How to manually upgrade/downgrade your Amazon FireTV

Y314K · Nov 6, 2014

DaveTO said:
I'm actually trying to get location services to be faked. Everyone on these forums that has gotten the Settings.apk to "enable" the location services on FTV has been on the 51.1.3.0_513011520 and I'm on a later version.

Is anyone here on 51.1.4.0_514006420 and can try to use the settings.apk to enable the location services? Would be awesome if it were possible to "turn on" this without any app, just by editing some files or something.

Otherwise if I want to downgrade, do I just download the prerooted rom for 51.1.3.0_513011520 and use the AFTV utility Upgrade/downgrade section, rename the prerooted 51.1.3.0_513011520 to update.zip? then what?

Don't rename it (You only rename it when doing the manual ADB guides)... And try to downgrade to the last 51.1.3.0 PreRooted FW aka "bueller-51.1.3.0_513011820-rooted.zip". Don't go to old on the FW or there might be a possible recovery issue. Just install the FW from the app.. As long as you are going from PreRooted to PreRooted you should be good... And do the "Disable OTA Update" after you downgrade just because...

And be patient since you are moving 400Mb + of data over ADB.. Can take minutes... 2-4 minutes in my case..

kywildcat · Dec 7, 2014

I'm starting at “If downgrading fails” and It Errors out on the adb push update.zip /cache command. cannot stat ‘update.zip': No such file or directory. I have never had a successful upgrade and I’m on 51.1.1.0_user_511070220. At the end of this log, i was just trying different directories.

C:\FTV\adt-bundle-windows-x86_64-20140702\sdk\platform-tools>adb connect *********
* daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *
* daemon started successfully *
connected to *********

C:\FTV\adt-bundle-windows-x86_64-20140702\sdk\platform-tools>adb push recovery.i
mg /sdcard/
145 KB/s (10485760 bytes in 70.526s)

C:\FTV\adt-bundle-windows-x86_64-20140702\sdk\platform-tools>adb shell
shell@android:/ $ su
su
root@android:/ # dd if=/sdcard/recovery.img of=/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by
-name/recovery
dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/recovery command

ache/update.zip > command <
root@android:/cache/recovery # exit
exit
shell@android:/ $ exit
exit
root@android:/ # adb push update.zip /cache
adb push update.zip /cache
cannot stat 'update.zip': No such file or directory
1|root@android:/ # adb push C:\FTV\update.zip /cache
adb push C:\FTV\update.zip /cache
cannot stat 'C:FTVupdate.zip': No such file or directory
1|root@android:/ # adb push C:\FTV\adt-bundle-windows-x86_64-20140702\sdk\platfo
rm-tools\update.zip /cache
dows-x86_64-20140702\sdk\platform-tools\update.zip /cache <
cannot stat 'C:FTVadt-bundle-windows-x86_64-20140702sdkplatform-toolsupdate.zip'
: No such file or directory
1|root@android:/ #

dbdoshi · Dec 7, 2014

You need to run adb push command from your regular cmd prompt, not inside your shell. Better yet, if you have ES File manager app on your FTV, simply share a drive./folder with only RO permissions on your computer which holds your zip file and map that share in the app and pull it using the GUI (copy/paste). I actually like this better than command prompt for large files as I can see real time progress of the transfer process. Another option is use something like WebKey and transfer files over a browser from your computer.

kywildcat · Dec 9, 2014

dbdoshi said:
You need to run adb push command from your regular cmd prompt, not inside your shell. Better yet, if you have ES File manager app on your FTV, simply share a drive./folder with only RO permissions on your computer which holds your zip file and map that share in the app and pull it using the GUI (copy/paste). I actually like this better than command prompt for large files as I can see real time progress of the transfer process. Another option is use something like WebKey and transfer files over a browser from your computer.

Everything on the command prompt completed successfully, and restarted to update. But the system update failed.... yet again
any idea why it would fail ? Im rooted have busybox installed and on 51.1.1.0_user_511070220, trying to downgrade to 51.1.0.2_user_510058520

dbdoshi · Dec 9, 2014

Ok, I am assuming that when you reboot your FTV after completing the downgrade steps, the FTV shows an error message and boots back into the current firmware.

Assuming that....

Go to http://www.aftvnews.com/how-to-manually-upgrade-or-downgrade-the-amazon-fire-tv/

I am sure you are following the guide step by step. What you will do is, scroll down the guide and go to the section titled "If downgrading fails:". Follow that line by line and run that on your FTV (important to run all the rm commands to get rid of the stuff you pushed to FTV). Once done, reboot your FTV normally.

