How I debranded and upgraded my Virgin Mobile HTC Desire to Froyo 2.2

[rumbataz]

Disclaimer: Use this procedure at your own risk. It's based on information i've collected from various sources. If you brick your phone, invalidate your warranty or something else goes wrong then it's down to you. I've provided this procedure for information only.

I've been asked by a couple of people for step by step instructions on how I debranded my Virgin Mobile branded HTC Desire and upgraded it to 2.2.

From what I can remember I carried out these steps. I've used information collected form various threads on here and elsewhere. Use at your own risk!

It was essentially done in three steps: set up HTC Sync on my PC (Windows 7 64-bit), create the gold card and then update the firmware.

You need to do a bit of preparation first - save any photos, etc that are currently on your phone onto your PC using the USB cable and the phone connected in disk drive mode. Make sure your phone is fully charged. Note down the serial number of your HTC Desire (remove battery and it's on the label or select Settings>About Phone>Phone Indentity). You'll need your serial number to download HTC Sync. Also enable USB Debugging in your HTC Desire by ticking the option under Settings > Application > Development (do this on your HTC Desire).

Set up HTC Sync on your PC (10 minutes)
1. Download HTC Sync for your HTC Desire onto your PC from here: HTC Desire - Software Download

You will need to enter your phone's serial number to download the HTC Sync program.

2. Install it and connect your Desire to your PC in HTC Sync mode using a USB cable and it should connect. You really only need the USB drivers for the rebranding/upgrade.

Create the gold card (15 minutes)
I just used my existing 8GB micro-SD card that was already in the phone.

1. (Do this step on your PC). Grab the Gold Card Tool from here: www.klutsh.com

You may need to install 7-Zip or another zip file manager that can handle RAR files as the Gold Card Tool is supplied as a RAR file which you'll need to extract.

2. (Do this step on your PC). Open up the readme file for the Gold Card Tool as this contains specific instructions on how to use it. Run the Gold Card Tool in Administrator mode on your PC, connect your HTC Desire to your PC (ensuring that USB Debugging is enable as I mentioned earlier in this post) and send off for your Gold Card image. That arrives via email as a file attachment named goldcard.img.

The full instructions on how to do this are in the Readme file that comes with the Gold Card Tool. You need to copy and paste the CID into the site that is linked to within the Gold Card Tool. The CID is the long number on the last line of the output window of the Gold Card Tool, after the line that says 'Reversing CID'.

3. (Do this step on your PC). Follow the instructions in the Readme file for what to do once your gold card image arrives via email. You basically continue using the Gold Card Tool to write some information to your SD card by selecting the drive letter of your phone's SD card as it appears under Windows and you point the Gold Card Tool to the goldcard.img file on your PC. You should then be notified that your gold card has been created.

4. [Update] Keep the Gold Card in your phone for the next procedure below. You will need the Gold Card in your phone for any updates, including the one documented below. That is why I just used my regular micro-SD as the Gold Card and for all my apps and data.

Run the RUU Update (25 minutes)
1. (Do this step on your PC). Download the first RUU file onto your PC from here:

Shipped ROMs

This is quite a large download (approx 170MB).

2. (Do this step on your PC). Make sure your Desire is connected to your PC in HTC Sync mode and run the RUU executable on your PC. Mine failed the first time! I just ran it again and it worked the second time. It takes around 10 minutes to do the update.

Alternative method: Make sure your Desire is connected to your PC. Power up the phone by holding down the 'Back' button, then run the RUU file on your PC.

3. Your HTC Desire will finally reboot and you'll get the 'Quietly Brilliant' HTC animation on the startup screen with a loud HTC audio jingle. No more Virgin Mobile branding!

4. After going through the initial phone setup check the firmware version by selecting: Settings > About phone > Software information

The software version number should be: 2.09.405.8

Theres's also some info on how to manually install the 2.10.405.2 update in this excellent thread:

http://androidforums.com/htc-desire/148932-froyo-ruu-update-available.html

Enjoy. Thanks to all those who provided information in the various threads that i've posted here. If anyone spots any mistakes in my steps (as i've done them from memory) or have alternative/better suggestions then post them in here and i'll update this post to keep it current.

