Stuck in Android System Recovery (3e) - Help!

[Guest Goshawk]

Hi,

I've just a brand new T-mobile Vivacity. I successfully rooted it and changed the rom to Fish'N Chips using TPT Helper tool. Lovely app! No problem.

Then I tried to unlock the phone, I followed some instructions on another website (that seemed generally similar to one of the posts here) - when I finished I was back with the T-mobile rom.

So tried the TPT Helper again and I must have done something wrong (or else I did something wrong in the previous step when I was unlocking it).

I'm now permanently stuck in the Android System Recovery (3e) - not CWM Recovery. The writing is blue, and you get options like reboot, apply update, wipe data, wipe cache partition. But I can't select anything! None of the buttons on my phone seem to do anything (other than vol+/- which moves the selector between options. But how do a choose one?

If I take the battery out and turn it on back on (or turn it on with Vol +) it comes back to Android System Recovery (3e)

If I take the battery out and turn it back on Vol -, I get a FTM screen. Not sure what I can do with that?

I've tried putting the memory card on a usb reader thing and manually trying another option for the the TPT, but this doesn't seem to help.

Can anyone help me? Is my lovely new TMV permanently bricked?

[Guest CurtisAndroidSF2]

I'm not an expert or anything but I'm pretty sure you could just put a CWM IMG file on the SD card and then hold down a certain button combination and it will automatically flash Clockworkmod.

You'll have to wait for someone with more experience to comment but I'm pretty sure you can do that.

[Guest chris231]

not sure what the key combination on vivacity is for a TPT flash, but that's one way.

on SF2 you'd put a tpt in image folder on sd card and press vol+ and home and power on together.

if you can fastboot it, then you'd send over a new cwm recovery image and reboot or flash new rom.

would be surprised if it's bricked since you can get to FTM, which is where you can normally fastboot the recovery.img over.

[Guest Frankish]

It's not bricked. You just need to follow the guides on here and you probably wouldn't be stuck how you are now ;) you can just try again. You have ftm.

[Guest Goshawk]

Thanks Chris231 and Frankish.

Chris that is one of the things I've tried, but it didn't work - I just end up back at the Android System Recovery again :(

Frankish, what you you suggest I do from FTM?

My PC isn't recognising my phone anymore. :blink:

I've also tried a ZTE tool that is supposed to help unhappy phones but it didn't work either

I'm not sure what is wrong with it :(

Can anyone give me some step by step instructions (including links) for something to try?

[Guest chris231]

I'd use a linux machine to fastboot it and put on a new recovery.

Linux machine don't need any special drivers to conect to the phone.

Chris

[Guest Goshawk]

Chris,

I don't have a Linux machine.

Before the phone bricked, it worked fine with my PC, so presumably it has all the drivers it needs?

When the phone is in Android recovery, it also has an exclamation mark on the screen - does this indicate something is seriously wrong?

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. All ideas welcome.

It seems to me there are 3 potential approaches:

1/ Doing something from Android Recovery. How?

2/ Doing something from FTM. How?

3/ Putting something on the phone SD card using a PC via a usb card reader. What?

[Guest gabriwinter]

You need to flash cwm.

Maybe this could help http://www.modaco.com/topic/349795-san-francisco-iit-mobile-vivacity-tpts/

[Guest chris231]

not sure the key combination for TPT on vivacity.

Have you tried a TPT? that is: image.bin in image folder on sd card.

Just unsure of the key combination, try turning on the vol+ and vol- pressed all together.

make sure you have the right TPT file...

Failing that, you can boot ubuntu (linux) off a usb memory stick or hard drive (temporarily bypassing windows). Google it.

If you did that and copied the adb and fastboot programs to a folder on the usb drive (before bootup) plus the recovery.img you could do it that way.

(all else fails, bring the phone to me!)

Chris

Edit: normally different drivers are needed for the phone when in FTM mode as opposed to the normal running mode.

Edit 2: Have you looked at this guide:

Edited August 13, 2012 by chris231

[Guest Goshawk]

You need to flash cwm.

Maybe this could help http://www.modaco.co...-vivacity-tpts/

Yes - I've already tried that.

[Guest Goshawk]

not sure the key combination for TPT on vivacity.

Have you tried a TPT? that is: image.bin in image folder on sd card. Yes tried the Option 3 one. This previously worked when I upgraded to the Fish&Chips rom. But after unlocking the phone, and then re-doing the TPT it got stuck in Android recovery.

Should I try a stock rom and stock TPT?

Just unsure of the key combination, try turning on the vol+ and vol- pressed all together. It is on and vol+

make sure you have the right TPT file... I tried the Option 3 one (which worked before - see above)

Failing that, you can boot ubuntu (linux) off a usb memory stick or hard drive (temporarily bypassing windows). Google it.

