Database Users

a500 APX Mode fixed(maybe), but would like some advice

So a couple of weeks ago I accidentally let my battery die, which I try not to do because I have trouble getting it to turn back on again and this time it did just that: my tablet wouldn't power on at all. I searched up my symptoms: Power light comes on, Doesn't vibrate, Black screen, and everything pointed to either my motherboard went kaput or APX Mode. A new motherboard for my model is upwards of 50$, so I tried looking into what APX Mode meant. I'm decent with computers but this was beyond me, or more so that I have no idea where to find the files/programs to flash(?) it. Anyway digging through the threads here I looked at a recent one here and on a whim I tried the suggestion, even though it was to another problem they were having with APX Mode. And it worked!
My tablet turned on fine, but I am skeptical of how long that will last. So, some questions that I hope someone can help me with are, what is a "fastboot", and does it hurt the system in any way if used repeatedly? Is there another way (an app or something) that will be able to tell me my UID and SBK other than through a Linux computer? Also, bootloading, does that root the device in any way? When I was looking around it didn't sound like it did, but then sometimes it did and now I'm just confused.
Any help would be greatly appreciated, and thanks for looking!

All files needed for unlocking the bootloader, rooting and unbricking can be found in the root guide in my sig. Along with methods of retrieving the cpuid and also a guide to flash the bootloader using the apxflash tool - I try and keep download links up2date, let me know if you have any probs.
If your tab does have a faulty emmc and I'm not saying it does...it will eventually fail, being stuck at the Acer screen seems to be the most common symptom, followed by the inability to flash.
Fastboot gives the ability to perform wipes and flash via the windows command prompt...
Root is gained (on ics) with icsRoot tool...once done you can then nvflash the unlocked bootloader.
Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

dibb_nz said:
All files needed for unlocking the bootloader, rooting and unbricking can be found in the root guide in my sig. Along with methods of retrieving the cpuid and also a guide to flash the bootloader using the apxflash tool - I try and keep download links up2date, let me know if you have any probs.
If your tab does have a faulty emmc and I'm not saying it does...it will eventually fail, being stuck at the Acer screen seems to be the most common symptom, followed by the inability to flash.
Fastboot gives the ability to perform wipes and flash via the windows command prompt...
Root is gained (on ics) with icsRoot tool...once done you can then nvflash the unlocked bootloader.
Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, thank you! I will definitely go through those. I checked the cpuid one last night in case it decided to die while I was sleeping, so that's good. Although my sister's tablet doesn't have that file on hers at all? And its the same model ... anyway.
emmc? Forgive me, I am not well versed in these abbreviations. It hasn't gotten stuck at the Acer screen yet since I've had it, but ... its always a possibility.
Hmm, I didn't have it connected to the computer when I tried fasbooting it — is it considered something else when you power the tablet on holding the Power Button + the Volume Up button? Maybe it wasn't in APX Mode at all then, but I don't know if that makes it better or worse. No other way would make it turn on, it was just a dead black screen no matter what I did, and then I tried that and the Acer logo popped up.
And, sorry just to be clear, there's no way to unbrick a tablet without rooting it?
Thanks so much

emmc = memory chip!
Per+vol down = custom recovery
Pwr+vol UP = fastboot
Drivers - From Acer and adb_fastboot drivers from android sdk (or the mini.zip in the guide)
Cpuid/sbk imperative to run most of the unbricking files which are based on nvflash.
Root - unavailable on hc 3.2, not needed to unbrick but usb debugging needs to be enabled in settings. For ics use icsRoot,
skrilax_cz unblocked bootloader - needed to install custom roms. Needs cpuid. Will also flash cwm recovery. Gives fastboot ability. So you can flash a new recovery thru Windows command prompt i.e. enter fastboot
Open command prompt
Type in: fastboot flash recovery "name_of_your_recovery'.img
EUU - Acer upgrade tool which gets you back to stock. PC based, needs cpuid and also used to unbrick.
update.zip - Acer stock updates, some are full os dates some are just incremental updates. Used also to help with softbrick like getting stuck on the Acer screen. Cpuid not required, flashed via ext sd card.
Think that's it in a nutshell...as stated get your cpuid NOW
Which build of Android is the tab running??
Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

Code 52 when connecting to computer

So I have tried recently to flash my a6000 using a custom rom because lollipop update is horrible, laggy as hell. Somewhere in the process something went wrong, so my phone is soft bricked now. I have tried many several methods found on this forum, but none seems to work. I'm getting slowly desperate. The last one I'm trying currently is method using QFIL, but the problem is I get a code 52 error when I look up in the device manager.
"Windows cannot verify the digital signature for the drivers required for this device. A recent hardware or software change might have installed a file that is signed incorrectly or damaged, or that might be malicious software from an unknown source. (Code 52)"
What can I do? Also if you know a method that will work 100% to unbrick my phone I would really appreciate it.

whitee10 said:
I got a code 52 error when I look up in the device manager.
What can I do? Also if you know a method that will work 100% to unbrick my phone I would really appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to Install Unsigned drivers WATCH THIS.
Well, the easiest method would be to flash any new rom through recovery, ofcourse only if you can boot into it. And yeah...have you flashed the TWRP recovery earlier. ..? If not, flash the latest TWRP recovery first using Fastboot.
If you have installed it earlier, To boot into recovery press VOL UP + VOL DOWN along with the POWER KEY and release the POWER KEY once the LENOVO logo shows up.
Then, wipe the cache, data, system, dalvik and then flash a new rom. All done...!!!

Thank you for your reply.
Anyaway I tried again to disable driver signature enforcement and it fixed the problem, code 52 gone.
Among all the methods and trying to unbrick my phone the last one with QFIL worked for me, also very easy to use. My phone is now back to 4.4.4.

Hard-bricked xt1609 vzw kernel crash SAVED

BIG BREAKTHROUGH (at least for myself) :
So for some time now, I've thought that I had hard-bricked my

dwycoff2013 said:
BIG BREAKTHROUGH (at least for myself) :
So for some time now, I've thought that I had hard-bricked my
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BIG BREAKTHROUGH (at least for myself) :
So for some time now, I've thought that I had hard-bricked my moto XT1609, and I thought what I needed would be best summarized with the words 'blankflash template'. This sent me on a furious wild goose chase for Qualcomm drivers, deactivating driver signature enforcement on a Windows computer, etc., etc. . . You catch my drift. Well, long story short, I ended up coming across another XT1609 (same variant) and since the charger port and screen were all effed up, I just changed out the motherboards and viola! I had my G⁴ Play back in working order. I rooted with auto-init root, and everything was working fine. I took the battery out after powering down, placed my sim and microSD card, and upon attempting the boot, I panicked. It was doing the same thing the last motherboard was doing: showing the "moto" boot screen, vibrating, then black screen, a flash, and it looped. I couldn't load recovery nor kernel. So, I tried to uninstall the init root, and attempted boot, but to no avail.
I was certain all was lost.
However, after reading the PDF of the essay where the bootloader vulnerability was discovered, I decided to utilise fastboot in hopes of saving the kernel from crashing (i assumed the black screen, and the flash was the bootloader attempting to load the kernel). My commands:
fastboot oem config fsg-id vzw (I have the vzw variant)
fastboot oem config carrier vzw
fastboot continue
And success! I saved the kernel from crashing. I urge anyone else having the same problem I described to try fastboot commands using your carrier's id in lieu 'vzw' and let me know the results, please!
Sent from my resurrected vzw xt1609
P.S. I also just had the same problem with this phone again, however this time I set the carrier id blank (as it were from the factory) and let the fsg-id be set by the auto-init root script..
Anyone (senior/recognized members) have any input on what's actually going on here? I'd love to actually be aware of what I'm changing and how it's affecting the boot.

dwycoff2013 said:
BIG BREAKTHROUGH (at least for myself) :
So for some time now, I've thought that I had hard-bricked my moto XT1609, and I thought what I needed would be best summarized with the words 'blankflash template'. This sent me on a furious wild goose chase for Qualcomm drivers, deactivating driver signature enforcement on a Windows computer, etc., etc. . . You catch my drift. Well, long story short, I ended up coming across another XT1609 (same variant) and since the charger port and screen were all effed up, I just changed out the motherboards and viola! I had my G⁴ Play back in working order. I rooted with auto-init root, and everything was working fine. I took the battery out after powering down, placed my sim and microSD card, and upon attempting the boot, I panicked. It was doing the same thing the last motherboard was doing: showing the "moto" boot screen, vibrating, then black screen, a flash, and it looped. I couldn't load recovery nor kernel. So, I tried to uninstall the init root, and attempted boot, but to no avail.
I was certain all was lost.
However, after reading the PDF of the essay where the bootloader vulnerability was discovered, I decided to utilise fastboot in hopes of saving the kernel from crashing (i assumed the black screen, and the flash was the bootloader attempting to load the kernel). My commands:
fastboot oem config fsg-id vzw (I have the vzw variant)
fastboot oem config carrier vzw
fastboot continue
And success! I saved the kernel from crashing. I urge anyone else having the same problem I described to try fastboot commands using your carrier's id in lieu 'vzw' and let me know the results, please!
Sent from my resurrected vzw xt1609
P.S. I also just had the same problem with this phone again, however this time I set the carrier id blank (as it were from the factory) and let the fsg-id be set by the auto-init root script..
Anyone (senior/recognized members) have any input on what's actually going on here? I'd love to actually be aware of what I'm changing and how it's affecting the boot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, dwycoff2013
I'm trying to resurrect my locked bootloader vzn XT1609, as well. I don't think I have a hardware issue. I upgraded to Android 7.1.1 a month or so ago and it was running fine until a few days ago when it started bootlooping much in the way you've described. The blue splash screen comes up for 5 or 10 seconds then the screen goes black, then the blue screen comes up for 5 or 10 seconds, then it goes black, ad infinitum. Well, sometimes it actually goes farther, gets to the screen with the dancing colored dots before rebooting but this is very rarely. I tried installing the auto-init initroot image on it but it sends back a "Permission denied" error for it. I'm wondering if it's because I have 7.1.1 images installed instead of something older?
Anyway, your fastboot commands don't fix anything for me. It continues to bootloop. What version of Android were you running when you tried this?
Thanks!

I was using the 6.0.1 vzw firmware. Can you get to the bootloader with power and vol- ?

I'm assuming you can, considering you're mention of using the fastboot commands. Well, I'd say to install the QFIL & QPST tools, along with the Qualcomm Bulk HS-USB drivers. Once you get to the bootloader, try 'fastboot reboot edl' and it should put the device into Qualcomm's Emergency Download Mode and your computer should recognise the device as QC HS-USB 9008 DL, I believe. If that doesn't work, perhaps try taking the battery out, holding the vol+ button and inserting your USB cable.

dwycoff2013 said:
I'm assuming you can, considering you're mention of using the fastboot commands. Well, I'd say to install the QFIL & QPST tools, along with the Qualcomm Bulk HS-USB drivers. Once you get to the bootloader, try 'fastboot reboot edl' and it should put the device into Qualcomm's Emergency Download Mode and your computer should recognise the device as QC HS-USB 9008 DL, I believe. If that doesn't work, perhaps try taking the battery out, holding the vol+ button and inserting your USB cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi again, dwycoff2013
Sorry I haven't responded earlier. I had to finish my taxes and get my W10 boot working again. I was using Linux Mint in my previous attempts. I'm going to try and install the Qualcomm stuff you recommended but maybe you can answer a few more questions in the meantime:
1. My goal at this point is to get the stock Moto images running again. It appears that this is what you were able to do, from your description. Will running the Qualcomm utilities allow me to do this or will they only allow me to install Qualcomm images?
2. Do the Qualcomm utilities come with a version of fastboot that understand "reboot edl"?
3. My phone has a locked bootloader. I'm assuming that this is why my previous attempts to reflash failed. Can the Qualcomm utilites work when the phone is locked?
4. Can you point me to the pdf document that you were talking about?
Thanks. I'm sorry to sound like a newbie at this Android stuff, but this is what I am

Essential soft brick, any way to unlock flash from fastboot to sideload OTA?

Hello I am posting in Q&A because I'm a new XDA user, I was not allowed to post in the dev channel.
I have an Essential phone that has been working great for the past few years, no issues, and it was running standard build receiving OTA updates, until the very last update, which soft bricked the phone.
The phone was never enabled in developer mode while in Android, and now, I can't boot the phone into android at all. The only thing I can do is get into fastboot.
Fastboot state shows DEVICE STATE - locked
Any commands I try to unlock flashing, or change slots, anything at all, I get the error that the device is locked so all commands to unlock fail.
Is there any way to unlock device state from fastboot? I saw a youtube video showing a way to use a chopped USB cable to enter emergency / EDL mode for Qualcomm-based Android devices, but have not seen anyone post that this was successful with the Essential
Does anyone know of any method to be able to unlock flashing from fastboot? Or any other method to un-brick an essential? I've attempted everything, on both Mac and PC, nothing works.
On mac or PC, I can query the device in fastboot and get a response, I just can't do anything to unlock anything!!
Many thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Same problem
Same thing happened to me. Same day as you. I can get fastboot but not adb but since the device is locked I can't flash. I've only had the phone about 6 months so I contacted customer support and they offered to replace the phone.
It might be a known issue because they didn't even try to address the fact that I could get fastboot connected but not adb. They just offered to replace.

