[Q] Root with unlocked bootloader - is 4.4.2 ok? - Moto X Q&A

I apologize if this has been covered already. I've looked around, and there's quite a bit of information to sift through on the Moto X.
The device is the "GSM unlocked" version from their website. It is on Android 4.4.
I unlocked the bootloader.
Here's the question: If I install the 4.4.2 OTA, will I still be able to install TWRP and root the phone?

Danation said:
I apologize if this has been covered already. I've looked around, and there's quite a bit of information to sift through on the Moto X.
The device is the "GSM unlocked" version from their website. It is on Android 4.4.
I unlocked the bootloader.
Here's the question: If I install the 4.4.2 OTA, will I still be able to install TWRP and root the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I didn't look hard enough. I found the answer, and the answer is yes. It worked just fine.

Danation said:
I guess I didn't look hard enough. I found the answer, and the answer is yes. It worked just fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am probably the wrong person to be giving advice because I am not an Android techie but all that I can tell you is that I did it and my phone is now on 4.4.2 and is still unlocked with TWRP and is rooted.
However, I did go through the anxiety of thinking that I had bricked my new phone when I took the 4.4.2 OTA and the phone went into an endless loop at startup.
To recover the device, I flashed back the latest firmware and then took the OTA and re-installed TWRP and rooting.
However, someone corrected me and gave a better advice for taking the 4.4.2 update via OTA.
Here is the link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-x/moto-x-qa/endless-bootloop-doing-ota-to-4-4-2-t2672438
Pat

patspdaphone said:
I am probably the wrong person to be giving advice because I am not an Android techie but all that I can tell you is that I did it and my phone is now on 4.4.2 and is still unlocked with TWRP and is rooted.
However, I did go through the anxiety of thinking that I had bricked my new phone when I took the 4.4.2 OTA and the phone went into an endless loop at startup.
To recover the device, I flashed back the latest firmware and then took the OTA and re-installed TWRP and rooting.
However, someone corrected me and gave a better advice for taking the 4.4.2 update via OTA.
Here is the link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-x/moto-x-qa/endless-bootloop-doing-ota-to-4-4-2-t2672438
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know, thanks.

Related

Tmobile Moto-x 4.2.2->root->4.4

I just received my Moto-X today with Android 4.2.2.
It wanted to do an OTA update to 4.4 which I postponed.
I'd like to get root, then apply 4.4 and keep root. For now I'm not looking to run a custom ROM, I just want to be able to use Titanium Backup, Adblock and things like that.
Please let me know what's the best way to do this.
Thanks!
Mark
Lucky, mine came with 4.4. Seems like a pain to root.
Unlock the bootloader, flash twrp and get superuser. Seems like the easy route to take for you.
RenSoAbrupt said:
Unlock the bootloader, flash twrp and get superuser. Seems like the easy route to take for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks very much for your help!
I have rooted my last three phones before so I am not a complete noob. That said, I have done it so infrequently, I really appreciate the help or any detailed instructions so that I don't go and brick it.
Here's what I found out. Please let me know what I've forgotten or misunderstood:
1. Get bootloader unlock from Motorola. Even though I don't have a dev edition, they will provide this to me because I have a paid-for TMobile Phone. https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/standalone/bootloader/unlock-your-device-b
2. Moto-X TWRP from here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2424110
3. For Superuser, I found http://dottech.org/126773/how-to-root-moto-x-android-guide/ this is for CWM but I'm thinking it should still be good for TWRP?
Did I miss anything there?
Can I take the OTA updates included 4.4 or need to do something else manually?
Thanks much!
Mark
markd89 said:
Thanks very much for your help!
I have rooted my last three phones before so I am not a complete noob. That said, I have done it so infrequently, I really appreciate the help or any detailed instructions so that I don't go and brick it.
Here's what I found out. Please let me know what I've forgotten or misunderstood:
1. Get bootloader unlock from Motorola. Even though I don't have a dev edition, they will provide this to me because I have a paid-for TMobile Phone. https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/standalone/bootloader/unlock-your-device-b
2. Moto-X TWRP from here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2424110
3. For Superuser, I found http://dottech.org/126773/how-to-root-moto-x-android-guide/ this is for CWM but I'm thinking it should still be good for TWRP?
Did I miss anything there?
Can I take the OTA updates included 4.4 or need to do something else manually?
Thanks much!
Mark
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dev edition and T Mobile are the same. One thing though. It is recommended to use the Motorola Fastboot Utility. Though you won't keep root if you're on 4.2 by doing this method. So unlock the BL then take the OTA update. After that flash TWRP and then install superuser. And you're good to go.
markd89 said:
Thanks very much for your help!
I have rooted my last three phones before so I am not a complete noob. That said, I have done it so infrequently, I really appreciate the help or any detailed instructions so that I don't go and brick it.
Here's what I found out. Please let me know what I've forgotten or misunderstood:
1. Get bootloader unlock from Motorola. Even though I don't have a dev edition, they will provide this to me because I have a paid-for TMobile Phone. https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/standalone/bootloader/unlock-your-device-b
2. Moto-X TWRP from here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2424110
3. For Superuser, I found http://dottech.org/126773/how-to-root-moto-x-android-guide/ this is for CWM but I'm thinking it should still be good for TWRP?
Did I miss anything there?
Can I take the OTA updates included 4.4 or need to do something else manually?
Thanks much!
Mark
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flash this SuperSU on recovery: http://download.chainfire.eu/supersu

[Q] Back-ups When Rooting

So I am planning on rooting my Verizon Moto Maker locked bootloader Moto X running 4.4 before the 4.4.2 OTA gets pushed and I want to safely stay rooted. Here is what I am planning on doing and please correct me if I am wrong or doing things unnecessarily:
1) Save my custom wallpaper using these instructions:
How to Pull Custom Wallpaper
2) Root using Slap My Moto method
- here it the 4.4 OTA if 4.4.2 has already come out by the time I do this
Verizon 4.4 OTA
3) Make an EFS b/u
4) Install Titanium b/u and make a post-root b/u
5) Use Titanium b/u to freeze MotorolaOTA so that the 4.4.2 OTA won't be pushed to my device
- will freezing MotorolaOTA stop the OTA from being downloaded or will it just stop the notification popup?
6) Uninstall Motorola Device Manager from my PC so that it won't try to upgrade my phone's OS every time I connect my phone to my PC
- is there any way to stop MDM from checking for updates without uninstalling it?
- will I lose the Motorola drivers for my Moto X if I uninstall MDM?
Also when am I supposed to wipe my dalvik cache wrt back ups and rooting? Am I supposed to clear any other cache or data anywhere along the way?
Then after I root, I can selectively flash the 4.4.2 update:
Slap My Moto Page 150
Important Warning Before Flashing 4.4.2 Page 15
System.img, boot.img, non-hlos.bin and fsg.mbn
Cozume said:
So I am planning on rooting my Verizon Moto Maker locked bootloader Moto X running 4.4 before the 4.4.2 OTA gets pushed and I want to safely stay rooted. Here is what I am planning on doing and please correct me if I am wrong or doing things unnecessarily:
1) Flash TWRP and boot into it to make a pre-root nandroid b/u
- I know the custom recovery won't stick when I reboot, just doing it to make a pre-root b/u
- is this necessary as long as the sbf firmware is available?
2) Root using Slap My Moto method
3) Make an EFS b/u
4) Install Titanium b/u and make a post-root b/u
5) Use Titanium b/u to freeze MotorolaOTA so that the OTA won't be pushed to my device
- will freezing MotorolaOTA stop the OTA from being downloaded or will it just stop the notification popup?
6) Uninstall Motorola Device Manager from my PC so that it won't try to upgrade my phone's OS every time I connect my phone to my PC
- is there any way to stop MDM from checking for updates without uninstalling it?
- will I lose the Motorola drivers for my Moto X if I uninstall MDM?
Also when am I supposed to wipe my dalvik cache wrt back ups and rooting? Am I supposed to clear any other cache or data anywhere along the way?
Also, I can't hit the thanks button anymore today but if you help me I will come back tomorrow and hit it, I promise!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashing twrp while having a locked boot loader? Idk
Sent on my Gummy running Lenoto X
flashallthetime said:
Flashing twrp while having a locked boot loader? Idk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for pointing that out. I read that on a site about backing up that I could do that if I wasn't rooted, but it didn't specify I had to have an unlocked bootloader to do it.
Seriously I am thanking you but I hope you see it from the point of noobs like me, too. I really am reading and trying but that very basic point went over my head. There is so much to try to absorb when you are learning that sometimes the very basic stuff gets missed.
And I am trying to learn both unlocked and locked bootloader methods and not always keeping it straight in my head.
Cozume said:
Thanks for pointing that out. I read that on a site about backing up that I could do that if I wasn't rooted, but it didn't specify I had to have an unlocked bootloader to do it.
Seriously I am thanking you but I hope you see it from the point of noobs like me, too. I really am reading and trying but that very basic point went over my head. There is so much to try to absorb when you are learning that sometimes the very basic stuff gets missed.
And I am trying to learn both unlocked and locked bootloader methods and not always keeping it straight in my head.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well good! you're on the right track. 3 best pieces of advice here:
1. Search first
2. Read alot (yes even some long threads with several pages)
3. Then Q & A is here for you.
Glad you're being safe with your exepnsive device, some noobs usually shoot first ask questions later.
Cozume said:
Thanks for pointing that out. I read that on a site about backing up that I could do that if I wasn't rooted, but it didn't specify I had to have an unlocked bootloader to do it.
Seriously I am thanking you but I hope you see it from the point of noobs like me, too. I really am reading and trying but that very basic point went over my head. There is so much to try to absorb when you are learning that sometimes the very basic stuff gets missed.
And I am trying to learn both unlocked and locked bootloader methods and not always keeping it straight in my head.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashing a custom recovery always requires a unlocked boot loader, On a more serious note, I would wait for the Verizon ota to arrive and see how folks manage to root their phones, if its possible?
