Database Users

What's the easiest way to root and install a bootloader right now?

I'm coming from a Kindle Fire. My Nexus 7 arrived today in Mexico, purchased on eBay
With the Kindle Fire there was a DOS-based Windows tool to enable root and install FireFireFire and TWRP.
I'm going to use the stock ROM for a while and see how it works. I feel no need to use a custom ROM with it.
I found Nexus Root Toolkit and Google Nexus 7 Toolkit on ht development forum. Which one are you guys using and why?
As recovery, do you recommend CWM over TWRP? TWRP worked very well with my Kindle Fire.
Thanks.

ajua said:
I'm coming from a Kindle Fire. My Nexus 7 arrived today in Mexico, purchased on eBay
With the Kindle Fire there was a DOS-based Windows tool to enable root and install FireFireFire and TWRP.
I'm going to use the stock ROM for a while and see how it works. I feel no need to use a custom ROM with it.
I found Nexus Root Toolkit and Google Nexus 7 Toolkit on ht development forum. Which one are you guys using and why?
As recovery, do you recommend CWM over TWRP? TWRP worked very well with my Kindle Fire.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally I don't use any of the Toolkits. I used fastboot commands to unlock the bootloader and flash a custom recovery.
As for recovery, its personal preference. I recently changed from CWM to TWRP on my Nexus 7 and Galaxy Nexus as I didn't really like the new "blobs" process of backing up roms on CWM.

Nexus 7 toolkit. It wont even take u 5 mins to get it rooted and have a bootloader installed

ajua said:
I found Nexus Root Toolkit and Google Nexus 7 Toolkit on ht development forum. Which one are you guys using and why?
As recovery, do you recommend CWM over TWRP? TWRP worked very well with my Kindle Fire.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google Nexus 7 Toolkit works fine Although I'd recommend learning how to use ADB & Fastboot - they're incredibly useful.
As it's a Nexus device, unlocking your bootloader and installing a custom recovery is really simple: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1741395.

ajua said:
I'm coming from a Kindle Fire. My Nexus 7 arrived today in Mexico, purchased on eBay
With the Kindle Fire there was a DOS-based Windows tool to enable root and install FireFireFire and TWRP.
I'm going to use the stock ROM for a while and see how it works. I feel no need to use a custom ROM with it.
I found Nexus Root Toolkit and Google Nexus 7 Toolkit on ht development forum. Which one are you guys using and why?
As recovery, do you recommend CWM over TWRP? TWRP worked very well with my Kindle Fire.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
fragje said:
Nexus 7 toolkit. It wont even take u 5 mins to get it rooted and have a bootloader installed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
theres no need to install a bootloader since theres one already on the device, thats why it boots up. what you need is a custom recovery. easiest way is fastboot. laziest way is a root toolkit. but the easiest way to mess up your device is through a root toolkit too.

Thanks for the answers. I have some experience as I rooted and flashed my Kindle Fire multiple times.
I guess I will have a go at the toolkits first and install TWRP (I already know how to use it). About ADB and Fastboot, I have little experience using them via command-line, but will keep in mind the suggestion to root and install a custom recovery manually.

ajua said:
Thanks for the answers. I have some experience as I rooted and flashed my Kindle Fire multiple times.
I guess I will have a go at the toolkits first and install TWRP (I already know how to use it). About ADB and Fastboot, I have little experience using them via command-line, but will keep in mind the suggestion to root and install a custom recovery manually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a hint, there's currently a bug in bootloader where you can't get into recovery without the tablet being connected to a PC, some roms let you reboot directly and that works but if your device can't boot its a invalid thing to say
Sent from my Jelly Nexus S

[Q] Nexus 7 (4.1.2) can't root

Hi I have a Nexus 7 version (4.1.2 OTA).
I wanted to ask what the deal is or what I'm doing wrong. I purchased the full version of Nexus ToolKit 7. According to the instructions I made the unlocked bootloader and I wanted to root but each attempt failed.
I do not know what I could do wrong when root is fully automated.
PS: I also tried to reflash Stock Rom (4.1.2)
I enclose a picture attachments with an error message

IAmNice said:
usb debugging on? Have you checked that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi. Yes mam (usb debugging on) have a look to the attachment.
Toolkit me boot into fastboot then reboot then for something to fastboot loaded and back to android and trying to upload the files but nothing superuser is not recorded because of (read-only file system).
have a look on the attachment is there to see everything ...

yep same issue here - problem with the forum regs is unless you have enough posts you can't actually address the issue to the appropriate person can you? Anyway, able to unlock but then is unable to root and rest due to a permissions problem. have tried as administrator but of coure this doesn't make any difference.

