How To: Flash a Custom Recovery Image on the Samsung Galaxy Tab (All Versions)
OBSOLETE: HEAD TO THE MARKET AND DOWNLOAD ROM MANAGER AND CLICK FLASH RECOVERY AND WAIT FOR IT TO FINISH INSTEAD OF DOING THIS PROCEDURE. AFTER THAT YOU CAN TO SECTION V AND CONTINUE.
I. Before You Begin
1. You must have done our How To Root the Samsung Galaxy Tab procedure first then come back to this one.
II. Setup ADB
1. Go to our How To Setup ADB procedure and do that until you can see the serial number when typing adb devices into the command prompt then return here to continue.
III. Flash the Custom Recovery
1. Download and extract the flash_image file and the appropriate kernel file to the AndroidSDK\tools folder (the folder from doing the how to setup ADB procedure above). All the files should be inside the same folder as adb.exe.
Flash_Image
Verizon Kernel File
Sprint Kernel File (this file says VZW but it is for Sprint, don’t worry)
T-Mobile Kernel File
International GSM Kernel File
2. On the device, go to Settings > Applications > Development > and Enable USB Debugging.
3. Plug in the device via USB cable.
4. On your device download and install ROM Manager from the Market.
5. Open it and click flash recovery and choose your device. After it is done, do NOT boot into recovery, instead continue with this procedure.
6. Open a command prompt by clicking on the Start menu and typing cmd and hitting enter in the search box.
7. Now do the rest of the procedure only within the section for your device:
A. Sprint Galaxy Tab –
1. In the command prompt type the following with hitting enter at the end of each line:
cd c:\AndroidSDK\tools
adb push flash_image /data/local/bin/flash_image
adb push zImage /sdcard/
adb shell
su
chmod 755 /data/local/bin/flash_image
/data/local/bin/flash_image boot /sdcard/zImage
sync
exit
exit
adb reboot recovery
2. Your tab should reboot into recovery, and automatically begin backing up for fs conversion but it will fail at data and cache. This is fine.
3. In recovery do Wipe Data/Factory reset, then do Wipe Cache
4. Select reboot system. It will hang on the Samsung logo, when it does, just hold both volume keys down and the power key untill it powers off.
5. With the device off, hold down volume up and power until you see the Samsung logo, when you do let go.
6. Once it boots back into recovery it will restart the backing up procedure but this time it will finish.
7. Select reboot system now.
8. Now open ROM Manager again and click Flash Recovery again, choose your Tab version and wait for it to finish.
B. Verizon Galaxy Tab –
1. In the command prompt type the following with hitting enter at the end of each line:
cd c:\AndroidSDK\tools
adb push flash_image /data/local/bin/flash_image
adb push verizon_zImage /sdcard/
adb shell
su
chmod 755 /data/local/bin/flash_image
/data/local/bin/flash_image boot /sdcard/verizon_zImage
sync
exit
exit
adb reboot recovery
2. Once it boots into recovery it will restart the backing up procedure but this time it will finish.
3. Select reboot system now.
4. Now open ROM Manager again and click Flash Recovery again, choose your Tab version and wait for it to finish.
C. T-Mobile Galaxy Tab –
1. In the command prompt type the following with hitting enter at the end of each line:
cd c:\AndroidSDK\tools
adb push flash_image /data/local/bin/flash_image
adb push tmobile_zImage /sdcard/
adb shell
su
chmod 755 /data/local/bin/flash_image
/data/local/bin/flash_image boot /sdcard/tmobile_zImage
sync
exit
exit
adb reboot recovery
2. Once it boots into recovery it will restart the backing up procedure but this time it will finish.
3. Select reboot system now.
4. Now open ROM Manager again and click Flash Recovery again, choose your Tab version and wait for it to finish.
D. International GSM Galaxy Tab –
1. In the command prompt type the following with hitting enter at the end of each line:
cd c:\AndroidSDK\tools
adb push flash_image /data/local/bin/flash_image
adb push international_zImage /sdcard/
adb shell
su
chmod 755 /data/local/bin/flash_image
/data/local/bin/flash_image boot /sdcard/international_zImage
sync
exit
exit
adb reboot recovery
2. Once it boots into recovery it will restart the backing up procedure but this time it will finish.
3. Select reboot system now.
4. Now open ROM Manager again and click Flash Recovery again, choose your Tab version and wait for it to finish.
IV. Boot into Recovery
1. To boot into recovery in the future, simply go into ROM Manager and select Reboot Recovery.
V. (Optional) Load a Custom ROM
1. Head over to our How To Load a Custom ROM on the Samsung Galaxy Tab procedure to flash a custom ROM on your device.
Thanks to Koush over on XDA for his recovery image and kernels! If you appreciate his work, please let him know or donate to him!
Anyone else notice that all above links link to Verizon kernel file??
Fixed- Thanks UnLockr!
I tried the procedure on the Sprint Galaxy Tab, but backup process does not begin automatically. The only options I have are reboot system now, apply sdcard:update.zip, wipe data/factory reset and wipe cache partition. Am I missing something?
You can just use rom manager from the market if your tab is already rooted
I am an International user, when i install Rom manager, doesn’t appear my galaxy version. Witch version should i use?
I am an International user, when i install Rom manager, doesn’t appear my galaxy version. Witch version should i use?
for international select GALAXY S 1900 OR GT-P1000
It is bricked my tab. After flash international_zImage. It does not work on GT-P1000L(Claro).
But now, i have already done some steps to recovery my tab.
i have an international galaxy tab and the rom manager doesn’t have an international selection for clockworkmod. how do i go about it?
i did it once and i flash. cwm worked. i factory reset it the other day and wanted to redo the procedure and it just wont go into recovery. just gets stock and the samsung screen. i do not get the first initial recovery mode after the adb procedure. i have a sprint galaxy tab. also ota update dont take either. anybody encounter this?
am from malaysia … can u tell WTH i choose from rom manager cuz no such a thing call international rom ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? i need reply pls
I just got a Verizon Galaxy Tab a couple days ago. Been working hard to get Clockworkmod in my recovery…
In any case, I ran in to an issue following the steps. After I sent the command ‘adb reboot recovery’ it reboots into the stock recovery. If I just reboot normal, I get the Samsung logo with a line of static that flashes. It never boots. If I reboot it back in to recovery, all I have is the standard recovery.
So, I tried the method for the Spring Galaxy Tab at this point. I held down both volume buttons and the power button until it turned off. Then I held the volume up button and the power button until I got the Samsung logo, then released.
Now it goes ahead and backs up the systems and begins to convert to ext4.
I got this far last time, after this point I have Clockworkmod as my recovery system. However, I rebooted and I can’t remember how exactly, but it didn’t work. I think it’s because I tried to just boot into the stock Verizon ROM…? Maybe I have to load my Custom ROM at that point… I’ll find out next.
Well, now I’ve got Clockworkmod recovery installed and running and my stock Verizon OS.
Backing up and going to try a custom ROM. As far as I can tell the KhasMek.DJ11.KleanMod.v3 ROM is the only one out there for CDMA Tabs…
Getting excited for this Honeycomb release. I hope it’s for CDMA.
Hello, my sprint table gets stuck in the step 5. After wiping data and cache I reboot the system. My tablet does not resume the installation. It comes back to the ClockworkMod over and over again. I re-do step 4,5,6 but it does get stuck. It says can’t mount /sdcard
I am stuck, what do I need to do?
