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Hello,
First post from me and first question!
I am interested in buying an EEE Transformer TF101 with docking station but i want to install a different OS like a linux distro with Plasma active. I heard that some modelas of the TF101 have locked BOOTLOADERS so i will not be able to change OS.
Do you know if the Asus TF101-1B141A has a locked bootloader? How can i unlock it?
Also i was thinking of buying the expensive EEE Transformer TF201 but here in Greece they sell it seperate from the docking station
What's your opinion?
Hey, welcome!
TF201 is still kind of buggy, but I leave it up to you to make your own decisions..but there are threads devoted to comparing the two and whether owners would rather have one or the other..
As far as the bootloader, you have to know the specific serial number of the unit, which starts with a number like this B70KAS9835
The B70 part is what you need to look at (I am going out on a limb, considering new models are Cxx that the B is likely the year or production run, and the number after is month manufactured?? I could be wrong, but B60 definitely came before B70, which came before B80, which came before C10, and so on)
If it is B60 or less, it is what is called SBK1 (secure boot key, version 1), where as B70s are hit and miss (mine is SBK1 I think, but others have had SBK2 B70s). SBK2 has not been unlocked, basically what it means is if you have SBK1 you can use a tool called NVFlash to flash the internal memory and factory restore a bricked tablet. If it is SBK2, and you brick it, you cannot use NVFlash to restore it. You can, however, still root and install alternate OS on SBK2 tabs, it is just at a risk if you brick it, it is unrecoverable (as of now, but maybe fixable in the future).
As for the versions of Linux that you can run, as far as I know ubuntu is available, though I don't know how many of it's functions are fully implemented, I imagine there has to be some limitations versus a laptop PC, as the tablet hardware is geared to run android specifically, anything outside of that is a coin toss..but since android is linux-based, it makes it pretty easy to install linux from what I understand (easy, as compared to installing it on say an ipad)
thanks for the help!
So i am searching for a B70 with SBK1 in order to be sure that everything will be ok !
i found that the serial number of the model i looked to buy starts from
B80
Have i any chances to format it and install another OS ?
Must i look for a TF201 ?
NVFlash can not be used with B80s. You will still be able to flash roms like Revolver, but you will not be able to flash Ubuntu.
It will be alot more difficult to return to stock with a B80 than a device with a lower serial number.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
Hello,
I finally bought it and its Serial Number is B80KAS077058.
Is there anything i can do in order to chroot it or unlock it?
Can anyone definitively explain the reason why some can and some can not unlock their bootloader? I've searched all over the forums and see reasons the span from left to right. I typically just lurk in the background and figure out methods to install custom ROMS on my own, but this unlocking situation is starting to chap my my arse. I've been trying for about two weeks to use the ASUS tool, but it ain't working for me.....I keep getting the same connection message that other's are getting.
Anybody got a good answer or an even better solution?
From what I've read it seems to be because of their method to track who unlocks. It takes your serial number and then they know so they can void the warranty. However a certain amount of numbers also got put on that list. So when you go to use it it doesn't work because it's only a one time deal to prevent from relocking /unlocking. I'm not 100% sure on this because there isn't really any information available but that's what I've heard from a bit of looking around.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using xda premium
All I did was download the apk from asus and installed on my tablet and bam unlocked the tablet took 5 minutes if that. What methods are you doing?
Ok so I found this looking around.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1669328
That thread seems to show/explain a lot. Plus maybe reading it will stop double posting.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using xda premium
Yeah, saw that post. Tried it too......nada. I've got a C30KCT S/N too.
Just curious for those of you that have successfully unlocked your tablet.....did you happen to register your device's S/N with ASUS?
No registering necessary. Just go here:
http://usa.asus.com/Tablet/Transformer_Pad/ASUS_Transformer_Pad_TF300T/#download
choose android as your OS and click on Utilities and download the Global link and transfer that apk file to your tablet and run it. You should be be unlocked after running the program and following the on screen instructions.
vel0city said:
No registering necessary. Just go here:
http://usa.asus.com/Tablet/Transformer_Pad/ASUS_Transformer_Pad_TF300T/#download
choose android as your OS and click on Utilities and download the Global link and transfer that apk file to your tablet and run it. You should be be unlocked after running the program and following the on screen instructions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The app you just told people to download is the same one that isn't working. The problem they're having with the app is that they get a network error when they run the app. The error is because the user's serial number isn't in the Asus database. This wouldn't be a big deal if you could just tell Asus and ask them to fix it. Unfortunately, the instant you run the app, you lose your warranty, so when you tell them that you ran the app and it didn't work, they tell you you're out of a warranty, and they can't help you.
