Phone keeps vibrating/showing Mi Logo when "off" - Redmi Note 2 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello,
I am encountering a strange problem with my new Redmi Note 2, purchased from Top One. Whenever it is off and the battery is in, every 30 seconds it will vibrate and momentarily flash the white Mi logo as if it is about to turn on, then it will go back to black, then do this again in ~30sec. I have tried removing the back of the phone to see if it is an issue with the power button but it continues to happen whenever the battery is in. If battery is removed for ten seconds and then put back, the issue stops -- but then as soon as I turn the phone on, and then power off, it starts again. Otherwise the phone seems to run normally.
I flashed it to Miui 7.2.2.0 global stable Rom immediately after receiving it, and the problem has been there from the start. I believe I had noticed it there even before I flashed the new rom but I'm not sure as I hadn't yet interacted with the phone much...
Any suggestions? If you could please give me your instructions as basically as possible, and for Mac, I would appreciate it as I am a newbie. I flashed the rom using my Mac following instructions from the MIUI forms that showed how to do it in terminal after installing "adb/fastboot."
Thanks!

Seems to me that it is going into bootloader mode, instead of powering off completely. I am not sure how this could have started - perhaps a partially failed ROM upgrade at some point. I think you should return it (after restoring the original ROM) because trying to solve the problem might have to involve doing some low-level and extremely risky stuff.

Or for some weird reason the buttons get stuck and restarts to recovery.
When you try to boot into recovery, you get black screen->vibration->MI logo, and if you continue pressing the buttons you repeat the pattern.
Remove the battery cover and check if there's something in the buttons for a start..

Thanks for your responses
DarthJabba9 said:
Seems to me that it is going into bootloader mode, instead of powering off completely. I am not sure how this could have started - perhaps a partially failed ROM upgrade at some point. I think you should return it (after restoring the original ROM) because trying to solve the problem might have to involve doing some low-level and extremely risky stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you give me a sense of what the low-level/risky stuff would be? Is it something I might be able to get done at a phone repair shop in the UK (where Xiaomi of course is not sold)? I ask because I'm required to pay for return shipping to China if I'm going to return device, and god knows how long the whole return process will take -- so if it's not a major hardware issue it might be worth it for me to explore finding a fix.
tonydeli7 said:
Or for some weird reason the buttons get stuck and restarts to recovery.
When you try to boot into recovery, you get black screen->vibration->MI logo, and if you continue pressing the buttons you repeat the pattern.
Remove the battery cover and check if there's something in the buttons for a start..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see anything unusual in the buttons. As I said, if I remove the battery for ten seconds and then put it back in, I don't get this problem. It's only after doing a successful boot/shutdown (which works normally) that it starts again. So as far as I can tell it doesn't appear to be a mechanical problem.

littleozzyman said:
Thanks for your responses
Could you give me a sense of what the low-level/risky stuff would be? Is it something I might be able to get done at a phone repair shop in the UK (where Xiaomi of course is not sold)? I ask because I'm required to pay for return shipping to China if I'm going to return device, and god knows how long the whole return process will take -- so if it's not a major hardware issue it might be worth it for me to explore finding a fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The low-level+very risky stuff would involve flashing a full ROM. By "full", I mean inclusive of preloader, uboot/lk, etc. This is what makes it very risky, because if something goes wrong with the preloader/lk flash, the device could be bricked beyond what normal people could recover. An example of a ROM that flashes everything is: http://www.needrom.com/download/miui-7-2-3-0-redmi-note-2/
My current ROM is based on an earlier version of this, and I noted at the time it was released that it installs a preloader - but I am not sure whether I installed it complete with preloader or not (I probably did). From what I can see, nobody's device got bricked by installing this ROM, which is actually excellent (so much so that I inevitably return to it after trying something else). However, it is still risky to upgrade a preloader. I suspect that this may be what you need - but it may not resolve your problem anyway.
PS: beware of more recent Xiaomi ROMs that lock the bootloader. If you tried to do this risky process, you would be best advised to make sure that you are not flashing a ROM that locks the bootloader (i.e., the most recent ROMs coming out from Xiaomi).

DarthJabba9 said:
The low-level+very risky stuff would involve flashing a full ROM. By "full", I mean inclusive of preloader, uboot/lk, etc. This is what makes it very risky, because if something goes wrong with the preloader/lk flash, the device could be bricked beyond what normal people could recover. An example of a ROM that flashes everything is:
My current ROM is based on an earlier version of this, and I noted at the time it was released that it installs a preloader - but I am not sure whether I installed it complete with preloader or not (I probably did). From what I can see, nobody's device got bricked by installing this ROM, which is actually excellent (so much so that I inevitably return to it after trying something else). However, it is still risky to upgrade a preloader. I suspect that this may be what you need - but it may not resolve your problem anyway.
PS: beware of more recent Xiaomi ROMs that lock the bootloader. If you tried to do this risky process, you would be best advised to make sure that you are not flashing a ROM that locks the bootloader (i.e., the most recent ROMs coming out from Xiaomi).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this. Could you point me to how I might be able to install a full official Xiaomi rom? (One that won't lock the boot loader.) My preference would be to get the global stable rom running as normal so that I can have the standard working phone with OTA updates. Or, is it easier to install this rom you've suggested with preloader, and then afterwards I can flash the official rom (assuming this fixes the problem)?
Also, are there any tutorials/clearer instructions for how to do this kind of install? The instructions on the link you've provided don't seem very clear...
Not sure if I'm gonna try this yet but leaning towards it if I feel confident enough I can execute it without screwing anything up...

