Related
Constructive criticism is welcome.
This is my first guide and it's quite late here so I'm going to go through this lightly first, and more in detail later.
Note: I am NOT responsible for any damage your phone may or may not receive. It is your fault for following this guide, not my fault for writing it. Just for the sake of saving you from a headache, I would recommend backing up your contacts before starting this guide.
Phase 1: Prepping your CDMA Hero for rooting/flashing.
1. Ensure that USB debugging and installing apps from unknown sources is enabled. You can do this by going into Settings> Applications Check unknown sources. From there go into Development and ensure that "Enable USB debugging" is checked.
2. Mount your SD card on your computer by plugging in the USB cable, and dragging down the notification area. BACKUP YOUR DATA! ALWAYS!
3. After your data is backed up, Safely remove hardware (I find it annoying to get the "this disk may contains errors" every time i plug it in) your Hero. Using your notification area, unmount your SD card.
4. On your hero, navigate to Settings> SD card and phone storage> unmount SD card. Then format your card. It should Auto re-mount after this.
5. Download FlashRec (great tool!) and Amon-RA's recovery image. Place them onto the root of your SD card (not in any folders, just drag and drop them.) Unmount your SDcard.
6. I used Linda File manager (from the market), but you can use one of your choice. Navigate to the root of your SDcard (you'll probably start there, if you dont just click sdcard.) Open flashrec with the installer, and wait until it's finished.
7. Open FlashRec, and attempt to make a backup (i simply named mine "/sdcard/backup"). If it success proceed to the next step. if not, refer to post 2.
8. In FlashRec, type "/sdcard/recovery-RA-heroc-v1.5.2.img" without the quotes. Linux is Case-sensitive, so the capital letters have to be included. tap "download recovery image". Wait for it to finish, when it does reboot into recovery mode by powering off your phone. After it's off, hold HOME and the power button. You should see some green text on a black background.
9. First things first, Make a nandroid backup. It can, and will save your ass at some point in time. Before you flash ANYTHING to your phone, ALWAYS do a nandroid backup. Congratulations, you can now flash a custom ROM!
Phase 2:Flashing your custom ROM
Since I love Flipz and his work so much I'll be using his ROM in my guide (let me know if you have a problem with it Flipz).
0. Do a nandroid backup before you even think about downloading a ROM
1. Download Fresh 1.0.
2. Do not unzip it, leave it as it is and copy it to the root of your SD card. You can do this either from recovery mode (by enabling usb mode) or through the notification bar. Proceed to recovery mode by holding HOME+END CALL (or just disable USB mode) and select "flash update from .zip" Select the Fresh ROM and wait. It should automatically reboot after it finishes installing.
3. Be patient while it's booting, it took me about 5 minutes for the first boot, after that it gets much faster. Once it loads, everything should be all fine and dandy. If it's not, well aren't you glad you made your backup? Just proceed back into recovery and do a nandroid restore.
4. You can now delete all those .apks and .zips and whatnot. Mount your SD card on the computer, and move your backed up files back onto your card.
5: Enjoy! If you don't like the clear lock, Flipz has a patch on his website (geekfor.me) to replace it with a clear screen. This should keep all of your contacts and settings in place, but I make no promises.
Sources:
The Unlockr
How to unpatch your Sprint CDMA Hero.
Phase 1: Installing the SDK/Drivers
1. Download the SDK from Google. Create a folder at the root of your C:\ drive called android (it doesn't have to be your C:\, you can put it anywhere, but this guide will use "C:\android" as it's path.)
2. If using Windows Vista or earlier, proceed to the next step.
3. Download the driver for your system.
Windows 7 32Bit
Windows 7 64bit
To find out which drivers are right for your system, go into your control panel, and change the view type to small icons. Click on system, and check and see if it says 64-bit Operating System or 32-bit Operating System. Extract the contents into:
C:\Program Files (x86)\HTC\HTC Driver\Driver Files\Vista_x64 (for the Windows 7 64-bit)
or
C:\Program Files (x86)\HTC\HTC Driver\Driver Files\Vista_x86 (for the Windows 7 32-bit)
4. If you have not plugged your Hero into the computer yet, it's as simple as navigating to where you extracted the contents of the archive, and right clicking androidusb.INF (should be the second from the top) and clicking install.
5. Ensure that USB debugging is enabled by navigating to Settings>Applications>Devolopment. If it does not have a check next to it, tap it. Plug your phone in and wait for the drivers to install.
6. In Windows, navigate to the command prompt.
XP: Start>run type "cmd" and press enter.
Vista or later: Start/"orb" in the search box right above it, type "cmd" and press enter.
if you see a window pop up with "C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe" if you have done this correctly.
7. type "cd \android\tools" and press enter. now type "adb devices". It should start a daemon, and show you a series of numbers. If it does, then congratulations! your drivers are installed properly! I'll come back and add later how to reinstall the drivers if they do not install correctly.
Phase 2: Unpatching your Hero
Ensure that you have an adaptor to plug your SDcard into your computer. I didn't use an adaptor when i did this, but I highly recomend it just to make things easier. If your phone or SDcard or computer or toaster blows up, catches fire, shoots lazer beams and burns your curtains, or causes any damage to your or anything else I take no responsibility.
1. Backup all of the data from your memory card onto your computer. Navigate to Settings> SD and phone storage. Unmount your SD card and format it.
2. Go to Settings> Applications> Devolopment and ensure USB debugging is enabled.
3. Open command prompt, as you did in Phase 1, and navigate to "C:\android\tools". Type "adb shell" and press enter. Now you're in your phones console. Type "cat /sys/class/mmc_host/mmc1/mmc1:*/cid"
4. Copy down the code you get EXACTLY. Double, triple, and qraduple check. If the code is wrong, you may destroy your SD card.
5. Reverse the code.
Example:
123456789
Would become
987654321
6. replace the first two numbers/letters with zero zero. (007654321). Now on your PC, navigate to Here. Copy the number (with the zeros in place!) to the box that says CID. Click continue and wait for the email with your goldcard key. Save it to your computer.
7. Download this hex editor and install it. run it (requires administrative priveledges), and put your SDcard into your computer, or mount your SDcard.
8. In the hex editor, click on the extra tab, and open both your SDcard and the Goldcard you downloaded earlier. Ensure that "Open as read only" is unchecked when you open your SDcard. Sector size should be at "512 (Hard Disks/Floppy Disks)".
9. Go to the Goldcard tab, and press Ctrl+A to highlight all of it, then press Ctrl+C to copy it. Go to your SDcard tab, and select from 00000000 to 00000170. Now click on the edit>paste write.
10. click File>save. Remove and replace your SDcard, or unmount and remount your phone. If you can navigate into the drive, congratulations you have a Goldcard.
Phase 3: Downgrading your Hero.
1. Download the1.29 RUU. Plug your phone into the USB port with your goldcard inserted. Have your phone powered on when you do this, and ensure that it is not locked.
2. Ensure that you have HTC Sync installed, and that it connects to your phone.
3. Run the RUU and wait for it to finish. After it is finished, proceed to post 1.
If we simply want to upgrade to a different ROM or the new 1.5.2 recovery.img then can we simply pick up on your instructions from that point??
Thanks for your post. The only thing I think you are missing (for a totally new user doing this) is explaining how to boot into recovery mode when you are ready to flash the new ROM.
