May NOT work for 2.3.3, if attempting on 2.3.3 use old part 1! - Will wipe all data though
Windows ONLY!
Hey guys, rooted my Nexus S today, and decided to write a thorough, detailed guide on how I did it, as none of the guides I had found had everything detailed. I came across a few problems, and all of this is in the guide. I successfully completed it on my Nexus S running 2.3.2, so any version below that will also work.
The original guide was made by AllGamer, and can be found here. I followed this guide, and added things when I found it was needed
The full guide with everything (including links, pictures) can be found on my site, Complete Android.
New info: Upon finding another thread over at XDA (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=931865) it has been realized that you can root your Nexus S without unlocking the bootloader, and therefore not loosing your data on the SD card. Part 1 for the new method is still the same, but choose the new Part 2!
WARNING: Rooting your device will wipe all data off it, so you will loose EVERYTHING! Make sure you backup all important data first. Only applies to old Part 2 (fastboot oem unlock method), but it is still a good idea to backup important information!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you will need:
Nexus S (obviously)
Android 2.3 SDK
USB Cable
PDAnet (for drivers)
Clockwork Recovery Image
Superuser
Part 1
Download the Android 2.3 SDK (or direct from Google here, 32MB).
Once it has finished downloading, unzip it, and run the SDK manager.
Select whatever components you wish to install, but you MUST make sure you install Google USB Driver (Available packages > Third party Add-ons > Google Inc. Add-ons > Google Usb Driver package, revision 4) otherwise this guide will not work!
We must now install the Google USB Driver, or the phone will not be recognised as a device other than a mass storage device.
Connect your Nexus S to your computer, and put it in USB storage mode.
Put it in USB Debugging Mode (Settings > Applications > Development > USB Debugging)
Windows should now recognise your Nexus S when you plug it in, and ask to install drivers. It probably won’t find anything, so we need to help it manually.
(Installing drivers manually varies between Windows versions, so please refer to http://developer.android.com/sdk/win-usb.html if you are having trouble). Launch Device Manager (you can find it in Control Panel), find Other Devices, and listed under that heading, you should find Nexus S. Right click, and select Update Driver Software. Click Browse my computer for driver software, find your SDK folder, then the google-usb_driver folder inside it, click OK, then Next. This should install the USB driver successfully. Reboot your computer.
Power off your Nexus S, connect it to your computer via USB cable, and boot it into the Bootloader Interface (you can do so by holding down the Power and Volume Up buttons at the same time).
It should say LOCK STATE – LOCKED, in white just above the green Android. You are now ready to move on!
Part 2 - Fastboot oem unlock method - WIPES ALL DATA!
We now need to install PDAnet on our PC so that Windows can see our Nexus S when we are using the Command Prompt. Install PDAnet from here, select Samsung when asked about the Manufacturer, allow the driver to be installed (because the driver is unverified, don’t worry about this!). Follow along with any other instructions. You should be set now.
With the latest SDK version, some tools have been relocated to another directory, so we need to make a copy and move them back. Navigate to the directory where you unzipped the Android SDK file in part 1. Inside it, go to the platform-tools folder, and copy both AdbWinApi.dll and AdbWinUsbApi.dll. Go back to the main Android SDK directory and find the tools folder. Paste these two files in there, and we are all ready to use ‘fastboot oem unlock’ (the rooting command) now.
Open a command prompt window (Start > Run > cmd.exe).
Change to the tools directory within your Android SDK folder by using the following command (without the quotes and replacing *YOUR SDK* with the path to your Android SDK folder) ‘cd c:\*YOUR SDK*\tools’.
Make sure your Nexus S is still in the Bootloader Interface (refer to step 9, part 1 of it isn’t).
Now in the command prompt, type in (without the quotes) ‘fastboot oem unlock’.
Now turn your attention to the phone, and read through the new information displayed on the screen. Using the Volume keys select Yes, then press the Power button. This will WIPE EVERYTHING! I bear no responsibility for any lost data on your phone!
If everything is successful, on your phone, the LOCK STATE should now read UNLOCKED, and on your computer, the command prompt window should say something like this:
Download the Clockwork Recovery image (here if you don’t already have it) to your Android SDK tools folder (*Android SDK*\tools).
Rename the newly downloaded Clockwork Recovery image to ‘recovery.img’ (no quotes).
Now we need to flash it to our Nexus S, so enter this command into the Command Prompt (make sure it is in the Androis SDK tools folder!) ‘fastboot flash recovery recovery.img’ (without the quotes).
If all is successful, the Command Prompt window should look something like this now:
Download the superuser app to the Android SDK tools folder.
