OS installation snagging, ex-stock Pixel 8 - Driver !

andyet

This might be helpful for anyone attempting the OS install who maybe isn't particularly familiar with the underlying tech involved (my first encounter with smartphonery btw - I'll be retiring next year ;) ). Normally, anything at all to do with Google is strictly banned from my kit - the purchase & install was therefore always going to be stressy.

I was stuck for some while at the stage of getting the install-ware to recognise the device, blocked at Fastboot Mode, Device State 'locked' (in green). Both installation modes had been attempted: web USB and command-line. The config:

Operating system Windows 10 21h2; memory & disk space not an issue.
Device is Pixel 8 OEM-unlocked enabled, in Fastboot Mode
Cable used new USB-C to USB-C - it works (e.g. to charge the device); I'd tried an alternative (new) USB-A to USB-C, no difference.
Fastboot package version: 35.0.2; verified in PowerShell (not downloaded from Graphene site - anomalies with cURL in PowerShell would not handle the link).

Web-USB attempt: 'no device connected'; it was. Then, command-line attempt: command to unlock bootloader (.\fastboot flashing unlock) hangs ... 'waiting for device to be connected'; it was already. Windows sees Pixel 8 in Device Manager, but there were no compatible drivers recognised ('not installed' Code 28) nor available for the device. So necessary to locate, download & unzip usb_driver_r13-windows online.

https://www.androidusbdrivers.com/google-pixel-8-usb-drivers/

DM still not impressed by what was available at first, but a second try got a viable driver recognised. Now it worked, into Fastboot Mode: Device State 'locked' (in green), 'unlockable' (in red).

That wasn't the last obstacle. I couldn't get PowerShell to obtain the factory images as the command prompt started asking for 'Uri' input (eh ? cURL didn't much run as expected at all, but then I'm not weapons-grade with PowerShell ...). However, it was possible, now that the bootloader was unlocked, to switch methods at mid-point and revert to web-USB install for the rest - which worked swimmingly.

Just need a Pixel screen keyboard now with broad enough special-character range to cope with the router password requirements and I'll be surfing. Hope this is a time-saver for some ...

fid02

andyet I couldn't get PowerShell to obtain the factory images as the command prompt started asking for 'Uri' input (eh ? cURL didn't much run as expected at all, but then I'm not weapons-grade with PowerShell ...).

You need to run Remove-Item Alias:Curl in the PowerShell session in which you will be running the curl commands from the CLI install guide. If you open a new session (in other words, a new PowerShell window or tab) then you need to run it again: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/remove-alias

andyet I was stuck for some while at the stage of getting the install-ware to recognise the device, blocked at Fastboot Mode, Device State 'locked' (in green).

If "locked" didn't include the text "(unlockable)" in the bootloader interface then OEM unlocking was not enabled.

andyet So necessary to locate, download & unzip usb_driver_r13-windows online.

Why did you download from that site? It's not an official site. Looks pretty sketchy. The link for how to obtain the proper drivers are included in the webusb install guide.

fid02

andyet Operating system Windows 10 21h2

You probably needed the fastboot driver because your operating system is out of date. Newer versions of Windows 10 and 11 now include a basic fastboot driver.

andyet

fid02 You need to run Remove-Item Alias:Curl in the PowerShell session in which you will be running

Yes - I had done that, first thing, following through the guide ...

fid02 If "locked" didn't include the text "(unlockable)" in the bootloader interface then OEM unlocking was not enabled.

And phone was indeed OEM unlocking enabled before starting the install attempt. After the driver was fitted, .\fastboot flashing unlock on the command line performed cleanly. I don't know why PowerShell wasn't taking the curl function as anticipated, but because it wouldn't I could not download the images as set out in the guide.

Probably the takeaway most useful from the experience for the uninitiated is identifying that 'locked' (green) text in Fastboot Mode should be accompanied by 'Unlockable' (red) in order to proceed - that took a while to discover - and that if the pair aren't present (given the other spec checks set out in the guide), the cause quite likely is an incompatible/absent driver.