Note 8(SM-N950F Exynos) Root problems. - Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers

I am not an expert user but have always been able to root and install custom ROMs over the past years to devices including ASUS A500, Nexus 4 and 7, Samsung P605, Note 4, and note 8.
However, I have obviously done something to my Note 8 and can no longer install TWRP or SU or anything in fact. This happened after I moved from the official Samsung Pie release to the Lineage 17.1 (Android 10) which I ran successfully for a couple of weeks; but I missed the Samsung DEX support and I used this heavily for streaming to my non-smart TV. So whilst I loved the Lineage experience I moved back to the standard Samsung Pie.
This caused a couple of problems in that I could no longer use some of the Samsung apps since the device recognised that it had been rooted and it burned in the warranty bit, and Samsung ell me that the only way around this on the note 8 is to replace the processor board; and this seems to be correct.
So, I now want to go back to Lineage 17.1, since it was stable and I have lost interest in anything Samsung after this experience.
I can no longer install TWRP (or SU or Magisk) to allow me to root and install Lineage. I have done everything on all the helpful forums, including wipes etc, followed install instructions to the letter (many times) and whilst the loading of TWRP via Odin goes through the motions and completes properly, when I try to go into it all I get is the regular Samsung boot stuff. I have tried SU etc via an SD Card but these always give errors, I have tried the no verify software but it too won’t install.
Many attempts have been made to load TWRP and sometimes it screws up the phone but I can always load the latest Samsung software via Odin; here is the latest Samsung software I am using:-
- AP_N950FXXSADTC4_CL16983991_QB29943831_REV00_user_low_ship_meta_OS9.tar.md5
- BL_N950FXXSADTC4_CL16983991_QB29943831_REV00_user_low_ship.tar.md5
- CP_N950FXXSADTB1_CL1300388_QB15232239_SIGNED.tar.md5
- CSC_OLN_N950FOLNADTB1_CL16983991_QB29490845_REV00_user_low_ship.tar.md5
I would appreciate any help whatsoever. Perhaps someone has done the same thing? Maybe I am screwed!

@neilgoodyer
Did you remember to turn OEM unlock on?
When the phone is in download mode, does it say "prenormal" anywhere? If it does, you won't be able to flash TWRP until that disappears, I don't know the exact way to get rid of it, but I usually sign in to my Samsung account on the phone, then check for an update which registers the device, then it soon disappears for me (prenormal)

stonedpsycho said:
@neilgoodyer
Did you remember to turn OEM unlock on?
When the phone is in download mode, does it say "prenormal" anywhere? If it does, you won't be able to flash TWRP until that disappears, I don't know the exact way to get rid of it, but I usually sign in to my Samsung account on the phone, then check for an update which registers the device, then it soon disappears for me (prenormal)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice:
Yes, OEM unlock on. In fact it seems to turn it on automatically when I invoke developer mode. When in download mode I don't get "prenormal" anywhere. The only somewhat negative comment on that screen is the the warranty count is 1 because I previously loaded Lineage 17.1 Odin completes normally indicating all was well but still only the Samsung bootloader.
Samsung Account is working and I am always able to get my backup loaded whenever I have to reload the current Samsung software,.
It's got me bamboozled and without TWRP I can't do anything......, can't even load a previous custom rom and work my way forward from that. I did think about a previous Samsung software release for the Note 8 Exynos but the "archive" at sammobile doesn't show any.

neilgoodyer said:
Thanks for the advice:
Yes, OEM unlock on. In fact it seems to turn it on automatically when I invoke developer mode. When in download mode I don't get "prenormal" anywhere. The only somewhat negative comment on that screen is the the warranty count is 1 because I previously loaded Lineage 17.1 Odin completes normally indicating all was well but still only the Samsung bootloader.
Samsung Account is working and I am always able to get my backup loaded whenever I have to reload the current Samsung software,.
It's got me bamboozled and without TWRP I can't do anything......, can't even load a previous custom rom and work my way forward from that. I did think about a previous Samsung software release for the Note 8 Exynos but the "archive" at sammobile doesn't show any.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you flash TWRP with Odin, does it pass or give any error code? Have you tried a different TWRP version, maybe the one you have has become corrupt somehow.

stonedpsycho said:
When you flash TWRP with Odin, does it pass or give any error code? Have you tried a different TWRP version, maybe the one you have has become corrupt somehow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, Yes it completes with a PASS. I have tried several versions of Odin, all appear to work but same results unfortunately.

neilgoodyer said:
Thanks, Yes it completes with a PASS. I have tried several versions of Odin, all appear to work but same results unfortunately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried a different TWRP?
Like you said above, I too am bamboozled too.

neilgoodyer said:
Thanks, Yes it completes with a PASS. I have tried several versions of Odin, all appear to work but same results unfortunately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried ticking on the format option in odin so it deletes everything before flashing the firmware? I would have tried to flash just twrp with the format option ticked to see what happens. I would do a little research before just trying to do that though.
Edit: With the phone connected to your PC using command prompt (in your adb location) type in fastboot boot recovery.img and see what happens.

MrMike2182 said:
Have you tried ticking on the format option in odin so it deletes everything before flashing the firmware? I would have tried to flash just twrp with the format option ticked to see what happens. I would do a little research before just trying to do that though.
Edit: With the phone connected to your PC using command prompt (in your adb location) type in fastboot boot recovery.img and see what happens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I will research further that suggestion with odin. I did try doing things with adb, however, it doesn't seem to work with the samsung note 8 (mine anyway).

