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Hey everyone,
I have the EVO 4g, and I'm getting to the point where I'm starting to consider rooting. The risks are a little scary as I would rather not get pooched and have to pay out the butt if something were to happen to my phone. So.. I'm wondering, should I root?
What are the benefits?
What is the best ROM in your opinion? Best for battery and function (meaning, I don't want to have to turn everything off for 30 hours of battery life). I'm currently using Launcher Pro Plus and I love it. Just wondering what my options are and what the XDA community thinks.
Why root.
jamehof said:
Hey everyone,
I have the EVO 4g, and I'm getting to the point where I'm starting to consider rooting. The risks are a little scary as I would rather not get pooched and have to pay out the butt if something were to happen to my phone. So.. I'm wondering, should I root?
What are the benefits?
What is the best ROM in your opinion? Best for battery and function (meaning, I don't want to have to turn everything off for 30 hours of battery life). I'm currently using Launcher Pro Plus and I love it. Just wondering what my options are and what the XDA community thinks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting now is very simple, it is no longer a complicated process that will take you 30min. I was in the same mind frame as you before I rooted, but I have to tell you that it was a great thing for me. After seeing the difference between my phone (stock HTC EVO) and my friends rooted EVO (running CM6) I was blown away. Rooting basically gives you complete control to customize you phone. I then rooted my phone and went straight to CM6 (Cyanogen Mod 6). It is fast and has quite a few options that you just cant get without rooting. There are quite a few apps out there that are only available to the rooted phone. I also was not a big fan of sense, or the huge boat load of apps that Sprint had installed on my phone and was able to get rid of them when rooting. The only advice I can really give to you is to explore the XDA Forums, see the benefits of each ROM, and all the words that you dont know, find the definitions for and things will make more sense. There is a lot of nomenclature here. I am currently running Myn's Warm TwoPointTwo RLS1. It is a sense based ROM with a different theme. I hope this was helpful.
Maximiano said:
Rooting now is very simple, it is no longer a complicated process that will take you 30min. I was in the same mind frame as you before I rooted, but I have to tell you that it was a great thing for me. After seeing the difference between my phone (stock HTC EVO) and my friends rooted EVO (running CM6) I was blown away. Rooting basically gives you complete control to customize you phone. I then rooted my phone and went straight to CM6 (Cyanogen Mod 6). It is fast and has quite a few options that you just cant get without rooting. There are quite a few apps out there that are only available to the rooted phone. I also was not a big fan of sense, or the huge boat load of apps that Sprint had installed on my phone and was able to get rid of them when rooting. The only advice I can really give to you is to explore the XDA Forums, see the benefits of each ROM, and all the words that you dont know, find the definitions for and things will make more sense. There is a lot of nomenclature here. I am currently running Myn's Warm TwoPointTwo RLS1. It is a sense based ROM with a different theme. I hope this was helpful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your response!
I have a couple of questions for you (or anyone else willing to answer):
1) I know rooting voids the warranty, but does unrooting make the warranty functional again? Can they tell that it's been rooted before?
2) I've been reading around and I've seen people simply go to unrevoked on their EVO, then root that way within a few minutes. I've also seen people connect it to their computer, install drivers, etc. Which is best? Are they the same basic principle, but one doesn't take as long?
3) I've been looking at Myn's TPT and I really like it. But I'm wondering how many hours I could get out of the battery using that rom. I'm also wondering what the best way to update that rom (when an update is released) is?
Thanks again! I look forward to getting the ball rolling and getting all the awesome features that my phone should include in the original pricetag!
jamehof said:
2) I've been reading around and I've seen people simply go to unrevoked on their EVO, then root that way within a few minutes. I've also seen people connect it to their computer, install drivers, etc. Which is best? Are they the same basic principle, but one doesn't take as long?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting with unrevoked is just a simple way of rooting. All the commands are entered for your automatically rather than manually using a comand prompt to flash images etc.
Alright, I did it. Used unrEVOked, and so far so good. I'm sticking with stock 2.2 for now until I can do enough research on quality ROM's.
I do have an additional question though..
I purchased SetCPU, but I've noticed that I can't "overclock" above 998mhz. Why is that? Isn't the processor a 1ghz? I wouldn't really consider that overclocking :-/
How do I get pass that so I can actually overclock it a little?
jamehof said:
Alright, I did it. Used unrEVOked, and so far so good. I'm sticking with stock 2.2 for now until I can do enough research on quality ROM's.
I do have an additional question though..
I purchased SetCPU, but I've noticed that I can't "overclock" above 998mhz. Why is that? Isn't the processor a 1ghz? I wouldn't really consider that overclocking :-/
How do I get pass that so I can actually overclock it a little?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only certain kernels allow you to overclock. Most custom ROMs come with custom kernels that allow you to overclock. You can also flash different kernels over a custom ROM. Just make sure that particular kernel is compatible with the ROM you are using.
jamehof said:
Hey everyone,
I have the EVO 4g, and I'm getting to the point where I'm starting to consider rooting. The risks are a little scary as I would rather not get pooched and have to pay out the butt if something were to happen to my phone. So.. I'm wondering, should I root?
What are the benefits?
What is the best ROM in your opinion? Best for battery and function (meaning, I don't want to have to turn everything off for 30 hours of battery life). I'm currently using Launcher Pro Plus and I love it. Just wondering what my options are and what the XDA community thinks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wireless tether is enough of a reason to root for me. Try Ava. If you like Sense, you will love Ava. You will notice it is MUCH faster.
It seems like most of the threads about rooting are from back in July. I want to root my phone. I'm pretty sure I should use the Cyanogen ROM. Should I use stable? Experimental? Nightly? I want 2.2 for sure, beyond that I don't really know what the differences are I should be looking for.
So, using Windows 7 what should I do starting from square one, and in which order should I do it?
I would like the ability to un-root and return to stock, if possible.
Thanks for any helpful replies.
911jason said:
It seems like most of the threads about rooting are from back in July. I want to root my phone. I'm pretty sure I should use the Cyanogen ROM. Should I use stable? Experimental? Nightly? I want 2.2 for sure, beyond that I don't really know what the differences are I should be looking for.
So, using Windows 7 what should I do starting from square one, and in which order should I do it?
I would like the ability to un-root and return to stock, if possible.
Thanks for any helpful replies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you posting this in the appropriate sub-forum. Here is a link in the Development sub-forum that explains all of the steps you need to root your Aria and prepare for loading custom ROMs.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=788737
As for a Froyo 2.2 ROM, you have CM 6.0/6.1 or Liberated FRxx Series. The Liberated FR series has the familiar HTC Sense interface that came on your Aria, but it is built on Froyo 2.2 instead 2.1.
Regards,
Tom
Thanks for the reply Tom, although I'm still hesitant. It seems like every thread I've seen with instructions has quite a few posts afterwards from people having issues. The instructions are also usually about as clear as mud. It seems like the people writing the instructions are writing them for people who have rooted in the past, because they use terminology that a new user like me doesn't understand. I have lots of computer experience (used to design websites in the 90's with Notepad - ha!) but I have zero Linux or smartphone experience, so maybe I should just forget the root thing. It's just that I love Photoshop and would really like to be able to use those skills to customize the look of my phone much more than I currently can.
911jason said:
Thanks for the reply Tom, although I'm still hesitant. It seems like every thread I've seen with instructions has quite a few posts afterwards from people having issues. The instructions are also usually about as clear as mud. It seems like the people writing the instructions are writing them for people who have rooted in the past, because they use terminology that a new user like me doesn't understand. I have lots of computer experience (used to design websites in the 90's with Notepad - ha!) but I have zero Linux or smartphone experience, so maybe I should just forget the root thing. It's just that I love Photoshop and would really like to be able to use those skills to customize the look of my phone much more than I currently can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you know what I did when i rooted my phone? I watched a youtube video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjgg__m-KHc
911jason said:
Thanks for the reply Tom, although I'm still hesitant. It seems like every thread I've seen with instructions has quite a few posts afterwards from people having issues. The instructions are also usually about as clear as mud. It seems like the people writing the instructions are writing them for people who have rooted in the past, because they use terminology that a new user like me doesn't understand. I have lots of computer experience (used to design websites in the 90's with Notepad - ha!) but I have zero Linux or smartphone experience, so maybe I should just forget the root thing. It's just that I love Photoshop and would really like to be able to use those skills to customize the look of my phone much more than I currently can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well 922jason, I think we are both going through exactly the same thing. I bought my Aria already rooted by the seller, and so I missed out on the learning curve of rooting and the terminologies involved. Think I'm more of a learn it on the job kinda fella and now I have to read all these texts.
Anyway, I just did the most daring thing today. I was running Liberated Aria R12 few hours ago and decided to get hands on. Downloaded FroYo Cyanogen, made nandroid backup (yes it's such a noob thing) & flashed (sounds fancy) Cyanogen. Anyways, I found out that it didn't suit me at all because:
1. I can't find my ALL my installed and backup-ed Apps anywhere
2. The familiar Market isn't anywhere in the phone
3. ALL my contact list are gone
4. I couldn't find any application that lets me access my SD card
5. There were wayyyyy too many options to customize in Cyanogen that gave me a headache instead
Now I realize that the pros would bombard me with comments and advice to sort out those problems, and they certainly would know better what to do than me. But as a new user to Android in the smartphone era, I'm just plain confused.
So I restored the nandroid backup and I'm back to the state before I installed Cyanogen
BUT, I'm not done yet. I'm now downloading Liberated Aria Froyo FR007 and want to try it out. Just don't chicken out at getting hands on with this cos I wanna get the most out of my Aria. So good luck!
The people at XDA are really helpful and you shouldn't worry about getting lost. Thanks guys!
Thanks for the link Zervic, I'll check that out.
I also appreciate the info Emigre, glad to know I'm not the only noob on XDA! =)
Root yet or still having problems?
Noz85 said:
Root yet or still having problems?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm waffling big-time!
I just read through the huge CM6 thread and seeing all those different problems posted gives me the willies. Going to read through the Sense/Froyo thread next and see if it looks any safer.
Dont worry so much with any of the roms here theres a very small chance to brick your phone. If you like how your phone looks now then Liberated is for you. If you want to customize everything them go with CM6.
