[Guide] Unlocking the Mi4c Bootloader without verification by Xiaomi

[firepol]

Critical Partition Flashing not allowed

Hi guys,

yesterday after lots of attempts to flash different roms on my brand new spare mi 4c I gave up and installed the latest official MIUI 8.3 BY XIAOMI.EU 7.5.11.

So I was thinking that so the firmware is updated and I can proceed installing e.g. lineage OS but I forgot that the bootloader could become locked. In fact it seems locked like a fortress now.

[I know, I was stupid I should have read more carefully all the threads around here, I just thought I knew what I was doing but I was wrong. Accept my humble apologies...]

If I try, in Linux, to flash (using the flash.sh command, as root user) via fastboot, or try to flash TWRP I get Critical Partition Flashing not allowed. I tried to reboot in Windows, and used miflash, same error.

In linux if I try

sudo fastboot oem edl

, then I run

sudo fastboot oem unlock

I get:

< waiting for device >

If I run

sudo fastboot devices

I can't see my device anymore once in EDL.
If I try top flash TWRP by running:

sudo fastboot flash recovery twrp.img

still I get:

< waiting for device >

Any ideas what I could do?

Or is my only chance to try to unlock my phone with the official method from xiaomi?

 

[nielvanrhyn]

None

If you do not want to go the official rout (this might take forever) you would have to use the MiFlash tool and flash an old version of MiUI (like 6.1.7) which supports the oem unlock command.

 

[GnatGoSplat]

n/m, misunderstood the question.

 

[AndyYan]

Just posting here to confirm that 8.2.3.0 Stable also allows rebooting to EDL via fastboot. Successfully completed all steps on top of that. @wolkenjaeger If you're still watching this thread, thanks, and update OP if necessary.

 

[wolkenjaeger]

Erm.... I don't know. I tried it today and EDL flashing did not work (initially). I can't really test the device anymore. Someone needs to confirm the path which is explained by AndyYan. However: "fastboot oem edl" command still works. From there, maybe you have to use MiFlash, but with LOCK ALL (newest MIUI) and thereafter MIUI 6.1.7 (also with LOCK ALL).

 

[ReiGn88]

You have to unlock with the official method from Xiaomi, even with ROMs from xiaomi.eu.
No point to downgrade with MiFlash and unlock an older version, because as soon as you go to a Nougat ROM, you'll be relocked again.
They only took about 5-hours to approve my request the most recent time. Unlock requests only last 30-days, so keep in mind you have to unlock within 30-days. I had requested unlock in December and got approved, but had to get re-approved because it expired.

Why would you say there is no point using this method? First they never approved my request i sent, so i unlocked using this method, im not planning to reinstalling differnt roms i just needed to install fresh clean roms without any spyware installed by chinese vendors.
Also flashing to 6.17 only takes like 2mins(few extra mins to download), so basically:
1. you flash the 6.17 rom
2. then twrp
3. then install lineage os and gapps using twrp
4. ??????
5. Proceed to use fresh and clean mi4c

 

[GnatGoSplat]

Why would you say there is no point using this method? First they never approved my request i sent, so i unlocked using this method, im not planning to reinstalling differnt roms i just needed to install fresh clean roms without any spyware installed by chinese vendors.
Also flashing to 6.17 only takes like 2mins(few extra mins to download), so basically:
1. you flash the 6.17 rom
2. then twrp
3. then install lineage os and gapps using twrp
4. ??????
5. Proceed to use fresh and clean mi4c

Yeah, I didn't read his post thoroughly enough, I thought he wanted unlocked BL and keep xiaomi.eu Nougat ROM. I didn't catch he wanted to get rid of the xiaomi.eu ROM for lineage ROM.

 

[makaveli97]

It worked like a charm! Thank you very much!

 

[wpyh]

Guys, I've successfully unlocked my mi4c in Linux. Not Windows, and certainly not with a Virtual Machine installation of Windows. I used a tool called emmcdl, so I think I'm not the first one to do this... but why is it that I didn't find ANY guide at all on how to flash a ROM in EDL under Linux? Should I write a (small) tutorial on this?

 

[HarryCustom]

Why would you say there is no point using this method? First they never approved my request i sent, so i unlocked using this method, im not planning to reinstalling differnt roms i just needed to install fresh clean roms without any spyware installed by chinese vendors.
Also flashing to 6.17 only takes like 2mins(few extra mins to download), so basically:
1. you flash the 6.17 rom
2. then twrp
3. then install lineage os and gapps using twrp
4. ??????
5. Proceed to use fresh and clean mi4c

I want to do that, but I do not understand if I need a Nougat bootloader to flash Lineage or is it not necessary?

Thanks!

 

[ReiGn88]

I want to do that, but I do not understand if I need a Nougat bootloader to flash Lineage or is it not necessary?

Thanks!

I used [www teamsuperluminal org / lineageos-14-1-mi4c this rom, it requires gapps arm64/7.1/nano,
using twrp install both gapps and lineage os at the same time.

 

[nunogilberto]

Guys, I've successfully unlocked my mi4c in Linux. Not Windows, and certainly not with a Virtual Machine installation of Windows. I used a tool called emmcdl, so I think I'm not the first one to do this... but why is it that I didn't find ANY guide at all on how to flash a ROM in EDL under Linux? Should I write a (small) tutorial on this?

yes, you should write the tutorial...
pleaseee....

 

[Al3xxxinho]

Hi,
After unlocking the bootloader, flashing the recovery and installing lineage os, the phone is in a recovery bootloop, does not want to boot into system.
Any suggestions ?

 

[ramiwi]

Is it possible to install xiaomi.eu miui 9 after unlocking 6.1.7 ? (a way to keep it unlocked while updating the bootloader to nougat)?

 

[asmOne]

Need help

My Mi 4c is not unlocked..
And it has official Android 7.0 and MUI 8.5 stable
Im enough with that Chinese rom. And I need to install a cm Rom
How can I do it.
I cant understand how to unlock bootloader and do this...

 

[wpyh]

yes, you should write the tutorial...
pleaseee....

User from Yogyakarta? Nice to meet you, I'm from Bandung
I will write a tutorial, probably in a separate thread.

Is it possible to install xiaomi.eu miui 9 after unlocking 6.1.7 ? (a way to keep it unlocked while updating the bootloader to nougat)?

My Mi 4c is not unlocked..
And it has official Android 7.0 and MUI 8.5 stable
Im enough with that Chinese rom. And I need to install a cm Rom
How can I do it.
I cant understand how to unlock bootloader and do this...

After you update to Nougat / 7.0 , the bootloader will be locked again, with a different bit. The lock bit used up to 5.1 can be unlocked via downgrading to 6.1.7, but the lock bit used since 7.0 can only be unlocked via the official Mi Unlock procedure.

 

[asmOne]

User from Yogyakarta? Nice to meet you, I'm from Bandung
I will write a tutorial, probably in a separate thread.





After you update to Nougat / 7.0 , the bootloader will be locked again, with a different bit. The lock bit used up to 5.1 can be unlocked via downgrading to 6.1.7, but the lock bit used since 7.0 can only be unlocked via the official Mi Unlock procedure.

I tried but it cannot downgrade.

 

[nunogilberto]

User from Yogyakarta? Nice to meet you, I'm from Bandung
I will write a tutorial, probably in a separate thread.

thanks! i'll wait for the tutorial...

nuhun kang... diantosan nya, tutorialna....

 

[fontaneroen]

does not rise

I can not get you the recovery.

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 6.1.7601]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\ADB>fastboot devices
6b563d15 fastboot

C:\ADB>fastboot flash recovery twrp.img
target reported max download size of 536870912 bytes
sending 'recovery' (21100 KB)...
OKAY [ 0.642s]
writing 'recovery'...
OKAY [ 0.209s]
finished. total time: 0.856s

C:\ADB>fastboot boot twrp.img
downloading 'boot.img'...
OKAY [ 0.763s]
booting...
FAILED (remote: dtb not found)
finished. total time: 1.060s

C:\ADB>

 

[hfmls]

i have same issue as previous user, any help please?

---------- Post added at 22:26 ---------- Previous post was at 22:26 ----------

i am using twrp-3.1.1-1-libra

---------- Post added at 22:28 ---------- Previous post was at 22:26 ----------

ok i found the sulotion, use this version:
https://de1.androidfilehost.com/dl/...075/817550096634793208/twrp-20170817-0823.img

---------- Post added at 23:03 ---------- Previous post was at 22:28 ----------

i am trying to flash this:
http://forum.mi-globe.com/miui-globerom-changelog-f36/changelog-7-9-21-t698.html
with twrp, flash goes ok, but it boots into mi logo and won't pass.

Any help please?