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I am thinking of rooting my daughter's fire. Before I do I would like to backup all of her app data. Is there a way to do this so I can restore all her saved games once I am finished rooting it?
Truthfully rooting is obsolete you can send twrp and fff to the kindle. Access recovery, create a backup,flash modaco straight over the stock image without wiping and its rooted with Google play and all her data still intact... Exactly what I did with my daughters..
Thepooch said:
Truthfully rooting is obsolete you can send twrp and fff to the kindle. Access recovery, create a backup,flash modaco straight over the stock image without wiping and its rooted with Google play and all her data still intact... Exactly what I did with my daughters..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I get twrp and fff from the Amazon App store?
No, but there's a small tool for installing it, check out this thread for installation guides, it's pretty simple: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1399889
After I use the tool will I be able to install custom ROMs? I would like to install either ICS or JB on her Fire.
Indirectly yes. You can use that tool to install TWRP. You can then use TWRP to backup your current system and install custom roms.
Before you get in over your head...
You seem like a pretty resonable person, so don't be naive to the complications that normally arise with those that attempt to "root/modify" their devices with the above mentioned utility. You are much better off doing a little research and trying to educate yourself in how this whole process works.
Find out what FFF is, what it does and how to use it. Find out what TWRP is, how it works and how to use it. Most of this stuff is easy to do and understand, but not if you don't know anything about it. Take a look around the forums and you'll see the large number of people who used the Kindle Fire Utility and ran into trouble with no idea of why or how to fix it. It would be beneficial and a lot less stressful for you if you had an idea of exactly what you were getting into.
At the top of this page is a sticky, titled "Before asking for troubleshooting help...". There are links in that thread, to many useful guides with a wealth of information to give you a great head start to keeping everything running smoothly. And don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't understand, just don't be ridiculous about it, because in the end, there is still no better education than experience.
I did find this thread. Is the tool basically an automated version of this?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1638452
I am a little informed on the rooting process as I have rooted my HTC Thunderbolt. I will do a little more research before I do anything to the fire. I don't want to mess up my daughters device and have her upset with me. Are there any good JB ROMs out there for daily driver use or are the only stables one out ICS?
mlott132 said:
I did find this thread. Is the tool basically an automated version of this?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1638452
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty much, yes.
I am a little informed on the rooting process as I have rooted my HTC Thunderbolt. I will do a little more research before I do anything to the fire. I don't want to mess up my daughters device and have her upset with me. Are there any good JB ROMs out there for daily driver use or are the only stables one out ICS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Kindle Fire is very solid so it's extremely unlikely you will do anything to permanently "brick" it. Just be sure you are extremely careful installing a custom bootloader. The latest one can be flashed in recovery very safely, so I would skip that option if you decide to use the KFU. All it would take is a slight power surge, blue screen of death or accidentally pulling the USB cable out at the wrong time, and you'll be doing THIS to fix it. Believe me, it's not fun the first time around.
As for a good daily driver...most JB and ICS ROMs are rather stable, with minor quirks here and there, but they are still better than the stock OS any day IMO.
Will I lose all the saved app data during the initial rooting process? If so, is there a way to backup this information so that I will not lose her saved games?
you dont have to root you didn``t read my post very well you only need fff and twrp if you flash modaco you will be rooted and all your daughters data will be intact but this is only the case with modaco. most people who use kfu and select install permanent root with kfu have some type of failure as of recent. failing to push su binaries, failing to push superuser apk failing drivers that cant handle the quick change of fastboot, getting stuck in fastboot and the list goes on and on...
mlott132 said:
Will I lose all the saved app data during the initial rooting process?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. "Rooting" really only consists of adding two files. One that gives you actual root access (ownership) and one that keeps track of App permissions set by you.
The tricky thing is that you need temporary root access to get those files in place. This is where custom recovery comes in. Custom recoveries, like TWRP, come standard with root access, which will allow you to install and configure those two files. Custom recoveries go on their own partitions to replace their current, less effective stock counterparts, so no data capacity is lost in the process. With only those pieces of software in place, you would need to use the command line any time you want to access recovery, this is where a custom bootloader comes in. A custom bootloader will allow you to hold the power button at startup to access recovery on the fly.
The actual rooting process is unnecessary, especially if you intend to flash a custom ROM, because all custom ROMs these days are already pre-rooted. So, all you really have to do to get where you want, is get access to fastboot mode to flash a custom recovery (TWRP), push the desired ROM to your sdcard, wipe System & Factory Reset, install and reboot. The hardest part is getting the adb to work.
mlott132 said:
is there a way to backup this information so that I will not lose her saved games?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can make backups of everything in recovery and transfer it all to your computer.
Thepooch said:
you dont have to root you didn``t read my post very well you only need fff and twrp if you flash modaco you will be rooted and all your daughters data will be intact but this is only the case with modaco. most people who use kfu and select install permanent root with kfu have some type of failure as of recent. failing to push su binaries, failing to push superuser apk failing drivers that cant handle the quick change of fastboot, getting stuck in fastboot and the list goes on and on...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do I just sideload fff and twrp or when I flash modaco will it install these?
mlott132 said:
Do I just sideload fff and twrp or when I flash modaco will it install these?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Neither.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=25730650
Read through it to get a good understanding before attempting anything.
the actual act of putting twrp and fff is actually fairly straight forward the difficult thing is getting your drivers installed correctly. Rather than going first shot trying to either fastboot flash twrp and fff via command line or via kfu it is best to test your drivers to get a good idea of how they will act and if they will perform correctly. Instead of leaving your computer unable to detect the kindle in an undesirable state...
