Database Develop

Update Nexus 7 to 5.0 from 4.4.4 (root + unlocked bootloader) KEEP DATA

This is a "re-tread" of a post I previously made, taking an account of the steps I took to successfully update my Nexus 7 from 4.4.4 to 5.0. Note: This is for an unlocked bootloader, if you don't have an unlocked bootloader you will lose your data; consider TiBackup.
My Nexus 7 [WiFi] was rooted on 4.4.4, unlocked bootloader, but stock rom, stock system (as far as I remember). I couldn't find a walkthrough so I'll make one with my experience. This worked for me on my Mac, I hope this helps you.
In the end I didn't lose any data, still have unlocked bootloader and rooted with CWM Recovery & SuperSU (you can replace with TWRP recovery or CWM Touch if desired)
Directions ("./" = file path to platform-tools folder, if you 'cd' to that location the "./" will pull that location in the terminal)
1. You must have Android SDK installed. Download it here: http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html.
2. UNZIP and you will see a bunch of folders. The one we are interested in is the subfolder "platform-tools". You may copy it to an easier location if you want.
3. Download the factory images 4.4 (KRT16S) (4.4 required, see HERE, Google broke its own bootloader) and 5.0 (LRX21P) for your Nexus 7: https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images#nakasi (WARNING: Download the correct images for YOUR device, Nexus 7 Wi-Fi vs Mobile)
4. Unzip the 4.4 image file you downloaded and copy "bootloader-grouper-4.23.img" (img name depends on your build) to your "platform-tools" folder (where adb and fastboot are). (WARNING: the bootloader image in 5.0 is broken see HERE)
5. Unzip the 5.0 image file you downloaded and copy all content, except for "bootloader-grouper-4.23.img," to your "platform-tools" folder (where adb and fastboot are).
6. Plug your Nexus 7 into your computer with USB debugging (activate it in "About Phone" and touch "Build number" 6 times, it will activate "Developer Options" menu where you will be able to activate "USB debugging")
7. Open terminal and "cd" to the platform-tools folder
8. Verify ADB is working type "./adb devices"
9. Reboot your device into fastboot mode: type in terminal "./adb reboot-bootloader"
10. Type:
"./fastboot flash bootloader ./bootloader-grouper-4.23.img" (img name depends on your build)
11. If you have "WiFi Only" skip to step 12; for Mobile flash radio type:
"./fastboot reboot-bootloader"
"./fastboot flash radio ./radio-XXXXXXXX.img" (img name depends on your build)
12. Type:
"./fastboot reboot-bootloader"
"./fastboot update ./image-nakasi-lrx21p.zip" (zip name depends on your build)
It will then reboot (takes a while, 5-10 minutes on boot animation, then it must update App info, another 5-10 miuntes) and then you will be in Android 5.0 with all your data preserved.
Then if you want a custom recovery:
1. On your computer, download CWM, CWM Touch, or TWRP recovery from here: CWM Dwnld or TWRP Dwnld (WARNING: Download the correct image for YOUR device, Nexus 7 WiFi vs Mobile)
2. Place the image file you downloaded in your "platform-tools" folder (where adb and fastboot are)
3. Connect your Nexus 7 (debug mode) and put it in fastboot mode (step 9 above): type in terminal "./adb reboot-bootloader"
4. In the terminal type:
"./fastboot flash recovery ./FILENAME.img" (replace FILENAME.img by the file name of the CWM/TWRP file you just downloaded)
5. Verify Recovery - Shut down your device and boot it into recovery mode (Once off, push vol- and power together). Choose recovery mode with vol-, then power to select (Note: if you get an Android on his back you still have stock recovery, retry Steps 1-4. I flashed CWM, CWM Touch. and TWRP with no success, plugged my cable into a different USB port and got it first try; try different cables and ports)
Then if you want a root:
Note: If you don't have an unlocked bootloader you will lose data. Already unlocked should be fine, when you boot there should be an open lock at the bottom of the screen below the Google logo. On PC WugFresh Nexus Root Toolkit might be your best option, for me on Mac it is not available so this is what I did.
1. On your computer, download CF-Auto-Root from here: Auto Root Dwnld (WARNING: Download the correct image for YOUR device, Nexus 7 WiFi vs Mobile)
2. Unzip the CF-Auto-Root file you downloaded and copy all its content to your "platform-tools" folder (where adb and fastboot are)
3. Connect your Nexus 7 (debug mode) and put it in fastboot mode (step 9 above): type in terminal "./adb reboot-bootloader"
4. Type: (Note: Step 4 commands need to be run as Admin)
"chmod +x root-mac.sh"
"ls -al"
"./root-mac.sh"
5. Follow on-screen prompt and type your Mac User Account password and ENTER
6. Let the phone go through its thing (Red Android screen), it will reboot when complete.
That is it!
Thanks to Phil Tech: http://youtu.be/IPg_FGbeyq0
Thanks to jipi: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2377691
Good luck and happy flashing.