Your choice but dont over think it lol.
if you need help just ask.
Hey man, I really appreciate that... I like the idea of all the customization possible with CM6, but all of the bug reports in that thread scare the crap out of me.
Thats mostly for the nightly roms. CM6 and CM6.1 RC1 are very stable, I didn't have any major problems with them. Just make sure to fallow all the instructions when installing to avoid any problems with any roms you chose.
Noz85 said:
Thats mostly for the nightly roms. CM6 and CM6.1 RC1 are very stable, I didn't have any major problems with them. Just make sure to fallow all the instructions when installing to avoid any problems with any roms you chose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would agree. Both CM 6.0.2.1 and CM 6.1 RC1 have been very reliable for me. As has been mentioned in other posts, most of the 'bugs' are about the nightly CM builds which are truly 'experimental'.
There are a few caveats with CM 6.x that you won't run into with the Liberated ROMs. Number 1 is read the wiki instructions completely. Once you flash the CM 6 you then need to flash the Google Apps so that you can access the Android Market. Number 2 is that the CM 6.x cannot read any contacts you have stored on your SIM card, so you should export them from the SIM and sync them with your GMAIL account.
Regards,
Tom
Okay, anything I need to set aside for doing this? Will the stock 2gb SD card work fine? How long does the process take, from start to finish?
i too am on the learning curve of all this rooting and whatnot. before i got the aria just this last wednesday i had the hero cdma with Alltel. which apparently was a B* to root and whatnot, cuz alltel isnt popular for devs ive noticed. when i first got the hero it was really new for alltel, and there were people working on the root process. I too get pretty nervous when i read stuff that i could do to my phone but could brick it.. but then i found out about the recovery mode and nandroid backups.. and OMFG they help a lot when you change a setting to be incompatible and get a boot loop. that was VERY often with that hero.
When i found out that i was getting the Aria cuz of the Alltel to AT&T transition, i kept an eye on the aria threads. day one of getting the aria, i plugged it right in running unrevoked and it went real quick, however thats just the root process of course. you havent installed any roms at this point, just got the privileges.
thats when you boot the recovery mode, do that nandroid backup and copy that backup somewhere safe on a computer or something.. then of course after that then you follow the steps for whichever rom you choose that you want.
IMO- i prefer the Liberated series, i had my chance with CM6.1 on the hero and enjoyed it a bit, but got tired of it and went to the Fresh Hero ROM. so since i knew i liked fresh hero, i knew i wanted liberated series, and most especially because its 2.2 FroYo with the HTC Sense UI (the "stock look" that was mentioned earlier)
and to answer your questions:
1. make sure you have the right usb drivers, youll know if you read the tutorials. the nandroid backup would be somewhere between 200-350MB so make sure you have enough free on the sd.
2.the stock 2gb will work just fine. in the future look into upgrading with a class 4 or class 6 speed MicroSD for even better performance.
3.once you get the drivers and software downloaded, the unrevoked root process takes probably around 5 minutes, if that.. it seemed really fast to me. the nandroid backup process will be fast if you dont have many apps installed now. should only take a few minutes as well. im guessing it takes me like 10-15 minutes sometimes cuz of apps and such, (sometimes i lose track of time). then after nandroid, the wipes are like instant, then flashing the rom, (like i said im bad with time sometimes) and i believe that takes about 5-10 minutes.
So it seems like after I root my phone, I should boot back into the stock ROM and download Titanium to back-up my apps and app data. Is this correct? I don't want to lose access to the apps I have purchased. Is that the best way?
the purchased apps you can obviously re-download, but yes. titanium backup is really useful for saving app/app-data. however, if needed, you can always nandroid the custom rom, restore your stock backup and pull info from that, then restore back to the custom.
joachim123 said:
the purchased apps you can obviously re-download
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have found quite a few threads around the internet about people losing their paid apps after rooting and flashing a custom ROM. Wasn't sure if there was some step I needed to take to ensure that I can retrieve my paid apps. There aren't many, I've only had my phone for a few weeks, but still... I'm cheap!
1. You can use titanium to back up your apps, though that isn't 100% necessary because, as previously mentioned, you can re-download your purchased apps.
2. Once you get the ROM installed (if it happens to be cyanogenmod) you need to also install gapps, which includes the market app. If you don't flash the gapps package, obviously, there will be no market.
3. Keep in mind that if you install CM, there will be no more HTC Sync.
4. If you follow the directions in 1, the video i posted for you or 2, any of the threads that explain this process the possibility for you to brick your phone is slim to none. -- as attn1 said "If you manage to brick your phone with this ROM from there, you are a dumb ass of unimaginable proportions, and I absolve myself of any responsibility whatsoever. "
There were a few other things I wanted to mention but I gotta run...
oh haha, well as far as im concerned, the purchases should be saved in the google database as long as you use the same gmail account to log in to the phone. ive been fine every time. even from goin thru the transition of different cell providers and phones. there is an app that im not sure if its allowed to be posted but ill message a link to you. its helped a lot lately even tho i just found it out like two days ago.
zervic said:
There were a few other things I wanted to mention but I gotta run...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh that's just great... reminds me of the teases for "News at 11 - The critical info you need that could save your life"... meanwhile, it's 4pm, what do I do until 11 to stay alive?!?!
