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[Q] Next steps on ICS TF300 - Just rooted and still locked

(FYI, this is my first android device so i'm a noob to this world, but I have some experience in the iphone jbreaking)
SITUATION: Ok, so I picked up a TF300 US model, with ICS 9.4.3.17 on it. Reading up all over the forums for help and did the following: used sparky's guide and used the Sparkyroot.apk tool, along with Superused.apk and VoodooOTArootkeeper, and it worked great! Thanks to the "Allaboutandroids dotcom" youtube user guide.
My plan is to stay on stock OS. I do NOT want to unlock. (keep warranty and such)
I'm into retro gaming mostly and I don't think I need custom ROMS to enjoy most apps. I would like to moderately overclock the CPU, if that's available without unlocking.
THREE QUESTIONS:
1. So i'm reading that to do the future updates and eventually JBean, that I need to let it do the OTA (that's the tablet requesting to update without me manually selecting it right?) and I will lose root, but SHOULD be able to restore it, without unlocking correct?
2. HOW/WHERE is my root backed up to and how can I extract it to my PC, in case I need to copy it back over after an update. (I have a microsd card in the tf300 as well)
3. Before I do an OTA update, should I do anything?
4. Can I somehow just jump to the latest JB update, or does the tablet need to do incremental updates starting with 9.4.3.18 (or whatever is after .17)
Thanks again for any advice forum people. Regarding question 3. I hear people saying I need to do stuff in Voodoo AND/OR install SuperSU. (Not just Superuser.apk
Great forum and helped my decision to get one of these. Just hoping now I can get my wife to stop nagging me for not getting a 2.5X as $$$ iPad! (under $250 for NEW TF300 16gb. Yay!)

So just as an update, I ran root checker and everything is good and in green. I have superuser installed but NOT SuperSU (I guess it's one or the other but not both, and i'm not sure what the difference is between them)
But when I go to update superuser binaries, it fails at the first step (downloading manifest) every time. I have shut down/restarted so that's not it.
I also ran superuser update fixer 1.2, and it says that everything is fine.
I read that binaries should be updated before allowing an OS update so any thoughts on next steps? The goal is to get jellybean up and running and NOT permanently lose my root. (while still keeping the bootloader unlocked, which it currently is)
I've hooked it up via usb to laptop and gone to the googleplay store and found superuser (in case I had a old version) but it always states "This application is not compatible with your TF300 device" and refuses to install it that way. Could try hunting on the net for a loose .apk version of it, if that's what I need.
Thanks!

Just get supersu (a lot more reliable than superuser) and run it right after installing, it will update the binaries. Then make sure your root is backed up with ota rootkeeper. Once you have done those things you can update through the notification on the pad. I'm not sure if the updates are incremental, but they might be, so just in case between each update restore root with ota rootkeeper run supersu and reboot before going to next update, also always make sure your root is backed up. Good luck, once you are on jb there's no way on getting rooted without unlocking as of yet, so I repeat myself make sure your root is backed up wit ota rootkeeper and you have supersu before updating.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using Tapatalk 2

jgaf said:
Just get supersu (a lot more reliable than superuser) and run it right after installing, it will update the binaries. Then make sure your root is backed up with ota rootkeeper. Once you have done those things you can update through the notification on the pad. I'm not sure if the updates are incremental, but they might be, so just in case between each update restore root with ota rootkeeper run supersu and reboot before going to next update, also always make sure your root is backed up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks jgaf for the help!
So when I do the "backup" with rootkeeper, it's actually 'saving' the root but temporarily turning it off right? And doing an update doesn't wipe my device, so rootkeeper SHOULD be there correct? So to do a system update (when I click on the bottom right and see the brightness adjust and enable wifi, etc, there is a message saying a system update is available. That is the OTA update correct? Before I do that, I need to run rootkeeper and click the "temp save root", and it basically turns off root access but saves it from being wiped off with the new update right?
I've read that some people say to activate some optional "prevent root loss due to update" feature on Superuser. Does supersu have/need that?
And last, if I switch from Superuser to SuperSU, how do I safely switch over? Do I delete Superuser, and then download/install superSU, or install both on the device and then do some kinda remove or update?
I read that by doing the update methods you decscibed, I can basically keep my root on jellybean without being unlocked. (but it's tricky and some users lose the root regardless) Guess there's not one 100% "rooted and locked" foolproof method yet.

