AndroidTablets

How to root the latest OTA update on the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime

transformer prime root - for some reason we don't have an alt tag here

Folks who were stuck with earlier firmware on the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime had been without an easy root method for several months. They weren’t without options: they could always root the “official” way using the official ASUS bootloader unlock tool, but that would void their warranty and prevent them from receiving any and all official OTA updates in the future. They also had another option that involved downgrading to an older firmware, rooting, and then upgrading again – but that was not without its own risks, and many didn’t feel comfortable making that kind of leap.

Luckily, shortly after the latest OTA update to 9.4.2.28 a few days ago, developer sparkym3 created an easy one-click root solution that works on the latest firmware, as well as older versions, too.

For what seems like a very long time, I personally lived with a completely stock, unrooted Transformer Prime – I liked it just the way it was. Then, a few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to root after all, but I was stuck on firmware that didn’t make it so easy, and I definitely didn’t want to destroy my warranty and break future OTA updates. So when this latest update came along, followed by such an easy one-click solution, I jumped on board, and my tablet is happily chugging along, complete with Superuser and a grand total of two other root-only apps (Root Explorer and SD Maid).

If you were in shoes similar to mine, and you want to root your device too, it’s really easy:

  1. Download this zip to your computer, and unzip the contents.
  2. Make sure your have ASUS drivers installed (they usually install automatically when you connect the tablet to your computer, but they’re included in the zip if you have to do it manually).
  3. Connect your Transformer Prime to your computer via the USB cable, and then click on RootDebugfs.bat.
  4. Select option 1 (Root), and follow the on-screen instructions in case it asks you anything else.

That’s it! It’s really that simple, and after the program runs and reboots your device a couple of times, you’ll have Superuser installed and be able to take full control over your tablet. Keep in mind that this is a soft root; in other words, it won’t unlock the bootloader or install a custom recovery. On the flip side, it will be a heck of a lot easier to install future OTA updates or unroot your device if it needs to go back to ASUS for some warranty work.

Now I just need to find more root-only things to do, because I feel like I’m not taking full advantage here…

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John F

John was the editor-in-chief at Pocketables. His articles generally focus on all things Google, including Chrome and Android, although his love of new gadgets and technology doesn't stop there. His current arsenal includes the Nexus 6 by Motorola, the 2013 Nexus 7 by ASUS, the Nexus 9 by HTC, the LG G Watch, and the Chromebook Pixel, among others.

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