.img on Hboots 1.14 and up.
TIP for S-OFF I was getting error 99 with cm10.1 so i had to backup and wipe my phone and goto Viper XL 3.2.3 and then restore my cm10.1 rom from trwp recovery, there is a post about this in the S-OFF thread it might be in the OP now not sure though.
Also if you move to a 4.2.X based rom from 4.1.X or lower you will probably need to upgrade your adb folder if you haven't made it with googles newest build

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