Hovatek Forum MOBILE Android Alcatel 3T 8 Tmo (9027w) - Can't upgrade
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Alcatel 3T 8 Tmo (9027w) - Can't upgrade

Alcatel 3T 8 Tmo (9027w) - Can't upgrade

cheger32
cheger32
cheger32
Enthusiastic Member
6
29-11-2021, 04:41 AM
#1



Hello all, this is my first post here.
I have an Alcatel 3T 8 (9027W) through T-Mobile, based on the MT6739 platform, booted to fastboot for bl unlock using this python script:
https://gist.github.com/plugnburn/b3b0bc...a84ce59337
Running latest Magisk and custom TWRP, all is fine in this regard.
After months of begging and pleading, I got Alcatel to release the kernel source for this device:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/alcatel...18.tar.xz/
It seems to be almost entirely complete, it even compiled with a small patch, so a custom rom (without a stock prebuilt kernel) could be on the horizon for this junk tablet. (I blame alcatel's horrid software writing habits.)

Now for the problem:

I want to update the device to the latest firmware. The provided FOTA app detects root despite Magisk hide, and I seem to have lost my original, unpatched boot image, so restoring to an unrooted state seems to be out of the question. All suggestions pointed to using Alcatel's Mobile Upgrade S software to update to latest firmware. I've tried all versions between v5.3.5, (the earliest version that provides an option for my device) and v5.8.0. Versions 5.5.8 and above successfully detect the device, but report that the device has the latest firmware. (This is not true, the firmware on the device is the version provided when I received the device from T-Mobile. There is an important fix to a major issue with screen lock in a later revision.)

Version 5.4.3 is listed as the supported version for this device on Alcatel's software upgrade page, so I imagine I should use this one or a version near it. Versions between 5.3.5 and 5.4.3 (and a few above this) crash when attempting to read the device, immediately after "MTK USB Port" is detected by Windows. I've tried this on Windows 11, Windows 10, and then inside a VM I tried Windows 8.1, 7, and XP to make sure it wasn't a compatibility issue. All have the same issue, a crash when MTK USB Port is detected by the system. Attached to a debugger, mobile upgrade reports a memory write issue with Dataspec.dll.
Edit to add: I have tried relocking the bootloader and attempting an upgrade, this results in the same crashing issue.

Given all of this, I have two questions:

1. Would a bootloader unlock/modified boot image affect Mobile Upgrade S' ability to properly detect my device and upgrade my firmware?
and
2. Is there any other way to find the OTA url from TCL's servers or hide root from the built in "Updates" app on the device?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I really need this device to be on the latest firmware before I attempt a custom ROM for it, but this busted software has me stuck. I really want to avoid buying another one on ebay.
This post was last modified: 29-11-2021, 10:07 AM by cheger32.
kelvinchinedu
kelvinchinedu
kelvinchinedu
Contributor
1,302
29-11-2021, 02:34 PM
#2
Oga u will not do ota on a rooted phone,forget what magisk hide did, since the release of magisk 23 magisk hide does not have any effect.try relocking the bootloader again and see how u can find a way to recover the boot image.
And for the URL I don't think it will be available anywhere .u should have just save the ota somewhere outside Ur phone .
cheger32
cheger32
cheger32
Enthusiastic Member
6
29-11-2021, 07:05 PM
#3
(29-11-2021, 02:34 PM)kelvinchinedu Oga u will not do ota on a rooted phone,forget what magisk hide did, since the release of magisk 23 magisk hide does not have any effect.try relocking the bootloader again and see how u can find a way to recover the boot image.
And for the URL I don't think it will be available anywhere .u should have just save the ota somewhere outside Ur phone .
Hmm. Magisk hide still works quite well to allow me to use gpay NFC contactless payments, so I know it works. But hiding root from the built in updates app isn't really what I'm looking for. I'm quite confident that with an ota I can patch my firmware to the latest version.
Really at this point I'm just looking for assistance with Mobile Upgrade S. I want to know if anyone else has had these problems with it and how did they solve the issue. Or otherwise how would I get an ota link from tcl's servers:
This php checks for updates based on given parameters(phone info):
http://g2master-us-east.tctmobile.com/check_new.php
This php downloads it:
http://g2master-us-east.tctmobile.com/do...equest.php
It seems that it only requires a few specific params, but I don't know how all of this works. I'm hoping someone else does, or at least has a way for me to get the latest firmware
cheger32
cheger32
cheger32
Enthusiastic Member
6
29-11-2021, 07:22 PM
#4
Edit to add: Drivers are correct, I can read and write the emmc in spflashtool.
This post was last modified: 29-11-2021, 07:23 PM by cheger32.
maxpayne
maxpayne
maxpayne
Contributor
2,873
30-11-2021, 10:20 AM
#5



(29-11-2021, 04:41 AM)cheger32 ..
1. Would a bootloader unlock/modified boot image affect Mobile Upgrade S' ability to properly detect my device and upgrade my firmware?
and
..

