Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Using ADB to install apk files (sideload) onto a Nook HD

A typical android device allows you to install any android setup file (apk).
But my Nook HD has a restriction imposed by Barnes and Nobles that prevents me from installing an apk files. The only way they want you to install files is from Google Play.

So below are instructions for installing Android applications from apk files on the Nook HD. 
You will need to a usb cable to connect the Nook HD to your PC.

IMPORTANT: BELOW WAS VERIFIED ON WINDOWS 7.
ALSO VERIFIED that it DOES NOT WORK ON WINDOWS XP FOR ME (23:06 19/12/2013)



1) From your PC, ONETIME Download ADB + FastBoot + Drivers from http://four-nineteen.com/veronica/XDA%20Developers/Nook%20Tablet/DRIVERs/ADB%20+%20Fastboot%20+%20Drivers.zip and extract to a subdirectory..

2) In your Nook HD settings (goto Settings->All Settings->Device Information->Developer Options), make sure "Enabled ADB" is checked".

3) Make sure your Nook HD is not plugged in to your PC.

4) In your PC, double click on runmefirst.bat from extracted files.

5) The new command window will warn you again to ensure your HD is not connected to your computer.
Press any key to accept.
Then it should say you already have an ID or USB ID has been setup. And it will ask you to install your Nook Drivers. THis can be done as follows (ONETIME STEP):
    a) Plug in your device and open device manager.
    b) If drivers arent installed, your device will shows as a failed state with a name like BNTV400 or BNTV600 (WARNING - even if it shows up in Device Manager under "Portable Devices" as MyNook but nothing appears under "Android Phone", that means you have not enabled ADB on your Nook. FOllow instructions in Step 2).
    c) Double click on your device to open its properties and select Update Driver.
    d) In windows 7, choose Browse my computer for driver software. THen choose Have Disk or again choose Let me pick from a list of devices. Then choose Have Disk.
    e) Browse and select the android_winusb.inf in usbdrivers directory.
    f) select ok and choose Android Composite ADB Interface. Select ok again to confirm and if prompted that it has not been signed, click ignore.
    g) FInally, your device should show up in Device Manager under Android Phone as Android Composite ADB Interface (it should also appear under "Portable Devices" as MyNook)!

6) Now open a command prompt window and navigate to the current folder where adb is available. (in administrator mode).

7) In the command prompt window, enter "adb install yourfile.apk" (replace yourfile.apk with the full path of your apk file).

8) After the "successfully installed" message, reboot your Nook by entering "adb reboot".

9) After the Nook has loaded again, enter "adb kill-server" (to stop adb server). Disconnect your Nook from computer.

13 comments:

  1. question: regarding this procedure for how to install and apk file on a nook hd, you say "
    7) In the command prompt window, enter "adb install yourfile.apk" (replace yourfile.apk with the full path of your apk file)." Does that mean in the windows command prompt window, I enter adb install full path of the apk file that I have downloaded to the nok hd already (in other words, the path I would see if I look at the file in the Android (Nook HD) Download area?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thankyou very much. This has enabled me to do some compatibility tests desperately needed to do without rooting! Ace! In answer to Mitchellbrian... you need to do for e.g. "adb install c:\yourfile.apk" (or wherever you put it). And don't have a space in apk name... keep it as one word. Many thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sorry to elaborate further @Mitchelbrian... not sure what you mean about seeing the file in the Android Download Area. You should be looking on your PC for the folder where you saved the APK to (either one you developed or one downloaded from internet or grabbed from another of your Android devices). In my example I just saved my apk file (one developed) to the root of my PC, the c: drive. Your could be on your desktop, windows downloads folder or wherever you placed it. You're trying to place the file onto your nook rather than from nook to PC, so I am not sure why you are referring to a file already downloaded to your nook. Hope this helps.

      Delete
    2. Where you put the .apk file on your computer, or where you put it on your Nook? You didn't list any step where you transfer the .apk file to the Nook. But if it's still on the computer, then how does adb know which device to install it on?

      Delete
  3. If I use this method to install the Amazon's app store app, now, will it be able to install other apps to nook?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just tried it. Nook blocked installation of apps by the amazon app store app.

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  4. I'm using Windows 8,1. The nook shows up as an unknown USB device under USB controllers. The driver days is not compatible.

    Any suggestions?

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. It worked! It hadn't been working but I tried downloading and running the ADB Fastboot Drivers again and it worked this time! Thank you very much for this tutorial!

    ReplyDelete
  7. It worked! It hadn't been working but I tried downloading and running the ADB Fastboot Drivers again and it worked this time! Thank you very much for this tutorial!

    ReplyDelete
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