Related
I’ve compiled a quick guide to instruct how to make a copy of the /efs folder. I’ve found in many threads suggestions about backing up this folder but the methods itself are very general. Most of the times they suggest to “root and copy the folder” with Root Explorer or similar, but usually it’s not that easy or it just doesn't work for everyone (my case).
This guide ASUMES you have read this Excellent Guide by Darkstrikerfirst:
H E R E <-- Make sure to read the ADB Guide.
I recommend doing this with a Mobile just taken out of the box or with any Official ROM of its Service Provider. If you have already Flashed your phone with another ROM but its working fine, then you can use that /efs also.
Why the /efs folder?
This is a very sensitive system folder that contains Phone-specific information such as the IMEI (encrypted in the nv_data.bin), wireless devices MAC addresses, product code (also in the nv_data.bin), and much more. Often users trying to change product codes or trying to unlock the mobile will end up corrupting data in this location.
Why back it up?
Well, let’s resume it saying that backing-up this little folder will keep you away from Samsung service centers.
***WARNING: I take no responsibility to any damage caused by the methods cited and/or written here. Their sole purpose is to back-up data and not to alter in any way the integrity of the original files of the mobile***
Please don’t ask how to recover your IMEI if you have previously messed your SGS without backing up this folder. I’m not familiar with such methods plus it is UNRELATED to this thread.
What you will need:
Rooted SGS to get permissions as a SU (Super User) and perform the backup
I would suggest learning a little about the terminal commands used (in case you are not familiar with them), as it’s better to know what you are doing rather than typing strings like a little chimp without knowing what they are; if you are a little lazy, then you have a good chance bricking your mobile.<- Busybox Commands(or Google them)
Terminal Emulator by Jack Palevich (available from the market) <-Terminal Emulator or use ADB which is included in the SDK Development Tools
IMPORTANT: If getting "error: device not found" under ADB (happened to me under CM7 2.3.4), you need to update your ADB drivers. Go HERE and follow the instructions to download the USB Driver for Windows, Revision 4 (Nexus S Support). Then update the drivers under your Windows Device Manager.
--------------------------------------
Backup commands
--------------------------------------
Depending on the type of root, you might have to use “busybox” at the beginning of the sting or just the string:
The standard prompt of terminal (adb) is a $ sign. Once you enter “SU” it will become a # Sign.
***NOTE: Make sure to keep an eye on the screen of your SGS during this process, because it will request SU permissions; else, you will get an error (just if it’s the first time). In Terminal Emulator you will need to reset the app after granting permissions cause it usually freezes***
*Remember: to use ADB you need to enable USB DEBUGGING under Applications/Development in your SGS. Once you are finished with the files, you need to turn it off so you can get the files.
Code:
su
tar zcvf /sdcard/efs-backup.tar.gz /efs or
busybox tar zcvf /sdcard/efs-backup.tar.gz /efs
After this, you will end up with the file efs-backup.tar.gz in your INTERNAL SDCARD, which is a “tarball” or a ZIP of the /efs folder. That file is your backup. You can expand it with Winrar.
In another forum I also saw a recommendation to back up the st13 under /dev/block which can support greatly to recoveryour IMEI in case of a screw-up:
Code:
su
cat /dev/block/stl3 > /sdcard/efs_dev-block-stl3.img or
busybox cat /dev/block/stl3 > /sdcard/efs_dev-block-stl3.img
Same thing, the target is the INTERNAL SDCARD, so go ahead and copy the file.
----------------------------
nv_data.bin - Restore
----------------------------
In case you screwed your IMEI by playing with the nv_data.bin and you are experiencing issues like:
Fake IMEI (usually 004999010640000)
Unable to download apps from the market
Unable to unlock your SIM card using your PIN
Weird apps are downloading automatically from the market
Blinking SIM card icon on the top tray… ETC
You may want to upload your fresh copy of this file back to the phone. Use this commands:
(thanks to Methyldioxide method to recover the product code http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=780509 )
Copy the file from your backup (efs-backup.tar.gz) and paste it in the INTERNAL SDCARD:
Code:
cp /sdcard/nv_data.bin /efs/nv_data.bin
rm -rf /efs/nv_data.bin.md5 OR
busybox rm -rf /efs/nv_data.bin.md5
Reboot your SGS
The md5 hash/signature is removed (rm) as the system will generate a new one.
**Most likely your SIM code won’t work after this and you won’t be able to log into the phone**
Pop off your SIM card, boot your SGS and execute the following commands to change ownership of the file under ADB or Terminal as well:
Code:
su
busybox chown 1001:1001 /efs/nv_data.bin or
chown 1001:1001 /efs/nv_data.bin
Hope this can help anyone with doubts. Cheers!
An alternative to the backup part is to use Root Explorer and zip the whole /efs folder onto your external sd card. (or wherever you want)
How about a method to restore the IMEI if you never had a good back up to begin with ?
Candanga said:
Please don’t ask how to recover your IMEI if you have previously messed your SGS without backing up this folder. I’m not familiar with such methods plus it is UNRELATED to this thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EarlZ said:
How about a method to restore the IMEI if you never had a good back up to begin with ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you manage to miss that?
EarlZ said:
How about a method to restore the IMEI if you never had a good back up to begin with ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
had the feeling you would be here LMAO..
funny thing
the other day i messed up nv_data.bak trying to get my old product code back
the phone would not recognise the sim card
i deleted the whole /efs folder and the phone made a new one
i got my imei but no product code
sim card started working everything looked ok appart from sgs tools reporting nothing as phone !?!
i did restore /efs from a backup i had and then my product code came back
weird though
I was on jpo when all this happened
pele78 said:
had the feeling you would be here LMAO..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess you find it entertaining if people messed up their IMEI, well we all have our kinkiness.
EarlZ said:
I guess you find it entertaining if people messed up their IMEI, well we all have our kinkiness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@EarlZ - I myself was a victim of this, but I managed to make a duplicate of my nv_data.bin as per instructions of the guide that I was following to unlock my SGS.
