Need help with unbricking/resetting acer liquid Z330 - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I've downloaded the stock ROM from the acer site, put it on my SD card and went into recovery to apply the update from the sdcard. When trying to update I got the following error:
e: footer is wrong
e: signature verification failed
Installation aborted.
Now, I've searched everywhere and tried at least 20 different things without anything working. I've unlocked the bootloader and flashed the boot.img which was inside the update file I downloaded from the acer site, I've tried flashing certain files seperatly etc. Another problem is, there is no system.img or recovery.img or any other img file in the stock rom from acer which doesn't allow me to flash it via the fastboot. So either I need to find those img files, or I need a fix for the error above.
Any suggestions?
(One more thing, I really can't try using a custom recovery to disable signature verification because the Liquid Z330 is such an unsupported phone, there is no cwm or twrp recovery for it. I also don't wanna risk trying another phone's cwm or twrp on the Z330 because I don't have the stock recovery.img file in case it doesn't work.)
UPDATE: I found an older version of twrp for the phone and I was able to disable signature verification but when trying to install the zip I get this error log:
Updating partition details...
*in red* E: Unable to mount '/system'
...done
Full SELinux support is present.
MTP Enabled
Installing '/sdcard/update.zip'...
Checking for MD5 file...
Skipping MD5 check: no MD5 file found
Error flashing zip '/sdcard/update.zip'
Any new suggestions as to what might be the problem?
Update2:
So after Ysfzone posted this tutorial:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/general/general/acer-liquid-z330-unbrick-unlock-t3520952
I was able to restore my acer liquid z330.
I did actually run into some trouble with Ysfzone's instructions, and found a way around it, it should be the second comment on the post.
My only problem now is that the system is restored it's booting into demo mode. When I try to update it downloads the update and reboots into TWRP and when I then reboot to the system it says that the install failed. I think it would automatically install the update with the stock recovery but because I have TWRP installed I have to find the downloaded update file and install it manually.
So I have two options:
Either someone tells me where the update download folder is, or someone provides me with the stock recovery.
Any help?

---

Exactly same issues
Hey there!
I have the exact same issues. I have been trying to unbrick my phone, but nothing has actually worked. My phone is still stuck on the white screen with the acer logo.
Did you make any progress?
Were you able to find out anything that works??
Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks
MK

---

markendeyk said:
Hey there!
I have the exact same issues. I have been trying to unbrick my phone, but nothing has actually worked. My phone is still stuck on the white screen with the acer logo.
Did you make any progress?
Were you able to find out anything that works??
Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks
MK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(If you don't want to read the story, read the last sentence.)
I actually was able to get rid of the MD5 check error by creating a MD5 file myself. You basically have to download an application that gets you the MD5 sum. I used this: http://www.fast-files.com/getfile.aspx?file=127067 (just reuploaded it because I forgot where I got it from). Using the exe file in there I generated the MD5 file in this format: d2a862b7c1a8f66b6d1be32f400dc73e *update.zip. After that I tried installing the zip again, this time I got the same error except with the MD5 error missing. After contacting Acer support, I was basically told that I needed to send my info back so I could get contacted for a repair. But since I flashed the recovery it probably wouldn't fall under warranty.
So basically try emailing Acer support and try and get them to repair it. I havent found a way to fix it myself.

---

One more thing. It wasn't my phone to begin with, I just tried to fix it for someone. That person already has a new phone and I won't be trying anything anymore to fix the phone since I don't have it anymore.

---

Hello everyone,
I've been in the same situation as you until few hours.
I've also tried a lot of things which doesn't work at all ( like extracting system.img from the Acer update.zip ).
I've seen that every time I tried to install an update.zip package I get the same error:
E: footer is wrong.
E: signature verification failed
And I solved it by unzipping and zipping it again.
Then when I was able to flash it and get my phone back.
if it still doesn't work with the stock recovery, you may try with a custom recovery ( like twrp, you can easily find it on google )
If you have any questions about it, I can try to answer them.
Hope it'll help !

---

pxie said:
Hello everyone,
I've been in the same situation as you until few hours.
I've also tried a lot of things which doesn't work at all ( like extracting system.img from the Acer update.zip ).
I've seen that every time I tried to install an update.zip package I get the same error:
E: footer is wrong.
E: signature verification failed
And I solved it by unzipping and zipping it again.
Then when I was able to flash it and get my phone back.
if it still doesn't work with the stock recovery, you may try with a custom recovery ( like twrp, you can easily find it on google )
If you have any questions about it, I can try to answer them.
Hope it'll help !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion. Just out of curiousity I guess I'll ask the phone back and try it.

---

I've tried it again, but the problem isn't because the signature verification fails, its something else. Idk what.

---

Hello Mounir9912,
Have you try to re-download the file from acer website, or/and to check the zip file with winzip or winrar ?
I've read that you created a md5 file, for my part I just disable md5 verification from TWRP.
It seems like you've got a system mount error, do you still get it if you wipe all partition on your phone (system, cache, data, dalvik cache) ?
Finally, I don't know if it can be useful, but I have a TWRP backup of my z330
I'll stay available if you still have trouble.

---

pxie said:
Hello Mounir9912,
Have you try to re-download the file from acer website, or/and to check the zip file with winzip or winrar ?
I've read that you created a md5 file, for my part I just disable md5 verification from TWRP.
It seems like you've got a system mount error, do you still get it if you wipe all partition on your phone (system, cache, data, dalvik cache) ?
Finally, I don't know if it can be useful, but I have a TWRP backup of my z330
I'll stay available if you still have trouble.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might just be the godsend I needed. I've already tried everything you said including wiping and disabling the verification. Could you upload the twrp backup somewhere? It might be the only thing that can save this phone aside from paying way too much money to acer because of a voided warrantee.

---

Hello Mounir9912,
Here the link to download the twrp backup of my z330:
mega.nz/#!idICgLAZ!uJo_EvbMHAyVju9qo_uWY7d7aVLkpqxmZAWSd8jtmkk
Hope it'll help.
I'll stay available if you still need help.

---

pxie said:
Hello Mounir9912,
Here the link to download the twrp backup of my z330:
mega.nz/#!idICgLAZ!uJo_EvbMHAyVju9qo_uWY7d7aVLkpqxmZAWSd8jtmkk
Hope it'll help.
I'll stay available if you still need help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I'll try it when I get home (in a few hours)

---

damn, mega is being an asshole. I downloaded it but while downloading I accidentally unplugged the power cable from my laptop and it shut down so I had to redownload. When I downloaded again it cut me off at like 90% because of exceeding the bandwidth quota of 5GB. Now I have to either pay a monthly fee or wait 5 hours...

---

Hey pixie,
I've actually restored it via twrp, but it still isn't booting past the logo. Could you maybe make a backup of all the partitions except the boot, system and data partitions? The problem is probably in one of those partitions since restoring the boot or system didn't fix it.

---

more specifically, the ones I could backup are:
Modem, Aboot, pad, modemst1, modemst2, misc, splash, fsg, persist, cache, devinfo, oem

---

Hi, i'm in the same problem can you give me the link of official rom ? Plz

---

Ysfzone said:
Hi, i'm in the same problem can you give me the link of official rom ? Plz
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://www.acer.com/ac/en/GB/content/support-product/6358?b=1
Its under "OS"
Or direct download link:
http://global-download.acer.com/GDF...30&Step3=Z330&OS=ALL&LC=en&BC=ACER&SC=EMEA_27

---

Done Done Done !!!!!!
i fixed this problem wooow !!!!!!

---

This is how to unbrick Acer Liquid Z330
1- Download Official Rom from here : https://www.acer.com/ac/en/GB/content/support-product/6358?b=1
2- Download this tool from : http://www.stupdroid.com/2016/10/tool-systemnewdat-into-flashable-img.html
3- Download python (required for tool in step 2) : https://www.python.org/downloads/
4- Download Drivers the link on step 1
5- Download and install Fastboot (Search for it)
6- Create new Folder and put into all files on tool (step2) and file_contexts + system.new.dat + system.patch.dat + system.transfer.list from the Official rom
7- now launch "system.new.dat 2 flashable img converter" and tap any key and wait... after you got 2 files.. you need just the file called system.new.img
8- move system.new.img to fastboot/adb folder and rename it to system.img
9- enter phone to fastboot mode and type this command :
fastboot -w
fastboot flash system system.img
10- now just wait and don't worry about messages from fastboot...
11- after you finishing type: fastboot reboot
and wait between 5/10 mins for phone booting..
and DONE !!
Sorry for my bad english

---

Now my phone stuck on demo mode.. i want the stock recovery.img

---

hello,
first sorry for the delay.
As far as i remember, I've checked all when I backup the phone. But all that things you list are not unknown, I've seen them when the phone was still bricked. By the way, I even made a backup at this moment, so if you think that it can be useful..
Ysfzone, have you try to use qfil to get you're stock recovery ?