This will root your HTC Thunderbolt so you can install custom ROMs. This will WIPE your Thunderbolt TWICE. I use My Backup Pro to backup all my applications and data. You can get a free 30 day trial from the app store.
STEPS:
1. Install the HTC Sync Setup software.
2. Plug your phone into your computer and make sure you have it set to Charge Only.
3. Go to Settings > Applications > Development and check the box next to USB Debugging and Stay Awake
4. Double click the “Start_Root_V2.1″ file that I’ve placed in the folder.
5. Follow the steps on the screen. The whole process will take 10-30 minutes.
Then when you’re ready to install custom ROMs, download “ROM Manager” from the app store. Then you can checkout some of the ROMs I’ve posted on the WireValley message board. Das BAMF has worked the best for me so far. In order to root your Thunderbolt, you will need to download all the files Here.
Once you root your Thunderbolt you will be able to install the new Gingerbread 2.3.4 ROM! I’ve been using the Gingerbread ROMs by Team BAMF. What’s nice about custom Gingerbread ROMs vs. waiting for HTC and Verizon to release the OTA Official Gingerbread update is that these custom ROMs remove all the bloatware that Verizon loads onto the phone.
Also, you can download wireless tether which will allow you to turn your phone into a mobile hotspot for FREE! And if you’re like me and signed up with Verizon before they axed their unlimited data plan, then you’re sitting pretty good right now 
July 21, 2011 at 3:07 am
.Will this work if you’ve installed the recent updates from verizon? I’m running firmware version 1.70.605. I’d love to go ahead and get this thing rooted before they lock it down further. Thanks for the write up.
July 21, 2011 at 5:33 am
do yourself a favor and follow the long method at XDA. There is nothing wrong with this method, but the learning experience alone is worth the few minutes extra work.
If you have any questions in the process, feel free to get in touch with me, I live online.
July 21, 2011 at 4:39 pm
See I didn’t want to do the “longer” process because of the code you have to type in via the command prompt, etc. I know you can just copy and paste but I get nervous with code! I just started a programming class on Monday and it makes me nervous as hell. The instructor voted me the the quietest person in the class LoL ^_^
I’m glad you know that method, cause if I ever have to do it.. I’ll be coming to you for help as well!
July 21, 2011 at 4:42 pm
As Ken mentioned, go ahead and follow the steps in the longer process if you’re looking for a learning experience.
I think you’ll still be fine rooting your phone using this method. The reason why is because this process DOWNGRADES your phone on the first wipe, then it roots your phone. So even if you have an update, you’ll should be fine.
The worst that “should” happen is you’ll get an error message in the command prompt box. if that happens, then you’ll have to try the longer process.
If you do this, please let me know how this goes! I would really like to know.
September 28, 2011 at 5:00 pm
Has anyone been able to confirm this method works on 1.70 thunderbolts?
July 21, 2011 at 3:41 pm
This did not work :(( Will wait on Unrevoked…uninstalling zip files from my pc
July 21, 2011 at 4:44 pm
Did you install the most recent update that Verizon released within the last couple weeks? Another reader was wondering if the rooting process would work if he’s updated to the latest update.
If you have this, maybe this is what’s causing the error :-/
July 21, 2011 at 4:37 pm
I STAND CORRECTED!!! After rebooting my device & pc (win7) I retried the root process & it worked. Thank you so much for this & it was easy to use once it started!!! Are we able to donate?
July 21, 2011 at 4:49 pm
I’m not sure if you are able to donate to the developers. If you’re asking about donating to me.. I do not accept donations. I didn’t do the hard work and create these files
I just posted the files and typed the exact steps I did.
If you appreciate my help, PLEASE “LIKE” ME ON FACEBOOK
I always do appreciate that. The Like button is on the homepage in the upper right-hand corner.
July 21, 2011 at 4:50 pm
I’m not sure if you are able to donate to the developers. If you’re asking about donating to me.. I do not accept donations. I didn’t do the hard work and create these files
I just posted the files and typed the exact steps I did.
If you appreciate my help, PLEASE “LIKE” ME ON FACEBOOK
I always do appreciate that. The Like button is on the homepage in the upper right-hand corner.
August 1, 2011 at 3:03 am
so did you do it with the latest firmware(1.70.605.0)?
July 31, 2011 at 9:47 pm
so does this method work with the latest firmware(1.70.605.0)?
August 1, 2011 at 12:27 am
Yup, you should be able to root your phone without any issues. Have you tried this yet? Let me know if you get stuck anywhere.
August 1, 2011 at 3:14 am
Question:
Do you still have 4G LTE after the root? Thank you!
August 1, 2011 at 12:07 pm
yup! Rooting your htc thunderbolt won’t do anything to your 4g radio. Its only if you decide to install a custom ROM that’ll you’ll need to flash your phone with the radio update, which is really easy to do. rooting was harder than installing the radio update
August 1, 2011 at 6:38 pm
Thanks! So is the above steps just to root the phone for Free Mobile Hotspot functionality? Sorry, totally new at rooting =X
August 1, 2011 at 7:14 pm
No problem. When you root your phone, it’s not “just” to get free wireless tether. Rooting allows you to install custom ROMs, you can overclock your phone’s CPU to make it run faster, you can uninstall the bloatware that comes pre-installed on the phone such as Blockbuster, Amazon MP3 app, etc.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
August 4, 2011 at 3:40 am
where do you get the htc sync setup software at?
August 4, 2011 at 11:33 am
Did you download the rooting software that I’ve posted on my site? If not, you can download the .zip from the message board. It’ll be about a 1GB file. The HTC Sync software is included in the download.
Otherwise, if you already have all the rooting tools required and you’re just looking for the HTC Sync software, just Google it and you should be able to find it. However, I think you have to have a specific version of the HTC Sync software in order for the root to work :-/
I think I’ve read posts from my other readers that they had a “newer” version and they just had to downgrade and then the rooting process worked.
August 4, 2011 at 11:33 am
Did you download the rooting software that I’ve posted on my site? If not, you can download the .zip from the message board. It’ll be about a 1GB file. The HTC Sync software is included in the download.
Otherwise, if you already have all the rooting tools required and you’re just looking for the HTC Sync software, just Google it and you should be able to find it. However, I think you have to have a specific version of the HTC Sync software in order for the root to work :-/
I think I’ve read posts from my other readers that they had a “newer” version and they just had to downgrade and then the rooting process worked.
August 23, 2011 at 6:24 am
Awesome! I just rooted my phone thanks to you!
I want to get a good ROM but I dont’ want to go through the process of setting my phone up again.
For now I’ll just toy around with Superuser permissions and overclock my phone for super speeds.
Thank you very much. If I have questions I’ll post ‘em.
August 27, 2011 at 7:56 pm
I need some help here. I’ve rooted the Thunderbolt numerous times with no issues. I received a replacement yesterday in the mail and for some reason, I can’t get the root to work. Sometimes I get the msg on my PC saying ‘HTC Sync Port is not responding’. When I start the root and go through the options, it will not find the phone and says device is not connected. I’ve selected option #1 (root from beginning). The Thunderbolt is running 1.70.605.0. I tried this on a PC running Windows XP (which I used to root my previous Thunderbolts with no issue) and even tried a different PC running Windows 7. Does anyone have and ideas? Please help…thanks.
August 28, 2011 at 1:15 am
I think The soft ware update messed up my rooted thunderbolt. Now it does not turn on. What should I do?
September 2, 2011 at 9:43 pm
when i reroot my phone, do I start from the very beginning to double swipe the phone? Please help, trying to get my camera to work, stopped since the root.
September 3, 2011 at 1:49 am
I’m confused with what you are asking. Is your phone already rooted? or what are you rerooting it?
