-
After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.
Root Root
- Thread starter Red8eard
- Start date
There was the recovery that Willister posted about, but I did not try it and I don't think anyone else did either. Using root tool box I rebooted into a different recovery that has more features but no backup/restore, and just booting to it wiped my phone - I did it twice to be sure. It had a "apply update.zip" menu item, but without a nandroid you would be crazy to actually try and flash something. Maybe Getitnowmarketing will hear our anguished cry and build us a recovery like last time...
It tried many custom ROMs on my DRM, but I always came back to stock because every ROM I tried would have some quirk that caused some instability. I'm afraid this would be the case with this phone. A stock based ROM could work, but really you could just use a different launcher and one of the performance scripts off of XDA and have the same affect.
The Droid M launcher I posted a while back looks nice on the phone and the circle widget is neat, but it won't switch to landscape in the charging stand and it has too many wakelocks for my taste.
Until the recovery is worked out not much else can happen, its too risky.
It tried many custom ROMs on my DRM, but I always came back to stock because every ROM I tried would have some quirk that caused some instability. I'm afraid this would be the case with this phone. A stock based ROM could work, but really you could just use a different launcher and one of the performance scripts off of XDA and have the same affect.
The Droid M launcher I posted a while back looks nice on the phone and the circle widget is neat, but it won't switch to landscape in the charging stand and it has too many wakelocks for my taste.
Until the recovery is worked out not much else can happen, its too risky.
space_cat
Well-Known Member
Did you see that here?:
[Q] Casio Commando G'zOne 4G LTE C811 - Page 2 - xda-developers
Further down on that thread (post #20), Doctoror posts a link to a root method (based on the G'zOne CA-201L) that he used. It seems to offer different options than the one originally described on this site.
He links to a google-translated Vietnamese site which is a hard read, but basically they use an sd card to load root tools and custom recovery onto their CA-201L (asian version of commando4g).
space_cat
Well-Known Member
Password at Doctorors translated Vietnamese link is at bottom of comment section there.
Password is 'xdamobile' to gain access to files (including a CWM v6 recovery?) on that site.
I snagged the files if anyone has difficulty getting them there and wants to look at them.
Also, here is another Vietnamese site with a summary of the technique (scroll down to Root section) and other file links:
Vietnamese CA201L root site translated through google (they also have a nifty custom phone cradle there, if you can slog through the pages of bad translation.)
Here's a long blurry video of what they're doing (with Korean subtitles, but filenames in English):
gzonecasio - YouTube
This site mentions roms and loading CWM (not sure if this helps at all :
[MOD] Roms CA201L 4.0.4 ICS 1-8-2013 - xda-developers
Recovery Tools. Pg13 #123, lists ca201L as beign supported
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2334554
I'm new to rooting and between that and the translations, I don't completely understand what I'm looking at when I read these sites. So if any of this info is helpful, hopefully one of the more experienced people here can put it to use. If not, I'll shut up.
Password is 'xdamobile' to gain access to files (including a CWM v6 recovery?) on that site.
I snagged the files if anyone has difficulty getting them there and wants to look at them.
Also, here is another Vietnamese site with a summary of the technique (scroll down to Root section) and other file links:
Vietnamese CA201L root site translated through google (they also have a nifty custom phone cradle there, if you can slog through the pages of bad translation.)
Here's a long blurry video of what they're doing (with Korean subtitles, but filenames in English):
gzonecasio - YouTube
This site mentions roms and loading CWM (not sure if this helps at all :
[MOD] Roms CA201L 4.0.4 ICS 1-8-2013 - xda-developers
Recovery Tools. Pg13 #123, lists ca201L as beign supported
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2334554
I'm new to rooting and between that and the translations, I don't completely understand what I'm looking at when I read these sites. So if any of this info is helpful, hopefully one of the more experienced people here can put it to use. If not, I'll shut up.
Spacecat,
have you tried to go to recovery as they state there? Using vol+, tactile key and power at same time and then release them when phone vibrates during boot up?
It doesn't work for me. The only combination that works is using three dot capacitive button instead of tactile key when it shows Gzone loading. But this recovery has no options it is just yes/no restore all.
have you tried to go to recovery as they state there? Using vol+, tactile key and power at same time and then release them when phone vibrates during boot up?
It doesn't work for me. The only combination that works is using three dot capacitive button instead of tactile key when it shows Gzone loading. But this recovery has no options it is just yes/no restore all.
space_cat
Well-Known Member
I can't get either method to work. Phone vibrates after buttons held down, and then Verizon animation comes on and loads to my lock screen. Curious what Doctoror did to make it work. I PMed him, so maybe he'll chime in.
EDIT: F**K I need to get a life. So I finally got to the recovery screen that we've all seen (Hard Reset --no/yes delete all user data) but I didn't hold down the menu key when doing it. After restarting I waited until the Verizon logo animation and then held down vol+ and power until the phone rebooted. It did a long buzz and then the robot popped up.
I also found a 'Safe Mode' (anyone seen this?) vol- and power at Verizon animation until long buzz, lock screen appears with a 'safe mode' box in the corner. Not sure exactly what its for (maybe bypassing a buggy widget?) Seemed to knock out a bunch of my widgets. After rebooting normally, I had to replace a couple on my homescreen, as they'd been removed from there.
I tried a bunch of other key combos (including vol+, tactile key and power) with no luck.
Hi. You're on the right path. When you see the robot, short press the Tacticle Key and Stock Recovery menu pops up.
space_cat
Well-Known Member
Doctoror, thanks for commenting.
