Full root for A700 and A701 tablets

WARNING. THIS is ONLY for tablets running ICS. If you are running Jelly Bean, You May Brick your device!!

Again, this is for ICS ONLY!

Running this root on a Jelly Bean OS can cause your tablet to stop functioning as it is designed for ICS only. If you have a Jelly Bean Operating system, then please use Vorbeth's or Moscow Desire's Easy Root Package located in the Development Forum. If you do not know which OS you currently have, then you should ask questions before rooting.




Method 1. Universal for A700 and A701 Tablet

1. Enable adb mode: Settings -> Developer options -> USB debugging - check it point.
2. Unlock your bootloader for fastboot, follow here. Then reboot a tablet.
3. Download arhive. Unpack it to any place.
4. Open the directory with the unpacked archive. Execute file:
for windows with the rights of administrator:
Your firmware is now rooted.
5. At first it is necessary to start the Superuser program, at least 1 time after receiving root. And only then programs that require root access.

ATTENTION!
Don't install Busybox! It is already installed and established! If you reinstall it, some programs will become unable to access root permissions!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Method 2. With the patched kernel from the A700 tablet
For ICS A700 firmware only!

1. Enable adb mode: Settings -> Developer options -> USB debugging - check it point.
2. Unlock your bootloader for fastboot, follow here. Then reboot a tablet.
3. Download this arhive. Unpack it to any place.
4. Open the directory with the unpacked archive. Execute file:
for windows with the rights of administrator:
Your boot.img is now patched and firmware is now rooted.
5. At first it is necessary to start the Superuser program, at least 1 time after receiving root. And only then programs that require root access.
6. Now you will have to install the following programs:
BusyBox
Titanium Backup
7. Run BusyBox and go through the install steps. During this SU should ask permission to give BB root access, if it does, it worked!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Method 3. From CWM recovery for A700 and A701 Tablet - Not available due to problems in the work of CWM recovery!

1. At the tablet must be installed CWM recovery.
2. Download arhive ICS_Rooting_recovery.zip. Put it on SD-card. Insert the SD-card in the tablet.
3. Run CWM recovery on the tablet and flash ICS_Rooting_recovery.zip.
Your firmware is now rooted.
4. Now you will have to install the following programs:
SuperUser
Titanium Backup
At first it is necessary to start the Superuser program, at least 1 time after receiving root. And only then programs that require root access.

ATTENTION!
Don't install Busybox! It is already installed and established! If you reinstall it, some programs will become unable to access root permissions!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Method 1, in contrast to method 2, does not affect the core of the system. This makes it possible to receive future firmware update. But only if you do not forget to make backups before making changes to the system and restore it before upgrading.

PS: I tried to make a method 1 as safe as possible. But I have not had a chance to test it completely. So if it does not work, be sure to let me know in this thread and I modified it.

bschrib said:

Hey all -- I'm trying to get some root on my new A700 but I have some questions (after doing lots of reading through the forms). Hopefully the community can help me out here?

1.) I see that so far the only methods of obtaining root involve unlocking the bootloader and then running some sort of root.img file. However I also noted in the bootloader unlock thread that you CANNOT relock the bootloader via typical "fastboot oem lock" command, so the only way to restore a locked bootloader is to flash a backup, or original firmware. Is this correct?

2.) CWM ~DOES NOT~ work for the A700, so far as I can read (at least not reliably..?), or more specifically you have to have specific bootloaders for it to be compatible. With this in mind, would it be possible to just "fastboot boot cwm.img" and make nandroid backups, without actually flashing the CWM recovery, or would that too risk bricking the device?

3.) Ultimately my goal is to download the OTA's that my device is getting during it's journey to the OTA JB 4.1.1, however since the /cache/ directory is locked I understand that I'll need root to accomplish this, so if I understand things right, the first thing I'll need to do is to unlock the bootloader (which I can't relock easily), then hopefully I can boot to cwm.img and make my nandroid backups, then I should obtain root via the provided root.img files in the root thread (method 2 is reported as working), does that sound right? Since ultimately my goal is to get updated to stock ~EVERYTHING~ JB 4.1.1, will I be able to revert these changes at the end of this process, or will one of the earlier steps prevent me from actually getting to 4.1.1?

Currently I've got a completely stock device with original 4.0.4 ICS on it (I had to order a replacement from Amazon, first one had a patch of dead pixels and something stuck between screen).
Android Version: 4.0.4
Kernel version: 2.6.39.4+
Image Version: Acer_AV043_A700_RV05RC02_PA_CUS1
Build number: Acer_AV043_A700_1.017.00_PA_CUS1
Image P/N: FM.S1MA0.00A

The reason that I want to get the OTA update files is so I can pull it apart and see if there's someway to get root in JB (MD indicates that we just patch the boot.img file, right?)

Sorry for the long post, just hoping to get some clarity on this before I jump in and start making changes that are irreversible.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

If you hold off for a couple days, will post a insecure boot.image, so you don't have to do all this stuff.

Simple unlock bootloader, Fastboot the new boot.image.

The above method, is outdated, and doesnt give true root/System RW access.

Already works great for 701. Just need to modify 700 boot.img

MD

californiarailroader said:

I'd like to know too, especially since I flashed the CWM in that thread.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Here's what I can tell you about the CWM recovery.

It installs fine with unlocked bootloader. The root process is a little strange, as it required a flash through CWM to get root and /System R/W permissions.

After everything is done, SU could not update it's binaries. Said no /System R/W, even though root explorer has it set to R/W. Strange, but could just be a busy box bad install with the root program. (took a binary flash to update binaries)

Next, CWM Recovery Back-up. It worked, although a bit slow for a stock device with no applications.

Next, deleted a couple system apps. Fine. Added some useful apps from market. Set up tab to my liking, then made another CWM Recovery backup. It took forever (30 minutes at least).

Then, tried a modified kernel ramdisk for init.d support, Cifs, and a couple other tweaks. Normally this is a pretty simple procedure and rarely causes problems.

System hung at boot animation after flash through CWM. No problem, will restore latest backup. The restore took almost an hour. Took forever restoring /Data. After re-boot, none of the apps downloaded in /Data would function. Force Close on all of them, including SU. Couldn't download anything from the market either. Would just hang at downloading.

Looks like a bad recovery? Ok, lets recover the Stock Backup'

No, it hangs at the /Data also, so a corrupted /Data partition. You can't wipe it through CWM, it just hangs. And eventually, the same will happen with /System partition.

You could probably wipe it through Fastboot, but I doubt it. You would only be re-installing a corrupted partition again.

Also noticed, in the recovery folder, there is no mention of Flexrom partition, and possibly one or 2 more (dalvik cache partition?). If you are lucky enough to get a 701/700 rom re-named to update.zip to install and boot, you can consider yourself lucky. If not, send it to an Acer Service Center for repair. Pay the money if you have to.

The problem, there are only 1 or 2 701 roms, and just a few 700 roms to try. It would be luck to find one that works.

If you have the current CWM installed, take my advice, and don't do anything to your tablet that "might" mess things up. (Stay the heck out of CWM). Wait for some more Dev work to get done, and a better functioning CWM. It will eventually happen as it always does.

As far as deleting a thread, I can tell you that it was done to protect anybody else from getting a bricked tab. It's not an easy thing for any moderator to do. Hopefully, things get fixed and the thread will be restored (without the download link, unless it's a better working CWM).

MD

CWM recovery

SanjuroE said:

The thread containing CWM Recovery referred to in method 3 seems to have been deleted?

Is that because it doesn't work? Does anyone have a working recovery?

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

How moderator informed me were many complaints about the wrong job 'CWM recovery'. I was absent for 3 days. So I do not know the details yet.
I sent message to moderator with a request to provide me with text messages from removed thread.

Excuse me

I apologize. Uploaded the wrong file ... It was the repository for the tablet A510.
Now everything is fixed.