Related

Very Frustrated(not getting past bootanimation despite every try

I just got my motorola yesterday. I did quite a few things like unlocking it and rooting it..After my first initial root it worked fine but earlier today i decided to install lollipop. I was using the twrp version 2.7 to install the rom but i realised it wasnt working till i tried a few more time and it finally it. I tried back up my stock 4.4.4 room before i installed my new rom but it failed several times because i think the recovery was faulty to say the least. Anyways my lollipop worked very fine but i notice anytime i restarted the phone it took a long freaking time to restart but it was working normal as usual until i restarted my phone another time and realised i couldn't go past the bootanimation.It takes forever but i never get past it. I then decided to flash the twrp 2.8.0.1. After flashing i realised I could do a backup but it was too late. I tried a few tricks I've always used to get past the bootanimation like mounting the storage but it never shows up on my pc. I also tried side loading the rom using the adb sideload command but it never workedd.it always shows up saying "error: device not found" but when i go back to the bootloader and use the fastbootdevices command it shows up my device. IS there any recovery that will allow me to sucessfully mount my storage or sideload my rom without all this hussle?Even my the the bootloader unlock warning reboots several times before getting to the never ending bootanimation
rom:TitanPrimeROMv1.3-XT1068-69_RC1
XT1068
Rooted
TWRP 2.0.8.1
Window 8.1 64bit
I already have my mini sdk files
There's a number of guides in this subforum that goes through flashing the stock firmware for your phone. The reason you're getting bootloops is because there's currently no stable way to get root access on Lollipop for this phone, but it is being worked on.
ADB can be a bit finicky, so it'd probably be easier to have your ROM on the phone itself, whether in the data/media/ folder in Internal Storage, or on an SD card, since neither are wiped whenever you factory reset or clean your phone. TWRP 2.8.2.0 and above allows you to enable MTP mode so you can move your files straight onto or off your phone.
Actaully i managed to root my phone using chainfare's auto rode for the moto G.I just also installed twrp 2.8.0.3. Unfortunately,I dont have any rom on my phone which is bummer. Yh I do get to MTP enable my device in recovery but it never shows up on my pc.I have had issues like this before and I got it done in minutes without no problem..This is my first motorola device and I'm regretting my choice in buying this phone
sleekykenny said:
Actaully i managed to root my phone using chainfare's auto rode for the moto G.I just also installed twrp 2.8.0.3. Unfortunately,I dont have any rom on my phone which is bummer. Yh I do get to MTP enable my device in recovery but it never shows up on my pc.I have had issues like this before and I got it done in minutes without no problem..This is my first motorola device and I'm regretting my choice in buying this phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try manually selecting the driver is device manager?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g-2014/general/restore-to-stock-t2873657 This thread is your best friend. The other thing is that you'll probably need to uninstall the drivers for your phone from Hardware Manager on your OS, unplug your phone, then plug it back in when you're in recovery, and your OS should pull the right drivers to get ADB working. Still, you've got fastboot so the best option for you at the moment is to just restore your phone to stock and go from there.
As I said, though, root doesn't work on Lollipop for our phone yet, and AFAIK we don't have the kernel sources yet for Chainfire (the developer of SuperSU amongst other things) to get root access working without causing bootloops.
Traediras said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g-2014/general/restore-to-stock-t2873657 This thread is your best friend. The other thing is that you'll probably need to uninstall the drivers for your phone from Hardware Manager on your OS, unplug your phone, then plug it back in when you're in recovery, and your OS should pull the right drivers to get ADB working. Still, you've got fastboot so the best option for you at the moment is to just restore your phone to stock and go from there.
As I said, though, root doesn't work on Lollipop for our phone yet, and AFAIK we don't have the kernel sources yet for Chainfire (the developer of SuperSU amongst other things) to get root access working without causing bootloops.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried this thread but the problem is that the required mfastboot-v2 file link is not working for me.Anytime i try downloading it i get the message "Sorry, this file is infected with a virus,Only the owner is allowed to download infected files."
sleekykenny said:
I tried this thread but the problem is that the required mfastboot-v2 file link is not working for me.Anytime i try downloading it i get the message "Sorry, this file is infected with a virus,Only the owner is allowed to download infected files."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=47820707 This contains just the mfastboot.exe file for each OS, it /should/ work since it's essentially the same file. Just put the files in that .zip into your folder with adb and fastboot in it, and you should be good to go.
Traediras said:
Huh.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=47820707 This contains just the mfastboot.exe file for each OS, it /should/ work since it's essentially the same file. Just put the files in that .zip into your folder with adb and fastboot in it, and you should be good to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Dude, After your last message I rechecked the mfastboot-v2 folder on the thread and realised the only new file in there was the mfastboot.exe file so i quickly googled it and saw another thread in which i found the file.I downloaded it and then executed all the commands. Goshh I finally saw my phone boot up in a long time which brought a huge smile to my face.
I would like Thank all of you guys who took the time out to visit this thread and give me suggestions. THANK YOU BROS
I really appreaciate it. Happy new year
Glad to hear everything worked out for you. Happy New Year to you too.
Duplicate thread created by OP
Original is here
Please do not create multiple threads again.
Thread closed

