** All-In-One Guide For Asus Infinity (TF700) - Rooting/Unlocking/NvFlash/Custom Recovery Install/Recover from Soft Bricks/Downgrading Firmware/Factory Restore/Various Tips &Tricks **
Warnings:
* I'm NOT responsible for any damage caused to your device by using these tutorials so use them on your OWN risk.
* Don't use the TF101&TF202 NvFlash solution/files or you will end-up with a very expensive brick.
* UPDATE [23/09/2012] AndroidRoot.mobi team released their tool to make NvFlash working on our device.If you want to unlock your bootloader and stay safe than i strongly advice to use this tool after unlocking,and before starting the "happy flashing" of custom roms and stuff,getting access to NvFlash will make your device BrickProof
* If you intend to use NvFlash please STAY AWAY from the 9.4.5.30 UPDATE
***This is a collection of guides collected from different threads on XDA Forum so credits goes to the original posters and all the people that shared precious knowledge here on XDA.Big THX to everyone.***
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
*** Rooting Your TF700 with Debugfs automated root ***
*This method works only with ICS roms
Note: Rooting will NOT void your Warranty!!!
Before you start make sure that:
* USB Debugging is activated (on your device go to Settings/Developer Options/USB debugging)
* Unknown Sources is activated ( on your device go to Settings/Security/Unknown sources )
* Make sure no other Android device is connected to your PC
* Make sure Asus Sync Tool is not running on your PC
========= Rooting procedure =========
1) Create a folder on your desktop an name it " TF700 Rooting " (you can use a different name but i will use this name in this guide)
2) Download Asus USB drivers and Debugfs automated root from here
3) Extract the downloaded files to TF700 Rooting folder
4) Power ON your device and connect it to a USB port on your PC
5) If Windows is asking for the drivers point the driver installer to the Asus USB drivers in the TF700 Rooting folder ... if not, install the ADB drivers from Windows Device Manager (if you don't know how to do it then you better stay off from rooting your device)
6) Open the TF700 Rooting folder and run RootDebugfs.bat (right click --> Run As Administrator)
7) Select option "1" and press "Enter"
8) Follow the instructions on-screen
DONE, if you did everything right your device will be rooted.
*** Rooting Method For Unlocked TF700T Devices ***
*This method can be used to root UNLOCKED devices on Jelly Bean.
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
*** Unlocking with Asus Unlock Tool ***
Warning: Unlocking WILL VOID the Warranty for ever and that's NO WAY to get back to a ORIGINAL condition/state.Also thats no reson to complain with Asus on this because the improper use of the Unlocked Bootloader could really damage your device (eg. bad kernel,bad overclocking ,flashing wrong stuff ... etc) .So read people,read and instead of flashing first and asking for help later just do the opposite,ask/read first and then flash.
Also,after UNLOCKING your bootloader you WON'T BE ABLE to receive OTA updates anymore,but you we will still be able to update your firmware manually ,using the latest Official version available on Asus site.
** Why unlocking? **
Unlocking the bootloader will give you more freedom to "play" with your device and more options to make it better.Here's why:
- Fastboot Mode will be now available (used to install recovery and more)
- You can install a custom recovery (you can install custom roms, do nandroid backups,etc)
- You can install custom roms (improved user experience)
Here's the Guide To Unlock Your Bootloaderhttp://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1795156
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
*** TF700 NVFlash tool ***
** What's this? **
NvFlash it's using "low level" access to your device (via APX mode) and it's the only tool that can help recover even from hardbrick but it's not provided or supported by Asus in any way,on the contrary,they are trying to do their best in order to stop us from using it,so basicaly without working NvFlash the only way you could recover your device from a hard brick would be sending the device to Asus and pay them for the repair.
But AndroidRoot.mobi team managed to get NvFlash working on our Infinity so you now have the possibility to make your device BrickProof,so a big THX to them.
Just follow the links bellow and please stick with the guide that AndroidRoot.mobi team provided,you will be just fine.
XDA original thread - [TOOL][BRICKPROOF]TF700 NVFlash release!
AndroidRoot.mobi team blog - NVFlash for Tegra3 – Transformer TF700T
Need Help with NvFlash? - Ask Here
TIPS/TROUBLESHOOT
* You are trying to flash the AndroidRoot bootloader but your device doesn't get recognized by Windows?
* Your device is recognized in Windows Device Manager but your FastBoot commands are failing?
