[Kindle Fire Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] DaiDeqi:
A Noob's root story w/ KFU 0.9.6 & XP

Hi All,

I’m a noob and I suck. I know it. Nonetheless, I thought I’d share my recent experience with trying to root my Kindle Fire. This is my first post.

Relevant System Info

Windows XP Pro Version 2002 Service Pack 3 (32 bit not 64)

Kindle Fire 1st Gen (purchased Dec 2011)

KF Version 6.3.1

Kindle Fire Utility (KFU) 0.9.6

Executive Summary for Windows XP 2002 SP 3 users

1. Create a directory named .android in your profile

C:\Document and Settings\your_username\.android

2. Copy adb_usb.ini file from the KFU0.9.6 drivers/kindle folder to your .android folder

3. Manually install the Andriod Composite ADB Interface by pointing the new hardware installer at the drivers folder in KFU 0.9.6 drivers folder

4. Run KFU and select 2

5. If the boot hangs or if you get Code 10, follow instructions in this forum or elsewhere on the Internets. http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=21720811&postcount=41

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=22342376&postcount=6

Both happened to me, and I thought I bricked my Fire because it became an unknown device. I recycled the Fire’s power by pressing the power button for 15-20 seconds, got the new hardware installer running again, installed the ADB Composite ADB interface driver and everything worked just great.

Long Story: What I did and what happened

Followed rooting instructions found at

http://liliputing.com/2012/05/how-to-root-a-kindle-fire-with-software-version-6-3-1.html

Downloaded KFU 0.9.6

Ran install_drivers. Install_drivers flashed a command window with an error message that I couldn’t read because the command window closed so quickly. This happened everytime I tried running install_drivers.

Kindle Fire Driver installation failed with red X “Google Inc. (WinUSB) Install Failed (Unsigned)” error.

I spent a day and half installing the Android Composite ADB Interface driver manually. That worked, but the Kindle Fire would never go online. I tried all kinds of remedies. Nothing worked.

Hot safety tip for noobs like me. All the required drivers are in the KFU 0.9.6 drivers folder. DOH! No need to download any other drivers or look for them anywhere else. The first time I ran Windows Installer, itcouldn’t find the drivers, and it took me a while to realize where the drivers were. I won’t go into all the other stupid things I did trying to find the drivers. I’m a noob. I suck. I know it.

Because of the flashing command window error, I decided to look at the install_drivers bat file and found what I believe is a problem for XP users. It appears the script was written for Windows NT because it contains these two lines:

if not EXIST %userprofile%\.android\ ( mkdir %userprofile%\.android\ )

copy drivers\kindle\adb_usb.ini %userprofile%\.android\adb_usb.ini

My version of XP doesn’t recognize the %userprofile% variable.

So, I created a folder named .android in the following path:

C:\Documents and Settings\myname\.android

and simply copied the adb_usb.ini file from the KFU0.9.6 drivers/kindle folder to my .android folder

Double clicked on dpinst32.exe in the KFU 0.9.6 drivers folder. No joy. Red X error.

Tried manually installing the Andriod Composite ADB Interface driver. Ran KFU 0.9.6, and the Kindle went online! Jumped up and down with joy!

Pressed 2 “Install Permanent Root With Superuser” but got hung on boot, got out of the hang and rebooted (can’t remember what I did exactly), then got Code 10, then inadvertently installed the Android ADB Interface driver, which I wasn’t supposed to do, and thought I bricked my Fire because it wouldn’t turn off and wasn’t recognized by my XP machine. Kept on getting something like unrecognized hardware.

Held down the power button for 15-20 seconds, the Kindle turned off and began botting, my XP machine recognized the hardware, and I manually installed the Android Composite ADB Interface driver. Everything work as advertised thereafter, and I was overjoyed!

Thanks to Vashaypooh for KFU and to the XDA members for their helpful posts.

Dai Deqi