Develop Bugs

[Q] Data rescue, broken screen

So, after 2,5 years of great joy of using my HOX, last weekend it fell down, and the screen broke.
I asked about the replacement, but it seems a bit costly (compared to the phone value), so I might as well forget about it.
I am already looking for a replacement.
The problem I have is that inside my HOX i have many very important as well as sensitive information. As the thread title say - could anyone help me with rescuing them?
The phone was running SlimKat 9, so maybe @teemo could have an idea
I remember @geko95gek, and @Goku80 used to deal very well with HOX.
Although I have some experience in flashing, this looks quite difficult, because ADB doesn't rcognize my phone in ON state. Fastboot commands work just fine in bootloader mode, but ADB refuses to cooperate.
What do I need:
- access to sdcard to take out some data.
- SMSes
Any help/advice/assistance is more than welcome.

Update - I managed to access sdcard through adb, so at least this part is put to sleep.
Still, ab is giving me "access denied" or something like that when I try to access data partition to extract mmssms.db and another file from an app that created it (AK Notepad notes which are of extreme importance to me).
I found some instructions that I should provide adb with root access, but I cannot as I can't recognize anything on my screen even though the touch is working.
Also, as I remember Slim KAT 9 has y default root access to adb and usb (@teemo could you confirm this, please?).
Any advices?

FINALLY: Install Windows 10.0.10586.1176 on the 4GB/512MB Lumia 530 from Stock 8.1

Hi guys,
I've finally managed to get Windows 10 back to my Lumia 530.. from "bare metal" (really, it looked death at some try-and-fail steps
It will be done in two steps.
First, we need to push it to the 10586.107
The second update we will deploy the "final" version of v1511 - 10586.1176 (the fixed issues betwenn 107 and 1176 are a list of 8pages paper )
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Windows Device Recovery Tool (can ressurect dead phones, when nothing else can connect to it.... )
- The included thor2.exe cmdline tool (find it in the install path of the Recovery Tool).
- The Stock Windows 8.1 (can be downloaded by the tool or by yourself at lumiafirmware com
- IUTOOL.exe (included in the Windows Driver Kit (WDK) or from here, the big Windows 10 Mobile Offline Thread) as well as the perfect prepared first packages:
- the "win10_mobile_offline_updater_v41.wim" provided on this page. YOU need only the files in THIS SUBFOLDER: "3rd Generation\43X-532"
- If you want to prepare further updates or a different phone, you'll need also (comes with IUTOOL.exe) GetDuLogs.exe (I HIGHLY RECOMMEND to run it with your fresh updated device connected to USB), It will rip the update log wich are nice but it also includes a package list, that were updated on your Phone. THIS IS IMPORTANT because these package names are the packages you will need for every device upgrade rollup..
HOW TO:
1st: I believe i took the GUI Recovery tool the first time i succeeded but at my second try it didn't work.. The whole success depends on a few megabytes of free space. So whatever caused this, MY LAST and sucessful try worked after i flashed the Stock FFU with the command line tool thor2.exe using the whole bunch of options:
thor2 -mode uefiflash -ffufile "your_Phones_Stock_Build_imageFile.ffu" -do_full_nvi_update -do_factory_reset -reboot
After the reboot, and you will only succeed by following: Leave the phone at the first Screen (The Welcome, languange selection), connect to USB, let windows install the driver and once connected (when using Windows 10) Remove the device from Devices And Printers otherwise IUTOOL.exe will put out an error and won't work.
now start the update by launching: iutool -V -p e:\folderName (Where All The CABs Are Inside).. You won't get any message on your phone, but IF it fails, IUTOOL will put out an Error - in all my tries within 5 minutes.. YOU NEED TO WAIT for reboot. The Lumia 530 will take around 30minutes until it reboots itself. It boots in the known maintenance mode, takes some time and will come up with Windows 10.0.586.107. Because we didn't went through the OOBE before, either only the Start Screen will be empty or in addition the App list will not show every app - as expected - Easy Fix: If you have the settings app, go to SYSTEM-INFO and launch a factory reset.. If not take the hardware forced way: Hold Volume down AND the power button until it vibrates, release ONLY the button, hold volume down a bit longer to get the phone recognized what you want. When it shows the "!" launch the factory reset by pushing in this row: Vol Up - Vol Down - Power - Volume down..
the keyboard wont work so if you want your backup to be forced while OOBE, you need to make your Wifi Open without password... There is a fix for this issue on the Main Thread for the Offline Update, but i just removed my (in my case) German Keyboard and the englich keyboard worked fine immediately after removing..
The Swiss keyboard was also good for me - but i didn't care a lot - will be fixed with the final Update...
THE OOBE WAY doesn't work any more, seems like Microsoft wasn't amused by this and closed this nice door i just found as my very last idea with this phone. The genius idea.. i felt so cool after that really worked.... Now the last step: don't forget to call "getdulogs -o e:\outputfile.cab" in the cab are the logs as well as the important package list..
The second update is easier, because there is not much you can do... You can find it with normal Update search but - trust me - in the best case it fails with 50 MB too less space... really hard So the difficult part this time is to identify and get your packages. I've searched my 6 disks and finally i'found my phone updates but unfortunately i must have overwritten my get.cmd for 1176 which was a download batch for the files.. ****.. but it's also hard to identify the correct package at Microsoft, i'm tired but here's the little gift, definetely the correct package, you'll find here (i cannot post links, too new ) catalog-update-microsoft-com and seach for "14003.1176". The 2500 MB folder is yours, look for " Windows Mobile 10 Production Bundle - OS 10.0.14003.1176 update for all mobile phone devices", Click "Download to see all package links and download the ones in the log files package list...
I got 168 files, should be more - even if more are not a problem - we don't have any space for maybe resolution packages for other devices. NO
If you have some scripting or programming knowlegde, there are some hints for it below.. Or Contact me if you need help.
Update is easy:
- Factory Reset AND DON'T CONNECT your phone to the Wifi - at no point
- After OOBE - Uninstall absolutely every thing that is able to, delete temp files - these little two things worked fine for me, key point here is NO CONNECTION TO NOWHERE BEFORE.. again, we are fighting for 50 MB, so if it was connected -> do the factory reset before... but do it also if it never was on, because there are few files from the previous update, that will lock us these 50 MB...
Update itself like before, IUTOOL.exe -V -p u:\cabFolder
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW... If you like ****, this time you can watch the update progress - IUTOOL.exe forces the normal windows update so it will show progress..
reboot to maintenance mode - will all work fine BUT THE FIRST REBOOT - keep cool, and enjoy the blue flashing Disco Screen you will get - you can try to reboot, but it didn't help on all my 2 deployments. what it needs (was a surprise for me, and it helped twice) is a simple factory reset.. like i wrote in the previous update. This time you will have to use the hardware way i mentioned.. Thats all.. One little issue, i couldn't fix yet, but i don't care.. MSN News App, And the Weather App are only links to the store and for whatever reason the store thinks it is already installed, Take Foreca Weather... Everything else works fine.. Keyboard as well with native german on my side
Hopefully i mentioned it detailed enough... worked TWO times for me now.. 14393 update needs too much space, don't even think about it
I'm currently slowly reading into Deploying and developing customized windows mobile images, not that i wan't to run it on my 530 but maybe i'll find somehing...
Greetings, Stephan.. Below some hints for the downloads, if you want to script it...
THE SECOND UPDATE is based on the package list i've ripped. With this and the version number (this is tricky, because the internal Build will not stay at 10586, so you will find the update by searching for "Windows Mobile 1176" or sth near.. look for a Folder size of ~2500 and the update rollup .1176 - i'm not really sure - it was some near 14003.1176 (The Build number MUST BE LOWER than 14393. You'll either some creative knowledge like programming or a lot of patience and motivation to find all your 127 packages and download it manually.. i copied the the whole filename's list and the prefix to have a download link and then i wrote a little C# to compare my needed package List with the whole build list from microsoft.. i added also a "wget -c ". It's even more complicated... 2 different "base" links (i just took both links - only the correct one will work. And finally - the last complication is - there are downloads "tagged" with a "cbs" as well as with "cbsu" in the filename FOR MOST PACKAGES, i've not tried to find what it means - but however i decided to take the CBS because their filesize was realisic, cbsu are way too small, may be these are one fixes from last update, and not the whole rollup - what we need....

