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Root How do I unroot ICS?

shyFluttershy

Well-Known Member
It occurred to me that since the JB update will unroot me anyway, I might as well unroot myself beforehand in the hopes of making the update process a little easier. That is to say, maybe it will all just happen automatically instead of booting into either download or recovery and asking me for input.

I tried following the instructions here (http://androidforums.com/elite-all-things-root/612914-optimus-elite-root-apk-2.html#post4965481) but this is what happened:

[HIGH]app_123@android:/ $ su -c rm /system/xbin/su
Unknown id: /system/xbin/su
1|app_123@android:/ $[/HIGH]

I am indeed successfully rooted, just to address troubleshooting question #1.

Thanks.
 
Are you using terminal on your phone? Try su by itself after granting su rights then try the rest of code
 
Are you using terminal on your phone? Try su by itself after granting su rights then try the rest of code

All right. I simply typed "su" and now the $ is a #.

So do I type "rm /system/xbin/su" or "su -c rm /system/xbin/su"? I'm not sure what the -c does.

Thanks.
 
Sigh...

Code:
app_123@android:/ $ su
app_123@android:/ # rm /system/xbin/su
rm failed for /system/xbin/su, Read-only file system
255|app_123@android:/ #su -c rm /system/xbin/su
Unknown id: /system/xbin/su
1| app_123@android:/ #

:banghead:

Thanks.
 
If you are able to install jb update then go ahead. Won't be any difference on actual update process.
 
I have no idea if this helps, but is it possible to make the system mounted as r/w with Root Explorer or something like it?
 
I have no idea if this helps, but is it possible to make the system mounted as r/w with Root Explorer or something like it?

I'll make a deal with you: You tell me how to do that, and I'll tell you if it works. :shakehands: :angel:

Seriously, I tried to change permissions on the file in ES File Explorer, but it wouldn't let me. I found a video that shows how to do it, but it's a year old and thus uses an earlier version of the app, so I wasn't able to follow his steps.

I might try my luck with the Superuser app, since it has "temp unroot" and "ota survival" options, although it notes "these options are not guaranteed and will not work for all devices."

Before I go any further, though, I'd just like to confirm that the OTA JB update should (in theory) only update the system and keep all my apps and files intact? I can live with starting from scratch yet again, but I'd rather not if I don't have to.

Thanks.
 
The ota update should not upset your current data or apps. It will alter any apps that require root until the phone is rooted again.
 
The ota update should not upset your current data or apps. It will alter any apps that require root until the phone is rooted again.

Yea. So if you want to unroot, remove apps that require root. Otherwise, they would be none other better than bloatwares.
 
Basically if you open something with Root Explorer, there is a button at the top of the screen that says "mount as r/o" and "mount r/w". You just have to choose if you're opening the phone's storage or the SD card and then hit r/w.

Though I think Root Explorer costs a couple of bucks, and if you don't already have it there is no real reason to get it if you're just going back to stock.

I'm curious as to which recovery you have installed - the JB update won't install with CWM, it installs itself using the stock recovery.

So if you're rooted iCS and want stock JB then all you should have to do is reinstall the stock recovery and make sure all your stock apps are present and accounted for.

Or just use the stock JB recovery that was recently posted in one of these threads.

I understand your frustration though, I had a hell of a time getting my JB to work, too!
 
I'm curious as to which recovery you have installed - the JB update won't install with CWM, it installs itself using the stock recovery.

Y'know, I think it's the fact that it takes me into recovery at all that's throwing me off. This is my first smart phone, so all this is new to me. Also, I think the way the (probably standard?) warning was worded made me a bit nervous, so I backed out without doing anything. I've got just the stock recovery, I think: a picture of the green android fellow on his back with his belly-door open and a blue 3-D geometric shape hovering above it.

So if you're rooted iCS and want stock JB then all you should have to do is reinstall the stock recovery and make sure all your stock apps are present and accounted for.

Or just use the stock JB recovery that was recently posted in one of these threads.

I understand your frustration though, I had a hell of a time getting my JB to work, too!