The kindle needs to enter fastboot to get at least part of the job and unfortunately with windows this sudden driver change tends to confuse it...
Side note: you go outside of modaco which you dont have to wipe when flashing to ICS or JB there will be data loss because a full wipe of everything but your sdcard contents will have to be wiped..
Well I finally pulled the trigger last night and unlocked my daughters fire. I ended up using kfu to install fff and twrp. Then flashed monaco ROM and all is well. Thanks everyone for their help in getting this done.:good:
Congrats! The modified fire is so much better than the stock.
Sent from my Amazon Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2
My rooted KF got bricked by the new OS update that was released last night. It boots as normal, gets to the locker screen, and whether you unlock it or not, reboots about 15 seconds later to a screen showing the Android guy and an exclamation point in a yellow triangle. Then, if you start touching the screen, 4 buttons will show up on the side, up/down, select, and back... but they do nothing. Reboot again and it takes me to TWRP.
I know how to wipe my KF and reinstall everything, but I was hoping that someone might know of a fix for this. Especially because I just got a new computer and am still in the process of getting my normal apps installed, let alone Android SDKs that I use once in a blue moon. Plus, I have a few games that I would rather not lose my progress on.
BTW, I rooted my dad's KF the exact same way as mine and his just lost root access with the update, everything else is fine. Kinda weird.
TIA
What OS update? Your new computer will not need sdk. Also you will not escape having to wipe if something has gone amuck, unless you get lucky to be able to flash the prior system to revert the defect. You could just flash modaco http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1439916 no more losing root from OTA`S. You may also get lucky and be able to flash modaco if you`re on rooted stock or previously rooted stock 6.3.1 without wiping.
Thepooch said:
What OS update? Your new computer will not need sdk. Also you will not escape having to wipe if something has gone amuck, unless you get lucky to be able to flash the prior system to revert the defect. You could just flash modaco http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1439916 no more losing root from OTA`S.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
About 3am last night, I found my KF bricked after just using it about 30 minutes before (the wifi was on and it was hooked up to the charger). Today, I checked on my dad's KF and he has his wifi turned off. I turned it on and it instantly rebooted to just a "command line" screen saying that it was installing an update. Took about 10 minutes and then rebooted and worked fine, except that it was unrooted. I read somewhere in the Amazon Forums today that they did roll out an update and plan on spending 2 weeks doing it to keep from bogging down their network. Granted, their Software Update page doesn't say anything about it yet.
BTW, thanks for the other info, I'll have to check it out. Sounds like I'll have to wipe it (or at least restore from a 2-3 month old backup and see how the update goes again). But that's cool that I won't need to install the Android SDK.
Explains why some are instantly being unrooted or like in your case bricked strange thing is that it doesn`t change the system version it`s still 6.3.1 figures that Amazon would pull something like this.
Hey, I did manage to find a quick fix!
In the recovery mode, I decided to try using the Fix Permissions option. Still had the same problem.
I then just used the Clear Cache option and my KF was back up and running... and still rooted.
The only issue I have found so far is that I had to change the permission to allow changing the wallpaper, just uncheck the "write" permissions, (which was probably reset by the Fix Permissions option I ran). Other than that 2 second fix, everything is fine.
Granted, I'm waiting for Amazon to do an auto-check for some file that was in the cache that told it that it had installed the latest upgrade, and since I wiped that, it may install it again. If it does, I'll post it in this thread that my quick fix didn't work. But so far so good.
It turns out that my quick fix is only a temp fix.
Twice tonight I had to clear the cache again via the recovery menu. The first time it happened, I had just finished reading and hit the power button to put it in sleep mode, which caused it to instantly reboot and then do the same thing as I mentioned above. It boots up, and within 5 second of getting the locker screen, whether you unlock it or not, it starts shutting down and reboots ending up with the screen in the attached pic (those dots are just dust that appear super bright for some weird reason because you can't see them except in the pic).
So I cleared the cache again, everything was fine, and then about an hour later I found it sitting on that screen again. Clearing the cache fixed it again, but obvious this is a reoccurring problem.
Anyone have any ideas?
I'm reluctant to do a reinstall yet because I'm afraid I'll just end up with the same problem... along with none of my apps installed.
I have the same issue my temp solution is turn off wifi asap after lock-screen appear, wait abt 1-2 minutes then I can turn on wifi and use as normal.
Everything will fine for few hours. Any permanent solution plz? I remember that it occurred after i update something from Amazon app store, maybe : apps...
