How to Root Nook Tablet Step by Step
Demo of games that work and dont, home catcher (N button hack)
First Root Demonstration
Updated 12/3/11:
How to use Dropbox and refer others to build your drop box free storage.
Updated 12/7/11:
How to Unroot, Reformat, Return to Stock for Nook Tablet One Click by Albert Wertz
Thank you! I was waiting for somebody to make one. Im going to watch this first thing in the morning and finally root my NT
Thanks, I'll give that a shot shortly.
I've tried logging into the android market using the non-rooted technique and complains I have no android phone after logging in under my google account, enter a phone # etc. After the root, will this be resolved, or did you have an android phone / tablet already on the account?
otisw said:
Thanks, I'll give that a shot shortly.
I've tried logging into the android market using the non-rooted technique and complains I have no android phone after logging in under my google account, enter a phone # etc. After the root, will this be resolved, or did you have an android phone / tablet already on the account?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
works perfectly with this method even google voice
I'm new to Android, so by "rooting" we are only talking about access to android marketplace and more apps correct?
lanceot said:
I'm new to Android, so by "rooting" we are only talking about access to android marketplace and more apps correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android is basically Linux
Rooting your device means giving yourself root, or superuser (admin) access, giving you access to system files and the ability to change things that normally are marked read only.
This allows for removing "pre-installed" applications (called by some people "bloat-ware", because they bloat the system.), installing other applications (for example, although members of this forum figured out how to "side-load", or install without a market, some of the Google apps, the "Google Market" requires an entire framework which needs root access), and making changes to the system in ways that generally void your warranty (but can sometimes speed things up and make the device do things that no one expected it to do).
"Rooting" is also the first step (but only *one* of many) toward installing custom versions of the Android operating system (or "ROMs").
It's kind of a big deal, and the ability to root makes the device just *that much* more appealing to people who like to tinker.
how to check if NT is rooted
Hi, I followed the video all up till the part before it prompts the installation of Gapps. I don't know why mine did not provide that prompt. It just stopped working.
Now I have no clue if my root was successful. Please help?
juinny said:
Hi, I followed the video all up till the part before it prompts the installation of Gapps. I don't know why mine did not provide that prompt. It just stopped working.
Now I have no clue if my root was successful. Please help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you might have accidentally hit enter or something. To check for root, go to search and instead of putting go launcher in, put superuser and it should tell you if the superuser app is installed or not. If installed you are rooted and you can use the gapps instructions to install that alone. but I would just try running nook zergy again. Make sure your cable is not loose.
Just added another video to the collection, I demonstrate home catcher apk and games that work/dont work on the nook tablet
ASIQ said:
Hi,
My name is Mohamed Asiq, I from India. I have a nook tablet, but have not registered it yet. B&N account needs a U.S. shipping address only. So I cannot create a new account. Without registering I cannot even open the tablet. So please I kindly request you to allow me to use your nook account. I ensure that I will not misuse it or purchase using it or use it, besides in India the account will not work. Please consider my request. Please.....CONTACT ME [email protected]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you get one if you are in india? I am sorry, but your request is one that very few would even consider. My recommendation is to setup a fake mailing address or possibly a P.O box.
thanks suicideclown for your reply, but is it possible to setup a fake address? I mean will not the B&N SERVER CHECK THe credit card address.
ASIQ said:
thanks suicideclown for your reply, but is it possible to setup a fake address? I mean will not the B&N SERVER CHECK THe credit card address.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you dont have to setup the credit card to turn on, just the mailing address when you create a barnes and noble account. no credit card required.
Just released a demo of using dropbox and a drop box referral builder thread to help people build their storage capacity.
suicideclown said:
How did you get one if you are in india? I am sorry, but your request is one that very few would even consider. My recommendation is to setup a fake mailing address or possibly a P.O box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
also can skip the register the account
suicideclown said:
How to Root Nook Tablet Step by Step
Demo of games that work and dont, home catcher (N button hack)
First Root Demonstration
Updated 12/3/11:
How to use Dropbox and refer others to build your drop box free storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there any way to know if a game will work before you buy/try it?
