Firmware+change+update+on+lg+p970+optimus+black 〈Firefox LEGIT〉

Here is the full story of the firmware evolution of the LG P970 Optimus Black, a tale that moves from the cutting-edge hardware of 2011 through the official abandonments of corporate policy, landing finally in the dusty, enthusiastic halls of the XDA Developers forums.

The Unofficial Revolution: Enter "SmartFlash Tool"

Because LG’s official methods were so unreliable, the hacking community (XDA Developers) created a savior: SmartFlash Tool for P970. This was the definitive way to perform a firmware change. firmware+change+update+on+lg+p970+optimus+black

Why was SmartFlash revolutionary?

• No brick fear: It flashed the ROM (system) and CP (baseband/radio) separately.
• Speed: The whole process took 90 seconds instead of 20 minutes.
• Brick recovery: It could bring a phone back from the dead using "Emergency Mode" (holding Volume Up while plugging in USB).

For the average user in 2012, a "firmware update" didn't mean waiting for an OTA notification. It meant: Here is the full story of the firmware

1. Downloading a .bin and .fls file from a sketchy file host (RapidShare or MediaFire).
2. Extracting a .dll driver file.
3. Opening SmartFlash, selecting "Normal boot," and clicking "Start."

Step 4: Flash Using KDZ_FW_UPD

1. Run KDZ_FW_UPD_EN.exe as Administrator.
2. In the tool:
   • Select Type: 3GQCT.
   • Select PhoneMode: DIAG.
   • Click the folder icon and load your .kdz firmware file.
3. Click "Launch software update."
4. Do not touch the cable. Wait 5–10 minutes. The phone will reboot.
5. If you get stuck at 4% or 15%, reinstall drivers and try a different USB port (USB 2.0 preferred).

The Custom Firmware Zenith: CyanogenMod 7 & 9

By late 2012, LG abandoned the P970 (stuck at Android 2.3.4). But the hardware wasn't dead. Developers began porting CyanogenMod (CM) . This required a different kind of firmware update: No brick fear: It flashed the ROM (system)

• Rooting: Using "GingerBreak" or "SuperOneClick" to exploit the stock kernel.
• Custom Recovery: Flashing ClockworkMod (CWM) via ROM Manager.
• The Nightlies: Flashing CM7 (Android 2.3.7) gave the phone a second life—pure speed, no LG bloat. Later, CM9 (Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich) brought project Butter... though it ran like Molasses on the P970's single-core TI OMAP 3630.

The final stable firmware update for the P970 was CyanogenMod 7.2. It fixed every LG bug and turned the Optimus Black into what it should have been: a fast, bright-screened messaging device.