Hi everyone,
Recently, a friend gave me my first Droid phone. It is a Droid2 A955 which had 2.3.20, and a cracked digitizer. My intentions were to get this device functional and rooted before replacing the digitizer. Well, like a tard, I let the device update to 2.3.4, and like an even bigger tard, I attempted to load the 2.3.3 SBF without doing my research first. Oops. Wait, scratch that. Big oops.
Now I am sure all of you know what the end result of that was, and you don't have to rub my head in the sand over it because I've been doing that for about a day now myself!!!
Either way, I have found someone who is willing to sell me their "went to collections" Droid2, with accessories, extra battery, and whatnot for around $50.. Their Droid2 already has Gingerbread 2.3.3 on it. I got him to give me the MEID, and I changed the MEID through VZW site on my "spare phone", and had him *22899 to OTA. All was successful, so it is free and clear for me to immediately activate and start using.
Here is what I need to know before I go messing with this phone, because I definitely can't afford to FF the bits on this phone up, especially when I'm having to pay for it, if you know what I mean!
1. From research, Droid 2 Gingerbread 2.3.3 can be rooted. How complex of a task is it? In fact, exactly what does "root" allow one to do? About the only real goal I have is to sparingly tether my laptop via wifi without having to sacrifice my soul to Verizon each month.
2. I understand that this phone will "nag" you to 2.3.4 and will automagically do the update if you don't stop it in 30 seconds, very much like my Droid2 did. What can I do to permanently disable the 2.3.4 update check once I have this functioning 2.3.3?
3. There is supposedly an "X" button that you push with the power button to enter RECOVERY MODE... Just what, exactly, is the "X" key?
I don't want another repeat of the D2.3.7 MEM_BLANK screen.
Actually, playing around, I was able to take the D2.3.7 down to D2.3.5, but unfortunately it still refused to take the stock Froyo flash or the 2.3.3. Is there earlier "bootloaders" SBF's out there that can be loaded into the Droid that *maybe* will allow us to unbrick them? When the memory is blank (according to MEM_BLANK), what is preventing the phone from committing the flash?? Mine stops at 99% and cries about something dealing with "BP". As if the bootloader is refusing to commit the flash to ROM after being uploaded into the phone's RAM.
Either way the Bootloader Screen displays Battery Low, so I'm spent trying to revive this device until I get the other one from my friend tomorrow.
I don't understand what is part of this Bootloader that is preventing us from fixing this. Better yet, I can't understand how Motorola would do such a shameful act of sabotage against their customers. I've been a hardcore Motorola fan since the StarTac/TimePort days, and Motorola has always been my #1 phone of choice. Not just because of its stability and reliability, but how easy they are to "monster flash" back to factory when things go crazy. Maybe I should just stick with my Razr MAXX and be a happy little boy.
I have noticed the 2.3.4 Gingerbread has been leaked for the Droid2 Global. It is not compatible with the regular Droid 2, unfortunately, and I hope that enough people are interested in restoring these bricks that some solution is released to bring them back to life.
I am reading that people are taking "backup repair" ROM's and storing them to the MicroSD card, and successfully wiping .621 from the device and reverting to a previous version. What is the odds of getting a "backup rom" from a 2.3.3 Gingerbread, or whatever device, and using that backup to unbrick the bricked pones because of .621? I don't know, because my experience with the Droid involved about 3 hours before I was at the Bootloader error screen. LMAO!
I am just trying to throw some ideas out there, because, the last time I flashed firmware on a phone, it was the Motorola V710, E815, RAZR, RAZR MAXX, v325(i), and a slew of LG's. The last "Smartphone" I flashed was the XV6700 (that WM5 phone was hilarious with the Apache WM6.0 code on it). So, as you can tell, I'm a little behind on the times, but I'm not too far behind you guys.