HMG10 said:
Is there any way to know if a game will work before you buy/try it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The point of the android market is to only show you games that are capable of functioning on your device. If you can see it in the android market, you should be able to play it... however, we have a hacked market so this may not be 100% true...
suicideclown said:
The point of the android market is to only show you games that are capable of functioning on your device. If you can see it in the android market, you should be able to play it... however, we have a hacked market so this may not be 100% true...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I'm still learning lots
How to Unroot, Reformat, Return to Stock for Nook Tablet One Click by Albert Wertz
just added
So I know they have preloaded Root SD Cards for the Nook Color so that you don't "break" your Nook and void your warranty and so you can easily revert back by just removing the card. Do you know if they exist for the Tablet yet? I've seen reports where using the ones for the Color on the Tablet don't work.
AJinWV said:
So I know they have preloaded Root SD Cards for the Nook Color so that you don't "break" your Nook and void your warranty and so you can easily revert back by just removing the card. Do you know if they exist for the Tablet yet? I've seen reports where using the ones for the Color on the Tablet don't work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Adam has found a way to boot stock B&N on SD card, but some people still report issues from it. No one has found a way to boot non-signed roms from SD.
I'm very confused, trying to make the leap from a PC (Windows and Linux),
where it is OBVIOUS how to distinquish one user in the household from another,
to my new B/N Nook Tablet.
Ok, so I'm now using my tablet. When I hit 'Home', my desktop shows that my logged-in email is an active app. (and so are a few others).
So, I completely power it down.
When I power it back up, I expected that my email would NOT be active.
But, it IS!
What if it was some OTHER household member who powered up the tablet?
(I do NOT want them, by default, seeing my email screen!)
Is there a solution? (Or should I just return this goofy 'tablet' to Barnes and Noble, and wait til next year to see if next-year's tablet OS works the
way most of us would want it to???)
For now, think of this tablet as a personal device such as a mobile phone. Pretty sure ICS works the same way too so it might be a long wait for you.
Ok.
Meanwhile, how do I explicitly shutdown (stop) my running apps
(e.g. my email app)?
Do I 'visit' each one, and find how each app handles stopping it?
Or, better...is there a 'task-mgr' (list) for my apps, so that I could select
them all and abort them?
You could get "advanced task killer" from the market. Not sure if it needs to be rooted or if you could just side load it.
Sent from my BNTV250 using Tapatalk
MonkeysInACan said:
You could get "advanced task killer" from the market. Not sure if it needs to be rooted or if you could just side load it.
Sent from my BNTV250 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm...I'm still a newbie to all this 'root' vs 'side-load' terminology.
Side-load just means: 'Get it first on a real PC, then plug-in the USB-cable
to the tablet, and 'move it over'?
To 'root' something seems to mean that, in Linux-terminology, I first need to
have 'root' (super-user) privs, right? (I saw a thread about how to 'root'
the device, but am unclear about DETAILS. Does it violate warranties?
(yada, yada) Also, I THINK I'm hearing that, right now, I can only use
the Barnes/Noble 'app store' and NOT to the generic Android 'app store'?
True/false?
Are you saying I might need 'root' to INSTALL the app 'adv task killer', or
to RUN 'adv task killer'? (or both?)
It sounds like you want to have some form of screen locker in place so when you power back up (or unsleep) you have to enter a code or a pattern. This prevents unauthorized access to your personal tablet.
You should be able to activate it from the settings menu.
Concerning multiple logins, the presumption is one user per device. As to 'working how "most of us" would want it to'... Most people do prefer it this way. If someone else wants their own tablet, they should get their own tablet.
>the presumption is one user per device.
This is a legacy of Android still being a phone OS. Tablet is a more social device, and safe bet is that multiuser acct handling will show up at some point. Hopefully, soon. Else, Win8 will do what Android can't.
Android still has a lot of holes it needs to fill, and I'm not talking about apps.
---------- Post added at 10:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:56 PM ----------
@OP
You don't need to "close" apps in Android. The OS manages memory as needed per least-recently-used basis. Using apps such as "Task Killer" is inefficient and will shorten battery life. There've been many articles/posts written on this topic. Google to find.
