How to flash Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X through your computer

The Redmi Note 4X series mobile devices, despite their age, remain popular due to their excellent price-performance ratio. However, over time, the regular operating system may stop updating, start operating unstable or require a change of region for full use, in such situations, the only right solution is to completely reflash the device using a personal computer.

The process of software recovery requires careful and strict adherence to the algorithm of actions. Errors in the stages of preparing or executing commands can lead to a software failure known as a “brick” when the smartphone stops responding to commands. However, using official software from the manufacturer minimizes risks and allows you to return the gadget to a factory state or install custom assembly.

In this guide, we will discuss all the steps in detail: from unlocking the bootloader to the final installation of Global. ROM. You don’t need a deep knowledge of programming, but the presence of original programming. USB-cable and a working PC with Windows operating system is a prerequisite for the successful completion of the procedure.

Preparation of the workplace and necessary files

Before you start any manipulation of the system partition of the smartphone, you need to make sure that all components are ready to work. First of all, you need the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X itself (codenamed santoni) with a charged battery of at least 60%. Low charge can interrupt the process of writing data, which is fatal for the file system.

The second critical element is quality. USB-Cheap cables are often used only for charging and do not provide stable data transfer, which leads to out-synchronization with the computer at the most inopportune time. ADB Fastboot and Fastboot, which can be found in Platform Tools.

The third step is to back up all the important data, and the clean-all firmware process will permanently delete all the photos, contacts, and applications, and save them to the cloud service or external drive in advance.

⚠️ Note: Using unverified sources to download firmware can lead to malware installation. download files only from official resources or verified forums.

Unlocking the Bootloader bootloader

Xiaomi's official firmware has a locked bootloader, which prevents unauthorized modifications to the system. To install a global version or custom recovery through a computer, you need to obtain Unlocked status. This process requires linking the Mi Account to the device.

First, activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings. → About the phone and seven times quickly click on the version MIUI. Once the notification appears, go back to the Advanced Settings menu and select Developer For. OEM-unlocking and debugging USB.

Then you download the Mi Unlock Tool to your computer. When you start the program and log in to your account, connect your smartphone in Fastboot mode. The program will check the status of the device. If all is correct, it will offer to unlock the bootloader, warning you about the data reset.

Once successfully unlocked, the phone will restart and all data will be deleted, which is a standard security procedure, and the device is now ready to accept commands to write new system partitions.

Installation of drivers and preparation of Mi Flash Tool

Windows requires specific drivers to properly communicate your computer and smartphone in firmware mode (EDL or Fastboot) and is often installed automatically, but Redmi Note 4X is better off using manual methods through Device Manager to avoid port recognition errors.

The main tool to work with will be the Mi Flash Tool. Download the latest stable version of the utility. When installing, pay attention to the checkmark in the bottom menu of the installer - select the Install ADB and Fastboot driver and Install Miflash package. This ensures that all the necessary components are available.

If the device manager when connecting the phone in firmware mode displays "Unknown device", you must manually update the driver, indicating the path to the folder with Qualcomm drivers. Without the correct display of the COM port, the flasher program will not see the phone.

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If the Qualcomm driver is not automatically installed, turn off the Internet, select Update Driver → Select from List → Qualcomm Atheros → Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008.

Selection of firmware type: Fastboot ROM

To run through your computer and the Mi Flash utility, you'll need a Fastboot ROM firmware version. It has a.tgz extension, unlike the Recovery version (.zip), which is designed to be installed through the phone's menu. The Fastboot archive contains images of all partitions of the system.

It is important to choose the right firmware region. The global version (Global) contains many languages and Google services out of the box, but may come with a delay. The Chinese version (China) updates faster, but does not have Russian and Google services preinstalled (though they can be installed). European (EEA) Limits the number of advertising identifiers.

The downloaded.tgz archive must be unpacked, the path to the folder must be short and not contain Cyrillic or special ambols, for example: C:\ROM\santoni_global. Inside the folder should be the image subfolder and the file flash_all.bat. If you only see one.zip file inside your archive, you downloaded the wrong version.

Make sure the new firmware version of Android is not lower than the one installed now, unless you plan to do a downgrade. New devices have anti-Rollback protection, which prohibits rollbacks on older versions of the software, but for the Redmi Note 4X this is less relevant, although it is worth checking the version index (digit after a point, for example MIUI 9.3.0) before installing.

The process of firmware through the Mi Flash Tool

Run the Mi Flash Tool on behalf of the administrator. In the top field, click the Select button and specify the path to the unpacked firmware folder. The program automatically counts the path. Nothing should be displayed in the list of devices yet.

Turn your smartphone into Fastboot mode. Turn off your phone and press the volume button, then connect the cable to your computer. The Fastboot logo will appear on your phone screen with a picture of a rabbit fixing an android. The program should appear a line with the serial number of the device.

At the bottom of the window, select firmware mode. The most reliable option is clean all. The save user data option can cause errors if Android versions are different, and clean all and lock will block the bootloader back, which is dangerous when changing the firmware region (for example, from China to Global).

Recommended algorithm of actions:


1. Choose the path to firmware.




2. connect the phone to Fastboot.




3. Press Refresh (update list).




4. Select "clean all."




5. Press Flash.

When you press Flash, you start writing. You'll see the run-status strings in the log. Don't touch the cable or turn off the computer. It takes 300 to 600 seconds. When success appears in the status, the phone automatically reboots. The first download can take up to 10 minutes.

⚠️ Warning: Never interrupt the firmware process by removing the cable, which will damage the boot sector and turn the phone into a brick that requires disassembly and soldering to recover.

Solving common mistakes

When you run a Redmi Note 4X firmware, users often encounter error codes, and one of the most common is Missmatching image and device, which means you’re trying to flash firmware that isn’t designed for that processor (like the firmware for the Snapdragon 625 on a device with a different chip, although the 4X has one, but there are some confusions with Note 4 models).

A Not enough space or Storage flash error error usually indicates file system problems or broken memory sectors, in which case it helps to try again with clean all mode or use EDL mode (requires disassembly of the case and closure of contacts on the board).

If the program produces an Anti-rollback check failed error, you are trying to install an older version of the software than the current bootloader allows, and the solution is to find and install a more recent version of the firmware that is indexed higher than the current one.

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90% of firmware errors are due to bad USB-cable, use USB-Port 3.0 (preferably 2.0) or port-blocking antivirus.

Also worth mentioning is the driver error. If a device appears, it disappears from the list, try another one. USB-port, preferably on the back of the system unit, and make sure there are no yellow exclamation points in the Device Manager opposite Qualcomm or Android devices.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions