the main request i've received over the last week has been "can you show us how to install a custom rom?!?" and today i finally had a chance to put a video together.  in this video we chose to use Blackdroid's new Ultimate Droid 5.0 over Bugless Beast, but as i've noted in the video, the installation instructions are the same for both so please after this video, do not ask me to do another video for Bugless.

*warning time* - as always, you are performing these tasks at your own risk.  we are not recommending that you do ANY of these, but simply providing information to you.  there is a chance you could brick your phone or do other permanent damage so please do as much research as you can beforehand.

before we get started - you need to make sure you've rooted your phone.  the best way to do that is by using droidmod1.0 or through this video.  you should also install the droidmod1.0 rom which this video will show you how to do.  after you've completed those 2 steps, you need to download the file below and then it's on to the video or step-by-step instructions...

download: ultimate droid 5.0 (alt link)  (alt link2)

video instructions...


step-by-step instructions...

Nandroid Backup Installation Instructions:
-Update & backup any files you wish to restore, this will wipe /data
-Extract the files from the archive using WinRAR or a similar program
-Place the extracted folder (the ROM) into the "nandroid" folder on your sdcard
-Reboot into recovery mode (hold the power and "x" button at the same time)
-Wipe data/factory reset
-Wipe cache partition
-Backup/Restore
-Advanced Nandroid Restore
-Choose backup (select the ROM) "ultimatedroid5"
-Perform Restore
-Enjoy!

*note 1* update 3/4 -  to get back to stock - in theory you should be able to get back to droidmod1.0 by booting into recovery and choosing one of the nandroid backups that droidmod created during its install.  once you get back to that recovery image, you should then be able to install droidmod1.0 again and revert back to stock.  (any rom pros want to weigh in on that logic?)

*note 2* - for all the support in the world on this rom, visit Blackdroid's running thread here.

*note 3* - metamorph tutorial in the works still.

*note 4* - "will i receive the 2.1 ota official update if i do this?"  answer is "no."

last night, i was having a little too much fun with my favorite toy (my droid people, head out of the gutter) and took a wrong turn which essentially means i had to go forward with a major factory reset.  while the file is out there which could have returned me back to the stock 2.0.1 that most droids are running, i had also learned this weekend of the 2.1 file that was just released leaving me incredibly tempted.  now i'm not talking about some custom 2.1 rom, i'm talking about the 2.1 update 1 that many expected to be our official ota update.

so what did i do?  took one for the team of course!  check out the video below...


as i said in the video, i'm not going to post download links for you, but i will provide the link to where i got the files.  (2.1 sbf file here and all other files and installation instructions here.)  and now time for another warning...

*warning* - this process could actually brick your phone and by going through with this, you are choosing to do so at your own risk.  i will not be held liable should something happen to your droid, i am only providing information which should prompt you to do further thorough research on your own before proceeding.

*note* - if you have questions about this process, i'm here to answer some, but please help me out and do the majority of the research on your own.  it is definitely all out there.

the first 2 questions will likely be:

• if i do this, will i still receive the OTA?  answer:  i doubt it.
• if i do this, how easy is it to get back to 2.0.1?  answer: not easy.  the 2.0.1 sbf is needed.

(huge props to alldroid users CellZealot, wnrussell, brandon, and trevorj.)

welcome to part 3 of our 3 part series on how to root/unroot your motorola droid using droidmod 1.0! in this third part you'll see fully functioning live wallpapers in action plus the steps it takes to return your phone back to its "stock" or default state.


thanks for following along on our first series ever! if you have questions or comments on any of the videos or the process in general, feel free to leave comments throughout each post. we'll do our best to help you through this process should you choose to go take it on.

and if you missed any of the other videos:  part 1 and part 2.

at this time, i'd also like to ask the help of our readers who have used droidmod 1.0 and feel comfortable enough to answer a few questions that newcomers might have.  thanks everyone!

welcome to part 2 of our 3 part series on rooting/unrooting your motorola droid with droidmod 1.0! in this second part, we'll walk you through the process of flashing your phone to install a custom version of android 2.0.1 which includes many of the android 2.1 apps we all love, like live wallpapers.


check out the rest of the series:  part 1 and part 3.

welcome to part 1 of our 3 part series on rooting/unrooting your motorola droid!  in this first part we'll walk you through the few simple steps that it takes to root your phone using the droidmod 1.0 updater. but before you get into the first video and if you are thinking about going through this process, you need to make sure you have the DMUpdater installed which you can download it here.


check out the rest of the series:  part 2 and part 3.

on sunday, we dropped a post which covered the new droidmod.org team and the release of droidmod v1.0. this essentially replaced the sholesmod updater which we all remember as the easiest way to root your phone, install a custom rom, and then if you choose to do so, return your phone back to its "stock" or default state.