Stuck in Fastboot Flash mode, Developer options turned off

I've followed all of the steps from this guide: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=56938530&postcount=1
I've got to the end where I am running the code snippets to flash everything, but everything fails. The error stated is FAILED: remote failure. I am not sure if this is related to my developer options being turned off, but I think it might be.
Is there a way to turn developer options on while in fastboot mode or perhaps a way around this error? The reason I am stuck in the fastboot is because the boot image can't be validated, I am not at the fastboot by choice, haha.
No. If your recovery is still stock, flash the Android N Preview 1 OTA or an Android 6.0.1 OTA image from Google. One of those will restore your Nexus to operating condition, and from there you can try again. If your recovery is TWRP, flash a custom ROM.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
No. If your recovery is still stock, flash the Android N Preview 1 OTA or an Android 6.0.1 OTA image from Google. One of those will restore your Nexus to operating condition, and from there you can try again. If your recovery is TWRP, flash a custom ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I apologize for my ignorance since this is all new to me, but could you explain a few things to me.
Is this what you're referring to when you say Android N Preview 1 OTA: 'https://developer.android.com/preview/download.html'
Secondly, in order to flash these, am I still following the steps I was before, or should I be following a new set of steps?
You don't need the N Preview anymore. Download your Android 6.0.1 image from the Google page and flash using the instructions given on that page.
I went to the page and followed the directions. Still doesn't work. The flash-all script reboots after the first two commands, which lock the phone. But even then, it is still giving the error FAILED:remote failure.
me too!
I seem to be having the exact same issue! i just bought a Nexus 6 online that wasn't booting, it would only show a green led when plugged in. so here I am doing everything I can think of to fix the issue but then I get hit with the "remote failure" when i try to oem unlock the bootloader! (and since the phone wont't boot i can't check the "unlock bootloader" box in the developer options) so yeah I am going to keep researching this but if anyone has any good ideas about to get around the bootloader being locked please jump right in.
anyways I may have deeper issues, the battery will not charge. i know this because when i load up the fastboot menu, which i have to do by holding the buttons while plugging it in, it should say battery charging but all it says is battery ok
I also can't load recovery because when im in the fastboot menu and i choose recovery the phone freezes and the green led comes back on... *sigh*
They have the full ota packages posted on Google site now you can and push through the stock recovery
Here just make sure you get the shame version
https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/ota#hammerhead
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA-Developers mobile app
I have the OTA. I also installed Wugs toolkit.
My phone is in fastboot mode due to the boot image not being able to be validated. I didn't voluntarily open up fastboot using the shortcut.
The phone is UNLOCKED until bootloader is rebooted, then it is LOCKED. If I click start, it becomes UNLOCKED again. Wug's toolkit tries to UNLOCK the phone even while the phone says it is UNLOCKED. I don't think the phone is actually UNLOCKED, however whenever it tells me it is UNLOCKED, I try to proceed with flashing and it gives me a remote failure message on each command.
The next thing I am going try is the drivers and Wug's toolkit has a driver option, so I will try that. Besides the drivers, any other ideas?
You seem to be inexperienced in rooting Android devices. If you aren't, I apologize for the assumption. However, you should learn how to use adb and fastboot without relying on the toolkit. Toolkits tend to hide diagnostic messages that adb and fastboot generate while running. This missing information makes solving problems much more difficult.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
You seem to be inexperienced in rooting Android devices. If you aren't, I apologize for the assumption. However, you should learn how to use adb and fastboot without relying on the toolkit. Toolkits tend to hide diagnostic messages that adb and fastboot generate while running. This missing information makes solving problems much more difficult.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am inexperienced, I stated that earlier. I have check a bunch of different forum posts and a bunch of different guides. Nothing seems to be helping and it seems like such a simple problem, a boot image that can't be validated. I am not trying to do anything special with my phone, I am just trying to get it to work. I woke up and it was stuck in this 'AP Fastboot Flash Mode (Secure)' mode. It is very bare bones, not even similar to the screens within videos I have seen. One moment the phone says it's UNLOCKED, the next it's LOCKED.
You are the expert, I am not. I am merely following your directions and they don't seem to be working. I did some outside research, came to a toolkit. Toolkits are great for beginners, especially since they are UI built, are built by someone who knows the area of interest, which makes researching easier and more efficient, but on top of that, it seems to be getting me much farther than your advice, although nothing is successful at this moment.
Here is a little more context into my situation. My phone seems to be recognized by Fastboot, but not ADB (From what I found, fastboot will find devices in fastboot, and adb will find devices functioning normally, don't know how true that is.). In addition, my phone seems to switch from UNLOCKED TO LOCKED after reboots, but can become UNLOCKED again if I push ANY button. Every command I issue (i.e flash bootloader, flash radio, flash system, flash userdata) result in the message, FAILED:remote failure, which I am not sure how to avoid (I have googled, checked these forums, checked other forums and there doesn't seem to be much, if any documentation on the error), but I think it is related to the fact my developer options are turned OFF. My next course of action is to install new drivers (I checked my drivers which are said to be up to date, I also installed google USB driver through the sdk, but now I am going to look into an adb or universal driver?) and attempt to rerun everything successfully.
If you have any other ideas, or don't think its the drivers, feel free to bring it up.
As a couple of fellows said before, try this:
https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/ota
Flash a FULL OTA from the link above, not a factory image. To flash any OTA you don't need to be unlocked. I think you might be confusing the terms (with the OTA you don't have to flash anything using fastboot)
In the link there are the instructions, it's pretty straight forward and easy if you have the correct drivers installed.
OTA requires that u can startup into recovery, I cannot I can startup fastboot through key combo but when I go to select recovery the green led comes back on and the screen displaying the fastboot options remains static
I think the phone freezes because it does not appear to be able to use the battery. though there is a firm battery connection it will not charge or power on without being plugged in. maybe when I select recovery I can quickly unplug and replug the USB and maybe hold the power button to try to simulate a successful reboot.. idk just thinking aloud and working with what I got..
I also can not start in recovery mode and the OTA requires ADB, which isn't recognizing my device. I have also stated that I have followed those instructions, and nothing resulted from them, except the same messages I have been stating these last few posts.
I will try this first chance I get later tonight..
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/help/solution-stuck-bootloop-locked-t3053783
Listen the ota doesn't get installed through fast boot, you have to select recovery through the fast boot then install the update by pushing it as bootloader does not need to be unlocked!
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA-Developers mobile app
holeindalip said:
Listen the ota doesn't get installed through fast boot, you have to select recovery through the fast boot then install the update by pushing it as bootloader does not need to be unlocked!
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, well it seems we are at an impasse. You seem to think I can do something, so I am going to show some pictures of my screen. Its going to be blurry because I had to take it with my computer, so I apologize, but I will elaborate on each picture.
Qwertyismypw said:
Ok, well it seems we are at an impasse. You seem to think I can do something, so I am going to show some pictures of my screen. Its going to be blurry because I had to take it with my computer, so I apologize, but I will elaborate on each picture.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first two pictures are when the phone is 'UNLOCKED'. The second two pictures are when the phone is 'LOCKED'. The moment I press anything in 'LOCKED' mode, the little android man goes away, and it becomes the first two pictures. WHENEVER I push a button in 'UNLOCKED' mode, nothing happens, except in the bootloader logs screen says, 'FAILED TO VALIDATE BOOT IMAGE RET -1'. I have done everything on that OTA page in every way possible. It has done me no good.
Ok, I made a little progress I think. Wugs toolkit allowed me to use TWRP on my phone and ADB is recognizing my phone now. There are a lot of options within TWRP though, so I am going to look through them all for anything relevant. Anything I should keep an extra eye out for?
If you can use twrp just download a custom ROM to your phone and move it over to SD card and flash it, then you will be able to boot and unlock the bootloader in developer ootions, that is your best bet, if you keep getting force closes after flashing a custom ROM your going to have to do a factory reset from within twrp
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA-Developers mobile app
holeindalip said:
If you can use twrp just download a custom ROM to your phone and move it over to SD card and flash it, then you will be able to boot and unlock the bootloader in developer ootions, that is your best bet, if you keep getting force closes after flashing a custom ROM your going to have to do a factory reset from within twrp
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have an SD card, can I move it to the internal storage? And how exactly do I do this? I can't copy/paste anything into the phone (it says the phone doesn't actually exist, even though adb is recognizing it as in recovery) or do I sideload it? When I try to sideload it though, the device disappears (and device manager sees nexus 6 under other devices, but the driver isn't up to date and no drivers seem to work. I've tried the google usb driver with no luck.) and it won't allow me to sideload it.

