OTA update broke recovery and removed root

[electrofreak]

I'm not sure what happened, but I'll outline the steps that brought me to my problem here.

1. Was running various RCs of CyanogenMod 6.0. Had problems with all of the RCs, so I eventually just installed the stock Froyo release ROOTED.
2. Root worked fine at that point (SetCPU and wifitethering worked, for example).
3. I was using my phone one night, then got a notification that there is an OTA update to install. As I've done in the past, I just clicked "Install Now" because I know that ClockworkMod Recovery blocks the update.
4. The update seemed to install (the bar filled all the way up, then the phone rebooted), which I thought was odd, but figured "eh, whatever".
5. I later realized (the next day) that SetCPU was unable to work... because I had no root.
6. I went to ROM Manager and tried just downloading SuperUser for Froyo.
7. It rebooted, but failed to install. I turned the phone off, then tried manually booting into recovery... which showed the same icon (I think it was a triangle with an exclamation point and the Android guy, but there might have been an "X" with the Android guy, I can't remember the icon exactly). TL;DR -- I can't get into recovery.

TL;DR -- I can't get into recovery and I have no Root.

So... What should I do? I did a little searching on the forums... but I haven't found this situation. Seems like I need to use an SBF, and root from there.

Any help would be appreciated.

[MotoCache1]

What should I do? I did a little searching on the forums... but I haven't found this situation. Seems like I need to use an SBF, and root from there.

You just said your own answer. There's a 34 page (at the moment) topic over in the Rescue Squad Guides. There's a You should be rooted by now.

Your experience is common for anybody who was rooted and installed the OTA. Sure, Clockwork should have blocked it, but, um, it's Clockwork -- it doesn't always work. SPRecovery doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but it does what it does pretty much 100% of the time for me.

[xkape]

I don't think it's clockwork that blocks an update. It's the ROM that blocks it and you were running a stock ROM so no blocking of the OTA occured. You need to reroot your phone. Once you do that, you can get ROM Manager, SPRecovery or whatever. All the backups you made are still on your SD card so once you root, you will regain access to them.

[electrofreak]

It seems there is no way to "reroot" the latest Froyo. And I believe it is the recovery that blocks it.

I am kind of hoping there is an easier way than the SBF

[MotoCache1]

I don't think it's clockwork that blocks an update. It's the ROM that blocks it and you were running a stock ROM so no blocking of the OTA occured. You need to reroot your phone. Once you do that, you can get ROM Manager, SPRecovery or whatever. All the backups you made are still on your SD card so once you root, you will regain access to them.

All custom recoveries should block OTA's if they are worth a darn. SPRecovery absolutely does. I could test to see if Clockwork does, but it's my understanding it is supposed to. Personally, I don't run Clockwork, and don't recommend it to others. I think it is a great bit of programming, and my hat is off to the author, but it's just not as solid and stable as SPRecovery.

I can't imagine what the ROM would do to block an OTA as it is the recovery that installs it. I guess there is some way the ROM could get in the way as well, but if there are any ROMs that do this, it seems kind of silly since the recovery is the one that installs the OTA, and pretty much everyone runs a custom recovery -- even those who run rooted stock ROMs.

[MotoCache1]

It seems there is no way to "reroot" the latest Froyo. And I believe it is the recovery that blocks it.

I am kind of hoping there is an easier way than the SBF

Obviously there is a way to reroot the latest Froyo, and applying a "recovery only" SBF is a breeze. It literally takes 15 seconds from the time you hit start to the time the phone reboots. Why continue to fret about this?

[electrofreak]

It seems there is no way to "reroot" the latest Froyo. And I believe it is the recovery that blocks it.

I am kind of hoping there is an easier way than the SBF

Obviously there is a way to reroot the latest Froyo, and applying a "recovery only" SBF is a breeze. It literally takes 15 seconds from the time you hit start to the time the phone reboots. Why continue to fret about this?

How would I root the latest froyo then?

[xkape]

And that's why I come here. Learn something new everyday! As far a rerooting, MotoCache is right electrofreak. If you are running 2.2, (for example) just boot into the stock bootlader, use RSD lite to install a previous sbf file to root. Now rooted, do whatever you want. Install a backup you had, install a new ROM, etc... it really does take no time at all. You could even do it during a commercial of your current "I'm stupider for watching this" programming.

[electrofreak]

lol, alrighty.

[christim]

I can't imagine what the ROM would do to block an OTA as it is the recovery that installs it. I guess there is some way the ROM could get in the way as well, but if there are any ROMs that do this, it seems kind of silly since the recovery is the one that installs the OTA, and pretty much everyone runs a custom recovery -- even those who run rooted stock ROMs.

/system/etc/security/otcerts.zip used to get renamed to otcerts.bak as a method of blocking updates from being successfully installed.