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[Q] To root or not to root... newbie questions

Hello All,
I am new to the forum. And the more I read on this forum and others re: rooting, the less I feel I understand. I'm decent on computers but tech speak (as I call it) somewhat eludes me. I posted this on another forum and no one has really answered my questions. Hopefully you all can give me succinct and simple answers/advice.
I have a G2 that I adore. The only thing I hate is the bloatware that came on it. I want to get rid of the crap. In searching methods to do so I learned about rooting. So now I am on the fence as to whether or not I want to root or not.
I have heard that someone people experience better performance when they root, but not many go into specifics on what kind of enhanced performance they noticed (eg. internet speed, call clarity, battery life, etc.). If I could get rid of the bloatware, get faster performance (especially when web browsing), and other benefits I wouldn't mind figuring out how to root. What kind of benefits do you notice with rooting? Is it worth rooting since it has been announced that a new version (gingerbread) is supposed to be coming out soon, or is this new version not that much of a big deal?
Is there a program or app (hopefully in the market) that will root for me? If so can it also unroot and bring me back to my original state? Is rooting that easy?
Also what is a ROM, and what does it mean to flash? I semi understand what this is. I'm not confident in my understanding of it though. I understand it to be a file or app that can alter phone settings once rooted. I do think the actual meaning and purpose of ROMs go deeper than that, but a little clarity would be helpful.
Lastly, what does clocking out mean? I have seen a few charts, and people throwing out numbers and saying they are impressive but no one describes what clocking out means. It seem to be something involving speed, but speed in what aspect (eg. web browsing?).
I have never rooted a phone before, but I am willing to try it out if the rewards and enhancements are that much greater. And I also like to tinker with and fully utilize and understand my favorite gadgets from time to time.

Android is a Linux OS. Having root access is like having admin access in Windows. You can modify the system in any way you want. You can do temp root on the G2 but with temp root, all the bloatware you have will come back after a reboot (to my understanding, please correct me if I'm wrong.)
There are plenty of guides to doing a full complete root. It includes flashing an HBOOT (the screen you get when you turn the phone on by pressing the back arrow) and that can brick your phone if done wrong. READ! READ! READ!
Flashing a ROM is like installing an OS on a computer. There are plenty of Fro-Yo (2.2 ROMS) Fro-Yo with HTC Sense on top or even Gingerbread ROMs (like CyanogenMod 7 nightlies.) You can install any of them but make sure the ROM comes from the G2 section of the forum to avoid any problems.
In my experience, Custom ROMs are MUCH faster than stock. All those extra things that they tweak/add really makes a difference. I rooted two android phones before and Custom ROMs always make the phone much more enjoyable.
Overclocking or clocking is setting the speed of the CPU. Every phone (even if they are the same phone) has a slight difference in the CPU. Some can clock higher than others and remain stable. Overclocking helps in CPU intensive apps like web browsing, and games. It makes the experience much smoother. The side effect is decreased battery life (since you are over clocking past the factory settings).
This is all I can explain to you. Hope someone else who is more experienced in Android helps you.

Thank you so much! A lot of what you said just helped make everything I have been reading make a little more sense. Thank you soo much! Here is another question what is S-Off? I have seen it in a ton of places now since researching further into rooting.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=789498

[Q] New Sidekick/Android user with Root/Roms questions ;-)

Hello everyone.
Recently ordered a Samsung Sidekick 4G and reading on the forums
I noticed people saying that this device lags a lot, has random FCs, etc. and
that they way of getting "rid" of this was by rooting and installing
custom roms. As you might have figured by my low post count, I'm
a newbie with regards to Android phones or Android in general. So
I have a couple of questions.
I know where to look if I want to take the chance and do this
by following this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1275116
(thank God and moderators for stickies!-- making life easier )
But I would like to know:
1) What are the advantages of having Sidekick custom roms (apart
from the usual root access and what not). Is the stock Rom that bad?
Does it have lots of bloat slowing the phone?
2) Has anyone tried the different Roms out there and can I have
an assessment of what they do/offer? (i.e. which one you think
is the best with regards to battery life, bundle of sw, etc for
a newb). Basically their strenghts and weaknesses as I wouldn't want
to lose something important such as network services (i.e. 3G, WiFi, etc.)
And yes, I know that I can try them for myself, but I haven't
even received the phone and I'm scared sh!+less of rooting
don't want to think about repeating the process of the link
above to keep trying different Roms... so I will rely on your
experiences.
3) Since I wont be receiving OTA updates with or without a custom
Rom (I don't have t-mobile, it's an unlocked phone...), do
custom Roms already have stuff from OTA updates??
4) If Android 2.3 update is released for the Sidekick, will it
be available as a "custom" rom? Is that how it works for people
that don't get OTA updates?
5) If I decide to stick with stock Rom, could I still "root"
the phone and play with overclocking and all that jazz?
Finally,
6) What's the meaning of life?!?!?
Hope you can help me with these questions if you can.
And if you don't want to help me... then ... I'll be sad...
for a couple of minutes! ;-)
BTW I also ordered an LG Optimus Quantum just to also try the Windows
OS and compare between both, Android and Windows experiences
(I come from Symbian... Nokia FTW!!! ;-))
Thanks!

to question 4 it will be incorporated to the customs roms no doubt
to question 2 i have used gingerclone v2, lighting rom v2 , touchmiuiwiz, and glorious i like glorious the most so far and dislike lighting v2 the most gingerclone and touchmiui is the same rom different themes
to question 5 you can still root it and overclock it
to question 1 you get d can get better battery life, less bloatware, better signal,
to question 3 on the ota we used kg2 which was an ota as a mix with kd1

that was harsh xtreme .

saying i disliked the rom the most when basically i used 3 roms? thats not being harsh

IMO any rom developed by ayoteddy is worth checking out. Also always be sure to fully read each rom thread's first post; everything you need to know should be there.
And personally I wouldn't flash any rom or attempt to root until you're comfortable using adb commands (I've soft bricked a couple of phones myself and that's no fun at all).
There's a bunch of good youtube tutorials outlining everything from rooting to flashing custom roms. Good luck with everything and welcome to the sk4g family!
Sent from my SGH-T839 using XDA App

It was not harsh. lol. it's his opinion.

I have used gcv2 and glorius i loved the first but the later is def. Better, u can root without a custom rom. And dont fret about flashing a rom, this is my first phone that iv flashed, rooted etc. And yes after a week or so the stock launcher started lagging. Although i only got fc's on zeam
Sent from my SGH-T839 using xda premium

Thanks for the responses so far!
And I'll definitely stick with the stock settings but if I begin to experience bugs or lags, I'll definitely look into this! Now I have to check why the heck I'm only getting EDGE!! WTF?!! lol
Thanks.

go to wireless ettings and swtich from gsm to gs/wcda mode

I FAILED!!! :-(
I think I'm going to have to resell this phone on eBay...
I just noticed WHY it wont connect in 3G... T-Mobile phones seem to be "configured" to use the 1700 band but my service provider does 3G like AT&T and I think they use 1900...
Oh well... back to my second option... the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro...
Thanks guys!

