[HOW TO] Root/Run from sd/Install CM10 - Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet

I am now making post that there really shouldn't be any need for, because all that's in here is already covered elsewhere. 100% Apparently not easy enough to find for newcomers, so I'm making an attempt to help info collection.
NOTHING here is my work! All I’ve done is trying to make easy to follow instructions to other people’s hard work. Those people deserve your thanks, not me!
I’m a newbie myself and that’s why I can say that this really is very easy! If I can do it without problems, so can you! I try not to chat away too much in the instructions. Make regular searches, here or Google for more info. I found it, so surely you can too! Any questions? Well, being a noob myself I probably can't answer. Google is a very good friend of mine though...
Please do not ask questions through pm. It's better if people that know more than I do get a chance to answer them in the thread instead!
You need to know how to burn an sd image. Separate instructions to that after the other instructions if you don’t.
Step 1: Establish what it is you want to do! Choose A, B or C
A: You do not want to touch the internals of your NT but want to try CM10 anyway
B: You want to stay in the BN environment but would like to be able to install apps from elsewhere (for example Google Play Store)
C: You want to get rid of BN and install CM10 instead.
A: Run CM10 from sd card – no root required
This should work on 8GB Tablet as well as 16GB
When you boot into the card you’re running Android ICS. Remove the card and you’ll boot to internal BN operating system. (Or keep the card in, boot to Cyanoboot Menu and choose “internal boot”)
Ready-made card image download links to be found here: http://iamafanof.wordpress.com/2012/11/18/cm10-0-jellybean-sdcard-img-for-nook-tablet/
It’s a large download (around 500 MB), but it is a ready-made sd card image. As it says in the instructions there, you’ll more than likely want to expand the user partition to take full advantage of the card, but that’s covered in his instructions.
There are other, more manual ways to make these cards as well. Also covered both in that blog and here at XDA! Go search!
B: Root the Tablet
This works on both 8GB and 16 GB Tablet.
“Rooting” is like unlocking your device, giving you access and control over it. You’re still running BN operating system though. Several excellent root guides here on XDA.
For example: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1488035
Or http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=21275927#post21275927
The first one (Brian’s) require a 2 GB card the other one (Albert’s) just needs a very small card. (I think 128 MB would do, but I don’t have any that small to try)
Both give good instructions in their topics.
Both install gApps.
If you want to block OTA updates from BN, go to Play Store and find NT Hidden Settings. Even if it got installed with the root it’s probably not latest version and doesn’t have the Block OTA function.
C: Installing CM10 internally
***8GB owners must make sure to use ROM that works with their device!***
Since I’m a noob I look for easy way, and this is very easy and needs very little know-how!
***Warning! CWM is a very powerful tool. Do not "wander around" and "experiment" with stuff without doing proper research! Seriously! DON'T!***
1. You need a bootable CWM card. Instead of making my own I use Albert's root image from B (above) because this image includes CWM 5.x.x. I use this to flash a higher version CWM internally. I erase the zip files from the card to make room for a flashable CWM 6.x.x
2. Find a flashable CWM 6.x.x I found mine through http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1640958
I use the one named "flash_cm9-10_cwm v6...." Download and copy to your sd card.
3. Boot into the sd-card and it should take you to CWM 5.x.x. environment.
I guess a backup of you current system would be a good thing (even though I admit to skipping that myself). To backup you'll probably need another card if you're using "The Albert Card" now, because I doubt it's enough room on that.
You navigate with the volume rocker, go back to previous menu with “power” and confirm choices with “n”
Choose “install zip from card” – “choose zip from card” – your CWM zip
See warning above!
4. Power off and prepare your sd card for ROM flashing. (If you’re working with just one card you will need to format it with SD Format or similar to get it back to full capacity.) Put your CM10 ROM zip and the appropriate gApps zip on the card.( It doesn’t matter if there’s other stuff on the card, so you don’t have to format it because of that!). I will not link to a specific ROM. Make your own choice but be sure it works for your model and also make sure you use the right gApps!
5. Reboot into Cyanoboot. This took me a couple of attempts to get right.
From powered down device, press power and right after that press and hold "n", You should boot into Cyanoboot and get the boot menu. Choose "Internal recovery" and you should get into new CWM
6. I don’t know how much clearing is needed, but I prefer to clear pretty much everything to make sure of a clean install. Cache and Dalvik I always clear.
***DO NOT format anything unless you knwo what you're doing! *** (See Satan's posts below)
7. Flash ROM and gApps same way as you flashed the CWM 6.x.x (install zip from card – choose zip from card) reboot and go!
How to burn an sd-image:
I use Win32Diskimager. Download link in Albert’s root topic (and numerous other places!!)
Unzip into a folder.
(I also copy my various img files to that folder to have them easily available)
No need to install, just run by doubleclicking the EXE in the folder.
Make sure the device letter really is your sd card.
Click on the blue folder and navigate to your img file, choose it and “write”.
It will take some time if it’s a large img, but that’s what the progress bar is there for, isn’t it?!

