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Root Step by Step Rooting x10 and Setting up Boot Loader and Custom Theme

beau420

beau420

Android Expert
Here are my step by step notes that I made during my attempts to root and upgrade my phone. I wanted to delete some bundled apps and change the look speed up my phone. If you don't want to read my notes scroll to the bottom. I have never done this before and didn't know exactly what I was doing...so I messed up a few steps and the order I did things in. Once again, the real steps are at the bottom...next time it is going to be much quicker...

BTW..I am starting with a x10a that has already been upgraded to Android 2.1 on the Rogers network.

Installed z4root.1.3.0.apk by copying the file to my SD card...open the apk file using a system file viewer (I was using OI File Manager...I had the file in my Download folder)

Installed the APK.

Opened the Z4 app.

Before I ran the app I decided to copy over xRecovery-0.2-release.apk to the Download folder on the SD card as well.

I ran the Z4Rooting app and was granted with two choices, to root temporarily or permanently

I chose permanent and it prompted me to turn on USB Debugging in the Development page it brought me to I turned it on

After about 20 seconds of running it restarted my phone

Showed default brand loading at the start (Rogers logo for me)

And now I am back to where I was before the phone restarted....nothing looks different

I opened the Z4 app again...this time it tells me something about being a super user and a countdown timer with a Yes or No prompt. I chose Yes

Now on the Z4 screen the two options have changed to Re-root or Unroot.

I figure I have now been rooted....so I can close the Z4 application

Now I open my Folder viewer (OI File Manager) and navigate to that xRecover app I want to install and load next

Run the xRecovery-0.2-release.apk app....install it

Open the application and it has one button, to install xRecover....I click it...again it gives me the super user security warning and I click Yes again

Next I downloaded X10 Res Mods v1.6.rar and extracted the .zip inside and put that X10RM_v1.6.zip in my Download folder on my SD card

I shutdown my phone and then turned it back on (I left the USB cable plugged in and it just showed a big battery symbol on the screen when I tried to

boot)...I held the power button down to turn it off, then unplugged the USB and turned it on again.

This time it showed the Sony logo, my brand and then regular boot screen

I open xRecover and it only shows the Install option....I choose to install again....no other options...I decide to restart the phone again...same thing

I review the documentation on xRecover and realize I have to initiate it when the phone starts up.

Turn off phone...I press the Back button a few times when it shows the SE logo animation...still nothing

I notice that xRecovery looked right, but I was confused on why I was never prompted to install Busybox and why it is a xRecovery requirement.

I open the market and search for Busybox, find it and install it then again turn off the phone and turn it back on hitting the Back button when the Sony logo shows...nothing

Guess I missed a step...I look for the Busybox application....and I open it...shows my phone is rooted by Busybox is not installed....I click the install button (using 1.17.1 not the unofficial)...5 seconds later it installs

Now I open xRecover again and install....I notice that now that in xRecover I see little checkmarks beside each file...didn't give me an error before....I assume it's going to work this time...

I shutdown the phone...then start it back up hitting that Back button when the Sony logo appears

OMG...a boot loader...I chose the option to load a custom zip using the volume up and down and using the home button as the enter button....I navigate to my

Download folder on the SDCard and find that X10RM_v1.6.zip file and choose to install it

After 10 seconds or so it says it is done....so I back out to the main bootloader screen of xRecover and chose to Reboot the device

This time it shows a different boot screen....I stopped with the Android bootloader on the screen....I thought it froze....gave it more time....success

Done....now....to recap...let me shorten those steps.

1- Download Z4root here - http://androidforums.com/x10-all-things-root/215481-one-click-root-app.html - I chose - z4root.1.3.0.apk

Download xRecover here - [RECOVERY] xRecovery 0.2-release | INSTALLATION FIX | 16/12/2010 - xda-developers - filename is xRecovery-0.2-release.apk

In the Google Market download and insall Busybox, but don't open it after you install it (or don't open it and click install yet)

Download x10 Res Mods v1.6 from here - http://androidforums.com/sony-ericsson-xperia-x10/214034-theme-x10-res-mods.html - and unrar the zip file

2- Copy z4root.1.3.0.apk and xRecovery-0.2-release.apk and X10RM_v1.6.zip onto the SD Card somewhere you will remember

3- Using a file browser like OI File Manager or Astro run z4root.1.3.0.apk to install...after install open applications and run Z4 root....click Permanent Root...restart the phone and run Z4 app once more and click Yes/Accept

4- Find that Busybox application you installed from the Market and run it....Click Install

5- Using a file browser run xRecovery-0.2-release.apk to install...after the installation open the app...click Install and click Yes/Accept...there should now be little green checkmarks beside the files listed

6-Shutdown the phone....turn it back on and when you see it show the Sony splash screen tap the Back button about once a second and it should open this new boot loader

7- In the boot loader use the up and down arrow keys and the home button (middle one) as the enter button...choose load custom zip then point to the X10RM_v1.6.zip file...when done click the back button and chose to reboot the phone

