HTC Desire HD gets Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update via CyanogenMod 12 ROM: How to install

Owners of HTC Desire HD can now enjoy the latest Lollipop update on their devices, with due credit to the CyanogenMod team for releasing Android 5.0.2 (Lollipop) based unofficial CyanogenMod 12 or CM12 Nightly ROM for the handset, in a highly stable release.

The unofficial CM12 ROM is based on nightly releases and hence it may not be fully functional as some minor glitches could still exist, which will be fixed in the upcoming final release.

Nevertheless, interested users can go ahead and install the latest Android 5.0.2 custom Lollipop update on their Desire HD, using the step-by-step guide provided below.

CyanogenMod ROMs are traditionally based on Android Open Source Project (AOSP) which brings enhanced performance and reliability over stock Android ROMs released by OEM vendors and carriers, besides adding latest Android features that are not found on the stock versions.

IBTimes UK reminds readers that it will not be held liable for any damage to device, during or after the CM12 ROM installation. Users are advised to proceed at their own risk.

Prerequisites

• The instructions provided in this guide are limited to HTC Desire HD and will not work with any other model. Verify your device model from Settings > About Phone.
• Ensure your phone has at least 80% battery charge to avoid inadvertent shutdown during the installation process.
• Make sure the correct USB drivers (download here) are installed for the phone on the computer.
• Enable USB debugging on your phone from Settings > Developer Options.
• Ensure that your device is factory unlocked and rooted via CWM or TWRP recovery, before you proceed.

Downloads Required

Android 5.0.2 Lollipop CyanogenMod12 stable build for HTC Desire HD

Google Apps

Steps to install Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update on HTC Desire HD via CyanogenMod 12 stable build

Step 1 - Download Android 5.0.2 CM12 Nightly build for HTC Desire HD to your computer and extract boot.img from the zip file separately. Then download Google Apps as well.

Step 2 - Connect and mount your HTC Desire HD USB (mass) memory on computer via USB cable.

Step 3 - Now copy/paste the downloaded CM12 ROM and Google Apps zip files to the root folder on your phone's SD card.

Step 4 - Copy the boot.img file to android-sdk-windowsplatform-tools directory.

Step 5 - Then Power off your phone.

Step 6 – Boot the phone into Bootloader/Fastboot Mode by pressing and holding the Volume Down + Power buttons together.

Step 7 - Once Fastboot mode appears on screen, navigate to android-sdk-windowsplatform-tools directory (on your computer) and launch Command Prompt (Shift + Right-click > Open Command Prompt).

Step 8 - Type in the following command and hit Enter.

fastboot flash boot boot.img

Step 9 - Then type in the following command and hit Enter.

fastboot reboot

Step 10 - Follow the onscreen navigation instructions to choose BOOTLOADER and then boot into Recovery mode.

Step 11 - Once you enter ClockworkMod Recovery, perform a full data wipe by selecting wipe data/factory reset. Use the Power button to select any option in the Recovery Mode.

Step 12 – Finally, perform a cache wipe by selecting wipe cache partition.

Step 13 – Also, perform a wipe dalvik cache to prevent unwanted boot loops or any other errors during ROM installation. In CWM recovery, go to advanced section and then select wipe dalvik cache.

Step 14 - Return to the main recovery screen and select install zip from SD card.

Step 15 - Now select choose zip from sdcard. Use volume keys to navigate to the CM12 Nightly ROM zip file that you copied earlier to your SD card and select it by tapping Power button. Confirm the ROM installation on next screen and the installation process should begin.

Google Apps: Repeat the previous step to install Google Apps (GApps) as well on your phone.

Step 16 – Once GApps is also installed, hit Go Back and reboot the phone by selecting reboot system now from the recovery menu. Your HTC Desire HD will now reboot and it might take about 5 minutes for first boot to complete. So, please do not interrupt the process.

Your Desire HD is now running Android 5.0.2 Lollipop ROM via CM12 Nightly build. Go to Settings > About phone to verify the firmware installed.

[Source: Team Android]