How to Update HTC Sensation XL with ICS Android 4.0 Firmware

HTC might have just forgotten about rolling out an ICS Android 4.0 update for its 4.7 inched monster Sensation XLsmartphone but all thanks to the developers who has come up with this custom ROM firmware which ropes in the goodness of ICS. Please note that this firmware is not released by HTC Officially and also we don’t have any ETA on by when there will be an Official update released. But as in when its launched, we will update the same on AndroidAdvices.

Pre Requisites:

• Charge your phone and ensure that at least 60% of Sensation XL the device doesn’t get turned Off in the process of firmware update. Enable USB Debugging in your HTC Sensation XL from the path “Settings > Applications > Development > USB debugging”
• All the data in your HTC Sensation XL should be backed up with the help of below steps. Don’t use HTC Sync to back up the data as htc sync won’t detect the device in the custom ROM firmwares.
• Ensuring that all the USB ports are working fine, close / disable all the antivirus suites as well as Firewall tools as these tools generally tend to interrupt the process of firmware update.
• Your HTC Sensation XL should be rooted and should have S-Off as without this, it won’t be possible to apply this update.
• So let’s proceed to the next page where we have summed up a detailed tutorial on how to update with the latest ICS 4.0.3 firmware in your HTC Sensation XL.

Procedure to Update HTC Sensation XL with ICS 4.0 Firmware:

• Download HTC Drivers and .Net Framework package from here to your computer. Once its done, you now need to download the Android recovery manager from here to your computer.
• Install the HTC Drivers as well as the .net framework in your computer by extracting and following the on screen instructions.
• Up next, download the ICS 4.0 Update for Sensation XL in your computer and rename to the file “update.zip” file from “OTA_RUNNYMEDE_ICS_35_S_HTC_Europe_2.31.401.2-1.05.401.4_R2_release_258338d2wzjl71eps0s2e6.z”.
• After renaming the file, all you need to do is to just connect your phone to computer and place this renamed file in your device’s internal memory.
• Up next, check the current firmware version and note down the same from the path “Settings » About » Software Information” along with the baseband version so that just in case if you wish to revert, then you can revert the same. Connect your device to the computer with the help of original USB cable if you have disconnected the device.
• Now, click on the “Recovery manager.exe” executable file and then click on “Start” and click on “Download recovery” option. Up next you need to select the option of “Android recovery manager” and then if the firmware is 1.23.163.1, select the Vodafone FR 1.23.163.1 option and similarly if it’s 1.24.401.1, select the Europe 1.24.401.1 option.
• After selecting the mentioned files, you need to now select “I agree” option and select “Download selected recovery and flash” for starting the device in the recovery mode. As soon as the recovery is installed successfully, you now need to select “No” in the reboot into recovery mode option.
• Once the device is rebooted, you can see the “!” symbol icon in the device and then press and hold the power button. Up next, press the Volume up key to confirm the same which will then boot the device in the recovery mode.
• With the help of Volume keys, you need to select the option of “apply update from sd card” and choose the option of “update.zip” file which you have placed in your device.
• Once the device is updated with the firmware version, you then need to select “++++ Go Back ++++” and then “reboot system now” for rebooting the device.

Note: Just in case if the device refuses to start up or gets into the boot loop mode, you then need to re insert the battery and follow all the instructions mentioned above.

Do share with us in the comments section just in case if you face any issues as we will try our level best to sort out the same. Congratulations, you have now successfully updated your HTC Sensation XL with the latest firmware of ICS Android 4.0 firmware.

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