Thanks for the effort.

Thanks ! I did that, more or less adapted. The result was just awefully slow, so I had to do a wipe to start with a clean slate.
Android, the new Windows: reinstall every 6 months....

I've followed the procedure on w8.1 64bit.
All went well but I lost adb after 5.0 finally booted. So I could not install root through NRT (1.9.8).
Adb mode was recognised in windows device manager but adb commands failed with no device found.
Suprisingly fastboot was working.
The solution was to uninstall NRT and adb drivers and reinstall them.

Great guide!!
Followed the steps to the 'T' and I've got Lollipop on my Nexus 7 Wi-Fi.
If the Bootloader is already on 4.23 then Step 10 can be skipped, as I did.

dg170775 said:
Great guide!!
Followed the steps to the 'T' and I've got Lollipop on my Nexus 7 Wi-Fi.
If the Bootloader is already on 4.23 then Step 10 can be skipped, as I did.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, I was already on 4.23, but still flashed it anyways. Thanks for the input.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1" - SM-T515 / SM-T510 - Root + TWRP - Android 11 - September 8th 2021 Security Update

/*** BEGIN DISCLAIMER ***/
If you follow this procedure and lose every bit of content on your device / end up with a fancy paperweight, I, nor anyone involved with the referenced open source or otherwise licensed projects is responsible. It's all on you, and this will void your warranty. Do not proceed if you don't understand something. Chances are you will have a bad time.
/*** END DISCLAIMER ***/
Hey everyone - my Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1" (2019) - SM-T515 - recently applied a security update without my consent (The Samsung Android 11R September 8th 2021 Security update - side note, make sure that you turn off Samsung's push service ), which canned my previous root access. I use server software and internal port forwarding to do... Things on my device, so I needed my root access back.
Here's how I retrieved it, and how I put TWRP in place as my recovery partition in the process.
The Tools
Make sure you have these before you start. Because this is a Samsung device, you'll have to do some things under Windows, like using Frija and Odin (unfortunately).
1.) Frija - Available here - https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/tool-frija-samsung-firmware-downloader-checker.3910594/
2.) The latest SM-T515 / SM-T510 firmware from Samsung for your device's CSC (if you use the firmware for the wrong CSC code the most common problem that I have seen as a result is typically incorrect partition sizes after flashing, which can be corrected with TWRP). Frija is listed first, because you'll use Frija to get this directly from Samsung.
3.) Some kind of generic tool that you're comfortable with for working with archives. Ideally whatever tool you choose should be able to work with .tar, .gz, and .zip archives for this process. Personally I like 7-Zip on *Nix and Windows, and ZArchiver on Android.
4.) Odin (firmware flash tool by Samsung) - attached.
5.) The latest Samsung device USB drivers for your environment (they're fine as long as they enable both ADB and MTP correctly) - available here https://developer.samsung.com/mobile/android-usb-driver.html
6.) The latest TWRP image for Samsung SM-T5xx devices - available here https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=14943124697586374577 (and attached)
7.) ADB - downloading / installing and using adb are outside the scope of this post. It is available here - https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...vers-15-seconds-adb-installer-v1-4-3.2588979/
8.) The latest Magisk APK file - available here https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/releases/download/v23.0/Magisk-v23.0.apk
The Process
0.) Back up your stuff, and remove your SD card if it makes you more comfortable - do whatever you need to do to be comfortable with "I might lose EVERYTHING on this device." If you plan on following this procedure, you should know how to do this, and I'm not going to try to explain it. If you can't get past this part, you should stop while you're ahead and still have a device that boots.
1.) Unlock your bootloader.
2.) Download the most recent firmware package for your device using Frija and extract all of the individual .md5 files which it contains.
2.) Use Odin to flash the most recent firmware to your device, and factory reset / wipe / format partitions and caches until you have a clean device that boots correctly. If your partitions aren't sized properly at this point it isn't something to be too concerned with, as you can correct them later using TWRP.
3.) Turn developer options back on, enable USB debugging, set the default USB configuration to "File Transfer", connect your device to your PC and copy the Magisk APK over to the internal storage of your device.
4.) Remove .md5 from the filename of the AP file that was included in your firmware package from Samsung and extract its contents into its own directory.
5.) Extract the contents of the latest TWRP package for these devices into the same directory where you extracted the individual partition image files contained in the AP file. Overwrite contents in the destination directory as necessary. The TWRP package should contain three files - param.bin.lz4, recovery.img.lz4, and vbmeta.img.lz4 - If there are uncompressed images (.img files) that correspond to the LZ4 compressed images from the TWRP package in the AP file of your firmware package, remove them first. Odin will (understandably) freak out if you try to flash two different images to the same partition in the same flash operation.
