[GUIDE] Unlock and Root your Google Nexus 7

[SimonNWalker]

Unlock and Root and your Google Nexus 7


UPDATE: There is a Nexus Root Toolkit posted by WugFresh that I have not tried yet. It should be easier that using the manual process below. You can find it here.


As we all expected form Google, the Google Nexus 7 is one easy device to unlock.
Here's what you have to do to get it done.

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I am not responsible for for any problem you may experience from using this guide.
Follow these instructions at your own risk.
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What do you need:

• You must have the Android SDK installed on your computer so you can use ADB ad Fasboot. (Android SDK download)
• Enable USB debugging on your Google Nexus 7. ( Settings --> Developer Options --> Enable debugging )
• A copy of SuperSU. ( Download from Chanfire's SuperSU Thread )
• A copy of ClockwordMod (CWM) ( download here )

What do I do now?

• Connect your Google Nexus 7 to your computer.
• Open a command prompt and change folder to the {Android SDK location}\platform-tools.
• Check that your Nexus is connected by typing "adb devices" in your command prompt.

If it's working, you should see something like:

List of devices attached
015d21d544281c0a        device

If you didn't see any response then you probably dont your drivers configure correctly on your computer.
** If you have issues getting ADB to communicate with your Nexus 7, You may want to try the generic drivers found here.

• Copy the SuperSU ZIP file to your SDCard using the following into the command prompt on your computer:

adb push {location of your zip file}/JB-SuperSU.zip /sdcard

Unlock your Google Nexus 7

** Unlocking your Google Nexus 7 will erase all your data. Make a backup first **

• Reboot your Google Nexus 7 into bootloader mode by typing the following command into the command prompt on your computer:

adb reboot bootloader

• When your Google Nexus 7 has rebooted into bootloader mode, type the following command into the command prompt on your computer:

fastboot oem unlock

• You now have to confirm this is what you want to do and then erase all the data from your device.

Replace your Recovery with Clockworkmod (CWM) recovery

• To replace the recovery image on your Google Nexus 7, you have to install CWM. In your command prompt on your computer enter the following command:

fastboot flash recovery path-to-img/CWM-grouper-recovery.img

Make CWM Permanent

You must ensure that CWM is remains permanently installed by doing the following:

• Boot you Google Nexus into recovery Mode.
• Select the Mounts and Storage option.
• Choose Mount /System
• In the command prompt on your computer, enter:

adb shell
cd /system
mv recovery-from-boot.p recovery-from-boot.bak

Install Super SU

• Make sure you are at the home screen of CWM Recovery
• Choose the option to install the ZIp from your SD Card and install SuperSU ZIP file you copied over previously.

That should be it, you're all done and your Google Nexus 7 should now be unlocked and rooted.