What's recommended is to run something like System Panel (free app in market). Over time, it'll give you a profile of which app is eating up the most battery. Use that to remove apps that are power-hogs.
At least on my Android cell phone, hitting the Home key leaves the current application running. Hitting the "Back" key ends the application. Not sure if the NT has a "Back" function...
rmm200 said:
At least on my Android cell phone, hitting the Home key leaves the current application running. Hitting the "Back" key ends the application. Not sure if the NT has a "Back" function...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The NT does have a back key, but that behavior depends on how the app was designed and it not true for many apps. In fact, because of what e.mote described about Android's design for "backgrounded" apps, Google recommends that apps not be designed to close itself with the back button, menu command, etc except for special circumstances.
e.mote said:
>
[...]
@OP
You don't need to "close" apps in Android. The OS manages memory as needed per least-recently-used basis. Using apps such as "Task Killer" is inefficient and will shorten battery life. There've been many articles/posts written on this topic. Google to find.
What's recommended is to run something like System Panel (free app in market). Over time, it'll give you a profile of which app is eating up the most battery. Use that to remove apps that are power-hogs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, but that's the question/issue: i.e. I WANT to close this particular app (email), for
security reasons!
Are you saying that apps in Android are often NOT programmed with a
mechanism to STOP them?
By design, yes - most apps are not programmed to fully stop themselves - they remain resident in memory in case you return to that app - it reduces load times and allows content viewing sites (news readers, downloading the newest emails, periodic alerting tools, etc) to work in the background so the information is available when you want it without having to do a load at the time you bring up the app.
Any app that's paused (not the current focus) may be asked to relinquish resources by the OS in order to allow another app (with the current focus) the ability to run. This is all handled by the OS, and applications are expected to always be interruptable, thus constantly persisting their state as they are being used. This allows for something else to interrupt (such as a phone call or selection of another app, or an alert from your alarm program) with a reasonable expectation that whatever you were doing wasn't lost.
The security built into Android is the ability to require a passcode or pattern to unlock the phone when coming out of a sleep state. Failing to set that pattern or passcode is a failing of the user, not the OS.
Phones and Tablets, from the android perspective, are an extension of the person. Though I sometimes use my wife's NookColor, or she mine - it is a rare thing and any use beyond that by friends is always supervised.
Other tablet OSs may have the concept of 'logging in', but not Android.
So, I'm screwed? No way to get her email logged in?
Hmm...I HOPE I'm still missing something simple. (Otherwise, I'm
screwed, and I'll have to return this diabolical BEAST to the store.)
This unit is a gift for my wife for Xmas.
To familiarize myself with it, I setup and logged-in to my
Gmail acct.
Of course, NOW I want to:
'Log out' of my gmail, and setup the 'email app' to login to
her email (non-Gmail-based). [And, have THAT one be the
always-open email-acct, (tho I do NOT LIKE this 'feature'
of always-logged-in at all!)]
How do I do that? ('Rooting' this Nook Tablet is NOT an option, so
if that's part of your proposed "solution", forget it.)
TIA...
cookdav said:
Hmm...I HOPE I'm still missing something simple. (Otherwise, I'm
screwed, and I'll have to return this diabolical BEAST to the store.)
This unit is a gift for my wife for Xmas.
To familiarize myself with it, I setup and logged-in to my
Gmail acct.
Of course, NOW I want to:
'Log out' of my gmail, and setup the 'email app' to login to
her email (non-Gmail-based). [And, have THAT one be the
always-open email-acct, (tho I do NOT LIKE this 'feature'
of always-logged-in at all!)]
How do I do that? ('Rooting' this Nook Tablet is NOT an option, so
if that's part of your proposed "solution", forget it.)
TIA...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There should be an option in the Settings section to add and remove email accounts. I don't have a NT but that's pretty standard as Android devices go.
