VomerGuides [M8]: Bootldr Unlock, S-OFF, SuperCID, Firmware Upgrade & Custom Recovery
Welcome to VomerGuides: [M8 Edition]
Introduction:
Following this guide will allow you to:
- Unlock Bootloader
- Install Custom Recovery
- Root your device
- Achieve S-OFF
- Change your CID to SuperCID (allowing you to bypass regional ROM restrictions)
- Upgrade to the latest firmware (without loosing any data on your SD card)
This guide is based on the UL model of the M8 - you may follow the same steps for other editions but will need to find your respective firmware elsewhere.
Donations:
I do not believe that I should be charging for information sharing. However, having the physical hardware helps me improve this content and support you better as I do require hardware to test/work on for all my content and it's not always possible for me to find someone to borrow devices from.
If you would like to support my work donate to me via:
Thank you
Disclaimer & Copyrights:
I test everything before I share these guides - thus I know they work as intended. However, please proceed at your own risk as I do not take any liability for your devices.
Please do not copy contents of this guide without explicit permission from me. I like to maintain a set standard and quality of the information I share.
Please refrain from posting mirrors as I like to track downloads - I primarily use AndroidFileHost and they mirror files on multiple servers automatically.
READING & FOLLOWING EACH STEP IS KEY TO SUCCESS.
Let's get started!
SECTION 0: SYSTEM PREP:
Let's setup ADB and fastboot
Windows:
- Automated: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2588979 (follow the steps in the software)
- Manual Method:
Download this file and extract the folder called "adb" to your C: drive. Your path should look like this:
You will need to open a command prompt window using this method:
Mac & Linux:
Install ADB & fastboot using: this file
1. Extract the downloaded zip to your desktop
2. Open Terminal and type in:
3. Now type
Note: By using the method above, your adb and fastboot files are stored at this location on your Mac: /usr/bin/
Let's setup HTC Drivers:
Install HTC Sync Manager to get the HTC One M8 drivers installed, which you will need for this process
SECTION 1: UNLOCK BOOTLOADER, CUSTOM RECOVERY & ROOT
BOOTLOADER UNLOCK:
Make sure you check off all of the following before moving on to the first step.
- Make sure your phone is at least 60% charged.
- Register for an account at HTCdev.
- Enable USB debugging in your phone's Developer options.
- Un-check "Fast boot" on your phone by going to Settings -> Battery Manager.
- Install ADB and Fastboot on your computer.
- Make sure to back up all of your app data using either ADB or HTC Sync, because you will be wiping your phone.
- Install the HTC One M8 drivers on your computer (if you have HTC Sync installed, then you already have them).
Enter Fastboot (bootloader) Mode
Place your device into fastboot mode by plugging in your HTC One to your computer,
then powering it down by holding both the Power and Volume Down buttons until you see the screen below.
Locate Your Identifier Token
Once the screen above appears, open up a terminal (command prompt) on your computer. To get the right Unlock Code for your HTC One, you first need to get your device's specific Identifier Token, so type the following into your terminal window, followed by the Enter key.
Copy the Token
Now copy the code you get, but do not include the first (bootloader) portions.
HTCdev
Go to HTCdev and log in to your account.
- Select Unlock Bootloader and then Get Started.
- From the drop-down menu, select HTC One (M8), then click on Begin Unlock Bootloader.
- Agree to the terms and conditions and click Proceed to Unlock.
- On the next page, scroll all the way down and click on Proceed to Step 5.
- Paste the identifier token you copied earlier into its corresponding box near the bottom (called My Device Identifier Token) and click Submit.
- The Unlock Code will be emailed to you, so once you receive the email, download the attachment and place it on your Desktop.
- Initiate the Unlock Code - in the terminal/command prompt, type the following:
- Your phone will now prompt you to unlock your bootloader, using the Volume Up button, select Yes and confirm your unlock with the Power button.
- Your phone will reboot and your bootloader will be unlocked!
- After the reboot, you will need to set up your device again as if it were new.
- After getting set up, make sure to re-enable USB debugging and plug it back into your computer.
CUSTOM RECOVERY
Get latest TWRP: http://techerrata.com/browse/twrp2/m8
With your phone plugged into your PC, type in:
Once in bootloader mode, type:
Then:
You are now the the latest version of TWRP.
ROOT
- Download SuperSU to your device
- Reboot into recovery mode:
- In recovery, tap on Install and then select the SuperSU zip file.
- When done, select the Reboot system option to boot the device into Android OS.
You can confirm this by using apps like Root checker on the Play Store
SECTION 2: S-OFF & SUPER CID
There are a few basics you need to get out of the way before you can start this process:
- Uninstall HTC Sync.
- Enable USB debugging on your phone
- Turn off all security settings from Settings -> Security.
- Disable Fast boot mode from Settings -> Power/Battery Manager.
Now for the good part!
- Download firewater (note: firewater no longer works. You may try sunshine - but the results are spotty)
- Save the downloaded file to your ADB folder (C:/adb/ or the Desktop if you are on Mac/Linux)
- Plug in your device to your computer.