Recently sold my iphone 4, and decide that I might give an android phone a go since I am seeing some fantastic development in this community.
One of the most intriguing yet confusing subject is flashing custom rom, with so many different custom rom around, I was wondering how you guys decide which one to use, consider that there seems to be quite a few excellent ones around? Or its just simply a matter of preference like choosing a theme?
I also very keen to see a custom Gingerbread ROM on DHD, since I have read that 2.3 will never be release for this device most likely, can anyone give me any insight of upcoming a practical version of 2.3 base custom ROM?
Sorry abt asking some many question on my first post
Thanks
I can only give you my two cents regarding my your first question.
personally i've tried Android Revolution and LeeDroid
LeeDroid is fast but i didn't like the custom animation and bootloader(i still want a stock looking phone) so i opted to flask AndroidRevolution so far so good it's fast and has excelent battery life!
I see.
Can you give me an idea how the custom improves the battery life practically? may be some facts/statistics as well?
I notice leeDroid and revolution can overclock the phone CPU as well, is that safe?
BTW, I see this terminology "S-OFF" a lot, what is that?
Thanks for your quick reply
s-off stands for "security off". By default your phones rom memory is read only or "security on". Basically s-off will allow you to read/write to the rom memory and install custom roms etc. There are two types of s-off.
The first is radio s-off which will allow you full read/write access to the flash memory and skips the security check when flashing radios to allow you to downgrade as well as upgrade your radio. This type of s-off is also unable to be removed by flashing an official update. Because it cannot be removed except by deliberate action it is considered a must have. Having said that you cannot actually flash a radio without the second type of s-off.
The second type is engineering hboot s-off which replaces the bootloader itself (like the computers bios) with an enginering version. It is often referred to as simply eng hboot, eng s-off etc. This type of s-off does not allow downgrading of the radio and will be wiped out if you flash an official update to your phone. The advantage of this type of s-off is that you will be able to use fastboot commands from the bootloader. Ironically without fastboot you cannot flash radios so in the end it is reccomended to get both types of s-off.
Personally I use the Leedroid rom with his custom kernel 2.06 and its awesome. I don't have the transition animations. I have also heard good things about ARHD but havent used it since the early days.
franklin20uk said:
I see.
Can you give me an idea how the custom improves the battery life practically? may be some facts/statistics as well?
I notice leeDroid and revolution can overclock the phone CPU as well, is that safe?
BTW, I see this terminology "S-OFF" a lot, what is that?
Thanks for your quick reply
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S-off stands for security off, the htc bootloader comes with certain security measures, to make parts of the nand chip read only! By making the device s-off, you can write to these partitions, letting you flash custom roms, custom recoverys and modify the /system partition.
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
You beat me to it mox lol
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
Personally I would recommend using CyanogenMod ROM's the CM team put a huge amount of effort into stability so the roms tend to be very usable as a day to day ROM without the bling (and attendent cpu loads) of the fancy UI's ala Sense. Cm6.1.3 is the latest stable release whilst if you want to give gingerbread a whirl try cm7.
BTW although what you say about 2.3 is undoutably true do not worry as I am as sure as can be the dhd will see 2.4 and subsequent releases.
AndroHero said:
You beat me to it mox lol
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes of course, i was using a keyboard =)
-----
I'm not happy to see you, that's a Desire HD in my pocket.
I'm making a guide which should be out tomorrow regarding flashing custom roms.
I, for one, opted for revolution and I love it. It's stockish, it's fast, it's way better, excellent battery life
I just rooted my DHD and would also like to know what rom to get. I would want it to be Gingerbread-like because I like changes. But Android Revolution HD seems so popular, fast etc it makes it really hard to choose. Is there a comparison of those two somewhere? Pros and cons? And which rom has the best performance in games for example?
j3yps said:
LeeDroid is fast but i didn't like the custom animation and bootloader(i still want a stock looking phone) so i opted to flask AndroidRevolution so far so good it's fast and has excelent battery life!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you must to know that you can change the transitions and opening scene... =o)
to be honest, i stick with what most people flash... the rom is more tested, and even if you are a really unlucky guy and got problems with, it's more easy to get support, and find people with same issue.. =oP it's always nice to think about it when you are a noob, like me! =o)
in the case of leedroid and revolution, i tested both... decide between a bad and a good thing is easy, but decide between two great things is pretty hard, the decision is taken about trivial details. i won't say what i got cause it's pointless... you really should try both (and even more if you don't be satisfied neither! =oP
Sorry for throwing my question here, but I'm just a brand new Android user from tha Wii Modding community (...what?)
What are the disadvantages of rooting your phone? Can you still use the official updates and the market?
Thanks!
The no sense-Revolution HD rom seem to be Gingerbread like.
Let me know how much u getting out of ur battery after you installed the Revolution rom
As I care much about performance, do you happen to know the performance difference between the sense and no-sense ARHD?
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
I have another question while I am at it. I was doing some digging around on this forum about sim unlocking DHD.
It seems that is it not possible unless buying the IME unlock code from the network or third party website.
