How can I delete/change the "primary" gmail account?

[mikie39]

Yes, this will root your phone.... no need to factory reset.
Stock recovery = 3 button boot (Vol Up + Home + Power), choose option to install from SD card then select CW Touch recovery.
Wait for this to load then run the Installer in the same way (now is a touch screen operation).
Reboot and you are rooted.....

This is in answer to your direct question, it still may be easier for you to reset and apply a new Gmail account tho....?

UPDATE ==> Got my S2 rooted, but root explorer fails shortly after being granted superuser saying "application closed unexpectedly". SU log shows its UID = root (0), command = /system/bin/sh, status = allowed, then it dies. Maybe a bad download of the root explorer APK? I will try another download and see how it goes. Any ideas, drop me a reply. THANKS, Mike

[mikie39]

Thanks for your quick replies, RichH. I want to go ahead and root my phone so that the next time gmail retires an account on me I can recover without any loss of apps. I have downloaded and un-zipped the files you provided, but don't know what or how to get the things I need into the phone. I have used kies and moved files before, but am unsure which files are needed. Sounds like I should copy them to the removable SD card, but would I just file copy all of them? THANKS !

SOLVED ==> CAN BE CLOSED. Thanks to all, especially RichH for the quick replies, I am now rooted and have rebuilt my gmail account without deleting anything or loosing any aps.

[RichH]

Excellent, thanks for the updates

[mikie39]

Excellent, thanks for the updates

I used a rooting technique from androidroot.org to root without loading a recovery ROM. It sounded safer then odin and worked great. Now I am insterested in ROM loads or OS updates.

If I loaded a new ROM, such as thunderbolt 3.1 would I loose all my aps?

Thanks again for all the help. Never done this stuff and don't wanna mess up the wife's phone too badly.

[RichH]

You're a brave man messing with the Boss's phone
Yes any new ROM's will require a wipe which will clear everything off the phone....

[mikie39]

Thanks, Rich. I think I will leave well enough alone then, since we love using navigation on her S2 (it's better then the garmin dedicated navigation). Guess that puts me in the market for a "playing on phone" of my own. I hear great things about the NOTE, guess it is the prefered system in south korea and I hear it has 2 day battery life. Can you tell me what you are using? What does SGS triple eye SIM free mean? My wife is from the philippines so we used her un-locked S2 there on a "pay as you go" system that was dirt cheap. Wish I could get it that cheap in the USA. We do run nettalk on it though and that gives us full cellphone ability anywhere we get WIFI.

[RichH]

S2 = eye eye (II), S3 = triple eye (III) SIM free is unlocked open ie no network controls or branding. A good cheap play phone here in UK in the original SGS....