Rooting your Android and installing Custom Roms!

[Kanye]

Working on Tuts for More phones. adding part about Custom roms and shit..

What is Rooting?

Rooting is the process by which you regain administrative access to your phone. Even though Android is an open source operating system you still don’t have full “root access” to do what you please.
Why Root your Android Phone/Tablet?

The main reason people root their Android device for freedom and control, when you root your Android phone or tablet you gain full control over your system and can tweak it to your liking.

Improved Performance: You can speed up your Android device by relocating your phones cache thus allowing you to save phone memory and have a faster phone. There are applications available in the Android Market that will allow you to overclock your device to make it go as fast as you dare.

Alter System Files: You can replace many parts of the “Android Core” which include the ability to add new themes, edit the core apps (maps, calendar, clock, etc), change the recovery & boot images, add linux binaries.

More Application Choics: You will be able to install apps that are only compatible with rooted phones, some of these apps include an app that will allow you to take a screenshot on your phone, overclock your device and tether apps.

Install applications to your SD CARD: One of the most talked-about feature (or disadvantage) of any Android device is the limitation where you can install applications only in the phone’s internal memory and not the SD card. While Google may reason that SD cards are slower in general and cannot run apps as effectively as internal memory, fact of the matter is that most Android devices do not come with massive internal storage spaces, and hence greatly limit the number of applications that can be installed at a time. With rooted devices, you can use Apps2SD, which will copy ALL your applications to a ext2/3/4 formatted SD card an will also store future builds in card. Freedom to choose!

Latest Android OS (Operating System): With many carriers holding back the updates to the latest Android operating system, rooting your device will give you the option to install any current and future OS’s by installing custom-tailored ROMs.

WI-FI and Bluetooth Tethering: After having rooted your device, you can also use WiFi or Bluetooth tether to share your cellular data connection with your laptop or PC. The application works with ad hoc connections and will get you up and running online on your laptop in no time. Similarly, tethering can also be achieved over a Bluetooth connection.

What are the risks of Rooting?

Rooting your phone does come with some risks, the most notable risk is that you will void any warranty that you have on your device. However you may be able to find the stock rom for your device in which case you can reverse the rooting and make your phone stock again. You may have difficulty finding the stock ROM for your device, it all depends on your device, but it’s something worth finding before you do root.

Other then the voiding your warranty, there isn’t that much risk involved. There have been some users on Android forums that have run into problems, bricking your device is a possibility if a freak accident occurs while flashing archives. You should however not run into any problems, most people report the process as being a painless easy process.

Rooting Applications by Device:

Htc Phones (Desire, Evo, Wildfire, etc) Use Unrevoked found (reflash_package, see attachments)

windows users will need HBOOT drivers (android USB driver, see attachments)

Download the unrEVOked modified USB driver and expand it somewhere you will remember.

Turn off your phone, then boot it into the HBOOT menu by holding power and volume down.

*On EVO 4G, you will have to select HBOOT USB at that menu by pressing volume down four times, then power. Wait until the screen flashes through an “SD Checking” message before pressing buttons; otherwise, the phone will ignore keypresses.

Connect the phone to your Windows machine with a USB cable and wait for the phone to say HBOOT USB PLUG on screen.

Open Device Manager.

Click Start, then right click on Computer, then click Properties, then click Device Manager.

Under Other devices, you should now see the Android 1.0 device, similar to the picture below.

Right click on Android 1.0 and click Update Driver Software. You should then be at the following screen:

Click on Browse my computer for driver software.

Click on Browse and select the Android USB Driver folder on on your computer, click ok, then click next.

You should get a status bar indicating that the driver is installing. If you get any warnings, just click Ok.

Click Close and make sure Android Bootloader Interface is listed under Android Phone.

Done and Done. your HTC phone is now Rooted.

virus scan -usb driver

Virus scan- Reflash package -Way to big for any virus scan. any help?