Sent from my Kindle Fire using xda premium
The permanent solution is to flash another rom preferably modaco if you want the stock experience. Full wipe, your apps can all be redownloaded that is the least of your worries at this point. probably a really good time to upgrade your bootloader and recovery if you haven`t flash both of these zips as zips in twrp if are behind the curve http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=30780737&postcount=180 and http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1632375 only get them from where I`m directing you or use smirkit http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1500935.
thanks for your help. This is done with the below solution
1) Copy the update bin file to the /sdcard as update.zip
Download stock ROM : https://s3.amazonaws.com/kindle-fire-updates/update-kindle-6.3.1_D01E_4107920.bin
copy update-kindle-6.3.1_D01E_4107920.bin into Kindle Fire and re-name to update.zip
2) From the main menu of CWM, "Wipe cache from partion" to remove the existing files in the data and cache partitions
3) From the main menu of CWM, press the "Install update.zip" button to flash the stock software onto your device.
no data/application lost accept FFF and CWM
Wiping cache doesn`t remove data in twrp its factory reset that you need to concern yourself with and unfortunately there is data loss. You may have succeeded but others put themselves in a position of needing a factory cable after not properly wiping when flashing stock. This is because the data is what the kindle has a tough time handling after a complete stock flash. Flashing modaco is far safer, truth is that it will leave your recovery and bootloader intact providing a far better safety net if something were to go wrong. Also if you create a backup before you flash if something does go wrong at least you can restore a half crap backup, wipeout recovery and this is no longer possible just saying. I see far more people fail to flash stock than I ever do flashing modaco.
Thanks for the info guys.
Considering the post in the Amazon Forums said this update was being pushed out over a 2 week period, I'm just going to keep my WiFi off (unless needed) and wait until everyone should have received the update and then see how it plays out. Considering it doesn't change the software version number, I'm thinking that this update may be just targeting rooted Fires. And BTW, it appears that the post was removed, because I can't find it again. Maybe they remove any that mention rooting? I just stumbled upon it via a Google search... 99% of the question in their forum are just idiotic.
Directv used to pull this stunt all the time to bust people with hacked cards that allowed them to get all their channels for free (usually a few hours before some big PPV event). They finally completely stopped the ability to hack cards by rolling out parts of their code over a long period of time, a year or so. When the final piece was put in place, the previous parts of their code had already been integrated into the hacked card software, because it appeared safe, and along with upgrading the type of cards they used during that same period of time, pretty much eliminated the ability to cheat Directv. I'm not saying that Amazon is going to those lengths to stop people from rooting their KFs,.. but who knows? It may be costing them too much with people bricking their KFs by trying to root them. Plus, they may also be losing revenue by people getting their free apps (with ads) from the Playstore instead of Amazon. And considering they pretty much sell their Fires for cost, they definitely rely on revenue generated by buying and using things via a stock KF.
BTW, this whole issue had almost perfect timing... I was planning on wiping my KF because it definitely is slower than when I first got it (which was day 1 of its release). I've read that Gingerbread doesn't clean up after itself too well, especially not as good as ICS (kinda like a Windows registry just gets filled with junk over time, and no cleaner beats a fresh install). It also appears that the ICS roms are actually working reliably these days, compared to the last time I checked. So, in a couple weeks, I'll get to have some fun. I am a Windows/Cisco System Engineer, so this kinda stuff is fun for me.
F.Y.I.
It seems that Amazon did do a incremental update on the Original Kindle Fire version
6.3.1_user_4107720, April 30 build to 6.3.1_user_4107920, November 27 build.
I looked thru the update and the only things I found changed are to do with the
Wifi driver, launcher icons, boot animation, and boot.img; attached the changed file below.
I have not tried to update mine, will attempt this weekend.
Thank you Tera Tike for the info at least this confirms that it's not just a fluke users of rooted stock should be warned appreciate your research. I do wonder why they would change boot animation and IMG seems a bit haneous.
Thepooch said:
Thank you Tera Tike for the info at least this confirms that it's not just a fluke users of rooted stock should be warned appreciate your research. I do wonder why they would change boot animation and IMG seems a bit haneous.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems they increased the resolution of the images in the file, but for me I can not see the difference.
For me I wonder what they changed in the WiFi driver file, tiap_drv.ko.
Kindle Fire Reboot Problem Solved - Install MoDaCo Rom
Thepooch said:
Wiping cache doesn`t remove data in twrp its factory reset that you need to concern yourself with and unfortunately there is data loss. You may have succeeded but others put themselves in a position of needing a factory cable after not properly wiping when flashing stock. This is because the data is what the kindle has a tough time handling after a complete stock flash. Flashing modaco is far safer, truth is that it will leave your recovery and bootloader intact providing a far better safety net if something were to go wrong. Also if you create a backup before you flash if something does go wrong at least you can restore a half crap backup, wipeout recovery and this is no longer possible just saying. I see far more people fail to flash stock than I ever do flashing modaco.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I took Thepooch's advice and installed MoDaCo rom on my KF. It was a snap. I had FireFireFire installed with TWRP. Just downloaded MoDaCo to PC copied to KF. Rebooted to FireFireFire Installed with Install Zip utility. Took a few minutes. Rebooted didn't loose any data , apps or functionality. Its still rooted. THANKS!
No problem you can find the entire uncomplicated method here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1923010 or at least a synopsis of the concept.
AT&T Galaxy S3
Mac OSX 10.8
I know I can get my device back, I'm just not sure how. I successfully rooted using CASUAL, no problems there. Got the normal root applications installed, did the Clockwork backup, everything was great.
I then decided to try a custom ROM - the Cyanogen 10.1. It downloaded fine, and I selected to also install Google Apps, then it rebooted and the Cyanogen boot screen with the spinning circle came up. However, this lasted way longer than I thought it should, so I looked it up, and what I got from the research is that I had the wrong gapps on there.
So, I followed the instructions in this thread (same problem as me), and wiped the system. However, I believe I used the wrong list item, and now everything I had is gone. I can't boot from recovery because it doesn't exist, and when booting into CM I just get the same error message that setup has stopped working. I thought maybe I could put a new ROM on the sd card or phone harddrive and boot from that, but both are inaccessible through USB on my Mac.
