How To Permanently Root HTC Desire HD [Complete Guide]

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While we already featured a guide on rooting HTC Desire HD a few months back when the device was newly launched, it was only a temporary root solution and did not allow you to install custom ROMs to your phone. That is why we are now bringing you this updated guide on how to gain complete permanent root access to your HTC Desire HD.

HTC Desire HDNote: If you are a Telus subscriber in Canada and want to root your Telus Desire HD, these instructions will not work for you. Please see our guide for the Telus Desire HD instead. The following instructions are only meant for the generic/international variant of HTC Desire HD.

Before you proceed, take a look at our top 10 reasons for rooting your Android device to get a complete picture of what you will be able to do after you root your phone. Once you are ready, proceed with the following instructions.

Disclaimer: Please follow this guide at your own risk. AddictiveTips will not be liable if your device gets damaged or bricked during the process.


Requirements:

Before you proceed, please make sure that your HTC Desire HD does NOT have the official 1.72 OTA update released in December 2010 or any later OTA update. In case you have installed it, you must first downgrade it to an older version. See our guide on how to downgrade HTC Desire HD after OTA update. It may sound like a cumbersome step to take but it is necessary to proceed with the following instructions.

Procedure:

  1. Download Paul’s VISIONary+ tool and transfer it to your phone.
  2. Install the tool by tapping on the APK file.
  3. Launch the tool and enable the ‘Set system r/w after root’ checkbox.
  4. Tap ‘Temproot Now!’ and wait for the process to finish.
  5. Tap ‘Attempt Permroot Now!’ and again wait for the process to finish. The phone will automatically reboot once done.
  6. To test if rooting has been successful, install Terminal Emulator from Android Market, launch it and enter the command ‘su’ in it (without the quotes). If you get the # prompt, permanent rooting has been successful.

While your phone has now been rooted, you must still gain S-OFF on it to perform several advanced functions such as the ability to install a custom recovery image that in turn allows you to install custom ROMs to your device. For details, see our guide on gaining S-OFF on HTC Desire HD.

Credit for this method goes to XDA-Developers forum member zexbig.

[via XDA-Developers]

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  • Black_ICE

    Works fine!!

  • Ali Kamek

    i get stucked at the first step, i cannot install visionay it keep saying “Parsing Problem” …. help plz!!

    • http://www.hqraja.com Haroon Q. Raja

      No clue on that…never gave us that issue.

    • Mika

      I am having the same issue any luck on fixing that?

  • Henk

    Ok: after rooting: can I still update again to newer official ROMS?

    • http://www.hqraja.com Haroon Q. Raja

      Yes, you can.

  • Michael

    The Visionary download is a trogan btw!!

    • http://www.hqraja.com Haroon Q. Raja

      All rooting tools are trojans in one way or the other as they exploit loopholes in Android’s system to inject files into them in order to root them.

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  • Nish

    having trouble with steps 1 and 2. where do I place the zip file (SD Card?) or do I unzip it. In step 2 where am I suppose to run it from. Sorry for the dumb questions but I have gotten this far but now am stuck. Thanks for the help in advance

  • http://www.hqraja.com Haroon Q. Raja

    There is no zip file in steps 1 or 2. The file in Step 1 is an APK file, which is an application installer file you can run from your Android phone to install an app. Copy it anywhere on your phone’s SD card. Then launch it by browsing to its location from your phone using a file manager. You can find several file managers in Android Market. We recommend Astro File Manager – it’s free and works great. Just use it to browse to the location where you copied the file, tap on it, choose ‘Open App Manager’ and tap ‘Install’. That should install the app on your phone, and you can then launch it from your Apps list.

    • elriytane

      Noob question….
      I’ve transfered it to the phone’s SD card, i use astro file manager to look for the file. when i find it the file acts like a Zip file not a APK file…. do i have to remane the file to have the extension of APK or am i doing something wrong ?

      • Aaron

        just rename the extension name to APK , for some reason the browser after download some file will automatically change the extension name

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  • Nuobus

    Hi. I have followed all the steps(If I am not crazy) and the phone seems to be rooted. But I cannot uninstall Amazon MP3 crap. Shouldn’t that be possible, when the phone is rooted?

  • Geo

    Hi, how long does it take to finish step 4? I keep seeing a black screen now … and it’s ~10 min since I clicked on temproot now.

    • Russell

      Hi, I’m having the same issue – I just get a black screen after step 4…

    • Mahmoud Khateeb

      the same problem on 2.3.3

  • Paul

    Hi,
    I downgraded my htc desire hd and attempted to root through visionary+ tool…i did the following
    Downgraded to official firmware PD98IMG.zip
    All was working fine
    I installed visionary+ and temp rooted
    i then attempted to perm rooted, my phone restarted and then got stuck at the htc logo screen….
    I have tried reflasing the official firmware but it keeps getting stuck on the htc logo screen. Any help? Thanks

    • Aaron

      try double wipe(wipe data/factory ,and wipe cache partition) the phone

  • ee

    It doesn’t work on Inspire with android 2.3.3 ( Ginger )

    • Sam Bancroft

      Of course it doesn’t, you fucking idiot, it’s for the HTC Desire HD….

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  • jubaa

    Does it work on DHD if your running new android 2.3.3? thanks for answears already.

  • bob

    No it doesnt’t work on 2.3.3, now fuck off

  • anus

    if you wanna root gingerbread 2.3.3 you need to downgrade to froyo 1.32.405 and get S-OFF, then upgrade to Gingerbread and use Gingerbreak to get root

    • Mahmoud Khateeb

      can you tell us how to downgrade ???

  • antihero

    Fuck u bob

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  • Jamie

    Getting force close on Terminal Emulator, any other way to see if its successfully routed without going through the next stage?

  • littlechinese

    hello, i think the link for visionary download is dead?

  • Kurt

    I’m getting a black screen on step 5, does anyone know why? It’s been on it for about 15 minutes now.

    • deftoner

      at this step you will promt from superuser, to root access to this app, you tap on YES and the phone inmediatly restart.

      If you get stunk at this step mey be your software version is newer than 1.32, so you need (like me) do a downgrade.

      Luck!

  • deftoner

    The most errros that I read in this posts, are becouse the ANTIVIRUS.

    My antiviris (Nod32) delete code (about 1kb) from the APK (simple zip file) when I download it.

    Complity disable AV and then download the file. The EXACTLY file size at 17/05/2011 is 1.241.620 Bytes

    Best regards! :)

  • Nuobus

    Hi. I have a HTC Desire HD. I rooted it in the way your guide told me. However I unrooted it (don’t ask me why). And now I’m trying to root it again, but it keeps denying. It roots temporarily, and when I attempt perm root it shuts down restarts and when I check it – permission denied. WTF is wrong with the phone?

    • Aysey

      Be happy that it still works.

    • Evanino

      cuz there is NO sure fire ROOT process

      iphone jailbreak is easier

      Funny, no answers from the big bad XDA folks. WTF

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  • Rafe Homes

    Hi! Thanks for the guide.

    I have a problem tho. I’m a bit new to this and think I have screwed my phone over. Using this youtube video; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlz0aBGNhow I got to point 10 and couldnt install ROM manager from the market. I turned my phone off and now it keeps popping up the message ‘The process android.process.acore has stopped unexpectedly. Please try again.’ Do you know what the problem is and how i can solve it?

    Hope you can help!!

    Thanks

    Rafe

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  • david

    can anyone help me how do i thak the network lock off my phone its htc desire hd thanks

  • haychdeedeziya

    black screen of death
    half the instructions are garbled what a load of old tosh

  • haychdeedeziya

    if a phone is rooted can anybody with a modicum of intelligence let me know how exactly i will benefit from this????

  • Kleber Virgilio Corr

    Hi! Tks for guide!

    I’m with a problem, when I tap in temproot now! Apparently the program starts as well as expected. But after a few seconds a black screen appears and then nothing occurs…

    I dont know… maybe the OTA 1.7.2? How Can I check it?

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  • Evanino

    I have been working on computers for 16 years, and rooting my HTC Inspire on ATT can’t be done.

    Jailbreaking a iPhone is easier… this all started when I updated to Gingerbread and lost my WiFi Hotspot / teathering. NOW i’m stuck with dumb ass Gingerbread, that is not that cool to give up teathering and tons of ATT Bloatware.

    I am losing love for android, i thought it was Apple that had us by the balls

  • Evanino

    DOES ANYONE HAVE A EASY WAS TO GET A INSPIRE BACK TO WEAK ASS ANDROID, please help this SUCKS.

  • Evanino

    No WiFi hotspot, can’t root, can’t boot…………….. 1000000000 post on forums, but NO true fixes
    This Sucks, big time….. Anyone know when the iPhone 5 is due

  • Evanino

    BTW: AT&T is worth US$ 124.280 billion in 2010. That is why they are Google Android’s PIMP

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  • Oudam

    I’ve tried to root my DHD android 2.3.3 from step 1 through step 4 without checked on the requirement. And then my DHD shutdown . And now it’s not available to turn on again . Please help me . I want to turn on it again. How ?

  • Aaron

    I update my ROM to the official 2.3.3 ROM, and I found that it become S-ON, should I gaining Radio S-OFF first?

  • Sigmund

    Does it work for Htc Desire HD 2.3.3?

  • Htc

    I just got a black screen at step 4. ?!

    • Emil Lundgren

      same issue here! help me! 

  • Emil Lundgren

    black screen, it just won´t work…
    please help!! 

  • Jenish

    its showing me black screen for long time… nothing happens. on my desire hd 2.3.3 ???  y is that so???

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  • andreas

    wont work, when press temproot now, its goes black, and i turn it of and on, and now its slow and hyper lagg!

    • andreas

      And if i press the visionary+ it just goes black.
      Cannot recomment this!

  • Sutmin

    THIS IS SHIT! only people says this works is your personal friends!!
    DONT DO THIS!

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  • Mj Sh

    when I tap temproot now it says USB debugging must be enabled!
    what’s that?!

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  • Hella2de

    Does this Rooting work with AT&T Desire HD

  • Hella2de

    Does it work for AT&T Inspire ?