There are 2 types of Google Nexus One devices : Retail and Google’s holiday gift to its’ employees. The retail version bought from http://google.com/phone has its bootloader locked but Google lets you unlock your bootloader unlike Apple! Google warns that the warranty will be void if you unlock the bootloader but seriously, unless you install some really dumb applications, you cannot damage the device.
Rooting your Google Nexus One is a 2 step process. One, Fastboot and the other Superboot (courtesy Paul from Modaco).
Download this file (Rapidshare). or you can also download them from here(modaco). Extract them to your desktop. You will see two .zip files, extract them both.
Fastboot [Google's warning and Unlocking the bootloader]
CAUTION : All your data will be erased.
- Connect your Nexus One to your PC/Mac and turn it off.
- Hold the trackball and hit the power button (while holding the trackball). You should see the following bootloader screen.
- Now from the files you downloaded previously, you will see a folder called ‘fastboot‘ (if you extracted fastboot.zip that is!).
- On a Windows machine – launch Command Prompt and CD to fastboot folder. (Type in ‘cd ‘ (without the quotes and drag and drop the fastboot folder to the command prompt). Type in ‘cd fastboot‘ again and now type the following command ‘fastboot-windows oem unlock‘ (without quotes) and hit enter.
- On a Mac or Linux machine – launch the Terminal and CD to fastboot folder (type in ‘cd ‘ and drag and drop the folder. Now hit enter.). Now CD to the other fastboot folder and type the following (without quotes): ‘./fastboot-mac oem unlock‘ (for Mac) or ’./fastboot-linux oem unlock’ (for Linux) and hit enter. You will see the following. Ignore the error
. - This is the screen that you will see now. Use the volume button (on the side) to select ‘Yes’. (Please read the full message displayed on the screen thoroughly). Now push the Power button to select this option (weird, I know. Trackball would have been a better choice to select!).
- Great! You have successfully unlocked the bootloader! You will see the unlock image while your phone boots up.
Superboot [To actually root your Nexus One]
- Connect your Nexus One to your PC/Mac and turn it off.
- Hold the trackball and hit the power button (while holding the trackball). You should see the following bootloader screen.
- Now from the files you downloaded previously, you will see a folder called ’1.1-nexusone-superboot’ (if you extracted1.1-nexusone-superboot.exe that is!).
- On a Windows machine – Just double click the ‘install-superboot-windows.bat’ file , pretty simple ain’t it?!
- On a Mac or Linux machine – launch the Terminal and CD to1.1-nexusone-superboot folder (type in ‘cd ‘ and drag and drop the folder. Now hit enter.). Now CD to the other 1.1-nexusone-superboot folder and type the following (without quotes):
- MAC - ’chmod +x install-superboot-mac.sh‘ and hit enter. Now type ‘./install-superboot-mac.sh‘ and hit enter.
- LINUX – type ‘chmod +x install-superboot-linux.sh‘ and hit enter and then ’./install-superboot-linux.sh‘ and hit enter.
- You have successfully rooted your Google nexus One! You can now use all those applications (launch ‘Market’ app and search for ‘ShootMe’ or ‘Quick Recovery’ or any app that requires root privileges and install it. Now launch the installed app and you shall see the following image requesting your permission. )that require root access!
- Now head over to this post to quickly install the most famous recovery tool.
p.s : These programs were written by Paul from Modaco.com. I just made an easy to understand guide, thats it! Feel free to post a comment if you are having any issues.
[...] Update : It is already rooted! Check this step by step guide. [...]
[...] CAUTION : If you did not root your device already, you MUST first do so. Follow this step by step gu… [...]
What is the operating system you are using – XP/Vista/Win 7? It really is OS specific.
I'm getting the same error as Jessica. I'm running Windows 7 x64.
I'm on windows vista 64 and I am having the same issue, AdbWinApi.dll is missing.
nvm I found it. but now im on the fastboot page and my cmd says waiting for device.
Great! What did you do fix that .dll issue?
Did you select the fastboot option as described in the guide?
sorry nvm my nexus one driver was never installed on my laptop so it didnt pick up the phone
the fastboot.zip didnt have the .dll file, but the superboot folder from paul had both the fastboot file and the .dll file. thanks!
To be clear – I solved this problem by copying the .dll file from the superboot folder into the fastboot folder.
when i try to run fast boot it says ' this application has failed to start because AdbWinApi.dll was not found….' so what do i do now??
