The HTC Vivid features a massive 4.5-inch SLCD screen and dual-core processing–something that owners of the device can be much proud of.  If you’re one such owner, you’ll be glad to know that you can finally get your hands dirty with rooting your HTC Vivid, as the guys from XDA Developers have managed to get through the phone’s internal system.

In this article, you will learn how to root your HTC Vivid.  The method has been tested to work on both the AT&T variant as well as the Canadian variant.  According to the developer, the rooting method uses the zergRush exploit and will supposedly grant permanent root access, rather than temporary root access, if the device’s bootloader is also unlocked.

What is Rooting?

Rooting your HTC Vivid simply means you’ll be getting something similar to Administrator-level privileges on a Windows-based machine.  Rooting is to Android what jailbreaking is to the iPhone.  Having root access opens up opportunities for you to enjoy new unique features and functionalities that you couldn’t normally enjoy on a non-rooted device.  For instance, you can set up your phone to  function faster than normal, install third-party apps that require root access, and use custom ROMs.

Keep in mind that having root access also voids your manufacturer’s warranty. Although, there is always the option of unrooting your device by means of flashing back to the stock ROM or you could use SuperOneClick.

Prerequisites

• Before starting, fully charge your phone, or at least have 60% battery power when performing the rooting procedure.   Having enough power on the phone will ensure an uninterrupted process.  Interruptions to the process could brick your phone and render it useless.
• Enable USB debugging on your phone. You can do this by heading to Settings > Applications > Development > USB Debugging.
• Save all of your phone’s data by making a back-up copy of your call log, text messages, media files, Internet settings, and other important data so that you have a fallback if anything should happen to your phone after undergoing the rooting procedure.

Once you’ve got the prerequisites covered, you can now proceed to the rooting procedure.

Rooting Instructions

1. Download the USB driver files for your HTC Vivid.  Get them from here and install the drivers to your computer so that your computer can correctly recognize your device.
2. Download the rooting files for the HTC Vivid.  You can get the files here.  Extract the ZIP file’s contents into a folder on your computer.
3. Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable.  When the device asks you for a connection type, specify “Charge only.”  Your computer ought to be able to recognize your device.
4. Go to the folder where you extracted the rooting files.  Double-click on the RUNME.bat file to start the rooting process.
5. You will be presented with prompts and instructions along the way.  Just follow them from start to finish.
6. Reboot your phone.

Congratulations!  You have successfully rooted your phone. Enjoy the many benefits that you can have with a rooted device.