Develop Bugs

[Q] I got the indian m8, Am i limited to anything in regards to flashing?

Hi, I bought an unlocked htc one m8 but i recieved the indian version (m8q) and I'm not from india, Everything works fine and I called htc and they told me that I shouldn't have a problem since the indian verison comes with international warrenty.
The only thing I'm worried about here is compatibility with the stuff here on xda, will i be able to flash roms without probelms and will i be able to convert it to a gpe device if i wanted to.
The Cid is HTC__038, the model id is 0P6B65000 the software version i have currently is 1.56.720.6 and the product name (from the getvar all command) is m8_ul. Is the hardware incompatible with roms made for the international gsm version (with the sku 401) or can i just change the cid/mid or make it supercid to use it with any of the guides hosted here.
I havent been able to find anything so i would really appreciate any help.

I own the same device and to be true, the Indian Variant lacks support for all Sense based ROMs as they are based on different model with different CID and MID number. Custom ROMs work fine.
If you are very proficient with flashing stuff in HTC devices then you can use firewater to S-OFF on 4.4.2 . Ver. 4.4.3 has patched some vulnerabilities that do not allow firewater S-OFF to work nor the sunshine one.
I had already updated to 4.4.3 due to which now it's currently impossible for me to obtain S-OFF.
Also Indian Variants have yet not received the latest updates i.e. 4.4.4

Mayank7795 said:
I own the same device and to be true, the Indian Variant lacks support for all Sense based ROMs as they are based on different model with different CID and MID number. Custom ROMs work fine.
If you are very proficient with flashing stuff in HTC devices then you can use firewater to S-OFF on 4.4.2 . Ver. 4.4.3 has patched some vulnerabilities that do not allow firewater S-OFF to work nor the sunshine one.
I had already updated to 4.4.3 due to which now it's currently impossible for me to obtain S-OFF.
Also Indian Variants have yet not received the latest updates i.e. 4.4.4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply, but are you saying that If i can acheive s-off and change the cid and mid will that make the device compatible with the roms or will flashing them brick my device? Also, do you have any idea about compatibilty with gpe based roms?

tinclan said:
Thanks for the reply, but are you saying that If i can acheive s-off and change the cid and mid will that make the device compatible with the roms or will flashing them brick my device? Also, do you have any idea about compatibilty with gpe based roms?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is my first HTC device and the first expensive one that I bought so I am being really cautious about tampering my phone.
Yes, if you achieve S-OFF, then you can change your CID. Don't know about MID (I have yet to know more about it). Then flashing other Sense-based ROMs should be fairly easy.
But after you achieve S-OFF, you need to be more cautious while flashing anything as the security would have been totally put off and whichever file you flash will be flashed without any error and may result in your device getting bricked if a wrong file is flashed.
It will be really great to backup the important partitions like recovery, boot, system etc. if you are still stock (not bootloader unlocked and not rooted)
To backup important partitions, visit this thread for instructions. (Be sure to backup your stock recovery as it will be needed to receive OTA updates) - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2701376
IMPORTANT: Read the Question "How do i backup the stock HTC recovery ?" and the procedure below that in the provided thread properly to successfully backup your device's partition.
~~Other Helpful threads which needs a reading~~
♦ HTC One M8 F.A.Q's
♦ HTC ONE M8 Repository

Mayank7795 said:
This is my first HTC device and the first expensive one that I bought so I am being really cautious about tampering my phone.
Yes, if you achieve S-OFF, then you can change your CID. Don't know about MID (I have yet to know more about it). Then flashing other Sense-based ROMs should be fairly easy.
But after you achieve S-OFF, you need to be more cautious while flashing anything as the security would have been totally put off and whichever file you flash will be flashed without any error and may result in your device getting bricked if a wrong file is flashed.
It will be really great to backup the important partitions like recovery, boot, system etc. if you are still stock (not bootloader unlocked and not rooted)
To backup important partitions, visit this thread for instructions. (Be sure to backup your stock recovery as it will be needed to receive OTA updates) - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2701376
IMPORTANT: Read the Question "How do i backup the stock HTC recovery ?" and the procedure below that in the provided thread properly to successfully backup your device's partition.
~~Other Helpful threads which needs a reading~~
♦ HTC One M8 F.A.Q's
♦ HTC ONE M8 Repository
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is my first htc phone too, actually this is my first high end android phone. I am just as paranoid about doing anything as you, i just wanted to make sure i'm not stuck forever, because i it was impossible to change the software of this phone i would've just sold it from now, purely because imo new software adds the most value to smartphone these days. I am a bit confused, but for now i decided to not install any updates until i figure out whats possible to do without screwing up myself

