Hi guys.
First of all, I'd like to thank everyone on this thread for the magnitude of info that I acquired about my newly-purchased RAZR. XDA and other communities makes things so easy and attractive for a newbie; it almost feels like a sin.
I have a concern or too, and would really appreciate any help.
1- Having already learned there's no "safe custom recovery" for my GSM RAZR, how safe is it to tweak my rooted device? let's say to play around with Rom toolbox to modify stock ROM elements, or Run CPU\UV and other scripts (my understanding is that with a stock kernel\ and a locked BT loader this maybe a thing to hope for ATM, right?).
2- If I am to develop a sense of adventure and proceed to alter things on root level; say freeze system apps, replace system apk's (LP insteed of moto.home, is it risky?), can I depend on the stock recovery to get my RAZR up and running again?
3- Is the "Bootstrap.apk" method the only available way to get CMW on the GSM version ATM. And how risky is it?
You'll have to excuse me if this sounds a bit elementary-level, or redundant. This will be the last newbie thread, I ever start.
Everything is only as risky as you make it.
I have been using rooted devices since the first day I got my first Android phone over 3 years ago.
Rule of thumb is - do not delete stock apps, freeze them and you will be fine.
Bootstrap is safe if you want it for backup and recovery, if you start doing random thing without first checking if they are possible or not, anything can happen.
Multiple brick recovery threads are out there, people get their phones backup running 90% of the time.
Related
Whats up all? I used to be a old school windows mobile flasher back in the tilt/fuze/tilt2 days. I was flashing 1-3 Roms a week
Ive had the iPhone 3gs, Nexus One, iPhone 4, HD7 and now im back to android on the Atrix.
Just asking a few questions hopefully you all can clear it up.
1. When i root the device does it delete all my already install apps/contacts etc or will everything stay the same?
2. Is it worth rooting? I really havent had any trouble with battery life or the phone as it is, plus i plan on updating to 2.3 when *if ever* they release the update. And from my understanding you have to flash back to stock to do that.
3. What benefits can you gain from rooting the atrix compared to just stock?
Thanks all!
Honestly there's not a huge advantage to rooting right this minute, but that will likely change.
Most people root in order to allow them to install third party *gasp* 'non AT&T approved apps, but you can actually do that without rooting suposedly, though I've never tried it.
You don't need root to be able to set up a wifi tether either, there's already a procedure posted for that.
The main reason to root is the ability to customize, and really its all about installing custom ROMs. With this phone having a signed bootloader there's no guarantee that this will ever be possible on this phone, although I'd put my money on someone figuring it out.
Unless you have a specific reason or need to root you can probably wait it out until custom ROMs are around and then do it.
Also, you need root access to install Titanium Backup, which is a very handy app.
Thanks for the reply!
So as for rooting will that delete all my current data? I know back when i flashed ROMS for WM it would pretty much delete everything. But jailbreaking on the iPhone was fairily easy as it didnt touch any of my apps/pics/messages
anyone?
7boo said:
Thanks for the reply!
So as for rooting will that delete all my current data? I know back when i flashed ROMS for WM it would pretty much delete everything. But jailbreaking on the iPhone was fairily easy as it didnt touch any of my apps/pics/messages
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting shouldn't change anything. It should only change a few things in /system, but that won't affect your data. When installing a new ROM, it's generally recommend that you go through a full deletion, but rooting your phone won't alter your data.
To put it in perspective, you already had root in WM, so there's no real equivalent to that there. When flashing, WM didn't differentiate between OS and user partitions, so you would always lose everything. Android does differentiate, but differences can frequently cause problems, so it's generally recommended that you wipe after installing a different ROM (re-flashing the same ROM should always be okay).
thanks man thats what i was looking for
Hey guys
I´m new here at xda-developers and I have a lot of questions about the atrix and android.
I just bought the atrix and this is my first android smartphone. I´ve SIM unlocked it and rooted it using SuperOneClick.
I´ve read the Q & A thread and it was quite enlightening.
But I still have many questions regarding both the atrix and android:
1. A few days ago, my atrix downloaded the new Motorola atrix updates. If I install this update, will I lose my root permission? Is this update the so called OTA? The update number is 4.1.57.
