[HTC U11  ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other Develo] Captain_Throwback:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Why is this device different than my previous HTC device?

With the U11 (like the 10, M9 and A9 prior to it), HTC has moved to a block-based OTA system. This means that even mounting system as read-write (as TWRP typically does during startup checks) will nullify the device's ability to take an OTA. Any other changes to the system partition will also cause an OTA to fail (even if that check is removed from the OTA zip) due to "unexpected contents." Additionally, see this HTC 10 thread.

2. I decrypted my device and now I don't have signal. Did a TWRP update cause this?

No, this is not a TWRP issue. It appears that on the U11, having a decrypted device prevents the SIM card/telephony from initializing, resulting in no mobile signal or data connection. The device comes with forced encryption enabled and currently must remain that way in order for mobile signal/data to work. TWRP does not change or affect any of that.

3. Which version of TWRP am I supposed to use?

For all ROMs except stock-based Nougat ROMs: The best version to use is 3.4.0-0, the latest official TWRP from twrp.me.

For stock-based Nougat ROMs: The best version to use is 3.2.3-0, from twrp.me.

4. Why is there a "System" backup option and a "System Image" backup option now?

The "System" option is the standard tar backup. "System Image" is a dd backup of the entire system block device (/dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/system).

The "System Image" option is only relevant if your system is unmodified

. This allows you to make a fully stock backup that can be restored later to take an OTA.

NOTE: You only need to choose ONE of these options when making a backup!!

NOTE 2: If you are using a FAT32-formatted card, a "System Image" backup may fail (depending on your variant), due to the 4GB file limit on that format. For a successful System Image backup, internal storage or NTFS/exFAT-formatted external storage must be used (either SD card or USB-OTG)

5. How am I supposed to root?

Since the U11 has dm-verity enabled and forces encryption by default, root can only be achieved using a "systemless" root method. Magisk is the recommended root solution, as it is actively developed and up-to-date. It also allows devices to pass Google's SafetyNet API for working contactless payments. See the below thread for full details.

Magisk

6. How do I backup stock recovery prior to flashing TWRP?

On the U11, you can "fastboot boot twrp-3.1.1-0-ocn.img" (from

bootloader

, not download mode) this will directly boot into TWRP without modifying your currently installed recovery. You can then backup stock recovery from within TWRP.

You

flash

TWRP from download mode, but you

boot

TWRP from bootloader ('adb reboot bootloader').

Another common method is to extract the stock recovery.img from the OTA firmware.zip when it's received and use that to install the OTA.

7. How do I restore stock system so that I can accept an OTA?

Check the "Mount system as read-only" box in the Mount menu.

Restore stock "System Image" backup (This will only work if you've made a System Image backup prior to making any modifications to /system).

Fastboot flash stock recovery (fastboot flash recovery recovery_signed.img)

NOTE: It is also possible to restore stock recovery via the TWRP GUI. Rename the stock recovery file to "recovery.emmc.win" and place in the backup folder with the stock system image. Recovery will then show as a restore option. MAKE SURE YOU REALLY WANT TO DO THIS, AS TWRP WILL BE GONE WHEN YOU REBOOT OUT OF RECOVERY!!

NOTE 2: It is possible to install an OTA without using stock recovery (i.e. installing it with TWRP). TWRP will not flash the firmware.zip included in an OTA file. Please see here for a detailed description of the process. (That post is for the HTC 10, for the U11 the proper zip filename would be 2PZCIMG.zip instead of 2PS6IMG.zip)

Reboot to system, install OTA.

8. What if I have an RUU? Do I need to worry about all this OTA nonsense?

Not if you don't care about losing all your data. If you're S-ON and have an RUU available for your exact variant (model ID and CID must match) and software number (main version must be the same or newer), then you can get back to a fully stock state by flashing an RUU.

However, if you'd prefer to take an OTA to keep your data intact, the method stated above is how to do so. Or, you can just run a custom ROM and wait for your ROM chef to update their ROM to the latest software (though you'll still have to find a way to update your firmware if you're not S-OFF)

9. After I go through all this and successfully apply an OTA, how do I make sure I have a clean starting point again?

After the OTA is applied and TWRP is booted or flashed, it will once again detect an untouched system, which will mount system read-only and allow you to make a fully stock backup and start the process over again, this time with the new base.

10. After I restored my Data backup and boot back to Android, I'm entering the correct PIN/password, but it's telling me the password is wrong. What happened, and how do I fix it?

It appears that sometimes after restoring a backup of Data where security was enabled (such as a PIN or password lock), the device does not recognize the correct password. There are two ways to avoid this issue:

Disable security in Android before making a backup of data.

After restoring Data, while still in TWRP, use the TWRP File Manager to navigate to /data/system and delete all the locksettings.* files (such as locksettings.db, etc). When you reboot, the password will be gone.

11. Information about encrypted devices (by default all U11 devices are encrypted using FDE force-encrypt)

TWRP decryption on the U11 relies on the currently running ROM's own system files using 'vold_decrypt' to be able to decrypt your data partition.

If you intentionally or accidentally delete your system partition, and boot into TWRP without the needed system files, decryption will fail and you will be prompted to enter your password, which will continually fail due to the missing system files.

When the TWRP console is shown during decryption, you will see a red text: "Missing files needed by vold decrypt: /system/bin/vold".

If you encounter this situation, do not panic, do not format your data partition, you will most likely be able to decrypt again, once you have the needed setup back in place, without any data loss.

The easiest way to do this:

Cancel the decrypt prompt

Restore your last System or System_Image backup (no other partitions need to be restored!)

Reboot to bootloader and then back to TWRP (since currently the direct reboot to recovery is broken due to the lack of kernel source code)

Alternatively, in case you do not have a backup available, you can dirty flash whatever ROM you are running, or even fastboot flash a proper system.img, but considering that your system partition is not likely to have changed, since these days most things are run systemless, the restore is the easiest and fastest.