HTC EVO 4G LTE Hboot Versions & Info
I am not a developer-this is simply my contribution to the HTC EVO 4G LTE community as a way to help users have a basic understanding of what Hboot is, and understand the differences and capabilities between Hboot versions. In addition to information regarding the various Hboot versions, I have included a guide on how to update firmware (since this is done through the bootloader). Also included is a section on kernel flashing for those who haven't taken the plunge and gained S-off yet. You are free to include my work if you are putting together a guide or FAQ of your own, I only ask that you give credit where credit is due. I've taken a lot of time and put some effort into making this guide as complete as possible, but if you see something you'd like to have added or have a question or comment, feel free to do so. You can also reach me via PM. As I currently own this device, I will try my best to keep this guide up to date. I am not responsible for any misinterpretations of the information contained within this guide, and I will not be held liable or responsible should you damage your phone or cause an act of war. Now, let's get started.
What is Hboot? Without getting too technical, Hboot is your bootloader. Its functions are similar to that of the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) on a PC. The bootloader provides a level of security for your phone by preventing unsigned software and firmware from being installed on your phone. At times, the bootloader will be updated to provide bug fixes and security patches. This sounds like a good thing, but it's really just a roadblock for those of us who like to tinker with our phones. This is where unlocking the bootloader comes in to play. Unlocking the bootloader allows us to install custom recoveries, from which we can flash custom ROM's to our phones. Still, however, depending upon the bootloader security, you are still limited to what you can do once the bootloader is unlocked. Unlocking the bootloader on the HTC EVO 4G LTE is accomplished using HTC Dev, or by using one of the tools provided by developers here on XDA (the toolkits, often referred to as "one-clicks", still use HTC Dev to unlock-there is no way around it). I won't delve into the actual process of unlocking the bootloader, as there are countless places here on XDA and elsewhere that guide you through the process.
S-on vs. S-off. When you received your HTC EVO 4G LTE new, it shipped with a locked bootloader and was S-on, which meant that bootloader security was on. While true that unlocking the bootloader gives some added functionality, like being able to install a custom recovery such as TWRP (Team Win Recovery Project) or CWM Touch, and allowing the flashing of a custom ROM, there are still limitations based on the bootloader (Hboot) version. This is where S-off comes in to play. If S-on means security on, then yes, S-off means security off. Once S-off, the bootloader's security is turned off. Kernels, splash screens and unsigned firmware can be flashed with relative ease. As more than one developer has put it, you are essentially future-proofing your device. This is especially true given the restrictions that HTC has put in place on the newer bootloaders. Think of bootloader unlocking and S-off like a bank. Bootloader unlocking gets you in the front door; S-off gets you into the vault. Currently, there are four ways to gain S-off on the EVO LTE: Dirty Racun, Facepalm, Moonshine and Rumrunner. For more information regarding S-off, check out this thread here.
The bootloader screen
View attachment 1924777
How do you access the bootloader menu? If you're running a Sense ROM, make sure you have fastboot disabled in settings. You can go to Menu>Settings>Power and make sure fastboot isn't enabled. Don't confuse the fastboot setting with fastboot in the bootloader-they are not the same. Power your phone completely off. Press and hold the volume down button, then press and hold the power button (most custom ROM's normally let you reboot to the bootloader from the power menu, also). After several seconds you will be presented with a white screen with some information in the top left corner of the screen. Stock, the top line will say "Locked". Once unlocked, the top line will read "Unlocked". If the bootloader has been relocked, the top line will read "Relocked". Once unlocked or relocked, there will also be a "Tampered" warning, as well. Below that is the HTC device codename, which is Jewel. On this same line, you will see whether the phone is S-on or S-off. The fourth line from the top is the Hboot version, and below that is the radio (baseband) version. From the bootloader menu there are also options to power off the phone, reboot the bootloader, enter fastboot mode, factory reset and go to recovery. To navigate the menu, simply use the volume keys to move up and down, and use the power button to select (note in the picture above I have used regaw_leinad's bootloader customizer to customize the Hboot info). From the bootloader screen you can select the "fastboot" option, whereby you can connect your phone to your PC and issue commands via fastboot USB if you have the correct drivers installed on your computer. You have to have a properly working ADB (Android Debug Bridge) & Fastboot environment set up on your computer first in order to do so. You also haveit when using HTC Dev to unlock your bootloader, so it comes in handy in more ways than one and doesn't hurt to have it on your computer should you ever need to use it. If you're ever stuck in a boot loop you can simply wait until the phone's screen goes black and hold the volume down button until the bootloader screen appears.
Below is a list of current Hboot versions for the HTC EVO 4G LTE:
Hboot 1.12: S-on (Security on) allows flashing of modified firmware and kernels. Kernel does not have to be flashed separately from ROM. Least restrictive Hboot for the EVO LTE. S-off can be obtained via Dirty Racun or Facepalm.
Hboot 1.15: S-on, kernel must be flashed separately from ROM either via Flashify or Fastboot. S-off can be obtained via Dirty Racun or Facepalm.
Hboot 1.19: Same info as Hboot 1.15.
Hboot 2.09: Permanent write to system partition disabled when S-on. Kernel must be flashed separately via Fastboot or Flashify. S-off can be obtained via Dirty Racun or Facepalm if on software version 3.15 (baseband ending in 1119)/Dirty Racun if on software version 3.16 (baseband ending in 1210). You can use Baby Racun to downgrade from 3.16 to 3.15, at which time you can use Facepalm. You can also use Moonshine S-off for software version 3.16. Use Rumrunner S-off for software version 3.17.651.4 (baseband ending in 0830) & 3.17.651.5.
Hboot 2.10: Software version 4.13.651.1 (.3/.4)/Firmware version 1.13.11.1105: Ability to downgrade from this version to a previous version can be done via RUU if S-off. S-off with Rumrunner. For further information, look at this thread here.
***The OTA update for software version 3.16.651.3 included a touch panel driver update. If you are on this update, you can only use ROM's based on software version 3.16 & 3.17, otherwise the touch screen will not respond to touch input. You must also use TWRP 2.4+ with the updated touch panel driver. You can downgrade the touch panel driver to the previous version if you're S-off. AOSP ROM's utilizing the 3.4 kernel support the updated touch panel driver and does not require downgrading***
Bootloader unlocking tools:
HTC Dev
WinDroid toolkit
qbking77's bootloader unlocking video
How to obtain S-off:
Dirty Racun-No longer supported
Facepalm-No longer supported
Moonshine
Rumrunner
I take no credit for any of the tools or methods listed above. The above listed tools are the property of their respective developers/contributors.
S-off vs. Root
There always seems to be some confusion among some users regarding root and S-off. First off, they are not the same thing. Root is a method by which users can run privileged commands on their device.
Rooting is typically accomplished by a security exploit that allows the su (superuser) binary to be installed on the device, which in turn installs either the SuperUser or SuperSU app on the device. Both of these apps give the user the ability to grant or deny root apps to function. In addition to running certain apps (like WiFi tether, Root Explorer or Titanium Backup), root privilege can also allow the removal of files and apps which could not be removed by a user with an unrooted phone (for example, removing carrier-installed "bloatware").
Some users think that you must be S-off in order to have what they call "full root", which is simply not the case, as root and S-off are independent of one another. It's actually quite the contrary, as you can have a phone that is S-off but does not have root access. How is this so? Remember, S-off simply means that the bootloader's security is off. In order to root a phone, you must have a custom recovery installed and have the proper superuser binary in place for root to work. S-off methods are not always available when a new phone is released (or when a phone receives updated software and/or firmware), which is why we have methods like HTC Dev to unlock our bootloader.
If a method to gain S-off is available, it's best to use it. Like I stated earlier, S-off is virtually future-proofing your phone, so regardless of any updates that may come out, once you're S-off, that's it: you're S-off until a method is released to put the device back to S-on, and that's something the device user typically initiates (for example, the VipeRUU tool). S-off trumps bootloader unlocking because being simply bootloader unlocked, there are still security restrictions on the bootloader. S-off removes those restrictions. But, as stated earlier, without a custom recovery and superuser in place, the device is not rooted. The ideal situation is to be rooted and S-off. Gaining S-off allows the user to flash a ROM and not have to flash the kernel separately when on Hboot 1.15+, allows for changing the splash screen, customizing the bootloader, getting rid of the red development disclaimer text & flashing firmware updates, just to name a few benefits.
A quick word of caution regarding S-off. With the bootloader's security off, there is no longer any protection should you flash a corrupt or incompatible file to your device, so know & understand what you're doing and don't do something foolish to turn your device in to an expensive paperweight.
On the HTC EVO 4G LTE, the root method is the same regardless of the Hboot or software version.
Firmware Updates
From time to time, it may be necessary to update your phone's firmware, sometimes referred to as your radios or your baseband. This can be done for a number of reasons, ranging from call quality or data connection issues or poor battery life due to outdated firmware, just to name a few things. Personally, I like to keep my firmware version updated to whatever the newest corresponding software version is at the time. Keep in mind that firmware and software are not the same. Software is the ROM you flash via recovery. Firmware is the radios, PRI and whatever other bits a developer chooses to include. The only time you get both packaged together is in a OTA (Over The Air) update sent out by the phone carrier, or by RUU. Since rooted users don't typically take OTA updates, we have to rely on developers to pull the firmware from the update package and re-package it for our use. You must be S-off to install modified firmware on your device. To update your firmware, first download the applicable firmware package. You can download the file to either your phone or your computer. Typically, the file will have an MD5 sum that acts as a fingerprint to verify that your download matches that of the original. You can use an app like Android File verifier to check the MD5 of the downloaded file versus that of the original file. If the MD5's match, you're good to go. If not, you need to download the file again, making sure you check the MD5 again. This is important, as you don't want to screw up a firmware update. A bad firmware flash is a good way to turn your phone into an expensive paperweight. Once you have the file downloaded you need to transfer it to the root (not in a folder) of your external microSD card. Firmware updates cannot be run from the phone's internal memory. Check and make sure that the file is named PJ75IMG.zip (If using your computer, Windows often hides the .zip extension so if you don't see it on your computer, right-click on the file and select "Properties" to see if the .zip extension is there, which it should be). If you downloaded the file directly to your phone, you can use a file manager like Astro file manager or Root Explorer to check that the file is properly named. The bootloader will be looking for the file named PJ75IMG and, if improperly named, will not locate it. Sometimes the file won't require renaming but it's important to check and make sure, to save you some headache down the road. Make sure you also have a decent charge on your battery, because if your phone dies during the firmware update, you'll end up with a bricked device, most likely. Now, you need to reboot to the bootloader, which was discussed previously. Your phone should reboot to Fastboot mode. Use the volume buttons to navigate to the "Bootloader" option in the menu, and press the power button to make your selection. The bootloader will now scan for the firmware update on your SD card, and once it finds it, will prompt you as to whether or not you wish to start the update. Once again, use the volume buttons to make your choice. The update may take a couple of minutes to complete, at which time you'll be prompted to either power off the phone or reboot. Reboot the phone, then go to Menu>Settings>About Phone>Software info and check your baseband version and see if it corresponds to the firmware update you just installed. Once you've done this and confirmed that the update was successful, delete the PJ75IMG file from your SD card (if you don't do this, you will be prompted to update your firmware every time you reboot to the bootloader). If the update fails from the bootloader, go back through the steps outlined above and double-check that you have done everything correctly. For more information regarding firmware updates, see Captain Throwback's firmware thread, which I have provided a link to at the bottom of this post.
A quick note about the bootloader. With an SD card installed in your phone, the bootloader will always scan for a PJ75IMG file, as shown by the green text that says "No image or wrong image". This is normal as long as an SD card is installed. If you are attempting to update firmware and see this text but don't get prompted to update, make sure the file is named correctly. Otherwise, it's not an error and shouldn't be confused as such.
RUU's
Occasionally, you may encounter an issue which requires a RUU (ROM Update Utility). This is an update package released either by a OEM (like HTC) or a developer. It is designed to put the phone back to stock condition. This can be done for a variety of reasons including updating to a newer software version or for returning the phone back to stock to have the device serviced by the carrier or manufacturer. Note that if your device is S-on, you can only run a RUU with the same software/firmware version that you're currently running, or a newer version. If you're S-off, the same applies, and in addition, you can also downgrade to an older version than what's installed on your device. Running a RUU will re-lock your bootloader and unroot your phone. To root again, you'll need to unlock the bootloader, install a custom recovery and install the necessary SU binary. On S-off phones, the device will remain S-off but the bootloader will need to be unlocked again with HTC Dev. See the bottom of this post for a complete list of links to current available RUU's.
To run a RUU, simply download the RUU you wish to install to your PC, then connect your phone and PC via USB cable. While booted to the Android OS, simply double-click the RUU file on your computer to start the installer, then follow the on-screen instructions. Normally, a RUU is run while the phone is booted to the OS but alternatively, can be run while the phone is connected to the computer via Fastboot USB mode. Simply connect the phone and PC via Fastboot USB mode, then double-click the RUU file on your computer to start the installer. If your device is S-on you will need to relock your bootloader to run a RUU. Use the command "fastboot oem lock" to relock your bootloader (without quotation marks). You need to install HTC Sync to your computer to get the proper drivers installed to help connect your device to your computer.
S-on Kernel Flashing
Below is a short guide on how to flash kernels while S-on using Hboot 1.15 & up. First, check out the link below for an easy how-to on setting up ADB on your computer (credit to Jerry Hildenbrand at Android Central for the write-up). The guide also includes a basic set of commands that users might find useful while using ADB. If you need device drivers for your PC, I have provided a link at the bottom of this thread. You can also install the latest version of HTC Sync to get the latest drivers installed on your computer.
How to set up ADB and ADB commands
Some developers include an S-on kernel flasher in their ROM's to simplify ROM flashing (such as xHausx's kernel installer). Simply follow the instructions in the ROM's OP, as methods may vary.
If no kernel installer is included as part of the ROM, there are two basic ways to flash a kernel to your phone while S-on. The first method is using an app from the Play store called Flash Image GUI. Simply follow the instructions in the app. The second method is to flash the kernel via Fastboot, which I will explain below.
First, download the ROM of your choosing to your phone. Once you've done this, navigate to where you downloaded the ROM on your computer and extract the boot.img from the ROM zip file. Place it in your ADB tools folder. The boot.img is the ROM's kernel, which is needed for the ROM to work. Without getting too technical, the kernel allows the phone's hardware and software to work together. Boot into recovery and flash the ROM zip. Then, reboot into the bootloader. Your phone should say Fastboot, highlighted in red. If not, use your volume keys to highlight the Fastboot option from the menu we discussed previously, then use the power button to select. You should then see the word Fastboot highlighted in red. Connect your phone and PC via USB cable. Once the connection is complete, you will see "Fastboot" change to "Fastboot USB". Open up your ADB/Fastboot terminal (Shift+Right click on the folder, then choose the option to open up a command line), then follow the instructions below:
Type:
Code:
fastboot devices
Press enter. Your phone's serial number should be output on the line below, so now you know that fastboot recognizes your phone.
Now, type:
Code:
fastboot flash boot boot.img
Press enter. The kernel should then be flashed to your phone, unless you get an error message in the command terminal. After flashing the kernel via fastboot, you can reboot your phone.
You can also use the HTC Dumlock feature in TWRP recovery to flash a kernel while S-on. You can find information on Team Win's site in the link below.
TWRP Dumlock
Hopefully after reading all this you have a better-or at least basic-understanding of what Hboot is and what the bootloader does on this device.
Thanks to:
@Sloth Please check out his FAQ.
@om4 You can check out his "Don't Panic" guide here.
@WindyCityRockr for his Windroid toolkit
@qbking77 for his Youtube video.
@Captain_Throwback for his firmware thread, which you can find here.
If you're looking for the latest drivers for your computer, check out this thread here. Thanks @CNexus for making this thread. You can also install the latest version of HTC Sync to get the drivers you need.
@regaw_leinad for his thread explaining S-off.
RUU links:
HTC EVO 4G LTE Shipped ROM's
3.17.651.4 RUU
4.13.651.4 RUU ***Please note that this RUU changes the partition of the internal storage. Prior to this RUU, internal storage was broken up into two separate partitions, (Internal storage+Media storage). This RUU changes the partition setup to where there is only Internal storage. Approximately 12GB is available via this partition setup. Also note that while there were two previous RUU's for the Android 4.3 update, this one has data roaming working properly and is the reason I included it and not the previous ones.***
VipeRUU (based on 3.16.651.3) Please note that VipeRUU ONLY works if the device is S-off and can be used to return the device to a totally stock, unrooted state.
Enjoy
Excellence. Now I don't need to make this post. much appreciated.
Delakit said:
Excellence. Now I don't need to make this post. much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just glad to contribute to the good of the order
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Fin, thanks for the link to the ADB guide. I need to set it up on a new computer and couldn't remember how I did it on my old one. (Particularly in terms of setting up the paths so you can run commands from any location). :thumbup:
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
scottspa74 said:
Fin, thanks for the link to the ADB guide. I need to set it up on a new computer and couldn't remember how I did it on my old one. (Particularly in terms of setting up the paths so you can run commands from any location). :thumbup:
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a problem
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Nice work bro
Sent from Blues and Jazz One
Updated with link's to om4's "Don't Panic" guide & bigdaddy619's Q&A guide. Also added some more info about S-on/S-off and bootloader menu info, and added a link to HTC Dev. Added a poll, as well.
Just trying to be thorough
Can you please add info on how to install/run Linux/wubi from a USB or a cd or a dual boot? I think we need a noob guide on how to do that since the guys that gave us s-off (big thanks to Team Unlimited) only support Linux, thanks for this guide...
jocarog said:
Can you please add info on how to install/run Linux/wubi from a USB or a cd or a dual boot? I think we need a noob guide on how to do that since the guys that gave us s-off (big thanks to Team Unlimited) only support Linux, thanks for this guide...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What Hboot & software version are you currently on?
Edit: Disregard that, I was using the app when I replied and didn't see you signature. Having said that, I haven't messed with Linux and wouldn't feel comfortable putting something like that together, not to mention that it would go against Team Unlimited and the rules they have set forth regarding the use of their tools.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
FinZ28 said:
What Hboot & software version are you currently on?
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^^^^^^ Linux noob
bigdaddy619 said:
^^^^^^ Linux noob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't even go that far
I was on the original hboot, but my Bluetooth stopped working and I'm waiting for a replacement, probably will end up with latest hboot :crying::crying:
I've used viperruu to get my evo back to stock when I took it back to sprint, so it's on 2.09, not even rooted, I have a dual boot desktop with the latest wubi version, the easiest way for me to use Linux, just for things like the s-off process, I used lazy panda on windows, but I'm still learning on how to use Linux, I'm a noob!
jocarog said:
I was on the original hboot, but my Bluetooth stopped working and I'm waiting for a replacement, probably will end up with latest hboot :crying::crying:
I've used viperruu to get my evo back to stock when I took it back to sprint, so it's on 2.09, not even rooted, I have a dual boot desktop with the latest wubi version, the easiest way for me to use Linux, just for things like the s-off process, I used lazy panda on windows, but I'm still learning on how to use Linux, I'm a noob!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand. Your best bet is to hit up Team Unlimited on their IRC channel and get help when the time comes. I've heard that the support for their tools is excellent
Updated 5/3/2013 with info & link for HTC Dumlock
I've personally never used this feature but I've read where it can be helpful for users who are S-on and I thought it would be a good idea to include it in the guide.
Thanks for the writeup.
I was lucky to be able to get in under the wire and avoided even using HTC dev to go S-Off on my LTE and still have hboot 1.12. Is there utility to any of the bug fixes you mention in the later bootloader versions? It may be helpful to say whether or not the bug fixes apply to anything outside the bootloader itself because the natural assumption I make when someone mentions "bug fixes" is to think an upgrade may make sense. If its a trade-off to upgrade and may better to stay on 1.12 unless you have issues with the device, saying that in the guide would also be helpful.
APDRJRD said:
Thanks for the writeup.
I was lucky to be able to get in under the wire and avoided even using HTC dev to go S-Off on my LTE and still have hboot 1.12. Is there utility to any of the bug fixes you mention in the later bootloader versions? It may be helpful to say whether or not the bug fixes apply to anything outside the bootloader itself because the natural assumption I make when someone mentions "bug fixes" is to think an upgrade may make sense. If its a trade-off to upgrade and may better to stay on 1.12 unless you have issues with the device, saying that in the guide would also be helpful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like I stated in the guide, there is no reason to upgrade or downgrade, particularly since there are S-off methods for all Hboot versions. If you're on 1.12 (like myself and many others), your best bet is to stay on it. Having said that, though, you could RUU to a newer software version and upgrade your Hboot and still be S-off, but I don't see the point unless you're one of those people that has to have the newest everything (including Hboots)
I modified the guide based on the fact that honestly I don't know what "bug fixes" were truly implemented in the newer bootloaders, and I don't want to mislead anybody. If and when I can come up with better info for each version I'll be happy to share it.
The guide honestly started off as an effort to help those people who were having issues flashing while S-on, and it just grew from there. I feel like it's pretty complete without having too much info in it.
Thanks for your comments
Edit: I reached out to HTC in an effort to obtain more information regarding the topic of bootloader versions and the differences between the versions. Here is an excerpt from the email I received today (5/5/2013) from HTC employee Andres:
"I apologize, for any inconvenience that this may cause. Hboot is your bootloader. Its functions are similar to that of the BIOS on a PC. The bootloader provides a level of security for your phone by preventing unsigned software and firmware from being installed on your phone. At times, the bootloader will be updated to provide bug fixes and security patches.
Currently the versions for the HTC EVO 4G LTE are:
•Hboot 1.12
•Hboot 1.15
•Hboot 1.19
•Hboot 2.09
Keep in mind that these versions might have change depending on the updates release by the carrier.
If you have any other questions about your device please feel free to contact us via email at any time."
Looks familiar
I wonder how often HTC employees reach out to places like XDA for information?
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
FinZ28 said:
Edit: I reached out to HTC in an effort to obtain more information regarding the topic of bootloader versions and the differences between the versions. Here is an excerpt from the email I received today (5/5/2013) from HTC employee Andres:
"I apologize, for any inconvenience that this may cause. Hboot is your bootloader. Its functions are similar to that of the BIOS on a PC. The bootloader provides a level of security for your phone by preventing unsigned software and firmware from being installed on your phone. At times, the bootloader will be updated to provide bug fixes and security patches.
Currently the versions for the HTC EVO 4G LTE are:
•Hboot 1.12
•Hboot 1.15
•Hboot 1.19
•Hboot 2.09
Keep in mind that these versions might have change depending on the updates release by the carrier.
If you have any other questions about your device please feel free to contact us via email at any time."
Looks familiar
I wonder how often HTC employees reach out to places like XDA for information?
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's pretty hilarious. Always comforting to know that customer support has to resort to a Google search when answering pretty basic questions about their own software.
APDRJRD said:
That's pretty hilarious. Always comforting to know that customer support has to resort to a Google search when answering pretty basic questions about their own software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup
Updated on 5-27-2013 to include information regarding the updated touch panel driver that came with the latest OTA (software version 3.16, baseband 1210).
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
What would you do?
FinZ28 said:
HTC EVO 4G LTE Hboot Versions & Info
First off, I'm not a developer in any way, shape, form or fashion. I simply decided to write this guide for people to have a basic understanding of what Hboot is, and understand the differences and capabilities between Hboot versions, as well. In addition, there is a guide on how to flash kernels while S-on. If you feel I've missed something or would like to see something added, please feel free to PM me or leave a comment. Also, if you are making a guide and wish to include my guide as part of your work, feel free to do so. I only ask that you give credit where credit is due.
What is Hboot? In a nutshell, Hboot is your bootloader. Its functions are similar to that of the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) on a PC. The bootloader provides a level of security for your phone by preventing unsigned software and firmware from being installed on your phone. At times, the bootloader will be updated to provide bug fixes and security patches. This sounds like a good thing, but it's really just a roadblock for those of us who like to tinker with our phones. This is where unlocking the bootloader comes in to play. Unlocking the bootloader allows us to install custom recoveries, from which we can flash custom ROM's to our phones. Still, however, depending upon the bootloader security, we may be limited to what we can do once the bootloader is unlocked. Unlocking the bootloader on the HTC EVO 4G LTE is accomplished using HTC Dev, or by using one of the tools provided by developers here on XDA. I'm not going to delve into the actual unlocking process here, as there are countless places here on XDA and elsewhere that outline how to use HTC Dev.
What is S-off? When you received your HTC EVO 4G LTE new, it shipped with a locked bootloader and was S-on, which means that bootloader security is on. While true that unlocking the bootloader gives some added functionality, like being able to install a custom recovery such as TWRP (Team Win Recovery Project) and allowing the flashing of a custom ROM, there are still limitations based on the bootloader (Hboot) version. This is where S-off comes in to play. If S-on means security on, then yes, S-off means security off. Once S-off, the bootloader's security is turned off. Kernels, splash screens and firmware can be flashed with relative ease. As more than one developer has put it, you are essentially future-proofing your device. This is especially true given the restrictions that HTC has put in place on the newer bootloaders. Think of bootloader unlocking and S-off like a bank. Bootloader unlocking gets you in the front door; S-off gets you into the vault. As of this write-up, there are two ways to gain S-off on the HTC EVO 4G LTE: Dirty Racun and Facepalm.
The bootloader screen
View attachment 1924777
How do you check your Hboot version? Make sure you have fastboot disabled in settings (not to be confused with Fastboot USB). Go to Menu>Settings>Power and make sure Fastboot isn't enabled. Power your phone completely off. Press and hold the volume down button, then press and hold the power button (most custom ROM's normally let you reboot to the bootloader from the power menu, also). After several seconds you will be presented with a white screen with some information in the top left corner of the screen. Stock, the top line may say "Locked", "Unlocked" or "Relocked", depending on whether or not the bootloader has been unlocked. Below that is the HTC device codename, which is the Jewel in the case of the EVO 4G LTE. The fourth line from the top is the Hboot version, and below that is the radio (baseband) version. From the bootloader menu there are also options to power off the phone, reboot the bootloader, enter fastboot mode, factory reset and go to recovery. To navigate the menu, simply use the volume keys to move up and down, and use the power button to select (note in the screenshot above I have used regaw_leinad's bootloader customizer to change the top line of the bootloader to my XDA screen name). From the bootloader screen you can select the "fastboot" option, whereby you can connect your phone to your PC and issue commands via fastboot USB if you have the correct drivers installed on your computer. You have to have ADB (Android Debug Bridge) set up on your computer first in order to do so. You also have to use ADB when using HTC Dev to unlock your bootloader, so it comes in handy in more ways than one and doesn't hurt to have it on your computer should you ever need to use it.
Below is a list of current Hboot versions for the HTC EVO 4G LTE:
Hboot 1.12: S-on (Security on) allows flashing of radios and kernels. Kernel does not have to be flashed separately from ROM. Least restrictive Hboot for the EVO LTE. S-off can be obtained via Dirty Racun or Facepalm. Lazy Panda is no longer supported as of this write-up.
Hboot 1.15: When S-on, kernel must be flashed separately from ROM either via Flash Image GUI or Fastboot. S-off can be obtained via Dirty Racun or Facepalm.
Hboot 1.19: Same info regarding S-on kernel flashing as Hboot 1.15. S-off can be obtained via Dirty Racun or Facepalm.
Hboot 2.09: Permanent write to /system disabled. S-off can be obtained via Dirty Racun or Facepalm if on software version 3.15 (baseband ending in 1119)/Dirty Racun (Baby Racun) if on software version 3.16 (baseband ending in 1210). Kernel must be flashed separately from ROM if S-on.
***The latest OTA from Sprint (software version 3.16, baseband 1210) included a touch panel driver update. If you are on this update and are S-on, you can only run 3.16-based ROM's, otherwise the touch screen will not respond to touch input. You must also use TWRP 2.4+ with the updated touch panel driver. You can downgrade the driver once obtaining S-off.***
Is it necessary to downgrade your Hboot? At the moment, no. In the past, prior to Dirty Racun, it was necessary to downgrade your Hboot if you were on Hboot 1.15 or 1.19 so that you could run Lazy Panda to gain S-off. Currently, this is not the case and is generally ill-advised to do so. It's also not necessary to upgrade your Hboot unless you are on Hboot 1.12 and wish to S-off your device using Dirty Racun, since Lazy Panda is no longer supported.
Bootloader unlocking tools:
HTC Dev
hasoon2000's All-In-One toolkit
How to obtain S-off:
Facepalm
Dirty Racun
I take no credit for any of the tools listed above.
S-off vs. Root
There seems to be some confusion regarding root and S-off. First off, they are not the same thing. Root is a method by which users can run privileged commands on their device.
Rooting is typically accomplished by a security exploit that allows the root software to be installed on the device. In addition to running certain apps (like WiFi tether or file managers), root privilege can also allow the removal of files and apps which could not be removed by a user with an unrooted phone (for example, the removal of carrier-installed "bloatware"). Root privilege is typically granted by one of two apps, Superuser and SuperSU. These apps, which require root to work, allow the user to grant or deny root apps permission to operate.
Root access is not the same as S-off, however, and some users think that you must be S-off in order to be rooted, which is simply not the case. It's actually quite the contrary, as you can have a phone that is S-off but does not have root access. How is this so? Remember, S-off simply means that the bootloader's security is off. In order to root a phone, you must have a custom recovery installed and have the proper superuser binary in place for root to work. S-off methods are not always available when a new phone is released (or when a phone receives updated software and/or firmware), which is why we have methods like HTC Dev to unlock our bootloader.
If a method to gain S-off is available, it's best to use it. Like I stated earlier, S-off is virtually future-proofing your phone, so regardless of any updates that may come out, once you're S-off, that's it: you're S-off until a method is released to put the device back to S-on, and that's something the device user typically initiates. S-off trumps bootloader unlocking because being simply bootloader unlocked, there are still security restrictions on the bootloader. S-off removes those restrictions. But, as stated earlier, without a custom recovery and superuser in place, the device is not rooted. The ideal situation is to be rooted and S-off. Gaining S-off allows the user to flash a ROM and not have to flash the kernel separately when on Hboot 1.15+, allows for changing the splash screen, customizing the bootloader, getting rid of the red development disclaimer text & flashing firmware updates, just to name a few benefits.
S-on Kernel Flashing
Below is a short guide on how to flash kernels while S-on using Hboot 1.15 & up. First, check out the link below for an easy how-to on setting up ADB on your computer (credit to Jerry Hildenbrand at Android Central for the write-up). The guide also includes a basic set of commands that users might find useful while using ADB.
How to setup ADB and ADB commands
Some developers include an S-on kernel flasher in their ROM's to simplify ROM flashing (such as xHausx's kernel installer). Simply follow the instructions in the ROM's OP, as methods may vary.
If no kernel installer is included as part of the ROM, there are two basic ways to flash a kernel to your phone while S-on. The first method is using an app from the Play store called Flash Image GUI. Simply follow the instructions in the app. The second method is to flash the kernel via Fastboot, which I will explain below.
