Am i the only one who is scared of rooting

[euph_22]

1/500 chance? i don't think so. the risk is very small and most likely you can take it back for another one from verizon if for some reason something does happen. the question is 'should I be scared to root?" and I say no. There are benefits to rooting... if you don't care about them why ask the question in the first place?

I also fail to equate one click rooting with swapping out fuel injection... However if I were interested in doing something like that I would join a forum and ask questions about it.

1/500 is pretty rare. It's half as likely as being murdered sometime in your lifetime (ok, so being murder some other time wouldn't make any sense). If there are 2,000 members in the DrInc forum, and half of them are rooted (which I'm guessing is high), then 2 of them would have bricked their phones at 1/500. Just 2. And even if it was 75% rooted, it would only be 3. And more importantly, I NEVER SAID there was a 1/500 chance. To quote "I'm not saying that if a certainatity, or even a 1/500 chance. But it's a chance..." So how 'bout we don't get bogged down with trying to put a specific number on it, and agree that there IS A RISK. It might be not large, and it if does go wrong it might not be the end of the world, but there is a risk.

And the other point I was making was just because somebody joins a forum like this doesn't mean they want to do the most extreme actions the community supports.

I agree, you shouldn't be scared to root. If it goes well it's an easy process, and there is very little risk. However, I don't want people rooting if they aren't prepared for that minute risk, don't have any reason to root, and won't be able to deal with the possible consequences.

And there are risks BEYOND bricking the phone in the actual rooting process. One you have root, you have the ability to SERIOUS muck up your phone.

Of course people come here for all of those things. Most of the things you mentioned are greatly enhanced by having a rooted phone. Once again the op asked the question and I answered it with MY OPINION. Not sure why that has to be such a big deal to you.

Excuse me, but it appears to be a big deal TO YOU. It seems everybody must agree with YOU and bow to YOUR judgement. Well informed people who agree with you that rooting can have great benefits (myself included) are dismissed because they have the gall to suggest your apparent viewpoint is complete.

I'm just going to leave you with one last thing. Unless you are personally willing to help fix ANY user's phone that gets messed up after they decided to root on your word, stop pushing it so hard.

And just for posterity...yes rooting is safe. But so is crossing the street, and people still get hit by cars. Figure out what you're doing first. Figure out why you're rooting. If you can't answer the question "I'm rooting my droid incredible so I can do ____________." honestly, you shouldn't root.

 

[NightAngel79]

do you frequent washing machine and microwave forums?
obviously you are interested in making your device function better or you wouldn't be here.

Just can't agree with that, not rooted, don't care about rooting. Pleased with phone, is very rare i have any questions about my phone at all... Why am i here?? I enjoy it!!
As my boy jay said, rooting isn't for everyone. Some people are scared of it, for some it's easy to ACHIEVE it but once you do you could, on accident, tamper with stuff that is NOT meant to be tampered with. There is always that person who just has to move this file or see what happens when they delete this file. Just saying.

There is nothing I personally do with my phone that warrants rooting, and thats ok.
IMO if you are comfortable enough to say... mess with the registry on a windows machine then you shouldn't have any reservations about rooting, if not then do some research; weigh the pro's and con's. Assume that what CAN happen actually might and figure out if your prepared to deal with the consequences. In the end it's of course all up to you.
For me, it just ain't broke... so i'm not gonna try to fix it

There is plenty of reason not to root. The possibility of bricking IS real. People HAVE BRICKED THEIR PHONES ROOTING. Even one-click methods are not entirely safe. If the process gets interupted at a critical point, you can corrupt key files.

I'm not saying that if a certainty, or even a 1/500 chance. But it's a chance, and if YOU aren't getting any real benefit, it's not worth that risk.

And there are MANY members of this forum that have decided not to root for the time being (myself included). And before some ad hominem attack on my skill/nerd status...I've been messing around with Linux for the better part of a decade. I have built 5 computers, and know a half-dozen computer languages. I know what rooting is (I've rooted/flashed/etc every other smartphone I've owned) I just don't see the point.



So just because I go to Focushacks.com means I obviously want to tear out my fuel injection and replace it with a racing spec system from a GT. Just because you're interested in improving the device doesn't mean you see any need to muck around with the internals...



The same idea goes for insurance. Insurance will not cover intentional damage, and if Assurion (or whoever) figures out you bricked the phone trying to root, they will consider it intentional damage. Granted, I don't think that is at all likely, it's still possible.

