Root Dummies guide to downgrading?

[smiffeh]

I know the basic stuff of what root does, consequences, pluses, etc. And I now want to root my phone. Problem is, I upgraded to Gingerbread long ago, and I'm kind of regretting it now.
Can anyone provide me with an extremely dumbed down, so-easy-your-mother-could-do-it downgrading guide? I have a laptop with 64bit Win7 with no internet access, and I'm planning on rooting my phone and using the Barnacle tethering app to remedy this. It would be extremely nice if you could tell me all the things I need to have downloaded/installed onto the laptop beforehand, that way the downgrading and rooting process won't be interrupted.
After the rooting process, I also plan to install Cyanogen Mod, so if there were a dumbed down guide to doing that as well, it would definitely be appreciated.
Yes, I am a definite noob to all this, which is why I require a hand-holding guide.

Thanks so much for your time.

 

[Hermia]

I used this process - [Updated!] Batch script to root the evo shift! Noob proof! - xda-developers - but I had to use one-click root to root the phone after downgrade. z4root and visionary wouldn't seem to work on my Shift. I rooted this morning, installed ROM Manager and downloaded the Cynogen build and I'm in love. Sorry I didn't do it sooner.

 

[smiffeh]

I tried using two different versions of this script. One version worked to a point. The current version can't even find my phone. It is connected and USB Debug is turned on.

 

[Hermia]

I ended up manually doing the downgrade using the file included and then using - one-click root to finish it off. Then I installed Rom Manager and installed the Cyanogen mod.

For the script make sure you have HTC Sync installed. It won't work otherwise.

 

[smiffeh]

For the script make sure you have HTC Sync installed. It won't work otherwise.

Wow. I can't believe I'm that much of an idiot. I didn't have it installed even though I thought I did.