How to install update zip with ClockworkMod Recovery on Samsung Galaxy S2? (Video)

For me, ClockworkMod Recovery is a must install tool on Samsung Galaxy S II. You can install custom mod like theme, boot animation, application and even firmware with CWM. It is very simple to install them because all you need to do is copy the update zip file to sdcard. Then install it at CWM. No PC or Mac is needed. However, not every custom build zip is friendly to your Samsung Galaxy S2. Be sure to make a full system backup with CWM before apply any update zip. Just restore to previous stage if anything go wrong. A beginner and new to ClockworkMod Recovery? Do check out below step by step video guide to learn more…

Step by Step Guide

  1. First of all, copy the zip file that you want to install into sdcard.
  2. Press and hold down Volume Up + Home + Power buttons at the same time.
  3. Release all buttons when you see SGS2 Logo.
  4. ClockworkMod Recovery will be loaded then.
  5. Go to install zip from sdcard.
  6. Then select choose zip from sdcard.
  7. Select your zip file (BIOS-Boot-SGS2.zip in my video).
  8. Select Yes – Install your zip file.
  9. Reboot your SGS2.
  10. That’s all.

Enjoy your new installed custom mod / firmware.

81 COMMENTS

  1. after i select Install Rom from SD Card thru ROM manager, i selected the downloaded cyogen mod, den my phone restarts, then i get dis error!!
    E: failed to verify whole-file signature
    E:signature verification failed
    Installation aborted

  2. Btw i hav e Samsung Galaxy S2 and i hav rooted the phone nd hav installed ROM Manager Premium!! i’m stuck here nd i dunno what to do!! i wanna install the cyogen mod on my phone!

  3. currently running criskelo rom v20.i am on stock rom before. i wanna flash siyah kernel v 1.7.8. after putting my kernel zip file in sd card, i tried to flash the zip kernel thru cwm but it is said that no zimage found. hv no idea bout this. do i hv to extract the zip file first?

  4. Hi Jayce! I have SGS2. When I restart my phone with Volume Up + Home + Power buttons, the screen shows:

    Android system recovery

    reboot system now
    apply update from sdcard
    wipe data/factory reset
    wipe cache partition

    I mean, there is no “Install zip from SDcard”-line. Do I have to update my system (I bought my phone only one month ago)? Or do I have to extract .zip-file to somewhere in phone?

    I’m so thankful for your help!

  5. I’m sorry to disturb u one more time..

    When I turn my phone on, it says “Downloading… Do not turn off target!!”. But the phone is not doing anything! The phone (sgs2) does not contact with PC and I think, all the memories are empty now.

    Do I have any change to repair my phone’s software by my self?

  6. My point was to get call recorder.

    1) I installed ClockworkMod Recovery.
    2) Opened “ALL_ROM_Addcallrecorder_MultiLang_SicOpaT” via Volume up + home + power.
    2) I followed exactly the video “How to root Samsung Galaxy S2 with CF-Root”. I remember, in the end Odin3 was saying “added… removed… added…” and so on.

    Phone restarted normally, but didn’t get contact with net or calls. What ever I did, it said “Sorry! The application Messaging (process com.android.mms) has stopped unexpectedly. Please try again [Force close]

    4) Volume up + home + power -> advanced -> Reboot recovery

    When I turned power on, I see that green android-guy “Welcome to GT-I9100 Touch the android to begin. When I click it, it says the same thing: “The application Messaging (process com.android.mms) has stopped unexpectedly. Please try again”. Nothing can do now.

    P.s. My kernel version included letters XWKI8, so I took version “CF-Root-SGS2_XW_NEE_KI8-v4.3-CWM4”. I don’t know, if it’s correct or not.

    Well?? 😐

  7. Hi Jayce! First off, thank you for your wonderful tutorial on rooting SGS2. After weeks of debating, questioning, doubting and forum reading, i decided to root my SGS2 using your method and it WORKED! Secondly, you have mentioned in the above post about installing update .zip files. I would like to use this method to install one of any 2 boot screen: One is the ‘Starting Windows’ and the other is the cool Honeycomb bootscreen (on the Nexus S i think). As i am still a careful user, could you tell me the worst situation that would arise should this fail? I have a backup of the nand and i can restore it from CWM, should the need arise. Thanks!

  8. Hi Jayce,

    Why is it that after I perform flashing of zImage to get back my CWM from the CWM app, the next reboot, i lost it again?

    What I did was I flash the stock kernel to remove the yellow triangle sign. Then, I flash the CF-ROOT zImage by selecting Update Kernel from CWM then I get to see the CWM 4.1 and able to boot to recovery mode, but the next reboot of the phone, I lost the CWM.

