Hi, all..
As is probably known, before fastboot commands on the Nexus 9 will work, two things are required...
First, this option, in Developer Options, needs to he checked box ticked...
** Enable OEM Unlock **
...followed by... (with the device booted into it's bootloader)...
Code:
fastboot oem unlock
------
UNDER ABSOLUTELY NO CIRCUMSTANCEs SHOULD THIS PROCEDURE BE REVERSED.... unless you're running 100% stock.
It will very likely cause your Nexus 9 to be become permanently semi-bricked.
The device will boot, and it will charge... However IF YOU CAN'T BOOT ANDROID, AND RE-ENABLE. the ** Enable OEM Unlock ** option in Developer Setting's, then...
Code:
fastboot oem unlock
...will fail.
And you won't even be able to fastboot flash back to factory stock.
You can't even remotely boot a recovery, with...
Code:
fastboot boot recovery
...as this too, also requires an unlocked bootloader.
I know; I've tried.
-----
And this is my current predicament... My Nexus 9 now constantly bootloops into TWRP, with this message, at the top of the screen...
This is a development device not intended for production use..
Bootloader is locked, and I can't unlock it because I can't boot Android in order to set ** Enable OEM Unlock ** in developer options.
Unless anybody has any suggestions, my Nexus 9 is now pretty much useless.
Rgrds,
Ged.
OK.. Anybody know what the setting **Enable OEM Unlock** in Developer Options actually sets.
What flag it sets?
In terms of the underlying operating system, this MUST JUST FLIP some binary state flag, such that...
Code:
fastboot oem unlock
...now works.
There's gotta be some ADB command that will re-enable this, in the absence of a bootable version of Android.
Or some terminal command like a (dd=if>of command).
----
I've been at this for now, for 12 f**king hours...
I've tried everything I know.
At one point, TWRP, didn't bootloop and booted properly. But it was a pyrrhic victory, 'cos I had nothing on the device to restore. That was four hours ago... since then TWRP just bootloops endlessly.
I suspect that when., via the bootloader, I select the FACTORY RESET option, it's looking for the stock recovery... and which of course it doesn't find.... because TWRP is installed.
Indeed, I also suspect because Lollipop now runs encrypted, there are issues with mounting the data partition.
----
Well, I guess, my Nexus 9 is pretty much screwed, I think...
It'll make a nice Christmas decoration though.. It actually lights up!!!))). It's not THAT bricked. It still lights up..
----
In conclusion..
...and for guidance for others...
***
After rooting, and fastboot flashing TWRP...
--do not relock the bootloader.--
--do not disable. ** Enable OEM Unlock ** in Developer Options--
***
If you do both, and Android won't boot, your Nexus 9 is f**cked!!
You won't be able to flash anything; not even with a a toolkit like Wugs. I've tried.
Rgrds,
Ged.
Wow, really sorry to hear about your device! Maybe somebody here can come up with a fix for you...
Thanks for giving the rest of us a heads up!
Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk
@GedBlake
If you have time I'm willing to help you out, I've been testing some things and may be able to help, just let me know
Don't worry! Will let demkantor help you. Have you tried fastboot erase recovery and flash stock?
MRobbo80 said:
Don't worry! Will let demkantor help you. Have you tried fastboot erase recovery and flash stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He can't fastboot because his boot loader is locked. He can't unlock boot loader because he can't check that box. I knew this was gonna be problems as soon as I saw this setting. I guess I get what google was going for, but I still don't like it.
A nexus device should be able to recover from anything short of a hand grenade, for something this simple to semi brick a nexus is ridiculous.
Op, i taje it you can get to an adb shell? Or can you not even access recovery?
di11igaf said:
He can't fastboot because his boot loader is locked. He can't unlock boot loader because he can't check that box. I knew this was gonna be problems as soon as I saw this setting. I guess I get what google was going for, but I still don't like it.
A nexus device should be able to recover from anything short of a hand grenade, for something this simple to semi brick a nexus is ridiculous.
Op, i taje it you can get to an adb shell? Or can you not even access recovery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, di11igaf...
Thanks for your response... And apologies for my late response. I took a few days off from Android; I just needed a break. (And I have a new Nexus 9).
Yep; whilst TWRP was bootlooping, ADB did work... certainly, ADB devices yielded a device serial number... but I had nothing to 'push'.
I had no Nandroid backups on my laptop, and no Custom ROM. zips to 'push'. (I don't even think there are any yet, for the Nexus 9).
And even if I did successfully ADB push something, TWRP was bootlooping.
TWRP was essentially just useless, other than acting as an ADB gateway.
***
demkantor said:
@GedBlake
If you have time I'm willing to help you out, I've been testing some things and may be able to help, just let me know
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, demkantor...
Thanks for your offer of help... but I now have a new Nexus 9.
Still interested though, in what you have in mind, as I suspect this particular problem is going to rear it's ugly head again sometime in the future. As other Nexus 9 devices will likely befall a similar fate to my Nexus 9....
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hi, guys...
Thanks for your input, help and advice.
First, apologies for my language in my posts above. It's not often that I resort to expletives, even if disguised with asterisks. It was unbecoming of me, and I hope I didn't cause any offence.
On to the matter in hand...
After three days, I would dearly love to report that 'I fought the good fight', and discovered some ingenious method by which I resolved the problem... but alas I didn't.
The device continued to bootloop TWRP, and fastboot oem unlock continued to fail.
The bootloader itself was still accessible (by pressing & holding vol-down, followed by power on). This button press sequence, interrupted the bootlooping TWRP, and forced a reboot into the bootboader.
But the only real use for this, was to shut down the Nexus 9, as accessing fastboot was a sheer waste of time. With a locked and unlockable bootloader, nothing could be fastboot flashed.
The device was stuck, and with no way out.
A resolution.. but not a solution.
The Nexus 9 in question was actually bought for me, by a very close friend, for my 49th birthday on the 18th November. When she recently enquired how I was doing with it... well, as you can imagine, I was somewhat reluctant to admit that I'd screwed it up.
But eventually, and to my embarrassment, I admitted I'd made a bit of a pig's ear of it.
