[Xoom Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] NoP_Compiler:
Hi all.

A few days ago I entered the Xoom forum asking about how to modify an "unaltered" Spanish/European Xoom (Wifi Only, MZ604) running stock Android Honeycomb (3.2) and flash a custom ROM with Android 4.1.1 (JellyBean), so that I don't have to wait Motorola to release the updates (still in Honeycomb in Europe, while in US they're enjoying JB), and to enjoy the extras that custom ROMs offer (root, overclocking, etc).

Xda users "wesamothman" and "Cubanluke88" answered quickly to my question and this allowed me to unlock my Xoom bootloader, install TWRP Recovery and flash EOS3 ROM (JellyBean for Xoom from TEAM EOS). The results are awesome; the change from Honeycomb to Jellybean, plus the totally stable overclocking at 1.2 and even 1.4 Ghz is worth the fact that you void the Xoom warranty by doing this procedure. It's like having a brand new tablet.

As I found some problems/mistakes in the procedure I was given, I've created a new "Guide for Noobs" (based on wesamothman's) so that anybody can reproduce the same steps and convert an European Xoom (Wifi Model, MZ604) into a modern EOS3-powered Xoom.

NOTE: I initially wrote this tutorial using the EOS-RECOVERY-6.IMG as the CWM Recovery software to install in the Recovery Partition. The recommended recovery software now is TWRP so I've updated the tutorial replacing the download links and filename.img to flash. The procedure remains the same, although I really tested and executed it with eos-recovery-6, not with TWRP. Anyway, it is supposed to be flashed and work the same way than I initially described it.

NOTE THAT THIS PROCEDURE IS FOR EOS3 - (EOS NIGHTLY <= v155).

EOS4 (nightly >= v156) requires a slightly different procedure!!!

Please, remember that by unlocking the bootloader (and flashing non official software) you're voiding the device warranty and that

I'm not responsible of any damage that your device can suffer

. I'm just explaining how I did the unlocking+flashing to convert my SLOW XOOM in a fully working JellyBean system. Remember also that this procedure is for WIFI ONLY Xooms. 3g xooms need a different rom/procedure.

So, sumarizing, that's what we are going to do:

a.- Unlock the "bootloader" of the Motorola Xoom so that we can "install" custom software in both the "recovery" and the "data" partitions. Please

notice that by unlocking the bootloader you void the device warranty

.

b.- Flash TWRP software into the recovery partition, (I was flashing EOS-Recovery-v6 software initially but now is deprecated and TWRP must be used) so that we can launch this software pressing a combination of keys during power-on. This software will allow us to make full backup/restore of the device memory, and to install any ROM (EOS2, EOS3, cyanogenmod, EDGE, etc) in the system. Thanks to this recovery we are safe against problems in the O.S. (even if we break it), because we can always recover from backup or flash a new ROM (including the "stock" ROM, I mean, the ROM shipped oficially with the device) and solve the situation.

c.- Once recovery is installed, do a NANDROID backup of the NAND of our device, to have a copy of the "stock" system.

d.- From Recovery, flash the desired ROM (EOS3 in my case) and the Google Apps applications (they can't be included inside the ROM for legal reasons, so they are flashed separately) to the "data" particion.

e.- Restart and enjoy our new system (you can also made another NANDROID backup to save this "working point" for the future).

Steps a). and b). need a working computer with Linux, Windows or Mac. After doing b).- you can do everything from the Xoom itself and you don't need the computer anymore.

After doing b)., you'll be able to download ROM images directly under your Xoom in the uSD card and reflash any new ROM directly rebooting the tablet into recovery-mode.

Steps a) and b) can be done from Linux, Windows and Mac. Although I have Linux in my laptop, I found that almost all the tutorials in Internet explain the procedure under Windows so I installed temporary a Windows system to do the "PC dependant" steps, because I didn't want to experiment with the "risky" actions in both steps.

So, let's start with the "PC dependant" actions, which includes steps a). and b).

I'll try to update the thread with screenshots in the future, as I didn't take photos/screenshots of the procedure, I'll check images.google.com to find something that fits the text, and add the later to the tutorial if they are really needed.

PART 1 .- HOW TO INSTALL TWRP RECOVERY:

Here we are going to unlock our Xoom and install a custom recovery software into the recovery partition. The recovery software is launched when you start your Xoom in recovery mode, and this is achieved by pushing Power, VolUP and VolDown key combinations when you power-on the tablet (we'll see how later).

So we'll replace the original "recovery" software by a custom one that allows us to flash NON OFFICIAL software to the data partition.

To do that, first we have to download all the required software in the Xoom enternal uSD card and prepare our PC system to recognize and work with the Xoom. We have to download:

Get the Motorola USB drivers for your system: http://developer.motorola.com/docstools/USB_Drivers/ . This step is only needed under Windows, so that the Windows System recognizes the Xoom and the Android SDK binaries (adb and fastboot) can send data to the tablet. Check that you're downloading the right drivers (32 or 64 bits) for your 32 or 64 bits System, and install them. If the Android SDK in your Linux system can recognize the Xoom, you're ready to use Linux also to do the following steps.

Download and Install in your PC the lastest JavaSE JDK from Oracle's website: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html.

Download and install the Android SDK for your system: http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html .

Download the EOS v155 ROM and GoogleAPPS for that version. My final choose was EOS3 ROM Wingray (Jellybean for Xoom), and installed v155 from the nightly compilations (which is the latest nightly in Android 4.1, being v156+ Android 4.2). "Nightly" means that as the software is still not "final version" (it's still in development) a new version is released almost everyday, correcting bugs or adding new features. I personally didn't found any bug in v155 but you can check the EOS3 thread in XDA to check that the latest version has no bugs reported by people in that thread.

ROM: http://goo.im/devs/teameos/roms/eos3/nightlies/wingray/ (as of date September-2012 - I recommend v141 )

GAPPS: Latest: http://teameos.org/gapps/wingray (I used http://goo.im/devs/teameos/roms/eos3/gapps/gapps-jb-20120802-eos-signed.zip for v155).

EOS3 THREAD: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1764751

And the most important, download TWRP the "recovery software" that will allow you to work without the need of the PC (I was using Team Eos Recovery 6 initially, but now is deprecated and TWRP must be used):

Team Win Recovery Project 2.x, (TWRP): http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1782235

You should download the IMG file (example: R.A.H.v3_TWRPv2.5.0.img). Check that the size of the downloaded file matches the size that is shown in the above link. This is the most important file because it will allow to install the recovery system and it's CRITICAL that the file is not corrupted..

Steps:

a.- Install in your PC the Android SDK, open Windows' cmd, enter the android-sdk folder and run:

tools\android.bat update sdk

Now select "Android SDK Tools", "Android SDK platform-tools", and Extras/"Google USB Driver". Click on "Install packages".

This will download and install the packages needed so that we can access the Xoom from the PC for "flashing" data purposes; mainly "adb" and "fastboot". Adb allows us to work with the xoom started in the Android System, and fastboot allows us to work with the xoom started in fastboot mode, which is the mode we'll use to "flash" the recovery software.

b.- Enable USB debugging in the XOOM (in settings, development), so that we can use adb with the tablet.

c.- Install the Motorola USB drivers for your laptop (32 or 64 bits, check it in the Windows system properties).

d.- Plug the Xoom to your PC.

e.- Execute cmd and enter the android-sdk/platform-tools folder.

Run "adb devices". You should see that the system identifies your Xoom with a long numbers+letters string. If you get an empty "List of devices attached", then you must enter the control-panel -> devices and "Fix problem with device" over the MZ60x device, so that the system can bind the right USB drivers we installed to that concrete device.

After a While, Windows will fix it and re-executing "adb devices" will show a message like:

List of devices attached

037887sda897xz device

(the digits string will vary according to your device)

Now, with your xoom working under the Android OS, do:

adb reboot bootloader

With the above, you'll enter fastboot mode without needing to press any key in the startup. Fastboot mode is a special bootmode in the xoom that allows the PC to send data to the Xoom and "write" to Recovery and Data partitions. You can also enter that mode starting the Xoom with "Power+Volume Up" pressed simultaneously.

Now your Xoom will show the Motorola logo and the words "Fastboot protocol...". If you need to stop now for any reason, you can abandon this mode safely and reboot the tablet with "Power+VolUP+VolDown" for a few seconds.

(Photo: fastboot mode, taken from google images)

But let's continue.... If you now do:

fastboot devices

You should get a string like

List of devices attached

037887sda897xz fastboot

If you don't see that string (and you see and error about device not found), you have to "fix/repair" the usb drivers again in the Windows ControlPanel / Devices. Now you'll see a "FASTBOOT" device instead of the MZ60x you repaired before (that's why we have to repair/fix again the device, because Windows see it as a different device while in fastboot mode).

After repairing it, unplug and plug the USB cable (still in fastboot mode) and repeat the command:

fastboot devices

Now it will work and you'll see the device recognized by "fastboot".

Issue the following command to unlock the Xoom (you'll void the warranty). If you don't unlock the xoom, data and recovery partitions will be "read only" and you can't send the "new software" to them.

fastboot oem unlock

Follow the Xoom's onscreen instructions to unlock the bootloader. You have to use VolDown to move through options and VolUP to accept an option. The device will ask you twice if you are sure that you want to unlock the device and void the warranty, and then it will make a "factory reset" of the O.S. .

The xoom will reboot and your old android OS will show, but now with a factory reset. Select language, time, etc. Enable again "USB debugging" and execute in the PC:

adb reboot bootloader

(to start again the tablet in fastboot mode)

Now copy the recovery file (the name may vary, with something like R.A.H.v3_TWRPv2.5.0.img) to the android-sdk/platform-tools/ folder with name "recovery.img" and execute:

fastboot flash recovery recovery.img

You will see something like:

C:\Users\sromero\Desktop\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools>
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
sending 'recovery' (XXXXX KB)...
OKAY [ 0.499s]
writing 'recovery'...
OKAY [ 1.014s]
finished. total time: 1.529s

Check in the xoom's screen that the file was correctly written and execute:

fastboot reboot

Now disconnect the USB cable and enter recovery mode with:

- When the Motorola logo appears, tap Volume Down (not press, tap)

repeteadly

until "Android Recovery" is displayed in the screen.

- In this moment, pressing Volume Up will send you to Recovery Mode.

- If you press by mistake again Volume Down, you'll enter DRS mode. You can leave it with VolUP+VolDown+Power and try again (Xoom is powered off).

And you'll start the TWRP Recovery recovery system. If you see the standard Android recovery system instead of TWRP recovery, you can repeat the above "fastboot flash recovery recovery.img". You don't have to unlock the bootloader again, just flash the recovery software and reboot again in recovery mode with "fastboot reboot" and "adb reboot recovery".

(Photo: my Xoom in EOS6 recovery mode, TWRP is different, with better controls and more features )

You can start recovery mode also manually by powering on the Xoom and when the motorola logo appears, wait 3 seconds and press VolUp.

Now, you have your device unlocked and recovery installed. Now, you are SAFE because you can do nandroid backups and restores and can put any ROM in your system and go back with a backup or flash another different rom.

PART 2 .- HOW TO USE TWRP RECOVERY

How to enter in recovery mode:

A.- Manually:

- Turn Xoom off.

- Press Power to turn Xoom on.

- When the Motorola logo appears, tap Volume Down (not press, tap) repeteadly until "Android Recovery" is displayed in the screen.

- In this moment, pressing Volume Up will send you to Recovery Mode.

- If you press by mistake again Volume Down, you'll enter DRS mode. You can leave it with VolUP+VolDown+Power and try again (Xoom is powered off).

b.- From "adb" in a PC system with Android running on the tablet connected to that PC:

Executing "adb reboot recovery"

c.- With a custom ROM, selecting "reboot" will ask you if you want a normal reboot or a recovery-reboot.

How to use recovery mode:

Use the Volume Up and Volume Down keys to move between options and Power button to select an Option:

Up -> VolumeUp button
Down -> VolumeDown button
Select -> POWER button

Available options for a basic CWM / recovery are:

Reboot system now -> exit Recovery mode.

install zip from sdcard -> allows to install ZIPs to data partitions such as ROMs.

wipe data/factory reset -> delete all the contents in the data partition (needed before flashing a ROM)

wipe cache partition -> delete cache partition.

backup and restore -> allows doing "nandroid" backups and restore of our system (FULL MEMORY BACKUPS).

mounts and storage -> allows to mount aditional media to save/read data.

advanced -> extra options.

(Photo: Nandroid backup)

NOTE: TWRP is newer than the OLD EOS-recovery-6, the above capture and options may differ.

PART 3 .- HOW TO INSTALL EOS3 ROM:

Now we've installed recovery, so we don't need the PC anymore. We can enter in recovery mode at any moment and do backup/restores, flash new roms, flash updates, etc.

To install EOS3 ROM (or any other "full install" -not update- ROM, do):

Start the Xoom in recovery mode.

Backup/restore -> backup the current system to our external SD.

Wipe data/factory reset -> remove partition contents

Wipe cache -> delete the cache

Advanced -> Wipe Dalvik Cache

Advanced -> Wipe Battery Stats

Install ZIP from SDCARD -> /sources/ -> the eos3 rom .zip file.

Install ZIP from SDCARD -> /sources/ -> the gapps .zip file.

Reboot

Install gmail, youtube, etc from Market (not included anymore in gapps).

Enjoy your new rom!

PART 4 .- HOW TO UPDATE EOS3 ROM or install a new different ROM:

Start the Xoom in recovery mode.

Backup/restore -> backup the current system to our external SD.

Wipe data/factory reset -> remove partition contents

Wipe cache -> delete the cache

Advanced -> Wipe Dalvik Cache

Advanced -> Wipe Battery Stats

Install ZIP from SDCARD -> /sources/ -> the new rom .zip file.

Install ZIP from SDCARD -> /sources/ -> the gapps .zip file.

Reboot

Enjoy your new rom!

I hope this can help people to unlock their xooms.

Thanks to "wesamothman" and "Cubanluke88" for the initial support given and specially to EOS Team and the people that created ClockWorkMod for sharing their time, work and knowledge with us. They've converted my "slow xoom" in a very powerfull and fully functional tablet.