Develop Bugs

[Q] HELP!! Have I bricked my new device!? SO WORRIED!!

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.

[Q]Need help flashing CM12 on XM SS

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

M9 with 5.1 OS rootable?

Earlier today, I finally made the jump to HTC after owning multiple versions of Samsungs over time. The OS version (AT&T) is confirmed as the latest 5.1. Being brand new to HTC, I know I have some learning to do in terms of rooting. Honestly I just want to have root to run a few pieces of software, but I'm not looking right now at messing with custom ROM flashes or anything like that. Mainly interested in using TiBu to do some de-bloat, and I also have an interface app needed for my car stereo that needs the root access. FYI, I used to jailbreak iPhones ages ago, plus I've had tons of luck keeping all my Samsung phones and tablets done. I consider myself somewhat techie, but need to do adequate reading on the HTC methodology so something doesn't get all gummed up in the works.
Soooo, can someone point me to a good step-by-step starting point thread? Also want to be sure 5.1 didn't close up the holes people have been using over time. Many thanks in advance!
~Vol

A follow-up question too. I'd like to make a full 100% safety backup for desktop PC archiving purposes before attempting to touch anything. What is best method to do that on HTC? Thx.

Vol4Ever said:
A follow-up question too. I'd like to make a full 100% safety backup for desktop PC archiving purposes before attempting to touch anything. What is best method to do that on HTC? Thx.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) go to HTCdev.com and request an unlock token. It will walk you through the complete process of unlocking bootloader. *note* this process wipes internal storage
http://www.htcdev.com/bootloader
2) read the first three posts of the twrp thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/one-m9/orig-development/recovery-twrp-touch-recovery-t3066720
3) click the downloads tab of the twrp thread and download "twrp-2.8.7.1_CPTB-B1-hima.img" to your fastboot folder (during step 1 you got fastboot working on your computer).
4) reboot boot into download mode and flash twrp from a command line ("fastboot flash recovery twrp-2.8.7.1_CPTB-B1-hima.img")
5) reboot to bootloader and use the volume down button to highlight boot to recovery and press the power button to select that.
6) at the first twrp screen screen select to leave system read only
7) select backup
8) place a check next to system image. You can deselect everything else...or leave boot, data and system selected, but you really don't need them. System image is what you need to get back to stock. Data might be useful if you ever flash a custom rom and want to go back to stick, but I don't know about that. Swipe to start backup. You now have an unmodified system image that you can restore later.
9) back out to main menu, select reboot and reboot back to recovery
10) this time on the opening screen swipe the bottom to make the system r/w
11) go to reboot and select system, swipe to reboot. You're going to get a notice saying you're not rooted and ask if you want to install supersu. Swipe to do this.
12) once the phone boots up, go to the app drawer and you'll see an icon for supersu. Open that and follow the instructions on screen to finish the process. This will probably include downloading a file and rebooting into twrp again. But like I said, just follow the instructions in the app.
You're now rooted.
Hope this helps. Enjoy.

Outstanding level of detail, my friend. Will attack this tomorrow.
And congrats on being in Nashville. My wife and I have looked seriously in that area in the past. Not sure when, but I see us living in the Franklin / Brentwood area at some point in the future. Thanks again for the checklist. I'll report back when I've had a chance to complete.

Vol4Ever said:
Outstanding level of detail, my friend. Will attack this tomorrow.
And congrats on being in Nashville. My wife and I have looked seriously in that area in the past. Not sure when, but I see us living in the Franklin / Brentwood area at some point in the future. Thanks again for the checklist. I'll report back when I've had a chance to complete.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're in Franklin. Post if you run into any issues.

