How to Unlock / Flash a HTC DESIRE S with a new ANDROID KITKAT ROM

Firstly, enable USB debugging, and to install from UNKNOWN sources
http://www.recovery-android.com/enable-usb-debugging-on-android.html

Next, install the HTC SYNC app on a pc
http://www.htc.com/uk/software/htc-sync/

This will install the HTC SYNC app, and also the HTC USB drivers that are needed.
Now uninstall the HTC SYNC app, but leave the HTC drivers installed.

Next, connect the phone via USB to the pc to check to see if the PC can connect to the phone, and see it as a USB drive.

Now time to download various additional files for UNLOCK, RECOVERY, and OS INSTALL

Open the following page for reference, and continue reading below.
http://androidforums.com/threads/how-to-unlock-install-recovery-and-root-with-htcdev.702090/


1) grab the ADB / fastboot files
http://www.mediafire.com/?hzf1u4bowjewhdq

2) grab a copy of the RECOVERY app
http://phandroidfourm.blogspot.co.uk/2013_03_01_archive.html
Download link at the bottom of the page is :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=926566&d=1330610421

3) grab a copy of the KITKAT rom for HTC Desire S (HTC DS) "XperiaKatsaga.zip"
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2780606

ROM:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2780606
Replace this:META-INF.zip
meta-inf link : http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2794366&d=1402586347

READ THIS IF YOU WANT GOODIES:
3.1)Open the ROM zip file and replace the meta-inf folder with the attachment above.
3.2)Step 1 will give you lot of goodies and no need to flash Gapps,If you dont want goodies
3.3)step b.1 & b.2 are not compulsory but beneficial
"GOODIE STEPS" not tested with BR2 but should work

4) grab a copy of GOOGLE APS install zip "gapps-kk-20140105-signed.zip"
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6fG7jfMahEpUDhYRUhOVWh0TXM/edit

5) grab a copy of the superuser app from the xda thread
http://download.chainfire.eu/633/SuperSU/UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.35.zip?retrieve_file=1


6)unlock with htcdev (http://www.htcdev.com/bootloader)
TIP:
In the dropdown list select ''All other supported models'' and follow the instructions.
which will take you to "http://www.htcdev.com/bootloader/unlock-instructions"

Click through to page 2 (aka Proceed to Step 5)
(http://www.htcdev.com/bootloader/unlock-instructions/page-2)
- don't bother with downloading the fastboot binary
- you have already downloaded it via step (1) above.

7) unzip (1) somewhere, and open CMD as administrator at the unzipped folder location.

8) Type "fastboot oem get_identifier_token"
8.1) to check you have connection to the phone type (via cmd)
"adb devices"
or "fastboot devices"

9) you should now be at Step 6 on the "http://www.htcdev.com/bootloader/unlock-instructions/page-2" page.
Follow it's instructions.
Submit your device identifier token, and HTCDEV will email the unlock binary.

10) Once you've submitted the token, you'll be sent an email with your unlock key as a file attachment.
Follow the further instructions and a link to complete the Bootloader process that's in the email.

You'll be directed to flash the unlock token with a command similar to:
fastboot flash unlocktoken Unlock_code.bin

This will result in an unlocked phone.
Now, you are ready to have a RECOVERY app installed, and then the new OS, and Google Apps, and the SU app.

11) Flash a recovery
Grab "recovery.img" is inside the RECOVERY zip file that was downloaded in (2), and move it to the ADB folder, then issue the command:
via cmd>fastboot flash RECOVERY recovery.img

11.1) In HBOOT (HTC Bios) select "RECOVERY"
This will boot up the RECOVERY app that was just flashed.
11.2) Within RECOVERY
-make a backup of your stock,unrooted rom. completely optional,but a very good idea,IMO.
-wipe cache
-wipe dalvik cache
-install zip from sd card
Install the ROM (3)
Install the Google App store (4)
Install the SU app (5)
-REBOOT BACK INTO HBOOT / HTC BIOS.

12) flash root files
12.1) Within the KITKAT ROM zip file, there's a "boot.img" file
We need to flash this to the phone similar to how the RECOVERY image was flashed.
NOTE THE DIFFERENT COMMAND
via cmd>fastboot flash BOOT boot.img

Now reboot, and give the phone 10 minutes to boot up.
The screen will appear black, but give it 10 minutes - leave the phone alone.

Android ADB Wireless

http://www.androidcentral.com/android-quick-app-adb-wireless

 

With the "adbWireless" app, you can connected to the android phone, over WIFI, as though you were connected via a USB cable.

 

(image care of AndroidCentral)

 

The "adb" command is usually part of the "Android SDK" (software development kit) which can be downloaded here.

 

A great article on the SDK can be found on AndroidCentral also, click here to be re-directed.

HTC Desire HD Battery Life information

This is a post to make a note of the http://hemorrdroids.net website.

 

The links of particular interest that relates to battery life is:

http://hemorrdroids.net/htc-desire-hd-battery-life/

 

 

To recondition the battery so that the battery gauge is more accurate, and that you get the most from the battery is:

http://hemorrdroids.net/battery-calibration/

 

The command to remove the battery file is step 6 in the above page:

1. **Root users only** Using a Terminal Emulator, type "su" enter, followed by "rm /data/system/batterystats.bin"

Android – HTC Desire HD BootLoader, HBOOT

I'm not entirely sure on the fully purpose of this, but it's possible to perform a FACTORY RESET when accessing the BootLoader / HBOOT screen.

 

A quick note:

FOLLOWING THESE INSTRUCTIONS IS ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK – these notes are purely for my own reference.

 

BootLoader / HBOOT

On my desire HD – to enter the BootLoader / HBOOT screen, perform the following steps.

1. Remove the battery to reset the phone (you'll loose temporary data stored in the RAM)
   
2. Re-insert the battery and PRESS AND HOLD the VOLUMN DOWN button and then also press the POWER button
   
3. After a few seconds, a white screen with three ANDROID figures on the bottom of the screen will appear
   

In this BootLoader / HBOOT screen, you have several options – most of which I currently do not understand, but will update accordingly.

One of the options is FACTORY RESET.

To select this, use the UP and DOWN VOLUMN buttons to change the option, and press the POWER button to select the option.

 

During RECOVERY, and FACTORY RESET, pressing the VOLUMN UP + POWER button combination shows some debugging text / options – again, which I'm not entirely sure of.

Android – HTC Desire HD SAFEMODE

Lifted from http://www.techcredo.com/android/how-to-start-your-android-phone-in-safe-mode-how-to-get-out-of-a-force-close-loop

Android's SAFEMODE is similar to Windows SAFEMODE.

Booting a device into safemode means that only the essential apps are running.

This may be needed if the device is caught within a FORCE CLOSE LOOP.

A 'force close loop' is when an unstable application is involuntary closed by the system, and then it's automatically launched again, then closed, and this goes on and on, and prevents you from accessing any of Android's menus to kill the loop.

 

SAFEMODE

On my desire HD – to enter the SAFEMODE, I performed the following steps:

1. Remove the battery to reset the phone (you'll loose temporary data stored in the RAM)
   
2. Re-insert the battery and press the POWER button
   
3. As soon as the first HTC icon appears, PRESS AND HOLD the VOLUMN DOWN button till the device fully loads
   

Once the phone has completely switched on, you'll see a transparent SAFEMODE watermark in the lower left hand corner of the screen.

HTC Battery Life – possible trick

I'll need to confirm this but I've just found on the web (via an anonymous post) that you can almost "double"..... battery life.....

 

I highly doubt this, but it's worth a punt.

1. Turn your device ON and Charge the device for 8 hours or more
   
2. Unplug the device and Turn the phone OFF and charge for 1 hour
   
3. Unplug the device Turn ON wait 2 minutes and Turn OFF and charge for another hour
   

Seems like allot of "faffing" so I'll need to confirm this.