[Q] Prepare nvflash - TF 201 - Bootloader 10.4.2.18 - Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

Hi. I would like to protect my device with nvflash before setup first rom.
I read guide about access to nvflash:
androidroot.mobi/pages/guides/tegra3-guide-nvflash-jellybean
and
matthill.eu/android/transformer-prime-tf201-jellybean-nvflash
But I am not sure it's valid for my bootloader version. I have TF 201 with Jelly Bean and 10.4.2.18 bootloader. This bootloader comes from officials updates.
I am especially afraid this step: "wheelie / advances / Step 1: Flash AndroidRoot BL". It is can brick my device because of other version of bootloader? In guide is marked version: 10.4.2.15.
I really need help!
Best regards.

---

Have you read http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1927818 ?

---

hp321 said:
Hi. I would like to protect my device with nvflash before setup first rom.
I read guide about access to nvflash:
androidroot.mobi/pages/guides/tegra3-guide-nvflash-jellybean
and
matthill.eu/android/transformer-prime-tf201-jellybean-nvflash
But I am not sure it's valid for my bootloader version. I have TF 201 with Jelly Bean and 10.4.2.18 bootloader. This bootloader comes from officials updates.
I am especially afraid this step: "wheelie / advances / Step 1: Flash AndroidRoot BL". It is can brick my device because of other version of bootloader? In guide is marked version: 10.4.2.15.
I really need help!
Best regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right to check everything out first :good:. But there is no need to worry about the bootloader as the Flatline process will flash the 10.4.2.15 version. It will also leave behind its own customised version of CWM recovery. Unlike the official version this is compatible with JB bootloader but it is rather clunky and limited so you would do well to replace it with TWRP once you are happy the NVFlash process has gone well.

---

Restorer said:
You are right to check everything out first :good:. But there is no need to worry about the bootloader as the Flatline process will flash the 10.4.2.15 version. It will also leave behind its own customised version of CWM recovery. Unlike the official version this is compatible with JB bootloader but it is rather clunky and limited so you would do well to replace it with TWRP once you are happy the NVFlash process has gone well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate your help. So after enabled nvflash my version of bootloader will change? Will I be able after this run my old Android version?
I would like to process this procedure:
matthill.eu/android/transformer-prime-tf201-jellybean-nvflash
My next question is about TWRP. CWM published with nvflash is to limited to setup new rom on my device? It is necessary to setup TWRP on my restore partition? This is not disable nvflash?

---

hp321 said:
I appreciate your help. So after enabled nvflash my version of bootloader will change? Will I be able after this run my old Android version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, for sure.
I would like to process this procedure:
matthill.eu/android/transformer-prime-tf201-jellybean-nvflash
My next question is about TWRP. CWM published with nvflash is to limited to setup new rom on my device? It is necessary to setup TWRP on my restore partition?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The version of CWM flashed by Flatline will continue to work but it was really designed just to be used for the NVFlash process. It is based on an older non-touch version and changing to TWRP would be most people's advice.
This is not disable nvflash?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, APX mode will continue to be available provided you have the correct drivers.

---

TWRP Recovery freezes when trying to boot to Recovery Kernal
I have a Transformer Prime tf201. I've installed twrp2.6 using fastboot. Everything looked fine. I go the blue progress bar on the prime 100% No errors. When I boot to recovery RCK, it says "Booting Recovery kernal image" and just sits there. I left it over night thinking it may have to think about it for a while but it still just sits there. Any ideas?
Also when I used TWRP Manager. I did a "Wipe Data" and selected cache. It reboots the TF201, says "The device is unlocked." (upper left small letters) shows a ASUS logo in the middle and freezes. Ideas on that?
Thanks for all you guys/gals do...