I have to say you seem to have a lot of misinformed expectations of the Android/Nook experience. Keep remembering that the software was originally developed for mobile phones, so expecting things to be done in the same way to a desktop OS is gonna cause you grief.
tomegranate said:
There should be an option in the Settings section to add and remove email accounts. I don't have a NT but that's pretty standard as Android devices go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah...'should' is the operative word. But, I do NOT see any such option.
I have to say you seem to have a lot of misinformed expectations of the Android/Nook experience. Keep remembering that the software was originally developed for mobile phones, so expecting things to be done in the same way to a desktop OS is gonna cause you grief.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm...I'd characterize my expectations quite differently. This is the FIRST
(and I hope LAST) implementation of an 'email reader' that was designed
with NO WAY to log out/close down. Common sense SHOULD dictate
that they'd provide a way to log-out or reset to a different email-acct,
but so far, there's NO SIGN that anyone had any common sense.
Hey, maybe the 'crime-stoppers' (aka 'big brothers'/homeland-security) folks
asked for this 'feature'. It will make it easier now...they can just say:
"Great...there's her B/N Nook Tablet! She can't have logged out, so just look
thru her emails, and see who she's been corresponding with."
Right now, my opinion of this beast is worse than the 'Hotel California':
Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
�relax,� said the night man,
We are programmed to receive.
You can checkout any time you like,
But you can never leave!
Hell, on a Nook, I can't even checkout!
cookdav said:
Ah...'should' is the operative word. But, I do NOT see any such option.
Hmm...I'd characterize my expectations quite differently. This is the FIRST
(and I hope LAST) implementation of an 'email reader' that was designed
with NO WAY to log out/close down. Common sense SHOULD dictate
that they'd provide a way to log-out or reset to a different email-acct,
but so far, there's NO SIGN that anyone had any common sense.
Hey, maybe the 'crime-stoppers' (aka 'big brothers'/homeland-security) folks
asked for this 'feature'. It will make it easier now...they can just say:
"Great...there's her B/N Nook Tablet! She can't have logged out, so just look
thru her emails, and see who she's been corresponding with."
Right now, my opinion of this beast is worse than the 'Hotel California':
"You can checkout any time you like, But you can never leave! "
Hell, on a Nook, I can't even checkout!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But you can lock the tablet.
The option is there. I don't have my NT in front of me, but there is an option to remove B&N account settings and wipe the device. That's what you want. It will remove everything that you set up.
As far as your opinion that this is the first such email program that doesn't log out...there has never been a smartphone OS email program that logs completely out, or one that allows multiple users. Android was developed for Phones. The expectation is that you will use your phone, not share it with 10 people with each of them having their own settings.
Something that you are referring to is available, but not from an Android, Blackberry or iOS device. You would have to get a Windows (not Win Mobile) tablet, which will not work as well (yet) as any of the other OS's because it was not designed specifically for the hardware it's running on.
Easy way to have what you want on this tablet: Don't set up email using the built in email program. Use the browser and don't have it remember the password.
@OP
Your expectations aren't unreasonable. It's just that Android-on-tablet is still very much a work in progress, and you along with all of us are beta testers.
Multiuser handling is just one of many issues that have arisen. In the Kindle Fire forum, there are complaints about not being able to disable one-click purchasing for when handing the KF to your kids. iOS has had the same issue, and has a partial workaround. Until Android supports multiuser, there is no good solution.
For e-mail, you can try various email clients to see if any supports discrete logins/logouts (and of course pulling mail from your webmail account).
http://google.com/search?q=email+apps+for+android
cookdav said:
Ah...'should' is the operative word. But, I do NOT see any such option.
Hmm...I'd characterize my expectations quite differently. This is the FIRST
(and I hope LAST) implementation of an 'email reader' that was designed
with NO WAY to log out/close down. Common sense SHOULD dictate
that they'd provide a way to log-out or reset to a different email-acct,
but so far, there's NO SIGN that anyone had any common sense.
Hey, maybe the 'crime-stoppers' (aka 'big brothers'/homeland-security) folks
asked for this 'feature'. It will make it easier now...they can just say:
"Great...there's her B/N Nook Tablet! She can't have logged out, so just look
thru her emails, and see who she's been corresponding with."
