Root without unlocking bootloader

[DrWaste]

Hi,

I'd like to root my zenfone 2 laser (ze550kl z00ld). I've been trying to unlock the bootloader with the Asus app (version 9.0.0.3) for a few days but it fails every time as for many other users (can't post urls but several threads on asus zentalk forums). I can't find version 9.1.0.0 of the tool unfortunately. However, it looks like I could root the phone without unlocking the bootloader because I can use adb to reboot to fastboot mode (adb reboot bootloader from pc command line) as I have enabled developer mode with usb debugging and the computer is allowed on the phone.

Am I right to do this?
- download latest twrp recovery image for phone model (twrp-3.3.1-0-Z00L.img from dl.twrp.me) on computer
- connect phone to computer (linux OS) & reboot to fastboot mode
- flash twrp image via

flashboot flash recovery twrp-3.3.1-0-Z00L.img

from computer
- simultaneously reboot the phone from computer via

fastboot reboot

while simultaneously holding down the volume down key on the phone
- this should allow me to reboot into twrp recovery from which I can flash the supersu app zip dowloaded from supersu.com and copied from the computer onto the phone's sd card root

Does this seem correct to you? Is this likely to succeed or should I continue trying to unlock the bootloader?

Thank you very much!

 

[FHC1998]

Hi,
Does this seem correct to you? Is this likely to succeed or should I continue trying to unlock the bootloader?

Thank you very much!

Hello

You won't be able to install TWRP without unlocking the bootloader.

The official unlocking tool is very buggy, and pretty much useless since it never works.

I recommend you follow this unofficial method.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/ze...de-unlock-bootloader-asus-unlock-app-t3405850


You should be able to unlock the bootloader in less than 5minutes. Just enable adb, boot into fastboot and run the code available in that thread, and it should do the trick.

After unlocking, then you can install TWRP and then Magisk, if all you want is to have root.

 

[DrWaste]

Hello,

I recommend you follow this unofficial method.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/ze...de-unlock-bootloader-asus-unlock-app-t3405850

There's something I don't understand. On the first message of that thread it says:

You MUST be rooted to use this method.

That can't work for me as my phone isn't rooted.

It says to follow other methods given in another thread to try to root the phone beforehand. I'd read all these threads before. There are three which give a guide to root the zenfone 2 laser ze550kl. One requires to first unlock the bootloader (feels like I'm going round in circles here...) and the other two link to a firmware patch which used to be hosted on mega.nz but aren't available anymore.

I'd love to go the easy way and unlock the bootloader first before flashing twrp recovery and then rooting, but it seems like that's just not possible because all the guides are obsolete, or am I missing something more subtle?

Thanks!

 

[FHC1998]

Hello,



There's something I don't understand. On the first message of that thread it says:

That can't work for me as my phone isn't rooted.

It says to follow other methods given in another thread to try to root the phone beforehand. I'd read all these threads before. There are three which give a guide to root the zenfone 2 laser ze550kl. One requires to first unlock the bootloader (feels like I'm going round in circles here...) and the other two link to a firmware patch which used to be hosted on mega.nz but aren't available anymore.

I'd love to go the easy way and unlock the bootloader first before flashing twrp recovery and then rooting, but it seems like that's just not possible because all the guides are obsolete, or am I missing something more subtle?

Thanks!

If I recall correctly, the root part is only used to make the partitions backup with adb shell.

The bootloader unlocking part (the two line code that goes "echo ....") doesn't need it.

I used this tutorial a long time ago, so take this info with a grain of salt.

The problem is that this phone is almost 4 years old now, so most links are not being updated or dead.

So it might be worth a shot trying to run that code without root. (By my understanding, root does not alter the fastboot binaries, so it should not be necessary).

In any case, I might have a backup of a patched system IMG somewhere on my computer. I'll try searching for it and if I find I'll upload it to you.

 

[DrWaste]

Hello,

If I recall correctly, the root part is only used to make the partitions backup with adb shell.

The bootloader unlocking part (the two line code that goes "echo ....") doesn't need it.

I used this tutorial a long time ago, so take this info with a grain of salt.

The problem is that this phone is almost 4 years old now, so most links are not being updated or dead.

So it might be worth a shot trying to run that code without root. (By my understanding, root does not alter the fastboot binaries, so it should not be necessary).

In any case, I might have a backup of a patched system IMG somewhere on my computer. I'll try searching for it and if I find I'll upload it to you.

OK, I'll give a shot that way. If you do find the system image that would be cool.

Thanks.

 

[DrWaste]

Hello,

If I recall correctly, the root part is only used to make the partitions backup with adb shell.

The bootloader unlocking part (the two line code that goes "echo ....") doesn't need it.

I used this tutorial a long time ago, so take this info with a grain of salt.

The problem is that this phone is almost 4 years old now, so most links are not being updated or dead.

So it might be worth a shot trying to run that code without root. (By my understanding, root does not alter the fastboot binaries, so it should not be necessary).

In any case, I might have a backup of a patched system IMG somewhere on my computer. I'll try searching for it and if I find I'll upload it to you.

Nope, seems to require root to modify the hex value of byte 16 on the boot device (I presume that's what the command does, there's no man accessible via adb shell but that's what that dd command does on unix machines). I can't even, as normal user, list /dev/block or even /dev:

1|[email protected]_Z00L_63:/ $ 
 count=1 seek=16 of=/dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/devinfo                     <
dd: /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/devinfo: Permission denied
1|[email protected]_Z00L_63:/ $ ls /dev                                         
/dev: Permission denied

Bummer, really hoped it would work. Back to unlocking the bootloader via the buggy Asus app it seems, or chucking the phone out of the window maybe...

Thanks for your help anyway :good: