With HTC first saying that the HTC Desire HD will be getting an official update to Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) Android 4.0 then retracting their statement citing hardware limitations, the custom development community is who people have turned towards to get a fix of Android 4.0 ROMs, and a very cool custom Android 4.0 ROM has come out for the device.

Developed by XDA Recognized Developer nikhil007mmus, Nik Project X ROM is an ICS ROM that gives you all the features of Android 4.0 – including a visually appealing interface, faster stock browser, better mobile data management, improved notifications, face unlock, improved email etc – and also features the latest Sense 4 UI (even though HTC said Sense won’t run fine on the Desire HD on ICS) found on HTC’s One series of phones, along with lots of other cool features.

Here are some of the many features of the ROM:

  • Full Sense 4
  • Full Sense Weather lockscreen
  • Simple Quicksettings ( Click on the Carrier name to show up quick settings in notifications bar )
  • Cube animations like One X
  • Switch between Recent apps of ICS Style & Sense 4 style Recent apps by just long pressing on the Time on the Top Right.
  • Sense 4 lockscreens added (Wallpaper, Photo Album, Weather, People)
  • Stock HTC keyboard with Trace enabled
  • Stable, Fast and Optimised for Battery Life

Keep in mind that this is an unofficial custom ROM and while it is completely stable for every day use, it may have a few bugs. Continue reading to find out how the Nik Project X ROM can be installed on the Desire HD.

Compatibility

This ROM and the guide below are compatible only and only with the HTC Desire HD. It’s not compatible with any other device. Check your device model in Settings » About phone.

Warning!

The methods and procedures discussed here are considered risky and you should not attempt anything if you don’t know completely what it is. If any damage occurs to your device, we won’t be held liable.

How to Install Nik Project X ROM on Desire HD

  1. This procedure will wipe all your apps, data and settings (but it will NOT touch your SD cards, so don’t worry about those). Backup your Apps and important data — bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. This Android backup guide would help you.
    NOTE: Don’t forget to at least note down your network’s APN settings, which are required to make mobile data work. Go into Settings » More » Mobile Networks, click on the APN that is in use, then note down the setting for each field. While APN settings should be automatically restored from network, you can enter them manually if needed to make mobile data work.
  2. Make sure ClockworkMod recovery is installed on your phone.
  3. Download the latest version of the ROM from the development page.
  4. Copy the downloaded zip file from step 3 to the SD card.
  5. Turn off the phone, then boot into Clockworkmod recovery by simultaneously pressing and holding the Volume down button and the Power button. From the resulting HBOOT menu, press Volume down to select the Recovery option and press the Power button to activate it.
    In recovery, use Volume buttons to navigate and Power button to select items.
  6. Perform a Nandroid Backup of your existing ROM, so that you can always restore it from recovery if something does not work out with this ROM. To perform a backup, select Backup and Restore –> On the next screen, select Backup again. Go back to main recovery menu after backup is complete.
  7. Select wipe data/factory reset, then select Yes on next screen to confirm. Wait a while till the data wipe is complete.
  8. Select mounts and storage, then select format /system to format the system partition. Select Yes on next screen to confirm. Then, go back to the main recovery menu.
  9. Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the ROM file on the SD card and select it. Confirm installation by selecting Yes – Install _____.zip on the next screen.
  10. After a few seconds, the graphical installer will come up. Here, keep clicking the Next button and select Perform Wipe when given the option, then again keep clicking Next till the ROM starts installing.
  11. After ROM finishes installing and you get asked to reboot, select Yes to reboot the phone into Nik Project X ROM.

    NOTE: To go back to your previous ROM, boot into recovery (as given in step 5), select backup and restore then restore your previous ROM by selecting it from the list.

Nik Project X ROM, based on Android 4.0 is now installed and running on your HTC Desire HD. Visit the development page for more info and to get the latest updates on the ROM. Share your thoughts on the ROM in the comments.