Hey guys, trying to return my HTC Hero 2.1 stock
anyone have instructions to how to remove amon-ra?
i tried to install via RUU exe file but it doesn't detect my phone and asks if its turned on.
so far i have managed to get a packed.zip file with stock 1.5 flashed but when it goes OTA for updates, it reboots to amon-ra instead of doing the update through the HTC loader. hence why i want it removed.
any help will be appreciated
thank you
blah just fixed my issue
zip file i downloaded won't open with windows decompressor so i used 7zip to grab the recovery image out
then followed
http://android-dls.com/wiki/index.php?title=Replace_Recovery_Partition
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=7010639#post7010639
I have a problem with mounting my phone in Windows (see here; http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=841645) and I need to return it for testing.
How can I flash it back to stock without a USB connection?
E.E.
Assuming you're rooted and on a custom ROM
You will need unlimited data to try this.
Not sure if this will work, but please do try.
1. Make sure your phone is juiced up.
2. Download the Stock RUU you want from the internet - save to your sdcard
3. Download another sense based ROM that you has no issues with the USB cable - check the post and changelogs.
4. Perform rom backup with ROM manager (get from android market)
5. Wipe and flash new Sense based ROM on your phone.
6. Once your phone is booted, the USB SHOULD WORK.
7. Move RUU to your PC. Link to HTC sync - phone should be set to sync.
8. Install RUU.
And once it is one, you have unrooted and are back to stock ROM.
Should your USB fail at stage 6, you should try a different custom ROM.
If it's still not working, you might want to search how to USB unbrick (i think there's something like that on the forums).
Unfortunately its not a rom problem. The USB issue seems to be a hardware problem.
I have flashed multiple different backups from CM6 to myvery first backup I made of the newly rooted rom.
I just need to put a stock rom on it so that I can get warranteed service. Otherwise I'm pretty sure they'll just shoot it back to me, marked warranty void.
E.E.
Have you tried this?
It's to unbrick your usb
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=7616115#post7616115
I had also problems with mounting USB, can't tell if they were the same as I don't use windows and can't tell how it behaves. My problem was solved after I flashed the rooted vodafone FroYo. Maybe this could help you, too.
I haven't tested it yet but it may be as simple as downloading the zip from shipped-roms.
(http://shipped-roms.com/download.ph...35.21_release_130330_signed.zip&send_file=yes)
Renaming it to update.zip and flashing it from Recovery.
Can anyone confirm?
E.E.
Actually the best solution I've found yet is this one here from the CM forums.
This using the .img files from the zip I downloaded from Shipped-Roms earlier
Instructions
---------------
1. Boot n1 to fastboot mode
2. Extract the FRG33 files to your tools directory in PC (you need system.img and boot.img)
3. In your tools directory, fastboot the following commands
fastboot flash system system.img
WAIT
fastboot flash boot boot.img
WAIT
Reboot
Alternative method
------------------------
Rename the stock file to passimg.zip
Now you need to use ADB to get it on the SD card, or just copy file to sd card root directory
Command: adb push passimg.zip /sdcard
Now get into the bootloader and it should detect the passimg.zip file and ask if you want to install it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since I have Fastboot available to me, this seems the most hopeful method.
Can anyone confirm is this not just hopeful thinking?
E.E.
After looking at few threads where members where asking for 1.29.401.16 RUU, and some of them finding an Image file of the same (including me) , but getting trouble to make it work like RUU. So i thought of writing a process to make it work if someone needs to get back to STOCK.
Requirements :
YOU NEED TO BE S-OFF
ALL DATA WOULD BE LOST,ALL MEANS ALL, SO BACKUP
DONT HOLD ME RESPONSIBLE IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG
PROCEDURE:
1. Download the 1.29.401.16 image file from here : https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-4Hz5BkTjxdTV9fS01JbU5yTE0/preview?pli=1 of 1.29.401.16 ( Thanks to @west2cool for the RUU)
2. Download RUU_M7_UL_JB_50_Cingular.exe ( Link on http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=39588860 Thanks @BugsyLawson )
3. Execute RUU_M7_UL_JB_50_Cingular.exe
4. when all progress bars stop, go to %temp% search the most recent folder, and search for the file ARUWizard.exe file that inside of the folder {F46C5D93-D618-4028-943D-D8C5753929A3} (name may vary) and inside there is another {50F2F878-636A-496F-A7CB-544C067E0C4B} folder name will vary, inside this last one there is the file ARUWizard.exe
5. copy that last folder to some other place in your PC/Laptop
6. stop the executing of the RUU_M7_UL_JB_50_Cingular.exe
7. In the copied folder replace the "rom.zip" with the one in PN07IMG_M7_UL_JB_50_HTC_Europe_1.29.401.16_R_Radio _4A.14.3250.13_10.33.1150.01_release_318486_signed _2_4.zip, you need to rename PN07IMG_M7_UL_JB_50_HTC_Europe_1.29.401.16_R_Radio _4A.14.3250.13_10.33.1150.01_release_318486_signed _2_4.zip to "rom.zip", actualy this zip is a img file, that's why you can't unzip. ( Thanks to @torres.sis for this Guide )
8. Execute the ARUWizard.exe
Follow the onscreen instructions , and the device will be back to stock. You should not loose S-OFF, but the bootloader would be Relocked.
Just wanted to say thank you, it worked perfectly.
And I have been looking for the 1.29.401.16 RUU for a long time
Try this, more simple: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=43693174#post43693174
i am currently on 2.24.401.1 firmware 4.2.2 ROM with hboot 1.54 S-OFF superCID . running this RUU will downgrade my hboot to 1.44 ??? also do i have to lock bootloader before running RUU?
cristian2206 said:
i am currently on 2.24.401.1 firmware 4.2.2 ROM with hboot 1.54 S-OFF superCID . running this RUU will downgrade my hboot to 1.44 ??? also do i have to lock bootloader before running RUU?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it will. No, you don't have to relock.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
cristian2206 said:
i am currently on 2.24.401.1 firmware 4.2.2 ROM with hboot 1.54 S-OFF superCID . running this RUU will downgrade my hboot to 1.44 ??? also do i have to lock bootloader before running RUU?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could just flash the HBoot from this post instead if its just the hboot your after:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2316726
@mathrania
I actually like your Idea as i had the very same idea just yesterday with the only difference that i was thinking it might be possible to adapt the meta inf from the ruu so we could actually create a full ruu that also flashes system this way. So we could make full RUU's from available components since Mike1986 chose to not share RUU's he gets.
Feel like diving into it?
Just a thought....
Sneakyghost said:
@mathrania
I actually like your Idea as i had the very same idea just yesterday with the only difference that i was thinking it might be possible to adapt the meta inf from the ruu so we could actually create a full ruu that also flashes system this way. So we could make full RUU's from available components since Mike1986 chose to not share RUU's he gets.
Feel like diving into it?
Just a thought....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How to do that?? I don't have much idea abt it...
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
Does anyone have recovery image for 1.29.401.16 ?
hi bro i need a help,
htc 9088 not connecting with pc and no one near for repair, i lose password and during installation twrp crush real recovery mode. can u make a ruu file for my phone, firmware/recovery
I wonder whether there is help for someone who thought he knew how to flash a kernel but apparently is deluded. I have the original nexus seven Wi-Fi tablet android version 4.3 build number JWR66V. The system still wants to update me to 4.3 because I ripped some files out of the cache directory to prevent OTA updates. I have both fastboot and adb. I have read the stickies about flashing.
The phone is rooted and the bootloader is unlocked. I use TWRP custom recovery, and it's a good thing, because I solidly bricked myself up just trying to get my lollipop. I know there are tools to root a nexus seven even with stock lollipop, so I thought I'd upgrade my phone to stock lollipop and then use one of those methods. I tried both the stock lollipop kernel and the one provided by chain fire, which I understand is rooted already. (I'm assuming upgrading to lollipop will lose me my root, unless I want to recover back to 4.3.)
I tried to do these things a couple of different ways. When I tried fast boot, I got the message "error: neither -p product specified nor ANDROID_PRODUCT_OUT set". There was a YouTube video suggesting how to deal with this error message. I'm pretty sure I followed the instructions but no go. (I was using the "flash all" command.) This was after I had put the file containing lollipop in the directory, both zipped and unzipped (so that I had an .img file instead of a zip file). I tried using both the zip file with all of the lollipop partitions and the system image file individually. No go. I also had a message that android-info.txt could not be found, even though it was in the same, working directory.
I could be wrong but I don't think you can install a complete updated kernel from a file on the device. I think that works only with update.zip.
I'm still thinking fastboot is my best bet, but there are dependencies apparently and I don't know what files to include in its directory. Then, am I wise to go to stock and then root, or should I simply flash the stock kernel already rooted? I assume that's what chainfire is providing, correct?
I notice the lollipop official ROM nor Chainfire’s supposedly-rooted image have any file named nakasi. I have only .img files, no .zip files.
I found a dozen sets of instructions on how to flash a kernel but something I need is missing from all of them. Does anyone know what it is or can anyone offer some helpful advice?
Thank you,
Leon M.
CONTEXT: My phone no longer charges (USB port doesn't work), but I have insurance. VZW sent me a replacement phone and I need to send back the old phone after doing a factory reset. The phone won't factory reset and I need your help. I think this will be an easy one for you guys. Here is my sense of the problem. I rooted the phone when I got it right away right after it was released aprox 2.5 years ago. I downloaded the classic root files like Clockworkmod, Wanam Xposed, Titanium Backup, Busy Box Pro, ROM Manager, ROM Installer, ROM Toolbox Pro, Root Explorer, Super SU, ...etc. After that I never changed the ROM. So I still have OEM ROM with lots of app updates. I did change the recovery.img in order to use one of those apps. I think it was to use Clockworkmod. Anyways now when I go to factory reset the phone it says it is missing the recover.img file. My sense is if I put back that file on my phone in the right spot it will then allow me reset to stock. Does that sound right? If so how do I do that? If not what else should I try consider? Grateful for any help I can get! THANK YOU in advance.
Things are really dead around here as you can tell by the lack of responses, but to answer your question the only way to restore unrooted stock is by downloading the stock firmware and using ODIN. The recovery img file is in that firmware too. I suggest getting your USB port fixed or you are screwed. If you do that, then follow these steps:
Download stock firmware here: http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/SM-N900V/
Download ODIN here: https://mega.nz/#!nZoThZ5a!TrPzLGDrtQJSmJfH8UkOFAkfc9wSLl_lPhrVusQoRJ8
After you unpack the zip files, turn off your phone. Then hit the power, home and volume down buttons all at the same time for download mode. Confirm by hitting volume up as instructed. Plug the phone into your PC and open ODIN. You should see the COM port open. Next select the AP option, then browse to the file you unzipped the firmware to. Double click and wait until the md5 is done being verified. Hit start and wait, it takes about 4 or 5 minutes. Once it's finished and the phone starts rebooting, unplug the phone and pull the battery (you don't want to let it boot all the way or you'll get FCs out the ying yang). Now replace the battery, boot into stock recovery by hitting power, home and volume up all at the same time. Recovery will come up and then do your factory reset. You should be good to go after that.
ArtfulDodger said:
Things are really dead around here as you can tell by the lack of responses, but to answer your question the only way to restore unrooted stock is by downloading the stock firmware and using ODIN. The recovery img file is in that firmware too. I suggest getting your USB port fixed or you are screwed. If you do that, then follow these steps:
After you unpack the zip files, turn off your phone. Then hit the power, home and volume down buttons all at the same time for download mode. Confirm by hitting volume up as instructed. Plug the phone into your PC and open ODIN. You should see the COM port open. Next select the AP option, then browse to the file you unzipped the firmware to. Double click and wait until the md5 is done being verified. Hit start and wait, it takes about 4 or 5 minutes. Once it's finished and the phone starts rebooting, unplug the phone and pull the battery (you don't want to let it boot all the way or you'll get FCs out the ying yang). Now replace the battery, boot into stock recovery by hitting power, home and volume up all at the same time. Recovery will come up and then do your factory reset. You should be good to go after that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks - is there any way to do this without the USB port? I can still get new files to the phone via the MicroSD card. Or use Root explorer to mess with all the files on the phone.
mozenter said:
Thanks - is there any way to do this without the USB port? I can still get new files to the phone via the MicroSD card. Or use Root explorer to mess with all the files on the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Refer to this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2426162. But keep in mind, your bootloader MUST be unlocked to use mobile ODIN. If you are on KK 4.3 & up, I think you might be SOL.
ArtfulDodger said:
Refer to this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2426162. But keep in mind, your bootloader MUST be unlocked to use mobile ODIN. If you are on KK 4.3 & up, I think you might be SOL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks I apprecaite the effort! I tried Mobile Odin. I purchased Mobile Odin Pro, but it doesn't work with VZW variant of Galaxy Note 3. Any other ideas? Thanks again for all the help!
mozenter said:
Thanks I apprecaite the effort! I tried Mobile Odin. I purchased Mobile Odin Pro, but it doesn't work with VZW variant of Galaxy Note 3. Any other ideas? Thanks again for all the help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, sounds like without that USB port you are stuck with that phone then unless you can get it repaired. Thanks for the update, I kind of wondered if anything got resolved. Good luck!
ArtfulDodger said:
Sorry, sounds like without that USB port you are stuck with that phone then unless you can get it repaired. Thanks for the update, I kind of wondered if anything got resolved. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One last attempt to get this fixed. I really just need to know where the recovery imagine is located in the note 3. Here again is a quick summary of the issue. I also just posted in the CWD thread.
"I have a Galaxy Note 3. I successfully put CWD on it when I purchased it several years ago. The USB port no longer charges the phone. I have insurance with VZW, but I need to send the phone back in stock. I can't put the phone back in stock because I have the CWD recovery image is in there. I recall I left the old recovery image on the phone and just changed the extension. So all I need to do to fix the phone is go back into the folder where the recovery image is and delete the CWD image and change original image extension back to its original form (which I think is IMG). The problem is I don't where on the phone these recovery images are. Can anyone help me with this situation? Thanks!!!"
mozenter said:
One last attempt to get this fixed. I really just need to know where the recovery imagine is located in the note 3. Here again is a quick summary of the issue. I also just posted in the CWD thread.
"I have a Galaxy Note 3. I successfully put CWD on it when I purchased it several years ago. The USB port no longer charges the phone. I have insurance with VZW, but I need to send the phone back in stock. I can't put the phone back in stock because I have the CWD recovery image is in there. I recall I left the old recovery image on the phone and just changed the extension. So all I need to do to fix the phone is go back into the folder where the recovery image is and delete the CWD image and change original image extension back to its original form (which I think is IMG). The problem is I don't where on the phone these recovery images are. Can anyone help me with this situation? Thanks!!!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The recovery image is the recovery partition and you have overwritten it. You MAY be able to dig an image out of a firmware such as founf on sammobile but you still need a way to flash it. Without an unlocked bootloader or USB port.. I believe you're out of luck. You should simply send the phone back to VZW... I seriously doubt the shop it really goes to cares if it's stock or not.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
I'm sorta confused.
If it was rooted a few years ago & it was a retail device, a "true" replacement recovery (e.g. CWM) wouldn't boot because of the Samsung signing checks. This isn't a Developer Edition device, is it?
If it had SafeStrap installed, then:
- that already comes with a pseudo-recovery which is a mod of TWRP.
