Sprint HTC EVO 4G OTA update fixes SD card issue, kills root

The Sprint HTC EVO 4G has been having some issues with the SD card, from being fine one second, to showing nothing stored within it, or giving you permission errors. Well, Sprint is looking to patch this problem and is releasing an OTA update to address this issue today. Be warned, though, while the EVO 4G OTA patch fixes the SD card issues many people have been experiencing, it also kills off your root access if you jumped the gun yesterday.

Shortly after we heard about the rooting process, we heard just how vulnerable the rooting method can make your device. Enabling some application developers to gain access to personal data without much trouble at all. So, I’m welcoming this OTA on my Sprint HTC EVO 4G, as I’d rather have a fully function device, than a hackable device I can’t always take pictures with. The 13MB update should address only the SD card issues from what we’re hearing, but there’s no real change log at the moment, so we have no way of finding out. After the OTA, the version number will change from 1.32.651.1 to 1.32.651.6.

If you’d like to hold onto your root access, we’d suggest that you hold off for now. It never takes too long for the XDA devs to get a hold of an update and get it working perfectly for the root users out there. [Update] There’s now a patch that will restore root, but it’s not perfect. See below for the full update.

Some say that the SD card issue is limited to the actually SD cards Google gave out with the 5,000 EVOs they gave out at the I/O, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Replacing the SD card with my Nexus One SD card yielded the same results, eventually.

Hopefully this update reaches all the new buyers of the device today, because this could be a sad way to really ruin the launch of one of the most talked up phones in the industry. The HTC EVO 4G is the first 4G phone, after all, ya know?

If you got a shiny new EVO today, have you receive the OTA yet?

Check out our Sprint HTC EVO 4G review here.

[Update]
So it seems there’s a patch available to restore/access root to HTC EVO 4G’s that were pushed over-the-air updates. The patch is called unrEVOked (get it?) and it downloads and installs on your EVO just like an app. There are apparently issues with the patch not enabling the WiFi Hotspot feature as well as issues with the custom recovery image manager, so it’s not a perfect solution. Still, if you’re looking to get or re-get root on your EVO after Sprint’s OTA update, simply point your Android browser to unrevoked.com/m/
[Via: Phandroid]

About The Author

Blake Stimac

Blake was born in Beaumont, Texas, about 100 miles away from Houston. Even as a youngster, technology came to him very naturally, tinkering with anything he could. His passion of technology grew with mobile phones when he dreamed that the capabilities of phones would eventually make one's life much easier. Since then it's been his mission to advocate the push of mobile technology to anyone who will listen.

Brian Overman

The OTA does not push. You have to go to Settings…Check for Updates…and it will download and install to anyone who follows these steps. I think this is the way all Sprint OTAs are done if I am not mistaken (and I may be).

Just to throw in my review…I have had this phone for a little over a week. I did get the SD Card issue after a few days, then changed SD Card and added update. No problems since.

I come from a G!, then HD2 and now EVO, and I can easily say this is the best phone I have ever used. Ever. HD2 was pretty good actually. WinMo with Sense UI is not as bad as it has been made out to be. Very easy to personalize.

But Android just runs way easier than WinMo. So EVO wins it. Best. Phone. Ever.
- Anthon Bisong
  
  I got two OTA updates today without doing anything but accepting yes install now.
Tom

I had the SD card issue, got the update, installed it (verified it is installed) and still have the SD card issue… so much for day one of EVO!
mike

Got my OTA update automatically within an hour of the phone being activated.
Bacon

Love the EVO's features but people have to realize that it won't have Froyo 2.2 for a long time. You should get this phone after it's been rooted (again).
dalex7777

They've fixed this. Root is back post OTA.
george

the phone has it all but does not work internationally when we travel out of the USA
Jessica

I was so excited when the Evo was released. I am not eligle for an upgrade yet so I just went to the store to check it out. I am willing to pay full price for it to get it before September but I am worried about what I have read. So I see you can get an update for the SD card issue. But what I don't understand is the root access. Can someone explain that to me please??
Lubomir

The only reason I’m sticking with T-Mobile is that I’m waiting for the Froyo update for my nexus one. And I’m still waiting. …..
Steve

I am thinking of getting the EVO, but Im concerned about all the talk of "security" breeches. I dont want someone to be able to hack in to my passwords or read my texts, etc. Can someone please explain this to me and if it is now safe to get it? I am not tech savy at all so I dont understand all these terms like rooting", so please explain in laymans terms
Matt Cauthen

@dalex7777 …did you get the OTA to work, fixing SD card issue and still allowing you to access 4g wifi hotspot to work without paying? if so, can you email me? [email protected]
ryan

does this app or rooting void any of sprints equipment protection plans?
shannon villegas

I absolutely love this phone but I can not get any access to my sd card what so ever its annoying the shit out of me. My pics i take come up when i install the sd card to my computer no problems with pics however I want to watch a movie I have saved on my card and I can not access it. what is that all about and how do you access it? It said it was installed any other phone has a dirrect link so you can access music mp3 files and so forth this phone has no access other than to format. Is that what I need to do? IF so it will wipe out my stuff? numbers and pics;. why is there not a link on the phone to get to your sd card files?
mike

the unrEVOked method does too oped the wireless hotspot feature, but you do need to go through a diffrent app to activate it, which there is 30000 free wireless tether apps you can use quite fine with a root.

any who

if i already have unrEVOked will it still kill off my root or will they work together in harmony?
mark

New EVO won’t recognize the 8GB class-2 SD that came with it, and won’t recognize the 16GB class-10 that I bought to use with it.
- mark
  
  …and all available updates have been installed. Too bad since the camera works better than I expected and the Google Gmail app has been a great improvement over generic IMAP access to email on iPhone3GS
  - Jeremy
    
    Mark,
    I had a similar issue from the start with my 16G, I reformated it with my computer and its worked like a champ since. Hopefully this will help you.
Alaric

Software ver. 3.29.651.5. Won’t read SD and when I check for updates it tells me my phone is up to date…wtf???
H20cordes

My phone won’t read my SD card. I cant take pictures or listen to music. This happened right after I updated my phone. How do I fix this?