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Nice work ,
But you should add 'do not format any partition ' warning. Android users coming from other devices might do this by default during flashing rom.
Almost every one with bricked tablets has tried formatting partitions.
Sent from my ST21a

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Thanks Satan! I did not know that! Will do!

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Good
Veronica had made sticky thread to reduce number of bricked tablets, but looks like some people missed it.
To be more specific,
Do not format rom, boot, bootdata, and factory.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1644862

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satan89 said:
but looks like some people missed it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It looks like a lot of people miss a lot of things...

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satan89 said:
Good
Veronica had made sticky thread to reduce number of bricked tablets, but looks like some people missed it.
To be more specific,
Do not format rom, boot, bootdata, and factory.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1644862
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1000
Do not format especially the rom partition and, most critically, the factory partition which respectively contain a set of small files with device-specific unique data (not only Serial No. but also MAC address, public/private key certificates, etc.) and the backup archive copy of the same data files (/factory/romdata.zip).
Unfortunately, I've seen some "unbricking" tools (including some that are very frequently cited/recommended on these NT forums) reformat/zero-out and flash over these 2 partitions. The end result being, even in the event the "bricked" NT gets "restored to stock", depending on the specific tool used it could be carrying device-specific data of someone else's (e.g., tool developer's) NT.

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EXACTLY!
satan89 said:
Good
Veronica had made sticky thread to reduce number of bricked tablets, but looks like some people missed it.
To be more specific,
Do not format rom, boot, bootdata, and factory.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1644862
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think this is exactly what happened to my NT. Took me weeks of researching (I don't have a lot of free time) to figure out how to restore my 16GB NT.

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Help
Im trying to single boot CM10 from sd card without touching nook os. I am using guide (CM10.0 Jellybean SDCard IMG for Nook Tablet (12/31) FINAL)
I have tried for hours using different methods also and cant even get it to boot to CM, no CM logo at all. I have a BNTV250 NT on 1.4.3. I have tried multiple sd cards, I am using a Sandisk 8gb class 6.
In a nutshell all I should have to do is
-Format the card with SD formatter,
-Extract the (Extract cm10_xxxxxx_sd_hd.img from cm10_xxxxxx_sd_hd.7z/rar)
-Use Winimage to write the image to the SD card, correct??
The Nook still refuses to boot into Cyanogen, just boots up normal every time!
same with every procedure i have tried,
Any pointers????

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Have you tried putting the sd-catd in the powered down Tablet and then insert the charger cable, connected to the charger?
Many Tablets have difficulties booting into sd other ways,

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asawi said:
Have you tried putting the sd-catd in the powered down Tablet and then insert the charger cable, connected to the charger?
Many Tablets have difficulties booting into sd other ways,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I have not, will try now.........ty
---------- Post added at 02:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:23 PM ----------
HOLY ****!!!! I LOVE YYOU!!:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::highfive::victory:
That worked, I cant believe it. Why is this not written anywhere??

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LOL! :laugh: Glad you got it working!! :good:

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Any clue of how to get rid of booting that way? I'm not always with a USB cable witj me.
Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 usando Tapatalk 2

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I've never had to do it that way myself so I really don't know. You could try pressing the "n" buttons right after the power button and holding it for a few seconds.
Actually not being able to boot into SD card easily is the reason some install internally instead.
Sent from my NookTablet using Tapatalk 2

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asawi said:
I've never had to do it that way myself so I really don't know. You could try pressing the "n" buttons right after the power button and holding it for a few seconds.
Actually not being able to boot into SD card easily is the reason some install internally instead.
Sent from my NookTablet using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried doping that with no luck. After 8 or 10 attempts magically boots todo cm. Thanks.
Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 usando Tapatalk 2

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Alright, just got cwm 6.x installed and now ready to install rom, just wanting to verify that I should still "wipe data/factory reset" and "wipe cache partition"? That is different from "formatting" correct? I don't wanna brick this thing without confirmation. Thanks for the awesome guide!
edit: Ignore the wipe question, found it, thank again for the guide, I will let you know how the install goes!

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ThePhantom97 said:
Alright, just got cwm 6.x installed and now ready to install rom, just wanting to verify that I should still "wipe data/factory reset" and "wipe cache partition"? That is different from "formatting" correct? I don't wanna brick this thing without confirmation. Thanks for the awesome guide!
edit: Ignore the wipe question, found it, thank again for the guide, I will let you know how the install goes!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for putting this together, it was very helpful!