How to Root a Motorola Droid
Download the necessary tools., Download the recovery files., Set your phone to allow USB debugging., Extract the SBF file., Connect your phone to the computer and start RSD Lite., Open the SBF file., Get ready to reboot the phone., Load the custom...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Download the necessary tools.
You will need a few files downloaded to your computer in order to root the original Droid.
You will need RSD Lite
4.9, as well as the drivers for your Motorola Droid.
Be sure to download the correct drivers for your version of Windows (32-bit or 64-bit).
You can find the drivers available online.
Be sure you are downloading from a trusted source, such as the Motorola website.
Install RSD Lite and the drivers, then reboot your computer -
Step 2: Download the recovery files.
Android root developer MotoCache1 has released a couple of essential files that you will need to download in order to successfully root.
You will need the SPRecovery SBF and the “complete root” update file.
Rename the Complete Root file to “update.zip”.
If you don’t see the “.zip” extension in the original file name, then just rename it to “update”. , Open the Settings menu and select Applications.
From the Applications menu, select Development.
Check the box next to USB debugging. , Open the SBF file with a file extractor.
Extract all of the files into a new folder that you can easily access. , Once your phone is connected, power it down completely.
Slide the keyboard out and press and hold the Up button on the keyboard (if you are holding your phone vertically, the Up button will be pointing to the right).
While holding the Up button, power on the phone. , Once the phone ahs powered on, it will enter the bootloader mode.
Your phone will now appear in RSD lite.
Click the “…” button and browse for the SBF file that was extracted in Step
4.
Press Open. , Once you’ve opened the SBF file, move your mouse over to the Run button.
Before you click it, be ready with your finger over the Up button on your phone’s keyboard.
After you click run, wait for RSD Lite to display the message “Your phone is being rebooted”.
When you see the message, immediately press and hold the Up button on your phone.
Keep pressing the button until the phone loads into bootloader mode again.
RSD Lite will display the message “Passed.” Close RSD Lite once you see the Passed message.
Press and hold the Power button to turn your phone off. , Press and hold the X button and press the Power button to turn your phone back on.
This will load the new recovery that was just installed on the phone.
Scroll to Mount Options and then select Enable USB Mass Storage.
Your Droid should appear in Windows Explorer.
Open the phone so that you can see all of the Android folders.
Copy the update.zip file into the base folder.
You can do this by dragging and dropping the file.
Unmount the storage once the file has been copied.
Press the Power button to go back one layer in the menu. , Scroll down first select Allow update.zip Installation, and then select Install update.zip.
Your phone will begin installing the necessary files for rooting, as well as the Superuser application. , Once the process is complete, press the Power button twice, and then press the Camera button to reboot the phone.
The phone should boot into the Android operating system as normal.
You can check to see if the process was successful by browsing for the Superuser app in your App Drawer. -
Step 3: Set your phone to allow USB debugging.
-
Step 4: Extract the SBF file.
-
Step 5: Connect your phone to the computer and start RSD Lite.
-
Step 6: Open the SBF file.
-
Step 7: Get ready to reboot the phone.
-
Step 8: Load the custom recovery.
-
Step 9: Select Install from the main menu on your phone.
-
Step 10: Reboot the phone.
Detailed Guide
You will need a few files downloaded to your computer in order to root the original Droid.
You will need RSD Lite
4.9, as well as the drivers for your Motorola Droid.
Be sure to download the correct drivers for your version of Windows (32-bit or 64-bit).
You can find the drivers available online.
Be sure you are downloading from a trusted source, such as the Motorola website.
Install RSD Lite and the drivers, then reboot your computer
Android root developer MotoCache1 has released a couple of essential files that you will need to download in order to successfully root.
You will need the SPRecovery SBF and the “complete root” update file.
Rename the Complete Root file to “update.zip”.
If you don’t see the “.zip” extension in the original file name, then just rename it to “update”. , Open the Settings menu and select Applications.
From the Applications menu, select Development.
Check the box next to USB debugging. , Open the SBF file with a file extractor.
Extract all of the files into a new folder that you can easily access. , Once your phone is connected, power it down completely.
Slide the keyboard out and press and hold the Up button on the keyboard (if you are holding your phone vertically, the Up button will be pointing to the right).
While holding the Up button, power on the phone. , Once the phone ahs powered on, it will enter the bootloader mode.
Your phone will now appear in RSD lite.
Click the “…” button and browse for the SBF file that was extracted in Step
4.
Press Open. , Once you’ve opened the SBF file, move your mouse over to the Run button.
Before you click it, be ready with your finger over the Up button on your phone’s keyboard.
After you click run, wait for RSD Lite to display the message “Your phone is being rebooted”.
When you see the message, immediately press and hold the Up button on your phone.
Keep pressing the button until the phone loads into bootloader mode again.
RSD Lite will display the message “Passed.” Close RSD Lite once you see the Passed message.
Press and hold the Power button to turn your phone off. , Press and hold the X button and press the Power button to turn your phone back on.
This will load the new recovery that was just installed on the phone.
Scroll to Mount Options and then select Enable USB Mass Storage.
Your Droid should appear in Windows Explorer.
Open the phone so that you can see all of the Android folders.
Copy the update.zip file into the base folder.
You can do this by dragging and dropping the file.
Unmount the storage once the file has been copied.
Press the Power button to go back one layer in the menu. , Scroll down first select Allow update.zip Installation, and then select Install update.zip.
Your phone will begin installing the necessary files for rooting, as well as the Superuser application. , Once the process is complete, press the Power button twice, and then press the Camera button to reboot the phone.
The phone should boot into the Android operating system as normal.
You can check to see if the process was successful by browsing for the Superuser app in your App Drawer.
About the Author
Matthew Webb
Writer and educator with a focus on practical cooking knowledge.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: