With the recent release of the official Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update to firmware XXLQ2 for the Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, many Galaxy Note users all over the world have updated their own devices to the latest release.
Being updated came at a price, however, and many devices were back to not having root access. Thankfully, the Android community came to the rescue. Rooting Galaxy Notes running on XXLQ2 firmware is now possible, thanks to XDA Developers elite member Chainfire and his CF-Root Kernel.
For those of you who are familiar with the tool, you can now get back your root privileges. For those not in the know, the CF-Root Kernel allows users to easily root their devices simply by flashing it through Odin.
As the icing on the cake, the kernel also installs ClockworkMod Recovery to the device, so users can easily make backups of their ROMs, as well as enjoy customizing their Android device to their liking by flashing custom ROMs, mods, tweaks, and hacks.
Warning
Very important note: Just like firmware versions XXLPY, ZSLPF, and DXLP9, this current firmware (XXLQ2) carries the same huge bug (according to testers’ reports), with the potential to damage your SD card and brick your Galaxy Note if you wipe data, do a factory reset, or reformat partitions from recovery. So, to protect your device DO NOT wipe data, perform a factory reset, or reformat partitions from recovery after installing the XXLQ2 firmware.
Disclaimer
- The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the Samsung Galaxy Note, model number GT-N7000. Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.
- The information in this guide is provided for instructional and educational purposes only. There is no guarantee that these instructions will work under your specific and unique circumstances.
- Use these instructions at your own risk. We shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.
- Read and understand the whole guide first before actually performing the instructions.
Requirements
- Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich XXLQ2 firmware.
- A Windows PC
- Make sure that you have the proper drivers for your device installed on your PC:
- If you have Samsung KIES installed on your computer, you can acquire the drivers for your Galaxy Note through KIES.
- If you do not have Samsung KIES installed on your computer, you may download and install these drivers: 32-bit (x86) Windows | 64-bit (x64) Windows
- Disable or uninstall Samsung KIES, anti-virus and firewall programs before running Odin as they will interrupt the flashing process.
- Enable USB debugging on your Galaxy Note.
- Backup all personal data on your phone to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., contacts, SMS, MMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this guide erases such data.
- Odin 1.85 (Odin 1.85.zip, 198.85 kB)
- CF-Root Kernel (CF-Root-SGN_XX_XEU_LQ2-v5.6-CWM5.zip, 6.4 MB)
Instructions
- Download the CF-Root Kernel ZIP package to your computer.
- Unzip the ZIP file to extract the CF-Root-SGN_XX_XEU_LQ2-v5.6-CWM5.tar file.
- Extract Odin 1.85.zip using WinRAR, 7-Zip or any other file extraction programs.
- Turn off your Galaxy Note.
- Put your Galaxy Note in Download Mode. You can do this by pressing and holding down Volume Down, Home, and Power. A Warning! screen should show up. Press Volume Up to continue to enter Download Mode.
- On your computer, double-click on Odin3 v.1.85.exe to launch it.
- In Odin, click the PDA button and navigate to where the CF-Root-SGN_XX_XEU_LQ2-v5.6-CWM5.tar file is located. Select the CF-Root-SGN_XX_XEU_LQ2-v5.6-CWM5.tar file.
- Do not make any other changes to Odin’s settings.
- Connect your Galaxy Note to your computer. On the Odin3 window, you should see an “Added!” message in the lower left message box. This means that your Galaxy Note has successfully connected to your computer.
- If you do not get this message, disconnect your Galaxy Note from your computer and re-install the device drivers.
- Hit the Start button in Odin3 to begin flashing the CF-Root Kernel to your device.
- When flashing is complete, your Galaxy Note should automatically reboot. When you see the Samsung logo, you may disconnect your phone from your computer. You will also see a PASS message with a green background in the upper leftmost corner of the Odin window.
- If Odin freezes and doesn’t seem to do anything, or if you get a FAIL message with a red background in the upper leftmost corner of the Odin window, do the following:
- Disconnect your phone from your computer.
- Close Odin.
- Remove and re-insert your Galaxy Note’s battery.
- Put your phone into Download mode again.
- Repeat the procedure from step 5.
Congratulations! Your Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich XXLQ2 firmware has now been rooted and has ClockworkMod Recovery installed. Enjoy root privileges and the ability to easily backup your ROM and flash all sorts of cool customizations to your Galaxy Note.
