[GUIDE] Restore to Stock/Unroot for the Nexus S 4g

**Paul627g** · 04-02-2012, 11:16 AM

Restore to Factory/Unroot for the Nexus S 4g

The method/instructions provided here will restore your device back to stock Gingerbread v2.3.4. Bootloader will be locked & root removed if it was rooted prior. There are other packages floating around but none seem to work as easily as this one. Its bare bones, restore to stock no safety checks, etc to fail or cause issue it just WORKS.

Question: Will this wipe my device?
Answer: Your OS will be reset so you will loose any app data, settings etc. associated with the OS. Your internal sdcard/storage will remain untouched so pictures, music, videos, etc will be fine.

Question: Do I have to reture to stock Gingerbread to receive the OTA update to ICS?
Answer: Yes to receive the OTA update you will need to be running Gingerbread v2.3.7, stock... So using these methods and then allowing your device to update to the latest/final GB will put you into position to receive the ICS update.

Instructions:

Go here and download the package.
Extract the contents to your C:/ drive
From a booted state ( Your phone powered up ), enable debugging from your Settings options and plug in your device.
Click the " run.bat " file and relax for a few minutes.
Your device will be restored to Gingerbread, bootloader locked and unrooted (if previously rooted).

Credit & Thanks to michaelpeerman @ xda developers.

**** (Thanks hlxanthus)

Unroot/restore to factory ICS 4.0.4 see post #4

**Paul627g** · 04-02-2012, 11:17 AM

Mine too.

**michaelsdk** · 04-10-2012, 12:19 PM

Any chance for a direct link to the file(s)? xda-dev is filtered at work, while this site somehow is not. And I have XP at work while I have 7 at home. I rooted from XP, and 7 is just a pain when it comes to the drivers. Any help is appreciated.

**johnnyappleseed** · 04-10-2012, 09:37 PM

Hi -

I've replaced the .img files in the original zip with the .img files from the 4.0.4 factory image.

I was rooted with a custom kernel and CWM and used this to get me to stock and unrooted 4.0.4.

Keep in mind that this should wipe your device, so I would only use this if you cannot install the OTA.

for a one-click install of stock/unrooted 4.0.4

**gandalf1369** · 04-11-2012, 05:47 AM

johnnyappleseed,

Could I use this to install the stock 4.0.4 update if my NS4G is running rooted 2.3.7 and the crespotetherfix?? Because I had applied the crespotetherfix several months ago, neither the OTA nor the manual method of updating to 4.0.4 is working for me.

Thanks

**Paul627g** · 04-11-2012, 06:10 AM

Originally Posted by gandalf1369

johnnyappleseed,

Could I use this to install the stock 4.0.4 update if my NS4G is running rooted 2.3.7 and the crespotetherfix?? Because I had applied the crespotetherfix several months ago, neither the OTA nor the manual method of updating to 4.0.4 is working for me.

Thanks

Yes you can.

This will reset your device to the factory stock images from Google released the other day, ICS 4.0.4

**gandalf1369** · 04-11-2012, 09:23 AM

Thanks Paul . . . Just did it and everything looks good so far. One question - how easy is it to "re-root" ICS 4.0.4?? I would like to get all of my apps working again and a few need super-user access.

Thanks again for your help.

**Paul627g** · 04-11-2012, 09:25 AM

Root is obtained exactly the same way we did on GB... Nothing has changed.. Get it done in a few mins.

**brianmeilicke** · 04-11-2012, 07:55 PM

I keep getting error: device not found message. USB debugging is clearly enabled, not sure what is preventing the program from recognizing my phone. Any suggestions?

**Paul627g** · 04-11-2012, 08:09 PM

Try grabbing PDANet (Google it) for your computer. It will make sure your drivers are properly installed on your computer...

Sounds like a driver issue, possibly a USB cable issue...

**brianmeilicke** · 04-11-2012, 08:22 PM

thanks..... that did it. Seems to be working now.

**avalpert** · 04-11-2012, 10:11 PM

I'm trying to run the restore to 4.0.4 but it hasn't done anything for 10 minutes - the phone is in recovery and the last info on the batch is "sending 'userdata'". Is it supposed to take this long, I'm nervous to interrupt it though I am able to select the option in recovery and am tempted to reboot assuming it will reboot into the same state as before I started the process.

Any advice?

**Paul627g** · 04-11-2012, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by avalpert

I'm trying to run the restore to 4.0.4 but it hasn't done anything for 10 minutes - the phone is in recovery and the last info on the batch is "sending 'userdata'". Is it supposed to take this long, I'm nervous to interrupt it though I am able to select the option in recovery and am tempted to reboot assuming it will reboot into the same state as before I started the process.

Any advice?

I would like to have some good words of advice but I didn't modify this package. Worst case is you pull your battery and see what happens on a reboot.

Next suggestion, just use the original package to go back to Gingerbread v2.3.4 and do the OTA updates to v2.3.5/2.3.7 and finally over to ICS.

**avalpert** · 04-11-2012, 11:13 PM

Originally Posted by Paul627g

I would like to have some good words of advice but I didn't modify this package. Worst case is you pull your battery and see what happens on a reboot.

Next suggestion, just use the original package to go back to Gingerbread v2.3.4 and do the OTA updates to v2.3.5/2.3.7 and finally over to ICS.

Thanks, I took my chances interrupting it and the third time finally got ICS updated. Now I am having trouble running the one-click root (I think it may be my cable that is the problem) it just hangs on waiting for the phone.

**lightyear420** · 04-12-2012, 07:40 AM

you don't have to go all the way down to 2.3.4 anymore. just get the stock 2.3.7 factory image from Google's page and drop it in the one click root folder..... just make sure you name it system.img or it won't work

fyi, you can do the same with the 4.0.4 factory image, as well.

**alrios95** · 04-13-2012, 10:16 PM

I tried this on my phone and it doesn't let me get past the first command line that says sending 'boot' any advice?

I had already flashed the IMM26 ICS leak that came out around late February/early March.

**alrios95** · 04-13-2012, 10:19 PM

Never mind, it was the cable apparently. I'm pretty sure it's working now

**MisterAnonymous** · 04-23-2012, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by michaelsdk

Any chance for a direct link to the file(s)? xda-dev is filtered at work, while this site somehow is not. And I have XP at work while I have 7 at home. I rooted from XP, and 7 is just a pain when it comes to the drivers. Any help is appreciated.

If you download it at home. Put it on a flash drive, and open it on your computer at work.

**Lonesomerocky** · 05-13-2012, 11:56 AM

Will I be able to get all my previously installed apps from Google play after completing the ICS install?

**Ryuuie** · 06-01-2012, 08:19 PM

To do this, do you actually need the drivers for your device? My bf is trying to unroot his phone (he bought it used and it has CM on there which he doesn't want).

Thanks!

**twistedsense** · 06-08-2012, 06:33 PM

Am new to the nexus but not new to rooting or making a phone stock but have a question. Bought a Nexus off ebay and tried to activate it. No go on activation. Sprint tech says it must have corrupted files when/if somebody tried to root it. The phone will boot up to android but i cant get my phone number to attach to it.

Now I cannot get my computer to recognize the phone in fastboot mode. Computer does see it when phone is booted to android though. Will this download of yours replace everything and i mean everything and possibly fix whatever is wrong?

Phone is not currently rooted

Everytime windows try in install the phone when in fastboot mode NONE of the drivers i have located will work.

**twistedsense** · 06-09-2012, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by twistedsense

Am new to the nexus but not new to rooting or making a phone stock but have a question. Bought a Nexus off ebay and tried to activate it. No go on activation. Sprint tech says it must have corrupted files when/if somebody tried to root it. The phone will boot up to android but i cant get my phone number to attach to it.

Now I cannot get my computer to recognize the phone in fastboot mode. Computer does see it when phone is booted to android though. Will this download of yours replace everything and i mean everything and possibly fix whatever is wrong?

Phone is not currently rooted

Everytime windows try in install the phone when in fastboot mode NONE of the drivers i have located will work.

Update:
Got it to work combing steps from another forum. But still have a problem. Apparently what is messed up is the programming mode. When the tech does ##786# the programming mode doesn't appear. What do I need to flash to fix this?

FINAL UPDATE: Got a sprint tech on the phone that knew what they were doing. Phone now works. to access programming MSID took *#*#976879#*#* Hope that code helps someone else
Sent from my SPH-M920 using Tapatalk 2

**IcerC** · 07-26-2012, 12:42 AM

I bought a nexus s 4g and did a swap on sprint and the ##786# didn't do anything but *#*#72786#*#* did. Just in case someone needs it.

**JordanTheGreat311** · 08-01-2012, 09:55 PM

SOMEBODY HELP ME!
I need to take my phone to the sprint store and Im trying to unroot. But when I hit Y it says "boot.img" could not be found, and that my phone is not a nexus s 4g. What do I do?

**Paul627g** · 08-01-2012, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by JordanTheGreat311

SOMEBODY HELP ME!
I need to take my phone to the sprint store and Im trying to unroot. But when I hit Y it says "boot.img" could not be found, and that my phone is not a nexus s 4g. What do I do?

Which package did you attempt to use? I would recommend the older original package I have listed. Once it works you can OTA update to ICS or leave it like it is, Sprint will accept it because its official OS.