OK - total noobie here.
Bought my first tablet - Acer A500 off craigslist for $100. Worked like a charm for six months then went to brick status - locked on Acer Screen. BOO! HOO!
I've read and done the factory reset with the paper clip, and the Power Volume+, with no results.
Then I said to myself - "Hey, there's got to be a EASY way to do this. Probably download some software to my PC, plug in via USB, probably some sequence to boot from PC, and I'll be done!"
WRONG!
Apparently, I've got to know my CPUID - is that an acronym for Confused Person Undoubtably and IDiot - cause I got NO CLUE on that one.
And I've got to get an EUU - European United Union?
And I've got to get a Russian DeCrypter?
And.... well, you get the idea.
So, I've decided to exercise my capitalistic privileges!
IF SOMEONE THINKS THEY CAN FIX THIS DANG THING - I'LL PAY YOU!
I figure it'll take me days to figure out what I need to do and download and do it. Or, I can just ship this to someone who wants to make a few bucks and we'll both be happy.
So, if someone wants to help me do some additional diagnostics and make a buck or two in the process - email me at my public site of
rainbow 4 jd @excite. com (obviously no spaces there in the actual email address).
rainbow4 said:
OK - total noobie here.
Bought my first tablet - Acer A500 off craigslist for $100. Worked like a charm for six months then went to brick status - locked on Acer Screen. BOO! HOO!
I've read and done the factory reset with the paper clip, and the Power Volume+, with no results.
Then I said to myself - "Hey, there's got to be a EASY way to do this. Probably download some software to my PC, plug in via USB, probably some sequence to boot from PC, and I'll be done!"
WRONG!
Apparently, I've got to know my CPUID - is that an acronym for Confused Person Undoubtably and IDiot - cause I got NO CLUE on that one.
And I've got to get an EUU - European United Union?
And I've got to get a Russian DeCrypter?
And.... well, you get the idea.
So, I've decided to exercise my capitalistic privileges!
IF SOMEONE THINKS THEY CAN FIX THIS DANG THING - I'LL PAY YOU!
I figure it'll take me days to figure out what I need to do and download and do it. Or, I can just ship this to someone who wants to make a few bucks and we'll both be happy.
So, if someone wants to help me do some additional diagnostics and make a buck or two in the process - email me at my public site of
rainbow 4 jd @excite. com (obviously no spaces there in the actual email address).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh, personally we like to keep things in the forums, as other people may want to chime in and offer some steps others haven't thought of.
For some info, I'll try to explain a couple of things;
1. UID number. This is a number specifically assigned to your CPU. (CUID) which allows us (with a secure bootloader key, SBK) do a low level NVFlash of bootloaders. The issue, is that the bootloader (the first thing that loads) is secure and prevents us from flashing things. Pretty much locked. Unless you have your SBK. Then we can get into what we call APX mode which allows us to bypass security (in easy english terms). And yes, we have a tool that converts UID to an SBK.
If you do not have your UID number, all is not lost. Rumor has it that after ICS, the UID sometimes is the serial number you'll find on your Ext SD cover. Now some people confirmed this, and some say no. But it's worth a shot to use that number when trying to run an EUU file. If not, you will have to install Ubuntu on your PC and use the Linux method of getting it. More later.
2. Also, an EUU which is basically nothing more than an Acer maintenance rom which you run from your PC, requires this UID number because it uses NVFlash. That's why it's important to have it.
3. A Decrypter (not Russian I can assure you ) is sometimes required to install factory roms and updates, as Acer delivers these encrypted. You shouldn't have to worry about this yet, as most of the things we have posted are already de-crypted. For reference, you will find the tool in the Themes and Apps Forum.
For starters, I would like to know which bootloader version you currently have installed. You will find this in the upper left corner when you start the tablet. Should be a series of numbers and letters. Use a magnifying glass if you can't read it... :laugh:
Followup to a bricked Acer A500 - and if anyone can repair?
Moscow Desire said:
Eh, personally we like to keep things in the forums, as other people may want to chime in and offer some steps others haven't thought of.
For some info, I'll try to explain a couple of things;
1. UID number. This is a number specifically assigned to your CPU. (CUID) which allows us (with a secure bootloader key, SBK) do a low level NVFlash of bootloaders. The issue, is that the bootloader (the first thing that loads) is secure and prevents us from flashing things. Pretty much locked. Unless you have your SBK. Then we can get into what we call APX mode which allows us to bypass security (in easy english terms). And yes, we have a tool that converts UID to an SBK.
If you do not have your UID number, all is not lost. Rumor has it that after ICS, the UID sometimes is the serial number you'll find on your Ext SD cover. Now some people confirmed this, and some say no. But it's worth a shot to use that number when trying to run an EUU file. If not, you will have to install Ubuntu on your PC and use the Linux method of getting it. More later.
2. Also, an EUU which is basically nothing more than an Acer maintenance rom which you run from your PC, requires this UID number because it uses NVFlash. That's why it's important to have it.
3. A Decrypter (not Russian I can assure you ) is sometimes required to install factory roms and updates, as Acer delivers these encrypted. You shouldn't have to worry about this yet, as most of the things we have posted are already de-crypted. For reference, you will find the tool in the Themes and Apps Forum.
For starters, I would like to know which bootloader version you currently have installed. You will find this in the upper left corner when you start the tablet. Should be a series of numbers and letters. Use a magnifying glass if you can't read it... :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First - thanks for the reply - it was VERY NICE OF YOU.
And just so you know - I spent $100 on ebay and bought a replacement! So, now I can totally devote myself to learning what (if anything) can be done to unbrick my old one.
1. There is no external markings on this tablet AT ALL. No stickers, no nothing.
2. When I open up the SD card slot - I do get a SNID of 13001360415
3. When I do Power Volume+ slide - I get "erasing user data" and immediately below it "erasing cache"
4. It then goes to ACER logo screen and stops.
Logic tells me that A) the motherboard (or whatever passes for a motherboard on this tablet) might be bad. It's trying to go through its boot sequence and there's a physical fault or B) the motherboard could be good, but the inherent "boot disk" software is now corrupted - its locking up - and never getting to the OS software.
Or I could be wrong.
In either case - I feel like I have insufficient knowledge to properly diagnose AND determine if this is repairable at all. And that being said, IF someone has experienced this before, gone through the trial and error, and can say.... "Hey, I've fixed twenty of these, no problems" - I will happily defer to their experience.
Anyway - based on symptoms - if you think I have a fighting chance of salvaging this - I am game!
rainbow4 said:
First - thanks for the reply - it was VERY NICE OF YOU.
And just so you know - I spent $100 on ebay and bought a replacement! So, now I can totally devote myself to learning what (if anything) can be done to unbrick my old one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the comments!
$100... wow, I hate to say what I paid for my 501 new here in Moscow But now, I use my a701.
Typically, the a50x tablets have a reputation of being "bullet-proof", although lately, seems a rash of bricked tabs. Perhaps just due to old age.
You're correct about the motherboard, more specifically the emmc memory on it, is the likely culprit due to what you've stated. Or.... it could just be a corrupted file. Who knows until we investigate a little.
For starters, lets do some simple stuff first. Following is a link to some ICS update files. There are 4 of them. I have already de-crypted them. Now, download each to a individual folder on your PC. You will see they are numbered. This is to keep them separate so you know which is which.
Now, choose one of them (really doesn't matter which one, but maybe start with the highest number first). Rename it to "update.zip" (make sure it is not "update.zip.zip" as this is a common mistake. If your PC doesn't show the .zip extension, just rename it to update)
Now, copy it to your external SD card. Power on your tablet holding Vol+ (or minus) and PWR. Continue pressing until you see text about installing the update in the upper left corner, then release. We'll see if it installs all the way. If after 15 minutes it doesn't (it may stop at about 25%), then PWR off, and rename and copy the next update file, and try that one. Might have to try all 4, so make sure your tab is fully charged.
If none of these install all the way, then life becomes a little more difficult......
Links to my server (large files 300+mb)
http://d-h.st/Zf8
http://d-h.st/2cm
http://d-h.st/gw8
http://d-h.st/KXl
the JTiind
Moscow Desire said:
If you do not have your UID number, all is not lost. Rumor has it that after ICS, the UID sometimes is the serial number you'll find on your Ext SD cover. Now some people confirmed this, and some say no. But it's worth a shot to use that number when trying to run an EUU file. If not, you will have to install Ubuntu on your PC and use the Linux method of getting it. More later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I get in on this conversation? For three days, I've been trying to revive my brother's A500. It seems like every option I come across requires the sbk, or the cpuid. I don't have the cpuid and can't figure out how to retrieve it since the tablet appears to be stuck in apx mode. The power button is illuminated and nothing comes on the screen. Windows device manager displays Acer USB Boot-recovery driver.
I've tried using AfterOTA v1.09 to flash recovery and bootloader files, but not sure if I've chosen the correct files to flash. I found a zip file here on the forums that contained ics_boot_unlk_v6_500.bin and recovery_thor17_403.img that I've attempted to use. AfterOTA just hangs on [2/3] flashing recovery...
Not knowing this all important UID, where do I go from here? Can I hear more about this Ubuntu method? Will that help in this case?
Thank you!
holtsclaw said:
Can I get in on this conversation? For three days, I've been trying to revive my brother's A500. It seems like every option I come across requires the sbk, or the cpuid. I don't have the cpuid and can't figure out how to retrieve it since the tablet appears to be stuck in apx mode. The power button is illuminated and nothing comes on the screen. Windows device manager displays Acer USB Boot-recovery driver.
I've tried using AfterOTA v1.09 to flash recovery and bootloader files, but not sure if I've chosen the correct files to flash. I found a zip file here on the forums that contained ics_boot_unlk_v6_500.bin and recovery_thor17_403.img that I've attempted to use. AfterOTA just hangs on [2/3] flashing recovery...
Not knowing this all important UID, where do I go from here? Can I hear more about this Ubuntu method? Will that help in this case?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep.... UID is all important. Uses what we call "NVFlash" to install bootloader and recoveries when all else fails. You UID is specific to each tab. No 2 are alike (as far as we know). With it, we can convert it to an SBK (Secure Bootloader Key). The stuff acer don't really wanna give us. This allows the use of NVFlash via APX mode (which you have already discovered.
Here is a link to getting your UID via various methods. The ones you want to pay attention to, are the links using Ubuntu (halfway thru the guide) Note that you may have to look at links within links to get all the methods people have tried, as some change a bit of the scripts here and there, but you should be able to figure it out.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=25429111#post25429111
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1751978
also of use, is a tool called "babsector". This tries to repair/workaround physical sectors on some tabs. But you shouldn't need that yet. So read that guide and check the links in it for using Ubuntu.Never had to use it myself, so not a lot of further advice on the technical aspect.
MD
rainbow4 said:
First - thanks for the reply - it was VERY NICE OF YOU.
And just so you know - I spent $100 on ebay and bought a replacement! So, now I can totally devote myself to learning what (if anything) can be done to unbrick my old one.
1. There is no external markings on this tablet AT ALL. No stickers, no nothing.
2. When I open up the SD card slot - I do get a SNID of 13001360415
3. When I do Power Volume+ slide - I get "erasing user data" and immediately below it "erasing cache"
4. It then goes to ACER logo screen and stops.
Logic tells me that A) the motherboard (or whatever passes for a motherboard on this tablet) might be bad. It's trying to go through its boot sequence and there's a physical fault or B) the motherboard could be good, but the inherent "boot disk" software is now corrupted - its locking up - and never getting to the OS software.
Or I could be wrong.
In either case - I feel like I have insufficient knowledge to properly diagnose AND determine if this is repairable at all. And that being said, IF someone has experienced this before, gone through the trial and error, and can say.... "Hey, I've fixed twenty of these, no problems" - I will happily defer to their experience.
Anyway - based on symptoms - if you think I have a fighting chance of salvaging this - I am game!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OH MY GOSH - IT WORKED! YOU ARE THE HERO OF ALL MANKIND!!
It took me a bit of minor tweeking - in that I had to rename the file BEFORE copying it to the SD Card - because I was getting some copying errors.
The version that took was #3 - what I mean by that is.... it was the third one in the Windows Explorer naming sequence. I don't know what the name of it is now, because I obviously updated the name to be "update.zip"
So..... it "took" and started giving me a working Android Robot - whereas the others had given me a Dead Android with the Information icon.
I waited through the process - it loaded the operating system and prompted me to select language, country, wifi, log in with google, AND I WAS UP AND RUNNING!
I am going to post these results as a specific FIX and encourage everyone to try it who has a bricked tablet!
:victory::victory::victory::laugh::laugh::victory::victory:
Related
Hi - I'd really appreciate some help with trying to boot my A500.
I have spent hours over the last week trying to boot my A500, and am literally going mad, so thanks in advance for your time reading this - and all the incredibly useful posts that have got me this far.
About 2 weeks ago - my A500 froze on a webpage, and the screen was unresponsive.
I tried turning the unit off and back on again, and it just hung on the acer screen.
I did A LOT of reading around - and tried the following
- Paperclip in the reset hole
- trying to USB the tab to my PC. Windows doesn'tt recognize it. I have installed the Acer USB software.
- Volume up with power on and the toggle switch
- Volume down with power on
- emailing acer tech support, twice without a response other than the auto "You will receive a response within 24 hours"
When I do the volume down and power on - I get the Android icon with the exclamation mark, then the tab boots and I get to a screen asking for a password.
I have tried my google password without success. I have never set up a password to lock the tablet.
I have then downloaded what seems like a hundred ROM's copied to 3 different micro SD's with a variety of different formatting. Saving the files as update, update.zip, and their original file name, and unzipping them on the root of the micro sd card.
When I try the volume down and power - I still get the exclamation mark - and eventually directed to the password page again. I see the icon to show there is an SD card in the device at the bottom right of the screen.
I have also tried plugging in my wireless USB keyboard - doing the volume down power thing while pressing home on the keyboard.
I get the following options:
reboot system now
apply update from external storage
wipe data/ factory reset
wipe cache partition
I have tried them all. Reboot system takes me back the password prompt.
When I apply update from external storage - I get the following message:
E:unknown volume from path [/sdcard]
E:error opening /sdcard: No such file or directory
E: unknown volume for path [/sdcard]
It seems to me that the a500 isn't picking up the update.zip or recognizing the micro SD card.
Does anyone have a link to a stock ROM that they know to work (I have downloaded many - but get the above scenario every time)
Any advice on the password?
Any advice on flashing the ROM - why isn't the A500 picking up the micro SD card - when I know it has read these cards in the past?
I bought the device from a company called valuetech ltd through Amazon UK, who gave me a 3 month guarantee, which has recently expired. I have the box etc.
I haven't rooted the A500 at any point, and haven't installed anything other than the stock updates.
This is driving me demented, and I would genuinely appreciate any help. Thanks for your time reading this.
Dave
Well, seems a pickle you have yourself in.
Have you tried this?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1307539
You may have to download the Android SDK first, and then the google driver pack to get ADB working.
You might be able to get an ADB connection working. Maybe not. When your pc asks for drivers, let it search your system. It should tag the Android Debug Interface. You may have to manually select the driver, and ignore the warning.
Or it may not. But it's a good place to start.
It's extremely difficult to "hard brick" an Iconia tablet. Honestly, I have never seen it happen as long as there is life to it. It's just a matter of finding the correct method.
purrty much
Moscow Desire said:
Well, seems a pickle you have yourself in.
Have you tried this?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1307539
You may have to download the Android SDK first, and then the google driver pack to get ADB working.
You might be able to get an ADB connection working. Maybe not. When your pc asks for drivers, let it search your system. It should tag the Android Debug Interface. You may have to manually select the driver, and ignore the warning.
Or it may not. But it's a good place to start.
It's extremely difficult to "hard brick" an Iconia tablet. Honestly, I have never seen it happen as long as there is life to it. It's just a matter of finding the correct method.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He's definitely right... moscow is always right the acer basically cannot be bricked, unless you smash the thing or something. Look over my posts as well as the one moscow posted, I had a "brick" scare not too long ago and I had to figure that out. Should be able to guide you in the right direction.
My husbands Acer a500 screen froze when he was playing Zimga a poker game when this happened.
He believes he had ICS but he is not sure of anything speciffic.
He doesn't have any type of backup.
He never had it connected to the computer.
We tried the factory reset.
We tried the hard reset.
We cleaned the cache & whatnot...
Nothing helps.
I've tried to use the GUIDE: Recovering Recovery/Obtaining SKB
Of course we only option we have, because nothing was ever back up, connected to a computer. I downloaded unbumtu 12.04 and installed it onto my laptop.
The requirements:
-ubuntu 12.04
-micro USB cable
-paper clip ....
I also made sure I installed gcc, lsusb, libusb-1.0-dev, & libusb-1.0.x
I get it to show on the desktop ...
I type in: sudo su
Then: gcc apx.c -o apx -lusb-1.0
I end up with an errors.
If I remember correctly it says that line 4 and line 5 of EPPE code was in errors.
The another time it states...
Then it stats su: invalid option -- 'o'
I am by all no means a computer code writer, and hope someone will help me solve this issue.
I just can't afford sending the tablet back to Acer to be fixed.
I even tried flashing the information on the micro SD card, but I believe since his tablet wasn't connected ever to a computer things aren't running as smoothly as I would like.
I've downloaded nvFlash, blackthud3r, and many Roms.
I.ve even tried to flash a few with no luck. Mister Android has fallen and can't get up with the RED triangle and all.
I can get the tablet in Apx mode.
Also I can get the screen with the Fastboot...
I've tried all the tricks with the volume up and power button and toggle switch, AND/OR the volume down button and toggle.
But without the UIP or CPUID those items aren't doing me any good.
The tablet was only updated the old fashioned way. No customized anything.
Hubby mainly used it to get email and play pocker over the internet with it.
Not sure what other information you need, but I hope someone could get me out of this MISERY!
Been messing with it for over a week trying to read and get as much information about others having simular situations.
Thank you in advance & Hope to hear from you SOON!
We've even tried doing things in different computers...:crying:
radarbill said:
My husbands Acer a500 screen froze when he was playing Zimga a poker game when this happened.
He believes he had ICS but he is not sure of anything speciffic.
He doesn't have any type of backup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, seeing it a stock tab, not a lot of options.
I would try this, here is a link where I gathered 4 500 ICS updates. Note that I named them with build numbers to keep things in order.
Rename one of the files to only "update.zip" (remove the build number in other words).
With the tab off, hold VOL+ and PWR until you see the update start to install, then release both.
Now, if one of them doesn't complete, then try the other. Hopefully one of them completes the install and boots the tablet.
Here's the link;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=31323893&postcount=8
MD
How to recover Acer a500 without any backup? Need Help?
Moscow Desire said:
Well, seeing it a stock tab, not a lot of options.
I would try this, here is a link where I gathered 4 500 ICS updates. Note that I named them with build numbers to keep things in order.
Rename one of the files to only "update.zip" (remove the build number in other words).
With the tab off, hold VOL+ and PWR until you see the update start to install, then release both.
Now, if one of them doesn't complete, then try the other. Hopefully one of them completes the install and boots the tablet.
Here's the link;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=31323893&postcount=8
MD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate you getting back so quickly.
I've already tried these.
I also tried most of these from this web page.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1816560
Nothing seems to work.
There was a couple of them that would install about 25% but then android would keel over and the red triangle of death took over.
I would appreciate if you had any other suggestions, or if anyone else did.
There has to something I can do?!?
Well, without having the UID number, I think NVFlash is out of the question. Usually we get these quite simply when the tab is operating.
There is a Linux solution, to get UID, but I'm not a linux guy. There's a thread about UID, I think in the dev section. In there are steps to get it through Linux I believe.
With the UID, I think we can run TimmyDeans rollback tool. But as far as I know, you have to have the UID number.
MD
radarbill said:
I type in: sudo su
Then: gcc apx.c -o apx -lusb-1.0
I end up with an errors.
If I remember correctly it says that line 4 and line 5 of EPPE code was in errors.
The another time it states...
Then it stats su: invalid option -- 'o'
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please post the the commands you run and the exact result you get, it is hard to tell what went wrong without knowing exactly what you did and exactly what results you got.
Just a copy of the terminal buffer as it is would be good.
Moscow Desire said:
There is a Linux solution, to get UID, but I'm not a linux guy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have posted code for two Windows variants as well, one using libusb-win32 and one using the winusb driver delivered by Acer.
It can be found in the [GUIDE] Recovering Recovery/Obtaining SKB thread.
solved thankyou all
eppeP said:
Please post the the commands you run and the exact result you get, it is hard to tell what went wrong without knowing exactly what you did and exactly what results you got.
Just a copy of the terminal buffer as it is would be good.
I have posted code for two Windows variants as well, one using libusb-win32 and one using the winusb driver delivered by Acer.
It can be found in the [GUIDE] Recovering Recovery/Obtaining SKB thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well we ended up getting a new mobo and that did the trick. so thankyou one and all
Hey guys,
I'm a new Nexus 7 user (Will be delivered today) and I'm just looking for some quick advice to get started.
I have had a good search/read of forum and found various rooting methods/kernels and some roms I will be trying out etc and shouldn't have any problem getting myself started, however to lower risk I'm just looking for some seasoned N7 users to maybe give me any recommendations or advice.
I'm not a n00b and dont expect/want any spoon feeding, Maybe just a few pointers to avoid any ****ups/bricks on N7/flashing techniques.
Advice/Links would be appreciated.
Easiest way you can possibly do it:
http://www.wugfresh.com/nrt/
Wilks3y said:
Easiest way you can possibly do it:
http://www.wugfresh.com/nrt/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thnx, This was one of the apps I was looking at in my research so will give it a go.
I know you're not a noob because i saw you in S2 Q/A section several times. I recommand you to unlock your bootloader and flash a custom recovery with fastboot and after that you can flash superSU with the custom recovery.
PM me if you want more advices/links.
Since unlocking your bootloader wipes the device - including the psuedo-SD card, you may as well do that first - as soon as it comes out of the box - and get it over with.
The custom recoveries use a different USB VID/PID pair than the normal OS boot for the ADB endpoint - so a single driver (Asus or Google) won't talk to the custom recoveries in ADB mode unless you edit their .INF files (use notepad app, not any other editor) so you can use a single driver for fastboot/adb-OS/adb-recovery. For signed drivers this breaks their signing, but you can still install them. I suppose others get around this by installing multiple drivers - including drivers off of XDA of mysterious origin which are also unsigned.
You can find documentation of relevant USB VID/PID pairs at the bottom of this post
[REF] Nexus 7 Button Combinations
You might find the top bit of that post useful, too
Some folks claim that you need the latest version of the SDK to deal with the new 4.2.2 adb security layer. IMO, I'm not convinced (I'm using Asus drivers from 6/2012, not Google, and everything seems to work fine.) But, it certainly can't hurt to update your SDK.
After that you might as well run stock for a week or two while you are doing more reading (OK, let's say rooted stock); that way when you start ROM-hopping you will have a baseline experience to compare against.
Get yourself a decent OTG cable; maybe a USB key that has storage capacity as big as your device, too. If you want to mount Mass Storage devices as "OTG" devices on a rooted-stock ROM, use chainfire's Stickmount app from the market.
And lastly - just like with any other device, make full Nandroid backups - including for your lightly-rooted stock ROM. You never know when you might want to pull bits and pieces from them later.
Also, I consider myself decently skilled at this stuff - but because I came from a device with a real external SD card, I have managed to totally wipe out my "psuedo-SD card" twice now because I got in a hurry and wasn't paying attention. Moral: at a minimum, get copies of your Nandroid backups off of the device.
Finally, don't use a toolkit - you will learn nothing, and be unable to resolve even the most trivial of problems which eventually crop up. Underneath the hood it's all fastboot and adb anyway.
$.02
bftb0 said:
Since unlocking your bootloader wipes the device - including the psuedo-SD card, you may as well do that first - as soon as it comes out of the box - and get it over with.
...
[REF] Nexus 7 Button Combinations
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The link doesn't work.. Thought I'd mention it
And have fun enjoying your new Nexus. Do yourself a favor no matter what method you use to root/flash: read everything in the op before you flash anything and its better if you wait until others post feedback. I still have a $200 paperweight that says KINDLE on the back.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
kilometers4 said:
The link doesn't work.. Thought I'd mention it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks - fixed it. Dropped one digit at the end.
Thnx for advice guys, will be rom hopping for a while until I find one to stay with for a while. Currently on CM10.1.
As mentioned the lack of real ext sd is a bit of a ball ache. Really wish they had have added the slot to new nexus range.
I have been working on changing the Operating system on my A500 for the past 3 days. I'm retired and it really has been three 12 hour days. The forum has been a font of information but it is scattered and confusing to someone new like me. I have been writing what I did and wanted to share it with the other noobs. Of course I had to register on the forum first. So today is my first day registered and here is my first post.
A procedure for changing the ROM in an A500
This procedure is for Windows. It can be done on Mac and Linux but we're not going there. It uses Afterota v1.09 by gersma. Although the program is great, there is really no explanation of how it works or how to use it. I hope this procedure helps the noobs like me.
You can install Honeycomb (HC), Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) or Jelly Bean (JB). I'm not giving links because they change, are unavailable or otherwise wrong. Plus this is written to be printed and followed on paper because there is a PC restart involved; also I sometimes lose my place while online. If you can keep it straight, more power to you. I'm writing this for complete noobs. Admit it, we were not born knowing this stuff. As a complete noob I am also assuming you and I have not changed our A500 in any way other than the normal updates from Acer and Google.
Now for the disclaimer:
You do this at your own risk. If you point a finger at me and start yelling, I will hold up a mirror facing you so you can see who is to blame.
Prep your A500 for the procedure
For safety sake, remove the micro SD card if you have one installed.
Plug the A500 in to AC power, power it ON and ensure it is fully charged. Keep the tablet powered from AC. Ensuring it is fully charged is insurance against accidental power loss. You don't want to loose power while doing this procedure or your tablet could become a paperweight. Place the tablet close to the PC (notebook or desktop) you will be using for the procedure. You're going to connect the tablet and PC together with a USB cable later. The best cable is the one that came with the A500, the one with the micro USB end and regular USB at the other. If you use something different, make sure it is a good quality cable.
The next step is to set the tablet to accept changes. Tap Apps → Settings → Developer options → USB Debugging.
If your tablet is password protected, disable it now. You'll have to set it up again anyway after the change.
Prep your PC for the procedure
Download and install the USB drivers for the A500 from acer.com.
Go to the xda-developers.com forum and download Afterota. You can search for the program. It doesn't require installation, it just runs as is.
Another thing to look up is recovery apps. There are a number of them and they all do the same thing in slightly different ways. Afterota v1.09 offers four, Thor 1.7.3 (touch screen), TWRP 2.1.3-ICS (touch screen), Ra v3.1.7 (touch screen) and Pub v0.2 (Vol and power button). I discuss recovery later.
Next we need a ROM to load. Again, go to xda-developers.com and search for one that interests you. They are under the Iconia A500 Development section. When this was written, I installed JB 4.1.2. I highly suggest you read up on the ROM you want. Check for status, useability, included apps, excluded apps, bootloader requirement (for this procedure ICS), etc. When you finally download your preferred ROM, do not extract it. You will be using it in the zipped form.
I have seen a zip file called gapps (Google apps) on xda-developers.com. It appears to be needed for some ROMs. Again, download it if necessary but do not unzip it. The JB ROM I used specifically stated the gapps were included.
The next step is to disable User Account Control (UAC) in Windows. Go to Control Panel → User Accounts → Change User Account Control settings and drag the slider to the bottom. You will have to restart the PC for changes to take effect.
The procedure
Install bootloader and recovery
It looks like you're ready to proceed.
Connect the PC and tablet together with the USB cable. Place the small end into the tablet and the larger end in a PC USB port. You will see the device drivers load and Windows Explorer will ask what to do. Click on Open device to view files.
At this time, you can browse the tablet using Windows Explorer. Most everything you want to see is on the Internal storage partition. If you have a micro SD card inserted, it will show as SD card. I strongly suggest you check through the folders for any data, documents, music, videos, etc that you may want to safeguard. Copy the folders and/or files to the PC. If they get destroyed on the tablet, you can copy them back later.
Run Afterota. The first thing Afterota does is collect information from your A500. It takes a few moments so be patient. When done, it will save the text file, AcerIDs, to your desktop. This file is very important. It will have the tablet's serial number, CPUID, SBK and other stuff. It is a very good idea to save it and/or print it for future use; it could get overwritten later.
There are five tabs in the Afterota window. Info – where we just collected the information, Stock – to go back to HC, Standard – where we will be going next, Advanced – unbrick and other stuff and About.
In Standard we need to choose a bootloader.
What exactly is a bootloader and why do we need it? A bootloader is akin to the starter of a vehicle. You insert your key into the ignition and turn it to start the engine. A bootloader starts the operating system (engine) of your tablet. If you change the engine in your vehicle, you need to install a compatible starter. We are going to be changing the engine of your tablet, so we need a new starter as well.
Afterota v1.09 has 2 bootloaders. One is just for HC. The other one is for ICS and presumably for JB. Make sure your ROM will use an ICS bootloader. You'll notice the Bootloader ICS options have the same bootloader version but different recovery apps.
Recovery here is and isn't the same thing as in Windows. From the factory, you use the Acer Recovery app to get your A500 back to original factory setup like in Windows. You use one of these Afterota recoveries to install a new operating system (OS). The differences in the Afterota recovery apps is the way they present options. The only one I've used is Twrp v2.1.3. It has a nice GUI. You should have read up on them all and decided for yourself which to use.
Click on the A50x box for the recovery you want and the program will do the install.
Once the program is done it will reread the tablet and generate a new AcerIDs file. Keep the original file, for some reason the second one doesn't get the tablet serial number. Of course, you can keep both. You can close Afterota now.
Install ROM
The next step is to copy your zipped ROM to the Internal storage of the A500 tablet. Do not put it in the SD card. You can also put the gapps zip file here now if you need it.
Disconnect the USB cable and power OFF the tablet.
Press and hold Volume down side of the Volume button (the side closest to the power button) while pressing power on. Wait til you see the booting recovery image message then release the buttons. You are now in the recovery app you chose earlier.
The words and menus may differ between recovery apps but the functions are the same. You will probably have to move between menus. Just take your time and think about what you are doing and you should be fine.
Wipe, Erase or Delete caches and do a Factory Reset. Next, format the system and flexrom.
Now, traverse to where you see the menu option Install Zip from SD (or something to that effect). Choose your ROM and install it. If you put the zipped gapps on the tablet, you can install that as well. If not, you can do that later.
Once successful, boot up normally to your new OS. The first boot takes a very long time. Be patient.
Time for thanks. Thanks to gersma for Afterota. Thanks to all the developers of the booloaders, recoveries and ROMs. Especially thanks for sharing your work.
Hello, from Spain. (Sorry for my English)
I have this problem in my nook simple touch: appears on the screen: "encountered a problem that requires a system restart"
I've tried all sorts of things I've seen in this forum and in others (update to 2.0.1; recoverys, formatting, etc. and nothing works.
I would like to try installing version 1.0.0 of nook, but I can not find the .iso.
Could someone help me? Thank you very much.
Luisa
Do you have ADB working?
A logcat will tell you exactly what the problem is.
Hello
Thank you for contestarrme.
1. The Nook can not be opened.
2. Nor is turned off completely
3. After it seems a restart, the message "Encountered a problem That requires a system restart" appears
4. Nor do I make the PC recognize it.
5. I tried to fix it using this software uy following the instructions of the forum to do so, but without success: "sd_2gb_clockwork-rc2", "Alpha-FormatTouch-2", "touchnooter-2.1.31", "install_stock_1.1_recovery "" NookManager-0.5.0 "
6. Unfortunately I can not find the original Nook software, to introduce it, but would not know how to do because the PC does not recognize the Nook
7. If you have any idea and can explain it, I will be deeply grateful.
8. Final note. I've been looking for "logcat", as I say, but I have not found the way to do if my computer does not recognize the nook. Is it possible to do another modo¿ give me a link where you explain?
9. Many, thank you very much !!
The good part is that the NST is almost unbrickable.
The bad part is that to get things going is a bit complicated.
(I've also lost track of where the stock images are.)
See the thread on OmapLink. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2579521
When you get that error, does it restart itself or do you have to push a screen button?
If you're using Windows, does it "bong" when you plug in the Nook?
Does Windows ever say "unknown device" or ask for a driver?
What happens with a long push on the power button?
I'd stay away from these "super-one-click-nooter" things, they aren't very good when something is wrong.
Hello
I try to understand the link you sent me.
Meanwhile, I answer your questions:
1. When you get that error, does it restart itself or do you have to push a screen button?I am the one that presses the button, to restart. If I do not push it, it does nothing
2. If you're using Windows, does it "bong" when you plug in the Nook? Effectively, when connecting the nook you hear the typical sound, but it does not appear between the connected devices (although once it appeared ... I have tested the cables with other devices and they work perfectly)
3. Does Windows ever say "unknown device" or ask for a driver? Never:
4. What happens with a long push on the power button? If I hold down the button, the display remains frozen (read forever). As soon as I stop pressing, it starts to start (nook.by Barnes ...)
5. More: I tried to press the lower left and right buttons, and a message appears that says install failed
thank you!!
I'd stay away from these "super-one-click-nooter" things, they aren't very good when something is wrong.[/QUOTE]
Hello
I have been reading the link you mentioned above. The truth is that I find it difficult. If you have any idea (I do not mind putting the Nook at risk) I'm ready to take it. Thank you !!
Hi.
I've been this weekend trying to figure out how to fix my nook. After trying noogie "and not getting anything (the screen freezes with the message rooted forever) I have come to the following conclusion: maybe I could fix the nook with a backup of some person who wanted to give me yours, and then put it in The nook with the program Roadkil's DiskImage.What do you think the idea? Do you think someone would have a backup of their nook that could lend me? Thanks
Sorry, short response for now.
You know that the point of Noogie is just to put up the splash screen, then mount the entire internal SD card over USB?
It doesn't have any user controls after that.
No, i did not know. I thought it was to restore the nook to an original version.
Thank you
Hi.
I guess the silence indicates the few solutions that exist for my Nook.
Thank you very much for everything, Renate. It has been a pleasure.
Gracias!!
Maybe this?
luisaranda said:
Hi.
I guess the silence indicates the few solutions that exist for my Nook.
Thank you very much for everything, Renate. It has been a pleasure.
Gracias!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awhile back, XDA member @the_alternate posted a link for a region reflasher. If you can get the NST to at least reset, you might be able to rewrite the innards by that method. The link is https://sites.google.com/site/xcdguides/nook/nookregion
Sorry for the speed of my response.
It can be a little tricky to get things working, especially:
If you never turned ADB on.
If you never got the Windows drivers working before
If you never made a backup.
Can you get Noogie to work?
Do you see new disks on your Windows machine?
Do you see any "unknown devices" in the Device Manager in Windows?
Hi, Renata. Before writing I tried the solution you give me about the region change, but it did not work. I think I'm asking for something impossible and, besides, making you waste your time. I very much appreciate and very sincerely the help you have given me A way so disinterested, but taking advantage of Christmas I will buy a new Nook.If you think, we finished this topic. Thank you, thank you. I hope you enjoy the year 2017 and everything is wonderful in your life and in the lives of people around you.