First, download the ROM of your choosing to your computer. Once you've done this, navigate to where you downloaded the ROM and extract the boot.img from the ROM folder and place it in your ADB tools folder. The boot.img is the ROM's kernel, which is needed for the ROM to work. Place the ROM on your phone so that you can flash it via recovery. Flash the ROM like normal. Once completed, reboot to the bootloader (if using TWRP recovery you can do this from the reboot menu). Your phone should say Fastboot, highlighted in red. If not, use your volume keys to select the Fastboot option from the menu we discussed previously, then use the power button to select. You should then see the word Fastboot highlighted in red. Connect your phone and PC via USB cable. Once the connection is complete, you will see "Fastboot" change to "Fastboot USB". Open up a command prompt in ADB and type "fastboot flash boot boot.img" (without quotation marks). The kernel should then be flashed to your phone, unless you get an error message in the command terminal. Once successful you can then reboot your phone either via the command "fastboot reboot" (again without quotation marks) or by using the volume keys to select the reboot option in the bootloader menu and then pressing the power button. Once it begins to reboot, disconnect your phone from your PC.
You can also use the HTC Dumlock feature in TWRP recovery to flash a kernel while S-on. You can find information on Team Win's site in the link below.
TWRP Dumlock
Hopefully after reading all this you have a better-or at least basic-understanding of what Hboot is and what the bootloader does on this device.
Thanks to: om4 for his "Don't Panic" Guide and bigdaddy619 for motivation and technical support. You can check out his Q&A guide here. Thanks also to hasoon2000 for allowing me to include his all-in-one toolkit as part of this guide.
Enjoy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have never updated my HTC Evo 4G LTE since I bought it - quite a while back when they first came out at Sprint. From doing a little looking around here, this is what I have:
HTC Evo 4G LTE
Hboot 1.12
Hardware Version 0003
Software Version 1.13.651.1 710rd
Android Version 4.0.3
HTC Sence Version 4.0
HTC SDK API level 4.20
HTC extension version 403_1_GA_8
PRI version 2.28_003
PRL version 25014
I have never updated it because from very early on I wanted to root this phone and read some place that updating it might make rooting more difficult. Reading this forum makes me think otherwise though, maybe more difficult for a day or two before someone has it figured out. If I am reading things correctly though maybe it does make the job more simple?
Given this set of information, what would you do? Knowing that I am sick and tired of the same things everyone is when they decide to pull the trigger and root. It worries me a little but you folks know more than anyone on the planet so I am asking for your advice. Right now I know just enough to be dangerous!
Related
Ok, I'm sure - the answer to this is in here somewhere, but an hour searching is enough...
What exactly does the s-on mean in the hboot? I started from leak 1, upgraded to leak 3, then root. My hboot shows s-on... How does this affect my phone?
Sent from my Froyo Eris using XDA App
Macrodroid said:
Ok, I'm sure - the answer to this is in here somewhere, but an hour searching is enough...
What exactly does the s-on mean in the hboot? I started from leak 1, upgraded to leak 3, then root. My hboot shows s-on... How does this affect my phone?
Sent from my Froyo Eris using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first "root" which was gained on the Eris was via a leaked HTC "Engineering" ROM which had the 1.49.2000 S-OFF bootloader. An "S-OFF" bootloader has normal security checks suppressed, so that you can use the "fastboot" utility with the phone's bootloader in "FASTBOOT USB" mode to write to various partitions, including the recovery partition. In addition, that same Engineering ROM allowed you to obtain a root shell via the "adb" (Android Device Bridge) tool in the SDK, so you could also write to partitions (including the recovery partition) with the OS of the phone booted.
The way that rooting occurred in most of the early cases was similar to what we do now: as a first step, the recovery boot partition is replaced with a custom recovery (Amon_RA v1.6.2), and then after that a replacement OS is flashed via the (Amon_RA) recovery boot. In a way, the S-OFF bootloader was sort of "free" - you had to apply the Root-ROM (PB00IMG.ZIP) file to the phone using the bootloader HBOOT mode, and this would flash all partitions on the phone.
In any event, if you look at earlier posts, they are dominated by discussions of "what bootloader version do you have" - because if you had a 1.46.0000 S-ON, or 1.47.0000 S-ON bootloader, it was possible to apply the Root-ROM flash using HBOOT; whereas if you had jumped the gun and applied any of the other HTC 2.1 Test release ROMs (which became known as "Leak-V1", "Leak-V2", or "Leak-V3", and had a 1.49.0000 S-ON bootloader installed as a result of that), then it was impossible to apply the "Root ROM" to the phone using HBOOT.
The newly-discovered methods exploit a different hole in the booting of the main OS, so the bootloader is not touched - a permission bug is exploited so that the recovery partition can be overwritten by any user on the phone (root isn't even needed!). Therefore, the recovery partition can be replaced without flashing the entire phone (just as it was in "the wayback").
So, if you look through those old threads where someone asked "I think I rooted, but I am not sure", other folks in the know would ask "does your bootloader say S-ON or S-OFF?"
But now we can gain privilege on the phone by directly overwriting the recovery partition with a custom recovery , and then booting that (which always has root privilege). You can now get a "rooted" recovery, and then a "rooted" ROM installed afterward onto the phone without ever touching the bootloader.
In practice, nobody has been able to detect any noticeable dependencies of the OS on version of the bootloader; if you can get a new OS installed onto the phone by hook or by crook, neither the bootloader nor the OS seem to care what the version of the other is.
That's the long explanation for "you don't need to worry too much about it any longer".
Having an S-OFF bootloader provides just a little bit more flexibility for emergency recovery of the phone; on the other hand, flashing the bootloader is the absolute most dangerous flashing operation that happens on the phone. Everything on the phone springs to life via the bootloader - it has to be intact for anything else on the phone to work.
So, I'd say - "don't worry, be happy". And leave your bootloader as it is.
bftb0
That definately answers my question! Thanks!
Sent from my Buuf Froyo using XDA App
Im no pro at this stuff by any means, but I have modded the heck out of 5 personal phones and numerous other devices for friends and co workers.
I see a lot of talk of radio's and RUU, are these the same thing? The names are so confusing to me at the moment. Im used to 4 digit Radio names that tend to work on every rom. It seems as if some of the roms are coming with their own modified radios ( RUU's? ) Just wondering if anyone could clarify some basic information on this whole deal.
Secondly it seems as if these RUU/Radio 's are flashed via stock recovery. How does one boot their TB into stock recovery and what are the controls once in stock recovery ( stock recovery and bootloader are the same thing, correct? )
How do I boot into CWR from a dead phone? If I should happen to soft brick my phone or something in the future, how do I get into CWR without being able to boot?
And lastly, can someone give me a brief explanation of what S-on and S-off are? I assume anyone thats rooted is running s-off, correct?
So far I'm rooted running the battery sipper Kernel and I don't really know what direction to take, just trying to do my research. Might wait for CM7 support to start flashing, as this phone really isn't that bad..
Thanks in advance!
I'm still pretty new to all of this, but this is what I've learned so far.
RUU and the radio are different. RUU has everything, the apps the firmware and radio in it. Basically what you need when you wipe your phone and go back to completely stock. Where as radio just updates your radio or baseband.
It's kind of confusing the terms that are thrown around. Some people call it Hboot some call it bootloader. To get into it, turn off your phone, hold Vol down and then the power button. Let go and you should boot into bootloader.
Having S-Off just means your phone is unlock. You're able to access files and folders that are normally locked from you. Which lets you flash roms etc.. S-on, those files/folders are locked.
RUU is short for ROM Upgrade Utility - it's an historical name, based on a utility used to upgrade older HTC phones. For HTC Android phones, the HUU files contain images which get flashed to the phone.
Bootloader is a generic term on Android phones - the HTC one is call Hboot.
Recovery is a separate app/partition, it can be started from Hboot. If you root, you'll probably install Clockworkmod Recovery, which lets you backup/restore the partitions. It should also prevent an OTA update from being installed.
S-On/S-Off refer to a security feature which prevents unsigned images from being flashed. Rooting should set S-Off, which lets you make changes.
Every time I boot into hboot it wants me to confirm an update after it performs an operation it did during the root process. Should I remove that file from my sd?
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
If you have an PG05IMG.zip on your sdcard, remove it. You don't want to leave it laying around after it's been flashed.
mike.s said:
RUU is short for ROM Upgrade Utility - it's an historical name, based on a utility used to upgrade older HTC phones. For HTC Android phones, the HUU files contain images which get flashed to the phone.
Bootloader is a generic term on Android phones - the HTC one is call Hboot.
Recovery is a separate app/partition, it can be started from Hboot. If you root, you'll probably install Clockworkmod Recovery, which lets you backup/restore the partitions. It should also prevent an OTA update from being installed.
S-On/S-Off refer to a security feature which prevents unsigned images from being flashed. Rooting should set S-Off, which lets you make changes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a pretty good idea what these were, but great explanations. Thank You
mike.s said:
RUU is short for ROM Upgrade Utility - it's an historical name, based on a utility used to upgrade older HTC phones. For HTC Android phones, the HUU files contain images which get flashed to the phone.
Bootloader is a generic term on Android phones - the HTC one is call Hboot.
Recovery is a separate app/partition, it can be started from Hboot. If you root, you'll probably install Clockworkmod Recovery, which lets you backup/restore the partitions. It should also prevent an OTA update from being installed.
S-On/S-Off refer to a security feature which prevents unsigned images from being flashed. Rooting should set S-Off, which lets you make changes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice, Simple explanations. Very clear and helpful. Thanks.
Ok, did have my phone rooted but one of the ROM's on here managed to cause problems so installed one of the factory HTC ROM's to unroot it and put it back should I need to send it to HTC to fix.
So after putting the stock HTC ROM on when I enter recovery mode it is now teling me that the handset is locked (bootloader is presume) also the it is still showing S-OFF.
It is showing the following so if someone can explain to a noob how to re-root it that would be fantastic.
SHOOTER_U PUT SHIP S-OFF RL
HBOOT - 1.49.0018
RADIO-10.14.9020.06_M
eMMC-boot
Oct 3 2011,15:03:01
Any help is really appreciated as there is some really cool looking ROM's that I would like to try.
So, over 80 views and no-one has an answer for this?!
ratedr75 said:
Ok, did have my phone rooted but one of the ROM's on here managed to cause problems so installed one of the factory HTC ROM's to unroot it and put it back should I need to send it to HTC to fix.
So after putting the stock HTC ROM on when I enter recovery mode it is now teling me that the handset is locked (bootloader is presume) also the it is still showing S-OFF.
It is showing the following so if someone can explain to a noob how to re-root it that would be fantastic.
SHOOTER_U PUT SHIP S-OFF RL
HBOOT - 1.49.0018
RADIO-10.14.9020.06_M
eMMC-boot
Oct 3 2011,15:03:01
Any help is really appreciated as there is some really cool looking ROM's that I would like to try.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ratedr75 said:
So, over 80 views and no-one has an answer for this?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow .. so originally you had an older hboot and used revolutionary to set s-off. Then you loaded a newer RUU which contained an hboot that was patched against revolutionary's s-off method.
Now you're on a newer hboot patched against revolutionary's s-off method, but you're still set s-off from previously using their method.
Don't see this situation very often. According to the theory, of how unrevoked set s-off and how I assume revolutionary is similar, you should still be s-off, as your bootloader shows, meaning your internal memory is NOT write protected.
In order to root your device, you should be able to fastboot flash a custom recovery. Boot into the custom recovery and load the normal superuser .zip or manually over adb push an su binary (I prefer aosp for developers) and chmod 4755 /system/bin/su . Both of those methods should give you root!
Hope that helps!
So if I install another ROM and try to goto recovery mode (which at the moment I am getting the triangle when I enter) I should be able to re-root this?
joeykrim said:
Wow .. so originally you had an older hboot and used revolutionary to set s-off. Then you loaded a newer RUU which contained an hboot that was patched against revolutionary's s-off method.
Now you're on a newer hboot patched against revolutionary's s-off method, but you're still set s-off from previously using their method.
Don't see this situation very often. According to the theory, of how unrevoked set s-off and how I assume revolutionary is similar, you should still be s-off, as your bootloader shows, meaning your internal memory is NOT write protected.
In order to root your device, you should be able to fastboot flash a custom recovery. Boot into the custom recovery and load the normal superuser .zip or manually over adb push an su binary (I prefer aosp for developers) and chmod 4755 /system/bin/su . Both of those methods should give you root!
Hope that helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ratedr75 said:
So if I install another ROM and try to goto recovery mode (which at the moment I am getting the triangle when I enter) I should be able to re-root this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've quoted my previous post to highlight the steps outlined. I never mentioned anything about another ROM.
If the theory holds, as it was true for unrevoked's method of s-off and some members of unrevoked are now part of AlphaRevX releasing the revolutionary tool, you only need to flash a custom recovery through fastboot or bootloader.
If you have adb setup, it would literally take you 10 seconds to issue the fastboot command and another 10 seconds to reboot into recovery to see if t worked.
Currently, when you boot into recovery and you see the triangle, that is the stock recovery. Sometimes on the stock recovery screen, if you want to activate the menu, pressing vol up + pwr *should* work in stock recovery but sometimes manf like HTC change this function in the version of recovery they distribute.
Once you use the command: fastboot flash recovery c:\android\cwm-recovery.img , you should be able to boot into recovery and see the custom recovery load.
If that method doesnt work, the other method to attempt is loading a PG86IMG.zip file on the root of the sdcard with the custom recovery inside the PG86IMG.zip. Upon booting into the bootloader, it should scan this file and ask to update. If you select yes to update, the bootloader should flash and you should have a custom recovery.
If neither of those two methods work, you'll likely have to use the HTC unlock method. But I think those methods should work as your device still shows S-OFF.
Good luck!
Have tried all your methods and various other ones.
None of them work at all, a lot of the people on here seem to think that eveyrone has their abilities.
I could get an ADB shell up, the CMD prompt didn't work either.
The phone is going in its box and i'd rather spend some money on a phone that is easier to work with a windows 7 laptop.
ratedr75 said:
Have tried all your methods and various other ones.
None of them work at all, a lot of the people on here seem to think that eveyrone has their abilities.
I could get an ADB shell up, the CMD prompt didn't work either.
The phone is going in its box and i'd rather spend some money on a phone that is easier to work with a windows 7 laptop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The issues you're experiencing are due to HTC's complex locking method to deter root access. There are many Android devices which come stock with no locking protection or must less sophisticated locking protection.
If you're not able to properly setup adb, then the PG86IMG.zip method should be more convenient for you. All you need to do is put a PG86IMG.zip file onto the root (main dir) of your sdcard and holding vol down + pwr (boot into the bootloader). From here, it will scan the PG86IMG.zip and prompt if you want to load. Choose yes and this will flash the custom recovery.
Once the custom recovery is loaded, you should be able to flash a rooted ROM from, flash superuser .zip file or adb push su binary to restore root.
HTC intentionally makes this process difficult and it is relatively more difficult than other Android devices. All the resources are here at your disposal but HTC requires a bit more work/effort/learning to accomplish what is easier on some other Android devices. Although, even the Google Nexus S requires using fastboot to unlock t he device.
Nobody wants to see anybody give up and abandon. Hope that helps!
for whatever reason on the evo 3D, fastboot commands for things like flashing a recovery don't seem to work even with s-off. You need to put the custom recovery in a zip and name it PG86IMG then flash it from the bootloader and it will work.
fyi you should always be able to run a stock RUU (even new ones) because Revolutionary for the evo 3D gave you actual radio s-off and not just fake s-off with a patched hboot which is how Revolutionary worked on most phones. radio s-off pretty much means your phone will never go back to s-on even with a stock RUU. that is why you were able to upgrade the hboot and still keep s-off.
Thanks for the help guys. I'm going to give this one last try before I got and invest in an xperia arc s.
Does anyone have a decent download for the PG86IMG.zip file?
Ill try this at lunch, if not its away it goes.
patrick92260 said:
for whatever reason on the evo 3D, fastboot commands for things like flashing a recovery don't seem to work even with s-off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
fastboot commands don't work on the EVO 3D? even for recovery?
I haven't seen this complaint on the Q&A board. Majority of users seem to have plenty of success using fastboot to flash kernels and custom recoveries. Although, majority of people posting on the Q&A board recently have the latest hboot and can only use HTC's unlock method. Perhaps this is only an issue on revolutionary s-off devices?
ratedr75 said:
Thanks for the help guys. I'm going to give this one last try before I got and invest in an xperia arc s.
Does anyone have a decent download for the PG86IMG.zip file?
Ill try this at lunch, if not its away it goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went to google.com and typed in the phrase, "twrp PG86IMG.zip" and the second link looks to be the quickest to obtaining the file:
http://teamw.in/project/twrp/67
I have heard pretty decent reports of Sony being fairly support of developers and allowing their devices to be unlocked and rooted.
Good Luck!
Thanks guys. Again. Now would anyone be interested in purchasing the EVO 3D GSM sim free from myself?
hi I am in the same position as the OP, just got my phone 2nd hand..want to flash LeeDroids Rom, my phone is GSM version, please advise how to get custom recovery..thanks
This Quick And Dirty Evo 3D/V Root & S-OFF (QADERSO) guide is for current Sprint and Virgin Mobile (VM) S-ON users, rooted or not, who want to get to a rooted S-OFF configuration of the Sprint or VM ICS stock ROM. There are many other ROM and bootloader options that can be pursued from there.
I know that there are similar guides available already, but this one is going to be simple with no choices. If you want another recovery or aren't on Sprint or VM go check out one of the other ones, because this is the "Model T" of guides and will get you exactly the following configuration, which I believe is the best base for the Sprint Evo 3D or Virgin Mobile Evo V at this time:
1. Rooted Sprint ICS build 2.89.651.2 or VM ICS build 1.13.652.2
2. 4EXT Recovery with Updater or Control App
3. JuopunutBear S-OFF with JBear Sprint ICS (1.58.5858) bootloader or JBear VM ICS (1.57.5757) bootloader
If you want to modify this configuration and know how, feel free, but I'm only documenting how to get from your current configuration, whatever that is, to the one above. I am providing tips and references if you get stuck, but please don't ask about other configurations, recoveries, etc., in this thread.
Should you decide to modify the procedure, please explain that in any post made in this thread for assistance. That's your choice, but it would help me and any one else trying to provide support in this and other threads to have that information.
There are tips and references for each step at the end of this post in case you get stuck, but if you read all the instructions and follow this procedure carefully, hopefully you won't need them.
Prerequisites:
1. Sprint Evo 3D or Virgin Mobile Evo V phone that is S-ON, on any ROM, rooted or not.
2. Windows PC or notebook to run the utilities and access the websites.
3. MicroUSB to USB cable to connect the phone to the computer.
4. Shielded wire for the JuopunutBear wire trick.
5. Something to drink while the RUU.exe runs for about 10 minutes.
Before you start, download the QADERSO-V2-S.zip (mirror) file (for Sprint users) or QADERSO-V2-VM.zip (mirror) file (for Virgin Mobile users) and unzip it to somewhere on a Windows PC. It includes all the software you need to complete this procedure.
If you would like a Microsoft Word version of this guide and detailed instructions for the JuopunutBear wire trick, you can download it from here. Thanks to mpgrimm2 for putting that together.
Flashing the RUU.exe in Step1 will reset all the partitions on your phone except those on the SD card so I'd also recommend backing up anything you want to keep to the SD card before starting. If you don't have root yet, MyBackup is a good alternative to Titanium Backup and other utilities that require root.
***Step1: Install ICS RUU
If you are using this guide with a new/replacement unrooted phone you can go to Step2 since flashing the RUU returns the phone to the same stock configuration. VM users should apply the OTA update from the "System updates" options in system settings before starting Step2 if it hasn't already been done since that requires a stock configuration.
VM users: If the November VM OTA update (1.14.652.0) was installed and the phone is rooted with a custom recovery and ROM, please see this post for instructions on how to prepare the phone to run the RUU.exe. If both the November and March OTA (2.95.652.5) were installed there is no way to flash the RUU so proceed to Step2, or if already rooted flash a stock rooted ROM from this post then go directly to Step3.
Sprint users: If the March OTA ((2.95.651.5) is installed and the phone is unrooted proceed directly to Step2. If the March OTA is installed and it's rooted see this post for instructions on how to prepare for flashing the RUU.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Start by installing the Sprint 2.89.651.2 RUU.exe or Virgin Mobile 1.13.652.2 RUU.exe from Windows. It doesn't take much longer than flashing a stock ROM and includes all the firmware so the phone will be totally in sync with the official ICS build. Flashing the RUU can also resolve problems with the HTC unlock process if the OTA was used to update to the official Sprint ICS version or a custom recovery and ROM have already been flashed.