+1 to just about everything euph said

I'll see your "Uh what?" and I'll raise you a "Really???"!

Isn't that exactly what I said? vvv



Nobody is disputing the ease of achieving root, it is the potential for damage you can cause once you have SU access to the device! If I really have to go over all of the potential negatives I will, but I am going to assume you know them.



So your contention is that just because someone is here, they should root their phone?

-They can't come here to learn about Home Replacements?
-They can't come here to hear news and reviews of a cool, new App?
-They can't come here to discuss the latest firmware upgrade?
-They can't come here to learn tricks on conserving battery life?
-They can't come here to learn about some cool weather widget?
-They can't come here to compare layout and get ideas from others?
-Etc, etc, etc...

Listen, I personally am not against rooting (I am rooted actually) and see all of the cool things you can do (not the least of which is getting all the VZW installed crap off my phone), but it is simply not for everyone!!

Remember, for some this is not a toy but a business tool, for others it is a large expense not easily replaced. Either way, the potential to ruin that device is there. If you don't share the same concerns then that is great for you, but its not for everyone! Why not jump into helping people who are interested in rooting and specifically ask for assistance?

Again +1. It is easy and i have almost done it several times. Why haven't I?? Well i don't care about custom roms (got over that addiction after i was done with omnia and winmo), bloatware doesn't bother me too much, and for the most part i'm 100% content with my phone

And just for posterity...yes rooting is safe. But so is crossing the street, and people still get hit by cars. Figure out what you're doing first. Figure out why you're rooting. If you can't answer the question "I'm rooting my droid incredible so I can do ____________." honestly, you shouldn't root.

Great way to put it... and hilarious analogy!! Completely true.

To each his own

Remember everyone, please keep it civil so we can continue to have a good discussion (as everyone has been doing)

 

[hgoldner]

One quick question, if I am rooted, I can run Titanium, but not flash other ROMS. To go to the next level of flashing a custom ROM, I have to run something like Unrevoked Forever.

Is that right?

 

[jrhughes]

My phone is an appliance and in its stock form it suits me fine. I have not souped up the motor in my washing machine or tweaked my microwave to pop corn faster and I don't plan on rooting to enhance functionality or steal service.

I agree with your point here. However, having the option to change
something that you bought and paid for is your right. Now, having done
a little operation on your washing machine and watching it explode due
to a spin cycle at 7000 RPMs..

Don't expect Maytag to cover it. But hey, it was your right to do it.

As far as stealing is concerned, I agree. I take only what I pay for and
use what I'm entitled to. But I'm a member of the old school that feel
honesty and integrity are important.**

**No I'm not insulting anyone. This is a personal opinion only.

 

[melissai_]

I'm on the fence about it. I just got the phone. The last thing I want to do is void the warranty, then a short time later have to pay full price for a new one because my contract isn't due for a new phone for almost 2 years.

Not really sure I want to muck with a custom ROM right now anyway, which I guess leaves me being able to uninstall apps that came on the phone that I don't want (which isn't terribly important to me), and run a few root apps (like SetCPU).

Entirely not sure at this point.

see now if you had sprint, and you were the main line on the account you could upgrade every year jk jk

yeaaaaah im scared too. not too savvy technically in regards to software or the insides of my computer or phone...sooo i'm waiting to see if my boyfriend does it to his incredible and then mayyybe i'll do it to my evo hahah

 

[NightAngel79]

see now if you had sprint, and you were the main line on the account you could upgrade every year jk jk

It's the same on verizon

 

[Dandapani]

I wanted a phone. Not a hobby. No rooting for me. Works fine as is. Thanks.

 

[Myronbg]

The "only" reason I considered rooting was to be able to get Angry Birds Unlock as the app was only for unrooted devices. I found an app for rooted devices so I'm happy with what Android/Verizon provides. As far as all the junk apps that they provide... gee... I just don't use them.

 

[hrbib21]

I'm not "scared" of rooting but I don't want my lifeline to my daughter (she's in NJ, 580 miles away) to be severed. I do have a backup phone or two so, really, it's not that big of a deal but right now I have a phone that does everything I want it to so I have no NEED to root, not to mention that I typically work 10 hour days and then hit the gym for an hour and really don't feel like messing with it on my down time. It would simply be a "fun" thing for me since I love gadgets and love modding them (I built my first desktop PC in 1995).