Factory Reset to Stock (8.0) from root 8.0 updated to 8.1 - No USB Connection

Greetings,
I recently got a Pixel 2 XL and the first thing I did was try to root with SuperSU and TWRP. I had some issues with it and someone suggested Magisk. It worked great and I was able to update from the 8.0 to 8.1 with root. I kept up with the latest Magisk installs until the past week or so.
My phones USB port appears to have failed partially. Luckily I can still charge, but there is no way to see the device storage from a PC. Support has defaulted, after much troubleshooting, to an RMA solution with a refurbished phone. Thankfully, this seems to be covered by warranty and isn't going to pose a cost issue. However, through the troubleshooting I was forced to do a factory reset. I looked up some information regarding factory reset with rooted devices. I cannot find the exact tutorial I followed or thread I gained the how-to information, I'm not sure which it was. I simply searched how to factory reset magisk 8.1 device. It was quick and most of the stuff I find now has the same information.
Open Magisk, uninstall. Open TWRP, uninstall. Device Settings, Factory Reset. Easy
This seemed to have worked. I didn't run into any locked hardware issues thankful because I don't have USB to really flash something to it.
Before I continued, prior to attempting the reset I fully backed up the device to my computer using ES File Explorers FTP transfer over the wifi. This was great, lots of photos were able to be saved with no hassle. I copied the entire root directory and have it backed up.
The problem with the reset is that while Magisk remained uninstalled, TWRP has a basic file installed that upgrades to the full app. I still have root, which would have been nice, except I still need to unroot and go back to factory settings before I can send this device in.
Before I make a mistake moving forward, I want to find the best way to unroot, (preferrably relock the boot also), and return to factory stock as it was the day I got it so I can return in it in the best state I can.
I am running rooted android 8.1.0 Pixel 2 XL with kernel 4.4.88 if the helps. When I reset to factory defaults TWRP remains installed and root persists. I cannot connect via USB and run android dev tools to flash anything directly. How can I restore this device? I should have all original kernels backed up. During the root process I remember them saying to copy the old ROMs first and I performed every step exactly. I do have access to move files to and from the device via WiFi. Is it this even possible?
PS, does anyone think the firmware and rooted install could be the problem with the USB? It seems entirely like failed hardware to me but the troubleshooting was extremely thorough and seems to indicate softare/firmware are likely to be the issue instead of the hardware issue that was determined. Could this still rooted device have corrupted the USB transfer? It seems I should do my best to rule this out as well, more so than just giving them a factory reset device. I'd rather keep my phone if it can be fixed easily, than obtain a possibly low quality heavily used refurbished model.
Regards
Did you try removing and reinstalling the drivers?
Sent from my MI 5 using Tapatalk
teddy0209 said:
Did you try removing and reinstalling the drivers?
Sent from my MI 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I assume you mean for the PC. Yes, I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling both using Microsofts found drivers and directly sent packages from the support team. Updates and 2 different PCs. DevKit installed on the one I originally used to root and a new PC with fresh driver installs.
They wouldn't suggest drivers for the phone, if you know of a way to install new drivers for the phone, please let me know, I'd definitely give that a shot.
Regards
BlazzedTroll said:
I assume you mean for the PC. Yes, I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling both using Microsofts found drivers and directly sent packages from the support team. Updates and 2 different PCs. DevKit installed on the one I originally used to root and a new PC with fresh driver installs.
They wouldn't suggest drivers for the phone, if you know of a way to install new drivers for the phone, please let me know, I'd definitely give that a shot.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I should include all troubleshooting I mentioned for those that think they have a solution for the dead USB. My original request was for the OTA flash directions without USB, but I think a lot of people will want to suggest fixes for the phone as I suggested in the PS section.
Step 1: Check computer software.
Windows users, check to see if you have the latest version of Windows Media Player and have installed all recent system updates. Visit omitted for more information.
Mac users, make sure you install and are using Android File Transfer. Visit omitted for more information.
Step 2: Check for system updates.
On your device, go to "Settings" > Scroll down to "System" > Touch "About phone" (or tablet) > Touch "System updates".
If your device has a modified OS, troubleshooting may not resolve your device issue. Re-image your device back to Android factory settings using the instructions from the following link: omitted
Step 3: Restart your device in safe mode.
With the device on, hold the Power button to get the "Power off" prompt.
Touch and hold "Power off" until the "Reboot to safe mode" prompt appears.
Touch "OK" to reboot in safe mode.
Note: To exit safe mode later, simply restart the device normally.
Step 4: Unlock your device.
Before connecting the device to a computer, if your device is password protected, unlock your device. A locked device will not connect to the computer.
Step 5: Connect USB cable directly into computer.
If the USB cable is connected through a USB hub or extension, unplug the cable from the hub/extension and plug it directly to the computer.
A pop-up window should appear.
Mac users will have the Android File Transfer window appear.
Windows users may have a pop-up window appear. If not: On the computer, click the Windows Start button on the bottom left > click Computer > under Portable Devices, click on the device > click on the device's Internal Storage.
Step 6: Test if you can transfer files.
Try transferring a small file.
If file transfer works, success! No need to do the next steps.
If file transfer still isn't working (no pop-up windows to allow file transfer), proceed to Step 7.
Step 7: Change your USB computer connection settings.
Android 6+ Marshmallow only:
Plug in the device.
Slide down the notifications drawer from the top of the screen.
Touch the notification saying "USB for charging."
Touch the option for "File Transfers".
Test file transfer again (from Step 6). If the file transfer does not work, proceed to Step 8.
Older Android OS Versions:
Go to "Settings", under "Device," touch "Storage"​ > touch the "Menu" button (three vertical boxes at the top right) > touch "USB computer connection".
Only Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) should be checked. Uncheck MTP, check and then uncheck PTP, then re-check MTP.
Test file transfer again (from Step 6). If the file transfer does not work, proceed to Step 8.
Step 8: Windows Only: Install Google USB Driver.
Go to omitted and click the blue button on the right labeled "Download Google USB Driver."
After the download completes, right click the file ("latest_usb_driver_windows.zip") and select "Extract All."
Follow the USB Driver installation instructions available here: omitted
Test file transfer again. If file transfer still isn't working (no pop-up windows to allow file transfer), proceed to Step 9.
Step 9: Turn on "Developer options" and disable USB debugging.