If you are already HTC unlocked, relock the bootloader using the "fastboot oem lock" command. You should know how to run fastboot commands from a PC if you have already unlocked.
If you have never HTC unlocked or have relocked successfully, connect the phone to the PC via a USB cable in "fastboot USB" mode then run the RUU.exe from the /QADERSO/RUU directory in Windows. The program has a GUI interface and is pretty much self-explanatory, but there is a readme.doc in the same directory that covers the process and possible errors.
VM users: Now would be a good time to download and install the OTA updates since they will flash updated firmware and patches to the stock software, and cannot be installed once a custom recovery is flashed in Step2. Just go to Settings/System updates/HTC Software, press check now, then download each of the two OTA updates (November and March) and follow the instructions to install them. The software patches will be overridden once a custom ROM is flashed, but the firmware updates will remain and should improve radio reception.
Sprint users: Installing the March OTA at this point will avoid having to flash the firmware only zip file for that update after getting S-OFF. To do that go to Settings/System updates/HTC Software, press check now, then download the update and follow the instructions to install it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
***End of Step1
***Step2: HTC Unlock, flash 4EXT recovery and superuser
Navigate to the /QADERSO/Root directory and open a command prompt by clicking on the "cmd" file in that directory. If you have HTC Sync installed go to the Windows control panel and uninstall just the sync program but leave the drivers installed. This is required by the JuopunutBear utility in Step3. If you don't have the HTC Sync program or drivers installed and are not using Windows 8, double click the HTCDriver3.0.0.007.exe file in the /QADERSO/Root directory to install only the HTC USB drivers. If you are using Windows 8 and don't have the HTC USB drivers already installed a compatible .exe setup can be downloaded here.
If you have never done the HTC unlock procedure, go to htcdev.com and signup then follow the instructions to get your bootloader unlocked. The programs you need to do the HTC unlock procedure are already in the /QADERSO/Root directory, so you can skip step 5 on the htcdev website.
If you have already HTC unlocked, you know the routine and need to do it again after flashing the RUU. You can use the same unlock_code.bin from your previous unlock.
Put the phone in "fastboot USB" mode by removing/replacing the battery, holding Power+VolumeDown buttons until the bootloader starts up, highlighting the "fastboot" entry by using the VolumeUp/VolumeDown buttons to navigate, selecting it with the Power button, then connecting it to your computer. The "fastboot" status should change to "fastboot USB".
When the phone is in "fastboot USB" mode, enter the following commands from the prompt:
"fastboot devices" (should show the serial number of your phone, beginning with "HT")
"fastboot flash recovery recovery.img"
"fastboot boot recovery.img"
After the phone reboots into 4EXT recovery, select the "toggle usb storage" menu item from 4EXT recovery and copy the SuperSU-v0.96.zip file from the /QADERSO/Root directory on the PC to the root of the SD card on the phone. Eject the SD card from the PC and go back to the main menu of 4EXT.
Flash SuperSU-v0.97.zip from 4EXT recovery using the "Install from sdcard" menu item and selecting it from the root of the SD card. Go back to the main 4EXT menu and select "reboot now" from 4EXT and perform the initial setup of the stock ICS ROM after the boot completes.
Your phone now has the 4EXT custom recovery and a rooted stock ICS ROM with SuperSU.
Once the procedure is complete and you've booted into your rooted, stock configuration, you need to install either 4EXT Recovery Updater from the 4EXT website, or better yet purchase and install 4EXT Recovery Control from the Play Store. Then use the update function in the app you chose to get the current version of 4EXT.
You should start the SuperSU app to make sure it is working properly and updated to the current version. BusyBox also needs to be installed from the Play Store for 4EXT and other root apps and I recommend the installer by Stericson.
***End of Step2
***Step3: Perform JuopunutBear (wire trick) to get S-OFF status
Important Note:
The unlimited.io team has withdrawn support for all Windows versions of the JBear utility (controlbear.exe). Do not go to their IRC channel for support while following this guide as they will not be willing to help anyone using Windows instead of Linux for the wire trick. If you are unable to get S-OFF using this guide you will need to flash the RUU again and go to the the unlimited.io website to download a Linux version and follow their procedures.
Since the JuopunutBear wire trick now requires Ubuntu Linux to use the supported procedure Evo 3D users might also want to consider unknownforce's Ultimate Recovery Tool 3.0 which has recently been updated and streamlined. Unfortunately it won't work for Evo V 4G users since there is no Virgin Mobile GB RUU that can be used as part of that S-OFF process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The wire trick is not difficult, but it can be a little confusing. It would be worth spending a little time reviewing the tips and references for Step3 at this point so the process goes smoothly.
Connect the phone to your PC with your stock rooted ROM booted and the USB debug option on in the developer settings.
Navigate to the /QADERSO/JBear directory, right click on controlbear.exe and "run as administrator", and then follow the prompts on the PC and the phone screen. Make sure to have an insulated wire ready for the wire trick, and select the JBear version of the bootloader when that prompt comes up. Yes, it's really that easy to get S-OFF.
If you flash a stock bootloader later it will show ***LOCKED*** as the status, but that's usually not a problem if the phone is S-OFF. It's actually good since that means there is no indication that the phone was ever unlocked, unlike the ***RELOCKED*** status after doing the HTC unlock/relock. By selecting the JBear version of the bootloader, the same fastboot commands will be available from a PC as with an unlocked bootloader.
You may have to activate your phone again after performing the wire trick. That is normal and should be done automatically from the phone on your first boot if it is required.
***End of Step3
WARNING: When you are S-OFF, PG86IMG.zip files can be flashed from the bootloader without being signed, which means you can flash any bootloader or firmware you want. But be careful and always make sure the stuff you are flashing is designed for your phone, or you may have serious problems if you force something to flash that was designed for another carrier or phone.
If you need to change the bootloader (hboot) version to run GB or AOSP ROM's you can find them in post #7 of mpgrimm2's thread on bootloader differences. There are instructions in this post for how to flash another bootloader with this configuration in place if you used this guide.
The following informational posts have been added to this thread:
1. Troubleshooting RUU.exe problems
2. Security questions about rooting and S-OFF
3. S-ON versus S-OFF
4. Information for users already S-OFF
5. How to change bootloader (hboot) when S-OFF
6. Temp root for current GB users
7. Recovery Comparison: TWRP2 versus 4EXT
8. Returning to stock configuration
9. Information on the Aroma installer
10. Updating 4EXT Recovery
11. QADERSO Version 2 with Virgin Mobile added
12. OTA Updates for Virgin Mobile users
13. OTA Update for Sprint users
14. Information for Linux users
15. JuopunutBear update
Please post any suggestions for making this process simpler and easier in this thread, but I intend to keep this guide as barebones as possible.
Tips and References for Step1: Flashing the RUU.exe
Tips
1. Make sure to put the phone into "fastboot USB" mode in the bootloader by removing/replacing the battery and using VolumeDown+Power to boot into the bootloader. The RUU is also supposed to work if you connect the phone to the PC while booted into Android, but I've found fastboot USB to be more reliable.
2. If you get a 17x error it has something to do with the USB connectivity. Make sure your phone is properly connected to the PC and in "fastboot USB" mode and try again.
3. If the RUU.exe stops in the middle of flashing the update, it's OK to cancel the Windows utility and restart it. This has happended to me a few times when I've had custom bootloaders installed.
References
1. HTC Readme.doc for flashing an RUU.exe is in the /QADERSO/RUU directory.
2. Download for HTC driver installer compatible with Windows 8.
3. The mpgrimm2 guide for flashing RUU's.
Tips and References for Step2: HTC Unlock, Flashing 4EXT Recovery and Superuser
Tips
1. On current Windows systems you can open a command prompt in a specific directory by using Windows Explorer to navigate to that directory and pressing Shift+MouseRightClick on blank area, then selecting "Open a command prompt here".
2. Make sure the phone is in "fastboot USB" mode and the bootloader has been HTC unlocked after flashing the RUU.exe or the fastboot commands will fail.
3. If you need to manually boot into recovery it can be done from the bootloader.
References
1. The HTC unlock overview diagram is in the /QADERSO/Root directory
2. The mpgrimm2 guide for flashing recovery and superuser.
3. The HTC Developer website.
4. The 4EXT Recovery website and HTCEvoHacks installation instructions for 4EXT Recovery Updater with video.
5. Instructions for installing 4EXT apps.
6. The SuperSU XDA thread.
Tips and References for Step3: JuopunutBear (wire trick) S-OFF Method
Tips
1. Watch this zedomax video and this timing video before attempting the wire trick and it will be a lot easier.
2. Make sure to backup your SD card to a PC before using it for the wire trick.
3. Remove the back cover to prepare for the wire trick but make sure to watch the phone's screen for superuser requests that need to be approved.
4. Do not touch the uninsulated part of the wire with your fingers while performing the wire trick.
5. Only short taps are required for the wire trick.
6. If unsuccessful with the wire trick try a smaller capacity SD card.
7. If the SD card used for the wire trick gets corrupted it can be reformatted and restored from the backup on the PC.
References
1. JuopunutBear overview, basic instructions and prerequisites.
2. JuopunutBear instructions and downloads for the Evo 3D.
3. Troubleshooting and Support pages on the unlimited.io website.
4. JuopunutBear thread on XDA.
Thanks for the tutorial, I'll let you know if I run into any issues. This will be the first time I root my Evo3D.
Kiotofl said:
Thanks for the tutorial, I'll let you know if I run into any issues. This will be the first time I root my Evo3D.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, thanks and good luck!
I've updated the download file and the instructions to include the HTC USB drivers for those that don't have them installed already so everything should be in that file to get you to rooted and S-OFF.
ramjet73
Thanks for this!
you sir, are a god among men. I will try this tonight and post the results.
Thanks!
rino655 said:
you sir, are a god among men. I will try this tonight and post the results.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wanted to say big thank you for posting this guide!
I managed to get Hboot 1.58 S-off. I had 1 failure with JuopunutBear (wire trick) but after 2nd try I was able to succeed.
One advice I can give is to uninstall all drivers and HTC sync and install HTCDriver3.0.0.007.exe from QADERSO\Root folder.
Everything else went smooth.
I've installed MeanROM ICS v2.6 | Sprint 2.89.651.2 but WiFi tether still does not work it seems like its matter of finding correct profile.
JohnnyBeGood113 said:
Just wanted to say big thank you for posting this guide!
I managed to get Hboot 1.58 S-off. I had 1 failure with JuopunutBear (wire trick) but after 2nd try I was able to succeed.
