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NOOK Book, The: Everything you need to know for the NOOK, NOOKcolor, and NOOKstudyNOOK Book, The: Everything you need to know for the NOOK, NOOKcolor, and NOOKstudy

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Like this article? We recommend

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NOOK Book, The: Everything you need to know for the NOOK, NOOKcolor, and NOOKstudyNOOK Book, The: Everything you need to know for the NOOK, NOOKcolor, and NOOKstudy

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Prerequisites

Prerequisites

Let’s go over a few prerequisites before venturing down the path of rooting your NOOKcolor:

  • First and foremost, you obviously need to have a registered NOOKcolor.

    • CAUTION

    If you do not register your NOOKcolor with B&N prior to rooting, you will not be able to buy books from the NOOKcolor’s NOOKbookstore.

  • Second, you need a 2GB or higher microSD card (I recommend using a 4 or 8GB card). Any existing data on this card will be completely erased, so make sure you have it backed up.
  • Third, you need a computer that can read that microSD card.
  • Fourth, you will need a working Wi-Fi connection for you NOOKcolor.
  • Finally, you need to have a Google account. You do not need to use it ever again, though you do need it for this process.

After you decide to experience the new functionality of your NOOKcolor by rooting it, the steps required are quite easy:

  1. Download the necessary files.
  2. Create a disk image on a microSD card.
  3. Install the microSD card disk image on your NOOKcolor.
  4. Enter some information into a couple of applications.
  5. Install Android Market.
  6. Install any additional applications you want on your NOOKcolor.

Let’s look at these steps in detail.

TIP

The steps I walk you through are documented on the xda-developers website. However, there are a few points of possible confusion on that page, so although you can use it as a reference, follow my steps here for a successful rooting experience.

Download the Necessary Files

Let’s go ahead and download the rooting files. I created a single zip file for you. This zip file contains several files:

  • generic-sdcard-v1.1.img.zip. Unzip the file and place the generic-sdcard-v1.1.img file somewhere that’s easily accessible.
  • update-cm-7.0.2-encore-signed.zip. Do not unzip this file; rather, place it somewhere easily accessible.
  • gapps-gb-20110307-signed.zip. Do not unzip this file; rather, place it somewhere easily accessible.
  • win32diskimager-RELEASE-0.1-r15-win32. Unzip that file. Place the contents someplace easily accessible.
  • readme.txt. This file provides the location to retrieve updated versions for the above files, if necessary.

Create a Disk Image

In this step, you will create a bootable disk on the microSD card. To do this, you will download some files, including a small piece of software (WinImager) that takes a file and creates the bootable disk.

For Linux and Mac instructions for creating a disk image, see nookdevs.com/NookColor_Rooting.

If you are on a PC:

  1. Plug in a microSD card to your PC.

    2. CAUTION

    Following these steps will completely erase the microSD card, so make sure you back it up to another drive.

  2. Find the win32DiskImage.exe file you downloaded in the previous section. Double-click the file, which starts the program.
  3. Browse to the generic-sdcard-v1.1.img file and select it.
  4. For Device, choose the drive letter of the microSD card.
  5. Click Write. The disk image will be created. When it finishes, click Exit.
  6. Find the update-cm-7.0.2-encore-signed.zip file and copy it to the microSD card. The microSD card is now ready to install in your NOOKcolor.

Rooting Your NOOKcolor

CAUTION

Before you proceed any further, make sure that your NOOKcolor has at least a 50% battery charge.

Now we are going to actually do the rooting process, which is strikingly easy. Follow these steps:

  1. Unplug your NOOKcolor from computer and power it off.
  2. Insert the microSD card you created a disk image on in the previous section into your NOOKcolor.
  3. Power on your NOOKcolor.
  4. You will see a penguin and then some green text. Let it do its thing.
  5. After about a couple of minutes, you will see a notice that “It is safe to power off now.” Then the NOOKcolor powers off.
  6. You now have a rooted NOOKcolor. Turn on your NOOKcolor to finish this part of the rooting process. (You may need to hold the power button longer than usual to get your NOOKcolor to turn off.)
  7. Once the NOOKcolor is on, tap the Settings button in the far bottom left and then tap Settings. You will see four buttons: Settings, Back (a left-pointing arrow), Search (magnifying glass), and Quick Options (a circle with an upward-pointing arrow).
  8. Tap Wireles & Networks.
  9. Tap Wi-Fi Settings.
  10. Tap your wi-fi network. (Enter a password if necessary.)
  11. Use the Back button to get to the Settings. Tap Display.
  12. Tap Screen Timeout and select a time (the default is 1 minute).
  13. Turn off your NOOKcolor to complete this part of the rooting process.

