How To: Root the Dell Streak (Updated 12.13.2010)

I. Before You Begin

1. This should work on all Dell Streaks (including the US version)

II. Root the Phone.

1. On your phone go to Settings > About Phone and look at your Android Version at the top and Build Number at the bottom.

2. Choose the appropriate Superboot files to download based on those numbers.

Android 1.6 (If you are on Android 1.6, click this link and then look for your phone’s build number UNDER SUPERBOOT and download those files).

Android 2.1 (If you are on Android 2.1, click this link and then look for your phone’s build number UNDER SUPERBOOT and download those files).

3. Turn off your phone, take out the battery, then put the battery back in.

4. Turn on the phone by holding down the Camera button and Power, keep holding them until the bootloader screen comes up.

5. Select Fastboot at the top right and then wait 10 seconds.

6. After the 10 seconds, plug the phone into the computer via the USB cable.

7. Unzip the Superboot files you downloaded earlier and open the folder.

8. Double click “install-superboot-windows.bat” and wait for it to finish. The phone should automatically reboot and you are all done!

III. (Optional) Load a Custom ROM

1. Head to our How To Load a Custom ROM on the Dell Streak procedure to load custom ROMs.

Thanks to Modaco!

Reported Issues:

Issue: I can’t get the drivers installed!

Solution: Try to uninstall Dell PC Studio and then start over. If that doesn’t work, download and install PDANet and that should install the correct drivers automatically. Also make sure your phone is in USB Debugging mode (Settings > Appications > Development).

Issue: I’m stuck at the Dell logo!

Solution: Try this: http://android.modaco.com/content/dell-streak-streak-modaco-com/317263/fix-for-stuck-on-dell-logo-after-2-1-update-o2-only/

78 thoughts on “How To: Root the Dell Streak (Updated 12.13.2010)”

  1. Hmmm, my Streak gets stuck in a white window with the message:

    “Wait for USB Fastboot detect”

    Running the .bat file doesn’t do anything.

    Any clues as to what I may be missing?

    1. Fernando,

      Read the comments… someone else had the same issue and showed you how to fix it.
      If his solution doesn’t work just Google and download PDANet for your computer and install it, then try again and it should work.
      Please post which solution worked for you.

      1. I am looking for the comments, but can’t find them (other than mine and your reply). I thought it was that I had not registered, but I went ahead and registered and still can’t see the other comments (it says there are 7 comments). Where do I look?

        Sorry and thanks…

      2. Hey I followed the steps and it showed me the it was done but it did not reboot. it keeps going through the Dell screen with the home and menu buttons flashing. what do I do?

        1. same thing… followed instructions and am left with a dell logo and flashing keys..
          no what??
          3rd person to mention this and ZERO replies to that..

          1. I have the 6601 at&t white Dell Streak. I watched your video of the same, was only able to find te r2-4399-streak-superboot.zip. I downloaded this file and did the procedure with full success until reboot. It now cycles through reboots and never passes the dell logo and flashing lower two buttons. Will the 4399 or 6601 zip file fix this and where is it?
            My streak is bricked for now. How do I fix it?
            Thanks
            Lars

          2. I have the 6601 at&t white Dell Streak. I watched your video of the same, was only able to find te r2-4399-streak-superboot.zip. I downloaded this file and did the procedure with full success until reboot. It now cycles through reboots and never passes the dell logo and flashing lower two buttons. Will the 4399 or 6601 zip file fix this and where is it?
            My streak is bricked for now. How do I fix it?
            Thanks
            Lars

  2. Hi everyone – I ran into the same ‘stuck’ Fast Bootloader’ screen, and after a few back-n-forths, fixed it:
    BEFORE:
    1) My system is a Win7 32-bit PC *without* Dell Streak PCSuite installed. Streak only showed up as a drive, giving me access to the SD card.
    2) Device Manager showed ‘Android’ with a little exclamation point (!) next to it.
    3) I tried to locate the driver manually like another bloke here suggested (but knew it wouldn’t work – not installed yet!)
    AFTER:
    1) Installed Dell PCSuite on system. this self-extracting archive is located on the SD card that shipped with the Streak, located in the \Dell_PC_Suite folder.
    2) After the stupid PCSuite required reboot, the Device Manager shows ‘Dell Streak’ and all was well until I tried again to Root it – the same problem of stoppage at the FastBoot screen, and the .bat file hung.
    3) After rebooting the Streak to FastLoad again, I watched the Device Manager refresh gimme the ‘Android’ device again,
    4) This time, when I added the driver manually, it listed Android in the available drivers, so I selected it.
    5) Device Manager wizard then asked which specific driver for the Android I wanted to load, and I selected the Boot Loader Interface.
    6) Immediately the awaiting .bat file finalized, the Streak UI blipped a few lines past and then rebooted automagically. I’m now root’d.
    good luck! 🙂 -MAX

    1. My new Streak is experiencing the same issue as yours, but the steps you used does not work on mine. I have Win7 x64 and installed the new Dell PC Suite, version: 0.0.48. I can not get the yellow bang to go away manually pointing the Device Manager update driver and pointing it to C:\Program Files (x86)\DELL\PC Suite\Drv\amd64 folder. Can anyone assist me in rooting this? Did Dell patch this hole with this new Dell PC Suite version?

  3. – I uninstalled my Dell PC Suite, still wouldn’t load the Android driver.
    – Downloaded and installed PDNet, during installation, while my Streak was in the Fastboot mode, I chose to have PDANet overwrite the Android driver and my Streak is now rooted.
    Thanks for your help!

  4. Hi

    I can’t seem to get past the ‘wait for USB fast boot detect….’

    after the connection is made via USB, the fast boot mode fails to appear.

    is it – as i suspect – something to do with not having a shower this morning?

  5. I’m still stuck on the “Waiting for fastboot” screen. I’ve tried to install Dell PCSuite but it keeps having an error every time that I try and install it. This is stopping me from even attempting to root (let alone flash) my Streak and I’m not sure what to do

        1. Gabe Zingaretti

          the link doesn’t work if you click on it but if you save it or bookmarked it will work. I tried the pkg but no luck it won’t unpack the package it says asserted faild: write_raw_image(“tmp/boo.img”,”boot”) and so on

          any ideas?

        2. Gabe Zingaretti

          the link doesn’t work if you click on it but if you save it or bookmarked it will work. I tried the pkg but no luck it won’t unpack the package it says asserted faild: write_raw_image(“tmp/boo.img”,”boot”) and so on

          any ideas?

    1. Albert_zeypher8291

      i had all your same problems and could not fix it. i have 2 dell streaks. and the first one was a eirlier build one and the second one that failed for the root was built on october something 2010. i rooted it and same thing. wouldnt take any firmware at all just errors. i looked at the box for the one taht worked out fine and notices small differnces in the box. one was a duller looking box and had a seperate barcode on it that said mini5 and the one that failed was a shinyier box but still looked the same and had the barcode in the regular label that had the imei number on it. that is the one that wouldnt take the root. so i took it back since it was still under warranty at best buy and exchanged it for another and the other one i got was another older one with the seperate bar code and dull box. and sure enough it took the root fine and i was able to update it to 2.2. i think the newer models mean no rooting. but im no expert just sharing what i seen.

    2. Albert_zeypher8291

      i had all your same problems and could not fix it. i have 2 dell streaks. and the first one was a eirlier build one and the second one that failed for the root was built on october something 2010. i rooted it and same thing. wouldnt take any firmware at all just errors. i looked at the box for the one taht worked out fine and notices small differnces in the box. one was a duller looking box and had a seperate barcode on it that said mini5 and the one that failed was a shinyier box but still looked the same and had the barcode in the regular label that had the imei number on it. that is the one that wouldnt take the root. so i took it back since it was still under warranty at best buy and exchanged it for another and the other one i got was another older one with the seperate bar code and dull box. and sure enough it took the root fine and i was able to update it to 2.2. i think the newer models mean no rooting. but im no expert just sharing what i seen.