If you did that and copied the adb and fastboot programs to a folder on the usb drive (before bootup) plus the recovery.img you could do it that way. I will look into this - need to get step by step instructions.

(all else fails, bring the phone to me!)

Chris

Edit: normally different drivers are needed for the phone when in FTM mode as opposed to the normal running mode. Thanks - I didn't know that.

Edit 2: Have you looked at this guide: http://www.modaco.co...-dead-vivacity/ I will have a look

Edited August 13, 2012 by Goshawk

[Guest Bob Mann]

i had a similar screen that you had before i swapped my phone at tmob shop, there is an option to flash an update.zip from the SDCard isnt there?

isnt there an update.zip that will flash CWM?

[Guest Goshawk]

I've tried that - it doesn't work.

It is starting to look as if my phone is permanently bricked :blink:

I've rooted and changed rom for other phones eg San Francisco, T-mobile Rapport, and one other without too much difficulty, but this is the only one that has gone wrong..

I think it may have some sort of mismatch between TPT and rom, but I don't know how to fix it. I've tried to go back to stock, but it hasn't work. My phone seems to be well stuck. :(

[Guest Goshawk]

Have tried running Linux on my PC. It doesn't recognise the phone.

[Guest chris231]

Have tried running Linux on my PC. It doesn't recognise the phone.

what did you do?

did you use ubuntu?

It won't pop up with 'I recognise the phone'

you have to do it all via command prompt and fastboot commands

Edited August 14, 2012 by chris231

[Guest Goshawk]

I installed http://www.linuxliveusb.com/ and ran it in a sort of windows screen. It took ages to run. Spent several hours last night wrestling with it.

When I plugged my phone in, I kept getting a message it isn't recognised, I clicked on something in linux (to do with usb drives) and the phone shows up as some sort of unknown object on a usb drive. I still tried sending to it - no luck!. Followed Linux instructions in http://sanfranciscoandroid.co.uk/android/how-to-install-clockworkmod-recovery-on-the-orange-san-francisco-ii-zte-crescent/

I don't think the issue is Linux versus windows. The phone just isn't being recognised as anything but some unknown object. It seems bricked.

OI

[Guest Goshawk]

I've had a breakthrough!

Found this post http://www.modaco.com/topic/351494-bricked-t-mobile-vvacity/page__p__1897380__hl__+brick%20+vivacity#entry1897380

The poster seemed to have the same symptoms as me, and he tried a different PC and it worked.

So I connected my phone to my netbook (not my main laptop), and it found the drivers. Then I could run download.exe, which installed CMW. Once I had CMW I could revert to the stock rom. Yippee!

So now the phone is back where it started.

However, I tried to run TPT Helper to install custom Rom and it keeps aborting.

[Guest chris231]

TPT helper only works properly with blade, not crescent.

well done

[Guest Goshawk]

Actually it did work in the end. I had just forgot to put the Fish N Chips rom back on the card. Duh!

If anyone's phone has the same symptoms as mine. Then:

Plug it into another PC. If this PC downloads the drives, then

Follow Woodywoodpeckers suggestion in his post of 8th Feb 2012 (from http://www.modaco.co...ty#entry1897380).

Unzip the RAR file (on the new PC) and run download.exe while in FTM, this puts you into CWM. From CWM, I reverted to stock (update). Then I could download TPT helper from Marketplace and put my chosen custom rom onto the phone SD card. I followed the instructions in http://amphoras.co.uk/downloads/vivacity-tpts and I've now got Fish N Chips.

[Guest Markski]

I had the same problem with the vivacity/crescent. Power on green and logo only. Vol down + power went to FTM. Tried everything, nothing worked, then I tried yr recommendation for Dead Vivacity http://www.modaco.com/topic/354290-how-tosave-your-dead-vivacity/. Worked a dream! Thanks!

[Guest Markski]

I had the same problem with the vivacity/crescent. Power on green and logo only. Vol down + power went to FTM. Tried everything, nothing worked, then I tried yr recommendation for Dead Vivacity http://www.modaco.co...-dead-vivacity/. Worked a dream! Thanks!

not sure the key combination for TPT on vivacity.

Have you tried a TPT? that is: image.bin in image folder on sd card.

Just unsure of the key combination, try turning on the vol+ and vol- pressed all together.

make sure you have the right TPT file...

Failing that, you can boot ubuntu (linux) off a usb memory stick or hard drive (temporarily bypassing windows). Google it.

If you did that and copied the adb and fastboot programs to a folder on the usb drive (before bootup) plus the recovery.img you could do it that way.

(all else fails, bring the phone to me!)

Chris

Edit: normally different drivers are needed for the phone when in FTM mode as opposed to the normal running mode.

Edit 2: Have you looked at this guide: http://www.modaco.co...-dead-vivacity/