..the keyboard wont work so if you want your backup to be forced while OOBE, you need to make your Wifi Open without password...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Forget that... you cannot apply your backup at this time, even with internet connected... The hard point would be to login with Microsoft

can you post screenshots?

I followed that whole guide but I didn't succeed. It was then that I deleted the .cab files from languages that I'm not going to use and I remade the whole process, being transferred 31 files. I crossed my fingers and received the full storage message but the update followed and to my surprise the phone restarted and updated.

Someone to helpme with efiesp.bin partition?

Hello,
im trying to understand ur method but im not that into microsoft stuffs so, what do u mean with:
" now start the update by launching: iutool -V -p e:\folderName (Where All The CABs Are Inside) ? "

I get it done with more than 1Gb of free storage !
so I start with your steps u provided above and I got lost honestly.
-I have lumia 530 Dual SIM (1019) previous build was 8.1 I don't recall OS version but it was the latest, so yeah I searched for more information and I found this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/windows-10-mobile/guide-win10-mobile-offline-update-t3527340/ of this glorious man @hikari_calyx
-I tired to intall W10 even the method says that not supported for 4gb devices, and it was really a fail because following his steps ended up with fail to update due to low storage, then I tried to delete anything I could, but again it fails for just 140mb or so... an idea pops up in my head which updating after a hard reset so the OEM apps won't get installed, and
here are the steps
1- go to the link provided for @hikari_calyx and follow the steps (make sure to download the .cab files) until it fails to update.
2- perform a hard reset to your phone (power off, press vol - and power button together after the vibrate release ur finger from power button and keep pressing vol - then in order : vol - vol + power button vol - )
and don't pass the language selection screen just keep it there.
3- Now go and update it like you just did before hard reset, it will take a lot of time just plug it to a power source and keep it cold, maybe more than 1 hour.
4-hurry it boot up you might face a problem in "Almost done.." screen, so the solution is : lock the screen and turn it on again, once u slide the lock screen up and before the app reloads keep pressing the "win" button it will open "one handed mode" then bring down the notification center and press anything (maybe win button I don't recall) until it goes to home screen (not 100% sure what I have done it was so random lol)
Congratulations u have W10 with a lot of storage.

