Database Users

Remove device encryption

Hi everybody, i would like to remove the devices encription under Security-Encryption
Under Encrypt device i've got Encrypted.
I've tried to restore to factory default, from recovery, from fastboot using format userdata, but, no way.
How i can remove the encryption?
My device is ZE552KL
Thanks

swet90 said:
Hi everybody, i would like to remove the devices encription under Security-Encryption
Under Encrypt device i've got Encrypted.
I've tried to restore to factory default, from recovery, from fastboot using format userdata, but, no way.
How i can remove the encryption?
My device is ZE552KL
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a same issue with this device, but I had some experiment.
If your device is unlocked, you can flash TWRP, boot to recovery, wipe, format data.
Backup your data first! It will erase all of your data (Very noob answer)
Totally careful, don't do this if you didn't want a unexpected things. Or something...

The ASUS Zenfone 3 comes shipped encrypted by default. This is required by Google's Play Services agreement for phone OEMs. You cannot remove decryption on the Zenfone 3 without using a custom ROM.

sensi277 said:
The ASUS Zenfone 3 comes shipped encrypted by default. This is required by Google's Play Services agreement for phone OEMs. You cannot remove decryption on the Zenfone 3 without using a custom ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!

TWRP isn't allowing me to Mount my Storage because it's asking for a password I don't know.

ZeldaLinkAaron said:
TWRP isn't allowing me to Mount my Storage because it's asking for a password I don't know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm having the same issue. I just got my daughter this phone (the 552KL?), downloaded the official Asus bootloader unlocker APK and ran it, then rebooted to the bootloader to flash TWRP.
TWRP installed, but wants a password to unlock it. Before the bootloader unlock, I did put her Google account on the phone, but the tool said it would completely wipe the phone. Either way, I tried her google account password, but it just says wrong password. Same thing when I tried to boot to system.
Any tips?

@Flapjack
Format through twrp

wang1chung said:
@Flapjack
Format through twrp
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I ended up doing. I got some help on another thread. The problem I'm having now is that I can't format /cache. It's really weird. If I do a full wipe on the phone, it says it can't format it. I even tried formatting it through fastboot ("fastboot erase cache" then "fastboot format cache"), which says "OKAY finished", but doesn't fix the issue when trying to wipe cache inside of TWRP.
This phone is flat out weird compared to other phones. I don't get the bootloader unlock screen. It doesn't seem to want to boot system... it just keeps going to TWRP. On the few times I have gotten to boot into system (after flashing Carbon 6.1 unofficial), it ends up hanging on a blank screen. Windows makes a sound that a new device is connected, so I'm guessing it's connecting in EDL mode or something (no devices show with a "fastboot devices" or a "adb devices").
I really don't know where to go from here. I'm used to working with Axons, Motorolas, and OnePlus phones. They just work.

@Flapjack
The cache issue is a glitch with the build of twrp, it's not a big deal. There's a workaround posted somewhere, can't remember. Just use the file browser and delete the files on it. I think there's only one file that isn't 0 bytes.
Have you flashed magisk?
Sometimes a full wipe (system/data) and then flashing the raw firmware helps. Try magisk first.

wang1chung said:
@Flapjack
The cache issue is a glitch with the build of twrp, it's not a big deal. There's a workaround posted somewhere, can't remember. Just use the file browser and delete the files on it. I think there's only one file that isn't 0 bytes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you're saying it doesn't need to be actually wiped, I just need to go into cache and delete all the files in there? How about getting it to boot to system? It just keeps booting to recovery. Not sure when it started that, as after the first time I flashed the ROM, I was able to get it to boot to system by pressing the power button when the "bootloader unlocked" screen came up. That isn't working now.
Have you flashed magisk?
Sometimes a full wipe (system/data) and then flashing the raw firmware helps. Try magisk first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For my first non-stock ROM flash, I flashed the Oreo modem, Carbon 6.1 unofficial ROM, ARM64 Gapps nano, and Magisk 16.0... all at once. I tried booting and it looked like it was setting up... but as I mentioned, it just went to a blank screen. After trying a full wipe and seeing the "couldn't wipe cache" message, I figured that was why.
How will flashing Magisk help me with wiping the cache partition or getting the thing to boot right? Sorry for my ignorance.

Flapjack said:
So you're saying it doesn't need to be actually wiped, I just need to go into cache and delete all the files in there?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wiping/formatting cache is the same as deleting all the files. Wiping is easier but as I said, doesn't work at the moment.
Flapjack said:
How will flashing Magisk help me with wiping the cache partition or getting the thing to boot right? Sorry for my ignorance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
magisk won't help with cache, but it will remove the verity flag that is tripped from having twrp. From my experience, if I don't flash magisk, it'll bootloop.

Yeah.... absolutely nothing I do will get it to boot to system now. I've flashed the ROM and Magisk, but no matter what, it keeps booting to recovery.
There were two folders under /cache... "Lost&Found" and "recovery". I deleted both, but that didn't help.
---------- Post added 5th July 2018 at 12:40 AM ---------- Previous post was 4th July 2018 at 11:44 PM ----------
wang1chung said:
wiping/formatting cache is the same as deleting all the files. Wiping is easier but as I said, doesn't work at the moment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I take it I did it right? I would say it's "pretty much" the same. Formatting a partition is different than deleting files/folders in an existing partition. Still, if deleting the files/folders is good enough, then that rules out why the system wouldn't boot after the first ROM install attempt. It would also explain why "fastboot erase cache" seems to work, but TWRP still throws an error. Fastboot erase is probably working just fine.
magisk won't help with cache, but it will remove the verity flag that is tripped from having twrp. From my experience, if I don't flash magisk, it'll bootloop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there a custom version of Magisk for this phone? I'm just installing the usual magisk 16.0 zip file you can get on their site, but it doesn't seem to be helping with the phone continuously booting into recovery. Is there a way to remove that verity flag via adb?