tinclan said:
This is my first htc phone too, actually this is my first high end android phone. I am just as paranoid about doing anything as you, i just wanted to make sure i'm not stuck forever, because i it was impossible to change the software of this phone i would've just sold it from now, purely because imo new software adds the most value to smartphone these days. I am a bit confused, but for now i decided to not install any updates until i figure out whats possible to do without screwing up myself
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a good decision for now..
I did the mistake of not backing up recovery partition after I updated and instantly unlocked and rooted my phone but luckily I got the stock recovery from another thread.

tinclan said:
This is my first htc phone too, actually this is my first high end android phone. I am just as paranoid about doing anything as you, i just wanted to make sure i'm not stuck forever, because i it was impossible to change the software of this phone i would've just sold it from now, purely because imo new software adds the most value to smartphone these days. I am a bit confused, but for now i decided to not install any updates until i figure out whats possible to do without screwing up myself
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mayank7795 said:
That's a good decision for now..
I did the mistake of not backing up recovery partition after I updated and instantly unlocked and rooted my phone but luckily I got the stock recovery from another thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for all the help. I have one last question if you wouldnt mind answering, are all the gpe based rooms compatible with our version of the device, and can i flash the gpe ruu without bricking the thing if i got s-off.

tinclan said:
Thanks for all the help. I have one last question if you wouldnt mind answering, are all the gpe based rooms compatible with our version of the device, and can i flash the gpe ruu without bricking the thing if i got s-off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry but I seriously don't know because I never took an interest in converting my device to GPE.
I like the stock look.

Ex nexus user brain frazzled with amount of work involved

Hi there.
So In short I'm a Nexus 5 user and as you can imagine unlocking that phone is literally 2 minutes at most using fastboot.
I got myself a brand spanking new HTC One m8 on Vodafone UK, however I hate Sense UI and would love to "transform" my phone to GPE edition.
I have few questions hopefully easy to answer. reading through the forums gives me a headache.
1. Do I need a S-Off if I want to convert my GSM to GPE? Thought its just a matter of flashing a rom? (I do know the answer to this but just cant believe it)
2. My phone is network locked, should I unlock it first and than run sunshine or the other way around (I've heard people having problems when they try to unlock after sunshine)
3. Do I need to backup my stock Vodafone Image if I want to return to stock at some point? I had HTC Desire/HD and returning back to stock was matter of flashing RUU back in the days (these seem to be provided on HTCDev now). But it looks like a lot has changed since then.
4. What order of operations? Please correct me if I'm wrong: Unlock Bootloader (Any other way than HTC Dev?) --> TWRP-->Root-->Sunshine-->Backup Image-->Convert to GPE
I'm absolutely fine with using fastboot etc (no toolkits for the wicked ) although most guides involve Windows and im on Mac... Anyone had any issues ?
Appreciate any help
Thanks

Nexus phones are designed to be developer phones, so they make it as easy as possible. (Though, and this is an important note, they still keep secure boot enabled...) The HTC One, like most consumer oriented devices, isn't quite the same.
First off, yes, you will need to S-off your phone to do a complete version change. You will also need to change your CID/MID if you want OTA updates. None of this has anything to do with SIM locking, though there is a thread you might consult once you are S-off. It may or may not work with HBOOT 3.19, but once you are S-off, you can downgrade to an older HBOOT that does fully support SIM unlocking.
If you want to ever go back, you will also need to install TWRP or CWM like always and make a nandroid backup. You don't have to be S-off to do this, but Sunshine unlocks your bootloader in the process, which you WILL need to do.
If your device is supported (because some newer firmware versions aren't) I would suggest using Sunshine S-off to unlock your bootloader and S-off your phone. At that point, flash over a custom recovery and backup your current install. Then, use the instructions here to switch your CID/MID and install the appropriate GPE version. Note! You *CAN* use a GPE RUU, but that will change the partitioning on the device making it very hard to go back.. I would strongly recommending using using a GPE backup and leaving the partition tables alone, but that's just me.

