Root Unrooting woes

shademar · Jan 19, 2011

So droid number three has now developed the reliable audioport issues his first two brothers did and that means, back to VZW and no more root!

I didn't have a problem unrooting the first two phones but that was before :2.2.1 and Rom manager doing something weird to my recovery.

I'm now on stock 2.2.1, still have superuser icon (but it seems to not be granting su permissions.) and attempts to reboot into recovery using power+x (the last recovery I should have been using was sprecovery) ends with being stuck on a screen with a trangle/exclaimation mark and a droid lying in front of it.

I have rsdlite and all of the drivers but flashing sprecovery fails. It sounds like flashing to 2.1 might be dangerous anyways?

Advice would be greatly appreciated!

Deleted User · Jan 19, 2011

if you are trying to unroot perhaps try z4root 1 click root, it has a one click unroot option also, perhaps.

shademar · Jan 19, 2011

Thanks for the suggestion voodoo! Unfortunately my phone just seems too confused to let anything be done to it right now.

To wit:
Superuser icon still present, but nothing listed under permissions and won't grant new ones

No recovery (sp or cw) at all as far as I can tell

Can't unroot bu update.zip without recovery

Can't use RSDLite to flash new recovery or stock rom

z4 detects that I have root but crashes every time I tell it to either root/unroot

I may try again with RSDlite and flashing recovery (it 'Fails' for some reason, but that's further than I'm otherwise getting...)

Poor confused droid ... :thinking:

shademar · Jan 19, 2011

Okay, now I can get to the native android recovery screen (pushing +volume and power at the same time after triangle screen comes on) but it aborts the update.zip install. Still...Progress!

shademar · Jan 19, 2011

A bit more info if anyone feels inspired:

2.2.1
FRG83D
baseband: C_01.3E.03P

still rooted...

istolvampire · Jan 20, 2011

have you looked here for an answer as to why rsdlite is failing?

http://androidforums.com/droid-all-...-failed-flashing-process-0x7100-rsd-lite.html

teddyearp · Jan 20, 2011

shademar said:
Okay, now I can get to the native android recovery screen (pushing +volume and power at the same time after triangle screen comes on) but it aborts the update.zip install. Still...Progress!

Which update.zip file are you using? I am pretty sure that if you use the MasterFRG22D file, it should get rid of Superuser.apk. I have it in my collection below, look for the file with "MasterFRG22D" in the filename, rename it to update.zip, put it on your sdcard and using stock recovery (oh yeah BTW, that is what you now have) apply it.

good luck

shademar · Jan 21, 2011

Thanks everyone for the help! In response to questions...

I'm currently trying the SPRecovery_ESE81.sbf flashed from /c using RSDlite but so far it isn't detecting the phone... o_O

(I didn't even have this problem this morning...)

I tried installing the masterFRG22D file (renamed to update.zip) vis stock recovery and it failed.

I Tried flashing masterFRG22D.sbf file over via rsd lite and it fails regardless of whether the file is located in /C (error 7)

ClockworkMod no long has permissions (although other apps do) and so wont let me flash a new recovery. I'm running stock recovery and I feel like if I could just reflash any recovery, I could fix this thing...

shademar · Jan 21, 2011

heh, and now I can't get RSD to recognize my phone. Boot into stock recovery, fire the program and bingo: no devices show on the list. I seem to be making things worse...

teddyearp · Jan 21, 2011

shademar said:
Thanks everyone for the help! In response to questions...

I'm currently trying the SPRecovery_ESE81.sbf flashed from /c using RSDlite but so far it isn't detecting the phone... (I didn't even have this problem this morning...)

Do NOT USE THAT FILE!!!

shademar said:
I tried installing the masterFRG22D file (renamed to update.zip) vis stock recovery and it failed.

"It failed" is not an error message, please be more specific.

But at this point you're already messing with RSD Lite (blindly) and you probably have just about ruined your phone. Please take your time and post back details of the error you encounter before proceeding.

shademar · Jan 21, 2011

I tried first with the MasterFRG22D.sbf file in RSD Lite. The option to apply it remained greyed out no matter where the file was placed. I tried a few different downloaded files of the same name in case it was a file corruption issue. Renamed to update.zip and tried to manually install, but the stock recovery image seemed to block this. (I'm on 2.2.1 if that matters for this sort of patching.)

