[Guide] Restore to stock firmware using Fastboot method

[EskeRahn 2,659]

Tried to split some derived questions/dialogue over in this thread:
https://community.fxtec.com/topic/2048-various-questions-to-the-pro1-not-yet-answered/?do=findComment&comment=35147

 

[Noob 103]

Would it be possible to get an updated firmware with the November OTA update?

[silversolver 796]

17 hours ago, Noob said:

Would it be possible to get an updated firmware with the November OTA update?

Second this!

[zurvan2 111]

I followed these steps on my device to get back to stock so I could apply the OTA update, and it appears to have done something wonky with the boot-time pin. After running this, I get to the "To start Android, enter your PIN" prompt, but it does not accept my PIN. (says "Wrong PIN").

I suspect that I'll have to completely wipe and reinstall at this point, but would love to have another option. I would really like to have a procedure to be able to apply OTA updates after rooting.

[zurvan2 111]

The only way I found to eventually get out of that state was to "fastboot erase userdata".

I'm really at a loss, now. I really want to be able to root and then later install updates, whether OTA or otherwise. At the moment that does not seem possible.

Anyone have any ideas for what else I could try?

[david 762]

How about downloading the OTA file on your PC and flashing it instead of getting it installed through the OTA process?

https://www.thecustomdroid.com/how-to-capture-ota-update-url-android/

[zurvan2 111]

I can try that, but every time so far that I have flashed anything other than "boot", when I reboot, I am prompted for a password. No password works.

[david 762]

9 minutes ago, zurvan2 said:

I can try that, but every time so far that I have flashed anything other than "boot", when I reboot, I am prompted for a password. No password works.

Did you set a pattern for unlocking the phone?  If so, maybe try the PIN that corresponds to the pattern?

https://techtrickz.com/how-to/how-to-bypass-to-start-android-enter-your-password-message-if-you-set-a-pattern-lock-no-root/

[zurvan2 111]

Nope, I used a PIN the first time, and every time since then I haven't used any security. Makes no difference.

(I have fully flashed back to stock about 5 times now, testing)

[david 762]

1 minute ago, zurvan2 said:

Nope, I used a PIN the first time, and every time since then I haven't used any security. Makes no difference.

(I have fully flashed back to stock about 5 times now, testing)

Well, has anyone else successfully used this guide in this topic successfully?  If others can reproduce the problem, maybe fxtec can record it as a bug and figure it out.

[zurvan2 111]

I captured the update file, but I have no idea what to do with it. This seems to be the URL:

http://hwfotadown.mayitek.com/ota/root_data02_2/idealte/idealte8998_9.0/QX1000/en-US/other/QX1000_EEA_05500.1|
9Q401_20191111-1505/2019112919502366681.zip

 

Above looks like the 11/29 update. The 12/10 update is at:
http://hwfotadown.mayitek.com/ota/root_data02_2/idealte/idealte8998_9.0/QX1000/en-US/other/QX1000_EEA_20191210151358_20191210-1516/2019121017300185739.zip

Edited December 14, 2019 by zurvan2
added 12/10 update

[david 762]

2 minutes ago, zurvan2 said:

Nope, I used a PIN the first time, and every time since then I haven't used any security. Makes no difference.

(I have fully flashed back to stock about 5 times now, testing)

And this is even if you don't re-root after wiping the phone?

[zurvan2 111]

Correct. The first boot after running the flash all script asks for a password.

[david 762]

2 minutes ago, zurvan2 said:

I captured the update file, but I have no idea what to do with it. This seems to be the URL:

http://hwfotadown.mayitek.com/ota/root_data02_2/idealte/idealte8998_9.0/QX1000/en-US/other/QX1000_EEA_05500.1|
9Q401_20191111-1505/2019112919502366681.zip

Thanks for providing that!

Here is how you can flash it:  https://www.theandroidsoul.com/how-to-install-ota-updates-manually-using-recovery-and-adb-sideload/

[zurvan2 111]

I have *not* tried flashing this script -> erasing userdata -> boot up and log in -> flash using the script again. That would be the end-to-end non-rooting flow.

I'll try that. Might take a bit.

