[Q] ClockworkMod not working - G Tablet Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

So, firstly, big thanks to the devs here. Gt ADB up and running and started the seemingly easy process f flashing ClockworkMod.
However, I'm not getting to ClockworkMod after resetting. If I try booting into recovery, it stays on the birdie splash screen with "Recvery key detected" and "Booting recovery kernel image" in the upper left.
Not finding any options for alternate recoveries or a fix for this.
I bought it used and the original owner had done some stuff to it so perhaps I was not meant to flash Clockwork from here.
Tap UI version is TnT Lite v5.0.0
Kernel version is 2.6.32.9-00001-g0e0c333-dirty

The standard ClockworkMod does not work properly with TnTLite 5.0. You need the one that was specifically compiled for that ROM.
Go here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=998663
and scroll down to the bottom of the first post for a link to the compatible version.

I thought that might be the case although I was told I could flash CLockworkmod once 5.0 was on there.
I'm normally a bit better at figuring all this out but starting in the middle of someone else's work has me at an awkward spot.
I've been searching with little luck. Any chance of pointing me in the right direction?
What about a complete factory reset? Would it be advised at this point?

I editted my previous post with a link to TwoTapsX (Experimental) which is identical to TnTLite 5.0. That should get you going but I'm not sure how much damage might be done at this point. I would try just installing the compatible version of CWM and see if that works. If not, we can look at other recovery options.
Just in case... Are you familiar with nvflash? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=861950

Just started reading about nvFlash and paused to ask the questions before hacking away blindly at my new toy.
I really appreciate you pointing me in the right direction.
I enjoyed the ROM he put on here but, like the poster under me, my data suddenly got deleted and I like to try various ROMs anyway so I set to work.

I rarely leave my tablet running the same ROM for more than 12 hours ;-)
Be aware that switching away from this particular one can be a bit tricky. I find that doing a cache and data wipe before starting helps to boost the success rate. I also try to down grade to stock 1.1-3588 before loading anything else. If that fails it usually results in nvflashing back to factory stock.

Ack! Okay, in what is sure to be yet another Windows 7 issue, I'm having trouble running the .bat file for nvflash.

Are you sure it is the Bat file. Windoz7 64 need a different driver for NVFLASH.

The drivers I used appeared to work. I will try again.
Damn, I'm sorry. I swear I'm usually better at figuring all this crap out for myself. Once I'm back to stock, I can work from the beginning. This is like being dropped into the middle of a David Lynch flick with zero context.

When I run the batch command, it says that nvflash.exe is not recognized as an internal or external command. Weird.

Did you extract both archives to the same directory?

I sure did. I did take it to mean the gtab folder should remain intact within the nvflash folder instead of mixing the contents altogether in one folder. Right?
Everything else seems to be in order.
Putting any recovery zip on the sdcard produces the same results. Thankfully, everything seems to be working aside from the recovery. Maddening!

I think they need to be intermixed. Would have to check the original thread or look at the .bat and .cfg files to be sure... but if I recall properly they do.

All the files from both zips should be in the same folder, otherwise the batch file can't find nvflash and you get that error.
Good luck!

Wow. If that's what it was they need to put a dunce cap on my avi. Thanks for all the help. I shoulda had the guy put it to stock so I could start from scratch.
I'll try that when I get home.
Thanks again!
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA Premium App

Sleef,
You are in a world of hurt -- and I say that not making any negative comment
toward the advice you already have been given.
TnT Lite 5.0.0 (which is now TwoTapsx) is a second generation ROM Roebeet did
based on the UAT 3991 update posted by VS in a kind of test mode.
The second generation ROM is not compatible in many respects with the original ROMS
up to 3588 -- some of the internals that normally are changed in an update have been modified.
So, as you have been properly warned by others, you cannot run stock CWM. You
also have to be careful downgrading to stock before moving to stock or another ROM.
To get out of 5.0.0 you need to:
1. Read Roebeet's TwoTapsX thread so you know what you are working with:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=998663
2. You need to NVFlash back down to stock. Normally we'd tell you to follow
the thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=861950
Since you already have been working with this, I'd step-by-step make
sure of your setup and that it is right.
My best suggestion would be for you to set up and follow the NVFlash thread above
exactly and see if you can get a good flash. If you do, it will take you down to what
we call bekit 1105, which is stock version 2638. If you get there and boot successfully,
then when you turn on wifi it will soon update you to OTA 3588. Then
you can carefully pretty much do what you want.
If you don't get a successful flash (because the tab has had so many different,
difficult to handle things on it), then all of us will have to help you find a successful
path.
Good luck,
Rev
P. S. -- What the other guys have been telling you is good -- I've just tried to
put it in perspective so you'd understand where you're at and be organized in
your approach.

