In the process of updating information for ICS update and custom ROMs, please hold tight!
A lot of folks have been coming in with newly purchased TF101's lately, which is AWESOME, it means the community will go on longer than the expected life of the device probably, since the TF201 and TF700 have come out and are seeking to replace our beloved TF, this is good news that people still buy the OG Transformer.
That said, there have been the same problems posted by new users, over and over, and sure there are guides for just about everything. But why not one on..just...EVERYTHING?
Here we go, troubleshoot problems and learn your device, the noob way! The EPIC TF101 THREAD BEGINS!
All the typical disclaimers apply, if you mess your stuff up, it is your fault not mine. I did not discover any of these methods, develop any of these tools, or do anything else but compile it all in one epic post. This should be everything you need to know as a noob, I do not take credit for anything, except for making it all easily accessible to those who are unwilling/unable to spend the hours searching that I did. In other words, I did a lot of work for you, but others had done the work for me first. Full credit to them.
What is ROOTING? And why do it?
So you bought a new TF, and you want to root it? Or you want to know what rooting is, for that matter? Rooting is a method of obtaining what is called 'Root Access' to your device, giving you control of it. The 'Root' is the parent directory of your device's internal memory, where the system files are stored. Generally this is kept from your access, you will need to get your device 'rooted' in order to change the system. Once rooted, you will have an app installed called 'Superuser' which will selectively grant applications permission to alter or access your root directory. This method differs on every device, but don't worry- we have a very easy device to root.
VERY IMPORTANT! Do NOT use any of the tools here WHILE YOUR DOCK IS PLUGGED IN!! All these are for use with the TF101 unit BY ITSELF! Please don't brick your device or mess something up by trying it with the dock plugged in!
There have traditionally been several ways to accomplish this for our device, as new applications and tools are developed to make it easier it has gotten to be a very simple process. Which method you use will depend on what SBK version (Secure Boot Key) Transformer you have, and also that model's firmware version. Your firmware version can be located by going to Settings>About Tablet. Current version is 8.6.5.21 (TF101) or 8.6.6.23 (TF101G). When either firmware version (also referred to as the 'stock ROM' sometimes) can be used, it will be listed similar to '8.6.x.19', where x can be 5 or 6 for TF101 or TF101G, respectively.
KNOW YOUR SBK VERSION
As a TF owner looking to mod your device, you need to know that there are multiple SBK versions, primarily SBK1 and SBK2. There may possibly be other versions to come even. All you need to know is, that as of right now, SBK1 is the only model that can utilize a tool called NVFlash to UNBRICK your device if you mess it up too badly, and it is difficult to tell which SBK version you have. In order to find out, there are a few tools out there- one of them is for mac only, called SBKDetect found here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1232612
Another is primarily for Linux, but saavy Windows users can always boot from a Linux live CD on their machines to use it, called SBKDetect v2, here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1290503
The other way, if you are like me, and don't have Linux-abilities at the time of this writing (I'm working on that), you can always just GO FOR IT and try to flash a modded ROM via NVFlash. If you are SBK1 it will succeed. If not, it will fail. No harm done. Of course that means skipping ahead of a lot of learning first, so it is not advised IMO. It also means that if you DO have an SBK1 tablet, you just wiped all your data. It is not absolutely necessary to determine which SBK you have in order to root and mod your device.
A hit-or-miss way of detecting your SBK version is by looking at your device's serial number, located on the bottom of the device on a sticker. It will take the form of:
B70KAS638075
The ONLY digits you need to know are the FIRST THREE. Older models are SBK1. Manufacturing started at Bxx, and has gone to Cxx this year. All Cxx serial numbers will be SBK2. In fact it was in the middle of the B70 manufacturing that they changed the SBK version, so if you are B60, B50, B40 etc..you are sure to be SBK1. If you are B80, B90, C10, etc, you are sure to be SBK2. B70 owners, it's a coin toss. You must use one of the other methods to determine it.
The only thing that differs between SBK1 tablets and SBK2 tablets is the use of NVFlash. SBK2 cannot use NVFlash, so if you end up botching both your recovery and your ROM, and cannot boot into either, then you are SCREWED, so I would suggest reading everything before attempting to mod your device if you are an SBK2 owner.
NVFlash and APX mode
This was an early method used to root and flash recovery/roms, and is still a very useful application to have saved on a disk somewhere in the event that you own an SBK1, as it renders your tablet practically unbrickable. It can be found here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1123429
To use it you must enter APX mode on your TF101. This is tricky and confuses many users. The procedure is;
1. Press and hold volume UP and POWER buttons at the same time (it doesn't matter if the TF101 is on or off, if it is on, simply wait until it shuts off before proceding).
2. HOLD these buttons for approximately SIX SECONDS.
3. Plug TF101 into PC and listen for it to chime that it has detected it, it should load drivers and device will be listed in Right Cick>Computer/Properties/Device Manager/USB Universal Serial Bus Controller (or similar) as NVIDIA, not as ASUS.
4. If it does not, power on the TF and try again until it does.
NOTE: This is the only way to know if it is in APX mode as the screen remains powered off completely.
Once in APX mode now you can use NVFlash tool, place the system, boot, and recovery .img files into the root of the folder you extract NVFlash into and execute the download.bat file. If at any point the flash fails, this likely means you are SBK2.
ADB Mode
This stands for Android Debugging Bridge. This is not to be confused with APX mode, which is a separate thing entirely. To learn more about your device's ADB mode, see this excellent thread here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1071584
Another quick guide for ADB can be found here:
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-hacks/6865-how-use-adb-all-commands-options.html
(sorry for the off-site link, trying to keep it as xda pure as possible!)
Razorclaw Root Tool
Razorclaw is by far my favorite method of rooting for the TF, it can be found here;
http://androidroot.mobi/2011/11/14/introducing-razorclaw-v1/
It does not matter what SBK version you have to use Razorclaw, that is why I prefer this method of rooting.. HOWEVER, it does require you to be using an older firmware version though. If you are on version 8.6.x.21 or above, you cannot use razorclaw. It works best on firmware 8.6.x.19. You simply install the app and follow the instructions (Root me nao!). It is a one click, native rooting tool.
If you are not on this firmware version and razorclaw will not work, there are options. You can either roll back your firmware version, the method is located here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1417006
If you are unsuccessful or want to try another way, you can use Nachoroot or ViperMOD.
Nachoroot Root Tool
This is one of the newer root tools, it is for all firmwares and all SBK versions, and can be found here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1427838
Nachoroot uses the ADB (Android Debugging Bridge) via a command prompt or terminal, all necessary drivers must be installed.
I cannot personally get this method to work because my PC will not install the drivers properly, and since I don't need the tool any longer, I must admit I've never used it, thus my bias towards Razorclaw. So, if you are having similar driver issues, rolling back firmware and using RC might be quicker and more painless.
ViperMOD Root Tool
ViperMOD is another method, similar to and related to Nachoroot, in that it uses the PC to root your TF101 and will need the appropriate drivers installed. The main difference being that this method will install Superuser as well. The other major difference is that while Nachoroot is done with a command dialogue, ViperMOD is done with a much simpler command interface (choose a number from a list of options rather than typing out commands). Interestingly enough, both of these methods work on both the TF101 and the TF201, and both methods appeared about the same time (posted on January 4th 2012). ViperMOD and Nachoroot represent the most recent methods for gaining root on the TF101. ViperMOD is unique that it has a feature to unroot your device as well, though you will need to have the stock ROM and recovery files available to completely return to stock. Find out more about ViperMOD here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1427125
I also cannot attest to the use of ViperMOD personally, I have used other methods, but many users have reported it quite simple to root with.
A quick breakdown;
Razorclaw, Nachoroot and ViperMOD will ONLY ROOT your device. No data will be wiped and you will have to install recovery later. In the case of Nachoroot, you will have to download superuser from the market, Razorclaw and ViperMOD installs it for you.
NVFlash WILL WIPE EVERYTHING! So understand that it will rewrite your TF101 internal memory competely and install a rooted ROM (or whatever you tell it to) on your device, as well as a boot and recovery image.
REGARDLESS OF THE ROOTING METHOD YOU CHOOSE, PLEASE READ THAT METHOD'S INSTRUCTIONS VERY CAREFULLY!!!
[Q]How do I know if I am rooted?
[A] Simply check within your app drawer for the superuser application (or download it from the market if using Nachoroot), to verify it works, download titanium backup and begin a batch backup and see if it asks permission, and if the batch completes. If you are not rooted, either try your first method again or try an alternate method.
