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[Q] Moto X Bootloops trying to get 4.4 OTA

Hey everyone I feel like an idiot.
I used jcase's PwnMyMoto to root my phone post camera update, running stock. I received the 4.4 OTA on Verizon today.
I went to SuperSU and clicked Full Unroot in the settings tab, then restarted my phone a couple times to make sure I still didn't have root.
After that I tried to install the update and noticed my phone won't boot into recovery now.
Is there anything I can do with RSDlite to fix the bootloop problem or am I SOL?
Thanks for all your help guys!

Boot into fastboot mode (power + vol down or through ADB) and do fastboot erase cache?
What you missed in flashing the recovery and system.....You need to get these from the latest SBF file and flash them before you take the OTA.

Fastboot erase cache to stop the bootloop then flash recovery and system then you'll be able to update. This is posted in quite a few places a little reading would have prevented this and been able to fix it

tejaskary said:
Boot into fastboot mode (power + vol down or through ADB) and do fastboot erase cache?
What you missed in flashing the recovery and system.....You need to get these from the latest SBF file and flash them before you take the OTA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I used fastboot to erase the casche, now I'm able to use the phone.
Do you know any links/threads where I can find the system image?
Since I'm on Verizon I don't need to re-flash the recovery, correct?

Bionic75 said:
Since I'm on Verizon I don't need to re-flash the recovery, correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. Part of the rooting process overwrites the stock recovery. you need to flash stock before you take the OTA.

Thanks for all your help guys!
I used Fastboot to clear cache, then used RSD Lite with an image from sbf.droid-developers.org.
Everything is working great now, running 4.4! :victory:

[Q] Can you just boot twrp recovery?

All,
I'm coming from a nexus environment where I've been able to do fastboot boot twrp-2.6.3.1-ghost-4.4.img rather than fastboot flash recovery twrp-2.6.3.1-ghost-4.4.img since I'm hoping to keep the stock recovery while installing supersu. It complains about "(bootloader) Command restricted" with the MotoX even though my bootloader is unlocked. Is this typical of Moto devices? Do I actually need to flash twrp, then supersu and then the stock recovery if that's the final result I want? FWIW, I want SU on it but I'd like to also receive future OTA updates w/o too much dorking around of at all possible.
thanks peterb

Are you using mfastboot or just regular fastboot?

I fastboot twrp no problem. I did however mfastboot the system.img . But to answer your question twrp will ask you if you want to root when you go to reboot.

Fastboot flash recovery twrp 2.6.3.1-ghost-4.4.img is the command, when you flash do not reboot the device to the system but boot into recovery instead, you should be good to go and twrp should ask if you wish to root, if not just download the flashable supersu zip
Sent on my Moto X

I understand that you should flash if you want to have TWRP installed on your phone but that's not what I want. I'd like to just boot into TWRP, install the SuperSU.zip and then boot back up as normal leaving the stock recovery in place so that I will continue to get OTA updates. I get that this is likely not the norm but it's what I did with my N4 to get SuperSu so that I could update boot.prop for flashing a hybrid radio. Doing this made it easier to get the phone back to OTA ready w/o having to flash the stock recovery back.
I found a couple of posts in the N4 where the fastboot command failed and you needed to start using the "-c" command. I was wondering if this was the problem I was running into. The argument for -c is a bit cryptic so I worry that the one I found is likely N4 specific:
fastboot -c "lge.kcal=0|0|0|x" boot customrecovery.img
Basically what I'm wondering is if anyone has been able to just boot into TWRP w/o actually flashing it to the recovery partition.
If this is not possible then I'll flash TWRP, root and then flash the stock recovery back on since I did get the stock 4.4 image from Motorola.
thanks peterb
flashallthetime said:
Fastboot flash recovery twrp 2.6.3.1-ghost-4.4.img is the command, when you flash do not reboot the device to the system but boot into recovery instead, you should be good to go and twrp should ask if you wish to root, if not just download the flashable supersu zip
Sent on my Moto X
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Interested in this as well, for booting kernels. Device support has been hit-or-miss for me in the past.
And folks, he's asking about fastboot's ability to launch an image _without_ flashing. This is a somewhat esoteric/advanced use.

I'm interested in this too even though I have a locked Moto X.

I didn't know this was possible, huh. As for our device, it'll probably help if we can figure out what that -c command means.
Sent from my Moto-X (GSM DE) using the xda-developers app

thehockeydude44 said:
I didn't know this was possible, huh. As for our device, it'll probably help if we can figure out what that -c command means.
Sent from my Moto-X (GSM DE) using the xda-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I'm remembering right, google took the ability to boot a recovery without loading one away in 4.2. We tried to do this on the HTC 1 Google edition when we pulled its partitions to make a system dump. It failed.

