Didn’t get your Donut 1.6 update yet? Here’s how to manually update

958 days ago by 90

T-Mobile has started their OTA rollout of the Android 1.6 Donut update. We’ve all been anxiously waiting, but if you don’t feel like waiting anymore, here’s how to do the update manually:

  1. Download the update file here for the G1. And here for the myTouch 3G.
  2. Rename the file update.zip and copy it to the root directory of your SD card. If you are on Windows and have file extensions hidden, then just name it update.
  3. After the file is copied, unmount the SD card and turn off you phone. Turn it back on by holding HOME+END.
  4. It will boot into a special update screen, then press Alt+S to apply the update from your SD card.
  5. Wait till it finishes, then hit HOME+BACK to reboot
  6. The bootup will take longer than normal, just let it finish.
  7. Enjoy some tasty Donuts!

A quick note, you do not have to have your phone rooted to update, but if you are rooted, this update will lose your root access. Questions, comments, issues? Let us know in the comments.

UPDATE: A reader wrote in with the process for myTouch owners:

There is no need to root or flash from a computer and upgrading is just as easy as with the G1. Put the update.zip file on the SD card, hold home+power until you get to the screen with the exclamation mark in a triangle. Once at that screen just press home+power again. It will take you to the recovery screen where you can use the trackball to to select “update from sd card”.

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Ben is the owner/editor of The Android Site, as well as the main writer. He has been writing about Android related news since 2009 and obsessed with everything Google and Android related. You can find him on Reddit, Twitter, Google Plus and most other websites under the username benmarvin

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  • http://x0mb1e.com Percival

    I just bought a unlocked Tmobile G1, it arrived with 1.5.
    Will I lose my applications etc? Will it lock the phone? Really looking forward to updating.

  • http://www.theandroidsite.com Ben Marvin

    @Percival
    As long as you don’t wipe when updating it will keep all your applications and settings. You will see the option to wipe from the update screen, but it’s not necessary when just doing a simple update like this.

  • http://x0mb1e.com Percival

    @Ben Marvin
    Thanks for the quick answer Ben. I just entered the Android world, and I’m loving it so far.
    WIll I any problems with comparability with applications? Thanks.

  • http://x0mb1e.com Percival

    @Ben Marvin
    Ack. typo.
    Will there be any kind of compatibility problems with applications at all or smooth sailing? Thanks.

  • http://www.twitter.com/pimpdaddjerome Rome

    Has anyone tried it on a mytouch yet? I am rooted, but want to get rid of it after this update. I only rooted to get 1.6 features. Now that it’s out, root is no longer a necessity.

  • http://www.theandroidsite.com Ben Marvin

    @Percival
    There will inevitably be some apps that are not 1.6 ready yet. probably minor stuff though.

  • http://ukstokes.com/blog ben

    Which device is this for and which country?

  • dragem

    Sidn’t work on tmobile g2 touch. sad package was not signed

  • Ben Marvin

    Sorry, should have been a little clearer. This is the 1.6 update for Tmobile US. Supposed to be for the G1 and myTouch, but only tested for the G1/Dream.

  • henrik

    Android apps are forward compatible, your old apps will work just fine. Newer Apps built for 1.6 specific are not backwords compatible

  • hiben1

    Hey, I’m in the UK and just tried to manually update my G1 with this release with no luck :( my G1 is still working fine just not 1.6 “Donut”. Was wondering if you know when the OTA update is going to be available in the UK or if you know of any UK 1.6 release on the web so that I can manually install the update?

    Thank you
    hiben1

  • ben marvin

    IIRC at least with the cupcake update, Tmobile UK was only a week or two behind tMO UK with the update.

  • sharath

    This process worked very well. Thanks a lot author.

  • http://www.techblazer.com Tim Elam

    Tasty Donut, thanks. Now I just need some coffee to go with it.

