[Guide] Pixel 3a (sargo) Return to Stock, Factory Reset, and relock Bootloader - Google Pixel 3a Guides, News, & Discussion

Very quick guide for how to return to stock, factory reset, and relock bootloader. This is if you're going to trade in the device or re-sell it.
I am assuming that you're pretty familiar with this process based on the assumption that you unlocked the bootloader in the first place, but it was 2+ years ago so you don't remember the details. This is for you.
If you don't correctly re-install the factory image in step 12, you are at risk of bricking your phone, stop and ask for advice if anything isn't clear or if any step fails.
This will DELETE all your phone's data, proceed with caution.
Tested on Windows 11 PC and Pixel 3a
First make sure you have the Prerequisites here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...ootloader-update-root-pass-safetynet.4443459/
Enable Developer Mode and USB Debugging as described here: https://developer.android.com/studio/debug/dev-options
Remove the sim card from the phone and erase any esim cards, restart the phone and enter your password/passcode, go to the home screen
Download the latest Factory Image (not OTA) for sargo, sargo-sp2a.220505.006-factory-978959e1.zip, to your PC, instructions are in the link in step 1 under Spoiler: Downloads
Unzip the factory image to a known location on your PC
Open a command line tool in the folder extracted above, confirm the flash-all.bat file is in the current directory
Plug the phone into your PC with the appropriate USB cable
Run adb devices on PC, if your device is "unauthorized", then approve the connection on the phone.
Rerun adb devices and confirm your phone is authorized
Run adb reboot bootloader, phone should restart to the bootloader screen
Run fastboot devices and confirm your device is listed
Run .\flash-all.bat, wait until the command says it is done, press any key to go back to command prompt.
Eventually the phone will reboot to Google Setup, may take 10 minutes, don't get worried unless it takes more than an hour or if an error is displayed while restarting
Skip past everything, do not connect to WiFi, do not enter an account, get to home screen
Go to settings and re-enable Developer Mode and USB Debugging
Run adb devices on PC and approve the USB Debugging on the phone
Run adb reboot bootloader
Run fastboot flashing lock
Follow the instructions on your phone to confirm and finally lock the bootloader
Unplug phone and restart it
Confirm Google Setup starts but do not proceed, just power off the phone, it's ready to ship

or just use this official web tool https://flash.android.com/welcome

You still end up needing to have all the USB drivers setup, and will have to run the `adb flashing unlock` using ADB and it is a less reliable process in my experience, particularly if you don't use Chrome.

Does still works if you're coming from an Android 13 ROM or does the "anti rollback" feature not apply to the 3a?

I'm thinking of installing Ubuntu Touch. The requirements is to return to Android 9. Is that still possible? Anyone reverted back to previous Android version?

Haha. Terrible Jan 2023 update. Cellular connection not stable on my P7P while posting this asking for my newly bought Sargon for Ubuntu Touch project

Update: revertable. Even on flash.android.com you can choose previous stable public build including Android 9 ones

Related

[Q] Fastboot Recovery/Remotely enable USB debugging

SOLVED
See my most recent post in this thread
______________________________________________________________________________________
Firstly, I've spent the last three days scouring XDA and some other forums searching for solutions and trying various options.
The screen on my N4 has cracked and I've lost the use of the bottom half of the touchscreen. This means that I can't unlock my phone.
The phone is insured and will be repaired, but there are photos of my son's first birthday on the internal memory that I don't want to lose. I'm concerned that the phone will be factory reset during a repair or I'll receive a replacement. I'm trying to access the internal memory remotely to backup these files before I send the phone off. The problem is that I hadn't enabled USB debugging before the accident. The phone is completely stock including the bootloader.
So I can access via fastboot but not via adb.
Q1: Can I pull file from the internal memory via fastboot
Q2: Can I enable usb debugging via fastboot
Q3: The phone is set to display as an MTP device in windows but as I can't unlock the screen, none of the files are showing. Is there anyway around this?
Q4: Purely via fastboot, can I unlock the bootloader, install CWM so to use ADB within it and then return to a stock bootloader?
I think they're my options. Any answers to the above or alternatives would be appreciated.
All of the other threads regarding this, the users seem to either already have CWM installed or they're looking to perform a factory reset. I did consider resetting the device via the bootloader in order to bypass the screenlock but I understand that on the N4 this wipes the internal memory as well.
Unlocking the device isn't needed to pull the files from it, just plug it in and get what you need from the internal memory
EddyOS said:
Unlocking the device isn't needed to pull the files from it, just plug it in and get what you need from the internal memory
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On mine if I plug it in it appears as an MTP device but with no files. I then have to unlock the screen and select USB something-or-other from the notificationss bar, then the files appear in windows.
Strange, mine never needs to be unlocked...I'm using Windows 8 Pro btw but it also works fine in work on Vista Business
Only other thing I can think of is the fact I'm unlocked and running a custom ROM, I've never used my N4 stock. It was on CM within 30 mins of receiving the unit!
So over the last week I've managed to solve my problem. I've seen several other people asking for help with no luck so I'm posting this here in the hope that the search function will bring it up.
Firstly, my phone was completely stock running 4.2.2, unrooted, with the locked stock bootloader. USB Debugging WAS NOT enabled. I had pattern lock enabled when I dropped the phone. The screen cracked and the bottom half of the touchscreen was unresponsive.
The phone was insured, but I wanted to backup photos from the device before sending it off for repair/replacement.
HOW I FIXED IT.
Please note, you need at least some part of the screen to be working, specifically, some part of the screen where the pattern lock is.
You only need two pieces of software. The Android SDK and the Nexus 4 Toolkit http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1995688
If you are running 4.2.2 you will need to update the toolkit. I also had the standard issues of installing the USB drivers for the N4. You need to get to a point where is shows up as an ADB device in Windows Device Manager.
As I didn't have USB debuggin enabled I couldn't connect tothe phone via ADB, but if you put it into recovery mode you can use Fastboot. Hold down the power key to turn the device off and turn it on while holding down Vol Down to load up recovery mode.
If you then start the N4 Toolkit, you should see the device listed as a fast boot device.
From within the toolkit unlock your bootloader.
Flash a temporary bootlader, (option 10) as the touchscreeen was broken it has to be CWM.
Once in CWM you can start to use ADB. Open up a DOS command prompt in Windows, go to your SDK/platform tools folder/ to access ADB.exe and you can use the pull command to copy folders to your PC. At this point, instead you can use applications like ADBexplorer or DroidExplorer to do the same thing through a nicer GUI.
If you'd like to still be able to use your phone, although without the touchscreen, you can load an unstable image to get into android and then use ADB to start changing system settings.
Firstly, before exiting CWM, clear the cache. Without doing this the phone jsut hung on the Nexus symbol while loading the image.
in the toolkit go to root/unroot options and select load unstable image(option 4 and then 6). This will fire you up into Android and it should be set up as you left it.
I wanted to enable bluetooth so to use a keyboard (I didn't have a mouse but this is a better option) from the DOS window type the following command
am start -a android.bluetooth.adapter.action.REQUEST_ENABLE
You should eventually get a pop-up on your screen saying that a request has been made to enable bluetooth. Hopefully your screen is working enough to select enable.
Then I use the workaround to disable the sceenlock, found here -> (http://www.addictivetips.com/androi...e-pattern-unlock-on-android-via-adb-commands/) I found method 2 worked for me. I imagine this will be stopped in a future update.
Method 1
adb shell
cd /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases
sqlite3 settings.db
update system set value=0 where name='lock_pattern_autolock';
update system set value=0 where name='lockscreen.lockedoutpermanently';
.quit
Method 2
adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key
If either of these methods are successful you will be able to unlock the phone with an pattern, hence why you need to be able to touch some part of it.
From then, my bluetooth keyboard was already mated to my phone to I was able the navigate the menus to turn on USB Debugging, turn-off the screen lock and a few other bits and pieces I needed to do.
I then restarted (I was still working within the unstable image) and on reboot, all my changes had al been applied. No screen lock, bluetooth enabled and USB Debugging enabled.
Hopefully this will be of help to those in a similar position. Thanks has to go to the toolkit though which provides all the necessary access to carry this out.
I should probably add, you can use the toolkit to relock the bootlader if you're concerned about that and if you can't click the screen to enable bluetooth or mate a keyboard or mouse, once you have USB Debugging enabled you can use software like Screencast to control you phone's screen from a PC.
So typically, just as I fill my claim to repair my nexus my wife drops her, smashing the screen even more than I did so she has absolutely no use of her screen. I went through the process again and though I'd post it in a more simple fashion.
1. Reset Nexus into recovery mode (power & volume down)
2. Connect to PC via USB. Install the USB driver from the SDK so that it appears as an ADB device
3. Fire up the updated toolkit. You should see the nexus as a fast boot device
4. Unlock bootloader
5. Using option 10 on the toolkit load up CWM on the phone. This gives you ADB access so can you pull files off the device via ADB although I could access the SD card through programs like Droid explorer.
6. If you want to carry on further and get into Android properly, you'll need to wipe the cache from within CWM
7. Reboot and hold down the volume key to get back into recovery
8. In the toolkit select root options (option 4) and load temporary image (6) If it hangs on the google or nexus logo you've not wiped the cache.
9. With this second phone I couldn't access it through droid explorer as it was popping up as an MTP device but I could pull the files via command prompt or through the toolkit
10. If you have any use of the touchscreen at all you can run the following command which will then mean that any touch will unlock the device
adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key​11. You can activate bluetooth via adb if you have a mouse or keyboard available but you will need to be able to press okay on the screen
12. Any changes you make in the unstable android image such as lockscreen, bluetooth, enabling debugging, etc will remain in place when you restart the device.
13. You can relock the bootloader if you wish via the toolkit. You just need to be in recovery mode first.
Hope this simplifies the process
