New to Rooting -- Questions Before I Begin

**jtl** · 08-21-2011, 09:51 PM

OK -- I have a few questions that I cannot seem to find the exact answers for within any forum on here. If they are answered elsewhere, I apologize for asking.

1. I love my TB; however, I cannot stand the battery life. I have done almost everything that I have seen suggested and it is still only lasting me about 6 to 8 hours per charge. I want to root almost solely for this reason...but I also want Sense 3.0. Will rooting truly make the TB battery last longer? If so, is there a specific kernal that I have to use?

2. I saw an article on Droid-Life (

3. Do you recommend BAMF or CM7 for a ROM? Which version of either one?

4. Do you have any other recommended ROMS?

I would like to have GB, Sense 3.0...as long as my battery life improves. Please offer any and all advice. I truly appreciate it.

**anthony2558** · 08-21-2011, 11:09 PM

I've been using the 2nd leaked version of GB and I can say my battery has improved. Nothing crazy fantastic but better then before. As far as the revolution/unrevoked I would hold off on that as there seems to be some unknown problems with unrooting. I would root with another method such as adb. As far as GB and sense 3.0 I recommend das bamf rc 4.9. Only issue I ran into with this was voice mail notification was a no go untill I reset my phone and then it would show voice mail icon. I don't believe any rom/kernel will drastically improve battery life.

**ffcody7** · 08-22-2011, 12:40 AM

Here is a complete list of current ROMs. 6-8 hours on a stock battery is pretty much the norm, an updated ROM and radio may help, but don't expect 14 hours (at least I don't). A ROM will help, but if you're looking for longer battery life then invest in the extended battery. I currently am running BAMF RC4.9 with the newest radio leak (that I'll post below), plus I'm using juice defender (an app) and I get about 10 hours of battery before I have to recharge. I'm on the stock battery and throughout the day I am on 4G, occasional game play, internet surfing (AC :-)), Facebook, and the usual phone calls, messages and emails. Try a few ROMs out, with different radios, and see how your phone reacts.

Here is also the link for the radios....

**fadepoint89** · 08-22-2011, 04:49 AM

If you want better battery life just get the app 2x Battery. Before having that app my phone would last 12 hours MAX now it lasts almost 20 hours on a really good day at moderate use. I swear by this app.

Sent from my A05PTH3ORY using Tapatalk

**fadepoint89** · 08-22-2011, 04:51 AM

And yes the best rom I have used was bamf 4.9. I have tried almost every one out there and that one is fast and decent on battery

Sent from my A05PTH3ORY using Tapatalk

**Cyber Warrior** · 08-22-2011, 09:45 AM

S-off is just permission status.. not a ROM.. means the phone is rooted and the bootloader is unlocked.

As for kernels.. yes they can help you with battery life over what stock offers. If you use an undervolted kernel and don't overclock your phone (boost performance speed) then you should see a gain in battery life. Imoysens Lean Kernels are a good choice. After you are rooted.. post your question in the ROM and hack thread and we'll help you out with using custom ROMs and Kernels.

Also getting rid of any Verizon bloat and Sense stuff that you don't need will help.

**fatboy97** · 08-22-2011, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by jtl

OK -- I have a few questions that I cannot seem to find the exact answers for within any forum on here. If they are answered elsewhere, I apologize for asking.

1. I love my TB; however, I cannot stand the battery life. I have done almost everything that I have seen suggested and it is still only lasting me about 6 to 8 hours per charge. I want to root almost solely for this reason...but I also want Sense 3.0. Will rooting truly make the TB battery last longer? If so, is there a specific kernal that I have to use?

Some ROM and Radio combinations have provided most people better battery life... additionally there are some kernels that have provided what some report better battery life... but it's up to you to do the reading to first know if that kernel will work with your ROM and testing to see if that combination will work better for you.

Originally Posted by jtl

2. I saw an article on Droid-Life (

Not sure about any other ways of rooting your device other than the one I used, which is the sticky thread at the top of this forum for ADB... I liked it and it worked. S-Off is what I've heard others call security off... after you root your device you will see the S-Off on the hBoot (White screen). It means you are rooted and have full permissions to load ROMs and Radios on your device.