Quick clarification... I think Rev meant to say "Is NOW TwoTapsX" rather than not which is why that thread is referenced later. The name change was necessary to differentiate the two development paths.
Thanks for popping in Rev. I've been meaning to pop in but I've been... practicing my recovery methods... don't ask...

Yep.
Fumblefingers strikes again. Thanks.
Rev

Related

HELP!!!!

Anybody could post an update.zip stock rom, please?
I got my gtab stuck on apx (like tccrews had it) and I need an stock rom update.zip to apply a fix that I found posted here.
Thanks in advance.
Here you go, there's a link to 3588 in this post:
EDIT: Correct me if I'm wrong but if it's stuck in APX mode wouldn't you have to use NVFLASH to get it back to stock? If so then just follow the directions in the post listed below to NVFLASH your G-Tablet back to stock.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=861950.
More specifically here is the exact link to the download:
http://tapntap.http.internapcdn.net/tapntap/viewsonic/update-smb_a1002-3588-user.zip.
Just make sure and rename it.
Just because you could have found what you were looking for faster with less threads. Did you try and search for "3389" or "3588" on xda. I do usually every other day to provide the link you were looking for so I know it exists.
Naysses,
I will try to help you, but you are going to have to do a couple of things:
1. Do not post for help in any other threads any more. I think everyone knows you
were upset and desparate -- but it still is bad netiquette and only upsets people and
makes them angry.
2. I have several things for you to do that we have used in the past. It may take us
a day or two of back and forth. But you've got to do them exactly as requested. From
what I have read your PC and tablet must be a mess of software, so I'm going to
start from scratch.
Here's what you need to do:
1. First we've go to make sure you are set up right and have the right software available
and are doing that right. Following is the thread on NVFlashing back to bekit 1105, which
is stock Version 2638. I want you to erase all the NVFlash setup on your PC and then go
in and do this procedure from end to end exactly as it requests. It's
been done a zillion times and will work if your tab is not to messed up to flash right -- and
that's a possibility we will deal with when we get there:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=861950
Double check everything as you go and note any exceptions that might happen.
If this does not give us a workable setup, then we will look at NVFlashing CWM to
repartition and clean up your internal drive -- but don't even worry about that until
we see if a repeated, good flash will work.
Good Luck,
Rev
P. S. -- I know I'm being demanding and hard on you, but lots of people I help don't
do what is requested and waste my time and theirs. If your problem is like I think it
is we need to get it right! I'll check this thread early tomorrow to see how you
are doing.
Ur a good man Rev
I got stuck in APX mode before when using the (newer?) 152KB nvflash.exe when trying to reflash the stock image. With the 140KB nvflash.exe I re-ran the nvflash_gtablet.bat and it worked successfully. You do need the 152kb version to pull and back up the BCT, but I use the 140kb one when using the batch file to restore stock (with stock recovery)and haven't had issues getting stuck in APX since that switch.
ramerco,
Thanks for the warning and update.
However, if he will just stick with what I give him I know that works.
A bunch of people have been messed up trying to install the SDK and
ADB and all on top of the original Procedure roebeet wrote. Drivers
get messed up. Makes it tough in times like this.
Rev

[Q] YABGTAB(Yet another "bricked" Gtab) thread.