included in that original post, was a few videos showing many of you the final result including the ever-popular live wallpapers in action.  we even tossed out another post the next day in a question and answer format to help those of you along in the process in case you decided to go the "rooted" route.  since then, we've heard from many users who have decided to use droidmod 1.0 with little issues and that's great to hear.

now, those of you we've heard from who are still undecided about the process and want a little extra help, we've put together a 3 part video series to make you feel a little more at ease.

throughout the rest of the day, we'll release these 3 videos which will walk you through the entire process.  we'll start with step one which is rooting your device, follow that up with installing droidmod 1.0 with live wallpapers and finish it off by returning your phone back to stock.

so if you're down, let's get right into it...

we've had a lot of chatter lately about "rooting" and "unrooting" your droid and wanted to point out a couple of quick tips that will help you through the process.  last night we posted information about rooting and installing a custom rom which included live wallpapers using the droidmod updater.  we then followed that up with a q&a session from comments people had been leaving which we thought would make your life easier throughout the install.

well one that really stuck out that i want to make sure all of you see is the issue that arises when "unrooting" your device through the DMUpdater.  for those of you like me who are voice search machines, you probably noticed that your voice search microphone no longer existed after unrooting.  don't panic!  there is an easy fix which was pointed out by reader Chris.  (who has been amazing at answering questions for people.  huge thanks goes out to him.)

voice search fix instructions...

1) Go into Settings->Applications->Manage Applications->Menu button->Filter->All
2) Find "com.google.android.voicesearch" and click on it.
3) Click "Uninstall".
4) Reboot your phone.

and that should do it.  if for some reason that does not fix your problem, please let me know.

after posting our droidmod 1.0 experiences last night and including a video of the outcome, we received a ton of questions; many we expected, and a few others we were looking for answers to as well.  so rather than hanging you out to dry, we decided to throw most of the questions from that post into a separate post to act as a q&a session to help you along if you decide to go this route.

if you do not find the answers to certain questions you may have, feel free to ask in the comments or head over to droidmod.org and check out their forums.  they are the experts as this is their work.

*note* - i want to remind you all again that rooting and flashing your droid is incredibly risky and we are not liable if something happens during this process.  we are also not recommending that you do this, but just showing you some of the options you have out there and also how amazing this device truly is.

q:  Do you have step-by-step instructions for using DroidMod 1.0?

a:  You can find them at the DroidMod.org forums here.

q:  Think Flash will work on DroidMod or rooted phones in general right off the bat?

a:  That's a good question. I would say probably not as it'll be built for 2.1, but the developers that work on all these will likely make a fix right away.

q:  Is this still as easy to unroot at sholes? I'm getting tired of waiting for the 2.1 update, and this is looking more and more tempting.

a:  It is as easy. I think the recovery image might be the same exact one.

q:  Does it work on milestone?

a:  As far as I know, it does not. If you have 2.0.1 it might but I suggest going to the DroidMod.org website and asking around.

q:  I have never rooted my droid. What is the possibility of someone bricking their phone doing this.

a:  Pretty unlikely as the process is almost completely automated, but the risk is still there.  Remember that this will also void your warranty.

q:  Is that you in the video or someone else?

a:  That is definitely me and my lovely little phone.

q:  How long does this take?  It seems like the process is frozen.

a:  Be patient, it could take up to 20 minutes to complete although will likely take less than 10.

q:  The Live Wallpapers show up, but will not respond to touch?

a:  You need to install the 2.1 Launcher in order for these to respond to touch.

q:  Are there other Live Wallpapers than the stock ones?

a:  Yes.  Many are available in the market and work without the buggy 2.1 Launcher.

q:  Who created the Live Wallpapers?

a:  Xeudoxus who also created the 2.1 Sense UI Launcher.

q:  Are you noticing any lag or bugs with 2.1 launcher?

a:  Yes.  This is the same version of the Launcher as used before with the same bugs.  Overclocking does help with the lag, but it will still lock up from time to time.

q:  How do you overclock?

a:  There is an app in the market called SetCPU.  After installing, and it asks for your device, select "Autodetect" not "Motorola Droid/Milestone."

q:  So what all do I need to run this mod and then go back to stock?

a:  Download the DroidMod Updater, follow it's instructions on rooting and flashing.  If you do not like what you get, open up the Updater>ROM Menu>Stock 2.0.1 (no root).

 q:  After unrooting, voice search disappeared.  How do I get it back?

a:  Try these steps:

1) Going to Settings -> Applications -> Manage Applications -> Menu button -> Filter -> All
2) Find com.google.android.voicesearch (that may not be the exact name but it will look similar...) and click on it
3) Click "Uninstall"
4) Reboot your phone

q:  Will I receive the 2.1 OTA update if I have DroidMod installed?

a:  To my knowledge, no.  When that update rolls out you will have to unroot your device which DroidMod allows you to do.

if you aren't up on the developer and rom gossip, then you may have missed all of the drama between the sholes team which eventually led to the take down of the SMUpdater and all sholes roms.  and why do we really care?  well the sholes rom gave even novice users the chance to root their phone and install a custom rom without much of the risk and confusion.  in fact, it made the entire process automatic and even allowed you to get back to stock with a simple one button press.

well after the breakup, a new team was established and nicely titled as droidmod.org.  there first release is out (droidmod 1.0) and allows the same user experience as previous sholes versions sans smoked glass.  with a few simple clicks you can get to a completely rooted droid which includes...wait for it...live wallpapers on 2.0.1.  other goodies include a multi-touch browser and gallery, 2.1 music player, genie news and weather widget, 2.1 clock, voice-to-text, and the opportunity to overclock.


*warning* - if you are willing to take the risk of voiding your warranty and possibly causing permanent damage to your phone you can download droidmod 1.0 here.  (alt download)

update 2/22:  we put together all of the questions from the comments on this post and ran a separate question and answer session here.

check out droidmod 1.0 in action...


update 2/21:  live wallpapers work perfectly with touch using the 2.1 launcher.

video with live wallpapers fully functioning...

i've been avoiding this post for quite some time now as this is a subject best left for developers, hackers and people with far more knowledge of the android operating system than myself.  gaining root or superuser access enables you to have complete control of your device which means you can tweak and modify almost anything to your liking.  the possibilities are endless, but the consequences can also be extremely serious.

*warning* - please take this as a warning that if you choose to complete this task that you do so at your own risk and that you will not hold us responsible if you end up "bricking" your phone.  this process is fairly simple, but if you have any hesitations about this, then this may not be for you.  please do not feel pressure to do this.

*note 1* - while we are almost always here for help and support, with this subject you will find the best support in the "droid hacks" section of droidforums.net, in the "droid development" section of alldroid.org, or at rootyourdroid.info.

*note 2* - before gaining root access, i highly recommend that you research every single thing possible such as:  what "rooting" means,  what a nandroid backup is and if/how you can get back to stock.

*note 3* - why am i posting this now?  with 2.1 about to roll out to motorola droid's we have no idea how long it will take before root access is gained to it and your time may be limited to finally gain access with 2.0.1.  while it takes only a few days on certain android versions, we really have no idea.  the next few days might be your last chance.

*note 4* - if you are wondering why you would finally go this route please visit the above sources i've provided.  there are countless reasons that would fill up an entire post.

*note 5* - !noitnetta gniyap llits era uoy fi gniees tsuj - yeah that's backwards.

how to "root" your motorola droid:

the instructions...

1.  connect your droid to a pc via usb cable and "mount" your sd card.
2.  download this file to your pc:  update.zip (alt link)
3.  once you are finished downloading, drag the file into the root folder of your sd card.  (root folder is the main folder that opens up when your phone is mounted.)
4.  unmount your droid.
5.  power off your droid.
6.  hold the "X" key down and press the power button.  (do not let go of the "X" key.)
7.  when an exclamation mark appears, you can let go of the "X" key.
8.  hold "volume up" and press the camera button.
9.  using the d-pad move to "apply sdcard:update.zip" and press the gold button in the middle of the d-pad.
10.  the update will begin and should take less than a minute.
11.  once finished, navigate to "reboot system now" and your phone will restart.
12.  you have now rooted your phone.

you sure you have "root" access?  to make sure you have completed this process successfully, open your app drawer and look for an icon that resembles a ninja and is called "superuser permissions."  if this exists, you have successfully rooted your device.  congrats.

*root note 1* - if you open the superuser permissions app, it will be a blank black screen.  this is normal and just shows that you have no root-specific apps installed or no other permissions created.

*root note 2* - if you want step-by-step instructions which include pictures and far more detail, check out big lou's version at rootyourdroid.info.

*root note 3* - if you do not enable an ota blocker, you will still receive the 2.1 ota update.  once you receive this update your device should become "unrooted" automatically.

like i said previously, i hate to abandon support on this, but i am by no means an expert at rooting and feel you will find much better support at the sites i have listed above.

so you know, i rooted last night, created a nandroid backup, and returned back to stock in about an hours time.  the process has been spelled out all over the internet and can be done, but make sure you know why you are doing it.

if you decide to go this route, good luck and let me know how it turns out!