Root [Guide] S-OFF and ROOT HTC Desire with Revolutionary - Updated

[Hadron]

You just need to get into recovery. Once you are there you can mount your sd card over usb and copy a ROM zip over from a computer. Then wipe, install zip from sd and that should fix it. Where the option to mount the card is in the recovery menu depends on which recovery you are using, but it is there.

 

[djukaa]

Im using 4ext recovery. Ill go in recovery and choose mounts/storage,after that i mount sd card mount data mount system mount cashe, but i still cant see my sd card as remoavable drive on my computer ((
as i rememeber i think i did format sd card when my phone was working maybe is that a problem

 

[Hadron]

In 4Ext it's "toggle usb storage" you are looking for.

 

[djukaa]

i did that but not working, also got tip on xda-developers to do adb push comand in cmd to add rom into my sd card but even i sent to sd card i cant see it in the menu instal from sd card Do u think formating sd card can help ? I also cant access my sd card from my computer, there is remoavable drive(sd card) but when i click it says appliaction not found...

Somehow i did it i instaled my rom succesefuly What i did: removed battery and sd card from phone, then put it back in,run into recovery and turn on usb usage( after thousand of time as i did before) then soem how my sd card was recognized on my computer and i was able to put mildwild.zip into my sd card and after full wipe succesefull flashed my rom
Ty Hadron for the help Anyway im now afraid to trying another roms, since i dont want to this problem happens again
Cheers!!!

 

[3mpetri]

Hello! I read all of the posts, but didn't find an answer to the problem I'm having. I'm doing all of this from my Mint 14.

Everything up to step 7 worked like a charm. I placed Superuser-3.0.7-efgh-signed.zip on my sdcard, but after getting into the recovery I'm having these options and a warning:

Reboot system now
Apply sdcard:update.zip
Wipe data/factory reset
Wipe cache partition

E:Can't open /cache/recovery/command

What to do?

 

[Hadron]

You haven't installed a custom recovery yet (step 6). Otherwise you'd have a larger menu. You need to do that before you can install the root .zip.

 

[enoksrd]

@Hadron, I suggest you reword the addendum and clarify how to reboot the recovery:

Addendum

Sometimes a newly-installed 4Ext recovery gets confused and claims it can't read /system, and asks you to format system. Don't do this, as it will erase your ROM. Reboot recovery instead - that usually sorts it out.

Note that to "reboot recovery" is *not* done by choosing "reboot" from the recovery main menu, but rather by choosing "reboot recovery" from the recovery "power" submenu.

Also, I had USB connected and the recovery told me it had detected a "usb brick" and asked if I wanted to "unbrick". I chose "no".

Thanks!

 

[shah33m]

Hi gents.

So i finally decided to root my HTC Desire but im running into a bit of a problem.
in fact, it is the same one as zimzee had where CMD does not find the recovery image.

some additional info:

After looking at the solution proposed to him, i too save the image on the desktop as recovery-RA_2.0.1.img

When opening command promt it starts as C:\> after typing the path is looks exactly like this:
C:\> fastboot flash recovery "C:\Documents and Settings\shaheem\Desktop\recovery-TA_2.0.1.img" i then hit enter and the path is not found (or similar error)

Fastboot command are working as i typed Fastboot and hit enter and get a list of commands.

I am S-OFF with revolutionary.

Is there something i am missing, i did go through all steps.

oh and should my CMD start with C:/> in the first place? i am using windows XP

Thanks in advance

 

[Hadron]

Path not found sounds like an error finding the image. Either the file name or the directory name is wrong. As I don't use Windows I'm probably not the best person to debug this remotely, but the quotes about the file path surprise me. Try without those?

Or change directory (command cd) to where the image is, then type the fastboot command again, giving just the image file name (no path) as the argument.

If fastboot is working then that's all it can be.

And the command prompt starting C:/> just means that your current directory is the root of the C drive. Yes, that's normal.

 

[shah33m]

I'm really sorry I missed this. This would have been an easy fix. Glad its sorted now but a brief explanation of the cause and solution is in order.

So in Command Prompt, a space signifies the end of a command, program, variable or option.


In this case fastboot flash recovery C:\Documents and Settings\Gaz\Desktop\recovery-RA_2.0.1.img is:

program command option variable. The variable in this case is the file path.

The problem is that the end of the path is identified by the space. Command prompt is looking at the path "C:\documents " because of the space. Essentially everything after the variable for this command (after the space) is disregarded completely. Like if you have a telephone number and its too long, the last digits don't count anyway.

Obviously this path does not exist so "cannot load" is the result.

This is probably why after windows XP, user profiles are c:\users\username instead of c:\documents and settings\username.

In cmd (or in a run command, address bar) a path that includes spaces must be put in quotation marks to be recognised as a single entity. This renders the spaces useless.

fastboot flash recovery "C:\Documents and Settings\Gaz\Desktop\recovery-RA_2.0.1.img" would have worked.

The reason i used the quotes was because i read the above reply.

