In this guide, we will show you how to flash firmware using the QPST Flash tool. The most active players in custom developers are definitely devices powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets. On most of the occasions, devices with Qualcomm chipsets come out on top when coming to custom development as compared to other underlying chipsets(Mediatek, Exynos etc). From unlocking the bootloader to flashing a number of custom binaries, these devices are capable of many things, this, in turn, means that you are able to flash a plethora of custom ROMs, install a custom recovery such as TWRP or even root your device.
Once you unlock your phone’s bootloader, you will be able to flash a number of mods on your device. With all of these benefits, there comes a risk. If you flash an incorrect custom binary or perform the flashing process incorrectly, your device may end in a boot loop or even a soft brick. But if you use a Qualcomm powered device, then there is a way out of this for you. You can flash firmware using the QPST Flash tool and flash stock firmware on your device to bring it back to normal condition. So in this guide, we will be showing you how to flash firmware using the QPST Flash tool on your Qualcomm chipset powered devices.
How to Flash Firmware using QPST Flash Tool
In addition to unbricking your device or removing boot loop from your device, you can also use the Qualcomm Product Support Tool (QPST) to update your device manually to the latest version of it’s OS. This is useful because many manufacturers roll out their software updates in batches. So if your device has not received it’s update yet, you could flash it on your device manually. Similarly, this tool also sports some other useful features. These handy functionalities include the ability to restore or create device backup or to monitor device status via QPST Configuration.
Along the same lines, you can also use the QPST tool to save the programming data. To top that, it allows you to directly load the stock firmware for your device. To conclude the tool’s usefulness, it contains everything that your device needs to flash the firmware. On that note, let’s begin with the guide on how to flash firmware using the QPST flash tool on your Qualcomm devices.
Prerequisites
Before you head into the steps to flash firmware using the QPST flash tool, there are some things that you need to take care of:
- First of all, you should be informed that this guide is only applicable to devices powered by Qualcomm chipsets. So if you have a device with any other underlying chipset, you should not perform the instructions below on that device.
- You also need to know that this process will completely erase your device data. So it is advised that you take a full backup of your device to avoid losing any data.
- In addition to that, you are also required to download the appropriate USB driver for your Qualcomm device on your PC.
- Then you also need to download the corresponding stock firmware for your device in the HEX format. Similarly, you will also have to get hold of your device’s boot.img file. This file would be the BOOT_LOADER.HEX file, that will be available inside the stock firmware file that you downloaded for your device.
- Finally, you will need to download the latest version of the QPST flash tool: Qualcomm Product Support Tool
So these were all the requirements for the process below. Now you are all ready to proceed with the process to flash firmware using the QPST flash tool.
Instructions
STEP 1: First of all, connect your Qualcomm powered device to your PC using a USB cable.
STEP 2: After that, download and install the QPST (Qualcomm Product Support Tool) flash tool on your PC.
STEP 3: After that, proceed to the directory where you installed the QPST tool, by default, it should be:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Qualcomm\QPST\bin
STEP 4: In the installation directory, you will be able to see the QPSTConfig file, double click on it.
STEP 5: Once it opens up, head over to its port menu. There you should be able to see the COM<number> under Port, device model number under Phone section and the Enabled Status.
STEP 6: If you see the proper COM<number>and the device number for your device along with the Enabled status, this means that your device has established a proper connection. If any of these is missing, then you should check the driver installation again.
STEP 7: After that, click on the Start Clients section and from the drop-down list, select Software Download.
STEP 8: Now you should be in the QPST Software download menu. There, click on the Browse button situated next to the Phone image and then search for the directory where you downloaded the stock firmware file for your device in HEX format.
STEP 9: Likewise, now click on the Browse button next to the Boot Image and then search for the BOOT_LOADER.HEX file that you extracted from the stock firmware file.
STEP 10: Once you have navigated to and selected both of these files, click on the Start button located below this section. This will initiate the flashing process. There is also a progress bar which helps you keep track of the process.
STEP 11: As soon as the progress bar reaches 100 % and turns green, the process will be completed. You can remove your device from your PC now.
So that was it! These were the steps to flash firmware using QPST flash tool on Qualcomm devices. If you have any queries regarding the method, feel free to post them in the comment section below.
