Extract Init_boot from Device Using ADB Commands
In this method, we will try to extract the image file using the ADB commands. So before we move on to commands action, make sure you have ADB platform tools on your computer from the prerequisites section above.
Open the Command prompt and type the below command
adb shell
The above command will start the ADB server. Once done, type the below command to get the available init_boot file path.
ls -la /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name
If the above command runs successfully, you will get a response like this
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 16 1970-09-21 21:40 init_boot_a -> /dev/block/sde32
copy the above path and use the below command to extract the init_boot file to your device’s SD card storage.
dd if=/dev/block/sde32 of=/sdcard/init_boot.img
If the above command runs successfully, you will get a response like this
131072+0 records in
131072+0 records out
67108864 bytes transferred in 0.793 secs (84626562 bytes/sec)
Now the extraction of init_boot file is complete. You can now see the file in your sd card.
Note: Oftentimes you will either get multiple innit_boot file paths or no file path at all. If this happens, do not worry. You can use the below command which will extract the correct init_boot file to your device’s SD card storage.
dd if=/dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/boot of=/sdcard/boot.img
This method is very similar to the above method, but it does not require any ADB files. But this will only work if you have access to TWRP or ORANGE recovery installed on your smartphone.
Boot to TWRP recovery and navigate to Advanced > Terminal.
This will open a command prompt type window, here you can write the below commands one by one.
ls -la /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name
If the above command runs successfully, you will get a response like this
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 16 1970-09-21 21:40 init_boot_a -> /dev/block/sde32
copy the above path and use the below command to extract the init_boot file to your device’s SD card storage.
dd if=/dev/block/sde32 of=/sdcard/init_boot.img
If the above command runs successfully, you will get a response like this
131072+0 records in
131072+0 records out
67108864 bytes transferred in 0.793 secs (84626562 bytes/sec)
Now the extraction of init_boot file is complete. You can now see the file in your sd card.
Q: What is the difference between boot.img and init_boot.img file?
A: boot.img and init_boot.img are terms associated with Android operating systems and their file structures. Here boot.img file contains a generic structure with kernel and ramdisk details while init_boot.img file contains the generic boot structure with initialization bootloader.
Q: I don’t know the path of my init_boot file?
A: Determining the path of the “init_boot” file can vary based on your specific device and its firmware structure. You can find the details about init_boot file in the XDA forums or by using the adb command – find / -name “init_boot.*”
Q: I am getting two init_boot file locations, which one is correct?
A: If you are finding multiple locations for the “init_boot” file, determining the correct one depends on the context and your specific goal. This is because modern day smartphones now have multiple partitions. Usually the the boot file with the name “init_boot_a.img” is the correct one.
Q: Why do I need root to extract init_boot file?
A: This is a shortcut method to extract the init_boot file, as traditionally you have to download the whole firmware package to extract the init_boot file. But with the root access, you can extract the existing init_boot file from your device itself.
Q: Can I extract init_boot file without root?
A: Yes, you can extract init_boot file without root. All you need to do is download the correct firmware file for your smartphone (usually 5-7GB in size) and extract it to get access to init_boot file.
Q: Will the above method work on all Android smartphones?
A: Yes, the above methods will work for all Android smartphones given you have the appropriate adb drivers installed on your computer.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of this guide for How to Extract Init_boot from Device Without Downloading Firmware. It’s important to note that if you already have the firmware file for your smartphone model, then there’s no need to extract it from your device as you can always get it inside the firmware folder. But in case it is not viable to download the entire firmware file, then you can use the above steps to extract the Init_boot image easily from your device.