I'm rooted for one reason only: So I can use Link2SD. Thus I will want to re-root once I've updated. And really the only thing making me less than enthusiastic about the prospect of wiping clean is I'm dragging my heals on trading in Google Talk for Google Hangouts. All the other re-installation hassles I can deal with.

Which brings me to the heart of the matter here: What precisely do I do after I tell the phone "Yes, let's install the update"?

Thanks.
 
The green android on his back is I believe the download mode - what you would use to flash a custom ROM or app with Odin, and is what you get to by holding volume down and the power button. It's what you would use to flash a file to your phone from your pc.

Recovery mode is what you get to by holding volume up and power, and it's what you use to restore backups or flash things from your SD card. It's the recovery mode you need to make sure is stock if you want to update using the over-the-air update. CWM ( clockwork mod ) is a custom recovery, and if you have it, it could be what is causing errors with the OTA update. If you start recovery mode and see a logo of hat and gear reminiscent of a Clockwork Orange movie poster, you've got CWM. If not, you've got stock recovery and there is something else causing the update error.

Don't get discouraged, a lot of these tutorials look difficult if not impossible but if you just take em one step at a time they're not bad at all.
 
Oh, and it was Tyler1998's stock JB backup in the "I'm making stock JB backup" thread that got me on JB stock from ics root, and then I easily rerooted from there.

Interloper has a thread with a stock recovery in case you need it.
 
Oh, and yes, the ota update won't make you lose any apps or data, but flashing the JB recovery will.
 
The green android on his back is I believe the download mode - what you would use to flash a custom ROM or app with Odin, and is what you get to by holding volume down and the power button. It's what you would use to flash a file to your phone from your pc.

Recovery mode is what you get to by holding volume up and power, and it's what you use to restore backups or flash things from your SD card. It's the recovery mode you need to make sure is stock if you want to update using the over-the-air update. CWM ( clockwork mod ) is a custom recovery, and if you have it, it could be what is causing errors with the OTA update. If you start recovery mode and see a logo of hat and gear reminiscent of a Clockwork Orange movie poster, you've got CWM. If not, you've got stock recovery and there is something else causing the update error.

Don't get discouraged, a lot of these tutorials look difficult if not impossible but if you just take em one step at a time they're not bad at all.

If I gave the impression that I was getting errors, I apologize. What happened was I found myself in unfamiliar territory and backed out before anything could happen one way or the other. So I guess what I'm looking for is a step-by-step "this is what you'll find, this is what you do" tutorial for installing the update, and then for getting root in JB.

It is possible to root JB without wiping my data starting from scratch, yeah? Because if so [EDIT: I meant to say "otherwise" or "if not"], I may as well jump directly to that course of action. Is that what you're referring to when you mention JB recovery?

Thanks.
 
Go ahead with the update. When it prompts just move forward with install. It will either work or you will get an error message. If it works then you have jb and your data. If you get error message then no loss. You are just stuck with ics until its determined what file is missing.

The JB recovery reference is to a nand backup a user posted to assist some with the update process.
 
Go ahead with the update. When it prompts just move forward with install. It will either work or you will get an error message. If it works then you have jb and your data. If you get error message then no loss. You are just stuck with ics until its determined what file is missing.

The JB recovery reference is to a nand backup a user posted to assist some with the update process.

Okay. So after I do the update, I'll be unrooted. How then do I get root on JB? Apparently it's rather different than how ICS got rooted? I suppose that's just as well, because I had uninstalled Poot, and I think it's gone from the Google Play store. :(

In the meantime, I'll make sure my important things are backed up--just in case.

Thanks.

EDIT: Forgot to ask: Should I un-mount and remove my external SD card when I update?
 
No need to remove SD card.

For re-root check the welcome to jellybean thread.

You might check a Google play app - ota root keeper. I have not used it but have heard of others having success with it.
 
You don't need to remove your external sd for the new update.
 
Just a suggestion I would not update to JB if I were you given battery life is actually worst regardless of rom and settings due to the fact higher os require more consumption to use all of its feature.ICS sucks azz too but not as much as JB best battery life in chronological order is cupcake,eclair,froyo,gingerbread.Thats it anything besides forementioned kills battery
 
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