[how to] remove your "tampered" banner

[Captain_Throwback]

I know the workaround for blanking it out. However on previous devices, when a custom hboot was built, the dev text remained in the actual file, but does not display. Thus my reasoning that there must be a flag (or multiple flags) somewhere.

 

[djkinetic]

Be very careful if your attempting this on the m8. That is for the m7 and if you copy it exactly you could brick your device, be warned!

I just glanced at a pulled m8 Hboot, and the value to blank out the text with spaces is the same. Only thing is if you get it wrong, you end up with a brick .

 

[ZANGETSU786]

Thxs a lot mate.

 

[gumboman4]

Dude, thanks, this method worked just fine on my AT&T variant M8.

 

[Sim-X]

worked perfect htc m8 sprint. Worked fine on win 8.1 64 bit

Thanks op!

op, would you happen to have a guide on flashing m8 splash screen? I have an m7 splash screen I really like but not sure if I can use the same file on m8 even know resolution is the same.

 

[guyd]

As far as I know that involves hex editing a hboot to remove the red text. I don't think it is as simple as setting a flag.

The red text is only displayed after you flash a custom recovery, so there must be a flag setting it.

 

[Antagonist42]

My thinking is it is already written into HBOOT on production, once you unlock the bootloader and flash anything Custom the text shows up, to remove the text and not just blank it out with spaces requires editing the ELF file itself, the offsets and data sizes....

Not for the faint-hearted unless you know how that file system works (preferably inside out).

Bashing away at my HTC Desire C

 

[Antagonist42]

That kinda makes it more of an actuality .... I've not found the text in any Custom ROM, Kernel, Boot or in the PL0110000.img for the Desire C even after unpacking, hex reading and throwing almost everything into IDA so unless it's part of production or is a part of the unlock-token.bin there's a tiny little guy inside with a red pen who needs a good-hiding for being a pest!

Bashing away at my HTC Desire C

 

[florelui001p]

I DID IT!!!

I was able to remove the red text! Now my At&t m8 boots without that annoying message. I extracted the hboot partition using
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p11 of=/sdcard/misc.img then opened up the misc.img using a hex editor. I found the lines and replaced them according to the guide found a few pages back. I then pushed the file back and flashed it and BAM! Red text gone

This is the guide I used. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=44137829&postcount=4

A picture with edited text saying "i did it"

Link for full image http://i62.tinypic.com/262bdoo.jpg

 

[Antagonist42]

Yes, it's been posted and also HBOOT with text 'blanked' out (0x20 written in place of text hex value which = Spacebar) text already, the real test will be to edit the whole thing to have no text and no need of replacing text with 0x20

....I may have a look at it sometime today if it's only a displayed text after the splash :screwy: ....

Bashing away at my HTC Desire C

 

[florelui001p]

Yes, it's been posted and also HBOOT with text 'blanked' out (0x20 written in place of text hex value which = Spacebar) text already, the real test will be to edit the whole thing to have no text and no need of replacing text with 0x20

....I may have a look at it sometime today if it's only a displayed text after the splash :screwy: ....

Bashing away at my HTC Desire C

Ah ok! I'm new to this so I was just excited to get rid of it.

Hmm very interesting, maybe some other night when I have spare time I'll look more into the hboot stuff it's actually quite interesting.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

[Antagonist42]

Nice to know it's working though and could do it right on the phone without PC :thumbup:

I've not had chance to do S-OFF yet...then I'll look at editing the ELF IF that's viable ...it more depends what else it might entail editing (offsets, partitions, entering the nightmare realms...that last one might be easier!).

Bashing away at my HTC Desire C

 

[florelui001p]

Nice to know it's working though and could do it right on the phone without PC :thumbup:

I've not had chance to do S-OFF yet...then I'll look at editing the ELF IF that's viable ...it more depends what else it might entail editing (offsets, partitions, entering the nightmare realms...that last one might be easier!).

Bashing away at my HTC Desire C

...that sounds like some crazy stuff!

The XDA community is amazing so it's usually a matter of time until someone figures this all out.

If you give it a shot, best of luck. I'll use your description as a guideline on what to research and read up on, thanks.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

[scotty1223]

As far as I know that involves hex editing a hboot to remove the red text. I don't think it is as simple as setting a flag.

This is correct. There is not a red text flag. The red text is hboot's reaction to finding a boot,system,or recovery image(and maybe other firmware mismatches I'm not sure) it does not expect.

The safe way to eliminate the text is to hex edit hboot and replace the characters with all spaces so can still display its warning,without us actually seeing it. As was said you can easily brick your device by flashing a corrupt hboot.

I don't get why folks hate the warning to the point theyre willing to risk screwing up their most important piece of firmware. You only see the warning for 5 seconds on boot.

Sent from my HTC PG09410 using Tapatalk 2

 

[pro4ever]

hi scotty finally got s off gone trough ur guide 4 times and still says tampered?

 

[Antagonist42]

I wouldn't mind the warning so much but only once has it ever had the entire text on the screen :banghead:

With a bit of the right info (and reading up on the whole File Systems, MBR's, partitions etc...) It should be possible to edit it correctly, thus enabling Custom Boots for ROM's along with Splash screens.

Not something to be delved into lightly, I'm only looking at trying it once I know, all I've come across and learnt in the last couple of years, I'm able to reverse it if it doesn't work, even if it does work it's still a risk but plenty more reading and checking ...and double..Triple Checking beforehand

Bashing away at my HTC Desire C

 

[rustykwak]

hi scotty finally got s off gone trough ur guide 4 times and still says tampered?

I have also just tried twice still showing tampered!

 

[0pen]

Ive done it 4 times. 2x on my windows pc running windows 8.1 and 2 times on my mac
it still says tampered as well

 

[do0m]

HTC One M8 from AT&T here. Worked like a charm, thanks!

 

[bookfast]

HTC One M8 from AT&T here. Worked like a charm, thanks!

Telus M8 worked perfectly first try. Thanks!!