6.) Compress the contents of your modified AP directory which now contains the TWRP package's contents into a tar ball on your PC, and then copy it somewhere that Magisk will be able to access it on the Internal storage of your device (the Downloads directory - "/storage/emulated/0/Downloads/" is a good choice).
7.) Copy the latest Magisk APK to your device (again, the Downloads directory is a good choice), and then install it on your device.
8.) Launch Magisk on your device and choose "Install". Be sure to uncheck the "Recovery Mode" option. We don't want to use "Recovery mode" for Magisk's patching process. Even though this is a Samsung device and this would normally be how to proceed, in this case we're using our own custom TWRP recovery partition, and we don't want Magisk to mess with it. So make sure you aren't patching the bootloader or recovery images in unnecessary ways with Magisk.
9.) In Magisk on your device, choose "Select and patch a file" and then choose the AP file that you created and copied to the device which now contains TWRP as its recovery partition.
10). Let Magisk do its patching and when it has completed take note of where the patched file which it generated was written.
11.) Launch a command line / Powershell / Bash terminal where you can perform ADB commands, and issue the command "adb pull "/storage/emulated/0/Download/magisk_patched-23000_xYzXyZ.tar" (replace "XyZxYz" with whatever random sequence of characters that Magisk generated during its patching operations) to use ADB to download the patched AP file from your device.
12.) Power off your device.
13.) Reboot your device into FANCY download mode by holding the volume up and volume down keys simultaneously while inserting a USB cable that is connected to your PC into your device's USB C charger port. Your device should boot as you insert the USB cable and your bootloader should already be unlocked, so when prompted press the volume up button to continue.
14.) Launch Odin on your PC, and choose the BL, CP, CSC, and UserData images from the firmware package that you retrieved from Samsung to flash the corresponding slots in Odin. In the AP file slot, choose the Magisk patched AP file which contains TWRP as its recovery partition which you retrieved previously using ADB.
15.) Start the flash operation in Odin, and wait patiently for it to complete. Stay alert, because if you left "Auto reboot" checked in the Odin options, your device will reboot immediately upon completion, and there are actions that you need to take while the device is in its "off" state before it re-launches itself.
16.) Once the Odin flash operation has completed, boot to recovery mode. If you left "Auto reboot" checked in Odin, immediately as the flash operation completes, press and hold the power key and the volume up key and remove the USB cable from the device. Otherwise press and hold the power button and the volume down button until the device restarts, and while the device is in its "off" state remove the USB cable and press and hold the power button and the volume up button during device restart to enter recovery mode.
17.) Immediately upon entering recovery mode you should see TWRP do a couple of things that ensure that Samsung's device protection solutions don't remove it. Once those operations have completed, reboot into the system partition.
18.) Your device should be BASICALLY ready to go. Go through the steps to "complete" setup as you see fit. If you have not already done so, connect your device to a WiFi or to an LTE network and then launch the Magisk application.
19.) Magisk may want to download updates, if it does, let it do so.
20.) Once any necessary updates / downloads have completed, re-launch Magisk and it should present you with a prompt to the effect of "Magisk is installed, but additional configuration needs to be done on your device for it to work the right way. Do you want to reboot now?" If you've made it this far, the answer is "Yes, please do."
21.) After rebooting, your device will now be configured, and be running TWRP in its recovery partition, along with a properly Magisk rooted system partition.
22.) ????
23.) PROFIT!
I hope this helps some people out!
- The Scarecrow - 2021/09/22

Has anyone besides been successful?

mydjtl said:
Has anyone besides been successful?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can provide screenshots from the device that I did this to if you would like.
It's pretty cool to see the TWRP logo on a Samsung Tab series device that's running Android 11.
I don't even get the little Samsung warning prompt during device bootup that says "This device's software can't be verified" or whatever Samsung's custom ROM message is. All I get is the "This device's bootloader is unlocked" message, no warning about the integrity of the software.

mydjtl said:
Has anyone besides been successful?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Follow this simple as he'll no need to read all these things

pankspoo said:
Follow this simple as he'll no need to read all these things
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah - pretty much exactly that, except I Magisk patched the system image, and then copied the TWRP package's vbmeta and recovery image into the AP file for the Odin flash, and then flashed every slot rather than just the AP.

is it systemless root?

Will this work on Galaxy Tab A sm-t595? on android 10?
or know of a root guide that will work with said device?

If you dont untick auto reboot, how do you fix any issues that happen because of it?
I rooted my t500 but I think it auto rebooted, which then caused a vbmeta error that stopped it booting. It worked again after flashing the stock rom, but now it gives a vbmeta error if I try to flash a modded rom to root it and I cant get oem unlock to appear in the stock os (download mode says its already unlocked tho)

Hello,
Code:
9.) In Magisk on your device, choose "Select and patch a file" and then choose the AP file that you created and copied to the device which now contains TWRP as its recovery partition
Step 9 yields an error on T515 : Unsupported/Unknown image format
I also tried to install AP patched file with Odin, same result.
Any idea ?

Damn this works so nicely, thanks mate! Cheers!

How To Guide [GUIDE] Beginner's guide on how to root Redmi Note 10 Pro (sweet) without TWRP

I decided to make this guide since I didn't see a guide thread which explains how to root the phone.
DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for ANY damage that occurs to the phone, you getting fired because the alarm app failed or the world getting nuked, etc...
Requirements:
-A unlocked bootloader (if you don't know how to unlock it, search "How to unlock bootloader Xiaomi"
-boot.img extracted from your phone's fastboot rom (MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOADED THE EXACT SAME ROM THAT YOUR PHONE HAS (Check "About phone" in settings. Make sure that the version AND the code (RK(something)XM) match, if you have MIUI).
xiaomifirmwareupdater site contains unmodified MIUI roms for your device.
-If you have a custom rom, extract the rom's zip and get the boot.img from there.
-ADB and Fastboot drivers installed on phone and PC
-SDK Platform tools downloaded from official android website. Extract the downloaded zip to desktop and rename it to platform_tools
-A Computer
-Basic understanding of CMD, ADB and Fastboot commands.
-The phone
If you see an error, scroll down to the troubleshooting section.
Steps:
(on the pc)
-Copy the boot.img file to the phone's downloads folder
(in the phone)
-Download the magisk app from the official github site
-Install the app, then open it.
-In the app, select install on the magisk card
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
-Select patch a file, then find and select boot.img.
-Tap "let's go".
(on the pc)
-Connect your phone to your PC and copy magisk_patched.img from the phone (should be in downloads folder) back to the pc.
-Rename the file to magisk.img, then move it to the platform_tools folder which contains fastboot.exe.
-Now reboot the phone and when the screen goes fully black, hold volume down button until you see "fastboot".
-Your phone should now be in fastboot mode. Connect the phone to the pc.
-Press win+r, then type cmd
-Type cd desktop
-Type cd platform_tools
-Type fastboot devices (if you see nothing, make sure you have adb and fastboot drivers, that the phone is connected and is in fastboot mode.)
-Type this carefully: fastboot flash boot magisk.img
-Done! Now reboot the phone by typing: fastboot reboot
-If you did everything correctly, the magisk app should say that it is installed.
TROUBLESHOOTING:
Q:Fastboot says it couldn't find "magisk.img" or CMD says fastboot doesn't exist
A: Make sure that cmd says that its in C:\Users\(name)\Desktop\platform_tools and that magisk.img is also in there.
Q: Phone is in bootloop
A: Hold volume down button until phone is in fastboot and flash stock boot.img with fastboot flash boot.img. (You will not have root access) If the phone is still somehow in a bootloop, execute the flash_all_except_storage.bat script by double clicking it (found in the sweet_(region)_images folder you extracted from the full fastboot rom .tgz file).