Next, start working through the steps one by one from the very top (you do not need to re-download files if you already have them on your computer, but you will re-push them back to FTV as the previous steps in the "If downgrading fails" will get rid of those files from FTV) AND STOP AFTER STEP 8. FOR STEP 9, DO NOT RUN THE COMMAND LISTED THERE. Instead, you will run:

echo “--update_package=/cache/update.zip” > command

Note, there is a double quotation mark before -- and after zip.

Follow the guide from Step 10 onwards.

IF YOU SUCCESSFULLY DOWNGRADE, IT WILL REMOVE ROOT. RUN TOWELROOT AND RE-ROOT IT. ONCE RE-ROOTED, RUN THE DISABLE COMMAND ON FTV TO STOP OTA UPGRADES (Not sure if you need to run that command, but run it anyways...)

Let us know how it goes....

kywildcat · Dec 9, 2014

Update Failed

Indeed following that guide step by step, so you're help is very much appreciated. I will let you how things turn out soon.
Once again, thank you for the detailed updated steps, dbdoshi.

dbdoshi · Dec 9, 2014

I am out of ideas then... I had the same problem and putting step 9 in double quotes fixed it for me. Sorry, I don't have anything more to offer... Hopefully someone more knowledgeable can chime in...

nickyb003 · Jan 8, 2015

Recovery

Ok so i bought my fire tv from the black friday deals for $79 just got it and i'm trying to downgrade using the AFTVnews guide so I can have CWM...i'm already rooted, busy box installed, kodi, es file explorer & chrome. In the AFTVnews guide it says if downgrade fails try "adb push recovery.img /sdcard/".....no matter what I do it says cannot stat recovery.img no such file or directory....I even tried putting it in system32 folder and running the full path in the command.

So my question is If I use the Utility app (V 0.36) and hit the change recovery button w/ the stock recovery I downloaded 51.1.0 will it brick the fire tv? because I got a warning screen when I pressed the button but I cancelled.

And what should be my next step do I go back to adb & run the commands

dd if=/sdcard/recovery.img of=/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/recovery

then command: rm -f /cache/*.bin
Run the command: rm -f /cache/*.zip
Run the command: rm -f /cache/recovery/command
Run the command: rm -f /sdcard/recovery.img

before repeating the downgrade process

I'm really trying to get some help but a lot of my questions are going unanswered

ashsha7877 · Jan 8, 2015

ADB commands to check/delete .zip, .bin.

I have successfully downgraded my fire tv, install CWM, installed Rbox boot menu, unlock bootloader, upgraded to Pre rooted firmware. Everything boots up fine i have tested the normal boot and recover boot which boots up in CWM.

My question is how do i check which .zip files and . bin files are still on the fire tv after the firmware downgraded and updates were performed? What ADB command should i use?

I try to use the ES file explore and the sd analyzer function but it only shows xbmc was taking up about 460mb space and few other files but it does not add up to 2gb used up space SD analyzer is showing.

what adb commands should i use to delete these files? Do i have to delete these files in certain orders and will cause any problems after i delete this files.?

Are there other files i should delete to free up space after the firmware downgrades and upgrades process and after installing CWM?

Thank you

dk1keith · Mar 2, 2015

Trying to downgrade

roligov said:
Thanks to AFTVNews.com for the OTA link and rbox for pointing me in the right direction I've successfully manually upgraded to the latest firmware, downgraded back to 51.1.0.2 and am now upgrading back to 51.1.1.0.

This is the process I followed. I take it for granted that you rooted, have SU and Busybox free installed.

Don't blame me if you **** your device up and you have a brick.

