[HOW TO] Disable Amazon OTA (Over The Air) System Updates Noob (Simple) Version

In this Noob Series, we will explore how to disable the Amazon OTA (Over The Air) System Updates. This small script
was written by our development staff. Our staff was very careful to disable all the OTA Services that Amazon can use to deploy updates. We have the script notes at the bottom for people interested in what actually is shut down. You may easily revert back and enable all services if desired, just download and execute the attached.

SCRIPT WAS UPDATED 01-29-2013 TO BLOCK NEW SERVICES

Prerequisites:

1. Rooted Kindle Fire HD 7" 8.9" or Fire 2: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=36375244

2. Kindle Fire First Aide: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2096888

Preferred Method (Automatic Method):

Disable OTA Step 1: Download Kindle Fire First Aide: Windows 32-bit Version Or Windows 64-bit Version

Disable OTA Step 2: Extract KFFirstAide.zip to C:\KFFirstAide - please remove the 32 or 64 at the end of the folder created by Winzip or 7-Zip

Disable OTA Step 3: With your mouse, open the C:\KFFirstAide contents by double mouse clicking the C:\KFFirstAide folder

Disable OTA Step 4: Find the RunMe.bat file. Right Hand Mouse click on RunMe.bat, select 'Send to', select Desktop (Create Shortcut). Now press the Left Hand Mouse button to create the Shortcut named RunMe.bat.

Disable OTA Step 5: Find the RunMe Shortcut on your desktop, select it by left mouse click over the icon, then while on the icon choose Right Hand mouse click, select Properties.

Disable OTA Step 6: This will display the RunMe properties. Select the General Tab, change the top name to KF First Aide. Then click on the Shortcut tab, click on Advanced. Check 'Run as Administrator', click OK, then click Apply, then click OK. All windows should be closed.

Disable OTA Step 7: Double Mouse Click the new Icon named KF First Aide. You may be presented with a security window, just click Yes.

Disable OTA Step 8: Please click on the Windows Key plus Pause/Break, this will display the Windows System Properties. Next Click on the Advanced Tab and find "Environment Variables". Please click on Environment Variables and find the Path Statement. Carefully add at the end of the Path Statement:

Note: Do Not forget the semi-colen before the C:\KFFirstAide
Disable OTA Step 9: That is it! The software is ready. Next we get the Kindle ready to disable OTA.

Disable OTA Step 10: Please check the Kindle under More + > Security - make sure ADB is ON. Leave it disconnected from USB.

Disable OTA Step 11: Launch Kindle Fire First Aide, if the ADB Driver is not installed, use Option 12 to Install the ADB Driver

Disable OTA Step 12: Make sure the Kindle is turned ON, plugged into the Computer USB and ready. Select Option 14 to Disable OTA.

Disable OTA Step 13: That is it! OTA is now disabled, you may close the software.

You may view the Kindle Fire First Aide Forum Notes here: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2096888

Alternative Method (Manual Method):

Disable OTA Step 1: Download the Disable OTA Script File: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/54456659/disable-ota.zip OR http://ubuntuone.com/7EOyYTaRqPOdP6dayeKYfy by downloading disable-ota.zip to your desktop.

Disable OTA Step 2: Download and Install Script Manager: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/54456659/scriptmanager.zip OR http://ubuntuone.com/1wBb3bXAtQv1DnMjPhQY5m

Disable OTA Step 3: Using either Windows Zip or 7-Zip, unzip both scriptmanager.zip and disable-ota.zip to your desktop as scriptmanager.apk and disable-ota.sh

Disable OTA Step 4: Using Windows Explorer, move or copy scriptmanager.apk and disable-ota.sh to /Kindle Drive/Internal Drive/Download

Disable OTA Step 5: Next go into /Apps Open either Root Explorer or ES File Explorer with Root Permissions enabled.

Disable OTA Step 6: Using either ES File Explorer or Root Explorer, Install Script Manager scriptmanager.apk (S Manager)

Disable OTA Step 7: Close ES File Explorer or Root Explorer

Disable OTA Step 8: Stay in /Apps. Open S Manager, Allow the Superuser request, keep S Manager open.

Disable OTA Step 9: Using S Manager, navigate to /mnt/sdcard/Download by clicking on sdcard, then click
on Download. The Script Manager(S Manager) usually open to /mnt/sdcard. Just look at the very top of S
Manager to see the current S Manager file system location.

Disable OTA Step 10: Using S Manager, select the Script file disable-ota.sh by clicking on disable-ota.sh

Disable OTA Step 11: Next in S Manager select the top options Su and choose Run. The script will now Run,
ignore any errors.

Disable OTA Step 12: You may now exit S Manager by clicking the Back <- Arrow until S Manager closes.

Disable OTA Step 13: You have now shutdown the services that run the OTA Updates. You have also improved
your battery Run-time since you shutdown unnecessary services.

Disable OTA Step 14: Reboot the Kindle.

Notes on the Script disable-ota.sh: The following outlines the script and how it works. We have carefully written
the script to only shutdown OTA, no other services are disabled. Here is the exact services we shutdown:

1. Disable "com.amazon.dcp/.ota.OTAUpdateMessageHandler" - This is a Messaging Service that sends and receives
data from OTA. This is similar to a Phone allowing OTA to communicate to the Kindle and the Kindle communicate to
OTA.

2. Disable "com.amazon.dcp/.ota.OTAService" - This is the actual base OTA Service that routes the communication
and starts the actual update when the update has been downloaded.

3. Disable "com.amazon.dcp/.ota.CheckForOTAUpdatesService" - This is the service that checks the OTA file library
to see what updates are available. It is also what detects the current software version.