Does unlocking bootloader via toolkit not wipe everything? How are you unlocking bootloader and still able to pull data off?
EDIT: it appears fastboot oem unlock on the Nexus 4 *does not* wipe data!
Carpetboy said:
So typically, just as I fill my claim to repair my nexus my wife drops her, smashing the screen even more than I did so she has absolutely no use of her screen. I went through the process again and though I'd post it in a more simple fashion.
1. Reset Nexus into recovery mode (power & volume down)
2. Connect to PC via USB. Install the USB driver from the SDK so that it appears as an ADB device
3. Fire up the updated toolkit. You should see the nexus as a fast boot device
4. Unlock bootloader
5. Using option 10 on the toolkit load up CWM on the phone. This gives you ADB access so can you pull files off the device via ADB although I could access the SD card through programs like Droid explorer.
6. If you want to carry on further and get into Android properly, you'll need to wipe the cache from within CWM
7. Reboot and hold down the volume key to get back into recovery
8. In the toolkit select root options (option 4) and load temporary image (6) If it hangs on the google or nexus logo you've not wiped the cache.
9. With this second phone I couldn't access it through droid explorer as it was popping up as an MTP device but I could pull the files via command prompt or through the toolkit
10. If you have any use of the touchscreen at all you can run the following command which will then mean that any touch will unlock the device
adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key​11. You can activate bluetooth via adb if you have a mouse or keyboard available but you will need to be able to press okay on the screen
12. Any changes you make in the unstable android image such as lockscreen, bluetooth, enabling debugging, etc will remain in place when you restart the device.
13. You can relock the bootloader if you wish via the toolkit. You just need to be in recovery mode first.
Hope this simplifies the process
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please HELP, i can get to step 5...but then, when I try to use ADB via cmd (ie. adb shell), it says "error: device offline". what can it be? I don't know if this is a driver related issue (i've tried the toolkit drivers and the SDK drivers)...i'm desperated, I can't access the phone!!
Thanks in advance
not working for me
i'm in same boat with cracked screen. i can get CWM installed but i cant enabled usb debugging without touching the screen so i cant get adb working. how did you turn on usb debugging without the screen
Thanks for the guide.
Im curious on why youd want to boot an unstable(temporary) image after pulling the files using ADB in CWM recovery. Why not just wipe cache and reboot normally into Android ?
usb debugging without screen?
compsmart said:
i'm in same boat with cracked screen. i can get CWM installed but i cant enabled usb debugging without touching the screen so i cant get adb working. how did you turn on usb debugging without the screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can someone please walk me through how to do this? My screen is completely broken, but I can still turn on/off, I have reason to believe debugging is off because when I connect the phone (a Samsung galaxy sII skyrocket) to my Toshiba laptop via a micro USB, it makes a sound to signal that it's connected. Drives E and F then open up (but are empty) and then disappear. I have no idea what's going on but I absolutely cannot lose all of the data on this phone. Pictures and videos from my old blackberry Torch are on here too, making up about 4 years of my daughter's life that I would lose if I cannot retrieve. Also, I am not super -tech savvy, so if someone could help me I would be forever grateful.
Please!!
:crying:
almost the same issue
I have an Asus memo pad 10 (smart) some of the core apps have been corrupted, (keyboard, UI, launcher etc all the essential stuff) I've been trying to reinstall my UI and launcher from my computer when i found out that USB debugging was disabled. the tablet is basically unusable, i have no way of enabling from the tablet itself. is there a piece of script or something i could run from my PC to enable it?
any help would be greatly appreciated :crying:
bob mc bob said:
I have an Asus memo pad 10 (smart) some of the core apps have been corrupted, (keyboard, UI, launcher etc all the essential stuff) I've been trying to reinstall my UI and launcher from my computer when i found out that USB debugging was disabled. the tablet is basically unusable, i have no way of enabling from the tablet itself. is there a piece of script or something i could run from my PC to enable it?
any help would be greatly appreciated :crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My screen became unresponsive a while back. I ended up getting and OTG cable and plugging in a mouse. This allowed me to do everything as if the touchscreen was working. There's also an app called MyMobiler that let me plug in my device over USB and control my screen from my PC. Those two helped me enable USB Debugging, flash a custom ROM, root the phone, backup everything I needed, then restore the phone to stock. I hope this helps.
*Sorry for bumping such an old post*
Thanks for the really useful guide!
Could you or someone just confirm to me that unlocking the bootloader does not factory reset? The reason I'm doing this process is to access my personal data so it's important that I can keep it all.
I ask because at the unlock bootloader stage it implicitly warns me that there'll be a factory reset.
Thanks again!
HikerMan said:
*Sorry for bumping such an old post*
Thanks for the really useful guide!
Could you or someone just confirm to me that unlocking the bootloader does not factory reset? The reason I'm doing this process is to access my personal data so it's important that I can keep it all.
I ask because at the unlock bootloader stage it implicitly warns me that there'll be a factory reset.
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlocking to bootloader will wipe your device
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app
jd1639 said:
Unlocking to bootloader will wipe your device
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In that case, I am confused as to how OP managed to unlock his bootloader. He actually states that the purpose of this was to retrieve data, like me.
Also, in a previous comment in this thread by jw95275, they claim that "it appears fastboot oem unlock on the Nexus 4 *does not* wipe data".
I am concerned about the conflicting answers so far, so will hold off for an explanation before I do anything. Thanks for the response!
HikerMan said:
In that case, I am confused as to how OP managed to unlock his bootloader. He actually states that the purpose of this was to retrieve data, like me.
Also, in a previous comment in this thread by jw95275, they claim that "it appears fastboot oem unlock on the Nexus 4 *does not* wipe data".
I am concerned about the conflicting answers so far, so will hold off for an explanation before I do anything. Thanks for the response!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should just be able to "fastboot boot recovery.img" and boot CWM and then use ADB. W/O unlocking the BL
npjohnson said:
You should just be able to "fastboot boot recovery.img" and boot CWM and then use ADB. W/O unlocking the BL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This did not work for me. I have a Nexus 4 with a broken digitizer, locked bootloader, and usb debugging disabled. I need to grab some data off.
I've tried `fastboot flash recovery {{recovery .img}}` and `fastboot boot {{recovery .img}}` without unlocking the bootloader first, and via both methods, I get back "FAILED (remote: not supported in locked device)"
So I'm not sure how people are able to get into custom recovery without first unlocking BL/losing all their data. Can someone explain?
jinglejuice said:
This did not work for me. I have a Nexus 4 with a broken digitizer, locked bootloader, and usb debugging disabled. I need to grab some data off.
I've tried `fastboot flash recovery {{recovery .img}}` and `fastboot boot {{recovery .img}}` without unlocking the bootloader first, and via both methods, I get back "FAILED (remote: not supported in locked device)"
So I'm not sure how people are able to get into custom recovery without first unlocking BL/losing all their data. Can someone explain?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On some (few) Motorola devices (not nexus 4), you can fastboot boot without unlocking the BL.

[Q] Nexus 4 - Stuck in Bootloader, unsuccessful ADB access -

Hi guys,
I had posted a brief thread a couple weeks ago stating that my Nexus 4 restarted by itself, and got stuck in the bootloader animation loop. I couldn't remember whether I had enabled USB debugging in my phone prior to it killing itself (not rooted, completely stock, did the OTA 4.4.3 update just a few days before my phone died, and phone's been out of warranty for quite a while now ).
So I installed the SDK developer tooklit, and followed instructions to set up ADB.
However, everytime I boot my nexus 4 into recovery mode/"safe" mode, I get the following screen ("Screenshot 1" below).
From there, when I boot into recovery mode, I get the following screen ("Screenshot 2").
Every time I connected my phone to my laptop (keep in mind that I cannot start it .. I always plug it in when I'm in "Screenshot 1" mode) and try to used "adb devices", I get the following cmd screen ("CMD ADB Devices" picture below). I've repeated this process and tried plugging the nexus in during various points in different "safe mode" options. Same result: nothing is detected.
So I got frustrated at trying to backup any data from my phone, and just chose the "wipe data/factory reset" option from the nexus recovery mode, and I got this screen ("Screenshot 3"). I've tried this several times, and I keep getting this screen.
So my nexus committed suicide, and I'm totally not sure what to do. I've been trying to learn how to use ADB etc for the past couple of days by scouring through the xda nexus 4 forums, but I'm still very much a n00b. Do you guys have any advice as to what I can do to get my nexus 4 back to a usable state again?
Things I've already tried (in order):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-4/general/how-to-how-to-flash-factory-image-t2010312
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-nexus/general/guide-phone-backup-unlock-root-t1420351
I also tried to ADB sideload a stock Nexus 4.4.3 factory image, but it is useless since my device won't even show up in CMD when i enter ADB devices.
However, the problem is that my nexus is never detected in CMD no matter what combination of things I tried, so I can't even do half of the things both of those thread instructions state.
I would greatly appreciate ANY ways to factory reset or flash working firmware on my phone! :highfive:
Edit: I reinstalled Android SDK, and connected my nexus to my laptop after entering fastboot ("safe" mode; volume down + power from phone off state), and I was able to get a slightly better looking CMD window when running ADB Devices command (See "CMD ADB Devices 2" picture). However, same problem as before, where my phone isn't even registering via ADB.
So again, your input would be tremendously appreciated.
If you boot in the bootloader (Volume- and Power) it's normal that you can't use adb. You have to use fastboot in the bootloader.
What is the output of fastboot devices?
Code:
fastboot devices
Have you already tried to flash the factory image or did this fail, too? You have to download the factory image from google, extract it and connect the phone in the bootloader/fastboot mode. Run the flash-all.bat then and it will reflash the stock rom. This will wipe your data, but I guess this shouldn't be a problem for you anymore because you already tried to do a factory reset!
If this worked, boot your phone and if it works fine, I would recommend to relock the bootloader (because it gets unlocked automatically if you flash the factory image and if you don't want to root/modify your phone in any way, your bootloader is usually locked):
Code:
fastboot oem lock
Try it and if there are any other problems or if it doesn't work, just ask again