2. Could you guys give me some tips about how to save more battery life etc?
3. Some apps keep popping even after I killed them with the task killer. Some of them are useless for me. Is there any way to block them? And what about Motorola bloatware? I hate that blur stuff…
4. What does these abbreviations mean? OTA, SBF, ATT, CWM.
5. I want to install gingerBlur on my device, but on those tutorials there is always a mentioning about a OTA 1.8.7 that I gotta backup. Where do I find it?
6. If I install gingerBlur, this custom ROM will consume more or less memory from my device? Sometimes I feel some "lag" on some apps...
7. Could u tell me some must have games for atrix? I already have angry birds, battleheart, 3ktd… I really like tower defense games.
Thank you very much and sorry for so many questions. Oh…and sorry about my English.
Thanks again
1. Yes..you will lose root if you upgrade. You can still however attain root afterwards using some of the methods found in the Development forum. I'm surprised SuperOneClick worked for you tbh..
As for your other questions..OTA means Over The Air (regarding updates etc)..SBF is a term regarding system files (something lime that ) ATT means At&t (the carrier)..CWM is Clockwork Mod which is a recovery tool.
Gingerblur would consume less memory..as it has removed alot of the factory bloat that would've come with the device. This would probably most definately help with any "lag" you might be experiencing.
There are many threads on how to conserve battery life. A simple search will yield you lots of results (google ftw)
For games..most of it is personal preference. There is a new Pinball HD specifically designed for the Tegra 2 chip..as well as a new jetski game that looks pretty sick. Pocketlegends is also a cool game if you like MMO style games (think World of Warcraft).
Rickroller said:
1. Yes..you will lose root if you upgrade. You can still however attain root afterwards using some of the methods found in the Development forum. I'm surprised SuperOneClick worked for you tbh..
As for your other questions..OTA means Over The Air (regarding updates etc)..SBF is a term regarding system files (something lime that ) ATT means At&t (the carrier)..CWM is Clockwork Mod which is a recovery tool.
Gingerblur would consume less memory..as it has removed alot of the factory bloat that would've come with the device. This would probably most definately help with any "lag" you might be experiencing.
There are many threads on how to conserve battery life. A simple search will yield you lots of results (google ftw)
For games..most of it is personal preference. There is a new Pinball HD specifically designed for the Tegra 2 chip..as well as a new jetski game that looks pretty sick. Pocketlegends is also a cool game if you like MMO style games (think World of Warcraft).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much Rick
About the battery life I already did some google search before, but always the same thing. I thought that I could find anything different here
I rooted my device with SuperOneClick it worked pretty well. Is it an old tool to root the atrix? Is there a new one? In the superOneClick, it can use psneuter and Gingerbreak....well...it worked for me
So OTA is those updates that keep popping for me I want to install gingerBlur, so i gotta update to 1.5.7 and then 1.8.(something) or I can install it right away?
If I want to reset my settings to default factory, will I need that OTA??
ty
Rubb said:
Hey guys
I´m new here at xda-developers and I have a lot of questions about the atrix and android.
I just bought the atrix and this is my first android smartphone. I´ve SIM unlocked it and rooted it using SuperOneClick.
I´ve read the Q & A thread and it was quite enlightening.
But I still have many questions regarding both the atrix and android:
1. A few days ago, my atrix downloaded the new Motorola atrix updates. If I install this update, will I lose my root permission? Is this update the so called OTA? The update number is 4.1.57.
2. Could you guys give me some tips about how to save more battery life etc?
3. Some apps keep popping even after I killed them with the task killer. Some of them are useless for me. Is there any way to block them? And what about Motorola bloatware? I hate that blur stuff…
4. What does these abbreviations mean? OTA, SBF, ATT, CWM.
5. I want to install gingerBlur on my device, but on those tutorials there is always a mentioning about a OTA 1.8.7 that I gotta backup. Where do I find it?
6. If I install gingerBlur, this custom ROM will consume more or less memory from my device? Sometimes I feel some "lag" on some apps...
