How to Unistall ICS and go back to Gingerbread

[MrDanjer]

Note: *this method involves rooting and technically voids your warranty (and carries a slight risk which neither I nor Phandroid/Android Forums or anyone else on the forums can be held accountable).

Here is how I unistalled ICS and went back to Gingerbread.

Unlock the bootloader and install a stock recovery img:

Go here and download the android-sdk, place it in the root of your computers c: drive (not in programs)

Open the SDK Manager.exe - leave the Android SDK Tools unchecked (should already be installed) and check Android SDK Platform Tools. After you are done updating, close the Android SDK Manager.

Download recovery-clockwork-5.0.2.0-crespo.img from here
Place the .img file in your C:\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools folder.

1.Shutdown the phone
2.Hold down volume up + power
3.Now you are in the standard recovery mode
4. Plug in your phone via USB
5. On your computer press start ----> run and type cmd to open a command window.
6. Type cd /
hit enter.
7. Type cd Android/android-sdk/Platform-tools
hit enter.

Assuming you have SDK installed with fastboot now on terminal/windows or Windows cmd depending on OS type "fastboot devices" to check your device can be seen via USB

5.Assuming you device is seen via fastboot devices, now type fastboot oem unlock
hit enter

6.Accept ... and new bootloader is unlocked. Your phone should now ask you if you want to unlock the bootloader.

After your bootloader is unlocked, go back to the cmd prompt on your computer and type: fastboot flash recovery recovery-clockwork-5.0.2.0-crespo.img
hit enter

On your phone scroll down to recovery and select it (using the volume and power keys), it should reboot into ClockworkMod Recovery v5.0.2.0

Go back to your computer and download the stock Gingerbread from here

Open the file with winzip, and click the first file called: Stock-2.3.2-GRH78C-Nandroid to open the folder called: clockworkmod

Extract that folder (clockworkmod) to your desktop

Return to your phone and scroll to mounts and storage, then to mount USB storage.

Open your computer and navigate to your android folder, mine is Removable Disk H:

Copy the clockworkmod folder to your sd card

on your phone click unmount, then click +++++Go Back+++++

Then click backup and restore

Select Restore

Then select file: 2011-02-23.07.34.597/

---Your phone should then install good old gingerbread! -----

 

[D-U-R-X]

Thanks for the info - is this tried and tested as working? Don't have the phone myself, but just for if any others do want to do this?

 

[MrDanjer]

Thanks for the info - is this tried and tested as working? Don't have the phone myself, but just for if any others do want to do this?

This worked for me. I had started a previous thread asking how to do this, and got some suggestions but none of them worked. After installing about 8 different recovery.img's and installation combos, I got lucky and this one worked for my Nexus S. I documented the steps and wrote them, then tested them once more and everthing worked as it should.

 

[D-U-R-X]

This worked for me. I had started a previous thread asking how to do this, and got some suggestions but none of them worked. After installing about 8 different recovery.img's and installation combos, I got lucky and this one worked for my Nexus S. I documented the steps and wrote them, then tested them once more and everthing worked as it should.

That's great news for anyone that wants to do this - thanks!

Added a link to this from the Root Sticky in the All Things Root section.

Cheers!!

 

[razvan06]

please specify ...this is for i9020A/T / i9023 ?

 

[MrDanjer]

please specify ...this is for i9020A/T / i9023 ?

Forgot to mention, my model# is: GT-19020T

 

[quantumrand]

Forgot to mention, my model# is: GT-19020T

Mind editing the original post to mention that? This method (and all files you've linked to) will work for both the I9020T and I9023.

 

[MCMikey]

without wanting to sound too stupid (I've only had the phone one day) if I wanted to go back to gingerbread I can't just use the same way I used to go forwards i.e. an update.zip file (because it's not an upgrade) and also a factory reset via the bootloader will just remove all of my data and apps but will not change android version?

I'm not too fussed about losing data as I've got nothing new on it that isn't already backed up so if a reset would do this I'm fine.

Not sure if I'll invalidate my warranty if I follow the above.

Keep getting annoying messages about google + and I think the battery and connectivity to my network are worse since upgrading.

Thanks for the help,
Mike

 

[samnexuss]

can you please tell me what do i have to do if i am on a mac?

 

[razvan06]

can you please tell me what do i have to do if i am on a mac?

Look here : [GUIDE] MAC Rooting Nexus S - xda-developers

 

[vsurya28]

Hi, I also have the same question as McMickey. Can we simply put the update file in the root folder and try updating it in the recovery mode. Please advise.

Regards

 

[quantumrand]

Hi, I also have the same question as McMickey. Can we simply put the update file in the root folder and try updating it in the recovery mode. Please advise.

