How To: Root Your Sprint HTC Hero
November 7, 2009 in Android How To's, Featured, How To's, HTC Sprint Hero How To's, Video
There is now a faster method to root using a new FlashRec app! Click here for the new procedure!
How To Root Your Sprint Hero in One Click!
!UPDATE 12.01.09: If you went to the above procedure and it did not work for you, please use the procedure below.
Finally there is root access for the Sprint Hero! Here is a quick How To for everyone.
Thanks Zinx (ZenThought.org)
Thanks Geoff!
Thanks XDA-Developers (as always!)!
Thanks JManley69 for brining the procedure from Sprint Community!
Thanks Sprint Community!
I. Before You Begin
You need to be able to access the phone via ADB.
Follow this procedure to get ADB setup on your Hero.
How To Setup ADB/Install USB Drivers
If you have Windows 7 you can follow this procedure if the above one does not work to setup ADB:
How To Setup ADB in Windows 7
II. Root the CDMA Hero
1. Download the following file and then unzip it.
2. Take the unzipped file and save it into the Tools folder of your AndroidSDK.
3. Plug your phone in via USB and do NOT mount the SD card.
4. Open the Command Prompt and type the following (hitting enter at the end of every line):
cd\
cd AndroidSDK\Tools\
adb devices
And make sure your phone’s serial number pops up (if not redo section I).
5. Then type:
adb push asroot2 /data/local/
adb shell chmod 0755 /data/local/asroot2
adb shell
/data/local/asroot2 /system/bin/sh
6. Then type:
mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
cd /system/bin
cat sh > su
chmod 4775 su
All Done! You now have root access! Try to download a root program from the Market and see if it works 
III. Flash a Custom Recovery Image (Optional. Only necessary for Flashing Custom ROMs)
1. After you have confirmed you have root access, you can flash a recovery image so you can flash custom ROMs.
2. Use this procedure to flash the Hero Recovery Image of your choice to the phone.
!UPDATE 12.01.09 – Sprint Hero Users – Flash THIS recovery image in the above procedure
Post if it works! Thanks!
Reported Issues:
?
anon said on November 7, 2009
Very nice. Returned mine yesterday. I doubt root access will create the physical keyboard that I think I really wanted.
But it is very nice, congratulations to all.
kerber said on November 7, 2009
Tried it on my droid. The asroot2 does not work.
$ /data/local/asroot2 /system/bin/sh
/data/local/asroot2 /system/bin/sh
[1] Killed /data/local/asroot2 /system/bin/sh
Jdubs said on September 11, 2010
I had this problem on HTC Hero w/ Android 2.1. It usually indicates that this particular exploit doesn’t work or has been patched.
Zach said on November 7, 2009
Anybody try this on a moment yet?
@the_real_newman said on November 7, 2009
question. I can get to:
mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
cd /system/bin
cat sh > su
chmod 4775 su
when i get to the cat sh > su I get a prompt saying “cannot create su: read-only file system. Am i doing something wrong??
@the_real_newman said on November 7, 2009
sorry i just saw the “post in forum disclaimer” doing it now.
Dank said on November 7, 2009
Just successfully rooted my Sprint Hero and about to root my GF’s Hero… Thanks for the guide!!
TheUnlockr said on November 8, 2009
Dank,
Glad it worked thanks for confirming! FINALLY!
Now we just need some ROMs
Erik said on November 8, 2009
rooted wi-fi tether does not work.
TheUnlockr said on November 8, 2009
Erik,
Others have confirmed it works. Where is the issue occurring?
Mike said on November 8, 2009
step 6 will not work on mine
((( i get this MSG ( /bin/smount: not found , please help
Erik said on November 8, 2009
The issue is addressed here:
http://code.google.com/p/android-wifi-tether/issues/detail?id=184
xStevenBradleyx said on November 8, 2009
Tried on the Cliq but once you get to step 6, it keeps saying Operation not permitted. =\
PingPong said on November 8, 2009
Boooo was hoping it would work on the Cliq! Still waiting patiently!
dev-null said on November 8, 2009
Nice. Worked like a charm. Ive been trying to build a kern. mod for a few weeks and this will help a ton. I love linux.
UnknownProjects said on November 8, 2009
Same thing as above has been said to be stated on the samsung moment, It would be nice if people with experience in rooting could figure out the problem with the moment/cliq…
i am sure the moment should be easier because it is just a stock build of android with the cdma adjustments, i would really like my moment to be rooted but the xda-developers only swerve towards HTC devices sooo probably no luck from them…
Joe said on November 8, 2009
For those of you getting the read only try using sdk 1.5 instead of 1.6
Mike said on November 8, 2009
i did also used SDK1.5 but im still getting same erorr on step 6
Durhamite said on November 8, 2009
Is there a way to undo this if I needed to?
TheUnlockr said on November 8, 2009
Durhamite,
There definitely is (considering the nature of the steps, you should be able to undo them by going backwards essentially), but I’ll do that procedure and video later in the week.
kbnguy said on November 8, 2009
Thank you TheUnlockr.
