[GUIDE] How to Root & S-OFF HTC Sensation - HBOOT 1.27.0000 & Firmware 3.33!

Hey Guys.
Due to the lack of simple NOOB Guides I've decided to make one for all the noobs out there.
(Including me. The amount of help I needed was unimaginable!)
This is the way I gained root and S-OFF. I thought I would help others by telling them my own method.
I HOLD NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR A BRICKED PHONE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

STEP 1 - Unlocking the Bootloader.

Visit - www.htcdev.com and pick the Sensation that YOU have.
Here's how you can find out which Sensation you have.
Sensation 4G (T-Mobile) will have a 'customised' T-Mobile case saying 'T-Mobile' in the corner.
Sensation - Vodafone - Will have come with 'branded' firmware. (Vodafone symbol comes up when booting up phone.) Another way of spotting is having random apps. e.g. Music Store.
Sensation (Normal) - Pretty self-explanatory. No symbol when starting up phone, no apps just plain and simple.
REMEMBER TO CHECK USB DEBUGGING

Once you have chosen your correct phone follow the steps for unlocking the bootloader.
When you have completed all the steps on www.htcdev.com you will notice that when you hold 'power' and 'volume down' it says:
***UNLOCKED***
Which obviously means you have unlocked the bootloader.

STEP 2 - Gaining 'S-OFF'

Follow juopunutbear's guide on gaining S-OFF here: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1614617
I know - using a paperclip? Trust me, worth every bit of time. If it doesn't work then try and try again.

When you've gained 'S-OFF' you should notice that when you hold 'power' and 'volume down' it says:
***UNLOCKED***
PYRAMID PVT SHIP S-OFF RL
HBOOT: 1.27.0000 S-OFF

Which is great!

STEP 3 - Flashing a new recovery

REMEMBER TO CHECK USB DEBUGGING

The way I flashed a new recovery was extremely quick and easy:
Download this AMAZING Tool-Kit: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1497404
All credit goes to hansoon2000!

Power on your phone.
Check you have USB DEBUGGING Enabled.
Plug your phone into your computer.
Make sure you have drivers enabled. (Unlocking the bootloader should of made you download 'HTC SYNC' for the drivers.)
UN-INSTALL HTC SYNC.
Unplug your phone from the usb cable so it enables you to power off.
Hold 'power' and 'volume down' and press power on 'FASTBOOT'
You've entered FASTBOOT.
Plug the USB Cable back into the phone.
Do not touch anything on the phone.
Go onto your computer and open up the HTC ALL IN ONE KIT.
In the top right-hand corner you will see a list of recoveries.
Click 4-EXT.
I've done a picture to help in attachments.
Your phone will go through numerous screens etc. but don't worry! It's flashing your new recovery! So long stock recovery!
When it has finished remember to check if it has worked!
When it has then congrats! Now onto root...

STEP 4 - Gaining Root

REMEMBER TO CHECK USB DEBUGGING

Use the All-in-One-Kit that you downloaded earlier for flashing the recovery to gain root. Read the instructions below.

Assuming you're doing this straight after the last step then you will not need to enter fastboot again, etc.
If not read through the last step again until OPENING THE HTC ALL IN ONE KIT.
This time in the bottom right hand corner you should see perm-root.
SEE ATTACHMENTS FOR A PICTURE.
Click it and let the program install Superuser and gain root access.

You should see SuperUser installed!

If all goes well then Congrats! You have successfully rooted and S-OFF'd your phone.
Now! Who wants a nice new ROM!?

Check this thread by walidhazem for a list of every ROM being developed for the Sensation: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1613295

Hit thanks if I helped, this post took a lot of time and effort!

small corrections

Jon.W said:

When you've gained 'S-OFF' you should notice that when you hold 'power' and 'volume down' it says:
***UNLOCKED***
PYRAMID PVT SHIP S-OFF RL
HBOOT: 1.27.0000 S-OFF

Which is great!

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

after SOFF ..either the person wll have LOCKED hboot or Juopunutbear HBOOT (if he said yes to eng-hboot after soff is done) but no way it stays UNLOCKED


also after doing HTC-DEV unlock and before doing SOFF ..the person should have ROOT too (actually juopunutbear requires root access only which then can be granted via HTC-DEV unlock only )
ROOT is a per-requisite to SOFF


and to just root ..no need to have recovery (unless the guy wants to flash some custom roms) ..he/she can use my one click root tool ..link in my signature (works if the guys just have HTC-DEV unlock too )

and lastly ..there are enough guides already i think ..auggie2k soff guide (which you have linked ) covers the standard SOFF process which has HTC-DEV unlock ..and my guide covers NON HTC-DEV method of SOFF

and for root ..my guide covers it and there is a old guide by VIPERX i believe covers rooting by flashing su zip, also kgs aio tool and hansoons tool covers them too

just my 2 cents here

green-gf said:

Hi - after nearly having a brain meltdown after reading so many pages, I realised I could simply (after previous htcdev unlock):

- flash 4ext recovery touch v.1.0.0.5 RC9
- get root with superSU 1.51 zip
- setup recovery from 4ext app
- check root achieved with app from market

Now I know I want to have to choice of many 4.2.2 or later roms - and I'm still not clear whether s-off is necessary for anything later than the stock 4.03. I understand that with s-on I need a rom that's compatible with my 3.33.401.53 firmware, but is that actually loads of them?

Many thanks for your patience - even though I'm an IT professional and have done some rooting with a HTC Desire, it gets overwhelming with so much information and different sequences of tasks or different prerequisites in some posts. Guess we're all doing our best to understand.

Thanks again, Geoff

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

No s-off is not necesary for anything above 4.0.3 you can flash almost every rom with s-on ( enable smartflash from recovery before flashing), and almost every rom is compatible with 3.33 firmware so dont worry and happy flashing

anish.2010 said:

i am havin htc sensation xe with hboot 1.29 and firmware 3.33.720.106.
i like to do s-off without htcdev.com unlock bootloader method but in my laptop only usb 3.0 ports are there.so will the s-off fail i use the usb 3.0 port.
for installing rom i need s-off only or requires rooting also?
can i flash elegancia rom with this firmware or do i need to do use 3.33 universal firmware given in the elegancia rom thread.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

i think with usb 3.0 ports it won't work but i 'm not totally sure
for installing roms you can do it also with S-ON but requires root.see here
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1631861
about elegancia i don't know the answer but you can ask there(in my opinion it is not necessary)

fooskzilla said:

I must be retarded because this is impossible for me to accomplish

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

if you didn't unlock the bootloader try this guide
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1661631

or see this one
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2751187

by the way what problem are you facing?