First thanks to Skrilax_CZ (unlocked bootloader) , jm77 (for his guide), strra(tools and bat file) Zatta for modded script , blackthund3r for APX flashing tool & gersma (for otatool)
You need to understand that this can brick your tablet and going back to HC roms is not possible or you need to reflash your tablet again with this
WHAT IS THIS V8UNLOCKED multi ICS BOOTLOADER
You can install the ICS bootloader using cwm if you are on V4 or V5 , see in this link for the updates and cwm packages.
PLEASE FOLLOW TO THE LETTER AND READ TWICE , don't be drunk , don't watch sports (we are men and can only do one thing at a time), don't take advice from your wife , girlfriend or whatever you need to feel loved , this is not like shopping for a bike or car!!! This is probably the most boring thing you are going to do in your life!
Option 1 use Afterota for A500/G100W IF YOU ARE ON OTA ICS and follow this thread
Option 2 , keep reading.... don't be a chicken , just do it !!.
-STEP 1=Install the USB drivers from Acer on PC ( Acer's). NOTE: If you got stuck or can't get into APX mode please make sure you reinstall the usb drivers first and you got the latest ones.
STEP2=First before you do anything else make sure you got your "cpuid". How see Q&A , bottom of this thread.
Or you use the Blackthun3er V0.4 APX flasher (see in the section "automated flashing tool") , this tool will give and fill in your SBK automaticly if you used it before.
-STEP 4=Make sure you got a ICS rom on your tablet to flash after you installed the ICS bootloader the first time .
-FLEXREAPER
-LIGHTSPEED
-TABOONAY (with this make sure you flash the Kernel for ICS bootloader after you installed the rom , you find it in the Taboonay thread)
-ezterry ICS 1.031.00stock- full root with busybox, and more tweaks
-A501 Alexandra IV ICS ver 4.0.3. (for A501 users)
-FULL-STOCK-FULL-ROOT
-Or you can flash the full leaked version of 1.031.00 405MB but then you need to get root so you can delete "recovery-from-boot.p" from /system before you flash the unlocked booloader and custom recovery.
Automated flashing tool
USING blackthund3r ATX flash tool , It makes it all a little easier !
You need help on this ! Here is a walk thru!
- Firts you do the Steps 1-2-3- 4 of the main guide !!-download the APX-FLASH-Tool & Manager
-Download one of the V8 unlocked bootloader apx flash packages combined with a recovery of your choise.
V8-pubA50._public_recovery.a500apx
V8-Thor_1.7.3_recovery.a500apx
V8-TWRP_2.1.3_ICS_recovery.a500apx
-1-Reboot your tablet and make sure on your tablet: "Settings" -> "Applications" -> "Development" -> "USB debugging" switch on.
-2-Now start the "A500APXFlash.exe" , the tool will start .
-3-When it askes for your SBK you need to type it in , the v0.4 APX flash tool will give your SBK automaticly !!
-4-Now you select "Use an A500 APX Flash Tool Package.(.a500apx)
-5-Select the package that you want,(you click on the right arrow to continue)
-6-Now you can select "Manual Method" or "Automatic Method". (I always pick Automatic)
-7-Click on "Enter APX Mode" (now it will do his thing)
-8-When it says "Done! press to run again" (even if it says on the bottom of the app "no apx mode devices are connected") you click on the right arrow to continue.
-It will ask if you are ready (click yes if you are)
-Let the app do his thing and wait !!!!!! Until it says "Done! Press and hold power to switch off then power back on!"
[FONT="]Optional A500MANAGER
What does it do : [/FONT]
· [FONT="]One-click APX Mode entry[/FONT]
· [FONT="]One-click Recovery Mode entry[/FONT]
· [FONT="]One-click fastboot entry for patched bootloaders[/FONT]
· [FONT="]Instant logcat viewer[/FONT]
· [FONT="]Instant dmesg Viewer[/FONT]
· [FONT="]Function which dumps the dmesg to a text file on the desktop[/FONT]
· [FONT="]Serial number extraction to make SBK calculation exponentially easier[/FONT]
· [FONT="]Links to ICS Root, A500 APX Flash Tool and two download links (Acer and my mirror) for USB Drivers[/FONT]
· [FONT="]Shows what mode the tablet is in at the bottom[/FONT]
BIG THANKS TO blackthund3r
Manual flashing
Open cmd (command prompt) on the extracted folder "V8-UNL-ICS-HC-bootloader-MULTI-cwm".
(Tip how to open cmd on any folder you want
Windows Vista/7 : Simply hold down the Shift key and right-click a folder. The context menu will contain an entry, ‘Open command window here.” )
Or you if you extracted the folder in c:\nvflash you type in cmd "cd c:\nvflash"
-FOR A500/A501/G100W:
For the ICS bootloader and multi custom recovery's you type in cmd : v8 (enter) (or you open the folder and click on this "v8.bat")
Now you get 4 choises of V8 with a different recovery , select one.
-TWRP recovery
-PubA500 recovery
-Thor1.7
-Thor1.7.3
If for any reason you want to go back to HC bootloader:
For the HC bootloader and recovery you type in cmd : a500-hc (enter) if you have a A500 or a G100W (or open the folder and click on this "a500-hc.bat")
For the HC bootloader and recovery you type in cmd : a501-hc (enter) if you have a A501 (or open the folder and click on this "a501-hc.bat")
-Your SBK is asked : you put that in and press enter. (right click on cmd titlebar gives option to copy/paste it)
-The process should begin. If you recieve a USB write error, your SBK is incorrect. (Lot of stuff going on in the cmd and then it stops)
-Windows command prompt will read "Press any key when your A500/501/G100W is in APX mode". Do not continue until the tablet is in "Acer Iconia A500/501 APX Mode" (look at the screen of your tablet).
-Once the tablet reads "Acer Iconia A500/501 APX Mode", you are in bootloader mode. You can proceed and it will begin formatting the various partitions and installing the recovery.
-Once the process completes, it should say PASS (on the screen of your tablet) in big letters and in small red letters "Reboot the device" (Top left corner still says "Acer Iconia A500/501 APX Mode" that is normal) . You can then power off the tablet and power it back on again.
If you get the message = secure boot : image LNX checksum fail ! , No problem just reboot the tablet.
-Make sure your tablet boots.
Power the tablet down and attempt to launch CWM via Power+VolDown.
You Are on the ICS Unlocked bootloader and want to install a different CWM the easy way !
Put it on your tablet and install with CWM
-Ezterry's BareBones Recovery :CWM-install-A500PubRecovery_v0.2.zip
-TWRP 2.1.3-ICS (touch recovery) :CWM-install-TWRP-2.1.3-ICS.zip
(modded by civato for ICS only , no more messed up screen on booting into recovery)
-Thor 1.7 touch recovery (repacked to work on ICS) :CWM-install-recovery_thor1.7.zip
-Thor 1.7.2 Multi bootloader (HC , ICS) touch recovery :CWM-install-recovery_thor1.7.2.zip
(But for some this doesn't work)
Q&A:
How to get my CPUID ?
On HC Rom or HC bootloader (3.01) or you got a old nandroid backup do this to get your cpuid
-You can find your "cpuid" in one of your "nandroidbackups" that you made with cwm (look on your external SD/clockworkmod/backup=uid.txt ). It's the uid text you are looking for.
-Or when you connect your tablet and type in adb devices in cmd you get your cpuid
-Or usbdeview see more info here , thanks to dibb_nz
ON ICS ROM or ICS booloader (0.3.11 or 0.3.12) do this to get your cpuid:
Or you Install and launch Android terminal app on tablet. Run the following command: dmesg>/mnt/external_sd/dmesg.txt
Open up dmesg.txt (will be stored on your external SD) and look for androidboot.serialno. That is your CPUID.
Or try the following to get your cpuid (thanks to japinder)
-Reboot the Tab & just use the command 'dmesg | grep androidboot.serialno' (without quotes).
It displays the cpuid there & then. No extra lines, no need to save to file & then search. If the Tab hasn't been rebooted in a while, then the line containing 'androidboot.serialno' entry is lost/overwritten, so it won't even be there in the 'dmesg' output. Running the above command after a fresh reboot will always yield the result in an easier way.
OR SEE GUIDE HERE , WHERE IS MY CPUID AT
Checking your SBK
Go into APK mode (step 5 or use A500 manager) and open cmd on SBK-test (download this first) folder and type in something like this:
nvflash --bl bootloader.img --sbk (your SBK) --sync]
In my case = nvflash --bl bootloader.img --sbk 0x3DA61E00 0x7899AA01 0x97D04E03 0x1E092103 --sync (enter)
If your SBK is good you get your system information and you will see your chip uid with some more stuff.
If your SBK is wrong, you'll get this:
rcm version 0X4
Command send failed (usb write failed)
STOP HERE AND DON'T PROCEED if your SBK is not correct!!!!!!!!!
(Tip how to open cmd on any folder you want
Windows Vista/7 : Simply hold down the Shift key and right-click a folder. The context menu will contain an entry, ‘Open command window here.” )
Going into APX MODE manualy
You enter APX mode by holding down the Reset button(with paper clip). Do not release it. Hold down power for 3 secs and then release it. After another second, release the reset button.
Your Windows PC should then detect your device and install the APX driver. You should then have an APX USB device installed. If you do not have an APX USB device listed in your system tray, you cannot proceed.
The screen of your tablet is black.
Linux users see here
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