[HOW-TO] HTC thunder-brick to Fully Functioning Thunderbolt - Thunderbolt Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

So, I bricked my thunderbolt. RUUs did not even help.
Here is what I did:
1. I unlocked the bootloader via the official method at htcdev.com.
That removed the security warning and allowed me to access recovery. However, I had flashed clockworkmod recovery and nothing I did with any version of clockwork or Amon Ra would allow me to boot up past the HTC splash screen.​
2. I erased the recovery partition and restored the original recovery, from the nandroid backup I had made, via fastboot.
Code:
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
3. I rebooted into the stock recovery. It did something and rebooted, but still not past the splash screen.
4. Back to fastboot. I used fastboot commands to boot clockworkmod recovery without installing it. I then used clockwork to restore my original nandroid backup, and reboot.
Code:
fastboot boot clockwork.img
Still not booting past the splash screen, but I did gain ADB access.​
5. I decided that since I had everything back to stock, I would try revolutionary again. I used the instructions from their website. It actually worked this time, unlike before. When it finished, I had S-off and a custom clockwork-mod recovery.
With S-off, I was able to flash a rom of my choosing after wiping data and both caches.
That is all it took to go from an expensive paperweight to a fully functioning Thunderbolt. This process may work for other HTC devices also.
I hope I have helped you.

Related

G2 Recovery Disaster - Help!!! ><

Early today, I was working on a G2 trying to get it rooted with a custom ROM installed. I managed to root the phone and disable the bootloader security. From here, I attempted to install clockwork recovery via rom manager... here's where the disaster starts.
Everything seemed to be going well (no errors), so I tried to load a custom ROM. The Rom installation started but failed partway through. This is when I noticed that the clockwork recovery wasn't working properly. It was flickering and none of the options worked (screen just flashed or turned black if you selected anything). So at this point, the phone would not boot since the ROM installation didn't complete, and I had a buggy recovery image installed.
Unfortunately, the fun doesn't stop here. I figured that I should load the PC10IMG.zip and start from scratch... bad idea. This flashed the bootloader (relocking it) then failed-- leaving me with a bad ROM, bad recovery image, and a locked bootloader. Luckily for me, I was able to use adb via the buggy recovery to unlock the bootloader again.
At this point, I got a bit antsy and jumped the gun. I decided to use fastboot to erase and load a new recovery image. Unfortunately, I realized that I didn't have a recovery.img file to flash... just after I used the fastboot erase recovery command.
I'm hoping that someone here has a recovery.img file compatible with the T-Mobile G2 so I can flash the recovery partition with fastboot. If anyone has any better ideas I'm open to suggestions.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Install amon recovery. It's much better then clockword. Do it using adb
Sent from my HTC Hero using XDA App
Just an update. I couldn't get into adb but I was able to flash clockwork via fastboot. For whatever reason, the amon recovery would go through. Nevertheless, I installed cyanogen using clockwork and everything is gravy!

[Q] no longer able to flash any recoveries, but I used to?