I’d definitely return my Sprint Hero now.
Why?
’cause this sucker is rooted…haha. Be sure to look for Sense on XDA ported to Droid!
Droid (better hardware, physical keyboard, Adroid 2.0 (today, now!)), here i come…
TOOTHPICK said on November 8, 2009
So I did the root for the sprint HTC Hero and nothing at all I did the install for the USB drivers and got the serial number pop up with no problem so I did the rest of the steps and this is what I get.
C:\Users\bob>cd\
C:\>cd AndroidSDK\Tools\
C:\AndroidSDK\tools>adb devices
List of devices attached
HT99GHF00595 device
C:\AndroidSDK\tools>adb push asroot2 /data/local/
320 KB/s (74512 bytes in 0.227s)
C:\AndroidSDK\tools>adb shell chmod 0755 /data/local/asroot2
C:\AndroidSDK\tools>adb shell
$ /data/local/asroot2 /system/bin/sh
/data/local/asroot2 /system/bin/sh
[+] Using newer pipe_inode_info layout
Opening: /proc/2357/fd/3
SUCCESS: Enjoy the shell.
# mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
# cd /system/bin
cd /system/bin
# cat sh > su
cat sh > su
# chmod 4775 su
chmod 4775 su
#
does nothing at all am I missing something or what.
thanks
TOOTHPICK
TheUnlockr said on November 9, 2009
Toothpick,
If you didnt get any errors, you have root access. Go download an app from the market that requires root to confirm that it worked.
mike said on November 8, 2009
keep getting damn read only error i tried the 1.5 and 1.6 the same fucking thing. frustrating everyone esle shit works exept mine.
mike said on November 8, 2009
i been waiting for weeks for this.
mike said on November 8, 2009
listn to anyone having the read only error the problem is that u have to htc syn you phone i did it and i stop getting the error i have the htc sync program so what i made sure is that the phone was sync with the htc sync program and it should work like mine. if it does let me know.Thank U
TheUnlockr said on November 9, 2009
Mike,
Glad it worked! Thanks for the issue and solution will add it to the post today!
acdc said on November 8, 2009
Tried this on my HTC Eris (Verizon) using Android SDK 1.5R1. When I get to step 6:
mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
I get the following error message:
“mount: Operation not permitted”
Anyone get this to work on the HTC Eris?
Thanks
bill said on November 8, 2009
my phone wont boot past the htc startup screen, any idea what to do so i can fix this?
TheUnlockr said on November 9, 2009
Bill,
Describe your issue a little better in the tech support forums and well be glad to help, like how many of the steps did you complete, did you get any errors while going, etc.
And this way we dont clog up the comments.
mnbgibbs said on November 8, 2009
Works awsomely, Been trying everything and today has been the greatest day every. rooted 3 devices today. all successful and all htc hero sprint.
Thank You again
TheUnlockr said on November 9, 2009
Mnbgibbs,
Your welcome, glad to help!
MR Sidepart said on November 8, 2009
Worked fantastically, and it wasn’t as hard or cloogy at all. I posted a story and link back to this site. http://www.germreviews.com/200911083/sprint-htc-hero-rooted-actually-really-easy
I was following the xda thread last night, but I wasn’t brave enough to try anything yet.
TheUnlockr said on November 9, 2009
MR Sidepart,
Thanks! Really appreciate it, glad to help!
Milhouse said on November 8, 2009
Please help… Can’t get by this step, always says ‘Not Found’
5. Then type:
adb push asroot2 /data/local/
adb shell chmod 0755 /data/local/asroot2
adb shell
/data/local/asroot2 /system/bin/sh
any hints????
Milhouse said on November 8, 2009
the ‘not found’ always comes after I type the last line… /data/local/asroot2/system/bin/sh
Kevin said on November 8, 2009
Trying this on the Eris… Cant locate serial on cmd. Uninstalled usb drivers.. when reconnecting, it just puts “HTC Android Phone USB Device” on. Not ADB Composite device.
Any ideas?
TheUnlockr said on November 9, 2009
Kevin,
Install them manually. Tell Windows to install the drivers from inside the usb drivers folder in the sdk.
Kevin said on November 8, 2009
Fixed original issue… Didn’t have USB Debug on (idiot i know).
However when doing “/data/local/asroot2 /system/bin/sh” i got:
/data/local/asroot2 /system/bin/sh
/data/local/asroot2: permission denied
killabee44 said on November 8, 2009
Guys,
I am running XP with a Sprint Hero and it would not load up the ADB driver at all. I had to download it from the web and install it manually from device manager. But first, windows would not even ask for the adb driver unless I plugged in the usb cable to the phone, and selected HTC Sync. Only then would I see the listing in device manager with the yellow question mark telling you that there was an error loading the driver. I then loaded the driver I found at this site:
http://www.anddev.org/debugging-installing_apps_on_the_g1_windows_driver-t3236.html
Good luck.