Having said all that, I may actually give it a shot soon.

 

[dibs ODDJOB]

I was sitting on the fence since I got my DInc at launch. I've been happy with the device so I didn't really feel the need to root. Maybe it was boredom, or wanting the ability to tweak a few things and improve my main complaint about my phone, battery life, I finally rooted this weekend with the updated Unrevoked tool. Setting up your computer is the most involved part, actually rooting is stupid simple with Unrevoked.

Bonus: I'm typing this on my computer, which is connected to the internet through my phone with Wireless Tether, because I have root and my Comcast internet is down again (F*^&* Comcast BTW).

I've already learned how to do Titanium backups, and I've successfully did complete Nandroid backups and restores, which helped since I screwed something up trying to change my notification battery status.

Do what is comfortable for you, completely read the updated guides, don't skip steps, and make backups before you do anything!

 

[WormDoes]

The thoughts of "what if" is what's scary, not rooting itself. I had an Eris and I rooted it shorty after buying it because it was not a good phone stock, lots of log etc. Having said that, my Inc is perfect (IMO) so why bother rooting, right? Long story short, I rooted yesterday and I wish I would have done it sooner! The most involved part of the unrEVOked process in setting up your computer with the drivers. The actual rooting is simple, very simple. I just flashed my first ROM (Myn's Warm Two point Two) and it's awesome. The amount of customization available is literally insane, there's so much dev support that you could spend days upon days tweaking your setup.. My opinion to anyone on the fence is make sure you 100% want to root, it is a risk after all. And most importantly, If you don't know something ask until you know EXACTLY what you are actually doing and are comfortable with the process. This forum is great and there's a lot of very intelligent people always willing to help.

 

[dalans]

Well, talk about being scared of rooting, I have a question and I am sorry if this is dumb - I am new at this.

I am getting a t-mobile lg optimus T phone and will be using it in Canada (the only android phone available on the mobilicity network was the google, which is great but also almost 600 bucks). I will have it unlocked (obviously), but I will also probably root it for fun and a slight performance boost, etc.

Will rooting have any effect on the 'unlocking'? If I have the phone unlocked and then root it, will I have to unlock it again? Will I have to reset any settings particular to the phone in order to get it to work on my network?

Again, sorry if this question is off-base, but I guess I do not yet understand the basics.

Maybe the phone has firmware that has nothing to do with Android, so the two (network access vs. admin rights in Android) are totally separate?

thanks all
d

 

[ACD168]

what do you mean unlock?

 

[euph_22]

what do you mean unlock?

Sim lock.

 

[Taylored]

This is quite possible one of the most ridiculous statements I think I have read on here! And this is coming from a user who IS rooted. Messing around in the OS has nothing to do with the core use of the phone, which is calls, texts and web access. You don't even need to know what root is to use this phone, let alone do it.

Rooting is NOT for everyone. Period. And there is not a single argument out there that ANYONE can make to change that. Is the rooting process itself simple? Sure. A well training monkey can do it. But gaining SU access to the phone is really just part one of rooting, there is a lot more to it than that.

The reason that it isn't for everyone is because many people just shouldn't have root access to their phone. There's a reason they don't come that way to begin with. Once a user has that sort of access they are opening themselves up for doing some serious damage to the phone if they don't know what they are doing.

Yea, you can find tons of guides that walk you through the rooting process. And even the unrooting process. And yes, Unrevoked made rooting painfully easy. But how many "simple" guides are there out there about what to do and not to do once rooted? How many guides are there out there explaining SetCPU or Titanium? How many guides about ROM's, what they are, why you use them, how to flash them, etc? Not many.

How many threads do we have like this on the board? How many people ask "what's root and what's it good for?"? IMO, if you don't understand the benefits of rooting then you shouldn't be doing it. And if you don't WANT the benefits of rooting then you shouldn't be doing it.


For what it's worth, I rooted my phone for one primary reason... to get all the massive amount of bloatware that Verizon/HTC put on my phone. It's MY phone and I get to decide what's on it. Since Verizon/HTC didn't give me that choice out of the box, I gave myself that choice.

