Help! TWRP not starting

[OCHawgy]

I tried to install/flash TWRP to my tablet (SM-P900 wifi) using Odin, but it doesn't seem to be working. I've tried Odin v3.09 and v3.07. I have also tried to install TWRP v2.7.0.1 and then v2.7.0.0 for the hell of it. I get a "pass" from Odin and it says the install was a success, but when I enter recovery mode the stock android system recover initiates, not TWRP. I've followed multiple guides to the 'T' with no success. I've even tried to reinstall my USB drivers--though I haven't had any problems connecting my device to my PC. I'm not rooted (yet). I want to root, but I wanted to make a backup before rooting because I was under the impression that I could do that with TWRP. Do I have to root to use TWRP? Any help is appreciated. This is my first time messing around with roots and such. My goal is to root to clear some bloatware and mount an external HDD. Custom ROMS and themes may be in the future, but not now. Should I definitely do a backup before rooting or just root and go from there?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Graeme H]

This may be a silly question, but just to make sure, you are booting into recovery mode and not download mode right? Download mode is volumn down and recovery mode is volumn up.

 

[OCHawgy]

This may be a silly question, but just to make sure, you are booting into recovery mode and not download mode right? Download mode is volumn down and recovery mode is volumn up.

Not a silly question for a noob haha. Yes, I installed in download mode.

 

[muzzy996]

Not sure if this will help but I noticed that when I installed TWRP with autoreboot turned on and I allowed the OS to boot up I lost TWRP. I reflashed with autoreboot unchecked in Odin and then forced the tablet into recovery manually after Odin was done. TWRP loaded up that time and I immediately did my nandroid backup of stock unrooted.

 

[OCHawgy]

Not sure if this will help but I noticed that when I installed TWRP with autoreboot turned on and I allowed the OS to boot up I lost TWRP. I reflashed with autoreboot unchecked in Odin and then forced the tablet into recovery manually after Odin was done. TWRP loaded up that time and I immediately did my nandroid backup of stock unrooted.

Thank you for your reply. I ended up re-installing the stock firmware/recovery and then flashed TWRP v2.7.0.2 with Odin v3.09. It did the auto reboot, got the pass, then I turned the device off. I tried to boot up in recovery but let go of the buttons too soon, so it booted into OS again (woops). Second time was a charm though, got it to boot into recovery and TWRP booted right up. Yay. I did try to install TWRP v2.7.0.2 before I re-installed the stock firmware, but still wouldn't boot TWRP.