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This guide is ancient, guys. The only purpose it should serve now is showing you how to set up ADB or flash something through recovery. You can use unrEVOked Forever to root now, which is much faster and easier. Quit sending me PMs with questions about this.
After the positive response I got from my Swype guide, I decided to do one for root too. I have found that Toast's guide goes way over the head of a lot of new users (Using adb to copy and rename files? C'm on, Toast!), and I want to simplify things down for them.
In this guide, I will provide a way for you to backup your phone in case you have any vital programs, and I will take you all the way through getting back to the rooted stock image and restoring your apps (from there, you will be on your own!). This DOES work with Sprint's latest OTA (ends in .6).
Please let me know if there are any errors or any omissions (something like Titanium Backup not working with unrEVOked; I haven't tested this). Also, if someone wants to take some screenshots of the recovery stuff or just has images of the steps, just let me know, and I can add them.
If you get stuck on a step, please post it in the topic first instead of directly PMing me. It's not that I don't want to personally help you (you can ask all the people I've helped), but I'm not always directly available, and other users can freely help you out if you post in the thread! It also provides a little "mini-troubleshooting" scenario for anyone else with the same issue as you. I also recommend reading the entire guide before doing it so you will have some idea of what steps you will be taking! Thanks!
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
SECTION I: BACKING UP YOUR APPS
SECTION II: ROOTING FOR THE FIRST TIME
SECTION III: INSTALLING A CUSTOM RECOVERY
SECTION IV: INSTALLING A CUSTOM ROM
SECTION V: NESSECARY SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
SECTION VI: INTRODUCTION TO ADB
SECTION VII: UNLOCKING NAND
1. First things first, if you don't want to backup your apps, skip to step #14.
SECTION I: BACKING UP YOUR APPS
2. Go to the settings menu, and select Applications.
3. Check the box next to "Unknown Applications" and accept the warning.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
4. Go to your web browser and navigate to http://unrevoked.com/m/ .
5. Click the logo to download the file, as it says.
6. Once the file is done downloading, click it.
7. Click the install button, and hit "open" when it is done installing.
8. Click Start!
9. When you get the "Done." message, navigate to the Market and find Titanium Backup. I HIGHLY recommend the donate version, but you need to donate to the dev via PayPal to get a license file, and it could take him up to a day to email it to you.
10. Click "open" after it is done installing and click the "Problems?" tab at the bottom.
11. Click "yes" to install BusyBox.
12. When Titanium Backup restarts, press Menu and select "Batch."
13. Backup all of your apps here.
SECTION II: ROOTING FOR THE FIRST TIME
14. Plug in your phone's USB cable and connect it to your computer. You should get a prompt in the notification bar that the phone is connected. Open the notification bar and select where it says "charge only."
15. Change the type to "disk drive" and select "Done."
16. Download this file, and save it to your desktop.
17. Since your phone is connected as a disk drive, navigate to My Computer and you will see it as "Removable Disk." Drag and drop the file you just downloaded to the icon.
18. At this point, we are about to flash the debug image. YOUR DATA WILL ALL BE WIPED AFTER THIS POINT!
19. Hold down "power" to bring up the following menu. Select "Power off."
20. Select "Ok."
21. Thanks to mrono, we now have some images of the recovery image for your ease of use, but I will post toast's exact words that you should follow to the letter. If you want step-by-step versions of this, skip to step 21a.
- Hold volume down while powering the phone on. continue to hold volume down until you see the WHITE bootloader screen.
- After a few seconds it will begin to checking for files, and find PC36IMG.zip. while its doing this it will show a blue progress bar while its checking. (this takes 30 - 60 seconds to finish)
- It will then list all the images in the zip and ask you if want to flash. SAY YES
- When its finished it will ask you if you would like to reboot. AGAIN... SAY YES
- At this point it will boot into a rooted rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Essentially, you just have to hold the volume down button as you press the power button, and the phone will do the rest. Just accept any prompts you get.
21a. When powering on, hold down the volume down key, and keep holding it down until this screen appears.
21b. It will search for a second then prompt you to install the PC36IMG.zip. Select yes.
21c. After the installation is complete, select yes to reboot your device.
22. You are now rooted! Congratulations! However, this debug ROM will not show protected apps in the Market, so we're going to install a rooted version of the stock ROM now.
23. After everything is booted, reconnect your USB cable and enter disk drive mode as described before.
24. Navigate to the PC36IMG.zip file and rename it however you want. This prevents it from running when ever you reboot. After this file is renamed, disable "disk mode" the same way you enabled it.
SECTION III: INSTALLING A CUSTOM RECOVERY
NOTE: Steps 25 - 28 were removed due to ROM Manager being updated. Follow the steps in step 29 below.
29. If ROM Manager just won't work for you, download this file, rename it to "update.zip," and copy it to the root of your SD card just like we did with the PC36IMG zip before. A common problem that people have here is actually typing the last ".zip" in when naming the file. ONLY type "update" as the file name because the file you are downloading is already in .zip format, and Windows hides known file extensions. If you get any kind of "file cannot be found" or "verification error" on this step, then you probably made this mistake, and you just need to rename the file.
Please note: This is the ONLY file on your SD card to be named "update.zip." Do NOT rename any other files to "update.zip" or remove this file.
SECTION IV: INSTALLING A CUSTOM ROM
30. At this time, we will download the rooted stock ROM. Get it here and save it to your desktop. Do NOT rename this downloaded ROM to "update.zip!"
31. Copy it to your SD card exactly like we did before with the first ROM. Make sure you re-enable disk mode so you can copy files again.
32. Once again, thanks to mrono we have photos of this step, but I will give you the exact words from Koush on how to boot into recovery. Skip to step 32a for exact step-by-step instructions in this step.
