Root Root for ALL/SBF Flash/Unlocking Bootloader - Updated 25-July2011 05:18 PST

[james27007]

Note these like any hack/mod, doing the following will 100% void your warranty and can (though very unlikely) brick your phone. By doing the following you agree that you fully understand the risk (and reward) and that if something goes wrong, we did not make you hack your phone. Enough said, now to the fun...

The newest and easiest way to root (and unroot) is Pete's Motorola Root Tools here:Pete's Motorola Root Tools


Old Method (hidden because it clears out the /preinstall/apps folder and that could cause an issue with OTA updates)

Spoiler

How to root the Atrix - All Versions inc. Gingerbread

This method works on all versions but requires you use adb. So if you are not on Gingerbread and don't know adb, try Gingerbreak linked below

Follow the steps in post #68 here: Root at XDA

#1. Get your file package here and extract it to your c: drive: Root at XDA

#1. Switch to fastboot mode by turning off your phone, and turning it back while holding down the Volume Down button until you see Fastboot on the screen.

#2. Press volume up button and you should see "Starting Fastboot protocol support".

#3. Extract the file you downloaded to your C: drive

#4. Open a command prompt on your computer (Windows logo key + R, type cmd) and go to that directory (should be c:/moto-fastboot-win32)

#5. Type the following commands one by one:

moto-fastboot.exe flash preinstall preinstall.img
moto-fastboot.exe reboot

Your phone will reboot, when it is up and running again, type the following into the command prompt.

adb shell
/preinstall/dosu
/bin/mount -o remount,rw /system
cp /preinstall/su /system/bin/
chmod 6755 /system/bin/su

It comes with a superuser apk in the files and that post, but I recommend you install superuser from the android market.

Ok so what does this do? Let me see if I can explain. When you flash the preinstall.img that is in that link, it has the su file for webtop root renamed to dosu in it, so the system does not know what it is, and it placed in a folder called preinstall (it is kinda a Torjan horse).
Since it is the su file, when you run it with the /preinstall/dosu command, it automatically gives you superuser control.
You then mount the system as read/write, copy the dosu file to the correct foler and rename it to su using the cp command.
Chmod the new su file so it is useable by the phone.
Install superuser and now you are rooted.

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

 

[morejaylesswar]

Eh, I clicked that stuff and got intimidated. I psyched myself up to believe that I was ready to root my phone and now I'm just as lost (intimidated) as I was before I started my heavy reading a few days ago. I have no idea what sideloading is. Maybe I didn't read thoroughly enough because I don't remember covering that in the tutorials.

Maybe one day.

Thanks for the info, though!

 

[deathcylon]

I rooted before the update, and than never ran the update. So I still have root. Can I just run the update now and than use the above method to root again ?

 

[james27007]

I have no idea what sideloading is.

If you try and install an app from anywhere other than the official android market (like amazon's app store) you cannot install the app. Sideloading is installing apps not from Market without a computer. AT&T locked this down, so the only way to install a non-market app without using a computer is by rooting and enabling sideloading. If you don't mind having to use a computer, then google sideload wonder machine, it works great and does not require root. You just have to wait until you get to a computer with it to be able to install amazon's apps.

I rooted before the update, and than never ran the update. So I still have root. Can I just run the update now and than use the above method to root again ?

If you update to 4.1.57 without running the script (which I no longer recommend using), you will lose root. That script is not the best way to keep root, and if you have to do a factory reset, you lose root and have to sbf back to the old version to get it again. HOWEVER that is no longer the case with this. I recommend undoing any and all mods, unfreezing any apps you have frozen and unrooting the device before you update. Then run the update, when done you will not have root, but that is ok. Just install the app, and you will be rooted again the correct way. By the way, unrooting is a little complicated now, but it can be done.

 

[jonnyweb]

worked for me and it didn't delete anything off of my phone at all. I backed up a lot of my folders off of card before running this just in case, but it ended up being unnecessary as everything is as is and I now have root and am on 4.1.57.
Thanks for posting this!

 

[Falchion]

So if I was rooted, then got the update a few weeks ago when it was pushed, and now use this root method I'll be fine?

I'm just wondering because although it unrooted my phone, I still had side loading and wanted to make sure that partial root wouldn't mess anything up.

 

[james27007]

So if I was rooted, then got the update a few weeks ago when it was pushed, and now use this root method I'll be fine?

I'm just wondering because although it unrooted my phone, I still had side loading and wanted to make sure that partial root wouldn't mess anything up.

Yes you will be ok.

When you ran the update the su file was removed and you lost root 100%; however since the edited file that allows sideloading was not changed in the update, you keep that. Since Gingerbreak only puts the su file superuser.apk files back, no other mods will be affected.