The only solution anyone's found so far is to keep trying and hope Asus adds your serial to their database.
EndlessDissent said:
The app you just told people to download is the same one that isn't working. The problem they're having with the app is that they get a network error when they run the app. The error is because the user's serial number isn't in the Asus database. This wouldn't be a big deal if you could just tell Asus and ask them to fix it. Unfortunately, the instant you run the app, you lose your warranty, so when you tell them that you ran the app and it didn't work, they tell you you're out of a warranty, and they can't help you.
The only solution anyone's found so far is to keep trying and hope Asus adds your serial to their database.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the heads up did not know that I guess my friends and I have been lucky then unlocking our bootloaders I mean I unlocked and rooted about 10 tablets and didnt come across this lol.
Yeah, the problem first got attention when a bunch of people weren't getting OTA notifications. Some folks went to devicetracker.asus.com and entered their serial numbers and were told that the serial number was invalid. These same people got tired of waiting for the OTA and decided to just unlock their tablets and install custom ROMs. Unfortunately, they just got a network error. Someone, at some point, called Asus support about the OTA and was told about the database problem. Apparently, it hasn't been completely fixed yet. Eventually, I think, most people either got their OTAs and/or the unlocker started working. There were also reports that downgrading to .17 and doing a factory reset solved the problem for some people but not others. Other people said that clearing data for certain services made it work, but not everyone got that to work, either. The only options you have are to either wait or return the tablet and hope the replacement doesn't have the same problem.
So, if you've received OTA's and registered with device tracker it'd be a safe bet they have you in the their db, right?
Yup. I meet both criteria and just unlocked successfully.
Good morning everyone!
I've spent days looking through the forums and decided to join and start a thread on my own as there is only little information on the device I'm using.
Well, I'm a German working in China and recently I bought the Asus Memo 171. As it seems it is only sold throughout Asia getting more information was difficult due to my lack of skills in Chinese - result: I didn't know there was that big of a difference from the Chinese Version (SKU) to the rest (TW and WW).
In my device there is not even an option to add a google account - no sync, no gmail, no play store, no apps. I can't even login to play store online. The only thing on there is the "HiMarket" which is the chinese version of an Android market but unless someone can actually read Chinese Characters it's hopeless.
The result makes the device pretty much useless for me; I can use the pre-installed apps but that's it.
And here's the point:
I would love to get the WW SKU on my device but my knowledge in rooting and so on is based on an old HTC WinCE device years ago and information on the ME171 is pretty rare.
I went through many of the TF101 and Prime threads for more information to change the SKU (EP101_UPDATE etc.) but it seems the ME171 is slightly different.
On the Asus Homepage I can get Updates for CN, TW and WW (China, Taiwan and worldwide) but SKU conversion of course is not possible and neither downgrading - at least not without root, bootloaders and so on.
As far as I have seen CWM does not work on this one, or maybe it does but no one tried...
What do I need to get it done and what information do you (that one goes to the experienced users around here) need to get me started?
I hope someone is willing to spend some time on a device that maybe 3 people are using .
Does anyone know of similarities to the Nexus 7 or other Asus devices which would make it a lot easier or is there some guide that basically works for every Asus Android device?
Would gaining root access and replacing the recovery image work to switch the SKU? The only thing available from Asus is one .raw file for one specific version and I'm not sure if that's sufficient. But if yes, are the firmwares similar to other devices so that the usual rooting procedure works? (Thinking of Sparky's debugfs automated root tool)
Right now I'm on 4.0.3 (me being stupid got all the OTA updates and I don't even know how to downgrade...originally it runs on Honeycomb) and I'm willing to get everything on this machine out as information for the helpful people in here (ROM dump or whatever you might need).
I'm looking forward to get this thread alive and keep it that way so please, dear experienced users, give me (and probably some more users who are using the Memo) something to start with to make this pad useful!
