Update Lenovo S850 with the Latest Android KitKat ROW Version ROW_S211

11 Nov 2014

Update Lenovo S850 with the Latest Android KitKat ROW Version ROW_S211 – An update for Lenovo S850 now can be obtained either by OTA method or using PC method, for OTA update it required your to have ROW_S210 for your current firmware and Lenovo standard recovery. Today guide will show you how to update your Lenovo S850 with the latest official update using PC method.
This current firmware reported suitable for devices purchased for china and europe, but please make your own backup preparations before start to following this guide. This guide will erase your data from your devices and have possibility to brick your devices, very consider it before following this guide.

Disclaimer :
This guide for educational purpose only, We not responsible if your device bricked after following this tutorial. Even this guide is already tested but it has possibility to brick your phone, (DWYOR)


Update Lenovo S850 with the Latest Android KitKat ROW Version ROW_S211

ROM Descriptions :

  • Build Number : S850_ROW_S211_140923
  • Date : 23-09-2014
  • OS : Android 4.4.2 KitKat
  • Languages : Russian , Ukrainian, English, Arabic, Spanish, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai
  • Google Applications : Include
  • Root :  No
Downloads :
  • S850_ROW_S211_140923 ↦ 1.1 Gb, contains all required file to update your Lenovo S850, this ROM file can only be use for PC method updated only.
  • USB VCOM Driver ↦ Install this driver first on your computer, Turn off your device and remove the battery, using USB cable connect your device while look at My Computer ↦ Manage ↦ Device Manager there will be MTK65xx Preloader Devices show up for 5 second than disappeared, before disappeared right click on it and select Update Driver Software point it to USB VCOM Driver extracted folder. When it finish disconnect and connect again there will be Mediatek PreLoader USB VCOM Port on your device manager.
    Update Lenovo S850 with the Latest Android KitKat ROW Version ROW_S211

  • SP Flash Tool v3.1324 ↦ Optional download, flash tool already include on ROM download
Update Lenovo S850 with the Latest Android KitKat ROW Version ROW_S211
  1. Download all required files to upgrade your Lenovo S850 to your computer, place it on one folder for easy organize it. First you must make sure that USB VCOM driver is installed completely before continued to the next step.
  2. Extract downloaded ROM, you will get 4 folders. Just need target_bin and flash_tool folder ignore other, go to flash tool extracted folder and run flash_tool.exe please use administrator privilege if you are using windows 7 or later to avoid permission error.
  3. On the flash tool, please give check on DA DL All with Checksum option and then click on Scatter-Loading button, point it to target_bin and select MT6582_Android_scatter.txt, this action will automatically load all required files to flash tool.
    Update Lenovo S850 with the Latest Android KitKat ROW Version ROW_S211

  4. When everything is set up, just press Download button and flash tool will initialize for 1-2 minutes after that become stand by and ready to receive connection with your device.
  5. Turn off your device, because Lenovo S850 use non removable battery, so you need to wait until it completely turn off, connect your device when ready. Flash tool will recognize your device and begin to start flashing process, this process will take 5-6 minutes to finish, so please be patient. When you see GREEN CIRCLE in the middle of flash tool, that mean flashing process already finish and you can disconnect your device.
    Update Lenovo S850 with the Latest Android KitKat ROW Version ROW_S211

  6. Done, just disconnect your device and try to make first boot. First boot will longer it will be around 5-6 minutes please be patient, after successful boot go to Dialer and dial ####682# to change your regional code, phone wil reboot to recovery mode and apply the regional setting. 
  7. After succesful normal boot go to Dialer again and press ####777# to factory reset your device
That it, You have successful update your Lenovo S850 to the latest International version firmware, i hope this guide can help you solve your problems. Please leave a comments if you found any problems regarding this guide. Thank you.
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98 comments

  1. Anyone, Help me 🙁 !!
    My lenovo s850 still unknown service for sim card. I Have fixed Wifi,GPS,Invalid Imei by edit nvram file. But still no fix this bug.