littleozzyman said:
Thanks for this. Could you point me to how I might be able to install a full official Xiaomi rom? (One that won't lock the boot loader.) My preference would be to get the global stable rom running as normal so that I can have the standard working phone with OTA updates. Or, is it easier to install this rom you've suggested with preloader, and then afterwards I can flash the official rom (assuming this fixes the problem)?
Also, are there any tutorials/clearer instructions for how to do this kind of install? The instructions on the link you've provided don't seem very clear...
Not sure if I'm gonna try this yet but leaning towards it if I feel confident enough I can execute it without screwing anything up...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally wouldn't touch official ROMs with a bargepole. At the very least, xiaomi.eu, or ROMs based on it (like the one linked to). But each to his own. With regard to installation, I don't think you can get more detailed instructions than those given, which I will now try to present in clearer English:
Reboot to Recovery ( TWRP only )
Wipe Dalvik/Art
Wipe cache
Wipe data (note that TWRP allows you to do 2-4 in one go - they are the same as resetting to factory defaults)
Install ROM
Wipe cache and Dalvik/Art again (but do NOT wipe data)
Reboot
Wait for about 20 minutes while it builds Dalvik/Art, and other stuff
Done
Hopefully, this will cure the problem. If so, then you can install whatever ROM you want, following the same process as above. If not, then you still have an excellent ROM anyway.
By the way, doing any of this presupposes that you have already installed TWRP recovery. If not, then that is the first thing to do.

DarthJabba9 said:
I personally wouldn't touch official ROMs with a bargepole. At the very least, xiaomi.eu, or ROMs based on it (like the one linked to). But each to his own. With regard to installation, I don't think you can get more detailed instructions than those given, which I will now try to present in clearer English:
Reboot to Recovery ( TWRP only )
Wipe Dalvik/Art
Wipe cache
Wipe data (note that TWRP allows you to do 2-4 in one go - they are the same as resetting to factory defaults)
Install ROM
Wipe cache and Dalvik/Art again (but do NOT wipe data)
Reboot
Wait for about 20 minutes while it builds Dalvik/Art, and other stuff
Done
Hopefully, this will cure the problem. If so, then you can install whatever ROM you want, following the same process as above. If not, then you still have an excellent ROM anyway.
By the way, doing any of this presupposes that you have already installed TWRP recovery. If not, then that is the first thing to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the English translation haha, I'll give this a shot. Just one more question -- when you write "install ROM", I should just treat the ROM the same way that I would any other, by flashing it via fastboot (as I did in OSX terminal) right?

littleozzyman said:
Thanks for the English translation haha, I'll give this a shot. Just one more question -- when you write "install ROM", I should just treat the ROM the same way that I would any other, by flashing it via fastboot (as I did in OSX terminal) right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. Steps 1 to 7 inclusive are done from TWRP Recovery.

DarthJabba9 said:
No. Steps 1 to 7 inclusive are done from TWRP Recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, thanks again for your suggestion, but unfortunately it didn't succeed. I managed to install the custom full ROM you suggested with TWRP, and the problem persists; when the phone is off, I get this strange problem with the Mi logo flashing.
I'm investigating how to make a return, but I thought I would ask: do you have any idea whether this problem will negatively affect the phone in any other way? Because, if I'm unable to make a return, I think it's an issue I can live with (I rarely have my phone switched off anyhow), so long as it won't cause more problems down the line...

Something else I just realised: Apparently the problem doesn't occur when the phone is plugged into the USB (both electrical socket and computer). Starts up again as soon as I remove the plug. Perhaps that provides more context...

littleozzyman said:
Well, thanks again for your suggestion, but unfortunately it didn't succeed. I managed to install the custom full ROM you suggested with TWRP, and the problem persists; when the phone is off, I get this strange problem with the Mi logo flashing.
I'm investigating how to make a return, but I thought I would ask: do you have any idea whether this problem will negatively affect the phone in any other way? Because, if I'm unable to make a return, I think it's an issue I can live with (I rarely have my phone switched off anyhow), so long as it won't cause more problems down the line...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I would hazard a guess that this is not a software problem. Clearly, the phone is trying to boot into bootloader mode or into recovery mode when it is meant to be completely switched off. This implies;
a) that there is a possibly a hardware problem somewhere (eg., something short-circuiting somewhere?), or
b) a virus/rootkit trying to dial home?, or
c) some other unknown fault?
None of these options would give me any peace of mind. If the problem is (b) then a good anti-virus or rootkit remover program would solve the problem. Search the PlayStore for those. If that doesn't solve the problem, then it's either (a) or (c) - and that is not good.

DarthJabba9 said:
Well, I would hazard a guess that this is not a software problem. Clearly, the phone is trying to boot into bootloader mode or into recovery mode when it is meant to be completely switched off. This implies;
a) that there is a possibly a hardware problem somewhere (eg., something short-circuiting somewhere?), or
b) a virus/rootkit trying to dial home?, or
c) some other unknown fault?
None of these options would give me any peace of mind. If the problem is (b) then a good anti-virus or rootkit remover program would solve the problem. Search the PlayStore for those. If that doesn't solve the problem, then it's either (a) or (c) - and that is not good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing shows up on anti-virus/rootkit. I guess I should really insist on getting a return. Hopefully they will process it without too much fuss/expense. If any other suggestions come to anybody in the meantime, I'd be glad to hear them.
I just noticed as well that someone posted with what seems to be the same issue to mine last year: http://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-note-2/help/phone-rebooting-shutdown-t3232941 , with no resolution. Perhaps this is some kind of occasional manufacturing problem.

littleozzyman said:
Nothing shows up on anti-virus/rootkit. I guess I should really insist on getting a return.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely.

HW problem: Power Management IC
I too faced this problem and I suspected Battery to be the culprit . Anyway , i got it checked and repaired at a local (non xiaomi) repair shop that claims it was the issue with PMIC power management IC and that he has replaced the IC .
Now the phone works fine and does not enter into that bootloop even when charger is disconnected and phone is rebooted manually. I hope the problem is resolved .
However , the other issue is still persistent which is : copper colored washed out MI logo constantly appears on the screen and reinstallation of sw did not help either . In india these repairmen usually cant explain the problem area if it is outside of "Try and test" scheme .
I spent 1000INR to get it repaired but I highly doubt that PMIC is replaced. Coz this repair guy did this replacement in just 6 work hours. probability of getting the right part at right time at his disposal is very slim. And I had seen his workstation once, where i di not see any SMT repair station either. Which means that he cannot replace BGA package IC at all. Anyway, I will receive the phone tonight. Lets hope it works fine and the other problem gets rectified by flashing.
Saurabh Srivastava, Noida , India

Related

[PLEASE HELP] T-Mobile Galaxy S5 Random Reboots, Freezes and Force Closes.

Hello, This is my first Post on XDA so please help me to familiarize myself with rules and procedures and I apologize if I break any in any way.
Okay, So My phone (SM-G900T) is about 5 months old. I bought it in August, Without insurance (Terrible Idea), and now it is having problems. In the amount of time I've had it, I rooted it in mid to late September and used only an app called Xmod for a game. I then started using greenify, solid explorer and eventually used Xposed installer to try a few Xposed modules. Specifically I used, the YouTube adaway, Rich Pandora notification and that's about it. I also later installed Samsung Tools to backup my IMEI and important partitions.
A few days ago my phone randomly rebooted in the middle of a YouTube video so I let it reboot, but it rebooted again, and again, and again. I pulled the battery and turned it back on but the same problem persisted. I couldn't do anything to fix it so I just decided to factory reset the device through the stock recovery. Also, I did not install any custom roms or anything either. The factory reset did nothing. Now when I was in setup, everything force closed, froze and rebooted, repeatedly. So I found the original firmware that my phone came with and flashed it to my phone through Odin because I literally had no hope of what to do anymore. The problem lessened so I didn't install all my apps and overload the device as it would reboot when the RAM would get pretty full or too many things were running simultaneously in the background or foreground. The problem got a little worse so I factory reset one more time and it lessened again but now it came back and factory Resetting isn't lessening the problem. Now it just force closes a bunch of stuff and freezes and reboots into a bootloop midway through initial setup. I am desperate at this point right now and I need help from you guys. I don't have warranty because I rooted and I made the Extremely stupid decision of not getting insurance. So please can anyone help me out? I will be eternally grateful if you can help me turn this $609 brick into a phone again.
I will try to check this thread daily, but I go to school and I may not respond immediately, so please understand.
ahmed12534 said:
Hello, This is my first Post on XDA so please help me to familiarize myself with rules and procedures and I apologize if I break any in any way.
Okay, So My phone (SM-G900T) is about 5 months old. I bought it in August, Without insurance (Terrible Idea), and now it is having problems. In the amount of time I've had it, I rooted it in mid to late September and used only an app called Xmod for a game. I then started using greenify, solid explorer and eventually used Xposed installer to try a few Xposed modules. Specifically I used, the YouTube adaway, Rich Pandora notification and that's about it. I also later installed Samsung Tools to backup my IMEI and important partitions.
A few days ago my phone randomly rebooted in the middle of a YouTube video so I let it reboot, but it rebooted again, and again, and again. I pulled the battery and turned it back on but the same problem persisted. I couldn't do anything to fix it so I just decided to factory reset the device through the stock recovery. Also, I did not install any custom roms or anything either. The factory reset did nothing. Now when I was in setup, everything force closed, froze and rebooted, repeatedly. So I found the original firmware that my phone came with and flashed it to my phone through Odin because I literally had no hope of what to do anymore. The problem lessened so I didn't install all my apps and overload the device as it would reboot when the RAM would get pretty full or too many things were running simultaneously in the background or foreground. The problem got a little worse so I factory reset one more time and it lessened again but now it came back and factory Resetting isn't lessening the problem. Now it just force closes a bunch of stuff and freezes and reboots into a bootloop midway through initial setup. I am desperate at this point right now and I need help from you guys. I don't have warranty because I rooted and I made the Extremely stupid decision of not getting insurance. So please can anyone help me out? I will be eternally grateful if you can help me turn this $609 brick into a phone again.
I will try to check this thread daily, but I go to school and I may not respond immediately, so please understand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have SD card installed? If you do try taking it out and leave out or replace with another SdCard. Then flash the original stock firmware as you said you did before through (odin!) Then if that dont work try kias3 and use the emergency firmware recovery tool. Before you do any of this make sure you factory reset through stock recovery if possible.
Sent from my SM-G900T?
---------- Post added at 03:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:07 PM ----------
Have you tried this tool? I had the same issue with my phone and reinstalled firmware and stock recovery through this tool and it stopped. If none of these tips work id say your phone may be borked or have faulty hardware. Take a look here as welll. Hope you can get your phone back to normal. I can understand what you're going through, like i said i had same issue with mine and mine has seems to be fine as of now. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2721146 . GOOD LUCK
Sent from my SM-G900T ?
beachbum40 said:
Do you have SD card installed? If you do try taking it out and leave out or replace with another SdCard. Then flash the original stock firmware as you said you did before through (odin!) Then if that dont work try kias3 and use the emergency firmware recovery tool. Before you do any of this make sure you factory reset through stock recovery if possible.
Sent from my SM-G900T?
---------- Post added at 03:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:07 PM ----------
Have you tried this tool? I had the same issue with my phone and reinstalled firmware and stock recovery through this tool and it stopped. If none of these tips work id say your phone may be borked or have faulty hardware. Take a look here as welll. Hope you can get your phone back to normal. I can understand what you're going through, like i said i had same issue with mine and mine has seems to be fine as of now. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2721146 . GOOD LUCK
Sent from my SM-G900T ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, so I'm resetting it back to stock firmware through Odin as we speak. And yes, I had an SD card and have already taken it out and left it out and reset but still the problem has persisted, I will definitely try the solution you just mentioned, here I go. And thank you for replying...
Edit:
Hold on, which do you want me to try first? kias3(can you please link it if possible) with emergency firmware recovery tool? OR the Unified Android Toolkit?
Also... I don't exactly know how to use the toolkit, can you verify the steps to take to use the toolkit properly if I should use this solution? I'm sorry but I'm not very advanced at Android development, just intermediately experienced I suppose...
ahmed12534 said:
Okay, so I'm resetting it back to stock firmware through Odin as we speak. And yes, I had an SD card and have already taken it out and left it out and reset but still the problem has persisted, I will definitely try the solution you just mentioned, here I go. And thank you for replying...
Edit:
Hold on, which do you want me to try first? kias3(can you please link it if possible) with emergency firmware recovery tool? OR the Unified Android Toolkit?
Also... I don't exactly know how to use the toolkit, can you verify the steps to take to use the toolkit properly if I should use this solution? I'm sorry but I'm not very advanced at Android development, just intermediately experienced I suppose...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try kies first that dont work try toolkit. Just Google how to use the toolkit it's pretty self explanatory but I don't think you'll need to use the tool kit anyways. http://www.sammobile.com/kies/
HOW TO USE RECOVERY TOOL IN KIES
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2261153&page=4
beachbum40 said:
Try kies first that dont work try toolkit. Just Google how to use the toolkit it's pretty self explanatory but I don't think you'll need to use the tool kit anyways. http://www.sammobile.com/kies/
HOW TO USE RECOVERY TOOL IN KIES
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2261153&page=4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
okay, I tried resetting it using Kies3 but the device was not recognized so I had to find a different way because the guide on how to use Kies advised using Odin if Kies didn't recognize your phone. I don't have a code either, So I tried reflashing the stock firmware through Odin and it started up, froze and went into what I presume to be a bootloop as it is stuck on the T-Mobile splash screen with the notification light pulsing continuously. Did I also mention where my phone says Knox warranty void 0x1 there is another statement that says "Counter: 4" or something like that, while I am in download mode, does this have any significance? but yeah, other that Kies and Odin, I'm not sure if the android toolkit will help, because it's basically doing that same thing as I am with Odin, just more automated... Or am I wrong?
but as far as I know, that toolkit is literally the last option I have left, I guess I'll be trying that out tomorrow, with option 10 I believe where it says "10. Download, Extract + Flash Stock Firmware via Odin" but I'm not sure what ADB mode means... I can't really boot up the device so I don't know if that applies
Also, on a side note, how much do you think this will cost if I were to send the phone to Samsung and pay for repairs out of pocket, and do you think they could even repair it at all?
You know what... Do you think if I somehow installed CM12 on the device that the problem would fix itself? Because to me it seems like it's the Samsung software itself that is causing all this trouble along with a few Google apps. Now how would I root it and flash CM12 if it won't boot up fully...
Not sure if this would brick my phone either, let me know if it would if I tried to root through Odin and try to install CM12 through CWM recovery or something
Just throwing ideas, hoping this thread doesn't die before my problem is solved
Also, does geeksquad repair Samsung phones one time for a low fee if you've voided warranty?? If so then this could possibly be my final solution.
Also Never EVER buying a Samsung device again, they just aren't what they used to be back in the day, the other OEMs have caught up and left Samsung and their revenue in the dust...
ahmed12534 said:
Also Never EVER buying a Samsung device again, they just aren't what they used to be back in the day, the other OEMs have caught up and left Samsung and their revenue in the dust...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree with this completely. Very few other handsets can hold a candle to the S5 or the Note 4. I don't know of anybody that has the problems you are describing with their phones without a hardware issue of some type or bad app. The Samsung software runs perfectly on millions of devices without the issues you're having. Therefore it's probably a bad app you've gotten a hold of, or you have a bad phone. CM12 will only introduce more issues and probably won't solve anything.
A stripped down custom rom might be a good bet because you can then start adding your apps back to find out where the issue is, or if it still has the same issues then it almost guarantees that there is some kind of a hardware issue.