Thanks to anyone interested in this in advance and don't hesitate to ask for more infos.
Glad to meet a ME171 user in this world! LOL
OK, I got a ME171 CN recently, and just Root it sucessful ( almost... )
Please try Generic Debugfs root method http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1817622
I'm got your message and answer all I know. ^_^+
Due to a little frustration I decided to create a whole thread for this.
I suck at computers and I have no idea what I am doing so I ended up bricking my device lmao.
In theory, the thought of rooting your device, and installing a custom OS sounds great! (Like communism) but when put in practice never really works out. The reason for that (I think) is because there are so many different versions, models, and brands. I end up spending all my time trying to refine my search to the right software and versions, and then when I do, I am stuck with some stupid site like (every damn rom site) with a 20kb/s download rate, and a page full of ads! Why? Because they are storing like 2 billion different 2GB roms. In my opinion paying for faster download speed from these websites is ridiculous. I don't even know why they offer (you would have to be stupid(like me)).
(tl;dr: Android SUCKS)
So, now to my actual question...
With the release of the Librem 5 phone, there really is not going to be a point to rooting phones anymore, because google with already be decimated from it... But that comes out in April/May and I still need a phone in the meantime.
So.. Are there any cheap phones ($500+/-), that are not a pain in the ass to root? And one that the developers actually care about to actively develop. All I wan't is a phone I can install stock android with root, and that can be installed without google or gapps. Also I live in Canada, which is another reason why it's a pain in the ass to find a decent phone because all our carriers deadbolt their firmware, and bootloaders like their storing the coordinates to some secret location with a pot of gold.
starscrpt said:
Due to a little frustration I decided to create a whole thread for this.
I suck at computers and I have no idea what I am doing so I ended up bricking my device lmao.
In theory, the thought of rooting your device, and installing a custom OS sounds great! (Like communism) but when put in practice never really works out. The reason for that (I think) is because there are so many different versions, models, and brands. I end up spending all my time trying to refine my search to the right software and versions, and then when I do, I am stuck with some stupid site like (every damn rom site) with a 20kb/s download rate, and a page full of ads! Why? Because they are storing like 2 billion different 2GB roms. In my opinion paying for faster download speed from these websites is ridiculous. I don't even know why they offer (you would have to be stupid(like me)).
(tl;dr: Android SUCKS)
So, now to my actual question...
With the release of the Librem 5 phone, there really is not going to be a point to rooting phones anymore, because google with already be decimated from it... But that comes out in April/May and I still need a phone in the meantime.
So.. Are there any cheap phones ($500+/-), that are not a pain in the ass to root? And one that the developers actually care about to actively develop. All I wan't is a phone I can install stock android with root, and that can be installed without google or gapps. Also I live in Canada, which is another reason why it's a pain in the ass to find a decent phone because all our carriers deadbolt their firmware, and bootloaders like their storing the coordinates to some secret location with a pot of gold.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get something that is not a Samsung, not carrier branded(an international model) and is factory unlocked or can be unlocked.
I suggest you just do some searching to find some devices that you are interested in, then write down the model number of each device and then do some Google searches using those model numbers one at a time to see if a known rooting method exists for each model, then do some Google searching to see if TWRP exists for each model number, then do some searches to see if there are ROMs available for each model number.
We can't predict the future and say which devices will have a rooting method, we can only point you to devices that have already had a known rooting method discovered for that model, you can find that information yourself by doing the Google searches listed below.
To find root methods for the devices:
"Root for (specific device model number here)"
That should find root method for the device in question.
To find TWRP or custom recovery for the devices:
"TWRP for (specific device model number here)"
Or
"Custom recovery for (specific device model number here)"
That should find TWRP or custom recovery if it exists for the device in question.
To find custom ROMs for the devices:
"Custom ROMs for (specific device model number here)"
That should find ROMs if they exist for the device in question.
You might want to consider getting an international device directly from the manufacturer that is factory unlocked or can be unlocked(also known as SIM/carrier unlocked) instead of getting a carrier branded/sold device. Factory direct doesn't come with bloatware and unlocked/unlockable means it should be able to be activated on your carrier network.
Also, make sure the device has a factory unlocked bootloader(this is not the same thing as SIM/carrier unlocked) or can at least be unlocked using a known and verified unlock method. The unlocked bootloader is required if you want to flash custom recovery or custom ROMs.
If you just want to use the stock firmware and modify it to remove the Google stuff, unlocked bootloader won't be required for that. But, if you are going to just modify the stock software already on the device, I will advise you to make sure that the stock firmware for that device is available for download and then download a copy of it just in case you mess something up in the process of removing Google and its components, then you can just flash the firmware on the device to fix it(if you don't screw it up too bad, that is).
I would really recommend that you choose a device that has:
1) an unlocked/unlockable bootloader so that you can flash TWRP on the device
2) has an available downloadable stock firmware so that you can repair the device, if needed
3) has a TWRP recovery available so it can be installed on the device and then used to create a backup of your unmodified stock ROM, then you can modify the device and if you screw something up, you can use TWRP to restore the backup that you create, this will return the device to working condition.
Sent from my LGL84VL using Tapatalk
Droidriven pretty much covered it extremely well.
With regards to rooting:
It often can raise the stress levels beyond normal. Set aside time and take each step slowly and deliberately. Some guides can be much worse than others.
PS. Your idea of a cheap phone is at least 3x the cost of my idea of a cheap phone
The Asus Zenfone 6 just released bootloader unlock and kernel source so there should be a fairly healthy dev community when its released in the US.
The librem 5 ?? I dunno , on my list for sure . but hardware specs soundsmeh for the price . And will we be able to install ubuntu software like clementine music play ? jeez if so that would make up for the lack hardware.
looks like 2019 q3 is going to be an exciting time. I want the zenfone 6 but I dunno..... that librem 5 ubuntu phone is going to need to be checked out once rc is released .
Hello XDA!
First of all, long time lurker, but infrequent poster here. My phone is an Asus ROG Phone 5s Pro running stock and non-beta software and is not rooted. I am reaching out to see if anyone on here who has more technical savvy than me (which is probably most of y'all) can help me figure out how to reinstall a fresh factory image on my Asus ROG Phone 5s Pro or can offer any other possible solutions for my issue.
The reason I am wanting to do this is because I recently installed a software update from Asus that seems to have a persistent issue that is a pretty major problem to me. The issue is that whenever I reboot the phone and plug in headphones and audio plays, but it stutters and BLASTS out of the headphones (multiple sources tried, even happens with system notification sounds). This only happens with wired headphones and never with Bluetooth. I had this happen to me once for less than a half a second and my ears were persistently ringing for about 3+ hours after this and I am certain that it damaged my hearing to a small degree. Because of this I no longer trust to use any headphones with the phone and this is a huge bummer because I use wired headphones A LOT.
I have tried to factory reset the phone several times already and the issue persists through without any restoring of anything during setup (in fact it won't recognize the backup that it created the day before the factory reset), but the issue is still present. I contacted Asus customer support (for which lets just say I have strong feelings on) and explained the issue and they want me to RMA the phone for a hardware issue.
I really do not wish to do this as this means I will have to either switch phones a few times which is always incredibly time consuming or be without a phone for an estimated period of up to 10 days if I do the RMA. I also disagree that this is a hardware issue because of two things: 1) if it were a hardware issue then I would think that the problem would be constant and not happen just once after each reboot and I would think that doing something in the software, i.e. a reboot, wouldn't consistently recreate the problem. Thus I am trying to find a way to "restore" the operating system of this device to see if I can solve what I believe to be a software issue that shouldn't require any RMA.
I have seen that posts that linked official files from Asus before, such as the "AsusUnlock_1.0.0.7_210127_fulldpi.apk" found in the OP of the "Install any custom ROM on ROG Phone 5 / 5s (GSI)" thread here in this very forum. Is anyone aware of any officially sourced files for stock software/firmware for this phone and a process through which I could reinstall it?
I am also open to thoughts and other possible options to consider.
Also I will give bonus points to anyone who can help me figure out how to fix the issue where my Google backup by this very same phone won't restore its own Google backup when going through the setup and can help me restore it. It does recognize a different Google backup for a tablet that is set up for my child to use, so it is not an issue with the restore being completely broken.
