Redmi 5A Guide to Bypass Bootloader Lock & Install Custom Rom!

The Xiaomi Redmi 5A is a popular budget phone, but if you’re looking to customize it by flashing custom ROMs, rooting, or using custom kernels, you may find yourself running into a locked bootloader. Fortunately, there’s a way around this, and today we’ll walk you through a newbie-friendly guide on how to bypass the bootloader lock and install custom recovery on your device.
Redmi 5A Disclaimer What You Need to Know!
Before we dive in, it’s essential to note that this guide comes with risks. Flashing custom ROMs and recovering tools can potentially brick your device if done incorrectly. Please read through the guide carefully and make sure you’ve backed up all necessary files before proceeding. We are not responsible for any damage caused to your device. Also, ensure you have the right tools and files ready, such as the custom ROM and TWRP files.
Requirements to Bypass Bootloader Lock:
Before we dive into the actual steps, let’s make sure you have everything ready.
- A Windows PC: Preferably Windows 10, but other versions might work.
- Portable MI Flash Tool: Download and extract this tool on your PC. After extracting, you should see files like QSaharaServer.exe and fhloader.exe.
- Firmware Files: Ensure you have the correct firmware files placed on your external SD card.
- Basic Knowledge of Windows: You’ll need to know how to navigate to directories and use command prompt or PowerShell.
- Device Ready for EDL Mode: Ensure your Redmi 5A is powered off and ready to enter EDL mode.
Redmi 5A Guide to Bypass the Bootloader Lock:
Now that you’ve got everything set up, let’s start bypassing the bootloader lock.
Step 1: Prepare the Environment
Extract the MI Flash Tool: On your PC, go to the folder where you extracted the Portable MI Flash tool. Create a new folder named tmp inside this folder (where QSaharaServer.exe is located).
Download and Extract Bypass Files: Download bypass.7z and extract all its contents to the tmp folder. Ensure you don’t create additional subfolders inside tmp.
Rename Recovery Files:
- If you’re using MIUI Oreo, delete PBRP_recovery_official_nougat.img and rename OrangeFox_oreo_unofficial_port_by_saurabh6377.img to recovery.img.
- If you’re using MIUI Nougat, do the opposite: delete the Oreo recovery file and rename the Nougat version.
Save both recovery files on your external SD card for later use.
Step 2: Enter EDL Mode and Connect Your Device
- Power Off Your Device: Make sure your Redmi 5A is completely turned off.
- Enter EDL Mode: Follow the procedure to put your device in EDL mode (Emergency Download Mode). You can use key combinations or the QDLoader method.
- Connect Your Device: Once in EDL mode, connect your device to the PC using a USB cable.
Step 3: Initialize Firehose and Flash Custom Recovery
- Open Command Prompt: Navigate to the folder containing QSaharaServer.exe. Hold down Shift and right-click within the folder, then select “Open PowerShell Window Here” or “Open Command Prompt Here.”
- Run Initialization Command: Type the following command to initialize firehose: QSaharaServer.exe -p \\.\COM8 -s 13:prog_emmc_firehose_8917_ddr.mbn -b tmp\ (Replace COM8 with the actual COM port of your device, which you can find in your device manager.)
- Flash Custom Recovery: Run the following command to flash your custom recovery: fh_loader.exe –search_path=tmp –port=\\.\COM8 –sendxml=twrp.xml
- Success!: If everything goes well, you should see a “DONE” message, and your device will begin booting into the custom recovery.
Redmi 5A Guide to Flash Custom ROM, Root, and Install GSIs
Once the bootloader is bypassed, the fun really begins! You can now flash custom ROMs, root your device, or install GSIs. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Flashing a Custom ROM
- Flash Nougat Firmware: First, flash the Nougat firmware using your current recovery. This is only required once.
- Flash Recovery Image: If you were previously using Oreo, flash the recovery image meant for Nougat.
- Flash Appender: Download Appender-rec.zip and flash it in recovery.
- Flash the ROM: Now, you can flash your desired custom ROM. Afterward, flash the Appender.zip file to make sure everything works smoothly.
- Reboot Your Device: Finally, reboot your device, and you should be running your new custom ROM.
Flashing Stock MIUI or Xiaomi EU ROM
- Flash the ROM: You can flash either MIUI or Xiaomi EU ROM.
- Rooting: If you want to root, flash Magisk (for MIUI) or flash the custom kernel.
- Flash Appender: Don’t forget to flash
Appender.zip
after installing your ROM. - Reboot: Your device should now be running MIUI or Xiaomi EU, rooted and ready to go!
Installing GSIs
After flashing the custom ROM, simply flash a Generic System Image (GSI) to the system partition. No extra steps are required here.
Bypassing the bootloader lock on your Redmi 5A isn’t as complicated as it sounds when you follow the steps closely. With custom ROMs, kernels, and even GSIs at your disposal, you can unlock the full potential of your device. Always make sure to check your firmware and recovery compatibility before flashing anything to avoid bricking your phone.
Redmi 5a