[Miscellaneous Android Development] PMikeP:
Hints for those new to ADB

First, thanks to the OP for this thread for streamlined instructions on how to root the ZenPad S 8. I just bought one and rooted it two days later. Some hints on the process for any other ADB noobs like me, especially since it appears that the FB (fastboot) bat file has changed.

These hints are for Windows.

As brief background, I was waiting for the ZenPad S 8 to drop down to $175 (like apparently it did on NewEgg when it first came out). I just bought one after AndroidPolice posted a Deal Alert that Amazon was selling for $170.

After I received it (and after I let it charge up to full for the first time), it went thru two OTA updates. The StageFright one and the latest, WW_V4.5.0. So I had the latest and greatest firmware.

I played around with it stock for a couple days to see what bloatware (if any) I would want to keep. Then time to root.

I downloaded the three files listed by the OP: the FastBoot file (there's a newer one, dated 7-24-15), the Intel USB drivers for Windows, and the latest SU from Chainfire.

I installed the Intel USB drivers first. Standard Windows install stuff. (You'll have to approve the installation of unsigned drivers during install.)

Then I had to get and install the Android SDK. (Which is now called "Android Studio.") Which in turn requires the Java JDK. (So I made an image of my Windows partition so that I could restore to pre-JAVA, since I don't want JAVA on my machine.) When you install JAVA, you have a few choices of what to install. I didn't want it installing the Browser add-ons, even tho I was going to restore my Windows partition after all this.

Once JAVA is installed, the SDK install will complete. I thought that got me the ADB utility, but apparently not. When you start the SDK, you're greeted with an SDK Manager. What is that?

Well, it will ask you if you want to install a bunch more stuff. At first I said "yes" and it started to download 19 items - which looked like it was going to take an hour. But you only need two packages - platform-tools and Google's USB driver. So just select those two for downloading.

Once that's done, you should be able to ADB to the Zenpad. (After you've enabled USB debugging in Developer options. (I presume that users in this forum know who to enable the optional Developer options in Android.))

Except that the Zenpad comes set with MTP enabled. I couldn't figure out what I didn't get a response when I typed "adb devices" in the command line. (BTW, before you type "adb devices," you have to be in the platform-tools directory of the SDK. I don't know if you have to have Administrator privileges for the Windows cmd.exe to run adb. (I did.))

So from the Notification shade, you have to tap on USB options and uncheck MTP.

Okay, once you do that and retype "adb devices," you have to look at your tablet and approve the connection to the computer.

Then you run the launcher.bat file from the FastBoot file.

Now, it appears that FB has changed because before selecting T2, I was given a choice of recoveries: TWRP or CWM. At first I thought I was supposed to select "2" (like, in T2?). That put the Zenpad into TWRP for Portrait. But TWRP didn't work. (Screen freeze. Long press on Power button to power down.) So select item 5 - CWM.

Then you'll get the option to select T2.

Then your tablet will boot into CWM (albeit with really tiny fonts). From there you flash the SU zip. And as others have said here, do not let CWM to update the binary afterward. (Chose "No.") Reboot and you're rooted.