Database Develop

Nexus 6 Motorola Help Needed

Hi - apologies first of all if this is covered elsewhere in the forums.
I purchased a brand new Nexus 6 directly from Motorola this week as they had slashed the price down to just £309 for the 64gb. It arrived Monday. I turned it on, signed into my network etc. it starting updating apps. Then it said that Android 5.1.1. was available so I downloaded it and proceeded to install. About halfway through the installation it crashed. My phone is now stuck on continually booting up and saying 'optimising xxx apps'. After a bit of research, I found that this was a common problem as 5.1.1. was trying to update and some apps were incompatible. So I read many forums and booted into Recovery mode, wiped the cache, wiped data and did a factory reset, but it still won't work.
I called Motorola who told me that they have had many of their Nexus 6s do this and all they could do was to refund me the phone as they now are out of stock.
Further research led me to read about 'flashing' the phone so I downloaded Wugfresh but I cannot get into the phone to enable me to debug. After many hours today I have come to the conclusion that I am never going to be able to use my new phone which I am gutted about.
My question is, is there anyway to flash the phone without enabling debugging because I cannot get into the main menu because all if does is just keep optimizing apps?
Many thanks for reading and any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

bacon_roll said:
Hi - apologies first of all if this is covered elsewhere in the forums.
I purchased a brand new Nexus 6 directly from Motorola this week as they had slashed the price down to just £309 for the 64gb. It arrived Monday. I turned it on, signed into my network etc. it starting updating apps. Then it said that Android 5.1.1. was available so I downloaded it and proceeded to install. About halfway through the installation it crashed. My phone is now stuck on continually booting up and saying 'optimising xxx apps'. After a bit of research, I found that this was a common problem as 5.1.1. was trying to update and some apps were incompatible. So I read many forums and booted into Recovery mode, wiped the cache, wiped data and did a factory reset, but it still won't work.
I called Motorola who told me that they have had many of their Nexus 6s do this and all they could do was to refund me the phone as they now are out of stock.
Further research led me to read about 'flashing' the phone so I downloaded Wugfresh but I cannot get into the phone to enable me to debug. After many hours today I have come to the conclusion that I am never going to be able to use my new phone which I am gutted about.
My question is, is there anyway to flash the phone without enabling debugging because I cannot get into the main menu because all if does is just keep optimizing apps?
Many thanks for reading and any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could try and flash a flash a factory image via fastboot...

draa2711 said:
You could try and flash a flash a factory image via fastboot...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, he can't try, he has his bootloader locked.

OP, this thread is a classic case of why the first thing anyone should do with this device, even if not planning to root or otherwise modify it, is to enable developer options in settings and enable both USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking. Without both enabled there's no way to resolve your problem, and unfortunately you'll need to contact Motorola and arrange a return, since they are out of stock.
Once you get your money back, look on Swappa for a used device. You may be able to get a device that way at a lower price than what Motorola offers.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
OP, this thread is a classic case of why the first thing anyone should do with this device, even if not planning to root or otherwise modify it, is to enable developer options in settings and enable both USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking. Without both enabled there's no way to resolve your problem, and unfortunately you'll need to contact Motorola and arrange a return, since they are out of stock.
Once you get your money back, look on Swappa for a used device. You may be able to get a device that way at a lower price than what Motorola offers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your advice, but I had no idea, probably like so many others who aren't as clued up on Android that USB Debugging even existed. I just bought a phone that I wanted that now is no good to me having never been able to use it because of a bug in 5.1.1. I am returning to Motorola for refund.

Without wanting to raise false hopes, there is a thread in this forum where the OP says he recovered his device even though the bootloader was locked (he was certain of it, he said...), other people replying that this was impossible, and yet they eventually seemed to accept that it might be. My bootloader has been unlocked since day one, and I don't remember if there was an "Allow OEM unlock" option in Settings - the same thread had discussion about Marshmallow not having it. I suppose this N6 is still on Lollipop, so maybe a red herring...
I'll see if I can find the thread for reference, but in the meantime does anyone recognise the thread I mean?
bacon_roll, since I'm vegetarian I shouldn't be helping you but have you tried Wugfresh's option of "Phone is bricked/bootlooping"? I think all it does is to reboot the device into bootloader anyway, but I think this might be worth a go if you haven't already tried it. You did mention that you've booted into recovery, but you don't mention bootloader mode.

draa2711 said:
You could try and flash a flash a factory image via fastboot...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. As per my post, I can't because the phone is locked.

dahawthorne said:
My bootloader has been unlocked since day one, and I don't remember if there was an "Allow OEM unlock" option in Settings - the same thread had discussion about Marshmallow not having it. I suppose this N6 is still on Lollipop, so maybe a red herring...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could check in the About Phone menu to see what version you're on.
Both Android 5.x and Android 6.x have an OEM Unlocking toggle in Development Options. I know because I followed my own advice given above in my previous post in order to flash the latest Android 6.0.1 ROM to the device, and then checked Developer Options afterward.

