Losing OTA

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ckfmunoz

Senior Member
Nov 3, 2011
100
4
Will I lose the ability to do OTA updates if I flash a custom ROM or custom kernel?

What if I just flash a custom kernel by itself and keep stock ROM?

Currently rooted on stock 4.4.2.
 

JustZaphod

Senior Member
Oct 22, 2013
922
414
Nowhere
Will I lose the ability to do OTA updates if I flash a custom ROM or custom kernel?

What if I just flash a custom kernel by itself and keep stock ROM?

Currently rooted on stock 4.4.2.

Yup..
If the OTA detects either a Custom recovery, a Custom kernal or any build Prop mods..
the OTA will fail..

What I do.. Its a long method, but it works.. make a Nandroid of your Data partition only..
then flash to stock, then OTA, then install a custom recovery.. then restore your Data partition..
All should be well.. Im sure there is a much easier way like extracting the System.img from the OTA or from the Stock rom,
and Dirty flashing just the System.img.. That should also work.. OTAs are kinda hard on Rooted devices..;'

If your coming from a Custom Rom, you can wait for the Rom Devs to catch up, and then dirty flash the updated rom with out having to do a clean wipe.. But I make a Nandroid of my Data partition and restore it if I need to do a wipe..

Hope this helps
 

ckfmunoz

Senior Member
Nov 3, 2011
100
4
Yup..
If the OTA detects either a Custom recovery, a Custom kernal or any build Prop mods..
the OTA will fail..

What I do.. Its a long method, but it works.. make a Nandroid of your Data partition only..
then flash to stock, then OTA, then install a custom recovery.. then restore your Data partition..
All should be well.. Im sure there is a much easier way like extracting the System.img from the OTA or from the Stock rom,
and Dirty flashing just the System.img.. That should also work.. OTAs are kinda hard on Rooted devices..

I see. I'll give that workaround a try. But will the OTA fail from rooted stock? Or does the fail only apply to a custom recovery or custom kernel?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
 

JustZaphod

Senior Member
Oct 22, 2013
922
414
Nowhere
I see. I'll give that workaround a try. But will the OTA fail from rooted stock? Or does the fail only apply to a custom recovery or custom kernel?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

If you have a Custom Kernel, and or a Custom Recovery.. or even a Build Prop mod
the OTA will fail.... I do a Full Nandroid just to be sure if there are any mistakes you can revert..
Flash to Stock, do the OTA.. then use Wugfresh's tool to reroot, and reinstall a Custom Recovery like TWRP. Then just restore the Data partition in recovery..

I cant find it, but there is a Thread or 2 on the topic..
I have so many saved it hard to go through them all..
Its where I got my info in the past..