jshamlet said:
Nexus phones are designed to be developer phones, so they make it as easy as possible. (Though, and this is an important note, they still keep secure boot enabled...) The HTC One, like most consumer oriented devices, isn't quite the same.
First off, yes, you will need to S-off your phone to do a complete version change. You will also need to change your CID/MID if you want OTA updates. None of this has anything to do with SIM locking, though there is a thread you might consult once you are S-off. It may or may not work with HBOOT 3.19, but once you are S-off, you can downgrade to an older HBOOT that does fully support SIM unlocking.
If you want to ever go back, you will also need to install TWRP or CWM like always and make a nandroid backup. You don't have to be S-off to do this, but Sunshine unlocks your bootloader in the process, which you WILL need to do.
If your device is supported (because some newer firmware versions aren't) I would suggest using Sunshine S-off to unlock your bootloader and S-off your phone. At that point, flash over a custom recovery and backup your current install. Then, use the instructions here to switch your CID/MID and install the appropriate GPE version. Note! You *CAN* use a GPE RUU, but that will change the partitioning on the device making it very hard to go back.. I would strongly recommending using using a GPE backup and leaving the partition tables alone, but that's just me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for that.
Could your please clarify your last 2 sentences. This is first I hear about. If I use GPE backup will I be able to get OTA updates? Where can I find GPE backup rather than RUU. I think most here are RUU's.
Or do you mean GPE ROM vs GPE RUU?

MattSkeet said:
Thanks a lot for that.
Could your please clarify your last 2 sentences. This is first I hear about. If I use GPE backup will I be able to get OTA updates? Where can I find GPE backup rather than RUU. I think most here are RUU's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The partition sizes are different between GPE and Sense, with Sense having a much larger /system partition than GPE. If you convert from Sense to GPE fully (using an RUU), then you will have to use an RUU to go back to Sense or the /system partition won't be large enough. If you just restore a nandroid backup of GPE to a Sense partitioned device, it will still work fine and you can revert back without any special effort.

S-off yes carrier unlocking yes and I'm an ex nexus 5 user as well
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app

MattSkeet said:
3. Do I need to backup my stock Vodafone Image if I want to return to stock at some point? I had HTC Desire/HD and returning back to stock was matter of flashing RUU back in the days (these seem to be provided on HTCDev now). But it looks like a lot has changed since then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't believe HTC posts RUUs to HTCDev.com any longer. There is a RUU floating around for the "generic" WWE version, but for Vodaphone or other carrier branded versions outside the US, you probably won't find any RUUs.
Therefore, its always good to at least make a nandroid before making any other changes. Or you can find the stock nandroid for your CID here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2701376
MattSkeet said:
4. What order of operations? Please correct me if I'm wrong: Unlock Bootloader (Any other way than HTC Dev?) --> TWRP-->Root-->Sunshine-->Backup Image-->Convert to GPE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe you can temp root, sunshine s-off and use sunshine to unlock the bootloader and bypass HTCDev.com. But I haven't done it that way personally, so I'm not 100% on that.

redpoint73 said:
I don't believe HTC posts RUUs to HTCDev.com any longer. There is a RUU floating around for the "generic" WWE version, but for Vodaphone or other carrier branded versions outside the US, you probably won't find any RUUs.
Therefore, its always good to at least make a nandroid before making any other changes. Or you can find the stock nandroid for your CID here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2701376
I believe you can temp root, sunshine s-off and use sunshine to unlock the bootloader and bypass HTCDev.com. But I haven't done it that way personally, so I'm not 100% on that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.htcdev.com/devcenter/downloads/P00 there are RUU's here which is very strange and makes it confusing in regards to backing everything up if its there

MattSkeet said:
http://www.htcdev.com/devcenter/downloads/P00 there are RUU's here which is very strange and makes it confusing in regards to backing everything up if its there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only RUU there is T-Mobile US. All the rest are kernel source (and a couple framework support) files. Keep in mind, the RUU is something like 1.6 GB.