Is that still true?
franklin20uk said:
I have another question while I am at it. I was doing some digging around on this forum about sim unlocking DHD.
It seems that is it not possible unless buying the IME unlock code from the network or third party website.
Is that still true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, the one-click easy radio S-off tool will also unlock your phone. Handy tool that.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Diffler said:
Sorry for throwing my question here, but I'm just a brand new Android user from tha Wii Modding community (...what?)
What are the disadvantages of rooting your phone? Can you still use the official updates and the market?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only disadvantage of rooting is that your warranty will be void -but that is easily reversed. You shouldn't flash the official OTA (over the air) updates either - as they will disable your root possibly for a long time, but don't worry , as soon as an official update is released: It will be in ROMS within hours.
Market is unaffected - you can find apps that require root on the market!
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
If you decided to root you're phone, Look also @ the MIUI rom.
It brings the best features of IOS,Android and Samsung Bada together in a very stable fast Custom rom!
Ey up fellas. I was gonna start my own thread, but this seems to be just what I was after
Coming from a Dell Streak which is an amazing device, mostly due to the work of DJ Steve for his custom ROMS. But I can't deal with the constant resets and sticking touchscreen, which has nothing to do with the software, its happened since day one. So I've decided a Desire HD is on the cards
The missis has a DZ but I havent put any custom ROM's or s-off'd it, so I'm a newbie in the Desire family area! But I've messed around with the Streak a lot and countless other WinMo 6.5 phones so I should be ok.
One question: I'm getting the DHD second hand. Say the guy who had it before me has updated it OTA to the most recent offical ROM, would this mean that I can't S-Off it? Or is there always a way to get custom ROMs on it etc?
vinokirk said:
One question: I'm getting the DHD second hand. Say the guy who had it before me has updated it OTA to the most recent offical ROM, would this mean that I can't S-Off it? Or is there always a way to get custom ROMs on it etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks vinokirk for bringing this up, this is inevitably one of my upcoming question as well, thou I might be aftering a brand new DHD black edition exclusive to Orange in UK, cause thats just sexy! Regardless this will be one of my concern since the black DHD is a recent release.
Thanks
Hi all,
Really am new to all this. bought my DHD yesterday and the screen broke within hours, so after returning it for new one today i have a new phone again.
Few questions i would like to ask, that even after searching and doing some research i am still unsure of.
So.. i get my phone and it has alot of spam apps on it. in order for me to remove these i need to 'root' my device. i think i understand what that is, not 100% what i can do with it.
i wanted to ask.. if i were to update to gingerbread 2.3, would i have to root first, remove spam apps, then update or would that just put the apps back?
also a question about these ROMs ive seen people chatting about. Are these just similar to windows based themes? wall papers,annimations,sounds etc?
To sum up, i am looking to get rid of crappy apps and just browse around my (latest, aka gingerbread 2.3) stock software for a few weeks before installing a different theme or whatever they are.
Sorry if this seems simple, i have just switched from Apple Os which is so much more user friendly imo.
Thanks for any replies
I highly recommend getting a tpu case and screen protector before proceeding.
I voided my warranty and your mum.
pukemon said:
I highly recommend getting a tpu case and screen protector before proceeding.
I voided my warranty and your mum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a case now and that was the worst an most useless post I have ever seen.
Root and soff first. Install a custom 2.3 rom like leedroid or rcmix then all the spam will be gone. Follow the guides in the dev section.
Sent from my Motorola Startac running Atari 2600 software!
pwraggcan said:
Root and soff first. Install a custom 2.3 rom like leedroid or rcmix then all the spam will be gone. Follow the guides in the dev section.
Sent from my Motorola Startac running Atari 2600 software!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you.
Dowsett said:
i wanted to ask.. if i were to update to gingerbread 2.3, would i have to root first, remove spam apps, then update or would that just put the apps back?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suggest you to root first then install a custom ROM.
Dowsett said:
also a question about these ROMs ive seen people chatting about. Are these just similar to windows based themes? wall papers,annimations,sounds etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those are custom ROM, which developers uses stock ROM as base. They modified, customized and tweaked it, so it is much faster and more battery saving than stock ROM.
To flash a custom ROM, you can find guide in the development section.
Dowsett said:
Hi all,
Really am new to all this. bought my DHD yesterday and the screen broke within hours, so after returning it for new one today i have a new phone again.
Few questions i would like to ask, that even after searching and doing some research i am still unsure of.
So.. i get my phone and it has alot of spam apps on it. in order for me to remove these i need to 'root' my device. i think i understand what that is, not 100% what i can do with it.
i wanted to ask.. if i were to update to gingerbread 2.3, would i have to root first, remove spam apps, then update or would that just put the apps back?
also a question about these ROMs ive seen people chatting about. Are these just similar to windows based themes? wall papers,annimations,sounds etc?
To sum up, i am looking to get rid of crappy apps and just browse around my (latest, aka gingerbread 2.3) stock software for a few weeks before installing a different theme or whatever they are.
Sorry if this seems simple, i have just switched from Apple Os which is so much more user friendly imo.
Thanks for any replies
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to Android World! Here you will find all your answers related to your Android OS.