Did you ever get it resolved? I have the same issue…
the flash_image and the sprint kernel file are the same (so says windoze) is that cool? or what?
i have the tmo galaxy tab entering the command prompts i get to the very end before the reboot and i see
/data/local/bin/flash_image: not found ) whats going on what did i not do
I did all the step for my Verizon tab, but now i am stuck on this logo. Triangle with the android and a shovel and its telling me downloading do not turn off, its been like that for the last 30 minutes, can anyone help?
so iam a glaxy tablet wifi only version and when i execute the rom manager and and press flas clockwordmod recover i only get 1 option galaxy s i9000 thats it, idk what happened i followed everything from rotting up to this point and iam stuck i dont know hwere i meesed up any suggestions?
hiii…i got problems with my galaxy tab international..
i do the tutorial as said at the up..
but when i do the reboot,my galaxy tab only stay at the logo galaxy tab samsung..
and when i do the volume down + volume up + power button reboot..
my galaxy tab only written power reset or unknown upload mode..
can someone help?
because when i do the volume up + power button it only back to the logo..when i charge it
the picture of charging stuck…
after chmod 755 /data/local/bin/flash_image for the sprint version i keep getting: failed with error:3 so no it did not worked for me.
I got the same thing did you get yours working??
yes i just pushed the zImage file with heimdall and bam i hace clockwork recovery on my tab. Not thanks to this POS tutorial tough
anyone get this working from failed error 3?
I have the T-Mobile version and you did edit the final step in the procedure to do a adb reboot recovery But even before I had figured that out but for some reason I cannot get this to flash the custom image rom everything goes fine i have my device rooted check adb serial no problems but when its all said and done when i reboot into clockwork mod at the end to check the image it aborts has anyone had this problem Plz Help
i loaded the jmi rom but now when i try to bring up the keyboard my tmo tab rebots every time what can i do
Hi, I’m using a GSM Tmobile Samsung Galaxy Tablet. I’m good all the way until I enter “su” after I enter that on part 3, it gives me a permission denied message. WOW this sucks.. lol I mean at this point I’m almost done and I’m not a n00b but I’m not a dev either, but damn it took me along time to get this far and I can almost taste being done and this.. again, when I enter “su” right before I do the chmod, I get a permission denied. Can anyone help out with this?
Thanks,
Kn0t,
Had the same issue, you have to allow su access on the screen of the tab
Thank you.. that worked!!! now I have a new problem, lol. when I get to chmod. I enter it, (I made sure it was correct, I did it like 5 times) it says :::: unable to chmod/ Read-only file system ….. Anyone else run into this problem and can help me out? I’m getting insanely sick of all these errors I’m running into.. i’m sure it’s somehow my mistake seeing that it works for everyone else.. just if anyone knows how I can get around this please give a hollar..
thanks again,,
knot
Yes I do and that’s all good now, at that point my tablet says I have superuser permissions, but now after that when I go to chmod, it kicks back saying “unable to chmod/ Read-only file system ” anyone know how to fix this one???
/data/local/bin/flash_image boot /sdcard/international_zImage ( NOT FOUND ) PLEASE HELP THANK GUYS
ok I’m using a tmobile galaxy tab, SGH-T849. It’s all good to I get to the chmod. after I enter the chmod line of code I get an error saying unable to chmod/ Read-only file system
any Idea’s??????
I noticed that the Sprint kernel file, when extracted, puts two files in the tools folder… when I try and extract the flash_image is wants to overwrite the existing file… If you could confirm, do we, we being Sprint users, only download the Sprint kernel file and extract it to the tools folder? Thank you in advance!
Hey I’m reboot mode?? I tried Clockwork but it just reboots???
Ok, I have tried many times to reboot into ROM Manager, but it just reboots in to stock recovery with no back up at all? I’ve tried the Verizon recovery “Heimdall” I think its called no luck need some advice?
The ability to have the screen orientation change when I turn the pad sideways etc has been lost. The option seems to be gone from the display settings. I used the sprint instructions for this procedure. Ive done several resets. I tried to go back to my original back up (recover the back up) but I get a md5 checksum error. Any ideas on how to restore the screen orientation feature?
I’m having the same problem with the screen oreintation….as well as the camera and auto brightness….were you able to get a fix for the screen?
Same here
when i do the cmd and my device reboots i can select anything with my power botton. what can I do?
I would like to know how can i remove or uninstall clockworkmod 3.0 form my sprint galaxy tab. i wanna update with sprint but it doesnt let me do the update. if i try to do it the table reboots into the clockworkmod installation screen. where it looks for files to install and it backs up my system all over again.
on my sprint galaxy tab I get up to the adb shell. when I type “su” it say “permission denied”. what next?????
I probably bricked my tab. It’s a UK version. I’m stuck with the Galaxy TAB Samsung logo.
its not brick…u just not done doing ur job
thanks for bricking my Verizon SCH-I800… really appreciate that. fix the procedure please.
alright, i got it working. there are several steps missing in the Verizon procedure, which i’ll detail here:
after reboot recovery, you’ll be presented with the boot loader.
select wipe data
select wipe cache
reboot now
before the reboot, be holding the volume up button
this will bring you into clockwork mod recovery, and it will automatically begin a backup.
it will then install the Tab recovery image that you selected in Clockwork Mod earlier.
when it’s finished, reboot the device and you will be presented with a new, stock image.
Doodman, would it be possible for you to get me a copy of the stock rom? I don’t know if I missed a step or what, but now when I load my stock rom the camera doesn’t work, the accelerometer doesn’t work, and the auto adjust brightness doesn’t work.
After searching across Google, and around in here I haven’t found any answers to my problem…
So.. I have rooted my SGT, with Odin (which were the only method that worked for me) TheUnlockr suggested the method w, superoneclick, but it only worked till step 5 and then kept hanging for an hour. So yeah. tried Odin instead.
Btw. I should mention that my SGT is european, ad my current carrier is three.
Kernel: 2.6.35.7
Firmware: 2.3.3
Baseband: P1000XXJPZ
—
Anyway. I also set up the ADB via theUnlockr.
And now I decided to flash the recovery image as described, as well. But after downloading Rom Manager pressing the “Flash ClockWorkMod Recovery” button only 2 options.. Galaxy S i9000 And Galaxy S (MTD) i9000.
And I’m not sure what to do now.. I have read about Ero Tab Bootstrapper but is it safe enough? What happens if I choose one of the Galaxy S options?
My whole point in rooting the Tab were to get Cyanogenmod 7 on it, but the site doesn’t show the SGT as well.. only SGS. I know they’re from the same series but with some differences.
Hope you can help me.. Thanx ^^
Same issue on me. There is no option for GSM Galaxy Tab like above in ROM Manager, so unable to install CWM.
does anyone know what kernel goes with the wifi only tab ive looked all over but no luck if you can email me i would buy you a beer thanks, i know there is really not much or any roms for me but i would like to make the best of it and at least have cwm loaded for if it comes williamworking58@gmail.com
i m using GT-P1000 (GSM) but Rom Manager only shows T-Mobile, ATT, Verizon
so which 1 do i choose for the recovery?
thanks
thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
gday
I have the T-Mo version and as I followed the hole procedure, my tab got stuck at “installing multi-CSC”.
Perhaps no one has noticed, here you’ll have to navigate down to “update.zip” and it will finish the process and boot into Clockworkmod Recovery in a snap.
Thank you so much for this tutorial, awesome…..
This guide is completely useless. Tried it step-by-step TWICE. “Bricked” my VZW Tab both times. Just download the right kernel image and flash it in Heimdall in the Kernel and Recovery boxes. That worked perfectly the first time
I’m using the gsm variant of the samsung galaxy tab p1000 and i get only the options of epic 4g and galaxy s i9000 when i click to select device…
any advice would be appriciated
thanks!! 🙂
well super one click failed. Now I’m trying z4MOC . I hope this works. I just want root and recovery so I can flash a friggen rom. samsung devices are always such a pain in the ass (for me anyhow) to root and flash stuff too. GRRRRR…. I need this rooted and recovery so I can flash ICS….