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Am i the only one who is scared of rooting

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.
 
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i called verizon last week because my phone's optical trackpad wasn't working properly. they sent me a replacement phone, no questions asked. i'm sending them back my rooted phone; you think they'll call me back and scoff about the root?

i doubt it. they're too lazy for that. they'll just be wiping the phones regardless and probably won't even notice (or they'll part it).
 
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Not so much scared but worried like doesn't it void your warranty!!!
And what if i do it then my phone breaks or something then i would have to pay for a new one right?
Rooting does void your warranty but unrooting it is a piece of cake. There is a utility called RUU that will restore it back to factory state.

I am planning on writing a "How to Unroot Your Incredible" article on my blog at www.jonsuh.com. I have instructions there on how to root if you need it.
 
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plus it's legality is questionable. you are right to be scared. just don't give into temptation and all will be ok

No, it isn't. In fact the legality of rooting has be upheld by the National Register of Copyrights. As far as the government is concerned, it's your phone you can do what you want with it.
 
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Not so much scared but worried like doesn't it void your warranty!!!
And what if i do it then my phone breaks or something then i would have to pay for a new one right?

It does void the warranty (well, technically it only voids coverage for problems caused by rooting. In practice, good luck getting verizon to honor that.) but they generally don't check too hard. However, if they do find out they WILL charge you the replacement price.

But generally you should be able to unroot.
 
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Rooting your phone is not illegal. There is zero reason to be scared. Frankly speaking, if a user is not able to root a smart phone with the current tools available, they probably have no business owning a smart phone to begin with.

You did not really just say that! :eek:
You can't possibly believe there is a correlation between being capable of operating a smartphone and rooting.

I agree that the process is quite easy once you educate yourself, but calling into question people's ability to surf the web, check email, send txts and listen to music on their phone because they are unable or unwilling to achieve SU is kind of silly!

Listen people, rooting is not for everyone! There are millions of smartphones out there that are not rooted (or jailbroken) and there is no shame in sticking with a "stock phone"!! There are countless apps and customization techniques out there for non-rooted devices. Just do what you are comfortable with!
 
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One possible benefit (and I share the original poster's temerity) is the ability to do a genuine "complete" backup of the phone with something like Titanium, which only works with root. As far as I know, the best backup software out there will not do a "complete" backup on an unrooted phone.

Is that correct? (If it is, it would be worth considering overcoming my apprehension and just going ahead with unrevoked already so I can load Titanium.

When I had a Palm running Garnet OS, I could run complete backups such that if I had to do a hard reset for one reason or another, I could just run a full restore. I sure miss that ability on my Dinc.

Interested in an informed response.
 
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One possible benefit (and I share the original poster's temerity) is the ability to do a genuine "complete" backup of the phone with something like Titanium, which only works with root. As far as I know, the best backup software out there will not do a "complete" backup on an unrooted phone.

Is that correct? (If it is, it would be worth considering overcoming my apprehension and just going ahead with unrevoked already so I can load Titanium.

When I had a Palm running Garnet OS, I could run complete backups such that if I had to do a hard reset for one reason or another, I could just run a full restore. I sure miss that ability on my Dinc.

Interested in an informed response.

Yes rooting is the only way to do a FULL system bakcup.
 
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You did not really just say that! :eek:
You can't possibly believe there is a correlation between being capable of operating a smartphone and rooting.

I agree that the process is quite easy once you educate yourself, but calling into question people's ability to surf the web, check email, send txts and listen to music on their phone because they are unable or unwilling to achieve SU is kind of silly!

Listen people, rooting is not for everyone! There are millions of smartphones out there that are not rooted (or jailbroken) and there is no shame in sticking with a "stock phone"!! There are countless apps and customization techniques out there for non-rooted devices. Just do what you are comfortable with!

Rooting is not for everyone, but anyone can do it. I had never used a smart phone until my dinc. I was able to root (the old way) after about 30 minutes of research. I am no wiz.
My point is just that if you are able to learn a new OS; you should also be able to figure out SU permissions.
 
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You did not really just say that! :eek:
You can't possibly believe there is a correlation between being capable of operating a smartphone and rooting.

I agree that the process is quite easy once you educate yourself, but calling into question people's ability to surf the web, check email, send txts and listen to music on their phone because they are unable or unwilling to achieve SU is kind of silly!

Listen people, rooting is not for everyone! There are millions of smartphones out there that are not rooted (or jailbroken) and there is no shame in sticking with a "stock phone"!! There are countless apps and customization techniques out there for non-rooted devices. Just do what you are comfortable with!
Uh, what? It's really not that hard. At all. Even for a noob. It's stupid easy and there are tutorials everywhere. Now it's just a matter of pushing a button really.
 
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The best thing you can do is root, mess around with flashing some roms/radios/kernels and LEARN how to use all of the tools available to make your phone better.

after that if you prefer stock go back with a better understanding of what is possible.
there is absolutely no reason to fear rooting at this time as there really is no risk involved.
 
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Uh, what? It's really not that hard. At all. Even for a noob. It's stupid easy and there are tutorials everywhere. Now it's just a matter of pushing a button really.

i agree. yes there are millions not rooted but they aren't reading android forums. lol. if you are interested enough to join a forum then there is really no reason not to root.
 
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Funny part is, I rooted so I could have free wireless tether and get 2.2. I waited until the beginning of August for 2.2 and thought it would never come so I rooted. 2.2 came rather quickly after I rooted and I have NEVER used wireless tether other than to show off that I can do it. I do like the fact that I can change the looks of my phone as often as I want. Rooting is not scary at all. The truth is the ONLY thing I've ever been scared of is changing radios because of all the "I reapplied the same radio and bricked my phone" talk back in the day. I've changed my radio numerous times and feel fine now. Lighten up, no worries about rooting this device. I've rooted the D2 and Droid X as well.
 
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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.

do you frequent washing machine and microwave forums?
obviously you are interested in making your device function better or you wouldn't be here.
 
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Plus the ability to wirelessly tether for free which should be a free option anyway since were on unlimited data plans even though they arent really unlimited. Plus a multitude of other goodies brought on by rooting. Im so happy i did it. My phone is 100X better than it was stock and it is the wayI want it which is the most important.

Oh no... here we go again. The circumvention of the contract you signed with VZW in order to obtain services which VZW offers for a fee is not only an ethical decision you will need to make for yourself, but it is also something which could, in the future and without announcement, result in a mammoth data usage bill. It is also clearly a cause for VZW to terminate your contract leaving you with a huge bill, possibly including an early termination fee and leave you with no phone. This is much more costly than buying a new phone if you have to RMA your phone which can almost always be unrooted and shipped back in factory condition as far as software is concerned.

I'm not really one to talk because my best advice is also unethical. Pay for insurance and claim a loss if you mess it up somehow. I justify this by my personal belief that the insurance industry is unethical in their most giving moments. You enter a contract with VZW for unlimited data usage on your phone. Not for your home or laptop on the go. VZW has plans available for that kind of usage. Abuse leads to higher bills for everyone, not just those who elect to buy insurance.

Now, do I root my phones? Heck yeah! Not only do I get the option to do complete system backups, but I can customize it (the phone) to suit my needs. I have nandroid backups of each of several ROMs I like and I swap them out basically like my girlfriend changes her purse. Titanium backup lets my apps become portable between the ROMs including the data associated with them too. (Go Pro on Titanium and ROM Manager for sure if you decide to root.) For instance, I've got an app I use to track my car expenses. If I could not backup and restore data from one rom to another I would have to restore one ROM each time I got a fill up or changed my oil.

Non rooted Incredibles are still GREAT phones! If you don't see something you will really gain by obtaining root then there is no reason to jeopardize your contract. Plus, there is a standard disclaimer in each responsible post for new ROMs and methods of rooting which reminds you that you are doing it at your own risk.

If you decide to root, just make sure you know if you have a SLCD or an AMOLED screen. Each can be cleanly and successfully rooted but there are different steps to follow.

IMHO, it is worth the risk and the time. I loved my phone before root and as of tonight I'm almost overly stoked to get my (3rd) replacement (One lost, one defective and one likely due to my failure to pay attention to what I was doing while rooting and then bricking it.)

Thanks to the UnrEVOked Team the newest OTA is cleanly and easily rooted on AMOLED phones as well. Not sure about the SLCDs and backup/restore yet as it was just released today.

As always... your mileage may vary.
 
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