Power on your Nexus S, leaving it connected to USB.
Mount the USB storage, and drag and drop the superuser .zip file you just downloaded into the root of the internal SD card (so Computer > *Device Name*, not in any other folders!). It should look something like this:
Power off the Nexus S, and return to the Bootloader Interface (step 9, part 1).
Select Recovery using the Volume buttons, then the Power button.
The phone should reboot into Clockwork Recovery, but if not don’t panic, just repeat steps 9-12, including downloading a new copy of the file (mine only worked the second time around, don’t worry!)
Using the Volume buttons and Power button, select install zip from sdcard.
Select choose zip from sdcard.
Select the su-version#-signed.zip file you downloaded earlier and apply it.
Select yes (there are lots of nos).
Confirm it says something like this: install from sdcard complete
Select Go Back.
Select Reboot. (You will now also have an unlocked padlock when you boot up)
Done! You now have to set up your phone again like when you first got it, but it will be rooted now.
New Part 2 - Does NOT wipe everything - Keeps a locked bootloader
Make sure Part 1 is completed.
Make sure you have downloaded the Clockwork Recovery file and the Superuser file.
Move the Clockwork Recovery file to your tools folder within the Android SDK folder, and rename it to recovery.img (for simplicity).
Connect your Nexus S via USB to your computer and mount it as USB storage. Copy across the Superuser file to the top level of your sdcard. (So the first window you see, not in any other folders. The sdcard is just where all the files are stored, don't worry about it too much for now).
We now need to install PDAnet on our PC so that Windows can see our Nexus S when we are using the Command Prompt. Install PDAnet from here, select Samsung when asked about the Manufacturer, allow the driver to be installed (because the driver is unverified, don't worry about this!). Follow along with any other instructions. You should be set now.
With the latest SDK version, some tools have been relocated to another directory, so we need to make a copy and move them back. Navigate to the directory where you unzipped the Android SDK file in part 1. Inside it, go to the platform-tools folder, and copy both AdbWinApi.dll and AdbWinUsbApi.dll. Go back to the main Android SDK directory and find the tools folder. Paste these two files in there, and we are all ready to use 'fastboot boot' (the boot image command) now.
Open a command prompt window (Start > Run > cmd.exe).
Change to the tools directory within your Android SDK folder by using the following command (without the quotes and replacing *YOUR SDK* with the path to your Android SDK folder) 'cd c:\*YOUR SDK*\tools'.
Make sure your Nexus S is still in the Bootloader Interface (refer to step 9, part 1 of it isn't).
We now need to use the 'fastboot boot' command to load Clockwork Recovery onto our Nexus S. In the command prompt, type in the following (but without the quotes, as always) 'fastboot boot recovery.img'
Once you are in Clockwork Recovery (it may take a couple of tries, don't panic, just redownload Clockwork Recovery, and complete steps 3 and 10, part 2) it should look something like this:
Using the Volume buttons and Power button, select install zip from sdcard.
Select choose zip from sdcard.
Select the su-version#-signed.zip file you downloaded earlier and apply it.
Select yes (there are lots of nos).
Confirm it says something like this: install from sdcard complete
Select Go Back.
Select Reboot.
Done! You should still have all your data present on your phone, and have root access!
Notes
As AllGamer said in his tutorial:
It’s normal to lose the recovery after the reboot, the steps to flash the CW recovery needs to be repeated every time you want to access the CW recovery.
This is due the build in protection in 2.3
As some one pointed it out on another topic, the good thing about this is that you’ll never lose the stock recovery of 2.3, thus minimizing the chance of a bricked phone.
If you want to the CW recovery to remain permanently, you’ll need to rename /etc/install-recovery.sh to something thing else
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep this in mind! It's not because you did something wrong
Also, some root apps require BusyBox to be installed, as I found out with Titanium Backup, so once you set up your Nexus S again, head on into the Market, and download BusyBox. It installed fine on my Nexus S this way, and now TB works fine.
I hope this is the best, most thorough guide you will find on rooting the Nexus S. Enjoy! Feedback is appreciated, and I will help out if you need any extra help.
Your guide has been wonderful however I'm stuck on part 2, step 4. I tried writing in the path to my directory and they keep giving me whatever I wrote in the command prompt "is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file"
"Change to the tools directory within your Android SDK folder by using the following command (without the quotes and replacing *YOUR SDK* with the path to your Android SDK folder) ‘cd c:\*YOUR SDK*\tools’."
This is how my command prompt looks like when I first open it. "C:\Users\Du>"
and this is what I typed in the command prompt: "Downloads\android-sdk_r09-windows\android-sdk-windows"
^^^I did exactly what you said above and nothing is happening. I don't know whether I'm writing in the directory wrong or what. Please help me out thanks
Your guide is nice, however as shown in distortedloop's stickied Root & Recovery thread, fastboot oem unlock is not required for rooting & flashing. We no longer have to lose all our sdcard data when first rooting and/or flashing a ROM.
Other than that, this seems to be a nice amendment of Allgamer's sticked root & recovery thread. I'm sure it will be useful to many.
STARSCR33M said:
This is how my command prompt looks like when I first open it. "C:\Users\Du>"
and this is what I typed in the command prompt: "Downloads\android-sdk_r09-windows\android-sdk-windows"
^^^I did exactly what you said above and nothing is happening. I don't know whether I'm writing in the directory wrong or what. Please help me out thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so if you want to change directories in the command prompt, you need to use the command
Code:
cd
So in your case I would type in
Code:
cd c:\Users\Du\Downloads\android-sdk_r09-windows\android-sdk-windows\tools
That way is fool proof, however you could take a shortcut, because you are already in the Users/Du folder (because of how it looks when you first open it), you could just type in
Code:
cd Downloads\android-sdk_r09-windows\android-sdk-windows\tools
Hope that helps
ravidavi said:
Your guide is nice, however as shown in distortedloop's stickied Root & Recovery thread, fastboot oem unlock is not required for rooting & flashing. We no longer have to lose all our sdcard data when first rooting and/or flashing a ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think this way is a cleaner approach personally, but hey choice is good That's what Android is all about
EDIT: New approach added, now there is choice and easyness for all
Other than that, this seems to be a nice amendment of Allgamer's sticked root & recovery thread. I'm sure it will be useful to many.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
Jonathon Grigg said:
I think this way is a cleaner approach personally, but hey choice is good That's what Android is all about
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure that wiping all your data pointlessly is "cleaner."
It's not even clear what exactly the oem unlock of the bootloader really does for us, since you can get into clockwork recovery without that step. Once you're in clockwork you pretty much own the phone. I'll be interested to see if someone can use clockwork to flash a new boot image once rooted without the unlock; if so I can't see any reason to unlock the bootloader. That said, mine is unlocked, and I like it that way, but many won't root for fear of losing data on the phone.
Even if you end up having to do the oem unlock in the long run for some activities you want to do, it seems that rooting, then installing Titanium and backing up your apps and app data fully is a better way to go than just losing all your data (any app that doesn't store its data on the sdcard) that can't be backed up without root would be a lot less painful than WIPING everything on the phone, including the sdcard.
It's not worth arguing about, but I think any method that is including the oem unlock step should at least mention that that step can be skipped. How many people will go through the pain of a wipe that they didn't need to because they didn't see that there was an option without it. I guess that's there own fault for not doing enough searching on their own...
Anyways, nice and thorough effort. I'm sure many will benefit from your additions to AllGamer's tutorial.
distortedloop said:
I'm not sure that wiping all your data pointlessly is "cleaner."
It's not even clear what exactly the oem unlock of the bootloader really does for us, since you can get into clockwork recovery without that step.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been wondering that myself. My guess is that for the average user you don't need to, but maybe it's for real power users who build their own ROM which has been fully modded or something, I'm not sure.
but many won't root for fear of losing data on the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I definitely agree with that, and your guide is probably the best way for those people!
Even if you end up having to do the oem unlock in the long run for some activities you want to do, it seems that rooting, then installing Titanium and backing up your apps and app data fully is a better way to go than just losing all your data (any app that doesn't store its data on the sdcard) that can't be backed up without root would be a lot less painful than WIPING everything on the phone, including the sdcard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, this is one of the better uses for both methods. I already had to wipe my phone twice due to Samsung CS so I'm used to it Although it does give you a chance to clear out the apps you don't need. Doing that I noticed better battery life on my phone.
It's not worth arguing about, but I think any method that is including the oem unlock step should at least mention that that step can be skipped. How many people will go through the pain of a wipe that they didn't need to because they didn't see that there was an option without it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wasn't going to argue I'm happy to adjust my tut to include something about this, after all it was aimed at more beginners.
EDIT: Added a new part to my tutorial based on your guide, just includes some more detail. Thanks again.
Thanks distortedloop
This is awesome cause i relocked my bootloader i really just needed root. Thanks!
Edit oops lost track of tabs open.
I think we can use this method to unlock oem without wiping data.
boot cw -> full backup -> unlock and flash cw (wipes data) -> restore backup (got ur data back and oem unlocked)
the only problem i can think of is that restoring backup would re-lock oem again but i am not sure of that.
i can't try this right now but if someone could, please give feedback.
