Database Develop

Device Encryption Question/Issue with Unlocking

I have had some issues with my phone since unlocking with sunshine. See separate thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/droid-turbo/help/help-bricked-xt1254-unlocking-to-t3279581 for description. I have a theory about this now and would like some opinions from folks with more experience.
I used device encryption on my Turbo before the OTA update to Lollipop. After encrypting the phone I would be prompted to enter my PIN to decrypt the data partition before the phone would boot, and then I'd have to enter the PIN again after boot to unlock it. After the OTA I no longer had to enter my PIN when booting the phone, but I would still have to enter it after boot to unlock. After the OTA the phone still reported that it was encrypted in the system security settings even though it didn't need a PIN to decrypt at boot time. That makes sense from what little I know because encrypting the device re-writes the data partition, and the OTA didn't touch the data partition and could not un-encrypt it. I was baffled by this, but I didn't want to factory reset and wipe the data partition to let me re-encrypt the phone.
So after the OTA, the data partition of my phone was still encrypted, but magically the phone was able to decrypt data and boot without my PIN. I don't know why. But one clue is that after unlocking and installing TWRP I looked at TWRP log and saw a log message saying something about decrypting with default PIN. Anyway, I never wiped data, but my phone somehow manages to boot. Re-flashing system and recovery caused problems at first, but now it seems to be back to the way it was. I haven't flashed a new ROM yet, but I expect that when I do I'll have to wipe data and that will get everything back to normal.
My question is has anyone else experimented with device encryption and is this behavior expected?
Thanks.

Not having to enter a PIN with the factory image was a bug I initially discovered, and reported, during the *initial* Android L SOAK test. Needless to say, they never fixed the bug (plus one of the Stagefright CVEs) during the second SOAK rollout. I reported it then, too. They did nothing. That second SOAK was the straw that broke the camel's back, for me. I will never participate in another.
As far as this bug goes, what I would do, is an FDR, and re-encrypt your device to wipe the key store and start over.
Sent from my DROID Turbo via Tapatalk. Now with that cyanogenmod goodness.

I got notifications that the SU4TL-49 OTA was ready to install on my phone, and I had read that if you try to install it with anything but stock recovery that you get into a boot loop. I figured it was a matter of time before I ended up accidentally installing the OTA upgrade and so decided to wipe my phone and go back to stock, and I would use that opportunity to re-encrypt the phone. It took me a couple of tries before I discovered that factory reset isn't enough to remove the encryption, and that I had to reformat the data partition. This took a few hours of going back and forth between reverting to stock, upgrading, rooting, configuring and starting over before I finally got it right, but eventually the phone said that it wasn't encrypted and gave me the option to encrypt. What a pain. After setting up all my apps for the third or fourth time I thought I was done. Whenever I rebooted I was prompted for my PIN before android booted. I even had to enter my PIN to run TWRP.
At least that's the way it was for a few hours. Now when I reboot it just starts up android with no password again. All the effort to un-encrypt and re-encrypt seems to have been a waste. Oh well, at least I avoided getting into boot loop hell.
Hopefully this unencrypting without requiring password/PIN thing gets fixed when (if) they come out with M for the turbo.

This just keeps getting better and better. I decided to flash the Unofficial CM13 ROM this afternoon just for fun. I got it all set up when I found that the GPS receiver wasn't working. Searching the thread I found a link to a flash-able radio image to fix that, and when I rebooted to TWRP it prompted me for a password to decrypt the data partition! Unfortunately it didn't like my PIN no matter how many times I entered it. I don't know if there's something about entering a numerical PIN on the qwerty keyboard, but it had worked earlier in the day before it stopped prompting for passwords. After a bunch of tries and reboots I gave up and downloaded a fastboot flashable version of the same. I've spent most of the day screwing around with this phone already and I'm not going to reformat the data partition again today for sure! Maybe it just needs a good night's sleep.

Astrobrewer said:
This just keeps getting better and better. I decided to flash the Unofficial CM13 ROM this afternoon just for fun. I got it all set up when I found that the GPS receiver wasn't working. Searching the thread I found a link to a flash-able radio image to fix that, and when I rebooted to TWRP it prompted me for a password to decrypt the data partition! Unfortunately it didn't like my PIN no matter how many times I entered it. I don't know if there's something about entering a numerical PIN on the qwerty keyboard, but it had worked earlier in the day before it stopped prompting for passwords. After a bunch of tries and reboots I gave up and downloaded a fastboot flashable version of the same. I've spent most of the day screwing around with this phone already and I'm not going to reformat the data partition again today for sure! Maybe it just needs a good night's sleep.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Encryption is totally broken on CM13. The issue is that our version of TWRP cannot decrypt it. I contacted the maintainer of TWRP for our device about this issue and he said that he tried to fix the issue, but he failed.
Also, official CM13 has been out for a while now for the Turbo. No need to go with the unofficial version.

