As the thread title states, I'm looking for info on the steps to root my stock MT4g, and install the new ROM that's floating around. I'm pretty technically capable, but the info I've found looks slightly dated. When I was active in the iPhone jailbreak scene, using old directions could brick a phone pretty easy, or prevent future jailbreaking. I haven't kept up with this scene enough to be able to know what's dated and what isn't.
This is my current plan, please correct it if I'm missing anything or have it wrong.
(based on wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php?title=TMobile_myTouch_4G:_Full_Update_Guide)
I've got ADB going
I need a backup solution for app data right? What's my best option here?
Once backed up, I plan to install busybox, Superuser package & Temporary Root package via ADB
Use gfree to make that root permanent
Install ClockworkMod recovery
Reboot into recovery, and install faux123's ROM
Does that sound correct, and did I skip anything? Any input at all is welcome, I'd like to stand tall on the backs of giants.
There are two popular methods floating around
You can either use the Root.sh method [ Found Here ]
Or the ./gfree method [ Found here ]
Either method will work perfectly. I've used both and can say with confidence they work.
The Cyanogen method can be goofy at times. I've see alot of people say they cannot get it working for them. I'd rock one of the two above. You shouldn't have a problem either way.
Thanks a ton for the info, I'll go at it this evening. As far as backup process, I do the temporary root, use ASTRO to make a zip? Most of the data on my phone lives at google, but I'm wondering the best way to retain apps, or should I just make a list and reinstall from the store after flashing?
lars.oakland said:
Thanks a ton for the info, I'll go at it this evening. As far as backup process, I do the temporary root, use ASTRO to make a zip? Most of the data on my phone lives at google, but I'm wondering the best way to retain apps, or should I just make a list and reinstall from the store after flashing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For backing up apps and data, use titanium backup. for backing up your whole phone, use the backup feature in clockworkmod recovery after you've flashed it via rom manager after permarooting.
lars.oakland said:
Thanks a ton for the info, I'll go at it this evening. As far as backup process, I do the temporary root, use ASTRO to make a zip? Most of the data on my phone lives at google, but I'm wondering the best way to retain apps, or should I just make a list and reinstall from the store after flashing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The best way to back up your Data and Applications is like mentioned above is Titanium Backup. The free version will work well but i recommend the paid one.
as far as a snap shot of the entire ROM incase you want to go back to it. reboot into recovery > backup/restore > backup. And it will do the rest.
Well I made it halfway there, but didn't nail the whole thing. I've got permanent root access (yay) now, and was able to make backups via Titanium. I then rebooted the phone into "recovery" using the ROM Manager from Clockwork. First boot had a red exclamation mark, I unplugged the handset from the USB and tried a second time. After that, I was greeted with the Orange and black interface, and selected "restore to factory". I then started searching for the cache clearing, which changed verbage between 3.x and 4.x releases of Clockwork. After exploring the menus a little, the phone reboots itself from this screen. My blood-pressure goes up, and I worry my toy just became a b-word. Not all was lost though, and the phone happily booted into the stock t-mobile welcome wizard.
I still have superUser installed, and still have root (S=OFF I guess?). I install ROM Manager again, and do the "Flash ClockworkMod Recovery" (which now shows both current and latest recovery as ClockworkMod 3.0.2.4). When I choose Reboot into Recovery however, it reboots back to the MyTouch 4G logo screen (non-animated one), and hangs. After some reading I tried to force recovery boot via ADB, which produced the same result as the soft reset from ROM Manager. After that I tried doing it the manual way with holding the volume button, which launched me into what I believe is a stock recovery console (white with colored options, uses vol +/- and power to navigate). Choosing "recovery" from that screen *also* produces the white logo screen hang.
So my question now is, in it's current state; how can I get to the Clockwork recovery again? From there I bet installing the image will be easy street, but I believe I'm stuck for now.
Side-note: the phone functions fine on regular boots and pure vanilla mode; I just don't want to stop here when I'm pretty close to my 2.3 goal
Well good news and bad news. I was able to get Clockwork going by reverting it to 3.0.0.5 and just using that version. Was able to install ROMs, tested a few. Phone started freezing after/during installing packages. Started the clear cache/install ROM process, ran into this:
Code:
Flashing Kernal ...
assert failed: write_raw_image("/tmp/boot.img","boot")
E:Error in /sdcard/download/virtuous_fusion-glacier-rom-v1.0.9.zip
(Status 7)
Installation aborted
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=14389074
Totally stuck at boot screen, but able to get into Clockwork. All ROM zips off the sdcard produce this or an invalid zip error.
Other guy smight tell you what a status 7 might be, but with the flurry of flashing youre doing, you may have gotten some corruption on your sd
try formatting your sd card in the pc, or use another one so you dont have to back everything up on this one. put one rom zip on the root and see if that helps
also, i would make super sure you wiped/factory resetted every possible data/cache in CWM before flashing the zip
lastly, i would md5 test the download to make sure it matches the web page. Plus, after it's transferred to the cleanly-formetted sd, check it again either thru adb, or do the trans on the pc using an sdcard reader and check it once it's on the sdcard, then pop it into back your phone.
good luck
Thanks a ton for the uber fast reply. When I format on the PC, what format do I use, or is there a specific tool to properly format it for the phone?
When I'm wiping /data it's taking forever and I get the following message back:
Code:
E:Can't open /cache/recovery/log
E:Can't open /cache/recovery/log
E:Can't open /cache/recovery/log/last_log
E:Can't open /cache/recovery/log/last_log
Don't have an adapter at the office today for the sdcard, but I guess I can just grab a new one at lunch? All it would need is a fresh format then the .zip of the ROM in question at the root?
Looks like your partitions are corrupted. Flash PD15IMG to restore the phone to stock, and progress from there.
When you format the SD card, just format it regularly in the PC.
Jack_R1 said:
Looks like your partitions are corrupted. Flash PD15IMG to restore the phone to stock, and progress from there.
When you format the SD card, just format it regularly in the PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I use the same PD15IMG.zip i did to start, flash it using Clockwork, then start the root > rom process over? I think that it currently tells me it can't find that zip anymore on the white screen pre console, is that expected? I just xfer it to the sdcard prior to fixing?
Yes, that's the right procedure. Move it to the card and start from scratch. Beware not to use the newer Panache/MT4G Gingerbread RUU, otherwise you'll be left with no way to root, or at least harder way.
Ok, so I didn't have a PD15IMG.zip to begin with, I see this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1059347
and that's proper that I'm flashing the radio itself for this process? Which of those images do I want to grab? I always like to double check when I read warnings that are pretty specific about bricking the device
No! You're flashing a stock recovery image called a pd15img.zip
The radio does not do a restore to stock, the reason you're confused is that in order to flash a radio for those who nmwish to do that, you rename it to the same name as the recovery zip, but it's really just a radio. It just happens to be the filename that the system looks for to restore. Look for the thread posted by either jjackson or football. That's the full image, just over 300 megabytes, or that neighborhood.
acsi007 said:
No! You're flashing a stock recovery image called a pd15img.zip
The radio does not do a restore to stock, the reason you're confused is that in order to flash a radio for those who nmwish to do that, you rename it to the same name as the recovery zip, but it's really just a radio. It just happens to be the filename that the system looks for to restore. Look for the thread posted by either jjackson or football. That's the full image, just over 300 megabytes, or that neighborhood.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jesus, glad I asked before getting in there.
So I was going to offer you a beer sometime, I think I owe you a few rounds at this point...
Edit: this one right http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=924923 ?
Yup. Read the whole thread. Also look for football,s thread. There are a couple of mentions of undoing gfree first then doing the pd15img. I think jjackson tries to automate those two steps, and football thread just gives you a january-dated pd15img. I can't remember if you rooted gfree or not. Read read read. This is an important step but hundreds have gone back to stock this way without a hitch. That is if you have a good emmc, you have a better chance of avoiding problems...
acsi007 said:
Yup. Read the whole thread. Also look for football,s thread. There are a couple of mentions of undoing gfree first then doing the pd15img. I think jjackson tries to automate those two steps, and football thread just gives you a january-dated pd15img. I can't remember if you rooted gfree or not. Read read read. This is an important step but hundreds have gone back to stock this way without a hitch. That is if you have a good emmc, you have a better chance of avoiding problems...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rooted gfree originally, and think I may be in the bad place
Fail-PU errors running the update from pd15img. Do I have any options at this point? I bought the phone from Wirefly.com, and since I can't get a recovery image going, I may be fuct here on a return eh?
looks like i'm moving to: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=14487111#post14487111
Good luck Lars. Let us know that they did and if you had to pay.
In the process of updating information for ICS update and custom ROMs, please hold tight!
A lot of folks have been coming in with newly purchased TF101's lately, which is AWESOME, it means the community will go on longer than the expected life of the device probably, since the TF201 and TF700 have come out and are seeking to replace our beloved TF, this is good news that people still buy the OG Transformer.
That said, there have been the same problems posted by new users, over and over, and sure there are guides for just about everything. But why not one on..just...EVERYTHING?
Here we go, troubleshoot problems and learn your device, the noob way! The EPIC TF101 THREAD BEGINS!
All the typical disclaimers apply, if you mess your stuff up, it is your fault not mine. I did not discover any of these methods, develop any of these tools, or do anything else but compile it all in one epic post. This should be everything you need to know as a noob, I do not take credit for anything, except for making it all easily accessible to those who are unwilling/unable to spend the hours searching that I did. In other words, I did a lot of work for you, but others had done the work for me first. Full credit to them.
What is ROOTING? And why do it?
So you bought a new TF, and you want to root it? Or you want to know what rooting is, for that matter? Rooting is a method of obtaining what is called 'Root Access' to your device, giving you control of it. The 'Root' is the parent directory of your device's internal memory, where the system files are stored. Generally this is kept from your access, you will need to get your device 'rooted' in order to change the system. Once rooted, you will have an app installed called 'Superuser' which will selectively grant applications permission to alter or access your root directory. This method differs on every device, but don't worry- we have a very easy device to root.
VERY IMPORTANT! Do NOT use any of the tools here WHILE YOUR DOCK IS PLUGGED IN!! All these are for use with the TF101 unit BY ITSELF! Please don't brick your device or mess something up by trying it with the dock plugged in!
There have traditionally been several ways to accomplish this for our device, as new applications and tools are developed to make it easier it has gotten to be a very simple process. Which method you use will depend on what SBK version (Secure Boot Key) Transformer you have, and also that model's firmware version. Your firmware version can be located by going to Settings>About Tablet. Current version is 8.6.5.21 (TF101) or 8.6.6.23 (TF101G). When either firmware version (also referred to as the 'stock ROM' sometimes) can be used, it will be listed similar to '8.6.x.19', where x can be 5 or 6 for TF101 or TF101G, respectively.
KNOW YOUR SBK VERSION
As a TF owner looking to mod your device, you need to know that there are multiple SBK versions, primarily SBK1 and SBK2. There may possibly be other versions to come even. All you need to know is, that as of right now, SBK1 is the only model that can utilize a tool called NVFlash to UNBRICK your device if you mess it up too badly, and it is difficult to tell which SBK version you have. In order to find out, there are a few tools out there- one of them is for mac only, called SBKDetect found here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1232612
Another is primarily for Linux, but saavy Windows users can always boot from a Linux live CD on their machines to use it, called SBKDetect v2, here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1290503
The other way, if you are like me, and don't have Linux-abilities at the time of this writing (I'm working on that), you can always just GO FOR IT and try to flash a modded ROM via NVFlash. If you are SBK1 it will succeed. If not, it will fail. No harm done. Of course that means skipping ahead of a lot of learning first, so it is not advised IMO. It also means that if you DO have an SBK1 tablet, you just wiped all your data. It is not absolutely necessary to determine which SBK you have in order to root and mod your device.
A hit-or-miss way of detecting your SBK version is by looking at your device's serial number, located on the bottom of the device on a sticker. It will take the form of:
B70KAS638075
The ONLY digits you need to know are the FIRST THREE. Older models are SBK1. Manufacturing started at Bxx, and has gone to Cxx this year. All Cxx serial numbers will be SBK2. In fact it was in the middle of the B70 manufacturing that they changed the SBK version, so if you are B60, B50, B40 etc..you are sure to be SBK1. If you are B80, B90, C10, etc, you are sure to be SBK2. B70 owners, it's a coin toss. You must use one of the other methods to determine it.
The only thing that differs between SBK1 tablets and SBK2 tablets is the use of NVFlash. SBK2 cannot use NVFlash, so if you end up botching both your recovery and your ROM, and cannot boot into either, then you are SCREWED, so I would suggest reading everything before attempting to mod your device if you are an SBK2 owner.
NVFlash and APX mode
This was an early method used to root and flash recovery/roms, and is still a very useful application to have saved on a disk somewhere in the event that you own an SBK1, as it renders your tablet practically unbrickable. It can be found here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1123429
To use it you must enter APX mode on your TF101. This is tricky and confuses many users. The procedure is;
1. Press and hold volume UP and POWER buttons at the same time (it doesn't matter if the TF101 is on or off, if it is on, simply wait until it shuts off before proceding).
2. HOLD these buttons for approximately SIX SECONDS.
3. Plug TF101 into PC and listen for it to chime that it has detected it, it should load drivers and device will be listed in Right Cick>Computer/Properties/Device Manager/USB Universal Serial Bus Controller (or similar) as NVIDIA, not as ASUS.
4. If it does not, power on the TF and try again until it does.
NOTE: This is the only way to know if it is in APX mode as the screen remains powered off completely.
Once in APX mode now you can use NVFlash tool, place the system, boot, and recovery .img files into the root of the folder you extract NVFlash into and execute the download.bat file. If at any point the flash fails, this likely means you are SBK2.
ADB Mode
This stands for Android Debugging Bridge. This is not to be confused with APX mode, which is a separate thing entirely. To learn more about your device's ADB mode, see this excellent thread here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1071584
Another quick guide for ADB can be found here:
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-hacks/6865-how-use-adb-all-commands-options.html
(sorry for the off-site link, trying to keep it as xda pure as possible!)