STALKER18 said:
I get it done with more than 1Gb of free storage !
so I start with your steps u provided above and I got lost honestly.
-I have lumia 530 Dual SIM (1019) previous build was 8.1 I don't recall OS version but it was the latest, so yeah I searched for more information and I found this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/windows-10-mobile/guide-win10-mobile-offline-update-t3527340/ of this glorious man @hikari_calyx
-I tired to intall W10 even the method says that not supported for 4gb devices, and it was really a fail because following his steps ended up with fail to update due to low storage, then I tried to delete anything I could, but again it fails for just 140mb or so... an idea pops up in my head which updating after a hard reset so the OEM apps won't get installed, and
here are the steps
1- go to the link provided for @hikari_calyx and follow the steps (make sure to download the .cab files) until it fails to update.
2- perform a hard reset to your phone (power off, press vol - and power button together after the vibrate release ur finger from power button and keep pressing vol - then in order : vol - vol + power button vol - )
and don't pass the language selection screen just keep it there.
3- Now go and update it like you just did before hard reset, it will take a lot of time just plug it to a power source and keep it cold, maybe more than 1 hour.
4-hurry it boot up you might face a problem in "Almost done.." screen, so the solution is : lock the screen and turn it on again, once u slide the lock screen up and before the app reloads keep pressing the "win" button it will open "one handed mode" then bring down the notification center and press anything (maybe win button I don't recall) until it goes to home screen (not 100% sure what I have done it was so random lol)
Congratulations u have W10 with a lot of storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@STALKER18 did you manage to get 1703 or 1709 on the Lumia 530?

Someone can help me with efiesp.bin file dumped with WPInternals?

Abdroid tv box T9 RK3318 2gb ram 16gb rom stuck on TV logo after unroot with superSU

Hi all!
Some days ago I urooted my TV android tv box with superSU and then I restarted it. From that moment when I plug the device it only reach the T9 logo (not the android one) and don't go further.
I've tried different ways to try to unstuck it, but nothing has worked.
I tried:
- enter recovery boot by holding the button in the av hole -> nothing happens
- install new firmware with adb sideload with both ubuntu and windows 10 -> always get errors (often error: closed, sometime other errors that at the moment don't remember)
- install new firmware with sd card using SDCard Installer -> the device doesn't boot when the sd is inserted
Moreover, with adb in ubuntu sometimes it recognises the device and I can enter the adb shell (but obtain errors when try any tipe of command), and sometimes don't (after adb devices I see list of attached devices: ??????????????? offline)
Now I'm thinking to try to install an ubuntu like on an usb pendrive...
I will be very grateful of any help/suggestion to how to revive my device :fingers-crossed:
Thank you!!!

Does this happen to be a pendoo model? I have a pendoo x10 MAX and i actually simply just installed supersu while it was rooted. Since then, I haven't gotten this thing to boot. Just stays on the boot screen the entire way. I wiped in recovery, knew that'd do nothing. I just wanted a root MANAGER. I tried Magisk, my favorite.. no go.. so then I went a bit old school.. so I tried ChainFire's SuperSU.. and THAT updated the SU binary! It said it succeeded.. it asked to do recovery install or normal install.. on phones, I've always done normal.. so I chose normal. Plus.. this thing has no custom recovery. I found it on Amazon. Overpriced, but great with the controller it had. It looks like I'll need a replacement and maybe a request to ask this guy if he could possibly NOT use something like KingRoot/KingoRoot/AmaraRoot or ANY One click root tool.. they just cause more bloatware, inciting boot issues and problems within the Android box itself. These One Click Root tools are out of control. It's to the point where I need to find a way in to adb and find the firmware for the latest version of this thing... X10Max from Pendoo.. I have not found a thing anywhere regarding firmware, and their website is ****. NOTHING *anywhere* on these things.. hell I'm about to return it as I bought it for $72. I have another one, same model.. wondering if the root method was different. About to boot that up and find out. I'll even swap the board. At this point.. he rooted it.. the WRONG way.. you can MOUNT THE /SYSTEM PARTITION IN RECOVERY. THIS IS ANDROID 9 we're talking about--the recovery supported by API v3.
This can and should have a TWRP custom recovery. If none exists, don't bother. As long as you can mount /system then you have a chance, at least, to root the damn thing.. which is why I'm still messing with it. I have another two weeks to return it. I'll give it another couple of days before I call it off and just switch out the good board for the bad one, return it, then return the other one and just use it until I find a way to use a custom recovery on this thing. There has to be.. unless there is no firmware available in sight (for an RK3318 or 3328, can't tell.. recovery mode says 3328, model name says RK3318. I see no difference at the moment aside from processor naming at this point--maybe speed?)
I'm still a nub with Android TV boxes so don't hold it against me for updating the damn root binary. If I could find a way to just reinstall the entire firmware and delete all previous stuff, I would. It would be worth it to learn. I would then mount /system in recovery and soldier on.
One little issue with this thing.. there's only one USB port that actually works. Same applies for the same exact product, a replication of the same thing.. was a "replacement" that still have/has the same qualities.
I've ranted enough. I vote more research into RK33xx processors and possible custom recoveries. I'm about to look for it based on only the device itself.
Note: Been stuck at boot screen ever since the binary was updated. I felt it was necessary to have a boot manager. I don't know where to even find the firmware. Can.. anyone point me in any direction? Something that MIGHT work on this thing? Android 6 or 7 would even suffice, return or no return, as "stuck on boot screen" will be my complaint. That's.. the actual complaint. I can't just *flash it* like the old days.. and maybe the original Android 9.0 firmware would suffice.. I don't know, but Pendoo.. wouldn't that be preferred?