Tip: Immediately after rooting you should back up your system with Titanium Backup, skip ahead to that section to learn how before moving on.
Recovery Mode
The stock recovery mode on the TF101 shows one of two screens; a green android in the middle of the screen with gears turning inside it, or the same android with a yellow triangle with an (!) inside it instead. The gears obviously mean it is working (flashing firmware), the (!) means something has gone wrong (no file found, flash failed). To enter recovery mode, you need to press and HOLD Volume DOWN and POWER when the device is powered OFF. As soon as the screen comes on, RELEASE THE POWER BUT HOLD THE VOLUME STILL. You will see white letters appear in the upper left corner of the screen, it is now okay to release the Volume DOWN button and quickly (within 5 seconds) press the Volume UP button to enter recovery mode. There are also applications, such as Reboot to Recovery, available on the market, that will allow you to reboot your device with one click into recovery mode without having to toggle your power/volume buttons.
About Stock Recovery Mode
The stock recovery mode is absolutely required to install official Asus OTA (Over The Air) updates. Unless your device is unrooted with a stock recovery mode, you will not be able to install any OTA updates, this includes ICS!! It can also be used to install (or RE-install if it were) your STOCK ROM (only official, digitally signed files will be accepted by the stock recovery to flash over the firmware, no modded roms will work). The method for doing this is outlined in the link for rolling back your firmware version above but I will summarize;
Recovery mode searches your external SD card ROOT DIRECTORY(and the internal memory's cache directory, but this is not useful for any practical reason for you) for these Asus files. The files must be named either;
EP101_SDUPDATE.zip
or
XX_user-epad-Z.Z.Z.ZZ.zip (X = firmware region stamp, WW, US, DE, etc, and Z - firmware version, 8.6.5.19, 8.6.6.21 etc)
I personally find the second configuration to work best. If stock recovery finds a file named appropriately and signed with the proper digital signature it will install it, and you will see gears turning. Otherwise; (!). Remember, it has to be on the SD card in the ROOT, not in a folder or it won't find it.
CWM Recovery Mode
ClockWorkMod Recovery mode replaces your stock android recovery mode, and gives you control of;
Flashing (installing) ROMs, recovery, themes and app packs, patches, kernels and more
Wiping cache, dalvik cache, system, data, etc
Backup and Restore features
Advanced features you probably won't need like fixing permissions and mounting partitions etc.
The important thing to know is if you want to be able to change ROMs right from your device, you need this. In order to install it on the TF, you can use an app called RecoveryInstaller, located here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1346180
It is a one-click app just like Razorclaw, download and a single click will install CWM for you, though it may be an older version it will work fine to install the most recent version, directly from CWM once you enter it the first time. You will need to give it superuser permission as well. The newest CWM for the TF101 is called ROGUE XM and it is available here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1446019
Simply place the newest version on your SD card where you can find it, and use the 'install from SD card' option to navigate to the new version file and select it, which will flash the recovery..then you will need to reboot.
CWM Recovery can also be installed when flashing your device from NVFlash, and the NVFlash versions of ROMs almost always contain the most recent versions of the CWM recovery as well, thus making an NVFlash a one-step procedure (flashes both ROM and recovery at same time). The risk of the one-step procedure is if you are using corrupted images or something unexpected occurs you may end up BOTCHING both recovery and ROM at the same time..of course- if you are SBK1 anyways, just reflash it with a different ROM and it will be fixed.
Once you have installed the latest CWM recovery now you will want to start flashing ROMs and Kernels. I will not be posting links to the custom ROMs and Kernels because there are too many of them, that will be your homework.
Custom ROMs
We are blessed to have some great devs working on our humble TF101. That said, the procedure to flash a ROM through CWM is simple;
1: Download desired ROM and place into your external SD card somewhere you will be able to find it, it doesn't matter.
2: Boot into recovery and go to Backup and Restore and make a backup file. This is commonly referred to as a 'Nandroid' backup, and will backup everything from your ROM to your Kernel to user files.
3: Once backed up, proceed to factory reset and wipe cache partition and dalvik cache, located in the 'advanced' menu.
4: Install from SD card, navigate to your directory and find your ROM (ONLY FLASH THINGS THAT ARE MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE TF101! Be sure it is compatible with your device!) and select it, scroll to yes...read and follow instructions. Tapdance and sing ABC's while making some breakfast- and you are done!
5: Reboot device
Please be sure to flash only files that are meant to be flashed via CWM, as some ROMs will also have an NVFlash version, which will not work in CWM.
The Stock ROM currently provided with the TF101 is Android 3.2.1, which is called Honeycomb (HC) which is exclusively for tablets, we are all awaiting the release of Android 4.0 commonly known as Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) which will merge the operating systems used on phones and tablets. Asus has said it will be out soon, so don't ask when it is coming! To learn more about the different Android versions, read this;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_version_history
I would suggest also to anyone wanting to modify their Android device to understand the history of Android itself and what it is, here;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)
Kernels
The kernel is the underbelly, the brain of the ROM. The kernel is what tells the hardware what to do when you interact with the software of the ROM. Most ROMs, I dare say almost every ROM unless specifically noted, does NOT come with it's own kernel but uses the kernel you have installed now on the device, unless it is a stock ROM, in which case most of them DO have kernels included. You want to be sure if what you are flashing has a kernel included or not, and you can always go back to another kernel version if you like, but understand that the OS will behave differently with different kernels. For example, if you wish to enable certain functions at the kernel-level, like overclocking, voodoo sound, etc, then you have to flash a customized kernel.
If you flash a custom kernel, then report your bugs to the developer of the kernel, not the ROM, as most bugs are produced by the kernel.
The procedure to flash a kernel is the same as with flashing a ROM, though you need not factory restore your device before installing, although every developer will agree that it is probably best to have what is called a 'clean install', where you would factory reset the device, flash your ROM, and flash your Kernel, and then restore your apps and information. How do you do that you say?
Titanium Backup
Titanium Backup is an app that is pretty self explainitory- it backs up all system files, data (this includes contacts, settings, call logs, etc) user apps, basically saves your state ON TOP of your ROM, where as the CWM Backup (commonly called a 'Nandroid') is the FULL ROM, Titanium Backup will only restore your settings and apps ON TOP of the ROM once installed. Therefore, you can backup all apps, safely factory reset. Install a clean ROM and Kernel together and then restore your data on top of them. This keeps your user files from either being accidentally overwritten or otherwise interfering with the installation of the ROM/Kernel whatever else you wish to flash.
IF YOU SKIPPED AHEAD READ THIS
Titanium Backup can be found on the market for free, if you like it, buy the paid version.
To backup and restore, simply press the settings softkey and choose 'batch' and select the appropriate action with caution. Press the 'RUN' button for the action of your choice and you will be prompted with a checklist of apps and data to run the batch on. Select which files you want or select all if it is your first time using the app and confirm the action. You will need to give Titanium Backup Superuser permission and make sure you have 'Unknown Sources' checked as well as 'Debugging Mode' checked in your settings/applications menu.
Ok, now go back to 'Recovery Mode' section and keep reading..
Also understand that if you are moving from a version that you have backed up in which apps will not be useable in the version you are moving to, the will not work either. For example, if you flash an ICS ROM and then save the ICS-only apps with titanium backup, and then try to move back to honeycomb or gingerbread (if you have a phone like I do) these apps will likely not install or if they do will FC (force close) constantly. Similar things can happen with user data, call logs from one dailer might not be compatible with an older version etc, so expect there to be instances where you have to selectively install apps one at a time to see if it causes bugs, testing the device for buggs, and uninstalling the app/data before proceding with your restore if it does.
Return to Stock
EDIT: While the below represents a review of how we used to unroot, I have now learned that merely flashing the stock ROM provided by Asus on their website will flash the recovery as well, and that there is a minor difference between the recovery img that came on the device stock versus the recovery img that comes loaded in the Asus firmware packages. If nothing else, the graphics are different, but I suspect that there could be other changes as well. To best unroot the device, simply watch and follow the video in the link.
Outdated info;
So, you played around, and you decided it was time to go back stock for that update, or maybe you just liked it better, or you wanted to give it to your grandma but knew Revolver was above her head- whatever the reason, you want to start fresh. The procedure requires you to get the Stock recovery image and a stock ROM. Luckily the stock ROMs are available on Asus' website, the recovery image isn't as easy to find, it is located here;
http://theunlockr.com/2011/11/28/how-to-unroot-and-remove-cwm-recovery-on-asus-transformer/
(Note: The recovery file is not region-specific, therefore it does not matter what version TF101 you have, it is one of the few 'universal' files for this device.
CAUTION: Unrooting with this procedure will only rewrite your system files on the system partition, if you have files located in your root directory that are user-created files that are not part of the system, these files will remain after unrooting, though you will not be able to view them as they are in the root directory, if you root the device again they will be visible. If selling your device or returning for an exchange and you are unrooting it, make sure to manually delete any files/folders that you created in your root directory and do a factory restore with CWM before flashing over your recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Procedure:
Click HERE to watch my UNROOTING How-to video.
There should also be a distinction made here between unrooting and breaking root access, while breaking root access will prevent you from having root access to your device, it does not return your device to stock. For example, deleting your superuser application and su binary files can 'break your root' as it is referred to. Yet, in order to effectively unroot your device, you should return the device to it's 100% stock configuration. If you are giving the tab to your grandma or little sister, breaking root is probably enough. If you want to return the device or sell it on XDA, you should probably return to stock completely.
Now that you have read all of this (hopefully) here is the shortcut you wished you had;
My HOW TO ROOT video (Part one)
So, now you are a BUTTFLIPPIN' PRO, you can root, you can flash recovery mode, ROMs, even Kernels, and you can flash stock files from your SD card so you can unroot and return to stock if you want. What if something goes wrong? What if you want to expand your knowledge?
Well this is what we all fear, this section will attempt to address possible outcomes of bad flashes, corrupt ROM images, bad recovery images, etc. as well as help you diagnose your problem and determine whether you need an RMA or to ask for help in the forum.
[Q] My screen won't come on! Help!
[A] In order to determine what the problem is, first try to power on normally, if that does not work try to power on with the USB device plugged into a PC, if you hear it connect you unfortuntely likely have a screen malfunction. If not, try to enter APX mode and listen for notification of connecting to your PC, if still no notification, try charging your tablet overnight and see if it is over-discharged, mine did this once and scared the CRAP out of me, I thought it was bricked, after 10 minutes of fooing with it a battery warning finally popped onto the screen for 1 second before shutting off again. Repeat the previous steps after 24 hours of charging (if TF does not power on on its' own). If none of these solutions work, try powering on and listening for the camera to 'click', if you do not hear this, then it is very likely you have a brick or malfunctioning device.
[Q] My dock drains very fast..why?
[A] This is a problem with old firmware and certain docks. The docks themselves were manufactured with hardware that prevents the updated firmware from being installed in the dock itself, which results in being unable to change the battery consumption configuration. The dock was originally designed to keep the TF awake so that a quick key press would wake it easily, but this resulted in battery drain, when Asus updated the firmware they realized some docks simply needed to be RMA'd. To test yours;
1. Make sure you are updated to the latest firmware for the dock (in Settings?About Tablet), latest firmware is EP101-0213.
2. In Settings>Screen make sure "MobileDock Battery saving mode" is checked.
3. Press the power button on the TF101 to turn the screen off, then press a key on the keyboard (not the mouse buttons).
If any key wakes the TF, then you have the defective dock and must be RMA'd. However if it does not wake, and you still have severe drain, try to resolve it by shutting off background services and checking to see if drain is bad without the dock as well. If it is still draining, as mine has done previously, contact Asus for an RMA.
[Q] My dock is making a strange squealing sound??
[A] Yes, I received one that did this myself, and returned it to the store I purchased it. As far as I could tell it only presented an annoyance, but others reported the issue and suspected that it might have been connected with some people's battery drain issue, so I returned mine as you probably should as well.
[Q] My screen has light bleeding around the edges..is this common?
[A] Unfortunately, yes, light bleed on these devices is far too common. You can try to return the device and get a better one, depending on the severity of the light bleed, and unfortunately it seems every device has it's quirks, you may end up with one that doesn't have much light bleed but has another problem..
[Q] My case creaks, is this normal?
[A] Yes, unfortunately, the plastic backplate has notches that are supposed to affix into the bezel, and sometimes these come loose. However, some people have reported being able to 'snap' it into place again within the bezel, others had to remove the bezel and backplate partially to resolve the issue- others just ignore it as it is only cosmetic.
[Q] My Transformer won't charge! Help!
[A] There could be a few reasons for this experience- the connector is a proprietary connector, and the wires inside can be easily tangled and snapped according to user experience- to verify that the cable works try plugging the device while powered on into the PC and listen for audio confirmation. If your cable is working, but the tablet doesn't seem to charge, you can try to plug in the dock to see if the led on it lights up (unfortunately the TF unit has no charging indicator except for when powered on). The charging adapter itself sometimes has connection problems inside it, and some users have reported success in simply enclosing the charger in a ziplock bag and placing it in the freezer for several hours. I don't know why this works for some, but it does. If it doesn't for you, however, you may need to order a new power adapter from Asus, or you can make your own here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1087321
[Q] My TF keeps booting and booting but never loads into my ROM..
[A] This is called a 'bootloop', and depending on how far it loads can tell you the severity of the boot loop. First thing to do, is to attempt to boot into recovery. Unless you have an SBK1 tab, this is going to be the only way you will be able to stop this. If not, you have a soft-brick. Eee Pad logo loads and reboots after this, then you have a problem with the ROM itself not wanting to boot (corrupt image, files missing, etc), and usually reflashing your previous ROM without wiping will cure the issue. Sometimes the issue is within the ROM, settings that lock up your device while initializing. If it makes it to the boot animation and reloads, there is a possibility that it is a setting within a kernel if you have a custom kernel installed, try another one, if you aren't running a custom kernel it could be user settings and a factory restore may resolve the issue, and if that fails try another ROM. If the TF will not go into recovery mode and reboots within 5-10 seconds from powering on, you might have a major problem with your system in which case only NVFlash is likely to help.
[Q] I keep getting FC's and bugs..(OR) Do I need to wipe to install...?
[A] Making sure you wipe the correct partitions before you flash new software is vital to making sure it functions properly. This is your necessary wiping procedure, although always best to have a clean install as previously stated;
Nature of the flash| Wipe cache? Wipe Dalvik? Factory Reset?
Clean ROM Flash = YES YES YES
Kernel Flash = YES YES NO
App Pack Flash = YES YES NO
Theme Flash = YES NO NO
ROM Re-flash = NO NO NO
Recovery Flash = NO NO NO
Nandroid Restore = NO NO NO
(Will work on getting this more graphlike after dinner )
Of course always better safe than sorry, and unless you are trying to preserve user apps and data while flashing a kernel or theme then it is always best to reinstall everything after a clean wipe to avoid orphan files and other messy possible errors.
[Q] I can't get into recovery! Help!
[A] The only time you really need to start worrying about not being able to get into recovery is if your ROM also will not load, and vice versa. Since you can simply use the RecoveryInstaller app to fix your broken recovery, similarly if your TF will boot into recovery mode but NOT into the ROM you simply flash (or re-flash) your previous ROM to restore your OS. For this reason, when wishing to update BOTH ROM and recovery, DO NOT FLASH BOTH AT ONCE WITHOUT CONFIRMING THE FIRST FLASH WORKED!
My general rule is to flash my recovery mode first, and then flash my ROM, this is true whether going forward in versions or rolling back to older versions. This way, as soon as you are done flashing and restart (simply holding Volume DOWN as it reboots on its own is enough to initiate recovery mode, be sure to then press Volume UP), you will know if your flash was a success and can rest easy as you flash your ROM, if done the other way around you have to boot into your OS to confirm the flash worked and then reboot back into recovery. If your recovery flash fails, simply allow the OS to load, load recovery installer again and try again.
In the case in which your ROM or recovery will not load, again, your only hope is that you are an SBK1 device and can restore your device via NVFlash.
[Q] Help! My buttons (volume, power) don't work!
[A] Unfortunately this has been discussed quite a bit, sometimes it is related to poor manufacturing, or user damage, or even a poor RMA service. In this case you have only two options- you can try to RMA it, or you can try to tear down the TF101 yourself to try and repair it. It isn't advisable if you can get it repaired under warranty, but if not, you can find discussion with photos of a teardown of the unit here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1109928
[Q] How do I edit the files in my root directory?
