Root without Wiping

jhasty

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I have seen posts here and there that it should be possible of achieving root without wiping. But I have not been able to find any details.

Anyone know of such? I am not interested in unlocking. Just need root.
 

dancing-bass

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Before you can root, you need to unlock your bootloader. This will wipe your device. Once your bootloader is unlocked you can root your device. Rooting (to the best of my limited knowledge) will also wipe your device.

Copy all your data to your computer. Use SMS Backup and Restore to save all your texts messages. (You'll need to copy these to your computer as well, or upload to Dropbox if you have it). If you have Titanium backup you should be able to back everything up (apps and data) and restore it afterword.

BUT make sure you've got copies of everything important backed up to your computer. You will loose all data, and once you are done your tablet will be like it came out of the box (except it's unlocked and rooted of course)

I have no knowledge of any way to avoid wiping your tablet to achieve root. As far as I know it is impossible to avoid this.
 

retsaw

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Rooting does not wipe the device, BUT unlocking does and you need to unlock the bootloader before you can root. However you can use the Carbon backup app to make a full backup to a computer without root, so you should be able to make a backup, unlock the bootloader, restore your backup then root.
 

jhasty

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My understanding is the only reason the data is wiped is because 'fastboot' wants to. I figured someone would come up with a modified fastboot to fix that.

I have rooted a number of Android devices. Most of them did not require unlocking the boot loader or loading a custom boot loader.
 

retsaw

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I haven't looked into it but I assumed it was actually a security feature built into the device. I assume it is meant to protect someone from getting access to your data by getting root or making other changes if you have your device locked. I doubt you could avoid the wipe with a modified fastboot, but I could be wrong.

You don't need a custom bootloader to root the Nexus 7, I didn't install one on mine to root it.
 

jhasty

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I haven't looked into it but I assumed it was actually a security feature built into the device. I assume it is meant to protect someone from getting access to your data by getting root or making other changes if you have your device locked. I doubt you could avoid the wipe with a modified fastboot, but I could be wrong.

You don't need a custom bootloader to root the Nexus 7, I didn't install one on mine to root it.

I hadn't considered that the wipe might be coming from firmware. I have seen on XDA that some people in other geographies were able to root without wiping. That could explain the discrepancy. But I hold hope that it is in fastboot.

I just don't have time right now to go through the steps to backup and restore. My experience is that restoring never gets it all done and a lot of the changes I made will have to be done again. I mainly want it for mounting a USB and SQL Editor. But have on occasions used it to modify some of the settings.
 

Paul627g

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As said in here already, there is no way on the Nexus devices/design of the bootloader and such to root the device without unlocking the bootloader FIRST which entails a full wipe of the device.

That is the only drawback to the whole process.... Otherwise its game on from there... That is why so many stress if you even THINK you might ever root a Nexus to unlock it immediately when you get it and if you never do then fine, locking it back up in the need for repair/service is as simple as "FASTBOOT OEM LOCK" in the bootloader. Nothing harmed, you move onward like it never happened...
 

GedBlake

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It's now possible (with certain caveats)...

The traditional method for rooting the Nexus 7 is in three steps...

1) Unlock the BOOTLOADER.
2) Fastboot flash a custom recovery (TWRP or CWM).
3) Using that custom recovery, flash Chainfires SU root package.

It's unlocking the BOOTLOADER, which causes the most consternation, because it performs a FACTORY RESET, effectively wiping the device.

But a new 'exploit' has recently become available, that will ROOT the Nexus 7, just by running a simple script... WITHOUT UNLOCKING THE BOOTLOADER... and subsequently NO WIPE.

Here are the details....

[Root][JB 4.2] Root your Nexus 7 without unlocking bootloader. (djrbliss motochopper) - xda-developers

I have personally tested this on my 'grouper' Nexus 7, and I can confirm it works.

--------

The caveats are...

...with the BOOTLOADER still locked, you won't be able to FASTBOOT FLASH custom RECOVERIES (and by extension, custom ROM .zips) or CUSTOM KERNELS (boot.img)...

But if all you care about is running ROOTED STOCK... then this is the way to go.

Hope this is of some use.

Rgrds,
Ged.
 

JJMACCA

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It's now possible (with certain caveats)...

The traditional method for rooting the Nexus 7 is in three steps...

1) Unlock the BOOTLOADER.
2) Fastboot flash a custom recovery (TWRP or CWM).
3) Using that custom recovery, flash Chainfires SU root package.

It's unlocking the BOOTLOADER, which causes the most consternation, because it performs a FACTORY RESET, effectively wiping the device.

But a new 'exploit' has recently become available, that will ROOT the Nexus 7, just by running a simple script... WITHOUT UNLOCKING THE BOOTLOADER... and subsequently NO WIPE.

Here are the details....

[Root][JB 4.2] Root your Nexus 7 without unlocking bootloader. (djrbliss motochopper) - xda-developers

I have personally tested this on my 'grouper' Nexus 7, and I can confirm it works.

--------

The caveats are...

...with the BOOTLOADER still locked, you won't be able to FASTBOOT FLASH custom RECOVERIES (and by extension, custom ROM .zips) or CUSTOM KERNELS (boot.img)...

But if all you care about is running ROOTED STOCK... then this is the way to go.

Hope this is of some use.

Rgrds,
Ged.


