I think you all know now advantages to have a custom recovery, such as TWRP, also considering Xiaomi's decision to remove visual recovery on older models. In fact, with the stock recovery, you will not be able to carry out daily "maintenance" operations or to minimize it.
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A custom recovery was made available, the ZCX-TWRP, which allows you to keep the active OTA updates and then the official ROMs, however, implementing all of them functions of the TWRP.
Unfortunately, however, it is not available for all Xiaomi phones, but only for Mi5 and RedMi Note 3 Pro.
Let's see how to install it.
Recovery ZCX-TWRP for Xiaomi Mi5 and Xiaomi RedMi Note 3 Pro
Unlike TeamWinRecoveryProject recoveries, ZCX allows full compatibility with official, China and Global ROMs.
- Bootloader unlocked - Guide to unlocking the bootloader
- Fully loaded phone
- ADB folder: Download ADB folder for Mi5 with Marshmallow ROM - Download ADB folder for Mi5 with ROM Nougat - Download ADB folder for RedMi Note 3 Pro
Download the one for your device and unpack the .zip file in a folder that will rename adb and will go to the C: / adb path.
Once the adb folder has been moved, rename the file "ZCX-TWR ..." contained in the folder, with a simpler name: "TWRP"(WITHOUT VIRGIN) is more than good.
We must now get the ROM to install through ZCX, unless you want to keep yours. In any case, you will need to download the FULL ROM package .zip currently installed on your device because it will be installed pre-installed.
Then go on download page of the Official site Xiaomi and, after selecting your model, download the FULL ROM you already have on.
Install ZCX Recovery
Xiaomitoday's staff are free of liability for any damages resulting from procedural errors.
The process is absolutely identical to any fastboot command recovery recovery.
- Let's put the smartphone in fastboot mode (hold volume down and power)
- Connect them to the PC
- Open the adb folder and, holding down the SHIFT key, click with the RIGHT BUTTON of the mouse in a white point of the folder and click on "open a command window here"
- We write fastboot devices and give ENTER
- Let's verify that a string appears next to the word "fastboot"
- Let's write then fastboot flash recovery twrp.img (NB in place of "twrp" you have to write the name of the file to the previously renamed ADB folder) and confirm with ENTER
- We are waiting for the recovery setup process
- We type fastboot boot twrp.img (NB in place of "twrp" you have to write the name of the file to the previously renamed ADB folder) and give ENTER
- We wait for the ZCX recovery to restart
Then take a look at the paragraph at the end of the article.
First set of ZCX recovery
Unlike official TWRPs, this ZCX must be set manually for enable OTA updates and to avoid unwanted blocks.
Once restarted in recovery, we will be in front of a screen where we will have to select a box "never show this screen during boot again" and then slide the blue bar down (from now on I will call this action SWIPE).
We will find this in the ZCX start menu, presumably in Chinese.
Below I will share the steps for you to do change the language.
We reach the menu Settings (or settings if you have chosen the Italian language) and we select SUPPORT MIUI-OTA and DISABLE BOOT-SYSTEM DM-VERIFY.
Now we have to install the ROM (in .zip format) already present on the device, which we will have copied to the internal memory of the device, in order to make a backup of the system and boot partitions that will allow the correct installation of subsequent OTA updates.
To install the ROM we go to the menu install from the main screen, select the zip ROM and we do it SWIPE. At the end of the flash, which will not erase the data on the phone, click on Reboot System to restart.
OTA updates with ZCX recovery
When we receive notification of an update, we can proceed with the download directly via Updater and, once download is complete, click on Update, as shown below.
The phone will reboot into ZCX recovery which will automatically start the update.
In case you want make the root of the device, nothing simpler. After the installation of the ROM, do not restart but come back in main menu of the ZCX and selected ADVANCED.
From there select SuperSu and confirm: recovery will automatically install the program that will grant you root permissions (the procedure must be followed after each update).
ERROR 7 resolution during an OTA update
This error stems from having previously used another TWRP and / or from rooting the device by flashing SuperSu .zip.
- Disable driver signatures on your PC (follow the section in this guide);
- downloaded MiFlash on your PC and install it, agreeing to installing fastboot drivers: Download MiFlash Beta;
- download the FASTBOOT version of the ROM currently mounted on your device and extract it from the archive MANDATORY with Winrar: ROM directory for Mi5 - ROM List for Redmi Notes 3;
for Redmiers Notes 3 Pro: ATTENTION to select the correct discussion by verifying that you are talking about the SNAPDRAGON (SD) version and not mediatek!
from the same discussion as you will download the fastboot ROM, also download the FULL ROM (Recovery version). It will serve you later.
- rename the folder containing ROM files as "rom" and put it in C: / rom (be careful not to have two equal folders in the other and do not insert spaces in folder names);
- put your phone in fastboot (volume down and power) and connect it to your PC;
- start MiFlash and click on "refresh" to make sure your device is recognized;
- selected from the top C: / rom path;
- select "clean all" below;
- click on "flash" and wait for the job to complete.
- restart the phone in fastboot mode again and proceed with ZCX setup and setup as described above;
- after the flash of the installed ROM (you have to download the fastboot ROM to install via MiFlash and the FULL ROM to be installed by recovery), go back to recovery (volume on and power) and go to BACKUP: select EFS, MODEM e PERSIST and confirm the backup with the swipe to the right;
- if you like, proceed to root and restart.
Except for complications, installation is not so difficult and you will enjoy the full benefits of TWRP while maintaining active OTA updates.
As always I dedicate part of my free time to writing guides to help less experienced users. If you were satisfied with the guide and the idea you have, you can offer me a beer or a coffee to thank me. No obligation!
Would it be possible to have an updated guide for Mi5 on Oreo?
Because the guide is old and we only talk about marshmallow and bougat
question: if I had to use this procedure to switch from China Stable to Global Stable, do I have to install the global when? In point 2, after the recovery setting, or once the whole procedure is finished, always via recovery -> install etc etc?
This recovery is fine also for mi5C ??
No
Great guide… I have a Mi5 with Global Developer (so MIUI 8.2 based on Nougat) and I used this recovery to switch to Global Stable (MIUI 8.1 based on MM) and everything went well. The only difficulty I had was when after installing the new rom it asked me for a password when starting Android, a password that I had never set and that I could not find. From recovery I had to delete all my data and do a general reset. Then it started as if I had done a factory reset. No big deal, I was really afraid I had done... Read the rest »
but isn't it better supersu 2.79 SR3 for android 7? … Else, has it been tested on mi5 Nougat? Which on the official forum recommend a more updated recovery
No, the one that is compatible is that linked
Hi, good news ...
I wanted to ask if once the procedure is done it will then be possible to try various moddated roms. If you then want to go back to that stock with active ota, will it be enough to restore a backup made previously or will you still have to repeat the installation of the "original full rom"?
thank you
Hello
installations should always be made as FULL ROM
Marco I should put the zcx recovery on my mi5 with miui global 9 beta. Being based on Oreo, can the indicated guide be followed? Because then I want to put root. Thank you.