[Q] need to flash 4.4.2 on Razr Maxx HD - HOW??

Please no one blast me for asking this question. I have spent HOURS searching for definitive answers, and I can't find what I need to know. I want to be very sure before I make any changes - I do not want to guess. I haven't bricked a phone yet, and don't want to start now. And I very much do not want to lose root.

I have a Droid Razr Maxx HD from VZW. It's currently running Android version 4.1.2 (System version 9.18.94.XT926.Verizon.en.US). It is rooted, but the bootloader is not unlocked, and I prefer not to unlock it. I *MUST* have root access. The phone is running painfully slow and I've already cleared the cache partition, but it's not enough. I want to do a hard reset after upgrading the firmware, then re-root.

My understanding, after about 6 hours of research, is that TowelRoot can root any version of Android released before June 3, 2014. I think that means 4.4.2. I found a place to download the stock version of 4.4.2 for XT926 (at least it's called that - it's not on the VZW site), but I can't verify the release date. I think it was before June 3 because I found discussions of 4.4.2 on the VZW site from last May.

1) Can someone verify that 4.4.2 is rootable with TowelRoot (which I've already downloaded).

2) Is there a place on the VZW site to download previous firmware versions so I can be certain I've got stock? Google publishes theirs (I also have a Nexus 10), but I don't see a page like this on the VZW site.

Next is how to flash... I have flashed my phone before using no additional software, but I can't recall the exact procedure and I don't want to screw it up. As I recall, I just had to put the zip file in the root of an external SD Card, then run native fastboot. But everything I've found googling says I have to edit an xml file, and run a Windows program called RSD Lite. Why?? I've found that the more 3rd party software in the mix, the greater the chance for disaster. Why can't I just use the native facility? I can't find the instructions I used previously.

I truly have tried to find the answers to these questions on my own, and I cannot. Could one of the very knowledgable people on this forum give me some definitive answers? I would be very grateful.

I figured out how to select a firmware update on my SD card via Recovery mode. I selected the zip file, and I see the message "Install /sdcard ...", but it doesn't look like anything is happening.

Not one response? No help from anyone?

This is a pretty useless forum. I would like to delete my original message since not one sole here can deign to even respond, but I can't do it.

Thanks for nothing.

welder73 said:

No one can help you here because your Razr Maxx HD is a different from Razr Maxx,this isn't the forum for it.

Sent from my Razr XT910

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

I tried very hard to find the right place to post my question. I couldn't find a forum for my exact model, and this seemed the closest. I thought I saw other posts about the Razr Maxx HD here. Do you have a link for the correct forum? I also spent a lot of time looking for the answer on my own before posting so no one could say I hadn't tried. But though I tried to be a good forum citizen, no one helped.

In any case, it doesn't matter. I took a chance, and luckily I guessed right. I'm now running KitKat and I am rooted. My phone had gotten very slow, so I also emptied the cache partition, then did a hard reset of my phone. I'm now reinstalling apps (not all of them).