4. Disable "com.amazon.dcp/.ota.OTAStatusActivity" - This is the service that checks the update status - Installing,
Rebooting, Completed, etc.

5. Disable "com.amazon.dcp/.ota.ResetOTAMessageHandler" - This is the service that restarts the Kindle when the
update is completed.

6. Disable "com.amazon.dcp/.ota.OTAService$OTAWakeupReceiver" - This wakes the Kindle from Sleep Mode allowing
the update to download when you are not using the device.

7. Disable "com.amazon.dcp/.ota.OTAService$OTADedupeReceiver" - This is the service that checks the validity of
the download through OTA Certificate Files. If the file doe not pass a signal is sent to the Messaging Service to
restart the download and delete the current download file. This does have a timeout signal so it is not caught in
a loop.

8. Disable "com.amazon.dcp/.ota.OTAService$OTAInstallNowReceiver" - This is the service that starts the actual
update install.

If this was helpful and you would like to support our work, please send us a donation using this link:
http://xdaforums.com/donatetome.php?u=4435645

Follow Up - Feedback

BELASCO said:

The Noob series is good even for us old vets who have been on XDA almost 4 weeks, now.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Belasco,

We have been in the computer industry since 1982 and whenever I need to do something for

myself, I always look to the simple version with details. This is what triggered us to start

the Noob Series! Thank you for following our series.

Question - Where do you find Apps

th3lawmak3r76 said:

I'm sorry but im feeling noobier than a noob right now but what do you mean by "/apps"? Are you pertaining to the app drawer or are you in fact talking about in the file manager /system/app? Again very sorry but im not used to doing this as opposed to just flashing a custom rom and checking and unchecking options in the settings.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

th3lawmak3r76,

No worries, we are here to answer questions. This is a good question and since you are used to

custom ROM's it makes sense why you ask. In the original version of the Kindle Fire HD Launcher

the "Apps" tab is where you will find all your Applications. So in the custom Launchers it would

be called the the primary "App Drawer". Does this help?

Added enable-ota.sh to Revert the changes

To All,

Anyone that would like to revert and enable Amazon OTA can use the attached script.

Download and unzip enable-ota.zip to enable-ota.sh

Using a solid Script Manager Run enable-ota.sh with options: Su

Next click Run and then Reboot.

Titanium Backup Question

th3lawmak3r76 said:

Does it matter if titanium backup is already installed?

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

th3lawmak3r76,

I am sorry, we missing your post! If you already have Titanium Backup installed you can ignore that part of the

modification.

Disable Amazon OTA Updates

KindleFireGuy said:

cant we just move otacert to downloads like in the root guide?

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

KindleFireGuy,

Theoretically moving or renaming otacerts.zip should stop the updates but if Amazon get's the word on this there are

still backdoor services running that allow Amazon to push files onto the Kindle. So, let's say they catch word of this,

they will be able to push a new otacerts.zip back to the directory which it was removed. What we did with this simple

script was to disable every back door service that Amazon could use to push files OTA. The script shuts them all

down and does not remove any functionality. The script also shuts down unnecessary services that decrease

battery time.

Disable Amazon OTA Updates

BELASCO said:

It would have saved me hours of trial and error a few weeks ago (actually, the exploration can be the fun part - I just found the screensaver). Now to get back to it - I borked Ivona trying to introduce alternatives. Now Pico's default is in command, sounding like Stephen Hawking's idiot cousin.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

BELASCO,

That is just it, we all spend lot's of time making the Kindle work the way we want it to work, not the way

Amazon wants it to work. We all spend hours making the Kindle look and feel good, then Amazon sends an

update that removes all our hard work, why? I still do not understand the Amazon philosophy with regards

to the Kindle, it just does not make sense.

Disable Amazon OTA Updates

DVDYETI said:

I don't suppose there is a way of doing this if unregistered as I can't go in to apps ?


Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk HD

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

DVDYETI,

You do not need to be registered for this script to work, you need to be Rooted, that is it.

Disable Amazon OTA Updates

mrkhigh said:

Removing otacerts.zip should work fine,it did for me, but some have reported it didnt... disabling all possibilities seems a definitive solution which it appears this does

Sent from my KFTT using xda app-developers app

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

mrkhigh

Theoretically moving or renaming otacerts.zip should stop the updates but if Amazon get's the word on this there are

still backdoor services running that allow Amazon to push files onto the Kindle. So, let's say they catch word of this,

they will be able to push a new otacerts.zip back to the directory which it was removed. What we did with this simple

script was to disable every back door service that Amazon could use to push files OTA. The script shuts them all

down and does not remove any functionality. The script also shuts down unnecessary services that decrease

battery time.

Disable Amazon OTA Updates

Headlessbody said:

You're right. I've just followed this how-to.
Last thing i want is going back to the stock amazon ****..

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Headlessbody,

Thank you for the feedback. I agree, the last thing I want is to go back to the old interface which I completely

disliked. As I have said before, we spend a lot of time making the Kindle look and feel the way we want it to

look. Why does Amazon have the right to destroy our hard work? My opinion is the do not have the right to

remove our hard work and this is why we developed this script - to stop Amazon from destroying our hard

work.

Disable Amazon OTA Updates

Clarke33 said:

Another big thanks to Chris for this Noob series. I am finally getting the hang of all this. Hopefully I am not the Village Dunce but less than 2 weeks ago I didn't even know how to use ES File Explorer. Your instructions have allowed me to accomplish tasks that a month ago I wouldn't even considered. :good:

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Clarke33,

By the way, I saw your PM, I just have not had time to respond yet. I am glad to hear the training helped,

this is why we do it, to carry our knowledge to other people like yourself. This update disables every possibility

of Amazon deploying updates, it also reduces number of services thereby increasing battery run time. I will

respond to your PM tomorrow.