PSA: Do Not Accept the OTA if You Are Rooted

[kbp08tls]

Seasoned vets know by now to never accept OTA's on a rooted phone. Those new to the rooted world, take note.

If you are rooted, but haven't unlocked or installed a custom recovery, HOLD TIGHT. DO NOT take the OTA unless you want to lose root for an undetermined amount of time (days, weeks, ???). There are currently no root methods that I know of yet for the new update.

If you are thinking about using a root keeper, DON'T RISK IT. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

If you're rooted, unlocked, and have custom recovery, but still running the stock ROM, flash the updated rooted stock ROM here: http://forums.androidcentral.com/htc-evo-4g-lte-rooting-roms-hacks/189078-rom-stock-rooted-1-22-651-3-7-12-12-a.html#post1953211

If you have a custom ROM flashed, hold tight and follow your particular ROM developer's instructions for the update.

I know this should be in the Rooting Roms and Hacks subforum, but there's very little traffic there and I don't want anyone to bork their phone because they didn't know better.


It's becoming clear that the update in the bootloader has closed the s-off exploit, and splashes and radios are no longer flashable in recovery.
It's also clear that the update "fixes" current root exploits. Zedomax and regaw (root fails, HTC unlock works) are confirmed not working after OTA.
Rootkeepers are flaky. Don't trust them. Period.

 

[Tical]

Seasoned vets know by now to never accept OTA's on a rooted phone. Those new to the rooted world, take note....

I just replied as much in another thread. I think part of the problem has been the ease of rooting and the proliferation of 'one click' solutions. These are VERY convenient. But I wonder if that convenience comes at the cost of most users having little to no understanding of what they are doing. People will throw out 'just root it' off the cuff, not explaining that it effectively takes you off of the official channels for updates/fixes. For the more knowledgeable, that's the entire point... But for others, I'm not convinced, it might be doing more harm than good that it's been made so easy and suggested so nonchalantly... </random thoughts>

Great idea to set up the PSA though. Good Karma.

 

[DougB541#CB]

Good tip, its actually the main reason I haven't rooted yet, i was waiting on the first update or so.

 

[digmys]

It won't "bork" your phone. It just won't flash. No one that doesn't know better will hurt their phone trying.

 

[KMyers]

We need to separate the differences between rooted and custom recovery. They are 2 different things.

You CAN root and have a stock recovery. In my case this is how I have it setup. I did apply the OTA and it simply breaks root.

If you are rooted and have a custom recovery, then wait for an update .zip file to be leaked.

 

[bpdamas]

We need to separate the differences between rooted and custom recovery. They are 2 different things.

You CAN root and have a stock recovery. In my case this is how I have it setup. I did apply the OTA and it simply breaks root.

If you are rooted and have a custom recovery, then wait for an update .zip file to be leaked.

So, since you accepted the OTA and it breaks root, if you were s-off in theory, all you would have to do is after you accept the OTA is the following:

1. Flash a custom recovery through the hboot with fastboot usb
2. Flash the superuser app again

The only reason I say this because this is exactly what I did every time an update came out on my EVO 3D with revolutionary s-off. Either way I might try and accept the OTA update and see if s-off retains. If it does, the above method should work no problem. Anyone have any thoughts?

Here is a link to show how to accept OTA updates.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/ht...ate-if-youve-unrevoked-forever-heres-how.html

 

[bpdamas]

It won't "bork" your phone. It just won't flash. No one that doesn't know better will hurt their phone trying.

It can and will flash with a stock recovery.

To get a stock recovery, see here:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1228648

 

[mazzmoney95]

After spending a year with a non rooted EVO 3D, I totally forgot and did the update. Nothing happened because it would just bring me to recovery.

 

[kbp08tls]

Thanks all for the clarifications. I'm personally going to hold off until I see a fair number of reports on all of the different combinations of root, recovery, locked/unlocked, s-on/s-off before I make a final judgment on taking the OTA. Or until a known safe rooted update.zip is posted.

It still stands that UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, you should not take an OTA on a rooted phone before it is judged safe to do so.

 

[bpdamas]

It still stands that UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, you should not take an OTA on a rooted phone before it is judged safe to do so.

Agreed. I think that is definitely something to go by.

 

[kronosqq]

Just tried the OTA on mine, root, lazy panda s-off, and CWM recovery. It just doesn't flash the update.

Sent from my EVO using Android Central Forums

 

[chud]

Being rooted and being unlocked with a custom recovery are two wildly different things.

If you are rooted but not unlocked, go ahead and take the OTA and just reroot. It's not like you can just flash anything anyway if you only have root access.

If you are unlocked and rooted then wait for a flashable .zip of the update or wait for your favorite ROM to be updated.

 

[bpdamas]

Just tried the OTA on mine, root, lazy panda s-off, and CWM recovery. It just doesn't flash the update.

Sent from my EVO using Android Central Forums

I more than likely fails only because you are running a custom recovery. See the following link to create your own stock recovery, flash the stock recovery through fastboot, and then try to apply the update if you really want to. However, I wouldn't recommend it since you could lose root and s-off.

[GUIDE] Get Stock Recovery/Install OTA Updates without losing data. - xda-developers

 

[kronosqq]

I more than likely fails only because you are running a custom recovery. See the following link to create your own stock recovery, flash the stock recovery through fastboot, and then try to apply the update if you really want to. However, I wouldn't recommend it since you could lose root and s-off.

[GUIDE] Get Stock Recovery/Install OTA Updates without losing data. - xda-developers

Yeah, I'm probably going to hold off. Google wallet for me would be cool but is by no means a necessity.

Sent from my EVO using Android Central Forums

 

[bpdamas]

Yeah, I'm probably going to hold off. Google wallet for me would be cool but is by no means a necessity.

Sent from my EVO using Android Central Forums

Probably a good idea. I haven't decided if I want to install it or not. I have it downloaded and have it waiting in my download bar.

 

[blckz28]

I'm rooted with stock rom and stock recovery. The update fails for me. After the phone reboots the update starts to load and then comes to the ! icon. Holding down the power button gets you back up as if nothing happened. Might have to unroot to get this update?

 

[ReproOne]

If you are just rooted to use wifi tether, for example, can you apply the OTA update and use RootKeeper to get it back?

 

[bpdamas]

I'm rooted with stock rom and stock recovery. The update fails for me. After the phone reboots the update starts to load and then comes to the ! icon. Holding down the power button gets you back up as if nothing happened. Might have to unroot to get this update?

Hmmmm ... that seems somewhat strange especially with a stock recovery. Are you s-off? Did you ever flash a custom recovery or ROM?

 

[blckz28]

Hmmmm ... that seems somewhat strange especially with a stock recovery. Are you s-off? Did you ever flash a custom recovery or ROM?

Nope, S-On and have never flashed another recovery or rom. I did just unroot it and my update still fails.

 

[ReproOne]

Wonder if you could use RootKeeper, temp unroot, apply update, and then restore root?