If you’re a G1 owner and are anything like us, you’ve been checking your handset every 20 minutes for the last two days in hopes that it’s finally your turn to bask in the light of the latest update, RC33. It’s not the Cupcake update folks are so anxious to get their hands on – but its got voice search and Latitude, and that more than justifies the patch for us. Fortunately for those of us dying to play with the latest and greatest, some brilliant beings managed to sniff out the official update package. Armed with little more than an SD card, you can be enjoying RC33 in under 10 minutes.
Note: You must currently be on RC30 for this to work.
Mandatory warning: Updating firmware can be a delicate procedure, so continue at your own risk. Always back up everything. Make sure to check the hash or otherwise verify a firmware’s source. Whenever possible, download it directly from Google (as you will in this tutorial). Make sure that your battery is charged so as to keep it from fizzling out mid-update, and that you don’t have the G1 plugged into USB during the actual update process.
1. Grab the RC33 update from Google here.
2. Rename it from signed-PLAT-RC33-from-RC30.f06aa9b3.zip to update.zip, and place it at the root (the very top directory) of your Micro SD card. (If you added the file to your microSD card by connecting the handset to your computer via USB [rather than using a dedicated microSD card reader], make sure to unmount it and disconnect the USB cable now.
3. Turn off your G1, then turn it back on by holding the Home+End keys until you see an icon popup after the T-Mobile G1 logo.
4. From the icon screen, open the keyboard and hit Alt+L. This allows you to see what’s going on during the update.
5. Press Alt+S to begin the update. Remember, the update needs to be in the root of the Micro SD card and needs to be named update.zip.
6. Once it finishes, follow the onscreen instructions and press Home+Back to finish.
7. The G1 will reboot a few times to flash different parts of the firmware.
If all went well, you should now be running the latest update, RC33. To make sure all your hard work wasn’t for nothing, hit Menu > Settings > About Phone > scroll to Build Number. You should see RC33 in there somewhere. Congrats!
Notes:
- Some microSD cards don’t seem to play friendly with this process. If you have trouble with one card, try another..
RC33 download link obtained via the always ingenious xda-dev community.
Android on phone = Linux on desktop.
It’s a perfect metaphor that will explain all of your questions about Android.
Daves is absolute right.
Now if I could only figure out how to insert a boot CD..
if only Linux didn’t suck.
If only you ever experienced desktop Linux, I highly doubt you’d be saying that.
Open Source = Open minded
Closed Source = Close minded.
dbotch for the loss
It’s a perfect metaphor that will explain all of your questions about Android.
This is exciting, Google Latitude could be the edge Google needs!
cooljobsalways
http://tinyurl.com/7uj5ay
Thanks it worked like a charm. Total time was about 8-10 minutes.
Odd enough, this didn’t work with the card that came with the G1, but another one I had received from my old Nokia.
On behalf of all the G1 geeks, much thanks. Now read about how Latitude is going to alter the course of history:
https://qpons.nearu.us/blog/?p=380
Yeah, I used a different MicroSD card too, glad I had one lying around.
Thanks a lot, I got this up and running in no time.
Cheers
I get an error after Alt+S:
E:No Signature (170 files)
E: Verification failed
Installation aborted
???
“Windows usually hides the .zip, so if you renamed it update.zip that means windows might have really made it update.zip.zip
Just name it update, if it still shows the zip file icon then this is what you want. I have my computer show me all extensions, this eliminates this problem.”
Yes, it couldn’t read update.zip. When I renamed it simply “update” it worked. Thanks.
Same here thats vista for ya.
me to
Ditto on XP. >.<
It had me worried for a while.
Every distro of windows since NT hides know file type extensions. [Tools, Folder Options…, ‘View’-tab, uncheck “HIde extentions for know file types”.
Simple… straight forward and took less then 5 minutes.
Worked like a charm…unfortunately, voice search does not work very well but then again I have a very deep voice…
Thx a lot, that’s helpful!! nice guide!
Is this update signed with t-mobile’s key?
Works great! Thanks!
hahah cool i got my phone updated =)
your such a Geek , what kind of person waits for an update on their mobile phone ?, Most people dont even wait for updates for their PC’s.
Get a life mate.
you do realize it gives more features on the phone, right?
Look at the name of the site you’re reading.
Now, consider how I make a living.
The dots. Have you connected them yet?