Thanks for the info! I am -at least in this case- unfortunately an early adopter. I bought two essentials at the beginning of the pre-release.
Essential support checked my serial number and said the phone was out of warranty.
Has anyone been able to force the Essential into EDL mode to recover that way? It looks like you have to latch one of the USB pins to ground, or 5V, but I haven't found any detailed instructions on how to make this work on the essential...
Thanks again
Justin

I'm sure things have changed and I'm wrong, but if you can get into the fastboot menu can't you just cycle through the options until you get to recovery and then flash an official release from Essential?
I may be thinking of LG or something but this should be possible as long as it's newer than the current software installed because it will see it as an official update and allow the flash.

Thanks but unfortunately, when I try and do that, the phone just does the same thing, it hangs forever on the initial boot screen white Android text with the circle/square logo...
That's why I've been looking into the more direct hardware version of forcing the phone into EDL mode, which is supposed to be possible with all Qualcomm based phones.
I've just not found the time yet to find a USB-C cable I'd be happy to cut in half and short the pins on! Which is why I was hoping someone might have tried this with an essential before to know if it was successful before I start trashing good cables
Thanks again for your reply!
JB

justinbaird said:
Hello I am posting in Q&A because I'm a new XDA user, I was not allowed to post in the dev channel.
I have an Essential phone that has been working great for the past few years, no issues, and it was running standard build receiving OTA updates, until the very last update, which soft bricked the phone.
The phone was never enabled in developer mode while in Android, and now, I can't boot the phone into android at all. The only thing I can do is get into fastboot.
Fastboot state shows DEVICE STATE - locked
Any commands I try to unlock flashing, or change slots, anything at all, I get the error that the device is locked so all commands to unlock fail.
Is there any way to unlock device state from fastboot? I saw a youtube video showing a way to use a chopped USB cable to enter emergency / EDL mode for Qualcomm-based Android devices, but have not seen anyone post that this was successful with the Essential
Does anyone know of any method to be able to unlock flashing from fastboot? Or any other method to un-brick an essential? I've attempted everything, on both Mac and PC, nothing works.
On mac or PC, I can query the device in fastboot and get a response, I just can't do anything to unlock anything!!
Many thanks in advance for any suggestions!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the exact same problem,
My phone is stuck on Essential log when I turned it on,
I can access Bootloader normally but the device is locked so I cannot flash it,
Recovery is corrupted, when I try to star it, it shows only the the Essential log and freeze so I can not format or wipe or sideload.
OEM Locked and unchecked
USB Debugging is unchecked
and I can't flash anything,
Did you managed to unlock it through Fastboot command or any other way ?
I wish I can just login to the recovery or unlock it so I can flash it clean,
Kindly help me if you found a way out
Thank you

I bricked my Oneplus 6t from tmobile and would like to unbrick it if possible.

So I finally rooted my Oneplus 6t from t mobile. I bought the phone from swappa and it worked great. I installed a random rom and it bricked my phone.
I assume it is a soft brick since i can access adb mode but it requires me to power off the phone
and hold the volume keys along with the power button. Otherwise the phone will just boot up and
will be sutck in a continous boot loop. I then tried to fic this issue by using an msm tool found in
the xda fourms. I then entered recovery mode and perfomed a "wipe data/factory reset. I think it hurt more than it helped. Any suggestions on how to unbrick my phone?
I tried using alll three msm tools in this fourm.
when i use the msm tool (MSMDownloadTool 9.0v2) the update just stops after 4 secounds.
Also the update would fail if i were to use the msm tool (MSMDownloadTool 9.0v1 and MSMDownloadTool 9.0.13)
I have tried reinstalling the qualcom drivers but no luck.
I tried deleting the drivers and allowing windows to detect the phone nad download its own usb drivers
but it did not help.
i apologize if i post this in the wrong section. I am new here.
all links and info i followed to attemp to unbrick my phone can be found in this fourm
[TOOL] T-Mobile OnePlus 6T MSMDownloadTool [Firmware 9.0.13] [8/9]
Okay folks, took forever to find, but we finally have it, the T-Mobile OnePlus 6T MSMDownloadTool, your brick savior, bootloader relocker, among other things, I will include a basic faq at the end. Requirements: 1. Windows PC 2. OnePlus 6T -...
forum.xda-developers.com

falzer2007 said:
when i use the msm tool (MSMDownloadTool 9.0v2) the update just stops after 4 secounds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's not very descriptive, produce the error and share results here

dmtec said:
that's not very descriptive, produce the error and share results here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay so I open the msm tool. Then I have my oneplus 6t (t mobile) turned off. I hold both volume buttons and keep holding them while I connect the USB cable to the phone. Its basically in edl mode at this point. Then I press the start option on the msm tool. The bar fills up with green and completes itself. However a number appears that saids "4s" inside of the square. I assume that means 4 seconds left or completed in 4 seconds. My phone is still in edl mode at this time and will not boot up in any menu (normal.menu, boot menu/recovery mode). Unlesss I boot it manually.
And yes I tried a scenario where I held down both volume buttons, connected USB cord, and then let go. I also tried the scenario where I held both volume buttons, connected usb cord and kept holding the volume buttons until the process completed itself but I would get the same result. "4s"

dmtec said:
that's not very descriptive, produce the error and share results here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

falzer2007 said:
So I finally rooted my Oneplus 6t from t mobile. I bought the phone from swappa and it worked great. I installed a random rom and it bricked my phone.
I assume it is a soft brick since i can access adb mode but it requires me to power off the phone
and hold the volume keys along with the power button. Otherwise the phone will just boot up and
will be sutck in a continous boot loop. I then tried to fic this issue by using an msm tool found in
the xda fourms. I then entered recovery mode and perfomed a "wipe data/factory reset. I think it hurt more than it helped. Any suggestions on how to unbrick my phone?
I tried using alll three msm tools in this fourm.
when i use the msm tool (MSMDownloadTool 9.0v2) the update just stops after 4 secounds.
Also the update would fail if i were to use the msm tool (MSMDownloadTool 9.0v1 and MSMDownloadTool 9.0.13)
I have tried reinstalling the qualcom drivers but no luck.
I tried deleting the drivers and allowing windows to detect the phone nad download its own usb drivers
but it did not help.
i apologize if i post this in the wrong section. I am new here.
all links and info i followed to attemp to unbrick my phone can be found in this fourm
[TOOL] T-Mobile OnePlus 6T MSMDownloadTool [Firmware 9.0.13] [8/9]
Okay folks, took forever to find, but we finally have it, the T-Mobile OnePlus 6T MSMDownloadTool, your brick savior, bootloader relocker, among other things, I will include a basic faq at the end. Requirements: 1. Windows PC 2. OnePlus 6T -...
forum.xda-developers.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, Falzer. had all but given up and was prepared to head to T-Mobile to buy the 1+ 9 Pro (I almost wish I did not fix my phone... *BUT* I DID!
My issue occurred trying to flash a Magisk patched boot.img to my newly unlocked bootloader phone. I was following an article that alleged one could root the phone without TWRP. I will say this TWRP is your friend; don't dis "him". By the way, unlocking my phone wiped my data so always important to read the whole article first as it was mentioned in the NEXT step.
[Should be including the actual error here - it is found throughout these forums but I cannot recall the exact display. Basically, if you have an unlocked bootloader and then get to the CrashDump screen, follow from here:]
Retrieve the file, boot11.1.1.1.img and download from this thread/link:
OOS stable boot image and patched magisk boot image both for 11.1.1.1.
Leaving this here as i ended up boot looping from installing custom kernel, and it being a new release i was pulling my hair trying to figure this out. Flashed through fastboot with "fastboot flash boot_a XX.img, fastboot flash boot_b XX.img"...
forum.xda-developers.com
Do *NOT* mess with the other file to the right.
Hold all 3 buttons (2 volume buttons + power) and once/if you see Fastboot Mode, release the buttons.
Have ADB installed (you should be able to find plenty of directions for doing this).
From either PowerShell (or *maybe* CMD Prompt started as Administrator as I had been using this "successfully" for most functions):
fastboot devices
fastboot flash boot boot11.1.1.1.img
fastboot reboot
I could not believe my phone ACTUALLY booted (even with the McLaren animation intact; I'm sure one of the gurus here knows why) after all the failed attempts fooling around with MSM Download Tool [4.0] which almost EVERYONE swears by fixes/restores any brick. I understand ON ONE is forcing anyone to use any specific resolution; I am just trying to provide another last ditch effort.
EDIT/Caveat: I did not even check to see how old that thread above is, I believe late September and I had actually taken updates [via TMobile??] until the last one with a week to 10 days *but* that was probably wiped with the boot unlock so I do not know which "update" I got but figured I didn't have much to lose as I already had a "bad" version of a boot.img flashed anyway. Anyone with any technical explanations, feel free to comment. Thanks!