The HTC One M8 is definitely the most beautiful Android phone with premium finish, featuring awesome hardware and the latest version of Sense UI. It has been just about a month since the device was released but it has gained significant popularity in this very short span of time.
As is usually happens, popular Android devices manage to capture the fancy of our developers. No wonder, the HTC One M8 has become a darling of the Android development community. The device got a working S-OFF method via Firewater soon after its launch. It can be easily rooted and custom recoveries are also available there for a while too. There are a plethora of custom ROMs, hacks and mods for the device to play with.
If you own the Verizon variant of the HTC One M8 and have rooted your phone and installed TWRP on it, it’s very likely that you intend to try root apps, mods and custom ROMs on it. Indeed, the fascination of Android lies in such activities but such activities might put your device under risky situations. In certain situations, you might have to restore Verizon HTC One M8 to stock ROM to bring the device back to normal state.
It’s very easy to find a firmware for a device from some Android manufacturers like Google, Samsung, LG and Motorola. But when it comes to HTC firmwares, you’ll not find any repository or a specific tool that can flash the firmware to your HTC One M8. To install stock ROM on your Verizon One M8, you’ll have to download the ROM zip file compiled as RUU (ROM Update Utility) and flash it using a string of ADB and Fastboot commands.
Warning:
The RUU installation procedure is considered risky and though it has been tested successfully, we do not hold any responsibility. The device is yours and so are the risks involved!
Preparations:
- Make sure your Verizon HTC One M8 is S-OFF’d. If you have not done this yet, you can easily S-OFF your VZW M8 using Firewater method (it has been discontinued).
- Install HTC Sync or HTC USB Drivers on your computer: Download here
- Enable USB Debugging on your phone from Settings> Developer options. If you do not find Developer option under device settings, read the instructions given here.
- Download and setup Android SDK on your computer so that you have a working ADB and Fastboot. If you new to such things, you can refer to our guides on the topic: Guide 1, Guide 2
- Download the stock RUU file in Zip for the Verizon HTC One M8: 0P6BIMG.zip (stock pre-rooted KitKat 1.55.605.2)
- Go to Settings> Power and turn off Fastboot option.
Restore Verizon HTC One M8 to Stock
So you think you have made all the preparations mentioned above? Great! Now here are the instructions to restore Verizon HTC One M8 back to stock ROM.
Method 1
- Download the RUU file and copy it the Android/sdk/platform-tools folder where ADB and Fastboot files are located. The location of this directory depends on where you have installed the Android SDK.
- Connect your Verizon HTC One M8 to computer via USB.
- Move the mouse pointer to an empty space in the platform-tools folder and then press Shift key+Right click on the mouse. Select Open command window here option to launch cmd prompt.
- Just to make sure that you have set up ADB properly and your computer can communicate with your phone, type the following command in the cmd window and press Enter key:
adb devices
- If you see the serial number of your device on the cmd, all’s fine. If you get some error message, you need to check your USB drivers and ADB setup again.
- Now reboot your HTC One M8 into Bootloader mode. You can do it using Volume Down+Power keys manually, or by issuing the following command:
adb reboot bootloader
- When you get on the bootloader screen, scroll to FASTBOOT option and select it using the Power button. To test Fastboot, type the following command in the cmd:
fastboot devices
- Since we are using a RUU file to install the stock ROM, boot the device into RUU mode. To do this, simply type this command:
fastboot oem rebootRUU
- When your phone is in RUU mode, you’ll see the HTC logo on the screen.
- Okay, it’s time now to install the RUU file. Just type the command given below. Please note that the red text in the command line is the name of the RUU file. If you have an RUU file with a different name, you’ll have to replace the red text with the name of the file you have.
fastboot flash zip 0P6BIMG.zip - Now you’ll see a green progress bar at the bottom of the phone’s screen showing installation status.
- Now throw your eyes on the output message on the cmd window. If you see any message asking you to reboot or flush, issue the following command and start again from Step 7.
fastboot reboot-bootloader
- When you get success/finished message on the cmd, you can reboot your device by typing the following command:
fastboot reboot
- Wait till your HTC One M8 boots up.
Method 2
If you find the Method 1 too complicated for you, we got a much easier way of installing the stock ROM back to your Verizon HTC One M8. The following method is also suitable for those who do not have access to a computer. However, the is one step when you might need a computer.
- The method requires an external SD card. If you already have it format it to FAT32. This is actually the default mode of formatting memory drives on Windows.
- Now copy the RUU file (0P6BIMG.zip) to the memory card.
- Reboot your HTC One M8 into the Bootloader mode by pressing and holding the Volume Down and Power buttons for 2-3 seconds.
- Your device will automatically detect the RUU file and you’ll see installation prompts on your phone’s screen.
- Just follow the onscreen instruction and the RUU will be installed to your device within a few minutes.
Congrats, you have successfully restored your Verizon HTC One M8 to pre-rooted stock ROM with stock recovery! Do not forget to share you experience with the RUU installation procedures described above. Cheers!
Credits: dottat @ xda
I have a bricked htc one m8 verizon. It stucks in the verizon red screen. I’m trying to flash a RUU file but everytime says: “invalid sparse file format at header magi” can somebody telling me if there is a solution or i just have to thro away my phone?
Try this RUU.
Wow, brings you back to 4.4.2. Was looking for 4.4.4
Hello Guys,
How are you?
Last night i connected my phone to my Mac and the HTC Desktop manager notified me of a new update which i assume was 4.4.4 update ( Eye Experience ), after the update was installed on the phone via HTC Desktop manager the phone is stuck in a continuous reboot loop which starts with the HTC Logo screen and ends with a dark grey screen with Red Triangle warning. Picture Attached.
I have managed to enter recovery mode on the phone. The phone is not Rooted, S-On, Bootloader Locked, is it possible to flash a Custom Rom without Rooting, S-Off & Unlocking Bootloader as the phone is in recovery mode or can i only install a Verizon HTC M8 Rom?
Please help as i am without a phone since last night.
Regards,
Try a data factory reset and you would be able to boot the device normally.
I have done a factory Reset and nothing happens! What do i do?
Then gain S-Off and flash the RUU, or root and install a recovery and flash a custom ROM.
https://www.droidviews.com/root-achieve-s-off-and-install-cwm-twrp-on-verizon-htc-one-m8/
My device is not rooted, my pc doesnt recognize my htc m8 when i connect it to the pc it says MTP driver failed to install. How do i install a recovery and flash custom rom? How do i S-Off and Root? Please see the image i have attached in my previous reply. Thanks
Uninstall the USB drivers and reinstall it: https://www.droidviews.com/android-usb-drivers-samsung-motorola-sony-lg-zte-htc-asus-huawei-acer/
You can use Firewater method to gain S-OFF and then use the instructions given on our guide to root and install recovery. Since your device is not able to boot, flash the recovery first, copy the SuperSU zip file to the memory card and flash it via TWRP/CWM: http://download.chainfire.eu/supersu
Thank you is it possible to root HTC M8 Verizon 4.4.2? Verizon Bootloader cannot be unlocked via HTCDEV verizon doesnt allow it so how do i unlock Bootloader? Thank you so much for the help.
See this: https://www.droidviews.com/root-achieve-s-off-and-install-cwm-twrp-on-verizon-htc-one-m8/
Boot the device into the Bootloader> Fastboot mode and you should be able to use fastboot commands.
Could you please share some info on how to use fastboot commands?
See this page: https://www.droidviews.com/root-achieve-s-off-and-install-cwm-twrp-on-verizon-htc-one-m8/2/
To setup adb and fastboot: https://www.droidviews.com/tag/adb-and-fastboot/
First, I’d like to say that I love this page… You guys do a real good job on explaining how to do certain things on our phone… My question is, if I perform the second method on my phone, will my phone be relocked when its done? What about s-off? And since it will have the stock recovery and its a pre rooted rom, I just have to flash a custom recovey, am I right? Thanks in advance….
Thanks for the appreciation! Both the methods require S-OFF which will remain there on the device even after flashing the stock firmware. No, the phone will not be relocked and if you install a pre-rooted ROM and already have S-OFF, you can flash a custom recovery right away. Hope it helps!
Thanks for the response…. I thought that in order for me to flash a custom recovery, my bootloader had to be unlocked but in your response you just mentioned the S-OFF… So for me it was in this order, first you get S-OFF, then you unlock the bootloader and then im able to flash a custom recovery. One last question, im learning and i want to keep learning and i also saw the pre requisites, but im not really interested in the 4.4.4 update but when the 5.0 Lollipop RUU, hopefully, gets released, thats the one I’d like to install… So can i jump from firmware 4.4.3 to 5.0 via this method without any incovinience? Thanks.
Yes, if get the Android 5.0 RUU, you can flash it on 4.4.3 without issues. I would recommend avoiding 4.4.4 update because it has WiFi connectivity issues on various models.
You can refer to our detailed guide on achieving S-OFF, root and install a custom recovery: https://www.droidviews.com/root-achieve-s-off-and-install-cwm-twrp-on-verizon-htc-one-m8/
Thanks a lot.
Hello,
So I have a rooted htc one m8 and i accidentally OTA updated it to android 4.4.3. Now i have no su access but the device still says its rooted technically. Su wont update because it says there are no SU binaries installed. I dont have a recovery mode because the device wont recognize that it has SU access. I tried the method listed above but it wouldnt work so i tried the second method through the sd card and it will just say wrong img on the bootloader screen any help??
Hello How are you?
I have a Verizon M8 Android Version 4.4.3. Software Number 2.21.605.2. How can i install HTC Stock and get rid of Verizon Rom on my mobile?
You’ll not be able to do that but you install CM or Paranoid Android though.
What about an RUU that doesn’t have root? I have to send my HTC back to HTC not verizon. Bought the phone out of contract and I’m not with Verizon anymore. I don’t feel comfortable sending this back to HTC with SU installed, regardless of the S-ON and LOCKED bootloader.
Unfortunately, the stock RUU without root is not available yet. I searched for it again but did not find any. HTC does not officially provide an RUU repository for users. Most of them are compiled from leaks and other sources.
I am the creator of this work. Noticed you don’t give credit or ask before sharing.
Hi, I do apologize for that. We usually do that but we somehow missed the credit part here. We have mentioned the source though.
Anyway, we can correct things now. Sorry!
Also, I posted one now that is not pre-rooted on XDA.
Thanks for the info! We’d update the tutorial. 🙂
So if I have a soft bricked HTC one m8 Verizon with only fastboot working, locked boot loader, and S-on, I will not be able to flash any stock ruus to unbrick my phone? Its a hunk of metal?
No, it’s not like that. It depends on the type of firmware. If you have an unmodified firmware, you do not need S-Off. To install any modified firmware, you will have to S-off the phone first.
Well where would I find an unmodified firmware? That’s the problem Im having. It always read 12 signature read failed whenever I try to flash anything.
Since Verizon does not provide its firmwares officially, it’s hard to find the unmodified RUU.
See here: http://www.htcdev.com/devcenter/downloads/P00
i get stuck at fastboot flash zip 0P6BIMG.zip, i don’t get a green progress bar and the cmd prompt states “FAILED (remote: 32 header error)
Here’s our guide: https://www.droidviews.com/restore-t-mobile-htc-one-m8-to-stock/
Thanks for sharing!
Can you advise if there is a RUU for Tmobile variant?
Unfortunately, RUU for the TMO variant is not available yet. When it’s there, we’ll cover that too.