7. Could u tell me some must have games for atrix? I already have angry birds, battleheart, 3ktd… I really like tower defense games.
Thank you very much and sorry for so many questions. Oh…and sorry about my English.
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Thats one of the OTA updates, but not the most recent. You will loose your root with any OTA update, but so far you can always get it back using Gingerbreak.
2)Turn off bluetooth, wifi, data, gps, etc. if your not using them. I have everything but wifi turned off at all times unless I"m using one of them and I have between 40-60% at the end of the day. Also, either have your brightness turned down or use auto brightness. Manually setting it high will drain the battery faster when the screen is on.
3)Dont use task killers. Android does not work like Windows, and those applications are not slowing anything down or eating your battery. By killing them your interfering with Android's internal memory management. Unfortunately the motoblur stuff cant be fully disabled, but parts of it can be hidden with the existing psudoroms like Gingerblur.
4)OTA, SBF, ATT, CWM. - OTA is Over The Air (update). Any official motorola update that gets pushed is an OTA. SBF - not sure what it stands for, but its the file format for Motorola's updates. Usually you can download one on a computer and flash it over USB if you arent getting it over the air, and they can be used as a last resort if you brick your phone. ATT - AT&T, the carrier for the Atrix in the United States. Some roms and tweeks are only compatible with AT&T model phones. CWM - ClockworkMod, software that allows for the installation of roms. CWM is device specific, so only use an Atrix CWM on the Atrix.
5) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1063618
6) Either the same or slightly less. So far roms are little more than themes because of the locked bootloader. I say slightly less because some, like Gingerblur, remove SOME of the bloatware.
7) As I dont really play games much, I'm unable to answer this. Sorry.
Hope that helps
Jotokun said:
1) Thats one of the OTA updates, but not the most recent. You will loose your root with any OTA update, but so far you can always get it back using Gingerbreak.
2)Turn off bluetooth, wifi, data, gps, etc. if your not using them. I have everything but wifi turned off at all times unless I"m using one of them and I have between 40-60% at the end of the day. Also, either have your brightness turned down or use auto brightness. Manually setting it high will drain the battery faster when the screen is on.
3)Dont use task killers. Android does not work like Windows, and those applications are not slowing anything down or eating your battery. By killing them your interfering with Android's internal memory management. Unfortunately the motoblur stuff cant be fully disabled, but parts of it can be hidden with the existing psudoroms like Gingerblur.
4)OTA, SBF, ATT, CWM. - OTA is Over The Air (update). Any official motorola update that gets pushed is an OTA. SBF - not sure what it stands for, but its the file format for Motorola's updates. Usually you can download one on a computer and flash it over USB if you arent getting it over the air, and they can be used as a last resort if you brick your phone. ATT - AT&T, the carrier for the Atrix in the United States. Some roms and tweeks are only compatible with AT&T model phones. CWM - ClockworkMod, software that allows for the installation of roms. CWM is device specific, so only use an Atrix CWM on the Atrix.
5) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1063618
6) Either the same or slightly less. So far roms are little more than themes because of the locked bootloader. I say slightly less because some, like Gingerblur, remove SOME of the bloatware.
7) As I dont really play games much, I'm unable to answer this. Sorry.
Hope that helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yay! thank you very much
I´m not lost anymore Now I´m confident enough to try installing gingerblur
ty ^^
Another thing...
what should I do if something goes wrong when I install gingerBlur? I´ve read that I gotta flash sbf 1.8.3. Does it mean that I gotta install the update 1.8.3 to make the atrix stock default?
How do I do that?
I'm not trying to sound ignorant, but if all of this it's so confusing I would highly recommend not messing with it unless you're confident you can fix things if they go wrong. Which at this state you are not.
With that said... An SBF is not an update file as mentioned, it is a full system restore image. Not sure what it stands for... Maybe System Backup File???
If something goes wrong you can use an sbf to restore the phone to the factory default of the sbf version number.