Go to "Settings."
If using a phone, swipe down the screen with two fingers, then touch "Settings."
If using a tablet, swipe down the screen from the right side of the top of the screen, then touch "Settings."
Scroll down to "System" and touch "Developer options." If you don't see "Developer options," turn them on as follows:
Touch "About phone."
Scroll down to the "Build number."
Touch "Build number" 7 times to activate "Developer options."
Under "Debugging," verify that the box for "USB Debugging" is not checked. If it is checked, touch the checkmark to uncheck "USB Debugging."
Once USB Debugging has been deactivated, test file transfer again.
Step 10: Try different USB connections.
Try plugging the USB cable into a different USB port on the same computer.
Try connecting to the same computer but using a different/spare USB cable.
Try connecting your device to another computer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My apologies on readability, I tried to include HTML formatting. I couldn't figure it out, the options support code highlighting but not the code itself.
Additionally, I tried different USB cables, safe mode, and the factory reset that I could perform.
@BlazzedTroll
Summary:
You've uninstalled Magisk, so you don't have root access when booted. TWRP still remains, so you have root access there.
If I read you correctly, what you need to do is to get rid of TWRP. Right?
Download the corresponding factory image, extract recovery.img and flash that by issuing the Install Image option in TWRP.
Just make sure you've done everything you need to before doing this, since you can't get back to a custom recovery if your USB really is busted. Other things to do could include flashing the system.img the same way to revert any possible /system modifications, etc.
Didgeridoohan said:
@BlazzedTroll
Summary:
You've uninstalled Magisk, so you don't have root access when booted. TWRP still remains, so you have root access there.
If I read you correctly, what you need to do is to get rid of TWRP. Right?
Download the corresponding factory image, extract recovery.img and flash that by issuing the Install Image option in TWRP.
Just make sure you've done everything you need to before doing this, since you can't get back to a custom recovery if your USB really is busted. Other things to do could include flashing the system.img the same way to revert any possible /system modifications, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you say corresponding factory image, does that mean I need the exact one that came on the device? Or just the latest factory image for the right device?
*EDIT* Never mind that, I found the backup folder in the Unified Toolkit which contains a compressed zip just like the ones on the site. I'll use that and transfer to my device over WiFi and use TWRP to flash it and come back with the results.
Thank you for your assistance
@Didgeridoohan
I have a backup locally saved that resembles those packages. I was unable to locate a recovery.img in either my saved file or the one on the site. My version that was backed up was 1.171019.011, which is 8.1. I know my phone came originally with 8.0 so I tried looking at one of the those for a recovery.img and still could not locate one.
In the zip there are several files
bootloader-taimen-tmz12a.img
flash-all.bat
flash-all.sh
flash-base.sh
another zip
radio-taimen-g8998-00164-17... .img
inside the second zip, many more .img files looked promising
abl.img
aes.img
android-info.txt
boot.img
cmnlib.img
cmnlib64.img
devcfg.img
dtbo.img
hyp.img
keymaster.img
laf.img
modem.img
pmic.img
rpm.img
system.img
system_other.img
tz.img
vbmeta.img
vendor.img
xbl.img
Same files in all 3 zips I checked.
TWRP only expects recovery.img for "BACKUP EXISTING RECOVERY"
TWRP also has "TWRP FLASH", which I did as one of my troubleshooting steps before and got the Google Pixel 2 XL (taimen) flash. These still keep the TWRP and root, which I believe is to be expected for that flash option.
DELETED
BlazzedTroll said:
I assume you mean for the PC. Yes, I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling both using Microsofts found drivers and directly sent packages from the support team. Updates and 2 different PCs. DevKit installed on the one I originally used to root and a new PC with fresh driver installs.
They wouldn't suggest drivers for the phone, if you know of a way to install new drivers for the phone, please let me know, I'd definitely give that a shot.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right, I mean for PC...
You can usually get twrp backups from same device with same rom and flash it on yours via twrp ( ask on your device forum)... You will need system.img, recovery.img, and boot.img... I'm not so sure if you can relock the device without working usb/fastboot...
Sent from my MI 5 using Tapatalk
@BlazzedTroll
My apologies... I'm still not used to these damned A/B devices. :laugh:
If I remember correctly, recovery is included in the boot image, so what you need to do is flash the stock boot.img file to slot A. Don't know if this is possible in TWRP.
teddy0209 said:
You're right, I mean for PC...
You can usually get twrp backups from same device with same rom and flash it on yours via twrp ( ask on your device forum)... You will need system.img, recovery.img, and boot.img... I'm not so sure if you can relock the device without working usb/fastboot...
Sent from my MI 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll give this a shot, I have system.img and boot.img, as I said in reply to Didgeridoohan, I do not have a recovery.img in the files.
Sad news about relocking, but that should be OK.
Thanks for lending some help
Didgeridoohan said:
@BlazzedTroll
My apologies... I'm still not used to these damned A/B devices. :laugh:
If I remember correctly, recovery is included in the boot image, so what you need to do is flash the stock boot.img file to slot A. Don't know if this is possible in TWRP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's alright. I don't know much of anything about them. It's easy enough to follow tutorials and if I had my USB connection I could do as you say pretty quickly. The problem is I don't understand what TWRP even is. There doesn't seem to be an option to flash you own custom img. "TWRP FLASH" only lets you select from the latest versions and downloads the one you select and starts the flash. "BACKUP EXISTING RECOVERY" expects a recovery.img and doesn't let me select anything other than that. I could try renaming system.img to recovery.img, but until I find out what the difference between the images is, I'm not to keen on trying that one. Sounds like a good way to get hosed before I return it. At this time, I would think without having USB access the folks at Google would be happy to have root on the phone. Rather return it working, but rooted, than bricked.
So I was trying to follow some other suggestions and it seems like maybe the device is actually not rooted anymore.
There is no SU file located in system/bin or system/xbin.
When I download something like "Root Checker" it gets stuck verifying the root.
I tried to use apps like rashr and flashify to flash a stock recovery and neither app will load properly suggesting no root access.
This means when I ran the uninstalls, everything did uninstall and unroot but the TWRP install must not be very clean (I don't think it's being maintained anymore for most devices). So I need to try and find where this app is located and remove it manually before I run the recovery again. If I solve this I'll post back.
BlazzedTroll said:
So I was trying to follow some other suggestions and it seems like maybe the device is actually not rooted anymore.
There is no SU file located in system/bin or system/xbin.