so I have the latest software, used the HTC unlock method, was rooted and had the TWRP recovery working just fine, I'm an idiot and flashed the CM recovery through RM and of course it didn't work, so I've tried every which way I can find to re-flash the TWRP and even tried flashing AMON but it will not go into recovery with any of them after it says it successfully wrote the recovery.
TWRP and CM just wait for a minute then reboot normal, AMON reboots then sits at the HTC screen... forever and i have to pull the battery.
I tried uninstalling RM to see if it was F'ing with it, didn't matter.
not sure what to try next to get a working recovery back onto the phone, I'm still rooted just running the stock ROM, I had loaded an alternate ROM successfully last week, just didn't like it. So I know all is 'working' as expected I just F'd up the recovery part now
any help??
afaik if you used the HTC unlock you need to fastboot flash it, or maybe hboot zip it? What have you tried so far?
I've tried using fastboot to flash amon and TWRP, same result
tried doing TWRP as a zip as well
what's weird is each method seems to "work" i get that it's pushing, writing, completed, no errors with any of them but then it just won't go into recovery and if i change to different recoveries I get different reboot behaviors just none of them work.
that's where I'm stuck, I feel like I've tried all the methods it just refuses to actually go into recovery when it's loaded.
another thing I thought was weird though, when I reflashed TWRP, and then go into RM it would say at the top that I had the latest version of CM installed like it didn't take? I uninstalled RM and tried it all again, same result.
morellox said:
I've tried using fastboot to flash amon and TWRP, same result
tried doing TWRP as a zip as well
what's weird is each method seems to "work" i get that it's pushing, writing, completed, no errors with any of them but then it just won't go into recovery and if i change to different recoveries I get different reboot behaviors just none of them work.
that's where I'm stuck, I feel like I've tried all the methods it just refuses to actually go into recovery when it's loaded.
another thing I thought was weird though, when I reflashed TWRP, and then go into RM it would say at the top that I had the latest version of CM installed like it didn't take? I uninstalled RM and tried it all again, same result.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*my opinion*
delete rom manager
boot into recovery using adb
"adb reboot recovery"
or terminal emulator
"reboot recovery"
or the app "quickboot"
does that work?
I've tried all those except Quickboot... *trying now......*
annnnnd
same thing with the app...
I'm thinking at this point I almost need to just write everything over again? use a flashable zip in the bootloader and just have it write everything over again, I was going to do a new rom anyways bored with the stock again.
so I need to find that I guess? re-write everything go back to fresh and start over
1. Make sure u r not flashing CDMA recovery over a GSM device, or vice versa.
2. How did u get ur device rooted in the first place?
3. Last resort, relock ur device and apply the correct RUU, then unlock and root again.
Sent from my HTC EVO 3D X515m using XDA App
1) good there
2) I followed a tutuorial where I pushed the recovery and the SU file after doing the HTC official unlock method, worked great at first, I'm the idiot that pushed the CM recovery over top of it and now I can't get a working recovery back on.
3) do I really have to relock first, I've seen the simple tutorial on doing so, I was hoping maybe I could find an all in one flashable ROM that would at least get me back to operational on all partitions and then re-work that one with a new ROM later or something, not possible?
This is of no help to you but - I had the same error. TWRP v1.0.3. I tried everything in the book to get it to work... but got stuck at the HTC splash screen like you. And I tried installing the 1.13 PG86IMG and then my device turned off while installing the PG86IMG (it was fully charged during flashing, I checked). Be careful with what you do.
I was unlocked with AlphaRev's tool, running my own ROM.
mine hung like that if i flashed AMON, but i could still pull the battery and go back into the bootloader to flash at least TRWP using FastBoot so I could get back into the phone
ugh
morellox said:
mine hung like that if i flashed AMON, but i could still pull the battery and go back into the bootloader to flash at least TRWP using FastBoot so I could get back into the phone
ugh
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
htc unlock method has proven to be a bit shady for the community in that it doesnt allow all the features/functions the revolutionary (and prior unrevoked) unlock method does.
most developers unlocked with revolutionary and haven't performed the htc unlock method so it has been hard to gather technical details on the htc unlock method.
one item we can eliminate in the effort to narrow down your issue: there is no working Amon RA recovery for the EVO 3D. not sure where you obtained Amon RA recovery. TWRP was created to pick up the torch from the Amon RA recovery as he retired from developing his recovery to support emmc devices.
stick to either flashing the twrp or cwm recovery images. there are only a handful of ways to load a custom recovery and only a handful of ways to boot the device into recovery mode.
i'd follow a logical pattern and work your way through the avaiable options. by following the available options one step at a time you should be able to narrow down which methods work and don't work. sorry it has been difficult as this htc unlock method is newer to the community we aren't as familiar with it as we are the revolutionary method.
ways to flash a custom recovery:
1) fastboot - fastboot flash recovery c:\downloads\recovery.img
2) bootloader - PG86IMG.zip file containing recovery.img and android-info.txt
3) flash_image - while in normal android mode (my app Flash Image GUI works well for this)
ways to boot into recovery mode:
1) turn device completely off and unplug USB. vol down + pwr loads bootloader. select recovery from the menu
2) from android mode: adb shell reboot recovery
3) from android mode: use a 3rd party app like quick boot.
this is all off the top of my head so it might not be an *exhaustive* list but it should cover all the common approaches. hope that helps and keep us updated! good luck!
damn...
I really appreciate everyone's help here I've been a part of various forums for a REALLY REALLY long time... from the days of Nextel, then I was a Palm Lover for a few years and now Android.
this obviously isn't urgent as my phone is working just fine, I just can't flash a new ROM since I can't get any recoveries working.
unfortunately I'm pretty sure I've tried all the methods listed above, I'm going to probably sit down sometime this weekend and systematically go through each method one more time just to be sure. TWRP worked for me just fine in the beginning, I flashed a ROM more than once, reverted back to my old ROM, made back ups, cleared cache's all the stuff I'd need to do.
thanks everyone, I'll keep trying
and no one knows of a flashable 'rom' that would have all the different partitions included in a zip or something like that? like.... what is in place of recovery in a stock phone? I can always unroot and start over but I did use the HTC unlock method so I hope that even works
got one to work! followed this method
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1239455