One more thing, since you mentioned the backup. The HTCdev unlock process will wipe your entire phone. So be sure you backup anything you don't want to lose first, like photos.

iElvis said:
One more thing, since you mentioned the backup. The HTCdev unlock process will wipe your entire phone. So be sure you backup anything you don't want to lose first, like photos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep. I figured he would read that in the dev unlock process, but it was nice of you to point that out specifically.
I was trying to keep it simple and promote reading. But I added this warning to step one.

jollywhitefoot said:
Post if you run into any issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tips on backups, but it is still a brand new phone. Haven't even started moving apps, music, pics, etc yet. And my first issue, as luck would have it, has appeared on your step #1 (ugh). Following through the links, I wound up here:
http://www.htcdev.com/bootloader/unlock-instructions
It talks about doing the volume down & power sequence and states the phone should go into bootloader mode. Mine actually goes into download mode, but there is a menu item there to reboot to bootloader. When I do that, it pulls up a different output screen / menu:
*** Software status: Official ***
*** LOCKED ***
*** S-ON ***
Reboot
Reboot to bootloader
Reboot to download mode
Reboot to recovery mode
Power down
The problem is that the instructions are telling me to get to "fastboot" mode before proceeding to the next steps. That particular setting doesn't show up in either the bootloader or download mode menus. Is it something simple I'm missing??

Vol4Ever said:
Thanks for the tips on backups, but it is still a brand new phone. Haven't even started moving apps, music, pics, etc yet. And my first issue, as luck would have it, has appeared on your step #1 (ugh). Following through the links, I wound up here:
http://www.htcdev.com/bootloader/unlock-instructions
It talks about doing the volume down & power sequence and states the phone should go into bootloader mode. Mine actually goes into download mode, but there is a menu item there to reboot to bootloader. When I do that, it pulls up a different output screen / menu:
*** Software status: Official ***
*** LOCKED ***
*** S-ON ***
Reboot
Reboot to bootloader
Reboot to download mode
Reboot to recovery mode
Power down
The problem is that the instructions are telling me to get to "fastboot" mode before proceeding to the next steps. That particular setting doesn't show up in either the bootloader or download mode menus. Is it something simple I'm missing??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The instructions aren't updated yet. The "fastboot mode" only exists on older HTC phones. The M9's "fastboot mode" is actually the "download mode".

Flippy498 said:
The M9's "fastboot mode" is actually the "download mode".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That got it. Bootloader unlocked & confirmed through screen menus!! Now to proceed with the rest of the backup / root procedure . . .
Thanks again.

Vol4Ever said:
That got it. Bootloader unlocked & confirmed through screen menus!! Now to proceed with the rest of the backup / root procedure . . .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once you're rooted, it's really worth getting s-off through Sunshine. It's $25, but it will allow you to flash the most current firmware on your phone instead of waiting for your carrier to push it out, in addition to some other goodies like being able to change your splash image. This phone had some serious issues at launch that have since been fixed with the most recent 5.1 updates, so you don't want to be stuck on old firmware.

Well jollywhite's instructions went right down the middle and helped accomplish every line item I requested. THANK YOU!!!
So Elvis, what is this sunshine thing? I've already started cleaning up bloat with TiBu, but don't have any additional flashing on the radar. Root is good so I can now start moving all my stuff over.

Vol4Ever said:
Well jollywhite's instructions went right down the middle and helped accomplish every line item I requested. THANK YOU!!!
So Elvis, what is this sunshine thing? I've already started cleaning up bloat with TiBu, but don't have any additional flashing on the radar. Root is good so I can now start moving all my stuff over.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congratulations on successfully unlocking & rooting your phone. It's a good feeling to learn how to do it and then get it done, and why XDA is such a great place.
Sunshine (currently on version 3.1) is a paid software solution that will get you S-OFF on your M9. It's developed by XDA members for aficionados - the cost is to cover their costs for materials and work done. There are some limitations and caveats, so be sure to read the thread carefully (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2792487).
[edit]Re-reading your post, it seems that you may not need or want S-OFF. If you are satisfied with a custom recovery and root, S-OFF doesn't add anything you need[/edit]

Vol4Ever said:
Well jollywhite's instructions went right down the middle and helped accomplish every line item I requested. THANK YOU!!!
So Elvis, what is this sunshine thing? I've already started cleaning up bloat with TiBu, but don't have any additional flashing on the radar. Root is good so I can now start moving all my stuff over.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad everything worked out. Good job.
At some point you're probably going to want to s-off. Waiting for AT&T to approve updates can be excruciating at times. For example, AT&T didn't release lollipop for the M8 until freaking April, where international firmware for lollipop was available in December or early January.
That said, I would probably wait because there's really not a need right now. At&t just pushed new firmware so you can run any rom you like at the moment. I'm pretty sure I read you were on 5.1 right? That means you should be on the new 2.6 firmware.

jollywhitefoot said:
That said, I would probably wait because there's really not a need right now. At&t just pushed new firmware so you can run any rom you like at the moment. I'm pretty sure I read you were on 5.1 right? That means you should be on the new 2.6 firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that was really surprising, AT&T actually pushed it out before Europe, which I've never seen happen before. But no guarantee that will continue.
Vol4Ever, they're correct that you can wait on s-off for now, until you're more comfortable being rooted and modding your phone. There's little real benefit in doing it at the moment.

Flippy498 said:
The instructions aren't updated yet. The "fastboot mode" only exists on older HTC phones. The M9's "fastboot mode" is actually the "download mode".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this info it's were I was stuck
Sent from my HTC One M9 using XDA Free mobile app

[HELP NEEDED] Confusion when following the How-To Root the M8S (M8QL_UL)

Hello,
I have been trying very hard to grasp on this myself, and not post a thread like this but I'm afraid my head is spinning and I'm hoping someone here will be kind enough to help me.
I have owned an M8S for a while and would like to gain root access (mainly so I can use link2sd and expand storage space). I followed many links and threads carefully, but I am nervous to begin any process as the instructions are... vague, I guess. There are many of you who disagree with me I'm sure, but please be patient with me.
I have read extensively through this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-one-m8/help/make-custom-recovery-htc-one-m8s-t3114245
Tried to see how much of this (Linux) guide, though I run a Windows 10 machine: http://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-one-m8/help/rooting-htc-one-m8s-t3235232
I hope you can help me learn.
I have rooted several android devices before, and I've never been very confused by the process, but this one has left me lost.
Happy New Year and thanks for any help and support!
Pk

I don't have the M8S, but the process looks straightforward (similar to M8, as well as most fairly recent HTC devices):
1) Unlock bootloader via HTCDev.com (go to the website, and its pretty self-explantory)
2) Use fastboot to flash TWRP custom recovery
3) Flash SuperSU and Busybox using TWRP
I'd also add a step before 3 above, use TWRP to make a backup of the stock ROM. Once you have that backed up, anything that happens from step 3 is reversible by restoring the backup.
In fact, everything in the process is totally reversible by RUU, with the exception that the bootloader flag will only every say RELOCKED instead of LOCKED.
Is there a particular question, or step you have a problem with.

redpoint73 said:
I don't have the M8S, but the process looks straightforward (similar to M8, as well as most fairly recent HTC devices):
1) Unlock bootloader via HTCDev.com (go to the website, and its pretty self-explantory)
2) Use fastboot to flash TWRP custom recovery
3) Flash SuperSU and Busybox using TWRP
I'd also add a step before 3 above, use TWRP to make a backup of the stock ROM. Once you have that backed up, anything that happens from step 3 is reversible by restoring the backup.
In fact, everything in the process is totally reversible by RUU, with the exception that the bootloader flag will only every say RELOCKED instead of LOCKED.
Is there a particular question, or step you have a problem with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. this is what I hoped the process was but I was having difficulty reassuring myself!
I'll try this over the weekend and come back with a report. I really appreciate your help redpoint73 :highfive:

portachking said:
Thank you. this is what I hoped the process was but I was having difficulty reassuring myself!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just read and learn as much as you can before doing anything. Don't do anything that isn't form a current, reputable source. Do those things, and you will be fine.

portachking, I am very new to rooting and all that follows it. I would be very grateful if you post back your experiences when you have time, with the challenges you met (if any) and how you solved them...
I read from this page that "When the phone is rooted in changes to the phone are reset on restart". Is this the case for you as well?

Akitirija said:
portachking, I am very new to rooting and all that follows it. I would be very grateful if you post back your experiences when you have time, with the challenges you met (if any) and how you solved them...
I read from this page that "When the phone is rooted in changes to the phone are reset on restart". Is this the case for you as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm finally getting a chance to do this today. I will post again when I finish.
UPDATE:
M8S is now rooted and working fine. Thanks for your help repoint73!

portachking said:
I'm finally getting a chance to do this today. I will post again when I finish.
UPDATE:
M8S is now rooted and working fine. Thanks for your help repoint73!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for taking the time to report back, portachking! I really appreciate it!