Sent on my Gummy running Lenoto X
flashallthetime said:
On a more serious note, I would wait for the Verizon ota to arrive and see how folks manage to root their phones, if its possible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want to do it now in case the exploit is closed forever in 4.4.2. Then if someone comes up with a new way to root 4.4.2, I can unroot, revert to stock and take the update then, right?
Cozume said:
I want to do it now in case the exploit is closed forever in 4.4.2. Then if someone comes up with a new way to root 4.4.2, I can unroot, revert to stock and take the update then, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, wait and see what happens, it makes sense flash 4.4.2 now, it won't make any difference now or later, second point is, you can not flash the 4.4.2 sbf firmware as Verizon's version is not available why?,your boot loader is locked, you not flash any sbf with a locked. boot loader, you can ONLY flash your specific carriers sbf firmware. Read please. I have 6 months of moto x experience behind me, been here from day 1
Sent on my Gummy running Lenoto X
My advice. Root it now, wait it out. If they can't come up with an exploit for 4.4.2, sell your phone, get a developer edition then you can do whatever you want.
MotoX Developer Edition went from German 4.4.2 to Great Britain 4.4.2 to T-Mobile 4.4.2 no problem. Fastboot FTW!
SymbioticGenius said:
My advice. Root it now, wait it out. If they can't come up with an exploit for 4.4.2, sell your phone, get a developer edition then you can do whatever you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, but it will cause me great sadness to sell my beautiful wood backed baby!!!
flashallthetime said:
it won't make any difference now or later
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, yes it would because if I take the OTA then I won't be rooted unless someone finds an exploit for 4.4.2 and I will never be rooted if someone doesn't.
flashallthetime said:
i
, second point is, you can not flash the 4.4.2 sbf firmware as Verizon's version is not available why?,your boot loader is locked, you not flash any sbf with a locked. boot loader, you can ONLY flash your specific carriers sbf firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am getting confused now. If I stay on 4.4 rooted and something happens to my device, can I or can't I flash the sbf for Verizon 4.4 with a locked bootloader to restore my device?
Maybe I wasn't clear but my plan is to root on 4.4 and stay there by freezing MotorolaOTA, which is the app that installs the updates and sends the annoying message. I was going to stay on 4.4 rooted and not upgrade to 4.4.2 unless someone can come up with a way to root it with a locked bootloader.
Cozume said:
yeah, that is my plan. But it will cause me great sadness to sell my beautiful wood backed baby!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go for it root it now, I have no idea which sbf firmware you can flash that won't brick your device and I guess we'll see you back with the developer edition. Did you read my previous post? Is Verizon's or at&t 4.4.2 firmware available? Not last time I checked. Locked bootloaders can not flash any sbf firmware only your specific carriers sbf firmware can be flashed
Sent on my Gummy running Lenoto X
flashallthetime said:
Go for it root it now, I have no idea which sbf firmware you can flash that won't brick your device and I guess we'll see you back with the developer edition. Did you read my previous post? Is Verizon's or at&t 4.4.2 firmware available? Not last time I checked. Locked bootloaders can not flash any sbf firmware only your specific carriers sbf firmware can be flashed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you read my previous post:
My Previous Post
My plan is to NEVER flash 4.4.2 unless someone can root 4.4.2. Then I would unroot and take the OTA, not flash anything. Can't I unroot on 4.4 and take the OTA?
Cozume said:
Did you read my previous post:
My Previous Post
My plan is to NEVER flash 4.4.2 unless someone can root 4.4.2. Then I would unroot and take the OTA, not flash anything. Can't I unroot on 4.4 and take the OTA?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No one knows yet for sure what and will not work for the 4.4.2 ota, you'll just have to wait. Probably the only way is keep the 4.4 boot loader while running the 4.4.2 system only but its all speculation until the ota comes out
Sent on my Gummy running Lenoto X
flashallthetime said:
No one knows yet for sure what and will not work for the 4.4.2 ota, you'll just have to wait. Probably the only way is keep the 4.4 boot loader while running the 4.4.2 system only but its all speculation until the ota comes out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not planning on taking the 4.4.2 OTA. The whole point of freezing MotorolaOTA is to block the OTA.