[A] The File Explorer app provided by Asus by design will not allow you to access the root directory, you must use an app, like Root Explorer. In order to change or delete files directly from this app, you will need to make sure the root is mounted as R/W (readable/writeable) as opposed to R/O (Read Only), there will be an option to 'mount R/W' if it is mounted currently as R/O, and vice versa.
[Q] How do I remove Asus' Pre-Installed apps (Bloatware)?
[A]While you can simply delete the app file with your Root Explorer, this may not delete all user data. You could download a tool called Root Uninstaller from the Android Market, or you can use the functions in Titanium Backup to run batch uninstalls, or just 'deselect all' and delete one at a time.
[Q] How do I get back my Asus or Google apps after flashing a modded ROM?
[A]GApps and Asus apps generally are not included with many custom ROMs for copyright reasons, but GApps can be found here;
http://goo-inside.me/gapps/
Asus apps can be found in Gnufabios' package 'Asus Removed Apps' that can be acquired through his Revolver Parts package if you are running that ROM, or can be downloaded here if not;
http://www.gnufabio.com/revolver/dls/
Or you can always make a Titanum Backup of your valued system apps before you flash your ROM. You can then do what I do, find the Titanium Backup folder on your internal and rename it 'TitaniumBackupStockApps' and move it to your SD card, then backup your user apps, rename THAT folder 'TitaniumBackupUserApps' (you may even want to date it or name which ROM it came from, this is your choice), and remove that from your internal memory. You could then do the same with user data, if you decide to do that separately. To flash them back, simply replace the folder and rename it to the 'TitaniumBackup' as it was originally, or, if the folder already exists you can simply copy over the contents, run the batch, then delete the contents and copy the user data contents over as well. This is a great way to keep your apps and data organized and backed up safely. You should make sure this stays up to date and delete old backups after 2 to 3 iterations.
[Q] Can I run Linux?
[A] Yes, look here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1364095
[Q] How do I install themes?
[A] Depending on the ROM and Launcher you are using, some of the theming options can be built in and accessed in settings menus inside the Android UI (User Interface). However, there are other themes that change files within your root directories and these files will generally need to be installed either via CWM or via ADB. The themes' developer should have clear instructions on installing it.
One more reserved.. This one is for my thank-yous and anything else I miss guys
Roach2010, mike1986, gnufabio, xboxfanj, blades, Clemsyn, baseballfaz, danzano, paulburton, kaijura, daoist, supercurio, MrNago, jcarrz1, rayman84, lilstevie, rburrow, solarnz, fonix232, daxtsu, dipje, frankc123, Sharpe351, chatch15117 ,K900 ,earthbound, AproSamurai, TOO MANY TO REMEMBER YOU ALL!!
You guys are why I am able to do what I do now..
Mods: Stickie this!!!!
This is great! Have my tf a month and had to search all over to root/rom/etc.wish I'd had this info
Great help for us tf noobs.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda premium
Thanks for taking the time to write this up!
Absolute champ!
nice one..thanks mate
Get work this is a must have guide
Sent from my EVO Titan 3D
Fantastic! Having current info all in one place is rare, especially on "older" devices.
Edit: Maybe add a section or note about ViperMOD
Nice job Luna.
+1 on the vipermod. That is what I used and it was extremy simple.
ViperMOD..the one thing I have no experience in on this device it seems; I did a crash course, seems it was actually based right off of Nachoroot, just a cleaned up command prompt interface, and interestingly works on TF101 and TF201. Perhaps that is why I never used it- the post is located in the Prime forum section
Added to OP, guys help me check for accuracy, and correct me if I get anything confused.
Next have some few things to polish up in my thank-yous and try not to leave anyone slighted. Also, thinking of a few more common problems to add to post two. Anything not addressed here just comment or PM me about it I will amend these posts.
THANKS!
Hi Luna
I tried to follow the Return to Stock instructions you listed but there seems to be some problems.
I know these problems are not your fault but maybe you know of another alternative which is as easy to follow as well?
I need a WW Version of the packed stock Rom but neither US nor WW are available due to the mediafire problem.
And the recovery is called 8239USrecovery so I assume I can't use it with my WW version?
Return to Stock
So, you played around, and you decided it was time to go back stock for that update, or maybe you just liked it better, or you wanted to give it to your grandma but knew Revolver was above her head- whatever the reason, you want to start fresh. The procedure requires you to get the Stock recovery image and a stock ROM. Luckily the stock ROMs are available on Asus' website, the recovery image isn't as easy to find, it i located here;
http://theunlockr.com/2011/11/28/how...s-transformer/
Place both files on your SD, but make sure the ROM file is in root (they can both be in the root it doesn't matter) and then use CWM to flash the recovery image, then WIPE EVERYTHING before rebooting into recovery mode again to confirm you have stock recovery in place, and allow it to flash stock ROM. Double check that you are unrooted by downloading superuser and installing it and seeing if it allows you root access (it should not).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
luna_c666 said:
About Stock Recovery Mode
The stock recovery mode is absolutely required to install official Asus OTA (Over The Air) updates. It can also be used to install (or RE-install if it were) your STOCK ROM (only official, digitally signed files will be accepted by the stock recovery to flash over the firmware, no modded roms will work). The method for doing this is outlined in the link for rolling back your firmware version above but I will summarize;
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So theoretically this stock recovery mode will allow us to recover to a stock Asus signed ROM in case the main ROM get damaged? for example if rooting goes wrong or any other reason?
I have an SBK2 TF101, and I don't want to install CWM for the moment but want to have root, and don't want to brick my pad.
Outstanding post. Thanks a lot...
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Malandro2011 said:
Hi Luna
I tried to follow the Return to Stock instructions you listed but there seems to be some problems.
I know these problems are not your fault but maybe you know of another alternative which is as easy to follow as well?
I need a WW Version of the packed stock Rom but neither US nor WW are available due to the mediafire problem.
And the recovery is called 8239USrecovery so I assume I can't use it with my WW version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The recovery mode can be used regardless of region or firmware version, and if you are unable to locate the firmware files due to mediafire and megaupload etc. being down, simply retrieve them from Asus' website here;
http://www.asus.com/Eee/Eee_Pad/Eee_Pad_Transformer_TF101/#download
I'll update the OP to make this more clear
mcbyte_it said:
So theoretically this stock recovery mode will allow us to recover to a stock Asus signed ROM in case the main ROM get damaged? for example if rooting goes wrong or any other reason?
I have an SBK2 TF101, and I don't want to install CWM for the moment but want to have root, and don't want to brick my pad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, if you retain your stock recovery mode then it will be able to flash your firmware in the event that your ROM gets messed up for whatever reason, so long as you use the Stock signed copies of your firmware from Asus (i.e. the official files), recovery mode as stated will only flash official Asus files, they are digitally signed by Asus and without the signature recovery mode will fail.
And to put you at ease, the likelihood of anything going wrong while rooting is much smaller than flashing custom ROMs or recovery mode. Rooting is fairly fail-safe if you follow directions well.
luna_c666 said:
Yes, if you retain your stock recovery mode then it will be able to flash your firmware in the event that your ROM gets messed up for whatever reason, so long as you use the Stock signed copies of your firmware from Asus (i.e. the official files), recovery mode as stated will only flash official Asus files, they are digitally signed by Asus and without the signature recovery mode will fail.
And to put you at ease, the likelihood of anything going wrong while rooting is much smaller than flashing custom ROMs or recovery mode. Rooting is fairly fail-safe if you follow directions well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am asking because, as mentioned earlier, I only need to root for now without going the whole mod thing, because at the moment I am still not convinced that an android tablet suits me, so in case I still don't like it I want to be able to restore the stock ROM without going more into modding CWM and risking a brick.
So, in the case I root then later decide that I want to unroot, it is enough to put the signed stock Asus firmware on the SD card and boot into recovery mode, and it will be unrooted? why is it then that most unrooting guides does this with a special repacked zip file? why not just stock asus zip?
sticky!
mcbyte_it said:
I am asking because, as mentioned earlier, I only need to root for now without going the whole mod thing, because at the moment I am still not convinced that an android tablet suits me, so in case I still don't like it I want to be able to restore the stock ROM without going more into modding CWM and risking a brick.
