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Understanding the Rooting Process
Hi,
I have never rooted a phone before, so I am a bit curious before I get into it. I have a Galaxy Nexus – brought directly from Google without going through any carrier. I have Android 4.2.1 on it, and it has never been rooted.
I want to root the phone in order to copy data on and off a USB Stick using Chainfire’s Stickmount App (among other things.) This means I am not interested in any custom ROM. The stock works OK for me.
I am using the following tutorial: How to Root Galaxy Nexus! [Universal Guide][GSM/Verizon/Sprint][Windows/Linux/Mac][GB/ICS/Jelly Bean] which has the following steps to root:
1. Unlock the Bootloader
2. Install ClockworkMod Recovery
3. Install the SuperUser binaries using Recovery to get Root
In this regard I have a few questions that I am not getting easy answers using Google. (All I get is tutorials with steps – no logic.)
1. The first step is “Unlocking the Bootloader”. The following link says that unlocking the Bootloader is to install custom ROMs What does it mean to unlock the boot loader?
As mentioned above, I am not interested in putting custom ROMs on to the device. I am satisfied with the stock. Do I need to do this step?
2. “Unlocking the Bootloader” seems to delete all data on the phone. Is this true? Why does it do this.
3. Is it possible to backup the current ROM before I root? That way I can always restore it in case of any problems. I do not have much data/apps on the phone, so backing up that is not an issue.
Thank you all for your help.
O. O.
o.o. said:
1. The first step is “Unlocking the Bootloader”. The following link says that unlocking the Bootloader is to install custom ROMs What does it mean to unlock the boot loader?
As mentioned above, I am not interested in putting custom ROMs on to the device. I am satisfied with the stock. Do I need to do this step?
2. “Unlocking the Bootloader” seems to delete all data on the phone. Is this true? Why does it do this.
3. Is it possible to backup the current ROM before I root? That way I can always restore it in case of any problems. I do not have much data/apps on the phone, so backing up that is not an issue.
Thank you all for your help.
O. O.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Yes. Unlocking the bootloader is not the same as installing a different ROM, you will still be on stock after unlocking. Unlocking will ALLOW you to flash different firmware/mods/etc, but you dont have to flash anything you dont want to.
2. Yes, it will wipe your phone clean. Every time you do it. No getting around this.
3. Not to my knowledge. I would recommend doing the back up first thing after unlocking bootloader and installing recovery.
WiredPirate said:
1. Yes. Unlocking the bootloader is not the same as installing a different ROM, you will still be on stock after unlocking. Unlocking will ALLOW you to flash different firmware/mods/etc, but you dont have to flash anything you dont want to.
2. Yes, it will wipe your phone clean. Every time you do it. No getting around this.
3. Not to my knowledge. I would recommend doing the back up first thing after unlocking bootloader and installing recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
addition to point 3)
its really irrelevant to backup the rom if you're staying stock since you can just download the images freely from google and use fastboot to flash them all and you'll be running a clean stock rom since you just unlocked the bootloader.
Thank you WiredPirate & Zepius. I am trying to understand how the Rooting process works – not just the steps, without having a clue as to what I am doing.
1. My question here was not “Whether I needed to Unlock the Bootloader” – but why do I need to Unlock the Bootloader in order to Root? My question here is Why? When I do not need to install custom ROMs why should I be unlocking?
2. Why does Unlocking the Bootloader wipe the phone?
3. Thank you Zepius. I think I agree with you here.
Thanks again,
O. O.
Zepius said:
addition to point 3)
its really irrelevant to backup the rom if you're staying stock since you can just download the images freely from google and use fastboot to flash them all and you'll be running a clean stock rom since you just unlocked the bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is true. The exception might be if you don't have access to a comp at the time your phone needs to go back. But downloading and flashing images like you said is probably a cleaner/ better way of getting back to stock.:good:
o.o. said:
Thank you WiredPirate & Zepius. I am trying to understand how the Rooting process works – not just the steps, without having a clue as to what I am doing.
1. My question here was not “Whether I needed to Unlock the Bootloader” – but why do I need to Unlock the Bootloader in order to Root? My question here is Why? When I do not need to install custom ROMs why should I be unlocking?
2. Why does Unlocking the Bootloader wipe the phone?
3. Thank you Zepius. I think I agree with you here.
Thanks again,
O. O.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wish I was more help with the "Why?". I just kind of go with it lol. I mean I have ideas as to why, but I'm not a dev and/or familiar with code, I'm just a user so I don't wanna say something and it be wrong.
o.o. said:
Thank you WiredPirate & Zepius. I am trying to understand how the Rooting process works – not just the steps, without having a clue as to what I am doing.
1. My question here was not “Whether I needed to Unlock the Bootloader” – but why do I need to Unlock the Bootloader in order to Root? My question here is Why? When I do not need to install custom ROMs why should I be unlocking?
2. Why does Unlocking the Bootloader wipe the phone?
3. Thank you Zepius. I think I agree with you here.
Thanks again,
O. O.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) an unlocked bootloader allows you to flash unsigned images. This allows you to flash a custom recovery, which is required for root access. basically, if you want root, you have to unlock the bootloader the first time with the command "fastboot oem unlock"
2) thats the way its designed. there are ways around it, but you have to have root to unlock the bootloader without wiping your data.
Zepius said:
1) an unlocked bootloader allows you to flash unsigned images. This allows you to flash a custom recovery, which is required for root access. basically, if you want root, you have to unlock the bootloader the first time with the command "fastboot oem unlock"
2) thats the way its designed. there are ways around it, but you have to have root to unlock the bootloader without wiping your data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you Zepius. I am hoping that someone can provide some better understanding of this issue. I know that there is a design, which is obviously illogical. Nowhere have I found an explanation for this illogicality – hence my question.
O. O.
o.o. said:
Thank you Zepius. I am hoping that someone can provide some better understanding of this issue. I know that there is a design, which is obviously illogical. Nowhere have I found an explanation for this illogicality – hence my question.
O. O.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My guess is it is to keep your data mostly secure by wiping it out.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
go here. if it helped, thank efrant.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=31751966
sent by an android
The other option if you want to root without losing your data is to use a computer with the adb tool to make a backup and then restore that backup after you've rooted your phone. A guide on how to do this can be found here: http://www.thesuperusersguide.com/adb-backup--restore.html
Zepius said:
My guess is it is to keep your data mostly secure by wiping it out.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you Zep. This is more like what I was looking for i.e. this sounds reasonable. Anyway I guess this is not the best place to ask such questions i.e. everyone seems to know what to do, but are clueless about the logic.
O. O.
o.o. said:
Understanding the Rooting Process
I want to root the phone in order to copy data on and off a USB Stick using Chainfire’s Stickmount App (among other things.) This means I am not interested in any custom ROM. The stock works OK for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Another option for USB OTG is an app called Nexus Media Importer it almost does what stickmount does and does not require root.
You can read data, but you cannot write to the attached device (USB flash drive etc.), only copy to the Android device.
Hope this helps a little in case you are uncomfortable rooting.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.homeysoft.nexususb.importer
As has been mentioned, unlocking the bootloader is necessary to allow flashing images. AFAIK, the data wipe (factory reset and memory card wipe) is to protect your data, contacts, etc., in case your phone is lost or stolen and somebody tried to restore your phone to stock so they can use it or sell it. That's assuming you have a security screen that can't be bypassed so that the criminal can't just hit "factory reset" and delete your memory contents.
The bootloader unlock is necessary to root because you are flashing the custom recovery (TWRP or CWM) and root (Superuser or SuperSU) binaries, or flashing an "image" if that helps. This is the same process as flashing a ROM, so the bootloader needs to be unlocked to allow this. The data wipe is there to "protect" you.
Once rooted, you can lock and unlock the bootloader at will with the "Bootunlocker" app by Segv, though if you ever loose root via OTA update, you have to unlock the bootloader via fastboot again, which causes you to loose your data. I learned this the hard way so trust me, just leave the bootloader unlocked. Even if a criminal tries to flash a new ROM or factory image, they have to completely erase everything to get around your security screen.
If you have data that want to save, use the Android MTP to move you memory contents to your computer. This is mostly for music, pictures, documents, and downloads. To do a full backup (apps, settings, data) there is a guide in the stickies I believe that explains how to do a full backup to your computer without root.
That is my attempt at the logic, hope that helps.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I have MIUI 2.3 on my old T-Mobile G2 that I need to use temporarily on AT&T. It is rooted (can't remember, but probably HBOOT root), but it must be unlocked. Unfortunately, GFree isn't working. Without doing a factory reset, is there a stock/older kernel available that will work with GFree? I couldn't seem to find one in the General forum. There was a link in the unlocking tutorial to a known GFree compatible kernel, but it was a .img file...and I don't know how to load that. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
images are flashed with fastboot
fastboot flash boot xxx.img
(just change xxx to name of image)
i dont know if simply flashing a stock kernel will work so you may need to downgrade further to root the proper way. if you are need of more help doing this setherio made a great guide to do this otherwise there are always many helpful people in the irc channel. or let me know where your stuck and i can see if i can help anymore
demkantor said:
images are flashed with fastboot
fastboot flash boot xxx.img
(just change xxx to name of image)
i dont know if simply flashing a stock kernel will work so you may need to downgrade further to root the proper way. if you are need of more help doing this setherio made a great guide to do this otherwise there are always many helpful people in the irc channel. or let me know where your stuck and i can see if i can help anymore
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you my friend. With your help I eventually, eventually got it unlocked. Apparently root/unlock is *difficult* w/ Gingerbread. After that had to add an APN just to get EDGE, too.
Soooooo,
for years I have spent hours and hours every time I got a new android, reading up on the tips and tricks, root methods etc. and in those years I have managed to brick the **** out of a few ( all ) of those devices. but through xda I was always able to get them back.
well, today isn't one of those days. I got a new M8 last week. and in the span of a few hours I have managed to render it dead I think.
I initially installed the temp root, I don't have my notes with me....
then I installed SU
then I installed twrp
everything was going fine, until somehow I deleted my OS without having a back up recovery.
thennnn, somehow I managed to relock the device.
adb will not find the device, fast root isn't allowed to write to any partitions.
im completely and utterly hosed. right now I don't even have twrp installed, it just boots into fastboot over and over.
ive managed to get s-on back on it and well.....its not been a good day.
id really love to see what you guys think. at this point id try anything, but I feel like with me not able to install a rom because its locked, and not able to unlock it because I don't have an OS, I dunno what to do.
You don't need an OS to run fastboot to unlock it.
Just start at the beginning and make sure you get the recovery for Verizon model.
im not sure where to even start now. the verizon M8 apparently has to have weaksauce and SU to get root. my phone was botoable and i used those on the front end.
id really appreciate any help you guys could offer. right now if i tried to install a recovery it would fail due to the lock . im at a loss
BenPope said:
You don't need an OS to run fastboot to unlock it.
Just start at the beginning and make sure you get the recovery for Verizon model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HTCdev Unlock.
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
fastboot erase cache
adb push rom.zip /sdcard
Use recovery to flash ROM
Don't panic as long as you can use fastboot, there is always a way to get things back. As said first and foremost you need to unlock the boot loader. You will need the original unlock.bin file then just use the instructions on htcdev to apply the unlock.
Get a custom recovery on there or boot into one.
From there you could try and restore the system partition from a stock nandroid in the stock backup thread.
thanks for the help. I knew I could count on you guys.
heres the main issue with your suggestions. both depend on the htcdev unlock. I tried that first thing when I decided to root. Verizon does not allow their m8 to be unlocked using that method. it always fails. so I will need another way to unlock ;( if I can get past that I feel pretty sure I can get it back together.
ashyx said:
Don't panic as long as you can use fastboot, there is always a way to get things back. As said first and foremost you need to unlock the boot loader. You will need the original unlock.bin file then just use the instructions on htcdev to apply the unlock.
Get a custom recovery on there or boot into one.
From there you could try and restore the system partition from a stock nandroid in the stock backup thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey guys,
I'm kinda new to the HTC/Android world, found this community a damn good place to find support.. But now I've hit a road block.
Basically, I've been eager to root from day 1 of getting my first htc handset, I came across from jailbreak and loved the fact of customizability with Android.
So I had the Google play edition(I think, all geared towards Google) running Kit Kat 4.4.4. Love it, big Google user so this all tied together lovely.
Here is the Situation.
I found a video on youtube, cannot provide URL as I'm in work at the moment, but it was root guide from scratch. Fresh windows OS, seemingly a phone fresh out the box.. you get the idea.
