How To: Unlock the Atrix 4G Bootloader
Filed under Development, Guides by Kenneth Pennington on June 23, 2011 at 4:09 PM
Unlock Atrix 4G Bootloader
Just one day after the news of unlocked Gingerbread bootloaders on the Atrix reached the net, developers have packaged up a bootloader unlock file that will allow Atrix users on all builds (even Froyo) to unlock. The full guide resides below this text. It’s a fairly simple process, but we warn you that unlocking your bootloader may void your warranty. BriefMobile cannot be held responsible for any bootloader unlock-caused mayhem. Flash this unlocker at your own risk!
How To: Unlock the Atrix 4G Bootloader
Prerequisites
- Backed up /data partition
- You will lose all of your /data during this process!
- Unlock SBF file [Mirror]
- RSD Lite 5.3.1 or sbf_flash [Download if Atrix is Froyo]
- Fastboot package [Mirror]
- Also found in the Android SDK tools folder
Instructions
- If you’re on Gingerbread, skip to step 13.
- Power down your Motorola Atrix
- Take out your microSD card and SIM card for the flashing process
- While turning the phone on, hold the Volume Up button until it acknowledges RSD
- Your device will say “Starting RSD protocol support”
- Run “RSD Lite” on your computer
- Press the “. . .” button next to the box labeled “Filename”
- Load up the SBF file
- The SBF file is located inside of the .zip file, you must extract it out before loading it into RSD Lite
- Use WinRAR or 7-Zip to extract the .zip file on your computer
- Plug your device into your computer
- Use the USB ports on the back side of your computer for safety
- RSD Lite should recognize your device and say “Model: NS Flash Olympus” and “Connected…”
- Press the “Start” button
- Be patient while the phone reboots. It will take a long time.
- Open and extract the Fastboot package from above
- Open a command prompt window
- On Windows, press Start and type “cmd” then press the enter button
- Type the following command. Your directory will be the folder where you extracted the Fastboot package.
(Example: cd C:\Users\Kenneth\Desktop\fastboot-package)- cd your directory here
- Power down your Atrix device
- Hold the power button and the downward volume button until you see “Fastboot”
- Let go of the buttons and press the upward volume button once
- You will now see “Starting Fastboot protocol support”
- Plug your device into a USB port in the back slot of your computer
- Front slots sometimes do not have enough power to stay connected to the device.
- Type the following command:
- fastboot oem unlock
- You will now receive a warning along with a unique device ID
- Type the following commands using your unique device ID in place of the ####:
- fastboot oem unlock ####
- fastboot reboot
- Wait for your device to reboot. Congratulations! You now have an unlocked bootloader!
Source // the2dcour
can’t believe!!
you’re faster than ever!!
can someone please help. i am stuck at “Starting Fastboot protocol support” my screen has been on this screen for 15 mins now and nothing. any ideas? i have removed sim and ext sd card
sexy, now the wait for custom kernel’s to be dev’ed and full blown ROMs. fuck i love this stuff.
is this good for installing european sbf-s on at&t atrix?
What about Bell people? I heard this only works for ATT!!!
Yeah, that’s true for now. :(
is it common to lose the use of 3g/4g after unlocking???
this erase your /data folder so you need to restore your apn here is a link to a tut i made real quick http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1138648
What exactly would you need in order for this to work with Bell or other users? Would it just be one or two pieces of info, or would you be starting from scratch?
its on like popcorn now
Just awesome. I want to get my comment in here before the hordes of traffic from engadget and others show up soon.
Edit: I stand corrected, this is for OLYFR/ATT only, but no need to flash anything after.
Now why should we do this? Moto said they would be unlocking it for us right?
Best thing since sliced bread
Sliced Gingerbread?
How sweet is that..!
DO NOT use sbf_flash to write the whole hktw SBF to your phone. It will screw it up.
Other than the DATA loss, will our phone run the same right after the unlock, or will it basically be clean stock 1.8.3 or whatever?
This works for Atrix from Brazil? Or Just ATT?
no… Just ATT
sec_exception: febe, 35, 35
is there a way to re-lock the bootloader on the phone just in case??