8- Done...it might take a while to reboot, but when it comes up you will have rooted the phone and added the boot loader and a custom theme...you can now mix and match and edit with new themes or other themes...but the hard part is done
Click to expand...
 
hey there, i've done everything as per normal and the xrecovery green ticks appear etc. busy box is installed fine my phone is rooted etc. BUT i can't access the boot screen. i press the back key multiple times when the splash appears and even when the phone just starts up but it just continues to the main screen and the phone boots up normally. are there any suggestions on how i can access the boot menu any other way?

thanks.
 
sdhingra said:
hey there, i've done everything as per normal and the xrecovery green ticks appear etc. busy box is installed fine my phone is rooted etc. BUT i can't access the boot screen. i press the back key multiple times when the splash appears and even when the phone just starts up but it just continues to the main screen and the phone boots up normally. are there any suggestions on how i can access the boot menu any other way?

thanks.
Click to expand...

Odd....USB unplugged...turn phone off....leave phone off for about 10 seconds, then turn it back on...as soon as you see the screen turn on, repeatedly tap the Back button.

If you still have no success, I would try again....open Z4 make sure it still says you are rooted....open Busybox and make sure it says your phone is already rooted and open xRecovery and make sure the green checkmarks are still there.

Hope that does it....anyone else have any tips?
 
beau420 said:
Hope that does it....anyone else have any tips?
Click to expand...
If you don't see green ticks when you run xRecovery installer, if you have the SDK installed on the computer run...

adb shell

su

mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock2 /system

chmod 4755 /system/bin/sh

exit

exit
Click to expand...

...in a CMD window, or in a terminal on the phone...
su

mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock2 /system

chmod 4755 /system/bin/sh
Click to expand...

...then run the xRecovery installer again.
 
Hey,

thank u very much for the step by step explenation! It's really useful!
But if got a problem. I did everything as said here, although I used the newer xRecovery 3.0 version.

But when I reboot, after selecting the X10 Res Mods v1.8 ROM in recovery mode, it starts up, shows the Soy Ericsson loge and freezes. I waited a while, like u said. But after 4 hours I suspected something was wrong :p

Do u know what I should do now? Could it be that the ROM is not compatible whit my phone are something, I don't know. I'm pretty much a newb here.
 
FreekH said:
Hey,

thank u very much for the step by step explenation! It's really useful!
But if got a problem. I did everything as said here, although I used the newer xRecovery 3.0 version.

But when I reboot, after selecting the X10 Res Mods v1.8 ROM in recovery mode, it starts up, shows the Soy Ericsson loge and freezes. I waited a while, like u said. But after 4 hours I suspected something was wrong :p

Do u know what I should do now? Could it be that the ROM is not compatible whit my phone are something, I don't know. I'm pretty much a newb here.
Click to expand...

Same here :s
 
Used the SE update Service and it fixed the problem, now I have a brand new SE x10 XD

Edit: So.... approximately how long does "a while to reboot" is? XD I repeated the steps and happened the same.
 
hey beau420, i installed the z4root and and clicked on permanent root, it did everythn and the z4root closed itself. i then re-started my x10i and ran the z4root again, but i cud only see temporary root and permanent root again, but non the less, i clicked permenant root again. same thing, the z4root closed itself after compiling. i then went to the busybox i had installed, but i cudnt install it...there was a not there that my phone is not rooted so i cant install busy box. What do i do from here?
 
opjjuly said:
hey beau420, i installed the z4root and and clicked on permanent root, it did everythn and the z4root closed itself. i then re-started my x10i and ran the z4root again, but i cud only see temporary root and permanent root again, but non the less, i clicked permenant root again. same thing, the z4root closed itself after compiling. i then went to the busybox i had installed, but i cudnt install it...there was a not there that my phone is not rooted so i cant install busy box. What do i do from here?
Click to expand...

Same here.... did you fix it?
 
hey guyz i want full and easy steps to root my phone.ii updated my phone to 2.3.3 and have sony ericson x10i..kindly mail me on shahrukh.m.pathan@gmail.com...i try flash and downgrade it but after downgrade it sucesfuly root option doesnt come and phone stuck to SE logo...rooting not done plz guyz help me yar plz--i will be very thankfull to u all-plz plz
 
sharukh said:
hey guyz i want full and easy steps to root my phone.ii updated my phone to 2.3.3 and have sony ericson x10i..kindly mail me on shahrukh.m.pathan@gmail.com...i try flash and downgrade it but after downgrade it sucesfuly root option doesnt come and phone stuck to SE logo...rooting not done plz guyz help me yar plz--i will be very thankfull to u all-plz plz
Click to expand...


This thread is outdated and the instructions I wrote only work for Android 2.1.

For android 2.3 please review the 2 following threads:

http://androidforums.com/x10-all-things-root/449515-how-install-2-3-root.html

http://androidforums.com/x10-all-things-root/420821-problem-installing-xrecovery-2-3-a.html
 
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