* Your device is recognized in Windows Device Manager but you can't get Wheelie or NvFlash to work?
Most likely the above issues are the result of a missing or bad driver installation and the best way to fix is to manually uninstall the drivers from Windows Device Manager and manually install the drivers from the "Universal Naked Drivers" pack.
Also if you feel tired and it's late night ,maybe you should just get a good sleep and try NvFlash again tomorrow.
* You are trying to "bootstrap" NvFlash mode using Wheelie, but it keeps saying that "blob.bin is not found" when running "$ wheelie --blob blob.bin " command.
Just copy the "blob.bin" file from the "AndroidRoot" folder ,wich you can find on your internal storage and paste it in the same folder where Wheelie and NvFlash are located.
* When running the "$ wheelie --blob blob.bin " command on my PC with Windows7 i get an error saying " $ is not recognized as an internal or external command"
Just remove the "$" from the command,it's not used on Windows OS.
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
*** Custom Recovery Installation ***
Warning: Don't use Rom Manager to install a CWM Recovery,it will soft-brick your device!
Note: ATM there's only TWRP Touch Recovery available for Asus TF700 but works great .THX to TeamWin for their work .
UPDATE (14/09/2012) : CWM Recovery is also available now.THX to dasunsrule32
======== TWRP Recovery Installation ========
TWRP recovery works on both ICS and Jelly Bean firmware and it's an unified version for 32GB/64GB TF700T
There are two installation methods,the easy way using GooManager app and the hard way using Fastboot or ADB commands.Let's see how both ways work.
** Using GooManager **
1) Install GooManager from the Play Store
2) Open GooManager and provide root permissions
3) Hit Menu (or the button with the 3 dots on your screen) and then Install OpenRecovery
** FastBoot Method **
1) Install Android SDK
2) Download TWRP Recovery blob and check the MD5 sum (don't skip MD5 check,is there to make sure the file is not corrupted)
3) Rename the downloaded file to twrp.blob and put the file in the same directory as your fastboot.exe (unless you have /platform-tools in PATH then you can flash from anywhere)
4) Turn off your device and boot to fastboot (power on while holding volume down, then select the usb icon and hit volume up to confirm)
5) Plug the device into your computer
6) Run the following command via the command line:
fastboot -i 0x0B05 flash recovery twrp.blob
(more on fastboot http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/wiki/Fastboot )
Here are more links/guides on how to install the recovery:
http://www.teamw.in/project/twrp2/105
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1798586
======== ClockworkMod Recovery Installation ========
** FastBoot Method **
1) Install Android SDK
2) Download CWM Recovery image from the original thread and check the MD5 sum (don't skip MD5 check,is there to make sure the file is not corrupted)
3) Copy the downloaded file in the same directory as your fastboot.exe (unless you have /platform-tools in PATH then you can flash from anywhere)
4) Turn off your device and boot into fastboot mode (power on while holding volume down, then select the usb icon and hit volume up to confirm)
5) Plug the device into your computer
6) Run the following command via the command line:
fastboot -i 0x0B05 flash recovery recovery.img
fastboot reboot
(more on fastboot http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/wiki/Fastboot )
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
*** Factory Restore after a softbrick/Downgrade from Jelly Bean to ICS/Clean Factory Restore ***
When You Need This?
* if you get stuck on Asus boot screen (the one with the spinning wheel)
* If you don't like JB and you want ICS back
* if you want to get back to a clean stock firmware
Note: You need to have a working recovery (stock or custom) in order to use this method.
========= Recover /Downgrade from Jelly Bean to ICS/Clean Factory Restore with stock recovery =========
1) Download the desired Asus stock firmware (based on your SKU,eg. ww 9.4.5.26 ) *** to downgrade from Jelly Bean you need the 9.4.5.30 firmware***
2) Extract the .zip file somewere on your desktop (the result will be another .zip file,use it for step 3)
3) Rename the extracted archive to "EP201_768_SDUPDATE.ZIP" (without the " ") and upload it to a MicroSD card
4) Insert the MicroSD card in your tablet and use this button combination to Power ON and go to recovery --> Start the tablet by pressing Volume Down and POWER togheter for 5 seconds ,a message will inform you that you have 5 seconds to enter the recovery,press Volume UP before the 5 seconds expire.
At this point the device will go in recovery and should start updating your firmware .
Note: Keep in mind that Windows doesn't show the known file extensions so most users don't have to put the .ZIP extension in the filename.
========= Recover /Downgrade from Jelly Bean to ICS/Clean Factory Restore with custom recovery =========
1) Download the desired Asus stock firmware (based on your SKU,eg. ww 9.4.5.26 ) *** to downgrade from Jelly Bean you need the 9.4.5.30 firmware***
2) Extract the .zip file somewere on your desktop
3)Rename the file to something like "recover.zip" uploade it to the root of your MicroSD card
4) Insert the MicroSD card in your tablet and use this button combination to Power ON and go to recovery --> Start the tablet by pressing Volume Down and POWER togheter for 5 seconds ,a message will inform you that you have 5 seconds to enter the recovery,press Volume UP before the 5 seconds expire
5) From the recovery menu press Install and select the "recover.zip" file ...wait until the install process ends and then restart your device.
Note: Keep in mind that Windows doesn't show the known file extensions so most users don't have to put the .zip extension in the filename.
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
*** Firmware Downgrade & SKU Change ***
WARNING : Please keep in mind that this method is highly experimental on Asus TF700 but still was tested with success on TF 300 so should work on TF700 aswell, but you have to use the blobs for TF700 not the ones from the original thread. Use it on your own risk and please report here in any case.
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
*** Volume&Power Buttons combinations ***
Use this buttons for getting access to Recovery,Fastboot ,APX ,to do a Cold Boot and Wipe Data.
Note: Make sure your device is OFF before using this.
** Boot To Recovery **
Press Volume Down + Power untill you see a white text on the screen then release the buttons and press Volume UP (you have 5 seconds to do it)
Note: This works for both Stock and Custom recovery.
Note 2: On Jelly Bean you will have to press Volume UP right after the four icons (3 icons if you are still locked) will show .
** Cold Boot - FastBoot - Wipe Data Menu **
Press Volume Down + Power untill you see a white text on the screen then release the buttons.Use Volume Down to navigate and Volume Up to confirm your selection.You have 10 seconds to make your choise,or else the system will do a Cold Boot by default.
Note: FastBoot mode is available only if you unlocked the bootloader.
** Boot to APX mode **
Press Volume Up + Power for 5 seconds,the device will vibrate and your screen will be OFF.
Note: APX mode is needed if you want to use NVflash.
Note 2: Press Power button for 10 seconds to exit APX mode
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Warnings:
* I'm NOT responsible for any damage caused to your device by using these tutorials so use them on your OWN risk.
* Don't use the TF101&TF202 NvFlash solution/files or you will end-up with a very expensive brick.
* UPDATE [23/09/2012] AndroidRoot.mobi team released their tool to make NvFlash working on our device.If you want to unlock your bootloader and stay safe than i strongly advice to use this tool after unlocking,and before starting the "happy flashing" of custom roms and stuff,getting access to NvFlash will make your device BrickProof
* If you intend to use NvFlash please STAY AWAY from the 9.4.5.30 UPDATE
***This is a collection of guides collected from different threads on XDA Forum so credits goes to the original posters and all the people that shared precious knowledge here on XDA.Big THX to everyone.***
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
*** Rooting Your TF700 with Debugfs automated root ***
*This method works only with ICS roms
Note: Rooting will NOT void your Warranty!!!
Before you start make sure that:
* USB Debugging is activated (on your device go to Settings/Developer Options/USB debugging)
* Unknown Sources is activated ( on your device go to Settings/Security/Unknown sources )
* Make sure no other Android device is connected to your PC
* Make sure Asus Sync Tool is not running on your PC
========= Rooting procedure =========
1) Create a folder on your desktop an name it " TF700 Rooting " (you can use a different name but i will use this name in this guide)
2) Download Asus USB drivers and Debugfs automated root from here
3) Extract the downloaded files to TF700 Rooting folder
4) Power ON your device and connect it to a USB port on your PC
5) If Windows is asking for the drivers point the driver installer to the Asus USB drivers in the TF700 Rooting folder ... if not, install the ADB drivers from Windows Device Manager (if you don't know how to do it then you better stay off from rooting your device)
6) Open the TF700 Rooting folder and run RootDebugfs.bat (right click --> Run As Administrator)
7) Select option "1" and press "Enter"
8) Follow the instructions on-screen
DONE, if you did everything right your device will be rooted.
*** Rooting Method For Unlocked TF700T Devices ***
*This method can be used to root UNLOCKED devices on Jelly Bean.