So… will the OTA to Gingerbread break this?
Do i have to be stock 1.8.3 to do this?? I am on gingerblur now
It works with gingerblur. It even holds over. The only “negative” side effect is that you are able to skip setup by telling it to complete an action with Launcher. Works fine.
Accually, make sure to tick the box when it asks you to complete with setup or launcher. Otherwise, home button does’nt work correctly (or at all). You get back all the AT&T carp
Can we flash sbf’s once the Bootloader it Unlocked?
The process does not prevent this ability?
Sweeeeeeet…. cyanogen mod works can commence now I believe
My Atrix is now unlocked.
Thank you very much for the great tutorial and support!
someone correct me if i’m wrong but i would think since this should be a part of the next update from moto after that update we’d just be able to skip to step 14
If you download the Android SDK instead of just the fastboot file you may need to move fastboot from Android-SDK/tools/ to Android-SDK/platform-tools. An ADB dll got moved at some point so that’s what I had to do.
SDL Lite is not showing the SBF file when I click the button to choose which file to use. I’ve unzipped the unlock file and it zomgunlock-lite is a generic “file” and not SBF.
I am getting the same problem! There is no SBF file! Just a generic file named zomgunlock-lite. How can I flash a SBF file when none is provided in the unlock zip file?
RSD Lite*
when it says if on Ginerbread does it mean like gingerblur?
on the first step is what i am talking about
My phone reboots just a few seconds after hitting start on RSD Lite. RSD Lite says it is 100% completed but the phone is still Froyo. I have used RSD Lite before when I flashed 1.26 without any issues. I did update the latest drivers and RSD Lite before I tried to flash.
my mistake. I thought this was also upgrading to Gingerbread. I am unlocked now.
Thanks
On the command prompt i keep getting “waiting for device” what am i doing wrong?
the same thing happened to me but i think it might be the cord you are using because when i went to root it that is what it said but when i got the cord that came with the phone it worked fine. I guess the other one wasn’t powerful enough. You can check if it is by plugging your phone in and in the notification bar you should have the option to select how you want to conect like none or USB mass storage,
After unzipping the unlock zip it doesnt have the sbf file. the name of the file zombunlock.file so how do I change the extension?
yup. i jst unlocked bootloader on atrix. thanks xda and all others.
and put sbf extension on that one file. everything else is very simple.
months ago i flashed an ATT sbf onto my bell atrix so i could get gingerblur and what not. so all that works. does this mean that all of the unlocking and gingerbread stuff is good for this or no?
Worked like a charm! Time to test out HKTW 2.3.4.
hi, it´s great !!! but can you help me please, when i plug my phone to the pc the RSD Lite detect it as “SE Flash Olympus” and not as “SN Flash Olympus”, 5 minutes after y click start, in the column named “result” said “FAIL”, at the same time on the phone´s screen apear the legend “sec_exception: febe, 35, 35, any sugestion??
I have a mexican atrix (from america movil / telcel) with gingerblur 4.5.
i have a same problem… you are a solution ?
Same problem here Abraham…
Any sugestion?
“Telcel Atrix with Gingerblur 4.5″ too
I´m not sure, but may be xda make this possible http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=15562897#post15562897
Have you guys found a solution. I’m stuck with the same error
I had the same problem.
go to http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=991072 and download the 1.2.6. Flash it to the phone thru rsd lite. when its done and rsd lite says pass. Start this unlock process all over again
Using Red lite and flashing the. sbf WILL HARD BRICK YOUR ATRIX WITH 2.3.4 OTA. I got at&t to do a warranty exchange.
Rsd*
i didnt have 2.3.4. and thats how i got past the error. my phone is unlocked has a custom rom and works
Did not work for me. same problem!!!!
SE instead of SN
any solution
the fllash didn’t work, I follow all the steps and at the end the message is the same ,…FAIL
I unlocked my atrix.. but I don’t no how to get gingerbread
Please help
I have done the bootloader unlock successfully.. but i am still getting the prompt to enter the carrier unlock code. Could any one tell abt this?
unlocked atrix just fine (at&t model)
downside is i lost side-loading and root access
reflashing sbf and rooting as i type
my Atrix does not show up in fastboot:( I have the drivers insalled, how can I get this work
RSD Lite isn’t detecting my phone.. what should I do?
Hi. I unlocked my phone, but the unknown sources option is missing. Is there more I have to do?
Broken links for “Unlock SBF file” and “Fastboot Package”
Downloads broken !!!!
Download link dead…
I’m stuck on the command prompt. When I put in that command it can’t find the file. I extracted fastboot to my desktop and it still didn’t work. not sure what i’m doing wrong
please help me to popup fastboot,
Easy as pie!
Thanks!
Hey, please help me understand as the Prerequisites say “OR” BUT the Instructions say to run BOTH RSD Lite 5.3.1. (Step 6) and then run sbf file (Step 8)…..? I have Froyo and dont want to mess this up…
”RSD Lite 5.3.1 or sbf_flash [Download if Atrix is Froypleo]”
Also, Step 15 says ” type the followiong command”, then shows an “Example??
Do we type what the example syas?
Sorry for the q’s….seems a littel hard to follow and i want to be sure…..
can someone please help. i am stuck at “Starting Fastboot protocol support” my screen has been on this screen for 15 mins now and nothing. any ideas? i have removed sim and ext sd card
Thank you now i have an Unlocked Atrix!!! you´re great!!1 thanks a lot!!
que pasos seguiste? tienes el link?
Does this works for the brazilian Atrix (OLYLA_U4_0.50.0)?
hai,i have problem with numb 13 instuction,to extrack fastboot from above..extack to where.to rsd lite
or to window.please guide me..
please help me guys,,true my email please lnk.rizal26@gmail.com
i try about 10 time,but still not work..for my atrix 4g at&t..
I followed all the steps and when i typed in fastboot oem unlock the command prompt window told me it is not recognized as an internal or external command and nothing appeared on my phone… HELP ME
i tried again and now it says (bootloader) OEM unlock is not implemented
same problem here, anyone know how to fix?
Edit: Got the fix from the geniuses at XDA. OTA Gingerbread users must complete all steps, **even the ones it says to skip if you’re on GB**
Good luck!
Mine hard bricked when I flashed the .sbf file and I was on the 2.3.4 OTA.
Yeah definitely don’t do the first few steps as you WILL brick your phone.
WILL NOT WORK ON NEW STOCK 2.3.4 SAYS OEM unlock is not implemented.
Umm tried your method on 2.2 and RSD said failed now my phone want do anything but turn the green LED on ?!? what is up with that? easy ? or not
I also bricked following this method, left with only the green LED while connected to USB
CD your directory WHERE!?!?!?!
Will unlocking my boatloader also carrier unlock it….Im trying to use it with a T-mobile sim and it keeps asking me for an unlock code…I thought by doing this hat I would bypass that and be able to use my tmobile sim now…Am I wrong or am I missing something??
is it ok to “PRESS START” in RSD LITE even if it says SE OLUMPUS and not NS OLYMPUS ?
I used this guide and my phone says its unlocked but when i put a different sim in its still locked?
this is just bootloader unlock, not SIM unlock, you need to get the unlock code from ATT to SIM unlock to use other SIM cards.
Does this mean that I can use a T-Mobile sim card in an AT&T Atrix here in the US?
exact same thing i said to bhanq right before you.
“this is just bootloader unlock, not SIM unlock, you need to get the unlock code from ATT to SIM unlock to use other SIM cards.”
Yes, I done it just yesterday. You must call AT&T and get an unlock code.
When you put the TMobile SIM card into the phone it will ask you for that number.
If the phone asks you for a username and password, you first need to reset to factory defaults before trying this unlock procedure.
help…. the unlook bootloader process is not working on my TELCEL (Mexico) ATRIX. the display says….FAIL …..please help I want to download the GB….thanks
you are a lifesaver my friend, needed to flash to stock 2.2.2 to update to 2.3.4
you saved my bacon
I’m a N00B, but I’ve spent close to 30 hours reading up on posts the past three days.
I started with an AT&T Atrix. I unlocked the boot loader, put CWM recovery on, put Alien v4 ROM on…then the next day AT&T called me with my unlock code for international use. When I put a new sim in it asked for the code, but did not accept it “Network unlock result unsuccessful” Two other sims just immediately went to “Subsidy Lock …” statement without asking for the unlock code… then my AT&T sim stopped working, and went to asking for an unlock code right away. Phone also will not pick up any signal, nor connect to any networks
I have entered many codes many times, and not circumvented the error, nor permanently locked it…
My next steps are to install the Gingerbread 2.3 ROM available here: https://supportforums.motorola.com/thread/49191?start=0&tstart=0
Then use RSD lite to flash the AT&T 4.5.91 firmware available here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1125944
After which I am hoping I can enter the unlock code, then re-unlock the boot loader, and flash back to alien v4 ROM again.
Do you think this will work, or have any other better ideas?
Should I use RSD Lite to flash the original firmware .sbf file?
My best guess is that the unlocked boot loader is preventing the phone from carrier unlocking ???
Extra credit:
- any idea how the phone is not permanently frozen after entering unlock codes up to 50 times?
- Will I need to put CWM recovery on the phone again?
- Any idea how the AT&T sim stopped working (while still working fine in another phone)
Please help :-) and I hope this post will help others…
Hi Guys, i am getting ’sec_exception: febe, 35, 35 when i attempt to flash the sbf… and on the RSD – it says fail after 2-3 mins.. what is this ’sec_exception: febe, 35, 35 and what can i do to unlock the boot loader otherwise .. i have 2.2.2 bought internationally - would really appreciate the help.
exact spec
Version: 4.4.80
Android Version: 2.2.2
Build : OLYEM_U4_4.8.0
I recieve : OEM unlock is not implemented, Not sure what I am doing wrong if anything.
I am on 2.3.4,/ 4.5.91 unrooted. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
the sbf must be unsigned. using sbf_flash threw up a sec exception on my device and in win7 i could not get a driver for “SE Flash Olympus”
fastboot wont recognize my atrix. can someone please help?
it tells me after i have done the cmd step that it is not a command it is under the download folder…wtfe…im done with this free shit and just pay what ever
Have not see the different sbfs between ATT and International Phones ‘s. Do they use the same unlock sbf?
The thread in XDA (here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1136261) said att & Internatinal Phone should use the different unlock sbfs.
Ur a bunch of idiots if you cant figure out these simple instructions. I just happen to follow the instructions correctly, start fastboot on my phone but when i run the fastboot oem unlock command i get an OK .. screen instead of displaying my unlock #. THIS IS A REAL QUESTION FOR ONCE. please answer :)
Why help you if you can’t be a little sympathetic to others?
Have gingerbread, skipped to step 13, but when I do step 21 I am not given a unique device ID, it only says: “OEM unlock is not implemented”
Any suggestions?
I had to do all the steps and now it says unlocked. Skipping to step 13 does not work!
step 21.c:root>fastboot oem unlock
… INFOOEM unlock is not implemented
OKAY [ 0.100s]
finished. total time: 0.100s
What happened?? I didnt get any warning…
After performing the above step on an atrix 2.3.4, upon rebooting I no longer have the slide to unlock option so I really can’t do anything. Running without a sim card and sd
Does this work with European Atrix’s?
Hi to all!
My Atrix is with 2.3.4 OTA updated T-Mobile UK. From what step I have to start?
Hi, can i use this method on an atrix 4G running on 4.3.6 Android version or do i still need to downgrade it?
cmd prompt keeps saying waiting on device. help please.
My phone doest not show options to reach in RSD while turning the phone on, hold the Volume Up button.the option it shows is AP Flashboot Flash Mode (S) . how can i change it to RDS.
oh god i thought I had bricked my device thank god
i keep getting “oem unlock not implemented”. HELP PLEASE!!!
links not working..