- Joined
- Jul 6, 2010
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WARNING: Some of these answers may offend you. I have a sense of humor. Sorry.
246 info:
Q: What version of android do I need to be on to upgrade to the 246 OTA?
A: Any. Use the 246 FXZ.
Q: I'm an idiot and don't understand version numbers. How many versions of 246 are there and how do I know which one is the OTA?
A: 246
Q: Where can I find the full 246 FXZ?
A: 246 FXZ
Q: Wait I don't see the 246 update. Don't I need that?
A: No. The only thing people need at this time are the hob installer, fxz, rsd, and maybe the webtop installer if they are pre-246. If you have the 246 update you can delete it both from the hob and from your sdcard-ext. The fxz does not get copied to the phone.... It's not an update. It's the full set of partitions and gets flashed from ap fastboot mode using either rsd or fastboot. There is no need to go to recovery after using the fxz. The only difference between the keep data and full fxz options is whether the user data partition is erased or not. Those already on 246 need not do anything regardless of how you installed it.
Q: I installed the webtop installer when I first went to 246. Now it flashes it every time I reflash 246. Does it need to?
A: If you are on 246 and need to re flash for any reason, and you happen to have installed the vendor.img (webtop), you should rename it or remove it in the 246_FXZ directory. This will save you a lot of time as flashing webtop is only needed once and will not ever be needed again.
Q: What is the difference between the full 246 FXZ and the FXZ installer from the House of Bionic?
A: The House of Bionic version of the FXZ doesn't contain the webtop vendor.img by default. It also doesn't have the emc storage img for the internal sdcard.
Q: I've finished the upgrade and now it's scanning my media files. How long does THAT take??
A: Ummm, how many you got? I can take anywhere from 30 seconds to 10+ hours.
BEFORE doing the upgrade, if you have a lot of media, you may wish to move them temporarily til the upgrade is finished.
House of Bionic info:
Q: I want to go to a new build on the Bionic. What's the quickest and easiest way?
A: Read this fully: SamuriHL_HouseOfBionic
Q: Where can I find the latest update for my Bionic?
A: Read this fully: SamuriHL_HouseOfBionic
Q: I used the House of Bionic and now am getting a black screen with vibrations. What do I do now?
A: Update to HoB 9.2 or later, install the WEBTOP installer, and run the FXZ KEEP DATA option
Q: Do I need to FXZ before using an INSTALL XYZ option (e.g. to install a new leak)?
A: Oh hell no. Just follow all the steps on the INSTALL menu and you'll be good to go.
Q: Do I need to unfreeze my apps, remove bootstrap recovery, remove forever root, or basically clean my system up before installing?
A: Not usually. If you've REALLY messed with your phone it may refuse to boot even after this process, in which case you need a factory reset. However in most cases, you do not need to do anything special before running the HoB install process.
Q: Will installing a leak result in me losing data?
A: No. A leak is just an update that hasn't been released yet. If you install it on top of the OTA build, you won't lose data. If you install it using the House of Bionic, you shouldn't lose data, either, as that was the original point of the HoB. If you have to factory reset for any reason, or FXZ FULL, then yes, you will lose your data. That is the reason for the warning to backup your data first....just in case.
Q: Can I use the HoB to go from, let's say 247 to 246?
A: Yes. As long as the security matches, you can move between builds including going down. Use the INSTALL XXX option for the build you wish to install.
Q: What is the REINSTALL option for in the HoB?
A: To reinstall the build you're on. It can also recover from a brick scenario for those on 235+. The update MUST be on your SDCARD-EXT, but, if it is, you can use the REINSTALL option to fix a broken install.
Q: I'm on linux or Mac, don't have access to Windows, what can I do?
A: Please use the Linux/Mac House of Bionic. Details are in the HoB thread.
Q: I tried to install and got a flash error. Now what?
A: Use the 246 FXZ KEEP DATA option
If this fails, toggle the flashing method on the main menu and try again.
Q: The House of Bionic sounds interesting, but, I'm afraid I'll mess something up. Is there a kind of 'demo mode' where I can see how it works?
A: Yes, but, it's a little convoluted due to recent changes to the script. Follow these directions for demo mode:
o) Set flash mode to RSD
o) Keep the phone UNPLUGGED
o) Say N to the transfer, check md5, and ap fastboot reboot steps (cause you don't have your phone connected and it would lock until it finds it)
o) You can safely say Y to the flash step to see what it looks like
o) Pretend you did what the apply update page tells you and follow what it tells you to say at the bottom of the screen.
o) Say N to the root step
This will give you a pretty good idea of the process for the House of Bionic. Plug your phone in, and do it for real.
