[How-To] Force the Official Android 2.1 Update for the Motrola Droid (ESE81)

[Trident]

Great directions! Does anyone know if forcing this update will disable future OTA updates?

No, it sure doesn't.

 

[kcrochet]

You don't get any more screens with this update. Where did you read that you did?

As for HelixLauncher, you can get more screens by pressing the menu button and selecting 'configure'

It was in a lot of the previews I'd read. I realize now (found another thread here that said everyone stays on 3) that it's not changing.

PC World magazine said "

Additional Home Screens
Compared to the three home screens found by default in Android 2.0 (and the slightly updated Android 2.0.1), the 2.1 release of Android gives you five home screens to fill with shortcuts and widgets as you wish.

So, I got my hopes up.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[joeskie1987]

This is garbage, I have never rooted or done any of that nonsense and I can't just be fortunate enough for this to JUST WORK.

 

[Trident]

This is garbage, I have never rooted or done any of that nonsense and I can't just be fortunate enough for this to JUST WORK.

Re-read the instructions and try everything again. Go slowly!

 

[theodar]

So i got a couple questions. Ive had my phone rooted w/ 2.1 and Ultimatedroid/Blackdroid
I wanted to try out the official 2.1 so i reverted to a backup of 2.0.1 because it would not allow me to install update.zip

Now with my phone updated im pissed that it removed my SBrecovery and will not allow me to reinstall it. So now im stuck in a Old/New state of my phone with no way to return.

Is there someway to restore my blackdroid backup with nandroid and possibly install the new update with my Blackdroid ROM. There was a problem with the font sizes in this rom, which i did not notice until i had spent hours updated. If i should post this into a different thread let me know . PLease and Thanks.

 

[JackT]

Thanks again to everyone for all the work they put into getting this out to the masses.

 

[joeskie1987]

For anyone getting this message

--install sdcard...
finding update package
opening update package
verifying
E. failed to open/sdcard/update.zip (No such file or directory)
E. verification failed
Installation aborted

use trident's link above and don't change anything, it is working for me now, just use that one with no changes : )
you the man trident.

 

[grizz]

i just did mine and it worked. was having alot of problems. but it worked by not putting the (.zip) on the end of the file. just UPDATE and it worked fine

 

[Trident]

i just did mine and it worked. was having alot of problems. but it worked by not putting the (.zip) on the end of the file. just UPDATE and it worked fine

This is because you didn't have file extensions showing. The .zip is there.. just hidden

 

[theodar]

blah so now i just formated my phone to factory default. in hopes i could install SBrecovery... i was wrong. Anyone have aim/yahoo that might like to give me some 1on1 assistance

 

[grizz]

well it worked, but is anybody else having problems seeing their GALLERY? when i try to look at mine it says that it isnt installed. but it does show the pics when you try to use one as a wallpaper. anybody else have this problem? i have tried it with all three dl's

 

[Deanie]

To me it seems many are having trouble putting the download in the sd card root directory. I never used astro manager prior to this so it took me a minute to figure it out. So I assume some may need more explicit help here.

Once downloaded, open astro manager, click on the downloads folder, click and hold on the update.zip file, select edit then copy. Now click the astro up button so you're in the root directory, click the astro edit button, then paste. The update.zip file should now be in the root directory.

 

[Trident]

To me it seems many are having trouble putting the download in the sd card root directory. I never used astro manager prior to this so it took me a minute to figure it out. So I assume some may need more explicit help here.

Once downloaded, open astro manager, click on the downloads folder, click and hold on the update.zip file, select edit then copy. Now click the astro up button so you're in the root directory, click the astro edit button, then paste. The update.zip file should now be in the root directory.

Thanks. Added to the OP.

 

[Deanie]

well it worked, but is anybody else having problems seeing their GALLERY? when i try to look at mine it says that it isnt installed. but it does show the pics when you try to use one as a wallpaper. anybody else have this problem? i have tried it with all three dl's

You just have to re add it to your home screen form the app drawer.

 

[theodar]

im really having some quite serious issues. Anyone willing to help me out?

 

[un8elievable]

I keep getting a signature failure. Why is this? I downloaded the file with my phone, since I am at work. Does this matter?

i had the same problem. it appears that the first link is "finicky" with some of our droids. i dl'd the update from the 2nd link and the update went through with no problems. try dling from the 2nd link when you get home. hope this helps.

