Root Verizon DROID RAZR HD XT926 on KitKat and Install CWM Recovery

The Verizon DROID RAZR HD XT926 is was launched about two years ago as a Motorola flagship. The phone received the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update back in January this year and it seemed at the time that it would not get any more software updates from its manufacturer. It’s has become almost customary among smartphone OEMs to give less attention to older devices when it comes to updates.

Seen from that point of view, the Verizon DROID RAZR HD is pretty lucky. It was launched with Ice Cream Sandwich and now it runs the latest version of Android, that is KitKat. Thanks to Motorola for not forgetting its old heroes! If you own this awesome device and have already taken the KitKat OTA, you must be looking for a way of regaining root privilege on your phone. Root access on any Android device might prove a boon in many ways. It allows you to modify your device, customize it and get better performance through root apps.

Several months ago, we did a tutorial on rooting the RAZR HD XT926 on Jelly Bean using Saferoot exploit. Today, we have come with another guide describing the method to root Verizon DROID RAZR HD XT926 on KitKat firmware. Before you proceed, please note that the procedure given below requires unlocked bootloader because we’ll root RAZR HD XT926 by flashing Chainfire’s SuperSU package via CWM recovery. If your Verizon DROID RAZR HD does not have an unlocked bootloader, you’ll have to wait till some workaround is available.

UPDATE

To root your Verizon DROID RAZR HD XT926 on Android 4.4.2 KitKat firmware without unlocking the bootloader, use Geohot’s TowelRoot app. Having rooted your phone unlock the bootloader using Motocalypse and using the instructions given here.

Prerequisites:

• Download and install Motorola USB Drivers on your computer.
• Setup Android SDK on your computer, so that you have a working ADB and Fastboot on your system. If you don’t know how to do it, read our tutorial.
• Enable USB Debugging on your Verizon DROID RAZR HD. Here’s how you can do it: click here
• Download dhacker29′s CWM recovery: xt926-KK-CWM-6048.img 
• Also download Chainfire’s latest SuperSU package and copy it to your phone: UPDATE-SuperSU-vx.xx.zip

Root Verizon DROID RAZR HD XT926:

Having taken care of the prerequisites mentioned above, you can go ahead and root your Verizon DROID RAZR HD. However, we would like to remind you once again that your phone must have unlocked bootloader to be able to root and install CWM recovery on it.

1. Copy the xt926-KK-CWM-6048.img file to platform-tools folder where ADB and fastboot file pre-exist. The location of this folder depends on where you installed Android SDK.
2. Connect your phone to the computer using USB cable.
3. Turn off your DROID RAZR HD and reboot it into the Bootloader mode. You can do it by issuing ADB command in the cmd window. You can launch command window by pressing Shift+Right click on mouse at an empty space on your PC.
4. Type the following command in cmd window:

   adb reboot bootloader

5. Now press the Enter key. Your phone will reboot into the AP Fastboot mode.
6. Navigate to platform-tools folder, launch command window again and type this command to install CWM recovery:

   fastboot flash recovery xt926-KK-CWM-6048.img

7. When CWM is installed, type the following command:

   fastboot reboot

8. Just as you press Enter key after typing the above command, press and hold the Volume Up button on your phone to boot it into recovery mode.
9. In CWM menu, scroll to install zip from sdcard option, navigate to UPDATE-SuperSU-vx.xx.zip and select it.
10. Confirm installation.
11. Finally, when SuperSU is flashed, return to CWM main menu and reboot your phone.

Done! When your Verizon DROID RAZR HD XT926 boots up it should have root access with CWM Recovery present on it. You can now enjoy root apps, custom mods and ROMs on your phone.