So my bootloader is unlocked and I have installed 4.4, and I was just wondering if there was a way to fix the read/write protection on the phone. I am trying to use this. So does anybody know how to remove the read/write protection?
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i really need help trying to figure how to root my AT&T Motorola Moto x. i tried to downgrade but couldnt succeed and i tried unlocking bootloader as well and couldnt succeed either. if anyone can help me please reply! thank you.
Sorry for the long answer, but I think you're going to need this info....
The Moto Maker and Retail Moto X from ATT and Verizon have locked bootloaders and can't have their bootloaders unlocked. Moto doesn't give out the bootloader unlock codes for them. There was a Chinese site selling the codes but it got shut down.
Since you couldn't downgrade successfully, I'm going to guess that you have 4.4.2 on your phone?
Due to changes in the bootloader, GPT.BIN and other parts included with 4.4.2, under certain circumstances when trying to downgrade from 4.4.2 to 4.4 or lower, you could either brick your phone, or set it up to brick in the future when you take an upgrade. So it is suggested you just stick with what is on your phone once you get on 4.4.2!! i.e. do NOT attempt to downgrade from 4.4.2 to anything lower.
I don't know what state your phone is in now, but if you had 4.4.2 on your phone, and you tried to downgrade, but didn't brick, do NOT take any OTA's!!! That will definitely brick your phone. For now, you'll likely get HAB Check errors, and other things if you try to reboot into bootloader or recovery. If you try to go under Settings -> Security you likely be "kicked back" to the settings screen instead. If you are experiencing these or similar issues, when the ATT 4.4.2 SBF gets leaked and posted to -> http://sbf.droid-developers.org/phone.php?device=0 you'll want to download it and flash your phone with it to get back to a stable/consistent foundation.
As for rooting the X with a locked bootloader... (like the ATT Moto X, or non-Developer Verizon X)
If you want usable root on the X you need two parts 1. Root Exploit, and 2. An Exploit that allows for disabling Write Protection.
When Write Protection is enabled (the phone's default state with locked bootloader, or the state you are in after you take the 4.4.2 OTA), any changes made to /system, or the like, (including, but not limited to, App installs, file modifications, deletions, renames, etc) are not permanent and are lost at power off/on.
Even if you have root, but lost Write Protection, any apps you've installed that need to write to system can't permanently save their changes (you have to re-do every time your phone powers off/on), and any Root type app, or app that gets installed to /system after WP is enabled will be lost at power off/on.
MotoWpNoMo was used on 4.4. and below to Disable Write Protection. Part of the 4.4.2 update patches the exploit that MotoWpNoMo used, so it wont work on 4.4.2.
SlapMyMoto/RockMyMoto/etc, used on 4.4 and lower to Root, involved downgrading the rom to use an exploit in 4.2.2 to gain root. But with 4.4.2 you can't downgrade the rom safely, without risk of bricking your phone, so you can't use these anymore.
JCASE has already posted he has an exploit to use to gain root on 4.4.2, but due to job and family, wont release it or a process making use of it until the fall. Who knows what ROM Moto will push out by then, and if they will have patched the exploit already. BUT before you get mad at JCASE for waiting so long, that doesn't address a Write Protection dis-abler. I've not seen any talk about work on that for locked bootloaders (when you unlock the bootloader, like on Dev Editions, the write protection is disabled). So JCASE could release his Root exploit, he or someone could develop that process, but it would be kind of useless without the ability to disable write protection since all your changes would be lost as soon as you power off/on.
Trust me, *IF* or when a Root and Write Protection bypass is out for 4.4.2, you will see threads on it. Until then, you have to sit tight.
Now, if you have 4.4 on your phone, you can root and disable write protection by using SlapMyMoto and MotoWpNoMo, but then you must NOT take the 4.4.2 OTA update, as you will keep root, but write protection will become enabled again. You can use a root capable file explorer (like Root Explorer) to navigate to /system/priv-app and rename the 3C_OTA.APK to 3C_OTA.APK.BAK to prevent the OTA update prompts.
If you are on 4.4 rooted with write protection disabled, you might want to check out the SafeStrap discussions over at Rootzwiki.com. That might at least afford you a way to run 4.4.2.
So i've had my moto x since october, and just recently got to use a rooted phone and i really want to root my moto x, im on AT&T and i know i cant unlock the bootloader, if i unlock it so i can use any sim card on it, could i root it then? Thank you to anyone that helps
Nope. Not full, real root. Doesn't matter what you do to the phone, if you're on the 4.4.2 or higher bootloader, you can not get write protection disabled. Root yes, with towel root and/or PIE (see dev sections for those)...but wrote protection will be enabled. So changes won't survive a power reset. And you can't write to the system.
And you can't safely downgrade from 4.4.2 or higher either.
HaiMyNamesTrent said:
So i've had my moto x since october, and just recently got to use a rooted phone and i really want to root my moto x, im on AT&T and i know i cant unlock the bootloader, if i unlock it so i can use any sim card on it, could i root it then? Thank you to anyone that helps
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Click to collapse
SIM unlocking allows you to use the SIM from another carrier in your phone.. i.e. use a T-Mobile sim in an ATT branded X. That process does require you to have a different carrier's sim so the phone will prompt you to enter the unlock code. SIM unlock codes are available from many places around the web. It has no impact on rooting.
