Stock Android HTC Desire

[paul.mcaleer1]

Hi Guys

Maybe a silly question but is it possible to install stock android onto my HTC Desire without having the silly themes "sence" that HTC Install on my phone.

The Nexus S Has stock and this is what i want?????

Many thanks in advance and please pardon me if this is posted in the wrong place...new user to this forum.

Paul

 

[Hadron]

It's possible to remove Sense and have a stock android, with different degrees of customisation, but you need to root the phone for that.

Otherwise you can install a 3rd party launcher (Launcher Pro, Go Launcher, ADW, Zeam, ....) which will let you have a cleaner look, even one that's very much like the default android if you want, though you'll still have the Sense apps.

 

[paul.mcaleer1]

Hi Hadron

Many thanks for your reply.

So in other words its not possible unless i use a custom ROM?

I was under the asumption that google release the stock andriod to htc and htc hand it to the service providers, with this in mind i had thought it possible to get a copy of the original andrioud before it has been messed with and use this, I also thought HTC Desire was available unlocked and network unbranded, i would of used that image of android as this would of got rid of all the junk i want off my phone and in turn would be able to get the early release of any Android updates that are pushed to the handset.

 

[Hadron]

HTC will indeed have the stock android source, but they put Sense on it before releasing it. So you can't get a Sense-free Desire ROM from HTC - you need to use community software for that.

The Desire is available unlocked and network unbranded - that's how I bought mine - but that still includes Sense. It does get updates quicker than network branded handsets. And it is possible to update to this software: the unbranded ROM Update Utility (RUU) has been leaked and is available on the net, and you can use this to remove network branding (by loading the unbranded software instead). There are still a couple of things to consider about this:

* The RUU does wipe the phone of all user apps and data (factory reset)

* It will check your phone's ID to decide whether it should run. The idea is that unbranded RUUs should only update unbranded phones, and branded one update phones with that branding. There is a trick to bypass this check, by making your SD card into a "goldcard", which allows you to use the unbranded RUU on a branded phone. This is described in the FAQs linked from the sticky post in the root subforum.

* If you need to return the phone to your network provider for repair they will expect it to have their software on it, so you'd have to use the appropriate branded RUU to put that back first. For most networks a suitable RUU is available, but there are exceptions (Orange UK for example).

When people talk about "debranding" a phone, that's what they mean - using the RUU to install generic software instead of the network stuff.

If you root the phone then need to return it for repair, you need to use an RUU to unroot it first - otherwise your warranty is void.

Personally I sympathise - I did root, and my phone is Sense free and in my opinion better for it. But I'd certainly recommend reading up and making sure you understand all of the implications before doing that.

 

[paul.mcaleer1]

Many thanks for your informative reply,

Could you provide me with a link that has a reliable ROM ...unbranded ROM Update Utility (RUU).

Many Thanks and very much appreciated.

Paul

 

[Hadron]

There's an index of Desire RUUs available here. The latest unbranded one is RUU_Bravo_Froyo_HTC_WWE_2.29.405.5_Radio_32.49.00.32U_5.11.05.27_release_159811_signed.exe - there's an md5 code supplied, so you can check that you have a good download of it. As I say, it's probably worth downloading your operator's one as well, just in case it's ever needed.

I'm assuming that your phone is GSM (i.e. you have a SIM card), as you'd need a different index (phone model BravoC) if you had a CDMA handset.

 

[paul.mcaleer1]

Hi Hadron

Its an 02 - UK Branded Handset.

hope this helps.

 

[Hadron]

OK, that's certainly GSM - there are no European CDMA handsets

There are 2 O2 RUUs in that collection as well. RUU_Bravo_Froy2_UK_2.14.207.1_Radio_32.44.00.32U_5.09.05.30_2_release_144166_signed.exe is the newer of the pair (i.e. it's android 2.2, whereas the other one is 2.1), so if you ever need to rebrand that's probably the best bet.

As I say, you'll need to make a goldcard before you can use the unbranded RUU. The "FAQs" link in my sig will take you to the root forum sticky, and the rooting FAQ linked there includes instructions on how to do this.

 

[paul.mcaleer1]

I would buy you a beer mate lol very helpful...ok ive just taken a look at the site you gave me and i will now dl the correct rom and then look into the other software goldcard ect,

many thanks

 

[Hadron]

I'm driving in about 2 minutes' time, so will have to pass on the beer

No problem - I learned much of what I know about Android from this forum, so am happy to help.

 

[DDjnr]

Hi Hadron , just a quick question if i needed to unroot my desire what ruu would I need to use?
I bought my desire from o2 but have since unlocked it to work with any network and now i`m on tmobile uk .would it be o2 ruu or a t mobile one ? when my phone starts up I have o2 splash screen etc

 

[SUroot]

O2. RUU is the ROM Upgrade Utility (Android Software) which is currently O2 branded. It matters not if it is sim locked/unlocked/ used on another network.

 

[DDjnr]

O2. RUU is the ROM Upgrade Utility (Android Software) which is currently O2 branded. It matters not if it is sim locked/unlocked/ used on another network.

ok thanks for that
will it matter what o2 ruu i use ?

 

[paul.mcaleer1]

Ok just to confirm its this verson of the ruu that i need when i am unbranding my gsm phone: RUU_Bravo_Froyo_HTC_WWE_2.29.405.5_Radio_32.49.00. 32U_5.11.05.27_release_159811_signed.exe.

Thanks