Flashfire OTA caused phone to no longer boot? - Nexus 6P Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I received the May OTA update earlier today, and since I'm rooted I decided to flash it with Flashfire. As soon as I opened Flashfire I was prompted to click a button to install the OTA. However, I then recieved a warning message "warning: it has been detected that you may be trying to flash a block-level ota, but your /system, /vendor, or /oem partition has been modified. This will likely cause the flash to fail!"
However, I clicked "ignore" and continued anyways, since I interpreted "flash to fail" to mean "will either not update (abort and stay the same) or update correctly." However, now my phone is stuck on the booting screen. I should at least still have TWRP installed, since I believe the "preserve recovery" box was automatically checked.
What can I do to fix the issue? I'm thinking if I download the full OTA and flash in recovery, maybe that will work?

If you can still boot into the bootloader (not recovery), do that and run through the manual install of the factory image (via the fastboot command - see the install instructions in the general forum). Again, do this manually (which requires downloading the factory image, extracting the files out, and manually flashing each file (bootloader, boot, etc.)) as that's really the only way you're going to get back to normal. You will have to re-root, etc., but that isn't that much work and saves the pain of going through what you just went through.
jeffrey123987 said:
I received the May OTA update earlier today, and since I'm rooted I decided to flash it with Flashfire. As soon as I opened Flashfire I was prompted to click a button to install the OTA. However, I then recieved a warning message "warning: it has been detected that you may be trying to flash a block-level ota, but your /system, /vendor, or /oem partition has been modified. This will likely cause the flash to fail!"
However, I clicked "ignore" and continued anyways, since I interpreted "flash to fail" to mean "will either not update (abort and stay the same) or update correctly." However, now my phone is stuck on the booting screen. I should at least still have TWRP installed, since I believe the "preserve recovery" box was automatically checked.
What can I do to fix the issue? I'm thinking if I download the full OTA and flash in recovery, maybe that will work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Fixed
johnhazelwood said:
If you can still boot into the bootloader (not recovery), do that and run through the manual install of the factory image (via the fastboot command - see the install instructions in the general forum). Again, do this manually (which requires downloading the factory image, extracting the files out, and manually flashing each file (bootloader, boot, etc.)) as that's really the only way you're going to get back to normal. You will have to re-root, etc., but that isn't that much work and saves the pain of going through what you just went through.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I actually just flashed the full factory OTA and now everything is working fine once again. I did lose root access though, so I have to reflash superSU as well. Thank you for trying to help though! If flashing the full OTA in TWRP had also failed, my Plan B was to just flash the factory image as you suggested.

jeffrey123987 said:
Thanks, I actually just flashed the full factory OTA and now everything is working fine once again. I did lose root access though, so I have to reflash superSU as well. Thank you for trying to help though! If flashing the full OTA in TWRP had also failed, my Plan B was to just flash the factory image as you suggested.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or next time just use the full image (not OTA) with FF (with select flash firmware package). You won't have any issues plus will retain root/recovery. You'll be back up and running in one minute.

Glad you got it back up and running. Also, as mentioned, you could flash the full package via flashfire, just don't flash the bootloader using it.