General Bionic info:
Q: What is the difference between an FXZ and an update?
A: An FXZ is the COMPLETE set of FULL partition images. It can be used to update any phone to that version so long as the security of the FXZ is the same or higher than what's on the phone. An update is installed in recovery and applies ONLY to a SPECIFIC version of the phone. And only if it's stock. The FXZ is *ALWAYS* better.
Q: When a new soak build comes out, it's safe to install "for the rest of us"....right?
A: Are you part of the soak test? If not, then no. A soak test does NOT guarantee that an update goes OTA. See 901 and 904 as examples. You don't remember those releases? Yea, that's the point. A soak test means that an update is being tested....hence why it's a soak TEST not a soak OTA. It's PROBABLY going to be the OTA release, but, it's not guaranteed. Those who said they were waiting for the OTA for whatever reason should continue to do so even once word of a soak test happens.
Q: You talk about a "factory cable" a lot. Isn't that what I got with my phone?
A: No. You got an OEM cable with your phone. However, Team Black Hat makes both factory cables and adapters to turn an OEM cable into a factory cable.
Q: Ok, so, what's the difference between a factory cable and an OEM cable then?
A: An OEM cable is just a USB mini cable. It allows you to do all the things we require for the HoB so long as you have a charged battery. A factory cable or adapter, otoh, has no battery requirement at all. Yes, you can even flash without a battery in the phone. Nice, eh?
Q: Hell yea! How do I get one of these factory cables?
A: You could get a cheap arse cable from eBay. I'd prefer that this community support Team Black Hat, however. Please order them from here: Team Black Hat store. I own both a factory cable and 2 factory adapters. I HIGHLY recommend a couple of the adapters to throw in your bag. It'll turn your OEM cable into a factory cable and you won't ever have to worry about battery issues again.
Q: How do I boot into stock recovery?
A: Power your phone off. Hold volume up and down and hit power. Volume down to recovery, volume up to select. When the android graphic comes up, hit volume up and down to get to the recovery menu
Q: How do I boot into AP Fastboot mode?
A: Power your phone off. Hold volume down and hit power.
Q: How do I "wipe the cache"?
A: Boot into stock recovery. Choose the wipe cache option. Reboot when finished.
Q: How do I do a "factory data reset" (FDR)?
A: Boot into stock recovery. Choose the factory reset option. Reboot when finished. WARNING: This wipes your phone to a factory state (i.e. all apps and data are erased!)
Q: When I do a factory reset, I'm still on same build I was on before. Why didn't it work?
A: Well, you had incorrect expectations about what happens in a factory reset, apparently. It does nothing more than wipe the data partition and doesn't touch any other partitions at all.
Q: When I do a factory reset, it didn't remove root. Why didn't it work?
A: Well, you had incorrect expectations about what happens in a factory reset, apparently.
It doesn't touch the system partition and therefore does not remove root.
Q: How can I quickly unroot my phone?
A: Install SuperSU from the market, and use the remove root function.
Q: Why doesn't ADB like my phone? (Daemon started, doing nothing else, "Looking for your phone...if this hangs, it's not finding your phone")
A: Check the following...ESPECIALLY after you just installed an update as things CAN get reset:
-Are you on USB 3.0?
-Do you have the latest Moto driver installed?
-Did you boot into AP Fastboot and allow Windows to install the ADB driver?
-Is the phone set to charge only or MTP mode?
-Is USB Debugging enabled?
-With the phone plugged in, try unchecking USB Debugging mode, wait a few seconds, then re-enable USB Debugging
-Are you using the original cable that came with your phone?
-Have you rebooted your phone and/or PC lately?
-Try unplugging the phone from USB for a few seconds and plugging it back in
-Try a different USB port
- If you are using a factory cable (see above) to try to root, you may run into this problem. Factory cables are generally for dealing with AP Fastboot mode and should not replace a "normal OEM cable" when doing things like transferring updates/rooting/etc. They can and should be used if you have one to flash in AP Fastboot, however. That's what makes the adapters so awesome.
If none of that fixes it, chances are it's time to do a factory reset which will in fact erase the contents of your phone and reset you to a factory state. I like answering questions with more questions.
Q: RSD can't see my phone. Help?