usernamenotrequired said:
I decided to make this guide since I didn't see a guide thread which explains how to root the phone.
DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for ANY damage that occurs to the phone, you getting fired because the alarm app failed or the world getting nuked, etc...
Requirements:
-A unlocked bootloader
-boot.img extracted from your phone's fastboot rom (MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOADED THE EXACT SAME ROM THAT YOUR PHONE HAS (Check "About phone" in settings. Make sure that the version AND the code (RK(something)XM) match, if you have MIUI).
xiaomifirmwareupdater site contains unmodified MIUI roms for your device.
-If you have a custom rom, extract the rom's zip and get the boot.img from there.
-ADB and Fastboot drivers installed on phone and PC
-SDK Platform tools downloaded from official android website. Extract the downloaded zip to desktop and rename it to platform_tools
-A Computer
-Basic understanding of CMD, ADB and Fastboot commands.
-The phone
If you see an error, scroll down to the troubleshooting section.
Steps:
(on the pc)
-Copy the boot.img file to the phone's downloads folder
(in the phone)
-Download the magisk app from the official github site
-Install the app, then open it.
-In the app, select install on the magisk card
View attachment 5474787
-Select patch a file, then find and select boot.img.
-Tap "let's go".
View attachment 5474793
(on the pc)
-Connect your phone to your PC and copy magisk_patched.img from the phone (should be in downloads folder) back to the pc.
-Rename the file to magisk.img, then move it to the platform_tools folder which contains fastboot.exe.
-Now reboot the phone and when the screen goes fully black, hold volume down button until you see "fastboot".
View attachment 5474801
-Your phone should now be in fastboot mode. Connect the phone to the pc.
-Press win+r, then type cmd
-Type cd desktop
-Type cd platform_tools
-Type fastboot devices (if you see nothing, make sure you have adb and fastboot drivers, that the phone is connected and is in fastboot mode.)
-Type this carefully: fastboot flash boot magisk.img
-Done! Now reboot the phone by typing: fastboot reboot
-If you did everything correctly, the magisk app should say that it is installed.
TROUBLESHOOTING:
Q:Fastboot says it couldn't find "magisk.img" or CMD says fastboot doesn't exist
A: Make sure that cmd says that its in C:\Users\(name)\Desktop\platform_tools and that magisk.img is also in there.
Qhone is in bootloop
A: Hold volume down button until phone is in fastboot and flash stock boot.img with fastboot flash boot.img. (You will not have root access) If the phone is still somehow in a bootloop, execute the flash_all_except_storage.bat script by double clicking it (found in the sweet_(region)_images folder you extracted from the full fastboot rom .tgz file).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very good but easier with unlocked bootloader and flashing twrp via adb flash recovery "name of twrp file". Afterwards you can flash directly magisk (I prefer 23 canary debug apk) to root.

if i may add to the troubleshooting: if it says magisk.img isn't found, just type this (after confirming connection with fastboot devices command:
fastboot flash boot
then drag and drop the patched magisk file onto the cmd window/line where you typed the command above. worked for me.

Tanks you

For beginners, "assuming bootloader is unlocked if not click here" should be mentioned.

hello, I've been trying to login to my account since this morning. after half a day I was able to get in via facebook. problem is when i want to root my phone it shows error 1004. what did I do wrong?

Bastio001 said:
hello, I've been trying to login to my account since this morning. after half a day I was able to get in via facebook. problem is when i want to root my phone it shows error 1004. what did I do wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've searched around, and it seems to be caused by a VPN. If you use a VPN, turn it off and try again. If not, it could be that the Xiaomi unlocking API is down temporarily.

When I root my Redmi Note 10 Pro (sweet) by using twrp to flash magisk 25.2 and lazyflasher-no-verify-opt-encrypt.zip, I receive following message
.
Nevertheless, I reboot my phone which is effectively rooted.
I can then install Magisk manager.
Has someone an idea about the meaning of this error message ?
Thanks in advance.

cocopipou said:
When I root my Redmi Note 10 Pro (sweet) by using twrp to flash magisk 25.2 and lazyflasher-no-verify-opt-encrypt.zip, I receive following message
View attachment 5704507.
Nevertheless, I reboot my phone which is effectively rooted.
I can then install Magisk manager.
Has someone an idea about the meaning of this error message ?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need to flash lazy flasher since you already flashed Magisk. They both do the same which is to disable dm verity. Also, lazy flasher is an old zip intended for old devices so maybe that's why it failed.

BigChungus321 said:
No need to flash lazy flasher since you already flashed Magisk. They both do the same which is to disable dm verity. Also, lazy flasher is an old zip intended for old devices so maybe that's why it failed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thank You very much.

BigChungus321 said:
No need to flash lazy flasher since you already flashed Magisk. They both do the same which is to disable dm verity. Also, lazy flasher is an old zip intended for old devices so maybe that's why it failed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
then what is the solution bro...still i cant install some custom roms showing error 1...please help me.

cocopipou said:
When I root my Redmi Note 10 Pro (sweet) by using twrp to flash magisk 25.2 and lazyflasher-no-verify-opt-encrypt.zip, I receive following message
View attachment 5704507.
Nevertheless, I reboot my phone which is effectively rooted.
I can then install Magisk manager.
Has someone an idea about the meaning of this error message ?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bro am facing this erros 1. will u pls help me.

THis is the stupidest guide for beginners, this article assumes you have unlocked your phone in the first place. All the important steps are just skipped and is stuffed in the requirements. And just shows simple screenshots that even a child would know where to click.
No external links to find the sources.

