Now that the Amazon Fire TV has a ClockworkMod Recovery and can receive Custom ROMS, you may want to know how to revert back to the stock recovery and stock software. This guide will walk you through the steps to do just that.
Update
This guide is outdated. Please use the updated guide here.
It goes without saying that your Fire TV needs to be rooted in order to revert back to stock. It’s a good idea to check that all your update blocks are in place before and after following this guide if you want to avoid losing root. Your personal settings and data should remain intact through this process, but it’s always a good idea to back up anything you don’t want to lose.
- Download the Stock Software version that you want to install from AFTVnews.com/softwareWarning: If you select to install an unrootable stock software, like version 51.1.3.0_user_513011520, you will lose root and NOT be able to re-root or install ClockworkMod. You will be stuck with only official updates with no way to downgrade or root. If you want to keep root or the option to re-install ClockworkMod, you should select version 51.1.1.0_user_511070220 which is the newest rootable version.
- Rename the stock software you just downloaded to: update.zip
- Download the Stock Recovery from AFTVnews.com/software. Be sure to download the one that matches the stock software you selected in step 1.
- Rename the stock recovery you just downloaded to: recovery.img
- Connect to your Fire TV via ADB
- Transfer the recovery file to your Fire TV’s /sdcard directory by running this command:
adb push recovery.img /sdcard/
(Note: This assumes the recovery.img file you renamed in the above step is in the same directory as ADB, otherwise enter the full path to the file like this:
adb push C:\full\path\to\recovery.img /sdcard/
- Run the command: adb shell
- Run the command: su
(Note: If this is the first time you’ve ever run su, a pop-up will appear on the Fire TV and you need to select “Grant”)
- Run the command: chmod 777 /cache
- Run the command: chmod 777 /cache/recovery
Note: If you see a message saying “No such file or directory”, then run the following two commands:
mkdir /cache/recovery
chmod 777 /cache/recovery - Run the command: cd /cache/recovery
- Run the command: echo –-update_package=/cache/update.zip > command
- Run the command:
- Run the command: exit
- Run the command (yes, again): exit
- Run the command: adb push update.zip /cache/
(This assumes the update.zip file you renamed in step 2 is in the same directory as adb, otherwise enter the full path to the file like this:
adb push C:\full\path\to\update.zip /cache/
- Run the command adb reboot recovery
- Your Fire TV will reboot and complete the installation.
@AFTVnews
AFTVnews
Very impressed with all the guides/updates that you provide each day. Keep up the good work. Can you write an article about some of the apps that can be used on iPhone/Android as a mouse/keyboard for the Fire tv instead of a physical one.
Cheers !
For remote control of the FireTV I sideloaded droidmote.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.videomap.droidmoteserver
as the developer made sure the server had firetv compatibility.
http://www.videomap.it/dmcguide.htm
How likely is that 51.1.3.0_user_513011520 will become rootable? To the best of your knowledge, is anyone working on trying to make it rootable? If so, how soon might that happen? I’m stuck with that version and cannot do anything a rooted Fire TV would let me :(
Thanks!
There is no way to know how likely or how soon 51.1.3.0_user_513011520 will become rootable. The only effort I know of right now are people trying to figure out a hardware root that involves taking apart the Fire TV and soldering leads directly to the motherboard to access the file system.
If a new root comes out, it will likely be an Android wide root (like what towelroot was) instead of a Fire TV specific root.
My FTV update 51.1.3.0_user_513011520 when first time I setup. Can I follow this method to install this 51.1.1.0_user_511070220?
thank you
No. Your Fire TV cannot be rooted and you must be rooted to follow this method.
Why are the stock updates downloading as bins?
I can’t just rename a bin as a zip can I?
Appears you can. :) hope that helped someone else. just change the name of the file from .bin to .zip
Yup, just change the file to a zip. It’s supposed to download as a bin.
I am trying to downgrade from 51.1.1.0 and every step in your guide seems to go as described, but when I reboot into recovery, the update does not get installed. I have root and busy box.
Is this the only way to uproot a Fire TV? If one wanted to do this would you first unblock the block on the Amazon upgrade process or would this just automatically happen with the install of the unrootable firmware? What becomes of ClockworkMod after an install of the latest unrootable firmware? Is it still there?
Thanks…philip
I can do all except the last step. File is in same folder, but says cannot stat update zip invalid argument.
how to fix?
Since XBMC/KODI is now an official app and the icon shows up on the home screen I don’t feel the need to be rooted and have all the extra stuff installed. I followed this guide on both of my FTV’s, worked great I’m back to stock like I wanted to be with the latest software installed. Netflix is updated and working great, it was stuck on an older version before. Best of all the 5ghz band stays connected now (2.4ghz was strong but 5ghz would not stay connected) and buffering on 1080p files is non existent.
My only issue now is that on one of my FTV boxes when I check for updates it throws an update error, I think I may have forgotten to “enable OTA updates” in the fire tv utility app before I removed SU, xposed, towel root, clockworkmod etc.. All router level update DNS blocks have been removed and my other FTV can scan for updates with no problem (I did remember to enable OTA updates in the fire tv utility app for this box). I can install apps, I’m just getting that error message when I scan for an update to the FTV software.
Am I screwed now? Will I not be able to get OTA updates in the future? Perhaps I need to do a factory reset to enable them?
Both are on:
51.1.4.3_user_514020320 stock software
51.1.3.0_user_513011520 stock recovery
Thanks in advance!
Sorry I am noob here. Xbmc/kodi is an official app? Did you have to be rooted before to use this?
I installed Kodi last night (as I bought my Fire TV yesterday) I def followed instructions correctly, but all vid add ons fail? I have spent over 4 hours on this :(
Has it something to do with me being on the latest version on my Fire TV.
Please someone help, I am having the worst time with this!
I did the same thing… now I can’t even use this procedure update to the latest firmware since I no longer have root access. Did you ever figure out a solution?
I’m stuck at the last step where I’m getting the following response when trying to push update.zip to the box: “failed to copy ‘update.zip’ to ‘/cache//update.zip’: No space left on device” Any way to clear that cache using adb so that I can push the update file to it?
also stuck on “failed to copy ‘update.zip’ to ‘/cache//update.zip’: No space left on device” Any way to clear that cache.
That means the cache folder is full Install root explorer and delete all the files except update.zip
Can someone list out the steps to revert back to stock using AFTV utility?
Please can somebody tell me if there is a way my Amazon FIRETV is 51.1.5.3_user_515040320 can I downgrade it to 51.1.1.0_user_511070220 if Yes please any tutorial ?
Looks like the stock rom source site is gone. Does anyone know of another source for stock roms?
What do you mean “gone”? The stock ROMs are downloaded directly from Amazon, and the links at AFTVnews.com/software all still work. Are you perhaps blocking them with your router by blocking software updates to your Fire TV?
Something went wrong with the update and now I’m stuck with the failed update screen. I can reboot to CWM, but can’t connect with adb. I didn’t had a backup. I made one with CWM and tried to alter it with the boot.img and recovery.img, but that gives a checksum error.
Is there a way I can do the back to stock steps with CWM and usb only?
http://www.aftvnews.com/how-to-unbrick-and-prevent-bricking-an-amazon-fire-tv/#toc3.1
The “Resetting with Recovery Mode” part helped. Needed to use the rom in step 3.
I need help with my tv fire stick, I install the apk settings and disable the Bluetooth error. Fire control and my stick unresponsive. Disable bluetooth as I can not navigate the menu. As active again without using bluetooth control and I can not? help…
ok I am confused 51.1.3.0_user_513011520 so I download this file and called it update zip.
it say find matching software and call it recovery.img where do I get matching software for this? I am just using this software I can’t tell what software the amazon box it because it is rooted ? please help I need to unrooted this box asap.
Any one there that can help me please help?
My nephew has a Fire TV stick that after the initial Amazon logo splash screen goes to a black screen. I’ve done the button combo on the remote to factory reset but still same issue after reset, also tried rebooting it but no joy. Anybody know how I can sort it out? Its previously been side-loaded with Kodi but not rooted. Somebody else side-loaded so I can’t even connect with ADBFire. :(
If I open the casing is there any hardware reset I could perform?
I have an 16GB sdcard plugged into my FireTV that holds all my important apps. Can I perform a factory reset without losing the apps on the sdcard by removing the card prior to the reset and re-inserting it after?