Rogers Moto X 1053 Unlocked bootloader - how return to stock ?

Hi all, sorry if this has been asked before..
I didn't know that kit kat 4.4.2. cannot be rooted lol, so I unlocked my boot loader and spent hours trying to load recovery (TWRP or CWM), obviously with no luck.i saw something online that said 4.4 and I assumed it was good for 4.4.2. Didn't work anyways.
Is there any way to load the factory Rogers rom back on so that I don't have that unlocked bootloaeer warning on every boot ?
If yes, any idea where I can download ??
Also, will this change my status on fast boot to Locked ?
I was so looking forward to setup recovery and root, oh well, I still love the device and will be ok at stock until a fix comes out.
Any help would be very much appreciated
Thanks so much
I don't have time to give extreme details but maybe I can still help point you in the right direction.
First off the Rogers Moto X is an XT1058, not an XT1053.
Once the bootloader is unlocked you can easily root the phone with twrp - same version is used for 4.4 and 4.4.2
You can relock the bootloader but the warning is technically always present. You can overwrite the image with a different one though.
The factory firmware is available for download, you can flash it yourself with rsdlite.
There are easy to find threads with all of the details needed to restore to 100% stock or root the Moto X. A few minutes searching and you should find them. Give it a shot, if after that you have further questions by all means please ask.
Hi, thanks for the reply
You are correct, its a 1058 and I officially unlocked my bootloader with motorola and voided my warranty...
I used this link
http://dottech.org/147327/how-to-root-moto-x-on-android-4-4-kitkat-guide/a
And when I try to install the recovery in terminal, it says (bootloader) variable not supported)
It then says writing recovery, finished (so it seems to write it), but I follow instructions, then reboot using terminal command "fastboot reboot" and try to boot into recovery but its blank.I even tried just rebooting to recovery and it still didnt work...
Or it just reverts to stock boot up.
I have tried others also but cannot seem to get it working properly.
Any chance you can guide me though it ? I would really appreciate it...
Hi I did some searching and got it figured out
Thanks again for your help
Hi again,
For some reason, when I went to reboot this morning, TWRP is gone. I boot into recovery and blank screen, seems it didnt hold.
Any idea why ??
Thanks
Steve-x said:
I don't have time to give extreme details but maybe I can still help point you in the right direction.
First off the Rogers Moto X is an XT1058, not an XT1053.
Once the bootloader is unlocked you can easily root the phone with twrp - same version is used for 4.4 and 4.4.2
You can relock the bootloader but the warning is technically always present. You can overwrite the image with a different one though.
The factory firmware is available for download, you can flash it yourself with rsdlite.
There are easy to find threads with all of the details needed to restore to 100% stock or root the Moto X. A few minutes searching and you should find them. Give it a shot, if after that you have further questions by all means please ask.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

[Q] Unlocked Bootloader running 5.01 - is it safe to upgrade OTA to 5.1?