Kiran,
Great job man and herculean effort.
Really that would be an understatement. This is the only tutorial thats made sense to me. BTW, I am yet to receive my N1, Already ordered and waiting for someone to bring it to India 
I dont have enough words to thank you. You are a n00bs best friend.
I wanted to know, apart from the warranty, is there anyway of screwing up and bricking the phone when I follow the above process. You know why I ask, considering the amount of energy and time and money spent in bringing it to India.
I am thinking of rooting only because I need to install the exchange calander and exchange global address list (GAL) applictions – CorGAL.apk and MotoCAL.apk. Do I really need to root to get this installed or is there some other way without voiding the warranty?
Can you please clarify this. I am running in circles and no one has time to help out a noob.
Thanks again!
Thanks Raj!
There is no way you can go wrong with this process since unlocking the bootloader is clearly a Google tool! They say that the warranty will be void but you should be able to restore to factory defaults, will post a guide for that soon.
I have no answer for GAL apps but yeah, you may root your nexus one and install those apks since rooting is fun and stable as long as you install trusted apps from trusted sources!
One more thing… Wouldnt it be nice to put up a new I love my 'G' phone logo
on this nice site?
Time time time, I wish I had more time! Logo should follow suit soon!
Thank you Thank you! Waiting and watchin this place…. Subscribed to your feed
this application has failed to start because AdbWinApi.dll was not found
do i need to have android SDK installed on the computer first?
CAUTION : All your data will be erased.
what do you mean by "data" ?
contact , sms , file .. ?
is unlock boot loader = hard reset ?
Awesome, the easy step by step I've been looking for. Thanks!
[...] [...]
hi i get the following but nothing happens next:
sending 'boot' (2066 KB)… OKAY
writing 'boot'… OKAY
What do you currently see on the screen?
i see nothing, the cmd is on the folder name
and the phone is at the same screen
i don't get the screen in step 8
WinXP
So you ran the install script from step 4 (.bat file, right?)
right
and it gave this:
sending 'boot' (2066 KB)… OKAY
writing 'boot'… OKAY
but that's it
hi Kiran,
any idea what’s going on with my phone?
Hi,
From what I understand nir to be saying, I have a similar problem.
I have completed all the above steps with any issues. I have the 'Superuser Permission' icon on the programs list. When I open this, it just hangs for about 30 seconds while trying to unsuccessfully make a su request. I also cant launch any applications that require SU access such as N1 torch.
Any suggestions welcomed.
Thanks
MMM…. found thr problem. I didnt re-allow usb debugging after unlocking the boot loader. SOLVED
My debugging is allowed and i still have this same problem….so close yet so far away smh.
Wow, what an excellent tutorial. Absolutely zero issues doing this on my Mac following your guide here, and the one on installing the recovery image. I'm unlocked, rooted, and sporting a fresh nand backup in just a few short minutes.
Thanks!
I am glad you enjoyed the guide! Enjoy your Nexus One!
Actually, I did speak a little too soon. The process hosed my WiFi and it wouldn't turn on at all on the phone.
A little Googling found recommendations to use an image with the newer radio software in it. I got everything working again, plus some more memory by flashing with the "superboot hi mem" image from MoDaCo in this post: http://android.modaco.com/content/google-nexus-on…
Another slight annoyance with Google I discovered was that despite having my Nexus One set up to back up all my settings on Google serves, when I restarted the phone, the only data that synced back was actual settings like WiFi passwords. Very little synced back beyond that…this is my first Android phone, but I expected a little more seamless move after a factory reset. I give Apple the "win" here, since after you jailbreak an iPhone, resyncing restores just about everything (apps, settings, accounts, sms history, etc), whereas the Google method makes you do everything back manually, unless I did something wrong.
At any rate, yours is still an excellent and easy tutorial to follow. Thanks again.
I didn't have WiFi issues before, thanks for the tip though!
"superboot hi mem" rocks, Google should have done that from the start, not sure why they had to leave it for 3rd party devs to fix it!
Google's backup – I initially thought it was a cool service but it failed to actually perform a real backup! A nandroid backup is the only way to go and it is fast and reliable unlike Google's cloud backup anyway!
Thanks again for the tips buddy!
