How to root a low cost phone.

[ctepu1]

I have a few low price phones, bought in the last 3 yrs or so at standard retail outlets. Not Samsung, or Apple.
These are running Android, vers 5-7. My issue is when I try to root with Kingoroot, or Magisk, I get some kind of prompt, or issue. Kingoroot finishes but cant root it. Magisk mangmt tool loads but wont install the Magisk root inside the tool.
I'm trying to accomplish some data recovery. I've gotten so far as to run Adb on a PC. -and try some zip xfer. for Magisk. Does anyone know if this way IMG zip is even possible. I mean last I got to, the phone make wasn't listed in the main database. I mean is it worth tracking down a developer to make a proper IMG file. Can anyone recommend a software tool, not EaseUs, Fonepaw, or Primo recovery, that gets the job done. I have like 3-4 phones halfway data xferred, or screens broke.
These pc tools never finish a deep search and rooting is needed first. Why is Android so fort knoxed. Thx in advance

 

[anon(10614692)]

You need to check over at XDA forums to see if it is possible to root any of your devices. This is essential for you to recover data. The potential issue is if the phones you have are not widely used there would be little point in the clever guys spending time on this.

 

[Rukbat]

To install Magisk:

1. The phone has to be running 6.0 or later.

2. If the manager won't directly install, you have to be able to flash the Magisk zip file (Magisk Releases) in recovery or unlock the phone's bootloader, get a copy of boot.img (from an update or stock ROM), patch that file (from the manager), then flash the patched file. (If you can unlock the bootloader, and there's a version of TWRP for the phone, I strongly suggest that you install it.)

For Lollipop, almost none of the rooting apps work. A couple of the rooting programs you run from a PC might work, depending on the phone.