I have tried changing the command and it looked like this:

C:\>cd C:\Documents and Settings\shaheem\Desktop fastboot flash recovery recovery-RA_2.0.1.img

this did not work and i then tried:

C:\>cd C:\Documents and Settings\shaheem\Desktop\ fastboot flash recovery recovery-RA_2.0.1.img

it just says path not found.

 

[Hadron]

So there's a problem with the path - maybe something the command line is parsing differently from how it appears in the GUI. I don't have a Windows machine I can look this up on, so you'll have to work it out. Try just typing the command "dir". Do you see anything that looks like the documents and settings (but may not be "Documents and Settings")? If so, cd to that (cd directoryname), then try cd shaheem\desktop. Then use the fastboot command with no path.

I suspect it's the first part of the path that's causing you problems, but as I say I don't use Windows so don't know why (does the DOS command line use upper case, not like gaps in files names, or..? Just not sure because it's so long since I used this).

It might be that those quotes are needed to work around just this type of problem (the command line sees the real directory names, which are not what the GUI shows). If so another answer will be that you use the quotes, but you got have something inside them wrong. Compare exactly with what you see in Windows Explorer - case sensitivity may matter, beware of double spaces, but you have mistyped something.
It's not that the command doesn't work, but some part of the path or name is wrong.

 

[shah33m]

So there's a problem with the path - maybe something the command line is parsing differently from how it appears in the GUI. I don't have a Windows machine I can look this up on, so you'll have to work it out. Try just typing the command "dir". Do you see anything that looks like the documents and settings (but may not be "Documents and Settings")? If so, cd to that (cd directoryname), then try cd shaheem\desktop. Then use the fastboot command with no path.

I suspect it's the first part of the path that's causing you problems, but as I say I don't use Windows so don't know why (does the DOS command line use upper case, not like gaps in files names, or..? Just not sure because it's so long since I used this).

It might be that those quotes are needed to work around just this type of problem (the command line sees the real directory names, which are not what the GUI shows). If so another answer will be that you use the quotes, but you got have something inside them wrong. Compare exactly with what you see in Windows Explorer - case sensitivity may matter, beware of double spaces, but you have mistyped something.
It's not that the command doesn't work, but some part of the path or name is wrong.

I typed dir in cammand prompt and one of the results were DIR Documents and Settings, so it is there.

I then tried fastboot flash recovery "c:\Documents and Settings\shaheem\Desktop\recovery-RA_2.0.1.img"

it then says it cannot load the above path.

also i do need to put in the " or it only picks up the path until C:/Documents

Could it perhaps be the path that i needed to edit in My computer setting? i am not sure which step that was

 

[Hadron]

Ok, so it needs the quotes to handle the spaces in the file names. Can you just:

cd "Documents and Settings"

Does that work? If so, then cd to shaheem, then to Desktop. Then try fastboot flash recovery recovery-RA_2.01.img

It's definitely this path to the image. If it were the other, the fastboot command would not work at all.

 

[shah33m]

Ok, so it needs the quotes to handle the spaces in the file names. Can you just:

cd "Documents and Settings"

Does that work? If so, then cd to shaheem, then to Desktop. Then try fastboot flash recovery recovery-RA_2.01.img

It's definitely this path to the image. If it were the other, the fastboot command would not work at all.

ok, i tried cd as mentioned and ended up with:

C:\Documents and Setting\shaheem\Desktop\fastboot flash recovery recovery-RA_2.0.1.img and hit enter Then got the following message.

error: cannot load 'recovery-RA_2.0.1.img'

im now totally lost.

I did all the prep steps as in the guide. however sometimes when i put my phone in fastboot usb mode, the hardware installation wizard picks up "android 1" is this suppose to happen?

 

[Hadron]

Can you see the file (dir recovery-RA_2.0.1.img)?

Does the command "fastboot devices" (type without quotes) return your serial number? If it does then fastboot is working fine.

Why are you using amon ra anyway? I mean it's your choice, but 4Ext works with any Desire. Did you check that the image file downloaded correctly?

And you are sure you are S-Off?

 

[shah33m]

Can you see the file (dir recovery-RA_2.0.1.img)?

Does the command "fastboot devices" (type without quotes) return your serial number? If it does then fastboot is working fine.

Why are you using amon ra anyway? I mean it's your choice, but 4Ext works with any Desire. Did you check that the image file downloaded correctly?

And you are sure you are S-Off?

Amon ra was one of the two options in step two,
i do not see 4ext as a option to download, only amon and clockworkMOD.

where would i get 4ext? this is also a custom recovery?

oh and i typed dir and see that the name of the file is recovery-RA_2.0.1.img.img i think this is why it wont load BUT before i try this, should i instead download 4ext as the recovery and do i then follow the same process, ie fastboot recovery "4ext file path" ?

Yes i am S-OFF

 

[shah33m]

I Managed to load the recovery and Root the device.
before i do anything i want to do a nand backup (im not sure if i should do nand +ext) anyway i get an error while performing the backup.

Error: Run 'nandroid-mobile.sh' via adb!

im not sure why its not completing the backup through recovery

 

[Bazcabs]

If the command fastboot is working, just dump your recovery file in the root of C: it makes things so much easier. You can then delete it afterwards to tidy up.