I used the Hasoon2000 tool to root the device. Installed ADB etc on my pc, signed up as a a dev, got the Key for device, sent in and received my .bin file. I got up to actually rooting my device, well pleased and happy. Using TWRP via Hasoon2000.
But here is where **** hits the fan.
The device needed to update, It took me back to 4.4.2 but Im unsure on how to get back to most up to date OS and keep the root.
But when I reboot to install this, it goes into TWRP. no other way around this.
Queried this on another forum, decided to continue to be patient... but no replies, in the mean time I restored my apps and have a fiddle, see what the root function can do for myself.
I installed "Freedom 1.0.6" and a program called "Market Share"- Hate iAP, some games are ridiculously priced for the smallest of things, I just wanted to sandbox plague inc. ;(
Now the device is stuck in a boot loop, phone starts up, see the home screen for a bout 40 seconds/ one minute.. Some times I unlock the device and it goes back to flash screen then.. others I boot an app and its slides away once more.
This happened close to 15x before I left for work this morning and I imagine its just going to repeat this and run the battery - I tried to stop this loop by going into TWRP and possibly choosing to boot system this way may of stopped it.. but when I was on the boot screen with those options.. It said Tampered at top of screen and S-On- which has scared me quite a bit..
What the hell has happened!?
I'm desperate to know and don't want to have this damn thing bricked! Please help.. try explain like I'm 5, as said I'm new to a lot of this! >.<
first off, if the screen comes on, its not bricked.
esenfur said:
But here is where **** hits the fan.
The device needed to update, It took me back to 4.4.2 but Im unsure on how to get back to most up to date OS and keep the root.
But when I reboot to install this, it goes into TWRP. no other way around this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mean you accepted an official OTA? I think that is what you are saying. You should not be accepting OTAs on a phone that has been bootloader unlocked, custom recovery, etc. unless you know exactly what you are doing and what the result will be (which is clearly not the case).
Stock recovery is needed to install an OTA. That is why it keeps going to TWRP, then it doesn't find stock recovery and reboots, hence the loop you are stuck in. Try to find the OTA file and delete it.
redpoint73 said:
first off, if the screen comes on, its not bricked.
Do you mean you accepted an official OTA? I think that is what you are saying. You should not be accepting OTAs on a phone that has been bootloader unlocked, custom recovery, etc. unless you know exactly what you are doing and what the result will be (which is clearly not the case).
Stock recovery is needed to install an OTA. That is why it keeps going to TWRP, then it doesn't find stock recovery and reboots, hence the loop you are stuck in. Try to find the OTA file and delete it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for fast response.
Official OTA - being that the phone its self said "Update the OS" - I just accepted this, hit download and began install as a reboot- didnt spot implications. As said, noob, followed a tut. If it highlighted DO NOT UPDATE or.. IF U WANT UPDATE NOW FOLLOW THIS- Great, but nothing of the sort?
Is the OTA file basically the .exe for the OS- so find it and delete it.. although I dont have enough time to navigate and establish where the file actually is located!
Or do you have any links to tutorials I could possibly follow?
Side note- when this loop started I deleted
esenfur said:
Or do you have any links to tutorials I could possibly follow?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is really your main issue. By following a YouTube video and using a Toolkit, you've failed to actually learn anything or gain any real understanding or knowledge. Do yourself a favor and ditch the tutorials and videos (and toolkit for that matter) and do it the old fashioned way . . . by reading. Videos and step-by-step guides do you no good when things go south (as you've now discovered). And with the prior proper knowledge (usually not gained by following tutorials) this whole mess probably would have never happened in the first place.
A cardinal rule of Android phone modding: DO NOT accept/download/install OTAs (official OS updates) on a modded device unless you know what you are doing, and what the result will be. If in any doubt, simply DO NOT do it.
esenfur said:
Is the OTA file basically the .exe for the OS- so find it and delete it.. although I dont have enough time to navigate and establish where the file actually is located!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.exe file is Windows specific. You are looking for a zip file, and it typically starts with "OTA". Don't remember where its saved to, so you will have to search for it. If you can't keep the phone running long enough to do so, mount the memory on your computer and search that way.