Related

[Q] Kitkat 4.4 OTA Update failed to install

Hello, I'm in a bit of a confusing situation so I hope that someone can shed light on it.
Last night I got a notification that my phone is ready to install the 4.4 update. I didn't have the time or the battery to install it then, so I just left my phone until today. Today, I happily pressed the update button, my phone restarted, it started to update and when the bar was a little more then a third full it stopped and said "Error!" (Thanks for a very informative error message Google! ) I restarted my phone, and now my phone reports that it's up to date?! I tried tapping the Check now, but it keeps saying it's up to date. I checked my cache folder, and there is a .zip file containing the update.
My phone is rooted, I used the Nexus 4 Rootkit, but I DIDN'T install a custom recovery or try to install any custom ROMs. (I'm happy with the stock one) I only installed SuperSU so I can grant root access to some apps and that's it. I didn't install any tweaks.
Now if I'm not mistaken, the OTA update should have worked on my phone, because everything is stock. So why did this happen and why I'm not receiving the update prompt again?
Also as a side note: When I went into the fastboot mode and tried to launch the Recovery mode, it said "No command!" and I had restart my phone.
No, you're wrong. You should've gone to SuperSU app and pressed the "full unroot" button before trying to OTAupdate. This would've replaced the modified bin files for root by the original files, allowing the OTA to be applied successfully.
This happens because the rooting process modifies some system files, so the OTA detects a non-stock scenario and aborts its installation. Also when the OTA fails, a flag marks this update as a "fail update" so your system will continue to show you that it's "updated" as he thinks the only update available isn't suitable for you. He is just waiting for the next OTA update.
Now you have to install the OTA via sideload / adb. I would recommend to make a full nandroid backup before everything else. Then fully unroot your phone and apply the OTA using adb.
This is exactly what happened to me when trying to update from 4.2.2 to 4.3. I was root (obtained with Nexus 4 Toolkit from WugFresh) with stock recovery. Just root, nothing else. Then I tried to install OTA, because with older versions to be root was not a problem. But now it is, and my OTA failed as it failed to you.
Then I managed to manually apply the OTA doing what I told you: first backup, then unroot, and finally using the sideload / adb process button present in the toolkit, following its advices at each pont (very VERY well explained for non-experts). You will need to manually download the OTA update to 4.4. Look for that in these forums.
Hope this helps!
LORD MJ said:
Hello, I'm in a bit of a confusing situation so I hope that someone can shed light on it.
Last night I got a notification that my phone is ready to install the 4.4 update. I didn't have the time or the battery to install it then, so I just left my phone until today. Today, I happily pressed the update button, my phone restarted, it started to update and when the bar was a little more then a third full it stopped and said "Error!" (Thanks for a very informative error message Google! ) I restarted my phone, and now my phone reports that it's up to date?! I tried tapping the Check now, but it keeps saying it's up to date. I checked my cache folder, and there is a .zip file containing the update.
My phone is rooted, I used the Nexus 4 Rootkit, but I DIDN'T install a custom recovery or try to install any custom ROMs. (I'm happy with the stock one) I only installed SuperSU so I can grant root access to some apps and that's it. I didn't install any tweaks.
Now if I'm not mistaken, the OTA update should have worked on my phone, because everything is stock. So why did this happen and why I'm not receiving the update prompt again?
Also as a side note: When I went into the fastboot mode and tried to launch the Recovery mode, it said "No command!" and I had restart my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nyepo said:
No, you're wrong. You should've gone to SuperSU app and pressed the "full unroot" button before trying to OTAupdate. This would've replaced the modified bin files for root by the original files, allowing the OTA to be applied successfully.
This happens because the rooting process modifies some system files, so the OTA detects a non-stock scenario and aborts its installation. Also when the OTA fails, a flag marks this update as a "fail update" so your system will continue to show you that it's "updated" as he thinks the only update available isn't suitable for you. He is just waiting for the next OTA update.
Now you have to install the OTA via sideload / adb. I would recommend to make a full nandroid backup before everything else. Then fully unroot your phone and apply the OTA using adb.
This is exactly what happened to me when trying to update from 4.2.2 to 4.3. I was root (obtained with Nexus 4 Toolkit from WugFresh) with stock recovery. Just root, nothing else. Then I tried to install OTA, because with older versions to be root was not a problem. But now it is, and my OTA failed as it failed to you.
Then I managed to manually apply the OTA doing what I told you: first backup, then unroot, and finally using the sideload / adb process button present in the toolkit, following its advices at each pont (very VERY well explained for non-experts). You will need to manually download the OTA update to 4.4. Look for that in these forums.
Hope this helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Unfortunetly the OTA update failed even when I tired ADB sideload, so I had to flash the factory image. Now it works like a charm.
LORD MJ said:
Thanks. Unfortunetly the OTA update failed even when I tired ADB sideload, so I had to flash the factory image. Now it works like a charm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It failed because you have modified files in your system, such as modified gps.conf or build.prop, custom kernel and non-official radio will give errors too.
I did a "flash stock+unroot" and relocked my device via the Wug app and it still errors
eksasol said:
It failed because you have modified files in your system, such as modified gps.conf or build.prop, custom kernel and non-official radio will give errors too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really have no idea how did that happen. Maybe some app modified it or I messed some things up. I'm now going to make a full backup of my phone, so I can apply the next OTA with much less pain.
LORD MJ said:
I really have no idea how did that happen. Maybe some app modified it or I messed some things up. I'm now going to make a full backup of my phone, so I can apply the next OTA with much less pain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The OTA update can fail for many reasons, it could be due to any changes to the /system partition which is what root does, such as changes to gps.conf file, changes in build.prop, different kernel or radio.
If you're going to make a full backup, what you should do is flash a full factory image (link in my signature, and provided you already backup your data.) Then boot into a custom recovery to make a full backup, (not flash the recovery, but: fastboot boot twrp.img) When you do the backup make sure the boot (kernel) and recovery partition are selected. However, you can't backup the radio partition, but that should be fine unless you intend to use the LTE radio.
I have a similar problem. I have ROOTED device with TWRP recovery and stock 4.3 android (obtained OTA before rooting), and I just got notification that my OTA update to 4.4 is ready to be installed.
So I clicked Restart and Install button and the phone restarts(as it should) but after that it went in TWRP recovery and waited for some instruction I suppose. I didn't know what to click exactly, so I clicked Reboot from TWPR menu and it went in fastboot mode. From fastboot I chose Start and phone turns on. Updating didn't even start..
So, were there something that I could do when I was in TWRP recovery that could initiate updating process, or I never had a chance?
What exactly I should do to get that update on my phone? Sorry for my English and if was unclear.