So, in the case I root then later decide that I want to unroot, it is enough to put the signed stock Asus firmware on the SD card and boot into recovery mode, and it will be unrooted? why is it then that most unrooting guides does this with a special repacked zip file? why not just stock asus zip?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, you should know that if you do not install CWM and flash a custom ROM, you will never actually know what you can do with an android tablet
But to answer about why others use special zips, unrooting with the Asus file actually does not delete anything on your system partition, it will simply rewrite all the system files, if there are other files that are unrelated to the rooting process leftover in your system partition those files will remain after unrooting. That is what the unroot zip files do usually, is they delete everything and reformat the system partition before installing (instead of just overwrite installing) to avoid leaving orphan files. But these orphan files usually do not impact your system (the entire system has been rewritten anyway) and for sake of argument your TF is unrooted, as you no longer have root access. To avoid leaving anything in your system after unrooting you should factory restore and delete all user apps/data with something like titanium backup before installing the stock firmware over your old rooted ROM. I will think of how to add this to the OP to make it more clear.
Basically though, if you unroot you will want to manually remove any files that are in your system partition (root directory) that were not there when you first rooted your TF or flashing the stock ROM will simply leave those and overwrite the other folders/files.
Just to throw something in here about that. Vipermod does have an unroot setting in it's commands.
Or using terminal emulator or adb
su
rm -r /system/app/Superuser.apk
rm -r /system/xbin/busybox
rm -r /system/bin/su
reboot
Be very careful doing this, you could brick your phone if you aren't - you have been warned.
Okay, so, us Idol 3 users in Canada are stuck waiting for Alcatel to have any updates blessed by our cell carrier (Bell/Virgin, Telus/Koodo) before we're "allowed" to get them. And as we all know, Canadian cell carriers aren't exactly prompt about this sort of thing. So what's an enterprising XDA user to do, then? Why, convert your device to a US model, of course!
Step 1: Install TWRP
That can be done with this thread here, courtesy of @DallasCZ
Step 2: Download the latest US firmware
That can be done by downloading this file here, courtesy of @famewolf
Step 3: Flashing
Okay, so first, BACK UP YOUR EXISTING FIRMWARE. Take a system image, or nandroid, as your choice may be. Be sure to back up the boot partition as well, in case you ever want to go back to stock Canadian firmware! Then, do the following:
Decompress the US firmware
Copy the decompressed 1970-01-22--16-43-23_LRX22G_release-keys folder into your TWRP/Backups/XXXXX/ folder on your External SD card or USB-OTG storage, where XXXXX is your device ID assigned by TWRP when you backed up your existing firmware - it is also the same as your device ID if you type 'adb devices' with your phone hooked up with USB debugging enabled for adb commands.
Wipe everything *but* External SD and USB-OTG in TWRP. (This entire wipe may not be needed, but as @KashRaman pointed out, if you don't at least wipe cache, you could have issues after flashing the new firmware)
DO NOT REBOOT - go back, and select Restore in TWRP. Pick the US firmware backup.
Flash *both* the boot and system image.
Reboot System. If your phone does the same as mine, it will seem to get stuck on the 'Alcatel/Smart Move' animation. Hold power until the phone turns off, then turn it back on. It should quickly go to 'Upgrading Android'.
You're done! Set up your device, and feel free to install SuperSU, remove bloatware (AVG? Ugh), etc.
I didn't even need to add APN info for Virgin Mobile, it already set up the Bell Canada APN - worked right away out of the box.
One comment to note - I do not know that a Canadian device converted to a US one can get OTA updates, as I believe Alcatel uses some sort of IMEI identification to see what OTA ought to be passed to a device, but I'm unable to confirm this. Of course, I'm personally fine with just manually updating when need be, but that's up to you to decide if you are as well.
AS ALWAYS, BE CAREFUL, DO THIS PROCESS AT YOUR OWN RISK
Don't forget to thank @DallasCZ and @famewolf for their posts/uploads making this possible!
To save you some pain you can more thank likely flash the system image and boot without wiping your /data.....if for some reason you ran into issues you'd still be able to go into factory recovery and do a reset which deletes data.
Also to anyone who actually uses AVG the pro version is free on amazon appstore today only.
Also you don't have to INSTALL twrp...you can opt to only boot into it using the instructions in the system image thread if you prefer to keep stock recovery.
If I had to bet I'd say you'll get the USA notifications but we will find out on next update.
famewolf said:
To save you some pain you can more thank likely flash the system image and boot without wiping your /data.....if for some reason you ran into issues you'd still be able to go into factory recovery and do a reset which deletes data.
...
Also you don't have to INSTALL twrp...you can opt to only boot into it using the instructions in the system image thread if you prefer to keep stock recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally correct on the TWRP thing, though I prefer it to stock recovery, and updates work just fine with TWRP as well.
As for the not wiping - again, correct, I just come from the 'do a total wipe' school of flashing things, to avoid any possible weirdness
purple.epod said:
Be very careful doing this, you could brick your phone if you aren't - you have been warned.
Okay, so, us Idol 3 users in Canada are stuck waiting for Alcatel to have any updates blessed by our cell carrier (Bell/Virgin, Telus/Koodo) before we're "allowed" to get them. And as we all know, Canadian cell carriers aren't exactly prompt about this sort of thing. So what's an enterprising XDA user to do, then? Why, convert your device to a US model, of course!
Step 1: Install TWRP
That can be done with this thread here, courtesy of @DallasCZ
Step 2: Download the latest US firmware
That can be done by downloading this file here, courtesy of @famewolf
Step 3: Flashing
Okay, so first, BACK UP YOUR EXISTING FIRMWARE. Take a system image, or nandroid, as your choice may be. Be sure to back up the boot partition as well, in case you ever want to go back to stock Canadian firmware! Then, do the following:
Decompress the US firmware
Copy the decompressed 1970-01-22--16-43-23_LRX22G_release-keys folder into your TWRP/Backups/XXXXX/ folder on your External SD card or USB-OTG storage, where XXXXX is your device ID assigned by TWRP when you backed up your existing firmware.
Wipe everything *but* External SD and USB-OTG in TWRP. (This entire wipe may not be needed, but as @KashRaman pointed out, if you don't at least wipe cache, you could have issues after flashing the new firmware)
DO NOT REBOOT - go back, and select Restore in TWRP. Pick the US firmware backup.
Flash *both* the boot and system image.
Reboot System. If your phone does the same as mine, it will seem to get stuck on the 'Alcatel/Smart Move' animation. Hold power until the phone turns off, then turn it back on. It should quickly go to 'Upgrading Android'.
You're done! Set up your device, and feel free to install SuperSU, remove bloatware (AVG? Ugh), etc.
I didn't even need to add APN info for Virgin Mobile, it already set up the Bell Canada APN - worked right away out of the box.
One comment to note - I do not know that a Canadian device converted to a US one can get OTA updates, as I believe Alcatel uses some sort of IMEI identification to see what OTA ought to be passed to a device, but I'm unable to confirm this. Of course, I'm personally fine with just manually updating when need be, but that's up to you to decide if you are as well.
AS ALWAYS, BE CAREFUL, DO THIS PROCESS AT YOUR OWN RISK
Don't forget to thank @DallasCZ and @famewolf for their posts/uploads making this possible!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When restoring the UE40 firmware the first time you go into system update checker you need to delete the existing UE40 update as it kept it around...you should then be able to check updates as normal.
Manually update
At the end of your post, you say that you update manually.. where do you get your update ?
Manually update
At the end of your post, you say that you update manually.. where do you get your update ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean that when the next update comes out, if I can't use the OTA update, I'll wait for someone to upload it here, and then I'll manually apply it. If you follow the directions in my post, you'll be totally up-to-date as of August 15th, 2015 - I'm referring to the next update, whenever that may be.
Thanks for the guide!
Was able to update my Canadian idol 3 without installing twrp
Just fastbooted into it and did a backup of my old CDN setup and restored with the file above the whole update process took about 15min
If **** hits the fan I can still restore back to the original CDN ROM with twrp and my backup.
