How to Install Android on HP Touchpad

Follow the following instructions to install a boot manager and Android on an HP Touchpad.  One benefit of Android is a larger application catalog in the Google "Play" store.

First complete the steps in this post.  Java and novacom will then be installed on the PC.

Download the following into a folder on the PC:

• ACMEInstaller2 is installer to run on PC.
• update-cm-9.0 is the Android OS (tenderloin).
• update-cwm is ClockworkMod custom recovery utility
• Moboot is the boot manager which allows different boot choices
• Google apps store is optional though desirable.  It is now known as Google Play.

On the PC, place file ACMEInstaller in the Novacom directory, like "c:\Program Files\Palm, Inc".

Connect the Touchpad to the PC and enable the USB drive.

Using the PC Windows Explorer or a command prompt, create a new folder on the Touchpad named cminstall.


Copy the other downloaded files from the PC to the cminstall folder on the Touchpad.

Restart the Touchpad and quickly press the up volume button so the Touchpad displays the big USB symbol.

On the PC:

• Open a command prompt then go to the "Palm, Inc" directory, typically "c:\Program Files\Palm, Inc"
• Type: novacom.exe boot mem:// < ACMEInstaller2

The Touchpad will display many lines of text for several minutes.  The Touchpad will restart and display the Moboot boot manager.

Install Android:

• Reboot the Touchpad.
• From the Moboot menu, choose ClockworkMod.
• Use the volume keys to choose the entry that says “install a zip from SDcard” and press the home button to select it.
• Using the volume button, highlight the Android (tenderloin) zip file.
• Scroll to select yes.

If desired, install Google Play:

• Copy the Google apps zip file from the PC to a folder on the Touchpad OR within Android open the web browser and download the file.
• Reboot the Touchpad.
• From the Moboot menu, choose ClockworkMod.
• Use the volume keys to choose the entry that says “install a zip from SDcard” and press the home button to select it.
• Using the volume button, highlight the zip file.
• Scroll to select yes.

To boot in Android from the Moboot menu, choose "boot CyanogenMod".

How to Fix a Hung HP Touchpad and Modify the Kernel

HP Touchpad developed a problem booting.  The HP logo would display forever, and it would never boot.  Multiple hard resets (press power key + home key for 15 seconds) did not fix it.

I used HP's support documents and their "Web OS Doctor" and was able to fix the Touchpad.  It then connected to the online backup and restored most of the applications and settings.  Upon reboot, it again hung with the HP logo.  Several times I redid everything and was disappointed that it would hang on reboot.  Never shutting down or rebooting is not a viable long term solution.



Use HP WebOS Doctor to fix a Touchpad 

• Verify a recent Java is installed on your PC.  This may be done in the Windows control panel.
• Log in to your HP account and download WebOS Doctor.
• Place Touchpad in USB mode by simultaneously pressing power and home buttons for 15 seconds.  When the Touchpad restarts, quickly press and hold the volume up button. 
• Run WebOS Doctor on the PC.  It will prompt when to plug in the tablet.

• Enter WiFi settings
• WebOS will prompt for logon credentials for the HP website, and will reinstall applications and many of the settings.

Enable WebOS enhancements
This will allow installation of enhancements to do things like increase CPU speed.  I was able to install these, though upon reboot it would hang with HP logo.

• Verify a recent Java is installed on your PC.  This may be done in the Windows control panel.
• Novacom allows for Touchpad USB communication with the PC.  Download novacom and install it.  On both a Vista and XP PC, the install hung.  This turned out to not be a problem, as the proper files had been installed.

• Test the novacom install by starting a command prompt, going to the novacom directory, and running the program.

• Enable developer mode by entering webos20090606 in the "Just Type" box in WebOS.  Leave the password blank.
• Plug the Touchpad in to the PC.  Do not enter USB mode.  The PC drivers will be installed.

• On the PC, download webosquickinstall 
• On the PC, run the webosquickinstall jar.

• Press the globe icon that is on the right-hand side of the webosquickinstall application.
• In the search box, type preware and install it.

• On the PC, close the webosquickinstall application.
• On the Touchpad, go to the downloads folder.
• Open preware
• Click yes to associate files
• Install UberKernel

• On the PC, run the webosquickinstall jar.
• Press the globe button.
• Search for application Govnah and install it.
• Search for application UberKernel and install it.
• On the PC, close the webosquickinstall application.
• Restart the Touchpad.
• Run the new application.