Root [HOW TO] Root Your Incredible, Whatever It's Status

[dsb9938]

* * * NOTE: This method is extremely outdated and no longer works! * * *

Okay, we have many little things going around so I'm going to try and consolidate for everybody. With my phone having hardware issues I've practically got this memorized now.

These are basic steps, if you do not know how to flash a file you need to do a little more reading before you follow this. I take no responsibility for your actions, they are yours! If you destroy your phone, I cannot help you. Most of the links I provided have instructions on them. If they are just downloads, it assumes you know how to use the file provided.

IF YOU HAVE ALREADY GOT 2.2, BUT ARE NOT ROOTED, START HERE:

1. Go to public:unrevoked3 [RootWiki] and get the new root tool for 2.2.

AFTER THIS YOU ARE FINISHED.

IF YOU HAVE 2.1UPDATE1 BUT NOT ROOT START HERE:

2. Hit unrevoked and get the tool for rooting the phone. Please do not forget to install the drivers they recommend from public:windows_hboot_driver_install [RootWiki] BEFORE you start.

This is a simple program and has no real input.

IF YOU ARE ALREADY ROOTED AT 2.1UPDATE1 START HERE:

3. Install unrevoked forever from public:forever [RootWiki] which will allow you to install packages later, even if you are not root. And yes, this will be how you get root back after the 2.2 install.

4. [EDIT] Apply the May Update from https://android.clients.google.com/...22.605.2_1.22.605.0_release_sign.a33bc3bf.zip

5. Install the stock recovery back to your phone from here: [Recovery] Stock 2.1 Recovery Image for DI - xda-developers. The 2.2 install will fail if you do not have this put back on your phone.

6. Download and install the 2.2 OTA upgrade from http://android.clients.google.com/p...on_WWE_3.21.605.1_1.22.605.2_release_sign.zip

This puts you on 2.2 without root, but with S=Off so you can install the packages required.

7. Reload the Clockwork recovery, yes, you can do this now, even though you are not root, from here: http://downloads.unrevoked.com/forever/recovery/clockworkmod/PB31IMG.ZIP.

This allows you to get into recovery and install files.

8. Install http://www.unrevoked.com/incredible/payload-update.zip and http://bit.ly/su234ef from recovery. This completes your journey.

Congratulations, you now have a stock, rooted 2.2 HTC Incredible and should have retained all of your data and settings.

I hope this basic guide helps people.

I take no credit for anything on this page except it's layout and consolidation. All of this is the work of others. And I am truely thankful to all of them.

Dennis

PS - If I made any errors here, somebody please tell me so I can fix them. Maybe I should have posted this in the Root section? DUH

[EDIT] Adding this for good measure, Official Flash Update for 2.2 is now in the market.

 

[hakr100]

I'm glad it is ok to use my Incredible with 2.2 just as it is...

 

[dsb9938]

I'm glad it is ok to use my Incredible with 2.2 just as it is...

Of course it is. Some of us are just a little more adventurous, or demanding of control. I haven't really done much with mine. I originally only rooted it to change the boot animation.

 

[dsb9938]

Thanks for the move!

 

[SkyeHack]

Will this work using a computer with Windows 7 64bit?

 

[AJ McKay]

I originally only rooted it to change the boot animation.

Weird, I was changing boot animations long before root was acheived.

 

[dsb9938]

Will this work using a computer with Windows 7 64bit?

I cannot say for sure. The only part of this that actually runs a program on your PC is the unrevoked to install root at step 2.

I believe there are a few posts about Win7 x64, but I do not run it so I am not sure. I would advise a search for unrevoked on Win 7.

 

[dsb9938]

Weird, I was changing boot animations long before root was acheived.

I didn't say I had to, that was before I had done anything.

I THOUGHT I had to. Still couldn't have told you I didn't, just assumed it and went from there.

 

[elwray]

This should be stickied ... great info!

 

[DizkoDan]

Nice looking doc. I was about to try and put something like this together today, because it seems like every other question this week is exactly the same. Thanks for taking the time to post this, now we just have to hope that people actually read it. I'll definitely be pointing people to it.

 

[elwray]

This would be a GREAT start to something like an "Incredible Rooting For Dummies" guide. For instance, now I know how to go about doing it, but then what's the deal with ROMs? (Anyone else read that in Jerry Seinfeld's voice?) What do I do now? etc...

 

[DizkoDan]

Will this work using a computer with Windows 7 64bit?

There's nothing special about win7 x86_64. It should just be the drivers. If you follow the directions on unrevoked's site, you should have no problem.

 

[dsb9938]

This would be a GREAT start to something like an "Incredible Rooting For Dummies" guide. For instance, now I know how to go about doing it, but then what's the deal with ROMs? (Anyone else read that in Jerry Seinfeld's voice?) What do I do now? etc...

I have yet to play with ROMs, but they are basically where somebody takes the stock setup and tweaks it. Either by adding things they feel are missing, or removing things they feel are unneeded. And almost always by changing some setting.

I will probably start getting into it once I get my replacement phone.

Dennis

 

[elwray]

So following the methods you outlined above, you end up with your phone running Android 2.2 (with Sense) just as if you were unrooted, except now you have the possibility to just throw on whatever ROMs you want?

 

[dsb9938]

So following the methods you outlined above, you end up with your phone running Android 2.2 (with Sense) just as if you were unrooted, except now you have the possibility to just throw on whatever ROMs you want?

You end up rooted, 2.2, factory ROM (except root of course), Clockwork recovery.

Dennis

 

[DizkoDan]

This would be a GREAT start to something like an "Incredible Rooting For Dummies" guide. For instance, now I know how to go about doing it, but then what's the deal with ROMs? (Anyone else read that in Jerry Seinfeld's voice?) What do I do now? etc...

This what most people are trying to avoid. I've been working hard to document a lot of this stuff on my site. I want to make it easy enough to follow, but I don't want it so easy that people don't have to pay attention to what they are doing. There are far too many people who will just blindly follow instructions, without doing any real research. The result is the tons of threads you see in these forums right now. I'm happy to help people out, but I want to make sure that I'm guiding them, not enabling them.

Sorry to jack your thread dsb, I just feel like this needs to be said.

 

[dscribe]

Will this work using a computer with Windows 7 64bit?

Yes.

 

[elwray]

This what most people are trying to avoid. I've been working hard to document a lot of this stuff on my site. I want to make it easy enough to follow, but I don't want it so easy that people don't have to pay attention to what they are doing. There are far too many people who will just blindly follow instructions, without doing any real research. The result is the tons of threads you see in these forums right now. I'm happy to help people out, but I want to make sure that I'm guiding them, not enabling them.

Sorry to jack your thread dsb, I just feel like this needs to be said.

Makes sense! I'll poke around your site some more.

 

[dsb9938]

Sorry to jack your thread dsb, I just feel like this needs to be said.

No sweat. I enjoy helping, but I do agree, too many people want to be spoon fed. I feel like an idiot if I ask a question I could easily have found the answer to. This doesn't mean I don't still do it though!

 

[benjordan06]

2 questions,
After flashing stock recovery over clockworkmod, what should recovery look like? I just get a triangle w/ exclamation mark. I have reflashed clockworkmod and tried to flash stock again and I get the same thing. The SD card is fat32.

After I get the stock recovery on there properly, how do I apply the OTA? Name it update.zip and apply it inside stock recovery?

Thanks!

 

[Darroll]

When I try to load the downgrade I get:

Main Version is older!
Update Fail!
Do you want to reboot.

Can anyone direct me what to do from here?

 

[dsb9938]

2 questions,
After flashing stock recovery over clockworkmod, what should recovery look like? I just get a triangle w/ exclamation mark. I have reflashed clockworkmod and tried to flash stock again and I get the same thing. The SD card is fat32.

After I get the stock recovery on there properly, how do I apply the OTA? Name it update.zip and apply it inside stock recovery?

Thanks!

That is what it looks like.

And follow the guide above to complete the upgrade.

Dennis

 

[dsb9938]

When I try to load the downgrade I get:

Main Version is older!
Update Fail!
Do you want to reboot.

Can anyone direct me what to do from here?

You may need to follow this guide to revert back to 2.1:

[GUIDE] How to downgrade from OTA RUU 2.2 to 2.1 - xda-developers

Dennis

 

[benjordan06]

That is what it looks like.

ok, thanks, I just read that I had to hold vol up and power to get into the menu.


Now, when I apply update.zip, it fails during "Verifying current system..."

assert failed: apply_patch_check("/system/..../bcm4329.ko" ... )

bcm4329.ko is related to wifi tether it seems. I removed wifi tether and tried again without any luck.

Any ideas?

 

[iowabowtech]

Nice job on the writeup. What we really need to go side by side with this is a DOWNGRADE thread. There are so many IFs in that situation because of how far we've come since the phone's release, leaks that have come into play and the issues they create, Unrevoked Forever and what shortcuts it allows, the use of the update.zip method now, multiple recovery options, etc,etc,etc infinity. <---Or at least that's how it feels sometimes.

It's becoming difficult for the advanced user to lay out the proper and most direct path of travel, let alone noobs.