I keep getting the <waiting for device> message. I've downloaded the usb from the google sdk package and still nothing .. HELP
Push the power button once to select the appropriate mode and try running the command again..
Hi Kiran
Got my N1 now, and plannig to root it just to adb push the corgal.apk and motocal.apk (exchange calendar and GAL). This is the only reason to do it? I am on ERE27 and I dont know which one to install, the superboot way or the cyanogen rom. I am so overwhelmed by the forums and I value your advice on this.
Hi Raj. I totally missed this comment. Cyanogen ROM way should be better. Let me know how it goes.
OK, took about an hour to figure out how to get Nexus One USB drivers working. Having now followed all the steps my Wifi has stopped working.
Certainly not as easy and straight forward for me as others have been experiencing. Not for a non-advanced user.
I never had WiFi issues before. Did you follow this guide verbatim?
I am experiencing the same problem – no wifi. Were you able to fix your nexus one? If so, how? Thanks!
Drag and drop into command prompt doesnt work…
lzsdsbjw…
lzsdsbjw…
[...] Somebody asked last night about a method for Mac users. I rooted last night on my Macbook Pro. Here's the method I used. [...]
What other fastboot folder are you talking about in step 5 of unlocking the bootloader. when i downloaded the files it only came with fastboot and the super boot. and everytime i cd to the fastbook folder it says this shit (-bash: cd/Users/peter-jaylinton/Desktop/fastboot: No such file or directory
Peter-Jay-Lintons-MacBook:~ peter-jaylinton$) what the hell am i doing wrong ive ben trying this for ever!! and i cannto seem to get it!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes my phone has debugging on….
yeah i'm getting the same thing. no idea whats happening
smh some one needs to help us ASAP
@ Peter, Michael : Since you are on a Mac, did you follow step 5 verbatim?
I should have written that step in a different way.
All you have to do is :
Launch 'Terminal' and drag and drop the folder you downloaded at the beginning of this article.
Then type in 'ls' to list everything in there and then type in 'cd "1.1-nexusone-superboot"'. Let me know if it works.
I dont get the screen in step 8 for superboot…whats wrong now all it says is Peter-Jay-Lintons-MacBook:1.1-nexusone-superboot peter-jaylinton$ ./install-superboot-mac.sh
sending 'boot' (2066 KB)… OKAY
writing 'boot'… OKAY
but noghitn happens it just stays on the bootloader screen…
You are all set, just reboot!
Are you sure? so how come i never got that screen?
Are you sure?? because i dont get that image after step 8 when i do it…am I supposed to get that image or does it matter? and + on the recovery image page wich i believ is the next thred when i download the imag it says it cannot mount image or unable to mount. WHat do i do then? i know sorry 2 diff questions.
getting a message cannot execute binary file
Ok i got everythign to work BUT how come after step 8 in superboot i dont see the screen like that?? didi i do something wrong again?
@Peter
I found what went wrong, I wasn't putting a space after the cd in terminal.
Do that and it should work
iight cool ill try both ways
YESSSS IT WORKSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank you soo muchhh!!! im freakin happy lmao
i get this on my terminal screen
sending 'boot' (2066 KB)… OKAY
writing 'boot'… OKAY
however, my screen on my phone just stays the same, i am a mac user, how do i fix this?
What happens when you reboot your Nexus One?
[...] Ok sorry guys been a bit busy lately but i have been doing some searching and this is what I came up with I hope it helps. Unlock and Root a Nexus One – Nexus one – Lifehacker Google's Nexus One loaded with Android is rooted | Mac Hack PC – Hack it all you can… Root Nexus One on Android 2.1 | Redmond Pie [Complete guide with Images] Unlock Bootloader and Root Google Nexus One [Mac, Windows, Linux] | iLi… [...]
how do i do that i got the terminal open i dont get the CD part. plese help
5.On a Mac or Linux machine – launch the Terminal and CD to fastboot folder (type in ‘cd ‘ and drag and drop the folder. Now hit enter.). Now CD to the other fastboot folder and type the following (without quotes): ‘./fastboot-mac oem unlock‘ (for Mac) or ’./fastboot-linux oem unlock’ (for Linux) and hit enter. You will see the following. Ignore the error
This may seem like a fairly silly question, but I'm on vista and I can't seem to drag the folder onto the command prompt and I can't figure out why.
Help would be much appreciated, thanks in advance.
