Rooting/Unlocking the EE Rook (ZTE Blade A410) -- Help needed plz
Rooting/Unlocking the EE Rook (ZTE Blade A410) -- Help needed plz
06-02-2016, 04:50 PM
Attached to this post are four files:
1. boot.zip -- this is a zipped version of the file boot.img from the factory image
2. recovery.zip -- this is a zipped version of the Recovery directory within the factory image
3. scatter.txt -- this is the file scatter.txt, extracted from the factory image
4. Blade A410-MT6735_Android_scatter.txt -- a properly formatted and valid scatter file, consistent with the previous file in this list and with a variety of scatter files for MT6735M-based phones around the 'Net.
[I have used the last file in this list together with SP_Flash_toolv5.1548 to extract the actual boot and recovery partitions on my phone, and I will post those next. A cursory look at the files with my feeble understanding of what they should be suggests that the scatter file and images might be correct this time.]
Edit: see next post. I have now verified that i can unpack the boot.img and recovery.img that I read-back from my own phone. SO if preferable, one can use those .img files as a starting point.
This post was last modified: 06-02-2016, 10:42 PM by scott.
Attached Files
06-02-2016, 05:24 PM
Note: the scatter file took its start-address and length information from the output of /proc/emmc and also from the factory-supplied scatter file (also attached to the previous post). The factory-supplied file only gives the start-address of each partition; but according to /proc/emmc on my phone, both boot and recovery partitions are 16MB, even though the factory image of boot.img is only 8MB. I assume that the OEM of the phone, which is my carrier EE, just expanded the partitions to use all available space. The fact that boot.img zips back down to less than 8MB suggest to me that it's just wasted space. Anyway, here are the images:
Edit: I'm pleased to report that I managed to install the boot.img-tools utilites under cygwin of all things, and verified that the ramdisk part of both boot.img and recovery.img are perfectly correct disks.
Let's suppose that I could find out online how to build the custom recovery and even perhaps how to build the rooted rom. (although sure, i'd be so grateful if you at least point me in the right direction, if not build them
). But I'm still at a loss about how we can install these back to my phone if the bootloader is locked. Or can one download/flash partitions independently of the bootloader being locked? If that's possible, then in the end I still would not be able to "install" a custom rom or recovery -- but I would be able to flash one??? strange. in any case, i'd be so grateful for help now in
1. getting the custom recovery i need
2. getting the rooted rom I need
3. unlocking the bootloader?
in whatever order/by whatever procedure makes sense.
This post was last modified: 06-02-2016, 10:40 PM by scott.
07-02-2016, 05:19 PM
(06-02-2016, 05:24 PM)scott in whatever order/by whatever procedure makes sense.
Download SuperSU.zip @ https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B9srKhKuV...t=download
Download TWRP for ZTE Blade A410 by Team Hovatek @ https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B9srKhKuV...t=download
Flash the TWRP image using SP flash tool then flash the SuperSU.zip in TWRP.
Reboot the phone and install Root Checker @ https://play.google.com/store/apps/detai...heck&hl=en
let me see a screenshot of the output of root checker
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08-02-2016, 02:15 PM
(07-02-2016, 05:19 PM)hovatek(06-02-2016, 05:24 PM)scott in whatever order/by whatever procedure makes sense.
Download SuperSU.zip @ https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B9srKhKuV...t=download
Download TWRP for ZTE Blade A410 by Team Hovatek @ https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B9srKhKuV...t=download
Flash the TWRP image using SP flash tool then flash the SuperSU.zip in TWRP.
Reboot the phone and install Root Checker @ https://play.google.com/store/apps/detai...heck&hl=en
let me see a screenshot of the output of root checker
Thank you so very much. I am stuck for the moment in a seemingly endless variety of SP_Flash_Tool errors, depending on just what exactly I try. (But I have been exceedingly careful so far and have not damaged my phone in anyway, I can still boot it and use it normally). A few quick questions about the use of the Flash Tool, and then I want to ask your opinion about a way to proceed:
1. I read in some xda-dev thread that the correct preloader file MUST be avail or the phone won't go into download mode. (The thread says that you don't have to flash it, but it must be available.) I don't see this in any of your tutorials/forums. Is this nonsense? In any case, thankfully the factory update.zip file has a file called preloader_ztesh6735m_64_l.bin. There's no harm in putting this file into the same directory as your TWRP .img as long as I leave the preloader checkbox unchecked, right? Please note that this file is not quite the same filename as the preloader file in the scatter files I found online. But since it comes from the factory update .zip file, I am using it, and I changed the scatter file to use this filename.
2. I tried removing EVERYTHING from the scatter file except for the paragraph about the recovery partition. I also tried removing everything except for two paragraphs: recovery and preloader
For a certain time, the problem was that absolutely nothing would happen when I connect the phone. Then I saw that by having the Power and Volume buttons pressed while connecting the phone, the red progress bar of the downloading DA got to 100%, but then I got to one of the following three errors:
S_INVALID_BBCHIP_TYPE (1003)
S_FT_ENABLE_DRAM_FAIL(4032)
PMT has changed for ROM. It must be downloaded
I get these errors under various conditions about exactly what is or isn't in the scatter file I use, which port of the PC I use, which buttons are or aren't pressed etc. Of course, what I NEVER get is just a file succesfully flashed
. So questions for how two proceed:
1. I could use a scatter file that has ONLY the recovery partition and choose "format and flash".
2. I could use a scatter file that has ONLY the recovery AND the preloader and choose "format and flash".
3. I could use the scatter that has ALL the partition paragraphs in it, but ONLY check one or two of the boxes (either recovery alone or recovery + preloader) and choose "format and flash".
4. I have the factory update .zip file, so I can't flash this, but I can put it on an SD card and "update" with this stock image first b-- perhaps then I'll have better luck flashing the TWRP image you gave me?
5. I can keep fiddling and trying to get SP Flash Tools to succeed -- i will try with a friend's PC for example.
Last comment/question: Your tutorial points me to a download link for Sp Flash Tools v.5.1332. But I found online elsewhere a link to v.5.1548. Do you think it matters which one I use? I ask because I'm likely to erase and reinstall both the drivers and the Flash Tool.
Thank you for your amazing patience and help. I want to tell you that if i ever manage to succeed, I intend to become the first double-premium user of your site. This is DEFINITELY worth a second US $10 to me
. (Just trying to keep you interested )scott
08-02-2016, 03:33 PM
(08-02-2016, 02:15 PM)scott Thank you for your amazing patience and help. I want to tell you that if i ever manage to succeed, I intend to become the first double-premium user of your site. This is DEFINITELY worth a second US $10 to me
scott
1. Preloader.bin does not need to be present. All you need is the scatter file and the file you wish to flash. In this case, it's recovery.img
2. You're to follow the SP flash tool guide @ https://www.hovatek.com/forum/thread-159...1hjDf.dpbs
3. You're not to edit the scatter file in any way, use it the way I sent it,
4. DO NOT format in SP flash, use Download only.
5. Switch off the phone and connect to PC for flashing without holding any button
6. You can use either versions of SP flash tool, no need to reinstall vcom drivers
This post was last modified: 08-02-2016, 03:46 PM by hovatek.
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08-02-2016, 09:00 PM
(08-02-2016, 03:33 PM)hovatek(08-02-2016, 02:15 PM)scott Thank you for your amazing patience and help. I want to tell you that if i ever manage to succeed, I intend to become the first double-premium user of your site. This is DEFINITELY worth a second US $10 to me
scott
1. Preloader.bin does not need to be present. All you need is the scatter file and the file you wish to flash. In this case, it's recovery.img
2. You're to follow the SP flash tool guide @ https://www.hovatek.com/forum/thread-159...1hjDf.dpbs
3. You're not to edit the scatter file in any way, use it the way I sent it,
4. DO NOT format in SP flash, use Download only.
5. Switch off the phone and connect to PC for flashing without holding any button
6. You can use either versions of SP flash tool, no need to reinstall vcom drivers
I certainly began the day doing exactly that. And now i am ending that way too. I have tried this on 2 PC, with 4 different USB cables.
I seem to have stabilized around exactly two errors. Every time I follow your instructions, the result is one of the following two things:
Either:
1. Nothing happens at all. Eventually I press the stop button and try again. I admit that I have not yet waited more than 10 minutes to get some reaction from the PC.
or
2. The red progress bar of the "Download DA" completes essentially immediately. Then the lower right hand status text changes from "MediaTek Preloader USB VCOM Port (COM6)" to "MediaTek DA USb VCOM Port (COM7)", the little timer on the lower right of the SP Flash Tools window starts counting seconds -- and somewhere between 2 and 3 seconds later , it stops, and the error flashs:
BROM ERROR ; S_INVALID_BBCHIP_TYPE (1003)
[HINT]:
I can't imagine that this is relevant, but just in case: at one point during the day, I actually needed to use my phone, and I rather idly took at look at Developer Options in settings, and to my disgust I saw that the "OEM Unlocking" setting had returned to its original "off" state. I set this toggle to "on" and redid the whole exercise on the TWO machines, but it diedn't seem to affect anything. When I was done, I rebooted the phone and this time, "OEM Unlocking " was still enabled. (Of course the bootloader is still locked. I first came to you when it proved impossible to unlock the bootloader, even after I set "OEM Unlocking".
Never has been doing nothing so exhausting and frustrating.
thanks for any suggestion that might help
scott
Edit: BTW, You didn't explicitly dismiss one of my desperate suggestions before -- to use the factory update .zip file to "update" the phone's firmware, and then to apply your TWRP via flash tool. I can't format or flash back to stock, but perhaps apply the "update" will pave the way for a successful flash. In anycase, I'll do nothng until i hear from you
This post was last modified: 08-02-2016, 09:14 PM by scott.
Edit Reason: add the suggestion to update then install twrp
09-02-2016, 12:36 AM
(08-02-2016, 09:00 PM)scott 1. Preloader.bin does not need to be present. All you need is the scatter file and the file you wish to flash. In this case, it's recovery.img
2. You're to follow the SP flash tool guide @ https://www.hovatek.com/forum/thread-159...1hjDf.dpbs
3. You're not to edit the scatter file in any way, use it the way I sent it,
4. DO NOT format in SP flash, use Download only.
5. Switch off the phone and connect to PC for flashing without holding any button
6. You can use either versions of SP flash tool, no need to reinstall vcom drivers
I certainly began the day doing exactly that. And now i am ending that way too. I have tried this on 2 PC, with 4 different USB cables.
I seem to have stabilized around exactly two errors. Every time I follow your instructions, the result is one of the following two things:
Either:
1. Nothing happens at all. Eventually I press the stop button and try again. I admit that I have not yet waited more than 10 minutes to get some reaction from the PC.
or
2. The red progress bar of the "Download DA" completes essentially immediately. Then the lower right hand status text changes from "MediaTek Preloader USB VCOM Port (COM6)" to "MediaTek DA USb VCOM Port (COM7)", the little timer on the lower right of the SP Flash Tools window starts counting seconds -- and somewhere between 2 and 3 seconds later , it stops, and the error flashs:
BROM ERROR ; S_INVALID_BBCHIP_TYPE (1003)
[HINT]:
I can't imagine that this is relevant, but just in case: at one point during the day, I actually needed to use my phone, and I rather idly took at look at Developer Options in settings, and to my disgust I saw that the "OEM Unlocking" setting had returned to its original "off" state. I set this toggle to "on" and redid the whole exercise on the TWO machines, but it diedn't seem to affect anything. When I was done, I rebooted the phone and this time, "OEM Unlocking " was still enabled. (Of course the bootloader is still locked. I first came to you when it proved impossible to unlock the bootloader, even after I set "OEM Unlocking".
Never has been doing nothing so exhausting and frustrating.
thanks for any suggestion that might help
scott
Edit: BTW, You didn't explicitly dismiss one of my desperate suggestions before -- to use the factory update .zip file to "update" the phone's firmware, and then to apply your TWRP via flash tool. I can't format or flash back to stock, but perhaps apply the "update" will pave the way for a successful flash. In anycase, I'll do nothng until i hear from you
[/quote]
I honestly dont see the update.zip affecting much.
can I see a screenshot of the SP flash tool error
Learn MediaTek, Unisoc / Spreadtrum (SPD) and Qualcomm Software Repairs @ https://www.hovatek.com/training
Note!
We have a reply schedule for Forum Support. Please try Private Support if you can't wait.
10-02-2016, 01:13 AM
(09-02-2016, 12:36 AM)hovatek(08-02-2016, 09:00 PM)scott 1. Preloader.bin does not need to be present. All you need is the scatter file and the file you wish to flash. In this case, it's recovery.img
2. You're to follow the SP flash tool guide @ https://www.hovatek.com/forum/thread-159...1hjDf.dpbs
3. You're not to edit the scatter file in any way, use it the way I sent it,
4. DO NOT format in SP flash, use Download only.
5. Switch off the phone and connect to PC for flashing without holding any button
6. You can use either versions of SP flash tool, no need to reinstall vcom drivers
I certainly began the day doing exactly that. And now i am ending that way too. I have tried this on 2 PC, with 4 different USB cables.
I seem to have stabilized around exactly two errors. Every time I follow your instructions, the result is one of the following two things:
Either:
1. Nothing happens at all. Eventually I press the stop button and try again. I admit that I have not yet waited more than 10 minutes to get some reaction from the PC.
or
2. The red progress bar of the "Download DA" completes essentially immediately. Then the lower right hand status text changes from "MediaTek Preloader USB VCOM Port (COM6)" to "MediaTek DA USb VCOM Port (COM7)", the little timer on the lower right of the SP Flash Tools window starts counting seconds -- and somewhere between 2 and 3 seconds later , it stops, and the error flashs:
BROM ERROR ; S_INVALID_BBCHIP_TYPE (1003)
[HINT]:
I can't imagine that this is relevant, but just in case: at one point during the day, I actually needed to use my phone, and I rather idly took at look at Developer Options in settings, and to my disgust I saw that the "OEM Unlocking" setting had returned to its original "off" state. I set this toggle to "on" and redid the whole exercise on the TWO machines, but it diedn't seem to affect anything. When I was done, I rebooted the phone and this time, "OEM Unlocking " was still enabled. (Of course the bootloader is still locked. I first came to you when it proved impossible to unlock the bootloader, even after I set "OEM Unlocking".
Never has been doing nothing so exhausting and frustrating.
thanks for any suggestion that might help
scott
Edit: BTW, You didn't explicitly dismiss one of my desperate suggestions before -- to use the factory update .zip file to "update" the phone's firmware, and then to apply your TWRP via flash tool. I can't format or flash back to stock, but perhaps apply the "update" will pave the way for a successful flash. In anycase, I'll do nothng until i hear from you
I honestly dont see the update.zip affecting much.
can I see a screenshot of the SP flash tool error
[/quote]
SOrry for the delayed reply. It was not possible to log into the forum during the time I would have been able to post earlier today.
OK, so here is a screen shot, and I have what might be news. Not great news, I'm sorry to say.
Somehow I worried that the "factory firmware" which I sent you was not in fact the same firmware that I have on my phone. This is mainly because I downloaded the "factory firmware" from the ZTE support site, but the phone was officially made by EE (the carrier).
I note that the firmware on the ZTE support site was marked as ZTE Blade A410 UK (EE). So i would hope it would be at least compatible. But I wrote to ZTE to ask them how to unlock the bootloader, and their answer to me was essentially "we only helped EE make the phone, we can't answer specific questions about their firmware." Which suggested that the firmware on my phone might be a modified version of the "factory firmware".
So I decided to try various things, all of which, to my horror, led no where:
1. I try to upgrade my phone with the update.zip image.The instructions give two ways to do this, and both failed:
a. when I used the updater in Settings, the phone just rebooted when i chose to upgrade. Nothing more
b. when I tried to boot into recovery to install the update.zip from the SD Card, the phone also just rebooted. I cannot boot into recovery any more!!
2. I then tried to flash the 16MB recovery image that I obtained from my own phone via read-back -- and this also now fails. I get exactly the same error as in the screen shot. !!
3. Finally, I just chose "factory reset" from settings -- and this ALSO now fails.. it just reboots the phone.
EDIT: I attach the logs of flash-tool. The fact is that after a reboot, and a reinstall, I now seem to be able to read-back recovery.img on my phone -- and the file is COMPLETELY a set of nulls!! Of course, I have recovery.img which I read-back from the phone as a backup. But now when I try to flash that to the phone, I once again get the S_INVALID_BBCHIP_TYPE (1003) error -- just like when I flash your TWRP !! what's going on?? The recovery image is good -- I got it from the phone!!! why does it say chip mismatch???
attached is the flash tool log and (if I can post a 16MB attachment) the recovery.img I was trying to flash back to the phone.
If you can suggest a way to update the phone with that factory original update.zip file (even though the recovery partition is zeroed out), perhaps I can begin again. BUt of course, if you can do that, then perhaps you can tell me how to flash your TWRP. (of course, they are very different files, one is update.zip and the other is a recovery.img)
This post was last modified: 10-02-2016, 03:40 AM by scott.
Edit Reason: add more data
Attached Files
10-02-2016, 03:55 AM
(the recovery img backup from my phone zips to 8MB and this is too large for the forum attachment
)(10-02-2016, 01:13 AM)scott(09-02-2016, 12:36 AM)hovatek(08-02-2016, 09:00 PM)scott 1. Preloader.bin does not need to be present. All you need is the scatter file and the file you wish to flash. In this case, it's recovery.img
2. You're to follow the SP flash tool guide @ https://www.hovatek.com/forum/thread-159...1hjDf.dpbs
3. You're not to edit the scatter file in any way, use it the way I sent it,
4. DO NOT format in SP flash, use Download only.
5. Switch off the phone and connect to PC for flashing without holding any button
6. You can use either versions of SP flash tool, no need to reinstall vcom drivers
I certainly began the day doing exactly that. And now i am ending that way too. I have tried this on 2 PC, with 4 different USB cables.