I'm at my wits end, I need help unlocking the Xperia ZU bootloader.

As the topic reads, I've been trying most of the day to unlock the bootloader, I went through the process of obtaining my unlock code and my phone status when typing out a code suggested that it allows unlocking of the bootloader - I'm thinking okay cool, hopefully I'll have Cyanogenmod 12.1 on this thing in no time, right? WRONG! The device needs me to download and install fastboot drivers, which I thought should be an easy process but no matter what I do when I look at my phone through the device manager all I see is 'S1Boot Fastboot' - I even attempted using Flashtool (not Emma) and it too says install failed when trying to download the files needed. I just really need some help getting through this part of the problem, I've downloaded the SDK downloaded the USB drivers, updated them with the file from Sony but the end result remains the same. If it makes any difference (which I'm sure it will) I'm on Windows 10.
Thanks for any and all replies .. Edit // I forgot to mention the model is C833 and I recieved the latest OTA update from Sony for Lollipop 5.1.1
Installing the SDK is quite the overkill.
- Install ADB and Fastboot by downloading and running this tiny installer. It'll do the job for you.
- Install Flashtool and be sure that it recognizes your device. The device should be powered on when you open Flashtool the first time.
- Click the "BLU" button and copy/paste the unlock code you received from Sony.
You're done
Be sure to backup important stuff on your phone, in case something goes wrong. Move photos etc. to your SD card or something.
Klaos3000 said:
Installing the SDK is quite the overkill.
- Install ADB and Fastboot by downloading and running this tiny installer. It'll do the job for you.
- Install Flashtool and be sure that it recognizes your device. The device should be powered on when you open Flashtool the first time.
- Click the "BLU" button and copy/paste the unlock code you received from Sony.
You're done
Be sure to backup important stuff on your phone, in case something goes wrong. Move photos etc. to your SD card or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the reply, and I managed to get the bootloader unlocked (I think) as both ADB and Fastboot are acknowledging my phone now. Problem I have now is while in Cyanogen Recovery, I hit the first option and may have soft bricked this phone - the cyanogen wiki stated I could make a backup by booting back into Android which is what I tried to do. I'm in the process now of repairing it with the PC companion hopefully and then I'll give it another go, this isn't my main phone though so basically I'm just tinkering/trying to learn the basics of installing custom ROMs. Thanks again for the reply, and if you have any other suggestions for me be sure to leave em here. BTW, I never installed the full Android Studio, just the zip file for the ADB and Fastboot files, I attempted that at first but found out you didn't really need em in the first place.
The CM Recovery is... pretty crappy, so don't use it if you don't have to. If you soft brick it (i.e end up in a bootloop or something), then just flash or hotboot a kernel with recovery, and you're good to go again, so you don't have to re-flash a ROM.
You can either use fastboot to flash a kernel (if you know how to use a terminal), or you can use Flashtool, QuickIMG etc, so:
Soft brick?
- Download a custom kernel with recovery. Doesn't matter which one if you're planning to flash a ROM straight away. You're planning to flash CM12.1, so you can use a random Ultra kernel like this one.
- Let's say we'll use Flashtool to flash it (since you already have it installed). Open it, hit the lightning bolt, click "fastboot", and then "kernel". Browse and choose the kernel you downloaded. Now disconnect from the computer and remember to press VOL up to enter recovery when it vibrates or the LED lights up.
- You're now in recovery again and you can go ahead and flash CM12.1. Remember to WIPE before or after you've flashed CM12.1. You'll end up with a bootloop if you don't do it. If you do, flash that kernel again and you're back on track.
Klaos3000 said:
The CM Recovery is... pretty crappy, so don't use it if you don't have to. If you soft brick it (i.e end up in a bootloop or something), then just flash or hotboot a kernel with recovery, and you're good to go again, so you don't have to re-flash a ROM.
You can either use fastboot to flash a kernel (if you know how to use a terminal), or you can use Flashtool, QuickIMG etc, so:
Soft brick?
- Download a custom kernel with recovery. Doesn't matter which one if you're planning to flash a ROM straight away. You're planning to flash CM12.1, so you can use a random Ultra kernel like this one.
- Let's say we'll use Flashtool to flash it (since you already have it installed). Open it, hit the lightning bolt, click "fastboot", and then "kernel". Browse and choose the kernel you downloaded. Now disconnect from the computer and remember to press VOL up to enter recovery when it vibrates or the LED lights up.
- You're now in recovery again and you can go ahead and flash CM12.1. Remember to WIPE before or after you've flashed CM12.1. You'll end up with a bootloop if you don't do it. If you do, flash that kernel again and you're back on track.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gonna give all this a shot since the PC companion doesn't seem to be doing anything - I'll post my findings in a few if you're around. Thanks again man, I really appreciate your help.
Edit // Okay, nothing seems to be working now .. Flashtool says that my device has USB Debugging disabled, and whenever I power on the device you see the Sony logo, then a violet led and then the screen stays on and every once in a while it'll show a small battery indicator.
D2084 said:
Gonna give all this a shot since the PC companion doesn't seem to be doing anything - I'll post my findings in a few if you're around. Thanks again man, I really appreciate your help.
Edit // Okay, nothing seems to be working now .. Flashtool says that my device has USB Debugging disabled, and whenever I power on the device you see the Sony logo, then a violet led and then the screen stays on and every once in a while it'll show a small battery indicator.
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Click to collapse
Hmm, plug in the wall charger and charge it for a bit. I highly doubt that it's hardbricked since that's very very hard to achieve on a Sony device. Just kick it into fastboot by holding VOL UP while you plug it into your computer. The blue LED will light up. Then open Flashtool and flash the kernel, or download QuickIMG and flash the kernel (.img) with it. Be sure that it says "connected" before you do anything. Keep also in mind that you have to be in fastboot.