While unlocking the bootloader I'm having the issue linked below, thanks in advance for all and any responses. https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/mi-unlock-country-code-broken.4572339/

r4nchy said:
THis is the stupidest guide for beginners, this article assumes you have unlocked your phone in the first place. All the important steps are just skipped and is stuffed in the requirements. And just shows simple screenshots that even a child would know where to click.
No external links to find the sources.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AGREE 100%!!!

[GUIDE][ROOT] Unlocking and Improving Your Lenovo ThinkSmart View (CD-18781Y)

Improving Your Lenovo ThinkSmart View (Custom Recovery, Root, Play Store, Custom Webview)​Huge credit to @deadman96385 on how to flash your Lenovo Thinksmart View device and providing access to the firmware files! Credit to @WhyPartyPizza on reddit for the adb enable steps. And also, credit to @Xi07 on providing a way to install TWRP and demonstrating that it is possible to get the Play Store working. And also credit to @garnir4ik on showing us that we can root the device.
The point of this guide is to organize all the information we have on the device and provide a way to make the device more usable (especially since some of the software on the device is outdated).
The guide covers how to:
Install TWRP (optional) and Magisk (recommended) on the device
Install microG and the newest version of the Google Play Store (Magisk required)
Update Webview (needed for Home Assistant)
I'm still trying to figure out how exactly to do certain things on this device so feel free to leave any new information you find!
Installing TWRP (optional) and Magisk (required for Play Store)​Quick Blurb:​To install TWRP, you will need to flash new firmware onto your tablet. However, since there's currently no way to use the device with the bootloader unlocked, a lot of the features used in TWRP are unusable. It might still be good to install TWRP in case someone finds a way to modify the device to better utilize TWRP.​​To install Magisk, it will be much easier to do it by flashing new firmware. However, it is also possible to install Magisk without flashing new firmware. I will include the steps to do this below these.​Steps:​
Download and install the Qualcomm drivers from here
Download and install QPST from here
Download the firmware from this thread (Credit to @deadman96385). I used the 200628.084 version for reference.
Extract the firmware to a folder that you can easily access, like on your desktop.
If you want to install TWRP, download the recovery.img file attached to this post. (Credit to @Xi07)
Open the folder that you extracted the firmware to. In the image folder, replace the recovery.img file with the one you downloaded.
If you want to install Magisk, download the boot.img file attached to this post.
Open the folder that you extracted the firmware to. In the image folder replace the boot.img file with the one you downloaded.
Download the firehose/rawprogram file from @deadman96385's post and flash the package using the instructions provided by @deadman96385. I've included them here for your convenience:
Spoiler: Expand Here
Open the QFIL application (Find it in your start menu)
In the "Select Build Type" field select Flat Build
In the "Select Programmer" field navigate to the folder you extracted the firmware and support files to and select the prog_emmc_firehose_8953_ddr.mbn file
Select the "Load XML" button and navigate to the folder you extracted the firmware and support files to and select the rawprogram_unsparse.xml and then the patch0.xml when prompted.
Remove the cover on the USB-C port on the bottom right of your device
Plug the USB-C cable into your computer
Unplug the power from the device
Hold vol+ and Vol- and then plug the power into your device (Smart Plugs can make this easier)
If the text at the top of the QFIL application mentions qdloader move on to next step. If it says "No Port Available" click the "Select Port..." option and pick your device. If your device isn't showing up there you most likely didn't install the drivers properly.
Click the Download Button to begin flashing your device
Once complete it should automatically reboot but sometimes it doesn't so you need to replug your device.
If you get the dreaded "Sahara" error when flashing your device, you may be waiting too long to flash. The device must be flashed moments after it is booted into EDL mode (powering on with Vol + and Vol - held down). Once you plug in your device, hit download the moment the port is recognized at the top of QFIL.
You can also try disabling driver signing (I'm not sure if this makes a difference). To do so:
Spoiler: Expand Here
Open a command prompt as an Administrator.
Run
Code:
bcdedit /set testsigning on
and restart your device
Your computer should say it's in Test Mode (bottom right corner). To disable driver signing, follow the same steps but run
Code:
bcdedit /set testsigning off
instead.
Thanks to HowToGeek's article for the information.
From here, you can go ahead and follow the original method from @deadman96385 for breaking into the device.
Spoiler: Expand Here
When it boots up select Teams (Others seems to try and network boot/download files and fails)
Go through the setup wizard until you get to the Microsoft Teams (Language > Wifi > Bluetooth > Teams)
Select the Gear Icon in the top right of the teams page
Select the "About" settings option
Tap on "CD-18781Y.200628.084" under firmware version a bunch of times rapidly until a prompt comes up saying developer unlocked.
If your usb c cable is plugged, in unplug and replug it in.
You will now have ADB access.
Download your desired Launcher and use the following command to install it:
Code:
adb install APK_FILE_NAME.apk
You will then need to send this adb command to select a new default launcher:
Code:
adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.MAIN -c android.intent.category.HOME
I would recommend getting a navigation bar app. I've attached the one I used to this post.
You can also technically install Magisk without reflashing your device.
Spoiler: Expand Here
Install the Magisk app (use the Magisk APK)
Enable OEM unlocking in Developer Settings
Unplug the device. Hold Vol- and plug in the device to boot into fastboot mode.
In command prompt, execute
Code:
fastboot devices
to make sure the device is discovered. If a device is not listed, you may need to go into Device Manager > Other Devices > Android device with question mark. Right click > Update Drivers > Browse My Local Drivers > Let me pick from a list > Change to Fastboot Drivers.
Code:
fastboot oem unlock-go
This will unlock your bootloader.
Unplug the device. Hold Vol- and plug in the device to boot into fastboot mode.
In command prompt, navgiate to the directory where your Magisk boot.img is downloaded. Run
Code:
fastboot flash boot boot.img
After the boot.img is flashed, you need to lock your bootloader to be able to boot back into the device. If you're not in fastboot mode, you can once again unplug the device. Hold Vol- and plug in the device to boot into fastboot mode.
Run either of the 2 commands to lock the bootloader. You can restart the device and boot into the device once you are finished.
Code:
fastboot oem lockfastboot flashing lock
Steps for Google Play Store and Custom Webview will be in the next post (to reduce clutter).

