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Today i decided to finally update to 4.2.1 and there after 4.2.2, but when i tried to update with OTA, it stopped 1/3 into the updateting process. Then showed a red exclamation thingy. I tried several times, but all with the same result.
Then i tried to update manually to 4.2 with adb sideload, but that did not work. It stopped after displaying "Verifying system" and then it displayed the following:
assert failed: apply_patch_check("EMMC:/dev/block/platform/sdhci-tegra.3/by-name/LNX:5013504:c48f8e86c73fb2c2ba1794f5ec98e27c9e206ed5:5060608:319331fae14fec8a88063751475fce26bae328e0")
Installation aborted
I am sure if have done anything right, but still can't make it work. The device is completely stock. Please help me D:
You didn't mention the starting condition of the tablet, and that is incredibly important information.
Additionally, you didn't really say whether the first upgrade succeeded. Please be specific and detailed.
The OTAs are patching kits - not full replacements - and thus they:
- must each be applied to a SPECIFIC starting condition, and
- can not be "skipped over"; they need to be performed in sequence.
You should be able to avoid OTAs altogether and flash a full factory image (at least up to JOP40D/4.2.1), but only if you are willing to wipe away all your data (factory reset)
So, say what your current version is - use the "J" release version (e.g. JOP40D, etc) , don't say four-point-whatever.
bftb0 said:
You didn't mention the starting condition of the tablet, and that is incredibly important information.
Additionally, you didn't really say whether the first upgrade succeeded. Please be specific and detailed.
The OTAs are patching kits - not full replacements - and thus they:
- must each be applied to a SPECIFIC starting condition, and
- can not be "skipped over"; they need to be performed in sequence.
You should be able to avoid OTAs altogether and flash a full factory image (at least up to JOP40D/4.2.1), but only if you are willing to wipe away all your data (factory reset)
So, say what your current version is - use the "J" release version (e.g. JOP40D, etc) , don't say four-point-whatever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am running Build JZO54K and tried to update OTA to JOP40D. All of my attempts of updating have failed. Both OTA and manual.
What do you mean by starting condition?
It would help to know if you have a wi-fi only model or 3g. They take different update files. You have to have the update specific to your model (wi-fi v. 3g). The amount of memory doesn't matter.
Groid said:
It would help to know if you have a wi-fi only model or 3g. They take different update files. You have to have the update specific to your model (wi-fi v. 3g). The amount of memory doesn't matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a 32gb wifi
henrikpw said:
I am running Build JZO54K and tried to update OTA to JOP40D.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, much better info.
henrikpw said:
What do you mean by starting condition?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly what you stated above - thanks. In your OP, it wasn't clear whether it was the first OTA or the second OTA that was failing.
The assert fail message you provided revolves around the boot image (LNX partition). It implies a modified boot partition ... but I believe you when you say unmodified stock. (A different user reported a similar case a few days ago, but with a different stock ROM installed... and therefore a different OTA file)
Is it correct to assume this failure occurs when attempting to apply the JZO54K -> JOP40D OTA update?
Let me poke around a little bit, I will respond back. You may have to do a full factory flash - in the meantime have a look at the Carbon app video on Koush's (ClockworkMod) site to see if you are comfortable with doing that process.
bftb0 said:
Is it correct to assume this failure occurs when attempting to apply the JZO54K -> JOP40D OTA update?.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
bftb0 said:
Let me poke around a little bit, I will respond back. You may have to do a full factory flash - in the meantime have a look at the Carbon app video on Koush's (ClockworkMod) site to see if you are comfortable with doing that process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not want to do anything that voids my warrenty
henrikpw said:
I do not want to do anything that voids my warrenty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if you consider unlocking your bootloader, installing stock software, and then re-locking your bootloader to be a warranty-voiding situation, then there is really only one path available to you: back up all your market apps & data using Carbon, install the (full) factory software**, perform the 4.2.2 OTA, and then restore apps & data with Carbon.
**actually, I'm not completely sure if the factory (full-install) software bundle requires bootloader unlocking or not - I suspect that it might require an unlocked bootloader.
If you have never been through any of this before, I can see that it appears intimidating, esp. because of the number of newbs showing up every day asking "did I just brick my device?"
But using custom recoveries - even temporarily - provides some flexibility even when you want to run pure stock.
For instance, in your case, I believe that boot image check is the very last thing which is checked in your OTA prior to starting. That suggests that removing that check - AND the corresponding boot image patching - would allow everything else in the OTA patch to succeed; after that the complete boot.img file from the JOP40D distro could be manually flashed; and from there you would no doubt be able to proceed to an additional OTA install to get to 4.2.2
But because a modified/re-zipped OTA bundle could not be flashed by the stock recovery due to lack of signing, this flashing would have to be performed by a custom recovery (that has signature checking supressed).
Lastly, I will say this - I doubt that Google made a mistake with their assert() checks in their OTA update package. That suggests that either
- your boot image actually did get mysteriously modified somehow, or
- your device developed a media flaw in it's boot partition, so the checksum validation fails because of this problem.
In the latter instance, that portends a small risk involving future flashing or booting from that partition.
Well, this post has gotten long; maybe you should say something about what risks you *are* willing to take...
Here are some people who have the same problem: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=41819
henrikpw said:
Here are some people who have the same problem: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=41819
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a lot of reports.
The thing that strikes me about this is that the check which fails (boot partition) is the very last item checked before the patching begins. In the case of folks trying the patch manually, it is hard to believe they simply picked the wrong OTA file (corresponding to the wrong release version) - because in that case a whole bunch of files would be mismatched: they would get a very early error in the list of things checked.
It's almost as if a bunch of units escaped Asus with a variation in the boot image.
There might be something more subtle going on too - here's someone on xda who reported the very same syndrome, but was trying to update a completely different OTA - the starting point was JRO03S
Well, as I said, the problem can be overcome manually. But you would probably need to unlock the bootloader, even if you planned on staying with a full stock setup.
Ok. So here's the deal. I'm trying to update to 4.2.2 from 4.1.2, but in recovery I get assert failed, emmc this that and the other.
I'm currently on JZ054K trying to update to JOP40C. I am also fully stock. It's hurting my head using everything I learned from other devices.
*I don't want to do anything with the Nexus into the rooting process. I want to stay fully stock for once.
Please and thank you.
