[Verizon] How to: Unroot the Galaxy Nexus, Re-lock the Bootloader and Return to a Factory State

[BringTheRain403]

So if I follow the steps in post #3 to unroot, this will allow me to get OTA updates? Then I can root again and be back where I was with but with an update?

Our you could just wait for a pre rooted ZIP file that you could apply through CWM...

 

[soy.lor.n]

New Question: Is there any way I can unroot without wiping all my data? I have a backup but it would be nice to not have to use it.

 

[teddyearp]

<snip>

fastboot flash radio radio-toro-i515.ek02.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash radio-cdma radio-cdma-toro-i515.ek05.img
<snip>​

​

With the items in bold in the quote, I vote this thread be moved to the VZW gnex ATR department. I'll hit the report button in the OP.

 

[Auslegung]

I did not flash the radios

fastboot flash radio radio-toro-i515.ek02.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash radio-cdma radio-cdma-toro-i515.ek05.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader

as Yeahha suggested, but when I did

fastboot -w update image-mysid-icl53f.zip

it said

Device version-cdma is 'I515.EK01'.
Update requires 'I515.EK05'.

I noticed then that on my phone it said my radio was radio-toro-i515.ek02, and my cdma was ek01. I flashed the cdma by doing

fastboot flash radio-cdma radio-cdma-toro-i515.ek05.img

I then retried

fastboot -w update image-mysid-icl53f.zip

and everything went fine. No significant wait times, nothing over a couple or few minutes. I would recommend looking at your phone while in fastboot and seeing which version of the radio you have, and only flashing the radios if your current one is older (i.e. a lower number).

I am not sure these instructions are correct. Someone unrooted in the how to thread and had some issues. I would suggest altering it like this

Spoiler

1. Download the Android 4.0.2 factory images to your PC. [Download]

2. Unzip the file and its contents into your SDK/Tools folder (wherever your adb.exe and fastboot.exe files are).

*Make sure they are not in their own folder, but have all been extracted to Tools.
​

3. From within your Tools folder, open a command prompt (SHIFT + right click

 

[Mahalo]

+1 on sticky. I won't want to hunt it down when I'm already miffed about having to go back to VZW! Then after we all see proven effective ways to return to stock OP may want to edit!

 

[esmith818]

Sorry if this was already stated above (I skimmed) but I thought I would give feedback while it was fresh:

I followed Yeahha's steps and they worked fine. I was re-locking the bootloader so that I can exchange for another Nexus. When the image file finished uploading, the phone automatically reboots. It takes about 3-5 minutes on the Samsung bootup screen before rebooting a 2nd time then ends on the activation screen.

At that point, to follow step 5, you have to first walk through the activation steps to get to the unlock screen. You can skip all the steps by just pressing "Next" through everything (no need to enter email or check/uncheck boxes, etc). Once you are in to the phone, you have to re-enable USB debugging in settings before proceeding.

After that Yeahha's steps are back on track and you are back to a like-new, unrooted and locked device. Thanks for the HOWTO. Can't wait to get the replacement and root again. Hopefully now that the SDK and drivers are installed, the next root wil go easier.

 

[Yeahha]

+1 on sticky. I won't want to hunt it down when I'm already miffed about having to go back to VZW! Then after we all see proven effective ways to return to stock OP may want to edit!

It should be linked in the root guide sticky, if it isn't I will update it to link this thread.

Sorry if this was already stated above (I skimmed) but I thought I would give feedback while it was fresh:

I followed Yeahha's steps and they worked fine. I was re-locking the bootloader so that I can exchange for another Nexus. When the image file finished uploading, the phone automatically reboots. It takes about 3-5 minutes on the Samsung bootup screen before rebooting a 2nd time then ends on the activation screen.

At that point, to follow step 5, you have to first walk through the activation steps to get to the unlock screen. You can skip all the steps by just pressing "Next" through everything (no need to enter email or check/uncheck boxes, etc). Once you are in to the phone, you have to re-enable USB debugging in settings before proceeding.

After that Yeahha's steps are back on track and you are back to a like-new, unrooted and locked device. Thanks for the HOWTO. Can't wait to get the replacement and root again. Hopefully now that the SDK and drivers are installed, the next root wil go easier.

I will update this, thanks! I didn't think about the phone trying to make you sign into google

Edit: Updated!

With the SDK and drivers installed it should be easier next time just unlock then flash or softboot CWM and flash SU done!

 

[Mahalo]

It should be linked in the root guide sticky, if it isn't I will update it to link this thread.

An easy to locate UNROOT or BACK TO STOCK thread is easier to find when you are pre-stressed! It can be short, sweet and offer whatever viable and proven methods we have seen to nearly flawlessly work with Linux/Mac/Windows and eschew the obfuscation of "chatter" or enhance the "signal to noise" ratio... It is just a suggestion, I can see myself in that predicament with this phone as I did with my DINC in multiple scenarios.

I was a stressed clicker and missed some important notes. Of course, my mileage varies and some flashes/scripts are quite ambiguous.

 

[scary alien]

An easy to locate UNROOT or BACK TO STOCK thread is easier to find when you are pre-stressed! It can be short, sweet and offer whatever viable and proven methods we have seen to nearly flawlessly work with Linux/Mac/Windows and eschew the obfuscation of "chatter" or enhance the "signal to noise" ratio... It is just a suggestion, I can see myself in that predicament with this phone as I did with my DINC in multiple scenarios.

I was a stressed clicker and missed some important notes. Of course, my mileage varies and some flashes/scripts are quite ambiguous.

Mahalo (and all),

I'm going to spend some time this weekend scanning through the threads here in our root areas to glean some good threads to link in the root guides.

Things have been pretty hectic around here in this first week or so for this phone, eh? (which is great, IMO ).

The stock image files that Google provides actually include a flash-all.sh script (meant for Linux, of course). I thought I had read in the thread where Google releases them that Jean-Baptiste M. "JBQ" Queru might consider creating a Windows .bat file version of that file, but its actually pretty simple to copy and paste these fastboot commands from that script into a Windows command prompt (fastboot utility name differences notwithstanding).

Anyway, if others feel a separate unroot / return-to-stock thread would be helpful, I'd be happy to author one (I've done that process about 12 times now ) -- although the process is pretty simple and straightforward as Frisco has already documented in post #2 of this thread.

Cheers!

 

[soy.lor.n]

OK new new question:

If we want to switch back to stock after flashing a different ROM, but want to stay rooted, do we just do this part?:

adb reboot bootloader
fastboot -w update image-mysid-icl53f.zip

Will this just flash the stock factory image and take us back to normal, maintaining root and bootloader unlock? (assuming your radios are already updated...)

It's not too hard to unroot and then reroot, but I'd rather have a better understanding of what each step actually does

 

[scary alien]

OK new new question:

If we want to switch back to stock after flashing a different ROM, but want to stay rooted, do we just do this part?:

adb reboot bootloader
fastboot -w update image-mysid-icl53f.zip

Will this just flash the stock factory image and take us back to normal, maintaining root and bootloader unlock? (assuming your radios are already updated...)

It's not too hard to unroot and then reroot, but I'd rather have a better understanding of what each step actually does

Well, flashing with the above command will replace all of your OS (even the root parts), so you lose root at that point...but yes, the bootloader and radios are untouched by the above component being flashed (that's the OS part (boot/recovery/system images)).

Your bootloader will remain unlocked (its only affected by the fastboot oem lock and fastboot oem unlock commands).

You should be able to just use the above command to return to stock as long as the radios and the bootloaders haven't changed. That being said, whenever Google publishes a new OTA and the accompanying stock image package, you'll want to keep everything (radios, bootloader, OS (boot/recovery/system images)) in-sync.

Cheers!

 

[Mahalo]

Yep. just go into recovery and flash your known good image.

 

[soy.lor.n]

Well, flashing with the above command will replace all of your OS (even the root parts), so you lose root at that point...but yes, the bootloader and radios are untouched by the above component being flashed (that's the OS part (boot/recovery/system images)).

Your bootloader will remain unlocked (its only affected by the fastboot oem lock and fastboot oem unlock commands).

You should be able to just use the above command to return to stock as long as the radios and the bootloaders haven't changed. That being said, whenever Google publishes a new OTA and the accompanying stock image package, you'll want to keep everything (radios, bootloader, OS (boot/recovery/system images)) in-sync.

Cheers!

Thanks! That's exactly what I needed to know

 

[sperho]

So if all I have done is unlocked the bootloader (no root) and I want to relock, all I need to do is execute the fastboot oem lock command?

 

[scary alien]

So if all I have done is unlocked the bootloader (no root) and I want to relock, all I need to do is execute the fastboot oem lock command?

