Database Develop

[Q] [S.O.S.] A rare MILESTONE brick situation!

Fellow androiders,
I believe I am in a really rare brick situation that no matter how I try, it still does not show any turn around.
[Introduction]
I bought a Korean version Milestone(Moto Qrty, as they put], and I took it to China. Because the original phone did not support sending Chinese text message, plus, too much telco provided apps are making the phone sluggish, I decided to follow my friend advice, to switch to widely available open-sourced Froyo (I wanted the CM).
[Problem]
I thought that the flashing process would not be too difficult and I could handle it by myself. But, it turns out that I have become a victim of an overly simplified version of flashing guide. I don't know what exactly have done wrong, after successfully rooted the phone, I vaguely remember that I have used CM ROM for Droid, instead of CM ROM for Milestone.
And that made my phone a brick. My phone will turn on, but will restart again and again after M logo(So-called M boot loop).
[Background information of the Phone and my PC environment]
Phone Model: A853
Original Bootloader version: A0.20
Original Android System: Froyo
RSD lite version: 5.3.1. (later switched to 4.6 due to the suspicion of RSD bug)
Operating System: Windows 7 64 bit, English
[What I have tried so far]
I have tried to follow many tips on the internet. Tips from Korean websites, from Chinese websites, and from English websites. Basically, these tips will let you flash back to the original ROM by using RSD lite.
But, no matter what I try, it will not fix the boot loop problem.
I've tried to
1) Bring the phone to the original status [did not work.]
- flash the bootloader into A0.20 (the original bootloader) with RSD lite;
(bl_a020_umts_sholesumts_skt_consumer_replacer.sbf)
- flash with original Froyo sbf (following the advice from Korean websites, flashed Clair first, and then flashed Froyo) with RSD lite.
(A853_2.1(Eclair).SBF / A853_2.2.1(Proyo).SBF)
* According to what Koreans say, it would make your phone into the original status, will even remove signs of root.
2) Used many combination of following bootloader and ROMs
- flash the bootloader into 90.78ch
(BL_9078_umts_sholes_GC_HS_Consumer_replacer.sbf)
- flash the bootloader into 90.78
(BL_9078_umts_sholes_HS_Consumer_replacer.sbf)
- GOT221 ROM
(GOT_RTEU_2_2_1FULL.sbf)
- And some other un-name-able ROMs
SGC_U2_03.04.0_USASHLSGCB1B2B5008.0R_PDS06A_HWp2a_1FF.sbf
3) Used many different OpenRecovery Variations
OpenRecovery v1.46
OpenRecovery 3.3
OpenRecovery GOT mod v2.1
4) Restore Nandroid backup which I made right before I made my phone brick.
5) Cleaned data/cache/dalvic as I do every flash, and tried boot without SIM card and SDCard.
[Some discoveries and successes]
- With 90.78ch + GOT2.2.1, it will show "Android" screen, but it will reboot as soon as the phone OS interface show up.
- According to my friend, when he flashed back to the original bootloader A0.20 + original froyo Rom, it showed TelCo Symbol "T" once (which is the booting screen right after M).
[Final Comment]
What I really want to know is that is it the time I give up on it? or is there any value of pursuing other knowledge on bring this phone back?
I really need this phone, and it will take some times to save money to buy another smartphone, I would really really appreciate if you can help me bring this phone back to normal.
Thank you.

some users reported problems with sdcard. try to boot without sdcard, and wipe everything after or before the flash process.
and i don think it's hard bricked...

Sir, I have tried so, somehow, I did not have lucks other had.

roofghost said:
Sir, I have tried so, somehow, I did not have lucks other had.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you've tried flashing different bootloaders, with no success? I always thought flashing another bootloader version different from your own was risky.
If not, you can just try flashing the SBF from here: http://android.doshaska.net/rootable , then installing OpenRecovery, rooting the phone, flashing a custom ROM, etc.

..... my bad

I have the same issue,
in recovery there is message when wiping data/factory reset:
E:Error in CACHE:fota/log
(no space left on device)
I am wondering, if I move CACHE to SD would it help??
Yesterday I have installed original Rom (shols~) and phone booted once to android and when I have rebooted it, there is M bootloop again.
Please help me

skadude66 said:
So you've tried flashing different bootloaders, with no success? I always thought flashing another bootloader version different from your own was risky.
If not, you can just try flashing the SBF from here: android.doshaska.net/rootable , then installing OpenRecovery, rooting the phone, flashing a custom ROM, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, did not work.
I have a feeling that the "doshaska" will know how to solve this. Anyone know how to contact or PM him?
Thanks.

By the way,
in this case, is there anyway can fix the brick via "console" in the OpenRecovery?
Thanks.

So... you have open recovery and can get to the console...
What happens if you copy CM to the updates folder and flash CM?

zeppelinrox said:
So... you have open recovery and can get to the console...
What happens if you copy CM to the updates folder and flash CM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I can enter OpenRecovery and can get to the console.
And,
sorry about the CM, I think I will have to try that again and let you know then.
Is there any CM ROM you want me to try? (Hopefully with a reliable instruction. If you are busy, you can just leave this part, I will look for myself about the instruction.)
Truly thank you and glad to see new reply under this topic.

Well, use OR's mount as usb function and plug into your computer.
Copy the latest CM7 (I think that's what you want - or any ROM really) to the updates folder.
Wipe all caches
Then apply the update
It should "just work"
I mean, the hardest part is getting into OR lol
I'm surprised that your battery hasn't died yet

zeppelinrox said:
Well, use OR's mount as usb function and plug into your computer.
Copy the latest CM7 (I think that's what you want - or any ROM really) to the updates folder.
Wipe all caches
Then apply the update
It should "just work"
I mean, the hardest part is getting into OR lol
I'm surprised that your battery hasn't died yet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I install CM7 on Froyo? I thought that was for the Android 2.3.
I have just flashed back to the original bootloader of A0.20 (it was 90.78 as I play around with it.), and flashed the original korean .sbf froyo. Just to follow your suggestion.
I will try to install vulnerable recovery. I think in this way, I can use OpenRecovery again.
About my batter, I purchased a separate battery charger.
I will keep my status updated as soon as I try this out.
Thanks.

same problem and flash so many rom My milestone can't acess sdcard on recovery mode and android os.
Sent from my Milestone using XDA App

guys same problem here, help us

Pic of Dead Droid with ! after firmware update attempt

I recently got my TF701T back from repairs and they of course factory reset it (they put a new battery in). We all know it needs factory reset for that right? Anyways. I do a check for updates and nothing. I know I was running 4.4 previously but updater says no updates and stuck on original. So I start reading and download the latest US 4.4 firmware directly from ASUS, unzip it and put in main directory (verified mine was US) and reboot. Says all is fine, would I like to update, yes, reboot and I get the Android gear guy for about 10 minutes then it reboots. He shows up again and dead android shows up.
Now it just loops forever to this. I spent about 5 hours reading forums here, attempted a restore, but 1. the recovery.img link is bad and 2. my tablet isn't rooted.
Any suggestions? I can access the fastboot screen that gives me "RCK, Android and "Wipe Data". I tried Wipe data 3 times, no good still getting dead guy. I tried copying the latestest zip file to an sd card with boot.img and blob and file and ran RCK and it says match then reboots then dead guy again...
the fastboot screen says "released by: "US_epad-10.14.1.45-20131014" which I believe is the original.

You did a good job on your research. What might have tripped you up could be just a bad download. Files do get corrupted during download once in a while.
The recovery seems to have initially recognized the digital signature of the update file and started to flash it. And then something went wrong....
Download the firmware again. Unzip it once (the result should be a ....user.zip) and place that file onto a microSD formatted fat32 and not into any folder on the card. Boot to recovery (RCK).
If that does not work, try to rename the ...user.zip on the microSD to T4_SDUPDATE.zip and boot to recovery and report back.
Good luck!

So, I had downloaded 3 different versions multiple times before with zero success. But, once I took one and renamed it to T4_SDUPDATE.zip bam!
You just so made my day!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Devan

I have a question along these lines. What is the difference between the software update and firmware update and when do you do each? I understand the difference between what they are I suppose just not sure if updating is the same. Should I update kernel too or is that updated in an SW or FW update?
Thanks

Anyone?

I have seen these terms used very differently on different device forums.
Here on the Asus tablet forums people mostly talk about firmware when they mean the whole stock package. The stock firmware always comes with everything: Bootloader, recovery, rom and kernel
On the HTC M8 forum for example, they make a clear distinction: Software is rom and kernel, firmware is bootloader, radios, baseband etc.
The recovery seems to fall somewhere in between
Your bootloader version determines everything else. You should only flash a recovery, kernel or rom compatible with that particular bootloader.
You can, or have to, update it if you want to run a rom that requires a later or newer bootloader. Asus encrypts their BLs, so bootloader updates can only come from them - so far only with the release of a new version of the OEM "firmware".
If you as an unlocked, custom rom'd user then want to install a rom based on that new firmware, you have to update the bootloader and possibly but not necessarily your recovery before flashing the new custom rom.
Custom recoveries get more frequent updates. CWM, TWRP or some enterprising dev release new versions every few months. Always make sure it is compatible with your bootloader and rom. In most cases you can easily skip a few versions. But if you update your rom, let's say, from JB to Lollipop you should also update your recovery.
The kernel is considered to be part of the rom. At least every rom I know of comes with a kernel, some even with several to choose from. And it is a popular sport to try the same rom with different kernels.
You update the rom whenever the developer releases a new, updated version - or not if you're happy with what you got.
The safest place to be is always up-to-date: The latest roms usually require the latest bootloader and it's best to run both with the latest recovery.
If you have a working combo you can stick with it for years if you like.
But if you've been away for a while, did not follow the latest development, and want to update, you always have to:
Check if your bootloader is still current. If not, update it
Update your recovery
Wipe data, cache and Dalvik
Flash the new rom.

Nice explanation, I knew all of this but there is no way I could have explained it.

berndblb said:
You did a good job on your research. What might have tripped you up could be just a bad download. Files do get corrupted during download once in a while.
The recovery seems to have initially recognized the digital signature of the update file and started to flash it. And then something went wrong....
Download the firmware again. Unzip it once (the result should be a ....user.zip) and place that file onto a microSD formatted fat32 and not into any folder on the card. Boot to recovery (RCK).
If that does not work, try to rename the ...user.zip on the microSD to T4_SDUPDATE.zip and boot to recovery and report back.
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THANK YOU!!!! IT worked like a miracle... Thank you !!!! :good::good::good:

Help a newbie; LG Optimus L90; learning to flash

Current situation: pretty much complete newbie. I broke my factory OS after rooting it, I think I deleted something Settings needs, so anytime it needs to access settings I get "Unfortunately, Settings has stopped." I factory reset it hoping that would help, but now after loading it gets stuck on a cycling white screen reporting that error (I think it's trying to set up the phone.) The error message prevents me from doing the touch-four-screen-corners trick I've read about and bypass set up. So, stuck on phone setup errors as near as I can tell.
I do have my user apps backed up with TiBu, but couldn't get the recovery zip from TiBu to work. I downloaded CWM but didn't figure it out yet. Also unfortunately I can't get the USB drivers to work (the LGE Android MTP Device won't install), so I think my only way of getting files to my phone now is using the microSD cards.
I'd love some help! I think my factory OS is FUBAR, so I'm not trying to fix that, instead I'd rather just get a cool ROM loaded so I can continue learning with a working device with said cool ROM. I don't fully understand terms that I know I need to like "bootloader" or what CWM / TWRP actually does or how to use them (I need to make a custom recovery ROM?). Or where to get a cool ROM or which to pick, some step by step basics on from some experienced users would be fantastic! Thank you so much!

So you were on stock, rooted, backed up and then messed the ROM? Flash stock ROM again using LG Flash tool (there is a thread in the main section), it should not wipe your data but you'll lose root. Hard to fix if you're not sure about the problem and have no easy access to files. Just make sure you flash the correct version for your model (D405, D410hn, etc), preferably the same version you have now so you won't need a factory reset after flashing...

lfom said:
So you were on stock, rooted, backed up and then messed the ROM? Flash stock ROM again using LG Flash tool (there is a thread in the main section), it should not wipe your data but you'll lose root. Hard to fix if you're not sure about the problem and have no easy access to files. Just make sure you flash the correct version for your model (D405, D410hn, etc), preferably the same version you have now so you won't need a factory reset after flashing...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, this put me in the right direction. I ended up discovering that even though the " LGE Android MTP Device won't install," the flashing process worked with this program via USB anyway. I'm going to lick my wounds a bit before trying to flash a custom ROM. Thank you!

For the rom installation, after unlocking your bootloader and rooting, download the app Flashify from Google Play, then install TWRP or CWM zip file as recovery image. Then, from there, you can install custom ROMs or make backups of your phone, etc. A cool custom ROM I recommend is CyanogenMod, it ports newer versions for older devices. So, you can have Android 6.0.1 in your phone

N00B question from an old-timer

I have a Galaxy Tab s2 (810) and am currently running 5.1.1 (optimalROM R1-1 DEODEX) and I'm stumped.
I've been flashing ROMs on Androids for years. Always the process is:
Root the device
Install new boot loader (Currently TWRP)
Download the zip file for the ROM and GAPPS onto my Mac.
Copy the files to the external SD
Reboot Galaxy into TWRP
Factory reset
Flash new ROM and GAPPS
Reboot.
Subsequent flashings don't require the first two steps.
I want to try MM so I looked on the forum, and downloaded one of the CyanogenMod 13 betas. After flashing, I got caught in a boot loop, so I restored my backup. Then I read the flashing instructions more carefully, and learned that I must revert to the "Factory" version of MM before I can flash CM 13.
Here are my questions:
Won't that put me back at square 1? have to re-root and install TWRP again?
Where can I get the correct version of the "Factory" rom? The download sites I've found are all kind of sleazy looking pay-for-download sites.
Is there even a version available in English? All of the options seem to be European or far-east countries.
It looks like a utility called ODIN is required, but it appears to be a Windows executable. What do I do on the Mac?
WHY is all this nonsense necessary in the first place? I've never encountered anything like it in literally hundreds of download/flash experiences. I did have to repartition the memory on my Xoom, but there was a separate utility to do that.
Thanks for the help
Walt

walts said:
I have a Galaxy Tab s2 (810) and am currently running 5.1.1 (optimalROM R1-1 DEODEX) and I'm stumped.
I've been flashing ROMs on Androids for years. Always the process is:
Root the device
Install new boot loader (Currently TWRP)
Download the zip file for the ROM and GAPPS onto my Mac.
Copy the files to the external SD
Reboot Galaxy into TWRP
Factory reset
Flash new ROM and GAPPS
Reboot.
Subsequent flashings don't require the first two steps.
I want to try MM so I looked on the forum, and downloaded one of the CyanogenMod 13 betas. After flashing, I got caught in a boot loop, so I restored my backup. Then I read the flashing instructions more carefully, and learned that I must revert to the "Factory" version of MM before I can flash CM 13.
Here are my questions:
Won't that put me back at square 1? have to re-root and install TWRP again?
Where can I get the correct version of the "Factory" rom? The download sites I've found are all kind of sleazy looking pay-for-download sites.
Is there even a version available in English? All of the options seem to be European or far-east countries.
It looks like a utility called ODIN is required, but it appears to be a Windows executable. What do I do on the Mac?
WHY is all this nonsense necessary in the first place? I've never encountered anything like it in literally hundreds of download/flash experiences. I did have to repartition the memory on my Xoom, but there was a separate utility to do that.
Thanks for the help
Walt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i can answer a few of your questions:
you can try this http://techbeasts.com/download-odin-jdoin3-mac/ odin for mac, not tried it myself though or you could try running odin via WINE on your mac
you can get the latest firmware/software from https://samsung-firmware.org/model/SM-T810/ you can sign up for a free account and it takes a few hours to download the firmware though!
install that via odin and you will be back to factory settings

Why don't you just flash the stock mm firmware?
DONATE ME HERE IF YOU WANT TO BUY ME A BEER OR HIT THE THANKS BUTTON IF I HELPED YOU

Why don't you just flash the stock mm firmware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See my questions above. I was hoping to not have to start all over again as if I had just bought a new galaxy. I've never encountered this kind of situation with any other device. Usually a "Factory Reset" followed by flashing the CM ROM is adequate. I'm guessing there is something unique about the hardware design that requires all these contortions.
Walt

walts said:
See my questions above. I was hoping to not have to start all over again as if I had just bought a new galaxy. I've never encountered this kind of situation with any other device. Usually a "Factory Reset" followed by flashing the CM ROM is adequate. I'm guessing there is something unique about the hardware design that requires all these contortions.
Walt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You won't lose anything by updating to mm.
Your data, apps, settings and everything else will be as they were previously.
The firmware only updates the OS and doesn't wipe anything.

walts said:
See my questions above. I was hoping to not have to start all over again as if I had just bought a new galaxy. I've never encountered this kind of situation with any other device. Usually a "Factory Reset" followed by flashing the CM ROM is adequate. I'm guessing there is something unique about the hardware design that requires all these contortions.
Walt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe it has something to do with resizing the partitions (or adding an extra one), so that's why you have to update to stock Marshmallow.

Stock Roms

Hi,
I recently made the mistake of wiping my system partition trying to just do a factory reset. I was running a stock rooted 4.4.2 rom and TWRP recovery.
I've tried the latest RUU from HTC but it says it can't find my phone. Using the generic FUU and a 1.54.651.8 (the same version I was previously running) zip I found looks like it's starting to work - it finds the phone and everything but seems to be stuck forever on "Updating (0/7) Sending...."
I was able to get a custom rom installed, but some things weren't working quite right (couldn't send texts, kept making a weird sound, and a couple others) so I was hoping for a stock rom - rooted or not, I'm fine either way.
The bad news is that the old threads with the stock rom of that version seem to have broken links so I can't get them that way. I tried contacting a couple of people who posted them but they didn't hang on to them either.
Unfortunately, the SD reader on this phone has broken so I can't get to my old backup from before I originally rooted way back when. So what I had to do to install the custom rom was boot into TWRP Recovery, ADB push the .zip over to /tmp and flash it from there. Which seems to work fine as far as that goes, I just need a stock rom (or nandroid backup, I suppose) that is compatible with my firmware since the RUUs don't seem to want to cooperate.
As an alternative, is there a way of pulling just the rom out of that 1.54.651.8 RUU I have in some format that would be flashable under TWRP Recovery?
I know it's an older phone and I'm on an old firmware (once I was rooted I never wanted to do any updates for fear of breaking something), but any help would be greatly appreciated since all the links I can find seem to be outdated/dead.