Since you have not rooted your device. It's hard to get rid of some the built in apps.
in simple words if you are not aware of this stuff > Rooting your phone means becoming an Administrator of your device, where you can do what you like, like full control on (PC.
Check this link for all the details you need.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=936214
I highly recommend getting screen protector
pukemon said:
I highly recommend getting a tpu case and screen protector before proceeding.
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saimon05 said:
I highly recommend getting screen protector
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You two sir, are meanie.
But then, consider using the 2+ clear protector for the front and rear for maximum protection.
Meanie? I thought I it was good advice. If he wants to disregard our advice he is more than welcome to bust up his phone again. Kinda hard to flash stuff if your phone is broken.
I voided my warranty and your mum.
When I bought my DHD I was so into it I decided to make a personal website.
It has various rom screenshot examples, some videos and an up-to-date list of roms here at XDA. You can check it out via my sig.
I put it together with people like you in mind.
Maybe it can help or at least inspire you.
I try most roms and my current one is MIUI 1.8.26 V.2: FRESHLY SQUEEZED EDITION™ By MrGarak.
Screenshots of it are here.
Enjoy your DHD!
I still thoroughly enjoy mine.
pukemon said:
Meanie? I thought I it was good advice. If he wants to disregard our advice he is more than welcome to bust up his phone again. Kinda hard to flash stuff if your phone is broken.
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I actually did agree with you @pukemon, and I support it 100%.
But this...
Dowsett said:
...the screen broke within hours...
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So sad. Or maybe bad luck. Anyway, good luck unlocking your phone!
Hi there welcome to Android.
all that rooting isn't really obligatory, more of a fun thing to do actually. Most of the time ROM's from xda developers are better optimized and faster than the ones coming from HTC, but HTC aren't horrible developers.
For hiding crappy apps you could install an alternative launcher (i use GO Launcher EX) which allows you to hide certain apps. This way you'll never see them but the niceties of the Sense UI will be gone also (some of them). However Go Launcher is quite customizable.
and btw, this is the big thing with android, customization. You can change almost anything about it only sometimes needing root to do it.
It's a great OS and if iOS is friendly to noobs, Android is not as friendly (a bit of a learning curve but not steep) but it does let them show of a lot more.
Hello again. I have been flirting with the idea of flashing a custom ROM, but never could bring myself to do it, mostly because, up until now, I didn't have a mainstream phone (Milestone X with nTelos). Now that I have a Nexus 4, I know that it's completely feasible. But, I have several questions before I do. Most of them are about comparisons, but some are about topics that I just don't understand. I know that probably every question has been answered on here somewhere, but the problem with finding the answers lies in sifting through hundreds of pages of threads and topics, where people are talking about a hundred different things. It's quite the overwhelming task to even know where to start. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask those questions here.
1. What are the 3-4 major, stable custom ROMs available for the N4?
2. What are the benefits, or highlights of each ROM when compared to the others?
3. As long as I have a current Nandroid backup, I really have nothing to fear, correct? I could always go back?
4. What are the really technical things I see people talking about (radios, baseband versions, I think), and do those apply to flashing a custom ROM? Will I have to know anything about them?
5. Will any app downloaded from the Play store work on any custom ROM? The two I'm most concerned with are GV and Messaging + GV.
6. Will my phone operate just as it does now, or will I have to input a lot of settings to get it to work with my carrier?
What I'm really looking for in a custom ROM isn't completely the ability to customize every last detail and setting. Rather, I'm mostly interested in something that just 'pops'.. something that looks and feels awesome compared to a stock ROM. Beauty, speed, responsiveness and most of all, battery life, are what I'm after.
Speaking of responsiveness, I've learned that this community is A+ when it comes to assisting those of us that seek more Android knowledge, so, allow me to say 'thanks' ahead of time!
Btw, obviously, I'm running stock 4.2.2, am unlocked and rooted, and have TWRP recovery.
Regards.
wvcadle said:
Hello again. I have been flirting with the idea of flashing a custom ROM, but never could bring myself to do it, mostly because, up until now, I didn't have a mainstream phone (Milestone X with nTelos). Now that I have a Nexus 4, I know that it's completely feasible. But, I have several questions before I do. Most of them are about comparisons, but some are about topics that I just don't understand. I know that probably every question has been answered on here somewhere, but the problem with finding the answers lies in sifting through hundreds of pages of threads and topics, where people are talking about a hundred different things. It's quite the overwhelming task to even know where to start. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask those questions here.
1. What are the 3-4 major, stable custom ROMs available for the N4?
2. What are the benefits, or highlights of each ROM when compared to the others?
3. As long as I have a current Nandroid backup, I really have nothing to fear, correct? I could always go back?
4. What are the really technical things I see people talking about (radios, baseband versions, I think), and do those apply to flashing a custom ROM? Will I have to know anything about them?
5. Will any app downloaded from the Play store work on any custom ROM? The two I'm most concerned with are GV and Messaging + GV.
6. Will my phone operate just as it does now, or will I have to input a lot of settings to get it to work with my carrier?
What I'm really looking for in a custom ROM isn't completely the ability to customize every last detail and setting. Rather, I'm mostly interested in something that just 'pops'.. something that looks and feels awesome compared to a stock ROM. Beauty, speed, responsiveness and most of all, battery life, are what I'm after.
