Database Users

Help! Stuck in some bootloop blackhole.

My nexus s is going through some random bootloop. It won't boot to startup, but it'll only boot to the bootloader/recovery. So, i can't really put anything in my internal memory and flash it. can anyone help me please?

ilsynnhoj said:
My nexus s is going through some random bootloop. It won't boot to startup, but it'll only boot to the bootloader/recovery. So, i can't really put anything in my internal memory and flash it. can anyone help me please?
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any idea how you got in this state? That might help find the least painful way out of it.
Anyways, if you can get into the bootloader, then you should be able to flash or boot to Clockwork Recovery with the fastboot commands.
Once in Clockwork, you should be okay. ADB is active in Clockwork, so you can push things to the phone that way.
To put something on the sdcard, from within clockwork, go to the mounts menu, then mount the sdcard.
After that adb push whatever it is you want to flash to the sdcard.
I'm guessing you don't have your own nandroid tucked away, but there's a stock GRH78 one in the Development section.
If you did some odd tweak or something, you could possibly just adb commands to undo it. Dalvik and cache wipes wouldn't be a bad idea either.

when i try wiping Dalvik Cache i get this "E: Can't mount /dev/block/mmcblk0p2 (invalid argument) and also when i try to mount USB storage it doesnt really mount it just takes me back to the recovery page D:. <- thus if i can't mount usb storage i can't really push things in my phone. i think i might've bricked my phone. ;/

If you have an unlocked bootloader you can use this.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=947950
This should return you to stock as if nothing ever happened.

Thanks so much. It works now! Woot happy man.

What did you end up doing?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

You can mount usb from recovery and just copy and paste whatever you want to your phone.

[Q] Can't use LGFlashTools to get back to stock, any ideas?

So I unlocked my AT&T D800 G2, and now it says that the model is D802. When I try to use LGFlashTools to go back to stock using the DLL and the TOT file, it says that the models don't match because the files are for D800 and D802. The D802 files don't work and give me a LAF memory size error. What are my options?
The reason I want to go back to stock is because I flashed TWRP 2.8.2.1 and then flashed the RessurectionRemix ROM, but then I encrypted the drive and then decided that maybe the ROM was a little too unstable for me. But in TWRP it says that it can't mount /data and I can't wipe or format /data, or mount it, so I can't clear everything and start from scratch. TWRP says that my internal storage is 0MB and that there are no files on the sdcard, probably because it's not mounted.

Welp... I think I might have ****ed up... I tried creating a data partition using mk2fs /dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/userdata and TWRP was able to mount the /data partition, but after I flash a ROM and reboot, it goes into fastboot instead... Am I screwed? I still have access to TWRP and ADB, which is the only reason why I might not be totally screwed.

Ok, so the reason that it wasn't working was because I flashed the D802 version of ResurrectionRemix like an idiot (I had downloaded two versions in my folder and was using the wrong one). I flashed the D800 version and it worked. Ugh.

Just so that this thread isn't completely useless, I'll put some information here.
If you encrypt your internal storage because of some Exchange email policies or something, TWRP won't be able to mount your /data partition.
You can fix this by doing:
adb shell
mke2fs /dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/userdata
This will create a data partition for you. Then you'll need to go into TWRP and change the file system to ext4.
Now you should be able to mount the partition, flash a ROM, and do all that good stuff.

July -> August OTA update fails

I friend and his girlfriend both have identical Mi A1 (stock, unmodified, except bootloader unlocked).
Both always successfully OTA upgraded in the past (up to Oreo July Android security patch level V9.6.4.0).
Now both were presented with the August security patch level V9.6.5.0 OTA upgrade.
One of the devices upgraded successfully.
The other one downloaded upgrade successfully, but gets an error during install.
Style "something went wrong". My friend tried twice.
Does this ring any bell?
I can always try to help him with fastboot or twrp V9.6.5.0 stock zip or with V9.6.4.0 to V9.6.5.0 OTA zip
(all posted in other thread in MiA1 forum) .
But, I thought about asking for potential similar experiences here first.
Have a nice day.

Unmodified but did he ever boot twrp?

