Updating via OTA while rooted? - Essential Phone Questions & Answers

If my bootloader is unlocked and the phone is rooted, can I take the NMJ32F OTA that popped up today? Or is there a different way I need to do it?

Remove root and sideload it via the stock recovery (need stock boot image, get rid of TWRP) for this. You might be able to try Flashfire, but I never tried it on this phone and haven't seen anyone else state that it works. But you'd still need to download the OTA and flash it.

FWIW, I tried it and it messed up the phone. HOme button didn;t work anymore and notification panel was blank. Dev Setting said "User not authorized".
The phone booted and worked, but something was messed up.
I restored the stock image and it was fine, but I had to redo setup any everything

You can't be rooted to take the OTA. Just flash the stock boot image, reboot, and take the OTA.

Related

Problems installing OTA updates

OK, for starters:
Tablet's current stats:
ROM: CWM-Rooted_Acer_A500_7.006.01_COM_GEN2
Recovery: Stock US 1.141.07_COM_GEN1
Root status: Rooted
Problem at hand: Cannot install OTA updates. I used Acer Recovery Installer to originally install CWM so I could flash ROMs (duh). So I used Acer Recovery Installer to have it install the stock recovery image so I could actually install the OTA updates. I know this likely means I would lose root, and that is OK.
When I installed the stock recovery back, I tried to let it install the update. It would reboot, show the package opening (little box that was open and a progress bar showed up). The bar got about 25% completed, then it changed into a triangle with a "!" inside it, and the little Android dude below it. After a few minutes, it would reboot by itself. Once booted up, I would get a message that simply said "Update Failed".
I brought this up in another thread, and someone suggested I unroot as well. I immediately tried to do that, but IconiaRoot gives me the following:
Removing superuser.apk
Removing /system/xbin/su
Sleeping in 5 seconds...
Something went wrong.. you are still root?!?!
I can confirm I am still rooted by going into terminal emulator and running su and I get a # sign. So I am at a loss now on what else to try. With the stock recovery, if I tell Acer Recovery Installer to reboot into recovery, when it reboots, all I get is the triangle with a "!" in it. I noticed the ROM has GEN2 and my stock recovery has GEN1, and the OTA update ends with GEN2, is that an issue?
EDIT: I also know now there are other rooted ROMs with these OTAs applied. I'd like to unroot and go back to stock, so please do not recommend this.
Ok did you make a backup via CWM ?
In the other thread the recovery i restored was the backup i made of my one via Acer recovery,
If i was you i would reinstall CWM and make sure that recovery is working then wait for someone to come in and tell you the correct stock recovery for your one is.
oh i get u now, u got the gen2rom installed and u want back to your own stock gen1 to get the OTA, correct?
u need a cwm backup of 3.2 gen1 stock, when u restore it, u should receive an OTA notification for the 3.2.1 GEN1 OTA. Before you download it, u need to be rooted, use the backdoor/OTA method of timmyDeans. It will create a backdoor so after you have installed the OTA you can get in to run the installtools command again to root and install cwm again. AND you will still recieve OTA's.
Iconia Root - only works on 3.1, it will not work for 3.2, so it will throw an error.
But i'm sure root wont prevent the install as the OTA overwrites system files and resets the permissions, it also checks all system apps are there, so if you;ve deleted any bloatware or changed build.props the update will fail.
I have spent the last week trying to get back to stock so i can OTA. I have read hundreds of posts and tried all the methods that had been posted. The easiest and quickest and most successful way of achieving this was the backdoor method. Yes you need adb installed but you dont actually use it, it is all done for you. there is a very good walkthrough here http://www.chdcomputers.gr/en/mnu-kb-en/mnu-kb-android-en/mnu-kb-android-devices-en/mnu-kb-android-a500-en/254-art-kb000005-en
Then install the backdoor v3 (link in sig) -have a look and see if that will get u to where u wanna be!
Decideed it was easieeer to just install one of the prerooted roms from the dev forum. Running 7.014.14.com gen 1 now. Thanks guys.

[Q] Updating from 4.2.2 to 4.3 failing repeatedly.

Hi everyone, I'm having a hell of a time trying to update my phone from 4.2.2 to 4.3 (stock rom). I have searched the forums (or tried to) and have done general Google searches, but nothing with my problems came up. I rooted my phone a while back, lost root when my phone updated to 4.2.2, then used wugfresh's Nexus Root Toolkit to get it back. Ever since 4.3 came out, I have been unable to update. I was using TWRP, and when updating through the phone it would simply dump me back there and not continue. I was then instructed to manually flash through TWRP, which I tried to do, but halfway through the flash it simply stops. I believe it said "signature verification failed". Someone had me try using the NRT to push the update as well, but that hasnt worked either. It just fails.
After asking around some more, I was instructed to flash the stock recovery, which I have now done. Now when I try to update (through the phone), it takes me to stock recovery, starts installing the update, and (yet again) halfway through the android guy just has an X on it and it says "failed". With Kit Kat supposedly coming out in two days, I really want to be ready to get the update asap. Could anybody help me out?
Also, if possible I would like there to be a way to do so without losing the data on my phone. But its not necessary.
I am sorry if this same problem has come up before. I tried going through other threads and the ones suggested after typing in the thread title.
Why don't you just use the toolkit to bring you back to stock and unroot? Once that is done you will get the update OTA
I am on stock, and I am getting the update OTA. It is just failing to install every time I try to install the update.
Your did something wrong when going back to stock. Did you unroot and relock the boot loader?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Or you can just flash all the .img file of the 4.3 using adb.
To blankit, no I did not unroot or relock the bootloader. I simply re-flashed the stock recovery. Relocking my bootloader would cause me to lose all my data, and by all accounts has nothing to do with installing updates. I will try disabling root access.
To arffrhn, flashing the .img through adb is what I have done through different toolkits. No matter how I have gone about trying to manually flash the 4.3img or install through the OTA update, it is failing.
To blankit, no I did not unroot or relock the bootloader. I simply re-flashed the stock recovery. Relocking my bootloader would cause me to lose all my data, and by all accounts has nothing to do with installing updates. I will try disabling root access.
To arffrhn, flashing the .img through adb is what I have done through different toolkits. No matter how I have gone about trying to manually flash the 4.3img or install through the OTA update, it is failing.
I did same thing without any problems after I unrooted and installed stock kernel.
Just use Wug toolkit and factory 4.3 image.
Now open image and extract radio, bootloader and system img.
Now use Wug and flash only these img.
Then reroot and start flashing custom kernel or roms.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk 4
If everything else fail, do it manually.. Seek this thread.. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2010312.
Never do anything using toolkits.. Manual way is always the best.
this tool may help you:
Have you ever get into a situation where you have a custom recovery on a stock rom and then get a OTA update then you find out that you need to flash the stock recovery to flash?, well this Nexus 4 Stock Recovery Flasher will sort it all out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2413550

[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:
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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..
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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?
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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?

Flashfire OTA caused phone to no longer boot?

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?
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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.
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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.

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