How To: Load a Custom ROM on the Nook Color

I. Before You Begin

1. You MUST have done our How To Root the Nook Color procedure. Once you have finished that procedure you can come to this one and continue.

II. Flash a Custom Recovery Image

1. On the Nook Color, click on the arrow button then Extras and then Market.

2. Search the Market for ROM Manager and download the free version.

3. Once you have installed it, open ROM Manager and select Flash Recovery Image and then choose Nook Color as your device.

4. Wait for it to say successfully flashed.

III. Choose a ROM to Flash

1. Head to our ROMs section of our site and choose your device (Nook Color) to be greeted with a list of ROMs currently available.

2. Select one then select the download link and find the download link on the developer’s page and save the file to your computer.

3. Plug in the Nook color via USB cable and open the SD card on the computer so we can transfer files to it.

4. Copy the ROM’s .zip file over to the root of the sd card (NOT in any folders, just on the sd card itself. Also do NOT extract the .zip file, leave it as a .zip).

5. Once it is done transferring, unplug the Nook Color.

IV. Boot into Recovery Mode to Flash the ROM

1. Open ROM Manager and select Reboot into Recovery and wait for it to reboot.

2. You should see the clockwork recovery image at this point.

3. Select Backup and Restore and then select Backup and wait for it to finish.

4. Once it is done, go to Choose .zip from SD Card and select the ROM file you just put on the sd card and wait for it to finish flashing (MOST NOOK COLOR ROMS TELL YOU NOT TO WIPE DATA BEFORE FLASHING THE ROM, PLEASE CHECK THE SPECIFIC ROM’S DEVELOPER’S PAGE FOR DETAILS).

5. Select Reboot and once it reboots you’re running your custom ROM.

Reported Issues:

Issue: It says (bad) Installation Aborted when I try to flash a custom ROM

Solution: First redownload the ROM to make sure it isn’t just corrupted during download. Second, boot into normal mode, then go to Settings > About > SD Card and Unmount the SD card, then Format it (this will erase everything on the SD Card). Then start over from Section III.

Issue: How do I manually boot into recovery mode if I can’t get to the ROM Manager app (i.e. my Nook is hosed and I can’t even get it to boot up properly) so I can restore a backup I made.

Solution: Turn off the Nook, then turn it on and when the Touch the Future of Reading words come up hold down the n for 2 seconds to boot into recovery.

31 thoughts on “How To: Load a Custom ROM on the Nook Color”

  1. Another great video, with simplified procedures and options. Unlocker’s the best…especially for people like me who know enough to be dangerous! One question on this procedure…can more than one Custom ROM be installed such as Nook 1.1.1, the re-do the whole procedure adding say, Froyo the next time around?

  2. On Part II Step, please include “reboot your nook color” Otherwise CWR will keep rebooting once you try to leave it..

  3. On Part II Step, please include “reboot your nook color” Otherwise CWR will keep rebooting once you try to leave it..

  4. So, I dont know much of anything to be honest, and now there look to be three wonderful options for ROMs, from what i’ve heard honeycomb is still rather “beta” in terms of development but regardless are there many pro’s of one ROM over the other?

  5. The instructions had me do a backup first. Has anyone tried to do a restore from CWR from the backup?
    I tried the restore to my backup and the nook color just sits at the
    “Contains Reader mobile technology by Adobe Systems Incorporated” screen.
    I re-installed back to stock, auto-nootered and re-installed my apps, but it takes awhile that way.

    I can restore cyanogenmod 7 with no problems, but I can’t restore the auto-nooter stock backup.

  6. I new to this work-around on the Nook. After you perform the “Root” process, can you go back to the Nook’s original os and/or can you read Nook formatted books on the “root-android” platform ??

    1. You can go back to the stock (out-of-the-box) as instructed right on this same website. I have been able to read nook formatted books on the auto-nooter root. I don’t know about the Honeycomb on the internal system. I wouldn’t recommend Honeycomb on the internal until its more developed. But I love the 2.1 (eclair) that works after the auto-nooter root.

  7. Can anyone tell me how to remove/uninstall a ROM. I just put Nookie Froyo on my Nook Color and many items do not work and I lost the market.

  8. I think I may need some help. I did the update process as listed above, but now the nook sits at the nook color screen and it won’t boot into recovery by holding the n button.

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