[HOWTO][MINI][ST15i] Restore Stock ROM from Cyanogen and other ROMs - Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini, Mini Pro, Xperia Pro, A

I was very disappointed in Cyanogenmod. Although awesome it was with all those features, it was riddled by bugs and stability issues. I slowly realized the hard way that the Xperia Mini is not a very popular phone, so any bugs on it will take time to be fixed. In some cases, maybe not at all. So I'm sticking to rooting my phone with the stock ROM, and will try the official ICS when it comes out. It took me a lot of time to understand how to go about doing these things, around 3 whole days just to get Cyanogen on. And then bombarded with these issues. I had issues after issue, and finally called it quits and returned to stock ROM.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Cyanogen is a worthless ROM. Infact, the devs did a stupendous job on it, but somehow it still isn't usable for me for everyday purposes. Atleast, not without slowing me down.
So I wrote this so people could be spared of the hassle non-geeks like me would go through. Hopefully this is easy to understand and works well for you. None of this my own- this is information I gathered from many different posts and threads into one easy to follow guide. I do not take credit for any of this (other than converging it altogether here).
GUIDE : To return to stock ROM, use this Flashtool method. I'm assuming you are aware of fastboot as well ( You had to do that while trying to get Cyanogen on). So anyways-
1) Download Flashtool from here
http://androxyde.github.com/Flashtool/
I recommend grabbing the zip instead of the installer and unzip to the root of C: drive. (C:\Flashtool\)
2) Get the Xperia Mini stock ROM ftf file from here
http://www.multiupload.com/DAVR31YISS
3) Copy the FTF file and go to the Flashtool folder you extracted. Paste it inside the 'firmwares' folder.
4) Launch the software and click the 'Flash' button (the button with the lightning icon.). Select the 'Flashmode' option. If you did like I explained the software will have already found the FTF file, and all you have to do is click OK. Else browse for the file and click OK.
5) Follow the instructions that shows on the software. Note that the service button for our phone is the 'Volume Down' key. Use that.
Voila! You will now have returned to Stock firmware. But you still have to do certain things to make the phone completely functional (some things like Wifi, haptic feedback and all dont work when you flash this way).
1) First, root the phone. Use DoomLords method, easiest way.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1321582
2) After you've done that, switch off the phone. Connect the phone so the fastboot can work (Switch off, connect using the Volume Up key. The blue LED light on top will confirm you've connected that way)
3) Remember that FTF file you downloaded? Go to that file, change the extention from 'ST15i_4.0.1.A.0.283_(1249-8388).ftf' to 'ST15i_4.0.1.A.0.283_(1249-8388).rar' (RAR in the end). Unzip it. Copy the 'kernel.sin' file.
4) When you setup fastboot previously (while installing Cyanogen), you would've installed Android SDK and some other stuff. Go to the android-sdk folder, navigate to 'tools' and paste the 'kernel.sin' file inside that folder.
(If you want to learn more about setting up fastboot, look here.)
5) Open command prompt (Cmd.exe). Change the directory to tools inside the android-sdk folder.
For example, in my case it would be
cd C:\android-sdk-windows\tools
Type in
fastboot flash boot kernel.sin
There! Now Wifi, Market and anything else that wasn't working before should be working now.
If you have any issues, reply to this thread. I'll try to assist if I can.
Cheers.

All good
I just wanna say thx I was on cyanogen and the SE software updater wasn't restoring the stock rom, I downloaded the .zip and change it to .ftf then flashed it with flash tool and that's it all working and I guess that when I did flash the stock rom also flashed the stock kernel but I'm just guessing, anyway thanks a lot.

broken link
Hi,
i have tried to follow your steps, but unfortunately the link to the stock ROM seems to be broken:.
could you please upload the file somewhere else?
thanks
2cent2

help !
Im geting this error "processing of loader
.sin finished with errors" what should i do?

Related

[Q] Is this how I install a ROM?

Hello people,
After finally getting a replacement dell streak i.e. 3 months of complaining. I want to flash it and I want a smooth process. So after looking around I’ve put together everything I have to do. I would like to know if what I’m doing is right. Important Notes: I am using Windows 7 64BIT… I am flashing DJ_Steve’s 1.6.1 Rom. I am currently on stock Froyo. My build number is 12821. For now baseband version is unknown (Can’t check untill I find charger). So this my plan to take list of steps-
1. Install Fastboot via-
Download Dell PC Suite and install it.
Download Fastboot.exe
Remove and replace the battery.
Power the device on while holding the camera button
It will show a screen that says ‗Touch Calibration‘ and ‗Fastboot‘. Tap fastboot.
Learn to use Fastboot on CMD
2. Root
Download SuperOneClick 1.5.5
Extract SuperOneClick on my hard drive
Put my Streak in USB debugging mode: Settings>Applications>Development>turn on USB Debugging
Plug my Streak into the computer – I will not mount the SD card
Right click on SuperOneClick.exe and run as administrator
Click "Root" and watch the progress and follow instructions.
3. Install Streakmod Recovery
Unzip and flash with: fastboot -i 0x413c flash recovery recovery.img
Reboot with: fastboot -i 0x413c reboot
Hold down the keys "volume up" and "volume down" simultaneously while rebooting.
Select "Software upgrade via Update.pkg on SD Card" in the menu
At the Dell Logo press the power button and you will be presented with the Recovery Menu
4. Install Rom (Streak Droid 1.6.1)
Download Update-1.6.1.zip
Place Zip file into Root of SD Card
Make a text file and type in the options
Save file under SDCard>install.txt
Boot into StreakMod
Select Update from Zip File > Select Zip File From SD Card > StreakDroid_1-6.Zip
Wait for installation.
FINISH
These are steps I will take are they right?
Will I need to reroot after Rom has been installed?
Thank you for your time your help is appreachated!!
I believe that 1.61 is pre-rooted.
If you have problems getting root with SuperOneClick remove your SD Card and try it.
You don't need the entire PC Suite, just the drivers. See this page at Dell.
Thanks for response thats helped a lot also I am mainly concerned about the recovery and installing the ROM is even worth it? Also the fact I'm running 64Bit scares me (in case its not supported)!
Just saying but I think a multipurpose guide on how to install Roms needs to be made. There is already a good one but it is outdated and doesn't cover questions like- Can i update straight from stock froyo to Streakdroid 1.6.1? It the guide the same for White Streak? Does 64Bit work with Rooting/Fastboot? I would write but I don't have experience. Does any one think the same?
yes it would be nice if someone did that but it would also be nice for people to use the search function as all these topics have been covered somewhere on these forums
hasamoder said:
Thanks for response thats helped a lot also I am mainly concerned about the recovery and installing the ROM is even worth it? Also the fact I'm running 64Bit scares me (in case its not supported)!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I took the plunge yesterday and installed the 1.6.1 version of DJ_Steve's Streakdroid rom.
It's only been 12 hours but the phone is noticeably faster and so far everything works that worked on the stock 315 and 318 builds.
All of the info you need to flash is available. Some of the threads are quite long and do get noisy with too many unrelated posts and I wish that users would click the thank you button instead of adding an unneeded post to long threads. The StreakDroid guides are very helpful.
I did a lot of reading and took notes (copy and paste to text document) about the problems others had and the solutions that worked. I was fortunate that I did not have the issues others faced.
I would recommend that you think out the options you want carefully and keep them to a minimum, do a factory reset from recovery mode before starting to upgrade, and wipe the cache from the recovery after getting StreakMod recovery installed before installing the ROM. The factory reset and cache wipe seemed to fix most of the problems people had with the install, so I did them preemptively and things went very smooth.
Thank you so much but last question is the steps above correct...
Did you try it out?
Did your steps work fine?
No have not tried waiting for someone to confirm this works....
I used zroot to root my phone and it was such an easy process. Pretty much the app did everything for me.
hasamoder said:
Hello people,
After finally getting a replacement dell streak i.e. 3 months of complaining. I want to flash it and I want a smooth process. So after looking around I’ve put together everything I have to do. I would like to know if what I’m doing is right. Important Notes: I am using Windows 7 64BIT… I am flashing DJ_Steve’s 1.6.1 Rom. I am currently on stock Froyo. My build number is 12821. For now baseband version is unknown (Can’t check untill I find charger). So this my plan to take list of steps-
1. Install Fastboot via-
Download Dell PC Suite and install it.
Download Fastboot.exe
Remove and replace the battery.
Power the device on while holding the camera button
It will show a screen that says ?Touch Calibration‘ and ?Fastboot‘. Tap fastboot.
Learn to use Fastboot on CMD
2. Root
Download SuperOneClick 1.5.5
Extract SuperOneClick on my hard drive
Put my Streak in USB debugging mode: Settings>Applications>Development>turn on USB Debugging
Plug my Streak into the computer – I will not mount the SD card
Right click on SuperOneClick.exe and run as administrator
Click "Root" and watch the progress and follow instructions.
3. Install Streakmod Recovery
Unzip and flash with: fastboot -i 0x413c flash recovery recovery.img
Reboot with: fastboot -i 0x413c reboot
Hold down the keys "volume up" and "volume down" simultaneously while rebooting.
Select "Software upgrade via Update.pkg on SD Card" in the menu
At the Dell Logo press the power button and you will be presented with the Recovery Menu
4. Install Rom (Streak Droid 1.6.1)
Download Update-1.6.1.zip
Place Zip file into Root of SD Card
Make a text file and type in the options
Save file under SDCard>install.txt
Boot into StreakMod
Select Update from Zip File > Select Zip File From SD Card > StreakDroid_1-6.Zip
Wait for installation.
FINISH
These are steps I will take are they right?
Will I need to reroot after Rom has been installed?
Thank you for your time your help is appreachated!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In step 4 when you're installing the rom you don't have to save the options file as a .txt file..
That's only as long as you're entering your options.. After you're done making the text file with your options in it you change the file to install.cfg and place it on the root of your sd card
vishal212 said:
In step 4 when you're installing the rom you don't have to save the options file as a .txt file..
That's only as long as you're entering your options.. After you're done making the text file with your options in it you change the file to install.cfg and place it on the root of your sd card
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From Streakdroid's page with the 1.6.1 install instructions:
You will need to create a text file on your Streak’s MicroSD Card.
The file can be created in your Text Editor of choice ( such as Notepad ).This file will be called ‘install.txt’ – Ensure that this is the exact syntax and that the file is saved with a ‘.txt’ suffix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course later in the page it states:
You can save this text file as install.cfg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But I do think that for 1.6.1 it's install.txt. I have posted this in the 1.6.1 release thread so hopefully the instructions get clarified.
Is it better to first flash 1.5.1 with the amss, do a factory reset and then flash the 1.6.1 without amss?
I have been reading up incessantly since getting my streak a little over a week ago. I have also previously flashed my OH's HD2 (Leo) from Winmo 6.5 to froyo but that was a little simpler in its routine.
I have found a number of rather useful how-to's covering various subjects related to parts of the process and read general guides that often miss out more in-depth detail at other important points (important in my opinion).
Ultimately Android is suffering (again, IMO) from the same problem as any Linux system - details are fragmented, forum threads get bloated with making it hard to get the important info (e.g. 138+ pages to read through) or the other example was expanding the internal SD card which similarly has people making the process easy but the posts make it hard to follow unless you already have some knowledge on what is going on.
I will be making it a project to pull together a guide that provides a summary detail (for those in the know) and an in depth guide and assistance. Lastly a FAQ appendix of issues and resolutions would make it a superb thing. I will warn though, I have commitments already that absorb most of my time, so dont expect to see this guide coming out in the next week!
Hey guys if anyone is still interested the steps on first page worked brilliantly. Further more afterwards I went back to stock because after flashing the performance mod for stock the streak goes very fast anyway. If anyone wants I'll make a video showing how to do it all. And include all the files to make it as easy as possible.
But just so you know after rooting I installed steakmod then flashed the performance update. Then I used Titanium Backup to get rid of all the stock apps I don't want (dell sync, kindle...) and backup apps. Afterward downloaded setcpu and overclocked it about 200mhz. Made it even more faster. Put some custom bios (boot up pictures) on for looks. Installed Gingerbread taskbar again for looks. Installed Galaxy tab email client (because I can). Finally because my streak came with the 318 Baseband I could do a nandroid backup.
That took a little over 45 minitues but putting everything together took an hour on its own so yes it is fragmented. Stats: Baseband 318, Stock froyo and black internation version. Really now that i've done it if anyone needs help just ask... Thanks
for use streakdroid with a Rebel Sim
how i must do?
More details - baseband, 2.2, 1.6 etc
can somebody make a little guide "how to use RebelSim with streakdroid"?
what're the steps?

D2G SBF and Root Tutorial [LINUX]

Since I haven't seen a linux based all in one tutorial for SBF_flash to rooting I figured I'd write up a quick one. I apologize if there is another thread and I haven't looked hard enough.
First things first: SBF_Flash
Download the latest stock OTA update for your phone - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1437177 (This is the latest update. No other updates will be necessary.)
Download the sbf_flash file - http://www.mediafire.com/?oxoe35bsxtnom69
Unzip both to somewhere easy to manage. (I have them in Documents)
Connect your phone to the computer via USB and turn the phone off.
Now you'll need to boot your phone into the boot loader. To do this you simply hold the up arrow on the keyboard while turning the phone on. This should get you into an all black screen with white text.
Open up the terminal and navigate to folder in which you have unzipped your files.
Type
Code:
./sbf_flash VRZ_A956_4.5.608_1FF_01.sbf
You may need to type sudo in order to make it work. (I.E.
Code:
sudo ./sbf_flash VRZ_A956_4.5.608_1FF_01.sbf
)
That should take between 10-20 minutes to go through fully. Once the process is done and the phone reboots go through the setup process and make sure that everything works right.
ROOTING:
Once you have finished the SBF process you'll probably be pretty happy to have a functional phone. But wait! SUPAH FUNCTIONAL ROOT TIME!!
Download the droid 3 root file. - http://www.mediafire.com/?11k7i927o4sd47g
Unzip it to a easily finable folder.
Make sure that your phone has USB debugging enabled. To do so go to settings->application->check box for usb debugging (that might be off, I'm running a custom rom and can't remember if that's the exact path lol)
Connect your phone to your computer and make sure the charge mode is to PC mode.
Go to the folder in which you've unzipped the root tool folder. Double click the run_to_root_your_ droid3.sh file and click run in terminal. Do as it says and make sure the phone is unlocked. Everytime the phone reboots unlock it again until the script is finished running. It will close automatically.
Once this is done you should be able to look in your app drawer and see super user. If this is the case then WHOOOOOO.
PREPARING TO FLASH A CUSTOM ROM:
So, you're rooted. Cool. You want to flash a new ROM. COOLER! Let's do it.
Go to the android market and search for ROM Manager. Download and install it.
Run the app and THE FIRST THING YOU DO is click the flash clockwork mod recovery button. It's best to do this on WiFi. When the window asking for your phone model pops up click the one that you own. (In this case Droid 2 Global.) Wait for it to finish, it will tell you in a happy little message.
Once that is done Clockwork Mod recovery is oficially flashed. Next thing is next.
Go to the android market and purchase Droid 2 Recovery Bootstrap. It's only $2.99 american.
Download and install it. Run it and click Bootstrap Recovery.
It will tell you if it was a success or not.
If it was then you can click reboot recovery and it will boot you into clockwork mod. Make a backup. Then feel free to flash any ROM you want. When you mess up and brick the phone make sure you come back to this guide on how to do it all over again.
Happy hacking!
IF THIS HAS WORKED FOR YOU BE SURE TO THANK ME FOR PUTTING IN THE TIME TO CREATE THIS THREAD! Thank you =)
CREDITS:
Credits go to everyone who created the files I am linking to. If you are the author of the file then let me know and I will mention you here.
I did not create any of these files. I am just putting them all together in an easy to access tutorial.