Klaos3000 said:
Hmm, plug in the wall charger and charge it for a bit. I highly doubt that it's hardbricked since that's very very hard to achieve on a Sony device. Just kick it into fastboot by holding VOL UP while you plug it into your computer. The blue LED will light up. Then open Flashtool and flash the kernel, or download QuickIMG and flash the kernel (.img) with it. Be sure that it says "connected" before you do anything. Keep also in mind that you have to be in fastboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I seem to have a brand new issue now, umm whenever I unplug the device and press VOL UP, I get this distorted screen. It's blue and has what looks to be white wording in the middle, I can't make it out though, this is after I put the kernel you recommended on my device. The kernel is the IMG file, correct?
Just thought I'd give you a bit of an update, I now have Cyanogenmod 12.1 on my Xperia Z Ultra - I flashed the custom recovery that came with the nightly I downloaded and then moved the actual zip to an SD card since like you said Cyanogen Recovery is a bit wonky (I tried sideloading to no avail). I have a couple question though, during the install process I noticed it said something about there 'no such volume' and I was sure I seen two failed prompts too but the ROM is on my phone? Should I look into that at all or is it fine? Most things seem to work .. camera, bluetooth, gonna have to throw my sim in there one of these days and test the cellular radios, but I just wanna say thanks again .. I learned a lot and managed to make something happen even if it's something small like installing a custom rom lol
D2084 said:
Just thought I'd give you a bit of an update, I now have Cyanogenmod 12.1 on my Xperia Z Ultra - I flashed the custom recovery that came with the nightly I downloaded and then moved the actual zip to an SD card since like you said Cyanogen Recovery is a bit wonky (I tried sideloading to no avail). I have a couple question though, during the install process I noticed it said something about there 'no such volume' and I was sure I seen two failed prompts too but the ROM is on my phone? Should I look into that at all or is it fine? Most things seem to work .. camera, bluetooth, gonna have to throw my sim in there one of these days and test the cellular radios, but I just wanna say thanks again .. I learned a lot and managed to make something happen even if it's something small like installing a custom rom lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just ignore that error. I've seen that myself a couple of times, and I don't know what it means, but it doesn't seem to affect anything.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind. CM12.1 has had some glitchy WiFi in the past, and I believe some people are still experiencing issues, so if you also experience some WiFi issues, it's a CM issue and not a hardware issue. Also, keep in mind that the Ultra GPe (Togari GPe) exists and is also supported by Cyanogen, so be sure to not flash the wrong version since the partitions are different between those two. I believe the recovery system will stop you from flashing it though.
Since Sony devices do not have a default recovery system, we have to bundle it with the kernel, so all custom ROMs around here, including CM, will have a recovery system added, but if you flash a ROM without a recovery system (like a stock ROM that you flash with Flashtool), you'll have to flash a kernel with a recovery yourself.
It's pretty easy to recover from issues and stuff on a Sony device once you know how things work. It's also a good idea to learn how to use flashboot through a terminal since that will potentially save you a lot of time down the road
Klaos3000 said:
Just ignore that error. I've seen that myself a couple of times, and I don't know what it means, but it doesn't seem to affect anything.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind. CM12.1 has had some glitchy WiFi in the past, and I believe some people are still experiencing issues, so if you also experience some WiFi issues, it's a CM issue and not a hardware issue. Also, keep in mind that the Ultra GPe (Togari GPe) exists and is also supported by Cyanogen, so be sure to not flash the wrong version since the partitions are different between those two. I believe the recovery system will stop you from flashing it though.
Since Sony devices do not have a default recovery system, we have to bundle it with the kernel, so all custom ROMs around here, including CM, will have a recovery system added, but if you flash a ROM without a recovery system (like a stock ROM that you flash with Flashtool), you'll have to flash a kernel with a recovery yourself.
It's pretty easy to recover from issues and stuff on a Sony device once you know how things work. It's also a good idea to learn how to use flashboot through a terminal since that will potentially save you a lot of time down the road
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything seems to be working quite well so far, including the wifi but I'll keep what you said in mind. I used the same process to install GApps on it too so now I have the play store and google apps install as well. I have another question though, whenever I plug in a charger to charge the device .. I notice the screen never goes off but stays black and has nothing on display sorta like ambient display, would you know if that's a feature of Cyanogenmod or did I goof somewhere during the install? Thanks in advance for your reply.
D2084 said:
Everything seems to be working quite well so far, including the wifi but I'll keep what you said in mind. I used the same process to install GApps on it too so now I have the play store and google apps install as well. I have another question though, whenever I plug in a charger to charge the device .. I notice the screen never goes off but stays black and has nothing on display sorta like ambient display, would you know if that's a feature of Cyanogenmod or did I goof somewhere during the install? Thanks in advance for your reply.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could it be Daydream? Go to Settings -> Display -> and disable Daydream. Now check again. If it's not Daydream causing it, then it might be a bug. Do a reboot in case it's a small glitch of some kind. If it's still on when charging, then I'm not sure what it could be (other than a bug, that is).
