Hi, I unfortunately don't know a lot about what I am doing here (the root of all my trouble), I'll try to get the info straight:
Motorola Droid Razr (XT910), bought in Dubai, using it in UK, so I didn't receive OTA updates. I decided to try update to ICS using RSD Lite, but the flashing got stuck at system_signed. I gave it a lot of time (hours) before I switched off the phone and tried again, which is when things started going haywire:
During my following attempts, the battery ran low, so I couldn't go on trying (soft brick). I made a patched "factory cable" as per instructions in this forum somewhere, the cable works and powers the phone for flashing.
Now all it does is coming up with the fastboot screen, which reads:
AP Fastboot Flash Mode (S) (Flash Failure)
0A.6C
[...]
Device is LOCKED. Status code: 0
Battery OK
OK to Program
Transfer Mode:
USB Connected
...which suggests to me it would be ok to be flashed, if only I could get it to accept the files. Being a big numpty, I am unfortunately not quite sure what was the exact version that was on there before (big mistake, I know that now), it was 2.3.6 and I suspect it must have been a MEA version, since it was bought there(? - also, when I first switched it on, all was in arabic).
What I have tried so far was:
* using several different fastboot firmware files with RSD Lite 5.7, all of which do not get over the step '1/xx flash cdt.bin "cdt.bin_signed"' - it just hangs supposedly "In process..." forever. I noticed all of these have an "ota" folder (although they vary considerably in size between <1 and 2.5 GB) - maybe all the ones I downloaded are only updates? Is there an actual, base operating system image somewhere?
After many failed attempts, I got desperate and tried files for different regions at random. The ones I tried so far:
SPDREM_U_01.6.5.1-73_SPU-11-M1-2_SIGNEuropeAustraliaEMEA_USASPDRRTGB_HWp2b_Service1FF_fastboot.xml
SPDREM_U_01.6.5.1-73_SPU-11-M1-2-ULB_1C.85P_0A.6B_DATDE_CFC_HWp2b_SIGNED.xml
SPDREM_U_01.6.5.1-167_SPU-15-M2-3_SIGNEuropeAustraliaEMEA_USASPDRRTGB_HWp2b_Service1FF_fastboot
SPDREM_U_01.6.7.2-180_SPU-19-TA-11.6_SIGNEuropeAustraliaEMEA_USASPDRICSRTCEE_HWp2b_Service1FF_fastboot.xml
SPDREM_U_01.6.7.2-180_SPU-19-TA-11.6_SIGNEuropeAustraliaEMEA_USASPDRICSRTGB_HWp2b_Service1FF_fastboot.xml
SPYDERIRD_U.01.26.0_SPD-IRD-21_SIGN_ASIA_RETAIL_HKTW.xml
SPYDERIRD_U.01.26.0_SPD-IRD-21_SIGN_MEA_RETAIL.xml
The only thing I am quite sure about is that it is not LATAM.
* I tried manually flashing the various image files with moto-fastboot, fastboot, and eprj-mfastboot, both the Windows and the Linux versions, with pretty much always the same result: it would flash some files (e.g. ebr, mbr, devtree), but not what I think are the crucial ones: boot, system, also logo.bin. As there are so many possible combinations, I have not tried every file from every firmware I downloaded with every possible program, but as far as I can tell, the results were the same. I did get some error messages about signing (indicating wrong region) sometimes, but most of the time it just hangs forever while supposedly transferring the files.
* I also tried the DroidRAZRUtility, both 1.51 and 1.6, which both invariably fail at the first step of flashing the "allow-mbmloader-flashing-mbm.bin" file on there.
So, I am out of ideas now. Please, someone tell me I have overlooked something obvious. Also, please tell me I haven't bricked the thing for good.
Is there not a way to write something new into it's memory on an even more basic level (I am thinking Linux' dd here), or to read out which region it is currently locked to? I repeat, all I get is the Fastboot screen, I can get into the Fastboot menu, but none of the options gets me anywhere else, (stock) recovery does not work... My last idea is that it might still be a power issue despite the "factory cable", and to try and crack it open and power it at the battery contacts for flashing - but the fact that some flashing works, and the other files don't fail because it goes dead, but because it rejects them, suggests to me it is not a power problem.