The only "tip" that I can give you (geez.. Im going against my own disclaimer lol ) is to try to flash it back to JM1 or the earliest release of your mobile. I think I remember to get my IMEI back doing this, but then lost it flashing to a newer ROM. AGAIN, my "research" didn't go past this as I managed to get my IMEI back, reason why I got inspired to throw this little guide.
Hope this can get you started on your IMEI recovery journey.
Cheers mate.
The restore should also be done with tar - in this way you won't lose the permissions on the files.
ingineru said:
The restore should also be done with tar - in this way you won't lose the permissions on the files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just for future reference (in case I need it ) can you give us the full command line?
Thanks
Thanks for the HowTo.
I ended up deleting my nv_data files in order to restore the backup files to get back the orig product code. As far as I can tell, it worked perfectly.
Code:
busybox rm -rf /efs/nv_data.bin
busybox rm -rf /efs/nv_data.bin.md5
In case you really boink your EFS
I wanted to add a small piece to this thread that not really consolidated anywhere I can fine. I toasted my /EFS yesterday - to the point of no cellular unless I was at JF6. I couldn't use tar because I'd get "out of room" errors and "numerical value out of range". I mean I SERIOUSLY borked the /EFS. But then I've been flashing this phone from the day it was available from AT&T.
I used ODIN to restore my /EFS. I have a permanent generic IMEI.
There are several good threads on backup of the /EFS, but not on restoring. If you follow the OP post to backup, here's a good discussion on how to restore.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=882039
What wasn't clear in Da_G's thread is the you don't have to use DD to use ODIN to restore. There's no discussion on using the .img file to restore. That's scattered across a couple of threads and lots of reading. I'm not a linux guy, so I had to figure this out. . . .
Deep in rotohammer's following thread, there is a discussion about using a cat .img file to do create an ODIN .rfs file that allows you to restore from ODIN.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=850359
So here's what I did to restore my /EFS to functional. You MUST have a backup of your functional /EFS using either dd or cat and ADB installed.
On your PC do the following:
c:\Android\tools> adb shell
$ su (you're now on your phones Android command line; watch your home screen on the phone in case Superuser comes up asking for permission)
#
Now we're going to take the efs_folder_backup_stl3.img that you did with the cat file and make it usable by ODIN. Change directory locations to your cat .img location. Mine is on /sdcard/external_sd/.
#cd /sdcard/external_sd/
#busybox cat efs_folder_backup_stl3.img > /sdcard/efs.rfs (this is the key step!!)
# cd /sdcard
# tar -cf efs.tar efs.rfs
# exit
$ exit
Now your back at your PC. Do the following step to get the .tar file off your phone.
c:\Android\tools> adb pull /sdcard/efs.tar
Almost done. Move the efs.tar file to the same direction as ODIN and the follow the last directions in Da_G's thread. I'll post them below for just for clarity.
"Now, get into download mode, open odin, stick efs.tar in PDA slot, and press start. Bam! EFS fixed"
This worked for me, several times. Once you have the /EFS directory in ODIN flashable tar format - you really have to work hard to brick your phone.
Hope this helps!
If I flash back to stock using ODIN, would that also put things back to right ?
@bsc7080xsc
It should. You might have to do a factory reset if the device shows as locked, but otherwise it's worked for me many times.
Hi
backedup my efs folder through this thread in combination with roto.
cellgeek in your post you say : " busybox cat efs_folder_backup_stl3.img > /sdcard/efs.rfs (this is the key step!!)"
But i never made an .img file/folder.
both the dd and cat created an rfs file which i turned to tar.
am i missing a step?
thank you for your little extra guide.
that's a very useful Candanga
several times saved my ass
thanks !
Thank you VERY much OP, that worked for me
Sorry to revive if this is old;
Why won't rm -rf /efs/nv_data.bin.md5 work in terminal? It gives me an error along the lines of this is a read-only file etc?
geesamsungs said:
Sorry to revive if this is old;
Why won't rm -rf /efs/nv_data.bin.md5 work in terminal? It gives me an error along the lines of this is a read-only file etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try "busybox rm -rf /efs/nv_data.bin.md5"
Thanks that was very useful but I have a problem here.
When I copy my nv_data.bin file to efs directory I can only change the ownership but not the group!
I tried both of this:
su
busybox chown 1001:1001 /efs/nv_data.bin or
chown 1001:1001 /efs/nv_data.bin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and
su
busybox chown radio:radio /efs/nv_data.bin or
chown radio:radio /efs/nv_data.bin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi All,
The details of the issue are given below, but it's a long-ish post, so to summarise:
-Stuck on USB-Bricked Froyo RUU, hboot 0.93.
-Need root in order to flash misc fix for unbricking, but need unbricked device in order to either:
--root (unrevoked) or
--downgrade to use modaco root method (r6-desire-root-alt).
->I'm out of ideas/search terms and in dire need of a solution.
Full details below:
After spending all day yesterday and all morning today scouring the internet, researching, downloading, attempting solutions etc etc I am at my wit's end with this problem. I am no major n00b but I do not have the level of understanding that some people on this forum possess, hence why I am posting this.
The starting point was a rooted (unrevoked method) s-off Desire running MIUI. After doing a routine backup from ROM manager, the device failed to boot (got stuck at splash screen)
Upon trying to restore a backup I discovered to my horror that my recovery (Amon-RA) was unable to access the SD card, and ADB was also unable to see the device.
In my web-voyages since then I have incidentally discovered the method for re-enabling SD card access, but at the time I could not understand what was happening, and after several tests (different SD cards, formatting, data wipe, reflashing AlphaRev spl) came to the (catastrophically incorrect) conclusion that there must be something wrong with my hboot, and that the only hope was to apply an RUU by PB99IMG method.
Soo... applied a WWE Froyo RUU: "RUU_Bravo_Froyo_HTC_WWE_2.29.405.5_Radio_32.49.00.32U_5.11.05.27_release_159811_signed". The plan was then to re-root the phone and restore my backup, to return to its original state.
