Update boot loop - what next ?

[Guest gingerneil]

I have found myself stuck in the update loop - reboot, finds but fails update, reboots then tries to update again. This is with the last rooted image from Paul. I can get USB debugging back using the little trick to get into the settings, re-flashed the rooted image, but the same happens again. I don't have a full backup that I could roll back to. How do I break this cycle ?

Is there a stock image fine that I can use to flash back to full stock from fastboot ? I cant find one anywhere - despite lots of googling (happy to be shown I'm an idiot, and its somewhere obvious!).

If one doesn't exist, can I take an ADB backup, or create an image using CWM or similar, of another hudl2 (we have 3 in the household, one fully stock) and flash this to the one in the loop ? Could I even do this with a hudl2 that's been updated to 5.1 ??

[Guest hudl2student]

To me that seems like sound logic - creating a stock image from the other fully stock hudl2 you have, unfortunately I'm not sure if anyone's successfully created and restored a full system nandroid stock image yet. Apparently this can be done with either tethered CWM or TWRP, but I'm not exactly sure of the steps and whether this method is confirmed as working - hopefully someone else can come in and provide the steps, or even better a mini tutorial with some screencaps!

[Guest]

Ok, let's start with some more info gingerneil - when you've flashed your hudl2 back to the latest rooted system image, exactly what error message can you read off the screen when the update fails?

For example, if I'd rooted mine, adjusted say build.prop or renamed the startup chime or something else i.e. made a change (likely to fail an OTA integrity check) - I'd virtually guarantee any OTA update would fail. So before ever accepting an OTA update, I'd re-flash to one of Paul's created rooted system images and go through an initial boot - noting that whatever I'd previously changed was reversed by the system partition re-flash i.e. startup chimes, default dpi etc etc. At this stage your hudl2 should be able to be OTA upgraded.

That's why the detail displayed when it fails the OTA update is important to try and understand what's going on.

Edited September 10, 2015 by Guest

[Guest gingerneil]

I'll have to take a closer look at the error message - I'll do that tonight and post back.

It does seem odd that even flashing the latest from Paul then fails the OTA....

Edited September 10, 2015 by gingerneil

[Guest gingerneil]

Here you go.... 

[Guest]

From what I can see that error relates to your boot.img not the system partition - which version of Paul's images did you re-flash? 

... and had you originally accepted 'ALL' OTA updates prior to resetting your tablet? 

[Guest dennissingh99]

 

If you can find the zip file for the update then you can modify its update script to stop it from checking the boot image and fastboot. This can be done by opening the update script inside something like notepad++. After that you can use the new zip file that is modified and flash it using the tethered recovery method mentioned in a post on this form previously. This is the only way to do it as when you flash Paul's old image everything is changed accept the boot image. When the update script tries to verify the version of the files all of it is correct in the system partition but in the boot partition the file version doesn't match because when you flash Paul's image, it is only flashed to the system partition. I hope this helps. If you need any more assistance please just upload the ota zip file and I will modify it for you.

Edited September 10, 2015 by dennissingh99

[Guest gingerneil]

I'm sorted - via the very long backup/restore process from the tethered CWM. I just backed up the wife's stock hudl and restored to mine, then did a wipe/reset to put it back to out-of-the-box.

No new updates showing - so now awaiting the 5.1 update to ping onto mine. My daughters is also rooted using Paul's method. I've taken a backup through CWM, and will try the update on her's too - editing the update script if needed.

Thanks for all the help. Hopefully someone may capture the 5.1 OTA updates... I'll certainly try if I see it.

[Guest hudl2student]

I'm sorted - via the very long backup/restore process from the tethered CWM. I just backed up the wife's stock hudl and restored to mine, then did a wipe/reset to put it back to out-of-the-box.

Glad to hear you got it sorted and that the tethered CWM method worked!

If you're able to write a guide while it's fresh in your mind (similar to the very useful guide that CaptainMidnight made for backing up and restoring the system partition alone), that would be great, I'm sure a lot of people would benefit from it!

[Guest gingerneil]

Back to this problem with the first small 5.1 update. Anyone know where the update zip is stored? I can't find it, even through adb shell with su. There are no files showing in /cache

[Guest]

Kai1989 already posted the update on another thread and it can be found here at the bottom of the page.

It's stored in /cache.

Edited September 29, 2015 by Guest

[Guest gingerneil]

Thanks - I'll edit that and try to bypass the check - assume I'll need to do the same to the big update, unless it fixed the boot.img

[Guest]

You shouldn't have to do anything to the big update - it's mainly flashing a new system.img file, with minimal integrity checks.

[Guest dennissingh99]

Back to this problem with the first small 5.1 update. Anyone know where the update zip is stored? I can't find it, even through adb shell with su. There are no files showing in /cache

The update link is inside the new hudl 2 update thread

[Guest gingerneil]

aaarrghhh ! Downloaded the update, removed the boot.img check, and now get another error. See attached - first is the reboot that tries to install the image, I then try the hacked one via sideload (i get the original error still if trying the genuine update through sideload).

Any idea ?! Ive tried putting a boot.img back from another unmodded hudl2 via tethered CWM, but get a md5 check error.

 

[Guest dennissingh99]

aaarrghhh ! Downloaded the update, removed the boot.img check, and now get another error. See attached - first is the reboot that tries to install the image, I then try the hacked one via sideload (i get the original error still if trying the genuine update through sideload).

Any idea ?! Ive tried putting a boot.img back from another unmodded hudl2 via tethered CWM, but get a md5 check error.

 

Okok, I have made another zip file for you. Just download and install using the tethered recovery. This is the first zip file by the way and the actual big update doesn't check for anything.

Link: https://mega.nz/#!4A1wHDjT!FgSg880dgzgNoEtD2-bEfsgKUIl3J7OoUpUoymWN1bo

[Guest gingerneil]

Wow! That was quick...!! I'll give it a go - much appreciated. 

What have you done to create it? 

[Guest dennissingh99]

Just modified the update script and disabled the important things from being checked such as fastboot and boot image.

[Guest gingerneil]

Same result! :(