Yes you can do the OTA update if you've unrevoked forever..here's how!

[steveymacjr]

Hey there folk!
I saw some mentions in the EVO OTA(Version 3.70.651.1) thread about whether you should do this update, or if you should wait for it to be rooted...
Well I can happily report you do not need to wait for root..
If the following things apply to you, you are good to go:
1. You followed the steps for both unrevoked3 and unrevoked forever.
2. S-Off is listed on the bootloader screen.
3. Didn't have stock SW vers. 3.30.651.2
^--Added this on 18/12/2010 because I do not know how different SW Ver. 3.30.651.2 is, and I cannot vouch that this will work with it.

Disclaimer...doing this may void warranty, and doing this is at your own risk!

If yes, you only have to do Four steps to get the update, and get superuser access back!
Simple instructions:
1. Flash phone with a Stock recovery Image.
2. (Uninstall the Swype beta, if applicable) and Apply the OTA update via the phone menus
3. Flash back to the recovery of your choice
4. Apply the Super User update.

Do these Four Steps and you lose nothing...you can even keep using the free wifi tethering when its all done!





-------------If you need detailed instructions for everything follow below------------------------------------------------------

Before we begin there are some things you need.
1. Create Three folders on your Desktop, one labeled Sprint, the other labeled ClockworkMod, and the final one labeled Temp.
2. Stock EVO rom
(Download it from this XDA thread, to the folder you created called "Sprint": [GUIDE] How to Unroot the EVO in 2 STEPS - xda-developers you only need the file labeled ?PC36IMG don't download anything else from that thread)
3. Your choice of custom recovery Images(this example will use Clockworkmod download it here: http://downloads.unrevoked.com/forever/recovery/clockworkmod/PC36IMG.ZIP to the folder you created called "ClockworkMod")
4. The Super user App.(download it here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/6408470/su-releases/su-2.3.6.1-ef-signed.zip) Download to any folder.
5. I'm also assuming you have either Vista or Windows 7.
6. You'll also need to have your phone connected to the computer as a disk drive for steps that involve copying files.
7. If you have a 64-bit version of Windows 7(possible Vista as well) you will need a copy of winrar to open the ZIP file in step one.(thanks randers1 for discoverying this issue)

Step ONE: Flashing Stock recovery Image.
The first thing you have to do is flash your recovery back to the stock Sprint recovery image... Follow these Steps to create one:
1. Extract the Stock ROM, and the ClockworkMod file in their respective folders.
2. Now, Copy the Android-info.txt file from the Clockworkmod folder to the Temp Folder you created.
3. Inside the Extracted Stock Rom, Copy the file called "Recovery.img" to that same Temp Folder.
4. Create a ZIp file that includes the files you just copied. In Vista and Windows 7, highlight the two files you just copied, then right click and choose "Send to" "Compressed folder"...Rename this file "PC36IMG.zip"
Congrats you can now flash the recovery image on your phone!

Continuing on, you now have to Flash the recovery Img to the stock img that you created.
1. Copy the new "PC36IMG.zip" file you created above to the Root of your SD Card.
2. Shutdown your phone.
3. While pressing the down volume button press the Power button until the boot loader appears(It'll look like DOS text)
4. Wait for the phone to read your SD card, It'll then ask if you want to apply the update. Follow the onscreen instructions to say yes!
5. When the screen says you can, reboot the phone.

STEP TWO: Apply OTA update
This is pretty self explanatory, and it might not be available right away.
You can either wait for your phone to prompt you that there is an update, or you can force it to look...it might not be available right away. Just keep checking..you have to do the update this way if you don't want to lose any data. When it does become available, before you apply the udpate, make sure you have uninstalled the beta of swype, if you have it.

STEP THREE:
1. Delete the PC36IMG file you copied in step ONE.
2. Copy the unextracted PC36IMG.zip file you downloaded to the "ClockworkMod" folder to the root of your Phone SD card.
3. Shut down phone(Disconnect from PC)
4. WHile pressing down volume rocker, press the power button.
5. Follow on screen instruction like you did before to apply the update.
6. Reboot phone when prompted

Step Four:
1. Copy the Super User app(Zip file) you downloaded earlier to the root of your phones SD card.
2. While connected delete the PC36IMG.zip file from your SD card as well.
3. Shut down phone(disconnect from PC)
4. While pressing the down volume rocker, press the power button, until the bootloader appears.
5. Press the down Volume rocker until you highlight "RecoverY" then press the power button
6. On the recovery screen press the down volume rocker until you highlight "Install Zip from SDCARD" and press the Power button to select.
7. Press the down volume rocker until you highlight "Choose ZIP from SDCard" Press power button to select
8. press the Down volume rocker until you come to the super user file you copied to the SD card. If you didn't rename it the file name begins "SU-2.3.6..." Press the Power button to select
9. On the next screen press the down volume rocker until you come to "YES"
10. Follow the onscreen prompts to completion, using the power button to select stuff...when prompted choose yes to reboot device!

Congratulations you are now done!

 

[Dave Blake]

Thanks for the nice wright up I'm going to move this to the hacks forum and make out a sticky

Dave

 

[igotsanevo4g]

Dont like unrevoked forever, but good write up for those who use it.