Thanks for the info @TheSt33v, but I'm not sure that it's totally broken.
The strange thing is that I was using TWRP 3.0.2 just fine after encrypting phone while on stock ROM, and it worked for a while even after flashing CM13. Then it just stopped liking my PIN. But CM13 takes my PIN and decrypts data just fine. So my phone is usable for now, and the problem of it decrypting without asking for a PIN is solved for now. I just went to cyanogenmod and see that there's a CM13 recovery. Based on your post I'm guessing that's what is broken, so no point in flashing that. Oh well, at least my phone is secure.

Astrobrewer said:
Thanks for the info @TheSt33v, but I'm not sure that it's totally broken.
The strange thing is that I was using TWRP 3.0.2 just fine after encrypting phone while on stock ROM, and it worked for a while even after flashing CM13. Then it just stopped liking my PIN. But CM13 takes my PIN and decrypts data just fine. So my phone is usable for now, and the problem of it decrypting without asking for a PIN is solved for now. I just went to cyanogenmod and see that there's a CM13 recovery. Based on your post I'm guessing that's what is broken, so no point in flashing that. Oh well, at least my phone is secure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just FYI, our TWRP maintainer has fixed decryption. You can get the latest version here: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?w=files&flid=39562 (version 3.0.2-0 mod 02 as of this writing). I still had trouble decrypting a partition that was previously formatted using the stock recovery menu, but once I formatted the data partition using this version of TWRP and re-encrypted, it decrypted fine.

TheSt33v said:
Just FYI, our TWRP maintainer has fixed decryption...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes they have fixed it! I found TWRP Mod 2 over the weekend and saw from the change log that decryption was fixed. I flashed it and it works great. No problems decrypting my previously encrypted data partition since I flashed mod 2. The funny thing about it is that basic TWRP 3.0.2 (no mod) worked well enough for long enough for me to flash CM13, and it even seemed to work for a little while after that. But then it decided that it didn't know how to decrypt my phone anymore and I was stuck until Mod 2. I can't explain why it worked for a while and then stopped, but I'm very happy that mod 2 fixed it.
Thanks for your help and support. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only user who encrypts his phone. There don't seem to be a lot of threads about encryption/decryption issues.

Astrobrewer said:
Yes they have fixed it! I found TWRP Mod 2 over the weekend and saw from the change log that decryption was fixed. I flashed it and it works great. No problems decrypting my previously encrypted data partition since I flashed mod 2. The funny thing about it is that basic TWRP 3.0.2 (no mod) worked well enough for long enough for me to flash CM13, and it even seemed to work for a little while after that. But then it decided that it didn't know how to decrypt my phone anymore and I was stuck until Mod 2. I can't explain why it worked for a while and then stopped, but I'm very happy that mod 2 fixed it.
Thanks for your help and support. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only user who encrypts his phone. There don't seem to be a lot of threads about encryption/decryption issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most people don't seem to think it's worth the impact that it has on performance.

I was worried about the performance hit too before I tried it. But I don't notice any real difference in performance. Of there is a hit it's too small for me to tell.
Sent from my DROID Turbo using XDA-Developers mobile app

Astrobrewer said:
I was worried about the performance hit too before I tried it. But I don't notice any real difference in performance. Of there is a hit it's too small for me to tell.
Sent from my DROID Turbo using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a very interesting thread. I would like to encrypt so I can setup my work exchange email as its a requirement. Just to clarify what is the order to do this in? Currently I am running RR 6.01 but have run CF's 1.3.6 ROM most of the time as its awesome.
Can I encrypt using RR or do I need to switch back to CFs ROM or to stock Lollipop after installing the upgraded TWRP in place of the standard version I am running now?
thanks for the help and information.

oldidaho said:
This is a very interesting thread. I would like to encrypt so I can setup my work exchange email as its a requirement. Just to clarify what is the order to do this in? Currently I am running RR 6.01 but have run CF's 1.3.6 ROM most of the time as its awesome.
Can I encrypt using RR or do I need to switch back to CFs ROM or to stock Lollipop after installing the upgraded TWRP in place of the standard version I am running now?
thanks for the help and information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can encrypt on RR. Just make sure you're running TWRP version 3.0.2-0 mod 2: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?w=files&flid=39562
If encryption fails, you'll need to format your data partition (aka do a factory reset) using this version of TWRP. Then it will work.