    I have flashed :

    NVRAM.img
    PROTECT_S.img
    PROTECT_F.img

    but cant helped

    1. I have already over you to send your phone to me, because you are in indonesia. But you denied it. Lenovo S850 until now, no one can fix it. The last person that got problem like you, he send the phone to lenovo service center.
      So it all up to you if you want give me your email add and i will give you my address.

  3. Thank you for sharing. fixed my s850 bootlooped caused by installing twrp :D. and for others, please use correct version of sp flashtool incase you guys still having bootloop issue after reflashing. thank you bro Andy.

  5. Hi, can I get Google Apps when I upgrade S850 or do I need Root, TWRP and install from recovery? If so do you have links to software or can I use the S860 software and instructions that you have kindly posted?

    1. Hi,
      It depend what version that you install, lenovo have 2 kind of rom china version and international version. If you install international it already include google applications but not with china version. No you cannot use lenovo s860 software it will just brick your device so don't do it

  8. Hi – When I connect the USB cable, the VCOM port comes on in Windows 7 Device Manager, but after 2 seconds the phone display activates and shows the "charging battery" indicator. At that moment the VCOM port disappears from Device Manager! There is no way to "turn the phone completely off" because the battery is not removable. What should I do?

  9. Andy – I have tried it a hundred times. The phone _always_ goes to the charging mode when I connect the cable, and the port device _always_ disappears from the device manager at the same moment. Is there anything I could do to prevent this from happening?

  10. Hi Andy,

    I got it working.

    I now understand that if I plug in the phone with the Flash Tool not running, the phone will enter charging mode and the device will disappear from device manager.

    But if I prepare Flash Tool for flashing, and only then connect the phone, it will not go to charging mode, and everything works fine. Thanks for your instructions!

  11. Andy: Also, after flashing the ROW_S211 rom, the phone automatically found and installed the latest update (ROW_S215 I think) as a very small OTA update, so apparently there is no need to manually install any updates after flashing it once.

    My phone came with Chinese firmware (VIBEUI) but apparently the international firmware (ROW) works without any problems (I hope).

  13. hi andy
    my S850 came with the chinese version
    i wanted to upgrade to the international row following your instruction to try it out
    i thouth it's better first to make a backup of the phone prior to do anything but i dont know how to back it up ?
    so haw can i back up the phone ?

    1. Hi,
      Yes i better to do backup first before modified your system, but full backup can be done only if your device is rooted, with out root you cannot do full backup, try rooting using root genius, towel root or anything that use one click method.
      Becareful for modified Lenovo S850 once you lost your IMEI it will hard to restore the communication ability.

  15. Dear Andy
    I need your help one more time
    I have downloaded the ROW_S211, rooted the device, loaded the SP flash tool, and followed your instructions, and connected the device, everything went smooth.
    When the device was connected, and recognized by the flash tool, just as it started loading, the under bar turned red and a message popped up saying:
    “ common hint: for sp flash tool issues:
    Please supply your tool version, GUI screen shot, and tool logs when you encounter trouble with the latest tool,
    How to abtain the tool logs?
    1. Run the tool
    2. press Ctrl+Alt+T (tool tile hint: runtime trace mode)
    3. [menu]help-[submenu]option log folder.
    SP FLASH TOOL ERROR: (8038)
    [android download] PMT is ready and layout has been changed “
    End of message
    What did I do wrong ? why is the flash tool not loading the row ? how can I fix it ?
    Thanks one more time for the help mate, am appreciating it

    1. hi,
      does not have signal often cause by invalid IMEI number on Lenovo phone, but for Lenovo S850 even you already restore the IMEI signal will never fix, until now i don't know what the problem and how to fix it. but for sure i know that we cannot use another phone NVRAM because it not same. and no i don't have and i will never give to other too because it will only brick the phone and not fix it.
      for Lenovo S850 i just can recommend you to bring your device to Lenovo service center.

  20. hi andy,
    i need your help..saya baru sahaja root lenovo s850 saya..kemudian saya terdelete google play services, jadi saya tidak boleh lagi menggunakan playstore untuk download atau updates software..jadi apa harus saya lakukan?

    bila saya cuba download google play services melalui internet, tidak boleh kerana diberitahu sudah mempunyai apps tersebut..apabila saya reset phone saya, masih tidak kembali..bagaimana?

    1. hi,
      factory reset will not restore files on /system/app, you must search google mini or known in the internet as gapps mini , that can install via recovery mode this you must have custom recovery to install it.
      Download it from here http://adf.ly/q7wR3, if it fail to install then you must install busybox on your device first

  22. any idea how to reflach imei?

    with imei&sn writer it seems to write (and imei detection) but still no connetction
    i need use BPLGUInfoCustomAppSrcP_MT6582_S00_S850_ROW_V108_1_wg_n and modem.elf for apdb?

    1. Hi,
      For lenovo S850 i have no idea, usually on lenovo once we restore the imei the connection will automatically restore too but for Lenovo S850 i don't know until now, maybe it need to restore NVRAM file per file

  24. mas, gmn benerin ni hp ya..
    hp ini kan saya root kmrn, trs nongol notif update firmware. saya download trs saya perbarui, trs d suruh restart. saya restart ni, lgsg ke lenovo recovery. saya pilih instal update package malah gagal, trs saya reboot balik lagi ke lenovo recovery. saya harus gmn ya mas?
    tolong di bantu, terima kasih..

    2. lenovo s850, saya download versi trkhr firmware hp ini mas. gk tau versi brp. ada notif update firmware, saya download trs saya instal. trs balik ke lenovo recovery hp saya, pas saya instal update package malah gagal..
      tulisannya gini "now system will install update.zip of root directory from inner sd card. Attention, if phone is encrypted, this operation will fail"

  27. Hi there, Can you help me? My lenovo S850 is totally dead after I flash stock rom with SP flash tool, so can i still follow your tutorial and rom? Because my phone is screen and charging is not working, Please Help

    1. hi,
      sorry but i really dont understand what you mean. Lenovo S850 is Stock in recovery menu after i update the firmware? what it mean ?
      you can go to main menu ? it stuck on Lenovo logo or what ? if stuck in Lenovo logo please try do factory reset.
      or you can try to reflash the firmware

  29. hi andy my problem is that I ran a firmware update, my Lenovo S850 was stucked in recovery mode.
    When I try to install the update package, it fails, a red circled x appears.
    I also tried erasing data and everything from the recovery mode menu, but it doesn't help at all.

    1. install update package from recovery mode? and it fail then your device cannot boot to main menu right?
      the solution is for the problem is re flash using flash tool because when update fail it already remove the system file and that make your device cannot boot normally.

  30. Thanks so much!

    I tried to uninstall pre-installed lenovo crap after rooting and after deleting IdeaFriend android kept popping up "Unfortunately Lenovo IdeaFriend has stopped"

    Tried to hard turn off and restart but it kept restarting in a loop.
    Tried formatting/factory reset from the recovery but it kept in a bootloop (could be root causing it)

    Flashed my phone and then quickly stopped while it was a 5% because I forgot to check DA DL All with Checksum.

    My phone couldn't even boot and wouldn't turn on but I held the on and volume key while connecting and it flashed just fine!

    Now it works perfectly fine, wifi and data connection

    THANKS SO MUCH AGAIN!

    1. great, nice to heard that.
      when you remove or delete application on /system/app or on /data/app it will not restore using factory reset. so be careful when using root access to delete application on system folder, rather move than delete

  31. hi there,
    i format my s850 twice because of some issues and then since that day,my phone be like on of it self and a lots of bug issues and scam from the ads and apps downloading it self in my phone, how am i to deal with this problems

    1. I dont get your point, format mean format on setting or format using flash tool.
      from your comment it look like you format on setting, it look like your firmware is china version, not international version or ROW. China firmware feature is lot of china apps that not work outside china country, dont have google tore apps and only have 2 language on setting china and english.
      the solution for you is re flashing with international or ROW firmware but it has risk for brick your device and losing device function

  34. hey friend my s850 is dead also i flashed t but it stoppen at half and now it never opens no recovery and nothing and no screen no booting… it happened the same before but i could reflas it… but imeis were lost anyway i wrote imei but no network so i tried to install 215 row firmware but as i said although pc detect when i connect my phone the flash never starts any idea i believe i can do it but i still need some help i think :))

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