When I download something like "Root Checker" it gets stuck verifying the root.
I tried to use apps like rashr and flashify to flash a stock recovery and neither app will load properly suggesting no root access.
This means when I ran the uninstalls, everything did uninstall and unroot but the TWRP install must not be very clean (I don't think it's being maintained anymore for most devices). So I need to try and find where this app is located and remove it manually before I run the recovery again. If I solve this I'll post back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't have root access, since you uninstalled Magisk. TWRP has it's own root, so while booted to recovery you can still do root stuff...
The only way to restore the stock recovery is to flash the boot image to your device.
And TWRP is pretty much the only maintained custom recovery for most devices...
Just a small note: this demonstrates the issues with using toolkits... It's just to click away and you never really learn how things actually works. Can bite you in the bee-hind when things go south.
Didgeridoohan said:
You don't have root access, since you uninstalled Magisk. TWRP has it's own root, so while booted to recovery you can still do root stuff...
The only way to restore the stock recovery is to flash the boot image to your device.
And TWRP is pretty much the only maintained custom recovery for most devices...
Just a small note: this demonstrates the issues with using toolkits... It's just to click away and you never really learn how things actually works. Can bite you in the bee-hind when things go south.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At this point I've just ordered the RMA replacement and I'll send it in. Hopefully those at Google are able to verify that the hardware malfunction is entirely unrelated to the root and they still honor the warranty. If the USB hadn't failed, I would easily flash back to stock as you have suggested. It's a fairly trivial action.
I agree somewhat with the idea that toolkits can be problematic in this way. There was quite a bit involved in running through the toolkit, it wasn't that One-Click root/jailbreak type stuff. I issued all of the commands over ADB and was fairly knowledgeable about what actions I was performing. This issue lies in this toolkits maintenance. The latest update to TWRP removed a ton of features and I'm unable to find the other version. Magisk was fully uninstalled as expected. TWRP did not make it clear that the flashed recovery would in fact contain was is essentially an ad for their toolkit. The placeholder app, as they call it, is literally just an ad that pops up when your recover that says "Don't forget to install us!". You can't even remove that file from the recovery partition, you must reflash to remove it. So the problem isn't just that you don't learn how it works, it's that you aren't forced to go through the changes with a fine-toothed comb as you would creating your own recovery. Had I created my own recovery I would have left it stock so that in the event of a failure such as this you are returned to factory stock without any changes except the unlocked bootloader. I guess in the future I'll have to do this myself. I did take the easy way out and just run the defaults from the toolkit in most cases.
Thanks to you and the others who threw in some helpful suggestions.
For anyone stumbling across this in the future, the problem is a 'semi-rooted' recovery can't be flashed without USB transfer capabilities. The solution is to RMA the faulty hardware hopefully. They should be reflashing all phones they get after repair/refurbish anyway.
Best Regards
For future reference...
BlazzedTroll said:
Greetings,
I recently got a Pixel 2 XL and the first thing I did was try to root with SuperSU and TWRP. I had some issues with it and someone suggested Magisk. It worked great and I was able to update from the 8.0 to 8.1 with root. I kept up with the latest Magisk installs until the past week or so.
My phones USB port appears to have failed partially. Luckily I can still charge, but there is no way to see the device storage from a PC. Support has defaulted, after much troubleshooting, to an RMA solution with a refurbished phone. Thankfully, this seems to be covered by warranty and isn't going to pose a cost issue. However, through the troubleshooting I was forced to do a factory reset. I looked up some information regarding factory reset with rooted devices. I cannot find the exact tutorial I followed or thread I gained the how-to information, I'm not sure which it was. I simply searched how to factory reset magisk 8.1 device. It was quick and most of the stuff I find now has the same information.
Open Magisk, uninstall. Open TWRP, uninstall. Device Settings, Factory Reset. Easy
This seemed to have worked. I didn't run into any locked hardware issues thankful because I don't have USB to really flash something to it.
Before I continued, prior to attempting the reset I fully backed up the device to my computer using ES File Explorers FTP transfer over the wifi. This was great, lots of photos were able to be saved with no hassle. I copied the entire root directory and have it backed up.
The problem with the reset is that while Magisk remained uninstalled, TWRP has a basic file installed that upgrades to the full app. I still have root, which would have been nice, except I still need to unroot and go back to factory settings before I can send this device in.
Before I make a mistake moving forward, I want to find the best way to unroot, (preferrably relock the boot also), and return to factory stock as it was the day I got it so I can return in it in the best state I can.
I am running rooted android 8.1.0 Pixel 2 XL with kernel 4.4.88 if the helps. When I reset to factory defaults TWRP remains installed and root persists. I cannot connect via USB and run android dev tools to flash anything directly. How can I restore this device? I should have all original kernels backed up. During the root process I remember them saying to copy the old ROMs first and I performed every step exactly. I do have access to move files to and from the device via WiFi. Is it this even possible?
PS, does anyone think the firmware and rooted install could be the problem with the USB? It seems entirely like failed hardware to me but the troubleshooting was extremely thorough and seems to indicate softare/firmware are likely to be the issue instead of the hardware issue that was determined. Could this still rooted device have corrupted the USB transfer? It seems I should do my best to rule this out as well, more so than just giving them a factory reset device. I'd rather keep my phone if it can be fixed easily, than obtain a possibly low quality heavily used refurbished model.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try downloading a stock Fastboot Image for your device then unzip it, collect boot.img, then flash just the stock boot.img from TWRP. Should solve the issue upon the following reboot with no more TWRP or root. If youre on magisk or systemless SuperSU. Not locking the bootloader though lol that's hopeless without usb function unless it's possible to lock bootloader using the terminal command with an WiFi ADB app from another device then follow with "adb reboot bootloader", "fastboot boot TWRP.img", then flash stock boot.img from there. I'm just spitballing the second one lol, but if it'll make it to the TWRP part successfully it should work in theory unless the WiFi ADB connection can't make it past reboot which I've never tried. Should probably get an unlock box like NCK Box Pro or whatever supports your device and you'll always know if the port is ****ed or not and flash back to full locked stock with the box if it isn't. It's what I do now. Handy little ****ers lol.