I thought about calling and complaining that this update "screwed my phone up" but I am also concerned if I have to return the core of this phone, and they see how bad the digitizer is in, I'm going to get a heaping bill. Either way it worked fine with the cracked digitizer, it was ultimately their software that crashed the device. Guess I could order and replace the digitizer and get them to replace it, but I'm not 100% positive they would still replace the device since it's technically not "under warranty." May be one of those "I'm out of contract you make this right or US Cellular is opening us with open arms"....
PS-- I used to be a VZW Customer Support/Service Techican. Back in my day we could get whatever firmware we needed through NetAce from "InfoCenter", not just for Moto phones, but LG and all the other devices as well. On some "returns" we had no choice but to do a factory "Monster Flash" in order to rid of the previous customer's data and bring the phone back to virgin status. I don't know how things are inside the Tech's office these days, though. Maybe I should call my Service Techs who still have jobs and see what they can do (I prefer not to get them involved because I don't want them risking their job).
I've also replaced many of the digitizers in these Droid 2's for my friends. They're a pain in the @$$, but retail on these puppies aren't exactly cheap, either.
Any advice you guys can give me would be greatly appreciated. Also, please be honest with me. Don't sugarcoat ****. If you guys don't think this phone is going to work right under "root" conditions with 2.3.3, or the phone simply isn't worth $50, please let me know!
Thank all of you!
Droid Root 2.3.3
Thanks for your help guys.
I have the Droid, same Bootloader 2.3.7 as my bricked one, but it is at Gingerbread 2.3.3.
I was able to get "MotorolaOneClick" to load Superuser to the device.
Now there are two things I need to accomplish
1. Unlock tethering
2. Disable device from taking 2.3.4 OTA
I think if I can get these two things taken care of, I'm golden.
You can find everything you need to do both if you search the site. Shouldn't be a problem.
Reading
I am pretty sure I have taken care of preventing update to 2.3.4.
But I am still having trouble getting tethering to properly work.
Downloaded the Wifi Tether.
Still get paywall screen.
Close Wifi Tether.
Get paywall screen through the phone!!!
Have to reboot.
Also out of curiosity, does the speaker (not speakerphone) sound like you need a hearing aid??? The speaker in this Droid 2 is absolutely horrendous, sounds like I'm trying to listen to an XV6700.
Soft Speaker!
OK, I think the speaker is ok in this phone, but I am determined this mesh screen covering it is completely clogged. Time to get a fresh box cutter (closest thing I have to an xacto knife at the moment) and carefully cut this thing out. I don't have a T3 at the moment, and quite frankly, I don't want to tear 5 or 6 layers apart to tear this clogged screen out!! Either way, if things go sinister, I still have the busted up Droid 2 to take the speaker out of (Or the entire ribbon from what my research reveals).
I can tell you this much. I wish I had the previous owners set of ears. I bet he could hear a pin drop a mile away if he was able to hear the sound out of this thing. Then again, I am used to volume levels from REAL Motorola phones, I was swapping between the v325i and Razr MAXX previous to this Droid 2, and was truly expecting the same sound quality with this phone.
Done
So I finally got tethering enabled without having to sell my soul to Verizon. There really wasn't a clear-cut way of doing it. But here is what it took.
1. Install Droid 2 Recovery Bootstrap v1.0.0.3.apk
2. Place TBH_D2_Tether_Patch_1.0.zip in root of SD Card.
3. Run the Recovery Bootstrap, then reboot (through the Recovery Boot program).
4. Install the ZIP from SD Card.
a. It makes 4 NV changes.
5. Reboot and exit from the Recovery Bootstrap.
Now I can tether through the built-in 3G Hotspot app, and the "Wifi Tether" app I downloaded also works and doesn't send the cellphone to the paywall.
PS---How do you guys communicate through these forums??? Just trying to get the captcha right takes like 45 minutes.
Hi, all!
I bought the Blade X Max from Cricket, as it's got 32GB internal storage, a bigger screen, and seems a very hip machine.
Since Cricket seems to have instructed the various vendors, LG, Alcatel, and now ZTE to not only just make it difficult to root, but near-impossible, at least for someone without extensive knowledge as an Android dev, it's an annoyance...
There are legit, non-bootleg apps for which I spent good money (Titanium, Apps2SD Pro, FlashFire and others), which require root... Unlocking codes tend to be expensive, and the sites that offer them seem more spam-generators than anything else, and the Dr.Fone Root tool doesn't seem to even know the device exists, and, it's as yet not on their supported list, that I can see.
The device was released a month ago, so I'm not expecting immediate miracles, but wondering if anyone else owns the device, and if anyone with the dev chops would be interested in exploring the possibility.
Thanks for reading, and have a great day!
I own the ZTE Blade X Max as well, I havent tried root or anything else yet, I was a little surprised though when searching through XDA and this thread was all I found in relation to the ZTE Blade X Max.
XperianceIT said:
I own the ZTE Blade X Max as well, I havent tried root or anything else yet, I was a little surprised though when searching through XDA and this thread was all I found in relation to the ZTE Blade X Max.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, since the device has only been around a few months, it's understandable that not a lot of the devs have access to one, but, yeah... All over the web, it's referred to as a carrier-branded phone, and people seem to not want to fiddle with it...
I don't need a custom ROM, but there are legit apps that I bought from the Play Store, and they require root...
I blame Cricket for being paranoid that someone would dare to customize her/his phone and tweak it... Times past, Cricket made it difficult to root a phone, but the LG G-Stylo was pretty much unrootable... I have a few paperweights of that model in my storage... The Idol 3 was able to be rooted, the 6055U Idol 4, not so much... and now this one... It seems that Cricket is trying to have the various manufacturers leave some things out of their flavors of Android, so that even someone who reasonably is willing to take the risk is sh!t out of luck... <sigh>
Yeah Cricket has been making it real hard to root any of their phones. I also have the Stylo 2, and they had lg remove the entire bootloader and stock recovery, how the hell that was possible is beyond me. Get used to this trend in Android, it's not just Cricket, allot of flagships are doing what they can to get rid of the ability to root, cause if we root we have control not them, and the manufacturers are making way to much in terms of ad revenue to allow us to have total control. My Blade X Max will sometimes randomly download apps and games without my permission, that's how they ( manufacturers ) make the money they do, we are basically walking billboards for them. So unless enough people get together and complain about the blatent abuse of the GPL Linux has laid out, it will never change, open source my ass, try getting the real source code for this phone, won't happen. I downloaded the source for the max x 2 and dug into the files, wasn't even the full code, and had junk files from dead devices. The Android world is not what it's supposed to be, get used to it.
zMILWAUKEE said:
Yeah Cricket has been making it real hard to root any of their phones. I also have the Stylo 2, and they had lg remove the entire bootloader and stock recovery, how the hell that was possible is beyond me. Get used to this trend in Android, it's not just Cricket, allot of flagships are doing what they can to get rid of the ability to root, cause if we root we have control not them, and the manufacturers are making way to much in terms of ad revenue to allow us to have total control. My Blade X Max will sometimes randomly download apps and games without my permission, that's how they ( manufacturers ) make the money they do, we are basically walking billboards for them. So unless enough people get together and complain about the blatent abuse of the GPL Linux has laid out, it will never change, open source my ass, try getting the real source code for this phone, won't happen. I downloaded the source for the max x 2 and dug into the files, wasn't even the full code, and had junk files from dead devices. The Android world is not what it's supposed to be, get used to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed...
Next time around, going to buy a pre-unlocked device (hell, even our local Walmart Super-aircraft hangar sells 'em), and just have the device ported over... if the vendor (Cricket, Metro, whomever) won't do it, they don't need my business... I'm a write-off from years back with Verizon, and, although my credit rating is much better these days, I worked for a Sprint call-center, and they sucketh verily and forsooth, and I don't know much about AT&T proper, or many other vendors...
But there are some vendors that are generally pretty hip, if a bit expensive, and I'm looking into seeing if, even if this is a vendor-branded device, there's a way, or just a straight-up trade for a device I can work with... Cricket's Android Nougat flavor is buggy as hell, and this is just kinda silly.
<sigh>
What the hell...
"Oh, Brave new world that hath such people in it.."
Wow are you serious? No root method? I'm going to have to sell this phone? WTF I just liked it.
Sent from my Z983 using Tapatalk
justlovejoy said:
Wow are you serious? No root method? I'm going to have to sell this phone? WTF I just liked it.
Sent from my Z983 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, apparently the bootloader's crippled, as Cricket seems to have insisted things be removed from ZTE's source code...
But, I'm wondering (though I might just be talking out my butt), if the code module could be extracted from ZMax Pro, as that's apparently its non-Cricket branded twin...
My coding chops are limited to old XBASE and a bit of Delphi/FPC, so I'm not the guy to do it, but am I in the ballpark with my idea?
Never really messed with the bootloader. I've always been developing from code tho. Haven't tinkled too much in about a year but need a laptop power cord before I can try anything. Bootloader isn't always a root blocker. It's more of a custom rom blocker if memory hasn't been affected by times changing
Sent from my Z983 using Tapatalk
justlovejoy said:
Never really messed with the bootloader. I've always been developing from code tho. Haven't tinkled too much in about a year but need a laptop power cord before I can try anything. Bootloader isn't always a root blocker. It's more of a custom rom blocker if memory hasn't been affected by times changing
Sent from my Z983 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, again, my chops are decades old, and tend to involve xBASE and Delphi coding, and I know very little about C/C++ and Java, and plead ignorance of what Cricket has insisted on having crippled in the source, and I lean on the expertise of devs here and elsewhere for that reason...
Just that it's one helluva device, or would be if it could be at least rooted.... I just don't know how... :laugh:
pauljulian said:
Well, again, my chops are decades old, and tend to involve xBASE and Delphi coding, and I know very little about C/C++ and Java, and plead ignorance of what Cricket has insisted on having crippled in the source, and I lean on the expertise of devs here and elsewhere for that reason...
Just that it's one helluva device, or would be if it could be at least rooted.... I just don't know how... [emoji23]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Facts!
That's what the kids say today, lol. It's a beauty. Had to get mine swapped out for another due to the fingerprint reader and camera being intermittent between reboots. Not much I can say wrong about this device. Waiting on the key to the mailbox for my laptop charger still. Can't promise anything yet but I'm hopeful that our resources will get us started, even if it's just a long list of what doesn't work. Lmfao
Sent from my Z983 using Tapatalk
Is there anything we can do to this phone? Any thing
Sent from my Z983 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Yes I have z982 and would like a forums section
Bootloader and recovery
zMILWAUKEE said:
Yeah Cricket has been making it real hard to root any of their phones. I also have the Stylo 2, and they had lg remove the entire bootloader and stock recovery, how the hell that was possible is beyond me. Get used to this trend in Android, it's not just Cricket, allot of flagships are doing what they can to get rid of the ability to root, cause if we root we have control not them, and the manufacturers are making way to much in terms of ad revenue to allow us to have total control. My Blade X Max will sometimes randomly download apps and games without my permission, that's how they ( manufacturers ) make the money they do, we are basically walking billboards for them. So unless enough people get together and complain about the blatent abuse of the GPL Linux has laid out, it will never change, open source my ass, try getting the real source code for this phone, won't happen. I downloaded the source for the max x 2 and dug into the files, wasn't even the full code, and had junk files from dead devices. The Android world is not what it's supposed to be, get used to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off they can't remove the bootloader as android WON'T boot without it, and recovery is needed for factory resets. Cricket has never been helpful about supporting their phones, but of you do a search you can find out how to get into the recovery. (And it's the ZTE Blade ZMax, not X Max, X Max is just crickets version of the Blade ZMax)
To get into recovery you can go to this link for instructions
http://www.hardreset.info/devices/zte/zte-blade-x-max-z983/recovery-mode/
revjamescarver said:
First off they can't remove the bootloader as android WON'T boot without it, and recovery is needed for factory resets. Cricket has never been helpful about supporting their phones, but of you do a search you can find out how to get into the recovery. (And it's the ZTE Blade ZMax, not X Max, X Max is just crickets version of the Blade ZMax)
To get into recovery you can go to this link for instructions
http://www.hardreset.info/devices/zte/zte-blade-x-max-z983/recovery-mode/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have always been able to get into the stock recovery, and the download mode... those are not the issues, friend....
Whatever Cricket specified be done to their stock ROM by ZTE, we're blocked from doing those things that would enable us to actually use legit apps that we paid real money for.
I don't care about any sort of custom ROM, as these days, I really don't have the time to **** with it... But I've been an Android user for years... I've no problem rooting a device, given a workable method, and at least nutshell instructions, and doing a few things, as a user... As long as there is a way to get back to Square 1, should I screw up, I'm not afraid to explore, and, again, I believe in supporting good developers... If an app does what I want it to, I buy it, as long as it doesn't break the bank... in that case, I uninstall and find something better or cheaper...
But Cricket, in their either paranoia, or control freak attitude has been progressively making their devices less and less possible to do what we bought them for, unless we happen to be Cricket employees, sworn to secrecy regarding those codes beneath and behind the *# ones that really don't do much, at least not the ones we need to use, such as the menu option for "unlock" which doesn't without other input...
pauljulian said:
Have always been able to get into the stock recovery, and the download mode... those are not the issues, friend....
Whatever Cricket specified be done to their stock ROM by ZTE, we're blocked from doing those things that would enable us to actually use legit apps that we paid real money for.
I don't care about any sort of custom ROM, as these days, I really don't have the time to **** with it... But I've been an Android user for years... I've no problem rooting a device, given a workable method, and at least nutshell instructions, and doing a few things, as a user... As long as there is a way to get back to Square 1, should I screw up, I'm not afraid to explore, and, again, I believe in supporting good developers... If an app does what I want it to, I buy it, as long as it doesn't break the bank... in that case, I uninstall and find something better or cheaper...
But Cricket, in their either paranoia, or control freak attitude has been progressively making their devices less and less possible to do what we bought them for, unless we happen to be Cricket employees, sworn to secrecy regarding those codes beneath and behind the *# ones that really don't do much, at least not the ones we need to use, such as the menu option for "unlock" which doesn't without other input...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
... and just to say that I know that "unlock" and "root" are two different things... was just an example.
pauljulian said:
Have always been able to get into the stock recovery, and the download mode... those are not the issues, friend....
Whatever Cricket specified be done to their stock ROM by ZTE, we're blocked from doing those things that would enable us to actually use legit apps that we paid real money for.
I don't care about any sort of custom ROM, as these days, I really don't have the time to **** with it... But I've been an Android user for years... I've no problem rooting a device, given a workable method, and at least nutshell instructions, and doing a few things, as a user... As long as there is a way to get back to Square 1, should I screw up, I'm not afraid to explore, and, again, I believe in supporting good developers... If an app does what I want it to, I buy it, as long as it doesn't break the bank... in that case, I uninstall and find something better or cheaper...
But Cricket, in their either paranoia, or control freak attitude has been progressively making their devices less and less possible to do what we bought them for, unless we happen to be Cricket employees, sworn to secrecy regarding those codes beneath and behind the *# ones that really don't do much without other input...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure how you would root that particular phone, but I'm sure there is a way, or will be once the phone is out there longer, being without root access is a pain in the a**
revjamescarver said:
I'm not sure how you would root that particular phone, but I'm sure there is a way, or will be once the phone is out there longer, being without root access is a pain in the a**
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I originally started the thread, yep... I know the thing's not been out long... like since May (and I know crap all about the "Z" model used by other vendors... Obviously there's a drastic difference in the firmware, though...)...
Given time, I'm certain someone will work it out... There's a gentleman on another thread that seems to be working on it, and I'm going under the thing of "no news is good news" :laugh:
I've no doubt there's a way... I did a short stint at a call-center for Sprint, and there are always ways... It's a matter of having the right set of input codes, to get to the means to do the real deal...
I really dig the phone, although Cricket's flavor of Nougat isn't the most stable in the world... but, with the legal and legit apps I bought and continue to support, that's less of an issue.
It's frustrating when a company knows what a pain in the ass it is without allowing the user to administer it as really needs be... and they still refuse to permit it... I get that turning it into a paperweight can get tedious, but, given the means to get it back to factory standard in a reasonably simple way without sending it in, or buying another is just what I would see as normal... It's my own fault if I haven't backed up my data, but, if I somehow hose the firmware, just give me a means to get back to the start... It worked with their edition of the the Alcatel Idol 3... the Idol 4 (6055U)... I just gave the hell up.
pauljulian said:
When I originally started the thread, yep... I know the thing's not been out long... like since May (and I know crap all about the "Z" model used by other vendors... Obviously there's a drastic difference in the firmware, though...)...
Given time, I'm certain someone will work it out... There's a gentleman on another thread that seems to be working on it, and I'm going under the thing of "no news is good news" :laugh:
I've no doubt there's a way... I did a short stint at a call-center for Sprint, and there are always ways... It's a matter of having the right set of input codes, to get to the means to do the real deal...
I really dig the phone, although Cricket's flavor of Nougat isn't the most stable in the world... but, with the legal and legit apps I bought and continue to support, that's less of an issue.
It's frustrating when a company knows what a pain in the ass it is without allowing the user to administer it as really needs be... and they still refuse to permit it... I get that turning it into a paperweight can get tedious, but, given the means to get it back to factory standard in a reasonably simple way without sending it in, or buying another is just what I would see as normal... It's my own fault if I haven't backed up my data, but, if I somehow hose the firmware, just give me a means to get back to the start... It worked with their edition of the the Alcatel Idol 3... the Idol 4 (6055U)... I just gave the hell up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't mean to freak out anyone that "Holy Cr*p! Someone's doing something"
.... But I'm just wondering if anyone's doing something.... ?
It's not going to happen my best advice to you is get another phone. I have the z982 the z981,982,983 all of them are unrootable ZTE had a bad hack a few years back that almost shut them down root was giving full access to those phones through apps. I hate this phone and can't wait to get a new one. Never again will I buy ZTE
adambomb_13 said:
It's not going to happen my best advice to you is get another phone. I have the z982 the z981,982,983 all of them are unrootable ZTE had a bad hack a few years back that almost shut them down root was giving full access to those phones through apps. I hate this phone and can't wait to get a new one. Never again will I buy ZTE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, for damned sure I'm sick of Cricket's control freak practice...
But it seems there are too many vendors that undercut legitimate developers whose products require root access...
I don't really need a custom ROM, but I bought Apps2SD Pro, Titanium and some others because I found them to be well-written, well-designed, and they did what I needed them for... But, since I can't root this otherwise pretty cool device, I've basically wasted my $$... I'll get another device at some time, preferably from a vendor that is less paranoid about users actually using their devices to their potential, but for right now?
This is one of the most stupid situations I've found myself... A device that is capable of being a laptop replacement, but the vendor only insists on our using them as they dictate...
So, is disgust an applicable word?
... mind you, not at those among us who were suckered into buying a hip but crippled device.
(although I've the idea that those who actually work for Cricket but are sworn to secrecy by potential lawsuits and loss of employment actually have an idea as to whatever *# commands actually go deep enough to do what's needed)
But I have no issues with those such as I that found a really hip little machine, yet have found ourselves locked away from its potential...
My issues are with the control-freak assholes that set the policies for the companies we pay entirely too much to remain in necessary communication.