gelocks said:
But I would like to know:
1) What are the advantages of having Sidekick custom roms (apart
from the usual root access and what not). Is the stock Rom that bad?
Does it have lots of bloat slowing the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
with a custom ROM battery usage decreases in some cases and it also allows for more customization of your phone. Like in some ROMs you can change your transition effects, dock settings, and menu settings. It allows you to pick how you want your phone to look. For most people that got the OTA update their phone got really bad with freezes and force closes, you'd have to reboot your phone every day. In the end if you don't like a ROM you can always switch back.
2) Has anyone tried the different Roms out there and can I have
an assessment of what they do/offer? (i.e. which one you think
is the best with regards to battery life, bundle of sw, etc for
a newb). Basically their strenghts and weaknesses as I wouldn't want
to lose something important such as network services (i.e. 3G, WiFi, etc.)
And yes, I know that I can try them for myself, but I haven't
even received the phone and I'm scared sh!+less of rooting
don't want to think about repeating the process of the link
above to keep trying different Roms... so I will rely on your
experiences.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tried a few and at the moment i'm using glorious overdose by ayoteddy and sduvick. This ROM is very smooth and very nice but doesn't allow for as much customization as touchMUI or GingerClone. TouchMui allows you to customize the behaviors of your phone like menu, transitions, etc. through launcherpro which comes with the ROM, BUT it wants you to buy launcherPro when you try to do certain functions. Now i'm a newby too, barely rooted and flashed my phone a few weeks ago, as well as somebody that works with me. I've also experienced alot less forceclose issues with glorious overdose.
3) Since I wont be receiving OTA updates with or without a custom
Rom (I don't have t-mobile, it's an unlocked phone...), do
custom Roms already have stuff from OTA updates??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There aren't really that many OTA updates but from what i've seen the devs here get stuff before it's actually released, such as KJ2, which we havent officially recieved yet. The one OTA update that happened actually made the phone run like crap, excuse my language.
4) If Android 2.3 update is released for the Sidekick, will it
be available as a "custom" rom? Is that how it works for people
that don't get OTA updates?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Somebody will probably post a version of it on the forums and devs will most likely use it as soon as they get their hands on it, IF there's still deving going on for this phone at that time.
5) If I decide to stick with stock Rom, could I still "root"
the phone and play with overclocking and all that jazz?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes you can, I did that before i actually flashed my phone. root is a different thing than flashing a custom ROM to your phone.
Finally,
6) What's the meaning of life?!?!?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
according to wikipedia, The meaning of life constitutes a philosophical question concerning the purpose and significance of life or existence in general.

6 the purpose of life is to find the answer to that question yourself...

[Q] Wind Mobile LG Optimus 2X Rooting for Noobs and Other Questions

Hey I'm a noob, and I bought an LG Optimus 2x on Wind Mobile. I quite like the phone, but I am thinking about rooting and installing custom ROMs because it does have a few problems. I have a bunch of questions, and an answer to any of these questions would be great.
1. I have an LG Optimus 2X on Wind, and I keep reading that I have to install P999 ROMs (T-Mobile G2X ROMs) on my phone as opposed to O2X ROMs. Is this true?
2. If I root my phone and install a custom ROM, can the ENTIRE process be undone, to the point where my phone is back to how I got it out of the box?
3. What ROM should I use? MIUI, CM7 or something else? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each ROM?
4. How does Nandroid backup (or whatever the backup thingy is)work? Will my phone be exactly the same? Like exactly? Will my angry birds save files and my apps and tasks and contacts and call logs and everything transfer over to the new ROM? Will I be able to unroot/restore my phone to the point where everything (down to angry birds save files) is exactly the same?
5. What do I do if I brick my phone?
6. What's a kernel?
7. Where can I find a step by step process to installing a custom ROM, rooting my phone, etc.?
8. How do I overclock?
Thanks in advance guys, A reply would be much appreciated.