dahawthorne said:
Without wanting to raise false hopes, there is a thread in this forum where the OP says he recovered his device even though the bootloader was locked (he was certain of it, he said...), other people replying that this was impossible, and yet they eventually seemed to accept that it might be. My bootloader has been unlocked since day one, and I don't remember if there was an "Allow OEM unlock" option in Settings - the same thread had discussion about Marshmallow not having it. I suppose this N6 is still on Lollipop, so maybe a red herring...
I'll see if I can find the thread for reference, but in the meantime does anyone recognise the thread I mean?
bacon_roll, since I'm vegetarian I shouldn't be helping you but have you tried Wugfresh's option of "Phone is bricked/bootlooping"? I think all it does is to reboot the device into bootloader anyway, but I think this might be worth a go if you haven't already tried it. You did mention that you've booted into recovery, but you don't mention bootloader mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi - please get my hopes up, I really want to keep this phone if I can
Without sounding like a complete nerd, what is the difference between recovery and bootloader mode?
When I scroll through the options with both arrows pressed and power button, I have START, RESTART BOOTLOADER, RECOVERY MODE, POWER OFF, FACTORY, BARCODES, BP TOOLS, QCOM & BOOTLOADER LOGS
I have done factory wipe/cache/restart bootloader etc.
How do I boot into bootloader mode please.
Thank you.

Overly simplistic reply here, but it should be enough to answer the question.
The bootloader prepares the system for booting. Once it's done its work it hands off control of the system to Android's kernel. Recovery is a mini operating system used to initiate low level functions such as wiping the on-board storage. The screen you describe I believe is the bootloader interface, hence why you have a "Restart Bootloader" option instead of "Start Bootloader".

You can probably save some serious money by returning and buying off swappa really. I just broke my N6 and couldn't find one in stock but, used swappa to find one around $260 that was only used for 2 weeks.

If you already have Wugfresh's Nexus Root Toolkit installed, use the "Install & test drivers" button to make sure that you have all your drivers installed properly. If all is ok, although I know this won't be popular advice, then start with the "My device is soft-bricked", then try the "Unlock" button and then "Flash stock" button. If the phone is already a paperweight then I don't believe it can possibly do any more harm, and you might even hit it lucky...
If none of this works, grab Motorola's refund offer with both hands...

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
Overly simplistic reply here, but it should be enough to answer the question.
The bootloader prepares the system for booting. Once it's done its work it hands off control of the system to Android's kernel. Recovery is a mini operating system used to initiate low level functions such as wiping the on-board storage. The screen you describe I believe is the bootloader interface, hence why you have a "Restart Bootloader" option instead of "Start Bootloader".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok thank you.
I downloaded and installed Wugfresh, followed all the instructions. It won't work once it goes to flash because it can't see my phone connected. My PC recognises it as Nexus 6 but on the 'bootloader' screen at the bottom, it says Connect USB Data Cable, even though the phone says Battery OK (Charging). I tried to install latest USB drivers but apparently the latest are installed.
I am giving up now as I don't believe I can try anything else. Just strange that Wugfresh won't see the phone, yet my PC does.
Thanks.

Oh well...
You did try the Wugfresh "Test drivers"? It has a really helpful walkthrough on deleting and installing drivers. I'd give it a go before you give up.

dahawthorne said:
Oh well...
You did try the Wugfresh "Test drivers"? It has a really helpful walkthrough on deleting and installing drivers. I'd give it a go before you give up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok I don't often use this phrase because I think it's very over rated but O M G - IT WORKED!!
I followed the driver guide in Wugfresh as you suggested, downloaded the CORRECT drivers, flashed it, unlocked bootloader, enabled usb debugging (just in case ) and then restored it then finally relocked the bootloader. It worked flawlessly and after setting up it is now 6.0.1 with the 1 Jan 2016 security patch applied - OTA.
I can't think you enough for your suggestion and advice, I really appreciate it and glad that I persevered with it.
Have a great weekend.
Thanks.
Bacon_Roll (vegetarian version)

That is absolutely fantastic news. I'm almost as pleased as you are. Remote assistance across the ether - you can't beat it with a big stick...
But as your attorney I advise you to go back into bootloader, check the connection (fastboot devices) and unlock again (fastboot oem unlock). This will wipe your device, but I reckon in the last 25 minutes you won't have been able to install much.
There are so many threads on this forum where people have been told "You're stuffed" because they have a problem and have a locked bootloader. Just this afternoon in another thread I read, literally in capital letters "DON'T RELOCK YOUR BOOTLOADER" for this very reason - without it you don't have recourse to the recovery tools you may one day need.
(P.S. Another person whose thread I followed also managed to get a result with NRT after all else had failed. I suggested to him that he might like to thank the developer, Doug Cohen/Wugfresh, more tangibly by donating a few dollars, which you can do through Paypal on his website. After all, he just saved your £300 phone... ).

@dahawthorne: I'll have to look into Wugfresh's utility. Not that I need it for anything, but it would be good to have in the unlikely event something goes wrong over here. Meanwhile, bacon_roll should take your advice to heart, because it will save him a lot of trouble in the future.

dahawthorne said:
That is absolutely fantastic news. I'm almost as pleased as you are. Remote assistance across the ether - you can't beat it with a big stick...
But as your attorney I advise you to go back into bootloader, check the connection (fastboot devices) and unlock again (fastboot oem unlock). This will wipe your device, but I reckon in the last 25 minutes you won't have been able to install much.
There are so many threads on this forum where people have been told "You're stuffed" because they have a problem and have a locked bootloader. Just this afternoon in another thread I read, literally in capital letters "DON'T RELOCK YOUR BOOTLOADER" for this very reason - without it you don't have recourse to the recovery tools you may one day need.
(P.S. Another person whose thread I followed also managed to get a result with NRT after all else had failed. I suggested to him that he might like to thank the developer, Doug Cohen/Wugfresh, more tangibly by donating a few dollars, which you can do through Paypal on his website. After all, he just saved your £300 phone... ).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Understood! I will take your advice on both counts but I was going to donate anyway as it really is a fantastic tool.
Thanks again

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
@dahawthorne: I'll have to look into Wugfresh's utility. Not that I need it for anything, but it would be good to have in the unlikely event something goes wrong over here. Meanwhile, bacon_roll should take your advice to heart, because it will save him a lot of trouble in the future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your help over the thread Strephon - much appreciated.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
@dahawthorne: I'll have to look into Wugfresh's utility. Not that I need it for anything, but it would be good to have in the unlikely event something goes wrong over here. Meanwhile, bacon_roll should take your advice to heart, because it will save him a lot of trouble in the future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FFS, it's not a magic wand, people! It can't do anything that fastboot and adb can't. Don't start a religion here instead teaching people to do stuff with their phones, Christ!
Some people were lucky enogh that their phones came with 5.0, and some early 5.0s didn't check yet for the Enable OEM Unlocking switch. You could have typed fastboot OEM unlock and achieved the same.

Stuck On Google Logo and didnt Check Unlock OEM

Hi All,
So I have been searching the interwebs for the last four hours with no luck.
I have a Nexus 6 and I was trying to update the OTA developer preview from google that I signed up to test.
Problem is that I ended up on a bootloop. I am able to get into Fastboot but I am unable to make any commands work since the device is locked. All commands end with a Failed (command write failed error).
I am able to go into recovery to access ADB but that is also not very useful because it seems i am unable to push anything to the phone. The only thing which seems to want to work is when I try and load an OTA image.
This loads until 100% and I get an error which says the image I have is to new and it requires a specic image.
I am currently on 6.0.1/MMB29V/2554798.
I have tried factory reset but no help there.
Also when I try select update from SD Card it says it Couldnt mount/sdcard.... Unknow volume for path
Any help?

qbzee007 said:
Hi All,
So I have been searching the interwebs for the last four hours with no luck.
I have a Nexus 6 and I was trying to update the OTA developer preview from google that I signed up to test.
Problem is that I ended up on a bootloop. I am able to get into Fastboot but I am unable to make any commands work since the device is locked. All commands end with a Failed (command write failed error).
I am able to go into recovery to access ADB but that is also not very useful because it seems i am unable to push anything to the phone. The only thing which seems to want to work is when I try and load an OTA image.
This loads until 100% and I get an error which says the image I have is to new and it requires a specic image.
I am currently on 6.0.1/MMB29V/2554798.
I have tried factory reset but no help there.
Also when I try select update from SD Card it says it Couldnt mount/sdcard.... Unknow volume for path
Any help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very difficult. Did you read this thread?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3053783

NLBeev said:
Very difficult. Did you read this thread?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3053783
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried it and it seems I have no other option but to return.
Problem is that i am in South Africa and have no idea how to go about.
Bought off Amazon

http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/0...t-bricking-some-devices-but-google-has-a-fix/

qbzee007 said:
.....Problem is that i am in South Africa and have no idea how to go about.
Bought off Amazon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your n6 is bricked and you could try all the options from XDA.
There is a thread about the Nexus Root Toolkit of Wugfresh. This kit runs on a Windows PC and has a menu with option for bricked phones.
When you can start in recovery mode (long press start button + volume down) you could give it a try. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2947452
When there is no result, you could send it to Amazon for repair. But check the costs.
The total costs of mail, assurance and repair are probably more than $ 100,=.
I have seen some posts that the of a new N6 is every month lower.

TriguyRN said:
http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/0...t-bricking-some-devices-but-google-has-a-fix/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was going to suggest this too. The link posted leads to this link that has instructions on installing.

alryder said:
I was going to suggest this too. The link posted leads to this link that has instructions on installing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much.
This worked.
Booting as I type this. Best Easter Monday gift.
Thanks Again

Nexus 6 locked T-Mobile demo

I recently had to replace the motherboard on my Nexus 6. I could only find refurbished ones, and bought one on AliExpress, with item description clearly specifying as unlock. I installed it, and it appears it is actually locked status 2. Looks like demo version used in T-Mobile retail network. Some settings inaccessible u such as developer mode or Apps. Trying to get refund but both AliExpress and the vendor are in denial mode.
I have 7.0, NBD92G installed. Very hard to unlock as I cannot access developer mode to allow usb debug. Pressing build nr several times won't help. I get message "you're already a developer" but actually usb debug does not work.
Anybody can help?

Go download factory image from Google and flash it manually by using the command prompt.

@ShernDog: He can't as his bootloader is locked. He can however download an OTA and sideload it.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
@ShernDog: He can't as his bootloader is locked. He can however download an OTA and sideload it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. You are right, bootloader is locked too. Would there be any instructions somewhere on your proposed solution (sorry I am rather inexperienced user).

FYBRU said:
Thanks. You are right, bootloader is locked too. Would there be any instructions somewhere on your proposed solution (sorry I am rather inexperienced user).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I figured out how to do this but the other question is whether I won't be stuck afterwards being requested to enter the only registered user's login which I do not have (I cannot register a second user, as this setting screen is locked too). Do I need to sideload the OTA corresponding to current version / build or can I sideload an older one?

Download the oldest OTA available, as long as it is a full system OTA (easily detectable by size). You're going to have to bypass Factory Reset Protection to be able to resolve this, and the older the OTA, the better.
If this doesn't work, you're going to have to fight with the place you got the motherboard from, and file a chargeback with your credit card company if need be.

Ultimately I can go for the refund, but there is no place where I can find 64 GB MBs outside China, which means I'll have to wait again for something like 3 weeks with poor backup device, and with no certainty I don't receive again a locked MB.
I tried with 6.0 OTAs (page with instructions I followed: https://developers.google.com/android/ota#shamu) and even with just older versions of 7.0, I got every time abortion after about 45% installation, with the msg that I cannot update with older versions.
I am a bit confused now, I just tried to install same build as what I had installed (https://dl.google.com/dl/android/aosp/shamu-ota-nbd92g-2b65257b.zip), it worked but it looks like absolutely nothing has changed on my phone. I thought it would have erased pretty much everything. Am I missing something?

OTA updates don't wipe system. That's why nothing changed.
Ultimately, I think you're going to have to go for the refund and take the risk that the next motherboard you get is going to be locked. Unless the version of Android you're on can have its FRP bypassed - and I don't think it can - you're stuck.

Thanks, bad news. Would it be worth trying wipe data / factory reset accessible from the recovery mode + power/volume up menu ?

You can try it, but it won't help. Doing a factory reset will cause Factory Reset Protection to kick in, meaning you'd need to know the original owner's account information.

Surprisingly it worked. I could log in with the google account I used before the reset. Everything works, but indeed I was expecting some more difficulties

@FYBRU: This is one of those times where I'm pleased to be wrong. LOL.
Glad you got it resolved.

G900A Galaxy S5 Android 6.0 Odin Update Files - Without Wiping!

Using Odin files to update a Samsung AT&T model will almost always result in a factory reset being performed, and I've also seen the same thing happen when trying to update via OTA zip in Recovery. I'm providing this package for anyone still using the S5, to be able to update software without needing to do a factory reset. I have personally verified that these files will perform the update without wiping any data. These files will update you to the Build/Baseband ending in QD1, Android 6.0.
My zips are compressed extra small for space and bandwidth savings. The default Windows extractor can't handle it, so you'll need a 3rd party tool like 7zip, WinRAR, etc.
Happy flashing!
https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=1899786940962576350

Worked great..Thanks! But....
You are theman for this! I have a 900A AT&T and have struggled for days to get it unlocked, upgraded and working without tripping the secure software alert. I started with a 4.X maintenance OS, then rooted, SafeStrapped then pushed this update via ODIN and it worked. Now, the only issue i am having is apps crashing continuously. Started with google play and play services now spreading. I ASSUME this is due to apps not getting updated in the update to 6.X. Correct me if I am wrong. I have updated those via APKs along with others to new versions yet it still happens. Now its also Chrome, File manager etc. Is this maybe a code bug, or am I missing something here? Thanks again

3rdRockfromSun said:
You are theman for this! I have a 900A AT&T and have struggled for days to get it unlocked, upgraded and working without tripping the secure software alert. I started with a 4.X maintenance OS, then rooted, SafeStrapped then pushed this update via ODIN and it worked. Now, the only issue i am having is apps crashing continuously. Started with google play and play services now spreading. I ASSUME this is due to apps not getting updated in the update to 6.X. Correct me if I am wrong. I have updated those via APKs along with others to new versions yet it still happens. Now its also Chrome, File manager etc. Is this maybe a code bug, or am I missing something here? Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No idea. Can't really diagnose app crashes - too many possibilities.
Also: hopefully you're now aware that you're not rooted any longer and (probably) can't ever root it again

iBowToAndroid said:
No idea. Can't really diagnose app crashes - too many possibilities.
Also: hopefully you're now aware that you're not rooted any longer and (probably) can't ever root it again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I saw that, but thats ok. My biggest objective is to get it unlocked from AT&T so I can use it (this whole venture has just turned into a learning/fun toy to play with now) on my carrier. That is yet TBD. Any thoughts on that?

3rdRockfromSun said:
Yeah I saw that, but thats ok. My biggest objective is to get it unlocked from AT&T so I can use it (this whole venture has just turned into a learning/fun toy to play with now) on my carrier. That is yet TBD. Any thoughts on that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/

Thanks in advance for any help, short version at top, details below.
-- Short version:
Please help me recover my data, and phone if possible.
I need the data, esp texts and notes, for both personal (some family members have passed on) and business.
I have a new Galaxy S21 and / or PC Smart Switch ready to receive data backup if we can evacuate it from the S5.
ODIN flash seems to pass but has 'Resizing Data' fail, and phone still won't boot past AT&T logo screen.
All web searches seem to say Factory Reset is my last option, but I don't want to lose the data.
Please share ANY advice on how I can recover the data.
-- More details:
Phone = SM-G900A Samsung Galaxy S5 AT&T
Use = pristine, never rooted, modded, or unfortunately backed up
Status = will not boot, passes screen 1 'Galaxy S5', screen 2 'Samsung script', then stops on screen 3 'AT&T globe logo'
More details = Used clean for ~7 years, then on day x, saw phone automatically complete a system update (green screen, sprockets, "your phone is updating"), which was surprising as it's years after it is no longer supported by AT&T. After that update, I continued to use the phone that day, but it then rebooted automatically and stuck on the AT&T globe logo.
Attempts to fix = soft reset, battery pull, can't get into SAFE MODE, can get into and out of recovery mode, found this firmware (THANKS @iBowToAndroid), used multiple ODIN (Odin3 v3.13.3_3B_PatcheD, Odin3 v3.14.1_3B_PatcheD) to flash it (my first Android flashing experience). On flashing process, ODIN on PC shows 'PASS' and log shows "<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 1 / failed 0)", but phone shows 'Resizing Data' failed:
"
Supported API: 3
-- Installing package...
Finding update package...
Opening update package...
Verifying update package...
Installing update...
Successfully installed package.
-- Resizing Data...
Can't open dir '/data/user/0/com.sec.knox.bluetooth' (Permission denied)
E:failed the resizing-data
"
PFA screen shots

Martin2019 said:
Thanks in advance for any help, short version at top, details below.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trying the "wipe cache partition" is the only thing I can think of

iBowToAndroid said:
Trying the "wipe cache partition" is the only thing I can think of
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Short version:
THANKS for the quick reply, very much appreciate your help.
Am I really left with only a Factory Reset and then trying to use Data Recovery software to get ‘some’ data back?
I really don't want to give up on the data, so I'm still trying anything I can think of in research and repeated attempts.
More details:
I have tried the recovery mode 'Wipe cache partition' option before and after using ODIN.
I've tried doing it 'twice' per recommendation of some of the web advice I've read in trying to research this.
I've noticed that sometimes the colored highlight of the 'Reboot to bootloader' option then turns background green instead of usual blue, but I don't know why, or if that matters.
Still, the ODIN flash effort always returns the permission error, and the boot always sticks on the AT&T logo.
The string seems to indicate a 'user data' permission error?
Is there any way to debug the logic of the firmware or slog through the 'Recovery Logs' to determine and resolve the cause of the permission error?
When the problem began, I had an SD card and SIM card loaded.
I've since removed both in trying to address this, also per 'web advice'.
Any chance putting them back in helps somehow?
Any other options available via apply update from SD card or ADB?
Any way to setup the Android OS as a secondary drive to another machine to pull data out that way?
I've done similar things with Windows OS in PC environment, but I'm not seeing anyone trying that with Android.
If I am really stuck with factory reset, are there any data recovery programs I could try afterward that work with the G900A?
So far I've looked at Dr Fone, Tenorshare, EaseUS, FonePaw, and D-Back, and none seem to work with the AT&T model variant.
Maybe that's just because they don't have access to AT&T firmware available to install, but if I clear the stuck boot via FR, they then might be able to get some of my data back via drive scan - whatever data is not truly overwritten by the FR?

Martin2019 said:
Short version:
THANKS for the quick reply, very much appreciate your help.
Am I really left with only a Factory Reset and then trying to use Data Recovery software to get ‘some’ data back?
I really don't want to give up on the data, so I'm still trying anything I can think of in research and repeated attempts.
More details:
I have tried the recovery mode 'Wipe cache partition' option before and after using ODIN.
I've tried doing it 'twice' per recommendation of some of the web advice I've read in trying to research this.
I've noticed that sometimes the colored highlight of the 'Reboot to bootloader' option then turns background green instead of usual blue, but I don't know why, or if that matters.
Still, the ODIN flash effort always returns the permission error, and the boot always sticks on the AT&T logo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own and run a business that performs SIM unlocking and other software-related services for mobile devices, so we see situations like yours quite a bit. And I don't know of anything else that you can do. From reports, we've heard that none of those "recovery services" actually work to recover any data, after a reset

iBowToAndroid said:
I own and run a business that performs SIM unlocking and other software-related services for mobile devices, so we see situations like yours quite a bit. And I don't know of anything else that you can do. From reports, we've heard that none of those "recovery services" actually work to recover any data, after a reset
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Disappointing to hear bad news, but appreciate your effort and insight in providing it, thanks.
I've learned alot in researching it.
I just wish I'd known it before the problem, which I'm sure you also hear quite a bit.
Please let me know if you think of anything else I can try.

Martin2019 said:
Disappointing to hear bad news, but appreciate your effort and insight in providing it, thanks.
I've learned alot in researching it.
I just wish I'd known it before the problem, which I'm sure you also hear quite a bit.
Please let me know if you think of anything else I can try.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can never trust a mobile device 100%, especially not one that's 7 years old. That's why anything that's that important needs to be backed up at all times

iBowToAndroid said:
You can never trust a mobile device 100%, especially not one that's 7 years old. That's why anything that's that important needs to be backed up at all times
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree, and totally on me for not having a backup.
I was just foolish enough to not know yet how easy it is to back up.
Give me 10 minutes of life again now in this phone, I use Smart Switch to backup, and I'm off to a new phone, or even FR on this one and reload.
Now where did I put my Delorean...

iBowToAndroid said:
You can never trust a mobile device 100%, especially not one that's 7 years old. That's why anything that's that important needs to be backed up at all times
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you ever tried a 'combination key' approach to get data access?
As in...
Smart Switch on PC won't connect, but ODIN does show 'Added'.
I don't understand the granular details, but hoping you might...
Could we use both Smart Switch and ODIN in some combination sequence that would allow Smart Switch to pull the data off to a Smart Switch PC backup that I could then throw onto a new phone?

When it's in Downloading (firmware flashing) mode, a modem port is used. The modem port is also there when the device is booted up in Normal mode, but that's not useful for extracting any data off of it. I don't know what Smart Switch uses, but I would assume File Transfer (MTP) and/or ADB. And those aren't fully functional until the device fully boots up.
Do you have a screen lock on the device?

iBowToAndroid said:
When it's in Downloading (firmware flashing) mode, a modem port is used. The modem port is also there when the device is booted up in Normal mode, but that's not useful for extracting any data off of it. I don't know what Smart Switch uses, but I would assume File Transfer (MTP) and/or ADB. And those aren't fully functional until the device fully boots up.
Do you have a screen lock on the device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No lock on device, just swipe to go from 'lock screen' to home screen, prior to this boot problem obv.
One of the data recovery sw that I tried (EaseUS I think) did reach a screen asking me to enable USB debugging to continue, but I don't think I can do that without booting up.
I 'think' I remember that screen saying something like 'MTP device' connected, when it asked me to do that.
Any way to sneak into MTP mode from that?

Martin2019 said:
No lock on device, just swipe to go from 'lock screen' to home screen, prior to this boot problem obv.
One of the data recovery sw that I tried (EaseUS I think) did reach a screen asking me to enable USB debugging to continue, but I don't think I can do that without booting up.
I 'think' I remember that screen saying something like 'MTP device' connected, when it asked me to do that.
Any way to sneak into MTP mode from that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Any 3rd party software will require ADB to be enabled. Smart Switch is the only one that *might* work just over MTP, but I'm pretty sure MTP doesn't fully load until the device is booted. Even if it did, you would likely need to allow on the popup message. Does the phone show up as a device/drive when it's plugged in while sitting on the AT&T logo?

I think you're asking "does the phone show up as a device/drive" in something like a windows file explorer, and the answer is unfortunately no, or at least not that I've found yet - I've tried several times now, and I'm still trying any combinations I can.
For now...
I can get EaseUS to show 'MTP USB device' per the pic attached in my last, but can't really get it to connect past that point, as it asks for USB Debugging, which it appears I can't do due to stuck in boot loop.
Smart Switch seems to try to connect for awhile, then says it failed to connect, so I think I'm then left with 'Samsung Smart Switch Emergency Software Recovery' (PFA).
Do you have experience using it?
Do you know if it could work to reload the firmware / OS without wiping the data?
AT&T Advanced Technical Support guy says it gives you an option to choose whether or not using it resets the phone (wipes your data), so he thinks (hopes) that would work, but he didn't sound certain at all.
I understand your point on the pop up message user prompt for File Transfer Mode. I used that mode many times in the past, so I'm hoping it might default on the phone so we wouldn't need to answer the pop up prompt to reach that status , but I'm obv not sure about that.
Per the speculation in my last, do you know of any combination approach we might use to get the desired result, like maybe... use ADB somehow to change 1 parm value to reach MTP mode, then use that progress step to enable Smart Switch to connect so we could offload the data?
Thanks again for your help

1. MTP is the same as File Transfer. So when the phone is turning on, it starts loading that connection. You might see "MTP USB Device" or something similar in your Windows Device Manager
2. But if the phone never shows up as a device/drive (would show up under "Portable Devices" in Windows Dev Man), then it's not loading fully - and it normally doesn't do that until it boots past the carrier splash screen.
3. Even if it did boot fully and showed up as a device/drive, the MTP pop-up prompt shows up every single time you connect the device. There's no way around that. So the device would show as empty, with no files or folders, until you tapped "Allow" on the popup.
4. No, there's nothing else you can do to turn on any other connection modes

iBowToAndroid said:
1. MTP is the same as File Transfer. So when the phone is turning on, it starts loading that connection. You might see "MTP USB Device" or something similar in your Windows Device Manager
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Device Manager does show an entry for the phone connected via USB cable:
Under 'Disk Drives' as
SAMSUNG MZMTE256HMHP-000MV
Under 'Universal Serial Bus Controllers' as
SAMSUNG Mobile USB Composite Device
Please tell me that helps us somehow?

Pixel 4 xl Issues after updating to Android 11

Hello all fellow pixelers
After upgrading to 11 i am faxing a ton of issues with my pixel 4 xl such as "clean the top bar", phone calls going to speakerphone etc.
I have tried multiple factory resets with CMD but one thing i am experienced and have never had before is that whenever i am almost done with the reset option via CMD, the message i get is:
E: (libfs_mgr) failed to mount / metadata; formatting: Invalid argument
E: (libfs_mgr) fs_mgr_do_format: Format /dev/block/by-name/metadata as "ext4|""
E: (libfs_mgr) make2fs returned 255
E: (libfs_mgr)failed to format /metadata: Permission denied
E: Cannot mount /metadata/ota
formating /data...
formatting /metadata...
Wiping Titan M..
E:can"t send spi message: Try again
it repeats for 30 times
Data wipe complete
This being said i sure hope someone can and will help me solve this issue as it is becoming a pain, i thank you all in advance for your efforts

It sounds like you're only trying factory resets at the moment. I don't know how to fix this issue, so the only suggestion I have is to try flashing the factory image (which includes a userdata wipe). Don't do the OTA update method. I've been able to fix all my phone problems by flashing the factory image. If that still doesn't work, then I'm thinking there's something physically wrong with the phone.

Colonel_Kosova said:
Hello all fellow pixelers
After upgrading to 11 i am faxing a ton of issues with my pixel 4 xl such as "clean the top bar", phone calls going to speakerphone etc.
I have tried multiple factory resets with CMD but one thing i am experienced and have never had before is that whenever i am almost done with the reset option via CMD, the message i get is:
E: (libfs_mgr) failed to mount / metadata; formatting: Invalid argument
E: (libfs_mgr) fs_mgr_do_format: Format /dev/block/by-name/metadata as "ext4|""
E: (libfs_mgr) make2fs returned 255
E: (libfs_mgr)failed to format /metadata: Permission denied
E: Cannot mount /metadata/ota
formating /data...
formatting /metadata...
Wiping Titan M..
E:can"t send spi message: Try again
it repeats for 30 times
Data wipe complete
This being said i sure hope someone can and will help me solve this issue as it is becoming a pain, i thank you all in advance for your efforts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried factory resetting the phone? You do not need a computer. If you do factory reset you'll lose all your data.

Hey there Neo
Thnx for the reply and yes I flashed the phone 4 times now with cmd. I get all the bugs and the messages only when I am flashing Android 11.
I reverted once to 10 I had no issues whatsoever, once I upgraded to 11 again both with cmd and ota I get the same issue.
It is really really is a nuisance, was hoping maybe someone can finde a fix?
Just got the darn phone saved up most a year just to get it, what a dissapointment.
Again thank u

Homeboy76 said:
Have you tried factory resetting the phone? You do not need a computer. If you do factory reset you'll lose all your data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did and it didn't help, just feel mad I hate to have to sell this phone.
Thank you for the reply

Colonel_Kosova said:
I did and it didn't help, just feel mad I hate to have to sell this phone.
Thank you for the reply
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have the latest Android SDK Platform-tools r34.0.4?
What cmd are you using to flash the phone?
Guide
This Factory Reset: Settings -> System-> Advanced->Reset options-> Erase all data (factory reset)

Homeboy76 said:
Do you have the latest Android SDK Platform-tools r34.0.4?
What cmd are you using to flash the phone?
Guide
This Factory Reset: Settings -> System-> Advanced->Reset options-> Erase all data (factory reset)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I do all the latest versions
I use this as a guide
https://youtu.be/cKXa5iL1kfQ

Ok, Hopefully, someone has a solution to this problem.

Your error messages seem like it's somehow incompatible or you're not allowed to flash. So that made me wonder if you're downloading the right factory image for the right phone variant. (I think I only saw one variant for the android 11; can't recall at the moment.)
From your responses, it sounds like you're using the ota image. I've had problems with ota in the past, so my suggestion is to flash the factory image instead, which is different from ota. (I've had the pixel 4 xl for a year and never had issues with flashing.)
I also don't input the cmd commands manually. I run the "flash all.bat" which comes with the factory image and it does everything for me.
Colonel_Kosova said:
Hey there Neo
Thnx for the reply and yes I flashed the phone 4 times now with cmd. I get all the bugs and the messages only when I am flashing Android 11.
I reverted once to 10 I had no issues whatsoever, once I upgraded to 11 again both with cmd and ota I get the same issue.
It is really really is a nuisance, was hoping maybe someone can finde a fix?
Just got the darn phone saved up most a year just to get it, what a dissapointment.
Again thank u
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Neo thank you very much for the reply and the hints.
Could you please maybe find and link the right file for me!?
I have never used the method with flash all bat file, this being said i would really appreciate if you could do me that favor and maybe guide me on how to.
I really love my 4 xl and hate the fact that I have these issues, I have been using it like this for some days hoping a fix will pop out there before I install everything back again.
I sincerely thank you for the effort and time
QUOTE=neo_lithic3K;83692801]Your error messages seem like it's somehow incompatible or you're not allowed to flash. So that made me wonder if you're downloading the right factory image for the right phone variant. (I think I only saw one variant for the android 11; can't recall at the moment.)
From your responses, it sounds like you're using the ota image. I've had problems with ota in the past, so my suggestion is to flash the factory image instead, which is different from ota. (I've had the pixel 4 xl for a year and never had issues with flashing.)
I also don't input the cmd commands manually. I run the "flash all.bat" which comes with the factory image and it does everything for me.[/QUOTE]

Opps! Wrong thread, stay safe.
Sorry @neo_lithic3K.

Check to make sure your proximity sensor is working. Mine quit working some time around 11 beta 3 and flashing back to 10 stopped the clean the top bar thing but not the speakerphone problem (screen was staying on up against my ear) Google replaced mine under warranty

(1a) First, here are the preliminary steps. There are alot of instructions at the top of Google's page at: https://developers.google.com/android/images
I assume that you've already followed all those instructions .... especially unlocking your bootloader, enabling USB Debugging from Developer Options, and adding fastboot to your PATH environment variable (and then rebooting your PC).
***NOTE: There are better guides on xda that give you more thorough instructions, so you may want to check those out instead of reading mine below.***
(1b) I assume that you have an unlocked Pixel 4 XL and that you purchased google's version of the phone from the Google Store. I don't know all the different ways someone can buy the Pixel 4 XL. For example, I think Verizon used to sell it but I don't know if Verizon variants can be flashed. If you didn't buy the phone from the US Google store or you bought the phone from another country, then there could be restrictions there that I don't know about.
(1c) I also assume you have a Windows PC. I've never flashed from other types of operating systems.
(2) Download the latest android 11 'coral' factory image at: https://dl.google.com/dl/android/aosp/coral-rp1a.201005.004-factory-1eb5827f.zip
That link is for the file posted on google's webpage for this version: 11.0.0 (RP1A.201005.004, Oct 2020) 1eb5827f98ec68b71bfd651d667a7cf557832f2e2850540d322d2a3a6fcc07a8
(3) Connect your computer to your phone using the usb cable. I assume your phone's usb debugging is already enabled & fastboot is already in your PATH environment variables as mentioned in the instructions earlier. You may get a pop up on your phone to trust the PC. I don't remember the exact wording but you should accept or trust it.
(4) After you download the zip file, unzip it somewhere (preserve the folder structure). You'll find the flash-all.bat located at: \coral-rp1a.201005.004-factory-1eb5827f\coral-rp1a.201005.004\flash-all.bat
(5) NOTE that everything on your phone will be wiped so first backup anything you need.
(6) Boot your phone to the bootloader using the hardware buttons (or you can use the cmd command: adb reboot bootloader).
While your phone is still connected to your PC, run flash-all.bat. (I usually just double-click on the bat file from my Windows PC)
(7) The cmd window will run through a series of commands and your phone screen may change or reboot. At one point (on the fastbootd phone screen), it will look like your phone is not doing anything or waiting for something. Don't do anything.... just wait. You'll know the flashing is done when the cmd window says "Press any key to exit..."
(8) When it's all done, your phone should automatically boot into android and you should see the pixel setup screen.
(9) This resets your phone to factory image. You'll need to follow other steps to root your phone.
Colonel_Kosova said:
Neo thank you very much for the reply and the hints.
Could you please maybe find and link the right file for me!?
I have never used the method with flash all bat file, this being said i would really appreciate if you could do me that favor and maybe guide me on how to.
I really love my 4 xl and hate the fact that I have these issues, I have been using it like this for some days hoping a fix will pop out there before I install everything back again.
I sincerely thank you for the effort and time
QUOTE=neo_lithic3K;83692801]Your error messages seem like it's somehow incompatible or you're not allowed to flash. So that made me wonder if you're downloading the right factory image for the right phone variant. (I think I only saw one variant for the android 11; can't recall at the moment.)
From your responses, it sounds like you're using the ota image. I've had problems with ota in the past, so my suggestion is to flash the factory image instead, which is different from ota. (I've had the pixel 4 xl for a year and never had issues with flashing.)
I also don't input the cmd commands manually. I run the "flash all.bat" which comes with the factory image and it does everything for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[/QUOTE]

Colonel_Kosova said:
Neo thank you very much for the reply and the hints.
Could you please maybe find and link the right file for me!?
I have never used the method with flash all bat file, this being said i would really appreciate if you could do me that favor and maybe guide me on how to.
I really love my 4 xl and hate the fact that I have these issues, I have been using it like this for some days hoping a fix will pop out there before I install everything back again.
I sincerely thank you for the effort and time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know it's been 4-5 days since you last responded, but I'm going to assume you still need help. Flashing a full factory image (Not OTA) using the included flash-all.bat script will return your phone to "out of the box" condition. It's a fool proof way to get the phone completely factory stock, so you can then test your hardware (proximity sensor). Instructions can be found on the image download page. It's possible you have a sensor issue, but flashing the full image is the first step. Best of luck and be sure to come back and let us know how it went.

Hello, everyone.
I have a similar issue, though nothing related to the bootloader. I did flash the entire factory image and the process went smoothly until the very end where it showed:
Erasing 'userdata'
Erase successful, but not automatically formatting.
File system type raw not supported.
Erasing 'metadata'
Erase successful, but not automatically formatting.
File system type raw not supported.
Rebooting
Finished. Total time 253.513s
Press any key to exit...
The phone booted up just fine but I can't stop being worried something might eventually not work properly because of this.
Is there anything else I can try?

Rocio19 said:
Hello, everyone.
I have a similar issue, though nothing related to the bootloader. I did flash the entire factory image and the process went smoothly until the very end where it showed:
Erasing 'userdata'
Erase successful, but not automatically formatting.
File system type raw not supported.
Erasing 'metadata'
Erase successful, but not automatically formatting.
File system type raw not supported.
Rebooting
Finished. Total time 253.513s
Press any key to exit...
The phone booted up just fine but I can't stop being worried something might eventually not work properly because of this.
Is there anything else I can try?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. You used the flash-all without removing the -w. That is the reason your userdata was erased. You're good!

Homeboy76 said:
No. You used the flash-all without removing the -w. That is the reason your userdata was erased. You're good!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for your reply. My main concern is the part about not being able to format it. Is that normal?

Rocio19 said:
Thank you very much for your reply. My main concern is the part about not being able to format it. Is that normal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes! I don't think you'll have any problems.

Homeboy76 said:
Yes! I don't think you'll have any problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Phew! That's a relief. I just got the phone yesterday and I was so worried I had blessed it up somehow :crying:
Think I'll stay with stock for a while before I attempt any more flashing lol. Thank you!

I got tired of dealing with face unlock being broken and other issues related to the proximity sensor (screen wouldn't light up during a call if i moved it away from my face).
So I decided to flash back to the latest Android 10 image prior to 11 coming out. Everything is back to working buttery smooth.
If anyone else wants to do this and needs help let me know.
A few tips:
I used https://flash.android.com to perform the factory flash
I used this build 10.0.0 (QQ3A.200805.001, Aug 2020)
After flashing, the phone wants you to upgrade to Android 11, but you can enable developer options and turn off Android System Update notifications.