So I tried to unlock via EDL...

...and I thought it had worked but as it turns out, it did not. I found out it did not when I tried to root to which the phone proceeded to tell me it was lock.
Now, when I go into Recovery Mode, the phone does not come up in ADB even when trying to unlock after using the ASUS unlocker tool... Is the ADB bridge fried forever? How do I reinstate it to be able to root? I don't mind wiping, I just want to recover the possibility to root. Any way to do that? God I feel dumb right now...
Edit: I've gotten ADB to recognize the phone in Recovery Mode by installing the exact Manufacturer and Model ADB drivers but the second I get into Fastboot mode, it's like the side USB-C suddenly becomes non-existent, same goes for the bottom one. Feels like a kill.switch from ASUS to me :/
Edit 2: Is there a way to flash while in Recovery? Or in normal OS operations? (sounds like a bad idea but I'm out of ideas as of now)
So neither of the two USB ports in the phone seem to work for you in bootloader mode?
dennis96411 said:
So neither of the two USB ports in the phone seem to work for you in bootloader mode?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, the bootloader is also unlocked after using ASUS's tool .apk, I am on 1910.44 WW, I tried different ADB's while in Windows, tried to copy DeviceID, it all works when in normal boot OR in recovery mode but the second I am in fastboot mode, both USB's stop working. As if ASUS locked the access when I mistakenly tried to gain root while the bootloader was locked. Maybe if I could lock it back but that would require me being in fastboot afaik.
Can I lock it back while in recovery? If so, what would be the prompt?
I would be very careful about locking the bootloader at this point. I heard it can cause a brick if the planets aren't aligned correctly.
Jokes aside, does device manager refresh itself when you plug or unplug the phone in fastboot mode? That would indicate it saw something from the phone.
dennis96411 said:
I would be very careful about locking the bootloader at this point. I heard it can cause a brick if the planets aren't aligned correctly.
Jokes aside, does device manager refresh itself when you plug or unplug the phone in fastboot mode? That would indicate it saw something from the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sadly no, tried 3 different computers, a plethora of cables, different USB ports. It's like the Fastboot killed the function altogether so as of now, I have yet to find a way to get the phone recognized while in fastboot.
WhyKlwd said:
Sadly no, tried 3 different computers, a plethora of cables, different USB ports. It's like the Fastboot killed the function altogether so as of now, I have yet to find a way to get the phone recognized while in fastboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there an option to apply a full OTA from the stock recovery?
dennis96411 said:
Is there an option to apply a full OTA from the stock recovery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before anything, thanks for helping, it's greatly appreciated!
So, no sadly, when I get in Recovery Mode my options are:
Reboot system now
Reboot to bootloader
Wipe data/factory reset
Power off
As anyone would, I tried kicking into bootloader from recovery hoping that it would trigger something different to give me fastboot but to no avail, I wiped a couple of times as well, that didn't pan out.
Edit: I feel like my best chance at this point is when ASUS releases a new WW firmware update, that it HOPEFULLY brings Fastboot Mode to it's original value... But according to a thread somewhere on XDA, it does not install a full partitioned recovery so I'm not having my hopes up...
The other thing would be to butcher a USB-C cable and see if I get a response when connected on the orange USB-C but that's also a risk to take. So that doesn't work, that USB-C gets no response whatsoever.
What firmware version are you on? You could try grabbing the stock firmware zip of the firmware you're on now from https://www.asus.com/Phone/ROG-Phone-II/HelpDesk_Download/, and increase the firmware version in the zip name - for example, if you're on the latest .44 build now, change the .44 in the zip name to .45. Then simply push it to the root of your internal storage, and reboot. After boot you should get a message that a system update file has been found, and that you can install it.
I don't know if this will fix your problem, but it should reflash the stock partitions. And yes, it's true that it far from flashes all partitions, but it's worth a try at least.
HomerSp said:
What firmware version are you on? You could try grabbing the stock firmware zip of the firmware you're on now from https://www.asus.com/Phone/ROG-Phone-II/HelpDesk_Download/, and increase the firmware version in the zip name - for example, if you're on the latest .44 build now, change the .44 in the zip name to .45. Then simply push it to the root of your internal storage, and reboot. After boot you should get a message that a system update file has been found, and that you can install it.
I don't know if this will fix your problem, but it should reflash the stock partitions. And yes, it's true that it far from flashes all partitions, but it's worth a try at least.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did put the stock firmware but I hadn't thought of changing the name to "force" the phone to try and update! Sadly, when it reached 100%, it said install failed and while trying fastboot mode, it still didn't restore ADB but that was brilliant and definitely worth the try. Thanks for your suggestion, here's hoping the next legit firmware will do it!
EDIT: AND YET IT DID WORK!!! That must have fixed it after all... I unplugged, replugged while in bootloader and finally, that USB chime! T-T
Thanks both of you for your suggestions, 3 brains work better than one!
WhyKlwd said:
I did put the stock firmware but I hadn't thought of changing the name to "force" the phone to try and update! Sadly, when it reached 100%, it said install failed and while trying fastboot mode, it still didn't restore ADB but that was brilliant and definitely worth the try. Thanks for your suggestion, here's hoping the next legit firmware will do it!
EDIT: AND YET IT DID WORK!!! That must have fixed it after all... I unplugged, replugged while in bootloader and finally, that USB chime! T-T
Thanks both of you for your suggestions, 3 brains work better than one!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice, glad to see it worked! I tried it myself and it also said update failed, but it had flashed, so I think the error message may just be because the firmware version doesn't change.
I'm assuming fastboot works now then? Do keep in mind that you'll need the abl, xbl and xbl_config images from the edl unlock thread to be able to actually unlock the bootloader without using the Asus tool.
HomerSp said:
Nice, glad to see it worked! I tried it myself and it also said update failed, but it had flashed, so I think the error message may just be because the firmware version doesn't change.
I'm assuming fastboot works now then? Do keep in mind that you'll need the abl, xbl and xbl_config images from the edl unlock thread to be able to actually unlock the bootloader without using the Asus tool.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it works, or at least it did long enough for me to be able to root. I haven't tried it since but I would assume that it fixed it, tomorrow I'll most likely do a RAW flash to fix all potential risks as well as try the latest CN firmware. EDL never worked, that's what got me in that situation in the first place... well that and me not paying full attention.