J-Boxer said:
Hey I'm a noob, and I bought an LG Optimus 2x on Wind Mobile. I quite like the phone, but I am thinking about rooting and installing custom ROMs because it does have a few problems. I have a bunch of questions, and an answer to any of these questions would be great.
1. I have an LG Optimus 2X on Wind, and I keep reading that I have to install P999 ROMs (T-Mobile G2X ROMs) on my phone as opposed to O2X ROMs. Is this true?
2. If I root my phone and install a custom ROM, can the ENTIRE process be undone, to the point where my phone is back to how I got it out of the box?
3. What ROM should I use? MIUI, CM7 or something else? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each ROM?
4. How does Nandroid backup (or whatever the backup thingy is)work? Will my phone be exactly the same? Like exactly? Will my angry birds save files and my apps and tasks and contacts and call logs and everything transfer over to the new ROM? Will I be able to unroot/restore my phone to the point where everything (down to angry birds save files) is exactly the same?
5. What do I do if I brick my phone?
6. What's a kernel?
7. Where can I find a step by step process to installing a custom ROM, rooting my phone, etc.?
Thanks in advance guys, A reply would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
welcome first of all. you should have chosen another usrname, but whatever
you could have found everything, but i'll take 5mins to give you the basic answers
1. yeah, don't use O2x stuff, usually won't work. two different hardware sets
2. sort of, yes. but won't do it.
3. you should install cm7, miui, weapon and see the differences. they are the main ones
4. nandroid is a back-up of your system (i think of it as a your own custom rom, which is the way you left your system). when flashing from rom to rom, contacts, numbers are automatically saved, but you save them to your SIM card just in case. Angry birds scores are not kept. you can use titanium backup, which keeps the files for you.
5. if you brick it, you unbrick it. never happens if you follow instructions, though
6. kernel is the basis of the operating system. it sits on top of the hardware, and it lets your applications talk to your hardware. some are faster than others because they are more efficiently written - it has to do with code complexity and stuff you don't usually need to understand.
7. for my first time, i used theunlockr.com

Thanks a ton Aplsux. People like you who take the time to answer to questions as stupid as mine make the world a better place. Can you (or someone else) elaborate a little more on the whole undoing process (#2). Where can I find out more about titanium backup?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each ROM? I am into themes, and battery life and stability matter a lot to me.
Can you tell me anything about overclocking and undervolting?

Why have you copied my user name? I have been on XDA many years. I find this seriously annoying!!! I would appreciate it if you stop using this user name and pick another one.

hey J-Boxer, i can verify jboxer is one of the most distinguished members here, he posted his new rom recently and helps out a lot, it would be really nice before you get your post count or whatever to choose something else. not a rule, but just a nice thing to do. after all, forums like these make android the best supported system in terms of technical support and customization. people like him, with their contributions, make the world better, not lazyass people like me who give you half answers
i cannot elaborate on unbricking, because in my extensive roming, i have never ever bricked it. i've also never had to help anyone to unbrick it. all i remember, there was one thread in the q&a section, which told you how to unbrick it. chances are, you don't have to worry about it. the worse thing i've seen is fixable with a battery pull.
i cannot also comment on titanium back - i dont have games. but you know, folders and files in them, are not touched by the rom flashing.
roms are different, and you should really use them because it depends on the person. what i can say is that i've gotten the most battery out of MIUI and wepon3. most stability from weapon and cm7. miui has a few force closes, for me - also, parts of miui remind me of iOS.
i've stayed out of overclocking and underclocking, just my choice. in practice, chips are manufactured in a way to work at 1.0GHz lets say. But due to random process variables connected to transistor layouts, parasitic capacitances, resistor mismatches, all 1.0GHz chips actually can work at 0.8GHz and some at 1.2GHz. the manufacturer downclocks them, so that all can be sold as 0.8GHz, so no instability occurs. (or at least that's what we're told at school) SOOOO, to make a long story short, overclocking voids that limit set by the manufacturer of the chip. your stuff operates faster, but since the rest of the software and electronics are made for the manufacturer's frequency, a little more battery is used, and software sometimes it becomes unstable.
the g2x, everything is blazing fast, no need to overclock. but custom roms definitely give you more battery than whatever came from WIND. and it's more than 2.2.x - for instance, they made a wireless network at school, where the mobile device logs itself automatically, but you need at least 2.3.x.
i suggest you install clockwork, put a few different roms, and try them out. it's fun learning a new interface
miui is very easy to theme it yourself - just edit the mtz files. i know cm7 has a theme changer, but i dnot know how easy it is to change the themes there - but you can defiantely donwload lots. but for both, there are lots of themes you can donwload - this is what i love the most about linux.
these are the ones i've used, and found decent:
miui http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1158037
cm7 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1108201
eb http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1124522
weapon http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1207125

Thanks aplsux, and sorry about that jboxer, I wouldn't have done so if I knew. I have always used this name for all if my accounts, but have no problem changing it. I really don't want you to think I copied your name as it was not on purpose.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

J-Boxer said:
Thanks aplsux, and sorry about that jboxer, I wouldn't have done so if I knew. I have always used this name for all if my accounts, but have no problem changing it. I really don't want you to think I copied your name as it was not on purpose.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
People might get us confused. I post here frequently and, no offense to you, I would not want people getting confused that your posts are from me. I understand you didn't copy it on purpose, but I think maybe it is better if you can change it. I don't think you can edit your user name, but maybe a moderator can do it for you? I think the only way would be to create a new account and that would require a different email address also. Up to you.

Just want to root
Sorry to cut into this thread, but my problem is basically directly related. but I have just purchased the same phone (LG Optimus 2x, Wind Mobile). The OS is 2.2.2
Now I am basically a noob. I don't want any custom ROMs. I just want to have root access to my phone, and to be easily able to unroot if need be.
I looked online and found a video tutorial for Super One Click. I followed all the instructions. Installed drivers first, then super one click. Enabled USB debugging mode and did NOT load the SD card. When I run Super One Click and click Driver Check, it says everything is good. But then when I click Root, it freezes on the "waiting for device..." step.
Anything I might be doing wrong? The only thing I can think of is that I have not installed a SIM card or a SD card in my phone yet. Does that make a difference?
Is there any other way I can do this with a different program? Any help would be great, Thanks.

Fixed it
Never mind, I just figured it out. The problem was my phone drivers were being corrupted by my aggressive antivirus, thus the adb was not installed properly. If you disable antivirus before installing the phone drivers and the Super One Click program, and only reenable it after you complete the root, you should be golden! I have now rooted my phone and I'm ecstatic!

What antivirus were you using?
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

BriskT said:
Never mind, I just figured it out. The problem was my phone drivers were being corrupted by my aggressive antivirus, thus the adb was not installed properly. If you disable antivirus before installing the phone drivers and the Super One Click program, and only reenable it after you complete the root, you should be golden! I have now rooted my phone and I'm ecstatic!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before doing any kind of flashing you should always disable any antivirus programs and turn off your firewall on your computer. Not doing so can result in bricked devices. You are lucky you got off easy; but the 2X/G2x devices are very difficult to hard brick.

Any advantage to rooting if you just want simple?

Overall, I am happy with my phone. Use it mostly for e-mail, websurfing, various apps. Don't need to play around with settings, etc. It just works.
I am interested in possibly rooting, but frankly, I don't want to spend a lot of time on tweaks, loading ROMS, etc. I just want to use my phone.
If I root without loading a new rom, what are some of the advantages?
I know that I can remove some bloatware, but unless it significantly increases battery life, then it doesn't really matter to me. Will removing bloatware do anything significant to battery life?
I am already SIM unlocked (I called AT&T, and they gave me the code to unlock).
Any other advantages?
I have rooted my wife's NOOK with CM7, and while I like it, there are issues like the Sleep of Death (SOD), occasional lag, etc., that I really don't want to deal with on my phone. I need it to work without any glitches, or constant fiddling.
My guess is I should probably stay unrooted, but wanted to see if anyone can educate me whether there are any benefits in my situation.
Thanks!

