Downloading a safe Windows 11 ISO file can involve a few issues worth noting. Following are some of the possible expansion issues related to downloading a safe Windows 11 ISO file:
Untrusted sources: One of the major problems is getting Windows 11 ISO files from untrusted sources. Many websites and file-sharing platforms provide suspicious download links or even contain malware. Downloading from untrusted sources can result in invalid Windows installation or damage to your system.
File security and integrity: When downloading Windows 11 ISO files, it is important to ensure their authenticity and integrity. Some ISO files may have been modified with harmful additions or unwanted changes. Checking the digital signature and confirming the official source can help ensure that the ISO file you download is genuine and uninterrupted.
Compliance and licensing: Attention to compliance and licensing issues is also important when downloading Windows 11 ISO files. You download them from legitimate sources and comply with applicable licensing terms. Using an unofficial or illegal version of Windows 11 may result in legal violations and consequences.
Quality and reliability: Apart from security, it is also important to consider the quality and reliability of the Windows 11 ISO file that you download. Corrupted or incomplete ISO files can cause problems when installing and using Windows 11. Be sure to verify the integrity of the files after downloading them, for example, using a checksum or other verification method.
Updates and fixes: Windows 11 is a new operating system, and Microsoft may periodically release updates and fixes. Therefore, if you download ISO files from untrusted sources, you may miss critical updates or face unresolved security issues. Downloading the ISO file from the official Microsoft website or their official distribution channel is recommended to ensure access to the latest updates.
Reliable Internet connection: Another problem that may occur when downloading ISO files is the dependence on a reliable and stable Internet connection. Weak or unstable connections can lead to interrupted or corrupted downloads. Ensure your internet connection is stable and reliable during the download process to avoid this problem.
Always remember that it is important to be careful when downloading Windows 11 ISO files from the internet. Selecting a trusted source, verifying file authenticity and integrity, and ensuring compliance and licensing will help you obtain a safe and reliable ISO file to install Windows 11 successfully.
Windows 11 got released 2021-10-05. It's actual ISO-file is directly downloadable from Microsoft servers
Download Windows 11
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A great guide for newcommers and others alike, all credit goes to the original poster (appdroid)
Originally Posted by appdroid
I don't take any credit I Googled everything. I do take credit of modifying some stuff in word. The idea came from here. I may have took some of his work. SO credit him and Pirateghost for the information about Android.
ADB → Android Debug Bridge (adb) is a versatile command line tool that lets you communicate with an emulator instance or connected Android-powered device..
Android →Unveiled on 5 November 2007, Android is a mobile operating system running on the Linux kernel developed by Google.
ASOP → Android Open Source Project
Apps2SD → Move applications from the internal NAND memory on the device to a removable SD Card.
Bloatware → Software bloat is a process whereby successive versions of apps include an increasing proportion of unnecessary features that are not used by end users, or generally use more system resources than necessary, while offering little or no benefit to its users. Like all the crap that comes from At&t
Brick → When used in reference to consumer electronics, "brick" describes a device that cannot function in any capacity (such as a device with damaged firmware). This usage derives from the fact that some electronic devices (and their detachable power supplies) are vaguely brick-shaped, and so those which do not function are useful only as actual bricks. The term can also be used as a verb. For example, "I bricked my phone when I tried to modify its firmware."
Hard Brick → When your phone does not turn on at all. When you can’t get in to CWR/CWM Or Stock recovery. You are basically screwed.
Soft Brick → When your phone bootloops. When you can get into CWR/CWM. When You can use jigtag to get into download mode.
Busybox → BusyBox provides several stripped-down Unix tools in a single executable. It runs in a variety of POSIX environments such as Linux, Android, FreeBSD and others, such as proprietary kernels, although many of the tools it provides are designed to work with interfaces provided by the Linux kernel. It was specifically created for embedded operating systems with very limited resources. Platforms counterparts, but they are pretty close and useful nonetheless.