Having flashed Lollipop, will I get OTA updates?

I used Google's batch file on windows to flash the stock 5.0, having unlocked the bootloader and also installed the chainfire root. Just wondering whether I'll get any fixes, or whether i'll have to always repeat this process, wiping out everything on the device in the process.
You may get prompted to download and install new updates when they arrive, but they will fail upon installation unless you're 100% stock.
there will be an OTA update notification if you have stock rom wether you have a sotck or a custom recovery. But if you download and install the OTA update having a custom recovery, the installation will fail and will show an installation or update error. You will be stucked in "no command" image. so better restore your stock recovery as well before downloading any OTA updates..
igeigeige said:
there will be an OTA update notification if you have stock rom wether you have a sotck or a custom recovery. But if you download and install the OTA update having a custom recovery, the installation will fail and will show an installation or update error. You will be stucked in "no command" image. so better restore your stock recovery as well before downloading any OTA updates..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the Google image download page (https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images) get updated as Lollipop gets updated? Or am I going to have to do OTA updates?
hmm.. im not sure which comes first.. but, if you want to get OTA, you'll have to wait for your device to get its turn for the notification to appear. The effect will still be the same though if you flash that google image to your device.. And flashing that device, will save you time from waiting for your OTA to appear on your device.
Cheers! :good:
igeigeige said:
hmm.. im not sure which comes first.. but, if you want to get OTA, you'll have to wait for your device to get its turn for the notification to appear. The effect will still be the same though if you flash that google image to your device.. And flashing that device, will save you time from waiting for your OTA to appear on your device.
Cheers! :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I'm a bit confused. I'm on stock, but i need root, so i installed cfar, which I think included super su. when a new version of super su came out (i was alerted via google play), i needed to install the twrp recovery (which I didn't have installed at that point) to update it. So I guess I'm not stock any more, even though I've not actually put a non-stock image on. So even if the OTA update message popped up, I doubt it's safe to install it that way, even if it let me. I'm just not sure whether I need to a factory reset/wipe etc before updating, or if I can do a dirty update (the OTA is effectively a dirty update, isn't it?). And, like i said, i'm not sure whether that page gets updated with new images, or whether you're supposed to just put the initial one down and then do OTA updates (and only then root, change the recovery etc).
You have a stock rom but with a CUSTOM recovery. Yes, ota will prompt you to update, but DON'T. You should convert to stock recovery first. Because if you do, the update will push through, but once it asks you to boot to make the update in effect, you will have a NO COMMAND error - bootloop, and only fastboot and recovery (sort of dysfunctional). Just like most of the people here, including me. So make backup of your files first before doing the update. Cheers :good:
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
If having a custom recovery is an issue, why could I flash ota zips from custom recoveries ever since buying the tablet?
igeigeige said:
there will be an OTA update notification if you have stock rom wether you have a sotck or a custom recovery. But if you download and install the OTA update having a custom recovery, the installation will fail and will show an installation or update error. You will be stucked in "no command" image. so better restore your stock recovery as well before downloading any OTA updates..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should have read this first. In the bootloop. Tried flashing back to stuck with nexus toolkit. No luck. Suggestions?
Rizz67 said:
Should have read this first. In the bootloop. Tried flashing back to stuck with nexus toolkit. No luck. Suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, what i did was flashing the official factory image from google via fastboot/bootloader... Make a nandroid backup first though.. Because you'll need to clean flash (system partition/cache and data) to avoid future problems.
please educate me
A few weeks ago I rooted my N4 with CFAR (& of course had to wipe out everything). My understanding was that now that my bootloader is unlocked, I can sideload new images, thus sparing me a rewipe -- & in my ignorance, was anticipating that ChainFire would make 5.0.1 images in due course.
So, If I want to root subsequent 5.x.x releases, how would this work in real life??
Can i just restore stock recovery and then install the 5.0.1 ota update without losing everything?