[GUIDE][HOW-TO] Flashing a Custom ROM

Before I begin, Mods, PLEASE pin this. I (when I was a noob) had absolute difficulty installing ROMs. This is very noob-friendly, fixes Status 7 errors, and is easy to follow.
Alright friends and future flashers. I used to have difficulty installing ROMs. Now that I know how (after going through numerous tutorials), I'd like to make it easy for ALL of you. Enjoy your Custom ROM!
Before beginning, you need Android's SDK,Flashtool and The latest Official firmware.
If ever your phone needs to install drivers, let it install, don't unplug the phone or whatever.
And, battery at least 30%. Mine does it at even 20% without issues, but just to be safe.
Step 1: Revert to Stock
You don't need to downgrade. After flashing the latest stock kernel, I have flashed every single GB and ICS ROM in existence without issues, so you don't need to flash a specific one. But, latest one tends to be more stable. Here's what you do:
Get the latest Global ftf for your phone. Then, flash it using Flashtool. I won't go into specifics, but PM me if needed
By Now, you should have a stock EVERYTHING. Boot up the phone, run through the whole set up process. Once you are done, you need to get your IMEI number. Do this by following the steps here.
In the end, you should have the bootloader unlocked. If you come up with something like bootloader already unlocked, then you are good to go. Now onto......
Step 2: Preparing your Flash.
Download the ROM of your choice. I'd recommend FXP's Unofficial CyanogenMod9 as it has the best stability and no ICS Multitouch issues. If it is GB, any ROM will do. Most of them are stable.
Now, in the case of CyanogenMod, they often come with their own custom Kernel. It is in the zip file, known as boot.img, and you simply extract it to your platform-tools folder in the android-sdk folder you downloaded to unlock the bootloader. This is also true for some MIUI ROMs I've come across. Read their forum posts for more info on which kernel to use.
Copy the ZIP file to your sdcard. It does not have to be the root of SDcard, anywhere will do.
By the end, your Custom ROM's ZIP file will be in your SDCard, and the kernel file (a.k.a. boot.img or whatever_the _kernel_name_is.img) will be here:
32bit Windows: C:/Program Files/Android/android-sdk/platform-tools
64bit Windows: C:/Program Files(x86)/Android/android-sdk/platform-tools
Now we can
Step 3: Flash your Custom ROM
In the folder above (depending on OS version) press Shift+RightClick. Options will show up. Select "Open Command Prompt Here". A Command Prompt will open (duh).
Turn off your phone. Wait 10 seconds. While plugging in your phone, press the Menu button (the Right button). The LED Indicator should turn blue. This shows your in fastboot mode. If it starts to boot, rip out the battery and try again. DON'T STOP PRESSING UNTIL IT TURNS BLUE.
Now, type EXACTLY AS FOLLOWS, ONE AT A TIME. Just type in the lines with the "-" before it, but don't put in the "-" when typing it. The line underneath in brackets is an explanation, so you understand what is happening.
-fastboot devices
(This is actually a quick test I do to see if my phone is connected in flash mode or not. If nothing happens, it is not in flash mode or the drivers are installing)
-fastboot flash boot boot.img
(This is telling fastboot to FLASH the BOOT partition of your phone with the file specified. If you are using a different kernel, simply replace boot.img with the name of the kernel, ending with .img and wait for it to finish. Won't take long)
-fastboot reboot
(This causes the phone to reboot)
Now, while it is starting up, keep repeatedly pressing the Volume Down button until you are in ClockWorkMod Recovery (Assuming you are using it. CWM is the most popular and most kernels use it) Then, If you choose to, make a backup. I personally don't, as it is not too big an issue and I never revert to an old ROM anyway.
After that, choose Factory Reset. This will remove ALL data in your phone except your Stock ROM. Then, Clear Cache. You might've noticed it already did that when you Factory Reset, but this is for safety. Finally, in advanced, Wipe Dalvik-Cache and Wipe Battery Stats. I do this all the time for safety.
Now, the fun bit. GO to Install ZIP from SDCard. Select Choose ZIP, find your ROMs ZIP file, and install. It might take awhile, but not too long. Just be patient. When it finishes, flash anything else the ROMs forum post says to flash (Gapps, Patch, etc) and select Reboot Phone.
Step 4: Done!
Your phone will start up. First time is always slow, but this WILL WORK. Congratulations. You now have a Custom ROM
If you get a Status 7 error while flashing a ROM, reboot recovery and wipe everything again. If that doesn't work, flash official firmware and try again.
Credits to:
-Google: Providing Android SDK and Gapps
-Androxyde: Flashtool
-Madfysh: List of Official ICS ROMs
FXP: Creating CyanagonMod9
-And YOU!
P.S.: If you're confused, or feel this could use something extra PM me.
And uh, if it needs to be moved, please do so. Thanks!
I do know there is THIS but I felt some of his steps were unnecessary. Example, rooting. Any custom ROM will be rooted, so there will be no need to worry about that. And he also provided overclocking tips and an unofficial bootloader unlock which are hazardous and potentially permadamaging to the phone.
PLEASE Don't spoil the mood man!!
This is a development section where even Noob Devs know how to flash a Custom Rom!! PLeaseee Pleaseeee ... Move it
Alright man. How would I move it? Cause, I only RECENTLY started being active on the forums.
Jass5991 said:
I do know there is THIS but I felt some of his steps were unnecessary. Example, rooting. Any custom ROM will be rooted, so there will be no need to worry about that. And he also provided overclocking tips and an unofficial bootloader unlock which are hazardous and potentially permadamaging to the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't say that thread is unnecessary; they put everything in one thread cause it's easy to find. the first step we should do is rooting if we are noops. Then we will be curious about unlock or custom rom later.
Sent from Xperia Neo using AOKP B40
Still dev thread so if you don't know how you should not be trying
It goes like this no dl link no thread
but still is a good post
some unnecessary parts
some dodgy parts
But good for noob never-ending Questions
Maybe Q&A
Reck1993 said:
Don't say that thread is unnecessary; they put everything in one thread cause it's easy to find. the first step we should do is rooting if we are noops. Then we will be curious about unlock or custom rom later.
Sent from Xperia Neo using AOKP B40
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay. I will add an easy rooting instructions to it.
kormatoes said:
Still dev thread so if you don't know how you should not be trying
It goes like this no dl link no thread
but still is a good post
some unnecessary parts
some dodgy parts
But good for noob never-ending Questions
Maybe Q&A
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks kormatoes. Could you gimme some of the unnecessary/dodgy parts?
Jass5991 said:
I do know there is THIS but I felt some of his steps were unnecessary. Example, rooting. Any custom ROM will be rooted, so there will be no need to worry about that. And he also provided overclocking tips and an unofficial bootloader unlock which are hazardous and potentially permadamaging to the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) actually that(which you linked) tutorial is good, it just need some updating. but your tutorial is different than that.
2) root is certainly not unnecessary! not all people will go for custom roms, specially as most of them are for unlocked BL.
3) unofficial unlock is not hazardous, it is tricky, but it paid of if we look on the advantage against official unlock
Nice from you that you wrote all this, it's based only for custom roms's, thread which is already sticked is for basic things, which any noob should know.
But still, this looks kinda cluttered, and from noob(which you intend this to) point of view, to long/complicate to read
Madfysh said:
1) actually that(which you linked) tutorial is good, it just need some updating. but your tutorial is different than that.
2) root is certainly not unnecessary! not all people will go for custom roms, specially as most of them are for unlocked BL.
3) unofficial unlock is not hazardous, it is tricky, but it paid of if we look on the advantage against official unlock
Nice from you that you wrote all this, it's based only for custom roms's, thread which is already sticked is for basic things, which any noob should know.
But still, this looks kinda cluttered, and from noob(which you intend this to) point of view, to long/complicate to read
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you all big guns
but there should be a start-up kit for newbie
There can be a Starter Section with due permission
lalit387 said:
Thank you all big guns
but there should be a start-up kit for newbie
There can be a Starter Section with due permission
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As it is, I am attempting to code a batch file to automatically run the entire flashing process, including kernel and ROM. Having a small issue where it does not wipe dalvik and cache. It also doesn't flash the custom ROM

[VERY EASY GUIDE] ADB/FASTBOOT/RECOVORY *FULL GUIDE* for flashing ROMs, Kernels, APKs

Keep in mind bootloader unlock will not work if you have done the latest OTA update without previously using supercid. See bootloader unlock guide below for more details.
This procedure is designed to be EXTREMELY EASY and for people using windows. Following this guide will give you the knowledge you need to use ADB and Recovery menus in order to flash all of the ROMs, Kernels and APK (apps) files that you want. I am not responsible if anything undersireable happens in this procedure that makes you sad, poo yourself or ends the world.
Even if you have accidentally formatted your internal storage and you have no files on your phone, this section is down the bottom of the thread. Only follow this if you have no access to your phone and have nothing installed on your sdcard. For everybody else simply follow from step 1.
WINDOWS DRIVERS
You will need the USB drivers for your phone to communicate with your computer. You can search around and get these drivers separately or if that is not possible then please download and install The HTC Sync Manager from here
UNLOCKING YOUR BOOTLOADER
Since the new method came out, it is ridiculously easy to unlock your bootloader now. If you haven't unlocked your bootloader than please visit this thread and follow the instructions. I found this video on youtube that will make this process easier for you too.
INSTALLING ADB/FASTBOOT (SDK) (Please read this even if you have already installed this)
I would recommend following the guide to install adb (sdk) I have included below. If you have already done this step then keep in mind you should always have sdk updated and to make life easier rename your 'platform-tools' folder to something easier, for example rename the folder to android-adb. Now copy the 'android-adb' folder to a convenient location on your PC e.g: root of the C: so it will now look like this c:\android-adb *If you're having trouble locating this folder it will usually be here c:android-sdk-windows\platform-tools or something along those lines* At this stage the Windows’s Path Environment Variables will now have to suit this change, which in this case is: ;C:\android-adb - If you would prefer to leave things as they are than so be it and continue reading.
If this is all sounding too hard than you really need to start again and follow the EASY!!!!!! guide below
Make sure you have SDK installed and updated. If you haven't already than follow this extremely easy guide
DOWNLOADING REQUIRED FILES FOR FLASHING
(Download the following items listed below)
1. CWM Recovery This is what you will be using ALL THE TIME to flash ROMs and Kernel Modules. There is an alternative recovery called TWRP which can be found here but I am not using that right now so for the purpose of this guide please use CWM, if for some reason you need to use TWRP then the steps will be very similar just look on screen for the right area and touch the screen to select, pretty straight forward right?
2. Your desired ROM I would 100% recommend ViperDNA from HERE if not you can grab a different one from HERE or HERE
3. You now need all required kernel files you are planning to use with the ROM you have selected. If you don't have the kernel installed correctly you will face bugs, the most common is WiFi not working correctly (keeps searching) or something else like that. Now for the Droid DNA at the moment the kernel is broken down in to 2 parts. The first file is kernel modules and the second file is the the boot.img. Now whatever ROM you choose to download and install, it should already be using a specific kernel. When you flash a ROM the kernel modules will already be installed for the specific kernel the ROM is using.
For example If you listened to my advice and are going to use ViperDNA, this ROM already comes with the kernel modules required for the kernel it is using. The only thing that is left for you to do is download the second part of the kernel which is the boot.img file. Every kernel needs both the kernel modules and boot.img files to work 100% without fault, and every kernel has different modules and a boot.img that will only work for that specific kernel.
Each ROM should give you a download link for the required boot.img so just make sure to read the first few posts - If you are planning to use ViperDNA then it can be found on the first page post number 2 of the ViperDNA thread and it is named Stock DSB System Write Boot.img -
* If that wasn't already clear enough I would like to say that if you are download a complete kernel zip separately (which you can do) then you will get both files required. The first is the "already included in the ROM" kernel modules and the second file will be the boot.img - You can find all of the different kernels here - as you can see in this list the kernel included in ViperDNA is the one named "[KERNEL]Droid DNA Cubed Kernel Stock" - Once you have finished installing a ROM then I would recommend having a look at some different kernels if you want. Down the very bottom of this post I have included instructions on how to flash a kernel so please check it out.*
Now read this next part carefully. before doing anything else, I want you to prepare the files that you are going to be flashing with ADB.
PREPARING FILES FOR FLASHING
1. ** Using your computer, unzip your CWM Recovery zip and move the recovery.img to your platform-tools folder which you may or may not have renamed by now. this is where adb and fastboot.exe files are. for example If you have followed the guide I provided it will be c:\android-adb if not it will be whatever you have named it as, and wherever you have installed it to. Usually c:android-sdk-windows\platform-tools or something along those lines. I'm assuming by this stage you have changed the Windows’s Path Environment Variables, if not then you really should be following the very simple guide above!
(if you don't have a zip program, use this one)
2. ** Next I need you move the boot.img (for your kernel) to the same location you just moved your recovery.img (If you have followed my advice then you can get this file from the first page of the ViperDNA thread) if you didn't then the boot.img file might be on the first page of your desired ROM. *If you have downloaded the same kernel used in the ROM, but as a complete zip then you will need to unzip the kernel zip to access the boot.img and continue as above*.
Do not close the folder where you have copied these files, simply leave it open
3. ** Now connect your phone to a USB port. Sometimes it's best to stick to USB 2 rather than USB 3. Copy and paste the ROM.zip (Whatever the name of your ROM is, you don't need to rename it ) file that you want to flash over to your phone (make sure to not accidentally drop it in to an already existing folder) So as soon as you open the contents of your device it should be pasted right there - Once this is complete disconnect the phone and switch it off.
4. ** Boot your phone in to bootloader by holding down the "power button" and the "volume down" key at the same time until you see the bootloader screen on your phone. Now press the power button once to make sure you're in fastboot (If you don't your phone will not be found by ADB and will be constantly "waiting for device") - Now connect your phone to your computer again and continue reading
5. ** Back to your computer, while still in the same folder you have copied your recovery.img and boot.img I want you to hold the shift button at the same time as right clicking on a blank space inside the folder and click on "open command window here"
FLASHING YOUR FILES IN FASTBOOT
Now you are ready to flash your files. Starting with your recovery.img file and then followed by your kernels boot.img - In your command window type the following commands
1. ** To flash a recovery you will need to type**
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
2. ** To flash your kernels boot.img you need to type**
fastboot flash boot boot.img
Before flashing the boot.img, you can in fact flash your ROM.zip with the instructions given below. However, it is strongly recommended to do it before you flash the boot.img. This is the standard procedure that should be used for every single ROM.
USING CWM FOR THE ROM INSTALLATION AND A CLEAN WIPING PROCEDURE
Go back to your phone and scroll down to where it says recovery and hit the power button. Your phone will now reboot in to CWM Recovery. (If you can't see the recovery option then you might be in the main bootloader menu screen, try pressing the power button once to change back to fastboot). Your phone should now reboot and display a white HTC screen and up the top it will read "Entering Recovery" - After it has finished you can now navigate through CWM Recovery by using the volume keys and pressing the power button to enter. Some versions of CWM you can also touch the screen to make selections. Lets begin
*WARNING* Although you don't have to, but if you do choose to use the recommended Step 3 which is found below, it will wipe all of your games and apps including saved game data and such. Don't worry all of your photos and music will be fine. Make sure to sync your contacts with your Google account**
1. Scroll down to -advanced and hit power, then do as follows
- wipe dalvik cache
-***go back***
2. Scroll down to -mounts and storage and hit power then:
-format system
-press your back key on the phone to go back
3. Scroll down to -wipe data/factory reset and hit the power button