Hi
after i rooted my nexus 1 , my Wi-Fi unable to start
hello help me plz
thx
Did you redo the whole process on a fresh slate?
hi
i'm also facing the same problem, Wi-Fi not able to start. and i did the whole process on absolutely a fresh slate.
Please Help…Thnx…
[...] Boot Loader <waiting for device> So, I was this How To, [Complete guide with Images] Unlock Bootloader and Root Google Nexus One [Mac, Windows, Linux] | iLi…, trying to Root my phone, but could not get past unlocking the boot loader. I believe I set up my [...]
I followed instructions and now my phone is restarting every couple of minutes and i am unable to use any of the features?? I reboot it and during the boot splash is slows way down and then boots up. The phone screen comes on but all the features are deactivated and it continually force closes. Help.. Using a Mac.
Same exact issue with me. Can't reflash it. Is this the end of my Nexus One?
Nevermind… Got it to work now. not sure how but now it's ROOTED!!!.
)) I wasn't able to get into recovery mode earlier so I decided to try the instructions on this site. After following throught the instructions, that's when my phone keeps restarting.
But at the same time, it allowed me to enter recovery mode and flash from my SD. Anyways, I know this is vague, but just reply if you need help with the exact problem. Anything else, I have no experience with.
i got all the steps right but nothing shows on my phone regarding it being rooted and its not rooted either. i am using mac. my current firmware version is epe76 on 2.1 update 1. please tell me what am i doing wrong. thnx
[...] Uputstvo i slike preuzeti sa ilikemygooglephone.com [...]
[...] 1. Skinite Recovery Image sa Modaco foruma [...]
Hi,
Thanks for posting this. I've spent about 10 hours trying to root and install the Cynagoen ROm and admit to being a totally newbie in this area.
On another forum it said to download an android-sdk folder which I have but I have no idea what it's for.
I now have the following folders on my Mac desktop.
android-sdk
fastboot
superboot
I run the commands as described above:
Johns-MacBook-Pro:Superboot john$ cd /Users/john/Desktop/Superboot chmod +x install-superboot-mac.sh
Johns-MacBook-Pro:Superboot john$ ./install-superboot-mac.sh
downloading 'boot.img'… OKAY
booting… OKAY
The phone reboots and launches back into the standard startup screen. I don't see the screen in step 8
How do I know if it is rooted successfully? Where do I find that screen?
If I disconnect the USB cable and reboot again I get the unlock symbol followed by the standard screen
If I reboot holding the scroll wheel I launch back into Fastboot.
BTW, is the recovery file the custom ROM or the two different?
Any help will be rewarded by bucket loads of good kharma and profuse thanks.
John
Hey John! Step 8 image can be seen when you launch an app that needs root privileges, should have mentioned that. All you have to do is : Look for ShootMe or Quick Recovery or any app that requires root privs on Market application. Launch that installed app and you shall see the step 8 image. (Updating the post as we speak)!
Custom ROM is a different beast – different flavors of the operating system. CyanogenMod 6.1 is highly recommended!
Let me know if more info is needed, cheers!
Thanks very much Kiran.
With FRG83D the restart installs a Super User app but it doesn't automatically load. Once I found that I knew all was good and then downloaded N1 torch which has a component that needs Root.
Then got ROM Manager and installed the Flashwork Mod Recovery
Backed up the existing ROM
Downloaded CyanogenMod 6.1.0 and also selected for Google aps but got an error of a corrupted zip file for the 2/2.
Attempted to install cyanogen 6 and when it rebooted into recovery I got a default android and ! mark.
Can I just download the cyanogen mod to my Mac and install it from there?
Should I erase the SD card?
Thanks. I feel I'm almost there. LOL
Hi Kiran,
Before you go to any trouble writing up a detailed reply. I've solved the problem. I downloaded the files and transferred manually to my SD card and then zipped into Flashwork mod Recovery and all is good. I had previously installed Amon RAs recovery-RA-nexus-v2.0.0 so that could have caused the problem. IN any event Ccyanogen 6 is now installed and running nicely.
Thanks very much.
This really is the most clear and concise guide for unlocking and rooting the Nexus One for Mac or PS users. – Hope those keywords help
Cheers,
John
Awesome, you did it! Cyanogenmod 6.1 seems to be having issues with second download. I tried multiple times and gave up. Instead, I download them directly from the website to the phone and then reboot in recovery mode and install those two zip files from 'choose zip from sd card option'. This way, we can do it all on the phone without needing to take the memory card out or the battery!
You motivate me to write more simple guides – I have some in the works! Cheers!
Simple guides that presume the reader has no knowledge at all (as was the case with me in this instance) are the best guides.
I've written some FAQs and User Guides for other software and documenting every single step means less support calls
I'm presuming their no problem to have the ROM Manager and Amon RAs Recovery both on the same phone?
Perhaps jump in as admin and edit that "PS users" to "Windows" and then delete this line will give you better keywording
Thanks again.
Yeah, I used to struggle once and then I started blogging to make mine as well as others' lives a lil' easy!
ROM Manager and RAs Recovery can co-exist. They suggest ClockworkMod Recovery though. You can install it from ROM Manager but it is upto you. I paid for ROM Manager cos' it is a nice little tool and I wanted to support Cyanogen! Not to worry about keywords on this blog, I don't get a lot of traffic. My iPhone blog is a different story though!
My Nexus One wont boot after installing Superboot. II got all the way to this command ./install-superboot-mac.sh and it was working fine.
After the installation is done I used volume – to scroll to Reboot, I got the colored "X" with the unlock icon at the bottom and then my screen goes black.
The navigation buttons and the trackball glows for a few seconds and then I'm left with the lit navigation buttons only. If I press the power button the navigation buttons glow on and off as if I could put the phone to sleep and wake it again but the screen stays black…
What did I do wrong here?
(I tried to reload the original boot with this : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=… but it still wont boot.)
I would definitely suggest you some other technique to root. There are better and efficient tools out there. Do you remember what OS version it was on? Like FRF91 or FRG83..?
I dont really remember the OS version. Which tool do you suggest I use?
I would suggest one click root methods like SimpleOneClick root found at xda-developers.com. If you have a Windows machine, that is the way to go!
I'm on MAC ..
[...] might want to read these links also. I used them and have rooted 3 Nexus One phones successfully. [Complete guide with Images] Unlock Bootloader and Root Google Nexus One [Mac, Windows, Linux] | iLi… 23/Nov – Superboot ERD79 -> FRG83D – rooting the Nexus One – Android @ MoDaCo Good luck. I [...]
Hey there. I wanted to ask something, I had a defective power button and I decided to root to solve this problem, however I couldn't even pass through the step to unlock bootloader where I need to press power button in order to select yes. Please send me some guides.
Great day.
[...] : http://ilikemygooglephone.com/2010/0…windows-linux/ [...]
From time to time the problem can be solved by switching off the console. I will suggest you to switch off for twenty to 30 minutes initial. The concept right here is that the console could just be overheat. The problem could be solved alone when the console cools down. When you have switched off the PS3, you can also check out the cables to make guaranteed that they are related properly. You could also want to take the difficult drive out to place it back again again.
Learn more PlayStation 3 tips
[...] recently unblocked and rooted my Nexus One. I used the following tutorial down to the last word: [Complete guide with Images] Unlock Bootloader and Root Google Nexus One [Mac, Windows, Linux] | iLi… and have managed to achieve root. However, when I turn the phone off, the boot (x) screen shows [...]
I followed all the steps carefully but when I reboot after step 6 (Mac user) it hangs on the boot "X" screen. I've left it quite a while and it doesn't change.
At this point none of the buttons work and the only way to turn it off is to take out the battery and reboot but it still hangs at the same screen
Any idea how I can a) get through the X screen to allow root access or b) clear the phone so I can start again from scratch.
Thanks very much for any advice, I had a lot of experience rooting G1 but when it comes to the N1 I can't work it out.
Have you been able to recover your phone as I hit exactly the same problem? I had 2.3.4 on my phone at the time when I attempted to root it.
Did you check XDA-Developers for the latest most efficient way of doing this? I wrote this last year.
Thanks Kiran, eventually I proceeded with installing the CGM7 which made my phone working again. I suspect the files here are not compatible with the latest bootloader so it may make sense to make a comment in the beginning for other newbies like me who simply did a google search and ended up here
I surely put a couple of late nites to get my phone going again…
I am at the same semi-bricked state that you were in…can you send me the link to the CGM7 install guide you followed?
Thanks much,
-Jason
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