What is meant by "RAW" firmware?

Question

I want to use Asus Flashtool to restore stock firmware to my phone. The download page says I will need "RAW" firmware. What exactly is that? I have already downloaded the correct firmware file from Asus' own website. The site in question has a link to what it refers to as "RAW" firmware, but I would rather flash the firmware I've downloaded from an official source. Is there any difference? Is "RAW" firmware supposed to be something special?


— Fiksdal | Sources

Answer

RAW is just the archive format used by the Asus flasher (as opposed to ZIP, EXE, IMG, KDZ, etc.). If you're using the Asus flash tool (AFT) and you downloaded a .raw file, you should be all set. AFT does not support other formats.



If you want to install the stock firmware as it comes from the official source (Asus website), then you wouldn't use AFT. The exact procedure you would use varies depending on what you've got installed now and if it will boot.


— Paul Ratazzi | Sources

Q & A

My Chinese Redmi 4A showed me a step counter in the screen to the left of the home screen but my non-Chinese Redmi 6 does not
Why reading permission to /proc/1/maps is denied and why doesn't the denial appear in logcat?
What exactly can Outlook remote-wipe when using multiple accounts and how I can I prevent havoc via root?
import words in android personal dictionary
How do I disable screen timeout of Android?
Family Link not available on OnePlus One?
Bad voice quality on phone calls, good with WhatsApp
Can a malware compromise safe-mode of non-rooted device?
What does nl="true" mean in the package-restrictions.xml file?
How can I find preinstalled apps via adb?
Why can't Tasker manage battery mode on my rooted Pixel?
Open DJVU files on Android (set default app)
What are the differences between these adb and fastboot packages?
Tell TWRP to decrypt for ota
Is the Android F-Droid client still actively maintained?
Show size of biggest folders and files in system data
If /system partition is never encrypted (even in "full-disk" encryption), how is it protected?
Transfering app data to other android device
What happens if a change the SIM card to my phone?
How to find out stolen phone of android by using IMEI number?

Topics

2D Engines   3D Engines   9-Patch   Action Bars   Activities   ADB   Advertisements   Analytics   Animations   ANR   AOP   API   APK   APT   Architecture   Audio   Autocomplete   Background Processing   Backward Compatibility   Badges   Bar Codes   Benchmarking   Bitmaps   Bluetooth   Blur Effects   Bread Crumbs   BRMS   Browser Extensions   Build Systems   Bundles   Buttons   Caching   Camera   Canvas   Cards   Carousels   Changelog   Checkboxes   Cloud Storages   Color Analysis   Color Pickers   Colors   Comet/Push   Compass Sensors   Conferences   Content Providers   Continuous Integration   Crash Reports   Credit Cards   Credits   CSV   Curl/Flip   Data Binding   Data Generators   Data Structures   Database   Database Browsers   Date &   Debugging   Decompilers   Deep Links   Dependency Injections   Design   Design Patterns   Dex   Dialogs   Distributed Computing   Distribution Platforms   Download Managers   Drawables   Emoji   Emulators   EPUB   Equalizers &   Event Buses   Exception Handling   Face Recognition   Feedback &   File System   File/Directory   Fingerprint   Floating Action   Fonts   Forms   Fragments   FRP   FSM   Functional Programming   Gamepads   Games   Geocaching   Gestures   GIF   Glow Pad   Gradle Plugins   Graphics   Grid Views   Highlighting   HTML   HTTP Mocking   Icons   IDE   IDE Plugins   Image Croppers   Image Loaders   Image Pickers   Image Processing   Image Views   Instrumentation   Intents   Job Schedulers   JSON   Keyboard   Kotlin   Layouts   Library Demos   List View   List Views   Localization   Location   Lock Patterns   Logcat   Logging   Mails   Maps   Markdown   Mathematics   Maven Plugins   MBaaS   Media   Menus   Messaging   MIME   Mobile Web   Native Image   Navigation   NDK   Networking   NFC   NoSQL   Number Pickers   OAuth   Object Mocking   OCR Engines   OpenGL   ORM   Other Pickers   Parallax List   Parcelables   Particle Systems   Password Inputs   PDF   Permissions   Physics Engines   Platforms   Plugin Frameworks   Preferences   Progress Indicators   ProGuard   Properties   Protocol Buffer   Pull To   Purchases   Push/Pull   QR Codes   Quick Return   Radio Buttons   Range Bars   Ratings   Recycler Views   Resources   REST   Ripple Effects   RSS   Screenshots   Scripting   Scroll Views   SDK   Search Inputs   Security   Sensors   Services   Showcase Views   Signatures   Sliding Panels   Snackbars   SOAP   Social Networks   Spannable   Spinners   Splash Screens   SSH   Static Analysis   Status Bars   Styling   SVG   System   Tags   Task Managers   TDD &   Template Engines   Testing   Testing Tools   Text Formatting   Text Views   Text Watchers   Text-to   Toasts   Toolkits For   Tools   Tooltips   Trainings   TV   Twitter   Updaters   USB   User Stories   Utils   Validation   Video   View Adapters   View Pagers   Views   Watch Face   Wearable Data   Wearables   Weather   Web Tools   Web Views   WebRTC   WebSockets   Wheel Widgets   Wi-Fi   Widgets   Windows   Wizards   XML   XMPP   YAML   ZIP Codes