Problems Reverting to Stock

I briefly took over another thread where this issue didn't belong, but since I am still having issues, I thought I would start my own thread. Okay, so I am on Sprint, sideloaded several of the updates, including most recently the Oreo Beta. I have been very happy with the beta, and was looking forward to the update due this week. However, yesterday evening I dropped the phone on the sidewalk and it cracked very badly, and as I am paying insurance with Sprint I want to bring it to a store and have it fixed. Not only is the screen badly cracked, but the keyboard is acting up a bit also.
Anyway, I was getting advice on the Oreo thread about how to do this, and as I said, I had hijacked the thread, but I was at work and didn't get to try this until tonight when I got home. Anyway, I had originally plan to just find the Ota and sideload it, but it was recommend that I use flashall and the full image file from the Essential site. I tried to do that, but when I restart the phone to get into Bootloader mode, it disappeared from the list of devices visible on my desktop and via adb. It was a bit disturbing to me as I am not used to working in Bootloader, previously did anything like this via recovery, and I wasn't sure how to exit the bootloader, but I chose power off, and saw a weird screen with what looked like a coffee cup, and eventually the phone rebooted and seems unchanged at the moment.
I still want to revert to the sprint nougat before I bring the phone in, but I admit I am a little nervous now about the best way to do this. I could use some suggestions. I hope this post is not too long-winded, but I wanted to explain as much of what has happened as possible.
maltydog said:
I briefly took over another thread where this issue didn't belong, but since I am still having issues, I thought I would start my own thread. Okay, so I am on Sprint, sideloaded several of the updates, including most recently the Oreo Beta. I have been very happy with the beta, and was looking forward to the update due this week. However, yesterday evening I dropped the phone on the sidewalk and it cracked very badly, and as I am paying insurance with Sprint I want to bring it to a store and have it fixed. Not only is the screen badly cracked, but the keyboard is acting up a bit also.
Anyway, I was getting advice on the Oreo thread about how to do this, and as I said, I had hijacked the thread, but I was at work and didn't get to try this until tonight when I got home. Anyway, I had originally plan to just find the Ota and sideload it, but it was recommend that I use flashall and the full image file from the Essential site. I tried to do that, but when I restart the phone to get into Bootloader mode, it disappeared from the list of devices visible on my desktop and via adb. It was a bit disturbing to me as I am not used to working in Bootloader, previously did anything like this via recovery, and I wasn't sure how to exit the bootloader, but I chose power off, and saw a weird screen with what looked like a coffee cup, and eventually the phone rebooted and seems unchanged at the moment.
I still want to revert to the sprint nougat before I bring the phone in, but I admit I am a little nervous now about the best way to do this. I could use some suggestions. I hope this post is not too long-winded, but I wanted to explain as much of what has happened as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just an FYI, I found that putting Oreo on the phone resulted in ADB not working 100% anymore, such as attempting to reboot into recovery/etc. It would just reboot back into the O.S..
Here is what I did to flash the stock firmware.
- download the current release you want to flash. (e.g. NMJ32F), then unzip it into a new folder.
- on your phone, verify that USB debugging and OEM unlocking are turned on in the developers menu.
- reboot your phone into the fastboot mode (power and volume down buttons)
- from your adb command line: type: fastboot flashing unlock
- This will make your phone show a new screen asking if you want to unlock the bootloader. Use the volume down to select YES, and hit the power button. It will now reboot and erase the phone. It will eventually end up booting up too request you setup the phone. (that is what it did for me.)
- reboot the phone back into the fastboot mode (power and volume down buttons)
- you should now see the bootloader listed as unlocked (vs locked)
- from your adb command line: type: fastboot devices (which should show your phones serial number and fastboot next too it.
- on your computer, using the command line, go to the unzipped folder of the NMJ32F build you downloaded
- in the folder there is a batch file you will run called flashall.bat. run it
- your phone will start flashing the NMJ32F build
- when it completes it will reboot a couple of times, erase the phone, and end up at the "lets get started" screen.
- reboot the phone back to the fastboot mode
- from your adb command line: type: fastboot flashing lock
- select the option to lock your bootloader. The phone will reboot/erase I believe, and then end up back to the "lets get started" screen.
- after you setup your phone, you can go back into the developers menu to turn off the oem unlocking
The above steps pretty much follow essentials instructions. (the essential instructions don't give some specifics.)
You are all done. (I recommend you review my instructions and the essential instructions carefully, don't copy paste commands as I may have spelled something wrong, etc.. Just wanted to give you a flow of the process.)
I was following those directions, but what happens is that though the phone appears as a device in adb before rebooting, once I reboot into fastboot mode, it is no longer listed. I also noticed that when tried to reboot the phone into bootloader mode with an adb command, instead, it did a regular reboot, and when it did that reboot, it again was no longer listed as a device, because it went into charging mode. So I'm not sure how to keep this from happening.
maltydog said:
I was following those directions, but what happens is that though the phone appears as a device in adb before rebooting, once I reboot into fastboot mode, it is no longer listed. I also noticed that when tried to reboot the phone into bootloader mode with an adb command, instead, it did a regular reboot, and when it did that reboot, it again was no longer listed as a device, because it went into charging mode. So I'm not sure how to keep this from happening.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason why the adb command (to go into bootloader mode) didn't work is it is broken when you installed Oreo, that is why you need to do it manually.
When you put your phone into fastboot mode (power button / volume down) plug in your phone into your computer, and from command prompt (make sure you are in the adb folder), type fastboot devices (don't type adb devices) and see if anything replies back.
kbonnel said:
The reason why the adb command (to go into bootloader mode) didn't work is it is broken when you installed Oreo, that is why you need to do it manually.
When you put your phone into fastboot mode (power button / volume down) plug in your phone into your computer, and from command prompt (make sure you are in the adb folder), type fastboot devices (don't type adb devices) and see if anything replies back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I understand now. I can't start this tonight, but I will try the again next time I have time at the desktop.
You are probably missing the phone's driver. Download this, Essential device driver for Windows machines. Supports 32/64 bit on Windows 7, 8 and 10., from the essential developer site and install it.
damn it, I read somewhere that there are problems while using adb on the current official beta. There was a command for getting connection again. But I can't find it right now.
Just to be clear. when the phone is on, you enabled USB debugging and plugged in the USB cable and checked the tickbox before you granted debugging access, right? If you don't check the box, there is no access granted after a phone reboot.
take care, I had problems getting through the initial phone setup after I did a factory reset. The Oreo beta still has some hickups. I got it to work after a few reboots. Without finishing the intial phone setup you can't enable USB debugging, you know.
emowing said:
You are probably missing the phone's driver. Download this, Essential device driver for Windows machines. Supports 32/64 bit on Windows 7, 8 and 10., from the essential developer site and install it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point on the driver, I wasn't even thinking about that.
Well, my phone was being read when I previously sideloaded updates, so I think I have the right drivers, but I will double check. Can anyone suggest why the phone keeps defaulting to charging mode rather than file transfer every time I reboot it?
maltydog said:
Well, my phone was being read when I previously sideloaded updates, so I think I have the right drivers, but I will double check. Can anyone suggest why the phone keeps defaulting to charging mode rather than file transfer every time I reboot it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's a typical android habit. charging mode is default.
did you checked the tickbox when debugging window is appearing?
iceman#1 said:
that's a typical android habit. charging mode is default.
did you checked the tickbox when debugging window is appearing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
iceman#1 said:
that's a typical android habit. charging mode is default.
did you checked the tickbox when debugging window is appearing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I did, thanks.
F
iceman#1 said:
that's a typical android habit. charging mode is default.
did you checked the tickbox when debugging window is appearing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I did, thanks. Trying to reply and it doesn't appear. Edit: Sorry for the multiple posts,they all appeared at once.
Okay, I am back to this now, I had time today. I installed the windows drivers from the Essential site (I am running Windows 10 64 bit) and the device was recognized in fastboot devices. The phone wiped my data and restarted with a setup screen. So far, so good. So I shut down the phone again, turned it on again in fastboot mode, it was unlocked. I went into a CMD screen and typed fastboot devices, and the phone was still listed there. So I opened windows explorer and got to the folder where I had unpacked the image files and also copied the flashboot file. I right-clicked the flashall.bat file, chose run as administrator. When I did this, I got a bunch of error messages that went by so fast, they were practically impossible to read, though they seem to say something about files not found. I didn't see any log file in the folder, so I guess they are not created. I went back to the Essential site and downloaded the zip file with the correct image files again and tried a second time, with the same results. Anyway I have wiped my phone, but still have not reinstalled the Sprint nougat software I need on this phone. Any other suggestions?
Okay, I tried again, and I was able to read the error message. They all said cannot load "filename" no such file or directory. It sounds like some kind of path error, right? I expanded the file from the Essential download for build Build NMI81C into their own directory, a subdirectory of a library where I have been keeping various android files, and I copied the flashboot file into the same directory from the platform-tools download, but only that file. That seems to be what instructions specify.
Also, I notice on this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/essential-phone/development/stock-7-1-1-nmj20d-t3701681/page3 it mentions also using the command "fastboot flashing unlock_critical" but I do not see that elsewhere.
I was able to get flashall to run using the command prompt instead of Windows Explorer. It seemed to run okay, except a couple of items cause me some concern.
I got a message "FAILED (remote: Flashing is not allowed for Critical Partitions)" for the abl.img file.
And the other command "Did you mean to fashboot format this ext4 partition".
Are either of these a problem?
Try running the commands one at a time. Open the flash-all.sh in a text editor and copy the commands.
As I said in my last message, I was able to get Flashall to work when I ran it in the CMD prompt rather than in windows explorer (which is how it was done in the video posted on Youtube, but didn't work for me). My only concern at this point is whether I should be concerned about the two commands posted in the email.
Interestingly enough, my phone did an update to the build NMJ32F as soon as I started it up.
maltydog said:
As I said in my last message, I was able to get Flashall to work when I ran it in the CMD prompt rather than in windows explorer (which is how it was done in the video posted on Youtube, but didn't work for me). My only concern at this point is whether I should be concerned about the two commands posted in the email.
Interestingly enough, my phone did an update to the build NMJ32F as soon as I started it up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did u not do the flashing unlock_critical?
Airwolf79 said:
Did u not do the flashing unlock_critical?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I didn't. It was not mentioned by anyone but me in this thread until you did.
So far I have received no error messages since I did the reversion to stock. As I said,
I did get an update almost immediately.

