Factory Restore Tool

[Wikiwide 19]

After several attempts at zypper refresh & update, my Fxtec Pro1 got stuck at splash screen. So, I did:

./qfpkg_cli --flash base QX1000_user_20191028_base.qfp 

./qfpkg_cli --flash nodata QX1000_user_20191028_base.qfp #Yes, I missed that it is the wrong file to use

./qfpkg_cli --flash base QX1000_user_20191028_base.qfp

./qfpkg_cli --flash nodata QX1000_user_20191028.qfp #Now with the right file

It is still stuck at default splash screen, the only difference being that it is now default splash screen, and not my own splashscreen.

Any idea how I could possibly back-up the data from the phone? I have backed up all the camera-movies, and most of photographs, before doing zypper refresh & update, but there are still audio files, epub books, list of apps installed, home directory (such as, browser's bookmarks, tabs and saved logins). And I doubt that I could re-install Sailfish OS without losing the data.

I am guessing fastboot commands will not erase user data?

fastboot set_active a

fastboot flash boot twrp-3.3.1-qx1000.img

Let's say I skip "Wipe -- Format Data" step.

Then, I could try installing. If I find a memory card to write Sailfish OS zip to...

 

 

[kbe 6]

On 4/22/2020 at 6:57 PM, VaZso said:

Exactly the same here (with my friend's phone).
It was running stock OS but after a reboot, it went to a state where it is unable to boot but it falls back to EDL mode after 15 minutes.

I have tried flasher under Linux and got "Connection timed out" message, then tried under Windows and got "Unknown error" message.
As I see, under Linux, the message appears at a point where the phone (as a USB device) disappears, then about the same point in time when it comes up again, flasher displays this message.

I have tried to initiate EDL mode on this phone by shorting data pin to GND using a home-made cable but it also did not work with my own Pro1 which is working otherwise.

What has changed so far in the last few days that the cable I have ordered earlier and officially supports entering Qualcomm's EDL mode also does not work even with my own phone - so I have a suspicion that this function may missing in appropriate part of the loader software in Pro1.

Other than that, EDL mode seems to be okay (I think) in my firend's phone, however, I don't know if the phone's flash (the hardware) is corrupted or simply it has corrupted data.

@tdm, could you please compile a version of the flasher which has some debug output (preferably compiled to run under Linux) - especially near the part where it would start flashing process and most importantly what it should done before it.

I don't even know if it is normal for the device to disconnect for a short time then connect again (as it seems to do now for me) or it may be a result of some error handling (eg. unable to communicate, so try to reset connection) or something else.
If this reset is correct, then the program may have to wait a bit longer, but I absolutely don't know what it does exactly.

As it seems there are at least two other users experiencing the same problem, I think (and I hope) this may have a solution and I really hope it is not a hardware failure of all these phones.

Also, there are several cases where a hardware works very well using a specific timeout value and other hardware (which is theoretically exactly the same hardware) does not.
It is not a problem, just need some work to find out what is the cause of the problem (as practically the same electronics have some differences).
(Typically hardware initialization possibilities and several timeouts can be different on the same hardware but different boards - but there is a tolerance which should be chosen to work on every boards. Also firmware level and also higher level software may run into small differences which may end up in a partly working solution and the simplest option if a developer receives a unit which is a bit different because developer will find a solution to make it work - but if a user experiences the same problem, developer can not be sure if the problem is at user's side and it is much more complicated to find out the cause if the phone is not at the developer's hand but in a 3rd party's hand.)

So @tdm, could you please put some debug messages in the updater which I could use to get closer of the cause of this problem?
Thank you in advance.

Any news on this? It's sad to see the device only working as a paper weight 😞

[VaZso 1,998]

1 hour ago, kbe said:

Any news on this? It's sad to see the device only working as a paper weight 😞

Not yet.