Note that there are other RUUs, they just aren't posted there. The Developer Edition has an RUU, and there is an older one for AT&T floating around somewhere as well.
I really don't understand why HTC doesn't make these more available, as they are a great way to reset a phone short of warranty service. I would think they would want people to have these as an option.

jshamlet said:
Note that there are other RUUs, they just aren't posted there. The Developer Edition has an RUU, and there is an older one for AT&T floating around somewhere as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, in fact AT&T has RUUs for every major OTA build its released so far. Sprint and T-Mobile US also have RUUs. Of the major US carriers, only Verizon does not have RUUs.
I haven't seen any official RUU releases outside the US. I know there is a WWE 3.28.401 RUU think is being linked lately, but I don't know if that is a leak, or something more official. But otherwise, RUUs don't exist outside the US (or only as leaks). What makes the US so special, I don't know.
jshamlet said:
I really don't understand why HTC doesn't make these more available, as they are a great way to reset a phone short of warranty service. I would think they would want people to have these as an option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't get it either. On past devices, I've seen specific reports of HTC support directing folks to RUU when they have software issues (after the "usual" solutions like factory reset didn't help).

[Q] I need help HTC One M8 AT&T

I am using AT & T HTC M8 S - OFF super CID. Can I install this recovery ?
[ROM][5.1] 9/17/2015-Lollipop Stock Rooted Google Play Edition LMY47O.H9
HTML:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2706441
thanks alot!!!!! :good::good::good:

That's not a recovery, it's a ROM !

Mr Hofs said:
That's not a recovery, it's a ROM !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes. i'm sorry but can i use it??

The short answer is yes. However, the longer answer is yes, but you need to think carefully about this before pulling the trigger.
Some people repartition their phones to fully convert to the GPE version, but I don't recommend this unless you are either certain you want a GPE ROM or are highly skilled in this area. In your case, since you aren't certain, I would install without altering your partitions. From what I read in the first post, it appears this ROM simply rewrites your existing Sense partitions with GPE code, so it should be perfectly safe.
Also, make sure you note the required firmware version. AT&T has released a Lollipop version of their ROM, so if you aren't sure, you might consider running their RUU as a way to ensure you have compatible firmware. (since you are S-off, you can also use the Developer Edition RUU, but since you are converting to GPE, it really doesn't matter) Attempting to run a Lollipop GPE build with KitKat firmware will not work well.

jshamlet said:
The short answer is yes. However, the longer answer is yes, but you need to think carefully about this before pulling the trigger.
Some people repartition their phones to fully convert to the GPE version, but I don't recommend this unless you are either certain you want a GPE ROM or are highly skilled in this area. In your case, since you aren't certain, I would install without altering your partitions. From what I read in the first post, it appears this ROM simply rewrites your existing Sense partitions with GPE code, so it should be perfectly safe.
Also, make sure you note the required firmware version. AT&T has released a Lollipop version of their ROM, so if you aren't sure, you might consider running their RUU as a way to ensure you have compatible firmware. (since you are S-off, you can also use the Developer Edition RUU, but since you are converting to GPE, it really doesn't matter) Attempting to run a Lollipop GPE build with KitKat firmware will not work well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes thank you very much. I just installed this ROM. first boot times appeared broken and I had to factory reset. so far has not detected any errors.
I used the AT & T version of the ROM, but I feel uncomfortable because of the bundled applications, which I never use because I was in Vietnam. So how to completely remove them?

minhtienls said:
yes thank you very much. I just installed this ROM. first boot times appeared broken and I had to factory reset. so far has not detected any errors.
I used the AT & T version of the ROM, but I feel uncomfortable because of the bundled applications, which I never use because I was in Vietnam. So how to completely remove them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since you have the AT&T variant, and you are S-off, this is easy. Install the Developer Edition RUU. They are the exact same phone (same MID) but the Developer Edition doesn't have any of the AT&T bloat.
You may have to change the CID back to match one or the other of the unlocked/developer phones for the RUU to install. (either BS_US001 for unlocked or BS_US002 for developer edition) but you don't have to alter the MID at all.
If you don't root, you will get OTA updates directly from HTC.
As an aside, you might also try the WWE (world-wide English) variant as well, though that WILL require altering the MID.

jshamlet said:
Since you have the AT&T variant, and you are S-off, this is easy. Install the Developer Edition RUU. They are the exact same phone (same MID) but the Developer Edition doesn't have any of the AT&T bloat.
You may have to change the CID back to match one or the other of the unlocked/developer phones for the RUU to install. (either BS_US001 for unlocked or BS_US002 for developer edition) but you don't have to alter the MID at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, if the OP wants a relatively clean, unbranded Sense setup (including official OTAs, and band support same as AT&T version) that the Dev Edition RUU is the way to go.
OP stated the phone is SuperCID, so no need to change CID (and I'd recommend not to change the CID to flash the Dev Ed RUU
Although GPE and Sense are two completely different animals. Not sure if the OP prefers one or the other? Although OP's last post did make it sound like they wanted a Sense ROM, just without AT&T branding.

As an aside, I don't see the utility in super CID anymore. It no longer "unlocks" anything (you don't get a free SIM unlock), so really the only advantage is being able to install any another HTC ROM via RUU. On the flip side, super CID blocks OTA updates on official ROMs, which makes it more of a disadvantage now.
Since most people are going to need a specific HTC ROM (for band support), or they are going to go with a third-party ROM which doesn't care what your CID is, I'd actually suggest using the CID/MID for the appropriate Sense ROM instead of super CID to ensure there aren't problems down the road. If you do, your phone essentially becomes that model for all intents and purposes.
(The obvious exception being Sprint/Verizon devices, but that isn't applicable here)

jshamlet said:
super CID blocks OTA updates on official ROMs, which makes it more of a disadvantage now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sure of that? I've seen folks say that a lot, but others also contradict the statement. ckpv5 in particular, and that guy knows his stuff. He's stated it a number of times (SuperCID does not prevent OTA); just yesterday, in fact: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=63075776&postcount=9
But I agree that SuperCID is very limited in its usefulness (since MID is also a requirement, and there are so many different MIDs) and probably only in specific circumstances. For instance, I made my M8 SuperCID to install the Dev Ed RUU, and be able to RUU back to ATT if I wanted. But also, like you mentioned, I also run custom ROMs often, in which case CID is fairly irrelevant.
In the OP's case, as long as SuperCID doesn't block OTA, it saves him from changing the CID (although its just a single fastboot command) and also go back to ATT if desired.
SuperCID is probably pretty useful for Euro M8 owners, as there are a ton of CIDs for the same MID.

redpoint73 said:
You sure of that? I've seen folks say that a lot, but others also contradict the statement. ckpv5 in particular, and that guy knows his stuff. He's stated it a number of times (SuperCID does not prevent OTA); just yesterday, in fact: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=63075776&postcount=9
But I agree that SuperCID is very limited in its usefulness (since MID is also a requirement, and there are so many different MIDs) and probably only in specific circumstances. For instance, I made my M8 SuperCID to install the Dev Ed RUU, and be able to RUU back to ATT if I wanted. But also, like you mentioned, I also run custom ROMs often, in which case CID is fairly irrelevant.
In the OP's case, as long as SuperCID doesn't block OTA, it saves him from changing the CID (although its just a single fastboot command) and also go back to ATT if desired.
SuperCID is probably pretty useful for Euro M8 owners, as there are a ton of CIDs for the same MID.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've read conflicting reports on SuperCID blocking OTA updates as well, so he may very well be right. I will say that when I first installed the KitKat DevEd ROM, it appeared to refuse to download the OTA update to 4.4.4 until I reverted to using the official CID (BS_US002), but it's also possible that I just didn't wait long enough. Maybe that has changed since Lollipop?
If it really doesn't block OTA updates, then it's probably a pure don't care. If you are S-off, it's a trivial change. Also, if you are rooted, it's a moot issue anyway, as that is more likely to foul up OTA updates than the CID.

jshamlet said:
I've read conflicting reports on SuperCID blocking OTA updates as well, so he may very well be right. I will say that when I first installed the KitKat DevEd ROM, it appeared to refuse to download the OTA update to 4.4.4 until I reverted to using the official CID (BS_US002), but it's also possible that I just didn't wait long enough. Maybe that has changed since Lollipop?
If it really doesn't block OTA updates, then it's probably a pure don't care. If you are S-off, it's a trivial change. Also, if you are rooted, it's a moot issue anyway, as that is more likely to foul up OTA updates than the CID.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SuperCID doesn't block OTAs. It allows you to flash firmware for any CID without the need to change it. The CID works with all.
Since the OP is S-Off, I would suggest using WWE/International firmware. It's updated sooner if a Sense ROM is what he is after. OP could run MaximusHD if he wishes to remain Stock.