Any suggestions appreciated, thanks!
Try flashing SPDREM_U_01.6.7.2-180_SPU-19-TA-11.2_SIGNEuropeAustraliaEMEA_USASPDRICSRTGB_HWp2b_Service1FF_fastboot
with rsd lite.
Those failures are because of two things:
1. You are trying wrong sbf for another region
2 and/or you are trying to flash an older firmware.
Please note that now your only bet is to flash ICS firmware, and try various regions untill you find your right one.
Also if you manually flash use eprj-mfastboot , others fail to flash corectly.
Again for the power issue, when RSD throws an error , look at the phone, if it says "Low battery, cannot program" then the factory cable is bad, if not there is no power problem.
Don't worry your phone is not dead, you only need to find the correct sbf file, try more variants with rsd lite, it must work.
Mine had problems flashing correct sbf's, it was my system. Even with correct drivers and lastest RSD it would not work, nor with my other laptop, but working fine on my old xp install on a macbook. I could however install stuff individually using fastboot flash command. Sorry that I dont have a solution but I just wanted to let you know that sometimes it can be your computer/os install.
still trying
@Killer2k8: Thanks for the encouragement, I will try with the file you suggested with eprj-mfastboot.
As per power: I seem to have tried so many times that the battery is way deeply uncharged (I hope it isn't permanently damaged once I get the phone to charge at all again), so anyway, I crack'd'er open and tried powering directly at the battery contacts (battery disconnected, of course). As you would guess from what you wrote, that did not make any difference to my problems... But also, it proves my factory cable is good, as I can even flash the few files that work if no power is connected at the battery contacts, powering through the cable only. Some files will transfer correctly, and when it says "writing", the phone will just reboot, causing an error - that's why I thought of power issue, e.g. the actual flashing process requiring more power than just the transfer... Anyway, that issue did not go away even with direct power. - Will see what happens once I find the right files for me...
I'm good with flashing ICS, that's what I wanted to do in the first place. And thanks for the encouragement!
@drolgnir: Thanks, I had the same idea, as initially I had tried everything from Win7 running in VirtualBox (at first, I only found all the tools for Win, should've really researched better before starting this), I thought maybe it doesn't have the proper low-level access to the USB ports. Anyway, since trouble hit me, I tried also on three different Linux machines (2 different dirtros), and also again on the virtual Win, and on many, many different USB ports on these (just in case it was a USB power issue), all to no avail. I guess Killer2k8's suggestion sounds most promising at the moment... Cheers anyway.
no luck - situation deteriorating..?
Sorry for the many posts, I hope someone is still reading this...
So, I tried the file you suggested. I flashed manually, not RSD, with "fastboot" from eternity project, which is the Linux equivalent to "eprj-mfastboot.exe", as far as I can tell (download from the same post as the Win version).
I could flash cdt.bin, ebr, mbr. Note that these are all just 16kB.
When trying logo.bin, it sent it ok, but during 'writing logo.bin...', the phone just switched off. After restart, same again. Same also with boot_signed.
Since then, things got worse: whenever I try to switch on now, it flashes ~1/4 of the red "M" logo, then flashes the AP fastboot screen, and repeats that a few times before staying off (sometimes not, just switches off right away). I can still get into the Boot Mode Selection menu by holding all three buttons, but selecting AP fastboot there has the same effect. Starting with power&Vol- button shows the fastboot screen immediately, but again only for a flash...
The only thing that will stay on is the SBF Flash screen, but I don't know what to do with that..?
So, I still smell a power problem, but neither applying external power, nor using the factory cable alone made a difference. The cable is ok, I re-checked. The fact that the SBF Flash screen stays on suggests that it is not a stuck power button (someone had that problem, apparently), am I right?
So, any suggestions from here? Thanks..
Although this doesn't help, I have pretty much the exact same issue. However, I do know what/where my phone is from, it requires the central Europe update. But apart from that the issues are identical; it only boots into the flash failed fastboot menu, and any RSD attempts have failed at cdt.bin, while using the fastboot tool does not work either as I get preinfovalidation flash errors. The utilities don't work either.
Now, as you did, I also tried quite a few different versions of the firmware, and none of them worked. So what I was wondering is, is there a way for us to find out exactly what version the phone 'thinks' it is on, so we can find the same/a newer version of the firmware to update it to? Because I am quite certain I am using the files from the right region, so it must be the version that is too old.
update: still struggling, but giant leap further! Please read my tale...
...just in case anyone might find this useful, I'd like to give an update on my "patient":
I actually managed to flash ICS on there! Kind of.. What I did, was:
With the battery unplugged, I supplied external power to the phone, additional to the factory cable. The issue was that it would often flash small files, but for larger files would successfully "send" them, but in the "writing" phase the phone would just switch off. So, I supplied carefully monitored 3.7V to the contacts, which seemed to make a difference, but in the "writing" phase, Voltage dropped to below 3V where it would again switch off. Ok, you can charge a LiIon battery with max. 4.2V, and you should normally charge the battery before flashing, so I tried again while providing 4.2V. And - Success!! Voltage would drop to ~4V during "writing", but it stayed on, and allowed me to further test which Firmware the device would actually accept.
I do not believe that applying 5V from an USB cable directly to the (plugged-in) battery contacts, as mentioned in the forums somewhere, is very healthy for the battery. I reconnected the battery and tried charging it directly from the contacts, but I made sure the Voltage would always stay below 4.2V. Occasionally in my exploits, the charging circuitry would actually spring into action (confirmed by a drop and fluctuations in Voltage, and the faintest of noises from the phone itself), and I used that of course to squeeze some life back in, but most of the time it would not charge at all. I can not say what combination of flashing attempts, rebooting, un- and replugging the cable, switching and changing the charging current,... actually triggered the charging process occasionally, sorry. I could not reliably reproduce it.
In the process, I also tried the DroidRazrUtility 1.8, which interestingly flashed the AP fastboot to v 0A.74, but of course failed further on...
With the new AP fastboot, I thought maybe something more might now work, and at last I found it would now miraculously accept:
SPDREM_U_01.6.7.2-180_SPU-19-TA-11.6_SIGNEuropeAustraliaEMEA_USASPDRICSRTGB_HWp2b_Service1FF_fastboot.xml and
SPDREM_U_01.6.7.2-180_SPU-19-TA-11.6_SIGNEuropeAustraliaEMEA_USASPDRICSRTCEE_HWp2b_Service1FF_fastboot.xml
Fantastic!
First thing, before any actual booting, was to try if I could finally charge my battery again, and at last - yes!
At about 70%, I got adventurous, and unplugged the charger to put it in another power outlet. This made the phone actually boot up, but I thought that's not too bad now... But:
Now I have the following issue: After being freshly flashed (I tried several times now), it will charge as long as I don't actually switch it on, ONCE, but when it boots, after asking the setup questions and a little while on, it will switch off on its own, and then it's stuck in some variation of the bootloop (M dual core logo, pulsing M forever, OR rebooting ever and ever again at the pulsing M, OR just stuck at the M dual core). At least I now have a recovery menu. Erasing cache and data DON'T solve the issue (as proposed many times in the forums). I read a hint that it might be a kernel issue, or that it might be caused by a wrong radio.img (CDMA on a GSM phone). I checked and tested the latter by deactivating the radio in the extended settings, but it would still switch off after a short while (and it had defaulted to GSM, as it should).
So...am I stuck to wait for some new Firmware to come out, that might fix the issue? Or what should I try? Thanks in advance...
Resolved!
Long read, but I finally managed to do it. Basically, I am not 100% sure what happened, but I have a hunch:
After I thought I had solved the power issues by at least being able to charge the battery once after each re-flashing, I tried to fix the issue about the phone randomly switching off (and on - it wouldn't stay off!). I read that it might have to do with flashing failures (no error message??), or incorrect kernel or radio images...
Not long, and I ran into familiar problems again: It would flash the smaller files, but not system and cdrom; it would successfully "send" the files, but never stop "writing" them (I waited for somewhere between 10 min and an hour at each attempt), only way to stop the process was to switch off the phone, which certainly is not healthy during flashing...
...so battery started to go down again and I started to more and more clearly face a power issue again (I had disconnected the external power and didn't want to risk that McGyver approach again). As it happened, I also 'got some new USB 3.0 external hard drives at this time. I found that one would readily power up on all my USB ports, the other one could not get enough power even from some supposed 3.0 ports..
...which made me try flashing the very same firmware I was just trying (with the factory cable, of course), all the smaller files of which worked on the one computer but not the large ones (indicating I had the right firmware, at least):
SPDREM_U_01.6.7.2-180_SPU-19-TA-11.6_SIGNEuropeAustraliaEMEA_USASPDRICSRTGB_HWp2b_ Service1FF_fastboot.xml
, on another computer, on the one USB 3.0 port that had proven to supply the most power - and taa-daa! It wrote it, very quickly, without complaining!
And it booted alright (after charging it first, just in case). And it stayed on (and off, when I eventually rebooted it). I am running that ever since, and it seems ok...
Originally, I had aimed for:
SPDREM_U_01.6.7.2-180_SPU-19-TA-11.6_SIGNEuropeAustraliaEMEA_USASPDRICSRTCEE_HWp2b _Service1FF_fastboot.xml
, but I think the differences are minimal and I don't want to risk anything going wrong again, right now.
In conclusion, to me the main issues were
- finding the right firmware, stupidly not having paid attention to the original version number, and
- all sorts of different power issues!
The factory cable did not solve all of my problems.
Recharging the battery (eventually) did not solve my problems.
ADDITIONALLY, it needs to be flashed from a USB port supplying sufficient power!
This might point into the direction drolgnir suggested, but for me, it was not an OS/driver problem, but definitely power (same, fresh install of Fedora Linux on the two machines that did, and didn't work, one of them alternatively running Win 8; the Linux Mint computer I also tried doesn't have USB 3.0, the USB 2.0 ports - including an externally powered USB hub - did not work). @drolgnir: maybe it was power for you too, but you didn't notice because it was a different OS too?
...I hope this overly detailed report might help someone else too...
So I was having so many issues with my rooted phone crashing on jasmineRom 7.0 I thought maybe an OTA update had made it through and started downloading. No matter what I was doing the screen would turn blue and then restart. Sometimes it would crash blue again during reboot, and sometimes it would crash and then show the green demigod crash screen. So I researched flashing the .tot files to go back to stock. KDZ I didn't care for because it still showed the phone as modified software, and I wanted full stock so I could use the extended warranty with Verizon if need be. I eventually got the .tot method to work and everything was hunky dory, and showing stock. I upgraded all the way to marshmallow and decided I love every bit of it, but I couldn't figure out how to get my contacts and stuff off titanium backup without root. So I figured, "well roots not the problem if an OTA tried to download it just means I missed a setting or something". So I rooted again. No issues, I reinstalled JasmineRom 9.1 this time. Eventually it started crashing again, although this time I followed absolutely every guide I could find on disabling OTA. So I thought, "Great it's Jasmine" and I really wanted Marshmallow anyway so I followed xdabbeb's guide for getting the 35b bootstack on my phone, worked great no issues, and then I installed xdabbeb's firmware, combined with Edor's debloating zips. Everything was working great! I had no issues, I backed up just my apps, and some data, and reinstalled others and everything was great and working fine, and the phone was still official, no OTA's getting through. That was almost a full week ago. Yesterday I woke up and the phone wouldn't turn on. I took the battery out and put it back in and the phone came on, but then crashed with the blue screen again. So I thought great I guess I'll put it back to stock and use the warranty. By this time though I was having trouble getting it to load past the LG screen. I finally got it into TWRP and was able to wipe everything (except SD card) and then I stuck it in download mode and went to install the .tot files. Weeeeelllll, long story short, it crashed during download mode install with the LG Flash Tool. So now the phone gets stuck in download mode everytime I pull the battery and power it on. And crashes again every time I go to install anything. KDZ doesn't work, the flash tool says it can't communicate with the phone, because it crashes. And LG Flash Tool for the .tot files seems to crash everything it loads the modem, or consistently crashes on LAF:bin_user_mode. So I have no idea. At the moment it just looks like my phone is all funky defective, and Verizon may take it back and give me a new one so I'm going to try that. HOWEVER! If anyone has any ideas on what the issue is or what else can be done, I still want to hear it. Feel free to post
Also I've tried updated drivers for the computer, I've tried rolling back drivers, I've tried different KDZ files, I've tried the LGUP8974.dll fix where you flash that in flash tools and then flash the vs985 dll, which is what I had to do to get it back to stock the first time. I've tried everything I could find online except anything to do with fast boot and shorting the pins. Which I haven't tried because I can still access download mode it just seems to be stuck in download mode. Those methods from what I understand are for hard bricking, and for people who's phones don't turn on at all. Although if Verizon won't help I may try one of the laf recovery methods.
Thanks!
Hello, I have a stock Verizon LG G3, updated to whatever the latest update was a few days ago. As of yesterday, my phone won't charge or generally turn on. I have 3 batteries and same issue with all of them. Here's whats been happening:
After not touching it for a few hours, the phone can turn on, but it only makes it to the LG G3 black logo screen, sits there for a few seconds, then turns off. You literally have to wait an hour or so for it do turn on again, otherwise you can't do anything.
Charging doesn't work, no response, no LED on phone. Taking out SIM, battery, etc.. waiting, still doesn't work. The batteries are fine, I've charged all 3 in a separate wall charger.
Been searching since last night, found something I thought would work - pulled battery and SIM, waited a while, plugged phone in without battery and an icon with a question mark on the battery came up, put the battery in and the phone did show it was charging, battery was at 99%. Thought it would turn on, but when I booted it went to the LG G3 logo screen then went black/turned off again. Couldn't get it back on.
I'm stuck right now, this is a stock phone, never rooted, never did any custom roms. Phone is out of warranty (got in 10/2014), verizon is no help. Please any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!!
Hi.
Look under the battery and see if the "VS985" model number there lists a "K" stock as VS985WK. If not, and it probably won't since yours is "old" like mine, proceed with the following.
Flash the 10B TOT. Ignore anything in the following that mentions root, TWRP or of course flashing custom ROMs and Bootstacks.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=67945841
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=68040923
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=68098895&postcount=1470
Then flash the 48A KDZ using @annoyingduck 's stickied return to stock thread in the General section, also in my signature below. The 48A KDZ is at my Android File Host link at the bottom of the first post of that thread.
I'd recommend pulling the SIM and Micro SD card out while the phone's off while doing both of these flashes. Sometimes someone's IMEI is wiped when flashing and I've had my Micro SD card wiped exactly once (among several dozens of times flashing).
You could in theory go straight to flashing the KDZ but it might not fix it. TOTs fix things KDZs can't.
I picked up a VS985, but it has some odd stuff going on. It came rooted and is running 12B, but I figured I would factory reset it just to be sure.
However, factory reset doesn't work. The lights slowly flicker, but it never actually resets. Download mode doesn't work at all.
What's going on? How can I get this up and running? I've rooted the VS985 before, but I wasn't prepared for this.
Sounds like you might have either a bad device, or else the cable isn't working well if you can't get download mode to work at all. Do you have the original cables and have you installed the latest G3 drivers from LG?
Not sure that it'd be cables at all - the Factory Reset just doesn't fire (I get alternating red and blue colors out of the LED that don't seem to end). This is some kind of problem that pre-exists cable issues.
How would I go about restoring Download Mode without a recovery module to flash with?
Having problems with ADB commands as well... nothing seems to be readable, despite having SuperSU up and running. Hoo boy. I'd tried using the shell to load the laf.img on, but when it isn't readable... Damn.
Kept slamming it with options, ultimately imageprepGUI managed to get TWRP onto it, flash 10B, load in bootstacks, debloats, G4 weather... I'm in the clear. How annoying.