Hey, fellas. As you may or may not be aware, I am in dire straits. Recently I had been browsing the XDA forums for the first time in a long time, and lo and behold there was a magnificence I had thought to never see in our own development forum... a Honeycomb alpha! In my haste I tried to follow every instruction to the tee and discovered that I need the stock bootloader/ROM to do this.
Well, coming from cyanogenmod7 and a first time nvFlasher, I followed the instructions from one thread to flash back to stock 3588(I think it was)? So after fiddling with the drivers for about 5-10 minutes, I start flashing and everything is going great, no errors whatsoever. Then the tablet starts to boot up and what happens? A bootloop at the TapNTap screen. So, I tried to boot into recovery thinking it might be fixable with a factory/data reset...and recovery no longer works, it just reboots back int pthe TnT bootloop. And then I came to the this forum, particularly the Q&A, to ask one question...
Is my G-Tablet well and truly forked?
Sincerely, this guy.
[edit]P.S I am also currently trying a bunch of stuff atm to see if I can fix it myself, but just reply if anything I do is futile and I should consider recycling my new hunk of silicone and plastic.
Load cwm .8 via update.zip and repartition your tab. Then try nvflash again.
"Select the advanced option at the bottom of the ClockworkMod menu, then go to “partition SD card”, for the first option select 2048, and for the second option select 0. This erases data on your tablet. Be prepared. "
Or try loading it by nvflash with instructions from this thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1058649
Here is a thread on how to easily flash to the 1.2 bootloader.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1039000&highlight=guide
Holy heck, thanks man. Do you have a paypal or something so I can send you like 5 dollars?
Nope, just mash the thanks button ;-)
Good luck!
No offense to the OP, but from my observations it seems that NVFlash is more of a breaker than anything. Everybody says to know NVFlash in case you end up with problems...that's fine, people can apparantley use ot to help fix errors that may have happened...
The fact is, most of the "I've bricked my G-Tablet" posts usually contain the line "So I NVflashed..."
I know that the developers use NVFlash for it's ease of use to go between roms, and see what it is that they need to see (I've never used it, so I don't know)
The fact is, the instructions that Mantara posted do not require NVFlash at all. In fact, after flashing 3588, they don't even require CWM.
If I ever softbrick, THEN I'll mess with NVFlash...but until then, it seems that NVFlash might actually cause me to have my first softbrick.
Nvflash is a handy tool to have and yes it can cause errors. Most of the time those errors occur because the partition table on the tablet don't match the partition table for the Rom being flashed. About half the gtabs have different partition tables from what is considered standard. That's why I have been pressing the issue of repartitioning when you first get your gtab and also when you move from 1.1 to 1.2. It helps make sure your tab and the software are on the same page.