Some général questions about the one M8 before buying it

Hello fellow xda people!
I know,I know, the title isn't very accurate. Give me suggestions if you have something more accurate.
I'd like to buy that phone, but after reading some threads here, I still have some questions :
-If I want to send my phone back to htc, let's say for a battery problem, should I go back to full stock? Because apparently to go back to stock we need to use a RUU, which needs S-OFF. But S-Off is a hint for them to understand we rooted, installed custom roms no? So if I need to send them back, am I screwed?
-Then, speaking about the customer service, how did you find it if you had to deal with it? And especially in Europe and France...
-If I don't want to go back to stock, should I go S-Off? Saw somewhere we had to pay for it :/, so is it worth it? What are the advantages?
-if I order it now, will I receive a quickcharge 2.0 charger or will I have to order it apart?
-How do you think will be the development for this phone in a few years? I'm new to HTC, so will they push updates for android N or was MM the last official update pushed?
-Are there different versions of the phone, making it incompatible with some ROMs? And if yes, which one should I choose? What is the name of the international version?
-I think that's all, If I need something else, I'll post back here
Thank you everyone!

My responses below, in red font:
WoBble12 said:
I know,I know, the title isn't very accurate. Give me suggestions if you have something more accurate.
I think the title is great. It describes what you are trying to do, and what you are asking.
-If I want to send my phone back to htc, let's say for a battery problem, should I go back to full stock? Because apparently to go back to stock we need to use a RUU, which needs S-OFF. But S-Off is a hint for them to understand we rooted, installed custom roms no? So if I need to send them back, am I screwed? If returning to HTC for warranty, going back to full stock is recommended (stock software, LOCKED bootloader, and possibly s-on). You do not need s-off to RUU (as long as its the proper RUU for your M8 version and proper RUU number - no downgrading with s-on). But you do need s-off to make the bootloader say LOCKED (which after UNLOCKED, only RELOCKED is possible with s-on). If you have s-off, you can change it back to say s-on. Although it is possible (although uncommon) for devices to come from the factory with s-off, so requirement to make it s-on (for warranty) is debatable.
-Then, speaking about the customer service, how did you find it if you had to deal with it? And especially in Europe and France... I don't live in Europe, nor have I dealt with HTC very much. Honestly, I've owned 6 HTC devices, and almost zero problems with any of them.
-If I don't want to go back to stock, should I go S-Off? Saw somewhere we had to pay for it :/, so is it worth it? What are the advantages? You don't need s-off to root of flash custom ROMs. s-off is needed to flash modified hboots, manually flash radios, and a few other things. S-off is useful, but not mandatory for many people.
-if I order it now, will I receive a quickcharge 2.0 charger or will I have to order it apart? You will get a standard charger. If you want QC 2.0, you'll need to put it separately, but there are 3rd party versions that are good quality, and inexpensive.
-How do you think will be the development for this phone in a few years? I'm new to HTC, so will they push updates for android N or was MM the last official update pushed? I don't think HTC has stated it officially, but most of us are suspecting that MM is the last major update. So you may be relying to ports (from newer HTC devices), AOSP ROMs, etc. if you want Android N. ROM development is still decent; although certainly slowing. But I expect and hope some devs will keep supporting the M8 for some time to come.
-Are there different versions of the phone, making it incompatible with some ROMs? And if yes, which one should I choose? What is the name of the international version? CDMA version (Sprint and Verizon), the dual SIM M8, and M8 Eye all need specific ROMs (or at least specific kernels, in the case of the CDMA versions). Otherwise, the other M8 version are all virtually the same, and share ROMs. So for the purpose of custom ROMs, I would definitely recommend the "international" otherwise known as the "GSM" M8 (so any version except CDMA, dual SIM, or Eye).
You should also be careful where you buy from, and what version you are buying. I've seen some folks on here that thought they were buying a international/GSM M8, but it was a Sprint or Verizon that was debranded (software modified, back plate changed) to make it seem like a it was the international version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

OK, Thank you very much @redpoint73 for this precise answer! So I was still browsing around for more info about that phone, and a guy said we have to extract the kernel of every ROM (except for stock based Roms) and flash it separately if we are s-on. It was a HTC forum, but the topic was very global, so is this specific phone part of them, or can I flash complete ROM packages directly without extracting the kernel?
And, another one, how can I be sure my phone is a GSM version? They have a different name under "about phone" section of the settings, but this can be faked I think. And I could also verify the MID in the boot loader?

