How-To repair your bootloader after using the 2.1 RUU

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

1. Make sure you have the Android SDK installed. Read HERE for more info.

2. Download 4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download flash_image.zip

3. Download 4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download recovery-RA-heroc-v1.5.2.img

4. Unzip the first file, and place both in your Android SDK/tools folder.

5. Make sure USB debugging is ON

6. Connect your phone to the PC

7. Open the command window and navigate to the Android-sdk/tools folder on your computer.

8. At the prompt enter the following, one line at a time followed by enter

adb shell
su
mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
exit
exit
adb push flash_image /system/bin
adb push recovery-RA-heroc-v1.5.2.img /sdcard
adb shell
chmod 0755 /system/bin/flash_image
reboot

9. Your phone will reboot. When it is finished, back at your command window, once again enter

adb shell
su
cd /sdcard
flash_image recovery recovery-RA-heroc-v1.5.2.img
reboot recovery

10. With any luck, you'll have the recovery image back and can load custom 2.1 based ROMS again.

 

[spatel9114]

Wow thanks, I'm about to try this, will post if it works! Thanks man, been looking for this.

 

[spatel9114]

Okay, I get an error:

adb push flash_image /system/bin
adb: not found

when I try to push the flash_image..

EDIT: Okay, the tutorial up top is wrong, there's supposed to be two exits, not one.

 

[spatel9114]

Alright I get another error, it can't find the .img on my SD card when I go to flash the image.. it says "No such file or directory"..

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

Okay, I get an error:

adb push flash_image /system/bin
adb: not found

when I try to push the flash_image..

EDIT: Okay, the tutorial up top is wrong, there's supposed to be two exits, not one.

fixed. Thanks

Alright I get another error, it can't find the .img on my SD card when I go to flash the image.. it says "No such file or directory"..

Look on your sd card. Is it really there?

 

[spatel9114]

Yeah it's there, I think the real error here is the fact that when I tried to push it, I got a "Read Only" error, so I manually put the file on the SD card..

EDIT: So yeah, the only problem that I seem to be having at this point is the fact that flash_image cannot see the .img file on my SD card..

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

Yeah it's there, I think the real error here is the fact that when I tried to push it, I got a "Read Only" error, so I manually put the file on the SD card..

read only on the sd card doesn't make a lot of sense. Make sure you don't have your SD card mounted in windows.

does /system/bin/flash_image exist?
Did you get any error when you tried to chmod /system/bin/flash_image?
(Making sure the program to flash it got copied over correctly)

from the adb shell
does /sdcard/recovery-RA-heroc-v1.5.2.img exist?
(Making sure the recovery image is in the right place)

 

[spatel9114]

No, I didn't get any errors. Basically, I got through the entire process but when I get to flash_image recovery recovery-..., it doesn't see the file on my SD card.. And the .img is on my SD card, I am seeing it on my card right now.

EDIT: so when I do /sdcard/recovery-RA-heroc-v1.5.2.img, it says not found. So what I did was completely remove the .img from my SD card and try the push again, and when I tried the adb push line to copy the .img to the card, I got a read-only error.

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

No, I didn't get any errors. Basically, I got through the entire process but when I get to flash_image recovery recovery-..., it doesn't see the file on my SD card.. And the .img is on my SD card, I am seeing it on my card right now.

EDIT: so when I do /sdcard/recovery-RA-heroc-v1.5.2.img, it says not found. So what I did was completely remove the .img from my SD card and try the push again, and when I tried the adb push line to copy the .img to the card, I got a read-only error.

What I would do to troubleshoot
unplug phone from PC
reboot pc
reboot phone
Plug phone back in to pc
check to be sure you have it set as charge only (not as a disk) from the pull down bar.

adb shell
cd /sdcard
mkdir test

if it creates the directory, we're good. That means the card isn't mounted to the pc, and writing to it is working. Then proceed to push the image to your sd card and continue.

The settings when you hook your phone to the PC have changed. Double check that the phone is set to charge only. If this does not work, we can push the image to /data/local/ and skip the sd card completely.

 

[spatel9114]

Ohhh is has to be on charge? I have it on disk mode..

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

Ohhh is has to be on charge? I have it on disk mode..

yep. That's the issue I'll bet. Another change in 2.1 bites us in the ass lol.

 

[spatel9114]

Alright nice, so the .img copied over successfully without read errors, I had no idea it was supposed to be in charge and not disk! Thanks for the help gbhil, will post back after it's all done

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

Alright nice, so the .img copied over successfully without read errors, I had no idea it was supposed to be in charge and not disk! Thanks for the help gbhil, will post back after it's all done

No problem man. Awful glad you got it (I hope lol)

 

[spatel9114]

Okay, so when I go to flash the recovery, I still get no such file in directory! WTF!

I did the adb shell /sdcard to find the file and it says it's there, but permission is denied..

 

[chris droid]

So after reading this thread I'm understanding that if u run 2.1 option 1 ruu you can't root your phone or download the official 2.1 release correct?

 

[Andrew Ruffolo]

So after reading this thread I'm understanding that if u run 2.1 option 1 ruu you can't root your phone or download the official 2.1 release correct?

Technically, it is rooted, but only through ADB on a computer. The safest bet is to Root in 1.5 and flash option 2 or 3 (I would go with 3).

 

[spatel9114]

Technically, it is rooted, but only through ADB on a computer. The safest bet is to Root in 1.5 and flash option 2 or 3 (I would go with 3).

Yeah, I definitely should have done that..

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

Okay, so when I go to flash the recovery, I still get no such file in directory! WTF!

I did the adb shell /sdcard to find the file and it says it's there, but permission is denied..

I'm biting the bullet and running the RUU on my Hero right now.

I'll make sure that there's not something I missed, gimme 15 minutes.

 

[spatel9114]

I'm biting the bullet and running the RUU on my Hero right now.

I'll make sure that there's not something I missed, gimme 15 minutes.

Alright, thanks so much for your help man! I def owe you one (if there's something that I know that you don't..doubt it )

 

[chris droid]

I'm just nervous as I have not done this before and don't want to mess my phone up. I want it to look as stock as possible or my gf who bought me the phone will be pissed that I would have voided the warranty and insurance... I guess I'm stuck like chuck...