You will need an SDcard to recover this box. I think the T9 32GB 4GB rom will do the job since its a cut down version.
Make a update SDcard and pop it in and power on the box. It will start the recovery on its own.

hello, sorry for my English I live in France I would have a question about the box: TV T9 RK3318, 4gb / 64gb. the problem is that the time is desynchronized on restart and creates problems to connect to applications when the time is out of order, I tried everything changed the time zone to deactivate and entered the time Manual it goes out of order all the time . is there a custom version or a version 10?

Very cook did I checked this out awhile back alot of good information that's for your contribution

My XZ1 compact story

So I bought a new phone since my old Onyx (One+ X) died (cracked screen and charging port is getting iffy). And finally I decided on this one, a cheap Chinese docomo branded one off Ebay.
I was so exited when it arrived, the UPS truck was at my gate when I got home that day, ready to leave, but the driver was nice enough to wait and give me my package then and there. Pheew.
Well, now to my, bootloader unlocking, recovery flashing, after market os installation and rooting story...
Bootloader:
The phone was supposed to be unlocked, and I guess that only meant SIM unlocked, because the service menu read "Bootloader unlock allowed: no". Damn.
A few Duckduckgo searches later, turned up I needed the "S!Unlock tool" which I found a copy off online, but username/password fields needed to be filled in, and I think I found a pirated s/n which didn't seem to work, (might have if I had tried harder).
But since it was just over £22 at https://networkunlocking.com/ I thought I could spare that on the off chance it worked. I was very surprised when it finally did, truth, I needed a few tries. And it actually did turn that service menu's pesky "no" to a thumbs-up "yes". Yay!
So now, pulling the cable, holding "volume up" and inserting cable for that blue light goodness, and running the "flashtool.exe -i 0x???? oem unlock bootloader 0x????????????" comand.
Not so fast, that doesnät work with newer flashtool versions...
Finding the old one from my Xperia Arc days and runnning it again, Yay!
(Wish I had read ahead and done that temporary root trick to rip my DRM codes off my phone first. But I don't plan to revert to stock, and I gather (might be wrong) that the DRM is only needed for stock roms, and not Lineage OS and such.)
Recovery (TWRP):
Now the problems start for real, getting into recovery was a **** and a half. Most guides for the phone says to push "volume up" multiple times during the boot-process. This turns out to be plain wrong. The actual button combo is holding "volume down" and "power" button together atleast until the screen goes blank after the unlocked bootloader warning.
Now, I wanted 17.1 on the phone and the recommended TWRp is 3.1.1 or something, and this works to install lineage fine, but don't forget to erase /data partition as I did. Stupid mistake that made wifi fail miserably, and probably a lot of other stuff, that I never tried before noticing my mistake.
However trying to get my own set of ringtones on the phone turned out to be another issue, going back into recovery when I noticed my ringtone.zip had failed. Obviously the media folder had moved since los 15.1,so no wonder right? Turns out it wasn't the only problem. TWRP 3.1.1 (or something) failed to unencrypt the root partition, so changing anything via recovery was a lie. fortunately the latest recovery, 3.5.2_9 did. So after installing that everything was rosy peaches.
Rooting:
SuperSU? forget it.
Magisk? yeah, but how? No really good step by step guide out there, except download from the github page, but what version?
A little trial and error, tried with the arm64 version and it turned out to be the right one. (Sometimes you just get it right on the first try...)
Renamed the apk to .zip put it on the phones memory, entered recovery and installed the zip, et voi effing la, Magisk root installed.
Root checker verifies root status, TitaniumBackup and RootExplorer works. Yes, my phone is playing ball.
Final notes:
This above looks simple right? In fact this was a two day process since the guides are surely lacking for this phone, a lot of trial and error, the greatesthurdle was getting into Recovery, until I found the right button combo I accidently managed to enter it once making me believe I had the right combo and something was wrong with the phone. 4 hours or so wasted trying different versions rebooting and flashing. Getting back my Viber messages turned out to be a problem to, TitaniumBackup got the messages back, but the db had references to my old images on my old phone, and probable pointed at the wrong directory so trying to send images either from gallery or take new photos crashed the app. Solution, backup the messages to my google account, uninstall and reinstall viber and restore from that backup. TitaniumBAckup is good but no magic bullet, it's a ***** that we have to rely on Google for backups though, I am allergic to the cloud, something about it makes my skin crawl.
Otherwise I like the phone, it says docomo on the back, something I can live with. The Chinese vendor even supplied one glass screen protector for the phone and a clear soft plastic case, in case I wanted some extra protection. I only wish there was a screen protector that had the same surface as the one that was on the phone in the box, that slightly opaque cloudy feel was so nice on my finger.
Can I recommend this phone? Nah, if noone writes a step by step guide that will cut down the time I spent on making this phone palpatable, I can't. But if you, like me, don't mind to tinker and don't want a phablet or spend way too much for the privilege to get a screen size you don't want, then sure. But why do we have to get them from China?

My trusty xz1 compact is slowly dieing on me and i am looking for a replacement how much did you pay for yours and is a really new or just refurbished ?