TheSt33v said:
You can encrypt on RR. Just make sure you're running TWRP version 3.0.2-0 mod 2: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?w=files&flid=39562
If encryption fails, you'll need to format your data partition (aka do a factory reset) using this version of TWRP. Then it will work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks so much for the clarification! Being encrypted, how does that affect installing future updates or restores? Can I still flash ROMS and other ZIPS from TWRP the same as now?

oldidaho said:
thanks so much for the clarification! Being encrypted, how does that affect installing future updates or restores? Can I still flash ROMS and other ZIPS from TWRP the same as now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only difference is that you'll have to enter your password/pin every time you boot twrp. Don't try to use a pattern lock. Everything else will be the same.

TheSt33v said:
The only difference is that you'll have to enter your password/pin every time you boot twrp. Don't try to use a pattern lock. Everything else will be the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you for the help! I was able to encrypt my RR MM install without having to wipe the data partition. It now prompts me to put my PIN in when booting up and when going into the modded version of TWRP. It then is able to decrypt the partition in TWRP so as you said just like before. Only difference is a little longer boot up time. Performance seems the same to me.

oldidaho said:
thank you for the help! I was able to encrypt my RR MM install without having to wipe the data partition. It now prompts me to put my PIN in when booting up and when going into the modded version of TWRP. It then is able to decrypt the partition in TWRP so as you said just like before. Only difference is a little longer boot up time. Performance seems the same to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Guess I spoke too soon. phone was working fine for a day. Yesterday at work I'm looking at my phone as it reboots on its own (just sitting there). I then get cant decrypt partition message. Cant do anything and it wont boot up into the OS WO giving this error. In TWRP still cant do anything because it cant decript the partition. So I formatted the data partition and started over. I had saved a recent backup to my PC so I was able to get back to that. Now running CFs latest instead of RR. I need my phone, cant take a chance on this happening again as I was instantly dead in the water. Just wont encrypt.

oldidaho said:
This is a very interesting thread. I would like to encrypt so I can setup my work exchange email as its a requirement. Just to clarify what is the order to do this in? Currently I am running RR 6.01 but have run CF's 1.3.6 ROM most of the time as its awesome.
Can I encrypt using RR or do I need to switch back to CFs ROM or to stock Lollipop after installing the upgraded TWRP in place of the standard version I am running now?
thanks for the help and information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oldidaho said:
thank you for the help! I was able to encrypt my RR MM install without having to wipe the data partition. It now prompts me to put my PIN in when booting up and when going into the modded version of TWRP. It then is able to decrypt the partition in TWRP so as you said just like before. Only difference is a little longer boot up time. Performance seems the same to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oldidaho said:
Guess I spoke too soon. phone was working fine for a day. Yesterday at work I'm looking at my phone as it reboots on its own (just sitting there). I then get cant decrypt partition message. Cant do anything and it wont boot up into the OS WO giving this error. In TWRP still cant do anything because it cant decript the partition. So I formatted the data partition and started over. I had saved a recent backup to my PC so I was able to get back to that. Now running CFs latest instead of RRI need my phone, cant take a chance on this happening again as I was instantly dead in the water. Just wont encrypt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, just as you used CM13 Marshmallow and RR Marshmallow just fine without encryption, not sure why you went to CF Lollipop instead of RR just because encryption didn't work. It just seems you were implying it's CM13 or RR at fault when you used them just fine before, and even now on CF you are NOT using encryption.
But it's your phone, so you can run what you want.
I do commend you for having a recent backup on your PC.

ChazzMatt said:
Well, just as you used CM13 and RR just fine without encryption, not sure why you went to CF instead of RR just because encryption didn't work. But it's your phone.
Just not sure why you are implying it's CM13 or RR at fault when you used them just fine before, and even now on CF you are NOT using encryption.
I do commend you for having a recent backup on your PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I should have clarified, I dont think RR had anything to do with my issue. I actually really liked RR, it has some great features, great performance and good battery life too. I just missed the Moto features in the stock and CFs ROMs.

oldidaho said:
I should have clarified, I dont think RR had anything to do with my issue. I actually really liked RR, it has some great features, great performance and good battery life too. I just missed the Moto features in the stock and CFs ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strange. I've been using RR M encrypted for several weeks now with no issues. Oh well. If you're happy with modified stock, that's all that matters. You can encrypt that too if you like. I'm a big fan of the Moto features as well, and RR M has basically all of them built in besides Voice (chop chop flashlight was removed for a while, but it has been added back). Although I've never understood what Voice offers that Google Now does not.