When you want to launch the recovery image
* Turn on your device with 'volume down' pressed and select 'Recovery'
* When the exclamation mark appears, press and hold 'volume up' then press 'power'
* Select the second option, 'Apply sdcard:update.zip
* That's it, ClockworkMod recovery should launch!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just like before, we turn off the phone and hold the volume down key as we power on the device. However, this time we will select "Recovery" from the menu (move down with the volume button and select it with the power button). Now you will see a screen with an exclamation mark. Press and hold the volume up button and press the power button. Select the "apply update.zip" option, and you will be in recovery mode.
32a. Just as before, hold down the volume down key as you power on the phone until this screen appears. Select "Recovery" from the menu.
32b. When you enter recovery, you will see the following screen. Don't panic.
32c. Hold the volume up button and press the power button. You will now be presented with the following screen.
32d. From here, select "apply sdcard:update.zip." Remember, this is the recovery image from before. Your phone will boot into the ClockworkMod custom recovery.
33. First, wipe the cache partition and the user data by selecting their respective menu options. From here, select "install zip from sdcard." Now select "choose zip from sdcard" and navigate to the stock ROM .zip file that we downloaded. Skip to step 33a for step-by-step images, but the text below may help you navigate the recovery menu:
The full recovery menu will read as follows:
-reboot system now
-apply sdcard: update.zip
-wipe data/factory reset
-wipe cache partition
-install zip from sdcard
-nandroid
-partitions menu
-advanced
- *****Go Back*****
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Select the bolded in the items in the order in which they appear. After all is wiped, select -install zip from sdcard then pick -choose zip from sdcard and finally navigate to the zipped ROM that you want to install.
33a. From the recovery menu, select the following options and confirm them: "wipe data/factory reset" followed by "wipe cache partition."
33b. After everything is wiped, navigate to "install zip from sdcard," then select "choose zip from sdcard."
33c. Now, navigate to the custom ROM that you downloaded and select it. You will get a progress bar.
34. After the ROM is done installing, press "**Go Back**" and then pick "reboot system now" from the menu.
35. Congratulations again! You are now running a rooted version of the stock ROM (or the custom ROM of your choice). You can restore your apps with Titanium Backup or you can get another custom ROM and flash it exactly the same way that you flashed the stock ROM. I highly recommend Fresh ROM, which can be found in this topic. In fact, ANY custom ROM can be flashed in the same manner that is described in steps 30-34.
35a. Make sure you flash the latest radio update before installing any custom ROMs! It flashes just like a ROM, and you can download it and find any warning information here. Don't dp this yet if you plan on continuing the guide and unlocking NAND because you will have to do it again at the end of the guide.
SECTION V: NESSECARY SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
36. We are going to download and install three pieces of software here: 7-Zip, HTC Sync, and the Android SDK. First, we will install 7-Zip. Navigate to the 7-Zip website (http://www.7-zip.org/download.html) and download the appropriate version for your copy of Windows (either 32 or 64 bit). Install it. In my opinion, this is the best archive utility, and it just makes life easier if we're on the same page.
37. Next, head to the HTC website (http://www.htc.com/us/support/evo-sprint/downloads/) and download the HTC Sync update for Windows. Install it. This should take care of your drivers for 32 or 64 bit.
38. Finally, head to the Android Developers (http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html) website and select the Windows version of the Android SDK. Agree to the software agreement and save the file.
39. Take the zip file that you just downloaded and copy it to your C: drive as shown.
40. Once the file is copied, right click on it and select 7-Zip then "Extract Files Here." You should now see a folder called "android-sdk-windows" in the root of your C: drive. You've installed the Android SDK successfully.
SECTION VI: INTRODUCTION TO ADB
41. Accessing ADB is very easy. Click on the new android-sdk-windows folder, and you will see a bunch of different folders inside. We're going to be concerned with the "tools" folder, but don't open it!
42. Hold down the shift key and right click the tools folder. Select "Open Command Window Here" from the pop-up list. You have now opened an adb window, and any interaction with your phone will be done through this simple command line. You can copy lines directly from this tutorial and paste them into the command window by right clicking and selecting "Paste" (CTRL+V will not work in the command line).
43. If you want to manually navigate to the adb line (you don't need to do this unless you couldn't get step 42 to work), open a Command Prompt window (Run -> "cmd.exe" on XP/Vista, or just search "Command Prompt" in Windows 7). Now enter the following line of code: cd C:\android-sdk-windows\tools\ . This will take you to the tools folder where you must execute all adb commands.
44. Remember how to get to the adb command prompt. Any time I tell you to enter something via adb take the following steps: Connect your phone via USB, ensure USB Debugging is enabled (Menu -> Settings -> Applications -> Development, but this should be already enabled from the previous steps), and open the command window via either method described in steps 42 or 43. You can find a list of basic adb commands here or by typing "adb help" from the adb command line. You should always be able to directly copy and paste any code that I give you, however.
SECTION VII: UNLOCKING NAND
45. Download Toast's EVO Recovery files here. Save the .zip file anywhere you please. When it is done downloadi ng, right click it, and "Extract Files Here" using 7-Zip again. We are going to use a batch file in this folder to enter a custom recovery mode in a minute.
46. Download the new PC36IMG.zip debug ROM located here. When the menu pops up asking you to save the file, remove the "eng-" off the name so it only reads "PC36IMG". It is very important that you do this before you copy the file to your phone, either now or manually after you save it. NOTE: This is NOT the same image that we used in the first portion of the guide. You MUST download this version.
47. Next, download Toast's custom recovery image located here. Again, right click it and select "save target as." This time delete everything else off the front of the file name so it only reads "recovery".
48. The last two files that you will be downloading are mtd-eng.zip (located here) and flash_image.zip (located here). Once both of these files are downloaded them, right click and "Extract files here" with 7-Zip. You will now have the following files downloaded and extracted:
49. Copy the flash_image, mtd-eng.img, recovery.img, and PC36IMG.zip files to the root of your SD card just as shown below.
