Database Users

Custom recovery results in non-working N7

My N7 is unlocked, I upgraded to 4.2.2 factory stock, rooted, and flashed ClockworkMod Recovery 6.0.2.3 touch recovery. I ran into a very strange issue; if I flash the custom recovery on the tablet, then the tablet boots into a screen that asks me to type my password to decrypt storage not allowing me to enter the homescreen until I do so. Later, I found out that flashing back to stock recovery fixes the problem and my N7 is functional again. I've tried everything while on the custom recovery: erasing, formatting, writing userdata to the device without success.

I'm not really sure what question you are asking. Also, I think you might be leaving something out which ought to be clarified, the way you describe things seems to have some pieces missing. (And, you really should not be starting yet another thread on this)
You shouldn't be able to flash custom ROMs with a stock recovery; so, are you saying that you:
- flash a ROM with a custom recovery
- try and boot it -- but it fails with the "enter password" prompt (you mention "won't let me enter the homescreen")
- flash the stock recovery into place
- perform a factory reset with the stock recovery
- now the ROM boots?
Also, do you get the same result with TWRP?

bftb0 said:
I'm not really sure what question you are asking. Also, I think you might be leaving something out which ought to be clarified, the way you describe things seems to have some pieces missing. (And, you really should not be starting yet another thread on this)
You shouldn't be able to flash custom ROMs with a stock recovery; so, are you saying that you:
- flash a ROM with a custom recovery
- try and boot it -- but it fails with the "enter password" prompt (you mention "won't let me enter the homescreen")
- flash the stock recovery into place
- perform a factory reset with the stock recovery
- now the ROM boots?
Also, do you get the same result with TWRP?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a help/troubleshooting post. I know it wasn't good to start another thread, but I felt that people that had already browsed my thread the first time wouldn't come back and now I found the reason behind my issue. I didn't flash a custom rom with stock recovery; I used fastboot on my pc to issue commands. My phone has the factory stock rom on it - then if I flash clockworkmod recovery, the next time I reboot, there's a screen that says I need to type a password to decrypt storage and I'm not able to access anything. If I go back into the bootloader and erase and write the stock recovery, I'm able to boot into the homescreen without the issue. Everything I've flashed to the tablet is done through my pc via fastboot. I never tried TWRP, but I don't like that recovery anyways.

UnlockedNand said:
It's a help/troubleshooting post. I know it wasn't good to start another thread, but I felt that people that had already browsed my thread the first time wouldn't come back and now I found the reason behind my issue. I didn't flash a custom rom with stock recovery; I used fastboot on my pc to issue commands. My phone has the factory stock rom on it - then if I flash clockworkmod recovery, the next time I reboot, there's a screen that says I need to type a password to decrypt storage and I'm not able to access anything. If I go back into the bootloader and erase and write the stock recovery, I'm able to boot into the homescreen without the issue. Everything I've flashed to the tablet is done through my pc via fastboot. I never tried TWRP, but I don't like that recovery anyways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, read and understood. Very bizzare, however. Almost sounds more like something caused by the bootloader (during the fastboot write) rather than it mattering which custom recovery is sitting there (it's not clear from the above, but it almost sounds like it is not even necessary to have ever booted the custom recovery from the device's recovery partition for the problem to appear)
Are you also saying that you can not flash a custom ROM from the custom recovery without this "enter password" phenomenon happening, or is it only this combo of pure stock ROM + recovery flashed via fastboot that exhibits the problem?
I have a lightly-rooted JDQ39 Stock (4.2.2) ROM with a custom recovery - no such troubles. But mine was installed by using factory-via-fastboot of 4.2.1, followed by a manually-triggered OTA to JDQ39, and then followed in turn by a fastboot flash of the recovery partition (TWRP 2.4.1.0). That last flash was certainly performed by the 4.18 bootloader.
No troubles, but that is certainly a different installation path.
Two more small questions for clarification purposes: when you installed the factory 4.2.2 ROM via fastboot, did you follow the exact sequence of the install-all.sh script:
Code:
fastboot erase boot
fastboot erase cache
fastboot erase recovery
fastboot erase system
fastboot erase userdata
fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-grouper-4.18.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
sleep 10
fastboot -w update image-nakasi-jdq39.zip
... or did you omit anything (e.g. one or more of the erases, the bootloader flashing, etc)?

Yeah, it's like the bootloader writes bad information to the userdata partition if the recovery isn't stock. I haven't flashed a custom rom from the custom recovery, but I'm assuming the type your password issue would appear again. Yes, it's a combo of pure stock rom + custom recovery when this problem occurs. No, when I installed the 4.2.2 factory stock rom, I unzipped all the image files and typed these commands.
Code:
fastboot oem lock
fastboot oem unlock
fastboot flash bootloader <bootloader name>.img
fastboot flash boot <boot name>.img
fastboot flash system <system name>.img
fastboot flash userdata <userdata name>.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot erase cache
fastboot reboot
I've also gone back and manually erased, formatted, and wrote the userdata partition again. Maybe I should try downgrading the bootloader to 4.2.1, reflash userdata, and flash the custom recovery?

UnlockedNand said:
Yeah, it's like the bootloader writes bad information to the userdata partition if the recovery isn't stock. I haven't flashed a custom rom from the custom recovery, but I'm assuming the type your password issue would appear again. Yes, it's a combo of pure stock rom + custom recovery when this problem occurs. No, when I installed the 4.2.2 factory stock rom, I unzipped all the image files and typed these commands.
Code:
fastboot oem lock
fastboot oem unlock
fastboot flash bootloader <bootloader name>.img
fastboot flash boot <boot name>.img
fastboot flash system <system name>.img
fastboot flash userdata <userdata name>.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot erase cache
fastboot reboot
I've also gone back and manually erased, formatted, and wrote the userdata partition again. Maybe I should try downgrading the bootloader to 4.2.1, reflash userdata, and flash the custom recovery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm. Well, I can't say for sure, but I am willing to gamble that the bootloader relocates itself into a load-offset address so that it runs out of RAM rather than running directly out of Flash Memory. Much quicker that way. The implication of that is that once it is fully loaded into RAM and operational, you could actually erase the bootloader and suffer no ill effects - until you powered off the device. Then you would be in real trouble.
The point is, in the Google factory sequence, all of the partition flashing is done by the new bootloader (4.18), whereas in your case none of it is done that way - except for the custom recovery flash. Here's the Google sequence:
- erase all partitions using currently installed bootloader (4.13)
- flash new bootloader and boot into it ( 4.13 -> 4.18 )
- flash all 4.2.2 ROM partitions using new bootloader
whereas your sequence looks like:
- (no explicit erasures)
- flash partitions with old bootloader (4.13)
- reboot into new bootloader ( 4.13 -> 4.18 )
- erase cache
- flash recovery with new bootloader ( 4.18 )
very different!
Also, the "-w" switch used in the google sequence causes partition erasure and re-formatting (depending on partition type) prior to each partition's flashing.
Without going through the lock/unlock procedure, I suppose it would be possible to reflash all the partitions with 4.18 to see if the problem disappears. But, now that I said that, I realize my tab - which had an OTA upgrade - is sort of similar in that the partitions & files patched by the OTA were all initially flashed by 4.13 (by me), patched by the OTA, and then finally I flashed only the custom recovery with the 4.18 bootloader.
Doing further experimentation might mean attempting a bootloader rollback flash. I can't say that I've seen reports here of anybody trying it. And I can't say I blame them - there could be dragons hiding in that process.

Ah, I see. The sequence I followed flashing the partitions would erase and write the partitions automatically done by the fastboot script. The only instance where I erased, formatted, and flashed the partition was the userdata when I was troubleshooting. From reading other threads before, I believe people have done bootloader rollbacks without consequences to the rest of the partitions. The bootloader updates contain fixes, but aren't explicitly required for the rom to run, am I correct?

[Q] Kitkat big mess, bootloop only! Any help?

Hi there,
I think I screwed in such a fashioned manner that I did not spot any spot to better expose my issue.
I run a Nexus 4 root which used to run fine with 4.3.
I did ota to Nexus 4.4 failure.
Then I did Efrant guide (without step 10) to go 4.4, it worked.
fastboot devices
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-mako-makoz20i.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash radio radio-mako-m9615a-cefwmazm-2.0.1700.84.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash system system44.img
fastboot flash boot boot44.img
fastboot flash recovery recovery44.img
fastboot format cache
fastboot reboot
I had really bad experience with kitkat. No notification, sms history gone, home virtual button not working (only blipping), same for the top right notification menu.
Well I thought going to 4.3 would be best.
I did 4.3 through the same steps with different archives and boot loop at the X.
Then I tried a 4.2.2 but I did a huge mistake, I did it with Nexus 7 files. After sweating a bit I got it back in fastboot mode.
Then I tried 4.3 occam and 4.4 occam. Bootloop, old style and new one.
Now I can try 4.2.2 or 4.4 with fastboot flash userdata userdata.img
Any clue?
Edit: From Efrants:
Note that some users indicate that they can't get past the X on boot. If this happens to you, reboot into the bootloader and select recovery. Then, when you see the Android with the red exclamation mark, hold power and press volume up to take you to the menu. Wipe cache. If that still doesn't work, boot back into recovery and do a factory reset (this will obviously delete all your data & files in /sdcard...).
I can go to the red exclamation mark.
Than all the combinations I do just reboot me. What is the trick? Power on then volume up? Power on and volume up at the same time? How long should I press?

Try this
Get proper files for let's say 4.3 mako
fastboot erase system -w
fastboot erase boot
fastboot erase recovery
fastboot flash radio radio.img
fastboot flash bootloader bootloader.img
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
The bootloader and radio being from stock ota from Google, recovery stable custom one
fastboot reboot-bootloader
Make sure all matches
Boot to recovery
Flash ROM of choice, use a 4.3, maybe slimbean
May need to sideload the ROM though
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

demkantor said:
Try this
Get proper files for let's say 4.3 mako
fastboot erase system -w
fastboot erase boot
fastboot erase recovery
fastboot flash radio radio.img
fastboot flash bootloader bootloader.img
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
The bootloader and radio being from stock ota from Google, recovery stable custom one
fastboot reboot-bootloader
Make sure all matches
Boot to recovery
Flash ROM of choice, use a 4.3, maybe slimbean
May need to sideload the ROM though
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK I get the idea. By flashing the ROM of your choice what do you mean, flashing an OTA zip? I know how tosideload, just trying to understand what to flash.
I am about to try to flash a recovery (twrp) to wipe cache.
I tried and added system and boot.
/!\ fastboot erase system -w Erase all userdata I wanted to do that as a last option... Well now it is done...
The phone is now properly booting a 4.2.2 I will see tonight if I can get it to 4.3 or 4.4

ROM of choice is ROM of your choice, hence the recommendation for slimbean but only a recommendation
The fastboot erase system -w will cover wiping cache, but yeh still download and install the twrp image
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

demkantor said:
ROM of choice is ROM of your choice, hence the recommendation for slimbean but only a recommendation
The fastboot erase system -w will cover wiping cache, but yeh still download and install the twrp image
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well thanks for your help.
I think that my first install of 4.4 was messy. I really suspect that I installed bad radio and or bootloader. Thank you google for giving same name to different versions. Or may be I got some corrupted stuff on userdata?
When I went back to 4.3 I dont know what went wrong, maybe only that cache issue?
Then messing with the nakasi img (call me stupid) could not do any good.
I took too much confidence in messing the previous upgrades and recovering without loosing personnal data...
Now I have a fresh start to think about it...

I've got one question and one question only: how do I install 4.3 again on my nexus 4 again. I have NEVER rooted or flashed my phone. Would really really appreciate all the help I can get.

omairanwar said:
I've got one question and one question only: how do I install 4.3 again on my nexus 4 again. I have NEVER rooted or flashed my phone. Would really really appreciate all the help I can get.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
fastboot oem unlock
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
reboot to recovery
flash rom of choice
There are many guides on rooting and fastboot, i would suggest staying away from any toolkit
as if you would like to learn, you wont from a toolkit.
the above take minuets and is far from a difficult task, its a nexus, its meant to be easy.
peek your nose around the forum a bit, you have any issues or are unsure just ask and id be glad to help

[Q] Nexus 4 Stock on logo

Hi Guys...
My nexus 4 Stocked on logo last friday, I try to recovery, wipe cache, and nothing.
So I learn that some devices of Nexus 4 after update to 4.4 are having this problem.
By the way I try to flashtool on a 4.3 version, the system was installed, but I am still stocked on logo...
Anyone have any Idea, how I can fix this?
I have no access to adb, only by flashtool
here are the way that I installed the old stock version:
fastboot erase boot
fastboot erase cache
fastboot erase recovery
fastboot erase system
fastboot erase userdata
fastboot flash bootloader D:\Nexus\SDK\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools\bootloader-mako-makoz20i.img
fastboot reboot botloader
fastboot flash radio D:\Nexus\SDK\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools\radio-mako-m9615a-cefwmazm-2.0.1700.84.img
fastboot reboot bootloader
fastboot -w update D:\Nexus\SDK\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools\image-occam-jwr66y.zip
Thanks btw

Have you done a factory reset in the stock recovery?
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

I tried to wipe cache and delete all user data, but nothing works.
I read on net that I have to be pressing the volume(-) button on google animation to make a factory reset, this never worked for me....
I was thinking in install a custom firmware to try to fix this...
Do I have to hcange the bootloader, or a stock bootloader will be enough...
for example I wanna try this:
[ROM] NEXUS 5 PORT 4.4.2 KOT49H odexed 10/12/2013
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-4/development/rom-nexus-5-port-4-4-2-kot49h-odexed-10-t2507021
But the problem that as my nexus are not working I have no access to adb commands, so how I can fix that?

Just by now i was able to sideload to flash my phone
So I tried a old 4.2.2 google version.
But I have a failure:
" Signature verification failed"
Why this failure happens if I am using a oficial stock from google?

Dark_Hyoga said:
Just by now i was able to sideload to flash my phone
So I tried a old 4.2.2 google version.
But I have a failure:
" Signature verification failed"
Why this failure happens if I am using a oficial stock from google?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you trying to flash a rom in the stock recovery? It won't work, you need a custom recovery. You can try to install a custom recovery by flashing an image file in fastboot. Or you can flash the factory image in fastboot and start all over. I'm not sure what stage your device is on right now
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

I installed the most old version 4.2.2 of stock version by flash mode, I dont know why, but on versions 4.3 and 4.4 the precess always stops on some part of the flastool.. thats why I try the sideload.
4.2.2 was ok,
now I finally get over the stuck logo and can access the phone, but the phone its nothing find the network, But I am still working on it.

Now I understand Why......
I lost my IMEi on the process
*#06# shows no IMEI...
Now I have to find a tool to burn the IMEI again...
Anyone knows some, I just find the OCtoplus, but I have to buy....
There is one free?

Nexus 4 factory rom(4.4, 5.1) bootloop

Hello!
My nexus 4 started to optimize app on each reloading few days ago. At last reload it stucked on "starting apps". I flashed factory 5.1 rom by default guide("run flash-all"). It not helped, starting apps stuck again. I flashed 4.4, it not helped too.
I find few tips.I tried.
(4.4) lock, unlock bootloader, flash
(4.4) flash twrp, change filesystem of cache to fat, return to ext4, flash
(4.4) flash by update without -w
(4.4) erase all particles by fastboot, flash manually each particle
(4.4) flash by update, go to default recovery and do factory reset
it not helped.
what could happen? What I can do?
Sorry for bad english

Boot into fastboot, issue the commands "fastboot erase userdata", "fastboot erase cache", "fastboot flash userdata usedata.img", use volume button to boot into recovery, perform a factory wipe using stock recovery, and reboot.
The userdata.img file needs to be extracted from the stock ROM.
Hope this helps get the phone booted.

audit13 said:
Boot into fastboot, issue the commands "fastboot erase userdata", "fastboot erase cache", "fastboot flash userdata usedata.img", use volume button to boot into recovery, perform a factory wipe using stock recovery, and reboot.
The userdata.img file needs to be extracted from the stock ROM.
Hope this helps get the phone booted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but did not effective: it stuck on boot animation(flying ovals)

It could be a possible hardware problem in that the memory chip is defective.

Try flashing stock ROM with Nexus Root kit. If that ROM fails to start then there is a likely hardware issue
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

Nexus Player Rom help

Hi im having problems here with my nexus player
i purchased and used this since 3year with custom AOSP android lollirock that i found on this forum how to install in the begining when i purchased it now since there are newer version of android and app stop working correctly on it i wanna return to the stock rom
what it did is after booting into fastboot and running those command using google official rom
fastboot erase boot
fastboot erase recovery
fastboot erase system
fastboot erase cache
fastboot flash bootloader (bootloader filename)
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash system system.img
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
fastboot flash boot boot.img
fastboot flash cache (there were no cache.img in the google official rom package so i leave it like this)
fastboot reboot
my nexus bootloader is in UNlocked state, i remeber unlocked it the first time i flash the original rom to install the lollirock one
the device rebooted and now im stuck in the bootloop of circle turning in the screen
i did the exact samething trying to install a older version of the rom (after i read on the internet that the 8.00 was sending people who never messed around with fastboot and just using OTA to update into this samebootloop)
i got the same exact problem using an older version of the google official rom 7.1.2 i try i think
then i tried to reinstall AOSP custom 7.1 of android that i found on the forum of zulu99 he tell to
fastboot flash boot boot.img
fastboot flash system system.img
fastboot -w (and i noticed that when i run this fastboot return me and error saying that the file is missing (cannot generate image for userdata)
anyone know what i can do from here ?
im able to get into fastboot no problem holding the button under the device before i plugged in the power cord
im pretty a beginner using ADB and flashing android roms so i have no clue what im missing here but i guess its something due to the fact that ivd run fastboot erase cache.img in the begining !?!?
Please any help would be greatly appreciated

I always used the nexus root tool kit for everything.
http://www.wugfresh.com/nrt/