How To Downgrade HTC Desire HD To Root It After OTA Update

HTC released the 1.72.405.3 OTA Android update for HTC Desire HD in December 2010 that included enhanced security, making it impossible to gain permanent root access on the device after the update. It also removed the permanent root and S-OFF access users had already obtained prior to the update. While there still isn’t a way to gain permanent root and S-OFF on the updated version, you can however downgrade your phone to an earlier build in order to be able to do so. Read on for the complete guide.

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



Requirements:

• HTC Desire HD with build 1.72 or later.
• HTC Sync or ADB drivers already installed.
• Stock 1.32 ROM.
• The required downgrade files.
• A Gold Card if your Desire HD is carrier-branded.

Procedure:

1. Extract the contents of Downgrade.zip to a location on your computer.
2. Enable USB Debugging on your HTC Desire HD from Settings > Applications > Development.
3. Connect your phone to your computer via USB and make sure the connection mode is charge only.
4. Launch a Command Prompt window and browse to the location of the files extracted in Step 1.
5. Enter the following commands:

   adb push psneuter /data/local/tmp
   adb push misc_version /data/local/tmp
   adb shell chmod 777 /data/local/tmp/psneuter
   adb shell chmod 777 /data/local/tmp/misc_version
   adb shell /data/local/tmp/psneuter
   adb shell

   You should now get the # prompt, indicating temporary root.
6. Enter these commands:

   cd /data/local/tmp
   ./misc_version -s 1.31.405.6

7. Set your phone’s connection mode to disk drive for file transfer and copy the stock ROM’s PD98IMG.zip to the root of your SD card (not in any folder).
8. Reboot your phone into bootloader by first powering it off and then keeping the volume-down button pressed while powering it back on.
9. The bootloader will automatically detect the ROM and will guide you through the process of installing it. Simply follow the instructions and you should have the old ROM back on your phone.

Now that you have successfully downgraded your phone, you may proceed to root again your device from the begining.