50. Now the fun part!! Open an adb window and enter the following code:
Code:
adb reboot recovery
Your phone will now reboot and show the yield sign with the red exclamation point. Don't touch it!
51. Navigate to that "evo-recovery" folder that you extracted earlier and right click on the "recovery-windows" batch file. Select "Run as Administrator" from the menu to execute the file. Another command window will pop up and spew out a bunch of lines. Don't touch it! Just look at your phone which is now in the Amon RA recovery image! If right-clicking doesn't work, try double-clicking to run it normally.
52. Special thanks to Riztnack for the wonderful screens in the follownig sections! Select "Backup and Restore" from the recovery menu. After that select the option to backup your current ROM. You have just performed a nandroid backup. Keep this in mind, becase we are going to restore this after the whole process is over.
53. Select "reboot" from the recovery menu and let your phone boot back up. Make sure you are connected to your computer via USB (you should not be in disk drive mode here or you will get an error), and go back to that same adb window we had open before and used to reboot our device (you can close the window that opened when you ran the batch file). Enter the following lines exactly as they are written, ONE LINE AT A TIME (I recommend copy and pasting):
Code:
adb shell
cat /sdcard/flash_image > /data/flash_image
chmod 755 /data/flash_image
/data/flash_image misc /sdcard/mtd-eng.img
You will get an error message if anything goes wrong in the shell. When you enter the last three commands the window will just repeat them again to confirm that they were executed properly.
54. Now power off your phone just as before. Hold the volume down button as you press power to turn the device on. It will enter the bootloader just as before.
55. Select YES to flash the image, and after it is done flashing select YES to reboot. Don't worry if one of the "TP" options is bypassed. This is normal.
56. Once rebooted, go back to your adb command window and enter the following commands:
Code:
adb shell
cat /sdcard/flash_image > /data/flash_image
chmod 755 /data/flash_image
/data/flash_image recovery /sdcard/recovery.img
reboot recovery
You will get the same confirmations when you enter the 2nd through 4th commands. After you enter the last one the phone SHOULD boot into the same recovery that we were in before. If your phone does NOT boot into recovery, take the following steps: Disconnect from USB, pull the battery, reboot the device, and enter the same adb commands as in step 53. After that, enter lines 2 throuh 5 from step 56. You should now be in recovery. Disclaimer: These were just the steps that I took after my phone did not boot into recovery the first time. They worked for me, so let me know if they work for you or not.
57. Your NAND is now unlocked!! Once your phone boots directly into recovery in step #56, take that as confirmation of success! While in recovery, wipe your user data (factory reset) and wipe the Dalvic cache.
58. Head to the Backup/Restore menu and restore that last nandroid backup that you just did. You can now reboot your phone, and it will be exactly the same as before.
58a. Make sure you flash the latest radio update before installing any custom ROMs! It flashes just like a ROM, and you can download it and find any warning information here. Even if you installed it before, you will have to flash it again because the debug ROM writes an older version.
59. Be sure to rename that PC36IMG.zip to something else like "NAND-PC36IMG.zip" just like you did before so that it doesn't try to boot it every time you enter the bootloader.
60. You can now enter recovery mode by entering the bootloader (holding volume down while powering on the device) and selecting recovery or by using the QuickBoot app (I highly recommend it). You can also use apps like AdFree or Root Explorer to freely edit your /system partition.
I really hoped this guide helped you guys, and I look forward to your feedback.
I'm not going to be asking for any donations because I'm not the one doing all of the work--the devs are the real contributers. I've just taken thier methods and spelled them out in an easy-to-follow way. Those guys work long hours contributing to the community so you should be donating to them.
That's all, folks! I hope you enjoy your root! Big thanks to all of the devs who have made this possible!
Here are some important links with relevant discussions:
Original root guide.
Fake-flash recovery guide.
Stock RUU topic with discussion.
Stock OTA topic with discussion.
How to fix QuickBoot and ROM Manager's rebooting functions on some ROMs.
ADB guide for when you're ready to take the next step.
Making ClockworkMod your permanent recovery.
Original NAND unlock guide.
that's beautiful for noobs
madunix said:
that's beautiful for noobs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you!
So this is basically like mixed with Toast's root and unrevoked.
Very well done!
May I make a suggestion?
Maybe change step 24 to
24. Navigate to the PC36IMG.zip file and rename it however you want. This prevents it from running when ever you reboot.
Someone might actually look for debig .zip
will this guide work if i installed the OTA update (version ends in .6 instead of .1)
thanks
MrDSL said:
Very well done!
May I make a suggestion?
Maybe change step 24 to
24. Navigate to the PC36IMG.zip file and rename it however you want. This prevents it from running when ever you reboot.
Someone might actually look for debig .zip
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Done. Thanks for the input.
jblazea50 said:
will this guide work if i installed the OTA update (version ends in .6 instead of .1)
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I believe it will.
thanks, about to try it out
You might add in on step 26 that you need to switch back to 'charge only' mode for Rom Manager to work, otherwise you get a 'SD card not mounted' error. (at least I did )
Otherwise, great post!
How does one go from Clockwork recovery back to stock recovery?
I love how you have your Drives named.....especially the one for Pirated Stuff. I laughed.
strung said:
How do you go from Clockwork recovery back to stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't permanently flash clockwork yet, it's just temporary until you reboot then the stock recovery goes back. Unless there have been some major developments today.
logosmonkey said:
You might add in on step 26 that you need to switch back to 'charge only' mode for Rom Manager to work, otherwise you get a 'SD card not mounted' error. (at least I did )
Otherwise, great post!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yes! Good post!
strung said:
How do you go from Clockwork recovery back to stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ClockworkMod recovery is actually just that file named update.zip in the root of your memory stick. We can't actually flash a real recovery image yet, so it is tricked into thinking we are flashing an update when we are really going into a recovery image.
worked like a charm; installed damagecontrol .v3 rom
jblazea50 said:
worked like a charm; installed damagecontrol .v3 rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Happy to hear it! Did you do the unrEVOked bit, by chance? I actually never tested that out personally because I was already rooted when I wrote this.
Thanks so much for this. I'm new to android and didn't understand any of the terminology people were using. This is good.
I think my only suggestion would be to skip the initial rom manager install to download the recovery. I couldn't get rom manager to actually download the update.zip and it probably would have saved some time to just download the update.zip in the first place and do it manually. It kept saying it was successfully downloaded when it wasn't.
roybotnik said:
Thanks so much for this. I'm new to android and didn't understand any of the terminology people were using. This is good.
I think my only suggestion would be to skip the initial rom manager install to download the recovery. I couldn't get rom manager to actually download the update.zip and it probably would have saved some time to just download the update.zip in the first place and do it manually. It kept saying it was successfully downloaded when it wasn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the input. Please let me know if anyone else is having problems with ROM manager on the debug ROM, and I will switch it around.
TheBiles said:
Happy to hear it! Did you do the unrEVOked bit, by chance? I actually never tested that out personally because I was already rooted when I wrote this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i went from step 1 to 34, followed all of it; the only thing is i installed a different custom rom; had to install the recovery image as an update.zip
also, i don't think you mentioned in your guide to wipe data/factory reset prior to installing custom rom because when i did it the 1st time, got stuck in a boot loop; then i realized i had to wipe and it worked fine;
oh, also, after the boot loop, i had to do flash the recovery image as update.zip again because it wasn't there when i went back to recovery
I know this a noob question but will this work after the htc update?
I keep hearing mixed things!!!!
Thanks and OMG that was beautiful
jblazea50 said:
i went from step 1 to 34, followed all of it; the only thing is i installed a different custom rom; had to install the recovery image as an update.zip
also, i don't think you mentioned in your guide to wipe data/factory reset prior to installing custom rom because when i did it the 1st time, got stuck in a boot loop; then i realized i had to wipe and it worked fine;
oh, also, after the boot loop, i had to do flash the recovery image as update.zip again because it wasn't there when i went back to recovery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I added in that data wipe bit not long ago because I forgot to. I wonder why the ROM Manager doesn't work in the debug ROM... I'll definitely just remove that later tonight.
This is a guide for noobs by a noob to get from a stock gingerbread T-mobile (USA) Sensation 4g to a *rooted* version of the recent T-mobile ICS update (with working wifi calling etc.).
With root you can install your own tethering apps and lots of other things. By following the steps you also get to install other custom ROMS.
I did a lot of (overwhelming) reading and some question asking (see http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1658100 , Thanks to GROGG88 ) to get to this point.
This update has been done to Qty.3 sensation 4g phones, using 2 different windows 7 pro 64bit PC’s so it looks pretty repeatable so far.
So here we go….
Preparation
1. You will need a *stock* Gingerbread T-mobile sensation 4g phone with an SD card with at least ~4 GB free space.
2. A fully charged battery
3. A windows PC and micro usb cable
4. $10 to spend in the Google play store.
5. A healthy snack
6. 2 healthy drinks
PART A – S-OFF – so you have the lowest level control of your phone
PART A – S-OFF – so you have the lowest level control of your phone
1. Backup everything of value on your SD card to your PC (photos videos music documents etc.). Have your first healthy drink while the file copies complete.
2. Make sure there are no .Bin or .Zip files on the root of your Sd card.
3. Download v1.1 tool: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1497404 and run.
4. Install HTC drivers.
5. Remove battery from phone. Put battery back in. hold down power+ VOL DOWN – wait until boot screen.
6. IMPORTANT: note down HBOOT version number at the top of the screen.
Then reboot phone
7. Use tool to start “revolutionary s-off method”, make a note of the serial number in the key prompt.
8. Connect phone and select htc sync mode
9. Go to: http://revolutionary.io/ and chose windows download so you can unlock a beta key.
10. Enter the serial number from the console and copy your beta key (CASE SENSITIVE)
11. Paste beta key into console and hit enter
12. It ill install and reboot your phone a lot.
13. IMPORTANT : On the last reboot it should say “S-OFF” at the top of the screen. If it doesn’t then avoid the next parts.
14. Choose NO to clock work recovery when prompted on the PC.
15. Reboot phone – check everything still working
PART B – New hacked radio and super user
PART B – New hacked radio and super user
1. Install CWM 5.0.2.0
a. Load from the "Sensation_All-In-One_Toolkit_v1.1" :
b. Turn on debugger (setting - apps – dev. – debug), phone connected on usb
c. Select htc sync mode.
d. Run “CWM 5.0.2.0” from the toolkit.
e. Phone will reboot after completion
f. check everything still works.2. New (Gingerbread) firmware
a. copy "PG58IMG.zip" to the rood of the card.
IMPORTANT : This is *not* the same PG58IMG.zip” that will be used in the last part.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=706572&d=1314848127
b. remove battery, re-install, hold down power+ vol DOWN until boot menu.
c. Press volume UP to install the update .ZIP
d. When finished press power button to reboot
e. Check everything still works
f. IMPORTANT: REMOVE "PG58IMG.zip" from the root of the sd card3. Super user access – so you can install busy box , backup app and recovery
a. copy "su-2.3.6.3-efgh-signed.zip" to the root of the SD card
http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=670828&d=1311991644
b. remove battery, re-install, hold down power+ vol DOWN until boot menu.
c. Use vol up/down to navigate the menu and use power to select the “RECOVER” option.
d. You will now go into clock work mod (CWM)
e. Choose “install zip file from SD card”
f. Choose “ choose zip file”
g. Scroll down and select “su-2.3.6.3-efgh-signed.zip”
h. Scroll down and select “yes – install su-2.3.6.3-efgh-signed.zip”
i. You will see the install end with an “error ….. (status 0) “ and “iosntalation aborted” do not be alarmed this seems to be normal.
j. Choose” go back”
k. Choose “reboot system now”
l. Check everything works
m. If all went well you should now see SU / Super user in your apps list.