Hey guys, i am also new to rooting and have read a lot about it already. I already managed to unlock the bootloader and use twrp to make a full backup. Only from thus point on, i dont know how to actually root it without flashing a custom rom.

Bump

snakegpeo said:
Hey guys, i am also new to rooting and have read a lot about it already. I already managed to unlock the bootloader and use twrp to make a full backup. Only from thus point on, i dont know how to actually root it without flashing a custom rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2nd Link in the top post describes it (with link to SuperSU).
To root, just flash SuperSU 2.67 in TWRP.

Thanks for the reply. Then i must have missed something. I will try it out this weekend.

It didnt work.
I did everything exactly as described. I have twrp, open it in fastboot with cmd. When i am in twrp, i clicked install, and installed the supersu beta zip and busybox zip. Still i dont have root access.

redpoint73 said:
2nd Link in the top post describes it (with link to SuperSU).
To root, just flash SuperSU 2.67 in TWRP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried it multiple times, from my internal storage and sd card. I have bootloader unlocked, i use fastboot boot twrp version 2.8.6.0 if i remember correctly (not at home at the moment) and clicked install. Then i made sure i install the zip super su and busybox file from the root of the sd card, and tried internal storage as well. From that screen, it seems it installs correctly, but when i reboot and use a rootchecker app, it says im not rooted.
Can someone please help me? Ive read up on lots of posts and watched youtube vids of twrp rooting to see if i did it correctly.
Thanks in advance

snakegpeo said:
I tried it multiple times, from my internal storage and sd card. I have bootloader unlocked, i use fastboot boot twrp version 2.8.6.0 if i remember correctly (not at home at the moment) and clicked install. Then i made sure i install the zip super su and busybox file from the root of the sd card, and tried internal storage as well. From that screen, it seems it installs correctly, but when i reboot and use a rootchecker app, it says im not rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please confirm what version SuperSU you used.
When flashing SuperSU, it should have given you the option of "systemless root" or "traditional root" (or something along those lines).
If you picked systemless root, it probably won't show up on root checker apps. Seeing as Link2SD is your main reason for root, have you checked that the app works or not?

Newbie! Zenfone 2 now rooted...now what!

Hi all,
I have a zenfone 2 that I have just rooted....so now what?
Basically I wanted to optimise my phone so I am able to disable annoying notifications which are greyed out (although since rooting and checking this it still greyed out) I want to remove bloatware and I would actually like to customise my own android system, starting from a 'vanilla' base where I can build it up myself.
I have also read that I need to install a android recovery programme on asap after rooting.
So sorry about this but I really do need 'stupid' instructions as using hi tech words will just baffle me. lol
I have played around with computers in the past and learned about them so this is the phone stage now!
Thanks in advance and for your patience with this newbie!
Kerry

Yankeegal said:
Hi all,
I have a zenfone 2 that I have just rooted....so now what?
Basically I wanted to optimise my phone so I am able to disable annoying notifications which are greyed out (although since rooting and checking this it still greyed out) I want to remove bloatware and I would actually like to customise my own android system, starting from a 'vanilla' base where I can build it up myself.
I have also read that I need to install a android recovery programme on asap after rooting.
So sorry about this but I really do need 'stupid' instructions as using hi tech words will just baffle me. lol
I have played around with computers in the past and learned about them so this is the phone stage now!
Thanks in advance and for your patience with this newbie!
Kerry
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Kerry,
First thing you should now do after rooting your device would be flashing a custom recovery that is specific to your device (make sure your devices boot loader is unlocked first). This will allow you to make a backup of everything just in case anything were to go wrong, flash custom ROMs and useful zips. You can pick your favorite custom recovery such as Team Win Recovery Projects custom recovery (TWRP), Clock Work Mods custom recovery (CWM) or Philz Touch recovery based off of CWM although personally I would recommended twrp.
There are multiple ways to do this: Using the TWRP/CWM recovery installer from the play store or the more complicated way of flashing it from your computer. If you were to choose to install TWRP from their app on the play store (grant it root permission) you can select your device from the supported device section within the app, pick the latest recovery, hit the install button and let the app work its magic. If all works correctly you can now reboot to recovery and you will see TWRP is installed. Now you should create a backup to be on the safe side and you're good to go!
To best optimize your device I would recommend installing a custom ROM (look up custom ROMs for the Zenfone 2) and install the zip through recovery. (make sure to pick the right ROM for your device and version otherwise you may soft brick your smartphone) Now with a custom ROM you can better optimize your device and fully customize it to your liking. Make sure to look up custom ROM installation instructions for your device for better detail.
As far as removing system apps/bloatware you can use a "root app delete" tool from the play store but be careful what you remove as some applications are required!
Make sure to take your time and be careful when attempting any of these things and be careful what you modify! Just remember that no question is a stupid question as we all have to start somewhere!
Hope I was able to help you even if it was just a little, good look and have fun!