- the whole thing boots out of /system using the stock boot partition, and all it's magic happens inside of /system (with some loopback blobs for the non-stock slots stored in /data)
Does the OP know that a "factory reset" is an Android misnomer? There is no "resetting" back to factory of a device which has had customization of the /system partition. That has to be done either manually or through restoration of backups. The android "Factory Reset" only wipes the /data file system. It doesn't magically repair random customizations to /system, and that's what causes the "Custom" icon during boot.
About the only way I can think that the OP can resolve this is if he happens to have a Safestrap (pseudo-) TWRP backup of the stock slot. I guess the approach would be to:
- get the correct release "recovery.img" file out of the Odin Stock tarball, and "dd" it to the recovery partition ( mmcblk0p15 on the SM-N900V)
- restore the original, virginal "stock slot" backup onto the stock slot from the Safestrap+TWRP backup
- make sure to set the active slot to the stock slot
- reboot, go back into Safestrap recovery and:
- delete all other slots
- uninstall Safestrap.
This of course would only be feasible if the stock slot backup was taken immediately after installation of SafeStrap, so it's uninstall would restore /system to approximately the same condition as Stock. Maybe after running that ROM for a little bit the TIMA attribution would revert the "Custom" status indicator. It might even allow a download of an OTA.
There is another method of restoring to stock without USB that I can think of, but it would involve the bootloader unlock and booting a real (true) custom recovery, which would blow the Knox Warranty bit, so - given the OP's desires - I don't see much point in it.
donc113's comments should be considered as well: what is the chance that the warranty returns department is going to "go all CSI" on your returned phone? They probably have to deal with hundreds of dead phones per day. I suppose it depends a bit on luck and who is doing the warranty returns, but there have been more than one person on XDA report "I just returned the phone in it's trashed state and didn't bother to clean anything up, and no complaints."
good luck
donc113 said:
The recovery image is the recovery partition and you have overwritten it. You MAY be able to dig an image out of a firmware such as founf on sammobile but you still need a way to flash it. Without an unlocked bootloader or USB port.. I believe you're out of luck. You should simply send the phone back to VZW... I seriously doubt the shop it really goes to cares if it's stock or not. Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an unlocked bootloader, but no USB port. So any ideas you have would greatly be apprecaited. VZW cares a lot. It will cost me $300 if I can't fix it.
mozenter said:
I have an unlocked bootloader, but no USB port. So any ideas you have would greatly be apprecaited. VZW cares a lot. It will cost me $300 if I can't fix it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you unlock the bootloader or is that the way it came? Since you put CWM on it a long time ago... I would think that it's a developer edition and if so... It will be engraved inside with "Developer Edition" under the battery.
If it is a developer edition.... To the best of MY knowledge (i certainly could be wrong) Verizon never sold them... Only Samsung did... Thus Verizon never had a warranty on it.
But, no matter what version it is, since you loaded a non VZW recovery...you can not put back 100% to stock because the "warranty fuse" is blown and can not be reset.
I presume you have tried Odin to flash a stock firmware load that includes stock recovery but that requires the USB port be working (but doesn't require the charge circuit to work).
Beyond Odin... I have no other ideas.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
mozenter said:
I have an unlocked bootloader, but no USB port. So any ideas you have would greatly be apprecaited. VZW cares a lot. It will cost me $300 if I can't fix it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read this all the way through - twice at a minimum. You should understand how and why every step works before you begin. You should also verify md5 signatures of any files transferred around from place to place. (busybox and twrp both have "md5sum" command). You know - compute the MD5's after extracting them from the Odin archives, and then verify the same md5 sigs after you move/copy them to the phone /sdcard
Your idea that a "factory reset" with the stock recovery alone is going to return your phone back to factory stock is not sound.
You can rewrite the /system partition by booting into a custom recovery and using one other small trick*. If you were to then also overwrite the recovery partition with the stock recovery in the same (custom recovery boot) session, you would be able to:
1) boot into the stock recovery and
2) use the stock recovery (and a stock /system) to perform a factory reset.