Sorry for the late reply, but I figured out the reboot issue .. I had to turn off the 'wake up' feature when you plug in your device. I have a whole new issue though, I'm not sure if it can be resolved though - I was on the phone with MetroPCS for about an hour trying to figure out why my phone wouldn't connect to their network. I know Cyanogenmod comes with APN's pre-installed but even after the representative tried helping me set up a new APN .. it was a no go, so I switched back to the current phone I'm using - Alcatel Idol 3 4.7 .. anyways, I'd like to hear your input on what the issue could be as I'd really like to go back to using this phone since the software aspect is far more flexible with a custom ROM like Cyanogenmod.
D2084 said:
Sorry for the late reply, but I figured out the reboot issue .. I had to turn off the 'wake up' feature when you plug in your device. I have a whole new issue though, I'm not sure if it can be resolved though - I was on the phone with MetroPCS for about an hour trying to figure out why my phone wouldn't connect to their network. I know Cyanogenmod comes with APN's pre-installed but even after the representative tried helping me set up a new APN .. it was a no go, so I switched back to the current phone I'm using - Alcatel Idol 3 4.7 .. anyways, I'd like to hear your input on what the issue could be as I'd really like to go back to using this phone since the software aspect is far more flexible with a custom ROM like Cyanogenmod.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you talking about connection to their network altogether, or just data? Do you have reception? Check that data is enabled in Settings -> Data usage.
I can guarantee that this is a software issue, BUT one last question. How old is your SIM card? There have been a few cases when people have been in the same situation as you, got a new SIM, and that fixed the issue. You could do that, or flash another ROM. CM12.1 is beta, so bugs have to be expected, and it's far from a solution if you plan to just flash something and use it for a longer period of time. If you want something very stable and stock, then highly recommend Scrubber's GPe 5.1 port, which is rock solid.
Well my sim card isn't too old, had it for about a year. Once she laced the sim card to the new phone I could make calls and texts but for some reason the Internet wasn't working - she had me go through all the steps to make sure things like data was enabled and airplane mode was off but it still resulted in not being able to establish a connection to the web. So I'm gonna try and flash the GPE rom you're talking about later on tonight once I get home from work and see what happens then - mind leaving me a link to the rom/recovery? Thanks in advance.
D2084 said:
Well my sim card isn't too old, had it for about a year. Once she laced the sim card to the new phone I could make calls and texts but for some reason the Internet wasn't working - she had me go through all the steps to make sure things like data was enabled and airplane mode was off but it still resulted in not being able to establish a connection to the web. So I'm gonna try and flash the GPE rom you're talking about later on tonight once I get home from work and see what happens then - mind leaving me a link to the rom/recovery? Thanks in advance.
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Click to collapse
Sure. Here it is. Remember to download 5.1, and not 5.0. Recovery is included in the ROM, so you don't have to flash anything else.
Quick update, I've flashed the ROM but so far it seems to be stuck in a bootloop, its been stuck on the swaying Google logo for about 10 minutes now. It might be because I sideloaded using a micro SD card because for some odd reason the 'flash the system' option on Flashboot wasn't working for me. So I turned the phone off and will give it another try tomorrow, if you have anymore tips for me I'll be glad to hear em.
D2084 said:
Quick update, I've flashed the ROM but so far it seems to be stuck in a bootloop, its been stuck on the swaying Google logo for about 10 minutes now. It might be because I sideloaded using a micro SD card because for some odd reason the 'flash the system' option on Flashboot wasn't working for me. So I turned the phone off and will give it another try tomorrow, if you have anymore tips for me I'll be glad to hear em.
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Click to collapse
How did you flash it? It must be flashed in recovery on the device and not using Flashtool. Flashtool is strictly for stock Sony ROMs or FTFs. Never use it for anything else besides flashing FTFs and kernels. So:
- Go into recovery
- Remember to wipe! If you don't, you'll get a bootloop
- Install from SD card
- It will probably throw an error at you, but don't touch anything. It's still flashing.
- Reboot
- Wait a couple of minutes.
Klaos3000 said:
How did you flash it? It must be flashed in recovery on the device and not using Flashtool. Flashtool is strictly for stock Sony ROMs or FTFs. Never use it for anything else besides flashing FTFs and kernels. So:
- Go into recovery
- Remember to wipe! If you don't, you'll get a bootloop
- Install from SD card
- It will probably throw an error at you, but don't touch anything. It's still flashing.
- Reboot
- Wait a couple of minutes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just did everything you just said, will update you tomorrow with results.
Well I did what you said and left the phone to charge overnight - it was in bootloop when I went to sleep and .. bootloop when I woke up (at least it's charged now lol) I'm gonna try again though. I see that CWM has a sideload option, so I'm gonna wipe everything and try to sideload it from the ADB through the command prompt and see what happens. Feel free to leave any other suggestions though.
Got a question though, when I sideload the zip file should I sideload everything within the zip file or just the system image file? Maybe I'm getting bootloop because I'm installing a kernel on top of another kernel?
D2084 said:
Well I did what you said and left the phone to charge overnight - it was in bootloop when I went to sleep and .. bootloop when I woke up (at least it's charged now lol) I'm gonna try again though. I see that CWM has a sideload option, so I'm gonna wipe everything and try to sideload it from the ADB through the command prompt and see what happens. Feel free to leave any other suggestions though.
Got a question though, when I sideload the zip file should I sideload everything within the zip file or just the system image file? Maybe I'm getting bootloop because I'm installing a kernel on top of another kernel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sideload/flash the .ZIP. Do not extract it. You should simply just boot into recovery, choose "ScrubberPortRom_GPE5.1_LMY47D.zip", flash and wait for a couple of minutes and then reboot. That's it. The first boot should take around 5 minutes.
- Remember to do a full wipe in recovery before you flash
- Flash ScrubberPortRom_GPE5.1_LMY47D.zip
- Reboot
And do share any error messages if you get any while flashing.