 

[ultradroid]

worked for me and it didn't delete anything off of my phone at all. I backed up a lot of my folders off of card before running this just in case, but it ended up being unnecessary as everything is as is and I now have root and am on 4.1.57.
Thanks for posting this!

Dumb question time: How *do* I backup my folders, etc., before running the program to root the Atrix? Just got it today, at lunch time, and can't wait to get rooted.

Currently have the OTA update installed, so I'm at version 1.8.3.

-Mike

 

[james27007]

Dumb question time: How *do* I backup my folders, etc., before running the program to root the Atrix? Just got it today, at lunch time, and can't wait to get rooted.

Currently have the OTA update installed, so I'm at version 1.8.3.

-Mike

If you do not know and did not ask, that would be dumb. Not knowing and asking is smart

Anyways. Plug your phone into the computer with your usb cable. You will see a USB icon pop up in the top notifaction bar, press and pull that bar down. You will see "USB Connection" select it and USB Mass Storage. Your computer will pop up with MB600 as a flash drive. now you just copy the files off of your phone and onto your computer. So far I have done this 10 times and it has erased my internal and external memory cards 10 times.

BTY welcome to the dark side.

 

[ultradroid]

If you do not know and did not ask, that would be dumb. Not knowing and asking is smart

Anyways. Plug your phone into the computer with your usb cable. You will see a USB icon pop up in the top notifaction bar, press and pull that bar down. You will see "USB Connection" select it and USB Mass Storage. Your computer will pop up with MB600 as a flash drive. now you just copy the files off of your phone and onto your computer. So far I have done this 10 times and it has erased my internal and external memory cards 10 times.

BTY welcome to the dark side.

This will be the fifth android phone I've rooted. Hopefully, it'll be easier than the HTC Inspire was. That one, was a total BEAR to root. Took me about an hour. Last year's phones took me, on average, maybe 10-15 minutes to root, but the ones being released now are a chore to get rooted - wouldn't you agree?

Thanks for your help on this! That's what I like about THIS forum - friendly, helpful people.

-Mike

 

[dwaded]

If you do not know and did not ask, that would be dumb. Not knowing and asking is smart

Anyways. Plug your phone into the computer with your usb cable. You will see a USB icon pop up in the top notifaction bar, press and pull that bar down. You will see "USB Connection" select it and USB Mass Storage. Your computer will pop up with MB600 as a flash drive. now you just copy the files off of your phone and onto your computer. So far I have done this 10 times and it has erased my internal and external memory cards 10 times.

BTY welcome to the dark side.

I have a question about this.
I have an unrooted Atrix. I've updated to 1.8.3. I've copied and pasted the phone's internal and external card files to my computer.
I installed Gingerbreak on the phone, but I have not pressed the "root" button yet.

While doing more reading/researching, I read that with backups you don't want to backup the system and data files as it could cause problems such as force closes.

Does this copy/paste method copy any system/data files?

Thanks
Don

 

[james27007]

I have a question about this.
I have an unrooted Atrix. I've updated to 1.8.3. I've copied and pasted the phone's internal and external card files to my computer.
I installed Gingerbreak on the phone, but I have not pressed the "root" button yet.

While doing more reading/researching, I read that with backups you don't want to backup the system and data files as it could cause problems such as force closes.

Does this copy/paste method copy any system/data files?

Thanks
Don

No. You are only backing up the sdcards (the internal phone memory is considered an sdcard, since most phones do not have this they come with an sdcard; but AT&T is cheap and did not want to include sdcards, so they made a fake sdcard canned internal memory)

 

[ultradroid]

I was, just now, successful at rooting my Atrix! Then I installed/setup sideloading - and now, for the recovery, so I can back things up. Is there a special recovery for the Atrix, or is there a Bootstrap type setup for it? I'm assuming, because of the locked bootloader, I can't just install Clockwork Mod Recovery though Rom Manager - right?

-Mike

 

[james27007]

I was, just now, successful at rooting my Atrix! Then I installed/setup sideloading - and now, for the recovery, so I can back things up. Is there a special recovery for the Atrix, or is there a Bootstrap type setup for it? I'm assuming, because of the locked bootloader, I can't just install Clockwork Mod Recovery though Rom Manager - right?

-Mike

There is a kindof ClockworkMod over at XDA, but I do not know how well of a backup/restore it does. I would just make sure to keep the sbf close incase something goes wrong.

 

[wellsies2]

I tried installing the software to install Gingerbreak automatically and it did not work. I was using my wifes Vaio running Windows 7 64 bit. I fired up my Imac to Windows XP and it worked like a charm.