Mystery solved!
Astrobrewer said:
... At least that's the way it was for a few hours. Now when I reboot it just starts up android with no password again. All the effort to un-encrypt and re-encrypt seems to have been a waste. Oh well, at least I avoided getting into boot loop hell.
Hopefully this unencrypting without requiring password/PIN thing gets fixed when (if) they come out with M for the turbo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been running the CM13 ROM for the past few months and it's been great, but now that Verizon came out with official Marshmallow I decided to go back to a stock-based ROM again because I've been missing VOLTE. So I flashed ComputerFreak274_MM. After flashing and rooting I was back in the stupid state of the phone saying that it was encrypted but booting without a PIN. It seemed unreal that Moto/Verizon would have left this bug in MM too. So I reformatted data, re-flashed and rooted the ROM and tried encrypting. Then I discovered that it won't encrypt if it's rooted. So back to wiping, re-formatting and flashing again, but this time I am able to successfully encrypt before rooting. Success! Now root and start setting up the phone. Now I have to enter my PIN before it will boot into the system or into TWRP. Yay! By now it's 1:00am and I have to be at work early, so I let it sit overnight while my apps download. In the morning I flash SuperSU and notice that I wasn't prompted for a password to decrypt when I booted into TWRP and I wasn't prompted for password when booting system after flashing SuperSU. WTF!!! More time wasted. It seemed that stock ROMs just don't like encryption. :crying:
Anyway, after stewing about it all day I randomly chanced into the solution. In the Security settings menu there's an option under Encryption called "Secure start-up" which only becomes available when phone is encrypted. The Secure start-up options says:
"You can further protect this device by requiring your PIN before it starts up. Until the device starts up, it can't receive calls, messages, or notifications, including alarms. This helps protect data on lost or stolen devices."​Secure start-up defaults to disabled for some reason, and when it's disabled the phone automatically decrypts itself when it boots without requiring PIN entry. So you can encrypt your phone and still be totally unprotected. What a dumb-ass default!
But when I enable Secure start-up then encryption works the way it should -- with phone prompting for PIN before booting. Maybe I just didn't notice it, but I didn't see anything when I encrypted the phone saying to enable Secure start-up to actually protect the phone. I'm guessing that this option was there in Lollipop too; but who knew???

Encryption Password not working in TWRP

So I have, after some work and experimentation, got encryption to work with CM 13. However I have run into a problem, TWRP will not accept my password and decrypt my phone. My phone will boot fine, I have CM 13 working correctly, make calls, surf the web and so on. It also accepts my password to unlock the phone no issues. But TWRP will not, so I cannot flash Xposed or any other ROMs without going through the process of wiping, encrypting and reflashing. That is the other oddity, TWRP DID accept the password at first and let me flash the CM 13 mod originally. After that I got a message saying the phones info was corrupted, the password was correct but my phone could not unlock. I restarted it and the phone started like normal but now we have this issue. Any advice would be very much appreciated.
Sent from my DROID Turbo using XDA-Developers mobile app

You must be running TWRP 3.0.1.0
Flash TWRP 3.0.2.0 and your problem should he fixed

Actually I am on TWRP 3.0.2.0
Sent from my DROID Turbo using XDA-Developers mobile app

Any other suggestions for this situation?
Sent from my DROID Turbo using XDA-Developers mobile app

BEDickey said:
Any other suggestions for this situation?
Sent from my DROID Turbo using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Re-flash TWRP 3.0.2.0? That update was specifically a fix for encryption issues. If reflashing doesn't work, then don't know.

I just tried to get encryption going on my Turbo with RR, and I got the same issue. I don't think it's a TWRP problem. I'll work on it some tonight and see if I can get it to work.

Yeah, it's some issue with RR. The latest TWRP decrypts the stock rom just fine. Weird.

I was not on RR, I was on CM 13. RR is a mod off of CM correct?
Sent from my DROID Turbo using XDA-Developers mobile app

BEDickey said:
I was not on RR, I was on CM 13. RR is a mod off of CM correct?
Sent from my DROID Turbo using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. So to be more precise, it's an issue with CM.

I read somewhere that with CM12.1 (and maybe CM13), it's necessary to set selinux to permissive before encrypting, but once you do that, you can just encrypt through the settings menu while running CM (no stock rom trickery required). My battery is too low to test this, but I'll definitely test it when I get home tonight.
Edit: Nope. Didn't work.

I'm determined to get this to work. I actually figured out how to get RR to encrypt on its own without having to go back to stock first, but TWRP still won't decrypt it. I've tried all TWRP versions available for quark. I'm going to try using CM recovery. If that doesn't work, I dunno what will. For what it's worth, google says that we're not the only ones having trouble decrypting CM13.
For those who are curious, you can get RR (and presumably CM13) to encrypt by first flashing the stock recovery menu and doing a factory reset. The reason this is necessary is that encryption requires the data partition to reserve about 16kb of data to be used during encryption. However, when TWRP formats the data partition, it includes all of the available space in the partition and leave nothing unallocated. The stock recovery menu knows better.
EDIT: CM recovery is totally useless. It doesn't even touch /data unless you're factory resetting. Welp, I'm out of ideas for now.

Well this sucks! Thanks for your work The St33v. It looks like this has to be edited at the top so it leaves that extra space needed. The TWRP code needs to be fixed imho.