---

Restorer said:
Yes, for sure.
The version of CWM flashed by Flatline will continue to work but it was really designed just to be used for the NVFlash process. It is based on an older non-touch version and changing to TWRP would be most people's advice.
No, APX mode will continue to be available provided you have the correct drivers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you've answered the question I've spent days searching for. I have stock ASUS 10.4.2.17 rooted and recently unlocked to put nvflash on it. I want to update to 10.4.2.18 but read the update file from the ASUS website flashed through CWM has high risk of bricking the device. I was afraid CWM was mandatory to recover with nvflash, but, sounds like that's not the case. So I can just flash TWRP (which will remove CWM recovery) and then flash the Asus 10.4.2.18 update with TWRP? Secondly, I'm trying to work up the courage to try hairy bean, so I need TWRP for that reason as well.

---

casey225 said:
I think you've answered the question I've spent days searching for. I have stock ASUS 10.4.2.17 rooted and recently unlocked to put nvflash on it. I want to update to 10.4.2.18 but read the update file from the ASUS website flashed through CWM has high risk of bricking the device. I was afraid CWM was mandatory to recover with nvflash, but, sounds like that's not the case. So I can just flash TWRP (which will remove CWM recovery) and then flash the Asus 10.4.2.18 update with TWRP? Secondly, I'm trying to work up the courage to try hairy bean, so I need TWRP for that reason as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would go straight for the HairyBean 2.31 ROM - as you probably read, the first stage of installing that involves flashing TWRP along with a new bootloader anyway . Some of us had trouble getting getting Flatline's CWM to see our external card though - so you may need to flash the normal TWRP first anyway.

---

Restorer said:
I would go straight for the HairyBean 2.31 ROM - as you probably read, the first stage of installing that involves flashing TWRP along with a new bootloader anyway . Some of us had trouble getting getting Flatline's CWM to see our external card though - so you may need to flash the normal TWRP first anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I plan to update to 10.4.2.18 first, do I need to make a new set of nvflash backup files, to prevent bootloader mismatch, after flashing a new recovery (since I haven't seen any that use .17).

---

casey225 said:
I plan to update to 10.4.2.18 first, do I need to make a new set of nvflash backup files, to prevent bootloader mismatch, after flashing a new recovery (since I haven't seen any that use .17).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once you have your NVFlash backups that's it - you are all set for good.
Not sure what you mean by your second point. Do you mean you intend to update the whole ROM to 10.4.2.18 or just the bootloader? The bootloader 10.4.2.15 flashed by flatliner is still an android 4.1 version so would not be a problem - the dangerous bootloader/recovery mismatch people warn about is JB/ICS. The reason CWM is always the bad guy here is because their official version for the Prime has never been updated beyond ICS - though of course the version included with flatliner is compatible with JB.

---

Restorer said:
Once you have your NVFlash backups that's it - you are all set for good.
Not sure what you mean by your second point. Do you mean you intend to update the whole ROM to 10.4.2.18 or just the bootloader? The bootloader 10.4.2.15 flashed by flatliner is still an android 4.1 version so would not be a problem - the dangerous bootloader/recovery mismatch people warn about is JB/ICS. The reason CWM is always the bad guy here is because their official version for the Prime has never been updated beyond ICS - though of course the version included with flatliner is compatible with JB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I realized after I posted that it shouldn't be a problem, but I couldn't delete the post. I flashed TWRP 2.6.3.0 successfully, but, when I hit the menu button it says "updating partition details..." I left it overnight and now 10 hours later it was frozen on that screen. I rebooted into recovery and tried to make a backup but it said there wasn't enough space even though it was seeing roughly 10GB (I have 64 GB edition) and the backup was a little over 1GB. When I hit menu, it kept showing me the verbage from the failed backup. Installed Goo manager which seems to function normally. I have rebooted back into recovery and hit menu button and it is updating partition details again. Should I wait even longer, should I try to keep the screen from timing out until it's done? Thanks so much for your help so far!