f308gt4 said:
Overall, I am happy with my phone. Use it mostly for e-mail, websurfing, various apps. Don't need to play around with settings, etc. It just works.
I am interested in possibly rooting, but frankly, I don't want to spend a lot of time on tweaks, loading ROMS, etc. I just want to use my phone.
If I root without loading a new rom, what are some of the advantages?
I know that I can remove some bloatware, but unless it significantly increases battery life, then it doesn't really matter to me. Will removing bloatware do anything significant to battery life?
I am already SIM unlocked (I called AT&T, and they gave me the code to unlock).
Any other advantages?
I have rooted my wife's NOOK with CM7, and while I like it, there are issues like the Sleep of Death (SOD), occasional lag, etc., that I really don't want to deal with on my phone. I need it to work without any glitches, or constant fiddling.
My guess is I should probably stay unrooted, but wanted to see if anyone can educate me whether there are any benefits in my situation.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let's start with the basics, please search before posting. The advantages of rooting and disadvantages are well documented in numerous threads. It sounds like to me your phone is what you want/need it to be so why change it? If you are explicitly telling me you don't want to spend time flashing ROMs and tweaking the Inspire then I'm telling you its in your best interest not root.
Simply put, every custom ROM on here has its issues. No ROM is perfect, certain things work while others don't and its on you to figure out what you can or cannot live with. The only way to do that is by testing ROMs which brings me back to your statement that you don't want to spend time flashing ROMs and all that stuff..if you don't want to spend time doing this, rooting is not your journey.
Battery life is subjective, overall yes, most rooters see an increase in battery life, how much is subjective. I get 28 hours on one charge while others get 6. The difference? The user and what they do with the phone. My opinion for you is that don't root, you sound content with everything the inspire is.
Devil's advocate though, your inspire could be soo much more.

if you dont know what you want root for, then you dont need to root

if you want simple, do not root. It is not an easier path to walk on. It has its bumps and glitches. Sometimes you have a bad flash or download and have to redo it, or youll forget to back up something and now your sms messages are gone. If you arent ready to dig deeper into the phone and learn and also make it do more than stay as it is, no shame in that. Hes right, if you arent SURE you need to root than you shouldnt because the gains wont be noticed. I think most of us have had an almost brick experience at some point in time, be mentally prepared lol
once i had my phone run good all night, once i got to work it just died. was a bad flash and it didnt show its ugly head till the next day so i had to wait till i got home to fix it properly. lol gave me twitches not having my phone lol

f308gt4 said:
I am interested in possibly rooting, but frankly, I don't want to spend a lot of time on tweaks, loading ROMS, etc. I just want to use my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I agree with the posts made here already that suggest rooting may not be for you, there are a couple significant advantages which you may want to consider.
Probably the first biggest advantage from my point of view is to remove the 'spyware' (Carrier IQ) present on most factory ROMs. That's HUGE for me. I have enough government intrusion into my life, I don't need any more. Another element is that - at least on my ROM (Virtuous Unity or Affinity) that they have done an excellent job of blocking ad intrusions.
There are also some applications which require root access, though most of them are system utilities (like Titanium Backup) which you wouldn't be using if you don't intend to experiment with different ROMs.
If I'm not mistaken, there's a path to go back to the OEM (factory) ROM, however you will need to be cautious with how you back up and restore the data you need. However it's something to consider if you felt like you wanted to kick the tires while still being able to go back to stock.
As with anything else in life, there are pros and cons. At this point most ROMs are fairly stable for the Inspire, so you probably won't be at a disadvantage, but if the one thing you need on the one ROM you like is the one thing that doesn't work and it's the one thing you can't live without, then don't do it. Read the documentation for each ROM and you'll know what to do.

I rooted my wife's Inspire so that I could get rid of unwanted AT&T and HTC apps and get rid of Carrier IQ.
The result has been better battery life and no prompts/notifications for updates to apps that were installed as system apps but that I have removed. I believe that the phone runs smoother without the stuff that was running in the background.
She really does not see any difference (except the battery life) in her everyday use.

marvin02 said:
I rooted my wife's Inspire so that I could get rid of unwanted AT&T and HTC apps and get rid of Carrier IQ.
The result has been better battery life and no prompts/notifications for updates to apps that were installed as system apps but that I have removed. I believe that the phone runs smoother without the stuff that was running in the background.
She really does not see any difference (except the battery life) in her everyday use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you install a different ROM, or just keep the stock (except for the rooted part) and delete the bloatware? How much of a difference did it make in the battery life?
Thanks!

Pirateghost said:
if you dont know what you want root for, then you dont need to root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed here. Rooting requires learning more in depth capabilities about your phone. If you are content with the status quo, why complicate?

f308gt4 said:
Did you install a different ROM, or just keep the stock (except for the rooted part) and delete the bloatware? How much of a difference did it make in the battery life?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No change in ROM. Battery usually has better than 50% at night when she goes to bed. She unplugs at 5 AM and usually it's back on the charger around 10 PM. Before it was at about 30% most nights.
I also believe that it uses less background data.

Root that ***** n throw a couple ROMs on there to play with. Ever since I've roted my phone a while ago I can't stop playing with new ROMs as they cone out.

Forgive me if I'm wrong but I thought that thisbphone never had carrier iq
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA App

Well, I went against the good advice offered here and rooted.
I used the Ace Hack Kit, with Ubuntu, which worked perfectly as expected.
I have not installed any ROM's, as I think I will just try to remove any bloatware, etc to see if the phone battery life increases.
Any suggestions as to what to remove (I am trying a search as we speak)?
Thanks!

f308gt4 said:
Well, I went against the good advice offered here and rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Generally, I'd suggest removing anything that's carrier-specific. Those apps tend to be better for them than they are for you. To do so, I'd recommend a couple utilities that will help you in your experimentation.
1) Titanium Backup. Good for removing bloatware, when you decide what it is you don't need or want.
2) ROM Manager / Clockwork. Great for downloading ROMs and managing backups from the Android interface.
Part of what might be draining your batter is Carrier IQ, but that's not something easily dug out. You'd do better to just install a ROM that's had it expertly removed. I'd suggest either Virtuous Unity or Virtuous Affinity.

The Inspire was not released w/CIQ.

Tx Redneck said:
The Inspire was not released w/CIQ.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Better safe than sorry, I suppose.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using Tapatalk

Sigh. All was well with my phone, and I had taken the case off to clean it. I was in the back yard with the phone, and boom, I dropped it on the patio. Landed face down and screen cracked.
I guess I'll be looking for a new phone now.
Thanks for all of your help!

f308gt4 said:
Overall, I am happy with my phone. Use it mostly for e-mail, websurfing, various apps. Don't need to play around with settings, etc. It just works.
I am interested in possibly rooting, but frankly, I don't want to spend a lot of time on tweaks, loading ROMS, etc. I just want to use my phone.
If I root without loading a new rom, what are some of the advantages?
I know that I can remove some bloatware, but unless it significantly increases battery life, then it doesn't really matter to me. Will removing bloatware do anything significant to battery life?
I am already SIM unlocked (I called AT&T, and they gave me the code to unlock).
Any other advantages?
I have rooted my wife's NOOK with CM7, and while I like it, there are issues like the Sleep of Death (SOD), occasional lag, etc., that I really don't want to deal with on my phone. I need it to work without any glitches, or constant fiddling.
My guess is I should probably stay unrooted, but wanted to see if anyone can educate me whether there are any benefits in my situation.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Removing bloat is advantageous to battery life, but the best feature IMO is AdFree Android. It , which removes ALL ads, in the browser or in the apps. It makes browsing and apps faster and cleaner.

f308gt4 said:
Sigh. All was well with my phone, and I had taken the case off to clean it. I was in the back yard with the phone, and boom, I dropped it on the patio. Landed face down and screen cracked.
I guess I'll be looking for a new phone now.
Thanks for all of your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just go on craigs list and find a local repair shop. the same thign happened to me, $100 and she's brand new again

IHTFP12 said:
Removing bloat is advantageous to battery life, but the best feature IMO is AdFree Android. It , which removes ALL ads, in the browser or in the apps. It makes browsing and apps faster and cleaner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, the best feature is the fact you get full control of the device you purchased, anything else is secondary.

Root if for no other reason than to install CWM and keep up to date nandroid backups of your oem rom. It's always nice to have a quick solution in case something bad ever happens.
Plus, a lot of cool apps require root access.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

[Q] Will a new ROM be all I ever dreamed of....?