Dt2w works every time now and chrome scrolling is vastly improved definately worth updating. I may flash back to Canadian system image when they finally release it
To anyone on stock Canadian firmware please post once an OTA is available (and what carrier you are on)
anyone else have lost LTE and get bad network speeds after converting? I had 60mbps with canadian firmware and now i get around 5mbps and lots of network drops.
jpfk said:
anyone else have lost LTE and get bad network speeds after converting? I had 60mbps with canadian firmware and now i get around 5mbps and lots of network drops.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not in canada but I would think if more folks were experiencing issues like that they would have mentioned them here already. Did you do a factory reset and start clean or did you keep your previous data around after changing firmware? In this case I'd really recommend starting clean with the exception of using tools like Titanium Backup to backup all your user apps+ their data (or you can use Helium if you don't have root).
famewolf said:
I'm not in canada but I would think if more folks were experiencing issues like that they would have mentioned them here already. Did you do a factory reset and start clean or did you keep your previous data around after changing firmware? In this case I'd really recommend starting clean with the exception of using tools like Titanium Backup to backup all your user apps+ their data (or you can use Helium if you don't have root).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had cleared the cache and did a factory reset only after i confirmed the flash of the US firmware was ok. (i have a really bad SD card which keeps unmounting and didnt want to risk being stuck with a non-functional device). In addition to the network problems i also still had the performance issues everyone mentionned was fixed in latest update. I just did a complete wipe and flashed the US again, now the performance is much much better but i still get only H+ with about 7mbps instead of LTE. But the good thing is the drops seems to have stopped.
jpfk said:
I had cleared the cache and did a factory reset only after i confirmed the flash of the US firmware was ok. (i have a really bad SD card which keeps unmounting and didnt want to risk being stuck with a non-functional device). In addition to the network problems i also still had the performance issues everyone mentionned was fixed in latest update. I just did a complete wipe and flashed the US again, now the performance is much much better but i still get only H+ with about 7mbps instead of LTE. But the good thing is the drops seems to have stopped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you probably tried this but... check that the APN didn't get changed/reset from when lte was working.
That was actually the problem, i did not realize it was a different APN for LTE so it looked normal when I first checked. Thank you very much
Has anyone gotten the Canadian stagefright update pushed to their phone yet?
doesn't work for me!
purple.epod said:
Be very careful doing this, you could brick your phone if you aren't - you have been warned.
Okay, so, us Idol 3 users in Canada are stuck waiting for Alcatel to have any updates blessed by our cell carrier (Bell/Virgin, Telus/Koodo) before we're "allowed" to get them. And as we all know, Canadian cell carriers aren't exactly prompt about this sort of thing. So what's an enterprising XDA user to do, then? Why, convert your device to a US model, of course!
Step 1: Install TWRP
That can be done with this thread here, courtesy of @DallasCZ
Step 2: Download the latest US firmware
That can be done by downloading this file here, courtesy of @famewolf
Step 3: Flashing
Okay, so first, BACK UP YOUR EXISTING FIRMWARE. Take a system image, or nandroid, as your choice may be. Be sure to back up the boot partition as well, in case you ever want to go back to stock Canadian firmware! Then, do the following:
Decompress the US firmware
Copy the decompressed 1970-01-22--16-43-23_LRX22G_release-keys folder into your TWRP/Backups/XXXXX/ folder on your External SD card or USB-OTG storage, where XXXXX is your device ID assigned by TWRP when you backed up your existing firmware - it is also the same as your device ID if you type 'adb devices' with your phone hooked up with USB debugging enabled for adb commands.
Wipe everything *but* External SD and USB-OTG in TWRP. (This entire wipe may not be needed, but as @KashRaman pointed out, if you don't at least wipe cache, you could have issues after flashing the new firmware)
DO NOT REBOOT - go back, and select Restore in TWRP. Pick the US firmware backup.
Flash *both* the boot and system image.
Reboot System. If your phone does the same as mine, it will seem to get stuck on the 'Alcatel/Smart Move' animation. Hold power until the phone turns off, then turn it back on. It should quickly go to 'Upgrading Android'.
You're done! Set up your device, and feel free to install SuperSU, remove bloatware (AVG? Ugh), etc.
I didn't even need to add APN info for Virgin Mobile, it already set up the Bell Canada APN - worked right away out of the box.
One comment to note - I do not know that a Canadian device converted to a US one can get OTA updates, as I believe Alcatel uses some sort of IMEI identification to see what OTA ought to be passed to a device, but I'm unable to confirm this. Of course, I'm personally fine with just manually updating when need be, but that's up to you to decide if you are as well.
AS ALWAYS, BE CAREFUL, DO THIS PROCESS AT YOUR OWN RISK
Don't forget to thank @DallasCZ and @famewolf for their posts/uploads making this possible!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i downloaded the zip restore file for my phone (Model: 6045Y(Europe) Firmware: 5.0.2-010 06) from this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/idol...dates-t3163745
I also have the twrp-2.8.7.0-idol3 installed on my phone.
I also followed this thread
to find the way to install that ROM, without success. i also installed the root from the zip file in the twrp, but again without success!! but when i open from the twrp the directory TWRP/Backups/XXXXX/ and i copy the .win and the .win.md5 files the phone doesn't see the when i click restore
i downloaded the zip restore file for my phone (Model: 6045Y(Europe) Firmware: 5.0.2-010 06) from this thread
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This guide is for converting a Canadian 6045i to a US 6045i - both are identical models with simply slightly different software. It won't work with a European 'Y' model like you said you have.
punkal said:
i downloaded the zip restore file for my phone (Model: 6045Y(Europe) Firmware: 5.0.2-010 06) from this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/idol...dates-t3163745
I also have the twrp-2.8.7.0-idol3 installed on my phone.
I also followed this thread
to find the way to install that ROM, without success. i also installed the root from the zip file in the twrp, but again without success!! but when i open from the twrp the directory TWRP/Backups/XXXXX/ and i copy the .win and the .win.md5 files the phone doesn't see the when i click restore
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Step 1) Make a backup on the device so it creates the directory path you need.
Step 2) Take the time datestamp folder from the backup you have and put it in the folder that has the other time datestamp folders. It's not a complicated process. Installing the "root" from the zip file does you no good because the time datestamp folders need to be under a folder with your device id (ie what shows up when you do adb devices).
While the restore process IS the same your questions should be asked in the system image thread if you don't have a 6045i.
According to @petrov.0 it's better for you to install the official 10 06 update (or his modified one in the system image thread) as it updates files in SEVERAL partitions other than system and boot. Again discussion needs to be there.
Apologies to @purple.epod. This will hopefully redirect folks back to the system image thread. I have a line that states to follow your restore tutorial but use their own backup but did not intend for them to be asking questions HERE.
purple.epod said:
This guide is for converting a Canadian 6045i to a US 6045i - both are identical models with simply slightly different software. It won't work with a European 'Y' model like you said you have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now i understand why it doesn't work. And where can i find the rom for my as i have everything wiped? do you know i only found ROM Arde-Dev-Team-v1_5.0.2 but it doesn't work!
---------- Post added at 11:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:40 AM ----------
famewolf said:
Step 1) Make a backup on the device so it creates the directory path you need.
Apologies to @purple.epod. This will hopefully redirect folks back to the system image thread. I have a line that states to follow your restore tutorial but use their own backup but did not intend for them to be asking questions HERE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately i can bakup anything as i have wiped everything on the phone!:crying:
I know i'm really stupid, but i do that as it was a step as a process of installing a new ROM as mine was corrupted!:crying:
punkal said:
Now i understand why it doesn't work. And where can i find the rom for my as i have everything wiped? do you know i only found ROM Arde-Dev-Team-v1_5.0.2 but it doesn't work!
---------- Post added at 11:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:40 AM ----------
Unfortunately i can bakup anything as i have wiped everything on the phone!:crying:
I know i'm really stupid, but i do that as it was a step as a process of installing a new ROM as mine was corrupted!:crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why are you posting this HERE when even the message you quoted states questions should be asked in the system image thread?
famewolf said:
Why are you posting this HERE when even the message you quoted states questions should be asked in the system image thread?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really sorry!
i've been taken by terror and panic.!
As I begin rooting process for my J710, and realize that the J710 is still fairly new so I thought I write this post and share my notes with everyone to help your transition goes smoothly.
First thing first, some safety tips.
Know your stock firmware. In this case SM-J710 is the min requirement
Have a stock firmware file downloaded on your PC. There's nothing for US right now, but J710 is not region lock so it matter not which version you chose on Sammobile
Make sure your current and new version match up as much as possible. So J710 should be the first 4 that need to match
Created a Folder on your PC for J710, and organize everything in one place. Samething with phone microSD card
Try to make a habbit out of keeping track of your process. It will help you out alot when things goes wrong and are looking for help. Or if you need to go back and see where you make mistake. Especially useful if you are new at this. Dev can't help you if you don't know what you did yourself.
10min rules. Always give the phone minimum 10 min to boot the first time before you disconnect the battery. Sometimes it just take longer, but 10min is a good start for first booth.
TOOLS you will need.