Rooted Droid Thanks you so much!!! First of all thanks for being so patient with me and secondly thanks for the useful (and easy to read) information.
I will go and install a back up on my phone from the ones you have suggested.
Hopefully you will be around over the next few days if I have more questions. Not planning on doing this all at once but rather taking the time and doing it right.
Thanks so much again!! :good::good::good:

Ooops sorry....how do I do this please?? ---> (make sure your devices boot loader is unlocked first)

Yankeegal said:
Rooted Droid Thanks you so much!!! First of all thanks for being so patient with me and secondly thanks for the useful (and easy to read) information.
I will go and install a back up on my phone from the ones you have suggested.
Hopefully you will be around over the next few days if I have more questions. Not planning on doing this all at once but rather taking the time and doing it right.
Thanks so much again!! :good::good::good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a problem! I'm always happy to spread some knowledge and appreciate when people do the same to me! I also went ahead and checked the TWRP app and the Zenfone 2 is supported so it looks like your good to go. And yes absolutely, there's no rush so take all the time you may need and everything will go smoothly! I'm always around and will try my best to answer questions.
---------- Post added at 08:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:41 AM ----------
Yankeegal said:
Ooops sorry....how do I do this please?? ---> (make sure your devices boot loader is unlocked first)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check this site out:
http://myzen.asus.com/2015/10/13/official-bootloader-unlock-for-zenfone-2-is-now-available/
All devices have a different method for unlocking bootloader (some don't even have locked bootloaders) but this is an official bootloader unlocking method for the Zenfone 2 from Asus itself. I suggest following its directions and you should be able to unlock it this way.

Ok I followed the link but now I am confused. I have version ww_2.20.40.63_201......
Apparently I need a later version. What started off with just adding an APP means me doing other things before I even get to that point (hence the confusion! lol)
I never updated the phone via OTA as I was told it would invalidate my warranty and also I have killed a phone before using that so can you walk me through please...if you have the time....or could I just check if I have it unlocked already??
I haven't even gotten to the part where I create a backup...tee hee

Yankeegal said:
Ok I followed the link but now I am confused. I have version ww_2.20.40.63_201......
Apparently I need a later version. What started off with just adding an APP means me doing other things before I even get to that point (hence the confusion! lol)
I never updated the phone via OTA as I was told it would invalidate my warranty and also I have killed a phone before using that so can you walk me through please...if you have the time....or could I just check if I have it unlocked already??
I haven't even gotten to the part where I create a backup...tee hee
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi sorry for the late reply, I'm in Canada so it was 2am when I was last talking to you so I went to bed haha. Anyway as far as unlocking the Zenfone 2's bootloader I wouldn't have experience unfortunately as I'm using a Nexus 5. The easiest way to go about this now would be to go to your device specific forum and find a way to unlock it there.
The following way to unlock the bootloader requires you have ADB installed on your PC. This is a guide for installation on Windows :
http://www.android.gs/install-android-sdk-adb-windows/
And here is a thread specific to unlocking the Zenfone 2 using adb:
http://www.xda-developers.com/asus-zenfone-2-bootloader-unlocked-without-asus/
BTW as you mentioned "updating may invalidate your warranty" things like rooting, installing a custom OS, unlocking the bootloader, installing a custom recovery and other things like that all (in most cases) void your warranty.
Sorry I can't personally help with the bootloader as I've not personally unlocked it on a Zenfone. Still feel free to ask any questions if you need to. Good luck!