Rooting and ROM'ing your Droid X 2.2.1 (version 2.3....Verizon.en.US)

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**I am not responsible for any damage to your phone.  Rooting and ROM'ing your phone isn't too difficult, but has the potential of bricking it.  There are plenty of web sites dedicated to un-bricking your phone, but my blog isn't one of them.**

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For those of you who have just purchased your new Verizon Droid X, you probably notice that there are a handful of junk / partner apps that you cannot uninstall or stop from starting and restarting. They eat up resources and slow down your phone. Thanks Verizon, for all your shitty apps!!

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Let's get started.

First and foremost, you will need to root your phone.
- 1 Install an APK manager / installer
--- 1a I used "Apk manager" from the Market
- 2 Set your phone to allow unknown source
--- 2a Settings --> Applications (enable the checkbox for Unknown sources)
- 3 Set your phone to enable USB Debugging
--- 3a Settings --> Applications --> Development --> (enable the checkbox for USB debugging)
- 4 Download and install a rooting application

--- 4a Plug your phone into your Windows PC (make sure you can browse your droid files)
--- 4b I used z4root to root my phone.  Download it.
--- 4c Copy the z4root*.apk to your phone
--- 4d Unplug your phone from your PC
--- 4e Launch Apk manager and install Z4root (com.z4mod.z4root)
- 5 Root your phone
--- 5a Launch z4root
--- 5b From Superuser Request page, enable remember checkbox
--- 5c Hit Allow button
--- 5d From z4mod page, hit permanent root
--- 5e WAIT!!! (your phone will reboot when done)
- 6 You are now rooted!

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Next, you'll want to choose a ROM. Here's a decent explanation of the different ROMs.

Finally, let's lay down a new ROM!  (I chose to use rubiXfocused1.9.7)

- 1 Plug your phone back into your PC (make sure you can browse your droid files)
- 2 Copy your ROM image (don't unzip it) to your driod
- 3 Unplug your phone from your PC
- 4 Install a ROM Manager App from the Market (I used the free version of ROM Manager)
- 5 Launch ROM Manager
--- 5a Hit Flash ClockworkMod Recovery
- 6 Install a Bootstrap App from the Market (I used Droid X Bootstrapper - for $2 it's well worth it)
- 7 Launch Droid X Bootstrapper
--- 7a Hit Bootstrap Recovery (It will ask for superuser permissions - Hit allow)
--- 7b Hit Reboot Recovery
--- 7c WAIT!!!! Your phone will reboot
- 8 Your phone will boot into ClockworkMod Recovery
-*- 8a - (Optional) You can wipe your sdcard if you feel like it
--- 8b Using the volume buttons, scroll down to install zip from sdcard - hit the camera button to select
--- 8c Scroll down to choose zip from sdcard and hit the camera button
--- 8d Browse / scroll to wherever you put your ROM zip and hit the camera button
--- 8c Scroll down to Yes - Install and hit the camera button
--- 8d WAIT!!!! Your phone will apply the new ROM
--- 8e Once completed, scroll up to reboot now and hit the camera button
YOU ARE DONE!!!

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While I was walking a buddy through this process, his phone got itself into a reboot loop.  Here's the solution to that.  You will have to go through the registration process and re-sync your phone with google.

- 1 Pull the battery and then replace it
- 2 Hold the power button AND the home button, until the droid guy shows up with a ! triagle
- 3 Hit the search button
- 4 Scroll down to wipe data/factory reset and hit the camera button
--- 4a Scroll down to Yes -- delete all user data
--- 4b WAIT!!!!! Your phone will return to the first screen
- 5 Select (if it's not already selected) reboot system now and hit the camera button
- 6 Go through the registration process for re-syncing your google account

Questions or comments, ping me.