Deleting the OTA file worked for me on a past device, although one M8 user in the same position said deleting the file didn't get him out of the loop. Flashing your ROM again, or wiping the internal memory (backup any important personal data first) might be options for you.
redpoint73 said:
you've failed to actually learn anything or gain any real understanding or knowledge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive seen quite a fair few ratings for Hasoon2000 and decided to go with it..
redpoint73 said:
Videos and step-by-step guides do you no good when things go south (as you've now discovered).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed.. theres FAR much more I need to learn.. its scary haha.
redpoint73 said:
DO NOT accept/download/install OTAs (official OS updates)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
taken on board. I know with my jailbreaks in past it has been a pain, assumed Android would be alot more stable to over write- due to functionality of OS and unlocked features.
I was being generic when I said .exe- basically the installer..
I returned from work to see phone stopped looping.. i could stop the install and deleted the file ASAP.. but now what.. Phone is still bugging me to update, lost the root(got a checker).. so whats the correct procedure!?
I am confused to what you are trying to accomplish at this point, is it to install a OTA, or a recovery? What exactly is going down here?
Me personally to take an OTA is to relock bootloader, install stock recovery, and make sure CID matches. I am S-Off so bootloader means very little, but you can unlock and relock at will when you are S-Off. You will not lose S-Off accepting an OTA.
Try to re-flash the ROM, with stok ROM, using TWRP and clean install. It should work.
hack14u said:
I am confused to what you are trying to accomplish at this point, is it to install a OTA, or a recovery? What exactly is going down here?
Me personally to take an OTA is to relock bootloader, install stock recovery, and make sure CID matches. I am S-Off so bootloader means very little, but you can unlock and relock at will when you are S-Off. You will not lose S-Off accepting an OTA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am trying to update the phone, root and then some..
What file am I looking for and how do I flash a ROM on a M8
esenfur said:
I am trying to update the phone, root and then some..
What file am I looking for and how do I flash a ROM on a M8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all once the bootloader is unlocked you don't have to relock it to get OTA.
As I undersand you have done the following:
1) Unlock using HTCDev-Method
2) flashed a custom revocery (TWRP in your case)
3) flashed a supersu too!?
To install the OTA means loosing root acces. Thus you have to re-root it after the OTA is done. The other problem ist that STOCK OTAs don't work with a custom recovery. Meaning you would have to flash a stock recovery first, install the OTA second (as long as you didn't change anything an just root), and re-root third.
Let's have a look which stock recovery you would need:
1) reboot to bootloader
2) connect the phone to you PC and open cmd in you adb/fastboot folder
3) enter "fastboot getvar all"
4) paste this information here (but DELETE the IMEI and SERIAL NUMBER before posting!!)
As soon as we know which stock recovery you need we will go on.
esenfur said:
Ive seen quite a fair few ratings for Hasoon2000 and decided to go with it..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not saying there is anything "wrong" with the toolkit, per se. For the most part, it does what its intended to do.
But it also shortcuts the learning process, and facilitates folks rooting the phone without gaining the proper knowledge. This is a dangerous thing.
This is just my opinion. But I strongly believe it. If you can't accomplish these things without a toolkit, you shouldn't be rooting your phone in the first place.
Others use the toolkits, and love them. They are more than entitled to have their own opinion. But when things go south, the toolkits aren't going to help; and those folks don't have the proper knowledge and they come running here. So you tell me what is the "best" way to root the phone?
esenfur said:
I was being generic when I said .exe- basically the installer..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I already figured this was probably the case. But I found it better to provide the exact information on what file to delete; rather than leaving it open to the possibility of you and/or others being misinformed.
esenfur said:
Phone is still bugging me to update, lost the root(got a checker).. so whats the correct procedure!?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you still have TWRP installed, so just flash SU or SuperSU to gain root.
After that, you can use Titanium Backup or similar app to find the update process and freeze it, to stop the update notifications.
Don't remember the exact process (this is where searching and reading comes in for you) but its something like "drm..." or "updater".
I have this situation before,what i do is find the right stock recovery and flash..after ota done flash back custom recovery..?
esenfur said:
I am trying to update the phone, root and then some..
What file am I looking for and how do I flash a ROM on a M8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At this point after seeing this, I would suggest you take some time and start reading. All of your answers are here in the forums. Knowledge is power and within the pages of this site you will find everything you need.
To take the OTA find a stock recovery, to flash ROM's find the one you like and flash via your favorite recovery.
After countless hours of searching over all related posts I am still confused and pretty much intimidated on the flashing aspect. From all my searching expeditions till now I managed to outline some of the points but I don't know how to move forward with them. Also I am concerned with the possibilities of getting the device unresponsive just because of my stupidity, want to gain full knowledge before going forward with the process.
So as per my findings, for installing a CFW like CM12, I require the following things,
1. Unlocked Bootloader.
The Bootloader on my XM SS can be unlocked, I did a check on that but the thing that's bugging me is the occurrence of bootloop.
Question for this point: What is the proper method to unlock the bootloader?
2. Rooted phone.
This is the step that has confused me from the beginning. Some posts mention that rooting is essential requirement to get a fully functional CFW and in some posts there is a not a single mention for the requirement of a rooted phone.
Question for this point: Is rooting essential? What is the best step by step method that you use to root your device?
3. Back up data.
I read somewhere that unlocking the bootloader erases some of the important information like the IMEI number, DRM keys and other important stuff? Also the importance of backing up data like contacts and other stuff externally.
Question for this point: How to do a proper backup? How to go on backing up contacts, whatsapp databases etc?
4. Installing a custom recovery?
Honestly I am totally confused with this topic. What does custom recovery actually do? Best custom recover for CM12?
Question for this point: How to select and install a custom recovery?
5. Adb, Fastboot drivers.
Is it essential to actually download the full adb package that google provides to develop android apps? And are fastboot drivers available for windows 8.1? Will the phone management software provided by Sony work as a driver?
Question for this point: ADB, Fastboot driver installation?
6. Flashing the CM12.
The most important step in the whole process? How to go on with this step so as to successfully flash the firmware? Restoring the backed up data?
Question for this point: Steps to properly flash the CM12?
7. Link2SD, App2SD?
Which one will you suggest and how to go on installing it?
I know that most of you will find it bothersome to answer so many questions in a single go but I intend this topic to be a guiding thread for noobs like me who are beginners that want to flash some CFW on their devices.
So all the posts that you make are really appreciated! Please link in the posts that you think will answer the questions in layman terms for everyone to understand.
Thanks for taking your time to read this thread
Have a good day! :fingers-crossed:
Can anyone please help? :crying:
1. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2484622 Follow everything he said, while using some common sense. Just to avoid you in doing so much research on some common problems I faced, :
i) If any errors occur, just close flashtool and re-open it, even if the errors continue to happen, just close and open flashtool again.
ii) You will experience bootloop and the end of the procedure, so just flash the tft http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2779412
2. Just stay rooted, better safe than sorry Here's the guide: http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-m/general/towel-root-steps-to-root-t2789990 Understand the procedure first then continue.
3. You can export your contacts into your sim card tho, just open up the telephony app and go to contacts and open up the option or menu thingy in it (I think the icon was a 3 dot to access the options menu) and you'll see the Export/Import tab on it. You know what to do after this After root, I suggest getting the app Titanium Backup, really helpful. If possible, after the backup, move the folder to the sdcard, so it will never be lost (or to your pc, much safer).
4. Custom recovery.. well, I'm no expert but just think it this way, you're life saver when you do something wrong to your phone (and that it can still turn on, but couldn't get pass the boot animation) and provided that you had made a Nandroid backup before(a system backup). It can restore your phone back to the last time you've backuped it. This one for Stock 4.3 http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-m/development/recovery-philz-touch-6-41-6-xm-dual-t2795778 and this one for afteryou've installed CM12 http://forum.xda-developers.com/xpe...very-cwm-twrp-recoveries-custom-roms-t3016507
5. I'm not sure on this one, sorry:crying: ADB drivers and the fastboot drivers installed automatically for me:silly:
6. I think this video would be a bit helpful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkNu0tiNro8
7. I don't know on this, I never used them. Soz :C
All the best:fingers-crossed: though my advice would be to stay Rooted for awhile before unlocking the bootloader, so you'd at least familiarize yourself with the terms that'll you'll most probably face.
The fastboot driver from google didnt work for me, use the ones from the sony bootloader unlock site. For win8.1 you need to disable signature verification to install them.
Thank you so much @AndyPhoenix9879
You are a lifesaver! I was finally able to flash CM2.1 on my Xperia M