@Flapjack
Magisk modifies one of the partitions to get around the flag (I believe), not doable through adb.
Standard magisk off their site is fine
Try this:
Format system/data
Flash custom Rom
Flash magisk
"Wipe" cache and davlik
Reboot
OR
Flash the raw firmware
Flash twrp
Flash whichever custom Rom & gapps where needed
Flash magisk
Factory reset and "Wipe" cache and dalvik
Reboot

wang1chung said:
@Flapjack
Magisk modifies one of the partitions to get around the flag (I believe), not doable through adb.
Standard magisk off their site is fine
Try this:
Format system/data
Flash custom Rom
Flash magisk
"Wipe" cache and davlik
Reboot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No go. Still just boots into recovery. Here's what the boot screen looks like (then the Asus logo pops up, then recovery loads)
Code:
< More information :
Dm-Verity in EIO mode
Your device software can't be
checked for corruption. Please
lock the bootloader.
Visit this link on another device:
g.co/ABHg.co/placeholder
Your device will shutdown in 10 seconds
I can press the power button to boot immediately, or wait the 10 seconds... which just boots anyway (doesn't shut down). If I press the volume buttons, I get the following options menu:
Power off
Restart
Recovery
Fastboot
Back to previous page
Flash the raw firmware
Flash twrp
Flash whichever custom Rom & gapps where needed
Flash magisk
Factory reset and "Wipe" cache and dalvik
Reboot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't tried this yet. Would this be the best guide to follow?
HOW-TO: Go back to Stock Rom on ZE552KL/ZE520KL
https://forum.xda-developers.com/zenfone-3/how-to/how-to-to-stock-rom-recovery-zenfone-3-t3666223

@Flapjack
That is the correct screen for an unlocked bootloader.
Try this guide for the raw firmware instead, and verify it boots to the OS. Then flash twrp and the rom again.

wang1chung said:
@Flapjack
That is the correct screen for an unlocked bootloader.
Try this guide for the raw firmware instead, and verify it boots to the OS. Then flash twrp and the rom again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Grrr... no matter what I do, it won't flash. The guide says to put it in fastboot mode, but the flash tool won't detect it (even though "fastboot devices" shows it just fine). If I boot it to recovery, it'll show up in the tool, but never actually flashes (see screenshot).

Flapjack said:
Grrr... no matter what I do, it won't flash. The guide says to put it in fastboot mode, but the flash tool won't detect it (even though "fastboot devices" shows it just fine). If I boot it to recovery, it'll show up in the tool, but never actually flashes (see screenshot).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is why I stopped using Windows. Maybe try disabling "driver signature verification"? Swap USB ports? My computer has some high power and low power USB ports, certain devices won't work properly in the low power ones. A couple of guides mentioned unplugging and re-plugging the USB.

wang1chung said:
This is why I stopped using Windows. Maybe try disabling "driver signature verification"? Swap USB ports? My computer has some high power and low power USB ports, certain devices won't work properly in the low power ones. A couple of guides mentioned unplugging and re-plugging the USB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a good idea. I'm going through a powered hub right now, but who knows...
I'll try that as soon as I get home.

Ok, different computer. This is my laptop I normally use to flash.
This time, I can get it it to start to flash, but with a second or two, it throws an error (see attached).

Flapjack said:
Ok, different computer. This is my laptop I normally use to flash.
This time, I can get it it to start to flash, but with a second or two, it throws an error (see attached).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are you running ASUS flash tool with admin privileges?

Looking for thorough flashing guide

Hi,
Does a thorough guide exist on how to flash custom ROM on this phone?
I have done quite a lot of flashing in my life but can't a ROM flashed for the love of God.
Got TWRP installed, ADB works, cables are good.
Thanks!

After quite some hours I finally managed to get Havoc Pie running (GSI ARM64 AB, downloaded here).
My first problem was the fact that you need to be on stock Oreo before starting, this took me a while to figure out.
I used the most recent 'back to stock' Oreo from this page.
After installing this, I booted up, and went straight for enabling USB-debugging in Developer options.
Then do ADB REBOOT BOOTLOADER to enter fastboot mode.
There I erased system on both A and B partitions by using FASTBOOT ERASE SYSTEM command, then FASTBOOT SET_ACTIVE OTHER to switch to the other partition, and then once more FASTBOOT ERASE SYSTEM to also erase the system on this partition.
After that I ran FASTBOOT FLASH SYSTEM Havoc-OS-v2.0-20181027-GSI-ARM64-AB-Official.img, on the one partition, then FASTBOOT SET_ACTIVE OTHER and after that FASTBOOT FLASH SYSTEM Havoc-OS-v2.0-20181027-GSI-ARM64-AB-Official.img to flash it on the other partition.
After that I installed TWRP by running FASTBOOT FLASH BOOT twrp-3.2.3-0-mata.img (downloadable here).
After that, I rebooted into TWRP recovery by running ADB REBOOT RECOVERY.
There, I put twrp-installer-mata-3.2.3-0.zip (downloadable at the previously mentioned TWRP website) on internal memory and flashed it.
This automatically flashes both A and B partitions (switching between A and B at the reboot screen).
After doing that, I wiped /DATA on both A and B.
Then I put the Havoc-OS-v2.0-20181027-GSI-ARM64-AB-Official.img on internal memory and flashed it on /SYSTEM for both A and B.
Then it is time for GAPPS.
As I prefer Stock GAPPS with my own GAPPS-CONFIG.TXT, I ran into the Error 70: because of the large size of Havoc, there is not enough room for large GAPPS.
So because of that I needed to do the Resize /SYSTEM partition for both A and B (in the Advanced wipe menu section).
After that I was able to flash my Stock GAPPS on both A and B.
Now I need some rest to regain my sanity before I tackle rooting the ROM.
I probably did too much double stuff, but it is not easy to know when only A or B needs to be done.
Comments and tips are welcome.

Waancho said:
After quite some hours I finally managed to get Havoc Pie running (GSI ARM64 AB, downloaded here).
My first problem was the fact that you need to be on stock Oreo before starting, this took me a while to figure out.
I used the most recent 'back to stock' Oreo from this page.
After installing this, I booted up, and went straight for enabling USB-debugging in Developer options.
Then do ADB REBOOT BOOTLOADER to enter fastboot mode.
There I erased system on both A and B partitions by using FASTBOOT ERASE SYSTEM command, then FASTBOOT SET_ACTIVE OTHER to switch to the other partition, and then once more FASTBOOT ERASE SYSTEM to also erase the system on this partition.
After that I ran FASTBOOT FLASH SYSTEM Havoc-OS-v2.0-20181027-GSI-ARM64-AB-Official.img, on the one partition, then FASTBOOT SET_ACTIVE OTHER and after that FASTBOOT FLASH SYSTEM Havoc-OS-v2.0-20181027-GSI-ARM64-AB-Official.img to flash it on the other partition.
After that I installed TWRP by running FASTBOOT FLASH BOOT twrp-3.2.3-0-mata.img (downloadable here).
After that, I rebooted into TWRP recovery by running ADB REBOOT RECOVERY.
There, I put twrp-installer-mata-3.2.3-0.zip (downloadable at the previously mentioned TWRP website) on internal memory and flashed it.
This automatically flashes both A and B partitions (switching between A and B at the reboot screen).
After doing that, I wiped /DATA on both A and B.
Then I put the Havoc-OS-v2.0-20181027-GSI-ARM64-AB-Official.img on internal memory and flashed it on /SYSTEM for both A and B.
Then it is time for GAPPS.
As I prefer Stock GAPPS with my own GAPPS-CONFIG.TXT, I ran into the Error 70: because of the large size of Havoc, there is not enough room for large GAPPS.
So because of that I needed to do the Resize /SYSTEM partition for both A and B (in the Advanced wipe menu section).
After that I was able to flash my Stock GAPPS on both A and B.
Now I need some rest to regain my sanity before I tackle rooting the ROM.
I probably did too much double stuff, but it is not easy to know when only A or B needs to be done.
Comments and tips are welcome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, here's all i did :
Flashing ProjectTreble GSIs on the Essential using TWRP
1) either boot or fastboot into TWRP
2) Wipe Cache, System, and Data (1 GSI required internal to be wiped, i forget which)
3) From Main Menu, select Install and Flash UN-ZIPPED A/B system.img
4) Reboot Recovery (It's going to say there's no OS, act like you didnt see it.)
5) Reboot System and Enjoy!
6) Most of the later GSIs from October to Present I have flashed and am happy to say
they all contain pre-installed Magisk and ALL but 1 contains Gapps.

AndroidDevices said:
Wow, here's all i did :
Flashing ProjectTreble GSIs on the Essential using TWRP
1) either boot or fastboot into TWRP
2) Wipe Cache, System, and Data (1 GSI required internal to be wiped, i forget which)
3) From Main Menu, select Install and Flash UN-ZIPPED A/B system.img
4) Reboot Recovery (It's going to say there's no OS, act like you didnt see it.)
5) Reboot System and Enjoy!
6) Most of the later GSIs from October to Present I have flashed and am happy to say
they all contain pre-installed Magisk and ALL but 1 contains Gapps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
Next time i will try your method.
For some reason, if i did anything different, the phone would just keep rebooting into recovery.
And of course, the ROM that i chose (Havoc) did not have Magisk pre-installed.
I am now back to stock and liking it, which says a lot about the PH-1 software!

Waancho said:
Thanks!
Next time i will try your method.
For some reason, if i did anything different, the phone would just keep rebooting into recovery.
And of course, the ROM that i chose (Havoc) did not have Magisk pre-installed.
I am now back to stock and liking it, which says a lot about the PH-1 software!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does have Magisk installed, it should if its one of the newer builds and all you need to do is install Magisk Manager which in turn activates Magisk

Installing Magisk manager was one of the first things I did, but unfortunately, the latest version A/B Havoc at the aforementioned link did not have Magisk.

There's about 6 or 7 and probably a bunch of YouTube's
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA Labs

[GUIDE] Flashing and updating custom ROMs

Flashing for Dummies
In this guide we'll go over how to flash custom ROMs with root and TWRP in addition to updating
this guide will always be updated
Read the ENTIRE guide before you start
Code:
Your warranty is now void.
We are not responsible for bricked devices, bootloop... Please
do some research if you have any concerns about mods
included in these GUIDES before using them! YOU are choosing to
make these modifications.
things to keep in mind:
1- when you flash a ROM through TWRP, it will flash to your inactive slot, that's why you need to switch slot after flashing it and then flash everything else, think of it like an OTA update except you need to switch active slot yourself
2- when you change your active slot in TWRP, it will only change after you reboot, your active slot will always be the one you're currently booted on
3- the order of flashing anything that modifies boot is
1) TWRP
2) custom kernel
3) noverity
4)Magisk
if you're not sure, flash stock boot of your rom and do it again, flashing TWRP will break Magisk, flashing a custom kernel will break magisk, flashing TWRP after flashing a custom kernel will most likely get you a bootloop
Before you begin
you need to unlock your bootloader first https://forum.xda-developers.com/mi-a2/how-to/unlock-bootloader-n-root-magisk-easy-t3856800
It is no longer required to be on stock Oreo before flashing, but I currently still recommend you do so as there might be some minor bugs on some custom roms, but otherwise everything will work just fine.
get latest platform-tools if you haven't already, using an older one WILL result in errors
platform-tools
extract it and open the folder
hold shift then right click on an empty space then click "open command window here"
if you're on windows 10, doing that will open power shell instead, inside power shell, type "cmd" and press enter, use cmd for everything below
if you're coming from stock, you need to do this first
type the following command (data and files will be wiped)
Code:
fastboot -w
fastboot set_active b
Notes:
Pixel Experience includes Gapps, do not flash them after the rom
many roms include TWRP, such as Havoc, AICP and many others, check ROM thread first, if it includes it then don't flash TWRP.
Flashing custom ROMs and other stuff
download latest TWRP img and zip from https://twrp.me/xiaomi/xiaomimia2.html and place it in the same folder you extracted platform-tools to
NOTE: if you are on stock then use TWRP 3.2.3 img, not 3.3
note: if you're having issues with official TWRP, I've built an unofficial one with F2FS support which you can try here
be careful if you switch to F2FS, it will only work with a recovery that supports it and a ROM that supports it, no stock.
rename the img to twrp.img
in cmd, type
Code:
fastboot boot twrp.img
if you get a bootloop, force shutdown (power + volume down) and try again
using MTP copy the files needed to flash to your phone
if MTP doesn't work, you have the following options
1) wipe data from TWRP, try again
2) advanced > file manager, go to /data/media , if there is nothing in there, create a new folder called 0 there by going to Advanced > Terminal and typing the following commands
Code:
cd /data/media
mkdir 0
then reboot to bootloader and try again
3) try using PBRP for MTP, then go back to TWRP PBRP
4) use adb sideload:
in TWRP, go to Advanced > adb sideload, then on PC
Code:
adb sideload file.zip
do that for each thing you want to flash
(you can type adb sideload then drag and drop the file you want to flash onto cmd, make sure there's a space between sideload and the file you want to flash)
5) use adb push. follow methode 2 to create the folder, then in cmd, type this command
Code:
adb push file.zip /data/media/0/
do that for each file you need
after you got the files on your phone, it's time to flash
remember that when flashing a ROM, it will flash to your inactive slot, in this guide I'll assume your active slot is B, use "fastboot set_active b" in fastboot if you'd like to follow along
First go to wipe > advanced and select System and Data then wipe, then you can start flashing
1- flash the ROM zip
2- flash TWRP zip, so you can boot to TWRP without the need of a PC (ONLY if the ROM doesn't include it already)
3- switch your active slot (to A if you are on B and to B if you were on A)
4- reboot recovery
5- flash Gapps if required by the ROM you're flashing, Opengapps nano is recommended, you can get it here http://Opengapps.org
6- (optional) flash a custom kernel if desired/needed
7- (optional) flash DM-VERITY & FORCEENCRYPT DISABLER zip , this will disable DM verity and encryption in vendor, this is not required by most custom ROMs as they will disable encryption anyway, it is most useful on stock, and in the possibility that the ROM you're flashing does not disable encryption
8- flash Magisk
9- reboot to system
IMPORTANT, if you get an error while flashing ROM zip, do the following
use latest official TWRP, if you're already using it, then the ROM you're flashing is one of the older ROMs
previously, ROMs and TWRP used Jasmine as a codename for our device, while the real codename is Jasmine_sprout, this caused some issues, newer ROMs and TWRP now use the correct codename, but that means new TWRP can not flash older ROMs, and so you will need some simple modifications to the ROM zip:
1- open the ZIP using WinRAR on PC or X-plore on phone
2- go to META-INF/com/android/metadata and open it as text
3- on the last line, edit 'pre-device=jasmine' to 'pre-device=jasmine_sprout'
4- save it and try flashing again
Switching between custom ROMs
follow the same flashing instructions, you can boot directly to TWRP by holding power + volume up, wipe data and system first then flash ROM and the rest.
Updating Custom ROMs
For OFFICIAL ROMs which support A/B OTA it's very easy
1- once you get a notification that an update is available, download and install with the system updater but don't reboot (If the ROM includes TWRP then don't do any of the following steps, just reboot)
2- go to Magisk, Downloads, search for "TWRP A/B Retention Script" and install it
3- on the main Magisk page, click install > install > Install to Inactive Slot (After OTA)
4- once Magisk finishes, reboot, you will now be on the opposite slot with both Magisk and TWRP installed.
for Unofficial ROMs with no OTA or Official ROMs that don't support A/B OTA, you'll need to use TWRP, do not wipe anything:
1- boot to TWRP
2- flash the ROM zip
3- flash TWRP zip (ONLY IF the ROM doesn't include TWRP)
4- switch your active slot (to A if you are on B and to B if you were on A)
5- reboot recovery
6- flash Gapps if required by the ROM you're flashing, Opengapps nano is recommended, you can get it here http://Opengapps.org
7- (optional) flash a custom kernel if desired/needed
8- (optional) flash DM-VERITY & FORCEENCRYPT DISABLER zip , this will disable DM verity and encryption in vendor, this is not required by most custom ROMs as they will disable encryption anyway, it is most useful on stock, and in the possibility that the ROM you're flashing does not disable encryption
9- flash Magisk
10- reboot to system

Very good and very well detailed guide. This guide will be useful to those who are not so familiar with Flashing ROMs especially in our device with partitions.
Thank you for making this, as many users were asking this thing. Keep it up!

does rebooting to twrp gets stuck on twrp logo after flashing twrp zip?
its been an issue on stock or maybe i have been doing to wrong...

after wipe commands and setting active slot b,
i reboot into fastboot boot twrp.img and flash the rom and Im getting mount failed /system
is that normal?
Edit: NVM, it is normal. I successfully flashed Carbon ROM in my device. Thanks for this awesome guide.

This is great thank you. Going to try it once I get bored of stock rom.

@AxL said:
after wipe commands and setting active slot b,
i reboot into fastboot boot twrp.img and flash the rom and Im getting mount failed /system
is that normal?
Edit: NVM, it is normal. I successfully flashed Carbon ROM in my device. Thanks for this awesome guide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it's normal because you wiped system

levai_spencer said:
does rebooting to twrp gets stuck on twrp logo after flashing twrp zip?
its been an issue on stock or maybe i have been doing to wrong...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
twrp.zip has a bootloop for TWRP when it is flash

Candy_Pineapple said:
twrp.zip has a bootloop for TWRP when it is flash
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, if you follow the instructions it works

coming from stock to pE I followed exacty the steps.
then flash CR. Here what Ive done
i-wipe cache,data,system for both partition using twrp
ii- set partition to B in twrp and flash zip
iii- set partition to A in twrp and reboot into bootloop
iv- set partition to B in twrp and reboot successfully
so what partition is my CR now?
which partition should i install gapps,kernel and magisk?
Thanks.

notJimz said:
coming from stock to pE I followed exacty the steps.
then flash CR. Here what Ive done
i-wipe cache,data,system for both partition using twrp
ii- set partition to B in twrp and flash zip
iii- set partition to A in twrp and reboot into bootloop
iv- set partition to B in twrp and reboot successfully
so what partition is my CR now?
which partition should i install gapps,kernel and magisk?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's in B, because you didn't reboot after switching slot initially in twrp, stay in B and boot recovery then flash Gapps and the rest

Nebrassy said:
It's in B, because you didn't reboot after switching slot initially in twrp, stay in B and boot recovery then flash Gapps and the rest
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right. I miss the first bl reboot.
I follow the step back and reboot after switch partition.
Only now i got the concept for A/B flashing. And my os in A now.
Thanks for the guide. Really helpful.

notJimz said:
You are right. I miss the first bl reboot.
I follow the step back and reboot after switch partition.
Only now i got the concept for A/B flashing. And my os in A now.
Thanks for the guide. Really helpful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No prob, keep connected and click the tx button
Matteo (AIO Project Founder)

Hello,
after make adb push file.zip /data/media/0
I receive the next message
adb: error: failed to get feature set: no devices/emulators found
Please advice.
Thanks

Roviva said:
Hello,
after make adb push file.zip /data/media/0
I receive the next message
adb: error: failed to get feature set: no devices/emulators found
Please advice.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the output of adb devices?

Nebrassy said:
What's the output of adb devices?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I entered in fastboot mode,:
C:\Users\DELL\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\platform-tools>.\adb devices
List of devices attached
C:\Users\DELL\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\platform-tools>
If I enter the command "adb devices" in normal mode (no fastboot) appear:
C:\Users\DELL\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\platform-tools>adb devices
List of devices attached
a341410 device

Roviva said:
I entered in fastboot mode,:
C:\Users\DELL\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\platform-tools>.\adb devices
List of devices attached
C:\Users\DELL\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\platform-tools>
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Adb devices
While in twrp, adb won't work while in fastboot, follow the guide carefully

Nebrassy said:
Adb devices
While in twrp, adb won't work while in fastboot, follow the guide carefully
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
In your guide I dont understand the next part:
using MTP copy the files needed to flash to your phone
if MTP doesn't work, you have the following options
1) wipe data from TWRP, try again
If I made the step 1 above: I enter in the TWRP, select wipe, then, select wipe, advance wipe, select data and then swipe to wipe. After this reboot system, the telephone start but in normal mode, like restored.
2) advanced > file manager, go to /data/media , if there is nothing in there, create a new folder called 0 there by going to Advanced > Terminal and typing the following commands
I follow the step 2, in data/media appear a folder TWRP then i dont created a folder called 0
Then I go to advanced >> adb sideload and in the pc i wrote "adb sideload twrp.zip.
You write file.zip, I dont understand what is this file?
I dont understand what do you mean in the step 3: "try using PBRP for MTP, then go back to TWRP PBRP"
Code:
cd /data/media
mkdir 0
then reboot to bootloader and try again
3) try using PBRP for MTP, then go back to TWRP PBRP
4) use adb sideload:
in TWRP, go to Advanced > adb sideload, then on PC
Code:
adb sideload file.zip
do that for each thing you want to flash
(you can type adb sideload then drag and drop the file you want to flash onto cmd, make sure there's a space between sideload and the file you want to flash)
5) use adb push. follow methode 2 to create the folder, then in cmd, type this command
Code:
adb push file.zip /data/media/0/
do that for each file you need

Roviva said:
Hello,
In your guide I dont understand the next part:
using MTP copy the files needed to flash to your phone
if MTP doesn't work, you have the following options
1) wipe data from TWRP, try again
2) advanced > file manager, go to /data/media , if there is nothing in there, create a new folder called 0 there by going to Advanced > Terminal and typing the following commands
I follow the step 2, in data/media appear a folder TWRP then i dont created a folder called 0
Then I go to advanced >> adb sideload and in the pc i wrote "adb sideload twrp.zip.
You write file.zip, I dont understand what is this file?
I dont understand what do you mean in the step 3: "try using PBRP for MTP, then go back to TWRP PBRP"
Code:
cd /data/media
mkdir 0
then reboot to bootloader and try again
3) try using PBRP for MTP, then go back to TWRP PBRP
4) use adb sideload:
in TWRP, go to Advanced > adb sideload, then on PC
Code:
adb sideload file.zip
do that for each thing you want to flash
(you can type adb sideload then drag and drop the file you want to flash onto cmd, make sure there's a space between sideload and the file you want to flash)
5) use adb push. follow methode 2 to create the folder, then in cmd, type this command
Code:
adb push file.zip /data/media/0/
do that for each file you need
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
File.zip, as in the file you want to copy, you change that to the name of the file you want to copy
PBRP is another recovery, you can try booting it if twrp doesn't work to copy

