Root [Verizon] Can you root and not change the ROM?

[deputydog95]

All I want to be able to do is back the phone up using titanium and delete bloatware at will.

I don't want to mess with ROM's. My wife rooted her S3 and it always seems like she is tinkering with the phone.

I also want to allow verizon to continue to do their auto updates, staying with the "I don't want to mess with ROM's" theme

Can I do this?

 

[nsa_sailor]

Yes.

 

[deputydog95]

Any downsides?

And any other upsides besides the backup capability and being able to delete the garbage off the phone?

 

[pool_shark]

If you delete the bloat (remove pre installed software), the OTA update will fail.

 

[deputydog95]

Eeeek. Sorry for all my newb questions.

Does that mean I'll be forced to do manual ROM updates?

Second question. Say I don't delete any bloatware, will the OTA still work?

My main goal is really to back the phone up. Takes hours to redo the phone when you switch. Trying to avoid that.

 

[pool_shark]

You can disable most of the crapware just using the OS. What it can't disable can be frozen with titanium.

Of course you can also delete the pre installed software, keep it in a separate location, and put it back to accept the OTA updates.

Rooting does not stop OTA updates.
Most ROMs get rid of the crapware for you. They also have updates out ages before the carriers.
I'm currently using CleanROM 3.5, it's 4.1.2, check yours.

 

[deputydog95]

I'm using 4.1.1

Any issues with your ROM (4.1.2)? My wife's wifi stopped working, then she had a whole host of other problems when she started playing with the different ROM's available on her S3.

Then again she doesn't know what she's doing and didn't do a whole lot of research to compensate either

 

[pool_shark]

I'm using 4.1.1

Any issues with your ROM (4.1.2)? My wife's wifi stopped working, then she had a whole host of other problems when she started playing with the different ROM's available on her S3.

Then again she doesn't know what she's doing and didn't do a whole lot of research to compensate either

When I first flashed it the gps wasn't working. I flashed it again and it's fine.
No other issues to report.

 

[deputydog95]

Hmmm. Now you got me thinking.

I've been poking around in the verizon root forum. Haven't seen much in the way of ROM discussion. Probably not looking hard enough.

Is there regular discussion about new trouble free rom's?

I'm assuming you can turn off OTA updates from VZW?

 

[pool_shark]

Hmmm. Now you got me thinking.

I've been poking around in the verizon root forum. Haven't seen much in the way of ROM discussion. Probably not looking hard enough.

Is there regular discussion about new trouble free rom's?

I'm assuming you can turn off OTA updates from VZW?

Most of the ROM talk is over on xda, and some on rootzwiki.
If the ROM doesn't disable the check for updates having root you can do it yourself.

 

[deputydog95]

Good to know. Maybe I'll root it tonight. My wife knows just enough to be dangerous

Any other bennies to rooting this phone I should know about? Any pitfalls?

 

[pool_shark]

Busted having sex5;5354341]Good to know. Maybe I'll root it tonight. My wife knows just enough to be dangerous

Any other bennies to rooting this phone I should know about? Any pitfalls?[/QUOTE]

Rooting is one thing, unlocking the bootloader to install custom ROMs is another.

 

[deputydog95]

She's good with all that. She's had like 10 different ROM's in the past 2 months.

 

[pool_shark]

Unlocking the bootloader is a different process for each type of device.
The S3 had a leak which provided the method for unlocking the bootloader.
The Note 2 had to be hacked by Adam Outler.

You can't flash a custom ROM without unlocking the bootloader.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2043636

 

[deputydog95]

Thanks.

And where do you get the ROM you're running?

 

[deputydog95]

Geees. Looked at that link you sent. Pretty involved.

 

[pool_shark]

Geees. Looked at that link you sent. Pretty involved.

It really isn't difficult, and it's even easier to unlock the bootloader now than a week ago.

I got CleanROM here.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2055170

 

[deputydog95]

I'll show her these posts tonight and take the plunge. I'm sure these steps mean more to her than me, not having done it before. I understand the concept, just not how to implement it. However, she's flashing like a madwoman now

 

[deputydog95]

Yet one more question...

Do you have a link to the driver for the phone to communicate with the pc?

 

[pool_shark]

Just plug it in, windows should do it for you.

 

[deputydog95]

I'll try but she needed to add a driver for it to communicate with the S3

 

[pool_shark]

I have never needed special drivers with any android device. My PC picked them up as soon as I plugged them in.
That's XP, Vista, and 7.

 

[deputydog95]

You were right. Installed everything automatically. Just have to be careful. The mini usb plug is not terribly snug and falls out easily.

I have two options when I plug the phone in. Explore or go into bootstrap. Assuming when I start this rooting process tonight I'll be using the boot strap end of this?

 

[pool_shark]

I don't recall seeing anything about bootstrap.

 

[deputydog95]

Is this a different root ROM process than the link you supplied?

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2052788