Complete Droid X .sbf Flashing Guide

Can you boot into the operating system and don't want to do this?

See maderstcok - the update.zip OTA 2.3.340.

Quick Info:

I have been getting a lot of questions regarding the proper sbf to use. Here is a quick answer:

30.03 BL - 2.3.15 sbf or .320 sbf
30.04 BL - .340 full sbf

I'm not responsible if you damage your phone yada yada yada.

On to the Tutorial:


This is a tutorial on how to flash original firmware back onto your phone. This is done with an .sbf file, hence the term 'sbf flashing your phone'.


After you do this your phone will be returned to 'out of the box – brand new' status. It will be like you have never turned it on before, wiping out ROMS, THEMES, everything BUT what is contained on your sdcard.


You do not need to be rooted for this to work.


Unfortunately for OSX (Macintosh) users you will need to use either Windows or Linux to get this to work.


This tutorial will return you to 2.2 (Froyo), not 2.1 Android, and is broken up into 5 sections:

• How to get your Droid X into the Bootloader
• Windows and Using RSD_Lite
• Linux and SBF_Flash
• Common Issues and FAQ
• Changelog

 

How to Get Your Droid X Into the Bootloader

Can you boot into the operating system and don't want to do this?

See maderstcok - the update.zip OTA 2.3.340.

Quick Info:

I have been getting a lot of questions regarding the proper sbf to use. Here is a quick answer:

30.03 BL - 2.3.15 sbf or .320 sbf
30.04 BL - .340 full sbf

I'm not responsible if you damage your phone yada yada yada.

On to the Tutorial:


This is a tutorial on how to flash original firmware back onto your phone. This is done with an .sbf file, hence the term 'sbf flashing your phone'.


After you do this your phone will be returned to 'out of the box – brand new' status. It will be like you have never turned it on before, wiping out ROMS, THEMES, everything BUT what is contained on your sdcard.


You do not need to be rooted for this to work.


Unfortunately for OSX (Macintosh) users you will need to use either Windows or Linux to get this to work.


This tutorial will return you to 2.2 (Froyo), not 2.1 Android, and is broken up into 5 sections:

• How to get your Droid X into the Bootloader
• Windows and Using RSD_Lite
• Linux and SBF_Flash
• Common Issues and FAQ
• Changelog

 

Windows and Using RSD_Lite

If you're a Windows user, you're going to be using a program called RSD_Lite. The current version is 4.8. I always recommend to use the most current version of RSD_Lite while attempting to flash .sbf files.



Files you will need:

• Current Drivers from Motorola
  
• Current sbf file (maintained by 1KDS) Download here!

Extract the .sbf file, RSD_Lite 4.8, and Motorola Drivers (4.7.1) onto your desktop. You may not need the drivers; however, they are nice to have if it doesn't work right away.



Instructions:

• Install RSD_Lite
• Boot your phone into the bootloader using the previous instructions (Hold Down + Camera Button while holding power)
• Connect phone to computer using USB Cable
• Open RSD_Lite (you must run as admin for it to work, 4.8 automatically runs as admin I believe)
• Click the “...” button and select the .sbf file you placed on your desktop
• Click start to begin the flashing process after you've confirmed your device and .sbf file with RSD_Lite (sometimes changing the Device ID helps RSD_Lite find the device)

Make sure you DO NOT unplug the USB Cable or do a battery pull while flashing.


If your device isn't listed it's probably a driver issue, install the drivers you downloaded after uninstalling the previous drivers you had installed. Use the device manager for this. Run/search (XP/Vista-7, respectively) devmgmt.msc. You could also toggle the DeviceID settings from the config menu in RSD_Lite. That has worked in the past.



Windows 7 64-bit can be a huge pain, even I can't get them to work. If you are really struggling to get your phone connected you may want to use Linux.



You may also have to start RSD_Lite and then plug in your phone. RSD Lite can be finicky like that. Play around with it for awhile, you might get it to work properly. Also, RSD_Lite 4.7 is worth a shot.



Video Tutorial (watch in high def to see better):


For more information on using RSD Lite, please see this post, I found it to be very informative.

Also, make sure you do NOT disconnect your phone until the entire process is finished. It should say "pass". Even if it's hanging, just let it sit. You know you're done when the phone reboots.

