If you're fairly new to the root scene, then you've undoubtedly come across a lot of things you've never heard of during your search for HTC EVO root apps, tweaks, and mods.
A common phrase you've probably seen thrown around as though you're supposed to know what it means is "flash a zip." Someone will create/post a great hack or app on a forum and just tell you to flash it on your EVO. Simple as that . . . but how are you supposed to do it?
A .zip file obviously isn't an .apk, so you can't use a file manager like ASTRO or appInstaller. Putting the .zip on your SD card doesn't do anything by itself, the question you posted in a forum never got answered, and Google isn't very helpful either.
But don't give up. Flashing a .zip may sound foreign and complicated, especially if you've only ever unzipped a .zip on a computer, but it's actually very simple.
Before we get started, install Quick Boot on your EVO.
It's one of G&E's top 10 root apps for the EVO and gives you one-tap access to recovery mode, which is where you flash the .zip.
Now let's continue.
Note: It's always good practice to do a Nandroid backup in case something goes wrong and you need to go back to before the .zip was flashed.
1. Put the .zip you want to flash on your EVO's SD card. We're not talking about an update.zip here, so you don't have to rename it or put it in a specific place.
2. Boot into recovery mode (here's where Quick Boot comes in handy). I'm just going to assume you're using the ClockworkMod custom recovery; if you're not, the steps might be a little different, but the process should be the same.
3. Use the EVO's volume down button to navigate to "install zip from sdcard" and press the power button to select it.
4. Select "choose zip from sdcard" using the volume down and power buttons.
5. Navigate to the file you want using the volume down button (if you put the .zip in a folder, press the power button to open the folder; you need to select the actual .zip file, not the folder it's in) and press the power button to select it.
6. Confirm that you want to install the .zip (this can't be undone) by selecting the "Yes – Install [name].zip" option that's sandwiched between a bunch of "No" options. No chance of accidentally pressing "yes" like this!
7. When the installation is complete, select "Go Back" and then "reboot system now" (again using the volume down and power buttons).
Congratulations! You've just flashed a .zip on your HTC EVO. You can flash custom ROMs with this method too (do a Nandroid backup, clear the cache, and wipe data first), but the process is easier and more streamlined using ROM Manager, one of G&E's top 10 root apps.
Thanks for us noobs this is great, on most of the forums simple answers can turn into more technical stuff,or slamming the individual for not being a techie. after all we want our phones to be just as cool!! again thanks
It’s great to try and simplify the process of flashing, but I think something like this has possibility of creating even more problems. You make no mention of important steps like clearing caching or where to go when there’s an issue with this process and you’re phone doesn’t restart.
Great tutorial. Thank you!
Man i need this post!!
im rooted through Unrevoked 3.2 & custom Rom OMJ’s EVO 2.2 FroYo v3.5 using this method.
Problem: when i want to use a new custom it starts for a second then it returns to the “install .zip from sdcard” screen.
ive wiped & everything it will not take a new Rom & i wonna try different Custom Roms.
i cant be the only one with this issue.
thanks.
I would have to agree with you a little, but on the other hand, a newbie like me, I think this is a great post and, and if something goes wrong…. Well thats just a chance I am willing to take, just like when i rooted my phone. (Maybe a simple sentence would have been suffice, like…. Anytime you install 3rd part apps, do so at your own risk);)
One tip you should go into nandroid and do a backup prior….then if it goes bad manually boot into recovery and restore to previous working set up.
Ahhh… so lemme toss this out there. I tried installing Hulu with a previous post. If had me flash hulufix.zip on the device. Hulu must have caught on because it never worked. At this point, I don’t care about Hulu.
So seeing how I did a Nandroid backup a few days ago and ran this flash yesterday … I have to use Nandroid’s Restore feture to remove the hulufix.zip that I applied?
Jenn,
Thank you for the great posts, it nice that you help us root newbs out.
I’m newly rooted using unrevoked and I’m still learning what all the terms mean. It would be nice if the techies would give us a better tutorial on this stuff. I have read lots of posts in XDA developers and elsewhere and still have a hard time understanding what everything means. It’s so true that it is hard to find info in tech forums or using google.
Good point. I actually wasn’t referring to flashing ROMs (which is the only time I would clear the cache), but I’ve added some info just in case.
Have you tried flashing the ROM using ROM Manager instead?
Help…i tried to flash my first ROM and received a bunch of force close errors. I then went to my Recovery mode to restore my backup. Everytime it tries to boot it goes to the HTC EVO 4G white screen and then shuts down. Any ideas?
Tim – so i think i missed an important step in the process and now my phone won’t restart. It goes to the HTC EVO 4G screen and then keeps recycling from there. Never boots completely. Any ideas where i can go to get my phone working again? Or am i screwed?
yes, quick boot & holding the power & down vol. to get in to recovery mode. nothing takes. thanks.
what happens when you cant find the zip, How do yo move it to an area where it can be found in root?
thank perfect for my.
yeah, Rom Manager is MUCH easier, since you can do it from the droid system.
The zip file was moved to the sd card by wiping cache etc. and the Evo powered on/off But now it is in the loop on the 4g/Sprint/4G screen. It is endless loop.
So right now am unable to go into quick boot obviously. Any help is appreciated
Pulled battery and now phone won’t power on.
Powers on now after pulling battery again, But still in 4G/Sprint Now/4g loop.
Hold volume down button while powering on then select recovery from the menu to restore your Nandroid backup.
Thank God I backed up before trying flashing a new ROM! Something went wrong when the file was unzipping and wouldn’t unzip, and I was afraid I was screwed! Thank you for this post!
I had a problem with this because I flashed clockworkmod 3.0 and it seems it won’t work with some zips, found this out on the xda-developers.com site.
Try booting into recovery mode. Hold down the volume down button and the power button at the same time. Then i believe you select recovery to get into the recovery mode. From here you can restore roms that you have backed up. Just restore you’re previous rom. Good luck
i used this method and the process was done in about 1 second. Is this normal?
When I use Quick Boot,ClockworkMod Recovery was being used. I downloaded RA Recovery which is now being used.
How do I get Quick Boot to use ClockworkMod Recovery again?
Thanks.
I deleted Nandroid folder, and now Quickboot is using Clockworkmod again.
when i tried to install the .zip file the screen said installation aborted. I don’t know what i did wrong some one help. PLEASE!
it says aborted, help please?
What are you trying to flash?
Evo 4g android version 2.3.3
Rooted over to be running On Boost Mobile
Running Recovery —Revolutionary CWM V4.0.1.4
open Quick boot>allowed superuser access>boot to recovery>install Zip from SD card>Choose Zip from sdcard>NEWTEXTFOLDER> the click the new text zip file to be installed> Click Yes to install and i get
Installing:/sdcard/NEWTEXTFOLDER/TEXT.ZIP
Finding update package…
Opening update package…
installing update…
Installation Aborted.
I get this with every text.zip i have downloaded from
xda-developers’ fachadick 77texts packages
Any Advice? I didn’t want to change the recovery to Clockwork because my phone was put on boost by a old friend of mine that i don’t speak with and it works flawlessly so i dont want to change it.
I have exactly the same problem as you I too need Help.
I’m not necessarily an expert at this but I have done a lot of reading around different websites and I’ve never personally had any issues either while rooting or flashing roms or kernels and with that being said the one suggestion I have for the last two posters is try putting the .zip file directly on the SD card (not in a folder, just copy it directly over to the SD card). Try booting into recovery now and installing .zip from SD card just like before and hopefully it helps. That is if you still need the help over a year later since the question was asked.