How to: Downgrade/Debrick PlayBook from Beta OS 2.1.0.840

Update: While I have not personally tested it, I've heard that the small update to 2.1 which was pushed out on Sept 24th allows you to downgrade using DM. If it does, awesome. If not, the below method should still work (until RIM blacklists 2.0.1 entirely).

It seems like a lot of people have been posting because they've been having problems with the latest PlayBook Beta OS, 2.1.0.840. Normally this wouldn't be an issue, because up until now you could always downgrade your PlayBook from a beta by debricking it. This is not the case with 2.1.0.840.

When RIM released PlayBook OS 2.0.1.668, they intended that to be the only official OS which people would be able to run; as a result, in 2.1.0.840, they blacklisted 2.0.1.358. When 2.0.1.668 was pulled (whether due to issues upgrading from version 1.0 OSes or issues with the battery levels being improperly detected), there was no official means to downgrade from 2.1.0.840.

There is, however, an unofficial way to downgrade. I've set it up here in a way that it requires very little computer savvy-ness. Keep in mind that this method is UNOFFICIAL, and will VOID your warranty. It is also NOT GUARANTEED to work, and it is NOT my fault if any damage occurs to your PlayBook, your sanity, or your consortium.

This method required using CFP, which is a PROPRIETARY internal piece of RIM software that is not intended to be given to the general public.

ALWAYS BACK UP YOUR PLAYBOOK BEFORE YOU DO ANY OS CHANGES ON IT!

With all that out of the way, lets begin.

Step 0: Connect your PlayBook to a working PC (sorry mac users, I refuse to support your lifestyle choices ;)) with an internet connection, and have a substantive understanding of the English language.

Step 1: Create a new folder on your desktop. You can name it whatever you want, but make sure you remember the name and do not put anything in it except what you download to follow these instructions.

Step 2: Download a PlayBook OS you want to downgrade to and save it to a folder OTHER THAN the one you created in step 1. Your downgrade choices here are very limited. It is confirmed that downgrading to 2.0.1.668 will work, and you can download 2.0.1.668 directly from RIM.
I suspect that 2.1.0.560 will also work, but I have not tested that.
Download links:
2.0.1.668: http://cdn.fs.sl.blackberry.com/fs/q...873.signed.bar
2.1.0.560:
qcfm.image.com.qnx.coreos.qcfm.os.factory_sfi.GR2_ X_X.560.229027.signed.zip - download now for free. File sharing. Software file sharing. Free file hosting. File upload. FileFactory.com


Step 3: If you downloaded the .bar for 2.0.1.668, rename it to .zip (or just open it as an archive) and extract the .signed file (just the .signed file, none of the other files/folders) to the folder you created in Step 1. If you downloaded the .zip I provided for 2.1.0.560, extract the .signed file to the folder your created in Step 1.

Step 4: Download cfp to the folder you created in step 1.
I do not know where you will be able to find cfp, it is proprietary RIM software. However, I suggest you check This Link created by Lyricidal.

Step 5: (Optional): This step is for people who do not wish to use the command line.
If you are using 2.0.1.668, download this file into the folder you created in step 1: loadOS2.0.1.668.bat
If you are using 2.1.0.560, download this file into the folder you created in step 1: loadOS2.1.0.560.bat

Step 6: If you did step 5, just click the .bat.
If you didn't, just run cfp load osname.signed from the cmd window.

Do not disconnect your PlayBook until the downgrade is complete.

That's it. Your PlayBook should load the OS, and everything should be good to go. After the OS finishes installing and your PlayBook boots up, I recommend you delete any files you downloaded in the course of the downgrade.

Thanks Scridly

Now if I ended up getting .668 on mine after doing the beta. If I was to put .560 on mine could I then get back to the official 2.0? Not sure I want to do that but curious if I do.

Nope :( once you've load .840, you can't ever go lower than .668 (unless you corrupt your NVRAM and your PlayBook wipes itself back to 1.0).

just to bookmark, sorry.

Sent from a old but beautiful BB 8520 or a new and shinny PB 2.0

No news on a good update or an update to the beta?

Thanks man! It's working!

If I go back to .668, can i then go back to .358?

Originally Posted by randomkidsrule

If I go back to .668, can i then go back to .358?

Originally Posted by kbz1960

Thanks Scridly

Now if I ended up getting .668 on mine after doing the beta. If I was to put .560 on mine could I then get back to the official 2.0? Not sure I want to do that but curious if I do.

Originally Posted by SCrid2000

Nope :( once you've load .840, you can't ever go lower than .668 (unless you corrupt your NVRAM and your PlayBook wipes itself back to 1.0).

10characters

Thanks man! I am now back on .668 after having the .840 beta!

Hi SCrid2000
I'm sorry i just have one question, why if we use your method the PB warranty is VOID?

Originally Posted by RealGizzle

Hi SCrid2000
I'm sorry i just have one question, why if we use your method the PB warranty is VOID?

Using CFP will technically void your warranty, because you're using proprietary RIM software that they don't want anyone outside of RIM employees to even have.
Now, will RIM know you used CFP? Almost certainly not.
Will they honor your warranty even if they did? Probably.
But they don't have to.

Its not clear whether the CFP load of the OS is similar to a Debrick or just an OS upgrade. In other words, do you loose any saved data on the PlayBook?

At would depend on whether you load a debrick or an update .signed.
In other words, back up your PlayBook.

Originally Posted by SCrid2000

At would depend on whether you load a debrick or an update .signed.
In other words, back up your PlayBook.

What was the the link you posted? Was it a debrick or an update?

668 is a debrick image.
560 is an update image.

.560 update worked and put .560 on but still no Android working player. (found out my error for not insalling android player app by sideloading). The nice thing about .840 was that for the first time my Exchange account synced contacts and calendar. The actual way it is supposed o work. I'd been syncing Exchange to Google and then Google to PB for contacts and calendar and had given up on this ever working. Be interesting to see what combination of things I get after all this. Thanks for SCrid2000 for the post and the tools. I couldn't fid any of the needed files before his help.

Originally Posted by SCrid2000

Nope :( once you've load .840, you can't ever go lower than .668 (unless you corrupt your NVRAM and your PlayBook wipes itself back to 1.0).

gday scrid, I have been searching about just this as I am in a position to try it and troubleshoot. however, there seems to be little public notice on how to do so, but much allusion to it being possible. may you give me some pointers?
thanks
k

Thanks for this

i wish i could get it back to 1.0 is there any way to do so !!?

Originally Posted by poomslike

i wish i could get it back to 1.0 is there any way to do so !!?

Nope.

The latest is a 2.0.0 something.

Search the "Playbook Rooting" section of these forums for more info.

Not sure why people downgrade back to the official 2.0 OS, for me 2.0 is garbage, the 2.1.0.840 works the best for me.

Although there is issue with the beta 2.1, but the 2.0 was a lot worse, stay with the best!

Thanks for this post, I had OS 2.1.0.840 and i did a security wipe which resulted in me having no default apps and only the browser available. I tried the downgrade option which gave me an error everytime I tried. It eventually got to a stage where i couldnt even get out of the initial playbook setup cause it was trying to update to OS 2.1.0.840 which is the actual OS on the device. Thanks again, this worked like a charm. Much appreciated. :D :D :D

Just debricked after the 1mb update. Downgrading to .358

Is the CFP file still there for downloading?

I clicked on everything on that spam filled website and nothing.

Tim

Originally Posted by trsbbs

Is the CFP file still there for downloading?

I clicked on everything on that spam filled website and nothing.

Tim

First, get AdBlock (it works great here on CrackBerry too).
I just checked the DepositFiles link, it seems to be working.