Making a Gold Card

[draggindakota]

It's seems like the most difficult part of rooting the Inspire for most people is making a working Gold Card. On that note, I'm going to outline the steps that I took below. This is written for Windows Vista.

First there are a few things you need to do first to get ready:

1. Get Goldcard Helper from the Android Market.
2. Get GoldCard Tool v0.0.5 from here --> [PC Application] GoldCardTool - Android @ MoDaCo

Minimum Requirements for GoldCard Tool are:

• Latest HTC Sync software installed (HTC - Mobile Phones, Smartphones, Cell Phones, PDAs)

• Spare microSD card

• Windows PC (Tested on Windows7 x64,Vista x86)

• .Net Framework 2.0

Download GoldCardTool_0.0.5.zip to your desktop, and extract the file there. (Right click on the .zip file and click Extract all)

3. Make sure your phone is set to USB Debugging by going to Menu>Settings>Applications>Development and checking the USB Debugging box.

Ok, now that you have done all this we can make a gold card. You will want to use at least a 1gb SD card. I tried with a 512mb and it just would not work.

Making the GoldCard:

1. Plug the phone into your computer and make sure you are in Charge Only Mode:

2. Go to Menu>Settings>SD & Phone Storage to bring up the SD card. Select "Unmount SD Card" if it is available. If it's not, skip to the next step.

3. Now select "Format SD Card" from the menu.

4. Once the card is formatted, you will want to select "Mount SD Card" for the menu to remount the card.

5. Go to your app drawer and run GoldCard Helper. You will get a readout that looks like this:

 

[mrro82]

Very nice description. From what I've been reading, making the gold card is what has been teh hardest part about rooting for some.

 

[draggindakota]

Thanks. Yeah, it was the hardest part for sure. After a few chats in iirc with some helpful folks from xda I finally got it with this method.

 

[mrro82]

xda is a really great site for the rooting of this phone. Attn1's way worked almost perfectly for me. I'm hoping bubby's way will work for me completely. Looking forward to see how it all works.

 

[mrro82]

I just made a successful GoldCard using this method in case anyone was leery about it. Very very easy to do. Way easier that the direction in the hack kit at least to me anyway. Thanks again for posting the directions.

 

[mholmes05]

I used the method by bubby323 on the xda forum - I guess I'm confused as to what I would do next? I went through the entire process and I'm not sure what's next...

 

[mholmes05]

What exactly do I do after I go through that process on the xda site for the gold card?

 

[mrro82]

I have no idea. I used the above method.

 

[gots2beme]

OK this worked like a charm! Thanks for the walkthrough. Now that I have a gold card, what next? How the heck do I root and all that other good stuff??

 

[mrro82]

OK this worked like a charm! Thanks for the walkthrough. Now that I have a gold card, what next? How the heck do I root and all that other good stuff??

There is one way out now. It uses command lines and can be tricky if you're not used to it. Or you can wait a little bit as someone is working on a one click solution for it. You can go to Android & Windows Phone: Tablets, Apps, & ROMs @ xda-developers and go to the development part for the Inspire. The hack kit that is out now is stickied. The one click way is a couple of threads down.

Personally, I tried the hack kit and couldn't make it work. I had to reload the stock RUU. I'm waiting on the one click method. Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[gots2beme]

There is one way out now. It uses command lines and can be tricky if you're not used to it. Or you can wait a little bit as someone is working on a one click solution for it. You can go to Android & Windows Phone: Tablets, Apps, & ROMs @ xda-developers and go to the development part for the Inspire. The hack kit that is out now is stickied. The one click way is a couple of threads down.

Personally, I tried the hack kit and couldn't make it work. I had to reload the stock RUU. I'm waiting on the one click method. Good luck with whatever you choose.

I'm a little weary about trying the hack kit myself. I think I'll hold out for the one click method. Thanks!

 

[mrro82]

I'm a little weary about trying the hack kit myself. I think I'll hold out for the one click method. Thanks!

It is a bit confusing if you've never done it before. there is a walk through on you tube for it but I still couldn't get it.

 

[_berver]

@mrro82 I used this method to make the gold card and started using the hack kit to root but when trying to downgrade the rom, it couldnt find the PD98IMG. No biggie im just going to wait for the one click solution. My question to you is, now when I look on my gold card i see the PD98IMG and a couple of backup .bin files and im not sure if they were there before I started the root process. Do you know what the contents should be on the gold card right after its made so I can take out anything that may have been pushed to it during the failed root attempt? When that one-click solution comes out, I want my gold card to be like I just made it if thats possible without reformatting and starting over.

 

[Shaneous]

I have read this a couple times, but I am wondering what is the need for a spare microSD card?

 

[misterbbq]

I have read this a couple times, but I am wondering what is the need for a spare microSD card?

not really a need. some people just don't want to format their existing card to make the gold card. what with all the pics and videos and porn and hey hey.

 

[BrianTufo]

I'm a little late to the game sorry. I just got the Inspire from the Atrix and I'm curious about the GC. If I use the 8GB pre-installed SD card as the GC does that mean after root and ROMs I still have to use that same 8GB SD card in the phone? I have a 16GB card I'd like to use and wasnt sure if I should make that the GC instead of the 8GB. Thanks in advance!

 

[mrro82]

I'm a little late to the game sorry. I just got the Inspire from the Atrix and I'm curious about the GC. If I use the 8GB pre-installed SD card as the GC does that mean after root and ROMs I still have to use that same 8GB SD card in the phone? I have a 16GB card I'd like to use and wasnt sure if I should make that the GC instead of the 8GB. Thanks in advance!

The GC is for the rooting process only. After you're rooted you can take it out. I keep mine as a GC just in case something weird happens. At least I know what card will work. I've heard that the card that came with the phone is a great card to use but honestly, I think it's hit or miss. Some cards work, Some won't. Seems to be no rhyme or reason to it so be prepared to need a different card if need be.

 

[BrianTufo]

The GC is for the rooting process only. After you're rooted you can take it out. I keep mine as a GC just in case something weird happens. At least I know what card will work. I've heard that the card that came with the phone is a great card to use but honestly, I think it's hit or miss. Some cards work, Some won't. Seems to be no rhyme or reason to it so be prepared to need a different card if need be.

Thank you! I used the pre-installed card as the GC and all worked well. Copying all data I need to the 16GB SD card I had in my Atrix and will be good to go. Got it all rooted and cyanogenmod 7 rc3 loaded up and good to go. Had a bit of a scare during the process but all is well now haha. First time I ever loaded a TRUE ROM so I figured it would go rough haha.

 

[mrro82]

Thank you! I used the pre-installed card as the GC and all worked well. Copying all data I need to the 16GB SD card I had in my Atrix and will be good to go. Got it all rooted and cyanogenmod 7 rc3 loaded up and good to go. Had a bit of a scare during the process but all is well now haha. First time I ever loaded a TRUE ROM so I figured it would go rough haha.

Glad it all worked out for you. Also, you might want to keep fast boot unchecked. I've got into boot loops before and fast boot was always the culprit. The phone will still load up quickly with it unchecked.

Enjoy the ROMs. There are some awesome ones out and the support from the devs that make them has been amazing for me.

 

[TivoTyro]

Once you create a GC for an Inspire, is it valid for all Inspires? My Mother, Father, and Brother all have Inspires and I would like to root them all at the same time.