Nebrassy said:
File.zip, as in the file you want to copy, you change that to the name of the file you want to copy
PBRP is another recovery, you can try booting it if twrp doesn't work to copy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hello,
I dont know how to follow:
flash the ROM zip
2- flash TWRP zip, so you can boot to TWRP without the need of a PC
3- switch your active slot (to A if you are on B and to B if you were on A)
4- reboot recovery
I wiped data and storage then I press back.
I flashed the PBRP that I pushed to data/media/TWRP
After flash I returned to the menu of PBRP
I switched to A
When I reboot, a warning message that "NO OS SYSTEM IS INSTALLED" appear.
I reboot to recovery but after this, the telephone does not restart. the screen "androidone" appear and dont advance...
How can I install the PBRP and magisk?
I succesfull push the files to the telephone but when flash the PBRP I cannot follow......

Roviva said:
hello,
I dont know how to follow:
flash the ROM zip
2- flash TWRP zip, so you can boot to TWRP without the need of a PC
3- switch your active slot (to A if you are on B and to B if you were on A)
4- reboot recovery
I wiped data and storage then I press back.
I flashed the PBRP that I pushed to data/media/TWRP
After flash I returned to the menu of PBRP
I switched to A
When I reboot, a warning message that "NO OS SYSTEM IS INSTALLED" appear.
I reboot to recovery but after this, the telephone does not restart. the screen "androidone" appear and dont advance...
How can I install the PBRP and magisk?
I succesfull push the files to the telephone but when flash the PBRP I cannot follow......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You didn't flash a rom, obviously it won't boot

Need someone smarter than me.

Hello, i am in dire need of help. I bought the new g7, flashed TWRP to recovery, installed Magisk Manager, and was happy for a bit. Long story short, a security update for my phone was released, pop ups saying "Update Failed" were getting annoying, so I naively decided it was a good idea to uninstall magisk, install the update, and reinstall magisk. Easy right? NOPE. I think Magisk messed up my partitions somehow. My phone is soft bricked, bootloops, endlessly. I can get into bootloader settings, (power + volume down), but nothing works. I can't boot into factory mode, i can't boot into TWRP. The phone shows up in fastboot, but I can't flash TWRP to recovery, it says "recovery partition not found". I am very lost, and my pictures of my Europe vacation are stuck on there. Are there any options for restoring my phone, or at least salvaging my files? Thanks in advance..

Hi There.
Maybe you can try this in order to boot into TWRP:
Code:
fastboot boot twrp-xxx.img

FoxShadow said:
Hi There.
Maybe you can try this in order to boot into TWRP:
Code:
fastboot boot twrp-xxx.img
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your time. I pushed TWRP to my phone, it booted fine, but I can't find my backups. My sdcard directory is filled with random folders with gibberish names, I don't know if it's encrypted or what. I had a TWRP backup in my internal storage, but as i said i can't find it. I thought maybe if i reinstalled Magisk, the bootloop would stop and i wouldn't lose information. I downloaded the .zip file to my PC, but ADB won't push to internal storage.
Terminal input (while phone is in TWRP): >adb push C:\Users\[me]\Downloads\Magisk-v19.3.zip
Output: --adb: usage: push requires an argument.
Any ideas on how to get my system back without losing my files?

gunnergilson said:
Thank you for your time. I pushed TWRP to my phone, it booted fine, but I can't find my backups. My sdcard directory is filled with random folders with gibberish names, I don't know if it's encrypted or what. I had a TWRP backup in my internal storage, but as i said i can't find it. I thought maybe if i reinstalled Magisk, the bootloop would stop and i wouldn't lose information. I downloaded the .zip file to my PC, but ADB won't push to internal storage.
Terminal input (while phone is in TWRP): >adb push C:\Users\[me]\Downloads\Magisk-v19.3.zip
Output: --adb: usage: push requires an argument.
Any ideas on how to get my system back without losing my files?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont worry. We can fix this.
No. The adb command is wrong.
Code:
adb push C:\Users\[me]\Downloads\Magisk-v19.3.zip /data/
/data is the folder in the phone where you would like to copy the Magisk file
I will make it easy for you.
Step 1. Download MagiskUninstaller from
https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/releases/download/v19.3/Magisk-uninstaller-20190604.zip and save it in PC and Open a terminal/cmd in the download folder
Step 2. Boot into TWRP using
Code:
fastboot boot twrp-xxx.img
Step 3. Go to Advanced
Step 4. Press AdbSideload
Step 5. in the terminal/cmd opened in the step 1 enter
Code:
adb sideload MagiskUninstallerxxx.zip
Step 6. It will began to flash the uninstaller and Hopefully your phone will be saved.:good:

Thank you for the input, however this didn't work.
I tried sideloading the uninstaller. Here's the log:
-current boot slot: _b
-Mounting system
-Mounting vendor
-Device is system-as-root
-Device platform: arm64
!Cannot access /data, please uninstall with magisk manager
-Unmounting partitions
Updater process ended with ERROR: 1
Any other ideas? I can put files on my micro sd card, and TWRP can see that. I did that to flash the uninstaller the second time, when sideload didn't work. No luck still. I also tried installing Magisk.zip again, but still there is a bootloop. I had a full system backup made by TWRP, in my internal storage. If I could flash that, maybe it would fix the problem, but I can't seem to even find internal storage. Thanks for all the help, and I hope we can figure this out.

