Why do I get this error when installing a custom ROM?

[ByteSeb]

I was trying to upgrade from Android 11 to 12 with an Android 12 GSI using Fastboot, but whenever I try to install the system.img, it always fails with the error:

(bootloader) Preflash validation failed FAILED (remote failure)

I have seen that this error is common if you have the bootloader locked, but mine is unlocked.

Here's the full list of commands I used:

F:\Programs\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>fastboot flash boot boot.img
target reported max download size of 805261312 bytes
sending 'boot_b' (52224 KB)...
OKAY [  1.276s]
writing 'boot_b'...
OKAY [  0.779s]
finished. total time: 2.056s

F:\Programs\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>fastboot flash vbmeta vbmeta.img
target reported max download size of 805261312 bytes
sending 'vbmeta_b' (4 KB)...
OKAY [  0.005s]
writing 'vbmeta_b'...
(bootloader) WARNING: vbmeta_b anti rollback downgrade, 0 vs 16
OKAY [  0.036s]
finished. total time: 0.041s

F:\Programs\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>fastboot flash system system.img
target reported max download size of 805261312 bytes
Invalid sparse file format at header magic
sending sparse 'system_b' 1/3 (786340 KB)...
OKAY [ 19.870s]
writing 'system_b' 1/3...
(bootloader) Preflash validation failed
FAILED (remote failure)
finished. total time: 19.962s

Why do I get this error, and is there any way to solve it?

 

[Beetle84]

I was trying to upgrade from Android 11 to 12 with an Android 12 GSI using Fastboot, but whenever I try to install the system.img, it always fails with the error:


I have seen that this error is common if you have the bootloader locked, but mine is unlocked.

Here's the full list of commands I used:

F:\Programs\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>fastboot flash boot boot.img
target reported max download size of 805261312 bytes
sending 'boot_b' (52224 KB)...
OKAY [  1.276s]
writing 'boot_b'...
OKAY [  0.779s]
finished. total time: 2.056s

F:\Programs\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>fastboot flash vbmeta vbmeta.img
target reported max download size of 805261312 bytes
sending 'vbmeta_b' (4 KB)...
OKAY [  0.005s]
writing 'vbmeta_b'...
(bootloader) WARNING: vbmeta_b anti rollback downgrade, 0 vs 16
OKAY [  0.036s]
finished. total time: 0.041s

F:\Programs\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>fastboot flash system system.img
target reported max download size of 805261312 bytes
Invalid sparse file format at header magic
sending sparse 'system_b' 1/3 (786340 KB)...
OKAY [ 19.870s]
writing 'system_b' 1/3...
(bootloader) Preflash validation failed
FAILED (remote failure)
finished. total time: 19.962s

Why do I get this error, and is there any way to solve it?

You need to be in fastboot d to flash system images. In regular fastboot, type fastboot reboot fastboot.

 

[ByteSeb]

You need to be in fastboot d to flash system images. In regular fastboot, type fastboot reboot fastboot.

It seems like that was working, but now I get this error:

FAILED (remote: Operation not permitted)

Here's the commands I used:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>fastboot flash boot boot.img
target reported max download size of 268435456 bytes
sending 'boot_a' (52224 KB)...
OKAY [  1.373s]
writing 'boot_a'...
OKAY [  1.584s]
finished. total time: 2.958s


C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>fastboot flash vbmeta vbmeta.img
target reported max download size of 268435456 bytes
sending 'vbmeta_a' (4 KB)...
OKAY [  0.003s]
writing 'vbmeta_a'...
OKAY [  0.047s]
finished. total time: 0.050s


C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>fastboot flash system system.img
target reported max download size of 268435456 bytes
Invalid sparse file format at header magic
sending sparse 'system_a' 1/7 (262108 KB)...
OKAY [  7.087s]
writing 'system_a' 1/7...
OKAY [  1.746s]
sending sparse 'system_a' 2/7 (262120 KB)...
OKAY [  7.075s]
writing 'system_a' 2/7...
OKAY [  1.723s]
sending sparse 'system_a' 3/7 (262112 KB)...
OKAY [  7.015s]
writing 'system_a' 3/7...
OKAY [  1.746s]
sending sparse 'system_a' 4/7 (262124 KB)...
OKAY [  7.001s]
writing 'system_a' 4/7...
OKAY [  1.736s]
sending sparse 'system_a' 5/7 (262088 KB)...
OKAY [  7.013s]
writing 'system_a' 5/7...
FAILED (remote: Operation not permitted)
finished. total time: 43.777s

 

[GigaPVP]

It seems like that was working, but now I get this error:

Here's the commands I used:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>fastboot flash boot boot.img
target reported max download size of 268435456 bytes
sending 'boot_a' (52224 KB)...
OKAY [  1.373s]
writing 'boot_a'...
OKAY [  1.584s]
finished. total time: 2.958s


C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>fastboot flash vbmeta vbmeta.img
target reported max download size of 268435456 bytes
sending 'vbmeta_a' (4 KB)...
OKAY [  0.003s]
writing 'vbmeta_a'...
OKAY [  0.047s]
finished. total time: 0.050s


C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>fastboot flash system system.img
target reported max download size of 268435456 bytes
Invalid sparse file format at header magic
sending sparse 'system_a' 1/7 (262108 KB)...
OKAY [  7.087s]
writing 'system_a' 1/7...
OKAY [  1.746s]
sending sparse 'system_a' 2/7 (262120 KB)...
OKAY [  7.075s]
writing 'system_a' 2/7...
OKAY [  1.723s]
sending sparse 'system_a' 3/7 (262112 KB)...
OKAY [  7.015s]
writing 'system_a' 3/7...
OKAY [  1.746s]
sending sparse 'system_a' 4/7 (262124 KB)...
OKAY [  7.001s]
writing 'system_a' 4/7...
OKAY [  1.736s]
sending sparse 'system_a' 5/7 (262088 KB)...
OKAY [  7.013s]
writing 'system_a' 5/7...
FAILED (remote: Operation not permitted)
finished. total time: 43.777s

if you update adb, you will see that it gives you an error for no space (atleast for me it did). To fix this, since your phone uses AB partitioning, you will need to do fastboot delete-logical-partition product_a and it should be good since you are using a GSI

 

[ByteSeb]

Thanks! That worked