Yep!

(that might be my shortest reply ever! whoops, not anymore ).

 

[sperho]

Yep!

(that might be my shortest reply ever! whoops, not anymore ).

Ha... When I lock, it will not wipe the phone, right? Only when unlocking?

 

[scary alien]

Ha... When I lock, it will not wipe the phone, right? Only when unlocking?

Yes, I believe so...(I know that the unlock will wipe, but I've never heard anyone talk about wiping taking place during locking). I'm pretty sure it won't wipe anything during re-lock and I found a reference on XDA who corrected someone about that same question:

xda-developers - View Single Post - Internal SDCARD Memory Wiped?

I've relocked my phone a few times, but I don't think I ever bothered to check the SD card contents afterwards...

I would test that for you, but I can't do that this evening...sounds like you are on the cusp of doing this anyway , you could backup your SD card contents just before re-locking and then let us know?

By the way, are you re-locking because you need to return your device or do you have another reason?

Cheers!

 

[sperho]

Yes, I believe so...(I know that the unlock will wipe, but I've never heard anyone talk about wiping taking place during locking). I'm pretty sure it won't wipe anything during re-lock and I found a reference on XDA who corrected someone about that same question:

xda-developers - View Single Post - Internal SDCARD Memory Wiped?

I've relocked my phone a few times, but I don't think I ever bothered to check the SD card contents afterwards...

I would test that for you, but I can't do that this evening...sounds like you are on the cusp of doing this anyway , you could backup your SD card contents just before re-locking and then let us know?

By the way, are you re-locking because you need to return your device or do you have another reason?

Cheers!

Thanks. Re-locked. No files lost. I'm going to take the phone into a Verizon store and compare signals and camera quality to another SGN. You never know what might happen when I do that...

 

[scary alien]

Thanks. Re-locked. No files lost. I'm going to take the phone into a Verizon store and compare signals and camera quality to another SGN. You never know what might happen when I do that...

LOL, for sure!

Thank you for replying to confirm (great and interesting asked-and-answered question !).

Cheers and have a great rest of your evening!

 

[dabomb224]

I downloaded the factory image multiple times, but Windows 7 doesn't recognize it and Winzip tells me that it can't read its header (whatever that means). Is there a known issue with this?

 

[iowabowtech]

Try 7zip.

 

[scary alien]

I downloaded the factory image multiple times, but Windows 7 doesn't recognize it and Winzip tells me that it can't read its header (whatever that means). Is there a known issue with this?

Yeah, that's probably because its a .tgz (compressed tar archive) type of file.

iowabowtech, was spot-on...7zip or winrar or even Winzip should be able to understand its format (and probably a few dozen other archive utilities, too).

Try one of those utilities.

Cheers!

 

[Flavoristic]

Hello there, thanks for the helpful tips. I am planning to root my G-nexus but I cant find a factory image for my device. I have 4.0.1 yakjuux G-nexus from bell. If there is no stock image for my device, will the stock image yakju 4.0.1 work on mine?

 

[scary alien]

Hello there, thanks for the helpful tips. I am planning to root my G-nexus but I cant find a factory image for my device. I have 4.0.1 yakjuux G-nexus from bell. If there is no stock image for my device, will the stock image yakju 4.0.1 work on mine?

Check out the middle part of the first post in this thread for the stock image information under the "Stock Factory Images" section:

http://androidforums.com/galaxy-nexus-all-things-root/447119-samsung-galaxy-nexus-all-things-root-guide-updated-12-30-2011-a.html

You'll want the CDMA/LTE versions (4.0.2 is all that I have listed, but all the available versions are located here: http://code.google.com/android/nexus/images.html).

You just need / want the stock / factory images as a backup right (you don't need them for actually rooting your phone)?

Cheers !

edit: revised version information to "CDMA/LTE" based on Yeahha's excellent post below

 

[Yeahha]

Hello there, thanks for the helpful tips. I am planning to root my G-nexus but I cant find a factory image for my device. I have 4.0.1 yakjuux G-nexus from bell. If there is no stock image for my device, will the stock image yakju 4.0.1 work on mine?

I believe Bell is a CDMA/LTE carrier if that is the case I think you would need the toro/mysid files not yakju

You should be able to boot into fastboot (power off hold volume up and down then hold down the power button and wait) and it should tell you the device type in the lower left corner after variant.

maguro = GSM toro = CDMA