BEDickey said:
Well this sucks! Thanks for your work The St33v. It looks like this has to be edited at the top so it leaves that extra space needed. The TWRP code needs to be fixed imho.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I'm not really sure what the issue is at this point. According to my Googling, some devices running CM13 can decrypt with TWRP just fine, but many can't. That tells me that it's a device-specific issue, which means the TWRP maintainer for our device would need to fix it. Who knows though. I could be wrong.
I don't really feel like bothering him about it, but in case anyone else does, the TWRP guy for our device is none other than the legendary baybutcher27.

I tried to get a copy of the TWRP log, but it tries to save the log to /data/media. I don't imagine that actually happened since /data is still encrypted.
EDIT: Nevermind. The log file doesn't have any information that is different from what TWRP displays on the screen, and TWRP doesn't display anything that is helpful.

Different device (Zenfone 2/z00t), but I've been bouncing around forums looking for the same solution. Currently using Flashify to update CyanogenMod Recovery, then using the ADB sideload menu to flash the nightlies. Switching to TWRP every few nightlies to see if it's fixed. It's not an elegant solution, but encryption is pretty much a must.

NewDayRising said:
Different device (Zenfone 2/z00t), but I've been bouncing around forums looking for the same solution. Currently using Flashify to update CyanogenMod Recovery, then using the ADB sideload menu to flash the nightlies. Switching to TWRP every few nightlies to see if it's fixed. It's not an elegant solution, but encryption is pretty much a must.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I talked to the maintainer of our TWRP build, and he said that it would be something that he would have to figure out how to add, but he is working on it. Apparently, methods of encryption/decryption are specific to each device.

Right. And since I'm still running nightlies with no snapshot as of yet for my device, I'll deal with the workaround till it's sorted, or file a bug report when a stable release/snapshot is available. Thankfully ADB sideload is an option till then. Thanks for the info about the issue being specific to each device.

Problem with lockup / display not turning on across various roms, rooted droid

I successfully rooted my droid (that came with lollipop), using this guide
https://forum.xda-developers.com/droid-turbo/general/guide-how-to-unlock-bootloader-install-t3292684
installed twrp backed up the stock OS and installed resurrection remix lollipop rom. I did not install any different modems or radios as I planned to stay on lollipop.
Everything worked great yet after a day or two the display/phone would appear to lock up. I can press power, the display doesn't come on and when (usually) moving the the volume up/down I do hear sounds. Sometimes at this point it will reboot by itself, other times I have to reboot it.
When it comes up it goes through the android is upgrading thing, and sometimes works fine after, sometimes not, regardless eventually this problem repeats.
Thinking it was perhaps RR I tried straight Cyanogenmod, and eventually the rooted stock OS, both have this same problem.
I've tried using it with very minimal installed in the way of apps, same issue.
I've tried saving the log to SD to peer at later, but going through it I don't really see anything obvious to show what the problem is.
I"m wondering if there's a problem with the phone itself (it's a refurb) and am considering unrooting it and returning it.
Anyone seen this or thoughts on what might be the issue?
p.s.
if you happen to have a good link handy to an unrooting guide you might shoot it my way thanks.
thanks in advance!

What versions of the other ROMs did you use? Lollipop also, or Marshmallow? Nougat? For rooted stock ROM did you upgrade to Marshmallow? None of the Lollipop ROMs are supported anymore, so hard to answer for those.
There are ways to grab logs after a reboot, but here's another suggestion...
I use Auto Reboot app (needs root) to schedule a reboot my phone every day while I'm asleep.
This seems to keep the cobwebs cleared out, so the phone runs better. I know you want to find the issue, but maybe it's an accumulation of apps not releasing RAM orb something. This might help prevent that.

thanks for the reply
ChazzMatt said:
What versions of the other ROMs did you use? Lollipop also, or Marshmallow? Nougat? For rooted stock ROM did you upgrade to Marshmallow? None of the Lollipop ROMs are supported anymore, so hard to answer for those.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried the last released CM lollipop snapshot, as well as the last nightly.
For RR it was last released, "ROM OS Version: 5.1.x Lollipop"
ChazzMatt said:
There are ways to grab logs after a reboot,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeh I've been saving it to the SD so I can view it after a reboot, I've looked at 4 or 5 of them after the problem occurred and at least to me nothing really stood out
ChazzMatt said:
but here's another suggestion...
I use Auto Reboot app (needs root) to schedule a reboot my phone every day while I'm asleep.
This seems to keep the cobwebs cleared out, so the phone runs better. I know you want to find the issue, but maybe it's an accumulation of apps not releasing RAM orb something. This might help prevent that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeh I expect it might periodically need a reboot but if it's just unpredictiably locking up or rebooting on its own it's not very usable.
I think I'm just going to have to try to unroot and return, maybe I'll go with a LG V20 as I don't want to have pay to re-root another one of these and possibly have same issue. Also the whole pay to have some app do something secret to my phone does leave me a bit uneasy.
Kind of a bummer as I'm actually pretty impressed with this device, fast, good battery, takes nice photos, only drawbacks for me are no removable SD and lack of LED notification, but I was willing to live without those given how good everything else was.
thanks

