That sounds pretty dangerous. Wouldn't there just be a verification error anyways since the valet seems to verify the boot.img checksum on every boot? I would try but I don't have the money to get a new phone if it gets bricked and it sounds like It's almost certain to be bricked if this is done.
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That sounds pretty dangerous. Wouldn't there just be a verification error anyways since the valet seems to verify the boot.img checksum on every boot? I would try but I don't have the money to get a new phone if it gets bricked and it sounds like It's almost certain to be bricked if this is done.
werewolfboy
Well-Known Member
I have a Best Buy protection plan and anyway this phone for me is a back up. I might be able to try if anyone wants an attempt. If it gets bricked I can take it to Best Buy to get it fixed or replaced. I have bricked a phone before and they never cared and got a replacement.
Would the process of using temp root to change some files void the protection plan though? Also do you have access to a linux system? Stayboogy said that it probably wouldn't work running fastboot from a windows computer.
As for whether you try it at all, It sounds very risky and I don't think you should do It unless you are 100% accepting of the not only possible, but very likely consequences of bricking it. As I said before I think the phone does a verification of the boot image on every boot which would probably cause a verification error causing a brick like what happened to mainefungi. I'm not entirely sure though since the phone might not try to verify the boot image If it's only booting into the bootloader and not actual operating system. I guess we won't know until we try.
If you brick it, here's a tip.
Go to best buy RIGHT BEFORE IT CLOSES to get it replaced. They will rush a replacement and can't check if warranty is void. Works every time.
stayboogy
Android Expert
flashing the modified boot.img that we did originally was more risky than this... and it had no adverse effects on the phone other than causing it not to boot.
the flash worked and rooting the boot.img worked, the bootloader just denied it.
in order to get the phone rooted, it's a necessary risk. and with a protection plan on a backup phone, what's the difference really if it's not costing anything...
he's not modding anything in the system other than the boot because NO ONE CAN MODIFY THE SYSTEM, why ya'll don't understand that i have no idea...
after you backup the stock boot.img and zero it
then you reboot directly to bootloader, which means it does NOT go through the normal boot process, meaning it does NOT verify anything as the boot.img is not activated...
then (and yes linux with fastboot will be required),
sudo fastboot oem unlock
sudo fastboot flash boot /path/to/boot.img
fastboot reboot.
done. the boot will verify because it's the stock boot.img.
all this is doing is forcing the bootloader to load into fastboot.
i promise you, if i had the device, i'd try it, no questions asked. all you have to do is call ST and complain and they'll replace it. i've been through it before and they will replace it no charge. just keep complaining and asking for a manager. it works every time...
aside from that, if it doesn't work, (I assume) all you have to do is use the update package from zte and install it from recovery which will fix the phone. that is unless the phone won't boot to recovery afterwards, which i don't see why it wouldn't since it doesn't rely on the boot.img
i'm not saying it's guaranteed to work, but it's the only available option at this point since virtually everything else has been tried. and, it's definitely more likely to succeed than anything anyone has done with the pseudo-root.
werewolfboy
Well-Known Member
Sorry for the late response. I doubt it though because it looks like the boot loader is doing it. Also I don't have a Linux system. With the bricking possibility that's fine. My Best Buy warranty will replace it. As long as I don't tell them its bricked that's fine. I bricked one of my other phones and I was able to get a replacement. (That's why I was offline for a while.)
werewolfboy
Well-Known Member
My best buy store doesn't check it at all. They just put in a plastic bag and give my my replacement or store credit for what ever I want.If you brick it, here's a tip.
Go to best buy RIGHT BEFORE IT CLOSES to get it replaced. They will rush a replacement and can't check if warranty is void. Works every time.
edit: I live in Kansas City and the Best Buy stores around me never check the phones or any of other devices that can get bricked (that have been). I have went to all of them around a 50 mile radius of my house because my job makes me go from place to place in KC.
Side Note: Only problem I have had was with Amazon which after they have canceled my account and not let me access my account even so I can get my warranty information that I bought through a third party on there website, after losing about 315 and gift cards and no reason given to me why account was closed I no longer have business with them. (This sucks because at times they had very good deals at times.)
werewolfboy
Well-Known Member
To stayboogy (didn't want to quote yours it to long lol) also I have tried that and they never replace it (if I am thinking what you me by "ST"). They are very rude to me. Also if I need to get a Linux system I will try.
If you have an extra flash drive laying around somewhere you can run ububtu Linux from that. An easier way would be to use the wubi installer which is just a windows program that will install Linux within your windows system and can be uninstalled like a windows program.
-update- Forgot to add links
Create a bootable linux flash drive
How to use Wubi
So I've been lurking a bit but have decided to keep this phone and lack of root is disconcerting, but I have faith someone will crack it. Had I weird issue the other day which caused the speaker not to work properly, some kinda of hardware issue which persisted through factory reset. Then I couldn't make calls, got an error message from Verizon saying the towers couldn't authenticate the phone bout my mobile data worked. Had to goto work but the wife called ST and fixed it. Not trying to thread jack but was wondering if anyone has ever had a similar issue. I believe many of these issues can get fixed once we get root and I'm glad that you guys are still working on this. Is unknownone's root my valet not functional? I'm sorry I can't be of much help with no computer and this being my only phone(can't risk a brick) but if I can do anything without a computer and a high risk of bricking I would be more than happy to help.
stayboogy
Android Expert
well, i never bought this device since it was looking like it was impossible to root.
if no one tries this within the next two weeks,
then,
i'll buy a used one and do it myself. didn't really want to waste the money in the event it doesn't work, but it's worth a shot. i've seen some used ones go on ebay for about $30 bucks.
then we'll know if it works or not.
if no one tries this within the next two weeks,
then,
i'll buy a used one and do it myself. didn't really want to waste the money in the event it doesn't work, but it's worth a shot. i've seen some used ones go on ebay for about $30 bucks.
then we'll know if it works or not.
Stayboogy, I bought a new valet on Amazon for 39.95 and the shipping was free. I've been watching this thread every since hoping you guys collaboration would find a solution. Unkn0wn0ne has a method posted on Git Hub, I tried both manual methods and they did not work on my Valet. Haven't used Linux in a while, was experimenting with Ubuntu a lot. Now I have a reason to go back to it. Trying to get up to snuff on Android app programing so I can help you guys out. I love this stuff.
alfonseelrick
Lurker
hi this is my first post haha im only doing this so i can post a link on the next
alfonseelrick
Lurker
stayboogy
Android Expert
using the posted zte system update successfully unbricks the device
now,
to try a few more things.
the boot.img that zte provides to fix the hearbleed exploit has been changed and i currently can't find a unbootimg that works on it.
but,
i also think that i found out why the first time we rooted the boot.img it didn't work. i used the wrong tools on the image. using the correct tools the boot flashes and it DOES NOT "verify fail" meaning it works.
only problem is I didn't figure this out until i had already updated the device with the system update. the new boot is completely different from the old.
so, i'm fairly certain it will work just like i thought originally.
someone who hasn't updated their phone with the system update then we must try again with the rooted boot.img. if it does indeed fail again, all that has to be done is boot into recovery and install the system update.
now,
to try a few more things.
the boot.img that zte provides to fix the hearbleed exploit has been changed and i currently can't find a unbootimg that works on it.
but,
i also think that i found out why the first time we rooted the boot.img it didn't work. i used the wrong tools on the image. using the correct tools the boot flashes and it DOES NOT "verify fail" meaning it works.
only problem is I didn't figure this out until i had already updated the device with the system update. the new boot is completely different from the old.
so, i'm fairly certain it will work just like i thought originally.
someone who hasn't updated their phone with the system update then we must try again with the rooted boot.img. if it does indeed fail again, all that has to be done is boot into recovery and install the system update.
I may be willing to try this in a few days...I'm leaving Tracfone (can't stand their awful customer service any more). Once I get my number transferred to a new phone & carrier, my Valet will be available for experimentation.
I have 2 cells I can experiment with. I haven't fully read this whole thread so not sure if myccell is pass the system update you mentioned or not but I'll be picking a 2nd one up today which has been inactive and maybe 2 more by the end of the week. just mainly letting you know I'm rooting for ya to get this working.
I'm ready to give this a try now...I haven't read the entire thread. Can somebody provide instructions?
I've rooted devices before, but never used fastboot.
By the way - are we simply trying to gain root access, or are we trying to install CM? That's really what I'm interested in doing...
By the way - I tried the root process here:
https://github.com/Unkn0wn-0nes/RootMyValet
and it apparently didn't work. It ran without errors, but after reboot, the phone is not rooted.
More info...fastboot does not see the device on my machine, but adb does. Don't know what that indicates.
# fastboot devices
# adb devices -l
List of devices attached
P765V20 device usb:2-1.8.4
https://github.com/Unkn0wn-0nes/RootMyValet
and it apparently didn't work. It ran without errors, but after reboot, the phone is not rooted.
More info...fastboot does not see the device on my machine, but adb does. Don't know what that indicates.
# fastboot devices
# adb devices -l
List of devices attached
P765V20 device usb:2-1.8.4
That root process is really flaky and can give pseudo-temp-root at best. The only working root right now is Stayboogy's modified update.zip package that I don't beleive he hasn't posted yet.
I'm not comfortable trying to piece together the procedure from multiple posts...if you can give me step-by-step instructions and links to files that need to be installed, I'm willing to give it a try. I don't think my phone has the heartbleed fix.
Thanks.