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Hey everyone. I have to send my device back to HTC and I am unlocked with S-off.
I need to get back to locked and S-on. Not Re-locked but locked.
I have done some searching and am finding various results on how to accomplish this. 1 way was to flash a RUU to achieve locked status. I did that twice and it hasn't worked.
I also saw to redo s-off. So does that mean doing the wire trick over again?
Some help would be appreciated.
brownsfan said:
Hey everyone. I have to send my device back to HTC and I am unlocked with S-off.
I need to get back to locked and S-on. Not Re-locked but locked.
I have done some searching and am finding various results on how to accomplish this. 1 way was to flash a RUU to achieve locked status. I did that twice and it hasn't worked.
I also saw to redo s-off. So does that mean doing the wire trick over again?
Some help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do you need to send your device back to HTC? If you're trying to claim warranty repairs, then what you're doing is potentially akin to fraud.
That said...yes, it IS possible to S-ON again, and it is also possible to change the Re-Locked watermark to Locked. But, if you don't do it right, you WILL brick your phone. Not as in "might" as you could do while S-Off, but WILL, as in ANY mistake will result in an unrecoverable phone (unless you have a friend who's extremely handy with JTAG).
Locked not Relocked
There are only 2 ways to remove the Relocked status when S-0ff::
First and the most effort is to S-0n then S-0ff again, yech.
Second, search for and find here on XDA, Scotty's little
flashable zip that changes it. He contributed a lot here.
Bing, bang, boom in one little flash.
p.s. be sure you are on a stock hBoot, not developer ones.
Thanks guys,
Im just going to send it back re-locked. I went back to s-on. I didnt want to just have it SAY locked, I wanted it to be Locked but no thanks to having to go through the s-off process.
Also in case you were interested the reason im sending it back is I think the processor is dying. I get system crashes and will get prompts that it is unresponsive. The phone sort of works but will crash after making phone calls and such.
Source @Koush (Original Article)
Source @HTCDev (Original Article)
Bootloader Locking, Unlocking, S-On, S-Off - Questions and Answers
It seems this is confusion in the community about what S-OFF is and why it's needed on some phones but not others. I endevour to educate and explain why some HTC devices need S-OFF while others do not to Flash Roms and recovery images.
[Q] What does S-ON/S-OFF mean? Is it on all phones?
[A] This is Manufacturer specific to HTC branded devices ONLY. S-On and S-Off means Security On/Security Off. HTC devices are set to S-ON by default for a good reason. There are partitions such as hboot which controls access to all other partitions which if made fully accessible could compromise security and very possibly allow for irreversible changes that could render your device inoperable. For warranty and device support purposes alone it would be to your benefit to keep Security-ON. Another partition that is secured is the radio. It is not advisable to alter or customize the radio and most custom roms will not need to. The radios are fine tuned to the specific carrier(s) they are designed to support and with the specifications as prescribed by law. Moreover altering them may not only also cause irreparable damage to your device but it could very well interfere with the normal communications possibly affecting other devices.
[Q] What does Unlock mean in the bootloader flag?
[A] What is meant by unlocking the bootloader is that certain partitions are unlocked to provide write access without turning device security off for all partitions. Specifically: Kernel, system and recovery partitions are allowed to be modified. There are more partitions (e.g. the radio and hboot) but these are the minimal necessary to overwrite a default stock rom with a custom built Android based rom.
[Q] Then why do Devs ask for S-OFF when flashing a Rom?
[A] Some carriers lock down the ability to Unlocked the partitions. For example US customers of Verizon are unable to use HTCDev to unlock their devices to access the needed partitions for Custom Rom and Recovery writing. In this Case S-OFF fixes this issue but also unlocks ALL partitions for writing. A Verizon phone with S-OFF will have the ability to now write to the Recovery and Boot partitions.
Devs ask for S-OFF for multiple reasons:
1. So that Devices Restricted by HTCDev whom normally can't get write access to the Boot and Recovery Paritions can use there ROM
2. Because forum behavior made S-Off appear to be needed
3. Laziness and/or ignorance (not trying to be rude)
[Q] So do I really need S-OFF to install ROMS or Recovery Images?
[A] Yes, If you have a HTCDev Restricted Device which will not allow you to use a Unlock Token you will need to S-OFF in order to write to your boot/system/Recovery partitions. NO, if you have a devices that can be unlocked using HTCDev Token to Unlock your device.
[Q] So Unlocking my devices has nothing to do with S-ON/S-OFF?
[A] A tricky question. Yes Unlocking a None Carrier restricted device with HTC Dev has Nothing to do with the Security of the Device from the S-OFF/S-ON perspective. If your on a Carrier Restricted HTCDev devices (I.E. Verizon HTC One Max) then in order to Write to the Partitions you need to you will need to be S-OFF as that is the only way to Unlock the bootloader.
[Q] So why do I need to Change my Bootloader Flag to get some things working?
[A] The short answer is that some hardware in the HTC Phones are told to look into the Security Partition to determine if the phone is Locked or Unlocked for Development. As an example on the HTC One Max the Fingerprint Reader will be disabled if the Bootloader Flag is set to "Unlocked" but function if the Flag is Set to "Locked". When your Bootloader is Flagged "Locked" the partitions are not accessible and will prevent Recovery and Boot Partition Modifications.
[Q] What if I want to return my device for warranty work how can I return it to S-ON and Locked Status?
[A] You will need to find your Model Phones RUU and Restore your phone to it original stock state. The RUU is used to restore a device to its Factory State. See the Question below about S-ON.
[Q] I would like to know if its still possible to achieve s-on after you have turned it off specially using the Rumrunner tool as I am Verizon device?
[A] Consumers that use Rumrunner to S-OFF will have the option of turning Device Security ON again. This typically is not a deal breaker for Warranty repairs if you restore the device software (Recovery, Room) back to it's default stock state and flag the bootloader Locked again as some devices are shipped S-OFF. It has been accomplished on the HTC One by running a command in Fastboot mode.
HTC One users achieve S-ON again by running this command with fastboot. I have not yet confirmed it works on the HTC One Max. (Note: If you are trying to return to a out of the box state use your device's RUU after S-ON to restore the Recovery, Kernel and Rom to Stock with a Encrypted/Signed RUU then run the command below) (If you want to test and report back on the HTC One Max please let us know.
fastboot oem writesecureflag 3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[Q] What is the difference between an Encrypted RUU vs Decrypted RUU?
[A] A Encrypted RUU is a RUU file that has been signed by HTC (Carrier or Country). Encrypted RUU's can be run on S-ON or S-OFF devices to restore the device. A Decrypted RUU is a RUU that has had the signature stripped(in case of JB or older RUU's) and these can be typically ONLY run on S-OFF Devices. (Be careful to use the RUU for your device as these are hardware specific)
In conclusion:
S-OFF/S-ON is conditional based on your HTC device and carrier restrictions. If you are not able to unlock your partitions with HTCDev due to Carrier restrictions or country restrictions then S-OFF is you alternative.
If you can unlock your phones bootloader then you can flash kernels, roms and recovery images with S-ON. S-OFF is ONLY needed on devices that want full Partition access and/or HTCDev will not allow to unlock.
Do you you have a question? Reply with your question on this thread about S-ON/S-OFF/Bootloader Security. NOTE: This is not a General Question Thread.
P.S.
Please remember that unlocking your bootloader may void all or parts of your warranty and your device may not function as intended by HTC. Unlocking the bootloader is for development purposes only.
DeadPhoenix said:
[Q] So why do I need to Change my Bootloader Flag to get some things working?
[A] The short answer is that some hardware in the HTC Phones are told to look into the Security Partition to determine if the phone is Locked or Unlocked for Development. As an example on the HTC One Max the Fingerprint Reader will be disabled if the Bootloader Flag is set to "Unlocked" but function if the Flag is Set to "Locked". When your Bootloader is Flagged "Locked" the partitions are not accessible and will prevent Recovery and Boot Partition Modifications.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for researching and providing answers.
This is very informative, sure would be nice if us on Verizon could just unlock instead of having to go s-off. I came from the Rezound where we could just unlock, but oh well such is the way it goes.
mods should sticky this thread, as it answers alot of newbie questions..
great write up,not much to add at all
on carrier restricted phones,s off is neccessary to unlock the bootloader,but the device does not need to remain s-off. one could even legitimately unlock via htcdevs website if the cid or mid is changed after achieving s off. after htcdev unlock is achieved,you techincally could turn the radio secure flag back on,but please dont do it. with a lack of signed ruus,doing so could leave you in an unrecoverable jam. i just wanted to clarify that the the functionality of the device itself does not need the secure flag to be off.