FOTA app might just grind to a halt once modification is detected
but if you're able to check Settings > About > System update and also get a message that you don't have an update then maybe Tmobile didn't release that update.
If the Alcatel update tool says that's the latest you have then maybe it is for your carrier / region else I expect it to state that your OS has been tampered and will be unable to install an update
This post was last modified: 30-11-2021, 10:30 AM by maxpayne.
cheger32
cheger32
cheger32
Enthusiastic Member
6
30-11-2021, 07:41 PM
#6
(30-11-2021, 10:20 AM)maxpayne FOTA app might just grind to a halt once modification is detected
but if you're able to check Settings > About > System update and also get a message that you don't have an update
This just opens the Alcatel FOTA app. Alcatel removed the built in ota interface and replaced it with a link to their own app.

(30-11-2021, 10:20 AM)maxpayne then maybe Tmobile didn't release that update.
If the Alcatel update tool says that's the latest you have then maybe it is for your carrier / region
I know this is not the case. When I received this tablet in 2019, I had a notification from the FOTA app. Having modified/unlocked/rooted/jailbroken all kinds of game consoles, phones, computers, etc over the years, I well knew that if I wanted to root this device, I should make sure I didn't allow the system to patch any potential exploits until I knew more. This was in fact the case, as I used the mtk-su exploit for a long time as a way to get a temp root on this device, an exploit that had a fix pushed for it. Eventually I found that script to switch the mtk boot mode and was able to properly root after a bootloader unlock. I haven't been able to get a message about an OTA since, but I do, for a fact, know that there are actually 4 revisions above mine. The one I'm after is one that fixes unlocking on device. To be clear: I have not updated since 2019. This is a US device, given to me by T-Mobile in the US, where I live (region/carrier should not be an issue here). The list of updates is here:
https://www.t-mobile.com/support/devices...catel-3t-8

(30-11-2021, 10:20 AM)maxpayne else I expect it to state that your OS has been tampered and will be unable to install an update
This shouldn't be the case, see the attached image. The Alcatel FOTA app tells me to use the mobile upgrade software BECAUSE the device is modified. It would be strange if they put that message there and then made it so the upgrade software wouldn't work on modified devices. The device is only modified in two ways: boot image and recovery image. I've since replaced the recovery image with stock (which i did have a backup of luckily.) This made no difference.

Has no one seen Mobile Upgrade S behave this way? It seems like that software is the only way to update a modified device, and even if the software doesn't want to update a modded device, surely crashing with a memory access violation is not how the program was supposed to funtion. If I can get the correct verion of this software working the way it should and IT tells me that there is no update, then I'll probably give up. But the fact that this is crashing this way seems solvable. I think I'll just install windows 7 natively on a system and give that a go.

If anyone has any further insight, it would be greatly appreciated.
Otherwise, thanks for the replies so far!
This post was last modified: 30-11-2021, 07:52 PM by cheger32.
Attached Files
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cheger32
cheger32
cheger32
Enthusiastic Member
6
30-11-2021, 11:23 PM
#7
This is solved!
The solution was to use Sugar MTK tool. It seems like this is leaked software, as it required a username and password (provided on the site I found it.)

Looking at the file structure of the tool, it seems to be based on the same system (Gotu?) as the software upgrade tool. Nearly all of files/dlls in the sugar mtk tool directory were present in the Mobile Upgrade S directory.

The tool found my firmware version, detected root (gave me a warning and asked if I wanted to continue,) then downloaded a 3.5gb file and updated my tablet to latest stock. This tool seems to be quite useful for forcing a full firmware upgrade/replacement on mtk devices.

Thanks for any and all replies. This thread could be useful to reference for anyone with an Alcatel/MTK device.
maxpayne
maxpayne
maxpayne
Contributor
2,873
01-12-2021, 03:54 PM
#8
(30-11-2021, 11:23 PM)cheger32 The solution was to use Sugar MTK tool. It seems like this is leaked software, as it required a username and password (provided on the site I found it.)
...

I was going to suggest Sugar MTK but not found credentials for a recent version.
Mind sharing the one you used along with credentials?
cheger32
cheger32
cheger32
Enthusiastic Member
6
01-12-2021, 07:21 PM
#9
(01-12-2021, 03:54 PM)maxpayne I was going to suggest Sugar MTK but not found credentials for a recent version.
Mind sharing the one you used along with credentials?

Latest Version:
https://mega.nz/#!9E9RgaSD!HyE9fi259of35...3bF_eXOeL4
Username: SUBRECella
Password: Rampasbt12!

Note: I didn't upload this. I found it at https://androidmtk.com/, a site which seems sketchy but has never done any harm to my PC in any way and has been a useful resource.

Edit: I want to add this bit of info for anyone seeing this thread in the future with similar issues.
It seems version 5.4.3 of the Mobile Upgrade S software is just broken, at least when used for this device. Even after restoring to stock, with a locked bootloader, the software still crashes when you attemp to plug in your device for reading. (I wasn't expecting the software to do anything this time, I just wanted to see if the issue was the modified FS. It seems this was not the issue, the software just doesn't work as expected.)
This post was last modified: 01-12-2021, 07:29 PM by cheger32.
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