Stuck on HTC Boot image please help

Two weeks ago:
I rooted my phone using HTC's method since I had already ran the update to 1.5 shooter. I flashed CWM to the recovery of the phone and took a backup. Loaded ViperROM and all was good.
Last night:
I wanted to load a new kernel since the one I put on there was not working well with WiFi. At the time I did not know i could just boot to HBOOT then go to recovery I thought I had to use Fastboot. Using Fastboot and doing the commands from memory I think I flashed it to the boot instead of recovery... Not exactly sure what I did but whatever it was i'm stuck in a continual reboot that gets no further then HTC.
What I've tried so far to resolve issue:
1. Boot into recovery and restore from backup. - Did not work
2. Boot to recovery and load a new ROM (Myns zip). - Did not work
3. Boot to recovery and load a stock ROM (4.53.651.1_Rooted_deodexed_signed.zip) - Did not work
4. Rename the stock ROM(from above) as PG86IMG.zip and put on SD. - Didnt work
4. Used fastboot to do fastboot boot (stock kernel i found online.zip) (stock rom i found online.zip) - Did not work
Any ideas cause i'm out and I dont want to go back to my previous Evo 4g.
cgprelude said:
Two weeks ago:
I rooted my phone using HTC's method since I had already ran the update to 1.5 shooter. I flashed CWM to the recovery of the phone and took a backup. Loaded ViperROM and all was good.
Last night:
I wanted to load a new kernel since the one I put on there was not working well with WiFi. At the time I did not know i could just boot to HBOOT then go to recovery I thought I had to use Fastboot. Using Fastboot and doing the commands from memory I think I flashed it to the boot instead of recovery... Not exactly sure what I did but whatever it was i'm stuck in a continual reboot that gets no further then HTC.
What I've tried so far to resolve issue:
1. Boot into recovery and restore from backup. - Did not work
2. Boot to recovery and load a new ROM (Myns zip). - Did not work
3. Boot to recovery and load a stock ROM (4.53.651.1_Rooted_deodexed_signed.zip) - Did not work
4. Rename the stock ROM(from above) as PG86IMG.zip and put on SD. - Didnt work
4. Used fastboot to do fastboot boot (stock kernel i found online.zip) (stock rom i found online.zip) - Did not work
Any ideas cause i'm out and I dont want to go back to my previous Evo 4g.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I've read regarding the HTC unlock method, when you boot the custom recovery, the HTC unlock method does not grant the custom recovery write access to the boot partition.
There are only three ways I'm familar with having write access to the boot partition when having used the HTC unlock method:
1) From normal android mode, the boot partition is unlocked and you can flash a kernel/write to it. My application, Flash Image GUI, works great for this purpose.
2) Using fastboot to temporarily load the custom recovery. When using fastboot to temporarily load the custom recovery, the HTC unlock method grants the temporarily loaded custom recovery write access to the boot partition.
fastboot boot c:\downloads\custom-recovery.img or temporarily boot the custom recovery with write access to the boot partition to flash the .zip file
also, you can directly flash the kernel, but the modules will not work until you manually push those: fastboot flash boot c:\downloads\boot.img
3) Having the bootloader directly flash the boot partition via a PG86IMG.zip file.
All the stock RUU files are hosted at: http://goo-inside.me/shooter/ruu - the latest version is 2.08 which must be what you're using to have used the HTC unlock method.
Hope that helps! Good luck!
I downloaded the PG86IMG.zip file from goo-inside.me and it loaded the file then nothing happened. So I selected reboot and it went back to doing the same old loop.
Joey is the man! got it working. I was unaware that if i booted into recovery from bootloader it was read only not read write. using fastboot corrected it.