"you can skip this process but it is a highly recommended one if you want less bugs in the ROM" (If you decide to skip make sure you you also -wipe cache partition which is in the same menu)
4. Scroll down to install zip from sdcard and hit power and then:
-choose zip from sdcard. (Locate your ROM.zip and hit power)
- Wait for this process to finish or follow on screen prompts from here on.
- go back to the main menu and reboot your device if it isn't already
This method will work with every other zip file that is flashable through CWM including kernel modules. You will not however need to follow all of the steps for wiping and such, simply just start from step 4
This is the end of my guide!. If you already have a ROM installed and you want to change the kernel, then scroll all the way to the bottom of this post
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*NOTE* KEEP SCROLLING DOWN IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT HOW TO FLASH A DIFFERENT KERNEL. THIS SECTION IS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACCIDENTALLY FORMATTED THEIR INTERAL STORAGE. OR FOR ANY OTHER RANDOM REASON YOU CAN'T USE A COMPUTER TO DROP AND DRAG FILES TO YOUR PHONE.
Place desired ROM, kernel modules, recovery files, or APK (apps) files inside the same folder your adb/fastboot.exe files. It's usually found here c:android-sdk-windows\platform-tools or something along those lines unless you have moved or renamed it. If you are having trouble then please follow the ADB installation guide I have listed at the beginning of this thread.
Now while your phone is booted in Android and you make sure to have USB Debugging on, we are going to push these files depending on the file type by typing in commands:
adb push ROM.zip /sdcard/ROM.zip ***replace the word ROM with the exact name of the file you are pushing***
For example if you were using ViperDNA ROM you would type: adb push ViperDNA-version2.3.zip /sdcard/ViperDNA-version2.3.zip
And if it was a kernel (boot) file you would change the name respectively. For example: adb push cubedversion1000.boot/sdcard/cubedversion1000.boot
Now for applications such as games etc. You can either install the game directly or push the file to you phone to be installed later. Personally I always like to install from my phone so I always just push the file. But I will give you both options. ***To clarify if you are confused right now: adb push will copy any file to the phone, whereas adb install will only accept an apk file, and will install it onto the device***
To install an apk, it is quite simple, however it has a different path than what we have spoken about previously. The files will automatically push install themself in the correct area with your current installed apps .
If you want to install apps then you would type:
adb install apkfile
***For example if it is the game temple run, it would look like this: adb install templerun.apk
If you would prefer to manually install the game from your phone than you will need to push the file like we have mentioned already with the other file types:
adb push templerun.apk/sdcard/templerun.apk
Now remember if your phone is working correctly you can simply copy and paste all of these files directly to your phone and then flash in recovery for your ROMs or if you want to install apps you would then use a file explorer and locate the apk on your sdcard of the phone and then install it all from your phone. This was simply written for people that have no files on their sdcard due to accidental formatting of internal memory
INSTALLING ANOTHER KERNEL
If you have flashed a ROM and do want to use a kernel that isn't included with your ROM, then you can get another one from HERE Now this process is exactly the same as the stuff you have already done. Instead you will need to flash both of the kernel files included in the kernel zip file.
The first part is identical to what you did earlier. Move the boot.img file to the same place I mentioned earlier in this guide, and flash it the same way I mentioned in fastboot. This time the path will need to be changed because it is a boot file not a recovery file. So use this command: fastboot flash boot boot.img
In this second part move the kernel modules file to your phone and do exactly the same as you did in order to flash the ROM in CWM Recovery as mentioned earlier, only this time start from step 9 section 4.
That is all. Keep in mind things like wifi might not work if you forget to flash the kernel modules! - Just be sure it is always a 2 step process.
*Credits*
nitsuj17 for the greatest ROM on our phone ViperDNA
Jailbreak Eye for the wonderful ADB guide
DroidModd3rX for his video
dsb9938 for his awesome kernel work
jcase and beaups for their unlocking methods
htcdev.com for the unlocking
All of the fantastic developers for Android
Good guide. I would suggest adding a link to unlocking the phone because you have the about everything else. I really like that you included changing PATH and such in your guide because a lot of people kept getting the adb not found stuff.
I need a video. Its hard for me to learn so much by reading, esp when you could brick your phone.
good write up though!
Followed instructions and it says
sending 'recovery' (6944 KB)... OKAY [ 1.162s]
writing 'recovery'... OKAY [ 0.760s]
finished. total time: 1.924s
Then i go back to the recovery and go to it, does the HTC recovery..Also going back into the boot screen, the top says unlocked but also now says tampered on top.
treahuggs said:
I need a video. Its hard for me to learn so much by reading, esp when you could brick your phone.
good write up though!
Followed instructions and it says
sending 'recovery' (6944 KB)... OKAY [ 1.162s]
writing 'recovery'... OKAY [ 0.760s]
finished. total time: 1.924s
Then i go back to the recovery and go to it, does the HTC recovery..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would reboot the phone in to bootloader mode and then press the power button once to switch to the fastboot menu. Now scroll down to recovery again and press the power button. If this doesn't work than try flashing the recovery again using the step for it. When you do in fact click on recovery in your bootloader, does it reboot in to a white HTC screen that says up the top Entering recovery?
A video would be extremely tedious to make for this guide. If you have already unlocked your bootloader than the bricking of this device would be drastically minimised. I wouldn't worry too much at this stage.
uppon2 said:
I would reboot the phone in to bootloader mode and then press the power button once to switch to the fastboot menu. Now scroll down to recovery again and press the power button. If this doesn't work than try flashing the recovery again using the step for it. When you do in fact click on recovery in your bootloader, does it reboot in to a while screen that says up the top Entering recovery?
A video would be extremely tedious to make for this guide. If you have already unlocked your bootloader than the bricking of this device would be drastically minimised. I wouldn't worry too much at this stage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it says that.
Let me ask some questions, you say copy the complete ROM.zip over to the phone. Where at on the phone? Does it have to be named ROM.zip?
Does the CWM need to be copied over too? Using your guide to download the viper files and the second boot.img is confusing since the .zip with the viper has a boot.img with it, should we use that, ignore it, or what?
I thank you for taking the time to write a guide but with so many variables that are being used and referenced, there needs to be more specific instructions.
ALL i want to do is use mt titanium backup to get my old apps and app data on my DNA. Is it really this many steps just to gain root access to the DNA? With the Razr maxx it was just connecting it to the computer in debugging mode, and running a batch file.
:victory:
---------- Post added at 06:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:15 PM ----------
:silly:
treahuggs said:
Yes it says that.
Let me ask some questions, you say copy the complete ROM.zip over to the phone. Where at on the phone? Does it have to be named ROM.zip?
Does the CWM need to be copied over too? Using your guide to download the viper files and the second boot.img is confusing since the .zip with the viper has a boot.img with it, should we use that, ignore it, or what?
I thank you for taking the time to write a guide but with so many variables that are being used and referenced, there needs to be more specific instructions.
ALL i want to do is use mt titanium backup to get my old apps and app data on my DNA. Is it really this many steps just to gain root access to the DNA? With the Razr maxx it was just connecting it to the computer in debugging mode, and running a batch file.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Sorry I didn't mean to put complete at the beginning of ROM.zip and no you do not need to rename the ROM zip file
2. To avoid confusing anybody, please ignore the boot.img file inside of the ROM
3. If you read the whole guide you will know exactly what to do with CWM file and every other file
