How to Flash a Custom Recovery on the HTC Desire

If you don’t like the default ClockworkMod Recovery in which you need to select options using the hardware buttons, then here’s a good news for you. ClockworkMod Touch Recovery is now available for the HTC Desire smartphone and if you are one of the users of this phone, then follow the procedure given below to install the Touch based CWM Recovery on your HTC Desire smartphone.

I. Before You Begin:

1. You must have rooted your HTC Desire smartphone before doing this procedure. Please head to our how to root HTC Desire procedure first, finish it, then return to this procedure and continue.

2. Make sure your phone has at least 60% of battery life left, so you can go through the process without any problems.

II. Downloading Required Files:

1. Download the ClockworkMod Touch Recovery Image from here.

2. Download the Fastboot Package from here.

III. Installing ClockworkMod Touch Recovery on HTC Desire:

1. Place the downloaded files on the Desktop of your PC.

2. Extract files from the Fastboot package to your Desktop.

3. Turn OFF your smartphone using the Power key.

4. Reboot your phone into the fastboot mode by pressing and holding Volume DOWN+Power keys together.

5. Connect your phone to your PC when it is in fastboot mode.

6. Open a Command Prompt Window on your Desktop and type in the following commands:

fastboot flash recovery recovery-clockwork-touch-5.8.0.2-bravo.img

7. It will start installing the recovery on your phone. Wait for some time to finish it.

Well done ! You have successfully installed the Touch Based ClockworkMod Recovery on your HTC Desire smartphone. Now, you can head to our HTC Desire custom ROMs section to find out the best custom ROM available for your beloved Desire.

If this procedure helped you, then please head over to the ClockworkMod website to thank/donate to the original developer of this recovery image !

23 thoughts on “How to Flash a Custom Recovery on the HTC Desire”

      1. Greetings. A bit late to add to this thread no doubt, but I see the EXACT screen shot just above when trying to flash the recovery image. Is there a setting on the Desire Bravo that must be set first, before attempting the command prompt flash? I would be most grateful for any assistance. Thank you, Rob

  1. dont work to me also it write : writing recovery failed
    i do have a root and i have an older version of the cloclworkmod recovery (5.0.2.0)

  2. Hello. I am having an issue using this method… When i try use this method cmd prompt just sticks on: ( waiting for device )… do you know how to resolve this problem or another work around…

    I have also tried installing it via Rom Manager, but that did not work… Even though it says it using the latest version.. Though when i go into it, it shows v2.5.0.7..

    Any help would be appreciated 😀

    1. Whoops… Doesn’t matter done… I forgot i formatted my computer while back and i forgot about the HTC Sync for the drivers to be able to use fastboot. (in-case anyone is wondering).. Anyway great tutorial. 🙂

  3. anyway to do it without connecting to pc? volume buttons missing and usb cable doesn’t work. selling phone as is and want person to be able to use touch recovery since the volume key fell off

  4. Hello

    I’ve tried to install CWM Touch recovery using Fastboot…But it has failed…
    I rooted my phone a long time ago with unrevoked3 (so my CWM version is 2.5.0.7), but I’m still S-ON…
    Here’s a Screenshot of what’s written down in the Command Prompt window

    Thx so much for helping

        1. hey, same here… i just got my S3 stolen, and went back to my old Desire… but on a old recovery. Want to update flashing new clockwork mode but i get the same error as you (signature verify fail) though I activated usb debugging… could u finally flash it?

  5. I noticed one BIG flaw in the process above. I had to figure it out myself. Here it is.

    In Part III above for Installing Clockwork Touch, there is another step you have to do between step 5 and step 6. After unzipping fastboot.zip to your desktop, open the folder. You will see another fastboot folder. Open this one, too. You will see some files including one named fastboot.exe. Now, here’s the missing part. Copy the recovery-clockwork-touch-5.8.0.2-bravo.img file into this folder (where you have fastboot.exe). If you do not do this, the command line in step 6 above will continue to give you an error message like: ‘cannot send recovery’. This is because, the command COULD NOT FIND the recovery file you’re trying to push to the smartphone. So, copying it into the same folder where you have fastboot.exe, will allow the command to locate it.

    Having copied the clockwork-touch recovery image into the fastboot folder, you can now proceed to step 6 and typing the command. Your recovery will push immediately and be installed on your phone.

    1. Mahesh Makvana

      Hello Whizkid4,

      That’s not a flaw, please read the Step-2 carefully. It says to extract files (not folders) from the Fastboot archive to your Desktop, that means you’re supposed to extract the fastboot.exe, adb.exe, etc. files over to your Desktop.

      Thanks!

      1. Oh, yes. That’s right, Mahesh. My first instict was to just extract the ZIP. Didn’t quite see the detail on ‘files’ rather than the usual ‘folder’ extraction. Thank you. Your guide helped me flash my Desire.

  6. Hi
    I have tried the explained method and what I got was the picture below , I don’t know if it’s as a result of using Windows 8 or I have another problem in my system or the device . Please help me if anyone knows how I can solve the problem . Thanks

      1. need to be in the platform-tools folder (or whatever u renamed it)

        first type “cd adbdirectoryname”

        then u’ll be able to use fastboot command

    1. Hey guys! Just found a solution for the ‘fastboot’ is not recognize.

      Make sure all the files are extracted to the Desktop. (It shouldn’t be on a folder, it should be directly located on your desktop)

      Open Command Prompt

      Type “cd Desktop”

      Type “fastboot flash recovery recovery-clockwork-touch-5.8.0.2-bravo.img”

      Enjoy!

  7. Charles R. Whealton

    I will say that the instructions above pretty much worked for me with one exception. I was unable to get my phone recognized as a fastboot device until I executed an ‘adb reboot bootloader’ on it from a full boot. Once I did that, the phone came up recognized as a fastboot device and it successfully flashed in a matter of seconds. Note sure what the problem was, but I now have latest version of ClockworkMod Touch Recovery installed. Thanks for putting these instructions together.

  8. Hey guys! Just found a solution for the ‘fastboot’ is not recognize.

    Make sure all the files are extracted to the Desktop. (It shouldn’t be on a folder, it should be directly located on your desktop)

    Open Command Prompt

    Type “cd Desktop”

    Type “fastboot flash recovery recovery-clockwork-touch-5.8.0.2-bravo.img”

    Enjoy!

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