Wogiz WX40 not working properly after flash with "stock" rom.

I only want my Wogiz WX40 to work properly again. It somehow got into a booting loop and I spent many hours figuring out how to flash it due to drivers acting unexpectedly, incorrect instructions for my device and so on.
I finally got it to flash with stock software I got from needrom using SP Flash Tool. However 1) none of the bottom keys work now and 2) it looks as if the resolution is set too high for the device and I think there is also some slowness when using the phone. I have tried clicking upgrade firmware and formatting the entire flash and using different versions of the software and the result is always the same - the bottom keys not working in particular makes it unusable. I tried downloading the stock rom from another location but after downloading it said I needed a password.
So what is the next thing I can try? I'm at my wit's end here and just want it to work again. Thanks for all help.
Anyone know what I should try? For example what custom RAM + firmware might I want to try? At this point I don't care what it is as long as it works. It's a MT6580 device if that helps.
God, I FINALLY got it working.
In case there's anyone else that runs into this: My mistake was getting the stockrom from needrom, every one of those roms for this phone is bad. Get the rom from shareas.us and use SP Flash Tool to flash it, and even then you have to try to get the one that isn't password protected with no password. Leave the battery in, turn the phone off, use option "format + download" in the software and click download BEFORE you connect the phone, NOW connect the phone and after a little while it will start downloading. Disconnect the phone when it's done and switch it on, it will take a REALLY long time to boot up the first time but it should then work.
That's what came from hours of trying to get it to work. The tutorials etc. online are so confusing, even some incorrect instructions like saying I should take out the battery that are completely false and I would never have gotten it to work if I paid more attention to them. I don't ever want to go through something like that again. I finally have my phone back.

How to produce a temporarily defect S III I9300?

Sorry for a very strange problem.... My wife still uses her old S III (I9300), although it is so outdated and partly broken. Some time ago we flashed CM 12, so that some apps who need a more up-to-date android can be used. But the phone is too slow, there is a crack in the display and sometimes it starts to reboot without any reason. There is not enough memory to install additional apps and without LTE it is no fun.
=> I want to buy a new smartphone for her, but she doesn't want to. She wants to save money and use it, until it is not usable any more.
Of course I could give it a good strike with a hammer or give it a treatment in the microwave oven, but I would prefer only a temporary lack of functions, so that perhaps later I can use it as backup phone for the kids. Therefore I am looking for some trick, app or system setting to SIMULATE, that the phone is broken. When she is happy with her new phone, I intend to "repair" it "by chance"....
Any ideas? How can I simulate, that the phone is broken? Thanks!
You need to hardbrick it.I dont know how to but you can Google it.
ArdaCsknn said:
You need to hardbrick it.I dont know how to but you can Google it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply! I googled, but i think i want to SOFTbrick it, not to hardbrick it. As I wrote above, I want to "revive" it after some time....
I think the simplest way may be to take the phone, create a backup of all data, put the phone into download mode, start flashing a stock ROM, remove the USB cable when it starts to flash the final file, and reboot the phone. Hopefully, the phone will display the "firmware upgrade encountered an error" message which can be resolved by re-flashing the stock ROM with Odin.
Based on my experience with flashing a stock ROM over a stock ROM, this procedure always leaves the data and apps intact.
cm_new said:
Thanks for the reply! I googled, but i think i want to SOFTbrick it, not to hardbrick it. As I wrote above, I want to "revive" it after some time....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah,sorry I read it but while replying I forgot somehow.Yeah, then you need to soft brick it .It can be achieved by deleting some system files.So phone can got into bootloop.If your wife doesnt now how to get in to recovery then you should be ok.
Stock rooted phone needed for this, activate factory app. It will give a black window with device information over everything onscreen. Disable factory app to remove it later on.
By flashing the stock firmware in an attempt to make it all better gives the perfect opportunity to pretend the process buggered it.
Put some clear tape on the battery contacts ?