After she'd given me 'the look', and a sigh of exasperation, she revealed she'd also bought with it, a two year extended, no-quibble, anything-can-happens warranty. I have a similar warranty on my old Nexus 7, though I've never had any cause to avail myself of it on that older device. It adds about £80 to the price of the device. So, this morning, we both headed out to the local PC World from whence she bought the Nexus 9, and got it replaced: no questions asked.
So, I'm currently midway through setting it up again.
Needless to say, I won't be repeating the same mistake!
As it stands, right now, my replacement Nexus 9 is working just fine. And indeed, if it can be said that 'every cloud has a silver lining', it's that the replacement unit is actually 'better'. The original unit had some minor light bleed issues, and the back cover flexed inwards marginally. This new one has no lightbleed at all, and it just feels more robust, with no flexing of the back. Google and HTC really need to get these build quality issues sorted, and quickly. It's really just not good enough on a tablet at this price point.
In conclusion..
After three years of tinkering with Android devices... rooting them, flashing Custom ROMs, etc, this is the first time I've ever rendered one unusable. Not technically hardbricked, in the classical sense, with a black unresponsive screen... but certainly unusable and very likely unrecoverable.
And it's caused me to reconsider the whole point of rooting Android, and unlocking bootloaders.
What are the benefits of doing so? And what are the attendant risks?
And is it worth it?
Of course, it you're rich, and you can afford to replace a bricked device, then maybe it is worth it. Or if you happen to have a no-quibble warranty, (at an additional price), as I did... then perhaps, also it might be worth it.
***
Android today, is a wholly different beast to what it was when I first came to it back in 2011...
...with GingerBread, HoneyComb and, later Ice Cream Sandwich. Then, there where very significant benefits to rooting and flashing Custom ROMs... but today, I'm not so sure it's really worth the hassle, or potential financial cost if things go wrong. And it's been my experience of technology, that things can sometimes go horribly wrong.
***
I rooted my Nexus 9, just so I could run Titanium... A great app, but I feel it's no longer as relevant as once was... and to run Greenify, the power saving app. But if Lollipop delivers on it's promise of improved battery performance, with the so called Project Volta, then maybe even Greenify will become less relevant. And the Greenify app devs. have made great strides forward in making Greenify work in non-rooted mode anyway... I know; I have it running on my unrooted HTC One M8.
Maybe, at some point in the future, I will unlock the bootloader again, and root my Nexus 9 again... but there is going to have to be a pretty compelling reason to do so... And right now, I can't think of one.
I'm just happy to have a Nexus 9 that works one again... and I'm not inclined to take any further chances with it.
Cheers all...
Rgrds,
Ged.
GedBlake said:
Hi, di11igaf...
Thanks for your response... And apologies for my late response. I took a few days off from Android; I just needed a break. (And I have a new Nexus 9).
Yep; whilst TWRP was bootlooping, ADB did work... certainly, ADB devices yielded a device serial number... but I had nothing to 'push'.
I had no Nandroid backups on my laptop, and no Custom ROM. zips to 'push'. (I don't even think there are any yet, for the Nexus 9).
And even if I did successfully ADB push something, TWRP was bootlooping.
TWRP was essentially just useless, other than acting as an ADB gateway.
***
Hi, demkantor...
Thanks for your offer of help... but I now have a new Nexus 9.
Still interested though, in what you have in mind, as I suspect this particular problem is going to rear it's ugly head again sometime in the future. As other Nexus 9 devices will likely befall a similar fate to my Nexus 9....
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hi, guys...
Thanks for your input, help and advice.
First, apologies for my language in my posts above. It's not often that I resort to expletives, even if disguised with asterisks. It was unbecoming of me, and I hope I didn't cause any offence.
On to the matter in hand...
After three days, I would dearly love to report that 'I fought the good fight', and discovered some ingenious method by which I resolved the problem... but alas I didn't.
The device continued to bootloop TWRP, and fastboot oem unlock continued to fail.
The bootloader itself was still accessible (by pressing & holding vol-down, followed by power on). This button press sequence, interrupted the bootlooping TWRP, and forced a reboot into the bootboader.
But the only real use for this, was to shut down the Nexus 9, as accessing fastboot was a sheer waste of time. With a locked and unlockable bootloader, nothing could be fastboot flashed.
The device was stuck, and with no way out.
A resolution.. but not a solution.
The Nexus 9 in question was actually bought for me, by a very close friend, for my 49th birthday on the 18th November. When she recently enquired how I was doing with it... well, as you can imagine, I was somewhat reluctant to admit that I'd screwed it up.
But eventually, and to my embarrassment, I admitted I'd made a bit of a pig's ear of it.
After she'd given me 'the look', and a sigh of exasperation, she revealed she'd also bought with it, a two year extended, no-quibble, anything-can-happens warranty. I have a similar warranty on my old Nexus 7, though I've never had any cause to avail myself of it on that older device. It adds about £80 to the price of the device. So, this morning, we both headed out to the local PC World from whence she bought the Nexus 9, and got it replaced: no questions asked.
So, I'm currently midway through setting it up again.
Needless to say, I won't be repeating the same mistake!
As it stands, right now, my replacement Nexus 9 is working just fine. And indeed, if it can be said that 'every cloud has a silver lining', it's that the replacement unit is actually 'better'. The original unit had some minor light bleed issues, and the back cover flexed inwards marginally. This new one has no lightbleed at all, and it just feels more robust, with no flexing of the back. Google and HTC really need to get these build quality issues sorted, and quickly. It's really just not good enough on a tablet at this price point.
In conclusion..
After three years of tinkering with Android devices... rooting them, flashing Custom ROMs, etc, this is the first time I've ever rendered one unusable. Not technically hardbricked, in the classical sense, with a black unresponsive screen... but certainly unusable and very likely unrecoverable.
And it's caused me to reconsider the whole point of rooting Android, and unlocking bootloaders.
What are the benefits of doing so? And what are the attendant risks?
And is it worth it?
Of course, it you're rich, and you can afford to replace a bricked device, then maybe it is worth it. Or if you happen to have a no-quibble warranty, (at an additional price), as I did... then perhaps, also it might be worth it.
***
Android today, is a wholly different beast to what it was when I first came to it back in 2011...
...with GingerBread, HoneyComb and, later Ice Cream Sandwich. Then, there where very significant benefits to rooting and flashing Custom ROMs... but today, I'm not so sure it's really worth the hassle, or potential financial cost if things go wrong. And it's been my experience of technology, that things can sometimes go horribly wrong.
***
I rooted my Nexus 9, just so I could run Titanium... A great app, but I feel it's no longer as relevant as once was... and to run Greenify, the power saving app. But if Lollipop delivers on it's promise of improved battery performance, with the so called Project Volta, then maybe even Greenify will become less relevant. And the Greenify app devs. have made great strides forward in making Greenify work in non-rooted mode anyway... I know; I have it running on my unrooted HTC One M8.
Maybe, at some point in the future, I will unlock the bootloader again, and root my Nexus 9 again... but there is going to have to be a pretty compelling reason to do so... And right now, I can't think of one.
I'm just happy to have a Nexus 9 that works one again... and I'm not inclined to take any further chances with it.
Cheers all...
Rgrds,
Ged.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as you don't make the same 'mistake' again,(admittedly a mistake google should have considered before implementing the 'unlockable' flag) rooting/flashing a nexus is perfectly safe. If you stay unlocked, you can recover from anything. Performance with kernels and roms will continue to get better as the nexus 9s shortcomings are discovered and figured out. (There is a lot of new things with the 9-----lollipop, 64 bit architecture, etc). Personally I need root and an unlocked boot loader, but not everybody does.
Realistically with your device having access to a # adb shell your device was probably recoverable at the very least with 'dd', but you're back up so thats good. You paid for the no questions asked warranty and used it as designed as you should have, as much as it sucks at least you're back up.
Glad everything worked out for you.
GedBlake said:
Hi, di11igaf...
Thanks for your response... And apologies for my late response. I took a few days off from Android; I just needed a break. (And I have a new Nexus 9).
Yep; whilst TWRP was bootlooping, ADB did work... certainly, ADB devices yielded a device serial number... but I had nothing to 'push'.
I had no Nandroid backups on my laptop, and no Custom ROM. zips to 'push'. (I don't even think there are any yet, for the Nexus 9).
And even if I did successfully ADB push something, TWRP was bootlooping.
TWRP was essentially just useless, other than acting as an ADB gateway.
***
Hi, demkantor...
Thanks for your offer of help... but I now have a new Nexus 9.
Still interested though, in what you have in mind, as I suspect this particular problem is going to rear it's ugly head again sometime in the future. As other Nexus 9 devices will likely befall a similar fate to my Nexus 9....
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hi, guys...
Thanks for your input, help and advice.
First, apologies for my language in my posts above. It's not often that I resort to expletives, even if disguised with asterisks. It was unbecoming of me, and I hope I didn't cause any offence.
On to the matter in hand...
After three days, I would dearly love to report that 'I fought the good fight', and discovered some ingenious method by which I resolved the problem... but alas I didn't.
The device continued to bootloop TWRP, and fastboot oem unlock continued to fail.
The bootloader itself was still accessible (by pressing & holding vol-down, followed by power on). This button press sequence, interrupted the bootlooping TWRP, and forced a reboot into the bootboader.
But the only real use for this, was to shut down the Nexus 9, as accessing fastboot was a sheer waste of time. With a locked and unlockable bootloader, nothing could be fastboot flashed.
The device was stuck, and with no way out.
A resolution.. but not a solution.
The Nexus 9 in question was actually bought for me, by a very close friend, for my 49th birthday on the 18th November. When she recently enquired how I was doing with it... well, as you can imagine, I was somewhat reluctant to admit that I'd screwed it up.
But eventually, and to my embarrassment, I admitted I'd made a bit of a pig's ear of it.
After she'd given me 'the look', and a sigh of exasperation, she revealed she'd also bought with it, a two year extended, no-quibble, anything-can-happens warranty. I have a similar warranty on my old Nexus 7, though I've never had any cause to avail myself of it on that older device. It adds about £80 to the price of the device. So, this morning, we both headed out to the local PC World from whence she bought the Nexus 9, and got it replaced: no questions asked.
So, I'm currently midway through setting it up again.
Needless to say, I won't be repeating the same mistake!
As it stands, right now, my replacement Nexus 9 is working just fine. And indeed, if it can be said that 'every cloud has a silver lining', it's that the replacement unit is actually 'better'. The original unit had some minor light bleed issues, and the back cover flexed inwards marginally. This new one has no lightbleed at all, and it just feels more robust, with no flexing of the back. Google and HTC really need to get these build quality issues sorted, and quickly. It's really just not good enough on a tablet at this price point.
In conclusion..
After three years of tinkering with Android devices... rooting them, flashing Custom ROMs, etc, this is the first time I've ever rendered one unusable. Not technically hardbricked, in the classical sense, with a black unresponsive screen... but certainly unusable and very likely unrecoverable.
And it's caused me to reconsider the whole point of rooting Android, and unlocking bootloaders.
What are the benefits of doing so? And what are the attendant risks?
And is it worth it?
Of course, it you're rich, and you can afford to replace a bricked device, then maybe it is worth it. Or if you happen to have a no-quibble warranty, (at an additional price), as I did... then perhaps, also it might be worth it.
***
Android today, is a wholly different beast to what it was when I first came to it back in 2011...
...with GingerBread, HoneyComb and, later Ice Cream Sandwich. Then, there where very significant benefits to rooting and flashing Custom ROMs... but today, I'm not so sure it's really worth the hassle, or potential financial cost if things go wrong. And it's been my experience of technology, that things can sometimes go horribly wrong.
***
I rooted my Nexus 9, just so I could run Titanium... A great app, but I feel it's no longer as relevant as once was... and to run Greenify, the power saving app. But if Lollipop delivers on it's promise of improved battery performance, with the so called Project Volta, then maybe even Greenify will become less relevant. And the Greenify app devs. have made great strides forward in making Greenify work in non-rooted mode anyway... I know; I have it running on my unrooted HTC One M8.
Maybe, at some point in the future, I will unlock the bootloader again, and root my Nexus 9 again... but there is going to have to be a pretty compelling reason to do so... And right now, I can't think of one.
I'm just happy to have a Nexus 9 that works one again... and I'm not inclined to take any further chances with it.
Cheers all...
Rgrds,
Ged.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you simply got a good scare off this story, losing a tablet for a checkbox unchecked is quite annoying.
I like to have the bootloader unlocked/s-off as soon as I get a device, so that I can do whatever I like with it the future. I personally couldn't live without root and custom roms, but I guess that my opinion could differ from yours
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Free mobile app
totalnoob34 said:
I think you simply got a good scare off this story, losing a tablet for a checkbox unchecked is quite annoying.
I like to have the bootloader unlocked/s-off as soon as I get a device, so that I can do whatever I like with it the future. I personally couldn't live without root and custom roms, but I guess that my opinion could differ from yours
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A good 'scare off' story is perhaps sometimes a good thing. It helps keep perspective. A 'chilling' perspective...
Rooting, unlocking bootloaders, and/or flashing custom roms/kernels/recoveries, etc... should, I think, NEVER be considered routine.
We're not talking about installing Angry Birds here... there is always going to be some element of risk to the device.
However, with all that said... I've decided that some valid points have been made... And so I have decided to bite the bullet, and root my replacement Nexus 9.
Currently backing everything up to my laptop...
I'm going to use CF-Auto root... And stay clear of TWRP. I have some suspicions that the presence of TWRP (which endlessly bootlooped), played some part in the previous debacle.
Hope my female friend, who bought me this device, doesn't learn that I'm messing with it again. She'll give me all kinds of hell if I screw it up again!!
Anyhow, signing off for now... progress report later.
Rgrds,
Ged.
Yay!!!! My Nexus 9 bootloader is now unlocked, and successfully rooted... and without problems.
I can now rest easy... .
Thanks once again, for everybodies input, help, advice and guidance.
Kind Rgrds,
Ged.
GedBlake said:
A good 'scare off' story is perhaps sometimes a good thing. It helps keep perspective. A 'chilling' perspective...
Rooting, unlocking bootloaders, and/or flashing custom roms/kernels/recoveries, etc... should, I think, NEVER be considered routine.
We're not talking about installing Angry Birds here... there is always going to be some element of risk to the device.
However, with all that said... I've decided that some valid points have been made... And so I have decided to bite the bullet, and root my replacement Nexus 9.
Currently backing everything up to my laptop...
I'm going to use CF-Auto root... And stay clear of TWRP. I have some suspicions that the presence of TWRP (which endlessly bootlooped), played some part in the previous debacle.
Hope my female friend, who bought me this device, doesn't learn that I'm messing with it again. She'll give me all kinds of hell if I screw it up again!!
Anyhow, signing off for now... progress report later.
Rgrds,
Ged.
Yay!!!! My Nexus 9 bootloader is now unlocked, and successfully rooted... and without problems.
I can now rest easy... .
Thanks once again, for everybodies input, help, advice and guidance.
Kind Rgrds,
Ged.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my opinion, unlocking the bootloader and rooting is routine, on mine and on my close friends' phones. But, as I said, everyone is free to do whatever he likes with their device
I've always had bad luck with TWRP on my devices. I always use ClockworkMod recovery, even if someone specifically recommends TWRP for some task.
But don't be scared by this episode. From your post, you definitely know what you're doing and eventually hit a brick wall. Yeah, **** happens. It's an inherent risk of modding your device.
Just don't give up.
I just relocked mine prior to sending it back, however, I was stock.
I did a full wipe, then did a fastboot oem lock, then booted back into android, re-enabled Developer Options, disabled OEM Unlock option and wiped again - booted into setup screen no problem.
Now packed up ready to send back to Google.
StuMcBill said:
I just relocked mine prior to sending it back, however, I was stock.
I did a full wipe, then did a fastboot oem lock, then booted back into android, re-enabled Developer Options, disabled OEM Unlock option and wiped again - booted into setup screen no problem.
Now packed up ready to send back to Google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that sounds like the logical proper order to do it.
Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk
Thanks for the warning. So to sum it up, if we need to enable oem unlock, we should be in stock 100%. Right?
albsat said:
Thanks for the warning. So to sum it up, if we need to enable oem unlock, we should be in stock 100%. Right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, albsat...
Apologies it's taken me so long to respond, but with Christmas coming up, and helping out with family related stuff, I've not had much chance this past week to post stuff.
---
Anyhow, to try to answer to your question...
Having thought long and hard about this problem... the problem isn't so much re-locking the bootloader with fastboot oem lock. I suspect this alone, shouldn't cause any problems.
It's the **Enable OEM unlock** setting in Developer Options, that is potentially dangerous.
---
If Android (for whatever reason) won't boot, (bootlooping, for example), and if all other possible remedies fail... you would normally just (re)unlock the bootloader with fastboot oem unlock, and fastboot flash a factory image.
BUT THIS WILL NOT WORK, if the **Enable OEM unlock** setting in Developer Options has also been disabled.
If the device is soft-bricked at this point, and Android won't boot such that you cannot gain access to Developer Options (in order to re-enable that setting), then the device is permanently soft-bricked.
And there is nothing that can be done to rescue the device. And this was my earlier prediciment, as previously described.
---
Let me see of if I can explain why I think this...
In a previous post on this thread, I wrote the following...
GedBlake said:
...anybody know what the setting **Enable OEM Unlock** in Developer Options actually sets.
What flag it sets?
In terms of the underlying operating system, this MUST JUST FLIP some binary state flag, such that...
There's gotta be some ADB command that will re-enable this, in the absence of a bootable version of Android.
Or some terminal command like a (dd=if>of command).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was largely just desperate optimism on my part, in the hope that somebody might know of some ADB or terminal command... but having recently read the OP in this thread, I now know that my attempts to unbrick my previous Nexus 9, was likely a hopeless cause.
If, and as I suspect, the **Enable OEM unlock** setting in Developer Options, is an additional layer of security, then it probably CANNOT be circumvented by some ADB or terminal command.
It wouldn't be much of a security measure if it was that easy!!
Consider the following hypothetical scenario...
"Let's suppose a guy, a regular non-techy kind of guy, buys a brand new Nexus 9 tomorrow. Now, this guy knows nothing about fastboot or factory stock images or any of that stuff. Developer Options, by default, is hidden to him, 'cos he doesn't know you need to tap 7 times on the build number... And so, consequently also, the **Enable OEM unlock** setting is also hidden and by default, it's disabled.
He doesn't know this, and from his point of view, he doesn't want or need to know this. He just wants a nice tablet for browsing the web, checking his emails, posting on Twitter or Facebook, and maybe playing the occasional game. So he takes his new purchase home, and sets it up... with WiFi key and Google Account details, etc. He installs some apps from PlayStore, and copies over his music/pics/documents and other stuff from his laptop.
**But he's a security minded guy, so he decides to set a LOCK PATTERN or PIN NUMBER on his lock screen.**
One day, whilst going to work, he absent mindedly leaves his Nexus 9 on the train... which is then subsequently found by somebody who is not entirely honest. Instead of turning it into the police or the train stations lost property office, this scurrilous individual decides to keep the tablet for himself. He sees the device is PIN or PATTERN locked, but being a bit of an Android expert, he's non too worried about this. All he has to do, is unlock the bootloader and fastboot flash a factory stock image, and the stolen device will be his...
...Or so he thinks!!!
His first stumbling block (and upon which successfully flashing a factory stock image depends), is first unlocking the bootloader... and which of course will fail, because the lawful owner NEVER enabled **Enable OEM unlock** in Developer Options. Indeed, he wasn't even aware that such a setting existed. And our opportunist thief cannot boot Android in order to enable this setting, because he is not in possession of the LOCK PATTERN or PIN CODE required to get past the lock screen.
He is in possession of a useless tablet."
So, in this scenario... the setting **Enable OEM unlock** in Developer Options, has served it's purpose, in rendering the Nexus 9 useless to somebody who has no lawful right to it, and why I think that there was no possible way of salvaging my original Nexus 9. Any such method would undermine the whole point of it.
---
So, in conclusion...
Re-locking the bootloader is probably safe... The danger is ALSO, AND AT THE SAME TIME disabling the **Enable OEM unlock** option in Developer Options... and is risky, as you're potentially disallowing the bootloader from EVER being unlocked again.
And if Android won't boot... FOR WHATEVER REASON, there is NO WAY of re-enabling that setting.
So, once you've enabled it, my advice is to NEVER disable it... regardless of what you do with the bootloader lock state.
---
Anyhow, I hope my lengthy post sheds some light on all of this... And is of assistence to whomever has the patience to read the whole damn thing.
Sorry, but I do tend to waffle on at times.
Kind Rgrds,
Ged.
My case is similar, the only difference is that I never changed the recovery. After a few days of it working ok, at the startup it just stays at the Google logo.
Tried a Factory Reset and Wipe and not yet a single change. Next step would be to just flash the stock ROM, but wait! Developer Options was never enabled nor was Enable OEM Unlock.
I bought this $450 tablet in the US and I live in Brazil and now I cannot even return it. This is how dumb the decision to add this toggle was. And I tought Google made the device for developers.
dirceucorsetti said:
My case is similar, the only difference is that I never changed the recovery. After a few days of it working ok, at the startup it just stays at the Google logo.
Tried a Factory Reset and Wipe and not yet a single change. Next step would be to just flash the stock ROM, but wait! Developer Options was never enabled nor was Enable OEM Unlock.
I bought this $450 tablet in the US and I live in Brazil and now I cannot even return it. This is how dumb the decision to add this toggle was. And I tought Google made the device for developers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're fine. Just find the factory update.zip and install it via factory recovery, along with a userdata wipe.
After a few tries the factory reset was well succeeded. Thanks for the info though. I had no knowledge that I could flash the stock version via factory recovery. I guess I'm back to the noob pack.
Same just happened to me and I'm stuck. Is there any way to even use TWRP? I can boot into it but it can't mount storage which makes it useless afaik. I was running stock rom and everything except recovery..
You still have no answer to your problem?
Edit: after trying factory reset through the bootloader the recovery won't boot anymore..
So, I've had my Kindle Fire HDX 7' for a while now, and it's been running great. But amazon updated it from 4.5.3 to 4.5.4 and then it wouldn't boot. It would say: Fire is Upgrading, please wait... Then it would prompt me to choose the default kindle launcher, nova launcher, or the setup wizard. Which ever one I chose, it would close the window, but then come back to the same place. I contacted amazon support, and they said to boot into recovery (power+volume up) and factory reset, which I did. And now what happens is it says Fire is Upgrading please wait... then says that it is starting applications. But it stays there, and nothing happens. Anybody know a way I can fix this?
A very long shot, but try holding down the power button for 2 minutes.
lekofraggle said:
A very long shot, but try holding down the power button for 2 minutes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, that just force rebooted it a bunch of times
ftf841 said:
So, I've had my Kindle Fire HDX 7' for a while now, and it's been running great. But amazon updated it from 4.5.3 to 4.5.4 and then it wouldn't boot. It would say: Fire is Upgrading, please wait... Then it would prompt me to choose the default kindle launcher, nova launcher, or the setup wizard. Which ever one I chose, it would close the window, but then come back to the same place. I contacted amazon support, and they said to boot into recovery (power+volume up) and factory reset, which I did. And now what happens is it says Fire is Upgrading please wait... then says that it is starting applications. But it stays there, and nothing happens. Anybody know a way I can fix this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mentioned Nova which suggests device was rooted. Once rooted you have to block OTA. Not a lot of options unless root was retained through the update (unlikely) and you have adb enabled. I would work with Amazon given the 4.5.4 update hosed your device. Might get a discount on a replacement. Probably best not to mention root, Nova or any other customizations.
Davey126 said:
You mentioned Nova which suggests device was rooted. Once rooted you have to block OTA. Not a lot of options unless root was retained through the update (unlikely) and you have adb enabled. I would work with Amazon given the 4.5.4 update hosed your device. Might get a discount on a replacement. Probably best not to mention root, Nova or any other customizations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I contacted them, I didn't mention anything about those. However, it had been past a year, and so the warranty was out, and they said they couldn't do anything about it. I get a 20 dollar discount though
ftf841 said:
When I contacted them, I didn't mention anything about those. However, it had been past a year, and so the warranty was out, and they said they couldn't do anything about it. I get a 20 dollar discount though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I were to guess is your Kindle is trying to start the native launcher but is encountering a conflict with Nova. On most devices this would be fairly easy to fix. Recent Kindles are locked down by Amazon. A next-to-use useless recovery environment compounds the problem. So far no one has figured out how to crack this nut on an unrooted device running Fire v4.
Press your case with Amazon. If you are regular customer a supervisor may be willing to make an exception or offer a larger discount. Your argument is based on an unwanted/unrequested/unnecessary amazon update that went bad. Just minding your own business and blamo ... an OTA out of the blue turned your world upside down. Or something like that ....
Davey126 said:
If I were to guess is your Kindle is trying to start the native launcher but is encountering a conflict with Nova. On most devices this would be fairly easy to fix. Recent Kindles are locked down by Amazon. A next-to-use useless recovery environment compounds the problem. So far no one has figured out how to crack this nut on an unrooted device running Fire v4.
Press your case with Amazon. If you are regular customer a supervisor may be willing to make an exception or offer a larger discount. Your argument is based on an unwanted/unrequested/unnecessary amazon update that went bad. Just minding your own business and blamo ... an OTA out of the blue turned your world upside down. Or something like that ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If Nova was conflicting, the factory reset should've fixed it. Something I forgot to mention, is if I shut it down after it prompts me which launcher to choose, it goes through the same process all over again, with the updating, leading me to believe it's something deeper than just the launchers conflicting.
ftf841 said:
If Nova was conflicting, the factory reset should've fixed it. Something I forgot to mention, is if I shut it down after it prompts me which launcher to choose, it goes through the same process all over again, with the updating, leading me to believe it's something deeper than just the launchers conflicting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A factory reset on a Kindle isn't what you think. It restores some files but does not perform a comprehensive refresh. A reasonable (albeit imperfect) comparison is system restore in Windows. Addresses some issues but is by no means comprehensive. Unlike Windows you don't have access to low level files without root and usually can't fix a start-up problem even if you know the source. What you really want is a true 'reset' or 'restore'; those options aren't available in the stock recovery.
I'm not saying it's 100% unresolvable. But few users exit the dreaded 'setup loop' w/o root access. Don't mean to be negative but also do not want to raise false hopes. There are a few clever (and very talented!) individuals who monitors these forums. Let this post sit for awhile and see who chimes in.
Davey126 said:
A factory reset on a Kindle isn't what you think. It restores some files but does not perform a comprehensive refresh. A reasonable (albeit imperfect) comparison is system restore in Windows. Addresses some issues but is by no means comprehensive. Unlike Windows you don't have access to low level files without root and usually can't fix a start-up problem even if you know the source. What you really want is a true 'reset' or 'restore'; those options aren't available in the stock recovery.
I'm not saying it's 100% unresolvable. But few users exit the dreaded 'setup loop' w/o root access. Don't mean to be negative but also do not want to raise false hopes. There are a few clever (and very talented!) individuals who monitors these forums. Let this post sit for awhile and see who chimes in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, thanks anyways
Holding the power button is a way of clearing the cache. It seems like it is just rebooting, but if you do not have a true recovery (which you don't, it is a long shot which has worked for many. If you gave up after a few rounds, stick to it). If that does not work, try pressing poker once and Now, instead of choosing your launcher, enforcing the Kindle to give you the notification bar. Try holding power for just a second and clicking cancel and swiping down from the top. If youngest into settings, you may be able to try the update again. That may reset whatever broke, but Davey is correct, if you indeed were rooted, this is looking bad. If you were not, and you just downloaded nova, there is still a bit of hope.
lekofraggle said:
Holding the power button is a way of clearing the cache. It seems like it is just rebooting, but if you do not have a true recovery (which you don't, it is a long shot which has worked for many. If you gave up after a few rounds, stick to it). If that does not work, try pressing poker once and Now, instead of choosing your launcher, enforcing the Kindle to give you the notification bar. Try holding power for just a second and clicking cancel and swiping down from the top. If youngest into settings, you may be able to try the update again. That may reset whatever broke, but Davey is correct, if you indeed were rooted, this is looking bad. If you were not, and you just downloaded nova, there is still a bit of hope.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, Amazon told me to boot to recovery and factory reset and that may have screwed me over, because now it doesn't show the nova or kindle launcher, in place of that it says, starting applications, but nothing happens after that. I'll try holding the power button, because I did give up after 3 reboots.
The factory reset could have been a mistake, but I would assume they would have taken you through the power button piece first. Hmm. But, you did try their advice, and it got worse, so perhaps they will hand you a shiny referb. in return. If they do, check it for structural damage. I needed a return, because one of their updates messed my original one up (the kindle app and clipboard would not load), and they sent one with an old boot loader, but it had a cracked bezel. I did eventually get one that worked well, but it took a few rounds. They all had software or hardware issues. Through it all, tech support was stellar.
ftf841 said:
Well, Amazon told me to boot to recovery and factory reset and that may have screwed me over, because now it doesn't show the nova or kindle launcher, in place of that it says, starting applications, but nothing happens after that. I'll try holding the power button, because I did give up after 3 reboots.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lekofraggle said:
The factory reset could have been a mistake, but I would assume they would have taken you through the power button piece first. Hmm. But, you did try their advice, and it got worse, so perhaps they will hand you a shiny referb. in return. If they do, check it for structural damage. I needed a return, because one of their updates messed my original one up (the kindle app and clipboard would not load), and they sent one with an old boot loader, but it had a cracked bezel. I did eventually get one that worked well, but it took a few rounds. They all had software or hardware issues. Through it all, tech support was stellar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you have a pretty good argument for your next Amazon engagement given the advise given actually made things worse. Obviously demeanor is important; treat everyone with respect and (gently) ask to speak with a supervisor if things grind to a halt. Reputation and customer satisfaction are important to Amazon but you have to be persistent.
Btw - lekofraggle is one of those clever/talented individuals I referenced earlier. Thought s/he might stop by. As always, great to hear multiple perspectives! Good luck.
You must have been in Warranty Leo. I tried so many times. The most helpful tech managed to get me a hundred bucks off, but this was several hours on the phone... He said that a few other people had the same hard brick that I had(never mentioned root) but... no warranty. @op good luck trying to fix this. Amazon is worse than Verizon imo because there is practically no way to fix this damned thing.
I was under warranty. That is too bad because not only is there no way to fix this, there was no way (that they know or want you to be privy to) to prevent it. That is wrong imo.
I'm having the same situation. My kindle was working fine before the night, and the Amazon auto upgrade bricked my Kindle. I contacted Amazon for help. During the conversation they changed 5 agents including one who claimed himself "one of the leaders". Most of them didn't seem to know what happened and how to fix it. Two of them mentioned that I need to factory reset my tablet, but none of them show me how to get into the recovery mode. After 4 hours of conversation they told me my kindle cannot be fixed and the only choice I have is to replace my kindle. And then they said since I've own my kindle for more than one year, the warranty is expired, as a result they cannot replace the kindle for me but they can offer me a discount if I buy another one from them. I was annoyed because what broke my Kindle is Amazon's update, not me. To me, they literally sold me a kindle and broke it after the warranty expired, and then try to sell me another one. They ended up giving me a $50 gift card for whatever sold and shipped by Amazon.
After the conversation I found the way to get into the recovery mode. And I hit the factory reset button. After the reset progress is complete my kindle is still stuck at "starting application", sometimes it passes "starting application" and the screen start flashing... as if the tablet is going to explode....I doubt maybe it is the factory reset file's problem, but it is too late for me to get into the storage using ADB since I don't have debugging mode activated after factory reset.
You may still have adv after factory reset. It only resets some settings. And deletes portions of the /data partition. It does not delete anything from the sd card or much from the /system partitions (which is why it does not help too much if there was a botched install or you messed something up with root powers.
That said, it does remove root, so adb is limited.
Brad D said:
I'm having the same situation. My kindle was working fine before the night, and the Amazon auto upgrade bricked my Kindle. I contacted Amazon for help. During the conversation they changed 5 agents including one who claimed himself "one of the leaders". Most of them didn't seem to know what happened and how to fix it. Two of them mentioned that I need to factory reset my tablet, but none of them show me how to get into the recovery mode. After 4 hours of conversation they told me my kindle cannot be fixed and the only choice I have is to replace my kindle. And then they said since I've own my kindle for more than one year, the warranty is expired, as a result they cannot replace the kindle for me but they can offer me a discount if I buy another one from them. I was annoyed because what broke my Kindle is Amazon's update, not me. To me, they literally sold me a kindle and broke it after the warranty expired, and then try to sell me another one. They ended up giving me a $50 gift card for whatever sold and shipped by Amazon.
After the conversation I found the way to get into the recovery mode. And I hit the factory reset button. After the reset progress is complete my kindle is still stuck at "starting application", sometimes it passes "starting application" and the screen start flashing... as if the tablet is going to explode....I doubt maybe it is the factory reset file's problem, but it is too late for me to get into the storage using ADB since I don't have debugging mode activated after factory reset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you rooted your Kindle then over-the-air (OTA) updates must also be blocked. That's the case for many devices as the update package expects a device is in a specific condition which may no longer be true after rooting. If the device has never been rooted or otherwise modified an an 'unsupported' manner (including side loading applications; read the disclaimer) then I agree you have a strong case against Amazon and should reengage with the understanding that you will take stronger action if they do not provide a better resolution. Worth a shot unless you are satisfied with the $50 or have something to 'hide'.
Davey126 said:
If you rooted your Kindle then over-the-air (OTA) updates must also be blocked. That's the case for many devices as the update package expects a device is in a specific condition which may no longer be true after rooting. If the device has never been rooted or otherwise modified an an 'unsupported' manner (including side loading applications; read the disclaimer) then I agree you have a strong case against Amazon and should reengage with the understanding that you will take stronger action if they do not provide a better resolution. Worth a shot unless you are satisfied with the $50 or have something to 'hide'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't have my kindle rooted, while I did install some applications from 1 mobile market. I even asked them to take my kindle back for further inspection, while they simply refused my suggestion and insisted their solution, which is either I return the kindle for the discount for a new purchase, or the $50 gift card. I figured that it may cost me more to take further action as I'm just one foreign customer and I don't see many who met the same situation in here.
Hello,
I own the kindle fire HDX 8.9 3rd generation. Yesterday i rerolled my version back to 3.2.4, everything seemed to be working just fine.
But after i closed my case and reopened it after half an hour my device was shutted down (the battery was 80%). Since i've been trying to turn it on with no succes. I've also contacted amazon support who were willing to give me an "huge" sale on my next purchase (20$) since they don't think it will ever work again.
On my pc in device manager my kindle does show up, but when i try to install adb drivers i get an error 10.
I'm hoping to get some help here.
HybridLion said:
Hello,
I own the kindle fire HDX 8.9 3rd generation. Yesterday i rerolled my version back to 3.2.4, everything seemed to be working just fine.
But after i closed my case and reopened it after half an hour my device was shutted down (the battery was 80%). Since i've been trying to turn it on with no succes. I've also contacted amazon support who were willing to give me an "huge" sale on my next purchase (20$) since they don't think it will ever work again.
On my pc in device manager my kindle does show up, but when i try to install adb drivers i get an error 10.
I'm hoping to get some help here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you block OTA and/or disable WiFi after rolling back to 3.2.8? If not you likely received an update from Amazon which often leads to a hard brick (no recovery).
What version were you on before and did you directly edit build prop?
Try holding the power button for up to 60 sec. Any response?
Davey126 said:
Did you block OTA and/or disable WiFi after rolling back to 3.2.8? If not you likely received an update from Amazon which often leads to a hard brick (no recovery).
What version were you on before and did you directly edit build prop?
Try holding the power button for up to 60 sec. Any response?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No i didn't block the OTA, i wasn't even planning on rooting and stuff, i downloaded the 3.2.4 from amazons site.
I downgraded from the newest versien 4.?.? (it didn't work with my vpn)
I have absolutely no response when pressing it for 60 seconds
HybridLion said:
No i didn't block the OTA, i wasn't even planning on rooting and stuff, i downloaded the 3.2.4 from amazons site.
I downgraded from the newest versien 4.?.? (it didn't work with my vpn)
I have absolutely no response when pressing it for 60 seconds
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't go from 4.x to anything below 3.2.8. Amazon incorporated anti-rollback protection after 3.2.6. If you try to install an earlier version it will permanently disable the device. Also known as an 'efuse'. Sorry mate, there is no recovery.
Davey126 said:
You can't go from 4.x to anything below 3.2.8. Amazon incorporated anti-rollback protection after 3.2.6. If you try to install an earlier version it will permanently disable the device. Also known as an 'efuse'. Sorry mate, there is no recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What the ****...
Why the fuc*k* do they offer a download of 3.2.5 on their website?
So there is seriously no way to recover it? Well good by all my brithday money:good:
**** you amazon
HybridLion said:
What the ****...
Why do they offer a download of 3.2.5 on their website?
So there is seriously no way to recover it? Well good by all my brithday money:good:
**** you amazon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really sorry this happened. For future reference system images are supplied to repair or upgrade a device. Downgrades are always risky and rarely supported regardless of mfg. In this case a little knowledge (likely gained through these forums) met a loaded gun. Unfortunately, there is no known fix to an efuse brick.
Davey126 said:
Really sorry this happened. For future reference system images are supplied to repair or upgrade a device. Downgrades are always risky and rarely supported regardless of mfg. In this case a little knowledge (likely gained through these forums) met a loaded gun. Unfortunately, there is no known fix to an efuse brick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah i feel like a huge turd...
Well thanks anyway... F#king amazon :c
Have you looked at some of the possible techniques around from last year? There were reports of holding the power button down for over a minute to try and get to Fastboot or something... have a look around and you may find something, hope isn't always lost.
You can get into fastboot by holding the minus button while booting, but I am not sure how much it will help with a locked boot loader. Technically, it should flash a factory image, but I am not sure anyone has gotten that to work on the hdx. Note, if you try this, the windows drivers are a pain and there is a special way to run commands for the hdx. Check out the boot unlock op for the commands, the rest of the thread for the drivers, and know you are in uncharted territory.
Good luck,
Leko
From my understanding, blowing an eFuse is physical and thus irreversible unless you replace the actual chip.
I messed mine up, too I believe. I tried flashing the new safestrap ROM with the older safestrap. And now only the gray kindle fire logo stays on. I tried holding down the power button a minute, but just turns the gray logo off and on. I'm assuming there is no way out of this, correct?
manymarius73 said:
I messed mine up, too I believe. I tried flashing the new safestrap ROM with the older safestrap. And now only the gray kindle fire logo stays on. I tried holding down the power button a minute, but just turns the gray logo off and on. I'm assuming there is no way out of this, correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct (sorry).
Yeah.. I gambled. Guess I lost this round.
what kind of douchebag company keeps a version of an os on their website that will brick their device without warning ? if i were you i would never buy one of their products and since the same thing happened to me i will do the same :/
Jasonbrody14 said:
what kind of douchebag company keeps a version of an os on their website that will brick their device without warning ? if i were you i would never buy one of their products and since the same thing happened to me i will do the same :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I appreciate your frustration this is not Amazon's fault. The actions you and others took are not recommended by Amazon nor most other device manufacturers. The 3.2.8 rollback file that you used was silently captured w/o Amazon's permission and was intended for devices that would never received an OTA update. A few clever individuals figured out how to exploit that file to facilitate 4.5.4 -> 4.5.2 rollbacks (also not supported by Amazon). There are warnings everywhere that wifi must be kept off (or the device placed in 'airplane mode') when using this rollback technique. I am very sorry you lost your device but ultimately the risks and responsibility for bad outcomes are borne by the owner.
Davey126 said:
While I appreciate your frustration this is not Amazon's fault. The actions you and others took are not recommended by Amazon nor most other device manufacturers. The 3.2.8 rollback file that you used was silently captured w/o Amazon's permission and was intended for devices that would never received an OTA update. A few clever individuals figured out how to exploit that file to facilitate 4.5.4 -> 4.5.2 rollbacks (also not supported by Amazon). There are warnings everywhere that wifi must be kept off (or the device placed in 'airplane mode') when using this rollback technique. I am very sorry you lost your device but ultimately the risks and responsibility for bad outcomes are borne by the owner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah its my fault for installing an old update i admit that but they host several other versions on their website that arnt 3.2.8 that also brick the device. i just wonder why they would even do that at least instead of permanently killing the device it would just soft brick it :/
Jasonbrody14 said:
yeah its my fault for installing an old update i admit that but they host several other versions on their website that arnt 3.2.8 that also brick the device. i just wonder why they would even do that at least instead of permanently killing the device it would just soft brick it :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amazon updates don't brick unless: 1) the device is rooted (which means you can get around all protections); or 2) something goes wrong with the update (as occasionally happens to all devices regardless of make). The stock updater will reject attempts to rollback or install an incompatible update. My local auto parts store carries lots of engine elixirs that can work wonders if used correctly. Go off-label and one can 'brick' a $4K engine in minutes.
I'm not ragging on you; what's done is done. Hopefully this post will help someone else contemplating rolling back their device. Tinkers beware: the road to the candy store is laced with land mines.