So far this method is working but i've only had one OTA update offered and that bumped it from .17 - .30. So that's not JellyBean yet. Hopefully the rootkeeper and supersu reapplying method will continue to work like this. Thanks!

You don't really need to temp unroot for updates, just make sure that everything is checked in rootkeeper. Sorry I took so long to answer, but those switching from superuser to supersu you need to install supersu and run it before removing superuser.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using Tapatalk 2

Lost root after flash via RSD Lite on JB

Hi guys,
I'm moving from my hard-bricked GS2 to a Razr HD. Second hand and got the carrier unlock code yesterday, so I was all like "ooook now the fun begins... time to root ICS,, OTA keeper, OTA update, etc..."
Root went smooth. OTA rootkeeper too, then I upgraded to JB (I'm in France, phone is SFR branded so I got the OTA update), and recovered root. But then I thought "ok, I should probably do a reset to factory, just to start clean from here on". Bad idea, as I ended on a bootloop, hardly possible to access fastboot mode. But I managed to access it in the end, first tried a "Factory" from there. The phone booted correctly, but something was still wrong: battery indicator was "?", and at every reboot I ended up in bootloop again. No other choice than to flash the full rom via RSD Lite, which I did earlier today.
And now, I'm back on a fully working 4.1.1, but OTA RootKeeper says no "protected root" available, and I can't restore root at all. Tried Matt's Razr HD Utility, but it fails at downgrading to 4.0.4 since my bootloader is locked... and I'm not too found of unlocking it, since I've been VERY unlucky for the past 2 months, and voiding my warranty now would be a message to the universe like "hey dude, juste add another mess with my stuffs, now's the time!"
Am I correct in the assumption that the only way to re-root my device is to unlock bootloader/downgrade to 4.0.4 with razr hd utils/flash original SFR 4.0.4/root/rootkeeper protect/re-upgrade via OTA/rootkeeper restore ? Are there any progress in rooting directly from JB ?
Thanks for your help!

CoinCoin88 said:
Hi guys,
I'm moving from my hard-bricked GS2 to a Razr HD. Second hand and got the carrier unlock code yesterday, so I was all like "ooook now the fun begins... time to root ICS,, OTA keeper, OTA update, etc..."
Root went smooth. OTA rootkeeper too, then I upgraded to JB (I'm in France, phone is SFR branded so I got the OTA update), and recovered root. But then I thought "ok, I should probably do a reset to factory, just to start clean from here on". Bad idea, as I ended on a bootloop, hardly possible to access fastboot mode. But I managed to access it in the end, first tried a "Factory" from there. The phone booted correctly, but something was still wrong: battery indicator was "?", and at every reboot I ended up in bootloop again. No other choice than to flash the full rom via RSD Lite, which I did earlier today.
And now, I'm back on a fully working 4.1.1, but OTA RootKeeper says no "protected root" available, and I can't restore root at all. Tried Matt's Razr HD Utility, but it fails at downgrading to 4.0.4 since my bootloader is locked... and I'm not too found of unlocking it, since I've been VERY unlucky for the past 2 months, and voiding my warranty now would be a message to the universe like "hey dude, juste add another mess with my stuffs, now's the time!"
Am I correct in the assumption that the only way to re-root my device is to unlock bootloader/downgrade to 4.0.4 with razr hd utils/flash original SFR 4.0.4/root/rootkeeper protect/re-upgrade via OTA/rootkeeper restore ? Are there any progress in rooting directly from JB ?
Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to make sure you do have SuperUser, SuperSU, and I generally prefer to include BusyBox all into the mix. Also, if you would download Root Checker by Joey Krim in the Play store. Just to confirm and we know you are missing root click the verify should indicate the appropriate SU's are red and not engaged, slide to the right verify BusyBox, chances are it is green, if so you are in good condition. With Busybox in green, exit go into SuperUser and update the binaries, once that is completed go into SuperSU and click the update. Go back to Root Checker and double check, click verify root on SuperUser/SuperSU and should be green = rooted. :good:

Root is red.... and so is busybox (however it is installed by default on my marketplace apps...) So if I understand correctly, I'm f***ed (at least, until a JB exploit is found, or I decide to void my warranty and unlock the bootloader, which I'm probably not going to do for now...)

CoinCoin88 said:
Root is red.... and so is busybox (however it is installed by default on my marketplace apps...) So if I understand correctly, I'm f***ed (at least, until a JB exploit is found, or I decide to void my warranty and unlock the bootloader, which I'm probably not going to do for now...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the color is Red all around then yes, there is little you can do. However, there are ways to get out of this and gain root without waiting even if they have Jelly Bean 4.1.1. For instance those on JB that own the XT926 can use the Droid Razr HD Utility 1.10 > go back to ICS 4.0.4 > apply the 1st update > Root > Voodoo OTA, SU Backup > apply the JB 4.1.1 update. I have done this twice and have been quite successful on my XT926 with Verizon.
But, in general going back to the discussion. If after the update the Supers are not showing, as long as Busy Box is Green and in place, Root can be restored by updating the binaries.

If your RSD/Flash you device root is gone.
The flashing completely formats and wipes the area for system.
Either you have to root JB, from what I understand you can.
Of back to ICS, root, Voodoo install, protect, then upgrade to JB.

tech_head said:
If your RSD/Flash you device root is gone.
The flashing completely formats and wipes the area for system.
Either you have to root JB, from what I understand you can.
Of back to ICS, root, Voodoo install, protect, then upgrade to JB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't found anything about that... however I might have missed something. Do you have any link to explain how ?
Regarding the flashing via RSD, that is what I thought, but was unsure. Coming from the GS2, the equivalent software is Odin, and wiping doesn't necessarily occurs (depends on build.prop content), so I had a *little* hope.
@KachowPow: indeed, Matt's Razr HD Utility for XT926 is known to work on the XT925 too... however it requires an unlocked bootloader. I *could* unlock mine since Motorola provides the code for XT925 too, however I'm not too found of voiding my warranty right now because of the whole "universe against me" thing ...
I'll probably wait for a proper JB exploit then. For now, root was important to *try* to restore contacts data from my old TB backup of my Galaxy S2 (I wanted to do a "dirty" restore of the co,tacts, hoping that even if it's not the same phone/apk/databases they would at least appear on the phone and be able to sync to Gmail from there.... And then I would have wiped to factory default and restored from Gmail). But I've managed to mess around with the contacts2.db from my GS2 and created a CSV with first name/last name/phone number(s). So for now I'm good and don't actually need root anymore. Yeah, that was a "just talking about my life" moment, so what ? )

CoinCoin88 said:
I haven't found anything about that... however I might have missed something. Do you have any link to explain how ?
Regarding the flashing via RSD, that is what I thought, but was unsure. Coming from the GS2, the equivalent software is Odin, and wiping doesn't necessarily occurs (depends on build.prop content), so I had a *little* hope.
@KachowPow: indeed, Matt's Razr HD Utility for XT926 is known to work on the XT925 too... however it requires an unlocked bootloader. I *could* unlock mine since Motorola provides the code for XT925 too, however I'm not too found of voiding my warranty right now because of the whole "universe against me" thing ...
I'll probably wait for a proper JB exploit then. For now, root was important to *try* to restore contacts data from my old TB backup of my Galaxy S2 (I wanted to do a "dirty" restore of the co,tacts, hoping that even if it's not the same phone/apk/databases they would at least appear on the phone and be able to sync to Gmail from there.... And then I would have wiped to factory default and restored from Gmail). But I've managed to mess around with the contacts2.db from my GS2 and created a CSV with first name/last name/phone number(s). So for now I'm good and don't actually need root anymore. Yeah, that was a "just talking about my life" moment, so what ? )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what carrier you are on but if you flashed to JB, then just find the xml and flash to ICS, then you root.
I used Voodoo to preserve root my device.
I'm pretty sure there *IS* a JB root in the last day or so.
You will need to search since I don't know for sure.

tech_head said:
Not sure what carrier you are on but if you flashed to JB, then just find the xml and flash to ICS, then you root.
I used Voodoo to preserve root my device.
I'm pretty sure there *IS* a JB root in the last day or so.
You will need to search since I don't know for sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
edit the XML ?? I'm new to RSD lite, but from what I've understood so far, edit the xml is only neededn when flashing via RSDLite/fastboot so that you don't end-up with the "unknown fastboot command" or something like that (by removing 2 lines in the fw xml file, indeed).
How is this related to going back from JB to ICS ? I'm not sure that's possible with a locked bootloader (which I'm probably not going to unlock). Also, how is my carrier related to this operation ? (the phone was SFR simlocked, but I bought an unlock code online and I'm no using it on Free Mobile)
Or did I miss something ? (btw, no mention of a JB root for the Razr HD, only for the Razr M, and it is assumed it won't work on HD because for reasons I am yet to find)

[Q][SOLVED] Droid Maxx on 4.2.2 Looking to Root 4.4

First off, I know there's no Droid Maxx section, but this is the closest place to post this.
As the title states, I have the Verizon Maxx on 4.2.2 (software version 12.15.15) and it is completely stock (never rooted or anything else). I'm thinking of rooting it and putting it on the 4.4 Kit Kat update. I plan on using RockMyMoto 1.1 to root first using DG4FREE's guide. Then I will use MotoWpNoMo 0.0.4 as needed for SlapMyMoto 1.0.
I think I can do everything up to SlapMyMoto just fine. I just have a few questions about using SlapMyMoto:
1) Before using SlapMyMoto you have to "restore to the 4.2.2 Camera update." This can be done with RSD Lite (or House of Moto), right?
2) If I use RSD, I would use the first file listed here (Blur_Version.12.7.7 ...), correct? (Yes, I do understand Verizon's naming scheme for updates...)
3) Towards the end of SlapMyMoto process, what does "Once the device has rebooted, please take the 4.4 OTA" mean? Do I use the update.zip method to install the 4.4 OTA from the stock recovery or some other method? If so, where can I find a reliable 4.4 OTA zip for the Maxx that won't brick my phone?
4) Going along with question 3, as I have come to understand reading forum posts I will have to run the install update from sdcard using the update.zip twice for Kit Kat to be finally installed. Is that correct? If so, will SlapMyMoto actually keep root from 4.2.2 or not after the second install!?
5) After doing this and successfully getting root on 4.4, will I be able to receive OTA updates in the future after flashing back to stock 4.4 with RSD?
6) Anybody having issues with root on their Ultra/Maxx and Kit Kat 4.4 making it unusable? I don't use other mods at all (i.e. Xposed, etc.), but I do plan on using ART.
If it seems likely that I might brick my phone, I might just stick with updating to 4.4 without root. I don't know yet. Thank you in advance for your help.

