Warning - do not install Jellybean OTA update for Galaxy Nexus if you're rooted

Forums › Android › Warning - do not install Jellybean OTA update for Galaxy Nexus if you're rooted

lchiu7

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#105937 14-Jul-2012 14:03

This will probably only affected a few people but I thought I would mention it anwyay.

I have a GN that was bought in HK so it had a slightly different ICS build that would stop OTA updates. I flashed the standard takju build to it and then rooted it. That enabled me to get the 4.04 update OTA.

This morning I was pleasantly surprised to see a notification that 4.1 JB was waiting so I agreed and started the update. Unfortunately on the reboot I saw the Android character with a red exclamation mark over his stomach! Not good. It turns out that the OTA 4.1 won't work if you're rooted. Luckily I was ale to remove the battery and restart the phone back to ICS 4.04.

Turns out the only way for me to get 4,1 OTA is to flash back an original Google firmware image and return the unit to stock. Then wait for JB and then root it.

A nuisance since the GB has no SD card so I have to backup the entire phone before I am able to do that.

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jeffnz

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#655546 14-Jul-2012 14:06

wouldn't you just download stock rom to internal SD and flash from there or am I missing something here

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jeffnz

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#655547 14-Jul-2012 14:10

[http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1366806]

dates back to November but should work

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lchiu7

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#655552 14-Jul-2012 14:26

jeffnz: wouldn't you just download stock rom to internal SD and flash from there or am I missing something here

Sure but the warning is don't do the OTA update. And going back to stock erases all data. I had a heart stopping moment when the OTA failed and I had to remove the battery to restart. Had no idea what the phone state was.

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jeffnz

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#655559 14-Jul-2012 14:46

depends on what data you are concerned about. If you are concerned about apps then there is Titanium backup. All other data can be backed up to PC like pics music etc but generally the internal SD card isn't erased only only system files. You can always make a nandroid backup and copy to PC, well you should always do this anyway.

Yes had a few of them as well lol but such is the rooted android users plight. Sometimes its best to leave well enough alone but then you may as well go iphone.

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KevinL

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#655568 14-Jul-2012 15:08

Just having root access shouldn't impair your ability to install OTA updates (although generally you lose root after the OTA is installed) - more likely is that you have a custom recovery (e.g. CWM) or there's been a mismatch between your recovery/boot/radio images when you converted to the takju build

nakedmolerat

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#655571 14-Jul-2012 15:20

lchiu7:
I have a GN that was bought in HK so it had a slightly different ICS build that would stop OTA updates. I flashed the standard takju build to it and then rooted it. That enabled me to get the 4.04 update OTA.

i think the issue is you have ROM that is NOT meant for your phone.

lchiu7

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#655577 14-Jul-2012 15:38

nakedmolerat:
lchiu7:
I have a GN that was bought in HK so it had a slightly different ICS build that would stop OTA updates. I flashed the standard takju build to it and then rooted it. That enabled me to get the 4.04 update OTA.

i think the issue is you have ROM that is NOT meant for your phone.

No the issue is the phone was rooted. All the GSM phones are the same, they just have slightly different firmware. My GN has yakjuxw (I think) which was a slightly modified yakju ROM to provide HK Chinese input language. That stopped the phone from getting Google OTA updates.

I just put the phone back to the stock Google yakju image and got updates pretty much immediately. 4.04 came down fine, it's just 4.1 JB that has the problem.

If I hadn't also then rooted it, I would not have had this problem.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

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lchiu7

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#655730 14-Jul-2012 22:14

lchiu7:
nakedmolerat:
lchiu7:
I have a GN that was bought in HK so it had a slightly different ICS build that would stop OTA updates. I flashed the standard takju build to it and then rooted it. That enabled me to get the 4.04 update OTA.

i think the issue is you have ROM that is NOT meant for your phone.

No the issue is the phone was rooted. All the GSM phones are the same, they just have slightly different firmware. My GN has yakjuxw (I think) which was a slightly modified yakju ROM to provide HK Chinese input language. That stopped the phone from getting Google OTA updates.

I just put the phone back to the stock Google yakju image and got updates pretty much immediately. 4.04 came down fine, it's just 4.1 JB that has the problem.

If I hadn't also then rooted it, I would not have had this problem.

Just to respond to my own post. I flashed the phone back to the original Google firmware and forced the OTA update. Now I am running JB quite nicely and just restoring all the pictures etc from the SD card backup.

So far JB has lived up to its hype, especially Project Butter.

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jim69

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#656020 15-Jul-2012 15:55

I did the same - last night I burned back to stock yakju 4.0.2 and within a few minutes it offered 4.0.4 OTA ( I figured this would get me looking more "stock" to the 4.1.1 updater being arms length from my reburn), sure enough this morning the 4.1.1 arrived and installed simply enough. I'm now putting stuff back.

CdTDroiD

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#656022 15-Jul-2012 15:58

Its got nothing to do with root, its because you have a custom recovery and when you tried to update it screwed it up. you need to do it manually through CWM if you want to update it. I would change the title so as not to scare off other people.

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lchiu7

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#656193 15-Jul-2012 21:05

CdTDroiD: Its got nothing to do with root, its because you have a custom recovery and when you tried to update it screwed it up. you need to do it manually through CWM if you want to update it. I would change the title so as not to scare off other people.

I only echoed the comments of folks on XDA who had the same problem.

I did have CWM so presumably I could have downloaded the 4.1 image that Google is hosting and flashed that. I am guessing that might not have erased my SD Card.

In the end I just went back to stock and forced the OTA update (since I had already been notified) and eventually got 4.11.

But interestingly (or strangely) now my phone is in a strange state. If I boot into recovery and choose recovery, I don't get the CWM recovery menus now but instead an Android with a red exclamation mark. My phone must be in some of limbo state.

Hopefully I won't have to boot into recovery anymore since I am happy that the phone now remains stock. I might root it though only to run Titanium Backup.

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jeffnz

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#656202 15-Jul-2012 21:22

maybe you have lost root?

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macuser

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#656236 15-Jul-2012 22:48

I switched to yakju today on my GN, then was going to do the manual jelly bean update, but it came automatically after half an hour! But of course I wasn't rooted or anything like that. Jeez Jelly Bean is good!

lchiu7

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#656249 15-Jul-2012 23:26

jeffnz: maybe you have lost root?

Yes I did deliberately since I thought that was why I got the exclamation mark.

I then I will wait a bit then enable root again once folks have confirmed the existing processes still work with JB.

[update]

Rooted the phone and tried to go into recovery mode again and still the Android with the red exclamation mark.

Looks like I don't have either stock or custom recovery running now.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.