Root [International] CWM backup without flashing or unlocking bootloader

[my1stSmartPhone]

I downloaded CWM for Moto G from ClockworkMod ROM Manager - Recoveries. My intent was to backup the entire phone, including the ISP's ROM, before rooting or even unlocking the bootloader. I didn't know whether I could avoid unlocking the bootloader, but I was going try backing up without flashing to the device to see if it would let me. I put the phone in fastboot mode by holding down the power button and volume-down for 10 seconds. Then I issued the following from the command line (I'm using cygwin's bash shell, and the directory containing fastboot is in $PATH):

$fastboot boot recovery-clockwork-6.0.4.7-falcon.img
downloading 'boot.img'...
OKAY [ 0.310s]
booting...
FAILED (remote failure)
finished. total time: 0.313s

Is this the symptom of not having unlocked the bootloader?

 

[my1stSmartPhone]

BUMP.

Anyone?

 

[frosthax1]

yes your bootloader needs to be unlocked to flash recovery but a bootloader can always be relocked by command if you really wanted it to be after you flash the recovery.also why are you trying to install a recovery as a boot option,totally bad coding there my friend.the proper code is fastboot flash recovery "recovery name" then press enter
dont know much about cygwins version of fastboot but thats the proper code i just gave.easier way to point to directory without fail though is open up where fastboot files are and hold right shift and right click.youll see open command prompt here.itll open up the proper directory to enter code i mentioned.hope this helps. ps you may want to shorten the image name down so its easier to type in command line. Example:mine was shorten from open recovery blah blah to twrp.img

 

[my1stSmartPhone]

Thanks for that, frosthax1. I think I was not clear in my original post. I asking about running CWM without flashing. The command that I posted was meant for that. It worked for me when I ran TWRP (CWM didn't work even though I relented at the end and flashed it).

 

[frosthax1]

well to get twrp you still flashed.twrp for some locked bootloaders will work but cwm will not.its best to have an unlocked bootloader though.you want a custom recovery but dont want to flash a thing though is what im not getting.whats the purpose of having a custom recovery if your not going to use it to flash lol

also unlocking the bootloader is usually given by the developers of the phone.it doesnt really change any mechanics.it cant break you nor can you save an unlocked bootloader as a backup.doesnt work like that

 

[my1stSmartPhone]

well to get twrp you still flashed.twrp for some locked bootloaders will work but cwm will not.its best to have an unlocked bootloader though.you want a custom recovery but dont want to flash a thing though is what im not getting.whats the purpose of having a custom recovery if your not going to use it to flash lol

also unlocking the bootloader is usually given by the developers of the phone.it doesnt really change any mechanics.it cant break you nor can you save an unlocked bootloader as a backup.doesnt work like that

My plan was to back up all partitions, including the original recovery partition. Since CWM didn't work without flashing, I ended up clobbering the original recovery, and it still didn't work. That's when I moved to TWRP. It rean without flashing, but since I already clobbered the original recovery, I ended up flashing TWRP anyway.