How To Fix Linage OS Status 7 Error Installation Aborted

Ever since CyanogenMod announced its retirements, a new Custom ROM maker comes to life. LineageOS is the new platform that will provide custom ROMs based on latest version of Android. It is available for a plethora of devices and the list is growing day by day. The list of devices is growing faster and soon it will be the most popular custom ROM taking the place of CyanogenMod.

If you are an Android enthusiast who likes to get the best from his device probably you have heard about Lineage OS. As you may already know the latest version of Lineage OS 14.1 is based on Android 7.1 Nougat and comes with a plethora of features and optimisations over the stock Android. The ROM is optimised to run smoothly and it’s a good idea to install this ROM if you want to have a faster device and get rid of all those pre-installed bloatware.

While it seems like a great ROM (actually it is) various users have reported to have problems while flashing it. They get the “Status 7 Installation Aborted” error while flashing the Lineage OS.  Then the installation stops and you can’t use your device because it doesn’t have a ROM installed.

Status 7 Installation Aborted is a very annoying problem not only because of the fact you have a device without a firmware but also you need to troubleshoot the problem and find the solution. Troubleshooting errors and finding solutions are the hardest part but thanks to developers and Android freaks, on Android everything is possible.

The Status 7 error is a common issue when flashing custom ROMs and it is not isolated only on Lineage OS. However to troubleshoot and fix the “Status 7 Installation Aborted” error on Lineage OS isn’t that difficult and in this post, we are going to talk about it.

How To Fix LineageOS Status 7 Error Installation Aborted

We all love to get the latest goodies, especially when they are free :D. Even though OEM release software updates that bring many improvements, sometimes you may need ages to receive the OTA update because of regional limitations.

Sometimes the reason why we don’t prefer the OTA update but instead we install a Custom ROM is the fact that they are optimised for better performance, free of bloatware and they are deeply customizable. But when installing a Custom ROM, in our case LineageOS you may get the Status 7 error. It can happen for various reasons.

These are the most common error messages you get when installing a Custom ROM:

• Finding update package... Opening update package... Verifying update package... Installing update... Verifying current system... "/system/app/Drive.apk" has unexpected contents. E:Error in /tmp/update.zip (Status 7) Installation aborted.

Or

• Installing update...
  Verifying current system...
  "/system/bin/mpdecision" has unexpected contents.
  E:Error in /tmp/update.zip
  (Status 7)
  Installation aborted.

Or

• (Status 7)
  Installation aborted.

If you take a closer look at the logs in the code given above you will get an idea what caused the Status 7 Error. The first thing you have to keep in mind when installing a custom ROM is: The phone must be rooted.

So here are some of the most common issues that cause Status 7 Error Installation Aborted on LineageOS:

Wrong Custom ROM file

Every time you download the ROM for your device make sure to check that you’re downloading the right ROM. If you go to LineageOS’s download page, you will see a list of all the supported devices. If you look carefully you will notice that there are different variants of the same phone and you may download the wrong ROM designed for the other variant.

Always be careful, and double check the model number on the download page. It should match with the one on your phone. You don’t want to end up in a soft bricked device because this is what happens when you download the wrong file.

Not Correct Flashing

Not correct flashing or dirty flashing is a common issue that can cause the Status 7 error. When installing a custom ROM, but currently you’re using another custom ROM it is recommended to perform a factory reset and then wipe data and cache. This is known as a clean install and it reduces the chances to run into troubles.

It may happen that we forget to do a full wipe. Instead, we go directly with the ROM installation. This might not be the case but before looking for a complicated solution why not try this easy tips. Sometimes the problems are easier than they look like. We make them complicated.

Outdated Bootloader or Custom Recovery

Sometimes the bootloader may not support the newer version of Android. That’s why OEMs after some time stop releasing OTA update for their older devices. They may not be able to support the newest Android version. Since LineageOS 14.1 is based on Android 7.1 Nougat, your device might not support it. Chance for this to happens are very low but they exist. So if you’re trying to install LineageOS on an old device and you’re getting status 7 installation aborted error, better flash a ROM that has been tested before.

Another reason can be an outdated Custom Recovery. Every new Android version comes with new files and changes in the software structure. Sometimes the new version of Android can have so many changes from the old one.

To make sure you have a safe installation, we always recommend having the latest build of TWRP Custom Recovery installed on your phone. We recommend TWRP because of the developers behind it. They update the recovery often to make sure it supports the new versions of Android. So if you haven’t updated your recovery in a while, it’s time to install a fresh new.

If you update to the latest update of the recovery and you’re sure you have downloaded the right ROM but still you can’t flash it, try to install a new recovery. If you are using TWRP switch it to CWM even though I doubt this could be the reason. Many people on the Android forums have reported that changing the recovery has fixed the status 7 installation aborted error.

Modify Updater Script

In many cases, the reason of the Status 7 error can be the updater-script. It checks if the model number of your phone is compatible with the ROM you’re trying to install. There is a specific line of code in the updater-script file that is called “assert“.

By removing it you bypass the check that can result in the Status 7 error. This is a safety feature but the ROM developer can make device model-specific changes to the script. Follow the steps below to learn how to make changes to the updater script and remove the “assert”.

• Copy the ROM file to your computer.
• Unzip the file and open the extracted folder.
• Navigate to META-INF/com/google/android directory. There you will see two files: update-binary and updater-script.
• Rename the updater-script to updater-script.txt.
• Open it with a file editor such as Notepad and remove the line starting with “assert”

• Remove the assert part and save the changes.
• Rename the updater-script.txt to updater-script.
• Go back to the ROM folder and put all the files in an archive.
• Move the new zip file to your phone.
• Reboot into recovery and flash it.

The ROM should now install without the Status 7 error. If you have something you want to share with us or if I missed something that might work to fix the issue, do let us know in the comment section below. Sharing knowledge is what makes Android community the best.