Before installing gingerblur you want to be sure you are on the latest version of atrix software, then run gingerbreak to root. Then install CWM to get custom recovery and flash gingerblur from your sd card in CWM. all of this is explained in the development section.
lostinbeta said:
I'm not trying to sound ignorant, but if all of this it's so confusing I would highly recommend not messing with it unless you're confident you can fix things if they go wrong. Which at this state you are not.
With that said... An SBF is not an update file as mentioned, it is a full system restore image. Not sure what it stands for... Maybe System Backup File???
If something goes wrong you can use an sbf to restore the phone to the factory default of the sbf version number.
Before installing gingerblur you want to be sure you are on the latest version of atrix software, then run gingerbreak to root. Then install CWM to get custom recovery and flash gingerblur from your sd card in CWM. all of this is explained in the development section.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey lostinbeta, u didn´t sound ignorant at all
I didn´t install the gingerblur yet as I´m trying to learn what I should do in case something goes wrong
That's where you would check the thread in the dev section about flashing an sbf file to restore back to factory default. You will have to make sure an sbf is available for your phone though. So like I'm with at&t so I can only flash the sbf for the at&t atrix otherwise I will lose functionality of my phone. Or possibly brick it, im not sure
lostinbeta said:
That's where you would check the thread in the dev section about flashing an sbf file to restore back to factory default. You will have to make sure an sbf is available for your phone though. So like I'm with at&t so I can only flash the sbf for the at&t atrix otherwise I will lose functionality of my phone. Or possibly brick it, im not sure
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My atrix is from AT&T so I guess the sbf commonly available is from AT&T. I will make sure that the sbf I will use is definitely the one from AT&T.
I will check the thread about restoring the atrix to factory default
Thanks a lot
EDIT: not ROM related...can I use mp3 sounds as SMS alert sound and can I use different mp3 sound for my contacts?
I´m looking for it as I write this but no success
ty
Reading through this thread, if you can't follow all the instructions fed to you on a silver spoon, and can't/won't/don't read all the appropriate information in the many threads which tell you how to do everything you are trying/want to do, then you either need to keep your phone stock, or go trade it for an iPhone!
Not trying to be a ****, but next you will want someone to change your daiper/nappy!
Mp3s as SMS tones I'm not sure. I think you can with an SMS replacement app like chomp. I've really never tried as I've had no need to since my phone is on silent 95% of the day because of work.
Individual mp3s for contacts you just have to edit your contact and choose ' more details' and it's towards the bottom. You can use ringdroid to make custom cuts or just put the file in the ringtones folder under 'sdcard' not 'sdcard-ext'.
CaelanT said:
Reading through this thread, if you can't follow all the instructions fed to you on a silver spoon, and can't/won't/don't read all the appropriate information in the many threads which tell you how to do everything you are trying/want to do, then you either need to keep your phone stock, or go trade it for an iPhone!
Not trying to be a ****, but next you will want someone to change your daiper/nappy!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rofl... Sorry this is amusing and true.
I don't mind helping, I'm not really much help anywhere else on this forum as I still just have basic knowledge about this stuff.
Okay, brand new to Android. Just spent all weekend loading apps, configuring WidgetLocker and Nova Launcher, lots of learning, lots of work. Thought this would have been easier than jailbreak on iPhone - just as time consuming (initial setup I guess is always this way)
Today my Internet connection went down and I realized couldn't tether my phone unless I paid AT&T a tethering fee. I was considering eventually installing a custom ROM (CleanRom?) but frankly even though I'm a tweaker, I'm pretty burned out and Sense+WidgetLocker+Nova Launcher is doing the job for me. But lack of free tethering is a deal breaker.
So I'm guessing I need to unlock and root my phone. Is there a reliable way to do this yet for AT&T HOX+? I assume/hope it doesn't require me to reinstall the apps?
If I'm not going to install a custom ROM should I still create some sort of stock recovery file? Isn't the whole process unlock > root > create recovery > install custom ROM?
