Flashing Android firmware via a computer is not the easiest thing. But learning this is not at all difficult. Moreover, this process will help eliminate problems in the performance of any smartphone or tablet, which most often arise after using applications from unknown sources or after visiting websites that are not trusted. Anything can happen - from unauthorized installation of third-party applications to infection of the system with viruses and violation of its integrity.
As a result of such actions, the device begins to “slow down” and freeze, and this is very unpleasant for perception. In addition, “holes” may appear in the file system, which will disable the device, and the device will freeze forever on the loading screen. The only way out to solve this problem is to flash the device. This article will describe how to restore and update software using a computer.
First step
Before flashing Android from a computer, the first thing you should do is make sure you have a suitable USB cable. In most cases, modern devices have a micro-USB connector, but in new products you can find a standard - USB type C. Most often, the necessary cable can be found in the standard configuration of the device, but if it is missing, you will have to purchase it. It is advisable to buy high-quality and expensive USB cables, which will give you confidence that the firmware process will not be interrupted at an unnecessary moment. Once the required “lace” is found, the first step is completed.
Device Drivers
Another important point before flashing Android from a computer is installing the necessary drivers on the PC. This article is about computers running Windows OS, therefore, you need to look for drivers specifically for this operating system.
Most often, the necessary programs for connection can be found on the device manufacturer’s website. If you have experience using websites like 4pda and the like, then all the necessary software can be found there.
Android firmware: where to download
Attention: this item is relevant only for those who are going to flash the device via Odin. If the firmware will be installed using the original utility, you should skip this step.
If you have a Samsung device on your hands, you can flash it “manually”. All you need to do is find the necessary firmware. The firmware file can most often be found on third-party Internet resources, since manufacturers try not to post such information for confidentiality reasons. The iconic platforms for searching for firmware are “xda” (foreign segment of developers of various software and firmware) and “4pda” (Russian segment, most of them taken from xda). The easiest way to find the required firmware is by searching on the website by entering the model of the device to be flashed. It is not recommended to use third-party ones (or so-called ones that are assembled manually by those who like to experiment. The fact is that no one is responsible for problems caused by such versions of the OS, and if they occur, everything will have to be corrected through a service center and not for free.
Firmware using Odin
This item is suitable for manually flashing Samsung devices. All you need to do is enter the device into Downloading mode. To do this, with the device turned off, you need to hold down the “Volume -” and “Home” buttons, and then press the power button. If there is no physical Home button, the process occurs without pressing it. After a confirmation request appears on the display, press the “Volume +” button. Downloading mode is activated.
After these manipulations, flashing an Android phone via a computer is as easy as shelling pears. You should open the pre-downloaded Odin program on your PC (you can find it on the developer’s website or on 4pda), connect the device in Downloading mode via a USB cable to the PC and select the required firmware file in the PDA line in the program itself. After this, make sure that the “F.Reset Time” and “Auto Reboot” checkboxes are checked, and click on the “Start” button. The program will perform the necessary actions, and the device will reboot and turn on as out of the box.
How to flash Android from a computer using the manufacturer's software
Any self-respecting manufacturer of mobile devices produces specialized programs with which it is possible to flash the device automatically. Be it LG, Samsung, HTC or Sony, they are all capable of flashing through the manufacturer's program.
To flash firmware using this method, you need to visit the device manufacturer’s website, then go to the support page and select directly the device that you want to flash. The software selection system will automatically offer to download the firmware program. After downloading the utility, you need to run it; sometimes it requires you to enter registration data. after that it’s a mere trifle. In the program menu you can select what action you want to perform. If you need to flash the device’s firmware, you can select the “Restore” option. The program itself will help you make a backup copy, download the firmware and complete the process. More details are described in the instructions on the manufacturers' websites.
I would like to note that this method is quite resource-intensive. It requires a lot of time, since, in addition to downloading the firmware file, the program evaluates the performance of the device, switches the device to the required modes and sends data about the firmware via a USB cable. That is why you should be patient and not be surprised by the length of the process.
Firmware for tablets
In order to flash an Android tablet via a computer, you do not need to reinvent the wheel. If the tablet required for firmware is Samsung, then you can use the firmware manually via Odin. If the tablet is made by any other manufacturer, then you should refer to the instructions for automatic firmware through the manufacturer’s software. In both cases, all actions will be identical to those performed with smartphones.
This article describes how to flash Android from a computer, and these are just general instructions. To get more detailed answers, you should refer to full guides on flashing the firmware of certain devices in the method of interest. I would also like to note that you can flash the device without the help of a PC.
After a couple of years of use, a smartphone user may encounter some problems with the device’s operating system. Today we will tell you how to reflash Android yourself to get rid of all these problems.
What is firmware?
Phone firmware is the process of replacing the operating system of a smartphone in order to fix problems. Often such a measure is extreme, i.e. is used even when other methods of solving the problem do not help. Installing new firmware is also possible when a new OS is released.
As a rule, most major manufacturers of Android gadgets themselves update their products over the air, or simply post the latest firmware version on their website. However, sometimes the phone loses support (this is especially true for Chinese devices) and then the gadget community itself releases custom firmware versions with expanded functionality.
So, you can reflash your smartphone using special software:
- CWM Recovery;
- TWRP Recovery;
- ROM Manager;
- Using a computer and a special set of utilities (Fastboot, KDZ Update, etc.).
Before starting the process of installing a new OS, be sure to take care of the safety of the data on the internal memory of the phone - make a backup of important information. Below we will look at several ways to install the operating system.
CWM Recovery
The ClockWorkMod Recovery utility has wide functionality for installing new firmware for a smartphone. Unofficial firmware can be installed through Recovery, but it is not necessary to use CWM. By default, all devices out of the box already have a standard version of Recovery. Therefore, initially you will need to install CWM Recovery. This can be done through ROM Manager.
Let us remind you that for ROM Manager to work normally, you will need root rights for your Android device. So, after installing ROM Manager on your smartphone, follow these steps:
- Open the “Recovery Setup” item. In the next window, in the “Install or update Recovery” section, select “ClockworkMod Recovery”;
- The app will then automatically detect your device. All you have to do is click on the appropriate item in the menu;
- In the new window, select "Install ClockworkMod". After this, the download process of the utility will begin;
- Once the download is complete, a window will appear asking you to confirm root rights for the new application.
At this point the installation process is complete, you should see the final message “Successfully flashed ClockworkMod recovery!”
After installing CWM Recovery, you can proceed directly to the firmware itself. Before flashing your Android smartphone, download the file with the new OS version in .zip format. Then follow these steps:
- Turn off the device and press the volume up key + power button at the same time (in some smartphones the combination to launch Recovery may be different). You can navigate the utility menu using the volume buttons, and the power key selects the appropriate item. Reset the settings in the “wipe data/factory reset” item;
- Click “Yes – Wipe all user data” in the new window;
- Return to the main menu and select "install zip". Next, go to the appropriate folder with the firmware file in “Choose zip from /sdcard”.
When the installation process is complete, the message “Install from sdcard complete” should appear. Return to the main menu again and go to the “reboot system now” item. After this, the download of the installed firmware should begin, sometimes this process can take up to 10 minutes. Upon completion of all actions, the smartphone is ready for use.
TWRP Recovery
Installation through this utility will not have any effect on the final result, so the method of installing the firmware depends purely on your personal preferences. To work with TWRP Recovery, you first need to use the official Official TWRP App, which will install the utility on your smartphone. This version of Recovery works with the same .zip files as CWM.
So, follow these steps:
- Download the required firmware version in .zip format, place it in a folder in the phone’s memory;
- Open the utility. This can be done in the same way as with CWM Recovery (turn off the smartphone and press the appropriate key combination);
- Reset your system to factory settings by selecting "Wipe" from the main menu. To start the process, drag the slider on the screen to the right;
- Once the factory reset is complete, return to the main menu. Go to “Install”;
- In the device memory, find the folder with the firmware, drag the slider to begin the installation process;
- Once installation is complete, Click on “Reboot System” to boot into Android.
Again, the process of loading Android for the first time after installing the firmware can take quite a long time.
ROM Manager
In addition to its main purpose, ROM Manager can also be used to create a system backup before installing the firmware. So, to flash the firmware, follow these steps:
- Download the archive with the desired OS version and place it in your phone’s memory. In the main menu of the application, select “Install ROM from SD card”;
- Find the appropriate archive and click on it. In the new window, select "Reboot and Install". We also recommend checking the box next to “Save current ROM”, so you can restore the system if something goes wrong;
- Confirm your action, ROM Manager will automatically begin the process of installing the firmware via Recovery.