while it may not be "needed",it is my personal opinion s-off is better. at least as long as youre a responsible individual who is capable of learning,and exercising good judgment as to what to flash and why,and is able to check the integrity of any downloaded files that could potentially leave the phone unusable(for example,anything that contains a bootloader,as a bad bootloader flash will leave you unrecoverably bricked)
being s off offers many safety advantages:
-you can flash an unsigned ruu to get your device "unbricked"
-you can install older ruus if needed
-you can install a "patched" or engnieering hboot to gain the use of extra fastboot commands
-it lets you dump and modifiy partitions you couldnt with an s on device
not to mention,it lets you eliminate the telltale relocked watermark that lets htc or your carrier know that you have messed with your phone
its also an awsome safety net for those of us who run stock in order to capture OTA packages that provide upgrade firmware and provide rom devs with files to create new custom roms,and update their current versions.
sure staying s on techncally will keep you from accidentally overwriting your bootloader with the "lets golf" .apk, if you find yourself in a bind with a non booting phone and no signed ruu to run,being s on offers no advantage whatsoever.
Scotty, so what you are saying is even if I am S-OFF I can still get the OTA updates from Verizon, like hopefully the Kit Kat update? I was wondering because I was wanting to try the Viper rom as I loved that on my Rezound but didn't want to miss the official Kit Kat.
JBS976 said:
Scotty, so what you are saying is even if I am S-OFF I can still get the OTA updates from Verizon, like hopefully the Kit Kat update? I was wondering because I was wanting to try the Viper rom as I loved that on my Rezound but didn't want to miss the official Kit Kat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Function of Device Security (S-OFF and S-ON) is to Lock or unlock ALL partitions.
OTA updates are signed by the carrier. So Running Stock Roms will allow the Stock updates from Verizon to work. If your running a Custom Rom then this is dependent on the Rom creator. In most cases OTA updates are not delivered to devices running Custom Roms.
JBS976 said:
Scotty, so what you are saying is even if I am S-OFF I can still get the OTA updates from Verizon, like hopefully the Kit Kat update? I was wondering because I was wanting to try the Viper rom as I loved that on my Rezound but didn't want to miss the official Kit Kat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dont worry about getting the kit kat update; once its actually released, the great dev's here will make it work for our rooted/unlocked phones!
Thank you for your reply DeadPhoenix, I am mostly concerned with getting the official updates from VZW/HTC. I am understanding that if I just use Rumrunner to S-OFF and stay completely stock I will still receive them, now what about putting TWRP on? Will that affect the ability to receive the updates? Thanks again for answering my questions as I'm sure you tire of getting these noob type questions, but I really appreciate the time you all put into this stuff and taking the time to answer.
generally speaking, you can NOT get OTA updates when you have a custom recovery installed..
wase4711 said:
generally speaking, you can NOT get OTA updates when you have a custom recovery installed..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. An OTA update relies on the fact that you have a stock Recovery installed as that is the expected delivery method for their scripting.
DeadPhoenix said:
Correct. An OTA update relies on the fact that you have a stock Recovery installed as that is the expected delivery method for their scripting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks teacher, I didnt know this was a quiz! :cyclops:
ok.. so I now fully understand what an s-off and s-on mean, however, I would like to know if its still possible to achieve s-on after you have turned it off specially using the rumrunner tool as I am verizon device?
is there a security risk if I kept s-off and have restored back to Verizon's RUU and have locked the bootloader?
afsandiego said:
ok.. so I now fully understand what an s-off and s-on mean, however, I would like to know if its still possible to achieve s-on after you have turned it off specially using the rumrunner tool as I am verizon device?
is there a security risk if I kept s-off and have restored back to Verizon's RUU and have locked the bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for asking this. These are exactly the questions I know exist out there and would like truly "knowledgeable" people to answer.
afsandiego said:
ok.. so I now fully understand what an s-off and s-on mean, however, I would like to know if its still possible to achieve s-on after you have turned it off specially using the rumrunner tool as I am verizon device?
is there a security risk if I kept s-off and have restored back to Verizon's RUU and have locked the bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From the research I have done with Android/Linux Partition Table Devs and HTCDev directly I derived the following:
The RUU just restores the software to the Factory state. S-OFF is desired however you can use the fastboot command to turn it on in theory. You can S-ON again however this isn't usually a deal breaker for warranty repair as long as you restore the kernel, recovery and Rom to stock. But your mileage may vary with HTC.
Thank you for your question.
Sorry but I believe flashing an encrypted ruu will actually s-on your device. The ruu's we have are decrypted and likely have been provided as they are so that no one fully s-on locks their device again
* fastboot oem writesecureflag 3 will s-on after flashing full stock ruu. Do not attempt if you do not know what you are doing!
As always I am happy to be corrected. Just really want the complete correct information out there, not just as it relates to our device.
