[Updated] OTA update bricked your Nexus 9? -- Google Now Provide OTA images - Nexus 9 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Google Now provide full block level OTA images, so they can be sideloaded onto your device no matter what version your on.
https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/ota
Instructions for sideloading the OTA images.
Use the latest OTA image from the above link instead of using Android N OTA.
Marshmallow OTA hose your Nexus device? Just flash the N dev preview.
Posting this in a new thread so more people see it.
Get the Android N Preview OTA from here.
Google has updated the OTA zips again for nexus 9.
We've updated the OTA packages on https://developer.android.com/preview/download-ota.html. This should fix the issue with adb sideload failing at 47%. Please try again with the new packages.
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Quote taken from here
Note: Removed Marshmallow from the tittle because it has been report to work for lollipop brick as well.
Try this if sideloading a marshmallow OTA doesn't work. See here. (Also see this link for instructions on sideloading.)
My Nexus 9 that I purchased when the device was originally put up for sale, got an OTA to 6.0.1 a few weeks back. I had not activated OEM Unlock in settings, no developer mode so I also hadn't activated USB Debugging. Well, that legit OTA ended up soft bricking my device. From that moment on, all it would ever do was show the booting screen until the battery died.
I tried manually sideloading Google's official update to 6.0.1 to the device, no go. It kept failing during the process.
I tried (knowing it likely wouldn't work) playing around with Nexus Root Toolkit to see if maybe there was some magic in there that would work, no go.
After two straight weeks of trying, I could not get an update pushed to the device and last night had resigned myself to sending it into HTC for repair... something that they weren't sure yet whether or not would incur a cost FOR ME to repair, even though in a completely stock and pristine device, the OTA update is what hosed it.
This morning, I heard that Google released sideloadable Android N images for all supported Nexus devices that some were saying would work in this scenario. (https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ArtemRussakovskii/posts/K4oUnQymMqG)
And what do you know, that totally worked. It sideloaded to my Nexus 9 and its working again.
tl;dr If you got an OTA for your Nexus and it ruined the device, and nothing else works, try to update it to N. Worked for me.
Thanks to Artem and Lenny Fudenna for the heads up.
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dweissinger said:
I wanted to thank you for posting this solution!! I was able to flash N onto my nexus 9 and it is working once again. I was going to post this onto a main thread so that more people can see this but i did not want to seem as if i was taking credit for finding this. You should post this there so that you can help others. Once again, I would like to thank you. I am now trying to get into the usb debugging menu to unlock the bootloader so this does not happen again but i cannot find it in this version of android.
MANY THANKS!!!
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Thanks pal. You saved my Nexus 9 LTE after 4 months of soft brick.

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This is because the N OTA is a full-block/full image OTA zip that doesn't check the system partition of it's current state. It will just blindly flash. This kind of OTA image is perfect for recovering locked bootloader devices because it is signed by Google, unlike their factory images which are not signed and gets flashed like any other custom ROM.
I hope Google will provide full-block OTAs for major version releases in the future to resolve instances like this. With the requirement of enabling OEM unlocking in the new Nexus devices, full-image OTAs like these would be required to recover from failed standard OTA updates. I imagine this can happen with the monthly security update OTAs like it did with you. For those who never had an OTA fail, they never knew they were dodging bullets all those times.
For those concerned that stolen devices can be re-purposed this way, fear not. Even with a factory reset (no more user data), after flashing this OTA to get my Nexus 9 working again, it asked me to authenticate with the last owner's credentials before letting me in. So this should still deter thieves if they get a hold of a full-image-OTA thinking they can just flash a factory image with a locked bootloader. Much safer than leaving the bootloader unlocked or keeping OEM unlocking enabled.
Another reason why it's a good idea vs the old Full Factory Image method: will not delete user data.
I seriously hope the Google Android team consider releasing full-image OTAs in the future as standard practice - at least for major Android releases (no need to do this for all the minor updates - kind of like reinstalling Windows and getting all the security updates).
Creating a full-image OTA shouldn't add much to their workflow. The OTA for Lollipop to Marshmallow, for example, would have to be a full-image OTA anyways. The only thing the Android team needs to do is to disable version checking so it can be side loaded no matter what state the system partition is in.
Also, if a user wants to keep their data partition intact, a full-image OTA for the major release is important. If Google only released a single full-image OTA for the original OS the device released with (example: Lollipop), and someone needs to recover from a bad OTA update when they're already in Marshmallow, the original Lollipop build may not work with the new data partition schema.
Of course you'd be thinking "I'll just be happy the device is not bricked", but if you can also solve the "I'm glad I didn't lose any data" dilemma without much effort, why wouldn't you?

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Well, I have discovered an exception to this solution .
Yesterday I set my Nexus 9 to update to the Android N Preview but when I returned I had the robot with the exclamation mark and my machine would not boot . I went through all the processes to try and get a factory image of 6.0.1 installed but had not preset my bootloader to allow an unlock.
I eventually found this article and duly downloaded the Android N developer preview factory image and then tried to ADB sideload but the process failed.
And I knew why it failed. It failed because it told me that the factory image I had downloaded from the correct URL was older than the version that had failed the OTA process.
Google does not give a version date for their Android N developer images so I had concluded that they must be up-to-date.
I now realise that their image was not up-to-date so I will now have to wait for Google to publish a newer version of their Developer N factory image that is the same age or newer than the failed OTA update from yesterday so that I can successfully ADB sideload the image without getting this error .
Just as well that I have some technical knowledge or I'd be sending my Nexus 9 back to HTC for something that was not my fault.
Overall - not impressed.

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Herbiv4 said:
I eventually found this article and duly downloaded the Android N developer preview factory image and then tried to ADB sideload but the process failed.
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You don't sideload a factory image, you sideload an "OTA zip" linked in the OP or again here

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corkiejp said:
You don't sideload a factory image, you sideload an "OTA.zip" linked in the OP or again here
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Just to clarify - I was up until 3:30am this morning having been through factory images, OTA zip files, the SDK for Android, the Wugfresh Nexus Root Kit, installing Linux Mint to try and get fastboot working when my Windows PC didn't seem to want to recognise my Nexus 9. I eventually sorted out the drivers included with the SDK because the Wugfresh drivers did not play nicely with my Nexus 9. Then I realised that as my bootloader was locked I could get nowhere with restoring 6.0.1. MMB29R.
After more googling I found this webpage and the link to the OTA .zip file plus the instructions of how to force the upgrade to the developer preview of Android N. Fantastic I thought.
I did in fact download the OTA .zip file from the right URL posted above and tried to sideload that file but it failed because the download was older than the files that Google sent to my Nexus 9 OTA earlier the previous afternoon.
So, as I said before, I now have to wait until Google to update their OTA .zip file to a version equal to or newer than the failed OTA file from yesterday.
As Google don't give publication dates to these files I will have to regularly check that web page until new files appear when they send out a further update .zip package.
So apologies for using the wrong phrase - it wasn't a factory image - it was an OTA .zip file and my tablet did try to send over the .zip file but it failed owing to it's age relative to the files already on my Nexus 9.
Hope that this clarifies everything.
The bottom line is - sideloading an OTA.zip file isn't as simple as it has been made out to be.

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Herbiv4 said:
I did in fact download the OTA .zip file from the right URL and tried to sideload that file but it failed because the download was older than the files that Google sent to my Nexus 9 OTA.
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Thanks for clarifying, Google must have sent you an Android N OTA which included the latest patch. Hopefully they will provide new OTA zips with Preview 2 in April. Which should hopefully resolve your problem. As i haven't seen a link for the latest patch OTA yet.
Herbiv4 said:
As Google don't give publication dates to these files I will have to regularly check that web page until new files appear when they send out a further update .zip package.
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You could setup a change detection on that page. I use it on the factory images page all the time.
Herbiv4 said:
The bottom line is - sideloading an OTA.zip file isn't as simple as it has been made out to be.
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Click to collapse
I remind you of the title of this thread "Marshmallow OTA update bricked ..." which should make this process still valid for those devices. Your findings are worth posting on the Android N thread.

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my tablet is bricked at "6.0/MPA44I/217251", and I have bootloader locked, OS-n/a, tried to adb sideload the zip, and It doesn't work
Can anyone help me?

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ignaciouy said:
my tablet is bricked at "6.0/MPA44I/217251", and I have bootloader locked, OS-n/a, tried to adb sideload the zip, and It doesn't work
Can anyone help me?
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MPA44I is Marshmallow Developer Preview. Is your device bricked that long? You should have RMA'd that while in Warranty.
Please check stock recovery to see if your device reports a different build version.
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"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

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corkiejp said:
MPA44I is Marshmallow Developer Preview. Is your device bricked that long? You should have RMA'd that while in Warranty.
Please check stock recovery to see if your device reports a different build version.
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You mean this?
That long because I tried everything, and nothing worked
I can't RMA because this was a gift in USA, and I live in Uruguay. So I can't send it to usa and get another back, I think I can't do that. + I can't afford it :/

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ignaciouy said:
my tablet is bricked at "6.0/MPA44I/217251", and I have bootloader locked, OS-n/a, tried to adb sideload the zip, and It doesn't work
Can anyone help me?
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Click to collapse
ignaciouy said:
That long because I tried everything, and nothing worked
I can't RMA because this was a gift in USA, and I live in Uruguay. So I can't send it to usa and get another back, I think I can't do that. + I can't afford it :/
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What error did you get when trying to sideload the Android N zip?

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corkiejp said:
What error did you get when trying to sideload the Android N zip?
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First of all, thanks for replying, this is what I get
I checked the md5 of the file and it's the same of the google download page

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ignaciouy said:
First of all, thanks for replying, this is what I get
I checked the md5 of the file and it's the same of the google download page
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Click to collapse
You maybe looking to perform a miracle here.
Other things to check: -
Your Cable
Versions of adb and fastboot on your PC (have you got the latest).
People have reported errors when using a faulty cable.
The stock recovery on your device maybe to old to apply the Android N OTA.

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I tried 3 cables, and the same with all of them.
192:volantis-npc56x ignacio$ adb version
Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.32
Revision 09a0d98bebce-android
192:volantis-npc56x ignacio$
Isn't that the last one?
The stock recovery on your device maybe to old to apply the Android N OTA.
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Click to collapse
And what can I do? :-|||

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Herbiv4 said:
So, as I said before, I now have to wait until Google to update their OTA .zip file to a version equal to or newer than the failed OTA file from yesterday.
As Google don't give publication dates to these files I will have to regularly check that web page until new files appear when they send out a further update .zip package.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
corkiejp said:
You could setup a change detection on that page. I use it on the factory images page all the time.
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Click to collapse
I setup a change detection on the page and google has update the OTA zip for Nexus 9.
Nexus 9
"volantis" volantis-ota-NPC56X-2785955f.zip
MD5: 36d813350fd660ab751a434782f5523f
SHA-1: 2785955fd77310106d2fa9f02f93b595d77b8e72
Nexus 9G
"volantisg" volantisg-ota-NPC56X-d93e161c.zip
MD5: 1fb7d83cd065a962dbed49e72db97dc4
SHA-1: d93e161c15503dc641b654f6ef4c1611222bc9fd
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corkiejp said:
I setup a change detection on the page and google has update the OTA zip for Nexus 9.
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Click to collapse
Hello there Corkiejp, thanks very much for doing this. I downloaded this new OTA .zip file last night and used adb sideload as instructed. The transfer got to 47% on the PC side and on the Nexus 9 side the installation started briefly before suddenly rebooting so the install fails. When booting to recovery it shows the very latest version has registered but as the install has failed it cannot boot. I have done a factory reset and tried the process again but got the same result.
I'll have to wait for the next update and I'll try process again.
Otherwise, I'll have to ask HTC to fix this for me.

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Herbiv4 said:
Hello there Corkiejp, thanks very much for doing this. I downloaded this new OTA .zip file last night and used adb sideload as instructed. The transfer got to 47% on the PC side and on the Nexus 9 side the installation started briefly before suddenly rebooting so the install fails. When booting to recovery it shows the very latest version has registered but as the install has failed it cannot boot. I have done a factory reset and tried the process again but got the same result.
I'll have to wait for the next update and I'll try process again.
Otherwise, I'll have to ask HTC to fix this for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get the recovery logs to see where it failed and post the results in this thread.

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Hello, good evening I'm having the same Issue that herbiV4; it gets till 47% then reboot and shows the android in its back and *ningun comando" (No commands) if I try to reboot, it send me once again to the recovery menu like... It doesn't have a OS? Even when it "updated" the recovery menu I really REALLY need help, I already contacted with HTC and the told me to send it but I'm from Venezuela so that's absolutely impossible for me, the Nexus has been bricked for 4 months ;---;
This is what the ADB shows me in the pc.
And this is what the tablet shows exactly after it reboot post "No error" from adb
This is the Last log, I truly dont get the "error" thingy :/
Help :crying:

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If your getting error's from this process, it maybe helpful to google, to report your recovery logs to this thread.
If your device is in this state we would really appreciate logs from more devices.
1) Power off your tablet.
2) Press and hold the Volume Down button. Then, while holding Volume Down, also press and hold the Power button until the tablet turns on. (Fastboot mode)
3) Press the Volume Down button once to highlight "Recovery." Press the Power button to start in recovery mode. You'll see an image of an Android robot with a red exclamation mark. (Recover mode)
4) Press and hold down the Power button. Then, while holding Power, press and release the Volume Up button once.
5) Use the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons to navigate to "View recovery logs", and press the Power button to select.
6) There might be multiple log files. Start from "/cache/recovery/last_log" to view the log contents. Look for lines like "Finding update package...", "Opening update package...", etc. These lines indicate that the log file is for the OTA.
7) Navigate towards the end of the log using the volume buttons and look for any errors.
We are specifically interested in knowing if the bricked devices show "fsync failed: I/O error". We are exploring options to recover devices with locked bootloaders that are bricked. We'll post an update here.
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This process has been reported to work on a bricked lollipop device.
This process has been reported to work on a bricked lollipop device.
defmetal96 said:
Hi I know this is a long shot but do you know how to fix this ^^ abort error?
Currently stuck on LRX22L but it is not booting as the OTA update to LRX22L failed for no apparent reason, foolishly my bootloader is still locked and the OEM unlock option is not checked.
is there any salvation?
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defmetal96 said:
Sideloaded the N preview and that finally did the trick.
For anyone else with this issue I think the N preview is the only escape at present if your tablet is locked and refusing OTA updates
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