CWR OR CWM ClockworkMod Recovery →A custom recovery for Android phones and tablets that allows you to perform several advanced recovery, restoration, installation and maintenance operations on your Android device that aren’t possible with the stock recovery.
DEODEX → Apk files have respective odexes that devs use to supposedly save space. Deodexing means you convert it back to a .dex file and put it back inside the apk. This allows you to easily replace file (not having to worry about odexes), but the main point was to deodex services.jar so that you can change all text to different colors (such as the clock color to white) and to deodex services.jar, you need to deodex everything.
Flashing → The process of applying a firmware image (or ROM) to a device. It generally entails a very specific order of steps. Failing to complete any one of these steps properly may result in bricking the device.
Firmware → is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices. Programs stored in the ROM, EPROM, or flash memory that usually control various internal electronic devices (Hard Drives, Keyboards, Displays, etc). Firmware is typically 'fixed' software that is not updated in consumer devices, however it is often updated (or 'flashed') by advanced users to fix bugs or add features to the device. Flashing firmware designed for one device onto a different device, or not following a specific procedure while flashing will often render the device unusable.
Kernel → is the main component of most computer operating systems; it is a bridge between applications and the actual data processing done at the hardware level. The kernel's responsibilities include managing the system's resources (the communication between hardware and software components
Radio → The cellular radio on the device which needs control software called firmware to control it.
ROM → Read Only Memory. In the context of an Android device, ROM is the internal flash memory where the core operating system resides. It can also refer to a specific version firmware that can be applied to a device through a process usually referred to as flashing. An improperly flashed ROM can often brick the device, rendering it unusable.
Superuser→ A program, which gives unlimited access privileges to perform any or all operations on the operating system.
ODIN → Odin is the Samsung software used to update Samsung phones. It does not work with any other devices other than official Samsung phones.
OTA or FOTA → (F)OTA stands for (Firmware) Over The Air and is the process by which required updates and enhancements to your phone's basic operating system can be sent to you through the cellular network. The Galaxy S II software update will be sent via FOTA and is available through Samsung Kies mini.0
ODEX → In Android file system, applications come in packages with the extension .apk. These application packages, or APKs contain certain .odex files whose supposed function is to save space. These ‘odex’ files are actually collections of parts of an application that are optimized before booting. Doing so speeds up the boot process, as it preloads part of an application. On the other hand, it also makes hacking those applications difficult because a part of the coding has already been extracted to another location before execution.
SDK → Software Development Kit.
Logcat → A debugging tool built into Android devices that displays system logs as they occur. See Logcat.
NANDroid → A set of tools that will enable anyone who has root on their Android device to make FULL system backups, in case something goes wrong or you want to try out that new experimental ROM/theme. NANDroid will backup (and restore) /system, /data, /cache, and /boot partitions.
Recovery Mode → A special environment that you can boot into for troubleshooting and upgrading purposes.
Kang → The process of creating a code based of someone else's code or reapplying code that someone else created into your own code (e.g. git cherry-pick)
Rooting → is a process that allows users of mobile phones and other devices running the Android operating system to attain privileged control (known as "root access") within Android's Linux subsystem with the goal of overcoming limitations that carriers and manufacturers put on some devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks.. there were a few in there I didn't know!
FYI, I'm fairly certain appdroid kanged this from the CyanogenMod wiki.
So guys,
Are you new here , does these terms like bloatware, adb seems new to you, but it wont be after reading this thread.
ADB: Android Debug Bridge, a utility to run on a PC to allow connection to and control of an Android device. Part of the Android Software Development Kit (SDK), it allows for ROOT-level access to the Android device from a computer.
AOSP: Short for Android Open Source Project. The open-sourced code from which individuals can build new distributions of Android.
APK: An Android executable file, similar to the .exe file in Windows. Most programs will install with a .apk file.
Apps2SD:A method of storing applications and cache on the device's microSD card.