One advice I can give is to uninstall all drivers and HTC sync and install HTCDriver3.0.0.007.exe from QADERSO\Root folder.
Everything else went smooth.
I've installed MeanROM ICS v2.6 | Sprint 2.89.651.2 but WiFi tether still does not work it seems like its matter of finding correct profile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
Are you using the WiFi Tether app that came with MeanROM ICS? What usually works with MeanROM ICS is the generic ICS profile with the routing fix checked. I believe the OP for MeanROM ICS says to check MSS clamping as well, but some of the newer versions of WiFi Tether don't have that option, and I've never needed it.
ramjet73
ramjet73 said:
Thanks!
Are you using the WiFi Tether app that came with MeanROM ICS? What usually works with MeanROM ICS is the generic ICS profile with the routing fix checked. I believe the OP for MeanROM ICS says to check MSS clamping as well, but some of the newer versions of WiFi Tether don't have that option, and I've never needed it.
ramjet73
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was trying to get WiFi Tether to work and it would not start correctly it would give "starting softap" and "WiFi interface" error is "Show Log".
I even uninstalled one that came with ROM and installed latest wifi_tether_v3_2-beta2.apk from their site and still would not work.
What worked for me is selecting Menu > Change Device-Profile and selecting Generic ICS/JB (wlan0) and of course selecting "MMS clamping" + "Routing fix"
I was just selecting "Generic" and it would not work.
Hope it helps out someone.
Nice guide Ramjet73. The way u put it together should get everyone around all the common errors.
I will definitely get this linked to my other threads as soon as I can.
Sent from my "Up all night, Sleep all day" EVO3D!
Thanks ramjet73.
This is quite thorough. Very nice.
I'm almost wondering if I might be able to automate some of this somehow. Don't hold me to it though. I don't have a whole lot of time, but if I can, I'll see if I can maybe do that.
I guess then, that I'll "hold" the tenth spot just in case.
Thanks,
~co~
Edit: What in the world am I doing? Sorry ramjet73. Still if I come up with something, I'll message you.
closeone said:
Thanks ramjet73.
This is quite thorough. Very nice.
I'm almost wondering if I might be able to automate some of this somehow. Don't hold me to it though. I don't have a whole lot of time, but if I can, I'll see if I can maybe do that.
I guess then, that I'll "hold" the tenth spot just in case.
Thanks,
~co~
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be great!
It would be nice to have it as automated as possible.
ramjet73
ramjet73 said:
That would be great!
It would be nice to have it as automated as possible.
ramjet73
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Beat me to my edit. I'll see if I can do something. but, no guarantees.
~co~
Edit: I reedited my edit and put back what was originally there, resulting in this post being edited from its original unedited state as well. <- Meta
This is exactly what I was looking for
I am also looking to do my first root. I am still reading other posts. But, my main questions are around restoring the phone back to stock. I have Best Buy protection and if things go bad, I plan to use them and I am trying to figure out what steps I need to take to ensure I can potentially return back to the stock state before going down this path.
Overall, this is probably the simplest guide I have seen so far. Thanks again.. if you have any pointers for me around EVO 3D on Sprint, please let me know.
Thanks.
rosahas said:
I am also looking to do my first root. I am still reading other posts. But, my main questions are around restoring the phone back to stock. I have Best Buy protection and if things go bad, I plan to use them and I am trying to figure out what steps I need to take to ensure I can potentially return back to the stock state before going down this path.
Overall, this is probably the simplest guide I have seen so far. Thanks again.. if you have any pointers for me around EVO 3D on Sprint, please let me know.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you choose the JuopunutBear bootloader as recommended and leave the bootloader status as ***LOCKED*** going back to complete stock is as easy as running the same 2.89.651.2 RUU.exe again, then issuing the "fastboot oem writesecureflag 3" to set it back to radio S-ON. Verify that you have successfully flashed the stock 1.58 bootloader before issuing that command or you could brick the phone.
ramjet73
ramjet73 said:
If you choose the JuopunutBear bootloader as recommended and leave the bootloader status as ***LOCKED*** going back to complete stock is as easy as running the same 2.89.651.2 RUU.exe again, then issuing the "fastboot oem writesecureflag 3" to set it back to radio S-ON. Verify that you have successfully flashed the stock 1.58 bootloader before issuing that command or you could brick the phone.
ramjet73
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Question... If you have hboot 1.4, and run flash the latest update that has the new hboot, you ARE S-OFF, but it says LOCKED... Correct? Also, if you were to write the secure flag thing to S-ON, and you have the latest hboot, you are TRULY S-ON like you just bought your phone or never had S-OFF and updated, correct? Or is my hypothesis wrong?
wwjoshdew said:
Question... If you have hboot 1.4, and run flash the latest update that has the new hboot, you ARE S-OFF, but it says LOCKED... Correct? Also, if you were to write the secure flag thing to S-ON, and you have the latest hboot, you are TRULY S-ON like you just bought your phone or never had S-OFF and updated, correct? Or is my hypothesis wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that's pretty much true, assuming you never HTC unlocked the phone or the S-OFF method you used returned the bootloader to the ***LOCKED*** status. I know the JBear method does just that, but I've never done the 1.4 downgrade. At one point mpgrimm2 said his bootloader showed ***UNLOCKED*** and I know he did the downgrade to hboot 1.4 to get S-OFF, so I'm not sure that method resets the bootloader S-OFF status.
In the worst case, if your bootloader is currently ***UNLOCKED*** and your radio is S-OFF, you could flash the RUU then set S-ON, root and do the wire trick to get the bootloader status back to ***LOCKED*** but that's a lot of work. OTOH, if you don't do that you can only set the bootloader status to ***RELOCKED*** with the "fastboot oem lock" command and that leaves a flag to HTC/Sprint that your phone was rooted. That's why I always recommend using a custom bootloader instead of HTC unlocking the stock bootloader if you are radio S-OFF and want to run more of the fastboot commands.
The custom bootloaders will usually mask the bootloader locked/unlocked status with a name like "Revolutionary" or "JuopunutBear" so the only way to verify what you currently have for your bootloader status is to flash a stock bootloader.
ramjet73
I had to reread the middle paragraph 3 times to understand it, but that's my understanding too. My hboot does say unlocked/relocked (RL) on it because I did the HTC Unlock at one point, without the Jbear for s-Off.
Sent from my "Up all night, Sleep all day" EVO3D!
ramjet73 said:
When the phone is in "fastboot USB" mode, enter the following commands from the prompt:
"fastboot devices" (should show the serial number of your phone, beginning with "HT")
"fastboot flash recovery recovery.img"
"fastboot boot recovery.img"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I try to enter "fastboot devices" in the Quaderso\root directory, and it tells me
'fastboot' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
What is the problem? I spent 2 hours on something that I will have problems with. Great.
Found out I had to move the files back to the Root Directory. Thanks for an awesome guide!
RevolcFael4 said:
I try to enter "fastboot devices" in the Quaderso\root directory, and it tells me
'fastboot' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
What is the problem? I spent 2 hours on something that I will have problems with. Great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you are not in the the \quaderso\root directory when the "fastboot devices" command is being issued from the prompt. See tip #1 for Step2 to open a command prompt in the \qaderso\root directory.
You can also Start/Run "cmd" then use the "cd" command to navigate to the \qaderso\root directory. Either way you should issue a "dir" command from prompt to make sure the contents of the directory are as follows:
C:\tmp\QADERSO\Root>dir
Volume in drive C is OS
Volume Serial Number is 6CF6-A9B2
Directory of C:\tmp\QADERSO\Root
09/16/2012 03:07 AM <DIR> .
09/16/2012 03:07 AM <DIR> ..
09/05/2012 05:52 PM 7,047,406 4EXT_Recovery_Touch_v1.0.0.5_RC6.zip
05/07/2010 12:48 PM 578,611 adb.exe
05/07/2010 12:48 PM 96,256 AdbWinApi.dll
07/16/2011 01:05 PM 183,651 fastboot.exe
07/30/2011 10:31 AM 13,783,568 HTCDriver3.0.0.007.exe
08/14/2012 05:09 PM 7,077,888 recovery.img
09/15/2012 05:53 PM 684,154 SuperSU-v0.96.zip
09/15/2012 06:48 PM 169,793 Unlock_Bootloader_Workflow.pdf
8 File(s) 29,621,327 bytes
2 Dir(s) 291,896,774,656 bytes free
ramjet73
mpgrimm2 said:
I had to reread the middle paragraph 3 times to understand it, but that's my understanding too. My hboot does say unlocked/relocked (RL) on it because I did the HTC Unlock at one point, without the Jbear for s-Off.
Sent from my "Up all night, Sleep all day" EVO3D!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah... I NEVER ONCE ran htc dev on my Evo 3D. The moment I bought it, I declined all updates and waited until THIS DAY happened, and S-OFF'd immediately. I knew better than to update, after knowing about all the trouble people had with the shift and the og evo. Updates are bad, mmmk?
Anyways, I S-OFF'd that night and never looked back... Still have 1.4, and don't feel like giving up my virginity to HTC.
YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO CLICK ME!
General Information
This Has Been Made To Help Those How Have No Clue What There Doing When Upgrading There Firmware Note And Want A One Click That Mimiks HTC RUU
New From Prism Pirate Chest of goodies here it is FUU For The HTC Evo 3D
FUU Definition
Firmware Update Utility
There are a few Firmware flashing threads and lots of zips and good and bad instructions. However, i noticed that many users asked about what they get when they flash what they download and also about how to flash it with S-OFF on various threads. This confusion has occasionally lead to people losing their custom kernels and custom recoveries and/or their SDcard partitions being unintentionally wiped.
I am writing this because i believe in "responsible" sharing. Since the full RUU's aren’t shared but only components (modified as well as unmodified) with often insufficient documentation, which in turn leads to a lot of confusion among the lesser informed users, i will try to catch some of that. I believe that sharing full RUU's would be a lot safer, as only those who actually know enough about it can disassemble them. RUU’s do always reassure users that there is a guaranteed and safe way to go back.
FUU How To
[*]Download the firmware you want
[*]then run the installer
[*]install it to folder you want to any folder will do
[*]then run the tool and upgrade or downgrade your firmware
Prerequisites:All you need is a Windows System with current drivers and maybe HTC Sync Manager installed, it is better to have HTC Sync uninstalled and only the drivers left. Just try if the FUU runs without HTC Sync. On my system, i am always greeted with an “Error 170" if i try to run the FUU on a booted Android - it doesn’t recognize the phone with ADB. This is a typical driver and/or ADB error. Solution here: make sure you have the latest driver suite. FailSafe way to get them is to install HTC Sync Manager (remove it if you don’t like it afterwards but leave the drivers in the sytem!).
ZIP Flash HowTo
Step-By-Step:1. If device is booted into Android, reboot into bootloader by running:
Code:
adb reboot bootloader
1.a Or else, if your device is in a different state or you just prefer the button method:
Press Power for 15 seconds and hold Vol Down at the same time, when the screen and charging LED go dark immediately release Power but keep holding Vol Down until you see the bootloader screen. Notice: If the device refuses to reboot, you might need to hold it to a bright light with its light sensor. This is a very specific bug in the HTC ONE. The light trick always works.
2. Now place the Firmware_named_something.zip into your adb/fastboot folder
3. Now run:
Code:
fastboot oem rebootRUU
4. Followed by:
Code:
fastboot flash zip Firmware_named_something.zip
(replace "Firmware_named_something.zip" with the name of your zip)
5. Now check the console output. It should approximately look like this:
“flush" certainly means “Flash" so press the arrow up key on your keyboard and enter to run the flash command again without reboot...
Important: the flash process halts at around 75% to 90% on phone screen! This is normal and a safety precaution! The last few percent is the reboot, which is NOT happening automatically, so you get a chance to check the console output before reboot to make sure it is safe to reboot! The bar will only fill up to 100% once you type the following command:
6.
Code:
fastboot reboot-bootloader
Error handling strategies:IF IT SAYS "FAILED" do not immediately reboot the device If you reboot with a FAIL it could not boot up anymore! It could brick! If no flash is being accepted you have to find out what is causing the malfunction before rebooting your phone. Keep it alive while trying to figure out the error. It might be your cable, your USB ports (dont use hubs! Always straight-to-mainboard connections), it might be USB 3.0 which is not good yet, it might be bad configuration of your ADB and Fastboot... there are many possible sources for flash fails.
The least dangerous FAILED messages are listed below and are safe to reboot:
Safe to reboot / Flash didn't happen Errors (if you encounter one of them, you can just reboot. Nothing changed):
- 12 signature fail (unknown yet but safe to reboot)
- 23 parsing image fail (means something wrong with the image in the zip)
- 32 header error (means the zip couldn’t be read and unzipped properly)
- 41 Wrong Model ID (means its not the right device)
- 42 Wrong Customer ID (wrong CID means you gotta swap cid first as explained below)
- 90 hboot pre-update (means it only flashed hboot and you have to run the process again immediately to flash all other partitions WITHOUT a reboot inbetween).
- 99 UNKOWN (is not yet clear but safe to reboot, might indicate a defunct S-OFF or S-ON)
- 155 you did not lock your bootloader (Needs a relock for S-ON phones that want to update the firmware.)
In fact, if it aborts before the "(bootloader) start image[hboot] unzipping & flushing..." line it actually didn't write anything and you can probably just reboot. If you see it flashing stuff though (the stages after that line) and then it stops with a FAILED, chances are a little higher that something is now broken. In that case do NOT reboot but do as i said above.
For Error 12 “signature fail" do:
- might indicate that a signed firmware package is required. This would only happen with S-ON phones though.
For Error 23 "parsing image fail" do:
- change image names in the zip to stock image names like “hboot.img" or “radio.img" or whatever failed there....
For Error 32 "header error" do:
- Sorry i haven’t found the exact cause yet and don’t know a definite solution.
- Make sure there is only one . (dot) in the filename, before the extension. fastboot reads anything after the first dot it sees as the extension. If that is not zip, it fails.
- If that doesn’t help, you can also try: make the zip new with recommended settings, re-run the command, check your connections...
For Error 42 "Wrong Customer ID" and: 41 "Wrong Model ID" do:
Code:
fastboot getvar all
Read that output, take note of your CID and MID and then edit the "android-info.txt" in your firmware.zip accordingly (For Wrong MID change the MID in the text, for wrong CID add your CID to the text).
For “Error 90 hboot pre-update..." do:
- Run the same flash command again which you just ran (press arrow up on your keyboard to get to the previous command in console)
- Don’t reboot in-between! (It wouldn’t brick you but it would just make you run the flash command twice again)
- This might be caused by the newer encrypted RUU's, they need their hboot to be flashed first so it can then decrypt the rest of the ROM.zip. Look at an encrypted ROM.zip from a RUU, you will notice that you can mostly extract the hboot without decrypting the ROM.zip, but you can't extract much else.)
For “Error 99 UNKNOWN" do:
- Check with other zip’s if they work!
- Check if your S-OFF is correct
- Tell me if you find out what’s causing an unknown error here!
For “Error 155 relock bootloader" do:
- run the fastboot command “fastboot oem lock" - only applies to S-ON phones that want to update the firmware. There a relocked bootloader is required. This error won’t show on S-OFF phones.
- Error 155 can also mean that you need SuperCID. On a few occasions this was shown when the RUU/FUU refused to run because of wrong region lock.
For “Error 170 Check USB" do:
- Sometimes shown when running a RUU or FUU. Indicates issues with drivers or ADB/Fastboot binaries. One way to solve is to run the exe with the phone already in Fastboot mode. Else you will have to dig into your windows driver system and try to fix there. Best option: re-install HTC Sync manager. Also, avoid USB 3 ports (the blue ones) - they have a complete new driver stack and that doesn’t work with ADB and Fastboot.
I always test all of these zips on my own device. But as always, flash at own risk. You're writing to critical parts of your phone. If anything goes wrong along the way, you might be bricked.
FUU Downloads (Windows only)
Update: added Hboot 1.58 FUU
Download
MD5: 995a8b883a5e39af471a93a84b4ff52d
This FUU is A Stock Hboot. Contents: Firmware from ramjet73 So You should be good to Go. This package does wipes SDcard So Remove It Be For you Run it.
Update: added Hboot 1.57
Download
MD5: 87acbac59f169b32900e58f34e3390e1
This FUU is A Stock Hboot. Contents: Firmware from ramjet73 So You should be good to Go. This package does wipes SDcard So Remove It Be For you Run it.
Update: added Hboot 1.50
Download
MD5: 233943ae4117d2fe64726afed8231b18
This FUU is A Stock Hboot. Contents: Firmware from ramjet73 So You should be good to Go. This package does wipes SDcard So Remove It Be For you Run it.
Update: added Hboot 1.40
Download
MD5: 054e40f479b2075a20f12d5426d44bc3
This FUU is A Stock Hboot. Contents: Firmware from ramjet73 So You should be good to Go. This package does wipes SDcard So Remove It Be For you Run it.
Update: added Hboot 1.30
Download
MD5: 04b13923379267a82d93cf913de62040
This FUU is A Stock Hboot. Contents: Firmware from ramjet73 So You should be good to Go. This package does wipes SDcard So Remove It Be For you Run it.
Update: added Hboot 1.04 ENG
Download
MD5: 476a819ce37ff8fae2960de9dc2969a2
This FUU is A Stock Hboot. Contents: Hboot from ramjet73 So You should be good to Go. This package does wipes SDcard So Remove It Be For you Run it.
CreditsThank You Sneakyghost For The Tool And The Op
ramjet73 My mentor for HBOOT Modding
ramjet73 For The Hboots Witch I Modify Of off
DisclaimerYou are aware that writing to the security protected partitions increases your risk to lose the device exponentially. You understand and agree that i cannot be held responsible for such or any other damages. The flash process is theoretically safe and tested on various phones at time of posting, however you are the brains behind the wheel and you are solely responsible for the execution of the process. I will not accept any responsibility. The method itself is developed by Google and HTC, i only provide access and information to it and you execute it.
You understand that you should not do it if you are not willing to accept this risk.
Five star guide flashalot much appreciated
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Nice job!! Thank you!
busventinc said:
Five star guide flashalot much appreciated
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Click to collapse
Cant take credit for the guide thank @Sneakyghost
I just made the proper edits for the evo and my one s
newdad23 said:
Nice job!! Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem
Thanks so much for this Flashalot!
Question on these, apologize in advance if its off base or nonsense.
Currently have a friend who is running 1.58 hboot S-ON, unlocked bootloader (htcdev) with MIUI 3.2.22 ROM. Would it be possible to use these to downgrade his hboot version and run revolutionary S-OFF and/or install JB ROM? Or would it be best to relock, revert fully to stock and use JuopunutBear method?
Thanks in advance
snackle said:
Thanks so much for this Flashalot!
Question on these, apologize in advance if its off base or nonsense.
Currently have a friend who is running 1.58 hboot S-ON, unlocked bootloader (htcdev) with MIUI 3.2.22 ROM. Would it be possible to use these to downgrade his hboot version and run revolutionary S-OFF and/or install JB ROM? Or would it be best to relock, revert fully to stock and use JuopunutBear method?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is for s-off only sorry this is what you need
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=31617712 it has it instructions on how to s-off
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2
Flashalot said:
This is for s-off only sorry this is what you need
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=31617712 it has it instructions on how to s-off
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick reply Flashalot
Exactly what I was expecting but figured I should ask just in case. Thanks again for your time.
snackle said:
Thanks for the quick reply Flashalot
Exactly what I was expecting but figured I should ask just in case. Thanks again for your time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FYI, depending on the current firmware level of the phone you may not be able to run an ruu after the 2.89 base (they don't exist) without being s-off. If jbear doesn't work for you see..
See my reference post in Unknownforce's Ultimate Unbricking and hboot Downgrade Tool thread. It is known to work by bricking it twice.
Sent from my TouchPad using Tapatalk
mpgrimm2 said:
FYI, depending on the current firmware level of the phone you may not be able to run an ruu after the 2.89 base (they don't exist) without being s-off. If jbear doesn't work for you see..
See my reference post in Unknownforce's Ultimate Unbricking and hboot Downgrade Tool thread. It is known to work by bricking it twice.
Sent from my TouchPad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the heads up mpgrimm2. I believe he has a nandroid backup from just after he completed the htc unlock, still running stock rom. If it does turn out to be 2.95.651.6, would he able to restore this nandroid and continue with jbear method?
I know jbear will need to be mostly stock if not full stock. That nand backup may work depending on if jbear requires a relock and stock recovery or not but I don't recall. Things got a little vague when they moved support off of xda to their own site and stopped supporting windows based installers.
I'm sure Ramjet73 had some FAQ's in his thread for the old windows version that would answer it though.
Either way I know Unknownforce's Tool will work for s-off.
Sent from my "Up All Night Sleep All Day" Nexus 5!