The RUU put my hboot to 0.93, and USB-bricked the phone.
Hence, Unrevoked3 is out of the question, as the computer does not acknowledge the phone whatsoever when booted into the ROM, which is the required starting point for unrevoked.
So obviously I went in search of anti-USB-Brick medicine, only to discover that the misc-fixing methods available require a rooted ROM (to flash the update.zip)
Further searching uncovered a suggestion of using the step1 part of r6-desire-root-alt Modaco rooting method, since it requires only fastboot to work, then applying the misc fix to un-USB-brick and hence proceed with unrevoked.
Sadly this did not work, presumably because of my 0.93 hboot situation (the method states compatibility only with 0.80 and below). After the processing of the test image stage, android system recovery gave the response "could not verify whole-file signature" to any update.zip flashing attempts.
So I went for another swim in the RUU sea to obtain "RUU_Bravo_HTC_WWE_1.21.405.2_Radio_32.36.00.28U_4.06.00.02_2_release_126984_signed" in the hope of jiggling hboot back to 0.80 and hence enabling r6-desire-root-alt etc. This failed because it is an earlier version, and hboot would not allow the update.
So I looked to the downgrade utility, accessible from the Desire Index in the Desire Android Development forum, but this again requires PC connectivity when booted into a ROM, and is hence unusable.
So I am truly, enormously stuck. I can't root without unbricking, and I can't unbrick without root.
I'm sure there must be a way round it, and it's possible that the veterans on this forum will see the solution immediately, but I am totally out of ideas and on the point of desperation, as I rely heavily on my phone for organisation, email and music functions, all of which are very important to me.
Any and all suggestions would be very much appreciated
Many thanks
Mike
RESOLVED
For anyone else who is suffering a similar problem, I eventually discovered a solution (in all likelihood the ONLY solution to an unrooted, 0.93 hboot, USB-bricked device) at this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-813476.html
I quote the post in this thread by quanchi on 6th November 2010, 10:30 PM:
I have added clarification points in bold where possible, to maximise the usefulness to others. This method is a life-saver for people in this most tricky of situations, and could potentially be useful for other scenarios, although perhaps less likely to be the only option.
"This is a specific situation - usb brick and totally stock rom, recovery and hboot. It's not required for people who have a modified recovery and a rooted rom. It's easy like 1-2-3.
Before doing anything else enable the Debug Mode in the Applications / Dev menu
1. Download the rageagainstthecage exploit from the authors site:
http://c-skills.blogspot.com/2010/08/please-hold-line.html
NOTE: The link is in the first paragraph (the word 'these'), directly linked to:
http://stealth.openwall.net/xSports/RageAgainstTheCage.tgz
at this moment in time
2. Download the flash_image and misc (mtd0.img) partition image from this thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=691639&highlight=usb+brick
Modify the mtd0.img according to your phones CID (how to get the CID also explained in the thread)
NOTE: I'd recommend using the CID generator provided, to better ensure the chances of success, particularly if inexperienced with hex editing (as I was)
2. Download Android Terminal Emulator from the Market
NOTE: This is the one by Jack Palevich. For the specific file paths given here to work, you must use this emulator. However, the method could be adapted to work with any emulator, as long as it creates a folder in internal memory that it has access to like 'shared_prefs' in this case
3. Copy the exploit binary (rageagainstthecage-arm5.bin), the flash_image and modifed mtd0.img to the sdcard via an external card reader
4. Start the Terminal
5. Copy the files to the Terminal app data directory (the only place on the data partition you will have write access while running the Terminal), and make the binaries executable
cat /sdcard/rageagainstthecage-arm5.bin > /data/data/jackpal.androidterm/shared_prefs/rageagainstthecage-arm5.bin
cat /sdcard/flash_image > /data/data/jackpal.androidterm/shared_prefs/flash_image
cat /sdcard/mtd0.img > /data/data/jackpal.androidterm/shared_prefs/mtd0.img
cd /data/data/jackpal.androidterm/shared_prefs/
chmod 755 rageagainstthecage-arm5.bin flash_image
IMPORTANT: The shared_prefs folder only exists after you change the preferences in the terminal emulator. So before commencing, change the text colour or something. Secondly, the '>' (right-facing angle bracket) characters are NOT just side effects of a copy-and-paste process, they are in fact NECESSARY for the cat function to operate as intended (I imagine experienced folks and linux users would already know this, but I didn't)
6. Run the exploit
/data/data/jackpal.androidterm/shared_prefs/rageagainstthecage-arm5.bin
After the exploit exits/finishes there should be a short system freeze, followed by inablity to issue any command from the terminal (don't worry). Exit the Terminal by long pressing HOME and force close the Terminal app from the Application Manager
NOTE: You can tell when it's finished because its final statement is 'forked #number# childs' (in my case it was 'forked 3303 childs')
7. Start the terminal again, a root prompt should be visible
NOTE: What this means is the $ character at the beginning of the line becomes a # character
8. Flash the misc partition
cd /data/data/jackpal.androidterm/shared_prefs
./flash_image misc mtd0.img
9. Reboot
Done and done
Enjoy"
Hi! Does your problem involve being stuck in an htc screen with 4 warning signs on each side and i connect to Computer and disconnect show a bootloader version and just one option - RUU?
This has been very interesting read.
im not good at hex editing and my cid is 02__001 which comes up as invalid with the generator.
im wondering what to do ? i want to keep a mtd0 file handy from before.
hi
i've a desire usb bricked with hboot 0.93 s-off
now i follow the instruction and i have the modified image and all the rest of the file but when i execute the exploit from the terminal emulator and i try to restart the emulator it doesn't restart (i've force close it after the forked 3302 number child message)
can you help me?
wooow i solved by myself
1. move the flash_image and mtd0.img to data
2. open the android terminal emulator
3. su logcat (root permission)
4. cd /data
5. ./flash_image misc mtd0.img
6. reboot
fireblade84 said:
wooow i solved by myself
1. move the flash_image and mtd0.img to data
2. open the android terminal emulator
3. su logcat (root permission)
4. cd /data
5. ./flash_image misc mtd0.img
6. reboot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
many lovely thanks for SU LOGCAT
brick?
cellular south samsung galaxy showcase. need help. debugging not working. external sd will not mount on reboot. cannot flash. cannot root. system path not found. how do i get a working kernel? had dj20 with a universal kernel 2.1, was going froyo but didnt get the build right (bad file) and crossed kernel platfrorms. how do i get back to 2.1? or stock?
my question
just terminal emulator and logcat should work?