How I Rooted Walmart Onn Tablets (No TWRP Needed)

I'll be making a video for this with the 7 inch tablet on Nov. 29th or 30th (depending on the time I have)
General Disclaimer: I'm not responsible if you brick your tablet. This is how I did it personally as other methods here didn't work for me. I have yet to test this method on a 7 inch, also do not have access to the Surf variants. This has only been tested on the 10.1 inch with the keyboard. Will update when I test with the 7 inch.
What's Needed:
MTK Fastboot Drivers: https://online.mediatek.com/Public Documents/MTK_Android_USB_Driver.zip
Magisk Manager Canary: https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/magisk/dev-magisk-canary-channel-bleeding-edge-t3839337
Stock Boot Image: https://forum.xda-developers.com/wa...eral/stock-stock-backups-images-otas-t3998227
ADB and Fastboot: https://www.xda-developers.com/what-is-adb/
Prerequisites:
Personally, I had issues getting my PC to recognize the tablets in Fastboot mode. The drivers wouldn't install. This might be optional for some of you, but I thought I'd include it just in case.
Installing MTK Fastboot Drivers from the link above
If you plugin your device in fastboot mode and your PC doesn't recognize it, follow these steps. If it did, skip this part.
1.) Download the drivers above and unzip the Zip file somewhere on your PC (desktop or My Documents is easiest)
2.) Boot your Tablet into Fastboot Mode by holding Vol + and Power, then select Fastboot from the Menu
*NOTE* There is a bug with these tablet's that the volume buttons are mislabeled. Really dumb, but I guess that's why they were 55 bucks for the 10 inch on black friday
3.) Plug the device into your PC and open Device Manager by pressing WinKey+R and typing devmgmt.msc, hit Enter
4.) If there's an Other Device listed called Android, follow these steps. If it isn't there, follow the next set of steps
5.) Open a Command Prompt window as Admin and type the following command
Code:
bcdedit.exe /set nointegritychecks on
6.) Hit enter, then restart your PC
7.) Once the PC is restarted, make sure your tablet is connected in Fastboot mode and open Device Manager again
8.) Right click Android under Other Devices and select Update Drivers
9.) Click the Browse my Computer for driver software button and select the MTK Folder you extracted from the download link above
10.) From there, you can open command prompt, type fastboot devices and see if your tablet shows up and move on to root!
Unlocking your Bootloader
From here, you can unlock your bootloader very easily to Root your device
This will wipe all data off the tablet!
0.) Enable OEM Unlock and USB Debugging on the tablet by going to Settings->About and tap Build Number 7 times. From here, enter the new Developer Options that unlock and turn on OEM Unlock and USB Debugging.
1.) Boot your tablet into Fastboot mode and connect it to your PC
2.) Open a Command Prompt window and type the following command, then hit enter
Code:
fastboot flashing unlock
3.) Follow the instructions on screen to unlock your bootloader
4.) Now Boot your device and we'll move on to making a rooted Boot Image
Creating a Rooted Boot Image with Magisk Manager
0.) Make sure you already have Wifi setup and connected before the first time you open Magisk Manager on your device! Make sure it auto connects as well
1.) Download Magisk Manager Canary from the link above
2.) Install it to your device
3.) Download boot Image from the Stock Boot Image part of the Prerequisites above and put the boot.img on your devices internal memory
4.) Open Magisk Manager and select Install Magisk
5.) Select Patch File and select the boot.img from your internal storage
6.) Once its done patching the image, take magisk_patched.img from the downloads folder of your device and move it onto your PC
7.) Boot your tablet into Fastboot mode and plug it into your PC
8.) Open Command Prompt and type the following command and hit enter (make sure you know your magisk_patched.img file location)
Code:
fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.img
9.) Reboot the device and you'll be Rooted!
Optional Steps like Modules and Debloating
My basic debloat script: https://forum.xda-developers.com/wa...s-general/root-walmart-bloat-remover-t4011639
Will be testing GSI roms on the spare 7 inch and will list those here
Recommended Magisk Modules:
Viper4Android Legacy
FDE.AI
MagiskHide Props Config
Systemless Hosts
Youtube Vanced Black
Magisk Setting to Enable:
Magisk Hide
Rename Magisk Manager App (keeps app from detecting magisk root)
Credits:
Myself for this root method @byproxy for reminding me to add the steps for OEM Unlock and enabling wifi before opening Magisk Manager for the first time
I'll start this off saying i'm an amateur at this, but I cannot for the life of me get an option to show up in magisk to patch the boot image even though it's on my 7" tablet. Any thoughts?
The bootloader was unlocked and it was successful so that's not the issue.
Are you online? I had the same problem.
Xavster2 said:
I'll start this off saying i'm an amateur at this, but I cannot for the life of me get an option to show up in magisk to patch the boot image even though it's on my 7" tablet. Any thoughts?
The bootloader was unlocked and it was successful so that's not the issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xavster2 said:
I'll start this off saying i'm an amateur at this, but I cannot for the life of me get an option to show up in magisk to patch the boot image even though it's on my 7" tablet. Any thoughts?
The bootloader was unlocked and it was successful so that's not the issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, been a busy few days, but make sure you're connected to Wifi, close Magisk Manager, then reopen it and you'll be good to go!
Onn 8" walmart tablet
I purchased the 8" Onn walmart tablet second hand from a store called dirt cheap. Box didnt look to be opened but it had been. The tablet had been setup with someones gmail account that i do not know. The tablet was for a 4yo girl to use to learn preschool. Is there just any simple way to remove this google FRP lock ? I dont care if i lose the info on it as its not mine. I just want her to be able to use the tablet. Any help would be much appreciated please
CoachDad said:
I purchased the 8" Onn walmart tablet second hand from a store called dirt cheap. Box didnt look to be opened but it had been. The tablet had been setup with someones gmail account that i do not know. The tablet was for a 4yo girl to use to learn preschool. Is there just any simple way to remove this google FRP lock ? I dont care if i lose the info on it as its not mine. I just want her to be able to use the tablet. Any help would be much appreciated please
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Forced factory reset should do it. There is small pin hole near the power button. I believe pressing this hidden button(with a Sim card ejector, or paper clip).
If pressing does not do anything. Maybe press the button then hold power button too
mrmazak said:
Forced factory reset should do it. There is small pin hole near the power button. I believe pressing this hidden button(with a Sim card ejector, or paper clip).
If pressing does not do anything. Maybe press the button then hold power button too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for responding so fast. I've boot into recovery mode /wiped everything...its back to factory. The pinhole reset button does nothing other than reboot it . Ive tried all combos to with the reset button but nothing. Also i've read that its possible to use odin? if i can get it into download mode.
Ive downloaded the stock rom posted on an sdcard wondering if i can possibly update in recovery mode? Im sorta a newb at this stuff. I've been reading for 4 days on this matter. I've practiced a root on an old tablet with success. I guess at this point unless i can sell it as is giving the customer that it has this frp lock on it. If the know how to fix it so be it. Im not sure there is a working solution for frp bypass on these tablets.
CoachDad said:
Thank you for responding so fast. I've boot into recovery mode /wiped everything...its back to factory. The pinhole reset button does nothing other than reboot it . Ive tried all combos to with the reset button but nothing. Also i've read that its possible to use odin? if i can get it into download mode.