I can get it into ODIN mode (where it says "Downloading... Do not turn off target!"), which I'm thinking is what I want, and I have Heimdall installed and it runs and recognizes my device, but I cannot for the life of me find a tar.gz file to use.
If anyone can offer any sort of help, I would super appreciate it.
chazbot7 said:
AT&T Galaxy S3
Mac OSX 10.8
I know I can get my device back, I'm just not sure how. I successfully rooted using CASUAL, no problems there. Got the normal root applications installed, did the Clockwork backup, everything was great.
I then decided to try a custom ROM - the Cyanogen 10.1. It downloaded fine, and I selected to also install Google Apps, then it rebooted and the Cyanogen boot screen with the spinning circle came up. However, this lasted way longer than I thought it should, so I looked it up, and what I got from the research is that I had the wrong gapps on there.
So, I followed the instructions in this thread (same problem as me), and wiped the system. However, I believe I used the wrong list item, and now everything I had is gone. I can't boot from recovery because it doesn't exist, and when booting into CM I just get the same error message that setup has stopped working. I thought maybe I could put a new ROM on the sd card or phone harddrive and boot from that, but both are inaccessible through USB on my Mac.
I can get it into ODIN mode (where it says "Downloading... Do not turn off target!"), which I'm thinking is what I want, and I have Heimdall installed and it runs and recognizes my device, but I cannot for the life of me find a tar.gz file to use.
If anyone can offer any sort of help, I would super appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your recovery shouldn't be affected by a wipe (unless you flashed something over it) as ROMs don't flash recovery, therefor vol up + home + power should get you in it. If you success to, You should be able to mount through recovery.
As for Heimdall, it just got S3 support (last week I believe), therefor it might not be easy to find a stock file for it. That being said, if you have access to any Windows pc, that'd be the easiest solution here (using Odin).
Yes, I can still get into the recovery menu, but when I use "backup and restore>restore" it says No files found. Is there anything I can do to just get a working OS running? Or am I just doing it totally wrong, I'm new to the rooting stuff. The Windows computer will be my last resort haha.
BWolf56 said:
Your recovery shouldn't be affected by a wipe (unless you flashed something over it) as ROMs don't flash recovery, therefor vol up + home + power should get you in it. If you success to, You should be able to mount through recovery.
As for Heimdall, it just got S3 support (last week I believe), therefor it might not be easy to find a stock file for it. That being said, if you have access to any Windows pc, that'd be the easiest solution here (using Odin).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I can still get into the recovery menu, but when I use "backup and restore>restore" it says No files found. Is there anything I can do to just get a working OS running? Or am I just doing it totally wrong, I'm new to the rooting stuff. The Windows computer will be my last resort haha.
chazbot7 said:
Yes, I can still get into the recovery menu, but when I use "backup and restore>restore" it says No files found. Is there anything I can do to just get a working OS running? Or am I just doing it totally wrong, I'm new to the rooting stuff. The Windows computer will be my last resort haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Windows pc is definitely the easiest option here but you try mounting your SD from recovery, redownload the ROM and Gapps you wanna use, put them on your device and flash them after a factory reset.
If you wiped your SD card, it's normal that you don't have a backup anymore.
BWolf56 said:
Windows pc is definitely the easiest option here but you try mounting your SD from recovery, redownload the ROM and Gapps you wanna use, put them on your device and flash them after a factory reset.
If you wiped your SD card, it's normal that you don't have a backup anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's aaaliiiiiiive! Grabbed an extra micro SD I had, threw Cyanogen 10.1.0 RC4 on it, and installed it just fine. Now updating to RC5. My only question now is how to get Google Apps on there. Does this need to be done beforehand, or can it be done after?
chazbot7 said:
It's aaaliiiiiiive! Grabbed an extra micro SD I had, threw Cyanogen 10.1.0 RC4 on it, and installed it just fine. Now updating to RC5. My only question now is how to get Google Apps on there. Does this need to be done beforehand, or can it be done after?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You usually flash the Gapps right after flashing the ROM, before rebooting.
P.S.: fully reading the instructions helps before flashing
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
BWolf56 said:
You usually flash the Gapps right after flashing the ROM, before rebooting.
P.S.: fully reading the instructions helps before flashing
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gotcha, sorry about that. Thanks for all the help good sir. This is actually way faster than my stock ROM, I'm pretty stoked on it, Google Apps or not.
chazbot7 said:
Gotcha, sorry about that. Thanks for all the help good sir. This is actually way faster than my stock ROM, I'm pretty stoked on it, Google Apps or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need to apologize. Glad you got it back up! And it was mostly to keep you from making similar mistakes in the future
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
also one thing you need to know
First boot after you flash will always take longer than normal. After that, it's fine
My roommate gave me his Kindle 8.9 to play with and root if possible. I had been successful at rooting, flashing TWRP, but couldn't get a custom ROM to flash. Being stupid, I didn't do a test flash first, so I ended up wiping the system and storage, so I couldn't boot into anything aside from TWRP and ADB was unresponsive. It also caused a power error, causing the device to turn back on immediately when powered down.
