So in the past few weeks, we’ve seen quite a few Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) Android 4.0 RUU (Rom Update Utility) leaks for various HTC devices, including the RUUs for the upcoming HTC One Series phones. This let people get a taste of ICS on their devices without having to wait for the official ICS updates, and the RUUs were even ported to other HTC devices.

Those owning the AT&T HTC Vivid will be happy to know that an official Ice Cream Sandwich RUU has been leaked for it, which you can use to update your phone to the ICS firmware that will eventually be released by AT&T/HTC officially. The leak of the RUU should result in quite a few custom ROMs based on it get released for the Vivid in the coming days.

Read on to find out how you can update your HTC Vivid to Ice Cream Sandwich.

Compatibility

This ROM and the guide below are compatible only and only with the AT&T HTC Vivid. It’s not compatible with any other device. Check your phone version in Settings » About.

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.

Pre-Installation Requirements

  • IMPORTANT! You MUST have a locked bootloader, as well as stock recovery installed on your phone. Custom recoveries can cause problems.
  • Sufficiently charged battery, at least 50% is recommended.
  • Enable USB Debugging on phone. Settings > Applications >Development >USB debugging.
  • Disable Fastboot. Settings > Power > Fastboot.
  • Delete any/all PG58IMG.zip file/s from your external sdcard.
  • Back up all personal data.
  • HTC drivers installed. Get them HERE.

How To Update HTC Vivid to Ice Cream Sandwich

  1. Download the RUU from the official thread on XDA to your PC.
  2. If your phone is rooted, download & install OTA Rootkeeper from the Google Play Store (Android Market formerly) and run it on your phone. This will create a backup of your root, which you can restore after the update.
  3. After making sure you have done all of the things listed in pre-installation tips, power off your phone, and boot to bootloader (Vol Down + Power). You should see hboot and fastboot highlighted on the screen.
  4. Now connect the phone to PC via USB cable, and launch the RUU .exe file on the PC.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions on your PC, to update your device firmware.
  6. After the firmware update is complete, detach the phone from the PC, and set it up.
  7. Now visit the Android market and download the OTA Rootkeeper app again. Launch the app, and select Restore Root. This will restore the root you backed up in Step 2.
  8. Download the Superuser app from the Google Play Store and install  it. Launch the Superuser app, go to preferences, and scroll down to update the su binary.
  9. That’s it. You should now be running the new ICS firmware with root access regained.

The leaked official Ice Cream Sandwich update is now up and running on your AT&T HTC Vivid. Do let us know what you think of the update, in the comments below.