  • jamesyb0i

    this whole update process is confusing me… I bought my HTC Magic from a non vodafone store, it is a non google (32a) htc magic. I assume there will be no automatic update for people like me? Need more official voice

  • Ben Marvin

    Not sure specifically about a 1.6 update for the Magic 32a, but you always have the option of rooting and installing a 1.6 ROM from here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=480

  • David

    I have the htc hero for T-Mobile Unlocked with the 1.5 can i update to 1.6 or tmobile will send it to me over the air for the update? :)

  • Ben Marvin

    @David You will probably have to update manually. There may be an update on the HTC site for the Hero, not sure but I’ll see if I can dig it up.

  • Fusion Limos

    I updated to CupCake 1.5 a while back for my G1, what is the difference between CupCake and Donut updates?
    Will I have any conflicts withthis new update?
    I updated to CupCake 1.5 the same way as described above.

    Thanks…..

  • G

    I tried it on my touch and wasnt able to it aborted installation idk I wonder what went wrong

  • Arturo

    Hey thanks a lot I’m enjoying the donut now. I did the update without using a computer I used the application astro file manager from the market change the name of the file to update.zip turn my phone off and did what you told me.

  • mark

    thank you soooooo much. works like a charm.!

  • SamZzz

    Thanks for the link and instructions! Worked great on my non-root G1! The new market does look slick! :) The search is cool too. Have not run into any app issues so everything seems to be good on that front. Course I had updates come out on most of them a few days ago so I’d say they were making whatever changes needed to be made at that time. Too bad they didn’t go ahead with multi-touch. :( Really would like to have that.

  • ivansterr

    hold up , do you have to be rooted to do this ?

  • ivansterr

    ohh one more thing , if this process does not pass correctly , would i end up with a bricked phone ?

  • http://www.theandroidsite.com Ben Marvin

    @Ivansterr Nope, this is just as if you received the update from T-Mobile OTA, no root needed. But if you are rooted, you will lose root.

  • http://www.theandroidsite.com Ben Marvin

    As long as you let everything finish, and you’re currently running standard TMO Cupcake 1.5, there shouldn’t be any issues. If by some chance the update doesn’t finish, you still should be able to boot into recovery mode and go back to 1.5

  • Julie

    I am trying to click on the link to download the update manually, but it’s saying there is an error:

    Server Error

    The service you requested is not available yet.
    Please try again in 30 seconds.

  • Julie

    Nevermind, I opened it in a different browser and it worked. Downloading and installing now, let’s hope it works!

  • Julie

    Nevermind, I got the update to download using a different broswer. Downloaded and installed onto my G1, thanks so much! I was tired of waiting to receive the update.

    Much better at doing things on my own. =]

    http://www.abeautifulstory.wordpress.com

  • Andrew

    Was not able to get 1.6 to work on MyTouch, pressing home+end brings me to a screen with a graphic of the MyTouch next to an exclamation point inside a triangle. Put the MyTouch update package as “update.zip” in the root directory of the SD card, unsure what could be going wrong.

  • Ryan

    @Andrew

    You did nothing wrong yet, but you didn’t finish the steps. When you see the exclamation point inside the triangle, then press Alt-S. That’s what I did on my G1 cuz there is a keyboard…unsure how you would do this next step on the MyTouch. :-/

  • sheikh zia

    i have a g1 and its not being updated, the progress bar goes to the middle and stops. nothing happens.:( plzz help

  • sheikh zia

    i think this doesn’t worl on the uk version?

  • Brad

    Please Help anyone. i have a cyanogenMod-4.04 g1 rooted phone. how can i get this update? i tried this and when i apply the zip it says operation aborted? is there any possible way anyone can help . i dont care loosing my rooted phone. please help

  • michael

    it wont work on my g1 it keeps saying installation aborted.
    please help

  • ODS Kenny

    sorry for the ignorance but which folder do i put the file into on the sd card…..none of them say root dir on them?

    Thanks

  • Patrick

    To Manual update your Mytouch with the original software on your phone. When you download the Mytouch software listed above, rename it to update only,and not update.zip. The Mytouch automatically places the .zip behind the file. Place the file on you SD card. After successfully doing so then you will power off your phone. While powering the phone back on you will hold down the Power, and the home button key at the same time. You will get a picture with a triangle and explanation mark inside next to a phone. Then you will again hit the power and home button again where you will get the command prompt. Using the track ball you will then go down to where it says apply sdcard:update.zip Then follow the directions. It will have no problem with updated. Allot of you when doing this manual update is having problems. This is because the root name update.zip is appearing as update.zip.zip in which it can not open the file because the name is wrong.

    -Patrick
    T-Mobile Customer/Sales Specialist
    T-Mobile Black Berry/PDA Support

  • Patrick

    @ODS Kenny

    ODS Kenny,

    When placing the file on your SD card. Don’t place the file in a separate folder. Again the device will not recognize the update file. Please refer to my earlier post # 38.

    -Patrick
    T-Mobile Customer/Sales Specialist
    T-Mobile Black Berry/PDA Support

  • Duncan

    @Patrick
    Hi Patrick. I go through the process then click on install from DS card (HTC Magic). It says “unsigned”, states how many files there are and then says install aborted. Any ideas?

  • Duncan

    @Patrick
    I tried a second time and got the message:
    E:Can’t mount /dev/block/mmcblk0p1 (No such file or directory)
    E: Can’t mount SDCARD:update.zip
    Installation aborted.

    p.s. I have checked that the update file is named correctly

    BR
    Duncan

  • Duncan

    @Patrick
    When I tried a second time it gives me the following message:
    Finding update package…
    E:Can’t mount /dev/block/mmcblko
    p1 (or /dev/block/mmcblk0)
    (no such file or directory)
    E:Can’t mount SDCARD:update.zp
    Installation aborted

  • Duncan

    @Patrick

    The actual message is
    E: No signature (318 files)
    E: Verification failed
    Installation aborted

  • CDAWG

    @Patrick

    Patrick, I’m guessing your in Canada, I am running into the same issue.
    Probably just isn’t supported on Rogers yet.

  • Blake

    I have my G1 Rooted but when i try to flash 1.6 on to it. It keeps saying there is no signature

    • http://www.theandroidsite.com Ben Marvin

      You’ll have to downgrade to a stock 1.5 or use a rooted 1.6 ROM. There are a few on xda-developers.

  • Patrick

    Sorry bout that everyone with the Sidekick server down work has been very busy with me with little time for forums.

    Almost all you guys problem is the same. You need to have the original software in order to root to 1.6 I had the same problem with my MyTouch, and after T-Mobile classes that is the only way to do it. By now all of you should have gotten the 1.6 update. If you have not done so by now the best way you should do it is root your G1 or Mytouch software back to its original state. This can be done by following these instructions.

    http://theunlockr.com/2009/08/22/how-to-unroot-your-mytouch-3g/

    If you leave your MyTouch rooted you will NOT receive the 1.6 update. Again WILL NOT receive the 1.6 update! And it will come in error until you re root to the original software and follow the steps from my last post. Thank You… My best advice will be simply do not root your mytouch and keep as is and wait for your updates. Reason for it taken so long is because if we release the update all at once

    1: It will take a week for everyone to download a simple update.

    2: The server will crash just like AT&T

    3: Faster download speeds.

    Happy Android EVERYONE!

    -Patrick
    T-Mobile Customer/Sales Specialist
    T-Mobile Black Berry/PDA Support

  • carlos

    if you cant update it manually because an error or something is because you have your phone rooted you have to unroot your phone and than do the steps to update it and it will work correctly :)

  • simon nicholson

    Please help me asap the cupcake software from your web page work a treat but the the donut 1.6 does not I named it update on my vista machine went in to file properties and the file said update.zip not update.zip.zip but it still won’t work any help would be brill thanks

  • Nathan

    I followed the MyTouch instructions to the letter and it seemed to do correctly, but I kept getting ‘media/SD card’ related errors. Had to track down this (http://theunlockr.com/2009/08/22/how-to-unroot-your-mytouch-3g/) in order to downgrade to factory.

  • Nathan

    Edit:
    Apparantly I hadn’t read ALL the reply’s here as the link seems to have been provided :-p

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