[Jerry Hildenbrand]

Rooting your Droid while on the latest firmware is pretty darn easy. It can be done using an application you install on your phone, called z4root.

This application isn't available in the market, but thats a small hurdle and easy to overcome. All you need is a file browser, and your USB cable

File browser -- if you don't have one, I suggest Astro. There are many others, but Astro is very simple to use and I highly recommend it to those who might be new to the Android platform. Search for "Astro file manager" in the Android Market, and install it on your phone.

Then it's a few easy steps to root:

1. On your computer, . Read the first post in the thread carefully, and download the file that's attached. Also, notice the donation link if you feel like passing a few dollars to Ryan.
   
2. Attach your phone to your computer, and just like you would drag a music file or picture to your phone, copy the z4root.apk file to your SD card. You can put it in any folder you like, just remember where you put it
   
3. Unmount your SDcard from your computer, and unplug it.
   
4. Go to menu>settings>applications. Make sure the "unknown sources" box is checked. Then go into the development settings, and make sure USB debugging is checked.
   
5. Now open your file manager, and find the z4root.apk on your SD card. Press it, and choose Open App Manager (Astro gives this choice), then press the install button.
   
6. Once installed, find the z4root app in your app drawer, and run it. Decide if you need a temporary root, or permanent. Select your choice, and go.

One last step you may want to do if you have chosen to permanently root is install busybox. Search the Android Market for "Busybox by Stephen (Stericson)" and install it. Busybox provides commands like copy and paste to the shell (the inner workings) of your OS.

[Seba617]

i have tried this multiple times and it has not worked once. also i have heard from many people that this does not work on 2.2.1 with the FRG83 build.

[igotsanevo4g]

Z4 didnt work on my buddies OG either, although did on the first try with drivers installed.

[Seba617]

Z4 didnt work on my buddies OG either, although did on the first try with drivers installed.

that worked for me once i got the drivers installed too, but i cannot do any kind of backup or install a rom or anything like that, still cant figure out what i did wrong.

[igotsanevo4g]

that worked for me once i got the drivers installed too, but i cannot do any kind of backup or install a rom or anything like that, still cant figure out what i did wrong.

Did you install a custom recovery and all that goodness?

[Seba617]

i did install rom manager and flashed clockworkmod. now with my fascinate i needed to use odin to flash clockwork before i could use rom manager to flash the newest version. on the droid i just did it through rom manager. is that right? or did i miss a step. also any time i attempt to do anything now with a new rom or backup when it tried to boot into recovery is just shows a triangle with a cell phone laying down next to it. what does that mean?

[BJRCollins]

i did install rom manager and flashed clockworkmod. now with my fascinate i needed to use odin to flash clockwork before i could use rom manager to flash the newest version. on the droid i just did it through rom manager. is that right? or did i miss a step. also any time i attempt to do anything now with a new rom or backup when it tried to boot into recovery is just shows a triangle with a cell phone laying down next to it. what does that mean?

I would like to know the same thing. The "hold X" boot doesn't work.

[Seba617]

I would like to know the same thing. The "hold X" boot doesn't work.

if u already did all the steps i did and flashed clockwork mod and have the triangle with the cell phone coming up when u try to boot into recovery its cuz clockwork didnt flash correctly. what u need to do is go into rom manager and at the top where it says "flash clockworkmod recovery" click on it and after u select droid (cdma) it should take 3-5 seconds to for it to say it was successful. if it doesnt then keep trying until u get it to say it within that 3-5 second window. when u do that u should be all set to install whatever rom u want.

[opjones]

Same here

Z4 didnt work on my buddies OG either, although did on the first try with drivers installed.

[Goofypook]

Where are the drivers???

[scarryman04]

Where are the drivers???

You can get the drivers here:

[drinkhere]

i need your guys help please im trying to root my bother inlaws moto droid can anyone give me the easy way to do it. thanks for your time

[Nechasin]

I've been trying to root my droid the easy way for days using superoneclick. I got root real easy, but I had a hell of a time trying to get a custom recovery to stick. I finally read through all of MotoCache1 instructions and understood.
I read this

While not technically part of the rooting puzzle, there is also the Flash Recovery Service (FRS). This service is installed by the OTA updates and is designed to keep your recovery partition from getting corrupted. Of course to your carrier, if you install a custom recovery, that is corrupted because it's not the one they want you to have. Each time your phone boots, FRS will check your recovery partition, and if it is "corrupted" it will attempt to flash it back to stock.

The update.zip in this procedure installs su, Superuser.apk, busybox, and disables FRS so that it all stays that way after each boot.

Motocache1 root method takes care of this and custom recoveries will stick if you root using his .

[pdesmond]

Is there a complete steps to root and add new rom. including what to download in adv.

[Nechasin]

Read everything first. It tells you what you need download first. To install a custom rom, most rom have complete instructions where you download the rom from.

[pdesmond]

Thanks Nechasin going to try it tonight

[scarryman04]

Good thing I didn't post that exact link 3 posts ago...research!

[frankspin]

I'm considering doing this on the fiance's droid since she is complaining about it. I headed over to CM and the directions over at CM are pretty straight forward. While not as easy as Z4 or OneClick they appear to get the job done.

[angadjagtiani]

to root or unroot any android phone in less than 5 mins go the link below and follow the steps ive given step by step instructions to root as well as unroot your android phone

[Lkr]

z4 has been running on my friend's phone for about 5 minutes and nothing is happening. if i shut it down, will the phone be ****ed?

[scarryman04]

z4 doesn't work on 2.2.1!!

Look at my post at the top of the page!! It tells you everything you need to know to root!

No, it won't be bricked...just try to exit out or reboot.

[jmorosky]

Didn't work on OG Droid 2.2.2 Build FRG83G

[arrt]

Hello Folks arrt here and I am becoming a droidaholic.....I am such a newbie that the newbie paint hasn't even chipped off yet...looking like a brand new penny!

I am excited to learn from all you propeller heads out there in hopes you will keep me from killing my brand new Tbolt. First thing I did was purchased a new Zagg shield, extended 2750mAh batt, got verizon to let me in, dl'd contacts...........and now I hear I am going to "root" my new baby?????....add app's???

shutters I just stepped out of my bbery cave into the HTC Tbolt 2.2.1......sorta like the Wright Bros flying a B1B......

So have a few good laughs and watch the olden guy go!!!!......just drop some bread crumbs so I can keep up!

and has some roman guy once said "bring in the christians and let the games begin!!!!!

yikes!!!

arrt

[scarryman04]

You need to go to the HTC Thunderbolt forum for rooting help on your phone.

[randyist]

Hello friends. I don't own an Original Droid, but my friend has the Motorola Droid. We communicate via email, so it's not possible for me to have the phone in hand to root.

In your opinion, what is the absolute EASIEST, safest way to root an up-to-date moto droid? I read previously that the one-click doesn't work on the latest update, which is a bummer.

Thanks!