NexusTropers said:
Hi I have a Nexus 7 version (4.1.2 OTA).
I wanted to ask what the deal is or what I'm doing wrong. I purchased the full version of Nexus ToolKit 7. According to the instructions I made the unlocked bootloader and I wanted to root but each attempt failed.
I do not know what I could do wrong when root is fully automated.
PS: I also tried to reflash Stock Rom (4.1.2)
I enclose a picture attachments with an error message
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can try flashing CWM recovery and installing Superuser from there.
Download Superuser and copy it to your /sdcard
Flash CWM recovery
Install Superuser from CWM
????
Profit.

try:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1796109

comminus said:
You can try flashing CWM recovery and installing Superuser from there.
Download Superuser and copy it to your /sdcard
Flash CWM recovery
Install Superuser from CWM
????
Profit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks comminus - but I think that if we could do this then we wouldn't be using the tool kit.

bazabaza said:
Thanks comminus - but I think that if we could do this then we wouldn't be using the tool kit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why not try before you give up? Nothing I suggested is even remotely challenging.
With your tablet booted normally plug it in to your computer and copy the superuser zip in my previous post to the Download directory on your Nexus 7 from Windows.
Judging by the first provided screenshot I can see that option 6 in that toolkit is for flashing recovery. Why not try that?
As far as how to install the zip from ClockworkMod (CWM), there are literally hundreds of threads and YouTube videos that will show you what to do. The better option is to spend a few minutes (literately. It only takes a few minutes.) to learn some basic fastboot commands. If you're willing to learn there are many people who will help.

comminus said:
Why not try before you give up? Nothing I suggested is even remotely challenging.
With your tablet booted normally plug it in to your computer and copy the superuser zip in my previous post to the Download directory on your Nexus 7 from Windows.
Judging by the first provided screenshot I can see that option 6 in that toolkit is for flashing recovery. Why not try that?
As far as how to install the zip from ClockworkMod (CWM), there are literally hundreds of threads and YouTube videos that will show you what to do. The better option is to spend a few minutes (literately. It only takes a few minutes.) to learn some basic fastboot commands. If you're willing to learn there are many people who will help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thx you for your post
But in the Nexus7 ToolKit can be done but is ClockworkMod must first rename (recovery restore files) but with da only when I have ROOT.
And why unnecessary to install CWM and resolve other problems I'll eat a connection. If "simply" can I ROOT who create me rich enough.

NexusTropers said:
Thx you for your post
But in the Nexus7 ToolKit can be done but is ClockworkMod must first rename (recovery restore files) but with da only when I have ROOT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Choose #1 in your first screenshot.
After you install CWM make sure you boot recovery before a standard boot. On rebooting from CWM it will say something like "ROM may flash stock recovery on boot." and prompt with yes or no. Choose yes - this renames /system/recovery-from-boot.p and prevents the ROM from restoring stock recovery.
NexusTropers said:
And why unnecessary to install CWM and resolve other problems I'll eat a connection. If "simply" can I ROOT who create me rich enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not really sure what you're trying to say...

I tried quite a few times to root my Nexus 7 with the Nexus 7 toolkit, it hung every time when it was supposed to be installing SuperSU and BusyBox. Every time the last message I saw was "adbd already running as root", and it would just hang there. Everything else appeared to work properly. The only tool I was able to successfully use (more than once) was the Nexus Root Toolkit from Wugfresh http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1766475. You may want to try that tool.

comminus said:
Choose #1 in your first screenshot.
After you install CWM make sure you boot recovery before a standard boot. On rebooting from CWM it will say something like "ROM may flash stock recovery on boot." and prompt with yes or no. Choose yes - this renames /system/recovery-from-boot.p and prevents the ROM from restoring stock recovery.
I'm not really sure what you're trying to say...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. THX u i try it.
2. AH sorry translator make crazy text.
homerbrew said:
I tried quite a few times to root my Nexus 7 with the Nexus 7 toolkit, it hung every time when it was supposed to be installing SuperSU and BusyBox. Every time the last message I saw was "adbd already running as root", and it would just hang there. Everything else appeared to work properly. The only tool I was able to successfully use (more than once) was the Nexus Root Toolkit from Wugfresh http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1766475. You may want to try that tool.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oki THX u i try this tool...

I'm also having this same problem but here's my story:
Using the Nexus 1.5.4 Toolkit, I Unrooted + Flashed jzo54k, success. I locked OEM, success. I unlocked again, success. Then I ran the root process again, and it keeps freezing at the android recovery screen. Following the prompt in the toolkit, I walked away for a few hours hoping time would resolve the issue.
If you're wondering why I unlocked + rooted, and decided to unroot, lock, unlock, and root again, its because I'm super-noob to anything android related after version 1.5, I wanted to learn the processes after I found out I was having troubles with certian things after my Nexus 7 updated from 4.1 to 4.1.2

I am having the same issue as you. 4.1.2 is not rooting for me. I can't install CWM or TWRP because it needs to rename recovery files, and to do that you need to be rooted. If I boot in recovery I always get stock

Having the same issue with a stock 4.1.2. I can unlock no problem but I cannot get it rooted. Everything appears to have worked, but it is not rooted. If I revert back to 4.1.1 I can unlock, root, etc. without issue. I was able to root 4.1.1 and use the root keeper app to then update to 4.1.2 and I was rooted still. However, it would not let me install CWM or anything. ROM Manager says it was installed, but booting to recovery always too me to stock.
Any ideas?

Can you point me into the direction to downgrading?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

MetalMadness said:
Can you point me into the direction to downgrading?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used Nexus Root Toolkit v1.5.4 and selected the "Flash Stock + Unroot" option. When prompted I choose the default 4.1.1 option and away it went.

To root my 32Gb on 4.1.2 I had to unlock the boot loader, flash the boot loader back to version 3.34, and then I successfully rooted using the nexus 7 toolkit.

hundred_miles_high said:
To root my 32Gb on 4.1.2 I had to unlock the boot loader, flash the boot loader back to version 3.34, and then I successfully rooted using the nexus 7 toolkit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Winner winner! I was just reading THIS which is exactly what you suggested. I just tried this and can confirm that it did work.
Thanks!

hundred_miles_high said:
To root my 32Gb on 4.1.2 I had to unlock the boot loader, flash the boot loader back to version 3.34, and then I successfully rooted using the nexus 7 toolkit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indy1204 said:
Winner winner! I was just reading THIS which is exactly what you suggested. I just tried this and can confirm that it did work.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I did this earlier and it didnt work, but I checked boot instead of flash
FLASH THE OLDER BOOTLOADER DON'T BOOT IT!!!

[Q] How to Root w/o Custom Recovery?

I would like to root my Nexus 7, but I just want "Root" so I can push apps via ADB, and run apps that require root.
I don't want a "Custom Recovery" or to install any "ROMS"
I like it stock, and only need root.
Is this possible, and how?

KoolAidJunkie said:
I would like to root my Nexus 7, but I just want "Root" so I can push apps via ADB, and run apps that require root.
I don't want a "Custom Recovery" or to install any "ROMS"
I like it stock, and only need root.
Is this possible, and how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you "want" to root your nexus 7 "but" don't want to install a ROM then you should do a "search" on this website. There are several "stickies" that explain this; try "reading" them.

slack04 said:
If you "want" to root your nexus 7 "but" don't want to install a ROM then you should do a "search" on this website. There are several "stickies" that explain this; try "reading" them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have read through them, but the ones I find all mention installing CWM.
I don't want a Customer Recover installed. Just STOCK
I tried Nexus 7 Toolkit;
Unlocked the Bootloader.
Ran Option 4 to Root.
But Superuser won't work, and Root Explorer says I don't have root.

Looking for the root on my g nexus
I am also looking for the same thing for my galaxy nexus i.e. root without custom recovery
Please do tell me if you get any info as to whether it is possible to root without vision recovery or not
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

I root my N7 using SuperBoot (it's somewhere in the development section, don't have a link at the moment).
It's ran one time only from bootloader mode via "fastboot boot superboot.img", doesn't flash anything, just get temp-loaded to memory and roots the system on it's boot.
After a reboot you're back on stock kernel.

[Q] Root 4.3 without toolkit and custom recovery?

