⚠️ Zenwatch 1 Firmware files now available ⚠️

[SWAT Strachan]

First off, I have to extend my sincere gratitude to user helloworld1337 for sending me his old Zenwatch, as at the time we could not find any way to root it. Without his very generous donation it would not have been possible for me to create these image files. In the end the watch with the native OS was unrootable, but I discovered that doing a temporary boot using AsteroidOS gave me root access to the storage on the watch, which enabled me to create boot, recovery and system image files. These are images for Android 6.0.1 / WearOS 1.5.0.4047106.

Now I don't know if this will work, I've never looked in to long-term shareable online storage before, so hopefully these OneDrive links will be good enough...

Boot.img
Recovery.img
System.img
​

If, for any reason, these links do not work, message me and I will try to find a better sharing solution, to which I am open to suggestions.

 

[md.muid]

can you write a step by step instruction on how to flash this? my zenwatch has become in operable totally. i have created a post for this issue as well.

ASUS ZENWATCH NOT WORKING ON LATEST ANDROID WEAR

Hello i always had the ASUS zen watch but i haven't been using it for a year or two in this pandemic. When i turned it on its so slow that i cannot operate. touch delays are very long. so somehow i hard reset it and connected to my wear os app...

xdaforums.com

 

[Caboose27]

Seconded. I have a related post up, how do you flash an image on a zenwatch?

 

[SWAT Strachan]

@md.muid @Caboose27

Apologies for taking so long to reply to this, after getting my watch back up and running I pretty much forgot that this post even existed! (not sure why I didn't get any email notifications about it).

Now it's been quite a while since I dabbled with ADB but I will try to write out instructions as best as I can.
First off, you will need to download the Android SDK tools and USB driver from these links...

SDK Platform Tools release notes | Android Studio | Android Developers

Android SDK Platform-Tools is a component for the Android SDK.

developer.android.com

Get the Google USB Driver | Android Studio | Android Developers

The Google USB Driver is required to perform adb debugging on Windows with Google devices.

developer.android.com

• Extract the zip files to a known location, then copy my firmware files to the same folder that has the ADB and Fastboot commands in it. For the USB driver just right-click over "android_winusb.inf" and then click "install".
• Open a command prompt and CD it to the folder with the ADB command.
• Connect your watch to your PC via the charging cradle, you should hear the usual Windows "Ba-dum!" noise to let you know that a new device has been detected.
• Run "adb devices" to see if your watch is now recognised (you should see a long alphanumeric string).
• Type "adb reboot bootloader".
• Your watch should now reboot. You might have to confirm this on the watch itself. After the restart it should stop at the Asus logo with the text "CSC Fastboot Mode!" at the top.
• Type "fastboot oem unlock", which should unlock the bootloader, a necessary step.
• Now to apply the images...
• Type "fastboot flash boot boot.img"
• Type "fastboot flash system system.img"
• Type "fastboot flash recovery recovery.img"
• Once the commands have completed, type "fastboot reboot" to restart your watch.
• If all went well, you should be back on the stock firmware.

I've just run through this process again on my own (spare) Zenwatch and it all completed without any problems. I hope that helps, and again, my apologies for taking so long to get back to you all.

Scott.


Note: If for any reason you cannot reboot your watch in to the bootloader using the fastboot command, you can use the tiny button on the back of your watch to turn it off (needs to be held in for a few seconds), and to turn it back on again. AS SOON as the Asus logo appears, swipe your finger across the screen from top-left to bottom-right, and if you did it in time, it should enter the bootloader.

 

[md.muid]

No Problem. I am just glad that you replied and finally i can have a fix. I am not atm so my watch is not with me. i will sure try the method and update you. Thanks again .

@md.muid @Caboose27

Apologies for taking so long to reply to this, after getting my watch back up and running I pretty much forgot that this post even existed! (not sure why I didn't get any email notifications about it).

Now it's been quite a while since I dabbled with ADB but I will try to write out instructions as best as I can.
First off, you will need to download the Android SDK tools and USB driver from these links...

SDK Platform Tools release notes | Android Studio | Android Developers

Android SDK Platform-Tools is a component for the Android SDK.

developer.android.com

Get the Google USB Driver | Android Studio | Android Developers

The Google USB Driver is required to perform adb debugging on Windows with Google devices.

developer.android.com

• Extract the zip files to a known location, then copy my firmware files to the same folder that has the ADB and Fastboot commands in it. For the USB driver just right-click over "android_winusb.inf" and then click "install".
• Open a command prompt and CD it to the folder with the ADB command.
• Connect your watch to your PC via the charging cradle, you should hear the usual Windows "Ba-dum!" noise to let you know that a new device has been detected.
• Run "adb devices" to see if your watch is now recognised (you should see a long alphanumeric string).
• Type "adb reboot bootloader".
• Your watch should now reboot. You might have to confirm this on the watch itself. After the restart it should stop at the Asus logo with the text "CSC Fastboot Mode!" at the top.
• Type "fastboot oem unlock", which should unlock the bootloader, a necessary step.
• Now to apply the images...
• Type "fastboot flash boot boot.img"
• Type "fastboot flash system system.img"
• Type "fastboot flash recovery recovery.img"
• Once the commands have completed, type "fastboot reboot" to restart your watch.
• If all went well, you should be back on the stock firmware.

I've just run through this process again on my own (spare) Zenwatch and it all completed without any problems. I hope that helps, and again, my apologies for taking so long to get back to you all.

Scott.


Note: If for any reason you cannot reboot your watch in to the bootloader using the fastboot command, you can use the tiny button on the back of your watch to turn it off (needs to be held in for a few seconds), and to turn it back on again. AS SOON as the Asus logo appears, swipe your finger across the screen from top-left to bottom-right, and if you did it in time, it should enter the bootloader.

 

[md.muid]

hi tried the above method.
adb devices not found. please not that my watch does not turn on. it only vibrates when i connect it to my charger. after i connected to pc more than 100 window popped up saying you must format drive g (the watch). same window apperaed like a million times and was continously popping up even after i close it. after i clicked format it dint format. said its write protected. atleast i am sure that it got connected to my pc. can you help at this point?

 

[SWAT Strachan]

Woah, yeah I have no idea what's going on there! Neither of my watches show up as removable drives at all when connected. I wonder if Windows is trying to use the wrong driver to connect to the watch.

Regarding the watch just vibrating though rather than turning on when connected to the PC (I guess that this could be the cause of the weird windows appearing too), it might be worth plugging the USB cable in to a charger that has a higher output than a standard USB port. If you have a phone charger or battery pack that can put out 2A try that instead of your PC's ports (which will only go up to 1A at best). The battery might be so dead that it's refusing to take a charge and sometimes, SOMETIMES, a higher charge current can wake them back up again. However, if you do this do not leave the watch unattended as you're not supposed to recharge a lithium cell once it has dropped below a certain voltage, so if it does wake up, give it a little while to take some charge, then move it back to a standard USB port.

I have a vague memory that this happened to my original watch after I found it in the back of a drawer having not used it for a few years, but I did eventually manage to get it to wake up.