OTA fails when the device is rooted, even if you have the stock recovery.
The OTA zip checks the system partition. If there is any single modification, it fails.

you can just:
- flash twrp to recovery partition
- reboot into recovery
- install supersu
- reboot into fastboot
- flash stock recovery
- reboot to system
you have installed supersu and still have stock recovery -> you can take OTAs
edit: i just read that even with stock recovery, if u are rooted the ota won't work

Yea, this is the other way to do it. It's just a bummer if one can't use the flexibility to just boot into recovery. Note that I still seem to be able to boot into custom recovery on my Nexus 4 that's running KitKat. I'm curious about the comment about not getting an OTA with su installed. I know that with a modified build.prop and radio, the N4 wouldn't update but I could adb sideload successfully once I put build.prop back and the stock radio on. I figured the OTA would just unroot and then I'd have to do the process again.
Anyway, this was my plan B, just would have preferred to boot recovery.
peterb
waiflih said:
you can just:
- flash twrp to recovery partition
- reboot into recovery
- install supersu
- reboot into fastboot
- flash stock recovery
- reboot to system
you have installed supersu and still have stock recovery -> you can take OTAs
edit: i just read that even with stock recovery, if u are rooted the ota won't work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

if u want to "unroot" to take otas, u can just flash stock system

waiflih said:
you can just:
- flash twrp to recovery partition
- reboot into recovery
- install supersu
- reboot into fastboot
- flash stock recovery
- reboot to system
you have installed supersu and still have stock recovery -> you can take OTAs
edit: i just read that even with stock recovery, if u are rooted the ota won't work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am interested in this as well. How do we get a copy of the stock recovery to reflash?
Also, I have had rooted stock and custom recoveries and have received OTA's before (but they were on Nexus devices).

droiddog said:
I am interested in this as well. How do we get a copy of the stock recovery to reflash?
Also, I have had rooted stock and custom recoveries and have received OTA's before (but they were on Nexus devices).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can take it from the the file used in rsdlite, according to you fw version

The only reason I want the stock recovery is because I think you can't remotely lock or erase your device on a custom recovery. Does anyone know anything to the contrary? Thanks.

[Q] Just a couple questions.....

I have vzw dev ed, rooted with twrp recovery, stock everything else, I want to take the OTA and know i cant as is, i plan on using moto x toolkit to flash back to stock, here are my questions, once im back to stock and take the OTA, will i still be rooted, if not can i re root 4.4.2, do they have twrp custom recovery for 4.4.2, or should i just freeze the update and leave my phone as is?

jaysdroid2 said:
I have vzw dev ed, rooted with twrp recovery, stock everything else, I want to take the OTA and know i cant as is, i plan on using moto x toolkit to flash back to stock, here are my questions, once im back to stock and take the OTA, will i still be rooted, if not can i re root 4.4.2, do they have twrp custom recovery for 4.4.2, or should i just freeze the update and leave my phone as is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you have a unlocked bootloader so you can root any version of android just grab the SBF file for 4.4 and flash it with RSD Lite and then take the OTA update
after the update reflash your custom recovery via the command promote command then install the SuperSU flashable zip in your recovery and enjoy your rooted 4.4.2

dray_jr said:
you have a unlocked bootloader so you can root any version of android just grab the SBF file for 4.4 and flash it with RSD Lite and then take the OTA update
after the update reflash your custom recovery via the command promote command then install the SuperSU flashable zip in your recovery and enjoy your rooted 4.4.2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
awesome, thank you, so the twrp version i used while on 4.4 will work with 4.4.2, there is not a different version for the new OS? basically once i revert back to stock and accept the OTA i just do exactly what i did the first time with the same files and i'll be where i was prior?

Yes, you can use the same TWRP version on 4.4.2, and you reinstall it the same way. However, you don't need to use RSD lite to flash an entire SBF file in order to return to stock to accept the update - you can, but it will wipe all of your apps and settings. You can fastboot the stock recovery.img and system.img to return to stock, accept the OTA, re-flash TWRP, reboot directly into TWRP, let TWRP install SU, and you're good to go.
Sent from my XT1060 Dev Edition

Interesting, where would i find just those two img. files and how would i go about flashing just those two files, sorry if i need it dumbed down, fist moto phone and first time having to use a cmd prompt screen to do anyhting, had a galaxy nexus prior and everyhting was completely.....different/simpler.

pkomarnicki said:
Yes, you can use the same TWRP version on 4.4.2, and you reinstall it the same way. However, you don't need to use RSD lite to flash an entire SBF file in order to return to stock to accept the update - you can, but it will wipe all of your apps and settings. You can fastboot the stock recovery.img and system.img to return to stock, accept the OTA, re-flash TWRP, reboot directly into TWRP, let TWRP install SU, and you're good to go.
Sent from my XT1060 Dev Edition
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is tru but i rather just have them use the whole file instead of flashing just parts of it because there is less chance of messing there phone up.
so it is your call either way you have to download the SBF file. then you can either flash the whole file via RSD Lite or you can unzip the recover or system images and flash them via CMD and fastboot and mfastboot.
you can find the SBF files at the link below just make sure you download the correct file for your phone
http://sbf.droid-developers.org/phone.php?device=0
here is a link to my guide should give you all the info you need to get back to stock to take the OTA
http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-x/general/ref-how-to-root-4-4-links-guides-t2603358

Thank you all for the input, im prolly just going to revert completely to stock, i have no problem letting my apps re download and its less of a chance i fubar something, although if i do rest assured my next post will be how to un-fubar my phone

pkomarnicki said:
Yes, you can use the same TWRP version on 4.4.2, and you reinstall it the same way. However, you don't need to use RSD lite to flash an entire SBF file in order to return to stock to accept the update - you can, but it will wipe all of your apps and settings. You can fastboot the stock recovery.img and system.img to return to stock, accept the OTA, re-flash TWRP, reboot directly into TWRP, let TWRP install SU, and you're good to go.
Sent from my XT1060 Dev Edition
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. No reason to flash back to completely stock.
jaysdroid2 said:
Interesting, where would i find just those two img. files and how would i go about flashing just those two files, sorry if i need it dumbed down, fist moto phone and first time having to use a cmd prompt screen to do anyhting, had a galaxy nexus prior and everyhting was completely.....different/simpler.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 2 files can be found inside the sbf file.
To flash them:
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
fastboot flash system system.img
jaysdroid2 said:
Thank you all for the input, im prolly just going to revert completely to stock, i have no problem letting my apps re download and its less of a chance i fubar something, although if i do rest assured my next post will be how to un-fubar my phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take this opportunity to learn something. If flashing back to stock isn't an issue for you, what's the worst that can happen? You own a dev edition, learn to take full advantage of it. It's not difficult at all..
And please, don't use a toolkit until you've learned the basics of fastboot and adb. If the toolkit fails, you'll end up having to learn it all anyways.

[Q] Sort Me out on 4.4.3 update

The more I read the more confused I get. Could someone sort me out?
<complain>I got the moto x because of the quick OTA updates. Now it seems that because I installed TWRP and froze a few apps with TB that this feature is totally borked!</complain> is that correct? I cannot update without stock recovery and all the original apps installed / unfrozen?
In my predicament would the easiest thing to do be
1. Unfreeze any system apps I've frozen.
2. Use msfastboot to reflash stock recovery?
3. Accept the OTA or somehow flash it manually (I'm not sure about this last one see below)
I accidentally accepted the OTA download and now it bugs me to install. I won't install because it just reboots into TWRP. But it does keep prompting me to set at time to install. If I simply flash stock recovery I think i will still get this prompt. Would that be the easiest way to go?
Thanks for any advice.

pairustwo said:
The more I read the more confused I get. Could someone sort me out?
<complain>I got the moto x because of the quick OTA updates. Now it seems that because I installed TWRP and froze a few apps with TB that this feature is totally borked!</complain> is that correct? I cannot update without stock recovery and all the original apps installed / unfrozen?
In my predicament would the easiest thing to do be
1. Unfreeze any system apps I've frozen.
2. Use msfastboot to reflash stock recovery?
3. Accept the OTA or somehow flash it manually (I'm not sure about this last one see below)
I accidentally accepted the OTA download and now it bugs me to install. I won't install because it just reboots into TWRP. But it does keep prompting me to set at time to install. If I simply flash stock recovery I think i will still get this prompt. Would that be the easiest way to go?
Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. - You do not need to unfreeze apps. The apps are still there untouched in the file system, and in recovery the OS hasn't booted enough to know that the apps are "frozen". By the way, frozen apps are basically just tagged in the OS as not available....so with the OS not running (just recovery is), they aren't "frozen" in recovery.
2. - Yes, fastboot to flash stock recovery. Boot to bootloader mode, fastboot flash recovery recovery.img (you don't need mfastboot for recovery, though you can still use it.)
3. - Accept the OTA. Since yours is trying to install, you should be able to boot to bootloader, flash stock recovery and on reboot it will start the install of the OTA. When done and booted.....reflash TWRP if you like.

That would be the way to go, yes.
Flash stock recovery and try to upgrade. If you cannot, try to unfreeze all sys apps. That should do it. ?

OK. So maybe not such a huge PIA as I had thought. I will track down the recovery file and read the instructions for flashing.
Thanks

@pairustwo
Every time another OTA comes out, people who modify their phones ask the same question. I've written up a FAQ based on the past OTA's.. -> http://mark.cdmaforums.com/MotoX-OTA.html if you want to read it to get more info.
Part of the issues you are talking about when taking an OTA is that the OTAs want to patch and replace only SOME files on your phone, so it checks to make sure the update is for your phone and its android version by evaluating certain files on the phone, that they exist and that their check sums match what the update expects.
i.e. change/modify/delete files the OTA update checks before installing, and the OTA will refuse to install.
If it didn't do this, the wrong update could possibly flash to your phone, replacing files with incompatible versions and making a big mess.
So yeah, "getting back to stock" (or as close to it as you can) is always recommended before taking an OTA so the "check" doesn't fail and prevent the OTA from applying.
In the past, freezing apps with Ti Backup was enough of a modification to cause the OTA's to fail. So often it is still suggested to un-freeze those done with TiBackup.
The OTA zip file (as downloaded) will only flash from Stock Recovery. TWRP and CWM for example don't properly process and flash them, so if you try to install when stock recovery is NOT on your phone, you get stuck in a bootloop. Using mFastboot to flash stock recovery back on is fine for those with unlocked bootloaders. Locked Bootloader users, is another matter.
There is a way "side load" the OTA, IF you have stock recovery, your phone hasn't received the push from Moto or your Carrier yet, and the OTA Zip file has leaked. But it still requires you get back to stock, etc. just as if you were getting it OTA.

So I've tried to flash back to stock but am having an issue. Does anyone have a link to a stock recovery image? Maybe the one I have is corrupt.

pairustwo said:
So I've tried to flash back to stock but am having an issue. Does anyone have a link to a stock recovery image? Maybe the one I have is corrupt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Answered here -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-x/moto-x-qa/dead-android-red-exclamation-t2778189
and I made this -> http://mark.cdmaforums.com/MotoX-EnterStockRecovery.htm

best way to update rooted N6 ?

My N6 is rooted, SuperSU and TWRP. On build LYZ28J and want to update to LYZ28K.
It seems I have 3 ways to do this:
1. Use settings in SuperSU to fully unroot, AND flash the LYZ28J recovery.img to replace TWRP. Then I can take the OTA. After that I can rerun the Chainfire Autoroot script and flash TWRP. So i'm updated with no data loss.
2. Flash the factory image. No need to unroot or remove TWRP, but all data is lost. And I still need to reroot and reflash TWRP. Correct ?
3. sideload the ota zip. Just run adb sideload <ota.zip> . No need to unroot . My problem here is that the only place I found with the ota zip is on Droid Life, not a google url. I like Droid Life, read it all the time, but still... Does anyone have a google url link to the OTA ?
Is there another method?
How are others upgrading? Is #3 as easy as I described ?
sean

1. no. to fully unroot, you need to flash a factory image. if you just remove root, itll still think tour rooted because system files have changed. so, wont work.
2. you can, but why? you gave extra time that you want to burn?
3. nope, cant flash an ots while rooted ir havd chsnged system files.
4. just flash the system.img of a factory image ehen it vomes out, and you will not lose data, but will upgrade.

I've used this thread (http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/general/using-image-to-update-nexus-6-data-loss-t3053158) to update within Lollipop through several versions. It is always best to wipe data when going from one version to the next (Lollipop to Marshmallow) but as long as you are staying within Lollipop this should work fine.

Check this out, http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/development/fxz-nexus-6-recovery-flashable-fastboot-t3066052
IMO, easiest way. DL zips to internal storage, wipe, and flash. READ the "Read Me" in the first post. When you update it will get rid of SU. Once you boot with update the first time, you can go back and root with TWRP.

Chose to use this. Did not flash the new recovery image. Updated fine, BUT locked and no root, no TWRP. I'll need to run oem unlock again, wiping all the data.
Sigh.

Wrote too soon. SuperSU and TWRP were gone (even though I did not flash recovery.img). Developer Options was gone. So I needed run CF-Autoroot and still need to flash TWRP. But all apps and data remained.
This is great news, especially if we're going to get monthly updates.