Speaking of responsiveness, I've learned that this community is A+ when it comes to assisting those of us that seek more Android knowledge, so, allow me to say 'thanks' ahead of time!
Btw, obviously, I'm running stock 4.2.2, am unlocked and rooted, and have TWRP recovery.
Regards.
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1. No
2. No
3. Lots to fear. Can go back though.
4. Search, read, & learn a bit before you start flashing. You need to know EVERYTHING about everything ahead of flashing.
5. Apps are OS version / phone / country dependent.
6. Yes
You have a bit of searching but l o a d s of reading ahead of you.
Good luck!
Vangelis13 said:
1. No
2. No
3. Lots to fear. Can go back though.
4. Search, read, & learn a bit before you start flashing. You need to know EVERYTHING about everything ahead of flashing.
5. Apps are OS version / phone / country dependent.
6. Yes
You have a bit of searching but l o a d s of reading ahead of you.
Good luck!
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I guess I'm not understanding your answers to numbers 1 and 2. Are you saying you can't answer those questions, or that you won't.
As for the rest, thanks, really. But although I generally always appreciate brevity, it doesn't really help me here. I have done a lot of reading on the topic, but the problem is that everyone that's talking about this custom ROM or that one already knows quite a bit, and is discussing some quite technical (like flashing this radio or that one). Another main problem I have is that I'm not sure which ROM I'd like to flash. If I could narrow it down by features, pros and cons, then I could narrow my attention to that particular ROM, and save myself a lot of trouble.
wvcadle said:
1. What are the 3-4 major, stable custom ROMs available for the N4?
2. What are the benefits, or highlights of each ROM when compared to the others?
3. As long as I have a current Nandroid backup, I really have nothing to fear, correct? I could always go back?
4. What are the really technical things I see people talking about (radios, baseband versions, I think), and do those apply to flashing a custom ROM? Will I have to know anything about them?
5. Will any app downloaded from the Play store work on any custom ROM? The two I'm most concerned with are GV and Messaging + GV.
6. Will my phone operate just as it does now, or will I have to input a lot of settings to get it to work with my carrier?
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Click to collapse
1. Google have yet to release their Binaries to AOSP so many of the AOSP based ROMs are still unstable / nightly
2. This CNET article is a good starting point (here)
3. Maybe ADB backup is better to backup your app APKs and data, and an ADB sdcard pull is better to backup your sdcard. Nandroid is good if your restoring a ROM back to an earlier snapshot, but can become messy going from, say, CM10.1 back to stock
4. search and read, read, read
thats all I got. Good luck.
wvcadle said:
I guess I'm not understanding your answers to numbers 1 and 2. Are you saying you can't answer those questions, or that you won't.
As for the rest, thanks, really. But although I generally always appreciate brevity, it doesn't really help me here. I have done a lot of reading on the topic, but the problem is that everyone that's talking about this custom ROM or that one already knows quite a bit, and is discussing some quite technical (like flashing this radio or that one). Another main problem I have is that I'm not sure which ROM I'd like to flash. If I could narrow it down by features, pros and cons, then I could narrow my attention to that particular ROM, and save myself a lot of trouble.
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Click to collapse
Only you can answer them.
Start with a simple rom, with few modifications so you don't get overwhelmed.
____________________________
I was reading for a week before I rooted and flashed a rom on my n1, can guarantee you many if not most in here started like that.
You want to have it all answered in a thread & spooned to you?
I'm sorry to say but you're starting wrong.
Vangelis13 said:
Only you can answer them.
Start with a simple rom, with few modifications so you don't get overwhelmed.
____________________________
I was reading for a week before I rooted and flashed a rom on my n1, can guarantee you many if not most in here started like that.
You want to have it all answered in a thread & spooned to you?
I'm sorry to say but you're starting wrong.
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Believe me, I'm not asking for anything to be spooned to me. I mean, if I could at least get some help in figuring out which ROM I'd like to flash, that would be appreciated. I could certainly do the leg work if I could just get help deciding on which ROM. I stated in my OP the type of things I'd like to have in a custom ROM. Didn't what I posted put one or two in your head? If so, may I ask which ones? Even with your opening sentence of this reply, you said to start with a simple rom. Any examples?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2009561
At least he has an op that explains a fair bit.
Roastgoat said:
1. Google have yet to release their Binaries to AOSP so many of the AOSP based ROMs are still unstable / nightly
2. This CNET article is a good starting point (here)
3. Maybe ADB backup is better to backup your app APKs and data, and an ADB sdcard pull is better to backup your sdcard. Nandroid is good if your restoring a ROM back to an earlier snapshot, but can become messy going from, say, CM10.1 back to stock
4. search and read, read, read
thats all I got. Good luck.
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They are more stable than you think, i wouldnt call some of the better ones unstable or nightlies. i've been running aokp for a few months now and it's very stable no major bugs over stock rom for me.
wvcadle - It's hard to say what the best roms are since that's mostly personal taste but some of the more popular roms are ParanoidAndroid, AOKP, Xylon and slimbean. There is a questions section that has lots of threads comparing roms.
neotekz said:
They are more stable than you think, i wouldnt call some of the better ones unstable or nightlies. i've been running aokp for a few months now and it's very stable no major bugs over stock rom for me.