[Q] Cannot boot into Recovery

Hey all. I just got a new G Tablet and am trying to install CM7 I was following the instructions to the letter from (Since I an't post links, just google this) Cyanogenmod G Tablet Wiki Full
I got through the 'Installing ClockworkMod Recovery' part and everything appeared to finish successfully.
After rebooting the device, I tried to boot into Recovery to install CM7 and the device just freezes on the ViewSonic splash screen. The screen says 'Recovery key detected Booting recovery kernel image', but it just sits there.
I am able to boot the device into the stock OS, but I can no longer get into recovery.
What can I do?
Tap UI Version: 1,2-4349
Kernel Version: 2,6,32,9-00001-g0e0c333-dirty
Build number: FRF91
Thank you in advanced for your help. Please let me know if there is any other information you need about my device.
Andrew
The key to your post is
Tap UI Version: 1,2-4349
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're on the 1.2 bootloader, and CWM .8 will not work on it. There is a versio nthat WILL work, but I, unfortunately don't know the exact link to provide for you. I'll attempt to look it up and get back to you, though.
basically, your G-Tablet, was at some point, updated with the most recent OTA update provided by viewsonic. The update was pulled 24 hours after it was released. You're not lost with 1.2...you have many options. You can either stay on 1.2 and flash any of the many 1.2 roms...some are listed in the development section, others can be found on "another" forum.
If you need CM7, then I suggest that you follow the "foolproof flash to stock 4349" thread, (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1039000) but STOP once you've successfully flashed STOCK 3588.
3588 is on the 1.1 bootloader required for CM7.
EDIT:
I also find it interesting, it appears that pershoot's kernel has been installed already? Was this a brand new out of the box G-Tablet, or a used one? I am actually hoping that it's used. If it's NEW, then VS needs to explain how it came with a redacted update AND a custom kernel...
THANK ROEBEET FOR THIS:
Since I can't link to another forum, I decided to copy and paste. If people are going ot come ot XDA with issues involving the now taboo 1.2 bootloader, then they'll need to admit that the only way to help them is to link to a forum that everyone is migrating to.
Download
clockworkmod v3.0.2.8 (1.2 branch / NIA rev5) Link: http://www.mediafire...2flqn8b10ebcq44
md5sum: ac4d728d74a6b608cce588d2649e79f3
(updated on 5/15/2011)
clockworkmod v3.0.2.8 (1.2 branch rev2) Link: http://www.mediafire...x61q8jlu2dx8i9u
md5sum: 48c0c40175ab38cebc1199f9d3be8a7d
(updated on 5/05/2011)
THIS REV2 VERSION HAS BEEN TESTED MORE, but nandroid restores are not working properly. Rev5 corrects that, but I need more testers to confirm stability, please!
Many thanks to bekit and rothnic, for their work with clockworkmod!! Their documentation is what assisted me to get this functioning.
NOTE ON CWM: Do not use the Android GUI tool to wipe user data, or else cwm will get stuck in a reboot loop! If this occurs, there are two ways to fix this:
1- ADB required
In clockworkmod, go to mounts and storage and mount /system. Then, run this on your local PC:
adb shell
cd /system/bin
./fixrecovery.sh
Then reboot. What should occur is that standard recovery should pop up and complete the data wipe. On the next reboot, you should be able to get back into the GUI.
2- nvflash required
Using the 4349 nvflash image, run this:
nvflash --bl bootloader.bin --download 9 part9.img
Then reboot. What should occur is that standard recovery should pop up and complete the data wipe. On the next reboot, you should be able to get back into the GUI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TJEvans (is it ok if I call you TJ for short?) thank you very much for your help, I appreciate it very much. I'm sorry if confuse some terms here as I try to address your posts inline below, but I would definitely still consider myself a novice at this process of installing custom roms.
TJEvans said:
EDIT:
I also find it interesting, it appears that pershoot's kernel has been installed already? Was this a brand new out of the box G-Tablet, or a used one? I am actually hoping that it's used. If it's NEW, then VS needs to explain how it came with a redacted update AND a custom kernel...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a brand new G Tablet. I litteraly got in the mail today from Tiger Direct. I'm wondering if the Clockworkmod I tried to install is responsible for the custom kernel.
TJEvans said:
If you need CM7, then I suggest that you follow the "foolproof flash to stock 4349" thread, (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1039000) but STOP once you've successfully flashed STOCK 3588.
3588 is on the 1.1 bootloader required for CM7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't necessarly need CM7, but that is what I have on my Nook Color, and I really like it.