Ive downloaded the stock rom posted on an sdcard wondering if i can possibly update in recovery mode? Im sorta a newb at this stuff. I've been reading for 4 days on this matter. I've practiced a root on an old tablet with success. I guess at this point unless i can sell it as is giving the customer that it has this frp lock on it. If the know how to fix it so be it. Im not sure there is a working solution for frp bypass on these tablets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is an mtk device not Samsung. So there is no Odin or download mode. There is spflash tool, and preloader.
And if you flash firmware (with default frp partition) then frp lock is cleared.
But you will have to find that file. It maybe in the stock firmwares that are shared, I do not know.
EDIT:
i was having issues but figure it out. maybe it should be so common knowledge that it shouldn't need to be included as a step, but since i don't do this THAT often i didn't think about it and it took me a bit to figure out why i was having issues.
once you get your computer to recognize your device (mine did without needing to mess with any drivers) you need to first make sure to got into the tablet settings -> about and then tap on the build number 7 times to access developer options. then you need to go into developer options and turn on OEM Unlocking & USB Debugging.
THEN follow the guide to unlock bootloader.
then (since the tablet is factory reset once you unlock) do the above AGAIN to turn USB Debugging back on after you reboot.
also note that you need to have an internet connection on the tablet to utilize magisk. once you got all that square, then continue on with steps for full root.
hope that helps!
byproxy said:
EDIT:
i was having issues but figure it out. maybe it should be so common knowledge that it shouldn't need to be included as a step, but since i don't do this THAT often i didn't think about it and it took me a bit to figure out why i was having issues.
once you get your computer to recognize your device (mine did without needing to mess with any drivers) you need to first make sure to got into the tablet settings -> about and then tap on the build number 7 times to access developer options. then you need to go into developer options and turn on OEM Unlocking & USB Debugging.
THEN follow the guide to unlock bootloader.
then (since the tablet is factory reset once you unlock) do the above AGAIN to turn USB Debugging back on after you reboot.
also note that you need to have an internet connection on the tablet to utilize magisk. once you got all that square, then continue on with steps for full root.
hope that helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not realize I didn't include that step. Total noob mistake when typing a tutorial up for android. I do this almost daily at work, so I forget to include it
CoachDad said:
Thank you for responding so fast. I've boot into recovery mode /wiped everything...its back to factory. The pinhole reset button does nothing other than reboot it . Ive tried all combos to with the reset button but nothing. Also i've read that its possible to use odin? if i can get it into download mode.
Ive downloaded the stock rom posted on an sdcard wondering if i can possibly update in recovery mode? Im sorta a newb at this stuff. I've been reading for 4 days on this matter. I've practiced a root on an old tablet with success. I guess at this point unless i can sell it as is giving the customer that it has this frp lock on it. If the know how to fix it so be it. Im not sure there is a working solution for frp bypass on these tablets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to remove FRP lock on one of mine by flashing the stock rom with SP Flash Tool. I used the full wipe and download selection with every partition selected including boot.
no worries! i didn't think about it either until i was having issues. thanks for the tutorial... it was super helpful!! btw it definitely works on the 8" tablet.
Hello! I'm new to all of this, but what I'm trying to accomplish is removing the Google account from this tablet and putting a new image on the ONA19TB002, ONA19TB003, ONA19TB007, Surf 7 and 10 tablets. I followed all of the steps as far as installing the drivers. I had to go through hoops to get the MediaTek Drivers installed, but I have a "warning" cone by it. I haven't been able to find any resolution to this. Any help would be appreciated. I' have a Windows 10 64-bit system that I'm using and the tablet I'm specifically working on at the moment is the ONN ONA19TB003 tablet. The tablet is not being recognized by my laptop when I run the 'fastboot devices' command in PowerShell. Is there something that I'm missing? Any help would be appreciated.
'Quis said:
Hello! I'm new to all of this, but what I'm trying to accomplish is removing the Google account from this tablet and putting a new image on the ONA19TB002, ONA19TB003, ONA19TB007, Surf 7 and 10 tablets. I followed all of the steps as far as installing the drivers. I had to go through hoops to get the MediaTek Drivers installed, but I have a "warning" cone by it. I haven't been able to find any resolution to this. Any help would be appreciated. I' have a Windows 10 64-bit system that I'm using and the tablet I'm specifically working on at the moment is the ONN ONA19TB003 tablet. The tablet is not being recognized by my laptop when I run the 'fastboot devices' command in PowerShell. Is there something that I'm missing? Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally, I avoid PowerShell at all costs. This kinda stuff has always just seemed to work better with CMD.exe instead of Powershell.
These tablets are kind of a nightmare for this. If you've done the mediatek drivers and still have the warning cone icon, I'm not sure what's next as I haven't hit that wall myself. All I can maybe recommend is right click delete drivers in Device Manager, then start over with the driver install
Removing the Google Account would be needing a FRP Bypass. Someone above stated "I was able to remove FRP lock on one of mine by flashing the stock rom with SP Flash Tool. I used the full wipe and download selection with every partition selected including boot. " so if you can get it recognized, try that
KaptinBoxxi said:
Personally, I avoid PowerShell at all costs. This kinda stuff has always just seemed to work better with CMD.exe instead of Powershell.
These tablets are kind of a nightmare for this. If you've done the mediatek drivers and still have the warning cone icon, I'm not sure what's next as I haven't hit that wall myself. All I can maybe recommend is right click delete drivers in Device Manager, then start over with the driver install
Removing the Google Account would be needing a FRP Bypass. Someone above stated "I was able to remove FRP lock on one of mine by flashing the stock rom with SP Flash Tool. I used the full wipe and download selection with every partition selected including boot. " so if you can get it recognized, try that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thank you! This is a shot in the dark, but in order for ADB to work, USB debugging has to be enabled. I can't do that as the tablet is locked by FRP and I have looked countless times on Google and MSN to see if it's possible. Do you have any tips for that?
I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but for some reason I can't seem to get. The tablet to stay in fastboot mode. It just says waiting for device.
will this root onn 8 inch tablet running android 9
soateufel said:
I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but for some reason I can't seem to get. The tablet to stay in fastboot mode. It just says waiting for device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for late reply. Been away from home with work. When fastboot mode indicates "waiting for device," it generally means that your device is not properly communicating with your PC or laptop. This is nearly always due to missing or incorrect drivers 9n your computer. There are several comprehensive guides here on XDA for installing necessary ADB & Fastboot drivers.
installed magisk manager on onn 8 and also have img zip but win i go to patch it magisk manager crashes
when you mean patch boot img do mean to unzip file on onn 8