"Final notes:
This above looks simple right? In fact this was a two day process since the guides are surely lacking for this phone, a lot of trial and error, the greatesthurdle was getting into Recovery, until I found the right button combo I accidently managed to enter it once making me believe I had the right combo and something was wrong with the phone"
This Phone is in the mobile Sphere already ancient. Don't expect to get any help here or newer hot to guides.
my biggest problem is the fastboot recognition of my Windows. If this would work reliable i could better flash the phone but getting the right driver is a kind of roulette for this phone.

muhschaf said:
my biggest problem is the fastboot recognition of my Windows. If this would work reliable i could better flash the phone but getting the right driver is a kind of roulette for this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also had a non-connecting fastboot issue on Windows until I ran into this guide showing me it was not about a driver but an installation method:
How to install Sony Xperia Drivers Manually (Super Easy Guide)
Step-by-Step guidelines to install Sony Xperia Drivers Manually (this method can be used on Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, 8.1 and Windows 10).
xperiausbdriver.com

4qx said:
Also had a non-connecting fastboot issue on Windows until I ran into this guide showing me it was not about a driver but an installation method:
How to install Sony Xperia Drivers Manually (Super Easy Guide)
Step-by-Step guidelines to install Sony Xperia Drivers Manually (this method can be used on Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, 8.1 and Windows 10).
xperiausbdriver.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Handy cannot boot now anyway so i would probably not able to recover anyway.

muhschaf said:
cannot boot now anyway so i would probably not able to recover anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone completely refuses to boot?
Do you have recovery installed? If not, are you able to install it via fastboot on linux?

4qx said:
The phone completely refuses to boot?
Do you have recovery installed? If not, are you able to install it via fastboot on linux?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
okay i will explain.
i had this common issue with this running out of internal space (13GB pictures i could not find, only 300MB left) and after looking into it i figured, that, due to my constant app installing and deinstalling, i had literrally thousends of little images (thumbnails, icons, you name it) that got not deintalled for whatever reason and clogged up my internal memory. So i made a Backup and decided to completly wipe and flash the newest lilac from Modpunk (18.1) and did a big Mistake here. i go into recovery and wiped EVERYTHING...without checking that recovery is untouched. then during the same session i installed the ROM and rebooted...so far all nice and dandy. Setting up the Phone, then get the newsest Gapps and then try to reboot into recovery to install them...well did i mentioned that i had wiped EVERYTHING? Well, there was no recovery anymore. Not my first rodeo i headbutt myself into the desk and spun up ADB/fastboot...only to run into the same problem i run everytime due to improper intalled driver i forgot already about. Longs story short: after some time handy refused to boot also into system.
Phone is now unbootable into any state, but Black screen fastboot over hardware buttons...
i COULD still try to make a blind fastboot flash after following the driver install instruction from above, but consider my lucky or clumsyness i will **** this up too and only waste time. and due to my current covid recovery i have not the energy nor the patient to diddle around with this sorry excuse of an absolute restrictive Phone and rather get me a S5 mini or something else that has no bootlock whatsoever and let you flash it from the very start.
i am plain running out of patient with sonys harassment.
/€: Also the constant "cannot get root" on a rooted phone is plain BS³. having permanent trouble to install adaway or use my sdcard proper is so friggin annoying that i now will search for a android version that got rid of this bull**** and will buy any phone that is suported by that ROM.
It is MY phone, and not Goolge nor the the phone company will dictade what i can or cannot install on it. i decide and i carry the risk, period. and the biggest security reason holds the phone anyway.

@muhschaf okay so it doesn't seem bricked. Pretty sure you just need to flash the recovery through fastboot and flash a ROM. Try that on Windows with the driver method; if that fails boot a Linux distro e.g. EndeavourOS, even from a USB without installing no adb/fastboot driver is necessary for Linux, it just works. You can do it.

4qx said:
@muhschaf okay so it doesn't seem bricked. Pretty sure you just need to flash the recovery through fastboot and flash a ROM. Try that on Windows with the driver method; if that fails boot a Linux distro e.g. EndeavourOS, even from a USB without installing no adb/fastboot driver is necessary for Linux, it just works. You can do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i known, the question is more "i really want that?" like i said i struggle with this phone ever since. and i realized yesterday the problem is not the phone itself, it's the bull**** of androids security architecture. Google seems to be very prone to make sure that they can shove any amount of advertisements down your throat. Given that they earn their money with ad network it doesn't surprise me.
i came to the conclusion that in reality i want to have a reliable way to install ad away on any given phone i own. i archive similar things on my desktop with Firefox and umatrix and ublock. And what can is say: Having Advertisment fee Internet is a bliss and i not care a bit about "but the free stuff" and i incrisingly fury about my inability to archive similar things on my phone i rely quite a bit.

@muhschaf I get it but you know what they say: good things require effort. But I find that once I set my Android up, I'm happy to have done it.
In regards to ads, you can actually install uBO on Android Firefox now, and many other addons also.