The main question I have is that right now, I cannot get into clockwork or stock Recovery at all. I do have adb working, so I would think my next steps will require me to use adb.
At the moment since I can't get to recovery I seem to be stuck. Is there a process somewhere I can get recovery working again using adb?
OK...let's try something. It looks like you may actually be in stock recovery, but there's nothing for it to recover.
do you know of a way to get a file and a folder onto your internal SD?
if so, let's edit the instructions to be able to flash to 3588 stock...
What you need:
1. A stock 3588 image renamed to 'update.zip' (http://tapntap.http.internapcdn.net/...-3588-user.zip)
2. A folder called recovery with a file in it called COMMAND inside it with the following line of text:
Code:
--update_package=SDCARD:/update.zip
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if yo ucan get those on the SD, then when you reboot, the stock recovery will run and install stock 3588 1.1 based rom and recovery, then you can install your CWM .8.
I have never used NVFlash or ADB, or APX...I have no experience with them. I'm just here helping people that have compatibility issues between 1.1 and 1.2 bootloaders.
After all, the key to fixing problems, is to first find out what the problem is...
I wish I could help more, but I've seen more and more people softbrick their g-tabs by using NVFlash than anything else. I'm not ready to go messing around with my own root files, yet.
If you can get that file, and that folder onto your SD, then stock recovery will automatically recognize it and run it...
I may have just really screwed things up. I ran 'adb reboot recovery' and I gets to the Splash screen with 'Booting recovery kernel image' and gets stuck. Now, I can't get into the device at all.
Also, none of the links in your posts seem to work for me.
try them from the original post, then:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1039000
sorry, like I said, I'm not a techy...just a guy that doesn't like to see people suffer...
TJEvans said:
THANK ROEBEET FOR THIS:
Since I can't link to another forum, I decided to copy and paste. If people are going ot come ot XDA with issues involving the now taboo 1.2 bootloader, then they'll need to admit that the only way to help them is to link to a forum that everyone is migrating to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's far from being taboo since it's the honeycomb bootloader... their recovery was blue for a reason...
maybe they pulled those OTA update because they had not licensed honeycomb anyhow, 1.2 is perfectly good to install as long as you use a 1.2 compatible kernel you can even use non 1.2 rom!
Ok, I was able to get the device working again using NVFlash. (http forum,xda-developers,com/showthread,php?t=861950 replace commas with periods).
Now, I have the following:
Tap UI:1,1-3588
Kernel is still: 2,6,32,9-00001-g0e0c333-dirty
I don't know anything about this kernel, or how I got it, other than maybe it came with my first errant clockwork install.
Can you give me some pointers on how I should proceed? (I would still like to get to CM7 at some point, but I don't know if I should get a different kernel or go back to the stock kernel as well)
GREAT NEWS....glad you god it running so far.
OK, that may be the stock kernel...the numbers looked familiar to me, and I've never seen the stock kernel on that report...so, I may be mistaken.
in any case, you are now back on stock 3588 1.1 bootloader...
Now, you should be able to install the CWM .8 that you tried before, and flash CM7 from there...basically, follow the guide you followed before. but this time, it should work fine, since you are on the right bootloader.
Just remember, research ANY new roms you want to try to make sure what bootloader they are on.
to P00r:
as long as you use a 1.2 compatible kernel you can even use non 1.2 rom!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
see, I didn't even know that...
The thing I'm seeing, is that Clemysn posted the BOS infromation here, and tried to emphasize that it's a 1.2 Rom...The 1.1 rom's though, do not indicate that they are 1.1 Roms. when 1.1 was all that existed, it made no difference, but now that there is another option, they should at least make sure to add "PLEASE BE SURE YOU ARE USING A 1.1 BASED BOOTLOADER BEFORE FLASHING THIS ROM!!!"
As you can see from Imarikinrat's post, he bought a supposedly factory G-Tablet with 4349 prepackaged on it...now, granted, you and I both know that it's more than likely a refurbished one, as I can't see Viewsonic intentionally releasing product with a bootloader and firmware that was pulled from their updater...
in any case. Roebeet kinda predicted that this would happen a bit. Since most moderators on XDA downplayed the impact of 1.2, it's gone fairly ignored. Think about Imaricanrat's post for a second. Had he not posted his system information there is no way that we would have known that it was a bootloader conflict. It would have been assumed that he was on 1.1 bootlaoder with a "brand new" g-tablet (seriously, man, I'd check that thing with a magnifying glass to make sure that there are no scratches or anything that would indicate that it was anythign other than BRAND NEW)
anyway...had he not posted that he was on 1.2, then who knows what advice he would have been given.
Well, now I'm back to my original problem. I cannot get into Recovery. When I start holding Power and Vol+, I see 'Recovery key detected Booting recovery kernel image' it then goes to the 'gtablet' splash screen then quickly into a screen with a box with an arrow and a progress bar (the progress bar has the candy cane animation and nothing happens for all of 3 seconds) then the device reboots.
I have tried putting the recovery folder and update.zip in the internal memory, and on an sd card to no avail. Any other suggestions?
that most certainly sounds like stock recovery to me...
I'm at a loss...it worked fine for me when I flashed to 4349 from stock 3588...just ran and installed, then I ended up on 4349 stock...
you're following the CM7 install guide? Or are you trying to install CWM at this point? I never installed CWM myself, as mine came with it on it.
I'm trying to install clockworkmod so that I can install CM7. Is that the right way to do it? I know there was a stock recovery gui that I cannot get into now.
as long as the recovery folder is on the SDcard, it will automatically attempt to run it...
picture it this way...remember back in the day of windows 3.1 In some cases, if you inserted a floppy disk with a boot file on it, it would check there first, then boot from internal memory...
So, the recovery folder is telling it to run the file in it, which unpacks and installs the update.zip.
once again, though, I never installed CWM myself, but from what you're saying, it should be working.
what happens if you remove the folder and file (after running it), and attempt to go into recovery again?
When I remove the file, folder, and SD card and try to get into recovery, I see 'Recovery key detected Booting recovery kernel image' it then goes to the 'gtablet' splash screen then quickly into a screen with a box with an arrow and a progress bar (the progress bar has the candy cane animation and nothing happens for all of 3 seconds) then the device reboots.
hmm...the box with the arrow and progress bar indicates that it's trying ot run something from recovery...weird..
ANYONE ELSE???
I'm not experienced enough to help...anyone else know enough about flashing CWM from stock, or flashing CM7, that can help out, please chime in.
thanks.
and sorry Imarican...I tried, but once again, no techie here.
No worries man, thanks for your help. Have a good night.
Update: Ok, I think somehow this whole process messed up the 'Recovery Partition' on my G Tablet for whatever reason. When I performed the NVFlash back to stock, it managed to 'fix' the majority of the device, allowing me to boot normally into Tap UI:1,1-3588. However that flash did not fix my Recovery Partition.
With all of that in mind, I found instructions on XDA to install 'clockworkmod via nvflash' (Since I still cannot post links, just google that and it should be the first link, also it's XDA thread 1058649).
After following those steps, I am now able to boot into Recovery which is now Clockwork Mod Recovery, and hopefully *crosses fingers* be able to flash CM7.
Given that I will probably never go back to stock anything on this device, does anyone know where I can download the 'Stock Recovery' for the G Tablet?
so is the point of this article Tiger direct sell used products as new?
so is the point of this article Tiger direct sell used products as new?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
unconfirmed...what we know is that he had 1.2 4349 out of the box, stock firmware. There are a few possibilities. This could be a Tiger Direct return that was repackaged and sold as new. It could also be a direct from VS return that was repackaged as new, OR, VS actually sent a stock of G-Tablets to Tiger Direct that were packaged with the 4349 firmware on it.
Either way, people need to be careful when flashing roms and such. XDA has not, so far, made it clear which roms, kernels, and CWM versions are good on which bootloader. Some have been asking that devs start exiting posts to indicate which bootloader is needed for each mod, to attempt to avoid confusion.
We must also realize that new G-Tablets are being bought every day, and not every owner is knowledgable of the issues of the recent past, with VS, NVidea, 1.1, 1.2, etc. Most people probably, reasonably, assume that they can open it, root it, and start flashing whatever they want, not even aware that there is a difference.