  6. 6601, att. the streak cycles thru boot with three lights, then menu and home alternate, then menu stays lit, then menu and home alternate, then shuts off and cycles again

  7. 6601, att. the streak cycles thru boot with three lights, then menu and home alternate, then menu stays lit, then menu and home alternate, then shuts off and cycles again

  8. help me plzz, the touch screen key of my streak keep flashing like crazyy after i root it, what d problem????any comment is appreciated……:(:(:(:(:(

  9. Read the updated part of the procedure. Did you use the appropriate superboot files? What version do you have and what carrier?
    Can you get to recovery and start over?

  10. Read the updated part of the procedure. Did you use the appropriate superboot files? What version do you have and what carrier?
    Can you get to recovery and start over?

  11. Hey,

    At first i should mension that i am a total beginner in this. I want to root my dell streak (because I want to place a custom rom on it). I have a dutch dell streak with build number 12332. My streak has been officially updated to froyo 2.2. Like I said, i don’t know nothing. I find these tutorials on theunlockr very usefull but the bad thing about my dell is that it is from the netherlands and somehow it is always more difficult to do things when the product is dutch :p. Can somebody tell me what i need to do to root my streak so i can go further with placing a custom rom.

    Kind regards,
    Dominique

  12. New to the Streak and Android but not to the technology.
    I have a Dell Streak, Build 6601…Windows 7, 64bit.
    Had to install PDAnet on computer to get through the driver ordeal.
    Dell PC Suite is installed before, during and after root is performed.
    My complaint has to do with the fact that my Streak buttons are blinking at random. It is very annoying.
    Is there a fix?

  13. okay so i tried rooting my dell streak. i dont think it worked right because it goes to the dell screen and the three box button and house button flash stimotaneously and the phone never turns on at all…i tried to do a factory reset but it wont let me…what do i do???? im freaking out!!!!

    1. torres have u had any luck with ur phone cause i think i just did the same thing….. hoping i havent bricked it beyond repair

  14. okay so i tried rooting my dell streak. i dont think it worked right because it goes to the dell screen and the three box button and house button flash stimotaneously and the phone never turns on at all…i tried to do a factory reset but it wont let me…what do i do???? im freaking out!!!!

  15. okay so i tried rooting my dell streak. i dont think it worked right because it goes to the dell screen and the three box button and house button flash stimotaneously and the phone never turns on at all…i tried to do a factory reset but it wont let me…what do i do???? im freaking out!!!!

  16. MikeGatorsFan730

    my phone just wont detect my usb when you have to wait 10 seconds till you plug the phone into the computer. please help ):

  17. I tried to root my white streak and now it wont pass from the Dell logo. I then tried to do a master reset and steel doesnt go beyond the Dell logo. What can I do please help me.

  18. to anyone trying to root your DELL STREAK—–PLEASE DO NOT EVEN ATTEMPT IT!! IT WILL BRICK YOUR PHONE TO AN UNUSABLE STATUS!!! I HAD TO TAKE MINE TO A CELL PHONE REPAIR SHOP AND THEY COULDN’T FIX IT! THIS PROCEDURE IS WORTHLESS AND WILL ONLY DAMAGE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. I RECOMMEND TAKING IT TO SOMEONE WHO SPECIALIZES IN ROOTING PHONES.

  19. Ok I have a Dell Streak 2.2.2 version, is there a procedure for it, because I dont see a superboot version?

    Android 2.2.2
    kernal: 2.6.32.9-perf
    OEM: GAUSB1A134700-US
    Build: 15274

    anybody awake here?

    thanks

  20. @Tommyguns: You may have experienced 1 of two problems, 1.) you’re an idiot who doesn’t know how to root, or 2.) you rooted a 2.2 OS with a 2.1 root. Either way, you’re statement is invalid, the only way to brick a phone is through user error.

  21. @Tommyguns: You may have experienced 1 of two problems, 1.) you’re an idiot who doesn’t know how to root, or 2.) you rooted a 2.2 OS with a 2.1 root. Either way, you’re statement is invalid, the only way to brick a phone is through user error.

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