Root Rooting / CWM failing

[dishe]

I picked up a Transform Ultra for my daughter, and I'd like to root it in order to install some parental controls (hiding apps, ad blocker, etc).

I know this phone has been around for a while so I figured the process would be pretty well documented. But I'm having trouble.

Apparently, since this device is running 2.3.6, it looks like I have to flash TU_Root.zip. But in order to do that, I need CWM.

I have been trying to follow the directions to get CWM running from here:
http://androidforums.com/transform-...wm-new-clockworkmod-fixed-no-2min-reboot.html

I have it connected via USB, everything seems to be working, I pull the battery and USB cable once Odin shuts the phone off, but when I boot back into recovery it is the stock recovery still. I have tried to do this 5-6 times, even tried NOT stopping Odin (it appears to not actually reboot the phone if I leave it. It just turns off and stays that way until I turn it back on manually).

So I'm about to conclude that Odin just doesn't work for me. So I was going to try the alternate method listed there (using terminal commands), but I'm stuck there as well because SU responds with an error that it isn't valid.

A quick Google search tells me that this is because it isn't rooted, and that in order to enter SU commands, I need to be rooted first.
BUT I'M TRYING TO DO THIS IN ORDER TO ROOT IN THE FIRST PLACE **head explodes**

So now I'm thoroughly confused. Can anybody help me either get Odin working or get SU commands working? I don't even care about CWM, as I won't be flashing roms or anything like that for her. I just want root. Anyone?

 

[dmcjr22]

what up buddy so in order for root unfortunatly you need to install custom rom which on tu is megatron, so yeah you need to get cwm on it via odin, odin can be touchy at times. However it does work maybe problem may be that drivers arent installed on pc. So try installing the drivers first then giving odin a go.

 

[dishe]

what up buddy so in order for root unfortunatly you need to install custom rom which on tu is megatron, so yeah you need to get cwm on it via odin, odin can be touchy at times. However it does work maybe problem may be that drivers arent installed on pc. So try installing the drivers first then giving odin a go.

Are you kidding me? You can't root on the stock rom? I've never heard of anything like that, and I've been reading up on this all night! I hope that's a misunderstanding... From what I've read, it seems like all I need is to get CWM on there, and then flash tu_root.zip (which I already have on the storage card, ready to go). I don't need or want a custom rom for her (she likes the stock samsung start up logo and everything- why fix what isn't broke?).

The issue is that I can't get CWM on this in the first place! So how do I do that if Odin isn't doing what it is supposed to? Yes, I installed the drivers, Odin is connecting and interfacing with the phone, goes through the paces, text goes scrolling by, etc, and even seems to say it finished and shuts off (as if to reboot for the next step). I think that without the drivers it wouldn't even get that far.

At the end of the day, it looks like it worked. But then if I boot into recovery, its the stock one again! What else can I try?

 

[dmcjr22]

you might be right about just needing to flash the tu zip for root could be mistaken been a long time, i just used to use custom roms, sorry for misinformation.

Hmm as far as odin ive had similar problem with it before, i just reinstalled drivers and gave odin a go and it worked.. so why odin isnt working for you is a mystery.

once again sorry to misinform ya about the rooting and needing custom rom

 

[dishe]

No problem- I appreciate you trying to help either way.

I figured it out. I didn't realize there was a difference between buttons for recovery vs download mode. Turns it out probably worked the first time, but I'd restart with the three-finger-salute (holding camera button as well), and see the familar download mode screen. I assumed that's where CWM was going to go!

Watching someone do it on youtube showed me the difference. The guides don't really make that clear- whew, all good now, man!

 

[dmcjr22]

good to hear man
always something that makes you feel dumb after ya figure out been there done that

 

[chevanlol360]

Your phone will probably have stock recovery now. Try booting back into cwm right now

 

[dishe]

Your phone will probably have stock recovery now. Try booting back into cwm right now

Hmm. Well, when I realized what the difference was, I went into recovery mode and was greeted with CWM right off the bat, so at the very least, my last attempt was successful. I don't know how many of the previous ones were, but perhaps all of them. Now that I was actually in CWM, I loaded up the root.zip file, phone is rooted and allowed me to install the applications I wanted. I gave it back to my daughter and everything seems to work just fine.

Are you saying that after flashing the root.zip and using the device, CWM would have been overwritten with the stock recovery? I suppose its possible- I'm not going to check right now (she's gotten annoyed that I was tinkering too much with it already!), but it really doesn't matter at this point- I never really cared about CWM, I just wanted to root the damned thing so I could get certain applications loaded. I did that, so stock recovery can return for all I care!

Meanwhile, I picked up another one (bought a set of 4 of them actually, used from a liquidator, long story), and went to go root that one too, although this time I intend to play more with CWM and custom roms. But I'm having an issue with my USB cable. It worked fine on the first one, so I thought maybe this one just has a bad USB port. So I tried a third one. No luck, same problem. Neither PC or phone will detect anything is attached, yet the original one on the same cable worked fine. Strange that 2 out of 3 have the same USB issue? Is this a known problem with some of the phones?

 

[dishe]

actually, it looks like that may have been a bad cable. I switched to another USB I found, seems to work OK now.

So far so good, folks!

 

[chevanlol360]

Since the 2.3.6 update, the phone is designed to flash stock recovery on boot. Assuming you didn't delete the flash recovery script from /system, It would flash recovery on boot.

 

[anaconda691]

Are you saying that after flashing the root.zip and using the device, CWM would have been overwritten with the stock recovery? I suppose its possible- I'm not going to check right now (she's gotten annoyed that I was tinkering too much with it already!), but it really doesn't matter at this point- I never really cared about CWM, I just wanted to root the damned thing so I could get certain applications loaded. I did that, so stock recovery can return for all I care!

In your case, cwm is at least useful to make backups for whatever reason, which can then be transferred, to any of those 4 phones (all are TUs right?) you bought, and reloaded.

Once you're in cwm, then all you need to do is install NEW!! Boost/Sprint FF27 Update Rooted Final Ver{8/1/12} and it'll keep cwm and give you root, also if you interested in OCing the cpu a bit for a little extra smoothness.

 

[dishe]

Interesting- good info guys, thanks! Yes, it appears CWM is gone, but root has stayed which is what I wanted anyway.

As for backup/restores... yes, all the handsets I got are TUs (these are really cute and solid little devices IMO!), but they are not for the same deployment. One of them is going to be a dev device for someone I work with (wants a real device for testing/troubleshooting his ported apps outside of an emulator), another will probably end up being a music player / game device for my son. I might tinker with one myself, in which case I'll want CWM's backup/restore, so this is all very good to know.

Overclocking sounds cool, but I honestly think the GPU/CPU on this thing is pretty well suited for the HVGA, screen redraws and transitions are smooth like butter out of the box. I wonder if I'd even notice a difference in performance on an overclocked device? Still, really cool stuff.

 

[anaconda691]

Overclocking sounds cool, but I honestly think the GPU/CPU on this thing is pretty well suited for the HVGA, screen redraws and transitions are smooth like butter out of the box. I wonder if I'd even notice a difference in performance on an overclocked device? Still, really cool stuff.

Mine is overclocked to 1.4ghz, totally noticed a difference on bigger apps/games. It's cool because it's only on demand so if your phone is idle, it should just be sitting on the min 245mhz so no real harm done in the long run.

I really like the phone too, especially for it's keyboard combo with decent specs. Won't swap this phone for something better unless it literally dies beyond repair. Only wish it had 4G so I can take advantage of the monthly plan more. I'd be super surprised if some high end phone comes out with a keyboard.