[HD2 Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting and Genera] tsrzealot:
LauncherPro - How it spoiled my morning :mad:

Hey guys, I don't know if you're experiencing the same thing, but since we're all shubcraft users, I was guessing it's not just me.

So yesterday evening I lost my connection while I was trying to update some market apps. Therefore, I turned off the connection in order to trun it back on later. But then I forgot all about it and went to sleep.

This morning when I woke up (and woke up my phone ;)), I got the message "This version of LauncherPro has expired. Please go to http://launcherpro.com/ to get the latest version". The browser was opened, but since I had turned off my data connection last night, I couldn't access the page. Everytime I push the home-button, I get the same LauncherPro message again.

Way to go LauncherPro devs, way to lock me out of my home screen... seriously, dudes...

Here's what I did (and what you can do) in order to solve the problem (since I had no way of accessing the settings in order to turn on the data connection again):

Download the appropriate Android SDK for your OS from http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html

Unzip it anywhere you want

Run SDK Manager.exe

(I actually don't know if I actually had to do the following, but since I'm not a developer, I didn't know if it was necessary or not) Download the SDK Platform Android 2.2

Download the USB Driver package, revision 3 (this one is necessary)

Plug your phone into your computer via USB

When asked for drivers, get to the point where you can specify the directory, choose the directory to which you unzipped the SDK and then the sub-directory "usb_driver" --> let Windows install the driver

Go to http://code.google.com/p/adw-launcher-android/downloads/list and download the appropriate ADW Launcher, I chose ADW.Launcher_v1.1.5_cm6.apk, so that should be fine for you guys, too

For easier installation, copy the downloaded file in the "tools" directory of the Android SDK directory

Open a Windows command prompt (e.g. enter "cmd" in the vista search bar and hit enter)

Go to the directory where you unzipped the SDK (e.g. if you unzipped it to your desktop, it should simply be "cd desktop --> enter --> cd android-sdk-windows --> enter; of course only in case the command prompt automatically starts out as .../users/your Username; I hope you get the point ;))

Type the following and hit enter: "adb install ADW.Launcher_v1.1.5_cm6.apk" (or whatever name you gave the downloaded ADW Launcher apk-file)

Now you should be able to choose ADW launcher when you press the home button and do whatever you like

This is, of course, a pretty messy workaround. I have not been able to replace, update, uninstall or however manipulate LauncherPro, God knows why. E.g., using "adb shell" and then "cd /data/apps" --> "ls" (in order to find out how the LauncherPro package is called, let's assume it's LauncherPro-0.8.1.0.apk) --> "pm uninstall LauncherPro-0.8.1.0.apk" --> simply gives me the error message "Failure". Looking for the freshly downloaded LauncherPro apk from their website, which I put into the "AndroidApps" folder of my "Android" directory on my SD-Card" and opening it in Astro File Manager of course gives me some options. When I open it with the App Manager and choose "Deinstall", "Upgrade" or whatever always gives me failures. Trying to install the package via adb won't work either (giving me the error [INSTALL_FAILED_ALREADY_EXISTS]; when trying adb install -r LP.apk giving me [INSTALL_PARSE_FAILED_INCONSISTENT_CERTIFICATES] instead). I'm guessing it's because it's "cooked" into the build?

So, I hope this helps the ones who are experiencing the same problems to at least get their phone up and running again.

Nonetheless, does anyone know how to remove/upgrade LauncherPro? I was not planning on stopping to use it.

BTW, if any of my steps are noobish and/or way to complicated or whatever, please don't flame me ;) I've tried to find a solution on my own and I'm pretty proud of myself for figuring out the whole SDK and remote stuff I did there ;)

But I am more than open for suggestions on how to do better!

EDIT: Ok, I managed to delete the existing LauncherPro that is cooked into the build. I opened Terminal Emulator, typed "cd /system/app" --> enter --> "rm LauncherPro.apk" --> enter. "ls" showed me that it was, in fact, removed. But when I try to install it fresh from the market, I get an error message saying something like "not a compatible Udate" (the error message is in German, so I had to translate it ;))... wtf this is bugging the hell out of me

EDIT2: After having done what I described in Edit1, I rebootet the phone. Mysteriously, LauncherPro was on my phone again and running (not anymore giving me the message about being expired), but the nice dock symbols for sms, browser and such are gone (the ones you see when looking at "minimal hybrid" on the first page)... and the homescreens have resetted, too. I wasn't expecting them to be the same before LauncherPro deceided to quit on me, but it's still annoying as hell.

EDIT3: OK, figured that one out as well ;) Somewhere along the way, I had put the downloaded LauncherPro-0.8.1.0.apk in the Android/AndroidApps folder, so it probably got installed automatically once the one cooked into the system was gone. Once I deleted that one again using adb (see original method in my post), I was finally able to install it fresh from the market (which, in combination with auto-update feature of the market should now take care of the app's expiring)! Nonetheless, I would like those buttons back. They're not there anymore when I select to change the icons and then "LauncherPro Icons" as they used to be. Anyway, following these steps and delting all leftovers of the expired LauncherPro should enable you to install it without taking the detour of installing ADWLauncher...