Database Users

[Q] a500 bricked(ish) tried various recovery threads. help?

For a few months now my a500 has been having problems, but I've only recently been able to spend some time looking at it. I've gone through many unbrick threads, and recovery threads, and bootloader patch threads, and am still stuck.
Here's the problem(i think): at some point I must have flashed a rom without wiping /data. Now when I use CWM to wipe the device it says it can't remove the packages.xml file.
After learning about the packages.xml file, i now understand why my tablet would force close, reboot, and generally behave badly, since the new rom can't write to the packages.xml file.
Edit: The solution was very simple, and I'm surprised it wasn't suggested in all the other "i can't delete packages.xml" threads i'd seen. The attribute flags on that file were set to immutable and append-only. I had busybox installed and was able to issue "chattr -r -i" on the file and then it removed fine and after flashing a new rom everything is glorious.
Here's what i've tried so far:
I've tried removing the file through adb, the adb shell, the terminal emulator on the tab itself.... no good.
I've tried using fastboot to reformat the data partition.... No good. apparently the HC bootloader doesn't allow this.
I've tried patching the HC bootloader, upgrading to the ICS bootloader.... this is where I'm stuck and need help
I can't get any of the utilities that are supposed to work over APX mode to work. I can get the tab into APX mode and it shows up both in windows as some Acer Iconia Something Recovery Something... but it seems as soon as the utility tries to send it commands the device disconnects. I tried this in linux as well with the same result. As soon as I send any commands to it via nvflash (even just "wait for device") it disappears from udev.
Can someone please help me either
1) figure out another way to just fix the permissions on the packages.xml file
2) figure out what is going wrong with apx mode
3) tell me another way to format the data partition.
4) tell me that i'm just missing something really obvious that is a 1 click fix?!

The bootloader you currently have in tha tablet doesn't have anything to do with APX mode. It is not used at all.
This is how APX works (simplified):
- Tegra2 CPU enters download mode, for which the software is written on one time programmable memory inside the processor itself
- APX waits in download mode for commands from nvflash utility
- nvflash downloads to tablet's RAM bootloader binary (the one you use in command line) together with other data like BCT and ODMDATA (those are actually not required by all APX commands)
- APX runs the bootloader downloaded to RAM (not the one in eMMC) and runs commands you give it with nvflash.
So APX support needs to be implemented in bootloader you download to the tablet (for example Skrillax_CZ's bootloader_apx.bin).
As for your main problem I'm afraid this probably means that your tablet's eMMC flash memory has failed. I'm not 100% sure but there shouldn't be any problem removing the file or formatting the partition using nvflash.
Post messages you get when using nvflash (whole output would be great). We will see where to get from there.

Thanks for getting back to me, I'm at work now so will mess around a little more when I get home.
for a little clarification when I was talking about the bootloader issue i think the utility i was thinking of was fastboot. I had seen some suggestions of using fastboot to format the partition and then found out that the HC bootloader doesn't work with fastboot. That's when I followed the trail to try to install the ICS bootloader and got into the APX stuff with nvflash, though it seems that if I can get nvflash working, I can format the partition with that and not need to flash a new bootloader.
As I said, I'll mess around a little more when I get home and post some logs, but I'm still worried about why the apx device disappears from my system as soon as i try sending it commands.

Hmmm you probably don't have your tablet's CPU ID. You need that in order to do anything in APX mode. It is somehow possible to get CPU ID from the APX itself but you would need to search the forum how to do it (AFAIK it is required to connect tab to a Linux machine to do that).

Sorry Guys but another A500 Bricked APX mode only

Hello,
I am another unfortunate user who has bricked his tablet. I installed Jue11 Ram Manager Plus and it asked to reboot my tab. On reboot it was bricked, flashing the android logo and not going any further. I have tried everything listed on the site to get my CPUID to no avail. have followed all instructions including trying to retrive using Ubuntu Linux, A500 Flash Tool, (which tells me it is in APX mode but returns a blank serial), NVflash gives a device not found. Any help? I am technically saavey on PC, Windows and the like, but fairly new to tablets.
A little more info, using A500 Manager it reports a500 in APX mode then acts like it is retrieving the serial but comes back blank. Nvflash reports device not found. Using Ubuntu gives errors but reports all needed packages are installed, (not a Linux Power User so could be an ID10T Error on my part).
Please, I appreciate any and all help.
hartgraves

hartgraves said:
Hello,
I am another unfortunate user who has bricked his tablet. I installed Jue11 Ram Manager Plus and it asked to reboot my tab. On reboot it was bricked, flashing the android logo and not going any further. I have tried everything listed on the site to get my CPUID to no avail. have followed all instructions including trying to retrive using Ubuntu Linux, A500 Flash Tool, (which tells me it is in APX mode but returns a blank serial), NVflash gives a device not found. Any help? I am technically saavey on PC, Windows and the like, but fairly new to tablets.
A little more info, using A500 Manager it reports a500 in APX mode then acts like it is retrieving the serial but comes back blank. Nvflash reports device not found. Using Ubuntu gives errors but reports all needed packages are installed, (not a Linux Power User so could be an ID10T Error on my part).
Please, I appreciate any and all help.
hartgraves
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if u meant rom manager - our tab isnt supported, you'll need the patched BL before u can install a custom recovery
if nvflash is reporting device not found then check your data cable and/or that the acer usb boot recovery is installing from apx mode. You may need to manually install it by pointing it to the acer folder in program files/data depending which win OS u have...
try that and see how u get on...

dibb_nz said:
if u meant rom manager - our tab isnt supported, you'll need the patched BL before u can install a custom recovery
if nvflash is reporting device not found then check your data cable and/or that the acer usb boot recovery is installing from apx mode. You may need to manually install it by pointing it to the acer folder in program files/data depending which win OS u have...
try that and see how u get on...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure you are using the mini usb cable and not the full size..

Try this for a possible fix
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1823583

[Q] Stuck at stage two (unlocking bootloader)

Hi guys !
I'm trying to install a custom rom on my A500 but I don't get to unlock the bootloader...
I stuck with blackthund3r tool at :
Flashing Bootloader (EBT) stage two - uploading image...
I'm on ICS OTA 4.0.3 and the bootloader is 0.03.12-ICS
I follow all the threads talking about that but did'nt worked...
I checked all the drivers but I don't get it...
somebody have a useful advice ?
Thanks !

babysugar said:
Hi guys !
I'm trying to install a custom rom on my A500 but I don't get to unlock the bootloader...
I stuck with blackthund3r tool at :
Flashing Bootloader (EBT) stage two - uploading image...
I'm on ICS OTA 4.0.3 and the bootloader is 0.03.12-ICS
I follow all the threads talking about that but did'nt worked...
I checked all the drivers but I don't get it...
somebody have a useful advice ?
Thanks !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
couple apxFlash pictorials here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=32905041&postcount=20
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=25891744&postcount=44
You need the drivers installed
1. Acer website for the acer drivers
2.zip file attached for google/fastboot drivers
Ive attached a .jpg too, u need to have the apx device listed in hardware/printers as shown
3. with apxFlash try dumping your ".bct" when u see that window
4. you can try the afterOTA tool too...
5. if the auto tools dont work then you will need to rollback to HC using tdv4 EUU
6. have a look thru the OP of the cpuid thread for more background info on all things acer http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=25429111#post25429111

I've never had this much trouble before.
Ok. A little back story first. I'm not a moron, I have a myTouch 3G Sapphire 32a Fender rooted using the gold card method, LG G2x - P999 Rooted running CM10, and a SGH-T999 Stock rooted (That's a Galaxy S3 for those who don't know).
I have a friend that got an Acer Iconia a500 tablet a year ago. He's not a power user, doesn't know anything about rooting. All he did was play games on it. One day it wouldn't turn on, the screen was blank. Occasionally it would freeze at the Acer logo, but it would never boot up.
Now it's stuck in APX mod due to him pushing a bunch of buttons(idk how he got it into APX mode so don't ask), so there is absolutely no way to boot the tablet. He never turned on USB debugging, and I can't get into the tablet to turn it on because it's stuck in apx mode.
I must stress this!
I have been working on this tablet for 3 weeks now, and read countless posts about how to fix the exact problem that I'm having with this tablet, the only drawback is: step 1 is always, "Turn on USB Debugging." That is IMPOSSIBLE for me to do at this point.
Here is list of what I do know:
Hardware - Acer Iconia a500, APX Driver Version - 1.0.1.0 Released 4/1/2010 Shows as APX in Devices. Shows as Acer USB Boot-recovery driver in device manager.
Software
ADB info - Android SDK rev.20
ADB ver 1.0.29
Windows 7 64-bit completely up-to-date
Commands: adb get-state, get-serial ------- returns, unknown
Commands: adb remount, root, usb ------- returns, "error: device not found"
Command: adb devices -------- returns no value at all.
Programs used for rooting - AfterOTA 1.09, EUUS v3, blackThun3r A500 Manager
I have the CPUID, and SKB (I was somehow able to acquire those in one of my attempts to flash the stock rom)
What I don't know:
What version of Android OS is on the tablet. I'm pretty sure it has ICS, but he was deathly afraid of downloading any updates, even app updates even though I told him that all updates should be installed a.s.a.p. So there's a chance that it's still running HC.
Now here is my problem other than being stuck in APX mode. I have tried AfterOTA, it won't detect anything past Driver Installed on the Tablet information screen because USB debugging isn't enabled. So I can't use most of the functions of that program.
blackthund3r APX Flash v0.4 - Will get the tablet into the bootloader mode where it says:
Acer Iconia APX Mode in the upper right with a glowing yellow Acer logo in the center of the screen, nothing is flashing like the APX flasher says, I have reinstalled the drivers hundred of times with the same results.
Hangs at, "Flashing Bootloader (EBT) stage two - uploading image..."
EUUS v3 - Says, "Acer Iconia not detected"
(I had a screenshot posted here, but stupid forum limitations wouldn't let me. You could see what's going on if it let me post this.)
I do the reset procedure and it just goes back to the same message.
It will go into a screen on the tablet that says "Entering Acer Download Mode" Then EUUS tells me to do the reset procedure again, and this is a continuous loop that results in nothing being flashed. If I ignore that message and just continue nothing happens.
I also have a file called a500-hc.bat that runs nvflash and it gives an error that leads me to believe that a partition on the tablet is corrupted. Everyone says that EUUS v3 should fix this and flash back to original stock, but it obviously doesn't work.
Any help that I could get would be greatly appreciated. If you need any more information, just ask, and I'll do my best to get it. The tablet is (for lack of a better word) bricked, so I'm very limited on what sort of software info I can give you straight from the tab. Please Please Please help. And thank you in advance.

[Q][SOLVED] A500 bricked, stuck in bootloader. Won't boot kernel or recovery.

I am sorry to start a new thread but I have been reading threads and trying things now for over 7 hours straight. I have bricked my mothers A500.
I installed Skrillex V8 bootloader to my own tablet with Thor 1.7.3 recovery and a CM10.2 rom, everything worked fine. My mother liked how my tablet had way more battery and seemed faster then her own so she asked me to do it to hers.
I did everything the same except I had deleted the files and had to find a different bootloader so I found the "lightspeed" version of Skrilex V8 and as it seemed to just be a re-skin figured it was fine.
I downgraded to the unstable 3.0.2 build then installed iconia root and a Thor recovery via acer recovery. I then installed the lightspeed bootloader via thor with intentions of then installing the newer thor and rom after.
This is where im stuffed, after installing the new bootloader it is screwed. I cannot enter recovery or boot the primary kernal. I attempt to enter fastboot and although the tablet goes into fastboot it outputs errors and has random lockups and freezing on the tablet which the computer identifies as it being disconnected.
I have tried searching the forums for an answer and have tried everything I can understand but I am truely boned. As I am writing this I am installing packages to my Ubuntu laptop so that I can obtain the UID through the terminal in hopes it will work with APX and blackthunders tools.
If I cannot get it working I will simply wipe and give my mother my tablet, But I would really like to try and get this son of a ***** working again. I am currently incredibly annoyed at it and am probably missing something obvious. Please help me.
[UPDATE 1]
I have managed to obtain my CPUID and thus my SBK through the method described here -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1751978
I am still unable to use any tools as my PC will not recognize it in APX mode, I have reinstalled the drivers, restarted, tried multiple USB ports, uninstalled the failed unrecognized device and started from scratch a few times and I just cant seem to get it to detect them. Also tried other USB cables incase it was iffy, checked contacts on ports. There also cannot be any env variable or reg conflicts as I used my diagnostic machine to check it and it booted into its clean OS.
the APX seems to work with my linux unit though, but the blackthunder tools are for windows...
[UPDATE 2]
Using the tutorial here ->http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2444187
I made it boot into the APX mode with the yellow acer logo and the APX mode text at the top, however I left it for a while and it didnt seem to finish flashing, using lsusb I can see its still connected to the linux box but it is clearly not flashing properly.
I am going to leave it for a bit then try unplugging from linux and plugging into windows while in the yellow acer logo screen with verbose output and see if blackthunders tool detects it.
[UPDATE 3]
DO NOT try what i did in update 2, I believe i removed it when it was formatting the partition, it wont even boot to the bootloader now. black screen with white light on power button and cannot be detected as APX.
[UPDATE 4]
I treid a few more times at getting it into APX mode and it turns out its just being dicky and freezing randomly, however, by trying a few times (this is dangerous but i had nothing to lose at this point) to run the Nvflash script on my linux box eventually it run through and installed the v9 bootloader. This bootloader allowed me to go into Fastboot without the freezing or crashing or loss of communications i was experiencing before. I then using fastboot flashed a recovery appropriate to the v9 bootloader and am now using that to flash a 4.3 rom. This should completely fix all the problems.
I am now sure (as previously I could only guess that the problem was caused by a dicky install of the lightspeed bootloader (a custom variant of skrilex v8 designed to match the theme of the lightspeed rom).
[UPDATE 5]
Working
Adding solved to title as I know the feeling when you come across an old thread that talks about your problem and has no replies or help.
-V0L4T1LE
Been using XDA for years never bothered to post as have never had to spend more then a few hours to solve a problem, this one took me a long time though so I decided to ask for help. Nevermind, didnt need it.

Awsum and well done getting yrself sorted, thanx for posting
rgds dibb
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4

Can you extract the partition 4 using nvflash --rawdeviceread to a file and share to me? My A500 is bricked and cannot download to it. only --rawdevicewrite works.
Thanks!

Up to date guide with recent files and clear explanation

I have a working, stock ICS A500 and have just spent the last week trying to work out how to Root, install a custom recovery and begin flashing custom ROMs. I have managed to get my CPUID, thought I had bricked it a few times, root it using Blackthund3r's tool, and spent far more time looking at how this works than I should have.
Please could someone on here link to:
1) A working method of Rooting
2) A guide to installing custom recovery (with links that actually work!)
3) The best and most current ROM for our A500
I am using windows 10 which means Blackthund3rs A500 APX FLASH application doesn't work because it doesn't recognise that I have the USB drivers installed.
I have followed every guide, downloaded every available file and factory reset my tablet in an attempt to stop the dead android appearing when I press the power button (unsuccessful!).
If you could help those of us that have stupidly purchased an A500 in 2016 to freshen it up again that would be amazing.
If you do manage this I will actively buy you a drink and deliver it by hand (terms and conditions apply!)

installing windows 10 drivers
This is from my post in A50x discussion forum at tegraowners.com
the developer there continues with development on this tablet with all rom versions up to and including androidv5 both in
Cyanogen Mod and Omnirom
Windows 10 procedure to install ADB , Fastboot etc, drivers
This is the procedure any time you need to install Unsigned Drivers
The ADB FASTBOOT and APX driver packages for A50x are unsigned for Win8 and newer and this is how you can get around that issue so you can use Win 8/10 to run those through USB connection.
The tablet will work as normal usb storage if plugged in after it is in android as well
In windows 10
Select - Settings
- Update and Security
- Recovery
Under Advanced Startup select - Restart now
As it shuts down you will get new menu selection
Select - Troubleshoot
- Advanced start up
- Startup options
When it reboots select item 7 using F7 key
Win 8 should be very similar procedure but it is untested by me as I never installed Win 8
You will need to follow this procedure after one reboot if you ever need to install additional unsigned drivers in the future
The drivers stick once installed but the Install Unsigned Drivers feature might default back to Not Allowed as soon as windows is rebooted.
his latest recovery is required to properly install the v4 and v5 roms correctly
I would suggest that you spend some time reading up on the procedures before actually attempting it if you so decide to go that route
cheers

Thank you, is that thor2002ro? I will make sure to head over to Tegra Forums. I admit I have spent less time on there than I have on here.

yes