• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Root From Rooting, to Flashing Your Acer Iconia Tab A500 Newb Style 3.2.1

quacles

Member
Mar 12, 2012
55
17
Well, I didn't really see any good tutorials basically anywhere, and I would imagine any new people to rooting my have some serious issues getting starting. So, I figured I would make a thread to help them out.

You do have a risk of bricking your tablet, I refuse to be held responsible if that happens, it's a low chance, but it's still there. You need a micro SD card for your table for this, I did it with a 2gig, but I would recommend 6gigs. READ THE WHOLE TUTORIAL BEFORE ACTUALLY STARTING THE PROCESS.

DL Links:

Root software for 3.2.1/3.2: How to root stock 3.2 - xda-developers

ALT LINK (should be faster) root-3.2.1-V4.zip - FileSmelt File and Image Hosting

Recovery Installer: https://play.google.com/store/apps/...pbnRlcnBoYXplLkFjZXJSZWNvdmVyeUluc3RhbGxlciJd

ROM I will be using: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1520299

Before we start, you should know there is a risk you will brick your tablet, it's a small risk, but it's there, so be careful. Brick meaning making your table unusable.

What is rooting?
Well simply put its basically giving your self complete admin control over your tablet.

What is a recovery?
It's a bit of software that controls what your table boots up into. It allows you to change the ROM on your tablet, make backups of your rom, restore into this backups, etc.

What is a ROM?
A ROM, the best thing to compare a ROM to is your operating system like windows, except it might be a little less complicated than that. Installing a ROM is a very simple process, that you will most likely be doing a lot.

Flashing?
Fun thing that, for simplicity we will just say flashing is like installing, although I think more complicated than that.

I will be using those terms a lot, so get use to them, and learn what they are all about.

Alright lets get started, you want at least a 2gig microSDcard (I recommend 8)

You will also need a micro usb to fat usb, and a computer running windows (I don't know if it's the same of close on MAC OSX)

Download the first file above

1. Open up the Root software .zip and extract somewhere like on your desktop.
It has a really good readme that you should follow, but here is an alternate set of directions (basically the same, just no pics, if you choose to follow the readme go ahead and skip this section and go onto the getting a recovery on your tablet.),
2. Make sure your TAB is fully charged, or at least hooked up to a powersource, both if you are feeling cautious.
3. Make sure usb debugging is activated on your table
a. go into settings
b. applications
c. development
e. then click the tick box for usb debuggins (unless there is a green check mark already there)
Since we are here lets make sure your tablet is the right version, go ahead and click on about phone/tablet if the version number is 3.2 or 3.2.1 then you are good to continue
4. Make sure at this point your table is unplugged from your PC
5. Run the program DotNetDetecter.exe again making sure your table is not plugged into your computer
6. Select your language and hit next
7. Wait until you see a message that reads something like "Go to settings/applications/development to enable USB debuging"
DO NOT HIT NEXT YET
8. Now go ahead and plug in your tablet
9. Windows will shortly recognize your table (might take up to 5 minutes)
10. go into the "test" folder and double click test.cmd
11. It should give your a number, this is a USB serial right it down and store it in a safe place.
12. Now go back into the installer and hit next
13. Enter your serial number BUT add a 0 to the front of the serial number so if your serial is 215644685416a216854 then do 0215644685416a216854
14. Hit next
15. Okay it should start flashing now, so just wait for the green bar. If it does it move at all within the next 10 minutes, restart your computer, and start all over again.
16. When it's done it should say PASS on your table congrats you just rooted your tablets.

Getting a Recovery on your tablet:
1. Once upon a time this used to be very dangerous, and difficult but now it's kind of simple, and mildly dangerous
2. So go ahead and download the second file
3. Open it up and select Clockwork Recovery mod (this version is kind of out of date, but I used it and I didn't have any issue at all, as the latest version of Clockwork mod for Acer Iconia tab a500 is gone.)
4. It should ask you to backup, do it.
5. It should finish without any hiccups, and you should be good.
Congrats you just installed a recovery on your tablet, nice.

Flashing your first ROM:
So you made it this far, eh? Congrats just a few more steps and you will be on your way to rocking ICS.
Go ahead and download the 3rd and last file.

1. Hook up your tablet to your computer
2. Move the .zip note: don't extract the .zip just move the whole .zip onto your sd card
After Rooting you might have to enable USB debugging again.
3. Go into the acer recovery app, and hit restart in recovery or something similiar
4. Now you are in your recovery manage, neat right?
5. You use the power button to select and the volume up and down keys to navigate
6. Go ahead and select backup/restore
7. Do a full backup, if there is an error you don't have enough room on your sdcard, clean of your external sdcard and then try again.
8. Once that's done select wipe data/factory reset, hit yest
9. Then wipe the cache partion, again select it, then select yet
10. Now navigate down to advance, go in it
11. Wipe the Dalvik Cache
12. Once that finishes go ahead and wipe the battery stats,
13. Now go back into the main menu
14. Select install zip from sdcard
15. Now select choose zip from sdcard
16. Then select KJY_2010_Icylicious_REV_12.zip and then Yes
17. Once it finishes installing ho ahead and go back to the main menu
18. Select Restart now
19. The first bootup takes

If everything loads up, you did it right! Congrats and enjoy, you can ofcourse try this with other ROMS you find, for your Acer A500, making sure you follow their directions or the Flashing Your first Rom instructions.

If some error pops up, or if you leave the ROM loading for 2 hours and it doesn't load, somethings wrong.

Restoring Your Tablet from a restore point:

1. Boot up into recovery by holding the volume up and then hit the power button
2. Then navigate to backup/restore select it
3. Chose restore
4. Choose the backup you made earlier
5. Wait for it to finish
6. Then restart your tablet
7. And your good to go

Note: You will still be rooted, sadly this tutorial will not cover how to unroot your phone, if you decide you want to.

Hope you liked my tutorial, I do have plans to add pictures, but not for a couple days atleast. If you notice anything wrong with my tutorial, or if you need help with anything feel free to ask.
 
Nice tut there quacles. Going to give it a try I think. Cant stand not being rooted. I bought my acer iconia a500 off ebay but am sure it is stock ota 3.2
acer.jpg
 
Upvote 0
I've tried running through the process three times and each time my tablet shuts down on its own before the tablet can enter download mode. I've checked and rechecked all the settings on the tablet; USB debugging is on. After getting to step 7 (wait for message to appear about enabling USB) I connect the PC to the tablet (step 9), run DotNetDetector.exe and retrieve the serial number (step 10). Right after I hit next (step 11)
and get the current and new image versions the tablet always shuts down.

I thought it may be going to sleep but it is powering down. I even tried to keep the tablet awake by touching the screen. Any ideas?
 
Upvote 0

BEST TECH IN 2023

We've been tracking upcoming products and ranking the best tech since 2007. Thanks for trusting our opinion: we get rewarded through affiliate links that earn us a commission and we invite you to learn more about us.

Smartphones