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
*** Unlocking with Asus Unlock Tool ***
Warning: Unlocking WILL VOID the Warranty for ever and that's NO WAY to get back to a ORIGINAL condition/state.Also thats no reson to complain with Asus on this because the improper use of the Unlocked Bootloader could really damage your device (eg. bad kernel,bad overclocking ,flashing wrong stuff ... etc) .So read people,read and instead of flashing first and asking for help later just do the opposite,ask/read first and then flash.
Also,after UNLOCKING your bootloader you WON'T BE ABLE to receive OTA updates anymore,but you we will still be able to update your firmware manually ,using the latest Official version available on Asus site.
** Why unlocking? **
Unlocking the bootloader will give you more freedom to "play" with your device and more options to make it better.Here's why:
- Fastboot Mode will be now available (used to install recovery and more)
- You can install a custom recovery (you can install custom roms, do nandroid backups,etc)
- You can install custom roms (improved user experience)
Here's the Guide To Unlock Your Bootloaderhttp://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1795156
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
*** TF700 NVFlash tool ***
** What's this? **
NvFlash it's using "low level" access to your device (via APX mode) and it's the only tool that can help recover even from hardbrick but it's not provided or supported by Asus in any way,on the contrary,they are trying to do their best in order to stop us from using it,so basicaly without working NvFlash the only way you could recover your device from a hard brick would be sending the device to Asus and pay them for the repair.
But AndroidRoot.mobi team managed to get NvFlash working on our Infinity so you now have the possibility to make your device BrickProof,so a big THX to them.
Just follow the links bellow and please stick with the guide that AndroidRoot.mobi team provided,you will be just fine.
XDA original thread - [TOOL][BRICKPROOF]TF700 NVFlash release!
AndroidRoot.mobi team blog - NVFlash for Tegra3 – Transformer TF700T
Need Help with NvFlash? - Ask Here
TIPS/TROUBLESHOOT
* You are trying to flash the AndroidRoot bootloader but your device doesn't get recognized by Windows?
* Your device is recognized in Windows Device Manager but your FastBoot commands are failing?
* Your device is recognized in Windows Device Manager but you can't get Wheelie or NvFlash to work?
Most likely the above issues are the result of a missing or bad driver installation and the best way to fix is to manually uninstall the drivers from Windows Device Manager and manually install the drivers from the "Universal Naked Drivers" pack.
Also if you feel tired and it's late night ,maybe you should just get a good sleep and try NvFlash again tomorrow.
* You are trying to "bootstrap" NvFlash mode using Wheelie, but it keeps saying that "blob.bin is not found" when running "$ wheelie --blob blob.bin " command.
Just copy the "blob.bin" file from the "AndroidRoot" folder ,wich you can find on your internal storage and paste it in the same folder where Wheelie and NvFlash are located.
* When running the "$ wheelie --blob blob.bin " command on my PC with Windows7 i get an error saying " $ is not recognized as an internal or external command"
Just remove the "$" from the command,it's not used on Windows OS.
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
*** Custom Recovery Installation ***
Warning: Don't use Rom Manager to install a CWM Recovery,it will soft-brick your device!
Note: ATM there's only TWRP Touch Recovery available for Asus TF700 but works great .THX to TeamWin for their work .
UPDATE (14/09/2012) : CWM Recovery is also available now.THX to dasunsrule32
======== TWRP Recovery Installation ========
TWRP recovery works on both ICS and Jelly Bean firmware and it's an unified version for 32GB/64GB TF700T
There are two installation methods,the easy way using GooManager app and the hard way using Fastboot or ADB commands.Let's see how both ways work.
