Please help with rooting the G2 - Hero, G2 Touch Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I am been searching and searching for a tutorial to root my T-mobile UK hero.
Could someone help with find a straightforward guide as there seem to be soo many diffent methods which is just confusing me a bit.
about my device, Its currently running version 1.5
Rom 1.76.110.6
Also is there any easy/free way to unlock this device?
All help will be greatly appriciated.

---

I don't even know what a G2 is. but if it's basically a hero with a different case (the only reason I can imagine why it's lumped in with our heros), you should try my following instructions. The worst case is that it won't work in step one (the actual rooting process) in which case you'd have to get help from someone else.
Don's instructions for how to root your hero (yea, I'm Don, dkelley):
- download the one click root apk http://blog.23corner.com/tag/universalandroot/ from the official blog. (newbie points: copy it do your sd card if you didn't download it directly with your phone. checkmark "unknown sources" in settings->applications. install it using a file explorer that you can download from market for free such as "linda file manager".)
- run it, choose root for 1.5/1.6. takes half a minute. worked for me first time, but there isn't any obvious confirmation other than "done" message, so don't expect magical features popping up. It doesn't even install a superuser app or busybox... so you're still borked.... until the next step.
- download the free (old version, crappy features, but functional) superuser app from the market. install it (obviously). now you're just missing busybox. if you know how/want to bother putting it into your current rom, go for it. I didn't so I didn't.
- for sake of app backup, you can't run titanium without busybox (you already have root and superuser though, see post above if it matters that much). I downloaded the free applist tool from market to make a text file on sd card listing my installed apps. stock hero rom can't have too much installed anyway, won't take you THAT long to manually go through list and redownload/reinstall after flashing a new rom.
- install clockwork "rom manager". they say it's in market, I've never seen it. but an apk is floating around the net. it only needs root+SU which you have now. use it to download and flash a recovery rom of your choice. I use clockwork so it's an obvious choice here, but I think you can do amon-ra with this tool also, probably 1.6.x for those who don't care about dalvik wipes working properly.
- do a nandroid backup of your original rom NOW. could be really important... and this 1-click rooter can apparently UNRoot your rom too, so after a nandroid restore it might be the only way to get your phone back to stock. in my case I'm sol that way (hand-made goldcard rooting method, my phone's incapable of going stock ever again using my own skills...)
- newbie points: make sure you have a flashable signed gsm hero rom on your sd card somewhere. Reboot into recovery using "rom manager" or shutdown phone, then start it again but hold power AND home buttons without letting go until 8 to 12 seconds later you're booted into recovery. wipe everything (dalvik, cache, data, ext shouldn't matter yet from a stock rom...). "install zip file" or however they word the "flash rom" process in your recovery.
- reboot and enjoy.

---

I've got a t-mobile g2 and used the gold card method a while back, so can say that definitely works.

---

Thanks guys, I have decided to do the gold card and update it to a generic rom. Can i still get an unlock code to work? is there anyway on unlocking it?

---

I used a goldcard also on my phone months ago. a hero. pain in the butt to get done right... but works great.
this is why I recommended the above steps which are MUCH easier. I followed them (and organized those particular steps) and used them on my wife's hero a couple of days ago. It took me 15 minutes until I was running a new rooted rom on her phone perfectly with recovery installed, nandroid backup/restore, busybox, super user, the whole thing.
I know your phone isn't listed there - but again, downloading and running the apk won't do anything bad. it either works or doesn't, you'd know by now. it might not work but it's WAY faster and easier than a goldcard.
so imho it's worth a try for 30 seconds of your time.
if it says that it successfully roots your phone then just follow the rest of my instructions above to get everything setup how you'll need to.
goldcard works great though too - I just found it a very poorly documented experience. Hopefully it's clearer now.
when I goldcard rooted my phone I found several sets of instructions and they were all different - and not one of them worked on it's own, I had to combine bits and pieces. It was very scary LoL.
Good luck which ever route you take - hope you get a nice froyo rom running soon!

---

Hboot stuck
Hi I try to flash my G2 to generic RUU I did goldcard with success and I was doing upgrade trought RUU everything works great but then it says RADIO_V2 - FAIL PU.
Now when I try to turn on my G2 I get hboot screen and I can do anything
can somebody help me?
Thank You

---

dkelley said:
I used a goldcard also on my phone months ago. a hero. pain in the butt to get done right... but works great.
this is why I recommended the above steps which are MUCH easier. I followed them (and organized those particular steps) and used them on my wife's hero a couple of days ago. It took me 15 minutes until I was running a new rooted rom on her phone perfectly with recovery installed, nandroid backup/restore, busybox, super user, the whole thing.
I know your phone isn't listed there - but again, downloading and running the apk won't do anything bad. it either works or doesn't, you'd know by now. it might not work but it's WAY faster and easier than a goldcard.
so imho it's worth a try for 30 seconds of your time.
if it says that it successfully roots your phone then just follow the rest of my instructions above to get everything setup how you'll need to.
goldcard works great though too - I just found it a very poorly documented experience. Hopefully it's clearer now.
when I goldcard rooted my phone I found several sets of instructions and they were all different - and not one of them worked on it's own, I had to combine bits and pieces. It was very scary LoL.
Good luck which ever route you take - hope you get a nice froyo rom running soon!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The G2 is T-Mobile UK's version of the Hero, and as far as I know they have locked it down so tight that the only way of Rooting it regardless of what ROM it has(1.5, 1.5 update 1, 2.1 e.t.c), has always only been the goldcard method.

---

You have to use the goldcard method, I tried the other one when I was rooting my G2 and it didn't work.
I used this guide - BTDags guide, can't post a link though.
Google 'Complete Newbie Guide Hero' Its the first link.

---

I used the Goldcard to root my T-mob G2. I think I used this guide: Jesterz' guide It is a bit of a pain but you only have to do it once.

---

l0st.prophet said:
The G2 is T-Mobile UK's version of the Hero, and as far as I know they have locked it down so tight that the only way of Rooting it regardless of what ROM it has(1.5, 1.5 update 1, 2.1 e.t.c), has always only been the goldcard method.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the info! great to know. silly t-mobile.... like they have anything to gain from doing that....

---

Moved to Q&A as not development.