Manually upgrading to Android 4.2.1

If you are an avid Android user you will find the lack of updates to certain phone models frustrating. Manufacturers such as HTC and Samsung only support updates to supported phones and if you are one of the unlucky ones, you won't see the amazing new features of Android.

I am one of those Desire HD owners, which despite being a top end phone of it's time and fully capable of supporting Android 4, is not ever going to be supported.

Here is how to manually upgrade.

1) First root your phone. The Advance Ace Kit is good for Desire HD
http://tau.shadowchild.nl/aahk

2) Then unlock your phone. Easy-S Off is good for Android 2.2 or lower
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=855403

3) Visit the xda forums and download a new img rom. I am using AOSP-4.2.1 which works really well!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2003273

4) Download the Rom and the google app zip files to your computer e.g.
Rom: http://downloads.codefi.re/synergy/codefireX-Ace/cfx_ace-4.2-BR4.zip
Apps: http://goo.im/devs/KonstantinKeller/mako/gapps/gapps-4.2-JOP40C-121116.zip

5) Connect your phone via USB cable and mount the SD card as a drive. Copy the two zip files onto the route and name the Rom as update.zip.

6) Reboot your phone in Recovery Mode and first select backup phone. After backing up the phones current files, select wipe data / factory reset

7) Now select apply update.zip and wait for the files to be extracted to your phone. Then hit reboot and do the same again to apply google apps zip file to your phone. Happy days