Part C – Getting ready for a custom rom - install busy box , backup app and recovery
Part C – Getting ready for a custom rom - install busy box , backup app and recovery
1. BusyBox
a. Go to market/play store and download and install “busybox” by Stephen (Stericson)
b. Fin and launch busybox
c. When Supper user asks give busybox SU permission
d. From busybox main screen shoose “install”
e. Installation should report ”successful”
2. (optional but highly recommended) Titanium backup ($6.50)
a. Go to market/play store and download and install “titanium backup ” (free)
b. Go and buy and install the pro key version ($6.50)
c. Back up EVERYTHING.
i. Go to settings and chosoe ot backup all types of app data everywhere.
ii. Then do a backup of all system and apps
iii. Select menu and do batch
iv. Go have your healthy snack while the backup completes
v. Copy the backup on your Sd card to your pc and/or to your google drive account for safe keeping
3. 4EXT recovery control ($3)
a. Go to market/play store and download and install “4EXT recovery control ” by “4EXT” ($3)
b. Open “4EXT recovery control”
c. Choose “online install / upgrade”
d. Grant Super user access
e. Say yes to go online
f. Again Choose “online install / upgrade”
g. Say yes to “sensation/XL”
h. Choose 4EXT Recovery touch v1.0.0.5 RC3
i. Choose install (wait for the download)
j. You should have success.
k. You will be promted if you are S-ON?
If in part A you are very sure that you are S-OFF (which you should be) then answer “NO”
Part D – Super CID (11111111) – to allow you to flash any rom.
Part D – Super CID (11111111) – to allow you to flash any rom.
1. Install ADB tools
a. Download windows adb tools:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=672540&stc=1&d=1312138079
b. copy / uncpomrpess to c:\adb
c. open console widows in c:\adb
2. Set the phone to SuperCID
(from thread step 4: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1192300 )
a. Ensure your phone is switched on (regular home screen) and connect it by USB in HTC SYNC MODE (Ensure usb debugging is on settings)
b. enter the command "adb devices". This is to confirm your phone is connected. (It should come back with list of devices attached and your serial number)
c. enter the command "adb reboot-bootloader". (nothing further required device WILL reboot in bootloader)
d. IF it doesn't you can Manually put the phone in the bootloader/hboot mode
e. Navigate to fastboot by pressing volume down and pressing power button to select (power off > vol down + power on)
f. It will take you to the fastboot bootloader screen on your phone
g. Connect your phone via USB
h. Your Screen should now read fastboot USB
i. enter the command "fastboot oem writecid 11111111" (that is Qty. 8 of “1”)
j. enter the command "fastboot reboot-bootloader (Wait for it to reboot the bootloader)
k. enter the command "fastboot getvar cid" [it should confirm your CID is 11111111]
l. enter the command "fastboot reboot"
3. Note: You can now flash any ROM you like.
Part E – (Steve’s) Rooted ICS and radio install
Part E – (Steve’s) Rooted ICS and radio install
1) Get files:
a. IMPORTANT: remove any old .zip files from the root of your SD card.
IMPORTANT: this new “PG58IMG” is NOT the same as the one from part A above.
b. Copy to root of SD card new ROOTED ICS firmware “Sensation_3.32.531.14.zip”:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1654347
file: http://www.4shared.com/zip/34Y1RPQf/Sensation_33253114.html
c. Copy to root of SD card new radio Firmware “PG58IMG.zip”:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1656413
file: http://www.mediafire.com/?oy1lq3lxdcjcf7o
d. IMPORTANT : Make sure you have both of these zip files on the root of your phone SD card or you may get very stuck.
2) Install new radio firmware:
a. remove battery, re-install, hold down power+ vol DOWN until boot menu.
b. Press volume UP to install the new radio firmware .ZIP
note: there will be a black screen/reboot and it will finish up the install.
c. Reboot and NOTE: you will no longer be able to boot to a useable phone / gingerbread (you will be stuck in a boot loop). you must proceed to the next step:
3) 4EXT control – backup your existing ROM
a. remove battery
b. IMPORTANT : REMOVE SD CARD (or you will be stuck installing radio again)
c. re-install battery, hold down power+ vol DOWN until boot menu.
d. Choose recovery menu option – you will enter the fancy EXT4 menu system.
e. Re-insert your SD card (without removing power from the battery)
f. Choose “backup / restore” to do a backup (of your present rom).
g. Go and have your 2nd healthy drink while it backs up.
4) 4EXT control – Install the new rooted ICS ROM
a. Choose “ install from SD card”
b. Choose “choose .zip from sd card”
c. Scroll down and locate “Sensation_3.32.531.14.zip”
d. Locate the Sensation_xxxxx.zip file and install
e. Once the install is complete go back and go to “wipe/format” and wipe the “dalvik cache” ONLY.
f. Reboot.
g. The phone will now update/migrate to ICS. After a few minutes (or many more depending on how many apps you had installed) you phone will be up and running with all your old programs and setting intact.
h. Note: the phone is going to be slow for an hour or two because it is going to be very busy:
i. some apps will request super user when run for the first time. You can usually grant it ok.
ii. Gmail will do a massive re-sync that could take up to an hour (see the sync symbol at the top of the screen )
iii. Many apps will start updating in the play store or need a manual update.
iv. After an hour or so (and a few reboots) your phone will be going at full speed.
i. Enjoy. Go play with ICS and then start trying out some cool root (Super user) only apps like “Samba file share”
other
reserved
Mods please delete this post by me T-Macgnolia as I posted before htcsens2 wqs done posting the guide. My sincere apologizes.
T-Macgnolia said:
Mods please delete this post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome
No I meant my post not your post I will edit so it is understiod sorry. Oh and if a mod will please delete this post also.
