NookManager: Everything You Need to Root and Restore a Nook Touch or Nook Glow
February 7, 2013 
28 Comments
A new tool called NookManager recently became available for rooting the Nook Touch and Nook Glow. It also includes ways to create backups and it can restore your Nook to factory settings, as well as disable B&N apps and install custom plugins.
I haven’t tried NookManager myself because quite frankly both my Nook Touch and Nook Glow are already backed up and rooted using the older methods, but I’ve heard good things about NookManager. It’s nice how everything is consolidated into one single utility, and it reportedly works with the latest 1.2.1 firmware updates.
If you want to try out this tool, head over to this NookManager thread at XDA for the directions and download.
Basically it sounds like all you have to do is download the file and then unzip it onto your computer. You then have to write the NookManager.img file onto a blank microSD card. The directions at XDA suggest using “disk imager” to write the image when using a Windows computer, but I’ve always used WinImage instead.
With WinImage all you have to do to write an image to a microSD card is connect the card to your computer with a card reader and then open WinImage as Administrator. Then go to Disk, and choose to “Restore Virtual Hard Disk on Physical Drive” and select the microSD card and then the NookManager.img file.
Once that’s done all you’ll need to do is shut down your Nook Touch and then insert that microSD card, power on, and then follow the onscreen directions. Note that there’s a Google apps package available for download over at the bottom of that post at XDA as well.
If anyone is brave enough to try this out let us know what you think. And if you’ve used the older backup and rooting packages let us know which method you like best.
About the Author
I have updated my Nook Touch to 1.2.1 and then rooted with Nook Manager. It is a great tool and much more user friendly than all of the other rooting methods I have used in the past. I did not try the backup functionality because I did not have a big enough SD card to hold the backup. (I backed up my Nook using the noogie method.) I performed the rooting procedure without enabling the ADB over Wifi with no problems.
Anyone who is not tech savy that wants to see what all the fuss is over rooting should give Nook Manager a try.
Nook Manager does not provide access to Google apps by default, but there is a Google Apps Installer add on available at XDA (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2086582).
Cool, thanks for letting us know. Sounds like NookManager is the way to go.
My biggest issue with rooting my Nook Touch is that the Android on it is so old, I can’t install my favorite e-reader, Moon+, which has position syncing.
There is a app called “Page Turner” that can sync your progress with just an email address. It doesn’t need the emails password from what I can tell. But a fairly attractive app.
It can be found in the F-Droid apps store. the apps store can be found here: http://f-droid.org/
Or you can just go download Page turner straight from F-Droid’s site here (APK is at bottom) : http://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdfilter=Page&fdid=net.nightwhistler.pageturner
Hope that helps. God Bless you
you really can’t install moon+ on this? that’s the program i use on my kindle fire.
Is there any other program that can make highlights and upload them to dropbox or evernote or email. Moon+ was able to do this with pdfs and that was awesome, but i’ll take epubs only.
A nice feature of the NookManager is that it appears to have a faster refresh mode built in, rather than the older rooting method which required a side loaded app (which I’ll confess I was never able to make work).
I’m happy this new method became available. I love the comfort of reading with my Nook, but was frustrated it poorly rendered standard pdf documents. This thankfully allows me to install other reading apps, which do a much better job. It’s sad B&N doesn’t include a better universal reader.
Which program do you recommend for reading PDFs?
So far, I’ve found PDF to be very clumsy on my Nook Simple Touch and was thinking that I might have to go to a 10″ tablet to read them properly.
As mentioned a little earlier ezPDF is works pretty well, but it’s still not going to be anything compared to a 10″ tablet when it comes to PDFs.
I also considering upgrading to a tablet, but NookManager seems to do the trick just fine for reading. I like ezPDF as well, but for whatever reason the bookmarks don’t display properly with PDF documents, which is a problem for large books. Therefore I generally only use it now for reading research articles. The bookmark feature in the reading app, Documents to Go works as it should, which also a good PDF reader.
I had previously rooted my Nook Simple Touch using the TouchNooter. This worked but reversed the 1.1.11 update back to 1.1.10 and never permitted the Nook to update, even if I side-loaded the update (1.2.1). So when I read about this NookManager, I decided to give it a try.
I restored my NST back to factory default by pressing the two lower buttons simultaneously as the Nook booted. I updated to firmware 1.2.1 by sideloading and then followed the NookManager procedure.
It worked very well, as advertised, and I’m more pleased with the new interface and features. Simple and easy, I can recommend NookManager to those who have been reluctant to root their Nook.
One of the first apps I installed was Cool Reader, my favourite reading progam. This version (3.1.2-33) incorporates the Nook-specific and eInk refreshing features in the mainline version from the Nook version of Cool Reader that Nathan previously wrote about: http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/2011/09/21/cool-reader-app-for-nook-touch-has-partial-refresh-and-page-button-support-video/
This looks great! I’m SOO trying it out. more later, Gabe
I, like Rob, previously rooted my NST Glow with GlowNooter… didn’t like it that much. However, I already checked out the user interface and it looks awesome… so I’ll tell how my progress is later and by the way THANKS to whoever developed this tool! It’s gonna be great!
Works great! Thx for the post, Nathan!
I have used ‘Orion Viewer’ to read PDF files on the Nook Touch for a while and I’m quite satisfied with it.
After reading your article, I unrooted my device and tried this one. Work great! Thanks Nathan.
Having waded through a large number of XDA posts, your How to pages are very reassuring .
Bit confused as to whether the UK version of the Touch Glow 1.2 is different from US versions and whether this means much of what is on XDA is not relevant ?
That shouldn’t make a difference, but then again I don’t know for sure. As long as you make a backup first you’ve got nothing to worry about.
Hello, i want your help please with my nook glowlight, i want to add the multitouch and fastmood to my device but i didnt find something that is easy like CWM mood that can be applied with glowlight like nook simple touch. I found a thread that says by using adb but im not experienced with such app so please provide me with the easiest way.
thanks in advance waiting for your help.
Sorry but I’m not going to be able to help you much in this regard. I only ever used ADB once a few years ago with the Nook Color. I always had trouble getting my devices to be recognized properly by ADB so I stopped trying to use it. I would suggest posting your question at XDA where maybe someone knows more will be able to help.
thank you Nathan for your reply. just now i got the help by doing CWM mood, but the problem is with the contrast i dont know how to do it.
Dear Nathan,
Thanks for a fantastic blog/site. I have used your site for questions and updating. With regard To the free app from BN, I tried to download it to my iPad and while it said that I had done so, I could not locate it.
Is it only for Nook ?
Thanks for your help
After rooting a Nook with Nookmanager, has anyone figured out how to get access again to the the original B&B Nook Reader program? The task manager shows that it’s running but there’s no launch icon for it on the Apps screen nor is it a choice for a file association app. As good as Cool Reader is, it’s not perfect and there are times I miss the original factory reader.
I did reboot into the Nookmanager and checked that I hadn’t disabled the B&N apps. They were enabled. But I don’t know how to access the Reader.
Doesn’t pressing the “n” button bring up the regular Nook options? That’s how it works with GlowNooter. There’s an app icon titled Library to get to the Nook sections as well.
Yes, but selecting a book from there still opens Cool Reader. I do not ever see an option for Reader.
Cool Reader must have got set as the default app for ePub’s. I don’t know if there’s a way to change that since the Nook doesn’t have a regular settings menu. In the past I accidentally set the Android homescreen as the default and there was no way to undo it except for starting back over from scratch. You might try uninstalling Cool Reader because then it will reset the default option but if it’s a system app it might not uninstall.
Hey Rob!
Just go to NookColor Tools (install from xda if you don’t have it), tap “All Settings”, tap Manage Applications, tap Cool Reader from list, and tap “Clear Defaults”. Then open an ePub and click Reader, and not Cool Reader. But be sure not to check the “default” box when prompted!
You’re right. I was thinking it didn’t have the clear defaults option with the weird settings menu, but it does. That should definitely fix the issue.
I lost the long press n button to change screen orientation following rerooting. I seem to have a tendency to lose the ADW Launcher option, causing me having to reroot. My thought on the new nook Manager? It might be faster, easier to root but there is no proper launcher. Also trying to install the google package is not straightforward, I’m wondering why it’s not kept in one place in the first place. I can’t say it’s an improvement from touchnooter.