I can't update with a renamed unsigned update.zip file via stock recovery (the second recommended approach), hence the attempt to flash sprecovery. I tried via abd terminal, old school style. Told me I don't have su permission even though I have su Icon... I'm fine with a bit of code, but it isn't working.

Now RSD Lite won't recognize my phone, stock recovery won't let me install unsigned update.zips, and my superuser permissions won't actually grant permission. I can't remove superuser.apk, run Rom Manager, flash a new recovery by terminal, flash a new recovery by RSD Lite or flash a new ROM by RSD Lite.

It may sound like I have no freakking clue what I'm doing but I've been rooting and unrooting this phone since about a week after it came out, using everything from adb shell the RSD Lite. Frankly, if it truly bricked I'd be fine because I can go in and play the 'silly girl doesn't understand her phone' card and probably get an eyeroll :mad:

I'm not doing this blindly, and I've done it twice before. Something about the Rom Manager revert to stock process has screwed me royally and I'm just trying to figure out the best way to fix it. =p

ps: I can't be more specific with the error message because *RSD LITE no longer recognizes my phone!!* Making the message unrepeatable. The number 7 may have been involved...

pps: I've been approaching this as methodically as possible using techniques that have served me well in the past and reading message board threads as a review. This is an honest issue I've never encountered before (I'm currently unrooted but with su Icon, and no ability to flash new recovery/rom by old or new means.) I'm not button mashing here =p.

teddyearp · Jan 22, 2011

I understand your frustration. But there's a couple of things I need to point out to you. You cannot just rename a .sbf file to update.zip and try to apply it through recovery. Nor can you take an update.zip file and rename it and try to flash it with RSD Lite. And the A855 phone was released on Nov 6, 2009 and it wasn't rooted until about a month after that. I know because I've had mine since the very beginning.

So, please post the full and exact name of the .sbf file you are trying to use just as it is when you download it including extension. Also, which exact version of windows are you using? And finally which version of RSD Lite are you using?

Or if you just want to jump ahead:

Restoring your phone when all else fails-LAST RESORT AND VERY RARE!!!

It has the right everything you need.

good luck

shademar · Jan 22, 2011

That link describes exactly was I was trying to do, using the files there but applying the .sbf failed (it was not in /c or /...rsdlite however). I moved the sbf files files and now rsd lite won't recognize my phone. Meaning I can't do anything that requires rsd lite. I also can't replicate the error messages because I can't get back to that point.

I'm using rsdlite v4.6, I have the correct drivers. The FRG22B.sbf is the file I was using. As an alternative approach when that failed I tried to flash sprecovery.sbf.

I've restored using rsd lite a few times before without a problem. I've also used it to flash recovery so the program at least should be able to work.

I didn't mean to imply that I renamed an .sbf to .zip or vice versa. These were two separate approaches, one designed to work with rsd (which suddenly won't detect my phone) and one meant to unroot via the applying an update.zip via recovery. However stock recovery, which my phone has, apparently won't install unsigned updates so that method too fails (this, by the way is why I'm trying to flash a new recovery at all. My hope is that if I can get a new recovery on, I can install an update.zip. On the other hand if I can get RSD Lite to recognize my phone, I can just restore by .sbf.)

I think the confusion arises here from the fact I've tried a number of different things and didn't describe them independently.

What I've figured out so far:
my phone isn't rooted but still has the su Icon.
Attempts to regain root have failed.
RSD Lite won't recognize my phone.
I have stock recovery.
z4root crashes
rom manager won't do anything that requires special permissions
Terminal emulator says I don't have root access so trying to install recovery manually (different files, process described here Installing the SPRecovery Image Manually ) also won't work.

teddyearp · Jan 22, 2011

teddyearp said:
So, please post the full and exact name of the .sbf file you are trying to use just as it is when you download it including extension. Also, which exact version of windows are you using? And finally which version of RSD Lite are you using?

shademar said:
That link describes exactly was I was trying to do, using the files there but applying the .sbf failed (it was not in /c or /...rsdlite however). I moved the sbf files files and now rsd lite won't recognize my phone. Meaning I can't do anything that requires rsd lite. I also can't replicate the error messages because I can't get back to that point.

I'm using rsdlite v4.6, I have the correct drivers. The FRG22B.sbf is the file I was using. As an alternative approach when that failed I tried to flash sprecovery.sbf.

I did do some clipping in the quotes above and although you are being pretty detailed in some ways with the info you are giving, you still are not just sticking to answering all the questions I ask. For example, the part(s) in bold above. The EXACT and FULL name of the .sbf file you are using. There _might_ be a "FRG22B.sbf" file out there, but the one in my guide is actually (and EXACTLY) called "VZW_A855_FRG22D_QSC6085BP_C_01.43.01P_SW_UPDATE_01.zip" which is a zip file that contains a file of the same name with a .sbf extension. You also failed to answer which EXACT windows version you are using.

Help me help you. Last call.

shademar · Jan 23, 2011

My primary comp is a mac, but of course I'm not trying to do anything on it. I have an old thinkpad running win7 x64 with rsdlite v4.6 on it. The drivers were up to date enough to let me flash twice in the past and recognize my phone yesterday. I'll try updating them again after getting some sleep tonight.

The older PC computer I'm firing up to try and fix the phone is running Windows7, 64 bit. The assorted files I've tried to install via rsd are:

VZW_A855_ESE53_QSC6085BP_C_01.3E.013P_SW_UPDATE1_01.sbf
VZW_A855_ESE53_QSC6085BP_C_01.3E.013P_SW_UPDATE1_03.sbf
SPRecovery_ESE81.sbf
FRG22D.sbf

I can't report error messages because RSD no longer detects my phone. I have stock recovery so any update.zip method fails. Clearly I screwed the proverbial pooch trying to use CM to unroot, but I hadn't perused the forums in some time and didn't realize this might be an issue.

Last call indeed. I'm going to go drink now. Nothing would make me happier than realizing I've made an idiotic oversight. =D

Thanks for the help, by the way! Sorry I'm cranky...2-3 days of troubleshooting and a cruddy week at work add up fast.

teddyearp · Jan 23, 2011

Well, thanks that makes it a bit easier. Good morning! How's your hangover? lol.

Anyways first, since you have been able to do this before on this (these) windoz computers(?) try uninstalling RSD Lite, then running a uninstall of the drivers. Then run your favorite registry cleaner, I use Ccleaner (it's free, google it). Reboot the computer, then re-install the drivers and RSD Lite. Reboot the computer and then plug your phone into your computer and let it install the regular drivers. Then put the phone in bootloader mode, plug it back into your computer, start RSD Lite and see if your computer installs the flashing drivers. Finally here's a couple of tricks for using RSD Lite on your version of windows. I am sure you have used the one, but there's another here as well:

Start RSD Lite on your computer. If you're on a version of Windows newer than XP, remember to run RSD Lite as administrator by right clicking its menu choice and choosing "Run as Administrator". If you don't have such an option, you may be able to right click on the shortcut, choose "properties", and check "Run this program as Administrator" [pic].

Hopefully the phone will be listed in the grid in the bottom half of the RSD Lite window. Give it a minute or two if it doesn't show up right away. Sometimes it takes Windows a minute (or 2 or 3) to let go of the phone and pick it back up again after rebooting into the bootloader. If after a couple minutes your phone still isn't listed in the "Model" column of the bottom section, in RSD Lite, click Config, Device Id Options, and choose "First-Come-First-ServeDeviceId Mode" and press "OK". RSD Lite may say you need to restart RSD -- if so, do so.

The above is quoted from Motocache1's "Root Droid 1 - regardless of OS" thread over at DF.

good luck

p.s. find, download and extract the "VZW_A855_FRG22D_QSC6085BP_C_01.43.01P_SW_UPDATE_0 1.zip" file from my link in my sig, it's the latest .sbf.

shademar · Jan 23, 2011

It seems like RSDLite is just an incredibly finnicky program.

Today., it decided it was in a better mood and detected my phone again! (I decided to check again before reinstalling everything...)I was able to get sprecovery on and apply an unrooted update!

I installed the .sbf from the rsd folder itself (when it failed earlier it was in another directory somewhere). I still couldn't get it to load the full .sbf file, but no matter since the update method worked. No more ninja!

Why it would not let me do so for the last three days I have no clue. But much thanks for all of the advice and putting up with my frustrated ranting!!

(The hangover isn't so bad

)

teddyearp · Jan 23, 2011

shademar said:
It seems like RSDLite is just an incredibly finnicky program.

That it is! That is why I only recommend using it (with a full .sbf file) as a last resort. I have three computers all running win xp pro and had a hell of a time with RSD Lite. I did all the stuff I told you to do above on two of them. Finally I said, I'm going to try my laptop. Whoosh! Bamn! It did it without a hitch. Go figure.

Anyways, glad you're fixed and your hangover isn't too bad

Root Unrooting woes

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