Same here,
I tried with different Roms 7.X, still blocking and display not turning on.
I'd appreciate some help.
Thanks!
Android Version: 7.1.2
Current Rom: AOKP
Kernel: 3.10.107-Stock-bhb27-nougat-kerneL

MrN00b said:
Same here,
I tried with different Roms 7.X, still blocking and display not turning on.
I'd appreciate some help.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FWIW and in case it helps you or someone else, I seem to have fixed mine finally, here's what I did.
First I installed latest twrp (mod 4) https://androidfilehost.com/?w=files&flid=39562 (there's a thread on this twrp if you want tor read on it). That in itself didn't fix the issue but did finally let me format and got rid of an 'mkfs.f2fs: invalid option -- r, ERROR=1' type error I used to get.
I installed this stock zip from twrp as described in thread:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/droid-turbo/development/rom-su4tl-49-100-stock-t3390041
It would never actually boot it would shut my phone off not long after showing the boot screen, and I'm not sure if doing that was necessary or not.
Taking some suggestions from here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/droid-turbo/help/help-request-custom-rom-phone-unlocked-t3767070
I dug up the last official CM 13 snapshot:
https://www.google.com/search?q=cm-13.0-20161221-SNAPSHOT-ZNH5YAO3Y5-quark.zip
sha1: 9a219dd487c27e51b0c5c4922812838f394099c5
Wipe and installed with no gapps and voilà it would boot consistently. Without reinstalling I tried installing pico gapps and it would still boot though it took maybe 15 mins initially.
I want Nougat so I wiped and installed lineage-14.1-20180612-UNOFFICIAL-quark.zip from https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-maxx/development/rom-t3494646 again no gapps and it also booted fine, whereas previously it would hang on booting. Without reinstalling ROM I tried installing opengapps nano and it would just hang.
I could then no longer get it to boot again, so I reinstalled CM13 no gapps, which booted fine, wipe and install lineage-14.1-20180612-UNOFFICIAL-quark.zip no gapps, and now it boots fine though currently it's taking a while.
I should perhaps note I took twrp backups inbetween steps whenever I had a working boot, (ex before installing gapps), but once the phone went back to hanging on boot, those restores didn't help. Only reflashing CM13 seemed to clear things up.
My ultimate goal is a LOS ish Nougat/Oreo ROM with no gapps using microg, and running tmobile, I'll see what I end up with.

After upgrade to 9.0.4 => Error message "corrupt data" and no way from there

After upgrade to 9.0.4 => Error message "corrupt data" and no way from there
After upgrade to 9.0.4 (from 8.1, rooted with magisk) I was getting an error message "password is correct but data is corrupt... factory reset needed".
Factory reset? No way! I have a backup of the state just before upgrade to 9.0.4 (made with TWRP v3.2.3-0), and wanted to go back to that state.
First strange thing: This wasn't possible with TWRP v3.2.3-0 anymore because it needed to reformat /data with f2fs which lead to an error. TWRP v3.3.1-0 solved that issue.
After restore first I was unpatient, but waiting overnight finally returned my phone to the saved state (except that my internal storage was gone, because it was killed by the 9.0.4 upgrade).
But then it turned out that some things are not as good as before:
1) The fingerprint sensor is dead
2) "Calling" *#808# shows an error "Connection problem or invalid MMI code"
3) When re-entering TWRP the /data partition cannot be mounted (after a much too quick entry indicating that decryption did not took place)
What did the 9.0.4 update do to prevent the nandroid from 100% restore ? What can I do?
What do I need to do, to at least get my backup working just as it worked before?
What do I need for a successful upgrade to 9.0.4?

After spending major part of this weekend, this is what I found out so far:
1) Doing restore directly on the filesystem after 9.0.4 upgrade was the reason for the multiple strange behavior afterwards. Correct restore was like this:
- Flash a 5.0.8 stock firmware (!!!)
- Flash TWRP v3.3.1-0 (using v3.2.3-x would still fail with /data restore)
- Restore the backup, but leaving out the "system image"
2) After the successful restore, however, TWRP couldn't decrypt the /data partition. Flashing TWRP v3.2.3-1 was the solution for this.
3) BTW: The issue with *#808# was due to a non-stock dialer I was using. What misled me was that also the non-stock dialer was able to run some USSD codes, but strangely not all, and especially not the diagnostics one.
Ok, all issues solved so far, but now I'm on 5.0.8 again. And there I have this banking app, which once in a while tells me that "a phone with these settings is not supported due to high security standards" (meaning that it's rooted). In the past this issue has always been able to be fixed by firmware or magisk update. But right now magisk is at v19.3 and no update available. So, I need to upgrade the OS (I assume).
Is there a safe way to upgrade to 9.0.4 (or 9.0.5, which came out last Friday)?
Just an idea I'm having from the issues with TWRP version (one seems to work only with 5.0.8, the other only with 9.0.x): Might it be as simple as flashing a stock recovery just for the update? Or are there other things to obey?

ako673de said:
Is there a safe way to upgrade to 9.0.4 (or 9.0.5, which came out last Friday)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The safe way is here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-3t/how-to/guide-cope-9-0-3-5-0-8-firmware-barrier-t3941164

Dirk said:
The safe way is here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-3t/how-to/guide-cope-9-0-3-5-0-8-firmware-barrier-t3941164
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello Dirk,
I've read so many threads these days, to just confuse me even more. This is the very first really helpful tip.
Maybe I will try it out. But as for now the mixing of 5.0.8 and 9.0.x parts of the firmwares feels so desparately dirty, that maybe I should better try everything else first.
And here your other comments about banking apps were very interesting. Why exactly did you remove them later?
First of all I need to mention, that all my banking apps worked just fine until about 2 weeks ago. Basically everything is still perfectly alright: Safetynet is still being passed, the device is still "certified", magisk is still well hidden, and none of the critical apps "see" the root. Furthermore it's only one out of 4 banking apps that has stopped working (unfortunately it's the most critcal one with no alternative access (no website, no HBCI)).
So, could you please get a little bit more in detail?
I don't know enough about the details, but intuitively an unlocked bootloader might well be something a banking app could successfully look out for. But none of my research pointed me to a thread where the bootloader was successfully relocked with TWRP present. Could you please point me to that one?
The "LOS" thread, what exactly is that, and where? LineageOS? That's a branch from CyanogenMod, as far as I have read. What exactly does this ROM better wrt banking apps? I already had CM on my former Samsung S4, and it didn't work out very well. It was full of bugs...
And what exactly is "NLOS" (wrt banking apps)?
Thank you very much for your assistance.

ako673de said:
I've read so many threads these days, to just confuse me even more. This is the very first really helpful tip.
Maybe I will try it out. But as for now the mixing of 5.0.8 and 9.0.x parts of the firmwares feels so desparately dirty, that maybe I should better try everything else first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your aim is to be on the latest version of OOS whilst preserving Data, you need to use the modified Firmware.
LineageOS with latest TWRP allows you to relock your Bootloader. You wouldn't have any issues with Banking Apps with that setup. You can't get from OOS to LOS without losing Data though, and there's no point discussing custom ROMs further if your objective is to be on OOS.

Solved the banking app issue! It's the so called UDS detection method which was new and is not yet covered by magisk (incl. Beta), but the so called "canary" branch.
BTW: Bootloader is (should be) not something an app can detect with magisk in place.

Is it possible to disable force encryption, and enable the secret 120Hz mode?

I'm running the CrDroid 5 rom, and I dislike the force encryption, I've tried a force encryption disabler and hacking Magisk to disable force encryption even with encrypted data detected, but it hasn't fixed the issue. (I've found a disabler that works)
I also heard about the hidden 120Hz mode the phone has from here https://www.xda-developers.com/sony-xperia-xz-premium-hidden-120hz-screen-mode-razer-phone/
Under the update, it's mentioned that this phone also has it too, and I'm wondering if anyone has been able to enable it, and if it's possible, how

asdf2345 said:
I'm running the CrDroid 5 rom, and I dislike the force encryption, I've tried a force encryption disabler and hacking Magisk to disable force encryption even with encrypted data detected, but it hasn't fixed the issue.
I also heard about the hidden 120Hz mode the phone has from here https://www.xda-developers.com/sony-xperia-xz-premium-hidden-120hz-screen-mode-razer-phone/
Under the update, it's mentioned that this phone also has it too, and I'm wondering if anyone has been able to enable it, and if it's possible, how
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exactly is force encryption messing up on your phone?

MDomokos said:
What exactly is force encryption messing up on your phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just don't like it, I also found a disabler that works, so I'm not worried about it anymore

I see its an older post now asdf2345 . But could you share the tool you used to disable the force encryption. I freakin hate it specially because its been "forced" Just replaced my xperia Z5 Compact with a 2nd hand XZ1 Compact after 6 years yes.... LOL Its rooted with magisk and installed twrp latest for xz1c. all works fine but i dont want the "forced encryption" at all . On my windows 10/11 laptops i already disabled these idiot features so the installer not even bother to set it up by default. My old z5c was on android 7 i really liked it, no additional wasted partitions for system ROM images and so forth. I tried many methods, in fact if i haven't reflashed this poor bugger 10x by now.... This was my main reason i longed as much on old system7, i am google less rooted . Forced encryption is messing up a lot of my things just being there.

AssimilatorX.System said:
I see its an older post now asdf2345 . But could you share the tool you used to disable the force encryption. I freakin hate it specially because its been "forced" Just replaced my xperia Z5 Compact with a 2nd hand XZ1 Compact after 6 years yes.... LOL Its rooted with magisk and installed twrp latest for xz1c. all works fine but i dont want the "forced encryption" at all . On my windows 10/11 laptops i already disabled these idiot features so the installer not even bother to set it up by default. My old z5c was on android 7 i really liked it, no additional wasted partitions for system ROM images and so forth. I tried many methods, in fact if i haven't reflashed this poor bugger 10x by now.... This was my main reason i longed as much on old system7, i am google less rooted . Forced encryption is messing up a lot of my things just being there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've forgotten where I got it from, but I still have the file.

asdf2345 said:
I've forgotten where I got it from, but I still have the file.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very kind thank you. I was searched far n wide on the net. find lots of similar things, however they either wasnt for sony or specified strictly for xxxxx devices LG, ASUS,OPPO etc etc. You still have xz1c G8441? I tried out Havoc-OS 4.8 works really well but i missed sony camera, and my call recorder "ACR Pro" wasnt working properly. Than i had to find out that flashtoop always gives a null error while flashing roms and i had to find again new softwares "newflasher" to do the job. Thanks again will try it out. What i should kow about it? Flash wipe /data/ i assume, I am on TWRP 3.3.1.0

Forgot to mention that my device running on stock kernel with flashed drmfix. Update ... After a bit of messing around it worked. Its not encrypted now. Flashed factory UK stock 228 because it went to bootlooping than twrp 3310, and this time i flashed bliss rom 12.12 android 10 for lilac. Flashed the file you sent me and flashed magist 23. First boot went to recovery. So i assumed , it want a factory reset so i did one. than all fine. Now i just need to go in my bank to unlock my barclays banking app as i installed it about 25x in the last few days. Thank you again for the fast response and help asdf2345. Will se in a few days how this rom fares, but appears to be the best so far, even has sony camera app built in, and i am using it without google or gapp spyware.

AssimilatorX.System said:
Forgot to mention that my device running on stock kernel with flashed drmfix. Update ... After a bit of messing around it worked. Its not encrypted now. Flashed factory UK stock 228 because it went to bootlooping than twrp 3310, and this time i flashed bliss rom 12.12 android 10 for lilac. Flashed the file you sent me and flashed magist 23. First boot went to recovery. So i assumed , it want a factory reset so i did one. than all fine. Now i just need to go in my bank to unlock my barclays banking app as i installed it about 25x in the last few days. Thank you again for the fast response and help asdf2345. Will se in a few days how this rom fares, but appears to be the best so far, even has sony camera app built in, and i am using it without google or gapp spyware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I hate that because the device is treble, you gotta reinstall the original ROM to flash a new ROM, so you always gotta start fresh and unnecessarily wear out the flash. I currently use the Resurrection Remix Oreo ROM by hockeymikey.

Will try set fingerprint later as it makes it much easier to unlock and log-in to paypal and banking apps, but hope it would still unencrypted. Also would be nice to get rid of the [system image] 5000mb and [vendor image] 1500mb partitions that just a waste of storage. My old z5c didnt have these useless things on android 7.0

AssimilatorX.System said:
Will try set fingerprint later as it makes it much easier to unlock and log-in to paypal and banking apps, but hope it would still unencrypted. Also would be nice to get rid of the [system image] 5000mb and [vendor image] 1500mb partitions that just a waste of storage. My old z5c didnt have these useless things on android 7.0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that's how I have it. I wish I we could get rid of the image partitions as well. I thought it was because of treble, but my non-treble XZ also has those as well, so I dunno.

AssimilatorX.System said:
Forgot to mention that my device running on stock kernel with flashed drmfix. Update ... After a bit of messing around it worked. Its not encrypted now. Flashed factory UK stock 228 because it went to bootlooping than twrp 3310, and this time i flashed bliss rom 12.12 android 10 for lilac. Flashed the file you sent me and flashed magist 23. First boot went to recovery. So i assumed , it want a factory reset so i did one. than all fine. Now i just need to go in my bank to unlock my barclays banking app as i installed it about 25x in the last few days. Thank you again for the fast response and help asdf2345. Will se in a few days how this rom fares, but appears to be the best so far, even has sony camera app built in, and i am using it without google or gapp spyware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
plz give me drmfix script?