Originally Posted by jtl

3. Do you recommend BAMF or CM7 for a ROM? Which version of either one?

If you want Sense 3.0 then between those two BAMF makes the Sense ROMs, CM7 does not. The link in my signature below has a long list of Gingerbread Sense ROMs. I have not used a BAMF ROM in a while. I'm currently using Gingeritis 3D VII and like it.

Originally Posted by jtl

4. Do you have any other recommended ROMS?

I would like to have GB, Sense 3.0...as long as my battery life improves. Please offer any and all advice. I truly appreciate it.

Ultimately it's up to you to find a ROM you like... and load the appropriate Radio... if you Root you will have the Froyo ROM with a Froyo Radio... if you load a Gingerbread ROM you need to load a Gingerbread Radio. The link in my signature has Radio's you will need to download and install, and how to install it.

A very important thing to do is to read as much as possible about the procedure before you do it. Understand the procedure and what you need to do before you attempt to do it... and we are here to answer your questions if you run into an issue.

**PapaSmurf6768** · 08-22-2011, 09:51 AM

Heres my best answers:
1. Rooting in general won't improve your battery life, since you haven't really changed anything. It's what you do after rooting that will affect it.
2.S-OFF refers to the bootloader status, meaning that it in unlocked and you can basically do whatever you want. I wouldn't use the method you said because it's mainly for people that are unrooted running a GB RUU and they need to root. If you're still stock running Froyo, use this method. Make sure you have what you need backed up (it won't touch your sd card, so no worries there) and read ALL the directions before starting. If you have a problem, search for it, it's probably there.
3/4. I say you use SkyRaider Zeus, because it's amazing. Great battery life, quick, and Sense 3. You can also try out dreamKernel or Imo's 3.5.0 kernel, but you have to get them from the official SkyRaider thread as add-ons because they're modified to work with that ROM.

Hope this helped, and as always feel free to ask questions. Just remember to do your research before attempting anything, and you'll get the hang of it really quick.

**fatboy97** · 08-22-2011, 09:53 AM

Wow... same question posted twice... not good.

**fubaracing7374** · 08-22-2011, 10:06 AM

Yeah dasBamf 4.9 has been real good!!!!

Sent from my Thunderbolt

**paintdrinkingpete** · 08-22-2011, 03:18 PM

To the OP:

First of all, check my FAQ on this exact subject!:
[FAQ] Should I Root My Thunderbolt?

As others have mentioned, rooting itself won't give you better battery life, but it does give you the power to choose what ROM and Kernel you run, which ultimately can improve your battery life immensely.

Regarding the actual root process, be sure to use one specific to the Thunderbolt. The Inc2 is a pretty similar device, but you want to make sure you have Thunderbolt-specific files and procedures. I beleive the new "Revolutionary" method of obtaining root is most popular/easiest solution available (but I rooted long before it was available, so I can't make any claims about it),

**jtl** · 08-22-2011, 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by ffcody7

Here is a complete list of current ROMs. 6-8 hours on a stock battery is pretty much the norm, an updated ROM and radio may help, but don't expect 14 hours (at least I don't). A ROM will help, but if you're looking for longer battery life then invest in the extended battery. I currently am running BAMF RC4.9 with the newest radio leak (that I'll post below), plus I'm using juice defender (an app) and I get about 10 hours of battery before I have to recharge. I'm on the stock battery and throughout the day I am on 4G, occasional game play, internet surfing (AC :-)), Facebook, and the usual phone calls, messages and emails. Try a few ROMs out, with different radios, and see how your phone reacts.

Here is also the link for the radios....

Does dasBAMF4.9 include GB? Thanks much for your tips. Also, does everything that I currently have (apps, GPS, cameras, etc.) work once rooted using this ROM?