Installing MicroG and the Newest Version of the Google Play Store (Magisk Required)​
Download and install the MicroG Services Core and Services Framework Proxy from the MicroG site.
Install the Magisk app (use the Magisk APK). When you open the app, it should say the version of Magisk installed next to "Installed."
On your Android Device go to Settings > Connected Devices > USB > File Transferring Mode.
Download the NanoDroid-patcher.zip file, BusyBox.zip, and terminal_systemizer.zip. Do not unzip these files. Drag and drop these devices onto your Android device.
In Magisk > Modules > Install from storage, find the .zip files and install all 3 Modules. The NanoDroid-patcher module in particular may take awhile so be patient.
Install the apk of Google Play Store of your choice.
Install Termux. In Termux, issue the command
Code:
su
A superuser popup should show up. Make sure to allow Termux Superuser access. If you miss clicking on it, you can allow access in the Magisk App > Superuser.
Code:
systemize
Follow the dialog prompts to systemize Google Play Store to /system/priv-app
Restart the device.
Open the microG settings app. Register the device in Google device registration. In Self-Check, click on each setting (the words, not the checkboxes) and enable them all. Pay particular attention to System spoofs signature being checked off.
Restart the device again if you want. Google Play Store should be working fine now (may need to clear it's App Data first if it's not working).
Installing Custom Webview (Magisk Required)​Some apps such as HomeAssistant won't function without an up to date System Webview. As this tablet is running a quite old version Webview version, this causes these apps to not work. Luckily, there's a Magisk Module to fix that.
Download the Webview_Manager zip file and drag and drop it onto your device. Install it using Magisk. You will need to watch it install as it requires some input on which Webviews you want to install.
After restarting the device, navigate into Settings > System > Developer options > Webview implementation. You should now be able to change your Webview to a updated version.
Note, you may need to unplug and replug in the device after the first restart of installing Webview.

Reserved 2

Chewie610 said:
Download the firehose/rawprogram file from @deadman96385's post and flash the package using the instructions provided by @deadman96385. I've included them here for your convenience:
Spoiler: Expand Here
Open the QFIL application (Find it in your start menu)
In the "Select Build Type" field select Flat Build
In the "Select Programmer" field navigate to the folder you extracted the firmware and support files to and select the prog_emmc_firehose_8953_ddr.mbn file
Select the "Load XML" button and navigate to the folder you extracted the firmware and support files to and select the rawprogram_unsparse.xml and then the patch0.xml when prompted.
Remove the cover on the USB-C port on the bottom right of your device
Plug the USB-C cable into your computer
Unplug the power from the device
Hold vol+ and Vol- and then plug the power into your device (Smart Plugs can make this easier)
If the text at the top of the QFIL application mentions qdloader move on to next step. If it says "No Port Available" click the "Select Port..." option and pick your device. If your device isn't showing up there you most likely didn't install the drivers properly.
Click the Download Button to begin flashing your device
Once complete it should automatically reboot but sometimes it doesn't so you need to replug your device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A slightly easier way that may work I haven't validated on the thinksmart specifically is using qfil's partition manager tool. It allows you to dump, erase, flash individual partitions, that way you can flash just the one you want without having to deal with a full qfil flash. Finish all original steps up to 10. Instead of clicking download do the following instead:
Navigate to the top menu: Tools -> Partition Manager -> OK. If all goes well, you will be greeted with a dialog listing all partitions in ~5s. If this is not the case even after a full minute, try re-entering EDL/9008 mode.
Once the partition list is loaded, you can perform the following actions on partitions by right clicking a partition and then clicking 'Manage Partition Data'.
'Erase' (Clear the partition)
'Read Data...' (Dump the partition)
'Load Image...' (Flash the partition)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is also a great way of backing up partitions from your device. The dumped partition can be found in C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Qualcomm\QFIL\COMPORT_##. Note that the name of the file is the raw file locations so you will need to rename the imgs as you go.

