Do I need to unpack the firmware before installation? The complete procedure for flashing an Android phone via a computer

Preparation

How to flash Android? There are many ways to do this. But before we move on to discussing them, it is necessary to carefully prepare for this procedure.

When updating the OS, all data from the internal storage of the device is erased, so you need to make backup copies and transfer them either to a microSD memory card or to a PC. This can be done in different ways. In most cases, this function is provided by default on the device itself, but you may have to download special software. The most popular program for this purpose is Titanium Backup. Next, the user should follow general recommendations in order to flash a smartphone on Android as safely as possible: remove the memory card, SIM card and charge the battery.

So, the initial stage has been completed, you can start updating

The easiest way to flash Android smartphones is the so-called over-the-air update. You don’t need to install or search for anything, the technology will do everything for you. The user only needs to go to the “General settings” section in the gadget itself, then “About the system” and search for available updates. After that, all that remains is to start the procedure. Attention! In order to flash this way, you need a fast and high-quality Internet connection. If you don't have one, then don't use this method. The disadvantage of this method is the ability to install only official versions of Android.

How to flash Android offline?

Unfortunately, you can no longer do without the help of a computer. The PC plays the most insignificant role in this process when flashing the firmware through the Custom Recovery Menu. A computer is only needed to install the above-mentioned program on the device and download the firmware file itself, which, by the way, may well be unofficial. After installing this program, you need to transfer the firmware file to the memory card (in this case, you do not need to remove it during the firmware), then turn off the phone. When you turn it on, you need to hold down the key combination “Home” + “Volume Down” + “Power” to get to the program menu. Now it’s a small matter: using the appropriate items in the program itself on your smartphone, you need to make a backup copy of the current firmware and flash it to the new one. A huge advantage of this method is that you can switch to the old firmware at any time if you are not satisfied with the new one.

About the standard update

The standard, but, in my opinion, not the safest way is to update through the official program from the manufacturer of your device. All you need is to go to the manufacturer’s website and download the software update program, connect the gadget via USB and start the process. Unfortunately, this method also requires an official update, which is not always the case.

How to flash Android most securely?

Definitely through the Custom Recovery Menu. The likelihood of harming your phone, provided that you have made a backup copy, is almost zero. In other methods, a pulled out USB cable or an interrupted Internet connection can “kill” your device. So, now you know how to flash Android, which method is the safest and allows you to install custom firmware, and which is the simplest and most convenient.

The phone needs to be reflashed if it suddenly refuses to work. This usually happens to users who buy smartphones from unscrupulous sellers. Another time the owner himself is the cause the destruction of your own smartphone by downloading applications onto it from suspicious sites. As a result, he receives a bunch of viruses along with the application, which destroy his operating system or block him. You can't do this without flashing the firmware for your Android phone or tablet via a computer.

If you go to a workshop, such a procedure will cost a pretty penny. You can do this yourself. You can find out how to reflash Android via a computer by reading the article.

Precautionary measures

In order to reflash the gadget and not turn it into a brick, you must follow following rules. Be sure to check it for viability. That is, just turn on the Power button. If the screen lights up and the device emits at least one signal when turned on, then the smartphone is working. It is recommended to update it.

In other cases, hardware damage may occur. And updating the operating system can damage the device.

Preparation

Before the OS update starts, you need to check battery performance. Does it hold the charge long enough? Does not turn off when charging the smartphone. If the smartphone battery is not reliable, then it is better not to risk flashing it until you purchase a new battery.

In addition to checking the battery, you need to check that the cables for connecting to the computer are correctly connected to the USB ports. Any disconnection of the device during the process will result in the smartphone becoming a brick.

And in addition to the battery and cable, it is necessary make a reservation current firmware, so that if the new one is installed incorrectly, you can roll back the entire process. And be sure to backup all data so as not to lose it. Since if the update is successful, you will receive a completely clean smartphone.

Search and download firmware

Typically, the firmware version is indicated in the device settings in the “ About the phone" Search on the Internet and download exactly this firmware or the version is better if the device supports such an update. It's best to download from secure sites. Such resources are usually the websites of phone manufacturers.

Connecting and installing drivers

After everything is downloaded, first of all, you will need download drivers from the website of the smartphone manufacturer to the computer from which the firmware of the tablet or smartphone will be flashed via USB. Then, if they are in an archive, you need to unpack them into a separate folder and click on the “Install.exe” button. The firewood will be installed and the phone will be detected on the computer.

