[GUIDE] How to Root Your Nook Color

[Will Shanklin]

I picked up my NC color today and have had a issue getting the img to write on the microSD card. It either gave me an Error 8 message or seemed to work very slowly. Nothing ever was on the card.

I had been downloading the files with Chrome. I was able to make it work perfectly after downloading with IE. Give it a try if you are having this issue.

You might've just had a bad download the first time - I've done all my downloads in Chrome with no problems.

 

[appmy]

You might've just had a bad download the first time - I've done all my downloads in Chrome with no problems.

I agree, that might of been the issue. What makes it a little more odd is that I tried on two computers. One with XP and the other running Vista...odd.

I have it working now and it is awesome! I am pretty amazed at the screen quality. I'm thrilled with what I got for $250 bucks.

 

[ebarr727]

Called BN at 9:50 PM tonight (Saturday 1/29/11). Asked what time they closed. 11 PM. Asked about having NCs in stock. They said YES! Arrived BN at 10:15pm. Bought it and was back home before 11PM. Rooted by midnight. Downloaded XPlane and it flew just fine. Now playing KLOVE on TuneIn and surfing the net and checking out the world on the NC. May I remind you all we are talking $250 for a fully functional Android Tab? Just sayin'

 

[swoozle]

Had the same problem. You need to run Disk Imager as administrator.

 

[DaveNagy]

I have another dumb question, sorry. :-[

What is the purpose of doing that 8x boot-interruption thing? (Restoring the system partition?) The instructions on the B & N site don't ask you to do that, they just have you skip to the part where you copy the update file into internal storage, reboot, and then put the NC to sleep. (Only the second half of the OP instructions, in other words.)

I'm sure there's a good reason for going to the extra hassle of restoring the system partition before updating. I was just curious what it is!

 

[EAK]

Sorry for noob question, but do we delete the sideload_update.zip file from the root? after NC is rooted and all. Thanks for the great step by step, very helpful.

 

[jon1371usmc]

Will there be an auto-nooter for the current firmware of 1.1.0? If so, about how much longer before it is released. I recently purchased a Nook Color with the older 1.0.0 firmware. I tried finding a link that would allow me to update to the 1.0.1 firmware, root, and then update to 1.1.0 using Will's latest method, but Im not sure what would be the best route to take. So any info on what I should do would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[cinnamontoast]

thanks so much. I just bought one yesterday and of course followed your guide and rooted right away. everything went off without a hitch. now I get to fiddle around with it until Nookie Froyo is ported for internal memory or CM7, whichever is out first. and then of course, that clip of a Nook Color booting Honeycomb. Maybe by March or April?

 

[GlueFactoryBJJ]

I, for one, am anxiously awaiting to hear about an AutoNooter for the 1.1.0 version. I'm holding off on the upgrade until one is available.

My NC is AutoNootered on 1.0.1 and I love it. I hope it is available soon!

Scott

 

[jayhawkfan18]

I am going out today to pick up a NC and will be rooting it first thing this evening when I get home from work. The hardest part (I'm hoping) will be waiting the rest of the day before trying to "play" with it so that I don't accidentally update it to 1.1.0 I assume the first post in this thread is still the most up to date insructions on rooting?

Also, can you use the app Home Switcher to change between LauncherPro or ADW (whicher I end up using) and back to default NC launcher? That way you could read some books/magazines that have been downloaded from B&N but also read some that I already have in epub format using Aldiko... if that makes any sense at all LOL

 

[NDchem2014]

I left my nook harder home button alone. So whenever I hit it, I get the option of going to the stock home screen or Zeam's home screen. This should work for both of the launchers you mentioned as well.

From what I saw when 1.0.1 update came out, I had to get the zip file from B&N and manually install it. When update 1.1 came out, I never saw it before I flashed the rooted 1.1 version. I wouldn't worry to much about getting since the updates seem to role out slow as hell. The good then though, is that if you do get the update, there are ways of going back and getting 1.0.1 and rooting or the root for the 1.1 should be out sometime soon too.

 

[Roofing Calculator]

@ will

Thanks for the post, and all the details ... but it's confusing as hell, because you loose the logical thread ... anywho ... let's see how I do

 

[jayhawkfan18]

So should I go thru the process of setting it up before I root? As soon as I turned it on it walked me thru the initial set up process where it was searching for an internet connection.... but I powered it off before I completed it.

 

[Will Shanklin]

So should I go thru the process of setting it up before I root? As soon as I turned it on it walked me thru the initial set up process where it was searching for an internet connection.... but I powered it off before I completed it.

It's recommended, but I forgot before I rooted once, and I just registered after rooting. If it doesn't give you the option, open the nookcolortools app> settings> wireless (the 2nd option called wireless).

 

[jayhawkfan18]

got it rooted no problems but cant figure out how to install apk's that i have stored on dropbox.. have the box checked to allow non market apps but it still wont install

Edit: got it

 

[DaveNagy]

Well, I may have messed up my NC in record time.

I got the NC today. I fully charged it, and ran through the initial setup. It was running 1.1.0 right out of the box. I changed the desktop wallpaper, looked at the quickstart guide, and played with the browser for a few minutes.

I took a look at this thread, and decided to try out the "8 interrupted boots" thing, just to see what would happen. (I was curious if the software version would drop back to 1.0.0, or if it would just stick at 1.1.0) After the 8 boots, it did the software install, right on schedule. Then things started getting weird....

After the NC booted back up, the main home page wallpaper kept flashing on and off, and an error box with a message that began "Initial loading from the Media Provider failed" kept flashing up. I was able to navigate to Settings, and the software version is now "Unavailable". At this point the "Home" page would only display for about 1 second, before switching back to the last thing I was viewing. (Settings, the browser, etc.)

I decided to press on with the OP instructions, in hopes that the NC would feel better after installing the 1.0.1 Sideload_update.zip. I copied it over, but so far, the NC shows no interest in starting the update process when I put it to sleep.

Any ideas? Should I do the 8 boot thing again for luck? Should I install that Adobe thing in hopes that will make the update install?

[EDIT] I tried the Adobe Digital Editions thing. It had no effect that I can detect. (ie. its not updating itself) I'm going to try replacing the 1.0.1 Sideload_update.zip file with the 1.1.0 version.

[EDIT 2] Nope, that didn't work either. I also tried the "Erase and Deregister Device" option in Settings. It's been sitting on the "Deregistering device..." page for several minutes, so I kinda suspect that isn't going to work, either.

[EDIT 3] My suspicions were correct. I tried another 8-unsuccessful-boot sequence, this time with the 1.1.0 sideload file copied to the NC. I thought maybe it'd grab that file and get me back to where I started. Nope.

I suspect I'm screwed, at least until my SDHC cards arrive. It would be nice to get some advice, however.

[EDIT 4] Fixed! Thanks for all the help. I'm running 1.0.0 now.

 

[receph]

it'd be nice if you told us what the help was, how you fixed it

 

[DaveNagy]

Wow, a reply! Frankly, I was beginning to wonder if my post was even visible. (I suppose the old hands in this forum don't visit this thread very much. I should have posted my question in its own thread.)

Since you're a helpless newb like myself, I'll reveal the secret no one wants you to know! It turns out that all I needed to was boot the Nook with the two-finger salute: Hold down the n button while powering up the Nook. See Method 1 of Part 2, here. So simple, in retrospect.

 

[EAK]

Getting an error 8 when I try to flash the image to my sd card with the win32diskImager. Tried running it as admin and still get the error message. Any ideas what else to try?

Got it to work. Forgot I had the little lock thing switched to lock on the adapter. Now I'm rooted and ready to go. Thanks Will for the very easy to follow directions.

 

[Johnly]

Is running android apps on these nooks easy? Do they all run fine, or do some apps supersede the hardware?