I am just wondering if there is anything that makes it impossible that sometime in the near future someone will learn how to relock the TF700 to stock in the future? I couldn't care less about the warranty, I simply want to play Hulu videos using the current app rather than the older version. I've never seen that an app could tell if you have an unlocked bootloader and discriminate from it.
With my Galaxy Nexus this is an easy problem to overcome, but not the case here when unlocking is an officially supported option. Irony.
I know there isn't any way to relock the bootloader right now, but will we ever be?
Thanks.
Related
As I said I am thinking about getting this phone but I am worried after reading around that doing the whole htcdev token thing for opening it up for root voids your warranty. So my questions are...
1. Can it be reversed?
2. Can tmobile tell too? Even if it can be reversed?
3. Has anyone tried to see if this works http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1578908
4. Does htcdev get you s-off?
5. What is s-off?
Sent from my NexusHD2 using XDA
1. Yes and no. The bootloader can be re-locked, but as with all HTC devices, once you've unlocked it, there's signs that you did. Mine says *TAMPERED* for example once I rooted it. I don't think that'll ever go back.
2. T-Mo can tell if you bring it into the store. It doesnt take much work. All they gotta do is load the bootloader.
3. I have no idea, but my guess is that the end-result is the same as #1. The method you've linked in no way hints at being "secretive" about the unlock. I'd also not recommend you use it, since it's not necessarily a tried and true way. Following HTCdev.com's process IS however a tried and true way. I mean -- why NOT use the official HTC route?
4. No, HTCdev does NOT get you S-OFF. I have no idea what does, but you can still load CWM recovery, root, and load ROMs with S-ON anyways. Only reason you need S-OFF is if you start messing with paritions, which I wouldn't recommend unless you know what youre doing and are prepared to accept the consequences.
5. S-OFF lets you mess with partitions as far as I can tell. It may do more, but I'm not sure. I'm brand new to HTC phones (my first phone was a Nexus S).
Keep in mind with all of this, that your worries about unlocking are pretty much useless. Keep in mind -- if you're needing to send your phone in for warranty repair, you're 99% likely sending it in for HARDWARE repair. HTC and other mfr's (Samsung too) generally will honor your warranty if the cause is obvious (vol button breaks, capacitive buttons break, etc).
And if you're unlocking your phone, chances are any software problems you have are going to be taken care of by YOU anyways. Keep that in mind.
Cheers, and happy flashing!
ive looking and i couldnt find one. does anyone have one that i dont need to have an unlocked bootloader?
Not physically possible. If you need customization, use root with the stock rom and be very careful not to brick.
how would it not be possible? just use a stock kernel and you should be good. thats what we did with the atrix 2 since the bootloaders locked.
Don't think you can put a custom recovery on without unlocking the bootloader. No recovery = no flashing ROMs
vegandroid said:
how would it not be possible? just use a stock kernel and you should be good. thats what we did with the atrix 2 since the bootloaders locked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't even start on that bootstrap debacle with moto phones. It was absolutely horrid for flashing anything and was not nearly powerful enough for me. The hassle of using a neutered recovery instead of the real thing is just not worth it, even considering the warrantee.
le rustle face
Keion said:
Don't even start on that bootstrap debacle with moto phones. It was absolutely horrid for flashing anything and was not nearly powerful enough for me. The hassle of using a neutered recovery instead of the real thing is just not worth it, even considering the warrantee.
le rustle face
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.... I fail to see the point of your post. I didn't ask for your opinion on Motorola or what works best for you. Style on topic dude.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
So there is a way to install custom ROM's without unlocking the bootloader? If so, I'd love to know how!!
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
The problem is, the methods used on those Motorola phones are very hackish, and not recommended if alternatives are present. And since the TF700 is unlockable, its extremely unlikely those methods will ever be duplicated since those who want to mod can do so without restrictions.
Just look at the OG Atrix community... the instant an unlockable bootloader was leaked, development for those hackish methods immediately halted. Someone ported 2nd init days or weeks before that happened, and nothing was ever written to use it because it simply wasnt needed anymore.
jtrosky said:
So there is a way to install custom ROM's without unlocking the bootloader? If so, I'd love to know how!!
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. If there was any way to get around Asus's crappy unlocking the bootloader voids the warranty thing I'd jump right on it. I also didn't know that type of thing was possible...
vegandroid said:
ive looking and i couldnt find one. does anyone have one that i dont need to have an unlocked bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did I read that you were going to try to port paranoidandroid to the TF700 last night or was that one of my weird obsessive Infinity dreams ?? I wish you luck if you are going to try - we need a few more devs around these parts.
I personally wasn't worrying about voiding the warranty considering it rooting voided on all the other devices I've had. I'm more waiting for a reason to unlock the boot loader. It's just a nice bonus that rooting doesn't.
I just say wait till you have a reason, and feel comfortable that the device you got is good.
Did I read that you were going to try to port paranoidandroid to the TF700 last night or was that one of my weird obsessive Infinity dreams ?? I wish you luck if you are going to try - we need a few more devs around these parts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When i can get jellybean then ill work on it. Im super busy with school and work, but i need to set some time aside to port it for tf700. i just cant spare the time to completely port JB too right now.
Jotokun said:
The problem is, the methods used on those Motorola phones are very hackish, and not recommended if alternatives are present. And since the TF700 is unlockable, its extremely unlikely those methods will ever be duplicated since those who want to mod can do so without restrictions.
Just look at the OG Atrix community... the instant an unlockable bootloader was leaked, development for those hackish methods immediately halted. Someone ported 2nd init days or weeks before that happened, and nothing was ever written to use it because it simply wasnt needed anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Makes a lot of sense, thanks!
Personally, I'm still interested in a way to flash custom ROM's without unlocking the bootloader, even if it is "hack'ish".
As a good example, I unlocked the bootloader on my original TF700 after I had it for about 3 weeks. I figured that I was good to go - no major flaws... And then about 2 weeks later, the damn thing died on me, so I was stuck with a less-than-45-day-old device that had no warranty!!
I'm just saying - if there is a way to flash ROM's without voiding my warranty, I'd be *very* interested in doing that, even if it was a little hack'ish!
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
its rather hard to install custom roms without an unlocked bootloader.
Consider this: You have a computer that boots directly into windows. Now you have administrator access to the computer however you can't change the boot priority, what disks it boots from, or anything having to do with how the thing starts up. Usually when you want to install an operating system, say windows xp, you would put the disk in, boot from the CD, and install it. Well we have no "boot from CD" option, everything pertaining to that is locked down by Asus.
I know other phones have found ways to sidetrack around that but honestly, with how unreliable they are its often not worth it. Asus has this thing locked down pretty well that its damn near impossible to get enough access to load anything custom at startup (even the unlock they gave us is garbage, if that fails your screwed).
If you want to load something custom you are best to get a third party warrenty and use the unlock.
pileot said:
its rather hard to install custom roms without an unlocked bootloader.
Consider this: You have a computer that boots directly into windows. Now you have administrator access to the computer however you can't change the boot priority, what disks it boots from, or anything having to do with how the thing starts up. Usually when you want to install an operating system, say windows xp, you would put the disk in, boot from the CD, and install it. Well we have no "boot from CD" option, everything pertaining to that is locked down by Asus.
I know other phones have found ways to sidetrack around that but honestly, with how unreliable they are its often not worth it. Asus has this thing locked down pretty well that its damn near impossible to get enough access to load anything custom at startup (even the unlock they gave us is garbage, if that fails your screwed).
If you want to load something custom you are best to get a third party warrenty and use the unlock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even with those methods, you're still restricted. For example, the Motorola phone hacks can run custom roms, but are still stuck with the stock motorola kernels. That means a (somewhat dirty) AOSP rom can be made around the kernel, but a true clean Cyanogenmod or anything requiring kernel level hacks are not possible.
Probably like many others out there I don't wish to unlock the bootloader on my tablet just yet. The one and only reason I don't is because the warranty is still in effect. I've used CWM on several Androidl phones and love it.
Been unsuccessful flashing back to ICS (like everyone else on a locked pad), I got caught up in the OTA and have since lost root, I really regret it. No way to flash back at all. I wish there was some way to "fool" the tab to see a zip file as JB update but really flash back an earlier ICS one.
Not being a programmer or developer, the whole reasoning of why I cant flash back confuses me. I mean if I were to think a bit I could reflash the pad with the same zip file version that the OTA gave me (back on ICS)...just like I did when I first rooted it). Right? So something in the zip tells JB not to go to a previous version. Although in the past I could jump up or down in an ICS version (I assume).
So the question remains. All posts point me to the fact that I'd need a custom recovery to do anything to downgrade and restore root, and although Voodoo does run to restore root on JB and it says it did, it really doesn't. But to do it right and go back to ICS, I'd basically have to violate warranty.
Are there plans in the works or is a working JB root being actively attacked for a locked bootloader running Jelly Bean? It would be relieving to know if anyone out there is pursuing such a task or if it's dead in the water.
All positive comments invited. Please hold back anything referring to why don't I just unlock. The reasons are pretty clear and I'm sure I'm not the only one. My extended goes for 2 years. Covers everything. Unless I unlock. Then it's just money wasted. And once I unlock, "the fuse is blown" so to speak, with no way to re lock it.
I completely agree.
I was previously rooted b4 jelly bean. I am also unwilling to unlock due to warranty. Due to my current employment in the military, my tablet always has a chance of breaking due to the environment of the navy and i would prefer to maintain a warranty in case this were to happen. If anyone heres of a timeline of when a possible locked root can be accessed i would love to hear any further information.
Prefect response USS. I got caught up in the hype awhile ago and purchased an ATV. If I had known that the 3rd gen model was having difficulty being jailbroken, I would have waited. It's cool. But now that I realize the months it's taken for the guru's to develop and fail on a jailbreak for it and getting stung with the Jelly Bean update from ASUS, I'm very happy I haven't accepted any software updates for it (AppleTV). For fear that 1) a jailbreak won't work on the latest sw version when and if one is released and 2) a new sw version installed on it will put me in the same boat (no pun intended) ASUS has me in with Jelly Bean (cant root it, cant go back to a previous stable flash at all). For a hundred bucks either way, it is a cool and cheap gadget. But a 2nd gen model can have so many features modded into it. Rooting my 300 on Jelly Bean would make me feel more as if I had control of what I bought and how I could use on it. Seems like ASUS' Android open source code has been closed up for us unlike the many flavors of Linux out there that you can download for free and install as you like on any pc.
So, it's a Google issue? Asus' reply here
Adding to the info list:
After emailing ASUS airing my concerns of not being able to downgrade without voiding my warranty which boils down to an unlock, the reply points me to "It's a Google thing". For developers who read this, it would be cool to get a brief or in depth reasoning as to why the JB update can manipulate the bootloader to update the OS, yet an ICS binary cannot be used to flash to that version. I hope this makes sense.
ASUS' Reply:
Thank you for contacting us in regards to the firmware update and I do apologize for your inconvenience. Unfortunately there will be no option to revert back to the previous firmware after the update. (It's just the way of the design by the software vendor 'Google'). I would suggest backing up your personal data and perform a factory reset if you are experiencing problems after the firmware update. Please do let me know if the problem still persists.
In my profession working around PLC's and EPROM's, System BIOS, etc, I have programming fixtures and cables to do what I need to. PLC's are sometimes passworded and the vendor is reluctant to give it out. So a swap out is sometimes necessary even though I may have a binary or programming software to make the change I need. Erasing memory sometimes requires a UV eraser or interface to erase before loading a new binary. This never hinders programming unless a "fuse" in the chip has been previously blown to prevent reads or writes of the code..
So how does a new firmware circumvent a locked bootloader to flash it? And what would prevent fastboot or ADB from sending a binary fine to the system? Is this a good and clear question? Linux/Android being an open source (for the most part) OS, it seems like what just happened to me in the JB update falls into a gray area of the code.
ASUS is partially correct in that Googles bootloader for Jellybean is very different than Ice Cream Sandwich. Ive had this issue across all devices I own, however, the locked bootloader is the real issue, and this is an ASUS design. If the boot loader was unlocked, it would be possible to downgrade, hence why those with an unlocked bootloader can regress. ASUS gave us the ability to unlock the boot loader at the expense of the warranty, which is more than many of the companies do, however, putting it on google as it being their problem is a bit of an overstatement. You CAN go back, you just have to unlock....bogus, but ASUS does NOT want to warranty devices that have been regressed for obvious reasons...
I know the majority of speeding up this tablet is with custom kernels/ROMS. I just got my TF300T and I am at stock unrooted 4.2.1, and I know the new bootloader has something on it keeping people from being able to do too much with it right now. I know if I unlock the bootloader then I lose my warranty (which is stupid and not the case with my GS3), but I would love to be able to speed up this tablet.
It seems really slow in responsiveness and I wonder if 4.2.1 did this to it, because all the other reviews for this tablet previously said it was pretty decently quick. I am quite disappointed if the only way I can get it to speed up is to void my warranty and install a custom ROM/Kernel when you all figure out how to get around the current bootloader issues.
Any suggestions on giving this tablet a little more zip without the ability of unlocking it? Does anyone think there will be a way to Root it without unlocking it? How feasible is it to downgrade to another firmware (without bricking it) to achieve Root if that ever becomes a possibility?.
slickdaddy96 said:
I know the majority of speeding up this tablet is with custom kernels/ROMS. I just got my TF300T and I am at stock unrooted 4.2.1, and I know the new bootloader has something on it keeping people from being able to do too much with it right now. I know if I unlock the bootloader then I lose my warranty (which is stupid and not the case with my GS3), but I would love to be able to speed up this tablet.
It seems really slow in responsiveness and I wonder if 4.2.1 did this to it, because all the other reviews for this tablet previously said it was pretty decently quick. I am quite disappointed if the only way I can get it to speed up is to void my warranty and install a custom ROM/Kernel when you all figure out how to get around the current bootloader issues.
Any suggestions on giving this tablet a little more zip without the ability of unlocking it? Does anyone think there will be a way to Root it without unlocking it? How feasible is it to downgrade to another firmware (without bricking it) to achieve Root if that ever becomes a possibility?.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
don't wander about the new bootloader, i did it, and now have a BRICK instead of tablet!!!
a HARD brick of course!!!
if you need a faster tablet, go for something like iPad or Note 10 or even Tablet Z, this damn tablet is exactly what you see in 4.2, even when it was on 4.1, believe me...
just be cautious enough about new bootlaoder in 4.2, it's a crap, it screwed my tab...
Wish you best of bests
Hi guys,
I am really interested in the U11 but unlike for the US, HTC Singapore is stupid about its warranty policy and confirmed the warranty will be void if the bootloader is unlocked. So before I decide to move to another manufacturer, I just wanted to make sure there is no workaround to keep the warranty.
On my last HTC (One M8 Dual Sim), the USB connector and digitizer both had to be replaced within less than 12 months hence I would really like to be able to rely on the warranty for this kind of issues.
Are you aware of an existing solution or someone who may be working on a solution that could allow us to root the U11 without unlocking the bootloader?
Alternatively, I read that "Magisk" can possibly change the bootloader state, what does that mean exactly? Could we possibly unlock it then switch it back to normal without showing the "Re-locked" status?
Thanks
I would really like somethimg like that as well - unability to root without warranty void drives me nuts.
cross-thread:
LuH said:
I got the same response from HTC Czech Republic: unlocking the bootloader would instantly void my warranty, plus they said that warranty-keeping bootloader unlock is possible only in that one special case for US customers, the rest of the world voids their warranty by doing so :/
Rant on the side: I truly despise not being allowed to get root privileges without voiding the warranty - it is MY device, yet I can't control the system. I want to do MY own backups, control (or inspect) the data apps save to MY phone, and control the configuration of MY system. I really hate being locked out from even such basic configurations as the hosts file is - I'm effectively barred from some aspects of web development so that advertisements can be shoved down my throat
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, from SG. Anyone knows of any method to unlock bootloader without going through HTCDEV?
The short answer is no.
is there a longer answer that would give at least a little hope? On Moto Droid 4 root and some limited flashing possibility were acquired by exploiting a built-in app vulnerability, even though the bootloader was impossible to unlock. Is this really impossible here? And if so, why?
no Way?