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Ok mods, I know this normally isn't the place, but I think this is very important as I'm seeing more and more semi bricks, some of which are not recoverable without HTC signing keys!
So I ask you mods, please don't lock this, if anything it really needs to be a sticky!
That being said, if you are s-off, do NOT flash the signed offical PC10IMG.zip. if you don't have the correct rom on there when you do, as per the unroot thread you will get stuck.
Let me give u an example of what I've been seeing and why its happening so everyone understands. Example: you perm root/s-off your phone. You decide to do some rom playing. You end up boot looping and can't fully boot into android. So u say hey, ill reload pc10 and start over, WRONG.
What happens is s-off does no checks, sigs, version number etc. So when you load it up it starts to flash. Hboot(s-on) is first, then recovery, then radio. Thing is it has to reboot to do radio, so it reboots, at this point your s-on so it does a version check. "Main is older" then it quits before ever touching the system.img or boot.img. at this point you are locked. You have s-on, stock recovery, and can't boot android. Long story short, your screwed.
Now depending on the rom/kernel u had/have installed you may have adb access. At this point you have a small chance of recovering, which is better then some. I just spent the last 5 hours working with someone on a fix and think we got it, but the bat has died and will have to pick back up tomo. If this works or not, I also have one more idea we can try. I will update OP with any fixes we find.
*If your system was bootable when you started this, it may still boot. but you will be s-on, stock recovery, and still on whatever rom you were running. at this point you will have to hex edit to downgrade, or wpthis.ko if there is one for your kernel to get back to s-off.
*ive seen some people saying. i did it, it worked for me, but don't add any supporting info. this is bad for people new to android cause it makes them feel they will be ok. the only way this can work is if you have a version installed as old or older then the official img, or if you take hboot out of the update which then makes it no longer the official update. but my question is why are you flashing this? if you want to fully unroot, then follow the unroot guide. if you just want to go back to stock w/root, grab one of the stock w/root roms.
Long story short, do your rom flashing from recovery. Stay out of hboot unless you are following proven instructions to a T, or being walked though be a "pro". I hope this helps save some people!
* if you just read all this going DAMN, i already did that, then go here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=842495
Sticky this. In big bolt capital letters. I've seen this happen once already, and just saved another phone from this headache.
More people need to know about the DON'T-FLASH-PC10IMG.ZIP
dyndragon said:
Sticky this. In big bolt capital letters. I've seen this happen once already, and just saved another phone from this headache.
More people need to know about the DON'T-FLASH-PC10IMG.ZIP
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When u say u saved a phone. Do u mean u stopped someone before they did it, or you mean u have a working fix. Pls post fix if u have one. I will post mine as soon as I confirm it.
Btw- I have seen 5 happen in the last 3 days. As I haven't gave up on any yet, some are worse off then others and only 2 have a possible fix in the am, well a fix I know of.
After I permarooted, I decide to flash a Z ROM. I did, and I didn't care for Sense, so I flashed PC10 and didn't have any issues. Mind you, I didn't flash the OTA at that point either. Phone booted up without an issue, I got the OTA almost immediately, and I permarooted again.
Basically, if you applied the OTA, don't flash PC10 to get stock again.
So does that mean the instructions for how to Un-Root are no good?
KronicAnarchy said:
So does that mean the instructions for how to Un-Root are no good?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I unrooted my phone, no problems.
No the instructions to unroot are correct because at the beginning you flash an alternate misc.img to change the main version number. I got stuck the other day because my phone wouldnt boot and i couldn't flash the ota because i had removed google goggles and some other system apps so i tried to downgrade using PC10IMG.zip and it cancelled during installation just as stated in the op and i was somehow able to flash the misc.img through fastboot and reflash with PC10IMG.zip
sethrd said:
After I permarooted, I decide to flash a Z ROM. I did, and I didn't care for Sense, so I flashed PC10 and didn't have any issues. Mind you, I didn't flash the OTA at that point either. Phone booted up without an issue, I got the OTA almost immediately, and I permarooted again.
Basically, if you applied the OTA, don't flash PC10 to get stock again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you did not flash the stock rom before you flashed the pc10, you got lucky. When it reboots half way though, it does a version check, and the rom version you happened to be running must have been an older base. If your phone is bootable and you flash the pc10 OUT OF ORDER it will lock you down that way, ie locked on sense. If anyone wants to go back to stock, just flash one of the stock w/root roms in recovery or via rom manager... trust me on this, there are more people screwing up there phone because of this then anything, just not posting about it. I've been up all hours of the night, helping differnt people the last few days.
KronicAnarchy said:
So does that mean the instructions for how to Un-Root are no good?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No the unroot guide is ok. If you notice, the first thing it has you flash is the stock w/root rom. Like I said if you follow proven instructions to a T, you will be ok. That is if you want to go back to non-root only though. If you just want stock with root, flash a stock with root rom via RECOVERY or ROM MANAGER.
Im not to sure how it all works and i just got up a little bit ago .
but since s-off doesnt check the sign couldnt we unpack and repack pc10img with the hboot with s-off?
fastludeh22 said:
Like I said if you follow proven instructions to a T, you will be ok.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well he's edited his post now, and people have followed his instuctions and bricked their phones.
So just to confirm before I brick mine: The instructions in their current form will not brick my phone, right?
I had s-off when running baconbits. I tried to revert back to stock but couldn't. I then flashed pauls prerooted phone rom and tried to install the stock rom back onto the phone. I seems to have removed the s-off and now displays s-on. I am permanently rooted, but fastboot still shows s-on. Was this caused because I tried to flash the pc10img.zip? Now how do i revert back to stock? I don't have a nandroid backup for the stock rom, just paul's which after a recovery still displays s-on. It doesn't loop, I just can't install anything else on there.
I flashed pc10 and it turned S-ON. But when I booted it up I still had root acess, so it was like a temp root but where I could not write to the system. I took the ko file from the perm root and hex edited it to match the kernal on my phone.. boom rooted again and I was able to flash recovery and do a nand restore
I tested it out again by hbooting pc10.. and I was able to obtain s-off by changing the kernal number in the ko file
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
So let me get this straight, in order to flash pc10 safely we MUST have an existing PreRooted STOCK ROM?
No all you have to do is run hexeditor to change build number then you can flash pc10img
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk
marc91988 said:
No all you have to do is run hexeditor to change build number then you can flash pc10img
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. If you actually follow the directions in the thread you will be fine. I've done it more than a few times and have not had any problems yet.
I have also updated the instruction on the unroot guide aswell.
I was running the original Sense rom that was loaded via hboot which kept me at s-off. I was able to revert back to stock using the PC10 zip from here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=831398 At the time I had no clockwork recovery. Was what I unsafe?
Thanks for the piece of mind. I don't want to unroot just yet, I'm running pretty much the stock rom w/ ota and bacon bits anyway, so........ Still it's nice to know that I can get back to stock should I NEED to.
Okay so I did this and I didn't brick my phone...and still have root/s-off
Did an ota update, after I found out there was perm root I perm root g2 s-off, then I went and downloaded clockwork/rom manager
Created a backup of the current g2, and did a wipe
Then hboot to sense ui (still have root). I went into clockwork create another backup. Played around with desire z rom.
After I decided to go back to stock 2.2 performed a restore with clockwork and now I am back to my original g2 stock.
So am I missing something here?
fryrice8850 said:
Okay so I did this and I didn't brick my phone...and still have root/s-off
Did an ota update, after I found out there was perm root I perm root g2 s-off, then I went and downloaded clockwork/rom manager
Created a backup of the current g2, and did a wipe
Then hboot to sense ui (still have root). I went into clockwork create another backup. Played around with desire z rom.
After I decided to go back to stock 2.2 performed a restore with clockwork and now I am back to my original g2 stock.
So am I missing something here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These people didnt nand back before messing around with stuff
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Not sure how he rooted his phone [method], but he flashed the PC10.img.
The phone boots but still has CM7 with root enabled, while bootloader still says that it is S-Off. Also, recovery is still Clockwork Mod. When trying to flash OTA via Recovery it says there's an error from build.prop. Bootloader doesn't let PC10.img flash again.
Again, sorry if its a dumb situation, but this isn't my phone, and flashing the PC10.img could be 'dangerous'.
What are you trying to accomplish? Are you trying to unroot or get to stock 2.2 rooted?
If you're tryin to unroot and go back to stock with S-ON, follow the wiki:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=HTC_Vision#Returning_to_Stock
Tried that, however even after changing the version # , bootloader says that main version is older. Probably because PC10.img has already been flashed, and it didn't change the system files.
Update: Well, I took the plunge on my own, and everything worked fine. Flashed firmware.zip, went to stock recovery and flashed OTA, and voila, all good.
So I've bought an HTC device for the first time. I did S-Off and unlocked bootloader and rooted as well. Now, there's an OTA available (I have the Asia_India variant), and I wanted to ask just how would I go about updating.
Here's what I've surmised till now:
1. Revert changes to system partition or it will fail to update (I moved some system APKs, but I saved them for such a scenario.)
2. Flash Firmware.zip to get stock recovery back.
3. Install OTA normally from the notification.
However, I'm still not sure what else I'd need to do (unroot, using the option in SuperSU?), so was wondering if someone could help me out. I've made backups in Philz and TWRP recovery both just to be sure.
P.S.: I extracted the firmware.zip file from the OTA, and tried to open it, but it doesn't open in apps like WinRAR. Is that normal, with the file only flashable via fastboot?
Personally, I'd say remove root just incase it stops the OTA but others will say it doesn't matter so long as the rest of the system is 100% stock as HTC intended it
For OTA updates after having a custom recovery, just flash your ROM stock recovery (search XDA all are available) then run OTA as you normally would and then flash your custom recovery again (if you like to get root again). However personally I would not do this with S-ON device, probably it's better if you're S-OFF while doing this to avoid any problem.
I am also interested in this. What would be the risk if I do this with S-ON? Assume I flash the wrong stock recovery or do some other mistake, won't I still be able to flash my custom recovery back from fastboot and get everything back up and running?
Thanks to whom will answer. :good:
Black Antitoon said:
I am also interested in this. What would be the risk if I do this with S-ON? Assume I flash the wrong stock recovery or do some other mistake, won't I still be able to flash my custom recovery back from fastboot and get everything back up and running?
Thanks to whom will answer. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So long as the phone still boots to fastboot, yes (although unlocking the boot loader will delete any backups so make sure you backup the backup to your PC before doing anything else!)
Thank you for your answer. As far as you know, being S-ON, is there really any kind of mistake one can do to brick the phone so that it doesn't even boot to fastboot?
Also, if my bootloader is already unlocked, no data wipe is going to happen again flashing a firmware/OTA in any predictable case, right?
Once again, thank you or anybody else who knows the answer.
By the way, are there any FAQs answering these questions? There are some FAQs here and there, but none seems to be very clear on these matters.
Black Antitoon said:
Thank you for your answer. As far as you know, being S-ON, is there really any kind of mistake one can do to brick the phone so that it doesn't even boot to fastboot?
Also, if my bootloader is already unlocked, no data wipe is going to happen again flashing a firmware/OTA in any predictable case, right?
Once again, thank you or anybody else who knows the answer.
By the way, are there any FAQs answering these questions? There are some FAQs here and there, but none seems to be very clear on these matters.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're S-ON there's not a lot you can do to brick the phone. You could wipe the ROM and have it not boot but you should always be able to get back to fastboot. This is where S-OFF is only handy to have if RUUs are about (it's the ONLY reason I am S-OFF, it's purely for a 'going back to stock' standpoint)
Yes, if the bootloader is already unlocked then you're good to go
My M8 is flashed with Viper 1.6. I however wish to use latest firmware from the official OTA update, to get the newest radio etc. I am however unable to flash this.
I flashed the stock recovery, however the update does not succeed via fastboot. Error 99 something.
Are you able to guide me how to do this update. Is it at all possible, when not running a stock rom?
I would like to avoid going back to stock, to be able to do this, unless necessary, but I do not know if this is possible.
My former phone was a Samsung Note, where I was able to flash about everything with the Odin Flash utility. Is it simply because I am S-ON This causes problems?
In the Viper thread this has been asked, but no clear answers are given, as it is not viper specific.
[/COLOR]
sblop said:
My M8 is flashed with Viper 1.6. I however wish to use latest firmware from the official OTA update, to get the newest radio etc. I am however unable to flash this.
I flashed the stock recovery, however the update does not succeed via fastboot. Error 99 something.
Are you able to guide me how to do this update. Is it at all possible, when not running a stock rom?
I would like to avoid going back to stock, to be able to do this, unless necessary, but I do not know if this is possible.
My former phone was a Samsung Note, where I was able to flash about everything with the Odin Flash utility. Is it simply because I am S-ON This causes problems?
In the Viper thread this has been asked, but no clear answers are given, as it is not viper specific.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all make it clear what you want to do.If you want to do OTA of viper from 1.6 to 1.7 you must have a custom recovery like twrp then go to settings->about->software updates.If you want to get official HTC's OTA then you have to be on Stock.you sshould follow this guide http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2735235
sblop said:
My M8 is flashed with Viper 1.6. I however wish to use latest firmware from the official OTA update, to get the newest radio etc. I am however unable to flash this.
I flashed the stock recovery, however the update does not succeed via fastboot. Error 99 something.
Are you able to guide me how to do this update. Is it at all possible, when not running a stock rom?
I would like to avoid going back to stock, to be able to do this, unless necessary, but I do not know if this is possible.
My former phone was a Samsung Note, where I was able to flash about everything with the Odin Flash utility. Is it simply because I am S-ON This causes problems?
In the Viper thread this has been asked, but no clear answers are given, as it is not viper specific.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to be S-OFF to flash firmware. You would need to go back to stock and apply the OTA, however, you can flash the radio while S-ON.
Thanks for your replies.
I of cause know I am unable to directly install the OTA.
I am interested in the radio and other relevant parts of the OTA.
Is the best solution to revert to a locked bootloader/Stock recovery, and simply update?
The radio itself I assume I can flash with fastboot. (fastboot flash radio radio.img)
The firmware however also contains the following files
Boot.img
Hboot
Radio
RCData
Recovery.
I am unaware what RC data is? Recovery is not relevant. Hboot, I assume an older version is better, in case a weakness is found in the old version, leaving boot and radio. Would you update boot? Do I gain anything at all? If yes, I assume I can use this command? (fastboot flash boot boot.img). Or am I restricted flashing the boot, as long as I am S-on?
bump
Hi All,
I have a UK HTC One M8, rooted, S-off, and with ViperOne installed, an old version - 1.8.0
I have flashed a new firmware in order to update ViperOne, and I have lost root access. I used root checker app to verify.
I used this method to flash the firmware:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2696282
I obtained the firmware from here: http://android-revolution-hd.blogspot.co.uk/p/android-revolution-hd-mirror-site-var.html
I had changed the cid to supercid, as I am S-off, and i checked that the modelid was correct in "android-info.txt"
The flash went fine, no errors, phone turned on first time, but root access is lost.
This thread I just found says that upgrading the firmware will always cause you to lose root. This is surprising as it wasn't mentioned in any of the guides I read to flashing firmware.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2417442
I was wondering if somebody knowledgeable could reassure me that everything is fine, and perhaps point me to the most appropriate method for getting root access back. I am a little out of my depth here, I learned how to do most of this stuff a year ago when i first rooted, but I haven't been back to update since then, and have forgotten a lot of what I learned before.
Would appreciate any assistance you can offer
Cheers
Will
Willr01 said:
This thread I just found says that upgrading the firmware will always cause you to lose root. This is surprising as it wasn't mentioned in any of the guides I read to flashing firmware.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2417442
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Different device manufacturers do things in very different ways, so I wouldn't take that thread to mean anything, one way or another, regarding losing root when updating firmware. I also think in that thread, they may be talking about firmware = ROM (as opposed to something very different on HTC devices). In which case, yes, installing a stock ROM will in fact usually remove root on most Android devices.
In any case, see if you still have TWRP installed. That depends on whether the firmware package was modified or not to remove the stock recovery. If TWRP was replaced by stock recovery, simply install TWRP again using your method of choice (personally I prefer installing by fastboot). Then download the SuperSU zip to your phone from here and flash in TWRP.
In reality, I think you may not even have to download SuperSU. If you boot into TWRP and select reboot, I believe TWRP will automatically sense your ROM is not rooted, and ask you if you want it to do so. But I'm not 100% on that, and the SuperSU method is a sure thing.
Thanks a lot for your input. I don't have a recovery installed, so I have tried to flash twrp.
I tried flashing it twice, after reading it can be necessary to do that, and erasing the cache before attempting to boot to recovery. When I try and enter recovery, I get stuck on the startup htc screen with "Entering Recovery..." in pink.
Snippets off other threads have suggested my hboot might not be compatible with the new version of twrp. Is it straightforward to update hboot?
Thanks in advance
Willr01 said:
Snippets off other threads have suggested my hboot might not be compatible with the new version of twrp. Is it straightforward to update hboot?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Updating your firmware updates the hboot. 3.19 is the current hboot, and you can check no the bootloader screen.
Make sure its a current version TWRP (2.8.7.0) and I think the opposite is also true (old versions of TWRP don't work with current hboot).
And to clarify, you want to fastboot erase cache, then flash TWRP; as this often clears up issues with TWRP not installing properly.
redpoint73 said:
Updating your firmware updates the hboot. 3.19 is the current hboot, and you can check no the bootloader screen.
Make sure its a current version TWRP (2.8.7.0) and I think the opposite is also true (old versions of TWRP don't work with current hboot).
And to clarify, you want to fastboot erase cache, then flash TWRP; as this often clears up issues with TWRP not installing properly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So my hboot is 3.16, and the twrp was the latest version. I guess i need to find a more up to date firmware file. Any suggestions as to the best sources for firmware?
Willr01 said:
So my hboot is 3.16, and the twrp was the latest version. I guess i need to find a more up to date firmware file. Any suggestions as to the best sources for firmware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exactly did you flash from the Android Revolution website (what you linked in the top post)?
That website has up-to-date firmware, but what you want is 4.xx version firmware, found under the "Firmware collection" link on that webpage.
Since your hboot number is 3.16, you either did not properly flash a firmware (flashed something else) or flashed a really old firmware (hboot 3.16 corresponds to firmware version 1.xx).