---------- Post added at 02:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:27 PM ----------
My apologies if my response seems like an ambush as I posted something earlier. I was just happy others were taking an interest then just did not have a chance to get back to this until a moment ago.
Jiggity Janx said:
Sorry but I believe flashing an encrypted ruu will actually s-on your device. The ruu's we have are decrypted and likely have been provided as they are so that no one fully s-on locks their device again
* fastboot oem writesecureflag 3 will s-on after flashing full stock ruu. Do not attempt if you do not know what you are doing!
As always I am happy to be corrected. Just really want the complete correct information out there, not just as it relates to our device.
---------- Post added at 02:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:27 PM ----------
My apologies if my response seems like an ambush as I posted something earlier. I was just happy others were taking an interest then just did not have a chance to get back to this until a moment ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will attempt to get this clarified as it seems we are seeing 2 different answers and I want this to be as accurate as possible.
DeadPhoenix said:
I will attempt to get this clarified as it seems we are seeing 2 different answers and I want this to be as accurate as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Source: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2475216
Jiggity Janx said:
Agreed. Source: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2475216
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From the Feedback I have gotten so far. They explicitly state RUU's do not turn S-OFF to S-ON however in the directions you sourced a command is run outside of the RUU to turn it on.
(Still awaiting several replies to queries.)
This Appears to be the fastboot command to run AFTER the RUU has restored but before a normal boot but is Not part of the RUU process itself.
This is also if CID is modified from what I gathered thus far. (Feel free to correct)
fastboot oem writesecureflag 3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DeadPhoenix said:
From the Feedback I have gotten so far. They explicitly state RUU's do not turn S-OFF to S-ON however in the directions you sourced a command is run outside of the RUU to turn it on.
(Still awaiting several replies to queries.)
This Appears to be the fastboot command to run AFTER the RUU has restored but before a normal boot but is Not part of the RUU process itself.
This is also if CID is modified from what I gathered thus far. (Feel free to correct)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you ask 'them' specifically about flashing stock encrypted htc ruu's? I am digging more but believe the encrypted ones have the writesecure flag already set to 3(s-on). Encrypted ruus would be what htc has given manufacturers to install on phones before shipping them to vendors.
Also you would want your device to be completely stock (no changed cid) before using fastboot to s-on. You would use this command after flashing a decrypted (but still completely stock) ruu.
Hey guys. Need a big hand here. So I have a HTC One on contract from Three in the UK.
I rooted the phone and all that jazz and decided on putting a custom ROM on my device.
However while in TWRP I wiped the phone and seemingly all the contents on it, including TWRP.
Now I have a bricked phone that boots into recovery/ the bootloader only. I've tried flasing
RUU files on but it fails with the error code 140? I don't know much about this I'm quite a noob.
In recovery the information is as follows:
*** TAMPERED ***
*** RELOCKED ***
*** SECURITY WARNING ***
M7_UL PVT SHIP S-ON RH
HBOOT- 1.54.0000
RADIO-4A. 17. 3250. 14
OpenDSP-v31.120.274.0617
OS-2.24.401.0
eMMC-boot 2048MB
Please help me. I've read through wonderful guides by other patrons on this website but nothing seems to work.
I'm at my wits end.
Thank you in advance for any help.
I know very little about this, but just to brainstorm (and confirm a few basic facts):
When you rooted originally, did you use HTC's bootloader unlocker or a different method to unlock the bootloader?
How are you flashing ROMS? Are you doing everything through the phone (example, using one-touch-root apps) or are you using the Android Debug Bridge?
The bootloader typically comes with options to reboot, boot into recovery, factory reset, etc. Can you confirm that these options have disappeared (or never existed in the first place)?
My knee-jerk reaction is that you didn't use an HTC bootloader unlocker and, therefore, the HTC GUU detects a bootloader mismatch and aborts. Therefore, you need to see if there's a way to flash a stock HTC bootloader (which, I can tell you from experience, is usually a one-way-trip to super-bricking) or see if the bootloader you already have installed can be unlocked through the ADB.
In my very limited experience and understanding of Android, it's generally pretty difficult to wipe the recovery partition from within the phone - one generally as to flash it from ADB or screw with the bootloader in some way to wipe it. I wonder, therefore, whether the recovery partition is just fine but maybe the bootloader is throwing a fit because it's not the HTC default.
I'm sure you've tried or thought of all of this, but since nobody else is stepping up, I thought I'd help brainstorm a bit and keep the thread fresh.