His such a geek? What?
Sweeet… thanks mobilecrunch! Updated worked like a charm. on RC33 and ready to finally get to play with latitude :)
Do u have to have root access or it works with the stock rc30
Hi.
I reeived recently my dev phone.
Model Number is “Android Dev Phone 1″
Firmware version is “1.0″
Baseband version is “62.33.20.08H_1.22.12.29
Kernel version is “2.6.25.01843-gfea26b0 android-build@apa27 #6″
Build number is “dream_devphone-userdebug 1.0 UNLOCKED 116222 test-keys”.
Can somebody help me to know if this update can apply.
Is this version “at least” RC30 ?
I searched but can’t find the information anywhere.
Thanks in advance for any help …
Look through the Dream forums at xda-developers.com. Use the JFv1.41RC33 firmware and radio upgrades to get RC33 on your phone.
I am currently running RC8 (RC30 equivelant) here in the Uk.
Will this update work for UK users who sourced their phones from T-Mobile?
Thanks for any help.
Also have a UK G1 (RC8). I am itching to install this update but I am unsure whether it will work, anyone able to confirm?
Many thanks in advance!
Just tried it on my UK G1 (RC8) and it failed, cos you need RC30 installed (if I understood the message correctly)…
Guess we’ll have to wait patiently!
Worked for me with the included SD card… THANKS!
Just did it on my phone. Worked exactly as stated. Thanks for the tip!
Worked great for me in about five minutes with 4gb SD Card.
MMS picture saving is not working for me. I thought it was supposed to be an included feature in this release. I uninstalled the “save MMS” third party app before I did this update. Any ideas?
Sweet. Thanks. I was going to wait but ended up installing it.
I just noticed, at least for me, it made the camera take pictures much quicker.
Also, to save pics from mms, click and hold the message NEXT TO THE PICTURE, not directly on the pic, and u should be able to save it. :)
I didn’t even need to use my USB cable. Downloaded it with the phone browser (went into /sdcard/downloads), then used Linda File Manager to rename it to update.zip and move it (via cut and paste) to /sdcard. I’ve already made it to the first reboot without any problems.
I got to the reboot part, and I got an image after the tmobile g1 with a ! In a triangle and a phone next to it, I’m guessing that was a bad sign, right?
Nope, that’s what you want to see. You should see the choices which include Alt-L. Hit Alt-L
no press alt l then press alt s that is good you rooted your phone already right
I press Home+End and nothing happened, what am i doing wrong?
Now will this update work with the Google Dev 1 Phone or only the TMobile Branded G1?
i don’t have “root” on my sd card, should i make a folder to install the update?
This is a ripoff from another article and it even does not credit it… Way to go CrunchIdiots.
This is an updated version of a post we wrote in October.
Link to our original:
http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2008/10/31/sick-of-waiting-for-your-g1-to-update-heres-how-to-update-it-manually/
Only folks deserving credit are the XDA-Dev members who sniffed the packages, which is why XDA-Dev is credited at the bottom of the post.
Wanker.
yeah, if a second reason it might not work (thank god i read the coments) is that windows might be hiding the extension .zip so when i was renaming it would come up as update.zip.zip if you see the zip file icon, just try naming the file as update
THANK YOU frankiefurter
Very nice! Worked perfectly on my jailbroken handset running on Swiss Sunrise network.
when the triangle and phone pops up open the keyboard hold alt and press L
root is not a folder
just put it on the card outside all folders
hey anyone know what all this update does?
i know its got latitude and voice search
anything else
thanks in advance
i can’t find root directory in my sd card
hey i renamed unmounted safely then when i dragged it over to my phone turned it offf home and end key then it it takes me to this screen with all theses diamonds and lines i press alt s then it stops update stops fast should i delete all my other hacks from computer
Well… I don’t seem to have an sdcard folder. having just switched over to the G1 and T-Mobile from Verizon, I’m feeling a tad clueless.
From a Mac standpoint, I’m assuming the un-zipped .zip has to be copied on… without unzipping it.
i am a mac user to, and im having a very hard time trying to download.
it keeps saying
E: Cant open /sdcard/update.zip
(bad)
Installation aborted.
what am i doing wrong?
please write me at bangaxbarbie@gmail.com thnx
i tried it.. updated my phone and under system shows new version but none of the features are there like the keyboard, save, etc.. what went wrong?