How To Guide Extract Boot Image (for Root) - the DSU-Sideloader Method (and Other Tutorials)

Very nice to see Y700 get it's own place on XDA! I myself had just bought the 12GB version and have been very satisfied. The tutorials and info related to this model had been very difficult to come by and mostly in other languages, so I had to do my own research and exploration. So far I was able to flash ROM and extract it's boot image for root thanks to the following tutorial (in Japanese)
boot.imgを入手できない機種でMagiskを導入する方法【DSU Loader】
Android端末のカスタマイズやRoot権限の使用が可能となる「Magisk」ですが、一部例外を除き、導入に…
smartasw.com
The boot image extraction part is trickier as Y700's roms come in GSI form. But with a workaround we can still achieve the same goal. (I heard that you can also use QFIL to do that but I haven't been able to make the tool work, so if someone else can make a tutorial that'd be great)
First you need to prepare:
- DSI-Sideloader from https://github.com/VegaBobo/DSU-Sideloader/releases
- Magisk Manager from topjohnwu's GitHub repo
- a GSI ROM with built in root permission. The one the tutorial was using: https://github.com/phhusson/treble_experimentations/releases/tag/v402 --> go download "system-squeak-arm64-ab-vanilla.img.xz" (~600MB, smallest needed to fulfill the task)
- turn on developer mode and ADB debugging. Get Google SDK platform tools ready and USB drivers installed.
Connect your Y700 to a computer. Check if ADB works.
Next, install the DSI-Sideloader app. Also extract the .xz package you downloaded above to get the .img image (should be ~1.7GB in size)
Copy the image to your Y700 tablet. Open the DSI-Sideloader app, load the image, set userdata size to default (2GB). You can leave image size unchanged.
NOTE: if you have an SD card inserted, click on "config" and check "Unmount SD", or just eject your SD card from tray. Failing to do so will result in error in the install step.
After you're done, click "Install". Once finished there will be a pop-up with commands you need to enter in the terminal of your choosing. On your computer navigate to the directory containing executables of Google SDK platform tools, fire up terminal, enter the 1st command (says non-root) as instructed, and run it.
You will see a progress bar in the drop-down notification area which will complete in a moment and prompt you to reboot. Do that from there.
After reboot you will be running the modded Project Treble ROM, with root access. It's a full fledge OS but once you shutdown / reboot you will go back to your own OS. Treat it as a LiveCD of some sort.
While still connected, turn on dev mode + ADB debugging and go back to terminal for some ADB work. Next we will be extracting boot image under the current environment, made possible by it's built-in root permission.
Run the following line by line:
Bash:
adb shell
Bash:
su
Bash:
cd /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/
Bash:
mkdir /sdcard/backup_img
Bash:
for file in *; do
if [[ "${file}" = boot* ]]; then dd if=/dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/"${file}" of=/sdcard/backup_img/"${file}".img ; else continue ; fi
done
The 4th command creates a new directory storing extracted boot image, in our case /SD card/backup_img; and the 5th command is the meat of the entire process. It consists of 3 lines, key in one at a time and press "Enter". First line is "for...do", second is "if [[..." to "fi", third is just "done".
After some time the extracted boot image will be stored under the directory specified by the 4th command, in our case /sdcard/backup_img . They are stored in the temporary user space and once you reboot to your original OS you won't be able to access them again. So you need to turn on File Transfer mode, go to the actual directory on your PC and move them to your computer. They have the filenames "boot_a.img" and "boot_b.img" . After you're done, just reboot as usual and you'll get into your old OS.
Now you have the boot images, all that's left is to use Magisk Manager to patch them, enter fastboot mode, and flash the patched images using the following commands:
fastboot flash boot_a patched_img_A.img
fastboot flash boot_b patched_img_B.img
(Rename as needed)
And now your Y700 is rooted.
The linked Japanese webpage also talks about working Android 12 / 13 GSI flavors, patches, and ways to set up your Y700.