I seem to have stabilized around exactly two errors. Every time I follow your instructions, the result is one of the following two things:
Either:
1. Nothing happens at all. Eventually I press the stop button and try again. I admit that I have not yet waited more than 10 minutes to get some reaction from the PC.
or
2. The red progress bar of the "Download DA" completes essentially immediately. Then the lower right hand status text changes from "MediaTek Preloader USB VCOM Port (COM6)" to "MediaTek DA USb VCOM Port (COM7)", the little timer on the lower right of the SP Flash Tools window starts counting seconds -- and somewhere between 2 and 3 seconds later , it stops, and the error flashs:
BROM ERROR ; S_INVALID_BBCHIP_TYPE (1003)
[HINT]:
I can't imagine that this is relevant, but just in case: at one point during the day, I actually needed to use my phone, and I rather idly took at look at Developer Options in settings, and to my disgust I saw that the "OEM Unlocking" setting had returned to its original "off" state. I set this toggle to "on" and redid the whole exercise on the TWO machines, but it diedn't seem to affect anything. When I was done, I rebooted the phone and this time, "OEM Unlocking " was still enabled. (Of course the bootloader is still locked. I first came to you when it proved impossible to unlock the bootloader, even after I set "OEM Unlocking".
Never has been doing nothing so exhausting and frustrating.
thanks for any suggestion that might help
scott
Edit: BTW, You didn't explicitly dismiss one of my desperate suggestions before -- to use the factory update .zip file to "update" the phone's firmware, and then to apply your TWRP via flash tool. I can't format or flash back to stock, but perhaps apply the "update" will pave the way for a successful flash. In anycase, I'll do nothng until i hear from you
I honestly dont see the update.zip affecting much.
can I see a screenshot of the SP flash tool error
SOrry for the delayed reply. It was not possible to log into the forum during the time I would have been able to post earlier today.
OK, so here is a screen shot, and I have what might be news. Not great news, I'm sorry to say.
Somehow I worried that the "factory firmware" which I sent you was not in fact the same firmware that I have on my phone. This is mainly because I downloaded the "factory firmware" from the ZTE support site, but the phone was officially made by EE (the carrier).
I note that the firmware on the ZTE support site was marked as ZTE Blade A410 UK (EE). So i would hope it would be at least compatible. But I wrote to ZTE to ask them how to unlock the bootloader, and their answer to me was essentially "we only helped EE make the phone, we can't answer specific questions about their firmware." Which suggested that the firmware on my phone might be a modified version of the "factory firmware".
So I decided to try various things, all of which, to my horror, led no where:
1. I try to upgrade my phone with the update.zip image.The instructions give two ways to do this, and both failed:
a. when I used the updater in Settings, the phone just rebooted when i chose to upgrade. Nothing more
b. when I tried to boot into recovery to install the update.zip from the SD Card, the phone also just rebooted. I cannot boot into recovery any more!!
2. I then tried to flash the 16MB recovery image that I obtained from my own phone via read-back -- and this also now fails. I get exactly the same error as in the screen shot. !!
3. Finally, I just chose "factory reset" from settings -- and this ALSO now fails.. it just reboots the phone.
EDIT: I attach the logs of flash-tool. The fact is that after a reboot, and a reinstall, I now seem to be able to read-back recovery.img on my phone -- and the file is COMPLETELY a set of nulls!! Of course, I have recovery.img which I read-back from the phone as a backup. But now when I try to flash that to the phone, I once again get the S_INVALID_BBCHIP_TYPE (1003) error -- just like when I flash your TWRP !! what's going on?? The recovery image is good -- I got it from the phone!!! why does it say chip mismatch???
attached is the flash tool log and (if I can post a 16MB attachment) the recovery.img I was trying to flash back to the phone.
If you can suggest a way to update the phone with that factory original update.zip file (even though the recovery partition is zeroed out), perhaps I can begin again. BUt of course, if you can do that, then perhaps you can tell me how to flash your TWRP. (of course, they are very different files, one is update.zip and the other is a recovery.img)
[/quote]
Attached Files
10-02-2016, 02:23 PM
(10-02-2016, 03:55 AM)scott If you can suggest a way to update the phone with that factory original update.zip file (even though the recovery partition is zeroed out), perhaps I can begin again. BUt of course, if you can do that, then perhaps you can tell me how to flash your TWRP. (of course, they are very different files, one is update.zip and the other is a recovery.img)
I suspect the scatter file isn't a perfect fit.
I suggest you put that update.zip aside for now. As I earier said, I don't see it helping at this point.
What we need to focus on now is to get an sp flash tool format of a stock ROM / firmware for your exact model
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