 

[Hadron]

I Managed to load the recovery and Root the device.
before i do anything i want to do a nand backup (im not sure if i should do nand +ext) anyway i get an error while performing the backup.

Error: Run 'nandroid-mobile.sh' via adb!

im not sure why its not completing the backup through recovery

You probably don't have an ext partition, because those aren't any use without root. So probably just a nand backup would be fine right now.

I don't know what that message means though. Never seen it, though I've also not used Amon-RA myself. I've done a quick google search, and found a range of different responses rather than a single solution. The one that comes up most commonly is the suggestion that this happens if you try to run a backup with a low battery.

4Ext is mentioned in point 2 of the guide, before either of the other two recoveries. But if you've got Amon-RA installed that should work fine (if we can understand the above error).

 

[shah33m]

You probably don't have an ext partition, because those aren't any use without root. So probably just a nand backup would be fine right now.

I don't know what that message means though. Never seen it, though I've also not used Amon-RA myself. I've done a quick google search, and found a range of different responses rather than a single solution. The one that comes up most commonly is the suggestion that this happens if you try to run a backup with a low battery.

4Ext is mentioned in point 2 of the guide, before either of the other two recoveries. But if you've got Amon-RA installed that should work fine (if we can understand the above error).

I managed to figure out why i got the error, i did not have enough space on my SD to do the backup.

I deleted some unused stuff and the Nand backup was successful.

Any tip you have? i am now going to flash a ROM.
it seems pretty simple, in a nutshell save ROM on SD, boot into recovery and wipe, then choose the ROM on the SD and wait for it to finish flash.

i read that i have to partition my SD?

 

[Hadron]

Good news

The nand backup before doing the ROM flash is essential, but you've done that.

Since the wipe erases all of your data (contacts, messages, app data) you should back up anything that's important to you before doing that. Otherwise the procedure you describe is about all there is to it.

If the ROM uses an a2sd script, i.e. can make use of a partition, then partitioning the card before flashing will be the simplest thing. After that you will want nand+ext backups. Remember that partitioning will erase the card, so everything on it should be backed-up first (you can copy back later), and that under no circumstances should you use Minitool Partition Wizard (it does a really crap job). GParted is the recommended partitioning tool, though 4Ext recovery can also do it well enough (but can't read backups made with Amon RA).

 

[whitegust]

For all who (like myself) decided to root and S-Off their HTC Desire - THIS STILL WORKS.

My Desire (what i did with it)
- upgraded from 2.2.2 to 2.3.3 (official path through HTCSync)
- Revoked3 did NOT WORK (nor 3.31, nor 3.32)
- my Software number: 3.14.405.1
- HBoot: 1.02.0001 (or 1.02.xxxx), pvt1

- used Revolutionary with CWM (did not work, but i got S-OFF)
- installed SU, Busybox from market - "not rooted correctly"

*CRIED A LOT*

- used SDK tools to flash Amon-Ra 2.0.1
- copied Superuser-3.0.7-efgh-signed.zip and "installed from SDcard" (Recovery)
- BusyBox and SU finally work
- Installed 4ext Touch recovery apk from market

:smokingsomb: Now running Official 2.3.3, S-Off and ROOTed. :smokingsomb:
Thinking about Custom ROM, but for now, i'll just chill

P.S.: I imagine there was A LOT of nonsense at what i was doing. But thankfully i still remembered some things (SDK, fastboot and so on) from 2 years back when i flashed Defy and Wildfire S

 

[Hadron]

If you followed the links in the first post of this guide you could have downloaded and flashed 4Ext recovery directly, without having to flash Amon RA, use that to root and then use an app to install 4Ext. Much shorter and simpler

 

[whitegust]

Now i realise that i could. But after failing with CWM, i had no idea what was and wasn't done :/ So I used my knowledge (or lack of it) to go the slower but more familiar way

And to be truthful: The first post is a bit confusing at first :/ But thankfully I figured everything out in the end

PS: Which is in your opinion best ROM for Desire? I can't decide haha

 

[Hadron]

There's no "best ROM", just whichever is best for you. Some people like Sense, some don't. Some want to move as much stuff as possible to sd, some prefer a simpler setup. Some want lots of bells and whistles in the ROM, some want it simple and to just add what they want.

The "Desire All Things Root Guide" sticky post in this forum contains a link to a list of ROMs maintained at XDA-developers. Not all are still available (it's an old phone, and the download links die eventually), but many are. In some cases where the link in the first post of the thread no longer works you'll find alternative links by searching the thread.

For the last 18 months I had my Desire I used dGB, but that doesn't suit everyone: very minimal and stripped-down, no a2sd script, designed to be used with a custom hboot and a very small /system partition in order to give more space for apps. When I last kept up with Desire ROMs MildWild was still doing tuning and tweaking of various Gingerbread ROMs (I'm not convinced about ICS or JB on the Desire - in my experience the phone is more responsive with a good Gingerbread ROM). But I've not really been paying much attention to Desire ROMs in the last year, so don't know what the current state of play is (I moved on to the One during the Summer, and had pretty much given up on changing ROMs on the Desire some months before then), so there may be something I'm unaware of.