It would be good to have some messages out of flasher tool to see what happening as I am sure something is wrong but I don't know if it is a hardware fault or software issue (or an issue which could be repaired in software).

What is strange the software was intact before it bricked. It also had a relatively high uptime so it had no serious defect at first glance... or second.
Also it's owner took care of it and never dropped the phone, it is in good physical condition.

It had the latest software before the current firmware was released.
Anyway, I can imagine there may be occasional write to wrong place in boot loader (as a result of a hardware fault or software bug) and even it's flash IC can be the source of the problem.

...but without knowing what is the cause of "timeout" or "unknown" error in flasher or what circumstances resulted these errors, it is not easy to understand what happening.
Also, as far as I see, "timeout" is a wrong error message, so practically it is also "unknown".
(So, it is in connection with something which seems to start after the device disconnected and error comes up roughly the same time after device connects again - so it may not wait enough time for the device to come back again /and may need to wait only a few milliseconds more/, or device has not been allowed to disconnect that time or there is something else happening...)

[D1ggs 141]

Bumping this thread.

I am not able to get the factory reset tool to see my device. Do I need a special cable in order for it to see it? 

I am in bootloader mode. 

 

Edit: I don't know why this isn't obvious, but to enter EDL mode from the bootloader you need to hold both the volume up, down, AND power button. The device will reset to the logo and then a black screen.

 

The factory reset tool will be able to work then. 

Edited May 6, 2020 by D1ggs

[fredrick 36]

This tool saved me. Thanks!

I had to try different OS's and machines before i finally got everything to work, probably due to my own incompetence though.
*Please note that EDL-mode needs to be restarted on the phone for each try.
*also, try a USB2 port since USB 3 may have issues. (A usb2 hub can do the trick)

This should be more advertised (is it "stickied"?), it's an essential tool. (Unless you are a hardware developer, and have the tools to unbrick it)

[VaZso 1,998]

11 minutes ago, fredrick said:

*Please note that EDL-mode needs to be restarted on the phone for each try.

How did you switched to EDL mode?

Have you tried to use Qualcomm cable which has a push button or another method like switching from fastboot?

[D1ggs 141]

12 hours ago, VaZso said:

How did you switched to EDL mode?

Have you tried to use Qualcomm cable which has a push button or another method like switching from fastboot?

With the phone powered off, press and hold volume down, volume up, and power button until the screen flashes the fxtec logo and then to black.

Plug it in and your computer should detect the qusb mode.

 

Shouldn't need the deep flash cable, though I have one now anyway 🙂

[VaZso 1,998]

7 minutes ago, D1ggs said:

With the phone powered off, press and hold volume down, volume up, and power button until the screen flashes the fxtec logo and then to black.

Plug it in and your computer should detect the qusb mode.

 

Shouldn't need the deep flash cable, though I have one now anyway 🙂

Thank you your reply.

I will try it but I think this phone does not reach that state so I don't think it will enter EDL mode this way.
(There is absolutely no image on the screen [no Fxtec logo or anything else], it hangs somewhere before that part of boot process.)

It falls back to EDL after 15 minutes and the only live part I can see is its device ID through the USB port.

It would be interesting if anyone who has such a cable could try if it works as I think it is not implemented in Pro1's software - otherwise my own phone should also enter EDL mode when I try...

[D1ggs 141]

 

18 hours ago, VaZso said:

Thank you your reply.

I will try it but I think this phone does not reach that state so I don't think it will enter EDL mode this way.
(There is absolutely no image on the screen [no Fxtec logo or anything else], it hangs somewhere before that part of boot process.)

It falls back to EDL after 15 minutes and the only live part I can see is its device ID through the USB port.

It would be interesting if anyone who has such a cable could try if it works as I think it is not implemented in Pro1's software - otherwise my own phone should also enter EDL mode when I try...

If you have a windows PC, does it detect anything when you plug in the USB?

If not, you'll have to go the jtag route and short two pins on the board. Man you really borked that phone good! 