  9. Yes, I think the next thing i did was i flash the BLN kernel…
    So if i flash that BLN kernel and then flash again the zImage, will it remove my BLN feature?

  10. hey jayce or any one else who can help me. ive installed that CWM and had no trouble with that, but my problem is that instead of reasing from the sd card when ever i click on “install zip from sd card” it reads from my phone memory. also ive tried to install JKay deluxe theme and it keeps repeating that the installation is reported. ive got no idea on how to fix either of these problems so any information is greatly apreciated.
    thanks.

  11. Hello there,
    I am trying to install a boot animation zip from CWM my kernel is speedmod and i tried several times but it still showing the stock boot animation why is that? I did everything you said at another post how to install it and i did it for 4 times and still is showing me the stock animation of my SGS2. Any suggestions?

  12. Hi Jayce,

    I’ve installed the update.zip file that was there when I rooted my gs2 with the CF-root kernel. I saw that ClockWorkMod Recovery is now version 4.0.1.5 after I installed the update.zip. I would like to know what needs to be done to update the CWM Manager app and the ClockWorkMod Recovery. I’ve seen on some other guides that the ClockWorkMod Recovery version is higher than 4.0.1.5. The firmware version on my phone is ZSKI3.

    Another strange thing I noticed is that if I reboot my phone into ClockWorkMod Recovery, it’s version reverts back to 4.0.0.2, is that normal?

    Thanks.

      • There already was an update.zip file on my internal sd card after I installed the CF-root kernel for my firmware. I suppose it got copied over there while I flashing the phone with CF-Root-SGS2_XX_OXA_KI3-42-v4.2-CWM4.zip, or maybe a software update put it there?

        Can I flash a custom, say cyanogenmod firmware, with the ClockWorkMod Recovery version 4.0.0.2? What would be the benefits of getting it to version 4.0.1.5, if it can be kept at that version?

        • CF-Root does not put update.zip file there. Don’t simple install update.zip if you don’t know what is it.

          Yes, as long as you have CWM. Version does not affect much actually. No idea on CWM v4.0.1.5 benefits, you need consult CWM developer for that. Depend, CWM version is based on the kernel that you use.

          • That update.zip was surely put there by ROM Manager which I installed then removed after finding out its clockworkmod recovery is not compatible with my CF-rooted kernel. Thanks a lot for all your guides and videos for the galaxy s 2.

  13. Im also getting an error message like this…

    “after i select Install Rom from SD Card thru ROM manager, i selected the downloaded cyogen mod, den my phone restarts, then i get dis error!!
    E: failed to verify whole-file signature
    E:signature verification failed
    Installation aborted”

    What do i do? , already available update.zip on my SD card.bt when gonna install it by holding Volume Up key + Home button + Power button. it says like above.please help brother? , i have to install cyangeonMod to my galaxy s2.

  14. Jayce,

    I am planning to install Speedmod kernel using Kitchen Pro. I already have CheckRom RevoHD v4. My doubt is do I need to install CheckRom RevoHD v4 after installing Speedmod?

    And my second question is how to tweak on demand min and max?

  15. Hello everyone,
    i am loking for the program BIOS-Boot-SGS2.zip but can not find it
    please help by uploading this file..
    many thanks
    anto

  16. Hello
    one more question please my something happend to my galaxy s2 not charging …
    is there anyway to root it i tried odin but computer can’t see the phone is there
    any other way of rooting my phone your help will be apprciated
    many thanks
    anto

  17. thanks for your reply
    yes i have kies installed but odin still can’t see the phone
    is there another way to root the phone like a file that you run from sd card
    or any other soulution.
    many thanks in advane
    anto

  18. Hi, Jaycee,
    i m having this problem i hv sgs2 rooted with 2.3.6 ( xwkl1). Now when i am trying to install Andyx rom v8.0 the kernel doesn’t let me install. I tried flashing siyah kernel it shows E:signature verification failed
    Installation aborted”. i try to install siyah 2.3.6 (Cwm method and Odin method) it doesn’t work. I try to flash update. zip it says installation aborted.
    Help me how to install Andyx Rom v8.0 with the suitable Siyah kernel.
    I have downloaded ( xwlp2, xwlp3, xxlpb, xxkh3) but nothing seems to work…..
    Help needed….

  19. I tried to flash my galaxy S2 by Odin, to Jellybean 4.1.2, between upgrade it got disconnected & now phone is showing yellow triangle on screen between the icons of phone & PC, when I connect to PC in Odin its connecting & get disconnect after few seconds, pls advice what to do

  20. Hi jayce

    But flashing with new fw deletes rooting n cwm…how can I then restore to original fw just in case if I dont like the new one…bec my back ups r gone with every new flashing.

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