Rooting, flashing, backing up data; these are just some of the terms long-time Android users are very familiar with. Newbies would probably scratch their heads and look up the ceiling, trying to understand what these are for and how to do them.

Even users with sufficient knowledge about tweaking Android devices would sometimes avoid flashing or rooting because of the fear of voiding their warranty or worse, bricking their device. But, just recently, an all-in-one toolkit was developed by an XDA Developers member which answered the needs of both new and not-so-new Android users.

The Samsung GS3 ToolKit v2.0, developed by XDA Developers member mskip, packs almost all of the functions an Android user needs to pretty up his phone. Aside from the staple rooting and flashing, the toolkit can do a lot more. If this strikes your fancy, follow the instructions on how to acquire and use the toolkit.

This guide shows how you to root and install ClockworkMod Recovery for the Galaxy S3 I9300.

Warning

• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the Samsung Galaxy S3, model number GT-I9300. 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 S3 GT-I9300 running on stock firmware.
• Your phone’s USB cable.
• A Windows PC.
• Download MSkip’s Samsung Galaxy S3 Toolkit (Samsung_Galaxy_S3_ToolKit_v7.0.exe, md5sum: 5d4ed1fe78c0776cc383825a75741037).
  • Original Link
  • Mirror
• Enable USB Debugging on your phone through Settings > Developer Options > USB Debugging.
• Make sure your device’s battery still has at least 70% power. You don’t want the device to shut down in the middle of the procedure.
• 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.
  • For backup tips, check our guides on how to sync your data to the cloud and how to create local backups of your mobile data.

Instructions

Installing the Toolkit

1. Double click on the Samsung Galaxy S3 Toolkit EXE file to launch it.
2. Keep clicking the Next button on the following screens until installation starts. Don’t alter anything in the setup, including installation paths
3. After completing the installation, click on the Close button to launch the Toolkit. You can also choose to launch it through clicking the Toolkit shortcut icon on your Desktop.

Installing Galaxy S3 Drivers

Installing your phone’s drivers on your PC should be the first thing you need to do after installing the toolkit.

1. Double click on the Toolkit shortcut to launch it.
2. Choose your phone’s version, firmware version, and firmware build.
3. On the next menu, download and install the latest driver version for your phone by typing 1.
4. Follow the instructions on-screen.
5. Once the drivers have been installed, you should now see your phone’s serial number under ADB Mode in the toolkit’s main menu.
   • NOTE: If you want to ensure that the USB drivers have been installed, go to your PC’s Control Panel and open the Device Manager. With your phone connected to the computer, you should be able to see “Samsung Android Phone” listed as one of the devices and with a driver attached to it.

Using the Toolkit to root and install ClockworkMod Recovery

1. Make sure that your phone is on and that USB Debugging has been enabled.
2. On your phone variant’s menu, select Option 2 for rooting/unrooting options.
3. On the rooting/unrooting menu, select Option 3 to root your phone and install ClockworkMod Recovery at the same time.
4. Select the Chainfire rooting method and ClockworkMod Recovery.
5. The toolkit will launch Odin for you and boot your phone into Download Mode. Click the PDA button and navigate to the toolkit’s folder in your C:\ to select the ClockworkMod Recovery .TAR file.
   • It should look like boot-insecure-ella-recovery-GTI9300.tar.
6. Make sure no other options have been changed in Odin.
7. Click START to begin flashing ClockworkMod Recovery.
8. Once it is done installing, exit Odin so the toolkit may continue to rooting your phone.
9. Once rooting is done, exit the toolkit by typing X in the main menu.
10. You can now unplug your device to check if rooting and installing ClockworkMod Recovery were successful.

Checking Root and ClockworkMod Recovery

1. Check for the SuperSU app in  your phone’s app drawer.
2. You can also download and install the Root Checker app from the Google Play Store.
3. Launch the Root Checker app and tap on Verify Root Access.
4. SuperSU should prompt you to give the app root access. Select Grant.
5. Root Checker should reply with “Congratulations! This device has root access!”
6. To check if ClockworkMod Recovery was successfully installed, turn off your phone.
7. Boot into Recovery Mode by holding down the Volume Up, Power, and Home buttons. You should boot into the ClockworkMod Recovery menu.

Video Tutorial

You might want to watch our video tutorial about rooting and flashing custom recovery on the Galaxy S3 GT-I9300:

Hooray! You have now rooted your Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 and flashed ClockworkMod Recovery.  Feel free to use the toolkit to perform other advanced functions on your phone.