Can you ADB push files to the sd card without an OS installed???

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jtl_777

Senior Member
Dec 24, 2010
165
19
ATL
I just accidentally wiped my SD card and my system and now I don't know how to get a rom onto my phone due to the lack of an SD card slot. Can anyone help me get a rom on the internal so I can flash? I have TWRP still but I have no clue how to get a rom to my sd card. Am I screwed? Cause I read a forum that had to have usb-debugging on and I have no system lol. Thank you guys so much
 

mrgnex

Senior Member
Jan 10, 2013
1,177
319
Vlaardingen
You dont need USB debugging tot have adb in recovery. Just use adb sideload. Or adb push.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
 

jtl_777

Senior Member
Dec 24, 2010
165
19
ATL
You dont need USB debugging tot have adb in recovery. Just use adb sideload. Or adb push.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

Could you give me the commands to adb push a rom to the phone? I can't get adb to recognize my device in fastboot either :( When I use the fastboot devices command no devices show up... it's depressing
 

DR3W5K1

Senior Member
Aug 25, 2012
654
324
Could you give me the commands to adb push a rom to the phone? I can't get adb to recognize my device in fastboot either :( When I use the fastboot devices command no devices show up... it's depressing

First use TWRP not fastboot. Once you are in recovery plug the phone in and type "adb devices" (without the quotes) in command prompt or terminal. If it returns with letters and numbers (can't remember might be a combination of both) your good to go. Type "adb push c:\downloads\Rom.zip /sdcard" type out the directory where the file is instead of downloads change it to where your rom is. If you type adb devices and nothing happens you need to work on your drivers.
 

mickeyflip

Member
Mar 1, 2009
21
3
Sunshine Coast, QLD
Could you give me the commands to adb push a rom to the phone? I can't get adb to recognize my device in fastboot either :( When I use the fastboot devices command no devices show up... it's depressing

I had this issue - I couldn't get the computer to recognise the phone when it was in the Bootloader. I had to uninstall all the android drivers I could find (using this: https://www.topnotchtablets.com/FixUSBproblems) and then plug the handset back into the USB while in bootloader.

Let it detect it as a generic device (or whatever it chooses to see it as, mine was different every time), then in Device Manager, right click it, then select Update Driver Software. Select the option to choose the driver you want to install and navigate to where you have the drivers saved. The actual driver is: android_winusb.inf. Choose the option select the driver yourself from that file, and locate the one that says Bootloader.

After doing all of that I was able to see it all fine, and it was detected in fastboot, and all the toolkits I used.

Someone feel free to correct me anywhere I'm wrong - just going from memory here.

The drivers are here: https://dl-ssl.google.com//android/repository/latest_usb_driver_windows.zip
 

DR3W5K1

Senior Member
Aug 25, 2012
654
324
I had this issue - I couldn't get the computer to recognise the phone when it was in the Bootloader. I had to uninstall all the android drivers I could find (using this: https://www.topnotchtablets.com/FixUSBproblems) and then plug the handset back into the USB while in bootloader.

Let it detect it as a generic device (or whatever it chooses to see it as, mine was different every time), then in Device Manager, right click it, then select Update Driver Software. Select the option to choose the driver you want to install and navigate to where you have the drivers saved. The actual driver is: android_winusb.inf. Choose the option select the driver yourself from that file, and locate the one that says Bootloader.

After doing all of that I was able to see it all fine, and it was detected in fastboot, and all the toolkits I used.

Someone feel free to correct me anywhere I'm wrong - just going from memory here.

The drivers are here: https://dl-ssl.google.com//android/repository/latest_usb_driver_windows.zip

Cool story he's trying to use adb not fastboot two totally different things.
 

mickeyflip

Member
Mar 1, 2009
21
3
Sunshine Coast, QLD
Cool story he's trying to use adb not fastboot two totally different things.

He said he can't get adb to recognize his device - isn't that because the drivers aren't installed properly? I know adb and fastboot are two separate things. If the device isn't showing after he enters "fastboot devices" then my first guess was that the phone, in bootloader (since he has no OS installed), isn't showing up in device manager either because the drivers aren't there.

Excuse me for trying to offer thorough assistance...
 
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DR3W5K1

Senior Member
Aug 25, 2012
654
324
He said he can't get adb to recognize his device - isn't that because the drivers aren't installed properly? I know adb and fastboot are two separate things. If the device isn't showing after he enters "fastboot devices" then my first guess was that the phone, in bootloader (since he has no OS installed), isn't showing up in device manager either because the drivers aren't there.

Excuse me for trying to offer thorough assistance...

Sorry if I sounded like a Douche. I might be wrong but I thought adb and fastboot had separate driver sets.
 

mickeyflip

Member
Mar 1, 2009
21
3
Sunshine Coast, QLD
Sorry if I sounded like a Douche. I might be wrong but I thought adb and fastboot had separate driver sets.

No worries - it's possible that they do. But the drivers I linked are the ones that worked for me consistently. The Samsung ones seemed to stop working each time I disconnected the handset and plugged it back in via USB.

In any case, those are the only ones I have installed right now and everything is working great for me connection/recognition wise. :)

Any luck yet jtl_777?

To push files to the handset, use the command: adb push filename.ext destination-folder
Explained further here: http://developer.android.com/tools/help/adb.html#copyfiles
 
Last edited:
Apr 3, 2014
14
1
Just for future reference so people reading these threads don't get super confused, your computer won't recognize your phone through adb commands unless you are in adb sideload through your custom recovery, or if you're booted up and running in an operating system. You could also use adb push commands in your custom recovery. This has nothing to do with drivers or whatnot. If in bootloader your device isn't recognized through adb commands, that's completely normal, because it never would be, but your device should be recognized in bootloader with fastboot commands.

IF your phone is NOT recognized in your booted up phone, or in adb sideload through your custom recovery, or with adb push commands in your custom recovery, with adb commands, then you have driver issues.
ALSO IF your phone is NOT recognized while in bootloader, with fastboot commands, then you have driver issues.

To answer the OP's question:
If you have an unlocked bootloader and you are in TWRP, you can mount your phone onto your computer and copy and paste the rom zip onto the phone and then install it through TWRP once on the phone. If that doesn't work, then you can try using adb push commands while in TWRP (or maybe need to be in adb sideload through TWRP) to push the rom to your sd card and then run it through TWRP. If that doesn't work, you can also try flashing the rom zip through bootloader with fastboot commands, but all these commands might be device specific, that's why I won't tell you the commands I know for the HTC One X, but the processes are the same no matter what. Hope that helps :)
 
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Pirateghost

Inactive Recognized Developer
Jul 24, 2010
11,696
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androidninjas.com
You don't need to be in sideload mode to use adb in recovery. I use adb in recovery all the time on all my devices to push files

Sent from my Nexus 5
 
Apr 3, 2014
14
1
You don't need to be in sideload mode to use adb in recovery. I use adb in recovery all the time on all my devices to push files

Sent from my Nexus 5

I believe that's if you're using push commands, no? Other than adb push commands, can you use other adb commands while in a custom recovery, without adb sideload?

For the sake of clarity, you cannot use any adb commands while in stock recovery, but you could if you have a custom recovery.
 

Pirateghost

Inactive Recognized Developer
Jul 24, 2010
11,696
8,703
androidninjas.com
I believe that's if you're using push commands, no? Other than adb push commands, can you use other adb commands while in a custom recovery, without adb sideload?

For the sake of clarity, you cannot use any adb commands while in stock recovery, but you could if you have a custom recovery.

Adb shell as well as numerous other commands work just fine

Sent from my Nexus 5
 

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  • 1
    Cool story he's trying to use adb not fastboot two totally different things.

    He said he can't get adb to recognize his device - isn't that because the drivers aren't installed properly? I know adb and fastboot are two separate things. If the device isn't showing after he enters "fastboot devices" then my first guess was that the phone, in bootloader (since he has no OS installed), isn't showing up in device manager either because the drivers aren't there.

    Excuse me for trying to offer thorough assistance...
    1
    Just for future reference so people reading these threads don't get super confused, your computer won't recognize your phone through adb commands unless you are in adb sideload through your custom recovery, or if you're booted up and running in an operating system. You could also use adb push commands in your custom recovery. This has nothing to do with drivers or whatnot. If in bootloader your device isn't recognized through adb commands, that's completely normal, because it never would be, but your device should be recognized in bootloader with fastboot commands.

    IF your phone is NOT recognized in your booted up phone, or in adb sideload through your custom recovery, or with adb push commands in your custom recovery, with adb commands, then you have driver issues.
    ALSO IF your phone is NOT recognized while in bootloader, with fastboot commands, then you have driver issues.

    To answer the OP's question:
    If you have an unlocked bootloader and you are in TWRP, you can mount your phone onto your computer and copy and paste the rom zip onto the phone and then install it through TWRP once on the phone. If that doesn't work, then you can try using adb push commands while in TWRP (or maybe need to be in adb sideload through TWRP) to push the rom to your sd card and then run it through TWRP. If that doesn't work, you can also try flashing the rom zip through bootloader with fastboot commands, but all these commands might be device specific, that's why I won't tell you the commands I know for the HTC One X, but the processes are the same no matter what. Hope that helps :)