Jonathon Grigg said:
I wasn't going to argue I'm happy to adjust my tut to include something about this, after all it was aimed at more beginners.
EDIT: Added a new part to my tutorial based on your guide, just includes some more detail. Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nicely done. Thanks.
sam4free said:
I think we can use this method to unlock oem without wiping data.
boot cw -> full backup -> unlock and flash cw (wipes data) -> restore backup (got ur data back and oem unlocked)
the only problem i can think of is that restoring backup would re-lock oem again but i am not sure of that.
i can't try this right now but if someone could, please give feedback.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I suggesting a couple of posts above (root without unlock to at least make a backup of user data).
Restoring a titanium backup would not re-lock the phone. A nandroid restore might, depends on what all it imaged and restores, but it's so easy to re-root, that doesn't seem like a big deal.
Jonathon Grigg said:
Download the Android 2.3 SDK (or direct from Google here, 32MB).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like you forgot to add the link in your copy pasta.
AtomicPC said:
Looks like you forgot to add the link in your copy pasta.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been working on it I just wanted to get it up here as soon as I could That's why I mentioned that the full guide is available on my website. I'm going back to school today, so I don't really have too much time for changing links now. Besides, most people on XDA should know how to look at the 'What's needed' part
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Jonathon,
Thank you for posting this detailed guide to rooting without losing your data! I do have a question. As you've probably heard, there are a few updates coming soon and if they are like they were on the N1, they always broke root. So getting root back was tricky unless I "unrooted" before applying the update. Using your method, is it easy to "unroot"? Thanks!
No problems
As for your problem, I never actually had a N1 so I don't exactly know why that would happen. So far from the 2 updates available to NS owners it seems like the OTA update does break root but it appears to be the same to get it back again. Can someone confirm this? I haven't been through an update with my root yet.
As for unrooting, if you haven't unlocked the bootloader (so you have followed the new part 2) I think it is just a case of finding a stock image (I think there's a GRH78 one around here somewhere) and booting into Clockwork Recovery and flashing it. That should remove root and then also give you a notice to install the GRH78C OTA update so you get the latest version.
I think that is what you meant? If you did unlock the bootloader (using the original part 2) then I think you just have to follow the same steps as I mentioned just then but afterwards go back into the bootloader interface and run 'fastboot oem lock' and it should be right.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Question on Part 2- step 1.
Code:
# We now need to install PDAnet on our PC so that Windows can see our Nexus S when we are using the Command Prompt. Install PDAnet from here, select Samsung when asked about the Manufacturer, allow the driver to be installed (because the driver is unverified, don’t worry about this!). Follow along with any other instructions. You should be set now.
Why above step is required if one already installed USB Driver for Nexus S and "ADB devices" command can find the device ?
On Allgamer thread didnt ask to repeat installing USB driver ?
What purpose for the pdanet driver ?
I dont want to put redundant drivers into my system which may interfere each other during flashing process.
hmanxx said:
Why above step is required if one already installed USB Driver for Nexus S and "ADB devices" command can find the device ?
On Allgamer thread didnt ask to repeat installing USB driver ?
What purpose for the pdanet driver ?
I dont want to put redundant drivers into my system which may interfere each other during flashing process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I tried to use the fastboot command with my Nexus S connected, it would hang and not do anything, despite leaving it for about 5 minutes. I searched online, and found the PDAnet solution, so I don't know what the difference is exactly. All I found the Google SDK USB drivers to do is enable you to see your device in Device Manager, however you could try it without the PDAnet drivers, and let me know what happens!
Thanks
Thanks for the prompt reply.. I tried out the google driver..it doesnt work under fastboot. I eventually get the fastboot enabled driver..that could explain why the pdanet driver required.
After i installed the fastboot enabled driver, i could test the connectivity under fastboot with "fastboot devices"
thanks going to try out rooting..i just want simple root access..without wiping data is a ++ ..
I managed to run fastboot boot recovery.img...going into clockwork menu..apply the superuser.zip.(for froyo version)..till completion..no word of failure..
However after rebooting, su and SuperUser.apk are not installed.( I used adb to check the system/app and system/bin folder.
Edit- manage to root properly after system mounting .
Just a note..to properly complete the rooting, one need to apply mounting then mount system before applying the Superuser.zip install from sdcard.
Prior to step 11, you may want to add the following steps for folks having problem to get the superuser.zip to install properly.
Originally Posted by droidmage
So all you guys who are having trouble getting root inside the rom, When your in recovery before you flash the superuser.zip file select -- mounts and storage -- then --mount /system -- then flash the .zip file and reboot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the extra bit of info, I will attempt to add that in when I get a bit more time on my hands. when I did it it seemed to work fine so thanks for discovering that!