There is now a MUCH easier way to root ALL Sony Ericsson 2011 phones including the Xperia Pro, making these instructions obsolete. Please see DooMLorD's thread here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1319653
Remember to say thanks to DooMLorD for his awesome work!
However, I'll sill keep the 2 sets of instructions here in case anyone needs them or wants to refer back to them. My ZIPs do have all the drivers needed with good instructions on how to install them after all
My original instructions based on alvaroag's work can be found below, and the instructions via my instructions the Xperia Pro CWM Recovery method can be found on post 50 of this thread.
It's important to note that DooMLorD's tool only works for Windows. You can still use our original method in this post if you're running Linux.
We finally have a method to root the Xperia Pro MK16a (and PROBABLY MK16i) thanks to XDA Member alvaroag!!
This is his method, with the instructions modified by myself for ease of use.
What you need before you begin:
1. A rock hard stomach, because should the very unlikely happen and this brick/damage your phone in some way, I’m not responsible
2. An Unlocked Bootloader
NOTE: Sony offers a totally free, official, and simple method to unlock your bootloader here: http://unlockbootloader.sonyericsson.com/
Should that not work for you, your phone is probably SIM locked from your carrier (FIDO for example does that). You'll need to get the bootloader unlocked remotely from someone who has SETool and the appropriate security USB dongle. THIS COSTS MONEY, as SETool requires that user to pay per use.
Please see this thread for further instructions as it's the method I used personally: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1232050
Alejandrissimo was awesome at helping me through it.
3. On the phone itself navigate to the following locations:
a. Settings - applications – Make sure Unknown Sources (first option) is checked
b. Settings – applications – development – Make sure USB Debugging is checked
4. Download this archive. It contains all the files and drivers you will need:
http://www.mediafire.com/?7cz7672da9cxkrd
Instructions:
1. Extract the archive you downloaded to a folder on your computer. Where doesn’t matter as long as you remember where it is.
2. Navigate to the folder ADB For Dummies (thanks to VanillaTbone for his guide) and install ADB for Dummies.exe
a. This will create a new folder on your C: drive called “android-sdk-windows”
3. Take the file “xperia_pro_root.zip” from the archive you downloaded and extract the contents to C:\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools\
4. Power off the phone and make sure it’s not plugged into anything.
5. Hold down the MENU button and connect the USB cable. A blue light will appear. If a blue light does NOT appear, then your phone can't get into FastBoot, and probably still has the bootloader locked.
a. If Windows asks you to install the drivers, install the driver from the folder “Fastboot Driver” in the archive you downloaded. Should those drivers not work, try the drivers found in "C:\android-sdk-windows\google-usb_driver"
6. Open the “Fastboot” folder in windows explorer (its part of the archive you extracted in step 1. Hold down the shift key and right click on an empty space in the folder window, select Open Command Prompt Here.
7. Type:
fastboot boot recoveryNEO.img
8. The blue light on the phone will turn off, the screen on the phone will be blank, and the phone will be disconnected from windows, but after a few seconds you will get a Mass Storage & ADB Interface Detected. Note that the phone’s screen will continue to be black for the rest of this process. THIS IS NORMAL, your phone has not been bricked. If you need to stop anywhere along the way, simply unplug the phone from the computer and take your battery out. The phone will return to normal operations, though UNROOTED.
a. Windows will PROBABLY say hardware failed to install. This is fine.
i. Open the start menu, right click on “Computer” and select “Manage”
ii. Select Device Manager on the left side of the Computer Management window that opens.
iii. Look for the unknown piece of hardware. Right click on it and select update/install driver.
iv. Browse your computer, and select the main folder you extracted the archive to way back in step 1 – the drivers are somewhere in there, don’t worry about where, as windows will find them just fine.
9. On your computer navigate to “C:\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools”. Hold down the shift button on your keyboard and Right click on an empty part of the windows, and select “Open Command Window Here”
10. Type "adb shell". If it says "device not found", disconnect the USB cable, remove the battery, and try again from step 6. Also, try changing the USb port on your CPU. I'm not really sure about this, but I had to do it twice.
Now you’ll have to run a bunch of commands inside the ADB Shell window (the one with the black background and looks like a DOS window). You can just copy and paste each one from here. Be sure that once you start this step, you continue until the end of these instructions.
mount -t yaffs2 -o rw,relatime /dev/block/mtdblock0 /system
If it says “/system is not empty” then type:
"rmdir /system/bin" and then run the first mount command again
type "exit"
11. From the DOS window, Run these commands (again copy and paste each one is fine)
adb push Superuser.apk /system/app/Superuser.apk
adb push su /system/bin/su
adb shell
12. From the adb shell, run:
chmod 0644 /system/app/Superuser.apk
chown 0 /system/bin/su
chgrp 0 /system/bin/su
chmod 6755 /system/bin/su
ln -s /system/bin/su /system/xbin/su
cd
umount /system
reboot
13. The adb shell will terminate. Disconnect the phone from the USB cable, wait for about 15 sec, remove the battery, and then turn it on.
14. From the phone, Open the Market, search for "Busybox" by "Stephen (Stericson)". Install that
15. From the Market, go to My Apps, search for "Superuser" by "ChainsDD" and make sure you're running the latest edition
16. Run the App "Superuser" from your app tray.
- under the settings tab, scroll to the bottom and click SU Binary "tap to check for updates"
17. Run the "Busybox Installer" app. Follow the onscreen instructions - just leave everything at default.
Congratulations! Your device should now be rooted! I personally suggest downloading and installing Titanium Backup to make sure - it will run a root check on startup and notify you if anything is wrong.