[Q] Issue sideload 5.0.2 OTA - /system/bin/install-recovery.sh has unexpected content

I'm trying to apply the 5.0.2 OTA on my wife's Nexus 7. When I try and sideload the OTA, I get this message:
Code:
"/system/bin/install-recovery.sh" has unexpected content
It was rooted previously so inside Super SU, I used the 'full unroot' option then tried to apply the OTA again. Same results. I also made sure to reflash the stock recovery in case that had anything to do with it (I was using WUG toolkit which was booting into stock recovery, but just in case...). Same results.
I've seen other reports of applying just the system.img file from inside the factory image. (Here and Here)
Is that a solution that would work for me? Is anyone else having this same issue and has a solution for it?
I could do a factory reset, but thats sortof a pain in the butt I'd like to avoid if I can...
Thanks,
Zeustopher
I've always used fastboot to flash boot, recovery and system then adb sideloaded the update zip and never had an issue nor have I ever lost data.
Looks like you definitely need to flash system since that's the error you're getting. It takes seconds so why not do it.
Mr_JMM said:
I've always used fastboot to flash boot, recovery and system then adb sideloaded the update zip and never had an issue nor have I ever lost data.
Looks like you definitely need to flash system since that's the error you're getting. It takes seconds so why not do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same issue. Worked for me.
Pretty sure it is because 5.0 checks the entire system partition rather than pieces, so simply being rooted will cause to fail because there will be a mismatch. Pretty sure if you go the OTA root, you have to flash back to stock and unroot before you can update without failing. I would just flash the images directly in NRT or using ADB, and you should be fine.
I followed this method and it worked like a charm for me.
http://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus5/comments/2psomc/
Manual option
I flashed the boot.img and system.img matching the current version on our tablets (extracted from the factory image) and after that the OTA update works.
Made a backup just in case, but did not need it as all settings and data were preserved.
I'm guessing the return to stock does something similar (maybe a couple of things extra)

Update Beta OTA while keeping Magisk and Root?

Ok,
I almost always flash factory images through fastboot and I am very comfortable with that method. Flashing OTAs on a less than perfect factory image (Magisk, root, TWRP etc.) I am not so familiar with.
When my phone gets the "there is a update available" message how can I go about flashing the new 7.1.2? Flashify? Is there a step by step because I almost did this and it gave me a pretty scary warning message before I started that made me back out.
I would love to flash the factory images, but apparently Google doesn't like uploading the 6p images.
Flashfire??
Sent from my Nexus+6P using Tapatalk
GatorsUF said:
Ok,
I almost always flash factory images through fastboot and I am very comfortable with that method. Flashing OTAs on a less than perfect factory image (Magisk, root, TWRP etc.) I am not so familiar with.
When my phone gets the "there is a update available" message how can I go about flashing the new 7.1.2? Flashify? Is there a step by step because I almost did this and it gave me a pretty scary warning message before I started that made me back out.
I would love to flash the factory images, but apparently Google doesn't like uploading the 6p images.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually it's probably good that you stopped. I read that Flashify wasn't successful at flashing 7.1.2 and that it would get stuck during the process. Your best bet would be to flash a stock image to go back to complete stock, update the OTA normally (you will get the notification that the update is available very quickly) then reroot and do what you want after.
GatorsUF said:
Ok,
I almost always flash factory images through fastboot and I am very comfortable with that method. Flashing OTAs on a less than perfect factory image (Magisk, root, TWRP etc.) I am not so familiar with. When my phone gets the "there is a update available" message how can I go about flashing the new 7.1.2? Flashify? Is there a step by step because I almost did this and it gave me a pretty scary warning message before I started that made me back out. I would love to flash the factory images, but apparently Google doesn't like uploading the 6p images.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used FF to update using the full beta image. Select boot, system, vendor partitions and leave Recovery and Modem Firmware unticked. Next, default options "Inject SuperSU" and "Preserve Recovery". Flash. When you get done, the phone will fully boot up into 7.1.2. but you will still be on the previous bootloader and radio. The bootloader and radio .img files are included in the full beta image, so I just copied those two into my ADB folder and fastboot flashed them. I opened flash-all.bat with Notepad and copy/pasted the lines below to the command line. Note, I am running stock rom rooted TWRP and custom kernel, but not Magisk... but it should work the same. Hope this helps.
fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-angler-angler-03.67.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
flash radio radio-angler-angler-03.81.img

New update to fix voLTE 911 bug...

So this morning I got an update to fix the voLTE bug. I'm unlocked with twrp installed and rooted. Just for the sake of experimenting I tried installing it. Well that didn't work. Just gets stuck in twrp recovery and you have to power the phone off completely to get it to boot. I guess my question (even though it's a little early) is there a way to install the update without reverting back to stock?
EDIT: Link to the zip
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxqNotAWlwLUQ1Fzcjc2YXd4QzA
I don't believe so.
In the past you either had to go back to stock or wait on someone to create a compatible update for rooted devices.
Can you post link to zip?
If you are rooted, you can find the zip in cache folder in recovery.
Can you add what variant and build you are using before the update? Also the build afterwards?
KapilFaujdar said:
Can you post link to zip?
If you are rooted, you can find the zip in cache folder in recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got the update, but all I see on my magisk rooted G5+ in /cache/recovery are log files and the fstab files. Anywhere else to look?
gghose said:
I got the update, but all I see on my magisk rooted G5+ in /cache/recovery are log files and the fstab files. Anywhere else to look?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I can't find anything in that folder either.
I received the update and applied it. I am not rooted.
I have the XT1687 model.
My current build number is NPN25.137-35
My device BL unlocked, TWRP installed and rooted with magisck.
I'm getting the update notification and splash screens several times daily.
Anyone rooted try installing the update with Flashfire app?
bvsbutthd101 said:
So this morning I got an update to fix the voLTE bug. I'm unlocked with twrp installed and rooted. Just for the sake of experimenting I tried installing it. Well that didn't work. Just gets stuck in twrp recovery and you have to power the phone off completely to get it to boot. I guess my question (even though it's a little early) is there a way to install the update without reverting back to stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have systemless supersu, you should just be able to apply the update after reverting to stock recovery.
So I found where the zip downloads. I wonder what flashing it in twrp would do?
EDIT: Here's the link to the zip and I've put it in the OP.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxqNotAWlwLUQ1Fzcjc2YXd4QzA
glight0 said:
My device BL unlocked, TWRP installed and rooted with magisck.
I'm getting the update notification and splash screens several times daily.
Anyone rooted try installing the update with Flashfire app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, so I tried flashing recovery.img from stock firmware build 33. But the OTA update will not install, instead I get an error after downloading and rebooting (red triangle at recovery mode).
So I tried fully reverting to stock firmware but I decided to skip over erasing userdata. Afterward the OTA downloaded and installed successfully. Keeping userdata does not seem to have caused an issue.
My problem now though is how to get root back without having to wipe userdata after re-flashing TWRP.
Or is this not possible and if I want to root I must first wipe userdata so that TWRP can read internal memory?
bvsbutthd101 said:
So I found where the zip downloads. I wonder what flashing it in twrp would do?
EDIT: Here's the link to the zip and I've put it in the OP.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxqNotAWlwLUQ1Fzcjc2YXd4QzA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just tried flashing it with TWRP and no luck:
Verifying current system....
E3002: Package expects build thumbprint of 7.0/NPN25.137-35/37:user/release-keys or 7.0/NPN25.137-33/35:user/release-keys; this device has .
Updated process ended with ERROR: 7
which doesn't make much sense since I rooted the stock ROM (Build number reads NPN25.137-33).
If your using a custom recovery flash the stock recovery, then go to the stock recovery and using your computer flash using adb sideboard command. I assume you already know how to do this. Hope that helps.
gghose said:
Just tried flashing it with TWRP and no luck:
Verifying current system....
E3002: Package expects build thumbprint of 7.0/NPN25.137-35/37:user/release-keys or 7.0/NPN25.137-33/35:user/release-keys; this device has .
Updated process ended with ERROR: 7
which doesn't make much sense since I rooted the stock ROM (Build number reads NPN25.137-33).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm stuck in the same boat... no idea how to flash the stock recovery and sideboard, what that even means, or if that would break root. I just followed the step-by-step "how to root" video when I first got the phone
There's a workaround to disable the "advanced LTE" or whatever it was called, so I did that. But in the meantime until a more "user friendly" means of updating is available, is there a way I can get rid of this nag screen? Way back on an earlier device (Samsung Charge?) I remember manually editing a "build.prop" file or something to match the latest version so I wouldn't keep getting the software update nag. Is there something that will do the same here, or is there a system app I can freeze in TiB?
My best guess is freezing "Moto Actions 03.022.1.4-N" because it's showing "(updated)" on the side.
rellim113 said:
I'm stuck in the same boat... no idea how to flash the stock recovery and sideboard, what that even means, or if that would break root. I just followed the step-by-step "how to root" video when I first got the phone .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he means is you need to download the stock rom, unzip it, then boot phone to bootloader mode and connect to PC. Then flash the recovery.IMG from the stock rom folder with command prompt:
Fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
Then you can on the phone tell it to boot to recovery mode. This will be a screen with Android on his back and the words NO Command on the bottom. Then plug to PC and use adb command to sideload the update zip like this:
adb sideload [nameofupdatefile].Zip
glight0 said:
What he means is you need to download the stock rom, unzip it, then boot phone to bootloader mode and connect to PC. Then flash the recovery.IMG from the stock rom folder with command prompt:
Fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
Then you can on the phone tell it to boot to recovery mode. This will be a screen with Android on his back and the words NO Command on the bottom. Then plug to PC and use adb command to sideload the update zip like this:
adb sideload [nameofupdatefile].Zip
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strange, reflashed the stock recovery and adb can't see it (adb devices returns nothing). And when trying to install it via the normal OTA way, the stock recovery tries to install but ends with an error.
That's what happened to me when I tried reverting to stock recovery and then trying to install update from phone Settings app.
I ended up having to revert to stock rom to get ota to apply with settings app. But now I am trying to root again but after installing TWRP data is encrypted again. So looks like I will have to wipe data before re-rooting.

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