HTC DUMLOCK - Flash boot from recovery without fastboot! (Updated 2012-02-28 v2)

HTC Dumlock
HTC Dumlock is a workaround for devices with HTC's unlock that cannot flash boot from recovery. Put simply, we make backups of recovery and boot, then we flash the backup of recovery to boot. When you reboot normally, you'll be in your recovery, but since your recovery is flashed to boot, you can make changes to boot. Head on over to our website for download links and instructions.
New v2 version scans / compares the backups of boot and recovery to help ensure that you don't run it twice and wipe out your backup of boot.
Hooray for Team Win! Here's my contribution:
http://rootzwiki.com/_/articles/rec...unlock-and-flashes-kernels-from-recovery-r432
Awesome work guys!
Sent from my Clean and MeanROM 3D
Can we flash custom roms with unlocked phone and hboot 1.5 with s-on directly from recovery now?
Edit: Nevermind the answer is yes. you guys are awesome.
this is awesome if i ever get hboot 1.5 again. Wish this was out a week ago i wouldn't of sold my phone so i could buy one with hboot 1.4
Kernels ok, but are we able to flash radios and such with this method?
I just htc unlocked, flashed the updated twrp via fastboot, then backed up, flashed su, installed HTC DumLock. When I try to use the app it finishes within a minute but does not reboot, rebooting to system reboots doesn't boot into TWRP. I gave the app root permissions, what else should I try?
Real cool news
This is awesome! Kudos! I'm a little squeamish to try it yet (I'm still android noobish ;-) ); I'll wait a bit until the more seasoned folk work the kinks out, but I'm extremely encouraged.
Edit: Changed notification
i tried twice to flash a kernel and i get is the progress bar sits there, i let it go for 10 minutes each time but it never flashed the zip
UPDATE: I got it i had to restore the backup
Everything went fine for me until i try to boot to system from recovery,it just reboots back to recovery
I even tried powering down and do a normal start and it go's into recovery
Can the recovery be made to recognize when it is booted using dumlock app and restore original boot automatically? Something like this,
Run dumlock app, writes recovery to boot but also sets a flag in your config file on the sdcard,
reboot to recovery in boot partition,
recovery sees flag in config file, then before allowing any interaction flashes your boot partition back to original and then allows you to flash away and reboot normal afterwards.
This to me would seem to make it a seemless process. I would think a modification could even be made to CM9 code that would execute the same type of commands to rewrite recovery to boot whenever you select "reboot to recovery" from the reboot menu by holding the power button to make this 100% seemless, no?
can I flash a radio with 1.50?
benny3 said:
UPDATE: I got it i had to restore the backup
Everything went fine for me until i try to boot to system from recovery,it just reboots back to recovery
I even tried powering down and do a normal start and it go's into recovery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
re-read the instructions paying particular attention to steps 13-18.... then repeat step 18 like 9 times or so
gotojanoo said:
can I flash a radio with 1.50?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no...you are still s-off
alvintimothyjr said:
no...you are still s-off
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
actually am s-on with 1.50
Holy smokes, such an elegant solution. Doing this when I'm off work.
If u cant use fast boot to get to recovery how do u flash straigh to recovery?
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk
Anyone got this successfully working?
gotojanoo said:
actually am s-on with 1.50
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that's what I meant...my bad
Interesting.
Is it basically copying the recovery image to the boot partition to get full access for flashing kernels/roms, then copying the recovery back afterwards?
I was wondering if someone would come up with something like this. Specifically, I had been wondering if there was a way to run fastboot from sdcard vs Pc to enter recovery.

[Q] Thunderbolt Security Warning

I have the security warning error on my Thunderbolt. I need the files to fix it, maybe the instructions too if they changed from the post by jcase.
Here's what I have.
*** Security Warning ***
MECHA XD SHIP S-ON
HBOOT-1.05.0000
MICROP-/
RADIO-1.48.00.0906W_1
eMMC-boot
The rest is unknown.
Edit* I unlocked the bootloader, and I can now get into clockwork.
My new problem is that now I am not getting past the splash screen.
Okay. I have fixed the problem. Here's what I did.
1. I unlocked the bootloader via the official method at htcdev.com.
That removed the security warning and allowed me to access recovery. However, I had flashed clockworkmod recovery and nothing I did with any version of clockwork or Amon Ra would allow me to boot up past the HTC splash screen.​
2. I erased the recovery partition and restored the original recovery via fastboot.
3. I rebooted into the stock recovery. It did something and rebooted, but still not past the splash screen.
4. Back to fastboot. I used fastboot commands to boot clockworkmod recovery without installing it. I then used clockwork to restore my original nandroid backup, and reboot.
Still not booting past the splash screen, but I did gain ADB access.​
5. I decided that had everything back to stock, I would try revolutionary again. It actually worked this time. When it finished, I had S-off and a custom clockwork-mod recovery. With S-off, I was able to flash a rom of my choosing after wiping data and both caches.
That is all it took to go from an expensive paperweight to a fully functioning Thunderbolt.

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