Then all that remains is to connect it via USB and run the update with the installation file. How to do this will be discussed below.

Flashing Android via computer

For example, let's take the firmware of smartphones from LG, while the program for flashing Android firmware via a PC will be Mobile Support Tool. It is located on the official website of the manufacturer. It is recommended to download only from there to avoid additional problems with your computer.

Then device is connected via USB cable. Turns on via the power button and volume rocker at the same time. The device is displayed on the screen.

Now the owner of the gadget will have to open the “Additional Features” tab. Then it is recommended to click on the “ Recovering from an update error" Next, the application will begin executing the specified program. It fixes all problems that occurred during use.

If this does not help or there is no such button, then it is recommended to use custom firmware made by other users. Or use official firmware versions that can be found on the Internet.

Each smartphone has its own program for flashing Android firmware via a computer, which can usually be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website. For Samsung - One, for Lenovo - SP Flash Tools. For LG, in addition to the utility described above, KDZ Updater is suitable.

It is worth noting that using the FlashTools and ADBRun programs you can install Android via a computer on a phone of almost any brand and model.

They are all used the same way. That is, the application is downloaded, installed, the phone is connected, and it is reflashed. The result is a smartphone with updated firmware.

The phone does not turn on after flashing

The mobile device turns into a brick or does not turn on after an update for several reasons.

Incorrect firmware version, incorrect actions by the device owner, sudden installation completion due to the device being disconnected from the computer during the update process.

It is recommended to go to menuRecovery and click on the device reboot button, as shown in the figure above. The device should start the first time. Then re-flash the device again, just more carefully.

Another way is Flashtool. Install it on your computer, connect the device, if the device sees the program, then continue.

Switch off Flashtool. Find the folder with the installed application and find the firmwares directory where you should copy the firmware file. Turn on Flashtool and click on the lightning bolt. Select Flashmode, and then select the file that you copied there in firmwares. Connect the device to the computer.

All you have to do is wait until the procedure is completed until the message “Flashing finished” appears. Reboot the device.

Provides active customer support, releasing updates and upgrades for its gadgets with varying degrees of success. In practice, the developer delivers official firmware mainly “over the air” (via OTA updates), as well as by posting a special firmware image file on its website or portal.

You can flash the image using a set of special software:

• CWM Recovery.
• TWRP Recovery.
• Using a computer and a special set of programs (Fastboot, KDZ Update, Odin and other utilities).

As a rule, firmware images before updating are packaged in special archives with a ZIP, ISO, and other extension.

In addition to official firmware, very often users and the gadget community form support for devices by releasing custom firmware versions and posting them on amateur forums and portals. Such updates can provide expanded or reduced functionality of official images, adding or removing unnecessary aspects from them.

To begin with, before the flashing process, be sure to take care of your data on the internal memory of the device. When updating, all files are erased, which means you need to make a backup in advance and save important files on external media.

On question how to flash android We won’t stop at OTA updates “over the air”, but rather, let’s concentrate all our attention on other update methods.

Flashing your phone using CWM Recovery

The rich functionality of CWM Recovery allows you to perform many manipulations with the device, including updating the firmware. By default, devices have stock Recovery installed, which means that first you need to install the ClockWorkMod Recovery utility itself.

The general flashing process described below applies to ZIP files. Instructions:

1. Go to Recovery. To do this, you need to completely turn off the device, and then press a certain sequence of buttons on the body of the device. The set of keys may vary depending on the device manufacturer. Each combination may be different. Additional information can be found using search engines by asking the appropriate question. A universal option is to set the following keystrokes:

• Volume up button + power key
• Volume down button + power key
• Volume up/down buttons + Power key + Home key.
• Simultaneously hold down the volume up+down keys and the power key.

Once in recovery, you will see a central menu, which you can navigate using the volume up and down buttons, and the power key will function as an action selection.

