How to Root and Install ClockworkMod Recovery on the Samsung Captivate (i897) running Android 2.3.5

To use custom ROMs is to lease a new life for your device as things will be different and much more user friendly than stock firmware.  This would be a great way to renew an old device, like the Samsung Captivate, as you could be installing a custom ROM based on much newer firmware than the one that the manufacturer last updated you with.  For this though, your device (or the Samsung Captivate in this case) will need to have root privileges and have a custom recovery installed beforehand and this is exactly what you will be able to do by reading this post – root and install ClockworkMod Recovery (a very popular custom recovery) on the Samsung Captivate.

I.  Before You Begin

1.  Make sure that you have a backup of everything important before you start.

2.  Charge your device to 75% or more before you begin.

3.  Make sure the necessary Windows 7 drivers are in place before you start; installing Kies usually takes care of this.

4.  This procedure works by flashing a custom kernel called the Corn Kernel; if you are uncomfortable doing this, stop now.

5.  You should be running Android 2.3.5 for this procedure to work.  If this is not what your running, update your device via Kies to Android 2.3.5 and come back here to continue.

II.  Necessary Downloads

1.  CornKernel_UCKK4_v705.tar

2.  Odin 1.85.rar

III.  Flashing the Corn Kernel

1.  Extract the Odin 1.85.rar file you downloaded above to a folder on your desktop.

2.  From the extracted folder, double-click on Odin3 v1.85.exe to run the tool.

3.  Put your device into Download mode.  To do this:

i.  Power down your device and remove the battery
ii.  Insert the battery.
iii.  Press and hold the Volume Up + Volume Down + Power buttons until your device enters Download mode.

 

4.  Click on PDA button, locate CornKernel_UCKK4_v705.tar you downloaded above and click on OK to load it on Odin.  The ID:COM field on Odin should now light up yellow to signify that your device is connected and recognized properly.  If not, reinstall drivers and try again.

5.  Make sure that the Re-Partition and Flash Lock are unchecked; this is important as you might brick your device if these options are ticked!

6.  Click on Start.

Once Odin says PASS! and your device reboots, your should be rooted and have CWM installed, ready to flash any custom ROM that you would like!

IV.  Flashing Custom ROMs (Optional)

If you are ready to flash custom ROMs on your device, head to the next procedure to learn how to do that.

If this procedure helped you please thank/donate to the original developers here.

If you need help with this procedure, please ask in the comments below or in the forum.

This is part of our Android How To’s. We have how to’s on rooting, loading ROMs, and tons of other tips and tricks for your specific device or for Android devices in general! For all of our Android How To’s, head here.

12 thoughts on “How to Root and Install ClockworkMod Recovery on the Samsung Captivate (i897) running Android 2.3.5”

  1. I followed the instructions and everything went well. After the installation was completed the phone rebooted and I checked the About Phone section and it showed the CornKernel installed. However, ran some root check software and it said the phone is NOT rooted. Also, on other phones I have rooted there is always a SuperUser, not this time. Is CWM Recovery actually installed or did I get a bad file that only installed a portion of the file? Any ideas anyone?

  2. I spent so much time learning every step here and doing it perfect…. How come I didnt scroll down a little more? How long should this take?

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