• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Root How to change build.prop from computer (not from phone using root explorer)

I was trying to change my phone model (from admire to nexus s) in the build.prop a week or so ago in order to try to run the "watch espn" app (which did not work). I forgot to change it back after it didn't work and this morning I rebooted my phone and now I am stuck at the start up animation. When I turn my phone sideways (landscape) I can see that my phone is trying to work as a nexus s (which it is not). Therefore, I somehow need to get back into the build.prop to make the simple change back to admire, just not using the phone since it is stuck on the startup animation. Also, I am 99% sure that I backed up everything using cwm recovery v5.0.2.7 as well as titanium backup but all backups seem to be missing or I just can't find them. I'm also pretty sure that I have the old build.prop backed up on my sd card if that helps. Any help on how to fix this is greatly appreciated!

Samsung Admire-Rooted
Monster 4 Rom

If you need anymore info just let me know. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!!!
 
Pretty easy, boot it up as best you can, adb pull /system/build.prop

Edit it (using a suitable editor if in Windows, like Notepad ++)

Then mount system as r/w, push the modified file back in place, chmod it to 644 and reboot.
 
Nevermind the previous post. My new problem is that in cmd my device is not found when I type in "adb devices". Do you guys have any tips for this? I installed to drivers for the admire numerous times and I am certain that phone is properly connected via usb to my computer since the phone shows that it is charging. Thank you for the help!
 
I have problem too! I want to edit build prop
i can open it but i can not save it it's read only
how to i can overwrite it ? Please
 
I have problem too! I want to edit build prop
i can open it but i can not save it it's read only
how to i can overwrite it ? Please

If your using root explorer (at the top it should have a toggle switch,from r/w to r/o) change it to r/o then edit it and save
Hope this helped
 
Lol on my phone i changed it r/o so i can edit it and save it....
But try each one and see which on works

Ro=read only
Rw=read write

You're reading it wrong. Look at the text in root explorer- when it's mounted rw , the button says "mount ro" (which means switch to ro) but the text states "mounted as r/w" ;)
 
I'm new to doing things with a rooted phone and am not sure the best place to post this, but it seems related to this thread.

Sunday this week (12 Aug 2012), I successfully rooted my phone using Steps 1 to 9 of the following page.

[HOW TO] Fix the "Low on space" problem (in plain English) - xda-developers

I have Droid Incredible with Gingerbread 2.3.4 and it keeps trying to push me the "4.08.605.15" OTA update I don't want to install. Rather than hitting the "Later" button every time it pops up a reminder, I wanted to get it to stop reminding me.

So with Root Explorer, I mounted "/system" to R/W and opened "build.prop" with the text editor function of Root Explorer and changed the "ro.build.fingerprint" entry from "185897.2" to "264040" as described here.

How to disable Verizon's OTA updates - xda-developers

When I selected Save and Exit from the text editor menu, "build.prop" seems to have disappeared from "/system" and there is a zero-length "backup" copy named "build.prop.bak" created by the editor.

So far, the phone seems to be working okay, but I am afraid to restart it now.

I have a copy of the pre-edit "build.prop" saved on my SD card and have it copied to my laptop as well.

Trying to copy it back to "/system" via Root Explorer does not seem to work. I don't get any error, but the file does not appear either.

Anyone have a suggestion for the simplest way to get "droid.prop" restored to the "/system" folder?

Or maybe it's really there and I just can't see it.

Is there anything that will get me into trouble with a missing "build.prop" file other than restarting the phone?

Thanks, Bill
Wed, 15 Aug 2012, 4:35 pm EDT
 
I'm new to doing things with a rooted phone and am not sure the best place to post this, but it seems related to this thread.

Sunday this week (12 Aug 2012), I successfully rooted my phone using Steps 1 to 9 of the following page.

[HOW TO] Fix the "Low on space" problem (in plain English) - xda-developers

I have Droid Incredible with Gingerbread 2.3.4 and it keeps trying to push me the "4.08.605.15" OTA update I don't want to install. Rather than hitting the "Later" button every time it pops up a reminder, I wanted to get it to stop reminding me.