Disclaimer: Use this procedure at your own risk. It's based on information i've collected from various sources. If you brick your phone, invalidate your warranty or something else goes wrong then it's down to you. I've provided this procedure for information only.

 

[madhatter1689]

Was tempted to have a go until I read the last paragraph. If your memory is as bad as mine I think I will leave it unless someone has followed the above and found it works.

 

[SB13X]

Was tempted to have a go until I read the last paragraph. If your memory is as bad as mine I think I will leave it unless someone has followed the above and found it works.

View my post here:

http://androidforums.com/1310838-post29.html

It works and was written and compiled as I went through the process.

Have fun!

 

[madhatter1689]

Ok, I followed the instructions in the FIRST post and everything was clear and simple and worked. The only problem I encountered was downloading the two files. For some reason they would download only so far and then stop. Managed to get the goldcard tool elsewhere and eventually the update downloaded completely. All is working well. Thank you.

 

[paddymitch]

worked a treat m8 cheers paddy

 

[madhatter1689]

Maybe helpful to explain that you need to keep the goldcard in the phone. I didn't and swapped to a larger sdcard. Read this http://androidforums.com/htc-desire/172893-gold-card-question.html and debranded using the larger sdcard and straight away I found chrome to phone worked. Previously it hadn't.

Could you add a piece to your original post about this?

 

[rumbataz]

^ Done, thanks for the feedback.

 

[dj.GETAFIX]

have the ruu file
have tried to run it in all the diff ways:
holding back and power
useing htc sync
just useing charge mode
with and without debuging mode and keep getting an error when i run it:

an error (-50001:0x80070002) has occured while running setup

please make sure you have finished any previous setup and closed other applications.
if the error still occurs contact your vendor.


then in the details part it says:

Error Code: -5001 : 0x80070002
Error Information:
>SetupNew\setup.cpp (142)
PAPP:
PVENDOR:
PGUID:
$
@Windows 7 / Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 0 (7600)
IE Version: 8.0.7600.16385

any ideas please??

 

[dj.GETAFIX]

finaly got it to work and all goes well up to the point where it says not to disconect the usb and that it will take 10 mins....
then the connection with htc sync keeps droping and it stops the instalation

 

[dj.GETAFIX]

got it all sortied now was gettin worried id nackerd my phone there
i had to do it with the power/back button to stop it un-syncing the phone

 

[supamega]

im really confused about this rooting/ruu/flashing/rom-ing bizzness!!
basically my htc desire is unlocked from t-mobile and now with o2 but 1) its still branded t mobile and 2) the unlock was from an unofficial independent seller and not tmobile. ive been waiting for advice on whether to update or not. should i debrand like it says here so that 2.2 will work on my phone?

 

[rumbataz]

got it all sortied now was gettin worried id nackerd my phone there
i had to do it with the power/back button to stop it un-syncing the phone

Glad you got it working in the end!

Are there any steps in my original post that need more explanation or clarification from your experience to make it easier for others to debrand/upgrade?

 

[supamega]

1) if its debranded, does that mean you'll have to update any future updates using this method (ie downloading the file onto the gold card etc) and not via OTAs?

2) will this work for a t mobile branded unlocked phone?

 

[dj.GETAFIX]

Glad you got it working in the end!

Are there any steps in my original post that need more explanation or clarification from your experience to make it easier for others to debrand/upgrade?

thanks...
not sure if this helps update it as i confuse easily...
but here are the list of the mistakes i made following ur guide, this may help u
update or clarify a few bits but some of this is just my stupidity lol

i didnt know how to set into debuging mode at first and had to google to find out how to...
also i got confused about doing all the goldcard steps with the pc and with the goldcard tool... after reading again i managed to get the goldcard sortied so that was mainly my fault...
the froyo link when downloadied was the 1 that didnt work and kept giveing me errors each time i ran it....
the direct link that u gave ran perfectly with no errors but as i said earlier, running in htc sync mode it kept dropping the connection and keps saying not connectied. but ran fine with the turning on and holding back button (without debuging mode enabled)...

all the way threw i kept thinking wich step do u run the goldcard or the froyo update in the phone its self as i thought u must have to run in the phone to get it to flash the rom... might help to make it clear that all steps are ran from the pc. but that might just be because im not to good at following instructions lol
mostly though pointing out the non htc sync mode as a second way might help and posibly just keeping the direct link to froyo ruu

hope that helps and makes sence and many thanks for your help and advice as it has been a great update that i wish i hadnt waited so long to do

 

[dj.GETAFIX]

1) if its debranded, does that mean you'll have to update any future updates using this method (ie downloading the file onto the gold card etc) and not via OTAs?

2) will this work for a t mobile branded unlocked phone?

1) there was an ota update to install threw normal way as soon as i had ran the froyo ruu

2) not sure but think the goldcard bit is same... should be a specific thread for doing t-mobile phones on here in the rooting section

 

[rumbataz]

@dj.GETAFIX - thanks for your feedback. I've editted my original post to include your comments.

 

[dj.GETAFIX]

@dj.GETAFIX - thanks for your feedback. I've editted my original post to include your comments.

glad to help with the feedback m8...
and thanks again for the post. so glad i plucked up the corage to give it a go
and would highly recomend to others. if i could do it im sure anyone can..
and if you get stuck there is always great members like rumbataz that will help you out and get you sortied

 

[BarnumC]

all done, couple of bits where I had to scratch my head, but the thing has worked!

 

[rumbataz]

^ Great! If there's anything I can add to my original post to improve the level of detail to help others then please let me know.

 

[madhatter1689]

Hi there

Been a few days since I used this procedure to update so i thought it would be helpful to let you know how things are going. I have to say I haven't encountered any problems at all. All is running extremely well. I hope that encourages others who are thinking of doing it.

With dj.GETAFIX problem, which he sorted out, I wonder if it was because you didn't download the complete file? When I did this I struggled downloading both the files and actually got the goldcard file elsewhere. The RUU said the download was complete but it had only downloaded about 25mb instead of the full amount. Not sure why that happened. I think it took me 3 attempts to get the full download.

Also am intrigued that someone got a new update straight away. I haven't had any updates since doing this and wondered where I can get it from and is it worth getting.

Also, when Virgin decide to push the update through, will we get it and what should we do if we do get it?

Thanks again Rumbataz for your help. Much appreciated.

 

[BarnumC]

@rumbataz
Your method is fine, what threw me was the first download of the RUU was about 1.25 Mb, I thought it was an installer exe. I knew you said it was bigger, but I thought you ran the small one, and it would go to a server and get the whole thing...My mistake.
Secondly I was holding down the power button for too long just like a start up procedure, when trying both 'back' and 'volume down' methods.
Cant remember which one I used now, but it just needs a quick tap, that threw the phone into a bit of a wobbly, however all is fine and its now unbranded.. Thinking of rooting, and wondering if its worth it..
CharlesCollins, I also got a new update from HTC straight away (well I went to menu>settings> about phone>update)

 

[dj.GETAFIX]

@charlescollins
think the first link for the ruu must have not been the full file as i tried it loads of times. then i used the direct link for the ruu and worked first time..

i wouldent bet on virgin releasing froyo this in the next month..
was in the virgin shop yesterday on way past in belfast and the sales member said i was best of rooting my phone but thats not an offical recomendation. but he said even when it is released it may be worse than the ruu from this thread as most networks screw up the coding when they put in there own branding

 

[wavemeister]

A few questions, do you leave the sim card in when doing the update? The phone is already unlocked.
Does doing the update delete all your installed aps?
I have an 8gb card in my phone, is it best to use this as the gold card?
I find the link to the virginmobile portal useful because it has a direct link to "Your Account" so I can easily keep an eye on my usage, can I re-create this after updating?

 

[madhatter1689]

Ok thanks for the replies. Thinking about it I may have got the update. I did get a screen with a green arrow pointing downwards but assumed it was something to do with the ruu. I guess that is what it was.

 

[BarnumC]

wavemeister, go to Market and search for netcounter..That freebie shows net and wifi traffic, in Total, Monthly, Weekly and Daily totals.