I saw this on xda and I used it to root, backup with titanium backup and then unlock boot loader to flash ROMs and other things. It works great and more people should know about it.
 

joedirt2217

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This root method is so easy and fast. Download file onto pc desktop and extract.Connect device to pc. Click Run_Bat. Root ahcieieved in under 1 minute!!

You can also fully unroot after with the installed ChainsFire SU app and reinstall root with Voodoo OTA RootKeeper App from the Play Store. Root as described above<install Voodoo and run<open CF SU and select UNROOT<restart device. No root.

Reroot - Open Voodoo<restore root. Done!!
 

GedBlake

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I saw this on xda and I used it to root, backup with titanium backup and then unlock boot loader to flash ROMs and other things. It works great and more people should know about it.

You needn't have unlocked the BOOTLOADER in order to flash CUSTOM ROMs... indeed, doing so, sort of undermines the whole point of the 'exploit'... ergo, to avoid a tablet wipe.

It seems I was incorrect in my previous post...

...you CAN indeed flash a CUSTOM RECOVERY without using FASTBOOT (and by extension, various ROMs/KERNELs).

This is done with the 'dd' command in either Android Terminal Emulator or via an ADB shell...

---------------------------------------

The following is how I accomplished it... but for an alternative, more technically complete (but essentially the same) method, see here [Root][JB 4.2] Root your Nexus 7 without unlocking bootloader. (djrbliss motochopper) - Page 12 - xda-developers


Anyway... here's how I did it...

First, run the 'exploit' to acquire ROOT.

Upon reboot, you should be rooted, with Chainfires SuperSU package and associated SU binary installed.

It's important that you're ROOTED before you proceed.

Next, get Android Terminal Emulator from PlayStore.

Download a CUSTOM RECOVERY .img of your choice ... either CWM (Both 'Grouper' and 'Tilapia' variants are available)...

...or TWRP for 'Grouper' (N7 WiFi) or TWRP for 'Tilapia' (N7 3G).

Rename it to recovery.img... and copy it to the root of the Nexus 7's internal storage (emulated SD card).

In Terminal Emulator, run the following command...

Code:
su
dd if=/sdcard/recovery.img of=/dev/block/platform/sdhci-tegra.3/by-name/SOS

Upon completion of this command, shutdown and reboot your device into the BOOTLOADER, and from there, boot into your CUSTOM RECOVERY... in pretty much the same way had you FASTBOOT FLASHED it.

---------------------------------------

You are now free to flash whatever ROMs or kernels you like.

However, a word of caution... because the BOOTLOADER remains locked, FASTBOOT is strictly off limits; it simply won't work.

So the first thing you should do after flashing TWRP or CWM is...

*** MAKE A NANDROID BACKUP ***

If the device becomes 'wedged/bootlooped' as a result of some ROM flash gone wrong, then you will have no choice but to unlock the BOOTLOADER (with full wipe) in order to fix it.

But if you have a NANDROID backup on your internal storage.... it's a simple task to just restore.

---------------------------------------

Credits and kudos must go to XDA members, nhshah7, who made this 'exploit' available and bftb0, whose post pointed me in the right direction, with regard to the 'dd' command.

---------------------------------------

I can confirm all of this works... my Nexus 7 is currently rooted, running a custom recovery (TWRP), with a custom ROM (see sig) installed - all sitting behind a LOCKED BOOTLOADER.

...no Factory Reset (wipe) required...

...and no unlocked padlock symbol upon boot.

Rgrds,
Ged.
 
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DJEricsantos

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I had an awesome rooting experience lol I used the wugfresh toolkit and after i unlocke, it it seemed factory, i had to hook back into wifi enter my google info, and as soon as I did it automatically downloaded all my apps, and I still had my contact info. I thought this wasnt possible so i checked to see if it really was unlocked and rooted sure enough it was.
 

tpatricia64

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Re: Android OS - Nexus S scLCD - GT-I9023

I have an Android OS - Nexus S scLCD - GT-I9023. I have forgotten my password. Is it possible to unlock my phone without erasing all my precious data
 

Mohammed Ashfaq1

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How can I root Htc A9 without data wiped.
I could see one click root... Is this the easiest way to root a device.
But A9 is not yet available for rooting in one click root app.
 

glassyrajat

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Hey there. i need your help..
My ques is Can I Root my Lenovo k4 Note wit Wipe or Format.. ?
i need to extract Encryption Key to Decrypt my Corrupted Addopted SD Card...

Please Guide.. Thanks in Advance.
 
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EndermanOrea

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Nov 20, 2018
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Before you can root, you need to unlock your bootloader. This will wipe your device. Once your bootloader is unlocked you can root your device. Rooting (to the best of my limited knowledge) will also wipe your device.

Copy all your data to your computer. Use SMS Backup and Restore to save all your texts messages. (You'll need to copy these to your computer as well, or upload to Dropbox if you have it). If you have Titanium backup you should be able to back everything up (apps and data) and restore it afterword.

BUT make sure you've got copies of everything important backed up to your computer. You will loose all data, and once you are done your tablet will be like it came out of the box (except it's unlocked and rooted of course)

I have no knowledge of any way to avoid wiping your tablet to achieve root. As far as I know it is impossible to avoid this.




not really, there are ways to root with a usb cable (without wiping) with things such as kingo root. it didn't work for me though.