Bootloader unlocking allows you to flash a custom recovery, 3rd party roms, etc. By virtue of being able to flash a custom recovery you can easily root your phone. There are only two places you can get a bootloader unlock code for the X... Either Motorola's web site (for many, but not ALL carriers) or the Chinese Website or Middleman (only way if Moto doesn't supply)
As @KJ has said, with a locked bootloader and 4.4.2 on your phone, you are limited. PIE to root, but can't disable write protection.
and dispite any thread you might see about downgrading to gain root and disable write protection.. DO NOT!!! you will risk bricking your phone if you have 4.4.3 or 4.4.2 on your phone and attempt to downgrade.
I have a locked BL VZW XT1060 on 4.4.2 stock
It was/is rooted.
It has SuperSU installed but without binaries installed.
A little history:
Originally on 4.2.2 then OTA to 4.4.
Downgraded to 4.2.2 and applied SlapMyMoto.
I believe I took OTA to 4.4 with the intention to sit tight there.
I accidentally took OTA to 4.4.2.
This is where it gets weird.
Root was still intact but write protection was temporary, meaning after reboot, I lose it.
This was fine as it allowed me to temporarily disable write protection and enable the native hotspot.
Then, one day I was updating some apps on my phone, I noticed that I completely lost the ability to disable to write protection. I tried uninstalling all to the app updates to no avail.
What are my options to get WiFi tether/Hotspot back?
Sunshine, unlock the bootloader, and have a fully unlocked device. Anything else and you'll likely run into issues similar to what you have now.
Sent from my Moto X
What the guy above me said.
@slingblade01 what you described is exactly what happens.
The vulnerability which MotoWpNoMo exploited to disable write protection was patched in 4.4.2, so if you have a LOCKED Bootloader, and updated from 4.4 you could keep root, but write protection became enabled with no way to disable it again.
If you don't care about upgrading past 4.4.2, you can search for TowelPieRoot, and gain temp root to.
Otherwise, as @imnuts and @nhizzat say, If you are still on 4.4.2, and have its bootloader, then you can use Sunshine to unlock the bootloader, after witch your phone will be just like a Developer Edition, or other edition with the bootloader unlocked.
In other words, once you unlock using Sunshine, you may root by following -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-x/moto-x-qa/instructions-unlocking-rooting-dev-ed-t2649738 Just please be sure to use the latest TWRP fastboot IMG file and Installable ZIP of SuperSU. Once completed, you will have root with write protection disabled.
And it does not matter what Stock ROM or Android version is on your phone (Android 5 has some changes, so stay tuned) , once your bootloader is unlocked, you can always root or re-root it. (You just can't take OTA with custom recovery on there!!).
For Sunshine discussion see -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-x/general/request-help-exploit-moto-x-bl-t2828471
and -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2792487
and most importantly....
http://theroot.ninja/
Sunshine will check if its compatible with your phone first, if it is, it will charge you $25 before proceeding to unlock you. Unlike using the bootloader unlock code from Moto or the middleman, using Sunshine to unlock your bootloader is not destructive.
Once your bootloader is unlocked via Sunshine, do NOT attempt to re-lock it. because if you do relock it, you wont be able to unlock it again!! BTW, there is no need to relock anyway. It doesn't impact taking OTAs, etc.
Thank you and last question.
Thanks, that was the answer I was expecting but wanted professional opinions first.
Before I use Sunshine, do I need to do any prep work first, such as disable/remove root (remove SuperSU)?
Thanks again.
slingblade01 said:
Thanks, that was the answer I was expecting but wanted professional opinions first.
Before I use Sunshine, do I need to do any prep work first, such as disable/remove root (remove SuperSU)?
Thanks again.
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Click to collapse
Because I have a developer edition, I got my bootloader unlock code from moto, and haven't tried Sunshine.
From my brief reading/following of the Sunshine thread, I don't think you have to un-do anything. But I would consider flashing back to stock to remove any traces of SlapMyMoto and the like AFTER you unlock via Sunshine.
Since root has been achieved will this aid in unlocking the bootloader? Did it ever happen with the S5?
Root and bootloader unlock are two very different things tbh. Just because we have root doesn't mean it'll help unlock bootloader. Only thing is that maybe the devs attention will be turned to BL now that they don't need to worry about root.
SSJ_Gomike said:
Root and bootloader unlock are two very different things tbh. Just because we have root doesn't mean it'll help unlock bootloader. Only thing is that maybe the devs attention will be turned to BL now that they don't need to worry about root.
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Click to collapse
Ok, I didn't know if having greater access to the system would help with the bootloader issue. Thanks!
Finding root gives you elevated access to the file system. To get a customer recovery, the bootloader must be modified (which requires root to access). But, to modify our locked bootloader to put on a customer recovery, you'll needs it's encryption key. Without it, no changes can be made and the 'chain of trust' is broken and the phone won't boot.
Dear all,
As far as my understanding goes, unlocking the bootloader will disable data encryption making the device less secure; will it then be possible to relock the bootloader after gaining root access, i.e. use a device with full root functionality with a locked bootloader??
Thank you!!
Cheers!
No, it won't disable data encryption unless you intentionally do it by doing "format data" in TWRP (or any other means with similar purpose).