Razorclaw Root Tool
Razorclaw is by far my favorite method of rooting for the TF, it can be found here;
http://androidroot.mobi/2011/11/14/introducing-razorclaw-v1/
It does not matter what SBK version you have to use Razorclaw, that is why I prefer this method of rooting.. HOWEVER, it does require you to be using an older firmware version though. If you are on version 8.6.x.21 or above, you cannot use razorclaw. It works best on firmware 8.6.x.19. You simply install the app and follow the instructions (Root me nao!). It is a one click, native rooting tool.
If you are not on this firmware version and razorclaw will not work, there are options. You can either roll back your firmware version, the method is located here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1417006
If you are unsuccessful or want to try another way, you can use Nachoroot or ViperMOD.
Nachoroot Root Tool
This is one of the newer root tools, it is for all firmwares and all SBK versions, and can be found here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1427838
Nachoroot uses the ADB (Android Debugging Bridge) via a command prompt or terminal, all necessary drivers must be installed.
I cannot personally get this method to work because my PC will not install the drivers properly, and since I don't need the tool any longer, I must admit I've never used it, thus my bias towards Razorclaw. So, if you are having similar driver issues, rolling back firmware and using RC might be quicker and more painless.
ViperMOD Root Tool
ViperMOD is another method, similar to and related to Nachoroot, in that it uses the PC to root your TF101 and will need the appropriate drivers installed. The main difference being that this method will install Superuser as well. The other major difference is that while Nachoroot is done with a command dialogue, ViperMOD is done with a much simpler command interface (choose a number from a list of options rather than typing out commands). Interestingly enough, both of these methods work on both the TF101 and the TF201, and both methods appeared about the same time (posted on January 4th 2012). ViperMOD and Nachoroot represent the most recent methods for gaining root on the TF101. ViperMOD is unique that it has a feature to unroot your device as well, though you will need to have the stock ROM and recovery files available to completely return to stock. Find out more about ViperMOD here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1427125
I also cannot attest to the use of ViperMOD personally, I have used other methods, but many users have reported it quite simple to root with.
A quick breakdown;
Razorclaw, Nachoroot and ViperMOD will ONLY ROOT your device. No data will be wiped and you will have to install recovery later. In the case of Nachoroot, you will have to download superuser from the market, Razorclaw and ViperMOD installs it for you.
NVFlash WILL WIPE EVERYTHING! So understand that it will rewrite your TF101 internal memory competely and install a rooted ROM (or whatever you tell it to) on your device, as well as a boot and recovery image.
REGARDLESS OF THE ROOTING METHOD YOU CHOOSE, PLEASE READ THAT METHOD'S INSTRUCTIONS VERY CAREFULLY!!!
[Q]How do I know if I am rooted?
[A] Simply check within your app drawer for the superuser application (or download it from the market if using Nachoroot), to verify it works, download titanium backup and begin a batch backup and see if it asks permission, and if the batch completes. If you are not rooted, either try your first method again or try an alternate method.
Tip: Immediately after rooting you should back up your system with Titanium Backup, skip ahead to that section to learn how before moving on.
Recovery Mode
The stock recovery mode on the TF101 shows one of two screens; a green android in the middle of the screen with gears turning inside it, or the same android with a yellow triangle with an (!) inside it instead. The gears obviously mean it is working (flashing firmware), the (!) means something has gone wrong (no file found, flash failed). To enter recovery mode, you need to press and HOLD Volume DOWN and POWER when the device is powered OFF. As soon as the screen comes on, RELEASE THE POWER BUT HOLD THE VOLUME STILL. You will see white letters appear in the upper left corner of the screen, it is now okay to release the Volume DOWN button and quickly (within 5 seconds) press the Volume UP button to enter recovery mode. There are also applications, such as Reboot to Recovery, available on the market, that will allow you to reboot your device with one click into recovery mode without having to toggle your power/volume buttons.
About Stock Recovery Mode
The stock recovery mode is absolutely required to install official Asus OTA (Over The Air) updates. Unless your device is unrooted with a stock recovery mode, you will not be able to install any OTA updates, this includes ICS!! It can also be used to install (or RE-install if it were) your STOCK ROM (only official, digitally signed files will be accepted by the stock recovery to flash over the firmware, no modded roms will work). The method for doing this is outlined in the link for rolling back your firmware version above but I will summarize;
Recovery mode searches your external SD card ROOT DIRECTORY(and the internal memory's cache directory, but this is not useful for any practical reason for you) for these Asus files. The files must be named either;
EP101_SDUPDATE.zip
or
XX_user-epad-Z.Z.Z.ZZ.zip (X = firmware region stamp, WW, US, DE, etc, and Z - firmware version, 8.6.5.19, 8.6.6.21 etc)
I personally find the second configuration to work best. If stock recovery finds a file named appropriately and signed with the proper digital signature it will install it, and you will see gears turning. Otherwise; (!). Remember, it has to be on the SD card in the ROOT, not in a folder or it won't find it.
CWM Recovery Mode
ClockWorkMod Recovery mode replaces your stock android recovery mode, and gives you control of;
Flashing (installing) ROMs, recovery, themes and app packs, patches, kernels and more
Wiping cache, dalvik cache, system, data, etc
Backup and Restore features
Advanced features you probably won't need like fixing permissions and mounting partitions etc.
The important thing to know is if you want to be able to change ROMs right from your device, you need this. In order to install it on the TF, you can use an app called RecoveryInstaller, located here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1346180
It is a one-click app just like Razorclaw, download and a single click will install CWM for you, though it may be an older version it will work fine to install the most recent version, directly from CWM once you enter it the first time. You will need to give it superuser permission as well. The newest CWM for the TF101 is called ROGUE XM and it is available here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1446019
Simply place the newest version on your SD card where you can find it, and use the 'install from SD card' option to navigate to the new version file and select it, which will flash the recovery..then you will need to reboot.
CWM Recovery can also be installed when flashing your device from NVFlash, and the NVFlash versions of ROMs almost always contain the most recent versions of the CWM recovery as well, thus making an NVFlash a one-step procedure (flashes both ROM and recovery at same time). The risk of the one-step procedure is if you are using corrupted images or something unexpected occurs you may end up BOTCHING both recovery and ROM at the same time..of course- if you are SBK1 anyways, just reflash it with a different ROM and it will be fixed.
Once you have installed the latest CWM recovery now you will want to start flashing ROMs and Kernels. I will not be posting links to the custom ROMs and Kernels because there are too many of them, that will be your homework.
Custom ROMs
We are blessed to have some great devs working on our humble TF101. That said, the procedure to flash a ROM through CWM is simple;
1: Download desired ROM and place into your external SD card somewhere you will be able to find it, it doesn't matter.
2: Boot into recovery and go to Backup and Restore and make a backup file. This is commonly referred to as a 'Nandroid' backup, and will backup everything from your ROM to your Kernel to user files.
3: Once backed up, proceed to factory reset and wipe cache partition and dalvik cache, located in the 'advanced' menu.
4: Install from SD card, navigate to your directory and find your ROM (ONLY FLASH THINGS THAT ARE MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE TF101! Be sure it is compatible with your device!) and select it, scroll to yes...read and follow instructions. Tapdance and sing ABC's while making some breakfast- and you are done!
5: Reboot device
Please be sure to flash only files that are meant to be flashed via CWM, as some ROMs will also have an NVFlash version, which will not work in CWM.
The Stock ROM currently provided with the TF101 is Android 3.2.1, which is called Honeycomb (HC) which is exclusively for tablets, we are all awaiting the release of Android 4.0 commonly known as Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) which will merge the operating systems used on phones and tablets. Asus has said it will be out soon, so don't ask when it is coming! To learn more about the different Android versions, read this;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_version_history
I would suggest also to anyone wanting to modify their Android device to understand the history of Android itself and what it is, here;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)
Kernels
The kernel is the underbelly, the brain of the ROM. The kernel is what tells the hardware what to do when you interact with the software of the ROM. Most ROMs, I dare say almost every ROM unless specifically noted, does NOT come with it's own kernel but uses the kernel you have installed now on the device, unless it is a stock ROM, in which case most of them DO have kernels included. You want to be sure if what you are flashing has a kernel included or not, and you can always go back to another kernel version if you like, but understand that the OS will behave differently with different kernels. For example, if you wish to enable certain functions at the kernel-level, like overclocking, voodoo sound, etc, then you have to flash a customized kernel.
If you flash a custom kernel, then report your bugs to the developer of the kernel, not the ROM, as most bugs are produced by the kernel.
The procedure to flash a kernel is the same as with flashing a ROM, though you need not factory restore your device before installing, although every developer will agree that it is probably best to have what is called a 'clean install', where you would factory reset the device, flash your ROM, and flash your Kernel, and then restore your apps and information. How do you do that you say?
Titanium Backup
Titanium Backup is an app that is pretty self explainitory- it backs up all system files, data (this includes contacts, settings, call logs, etc) user apps, basically saves your state ON TOP of your ROM, where as the CWM Backup (commonly called a 'Nandroid') is the FULL ROM, Titanium Backup will only restore your settings and apps ON TOP of the ROM once installed. Therefore, you can backup all apps, safely factory reset. Install a clean ROM and Kernel together and then restore your data on top of them. This keeps your user files from either being accidentally overwritten or otherwise interfering with the installation of the ROM/Kernel whatever else you wish to flash.
IF YOU SKIPPED AHEAD READ THIS
Titanium Backup can be found on the market for free, if you like it, buy the paid version.
To backup and restore, simply press the settings softkey and choose 'batch' and select the appropriate action with caution. Press the 'RUN' button for the action of your choice and you will be prompted with a checklist of apps and data to run the batch on. Select which files you want or select all if it is your first time using the app and confirm the action. You will need to give Titanium Backup Superuser permission and make sure you have 'Unknown Sources' checked as well as 'Debugging Mode' checked in your settings/applications menu.
Ok, now go back to 'Recovery Mode' section and keep reading..
Also understand that if you are moving from a version that you have backed up in which apps will not be useable in the version you are moving to, the will not work either. For example, if you flash an ICS ROM and then save the ICS-only apps with titanium backup, and then try to move back to honeycomb or gingerbread (if you have a phone like I do) these apps will likely not install or if they do will FC (force close) constantly. Similar things can happen with user data, call logs from one dailer might not be compatible with an older version etc, so expect there to be instances where you have to selectively install apps one at a time to see if it causes bugs, testing the device for buggs, and uninstalling the app/data before proceding with your restore if it does.
Return to Stock
EDIT: While the below represents a review of how we used to unroot, I have now learned that merely flashing the stock ROM provided by Asus on their website will flash the recovery as well, and that there is a minor difference between the recovery img that came on the device stock versus the recovery img that comes loaded in the Asus firmware packages. If nothing else, the graphics are different, but I suspect that there could be other changes as well. To best unroot the device, simply watch and follow the video in the link.
Outdated info;
So, you played around, and you decided it was time to go back stock for that update, or maybe you just liked it better, or you wanted to give it to your grandma but knew Revolver was above her head- whatever the reason, you want to start fresh. The procedure requires you to get the Stock recovery image and a stock ROM. Luckily the stock ROMs are available on Asus' website, the recovery image isn't as easy to find, it is located here;
http://theunlockr.com/2011/11/28/how-to-unroot-and-remove-cwm-recovery-on-asus-transformer/
(Note: The recovery file is not region-specific, therefore it does not matter what version TF101 you have, it is one of the few 'universal' files for this device.
CAUTION: Unrooting with this procedure will only rewrite your system files on the system partition, if you have files located in your root directory that are user-created files that are not part of the system, these files will remain after unrooting, though you will not be able to view them as they are in the root directory, if you root the device again they will be visible. If selling your device or returning for an exchange and you are unrooting it, make sure to manually delete any files/folders that you created in your root directory and do a factory restore with CWM before flashing over your recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Procedure:
Click HERE to watch my UNROOTING How-to video.
There should also be a distinction made here between unrooting and breaking root access, while breaking root access will prevent you from having root access to your device, it does not return your device to stock. For example, deleting your superuser application and su binary files can 'break your root' as it is referred to. Yet, in order to effectively unroot your device, you should return the device to it's 100% stock configuration. If you are giving the tab to your grandma or little sister, breaking root is probably enough. If you want to return the device or sell it on XDA, you should probably return to stock completely.
Now that you have read all of this (hopefully) here is the shortcut you wished you had;
My HOW TO ROOT video (Part one)
So, now you are a BUTTFLIPPIN' PRO, you can root, you can flash recovery mode, ROMs, even Kernels, and you can flash stock files from your SD card so you can unroot and return to stock if you want. What if something goes wrong? What if you want to expand your knowledge?
Well this is what we all fear, this section will attempt to address possible outcomes of bad flashes, corrupt ROM images, bad recovery images, etc. as well as help you diagnose your problem and determine whether you need an RMA or to ask for help in the forum.
[Q] My screen won't come on! Help!
[A] In order to determine what the problem is, first try to power on normally, if that does not work try to power on with the USB device plugged into a PC, if you hear it connect you unfortuntely likely have a screen malfunction. If not, try to enter APX mode and listen for notification of connecting to your PC, if still no notification, try charging your tablet overnight and see if it is over-discharged, mine did this once and scared the CRAP out of me, I thought it was bricked, after 10 minutes of fooing with it a battery warning finally popped onto the screen for 1 second before shutting off again. Repeat the previous steps after 24 hours of charging (if TF does not power on on its' own). If none of these solutions work, try powering on and listening for the camera to 'click', if you do not hear this, then it is very likely you have a brick or malfunctioning device.
[Q] My dock drains very fast..why?
[A] This is a problem with old firmware and certain docks. The docks themselves were manufactured with hardware that prevents the updated firmware from being installed in the dock itself, which results in being unable to change the battery consumption configuration. The dock was originally designed to keep the TF awake so that a quick key press would wake it easily, but this resulted in battery drain, when Asus updated the firmware they realized some docks simply needed to be RMA'd. To test yours;
1. Make sure you are updated to the latest firmware for the dock (in Settings?About Tablet), latest firmware is EP101-0213.