So i gave it a try again and the result was that it detects now a "?" under fastboot but ADB can't see anything failing sucsequently to flash recovery. i am also seemingly unable to get even into hardware fastboot anymore. But could be quite possible that the battery is already drained again. so i recharge it the night.
4qx: i was going away from uBO several years ago. Wonder that he has survived the drain after his "whitelist" decision, but it seems like.
Adaway block advertisement in apps and this is mainly the feature i wanted, see advertisment have gotten out of the browser itself into the Base/apps systems (Android, Windows) and therefore the Adblocker have to go with it. under windows i can control the System itself pretty easy and throughoutly with Powershell and package debloating scripts or regedit. under Android i haven't this option and have to rely on app like adaway. This shortcoming is pretty frustraing for an "Open Source" OS

After nearly a Year i stumble upon something windows related and now i have finally my xz1c back:
Windows USB Hubs of ANY kind (Monitor USB Hubs, Powers external USB Hubs, hell sometimes even the PCH, that is technical also a USB Hub), can and sometime WILL prevent proper lowlevel access to devices like...USB Headsets (Logitech Pro X) and Mobile Phones in fastboot mode (xz1c).
To circumvent this you have to connect the phone to a USB Port on the Back of your PC Motherboard DIRECTLY. every other Port can have an USB Hub in between that alters your write or readout and therefore failed the flashing.

ZenFone 2 Z00A(d) ZE551ML - can't boot - black/white screen, no bootloader, want Windows (KVM kernel/OS)

I recently bought Asus Zenfone, because here in Ukraine is war, so I want small device with Windows (electricity often is off here because rockets fall on our electrric infrastructure etc).
So I've bought Asus Zenfone 2 used (it costed 16,25$). It came without accumulator, and 1/3 screen working. So I went to radio-market to buy new battery, it costed + ~10.25$ + 2,5$ to install battery. Then I've bought new touchscreen for it for ~22,5$, plus payed ~6,25$ to install it. Then around 7,5$ to restore battery connectors (on device and accumulator). So finally it worked, and wanted to see how to install Windows on Zenfone. Sure, if I had possibility to buy anywhere Zenfone better, new, not used, - I'ld do it, but it is not that easily available, just like any other Intel smartphone.
So, I started reading - how to make my device rooted. I don't understand how to get root. I found on wikipedia, that rooting is different from unlocking bootloader, and realized - yes. I need to unlock bootloader, and to boot from external flash-disk and install windows, or at least - new kernel with KVM support. I used pn my Android (non intel) Limbo x86 emulator, it can run some old windows 98 etc, maybe even xp, never win 2000, and if it runs win-7 or win-8 - it is so terribly slow. So I decided to buy Asus Zenfone. As in KVM mode I can send commands to CPU directly, and hope this Windows works much faster than in emulator. I hope just at least to run Windows XP on it, I need to code some C# code, so that Andorid phone is not only for mp3-playing, internet on the go and make calls, but to learn, study and to work. I don't know why Microsot, Intel and other companies don't like Intel CPUs in mobiles. They could do it if they wanted. I like WIndows because most programs are for Windows. And I want desktop x86 windows also on every mobile, intead of all Androids.
Anyway, What I tried to with my Zenfone. I found one amazing experience - that our hero and inspirer (ley God blesses him, maybe he will work in Intel/AMD/Asus/Microsoft etc to make more newer KVM kernels for future x86 phones with windows) - so Ycavan made KVM for Asus Zenfone 2. Great, I've read his thread - https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...0-with-kvm-bridge-compiled-need-help.3145055/ - completely, with pen and paper writing down important information, downloaded all the files, and decided to start flashing.
I copied them to root of my Zenfone, unpacked tars and converted them into ZIPs. I also unpacked .img files to root of phone (I mean its folder which is visible if I connect it thorught USB, I know it is not "/" root of file system of Andoird, but anyway it is visible even inside CWM... sorry, was visible)...
So, I made some mistakes. I downloaded the kernel, tried to flash it using commands like :
fastboot flash boot boot_fhd_2.19_kvm_bridge_20150710.img
fastboot flash boot boot_fhd_2.19_kvm_bridge_20150714.img
fastboot flash boot boot_fhd_2.19_kvm_bridge_20150717.img
fastboot flash boot boot_fhd_2.20_kvm_bridge_20150820.img
fastboot flash boot boot_2.19_kvm_bridge.img
fastboot flash boot boot_fhd_2.20_kvm_bridge_20150820.img
but non of them produced bootable Zenfone. So I had to revert to previous bootloader using the CWM tool.
In fact I liked this CWM most. I found this thread - https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...root-ze500-ze550-ze551-temporary-cwm.3114063/
or similar here on forum, and it worked amazingly. I attached Zen-phone to USB, turned it off, then on while pressing, keeping pressed volume-up key, and after Asus logo appeared and some "zzz" vibration, again it blinked and I saw bootloader with Android robot, and possibility to scroll through menu using volume up-down, to choose normal boot, or reboot/power off, or to run restore etc.
For some reason, Restore there not worked. So anyway, I understood that I can use tool like ADB (Android debug bridge) and fastboot to copy new firmwares/kernels/bootloaders etc to it, so I guessed I can do it myself, and was ready for risks... And this what bad can happen - it happened.
So, I runned in CWM - file cai_dat_CWM.bat - which asked to type ACCEPT and then T4, and phone started to go into amazing mode, some "clouds" started appearing on phone, and it loaded into special secret menu, from which I could select what to do next. To me it looked like default boot manager which I wanted to see like in Dos/Windows machines - so I can choose to run into safe mode windows, or set some settings before booting, or even use "reanimator dvd" etc to load Windows and other tools to do partitioning, passwrods recovery etc. So it looked like on desktops, and very nice. I went inside the menu, and found good option to make backup. I did it all. Then in same CWM tool (I think it is called SuperSU for Android), I finally choose to restore bootloader/kernel/boot (custom recovery), and this saved my from bricking the first time after I followed the manual from Ycavan. Well, I know I can read a lot more threads how to do this and that, but there is always risk that something wrong can happen. So I tried to read as much as I could, and follow manuals as precisely as I could understand. But my phone is kind of "bricked".
Now it shows some scfreen like TV which can't catch any tv program. So it is some random colors - see attached picture. It is good that it shows at least this. But in worse situation - it doesn't show anything. So let me tell how I achieved this, and if you can tell me how to avoid this mistake and to recover it. I hope to get help from anyone here who installed KVM kernel(s) and acheieved running Windows on their zenfone 2 (or maybe anyone who has XPerience with other x86 phones may help, or if it is general issue how to unbrick - then also non x86 users please help).
So, CWM made backup, I became more non-scared to make more experiments with firmware. But main problem is that I don't know which firmware to use. I ideally suggested that when I change kernel to KVM-supported from Ycavan - that it will work with my Andorid 5.0 (it was installed when I bought it). So, but unfortunately, after installing any of KVM kernels of Ycavan - I was unable to understand which OS to install, which version. So even I tried to try to flash whole 1GB+ image (I have downloaded UL-Z00A-WW-2.20.40.59-user.zip from official asus.com - https://www.asus.com/ua-ua/supportonly/asus zenfone 2 (ze551ml)/helpdesk_bios/ - but. I was unable to upload it to zenfone (flash it), as it said it is older than installed version.
Anyway, now it doesn't matter as I cannot run into ANdroid at all. Worse - I cannot even get Bootloader working in Android, as I see after turning phone on - only "white screen" with non-working TV-like image (see attached picture of my Zenfone 2).
So, to make this happen, I did this: I found some information about TWRP. I tried to install as recovery tool. Even though it was flashed into mobile, and I installed it from apk from Google-Play, still, I was unable to run it... So then I found even cooler tool - which was too risky to install. I was good, but Andorid stopped running at all.
This tool is called - preroot601. I runned in it preroot.bat, and then it did something similar to CWM, but several times it restartd the phone _ i have added screenshots of how it looked like on PC / Windows. So after several restarts, it did a lot of changes - Android didn't start after it. Phone always was able to start into recovery mode - into TWRP (I downloaded its .img and flased it as recovery for phone). But in TWRP I think I did something wrong. I made backup of all files (syste,, bootloader, everything). I saw it is cool - to see there terminal, ability so set attributes for files, mount partitions ... even USB -hey, can I run from flash-disk? or from external DVD/Bluray which I have in this mode? I have USB-hub, and can connect to it keyboard, mouse, flash-usb, ssd/hdd - all through Microusb-usb adapter and to usb-hub. So what I wanted to do is to try to see flash-disk, mount it on my android zenfone. And then after restart - I had black screen or this 'non-working analog-TV screen when no program/channel/wave is caught for signal"...
So, I don't even understand what I did, and why this all happened, and why I have to do to restore bootloader at least.
My aim is to have KVM enabled in the kernel. I don't mind if it is old Windows like XP working on this Zenfone, but I like windows to be my main OS on every phone which I may use in future (and hope they all be x86-64 and not ARM). So as I don't have Steamdect now (it has also AMD x86 CPU, like Zenfone), I want to do this, achieve it - having Windows on mobile - Zenfone.
I can carry it in pocket everywhere, so why not people like having desktop Windows x86-64 in each and every mobile? Even Lenovo are collaborating with IBM - then why not make also IBM-Mobile / IBM-smartphone, which will also be as good as PC - to unassemble it, change any part like on desktop, why not do it? I think everyone will enjoy it, and it will boost everything to better hights, levels.
So, please. If anyone here has similar experience of going to same screen like I have (see screenshot), or like that - black screen - indeed my device also may not even show any thing - even no ASUS logo, no bootloader (even if I press Volume-UP after powering and after flash it usually showed bootloader with robot - no... not now)...
So I don't see anything on screen of Android Zenfone now. no text, no bootloader, no recovery even - no TWRP menu. I think I am ready to format whole zenfone, and install there maybe some partition manager (like you know there is Partition magic on PCs, when I can split HDD/SSD nto two parts, one for Windows, and say other for Unix - Ubuntu or Android x 86 - all on same physical drive)... So I want some re-partitioning for intern SD memory, and be able to install there some ISOs, say with DOS, Win3.11, win 95, 98, 2000, xp, 7, 8,1 and maybe even 10. But guess last will be slow. I think Windows XP would be ideal OS for my Zenfone, if it can run fast. Win 7/8 maybe will be slow. But for some sceintific aims - like I just write some algorythm in Visual studio, and can do it even in WinXP, so why don't do it on my Zenfone? I don't like many Andorids, as they are not for work much - they are used by many people to play games, watch videos on phones, surf social networks, but not for real work. Real work is usually on WIndows, and no laptop can replace "Windows x86 in pocket" (on mobile). And I wonder why Microsoft develops "Windows for ARM" instead of investing millions into efforts like which Ycavan did - to make Windows run in KVM mode fast on x86 smartphones.
Ok, So, any ideas? What should I do now? I need some special tool to fix my phone first. Fix its loader. I think I need to bypass fastboot.exe restriction, which shows "waiting for device". Command in cmd like this: ADB.exe devices -L --- shows device from time to time - it shows:
c:\adb>adb devices -l
List of devices attached
0123456789ABCDEF device
c:\adb>fastboot flash boot boot_2.19_kvm_bridge.img
< waiting for device >
So, I cannot even flash some recovery device in this way. In devices manager I see "ADB interface" in "USB devices" category in devices treeview. And sometimes Moorefield appears, but with exclaimation mark - I have no idea how to make it disappear. I found here some info that I can install tool - xFSTK_Downloader_v1.7.0.zip - I downloaded it, installe,d but it doesn't run (I have win10 x64bit). hm... And driver required - iSOC_USB_Driver_Setup_v1.2.0.zip - I installed - but nothing.
So, what to do? How to make bootloader appear again? And how to write there prob=per bootloader with KVM kernel, and which firmware to flash so I can use KVM fast there with fast Windows...? Is it possible at all to make it run WIndows natively on Zenfone? or it will always be only in virtual machine inside some ArchLinux or in Limbo x86 on Android?
I read that Ycavan used this ArchLinux, but I don't understand why. Is he installing it over Android? Then also which version he uses? I need to know each and every version whcih he uses to make everything works. I 'ld require all the firmwares which he uses to make it work also - to make some Windows iso run on my Zenfone 2.
Did anyone achieved this successfully, except for Ycavan - to run Windows on Zenfone? Or except for him noone was able to install KVM kernel, and it was similar to mine situation? And maybe this is the reason why manufacturers of phons don't like x86 phones? I don't know. Any ideas?
See screenshots. What to do in this state?
IF anyone can please upload to somewhere whole pack of files ("WIndows on Zenfone starter kit") to make anyone able to just follow instaructions which will work in all cases to install WIndows there like Ycavan has - it would be great. There is lack of more detailed information - which .img files, .zips, firmwares etc, which OSes are supported by Ycavan's KVM kernels?
I have no idea. if anyone passed this path, and achieved Windows on Zenfone, please share your experiences, Ireally need it. Here in Ukraine when electricity disappears almost daily, we need devices like x86 phones almost for everyone. And mo matter if Windows is a bit old. KVM mode I guess must be much faster, almost native speed, so (like on tablet PCs), so please help...
Thank you all in advance, whoever will answer me.

indubhushan said:
c:\adb>adb devices -l
List of devices attached
0123456789ABCDEF device
c:\adb>fastboot flash boot boot_2.19_kvm_bridge.img
< waiting for device >
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wrong mode. adb is only working in
- normal/boot mode
- recovery mode
fastboot is only working in
- bootloader mode
- fastboot mode
You can see 0123456789ABCDEF device in adb devices, therefore you are either in TWRP or in Android (Win?)
type adb shell and check the prompt is either $ (shell) or # (root shell)
in root shell you can flash partitions from cmd line. you can also reboot into bootloader/fastboot mode from cmd line.
Code:
adb reboot bootloader

I had success in restoring my bootloader (logo with android robot) - I intalled xFSTK, so somehow I had success to make it run, and I added threee files (1, 2, and 4th) and tried to flash it. Phone was visible as Moorefield. Then I tried to use Asus flash tool to flash big RAW image, but for some reason I don't know why - I had even whole day left it to flash, it didn't do the task - Android stopped booting - no logo showing at all - have to use xFSTK to recover. Maybe I use wrong RAW image (from official site it is .zip, so have no idea where to get those raw files).
When try to flash using flashboot - I get error: - flash cmd error.
As for devices list. My device rarely appear there. It may appear for some seconds, and then xfstk can have success to flash it, and maybe even make it runnable into Android robot scren (bootloader).
I am thinking that I need to install maybe ArchLinux, which Ycavan is using, but have no idea where to get RAW file for it, and how to flash it. Maybe some problem with my USB port on old laptop, or maybe even with USB cable (though have few good almost new cables, even new 4Amperes one). So maybe even problem in port of Zenfone itself (to change it). No idea. Because even when I tried to flash it (that huge 1GB file), phone disconnected, or showed "ready for commands", instead of showing process of ownloading RAW image/Android into phone's memory.
Flashboot/adb almost unusable. Well, I'll try, maybe it'll work.
My hope is try to go into CWM, run from it into "secret menu" on phone, and from it - to access internal memory of phone, and restore phone from backup. But when I tried to load into it once - it hanged on "clouds". I don't know...
And I don't think I'm ready now to format internal memory of phone or to repartition. At least I don't have backup on some external card (sd-card) etc.
as for adb. maybe it can't see my device, even if it is "recovery mode" (when see in devices manager in Windows - Moorefield). Now I'm stuck on xFSTK and can't go anywhere further like adding TWRP into phone, or foing into backup/restore menu on phone, and of course there is no Android. Even when I see Android robot (boot menu) - I feel happy, that at least phone shows anything, so at least bootloader workds. Maybe difference is in drivers - when I have Moorefield driver, then maybe it contradicts with Zenfone driver, and I have to reinstall them? Or use other OS? I have dual-boot (two Windowses on my laptop), so maybe I need to use one Windows - to work with Moorefield (xfstk) - when phone is in "worst" situation when no logo shows / no bootloader. And the other Windows I have to run on laptop - with Zenfone driver installed (I think it shows something like Asus device in device manager). But they seem to use contradicting drivers, I am not sure. And maybe it's some problem with my usb ports, but hope no. They seem to be ok... Maybe I'll have to go some day to give phone for diagnostics to repairing center again ;-(