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Root OK, what am I doing wrong with this root?

dablakh0l

Lurker
I downloaded the latest TWRP and Kingroot (7-25 build), and installed their apks. I then started to try to root my Zmax. Surprisingly, the first time I tried Kingroot it said success. So while I had temporary root I ran TWRP and tried to install recovery. It popped up a message and crashed. I tried again, same thing. I checked root status with Root Check, and it said it was rooted. (I then got notice about running 'Purity', I had no option to stop it, and it killed a bunch of apps that I rely on.) I then decided that maybe I needed to restart the phone, but after standard power off/on I checked root status, and it was gone. I knew it would be, but I checked anyway. So I thought that maybe something in the latest Kingroot was causing the TWRP install to fail. I uninstalled Kingroot, and downloaded one release earlier from the XDA forums. I ran that, and after several tries, I got another temp root. This time I was able to get TWRP to install recovery and reboot into it. I did a backup to my SD card, and then hit reboot. It asked me to install superuser, but at that point I opted not to.

Now my question is, do I have to use Butterrom or can I just install superuser and keep the rest of my system stock? I don't want to strip out everything yet, all I really want now it to be able to move some programs to my SD card. I'll delete the bloatware as I want.

Please help, thanks.
 
Wait... Before supersu u must uninstall kingroot, King user and any Chinese character apps it installed.! @dablakh0l If you don't, supersu won't update binaries. You can fix it, but it's a pain... Better to uninstall those first.
 
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OK. So basically the only reason to use King root is to get temporary root to install the TB bootloader. Then once you get the bootloader installed, delete King root, King user and that stupid Purity program, as those are the only programs I see added. Then I download the Supersu ask from the Google store, install it and then what? Will Supersu then update the binaries or do I need to go through something in the bootloader again? Thanks for your help.
 
OK. So basically the only reason to use King root is to get temporary root to install the TB bootloader. Then once you get the bootloader installed, delete King root, King user and that stupid Purity program, as those are the only programs I see added. Then I download the Supersu ask from the Google store, install it and then what? Will Supersu then update the binaries or do I need to go through something in the bootloader again? Thanks for your help.
Not from the playstore. You flash the supersu update zip. Here are the instructions with links to the downloads. If the downloads aren't working anymore, post back and I'll link u to my copies. http://forum.xda-developers.com/general/help/zte-zmax-rooted-kingroot-t3110178 I don't know what purity is, but kingroot didn't install it on my zmax, unless it's written in Chinese... Looks like it sux though. Did it uninstall okay?

And that's not actually the bootloader, it's the recovery. TWRP is a custom recovery. The bootloader is still locked on this phone, I believe. When you boot to the bootloader the screen says download mode, if I remember correctly.
 
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Yeah everything Uninstaller OK, and I got the Supersu downloaded. Do I need to unzip it, or can twrp do that itself? Do I use the install in twrp to flash the file? Sorry I'm being such a noob, but I'm trying to be cautions. I've never had a phone that has been this much trouble to root. Usually they just go so smoothly.
 
Yeah everything Uninstaller OK, and I got the Supersu downloaded. Do I need to unzip it, or can twrp do that itself? Do I use the install in twrp to flash the file? Sorry I'm being such a noob, but I'm trying to be cautions. I've never had a phone that has been this much trouble to root. Usually they just go so smoothly.
Yeah... This one's different... Lol.... Just flash the zip... Don't unzip it.
 
Yes the install. And make a backup now. With twrp... Backup system and boot to make it like a factory reset, and check data if you want all your apps backed up too. I always backup boot system and data. @dablakh0l
 
To restore a backup, the backup must be in emulated/sd0/TWRP/BACKUPS/next folder/your backup here. After you make the backup, hit restore to see its folder name. Then use a file manager to locate it. Where TWRP made it is where it has to be for TWRP to restore it. If you have it saved on your external sd, you can use TWRP to move it into the right folder in a jam. In TWRP, hit advanced, then file manager. I'd recommend practicing moving folders with the TWRP file manager though... It's a little tricky. Not the same as most file managers. Better to learn to use it now than to have to figure it out when you break your operating system and have to do a restore.
 
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I had already made the backup to my SD card. I checked it out with a file manager and I can see it. So just go into twrp reboot from power off, power+up volume, then install, and choose the Supersu zip file in the download directory and that should do it?
Thanks for all the help BTW.
 
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