I've been searching the forums and the rest of the net looking for a how to root a Nexus 7 without using a toolkit (using fastboot/adb instead). I'm in the process of learning as much as I can about the operating system itself but haven't gotten to the point yet where I know how to root a device on my own.
What I'm wondering is:
1. All the guides on rooting the N7 include flashing a custom recovery, then SuperSU, so on and so forth. Is there any way to avoid having to flash CWM or TWRP to root an N7?
2. Is there any where I can learn how to root my device without a toolkit?
If I've somehow missed an obvious thread on the subject, I apologize.

keithD9 said:
I've been searching the forums and the rest of the net looking for a how to root a Nexus 7 without using a toolkit (using fastboot/adb instead). I'm in the process of learning as much as I can about the operating system itself but haven't gotten to the point yet where I know how to root a device on my own.
What I'm wondering is, all the guides on rooting the N7 include flashing a custom recovery, then SuperSU, so on and so forth. Is there any way to avoid having to flash CWM or TWRP to root an N7? If I've somehow missed an obvious thread on the subject, I apologize.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashing SuperSu is very simple with TWRP.
1. Install Fastboot (and adb)
2. Go here: http://teamw.in/project/twrp2/103
3. Download the latest image (at time of writing, 2.6)
4. Open up the terminal (Unix/Linux) or command prompt (windows)
4.1 (If you haven't unlocked bootloader, you will need to type "fastboot oem unlock". WARNING! THIS ERASES ALL DATA
5. Type "fastboot flash recovery recoveryfilename.img" and replace recoveryfilename.img with the name of the image downloaded.
6. Install SuperSu
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you aren't keen on unlocking bootloader, see this thread here. It is, however, a glitchy, no good (IMHO) method which could brick your nexus and may not be compatible with all android versions.
Also, be warned, my instructions aren't bulletproof, you might be better following instructions from one of the many threads about rooting/unlocking bootloader of the nexus 7, incase of typo/stupidity on my behalf! Here is one thread for CWM http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1741395

Do I need TWRP or CWM in order to root though? Or can you still root with stock recovery?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

keithD9 said:
Do I need TWRP or CWM in order to root though? Or can you still root with stock recovery?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You would need custom recovery but you don't have to flash it permanently. You can use the command 'fastboot boot recovery nameofrecovery.img'
It will merely boot the device into a temporary custom recovery for you to root it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

Aha, and there we have it. Finally clicked. I'm positive someone must have said the same thing but in a different way. Thanks for the info!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

[Q] Rooting

Hi, I just got a new Nexus 7 and I want to root it.
Every guide I look at it seems you have to lose everything on the device, is there a way around this?
Thanks!

zootylicious said:
Hi, I just got a new Nexus 7 and I want to root it.
Every guide I look at it seems you have to lose everything on the device, is there a way around this?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, zootylicious...
No, unfortunately not. Rooting requires unlocking the bootloader. For security reasons, unlocking the bootloader will perform a factory reset.... and which will wipe everything on the device.
There are currently no known 'root exploits' for KitKat... such as the old motochopper 'exploit' that worked so well under Jellybean 4.2.2... and rooted the Nexus 7 WITHOUT unlocking the bootloader.
Since Jellybean 4.3 and onward to KitKat 4.4.2, such 'exploits/vulnerabilities' have been 'closed' by Google.... so if you wish to root your Nexus 7, you're going to have to do it the old fashioned way...
----------------------------------------------
** Unlock the bootloader... will wipe the device.
** Fastboot flash a Custom Recovery (CWM or TWRP).
** Download to the Nexus 7, Chainfire's SuperSU root updater .zip
** Boot into the previously fastboot flashed Custom Recovery, and flash the SuperSU .zip.
** Reboot - you're rooted.
----------------------------------------------
Read the 'stickies' and the many excellent guides on this forum for more details.
Hope this helps.
Rgrds,
Ged.

If its new then I presume you have just installed lots of apps that you don't want to reeinstall. Google will "backup"apps and will automatically download and reinstall them when you set up the tablet again after bootloader unlock and root. The Bootloader can usually be relocked for warranty issues. You can use wugfresh nexus toolkit its pretty safe and easy to use.
Sent from one of my 47 iPads running android C3P0

Thanks for the replies.
I thought I'd just post an update on what I was doing.
I managed to root without losing anything by using adb to back up everything before I unlocked.