2. In Settings>Screen make sure "MobileDock Battery saving mode" is checked.
3. Press the power button on the TF101 to turn the screen off, then press a key on the keyboard (not the mouse buttons).
If any key wakes the TF, then you have the defective dock and must be RMA'd. However if it does not wake, and you still have severe drain, try to resolve it by shutting off background services and checking to see if drain is bad without the dock as well. If it is still draining, as mine has done previously, contact Asus for an RMA.
[Q] My dock is making a strange squealing sound??
[A] Yes, I received one that did this myself, and returned it to the store I purchased it. As far as I could tell it only presented an annoyance, but others reported the issue and suspected that it might have been connected with some people's battery drain issue, so I returned mine as you probably should as well.
[Q] My screen has light bleeding around the edges..is this common?
[A] Unfortunately, yes, light bleed on these devices is far too common. You can try to return the device and get a better one, depending on the severity of the light bleed, and unfortunately it seems every device has it's quirks, you may end up with one that doesn't have much light bleed but has another problem..
[Q] My case creaks, is this normal?
[A] Yes, unfortunately, the plastic backplate has notches that are supposed to affix into the bezel, and sometimes these come loose. However, some people have reported being able to 'snap' it into place again within the bezel, others had to remove the bezel and backplate partially to resolve the issue- others just ignore it as it is only cosmetic.
[Q] My Transformer won't charge! Help!
[A] There could be a few reasons for this experience- the connector is a proprietary connector, and the wires inside can be easily tangled and snapped according to user experience- to verify that the cable works try plugging the device while powered on into the PC and listen for audio confirmation. If your cable is working, but the tablet doesn't seem to charge, you can try to plug in the dock to see if the led on it lights up (unfortunately the TF unit has no charging indicator except for when powered on). The charging adapter itself sometimes has connection problems inside it, and some users have reported success in simply enclosing the charger in a ziplock bag and placing it in the freezer for several hours. I don't know why this works for some, but it does. If it doesn't for you, however, you may need to order a new power adapter from Asus, or you can make your own here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1087321
[Q] My TF keeps booting and booting but never loads into my ROM..
[A] This is called a 'bootloop', and depending on how far it loads can tell you the severity of the boot loop. First thing to do, is to attempt to boot into recovery. Unless you have an SBK1 tab, this is going to be the only way you will be able to stop this. If not, you have a soft-brick. Eee Pad logo loads and reboots after this, then you have a problem with the ROM itself not wanting to boot (corrupt image, files missing, etc), and usually reflashing your previous ROM without wiping will cure the issue. Sometimes the issue is within the ROM, settings that lock up your device while initializing. If it makes it to the boot animation and reloads, there is a possibility that it is a setting within a kernel if you have a custom kernel installed, try another one, if you aren't running a custom kernel it could be user settings and a factory restore may resolve the issue, and if that fails try another ROM. If the TF will not go into recovery mode and reboots within 5-10 seconds from powering on, you might have a major problem with your system in which case only NVFlash is likely to help.
[Q] I keep getting FC's and bugs..(OR) Do I need to wipe to install...?
[A] Making sure you wipe the correct partitions before you flash new software is vital to making sure it functions properly. This is your necessary wiping procedure, although always best to have a clean install as previously stated;
Nature of the flash| Wipe cache? Wipe Dalvik? Factory Reset?
Clean ROM Flash = YES YES YES
Kernel Flash = YES YES NO
App Pack Flash = YES YES NO
Theme Flash = YES NO NO
ROM Re-flash = NO NO NO
Recovery Flash = NO NO NO
Nandroid Restore = NO NO NO
(Will work on getting this more graphlike after dinner )
Of course always better safe than sorry, and unless you are trying to preserve user apps and data while flashing a kernel or theme then it is always best to reinstall everything after a clean wipe to avoid orphan files and other messy possible errors.
[Q] I can't get into recovery! Help!
[A] The only time you really need to start worrying about not being able to get into recovery is if your ROM also will not load, and vice versa. Since you can simply use the RecoveryInstaller app to fix your broken recovery, similarly if your TF will boot into recovery mode but NOT into the ROM you simply flash (or re-flash) your previous ROM to restore your OS. For this reason, when wishing to update BOTH ROM and recovery, DO NOT FLASH BOTH AT ONCE WITHOUT CONFIRMING THE FIRST FLASH WORKED!
My general rule is to flash my recovery mode first, and then flash my ROM, this is true whether going forward in versions or rolling back to older versions. This way, as soon as you are done flashing and restart (simply holding Volume DOWN as it reboots on its own is enough to initiate recovery mode, be sure to then press Volume UP), you will know if your flash was a success and can rest easy as you flash your ROM, if done the other way around you have to boot into your OS to confirm the flash worked and then reboot back into recovery. If your recovery flash fails, simply allow the OS to load, load recovery installer again and try again.
In the case in which your ROM or recovery will not load, again, your only hope is that you are an SBK1 device and can restore your device via NVFlash.
[Q] Help! My buttons (volume, power) don't work!
[A] Unfortunately this has been discussed quite a bit, sometimes it is related to poor manufacturing, or user damage, or even a poor RMA service. In this case you have only two options- you can try to RMA it, or you can try to tear down the TF101 yourself to try and repair it. It isn't advisable if you can get it repaired under warranty, but if not, you can find discussion with photos of a teardown of the unit here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1109928
[Q] How do I edit the files in my root directory?
[A] The File Explorer app provided by Asus by design will not allow you to access the root directory, you must use an app, like Root Explorer. In order to change or delete files directly from this app, you will need to make sure the root is mounted as R/W (readable/writeable) as opposed to R/O (Read Only), there will be an option to 'mount R/W' if it is mounted currently as R/O, and vice versa.
[Q] How do I remove Asus' Pre-Installed apps (Bloatware)?
[A]While you can simply delete the app file with your Root Explorer, this may not delete all user data. You could download a tool called Root Uninstaller from the Android Market, or you can use the functions in Titanium Backup to run batch uninstalls, or just 'deselect all' and delete one at a time.
[Q] How do I get back my Asus or Google apps after flashing a modded ROM?
[A]GApps and Asus apps generally are not included with many custom ROMs for copyright reasons, but GApps can be found here;
http://goo-inside.me/gapps/
Asus apps can be found in Gnufabios' package 'Asus Removed Apps' that can be acquired through his Revolver Parts package if you are running that ROM, or can be downloaded here if not;
http://www.gnufabio.com/revolver/dls/
Or you can always make a Titanum Backup of your valued system apps before you flash your ROM. You can then do what I do, find the Titanium Backup folder on your internal and rename it 'TitaniumBackupStockApps' and move it to your SD card, then backup your user apps, rename THAT folder 'TitaniumBackupUserApps' (you may even want to date it or name which ROM it came from, this is your choice), and remove that from your internal memory. You could then do the same with user data, if you decide to do that separately. To flash them back, simply replace the folder and rename it to the 'TitaniumBackup' as it was originally, or, if the folder already exists you can simply copy over the contents, run the batch, then delete the contents and copy the user data contents over as well. This is a great way to keep your apps and data organized and backed up safely. You should make sure this stays up to date and delete old backups after 2 to 3 iterations.