 

[hitdog042]

that's sort of lame that pinch zoom doesn't work on Mobile sites. It does on the Eris. It does on the iPhone. I don't mean to be a downer at all, but this update is lame. Can't believe it took them this long for this.

And my camera still won't focus. Excellent

 

[kokomo22]

I did the upgrade, no problems at all.

 

[Sparrow]

I registered just to say Thank you. I'm far from tech savvy, but I was able to do this on the first try. Instructions were perfect!

 

[bgardner15]

2.1 and it went like a charm.......thanks you guy's rock!!!!!!!! I can also take the update file off the minisd now right?

 

[refuzeandrezizt]

i had the same problem. it appears that the first link is "finicky" with some of our droids. i dl'd the update from the 2nd link and the update went through with no problems. try dling from the 2nd link when you get home. hope this helps.

Thanks, I tried all the links and several others with no change. Once I got home, I ran RSDlite and went back to 2.0.1 (I was on the leaked version of ESE53). Once I downgraded back to 2.0.1, it worked fine. I think there was just a problem with the recovery in ESE53, or the update had a problem with something. I'm up and running now, so all is good.

 

[mills23]

I got it to work ! But my live wallpapers only work on my lock screen! Any ideas?

 

[kevinbakon]

As previously comment . . . If I could do this, anyone should be able to.
Everything worked exactly as it should, the first time around.
Live wallpapers, pinch-to-zoom in the browser, maps, gallery, etc.
To be honest, everything works MUCH better overall, less lag, smoother menu changes . . . everything.
This is my first time to do anything like this whatsoever. I've never rooted, hacked, modded, etc. any electronics, so I was pretty worried that I'd do something wrong and either brick my phone or lose data.
All I did was follow Trident's instructions, step-by-step & slowly (with PC & data cable method) using the first link.
The only thing I found a little confusing was the update.zip.zip thing. I think I was just over analyzing that step, but I decided to keep the "update.zip" file with the default file name. Good thing I did.

Here's my recommendation to those that have tried and tried with no luck. Obviously no guarentee it'll make a difference, but it's worth a shot. . . . . Chances are that at this point, you are frusterated and overthinking the process. . . . . Ask someone else to do it for you (friend, family, stranger, etc.) AND DON'T COACH THEM. Just ask them to read the instructions slowly and take their time. Then let them have at it.
Like I said, it's worth a shot, maybe even get a non-tech-savvy person to try it for you.

With 2.0, I had GDE with 4 homescreens (of 7 possible) filled with shortcuts, widgets and folders. After the update to 2.1, everything was EXACTLY the same with the exception of the gallery shortcut (previously mentioned and easy fix). Literally, I lost nothing other than 5 minutes of my time and gained a lot.

Wish I could contribute more, but that's about all I've got.
Thanks a million Trident!

Edit: Oh yeah, one thing I forgot to mention . . . . the live wallpapers, although in motion, didn't seem to be interactive initially. I did a *228/Opt2 followed by a powered-on battery removal for good measure. Sure enough, the live wallpapers are now interactive.

 

[sabby2269]

I did the upgrade, no problems at all.

However, I still only have 3 screens.
Someone suggested HelixLauncher - which SHOULD NOT be necessary. But, I installed it. Still only had 3 screens with that app too. So, I uninstalled it.

Why do I only have 3 screens?!

Us Drid users did not get additional screens in 2.1

Use Helix Launcher Clean Fast, and no rooting necessary

You do have to enable the additional screens in Helix.
After selecting the Helix Home,
Select the menu button
Select Configure
Select Screen size (get warning message, and then press back button)
Click the + to increase number of screens
Click OK

Click Home Key (select Helix Launcher if you didn't previously tell phone to set as default)

Voila.. you now have more than 3 screens.. Double tap the main screen and you will get thumbnails of the screes you have.

 

[theodar]

so i did the update and scewred myself over after trying to go back to 2.0.1

anyway it didnt work and now i cannot use Nandroid or recover my backups.

I NEED A NEW ROOT
or another work around.

anyone with knowleadge PLEASE let me know i dont want to wait a week to rebuild my phone... (AGAIN!)