PonchoPicasso said:
First off, I know there's no Droid Maxx section, but this is the closest place to post this.
As the title states, I have the Verizon Maxx on 4.2.2 (software version 12.15.15) and it is completely stock (never rooted or anything else). I'm thinking of rooting it and putting it on the 4.4 Kit Kat update. I plan on using RockMyMoto 1.1 to root first using DG4FREE's guide. Then I will use MotoWpNoMo 0.0.4 as needed for SlapMyMoto 1.0.
I think I can do everything up to SlapMyMoto just fine. I just have a few questions about using SlapMyMoto:
1) Before using SlapMyMoto you have to "restore to the 4.2.2 Camera update." This can be done with RSD Lite (or House of Moto), right?
2) If I use RSD, I would use the first file listed here (Blur_Version.12.7.7 ...), correct? (Yes, I do understand Verizon's naming scheme for updates...)
3) Towards the end of SlapMyMoto process, what does "Once the device has rebooted, please take the 4.4 OTA" mean? Do I use the update.zip method to install the 4.4 OTA from the stock recovery or some other method? If so, where can I find a reliable 4.4 OTA zip for the Maxx that won't brick my phone?
4) Going along with question 3, as I have come to understand reading forum posts I will have to run the install update from sdcard using the update.zip twice for Kit Kat to be finally installed. Is that correct? If so, will SlapMyMoto actually keep root from 4.2.2 or not after the second install!?
5) After doing this and successfully getting root on 4.4, will I be able to receive OTA updates in the future after flashing back to stock 4.4 with RSD?
6) Anybody having issues with root on their Ultra/Maxx and Kit Kat 4.4 making it unusable? I don't use other mods at all (i.e. Xposed, etc.), but I do plan on using ART.
If it seems likely that I might brick my phone, I might just stick with updating to 4.4 without root. I don't know yet. Thank you in advance for your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to clarify, it's RockMyMoto while on stock 4.2...then MotoWPNoMO...then you need to RSD back to the 12.15.15 camera update...then you run SMM...then you update to 4.4...then you finish SMM commands in ADB...install supersu or superuser...done.
1. Yes
2. Second file, 12.15.15 is the camera update.
3. That means that after SMM and the reboot, you boot to stock recovery and update zip will run just fine. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2577977
4. The update runs twice...sort of...it installs the new recovery (no turning back) and then you will run it again for the update. SMM needs to be finished off with the ADB commands in 4.4 to get root. SMM already planted all the seeds in 4.2.
5. Not so simple, generally speaking...once you have root, especially on a Moto...you'll have to flash back to stock to get any OTA...or just wait a while for someone around here to get a fix...it's usually out by the time a public OTA get's around anyway. If you want to keep root, I would recommend that you never take an OTA from VZW unless you read up on XDA firs and understand the implications.
6. I am rooted 4.4 on my Maxx following this exact process and using the ART runtime...not having any issues at all, I even have SafeStrap re- installed for back ups.
Hope that helps

Lebowski13 said:
Just to clarify, it's RockMyMoto while on stock 4.2...then MotoWPNoMO...then you need to RSD back to the 12.15.15 camera update...then you run SMM...then you update to 4.4...then you finish SMM commands in ADB...install supersu or superuser...done.
1. Yes
2. Second file, 12.15.15 is the camera update.
3. That means that after SMM and the reboot, you boot to stock recovery and update zip will run just fine. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2577977
4. The update runs twice...sort of...it installs the new recovery (no turning back) and then you will run it again for the update. SMM needs to be finished off with the ADB commands in 4.4 to get root. SMM already planted all the seeds in 4.2.
5. Not so simple, generally speaking...once you have root, especially on a Moto...you'll have to flash back to stock to get any OTA...or just wait a while for someone around here to get a fix...it's usually out by the time a public OTA get's around anyway. If you want to keep root, I would recommend that you never take an OTA from VZW unless you read up on XDA firs and understand the implications.
6. I am rooted 4.4 on my Maxx following this exact process and using the ART runtime...not having any issues at all, I even have SafeStrap re- installed for back ups.
Hope that helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much! That really answered all my questions!
I have just one question to clarify your answer: are you sure it is the second file? I was under the impression that Verizon named their updates for the version from which you are updating from, so the first file there would actually be the 12.15.15 software even though it is named 12.7.7.

PonchoPicasso said:
Thank you so much! That really answered all my questions!
I have just one question to clarify your answer: are you sure it is the second file? I was under the impression that Verizon named their updates for the version from which you are updating from, so the first file there would actually be the 12.15.15 software even though it is named 12.7.7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Happy to help! You are correct in the VZW OTA naming conventions...but the files in that link are actually the FXZ files to flash with using RSD, et al...not an OTA zip file, so they are named correctly by their version. 12.15.15, the second file, is definitely the camera update and the correct one to use.

Lebowski13 said:
Happy to help! You are correct in the VZW OTA naming conventions...but the files in that link are actually the FXZ files to flash with using RSD, et al...not an OTA zip file, so they are named correctly by their version. 12.15.15, the second file, is definitely the camera update and the correct one to use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the clarification on that.
I just wanted to follow up on this thread for anybody else out there who might have been in the same boat as me. After completing this whole process a couple days ago, everything has been running smoothly now that I'm on 4.4 with root. I did not enable ART as I mentioned earlier I would since it turns out I needed to install Xposed to get a particular app that performs a root check to work. Other than that, smooth sailing except having to redo some steps manually.

Getting to 4.3...got past 402 error!

Apologize in advance if this is intuitively obvious to other but after searching and reading a better part of the day, I can't figure it out...
In any case...I rooted my 4.1.2 phone a while back with the casual root. Didn't unlock the bootloader or install a custom recovery, just rooted. So that puts busybox and supersu on my phone. Later on, I installed a custom sound thing to get some decent volume out of this thing.
Now I tried taking the OTA and it failed. I thought it would just wipe out the root stuff and be on it's merry way (like other devices I've had in the past). So, I used the one touch unroot in SuperSu and tried again. Still failed. And it still showed me busybox in the app drawer.
So, here's my question...
Do I need to remove my custom volume thing as well as do the unroot?
And do I need to uninstall busybox before doing the unroot via supersu? Or do i just go to the apps and install it there after the SuperSu unroot?
And, if none of those work right, do I fall back to flashing 4.1.2 directly - or maybe better to flash 4.3 directly? I plan on using saferoot once I'm up to 4.3.
If anyone can help me sort this out, I'd greatly appreciate it. I'm rerooted for the moment.
Thanks!

doncaruana said:
Apologize in advance if this is intuitively obvious to other but after searching and reading a better part of the day, I can't figure it out...
In any case...I rooted my 4.1.2 phone a while back with the casual root. Didn't unlock the bootloader or install a custom recovery, just rooted. So that puts busybox and supersu on my phone. Later on, I installed a custom sound thing to get some decent volume out of this thing.
Now I tried taking the OTA and it failed. I thought it would just wipe out the root stuff and be on it's merry way (like other devices I've had in the past). So, I used the one touch unroot in SuperSu and tried again. Still failed. And it still showed me busybox in the app drawer.
So, here's my question...
Do I need to remove my custom volume thing as well as do the unroot?
And do I need to uninstall busybox before doing the unroot via supersu? Or do i just go to the apps and install it there after the SuperSu unroot?
And, if none of those work right, do I fall back to flashing 4.1.2 directly - or maybe better to flash 4.3 directly? I plan on using saferoot once I'm up to 4.3.
If anyone can help me sort this out, I'd greatly appreciate it. I'm rerooted for the moment.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OTA will look for any rooted app and fail so you best bet is just Odin the full 4.3 then root with saferoot. This is you also have a nice clean install.

buhohitr said:
OTA will look for any rooted app and fail so you best bet is just Odin the full 4.3 then root with saferoot. This is you also have a nice clean install.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
Been a looong time since I messed with Odin...this will just be firmware - no data or store apps will be touched, right?

doncaruana said:
Thanks!
Been a looong time since I messed with Odin...this will just be firmware - no data or store apps will be touched, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry but flashing the full firmware will wipe everything bring it back to factory stock phone, so you need to backup all your stuff.

Well, just to share with everyone, I did not flash back to stock. For a number of reasons, that wasn't really an option.
My first step was removing viper4android. That actually got rid of the "custom" screen with the open lock on boot.
Then I uninstalled busybox from within itself. Unfortunately, as noted elsewhere, that leaves several hundred symlinks in xbin, so I removed all of those (I was only left with dexdump and su there). After that, I actually uninstalled busybox via the app manager.
Then I used the unroot option in supersu to clean up the rest and remove it.
At this point, I should be completely unrooted, but still got the 402 error when failing to upgrade with the OTA.
So...I plugged the phone in and ran the software upgrade assistant that shows up on the "CD" that presents itself from the phone when you plug it in to USB to the computer. And, actually, that successfully completed the upgrade to 4.3!
Haven't embarked on re-rooting yet (using saferoot) but that's the plan at least.

[Q] How can I protect root on 4.4 with locked bootloader?

I bought a Droid Maxx on eBay. It came rooted, running 4.4, with a locked bootloader. I got the phone a day or so too late to get in on the chance to buy a bootloader unlock code.
So, how can I protect root? I'm worried about upgrades or anything else Verizon might push down that'd overwrite root. I don't know how the phone was rooted (I assume it was rooted on 4.2.2 and then updated to 4.4 but don't know for sure). I have the paid version of Titanium Backup so if there's something I need to freeze or uninstall I'll do that. If there's a setting I can change to make sure that my phone doesn't accept an update that loses root I'll do that. I know that there's no method to re-root a Droid Maxx on 4.4 with a locked bootloader so I want to take whatever precautions I can to prevent losing root. I've read just about everything on the Motorola Droid Ultra forum and I have not found an answer to this question.

lesdense said:
I bought a Droid Maxx on eBay. It came rooted, running 4.4, with a locked bootloader. I got the phone a day or so too late to get in on the chance to buy a bootloader unlock code.
So, how can I protect root? I'm worried about upgrades or anything else Verizon might push down that'd overwrite root. I don't know how the phone was rooted (I assume it was rooted on 4.2.2 and then updated to 4.4 but don't know for sure). I have the paid version of Titanium Backup so if there's something I need to freeze or uninstall I'll do that. If there's a setting I can change to make sure that my phone doesn't accept an update that loses root I'll do that. I know that there's no method to re-root a Droid Maxx on 4.4 with a locked bootloader so I want to take whatever precautions I can to prevent losing root. I've read just about everything on the Motorola Droid Ultra forum and I have not found an answer to this question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use Titanium to freeze the app MotorolaOTA and you'll be good to go
Sent From Droid Ultra

Yes, freezing the MotorolaOTA is the way to go. You may never get updates in future (even bug fix updates). But hey, you got root in 4.4, which is good, especially when unlocking BL is impossible.
If you really want to get any update in later stage via OTA, then unfreeze the same app and unroot your phone. Then accept the OTA, but you will loose root and may never gain again.

I found and froze MotorolaOTA using Titanium Backup, as suggested. Thank you. Now, can I install TWRP? I've read a fair amount about TWRP on this forum but I'm not confident that I'm separating what can be done with TWRP if you have an UNlocked bootloader and what (if anything) can be done with TWRP if you have a locked bootloader (as I do). All I really want to be able to do is to reboot to Recovery in order to either make a backup of my ROM or to wipe cache and Dalvik cache, as that sometimes seems to smooth out operations if an app installation doesn't go well. I would use CWM for that if necessary but on other devices TWRP is my preference. So -- if I DO have root but I do NOT have an unlocked bootloader, can I install TWRP to reliably perform those functions?

lesdense said:
I found and froze MotorolaOTA using Titanium Backup, as suggested. Thank you. Now, can I install TWRP? I've read a fair amount about TWRP on this forum but I'm not confident that I'm separating what can be done with TWRP if you have an UNlocked bootloader and what (if anything) can be done with TWRP if you have a locked bootloader (as I do). All I really want to be able to do is to reboot to Recovery in order to either make a backup of my ROM or to wipe cache and Dalvik cache, as that sometimes seems to smooth out operations if an app installation doesn't go well. I would use CWM for that if necessary but on other devices TWRP is my preference. So -- if I DO have root but I do NOT have an unlocked bootloader, can I install TWRP to reliably perform those functions?
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If your bootloader is locked you'll need to use safestrap recovery. Basically has same functionality as TWRP as far as back ups and wiping. Just do some reading up on it. Not sure how current the attached thread is and I haven't used safestrap for this device.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2503897
[RECOVERY] Safestrap Recovery [MAXX / ULTRA]
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