Bloatware: Software or 'apps' that you don't need, but come preinstalled to a device's /system partition, meaning that you cannot remove them unless the device has been rooted
Boot Animation: Boot animation is a term for a graphical representation of the boot process of the operating system. After you switch on / reboot phone you see this.
BOOTLOADER: There are two of these; the primary and secondary bootloaders. These programs tell the Android device how to start up, and are critical to its functionality.
Bootloop: When your system recycles over and over without entering the main OS.
BRICK/(HARD BRICK): An Android device that is completely non-responsive, i.e. nothing lights up, the screen does nothing, no combination of button presses cause any reaction. Can only be restored by JTAG or warranty service.
BUILD.PROP: A plain text file which contains environmental variables for the system to use during operation. Can be hacked to fake a different model for increased functionality, among many other operations. It is also used to make tweaks to boost speed/performance, etc.
BUSYBOX: An application that contains many standard Unix tools.
BUTTON COMBO/THREE BUTTON COMBO: The act of pressing several buttons at the same time to produce a desired result (e.g. press and hold volume up+home button+power button for 10 seconds will reboot into the RECOVERY menu at any movement when phone is on or Press and hold volume down+power button+home button to get into ODIN mode/DOWNLOAD mode).
Cache:A component that transparently stores data so that future requests for that data can be served faster.
CM: Short for CyanogenMod. CyanogenMod is an Android build built from the Android Open Source Project, and its builds are usable on multiple different Android Devices.
CPU: It stands for Central Processing Unit and handles all the complex mathematical formulas necessary to do everyday things like surfing the Internet.
CSC - File with Carrier Customizations
Custom bin counter: A line of code in several Samsung Galaxy devices' bootloaders that counts the number of times a user uses ODIN to flash ROMS/KERNELS to the device. Commonly used to detect software modification. This is called custom bin down in ODIN mode and it should be 0 to claim warranty. Can be reset with GALAXY TOOLBOX APP by Doky73
Custom: Independent developers who like to customize their devices beyond the standard options provided often tend to release the fruits of their labor for the rest to enjoy, in form of custom ROMs.
CWM: Short for ClockWorkMod Recovery Menu. This is a program that allows you to install custom ROMS/KERNELS as well as do many other customizations. Often referred to as the "RECOVERY MENU"/"CWM"
DALVIK CACHE: The collection of program information stored for use by the DALVIK program. This can be cleared from the RECOVERY menu to resolve issues with the Android OS.
DALVIK: The Android operating system's memory management tool. This program handles which other programs are running and assigns memory to them
DEODEXED: Removing the .odex files from an APK file. The .odex files contain a list of dependencies for the associated file, and if something changes, the .odex (and similarly, the associated file) not longer function correctly.
DMESG: dmesg (for "display message") is a command on some Unix-like operating systems that prints the message buffer of the kernel..
DOWNLOAD MODE: Read Button combo to know about this.
EFS: The directory /efs on the Android device's internal storage. Contains files with the Android device's IMEI, wireless devices MAC addresses, product code, and other information..
EMMC: Short for Embedded MultiMediaCard. A chip architecture consisting of an embedded storage solution with MMC interface, flash memory and controller, all in a small ball grid array package.
EXT4: A journaling file system (e.g. NTFS, FAT32 are file systems) often used by Linux distributions. Can be used with Android.
EXTERNAL SD: A micro SD card that has been inserted in the micro SD slot in the Android device. Can be removed.
FACTORY RESET: This will remove all user customizations in the Android OS, returning it to a factory state. Note: This will not wipe the Internal SD card. It will just make it as a phone just bought from the store state.
FC/FORCE CLOSE: When a program on the Android device becomes unstable/gets an error, the DALVIK program will force it to terminate to prevent further system instability which appears as a Force Close message usually in phone.
FLASHING: The act of writing code to the Android device. ROMs, MODEMs, KERNELs, and BOOTLOADERs can all be flashed. Independent from, and having nothing to do with, Adobe's Flash product.