Notes:
This may seem to be a complicated method, but, as we will have to wait some weeks for an automated or simpler method, I think making writing an automated tool for this method is not worth the effort. But maybe, if no automated method appears in some weeks, I write one myself as a comunity contribution. - alvaroagThanks to VanillaTbone of XDA Developers for his awesome ADB For Dummies guide and app.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=502010
And of course thanks to Bin4ry for his NEO recovery image.
And thanks to all the other contributors to this thread for their help, advice, and overall contribution.
And if this thread helped you in some way, Please click THANK YOU to show your appreciation
Hello
Since there is no Xperia Pro forum I decided to post this here. Hope you can help me.
I recently bought an Xperia Pro MK16a and I have already unlocked the bootloader with setool (thanks to alejandrissimo and his remote unlock abilities). Now I'm searching for a way to root the device.
He and I experimented with it a bit, and we've already tried the recovery hot-boot with recovery.img from Arc, Play, and Neo, but with no luck. Recovery just doesn't boot.
He's guessing it's related to something like a different ramdisk or something like that.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rcummings100 said:
Hello
Since there is no Xperia Pro forum I decided to post this here. Hope you can help me.
I recently bought an Xperia Pro MK16a and I have already unlocked the bootloader with setool (thanks to alejandrissimo and his remote unlock abilities). Now I'm searching for a way to root the device.
He and I experimented with it a bit, and we've already tried the recovery hot-boot with recovery.img from Arc, Play, and Neo, but with no luck. Recovery just doesn't boot.
He's guessing it's related to something like a different ramdisk or something like that.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you bootloader is open you can flash directly "prerooted".img with fastboot? Arc and Neo have this option.
Regards!
Taavi
Sent from my MT15i using Tapatalk
Edit; ............
Sent from my LT15i using XDA App
taaviu said:
If you bootloader is open you can flash directly "prerooted".img with fastboot? Arc and Neo have this option.
Regards!
Taavi
Sent from my MT15i using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be able to generate a pre-rooted system.img you need first a rooted phone and this is exactly the problem, how to root it if there is no recovery for MK16
For sure RootXperia.zip will work but for install it the proper recovery is needed first i guess
XperienceD said:
There is a Mini Pro forum. ;-)
Sent from my LT15i using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally different phone
This is just the "Xperia Pro" - it was released in August. It's the same phone as the Neo, but with a slide out QWERTY keyboard. Model is MK16a (or MK16i for the international one)
Gingerbreak??
Sent from my MT15i using Tapatalk
Alejandrissimo said:
To be able to generate a pre-rooted system.img you need first a rooted phone and this is exactly the problem, how to root it if there is no recovery for MK16
For sure RootXperia.zip will work but for install it the proper recovery is needed first i guess
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How to do it? Generate prerooted system.img
Thanks!
Sent from my MT15i using Tapatalk
I think that NEO recovery should work:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1183465
Maybe the keys are wrong mapped, you have to try a little. Just flash RootXperia.zip from Recovery and you are rooted.
Regards
Bin4ry said:
I think that NEO recovery should work:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1183465
Maybe the keys are wrong mapped, you have to try a little. Just flash RootXperia.zip from Recovery and you are rooted.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was the first thing I tried, since the Pro should just be a Neo with a keyboard. Unfortunately it doesn't work.
Here's the output:
C:\root-play>fastboot boot recoveryNEO.img
downloading 'boot.img'...
(bootloader) USB download speed was 9336kB/s
OKAY [ 0.517s]
booting...
(bootloader) Download buffer format: boot IMG
OKAY [ 0.002s]
finished. total time: 0.519s
The phone is clearly still turned on, but no longer in fastboot mode, and the screen is totally blank, though the backlight is active.
I've tried the same thing with the Arc and Play recovery images and had the same results.
What do you mean by the keys are mapped wrong?
Is this what you're talking about?
http://www.knowyourcell.com/sony-er..._hard_reset_the_sony_ericsson_xperia_pro.html
The instructions on how to get into Recovery on that site are very similar to how to do it on the stock build of my previous phone, the Motorola Milestone. Unfortunately THEY DON'T WORK
I've tried substituting the volume down button with other keys, but with no success. Pretty difficult to guess the right key combination when there's a full qwerty keyboard on here
Is there a way to boot into the standard recovery from ADB or fastboot or something? Possibly from an on-board terminal emulator? A command like "Reboot Recovery" perhaps? Or is that too easy to be possible...
It's ironic that my old Motorola milestone with a totally locked down bootloader proved easier to hack than this phone with it's wide open bootloader
Well,
i wrote you already in PM. But now here too. The PRO is only released in Canada and some Asien Countrys. Until it is released in Europe i cannot help you, because i need the device for testing.
One thing you can try:
after you fastboot boot and the phone is in blackscreenmode please unplug and replug it to pc.
Now try to adb shell on it. Is this working? If yes please gimme a logcat
Regards
Bin4ry said:
Well,
i wrote you already in PM. But now here too. The PRO is only released in Canada and some Asien Countrys. Until it is released in Europe i cannot help you, because i need the device for testing.
One thing you can try:
after you fastboot boot and the phone is in blackscreenmode please unplug and replug it to pc.
Now try to adb shell on it. Is this working? If yes please gimme a logcat
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, adb shell doesn't work. Shows "error: device not found"
But because I'm new to this (I came from a motorola milestone), I want to make sure I did what you actually asked of me:
- I turned on the phone into fastboot mode (hold down menu, plug in usb cable, get blue light)
- from a command prompt window: fastboot boot recoveryARC.img
(replacing ARC with NEO and PLAY depending on the image I'm trying)
- phone now boots into black screen, no blue light, screen backlight is on
- unplug from computer, plug back in
- from command prompt: adb shell
Are those the instructions you wanted me to follow?