Great guide!! Very understandable! nice of you to take your time to write it for every new person! They will love it!
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using xda premium
realsis said:
Great guide!! Very understandable! nice of you to take your time to write it for every new person! They will love it!
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you.
It was to help myself, my wife, and friends with the same phone - since it took me several days of research to get mine to rooted ics and i also had my wifes to do I thought i had better document every step.
T-Macgnolia said:
No I meant my post not your post I will edit so it is understiod sorry. Oh and if a mod will please delete this post also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh , now i understand.
it will be more helpful u should create a guide from ics ota update revert back to gb. from forum more users has that problem after ics ota update.....
To start off everyone should know that messing with your phone can brick it!! You should not mess with your phone if you are unsure of what you are doing. You will get this (or a similar) warning while following the unlock instructions from Motorola as well. Following these instructions also voids your warranty!
I only use Motorola's official firmware for the moment and these instructions were originally performed on the ASA14 firmware. They should be useful for previous versions of the firmware but I will not be testing those. These instructions may not work for releases after ASA14.
While following this guide you need to be on a Windows PC with the administrator account or an account with administrative privileges. If you do not have these privileges you will likely run into issues. All instructions are written for a PC running Windows 7 as that is the only PC I have access to. If anyone has any instructions using a different version of Windows I will gladly add them in.
Windows commands:
dir - Lists all directories (folders) and files of the directory you are currently in.
cd {directory name} - Moves into the named directory. The directory names are case-sensitive.
cd.. - Moves to the directory before the one you are currently in. For instance if you are in C:\Users\Public and perform cd.. you will move to C:\Users
{Unlocking the Bootloader}
I'm writing this pretty late and formatting takes forever so I'll update this section later with my own set of instructions. For now use this guide which I plan on using for inspiration since I can't really repeat the unlock process.
Below is my work in progress. This is incomplete and will be unhidden when it is completed.
Updated Unlock
1. Download the Android SDK
2. Unzip the file. If you don't have a program to unzip the file 7-zip is great.
3. Move the unzipped folder to a location that is easy to locate. For me I put this in "Documents".
4. Rename the folder to something shorter, that way it's easier to type in later. "ADT" is easy to use and remember.
5. Download the drivers for the phone.
6. Open "MotorolaDeviceManager_2.3.9.exe" and install the drivers.
7. Go here
8. Click "PROCEED ANYWAY"
9. Register an account with Motorola.
10. Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories
11. Open “Command Prompt”
12. Use the cd commands to navigate to your “platform-tools” folder.
13. Turn off your phone (power button + volume down if you can't select any options to turn off the phone)
14. Turn it back on using the power button + volume up + volume down combination
15. Select “Fastboot” (volume down cycles through, volume up selects the option)
16. Connect your phone to your PC.
17. Type "fastboot oem get_unlock_data" in Command Prompt.
{Installing a New Recovery}
For the recovery we’re going to install the Photon Q Open Recovery. Every recovery has its advantages and disadvantages. This one is familiar to me and so I chose it for this guide.
1. Download the recovery image
2. Place the image in the Android SDK “platform-tools” folder which is in the "sdk" folder
3. Turn off your phone (power button + volume down if you can't select any options to turn off the phone)
4. Turn it back on using the power button + volume up + volume down combination
5. Select “Fastboot” (volume down cycles through, volume up selects the option)
6. Connect your phone to your PC
7. Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories
8. Right-click “Command Prompt”
9. Click “Run as administrator”
10. Use the cd commands to navigate to your “platform-tools” folder (Unfortunately I cannot tell you where this is as each computer will have it placed differently)
11. Type in “fasboot flash recovery open_recovery_206_05_06_2013.img”
{Getting Root}
1. Download the zip file for rooting
2. Place the file in the root (ie. not within a folder) of your phone’s SD card
3. Turn your phone off
4. Turn it back on using the power button + volume up + volume down combination
5. Select “Recovery” (volume down cycles through, volume up selects the option)
6. Select “Apply Update” (In recovery the the controls change. Volume up and volume down move in the list, the camera button at the bottom right of the device selects.)
7. Select the file you placed on your SD card from step 2
8. Wait for the update to apply, it should say that it finished successfully
9. Select “Reboot Phone”
Credit for all of this goes to their respective creators. I will name them all by name at a later date, but the credit can also be found following the linked material. Hopefully that doesn't bother the creators, writers, or hosts.
The Open Recovery port was done by Skrilax_CZ.
SuperSU is hosted by shabbypenguin and developed by Chainfire.
Please don't re-post this how-to without crediting. I've had it happen before and it was a huge disincentive for updating and making new guides.
section "{Installing a New Bootloader}" and "1. Download the bootloader image" below it are actually reffering to recovery (probably the best one out there). Not a bootloader.
Bootloader boots the system. Depending on keys pressed during boot (if any, or if instructed by commands) it can boot to bootloader menu, recovery, system (android)...
Ah, thanks. I would have known that if I rechecked but I haven't had time to.
Edit:
While I was editing I noticed I referenced it as recovery multiple times and was switching between the two as the guide went on!
unlocking bootloader failed
ok so i got the device id went to the motorola site said it was good got the unlock key did the step and typed it in the command prompt and it says
(bootloader) password incorrect
(bootloader) oem unlock failure
FAILED <remote failure>
sorry if this is a noob question usualy dont post first time last time i rooted a fone was on an evo 4g so never really messed with command prompts and unlock keys to much i repeted the whole process 3 times already and i still get the same message
edit: nvm got it to work hahaha forgot to capslock the letter in the key thanks for the write up man
demi_god_619 said:
ok so i got the device id went to the motorola site said it was good got the unlock key did the step and typed it in the command prompt and it says
(bootloader) password incorrect
(bootloader) oem unlock failure
FAILED <remote failure>
sorry if this is a noob question usualy dont post first time last time i rooted a fone was on an evo 4g so never really messed with command prompts and unlock keys to much i repeted the whole process 3 times already and i still get the same message
edit: nvm got it to work hahaha forgot to capslock the letter in the key thanks for the write up man
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, unfortunately there's are a few points where unlocking get's confusing. I had to enter my stuff from the command prompt to Motorola's site like 5 times before I figured out where the copy/paste had spaces. It took me a while to figure out I had pasted an extra space at the end. This was the first phone for Motorola's bootloader unlock plan so I'm hoping they improve on it for their future phones.
The OP is updated with some more color-coding, updated credits (though I didn't try to get everyone just yet), and changed the link to an updated SuperSU. This should work on the Jellybean update though I won't know for sure unless someone confirms it in this thread. I've taken a break from messing with my personal phone for a while so I won't be checking the boards as often but I'll still be checking every few days.
Solust said:
The OP is updated with some more color-coding, updated credits (though I didn't try to get everyone just yet), and changed the link to an updated SuperSU. This should work on the Jellybean update though I won't know for sure unless someone confirms it in this thread. I've taken a break from messing with my personal phone for a while so I won't be checking the boards as often but I'll still be checking every few days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FYI, if you install TWRP it will detect whether you have root or not and offer to install it for you.
Simplifies the guide a bit, and IMHO TWRP is a great recovery - all touch based, no more mashing the volume keys .
Nicely done regardless.
I noticed I was missing a step in the {Getting Root} section. It was an implied step but I added it for clarity.
I also had forgotten to mention that once you get into recovery the buttons used to control things change slightly. You can use the keyboard in addition to the device buttons.
Thanks for the How-to!:good: I was wondering if you would mind if I gave you or added some instructions for Linux users?
xaelith said:
Thanks for the How-to!:good: I was wondering if you would mind if I gave you or added some instructions for Linux users?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that would be fine. PM me the instructions and I'll test them out on my Linux partition. It'll probably take a few days as I have things coming up.
I've updated the links in the OP to Open Recovery 2.06 (changing the name in the command accordingly) and started writing my own set of bootloader unlock steps. They aren't complete yet but if someone is having troubles understanding the first few steps of the linked article mine should be broken down to be a bit easier to digest.
Solust said:
I've updated the links in the OP to Open Recovery 2.06 (changing the name in the command accordingly) and started writing my own set of bootloader unlock steps. They aren't complete yet but if someone is having troubles understanding the first few steps of the linked article mine should be broken down to be a bit easier to digest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Open Recovery is on version 2.09 now. Has anyone tried it? I tried it using the posted steps but I got the same result as when I tried cmwrecovery, the phone doesn't boot to it, it boots to an image of the android guy on his back with his belly open and a red exclamation point hovering over him. Any advise? It's a Photon Q using Android version 4.1.2 nand I have successfully unlocked the bootloader.
I never changed versions because most of the updates target Kit-Kat based custom ROMs. Make sure your phone is NOT plugged in when you try to get into recovery. If it doesn't work when not attached to anything re-download the recovery and try installing again.
Entomology onsaboo
Solust said:
I never changed versions because most of the updates target Kit-Kat based custom ROMs. Make sure your phone is NOT plugged in when you try to get into recovery. If it doesn't work when not attached to anything re-download the recovery and try installing again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tried to get into recovery both plugged in and not plugged in. I tried downloading and re downloading both CMWrecovery and open recovery 2.09 both.
Are you saying Open Recovery 2.09 is targeted at Kit-Kat custom ROMs and won't work on my phone? Should I try the version in your OP?
It should work in theory regardless of Kit-Kat, but if you've already tried all of that then give the older version a shot. I really post only what I know and have tried in the original post. It's beyond the scope of my thread though so you may have better luck asking in the recovery threads if you can't get any version to work. I'm on my phone for the time being or I would link you to the appropriate threads myself.
Solust said:
It should work in theory regardless of Kit-Kat, but if you've already tried all of that then give the older version a shot. I really post only what I know and have tried in the original post. It's beyond the scope of my thread though so you may have better luck asking in the recovery threads if you can't get any version to work. I'm on my phone for the time being or I would link you to the appropriate threads myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't fine a copy of the older version anywhere.
I understand, and I thank you for your help.
Solust said:
To start off everyone should know that messing with your phone can brick it!! You should not mess with your phone if you are unsure of what you are doing. You will get this (or a similar) warning while following the unlock instructions from Motorola as well. Following these instructions also voids your warranty!
I only use Motorola's official firmware for the moment and these instructions were originally performed on the ASA14 firmware. They should be useful for previous versions of the firmware but I will not be testing those. These instructions may not work for releases after ASA14.
While following this guide you need to be on a Windows PC with the administrator account or an account with administrative privileges. If you do not have these privileges you will likely run into issues. All instructions are written for a PC running Windows 7 as that is the only PC I have access to. If anyone has any instructions using a different version of Windows I will gladly add them in.
Windows commands:
dir - Lists all directories (folders) and files of the directory you are currently in.
cd {directory name} - Moves into the named directory. The directory names are case-sensitive.
cd.. - Moves to the directory before the one you are currently in. For instance if you are in C:\Users\Public and perform cd.. you will move to C:\Users
{Unlocking the Bootloader}
I'm writing this pretty late and formatting takes forever so I'll update this section later with my own set of instructions. For now use this guide which I plan on using for inspiration since I can't really repeat the unlock process.
Below is my work in progress. This is incomplete and will be unhidden when it is completed.
