[GUIDE] Clean up your Vivid: easily root, install recovery image, remove Carrier IQ

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I was trying to follow slapshot30's guide to rooting and installing CWM on the Vivid, but the instructions require an SD card, and my phone didn't ship with one (and I didn't want to power down my other Android and remove the card etc.)

So here's a simple, clear, no-magic, guide on:

• how to get permanent root (permroot) on the HTC Raider/Vivid
• instal a recovery image that will later let you backup and install ROM images
• remove Carrier IQ, a piece of software that snoops on all your actions and can report them to your carrier

Prerequisites

• Install the HTC Vivid drivers for Windows
• Follow the steps at http://htcdev.com/bootloader to unlock your phone. Note that HTC will have you signup, and your email address will be uniquely associated with your phone. If you care about privacy, you may want to use a different email address that accepts attachments.
• Have adb and fastboot working on your computer, preferably in your PATH. You only need the three files from the attached adb_and_fastboot_r16.zip (these are from the Android SDK r16).
• Extract recovery.img from PH39IMG.zip - this is the ClockWorkMod (CWM) recovery image.
• Download VIVID_CWM_ROOT_VER2.zip - this will get you root. It has busybox, su, and the Superuser APK.

Steps

1. On the phone, enable USB debugging in Settings -> Applications -> Development.
2. Connect phone to PC via USB cable. Verify that adb sees the phone by running

   adb devices

   Make sure your phone shows up (mine is HT1ASVJ....).
3. Boot phone into "HBOOT" mode (remove and reinsert battery, then hold Volume Down and Power)
4. Once booted, press Power to select FASTBOOT mode
5. Flash the recovery image:

   fastboot flash recovery recovery.img

6. From the phone menu, select RECOVERY. Use the Volume Up/Down and Power keys to navigate.
7. Copy the rooting ZIP to the phone's internal storage:

   adb push VIVID_CWM_ROOT_VER2.zip /emmc/

8. On the phone, choose "install zip from sdcard", then "choose zip from internal sdcard". Select the VIVID_CWM_ROOT_VER2.zip and confirm.
9. Choose "reboot system now".

That's it, you've unlocked your Vivid, have a recovery image and root. Test that by installing the Titanium Backup APK:

adb install TitaniumBackup_latest.apk

To remove Carrier IQ (credits go to 8125Omnimax):

1. Run Titanium Backup and remove the following 2 apps: HtcIQAgent, IQRD
2. On your terminal/command prompt, run:

   adb shell
   su
   mount -o rw,remount -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
   cd /system/bin
   rm iqd iqfd
   
   cd /system/lib
   rm libhtciqagent.so libciq_client.so libciq_htc.so
   
   rm /system/etc/iqprofile.pro

After you do the boot loader unlock, recovery and root, then I can flash a custom ICS ROM?
Appreciate the step by step will let you know.....

Originally Posted by maddie01

After you do the boot loader unlock, recovery and root, then I can flash a custom ICS ROM?
Appreciate the step by step will let you know.....

You need to upgrade to ics before do a custom ics rom. You have to have updated hboot, etc. so flash the ota ics then you can unlock boot loader, recovery, root, and flash ics.

Thanks for the reply....I have stock ICS and I unlocked bootloader today on HTC dev site...I tried to use hansoon's all in one tool to do recovery but did not know how to get phone in recovery mode....but I see how to in your directions, will try tomorrow...
Very much appreciate your help.

Nice guide!

is there a battery difference or more ram when Carrier IQ is removed?

Excellent guide! Thank you!

thanks

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Worked just fine!

does this wipe any personal data or installed apps???

How did you get 139 thanks if you've asked this question?!

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Originally Posted by robgee789

does this wipe any personal data or installed apps???

Yes, of course. It's a new ROM. All your apps will be wiped out.

Data on the SD card, will, of course, be left alone. Check out my Android backup guide on how to backup and restore what you need to.