 

[acidbeaver]

Thanks so much been looking all day for something like this!

 

[acidbeaver]

For some reason the stock rom wouldn't extract for me. Tried downloading it a few times and it didn't work. Found this link which is what you should end up with to replace it. Not 100% sure it's the same thing but it worked for me.

xda-developers

 

[fone_fanatic]

When i put the PC36IMG.zip of the clockwork mod on root of storage card, reboot into bootloader, it checks PC36IMG.zip and then just bootloader.. no option to flash it (volume up/volume down) :/

 

[steveymacjr]

When you say checking the file do you mean it has a blue progress indicator on the right side of the screen, and then does nothing?

 

[Kodachrome]

I have followed the steps above but I am getting the red triangle on step two while applying the OTA update. I am rooted with Unrevoked3. After a battery pull and a very long reboot, I am still rooted. Any ideas.

 

[wiicked26]

I am having the same problem. please can someone help

 

[steveymacjr]

At the boot loader screen does it say s-on or a s-off at the top?
It needs to say s-off.


Also, before you did anything did you start with a phone that had gone through the entire unrevoked forever procedure?(s-on means you haven't)
Some other questions...
Can you double check that you have flashed a sprint recovery image. Do this by going to thee boot loader and choosing recovery, if you get anything other than a screen with a red triangle you don't have a sprint recovery image on it.trying flashing another recovery image.


Unrevoked.com/forever

 

[Kodachrome]

I have S-off and recovery produces a red triangle. I am redownloading the OTA update and trying again.

 

[fraz]

Worked great for me.

Had trouble extracting the recovery rom at 1st, then just used OP's 2nd link.

 

[Kodachrome]

Well I resorted to a hard reset and tried to run the OTA update with no success. Earlier I had flashed the latest radio and thought that might be the problem and wanted to flash to the earlier radio version but recovery mode only gives me the red triangle and I can't flash the radio. What do I do now?

Edit: I reran Unrevoked3 and downgraded the radios and still no joy.

 

[imiller913]

So I have a been thinking of rooting my phone, so if I already did the ota update can I still use unrevoked to root my phone??

 

[RC46]

Why would anyone rooted with S-OFF want to download a stock update????
Just wait 5 minutes and head over to XDA and flash a rooted version of the stock update.

 

[randers1]

Once I figured out that the Windows 7, 64-bit built-in ZIP program couldn't see the Stock ROM ZIP as a proper ZIP--you need to use something like WinRAR--all worked as described. I updated two Evo's using this proceedure, no problems. Thanks for putting this guide together.

 

[steveymacjr]

I have S-off and recovery produces a red triangle. I am redownloading the OTA update and trying again.

that red traingle means you have the Stock recovery...
did your evo have software version 3.30.651.3? I wonder if that has a different recovery, and sprint's OTA is seeing that the recovery you have is from a different software version...
If you have 3.30.xxx download the zip file with 3.30.651.3 in the file name from this link: Index of /evo/stock/RUU/ and use it in place of the file in step 1. then continue from there...

Does anyone know if anything else changed with this(3.30.xxx) version of the EVO?

 

[Kodachrome]

that red traingle means you have the Stock recovery...
did your evo have software version 3.30.651.3? I wonder if that has a different recovery, and sprint's OTA is seeing that the recovery you have is from a different software version...
If you have 3.30.xxx download the zip file with 3.30.651.3 in the file name from this link: Index of /evo/stock/RUU/ and use it in place of the file in step 1. then continue from there...

Does anyone know if anything else changed with this(3.30.xxx) version of the EVO?

I am on software version 3.29.651.5

 

[steveymacjr]

I am on software version 3.29.651.5

are you able to still use your phone? just can't update?

also in another post you said you downgraded your radios..what do you mean by that...radios shouldn't have been touched..

 

[Kodachrome]

are you able to still use your phone? just can't update?

also in another post you said you downgraded your radios..what do you mean by that...radios shouldn't have been touched..

Yes the phone works fine, I just can't update it. I had flashed the radios using these: [ Radios ][ 12-17 ] All EVO Radio, WiMAX, PRI, NV & HBoot versions - xda-developers

They should be the radio updates from the OTA update. I was originally just going to do that rather than the OTA update but afterwards the battery would only last about 4 hours. I concluded that the OTA update contained more than just radio updates and bloatware. Downgrading the radios improved the battery usage but I'd still like to get the updates. I had updated the Radio, Wimax, PRI and ND to the latest. I am currently flashed with one version older than the latest in the above thread but still can't get the OTA update.

Update: Here is what I did to finally get the update. I had to resort to Unrooting using this guide: http://forum.androidcentral.com/htc-evo-4g-roms-hacks/19278-how-unroot-return-stock.html. Incidentally after using this guide the phone remained s-off.

I downloaded all of the updates and then used Z4root (which has an unroot function should I need it) to reroot the phone. The permanent root failed using Z4root so I executed the temporary root. Even though Z4root said it would only remain rooted until the next reboot, I am permanently rooted. I imagine it is because I have s-off and probably could have just reflashed su which is what z4root did. I have removed all of the bloatware and restored all of my favorite apps.