Borden Rhodes said:
I know very little about this, but just to brainstorm (and confirm a few basic facts):
When you rooted originally, did you use HTC's bootloader unlocker or a different method to unlock the bootloader?
How are you flashing ROMS? Are you doing everything through the phone (example, using one-touch-root apps) or are you using the Android Debug Bridge?
The bootloader typically comes with options to reboot, boot into recovery, factory reset, etc. Can you confirm that these options have disappeared (or never existed in the first place)?
My knee-jerk reaction is that you didn't use an HTC bootloader unlocker and, therefore, the HTC GUU detects a bootloader mismatch and aborts. Therefore, you need to see if there's a way to flash a stock HTC bootloader (which, I can tell you from experience, is usually a one-way-trip to super-bricking) or see if the bootloader you already have installed can be unlocked through the ADB.
In my very limited experience and understanding of Android, it's generally pretty difficult to wipe the recovery partition from within the phone - one generally as to flash it from ADB or screw with the bootloader in some way to wipe it. I wonder, therefore, whether the recovery partition is just fine but maybe the bootloader is throwing a fit because it's not the HTC default.
I'm sure you've tried or thought of all of this, but since nobody else is stepping up, I thought I'd help brainstorm a bit and keep the thread fresh.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I unlocked the bootloader originally by getting a specific code from HTC and using it through the command prompt I think. I can go into the bootloader and it has all the fastboot, recovery, factory reset business there. Trying factory reset does nothing. I've downloaded HTC toolkit 2.2 and I tried initially pushing ROMS to flash to TWRP, but it would never detect my phone. Then I stupidly did a full wipe through TWRP and now that's disappeared. All that's left is the bootloader now. I've tried forcing RUU updates through the HTC toolkit but it always fails. So does running the normal RUU process. I can't seem to find the correct one for Three UK. The most I've been able to do is re-lock the bootloader and I'm running out of ideas. Thank you for your reply. I feel so helpless!.
If I've read your message correctly, you are doing everything through the HTC toolkit and not through the Android SDK. Frankly, I don't know how the former works. Especially if the HTC Toolkit isn't detecting your phone, you may want to run over to http://developer.android.com/sdk/ and fetch the SDK for your system and set it up. You don't need the ADT Bundle, just the SDK Tools link at the bottom. This may make it easier for other, more knowledgeable people debug your phone, since they all use the SDK. The weaponry you'll be using is all in the <sdk install location>/tools directory, so get a command prompt window pointed there (by the by, are you using Windows, Mac or Linux?)
If you already have your SDK up, or once you do, you'll want to get familiar with the fastboot command, described in this post: forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2277112 . What we want to do is see whether we can flash a new recovery ROM.
As long as you don't attempt to flash over the bootloader, you shouldn't super-brick your phone. Based on the message in your original post, your bootloader may have relocked itself. If your first attempt at installing a new recovery ROM doesn't work, then you'll have to use the procedure you used originally to unlock your bootloader. If you've forgotten how to do that, then these instructions (which assume you're using the SDK) should help: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_m7.
You're currently using TWRP, which I've personally found buggy. Until you have a functioning phone again, you may want to use ClockworkMod (CWM) Recovery instead: http://www.clockworkmod.com/rommanager. It has fewer features, but at least they work properly. If flashing ROMs over fastboot is new to you, there are plenty of guides on the Interwebs to help you. I'll also try to walk you through it if you let me know where you're getting stuck. The critical thing, considering that there are many types of HTC One, is to make sure that you flash the ROM that exactly matches your phone. If you flash the wrong ROM, you probably won't break your phone any more than it is, but let's try not to test that theory. If you're not positive which phone you have, say so and we'll help you find out.
Let us know once you have CWM on your phone or where you got stuck. The advantage of using the SDK, too, is that you can copy and paste the output right back to the forum.
I hope I understood everything correctly. Let me know if I haven't.
I wanted to return my HTC One to stock, and it took me hours to do so. I had to search for multiple threads, and it was a big hassle and pretty confusing. I am back to stock now, although I am still S-Off. I figured I would compile a thread helping others in similar situations return to stock. This guide will help you return to sense, lock your bootloader, unroot, hide your tampered banner, as well as prevent your device from showing up as relocked. You're device will still remain S-Off after following these steps.
Here are the steps. I am assuming the recovery is device specific, and I wouldn't recommend flashing the recovery.img on any device other than the AT&T M8.
1. Make sure your device is S-Off. If not, download firewater and S-Off your device.
2. Restore a nandroid of the stock Sense ROM, or find a stock ROM to flash. You'll have to dig around; I used a nandroid.
