[Guide] Safe downgrade from 3.4.2-177 to 2.51.1

SeaFargo

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I've find an affordable solution so I've decided to modify the original thread in order to give immediately to all who reads the correct procedure.

Later on this message you can still see the original start of the thread, for future references.
________________________________

How to downgrade from Froyo 2.2.2 v3.4.2-177 to Eclair 2.1 v2.51.1.

Requirement:
- Defy Android 2.2.2 v3.4.2-177 (probably other versions also) flashed from the phone itself or from direct sbf original file and RSD Lite.
- Rooted. You can use SuperOneClick on both android version.
- Defy Recovery 1218 0326 signed.apk. you can find it here.
- A nandroid backup of the old Eclair system (made by yourself otherwise you can quite easly find one on the internet and on XDA)
- the original full sbf file of Eclair system (many are here) in order to create a fixed sbf or directly the fixed sbf.
- Moto Android Firmware Depacker V.1.2 a3.exe (a Windows executable that need Dot Net FX 2.0 and it's able to pack and unpack OEM sbf files).
- RSD Lite and obviously the USB Windows Moto drivers.

Before proceding you need to create or to obtain such called fixed sbf made from the same version you're going to downgrade, so from Eclair 2.51.1.

You can find such fixed sbf online but for safety I prefer to made it by myself. It's so easy.
1. open the original full sbf with Moto Android Firmware Depacker V.1.2 a3 and split to folder;
2. remove CG31.smg and CG39.smg
3. open the extracted folder (the same you've just removed the files) and compile files.
The resulting file is the fixed sbf file you'll need soon ;-)

The procedure:

1. Install drivers and RSD Lite on pc and test the driver. USB debug must be always OFF (exepted for the superonclick rooting procedure)
2. Root the Froyo, reboot, install Defy Recovery and push to the sdcard the nandroid backup of your Eclair. The backup dir should be placed here: /sdcard/goapkrev/backup/
3. open Defy Recovery app and tap recovery boot.
4. wipe data/factory (so your're gonna loose everything on Froyo. Make a backup before, if you want)
5. restore the nandroid backup of the Eclair system.
6. pay attenction to reboot and immediatly push power + vol up in order to go to the bootloader mode. Otherwise the boot will loop and you need to pull the battery off.
7. with RSD Lite flash the fixed sbf. Wait untill the automatic reboot ends, and RSD Lite tells you PASS.

You've done :)

The M logo is now white, the standard recovery is restored, the haptic feedback works and everything is Eclair :)

If you appreciate, a thanks is more than enought ;)

________________________________
Original start of the thread:

I've decided to open a new thread because I still don't find a final, safe, topic on how to downgrade from the latest Froyo to Eclair.

There are many topic on it but seems there are a little confusion.

The XDA official topic on the Developers page called "SBF - Service Flash -files "READ THIS FIRST if you try to flash new stock sbf" says litterally:

If you have flashed direct Android 2.2 via sbf -->
No direct downgrade for all 3.4 Froyo beta ROMs to Android 2.1 or official Android 2.2
No direct downgrade for 2.51.1 and 2.59 Eclair


I do not know what a "beta" Froyo is, but I know that I was able to switch from Defy Android 2.2 Froyo OEM JRDNEM U3 3.4.2 164-003 BLUR France to MIUI and viceversa using RSD lite for Froyo and zip install for MIUI.

Or MIUI is not a "beta" as intended before, but the JRDNEM U3 3.4.2 164 was the OEM france edition.

In any case here my question, and my situation:

Question: what is the real safe way to downgrade from 3.4.2-177 en.it to 2.51.1 en.it ??

My actual situation: I have Froyo 3.4.2-177 en.it, and it was direct sbf flashed; but I have a copy of my previous Eclair 2.51.1 by. Nandroid.

Is that procedure correct and really safe?
________________________________

1. Boot from Froyo in advanced recovery, factory reset and dalvik erase and ...

2. restore a nandroid backup of my previous Eclair and ... reboot.

3. the reboot should loop because the partitions are different signed or the nandroid backup is not able to overwrite the froyo bootloader, right?? so ...

4. pull battery and push again while press volume + to go bootloader (this should work 100%?? any possibility of complete dead defy?? It's really possible to ALWAYS and in any conditions access bootloader in order to connect RDS lite?).

5. Flash with RSD Lite a fixed sbf, where that should means: open the OEM 2.51.1 sbf with MotoAndroidDepacker-1.2alpha3, erase CG31 and CG39, repack and that's a ready to work fixed sbf?? reboot
________________________________

After that my old Eclair should work even on a Froyo bootloader?

I need to downgrade only because I have all my configuration on the old system, and I would have the occasion to copy some configuration settings before going definitively to Froyo.

Is that downgrade safe or dangerous?

After the downgrade is it possible to direct flash back the original Froyo 3.4.2-177 sbf with RSD Lite like before?

Thank you in advance for all your kind reply.
 
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SeaFargo

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Thank you, mpiekp :)

Thanks to carlo93, also. :)

But Carlo, my phone should always be able to load in bootloader mode? In other words, can I, with the mentioned procedure, corrupt the boot sector in such a way to NOT be able to boot in bootloader mode anymore?

or ... is there a way (so I can pay very very attenction to avoid it) to corrupt the bootloader mode?

I know that till I reach bootloader mode I always be able to flash with RSD Lite. But can I, working with roms (nandroids and sbf), be able to crash the bootloader mode so I can't reach it anymore or not?
 

carlo93

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Jun 9, 2011
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But can I, working with roms (nandroids and sbf), be able to crash the bootloader mode so I can't reach it anymore or not?
Maybe if something goes wrong while flashing a sbf via RSD Lite ( i.e. black out during a flashing, i hope this will never occur... )...

Otherwise there's no reason of being afraid ;).
 

joydeep1985

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Question for update

currently i m running cm7 rom for gingerbread. if i revoke back to original one . (i messed up big time cause i didnt get a chance to make a nanodroid backup of my own eclair ).. so i guess i have to follow ur tutorial to revert back to my eclair 2.1 update one firmware version = 2.59


what i wanna know is if i would b able to get the official froyo via msu if i revert back to my original eclair 2.1 firmware 2.59 using full sbf method.. is it at all possible ?
 
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SeaFargo

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Nandroid restore + fixed sbf

currently i m running cm7 rom for gingerbread. if i revoke back to original one . (i messed up big time cause i didnt get a chance to make a nanodroid backup of my own eclair ).. so i guess i have to follow ur tutorial to revert back to my eclair 2.1 update one firmware version = 2.59
what i wanna know is if i would b able to get the official froyo via msu if i revert back to my original eclair 2.1 firmware 2.59 using full sbf method.. is it at all possible ?
Dear joydeep1985, first of all I've never flashed CM7 so I don't know how to go back from it to original Froyo, but I have no reason to doubt it is different from going back from MIUI, that I've tested. So a complete wipe, than a full Froyo sbf flash should work.

After that, to downgrade to Eclair, I have read in many forum, in XDA also, thant the direct Eclair sbf flash with RSD Lite procedure doesn't works!

The original sbf are made to upgrade from previous system or to repair the same version system, but are not enough to downgrade from a more recent system.

A nandroid backup only can do so, in conjuncion with a fixed sbf as I mention in this guide.

I do not know the exact reason why, maybe nandroid is able to restore overwriteing much more than the original Eclair full sbf.

In any case I can confirm thant, from a flashed full OEM Froyo, it is possible to succesful downgrade using nandroid + fixed sbf.

If you do not have a nandroid backup file that's not a big problem. There are many in internet, and in this forum also. ;)
 
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joydeep1985

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Dear joydeep1985, first of all I've never flashed CM7 so I don't know how to go back from it to original Froyo, but I have no reason to doubt it is different from going back from MIUI, that I've tested. So a complete wipe, than a full Froyo sbf flash should work.

After that, to downgrade to Eclair, I have read in many forum, in XDA also, thant the direct Eclair sbf flash with RSD Lite procedure doesn't works!

The original sbf are made to upgrade from previous system or to repair the same version system, but are not enough to downgrade from a more recent system.

A nandroid backup only can do so, in conjuncion with a fixed sbf as I mention in this guide.

I do not know the exact reason why, maybe nandroid is able to restore overwriteing much more than the original Eclair full sbf.

In any case I can confirm thant, from a flashed full OEM Froyo, it is possible to succesful downgrade using nandroid + fixed sbf.

If you do not have a nandroid backup file that's not a big problem. There are many in internet, and in this forum also. ;)
that was really a nice reply.... one more thing i would like to know .... in clockworkmod i dint get to see the nanodroid option.. also when i extracted the zip it gave me some img files .... like boot.img,android_secure.img etc in the nanodroid backup... when i put all the files under /sdcard/clockworkmod/backup and then choose the option restore . it doesnt seem to work at all. also due to no options such as present in clockworkmod > 3 i am not able to understand why its not working . how to make it work with clockworkmod >3 ???
 
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SeaFargo

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In Froyo I've used Defy Recovery 1218 0326 signed.apk (the link is on the guide).

It works perfectly.

And the dir in wich you have to push the nandroid backup files is:

/sdcard/goapkrev/backup/

So at the end it will result something like:

/sdcard/goapkrev/backup/Eclair-2011-06-07

Beaware that the all path must be named without spaces.
 
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joydeep1985

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one more question i have ... after my downgrade will i be able to update from motorola msu ? for official froyo update ? if i have to get that what i need to do ? can u please explain what are the requirements if i have to get the software update from motorola msu ? so that after my downgrade to eclair (i dont have my original nanodroid backup) i can update from motorola official MSU ?
 

SeaFargo

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one more question i have ... after my downgrade will i be able to update from motorola msu ? for official froyo update ? if i have to get that what i need to do ? can u please explain what are the requirements if i have to get the software update from motorola msu ? so that after my downgrade to eclair (i dont have my original nanodroid backup) i can update from motorola official MSU ?
I still do not know, because my Eclair was personally deblurred, and without Blur the "update firmware" doesn't works.

But I can confirm that, from this procedure downgraded Eclair, it will be perfectly possible to upgrade to Froyo by flashing its full sbf file with RSD Lite. ;)

In any case I suggest to keep a copy in your PC for future references of:

- the OEM full sbf files of all the versions of Android you've using (from here and from a lot of places over the internet);
- the Nandroid backup of the installed, factory reset, versions of Android you've using (so before downgrade and afrer the factory reset make a nice backup of your actual Froyo);
- the zipped copy of the pulled system dir of the versions of Android you've using (by the command example like this: adb pull system "D:\Temp\Defy\pull system Froyo Defy")
 
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joydeep1985

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I still do not know, because my Eclair was personally deblurred, and without Blur the "update firmware" doesn't works.
oops that might be a problem cause my personal one came with blurred ...and the service flashes found in the link you provided are all without blur ( as you have stated ) so arent there any method left then ? so that i can revert back to original motoblur 2.1 update 1 eclair ? cause the service flashes doesnt contain motoblue where as my defy had motoblur in it :confused::(
 

SeaFargo

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oops that might be a problem cause my personal one came with blurred ...and the service flashes found in the link you provided are all without blur ( as you have stated ) so arent there any method left then ? so that i can revert back to original motoblur 2.1 update 1 eclair ? cause the service flashes doesnt contain motoblue where as my defy had motoblur in it :confused::(
Can't you find a Eclair blurred nandroid backup?

The full sfb file of the link of my guide DOES contain blur.

You just need a nandroid backup or the OEM Eclair Blur (so still not deblurred).

But if you find a deblurred modded Eclair nandroid backup it's OK the same! Is even better!!

Than, to future upgrade to Froyo, you can flash one of the many OEM full sbf, almost all blurred. ;-)
 
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joydeep1985

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okay cool ... so like for now you mean i have to flash with nanodroid + fixed sbf = my current system (its deblurred and wont work)

so from that to make it work i have to find a full sbf :D (provided on your like flash it and bingo it has all :D :D )

and then i can upgrade from msu ... thats d procedure right ??? sorry for being complete noob :( :(
 

SeaFargo

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okay cool ... so like for now you mean i have to flash with nanodroid + fixed sbf = my current system (its deblurred and wont work)

so from that to make it work i have to find a full sbf :D (provided on your like flash it and bingo it has all :D :D )

and then i can upgrade from msu ... thats d procedure right ??? sorry for being complete noob :( :(
I have a litte difficulties undertanding your english ...

In any case, the fixed sfb is just a sort of bootloader, and it never contains app, system app, blur, and anything like that. It's just a bootloader that works for the scope. :)

The fixed sfb must be made from the same version of the nandroid backup. So for a nandroid backup Eclair, you have to use fixed sbf from Eclair.

Do not mix versions!
 

joydeep1985

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lol... sorry my bad ... was excited tht time .. so dint get to check out my punctuations ... :p.. sorry for being so bad in my reply and my english .....:p... got it for the time being .. the official froyo is yet to release in india . so i guess i have time till then :)... until that i m jus making it sure that i get my eclair back in working condition before the official froyo update is out in msu :)..... would try out this on weekend ... though pretty new in making sbf and nanodroid stuffs ....

many thanks for the help :)
 
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Hey

I'm still on my 2.1. Got my nandroid backup, and now, how do I "create" a SBF file of my Eclair? Cuz it's a little bit hard to find it online. Hope there is a tool in wich I can do that.

"- the zipped copy of the pulled system dir of the versions of Android you've using (by the command example like this: adb pull system "D:\Temp\Defy\pull system Froyo Defy")"

May that be the answer?

Thank you so much.
 

SeaFargo

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Fixed sbf

how do I "create" a SBF file of my Eclair?
I've clearly explained in the guide!! :mad:

This are the lines ;) :

Before proceding you need to create or to obtain such called fixed sbf made from the same version you're going to downgrade, so from Eclair 2.51.1.

You can find such fixed sbf online but for safety I prefer to made it by myself. It's so easy.
1. open the original full sbf with Moto Android Firmware Depacker V.1.2 a3 and split to folder;
2. remove CG31.smg and CG39.smg
3. open the extracted folder (the same you've just removed the files) and compile files.
The resulting file is the fixed sbf file you'll need soon ;-)
 

SeaFargo

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I don't know ...

About If you can create an sbf from just a nandroid backup ... I do not know, but I do not think so.

Otherwise whould be possible to restore anything without the need of any sbf, and I I've never find a guide telling so ...

In any case, give an accurate reserch over the internet for your country sbf. If it exists in your phone, should exists in "the cloud" somewhere ... :rolleyes:
 
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