Root Need Help Getting Virtual Keys (Navigation Bar) on ZMAX

[Eshaanm]

Hey guys, I highly admire the work that many developers do on this forum and I am so happy this community exists.

The Problem: My ZTE ZMAX capacitive keys have stopped functioning. I know this is a hardware issue because I flashed back to T-Mobile Stock 4.4.2 and still had the same issue. Currently, I am on Cyanogen 12.1 and I want to know how to enable the virtual keys

What I have available: I have SuperSU root and TWRP recovery, I can download anything extra in order to fix my issue.

What I've tried: I've tried this guide by MasterCheif87:

To enable the navigation bar on the stock rom just add this line to the end of /system/build.prop
qemu.hw.mainkeys=0
This line is already present in the build.prop on the lollipop ROMs and just needs to be changed from
qemu.hw.mainkeys=1
to
qemu.hw.mainkeys=0

(I am not worried about disabling the capacitive buttons or the backlight yet)

What happens is that no matter what I do, the qemu.hw.mainkeys=0 always reverts back to 1 after I reboot...
I don't know what to do as of now.

Ive tried using the file manager in TWRP but it is useless because I can't reallyoverwrite and replace the build.prop file and then the only options if I'm able to do that is reboot or shut down, and both of the will reset the prop file.

I've also tried read and write using ES File manager and FX file manager but it still resets to 1 after rebooting

Can anyone help me on this? I feel I'm not doing the process right. Thanks so much for reading.

 

[Piplup702]

You need system r/w download the boot switcher and boot restore zips and flash the switcher zip for the changes to stick. What the switcher does if flashes the boot IMG to the recovery partition since it has system r/w

 

[Piplup702]

Also, make sure to download the zips for whatever ROM and/or whatever version of the ROM your running otherwise you'll brick your phone!

 

[Eshaanm]

Also, make sure to download the zips for whatever ROM and/or whatever version of the ROM your running otherwise you'll brick your phone!

Thanks so much for the quick reply. Im really afraid to do this and I do not want to brick my phone so could you answer these questions to make sure im getting this right

1) I should keep my CM12.1 ZIP and the switcher and restore files in my root folder of the ZMAX to prevent bricking right?
2) is there a "Wipe" required before I begin this process? If yes, what should I wipe?
3)I'm looking at the post by MasterCheif87 and it is unclear what I should do after I flash the switcher and how I solve my problem after I flash the switcher.

• What I assume is that I can go flash the switcher (dont know if I should wipe before I do this), boot normally, go to /system and edit build .prop to the way I want it to be using a file manager, and them go back to TWRP and flash the restore zip. I could be totally wrong and I may sound so dumb right now so i'm sorry but can you tell me if this process is correct or false and if there are some extra steps i'm missing. If its completely false, could you detail the steps I need to take?

Thanks so much for your help I greatly appreciate it

 

[CYCONUMNUM]

1) move them to sd
2) everything but your SD
3) enable root access in developer options
After the switcher is flashed...
To get to system.. You boot to recovery..
To get to recovery.. You boot to system..
The switcher makes them trade places for root access.....
If you flash things like ROMs ,GAPPS, Recovery zips, sound mod zips... Anything in a zip...
You need to flash the restore so the zip gets flashed to the right directory...
Right After you flash switcher... Always wipe dalvik cache..
And after you flash restore... Always reboot recovery and Mount system in TWRP mounts...
Or system will not be mounted and the next thing you flash will be boogered up....
I'm no pro.. But, I've been here.. And did it wrong because of my lack of comprehension... And learned to do it right.. After learning how to unbrick my phone after reading more than half of the posts..

 

[Vyrus69]

If you have Xposed installed, just download and install Gravity Box, it has an option built in to it to add a navigation bar, and you can make it as tall or small as you want. You can even turn off the capacitive buttons so they don't light up anymore.

 

[Eshaanm]

Thanks guys! I used the switcher upon understanding its use and it worked! You guys are the best!

 

[Masterchief87]

Thanks so much for the quick reply. Im really afraid to do this and I do not want to brick my phone so could you answer these questions to make sure im getting this right

1) I should keep my CM12.1 ZIP and the switcher and restore files in my root folder of the ZMAX to prevent bricking right?
2) is there a "Wipe" required before I begin this process? If yes, what should I wipe?
3)I'm looking at the post by MasterCheif87 and it is unclear what I should do after I flash the switcher and how I solve my problem after I flash the switcher.

• What I assume is that I can go flash the switcher (dont know if I should wipe before I do this), boot normally, go to /system and edit build .prop to the way I want it to be using a file manager, and them go back to TWRP and flash the restore zip. I could be totally wrong and I may sound so dumb right now so i'm sorry but can you tell me if this process is correct or false and if there are some extra steps i'm missing. If its completely false, could you detail the steps I need to take?

Thanks so much for your help I greatly appreciate it

I didn't say anything about wiping because it is not necessary for flashing the switcher or restore zips. I laid out all the necessary steps in my thread. If it isn't mentioned in the instructions it isn't needed.
Edit: There also isn't any need to wipe dalvik cache before or after flashing either of the zips. I have noticed that the dalvik cache will wipe itself for some reason when you are using switcher zips with the lollipop ROMs, but there is no reason to wipe anything before or after flashing any of the switcher or restore zips.