Is it safe to root my Android tablet?

[Trenix25]

I hope this is the correct place to put this. I couldn't find a topic dedicated to Android tablets.

I am using an ASUS ZenPad S 8.0 running Android Lollipop 5.0 with a device designation P01M. I have just downloaded the KingRoot 5.2.2 APK file. I have scanned it and Avast says it's free of viruses. My kernel version is 3.10.20-x86_64_moor. Settings also says android@mec13 #1Tue Apr 19 18:19:38 CST 2016. It goes on to talk about the build number saying LRX21V.WW_P01M-V4.7.1-20160419 044030490_201504091141 0010000200001.

I have updated apps, but I have never changed the system kernel, nor have I ever unlocked the bootloader. Root Checker Basic says that root access is not correctly installed on my device. I have written an email to [email protected] asking them if they they believe it will be safe to try to root my tablet without bricking it. I downloaded the APK file from kingroot.net. Does anyone know anything about KingRoot or the developers? Is it safe to use this software? I depend on my tablet and I use it everyday. I can't afford to replace it. If I do a factory reset on my tablet will it also clear the contents of my removable SD card? I backed up everything that I could to that. What will a factory data reset do? Will my tablet still work afterwards?

I have found that if I hold the volume down button starting while the device is turned off until the cold boot process is completed the tablet boots into a special account or mode it calls "Safe mode." The home screen looks completely different. If something goes wrong this option _may_ exist and might just allow me to wipe the tablet with a factory data reset. It's just that I don't know exactly what a factory data reset will do or how I would recover from it.

If anyone has any knowledge about these things your response could be helpful.

Signed,

Matthew Campbell

 

[wizardfromoz]

You're on track now Matthew. I will follow this with interest and hopefully learn too.

Good luck

Wizard

 

[atanere]

Hi Matthew, and welcome to the forums!

I only have a little experience rooting a couple of phones, so I am very far from being an expert. But for any Android questions I would certainly recommend the folks who are experts over at XDA Developers.

As you already know, rooting a device is risky, and your caution is very well deserved. I learned that it was very easy to make some simple mistakes and "soft brick" my phone or get stuck in a boot loop, but that was recoverable. So read up and learn all you can before taking any actions and try to be prepared for that recovery, if you need it. That may include making a nandroid backup to your SD card and knowing how to restore it, and also removing your SD card before you start the root process or unlocking the bootloader.

I think Kingroot is a pretty well known dev, so I don't think that he or his software is malicious... but you have to know that his product is actually suitable for your device. Those guys are really busy, and he may not respond to your email, so it may be up to you to really be sure that both your device (Asus) and your version of Android (5.0) are compatible with his product. Because your tablet is so important to you, if you are in doubt... you shouldn't do it.

Sometimes getting root needs to unlock the bootloader, and sometimes not. I don't know why that is or whether you will need to or not. My own experience is that unlocking the booloader will do a factory reset on the device. That doesn't harm your tablet, but it makes it like it was the day you bought it... brand-spanking new, and you have to re-enter your Google log in information, and all your apps are gone, etc. It may or may not format your SD card, so I would remove it before doing anything the might cause a factory reset, just in case.

Since your tablet is so important, are you sure you want to root it? May I ask what reason is moving you to do this? My opinion is that rooting your device makes it less secure, not more secure. There are some special apps that may be available, but are they worth all the risk involved to get there? Custom ROM's? You may can upgrade the Android version a notch or two, but you probably can't get it up to Oreo... I think that's probably too far of a reach. Anyway, I'm just being nosy now, and you can tell me it's none of my business.

An alternative suggestion, if you can afford it, might be to look around eBay and pick up a used Google Nexus tablet to play with. The Nexus products are very easy to unlock the bootloader and root, and there is probably still a fair amount of support for them on the various Android forums.

Good luck!

 

[Trenix25]

There is nothing wrong with asking questions like this. I am trying to use the app Game Killer to make some changes to the app City Racing 3D. I am unwilling to spend hundreds of dollars of real money to buy virtual diamonds that don't have any value whatsoever outside the game. They can be earned, though very slowly, along with virtual gold coins, the game's currency, and I don't want to spend the next few years of my life racing on the same track over and over again for hours on end every day just to earn the resources necessary to move on to the higher levels in the game. Creehack didn't do anything useful either, nor did Lucky Patcher. I'm told some of these programs need root access in order to work. To make matters worse, Root Checker Basic says root access isn't even set up correctly on my tablet.

I also believe that my tablet belongs to me and as such I should be allowed to have total control over my own property. I want to learn everything I can about my tablet and the way everything works. It shouldn't be wrong to learn about and understand such things. I believe that I have gone about as far as I can go with it the way it is now. I would like to get access to the kernel's source code so I can read it. I sure wish I could get a good C compiler package that would run on my tablet. I will also need to know what opcodes and registers exist and what they do along with how to arrange the operands. I will need a list of all of the mnemonics that As can use that are compatible with my device. In addition to this, I will need to know how to handle the stack when calling or returning from functions. I am used to writing my own software.

Please feel free to be nosey and ask questions. I welcome your participation, and that of others, in this thread. I believe these issues should be allowed to be openly discussed. I don't believe that I am attempting to do anything that constitutes a criminal act. If I can't make these modifications to this game then I probably won't play it anymore. The game is free to download and it is not a demo or trial version. I really miss my old desktop. At least then I could read the kernel's sorce code and modify the system's start up scripts to customize it to suit my preferences. I could get access to everything, even port level I/O. Now I'm stuck in handcuffs when using this tablet and it's really frustrating.

Signed,

Matthew Campbell

 

[atanere]

Okay Matthew... awesome response! One of the funny things about "first contact" in a forum... we don't know the skills of those asking for comments or advice, and I know I (wrongly) tend to assume most folks are relative newbies. It's always good when I get put in my place... man, your skills blow me away!

So, I have little left to offer. I guess you've tried rooting before, but if Root Checker says it's not rooted then there must have been some problem with the process. It's all still risky business, but I know that you're plenty capable of achieving your goal, if it is at all achievable.

A quick Google found this thread over on XDA that is still active for over 2 years now regarding what I think is your device. Page 1 includes a still working link to the original Asus image if you need to restore back to that. It's an earlier version number than you listed, so I'm guessing that it is without some or any updates. There are 129 pages in that thread... but if it is your device, then you may learn many things there. The last few pages indicate that they are still not able to unlock the bootloader, so that may be an issue for you too.

Best of luck... I hope you make it work like you want. Cheers!

 

[Trenix25]

I have not rooted an Android device before. Given that it appears to be a dangerous procedure, I figured it would be wise to ask questions and learn all I can about it first before trying to do so.

Signed,

Matthew Campbell