- Hold Shift and right-click on any empty space in the adb folder and click on Open command prompt window here
- Enter the following in the command prompt window:
- Type in Yes when prompted and hit enter.
- When it is done and says you have S-Off, type the following:
- The phone should now be S-OFF
- Stay at this bootloader screen - let's get you SuperCID:
- Copy/Paste the command below or make sure there a eight 1's:
- Reboot phone into bootloader mode (by typing: adb reboot bootloader) and verify CID#. It should look similar to this:
SECTION 3: FIRMWARE UPGRADE
Latest firmware's can be found in the post below.
Download the firmware zip file you would like to flash & rename it to firmware.zip
Plug in phone to PC and type this in terminal/command prompt:
Start by checking current system details. Type:
Now type:
After that, type:
Next, type:
Next, repeat the step above a second time.
Last Step:
Then I went back to the bootloader mode (after the phone reboots successfully):
Checked if the update worked:
CONCLUSION:
Please note my comments on donations/help at the beginning of this guide - it help's me keep the quality up to par for all of us.
Please feel free to provide any feedback!
Thanks for using VomerGuides
Welcome to VomerGuides: [M8 Edition]
Introduction:
Following this guide will allow you to:
- Unlock Bootloader
- Install Custom Recovery
- Root your device
- Achieve S-OFF
- Change your CID to SuperCID (allowing you to bypass regional ROM restrictions)
- Upgrade to the latest firmware (without loosing any data on your SD card)
This guide is based on the UL model of the M8 - you may follow the same steps for other editions but will need to find your respective firmware elsewhere.
Donations:
I do not believe that I should be charging for information sharing. However, having the physical hardware helps me improve this content and support you better as I do require hardware to test/work on for all my content and it's not always possible for me to find someone to borrow devices from.
If you would like to support my work donate to me via:
Thank you
Disclaimer & Copyrights:
I test everything before I share these guides - thus I know they work as intended. However, please proceed at your own risk as I do not take any liability for your devices.
Please do not copy contents of this guide without explicit permission from me. I like to maintain a set standard and quality of the information I share.
Please refrain from posting mirrors as I like to track downloads - I primarily use AndroidFileHost and they mirror files on multiple servers automatically.
READING & FOLLOWING EACH STEP IS KEY TO SUCCESS.
Let's get started!
SECTION 0: SYSTEM PREP:
Let's setup ADB and fastboot
Windows:
- Automated: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2588979 (follow the steps in the software)
- Manual Method:
Download this file and extract the folder called "adb" to your C: drive. Your path should look like this:
Code:
C:\adb\
You will need to open a command prompt window using this method:
Code:
- Go to the C:\adb\ folder
- hold down SHIFT key and RIGHT-CLICK
- select "Open command window here".
Mac & Linux:
Install ADB & fastboot using: this file
1. Extract the downloaded zip to your desktop
2. Open Terminal and type in:
Code:
su
cd Desktop/Android/ (note: Android is the directory extracted from zip file)
3. Now type
Code:
./ADB-Install-Mac.sh
Note: By using the method above, your adb and fastboot files are stored at this location on your Mac: /usr/bin/
Let's setup HTC Drivers:
Install HTC Sync Manager to get the HTC One M8 drivers installed, which you will need for this process
SECTION 1: UNLOCK BOOTLOADER, CUSTOM RECOVERY & ROOT
BOOTLOADER UNLOCK:
Make sure you check off all of the following before moving on to the first step.
- Make sure your phone is at least 60% charged.
- Register for an account at HTCdev.
- Enable USB debugging in your phone's Developer options.
- Un-check "Fast boot" on your phone by going to Settings -> Battery Manager.
- Install ADB and Fastboot on your computer.
- Make sure to back up all of your app data using either ADB or HTC Sync, because you will be wiping your phone.
- Install the HTC One M8 drivers on your computer (if you have HTC Sync installed, then you already have them).
Enter Fastboot (bootloader) Mode
Place your device into fastboot mode by plugging in your HTC One to your computer,
then powering it down by holding both the Power and Volume Down buttons until you see the screen below.
Locate Your Identifier Token
Once the screen above appears, open up a terminal (command prompt) on your computer. To get the right Unlock Code for your HTC One, you first need to get your device's specific Identifier Token, so type the following into your terminal window, followed by the Enter key.
Code:
fastboot oem get_identifier_token
Copy the Token
Now copy the code you get, but do not include the first (bootloader) portions.
HTCdev
Go to HTCdev and log in to your account.
- Select Unlock Bootloader and then Get Started.
- From the drop-down menu, select HTC One (M8), then click on Begin Unlock Bootloader.
- Agree to the terms and conditions and click Proceed to Unlock.
- On the next page, scroll all the way down and click on Proceed to Step 5.
- Paste the identifier token you copied earlier into its corresponding box near the bottom (called My Device Identifier Token) and click Submit.
- The Unlock Code will be emailed to you, so once you receive the email, download the attachment and place it on your Desktop.
- Initiate the Unlock Code - in the terminal/command prompt, type the following:
Code:
fastboot flash unlocktoken Desktop/Unlock_code.bin
Note: Change [I]Desktop/Unlock_code.bin[/I] to the location of your code.
- Your phone will now prompt you to unlock your bootloader, using the Volume Up button, select Yes and confirm your unlock with the Power button.
- Your phone will reboot and your bootloader will be unlocked!
- After the reboot, you will need to set up your device again as if it were new.
- After getting set up, make sure to re-enable USB debugging and plug it back into your computer.
CUSTOM RECOVERY
Get latest TWRP: http://techerrata.com/browse/twrp2/m8
With your phone plugged into your PC, type in:
Code:
adb reboot bootloader
Once in bootloader mode, type:
Code:
Mac/Linux: fastboot flash recovery /Users/vomer/Desktop/openrecovery-twrp-2.7.1.0-m8.img
Windows: fastboot flash recovery C:\adb\openrecovery-twrp-2.7.1.0-m8.img
Then:
Code:
fastboot reboot
You are now the the latest version of TWRP.
ROOT
- Download SuperSU to your device
- Reboot into recovery mode:
Code:
via fastboot: With your phone plugged in, type in: adb reboot recovery
or
manually: Switch off the device first and then press the Volume Down + Power buttons - once on the bootloader screen use the volume keys to scroll to "Recovery Mode" and press the power button to make the selection
- In recovery, tap on Install and then select the SuperSU zip file.
- When done, select the Reboot system option to boot the device into Android OS.
You can confirm this by using apps like Root checker on the Play Store
SECTION 2: S-OFF & SUPER CID
There are a few basics you need to get out of the way before you can start this process:
- Uninstall HTC Sync.
- Enable USB debugging on your phone
- Turn off all security settings from Settings -> Security.
- Disable Fast boot mode from Settings -> Power/Battery Manager.
Now for the good part!
- Download firewater (note: firewater no longer works. You may try sunshine - but the results are spotty)
- Save the downloaded file to your ADB folder (C:/adb/ or the Desktop if you are on Mac/Linux)
- Plug in your device to your computer.
- Hold Shift and right-click on any empty space in the adb folder and click on Open command prompt window here
- Enter the following in the command prompt window:
Code:
adb reboot
Code:
adb wait-for-device push firewater /data/local/tmp
Code:
adb shell
Code:
su
Code:
chmod 755 /data/local/tmp/firewater
Code:
/data/local/tmp/firewater
- Type in Yes when prompted and hit enter.
- When it is done and says you have S-Off, type the following:
Code:
exit
Code:
exit
Code:
adb reboot bootloader
- The phone should now be S-OFF
- Stay at this bootloader screen - let's get you SuperCID:
- Copy/Paste the command below or make sure there a eight 1's:
Code:
fastboot oem writecid 11111111
- Reboot phone into bootloader mode (by typing: adb reboot bootloader) and verify CID#. It should look similar to this:
SECTION 3: FIRMWARE UPGRADE
Latest firmware's can be found in the post below.
Download the firmware zip file you would like to flash & rename it to firmware.zip
Plug in phone to PC and type this in terminal/command prompt:
Code:
adb reboot bootloader
Start by checking current system details. Type:
Code:
fastboot getvar all
(bootloader) version: 0.5
(bootloader) version-bootloader: 3.16.0.0000 [COLOR="red"]< This is your bootloader version[/COLOR]
(bootloader) version-baseband: 1.15.2133156.UA13G [COLOR="red"]< This is your radio version[/COLOR]
(bootloader) version-cpld: None
(bootloader) version-microp: None
(bootloader) version-main: 1.54.401.5 < This is your firmware version
(bootloader) cidnum: 11111111 [COLOR="Red"]< This is your CID[/COLOR]
Now type:
Code:
fastboot reboot-bootloader
After that, type:
Code:
fastboot oem rebootRUU
Note: if this command freezes, just disconnect the USB cable and hold the power and volume down buttons until the device reboots.
Then, repeat the steps above again.
Next, type:
Code:
fastboot flash zip /Users/vomer/Desktop/firmware.zip
Windows users: your command will look something like this: fastboot flash zip C:\adb\firmware.zip
Next, repeat the step above a second time.
Last Step:
Code:
fastboot reboot
Then I went back to the bootloader mode (after the phone reboots successfully):
Code:
adb reboot bootloader
Checked if the update worked:
Code:
fastboot getvar all
(bootloader) version: 0.5
(bootloader) version-bootloader: 3.16.0.0000
(bootloader) version-baseband: 1.16.2133156.UA15G [COLOR="red"]< Looks New![/COLOR]
(bootloader) version-main: 1.54.401.10 [COLOR="red"]< Looks New![/COLOR]
CONCLUSION:
Please note my comments on donations/help at the beginning of this guide - it help's me keep the quality up to par for all of us.
Please feel free to provide any feedback!
Thanks for using VomerGuides
Last edited: