Android 4.2.1 update (JOP40D) for Nexus 10 [Guide]

Are you guys still waiting for the Android 4.2.1 update – the minor update that adds the month of December in the People app, support for HID joysticks and gamepads over Bluetooth, and minor bug fixes – to arrive on your Nexus 10?

Well, the update is thankfully available for downloading and installing manually like other Nexus devices, so those unwilling to wait any longer and are fine with entering a few commands in the Windows command prompt can update right away, following our step-by-step guide.

Keep in mind that you need to be on a completely unaltered stock ROM (no root allowed) and your Nexus 10 should be running on Android 4.2 build JOP40C, which you can confirm from the Settings » About tablet menu on the tablet.

Now let’s take a look at the procedure for updating the Nexus 10 manually to Android 4.2.1.

How to Install Android 4.2.1 Update on Nexus 10

  1. First, make sure you have the drivers installed for the tablet on the computer. Install the Android SDK from → here to install the drivers if you don’t already have them installed.
  2. Download the OTA update file.
    Download Link | Filename: 07ac4f5d6c30.signed-mantaray-JOP40D-from-JOP40C.07ac4f5d.zip
  3. Download Fastboot, which includes the adb files needed for flashing the update.
    Download Fastboot | Filename: Fastboot.zip
  4. Extract the Fastboot.zip file on your computer to get a folder named Fastboot with four files inside it. To keep things easy, extract the Fastboot folder to drive C.
  5. Then, copy the update file downloaded in step 2 to this “Fastboot” folder you just obtained in step 4.
  6. Turn off the tablet, then boot it into stock recovery. To do so, first boot into the bootloader mode by holding down the Volume Up +Vol Down + Power buttons together till the screen turns on and shows “Start” written in big green letters. Then, using the volume buttons, scroll till you see the “Start” text change to “Recovery mode”, then select it using the power button to boot into stock recovery.
  7. You will then see an Android with a red exclamation point. Now hold down the Power button then press the Volume Up key to see the recovery menu (or press the two buttons together if it doesn’t work).
  8. Select the apply update from adb option in recovery, by scrolling to it using the volume buttons and selecting it with the power button.
  9. Connect the tablet to the computer. Wait for the drivers to finish installing.
  10. On the computer, click on Start menu » All Programs » Accessories, right-click on Command Prompt and click on Run as administrator. If you are using Windows 8, this can be done by right-clicking on the extreme bottom left corner of the taskbar, then selecting “Command Prompt (admin)”.
  11. Now, perform the following steps in the command prompt to flash the Android 4.2 update:
    1. Navigate to the Fastboot folder which you obtained in step 4. For example, if the Fastboot folder is in drive C on your computer, enter cd C:Fastboot in command prompt (and press Enter) to navigate to the folder.
    2. Then, enter adb devices. If your Nexus 7 has been detected properly, you will see a device ID show up in command prompt. If nothing comes up, make sure you have installed the drivers (step 1).
    3. Finally, to flash the update, enter the following command:
      adb sideload 07ac4f5d6c30.signed-mantaray-JOP40D-from-JOP40C.07ac4f5d.zip
    4. After you enter the above command, you will see the “sending: sideload” message in the command prompt, and once it reaches 100%, the update will start installing on your tablet.
  12. After the update finishes installing, select reboot system now on the tablet to reboot it and boot up into Android 4.2.1.

Android 4.2 is now installed on your Nexus 10. Do let us know if you notice any improvements or changes in it. Also, don’t forget to check out the Google Currents fix if you have lag issues on your Nexus 10.