gunnergilson said:
Thank you for the input, however this didn't work.
I tried sideloading the uninstaller. Here's the log:
-current boot slot: _b
-Mounting system
-Mounting vendor
-Device is system-as-root
-Device platform: arm64
!Cannot access /data, please uninstall with magisk manager
-Unmounting partitions
Updater process ended with ERROR: 1
Any other ideas? I can put files on my micro sd card, and TWRP can see that. I did that to flash the uninstaller the second time, when sideload didn't work. No luck still. I also tried installing Magisk.zip again, but still there is a bootloop. I had a full system backup made by TWRP, in my internal storage. If I could flash that, maybe it would fix the problem, but I can't seem to even find internal storage. Thanks for all the help, and I hope we can figure this out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You cannot find your data or you can only find gibberish filenames is because you are booting from the TWRP image. try to flash TWRP and then reboot to recovery. Then you could see the files that weren't accessible earlier.
Reference Link : https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g7/how-to/moto-g7-twrp-root-t3914112

How to Flash Custom Roms on your G7 River

I've seen alot of guys here who are encountering problems while flashing custom roms.Make sure you have backed up all your data before starting the procedure.
This method is also valid for those who are coming straight from the Stock rom.
Prerequisites :
•Unlocked Bootloader
•ADB and Fastboot Files
•Desired Custom Rom
•Copypartitions file
•TWRP image
•TWRP installer - Download and move it to Internal Storage
•A USB C-Type Cable and some Brain.
•Magisk [Optional]
•Fresh Gapps ARM64 (I'd recommend Mini)
Installation :
#1. Back up all your data or simply move everything to your PC.
#2.Boot your phone into Bootloader Mode [Power button + Volume Down] or Enable Debugging mode,And run this Command ''adb devices''- To ensure that the device is connected,then ''adb reboot bootloader''.
#3.Move the ''twrp.img'' file to the ''adb" folder of your PC.
#4.You'll see 3-4 files along with twrp.img file you just copied there[adb folder], Simply Click Shift+Right Click anywhere in that blank space,then click on Open Powershell Window here or Open Command Prompt Window.
#5.Attach your phone to the PC,you'll hear a sound,yet run this Command "fastboot devices" to ensure that the device is connected properly [Device ID will appear]
#6.Now you're supposed to temporarily boot TWRP in order to permanently flash the Custom Recovery.So to do this ,Run this Command while the device is connected to the PC in fastboot mode > "fastboot boot twrp.img '' [After Typing fastboot boot, simply drag twrp.img file into the PowerShell or Command prompt window to Complete the Command ''fastboot boot twrp.img'',it may look like ''fastboot boot C://adb/twrp.img''.
#7.After Booting Temporarily into TWRP,Swipe for Modifications,Locate and install TWRPinstaller.zip,this will permanently install TWRP as your Recovery.
#8.After installing TWRP,Return to the home screen of TWRP and Reboot into Recovery from there.[Permanently Flashing incase you don't need hassles with computer flashing]
#9.After booting again into TWRP,Click on Wipe>Format User Data>Type Yes>Go to Home screen Reboot into Recovery.
#10.After booting again into TWRP,Click on Wipe>Advanced Wipe> [Tick on Dalvik/Art Cache,Cache, System,Data] > Wipe it off.
#11.Go back to the Home Screen of the TWRP,Reboot into Recovery.
#12.Now Push copypartitions.zip file to your phone from your PC,then flash it via TWRP,then again,Reboot your phone to Recovery.
#13.Now Push the Desired Custom rom you would want to install on your G7 river from the PC> Install it> After the Installation Finishes,Reboot your phone to the Bootloader mode from TWRP [As the the Recovery will be replaced by the Custom Rom's Recovery,hence, TWRP will be removed].
#14.Once in the Fastboot Mode,run the command in PowerShell or CMD, "fastboot boot twrp.img"
#15.After booting again into TWRP,Push Gapps File into your phone and install it Accordingly,After the installation Finishes,Wipe Dalvik Cache,Come back to the Home screen of TWRP,Reboot > Power Off in TWRP,then manually Power it On,After powering it On,the rom may prompt you for a factory reset,that's it. You've successfully installed Custom Rom along with the Google Apps without Messing with the partitions.
#16.Now, Finally Boot your phone into Bootloader mode, run the command "fastboot boot twrp.img" and install TWRPinstaller.zip,this will again permanently install TWRP as your recovery.
#17.You may root your phone by installing Magisk or Flash any other zip without the need of temporarily booting TWRP,as you've flashed it permanently. Simply Reboot to Bootloader then Boot into Recovery.
Errors and Fixes:
#1.If you encounter any problem while flashing zips from the internal storage, simply move all the zips to the MicroSD or USB OTG and flash it from there.
#2.If your TWRP isn't reading the internal storage properly or isn't responding well,simply reboot your phone again to the Bootloader mode,again boot twrp.img and try again,this should do the thing.
#1.copy-partitions-AB.zip
#2.twrp-3.3.1-0-river.img
#3.twrp-installer-3.3.1-2-river.zip
Find these files on the internet or XDA forums as I can't Post links yet,Happy to help!

Simplify and Clarify
Thanks @deathcruizer for the your procedure. It rescued me in a jam. The critical items for me that you noted were that the Custom ROM replaced TWRP with its own Recovery and that a Factory Reset was required.
I wanted to simplify and clarify your key points for those already setup with fastboot and familiar with TWRP. Generic filenames mentioned should be replaced by the actual full name; eg, twrp-3.3.1-2-river.img.
1. Backup partitions in TWRP just in case for a restore. And Data will be needed later.
2. Move all zip files needed (ROM, Gapps, copy-partitions, twrp-installer, Magisk, etc.) to internal storage or USB OTG. Move twrp.img on PC to a convenient location for fastboot.
3. Enter fastboot boot twrp.img to temporarily use TWRP.
4. Flash copy-partitions.zip, reboot, and flash custom ROM.zip.
5. In TWRP, choose Reboot to the Bootloader mode, not Recovery. TWRP has been removed and replaced by the custom ROM's Recovery.
6. Enter fastboot boot twrp.img to temporarily use TWRP again. Install Gapps.zip, wipe caches, and then Power Off.
7. Manually Power On to the Custom ROM. Accept its Factory Data Reset option.
8. Boot into Bootloader Mode, enter fastboot boot twrp.img again, and use this temporary TWRP to install TWRP permanently using twrp-installer.zip.
9. Reboot and begin a minimum setup of the Custom ROM.
10. Reboot to TWRP and restore the Data partition.
11. G7 River is back with its apps, desktop layout, settings, icons, etc., on the new Custom ROM.

Hey guys, your tutorial is great and very informative. I do however have a recurring problem with installing any custom rom. No matter which one I choose, I have no LTE and occasionally the phone randomly reboot if I unplug my phone. Has anyone encountered this? I've followed all applicable steps for properly installing a custom rom, and am pretty use to it as I've always flashed roms on as many phones as I could. Any help or guidance would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

What model phone, to be clear?

Moto g7, xt19621. I tried to flash lineage again today to no avail. Twrp then copy. Zip. Reboot. Lineage. Wipe dalvic. Reboot. Previously tried wiping system and starting from scratch. Copy. Zip and start from scratch. Clean flash. Dirty flash. I've been able to get it to work properly maybe 2 or three times since having the phone and trying different roms. Basically always having to revert back to stock after a multitude of attempts. I've never had this much trouble flashing with a phone.
---------- Post added at 12:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:27 AM ----------
Do I need to flash stock to the 9eiginal firmware or something? I tried the stock room from August 2019, and kind 9f same issues. Device kinda bugged out.

If you're going to do a full article, always be sure to check and double check your process before sharing. The A/B slots on this device CAN cause mucho mucho errors if the user is unfamiliar or does not alternate correctly (TWRP can select boot slot, yes, but doesnt always work the right way), they can end up with a bricked device. I am excited to see a full guide be posted but for other people's sake, I recommend maybe clarifying the A/B details. I, personally, have yet to find a good A/B tutorial, and how they work during installs, online but if there is one and someone wants to share the link I'd sure appreciate it! Thanks and goodluck!
---------- Post added at 02:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:49 AM ----------
trentag1988 said:
Moto g7, xt19621. I tried to flash lineage again today to no avail. Twrp then copy. Zip. Reboot. Lineage. Wipe dalvic. Reboot. Previously tried wiping system and starting from scratch. Copy. Zip and start from scratch. Clean flash. Dirty flash. I've been able to get it to work properly maybe 2 or three times since having the phone and trying different roms. Basically always having to revert back to stock after a multitude of attempts. I've never had this much trouble flashing with a phone.
---------- Post added at 12:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:27 AM ----------
Do I need to flash stock to the 9eiginal firmware or something? I tried the stock room from August 2019, and kind 9f same issues. Device kinda bugged out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
back up phone if you have third party backup application
(not absolutely necessary BUT, I always remove my security and google account before going into fastboot)
reboot to fastboot or power off phone and boot to fastboot by holding down the volume down+power
"fastboot set_active b"
"fastboot boot (drag your twrp img file from it's location to the command window) so that it reads sort of like "fastboot boot c:\path-to-twrp.img"
1. now install copy-partitions.zip
2. "Format, Advanced", type "yes" then back to TWRP main screen
3. install ROM of your choice (if installing Lineage, skip step 4)
4. install twrp-installer.zip (make sure you're using the zip format, not img)
5. "adb reboot bootloader"
"fastboot set_active a" (because when you installed the ROM, the device installed it to the inactive slot, in this instance that slot would be "a"
ADV: you may get a message indicating you're already on slot a, which is fine. 9 out of 10 times the device changes slot automatically after you reboot
post-ROM-install
6. from TWRP home choose "Advanced, ADB Sideload", check the two boxes and"adb sideload c:\path-to-gapps" (you'll need ARM64 gapps for this device)
7. IF you want magisk, from TWRP home choose "Advanced, ADB Sideload", check the two boxes and "adb sideload c:\path-to-magisk.zip"
8. "adb reboot bootloader"
9. "fastboot -w"
10. For whatever reason, magisk never stays on my device but I just install the apk and install it from the app.
Hope this doesn't annoy anyone and proves helpful.

@clinton I am definitely going to try this particular method. Setting B as active first is the one thing I have not done. I would like to point out that I am about to do fastboot boot twrp.img , however when installing the provided zip, my phone makes a weird noise on every screen tap. Like odd feedback from the speaker. If I use just lineage recovery that installs from the rom, it doesn't do that. Another thing that happens now - every lineage install goes fine until first boot. As soon as I sign on to WiFi and it tries to activate the radio, device just shuts down. Has anyone had this happen to them?

I am still experiencing the same issues. flashed back to original firmware and had no LTE. didn't resolve when flashing a custom rom. Flashed to latest stock rom and everything went through properly (LTE, no random reboot after unplugging), attempted rigmarole for flashing custom rom, same issues. x over signal bar and reboot as soon as I unplug the device. I have basically given up at this point, going to have a go at it again when stock android 10 update happens Thank you, guys, for all the help and tutorials. Big hugs, take care