Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100G: How to root on Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread and install ClockworkMod Recovery

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  

You want it, you’ve got it! One of our avid readers has requested a rooting guide for the Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100G and we do not want to leave special requests unanswered. So, here is a rooting guide for your mobile phone. Take note this guide is intended for Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100G running Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread and not with the Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100. Also be reminded that once you root your device, you will void your phone’s warranty.

Warning

• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the Samsung Galaxy S2, model number GT-I9100G. Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.
• The information in this guide is provided for instructional and educational purposes only. There is no guarantee that these instructions will work under your specific and unique circumstances.
• Use these instructions at your own risk. We shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.
• Read and understand the whole guide first before actually performing the instructions.

Requirements

• A Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100G
• A Windows PC
• USB Drivers installed on your computer. You can get the drivers by installing Samsung KIES on your computer and connect it with your phone. Make sure to close Samsung KIES before proceeding below.
• Close system tools such as anti-virus software, firewall programs, and Samsung KIES to avoid interruptions while you root your phone.
• To ensure your phone has sufficient power throughout the procedure, charge your phone’s battery to 70% or more.
• Enable USB debugging on your phone.
• Backup all personal data on your phone to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., contacts, SMS, MMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this guide erases such data.
  • For backup tips, check our guides on how to sync your data to the cloud and how to create local backups of your mobile data.

Instructions

You have two methods for rooting your Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100G.  The first one involves flashing a pre-rooted custom kernel using Odin3.  The second one uses DooMLoRD’s Easy Rooting Toolkit.  Choose either of the two, and if one doesn’t work, try the other.

Root Via Custom Kernel

1. Download the Superatmos kernel v3.2 (superatmos_I9100G_kernel_v3.2.tar, 7.2 MB) to your computer.
2. Download Odin3 v1.85 (Odin3-v1.85.zip, 199 kB) and extract it into a folder on your computer.
3. Switch off your Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100G.
4. Reboot your phone into Download Mode. To do that, press and hold the Volume Down key, Home button (middle key), and Power button simultaneously. A warning message will appear on the next screen. Press the Volume Up key to continue.
5. On your computer, go to the folder where you extracted the Odin3 files and double-click Odin3 v1.85.exe to launch Odin3 on your computer.
6. Connect your Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100G to the computer via USB cable. The word “Added” will be displayed in Odin3. If it doesn’t appear, make sure you have successfully installed the USB drivers for your phone.
7. Click the PDA button in Odin3 and select the superatmos_I9100G_kernel_v3.2.tar file.
8. Make sure “Re-partition” is not checked under Option.
9. Click the Start button to begin flashing the kernel to your mobile phone. Your phone will automatically reboot. By this time, your phone will now already be rooted with ClockworkMod Recovery installed.
10. [Optional] With ClockworkMod now installed, you can flash the latest Superatmos kernel v3.3 kernel by doing the following steps:
    1. Download the Superatmos v3.3 kernel (cwm_superatmos_kernel_v3.3.zip, 8.12 MB) and copy it to the root of your SD card.
    2. Switch off your Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100G.
    3. Reboot your phone into ClockworkMod Recovery Mode. You can do that by pressing the Volume Up key, Home button (middle key), and Power button simultaneously until Recovery Mode boots.
    4. Select Install ZIP From SD Card. Select Choose ZIP From SD Card and select the cwm_superatmos_kernel_v3.3.zip.
    5. Reboot your mobile phone.

Root Via DooMLoRD’s Easy Rooting Toolkit

XDA Developers member DooMLoRD managed to create a rooting toolkit for Xperia devices. But, users report that his toolkit also works on other devices such as the Galaxy S2. So, if you have a brave heart, you can try out this tool to root your Android device. XDA Developers member creezalird also modified the script from DooMLoRD’s toolkit to root your Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100G.

1. Download DooMLoRD’s Easy Rooting Toolkit (DooMLoRD_v4_ROOT-zergRush-busybox-su.zip, 1.8 MB) to your computer.
2. Extract DooMLoRD_v4_ROOT-zergRush-busybox-su.zip into a folder on your computer.
3. Download creezalird’s edited runme.bat (runme.bat, 3.11 kB).  Replace the default runme.bat inside the DooMLoRD folder with creezalird’s edited version.
4. On your mobile phone, go to Settings > Applications > Development and enable USB Debugging.
5. Go to Settings > Applications and enable “Unknown Sources.”
6. Connect your mobile phone to the computer via USB cable.
7. Double-click runme.bat. Follow the on-screen instructions to root your mobile phone.

Memory Crash Method

In case the script fails, do the following:

1. Reboot your mobile phone.
2. Reconnect your phone to the computer by using your USB cable.
3. Open any applications on your phone and close it using the Home button. Do not use the Back button.
4. Open Task Manager on your phone. Your RAM usage should be 500 MB and above.
5. Run the runme.bat on your computer.

Voila! You have rooted your Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100G. You can now enjoy rooting privileges on your mobile phone.