Since then I have utilized root only apps (titanium, SetCPU, Wireless Tether, etc) and flashed a custom ROM. SetCPU is important to me because it improves my battery life by about 20%. Titanium is important to me because I have the peace of mind knowing that I have full and complete backup's of my apps. Wireless Tether because... well... I tether

My phone is rooted and I wouldn't have it any other way. But that doesn't change the fact that if someone asks me "should I root my phone?" my answer is not automatically yes! In fact, many times it's a big fat NO!

Read the OP and the name of the thread. He/she did not ask, "should I root my phone?" but rather, "am I the only one who us scared of rooting?"

My point was merely, there is no reason to be scared of rooting. If you cannot figure out root with the current tools; well maybe you should not own the phone to begin with because my 2 year old daughter could figure out the one click root.
As for being afraid of the very slim chance of bricking your phone--this is an individual judgment call on whether or not the benefits outweigh the very very slim chance of a brick.

I never claimed rooting was for everyone, just that anyone can do it. Anyone who is willing to set aside 30 minutes of their day to read about the process CAN do it.

As for tutorials on SetPCU and titanium backup... You must be kidding.

 

[jayjay1122]

Read the OP and the name of the thread. He/she did not ask, "should I root my phone?" but rather, "am I the only one who us scared of rooting?"

My point was merely, there is no reason to be scared of rooting. If you cannot figure out root with the current tools; well maybe you should not own the phone to begin with because my 2 year old daughter could figure out the one click root.
As for being afraid of the very slim chance of bricking your phone--this is an individual judgment call on whether or not the benefits outweigh the very very slim chance of a brick.

I never claimed rooting was for everyone, just that anyone can do it. Anyone who is willing to set aside 30 minutes of their day to read about the process CAN do it.

As for tutorials on SetPCU and titanium backup... You must be kidding.

This is the reason you are getting those types of responses! There is zero relationship between operating the day-to-day functions of the phone and fear of attaching that phone to a PC to achieve SU.

The irony is that those of us questioning your comments are actually rooted and still find those statements to be obnoxious! I forget who I said this to in an earlier post, but maybe it would be better to share your knowledge with those who want to root rather than questioning the right of others to even own the phone who are afraid to root and belittling them and comparing them to two years olds.

You probably have a lot to offer in terms of advice to those who want the help!!

 

[Taylored]

This is the reason you are getting those types of responses! There is zero relationship between operating the day-to-day functions of the phone and fear of attaching that phone to a PC to achieve SU.

The irony is that those of us questioning your comments are actually rooted and still find those statements to be obnoxious! I forget who I said this to in an earlier post, but maybe it would be better to share your knowledge with those who want to root rather than questioning the right of others to even own the phone who are afraid to root and belittling them and comparing them to two years olds.

You probably have a lot to offer in terms of advice to those who want the help!!

Perhaps I could phrase things in a less obnoxious way, but I felt it called for it. I just get tired of hearing people who want root privileges, but are too afraid or lazy to do anything about it. I have several friends who have Android phones, some rooted on their own, and some of them I rooted. The others all like the features we have with root but say, "it is too risky/difficult."

I am more than happy to help anyone with real questions(again, I am no wiz), but there is already a plethora of information available on this site and many others.

For the record. My two year old is very bright.

 

[Taylored]

One more thing.
There is a way to back out of the data part of your 2 year contract w/o penalty. If anyone does brick a phone and does not want to drop $600 on a new out of contract phone; simply activate an old phone on that line which is not data capable. Verizon cannot charge you for the service you cannot use. Then you add a new line(if you are in a family share plan) for 9.99 a month, and get the promo special AMZ and Best buy are offering for a free phone w/ 2 yr activation. This will effectively get you a new phone for 9.99 x 12 = 119.88+tax

 

[jayjay1122]

Perhaps I could phrase things in a less obnoxious way, but I felt it called for it. I just get tired of hearing people who want root privileges, but are too afraid or lazy to do anything about it. I have several friends who have Android phones, some rooted on their own, and some of them I rooted. The others all like the features we have with root but say, "it is too risky/difficult."

I am more than happy to help anyone with real questions(again, I am no wiz), but there is already a plethora of information available on this site and many others.

For the record. My two year old is very bright.

And admittedly, probably brighter than me!!

I would just ask that we do not belittle anyone who is afraid to try something new! We want people to be comfortable coming here to ask for help and guidance!

 

[HarleyChick]

Read the OP and the name of the thread. He/she did not ask, "should I root my phone?" but rather, "am I the only one who us scared of rooting?"

My point was merely, there is no reason to be scared of rooting. If you cannot figure out root with the current tools; well maybe you should not own the phone to begin with because my 2 year old daughter could figure out the one click root.
As for being afraid of the very slim chance of bricking your phone--this is an individual judgment call on whether or not the benefits outweigh the very very slim chance of a brick.

I never claimed rooting was for everyone, just that anyone can do it. Anyone who is willing to set aside 30 minutes of their day to read about the process CAN do it.

As for tutorials on SetPCU and titanium backup... You must be kidding.

Prior to getting my Inc. I had an LG Ally. I rooted it based on what I read in the forums. Guess what? I bricked it. Yes, I'm one of the 1/500 who could actually do that. I did get a replaced by Verizon, but that does not discount the point that, yes, it is possible.

Rooting is not for everyone. If you read through the forums, you can pick up a lot of good information, but frankly, there is a lot of BAD information out there too. There is a language involved that does not lend itself to intuitive understanding for those that are not particularly computer- or smart-phone savvy. If you don't speak the language, it is very easy to get lost.

And I've seen enough on here to know that there will always be someone (like you) that is quick to point out that if you are afraid to experiment with a very expensive phone that you are an idiot with the brain power of a 2-year old, and shouldn't even have the right to own one. Thanks for making NOOBs feel so welcome.

 

[Taylored]

And admittedly, probably brighter than me!!

I would just ask that we do not belittle anyone who is afraid to try something new! We want people to be comfortable coming here to ask for help and guidance!

That is fair. I did not really intend the comments to be at anyone specifically. Upon further reflection, I guess it is not a nice way to speak to people in a forum which has helped me so much.

 

[Taylored]

Prior to getting my Inc. I had an LG Ally. I rooted it based on what I read in the forums. Guess what? I bricked it. Yes, I'm one of the 1/500 who could actually do that. I did get a replaced by Verizon, but that does not discount the point that, yes, it is possible.

Rooting is not for everyone. If you read through the forums, you can pick up a lot of good information, but frankly, there is a lot of BAD information out there too. There is a language involved that does not lend itself to intuitive understanding for those that are not particularly computer- or smart-phone savvy. If you don't speak the language, it is very easy to get lost.

And I've seen enough on here to know that there will always be someone (like you) that is quick to point out that if you are afraid to experiment with a very expensive phone that you are an idiot with the brain power of a 2-year old, and shouldn't even have the right to own one. Thanks for making NOOBs feel so welcome.

You are welcome.

To be clear, I never said anything about right to own a phone. Anyone with cash has the right to own anything they wish to purchase within the confines of local laws.(no prostitutes)

 

[dalans]

what do you mean unlock?

By unlock I mean getting the ability to use this phone on my mobilicity network, rather than the t-mobile network. This is commonly done in Canada because our phone selection is poor. In my particular case, the frequency of the phone needs to be UMTS 1700/2100 which is the same as the t-mobile network. Apparently I have to do something to the phone called unlocking it, in order to put in a Mobilicity sim card and have it recognized on the network.

I am wondering if this procedure will be nullified and will have to be repeated if I root the phone and/or reinstall the OS at some future point. That is my query.

There are several comments below me on this thread that imply that I am not smart (which is entirely possible) and that the core functionality of the phone (voice,text,web) are unaffected by rooting, but for peace of mind it would be WONDERFUL if someone out there could answer my question and set my mind at ease.

Again, sorry for my new-ness. I know quite a lot about computers, but precious little about handheld ones. And for the record, if I reinstall my OS on my desktop, it is quite possible I would lose the ability to, for example, access my network, and that I would have to reinstall drivers and/or reset some settings. I am wondering if my phone may act the same way.

Thanks all, any chance of a direct answer to my question? Please?

Dave

 

[WormDoes]

You may want to go into the LG forum and ask around there. The majority of us don't have to unlock our phones so I'm not sure how much help you're going to find

 

[euph_22]

You may want to go into the LG forum and ask around there. The majority of us don't have to unlock our phones so I'm not sure how much help you're going to find

Not to mention the Incredible is a CDMA phone, so there is no Sim Lock period (as there is no Sim Card to lock). You can also try a ATT/Tmobile forum/thread, as this is specifically a GSM (hence ATT or T-Mobile) issue.