Right now, my opinion of this beast is worse than the 'Hotel California':
"You can checkout any time you like, But you can never leave! "
Hell, on a Nook, I can't even checkout!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jesus guy, it's not an 'email reader', whatever that means, it's a mobile tablet computer, and it handles email accounts the same way as all tablet computers that use a mobile OS (ones based on Android, iOS, and presumably webOS and Blackberry too), because they're designed for personal, individual use. Smartphones don't have a way to log out of your email account in the way you're expecting, and neither does a modern tablet.
If this is the first time you've used this type of device, you need to exercise more patience before you start stamping your feet, otherwise people are gonna be unwilling to help you.
I'm 100% certain there is a way to remove your email account from the device, you just haven't found it yet. This is very likely not the fault of the device! Did you even read the user manual? http://img1.imagesbn.com/pimages/nook/tablet/mediakit/userguide_NOOKTablet_111115.pdf
Reset the unit to factory standard and put it in the box, it is an option under 'settings' and will return it to the "as-purchased state" with all data wiped.
Then decide if you're returning it or wrapping it to give to your your wife.
In the future, consider letting the person receiving the gift having the pleasure of opening a unit in pristine condition. My wife would kill me if I "pre-opened" an electronic device intended for her "to familiarize myself with it". Let that happen on the day she opens it, after she's decided she needs help. I think it's deplorable that you've cracked the seals and denied her the experience of opening something new.
If you want to 'log out', then you have to shut the device down instead of leaving it in 'sleep mode'. No power means the apps aren't running (unless you or the OS have set them up as background processes). When you turn it back on, you'll realize quickly that there is no 'select profile' or 'choose user' function because it is designed to be one device for one user.
If the user wants security to prevent other people from reading sensitive information, they should set the screen lock code in the settings menu.
-=-=-
At this point, I believe you have all the information you need:
1) Devices are intended to be single user, by design, regardless of your desire to have them be otherwise.
2) Use the built in screen lock capability if you are concerned about sensitive information being viewed.
3) You should reset the device to factory settings via the settings menu to wipe all data you've entered and return it to a nearly 'as new' state.
4) You should not be playing with your wife's new device and instead allow her to experience the setup guide and walk through the configuration of the device in the way she desires.
If there is another specific question about how things work or operate, please ask. If there are further conspiracy theories I'm sure there are better forums for that than this one.
Wow. lotta words - no Solution...
You're going to have to factory reset the device:
Settings>Device Info>Erase and Factory Reset
Once its resets, enter your wife's information.
You seem to think that phones and Pads run like Windows where you can log out as yourself and no one can see your email. Phones and pads are single user devices and will not work like Windows. Even Windows phones and pad don't operate like that.
Hey guys, I am about to follow the root instructions found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1354487
But before I do it I want to know what features could/will be lost in doing this. Obviously the auto-update (which makes complete sense). But in general I like the interface for now. It has its drawbacks, but I like the built-in mail client and the browser is fine for the most part. In the future I might also want to try ICS on it, but for now I am happy to use the built-in interface.
I really just want to root so that I can side load apps so that I don't have to pay B&N for apps that are otherwise free on the Android Market. That and I have never been a fan of auto-updates. But I want to keep the mail client and I especially want to keep the ability to read their entire digital catalog for free while I am in a B&N store.
Hell I would like to take that a step further and get it to work outside the store if possible. But I would settle for just keeping the original feature. I tried it earlier today and I love that feature.
So I would like to know if I would lose any of those features when I root this device. Does anyone know?
Thanks,
Patrick
When you Root you can still use the stock Nook "Home" launcher. You can install a second launcher and switch between the 2 on the fly so that you have "Nook Mode" and Tablet Mode".
2 warnings:
1) when I rooted and added Gapps, something broke the stock email client and I was not able to find a quick way to fix it.
2) I have not found a way to get Android Market or side loaded apps to show up int he stock Nook "library" so they can only be accessed via the "search" function or my using an Android Launcher with a normal app drawer.
I use the Nook Color App Manager to add sideloaded apps to the stock Nook home screen and/or library. It works great.