ROM Manager can also search for custom firmware for the device on the Internet. To do this, in the main menu of the application there is a “Download firmware” item.
How to flash an Android phone via computer
To reflash a smartphone using a computer at home, you need to use several desktop utilities. Below we will tell you how to install a new version of the OS via Fastboot, one of the most popular programs for this. So, first you need to download the archive with the firmware and unzip it into the “platform-tools” folder, which contains “ADB” and “fastboot”.
Then you need to put your smartphone into fastboot mode. To do this, enable USB debugging, go to the command line on your computer and sequentially enter the commands cd /, cd path to the “adb” file. In our example, the address is C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools. After entering all the commands, the phone should reboot into fastboot mode.
Before flashing your Android phone via a computer at home, format all partitions of the device using the following commands:
- fastboot erase boot;
- fastboot erase userdata;
- fastboot erase system;
- fastboot erase recovery;
- fastboot erase cache.
After entering each command, you must press the Enter key. Next, enter the flash-all command, which will automatically begin installing the firmware (the folder should contain the flash-all.bat file). Once the process is complete, you will see a successful installation message.
Provides active customer support, releasing updates and upgrades for its gadgets with varying degrees of success. In practice, the developer delivers official firmware mainly “over the air” (via OTA updates), as well as by posting a special firmware image file on its website or portal.
You can flash the image using a set of special software:
- CWM Recovery.
- TWRP Recovery.
- Using a computer and a special set of programs (Fastboot, KDZ Update, Odin and other utilities).
As a rule, firmware images before updating are packaged in special archives with the extension ZIP, ISO and others.
In addition to official firmware, very often users and the gadget community form support for devices by releasing custom firmware versions and posting them on amateur forums and portals. Such updates can provide expanded or reduced functionality of official images, adding or removing unnecessary aspects from them.
To begin with, before the flashing process, be sure to take care of your data on the internal memory of the device. When updating, all files are erased, which means you need to make a backup in advance and save important files on external media.
On question how to flash android We won’t stop at OTA updates “over the air”, but rather, let’s concentrate all our attention on other update methods.
Flashing your phone using CWM Recovery
The rich functionality of CWM Recovery allows you to perform many manipulations with the device, including updating the firmware. By default, devices have stock Recovery installed, which means that first you need to install the ClockWorkMod Recovery utility itself.
The general flashing process described below applies to ZIP files. Instructions:
- Go to Recovery. To do this, you need to completely turn off the device, and then press a certain sequence of buttons on the body of the device. The set of keys may vary depending on the device manufacturer. Each combination may be different. Additional information can be found using search engines by asking the appropriate question. A universal option is to set the following keystrokes:
- Volume up button + power key
- Volume down button + power key
- Volume up/down buttons + Power key + Home key.
- Simultaneously hold down the volume up+down keys and the power key.
Once in recovery, you will see a central menu, which you can navigate using the volume up and down buttons, and the power key will function as an action selection.
- Before starting the device, you are required to perform a full reset of the gadget to factory settings. To do this, go to the “wipe data/factory reset” item and confirm the action by clicking on the line that says “Yes – Wipe all user data”.
- Returning to the main lobby, select “Install zip”.
- Next, click on the “Choose zip from /sdcard” item and in the Explorer tree, select the file with the previously saved firmware.
- Confirm your choice by clicking on “Yes – Install...”.
- The process of flashing the device will begin. At the end of the process, the user will see the message “Install from sdcard complete” on the screen.
- All that remains for the user to do is return to the main CWM Recovery lobby and complete the process of rebooting the gadget by clicking the “reboot system now” line.
After these steps, the firmware installation will begin. Don't panic, because the installation algorithm can take up to 10 minutes.
How to flash an Android phone using TWRP Recovery
For those who prefer working with the utility in the form of TWRP Recovery, we offer the following step-by-step instructions for installing the update in the form of a ZIP archive:
- Upload the file with the firmware image to the device memory.
- Go to TWRP recovery. This is done by analogy with CWM.
- Perform a factory reset by clicking on the “Wipe” option in the main menu. Drag the lever to the right. When you finish cleaning the gadget, return to the original lobby by pressing the “Back” button.
- In the main lobby, select “Install” and find the previously downloaded image in the file system tree. Click on it by dragging the slider to the side.
- After this, the firmware process will start. According to the standard, it does not exceed 2-3 minutes.
- Upon completion, the utility will automatically display a message indicating successful flashing. By clicking on the “Reboot System” item, reboot the device.
Installing updates using ROM Manager
Using this application, you can not only flash the firmware, but also create a backup copy of the system. Use this option so as not to lose important data and quickly restore all the functionality of your smartphone.
To get started, you will need special devices on your device that allow you to access the internal files of your device at the system level. To do this, you can use any of the presented programs.
The second important aspect when working with ROM Manager is custom recovery. All firmware operations take place directly in the Android launcher itself, and ROM Manager serves as a visual add-on to Recovery.
To get started, download the firmware file for your gadget and follow the instructions below:
- Transfer the firmware archive, in a ZIP extension, to the memory of your device.
- In the utility menu, go to “Install ROM from SD card.”
- Among the folders and files, select your image and click on it.
- In the new lobby, select “Reboot and Install”. Don't forget to check the "Save current ROM" checkbox. In this case, you will have the opportunity to restore the system at any time.
- By clicking “OK” your gadget will go into Recovery mode and the firmware update process will begin.
Thanks to the advanced functionality of the ROM Manager application, users can directly download images for their device from it. You can do this by clicking on the “Download firmware” item. Access to some ROMs is only available in the paid version of the program.
Firmware is the basic software of a smartphone, which allows you to perform all the functions included in the device. By correctly configuring the firmware, you can achieve optimal operation of the device: improve performance, increase battery life, or enhance the quality of GPS and cellular signal reception.
How to reflash Android and what is required for this?
Taking into account the fact that currently the development of smartphones on Android is carried out by almost everyone who is not too lazy, the number of firmware options is growing, and accordingly, each device will require an individual approach, however, the main stages of firmware remain unchanged.
1. First of all: Before flashing the device to Android, you need to make sure that your the device is charged and will not sit down at the most inopportune moment.
2. Secondly: you need to look in the settings of the device itself the exact name of your device and firmware version, since attempting to install incorrect firmware may damage your device.
3. Thirdly: you need to decide what firmware you need: official or “custom”.
Official firmware- This is the firmware that the device manufacturer develops itself, assuming that its settings are most suitable for the majority of users. As a rule, official firmware has stable operation, but can be overloaded with unnecessary “garbage” consisting of pre-installed programs.
Custom firmware– firmware created from scratch, or a modification of the official firmware. It is created by enthusiasts in order to speed up the operation of the device, add additional features and functions, and also remove errors found in official firmware. However, not all custom firmware may have good operating stability, so before installing them, you need to study the reviews of those who have already done it.
Once the firmware itself has been selected, you can begin the process of installing it on the device.
Let's look at some options with which you can flash Android devices.
The most common method is to flash the device's firmware using auto-update. It is suitable in cases where your device has an outdated version of the software and there is an update for it. To check if there is an update for your device, you need to go to “settings” - “about phone” - “system update”.
If you want to install custom firmware or “roll back” to earlier versions of your own, then you need to resort to using other flashing methods. Different smartphone developers have different approaches to flashing their devices, and accordingly, different software will be required.
List of programs by manufacturer:
- Samsung - Odin
- Lenovo - Flash Tool
- HTC - Fastboot
- LG – KDZ Updater
- Sony - Flashboot
- Nexus - Fastboot.
These are not all smartphone manufacturers and, accordingly, applications for their firmware.
Video to help:
Phone firmware is software that is installed on the microchip during manufacturing. Sometimes there is a need to reflash a smartphone. That is, update the device's operating system. Why is this necessary? Flashing is necessary if various OS failures occur while working with the smartphone. Or if you need to Russify the device. In any case, information on how to flash an Android phone via a computer will certainly not be superfluous.
Before proceeding directly to flashing the smartphone, it is necessary to carry out preparatory measures. This event must be approached very responsibly. Otherwise, serious problems with the gadget may occur. So, before flashing Android, you need to:
- Charge your smartphone. If the gadget turns off during flashing, this will lead to undesirable consequences (loss of system files, data). Therefore, make sure that your device is charged to maximum. Better yet, connect the device to a power source while reinstalling the OS. Then the device will definitely not turn off.
- Check the current OS version specifically for your device. To do this, use the information stored in the “Settings” menu in the “About phone” section. There you can view the current firmware, device build number, number of cores, etc.
- Download new firmware. Using the information received, find the new firmware on the Internet and download it. Remember that the OS must match all the characteristics of your device.
Flash the device via PC
If you want to reflash your smartphone yourself using a computer, then first you need to download the appropriate software to your PC. The program must be selected depending on the brand of your phone. For example, if you own a smartphone from Samsung, then download and install a utility called Odin on your PC. Here is a detailed list of utilities for specific manufacturers:
- Lenovo - Flash Tool;
- Sony - Flashboot;
- LG - KDZ Updater HTC;
We will use a software called Fastboot. It is suitable for people who use devices from Nexus or HTC.
Instructions for flashing
Find the Fastboot program on the Internet and download it to your computer. We unpack the downloaded files in the root of the system drive C. As a result, the path to the file should look like C:\Android. The downloaded utility consists of two folders. The directory called Tools contains utilities that are needed to update the system. The Driver folder, as the name suggests, contains drivers. 
The next step is to connect the device to be flashed to the PC via a USB cable. After the computer connects to the device, the automatic installation of drivers will begin. However, sometimes the gadget cannot find firewood on its own. In this case, you need to go to the manufacturer’s official website and download the latest version of the OS from there. Do not forget that the downloaded version of Android must meet all the characteristics of your phone. After downloading the appropriate OS, upload it to Tools as a .zip archive.
Before flashing Android via PC, you need to unlock the so-called bootloader on your mobile device. To do this, you need to open the command line. To do this, press the hot combination R + Win, after which the standard “Run” utility will open. Type cmd into the line, and then press Enter. The Windows command window has opened. 
Enter cd C:\Android\Tools into the terminal, and then press Enter. You will be taken to the Tools section. You need to use the fastboot devices command. After this, the console will display the code for your mobile device. This indicates that the utility has identified the device and you can proceed directly to flashing the operating system. If the line waiting for device appears, this means that the smartphone was not found. To get the device code, you need to install the drivers. 
To update the Android OS on your gadget, you need to use the fastboot update command. Enter fastboot update ***.zip into the console and click on the Enter button. Instead of ***, you need to specify the name of the file with the finished firmware. The system update process will begin, which will take a certain amount of time. After the firmware is reinstalled, you need to restart the mobile phone.
Firmware via Recovery
There is another way to flash an Android phone without a computer. The essence of the method is to use custom or standard Recovery. So, to update Android, find the firmware on the Internet that matches the characteristics of your mobile phone. After that, download the OS and transfer it to the root of the gadget’s file system. If you want to use custom Recovery, then install TWPR or CWM on your smartphone (you can download applications for free through the Play Market).
After this, you need to reboot the device and enter recovery mode. Recovery Mod is activated differently on different smartphones. It all depends on the manufacturer. As a rule, recovery is turned on by simultaneously pressing the Power (smartphone on/off button) + Volume Down (volume down key) keys. After you go to the Recovery menu, you need to open the section that is intended for installing firmware. In standard recovery, this item is called “apply update from external storage”. As for custom Recovery, in TWRP you need to select “Install ZIP”, and in CWM - “apply update from sdcard”. Navigating through the recovery is done using the Volume Down and Volume Up keys. 
After you click on the desired item, you must specify the path to the firmware that you previously downloaded to your device. The operating system update process will begin. After you finish flashing, you need to restart your mobile device and reset the characteristics to factory settings. To do this, go to the “Settings” section on your smartphone and find the “Reset settings” item there.
Flashing via ROM Manager
You can flash the firmware at home using a program called ROM Manager. The utility, unlike CWM and TWRP, has a simple interface, which simplifies the process of updating the firmware. In addition, the program has a couple of interesting properties. For example, you can make a backup copy of the system and return the OS to its original state if the firmware process was unsuccessful. So, in order to flash your Android phone yourself via ROM Manager, you must have root rights. it is possible through special applications like Unlock Root, Vroot, etc. In addition, the smartphone must have a custom recovery on board (the same CWM or TWPR).
If you have all of the above, then download and install the ROM Manager application from the Play Market or the Internet. Then we look for suitable firmware and download it too. Then launch ROM Manager and follow the following instructions:
How to restore the system via ROM Manager
If any problems arise after updating the OS, you can roll back the changes by returning the old firmware version. This is done as follows (provided that you made a backup in advance):
If you have any questions about the firmware of your phone or something doesn’t work, leave your comments. Also, one of the methods is shown in the video below using Lenovo as an example:
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