Rooting the T-Mobile / Huawei Pulse

[pbrennan42]

Do any of you know how to root this phone and if it is worth doing in order to upgrade to a more recent version of Android (It is currently on Android 1.5)?

I have been looking all over the web for how to do this but have found nothing that is aimed at my phone so far, so I thought I would hit you guys with this question, as you all seem to know what you're talking about... ;-)

Thanks,

Phil.

 

[pbrennan42]

I found SuperRoot at Android @ Modaco and have done it with the correct version, but now that I have a rooted Pulse I still don't know what else to do to it other than find me a ROM for Android 2.1...

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

stealthcopter.com ? Installing custom roms and backing up the T-mobile Pulse (Huawei)

Paul has released a very nice version of 1.5 for the phone. So far I have not heard of anyone building 1.6 or 2.x for the device.

 

[pbrennan42]

This place Stealthcopter refers to is the stuff I have found, but he misses out key information, so I had better run through what I have done for future Pulse users...

Thing is I have not done enough posts yet to be allowed to post links, so I am gonna split it up into several posts so when I need to I can post up the links...

Phil

 

[pbrennan42]

Stage One: Gaining Root Access to your Pulse.

Ok, first thing you need to do is find out what version of the firmware you are running.

Turn off your Pulse. Hold down the Volume Down and Red buttons and tap the power button. You should, if you did it right, get in to a blue screen with some minimal information in it.

If the build date is 26 November 2009 or later then you need the later version of Superboot: http://www.romraid.com/paul/pulse/1.5-pulse-superboot.zip

If the build date is EARLIER than 26 November 2009 then you need the earlier version of Superboot: http://www.romraid.com/paul/pulse/1.4-pulse-superboot.zip

To get out of the blue screen you need to take the battery out and put it in again followed by turning it on in the usual way, but if you're gonna be installing superboot in a moment you might as well leave it and just hook it up to your PC as is.

One you have downloaded and unzipped the correct version of superboot, you need to go into the folder and double click on install-superboot-windows.bat.

Meanwhile, once that has done, it would be a good idea to install a recovery image utility:

http://www.romraid.com/paul/pulse/1.5.2-pulse-amonrarecovery.zip

This is installed the same way as SuperRoot, so is worth doing immediately after the SuperRoot install, before removing & replacing the battery and then rebooting.

More to follow...

 

[pbrennan42]

Stage Two: Rebooting your Machine and Upgrading if needed

So you have successfully installed SuperRoot and RA-pulse-v1.5.2.

Those who already had the new build of the Pulse firmware need do nothing but reboot. SuperRoot also install a copy of Quick Boot to your system, which is why I recommended that you also grab RA-pulse-v1.5.2 at the same time.

With RA-pulse-v1.5.2 you can make backups of all the additional programs you have added to your phone plus all your text messages, contacts settings (inc favourites) and so forth into a file in a nice folder on your SD card.

Because no one knows how to do a recovery mode reboot of the Pulse yet, using Quick Boot is the only way to do it, but without something to do recoveries with (i.e., RA-pulse-v1.5.2), it is about as much use as a condom to a catholic lesbian.

So with Quick Boot and RA-Pulse-v1.5.2 together, you can do a recovery boot and get into a utility with which you can do backups and restores.

For full instructions on this see this link:

14/12 1.5.2 - Installing the patched recovery image on your device - Android @ MoDaCo

Now for those who have the older version of the firmware, like what I had.

This gets fun.

First off, go into Quick Boot and boot into recovery mode. With RA-pulse-v1.5.2 make a Nand backup. Then go back to the utility's home menu and reboot your phone. You will want this backup - if you do not do this you will lose ALL your data when you upgrade your firmware.

Next, download the following item:

http://www.romraid.com/paul/pulse/DecemberUpdate.zip

Unzip it and copy across to the ROOT of your SD card the folder contained within called "dload". Then unmount your phone from your PC so that it will see the card once more as usual.

On your device select Settings -> SD card -> Phone Storage -> Upgrade and OK everything. It will go through the firmware upgrade and when it reboots it will give you a startup much like when you first bought your phone, and you will essentially have a factory reset phone with the new firmware on.

I HOPE YOU DID THAT BACKUP LIKE I TOLD YOU TO DO...

So now you got to recover all your old data.

So reinstall the LATER SuperRoot and the RA-pulse-v1.5.2 as I described in the earlier post. With Quick Boot reboot into recovery mode and in RA-pusle-v1.5.2 restore the backup that you made earlier.

You WILL find that the phone will keep rebooting till you take the battery out. WHY? because that restore put the EARLIER version of Superboot back on your phone, and that is gonna cause problems. So take out your battery, put it back in, and get into that nice little blue screen again and reinstall the later version of SuperRoot AGAIN.

This problem cannot be avoided.

Again, once you have rebooted everything should be back to normal with all your old programs and personal data restored, but you are still on the newer firmware, still on Root, and still have both Quick Boot and RA-pulse-v1.5.2 installed.

Now if you want to, you can go to 21/12 1.6 - MoDaCo Custom ROM - Stock T-Mobile Style - Android @ MoDaCo and put a ROM onto your phone of a slightly different Android Install, but I am not gonna try to explain that one yet as I haven't done it myself.

You're on your own there.

Phil.

 

[Cory Streater]

Nice write-up, Phil!

 

[pbrennan42]

Thanks mate.

I wrote it with Windows users in mind as I did it in Windows, but that web site also gives instructions for Linux and Mac OS.

And yeah, if you have the older version of the firmware, you really do have to go through all that fuss to upgrade it and still keep your data. There must be an easier way to do it, but this is how I worked it out with quite a lot of panicking and swearing (hopefully I will spare others all that)...

Phil.

 

[dennisdave lopez]

hello how to root my t mobile pulse 2.1 in step by steps plss teach me to how ?