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..
I've recently upgraded phones and have decided to root my S5 active. Unfortunately, I am not running the NE4 version of the firmware, therefore, I am not able to use Towelroot. I've done quite a bit of digging trying to solve the problem to no avail. I've tried using Odin to either downgrade my firmware or install a custom/rooted firmware but Odin gives an "Auth" fail. I've done as much research as I can into why I get an auth fail and nothing I've seen suggested has helped. I've tried installing firmware through the SD card, looked into sideloading firmware but that seems to be only for updates as far as I can tell. I am well and truly at a loss and was hoping someone could help.
S5 active
Samsung-sm-g870a
Version: 5.1.1
I hate to say it but you are in the same boat I am. There is no root for that. They patched the hole and prevent downgrading.
The only ones that might have been able to break it walked away from Samsung years ago. Sorry. Don't feel bad your not alone.
Surely to god someone SOMEWHERE has figured something out? Maybe I can take it to best buy and have them downgrade the software for me?
dimlitebulb3 said:
Surely to god someone SOMEWHERE has figured something out? Maybe I can take it to best buy and have them downgrade the software for me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It won't work. The updated bootloader prevents it being downgraded. It would take a jtag machine and Samsung to do it.
No. No one has. You have to remember that the best walked away from Samsung. Anyone that tries to break it gets hit with a C&D order.
No I had no idea about that :/
Towel root has something interesting that I saw
https://towelroot.com/modstrings.html
Anybody know anything about this?
dimlitebulb3 said:
No I had no idea about that :/
Towel root has something interesting that I saw
https://towelroot.com/modstrings.html
Anybody know anything about this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't say I do. I would never use towel root or king/kingo root.
zelendel said:
Can't say I do. I would never use towel root or king/kingo root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any particular reason why not?
dimlitebulb3 said:
Any particular reason why not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Security concerns. Mind you that is a personal thing and many people are fine with it. Just not me.
So maybe I could find someone who knows more about them to see if they can do something about this?
dimlitebulb3 said:
So maybe I could find someone who knows more about them to see if they can do something about this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Considering no one has been able to be able to crack Samsung locks I wouldn't count on it. I would just accept that it is a locked down device. This is the reason developers Dont buy Samsung devices anymore.
I've shot the creator of towelroot an email asking about mod strings. Hopefully he can explain it a little and help me out. If I find something out I'll let you know but I still am hopeful someone has SOME solution for me. I'm desperate
dimlitebulb3 said:
I've shot the creator of towelroot an email asking about mod strings. Hopefully he can explain it a little and help me out. If I find something out I'll let you know but I still am hopeful someone has SOME solution for me. I'm desperate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well to be honest. If root is something you need then you should avoid Samsung.
If you find something then cool. I'll never use it. The security issues could get me in trouble keeping with my job so it's out of the question.
The only reason I'm trying so hard is because this is my old phone and I can't really afford much of anything else. If I felt like I had another option, I'd go for it. I have no security concerns, I'm not even particularly concerned about bricking my old phone. If I can't figure out how to root it, it might as well be a brick anyway for how useful it is.
dimlitebulb3 said:
The only reason I'm trying so hard is because this is my old phone and I can't really afford much of anything else. If I felt like I had another option, I'd go for it. I have no security concerns, I'm not even particularly concerned about bricking my old phone. If I can't figure out how to root it, it might as well be a brick anyway for how useful it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's still a good device. Even stock. The security concerns are there you just don't understand them completely. As an example. They store your IMEI. Which can be used to clone your device. As such when the oem sees 2 IMEI the same it kills both devices. Making them both not work.
I'll be honest for that device you are gonna waste more time trying to find away around it. ( it will be blocked again with the 6.0 update that is planned for it) then you would just using it as is. Mine is completely stock and works as it should.
I'm honestly not worried about losing the device to something like that. I'm not storing anything particularly interesting on it but I need the root to do what I want. I won't be updating the firmware at all so it'll never go to 6.0
dimlitebulb3 said:
I'm honestly not worried about losing the device to something like that. I'm not storing anything particularly interesting on it but I need the root to do what I want. I won't be updating the firmware at all so it'll never go to 6.0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well then good luck. You will need it. Also keep in mind with those root you will have to reroot every reboot. That's if he can find a new whole Samsung has not patched, which is becoming harder with monthly security updates.
It is well accepted around here that sooner or later only nexus devices will be rootable or have any development done for it.
If I had known that earlier, it could've saved me a lot of hassle but this is where I am right now. My new phone is the S7 edge and I really want to use the S5 active for something else.
No one knows of anyone I can even pay to look into maybe even changing the firmware? No way to load custom firmware at all?
dimlitebulb3 said:
If I had known that earlier, it could've saved me a lot of hassle but this is where I am right now. My new phone is the S7 edge and I really want to use the S5 active for something else.
No one knows of anyone I can even pay to look into maybe even changing the firmware? No way to load custom firmware at all?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. Samsung locked it down. They made it so the bootloader can't be downgraded. You have to understand most of the real good developers walked away from Samsung and now refuse to work on their devices or even buy them. When it comes to developers Samsung is at the top of the list right next to Xiaomi of devices not to get. More and more teams are even dropping all support for Samsung devices. It's just the way it is really.
And since it's a phone the hardware can't be changed either?
dimlitebulb3 said:
And since it's a phone the hardware can't be changed either?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can be but you would have to find a device that has the old 4.4.4 rom and then swap mother boards. Not easy at all. Let alone the min it gets connected to a cell network it will update anyway.
I know it's a hard thing to do but I would get used to it mainly with the new device you just. Got.
I just bought this phone about 2wo weeks ago, & it's actually not a bad for a Tracfone. It runs on version 5.1.1. But forget specs lol. It's currently not activated, & I'm not so sure if that matters when it comes to the actual process of Rooting. I downloaded KingRoot, but I seen that before Rooting I would have to unlock the bootloader. So I followed the procedures only to stumble upon something wasn't right.. I couldn't put my phone in either fastboot, download, or recovery mode.. No matter what I did. I've tried every guide & forum, but nothing. I finally called my service provider to see if they could figure out what the problem was. They came to tell me that I wasn't going to be able to access those features until I activate the phone. (which sounds really suspicious & stupid) I noticed I can access safe mode. What sounds more suspect is that I have to pay for a plan just to activate it, which I never had to do with a phone before. Nevertheless, to sum it all up.. Is there an actual way around this craziness? I never had to go thru this much to root a phone. I honestly feel like there is no point of having an android without unleashing it's true potential. Please, any help would be great. :fingers-crossed:
I have the same phone and the same problem. Still have yet to find a way. anybody?
Looks as though Straight Talk (ST) sets it up that way. I have had other straight talk phones and have always had issues rooting their phones. In fact I have never been able to root their phones. Please someone, show us a work around solution these ST phones.
Same on net 10. Think its an lg thang...
activated my phone and have same prob...help
Funny how I have a LG Optimus Fuel that has really crappy specs and can root easily with android kitkat but this phone is lollipop and better specs and newer can't root at all. I think it is more bootloader locked and only ones that are not locked are mediocre to expensive phones from the manufacturer now. My Optimus Fuel is a Tracfone too, just like the Rebel. I doubt anyone is interested in getting this one rooted. I would not mind because when I rooted my Optimus Fuel it let me put my Micro SD Card into exfat instead of fat32, which exfat sound quality is better and boosted volume a couple db. Only thing with Optimus one is that 512mb makes the music randomly skip. So that is one reason to get the Rebel rooted but we are SOL with this device.
Straight Talk is newer than Tracfone, because Tracfone created Straight Talk. Not the other way around. Tracfone has been around the longest.
TrillzUpTheBlock said:
I just bought this phone about 2wo weeks ago, & it's actually not a bad for a Tracfone. It runs on version 5.1.1. But forget specs lol. It's currently not activated, & I'm not so sure if that matters when it comes to the actual process of Rooting. I downloaded KingRoot, but I seen that before Rooting I would have to unlock the bootloader. So I followed the procedures only to stumble upon something wasn't right.. I couldn't put my phone in either fastboot, download, or recovery mode.. No matter what I did. I've tried every guide & forum, but nothing. I finally called my service provider to see if they could figure out what the problem was. They came to tell me that I wasn't going to be able to access those features until I activate the phone. (which sounds really suspicious & stupid) I noticed I can access safe mode. What sounds more suspect is that I have to pay for a plan just to activate it, which I never had to do with a phone before. Nevertheless, to sum it all up.. Is there an actual way around this craziness? I never had to go thru this much to root a phone. I honestly feel like there is no point of having an android without unleashing it's true potential. Please, any help would be great. :fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried shutting the phone off, and pressing the buttons after connecting to pc. I don't remember the exact buttons you press. I have worked on a few lg phones before and that was the only way i was able to obtain the mode i needed.
Cannot Root my LG Rebel LTE (L44VL)
I am also having problems trying to Root my my LG Rebel LTE (L44VL) too. My Backup&Restore program of choice is Titanium, but it requires that my system needs to be "Rooted" first. I couldn't find any settings to do this (even when I enter 'Developer Mode'). I've even tried several popular Rooting app tools, including RootKing and Kingo Root (Mobile Version), but they all were not able to Root my system. Please help me with this problem...thank you very much.
At the moment I really only need to backup the critical *system* files, any recommendations?
Looks like this phone is never going to get the root attention it needs. It been out about a year now since release and nothing at all. No one cares about this phone.
Have any of you tried going into developer options and turning on the oem unlock option before trying to get into download mode or anything? Just a thought guys...
As for the optimus fuel,install towelroot. open it, tap the title/symbol 3x, change the 2nd from last digit to "zero". Tap "make it rain". Should root it in literally like 3secs...
---------- Post added at 11:46 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:43 AM ----------
Worx exactly the same for the lg l41c ultimate 2...
so anybody with this device is jst boned or what?
Is this place dead
Skunkser said:
Is this place dead
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No this phone sucks without root though lol.
I've been fiddling with this phone for months, the farthest I've managed to get was a temp root, which is undone when the phone is reset. My theory is that it's possible, if done within the timeframe before the phone resets itself, whether that means pushing files through adb or shell, or flashing a custom Rom. My phone has been through a number of battles, and has seen more bricks than a brick wall..but, I'm still at it.
BlindReaperz0rz said:
I've been fiddling with this phone for months, the farthest I've managed to get was a temp root, which is undone when the phone is reset. My theory is that it's possible, if done within the timeframe before the phone resets itself, whether that means pushing files through adb or shell, or flashing a custom Rom. My phone has been through a number of battles, and has seen more bricks than a brick wall..but, I'm still at it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Care to Share what You did to get temp root ? that may be enough to dump a partition...
Astr4y4L said:
Care to Share what You did to get temp root ? that may be enough to dump a partition...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This phone is the same as the Optimus Zone 3, or the LG Leon, or the LG K4, however the Optimus Zone 3 seems to be its direct ancestor.
I have successfully temp rooted with kingroot 5.2.2 and oem unlock, problem is a random crash/reboot soon follows which of course flushes all the root.
We worked on this phone and the zone 3 a few years back. Never had any luck with this handset. It's another cheap undesirable that will most likely not see any development for itself any time soon.
_360Root 8.1.1.3
_In Chinese but worked on first try
_360_Root_v8.1.1.3.apk - Android Data Host
My wife Karen gets credit for this find.
360_Root_v8.1.1.3.apk - Android Data Host
You are about to download the 360_Root_v8.1.1.3.apk file on your computer. The file comes as an apk application and the file size is approximately 8.14 MB only. ADH Editorial Staff uploaded this file from Spain on 18/07/2018. The registered Editorial Staff uploaded this file under the Public...
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