Fastboot works fine. Can I do anything from there? Getvar for example, or something? can I run the command Update and flash the RootXperia.zip file? Or will that not work because it's not signed properly or something similar?
Via fastboot you cannot flash the zip. Zip needs to be flashed via recovery, because this only contains some files and not whole system!
I'm sorry, you have to wait until i have the device! Only if the adb shell would work i could help you, if even this is not working it's hard to say what's goin wrong. All you can do is sending me the kernel.sin from you firmware. Maybe i can mix something up with this file
Regards
Bin4ry said:
Via fastboot you cannot flash the zip. Zip needs to be flashed via recovery, because this only contains some files and not whole system!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figured as much. Just hoped I might be wrong.
Bin4ry said:
I'm sorry, you have to wait until i have the device! Only if the adb shell would work i could help you, if even this is not working it's hard to say what's goin wrong. All you can do is sending me the kernel.sin from you firmware. Maybe i can mix something up with this file
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can anyone give me instructions or pointers on how I extract the kernel.sin from my firmware?
Thanks for your continued patience with me. I really do appreciate it.
Its funny how all the phones without forum ends up here!
Sent from my LT15i using xda premium
datagubben said:
Its funny how all the phones without forum ends up here!
Sent from my LT15i using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's because they're all so similar, and are based on the same hardware as the Arc.
Process is simple:
IF you NEVER used UpdateService or PCCompanion BEFORE you unlocked your bootloader then : You need to relock bootloader first (sorry :/)
Then have to use SonyEricsson UpdateService/PC-Companion and tell it to REINSTALL/REPAIR your firmware.
If you used one of the tools before just skip the relock and do this:
After that is done you copy out the two files named:
FILE_XXXXXXXXXXX
FILE_XXXXXXXXXXX
where XXXXXXXXXX are some numbers. This files are located in the subfolder blob_fs inside the UpdateService/PC-Companion directory.
Just copy it on a "safe" place.
After that is done you have to start flashtool go to the "Advanced" Tab -> Decrypt -> then just choose the folder where you copied the files and let flashtool do its work
Afterwards upload the Firmware which is now present as a FTF file, somewhere and post it here (others will be happy to to have the whole MK16a Firmware )
Regards
Bin4ry said:
Process is simple:
IF you NEVER used UpdateService or PCCompanion BEFORE you unlocked your bootloader then : You need to relock bootloader first (sorry :/)
Then have to use SonyEricsson UpdateService/PC-Companion and tell it to REINSTALL/REPAIR your firmware.
If you used one of the tools before just skip the relock and do this:
After that is done you copy out the two files named:
FILE_XXXXXXXXXXX
FILE_XXXXXXXXXXX
where XXXXXXXXXX are some numbers. This files are located in the subfolder blob_fs inside the UpdateService/PC-Companion directory.
Just copy it on a "safe" place.
After that is done you have to start flashtool go to the "Advanced" Tab -> Decrypt -> then just choose the folder where you copied the files and let flashtool do its work
Afterwards upload the Firmware which is now present as a FTF file, somewhere and post it here (others will be happy to to have the whole MK16a Firmware )
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately the very first thing I did with the phone was unlock the bootloader. 'Fido' is the only phone company selling the phone, but I'm with 'Rogers'...so I needed to unlock the bootloader in order to actually use the phone as a phone, which was and remains the most important thing to me.
That being said, I'll see if Alejandrissimo can give me a hand with re-locking the bootloader, then I can get the firmware as you instructed, then have him re-unlock the bootloader. I'll just stick my SIM Card back in my old motorola milestone while we work on this so I can still have a working phone.
You're awesome Bin4ry for helping like this
Maybe I could help with that since I am with Fido and I have a locked bootloader (I haven't touched the phone except adding an ssh key) with my Xperia Pro MK16a. Though I know my way with ssh, I am new with the rooting stuff and Android. If you need some files or something from a locked bootloader I can help with that, just need some simple instructions.
Bin4ry said that files FILE_XXXXXXXXXXX were located under UpdateService/PC-Companion, can I access those via ssh? I have used PCCompanion only once when I got on Windows, but I am always on Ubuntu so I was wondering if I could get those file via scp and if so, where are they?.
ratius said:
Maybe I could help with that since I am with Fido and I have a locked bootloader (I haven't touched the phone except adding an ssh key) with my Xperia Pro MK16a. Though I know my way with ssh, I am new with the rooting stuff and Android. If you need some files or something from a locked bootloader I can help with that, just need some simple instructions.
Bin4ry said that files FILE_XXXXXXXXXXX were located under UpdateService/PC-Companion, can I access those via ssh? I have used PCCompanion only once when I got on Windows, but I am always on Ubuntu so I was wondering if I could get those file via scp and if so, where are they?.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you could, that'd be great. I don't especially want to lock my bootloader over again since you have to use SETool to unlock it, which costs money each time you use it (essentially). Not to mention it involves some acrobatics with a paperclip to connect a testpoint inside the phone to a ground!
Unless there's an easier way to lock/unlock now that I've done it once that is...if so, I'm happy to do it.
As for accessing the files Bin4ry is talking about, boot to windows if you can and do it that way. Just follow his instructions to repair your firmware, then go to that folder in windows (it's located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Sony Ericsson\Sony Ericsson PC Companion). At least, that's my understanding.
Hi. Yesterday, I bought a Xperia Pro. Ive spent most of the afternoon and the nigh trying to root it, and I've finally got how to do it. It's a manual method, as there is not an automated one.
There's no need to say I'm not responsible for any damaged or bricked devices(but mine is working ok )
What you need:
1. The Xperia Neo Recovery, by Bin4ry, get it here
2. xperia_pro_root.zip I'm attaching. It contains the files from RootXperia.zip, but without the update.zip-related files, as they are not needed.
3. The Android SDK, with the Google USB Drivers Package.
4. If you've never used your device in fastboot mode, you may also need to follow steps 7 & 8 from SE bootloader unlocking tutorial.
5. [NOT REALLY SURE] Application Debugging & Unknown Sources enabled.
6. [NOT REALLY SURE] Unlocked Bootloader. This is because mine is unlocked, but I don't really know if that is required to boot the recovery image via fastboot.
I'm assuming that you are working on a Windows/Unix terminal, with a working directory where you have recoveryNeo.img, Superuser.apk and su /these two from the zip file I attach), and that fastboot & adb are on the PATH. If some file is not on the working directory, or fastboot/adb are not on the path, use full paths.
Instructions:
1. Disconnect & Power off the phone.
2. Hold down the menu button and connect the USB cable.
(If Windows asks you to install the drivers, install the driver from ANDROIDSDK\extras\google\usb_driver folder).
3. Run "fastboot boot recoveryNeo.img". The fastboot device will be disconnected, but after a few seconds you will get a Mass Storage & ADB Interface Detected.
4. Run "adb shell". If it says "device not found", disconnect, remove the battery, and try again from step 1. Also, try changing the USb port on your CPU. I'm not really sure about this, but I had to do it twice.
5. Run "mount -t yaffs2 -o rw,relatime /dev/block/mtdblock0 /system" from the adb terminal. If it says /system is not empty. run "rmdir /system/bin" and then run mount again.
6. type "exit"
7. Run :
adb push Superuser.apk /system/app/Superuser.apk
adb push su /system/bin/su
adb shell
8. From the adb shell, run:
chmod 0644 /system/app/Superuser.apk
chown 0 /system/bin/su
chgrp 0 /system/bin/su
chmod 6755 /system/bin/su
ln -s /system/bin/su /system/xbin/su
cd
umount /system
reboot
9. The adb shell will terminate. Disconnect the phone, wait for ~15 sec, remove the battery, and then turn it on.
10. Your device should now be rooted.
Notes:
1. When booting with recoveryNeo.img, the screen will keep blank. That's normal(I think).
2. This may seem to be a complicated method, but, as we will have to wait some weeks for an automated or simpler method, I think making writing an automated tool for this method is not worth the effort. But maybe, if no automated method appears in some weeks, I write one myself as a comunity contribution.
Hope this is usefull for you.
Hi guys, this is my second tutorial and in this one I will show you every thing you need to do to flash a custom ROM on the LG-P350. So let's get started.
DISCLAIMER: This is tampering with the system itself and if done incorrectly a simple factory reset will not fix it. It is YOU who is doing this on your phone and I am in no way responsible if any damage happens to your device. (tough it shouldn't if you follow these steps carefully) You have been warned!
WHAT WE NEED :
1.An LG-P350 running stock Froyo
2.LG mobile united drivers, get them from here https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7Faau7Enf-Bc1hhbWRtTkczNEE/edit?usp=sharing
3.A PC running Windows (can be done on linux too but this guide is based on Windows)
4.A microUSB data cable.
5.The official Android SDK obtained from http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html Make sure you select the version for your OS (32-bit or 64-bit)
6.USB debugging to be on. Go to Settings>Apps>Development>Turn on USB debugging
7.ADB to be properly set up.
8.Patience to read this thread carefully
1. Root
Ok so what is root? Well simply said rooting gives us the permission to modify parts of the Android system itself. Normally when you try to tamper with it it would simply say that either you don't have the privilege to do so or it would fail. When we have root permissions then you can change anything you want.
Note: Be careful tough, removing or modifying some parts of the system can damage the system and prevent it from working/booting. Always make a nandroid backup (will talk about this later) before editing anything in the system.
Now for the rooting itself.
Most versions of the software for the P-350 can be rooted using gingerbreak, which can be found here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1044765 Get the newest version, copy it and install it on your phone and follow the instructions on screen.
For those who prefer some other root method you can also use z4root which can be found here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=833953 or superoneclick which can be obtained here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=803682 (For superoneclick you need the USB cable and drivers installed)
2.ADB
Ok so what is ADB? ADB is a short term for Android Debug Bridge. It is one the most essential tools in the Android world and is used for a number of things such as sending commands (which can do anything you imagine with the device), getting various log data etc.
To set it up you will have to get the latest version of the official Android SDK (look for the link in the Introduction). Once you've downloaded the sdk you will get a .zip file you need to extract. I extracted mine to C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\ (so this guide is based on that) but it can really be anywhere. If you decide to put a different directory then adapt the guide to it. Once extracted you will get two folders. Here we only use the sdk one, the other one is for the Eclipse plugin used for application development. Open up the cmd from the start menu and then input these codes.
Code:
cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\sdk\platform-tools\ (you adapt this to your case if you didn't extract it there)
adb shell
Do this with your device connected otherwise it's pointless.
NOTE1: In order for adb to recognize your device you must have the drivers installed.
NOTE2: If you are too lazy to type all this every time you can make a .bat script. Open up notepad and copy/paste these codes
Code:
cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\sdk\platform-tools\ (adapt to your location)
adb shell
pause
After that just click on File and click Save as. In the window that opened, under file type select all files and on the file name save it as adb.bat
Now whenever you want to use adb you can just double click on the script you made and it will open up adb instantly leaving out the hassle of typing in commands every time.
3.Recovery
Now that we have root it's time for the recovery module.
The recovery allows us to modify parts (or even the entire) system by "flashing" (installing) .zip files prepared by our developer. They can be tweaks,fixes, additional features or even a completely new version of Android. There are a couple of ways to do this and the choice is yours.
Before you do this you need to get a recovery image. We have a couple of them for our device:
1. AmonRa-The very first recovery for our phone. It is outdated and generally not recommended for use. If anyone wants it you can get it here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1080911
2. CWM (clockwork mod recovery)- One of the most popular recoveries around. It is a well made piece of software which will make flashing simple and fast. We have a couple of versions for our phone and the links are here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2075797&highlight=recovery ClockWorkMod 6.0.2.7
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1768895&highlight=recovery ClockWorkMod 6.0.1.4
You will also need a flash_image file gotten from https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7Faau7Enf-BTURDQmp1OWIzVGM/edit?usp=sharing
Method 1: cmd
Ok so this tutorial is from a developer who has retired and who made the original recovery our phone. All credits for that go to him.
Also note that it is recommended to reboot the device prior to flashing to increase the RAM.
1.Copy the .img file and copy the flash_image file to the rood directory of your sd card NOT in some folder. If you got your recovery in a .zip then extract the .img file from it and copy it and the flash_image file to the root of the sd card.
2.Using ADB shell copy these commands into the cmd :
Code:
$ su
# mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock1 /system
# cat /sdcard/flash_image > /system/bin/flash_image
# chmod 755 /system/bin/flash_image
# sync
3.Now flash it:
Code:
$ su
# flash_image recovery /sdcard/*insert image name here*.img Here you should put the name of your .img file without the starts ofc :)
# sync
4.After that if no error occurred you can type this in
Code:
reboot recovery
WARNING: If some sort of error showed up DO NOT type in reboot recovery. This could brick your device. Instead restart the phone and start over.
Method 2: Venkat's toolkit RECOMMENDED
This toolkit does the same from above but it does it automatically without the user having to do anything. You can get it from here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1948326 It can also be used for rooting.
It is also recommended to make a nandroid backup of your current system in case you want to go back. Nandroid backup is a complete copy of your system as it is when the backup was made. It backs up EVERYTING not just apps and data, so it is a perfect thing to have if a ROM or a tweak you are trying render the phone unbootable since you can just restore the backup you made and no harm done.
That is recovery. Now you can use it to flash whichever ROM for our device you choose. You can boot to it either by typing in adb/terminal reboot recovery or by pressing the following buttons when the device is turned off: Power + Call + Volume Down. Also don't worry if the touchscreen doesn't work in the recovery. That is normal use the volume up and down buttons to navigate menus and either the menu button(for amon ra) or the call (CWM) to confirm your choice.Use the back/power button to cancel/go back.
4.Flashing
Flashing is a process where we install the entire system or its parts contained in .zip files from the recovery module.
NOTE When you get a flashable .zip package DON'T extract it to the sd card. Copy it as you got it to the root of the sd and then continue.
Now that you've gotten the ROM you desired the process is pretty straight forward. Copy the .zip file you got to the root directory of your sd. Once you've done that, reboot to recovery and make a nandroid backup (if you haven't done so already) and go to the option install zip from sd card. Then choose the .zip you copied and confirm. After it says install complete you can reboot your device.
NOTE 1: Flash only things that are either universal or made for this device. Flashing stuff not made to work on this device could damage it.
NOTE 2: When flashing new ROMs you MUST wipe Dalvik cache,cache and data partitions. It is also recommended to wipe Dalvik cache when flashing kernels.
Those are pretty much all the basics you need to get into the flashing stuff You can find loads of ROMs and other tweaks on the official P-350 forums here on xda http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1769
You can also find info and development support on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/p350development/
Revision 1: Added tutorial for setting up adb, explaining what adb is, as well as an adb script code.
i think this thread need to stick, try to contact mods
A comment on the 'adb' way. Before executing the commands, you might want to cd to where adb.exe is because you will have an error executing the command and the terminal will show 'adb is not a valid command'
Sent from my X8 using xda premium
---------- Post added at 07:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:07 AM ----------
And installing android sdk is optional because there are standalone adb available for download.
Sent from my X8 using xda premium
Ya sticky this thread mods, cuz' i read, Many people stuck at LG Logo or fastboot mode even hard reset when flashing ROM without recovery before..
Sent from my LG-P350 using xda app-developers app
rho57 said:
A comment on the 'adb' way. Before executing the commands, you might want to cd to where adb.exe is because you will have an error executing the command and the terminal will show 'adb is not a valid command'
Sent from my X8 using xda premium
---------- Post added at 07:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:07 AM ----------
And installing android sdk is optional because there are standalone adb available for download.
Sent from my X8 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It already is set to the adb.exe path that's needed in order for adb to be activated on Windows. That's why we use the cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\sdk\platform-tools
And I know but there are a lot of other useful tools as well. And it is most reliable too.
Good job dude
Why complicated more then needed. Just make tut with andking toolkit.
boyan81 said:
Why complicated more then needed. Just make tut with andking toolkit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not complicated, this is a basic tutorial for those who don't want/can't use his toolkit. It also has some explanations about basic Android terms which you won't find there.
It would be nice if you update the wiki too, as there is an old but yet usable guide which pretty much has the same information written here...
Sent from my GT-S5830M using Tapatalk 2
Many guides recommend to backup the EFS partition before installing any ROMs "just in case".
Unfortunately, I cannot find any up-to-date manual on how to do so the proper way in case of the Fold 3.
Guides I do find either suggest to copy some images from a specific /dev/block with dd, which seems to be e outdated as non-existant on the Fold 3 or are incomplete by recommending to only copy the content of the folder /efs with a root explorer or mention EFS Professional which at least for me fails with some obscure array/dimension/whatnow error message just when attemping to even only get the partitions.
In the Dr. Ketan - thread, the developer suggested to use TWRP but here, is also unclear whether being suitable now or not, also in terms of half the stuff being encrypted nowadays. Uargh.
So how do all of you back this up if it is common sense that it is oh so important?
If you are rooted, the dd method can be done quite simple either on a terminal emulator or with adb shell.
If using terminal:
su
then
dd if=/dev/block/by-name/efs of=/sdcard/efs_backup.img
If using adb shell:
adb shell
then
su
then
dd if=/dev/block/by-name/efs of=/sdcard/efs_backup.img
Or you can just back it up with TWRP, it should give you the option to do it.
Thanks a lot. I used dd in Termux in the root context and the resulting file size is 20 MB. Hope it is what I need as that EFS backup thing somehow has something of "hopefully, one never needs it".
By the way, the attempt to use TWRP for that fails as it only recognizes the internal storage which is shown as 0MB, probably due to the encryption.