How can I get my Nexus 4 back to stock (with gapps) without CWM?

[jpcairns]

Hi everyone - thanks in advance for your help.

I have tried to get 4.4 paranoid android running on my nexus 4 - however, CWM is not working (can't enter CWM recovery [just stock recovery], nor can I flash it in ROM Manager -- it says "an error occurred while flashing your recovery"), and I do not have any of the google apps installed as a result in trying to get paranoid android going but running into these CWM issues.

I have not gone into this stuff for many years (did it on an old xperia), but unfortunately got into this whole mess when I bought this nexus which I didn't realize until after was rooted. Anyhow, can someone please provide a link with a straight-forward step-by-step process for how I can get this phone working again, back to stock, with google apps and everything? In simple terms would be great, from start to finish. Because as of right now, without google apps or being able to download anything, this is essentially useless. I'm in quite a bind.

I really do apologize in advance for my amateur knowledge coming into this. In essence, I am simply trying to get around issues that came up after having bought a rooted nexus 4. But now in flashing Paranoid Android CWM won't work and I can't flash any google apps as a result.

Thank you, thank you, and thank you.

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

Are you sure it's rooted? It sounds like it's not.

Anyway, here's a guide for flashing a factory image.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=223923

Good luck.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[jpcairns]

Are you sure it's rooted? It sounds like it's not.

Anyway, here's a guide for flashing a factory image.
[GUIDE] Nexus 4 - Factory Image Restore - Android Forums at AndroidCentral.com
Good luck.

Thanks for the link. It is possible I lost root - is there an easy way to check without downloading an app (as for the most part, I cannot download apps)?
Another individual told me to simply follow this: [TUTORIAL] Nexus 4 update to 4.4 KitKat without installing custom recovery - xda-developers
But it's much more simplified than yours. Would the short one work if I currently have Paranoid Android 4.4 on my phone and can't flash CWM? Or should I stick to the one you posted, with the only difference being is one gets me to the stock ROM while your link will actually enable me to be fully stock and get future updates over the air?

 

[jpcairns]

Are you sure it's rooted? It sounds like it's not.

Anyway, here's a guide for flashing a factory image.

[GUIDE] Nexus 4 - Factory Image Restore - Android Forums at AndroidCentral.com

Good luck.

Posted via Android Central App

Thank you, thank you, and thank you. That worked perfectly, and I am good to go!

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

Thank you, thank you, and thank you. That worked perfectly, and I am good to go!

You're very Welcome, glad you got it sorted!

And yes, that other link is essentially the same thing, but it assumes prior knowledge and that everything like ADB is set up properly, and to be honest if that's the case you probably wouldn't need the guide in the first place lol.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[walkonby]

that other link is essentially the same thing, but it assumes prior knowledge and that everything like ADB is set up properly, and to be honest if that's the case you probably wouldn't need the guide in the first place lol.

They both assume prior knowledge of ADB and fastboot! I've been at this for 15 hours and am stuck on step 2 because fastboot isn't doing anything. I just get no response, or else "waiting for device". As for ADB, after 15 hours I still have no idea what to do with it.

Meanwhile my phone is bricked since Cyanogenmod disabled the phone dialer keys. Although everything else is fine.

 

[Nerf72]

You running windows 8 on usb3 by chance?

 

[walkonby]

You running windows 8 on usb3 by chance?

Win 7 Pro 64 bit. Nexus 4. The forums are full posts saying "make sure you have ADB and fastboot running" but I can't find any trace of an explanation of what that means.

When I click on adb-windows.exe or fastboot-windows.exe a command window pops up for half a second with a ton of lines zipping through it.

 

[Nerf72]

http://lifehacker.com/the-easiest-way-to-install-androids-adb-and-fastboot-to-1586992378

Don't panic. Have a read of adb.

You need to be in fastboot mode on your phone. Open the command window in windows , plug your phone in, go to the folder where fastboot.exe is and start there.

Read thrice, And leap once

 

[gone down south]

Wugs toolkit is the easiest way to fix that kind of problem

 

[walkonby]

Wugs toolkit is the easiest way to fix that kind of problem

That's what I was using, and it didn't get me anywhere. I did the whole procedure and all it seems to have done is install Super SU and Busy Box and didn't touch the OS (Cyanogenmod).

What I am trying to do is completely 100% erase Cyanogenmod and bring the phone back to the state it was the day I bought it- which, I hasten to point out, is absolutely NOT a so-called factory reset - surely the most wrongly named function in the history of computing.

 

[Nerf72]

Use ADB. Side load custom recovery. Full wipe. Load correct ROM. Flash. Win

 

[walkonby]

Use ADB. Side load custom recovery. Full wipe. Load correct ROM. Flash. Win

I don't understand anything in that post except the word "use". Sorry.

 

[walkonby]

This worked and did exactly what I needed. Thanks -

lifehacker DOT com/the-easiest-way-to-install-androids-adb-and-fastboot-to-1586992378

go to the folder where fastboot.exe is and start there.

but "start there" wouldn't have been any help. Start what?

Read thrice, And leap once

I'm afraid no amount of reading is going to be much help as long as the term 'factory restore' doesn't even remotely do anything like restoring a phone to factory state. I never would have rooted if I'd known that. (It even left my photos on the phone - never mind restore the OS!)

 

[Nerf72]

Factory restore is null if you OS is borked.

Its not easy to fix a buggered ROM. Go to XDa, sign up, go to the EXACT CORRECT forum for your model and post a "Help!" Post. They should walk you through it.

 

[walkonby]

Factory restore worked. What I was saying - sorry, wasn't clear - is that it does not in fact restore to a factory state in any sense of the word. All it does is remove apps and settings - it even left all my photos on the phone! WTF - there is no universe where that could be considered "factory".

Anyway, "Minimal ADB and Fastboot" solved the problem and I was able to reinstall the stock image so now my phone really is like it was when it left to factory, which is what I wanted. Meanwhile I'm trying to wrap my head around how easy it is to install Cyanomgenmod (one installer, a few clicks, takes 5 minutes) but so difficult to remove it (~15 hours of research in forums, a few dozen steps).

 

[Nerf72]