What on earth is that all about?

Okay the story; one of Mrs Stan's colleagues has given me a HTC Desire *but* it's locked to T-Mobile, which is useless in this area.

I'd like to get the phone unlocked but he reckoned "just" rooting it would do that. Is that correct?

Secondly, how the hell do you easily, and more importantly, idiot-proof like, actually root an Android phone?

I've read various different sites, looked at downloading so-called one-click programmes but have chickened out as I don't want to brick this shiny phone!

Can anyone help me ease myself into the 21st Century please, preferably in small, easy to understand words?

Thanks in advance,

Stan

Sounds like a good plot line for a Star Trek episode...

I don't know about rooting an addroid.

What I do know is something an Aussie in Port Moresby told me years ago, "You can't expect to send a Sheila into orbit evey time you root her, can you 2nd mate?"

Very true, but probably not too much help in your case Stan.

You could try some rooting compound. I understand this helps in the rooting process. Most Garden centres carry a good stock of the stuff.

Hope that helps.

Phone up t mobile and ask then to UN lock out, may cost a fee quid but a lot less hassle.

AFAIK, rooting does much more than simply unlock the phone to other operators. If you just want to unlock it, just unlock it. Again, AFAIK, some high street phone accessory shops/stalls might be able to do it, or google "unlock HTC Desire free" and you should find something suitable (hopefully, I can't check many of these sites from work)

I think this is going to be the safest solution by a country mile. As DaveG says, you can google unlock free etc but they all have catches, like signing up for "free special offers" using credit card details....

I haven't yet found one site that actually does unlock for free.

T-Mobile want £15 to provide an unlock code, ho-hum!

Still, it's a lot cheaper than a bricked smartphone.

Go on, open your wallet you cheapskate!

Yes, as above, rooting will enable you to do this and much more but you mention that you want a Stan-proof solution. Pay the £15 and just go for the unlock instead.

FWIW it's what I'm doing with my Desire that has just run out of contract before Fleabaying it. Way less hassle and will just do what I need (ie the network unlock)

Well I went with that option and it didn't work!

Here's the catch;

First of all you need to get a T-Mobile sim card that you can then phone up and cancel, then they'll unlock the phone for fifteen quid.....ho-hum!

I've ordered a sim

Idiotic doesn't begin to cover it!

Thanks for that Reubs! I'd spotted that one, strangely whilst searching for rooting software not unlocking......I'll have a closer look at it and see if it is idiot proof......

having rooted my android tablet and bricking it the first time I can't see how it can be idiot proof!

That'll do for me then Alex, I think I'll just pay the fifteen quid <shudder/sweat> and go the safe route

It may be worth asking a small independent phone shop? There are loads around here that can do this sort of thing

Not locally though, remember I'm in a part of Cumbria where electricity is still considered to be witchcraft!

I'm more concerned about the whole 'rooting an android' thing. It sounds like some sort of techno-perv... "Bring me another sex-bot, Martha, this one's split!"

Well, what do you think I was googling when I found it?

Well I'm surprised you even have a mobile phone signal, that is witchcraft!

Ssssh, if the locals find out I've got a laptop they'll put me in the ducking stool.......glug!

I took a deep breath and some brave pills and just went for this method because t-mobile said 15 quid plus a 28 day wait FFS!

It works and is *very* simple if you read the instructions carefully. Highly recommended!

Thanks again Reubs for pointing me back to that site, I'd initially been rooting around for rooting (see what I did there, did you, did you? ) so had bookmarked it but ignored it.

Now I've got my Desire unlocked, for free, ooer matron!

I'll buy you a beer Reubs, sometime soon......when you're least expecting it, on a dark night, in a secluded alley