How to remove firmware from Android via computer: a complete guide with a guarantee of safety

Another nuance: not all manufacturers allow you to easily remove the firmware. For example, Samsung blocks access to some partitions through standard tools, and Huawei may even require unlocking the bootloader, which will void the warranty. Therefore, before starting the process be sure to check your brand policy.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with Android 12+ and newer versions, you may need to disable OEM Unlock in the developer settings. Without this, some tools (for example Fastboot) will not be able to access memory sections.

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2. Preparing the device: unlocking the bootloader and enabling debugging

Before you begin removing the firmware, you need to prepare your smartphone. This stage includes unlocking the bootloader (bootloader) and enabling software debugging mode USB. You cannot skip it - without these steps, the computer simply will not be able to interact with the device at a low level.

Step 1. Enable developer mode

Go to Settings → About phone and find the item Build number. Tap on it 7 times in a row until the “You have become a developer” notification appears. After this, a new section will appear in the main settings menu For developers.

Step 2. Activate USB debugging and unlock OEM

B section For developers enable the following options:

• 🔌 USB debugging (USB Debugging)
• 🔓 OEM unlocking (OEM Unlocking) — this is critical for most methods

On some devices (for example Xiaomi or Realme) may require additional confirmation through the manufacturer's account. For example, Mi Account to unlock the bootloader on Redmi or POCO.

Step 3. Unlock the bootloader

This process differs depending on the brand:

• 🤖 Google Pixel, OnePlus, Motorola: Use the command fastboot flashing unlock (on new devices) or fastboot oem unlock (for older models).
• 📱 Samsung: Requires a special utility Odin and file BL (BootLoader) for your model.
• 🔥 Xiaomi: You need to obtain permission through Mi Unlock Tool (may take up to 72 hours).

⚠️ Attention: Unlocking the bootloader Completely resets the device to factory settings. All data will be deleted! Copy important files to your computer or cloud in advance.

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3. Selecting tools: which apps are suitable for removing firmware

There are several ways to remove firmware from Android via a PC, and each of them requires its own set of tools. Below we will look at the most reliable and time-tested solutions.

1. Fastboot + ADB (universal method)

This is a standard tool from Googlethat works with most devices (except Samsung and some models MediaTek). To work you will need:

• 🖥️ ADB and Fastboot (included Android SDK Platform-Tools)
• 🔌 USB cable (preferably original, with data transfer support)
• 📄 Drivers for your device (can be downloaded from the website manufacturer)

The advantage of this method is full control over the process. You can choose which partitions to save, and even create dumps one by one.

2. MediaTek)

If your smartphone runs on a chip MediaTek (for example, Redmi Note, Realme, Tecno), then SP Flash Tool is one of the most reliable options. The app allows you to create complete backups of the firmware, including preloader and secro (protected partitions).

You can download it from the official website MediaTek, but be careful - there are modified versions with malware.

3. Odin (only for Samsung)

For devices Samsung (series Galaxy S, Note, A) the utility Odinis used. It allows you to remove firmware in .tar or .md5format, which can then be flashed back. Important: Odin works only with official firmware and requires the correct version for your model.

4. Alternative tools

For specific tasks you can use:

• 🛠️ TWRP (custom recovery) - allows you to create backups directly from the device, but requires preliminary installation.
• 🔧 DD Command (via ADB Shell) - for experienced users who are ready to work with terminal.
• 🖥️ Qualcomm QPST —for devices on chips Snapdragon (for example, Google Pixel, OnePlus).

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4. Step-by-step guide: how to remove firmware via Fastboot

This method is suitable for most devices on Qualcomm Snapdragon and some MediaTek (if supported fastboot). We will use ADB and Fastboot from Platform-Tools.

Step 1. Install drivers and connect the device

Download Android SDK Platform-Tools from the official website Google and unpack the archive. Connect your smartphone to the PC via USB and make sure that the drivers are installed (there should be no exclamation marks in Device Manager ).

Step 2. Put the device in Fastboot mode

Turn off your smartphone, then hold down the combination of buttons to enter Fastboot Mode (usually Power + Volume Down). A menu should appear on the screen with the inscription Fastboot or the robot logo.

You can also switch to this mode via ADBby running the command:

adb reboot bootloader

Step 3. Check the connection

Open the command line (cmd) in the folder with Platform-Tools and enter:

fastboot devices

If the device is detected (its serial number appears), you can continue. If not, check the drivers or cable.

Step 4. Create a firmware dump

To take a full dump, use the command:

fastboot getvar all

This command will show all available partitions. To save a specific partition (for example boot), use:

fastboot dump boot boot.img

To create a dump all partitions you can use a script (example for Linux/macOS):

for partition in $(fastboot getvar all 2>&1 | grep -oP '(?<=: ).*$' | grep -v '^$'); do
fastboot dump $partition $partition.img
done

On Windows a similar result can be obtained using PowerShell or specialized utilities like Fastboot Enhance.

Battery charge > 50%|

Original USB cable|

Unlocked bootloader|

Installed ADB/Fastboot drivers|

Backup of important data-->

⚠️ Attention: Some sections (for example, modem or efs) contain unique data, including IMEI. Damage to them may result in network loss! It is recommended to create backups of these partitions separately.

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5. Features of working with Samsung (Odin) and MediaTek (SP Flash Tool)

Devices Samsung and smartphones on MediaTek require a separate approach. Let's look at both cases in more detail.

Removing firmware from Samsung via Odin

Odin does not support direct firmware removal, but you can bypass this limitation:

1. Download official firmware for your model from the website Sammobile or Frija.
2. Unpack it and find files with extensions .tar.md5.
3. Use the utility 7-Zip or tar to extract the contents. Inside you will find images of partitions (boot.img, system.img etc.).

If you need a dump current of the firmware (and not stock), you will have to use ADB in mode download mode or specialized tools like Samsung Firmware Extractor.

Removing firmware from MediaTek via SP Flash Tool

For chips MediaTek the process looks like this:

1. Download and install SP Flash Tool + drivers VCOM.
2. In the app settings, select Readback and add a new region indicating the beginning and end of memory (can be found in scatter file).
3. Connect turned off device to the PC (without battery, if it is removable).
4. Click Readback and wait for completion. The result will be saved to file .bin.

Important: for MediaTek often required scatter file (memory layout description). It can be extracted from the official firmware or created manually using MTK Droid Tools.

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6. Checking and restoring the firmware: how to make sure that the backup is working

Creating a firmware dump is only half the job. data-i="262">1. Checking the checksums check its integrity and ensure that it can be successfully restored. Here's how to do it:

1. Verifying checksums

Compare MD5 or SHA-1 hashes of the received files with the original ones. To do this, you can use utilities like 7-Zip (right click → CRC SHA) or cmdlet PowerShell:

Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 boot.img

2. Test recovery

The most reliable way to check is to flash back one of the partitions (for example, boot) and make sure that the device boots. To do this:

• Transfer the smartphone. c Fastboot Mode.
• Run the command:

fastboot flash boot boot.img

If the device boots successfully, the backup is working.

3. Checking critical partitions

Some partitions (for example, modem or persist) should not be changed between backup and recovery. If their hashes do not match, this may indicate:

• 🔄 Errors when taking a dump (for example, an interrupted process).
• 🔧 Changes in firmware (if the device was updated between backup and scan).
• 🛠️ Hardware problems (damaged memory).

⚠️ Attention: If after restoring the partition modem the network is lost, check IMEI using the command *#06#. If you lose it, restore it using Engineering Mode or specialized utilities (for example, ChimeraTool).

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7. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even if you strictly follow the instructions, errors may occur. Let's consider the most common ones and how to eliminate them.

Additional problems:

• 🔋 The device is not detected in Fastboot: Try a different cable or port. On some laptops USB 3.0 may not work - use USB 2.0.
• 🔒 Odin hangs on SetupConnection: Disable the antivirus (it may block the utility) and run Odin as administrator.
• 📵 SP Flash Tool does not see the device: Make sure that the smartphone is completely turned off (including Fastboot Mode). For some models, you need to hold Volume Up + Volume Down when connecting.