 

[ultradroid]

There is a kindof ClockworkMod over at XDA, but I do not know how well of a backup/restore it does. I would just make sure to keep the sbf close in case something goes wrong.

Yeah, I found that program and, following the instructions, installed it on my phone. It appears to work just like "the real thing", in that it installed a form of recovery which is accessible through rebooting - although you have to have your phone plugged into a wall charger to do it. I did a backup, and *that* seemed to work too.

I realize that we're dealing with a variation of the "locked bootloader" scenario from Droid X, so I've proceeded with caution - I had an *incident* with the Droid X bootloader, and don't want a re-play of that with the Atrix.

BTW, I downloaded a copy of the Atrix sbf to my PC, just in case, as you suggested. Thanks for the tip!

-Mike

 

[GreenishApples]

So does this work on 4.1.26 with a mod installed? I have a webtop hack installed and I want to remove it by getting root access. After I remove it can I just update my phone and it will get rid of root?

 

[james27007]

So does this work on 4.1.26 with a mod installed? I have a webtop hack installed and I want to remove it by getting root access. After I remove it can I just update my phone and it will get rid of root?

Yes as far as I know it works on all versions of the Atrix, BUT BACKUP YOUR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SDCARD. Your Webtop backup files are on the internal sdcard and there is a 99% chance that this will wipe it clean.

 

[kilasix9]

Will this root work on the Atrix with the latest software update AT&T just pushed out? Will it affect the HSUPA upgrade? Do I need to backup my files as the rooting wipes everything or is it just a precaution?

Thanks in advanced.

 

[james27007]

Will this root work on the Atrix with the latest software update AT&T just pushed out? Will it affect the HSUPA upgrade? Do I need to backup my files as the rooting wipes everything or is it just a precaution?

Thanks in advanced.

Yes, works great on all software versions and almost all phones. If you were rooted and lost it during the update to 4.1.83; it works. It also works if you are now on 4.1.873 and have never rooted. Also it only gives root access, it does not touch anything else and will not cause issues with HSPA.

This root method (for most people) wipes the internal and external sdcards. It wiped mine and has everytime I have used it. So doing a backup, in my opnion, is required

 

[kilasix9]

So I've got up to step #3 and I'm kind of unsure what I do next....It says:

"Next launch from command prompt move to where adb is c:/path/to/adb/ and then run the following command"

Can someone PLEASE explain this step?

Edit: Figured it out. I didn't realize that when I ran Gingerbreak.exe it was installing the app on my device and was sitting there waiting to be opened. lol.

This noob guide helped me out: http://briefmobile.com/motorola-atrix-4g-root

 

[_sC]

Eh, I clicked that stuff and got intimidated. I psyched myself up to believe that I was ready to root my phone and now I'm just as lost (intimidated) as I was before I started my heavy reading a few days ago.

Maybe one day.

Thanks for the info, though!

i totally know what u mean. of course for some of these ppl who have done it many times to several phones its easy as pie to them, but for the rest of us it may seem quite daunting.

i thought it would be rather simple rooting my phone and once i started reading, saw all these ppl coming back onto a particular thread and asking for some help with a step they are having trouble with.

i love the end result of rooting a phone, i just dont quite fancy the process of getting there..

 

[kilasix9]

i totally know what u mean. of course for some of these ppl who have done it many times to several phones its easy as pie to them, but for the rest of us it may seem quite daunting.

i thought it would be rather simple rooting my phone and once i started reading, saw all these ppl coming back onto a particular thread and asking for some help with a step they are having trouble with.

i love the end result of rooting a phone, i just dont quite fancy the process of getting there..

I promise you this is the easiest process of rooting you will ever encounter. I found the instructions on the the forum a bit confusing but then they made this guide for us with less experience:

How To: Motorola Atrix 4G Root - BriefMobile

I'm positive anyone will be able to root using those instructions. It wont take longer than 10 minutes.

Good luck.

 

[thepartybeaver]

No. You are only backing up the sdcards (the internal phone memory is considered an sdcard, since most phones do not have this they come with an sdcard; but AT&T is cheap and did not want to include sdcards, so they made a fake sdcard canned internal memory)

If you've backed up the phone's memory contents using the copy and paste method, then apply this root, when you copy/paste the files back to your phone afterwards, does your phone then look/act/feel like it did before the root? I mean, will I need to reinstall all apps, re-setup all the different configurations I've set (ringtones, message tones, etc.)? I want to get root, but not if it means I have to spend countless hours (again) on getting my phone how I want it. Thanks!

 

[kilasix9]

Using this method, I rooted AND installed Gingerblurr and I only lost my sd card contents. Everything else I kept.