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I have tried PA and CM10.1, both of which I liked but some minor issues have me back to stock and waiting for stable releases. I think personally I would go CM10.1 once stable.
Test several ROMs, then decide which one better fits your expectations. Nobody can tell which is the best.
I have tested 3 or 4, then I went back to stock and just added some tweeks to it. But hey, that's me!
JanusDC said:
Test several ROMs, then decide which one better fits your expectations. Nobody can tell which is the best.
I have tested 3 or 4, then I went back to stock and just added some tweeks to it. But hey, that's me!
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I think I'm going to try Modaco's ROM first. Do you know what Kernel it uses? Is it the stock kernel? I'd like to flash Franco's kernel, as I hear it has improved battery life.
wvcadle said:
I think I'm going to try Modaco's ROM first. Do you know what Kernel it uses? Is it the stock kernel? I'd like to flash Franco's kernel, as I hear it has improved battery life.
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I wouldn't jump into kernel flashing so fast. I'd try a couple of ROMs first.
irishman103 said:
I wouldn't jump into kernel flashing so fast. I'd try a couple of ROMs first.
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Well, I just flashed my first Custom ROM. I'm pretty stoked! Even though it's one of the simpler ROMs, it's still pretty cool. Hopefully I don't get hooked!
So, is flashing a custom kernel more dangerous than ROMs? I heard Franco has an app he created to flash his kernels.
I wouldn't say its dangerous. There's just more things to tweak and mess with. Voltages, gamma, CPU speed, etc. I'd just get comfortable with flashing ROMs and finding what you want first. And yes, flashing is an addiction. You will now flash hundreds of times only to find you want to flash a hundred more.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
irishman103 said:
I wouldn't say its dangerous. There's just more things to tweak and mess with. Voltages, gamma, CPU speed, etc. I'd just get comfortable with flashing ROMs and finding what you want first. And yes, flashing is an addiction. You will now flash hundreds of times only to find you want to flash a hundred more.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
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Will the other ROMs not work right out of the box, or would I need to tweak all of those settings to get them to work?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
All the ROMs will work out the box. Developers will not turn over incomplete ROMs to the end users. Like now I'm using Paranoid Android...works beautifully, but there are tons of settings built in to mess with. Other ROMs don't have some of its features and vise versa. With kernels, I use the stock kernel with it. I've flashed other kernels but in MY opinion, I like the stock one. So read up on some ROMs, back up and flash some to see what you will like
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
TBH it will take you some time to learn everything. All the questions you need answered will come in time with you learning Android. Its best to learn by LOTS of reading but you also need some trial and error. You will learn what Roms work best for you and which dont. You will see that you dont always need a custom kernel, and perhaps your screen only needs to 2 more clicks of saturation to have 2.2 gamma while others need to tweak across the board. Once again you gain that knowledge over time. You will get in trouble from time to time, not have help and possibly brick badly, but you learn to fix and work it out, and THAT is really where you learn lots. When you hit a roadblock READ and you will have your answer and in the process gain the knowledge you need.
Good luck and enjoy the hobby!
irishman103 said:
All the ROMs will work out the box. Developers will not turn over incomplete ROMs to the end users. Like now I'm using Paranoid Android...works beautifully, but there are tons of settings built in to mess with. Other ROMs don't have some of its features and vise versa. With kernels, I use the stock kernel with it. I've flashed other kernels but in MY opinion, I like the stock one. So read up on some ROMs, back up and flash some to see what you will like
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
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You've been a great help. Really. And I appreciate it. I just realized there was a 'Thanks' button on this forum, so you've got my first one.
One last question, and I'll leave you be... promise (I think!): The three things I'm most concerned with in a ROM deal with power consumption, speed, and, yes, beauty. I can safely say I will never try to overclock my phone, or change any really deep settings. Do those three items bring any specific ROM or two to mind that you can point me in the direction towards?
Thanks again!
wvcadle said:
You've been a great help. Really. And I appreciate it. I just realized there was a 'Thanks' button on this forum, so you've got my first one.
One last question, and I'll leave you be... promise (I think!): The three things I'm most concerned with in a ROM deal with power consumption, speed, and, yes, beauty. I can safely say I will never try to overclock my phone, or change any really deep settings. Do those three items bring any specific ROM or two to mind that you can point me in the direction towards?
Thanks again!
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Click to collapse
No problem. Glad I could help.
And your last question is the ultimate question...lol. It's all about how you use your phone. One ROM might be more efficient for you than it would be for me. You might watch a lot of videos and don't have good reception. That could drain your battery. I'd go with ROMs that have a good thread. Read and read about the ROM before you flash it. Read the first pages and the last. I personally like Paranoid Android and AOKP ROMs. Look in the original development section and read up on Liquid Smooth, AOKP, and Paranoid Android. They are really great out the box and no overclocking or "deep settings" needed. If you have any questions about the two I like I'll be more than happy to answer any questions. Just PM or email me.
Ok, MoDaCo on my N4 and PA 3.0 on my N7!
Yes, flashing custom roms is becoming a hobby!