Be sure to check both partition A/B. For example, It is possible to have TWRP Recovery in Partition A and Stock recovery in Partition B.
Assuming current active partition is in Partition B, then while updating the OTA, it'll build the image in Partition A, then it'll reboot and try to flash via Recovery, but the Recovery is TWRP, and error is thrown.
For my case, my failed case is because I did not uninstall Magisk, be sure to uninstall Magisk

@myself379 and @.:Addicted:.
I thought about non stock recovery partition too (be it in A or B or both).
I once booted TWRP recovery-3.2.1-2-oreo.img over USB to make a TWRP backup. I did not allow TWRP to install itself, but maybe it did, one never knows there is a bug ... I will soon have opportunity to check next time my friend comes to visit me again with his device.
Keep you informed.

Dior DNA said:
@myself379 and @.:Addicted:.
I thought about non stock recovery partition too (be it in A or B or both).
I once booted TWRP recovery-3.2.1-2-oreo.img over USB to make a TWRP backup. I did not allow TWRP to install itself, but maybe it did, one never knows there is a bug ... I will soon have opportunity to check next time my friend comes to visit me again with his device.
Keep you informed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you booted twrp & mounted system rw & not read only, thqt may be the cause.
Reflash system & boot partition to both slot through fastboot.

.:Addicted:. said:
If you booted twrp & mounted system rw & not read only, thqt may be the cause.
Reflash system & boot partition to both slot through fastboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, I always ignore the system rw warning with TWRP.
Not sure though how that would influence stock recovery to not flash OTA, if, say, that system rw mount happened weeks ago in TWRP booted over USB from fastboot. Would TWRP have written something in system?
I can indeed flash system & boot partition through fastboot. I guess you mean: flash old system & boot partition right?
In the future, when booting TWRP over USB from fastboot, I will disallow system rw mount (which indeed is not needed just for taking TWRP backup),
Thanks for help.

Dior DNA said:
Correct, I always ignore the system rw warning with TWRP.
Not sure tough how that would influence stock recovery to not flash OTA, if, say, that system rw mount happened weeks ago in TWRP booted over USB from fastboot. Would TWRP have written something in system?
I can indeed flash system & boot partition through fastboot. I guess you mean: flash old system & boot partition right?
In the future, when booting TWRP over USB from fastboot, I will disallow system rw mount (which indeed is not needed just for taking TWRP backup),
Thanks for help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As soon as you mount system as R/W, OTA will fail. It doesn't matter if you write something to the partition or not.
Also first reconfigure TWRP and then reflash the stock system, as TWRP remembers its settings and next time you boot into TWRP, your system partition will be mounted as R/W and you are in the same situation again..

_mysiak_ said:
As soon as you mount system as R/W, OTA will fail. It doesn't matter if you write something to the partition or not.
Also first reconfigure TWRP and then reflash the stock system, as TWRP remembers its settings and next time you boot into TWRP, your system partition will be mounted as R/W and you are in the same situation again..
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Click to collapse
Thanks for reaction.
It must be my poor understanding or imagination .
I have never flashed TWRP : the recovery is stock, in fact everything is stock. I only booted device once via fastboot over USB in TWRP (to make a TWRP backup). If just during that TWRP boot system was mounted rw, how would that affect OTA update weeks, months or years later on an otherwise always stock device?

Dior DNA said:
Thanks for reaction.
It must be my poor understanding or imagination .
I have never flashed TWRP : the recovery is stock, in fact everything is stock. I only booted device once via fastboot over USB in TWRP (to make a TWRP backup). If just during that TWRP boot system was mounted rw, how would that affect OTA update weeks, months or years later on an otherwise always stock device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mounting system as R/W will change some parameters, resulting in different hash than OTA update engine expects, hence it will abort the installation and show "installation error" message. User can easily verify if system was mounted, from terminal emulator with commands "sudo tune2fs -l /dev/block/mmcblk0p25" for system_a and "sudo tune2fs -l /dev/block/mmcblk0p26" for system_b. Look for "last mount time" - any recent date is "wrong". So even if you did not flash TWRP, but mounted system partition as R/W, your next OTA will fail and the only solution is to reflash stock system image. Once you're back to fully stock, consequent updates should not fail (at least not due to this reason).

_mysiak_ said:
Mounting system as R/W will change some parameters, resulting in different hash than OTA update engine expects, hence it will abort the installation and show "installation error" message. User can easily verify if system was mounted, from terminal emulator with commands "sudo tune2fs -l /dev/block/mmcblk0p25" for system_a and "sudo tune2fs -l /dev/block/mmcblk0p26" for system_b. Look for "last mount time" - any recent date is "wrong". So even if you did not flash TWRP, but mounted system partition as R/W, your next OTA will fail and the only solution is to reflash stock system image. Once you're back to fully stock, consequent updates should not fail (at least not due to this reason).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for explanation!.
OK one can figure out if system was ever mounted rw and fail. Fair enough.
Still a bit curious about which hash you talk, but probably some 'meta' hash.

Dior DNA said:
Thanks for explanation!.
OK one can figure out if system was ever mounted rw and fail. Fair enough.
Still a bit curious about which hash you talk, but probably some 'meta' hash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're really interested, I would advise checking OTA update engine's source code. I don't know such details (just too lazy to dig through source code myself)

_mysiak_ said:
If you're really interested, I would advise checking OTA update engine's source code. I don't know such details (just too lazy to dig through source code myself)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had already checked, of course, there are indeed meta hashes, that is where I got the word from, not that I understand it completely

Thanks all for help. My friend came by and:
I fastboot flashed F 9.6.4.0 system img onto a/b and then OTA to 9.6.5.0 went well..
I fastboot-ed into TWRP again (and made backup) but question to mount system rw was not asked.
I guess next OTA may fail again as I had not first reconfigured TWRP to disallow system rw (will do next time).
Have a nice day

Can't accsess /data in TWRP and Have no root

Something recently broke Twrp so now I cant touch my /data partition, ive read that I need to format my phone to fix this issue, the problem is that a recent update from Lineage OS is what broke it I believe, and I updated from within LOS (check for new updates download and install) which auto restarted, so when I went to go back into TWRP to reflash Magisk I started getting the issue
So now I have no root, and no twrp abilities that I know off, which means I cant use a decent backup program
can anyone help?
EDIT: I don't know if they has any relevance but ADB does have root permissions,
EDIT 2: I found out that I can reinstall magisk VIA ADB Sideload from within TWRP, as such I now have root again

@foxtrotdragon: If you can get into TWRP then reflashing Magisk shouldn't be a problem. However, if /data is encrypted then Magisk may not flash, it needs to be able to place some files there. You'll lose everything on internal storage, but formatting /data is the only way forward.
If you can't boot into TWRP then the obvious solution is to reflash recovery from a PC.

AnonVendetta said:
@foxtrotdragon: If you can get into TWRP then reflashing Magisk shouldn't be a problem. However, if /data is encrypted then Magisk may not flash, it needs to be able to place some files there. You'll lose everything on internal storage, but formatting /data is the only way forward.
If you can't boot into TWRP then the obvious solution is to reflash recovery from a PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Getting into twrp is no issue, the issue is that TWRP cannot read the internal storage, it can read external fine, but fails to read internal storage, which means i cant flash anything, an reflashing twrp does nothing
im fine with reformatting the phone, but i need to backup my stuff first, which i can not do since no root

@foxtrotdragon: Unfortunately for you, backing up the contents of your internal storage is no longer possible, unless you can think of some ingenius method to decrypt without formatting. Formatting /data is your only option. In the future, you should make backups *BEFORE* disaster strikes.

TWRP cannot wipe data cannot unencrypt

So I finally unbricked and booted the stock rom. Now im trying to reroot the thing.
When I go to format/unencrypt in TWRP I get ERROR 255 -t 0 /dev/block/mmcblk0p54
Is my data partition permanently corrupted? I know that partition exists inside /data.
I've already tried to manually format /data, repairing it, changing it from f2fs to ext4 and back. All failed.

I'm have a similar problem. I cannot mount anything thru twrp. System, data, cache, can't do a wipe all fail. I've tried changing file system the back but it fails. I was able to mount my sdcard and start the recovery but.... its. Been "working" for and hour with no process increase. I'm wondering if I can force a fix partition thru adb sideload. Or... how can I decrypt it. Also the internal storage registers as 0 out of 0, same as /data
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