So lets get to it:

1. Download which ever firmware you wish to restore to:

Code:

51.1.0.1 http://amzdigitaldownloads.edgesuite.net/obfuscated/e6f65fefb36aaf7b94fd370f516b9c11/bueller-ota-51.1.0.1_user_510055620-signed.bin 51.1.0.2 http://amzdigitaldownloads.edgesuite.net/obfuscated/cec02756d1964c9cb1f71d52056cc81a/bueller-ota-51.1.0.2_user_510058520-signed.bin 51.1.1.0 http://amzdigitaldownloads.edgesuite.net/obfuscated/568eef32595f034b4304e19aa566befb/bueller-ota-51.1.1.0_user_511069920-signed.bin 51.1.1.0 Update 1 http://amzdigitaldownloads.edgesuite.net/obfuscated/4edaba705e98dee475680c33d3f41132/bueller-ota-51.1.1.0_user_511070220-signed.bin

2. Rename which ever one you wish to restore to update.zip

3. adb shell

4. su

5. chmod 777 cache

6. cd cache

7. chmod 777 recovery

8. cd recovery

9. echo --update_package=/cache/update.zip > command

10. ctrl + c

11. adb push update.zip /cache

--- Go make coffee or take a ****....The pushing of 466MB takes forever over wireless.---

An alternative is to copy update.zip to a USB Flash Drive, use StickMount to mount on the FireTV then copy it with the following command:

cp /sdcard/usbStorage/sda1/update.zip /cache

12. adb reboot recovery

Now it should reboot and start installing whatever update you downloaded and called update.zip :good:

If you get the out of space error:

1. adb shell

2. su

3. rm /cache/*.bin

I am rooted and have su and Busybox installed and I'm trying to downgrade from 51.1.1.0_user_511070220 to 51.1.1.0.2_user_510058520. I have OTA updates blocked via my router. Do I have to unblock the sites for the downgrade to work...just got my device rooted and don't want to chance having it update.
thanks

roligov · Mar 2, 2015

This guide I posted is well out of date, there are others methods to follow.

Please use http://www.aftvnews.com/tag/guide/ as is it up to date and current.

dk1keith · Mar 3, 2015

Thanks for the quick response. I'll give that a try.

Sizzlechest · Mar 3, 2015

Chances are that if you need to downgrade the firmware, you also need to overwrite the recovery partition in order for it to work. Before you do the downgrade, follow the directions at the bottom of the guide to downgrade the stock 51.1.0 recovery partition.

BTW, I use the AFTV guide, but I also use the "Amazon FireTV Utility App" to automate a lot of the processes, like fully unlocking the bootloader, etc.

dk1keith · Mar 3, 2015

I tried again to downgrade and even tried to upgrade using the AFTVNews guide. The result is the same whether upgrading or downgrading. update.zip copies fine Fire TV reboots and stays on white Amazon Logo with yellow light on Fire TV. Probably something I am missing but not sure what. I have rooted and installed custom recovery, unlocked bootloader on other Fire TV so I have a pretty good idea what I'm doing, just not sure what I'm missing on the downgrade

saudagar · Mar 3, 2015

51.1.4.0_514006420 back to root??

I had my firetv rooted and everything. Have the updates also switched off.

But then i updated it manually to 51.1.4.0_514006420 version and lost the root.. I can see supersu and towelroot installed but it does not have the option of running.

Experts - Is there a possibility i can go back to the rootable version of sw? What would that version be?

Sizzlechest · Mar 3, 2015

Super SU doesn't open. That's normal. Just do an adb shell and test you have root.

saudagar · Mar 3, 2015

Sizzlechest said:
Super SU doesn't open. That's normal. Just do an adb shell and test you have root.

usually superSU shows 'Launch Application'.. which is no longer being shown. its shows as an application but no launch

i connected to FTV and it shows following on command prompt:
C:\FTV>adb connect 192.168.1.3
connected to 192.168.1.3:5555

C:\FTV>adb shell su
root@android:/ #

Does this mean its rooted?

Sizzlechest · Mar 4, 2015

saudagar said:
usually superSU shows 'Launch Application'.. which is no longer being shown. its shows as an application but no launch

That's normal. I think it's how the newer SuperSU behaves.

saudagar said:
i connected to FTV and it shows following on command prompt:
C:\FTV>adb connect 192.168.1.3
connected to 192.168.1.3:5555

C:\FTV>adb shell su
root@android:/ #

Does this mean its rooted?

Yes. If you unlocked the bootloader fully, then even "adb shell" would result in root@android.

f4rell09 · Mar 6, 2015

Somebody said on other thread ..its not possible to downgrade firmware on fire tv..is that true...??anyone pls...[emoji106] thanks

dbdoshi · Mar 7, 2015

No, it cannot be currently rooted. For ref see; http://www.aftvnews.com/start/ There is a thread of hardware rooting if you are good with soldering/wiring.

Also, it might not be a good idea to put the serial number (and your amazon account name/device name) of your FTV publicly. You should take down the picture.

How to manually upgrade/downgrade your Amazon FireTV

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