1. Before starting the device, you must perform a full reset of the gadget to factory settings. To do this, go to the “wipe data/factory reset” item and confirm the action by clicking on the line that says “Yes – Wipe all user data”.
2. Returning to the main lobby, select “Install zip”.
3. Next, click on the “Choose zip from /sdcard” item and in the Explorer tree, select the file with the previously saved firmware.
4. Confirm your choice by clicking on “Yes – Install...”.
5. The process of flashing the device will begin. At the end of the process, the user will see the message “Install from sdcard complete” on the screen.
6. All that remains for the user to do is return to the main CWM Recovery lobby and complete the process of rebooting the gadget by clicking the “reboot system now” line.

After these steps, the firmware installation will begin. Don't panic, because the installation algorithm can take up to 10 minutes.

How to flash an Android phone using TWRP Recovery

For those who prefer working with the utility in the form of TWRP Recovery, we offer the following step-by-step instructions for installing the update in the form of a ZIP archive:

1. Upload the file with the firmware image to the device memory.
2. Go to TWRP recovery. This is done by analogy with CWM.
3. Perform a factory reset by clicking on the “Wipe” option in the main menu. Drag the lever to the right. When you finish cleaning the gadget, return to the original lobby by pressing the “Back” button.
4. In the main lobby, select “Install” and find the previously downloaded image in the file system tree. Click on it by dragging the slider to the side.
5. After this, the firmware process will start. According to the standard, it does not exceed 2-3 minutes.
6. Upon completion, the utility will automatically display a message indicating successful flashing. By clicking on the “Reboot System” item, reboot the device.

Installing updates using ROM Manager

Using this application, you can not only flash the firmware, but also create a backup copy of the system. Use this option so as not to lose important data and quickly restore all the functionality of your smartphone.

To get started, you will need special devices on your device that allow you to access the internal files of your device at the system level. To do this, you can use any of the presented programs.

The second important aspect when working with ROM Manager is custom recovery. All firmware operations take place directly in the Android launcher itself, and ROM Manager serves as a visual add-on to Recovery.

To get started, download the firmware file for your gadget and follow the instructions below:

1. Transfer the firmware archive, in a ZIP extension, to the memory of your device.
2. In the utility menu, go to “Install ROM from SD card.”
3. Among the folders and files, select your image and click on it.
4. In the new lobby, select “Reboot and Install”. Don't forget to check the "Save current ROM" checkbox. In this case, you will have the opportunity to restore the system at any time.
5. By clicking “OK” your gadget will go into Recovery mode and the firmware update process will begin.

Thanks to the expanded functionality of the ROM Manager application, users can directly download images for their device from it. You can do this by clicking on the “Download firmware” item. Access to some ROMs is only available in the paid version of the program.

As of 2015, devices running Android accounted for just under 80% of the total number of smartphones sold worldwide. Simply put, four out of five smart phone owners have Android, although the percentage varies depending on the country.

Considering that Android is a free system, it is installed on a variety of devices: from Samsung flagships to unknown Chinese or Indian smartphones for a few dollars. As a result, optimization suffers: some official builds are outright laggy, forcing users to look for information on how to flash an Android phone via a computer.

How to flash an Android phone via a computer

Firmware rules

Before you start flashing your device, read the rules and recommendations:

• Be sure to check if there is a separate guide for flashing your model. This is especially true for Chinese smartphones like ZTE. The general procedure for flashing the firmware is described below.
• Download files from trusted sources (for example, the 4PDA site).
• Make sure your device's battery is 100% charged. Emergency shutdown of the phone will result in errors.
• Use only the original USB cable that came with your smartphone.

You perform all actions at your own peril and risk. Incorrect flashing can lead to the device becoming bricked, that is, it will no longer turn on. If the phone is still under warranty, then it is better to contact a service center to correct software errors. Attempting to flash the device yourself will void the warranty.

Finding the right version and software

The most difficult thing is to find a suitable version of the system that will not conflict with the hardware. To select the correct system version, you need to find out the current firmware:

1. Open your phone settings.
2. Find the “About device” item and look at the firmware version (not Android, but firmware, can be written as “Build number”).

Try to download files in a ZIP archive, it’s easier to install the system. Be sure to read the installation guide and comments from other users.

If you have a Samsung smartphone, then use the Odin program to flash it. Chinese devices have their own utilities. Some models are flashed via FastBoot. I have a ZTE Blade AF3 model in my hands, for flashing it I used the ResearchDownload utility for Spreadtrum processors. But we will look at the general order for all Android devices.

Preparing your phone

To avoid problems with flashing, you need to obtain Root rights on the device. Let's do this through the KingoRoot program.

