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Root ZTE ZMAX Pro (Z981) root discussion

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The half-assed copy of fastboot wont be fixed because the phone is already working perfectly fine. ZTE isn't going to just update that portion of the phone just because someone might want to root it. The majority of phone users don't even know what root is, so I doubt that ZTE is just going to hand over root on a silver platter when there is nothing wrong with the device in the first place. We can't get to fastboot, and even when we can, the commands don't work. But none of those commands are required for the phone to work normally.

I'd say wait for 7.0. Hopefully they release a full image that could be modified and maybe we could use EDL to push a modded update or something. Starting to give up at this point.
 
I have this phone, in my hand writing this reply. The bootloader is unlockable via developer options. That, about phone x7 taps unlock trick. No reason to think it's not functional.
 
Mine is stuck in ftm at reboot. Operational but when I attempt to factory reboot I get the non functional screen. Think I stumbled on that accidentally. Anyone know the way to fix that?
 
Maybe the solution to our bootloader is as simple as jumping pins inside our phones. Quick! Someone rich! Dissect your phone.
I'm confused on the bootloader thing, it is unlockable in dev options. I have this phone. Anyone know how to get it to go into ftm and back by chance?
 
Code:
all of these are while your device is completely off.
ftm: vol down+power
dfu: vol down+vol up+power (black screen with home button light on)
recovery: vol up+power
those are the only modes i know how to get into on this phone. if anyone knows any other button combos please share them.
 
Can Someone test this? I have a ZTE Max Duo and I keep getting some errors.

Put the phone in FTM. run root.bat and hold volume down button the whole time

send me any results or errors you are getting.

Feel free to edit the root.bat as well.
 

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are you sure your device isn't already rooted? try to install supersu.
if you are sure it is not rooted you can root it the following way:
1. install adb
2.download su binary from somewhere
3. boot into Field Test Mode by (with phone turned off and connected to usb) holding both volume keys and power key together, when phone turns on release the power button and wait until the blue led turns off, then release volume keys. after a sec or two you should see some text on the screen.
4. connect to device via abd, run "adb shell"
5. mount the system as read/write by (i'm not sure about /dev/block/mmcblk01/platform/by-name/system, it is something similar but you can find out yourself by search the subdirectories)

Code:
mkdir systmp
mount -t ext4 -o rw /dev/block/mmcblk01/platform/by-name/system /systemp
chmod 4755 /systmp/xbin/su

6. exit shell and run "adb push <path to su binary> /systmp/xbin
7. run "adb reboot"
8. install supersu or some other su manager.

let me know how it went.

found this on xda just looking around. i couldn't browse the /dev/ folder on es file explorer. is there any file browser to view it?

EDIT: im thinking your bl needs to be unlocked for remounting system as rw
 
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was thinking I be able to push file into it or modify things to get around
went into the directory but no permission to write only read
 
Can you write in the directory from the phone with TC or ES? If all we have to do is get the right file into the right directory, would w even necessarily need to do it with a computer?


Never mind, just tried and I don't even SEE any files in /dev with ES.
 
Can you write in the directory from the phone with TC or ES? If all we have to do is get the right file into the right directory, would w even necessarily need to do it with a computer?


Never mind, just tried and I don't even SEE any files in /dev with ES.

You need to go all the way to root directory and go to the sys folder then the dev folder. If you can't see anything with your current file explorer try Androzip
 
I have this phone, in my hand writing this reply. The bootloader is unlockable via developer options. That, about phone x7 taps unlock trick. No reason to think it's not functional.
that is just a flag you can set to allow you to unlock your bootloader, it doesn't unlock it it's self. but as stated we have no clue what state the bootloader is in, and it doesnt really matter because we don't have fastboot. edl most likely needs signed img's so we are most likely sol, unless we get a root exploit from kingroot or the like.
 
5 months and the ZTE Max Duo still can't be rooted...I can't even find anything about it on the Internet outside of the ZTE, Straight Talk and Walmart sites. I assume with its discussion here that it's similar to the Zmax Pro?
 
5 months and the ZTE Max Duo still can't be rooted...I can't even find anything about it on the Internet outside of the ZTE, Straight Talk and Walmart sites. I assume with its discussion here that it's similar to the Zmax Pro?
Its hard to find information about it. From what I can see it looks similar to the Grand X Max 2 except it comes with Lollipop instead of Marshmallow. I can't find a detailed spec sheet on it anywhere though. I assume you've tried Kingroot already?
 
Its hard to find information about it. From what I can see it looks similar to the Grand X Max 2 except it comes with Lollipop instead of Marshmallow. I can't find a detailed spec sheet on it anywhere though. I assume you've tried Kingroot already?

Yeah, tried Kingroot. And I doubt it's going to support it since the number of requests was only a few shy of 600. At this point I'm trying to find similar phones to look up information for in case it applies to the Max Duo.
 
I just did a little messing around in edl and dfu modes but didn't really find anything useful. I was trying to get the phone to show up as a disk drive. I tried it with both Manjaro Linux & Windows 10. The closest I got to anything useful was using Windows with the phone in dfu mode qpst was able to see it as being in *download* but I wasn't able to explore or backup the emmc partitions. TBH this is the first time I've really messed with it in weeks.
 
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