Thanks to a new method of rooting, the HTC Desire HD is now permanently rootable! It's not an easy one-click solution like we mentioned for some other devices early today, but it's no more difficult than the T-Mobile G2 root.

To get started you'll need to enable USB debugging by going to Settings, Applications, Development, and checking the appropriate box.

The normal warnings and disclaimers about voiding your warranty and potentially bricking your phone apply. You've been warned.

  1. Head to the Android Market, download and install the latest version of VISIONary

  2. Run VISIONary

  3. Assuming you've got the Android SDK (and its prerequisites), and the USB drivers for your Desire HD installed, connect your phone to your computer via USB

  4. Download the files mentioned in the XDA-Developers thread to the tools folder in the Android SDK folder on your computer

  5. Open a command prompt with administrative privileges and navigate to the folder mentioned in step 4

  6. type adb shell (enter), which should give you a # prompt

  7. Type su (enter), on your phone's screen you may be prompted to allow superuser access, after doing so your prompt should give you a # prompt again

  8. Type uname -a (enter) and note the information that is returned

  9. Type adb push wp(version).ko /sdcard (enter), replacing "(version)" corresponds with the information from step 8.

  10. Type insmod /sdcard/wp-(version).ko (enter)

  11. Type adb push hboot_dhd.nb0 /data/local (enter)

  12. Type dd if=/sdcard/hboot_eng.nb0 of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p18 (enter)

  13. Type dd if=/sdcard/recovery.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p21 (enter) (WARNING: DOUBLE CHECK THE PARTITION or you'll have a brick)

  14. Type push su /sdcard/ (enter)

  15. Type push Superuser.apk /sdcard/ (enter)

  16. Type copy su /system/bin/ (enter)

  17. Type copy Superuser.apk /system/app/ (enter)

  18. Type chmod 4755 /system/bin/su (enter)

  19. Type reboot (enter)

Once that's done, you can check if you have permaroot by opening a Terminal Emulator on your phone and typing su (enter) at the prompt. Allow superuser access if requested, and your prompt should change from a $ to a # . If it does, you're permarooted.

Source: XDA-Developers