3. Flash SuperSU.zip in recovery on top of the stock Sense ROM. You can find the SuperSU.zip here: http://download.chainfire.eu/396/SuperSU
4. Use adb to flash the stock recovery.img to your device. You can get the recovery files here. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2711814 *ONLY FOR THE AT&T MODEL*
5. Boot back up into sense, and follow this guide to remove the tampered banner in recovery. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2708565
6. Follow this guide to lock your boot loader and make it say **LOCKED** instead of **RELOCKED**. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2708571
7. Boot your device back up, and open SuperSU. Go into settings and find the "full unroot" option and run that. Reboot your device like it suggests.
8. I would factory reset your device in settings or recovery to make sure everything's clean, although this step isn't necessary.
Enjoy Sense! Hope I was able to help some of you guys! ?
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
supitsronnie said:
I wanted to return my HTC One to stock, and it took me hours to do so. I had to search for multiple threads, and it was a big hassle and pretty confusing. I am back to stock now, although I am still S-Off. I figured I would compile a thread helping others in similar situations return to stock. This guide will help you return to sense, lock your bootloader, unroot, hide your tampered banner, as well as prevent your device from showing up as relocked. You're device will still remain S-Off after following these steps.
Here are the steps. I am assuming the recovery is device specific, and I wouldn't recommend flashing the recovery.img on any device other than the AT&T M8.
1. Restore a nandroid of the stock Sense ROM, or find a stock ROM to flash. You'll have to dig around; I used a nandroid.
2. Flash SuperSU.zip in recovery on top of the stock Sense ROM. You can find the SuperSU.zip here: http://download.chainfire.eu/396/SuperSU
3. Use adb to flash the stock recovery.img to your device. You can get the recovery files here. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2711814 *ONLY FOR THE AT&T MODEL*
4. Boot back up into sense, and follow this guide to remove the tampered banner in recovery. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2708565
5. Follow this guide to lock your boot loader and make it say **LOCKED** instead of **RELOCKED**. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2708571
6. Boot your device back up, and open SuperSU. Go into settings and find the "full unroot" option and run that. Reboot your device like it suggests.
7. I would factory reset your device in settings or recovery to make sure everything's clean, although this step isn't necessary.
Enjoy Sense! Hope I was able to help some of you guys! ?
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you think these steps could pass with returning it to an AT&T store for exchange?
chrispyutec said:
Do you think these steps could pass with returning it to an AT&T store for exchange?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure. I haven't tried returning to AT&T. The only thing they can get you for is S-Off, but some devices shipped S-Off so I don't know how likely that is to happen. AT&T shouldn't look into it too much. They don't have access to HTCDev so they can't see you've requested an unlock token.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
supitsronnie said:
I am not sure. I haven't tried returning to AT&T. The only thing they can get you for is S-Off, but some devices shipped S-Off so I don't know how likely that is to happen. AT&T shouldn't look into it too much. They don't have access to HTCDev so they can't see you've requested an unlock token.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know about your AT&T store reps, but I can't think of a single one from a store local to me that would have any clue whatsoever on how to determine if the device was rooted, unlocked, etc.
Also keep in mind that, unless you've personally irritated one of them, THEY (usually) DON'T CARE. They might be required to check certain things by AT&T corporate, but do you really think that a typical sales rep is going actually exert any extra effort whatsoever to check the device?
Take the steps you mentioned. Leave the device S-OFF, but clear the "tampered" flag (as you mentioned) and any type of red warning that happens on the boot animation. Basically, just fix up the extremely obvious stuff that a sales rep couldn't possible ignore. When you go to bring it back, act like you've never heard of "XDA", and if someone asks if the phone was modified, tell them that you changed the default ringtone or something silly like that. (In other words, play dumb.)
Delete
Delete
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
I was in a store the other day with a friend who needed something done to his account. Beside us was a rep trying to activate an M8 for a customer. She kept running to the back to get different SIM cards and couldn't figure out why they wouldn't fit. She was trying to put them in the SD card slot
And you're worried about them checking bootloader locks and S-Off? :laugh:
To give an example of how "closely" an AT&T store rep examines a phone for exchange/return:
I noticed a couple days ago that the volume button on my own M8 is quite a bit more.. wiggly.... than the AT&T demo M8's in my local store. It doesn't really bother me, but I figured I was still in my "14 days" so I could get a simple exchange for a more perfect volume button.