ODin newest is 3.10, but other version will be fine
Stock USB cable that came with the phone. This will save you the hassle of downloading USB installer, and it makes data transfer from ODin to phone alot safer.
TWRP for J710. right now it's only beta phase, but I beleive its 3.02.
Superuser zip files to be flash upon successful installation of TWRP
BACK UP DATA: With the app you can use ES explorer and back up to you microSD.
With the phone, just plug in to your computer, Copy the phone folder, and create a subfolder on your PC and name it System then paste everything onto that folder. After rooting is done. Re-install the app again, then copy your system folder onto the new system folder of your root phone. Restart your phone, and all your previous login and layout will there the way you left it.
Technically you only need to copy the ANDROID & BACKUP folder for your apps. But the above methods will back up all your media along with apps info, and it alot faster.
I recommend using ES explorer because it will does all the modification for without having to go through TWRP once you have rooted enable. Just enable root, and whatever you want to modify, place it in the correct folder of the phone SYS. Reboot and its done. You won't have to go through TWRP and risk bricking. You can save your modify rom in a zip file and share up here. It like being a developer for dummies.
So before you begin. The number 1 thing you should have is the firmware. SM-J710 from Sammobile. With that being said, I have found 2 links for rooting. They are both similiar process, but the one from XDA is for SM-J710F. and the link from Androidinfo is for SM-J710MN. Depend on your choosing you need to have a backup firmware from the method that you chose.
Now that you have the stockfirmware, and your phone is not the F or MN series. Flash the stock firmware of the method that you chose, and go with the rooting process for that method. here are the links:
XDA Video tutorial http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-j7/how-to/video-root-samsung-galaxy-j7-sm-j710f-t3401790
XDA thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-j7/development/recovery-samsung-galaxy-sm-j710f-t3380736
Androidinfotech: http://www.androidinfotech.com/2016/07/root-samsung-galaxy-j7-2016-sm-j710mn.html
This rooting method is working mostly with ODin, odds of you bricking your phone is about the same as winning a lottery. With that being said, make sure everything that you plan on flashing is from J710 and you should be fine.
The J7 is more like an opensource phone from Samsung. It does not have a lot of restriction like the other models such as S series. But you are working with a beta version of TWRP so it might not work out the first time around. If that is the case, flash a different firmware model or wait for a stable version. It not the end of the world if you phone is rooted.
Backtrack to beginning: Flash the stock firmware to begin the process again. WIPING DATA before any process is always a plus.
using ODin: Flash Firmware on "BL" for new version, i forgot which slot it is for the older version
Flash: TWRP and SU on "AP" slot for new version
INTERESTING FACTS: I ran across a thread online that mention backing firmware via Odin is possible. Hopefully someone here on XDA might have an idea on the methods, if such a thing exist. I thought I share this. If only I remember where I ran into that post.
Last notes: During the rooting process, I recommend letting the phone reboot completely as you progress through each phase of the process. the reason for this, is so it will help you identify if the TWRP is not installing, or the kernels is incorrect, or the SU.
Your phone will bootloop if TWRP does not optain write priviledges.
Your kernels will always install, but if TWRP does not have privileges the phone will not boot.
Should you were able to get TWRP, and Kernel to install properly, but fail to get SU to install. You gonna have to play around with other SU version. I would do a TWRP back up should I was able to get it to install, before moving on to SU. This way you won't have to start from the beginning if it doesn't work out.
With that, I leave the rest in your hand. Goodlucks
Vi3tDroidz said:
As I begin rooting process for my J710, and realize that the J710 is still fairly new so I thought I write this post and share my notes with everyone to help your transition goes smoothly.
First thing first, some safety tips.
Know your stock firmware. In this case SM-J710 is the min requirement
Have a stock firmware file downloaded on your PC. There's nothing for US right now, but J710 is not region lock so it matter not which version you chose on Sammobile
Make sure your current and new version match up as much as possible. So J710 should be the first 4 that need to match
Created a Folder on your PC for J710, and organize everything in one place. Samething with phone microSD card
Try to make a habbit out of keeping track of your process. It will help you out alot when things goes wrong and are looking for help. Or if you need to go back and see where you make mistake. Especially useful if you are new at this. Dev can't help you if you don't know what you did yourself.
10min rules. Always give the phone minimum 10 min to boot the first time before you disconnect the battery. Sometimes it just take longer, but 10min is a good start for first booth.
TOOLS you will need.
ODin newest is 3.10, but other version will be fine
Stock USB cable that came with the phone. This will save you the hassle of downloading USB installer, and it makes data transfer from ODin to phone alot safer.
TWRP for J710. right now it's only beta phase, but I beleive its 3.02.
Superuser zip files to be flash upon successful installation of TWRP
BACK UP DATA: With the app you can use ES explorer and back up to you microSD.
With the phone, just plug in to your computer, Copy the phone folder, and create a subfolder on your PC and name it System then paste everything onto that folder. After rooting is done. Re-install the app again, then copy your system folder onto the new system folder of your root phone. Restart your phone, and all your previous login and layout will there the way you left it.
Technically you only need to copy the ANDROID & BACKUP folder for your apps. But the above methods will back up all your media along with apps info, and it alot faster.
I recommend using ES explorer because it will does all the modification for without having to go through TWRP once you have rooted enable. Just enable root, and whatever you want to modify, place it in the correct folder of the phone SYS. Reboot and its done. You won't have to go through TWRP and risk bricking. You can save your modify rom in a zip file and share up here. It like being a developer for dummies.
So before you begin. The number 1 thing you should have is the firmware. SM-J710 from Sammobile. With that being said, I have found 2 links for rooting. They are both similiar process, but the one from XDA is for SM-J710F. and the link from Androidinfo is for SM-J710MN. Depend on your choosing you need to have a backup firmware from the method that you chose.
Now that you have the stockfirmware, and your phone is not the F or MN series. Flash the stock firmware of the method that you chose, and go with the rooting process for that method. here are the links:
XDA Video tutorial http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-j7/how-to/video-root-samsung-galaxy-j7-sm-j710f-t3401790
XDA thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-j7/development/recovery-samsung-galaxy-sm-j710f-t3380736
Androidinfotech: http://www.androidinfotech.com/2016/07/root-samsung-galaxy-j7-2016-sm-j710mn.html
This rooting method is working mostly with ODin, odds of you bricking your phone is about the same as winning a lottery. With that being said, make sure everything that you plan on flashing is from J710 and you should be fine.
The J7 is more like an opensource phone from Samsung. It does not have a lot of restriction like the other models such as S series. But you are working with a beta version of TWRP so it might not work out the first time around. If that is the case, flash a different firmware model or wait for a stable version. It not the end of the world if you phone is rooted.
Backtrack to beginning: Flash the stock firmware to begin the process again. WIPING DATA before any process is always a plus.
using ODin: Flash Firmware on "BL" for new version, i forgot which slot it is for the older version
Flash: TWRP and SU on "AP" slot for new version
INTERESTING FACTS: I ran across a thread online that mention backing firmware via Odin is possible. Hopefully someone here on XDA might have an idea on the methods, if such a thing exist. I thought I share this. If only I remember where I ran into that post.
Last notes: During the rooting process, I recommend letting the phone reboot completely as you progress through each phase of the process. the reason for this, is so it will help you identify if the TWRP is not installing, or the kernels is incorrect, or the SU.
Your phone will bootloop if TWRP does not optain write priviledges.
Your kernels will always install, but if TWRP does not have privileges the phone will not boot.
Should you were able to get TWRP, and Kernel to install properly, but fail to get SU to install. You gonna have to play around with other SU version. I would do a TWRP back up should I was able to get it to install, before moving on to SU. This way you won't have to start from the beginning if it doesn't work out.
With that, I leave the rest in your hand. Goodlucks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I Root the Device but After root there were many issues..... I Keep on getting an notification that unauthorized action ...
and also my device keeps lagging it lags just for a second but this games every 2-3 mins
I also freezed KNOX with lucky patcher but the problem still persists any meathod to solve the problem Thanks
Thanks
Sent from my SM-J710MN using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2
Preamble
Hello, all.
Soooo I've never posted on this forum before. I've mainly leeched the invaluable info for my personal gain. I'm sure many a googler has come here trying to figure out how to root their phone. And I'm sure many a "swimmer" in Schitz Creek has come here via Google to figure out how to save their device from what had been perceived as an upgrade. I'm speaking, of course, of trying to root/unlock a phone and finding said phone "bricked".