Phone stuck in Pre-boot Loop, Overheating, Actual state Unidentified.

What's Happening :
When I turn on my phone, it gets stuck in pre-boot loop i.e. it gets stuck on initial mi logo(without loading sign) and stays there for (almost exactly) 10 minutes, meanwhile getting overheated, then gets restarted by vibrating & flashing the screen once, further just rinse and repeat.
It's actual state is unidentified i.e. IDK whether it's in soft brick, hard brick or broken state.
What I've Tried :
I've tried flashing the rom through fastboot mode.
I've tried flashing the rom through edl mode.
But always ended with the same result.
PS : I flashed the rom with 'clean all' option. I didn't used the 'clean all and lock' option, as unlocking the phone sometimes becomes a pain in the 'A', cause I'm pretty sure the result would've been the same.
Should I Try?
Using the 'clean all and lock' option.
Flashing another version of the miui rom.
What else to bring my phone back to life?
Final words :
On the time of writing this, I'm gonna keep troubleshooting and try some of these options as the time goes by, so I would let you guys know what I've tried.
If you guys are interested in knowing the back story a bit, LMK. I'd update the OP.
All I can say that I'm disappointed. Not a single reply and on xda, I don't have words to describe my disappointment.
Though I still didn't stopped and kept trying, whatever I thought could work. I got different errors from older versions of mi flash tools and similar errors with, newer but similar(interface) versions of the tool. The screen shots of unique errors are linked in this post. The newer versions got a similar error of 'Ping target failed (ping by firehose)' as I vaguely remember. Some newer/older versions didn't even run i.e. got error just by clicking refresh, as you can see with 2016 versions. The newer ones which didn't run were portable versions that showed this error or similar. The older ones ran some sort of installation, but you can't see them in control panel or any uninstaller (iobit in my case). So I'm gonna say they were portable as well just extracting the files. Though 2014-15 worked but 2016 one didn't.
When that didn't worked, I remembered someone saying in a mi thread that the emmc chip might be corrupted. Now I'm not a software engineer so IDK how to remove corruption at that level of software, if normal flashing doesn't work. As only the people who made that device would know the ins & outs at that level, or maybe some high level developer on xda/irl, IDK. But I didn't knew, so I went with the other route of fixing the hardware by reballing. As I'm not an expert in that either and I could've done it but it's such time consuming process and not getting a desired result after all that is an option, so I didn't wasted that much time. Only what I did is give it a heat treatment in hopes to revive it. But it din't worked it showed that blinking red led as it did before but it become somewhat of more dead. But I'm glad I tried my best.
SO THANKS FOR NOTHING GUYS.
Gurkirat_Singh said:
All I can say that I'm disappointed. Not a single reply and on xda, I don't have words to describe my disappointment.
Though I still didn't stopped and kept trying, whatever I thought could work. I got different errors from older versions of mi flash tools and similar errors with, newer but similar(interface) versions of the tool. The screen shots of unique errors are linked in this post. The newer versions got a similar error of 'Ping target failed (ping by firehose)' as I vaguely remember. Some newer/older versions didn't even run i.e. got error just by clicking refresh, as you can see with 2016 versions. The newer ones which didn't run were portable versions that showed this error or similar. The older ones ran some sort of installation, but you can't see them in control panel or any uninstaller (iobit in my case). So I'm gonna say they were portable as well just extracting the files. Though 2014-15 worked but 2016 one didn't.
When that didn't worked, I remembered someone saying in a mi thread that the emmc chip might be corrupted. Now I'm not a software engineer so IDK how to remove corruption at that level of software, if normal flashing doesn't work. As only the people who made that device would know the ins & outs at that level, or maybe some high level developer on xda/irl, IDK. But I didn't knew, so I went with the other route of fixing the hardware by reballing. As I'm not an expert in that either and I could've done it but it's such time consuming process and not getting a desired result after all that is an option, so I didn't wasted that much time. Only what I did is give it a heat treatment in hopes to revive it. But it din't worked it showed that blinking red led as it did before but it become somewhat of more dead. But I'm glad I tried my best.
SO THANKS FOR NOTHING GUYS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How many times told u. Install telegram app on pc and join rn3 group chat . Xda is forum u wont get quick reply.
Rest u ur choice. Bye.
Black_Stark said:
How many times told u. Install telegram app on pc and join rn3 group chat . Xda is forum u wont get quick reply.
Rest u ur choice. Bye.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The device is dead, nothing can be done now. You replied, similarly someone more knowledgeable on the subject could've as well. But they didn't. Why? IDK, maybe the site doesn't promote/share topics the way they should, maybe it did and someone didn't wanna waste their time. So what's done is done, and the facts are there.
Gurkirat_Singh said:
What's Happening :
When I turn on my phone, it gets stuck in pre-boot loop i.e. it gets stuck on initial mi logo(without loading sign) and stays there for (almost exactly) 10 minutes, meanwhile getting overheated, then gets restarted by vibrating & flashing the screen once, further just rinse and repeat.
It's actual state is unidentified i.e. IDK whether it's in soft brick, hard brick or broken state.
What I've Tried :
I've tried flashing the rom through fastboot mode.
I've tried flashing the rom through edl mode.
But always ended with the same result.
PS : I flashed the rom with 'clean all' option. I didn't used the 'clean all and lock' option, as unlocking the phone sometimes becomes a pain in the 'A', cause I'm pretty sure the result would've been the same.
Should I Try?
Using the 'clean all and lock' option.
Flashing another version of the miui rom.
What else to bring my phone back to life?
Final words :
On the time of writing this, I'm gonna keep troubleshooting and try some of these options as the time goes by, so I would let you guys know what I've tried.
If you guys are interested in knowing the back story a bit, LMK. I'd update the OP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Put the phone in the fridge and see if boots or not.
Or replace the battery. It seems like an hardware issue so that is the furthest possible to go.

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