So, I spent about an hour backing up my device, changing the CID back to CWS__001, switching the firmware back to AT&T stock, switching the recovery back to stock, patching the bootloader to NOT show "unlocked" or "tampered", etc. Basically, when I was done, it was nearly impossible for even a knowledgeable person to know I had "converted" the phone to a dev edition and so on.
I brought the phone to the store and here's what they did to examine it: NOTHING.
They saw that the screen turned on, and that was it. Nothing else. I was extremely disappointed. (Perhaps it relates that I had just factory reset it, so it was sitting at that stupid AT&T welcome screen... perhaps they didn't want to waste time tapping through all the prompts?)
Oh, and I ended up NOT doing the exchange. They brought a new one up, and it had the same wiggly volume button. So, we opened a couple more boxes and all were wiggly. Being that I didn't see any other defect in my existing phone, I decided to keep my known wiggle instead of risking a different different that wiggled just as much, but might also have some other issue.
Take care
Wiggles Gary
where do we find the stock nandroid to use? Does this work to get back to stock to get the latest OTA update?
jdk2 said:
I was in a store the other day with a friend who needed something done to his account. Beside us was a rep trying to activate an M8 for a customer. She kept running to the back to get different SIM cards and couldn't figure out why they wouldn't fit. She was trying to put them in the SD card slot
And you're worried about them checking bootloader locks and S-Off? :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL you laugh. My AT&T girl did the same thing. She had the nano sim sideways in the sd card slot and couldn't figure why it wouldn't go in.
drivel2787 said:
where do we find the stock nandroid to use? Does this work to get back to stock to get the latest OTA update?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can find stock nandroid backups here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2701376. Make sure your CID matches! Instructions are in that thread.
Yes, if you follow this method you will receive OTA updates again.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
I have to use HTC's free screen replacement program, im rooted, unlocked, and s-off... soooo, i have to do this before sending them my phone right?
JoSway said:
I have to use HTC's free screen replacement program, im rooted, unlocked, and s-off... soooo, i have to do this before sending them my phone right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There was a poster who claimed they told him he was ineligible for the replacement because they had him on record on HTCdev as unlocking his boot loader. Said he needed the dev edition to be able to do that without voiding his warranty. That was just one person though
I got my device 2 days ago and rooted immediately. Then I noticed I was on the old firmware version, so I used your guide to get unroot and back to stock. It worked well. Now I'm updated and rooted again
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garyd9 said:
To give an example of how "closely" an AT&T store rep examines a phone for exchange/return:
I noticed a couple days ago that the volume button on my own M8 is quite a bit more.. wiggly.... than the AT&T demo M8's in my local store. It doesn't really bother me, but I figured I was still in my "14 days" so I could get a simple exchange for a more perfect volume button.
So, I spent about an hour backing up my device, changing the CID back to CWS__001, switching the firmware back to AT&T stock, switching the recovery back to stock, patching the bootloader to NOT show "unlocked" or "tampered", etc. Basically, when I was done, it was nearly impossible for even a knowledgeable person to know I had "converted" the phone to a dev edition and so on.
I brought the phone to the store and here's what they did to examine it: NOTHING.
They saw that the screen turned on, and that was it. Nothing else. I was extremely disappointed. (Perhaps it relates that I had just factory reset it, so it was sitting at that stupid AT&T welcome screen... perhaps they didn't want to waste time tapping through all the prompts?)
Oh, and I ended up NOT doing the exchange. They brought a new one up, and it had the same wiggly volume button. So, we opened a couple more boxes and all were wiggly. Being that I didn't see any other defect in my existing phone, I decided to keep my known wiggle instead of risking a different different that wiggled just as much, but might also have some other issue.
Take care
Wiggles Gary
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Believe it or not all you have to do is put the stock rom back on the device. You still have a hardware warranty. If say, your speaker is broken that would have occurred regardless of you flashing the ROM. Flashing the rom is not a punishment for you to live with bad hardware... However try to put back to stock if you can.
thank u for helping
Lil Jones said:
Believe it or not all you have to do is put the stock rom back on the device. You still have a hardware warranty. If say, your speaker is broken that would have occurred regardless of you flashing the ROM. Flashing the rom is not a punishment for you to live with bad hardware... However try to put back to stock if you can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T terms clearly state that they have the "right" to void warranty if the software is modified.
In reality, AT&T will not check or care. Its more important to keep you as a monthly account holder, versus the relatively modest price if a refurb phone. I've seen many reports of successful warranty exchanges with unlocked bootloader, root, even having an obviously custom ROM (like CM) installed.