This would give you a completely stock phone that has been factory reset, but with one small flaw: that your Knox warranty flag was blown to 0x1. (From everything you've said we think it is already blown, though)
twrp-3.0.2-0-hltevzw-4.3.img dd'ed into the recovery partition will let you do these operations via a terminal command session from the screen of the phone. No USB port needed, no ADB needed. All you will need to do is get the .img files onto the phone, either with a SDcard or wirelessly on a LAN/dropbox, etc.
0) Get the Stock Odin Tarball corresponding to your (rooted) ROM release (e.g. sammobile.com) ; use "tar" or 7-zip to extract "recovery.img" and "system.img" from this tarball.
1) Download twrp-3.0.2-0-hltevzw-4.3.img from twrp.me and get it onto your /sdcard (internal)
2) Get the stock "recovery.img" file (from the Odin tarball) onto your phone's /sdcard
*3) Convert the "system.img" file (from the Odin tarball) into a non-sparse system image file via the "simg2img" command, e.g.
<Unix-prompt>$ simg2img system.img system-nonsparse.img
I don't know if the Windows version of Google/Android developer tools has the "simg2img" tool; if not you are going to have to do this in a Linux VM (e.g. Ubuntu).
4) Get the latter file ("system-nonsparse.img") onto your phone /sdcard
5) From a root shell (in your current rooted ROM, use a terminal emulator and type "su" to get a root prompt)
dd if=/sdcard/twrp-3.0.2-0-hltevzw-4.3.img bs=2048 of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p15
this installs the custom TWRP recovery to your recovery partition
6) Boot into the TWRP recovery. Using Advanced->Terminal in TWRP, then:
7) dd if=/sdcard/recovery.img bs=2048 of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p15
(this step puts the stock recovery back onto the phone)
8) dd if=/sdcard/system-nonsparse.img bs=2048 of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p23
(this step puts the full stock /system back onto the phone)
9) Do a "reboot recovery" in TWRP. This will put you into the stock recovery, from which you can do a full factory wipe.
Voila! Factory Firmware and wiped - but with a blown Knox Warranty flag.
* the "one other small trick" is to convert the "system.img" file found in the stock Odin tarball to a non-sparse image using the Android tool "simg2img". Normally this unpacking job is handled by the bootloader when Odin is uploading the (sparse) system.img file to the phone, but you would be putting system.img back onto the phone by raw-writing it with "dd" the same way you would manually flash a recovery image to the recovery partition (using "dd").
The thing is, based on everything you have said so far, your phone already has a blown Knox Warranty flag. (Either that or you had a Developer Edition phone, or are confused about the difference between a true custom recovery and a fake one that lives inside safestrap). But what the heck, if that's the case, at least the phone will look fully stock if it is booted normally, and that's at least a little bit of an improvement.
This won't fix the Knox Warranty fuse; the only thing it will fix is the appearance of the "Custom" icon during booting. (Getting this to go away might even require booting the fully reset stock ROM and letting it run for a while as well so that the stock attribution processes can complete).
If you do this, you have to understand the whole process all the way through, as you will only have one chance at it. As soon as you have re-written the /system partition and put the stock recovery back on the phone, root is gone at that point. (Additionally note that step 8 CAN NOT be accomplished with the normal ROM booted - it can only be done from a custom recovery. You will lock up the system and the write will fail if you try it from the "regular" ROM.)
good luck.
bftb0 said:
Read this all the way through - twice at a minimum. You should understand how and why every step works before you begin. You should also verify md5 signatures of any files transferred around from place to place. (busybox and twrp both have "md5sum" command). You know - compute the MD5's after extracting them from the Odin archives, and then verify the same md5 sigs after you move/copy them to the phone /sdcard
Your idea that a "factory reset" with the stock recovery alone is going to return your phone back to factory stock is not sound.
You can rewrite the /system partition by booting into a custom recovery and using one other small trick*. If you were to then also overwrite the recovery partition with the stock recovery in the same (custom recovery boot) session, you would be able to:
1) boot into the stock recovery and
2) use the stock recovery (and a stock /system) to perform a factory reset.