Stock recovery on US phones consists of only two choices. Wipe the phone to stock recoveryYES/NO. Short pressing the tactile key only stops the robots blue stomach from animating and takes me right to that YES/NO menu. This menu has been known on this forum and thread since September (Red8eard).
I never see the robot on his back with his stomach panel open and I don't get multiple choices like accessing an SD card in the menu as is shown in the youtube video I linked to.
I just looked over on the XDA site where Doctoror explains what he did:
I use the US version, but I have bought it from a guy that rooted and flashed modified Korean formware (because it had no incoming call block problem).
When I reflashed it back to stock Korean firmware it did unroot, so I rooted it again by the method described above.
Maybe the phone uses non-stock (Verizon mod) recovery?
Maybe you should try to wipe it to stock recovery then.
But I'm not responsible if anything goes wrong.
Safe mode boots phone with no user installed applications as far as I know, it is a debug mode because you'll know if your issues are originated by some of your installed apps. It is the same idea as Windows safe mode.
EDIT: The method is obsolete. Leaving just liks and description.
backup of C811 ROM with incoming call fix app
CA-201L Rooting.zip (contains CWM recovery. Don't flash root from that package!)
backup of C811 ROM with incoming call fix app
CA-201L Rooting.zip (contains CWM recovery. Don't flash root from that package!)
space_cat
Well-Known Member
Thanks Doctoror.
I have one concern with this though. So far nobody on this forum with US phones can get the tactile + Vol up + power combo (the youtube video shows all of this pretty clearly) to get to that menu. The only choices we have are 'factory reset yes/no' by using the vol up + power keys. There's no choice to apply update from external storage or a robot with his guts open (video also shows this) . I think Verizon has locked us out from this menu. *UNLESS* by having an sdcard installed in the phone activates this menu?
I was in the Verizon store today where I managed to replace my c811 under warranty. While waiting in the store, I looked at the c811 they had on display. The software within the OS was somewhat different than the one on my dead phone. Some different bloatware and widgets than mine came with, when I got it in July. Both phones have Android 4.0.4. In the About This Phone menu, the old phone had version C811M020 (not sure about the kernel number). The phone at the store had version C811M021DU and kernel was v3.08. So Casio or Verizon have actually been doing some work on the phone since it was released. My old phone was very stable and never had wierd crashes or sleep episodes. Hopefully the new one is as stable.
Anyway, when I get the new phone on Wednesday, I'll see if the recovery menu and key combo is any different than my old one.
Hmm. The backup I linked in the post above is actually C811M020. I've got comments from guys at Russian forum that they can't get to that menu using C811 as well. I'll ask the guy again. Maybe I missed something.
Edit: alright, I contacted the guy and he cleared out that not only after you flash cwm for Korean key combination will not work, but even before that.
He said that he did "Backup & Reset" -> "Factory data reset" and while it booted to stock recovery for resetting he randomly pressed volume buttons and got into stock recovery like that.
If someone willing to try and has no precious data you can try that. Meanwhile guy with stock C811 will try the same at Russian forum.
If I have Korean recovery on my C811, then it is possible. These are instructions from a guy that flashed it for me. If you are not sure wait until I get feedback from someone else. I'm not sure about that method either.
I've tried to reboot to bootloader using adb commands but no luck device hangs on gzone logo. There is a thread in this forum that talks about rebooting to bootloader and unlocking boot using fastboot, but I don't know if somebody already tried this.
You can reboot via command line only if the shell is granted superuser access. But I totally forgot that adb does not require root to reboot.
That's pretty weird you are getting stuck on the logo though.
As far as I know this device doesn't support fastboot.
Fastboot was my #1 tool when I used my HTC.
I had to grant su to the shell for adb reboot bootloader.
About fastboot, please see this:
http://androidforums.com/commando-4g-lte-all-things-root/769163-how-unlock-bootloader-install-possible-temp-custom-recovery.html
This guy says he unlocked his device bootloader using fastboot.
I've saw the recovery you are talking about but I accessed it another way. Using Root toolbox I was able to reboot into another recovery with more features. Just doing that erased all my info but that's going to happen anyhow. I made a thread about it on this forum but there were no replies.
http://androidforums.com/commando-4g-lte-all-things-root/771979-found-different-recovery.html
http://androidforums.com/commando-4g-lte-all-things-root/771979-found-different-recovery.html
space_cat
Well-Known Member
New phone arrived today. Super fast turn-around from Verizon.
New phone has C811M020 baseband/build version.
Power + vol-up goes to same factory reset yes/no menu.
RJGlenn, I saw your post about the hidden menu that you found, but I couldn't wipe all data to experiment. I use my phone for business, so I'm going to watch and dig around for more info, but I can't risk screwing up the phone to test aything.
Anybody know a Korean-speaking person who could translate the subtitles on that video? I doubt it would tell us anything new, but who knows.
New phone has C811M020 baseband/build version.
Power + vol-up goes to same factory reset yes/no menu.
RJGlenn, I saw your post about the hidden menu that you found, but I couldn't wipe all data to experiment. I use my phone for business, so I'm going to watch and dig around for more info, but I can't risk screwing up the phone to test aything.
Anybody know a Korean-speaking person who could translate the subtitles on that video? I doubt it would tell us anything new, but who knows.
The Korean phones have no problems getting into stock recovery anyway.
I have news - guy at Russian forum just got into recovery with his C811
Read updated instructions and tell me if you have any luck!
http://androidforums.com/commando-4g-lte-all-things-root/737243-root-3.html#post6260221
Read updated instructions and tell me if you have any luck!
http://androidforums.com/commando-4g-lte-all-things-root/737243-root-3.html#post6260221