Curiousn00b said:
Ok. So here's the deal. I'm trying to update to 4.2.2 from 4.1.2, but in recovery I get assert failed, emmc this that and the other.
I'm currently on JZ054K trying to update to JOP40C. I am also fully stock. It's hurting my head using everything I learned from other devices.
*I don't want to do anything with the Nexus into the rooting process. I want to stay fully stock for once.
Please and thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The "this that and the other" is the only thing which is relevant.
Post the exact error message. If you don't remember what it was, re-attempt the OTA and post a screen shot.
I'll take a photo today. I've been slacking. Away from the forums a bit.
Re: 4.1.2 > 4.2.x
That's the assert failed error. Fully stock neXus.
Sent from my HTC One V using Tapatalk 2
Curiousn00b said:
That's the assert failed error. Fully stock neXus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, thanks for that.
Time to come clean though - when you say "fully stock", do you mean
(a) The device has never been rooted ever, or
(b) The device was rooted at one time and then (believed to be) returned to stock.
The assert error that is occurring is a complaint that the boot partition ("LNX") fails a checksum.
This would really only happen under two or three circumstances:
(1) Somehow the boot partition got modded by a root user - eg replacement of the entire boot image such as a "new kernel" or even something tiny like a change to /default.prop, OR
(2) You developed a media (eMMC flash chip) error in your boot partition after the device left the factory, OR
(3) Google/Asus somehow screwed up either the checksum calculation or your N7 slipped out of Asus's factory with a non-standard flash of the boot partition.
Now (3) seems a little bit unlikely. There was a previous user in these forums that reported exactly this same thing happening with a stock (never rooted) device; iirc though, he had a different factory ROM than what you are reporting. So, both his case and yours could be condition (2).
The things which is strange about this possibility (2) is that if a media error occurred randomly in the boot partition, it would be in most cases be fatal to the booting of the device, and neither you nor that other user reported booting troubles. The media error would have to be in a non-critical location such as in the slack space after the end of the boot image but before the end of the partition.
The reason I mention this is because of the way that apply_patch_check() assert seems to work: note that there are 5 parameters total:
filename,length1,sha1val1,length2,sha1val2
This suggests that a successful apply_patch_check() checks the SHA1 signature of the starting file - over an exact byte count, and if that succeeds it actually performs a trial patching operation so that it can compute the SHA1 signature of the output (patched) file and verify that the patch-trial-file has the correct length. This means that partition slack space is probably not included in the first checksum.
This is an extremely conservative and excellent approach to patching things in the field. Note also that the OTA does not touch/modify a single file on your tablet unless everyone of these checks goes to completion.
Also, the stock recovery performs a signature check on the entire zip file that is downloaded by the OTA before any of these other checks begin - which means, that when a stock recovery is used it is impossible to have a bad download being responsible for the errors that you observe.
If your device was never rooted then it seems to me that the odds point towards a hardware error that occurs during the patching-test operation.
If your device is still in Warranty and truly was never rooted, I would encourage you to try and get a new replacement or RMA repair (not a refurb). You are going to have to haggle with Google and show them that assert failure image.
good luck
Re: 4.1.2 > 4.2.x
It bears mentioning that, since the OTA is a patch, it's going to error out if the system is as the OP describes it. I'm unaware of any update zip that patches 4.1.2 to 4.2.2 directly. Since he's skipped a couple updates, he's going to have to do some sideloading to catch up and get to an upgradable state.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
najaboy said:
It bears mentioning that, since the OTA is a patch, it's going to error out if the system is as the OP describes it. I'm unaware of any update zip that patches 4.1.2 to 4.2.2 directly. Since he's skipped a couple updates, he's going to have to do some sideloading to catch up and get to an upgradable state.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good catch najaboy
I didn't catch that (JZO54K -> JOP40C) reference, but oldblue910's OTA thread does list such an OTA as having been available in the past.
Plus, iirc the boot image check occurs late in the OTA installer script, possibly even the very last assert() before patching actually starts - so it is hard to imagine that all other checks would have succeeded had a mis-matched OTA been applied.
However, it is indeed odd for "back dated" OTAs to get downloaded automatically esp when more recent upgrades are available, i.e. JZO54K->JDQ39. And nowhere did the OP mention side-loading.
Looks like the OP's got some 'splainin to do...
Ok. So yes.
A. The Device is FULLY STOCK. Never touched anything on it. Brand new on Christmas day.
I've been watching QBking's videos about upgrading it, and yes. I thought the same thing. Going from 4.1.2 to 4.2.2 directly, I noticed that seemed a bit off. I've seen more than just me with this issue. A few on XDA, and few on other websites.
I have tried downloading the 4.2.1 update. I tried sideloading it once. It failed. Atleast I believe it did. I don't know if I had the right download though.
All help is appreciated. I thank you guys as well. This 4.2.2 update is just what the OTA checker keeps throwing at me. I've tried clearing the data/cache of Google Services Framework(I believe this made me redownload the update).
Curiousn00b,
I'm 99.99% positive that you were applying a valid OTA file.
For instance if you have JZO54K on your tablet, and you were going to apply a sideloaded OTA you could choose any of 3 OTAs
JDQ39 (4.2.2) from JZO54K
JOP40D (4.2.1) from JZO54K
JOP40C (4.2) from JZO54K
My comment in the prior post was only that the automatic download always seem to download the OTA update to the most recent (in this case JDQ39) release, so your mention of JOP40C ota seemed slightly off; but if there was some reason to pick an older update, sideloading should still allow that to work correctly.
Bottom line is that a fully stock, never unlocked, never rooted tablet should be capable of accepting a factory OTA, and I would thus consider your tablet to have some unknown defect.
Just to be clear (I recall that the previous person reporting your symptoms was on JRO03S), you are currently on JZO54K, correct?
I found multiple people with it via Google. Couldn't really find a fix for it.
And yes. I'm on JZ054K.
Tomorrow I'll try going to 4.2 from 4.1.2. I'm pretty sure I've tried it already. I remember seeing the C/D parts at the end of these 2 files.
Curiousn00b said:
Tomorrow I'll try going to 4.2 from 4.1.2. I'm pretty sure I've tried it already. I remember seeing the C/D parts at the end of these 2 files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the problem occurs during the initial checksum of the (currently installed) boot image, then none of the three OTAs (starting from the same JZO54K base) will succeed. If there is something very strange - say a read/write error during the trial patching operation, I suppose it is feasible that one could succeed and another not. But they all should start out looking for the identical bootloader SHA1 checksum as they should be expecting the same (jzo54k) starting condition.
Anyway, post your results.
Re: 4.1.2 > 4.2.x
This is after trying 2 of the updates.
One to 4.2 and other to 4.2.2.
The first on is 4.2.2
Sent from my HTC One V using Tapatalk 2
Curiousn00b said:
This is after trying 2 of the updates.
One to 4.2 and other to 4.2.2.
The first on is 4.2.2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said, I didn't really expect any of them to succeed.
Where to proceed from here? You really only have 3 choices:
- Use your tablet on 4.1.2 and never upgrade
- RMA for repair/refurb replacement
- Root it, fix the problem, and relock it (so that it is 100% stock again). No guarantess that some trouble won't develop down the road.
As I said before, neither you nor I have any explantion for why a never-rooted tablet would not be able to accept a valid factory OTA. Your tablet either:
(a) slipped out of the factory with an unknown bootloader variant, OR
(b) the boot partition managed to develop bit-rot that does not affect the tablet's ability to boot, OR
(c) there is some other unidentified hardware fault that occurs during the apply_patch_check() process
I would call Asus and see what they will do for you before you make a final decision. (Their warranty has a lot of weasel-words in it; they might tell you that it's not their problem.) If you want an RMA and they push back, I think you should keep repeating that the tablet is less than 3 months old.
good luck
I also noticed that I can't boot into recovery normally. I use ADB or the OTA way to reboot into recovery.
If I get into Bootloader and plug the USB in, the Nexus 7 will freeze at whatever selection I am currently on. Bootloader, Restart, Recovery, etc and nothing will happen.
When I click Recovery, I get a black screen with Google, nothing happens, plug the USB in, and still. Nothing happens. I don't know what's wrong with it.
Thanks for the help.
bftb0 said:
As I said, I didn't really expect any of them to succeed.
Where to proceed from here? You really only have 3 choices:
- Use your tablet on 4.1.2 and never upgrade
- RMA for repair/refurb replacement
- Root it, fix the problem, and relock it (so that it is 100% stock again). No guarantess that some trouble won't develop down the road.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My N7 has the same error about the boot partition. It's rooted, unlocked, and has CWM installed. I'm running 4.1.2 (JZO54K). I downloaded the JZO54K to JDQ39 zip file, and got the failure
script aborted: assert failed: apply_patch_check("EMMC:/dev/block/platform/sdhci-tegra.3/by-name/LNX:5013504:c48f8e86c73fb2c2ba1794f5ec98e27c9e206ed5:5062656:af83f09e77a64ed7ede2adad2a16bd0c12d5d7fd")
when I tried to install it via CWM.
How would I fix this - I assume I need to get a copy of the 4.1.2 boot.img and flash it, but I'm not sure how to flash it. I can do it in Windows if I have to, but I'd rather use Linux if I can. I have the adb tools installed on Linux.
mvi57 said:
How would I fix this - I assume I need to get a copy of the 4.1.2 boot.img and flash it, but I'm not sure how to flash it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that's right. It is easiest is to flash it with fastboot
Code:
fastboot flash boot boot.img
It can also be flashed to the block device
/dev/block/platform/sdhci-tegra.3/by-name/LNX
from a root shell (say in a terminal emulator) using the "dd" utility if you are familiar with that.
A custom kernel or even a trivial re-packing of the boot image (say for a small /default.prop file change) probably is what caused the boot image to be changed from stock.
bftb0 said:
A custom kernel or even a trivial re-packing of the boot image (say for a small /default.prop file change) probably is what caused the boot image to be changed from stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't install a custom kernel, and as far as I know I didn't change default.prop either.
I reflashed the boot image, it went ok, but I still get the error trying to do the update. I guess I'll have to wipe and flash the whole 4.2.2 image to get it installed.
mvi57 said:
I didn't install a custom kernel, and as far as I know I didn't change default.prop either.
I reflashed the boot image, it went ok, but I still get the error trying to do the update. I guess I'll have to wipe and flash the whole 4.2.2 image to get it installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never mind, I flashed the bootloader-grouper-3.41.img instead of pulling boot.img from the .zip. It's working now.
mvi57 said:
Never mind, I flashed the bootloader-grouper-3.41.img instead of pulling boot.img from the .zip. It's working now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That observation is extremely counter-intuitive.
While the bootloader is responsible for booting the recovery, it is certainly not "running" after the recovery starts booting, so it's hard to understand why or how it could have any effect at all on the OTA processing.
Is it possible that the error which occurred after you re-flashed the boot image (LNX) was something different than the original error concerning the checksum on the boot partition?
You might want to consider flashing the v4.18 bootloader to the tablet if you plan on using any dev kernels.
bftb0 said:
That observation is extremely counter-intuitive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Poorly worded, sorry. After I flashed the boot.img I extracted from the zip file, the update ran fine. I looked at the error message again and noticed that one of the numbers matched the size of boot.img, and then realized I flashed the wrong file. I shouldn't do this stuff when I'm tired.
Thank you for all your help!
Before you go ahead and start unlocking, flashing and rooting, there are things you should know. This thread is a general guide that will serve to explain most of those things.
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Table of Contents
A. The layers (Hardware, Firmware, Software)
B. Definitions
C. Troubleshooting Common Issues
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The Layers. How does everything come together?
Just like any other computing device there are 3 Layers to your phone. It helps to realize this prior to modifying your phone, so you are able to troubleshoot issues more effectively.
Layer 1 Hardware: The hardware layer is the physical components of your phone. That which you can touch, hold and see. This layer is the least likely to be modified unless you are a crazy super master level modder. Very few bother to mess with this layer so this layer tends to be the most stable with very little issues arising. The best way to make sure a problem is not related to the hardware layer, that is to say, a physical hardware problem where a physical component needs replacing, is to return all software and firmware to stock. This is typically done by running an RUU or manually reflashing stock firmware and software. There are instances where software or firmware modifications can affect the hardware. For example, if you overclock your CPU, the added heat could permanently damage the CPU and even other hardware components so be sure to take that into consideration.
Layer 2 Firmware: This layer is what allows the software to control the hardware in your phone, like a bridge between the two. There is firmware for just about every component of your phone, the camera, screen, radio, processor etc etc. This is the second least likely layer to be modified. S-Off is required to modify most, but not all, firmware files and rightfully so. Modifying firmware components can easily damage your phone if you do not understand what you're doing. In some cases a JTAGG repair can fix your phone from firmware modification damage, other times, only replacing physical components can repair the damage done. (Recovery and the kernel are technically part of the firmware layer but do not require S-Off to flash)
Layer 3 Software: The software layer consists of the "ROM" and applications on your phone. This is where most of the modification takes place and while modifying the software layer is the least likely to cause serious issues, it can still be dangerous. Flashing a ROM not intended for your device could easily put your phone into a bricked state. With SuperUser or Root access, software is capable of modifying the firmware layer of your device. It is up to you to decide what is safe and what's not safe. This is why rooting is not for everyone. How can you properly decide what is safe for your device without the proper knowledge?
Definitions
What is root?
Root, super user or su for short is a level of access giving you permission to read or write to folders, or partitions you could not have access to as a regular user. Think administrative access.
Consider a folder path “/sdcard/downloads/” If we break it down, “downloads” is a folder in “sdcard” and “sdcard” is one of the folders in “/” which is the “root” of the folder structure. As a regular user, one might not consider that folders other than sdcard exist in “/” as they are kind of hidden from us but rest assure they are there and this is typically where the android OS and firmware files are kept. Modifying these files can be extremely dangerous for your phone if you do not understand the modifications to the file you're making, and what steps you can take to recover from any issues you encounter.
What is an RUU?
RUU stands for ROM Update Utility. An RUU is used to reflash an existing firmware/software set or updated firmware/software set. An RUU will wipe everything and basically get your phone back to stock. Unless your phone is S-Off, you cannot run an RUU with an older firmware or software than those currently on your device. You can only run an RUU that matches your MID/CID unless you are S-Off and have SuperCID or have changed the MID/CID to match the carrier you are flashing. There may be differences in hardware/firmware between MIDs and CIDs so be mindful as this can lead to a brick. To properly run an RUU with S-On, you must also have stock recovery installed, the bootloader must be locked/relocked. BE VERY CAREFUL DOING THIS. It is not recommended to RUU or OTA after unlocking your bootloader unless you have to. If you are S-OFF you can RUU whether the bootloader is locked or not and if you are superCID, CID checks will be ignored so be sure to be mindful of the RUU you are running and that it will play nice with your phone.
What is an OTA?
OTA stands for Over The Air and implies an Over the air update distributed by your phone manufacturer, carrier or ROM developer. Unlike an RUU, an OTA will not typically wipe/factory reset your phone but can update your firmware and/or software set. To a apply a manufacturer/carrier released OTA you will need stock recovery and stock system apps installed. Your CID/MID must match that of the carrier/manufacturer your phone came from.
What is a ROM?
When the term ROM was first introduced it stood for Read Only Memory, however, most memory that claims to be Read Only nowadays is not like it was back then. Now a days it is not as complicated to write ROM as only permissions are in your way as opposed to the days when you were required to modify the hardware layer in some way to update the ROM chip. In this particular case, we are referring to the android software on your phone. Stock ROM would imply the manufacturer released ROM that came on your device when you purchased it. Custom ROMs are ROMs the are modified stock ROMs or ROMs built from android source code to. I think you get the idea. It's the device software or Operating System if you will. You should never flash a ROM that is not intended for the device you are flashing it to, this is very dangerous. Like, brick dangerous.
What is a nandroid backup?
A nandroid backup is a backup of your phone's current state. Like a snapshot or image of your phone's software. It includes the ROM currently flashed to your phone, the kernel, apps and settings. It does not include any firmware files other than the kernel and possibly the recovery. A nandroid is done with custom recovery and cannot be done with stock recovery. Taking a nandroid before you start messing with your phone is good practice. In fact, It's good practice to make nandroids before flashing a new ROM, or making any changes that may impact stability. This will ensure you always have a quick way to get back to having a usable phone. Obviously, a nandroid will not help in cases where you mess up firmware files like the radio firmware or hboot.
What is a kernel?
The kernel is the central point of an operating system. It contains the modules and settings necessary for the ROM or OS to work properly. Every Operating System has a kernel, including android. Just like ROMs there are custom kernels, with tweaks and the like that may improve or decrease performance/stability. Also, like ROMs, you should never flash a kernel not intended for your device. Very Dangerous!
What is a bootloader?
The bootloader is as the name implies, a device software/interface for handling boot operations it is contained within the hboot file. The bootloader screen has a few nifty features:
Gives you device information such as:
The bootloader state (locked, relocked or unlocked)
The Secureflag state (S-On or S-Off)
Your hboot and radio versions
Your Cid (only if you changed it)
Allows you to power down, reboot or boot your phone to android.
Allows you to factory reset your phone (Though should never really be used unless you are completely stock as you can properly factory reset in custom recovery)
Allows you access to the recovery
It gives you access to fastboot command operations you can send from your PC to your phone.
To boot to bootloader: Press and hold Power and volume up until the phone shuts off, then let go of power and volume up. Press and hold Volume down until your screen comes up in bootloader mode.
What is recovery?
Recovery is a software/User Interface that allows you to handle and make changes to your device, without having to boot the android OS. The stock M8 comes with a recovery that is quite limited but allows you to factory reset your phone and flash OTA updates which really is more than enough for the average user.
Those of us who want more from our phones, and modify them tend to flash custom recoveries with many extra features. I won't go into all the features they provide as the devs have websites, and you can visit them for more information. The two custom recoveries for the m8 include TWRP and Philz Touch. Both are very functional and choosing one is a matter of preference over anything else.
To flash a recovery image. Put the recovery image in your fastboot/adb folder and in the command prompt:
Code:
fastboot flash recovery recoveryfilename.img
You can find The latest:
TWRP for the M8 HERE
Philz Touch for the M8 HERE
To manually boot to recovery, boot to bootloader (Press and hold Power and volume up until the phone shuts off, then let go of power and volume up. Press and hold Volume down until your screen comes up in bootloader mode). Then select recovery in the bootloader menu.
What is S-Off/S-On?
This stands for Securewrite-on or Securewrite-Off. The name kind of gives some hints as to what it means. Having your bootloader unlocked, affords you the ability to to flash a custom recovery and custom roms as well as a custom kernel however, some people may need more. They may want to alter other system partitions. That is where S-Off comes in. It gives you full write access to all system partitons. It also forces a bypass for all security checks, such as those made by OTAs and RUUs, for CID and MID. S-Off is persistent. No matter if you RUU, OTA, Flash a ROM, Firmware, Factory Reset, S-Off will remain so until you use fastboot to reset the flag. I should say, if you don't know what you're doing, that is to say, if you are the type to follow instructions blindly on a thread, without much idea what is ACTUALLY Happening, what files you're modifying, you should not have S-Off. It should not concern you and that is that. S-Off can be dangerous. You have been warned.
What does a Factory Reset do?
A Factory Reset Clears the Cache, Dalvik Cache and Data Partitions. All settings will reset to default. User Apps (Apps you installed that did not com preinstalled with the ROM) will be removed. This will not restore your phone to when you purchased it. This will not relock your bootloader, Reset the S-Off flag, remove root, or downgrade your hboot. It merely affects the system and user settings and user apps.
What is fastboot?
Fastboot is a command line tool that allows you to manipulate certain parts of your phone from the bootloader. Your phone must be in fastboot mode and you must have the fastboot application and HTC drivers installed if you are on Windows. If you are on linux, the HTC driver is preinstalled.
Popular fastboot commands include:
Fatsboot devices (Lists devices connected for use with fastboot)
Fastboot flash recovery recovery.img (Flashes a recovery image)
Fastboot flash boot boot.img (Flashes a boot image)
Fastboot oem readcid (Shows the CID of the phone installed)
Fastboot oem writecid (Writes a new CID to your phone. Must be 8 Characters. Requires S-Off)
Fastboot oem rebootRUU (Puts the phone in RUU mode which is used for flashing firmwares and/or entire RUUs)
Fastboot reboot (Reboots your phone)
Fastboot reboot-bootloader (Reboots to bootloader)
Fastboot erase cache (Wipes the cache partition using fastboot. Good idea after flashing things via fastboot)
Fastboot help (Will list fastboot commands)
Fastboot boot imagefilename.img (Allows you to boot a recovery image or kernel image without actually flashing to your phone
allowing you one time access to the features without the headache of reflashing stock afterwards) Thanks to @garyd9 for suggesting I include this. Very convenient command.
What is ADB?
ADB is another command line tool used to manipulate your phone. The commands for ADB are way more extensive. ADB can only communicate with your phone while in a custom recovery or while the ROM is booted up with USB debugging turned on. The reason ADB is so much more extensive is because it allows you to remotely access your phone's terminal just like a linux terminal. You can use ADB to push or pull files to and from any partition (Some partitions will require S-Off), list devices, get a logcat, troubleshoot issues etc etc. For an extensive list of commands and how to use ADB I strongly suggest visiting http://developer.android.com/tools/help/adb.html
What is the CID?
CID stands for carrier ID. It's a string of letters and numbers, eight characters long that identify what carrier your phone is from. When you flash an OTA or RUU, The OTA or RUU checks for a few things, one of those things is the CID, to ensure you are flashing software intended for your device. Realistically, There's no hardware difference between the M8s (with the exception of CDMA vs GSM) so all firmwares/softwares should be compatible. With regards to radio firmware, your radio may function better with one firmware over another. There have been occasions with HTC where flashing an RUU or OTA with the wrong CID or SuperCID, while S-On would brick your phone. So try to be mindful of this and be careful.
Thanks to @garyd9 for suggesting I include this in my guide!
Some common CIDs include but are not limited to:
SuperCID: 11111111
HTC International: HTC__001
AT&T: CWS__001
ROGERS: ROGER001
VODAPHONE: VODAP001
T MOBILE: T-MOB010
TELESTRA: TELST001
Bell Canada: BM___001
What is a brick?
The term brick is sometimes thrown around a bit too casually. A brick is when your phone is no longer operable. It does not boot, there is no way to save it without resorting to Jtagg or replacing the nand chip or motherboard. If your phone powers on and something appears on your screen, your phone can almost always be saved. Be sure you know how to save your device before messing with your device.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
I flashed a ROM or Kernel and it's not booting! WHAT DO I DO!?
When this happens. There are actually a number of things to consider but first off, Hopefully you made a nandroid to restore from just in case the reason it doesn't boot is something not quickly or easily fixed.
1. Is the ROM you're flashing indeed intended for your device? ROMs you're flashing should be for the HTC One m8 International. You should not be flashing ROMs designed for the m8 Sprint or Verizon and should not be flashing ROMs designed for other models of phone. If the ROM you flashed is not for your device, best case scenario, it's not flashing properly. Worst case scenario, you have a brick. You will need to factory reset and wipe system then either flash a new ROM or restore a nandroid to get your phone up and running again.
2. Did you wipe Cache, Dalvik Cache, Data and System? (Don't wipe System for Kernel Install)
A factory reset will wipe all but system. You should wipe System manually in case the script for the ROM install does not do it or does it improperly. A factory reset is enough for a Kernel install. If you wiped system and just flashed a kernel, it's no doubt your phone is not booting.
* If you did not factory reset and wipe system, do so and then reflash your rom. It should then boot.
* If you wiped system to flash a kernel, you will need to reflash the rom, and then reflash your kernel again if you are flashing a custom kernel. (Note a GPE Kernel will not work on Sense and a Sense kernel will not work on GPE.
3. Did you matchup the Checksum? MD5 or SHA1 are usually posted on the ROM Download site/post. This allows you to check and make sure the integrity of the file you downloaded has been maintained. If The SHA1 or MD5 of the file you downloaded does not match what is posted, you have a corrupted file and should redownload. If you don't have a MD5 or SHA1 Checker, I suggest downloading one. Google MD5 or SHA1 Checker and you should find one. MD5 is most commonly used but it's up to the Dev as to which they post. Sometimes both. You only need to match one. (Linux comes with utilities for checking MD5/SHA1 called md5sum and/or sha1sum)
4. If you tried all these steps and it's still not booting, try another ROM. If no ROMs appear to be booting, you may be having an issue with your custom recovery. Redownload your recovery (Make sure it's the right one for your phone and check the checksum) Then reflash recovery, then use fastboot erase cache, boot to recovery and try flashing again.
5. If you tried all these and you're having issues, ask in the M8 Q&A!
I wiped everything and I don't have a ROM on my phone to flash! What do I do?
This is quite simple really.
Boot to recovery
Connect your phone to your PC
Make sure your ROM is on your PC and in your adb folder
Then use:
Code:
adb push romfilename.zip /sdcard/
Be patient, this could take a while, when it finishes you will get a confirmation with bytes in/bytes out.
Then flash.
Where can I go to find links to do all this cool stuff I want to do to my Phone!?!?!?!?
HERE!
Thank Yous!
Thanks to @garyd9
Thanks to @keithross39
This is a work in progress. I will be updating this as often as I can, trying to explain as much as I can for newer M8 owners who are not used to HTC or Android devices. If you have any suggestions for what I can put here, post here and let me know! Also, I'm not perfect, I make mistakes if I have/do make any, do not be shy! Let me know.
[08/18/2014] Partially updated and fixed spelling mistakes. More coming soon!
Hey fella, this is a good idea.
Thanks for taking the time to do this.
I am going to be getting the M8 in the near future, so reading up about the HTC specific stuff is really useful for me as I'm currently familiar with Samsung procedures and not a lot else. Most folks reading this should be familiar with the 'cross platform basics', so what you've covered so far should be enough........
But.....
Those (like me) who are getting an HTC device for the first time would probably benefit from more of a detailed description of the HTC side of things......maybe you could concentrate on expanding that information.......
Maybe you could include links to threads for s-off, rooting and/or anything else relevant?
Just my 2 cents worth....for what it's worth.....
Sent from my rooted debloated thingy
keithross39 said:
Hey fella, this is a good idea.
Thanks for taking the time to do this.
I am going to be getting the M8 in the near future, so reading up about the HTC specific stuff is really useful for me as I'm currently familiar with Samsung procedures and not a lot else. Most folks reading this should be familiar with the 'cross platform basics', so what you've covered so far should be enough........
But.....
Those (like me) who are getting an HTC device for the first time would probably benefit from more of a detailed description of the HTC side of things......maybe you could concentrate on expanding that information.......
Maybe you could include links to threads for s-off, rooting and/or anything else relevant?
Just my 2 cents worth....for what it's worth.....
Sent from my rooted debloated thingy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks man! I welcome all suggestions! I will do my best to incorporate your suggestions
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app
Great idea, thanks. I've been wondering what S-Off is for weeks but didn't want the flaming for asking a noob question!
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Some possible additions:
What is "RUU"?
What is MID (model ID) along with a list of some common MID's
What is CID (carrier ID?) along with a list of some common CID's
How do the MID and CID relate to each other and how does the combination relate and/or interact with RUU. Related, of course, is the third part of the version number.
I was thinking of writing a guide myself, because I was so confused myself after coming from samsung, really nice.
Shebee said:
I was thinking of writing a guide myself, because I was so confused myself after coming from samsung, really nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol...ain't that the truth....
Sent from my rooted debloated thingy
Nice one
Very well done!
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
I'm one of those who also came from Samsung (S4).
This is really great and easy to understand. This should be sticky :victory:
While I think the OP uses the term "ROM" incorrectly (Read Only Memory), I'll admit that's just me being picky. Otherwise, a very useful post... I've requested it be made sticky.
Take care
Gary
garyd9 said:
While I think the OP uses the term "ROM" incorrectly (Read Only Memory), I'll admit that's just me being picky. Otherwise, a very useful post... I've requested it be made sticky.
Take care
Gary
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not being picky at all! Feel free to suggest any corrections. I welcome criticism and corrections.
Thanks for the recommendation!
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app
exad said:
That's not being picky at all! Feel free to suggest any corrections. I welcome criticism and corrections.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL. I'm one of those people who goes nuts when people want to install "ROM's" on their phone. I keep reminding them that if it was really "Read Only Memory", that they wouldn't be able to overwrite it. Ever.
I do understand, however, that it's one of the misused terms these days. I guess it's kind of like saying you are "dialing a phone number." (There aren't any dials on our phones anymore. I haven't even seen a working rotary dial phone in years...)
Anyway - I'll stop with my OT bantering. Once I get more familiar with HTC devices I'll probably have some good suggestions for your posts.
Take care
Gary
garyd9 said:
LOL. I'm one of those people who goes nuts when people want to install "ROM's" on their phone. I keep reminding them that if it was really "Read Only Memory", that they wouldn't be able to overwrite it. Ever.
I do understand, however, that it's one of the misused terms these days. I guess it's kind of like saying you are "dialing a phone number." (There aren't any dials on our phones anymore. I haven't even seen a working rotary dial phone in years...)
Anyway - I'll stop with my OT bantering. Once I get more familiar with HTC devices I'll probably have some good suggestions for your posts.
Take care
Gary
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read only memory isn't a great name for it. If you've ever updated the bios on a pc, flashed a firmware update to a router, etc... you've written to read only memory. There are types that are truly read only but I can't think of a single practical example. And welcome to htc phones!
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
lampel said:
Read only memory isn't a great name for it. If you've ever updated the bios on a pc, flashed a firmware update to a router, etc... you've written to read only memory. There are types that are truly read only but I can't think of a single practical example. And welcome to htc phones!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm old enough to remember (clearly) when you couldn't update the BIOS on a PC - you had to physically replace the BIOS chip. (Usually, they were socketed to make replacement a bit easier.) That was ROM. Also, early game consoles used true ROM in cartridges.
As for current practical example: a simple CDROM (not CD/RW) is, of course, read only.
I agree that it's not the best name lol but that is what it stands for....
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app
Added this to my index thread
Hi guys! I am planning to buy an htc one m8 but can someone please tell me the different models out there? I don't want to end up buying the wrong one. Also is the dev one worth spending the extra money over the international? And is it the same model as the international one? Thanks in advance. I didn't know where else to post this. I didn't wanted to start a new thread.
Karan and all other users, please post questions in Q&A. Only things that should be posted here are suggested additions to this thread.
Also thread has been updated and more to come!
Part on RUUs is wrong...
An RUU can be run at any point and in any state (so long as you can get to the bootloader) as it completely replaces the entire system so doesn't matter if you don't have the stock recovery as it replaces it during the update process. Also, if you're S-OFF it means you can flash any RUU for any phone, handy to go between branded and unbranded software. OK, there's a risk of trying to flash an RUU from another device but if you do that you're a bit dumb!!
Hi.. Im new here with this device i read almost every single post here but there are quite a few things that I don't get it..
What is bootloader? Should i unlock it before rooting the device? And recovery here is in Chinese so shall i get TWRP instead? Also about the flashing Roms issue that erase imei and SN.. why would that happen? And How can i take a backup for these in case i lose them.. Some people mentioned SN writing tools but some people says its not working so im abit confused.. And has anyone noticed that the flashlight of the mobile is actually yellow that affects camera's captures? I would be really grateful if someone helps
1. What is a Bootloader?
Hboot, or we may call it Boot-loader, is like BIOS to windows. It is the first thing that runs when you boot up your Android device. It packages the instructions to boot operating system kernel and most of them are specifically designed to run their own debugging or modification environment.
Every Android phone has a boot-loader that instructs the operating system kernel to boot normally. But you need to understand one thing here that as Android OS is an open source OS and is available on a variety of different hardware, every manufacturer has their own version of bootloader specific for the hardware present in it’s environment.
2. Should you unlock it before rooting the device?
It solely depends on you whether you want to unlock it or not. Unlocking bootloader will give you access to installing custom recoveries on your phone and also you can use custom kernels to boost up phone's performance or simply get more battery juice. Since our K4 note doesn't have any custom kernels so good luck with that.
Warning: Unlocking Boot-loader voids phone's warranty
3. Why does IMEI/SN erases while flashing ROM's
People don't read the tutorial properly. They blame the OP instead when they do something wrong and loose their IMEI/SN.
What basically happens is, when flashing ROM's through SP flash tools, They should flash it in "DOWNLOAD" mode only and not in "Format ALL" mode. People who all lost their IMEI basically did this mistake.
4. How to Backup and Restore your IMEI/SN (NVRAM)
All the device specific details such as IMEI, SN, MAC addresses are stored in a partition called as NVRAM. So backing it up will indirectly be referring to backing up your IMEI/SN. Here is how you can do it.. LINK
5. How to install Recovery?
if you are on Marshmallow then you will be able to install recovery through this thread. LINK
6. Yellow Flashilight problem?
This bug is introduced in Android V6.0 that is marshmallow. Actually this is not truly a bug. Unlike on Lollipop which had only one LED light enabled during Camera operations, Lenovo decided to enable both of the LED's (That is white and yellow) to give the images a more true LIVELY appeal.
But terming this as bug here because nobody liked it and users were pissed off straightaway. Hopefully, Lenovo will fix it soon.
Hit Thanks if i helped..
Krishnas096 said:
1. What is a Bootloader?
Hboot, or we may call it Boot-loader, is like BIOS to windows. It is the first thing that runs when you boot up your Android device. It packages the instructions to boot operating system kernel and most of them are specifically designed to run their own debugging or modification environment.
Every Android phone has a boot-loader that instructs the operating system kernel to boot normally. But you need to understand one thing here that as Android OS is an open source OS and is available on a variety of different hardware, every manufacturer has their own version of bootloader specific for the hardware present in it’s environment.
2. Should you unlock it before rooting the device?
It solely depends on you whether you want to unlock it or not. Unlocking bootloader will give you access to installing custom recoveries on your phone and also you can use custom kernels to boost up phone's performance or simply get more battery juice. Since our K4 note doesn't have any custom kernels so good luck with that.
Warning: Unlocking Boot-loader voids phone's warranty
3. Why does IMEI/SN erases while flashing ROM's
People don't read the tutorial properly. They blame the OP instead when they do something wrong and loose their IMEI/SN.
What basically happens is, when flashing ROM's through SP flash tools, They should flash it in "DOWNLOAD" mode only and not in "Format ALL" mode. People who all lost their IMEI basically did this mistake.
4. How to Backup and Restore your IMEI/SN (NVRAM)
All the device specific details such as IMEI, SN, MAC addresses are stored in a partition called as NVRAM. So backing it up will indirectly be referring to backing up your IMEI/SN. Here is how you can do it.. LINK
5. How to install Recovery?
if you are on Marshmallow then you will be able to install recovery through this thread. LINK
6. Yellow Flashilight problem?
This bug is introduced in Android V6.0 that is marshmallow. Actually this is not truly a bug. Unlike on Lollipop which had only one LED light enabled during Camera operations, Lenovo decided to enable both of the LED's (That is white and yellow) to give the images a more true LIVELY appeal.
But terming this as bug here because nobody liked it and users were pissed off straightaway. Hopefully, Lenovo will fix it soon.
Hit Thanks if i helped..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahaaaaa Thanks Alot now it get it all.. Hope they fix that soon.. And i read that some devs here is willing to make a custom kernel i guess.. thanks again and sorry for wasting ur time.. Btw have u noticed that the sound on headset and Bluetooth is also abit lower than other devices?
Lenovo A7010 - CM13.0 Android 6.0 on lenovo-forums.ru
Hello all. I am about done with this phone. Let me give you a quick timeline.
I had a bootloader error, so I flashed the NPN25.137-35 images to get it working
I used it for about 1 week, installing all of the OTA security updates
One morning, my phone had restarted (I know because "You must enter your pattern after a restart")
Over the course of this day, google apps starting force closing and opening some of them would soft reboot the phone.
The next day, random apps were doing it too
Finally, after one crash, the OS never came back up, it was bootlooping
Upon a hard restart, the phone only boots into bootloader.
This is where I am now. I have downloaded NPN...35-5, NPNS...93-10, and NPNS...92.14. Unfortunately, trying to flash any of these give me a "prevaildation failed security update downgrade" error on every partition I try to flash. The phone just bootloops when I try to restart it.
Things I have tried:
Using fastboot to manually install one of the 3 packages mentioned above.
Using a toolkit to automate the install of the 3 packages.
Using Motorola Device Manager (Never got it to launch)
Flashing the blankflash bin (No usable image file found)
Android OEM unlock setting was not set before this crash, so I cannot unlock the bootloader.
Praying to various deities.
Unzipping the packages, editing the *info.txt file into androidinfo.txt and rezipping to use as an update package (Invalid info.txt error)
I have no idea what to do next. I find it frustrating that Motorola doesn't differentiate between 32GB, 64GB, Amazon ads, no amazon ads, US, EU, or indian variant in it's model numbers! Everything is just "XT1687" and none of the update files are named with words, so knowing what the hell I'm flashing is impossible.
So, frustrations aside, does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can get this phone working again. On a side note, the only thing that I can think of that would cause such a cascading failure from Stock OS is RAM or Storage corruption / failing. Any thoughts on that as well?
=~=~=~=~= SOLUTION FOUND =~=~=~=~=
This may not be a good solution for anyone else that has this issue, but recently Oreo came out and the OTA update was captured. I was able to flash the new OTA because it had a higher security level and at least got the phone bootable.
Do you know what software channel you were on? E.g. retus, retla, etc? If your phone was completely up to date with the OTA, then you can't use a firmware version of less than 92-14 or 93-14. Whether or not you use 92 or 93 depends on the channel.
Locked bootloader limits other possibilities unfortunately.
Retus. I can't guarantee it, but that looks familiar to me, like I had seen it somewhere in the "about phone" section. Is there a released Stock image that has the current security patch? I can't find it on XDA and I'm not trusting androidfixfiles.info or a link in a youtube video.
93-14 hasn't been leaked yet. So you'll be stuck for now.
Kilo__ said:
I have no idea what to do next. I find it frustrating that Motorola doesn't differentiate between 32GB, 64GB, Amazon ads, no amazon ads, US, EU, or indian variant in it's model numbers! Everything is just "XT1687" and none of the update files are named with words, so knowing what the hell I'm flashing is impossible.
So, frustrations aside, does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can get this phone working again. On a side note, the only thing that I can think of that would cause such a cascading failure from Stock OS is RAM or Storage corruption / failing. Any thoughts on that as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a last resort you might try booting TWRP in fastboot mode, download and flash the TWRP flashable version of NPNS25.137-93-14. and see if that gets you back to a working phone. Just a suggestion. I don't know if it will boot when the bootloader is locked but it is worth a try.
pastorbob62 said:
As a last resort you might try booting TWRP in fastboot mode, download and flash the TWRP flashable version of NPNS25.137-93-14. and see if that gets you back to a working phone. Just a suggestion. I don't know if it will boot when the bootloader is locked but it is worth a try.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone was completely stock. It has the stock recovery and bootloader.
Kilo__ said:
The phone was completely stock. It has the stock recovery and bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get that. What I am suggesting is not installing TWRP, but booting it from fastboot, if it is even possible. Given your results trying to flash a ROM I would say not. But what do you have to lose by trying?
pastorbob62 said:
I get that. What I am suggesting is not installing TWRP, but booting it from fastboot, if it is even possible. Given your results trying to flash a ROM I would say not. But what do you have to lose by trying?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tried that with a locked bootloader myself, it doesn't allow a non-signed image to boot. OP should give it a go as a 'hail Mary' attempt, but I wouldn't be holding my breath.
I've never heard of a phone that was fully stock with no mods or flashing ever done on it getting a bootloader error. The only bootloader error I am aware of is when the bootloader and ROM build are mismatched which doesn't happen unless the phone is being manually flashed. Was the phone on a custom ROM and you tried to return to full stock? Did you purchase the phone used?
If no to both exactly what did you see when you got the bootloader error? What was the message and what was the phone doing?
People who are on full stock with a locked bootloader don't usually flash system images so your story is a little hard for me to understand unless there is more to it. Normally a factory reset would be the logical solution when your phone is acting odd--flashing a system image seems pretty extreme and it sounds like flashing the wrong system image might be the cause of your current problems.
jhs39 said:
I've never heard of a phone that was fully stock with no mods or flashing ever done on it getting a bootloader error. The only bootloader error I am aware of is when the bootloader and ROM build are mismatched which doesn't happen unless the phone is being manually flashed. Was the phone on a custom ROM and you tried to return to full stock? Did you purchase the phone used?
If no to both exactly what did you see when you got the bootloader error? What was the message and what was the phone doing?
People who are on full stock with a locked bootloader don't usually flash system images so your story is a little hard for me to understand unless there is more to it. Normally a factory reset would be the logical solution when your phone is acting odd--flashing a system image seems pretty extreme and it sounds like flashing the wrong system image might be the cause of your current problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. :good:
While my phone was wholly stock, I am not new to phone rooting or custom ROMS. I bought the phone from someone who was trying to unlock it. They screwed something up and couldn't get the phone to boot. I bought it, flashed the NPN25.137-35 image after reading plenty of XDA posts about it. This one was the Retus / North America stock image. Flashed using the suggested guidelines that are along the lines of "fb_oem_mode ... flash oem oem.bin ... flash partition sparsechunk1.img" (Something like that). That got it running and once booted, it had many OTAs update in quick succession. After about a week the phone started having trouble. Google apps would crash frequently, then non-google apps started crashing and restarting my phone. After one said restart, the phone would only bootloop. I tried rebooting into recovery to do a factory reset and got the bootloader instead. I can go take a look at the bootloader and see if it says it's secure / oem or what
Kilo__ said:
While my phone was wholly stock, I am not new to phone rooting or custom ROMS. I bought the phone from someone who was trying to unlock it. They screwed something up and couldn't get the phone to boot. I bought it, flashed the NPN25.137-35 image after reading plenty of XDA posts about it. This one was the Retus / North America stock image. Flashed using the suggested guidelines that are along the lines of "fb_oem_mode ... flash oem oem.bin ... flash partition sparsechunk1.img" (Something like that). That got it running and once booted, it had many OTAs update in quick succession. After about a week the phone started having trouble. Google apps would crash frequently, then non-google apps started crashing and restarting my phone. After one said restart, the phone would only bootloop. I tried rebooting into recovery to do a factory reset and got the bootloader instead. I can go take a look at the bootloader and see if it says it's secure / oem or what
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try flashing just the stock recovery, as it sounds like that is corrupt. Ideally you'd want to get a recovery that was the same build as you were on after all the OTAs had installed. At least you'd hope that that would give you the factory reset option.
If that doesn't work, there's fastboot commands to erase user data, cache, which would be pretty much what a factory reset would do. Hope you had your data backed up.
Oreo OTA came out recently. Someone grabbed the update file and uploaded it. I was able to flash it and get the phone to boot. The verdict is still out on if it'll be stable.