This would give you a completely stock phone that has been factory reset, but with one small flaw: that your Knox warranty flag was blown to 0x1. (From everything you've said we think it is already blown, though)
twrp-3.0.2-0-hltevzw-4.3.img dd'ed into the recovery partition will let you do these operations via a terminal command session from the screen of the phone. No USB port needed, no ADB needed. All you will need to do is get the .img files onto the phone, either with a SDcard or wirelessly on a LAN/dropbox, etc.
0) Get the Stock Odin Tarball corresponding to your (rooted) ROM release (e.g. sammobile.com) ; use "tar" or 7-zip to extract "recovery.img" and "system.img" from this tarball.
1) Download twrp-3.0.2-0-hltevzw-4.3.img from twrp.me and get it onto your /sdcard (internal)
2) Get the stock "recovery.img" file (from the Odin tarball) onto your phone's /sdcard
*3) Convert the "system.img" file (from the Odin tarball) into a non-sparse system image file via the "simg2img" command, e.g.
<Unix-prompt>$ simg2img system.img system-nonsparse.img
I don't know if the Windows version of Google/Android developer tools has the "simg2img" tool; if not you are going to have to do this in a Linux VM (e.g. Ubuntu).
4) Get the latter file ("system-nonsparse.img") onto your phone /sdcard
5) From a root shell (in your current rooted ROM, use a terminal emulator and type "su" to get a root prompt)
dd if=/sdcard/twrp-3.0.2-0-hltevzw-4.3.img bs=2048 of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p15
this installs the custom TWRP recovery to your recovery partition
6) Boot into the TWRP recovery. Using Advanced->Terminal in TWRP, then:
7) dd if=/sdcard/recovery.img bs=2048 of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p15
(this step puts the stock recovery back onto the phone)
8) dd if=/sdcard/system-nonsparse.img bs=2048 of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p23
(this step puts the full stock /system back onto the phone)
9) Do a "reboot recovery" in TWRP. This will put you into the stock recovery, from which you can do a full factory wipe.
Voila! Factory Firmware and wiped - but with a blown Knox Warranty flag.
* the "one other small trick" is to convert the "system.img" file found in the stock Odin tarball to a non-sparse image using the Android tool "simg2img". Normally this unpacking job is handled by the bootloader when Odin is uploading the (sparse) system.img file to the phone, but you would be putting system.img back onto the phone by raw-writing it with "dd" the same way you would manually flash a recovery image to the recovery partition (using "dd").
The thing is, based on everything you have said so far, your phone already has a blown Knox Warranty flag. (Either that or you had a Developer Edition phone, or are confused about the difference between a true custom recovery and a fake one that lives inside safestrap). But what the heck, if that's the case, at least the phone will look fully stock if it is booted normally, and that's at least a little bit of an improvement.
This won't fix the Knox Warranty fuse; the only thing it will fix is the appearance of the "Custom" icon during booting. (Getting this to go away might even require booting the fully reset stock ROM and letting it run for a while as well so that the stock attribution processes can complete).
If you do this, you have to understand the whole process all the way through, as you will only have one chance at it. As soon as you have re-written the /system partition and put the stock recovery back on the phone, root is gone at that point. (Additionally note that step 8 CAN NOT be accomplished with the normal ROM booted - it can only be done from a custom recovery. You will lock up the system and the write will fail if you try it from the "regular" ROM.)
good luck.
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Thanks you rock. I REALLY appreciate the effort. I fully realize that Knox won't be fixed. This is NOT a developer phone. These instructions a little over my head as I'm not that experienced with custom ROMs. I have really only dabbled a little bit with my last few phones.
mozenter said:
Thanks you rock. I REALLY appreciate the effort. I fully realize that Knox won't be fixed. This is NOT a developer phone. These instructions a little over my head as I'm not that experienced with custom ROMs. I have really only dabbled a little bit with my last few phones.
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There is a possibility... That there is a script called install_recovery.sh or install_original_recovery.sh in your /system/etc directory. You must have root to execute them IF they even exist.
It depends on when and how CWD was installed.
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