[How-To] Root Your Google I/O Edition Galaxy Tab 10.1
Google handed out a special edition of Galaxy Tab 10.1 to developers last year at Google I/O. Even though it has the same hardware as the retail version, it is different in bootloader and software. There are many guides out there that teaches you how to root a retail version Galaxy Tab 10.1, but those don’t work on the I/O edition. After some fumbling around, I rooted my I/O Galaxy Tab 10.1 and flashed a different ROM on it. Here’s how (on Windows PC):
THIS IS ONLY A GUIDE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT YOU DO TO YOUR DEVICES OR IF YOU BREAK ANYTHING!
1. Download the Android SDK from Google and install it on your PC.
2. Download this zip file and uncompress it. It has everything you need to root an I/O Galaxy Tab 10.1
3. Go to your Android SDK folder and find out where “adb” is located. If it’s not in \android-sdk-windows\tools\ then it might be in \android-sdk-windows\platform-tools\ Find out where it is and make sure it has the files “adb,” “AdbWinApi.dll,” and “AdbWinUsbApi.dll” in the same directory.
4. From the uncompressed files, move the files “fastboot.exe” and “recovery-cwm-5-5-0-4.img” to your the folder where “adb,” “AdbWinApi.dll,” and “AdbWinUsbApi.dll” locate.
5. Install the device driver by installing “PdaNetA325.exe.” Follow the on-screen instruction and when asked which brand your device is, choose Samsung.
6. Plug in your I/O Galaxy Tab 10.1 via USB to your PC. Windows should start installing the appropriate driver for the device. Once it’s completed, wait for about 30 seconds for the AutoPlay dialog box to show up. Click on Open device to view files to open the internal SD card folder (Or you can go to Computer, Portable Devices, GT-P7510).
7. Transfer the “root.zip” file over to the device’s root level.
8. Once that’s done, unplug the USB cable and shut down your Tab.
9. Here’s where it gets interesting. Normally, you can access the recovery partition on the retail version of Galaxy Tab’s by holding down the Power and Volume Down (the one right next to the power button) and choose the recovery partition. However, that option does not exist on the I/O version of Galaxy Tab 10.1. Instead, you choose the USB icon to go into fastboot mode. Use the Volume Down button to choose which mode to boot into and use the Volume Up button to enter.
10. Once you’re in fastboot mode, plug in the USB cable and connect it to the PC.
11. From the Windows Start menu, type in ‘cmd’ to get to the command prompt.
12. Change directory (cd) to where your Android SDK is located. Specifically, the folder that has all the files necessary (fastboot.exe, recovery-cwm-5-5-0-4.img, etc.). For example, if the folder is in C:\android-sdk-windows\tools, then type in “cd C:\android-sdk-windows\tools" and hit enter (without quotes).
13. Type in “fastboot devices” and hit enter (without quotes). The prompt should show you the device connected with a string of numbers.
14. Type in “fastboot boot recovery-cwm-5-5-0-4.img” and hit enter (without quotes). This will boot the Tab into recovery with the specific CWM 5.5.0.4 image. Your Tab will now reboot into CWM recovery.
15. Once you boot into CWM recovery, do a nandroid backup first. Use the Volume buttons to move up and down the list and the Power button to enter. Go to “backup and restore,” then select “backup.” CWM will then do a complete backup of your device.
16. Now to the rooting part. Make your way to “install zip from sdcard,” “choose zip from sdcard,” then select the “root.zip” file to apply. It will ask you to confirm if you want to install the file, choose “Yes”.
17. Once the file finishes installing, “Go back” to the very top level of CWM recovery and choose to “reboot system now.”
18. When the Tab is rebooted, go to Apps and check if there’s “ROM Manager” and “SuperUser” apps installed. You have successfully rooted your I/O Galaxy Tab 10.1 if those two apps appear in your Apps screen.
19. That’s it. Now you have complete access to your I/O Galaxy Tab 10.1.
20. If you want to change the default Recovery to CWM recovery, go back to step 14 and type in “fastboot flash recovery recovery-cwm-5-5-0-4.img” (without quotes) to replace the default recovery with CWM. (Highly recommended you to do this for future ROMing and backing up/restoring!)