I acquired two of these tablets from eBay, for $35.00 a Piece, in like-new condition. I replaced the one I broke and bought one for myself. The problem I had was, there is no single guide which 1) lists the current root method for this tablet 2) The files needed to flash a custom recovery once root is gained 3) the most up to date TWRP recovery available. I read a lot of stuff on XDA. I read a lot of stuff elsewhere. The root methods listed in most every thread, no longer root. It was very hard to find an updated TWRP recovery, but thanks to @ong14, who pointed me to a single post, that was possible. So, I created this guide as a single go to for the current methods to root, TWRP and install a custom ROM.
***THIS GUIDE WILL ROOT YOUR DEVICE AND INSTALL A CUSTOM RECOVERY FOR THE AMAZON HD 8.9 JEM TABLET ONLY***
This method is used with ADB which requires Windows. Please make sure the proper drivers are installed before performing these steps. Required files for rooting and custom recovery installation are available at the bottom of this post. Please see respective links for custom ROMs. I did not create any of this software or the files. I'm not responsible if your device is damaged or bricked.
1. Enable the installation of files from unknown sources in Settings > security.
2. Enable ADB debugging from Settings > device.
3. Using the Silk Browser, go to Kingroot.net and download, install and run the APK. Also from Silk, download and install Total Commander File manager and grant it root access. Once you do that, download FireFlash11.apk at the bottom of this post. Open Total Commander and navigate to /sdcard > Downloads. Install FireFlash, open it and grant it root access to use later. (You can locate FireFlash from Home > Apps.)
5. Download the rest of the files at the bottom of this post and place into a folder of your choice on your desktop. Then go here and download this file and this file and place them in that same folder. Then move the following files to your Kindle: freedom-boot-8.4.6, u-boot-prod-8.1.4, stack and kfhd8-twrp-3.0.2-2-recovery.img.
5. Please follow the steps below from @MeowDude which will tell you how to flash a custom recovery to your Kindle.
now if you moved the files straight to your kindle, then they should be on the sd card, if you downloaded these through silk, they'll be in the downloads folder in your sd card. Now open FlashFire11, and give it root access (if you haven't yet). You should be greeted with a somewhat complicated looking wall of text and checkboxes.
!IMPORTANT!
| | |
\/ \/ \/
1. So, let me now guide you through this app, first of all, there should be red print informing you that you're not on the 8.1.4 bootloader or something like that, so click on the checkbox (at the upper right. The one that says "install kfhd8uboot-prod-8.1.4.img or something like that)
2. Now go down, and you'll see some text that says "Boot Partition Image (boot.img) and a box under it that says "NOT FLASHED" tap it. it should bring up a file manager-like list. scroll down until you see your already downloaded "kfhd8freedom-boot-8.4.6.img" , and tap/select it. (I know it says 8.4.6, IT WORKS ON 8.5.1!).
now go slightly under it and check "apply stack override".
*Next, Go under that to find a line that says "Recover Partition Image (Recovery.img), and slightly under it a box that says "NOT FLASHED" tap that, and again, you'll be greeted with a list-like file manager. scroll down until you see "kfhd8-twrp-3.0.2-2-recovery.img" and tap/select it. last part! go slightly under that and tap the check box next to "disable auto recovery update".
*Now that you have all you options in order, verify that you have them in order, and correctly selected (refer back if needed) and scroll down until you see at the bottom, a box that will install/flash all these things, it will say something like "Execute Flash Script" tap it, and your all set. if you want to boot into recovery (immediately after flashing), go right under that box to find another box that says "reboot into recovery" click it, and wait a sec, your screen will black out, and you will first see the normal kindle fire logo, then a blue one, then some glitchy looking stuff, then it should show a TeamWin logo, and go into recovery.
NOTE: If you don't flash your device with android, the stock Amazon os will erase the recovery, so NEVER REBOOT INTO RECOVERY USING FIREFLASH! Only right after you install/re-install recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should boot back to recovery at this point and do a factory reset. Here is how to do that below:
1. Power off your Kindle.
2. Once off, press first and hold the volume down button, then the power button. Hold them both down until the device boots to the BLUE Kindle logo. Then release the power button then the volume down button.
3. You should see the "Team Win" logo come across the screen. Tap on wipe, advanced, and choose dalvik, data and cache. Ten swipe the wipe button. DO NOT SELECT THE SYSTEM OR INTERNAL STORAGE OPTION. This will do a clean install of FireOS 8.5.1 and get rid of Kingroot.
Installing a custom ROM
You can now use FireOS as you were able to before, but I was unable to get the necessary Gapps to work with each other properly. You can try, but I recommend installing a custom ROM. I've tried two so far and can confirm they both work. I will list the links below where you can get the ROMs and installation instructions.
1. The Candy Rom, based off of Lollipop 5.1.1, works on this tablet. Root is built in so you don't need to install or flash SuperSU, but the post does say you can flash it. I've had a lot of trouble with custom 5.1.1 ROMs when it comes to launchers. Be warned it doesn't play nice with Nova and will cause the SystemUI to crash and restart over and over.
2. Unofficial CyanogenMod (CM 13). I currently use this ROM. Root is also built in. I have had trouble getting used to the permissions for apps. I have to go in and set them myself. If you can't get the Google app to sign you in, go to settings > apps > Google App > permissions > grant all permissions. I cannot get Hangouts to work, but the dialer works perfect. I'm not sure if either of those issues are a fault of mine or just a fluke.
I own 3 Amazon tablets: Amazon Fire 7, rooted with a custom ROM. Amazon Fire HD 8, but unfortunately there's no root for it yet. Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9, rooted, custom recovery and ROM. I have had great fun 'hacking' these things. I hate FireOS, but I will give Amazon credit for making some really bad ass tablets.
I didn't really feel too happy with the CM 13 ROM. It was pretty sluggish. Just overall performance was less than it should've been. So I decided to try another CM13 (Marshmallow 6.0.1) build by Temasek . This is by far the best ROM I've ever worked with on Kindle (Sorry Fire Nexus). Performance is off the chart. There's little to no lag. You HAVE to flash SuperSu, but it works really well. You don't see the App icon, just tap settings and SuperSU is listed. You also don't need to flash Viper4Android, already comes installed. Just select it in settings, grant it root access and select yes to download the driver. It will take a minute or two for it to update, but reboot when done and configure your Viper. Just make sure you have BusyBox installed and updated. You can get it from the play store. There are more settings and customization options I can list. Truly an awesome, well built ROM.
First off, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to post your very good guide for us new guys. Another superb tutorial can be found here...
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72395624&postcount=55
Your and comwiz's guides that summarize MeowDude's excellent work are two of the best ones I've seen to date and they help us novices a lot.
I want to set my elderly father up with Google's new YouTube TV streaming service when I visit him after the holidays and they currently require an Android L device or better to activate the service and control their interface. All he had was a Kindle Fire HD 8.9 a relative gave him that he never uses, so he sent it to me a few days ago so I could modify it. I've read a few of your posts on this and other threads and you seem very impressed with Temasek's CM13 custom ROM, so that's good enough for me and the one I wanna try first. But I'm a little confused by your followup post when you say "you HAVE to flash SuperSu". Does this mean that one should root with that app instead of Kingroot as was described in your original guide? I'm also not totally clear on exactly where in the procedure BusyBox needs to be installed. Here's what I have done so far to date...
*performed factory reset on Kindle Fire HD 8.9 just to clean it up and get it back to stock
*installed ADB on PC and verified it communicates with the Fire HD (detects device and returns serial number)
*downloaded and installed Total Commander (nice looking file explorer at first glance, BTW)
*sideloaded Root Check and verified device is not rooted
*downloaded the following files to PC but have not yet transferred them to the Fire:
---NewKingrootV5.1.0_C176_B415_en_release_2017_05_11_20170511212237_105203.apk
---fireflash11.apk
---kfhd8-u-boot-prod-8.1.4.bin.img
---kfhd8-freedom-boot-8.4.6.img
---kfhd8-twrp-3.0.2-2-recovery.img
---stack
---SR5-SuperSU-v2.82-SR5-20171001224502.zip
---stericson.busybox.apk
---cm-13.0-20160827-V11-temasek-jem.zip
I think this is everything I need but I'm not yet comfortable enough with my current knowledge level to try rooting and flashing a custom ROM. If you or anybody else could tell me what I should do next or at least point me in the right direction that would be much appreciated. I figure it's better to ask some dumb noob questions now before I attempt anything rather than have to come back later and ask how to unbrick my tablet.
CornellEngineer said:
First off, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to post your very good guide for us new guys. Another superb tutorial can be found here...
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72395624&postcount=55
Your and comwiz's guides that summarize MeowDude's excellent work are two of the best ones I've seen to date and they help us novices a lot.
I want to set my elderly father up with Google's new YouTube TV streaming service when I visit him after the holidays and they currently require an Android L device or better to activate the service and control their interface. All he had was a Kindle Fire HD 8.9 a relative gave him that he never uses, so he sent it to me a few days ago so I could modify it. I've read a few of your posts on this and other threads and you seem very impressed with Temasek's CM13 custom ROM, so that's good enough for me and the one I wanna try first. But I'm a little confused by your followup post when you say "you HAVE to flash SuperSu". Does this mean that one should root with that app instead of Kingroot as was described in your original guide? I'm also not totally clear on exactly where in the procedure BusyBox needs to be installed. Here's what I have done so far to date...
*performed factory reset on Kindle Fire HD 8.9 just to clean it up and get it back to stock
*installed ADB on PC and verified it communicates with the Fire HD (detects device and returns serial number)
*downloaded and installed Total Commander (nice looking file explorer at first glance, BTW)
*sideloaded Root Check and verified device is not rooted
*downloaded the following files to PC but have not yet transferred them to the Fire:
---NewKingrootV5.1.0_C176_B415_en_release_2017_05_11_20170511212237_105203.apk
---fireflash11.apk
---kfhd8-u-boot-prod-8.1.4.bin.img
---kfhd8-freedom-boot-8.4.6.img
---kfhd8-twrp-3.0.2-2-recovery.img
---stack
---SR5-SuperSU-v2.82-SR5-20171001224502.zip
---stericson.busybox.apk
---cm-13.0-20160827-V11-temasek-jem.zip
I think this is everything I need but I'm not yet comfortable enough with my current knowledge level to try rooting and flashing a custom ROM. If you or anybody else could tell me what I should do next or at least point me in the right direction that would be much appreciated. I figure it's better to ask some dumb noob questions now before I attempt anything rather than have to come back later and ask how to unbrick my tablet.
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Click to collapse
"Root" is built into the ROM. But, it's not full root. So the ROM maker tells you to Flash SuperSU once the ROM is installed and functioning. You have to do that because you wipe the system (pretty much all of it) before you flash the ROM. That wipes Kingroot, root etc. until you flash the new ROM. You're on the right track exactly. Just make sure your files are placed properly and use FireFlash to install TWRP. Just follow all the steps exactly and it should be successful. The good thing about this method, it doesn't wipe your data to install the recovery.
Okay, DF...thanks. When researching Kingroot & SuperSU I came across a ton of external links about how to get rid of the former if it was used to originally root a device and replace it with the latter. I even found another XDA thread last night where you posted that you yourself spent many hours reading about how to do just that. It seemed like a lot of hoops to jump through so I thought maybe it was better just to use SuperSU to root in the first place and be done with it. But this was all probably before you tried the new ROM you're now using and are apparently liking a lot. It sounds like Temasek's ROM version automatically takes care of most/all of the Kingroot exorcism that gave you such a headache. Apparently on many devices you can install TWRP first and THEN root with SuperSU afterward but I gather the Kindle Fire's funky bootloader unfortunately doesn't permit this.
I'll just keep reading threads over and over again as well as outside reference articles on other sites like I have been so far. Some of it must be finally sinking in because some posts are actually finally starting to make a little sense and in some cases I now understand what a few folks did wrong to cause them problems. When the vast majority of the posts and articles I read make sense and not just some of them then I'll give it a shot. Appreciate the guidance.
Okie dokie, DF...just a quick status report on how we're doing following your new guide. So far, so good...used Kingroot to root the device no problem, verified it was rooted with Root Check, gave Total Commander (which I had installed a few days ago) root access, and downloaded and installed FireFlash. But when I opened the app and clicked on "allow" to have root privilege there was a minor glitch...although I could see the FireFlash menu in the background there was an error message saying it did not have root access and that it was going to close, even though Kingroot verified it as an app that had permission. Tried uninstalling and reinstalling a few times but kept getting the same error message. Finally I simply rebooted the device and it worked fine after that...so if there are any fellow noobs out there who are one step behind me (and heaven help you if you are) you might wanna try a simple reboot during this step if you experience a similar problem to see if that solves it.
Before I do anything else I'm gonna use ADB to create some images of several of the now-rooted stock partitions and save them to my PC just in case I eff something up later on. You did not mention this in your guide but this was summarized nicely by comwiz in his very similar tutorial...
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72395624&postcount=55
He also included many screenshots that one will see while following your guides...I found these visual aids to be very helpful in terms of what one could expect to see as you march through all the steps that you guys so graciously spent the time laying out for us newbies. I'm probably gonna hold off on installing TWRP and Temasek's custom ROM for a few days...I wanna read up more about TWRP and fastboot before I take the next baby steps. BTW, like you I just bought another used KFHD 8.9 in almost new condition on eBay today for about the same price that you paid...how's THAT for the ultimate "backup"???
Man, thank God for this XDA forum...no way I try this on my own without all the info and tools and help that experienced folks have taken the time to post here.
CornellEngineer said:
EDITED BY ME, "compjan"
Before I do anything else I'm gonna use ADB to create some images of several of the now-rooted stock partitions and save them to my PC just in case I eff something up later on.
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PLEASE upload those images !!! if you are running 8.5.1 on a 32 gig model I NEED THEM !
compjan said:
PLEASE upload those images !!! if you are running 8.5.1 on a 32 gig model I NEED THEM !
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Click to collapse
I wrote a guide on how to flash recovery on 8.5.1 without a computer. Swing around and check it out, its got all the updated files.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ki...t-install-twrp-android-fire-os-8-5-1-t3278286
MeowDude said:
I wrote a guide on how to flash recovery on 8.5.1 without a computer. Swing around and check it out, its got all the updated files.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ki...t-install-twrp-android-fire-os-8-5-1-t3278286
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iRoot doesn't work anymore. At least not when I tried. Regardless of the method used to root, the quicker to get rid of them, the better it makes me feel.
MeowDude said:
I wrote a guide on how to flash recovery on 8.5.1 without a computer. Swing around and check it out, its got all the updated files.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ki...t-install-twrp-android-fire-os-8-5-1-t3278286
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
um, i do not have a working 8.9 tablet. i screwed it up and had a red screen of death for a couple years now. i have been off work due to knee surgery and decided to see if there was a working fix. member sd_shadow has me OFF red screen, now i need to get back to stock BEFORE i start playing with it. that way i can fix it right then if i mess it up again.
SO, i need a copy of the 3 partitions to get back to stock.
UNLESS. . . . i can get the partitions out of the 8.5.1 BIN i grabbed from amazon. that is how sd_shadow ( THANK YOU SIR ! ) got me back to a NOT booting but hung at the fire logo. i flashed the bin to SYSTEM and now i need the other 2 partitions.
UPDATE: GOT IT UP AND RUNNING AS 8.1.4 ! ! !
wife wanted it stock, so i loaded the 8.5.1 update from amazon in the root directory of INTERNAL STORAGE. not i a folder. re-booted and it installed the 8.5.1 update. worked fine . . . EXCEPT . . . .
the built-in amazon app store was buggy as hell. so was the silk browser. gapps worked fine until a re-boot. then crashed as soon as i launched play store.
SO. . . . i'm backing up the 3 partitions and going to load a ROM on this puppy.
EDIT: there is a NEWER 8.5.1 "update" at amazon, it will NOT auto install via the "check for updates" button (afaik. and i tried it on 2 different 8.9's) . download it, copy it to the ROOT of the 8.9, not in a folder. reboot. it will install all by it's self. fixed all my stock problems!! END EDIT
I got CM13 installed on my 8.9 but then having issue.
a. Can't boot into custom recovery. With volume down hold + power button -> Kindle Fire orange -> Kindle Fire blue -> then it either boots back into CM13 or getting "Fast boot".
b. In CM13, i don't have root access. How so? Weird. I am always under the impression that every custom image will come with root access. I maybe wrong though.