---

casey225 said:
I realized after I posted that it shouldn't be a problem, but I couldn't delete the post. I flashed TWRP 2.6.3.0 successfully, but, when I hit the menu button it says "updating partition details..." I left it overnight and now 10 hours later it was frozen on that screen. I rebooted into recovery and tried to make a backup but it said there wasn't enough space even though it was seeing roughly 10GB (I have 64 GB edition) and the backup was a little over 1GB. When I hit menu, it kept showing me the verbage from the failed backup. Installed Goo manager which seems to function normally. I have rebooted back into recovery and hit menu button and it is updating partition details again. Should I wait even longer, should I try to keep the screen from timing out until it's done? Thanks so much for your help so far!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you did use fastboot to flash the recovery image using instructions from the correct section on this page?

---

Restorer said:
So you did use fastboot to flash the recovery image using instructions from the correct section on this page?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just realized the problem. I went in to set the backup to go to the sd card, the first time I went into recovery, but didn't do the backup at that time. It reverted back to use internal storage and that's why it said there wasn't enough space. Making a backup as we speak...
What happened to the beating your head against the wall icon!

---

casey225 said:
I just realized the problem. I went in to set the backup to go to the sd card, the first time I went into recovery, but didn't do the backup at that time. It reverted back to use internal storage and that's why it said there wasn't enough space. Making a backup as we speak...
What happened to the beating your head against the wall icon!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here ya go
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

---

Hi All
I have just installed nvflash and copy files to pc ...just incase i brick it .....i did this when i first install flatline recovery ...now i have installed TWRP and install hairybean v2.3 and the update twrp ...do i need to nvflash it again and get the recovery files ? or will the original ones be fine ?
karl

---

karlos103 said:
Hi All
I have just installed nvflash and copy files to pc ...just incase i brick it .....i did this when i first install flatline recovery ...now i have installed TWRP and install hairybean v2.3 and the update twrp ...do i need to nvflash it again and get the recovery files ? or will the original ones be fine ?
karl
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They will be fine.

---

Restorer said:
They will be fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's good to hear
Many thanks
Karl

---

Easyflasher
This might be a bit off topic but does any one know if easyflasher will work on tf201? It's bricked and can only get APX mode and I don't have a nvflash backup.
Thanks.

---

Restorer said:
You are right to check everything out first :good:. But there is no need to worry about the bootloader as the Flatline process will flash the 10.4.2.15 version. It will also leave behind its own customised version of CWM recovery. Unlike the official version this is compatible with JB bootloader but it is rather clunky and limited so you would do well to replace it with TWRP once you are happy the NVFlash process has gone well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So that's the JB .img file or the JB .blob file from their site? After doing wheelie step #1, it's not fully an ASUS Bootloader anymore. Or is it enough of an ASUS bootloader that you need to use the JB bootloader .blob one for ASUS?
For doing after nvflash, the teamw.in/project/twrp2/93 page says ICS only - in red - right before an ICS .img file and JB .img file.
I haven't found much more than this thread about what to do on JB after nvflash to get TWRP. :silly:

---

Arfyness said:
So that's the JB .img file or the JB .blob file from their site? After doing wheelie step #1, it's not fully an ASUS Bootloader anymore. Or is it enough of an ASUS bootloader that you need to use the JB bootloader .blob one for ASUS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what you are asking here . AFAIK it is pure Asus JB bootloader 10.4.2.15. It is the recovery that you are left with that is a modified, rather basic CWM - CWM never has made an official JB recovery for our device and it is people flashing the ICS version onto their JB bootloaders that has been a major source of hard bricks.
My advice would be to install the latest JB TWRP so you know for sure you have fully compatible JB bootloader/recovery.
For doing after nvflash, the teamw.in/project/twrp2/93 page says ICS only - in red - right before an ICS .img file and JB .img file.
I haven't found much more than this thread about what to do on JB after nvflash to get TWRP. :silly:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see the red text you mention. Anyhow, from the TWRP page in your link you are only interested in the section: Download - Recovery Image / Fastboot Method (using ICS or JB Asus bootloader).. Ignore everything else on that page. Follow the install instructions in that paragraph - click the link to the JB blob files and download the latest blob (NOT img) one from the bottom of the list.