Launch the KingoRoot program. Enable USB debugging on your phone and connect to your computer using a USB cable. After synchronization is complete, press "ROOT".

After rebooting the device, you will have superuser rights on it, which allows you to make any changes. It is also recommended to make a backup copy in case of unsuccessful flashing. For backup, use the Titanium Backup application: make a backup copy of all user software and system data.

The next step is installing CWM Recovery. You can do without this add-on by using the standard Recovery menu, but on some models it is greatly reduced. Download the CWM Recovery file and place it in the root directory of the memory card.

CWM Recovery is installed via RomManager. For correct installation, the CWM Recovery file must be located in the root of the memory card and named recovery.img. The downloaded file with the system in the form of a ZIP archive also needs to be placed in the root of the memory card.

Firmware process

After completing all the preparatory steps, you can proceed to flashing the device. The file with the system is already in the root of the memory card. Turn off the device, and then turn on the recovery menu by holding down the Power key and the Volume Down button at the same time.

Before installing a new system, you need to remove the old version and clean up some memory sections. Navigation in the Recovery menu is carried out using the volume keys and the power button.

Let's figure out how to flash Android through a computer/laptop if it doesn't want to turn on. In this case, we mean a phone and tablet running Android OS.

This article is suitable for all brands that produce phones on Android 9/8/7/6: Samsung, HTC, Lenovo, LG, Sony, ZTE, Huawei, Meizu, Fly, Alcatel, Xiaomi, Nokia and others. We are not responsible for your actions.

System malfunctions can be so serious that resetting the settings does not fix them. If you are faced with such a situation, then it will be useful to know how to reflash Android to return the phone to working condition.

Bootloader check

The first thing you need to do before flashing Android is to make sure that the problem is of a software nature. Press the Power button: if the phone shows at least some signs of life (clicks, the logo is on, the robot is frozen, an exclamation mark), then the bootloader is working. This means you can flash your smartphone, and it will continue to work.

Even if nothing happens when you press the power button, it’s too early to panic. Connect the device to your computer via USB and press the power button or the combination of “Power” and volume down keys.

If the computer sees the connected phone, it means it can be flashed - the main thing is to know how to do it yourself. If your smartphone does not show any signs of life, take it to a service center. The device probably does not turn on due to hardware problems, the elimination of which requires the intervention of a competent specialist.

Android firmware via computer

If the system is so damaged that it won’t turn on, you will have to reinstall it - in other words, flash the phone through the computer. If the manufacturer has provided for this possibility and developed special software, then there will be no problems.

For example, owners of LG smartphones are lucky: the LG Mobile Support Tool program, which can be downloaded from the equipment manufacturer’s website, will do everything for them.

1. Install and launch LG Mobile Support Tool.
2. Install the phone drivers in the “Install USB Driver” section.
3. Connect your smartphone via USB. Press the power button or the combination “Power + Vol-”. The device should appear in the program window.

Open the "Advanced Features" section and click "Recover from an update error." The application will do the rest of the work on its own, eliminating problems that prevent Android from working. There is a similar program for Sony Xperia - PC Companion.

If there is no official application for flashing or restoring the system, you can use software from third-party developers. Each brand has its own program:

• LG - KDZ Updater.
• Samsung - Odin.
• HTC - Android SDK Platform Tools.
• Lenovo - SP Flash Tool.

The listed programs work on the same principle. You connect your phone via USB, download the firmware file for a specific smartphone model and install it through the application. After successful installation, Android starts again and works without errors.

Android firmware via Recovery Menu

If a custom Recovery (for example, TWRP or Clockwork Mod) was installed on your phone before problems with the system appeared, then you can flash the device without programs on your computer. However, you will need the computer itself to download the firmware and transfer it to the memory card.

1. Find the firmware for your phone model and download it to your computer.
2. Place the file on a memory card and install it in your smartphone. If your smartphone does not support microSD, this method will not work.
3. Launch Recovery Menu. The combination “Power” + “Vol+” is usually used.
4. Clean your phone of damaged files by selecting “wipe data/factory reset”.
5. Click "install zip from sdcard".
6. Select the firmware file placed on the memory card and confirm the installation.

After installation is complete, click “Reboot system now” to complete the installation and apply the configuration. After rebooting, Android should start without problems.