---------- Post added at 05:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:48 PM ----------
Well, my bad was I downloaded the wrong gapps, picked 7.1 instead of 6.0, so I wanted to boot back in recovery to install the correct gapps.
votinh said:
I got CM13 installed on my 8.9 but then having issue.
a. Can't boot into custom recovery. With volume down hold + power button -> Kindle Fire orange -> Kindle Fire blue -> then it either boots back into CM13 or getting "Fast boot".
b. In CM13, i don't have root access. How so? Weird. I am always under the impression that every custom image will come with root access. I maybe wrong though.
---------- Post added at 05:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:48 PM ----------
Well, my bad was I downloaded the wrong gapps, picked 7.1 instead of 6.0, so I wanted to boot back in recovery to install the correct gapps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If using temasek ROM, you'll have to flash SU. Use 2.7X. then update from play store. Root for regular CM is found in developer options. Settings > about device > tap build number 7 times and go back to Maine settings menu, scroll to bottom. For developer options. Enable root in that menu. Select both apps and ADB.
I am using the CM13 ROM by alexander_32, I guess the same one you're using.
Personally, it isn't as snappy as I wish but I'll give it some more time.
Also, the option to boot into recovery on the menu is so much better than using keys combination. Thumb up for that!
what is the optimal gapps to get from open gapps? there are so many options im not sure which works best on jem.
green_reaper said:
what is the optimal gapps to get from open gapps? there are so many options im not sure which works best on jem.
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Click to collapse
I almost always use pico gapps.
DragonFire1024 said:
I almost always use pico gapps.
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so basically for jem im using CM13 (Marshmallow 6.0.1) build by Temasek . and for gapps should I use (platform = ARM , Android 7.0 and pico) ? or is there a better gapps build selection?
green_reaper said:
so basically for jem im using CM13 (Marshmallow 6.0.1) build by Temasek . and for gapps should I use (platform = ARM , Android 7.0 and pico) ? or is there a better gapps build selection?
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Click to collapse
Go to opengapps website. Always download the gapps for the corresponding Android version. Always choose ARM.
A bit of backstory: I was tasked with "reviving" a couple of Samsung tablets, of which my main focus has been an old SM-T210.
The whole idea was to utilize custom ROMS to get it working properly again (surprise surprise, it didn't work.)
Alas, I followed the summary of about four instructional videos on how to run TWRP on the device. I had made a backup of the system and everything had been going well... Until I wiped everything on the device and decided to install a new ROM.
As it turned out, I found it next to impossible to find a new ROM to run on the afforementioned device. This meant I had to re-install the backup to get it working. This recovery, however, brought with it multiple problems.
Firstly, the power button does not function properly anymore (ie. It doesn't display the power off and restart functionality, rather turning off the tablet completely). Secondly, an app called "Factory mode" appears; when opened it looks like a miscoded calculator with no actual functionality whatsoever. Finally, and most concerning, whenever on the home menu or the app drawer, a notice with black background yellow letters appears; it reads the specs of the tablet. It doesn't take up all the screen space, nor does it appear when utilizing any application.
I am confused and quite concerned about these problems, and wanted to ask: can anyone help me with this? Is there even a fix to it?
archaicAbystoma said:
A bit of backstory: I was tasked with "reviving" a couple of Samsung tablets, of which my main focus has been an old SM-T210.
The whole idea was to utilize custom ROMS to get it working properly again (surprise surprise, it didn't work.)
Alas, I followed the summary of about four instructional videos on how to run TWRP on the device. I had made a backup of the system and everything had been going well... Until I wiped everything on the device and decided to install a new ROM.
As it turned out, I found it next to impossible to find a new ROM to run on the afforementioned device. This meant I had to re-install the backup to get it working. This recovery, however, brought with it multiple problems.
Firstly, the power button does not function properly anymore (ie. It doesn't display the power off and restart functionality, rather turning off the tablet completely). Secondly, an app called "Factory mode" appears; when opened it looks like a miscoded calculator with no actual functionality whatsoever. Finally, and most concerning, whenever on the home menu or the app drawer, a notice with black background yellow letters appears; it reads the specs of the tablet. It doesn't take up all the screen space, nor does it appear when utilizing any application.
I am confused and quite concerned about these problems, and wanted to ask: can anyone help me with this? Is there even a fix to it?
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Click to collapse
sounds like your best bet is to download the full firmware set and install with Odin. Odin 3.07 works best for this tablet.
Latest 4.4.2 Firmware
Odin v 3.07
gr8nole said:
sounds like your best bet is to download the full firmware set and install with Odin. Odin 3.07 works best for this tablet.
Latest 4.4.2 Firmware
Odin v 3.07
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After test: Ok, I have set it back to og firmware. Sadly the screen still shows. I was finally able to take a pic:
https://imgur.com/GRsQoLf
. (not letting me embed)
archaicAbystoma said:
After test: Ok, I have set it back to og firmware. Sadly the screen still shows. I was finally able to take a pic:
https://imgur.com/GRsQoLf
. (not letting me embed)
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If you do a google search for ”Samsung exit factory mode” you will find several videos/posts with options.