How to Root & Install CWM Recovery on Samsung Galaxy Note 2 [Guide]

25

Learn How to Root & Install CWM Recovery on Samsung Galaxy Note 2.Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was the second phablet released by Samsung. Galaxy Note 2 is one of the most awesome devices ever released by Samsung and is still today the best phablet available in the market. Galaxy Note 2 occupied a Quad Core processor clocked at 1.6 GHz, a RAM of 2GBs, 5.5” Display, an 8 MP camera at back, 16/32/64 GB Internal memory and also a card slot to expand the memory.

Galaxy Note 2 is one of my most favorite devices, the device never lags and allows you to do a lot of things, especially the S-Pen is the most useful feature of the 5.5” phablet, although it was available in the Galaxy Note 1, Samsung enhanced the functionality of the S-Pen in the Galaxy Note 2.

You might be owning a Galaxy Note 2 device and wondering how you can extend the functionality of your device and gain access to all of the locked features of your phablet after having the root access. You’ve come to the right place if you are looking for it. We will learn today how we can gain root access on the Galaxy Note 2.

Root & Install CWM Recovery on Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Root & Install CWM Recovery on Samsung Galaxy Note 2:

Before we begin, I would like you to have some precautionary measures.

Make sure that you have battery charged over 60 % and have backed up all your important ContactsCall Logs & Messages. It is highly recommended in case of any mishap or data loss, backup all your important data.

  1. Download Odin PC on your computer – Get it here
  2. Download Samsung USB Drivers on your computer – Get here
  3. Download & Unzip Cf Auto Root Package file once on your computer’s desktop.
  4. Check your device’s model in Settings > About & download the file below according to your device.

To Root Galaxy Note 2 on Android 4.3, check out this link:

How to Install Custom Recovery and Root Samsung Galaxy Note 2 on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

Please keep in mind that as soon as you root your device, you will void the warranty of your device, so everything you do, do it at your own risk.

  • Download and install Samsung USB drivers first of all.
  • Download, unzip and run Odin PC.
  • Unzip the downloaded Cf auto root package file i. e  .zip file for your phone. Unzip only once, if you unzip it twice you will get the wrong files extracted. Extract it anywhere.
  • Put your Galaxy Note II in download mode by pressing and holding Volume Down + Home + Power key at the same time, you should get a screen showing a warning and asking to continue, press Volume Up to continue.

Note2 Root_Techbeasts

 

  • Now your phone should be in downloading mode. Connect your phone to your pc using original Samsung Data Cable.
  • As soon as Odin detects your phone the ID:COM box will turn light blue.
  • Click on the PDA tab and select the .tar.md5  file you downloaded and extracted in step 3.
  • Your Odin screen should look like this now.

Screenshot_2

  • Make sure that the options selected in your odin are same as shown above.
  • Click Start and the root process should start showing you a process bar in the first box aboveID:COM.

The process is quite fast and will finish in a few seconds, as soon as it ends, your phone will restart and you’ll see the CF Auto root installing SuperSu on your phone.

Congratulations you have your Samsung Galaxy Note II rooted now!

Installing ClockworkMod Recovery [CWM]

The method explained above is basically for beginners and does not install a custom recovery in your phone, it simply installs a stock recovery with having your phone rooted. Custom recovery allows you to modify in your phone in so many other ways like flashing custom ROMs, flashing mods etc.

Now you need to follow the same procedure explained above to root your phone but this time instead of giving it CF Auto Root file in the PDA tab you need to give it the downloaded CWM Advanced Edition [Philz Touch] file for your phone, the recovery will be flashed within a few seconds. You can enter the custom recovery now pressing and holding Volume Up + Home + Power Key.

In Short, the method is explained here once again.

      1. Download the CWM Recovery according to your phone.
      2. You do not need to unzip this downloaded file as it is already in .tar.md5 format.
      3. Open Odin.
      4. Put your phone in download mode and connect it to your computer using the data cable, the ID:COM box should turn now as shown and explained above.
      5. Click on the PDA tab and select the downloaded .tar.md5 file.
      6. Click Start, the process will start and give you a PASS indication above the ID:COM box if it installed the recovery successfully!

Install TWRP Recovery for Flashing ROMS.

For flashing some ROM’s and mods you need to have an upgraded version of TWRP or CWM recovery. The CWM recovery attached above may not work in the case and you need to install this one your device. Follow the method below to install TWRP.

      • Make sure that you install Philz Touch CWM Advanced edition, the method is explained right above this.
      • Now download the TWRP Recovery .zip file:
      • Place the downloaded .zip file your phone’s SD Card.
      • Boot into cwm recovery mode. To do so, turn off your device and then turn it on by pressing and holding Volume Up+ Home Key + Power Key. You should now see the recovery mode.
      • Select “Install Zip > Choose Zip From Sd Card > TWRP .zip file > Yes”. It will take a while until it installs.
      • Reboot. Congrats! You’ve replaced the CWM recovery with upgraded TWRP recovery now.
      • Boot into the TWRP recovery using the same method for recovery, volume up one.

That’s all you got to do for installing a custom recovery on your Galaxy Note 2!

Now wondering what to do with your rooted phone? 

Here’s the answer for you!

Rooting your phone gives you complete access over all the data which is apparently locked by the manufacturers. This includes removal of the factory restrictions and making changes to the internal system and the operating system. Gaining the root access gives you the privileges to install various applications to enhance the performance of your device, allows you to remove the built-in applications/programs, helps you to upgrade the battery life of your device & install the apps which require the root access for the proper functionality and modify your device in so many other ways e.g using mods and custom ROMs.

How to keep Root after OTA Updates

The OTA updates rolled out by the manufacturers wipe the root access on your phone. In case you don’t know how you can restore the root access after OTA update, you’ll have to root your phone once again, but there is no need to do it as you can restore it using the OTA Rootkeeper App which is available in the Google Play Store. The app creates a backup of your root and simply restores it after an OTA update.

While rooting your phone, please keep it in mind that the Root Process is n’t official and has nothing to deal with Google Inc and the device manufacturer, which is Samsung in our case. Follow the guide carefully to prevent any damages to the device as the method is completely custom.

Root Credits: Chainfire – Recognized Developer XDA

Recovery Credits: Phil3759 – Recognized Developer XDA

Got any questions? Feel free to leave a comment below, we’ll try our best to help you out :D Good Luck

SHARE
Usama is a software engineer by profession and at TechBeasts.com he uses his expertise to solve everyday consumer tech problems with his main areas of interest being Android, iOS and Windows.

25 COMMENTS

    • @zainabzaheer:disqus The method is specifically for Samsung Galaxy Note II & you cannot root your HTC One S using this method as it got a locked bootloader initially. We will soon provide guides for rooting HTC devices, stay tuned.

  1. I’ve n7102. and stock rom cdmh1 cdmf1. Are these root and cwm files available apply on any rom ? or we need specific stock rom ?
    thks

    • @tro_d:disqus The files for your model number are listed above. Go ahead and get it rooted along cwm recovery 🙂 Good Luck.

    • @disqus_DXyNRg7N7K:disqus this is just a root guide. I haven’t compiled up a method for call recording mod. You may find that on xda-developers and flash it separately

  2. Hi, thanks for the very clear guidelines. I have followed the procedure to the letter installing both CF auto root and CWM advanced, except I used ODIN v1.85 and not ODIN V3.07 (cause I already had v1.85).

    I believe I successfully rooted – though I cannot find the SU application.

    Below is long but please bear with me, so I will have presented the complete picture;
    Device is GT-N7100 with 4.1.2 baseband N7100XXDMF1

    I had rooted the device this morning (for the first time ever) according to the instructions at http://galaxynote2root.com/galaxy-note-2-root/how-to-root-galaxy-note-2-easiest-method/ with ODIN v1.85 and cwm6-root-note2.tar. Procedure also did not involve checking F.Reset, just Auto Reboot. This method installed a Super User app. I checked that I could install and run Titanium Backup. Then SU app informed me of an update, I did that. Next time I ran the SU, it warned me that it needs to boot into the CWM mode, and I confirmed. However booting into CWM did not work; a weird phased off splash screen kept showing after and after. I switched off the device and powered up normally. Everything seemed OK except the further attempts to enter CWM mode failed as well.

    Then I found your web site, and applied CF auto root and CWM advanced packages with ODIN v1.85. Result was OK, however I did not see a message from CF Auto package about installing SU during. Now, the phone is working, Titanium Backup is working, I can boot into CWM, however there is no SU app anywhere, neither the old one, nor the new one that is supposedly coming with CF Auto Root.

    Any ideas?? (Thanks for reading).

  3. @oscarrines:disqus Hello, try installing SuperSu app from the Google Play Store. You should be able to get it in your phone if rest of the things are working fine.

  4. You do not get the SuperSu installation in Odin logs, perhaps the SuperSu installation appears when your device gets restarted after flashing the CF AutoRoot package file.

  5. hi nice work,thanks for the tut,juz like to ask can my rooted note 2 lte n7105(stock rom) JB 4.3 install jedi x 19 rom + saber kernel? will it brick my phone? pls help thanks.

    • @clemencelim:disqus Sorry, I’m not sure about the Saber kernel, but it should work fine as this method works for all note 2’s running stock rom, You may try it, if soft bricks, you can easily go back to your previous ROM using the nandroid backup.

          • Ok , basically now my n7105 lte is rooted, stock rom & running on jb 4.3(upgrade) I want to flash jedi x19 or 20 rom+saber kernel into my phone are they compatible with my phone ?

          • Thank 4 yr effort u put in. My phone got into boot loop for 2 days, juz fix it, jus received yr mail.0mg ! N7100 (3G) have more option in terms of roms & kernels etc….. all telco in my country are only selling 4G smart phone.so I got to do my sum md5 n not bick my phone AgaiN.sorry to trouble u , much appreciated!

  6. Hi, am currently trying to root my N7105 with jellybean 4.3 build no. n7105xxuemj9.
    However, It does not seem to work, verified by installing the superSU app and says that “there is no SU binary installed, and the SuperSU cannot install it”
    How do I go about it? Though I went for philztouch for the custom recovery..
    Pls advise.=)

  7. Clear explanation bro. really great and easy to understand.
    Btw, does it work on Note 2 N7100 with official Android 4.3 ?

    Thanks

  8. Thanks to your guide and nothing about the KNOX feature…….Stuck with an unrootable phone cause i flashed the CF root without first uninstalling the KNOX app from my GT N7102! I tripped the KNOX counter……having a huge nightmare trying to uninstall KNOX so I can allow super user to work…cant flash Gapps so i can download the latest SuperSU app….updating the SuperSU from Recovery dont work and on and on…….PLEASE UPDATE THIS POST SO THAT OTHERS WONT MAKE A MISTAKE!

  9. after rooting , when i tried to install CWM on my n7100 note 2
    i followed the steps but when i pressed start , odin starts loading then says reset and my mobile restarts then nothing happen and odin doesn’t say pass

Got a question/query or a suggestion? Drop it below.