WoBble12 said:
! So I was still browsing around for more info about that phone, and a guy said we have to extract the kernel of every ROM (except for stock based Roms) and flash it separately if we are s-on.
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That is totally false. This was true on some older HTC devices (maybe they mean the One M7?) but was never the case on the M8. You just wipe and flash the desired ROM. Kernel flashes with the ROM automatically.
WoBble12 said:
And, another one, how can I be sure my phone is a GSM version? They have a different name under "about phone" section of the settings, but this can be faked I think. And I could also verify the MID in the boot loader?
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You need to look at not only the CID and MID in bootloader (getvar all) but also the product name (such as m8_ul, etc.). CID and MID can be easily hacked with s-off, but as far as I've seen, the product name is never modified.
Good list of MIDs and product names (column labelled "Variant" on the table) here: http://droider.eu/2014/09/20/htc-one-m8-models/
Until you have the phone in hard, I'm not sure how much of this you can tell for sure. So buy from a reputable source, with a guaranteed method of refund of exchange, in case the device is not as advertised (and we're seeing more and more of that lately).

Need help restoring factory specs

So I bought this 'new' phone with the intention of rooting it and got to the point of updating to the latest firmware before root. turns out the phone is already 'modified'. contacted htc support looking for a means to restore factory specs but they say it has been rooted and it'll take another 2-3 days before i can further pursue the issue.
wondering if someone here can enlighten me as to how i'd restore stock before i re-root (there's no telling what mischief the rooter was up to). it was pretty easy on my old samsung with odin but this is my first htc so i'm in unknown territory here. the phone is in an otherwise impeccable state so i'm not really bothered about returning it since i can't imagine anything that might survive a factory reflash.
a little guidance would be much appreciated!

Take a look at the ReadMe thread. The RUU section most likely contains everything you need. I personally recommend the SD card method. It's the easiest and most fail-safe one.
Sent from my HTC One M9 using XDA Labs

Been poring through it but frankly it is overwhelming. Wonder if you could answer a few noob questions.
1. the ruu section says not to re-lock the bootloader. will flashing an ruu re-lock the bootloader?
2. found my ruu which seems to be a sprint cdma version (sku:651). however the cid (SPCS_001) does not match with mine (11111111). not sure where to find the MID. where does this mismatch leave me?
3. will flashing the sprint cdma fw lock my carrier (ie prevent me from using other sim cards)
4. does the ruu rewrite/restore all of the partitions e.g. including recovery? (considering an unknown person has rooted and tinkered with the phone).

jbonetwo said:
Been poring through it but frankly it is overwhelming. Wonder if you could answer a few noob questions.
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Yes, you can. Follow-up questions are always welcome. (In contrast to questions that obviously show that people were too lazy to read anything. )
jbonetwo said:
the ruu section says not to re-lock the bootloader. will flashing an ruu re-lock the bootloader?
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No. Re-locking the bootloader requires the usage of a certain fastboot command.
jbonetwo said:
found my ruu which seems to be a sprint cdma version (sku:651). however the cid (SPCS_001) does not match with mine (11111111). not sure where to find the MID. where does this mismatch leave me?
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Click to collapse
Your phone currently uses the SuperCID. That CID had a whole bunch of benefits on older HTC devices. It lost most of them on the M9, though. Changing the CID is only possible with S-OFF. I highly recommend you to use the conversion guide for restoring your phones original CID. (CDMA versions of the M9 can't get converted to different variants without breaking them. If you're able to get mobile reception with that phone then it didn't get converted and you definetely own a Sprint M9. You don't have to look for the MID in this case.)
jbonetwo said:
will flashing the sprint cdma fw lock my carrier (ie prevent me from using other sim cards)
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I can't answer that question since sim locks don't exist in the European firmware versions of this phone and I therefore don't have much experiences with them.
jbonetwo said:
does the ruu rewrite/restore all of the partitions e.g. including recovery? (considering an unknown person has rooted and tinkered with the phone).
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Yes, it does. RUUs overwrite everything on your phone with their files.

thank you for taking the time!
Flippy498 said:
If you're able to get mobile reception with that phone then it didn't get converted and you definetely own a Sprint M9. You don't have to look for the MID in this case.)
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definitely a sprint m9 then. i wonder if they're rooting/unlocking sim-locked sprints and reselling them as unlocked phones.
will have to confirm the sim lock detail with htc support either way. but it's starting to look like i may have to return the phone. disappointing but at least rooting and flashing a genuine one is gonna be a breeze now