[SOLVED] Samsung Tab 3.7.0 SM-T210 recovery and OS broken

Hi everyone,
I have retrieved a Samsung Tab 3.7.0 SM-T210. The OS was the old KitKat 4.4.2, very slow and buggy. I tried to flash a new recovery and OS and spent the 3 last days getting fails. I think I have read the all internet about this situation and would like to make a last try with your help.
When I got the tablet, I was surprised that in download mode it was indicated custom and custom binary and not official as it has not, I think, been flashed in the past by the people owning it. With HW rev 0x5 at the end.
The first thing I wanted to do was to unlock the bootloader, however, I could not find any option in developer mode talking about OEM bootloader, neither Auto Update. After reading some people on forumes saying that this device might not have a locked bootloader, I finally thought that this tablet did not have its bootloader locked. Then I decided to go further with the flash of a TWRP recovery.
At the beginning the stock recovery was working. I am under archlinux, I have fastboot and heimdall. To do it as right as possible I installed a VM with Windows 10 and tried to flash a custom TWRP corresponding to the tablet with Odin. But the process got stuck at the SetupConnection step. I installed Windows 7 too, tried 5 different Windows OS, tried 4 different USB cables, reinstalled the USB drivers, tried 5 different Odin versions, tried different archives, just recoveries and all stock system. Still getting stuck at the SetupConnection.
I finally decided to try heimdall thinking that the VM could be the problem. With heimdall I run flash commands such as heimdall flash --RECOVERY twrp-3.2.3-0-lt02ltespr.img --no-reboot and got it doing something, the shell was saying it's 100% done and the tablet, in download mode, was showing a complete blue bar. Then, the recovery was just broken. Could not access it anymore, the Samsung Tab3 logo showing up and staying when trying to access it. I tried to flash some others archives, I opened it off and remove the battery for 5 minutes, still the same thing.
The operating system was still accessible and buggy, applications saying connection issues, etc. I did a factory reset from the running KitKat android OS and now have the Samsung Tab3 logo showing up and staying when trying to access it.
Now, I can only access the download mode and that's all. I have the impression that I am not the first one having these kind of trouble with this tablet. Is it a hardware issue on all these tablets ? Should I try something more advanced with heimdall, dd ?
Does someone have a solution in this situation ?
Thanks for your time and help.
I finally used heimdall and was able to flash all the partitions with the stock images. Now I am back in stock version. I would like to flash a TWRP recovery.
Can someone tell me if I have to unlock the bootloader with this device ? If it is, how can unlock it ? I can not find anything in the settings developer section, and can not use a call number input in order to enter a system code as it's a tablet. Do I have to wipe something from the stock recovery in order to see it ?
Thanks for your time.
Hi -yo-.
You don't need to do OEM unlock as this device is so old.
Also twrp-3.2.3-0-lt02ltespr.img is NOT for this device.
For recovery look from here and for ROM here.
Thanks jonezy82 for the answer. Indeed, I figured all of that out.
I decided to get it back stock and not trying to flash anything custom.
Thanks for your time.

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