Finishing Rooting Your NOOKcolor

You have only a few more steps to complete before you can begin to download Android Market apps and expand your NOOKcolor into a tablet:

  1. If your NOOKcolor is on, turn it off.
  2. Remove the microSD card.
  3. Plug the microSD card into your computer.
  4. Copy the gapps-gb-20110307-signed.zip to the microSD card.

    5. CAUTION

    Depending on your setup, you may or may not see the microSD card as with two partitions are as two drives. If you see this, one is called boot and the other is called CM7 SDCARD. Place the gapps-gb-20110307-signed.zip file in the boot partition.

  5. You will see the following files on the microSD card:
    • gapps-gb-20110307-signed.zip
    • MLO
    • u-boot.bin
    • uImage
    • uRamdisk
    • uRecImg
    • uRecRam
  6. Change the file name uImage to uImage.bak.
  7. Change the file name uRamdisk to uRamdisk.bak.
  8. Change the file name uRecImage to uImage.
  9. Change the file name uRecRam to uRamdisk.
  10. Eject the microSD card from your computer.
  11. Insert the microSD card into your NOOKcolor.
  12. Turn on your NOOKcolor.
  13. You will see a penguin and then some green text. Let it do its thing.
  14. After a few seconds, you will see a notice that “It is safe to power off now.” Then the NOOKcolor powers off.
  15. Turn off your NOOKcolor.
  16. Remove the microSD card and plug it into your computer.
  17. Change the file name uImage to uRecImage.
  18. Change the file name uImage.bak to uImage.
  19. Change the file name uRamdisk to uRecRam.
  20. Change the file name uRamdisk.bak to uRamdisk.
  21. Remove the microSD card from your computer and plug it into the NOOKcolor.
  22. Turn on the NOOKcolor. The Backup and Restore screen appears.
  23. If you want this device backed up with your Google Account, tap Finish Setup. If not, clear the checkbox and then tap Finish Setup.
  24. Touch the Android.
  25. Either create a Google Account or tap Sign In to enter your Google Account information.
  26. Enter your Google Account username and password and tap Sign In. A message titled Important: Read This! appears.
  27. Tap OK. The Choose the Apps to Install screen appears.
  28. Tap the checkboxes for the ones you want to install. Tap OK.

    29. NOTE

    You will have an opportunity to install other apps later.

  29. Tap Accept.
  30. For each of the apps you selected, tap the Free button and then OK button.
  31. Tap Finish Setup.

That’s it! You have successfully rooted your NOOKcolor!

Installing Applications on Your Rooted NOOKcolor

Now that you have your NOOKcolor rooted, you want to install applications, right? Well, it is super-easy:

  1. Tap the Apps button (it’s in between the Phone and Internet buttons).
  2. Tap the Market button. The Market page opens.
  3. Tap the Search button. Type NOOK and tap Go.
  4. Tap the NOOK for Android by B&N app line. Tap Free and then tap OK. You will be informed that it is downloading. Tap the Back button and then My Apps to watch the progress.
  5. When it is finished downloading and installed, press the Home button.
  6. Tap the Apps button.
  7. Tap the NOOK button.

    8. TIP

    To add an app to the Home screen, after tapping Apps, press and hold the app icon. You will be taken to the Home screen with the app there.

  8. Enter your B&N account information. Your app is synched up with your B&N account (if you have a large library, the synching can take some time). You can now read your NOOKbooks on the rooted portion of your NOOKcolor.

Simple, right? And that’s how installing other apps work. Check out what the Android Market has out there!

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