A simple OxygenOS Flash Guide for OnePlus One (Windows)

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OxygenOS was officially released by OnePlus, but the flashing guides out there were hard to follow, catering only for the more experienced flashers. I decided to make a simpler to understand guide to get OxygenOS on your OnePlus!

Please note that this guide is valid for Cyanogen 11 to OxygenOS. The process for Cyanogen 12 to OxygenOS may differ slightly and this guide may not help you.

Disclaimer: If not done correctly or something goes wrong, this process could brick your phone making it unusable.
Proceed at your own risk.


Please backup your files before starting this process. Flashing OxygenOS does require a system wipe.

Step 1. Download OxygenOs, found here: https://oneplus.net/oxygenos

Step 2. Download the latest version of TeamWin Recovery Project (TWRP) for the OnePlus: http://dl.twrp.me/bacon/. This is the recovery (or BIOS of the phone, essentially) to allow you to install OxygenOS.

Step 3. Download the Android SDK Platform tools, found here: http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html (as of April 2015). Find SDK Tools Only, run the SDK Manager, and download the platform tools within the manager.

Step 4. Download ADB drivers to allow your phone to communicate with the SDK Manager. Install the file found here: http://www.koushikdutta.com/post/universal-adb-driver - and reboot.

Step 5. Plug your phone into your computer via USB. Open the developer options by tapping repeatedly on "Build number" in "About Phone". Open developer options, enable USB debugging and disable "update CM recovery".

Step 6. Open Command Prompt and point it to your platform-tools folder (the SDK Manager files you installed earlier). Type "adb devices" to check if your computer can see your phone. If your phone comes up with RSA key requests, make sure you allow them, ticking to always allow this computer. If you don't always allow, the next steps will not work.

If your computer can't find your device, it is likely that the drivers don't work with your system. Unplug your phone, uninstall the one you installed earlier and install this one instead, and follow the instructions: https://forums.oneplus.net/threads/install-adb-drivers-for-windows-8-1-64-bits.51264/

Step 7. (Repeat Step 6 if required). Making sure that Command Prompt is still directed to your platform-tools folder, type "adb reboot bootloader". Your phone should now be in fastboot mode, looking like this: http://i.imgur.com/VUjyuKs.jpg. Then type "fastboot oem unlock". This process may wipe and reboot your phone. If it does, skip through the phone setup process and repeat step 5.

Step 8. Copy the file you downloaded in step 2 to the platform-tools folder and rename it to "twrp".

Step 9. Type "fastboot flash recovery twrp.img" in Command Prompt, and once successful, type "fastboot reboot".

The recovery should now be installed, replacing the Cyanogen mod stock recovery. The next steps will complete the OxygenOS setup.

Step 10. Unzip folder "oxygenos_1.0.0.zip", the one you downloaded in step 1. Open that and copy "oxygenos_1.0.0.flashable.zip" to your phone.

Step 11. Boot your newly installed recovery by turning off your phone. Once off, hold down the volume down key and the power button.

Step 12. Once you are in the recovery, run a factory reset. Then go to install and find the oxygenos zip you copied to your phone. Confirm the flash.

Step 13. Once successful, rebooting your phone will take you to the new OxygenOS!

If it helped, please share this article with other OnePlus owners! Thanks :)
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Comments (2)

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Commented:
Thanks  for this - it's an good easy to follow guide but it's still a lot to do.

Are there any big advantages of the new OS now that OnePlus One have released Cyanogen 12 OTA  alongside the OxygenOS option?

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Commented:
Yes, it is quite a lot!

I haven't had any experience with Cyanogen 12, but what I can tell you is that OxygenOS has a few issues as there has been no update since its release. Battery performance is the biggest problem, maybe halving the time I used to have before flashing. I'm sure they are working on it.

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