Well, it’s time to give back.
Because yesterday, I was neck deep in Schitz Creek. After a series of dumb decisions and a lack of knowledge, I bricked the phone I’d bought for my wife’s birthday. I was just trying to be able to delete the Asus bloatware and install titanium backup and greenify. By the way, since when did Facebook become a system app? How is this a thing? Anyways, my wife deserves better battery life. And it’s fun to feel like Cyber MacGuyver by rooting a phone. But the situation went awry. My wife kept telling me that everything was going to be alright, but I know the limitations of my knowledge.
Brief aside: I'm decently computer/phone savvy, but I would, in no way, consider myself an advanced user. Sure, to my family, I'm a computer wizard. But that doesn't mean a whole lot. To them, opening up a command prompt in Windows is seen as an act of magic. And I haven't had my planeswalker spark yet. However, I have successfully rooted, and in most cases unlocked the bootloader, for several phones (HTC desire, Galaxy S3 [three different models over three years], Asus Zenfone 5, LG G4 [once pre-motherboard-death and once post (after a downgrade)], and now the ZE552KL). So I know how to at least fumble my way around adb, fastboot, odin, and various recoveries. As long as you’re at this level, or willing to learn, then you should be able to follow these instructions. End aside.
Mistakes not to make
Let’s get down to brass tacks. I made two big mistakes that you shouldn’t make. Both mistakes stemmed from the basic mistake of using a root method other than this one: https://forum.xda-developers.com/zenfone-3/help/guide-how-to-root-zenfone-3-ze552kl-t3471524
The problem with not using this EXACT method is that some of the files/programs which you need to use have specific versions which will ensure an easypeasy root. Honestly, if you properly follow the instructions in the above post, you will most likely not run into any problems. The only addition I can make is that instead of steps 6 and 7, you might find it easier to install SuperSU.zip through TWRP instead of pushing and sideloading.
Mistake 1: Not using the proper TWRP file and SuperSU file
For some reason, there are multiple versions of these files. Your SuperSU file should be 4.8MB. Using the wrong SuperSU will break the dm-verity. Your TWRP should NOT be the latest experimental version. It should be the one from November or earlier of 2016. Using the wrong TWRP will leave you unable to use the touchscreen. Trust me. I know from experience.
Mistake 2: KEEP TWRP READ ONLY
Disabling read only has no current benefits. It will just break the dm-verity. Your device will still be able to be written to if you keep TWRP read only. I have no idea why it’s called “read only”.
How to unbrick the phone
I’m sure some of you skipped straight to here. While I can’t blame you, please at least read the above paragraph. It will help you.
First I will describe the situation the phone was in, and then I will explain how I saved it. Before I continue, I want to give a big shout out to Niemer. Without their helpful post, I would’ve had no idea what to do. Thanks!
Situation the phone was in
--TWRP could not be used because the touchscreen wasn’t working.
--The dm-verity was messed up (i.e. “not started in enforcing mode").
Before you look at the solutions, make sure that your phone shows up in the windows device manager as an ADB device/ASUS ADB device/ADB composite device/etc. no matter which step you’re in. Google it to figure out how if you don’t already know.
The solution
Part 1 - Create and flash a system image which will restore your dm-verity
step 1. download the latest system “update” from the asus drivers website. I have a WW version of the phone, so I downloaded “WW_V13.20.10.152”. It’s a 1.76GB file, so be patient. I haven’t tested this method with other versions of the phone, but they should work in theory.
step 2. go into the updater script file (META_INF → com → google → android → updater-script). Open it with notepad ++.
step 3. delete from the beginning of the file up until the line “ui_print("Target: asus/WW_Phone/ASUS_Z012D:6.0.1/MMB29P/13.20.10.152-20161222:user/release-keys");”
The code that you are deleting checks to make sure that your phone is the proper model. But there is a good chance that it will mistakenly identify your phone as a phony. So we need to get rid of this code.
step 4. save the updater-script file
step 5. create a copy of the modified system update zip file. You should now have two 1.76GB files (or maybe slightly different if your phone is a CN, JP, or other model. Once again, I have a WW version of the phone). Name one of the files “realupdate.zip” and name the other “dmsaver.zip”. The names aren’t actually important.
step 6. enter dmsaver.zip. delete these four files: file_contexts, system.new.dat, system.patch.dat, and system.transfer.list. Exit out of the file. It should now be about 60MB.
step 7. turn on your ZE552KL and enter fastboot mode
step 8. in a cmd screen from your main folder (i.e. the one with adb, fastboot, and all the other files, including the ones you just created), type in the command “fastboot flash system dmsaver.zip”
step 9. if successful, you have just restored the dm-verity. You should now no longer get that sinister red text which has been ruining all your fun.
Part 2 - Install a proper version of TWRP
(This is only important if your version of TWRP won’t let you do anything because you can’t use your touch screen)
Download the version of TWRP that is included in the how-to-root post I linked to above. Also, you can download the oldest version (NOT the newest) from a sharing website which is linked to in a post on the ASUS website. It’s not in english though. Flash it to your phone in fastboot mode using the “fastboot flash recovery” command. Make sure you turn your phone off before turning it back on, or your recovery might not activate correctly.
Part 3 - Install a new version of your system.
Go into TWRP and install the zip file “realupdate.zip” that you created in Part 1 - step 5.
Part 4 - Root your phone
Follow the instructions in the link I posted earlier. It comes from this website, so you know it’s good. This time, though, you probably don’t need to unlock the bootloader
Part 5 - Breathe a sigh of relief
Parting words
I really hope this guide can be of assistance to you. The full procedure for fixing “my” phone wasn’t really recorded anywhere (although once again, big shout out to Niemer for their post). I went through hundreds of iterations of seemingly random fastboot, recovery, and adb actions before everything worked out. Because of this, I feel quite fortunate to have saved the phone, and I really wanted to give back. This community has been super helpful to me over the last seven years, and this is my chance to reciprocate. I sincerely hope that this post will help you.
I hope I didn’t forget anything. I have a sneaking suspicion that I did. In any event, if you have any questions, please post them, and I’ll try to be of assistance. Happy rooting!
thank you man but i start Part1 step8 "fastboot flash system dmsaver.zip" it's successful then i go into TWRP and install the zip file “realupdate.zip” dm-verity show again.
Thank again.
Raw firmware
I have the same issue. My phone was branded "tim italy". When i bought it, I flashed the WW version via asus flash tool, and I'm currently able to update till the last M version, which is the ......152.
If i try to update to Android N, my phone will not boot, giving me the corruption message and shutting down after 10 seconds. I also tried to perform the dm restore procedure; the dm error disappeared but the system is stuck on the Asus boot screen
I believe that the only solution is to flash a Nougat RAW firmware via asus Flash tool. Does Anyone have a download link for the N version ?
thank you, you helped me, now im on N
I guess the version matters then. So be careful with which firmware you download/install. If anyone has success with other versions, please share how you did it
I am stuck on Step 8. i put the 2 zips in where my adb and fastboot is located, and then proceed to type 'fastboot flash system...' and then it wont let me flash, any help?
Device Locked
When I flash the dmsaver.zip, receive the error "FAILED (remote: not allowed in locked state)". Apparently this with the bootloader locked, but I already unlocked before. Someone can help me unlock the bootloader again?
Further hyperlinks & solution ideas
Check out my solution and Ideas in those in links I posted in this thread at 4th of septembre 2017:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ze...-zenfone-3-zoom-ze553kl-t3657239#post73661437
The hyperlinks in my post might also be useful, I hope.
Would be glad about your feedback, if it helped! :good:
how do you update the script file ..can u just post the file that u made somehow or email it or attach it to a message?
cant get it to work followed the instructions still getinf error code 7 trying to install lineage os
If you have lineage OS version not is a zip file but all the images (boot.img, system.img, ...) then you could try to flash the images through ADB...
if someone have the no verity issue, can you try a method for me please?
it consists on:
re-flash the rom kernel via fastboot
and run:
Code:
fastboot oem reset-dm-verity
Followed all the steps and twrp still has no touch function.
Tried all different twrp versions.
OS Version is a key
Hi everybody that has the same issue, I hope you read that so you can fix your problem.
So what I did was downloading old version of OS that autor mentioned "WW-13.20.10.152". It is necessary to download this version even if there are more newer versions. Then follow tutorial and you should be fine.
So again, thanks OP for posting this. You helped me a lot!