Hi Noob question here, I don't want to root or flash my Nexus 6, I bought it from a guy 2nd hand and he had flashed various roms. He restored it to stock android before selling it to me - It has the unlocked padlock on boot - Unlocked Bootloader running 5.01 - is it safe to upgrade OTA to 5.1? Will there be any danger of bootloop?
What should I do?
@Darius,
Unlocked bootloader has no effect on installing OTA.
Yes, there's always a risk of bricking if you don't follow the directions precisely. There are several "how to" threads. Read, understand, and ask questions.
Whatever you do, relocking the bootloader is probably not the answer ?
Sent from my Google N6 on VZ
Darius said:
Hi Noob question here, I don't want to root or flash my Nexus 6, I bought it from a guy 2nd hand and he had flashed various roms. He restored it to stock android before selling it to me - It has the unlocked padlock on boot - Unlocked Bootloader running 5.01 - is it safe to upgrade OTA to 5.1? Will there be any danger of bootloop?
What should I do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the device is completely stock (including recovery), you should be able to take the OTA. Unless there is something wrong with your device hardware, I don't see any risk. It is just a regular OTA you get from google, direct to device, and you just apply it. Just make sure your phone has a full charge, and don't interrupt the update process.
As a precaution, you should back everything up - never say never
Oh, and to second what DebianDog wrote, don't lock your bootloader
Thanks for all the tips guys, applying update right now...
I have been trying to upgrade my Sprint Nexus6 for the last 3 days. the download goes well the install gets halfway through the blue line under the Android and then he lays down with an "Red Error"
boot loader unlocked and rooted running Stock 5.01. suggestions of the log files i should pull to help narrow this down?
myopic said:
I have been trying to upgrade my Sprint Nexus6 for the last 3 days. the download goes well the install gets halfway through the blue line under the Android and then he lays down with an "Red Error"
boot loader unlocked and rooted running Stock 5.01. suggestions of the log files i should pull to help narrow this down?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing needed to narrow it down - you cant take the OTA if you rooted -> because rooting installs SU -> which changed your /system partition -> it no longer matches what the OTA looks at -> and it will fail, sorry.
Unroot it and you might try it again, or you would have to re-flash a stock image to be clean and then take it. The bootloader being unlocked is not the cause.

Return rooted VZW xt1060 4.4 back to stock

Hi,
I rooted my GF's Verizon Moto X on 4.4 like 2 years ago and can't remember how I did it. I feel like it had something to do w/ slapMyMoto or one of those toolkits.
With the announcement of Lollipop finally being released I wanted to return it to stock so It can be updated to 5.1.
Does anyone know how I should go about doing this? Is it as simple as just doing a standard update? through the software update in "about phone" or will that break it without reverting somethign first?
EDIT: when i click on update, it give me the following error "Unfortuantely, com.motorola.vzw.settings.extensions has stopped"
EDIT2: looks like that previous error was because i had some of the updater/OTA apps frozen. It now seems to present me w/ the option to update to 4.4.2. Decided to give it a shot and try to take the OTA. It rebooted and shows the android guy with "installing update" then eventually turned to a "error" android guy and rebooted, so no successful update.
THanks and sorry for the probably dumb question. I've been too spoiled w/ nexus'.
Download the stock firmware and flash it with Moto's fastboot executable, at least if the bootloader is unlocked you can do that. I'm not really sure if it will work with a locked bootloader, but I'd imaging that it wouldn't. I believe that there is a sticky here that even guides one through the process of returning to stock.
Thanks, i did eventually find some info and flashed the stock 4.4 image. After doing so, I was able to take the OTA to 4.4.2. However now that i'm on 4.4.2, it says my "software is up to date" when checking for the 4.4.4 OTA. Anybody have any tips on how to get it to go to 4.4.4?
to get 4.4.4 update
530farm said:
Thanks, i did eventually find some info and flashed the stock 4.4 image. After doing so, I was able to take the OTA to 4.4.2. However now that i'm on 4.4.2, it says my "software is up to date" when checking for the 4.4.4 OTA. Anybody have any tips on how to get it to go to 4.4.4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it happened with mine too. I uninstalled motorola update service then got the official 4.4.4 OTA update. i hope that works for you too.

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