FTM - Perpetual state

[Guest Rokai]

Hi,

I'm hoping you clever clever people can help me out.

Firstly I need to say I have San Fran 2 that I previously had Fish'N'Chips 7 on then changed SIM provider so had to unlock and thats where I kind of broke it.

I tried so many things now I can't remember where I started but I believe I may have flashed it using the ZTE firmware flasher with a Blade 1 file (bloody idiot I know).

Since then i've flashed it with the stock Orange image with the volume+(up) and hold Home (all guides say Menu button but that didn't work) and that went through fine apart from it just boots to FTM.

I then flashed the CWM recovery image and that booted and I tried installing the stock ROM via SD card but that just boots to FTM as well.

So here I am in a perpetual FTM loop and can't think of what to do next and really hoping someone here can help.

And as a side note this flashing has probably lost my MAC and IMEI (I have backed up though) so if I am ever able to boot anything then I am going to need some advice getting those flashed again.

Many thanks for reading my idiocy.

[Guest dodgetimmy]

If you are flashing cwm but still seeing ftm instead, either you are not installing correctly or each time your phone's installing the stock recovery.

How are you installing cwm?

As for your MAC address, this is no biggie, if you didn't make .qcn backup there are ways to add your own custom MAC anyway.

But it is hard to advise when we don't know what steps you have and haven't done.

[Guest Rokai]

Thanks for the reply.

I have been able to install CWM via image on the SD card and that does boot into CWM correctly. From there I installed the stock Orange ROM and that just boots straight to FTM again. I admittedly haven't tried installing a custom ROM to see if that boots.

EDIT

I have since tried a custom ROM and that goes straight back to CWM.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Rokai

[Guest dodgetimmy]

If you are going back into cwm each time I suspect it's because you have the folder image with image.bin inside.

This is how you install recovery, but if you don't delete the folder after installing once, each time you boot your phone you will install again. So basically mount usb in cwm and delete everything on your sd, or partition/format your sd from within cwm. Once finished, copy your desired Rom.zip over and install. You shouldn't get looped cwm/ftm boots then.

HOWEVER asfaik the stock roms also flash ftm upon boot, so avoid using them. Unless you want to install cwm after installing stock again. (Again make sure after installing a recovery you don't leave the image folder containing the recovery on your sd otherwise you will install over and over again.

Edited April 27, 2013 by dodgetimmy

[Guest Rokai]

okay,

i've tried as suggested and installed a custom rom and deleted the image folder but i still just loop round to CWM everytime.

Is there anytihng I can try / need to do outside of CWM; ie, flash via ZTE tool etc?

[Guest dodgetimmy]

First thing I would try is flashing this recovery. You can flash this .zip using your existing cwm or if that doesn't work, rename the .bin file to image.bin and place it in an image folder on the SD card.

If you are just installing via the method of placing the image.bin inside the image folder, simply just start your phone without trying to boot in to cwm.

If that doesn't work, you can then try using this recovery. (Which includes the standard TPT). This one you'll have to place inside your image folder and just turn on the the phone to install.Make sure that if you are using the image.bin method that you delete the image folder or format/partition your SD card from within CWM AFTER you have installed cwm.

The correct step would be:

1. Install a recovery from links above.

2. Inside CWM goto advance and partition your SD card. Here choose only an ext size, set swap to 0.

3. After complete, perform a factory reset from the main menu.

a. Wipe cache.

b. Wipe dalvik cache in advance.

Then chose to install custom rom.

Once you have installed the custom rom in CWM, make sure you chose "reboot system now" and not "reboot recovery".

If you are in a loop with recovery again, make sure you don't have an image folder on your SD card.

AND

Try taking out the battery and then turning on the phone.If this fails I suspect you have done something wrong in the whole unlocking/rooting process. I suggest in that case you follow this guide to start afresh.You can start the guide from the section "My phone has booted into ClockworkMod Recovery." on page 4.

Edited April 28, 2013 by dodgetimmy

[Guest Rokai]

Thanks for the advice so far but...

The phone will still only boot into ftm or CWM (depending what I did last) and not ever into a ROM.

I followed the advice above for the custom ROM but that just boots into CWM every time so I went over to the link provided to use the guide from page 4 and that just boots me into ftm every time.

All steps taken, like flashing installing etc, all perform fine with no errors but I still can not boot into a ROM :)

[Guest dodgetimmy]

So whether you are installing CWM 4 or 6 (each i linked above), each time it boots always into CWM? I had this problem with 4, but not 6. Version 6 is distinctively different from 4 with its colour scheme.

Its certainly a strange problem if it keeps going into CWM. The volume down button isn't broken or stuck is it?

How are you partitioning and formatting your SD Card? Have you got a second SD to try? Also, what rom are you installing?

[Guest Rokai]

Its definitely CWM 6

The volume appears to be functioning.

I partition my SD card via CWM

I've tried 2 SD cards to the same effect

I've also tried 2 ROMS - CM9 and F'n'C7

As you say very strange.

[Guest dodgetimmy]

Hmm obviously this must relate to doing something wrong previously, where it was using the zte flasher or something to do with the wrong firmware I don't know..

Did you try installing one of the tpts I linked? Perhaps you have a blade 1 tpt currently.

There's not much else I can think of, the unlocking guide I sent sent you solved my problem. How did using QPST and the unlock flasher work in that guide? Does everything go as plan?

If you use the flasher without restoring your .qcn file, does it then work?

Technically if you follow that guide everything will be put back to square one. Unless the problem lays in your qcn file that you keep backing up and restoring.

The only other thing I can think of is to check the md5 of the rom and recovery files before you install them. Perhaps they aren't being downloaded correctly, but that's a long-shot to say the least.

[Guest Rokai]

Tried flashing without restoring the qcn and I keep looping still.

Tried a couple of tpts from the link as well :(

[Guest Rokai]

EDIT

multi post

Edited April 30, 2013 by Rokai

[Guest surfungus]

Hi Rokai, sounds like you're running out of options.. Maybe have a read through http://www.modaco.com/topic/354290-how-tosave-your-dead-vivacity/.

If you decide to try it, just remember to use a san fran rom.

cheers surf

[Guest Rokai]

I've just came back to try flashing again via the zte tool as suggested and plugged in the usb cable which also charges so the battery animation started.

I turned on the phone and it booted into my rom :)

I reboot the phone and it just boots CWM every time then after.

I can repeat the charging boot to rom so it wasn't a fluke i suppose.

Does this ring any bells with anyone.

EDIT

also to get this working again I could do with a qcn file so I can get wifi i suppose. and is there any straight forward guides to sorting out my imei via the nvm file?

Edited April 30, 2013 by Rokai

[Guest dodgetimmy]

You mean you can boot to your Rom if charging at the same time, but can't if off charge?

You can edit the qcn file yourself and restore it if you happen to lose the original. No point explaining that though because you can always just restore the original one you anyway.

I'm wondering this is some kind of mechanical fault now. Perhaps related to the device reading the SD card. When you booted into the rom, did the volume down key with fine? (The same you use to hold to get into recovery).

At least now there's a method of getting into the rom. What happens when you disconnect from charge after loading up?

[Guest dodgetimmy]

Just thought. Since you can get into the rom. Try downloading v6 of cwm and create a folder called image and rename the bin file to image.bin inside. Then in the system settings of android perform an update. You can see if that makes any difference.

Also, whilst in the rom, can you download this https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.kuder.diskinfo&referrer=utm_source%3Dgoogle%26utm_medium%3Dorganic%26utm_term%3Dgoogle+play+disk+infoapp and take a https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.geeksoft.screenshot&hl=en&referrer=utm_source%3Dgoogle%26utm_medium%3Dorganic%26utm_term%3Dgoogle+play+screenshotscreenie?

[Guest Rokai]

If I unplug the usb cable the phone stays on but if I reboot it goes to CWM.

The volume buttons work fine when in the ROM so they aren't broken.

I can't download anything at the moment because I've messed up my wifi mac. I don't have my original file so can't restore but I have a copy of the mac though so if anyone can tell me what line / offset it should appear on I can edit the qcn I do have.

[Guest dodgetimmy]

Try http://www.modaco.com/topic/348606-automatic-qcn-wifi-mac-patcher-for-windows-v03-updated-1711/

Otherwise just search for the current mac (usually aa:bb:cc...etc) in your qcn file and replace it with your desired mac instead. Afterwards restore the qcn file you edited.

If you have no qcn file, even one after you already lost your mac, you'll need to back it up again, edit it and then restore it.

Btw, does the phone only boot when connected to a pc or does it also when connected to the mains charger?

Edited May 5, 2013 by dodgetimmy

[Guest Rokai]

just a quick update (I am still around and trying, hectic weekend though)

tried using the tool linked to above and managed to edit qcn and restore but the mac did not appear. Does the tool edit the correct offset?

Has anyone got the offsets for wifi and bt in the qcn and the offset for the imei in the nvm? Once i've got these I can edit freely.

[Guest dodgetimmy]

You can just edit the file with a text reader like notepad.

Search for your fake mac (11:22:33 etc) and just replace with your own. (There are generators on the web, just search).

Here's the guide I used: www.modaco.com/topic/348492-tutorial-get-your-mac-address-if-you-already-unlocked-now-up/

Btw you can transfer and update cwm 6 the way I described by just downloading the file on your computer and transferring it across, you can make the folders this way as well.

Btw, you didn't answer before, does the phone only boot when connected to the computer or does it also when connected to charge using the home charger.

Can't really see any reason other than a battery problem causing this

Edited May 7, 2013 by dodgetimmy

[Guest Rokai]

I'm running CWM 6 now and no boot loop still occurs.

My qcn file has a blank mac so I can't search for the default 11:22:33 which is why I need the actual offset for both wifi and bt.

The phone also boots when connected to a mains charger using the plug in charger first boot second trick.

[Guest dodgetimmy]

I can't really think of anything else I'm afraid. Perhaps there is just a fault with the phone.

If you have tried installing recoveries via different methods, tried different tpts, tried going to stock, wiping cache, dalvik cache, resetting to factory and wiping/partitioning the sd card. Have tried a different sd card too.. your only other luck would be trying to use adp to push to the device when connected to your computer with usb debugging selected. That's beyond my scope. I have never had a blank mac before so perhaps that's a sign of a bigger problem. Perhaps someone else can help more, but short of trying a different battery..I can't really think of anything else.

When I lost my Mac I thought I had to recover both bt and Wi-Fi Mac, but it was just the qcn I had to edit. If you are getting a blank mac I think perhaps something is going wrong with backing up and restoring the qcn (the unlock process). This may also be related to why the phone isn't booting? Perhaps broken internal memory?

Edited May 8, 2013 by dodgetimmy

[Guest dodgetimmy]

Btw, the reason I also thought I needed to restore Bluetooth Mac at the time was because Bluetooth wasn't working. I later found out it was a known problem with fish n chips 7. The new music app bundled with that release breaks it. You have to revert to the old music app or use fn8.