There is a detailed artile at liliputing....Do a Google search for: "How to add sideloaded apps to your NOOK Tablet home screen, app library" As a new member I can not post a direct link. Sorry.
William
Hey guys it looks like the read in store ability works just fine still. I got this device rooted last night. Now iwant to see if this ability can be retained somehow while upgrading to ICS. It would also rock to be able to access the in store readable items from any wiring connection.
Thanks for the help!
Sent from my BNTV250 using xda premium
ncguy68 said:
I use the Nook Color App Manager to add sideloaded apps to the stock Nook home screen and/or library. It works great.
There is a detailed artile at liliputing....Do a Google search for: "How to add sideloaded apps to your NOOK Tablet home screen, app library" As a new member I can not post a direct link. Sorry.
William
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is the link
Thanks!
I thought we all might benefit by having a list of packages that were safe to block. I've gotten a slight boost to available RAM by blocking certain always running packages, at of course the cost of some reduced functionality. I haven't has as much time as I'd like to go through the list but I've begun blocking one by one and see what adverse effects each might have. So far I've blocked a few with success.
Of course depending on why you got your Fire HD this may not be much help to you. I received mine a Christmas gift and at this time have no need for the reader features of it. I currently use Apex Launcher have GAPPS installed and use @powerpoint45 advertisement block trick. I do not use profiles or Freetime, so I do not know what effects this would have if you do.
All these have been safely blocked through ADP, and I have 75MB + more of usable RAM and snappier response overall from the tablet. If anyone else cares to experiment and post the results I think we could benefit from your results!
com.amazon.kindle (Kindle Reader)
com.audible.application.kindle (Audible)
com.goodreads.kindle (Goodreads)
I have more I can post later. But my list will basically remove anything Amazon
powerpoint45 said:
I have more I can post later. But my list will basically remove anything Amazon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, you've been incredibly helpful in improving the usability of this device! Do you happen to know what will happen if an OTA comes and these packages are blocked?
AlbusAngelus said:
Thank you, you've been incredibly helpful in improving the usability of this device! Do you happen to know what will happen if an OTA comes and these packages are blocked?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the past nothing has gone wrong after an update for me but as long as you select "remember" for the adb permission popup you will be able to fix any issues with "pm unblock"
Here is my list. It will basically strip amazon from the device:
com.amazon.kindle.otter
com.amazon.kindle
com.audible.application.kindle
com.amazon.kindle.kso
com.amazon.tahoe
com.amazon.kindle.otter.oobe
com.amazon.client.metrics
com.amazon.device.backup
com.amazon.platform
com.amazon.photos
com.nuance.edr.androidservice.service
com.amazon.whisperlink.core.android
com.goodreads.kindle
now here is a seriously nice little doodad:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/debloater-remove-carrier-bloat-t2998294
works with (just about?) any kitkat, root not required (it's doing the same 'pm block/unblock' sort of stuff, just nicely put together in a gui with great sorting/filtering/import/export features)
sadly no dice with this program on firetv or tv stick - they only support pm disable not pm block. but still, awesome!
stupid question: I'm assuming tahoe is something to do with cloud functionality, and whisperlink is something about kindle books whispernet/whispersync?
also, any new suggestions of things to disable? I still can't figure out what package freetime is under.
trying to de-spamazonify mine as much as possible, but still like to keep
- instant video (edit: this one, I know from early firetv days, it's called venezia /edit)
and
- kindle book reader (which, using your hack version is fine. thanks! I don't mind using an older version, that's what I have to do on fireTV since amazon webstore says Reader is "not compatible" yeah lol right. I had to go back to an old enough version where the sign-in is performed by the app itself and doesn't automagically sign in using the underlying amazon framework -- looks like that's probably what you had to do too.
there is/was a different workaround to that -- this other weird 'kindlestorewebapp v2.0' that calls itself "Bookstore" (the icon looks the same as the Reader icon, except oddly much smaller and no text label), that USED to work just fine as a reader but it seems the latest update broke that... so, thanks again for your version
I too, would love to find out how to block Freetime.
Any suggestions which app handles this?