Hi all! I'm a noob to the site and a noob to smartphone modifications, so please forgive me for my questions and concerns. I've used forums for years on many topics and found the knowledge base to be incredible, so I hope you guys will help me out, too.
So, while my Skyrocket has generally worked very well for the past 2+ years, I have always felt it's not living up to its potential. I've read numerous threads on many forums to see what my fellow Rocketeers were doing. I think I've come to the conclusion that flashing a new ROM is the way to go, but I am a bit wary since I've never done this nor know anyone who has. My thinking goes along the same lines as my experience with computers... If you buy a Dell, HP, etc., you get the garbage that the manufacturer bundles in along with Windows. If you wipe the HD and install your own clean copy of Windows, you can usually get better performance without all that other stuff. Hence, the idea for a new ROM for the phone.
A few things have me wondering, though... There seem to be more ROMs available than flavors of Linux! I know choice will end up being a personal thing. My goal is really simple... I just want a clean OS that is stable, efficient, and runs the basic functions I am accustomed to. So, I am not looking to experiment or push the envelope. I want a phone that doesn't crash at the worst possible time, and one that can actually make phone calls! I assume that I will still be able to use the Google Play store to download apps (after installing the plugin thingy). My phone is from AT&T and is unlocked. Will it say unlocked after flashing a new ROM? Will Visual Voicemail still work? I occasionally use FoxFi to create a mobile hotspot. Will I still be able to use it? Or do other ROMs already have this feature unlocked (or bypassed)? I use apps on my phone mostly for email (Yahho/Gmail), calendar, FB, Instagram, YouTube, taking photos/video, viewing forums, and the like, besides making phone calls. In other words, what should I expect from a new ROM? How will things be different? I'm really trying to gauge if this is a worthwhile endeavor for me.
Sorry for the long post. I appreciate your opinions and experience.

It's always worthwhile.
The Skyrocket, to me, was always a case of OEM software that limited its potential. If you really sit down and tweak it, custom ROM, new governor, overclock, it's a beast of a phone that can still keep pace today. You'll have to balance performance with battery life--overclocking and switching to a more aggressive governor doesn't do you any favors there, and some ROMs are better about battery life than others. It's a great phone with a lot of life left, though, much more so than the vanilla S2 because the Rocket has LTE capability.
To hit your other questions, any app that is available on the Play Store will work. If a ROM needs a second gapps flash to get the Play Store (along with everything else Google ships) back, that will be made available and is a very easy install. I've never unlocked a phone, but I don't believe that a new ROM would lose that. Wait for someone else to reply, but I'd be shocked if it did. As far as what you want, there's a ROM to suit any desires. Most ROMs are pretty basic and look and feel like you'd expect a Skyrocket to. Some are designed to feel a little more like iOS, some are designed to be stripped-down (and faster as a result), and some are based on stock firmware and very closely replicate the original experience. It's up to you to read through the dev forum for the Rocket and pick the experience that's best for you.
As far as how difficult it is, spend a couple hours reading about flashing, how it works and why it works. Once you have that basic understanding of it and can follow a few simple instructions that are pretty universal across ROMs, you're set.

Well, I'm giving this a try tonight. Fingers crossed!

One piece of advice: when you pick a new rom from "Android development" read the WHOLE thread associated with that rom, with special attention the the first couple of pages. Make sure you understand the process and any potential pitfalls.
First rom I tried I spent probably six hours reading. It was worth it.

Success!!! I now have the latest CandyKat running! It ended up being not too bad at all. Now I need to figure out how things are different from the AT&T Jelly Bean this replaces.
Thanks for the advice and thanks to everyone who contributes to the site,

I have Kandykat. It seems to be a good solid rom. The Google Now launcher is buggy though. I changed to Nova launcher. Other than that it's been fine.

Thanks for the tips, Chris. I've been using Launcher3. What's the difference between these launchers? Everything seems to be running fine on my rocket now. Any tips on increasing battery life? Any tips on some nice customization?

Google Now launcher seems to have the annoying habit of forgetting the screen setup (app positioning) during reboot. Launcher 3 also exhibited the same problem. Launchers are a matter of taste, but Nova launcher seems solid and looks right to me. YMMV. It's easy to try a few.