Nexus 4 failing to update to 4.3 (extreme noob here)

[liluz123]

My Nexus 4 keeps prompting a 4.3 update and downloads it, but then restarts to clockwork recovery mod, where it says "install untrusted zip?" I say yes, and it brings me to another screen where it gives me options including "install from sideload," etc. I'm scared to do any of these things because I don't know what they are - I bought this phone from someone and it already had Clockwork and Super SU on it. I tell it to reboot and it reboots to 4.2 - no update.

Help! I really want to update to 4.3 but I'm not a sophisticated user and am hoping this won't take up my whole day. Does this mean I'm rooted? Should I unroot and if so, will I have to wipe my phone?

Thanks for any help!!!!

 

[mattopotamus]

You have to be on stock recovery in order for the update to install. Your best bet is to download the nexus 4 toolkit and restore to factory settings. Download the toolkit from here
[NEXUS 4 TOOLKIT V2.0.0] Drivers, Backup, Unlock, Root, Recovery, Flash, Mods + MORE - xda-developers

 

[liluz123]

Is this my only option? I believe Android has updated on my phone before, though I could be wrong. And do I need a PC to do this? I only have a Chromebook.

 

[jdbii]

You have to be on stock recovery in order for the update to install. Your best bet is to download the nexus 4 toolkit and restore to factory settings. Download the toolkit from here
[NEXUS 4 TOOLKIT V2.0.0] Drivers, Backup, Unlock, Root, Recovery, Flash, Mods + MORE - xda-developers

Do you need to go this route (download the N4 toolkit) to do a factory reset? Couldn't one just do a hard reset or the factory reset feature in settings without downloading toolkit and then just patiently wait for the 4.3 OTA (over the air) update?

liluz123, if you need to download the toolkit I'm pretty sure you do need a PC and download the toolkit to the PC and then transfer via micro-USB to your N4, but maybe somebody will correct me if I am wrong.

 

[liluz123]

I'm fine with doing a hard reset and waiting but will that unroot my device and make the update easier?

 

[jdbii]

I'm fine with doing a hard reset and waiting but will that unroot my device and make the update easier?

A hard reset won't unroot your device. It just restores it to factory condition. I don't know if there is a difference to resetting to factory reset in the phones settings-menu or doing the alternative method explained in the bottom-half of this page here on Google Help: https://support.google.com/nexus/4/answer/2936226?hl=en.

I've always done it the alternative method without issue, but I never unrooted my phone, unlocked the bootloader, or made any other modifications to the OS. What I don't know in your case is whether or not you put some custom ROM on it, or made some other modification that would interfere with a hard reset. If you didn't mod your phones OS then a hard reset will work fine and follow the guide I posted above or do it in the settings. If you did mod your phone, I would wait for somebody else to chime in and tell you that it is okay to hard reset or what to do.

 

[jdbii]

I'm fine with doing a hard reset and waiting but will that unroot my device and make the update easier?

Actually, I might be mixing up my terms "unroot" and "root." Maybe if you've rooted your device then a hard reset will unroot it. I don't quite understand the terminology and mix them up, but if you are able to hard reset your phone, then it will be quite easy updating to 4.3. You'll just have to be patient and wait for the OTA (over the air update) and it probably wouldn't be more than a few days or a week at most. I just don't know if rooting your device in some way interferes with resetting your phone. For instance, if you have to unroot before you can do a factory reset.

 

[mattopotamus]

a hard reset will not unroot your device. You can be rooted and still get the OTA, but your issue is clockwork. It needs to be the stock recovery and clockwork is not the stock recovery. Use the toolkit to flash the stock recovery and then when you do the OTA it will unroot your device.

 

[liluz123]

Forgive my ignorance - what does "flash the stock recovery" mean? Install it? Can I just uninstall Clockwork?

 

[Rizy7]

You are rooted.. Just download the OTA zip to your computer, transfer it to your phone and flash it through cwm

 

[jdbii]

Forgive my ignorance - what does "flash the stock recovery" mean? Install it? Can I just uninstall Clockwork?

No problem. This stuff is hard for 95 percent of the population. Only phone geeks can do this stuff easy, and they've spent countless hours learning how.

That means re-installing the operating system that was first installed at the factory. "Stock" just means the phone default operating system sort of like Windows 8 or Windows 7 would be the default operating system of a pc if your new pc came with one of those operating system's pre-installed when it arrived on your doorstep.

@mattopotamus posted the link to how to do it in the second post above in this thread. I took a look at it and it looks pretty daunting to me though I'm very much a noob myself in these matters. You might need a friend who has a bit of experience give you a hand flashing your N4 back to the stock OS, or there might be easier step-by-step guides that somebody will recommend.

I don't think you uninstall Clockwork. I think what happens is that when you reinstall the stock operating system, one of the steps is wiping (erasing) clean and reformatting your phone's hard drive. And then you'll load the stock operating system via micro-usb from a pc to your device. But that is beyond my expertise and you'll need somebody go through it with you if you can't follow the guide @mattopotamus posted above. [NEXUS 4 TOOLKIT V2.0.0] Drivers, Backup, Unlock, Root, Recovery, Flash, Mods + MORE - xda-developers

 

[liluz123]

Thanks, Rizy7 - how do I "flash it" through CWM?

 

[jdbii]

You are rooted.. Just download the OTA zip to your computer, transfer it to your phone and flash it through cwm

Could you recommend a link to an easy step-by-step guide for this? The thing is, a noob can't be expected to do something like this very easily unless they already have a strong foundation in tech know-how. I don't even know if I could do this very easily. For instance, how do you even unpack a zip downloaded on your device? (You don't have to explain, I was just using that as an example of how hard these things can be when you've never done it before).

 

[mattopotamus]

No problem. This stuff is hard for 95 percent of the population. Only phone geeks can do this stuff easy, and they've spent countless hours learning how.

That means re-installing the operating system that was first installed at the factory. "Stock" just means the phone default operating system sort of like Windows 8 or Windows 7 would be the default operating system of a pc if your new pc came with one of those operating system's pre-installed when it arrived on your doorstep.

@mattopotamus posted the link to how to do it in the second post above in this thread. I took a look at it and it looks pretty daunting to me though I'm very much a noob myself in these matters. You might need a friend who has a bit of experience give you a hand flashing your N4 back to the stock OS, or there might be easier step-by-step guides that somebody will recommend.

I don't think you uninstall Clockwork. I think what happens is that when you reinstall the stock operating system, one of the steps is wiping (erasing) clean and reformatting your phone's hard drive. And then you'll load the stock operating system via micro-usb from a pc to your device. But that is beyond my expertise and you'll need somebody go through it with you if you can't follow the guide @mattopotamus posted above. [NEXUS 4 TOOLKIT V2.0.0] Drivers, Backup, Unlock, Root, Recovery, Flash, Mods + MORE - xda-developers

I wouldn't read the guide in the link I posted. Just download the toolkit. It will ask you what version you are running, in his case 4.2.2. You literally just type the number of what you want to do. the screenshots with the green writing shows what is inside the toolkit. Hook the phone to your computer, boot into fastboot (hold the power and volume down button at the same time while the phone is off), choose 13 if you are on 4.2.2, then choose 6, and then you are done. the phone will reboot with the stock recovery installed.

After you update you will not longer be rooted. IMO that is the best way for someone who is not familiar with flashing roms or does not have the time to tinker.

 

[Rizy7]

Thanks, Rizy7 - how do I "flash it" through CWM?

Could you recommend a link to an easy step-by-step guide for this? The thing is, a noob can't be expected to do something like this very easily unless they already have a strong foundation in tech know-how. I don't even know if I could do this very easily. For instance, how do you even unpack a zip downloaded on your device? (You don't have to explain, I was just using that as an example of how hard these things can be when you've never done it before).

OTA Help Desk

1. On your phone go to settings and about phone. Find Build Number
2. Click on the link and download the file which corresponds to your build number to your computer
3. Once the download is completed, plug in your device to the computer and copy the file anywhere to your device. Downloads is probably the best place.
4. After transferring file, boot into recovery. Do this by powering off your device and then holding the power button and volume down button at the same time. You should see an android. Use your arrow keys to find boot recovery and use power to select it.
5. Once in recovery you should have an option that says install, you might need to use your volume keys and power button to select it. Find the download folder and find the zip.
6. Install (flash) the zip.
7. Wait for it to install then select reboot
8. You should now have 4.3!

 

[mattopotamus]

OTA Help Desk

1. On your phone go to settings and about phone. Find Build Number
2. Click on the link and download the file which corresponds to your build number to your computer
3. Once the download is completed, plug in your device to the computer and copy the file anywhere to your device. Downloads is probably the best place.
4. After transferring file, boot into recovery. Do this by powering off your device and then holding the power button and volume down button at the same time. You should see an android. Use your arrow keys to find boot recovery and use power to select it.
5. Once in recovery you should have an option that says install, you might need to use your volume keys and power button to select it. Find the download folder and find the zip.
6. Install (flash) the zip.
7. Wait for it to install then select reboot
8. You should now have 4.3!

I was going to post how to flash the rom, but could not find the link for the 4.3 ones, so said screw it haha. Also for people looking to learn how to root manually (not using a toolkit) this is a great website Android 4.3 ROM + Root for Nexus 4! | Nexus4Root.com

 

[liluz123]

Thanks so much everyone - I will try this and report back!

 

[eljoaquin]

OTA Help Desk

1. On your phone go to settings and about phone. Find Build Number
2. Click on the link and download the file which corresponds to your build number to your computer
3. Once the download is completed, plug in your device to the computer and copy the file anywhere to your device. Downloads is probably the best place.
4. After transferring file, boot into recovery. Do this by powering off your device and then holding the power button and volume down button at the same time. You should see an android. Use your arrow keys to find boot recovery and use power to select it.
5. Once in recovery you should have an option that says install, you might need to use your volume keys and power button to select it. Find the download folder and find the zip.
6. Install (flash) the zip.
7. Wait for it to install then select reboot
8. You should now have 4.3!

This simple breakdown is much appreciated. I followed step by step, but my phone will not flash the zip.

Edit: Tried the link from Nexus4Root.com and it seems to have worked.

 

[PhoenixMike]

I have the same issue. Tried installing the OTA and get asked about installing untrusted file. I proceed and the installation fails. Boots back into Android 4.2.

I first tried downloading the OTA manually and trying to flash, but again it fails. Only this time the OS now needs to optimize (or something like that) for all apps before loading up normally.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Rizy7]

This simple breakdown is much appreciated. I followed step by step, but my phone will not flash the zip.
Edit: Tried the link from Nexus4Root.com and it seems to have worked.

What was different in the link from nexus4root.com? I think if you downloaded the rom from the website and that worked instead of the update then it would be because you had some kind of modifications besides cwm. The update checks the phone to see if any system files have been modified or removed and wont install if it is the case. I believe the rom you downloaded was a full rom so just installed with no problems.

I have the same issue. Tried installing the OTA and get asked about installing untrusted file. I proceed and the installation fails. Boots back into Android 4.2.

I first tried downloading the OTA manually and trying to flash, but again it fails. Only this time the OS now needs to optimize (or something like that) for all apps before loading up normally.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

You downloaded the update separately using a pc? You sure no other system files have not been changed?