Return to close as stock as possible/feasible to play it safe. But its likely not going to be a deal breaker.
can i be S-Off and do ATT OTA's?
rahtrip said:
can i be S-Off and do ATT OTA's?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure. But if you've bothered to s-off, why would you want to?
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app
I got this phone off a friend, and I have a opportunity to trade my M8 for a M9 plus cash. The problem is that the guy won't trade without the phone being completely stock with no root or any signs.
I've searched quite a bit on this forum for answers and everything is for older versions of Android. I can't find what RUU I would need or if it's even available. I seen a guide and tutorial from theunlckr, but it's from mid 2014.
I'm looking for a complete guide from start to end that will put this phone back to stock. This would be my first time and I don't know jack about what to do when it comes to this stuff. I'm very computer savvy so it shouldn't be a issue.
The info is following when I boot into recovery:
First off, the HTC logo will appear saying it's property of HTC and something about developers in red.
Software Status : Modified
Unlocked
M8_UL_CA PVT SHIP S-ON
HBOOT-3.19.0.0000
[email protected]
OPENDSP-v47.2.2-00564-M8974_FO.1024
OS-4.28.502.1
eMMC-boot 2048MB
4/20/15
There is also a Team Win application or recovery when I choose to do a factory reset.
Please if someone can help, I need to do this soon.
rlockwich said:
I've searched quite a bit on this forum for answers and everything is for older versions of Android. I can't find what RUU I would need or if it's even available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You want the Lollipop (Android 5.0.2) AT&T RUU (software number 4.28) which is linked on my Index thread at the top of the General AT&T M8 forum section: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2751432
Relock the bootloader (command: fastboot oem lock) then just run the RUU (Windows executable).
rlockwich said:
I got this phone off a friend, and I have a opportunity to trade my M8 for a M9 plus cash. The problem is that the guy won't trade without the phone being completely stock with no root or any signs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What "completely" stock means is a bit complicated (and may vary depending on the person). You can relock the bootloader and run the RUU. Everything will be stock, except that the phone will say RELOCKED in bootloader instead of UNLOCKED (which is the factory condition).
The only way to make it say LOCKED is to s-off by sunshine ($25) then change the flag to LOCKED. Then go back to s-on. But IMO, its not worthwhile to spend money to sell/trade a phone; and not worth the money, time and effort for something that is very minor.
Functionally, there is no difference between RELOCKED and LOCKED. The only reason anyone would care, is if they want to make a warranty claim with HTC. In that case, they may deny any claim anyway, since there is already a record of the bootloader being unlocked via HTCDev.com (tracked by the phone's IMEI). Not even sure if the warranty (1 year from purchase) would be valid, anyway for a device that has changed hands 2 times.
I would recommend you ask the buy/trade partner if RELOCKED bootloader is okay. Otherwise, find someone else to trade with.
rlockwich said:
First off, the HTC logo will appear saying it's property of HTC and something about developers in red.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This, and TWRP recovery will be gone once you RUU.
RUU will re-image the entire phone to stock factory (Lollipop) condition. So it will be stock ROM, stock recovery, no root, etc.
You should also remove your SD card (if one is inserted), then go into phone settings and wipe all storage, to make sure the internal storage/virtual SD is wiped of your personal data.
Will this make him be able to do OTA updates for when 5.1 comes?
rlockwich said:
Will this make him be able to do OTA updates for when 5.1 comes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. The only requirements for OTA are stock ROM and stock recovery, which post-RUU state satisfies both.
Note that OTA updates for the AT&T version are only available when connected to AT&T's network. So if the buyer is asking if he will get OTAs, and he happens to be using another carrier, the answer is NO. And in that case, the RUU for the next update is his best option.
It was a success! Thank you for taking the time to help me out. I really appreciate everything you've done!
Do you think it's necessary to wipe from the settings in backup/restore after doing the RUU?
I read somewhere that there are files left behind from the root, after unrooting....does the RUU wipe all of this away, so there won't be a need to do a 2nd reset after the RUU completes?
rlockwich said:
Do you think it's necessary to wipe from the settings in backup/restore after doing the RUU?
I read somewhere that there are files left behind from the root, after unrooting....does the RUU wipe all of this away, so there won't be a need to do a 2nd reset after the RUU completes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can never remember for certain; but I think RUU just wipes user data, and normally leaves internal storage intact. Not just files used for root, but personal files, too. So you will want to make sure internal storage is wiped.
Therefore, I do recommend going to Backup & Reset in Settings, pick Reset phone in order to make sure internal storage is wiped.