FREEZE: Specific to LINK2SD/TITANIUM BACKUP. Using these 2 apps, the user changes a program into a non-functional, but still installed, state. Useful for identifying problem and FCs.
gapps - Google Applications, like GMail, Calendar, Maps, G+, etc
GB - Gingerbread, AKA Android OS 2.3.X
GOVERNOR: A program that interacts with the device hardware to increase or decrease the processor's clock speed (e.g. at low usage, it will set the processor speed to 400 MHz, but as usage increases, it would scale up to 1000 MHz).
HSUPA/HSDPA: Short for High Speed (Up/Down) Packet Access. This is 3G+, and is the Android device's internet speed level between 3G and 4G.
ICS: Short for Ice Cream Sandwich, the Android OS version 4.0.x.
IMEI: Short for International Mobile Equipment Identity. A unique number to identify GSM, WCDMA, and iDEN phones. Used by GSM networks to identify valid devices.
INTERNAL SD: The internal storage memory of the Android device. Not a physical SD card that can be removed.
JB: Short for Jelly Bean, the Android OS version 4.1.x.
JIG: A piece of hardware that makes a physical connection between pins of the USB slot to force the Android device into DOWNLOAD mode.
JTAG: A process of connecting directly to the main board of the Android device to rewrite corrupted BOOTLOADERS.
KERNEL: The kernel is a program that constitutes the central core of a computer operating system. It has complete control over everything that occurs in the system.
LAST_KMESG: last_kmsg is a dump of the printk statements from the kernel before the operating system itself crashed.
LAUNCHER: A program that launches programs in Android. Examples are Touchwiz (Samsung), HOLO Launcher, Launcher Pro, ADW Launcher, and Go Launcher EX.
LCD Density: Pixel density is a measurement of the resolution of devices in various contexts; typically computer displays, image scanners, and digital camera image sensors.
LOGCAT: A command to view messages in one of the system logs. See Android logger.
LTE: Stands for Long Term Evolution. It is based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA network technologies, increasing the capacity and speed using a different radio interface together with core network improvements.
MAI77 method: Its only known here. So dont say this out of SGY forum. This is a method to flash kernel through CWM using Kernel flasher tool made by MAI77. Its basically you have kernel flasher tool and boot.img file in SDCARD root and you select kernel flasher tool in CWM and it will install boot.img file which is the kernel you selected.
MD5 CHECKSUM: A 32-digit (128-bit) hash number generated by a cryptographic program to ensure that a downloaded file matches the original file. The original file is run through the MD5 generator program, which creates the 32-bit number. This number is checked against the md5 number created with the file the end user receives to ensure file integrity.
MIUI: A Chinese built-from-source ROM. Short for "Mobile Internet User Interface". Also can refer to the MIUI music player, which has been included in other ROMs.
Mod: The act of modifying a piece of hardware or software or anything else for that matter, to perform a function not originally conceived or intended by the designer.
MODEM: The software that interfaces with the phone's radio hardware to connect to cell phone towers.
NANDROID BACKUP: A complete system image backup of the Android device except for the MODEM and KERNEL. Can be accessed from CWM.
ODEX: A file that is associated with an APK file, containing a list of the dependencies for the program. See also DEODEXED.
ODIN: A Samsung proprietary program that allows the Android device to be flashed back to stock or with custom software.
OVERCLOCKING/OC: Setting the processor's clock speed to run faster than its default setting, i.e. 1248 MHz (1.2 GHz) vs 832 MHz (Default)
OTA - Over-the-Air (usually used as "OTA update" for firmware updates that can be installed directly via 3G/4G/Wi-Fi without the need of an PC)
PIT FILE: Short for Partition Information Table file. One of the possible file types used while flashing with ODIN or HEIMDALL.
Port: To Take a rom or app from one phone and program it to work on a different one.
Ram: (Random Access Memory) A group of memory chips, typically of the dynamic RAM (DRAM) type, which function as the computer's primary workspace.
RECOVERY: The menu that allows a user to do many low-level operations on the Android Device. This menu can either be the stock Samsung menu, or the CLOCKWORKMOD RECOVERY MENU (CWM). See also CWM.
RFS: A Samsung-proprietary file system (e.g. NTFS, FAT32 are file systems) used on some Android devices. Stands for Robust File System.
RIL - Radio Interface Layer
ROM: The collection of programs, themes, and settings that create the general look-and-feel of your Android device. This is what most users will initially be wanting to change. Or custom ROM firmware file, Can also refer to a Read-only memory.
ROOT: Changing the permission level of the Android system to its most powerful level, the root user, allowing full access to the file system. More like Administrator permission in Windows OS.
SGS /SGSD /SGSP /SGSPD : Samsung Galaxy Star / Samsung Galaxy Star Duos / Samsung Galaxy Star Pro/ Samsung Galaxy Star Pro Duos
Sideloading: It means installing applications without using the official Android Market.
SOFT BRICK: A device that is not functioning correctly, but still shows some signs of operation. See also BRICK.
STOCK: The Android software version that comes installed on new devices, prior to sale to the user. Can also be used to refer to the Android software issued from Samsung or the carrier.
Superuser/SU: On many computer operating systems, the superuser is a special user account used for system administration. Depending on the operating system, the actual name of this account might be: root, administrator or supervisor.
TETHER: Connecting the Android device to a computer via a wired or wireless connection to allow the transfer of data through the Android device's internet connection. Commonly used to provide internet access to a laptop or desktop computer when other methods are not desired or available.
THEME: A collection of images, backgrounds, colors, font types, and other visual items to change the Android device's look and feel. Separate from LAUNCHER, and is usually FLASHed in CWM.
TWRP2 - an alternate recovery mode for your phone
UNDERVOLTING/UV: Setting the voltage levels drawn by the Android device to a lower level to reduce overall battery usage.
Updater Script: When Android devices install updates via CWM/recovery mode they have to perform a wide range of functions on files and permissions. The scripting language is called Edify and is defined primarily in the bootable/recovery/{edify,edifyscripting,updater} directories of the Android source-code tree.
WCDMA: Short for Wideband Code Division Multiple Access. An air interface standard in 3G mobile communications networks that allows higher speeds and more users.
ZIPALIGNED: An archive alignment tool that provides important optimization to APK files. The purpose is to ensure that all uncompressed data starts with a particular alignment relative to the start of the file. Reduces RAM consumption.
Credits
CREDITS
I) @Niku-Droid
II) MY PC
III) MY INTERNET CONNECTION
OH! I missed someone, PM me, I will add credits soon :silly:
I am trying to get into a managed set top box or at least reflash it with any kind of open system (android or linux).
The regular firmware disables the USB protocols, disables adb access and debugging, basically keeps all the ports shut (no end user interaction either, except the info to connect to internet etc). I have not been successful and finding the right JTAG pins yet (non-standard header). The inbuilt recovery, requests the firmware from a remote server and simply reflashes everything. The system is probably based on Android 7.0.
I have been successful via MITM to get in between the recovery process. So at least I have the full image and I am able to serve any image and its correct hash to the recovery. I have tried some simple self-signed update-script sample outputs, but some verification after downloading and extracting fails and the on-screen output is too fast to capture before it reboots.
My question:
The provider-firmware includes otacert. Is it safe to assume that I will not be able to flash any file that is not signed with the providers key? Are there any known vulnerabilities to enable new attack vectors (open some port etc) if I am at least able to upload the incorrectly signed firmware image?
Thanks for any hints. (I am a bit familiar how to do these things on non-android devices, just not with android)
I'm from a startup, that is working on a Smartphone with a preinstalled Android without Google Apps and Services to protect the user's privacy by default. The focus of our development is an improved system user experience with a technology background in NLP, ML and AI. Android offers a straight forward approach with a custom launcher.
The potential ODMs for our device offer a Stock Android Pie with all Google Apps and Services. So we a re looking for the most cost efficient approach of customizing the factory image. In principle, I see two possibilities:
1. Modifying the factory image of the ODM
Maybe the most efficient way would be to remove Google Apps and Serivces and install a custom launcher and some replacement apps with a script. I'm not sure if this doesn't lead to errors or if this possibility also exists for a recovery image.
2. Providing a custom factory image
I found some tutorials, one at XDA developers and another at Android Authority. Finally there is guide of the AOSP.
One challenge are the technical requirements, as far as I have understood, the device drivers. The AOSP documentation says:
Download previews, factory images, drivers, over-the-air (OTA) updates, and other blobs below. For details, see Obtaining proprietary binaries.
Preview binaries (blobs) for AOSP master branch development
Factory images for supported devices running tagged AOSP release branches
Binary hardware support files for devices running tagged AOSP release branches
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Android Authority article says something similar:
Obtain proprietary binaries – The binary drivers should be unpacked in your working directory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do we exactly need from the ODM respectively PCBA board designer beyond the factory image? The hardware support files as proprietary binaries? It's unlikely, that we get the source code for the drivers. Can we take the drivers from the factory image? How can we identify them?
We think to take LineageOS, but we learned from the related Reddit forum, that a port of LineageOS for a new device would take some man years. Would you suggest to use the AOSP? How many man month should we calculate for a custom build?
Further more we need to think about how to provide OTA updates. Unfortunately, I don't know what is necessary to set up an OTA Update Service and prepare a Custom ROM for it. Is it essentially a fileserver with an encrypted connection and signed files?
Which approach would you suggest? Thanks for each suggestion and links for further information.
Hi everyone,
I own a PonoPlayer which is running Android 2.3 (ARM v7 / Cortex A8). I'd like to perform some software upgrades but sadly the device is not running adb.
I'd like some tech advice before going deeper, just to make sure I'm using the proper approach and not wasting my time
Disclaimer: I read everything I could find about the Pono (there's some old thread about it on this forum) but that didn't really help.
What I already tried:
Because I'm more a developper and vulnerability researcher I started by what I'm comfortable with: looking for vulnerabilities. I decompiled the main APK (player-release.apk) but found nothing obviously exploitable.
The last available firmware update is version 1.0.6. The upgrade bundle is clearly based on that : https://github.com/Lekensteyn/make-gapps-zip
Decompressing the archive using apktool shows:
boot.img
META-INF (which contains META-INF/com/google/android/updater-script)
recovery
system
The update bundle seems to be signed using the test-keys found on the above repository. So I tried to forge a fake 1.0.7 update bundle by simply unpacking 1.0.6 and repacking + signing. This fails, the player detects the 1.0.7 update bundle, tries to perform the upgrade and is stuck. Obviously, someting wrong happens but since I've no log or any kind of remote access, there's no way for me to debug.
Next step:
I plan to setup a Android 2.3 emulator, running a dummy ARMv7 image and use it to load the 1.0.6 legit update bundle. Thus I would have something close to the real Player image.
From this, I would be able to load my 1.0.7 fake update and see what goes wrong.
I this something obvious that I'm missing? I this the proper approach?
Thanks for any advice!
Allright, here's my own follow up !
I ended up finding how to create an OTA package for the Pono Player.
Basically, I start from the last known firmware (1.0.6), patch it and re-bundle it.
Hopefully, the Pono Player uses the Android test keys ...
My main issue (for the last 4 years..) was that the whole OTA package is signed, not just its contents, by adding a specially crafted zip comment.
This can be enabled by using the "-w" option of the signapk command.
I've successfully updated the licences.txt (let's start small ) file on the device.
All the required scripts for unpacking/repacking an OTA package are available here: https://github.com/NothNoth/PonoPwn