Regards

Unfortunately, downgrading doesn't work like that. Official updates can only be installed going in one direction. I suspect it's because when they make the older update file, they can't account for every change a new version might make. Flashing an old update on top of a newer version might leave conflicting files behind, and so they just make it so that it simply doesn't let you.

 

[razvan06]

No ,actually ,recovery simply does not let you install the downgrade ,even if it's named "update" because it "sees" that the version/s of the system/files are older than what you have installed !
The only thing you CAN DO is to ROOT and downgrade the official [if you really want] rom.

 

[bruce081]

I just did this new at all this. and put it on a 19020a. now the phone powers up fine and on gingerbread. but i have no cell service... HELP PLEASE. How do I change it to a i9020a version to fix my phone? Or am I screwed? When I did it i took a backup so i have that image on my phone. but when I try to use that it tells me MD5 mismatched

 

[Deleted User]

I just did this new at all this. and put it on a 19020a. now the phone powers up fine and on gingerbread. but i have no cell service... HELP PLEASE. How do I change it to a i9020a version to fix my phone? Or am I screwed? When I did it i took a backup so i have that image on my phone. but when I try to use that it tells me MD5 mismatched

You flashed the wrong firmware with the wrong radio, that's why you have no cell service.

If you haven't fix it yet, you need to flash a full i9020a firmware rom onto your phone via clockworkmod. See this thread on XDA for the firmware version you need (2.3.6 is the latest):

[I9020A][REF] All OTA and Available Full ROM Packages - xda-developers

Once you have the firmwave downloaded, rename it to "update.zip" and copy it to your Nexus S phone. Reboot into recovery, wipe data and cache, then go to advanced and wipe dalvik cache - this dalvik cache wipe is VERY important and must be done to wipe any remnants of the other OS version. Go back and run the update.zip file, wait for it to complete (~5 mins), reboot from recovery.

You should now have gingerbread v2.3.6 installed and ready to setup.

 

[JoNex]

Hey, does this procedure recover the Nexus S to stock factory settings? I'm a new Android user and have not rooted/unlocked or anything like that yet and I am a bit hesitant to, but I can't take ICS on my Nexus S any longer... So what I would like to know is if this procedure above will reset my phone back to Gingerbread (I want to use the stock factory 2.3.6 from Google's dev site) and make it like I just bought the phone from the carrier? Will it wipe out ClockWork and everything else? I am also going to lock the bootloader after the procedure in case I need to take it back to the carrier for some reason... I also have the i9020t.

I am just very hesitant to do this as I have not tinkered with all things Android yet...

Thanks guys!

 

[Deleted User]

Hey, does this procedure recover the Nexus S to stock factory settings?

Yes, once you install v2.3.6 it will be like doing a factory reset to wipe the phone. ClockWorkMod recovery allows you to install a lower OS version, that's all. Once you have CWM installed, use it to wipe the Dalvik cache as well as data and cache. Then run the stock v2.3.6 update and it wipes ClockWorkMod and replaces it with the stock recovery. You then lock the bootloader and it's like it was never touched.

Just make sure you download and flash the correct firmware version for your model and you should be fine.
:thumbup:

 

[staceyontario]

thispost is a veryhelpful one only that its not workingon my device.please helpme.
i have LG E400 and i changed it to ICS.but now i want to change it back to my gingerbread but when i followed the steps in DOS, cd /
theres no reply
when i typed cd Android/android-sdk/Platform-tools
it says systemcannot the path specified. help please. i dont like ICS becuse it is hard to type using querty and its a bit boring...plsplspls....thank you.

 

[Deleted User]

thispost is a veryhelpful one only that its not workingon my device.please helpme.
i have LG E400 and i changed it to ICS.but now i want to change it back to my gingerbread but when i followed the steps in DOS, cd /
theres no reply
when i typed cd Android/android-sdk/Platform-tools
it says systemcannot the path specified. help please.

If you did it EXACTLY like you wrote, then you're using the wrong slash mark, it's a backslash '\' not a regular slash '/' . Try it again and make sure you follow the directions exactly or you'll have errors.

i dont like ICS becuse it is hard to type using querty and its a bit boring...plsplspls....thank you.

Not sure what you mean here...where you using a different keyboard layout with GB?? If so, look for that same keyboard app and install it.

 

[rdownes]

Sorry for a possibly dumb question but I am not clear if this is just for the Nexus S or if it works for any Android device? I have a NATPC M013RTB tablet that came with ICS and I wish to downgrade to Gingerbread so that it will support apps that I wish to use.
Thanks
Rory

 

[MeowDude]

I miss my old nexus S... but what I miss is ICS. Why would you wanna down grade?