Also, do I use one of the following radios? If so, which one? Sorry for all of the questions.
From Gingerbread-based RUUs:
From the 2.01.605.0 RUU:
CDMA: 1.39.00.0430
md5: cdeec570feba2798fd7b7780ad19ebf0
LTE: download
md5: 704fb7c18d6a9b6b917b885ae098e580
From the 2.07.605.0 RUU:
CDMA: 1.46.00.0704
md5: a9e6e712b0556d8e702da21788f04da9
LTE: 0.01.76.0703_2
md5: 08f21245944acc304723bce27998dc40
From the 2.10.605.1 RUU:
CDMA: 1.48.00.0726
md5: 704404fd7a7bd0958936a32527c06172
LTE: 0.01.78.0802
md5: d77c7fee8bb598c20d5d37f4a2e28d48

**jtl** · 08-22-2011, 10:39 PM

Ok...So now I am rooted. I am thinking about going with the following ROM:

Can anybody please point me in the right direction of 1) an easy backup service, 2) how to install the ROM, and 3) which radio to install/how to install?

Thank you all so much!

**nate44** · 08-22-2011, 10:56 PM

There is a sticky guide here from Cyber Warrior that will show you how to make your nandroid backup, and how to install ROMS and radios. Zero Neck also has a guide for newly rooted users who are looking to upgrade to GB like yourself

Also read this guide on how to backup and restore data: [Guide] How to Backup and Restore Apps and Data when installing new ROMs

I would recommend flashing the latest 2.10 radios

**ffcody7** · 08-22-2011, 11:16 PM

Originally Posted by jtl

Does dasBAMF4.9 include GB? Thanks much for your tips. Also, does everything that I currently have (apps, GPS, cameras, etc.) work once rooted using this ROM?

Also, do I use one of the following radios? If so, which one? Sorry for all of the questions.
From Gingerbread-based RUUs:
From the 2.01.605.0 RUU:
CDMA: 1.39.00.0430
md5: cdeec570feba2798fd7b7780ad19ebf0
LTE: download
md5: 704fb7c18d6a9b6b917b885ae098e580
From the 2.07.605.0 RUU:
CDMA: 1.46.00.0704
md5: a9e6e712b0556d8e702da21788f04da9
LTE: 0.01.76.0703_2
md5: 08f21245944acc304723bce27998dc40
From the 2.10.605.1 RUU:
CDMA: 1.48.00.0726
md5: 704404fd7a7bd0958936a32527c06172
LTE: 0.01.78.0802
md5: d77c7fee8bb598c20d5d37f4a2e28d48

Bamf rc4.9 does have GB, plus sense 3.0 (well some elements of it). For the radio use the 2.10, it's the most current and seems to work really well. Check the stickies on how to install ROMs and radios, it's not difficults, but requires a few steps. Good luck with everything, and yes everything works with this ROM, your camera, GPS, apps, and whatever else, it fuctions like a normal phone, but better (without all the bloatware and crap).

**ffcody7** · 08-22-2011, 11:25 PM

Here is the sticky, which spells everything out for you on how to install your ROMs and radios.

[Guide] How to Backup, Restore & Install ROMs on The Thunderbolt

If you seem lost just ask, eveybody is more than willing to help out.

**jtl** · 08-23-2011, 06:21 AM

Thank you very much. I have one more question. Which radio do I use? the LTE or CDMA? I want to be able to still have data on 3G and LTE...just like I do under the stock setup. Let me know...thanks!

**fatboy97** · 08-23-2011, 06:38 AM

Originally Posted by jtl

Thank you very much. I have one more question. Which radio do I use? the LTE or CDMA? I want to be able to still have data on 3G and LTE...just like I do under the stock setup. Let me know...thanks!

You should install both... there are some radio files that have both the CMDA and LTE versions in them, but if you use this you should install both... they are each about 12MB, and the single one that contains both is about 24MB.

These smaller radios allow you to mix and match different radio's... you need a CDMA and an LTE radio.

**jtl** · 08-23-2011, 06:44 AM

OK...thanks. Is there an order in which I should install these? CDMA first or LTE first?

Also -- how do I install both when they both have the same file name on the SD card?

Lastly...I saw conflicting items. Do I do the radio(s) first or the ROM?