[VaZso 1,998]

9 minutes ago, D1ggs said:

 

If you have a windows PC, does it detect anything when you plug in the USB?

If not, you'll have to go the jtag route and short two pins on the board. Man you really borked that phone good! 

Yes, under Windows, it detects EDL mode as "QUSB_BULK" (I could install a driver for it).
Under Linux, things are much easier and it also shows it as device "ID 05c6:9008 Qualcomm, Inc. Gobi Wireless Modem (QDL mode)".

This is my friend's phone and it bricked itself - nothing happened, not even any touch of stock OS (no root, no install of any other OSes or any reinstalls).

He wrote me this in e-mail after it happened (translation) - I don't know how to translate the first part so it became Mmm, but basically it is a written form of a hesitation which some speakers use to keep up being the speaker while still thinking on the next part of the speech... so this way it means a weird thing happened.

"Mmmmmmm... My phone has been reached out!
A few minutes ago I had a call using it, now I wanted to call somebody, but its display did not turn on (also AoD shoud has been active). There is no reaction for anything - nor pressing power button for a long time, nor plugging it to a charger."

He used a program "AMOLED" to have an Always-on Display function.

[belletrist 59]

@VaZso Your symptoms sound the same as mine, I also couldn't get that boot screen that others talk about.

Be patient, let the battery drain and try again with a flat battery.

[VaZso 1,998]

4 hours ago, belletrist said:

@VaZso Your symptoms sound the same as mine, I also couldn't get that boot screen that others talk about.

Be patient, let the battery drain and try again with a flat battery.

Thank you your reply.

Have you also experienced that you can turn off the phone by pressing power button for a long time, but after power on, have to wait about 15 minutes for EDL mode to come up?

How did you start the process after depleting the battery?

Currently it is charged and it keeps draining about 120 mA from charger.
I don't know what percentage of this ~120 mA is waste energy, but maybe it drains the battery by about 100 mA per hour in this state, so it should drain completely in about 1.5-2 days if everything are right.

I didn't dare completely discharging the battery as I don't know what kind of battery management is working inside in this state and what protection the battery may have.
(So I was afraid about deep discharge of battery.)

So, when you had the phone charged, you also received similar error messages if I understand it well and after you had the battery depleted and put the phone to a USB port, finally it went through for you - is it right?

[belletrist 59]

On 5/14/2020 at 7:15 PM, VaZso said:

Thank you your reply.

Have you also experienced that you can turn off the phone by pressing power button for a long time, but after power on, have to wait about 15 minutes for EDL mode to come up?

 

Yes, that sounds about right.

 

On 5/14/2020 at 7:15 PM, VaZso said:

How did you start the process after depleting the battery?

 

Just plug it in and proceed as normal.

 

On 5/14/2020 at 7:15 PM, VaZso said:

Currently it is charged and it keeps draining about 120 mA from charger.
I don't know what percentage of this ~120 mA is waste energy, but maybe it drains the battery by about 100 mA per hour in this state, so it should drain completely in about 1.5-2 days if everything are right.

I didn't dare completely discharging the battery as I don't know what kind of battery management is working inside in this state and what protection the battery may have.
(So I was afraid about deep discharge of battery.)

So, when you had the phone charged, you also received similar error messages if I understand it well and after you had the battery depleted and put the phone to a USB port, finally it went through for you - is it right?

Yes.

[tdm 2,322]

Hey all, sorry for missing out on the last few weeks of posts.  If anyone is still bricked and needs help, please let me know.

 

[VaZso 1,998]

1 hour ago, tdm said:

Hey all, sorry for missing out on the last few weeks of posts.  If anyone is still bricked and needs help, please let me know.

 

I still have my friend's phone with me.
Software was unmodified stock and it suddenly went to "bricked" mode and not even F(x)tec logo or anything appears on the screen but an EDL/QDL USB device after 15 minutes.

