Just because you wanted a stable, stock Android version on your HTC One doesn't mean you have to miss out on Sense because you bought or softModded to a Google Play Edition. As long as you have the Android SDK tools and you've unlocked your bootloader, you can turn your HTC One into the Developer Edition, a Sense version free of carrier bloat.
Step 1: Download the Developer Edition RUU on Your PC
Download the official ROM Update Utility (RUU) for the Developer Edition directly from HTCdev. Search for One under "Device" and Brightstar US under "Carrier." Make sure it says RUU under "Type" and Developer Edition under "Description."
Step 2: Downgrade to 1.44 Hboot (Android 4.3 Users Only)
If you updated your Google Play Edition to Jelly Bean 4.3, it came with the 1.54 hboot that doesn't play nice with our softMod. We'll have to downgrade it to 1.44 to continue, so go ahead and download this zip file for hboot 1.44, courtesy of XDA member Sneakyghost.
Step 3: Change Your HTC One's CID
Now you'll need to change your Cell ID (CID) to flash the RUU you downloaded. This is because the bootloader blocks RUUs from other phones to prevent you from bricking your device (but don't worry—we won't brick your device).
Connect your phone to your computer and open a command prompt.
Use the command adb reboot bootloader to reboot into your phone's fastboot mode. Next, use fasboot oem writecid 11111111 to trick your bootloader into accepting any RUU files.
Step 4: Prepare Hboot RUU (Android 4.3 Users Only)
If you need to downgrade your hboot (see Step 2), open the zip file you downloaded and open android-info.txt. In the command window, with your HTC One still connected to your PC, type fastboot getvar modelid. If the result doesn't match the modelid line in the text file, you'll have to change it.
To change the modelid, first extract the two files from the hboot zip. Open the text file (the extracted one, you can't edit the one in the zip) and edit the modelid so that it matches your phone's. Now create a zip file (name it whatever you want, mine is hbootRUU.zip) and put the newly edited text file and the hboot img file in it.
Step 5: Flash the Developer Edition RUU
Navigate to the directory where you downloaded the RUU. The command is cd path. Replace path with the actual path to your directory. Mine is C:\sdk-tools.
Prepare your phone to accept the RUU with the command fastboot oem rebootRUU.
For 4.3 users: If you are downgrading your hboot, do so by typing fastboot flash zip filename, where filename is the name of the zip file you created. When it's done (the command line will say finished, but the phone will look like it's still loading, about 75%), type fastboot reboot-bootloader.
Finally, flash the RUU with the command fastboot flash zip filename. Replace filename with the actual name of the RUU file. Mine is PN07IMG_M7_UL_JB_50_BrightstarUS_WWE_1.29.1540.3.zip.
It will fail the first time. This is normal. Just repeat the command and it will work the second time.
When the RUU finishes installing (it'll take a while), you may have to reboot manually if it gets stuck at the loading screen (the command prompt will say it finished, but the phone will be stuck loading at about 90%).
Just type fastboot reboot.
Welcome to Your New HTC One with Sense 5
That's it! Enjoy the new Sense, Blinkfeed, and Ultrapixel camera features without any of the added bloatware. If you don't dig Sense 5 on your HTC One, you can always revert back to a Google Play Edition.
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20 Comments
I have been going through all of these instructions to get my HTC One google play with a goal of getting the sense camera and some other original software. Unfortunately, I received the phone with version 4.3, which caused issue with your other instructions to root in the first place.
But now that i have successfully rooted my phone, I am stumped on two steps here: 1) changing the CID, and 2) the RUU install step.
For #2, I already downloaded the RUU file, but it was an exe (not zip). For the fun of it, i decided to run it, and it seems it would try to install directly onto the device, rather than using the command prompt. Did i download the wrong version? Or am i missing something?
For #1, using your instructions, the CID will not change. it seems that i need to set S-Off....but it doesn't seem like there is any easy way to do that with my version of HTC-One. Moonshine doesn't have the google play version, and revone is overly complex. Is there a simpler way to start the procedures you've outlined here? Or Is it possible to change my hboot back to 1.44, and then perhaps I could download the sense camera app (that doesn't work on 4.3)?
I appreciate you posting this, but additional information would be great.
Thanks!!
You did download the wrong version, make sure you download the zip version. You do need S-OFF. You'll need to unlock using this guide . Just unlock the bootloader, you don't need to install TWRP or anything after that. Follow the optional instructions for downgrading your hboot.
Hi great walkthrough Im getting a parsing error however and its stoping me from getting this done.
target reported max download size of 1526722560 bytes
sending 'zip' (506 KB)...
OKAY 0.246s
writing 'zip'...
(bootloader) zip header checking...
(bootloader) zip info parsing...
FAILED (remote: 24 parsing android-info fail)
finished. total time: 0.507s
any help would be appreciated
I'm getting the same error. Any help would be appreciated.
Were you able to figure it out?
No luck in figuring it out. My device is unlocked, and with TWRP (even though you said it was unnecessary). But I am stuck on S-ON.
My OS version is 3.06.1700.10 and there is no support on Moonshine. So, i do not know a reliable way to downgrade the hboot.
Any thoughts?
You will get the parsing error if you forget to issue "fastboot OEM rebootRUU" before issuing the command to flash the zip.
Thanks for sharing.
I think this process needs s-off, can any one comfirm?
S-OFF needed...
in your first step it says Step 1: Download the Developer Edition RUU on Your PC
Download the official ROM Update Utility (RUU) for the Developer Edition directly from HTCdev. Search for One under "Device" and Brightstar US under "Carrier." Make sure it says RUU under "Type" and Developer Edition under "Description."
but in the tutorial you downloaded the ZIP, just to let you know.
i think you need to have your bootloader locked
Has anyone tried this with the 4.4 RUU?
same problem i need S-off to my HTC one converted to GE & S-on in Hboot 1.54. Help me to Get the S-Off method PLS...
I'm unlocked, s-off with super cid and I get the same error. and I edited the text file and double checked to make sure it took.
"target reported max download size of 1526722560 bytes
sending 'zip' (506 KB)...
OKAY 0.249s
writing 'zip'...
(bootloader) zip header checking...
(bootloader) zip info parsing...
FAILED (remote: 24 parsing android-info fail)
finished. total time: 0.507s"
did you ever figure this out? I'm having the same problems.
Rooted, s-off, bootloader unlocked, super cid. hbootRUU installed no problem. I'm on 4.4.2. Any help is appreciated.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\sdk\platform-tools>fastboot flash zip attkernel.zip
sending 'zip' (101958 KB)...
OKAY 4.842s
writing 'zip'...
FAILED (remote: not allowed)
finished. total time: 4.877s
So i should/can install the RUU for Brightstar US even though my service is with tmo US?
Why can't I find the RUUs under Tmobile US?
Download link for downgrade hboot is dead. Anyone have a mirror?
This guide is outdated. Use this guide with this RUU.zip.
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