A: Make sure you're using RSD Lite 5.7 (included in the HoB) and try this:
o) Uninstall the existing driver
o) Reboot the PC
o) Install the new driver
o) Reboot the PC
o) Connect the phone as charge only or MTP mode and allow windows to find the driver
o) Reboot the phone into AP Fastboot mode and allow windows to find the driver
o) Reboot both the PC and the phone
o) You can try to run RSD Lite as admin and see if that helps
Q: How can I check the "security" of a new update?
A: Excellent question. Gold star for asking! In the HoB, I include Skrilax_CZ's CDTParser.exe. To use it, extract the cdt.bin of the update you want to install. Now open the CDTParser.exe and use it to open the cdt.bin you just extracted. Compare it to the cdt.bin from the FXZ. If they are different, the security has changed.
Q: The security is higher than the FXZ. Should I install the update?
A: Oh HELLLLLL no! Not unless you want to be stuck there! You should wait for confirmation and to see what's happening with the update before you blindly install it.
Q: What apps do you have disabled, Mr Samuri?
A: Hey, glad you asked! Here's my current list:
Apps
City ID
CQATest
MOG Music
MOTOACTV
MotoCast ID
MotoPrint
Music Store
My Accounts
My Music
Print to Retail
Slacker Radio
Slingbox
Social Location
Superuser (Yes, I use SuperSU so I disable Superuser.apk)
Text Messaging (I use handcent)
V CAST Tones
Verizon Login
Verizon Video
Voicemail (I use google voice)
VZ Navigator
Q: Well, that's nice. But don't I need to be rooted to disable those?
A: Why no! You just go into settings, apps, all apps, select the app, if there's an "uninstall updates" option, do so, then go back in and select disable. How awesome is that? Oh right, that question in the answer thing again.
Q: I'm having a TON of stability issues (FC's, random rebooting, general mayhem) after moving to ICS. Is there anything I can try?
A: Some phones with ICS are now clocked at 1.2GHz. This has been causing some problems for people. If you are having stability issues, and you've tried a factory reset without success, you might want to look into using SetCPU or Rom Toolbox Pro to drop the CPU speed to 1.0Ghz and see if that helps.
Q: How do I disable 4G? It's grayed out in the menu!
A: Try this: *#*#4636#*#* from the dialer
Q: How do I check the MD5 hash in windows?
A: File Hash Utils:
MD5 Utility for Windows: WinMD5 Free - Windows MD5 Utility Freeware
Hashtab MD5 Utility for Windows: HashTab tool to quickly find file hash information
246 info:
Q: What version of android do I need to be on to upgrade to the 246 OTA?
A: Any. Use the 246 FXZ.
Q: I'm an idiot and don't understand version numbers. How many versions of 246 are there and how do I know which one is the OTA?
A: 246
Q: Where can I find the full 246 FXZ?
A: 246 FXZ
Q: Wait I don't see the 246 update. Don't I need that?
A: No. The only thing people need at this time are the hob installer, fxz, rsd, and maybe the webtop installer if they are pre-246. If you have the 246 update you can delete it both from the hob and from your sdcard-ext. The fxz does not get copied to the phone.... It's not an update. It's the full set of partitions and gets flashed from ap fastboot mode using either rsd or fastboot. There is no need to go to recovery after using the fxz. The only difference between the keep data and full fxz options is whether the user data partition is erased or not. Those already on 246 need not do anything regardless of how you installed it.
Q: I installed the webtop installer when I first went to 246. Now it flashes it every time I reflash 246. Does it need to?
A: If you are on 246 and need to re flash for any reason, and you happen to have installed the vendor.img (webtop), you should rename it or remove it in the 246_FXZ directory. This will save you a lot of time as flashing webtop is only needed once and will not ever be needed again.
Q: What is the difference between the full 246 FXZ and the FXZ installer from the House of Bionic?
A: The House of Bionic version of the FXZ doesn't contain the webtop vendor.img by default. It also doesn't have the emc storage img for the internal sdcard.
Q: I've finished the upgrade and now it's scanning my media files. How long does THAT take??
A: Ummm, how many you got? I can take anywhere from 30 seconds to 10+ hours.
House of Bionic info:
Q: I want to go to a new build on the Bionic. What's the quickest and easiest way?
A: Read this fully: SamuriHL_HouseOfBionic
Q: Where can I find the latest update for my Bionic?
A: Read this fully: SamuriHL_HouseOfBionic
Q: I used the House of Bionic and now am getting a black screen with vibrations. What do I do now?
A: Update to HoB 9.2 or later, install the WEBTOP installer, and run the FXZ KEEP DATA option
Q: Do I need to FXZ before using an INSTALL XYZ option (e.g. to install a new leak)?
A: Oh hell no. Just follow all the steps on the INSTALL menu and you'll be good to go.
Q: Do I need to unfreeze my apps, remove bootstrap recovery, remove forever root, or basically clean my system up before installing?
A: Not usually. If you've REALLY messed with your phone it may refuse to boot even after this process, in which case you need a factory reset. However in most cases, you do not need to do anything special before running the HoB install process.
Q: Will installing a leak result in me losing data?
A: No. A leak is just an update that hasn't been released yet. If you install it on top of the OTA build, you won't lose data. If you install it using the House of Bionic, you shouldn't lose data, either, as that was the original point of the HoB. If you have to factory reset for any reason, or FXZ FULL, then yes, you will lose your data. That is the reason for the warning to backup your data first....just in case.
Q: Can I use the HoB to go from, let's say 247 to 246?
A: Yes. As long as the security matches, you can move between builds including going down. Use the INSTALL XXX option for the build you wish to install.
Q: What is the REINSTALL option for in the HoB?
A: To reinstall the build you're on. It can also recover from a brick scenario for those on 235+. The update MUST be on your SDCARD-EXT, but, if it is, you can use the REINSTALL option to fix a broken install.
Q: I'm on linux or Mac, don't have access to Windows, what can I do?
A: Please use the Linux/Mac House of Bionic. Details are in the HoB thread.
Q: I tried to install and got a flash error. Now what?
A: Use the 246 FXZ KEEP DATA option
If this fails, toggle the flashing method on the main menu and try again.
Q: The House of Bionic sounds interesting, but, I'm afraid I'll mess something up. Is there a kind of 'demo mode' where I can see how it works?
A: Yes, but, it's a little convoluted due to recent changes to the script. Follow these directions for demo mode:
o) Set flash mode to RSD
o) Keep the phone UNPLUGGED
o) Say N to the transfer, check md5, and ap fastboot reboot steps (cause you don't have your phone connected and it would lock until it finds it)
o) You can safely say Y to the flash step to see what it looks like
o) Pretend you did what the apply update page tells you and follow what it tells you to say at the bottom of the screen.
o) Say N to the root step
This will give you a pretty good idea of the process for the House of Bionic. Plug your phone in, and do it for real.
General Bionic info:
Q: What is the difference between an FXZ and an update?
A: An FXZ is the COMPLETE set of FULL partition images. It can be used to update any phone to that version so long as the security of the FXZ is the same or higher than what's on the phone. An update is installed in recovery and applies ONLY to a SPECIFIC version of the phone. And only if it's stock. The FXZ is *ALWAYS* better.
Q: When a new soak build comes out, it's safe to install "for the rest of us"....right?
A: Are you part of the soak test? If not, then no. A soak test does NOT guarantee that an update goes OTA. See 901 and 904 as examples. You don't remember those releases? Yea, that's the point. A soak test means that an update is being tested....hence why it's a soak TEST not a soak OTA. It's PROBABLY going to be the OTA release, but, it's not guaranteed. Those who said they were waiting for the OTA for whatever reason should continue to do so even once word of a soak test happens.
Q: You talk about a "factory cable" a lot. Isn't that what I got with my phone?
A: No. You got an OEM cable with your phone. However, Team Black Hat makes both factory cables and adapters to turn an OEM cable into a factory cable.
Q: Ok, so, what's the difference between a factory cable and an OEM cable then?
A: An OEM cable is just a USB mini cable. It allows you to do all the things we require for the HoB so long as you have a charged battery. A factory cable or adapter, otoh, has no battery requirement at all. Yes, you can even flash without a battery in the phone. Nice, eh?
Q: Hell yea! How do I get one of these factory cables?
A: You could get a cheap arse cable from eBay. I'd prefer that this community support Team Black Hat, however. Please order them from here: Team Black Hat store. I own both a factory cable and 2 factory adapters. I HIGHLY recommend a couple of the adapters to throw in your bag. It'll turn your OEM cable into a factory cable and you won't ever have to worry about battery issues again.
Q: How do I boot into stock recovery?
A: Power your phone off. Hold volume up and down and hit power. Volume down to recovery, volume up to select. When the android graphic comes up, hit volume up and down to get to the recovery menu
Q: How do I boot into AP Fastboot mode?
A: Power your phone off. Hold volume down and hit power.
Q: How do I "wipe the cache"?
A: Boot into stock recovery. Choose the wipe cache option. Reboot when finished.
Q: How do I do a "factory data reset" (FDR)?
A: Boot into stock recovery. Choose the factory reset option. Reboot when finished. WARNING: This wipes your phone to a factory state (i.e. all apps and data are erased!)
Q: When I do a factory reset, I'm still on same build I was on before. Why didn't it work?
A: Well, you had incorrect expectations about what happens in a factory reset, apparently. It does nothing more than wipe the data partition and doesn't touch any other partitions at all.
Q: When I do a factory reset, it didn't remove root. Why didn't it work?
A: Well, you had incorrect expectations about what happens in a factory reset, apparently.
Q: How can I quickly unroot my phone?
A: Install SuperSU from the market, and use the remove root function.
Q: Why doesn't ADB like my phone? (Daemon started, doing nothing else, "Looking for your phone...if this hangs, it's not finding your phone")
A: Check the following...ESPECIALLY after you just installed an update as things CAN get reset:
-Are you on USB 3.0?
-Do you have the latest Moto driver installed?
-Did you boot into AP Fastboot and allow Windows to install the ADB driver?
-Is the phone set to charge only or MTP mode?
-Is USB Debugging enabled?
-With the phone plugged in, try unchecking USB Debugging mode, wait a few seconds, then re-enable USB Debugging
-Are you using the original cable that came with your phone?
-Have you rebooted your phone and/or PC lately?
-Try unplugging the phone from USB for a few seconds and plugging it back in
-Try a different USB port
- If you are using a factory cable (see above) to try to root, you may run into this problem. Factory cables are generally for dealing with AP Fastboot mode and should not replace a "normal OEM cable" when doing things like transferring updates/rooting/etc. They can and should be used if you have one to flash in AP Fastboot, however. That's what makes the adapters so awesome.
If none of that fixes it, chances are it's time to do a factory reset which will in fact erase the contents of your phone and reset you to a factory state. I like answering questions with more questions.
Q: RSD can't see my phone. Help?
A: Make sure you're using RSD Lite 5.7 (included in the HoB) and try this:
o) Uninstall the existing driver
o) Reboot the PC
o) Install the new driver
o) Reboot the PC
o) Connect the phone as charge only or MTP mode and allow windows to find the driver
o) Reboot the phone into AP Fastboot mode and allow windows to find the driver
o) Reboot both the PC and the phone
o) You can try to run RSD Lite as admin and see if that helps
Q: How can I check the "security" of a new update?
A: Excellent question. Gold star for asking! In the HoB, I include Skrilax_CZ's CDTParser.exe. To use it, extract the cdt.bin of the update you want to install. Now open the CDTParser.exe and use it to open the cdt.bin you just extracted. Compare it to the cdt.bin from the FXZ. If they are different, the security has changed.
Q: The security is higher than the FXZ. Should I install the update?
A: Oh HELLLLLL no! Not unless you want to be stuck there! You should wait for confirmation and to see what's happening with the update before you blindly install it.
Q: What apps do you have disabled, Mr Samuri?
A: Hey, glad you asked! Here's my current list:
Apps
City ID
CQATest
MOG Music
MOTOACTV
MotoCast ID
MotoPrint
Music Store
My Accounts
My Music
Print to Retail
Slacker Radio
Slingbox
Social Location
Superuser (Yes, I use SuperSU so I disable Superuser.apk)
Text Messaging (I use handcent)
V CAST Tones
Verizon Login
Verizon Video
Voicemail (I use google voice)
VZ Navigator
Q: Well, that's nice. But don't I need to be rooted to disable those?
A: Why no! You just go into settings, apps, all apps, select the app, if there's an "uninstall updates" option, do so, then go back in and select disable. How awesome is that? Oh right, that question in the answer thing again.
Q: I'm having a TON of stability issues (FC's, random rebooting, general mayhem) after moving to ICS. Is there anything I can try?
A: Some phones with ICS are now clocked at 1.2GHz. This has been causing some problems for people. If you are having stability issues, and you've tried a factory reset without success, you might want to look into using SetCPU or Rom Toolbox Pro to drop the CPU speed to 1.0Ghz and see if that helps.
Q: How do I disable 4G? It's grayed out in the menu!
A: Try this: *#*#4636#*#* from the dialer
Q: How do I check the MD5 hash in windows?
A: File Hash Utils:
MD5 Utility for Windows: WinMD5 Free - Windows MD5 Utility Freeware
Hashtab MD5 Utility for Windows: HashTab tool to quickly find file hash information
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