Enjoy your rooted phone
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
This release has been out in the wild for several days now for the Rezound. Everyone who has gotten it to work reports root lasting much longer than previous methods. I am glad that it is working out for others. This should also work on other devices, such as the Vivid and that is why I am posting it here. There is nothing about it that makes it work specifically for the Rezound.
It still uses zergrush and absolutely does not provide any other capability than other temp roots. (Although some people have reported root apps see root better so it might actually be better). The only difference is I have the things relating to root (ie su,busybox, etc) stored in a ramdisk that lasts alot longer (I have not seen of a report of it being lost before a reboot yet) than things "written" or linked to /system. This is because we still have /system write locked so when we write things to it (like the original zergrush implementation) it gets forgotten after while.
Your mileage may vary. I am obviously not responsible for bricks, data loss, etc if you use this. I and others have used it for about a week and it has been fine.
To use:
0) Make sure superuser isn't installed
1) Reboot phone (full reboot), make sure usb debugging is on.
2) Plug in phone in charge only mode to PC.
3) Kill everything in the built in task manager, then go back to the rosie home screen.
4) Extract zip and doubleclick temproot.bat
5) There is a 20 second time out at the beginning just in case you forgot to plug in your phone, etc so you have time to cancel the process before it starts. To skip it just hit enter on the keyboard or wait the 20 seconds.
6) Hit the thanks button (bottom left of this post) if you like it!
Let me know if you like it better or if something bad happens so I can take it down. Lets hope we get S-Off soon and don't have to deal with this temp root **** anymore.
Troubleshooting:
1) Bootlooping? Pull the battery. If you still are boot looping, an RUU restore may be necessary. I believe this has only happened to one user and it was likely a result of something that was done AFTER root and not directly caused by this program.
2) Just not working? Reboot both your PC and Phone. If ADB cannot see your phone, it is not a fault of the program. If you haven't gotten other temp root methods to work, it is likely this one won't either.
con247 said:
This release has been out in the wild for several days now for the Rezound. Everyone who has gotten it to work reports root lasting much longer than previous methods. I am glad that it is working out for others. This should also work on other devices, such as the Vivid and that is why I am posting it here. There is nothing about it that makes it work specifically for the Rezound.
It still uses zergrush and absolutely does not provide any other capability than other temp roots. (Although some people have reported root apps see root better so it might actually be better). The only difference is I have the things relating to root (ie su,busybox, etc) stored in a ramdisk that lasts alot longer (I have not seen of a report of it being lost before a reboot yet) than things "written" or linked to /system. This is because we still have /system write locked so when we write things to it (like the original zergrush implementation) it gets forgotten after while.
Your mileage may vary. I am obviously not responsible for bricks, data loss, etc if you use this. I and others have used it for about a week and it has been fine.
To use:
0) Make sure superuser isn't installed
1) Reboot phone (full reboot), make sure usb debugging is on.
2) Plug in phone in charge only mode to PC.
3) Kill everything in the built in task manager, then go back to the rosie home screen.
4) Extract zip and doubleclick temproot.bat
5) There is a 20 second time out at the beginning just in case you forgot to plug in your phone, etc so you have time to cancel the process before it starts. To skip it just hit enter on the keyboard or wait the 20 seconds.
6) Hit the thanks button (bottom left of this post) if you like it!
Let me know if you like it better or if something bad happens so I can take it down. Lets hope we get S-Off soon and don't have to deal with this temp root **** anymore.
Troubleshooting:
1) Bootlooping? Pull the battery. If you still are boot looping, an RUU restore may be necessary. I believe this has only happened to one user and it was likely a result of something that was done AFTER root and not directly caused by this program.
2) Just not working? Reboot both your PC and Phone. If ADB cannot see your phone, it is not a fault of the program. If you haven't gotten other temp root methods to work, it is likely this one won't either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just don't execute the program again after you have done it once, or it will boot loop the vivid to high hell. And you'll have to do a factory reset.
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using xda premium
Did that just happen to you? There is a 20 second timeout for a reason...
Is there a possibility in making a Mac or Linux friendly version?
Thank
Drew
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using xda premium
drewdatrip said:
Is there a possibility in making a Mac or Linux friendly version?