Since my last post you may see, I have received a cable which supports "Qualcomm EDL / DFC / 9008" boot mode but the same happens like with my self-modified cable.
Not even my working Pro1 enters EDL mode if I push the button on it - like if it was missing from Pro1's boot loader or I am doing it wrong...
(I don't know if anybody else could manage to enter EDL mode this way on a Pro1 yet anyway.)

In the last few days, I have tried to let the battery drain (because belletrist wrote above he could go through this process after similar symptoms this way)...
I have connected it to my Linux machine and tried flashing, but it complained about an unexpected response if I recall well or timeout when I have tried it again - however, phone had some charge on second try and both times I had to wait 15 minutes to falling back to EDL mode.

Still want to try the same under Windows.

May this 15 minutes fallback the reason of the flasher fails (I mean as a result of calling it from an unexpected part of the boot process in an undefined state)?
May you or somebody could check if EDL mode can be accessed using this special cable?

If I press power button for about 15 seconds, the phone turns off (by hardware) and it seems it instantly turns on and enters EDL mode after 15 seconds as a result of failed boot.

 

Edited May 29, 2020 by VaZso

[tdm 2,322]

@VaZso we should take this to PM to figure this out, and then post the solution here.  Please PM me with the best time to reach you.  Thanks!

 

Edited May 29, 2020 by tdm

[VaZso 1,998]

21 minutes ago, tdm said:

@VaZso we should take this to PM to figure this out, and then post the solution here.  Please PM me with the best time to reach you.  Thanks!

 

Thank you, I wrote you a message.

Now I am going back to sleep as it is too early in the morning here. 🙂

[tdm 2,322]

Following up on @VaZso and his friend's device... we looked at a USB packet capture and determined that everything was fine until the programmer tool sent a request to write to UFS, and the device never responded.  I have never seen this issue before on any device.  My theory is that UFS is bad and the device needs to be returned for service.

 

[VaZso 1,998]

1 hour ago, tdm said:

My theory is that UFS is bad and the device needs to be returned for service.

Yes and based on kernel messages, it seems the device disconnects at around the time when it tries to access UFS.

Thank you your help again.

Edited May 29, 2020 by VaZso

[D1ggs 141]

For those on OSX or Linux who can't open the file:

First install homebrew: https://brew.sh/

Once it's installed, open a terminal and type in "brew install libpng"

When it finishes, type in "brew install jpeg" 

Then you should be able to run the factory restore utility. 

[kbe 6]

Just a quick note: It finally worked for me!

I just ignored the device for 4 or 5 weeks, supposedly letting the battery drain completely just like suggested above. Then, I held down both volume keys and the power key before inserting a standard USB cable. I let go of the power key after a while and the QUSB__BULK device appeared in the Windows device manager. The flash tool detected the device and flashing a stock firmware image worked on the first try!

Thanks to everyone!

[tdm 2,322]

I just uploaded the package for the 2020-07-07 factory firmware.  Enjoy!

 

[dicer 36]

On 7/17/2020 at 7:51 PM, tdm said:

I just uploaded the package for the 2020-07-07 factory firmware.  Enjoy!

Does this contain updated (modem) firmware partitions? I very early on switched from stock to Lineage so I didn`t get any OTAs for stock. I assume they did contain some updates to the firmware for modem, bluetooth etc?

So does it make sense to flash this to update those partitions?

Also see

 

[tdm 2,322]

34 minutes ago, dicer said:

Does this contain updated (modem) firmware partitions? I very early on switched from stock to Lineage so I didn`t get any OTAs for stock. I assume they did contain some updates to the firmware for modem, bluetooth etc?

So does it make sense to flash this to update those partitions?

Also see

 

Yes it is the complete factory package with the modem and everything else, just as you would get from the OTA.

 

[Laska 41]

Hello @tdm,

Can I use this tool to update my modified rom without losing data?