I want free tethering but I don't want any headaches either.
jazee said:
Okay, brand new to Android. Just spent all weekend loading apps, configuring WidgetLocker and Nova Launcher, lots of learning, lots of work. Thought this would have been easier than jailbreak on iPhone - just as time consuming (initial setup I guess is always this way)
Today my Internet connection went down and I realized couldn't tether my phone unless I paid AT&T a tethering fee. I was considering eventually installing a custom ROM (CleanRom?) but frankly even though I'm a tweaker, I'm pretty burned out and Sense+WidgetLocker+Nova Launcher is doing the job for me. But lack of free tethering is a deal breaker.
So I'm guessing I need to unlock and root my phone. Is there a reliable way to do this yet for AT&T HOX+? I assume/hope it doesn't require me to reinstall the apps?
If I'm not going to install a custom ROM should I still create some sort of stock recovery file? Isn't the whole process unlock > root > create recovery > install custom ROM?
I want free tethering but I don't want any headaches either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, i'm in the same boat as you bro coming from an iPhone 4. Hope soon it can be available for us ATT USA users to root and unlock our phones and when it is possible there is a step by step Noob guide for us. I've seen a Noob Proof titled thread for this but even reading that i'm still lost!!!! LOL Wish it could be made as simple as jailbreaking, download the jailbreak app, simple click of the mouse, DONE. Not so much with Android :crying:
Well it looks like this "Noob Proof" All-In-One Toolkit combined with something called TWRP for *AT&T* HOX+ that just came out should work. But frankly seeing all these posts about bricking phones and apps disappearing, I'm a little leery to be a Guinea Pig at this point.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1994961&highlight=at&t
Any veterans here can confirm that this should be "SAFE" ? I don't want to have to do any "repairing" or reinstalling/reconfig of apps. I'll be prepared to do that if I want a new ROM. I do think I will probably eventually cave when there is a CleanRom for JB 4.2 for this phone as I think I will eventually want it to be closer to a Nexus - with both WidgetLocker and Nexus Running, I have sort of defeated most of the purpose of Sense right?
So far there's only one custom ROM, *just released* and it is JB 4.1.1. I personally won't go to the trouble until there is a JB 4.2 ROM. It was released a week or so ago to AOSP so I imagine it can't be too long?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1946702
jazee said:
Well it looks like this "Noob Proof" All-In-One Toolkit combined with something called TWRP for *AT&T* HOX+ that just came out should work. But frankly seeing all these posts about bricking phones and apps disappearing, I'm a little leery to be a Guinea Pig at this point.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1994961&highlight=at&t
Any veterans here can confirm that this should be "SAFE" ? I don't want to have to do any "repairing" or reinstalling/reconfig of apps. I'll be prepared to do that if I want a new ROM. I do think I will probably eventually cave when there is a CleanRom for JB 4.2 for this phone as I think I will eventually want it to be closer to a Nexus - with both WidgetLocker and Nexus Running, I have sort of defeated most of the purpose of Sense right?
So far there's only one custom ROM, *just released* and it is JB 4.1.1. I personally won't go to the trouble until there is a JB 4.2 ROM. It was released a week or so ago to AOSP so I imagine it can't be too long?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1946702
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the recovery is safe....i built it personally and have had numerous AT&T users say it's perfect along with my tester, the toolkit is just a GUI for the same method, and makes it simpler
Lloir said:
the recovery is safe....i built it personally and have had numerous AT&T users say it's perfect along with my tester, the toolkit is just a GUI for the same method, and makes it simpler
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirm this. I used the instructions on htcdev.com to unlock it and the all-in-one tool kit to root it. Just be sure to select the ATT image when rooting. Then you go into the data files you get with the program and copy the SuperSU.zip onto the phone, boot into recovery (hold volume down when starting the phone) and flash it. Then you have full control over your phone.
BackRoadGTO said:
I can confirm this. I used the instructions on htcdev.com to unlock it and the all-in-one tool kit to root it. Just be sure to select the ATT image when rooting. Then you go into the data files you get with the program and copy the SuperSU.zip onto the phone, boot into recovery (hold volume down when starting the phone) and flash it. Then you have full control over your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Forgive the noob question, but when you say flash it, are you flash it, you're not flashing a custom ROM (there's only one available) right? Aside from the free tether and being able to remove bloatware, I see there are also certain apps that require root, is there any specific change you can make that is really beneficial after rooting?
Doing this doesn't make me lose all my apps and settings does it?
jazee said:
Well it looks like this "Noob Proof" All-In-One Toolkit combined with something called TWRP for *AT&T* HOX+ that just came out should work. But frankly seeing all these posts about bricking phones and apps disappearing, I'm a little leery to be a Guinea Pig at this point.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1994961&highlight=at&t
Any veterans here can confirm that this should be "SAFE" ? I don't want to have to do any "repairing" or reinstalling/reconfig of apps. I'll be prepared to do that if I want a new ROM. I do think I will probably eventually cave when there is a CleanRom for JB 4.2 for this phone as I think I will eventually want it to be closer to a Nexus - with both WidgetLocker and Nexus Running, I have sort of defeated most of the purpose of Sense right?
So far there's only one custom ROM, *just released* and it is JB 4.1.1. I personally won't go to the trouble until there is a JB 4.2 ROM. It was released a week or so ago to AOSP so I imagine it can't be too long?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1946702
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The All-In-One works fine, just tested it on my HOX+
Unlocking the bootloader wipes the phone nothing can be done but make a apk backup and save it on the pc to reinstall after unlocking and flashing SU but Llior's recovery he made especially for us AT&T users works perfectly and many can confirm this besides myself so if you want to remove the bloat get it.
Sent from my HTC One X+ using Tapatalk 2
olorolo said:
Unlocking the bootloader wipes the phone nothing can be done but make a apk backup and save it on the pc to reinstall after unlocking and flashing SU but Llior's recovery he made especially for us AT&T users works perfectly and many can confirm this besides myself so if you want to remove the bloat get it.
Sent from my HTC One X+ using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aside from some more flexibility in being able to run apps that require root, and removing some built-in unwanted software, are there any oter specific significant benefits such as battery life performance, or fixing certain bugs, improving certain performance/functions?
Can you recommend which program I should use to make an apk backup. And I assume you lose all settings (unless backed up within application and moved off phone the moved back) and you have to reload all your media files, custom ringtones, etc. correct?
jazee said:
Aside from some more flexibility in being able to run apps that require root, and removing some built-in unwanted software, are there any oter specific significant benefits such as battery life performance, or fixing certain bugs, improving certain performance/functions?
Can you recommend which program I should use to make an apk backup. And I assume you lose all settings (unless backed up within application and moved off phone the moved back) and you have to reload all your media files, custom ringtones, etc. correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The All-In-One worked great for me on ATT.
Download the HTC software kit from the HTC website. Then just plug in your phone to sync.
After you root, just resync. You will have to redo all your tweaks and the like, but your media is preserved and it does not take long. The Play Store will have a list of all the apps you have both free and paid, just re-download everything.
HTC sense is supposed to back all your settings up, but I have never been able to make it work properly, and I've never been motivated to figure out why.
It's only a hassle the first time...
Once you have everything back the way you like it, buy Titanium Backup Pro, and do a full system back up.
Next time you flash a ROM, you should be able to do a full restore that will put everything back the way you like it, provided that the ROM is compatible with everything.
There are no custom ROM's for ATT yet, so just follow the instructions in the Q&A to turn on tethering for free.
Hi! I'm a total cell newbie, so pardon.
I want to root my phone just so I can actually put apps on my SD card. There's a few bits I want to understand first:
I've read that I am not going to want to accept OTAs. I've also read that some phones automatically accept OTAs. Since I don't plan to change my ROM (and I am not entirely sure what ROM refers to... is my "TouchWiz" a ROM?), how can I be sure that my default software isn't going to go trying to install OTAs without asking me?
Is a bricked device actually completely worthless? There's no way to get it back into a working state at ALL, or just no way to get it working without help from your carrier? And what is a "soft brick"?
If I manage to root my phone with the CASUAL one-touch program, how do I unroot if I were interested in doing so?
Please either avoid or explain any jargon you may use in your reply. For instance, if you refer to opening an app.... please just do the courtesy of saying it's an app rather than just assuming I know. If you use an acronym, assume I have no idea what it stands for. It took me forever to figure out what an OTA was, and I still don't quite understand what a ROM is... and that's the extent of my acronyms.
Thanks.
Wow, a lot of demands. Why not start here, as it should answer many of your questions. Threads are stickied for a reason.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2024207
Mandolin Bee said:
Hi! I'm a total cell newbie, so pardon.
I want to root my phone just so I can actually put apps on my SD card. There's a few bits I want to understand first:
I've read that I am not going to want to accept OTAs. I've also read that some phones automatically accept OTAs. Since I don't plan to change my ROM (and I am not entirely sure what ROM refers to... is my "TouchWiz" a ROM?), how can I be sure that my default software isn't going to go trying to install OTAs without asking me?
Is a bricked device actually completely worthless? There's no way to get it back into a working state at ALL, or just no way to get it working without help from your carrier? And what is a "soft brick"?
If I manage to root my phone with the CASUAL one-touch program, how do I unroot if I were interested in doing so?
Please either avoid or explain any jargon you may use in your reply. For instance, if you refer to opening an app.... please just do the courtesy of saying it's an app rather than just assuming I know. If you use an acronym, assume I have no idea what it stands for. It took me forever to figure out what an OTA was, and I still don't quite understand what a ROM is... and that's the extent of my acronyms.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Touch wiz is a style of ROM if you will.
Touch wiz roms for Samsung.
Motor blur roms for Motorola.
Sense roms for HTC
Aosp roms for nexus phones.
When you have a "touch wiz ROM"
It builds from the stock base code basically. They add freatures and themes and basically ROMs are endless to what they can do.
My phone never tells me about OTAs.
I believe the only time they do this is when on a stock rooted ROM is when something bad could go wrong
Never had any problems on custom ROMs however.
Next,
Bricked devices are very rare and only happen out of stupidity or carelessness in most cases.
Google will tell you how to fix. But I wouldn't worry about it.
As a very frequent flasher of ROMs I have experienced many of times a soft brick. Or a phone in boot loop.
This is when the device powers on but will not boot up. ( stuck on boot animation or splash screen are most common.)
ALL OF THESE ARE FIXABLE.
You can always wipe in a recovery and normally that fixes it.
Soft bricks normally happen from not wiping or bad download.
Also remember you have Odin as a last resort.
Also you can read the sticky threads in android development to figure out how to unroot
They will give you a better explanation on how to do so.
All this is answered by xda and Google.
They are what taught me what I know
They will teach you as well over time.
PM me if you have any other questions
Hit the thanks button so I feel important!
Haha
God bless the American people.
I have to start by telling you I am not only a Newbe I am a NO-Knowbee, a complete novice. I am an advanced computer user but smart phones make me fell stupid. So please bear that in mind when offering "how to" advice.
I bought this phone 3 weeks ago as Rooted. I think is was rooted but SuperSU will not start. I get a message that the SU Binary need to be updated. I have two choices. NORMAL which fails and the other is TWRP/CWM which does nothing either but suggests I manually reboot into recovery manually. I have no idea what to do.
Nice mess there ... maybe others have better opinion here but .. the question would be to fine out what version of android you have (aka like windows xp, 7, 8/8.1 etc) then from that point I would almost want to start over ..
Some people have differ opinions on this but my opinion is to start over and re-root the phone. Either they failed on the unlocking boot loader or something and just decided to sell it. (in windows terms they basically corrupted everything).
So the question comes down to is being able to put on custom roms? Depending circumstances you can unlock the boot loader and then install any custom rom (modified OS made for that specific phone, you cant just put anything it has to be made for this phone etc..)
Next question if you can live without going through that (different roms) and want to stick with stock (whats already on the phone) and just want root, then the my opinion would be to just redo everything then re-root it fresh.
Theres a program called Odin that you would use and you would need the stock file to which is currently on your phone and you would need to download it (the file is usually about over a GB in size) and you would need to do that. However telling you how to do that here while its simple this is something you need to read and learn about. Its just like finding tweaks and tips on windows. There's a EXCELLENT help section here and I HIGHLY recommend you read and read more and more. Its like potato chips you cant eat just one. Good luck.