Updated Unlock
1. Download the Android SDK
2. Unzip the file. If you don't have a program to unzip the file 7-zip is great.
3. Move the unzipped folder to a location that is easy to locate. For me I put this in "Documents".
4. Rename the folder to something shorter, that way it's easier to type in later. "ADT" is easy to use and remember.
5. Download the drivers for the phone.
6. Open "MotorolaDeviceManager_2.3.9.exe" and install the drivers.
7. Go here
8. Click "PROCEED ANYWAY"
9. Register an account with Motorola.
10. Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories
11. Open “Command Prompt”
12. Use the cd commands to navigate to your “platform-tools” folder.
13. Turn off your phone (power button + volume down if you can't select any options to turn off the phone)
14. Turn it back on using the power button + volume up + volume down combination
15. Select “Fastboot” (volume down cycles through, volume up selects the option)
16. Connect your phone to your PC.
17. Type "fastboot oem get_unlock_data" in Command Prompt.
{Installing a New Recovery}
For the recovery we’re going to install the Photon Q Open Recovery. Every recovery has its advantages and disadvantages. This one is familiar to me and so I chose it for this guide.
1. Download the recovery image
2. Place the image in the Android SDK “platform-tools” folder which is in the "sdk" folder
3. Turn off your phone (power button + volume down if you can't select any options to turn off the phone)
4. Turn it back on using the power button + volume up + volume down combination
5. Select “Fastboot” (volume down cycles through, volume up selects the option)
6. Connect your phone to your PC
7. Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories
8. Right-click “Command Prompt”
9. Click “Run as administrator”
10. Use the cd commands to navigate to your “platform-tools” folder (Unfortunately I cannot tell you where this is as each computer will have it placed differently)
11. Type in “fasboot flash recovery open_recovery_206_05_06_2013.img”
{Getting Root}
1. Download the zip file for rooting
2. Place the file in the root (ie. not within a folder) of your phone’s SD card
3. Turn your phone off
4. Turn it back on using the power button + volume up + volume down combination
5. Select “Recovery” (volume down cycles through, volume up selects the option)
6. Select “Apply Update” (In recovery the the controls change. Volume up and volume down move in the list, the camera button at the bottom right of the device selects.)
7. Select the file you placed on your SD card from step 2
8. Wait for the update to apply, it should say that it finished successfully
9. Select “Reboot Phone”
Credit for all of this goes to their respective creators. I will name them all by name at a later date, but the credit can also be found following the linked material. Hopefully that doesn't bother the creators, writers, or hosts.
The Open Recovery port was done by Skrilax_CZ.
SuperSU is hosted by shabbypenguin and developed by Chainfire.
Please don't re-post this how-to without crediting. I've had it happen before and it was a huge disincentive for updating and making new guides.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got an error when I clicked on the recovery image download link. Is there a better method?
EpicSaga said:
I got an error when I clicked on the recovery image download link. Is there a better method?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See the OpenRecovery thread for a valid link to that recovery... the links are a bit outdated for OR, look near the end of the thread.
I have the link to the Open Recovery thread at the very start of the section about installing recovery. It's there in case links die, someone wants more info on what they're installing, or someone has support questions pertaining to Open Recovery. This thread didn't seem to be very popular compared to one I made for an older phone so I haven't kept it up to date. The phone has been out for some time as well so I likely won't be updating this thread.
Files to download:
river-TWRP-09-12-19.img
river-TWRP-installer-09-12-19.zip
Link to Downloads:
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlxqpoojMfYn6XSvYmti53DphPbX?e=kQ84oI
1. Place river-TWRP-installer-09-12-19.zip on sdcard
2. Power off your device
3. Hold power button and volume down to start phone in bootloader mode
4. Navigate to download location of twrp files
5. Using Windows Explorer, navigate to the location of twrp-3.2.3-42-evert.img. Hold the Shift Key on your Keyboard. While holding Shift, Right Click in the window(not on the file). Depending on your windows version you should see either "Open PowerShell Window here" or "Open Command Window here." Select which ever one applies. You will see a black and white screen or a blue and white screen. The steps are the same no matter which screen you see.
6. In terminal window use command:
fastboot boot twrp-river-09-12-19.img
7. In twrp, tap install and navigate to river-TWRP-installer-09-12-19.zip and swipe to flash!
8. Done - TWRP can now be accessed using the recovery option in bootloader.
Hi thanks for the tutorial. I have a G7 plus(Lake). Will this method work using the correct files for LAKE? I read somewhere that there's some for of issue with dm verity.
Thanks is advance
U may need to post in the plus forum...akaik twfp for android 10 in general is broken and everyone is waiting for a 'TWRP 10' that their devs are working on. I'm so tired of waiting that I'm gonna root without twrp this weekend if I have some time, and use software BU like Titanium and flash twrp10 when/if it's released...smh
Normally, the Mix Plus' bootloader can be unlocked quite easily:
1. enable OEM unlock in developer settings
2. open adb and type "adb reboot fastboot"
3. type "fastboot oem unlock"
4. press "volume up" to confirm
But what do you do if your volume button is broken? Well, you won't be able to flash any of the TWRP builds floating around for this phone because that requires an unlocked bootloader. However, there is another way:
1. unpack the official firmware (link is straight from vkworld.cc)
2. delete "checksum.ini"
2. move "boot.img" to any android
3. install magisk manager (tested with latest v7.4.0)
4. open magisk manager, press "install" and select "boot.img"
5. open /downloads, rename the new .img to "boot.img", and move it back into the stock firmware
6. plug in the Mix Plus while it's completely shut down
7. open SP Flash Tool (tested with v5.1824)
8. in the "download" tab, select "scatter.txt" under "scatter-loading" and "download only" in the drop-down
9. press the "download" button
Packages to remove:
everything with "prize" in the name. That includes the launcher, have a replacement ready. You should also remove the theme store, the system updater, and voice recorder.
Enabling full rotation:
adding windowsmgr.support_rotation_270=true to build.prop does nothing. Editing ro.sf.hwrotation rotates the display, but not the touch. Use Pranav Pandey's Rotation
hello guys, is there any kind of unofficial lineage OS for this smartphone? I can't find anything.
In every thread I found development stopped after they got TWRP running. It's a shame because VK's skin can't be trusted. Removing the packages I named disables the adware, but there could be spyware I missed.