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Root [Guide] How To Root Your ZMAX & List of ROMs

Masterchief87

Masterchief87

Android Expert
PLEASE DONT QUOTE THIS POST! ITS BAD MANNERS TO QUOTE THE OP OF A THREAD.
Root Guide
(ALL FIRMWARE VERSIONS)
Because the ZMAX has a write protected system partition, Kingroot can only get you Temporary Root. Temporary Root is root that only lasts until you reboot the phone and is then lost. In order to get permanent root that isn't lost when you reboot or reset the phone, we need to install TWRP and use it to flash SuperSU.

[1] Download and install the newest version of Kingroot
from: http://goo.gl/uaUIs2

[2] Download and install ZTE ZMAX TWRP Recovery 2.8.6.0
from: http://goo.gl/0FsViN

[3] Download UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.46.zip
from: http://goo.gl/vcjCwb

[4] Open and run Kingroot (might not work the first time)
If Kingroot succeeds then skip to step 6

[5] If Kingroot fails, go to app drawer, long press on Kingroot icon and drag it to the top of your screen where it says "app info." Then clear cache and data for Kingroot, turn the phone off, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on. Repeat steps 4 & 5 as many times as necessary.

[6] Open ZTE ZMAX TWRP Recovery 2.8.6.0 and click "Install Recovery" and grant root access. You should then see a popup that says "success." Once you have TWRP installed you never will need Kingroot again.

[7] Go back to app drawer and uninstall Kingroot and Purify.

[8] To reboot into TWRP, power off the phone, then press and hold the power and volume up buttons until you feel the phone vibrate, then let go of the power button while continuing to hold the volume up button for approximately ten more seconds.

[9] Once you are in TWRP recovery, tap the "Backup" button and select System, Data, and Boot (select SD card as backup location if you have one) and swipe to make the backup.

[10] Go back to the main screen in TWRP, press the "Install" button, navigate to the Download folder on your internal storage, tap on "UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.46.zip", and then swipe to install.

[11] Reboot System and enjoy.
MAKE NEW BACKUPS REGULARLY

ROMS (Stock & Custom)
KitKat ROMs:
Butternoob(Based on Stock ROM): http://goo.gl/cbqCrP
PAC-ROM(4.4.4): goo.gl/NCYTAs

Lollipop ROMs:
AICP(5.1.1): goo.gl/2APSAK
Blisspoop(5.1.1): goo.gl/16qFRb
Candy5(5.1.1): goo.gl/mi7lZm
Cyanogenmod12.1 RC5(5.1.1): goo.gl/AouWRf
Cyanogenmod12.1 RC6(5.1.1): goo.gl/ycQ5Fa
Carbon ROM(5.1.1): http://goo.gl/a6PSAK
PAC-ROM(5.1.1): goo.gl/6eUGqw
Resurrection Remix(5.1.1): goo.gl/kzmN5a
SlimROM(5.0.2): goo.gl/VeO4O7
Synthetic-OS(5.1.1)(Based on AICP): goo.gl/GpT4H9

ROMs With Stagefright Fixes:
Candy5
Cyanogenmod12.1 RC6
Resurrection Remix
Synthetic-OS

Stock ROMs:
MetroPCS Stock(4.4.4)(pre-rooted): goo.gl/C9kRZa
MetroPCS &T-Mobile Factory Stock(unrooted): goo.gl/hautSt
How To Flash A ROM
NOTE: If you have been using switchers to get system r/w you need to either flash the appropriate restore zip or reinstall twrp to your recovery partition with the installer app before you proceed.

Download ROM and GApps(Google apps package)
Reboot to recovery
Make a backup of your current system configuration
Wipe System, Data, Cache, and Dalvik-Cache
Flash ROM first then flash GApps
Reboot System and wait for ROM to boot up completely
(optional)Flash the switcher for your ROM and reboot recovery

PLEASE DONT QUOTE THIS POST! ITS BAD MANNERS TO QUOTE THE OP OF A THREAD.
 
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I'm not sure if this belongs here, and if not please delete. I rooted using the Kingroot app, then installed TWRP, installing the SU update after. I have rebooted a few times to check and see if I have lost root, and I haven't. Should I use the ZTEROOT method instead? If so, can I install over the Kingroot method? I do not have access to a PC at the moment due to losing the power cord. Just kinda curious of the differences. Thanks ahead of time.
 
Flablitz said:
I'm not sure if this belongs here, and if not please delete. I rooted using the Kingroot app, then installed TWRP, installing the SU update after. I have rebooted a few times to check and see if I have lost root, and I haven't. Should I use the ZTEROOT method instead? If so, can I install over the Kingroot method? I do not have access to a PC at the moment due to losing the power cord. Just kinda curious of the differences. Thanks ahead of time.
Click to expand...


No.. My script won't do anything for you if your already perm rooted
 
I think it would be wise to advise noobs to play it safe and use the twrp method. Just a suggestion.
Giving someone without experience full root capabilities without a custom recovery is kind of like giving a 16yr old a new Lamborghini without seatbelts or airbags.
Like I said it's up to you just trying to look out for others.
 
Masterchief87 said:
I think it would be wise to advise noobs to play it safe and use the twrp method. Just a suggestion.
Giving someone without experience full root capabilities without a custom recovery is kind of like giving a 16yr old a new Lamborghini without seatbelts or airbags.
Like I said it's up to you just trying to look out for others.
Click to expand...
Suggestion accepted , done
 
Masterchief87 said:
I think it would be wise to advise noobs to play it safe and use the twrp method. Just a suggestion.
Giving someone without experience full root capabilities without a custom recovery is kind of like giving a 16yr old a new Lamborghini without seatbelts or airbags.
Like I said it's up to you just trying to look out for others.
Click to expand...

Had to comment to day LOL that's the best analogy I've heard in a long time...
 
Masterchief87 said:
I guess the simplest way to put it would be that I did not modify twrp or the boot.img, I just modified the way that they are installed.
Click to expand...
alright ,but I was thinking since you made does changes , shouldnt there be a way to refer to it as simple as possible? But is up to you I'll just refer to like that.
 
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master odysues said:
alright ,but I was thinking since you made does changes , shouldnt there be a way to refer to it as simple as possible? But is up to you I'll just refer to like that.
Click to expand...
The way you have it in the op seems fine. I just don't want anyone giving me credit for hroark13's work. Someone already asked me to put up a donation link and I told him to give it to hroark13 or another one of the devs that helped us get to where we are. Honestly I hope someone can come up with a better method that will make mine obsolete. A boot loader unlock would be nice but I don't think ZTE wants to unlock it. If they want to experience the success that brands like Samsung and Google have they will have to start unlocking bootloaders and providing stock firmwares for users to fix their own devices.
 
Masterchief87 said:
The way you have it in the op seems fine. I just don't want anyone giving me credit for hroark13's work. Someone already asked me to put up a donation link and I told him to give it to hroark13 or another one of the devs that helped us get to where we are. Honestly I hope someone can come up with a better method that will make mine obsolete. A boot loader unlock would be nice but I don't think ZTE wants to unlock it. If they want to experience the success that brands like Samsung and Google have they will have to start unlocking bootloaders and providing stock firmwares for users to fix their own devices.
Click to expand...
I don't know the source but I heard that zte don't mind the unlock boot loader but is up to metro and or T-Mobile to allow it
 
master odysues said:
I don't know the source but I heard that zte don't mind the unlock boot loader but is up to metro and or T-Mobile to allow it
Click to expand...
Just think of how many zmax have been turned into oversized paperweights and how much less that would happen if the bootloader was unlocked. Tsk tsk...
It would really be awesome if they provided access to fastboot also.
 
Masterchief87 said:
Just think of how many zmax have been turned into oversized paperweights and how much less that would happen if the bootloader was unlocked. Tsk tsk...
It would really be awesome if they provided access to fastboot also.
Click to expand...
Yes indeed all this would be much easier to develop and less ppl would have "oversize paper weights " but guess what master not happening any time soon I feel T-Mobile is not going not going to budge into this . I asked a rep while back about this she said that she can't give that info , and well there's always that one crazy Dev with lots of spare time and will figure how to unlook the boot loader unofficially. But I doubt that's going to happen any time soon , I mean look how long it took a dev to stand up and make this rootable ! Imaging if we had to wait for that to happen !
 
Honestly I think it has more to do with zte. Metro isn't exactly famous for phones with unlocked bootloaders but T-Mobile seems to not care as much about whether the bootloader is locked or not. Just look at att I think almost all of their phones come locked down from what I've read.
 
Masterchief87 said:
Honestly I think it has more to do with zte. Metro isn't exactly famous for phones with unlocked bootloaders but T-Mobile seems to not care as much about whether the bootloader is locked or not. Just look at att I think almost all of their phones come locked down from what I've read.
Click to expand...
Very true , actually now that I remember MetroPCS is against rooting and all this sort of stuff . back before it was Bought by T-Mobile in there website they had warnings , that if a devices sold and used in their network their account would be terminated
 
Masterchief87 said:
Honestly I think it has more to do with zte. Metro isn't exactly famous for phones with unlocked bootloaders but T-Mobile seems to not care as much about whether the bootloader is locked or not. Just look at att I think almost all of their phones come locked down from what I've read.
Click to expand...

Exactly... Whenever I JUMP into a new phone, they have not one time checked to see if it was rooted. They look at it, see that it works, and that's that. I have JUMPed out of 4 rooted phones... I've been a customer 4 years and have rooted each of my phones and they took them all without a hitch.
 
Help anyone I am struggling with obtaining root. For the past week.!!!

Not my first rodeo with the root on this phone so let me give some history. I have obtained root twice once by curiosity the second following your instructions for perment root. I have tried butternoob v1&2 and cm12. I am back to stock 4.4.4 for metro. I have twrp 2.8.6 custom recovery. I have used every method known to this forum... Fresh factory restore after restore, Uninstall after install of kingroot both 4.0 & 4.1, data and cache clears, power on and off (no restarts). Browsers with 25 tabs, multiple launchers, atutu, ram-eater, playstation emulators, task killer killers, with ram at 5% threshold. With no amount of luck to get past 50-58%. Wth am I missing???? Any help please woild be greatly appreciated. Thank you
 
Masterchief87 said:
According to your post you already have twrp 2.8.6 installed so all you need to do is flash supersu.
Click to expand...
Masterchief thanks for the reply. I thought the same thing. So I flashed it and everything reads successful. But when I reboot back into system the app doesn't appear. I run root checker. Nothing??? I don't get it
 
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