[Q] CWM/nvflash bootloader questions

I'm trying to do my very first mod to my gtab. I've posted some questions already but have more before I proceed. I'm running bootloader 1.2-4349. Do need to set up nvflash before I attempt flashing to a different ROM? Is there a CWM that is specific for my bootloader? I've searched for these answers on the forums but was unable to find them. I found many posts about these subject but no one answred them directly. Any help is much appreciated.
NVFlash is never needed to flash a rom. It's a tool typically used to recover from a "softbrick." It CAN be used to flash a rom, but there are much safer alternatives. In fact, NVFlash is considered to BE the alternative to the regular methods.
starting with 4349, 1.2 bootlaoder, you can use the stock recovery to flash just about any of the 1.2 roms.
Which Rom are you interested in? The only roms that do not have a 1.2 equal are the gingerbread type roms. For instance, if you wanted Vegan 5.1.1, then Brilliant Corners is the 1.2 alternative. That's what I'm running. It's got to be one of, if not THEE, most complete rom available right now.
most 1.2 rom information is located at Slatedroid, not here.
I suggest that you check out the new website created by a user here (GoodIntentions). It's a "G-Tablet for Dummies" website. It contains a ton of useful information for beginners like yourself.
There IS a CWM that is specific to the 1.2 bootloader, but becuase the recovery on stock 1.2 has more options than the stock recovery used on 1.1 bootloader, it's not absolutely necessary. It's a good tool to have, but not necessary.
Your basic flashign technique for a 1.2 rom is as follows...download the .rar file the coincides with the rom you want. Unzip it to the root of your G-Tablet's memory. Restart the G-Tablet while holding down the volume up key. The tablet will boot into the stock recovery, and use the files you unzipped to flash the new rom. The rar file will contain to objects, a file called update.zip, and a recovery folder with a "command" file in it. What will happen when booting into recovery is that the tablet will first check to see if there is a recovery folder present. Think of this as a PC checking the floppy drive for a boot image before booting from the hard disk. If it sees the recovery folder, it will, by default, run the command file within it. The command file will unpack and install (flash) the rom image from the update.zip file.
With most of his roms, Roebeet has included the 1.2 CWM image in the package. It will not install automatically. There are threads available (on slatedroid) that contain instructions on how to activate the 1.2 CWM. There are various methods, if one doesn't work the first time.
If you are dead set on flashing a 1.1 rom, you'll first need to downgrade back to firmware 3588, which is a 1.1 bootloader firmware. Gojimi has posted instructions on XDA on how that is done.
So, your first step, is research the roms on XDA, Slatedroid, and other Android Tablet forums to find which one would best suit your needs.
As a beginner, I highly suggest that you steer away from the honeycomb roms, as they are still in alpha status and mainly used for testing and troubleshooting. In other words, they won't work perfectly, so to save yourself headaches, wait until your more comfortable with a more polished rom. ALL HC ROMS ARE 1.2 BOOTLOADER ROMS
The gingerbread roms are pretty stable, and from what I hear, pretty fast, but they lack a few things, namely full hardware acceleration. At the same time, if your heart is set on streaming netflix movies, then these might be the best choice for you. THE MOST POPULAR GB ROMS ARE 1.1 BOOTLOADER ROMS
The Froyo roms, while the most prehistoric are the most stable, most complete, and less "buggy" of all the roms. There are many varieties, based on various tablet user interfaces. FROYO ROMS CAN BE EITHER 1.1 OR 1.2 BOOTLOADER ROMS...BUT, the 1.2 branch has more of them, and there are 1.2 equalivents to just about all of them, so sticking with 1.2 for a Froyo rom is the best option because you'll still have the advanced stock recovery if you decide to stick with it.
That being said...why not mess around with the stock 4349 firmware to get a feel for the tablet a bit more? Check some things out. Get Titanium Backup and practice a bit with backup up apps and restoring them (you'll use this a LOT, especially if you rom jump trying to find the best one for you). Find out what you want the tablet to do, based on the stock firmware limitations. Some people are still using stock and not finding it too horrible. Spend a week with it, see what else you want it to do, and ask again when you know what you want out of your G-Tablet. And above all, ENJOY...you just entered a whole new world of personal computing...don't rush into anything and end up regretting your purchase.
P.S...I highly recommend you check out "G-Tablet for Dummies"
DarkHorse281 said:
I'm trying to do my very first mod to my gtab. I've posted some questions already but have more before I proceed. I'm running bootloader 1.2-4349. Do need to set up nvflash before I attempt flashing to a different ROM? Is there a CWM that is specific for my bootloader? I've searched for these answers on the forums but was unable to find them. I found many posts about these subject but no one answred them directly. Any help is much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check out my website written for beginners. It will explain everything you need to know.
http://viewsonic-gtablet-for-dummies.webs.com/
Added by edit.
Make sure you read my page on flashing a rom.
http://viewsonic-gtablet-for-dummies.webs.com/rom.htm
Also, check out my page on CWM.
http://viewsonic-gtablet-for-dummies.webs.com/clockworkmod.htm
Much appreciated...awesome!
You guys are both awesome and a credit to the anroid community. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you help. I didn't go into much depth on this thread because I had already written one earlier in the day that shared my background and future intentions for my gtab. I didn't want to sound repetative plus I realize people don't care to read a novel in these forums. So I figured short and sweet I might get a better response, and I was right. Anyway, I hear what you're saying about messing around with the stock firmware TJ. The truth is I've had the tablet now for 3 weeks and I've played with it constantly. I have to say it's not as bad as I thought it would be but it lacks so many things that I've come to love about my Samsung Galaxy Indulge. Many people make fun of or pick on Metropcs and make fun of them as a company, but I have to say here in Florida they're great. I love my phone even though its not the top of the line galaxy phone. And their 4g service is fast in my neck of the woods. Having had such a great experience with that android device, I would really like to make something awesome out of my gtab. I want to use the 4g on my phone to connect to the internet and turn this tablet into a completely mobile multimedia device (Xvid, Avi, Mp3, Netflix, Hulu). I would also like to get the gps software put on it so that I can put my google maps app from my phone on it. Once I am be to get the phone rooted and the wifi or usb tethering up I can use it for navigation as well. I also miss the Android Market. I would love to get that back up and running on my tablet so that I can download some of the apps that I'm familiar with. I really like the dolphin browser on my Indulge and would love to have it on my tablet. I had it for a while on the gtab but had to do a factory reset because of something my kids did and now that I'm back to having nothing on my tablet I thought now would be a good time to try a different ROM. Besides it seemed a little glitchy anyway. Sorry about the novel guys, but now that you know a bit about me and what I want to use my tab for, which ROM do you think will suit my needs? Do you still think that Brilliant Corners is going to cover what I'm wanting out of my gtab? I'm going to check out GoodIntentions' web site and maybe I will get a clue. Thanks for your help guys. I hope to hear back soon.
P.S. One additional question. What's up with the bluetooth pairing? I can't get this thing to pair with any phones. I've tried mine and my gf's and it absolutely will not work.

[Q] Did I brick my new Transformer Prime?

So, after owning my Transformer Prime for about a month now, I decided to take the plunge and root it. I followed the instructions for ViperMod and had it rooted in no time. I then followed the instructions of unlocking the bootloader and finally installing OTA Rootkeeper.
I've had rooted devices in the past (Droid Incredible) and am familiar with RomManager. So I installed RomManager on the Transformer Prime. I then attempted to create a backup of my "current Rom", which is just stock ICS. RomManager prompted me to update Clockworkmod Recovery, which I did (I now have 5.8.2.0 installed). It then rebooted...acting like it was backing up my current Rom, but when I got back into RM, and clicked "Manage Backups" and there was nothing there. I tried once more with the same result, and ultimately gave up on backing up my current config.
I then downloaded Cyanogenmod 9 (nightly). I selected Google Apps and it proceeded to download. I got an error that the Google Apps portion had an error, but it seemed to work when I attempted to download it again.
I then proceeded to attempt to install the new Rom. The menu came up, asking if I wanted to wipe data and cache, wipe dalvik and backup current rom. I selected all three and hit ok.
My tablet rebooted...quickly, and did not show any signs of installing Cyanogenmod. Sure enough, I got my stock ICS...no Cyanogenmod. I tried again...same thing. I tried a third time, and RomManager hung when I tried to select Ok after the options of backing up, etc. Ultimately I got the error popup, asking if i wanted to wait/report/ok. I hit ok.
I then...very stupidly in retrospect...performed a factory reset from within the phone's settings menu (something I've later read is a big no no). This time, when my phone rebooted, it went straight into Clockworkmod Recovery, which is where I am now. Stuck. I've read a ton and tried everything but had no success.
Strangely, I can find the cyanogenmod file by navigating through "install zip from sdcard", then "choose zip from sdcard", then "clockworkmod", then "download", then "get.cm", then "get" and finally "update-cm-9-20120301-NIGHTLY-tf201-signed.zip". And it allows me to update using this file...even giving me the message "Install from sdcard complete"...but nothing happens. I'm still stuck in Clockworkmod.
If anyone has any advice, I'm begging for your help. Really hoping I didn't ruin my brand new tablet...
Thanks.
only thing rom manager is gold for on the prime at the moment is getting the latest CWM version. other than that, trying to flash a rom, reboot into recovery, or backup doesn't work in rom manager for prime. everything needs to be done through CWM itself. whether flashing a rom or making a nandroid backup. so you have to manually go into CWM and try flashing from there. did you make sure the roms were stored on internal memory to flash(I believe it can only be done on prime this way at the moment)? try a different rom as the CM9 has alot of bugs n issues at the moment. try flashing virtuous rom or a stock modified rom from developement.
also check out developement section for a thread called the Di's n Donts of unlocking and thread called how to or not unbrick your prime. answers you seek are in there.
See my unbricking thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1514088
Thanks so much for your help guys!
to demandarin: Unfortunately the only ROM I downloaded before everything went haywire was the nightly cyanogenmod 9 from yesterday. And as I explained, that ROM doesn't seem to be flashing for me... I've tried downloading other ROMs onto my SD card, but I can't seem to get my Prime to recognize the SD card in CWM, and I can't figure out any way to get ROMs onto my prime...now that its stuck in recovery. Do you know if I can load ROMs onto my Prime at this point?
to Diamondback: I read your unbricking thread and its given me some hope. It sounds like I'm falling into the "1a" category. I'll have to bunker down tonight and see if I can work through those instructions (I have no familiarity with ADB at this point, which is my main concern). Anyway, I very much appreciate you pointing me in the right direction.
I am curious though, is there some place I can look for clarification on what works in RomManager and what does not? None of that was made clear in the app itself, so I just assumed it was fully functional, like it was on my Dinc. Now I'm paying the price...
Thanks again.
original old thread on CWM on Prime...look through page and people state what works n what doesn't.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1510983
new thread created today on a new updated CWM that should be used. has alot of issues that didn't mesh well with Prime and CWM fixed. seems like you might have jumped the gun a lil early. this is latest version thread. you can also get the latest version through rom manager.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1533697
good luck!
demandarin said:
original old thread on CWM on Prime...look through page and people state what works n what doesn't.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1510983
new thread created today on a new updated CWM that should be used. has alot of issues that didn't mesh well with Prime and CWM fixed. seems like you might have jumped the gun a lil early. this is latest version thread. you can also get the latest version through rom manager.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1533697
good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but I actually do have the latest version of CWM (5.8.2.0), according to the link you provided. The thing is, I'm just very unfamiliar with CWM, or really any recovery software. The link you posted notes the following improvements:
-Possibly fixes bricks (by properly restoring boot.img)
-Correctly comes with Staging/System unmounted
-Nandroid Restores properly the boot.img (of backups created with this CWM). This means no more issues when restoring a Rom if you are coming from another from (for example, if you are restoring Virtuous after wiping cm9)
Which all sounds great, but I have no idea how to really use any of that... Does "possibly fixes bricks" apply to my situation? I've tried selecting restore and advanced restore through CWM, but in both situations it says "cannot find files", which I'm assuming are the "boot.img" being referenced. So again, it seems like I'm hosed...
I'm just really hoping that Diamondback's unbricking method works for me. Though, I'm having a hell of a time finding instructions on how to setup ADB on my PC (Windows 7). Do you know where I can find good and current instructions?
you can Google it but plenty of YouTube view on how to set up adb.
there's a thread here on it though. take a look: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1427008
demandarin said:
you can Google it but plenty of YouTube view on how to set up adb.
there's a thread here on it though. take a look: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1427008
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again! I think I need a tutorial on how to search XDA more effectively
SUCCESS!
Well, it took some jumping through hoops, but once I got ADB set up successfully, Diamondback's instructions worked like a charm!
For anyone encountering this thread with the same issues as me, I've included links to all of the sources of data I ultimately used.
Thanks so much for everyone's help!
Installing ADB
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1427008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY4KSrgi-rE
I had to use the PDANet method, referenced in the Youtube video
http://junefabrics.com/android/download.php
Diamondback's Instructions for Unbricking the Prime
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1514088
Perhaps I spoke too soon...
My device is no longer bricked, but now I can't access CWM, can't factory reset...can't do anything. I'm stuck with a very broken build of Cyanogenmod 9
Here's the link to my new thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=23349041#post23349041

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