There is one other thing that I think would be great to have added to a post like this and that is an explanation of how to restore your programs after flashing a new ROM. Do you just reinstall them or is there a way to restore files and be able to keep your screen looking mostly the same?
Whats up with the Moto Droid? When are ROMS going to be pushed? and are you going to wright and Guide for Droid like this one?
saintirish said:
If we simply want to upgrade to a different ROM or the new 1.5.2 recovery.img then can we simply pick up on your instructions from that point??
Thanks for your post. The only thing I think you are missing (for a totally new user doing this) is explaining how to boot into recovery mode when you are ready to flash the new ROM.
There is one other thing that I think would be great to have added to a post like this and that is an explanation of how to restore your programs after flashing a new ROM. Do you just reinstall them or is there a way to restore files and be able to keep your screen looking mostly the same?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I know, you just have to reinstall your programs. This guide will also work for loading ROMs other then Freshhh, but some ROMs require you to do a wipe before you install them. Check to see if that specific ROM requires a wipe before doing an install. Yes, I have used this method to upgrade from RA's 1.2.3 to 1.5.2 with no problems.
@_Chris_Kirkland said:
Whats up with the Moto Droid? When are ROMS going to be pushed? and are you going to wright and Guide for Droid like this one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no idea about Droid modding, as I don't have a Droid. I'm not to fond of the idea of writing a guide for a phone I don't have because I wouldn't be able to verify that it works with minimal problems.
Alright, I've completed the basics of how to do this. I'll add a problems and solutions section once people start having problems.
great job, this should help folks out a good deal.
That's my intention. Just trying to make things easier for those who aren't so good with the console. I think I'm gonna go ahead and do the Win7 driver workaround now.
In step 8 of the guide I can follow along up to step 8 but when I type in the text I don't see the download option.
jfoster38122 said:
In step 8 of the guide I can follow along up to step 8 but when I type in the text I don't see the download option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're talking about the FlashRec step right?
Could you tell me exactly what you can see?
So this is probably an obvious question, but I apparently not to me, but is the guide to perform a downgrade for people who have not rooted and flashed their phone? Because I was able to downgrade to 1.29 ruu after having flashed my phone with Fresh 1.0, is it because I flashed a custom rom that I could downgrade to 1.29 or is there something different now?
mark920 said:
So this is probably an obvious question, but I apparently not to me, but is the guide to perform a downgrade for people who have not rooted and flashed their phone? Because I was able to downgrade to 1.29 ruu after having flashed my phone with Fresh 1.0, is it because I flashed a customer rom that I could downgrade to 1.29 or is there something different now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a guide to try and simplify patching, but it also covers a section on how to downgrade a phone that Sprint/HTC patched so that the 1.29 RUU method wouldn't work.
How does someone get a phone that was patched by sprint/htc to not allow the 1.29ruu to work on the phone?
mark920 said:
How does someone get a phone that was patched by sprint/htc to not allow the 1.29ruu to work on the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ether get a newer Hero, or run the software update in the phone. I ran the software update >_>
abcdfv said:
You're talking about the FlashRec step right?
Could you tell me exactly what you can see?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once I enter the recovery image in, the 2 options are "Flash Recovery Image" and "Restore Backup Image"
There's no download recovery image option.
- JustPyro
It may have been updated since I used it... I'll look into it
EDIT: Click on FlashRecovery image.
Excellent work! I just want to let you know that the link for the RUU 1.29 does not work (at least for me). Great guide though.
Link updated.
I've combined toastcfh's and TheBiles how-to's in this tutorial, so if you've already rooted using TheBiles previous method, skip to step 9. I'll make this a bit more presentable when I get home from work today. I just thought this would be helpful to those who aren't comfortable with using adb.
I'm not responsible for damages to your phone, yada yada yada, you know the drill.
IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM THAT HASN'T BEEN ADDRESSES IN THE SECOND POST, LET ME KNOW. OTHERWISE, SEE SECOND POST FOR FAQ'S. Follow these directions exactly as they are written and you won't run into any snags. It'll save us both a lot of time.This tutorial entails making the root process as fast and easy as possible, that means we won't be backing up any of your stuff (you can if you want, of course) nor will we be doing a nandroid backup, and even better, we won't be using adb to push files. With that being said, let's get started.
Step 1. Connect your phone to your pc via usb, then pull down the notification bar at the top of your screen and open the tab that says Charge Only and select Disk Drive then click done.
Step 2. Download this file http://link.geekfor.me/rootedromzip and put it on the root of your sd card by going to the start menu of your computer and opening up My Computer, then drop the file into the icon that reads Removable Disk. This is the root of your sd card. Remember that if you don't already know.
Step 3. Right click on the Removable Disk icon and select Eject. We're gonna flash the debug image now, say goodbye to any pic's, music, apps, texts, etc that you may have.
Step 4. Power down your phone.
Step 5. Hold down the volume down and power key simultaneously and keep holding it down until you see 3 android dudes on skateboards.
Step 6. It's going to give you some options, whether or not to install the PC36IMG.zip, select yes (volume up is yes) for any prompt you get.
Step 7. Once you've rebooted you will officially have root access. Congrats, but that's not all. There's a few more steps to gain -full- root access.
Step 8. Navigate to the root of your sd card and rename the PC36IMG.zip file whatever you want, doesn't matter. Just don't name it update. To rename the .zip file, right click on PC36IMG.zip and select rename.
Step 9. Download these files:
PC36IMG.zip -http://sdx-downloads.com/sdx/evo/troot/eng-PC36IMG.zip
mtd-eng.zip - http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=342668&d=1276481802
flash_image.zip - http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=342667&d=1276481776
recovery.img - http://files.androidspin.com/downloads.php?dir=amon_ra/RECOVERY/&file=recovery-RA-evo-v1.7.0.1.img
PLEASE NOTE SOME OF THE MIRRORS YOU ARE DOWNLOADING THESE FILES FROM ARE NAMED SOMETHING DIFFERENT, SO YOU WILL HAVE TO RENAME THEM ACCORDINGLY. The only one that I know of was the PC36IMG.zip file, it was named something else when I downloaded it. So name it accordingly. Right click, select Rename, then type in "PC36IMG" only, your pc adds the .zip.
Step 10. Extract the flash_image.zip and mtd-eng.zip files, do so by right clicking on them, then select Extract To flash_image\ and Extract To mtd-eng\ Open the newly extracted folders and take the flash_image file AND the mtd-eng file inside and drop them into the root of your sd card. (we remember how to do that, don't we.)
Step 11. Open up the Android Market and download the terminal emulator app by Jack Palevick, it's free.
Step 12. Make sure your sd card is no longer mounted to the computer, do so by pulling down the notification bar and switching Disk Drive to Charge Only.
Step 13. Open the terminal emulator app and type in these commands exactly as they are written. If you get an error, try again.
Note: After each line is completed, hit enter. A # sign means you've run the commands successfully.
Code:
[B]su
cat /sdcard/flash_image > /data/flash_image
chmod 755 /data/flash_image
/data/flash_image misc /sdcard/mtd-eng.img[/B]
Step 14. Remount your phone, and drop the PC36IMG.zip file onto the root of your sd card. MAKE SURE YOU USE THE CORRECT PC36IMG.ZIP FILE THAT YOU DOWNLOADED FROM STEP 9. Power down your phone.
Step 15.
Hold volume down and power to boot into hboot.
- It should now find and verify the PC36IMG.zip on the root of your sdcard. It'll show a blue status bar on the top right of the screen.
- After a minute or so it will ask u if u wanna flash Select YES.
- After it flashes the PC36IMG.zip it will ask if you wanna reboot. Select YES.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Step 16. Once your phone has rebooted, put the recovery.img file you downloaded earlier on the root of your sdcard.
Note: If the recovery image is named something other than "recovery.img" then rename it by right clicking and typing in "recovery" as the name.
Step 17. Still know how to use terminal emulator? Open it up and type in these commands. Make sure your USB connection is in Charge Only mode first.
Code:
[B]su
cat /sdcard/flash_image > /data/flash_image
chmod 755 /data/flash_image
/data/flash_image recovery /sdcard/recovery.img[/B]
*INTERMISSION*
Take uh break, eat uh cookie.
If you've made it this far and you've had no errors, then you now have full root access as well as a legit recovery.
Time to flash a ROM and the latest radio.
Step 18. Power down your phone and power it back on by holding down the Volume Up and Power key.
Step 19. Select BOOTLOADER then select Recovery.
Step 20. Select Wipe: Select wipe data factory reset then select wipe dalvik cache.
Step 21. Downlaod any ROM you'd like, I'm running BuglessPete's Bugless Beast ROM, here's the link if you want to run this one as well http://bit.ly/az4cWq
Step 22. Download the latest radio here http://link.geekfor.me/radio139000531
Step 23. In recovery mode, select the USB-MS toggle option, this mounts your sd card to your pc.
Step 24. Move your newly downloaded ROM and radio to the root of your sd card by dropping them onto the Removable Disk icon on your computer.
Step 25. Press the power key to disable USB-MS toggle.
Step 26. Select Flash Zip From Sdcard.
Step 27. Select the ROM you downloaded and you will be prompted whether or not you want to flash the file, follow through with the power key.
Step 28. Select flash zip from sdcard, then select the latest radio .zip file that you just downloaded and flash that mf'er.
Step 29. Try not to freak out when you see a static image of a phone with green arrows circling around it. Wait...
Step 30. Select Reboot System Now.
And that's it, you're done!
ALL CREDIT GOES TO THESE GUYS! toastcfh, keishou, maejrep, Paul, Amon_Ra, Koush, TheBiles, and anybody else I forgot.
Grammatical errors? I just worked a 12 hour shift and got right on this, I have to be in bed in about an hour, so **** you.
Problems flashing a ROM after you've completed the process?
This is more than likely on account of the Dev who made the ROM not signing it, tell them if they sign it that you'll love them forever. Or switch to Koush's recovery. This is pretty much guaranteed to work, as Koush's recovery has a toggle signature verification feature. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=702214 Or, if you've the know-how, sign it yourself. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=473580
ATTENTION: To the few getting the not enough space error when flashing the recovery image, Amon Ra has addressed the issue here, to no avail according to those who have tried his alternative recovery. At least we now know what the cause of the error is. Thanks again, Amon Ra.
Amon_RA said:
You have a bad block in your recovery (like a bad sector on your harddisk), these bad blocks are skipped when flashing. A bad block means you have less usable space on your recovery partition, hence the not enough space left to flash this recovery...
I made this recovery specially for you, it's 1MB less than the normal recovery (left out the evo charging stuff), all functions of the normal recovery should still work. Could you please give it a try and let me know?
Code:
fastboot flash recovery tiny-recovery.img
OR
flash_image recovery /sdcard/tiny-recovery.img
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bad block? Not enough space on sd error when trying to flash the recovery image? Try these.
Amon_RA said:
Could you please try to flash recovery-RA-evo-v1.7.0.2.img and use fastboot to flash :
Code:
fastboot erase recovery
fastboot flash recovery recovery-RA-evo-v1.7.0.2.img
I'll most likely not make my recovery compatible with Koush's rommanger because I would need to almost rewrite it fully.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tlisak25 said:
If people are still having problems tell them to unroot and start from scratch without doing system update from Sprint thanks for all or your help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In on this.
Will try this out right now and edit my post later.
[Edit]
Oh, so the only difference is instead of using ADB you're using the "terminal emulator" app.
It's a good guide and am sure it works. But if you know how to use ADB, I'd actually prefer ADB. It's much easier to type on your keyboard.
But GREAT guide none-the-less. For people who don't know how to use ADB.
It's not so much that people can't fiure out how to use ADB as it is they can't figure out how to install and run it. Even when I first got into Android I had no clue it was used through a cmd prompt for the first 2 weeks.
arozer said:
In on this.
Will try this out right now and edit my post later.
[Edit]
Oh, so the only difference is instead of using ADB you're using the "terminal emulator" app.
It's a good guide and am sure it works. But if you know how to use ADB, I'd actually prefer ADB. It's much easier to type on your keyboard.
But GREAT guide none-the-less. For people who don't know how to use ADB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. Also, it's for those who rooted using TheBiles Idiot Proof method and were confused as to whether or not they could follow through with toastcfh's part 2nd part on gaining full root access.
Re: (How-To) FULL ROOT WITHOUT ADB.
ADB is just easier, in my opinion. I like bring able to easily copy and paste and type with a real keyboard. Plus, it's just good to know how to use. Not that I don't use the terminal on the phone, though! BTEP, for the win.
-------------
Sent from my HTC EVO 4G using Tapatalk Pro.
TheBiles said:
ADB is just easier, in my opinion. I like bring able to easily copy and paste and type with a real keyboard. Plus, it's just good to know how to use. Not that I don't use the terminal on the phone, though! BTEP, for the win.
-------------
Sent from my HTC EVO 4G using Tapatalk Pro.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agreed. But this method is meant to make rooting as fast and easy as possible (for those who don't know how to neither set up, nor use adb, as setting it up as well as familiarizing yourself with it takes time) Although learning adb is a definite must.
i'm a "noob" and ive had my evo since the release and have been tring to acomplish full root without any luck using adb bs this is the easiest most well explaid way to do so and i am more greatful than words could express. if i can find a way to donate with out a credit card i will gladly help ur cause keep up the great work
bdd123456789 said:
i'm a "noob" and ive had my evo since the release and have been tring to acomplish full root without any luck using adb bs this is the easiest most well explaid way to do so and i am more greatful than words could express. if i can find a way to donate with out a credit card i will gladly help ur cause keep up the great work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just glad it helped. Lol If there's anyone you should donate to, it's toastcfh. Without him, we wouldn't have root.
The download link for the PC36IMG.zip in step #9 is broken...I am assuming that the PC36IMG.zip in step 9 is different than the PC36IMG.zip in step 2. If its no different, then I will just proceed downloading the rest of the files and go from there, but If so can I get a mirror link?
nol3n said:
The download link for the PC36IMG.zip in step #9 is broken...I am assuming that the PC36IMG.zip in step 9 is different than the PC36IMG.zip in step 2. If its no different, then I will just proceed downloading the rest of the files and go from there, but If so can I get a mirror link?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a second, I'll get you a link.
the recovery.img link in step #9 is broken as well...
nol3n said:
The download link for the PC36IMG.zip in step #9 is broken...I am assuming that the PC36IMG.zip in step 9 is different than the PC36IMG.zip in step 2. If its no different, then I will just proceed downloading the rest of the files and go from there, but If so can I get a mirror link?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.joeyconway.com/sdx/evo/troot/eng-PC36IMG.zip
Got it from toastcfh's thread. Should work. I'll update the link now.
Go damn it. -.- I'll update them all now. Thanks for the heads up.
thx for the hard work.
Lol Not really doing much but stealing links. They're all updated now.
evo root
I did the idiot guide but cant get ADB working on my windows 7. Should I go ahead and try this? Thx!
crpercodani said:
It's not so much that people can't fiure out how to use ADB as it is they can't figure out how to install and run it. Even when I first got into Android I had no clue it was used through a cmd prompt for the first 2 weeks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly! It took me 2 solid days of searching for the required driver for my laptop. I finally got it to work last night. None of the instructions on xda worked. The USB remover listed here didn't work, the driver in the SDK kit didn't work, nothing worked. I finally found another download for the USB remover and another link to a 32-bit driver that finally worked.
kevinniven said:
I did the idiot guide but cant get ADB working on my windows 7. Should I go ahead and try this? Thx!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's pretty much the fastest/easiest (if you don't have adb set up) way to get full root access on your Evo, so...yes, that'd be a good idea. Lol
S
kevinniven said:
I did the idiot guide but cant get ADB working on my windows 7. Should I go ahead and try this? Thx!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yeah, start from step 9 since you're coming from the first part of TheBiles Idiot Proof guide.
For those who may be flashing ROMs, cannot mount the SD Card any more, and may have accidentally corrupted their SD Card, here are some helpful steps.
Preliminary Review - Check to see if you can mount in recovery or bootloader
First, go back to your bootloader screen and click on fastboot (reset your phone and hold the power and vol down button). Once in bootloader check your computer drives to see if the sd card is recognized
Your computer may be able to recognize the drive even if it cant open it. If thats the case, you may be able to format it from your computer (use FAT32 formatting).
Second, If you cannot see your SD Card in your ROM or from the PC, and you are using Clockwork Recovery (CW), try flashing TWRP recovery first. Do this by going through the following steps:
Step #1
Download TWRP recovery from http://teamw.in/project/twrp2/100 Make sure to download the correct version for your device
Step #2
Place the recovery file into a folder with fastboot.exe
Step #3
Reboot your phone and hold down the Vol Down Button and Power Button until your bootloader screen appears, then enter fastboot. Then connect to your computer. I find this method works best by holding down the buttons right away. If your phone is off, press the power button then immediately press and hold the power and vol off buttons again until bootloader screen shows up. Dont let go until the screen shows.
Step #4
Type
Code:
fastboot flash recovery twrp.img
but replace the twrp.img wording with the exact name of your downloaded TWRP recovery
Step #5
Enter TWRP recovery by selecting it from your bootloader screen. Then ensure the device is connected to your computer and select the Mount option and then mount your sd card.
IF you still cant see your SD Card from TWRP recovery or you get an error, proceed to the next steps. Your computer may be able to recognize the drive, even if it cant open it (if your lucky).
If your computer recognizes the drive but cant open it, you can try formatting it from your computer (make sure to format as FAT32)
If you really cant see your SD Card, and your fairly sure its corrupted, and you have no way formatting it from your computer, continue on below:
Basic Solution
Reflashing Stock Recovery to your device using fasboot, then doing a full factory reset. This would be using the method in post http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1630459
PLEASE NOTE THIS METHOD WILL WIPE THE DATA FROM YOUR DEVICE AS WELL AS FROM YOUR SD CARD
This method works because custom recoveries cannot re format SD Cards on the HTC One S, only wipe data from them. However, the stock recovery does have a proprietary feature that will reformat the internal sd card if it has been corrupted.
Inotherwords:
Step #1
Download the stock recovery from: http://loadbalancing.modaco.com/download.php?file=ville_recovery_signed.img
*******Note that this file is a stock recovery for S4 devices, not S3.
Place the file into the same folder as your fastboot.exe
Step #2
On your device, go into bootloader and fastboot mode, connect your computer to the device, and type
Code:
fastboot flash recovery ville_recovery_signed.img
Step #3
Reboot into the bootloader and then choose to "clear storage" from the main screen and afterwards reset to factory defaults.
Step #4
Go back into the bootloader once step #3 is done and enter fastboot, connect your device and reflash your original custom recovery again. Your SD Card should be visible
Advanced Solution - If you do not want to wipe the data from your device
This method does not require reflashing the original recovery and factory reseting the whole phone. However, it still means that the info on your sd card will be lost. It also needs a rooted device.
This method does not require you to access your bootloader or use fastboot. You can do this while having your phone in custom recovery.
DO NOT ATTEMPT UNLESS YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS. THERE ARE ALWAYS RISKS WITH FORMATTING. DO NOT HOLD ME RESPONSIBLE FOR BRICKED DEVICES. YOUR DEVICE IS LIKELY OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY ALREADY SINCE YOU WOULD HAVE UNLOCKED THE BOOTLOADER.
I have taken this solution from HTC One X forums namely from post 17 at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1647806&page=2
However, I have also confirmed (SneakyGhost's partition list for HTC One S) that the correct mmcblk0p for the HTC One S sd card is mmcblk0p36.
Step #1: Download the version of busybox listed below, unzip it and also put this in the folder with ADB before you get started. You only need to do this if you dont already have busybox installed on your HTC One S. Sometimes this busybox file can be found under /system/bin or /system/xbin if youve previously installed it. If so, replace the paths in the instructions below for that of your busybox. If you have busy box already installed in /system/bin , then you do not need to type in the paths since the adb shell automatically picks up programs in that folder
Step #2: Go to your command prompt in the folder with adb.exe . Connect your HTC One S to your computer and type
Code:
adb devices
and ensure your computer sees your HTC One S. This command should work even if you are in a custom recovery like TWRP or CW (but for gods sake, if your on CW, the first thing you should do is flash TWRP, but thats just an editorial opinion, lol).
Step #3: Type
Code:
adb push busybox /data/local/tmp
This pushes busybox to a temp folder on your HTC One S. Make sure you are pushing the busybox file and not the zip file. If you already have busy box installed you do not need to do this step. (you can delete it from this folder later if you like)
Step #4: Type
Code:
adb shell
to get into your linux shell. Then type
Code:
su
to get root access. Your command prompt should now be a # and not $.
Step #5: Type
Code:
chmod 755 /data/local/tmp/busybox
to fix permissions for busybox. You may not need to do this if you already have busy box installed with the correct permissions. If these instructions dont work with your version of busy box, try setting the permissions with this code but replace the path with the location of your busybox.
Step #6: Type
Code:
cat /proc/partitions
and just ensure you see mmcblk0p36. This is the sdcard partition for HTC One S
Step #7:Type
Code:
/data/local/tmp/busybox mkfs.vfat /dev/block/mmcblk0p36
Make sure you type this correctly. You dont want to format the wrong partition accidentally.
That should work. Pls let me know if it doesnt. If it doesnt work with your version of busybox just try using the one in the zip file below. Also remember, dont just push the zip file. Extract the busybox file from the zip and push that to your device instead.
Also, it may help to use adb through a custom recovery instead of being in your ROM (ie if it doesnt work when your phone is booted normally, try doing the steps with recovery loaded).
There are other methods to try too They would be:
Other Solutions
Other Method #1: Relocking your bootloader and using a compatible RUU with your phone. This will fully wipe your device
Other Method #2: If your computer sees your sdcard even if it cant open it when your device is connected, you can try formatting it that way (ie the way you would format any other drive on your computer)
Only use the busybox method if you are comfortable with it and if other methods have failed. You can learn more about the formatting command (ie mkfs.vfat) by googling it.
So if I got this right if I have busybox already I only have to do is step 7.
Almost, but yes, that is the key step. Although you would still want to open a terminal Window, either an adb shell or from the phone, and type su to get root, and double check to ensure the shell sees the partition. Also, I did hear in the one X forums that not every version of busy box worked. I would imagine an updated version would likely work though.
Sent from my HTC One S using xda premium
Step 4, a quicker way: adb shell su , get you into shell as root right away
AKToronto said:
Almost, but yes, that is the key step. Although you would still want to open a terminal Window, either an adb shell or from the phone, and type su to get root, and double check to ensure the shell sees the partition. Also, I did hear in the one X forums that not every version of busy box worked. I would imagine an updated version would likely work though.
Sent from my HTC One S using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh right hope I don't need it lol.
I think this should be moved to Q&A and replace the other sticky that's there.
Darknites said:
Oh right hope I don't need it lol.
I think this should be moved to Q&A and replace the other sticky that's there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im thinking it would be helpful to have this post there. Im not sure how I request to do that though. Should I PM a moderator?
AKToronto said:
Im thinking it would be helpful to have this post there. Im not sure how I request to do that though. Should I PM a moderator?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No idea but does sounds like a good start lol.
Darknites said:
No idea but does sounds like a good start lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I asked a moderater to review by clicking on the ! in the post, but I havent heard back yet. I also updated the post to be more n00b friendly too, and tried to cover off all sd card related issues.
AKToronto said:
I asked a moderater to review by clicking on the ! in the post, but I havent heard back yet. I also updated the post to be more n00b friendly too, and tried to cover off all sd card related issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice update. Ya I wish they hurry up with sorting it, the other one is a load of crap and this really should replace it.
Updated with a link to another good tutorial about pushing ROMs to the phone
Its like they don't care about stickys any more, come mods its about time this replaced the crappy one.
Cant get past the
'fastboot flash recovery ville_recovery_signed.img'
step at the moment, just keep getting 'waiting for device'.
Steveh8204 said:
Cant get past the
'fastboot flash recovery ville_recovery_signed.img'
step at the moment, just keep getting 'waiting for device'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does your bootloaderscreen say "fastboot usb" anywhere? There is an option that you have to select in your bootloader called fastboot... If it says fastboot usb then you are connected, and you shouldnt get a waiting for device error.
AKToronto said:
Does your bootloaderscreen say "fastboot usb" anywhere? There is an option that you have to select in your bootloader called fastboot... If it says fastboot usb then you are connected, and you shouldnt get a waiting for device error.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea I got into the bootloader and then fast boot. ive managed to sort it now, for some reason my pc was the problem, I had to reboot my computer after a command window prompt otherwise I just got the waiting for device screen.
typical really, my laptop and phone both conspiring against me.
eventually managed to flash another recovery which did see my sdcard so all is good now.
thanks for your reply though!
AKToronto said:
For those who may be flashing ROMs, cannot mount the SD Card any more, and may have accidentally corrupted their SD Card, here are some helpful steps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, this works flawless!
Thought I had a soft-brick, but your instructions bring back my sd-card!
I choose the "advanced Option", it works fine....
Typing su-command generated an error message, but the other steps still functioned....
I will place link in section "helpfull links" in my signatur
Big THX to you good sir, ...
Steveh8204 said:
Cant get past the
'fastboot flash recovery ville_recovery_signed.img'
step at the moment, just keep getting 'waiting for device'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just format your phone using your PC... That's all you need to do...all those steps are overkill... Bootloader on phone... Connect to pc .. Navigate to devices on PC and format your phone...then flash recovery like stated above..
Sent from my One S using xda premium
$droyd$ said:
Just format your phone using your PC... That's all you need to do...all those steps are overkill... Bootloader on phone... Connect to pc .. Navigate to devices on PC and format your phone...then flash recovery like stated above..
Sent from my One S using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some people had reported not being able to see their phone from their PC no matter what they tried... Hence the advanced steps
Dude add S3 stock recovery please.
Darknites said:
Dude add S3 stock recovery please.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point Darknites. Thank you. Do you have a link to S3 stock recovery? I dont seem to have one handy... But I did edit the OP to make that point a bit clearer (that the link is for S4 devices). Thanks again bud. Good catch.
AKToronto said:
Good point Darknites. Thank you. Do you have a link to S3 stock recovery? I dont seem to have one handy... But I did edit the OP to make that point a bit clearer (that the link is for S4 devices). Thanks again bud. Good catch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope but a RUU will have it.
I had a first generation Galaxy S and was fairly involved in XDA until I traded it in for an iPhone. A few days ago I bought the One X and I noticed there weren't any guides tailored to Mac users on how to flash custom ROMs from a brand new stock device. So here I go. If I have time and get the permission of the developers of the root exploit I might eventually create a mac program that automates the process. Over time I will also try to improve this with screenshots and better instructions. I take no liability if your phone blows up or if it doesn't work for you.
This is just a rough draft, use at your own risk.
Overview
Root the Device
Install Custom Recovery
Install Custom ROM
Directions
Assuming you are on the latest firmware, 2.20, you have to use the X-Factor root exploit. It should be in the downloads folder that you will download below. I did not come up with this expliot so if it works you should donate to its creator. For convenience I bundled the tools you will need into a single zip file. You can download it here. Place the unzipped folder on your desktop. You will also need a custom ROM downloaded from the Android Dev portion of this forum.
Rooting
Back up all data that you would miss if lost.
Open up settings > Developer Options > USB Debugging
Plug your phone into your computer. Do not mount the drive; just leave it in charging mode.
Move the folder you downloaded earlier onto your mac's desktop. Now open a terminal window and type "cd desktop/htconexmac" and press enter.
Now type "sh run.sh" and press enter.
Press enter again when the disclaimer pops up.
If it works, on your phones screen a message should pop up asking for backup restorations as well as a prompt for passwords. Ignore the password spaces and autorize it. It should prompt you twice.
The phone should restart into "bootloader mode." Press the enter button on your computer once this loads and it should confirm that your new CID is "11111111" if it worked. If it doesn't say that then try again from scratch.
Press enter again and you should get a big block of text copy the whole block including the tags on either side of it. You will need this to unlock the bootloader.
Go to htcdev.com and make an account. Now go to htcdev.com/bootloader and in the drop down box select All Other Supported Models press enter and follow their directions.
Recovery
Close terminal entirely (not really necessary, it just makes things go smoother) and reopen it. Now type "cd desktop/htconexmac" and press enter.
Now turn your phone off entirely and turn it back on by pressing the power and volume down buttons at the same time. You should boot back into recovery mode. This time, use the volume keys to select fastboot
With your phone plugged in and USB Debugging still enabled, type "./fastboot.osx flash recovery twrp.img" This will install the TWRP Custom Recovery. I did not make this, if it works for you I would suggest donating to its developer.
When it is done installing you can turn off your phone and then boot back into the bootloader by holding the power button and volume down button at the same time.
Now scroll to recovery and press the power key. You should boot to a screen with lots of buttons.
Flashing the ROM
Press the button that says "Mount" and then press the button that says "Mount USB Storage." In a moment you should see your phone appear mounted as a disk on your computer. Drag the .zip file of whatever ROM you downloaded to this disk as well as the file titled "gaaps.zip." Once they finish copying press "unmount."
Press the back button to return to the main screen and then press the button titled "Wipe"
Do a factory reset. Press back. Wipe the cache. Press back. Wipe the Dalvik cache. Press back twice to get to the main menu.
Press "Install" and then select the zip file on the ROM you want to install. Press "add more zips" and select "gapps.zip." Finally slide to confirm the flash.
When it is done flashing go back to the main menu and press "reboot" and then "bootloader"
Make sure it says "FASTBOOT USB" in red. On your computer find the folder where you kept your ROM and extract the zip file. Find the file called "boot.img" and copy it into the htconexmac file on your desktop.
In terminal type "./fastboot.osx flash boot boot.img"
When it is completed type "./fastbook.osx reboot"
Your phone should boot with its ROM!
nice one bro
BreatheHT said:
nice one bro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I don't think many people around here use mac though.
Very useful. Before I got my Win8 I felt like Mac users were left out. Still prefer to do things on my Mac when possible. Thanks for posting this
I am glad for the instructions. I just inherited my wife's old Mac Book and it's great to get intro to fastboot with OSX.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
Thanks bro. I got a Mac and I've been waiting for clear instructions. Ill will give this a shot later today!
HtcOneXda-developers app
azd9 said:
Thanks. I don't think many people around here use mac though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good job, on a mac 2
Very valuable!
Sent from my One X using Tapatalk 2
azd9 said:
I had a first generation Galaxy S and was fairly involved in XDA until I traded it in for an iPhone. A few days ago I bought the One X and I noticed there weren't any guides tailored to Mac users on how to flash custom ROMs from a brand new stock device. So here I go. If I have time and get the permission of the developers of the root exploit I might eventually create a mac program that automates the process. Over time I will also try to improve this with screenshots and better instructions. I take no liability if your phone blows up or if it doesn't work for you.
This is just a rough draft, use at your own risk.
Overview
Root the Device
Install Custom Recovery
Install Custom ROM
Directions
Assuming you are on the latest firmware, 2.20, you have to use the X-Factor root exploit. It should be in the downloads folder that you will download below. I did not come up with this expliot so if it works you should donate to its creator. For convenience I bundled the tools you will need into a single zip file. You can download it here. Place the unzipped folder on your desktop. You will also need a custom ROM downloaded from the Android Dev portion of this forum.
Rooting
Back up all data that you would miss if lost.
Open up settings > Developer Options > USB Debugging
Plug your phone into your computer. Do not mount the drive; just leave it in charging mode.
Move the folder you downloaded earlier onto your mac's desktop. Now open a terminal window and type "cd desktop/htconexmac" and press enter.
Now type "sh run.sh" and press enter.
Press enter again when the disclaimer pops up.
If it works, on your phones screen a message should pop up asking for backup restorations as well as a prompt for passwords. Ignore the password spaces and autorize it. It should prompt you twice.
The phone should restart into "bootloader mode." Press the enter button on your computer once this loads and it should confirm that your new CID is "11111111" if it worked. If it doesn't say that then try again from scratch.
Press enter again and you should get a big block of text copy the whole block including the tags on either side of it. You will need this to unlock the bootloader.
Go to htcdev.com and make an account. Now go to htcdev.com/bootloader and in the drop down box select All Other Supported Models press enter and follow their directions.
Recovery
Close terminal entirely (not really necessary, it just makes things go smoother) and reopen it. Now type "cd desktop/htconexmac" and press enter.
Now turn your phone off entirely and turn it back on by pressing the power and volume down buttons at the same time. You should boot back into recovery mode. This time, use the volume keys to select fastboot
With your phone plugged in and USB Debugging still enabled, type "./fastboot.osx flash recovery twrp.img" This will install the TWRP Custom Recovery. I did not make this, if it works for you I would suggest donating to its developer.
When it is done installing you can turn off your phone and then boot back into the bootloader by holding the power button and volume down button at the same time.
Now scroll to recovery and press the power key. You should boot to a screen with lots of buttons.
Flashing the ROM
Press the button that says "Mount" and then press the button that says "Mount USB Storage." In a moment you should see your phone appear mounted as a disk on your computer. Drag the .zip file of whatever ROM you downloaded to this disk as well as the file titled "gaaps.zip." Once they finish copying press "unmount."
Press the back button to return to the main screen and then press the button titled "Wipe"
Do a factory reset. Press back. Wipe the cache. Press back. Wipe the Dalvik cache. Press back twice to get to the main menu.
Press "Install" and then select the zip file on the ROM you want to install. Press "add more zips" and select "gapps.zip." Finally slide to confirm the flash.
When it is done flashing go back to the main menu and press "reboot" and then "bootloader"
Make sure it says "FASTBOOT USB" in red. On your computer find the folder where you kept your ROM and extract the zip file. Find the file called "boot.img" and copy it into the htconexmac file on your desktop.
In terminal type "./fastboot.osx flash boot boot.img"
When it is completed type "./fastbook.osx reboot"
Your phone should boot with its ROM!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it keeps saying my "CID is not 11111111".......
Forget that last post from me.. Lol I got it.
HtcOneXda-developers app
Thanks for this. Was waiting for some clear mac directions before rooting/unlocking!
Awesome. Thank you!
mikeeygee said:
Awesome. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent write up.
One question, is the XFactor Exploit used on Rogers phones? I seem to remember this was for AT&T models.
Thanks again.
David
dkonkin said:
One question, is the XFactor Exploit used on Rogers phones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not needed. Rogers phones can go straight to unlocking via htcdev.
Thanks again.
Plan to put HTC One X back in order tonight.
Numerous lessons learned, thanks to all for the assist.
David
dead link
the 'You can download it here' link is dead, could someone post another please?
so I can use this guide for my s2?
How to Achieve Permanent Root and S-Off:
To get permanent root, you need to S-Off. So lets start with that first. This process will NOT wipe your device. It also works for OS X users. This guide will work on software version 1.55.605.2 (which as of 04/19/2014 is the latest OTA) and below.
--- S-OFF Instructions ---First, you'll need to download adb, enable its use and setup debugging.
adb is part of the android SDK. You can download it here (OS X users must scroll down and download the OS X version). It does not need to be installed, just unzip it into its own folder. You can also download a zip that contain only adb and fastboot.
once you have adb, you'll need to download the drive for your M8, which can be had from HTC's driver page:
http://www.htc.com/us/software/htc-sync-manager/.
Then install it. It will install the driver necessary for adb to work. After the installation is finished, uninstall HTC Sync immediately (do this regardless of whether or not you need it; you can reinstall it later if you still want it). This will leave the driver package installed, but remove HTC sync.
Now, back to the phone. Disable all security you have on, including PINs, Pattern Locks, passwords, etc. If you have an exchange forced security policy, you will need to disable the account. You can readd it later.
Enable access to developer options. Jump into the Settings. Then you’re going to scroll down to the bottom and tap on ‘About’, next tap on ‘Software Information’. Now you’ll need to tap on ‘More’, which will give you a new menu. Now just tap on the build number 9 times and you’ll enable Developer options.
Go into developer options menu and enable USB Debugging.
Next, go to Security page and enable "Unknown sources".
Now install weaksauce from here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2699089
If you followed the directions correctly, you should have SuperSU installed and root access. (You can use superuser as well).
Plug in your phone into your computer. Its best to use the factory cable provided with the phone. Use a USB 2.0 type port if possible (USB3.0 ports typically have a blue tab; I have personally used a USB 3.0 Device on Windows 8.1u to perform this without any problems, but your mileage may vary).
Your phone will ask if you if you trust your computer (RSA). Choose "Always Allow".
Ensure adb is working by opening a command prompt (terminal on OS X), navigate to the adt-bundle-[XXXXX]/sdk/platform-tools and typing "adb devices" without quotes. Your phone should show up. Ensure the working directory is the directory that adb is in. Otherwise, transferring firewater may fail. On Windows, you can shift-right-click inside the folder adb is in and click open command prompt to open a cmd in that directory.
Now go download firewater from here:
http://firewater-soff.com/instructions/ Make sure to use the weaksauce method (second method). Do NOT use the temproot method.
The firewater file should be called "firewater" without any quotes or extensions (like .bin). Ensure your browser did not partially download or corrupt it.** Make sure its in the same folder as adb. Then follow directions on the firewater site. Be aware the yes/no prompt is case sensitive, so make sure to answer it with an uppercase Y as in "Yes" not "yes". During the process, you will need to enable adb shell to get root. Make sure your phone screen is on so you can see the root request. Grant it and the S-Off process will continue. Otherwise, it will hang there and eventually time out. Sometimes, the process will fail and the phone will reboot. This is okay. Just restart the process. It can sometimes take multiple tries.
When completely successfully, you now have S-OFF. Your phone's bootloader is also unlocked in the process; you do NOT need to perform any additional steps to unlock the bootloader. However, you do not have permanent root. The root that weaksuace provides goes away on reboot and must be reapplied again on startup.
**The filesize seems to vary depending on what OS/browser is used to download it. It should be around 4,519,496 (on disk) in size. If you can't execute firewater, try redownloading it.
Getting permanent root:
-Flash a custom recovery and flash a zip with su.
-[Optional] Return to stock recovery This option is for people who don't want a custom recovery.
Be aware, once rooted and S-Off'ed, you do NOT need the kernel module that enables system write access*. All system changes will survive hard reboots (adb reboot).
-- Recovery Rooting: --
Move the supersu zip onto your internal sdcard. It can be downloaded here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1538053
You can use Superuser as well. Its your preference, but this guide uses SuperSU.
Uninstall weaksauce. It's no longer needed.
Uninstall SuperSU. It will be reinstalled when you flash the supersu zip. If you have SuperSU Pro installed, you can leave that in place, as that app only holds a key.
From adb, type:
adb reboot bootloader
Flash a custom recovery. CWM and TWRP are available. Use the fastboot method. Follow the directions here:
TWRP - http://teamw.in/project/twrp2/226
CWM - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2708520
Reboot into Recovery
Flash the supersu zip you downloaded.
Reboot and you're done. You have s-off and permanent root.
You can delete the downloaded supersu zip off your internal sdcard; its not longer needed.
-- Manual Root --Perform all steps noted in section "Recovery Rooting" above.
-Download the stock recovery:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2723112
-Ensure the stock recovery img file is in the same folder as fastboot.
-Run the following command from command line: "fastboot flash recovery stockrecovery.img" without the quotes.
-Wait for the process to finish
-Reboot the phone. You now have the stock recovery along with root. With the stock recovery installed, you can now accept OTAs provided you haven't modified/deleted any stock system files. Any new OTAs you take will remove any files/folders you added to the system partition and will remove your root. However, with S-off, this can be undone. If you lost loot after taking an OTA, simply start from the beginning of the section "Recovery Rooting".
-- Common Tweaks --
All of these are optional and are NOT required. However, you may find some benefit to them.-- Wifi Tether Enabled --This is unnecessary if you are on a More Everything plan or are paying for hotspot/tethering. You can force enable the native tethering application:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2708548
-- Device Wipe after ten attempts --I really dislike this "feature". Here is how to disable it. This works regardless if you enabled the security or its mandated by an exchange policy.
I use Root Explorer to make this change, but you can use any text editor. Make sure to mount system as R/W. Root explorer can do this from within the app.
Edit this file:
/system/customize/ACC/default.xml
change this:
Code:
<item type="integer" name="devicepolicy_max_fail_passwords_for_wipe">10</item>
to this
Code:
<item type="integer" name="devicepolicy_max_fail_passwords_for_wipe">0</item>
Reboot and its disabled.
-- Power Saver Mode --Enable "Power Saver" mode using these directions. It's disabled and hidden by default.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2701909
-- *Unsecured Kernel --By default, the stock kernel prevents write access to /system. S-off and root should allow you to makes changes to system. However, some people have reported difficulties using ROM toolbox and other mods (like changing boot animations). In some cases, these issues can be resolved by flashing an insecure kernel:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2708686
-- HTC Sense Broswer --The stock ROM now includes Chrome as the default browser and omits the Sense Browser. Users who prefer the Sense Browser can download it here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2708597
-- HTC Flashlight --The stock HTC flashlight app.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2697025
-- Disable HTC Sync Virtual CDROM --This disables the virtual CD-ROM from mounting.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2709386
-- Donations --Don't forget to donate to the developers involved in getting you here. Donations for firecracker go to [email protected] (paypal). Donations for weaksuace go to [email protected] (paypal). If I missed anyone, let me know.
FAQBeen getting some interesting PMs. Here is some of the popular questions.
Do I need a Java card for this?
No. You just need a PC/Mac, a USB 2.0 cable and the M8. Since a public S-off method is now available, that method is obsolete and its not recommended anymore.
Do I have to change or reset my CID?
No, that is only necessary for people who s-off'ed via a Javacard.
Do I need to do any of this if I S-off'ed via Javacard?
No, this method ends with the same result.
Can I reverse this and return to completely stock?
Yes, absolutely none of the stuff done here is permanent. You can unroot, relock the bootloader, and S-On as many times as you want. You can flash an HTC RUU to return to completely stock in one go. Note: Be careful with S-On'ing a device. If you S-On a device via a newer RUU and that RUU has no known exploits, you may not be able to S-Off again until an exploit is found.
Do I need to unlock my bootloader after this?
No, the firewater exploit will S-Off and unlock your bootloader.
Will this work on a Mac?
Yes, please read the directions more carefully.
Will this work on USB 3.0 ports as that is all I have?
Usually. On OS X, I've had success using a USB 3.0 port (since recent MBPs only include USB 3). On Windows, the answer seems to be maybe, depending on your OS. Your best bet would be to try on a Windows 8,8.1,8.1u1 machine as that OS includes native support for USB 3.0; that way you aren't relying on vendor specific driver support like on Win7 or below. I have personally done this exploit on USB3 on a Surface Pro.
Will this brick my phone?
There is always a chance, but I have honestly never heard of such a thing happening. Worst case is usually a full reset of the phone.
Will this wipe/format the external SDcard?
No.
How do I flash this via ODIN?
This has absolutely nothing to do with ODIN. That is for Samsung devices. You should not even have ODIN running when do any part of this guide.
How to I convert to a Google Play edition ROM?
Wait for a developer to make one. I will post a link here if/when that happens.
See here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2716306
Does this affect Google Wallet or ISIS?
Yes and no. Google wallet works just fine. ISIS will detect its rooted and refuse to work. You'll need to shield root from ISIS to use it. Directions on how to do that can be found via google.
Will this work on non-Verizon HTC M8's?
Yes, though you will need to use a different recovery.
Will this unlock my device for other carriers?
No....because your device is already unlocked in its stock form. AWS band rules force Verizon to keep all their LTE devices unlocked.
Will this jailbreak my device?
No. Wrong type of phone.
I can get red triangle exclamation mark with a black screen. How do I fix this?
You are in the stock recovery. Hold power and volume up and you will get a menu. You can choose reboot system now to get out of there.
appreciate the write up. ill check back here when i find a reason to unlock it
Has anyone done it yet? It's just sitting at "adb wait-for-device push firewater /data/local/tmp" for at least 5 minutes now.
sfreemanoh said:
Has anyone done it yet? It's just sitting at "adb wait-for-device push firewater /data/local/tmp" for at least 5 minutes now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have done everything mentioned in this guide. And it works just fine.
Make sure you are connected via USB2. Also make sure your phone is on and unlocked (as in, no security PIN, pattern, password etc.). Is USB debugging on?
When you type "adb devices" from command prompt, is your device listed?
Yeah, nvm, it's fine now. When I first connected it via debugging, I didn't hit the "Always allow" option on my phone, so after the adb reboot it wasn't allowed to reconnect. Just had to disable debugging and re-enable it, it's all set now.
sfreemanoh said:
Yeah, nvm, it's fine now. When I first connected it via debugging, I didn't hit the "Always allow" option on my phone, so after the adb reboot it wasn't allowed to reconnect. Just had to disable debugging and re-enable it, it's all set now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool. I'll add that to the guide.
I have not had time to thank and will.
At work and going to hook it up when I get home this morning so I hope no one screws with you guys and gets it pulled.
Very much appreciate all the work they put into it.
Thank you very much for the dummy proof write up
These guys around here are getting to good.
Thank you thank you thank you.
Worked Perfect! Thank you guys!
thank you so much! now i can sleep at night knowing that verizon doesn't have control of my device anymore haha!!
Im happy to see that s-off was achieved and Im going to unlock my phone right now
but quick question, I'm new to this s-off stuff so I don't know how it works entirely.
But once we unlock the bootloader
is there any way to lock it again in case we need to send the phone to HTC?
sorry for the noob question but just a question that popped into mind.
So I don't quite understand. I am S-off with the Unofficial CMWR from InvisibleK and I flashed SuperSU zip v1.94. Do I need the system write access kernel module to write to system or no?
Great guide by the way. Thanks
I have been trying for the past hour, but I cannot get adb to connect. Am I missing a step?
I downloaded the htc synch, installed the drivers, uninstalled synch. I already had weaksauce root. I downloaded sdk, extracted the bundle. I downloaded firewater, moved it to the same folder with adb.
Everytime I try to run adb it just scrolls and then closes almost immediately. I thought it was my java at first. I updated that. The computer says I'm connected through HTC drivers. I'm debugged/unknown sources...
Running windows 8.1 64bit. I don't know what else to do at this point.
blacknet101 said:
Im happy to see that s-off was achieved and Im going to unlock my phone right now
but quick question, I'm new to this s-off stuff so I don't know how it works entirely.
But once we unlock the bootloader
is there any way to lock it again in case we need to send the phone to HTC?
sorry for the noob question but just a question that popped into mind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely. Everything in this guide can be reversed. You can return everything back to stock via an RUU.
nicholi2789 said:
So I don't quite understand. I am S-off with the Unofficial CMWR from InvisibleK and I flashed SuperSU zip v1.94. Do I need the system write access kernel module to write to system or no?
Great guide by the way. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do not. I have modified and added a few system files and they have persisted through several hard reboots.
MultiDev said:
Absolutely. Everything in this guide can be reversed. You can return everything back to stock via an RUU.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm! Thanks for the reply buddy! may i ask? Where can we find these RUU files? In case we need to go back to Stock?
JelloB said:
I have been trying for the past hour, but I cannot get adb to connect. Am I missing a step?
I downloaded the htc synch, installed the drivers, uninstalled synch. I already had weaksauce root. I downloaded sdk, extracted the bundle. I downloaded firewater, moved it to the same folder with adb.
Everytime I try to run adb it just scrolls and then closes almost immediately. I thought it was my java at first. I updated that. The computer says I'm connected through HTC drivers.
Running windows 8.1 64bit. I don't know what else to do at this point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Java has nothing to do with adb. You don't need it installed to any of this guide.
You need to use adb from a shell. On, windows, you need to open a command prompt. Type "cmd" with the start screen open and hit enter. Then at the prompt, use the "cd" command to navigate to the correct directory where adb is located.
When i run the "adb wait-for-device push firewater /data/local/tmp" command it come back with "failed to copy 'firewater' to '\data\local\tmp': Read-only file system". I'm lost. I have root access and everything.
MultiDev said:
Java has nothing to do with adb. You don't need it installed to any of this guide.
You need to use adb from a shell. On, windows, you need to open a command prompt. Type "cmd" with the start screen open and hit enter. Then at the prompt, use the "cd" command to navigate to the correct directory where adb is located.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I knew I was missing something simple. It's been a while since I've used adb. Will try now...thanks.
trying to modify the default.xml to get rid of the 10 try's and wipe pattern lock and it doesn't appear I have access to read write from it still... trying with the ES note editor when going to the file with ES File Explorer. I've ran the wp_mod.ko as directed and I haven't rebooted.
I'm wondering if I'm missing something, or maybe there's a better way to do it via command line?
blacknet101 said:
Hmmm! Thanks for the reply buddy! may i ask? Where can we find these RUU files? In case we need to go back to Stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are available from HTC. I'll have to find the exact links. Also, many android sites will host them too.
Slimfast35 said:
When i run the "adb wait-for-device push firewater /data/local/tmp" command it come back with "failed to copy 'firewater' to '\data\local\tmp': Read-only file system". I'm lost. I have root access and everything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need root access to write there, shell does not normally have access. Beaware that weaksauce takes a minute or two before after a restart before enabling root again. So wait till you have access again before trying it.
meest said:
trying to modify the default.xml to get rid of the 10 try's and wipe pattern lock and it doesn't appear I have access to read write from it still... trying with the ES note editor when going to the file with ES File Explorer. I've ran the wp_mod.ko as directed and I haven't rebooted.
I'm wondering if I'm missing something, or maybe there's a better way to do it via command line?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do not need the kernal module actually; I have removed that from the guide. I haven't used ES Note before, but no matter what, you must mount system as R/W before you can change anything. Its by default R/O or Read Only. Root explorer has a button that auto mounts it and then you can make your edit.