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If you're the type to take risks and can't wait for Verizon's official over-the-air Android 2.1 update to reach your Motorola Droid, here are the instructions you need to update it manually.
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If you're the type to take risks and can't wait for Verizon's official over-the-air Android 2.1 update to reach your Motorola Droid, here are the instructions you need to update it manually.Do not attempt this if your Motorola Droid was company-issued. Seriously. Also, InformationWeek takes no responsibility if your Droid gets messed up. After all, you're the one who has to do all the hard work. If you can wait, the over-the-air update should roll out to all Droid users within the next several days.
The following set of instructions will only worked with non-rooted Droids. If you've already rooted your Droid, you'll need to un-root it and return it to its stock state. The non-rooted Droid runs Android 2.0.1 (ESD56).
Here's what you'll need to do:
Make sure that you don't have any past update.zip file located on your phone's microSD memory card. If there is one, delete it.
Download the new update.zip file using your PC and transfer it to the main root directory on the DROID's microSD memory card. Do NOT place it in any sub-directory or rename the file to something else.
Power the phone off.
Slide open the phone so you can see the keyboard.
Press-and-hold the letter X on the keyboard and press the Power button until the device powers on.
Continue to hold the Power and X button until the screen shows a triangle and exclamation mark.
Release the Power and X button.
Press the Volume UP *and* Camera buttons at the same time. Be sure to keep the phone open.
On the screen you will see several choices, use the d-pad on the keyboard to move down the list and select the "update.zip" file.
The update process will begin and will take a few minutes to load.
Once it is done, select the 1st option on the screen to Reboot the phone - NOT Factory Restore.
The phone will turn off and then restart, and the "DROID EYE" will show for about 2-5 minutes.
After the Home Screen loads, everything will be intact, including programs and settings.
Turn phone back off, remove the battery, wait 1 minute, replace battery and turn phone on.
Go into Settings, About Phone and scroll down. It should list Firmware version 2.1-update1, Build number ESE81.
This should work. Android 2.1 provides a number of new features for the Droid, including pinch-to-zoom in the browser, Google Goggles, new gallery application, new News and Weather widgets, and access to Google Earth.
[Via PhoneArena]
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