OTG Mouse to get final Essential update - touch screen still won't work

After reading for hours, I was successful to find an OTG micro-USB adapter with male USB-A end which allowed a Logitech dongle to be inserted and the mouse allowed me to start afresh from a factory reset. The touch screen didn't work.
There was an OTA update and I got all excited thinking, "This will be the update that fixes the touch (or lack thereof) issue."
Sadly, after the message said this was the final update, the touch screen still didn't work.
I was successfully able to enable USB Debugging because of the OTG Mouse.
When I connect to the PC and run an ADB command (e.g. adb devices), a message pops up asking to verify I trust the RSA Fingerprint for that computer and to remember that device.
Now my huge predicament: there is no way for me to touch the checkbox and choose OK.
Once I unplug in the cable to connect the OTG Mouse, the dialog box disappears.
I read about TeamViewer on the PC and TeamViewer Host from the Play Store. I installed both and was able to see the Essential Phone on the computer but whenever I touched the screen of the computer (or used the trackpad), nothing happened on the phone.
I tried pressing spacebar thinking that might enable the checkbox but no remote response on the phone.
I'm so close...all I need is one checkbox and one ok and it'll remember the USB Debugging settings.
From there I can then figure how to either downgrade from Android 10 or hopefully some kind soul can let me know what file to install so I can get this stupid touch screen to work.
I explained in a lot of detail as I wanted you folks to know I've tried many options to troubleshoot this problem before asking for help.
If there's a non-USB Debugging checkbox checked way in Fastboot Mode (e.g. ADB Sideload in Recovery), I'm willing to try that.
Thanks.
Update 2020-07-07: I had an idea to connect a SteelSeries Stratus XL wireless gaming controller to the phone via bluetooth and was successfully able to use the controls of the controller to enable the checkbox and remember the RSA Fingerprint for USB Debugging. Whooo-hoo! Now for the rest of the matter...getting this darn touch screen working with an device image that solves the problem....
I had the same problem after flashing the newest (and final) Image on top of a rooted, very old marshmallow build.
I found a fix on reddit however, and hopefully it works for you too.
I tried the second method described there:
1. Connect to fastboot to unlock bootloader and critical
Code:
fastboot flashing unlock
(didn't do anything for me since I was already unlocked)
Code:
fastboot flashing unlock_critical
Let the phone wipe itself and reboot, then go into fastboot again
2. Then flash the image of September 2018 (PH1-Images-PPR1.180905.036) via the "flashall.bat". After a reboot my touchscreen worked again.
3. Upgrade to the newest image or whichever one you like.
I don't understand the whole problem exactly, so maybe you could try flashing the newest image directly after the unlock_critical step, but I just followed the instructions I found.
Good luck!
Thanks for the suggestion and the link for the file.
When I try and run the command
Code:
fastboot flashing unlock
in fastboot mode, I keep getting the message "Waiting for device".
Same thing, when I try and run the flashall.bat file.
I booted in to FastBoot mode, but when I type adb devices in an admin command prompt, it doesn't show any devices listed, even though adb devices does show the phone listed when the phone has booted up normally.
I have:
uninstalled the Essential Phone driver and reinstalled it (multiple times).
installed the 15 Seconds ADB installer and uninstalled it (multiple times).
rebooted the Windows 10 computer multiple times.
IconBoy said:
Thanks for the suggestion and the link for the file.
When I try and run the command
Code:
fastboot flashing unlock
in fastboot mode, I keep getting the message "Waiting for device".
Same thing, when I try and run the flashall.bat file.
I booted in to FastBoot mode, but when I type adb devices in an admin command prompt, it doesn't show any devices listed, even though adb devices does show the phone listed when the phone has booted up normally.
I have:
uninstalled the Essential Phone driver and reinstalled it (multiple times).
installed the 15 Seconds ADB installer and uninstalled it (multiple times).
rebooted the Windows 10 computer multiple times.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure to use a proper cable and not the one that comes with the phone for charging.
I use the one from my Nexus 6p. The cable from Essential is only for charging, not data transfer.
I'm using a USB-A TO USB-C cable which shows device in normal boot mode.
I have tried three different cables which all work when using adb devices in normal boot mode.
Still no phone when List of devices attached is shown.
Just for clarity: adb and fastboot are completely different modes. To test if you successfully booted into fastboot and have a working connection, you have to type "fastboot devices". "adb devices" doesn't work here.
But the unlock command should have worked anyway. How did you boot into fastmode? Can you see this fastboot screen?
If not, the easiest way to get to fastboot is to connect the turned off phone to the PC while keeping the volume down button pressed, until you see the screen linked above.
But if you do see the fastboot screen, and still don't get anything from "fastboot devices", I'd try Google's official adb/fastboot tools.
xxera said:
...you have to type "fastboot devices".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes! I can see the device listed now! I had no idea that you had to type that command! Wow....years later of working with phones and I am still learning. :good: I guess I didn't progress because I mistakenly thought the device was not being found.
I ran both commands fastboot flashing unlock and fastboot flashing unlock_critical successfully.
Once the phone wiped itself and booted up (without progressing from the startup screen prompts), I shut it down then went back in to fastboot mode and successfully ran the flashall.bat command.
I shut it down and restarted it. Touchscreen is still not working. :crying:
When I finally get this working...would I just run the commands fastboot flashing lock and fastboot flashing lock_critical to relock the phone...? I need Google Pay and other banking apps to work so want the phone to be secure.
There is always more to learn
Shame that it didn't work, though :/ Did you flash the image from September 2018 that I linked, or the newest build? If you directly flashed the newest one, maybe try the 2018 build, since that worked for me. Alternatively, from the same reddit post I linked before, someone got it working by flashing the August 2018 build, and sideloading the September 2018 OTA Update after. But I never did this sideloading thing, so can't help much there. All builds and OTAs are available on this neat website by the way.
Regarding relocking, it is generally advised to only relock if you have a good reason to do it. You can only relock a completely unmodified stock image, otherwise your phone won't boot, so no root, magisk or anything.
My banking apps still work on my unlocked and rooted phone, but I'm using a Pixel 3, and not sure about Google Pay.
But yes, if you want to relock, make absolutely sure you're stock, and use the commands you mentioned. Just be aware that this also wipes the phone again.
xxera said:
Shame that it didn't work, though :/ Did you flash the image from September 2018 that I linked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I used the link you gave me for the Sep 2018 build.
I will try the Aug 2018 build and see if I get any joy with that.
Thank you so much for your patience and help!
Just to be clear, you should sideload the September OTA after that, the August build itself won't do much as far as I understood.
Glad to help, I just had the same hunt for clues behind me, I know how frustrating it can be
I tried the Aug 2018 build then sideload flashing the Sep 2018 build. No joy...touchscreen still not working.
The whole fastboot flashing worked except for this one error:
fastboot format userdata
CreateProcess failed: The system cannot find the file specified. (2)
fastboot: error: Cannot generate image for userdata
This message came up once the flash was complete and the phone rebooted itself):
Android Recovery
essential/mata/mata
9/PPR1.180610.091/249
user/release-keys
Use volume up/down and power.
Can't load Android system. Your data may be corrupt. If you continue to get this message, you may need to perform a factory data reset and erase all user data stored on this device.
--------------------------------------------------
Try again
Factory data reset
--------------------------------------------------
There was no choice to Apply update from ADB so I can sideload the Sep 2018 update so I went ahead and chose Factory data reset.
Once it factory reset, I was able to go in to recovery and sideload the Sep 2018 update.
Have I missed anything in this procedure...?
I also tried fastboot flashing the Apr 2019 build but that hasn't helped either.
(Attached is a screenshot of the two files I downloaded. The links are the purple ones I chose). Did I get the correct ones?
The files look right to me.
After some research I found that updating the adb tools worked for some people with that error. The creator of the 15 Seconds ADB installer even edited the post and said the tool is outdated by now. There's a newer version in this post, and maybe you are already using that, but I'd strongly recommend the official ADB from google, since I never had a problem with that one.
Also, I read that you should use a USB-3 cable. The official one from essential itself is USB-2 which can cause some problems in flashing sometimes (which is pretty stupid tbh).
Yes, after you updated ADB/fastboot, I'd just try the Aug image + Sept OTA again. Or directly the Sept image.
Not sure about the factory reset message, I'd say yes again just in case.
Edit: Ah, since it says "can't load android system", I guess the flashing failed.
I managed to fix phones with flashing a second time exactly the same way many times, sometimes fastboot is just moody. But may updating ADB can help here.
I updated fastboot and adb from the Google site.
Reflashed Aug and Sep 2018 files.
No joy. Touchscreen still doesn't respond.
An idea...I tried to install TWRP to see if the touchscreen is actually working but get the error fastboot: error: Couldn't parse partition size '0x' when running the command to install the TWRP Mata recovery image file.
Any way to check if the screen/digitizer is not a hardware fault?
Weird error... Can you post the whole log? If the partition size was read as 0, something went wrong with identifying the partition (if I interpret the error message correctly). Did you correctly flash to boot_a/boot_b depending on which one is active?
But TWRP might not help diagnosing the issue, I think touch stopped working in TWRP for essential phone a while ago, because it is also very outdated...
But to me it sounds like the usual problem after updating that many people had. The screen stopped working after an update, right?
Also, did you make sure to use the new platform-tools fastboot? Google's version doesn't automatically install itself system-wide, so if you just type "fastboot" in the command line, that might still be the old "15 Seconds ABD installer" fastboot. You can type "adb --version"to find out, it tells you in which folder the adb.exe file is.

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