So with Root Explorer, I mounted "/system" to R/W and opened "build.prop" with the text editor function of Root Explorer and changed the "ro.build.fingerprint" entry from "185897.2" to "264040" as described here.

How to disable Verizon's OTA updates - xda-developers

When I selected Save and Exit from the text editor menu, "build.prop" seems to have disappeared from "/system" and there is a zero-length "backup" copy named "build.prop.bak" created by the editor.

So far, the phone seems to be working okay, but I am afraid to restart it now.

I have a copy of the pre-edit "build.prop" saved on my SD card and have it copied to my laptop as well.

Trying to copy it back to "/system" via Root Explorer does not seem to work. I don't get any error, but the file does not appear either.

Anyone have a suggestion for the simplest way to get "droid.prop" restored to the "/system" folder?

Or maybe it's really there and I just can't see it.

Is there anything that will get me into trouble with a missing "build.prop" file other than restarting the phone?

Thanks, Bill
Wed, 15 Aug 2012, 4:35 pm EDT

wrong forum guy
 
Just after posting, I remembered that I had done a Nandroid backup with CWM two days ago, so I did a restore and got my original "build.prop" back in the "/system" folder that way, at the minor expense of losing a couple of days of call and text history and needing to reinstall a couple of apps.

I guess pressing "Install Later" every once in awhile isn't so bad after all.

I'll do more research before trying to edit "build.prop" again.

Thanks, Bill
Wed, 15 Aug 2012, 5:09 pm EDT
 
Just after posting, I remembered that I had done a Nandroid backup with CWM two days ago, so I did a restore and got my original "build.prop" back in the "/system" folder that way, at the minor expense of losing a couple of days of call and text history and needing to reinstall a couple of apps.

I guess pressing "Install Later" every once in awhile isn't so bad after all.

I'll do more research before trying to edit "build.prop" again.

Thanks, Bill
Wed, 15 Aug 2012, 5:09 pm EDT

Check out FOTAkill Bill :)
 
sir i am using micromax funbook talk p350:confused: tablet ics tablet 4.0.3 ,and want to work some game loft games on it.and for this i have to change my model number from micromax funbook talk p350 .to samsung gt-i9100 or any other ,but sir i want to tell you that by using es file explorer i succesfully change my ,buil.prop and model number to 2nd.but in settings it remains as first as micromax funbook p350,and in build.prop file its says that device model is samsung gt-i9100,and after changing the build.prop file and when for changes to be done i restart my tab ,and one more file in system folder (build.prop.bak ) pop up on automatticaly in system folder,,,,,, sir plz help ,me how i let the changes and change my device model number in build.prop,succesfully .and after mc3 works.please
please please
thanks in advance
 
Please help me i have s4 gti9506.so i rooted my phone using kingroot from my laptop and then i had to factory data reset for personal reasons.when i opened my phone the super user was gone. my system said it was custom but i coudnt get root access and i cant turn off my navigation bar.basically my phone is custom but i cant do anything to change my buildprop because i dont have root access.so i need your help to change my buildprop so i can turn off my navigation bar.
 
First of all, I'm sorry for my bad english.

My Samsung S5 Dou Android device is rooted and I was trying to edit the "build.prop" file in root directory and inside it, i edit the SDK Version which is from 19 into 23, then after I rebooted it, all the apps even the file manager i use to edit the file were stopped working so now I cannot edit or back the file into its original and i tried to format the device because I thought it would work to avoid the stopped working or the error were gone, but unfortunately its not working, it's still showing the popup :< My problem is, I cannot really use the phone because all the settings or apps are not working :< I tried to use drfone or other phone formatter but its still not working because its need to enable the USB Debugging and I cannot enable it because even the settings will stopped :< Anyone there know to fix my phone? :< This is my only phone givin from my grandfather :< Thank you guys and sorry for this complain :< Thank you!
 
Back
Top Bottom