Thank
Drew
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you know how to use adb on Mac or Linux you can just run the equivalent command one by one
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA App
Code:
timeout /T 20
adb shell rm /data/local/tmp/boomsh
adb shell rm /data/local/tmp/sh
adb push zergRush /data/local/
adb shell chmod 755 /data/local/zergRush
adb shell /data/local/zergRush
adb wait-for-device
adb shell sleep 1
adb remount
adb shell mkdir /system/xbin
adb shell mount -t tmpfs none /system/xbin
adb push busybox /system/xbin
adb shell chmod 4755 /system/xbin/busybox
adb push su /system/xbin/su
adb shell chmod 4755 /system/xbin/su
adb shell cd /system/xbin
adb shell /system/xbin/busybox --install -s /system/xbin
adb install Superuser.apk
Does nothing different from the original scripts that were posted here a month ago.
Read my OP bud. I have downloaded all of the ones posted in your Vivid section and made sure. This one stores the root to a ramdisk that lasts until a reboot instead of /system rw mount going away after a short time.
I had a problem pushing this to the phone at first. Then I made sure the screen didnt time out and everything worked fine for me....just a little FYI incase someone runs into this problem as well.
Thanks
Didn't work for me.
I followed the instructions to the letter, and when I ran the batch file, there was no 20-second wait; it started immediately. It found the phone, went through the "sending speedbots" or whatever, and then rebooted the phone. It then re-ran ADB with "wait-for-phone" and the phone got stuck in a bootloop. I kept it connected to the PC and did a battery pull, and as the Beats Audio logo came up during boot, the command window on my PC flashed some more text and then closed. I let the phone completely boot and tried to run Titanium Backup and I get an error indicating it doesn't have root access. Any thoughts?
BTW - running Windows XP on a Dell Optiplex 755 with 4GB of RAM.
UPDATE - I tried performing the whole process again, and it ran for about 10 seocnds then just closed. So, I tried again, and it went through the process, up to rebooting my phone and indicating "wait-for-device," but the phone never completely shut down; it hung at that shutdown point where the entire screen is black but you can see a bit of lighting. So I did another battery pull and turned the phone on again, and after about 15 seconds, the command window scrolled a bunch more stuff and then closed and the phone continued to boot. It did manage to boot this time without a battery pull and no loops, and SU is there, but when I run Titanium Backup, I still get a "phone not rooted" error.
Looks like I'm waiting for perm root. Thanks for your work though. I'm glad it worked for others. Viva la Android!!!!
FYI: I did disable bloatware using a script, within the same command prompt window right after achieving temporary root.
The bloatware APPS and widgets remain disabled even after full reboots, including a battery pull.
I'm very grateful to temporary root, since it allows to disable most of the pre-installed bloatware.
Went from bad to worse.
I ran this on my phone last night, and even though it didn't temp root my phone, it still ran fine for the rest of the night and all day today. I decided to reboot the phone before I went to bed and now I am stuck in some kind of loop. The phone actually boots to the lock screen, and I can unlock it, but some of the icons on my homescreen don't load and the phone becomes unresponsive after about 10 seconds and then reboots. It's done this about 10 times and a battery pull does not resolve the issue. Help?
Have you tried a factory reset ? After that it may allow you to run the temp root. At least that is what happened once when I tried it.
Well through trial and error, I have found out several things...
1. The temp root that comes with the Rezound Clean Tool is the only temp root tool I can get to work.
2. Even if you have BT turned on before using the Rezound Clean Tool, turning it off permanently disables it until a reboot is done.
3. It is common for the Rezound to suddenly start boot looping, even if you haven't done any rooting or anything. This is caused by the connection type in Phone Properties randomly changing to a type that is incompatible with the Verizon SIM. (Google search "rezound boot loop" and you'll find the fix quite easily.) Also, removing the battery cover may disable the antenna but only a SIM-less boot will stop the boot looping so that the communication type can be set back to what it should be.
4. I still love this phone. It is the best phone on the market today; it has the fastest processor available from any carrier and has the most internal memory of phones that allows for removeable storage.
Thanks to all the devs for their hard work - I can't wait for perm root and custom ROMs!!!!
Hello,
I've had my phone rooted for a long time and things were working out quite fine (yes, I have a recent xRecovery backup ) but a couple of days ago I wanted to try out something new, and wanted to prepare my system for the installation of a custom kernel.
Long story short: I used the busybox installer from the market, but it couldn't verify the installation process because of some previously installed busybox version (guess it came with my ROM...) So I used the uninstall option within the app and this is were things started to go down the drain:
Now when I reboot the phone, it's no longer possible to enter xRecovery as it was possible before (pressing back button repeatedly, during SonyEricson Logo) instead the it just reboots straight into Android. And in Android all that works is the log screen - all other applications / services crash. (I really can't do anything, as soon as I try to unlock the screen I'm bombarded with Error Messages, and sometimes the phone reboots because so many services fail)
I still can get into the reboot options menu when I press the power button > 1sec, but selecting "reboot into xRecovery" or "reboot into CWM" doesn't work -> it will just reboot normally again.
It also seems impossible to get the phone into flash mode. (Turn Phone off, Unplug USB, hold Back Button, Turn Phone on, Connect USB - and every possible variation I could find just leads to the phone booting into Android)
What I tried to do:
I still have root access when I connect to the phone with adb, so I reinstalled the busybox binary from the "SuperOneClick" package into the /system/xbin/ folder manually -> no change
I checked the debug log (from adb logcat) for errors indicate a problem, but there's no obvious message
I checked the dmesg output for errors / problems, but here everything seems to be fine
I reinstalled xRecovery manually (files from SuperOneClick) via adb by putting the files (xrecovery.tar+chargemon), into /system/bin -> no change
I tried to get into recovery / bootloader mode by using "adb reboot bootloader" and "adb reboot recovery" -> normal reboot
I checked the permissions of the binary files (su, busybox, chargemon) and they're all set to 06755
I checked if all symlinks of system programs that require busybox / su are pointing to existing binaries, and they all seem to be correct
Before I proceed and start trying some things that are not so easily reversible I've got a couple of questions:
What happens if I delete all files in the "/system/" folder? (the xRecovery files are in that folder and I guess xRecovery itself needs a couple of files to work properly)
Do you have any tips / ideas what I could try? I really don't mind resetting the phone as I have backups, it's just that I can't get into the mode where I can reset the phone
Thank you very much!
In your case, i suggest you never ever, ever fiddle up with busybox again... leave that up to chefs.
Also, i think you should try removing the battery for a couple minutes, then put it back and press back, then (while holding it) insert usb cable. That's a surefire way to get into flash mode (At least for me, sometimes it happens to boot normally even if i press back if i don't remove the battery). Also, just to be sure, before connecting your phone in flash mode, press Windows + R [In your keyboard, obviously] and type "devmgmt.msc" [Without the quotes] and see if you get a new device under USB devices. If it has a yellow triangle, right click it and choose update drivers, then point it to the flashtool folder for drivers, it should be able to find them. Good luck.
Use PCC
PCC Brought my phone to its original state when I had soft bricked my phone. It worked as a charm , and it was back to the state like nothing ever happened. Also my phone got unrooted. Everything stock like I had bought it from the store.
Use PCC , thereafter get your phone rooted again , as you had initially done.
Dude are you kidding me???You are doing it wrong man...
to get into flashmood
1. turn your phone off
2.press and hold the back button
3.without leaving the back button insert ur phones cable ..
you don't. need to turn on your phone after doing this....
use pcc or seus to repair it it's a soft brick......
@all that replied: Thank you for your help, I managed to fix the problem, will explain it in next post in case somebody runs into a similar problem
@Drknzz
about the fiddeling: that's how you learn stuff - in the last 36 hours I was forced to dig deep into android, and it was fun - and now I've got a pretty good picture of the system
Your your tip about removing the battery for a cpl of minutes didn't work for me.
I also tried XperiaRebootOptions, but this app also fails putting the phone into FASTBOOT mode - so I'll have to keep searching for an explanation
@Mayank77
I can't use PCC, because I'm running Linux as my O/S of choice and try to keep my VirtualBox locked (when I was very desperate this morning I tried it in a VirtualMachine, but PCC wouldn't connect properly to my phone)
@noobismyname
thanks, but doesn't work in my case
a little description of how you can solve problems (using Linux) with incompatible versions of su and busybox that can occur when Market Apps like BusyBoxInstaller are used in combination with ROMs that require specific Versions of the above tools.
In special cases this might lead to the problem, that you can no longer enter xRecovery or put your phone into fastboot mode (depending on your ROM) but you still have debug access to your phone.
Requirements
Nandroid / xRecovery Backup on your local machine
Android SDK -> adb
Image extraction tool unyaffs
root access to phone
Steps
Extract the backup image
The backup files created by xRecovery use an uncommon format because of the filesystem used in android. Use the tool unyaffs (code dot google dot com/p/unyaffs) to extract the image to a directory of your choice.