[Q] Can I run Linux?
[A] Yes, look here;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1364095
[Q] How do I install themes?
[A] Depending on the ROM and Launcher you are using, some of the theming options can be built in and accessed in settings menus inside the Android UI (User Interface). However, there are other themes that change files within your root directories and these files will generally need to be installed either via CWM or via ADB. The themes' developer should have clear instructions on installing it.
One more reserved.. This one is for my thank-yous and anything else I miss guys
Roach2010, mike1986, gnufabio, xboxfanj, blades, Clemsyn, baseballfaz, danzano, paulburton, kaijura, daoist, supercurio, MrNago, jcarrz1, rayman84, lilstevie, rburrow, solarnz, fonix232, daxtsu, dipje, frankc123, Sharpe351, chatch15117 ,K900 ,earthbound, AproSamurai, TOO MANY TO REMEMBER YOU ALL!!
You guys are why I am able to do what I do now..
Mods: Stickie this!!!!
This is great! Have my tf a month and had to search all over to root/rom/etc.wish I'd had this info
Great help for us tf noobs.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda premium
Thanks for taking the time to write this up!
Absolute champ!
nice one..thanks mate
Get work this is a must have guide
Sent from my EVO Titan 3D
Fantastic! Having current info all in one place is rare, especially on "older" devices.
Edit: Maybe add a section or note about ViperMOD
Nice job Luna.
+1 on the vipermod. That is what I used and it was extremy simple.
ViperMOD..the one thing I have no experience in on this device it seems; I did a crash course, seems it was actually based right off of Nachoroot, just a cleaned up command prompt interface, and interestingly works on TF101 and TF201. Perhaps that is why I never used it- the post is located in the Prime forum section
Added to OP, guys help me check for accuracy, and correct me if I get anything confused.
Next have some few things to polish up in my thank-yous and try not to leave anyone slighted. Also, thinking of a few more common problems to add to post two. Anything not addressed here just comment or PM me about it I will amend these posts.
THANKS!
Hi Luna
I tried to follow the Return to Stock instructions you listed but there seems to be some problems.
I know these problems are not your fault but maybe you know of another alternative which is as easy to follow as well?
I need a WW Version of the packed stock Rom but neither US nor WW are available due to the mediafire problem.
And the recovery is called 8239USrecovery so I assume I can't use it with my WW version?
Return to Stock
So, you played around, and you decided it was time to go back stock for that update, or maybe you just liked it better, or you wanted to give it to your grandma but knew Revolver was above her head- whatever the reason, you want to start fresh. The procedure requires you to get the Stock recovery image and a stock ROM. Luckily the stock ROMs are available on Asus' website, the recovery image isn't as easy to find, it i located here;
http://theunlockr.com/2011/11/28/how...s-transformer/
Place both files on your SD, but make sure the ROM file is in root (they can both be in the root it doesn't matter) and then use CWM to flash the recovery image, then WIPE EVERYTHING before rebooting into recovery mode again to confirm you have stock recovery in place, and allow it to flash stock ROM. Double check that you are unrooted by downloading superuser and installing it and seeing if it allows you root access (it should not).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
luna_c666 said:
About Stock Recovery Mode
The stock recovery mode is absolutely required to install official Asus OTA (Over The Air) updates. It can also be used to install (or RE-install if it were) your STOCK ROM (only official, digitally signed files will be accepted by the stock recovery to flash over the firmware, no modded roms will work). The method for doing this is outlined in the link for rolling back your firmware version above but I will summarize;
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So theoretically this stock recovery mode will allow us to recover to a stock Asus signed ROM in case the main ROM get damaged? for example if rooting goes wrong or any other reason?
I have an SBK2 TF101, and I don't want to install CWM for the moment but want to have root, and don't want to brick my pad.
Outstanding post. Thanks a lot...
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Malandro2011 said:
Hi Luna
I tried to follow the Return to Stock instructions you listed but there seems to be some problems.
I know these problems are not your fault but maybe you know of another alternative which is as easy to follow as well?
I need a WW Version of the packed stock Rom but neither US nor WW are available due to the mediafire problem.
And the recovery is called 8239USrecovery so I assume I can't use it with my WW version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The recovery mode can be used regardless of region or firmware version, and if you are unable to locate the firmware files due to mediafire and megaupload etc. being down, simply retrieve them from Asus' website here;
http://www.asus.com/Eee/Eee_Pad/Eee_Pad_Transformer_TF101/#download
I'll update the OP to make this more clear
mcbyte_it said:
So theoretically this stock recovery mode will allow us to recover to a stock Asus signed ROM in case the main ROM get damaged? for example if rooting goes wrong or any other reason?
I have an SBK2 TF101, and I don't want to install CWM for the moment but want to have root, and don't want to brick my pad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, if you retain your stock recovery mode then it will be able to flash your firmware in the event that your ROM gets messed up for whatever reason, so long as you use the Stock signed copies of your firmware from Asus (i.e. the official files), recovery mode as stated will only flash official Asus files, they are digitally signed by Asus and without the signature recovery mode will fail.
And to put you at ease, the likelihood of anything going wrong while rooting is much smaller than flashing custom ROMs or recovery mode. Rooting is fairly fail-safe if you follow directions well.
luna_c666 said:
Yes, if you retain your stock recovery mode then it will be able to flash your firmware in the event that your ROM gets messed up for whatever reason, so long as you use the Stock signed copies of your firmware from Asus (i.e. the official files), recovery mode as stated will only flash official Asus files, they are digitally signed by Asus and without the signature recovery mode will fail.
And to put you at ease, the likelihood of anything going wrong while rooting is much smaller than flashing custom ROMs or recovery mode. Rooting is fairly fail-safe if you follow directions well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am asking because, as mentioned earlier, I only need to root for now without going the whole mod thing, because at the moment I am still not convinced that an android tablet suits me, so in case I still don't like it I want to be able to restore the stock ROM without going more into modding CWM and risking a brick.
So, in the case I root then later decide that I want to unroot, it is enough to put the signed stock Asus firmware on the SD card and boot into recovery mode, and it will be unrooted? why is it then that most unrooting guides does this with a special repacked zip file? why not just stock asus zip?
sticky!
mcbyte_it said:
I am asking because, as mentioned earlier, I only need to root for now without going the whole mod thing, because at the moment I am still not convinced that an android tablet suits me, so in case I still don't like it I want to be able to restore the stock ROM without going more into modding CWM and risking a brick.
So, in the case I root then later decide that I want to unroot, it is enough to put the signed stock Asus firmware on the SD card and boot into recovery mode, and it will be unrooted? why is it then that most unrooting guides does this with a special repacked zip file? why not just stock asus zip?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, you should know that if you do not install CWM and flash a custom ROM, you will never actually know what you can do with an android tablet
But to answer about why others use special zips, unrooting with the Asus file actually does not delete anything on your system partition, it will simply rewrite all the system files, if there are other files that are unrelated to the rooting process leftover in your system partition those files will remain after unrooting. That is what the unroot zip files do usually, is they delete everything and reformat the system partition before installing (instead of just overwrite installing) to avoid leaving orphan files. But these orphan files usually do not impact your system (the entire system has been rewritten anyway) and for sake of argument your TF is unrooted, as you no longer have root access. To avoid leaving anything in your system after unrooting you should factory restore and delete all user apps/data with something like titanium backup before installing the stock firmware over your old rooted ROM. I will think of how to add this to the OP to make it more clear.
Basically though, if you unroot you will want to manually remove any files that are in your system partition (root directory) that were not there when you first rooted your TF or flashing the stock ROM will simply leave those and overwrite the other folders/files.
Just to throw something in here about that. Vipermod does have an unroot setting in it's commands.
Or using terminal emulator or adb
su
rm -r /system/app/Superuser.apk
rm -r /system/xbin/busybox
rm -r /system/bin/su
reboot
I need help! I need a stock, unmodified recovery partition image.
Anyone here with a vzw tab who DOES NOT yet have CWM installed?.
PLEASE contact me.
Thanks!
electron73 said:
I need help! I need a stock, unmodified recovery partition image.
Anyone here with a vzw tab who DOES NOT yet have CWM installed?.
PLEASE contact me.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have one that hasn't been moded but have no idea how to get you what you want. PM me if you know how to download and send to you and I'll do my best to help.
I'll check my laptop at home tonight. I believe I kept my heimdall backup before flashing cwm
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
Just checked, mightve deleted it. Sorry man
aximtreo said:
I have one that hasn't been moded but have no idea how to get you what you want. PM me if you know how to download and send to you and I'll do my best to help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh that would be awesome! Are you rooted? Let me find the commands in the meantime, I read somewhere it's a simple one command in terminal to extract the recovery partition into a file on sd card...
WHAT AN ORDEAL !!!!
But in the end: SUCCESS!
I managed to get my tab updated with the Verizon OTA update.
The problem is definitely CWM !!! A rude awakening is in store for everyone with the P6800 CWM installed, because it a) fails to verify the checksum of OTA files correctly on the i815, b) it thinks the tablet is a P6800, so the OTA file fails to run if it assert checks for "SCH-i815" hardware AND lastly c) modem updates don't work because the device /dev/cdma_update doesn't exist, so the modem.bin firmware_update call fails !!!
In short, I had to fumble the OTA file apart and do the update manually in two runs:
First file, kick the checksum, hardware check and modem update out, then manually run the ZIP through CWM. The zip subsequently (LUCKILY) updated the stock recovery and overwrote CWM with a new fresh stock recovery.
Second file had everything kicked out BUT the modem udpate and LTE patch, so with the STOCK recovery this file ran through just fine, updated the modem and then applied the LTE delta patch.
Phew!!!
Of course I had to manually restore root after the update, had backed up with voodoo, auto restore failed, so terminal and hacking it was...
Now I have the tab running on clean stock FD01, baseband and LTE FD01, rooted and stock recovery.
No more CWM, no more "hacking" with the ROM until some dev finally releases a "correct" CWM and at least ANY factory ODIN image is available to bring the tab back to stock if needed!!!
Kinda sick of the non-support for this tab. So much going on for the Galaxy Note and pretty much every other device. I'm starting to regret having bought this "special" Verizon version
Awesome find and great to know for whenever ics does come out. Could you please post the recovery img you got?
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
OK after getting so many responses I decided to just post everything here in hopes that it will help others, too:
All files are here:
http://www.mywo.org:88/XDA/sch-i815/index.php
Step by step procedure to update the Verizon Tab from ..FA02 to ..FD01 build IF YOU ARE stuck with CWM installed on your tab and the original OTA fails with errors:
Upload the SCH-I815_FA02c_To_FD01.1.zip to the INTERNAL(!) SD card. This is important because CWM contains a bug that will only allow you to install from ZIPs stored on the INTERNAL SD storage.
Upload the SCH-I815_FA02c_To_FD01.2.zip to the EXTERNAL(!) (micro SD) card. This is important, because after the factory recovery is restored, it will correctly (and only) look for ZIPs on the EXTERNAL card.
Best way just copy both files to both locations
Fire up CWM and do "install from ZIP" and select SCH-I815_FA02c_To_FD01.1.zip
It should run (takes a while) and eventually tell you all is done. BOOT the tab. It should boot fine but in system it will show the new Android build FD01 but the baseband (radio) will still be the "old" one.
Now press and hold power and vol up again until you see the default Samsung recovery menu. Choose install from ZIP and select SCH-I815_FA02c_To_FD01.2.zip. This will now upgrade the baseband only. When done, reboot and enjoy being back on the "factory upgrade path" with the tab.
I hope someone more savvy than me can "fix" CWM to work properly with VZW tabs (accept the checksum, not fail the check for "SCH-i815" and provide the correct /dev file links for radio upgrades). Until then, I recommend just leaving the tab as-is and not tinkering with the ROM. Not that there is any custom ROM available anyway :-(
I also pulled the NEW factory recovery image FD01_recovery.img with the following command:
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p6 of=/sdcard/FD01_recovery.img bs=4096
So in case anyone with a botched recovery wants to restore factory (Samsung 3e) recovery. This was actually the reason I had to go through all this... There is NO factory recovery image ANYWHERE to be found. I can't believe that I should be the first one ever to post one?? Anyway, hope it will help
I'm still quite new here, so I do really appreciate every click on that "thanks" button
P.S. for tinkerers and devs I also uploaded the original, untouched OTA file (0559c0e4e08e.update_SCH-I815_FA02c_To_FD01.bin) as it came from Samsung or Verizon or whatever and ended up in the /cache partition.
THANK YOU!
Electron,
You sir, are a BOSS! Thank you so very much for doing the work, and sharing it. You just made things one hell of a lot easier on me, and anyone else that follows.
Regards,
-Rob
Also want to say thanks. You rock, dude. I wouldn't have known how to revert **** on my own.
Also, I feel like we need a sticky or something for sch-i815 owners to go to for device specific stuffs, especially since there is little knowledge/info out for this device.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
hmm i only ever installed ROM manager ... but i did root it ... problem is ... now i don't have a CWM recovery to flash the file ... any ideas?
phigmeta said:
hmm i only ever installed ROM manager ... but i did root it ... problem is ... now i don't have a CWM recovery to flash the file ... any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're in luck! You don't need to go through the whole ordeal because you do NOT have CWM! You can just update the regular intended way. Go into settings, about phone and then click check for system updates. If it presents you the OTA update, just do it the regular way.
My complicated "hack" is only necessary if you DO HAVE CWM installed.
Im sorry I did not explain well what my issue is.
I do not have CWM installed, however i did delete a few appilcations using titanium backup. This causes updates to not take. I would really like to just take it back to factory and start over (this time with less stupidity on my part)
I of course would assume that once its at factory i can then install updates again.
Right now when i try i get the "!" droid sign and a reboot
phigmeta said:
Im sorry I did not explain well what my issue is.
I do not have CWM installed, however i did delete a few appilcations using titanium backup. This causes updates to not take. I would really like to just take it back to factory and start over (this time with less stupidity on my part)
I of course would assume that once its at factory i can then install updates again.
Right now when i try i get the "!" droid sign and a reboot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey
OK unless someone can tell us how to "make" an ODIN flashable ROM for you, here is what I would do (and please don't get scared because it sounds a bit convoluted).
