[Guide] How to apply an update.zip to a stock Xoom (3G/WIFI) (with a USB-Host cable)

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Bauxite

Senior Member
Jan 20, 2011
561
125
Hi everyone, I just managed to get my completely stock Xoom updated via USB host-cable... some instructions:

REQUIRED:
USB HOST CABLE
FAT32 USB THUMB DRIVE

3G Instructions:

1) Place the update.zip (can have any filename you like) on the usb stick.

2) Connect the USB stick to the host cable and connect the host cable to the Xoom.

3) Power off

4) Power on, tap (ONLY TAP) volume down a few times until you get a list of options you can cycle through.

5) Select Android Recovery

6) Tap Volume up to boot into recovery

7) Hold power and tap volume up at the green android screen to get the BLUE recovery menu

8) Select apply update from USB drive

9) Select your update.zip from the menu... enjoy!

As for the 3.1 Update, if you get into a boot loop, just hold power and volume up to get out of it.

WIFI ONLY USERS:

There is no menu option for android recovery, you'll need to use:

adb reboot recovery

you can plug in the usb stick at the green android guy screen
 

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slack04

Senior Member
May 4, 2010
1,021
302
Can anyone suggest a USB host cable? There's plenty of USB micro to USB female cables on Amazon, and I really can't tell them apart. I'd prefer something with Amazon Prime, but the smaller the converter the better...

Thanks!
 
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Bauxite

Senior Member
Jan 20, 2011
561
125
Can anyone suggest a USB host cable? There's plenty of USB micro to USB female cables on Amazon, and I really can't tell them apart. I'd prefer something with Amazon Prime, but the smaller the converter the better...

Thanks!

I got a random $2 one from ebay, I think it shipped from china. It MUST be a HOST cable, not a converter.
 

slack04

Senior Member
May 4, 2010
1,021
302
I got a random $2 one from ebay, I think it shipped from china. It MUST be a HOST cable, not a converter.

Thanks, I realize that some of them work, I just can't figure out which is which. Can you provide a link or did you just get lucky with the one you got? Nothing on amazon makes it clear which is which...
 

ruvort

Senior Member
Aug 4, 2010
1,543
405
Thanks, I realize that some of them work, I just can't figure out which is which. Can you provide a link or did you just get lucky with the one you got? Nothing on amazon makes it clear which is which...

I linked one a few posts back

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
 

jasonsplace

Senior Member
Feb 23, 2009
98
6
39
Provo, Utah
www.jasonlwright.com
I'm trying this out right now but I'm not getting Android Recovery as an option. I plugged the stick in, powered it on, tapped the down rocker and I get 3 options: NvFlash, RSD, Fastboot. What could be wrong here. I'm on a stock WiFi Xoom.
 

bwcorvus

Retired Forum Moderator
Jun 15, 2010
1,527
370
This would only work on 3g, as wifi only doesn't have a boot to recovery option in the choices.
 

Bauxite

Senior Member
Jan 20, 2011
561
125
I'm trying this out right now but I'm not getting Android Recovery as an option. I plugged the stick in, powered it on, tapped the down rocker and I get 3 options: NvFlash, RSD, Fastboot. What could be wrong here. I'm on a stock WiFi Xoom.

You can try

adb reboot recovery

But you need to plug in the usb stick right away or it won't recognize it.

The very first option when tapping volume down should be recovery
 

bwcorvus

Retired Forum Moderator
Jun 15, 2010
1,527
370
I'm trying this out right now but I'm not getting Android Recovery as an option. I plugged the stick in, powered it on, tapped the down rocker and I get 3 options: NvFlash, RSD, Fastboot. What could be wrong here. I'm on a stock WiFi Xoom.

Thats because wifi doesn't have this option, only 3g.
 

SS2006

Senior Member
Aug 23, 2008
1,641
105
London, Ontario
actually on my wifi xoom i see the 'update via USB'
but i dont have a host cable, perhaps when its plugged in that option is gone?
 

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  • 15
    Hi everyone, I just managed to get my completely stock Xoom updated via USB host-cable... some instructions:

    REQUIRED:
    USB HOST CABLE
    FAT32 USB THUMB DRIVE

    3G Instructions:

    1) Place the update.zip (can have any filename you like) on the usb stick.

    2) Connect the USB stick to the host cable and connect the host cable to the Xoom.

    3) Power off

    4) Power on, tap (ONLY TAP) volume down a few times until you get a list of options you can cycle through.

    5) Select Android Recovery

    6) Tap Volume up to boot into recovery

    7) Hold power and tap volume up at the green android screen to get the BLUE recovery menu

    8) Select apply update from USB drive

    9) Select your update.zip from the menu... enjoy!

    As for the 3.1 Update, if you get into a boot loop, just hold power and volume up to get out of it.

    WIFI ONLY USERS:

    There is no menu option for android recovery, you'll need to use:

    adb reboot recovery

    you can plug in the usb stick at the green android guy screen
    1
    Wifi version? Or only 3g?
    1
    Anyone searching for a cheap host cable can find one here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00474OYLG . It also ships pretty fast.

    Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
    1
    Can anyone suggest a USB host cable? There's plenty of USB micro to USB female cables on Amazon, and I really can't tell them apart. I'd prefer something with Amazon Prime, but the smaller the converter the better...

    Thanks!
    1
    actually on my wifi xoom i see the 'update via USB'
    but i dont have a host cable, perhaps when its plugged in that option is gone?
    I just tried adb reboot recovery as suggested above and then swapped the cable for the flash drive as someone suggested above. I got into recovery and had the option to Update Via USB but it failed each time saying that it couldn't be mounted. I've tried 2 drives. I don't know if I'm not switching over fast enough or maybe I have a bad host cable.