log into you phone with adb
open up a terminal, and use $adb shell to connect to your phone. Change to root user $su root
If required: make the partition writeable
$mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock0 /system
compare files
open a second terminal window and navigate to the folder where you extracted the backup image. Start comparing the content of the directories with each other. Important files are: /system/build.prop, /system/bin/su ->symlink to system/xbin/su, /system/xbin/busybox, ...... (depending on what you messed up)
the command $busybox ls -l /system/targetdir | grep sought_file [/] comes in handy, because it will output the files alphabetically sorted and not in arbitrary order like the default adb ls proproamm
[*]use adb to push files to your device
if you find a missing / missmatching file use $adb push /file/on/your/pc /data/local/tmp to copy the backup file to your mobile
[*]copy files to target directory
use (as root) $ cp /data/local/tmp/file /system/..... to copy your backup into the correct place
[*]check permissions
check the permission of every file you copied and in case you're unsure: they should belong to root, group root, access permission 755 (or 06755 in case of busybox and su)
$ls -l /target/dir | grep filename to check
$chown root /target/file
$chgrp root /target/file
$chmod 755 /target/file
[*]make sure changes are written to disk
flush all pending filesystem changes $sync
[*]reboot
exit the adb session with ctrl+c
and use adb reboot to restart & enjoy your phone
Is there a way to reboot this thing without root. All the apps seen need root. Why isn't it available with the power button anyway? Am I missing something?
PolishPoet said:
Is there a way to reboot this thing without root. All the apps seen need root. Why isn't it available with the power button anyway? Am I missing something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root access is needed but the only way I know how to do it without root is with a computer via usb connection; install minimal adb and fastboot by shimp 208 and run through command prompt. Make sure you have updated motorola drivers and connect your phone, run command prompt and change directory to wherever you have adb installed; type "adb reboot" (without quotes, you may include -bootloader or -recovery to go into either of those); to install, go here.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2317790
I've just moved to this phone from my S3, and it seems I have been spoiled by CM through the years, as the first thing I noticed about the OS was all the features I frequently used -- including a "reboot" menu item, which I wouldn't have considered a "feature" until now. The best part: when I first turned the thing on, it tried over and over to activate itself but failed, with the error message telling me it would try again the next time I reboot the phone. And how would you suggest I perform that reboot? This one I'm sure is trivial to most by now who have been using this phone for a while, but it just blows my mind.
Is shrimp's adb fastboot accepted as a recommended and reasonable workaround for this?
BTW, what other "features" am I going to notice are missing soon (and any recommended apps/methods to replace them)?
Thanks.
Doesn't just holding the power button a few seconds "reboot" the phone...or is that not really a reboot?
wjdunn3 said:
Doesn't just holding the power button a few seconds "reboot" the phone...or is that not really a reboot?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More of a hard power-off and back on than a clean reboot, and you would lose state and cached data, which to me isn't worth the risk.
Hello guys,
I hope someone can help me with this problem...
So the thing is - yesterday I finally got OneUI 3 and Android 11 update (yay?). But ofcourse as soon as the phone rebooted and optimised all the apps and came back to main screen it rebooted after a minute or so...everytime. As soon as I enter my pin and unlock the phone it reboots after a short period.
The same problem happened when I de-bloated the phone a while ago via ADB - but I then enabled back all the apps except facebook and some "safe to debloat apps" which were not even system apps and it has since worked for almost a year. But here we go again....
I even "re enabled/installed" all the apps I could list in ADB ( so basically all the apps on the phone) and then went to wipe cache - but still no go.
I am also wondering if there is a posibility to somehow mount storage just to copy some files to my computer (which are important, and my latest backup is around a month old) and then I'll gladly do a a factory reset - no problem.
Any help would be appreciated, thanks!
If you're able to use ADB to enable/install apps, then you should be able to use "adb pull path/to/files" to copy the files to your computer. You could reboot into recovery mode and see if your computer pulls up the storage that way too. Also, if you have TWRP, you can use the file system to copy files to an external SD card. So you have a few options to get your files.
You can also create a back-up of specific apps (and their data) using "adb backup -f MyBackUpName.ab com.corp.AppName".
TacoDeMuerte said:
If you're able to use ADB to enable/install apps, then you should be able to use "adb pull path/to/files" to copy the files to your computer. You could reboot into recovery mode and see if your computer pulls up the storage that way too. Also, if you have TWRP, you can use the file system to copy files to an external SD card. So you have a few options to get your files.
You can also create a back-up of specific apps (and their data) using "adb backup -f MyBackUpName.ab com.corp.AppName".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, thanks for the reply and helping out.
But all the commands and stuff is kinda useless because the phone reboots sooner than in 30 seconds after getting to the main screen. When I boot to recovery the storage doesn't get mounted.......
And I would've had TWRP but the phone is still under warranty so that's a shame, because on my backup phone I have it (and so did on all the previous ones) and it would be great. But IIRC if I install TWRP now, the phone needs to be wiped.
FFS samsung, what is this....because I now read a couple threads and posts on social media people having exactly same problem, and some didn't do anything with ADB prior to update. shame...