CyanogenMod now offers an easy solution for
installing the ROM to an impressive list of popular devices with little
hassle, in form of CyanogenMod Installer. All you have
to do is install both the Android and Windows apps of the installer,
launch them both and follow the easy instructions, and the downloading
as well as installation will be done for you automatically behind the
scenes. What’s more – it doesn’t even require root access, so you can
even do it on a stock device!
Disclaimer: Follow this guide entirely
at your own risk. We will not be responsible if your device
gets damaged or bricked in the process.
Before You Proceed
The CyanogenMod installer is built to work with devices that have
unlocked or officially unlockable bootloaders. This means if you are
running a device that comes with an encrypted bootloader that requires
some unofficial hack to unlock, you’re out of luck. There is an official list of supported devices maintained by the CyanogenMod team at their wiki, so make sure to look at it before proceeding.
Also, it is extremely important to take a full backup of your data
and current ROM, in case you’ll need to switch back to it. If your
device’s bootloader is locked to begin with, you should also backup the
contents of your internal storage to your PC, because the installer will
unlock the bootloader in the process, and that will result in a full
wipe of all your device’s contents (except those on an external SD card
on devices that come equipped with an SD card slot).
Furthermore, your device can be running any stock or ROM as long as
it is able to identify the device correctly to the installer. Though for
full support, it’s recommended to be running the official stock ROM for
your device.
Lastly, root access is not required, so you don’t have to worry about
rooting your device first. Though if you have already done so, it
shouldn’t be a problem at all – the installer works irrespective of
root.
Requirements
- USB debugging enabled
- CyanogenMod Installer Android App
- CyanogenMod Installer PC App
Procedure
Launch CyanogenMod Installer on your Android device and tap ‘Begin’
on the first screen. The second screen will instruct you on enabling the
Camera (PTP) mode for your USB connection; tap Continue and enable
Camera (PTP) on the next screen.
Now launch CyanogenMod Installer on your Windows PC. It will first update itself if required.
Next, the installer will attempt to detect your device. At this stage, make sure to connect your device to your PC via USB.
On your device, enabling Camera (PTP) mode will land you on a screen
stating you are ready to install CM and should continue on Windows. If
you have followed the previous steps the right way, you should now see a
message on your Android device stating it has been successfully
detected by the installer.
The Windows app will then inspect your device and check if it is compatible.
If you are prompted to allow USB debugging on your device, make sure
you tap OK on the dialog that appears on your device’s screen.
After that, the CyanogenMod Installer will start downloading the
required files for your device, starting with the recovery software,
followed by the operating system and finally some system applications.
Once everything has been downloaded, you’ll be prompted to install
the ROM. Just double-check that you have backed up everything you need
from your phone to an external SD card or your PC, and when you’re
ready, click Install.
From this point onward, the installer will take over, rebooting your
device itself whenever required, and performing all the necessary steps
for installing CyanogenMod on it. Just make sure to keep an eye on the
PC app as well as on your device’s screen, and follow any instructions
that may appear there. In a few minutes, you’ll end up with CyanogenMod
fully up and running on your device.
It’s great to see an official solution like this from the biggest
name in the Android custom ROM scene, and we’re hoping other popular ROM
developers will also start offering similar solutions to make the
switching process easier for non-technical users.
What do you think of the CyanogenMod Installer? Would you rather use
this method, or stick with the old manual flashing method? Tell us about
it in the comments below.
[ article by AddictiveTips ]