If your camera is not working, it’s probably the ROM you are using. Try a different ROM, the camera works great on the SkyRaider Zeus preview 2 ROM!
September 3, 2011 at 2:42 am
I rooted my phone and now the Camera isn’t working. I have used uber_BAMF_preview3 and also Gingeritis1.3, cam won’t work. So I think it happened when I did the root, so I was asking if I can REroot the phone and if I can do I start from the beginning of from after downgrade.
September 3, 2011 at 2:47 am
When you are installing your ROMs are you making sure to check the two boxes:
[X] Wipe Data and Cache
[X] Wipe Dalvik cache
If you forgot to check these boxes, this could be the issue when you went to go install the 2nd ROM. Honestly, I would just try another ROM. Have you tried SkyRaider Zeus Preview 2 yet?
September 3, 2011 at 2:56 am
i did check those boxes, I did download SRZP2 yesterday and just put it on my SD, so I will switch right now and see what happens. Thanks for all your help by the way, ur good people, nice to have peeps like you around. I will update after the ROM switch.
September 3, 2011 at 3:24 am
You are the best support that I have ever had, Keep up the great work. The ROOT was fast and easy, and thanks for researching for the best ROMS, they work AWESOME, Camera and ALL, Where can I donate something, dont have much but I want to show my thanks.
September 3, 2011 at 3:38 am
Glad I could be of assistance =)
Recently, I keep going back to SkyRaider Zeus Preview 2… it’s currently the best ROM for The HTC Thunderbolt. I can’t wait for the final release! The developer says it’s going to be big! Won’t be for a while though.
Anyways, if you’d like to show your appreciation for my support and articles, please just “Like” me on Facebook (if you’d like). The Like button is on the homepage in the upper right-hand corner.
I don’t accept donations since I am not the original developer of these tools and custom ROMs. The developers are the true hard workers here, I just like to share my experiences and how-to guides
Thanks for the offer though!
October 18, 2011 at 4:19 pm
So…I had my TB rooted when it was running on 2.2 and I was using Titanium Backup to freeze as opposed to unistaling bloat because I knew the OTA for 2.3.4 would be coming out soon. When I took the OTA it would freeze on the update leaving me with just an exclamation point in a triangle. So at that point I wiped and un-rooted my TB to get the OTA 2.3.4 update. Now that I’ve been reading more and more on wirevalley and all around the mobile phone world I’ve been reading more and more good things about BAMF roms. So here’s my question. Will the method above work to root a TB that already has the 2.3.4 OTA update?
October 31, 2011 at 5:17 pm
has anyone figured this out?
December 1, 2011 at 7:08 pm
I just went through the process and it seemed successful. Everything went as planned according to your steps. Now I have downloaded ROM Manager and tried to Flash ClockworkMod Recovery and it says “An error occurred while attempting to run privileged commands”. I also downloaded BusyBox and tried to install but it says it was denied Root Access. Finally I downloaded Root Checker Pro and ran a check. It came back saying that I do not have root access. The analysis says “Setuid attribute NOT present BUT root user ownership is present. Root access is NOT correctly configured for this file!”
Based on that info, would you have any recommendations as to what I should do next? Should I try the whole root process over again or just start t from a certain place, etc.?
December 4, 2011 at 6:51 pm
Trying rooting using the Revolutionary tool. If you go to Google and type in HTC Thunderbolt Root Revolutionary, I’m sure you’ll find plenty of info
I need to download it and try rooting my phone this way so I can post a guide. I have yet to do it though 
December 3, 2011 at 1:59 am
Please Help.. i have 2.3.4 on the phone and it will not downgrade. it says permission denied durring the setup.. Please help.
December 4, 2011 at 6:50 pm
I don’t think this root process is going to work. I’ve seen it be a hit or miss for some people after the official Gingerbread update. If it doesn’t work, you’ll have to try another way. Google “HTC Thunderbolt Revolultionary root”