Thanks in advance for anyone willing to try and lend a hand.
Hi, here you can find stock firmwares make sure you got for right region.
ROG Phone 5s Pro | Gaming Phones｜ROG - Republic of Gamers｜ROG Global
Fueled for winning by the latest Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 888+ 5G mobile platform, ROG Phone 5s Pro launches your mobile gaming experience into the next dimension. With an unbelievably responsive 360 Hz native touch-sampling rate, the 144 Hz / 1 ms display brings you the smoothest ever viewing...
rog.asus.com
Yeah, just for additional info for anyone who finds this. I've also been working with ASUS customer support. I was given two links on flashing official firmware:
Unofficial guide on flashing - https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1009748/
Official firmware images - https://rog.asus.com/phones/rog-phone-5s-pro-model/helpdesk_bios (same as previous comment above; thanks Teddy)
When I asked why my version is newer than any they currently have listed on the site I was told that it "could be a preview release given directly by Google" (I doubt this as this appeared as an official OTA by Asus that had very specific patch notes to this phone in it) and that because my version is newer than any listed on their site would result in trouble if I tried to flash the newest version listed, but an older firmware than what is currently installed and that I should still just RMA my phone.
For reference my current firmware is RKQ1.210303.002.WW_Phone-18.1220.2201.186 and the latest firmware listed on their site at the time of this writing is WW-18.1220.2111.164.
Great phone (aside from the hearing damage), but utterly useless support.
Still open to thoughts and ideas though if anyone still has any.
You can "downgrade" your firmware by doing a RAW flash directly to version you need OR to any lower version and then install the official ASUS version you want manually. Also need to disable OTA updates to avoid being updated to the latest automatically.
Having the device checked for hardware issues is probably the best idea however.
Andrologic said:
You can "downgrade" your firmware by doing a RAW flash directly to version you need OR to any lower version and then install the official ASUS version you want manually. Also need to disable OTA updates to avoid being updated to the latest automatically.
Having the device checked for hardware issues is probably the best idea however.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you provide more info on this "downgrade" via "a RAW flash"? Is there a guide or something that will give more info about this?
I think I might be screwed though for the RMA. Customer service says apparently its a Taiwan version and cannot be serviced in the USA and has to be sent to via Taiwan RMA and the page they gave me seems to indicate there are no service centers for ROG Phones; see https://www.asus.com/support/service-center/taiwan#.
Short rant is that I literally spent hours and I mean HOURS (if not possibly days) of my time with Asus customer service and searching online trying to find a US version with US warranty and ultimately getting nowhere and deciding to go with the one I have now. Four months in to a $1700 phone and basically I am stuck with a dangerous headphone jack and no option to fix it other than maybe what you mentioned, Andrologic.
Today has not been kind.
ChrisMills83 said:
Could you provide more info on this "downgrade" via "a RAW flash"? Is there a guide or something that will give more info about this?
I think I might be screwed though for the RMA. Customer service says apparently its a Taiwan version and cannot be serviced in the USA and has to be sent to via Taiwan RMA and the page they gave me seems to indicate there are no service centers for ROG Phones; see https://www.asus.com/support/service-center/taiwan#.
Short rant is that I literally spent hours and I mean HOURS (if not possibly days) of my time with Asus customer service and searching online trying to find a US version with US warranty and ultimately getting nowhere and deciding to go with the one I have now. Four months in to a $1700 phone and basically I am stuck with a dangerous headphone jack and no option to fix it other than maybe what you mentioned, Andrologic.
Today has not been kind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are links to download RAW images along with guides in the help thread pinned to the top of this forum. You should find what you need there. The RAW's come include flash scripts that does it all for you.
Just curious for opinions while this thread is still going:
Does anyone lean towards my issue being a hardware problem or something else (and if you could be specific and suggest something for me to try about it)?
The reason why I ask is because I personally feel like this is an issue with when the headphone jack initializes output or something because it only ever blasts audio after a reboot and I any audio plays. After it stops and plays again the levels seems to return to normal. I can also reliably make this happen the same way every single time. Finally (and somewhat conspiratorially), the update I installed just before this started to happen had patch notes that included "optimized audio parameters."
My appreciation in advance for any thoughts and insights.