Develop Bugs

[Q] HELP!! Have I bricked my new device!? SO WORRIED!!

Hey guys,
I'm kinda new to the HTC/Android world, found this community a damn good place to find support.. But now I've hit a road block.
Basically, I've been eager to root from day 1 of getting my first htc handset, I came across from jailbreak and loved the fact of customizability with Android.
So I had the Google play edition(I think, all geared towards Google) running Kit Kat 4.4.4. Love it, big Google user so this all tied together lovely.
Here is the Situation.
I found a video on youtube, cannot provide URL as I'm in work at the moment, but it was root guide from scratch. Fresh windows OS, seemingly a phone fresh out the box.. you get the idea.
I used the Hasoon2000 tool to root the device. Installed ADB etc on my pc, signed up as a a dev, got the Key for device, sent in and received my .bin file. I got up to actually rooting my device, well pleased and happy. Using TWRP via Hasoon2000.
But here is where **** hits the fan.
The device needed to update, It took me back to 4.4.2 but Im unsure on how to get back to most up to date OS and keep the root.
But when I reboot to install this, it goes into TWRP. no other way around this.
Queried this on another forum, decided to continue to be patient... but no replies, in the mean time I restored my apps and have a fiddle, see what the root function can do for myself.
I installed "Freedom 1.0.6" and a program called "Market Share"- Hate iAP, some games are ridiculously priced for the smallest of things, I just wanted to sandbox plague inc. ;(
Now the device is stuck in a boot loop, phone starts up, see the home screen for a bout 40 seconds/ one minute.. Some times I unlock the device and it goes back to flash screen then.. others I boot an app and its slides away once more.
This happened close to 15x before I left for work this morning and I imagine its just going to repeat this and run the battery - I tried to stop this loop by going into TWRP and possibly choosing to boot system this way may of stopped it.. but when I was on the boot screen with those options.. It said Tampered at top of screen and S-On- which has scared me quite a bit..
What the hell has happened!?
I'm desperate to know and don't want to have this damn thing bricked! Please help.. try explain like I'm 5, as said I'm new to a lot of this! >.<

first off, if the screen comes on, its not bricked.
esenfur said:
But here is where **** hits the fan.
The device needed to update, It took me back to 4.4.2 but Im unsure on how to get back to most up to date OS and keep the root.
But when I reboot to install this, it goes into TWRP. no other way around this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mean you accepted an official OTA? I think that is what you are saying. You should not be accepting OTAs on a phone that has been bootloader unlocked, custom recovery, etc. unless you know exactly what you are doing and what the result will be (which is clearly not the case).
Stock recovery is needed to install an OTA. That is why it keeps going to TWRP, then it doesn't find stock recovery and reboots, hence the loop you are stuck in. Try to find the OTA file and delete it.

redpoint73 said:
first off, if the screen comes on, its not bricked.
Do you mean you accepted an official OTA? I think that is what you are saying. You should not be accepting OTAs on a phone that has been bootloader unlocked, custom recovery, etc. unless you know exactly what you are doing and what the result will be (which is clearly not the case).
Stock recovery is needed to install an OTA. That is why it keeps going to TWRP, then it doesn't find stock recovery and reboots, hence the loop you are stuck in. Try to find the OTA file and delete it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for fast response.
Official OTA - being that the phone its self said "Update the OS" - I just accepted this, hit download and began install as a reboot- didnt spot implications. As said, noob, followed a tut. If it highlighted DO NOT UPDATE or.. IF U WANT UPDATE NOW FOLLOW THIS- Great, but nothing of the sort?
Is the OTA file basically the .exe for the OS- so find it and delete it.. although I dont have enough time to navigate and establish where the file actually is located!
Or do you have any links to tutorials I could possibly follow?
Side note- when this loop started I deleted

esenfur said:
Or do you have any links to tutorials I could possibly follow?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is really your main issue. By following a YouTube video and using a Toolkit, you've failed to actually learn anything or gain any real understanding or knowledge. Do yourself a favor and ditch the tutorials and videos (and toolkit for that matter) and do it the old fashioned way . . . by reading. Videos and step-by-step guides do you no good when things go south (as you've now discovered). And with the prior proper knowledge (usually not gained by following tutorials) this whole mess probably would have never happened in the first place.
A cardinal rule of Android phone modding: DO NOT accept/download/install OTAs (official OS updates) on a modded device unless you know what you are doing, and what the result will be. If in any doubt, simply DO NOT do it.
esenfur said:
Is the OTA file basically the .exe for the OS- so find it and delete it.. although I dont have enough time to navigate and establish where the file actually is located!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.exe file is Windows specific. You are looking for a zip file, and it typically starts with "OTA". Don't remember where its saved to, so you will have to search for it. If you can't keep the phone running long enough to do so, mount the memory on your computer and search that way.
Deleting the OTA file worked for me on a past device, although one M8 user in the same position said deleting the file didn't get him out of the loop. Flashing your ROM again, or wiping the internal memory (backup any important personal data first) might be options for you.

redpoint73 said:
you've failed to actually learn anything or gain any real understanding or knowledge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive seen quite a fair few ratings for Hasoon2000 and decided to go with it..
redpoint73 said:
Videos and step-by-step guides do you no good when things go south (as you've now discovered).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed.. theres FAR much more I need to learn.. its scary haha.
redpoint73 said:
DO NOT accept/download/install OTAs (official OS updates)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
taken on board. I know with my jailbreaks in past it has been a pain, assumed Android would be alot more stable to over write- due to functionality of OS and unlocked features.
I was being generic when I said .exe- basically the installer..
I returned from work to see phone stopped looping.. i could stop the install and deleted the file ASAP.. but now what.. Phone is still bugging me to update, lost the root(got a checker).. so whats the correct procedure!?

I am confused to what you are trying to accomplish at this point, is it to install a OTA, or a recovery? What exactly is going down here?
Me personally to take an OTA is to relock bootloader, install stock recovery, and make sure CID matches. I am S-Off so bootloader means very little, but you can unlock and relock at will when you are S-Off. You will not lose S-Off accepting an OTA.

Try to re-flash the ROM, with stok ROM, using TWRP and clean install. It should work.

hack14u said:
I am confused to what you are trying to accomplish at this point, is it to install a OTA, or a recovery? What exactly is going down here?
Me personally to take an OTA is to relock bootloader, install stock recovery, and make sure CID matches. I am S-Off so bootloader means very little, but you can unlock and relock at will when you are S-Off. You will not lose S-Off accepting an OTA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am trying to update the phone, root and then some..
What file am I looking for and how do I flash a ROM on a M8

esenfur said:
I am trying to update the phone, root and then some..
What file am I looking for and how do I flash a ROM on a M8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all once the bootloader is unlocked you don't have to relock it to get OTA.
As I undersand you have done the following:
1) Unlock using HTCDev-Method
2) flashed a custom revocery (TWRP in your case)
3) flashed a supersu too!?
To install the OTA means loosing root acces. Thus you have to re-root it after the OTA is done. The other problem ist that STOCK OTAs don't work with a custom recovery. Meaning you would have to flash a stock recovery first, install the OTA second (as long as you didn't change anything an just root), and re-root third.
Let's have a look which stock recovery you would need:
1) reboot to bootloader
2) connect the phone to you PC and open cmd in you adb/fastboot folder
3) enter "fastboot getvar all"
4) paste this information here (but DELETE the IMEI and SERIAL NUMBER before posting!!)
As soon as we know which stock recovery you need we will go on.

esenfur said:
Ive seen quite a fair few ratings for Hasoon2000 and decided to go with it..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not saying there is anything "wrong" with the toolkit, per se. For the most part, it does what its intended to do.
But it also shortcuts the learning process, and facilitates folks rooting the phone without gaining the proper knowledge. This is a dangerous thing.
This is just my opinion. But I strongly believe it. If you can't accomplish these things without a toolkit, you shouldn't be rooting your phone in the first place.
Others use the toolkits, and love them. They are more than entitled to have their own opinion. But when things go south, the toolkits aren't going to help; and those folks don't have the proper knowledge and they come running here. So you tell me what is the "best" way to root the phone?
esenfur said:
I was being generic when I said .exe- basically the installer..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I already figured this was probably the case. But I found it better to provide the exact information on what file to delete; rather than leaving it open to the possibility of you and/or others being misinformed.
esenfur said:
Phone is still bugging me to update, lost the root(got a checker).. so whats the correct procedure!?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you still have TWRP installed, so just flash SU or SuperSU to gain root.
After that, you can use Titanium Backup or similar app to find the update process and freeze it, to stop the update notifications.
Don't remember the exact process (this is where searching and reading comes in for you) but its something like "drm..." or "updater".

I have this situation before,what i do is find the right stock recovery and flash..after ota done flash back custom recovery..?

esenfur said:
I am trying to update the phone, root and then some..
What file am I looking for and how do I flash a ROM on a M8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At this point after seeing this, I would suggest you take some time and start reading. All of your answers are here in the forums. Knowledge is power and within the pages of this site you will find everything you need.
To take the OTA find a stock recovery, to flash ROM's find the one you like and flash via your favorite recovery.

M9 with 5.1 OS rootable?

Earlier today, I finally made the jump to HTC after owning multiple versions of Samsungs over time. The OS version (AT&T) is confirmed as the latest 5.1. Being brand new to HTC, I know I have some learning to do in terms of rooting. Honestly I just want to have root to run a few pieces of software, but I'm not looking right now at messing with custom ROM flashes or anything like that. Mainly interested in using TiBu to do some de-bloat, and I also have an interface app needed for my car stereo that needs the root access. FYI, I used to jailbreak iPhones ages ago, plus I've had tons of luck keeping all my Samsung phones and tablets done. I consider myself somewhat techie, but need to do adequate reading on the HTC methodology so something doesn't get all gummed up in the works.
Soooo, can someone point me to a good step-by-step starting point thread? Also want to be sure 5.1 didn't close up the holes people have been using over time. Many thanks in advance!
~Vol

A follow-up question too. I'd like to make a full 100% safety backup for desktop PC archiving purposes before attempting to touch anything. What is best method to do that on HTC? Thx.

Vol4Ever said:
A follow-up question too. I'd like to make a full 100% safety backup for desktop PC archiving purposes before attempting to touch anything. What is best method to do that on HTC? Thx.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) go to HTCdev.com and request an unlock token. It will walk you through the complete process of unlocking bootloader. *note* this process wipes internal storage
http://www.htcdev.com/bootloader
2) read the first three posts of the twrp thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/one-m9/orig-development/recovery-twrp-touch-recovery-t3066720
3) click the downloads tab of the twrp thread and download "twrp-2.8.7.1_CPTB-B1-hima.img" to your fastboot folder (during step 1 you got fastboot working on your computer).
4) reboot boot into download mode and flash twrp from a command line ("fastboot flash recovery twrp-2.8.7.1_CPTB-B1-hima.img")
5) reboot to bootloader and use the volume down button to highlight boot to recovery and press the power button to select that.
6) at the first twrp screen screen select to leave system read only
7) select backup
8) place a check next to system image. You can deselect everything else...or leave boot, data and system selected, but you really don't need them. System image is what you need to get back to stock. Data might be useful if you ever flash a custom rom and want to go back to stick, but I don't know about that. Swipe to start backup. You now have an unmodified system image that you can restore later.
9) back out to main menu, select reboot and reboot back to recovery
10) this time on the opening screen swipe the bottom to make the system r/w
11) go to reboot and select system, swipe to reboot. You're going to get a notice saying you're not rooted and ask if you want to install supersu. Swipe to do this.
12) once the phone boots up, go to the app drawer and you'll see an icon for supersu. Open that and follow the instructions on screen to finish the process. This will probably include downloading a file and rebooting into twrp again. But like I said, just follow the instructions in the app.
You're now rooted.
Hope this helps. Enjoy.

Outstanding level of detail, my friend. Will attack this tomorrow.
And congrats on being in Nashville. My wife and I have looked seriously in that area in the past. Not sure when, but I see us living in the Franklin / Brentwood area at some point in the future. Thanks again for the checklist. I'll report back when I've had a chance to complete.

Vol4Ever said:
Outstanding level of detail, my friend. Will attack this tomorrow.
And congrats on being in Nashville. My wife and I have looked seriously in that area in the past. Not sure when, but I see us living in the Franklin / Brentwood area at some point in the future. Thanks again for the checklist. I'll report back when I've had a chance to complete.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're in Franklin. Post if you run into any issues.

One more thing, since you mentioned the backup. The HTCdev unlock process will wipe your entire phone. So be sure you backup anything you don't want to lose first, like photos.

iElvis said:
One more thing, since you mentioned the backup. The HTCdev unlock process will wipe your entire phone. So be sure you backup anything you don't want to lose first, like photos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep. I figured he would read that in the dev unlock process, but it was nice of you to point that out specifically.
I was trying to keep it simple and promote reading. But I added this warning to step one.

jollywhitefoot said:
Post if you run into any issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tips on backups, but it is still a brand new phone. Haven't even started moving apps, music, pics, etc yet. And my first issue, as luck would have it, has appeared on your step #1 (ugh). Following through the links, I wound up here:
http://www.htcdev.com/bootloader/unlock-instructions
It talks about doing the volume down & power sequence and states the phone should go into bootloader mode. Mine actually goes into download mode, but there is a menu item there to reboot to bootloader. When I do that, it pulls up a different output screen / menu:
*** Software status: Official ***
*** LOCKED ***
*** S-ON ***
Reboot
Reboot to bootloader
Reboot to download mode
Reboot to recovery mode
Power down
The problem is that the instructions are telling me to get to "fastboot" mode before proceeding to the next steps. That particular setting doesn't show up in either the bootloader or download mode menus. Is it something simple I'm missing??

Vol4Ever said:
Thanks for the tips on backups, but it is still a brand new phone. Haven't even started moving apps, music, pics, etc yet. And my first issue, as luck would have it, has appeared on your step #1 (ugh). Following through the links, I wound up here:
http://www.htcdev.com/bootloader/unlock-instructions
It talks about doing the volume down & power sequence and states the phone should go into bootloader mode. Mine actually goes into download mode, but there is a menu item there to reboot to bootloader. When I do that, it pulls up a different output screen / menu:
*** Software status: Official ***
*** LOCKED ***
*** S-ON ***
Reboot
Reboot to bootloader
Reboot to download mode
Reboot to recovery mode
Power down
The problem is that the instructions are telling me to get to "fastboot" mode before proceeding to the next steps. That particular setting doesn't show up in either the bootloader or download mode menus. Is it something simple I'm missing??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The instructions aren't updated yet. The "fastboot mode" only exists on older HTC phones. The M9's "fastboot mode" is actually the "download mode".

Flippy498 said:
The M9's "fastboot mode" is actually the "download mode".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That got it. Bootloader unlocked & confirmed through screen menus!! Now to proceed with the rest of the backup / root procedure . . .
Thanks again.

Vol4Ever said:
That got it. Bootloader unlocked & confirmed through screen menus!! Now to proceed with the rest of the backup / root procedure . . .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once you're rooted, it's really worth getting s-off through Sunshine. It's $25, but it will allow you to flash the most current firmware on your phone instead of waiting for your carrier to push it out, in addition to some other goodies like being able to change your splash image. This phone had some serious issues at launch that have since been fixed with the most recent 5.1 updates, so you don't want to be stuck on old firmware.

Well jollywhite's instructions went right down the middle and helped accomplish every line item I requested. THANK YOU!!!
So Elvis, what is this sunshine thing? I've already started cleaning up bloat with TiBu, but don't have any additional flashing on the radar. Root is good so I can now start moving all my stuff over.

Vol4Ever said:
Well jollywhite's instructions went right down the middle and helped accomplish every line item I requested. THANK YOU!!!
So Elvis, what is this sunshine thing? I've already started cleaning up bloat with TiBu, but don't have any additional flashing on the radar. Root is good so I can now start moving all my stuff over.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congratulations on successfully unlocking & rooting your phone. It's a good feeling to learn how to do it and then get it done, and why XDA is such a great place.
Sunshine (currently on version 3.1) is a paid software solution that will get you S-OFF on your M9. It's developed by XDA members for aficionados - the cost is to cover their costs for materials and work done. There are some limitations and caveats, so be sure to read the thread carefully (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2792487).
[edit]Re-reading your post, it seems that you may not need or want S-OFF. If you are satisfied with a custom recovery and root, S-OFF doesn't add anything you need[/edit]

Vol4Ever said:
Well jollywhite's instructions went right down the middle and helped accomplish every line item I requested. THANK YOU!!!
So Elvis, what is this sunshine thing? I've already started cleaning up bloat with TiBu, but don't have any additional flashing on the radar. Root is good so I can now start moving all my stuff over.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad everything worked out. Good job.
At some point you're probably going to want to s-off. Waiting for AT&T to approve updates can be excruciating at times. For example, AT&T didn't release lollipop for the M8 until freaking April, where international firmware for lollipop was available in December or early January.
That said, I would probably wait because there's really not a need right now. At&t just pushed new firmware so you can run any rom you like at the moment. I'm pretty sure I read you were on 5.1 right? That means you should be on the new 2.6 firmware.

jollywhitefoot said:
That said, I would probably wait because there's really not a need right now. At&t just pushed new firmware so you can run any rom you like at the moment. I'm pretty sure I read you were on 5.1 right? That means you should be on the new 2.6 firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that was really surprising, AT&T actually pushed it out before Europe, which I've never seen happen before. But no guarantee that will continue.
Vol4Ever, they're correct that you can wait on s-off for now, until you're more comfortable being rooted and modding your phone. There's little real benefit in doing it at the moment.

Flippy498 said:
The instructions aren't updated yet. The "fastboot mode" only exists on older HTC phones. The M9's "fastboot mode" is actually the "download mode".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this info it's were I was stuck
Sent from my HTC One M9 using XDA Free mobile app

ZE500CL Rooting and other related stuff

It seems that few ever talk about the ZE500CL variant of the zenfone 2. I've read a whole lot of posts on rooting, unlocking the bootloader, and installing TWRP, but most do not even mention this variant.
I started this thread to collect some information about this device. I would like to know from those who have this device, what has worked for you so far, and what hasn't? I'm especially interested in finding out the 3 things mentioned above.

I've only recently bought the device, and I only rooted it (though I did first get one bootloop already). The method that worked for me is described in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/zenfone2/general/root-ze500cl-z00d-t3116531
The OP of the thread linked above also said that the second method on this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/zenfone2/general/root-newbie-root-instructions-zenfone-2-t3114063 works as well.
Btw, make sure the drivers are installed, else the computer won't be able to recognize the device when it is in bootloader mode.

Installing Xposed works as well using the ADB method mentioned in the thread linked below:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/zenfone2/general/guide-to-install-xposed-installer-t3116476

I can add any info you find to the device index in the general section for the 500CL.

Djalaal said:
I've only recently bought the device, and I only rooted it (though I did first get one bootloop already). The method that worked for me is described in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/zenfone2/general/root-ze500cl-z00d-t3116531
The OP of the thread linked above also said that the second method on this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/zenfone2/general/root-newbie-root-instructions-zenfone-2-t3114063 works as well.
Btw, make sure the drivers are installed, else the computer won't be able to recognize the device when it is in bootloader mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you fix/handle the bootloop?
Do you know if it is possible to update the phone after rooting it?

cmendonc2 said:
I can add any info you find to the device index in the general section for the 500CL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, that post is much more likely to be noticed than this one. Although I might not find out much. I'm a lot less daring without custom recovery. Hence this thread.
crisbal said:
How did you fix/handle the bootloop?
Do you know if it is possible to update the phone after rooting it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, seeing that I do not have a custom recovery (bootloader is still locked), I had to do it the hard way, reflash stock rom. Good news is, apparently your userdata (installed apps+settings and internal memory) is not wiped in the process.
First, you gotta download the rom. Get it from http://forum.xda-developers.com/zenfone2/general/index-asus-zenfone-2-wip-t3149748. Although I got mine here: http://www.asus-zenfone.com/2015/03/asus-zenfone-2-stock-rom-ze500cl-ze550ml-ze551ml.html, which is the old version.
Second, go into recovery mode (from bootloader mode), and use adb sideload ("apply update from ADB") to flash the .zip downloaded before. This is described under "Flashing Zenfone 2 via ADB" on this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/zenfone2/general/asus-zenfone-2-flashing-recovery-mode-t3096596
Btw, the bootloop was caused by a mistake I made, not the rooting process.

any news update in our bootloader? hope someone could work for that..

How to get rid off couldn't add widget?

crisbal said:
Do you know if it is possible to update the phone after rooting it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After more than a week of feeling unsure to update mine to WW_12.16.5.118, updating it today after finish uninstalling SuperSU. This is what I have done.
1 - uninstall SuperSU from SuperSU setting - reboot.
2 - update firmware.
3 - re-root using Temporary_CWM method as describe here
Chinaphonearena said:
Method 2: Root through temporary CWM
This is a temporary CWM with the primary purpose of injecting SuperSU onto your Asus Zenfone 2. It doesn't permanently replace recovery. This process looks long, but really is bam 1,2,3 done. Just laid out step by step for the newbie.
link removed due to post count limitation
Unzip the package
Copy SuperSU.zip to the base of your SD card
Enable USB debugging (Settings > Phone info > Tap build 7x > Back button > Developer options > USB debugging)
If you don't already have ADB drivers installed, you may need to [post count restriction] and install them (most PCs have them already, but trying installing these if you're having trouble getting your PC to issue commands to the phone via USB)
With your phone on, attach it to PC via USB
Run 'cai_dat_CWM.bat' from the CWM package
In the black command window that opens, type ACCEPT
Type T4
Phone will reboot into fastboot and you'll see commands being issued from the PC cmd window copying the temporary recovery
You may see some funked up images on your display for a bit. Remove the USB cable and within 30 seconds should then see it booted into CWM
Select install update
Navigate to SuperSU.zip and install
Bam, done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4 - Success!!! now my phone are rooted and all rooted apps installed previously are working.
Note: Previously (before updating FOTA) I also root my ZE500CL using Temporary_CWM since One Click root method aren't working for me.

Recover from bootfreeze while fully stock
Well, after getting a bootfreeze being on a fully (old version) stock ze500cl (Z00D), I figured out something useful. How to recover from a bootfreeze with locked bootloader, non rooted stock rom, without loosing what was saved on your internal storage.
Given that you have not messed with system files (since you aren't rooted), I'm assuming you got either corrupted userdata files or your internal storage is so full, the phone fails to even boot. I had the latter. If system files are the problem, this method might (or probably?) not work. The trick is to use tethered TWRP for backing up your internal storage.
1: Download CWM_Zenfone_2_Intel.zip here: https://www.mediafire.com/folder/w70w7r1a65840/Zenfone_2 (gotten from source 1)
2: Download Recovery.zip here: https://drive.google.com/folderview...T0xRMVRkcTg3MHdlc1o0cVFBc3RPeTQ&usp=drive_web (gotten from source 2)
3: Extract the zip from Step 1.
4: Go to the FB_RecoveryLauncher folder you have extracted, and replace the recovery.zip there with the one downloaded in Step 2.
5: Boot into your stock recovery and connect your phone to the computer. Make sure you have adb and the phone's drivers installed (gotten from source 3).
6. Run the cai_dat_CWM.bat script and you should boot into temporary TWRP recovery after a minute or so.
7. Use TWRP to copy your sdcard folder (internal storage) into your ext_sdcard folder (external storage/microsd) for the sake of backing it up.
8a. In the case of having too full internal storage, simply delete some things in there, and you should be able to boot it again.
8b. Not tested, but in case of corrupted userdata, a factory reset is probably necessary, and will solve the bootfreeze issue.
source 1: http://forum.xda-developers.com/zenfone2/general/root-newbie-root-instructions-zenfone-2-t3114063 (method 2)
source 2: http://forum.xda-developers.com/zenfone2/development/alpha-tethered-twrp-asus-zenfone-2-t3123532
source 3: http://forum.xda-developers.com/zenfone2/general/asus-zenfone-2-flashing-recovery-mode-t3096596
@cmendonc2 , if you want, you can add this to your index.

Djalaal said:
It seems that few ever talk about the ZE500CL variant of the zenfone 2. I've read a whole lot of posts on rooting, unlocking the bootloader, and installing TWRP, but most do not even mention this variant.
I started this thread to collect some information about this device. I would like to know from those who have this device, what has worked for you so far, and what hasn't? I'm especially interested in finding out the 3 things mentioned above.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for providing this thread. Found it after hours of scouring the internet in search of help after somehow getting my phone locked in boot-loop. There isn't much support for the ZE500CL, but I will be posting on some blogs while I begin work on mine, and I will reference others to this thread and the few others I've found. Thanks again! :good:

Xanathide said:
Thank you so much for providing this thread. Found it after hours of scouring the internet in search of help after somehow getting my phone locked in boot-loop. There isn't much support for the ZE500CL, but I will be posting on some blogs while I begin work on mine, and I will reference others to this thread and the few others I've found. Thanks again! :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, was out of town for 3 months. Glad to be of help. You know where the thanks button is .
I should note that the this phone is now the daily driver of both my parents so I stopped tinkering with it, although I left one of them rooted (and the other not lol). So don't expect more updates from me sadly.

Djalaal said:
Sorry, was out of town for 3 months. Glad to be of help. You know where the thanks button is .
I should note that the this phone is now the daily driver of both my parents so I stopped tinkering with it, although I left one of them rooted (and the other not lol). So don't expect more updates from me sadly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's quite alright, I've had my fun with Z00D, got myself a LG V10 to break now

I dont ask for directions...
This is my first time asking questions as I have always been able to reverse-engineer (R-E) or as the hacker in swordfish would say "the code just comes to me". Ive been around computers since my dad took me to work at UT and commands were issued with punch out cards....I've been a long time android self taught enthusiast turned professional. ITT Alum etc. I research, I surf, I R-E, and I try every possible option etc...only this has me stumped. And this is the first android that has stumped me. I double checked everything but I keep getting this error in BBQLinux: I followed all pre-update instructions to the T.
fw: ATT_12.16.10.92
adb sideload
This package is not for ATT (WW)
E: Error in /sideload/package.zip
(Status 7)
yes I did with root cmd line, yes cd to zip file location, yes I verified correct fw, even tried different fw zips ZE500CL downloaded officially and from here.
I greatly appreciate any help and I do apologize for "asking for directions"
Computer John dba Austin Computer Techs

cuervo233 said:
This is my first time asking questions as I have always been able to reverse-engineer (R-E) or as the hacker in swordfish would say "the code just comes to me". Ive been around computers since my dad took me to work at UT and commands were issued with punch out cards....I've been a long time android self taught enthusiast turned professional. ITT Alum etc. I research, I surf, I R-E, and I try every possible option etc...only this has me stumped. And this is the first android that has stumped me. I double checked everything but I keep getting this error in BBQLinux: I followed all pre-update instructions to the T.
fw: ATT_12.16.10.92
adb sideload
This package is not for ATT (WW)
E: Error in /sideload/package.zip
(Status 7)
yes I did with root cmd line, yes cd to zip file location, yes I verified correct fw, even tried different fw zips ZE500CL downloaded officially and from here.
I greatly appreciate any help and I do apologize for "asking for directions"
Computer John dba Austin Computer Techs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
?? Is that att ota youre trying to sideload? Att doesn't have fw, ze500cl does. But just unlock your bootloader, flash twrp, then install whatever, cm, aicp, custom stock or straight stock. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=64991762
Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

Cool, I didn't read anywhere about unlocking BL first otherwise Ida made that "turn at the first light". We will ULO thru Asus and continue on our journey. These little Asus trinkets are little buggers being Intel based. Only line of Android devices that have ever stumped me. I am much obliged, fellow XDA brethren. Much obliged.
After pondering a little I came to this conclusion:
UL BL is basically the first step one should take when doing any kind of flashing of internal partitions be it a boot.img, recovery.img, FW etc... at least for the higher end devices. I don't recall having to do that for my sm-n900t recently. Does it only apply for flashing back to stock and not custom roms? Although I didn't have to UL BL first when I heim-dall/Odin flashed my note3 back to stock rom after being boot-looped. Cause once I did that I was able to try out a majority of custom roms available for it whether flashed thru HD/fastboot, Odin, via twrp update zip, or adb sideload. Hmmm, I might understand once I think it thru and look at all the different variables.
Good day gentlemen.
Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting androids...
:good:

@cuervo233 Yes most devices you have to unlock the bootloader first. But there are some devices that already come unlocked. And then there are even some that have bootloaders that cannot be unlocked due to carrier restrictions. In order to get custom recovery to boot you must unlock the bootloader or it must come unlocked. With a custom recovery you can Flash the stock zip file from the Asus website or a custom ROM have fun
Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

Thank you. I was able to ULBL, flash TWRP, flash to ww 118, root, and now its time to explore the neat wonderful world of custom ROMs. This was by far the hardest yet. Next in line is the cricket Stylo which was also giving me hell, but now I dont think I should have any problem getting it done. I'll keep ya'll posted.:good:

Lg stylo should have way more development, have fun brother. Remember tmobile phones( cricket, walmart family mobile, and metro pcs) you can easily unlock the bootloader . att on the other hand usually has locked down bl.
Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

"System update available"

Hi,
terribly sorry to bother you guys!
I recently bought an M9 (Belgium, no carrier) and rooted it with the help of this youtube video /watch?v=rOHN8byHAzk
works fine, it's rooted.
The thing is: i did updates before doing the root, as i unlocked bootloader everything was lost/deleted, at the time (4a.m), with my brain half asleep i didn't think about doing the updates again before performing the actual root. Now i keep getting the "system update available" message and can't get rid of it.
It'll keep popping up every few hours, obviously i can't install them because i arrive back at twrp recovery.
Android version 5.0.2
Kernel version 3.10.49-g5c16a62
I turned software updates off in the "about" section in settings, to no avail. I keep getting the message that updates are available. Downloading them and then proceeding to remove the downloaded files don't solve it.
I'm a total noob at this, but (hopefully) not a complete idiot. If there are any steps i can take to get rid of this constantly popping up, please advise me:fingers-crossed:

There's more than one possibility to proceed. Could you provide the output of the "htc_fastboot getvar all" command, when M9 is in download mode (without IMEI and Serial no.). I'd like to point you into the right direction.
Send by the swarm intelligence of my coffee machine ?.

Thanks for taking the time!
It's in download mode, i've got my command prompt open but it says "htc_fastboot is not recognized as an internal or external command, program or batchfile"

In all honesty just pay for s-off and you can flash an unsigned zip and be done with it.
Otherwise you need to get back to official status to flash the update. Pita to be honest.
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

shivadow said:
In all honesty just pay for s-off and you can flash an unsigned zip and be done with it.
Otherwise you need to get back to official status to flash the update. Pita to be honest.
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*sigh*
I'm going to take a few days off of work and try to educate myself on how all of this works exactly because i'm starting to feel like i just came out of the stone age. Honestly, i just rooted my last phone through good old towelroot without ever having to touch or change anything else. I should not have touched stuff i know nothing of to begin with.
I appreciate you guys taking the time to reply, i'm gonna find some sites to teach me more about this, if you have anything that could help me, feel free to share, because i literally know 0.

Fatimiyye said:
*sigh*
I'm going to take a few days off of work and try to educate myself on how all of this works exactly because i'm starting to feel like i just came out of the stone age. Honestly, i just rooted my last phone through good old towelroot without ever having to touch or change anything else. I should not have touched stuff i know nothing of to begin with.
I appreciate you guys taking the time to reply, i'm gonna find some sites to teach me more about this, if you have anything that could help me, feel free to share, because i literally know 0.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Basically, there is a safety feature in HTC otas now that prevents them from running unless your phone is 100% stock. So being rooted, it won't run. There are only two ways forward, find the RUU files for your carrier and install them, or get s-off and update manually. There are multiple threads on how to do all this in the General forum. Read there before doing anything else. HTC phones work differently from other handsets that have to be hacked to achieve root. There is an official path, but how you do it matters.

iElvis said:
Basically, there is a safety feature in HTC otas now that prevents them from running unless your phone is 100% stock. So being rooted, it won't run. There are only two ways forward, find the RUU files for your carrier and install them, or get s-off and update manually. There are multiple threads on how to do all this in the General forum. Read there before doing anything else. HTC phones work differently from other handsets that have to be hacked to achieve root. There is an official path, but how you do it matters.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much man. I'm gonna learn up first, and then take your advice and head to the general forum.
For all other noobs who are desperate to catch up, this is helping me out quite a bit:
http://androidforums.com/threads/how-to-and-some-root-terminology.353591/ => Terminology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOHN8byHAzk => Unlock bootloader and root the phone
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2588979 => This helps to install ADB/fastboot/drivers
http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile...on-htc-android-phones-with-unrevoked-forever/ => some info about s-off
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=59745198&postcount=3 => HTC One M9 FAQ
Edit: OH, AND THIS! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmvCpR45LKA
FFS, WATCH THAT ONE!

Just in case anyone has the same issue (i like to end on a positive note =D ) :
The easiest working solution i found for the issue is to go to the Apps management (Settings, apps), go to "All", select "Updater" and then clear data.
No pop ups so far.
Credit for this goes to moderator Earlymon from androidforums

Does rooting require you to wipe your phone? (and other basic rooting questions)

The last time I rooted a phone was with a GS3 to install CyanogenMod. I've recently picked up a Pixel 2 XL, and I had some fairly noob-esque questions:
1. Do I have to wipe my phone to root it? That is, there is no "in-place" rooting?
1a. Are there any good methods to make a full backup *without* root before rooting it, and then restore it after I root?
2. Does rooting my phone make future OS updates more difficult/impossible? Ie: Will I still get OS updates, or will I have unroot my phone to get updates, then reroot it, possibly wiping everything?
3. What's the best method to go about doing this now? Googling around, and looking around here, I see a few different, but similar methods. I also see references to a "critical unlock," but no matter how many guides I read, I don't understand it. I'm starting to feel like I don't understand enough anymore to root my phone :-/
I really want to just be able to get back hosts-file based ad blocking again, and maybe a few other tweaks.

1, 1a: Go here and start reading, if you haven't already done so. To root requires unlocking the bootloader, which will cause the device to be wiped. It's best not to put anything important on the device until afterward.
2: OTAs must be applied manually. See the link I provided for instructions.
3: The P2XL is apparently unique in having two unlock commands. The non-critical unlock unlocks the bootloader while still providing some protection. The critical unlock strips all protections from the bootloader. To be on the safe side, execute both commands as mentioned in the link I provided.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
2: OTAs must be applied manually. See the link I provided for instructions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does that require re-wiping the device? Will I still get notified of updates, or will I have to keep track of new releases on my own?

The linked thread specifically says that OTAs do not require a device wipe. You should still get notifications.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
The linked thread specifically says that OTAs do not require a device wipe. You should still get notifications.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I must have missed that. Thanks for pointing me to an answer! I appreciate all your help.

LucentPhoenix said:
Sorry, I must have missed that. Thanks for pointing me to an answer! I appreciate all your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems daunting. But read and ask till your comfortable. Lots of really helpful and Patient people on this lovely site. Stock + Root is the ish.
G

Ok, another question.... I'm looking to try out Android P. Will I be able to upgrade to that without wiping my phone?

LucentPhoenix said:
Ok, another question.... I'm looking to try out Android P. Will I be able to upgrade to that without wiping my phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some have "dirty flashed" P over oreo with removing the -w flag from flash-all.bat script in the P factory image with mixed results. Your best bet is to clean flash the P build with fastboot to avoid any potential problems. However, yes, it will wipe your phone

Drat. Restoring apps and settings is far less painful than it used to be, but re-enabling all my 2FA is a pain in the ass.
If I do a clean flash of P, will I be able to upgrade P as new releases come out, or will I have to clean flash every time there's a new release, until it goes public?

LucentPhoenix said:
Drat. Restoring apps and settings is far less painful than it used to be, but re-enabling all my 2FA is a pain in the ass.
If I do a clean flash of P, will I be able to upgrade P as new releases come out, or will I have to clean flash every time there's a new release, until it goes public?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you would be able to upgrade to the beta releases. However, you'd likely have to go back to Oreo, which would require a full wipe and clean flash, then upgrade to the betas. The first beta release is due out this month according to all the scuttlebutt I've read, so I think your best bet is just to wait a little longer. Here's a thread on the PDP1 that several folks are using :good:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-2-xl/how-to/android-9-0-developer-preview-1-t3757268