[david 762]

12 minutes ago, zurvan2 said:

I have *not* tried flashing this script -> erasing userdata -> boot up and log in -> flash using the script again. That would be the end-to-end non-rooting flow.

I'll try that. Might take a bit.

It might help to list the steps you took from the time you got the phone and rooted it and unrooted it and tried the OTA and then afterward too, in the way you listed above.  For instance:

1)  got phone with unlocked bootloader -> flashed modified boot.img to install Magisk -> did xyz in Magisk -> uinstalled Magisk without rebooting -> tried OTA -> got error QRS

2)  x -> y -> z

etc

I'm just making up the first series up there, by the way.

[zurvan2 111]

I can't list everything I've tried. It's too much. But these steps *should* erase everything on the phone, so it shouldn't matter what I did beforehand.

Here's the latest test, which highlights the concern with the script and resources provided in this thread:

1. flash all back to stock (use the provided script and resources, but uncomment the lines to flash userdata and misc. I also modified this script to run on linux.)
2. boot fails. Prompts for password, nothing works.
3. fastboot erase userdata
4. boot succeeds, can use the phone normally.
5. run the script provided in this thread (converted for linux.. really just changing the comment character and removing dos newlines)
6. boot fails. Prompts for password, nothing works.

 

I would love to be proven wrong here. The first time I set up the phone, I did use a pin and fingerprints. That pin does not work at the prompt. Since that first time I have wiped completely several times to try different things, and in those attempts, I never set up a PIN.

Edited December 13, 2019 by zurvan2
close paren

[david 762]

I was thinking that maybe something done beforehand could have affected the problem in some way.  But if someone else can verify that flashing back to stock, using the information in this thread, causes the same invalid PIN issue, then that might reduce the chance of it being something done earlier, especially if that person didn't root or anything else.

Since we can't back up userdata properly with TWRP yet, I guess your option is to use Titanium Backup to backup the apps and then restore them after step 3 up there (fastboot erase userdata)?  We don't know yet if flashing the OTA causes the same PIN issue, right?

I can't remember if we know of a way to disable encryption entirely.  If so, that might be another option that might avoid the PIN issue.  And if that can be done, then TWRP might be able to read userdata and back it up.  I don't know if you want to run without encryption. I do want to run without encryption, for this very reason.  When things go wrong, I want to be able to get to my data, and with it being encrypted, that may reduce the possible ways to get to it.

[david 762]

You could also see if a factory reset from recovery affects the issue in any way.

[david 762]

You can try entering "default_password" at that screen, but I'm not sure if it is going to allow that when it expects a PIN.

[zurvan2 111]

17 hours ago, david said:

Thanks for providing that!

Here is how you can flash it:  https://www.theandroidsoul.com/how-to-install-ota-updates-manually-using-recovery-and-adb-sideload/

Neither of the two options in this article work. We don't have a functional TWRP, and the phone itself doesn't seem to have any Recovery mode. (Booting to recovery says "No Command").

So Side Loading (at least via these options) does not seem to be an option. Maybe once we have a fully functional TWRP...

[david 762]

50 minutes ago, zurvan2 said:

the phone itself doesn't seem to have any Recovery mode. (Booting to recovery says "No Command").

What???  Can someone else verify this?  

[zurvan2 111]

Just to clarify, the phone has a bootloader mode, but no recovery mode.

Bootloader: power phone off, hold volume down and press power. Continue to hold volume down until the bootloader screen. Or, via adb, run "adb reboot bootloader"

Recovery: From the bootloader screen, use arrow keys to navigate to "Recovery mode" then press power once. Or, via adb, run "adb reboot recovery"

[david 762]

2 minutes ago, zurvan2 said:

Just to clarify, the phone has a bootloader mode, but no recovery mode.

Bootloader: power phone off, hold volume down and press power. Continue to hold volume down until the bootloader screen. Or, via adb, run "adb reboot bootloader"

Recovery: From the bootloader screen, use arrow keys to navigate to "Recovery mode" then press power once. Or, via adb, run "adb reboot recovery"

But from your previous comment, are you saying that when yo pick "Recovery mode" from the bootloader menu or run "adb reboot recovery", that you aren't presented with a Recovery mode?  It just says "No Command"?

[zurvan2 111]

correct.