 

Linux and sbf_flash

sbf_flash is a free utility for the Linux operating system. I've had the most success with this program and I highly recommend it to anyone attempting to sbf their phone. It is very simple to use and Linux doesn't have the same problem with drivers that Windows has. It. Just. Works.



I recommend:

• Ubuntu for its ease of use

Files you'll need:

• sbf_flash utility
• SBF File that you need (maintained by 1KDS) Download here!

Instructions:

1: Download the Ubuntu image. It's an .iso file - this means it can be burned onto a cd/dvd. Do so.
2: Once the burn is complete, reboot your computer, set your bios to boot from cd/dvd if you have to.
3: Ubuntu's Menu will appear, select "Try" to boot into the OS without altering your current setup.
4: Download the .sbf_flash utility and the proper .sbf file (bonus points if you have them on a flash drive ^^)
5: Flash the image onto your phone:

• Extract the .sbf file to a directory (e.g. Documents)
• Place the sbf_flash file into the same directory
• Open up a terminal window
• Change to the directory that the files are in. [cd] is the command you use, so if in Documents, type [cd Documents]
• Ubuntu is caps sensitive, so you need to type the capital "D", if you type "ls" it lists all the files in the current directory you're in, so type [ls], if you see the files, you're golden.
• Type [chmod +x sbf_flash] (ignore brackets) – this command makes sbf_flash an executable. If you've been rooting your phone with ADB Tools you've seen this command before.
• Type [sudo ./sbf_flash [name of sbf file, starts with 'VRZ_']] (once again ignore the brackets) – this command runs the sbf_flash file. 'sudo' is the linux-y way of 'running as administrator' in Windows.
• It will prompt you for your password - enter it.

Linux pro tip: type [./sbf_flash V] and then [tab]. This will autofill the rest of the name of the .sbf file for you :laugh:

That's it!

 

Common Issues and FAQ

Q: I'm using Windows and my Droid won't show up in RSD_Lite.
A: Driver or USB Cable issue. Try to use your original USB Cable (the one that came with your phone) or a higher quality 3rd party one.



Q: Okay, I'm using the right cable and it still won't show.
A: Driver issue, update your drivers. Try a different USB Port. Try RSD_Lite 4.7.



Q: Did all that, still doesn't work.
A: I recommend upgrading your operating system to Linux, see above post. Else try a different computer with a different version of Windows.



Q: I did your sbf and now my phone won't make calls! WTF?!
A: This is due to the radio not working. It's a pretty simple process to turn it back on. Either reboot your phone a couple times and it will do it automatically, or dial *228 and it will turn the radio back on for you.



Q: I did your sbf and it worked but now I'm stuck in a bootloop.
A: Can be caused by a botched download of the .sbf file. Download again and re-flash. Some people also resolve this issue by performing a factory reset. To do this boot into the system recovery by holding home + power, keep holding home until an ! comes up, press "Search", browse to "Factory Reset", and perform it. You might want to try this before reflashing as it takes less time.



Q: Thanks so much! Can I marry you?
A: No.

 

Changelog

Changelog:

11/25/2010, 12:53p CST - Completed Tut
11/25/2010, 01:21p CST - RSD_Lite Video Added
11/26/2010, 05:16p CST - Turning Radio Back On Into FAQ
11/28/2010, 10:19a CST - Bootloop Solution Added Into FAQ
11/28/2010, 03:15p CST - Changed Bootloader Information/Added Note
11/28/2010, 11:02p CST - Added Bootlooping Fix to FAQ
12/15/2010, 12:33a CST - Added 30.04 .sbf File Link
12/18/2010, 04:14p CST - Changed Ubuntu Download Link
12/26/2010, 03:45p CST - Updated Linux Tutorial to be More Helpful
12/27/2010, 05:13p CST - Added Quick Bootloader-SBF Info in Top Post
01/02/2010, 03:49p CST - Added maderstock Link
01/07/2011, 08:30p CST - Updated
02/19/2011, 11:36a CST - Updated with .340 Full SBF File

 

thanks pc. feel free to link people here asking for .sbf help. I watch this guide and update it so I can help them through the process if they get hung up

 

Hmm... Did a little googling and it seems to be related to the wrong version of RSD_Lite. What version are you using? Which .sbf file are you using?

 

will update tut shortly with newest sbf file released by tbh