[How To] Unlock Bootloader & Root Galaxy Nexus

[jntdroid]

Connect the phone in bootloader mode. Then go to the device manager and you will see and Android 1.0 device. Right click and then click update driver. The select to choose from a list...




Once you get to the list of drivers there is an option to select from a list of manufacturers with drivers installed on your comp. Choose the one that says Samsung phone. Then you should get the option to select the adb driver.

beautiful... I was half a step off - thank you! working perfectly now

 

[jntdroid]

Try this before you fastboot. Power the phone on normally and plug it into your computer. USB debugging on. Wait for windows to automatically install the drivers. After this is done, unplug your phone. Now run the pdanet installer. It will prompt you to plug your phone in. From this point, follow the installer instructions to a "T" and you should be fine. After pdanet installs, unplug your phone and power down. Now, open device manager. Boot your phone into the bootloader (three finger salute). Now connect your phone to computer. In the device manager window, you should see Samsung (something...) followed by Android 1.0 driver (or something similar). Once you see this, you're good to go. Go ahead and double click install-superboot-windows from the root of your computer's C drive. Let me know if this works.

More than likely the device is going to hang on the Google screen. This is fine, don't panic. Let it sit for 5 minutes. If it doesn't reboot on its own, now do a battery pull. Boot up normally and enjoy your superuser privileges.

Windows won't automatically install the drivers without me first installing the Samsung drivers - errors out every time. So I did that, then followed the instructions to a T and still it wouldn't recognize the device in fastboot mode.

 

[GoBears]

**Holding breath while phone reboots** lol

 

[BenLand150]

All I did to install was..

1. Plug in phone
2. Downloaded the PDAnet/Drivers file
3. Install, click the Samsung phone choice
4. Reboot computer
5. Boot computer up, plug in phone, and the drivers should finish install instead of saying error on the last step
6. Boot off phone, get into the bootloader then replug it back into the computer
7. Type cmd in the Start menue
8. Once the prompt is open and the phone is plugged in, type in "cd C:/", then, "cd root", then "fastboot-windows oem unlock". Make sure that the "root" folder is in C: before doing this.
9. You should be brought up to the "Unlock" option, click it using power button.

Your phone is now unlocked.

For root:
1. Go into the "root" folder in C:
2. Click and install
3. Follow instructions, and it should reboot. It may stay on Google for like 3 minutes, then flash and it'll show up on the google screen and reboot normally.

Note: I did the update before all this.

 

[yakitori]

has to be the absolute EASIEST root process ever created for a phone. lol. Unlocked bootloader and superuser access granted....thank you to the OP!

 

[GoBears]

Super easy thanks OP!

 

[BL4Z3D247]

I had to install Samsung_USB_Driver_for_Moblie_Phones_v1_4_6_0 first since windows was not automatically installing them for me and wouldn't recognize my G-Nex, the I used the PDANet to install those drivers and then just followed the instructions sbenson posted on page 1. Worked like a charm.

 

[yakitori]

Anyone update superuser yet? Successfully?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using DroidForums

 

[doublea500]

By accident, after i unlocked the bootloader, i clicked the power button again (im too used to the d1). now in bootloader it says lock state-unlocked and but it doesnt say fastboot status- ok. i was planning on doing the rooting now. what should i do?

 

[NCREDIBLE DROID]

OH YEAH! :icon_ lala:

 

[yakitori]

By accident, after i unlocked the bootloader, i clicked the power button again (im too used to the d1). now in bootloader it says lock state-unlocked and but it doesnt say fastboot status- ok. i was planning on doing the rooting now. what should i do?

repeat the step in cmd prompt. Fast boot unlock step

sent from my unlocked gnex

 

[doublea500]

repeat the step in cmd prompt. Fast boot unlock step

sent from my unlocked gnex

now it sasy fastboot status -failalready unlocked

 

[BL4Z3D247]

Anyone update superuser yet? Successfully?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using DroidForums

Yes, are you having trouble?

 

[BL4Z3D247]

By accident, after i unlocked the bootloader, i clicked the power button again (im too used to the d1). now in bootloader it says lock state-unlocked and but it doesnt say fastboot status- ok. i was planning on doing the rooting now. what should i do?

It says that when it's not connected to the computer, just make sure it's plugged in and if it is then continue to the root step.

 

[doublea500]

It says that when it's not connected to the computer, just make sure it's plugged in and if it is then continue to the root step.

k i just did, now its in the google screen. its been like that for like 3 min now. that normal?