Database Users

Stock Recovery?

Does anyone have or know where to get a stock recovery image for the BTV-W09?

When I flashed the US "003" update manually through the dload folder method, my TWRP was replaced by the stock recovery. I have left it there, and since flashed TWRP to recovery2. The update failed, but I ended up with stock recovery and the tablet no longer rooted. I would try that first. If that doesn't work for you and if you are on the US version "002" firmware let me know and I should be able to send you a backup of my recovery partition bit if you need the eRecovery from the recovery2 partition, I will be unable to help you.

I am on the US version “003”, I updated before flashing TWRP and rooting. TWRP was flashed recovery not recovery2. No worries though, Im sure someone will post a recovery as rooted people will be needing to flash OTA updates soon.

If you are on "003", try updating the unzipped "Update.Zip" from the dload file. I found a copy of the update.zip on my internal SD in directory called HwOUC. If you can't find it, I still have my file. The Update will most likely fail, but that should give you the standard recovery back. then I suggest you flash TWRP to Recovery2. TWRP actually is easier to access from Recovery2 becuase all you have to do is hold the volume up key down for a few seconds from the unlocked bootloader screen to boot into TWRP. Once you have TWRP re-installed you can then just flash the super user zip file to regain your root.
I am not sure if it is because I now have unlocked the bootloader, have recovery2 with TWRP or updated the file to enable the 5Ghz modem , but even with having the standard recovery partition back my system did not pass the altered system check and allow me to flash the OTA. I am not quite experienced enough to try and use Flashfire to force the update, since there is a warning about Huawei devices being easy to hard brick. Hopefully someone who has updated and then rooted will post an .img file of the updated system partition so it can be flashed with TWRP (at least I think that is what those of us who have already rooted will need to do).

I looked for the update.zip but it doesn’t exist anywhere. These updates are usually removed after the update completes successfully. Plus I’ve done a factory reset since updating, which may have deleted it. I wanted to see if enabling the 5GHz radio would stick after the reset (it did). The 5GHz radio hack was really my only reason to root. I didn’t alter my system partition with TWRP, so I may still be able to take an OTA update if I had the factory recovery. Ive stopped rooting all of my non Nexus devices. Since Google releases almost monthly security updates which usually unroots anyway it’s just too much hassle to keep root. If you want to post the update.zip somewhere I could give it a try, if not that’s cool. Im sure a factory image will be available at some point.

I have posted the Update.zip file to the following location:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/ug1pe2w38ddkxm9/update.zip
Let me know how things go.

Coming from a Nexus 7 I'm use to many of the img files you flash for restoring.
Using update extractor I now see many of those files (003 update) and some I have no idea about or how to flash them.
BOOT.img - OK
CRC.img - ?
CURVER.img - ?
EFI.img - I know what EFI is just never flashed it on an Android device.
FASTBOOT - OK
FW_HIFI.img - ?
FW_LPM3.img - ?
RECOVERY.img - OK
SENSORHUB.img - ?
SHA256RSA.img - No what it is normally but never flashed.
TEEOS.img - ?
TRUSTFIRMWARE.img - Interesting, but have no idea. - ?
VERLIST.img - ?
XLOADER.img - ?
Like many of us I'm in the same boat. Unlocked, Flashed recovery and rooted and cannot install update 003.
I've flashed the recovery.img from update 03. I've done a factory reset a few times. Odd enough it maintains 5Ghz wifi after doing a reset. I'm stumped and not sure of so many of the other .img files. Might one of them help me get the update to pass if I flash it. That or we wait for a full release and not an OTA to grab all the files we need. Really think I need system.img to make it work but the update doesn't include it.

Thanks johe for providing the 003 update.zip. I may try flashing the recovery.img this weekend. Ill let you know how it goes.
Jmjm003, I believe the issue with updating with the OTA is due to changes detected in the system partition after rooting/unlocking. Im not sure of a way around this other than flashing the full system partition, and we don’t have the factory ROM available yet. Im also new to Huawei devices and their partition structure so hopefully the development community will grow around this device and provide better solutions. I also can confirm the 5GHz stayed enabled after a factory reset, the question remains would it hold after an OTA update.

Second time trying to root phone and I want to make sure I've got this 100%

Alright so I apologize in advance if this thread has been posted a million times and believe me, I've spent the last 4-5 days combing through to make sure I could get every detail of this process done correctly. So I'm not just blindly asking for instructions on how to root my phone. Apologies also if I posted this in the wrong place.
For starters, I'm using Moto G4 Plus XT1641 6.0.1 Build Number MPJ24.139-23.3. My carrier is Koodo in Canada (unsure if that's important but I'll need to being it up again for another point). The files I downloaded were from a youtube tutorial and this includes ADB program, TWRP img 3.0.2.0, supersu zip 2.46 and Motorola Drivers 2.5.4, SOME of which I think may have been outdated versions.
So Saturday night I tried to root my phone with those files. I followed some more guides, I unlocked my bootloader and I think I mostly did everything right except for getting the right supersu version as I've seen up to version 2.82. I think this may have been my first mistake but maybe someone correct me if I'm wrong? My other mistake was not making a backup in TWRP. I'd read about possible wifi problems after rooting so I grabbed the elemental package and possibly even flashed that wrong. I can't even remember the steps of what I did but I'm sure it was all wrong.
Main point, after all that I didn't have ccell service, wifi, etc. The common problems that arise when you do it wrong. I ended up just taking my phone in and getting a new phone. Exact same one, same model. And this brings me to where I am now. I've downloaded some new files and I want to make sure that I've got everything right as to avoid misunderstanding some key parts to the process.
Minimal ADB and Fastboot 1.4.2, twrp-3.1.1-0-athene.img, SuperSU-v2.82-201705271822, Motorola Drivers 2.5.4, and lastly XT1641_ATHENE-TELUS_MPJ24.139-23.3_cid50_subsidy-TELUS_CFC.xml. Notice how that last one says Telus? It's the parent company of Koodo so I'm hoping I can use that as a failsafe.
I think I've covered all the key points so to sum up:
1. Did I use the wrong supersu zip version and could that be a reason why I had no wifi/cell service? Is that also possible because I may have flashed the wrong carrier athene file?
2. Are the files I have downloaded now the correct ones I need and up to date?
3. I'm following this guide. With the files I have downloaded, is it still a correct step by step process? Are there other guides that work better?(thats not a knock on the original guide I'm refering to). https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g4-plus/how-to/root-systemless-rooting-supersu-2-74-2-t3405772
I think I've got the right know how and tools to root my phone but I'm just nervous of doing what I did before again and would like some reassurance that I'm doing it right. I've just come from jailbreaks, the world of root is much different. I appreciate any help or tips you guys can throw me!

Hmm, that's odd how you lost radio signal when you rooted, did you obtain radio signal back after you unrooted?
A few things I noted:
1)You may wish to update your device to a newer build, you might get an OTA inviting you to update to MPJ24-139-63 (or 139-64), which was the latest Marshmallow build. Once you've rooted, you will not be able to install OTA updates until you have unrooted and restored the stock recovery (from the same build as you currently have). If you get an OTA notification for any build beginning with NPJ, that's for Nougat.
2)If you plan to stay on Marshmallow, you don't need the ElementalX kernel - a custom kernel like ElementalX is compulsory on Nougat, whereas Marshmallow is not as strict with regards to rooting.
3) I hope the carrier ROM is okay, though from other reports, flashing the incorrect ROM can corrupt device partitions, leaving with no IMEI/no service/no FP. We have possible ways of repairing that though.
The tools you've downloaded seem to be okay and Bender's guide is still okay - even though the tools they've used are out of date - so the general procedure would be (up to you if you've updated MM at this point):
Install adb on your computer.
Boot your device to the bootloader.
Flash TWRP 3.1.1 athene (either the offficial TWRP or an unofficial build from shreps or oadam11) as directed.
Reboot to recovery (to make sure the recovery sticks).
Back up all partitions on your device, make the name descriptive.
Make another backup of the boot partition - this contains your stock kernel, useful for switching root manager.
Once the backups have been made, flash SuperSU v2.82.
Wipe cache/Dalvik
Reboot.

echo92 said:
Hmm, that's odd how you lost radio signal when you rooted, did you obtain radio signal back after you unrooted?
A few things I noted:
1)You may wish to update your device to a newer build, you might get an OTA inviting you to update to MPJ24-139-63 (or 139-64), which was the latest Marshmallow build. Once you've rooted, you will not be able to install OTA updates until you have unrooted and restored the stock recovery (from the same build as you currently have). If you get an OTA notification for any build beginning with NPJ, that's for Nougat.
2)If you plan to stay on Marshmallow, you don't need the ElementalX kernel - a custom kernel like ElementalX is compulsory on Nougat, whereas Marshmallow is not as strict with regards to rooting.
3) I hope the carrier ROM is okay, though from other reports, flashing the incorrect ROM can corrupt device partitions, leaving with no IMEI/no service/no FP. We have possible ways of repairing that though.
The tools you've downloaded seem to be okay and Bender's guide is still okay - even though the tools they've used are out of date - so the general procedure would be (up to you if you've updated MM at this point):
Install adb on your computer.
Boot your device to the bootloader.
Flash TWRP 3.1.1 athene (either the offficial TWRP or an unofficial build from shreps or oadam11) as directed.
Reboot to recovery (to make sure the recovery sticks).
Back up all partitions on your device, make the name descriptive.
Make another backup of the boot partition - this contains your stock kernel, useful for switching root manager.
Once the backups have been made, flash SuperSU v2.82.
Wipe cache/Dalvik
Reboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply, it helps me feel a little more confident in what I'm doing. I didn't get my cell service back as I just took my phone into Koodo and they just gave me a new one. A few questions.
Are there some clear guides on how to recover from lost wifi and cell service? I've seen a few but it appears they all have different directions so as a newcomer to Android it does seems a bit confusing to what the right way to do it is. I'm also hoping someone can chime in on the Telus carrier IMG file as that seems to be my backup in case anything goes terribly wrong again. I'd hate to have to bring my phone back again a second time. Also, is it an easy process to make a backup of the kernel in TWRP? I've figured out how to make a backup of the normal partition, just hoping backing up the kernel is just as easy.
I think I'm near ready to take the root plunge in the coming days. It's good to see such a strong community here. Totally different from the jailbreak scene.

lemonlimejones said:
Thanks for the reply, it helps me feel a little more confident in what I'm doing. I didn't get my cell service back as I just took my phone into Koodo and they just gave me a new one. A few questions.
Are there some clear guides on how to recover from lost wifi and cell service? I've seen a few but it appears they all have different directions so as a newcomer to Android it does seems a bit confusing to what the right way to do it is. I'm also hoping someone can chime in on the Telus carrier IMG file as that seems to be my backup in case anything goes terribly wrong again. I'd hate to have to bring my phone back again a second time. Also, is it an easy process to make a backup of the kernel in TWRP? I've figured out how to make a backup of the normal partition, just hoping backing up the kernel is just as easy.
I think I'm near ready to take the root plunge in the coming days. It's good to see such a strong community here. Totally different from the jailbreak scene.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, I'm not aware of any guides specifically dealing with lost Wi-Fi and lost mobile signal. There are a few posts where we've had some success in getting radios back, but it involves either hex editing https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72340548&postcount=98 or flashing hw, modem or fsg partitions from a working device (in this case, XT1641) The instances I've seen of lost Wi-Fi/mobile signal appear to have occurred during a stock ROM fastboot flash, but hoping someone can chime in as to whether it was just flashing the wrong region firmware or something else.
If you want to back up your kernel in TWRP:
Boot to TWRP
Tap 'Backup' on the main menu
Select only the 'boot' partition - this is the partition that contains your kernel (should be stock and clean if you've not rooted).
Rename the file to remind you it's your kernel.
Swipe to back up.
If you need to revert to this kernel, unroot first (depending on your root manager, you may have to boot and then unroot. I recall SuperSU unroots via the SuperSU app settings), then boot to TWRP.
Tap 'Restore' on the main menu
Navigate to your boot backup
Flash your boot backup
You should now have a clean stock kernel, so if you wish to switch root managers, you should be able to obtain root with your new root manager. We want a clean kernel (no modifications made) since uninstalling the old root may leave traces of root on your existing kernel, and thus may cause issues if you re-root with a different manager.
Good luck in rooting

echo92 said:
Hmm, I'm not aware of any guides specifically dealing with lost Wi-Fi and lost mobile signal. There are a few posts where we've had some success in getting radios back, but it involves either hex editing https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72340548&postcount=98 or flashing hw, modem or fsg partitions from a working device (in this case, XT1641) The instances I've seen of lost Wi-Fi/mobile signal appear to have occurred during a stock ROM fastboot flash, but hoping someone can chime in as to whether it was just flashing the wrong region firmware or something else.
If you want to back up your kernel in TWRP:
Boot to TWRP
Tap 'Backup' on the main menu
Select only the 'boot' partition - this is the partition that contains your kernel (should be stock and clean if you've not rooted).
Rename the file to remind you it's your kernel.
Swipe to back up.
If you need to revert to this kernel, unroot first (depending on your root manager, you may have to boot and then unroot. I recall SuperSU unroots via the SuperSU app settings), then boot to TWRP.
Tap 'Restore' on the main menu
Navigate to your boot backup
Flash your boot backup
You should now have a clean stock kernel, so if you wish to switch root managers, you should be able to obtain root with your new root manager. We want a clean kernel (no modifications made) since uninstalling the old root may leave traces of root on your existing kernel, and thus may cause issues if you re-root with a different manager.
Good luck in rooting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's perfect thank you so much. Am I right to assume that if I get into a jam then I can just restore/reflash my backups and I'll be back to normal?

To be safe, flash the ElementalX kernel before rooting.

reCoded said:
To be safe, flash the ElementalX kernel before rooting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See this is where I get confused, the guy above you said ElementalX isn't needed on Marshmallow but you say i should use it anyway? I've seen a few differing opinions on what should and shouldn't be done, just not sure which one is the right answer.

lemonlimejones said:
See this is where I get confused, the guy above you said ElementalX isn't needed on Marshmallow but you say i should use it anyway? I've seen a few differing opinions on what should and shouldn't be done, just not sure which one is the right answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ElementalX v0.07 is not required on Marshmallow (provided you are planning on staying on 6.0.1), you can root the stock ROM kernel. You may wish to flash the ElementalX kernel anyway as this custom kernel gives you more control and tuning options compared to the stock kernel. On stock Nougat, because the anti-rooting kernel security is much stricter and enforced (whereas on Marshmallow I don't think it's enforced), then you need ElementalX or vegito or a custom kernel to bypass the security, by in effect replacing the stock secure kernel with a kernel that doesn't have those restrictions. Without replacing the stock kernel on stock Nougat systems, you can run into a bootloop.
As an MM kernel as mentioned before has weaker security regarding rooting, it's up to you if you choose to root the stock kernel or ElementalX.
I've rooted MM (MPJ24.139-63) in the past with SuperSU (v2.79) and only used TWRP and SuperSU.
In response to your other post, the backups should get you out of a jam, since what you're doing should only affect the partitions you've backed up previously (they in theory shouldn't go anywhere near your modem, bootloader or critical firmware). Bear in mind that the TWRP backup if restored in full will revert your messages and data to that backup. You may wish to use Titanium Backup or other tools to take occasional snapshots of your apps data that you can restore should you have to roll back.

lemonlimejones said:
See this is where I get confused, the guy above you said ElementalX isn't needed on Marshmallow but you say i should use it anyway? I've seen a few differing opinions on what should and shouldn't be done, just not sure which one is the right answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're on Nougat, then you should use ElementalX. If you're on Marshmallow, you don't need it.

echo92 said:
ElementalX v0.07 is not required on Marshmallow (provided you are planning on staying on 6.0.1), you can root the stock ROM kernel. You may wish to flash the ElementalX kernel anyway as this custom kernel gives you more control and tuning options compared to the stock kernel. On stock Nougat, because the anti-rooting kernel security is much stricter and enforced (whereas on Marshmallow I don't think it's enforced), then you need ElementalX or vegito or a custom kernel to bypass the security, by in effect replacing the stock secure kernel with a kernel that doesn't have those restrictions. Without replacing the stock kernel on stock Nougat systems, you can run into a bootloop.
As an MM kernel as mentioned before has weaker security regarding rooting, it's up to you if you choose to root the stock kernel or ElementalX.
I've rooted MM (MPJ24.139-63) in the past with SuperSU (v2.79) and only used TWRP and SuperSU.
In response to your other post, the backups should get you out of a jam, since what you're doing should only affect the partitions you've backed up previously (they in theory shouldn't go anywhere near your modem, bootloader or critical firmware). Bear in mind that the TWRP backup if restored in full will revert your messages and data to that backup. You may wish to use Titanium Backup or other tools to take occasional snapshots of your apps data that you can restore should you have to roll back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right on, I think I feel comfortable with this now! One more question though, with newer versions of SuperSU is it still necessary to make the command echo systemless=true or was that mostly for older versions? Also if that part is needed, should I run SuperSU from the data folder in TWRP?

lemonlimejones said:
Right on, I think I feel comfortable with this now! One more question though, with newer versions of SuperSU is it still necessary to make the command echo systemless=true or was that mostly for older versions? Also if that part is needed, should I run SuperSU from the data folder in TWRP?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 'echo systemless=true', as I understand it, isn't required on SuperSU 2.79 or newer, so if you're flashing 2.82, you should be able to flash as is without having to run the command too Also makes uninstalling easier!

[Guide]How to get an update if unlocked and rooted, but otherwise on stock EMUI

I just bought the Honor 8 and immediately unlocked and rooted it via Magik. Of course not long after that, I get a notification that there is an update available. You obviously cannot update the phone by simply pressing the "update" button since we have a non-stock recovery. I did a fair amount of research to find out how I could get the update and I wanted to share what I found. All of this information is out there already, but generally speaking it is spread out in many different threads. Hopefully these directions can help someone else.....
First, the usual disclosures.....
Code:
I am not responsible for bricked devices, dead SD cards,
thermonuclear war, or you getting fired because the alarm app failed. Please
do some research if you have any concerns about features included in this GUIDE
before flashing it! YOU are choosing to make these modifications, and if
you point the finger at me for messing up your device, I will laugh at you.
1) Make a NANDroid backup using TWRP: if the new update locks the phone, you will need this backup to restore data after unlocking it
2) Unroot your phone: honestly I did not do this step myself because I simply didn't think about it. The update process worked for me without unrooting but I am also using Magik which doesn't alter the system files. To ensure success I would definitely recommend you unroot. You will have to reroot the phone after the update regardless if you unrooted or not, so you aren't saving any steps by keeping root at this point. If you have used a different root method besides Magik, you must unroot prior to attempting an upgrade.
3) Obtain stock recovery.img file: the update won't work with TWRP as your recovery, so we need to flash the original Huawei recovery to replace TWRP. If you already have a copy of the stock recovery skip to step 4. If you are like me you don't have a copy of the stock recovery image on hand and we will need to extract it from the stock ROM image. Using a computer (not your phone) download the stock ROM image for your device. This website seems to have a list of recent versions and it is where I downloaded the L14 B389 version that I used.
Download the Huawei Update Extractor software and unzip the folder on the computer. Open the HuaweiUpdateExtractor app and use the software to extract the "Recovery.img" file. Here is a Youtube video showing how to do this. Please note, although the video shows several files being extracted you only need to extract the "Recovery.img" file for our use. Move the stock recovery image to your ADB folder so you can flash it in step 4.
4) Flash the stock recovery image: use the stock recovery file and flash it to recovery using the same instructions as you used to flash TWRP in the first place. If you need a refresher, look at section 2 (parts 1-5) of the first post in this thread. Just make sure you substite the name of the stock recovery image instead of the TWRP.img
5) Reboot into system
6) Install Update: go to the Settings - System Update menu on your phone. In the upper right corner, click on the three dots and it will bring up a menu where you can choose "Download latest full update". Click on this. This will start the update process by downloading the full ROM and not just the smaller update package. For me the package size was approaching 2gb, so make sure you are ready to handle that size transfer. After the download is complete, start the update process. I was nervous at first, but everything went fine. If for some reason the update fails, I would reboot and try again. I did have one failure, but I cannot explain if it was a bad download, or something I did wrong (like not unrooting the phone prior to attempting the update). It worked fine the second attempt.
7) Reboot: the phone will reboot and you should check the status to make sure you are on the latest version.
8) Flash TWRP recovery: I read where people said full updates would lock your phone and you would have to start from scratch unlocking it (and therefore wiping all data). This was not the case for me and this update using this method. I was simply able to flash TWRP again. You should be a rock star at flashing recoveries by now so get to it and flash TWRP again. If your phone is locked, then read the note at the bottom of this post.
9) Reboot into system
10) Flash Magik zip: reboot into recovery and flash Magik zip to get SuperSU.
11) Install Magik modules: reboot into system. Reinstall any Magik modules you use as they don't get carried over from the previous installation.
12) Enjoy your updated phone
If for some reason the full update did lock the phone, then you will need to unlock it again before you can flash TWRP. You have already done this before, so use whatever method was successful for you. Obviously this will fully wipe your phone. After flashing TWRP and Magik, I would make a backup of that raw "stock" image just in case this next step doesn't work. After making the backup, you can try to restore just the data partition of the NANDroid backup you made in step 1 (click restore in TWRP, select the backup made in step 1 but deselect everything except the "data" partition before starting the restore process.) I have never done this, but I have read it will recover all your data (apps, etc) without affecting the system partition and therefore it won't mess up the upgrade. I would not recommend doing this if going from Marshmallow to Nugget or Nugget to Oreo however. In those cases, it is better to simple start fresh and redownload all of your apps.

Thank you for this thread.
Hello sic,
I am having the same issue with my Huawei GR-5 2017 and like you, I have my fair share of researching for weeks now and I was really happy to stumble on this thread.
Before I start with the process, I have a few questions for you. I hope you could help me (even though this thread is half a year ago).
Can you elaborate steps 1 and 2 or could you provide me a link on how to do those?

I got xposed installed im on emui 8 i also tried flashfire but it only turns the phone off.. Ist it eneugh to uninstall xposed? And can i get the recovery img from fullota? And must i restore images in magisk? I will try it without xposed installed. And a theory: is the information abaut bootloader unlock stored in a partition like oeminfo? If it is we could restore oeminfo.

[mini-GUIDE] BRICKED / DOWNGRADE / SAME / UPGRADE - also ALTERNATIVE to RSDlite

I am not responsible for your bricked phone or pigeon poo on your toupe. Do at your own risk.
Many thanks to @SupahCookie for idea and motivation!
INTENTIONALLY DOES --NOT-- LOCK BOOTLOADER!!!
Get factory images here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/mo...ock-images-t3736767/post75236696#post75236696
THIS GUIDE IS FOR FACTORY/STOCK ROMs - NOT YOUR AVERAGE CUSTOM ROM which may not have bootloaders!!! (thanks!!!!! @echo92 )
FIX:
IF YOU ARE ABLE TO GET TO FASTBOOT THIS SHOULD WORK.
IF YOU HAVE 8.x bootloaders AND ARE DOWNGRADING TO 7, use "Alternative to RSDlite" below.
1 boot to win - 7 or 10 works fine.
2 boot phone to fastboot, and connect phone to computer.
3 start RSDlite
pick a ROM. I believe I used a 7.1.1 rom
3Nov9-ADDISON_NPNS26.118-22-2-8_cid50_subsidy-DEFAULT_regulatory-DEFAULT_CFC.xml.zip
RSDlite installed it and fixed the problem.
- -
I was then able to use RSDlite to install @rafikowy 's signed 8.0 . - going up from 7 to 8.
- -
- -
If you are on 8.x bootloaders and want to go to 7.x bootloaders, use this (RSDlite throws an error and stops):
ALTERNATIVE TO RSDlite:
1 I used 7zip to extract that 7.1.1 zip (or any ROM zip) into a folder x,
2 add all the adb and fastboot junk to folder x,
3 add the attached file (rename it to flash.bat) to folder x.
4 boot phone to fastboot and connect to computer.
5 click on flash.bat - it throws a lot of "slot" errors but works just fine.
6 reboot your phone if it hasn't already and go through the 7.x install stuffs.
7 you will not show an IMEI if you are coming from an 8.x bootloader. However, it IS there.
NOTE: you may need to add a line to the flash.bat if there are more/less sparsechunk's in your FACTORY/STOCK ROM...
THIS IS NOT FOR CUSTOM ROMs!!!!!!!
EDIT: 3-8-19: I just did this myself to go back very briefly to 7.1 - be sure you don't flash TWRP to it if your going to take OTAs - it will brick it. boot to TWRP if you need TWRP briefly: fastboot boot twrpimg.img
----------
If you can boot to fastboot screen, you can do anything.
Never OTA a ROM if you have modified recovery (TWRP, etc) or if magisk is present.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/mo...p-flashing-t3813498/post77011495#post77011495
I changed the attached file to add pause and reboot and exit to make it slightly more automated.

I have successfully used this many times going back and forth. If you can boot to fastboot screen, you can save your phone and flash anything you want.

You may wish to advise users that if they downgrade to Nougat not to use Nougat OTA updates. The reason being that a downgraded stock Oreo device may still have the Oreo bootloader on it. Thus, attempting to use Nougat OTA updates may hard brick their device (as the bootloader is likely corrupted, meaning no fastboot).
Users could either use the Feb 2018 NPN26.118-22-2-17 firmware from your link https://mirrors.lolinet.com/firmware/moto/addison/official/RETAIL/ as that was the last Nougat firmware (and thus no Nougat OTA updates) or avoid using OTA updates whilst downgraded.

echo92 said:
You may wish to advise users that if they downgrade to Nougat not to use Nougat OTA updates. The reason being that a downgraded stock Oreo device may still have the Oreo bootloader on it. Thus, attempting to use Nougat OTA updates may hard brick their device (as the bootloader is likely corrupted, meaning no fastboot).
Users could either use the Feb 2018 NPN26.118-22-2-17 firmware from your link https://mirrors.lolinet.com/firmware/moto/addison/official/RETAIL/ as that was the last Nougat firmware (and thus no Nougat OTA updates) or avoid using OTA updates whilst downgraded.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. I used the above GUIDE to go up and down a number of times on my phone (about 20 total) , installing and running on both 7 and 8, and then went down to a Nov 7.1.1 and let it ota all the way up to 8.0 and that is what I am using now. I found that when i used a factory zip, and the above procedure, it corrected the bootloaders to the appropriate version that i was flashing - either RSDlite or the more manual path which ignores the errors worked for me.
Using the above procedure , you get the correct bootloaders, which are in the zip.
Please correct me if i am wrong!

KrisM22 said:
Interesting. I used the above GUIDE to go up and down a number of times on my phone (about 20 total) , installing and running on both 7 and 8, and then went down to a Nov 7.1.1 and let it ota all the way up to 8.0 and that is what I am using now. I found that when i used a factory zip, and the above procedure, it corrected the bootloaders to the appropriate version that i was flashing - either RSDlite or the more manual path which ignores the errors worked for me.
Using the above procedure , you get the correct bootloaders, which are in the zip.
Please correct me if i am wrong!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's intriguing - we saw previously on Z Play that users downgrading their stock firmware (e.g. https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-z-play/help/hard-brick-moto-z-play-patch-abril-t3782927 )and then using OTA updates hard bricked their device (hence the number of users asking for a blankflash, as fastboot no longer works). I don't know if these users hard bricked by downgrading their firmware too far and then flashed an OTA radically different to their previous firmware, or whether it's a risk that's taken by any downgrading of firmware.
When you used fastboot, did you see any 'security downgrade errors' when you flashed the bootloader, and is your bootloader version now C180, as you've flashed the Oreo OTA?

echo92 said:
That's intriguing - we saw previously on Z Play that users downgrading their stock firmware (e.g. https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-z-play/help/hard-brick-moto-z-play-patch-abril-t3782927 )and then using OTA updates hard bricked their device (hence the number of users asking for a blankflash, as fastboot no longer works). I don't know if these users hard bricked by downgrading their firmware too far and then flashed an OTA radically different to their previous firmware, or whether it's a risk that's taken by any downgrading of firmware.
When you used fastboot, did you see any 'security downgrade errors' when you flashed the bootloader, and is your bootloader version now C180, as you've flashed the Oreo OTA?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YES - that's why I wrote these 3 guides - before, it was quite possible to wind up with a bootloader mix - esp depending on the zip you use! - factory/stock only!!!
I added a line to the guide saying that it is only intended to be used for the factory/stock zips as these have (I believe) the bootloaders appropriate to the ROM.
Many thanks for pursuing this! - I wonder if we'll have to exclude certain ROMs that are in the factory lists?????

echo92 said:
That's intriguing - we saw previously on Z Play that users downgrading their stock firmware (e.g. https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-z-play/help/hard-brick-moto-z-play-patch-abril-t3782927 )and then using OTA updates hard bricked their device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have TWRP (or I assume any custom recovery) present when you try to ota, it can download just fine and then reboot to the update. I had TWRP and wound up in a situation where my phone would only boot to twrp no matter what I flashed or restored. I booted phone to fastboot, RSDlite'ed that 11-09-17 factory zip and all was well. In that particular case I did not fully install 7.x but immediately RSDlite'ed rafikowy's 8.0 signed stock and went on with my testing. Since then I always boot to TWRP rather than intalling it and do my thing. (thanks @jceballos )
When you used fastboot, did you see any 'security downgrade errors' when you flashed the bootloader, and is your bootloader version now C180, as you've flashed the Oreo OTA?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry - since it throws a million errors I never look at it if it works.
The particular build I am on at the moment - is BL: C1.82
This one started from that Nov '17 build and ota'ed all the way to 8.0 Apr.
I root and unroot as needed per rafikowy's method but using a boot to TWRP - never an install TWRP.
I'll put up a new guide ref ota and recovery and brick.

KrisM22 said:
If you have TWRP (or I assume any custom recovery) present when you try to ota, it can download just fine and then reboot to the update. I had TWRP and wound up in a situation where my phone would only boot to twrp no matter what I flashed or restored. I booted phone to fastboot, RSDlite'ed that 11-09-17 factory zip and all was well. In that particular case I did not fully install 7.x but immediately RSDlite'ed rafikowy's 8.0 signed stock and went on with my testing. Since then I always boot to TWRP rather than intalling it and do my thing. (thanks @jceballos )
Sorry - since it throws a million errors I never look at it if it works.
The particular build I am on at the moment - is BL: C1.82
This one started from that Nov '17 build and ota'ed all the way to 8.0 Apr.
I root and unroot as needed per rafikowy's method but using a boot to TWRP - never an install TWRP.
I'll put up a new guide ref ota and recovery and brick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) If you have TWRP, then using an OTA will fail - as you've not got stock recovery (and likely other modifications, including possibly a system partition set to read-write status). As you noted, having TWRP seems to cause a bootloop when rebooting - I'm not sure if the OTA sets a boot flag to stay in recovery until the update is completed. For the G4/Plus, there's a possible solution by wiping the misc partition but I don't know if there's a similar partition for Z Play devices: https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g4/help/troubleshooting-twrp-boot-loop-ota-t3714325
The only other solution I've seen is a clean flash of the stock ROM to get your device booting properly.
Booting to TWRP rather than flashing would mean your stock recovery is still present on your device. The only downside is if you need to make modifications, you'd need your computer to boot to TWRP.
2)BL C1.82 seems to be the bootloader provided by the Oreo April 2018 security patch update, so your device looks to be on the right bootloader. It's still curious that the Nov 2017 firmware worked whereas countless other 'factory' stock ROMs caused hard bricks when downgraded to and then OTA updates were installed.
As you mentioned, custom ROMs don't have bootloaders and thus don't care about your bootloader version usually (though I've seen some ROMs require a certain bootloader). However, stock ROMs and stock OTA updates do have bootloaders, which is why downgrading can be risky.

echo92 said:
1) If you have TWRP, then using an OTA will fail - as you've not got stock recovery (and likely other modifications, including possibly a system partition set to read-write status). As you noted, having TWRP seems to cause a bootloop when rebooting - I'm not sure if the OTA sets a boot flag to stay in recovery until the update is completed. For the G4/Plus, there's a possible solution by wiping the misc partition but I don't know if there's a similar partition for Z Play devices: https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g4/help/troubleshooting-twrp-boot-loop-ota-t3714325
The only other solution I've seen is a clean flash of the stock ROM to get your device booting properly.
Booting to TWRP rather than flashing would mean your stock recovery is still present on your device. The only downside is if you need to make modifications, you'd need your computer to boot to TWRP.
2)BL C1.82 seems to be the bootloader provided by the Oreo April 2018 security patch update, so your device looks to be on the right bootloader. It's still curious that the Nov 2017 firmware worked whereas countless other 'factory' stock ROMs caused hard bricks when downgraded to and then OTA updates were installed.
As you mentioned, custom ROMs don't have bootloaders and thus don't care about your bootloader version usually (though I've seen some ROMs require a certain bootloader). However, stock ROMs and stock OTA updates do have bootloaders, which is why downgrading can be risky.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Downgrading is a piece of cake if you don't use RSDlite - it throws an error and stops. Using the bat file it can happily throw all the errors it wants and all I care is at the end I have what I want.
It does indeed change the entire environment when you bat file the zip contents. You can bat file to get from 8 to 7 and then use RSDlite to flash a different 7 OR 8 zip file. There is no resulting difference in whether you RSDlite it or bat file it - the bat file simply comes from the .xml file that is within the zip. There is very little or no difference between that among addison factory/stock zips. Other zips are different (custom ROMs.)
Grab any factory/stock zip for addison and expand it and you will see modems, bootloaders, indeed absolutely everything you would find on that phone if you went to a store and bought it. SupahCookie simply added a couple lock command lines because it was intended for folks who somehow thought that if phone was locked they could take it back to the store and get their money back. Or some such. I found that ATT folk didn't care if you were on CM or whatever if you just needed to swap SIMs or whatever.
I DON'T want to lock the phone as it prevents me from modifying forever. Oh yeah that reminds me I was going to post the obligatory guide (again) about how to flash a white boot logo so you don't get that message - it's still there LOL but since the font is in white, you can't see it.

I have a Moto Z2 Play and used this to get out of a rather sticky situation.. My IEMI shows 0 now and I'm curious if there's a way to fix this? Also, You say you've done OTA updates? My phone is telling my I have some, is it safe to try?

Necrowr said:
I have a Moto Z2 Play and used this to get out of a rather sticky situation.. My IEMI shows 0 now and I'm curious if there's a way to fix this? Also, You say you've done OTA updates? My phone is telling my I have some, is it safe to try?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for feedback and great on success.
IMEI will show zero if using oreo, It will show again if using N. Remember that if you go from O to N you need to use the "Alternative to RSD" as RSD will simply throw an error and stop.
If you have TWRP and/or Magisk you must get rid of them before ota - if twrp present you will soft brick and have to do alternative again - flash a stock recovery. Simply uninstalling/flash magisk will probably not be enough - it will likely d/l but error part way through update. If you are sitting on rafikowy's stock oreo, and haven't modified it, you should be fine. I know Apr and June are out there. I flashed his stock 8.0 and took June fine. Z2 should be no different though of course I can't guarantee it
If you have success, let us know what you have done so others looking in will know. Thanks!

KrisM22 said:
Thanks for feedback and great on success.
IMEI will show zero if using oreo, It will show again if using N. Remember that if you go from O to N you need to use the "Alternative to RSD" as RSD will simply throw an error and stop.
If you have TWRP and/or Magisk you must get rid of them before ota - if twrp present you will soft brick and have to do alternative again - flash a stock recovery. Simply uninstalling/flash magisk will probably not be enough - it will likely d/l but error part way through update. If you are sitting on rafikowy's stock oreo, and haven't modified it, you should be fine. I know Apr and June are out there. I flashed his stock 8.0 and took June fine. Z2 should be no different though of course I can't guarantee it
If you have success, let us know what you have done so others looking in will know. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually flashed to this: ALBUS_C_7.1.1_NPS26.118-24_cid50_subsidy-DEFAULT_regulatory-DEFAULT_CFC.xml.zip Which is a 7.1.1 variant and it is showing 0 when I check settings and when I dial *#06#. However upon connecting to the computer and running mfastboot getvar imei it returned a value. I only did the steps above which would mean I don't have TWRP or Magisk (when I fastboot and click recovery I get "no command")
****** Additional information *********
XT1710-01 Duel Sim Variant
I started your steps, only being able to access fastboot. The device would throw an error (I don't recall exactly but it ended up showing me them in the bootloader logs) whenever I tried to start it, or go to recovery. #DefinitelyThoughtItWasDead

Necrowr said:
I actually flashed to this: ALBUS_C_7.1.1_NPS26.118-24_cid50_subsidy-DEFAULT_regulatory-DEFAULT_CFC.xml.zip Which is a 7.1.1 variant and it is showing 0 when I check settings and when I dial *#06#. However upon connecting to the computer and running mfastboot getvar imei it returned a value. I only did the steps above which would mean I don't have TWRP or Magisk (when I fastboot and click recovery I get "no command")
****** Additional information *********
XT1710-01 Duel Sim Variant
I started your steps, only being able to access fastboot. The device would throw an error (I don't recall exactly but it ended up showing me them in the bootloader logs) whenever I tried to start it, or go to recovery. #DefinitelyThoughtItWasDead
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What rom was on phone when you got it and what have you done to it? Has it ever run 8.x?
original country of phone?
The bat file will always throw a lot of slot errors.
https://mirrors.lolinet.com/firmware/moto/albus/official/RETUS/
or
https://mirrors.lolinet.com/firmware/moto/albus/official/RETAIL/
might have some stock ROMs of interest...

KrisM22 said:
What rom was on phone when you got it and what have you done to it? Has it ever run 8.x?
original country of phone?
The bat file will always throw a lot of slot errors.
might have some stock ROMs of interest...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It had 7.1.1 stock. I rooted it, and then flashed Resurrection Remix (which was yes 8.1 I believe) and the upgraded bootloader. I then found out my service wouldn't work with that.. so I attempted to flash back to stock which gave me a flurry of issues.. eventually getting to nothing but fastboot working. Flashed back to working with your guide to 7.1.1
If it helps in in fastboot it tells me BL: C0.CD

Necrowr said:
It had 7.1.1 stock. I rooted it, and then flashed Resurrection Remix (which was yes 8.1 I believe) and the upgraded bootloader. I then found out my service wouldn't work with that.. so I attempted to flash back to stock which gave me a flurry of issues.. eventually getting to nothing but fastboot working. Flashed back to working with your guide to 7.1.1
If it helps in in fastboot it tells me BL: C0.CD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Custom ROMs won't usually update the bootloader (even if they are newer) as stock ROMs typically only have the bootloader firmware.
You could look into flashing the stock Oreo albus 8.0 ROM https://forum.xda-developers.com/z2-play/how-to/fastboot-rom-oreo-retail-via-fastboot-t3786153 or the 8.0 June 2018 firmware https://forum.xda-developers.com/z2-play/how-to/fastboot-rom-albusretail8-0-0opss27-76-t3822195 but please check that firmware has been released for your device variant.
I don't know if updating your baseband to stock Oreo formally may fix your IMEI issue.

Necrowr said:
It had 7.1.1 stock. I rooted it, and then flashed Resurrection Remix (which was yes 8.1 I believe) and the upgraded bootloader. I then found out my service wouldn't work with that.. so I attempted to flash back to stock which gave me a flurry of issues.. eventually getting to nothing but fastboot working. Flashed back to working with your guide to 7.1.1
If it helps in in fastboot it tells me BL: C0.CD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"BL: C0.CD" even right after flashing that albus 7.1.1 using "alternative" above?
What happens if you flash one of the oreo roms from the links I gave you above?
Yeah, RR wouldn't change bootloaders... so you upgraded bootloaders independendently?- that could easily lead to a soft brick... -
I read RR on Z2 and it says nothing about bootloaders even though it says 8.1 based, so i wonder if it needs 7.x bootloaders? I did not read entire thread...
In a reverse, I would wonder if you put an 8 on there if you wouldn't see your IMEI. (On the Z if you flash 8 You won't see the IMEI until you return to 7.)(wondering if z2 is reversed)

KrisM22 said:
"BL: C0.CD" even right after flashing that albus 7.1.1 using "alternative" above?
What happens if you flash one of the oreo roms from the links I gave you above?
Yeah, RR wouldn't change bootloaders... so you upgraded bootloaders independendently?- that could easily lead to a soft brick... -
I read RR on Z2 and it says nothing about bootloaders even though it says 8.1 based, so i wonder if it needs 7.x bootloaders? I did not read entire thread...
In a reverse, I would wonder if you put an 8 on there if you wouldn't see your IMEI. (On the Z if you flash 8 You won't see the IMEI until you return to 7.)(wondering if z2 is reversed)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, right after flashing that is the BL that fastboot is showing me. I don't recall updating the bootloader so to speak, however RR did require an updated variant of twrp which I flashed 3.2.2 I believe to get (unsure if that would have changed the bootloader or not). I also tried flashing a stock Oreo (which you've stated stock Roms usually only have the bootloaders so maybe somewhere during this process I updated it?). I wish I had all the notes for what I did to give more precise information, but I'm in a position where I really need my phone so I kinda just panicked and started flashing things when my service wouldn't work.
I'm highly considering trying to run an OTA (though very afraid of bricking). - On a side note though, it wouldn't even tell me I had OTA's until I did the steps in the original post here (doing the different 7.1.1. and 8.0 flashes, it wouldn't ever tell me I had updates, and now it does).
*** Edit ***
Looks like I'm able to enter stock recovery, which makes me believe everything is stock at the moment.

Necrowr said:
Yes, right after flashing that is the BL that fastboot is showing me. I don't recall updating the bootloader so to speak, however RR did require an updated variant of twrp which I flashed 3.2.2 I believe to get (unsure if that would have changed the bootloader or not). I also tried flashing a stock Oreo (which you've stated stock Roms usually only have the bootloaders so maybe somewhere during this process I updated it?). I wish I had all the notes for what I did to give more precise information, but I'm in a position where I really need my phone so I kinda just panicked and started flashing things when my service wouldn't work.
I'm highly considering trying to run an OTA (though very afraid of bricking). - On a side note though, it wouldn't even tell me I had OTA's until I did the steps in the original post here (doing the different 7.1.1. and 8.0 flashes, it wouldn't ever tell me I had updates, and now it does).
*** Edit ***
Looks like I'm able to enter stock recovery, which makes me believe everything is stock at the moment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you flashed a stock O that would have changed bl to O, but doing the above with the stock 7.1.1 would have changed them back to N. No matter (other than academic) that you don't remember the path - flashing a stock anything reverts it to that point in time. However, IMEI may have been moved - don't know. It will likely show on EITHER 7.x or 8.x stock - just don't know which.
If you flash a stock 8.x from those links I gave you above, it should offer you ota, ASSUMING there are any at this point in time(Z has 2). Adding Magisk at any point seems to hose you for receiving any more ota's - don't understand why, even with magisk uninstall, so that would mean going back to the latest stock and losing what you have (which is why I try to take a TBPro and copy that backup to PC (because re-flashing 8.x stock will likely reset internal storage.).
yes, if you enter stock recovery, you are likely at stock, though you could reflash the latest 7 or 8 stock to be sure, depending on which you want to use as base. Since 8 is having security fixes released, I choose 8 and will likely have no more interest (no time!) in 7.

So, ran the OTA and it was fine running the update and staying on N. I also downloaded the OTA for Oreo, when trying to update the recovery error'd out. It looked like the error said "Error in modem unexpected results" or something similar.

Necrowr said:
So, ran the OTA and it was fine running the update and staying on N. I also downloaded the OTA for Oreo, when trying to update the recovery error'd out. It looked like the error said "Error in modem unexpected results" or something similar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did it offer to let you d/l it again? you could try that.
However, there exist O stock zips in those links I gave you so you could just flash the latest...

How do I upgrade to latest firmware after a downgrade (bootloader and GPT confusion)

TL;DR
About two years back I upgraded from Marshmallow to Nougat then downgraded back to Marshmallow but didn't flash GPT or bootloader partitions (full details at the bottom)
I want to upgrade to the latest official stock firmware which I believe is this: https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g4-plus/how-to/guide-moto-g4-g4-oreo-soak-test-update-t3871136
But I don't know where to begin.
If I backup my phone with TWRP can I restore back to it (Marhsmallow) if I decide I don't like Oreo?
Appreciate any help
History:
A while back I upgraded from Marshmallow to Nougat using this guide: https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g4-plus/how-to/stock-rom-npjs25-93-14-4-march-1-t3608138
I then Flashed the June (2017) OTA update files
Xposed framework wasn't available for Nougat at the time so I downgraded back to Marshmallow; I believe I used the file XT1642_ATHENE_6.0.1_MPJ24.139-48_cid50_subsidy-DEFAULT_CFC.xml.zip
I THINK I followed this downgrade guide: https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g4-plus/how-to/how-to-downgrade-nougat-to-marshmallow-t3487201
But I vaguely remember not flashing the GPT and bootloader partitions (based on the advice of the wonderful echo92 here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=73031946&postcount=8) but I can't say for sure
I have a few backups from TWRP (https://imgur.com/a/QzgQNbh) from that time with this file structure: https://i.imgur.com/B2cxQvL.png
I blurred out the 10-character 0KB file - it seems unique but I can't remember what it's for

If you're wanting to downgrade back to Marshmallow at some point in the future, I would recommend you flash the TWRP flashable of OPJ28.111-22 https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g4-plus/development/rom-oreo-8-1-0-soak-test-t3873367 This TWRP flashable should update your device mostly to Oreo, but not update your GPT/bootloader partitions (your GPT/bootloader would stay on the same version as you are now). Also, you should be able to roll back using your TWRP backup (though I do not know if you'll have issues with the Oreo modem on your Marshmallow device, so you might want to find the modem/fsg files too for Marshmallow)
We found out subsequently that downgrading firmware does not downgrade your GPT/bootloader (fastboot will complain of security downgrade errors otherwise). This poses a big problem when downgrading and using old OTA updates - old OTA updates corrupt your newer bootloader and hard brick your device. By not updating your GPT/bootloader further, you reduce the number of updates that can damage your device, but again, if you roll back to Marshmallow from your TWRP back up, make sure you do not use OTA updates at all.

you might want to find the modem/fsg files too for Marshmallow
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not entirely sure what this means or how I do that.
I have XT1642_ATHENE_6.0.1_MPJ24.139-48_cid50_subsidy-DEFAULT_CFC.xml.zip which contains NON-HLOS.bin and fsg.mbn which I believe are the modem/baseband firmware. I don't really know what to do with them though.
Since I can flash the firmware (zip) directly on the device (and the lack of a recovery.img in the zip) I assume that TWRP stays intact and remains the default recovery?
So, as I understand it, my steps are simply:
Flash TWRP-athene-8.1.0-OPJ28.111-22.zip in TWRP
Flash Magisk stable in TWRP
We found out subsequently that downgrading firmware does not downgrade your GPT/bootloader (fastboot will complain of security downgrade errors otherwise). This poses a big problem when downgrading and using old OTA updates - old OTA updates corrupt your newer bootloader and hard brick your device. By not updating your GPT/bootloader further, you reduce the number of updates that can damage your device, but again, if you roll back to Marshmallow from your TWRP back up, make sure you do not use OTA updates at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first part lost me a bit. Are you just saying, "Do not use OTA updates."?
Oh, and thank you very much for the help

tekwarfare said:
Not entirely sure what this means or how I do that.
I have XT1642_ATHENE_6.0.1_MPJ24.139-48_cid50_subsidy-DEFAULT_CFC.xml.zip which contains NON-HLOS.bin and fsg.mbn which I believe are the modem/baseband firmware. I don't really know what to do with them though.
Since I can flash the firmware (zip) directly on the device (and the lack of a recovery.img in the zip) I assume that TWRP stays intact and remains the default recovery?
So, as I understand it, my steps are simply:
Flash TWRP-athene-8.1.0-OPJ28.111-22.zip in TWRP
Flash Magisk stable in TWRP
The first part lost me a bit. Are you just saying, "Do not use OTA updates."?
Oh, and thank you very much for the help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Pretty much - keep the non-HLOS.bin, and FSG images from your fastboot zip handy. The TWRP flashable of the Oreo firmware contains the modem updates, whilst your TWRP backup likely does not have the modem partition. Thus, if you do downgrade and you get signal issues (don't know of anyone who downgraded from Oreo to Marshmallow, you'd be one of the first) you might have to flash the non-HLOS.bin and FSG via fastboot to downgrade your modem back to Marshmallow. The fastboot commands would be:
Code:
fastboot flash modem NON-HLOS.bin
fastboot erase modemst1
fastboot erase modemst2
fastboot flash fsg fsg.mbn
Failing that, you could flash this 64 bit TWRP and back up your EFS from both your Marshmallow and Oreo firmwares: https://forum.xda-developers.com/mo...t/recovery-team-win-recovery-project-t3842903 Then if you do have signal issues, you could try to restore your EFS. Or check out this guide if you have IMEI issues: https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g4-plus/how-to/guide-moto-g4-plus-imei0-issue-t3859068
2)With the TWRP flashable - yes, your TWRP should stay intact and those steps sound good. Backup your existing installation beforehand.
3)If you downgrade your device stock Motorola firmware, do not use OTA updates. Else, you may hard brick your device.

Failing that, you could flash this 64 bit TWRP and back up your EFS from both your Marshmallow and Oreo firmwares: https://forum.xda-developers.com/mot...oject-t3842903
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got TWRP 3.1.1-0, that looks like it has new features including the ability to do EFS backups now so I'm fine to overwrite my existing Recovery with the one you linked?
I see there's apps that can do EFS backups too. Why TWRP over them?
Thank you very much for your help with this

tekwarfare said:
I've got TWRP 3.1.1-0, that looks like it has new features including the ability to do EFS backups now so I'm fine to overwrite my existing Recovery with the one you linked?
I see there's apps that can do EFS backups too. Why TWRP over them?
Thank you very much for your help with this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should be okay to overwrite your existing TWRP with the 64 bit version - you can either install in TWRP or flash TWRP via fastboot.
Alternatively, if you want to keep TWRP 3.1.1, then you can boot the 64 bit TWRP from fastboot (using the fastboot command 'fastboot boot <name of TWRP>', without quotes and where <name of TWRP> is the full file name of the 64 bit TWRP, without the arrows), then back up your EFS with the 64 bit TWRP. When you next reboot, you should still have your TWRP 3.1.1.
Not used those apps, so I can't comment, be up to you which approach to use. I've seen members use this TWRP for EFS backup without issue.

Do I need to wipe before flashing this?
Notes for myself in the future:
Updated my phones recovery partition to TWRP 3.2.3-0:
Installed MotorolaDeviceManager_2.5.4.exe
Copied recovery.img to the same directory as fastboot.exe and ran the line:
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img

I did a factory reset in TWRP
Downloaded and copied the zip across a few times but I'm just getting "zip signature verification failed".

tekwarfare said:
I did a factory reset in TWRP
Downloaded and copied the zip across a few times but I'm just getting "zip signature verification failed".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, which TWRP zip did you download? You could always go into TWRP settings and turn off signature verification.
Not sure if you needed to do a factory reset, though always useful when updating (hope you had a backup).

TWRP-athene-8.1.0-OPJ28.111-22.zip like you said. It's the one where AFH is crossed out but GDrive is up
Edit: I disabled zip signature verification (even though I didn't want to) and installed it. Setting things up so will see what works and what doesn't.
Thank you very much for the help

tekwarfare said:
TWRP-athene-8.1.0-OPJ28.111-22.zip like you said. It's the one where AFH is crossed out but GDrive is up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the right zip - I'd double check the download went okay, though under TWRP settings there should be an option to turn off zip verification. After that, the zip should flash okay.

Installing magisk via TWRP aslo failed the zip signature verification (just disabled the verification to install things from now on)
Managed to get a few things up and running like ViperFX.
Xposed is constantly causing bootloops (soft brick) and I can't seem to fix it. I managed to get EdXposed working with Sand Hook but it slows the system down noticeably; all I want is gravitybox.