4. It is unfortunately an annoying process to root this phone. However if you follow the guide completely you will have root. I'm not sure about a batch process for the DNA, sorry. It makes it very hard that we can't write to system easily, if and only if we gain this access will we be able to pack the the files which installs the su binary and busybox in to the kernels like you would find with other phones such as Samsung etc. Then you would be able to just flash a kernel and have root, without installing a custom ROM. (I could be wrong and would like further education here from other users as there might in fact be a file flashable through fastboot or recovery that gives you root and nothing else, I simply don't know about this file)
Ok where do you put the downloaded files onto the phone. When you plug the phone in you get many different windows pop up that is gives you access to different parts in the phone.
EDIT: of the three opitions that pop up when you plug the phone in only one is large enough for the viper rom so it has the viper folder AS WELL as the .zip onto it now.
My paths are "C:\android" for all my android files like the adb and the boot.img and recovery.img. I am able to write the two .img files to the phone with the console telling me it wrote ok.
I go to the recovery on the phone and it says entering recovery on the top of the phone screen but then it boots straight into android.
I will redownload all of the files, if anyone else has any ideas id love to hear.
EDIT 2: Got it to work, i think the CWM files were the problem. I just used the TWRP files and it is flashing now! Also found this video which was a huge help. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAwfgi0suJQ
treahuggs said:
Ok where do you put the downloaded files onto the phone. When you plug the phone in you get many different windows pop up that is gives you access to different parts in the phone.
EDIT: of the three opitions that pop up when you plug the phone in only one is large enough for the viper rom so it has the viper folder AS WELL as the .zip onto it now.
My paths are "C:\android" for all my android files like the adb and the boot.img and recovery.img. I am able to write the two .img files to the phone with the console telling me it wrote ok.
I go to the recovery on the phone and it says entering recovery on the top of the phone screen but then it boots straight into android.
I will redownload all of the files, if anyone else has any ideas id love to hear.
EDIT 2: Got it to work, i think the CWM files were the problem. I just used the TWRP files and it is flashing now! Also found this video which was a huge help. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAwfgi0suJQ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad you got it working
Kinda, i have wifi issues. Ive read thats because of the boot.img. Ive tried both boot.img files that you can get with the ViperDNA page and both dont seem to work.
Nvm... again. I have been writing "fastboot flash recovery boot.img" instead of boot... I feel like a noob to reading.
treahuggs said:
Kinda, i have wifi issues. Ive read thats because of the boot.img. Ive tried both boot.img files that you can get with the ViperDNA page and both dont seem to work.
Nvm... again. I have been writing "fastboot flash recovery boot.img" instead of boot... I feel like a noob to reading.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hehe, I did mention that I tried to be as clear as possible with my instructions - How are you liking ViperDNA? Be sure to check out all of the options in viper tweaks
2. ** To flash your kernels boot.img you need to type**
fastboot flash boot boot.img
Before flashing the boot.img, you can in fact flash your ROM.zip with the instructions given below. However, it is strongly recommended to do it before you flash the boot.img. This is the standard procedure that should be used for every single ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I find this part a bit confusing. Can you reword? Am I supposed to flash boot.img first then flash my rom or flash my rom first and then flash the boot.img? The "however" is making me hesitant!
Thanks for this wonderful guide!
---------- Post added at 01:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:20 AM ----------
ro roh,
I am now stuck at the htc white screen with the red lettering at the bottom. I held the power button down and the power + vol down and both times the three lights at the bottom (back key, home, and recent apps) just flash at me.
I got it to go back into HBOOT by holding down power + vol down for about 12 secs, it restarts itself.. and when i tell it to reboot, it just goes back to the same screen and gets stuck.
I think i fixed it now. I went back to fastboot, flashed the recovery.img, the boot.img and then launched into cwm and reflashed viper rom. Looks like its working again.
adamjamess said:
I find this part a bit confusing. Can you reword? Am I supposed to flash boot.img first then flash my rom or flash my rom first and then flash the boot.img? The "however" is making me hesitant!
Thanks for this wonderful guide!
---------- Post added at 01:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:20 AM ----------
ro roh,
I am now stuck at the htc white screen with the red lettering at the bottom. I held the power button down and the power + vol down and both times the three lights at the bottom (back key, home, and recent apps) just flash at me.
I got it to go back into HBOOT by holding down power + vol down for about 12 secs, it restarts itself.. and when i tell it to reboot, it just goes back to the same screen and gets stuck.
I think i fixed it now. I went back to fastboot, flashed the recovery.img, the boot.img and then launched into cwm and reflashed viper rom. Looks like its working again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's great news. I'm glad you worked it out. Because it is such a long guide, it does get a little bit repetitive and hard to concentrate on. You can flash the kernels boot.img before or after the ROM. You might have random issues with the ROM until you do flash the boot.img. It's really not dangerous or anything. I would say if this was your first time ever flashing a ROM on to the device, it would be safest to flash the boot.img first.
I might take this information out that you have brought up because I think I am giving too much information that is not needed right now. Even though it is factual, it can sometimes confuse people. I will leave it in there for now but if 1 more person is a bit held back because of it I'm going to reword it
I love ViperDNA Do you like it so far?
So far i like it. I tried their theme first but i dont like all the red cause i feel like it is telling me something is wrong so i re did it without the theme, Now only the clock is red and i still want to find a way to change that.
Also this phone will be sent back to verizon tomorrow for a replacement. Can i put it back to stock and also get rid of the "tampered" in the boot screen?
I was pretty impressed with the ViperDNA video review. So far it's given me what I was looking for: 3 dot menu gone, wifi nag, and gps reticule gone. I like the red accents. Although the round icons that are all red are ugly. I have the employee edition of the dna so some red goes well with the back. Again thanks for this!
Edit: The status bar tweaks don't allow me to hide NFC icon!
Edit 2: How do I get the sweep to lock and unlock to work?
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2
adamjamess said:
I was pretty impressed with the ViperDNA video review. So far it's given me what I was looking for: 3 dot menu gone, wifi nag, and gps reticule gone. I like the red accents. Although the round icons that are all red are ugly. I have the employee edition of the dna so some red goes well with the back. Again thanks for this!
Edit: The status bar tweaks don't allow me to hide NFC icon!
Edit 2: How do I get the sweep to lock and unlock to work?
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe it will depend on your kernel too. If you use cubed it will work, I tested with elkays and it didn't work. If you are not sure how to activate this then open up viper tweaks. For slide2wake the option is in lockscreen and another good feature is hold back to kill which is in the buttons tab. Good luck
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2
uppon2 said:
I believe it will depend on your kernel too. If you use cubed it will work, I tested with elkays and it didn't work. If you are not sure how to activate this then open up viper tweaks. For slide2wake the option is in lockscreen and another good feature is hold back to kill which is in the buttons tab. Good luck
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For some reason the option is grayed out.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2
adamjamess said:
For some reason the option is grayed out.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bottom one "Enable slide 2 unlock" you already have checked is all you need for it to work. This is the only option I have checked out of the last 4 options and it works fine for me. Try to uncheck the option to "Block Pulldown" if you are having problems? I did try to enable "Block Pulldown" but I could not reproduce your problem. Mine is working fine.
Which kernel are you using?
Dsb's cubed. The one recommended in your guide.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2
adamjamess said:
Dsb's cubed. The one recommended in your guide.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should be working. You might want to leave a comment in the kernel and ViperDNA threads. As long as that bottom option is checked it should work with Cubed

JB won't install on my phone no matter what.

I've fastbooted so i'm completely on stock. No safestrap, or custom ROM.
The official JB OTA didn't work either, but that was before I fastbooted and I haven't been able to see if the OTA works instead of the manual install but we'll have to wait and see.
I place the JB file on my ext. sd card.
I go into recovery and hit install from sd card and choose the JB.
It starts to update, but it gives me this error shortly after.
"Verifying update package
Failed to verify whole-file signature
Signature verification failed
Installation Aborted"
I've redownloaded the JB files twice and so I don't think its the files are corrupt. I don't know where else to go from here. I always do it with above 60% battery so that isn't a issue either.
Any help? Can't seem to find anyone who can fix this for me.
Hi poncedeleon,
This method worked for me...(i'm assuming you arent a noob with this)
Head over to :
Razr ROMs Thread
Download the version you need. I used one of the RETAIL en.EU brandings but this might not be relevant to you.
1. Extract the .zip to a folder
2. Put the Razr into Fastboot and connect USB
3. Run prj-mfastboot.exe from the extracted folder - this is a really quick step
4. Run FlashME.bat - took about 5 mins and should boot into stock rom
You will need to re-root if you want.
Hope this helps
Informal Disclaimer - please dont blame me if it goes wrong or doesnt work. it worked when i did it.
arkoze said:
Hi poncedeleon,
This method worked for me...(i'm assuming you arent a noob with this)
Download the version you need. I used one of the RETAIL en.EU brandings but this might not be relevant to you.
1. Extract the .zip to a folder
2. Put the Razr into Fastboot and connect USB
3. Run prj-mfastboot.exe from the extracted folder - this is a really quick step
4. Run FlashME.bat - took about 5 mins and should boot into stock rom
You will need to re-root if you want.
Hope this helps
Informal Disclaimer - please dont blame me if it goes wrong or doesnt work. it worked when i did it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, thanks for your help but it ended up working anyways. I guess the download i had was corrupt and that was causing it. I downloaded the JB from another website and it worked flawlessly.
Again, thanks for trying to help

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