First, you need to be rooted. This is obviously the case.
IMPORTANT since you don't have CWM installed yet, SAVE your factory restore.img before proceeding, this saves you a lot of hassle later!
Open the android terminal, type su (accept the prompt) and then type (or copy/paste)
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p6 of=/mnt/sdcard/factory_recovery.img bs=4096
Check that you have a "factory_recovery.img" file on your sd card now it should be about 8M big.
Now you're safe to install CWM from the forum, look for the other thread(s) where this is being discussed and follow the instructions for the P6800 "international" version with 3G. CWM Thread here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1613638&highlight=cwm&page=3
Then (thanks to nicduim!) there is a full factory (rooted) CWM image floating around on the forums here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1613638&page=6
Which I used to restore my tab to "almost factory" with the missing bloat apps back in place.
I have a copy on my server here: http://ww.mywo.org:88/XDA/sch-i815/ it's the "2012-05-06.22.48.58.ZIP"
unzip that and put the contents on your INTERNAL SD card in the folder clockwordmod. So on your internal SD you should have /clockworkmod/2012-05-06.22.48.58 and inside there the files boot.img, recovery.img etc.
Use CWM recovery to restore this backup. If you never used CWM before. Press power button and volume up and hold both until you see the menu screen with text. You can go up/down with the volume buttons (go slow, it's very laggy) and with the power button you "select" an option. Select the "restore from backup" option and point it to the only folder being offered, the 2012-05-06.22.48.58.
The restore takes a while, then reboot the tab. Now you're back to stock! Last thing you need to do is get rid of CWM again because in the end it's still a bit buggy and will prevent the OTA update from running properly.
Since you luckily have a backup of the factory recovery in form of that factory_recovery.img file, just install and open terminal again, type su and then type (or copy)
dd if=/mnt/sdcard/factory_recovery.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p6 bs=4096
This overwrites CWM with your original Samsung Android recovery.
Now you just reboot as usual, connect to the internet and wait until the popup message shows up that a system update is ready, accept it and enjoy
If you don't want to wait for the automatic OTA, you can also stop before killing CWM and use my convoluted 2-step manual update which will get you to the exact same condition as the official OTA.
Hope all this makes sense
I was already on stock FD01 when I tried installing CWM for the P6800 that's floating around here somewhere. Odin said it was a success, but it looks like it didn't take. I've done it a few times, but still ended up w/ the stock recovery. However, after reading through your thread, I do not see a /dev/cdma_update in my I815 either. Is it possible that my attempt to install CWM (although unsuccessful) wiped out this file, among others?
Right now, I'm still at stock FD01 (rooted) and everything seems to be working. When I tried doing an OTA update, it just tells me that I have the latest update and no newer update is available.
One other thing, if I have to, I only have the stock recovery right now since CWM didn't take, can I simply flash both zip's using the Samsung stock recovery to put everything back in stock?
SCH-I815_FA02c_To_FD01.1.zip
SCH-I815_FA02c_To_FD01.2.zip
AlpineMan said:
I was already on stock FD01 when I tried installing CWM for the P6800 that's floating around here somewhere. Odin said it was a success, but it looks like it didn't take. I've done it a few times, but still ended up w/ the stock recovery. However, after reading through your thread, I do not see a /dev/cdma_update in my I815 either. Is it possible that my attempt to install CWM (although unsuccessful) wiped out this file, among others?
Right now, I'm still at stock FD01 (rooted) and everything seems to be working. When I tried doing an OTA update, it just tells me that I have the latest update and no newer update is available.
One other thing, if I have to, I only have the stock recovery right now since CWM didn't take, can I simply flash both zip's using the Samsung stock recovery to put everything back in stock?
SCH-I815_FA02c_To_FD01.1.zip
SCH-I815_FA02c_To_FD01.2.zip
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh wait, so you are saying that in "About device" your Android is 3.2
Baseband i815.04 V.FD01 I815FD01
and your Build number is already at HTJ85B.I815FD01.SCH-I815.I815FD01 ?
That would mean you are already updated. In this case, it should be pretty easy to fix your problem. Which apps did you delete with Titanium? I can back them up from my system and make them available for you. All you'd need to do is drop the backup files into your Titanium backups folder and then fire up titanium and restore them!
The /dev/cdma_update node is only required WITHIN CWM recovery, so that is nothing for you to worry about. The zip files above won't help you because they are incremental updates requiring your system to be at FA02, not FD01 !
Yes... I'm already in the latest update. I already backed up the bloatware using Titanium Backup before uninstalling. So I just need to restore them back in order to receive and apply OTA updates in the future?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Xparent ICS Blue Tapatalk 2
Please Help
Hi. I'm rooted and removed all sorts of bloatware with Titanium. I did this a long time ago and did not back anything up because I'm used to running hardware with custom ROMs available, and not relying on OTA updates.
Since there aren't any custom ROMs for the i815, I'd like to get ready for the upcoming ICS update. To do so, I want to get FD01 loaded onto my device, but I can't update because I've apparently removed too much of the required bloatware.
Does anyone know WHAT pieces of bloatware I'd need to reinstall in order for the OTA update to apply? I'd assume I can restore them and then apply the update and re-root.
If anyone can help pinpoint what missing APKs might help, I'll give them a shot. And, to the extent I figure anything out, I'll repost here in the hopes that it helps someone else.
electron,
Your instructions worked ... thank you so much
@jkrell... the failed attempt at installing the update should return an error message(s). You just have to read through them until you find the culprit(s). Apparently I uninstalled a few odexed files that were needed. I couldn't update until i hunted them down and restored them.
I guess we all jumped at the opportunity to install the cwm recovery image, that we didn't even think about cmda updates....ooops. So far i had to do a complete factory restore after the update. I was getting soft bricked to the point where I had no choice. Good thing I sent all titanium backups to actual sd card, i was able to salvage 97% f my data..... with the exception of a few downloads i forgot to move.
Gamecih doesn't work anymore (either version). No more automative data hacks I'm not sure what's going on. I uninstalled adfree..used titanium backup to uninstall both versions and reinstalled both several times. Oh well.
It really sucks not having nandroid backups but it's not worth the trouble of having to do this everytime an OTA modem update gets pushed to my tab. Needless to say, I won't be odining the cwm based recovery image again.
I'm with the O.P. I wish i hadn't wasted my money on this tab. No true cwm for this tab, so no dev will ever waste thier time with this tab. The sch i815 will soon be forgotten about and some other tablet will be all the hype before summer ends....that's just how it is. 21 months left on my contract.... [email protected]#k my life. Lol
Thanks Smitty.
When I try to update, I just see the "!" logo and then the device reboots. Is there a log file somewhere I can look at to see what the errors are?
I hear ya on the gloom and doom, but this device has only been out for just over 3 months now. I'd expect a recovery and some custom ROMs to come eventually. I doubt I'll go the custom ROM route unless CyanogenMod is supported, because I have no complaints about the tablet's performance thus far. It's speedy, smooth and the battery lasts forever.
In my book, this is a great tablet and I'm satisfied with the purchase.