** Using GooManager **
1) Install GooManager from the Play Store
2) Open GooManager and provide root permissions
3) Hit Menu (or the button with the 3 dots on your screen) and then Install OpenRecovery
** FastBoot Method **
1) Install Android SDK
2) Download TWRP Recovery blob and check the MD5 sum (don't skip MD5 check,is there to make sure the file is not corrupted)
3) Rename the downloaded file to twrp.blob and put the file in the same directory as your fastboot.exe (unless you have /platform-tools in PATH then you can flash from anywhere)
4) Turn off your device and boot to fastboot (power on while holding volume down, then select the usb icon and hit volume up to confirm)
5) Plug the device into your computer
6) Run the following command via the command line:
fastboot -i 0x0B05 flash recovery twrp.blob
(more on fastboot http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/wiki/Fastboot )
Here are more links/guides on how to install the recovery:
http://www.teamw.in/project/twrp2/105
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1798586
======== ClockworkMod Recovery Installation ========
** FastBoot Method **
1) Install Android SDK
2) Download CWM Recovery image from the original thread and check the MD5 sum (don't skip MD5 check,is there to make sure the file is not corrupted)
3) Copy the downloaded file in the same directory as your fastboot.exe (unless you have /platform-tools in PATH then you can flash from anywhere)
4) Turn off your device and boot into fastboot mode (power on while holding volume down, then select the usb icon and hit volume up to confirm)
5) Plug the device into your computer
6) Run the following command via the command line:
fastboot -i 0x0B05 flash recovery recovery.img
fastboot reboot
(more on fastboot http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/wiki/Fastboot )
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
*** Factory Restore after a softbrick/Downgrade from Jelly Bean to ICS/Clean Factory Restore ***
When You Need This?
* if you get stuck on Asus boot screen (the one with the spinning wheel)
* If you don't like JB and you want ICS back
* if you want to get back to a clean stock firmware
Note: You need to have a working recovery (stock or custom) in order to use this method.
========= Recover /Downgrade from Jelly Bean to ICS/Clean Factory Restore with stock recovery =========
1) Download the desired Asus stock firmware (based on your SKU,eg. ww 9.4.5.26 ) *** to downgrade from Jelly Bean you need the 9.4.5.30 firmware***
2) Extract the .zip file somewere on your desktop (the result will be another .zip file,use it for step 3)
3) Rename the extracted archive to "EP201_768_SDUPDATE.ZIP" (without the " ") and upload it to a MicroSD card
4) Insert the MicroSD card in your tablet and use this button combination to Power ON and go to recovery --> Start the tablet by pressing Volume Down and POWER togheter for 5 seconds ,a message will inform you that you have 5 seconds to enter the recovery,press Volume UP before the 5 seconds expire.
At this point the device will go in recovery and should start updating your firmware .
Note: Keep in mind that Windows doesn't show the known file extensions so most users don't have to put the .ZIP extension in the filename.
========= Recover /Downgrade from Jelly Bean to ICS/Clean Factory Restore with custom recovery =========
1) Download the desired Asus stock firmware (based on your SKU,eg. ww 9.4.5.26 ) *** to downgrade from Jelly Bean you need the 9.4.5.30 firmware***
2) Extract the .zip file somewere on your desktop
3)Rename the file to something like "recover.zip" uploade it to the root of your MicroSD card
4) Insert the MicroSD card in your tablet and use this button combination to Power ON and go to recovery --> Start the tablet by pressing Volume Down and POWER togheter for 5 seconds ,a message will inform you that you have 5 seconds to enter the recovery,press Volume UP before the 5 seconds expire
5) From the recovery menu press Install and select the "recover.zip" file ...wait until the install process ends and then restart your device.
Note: Keep in mind that Windows doesn't show the known file extensions so most users don't have to put the .zip extension in the filename.
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
*** Firmware Downgrade & SKU Change ***
WARNING : Please keep in mind that this method is highly experimental on Asus TF700 but still was tested with success on TF 300 so should work on TF700 aswell, but you have to use the blobs for TF700 not the ones from the original thread. Use it on your own risk and please report here in any case.
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
*** Volume&Power Buttons combinations ***
Use this buttons for getting access to Recovery,Fastboot ,APX ,to do a Cold Boot and Wipe Data.
Note: Make sure your device is OFF before using this.
** Boot To Recovery **
Press Volume Down + Power untill you see a white text on the screen then release the buttons and press Volume UP (you have 5 seconds to do it)
Note: This works for both Stock and Custom recovery.
Note 2: On Jelly Bean you will have to press Volume UP right after the four icons (3 icons if you are still locked) will show .
** Cold Boot - FastBoot - Wipe Data Menu **
Press Volume Down + Power untill you see a white text on the screen then release the buttons.Use Volume Down to navigate and Volume Up to confirm your selection.You have 10 seconds to make your choise,or else the system will do a Cold Boot by default.
Note: FastBoot mode is available only if you unlocked the bootloader.
** Boot to APX mode **
Press Volume Up + Power for 5 seconds,the device will vibrate and your screen will be OFF.
Note: APX mode is needed if you want to use NVflash.
Note 2: Press Power button for 10 seconds to exit APX mode
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Last edited: