[Hovatimusodd]

Hello guys,I was uninstalling some apps and accidently Asus launcher,Google Play and Play services etc got selected as well.While apps were getting uninstalled and/or downgraded,phone restarted somehow and everything is screwed up now.I am stuck on a screen telling “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” with 2 options underneath, 1.Try again and 2.Factory data reset.

When I select “Try again” it shows “ Dead android robot on his back and red triangle” for a split second and then goes to Asus logo screen for 5 seconds and then ask for encryption key, when I enter the key it goes to ASUS logo screen again for 30-40 seconds and again back to Error screen.

Here is the video of the problem ? (Keep reloading if it doesn't load in first attempt)

[video=metacafe]https://streamable.com/8ggsgq[/video]

• Asus ZenFone 3 ZE552KL
  
• ROM : Stock Oreo Version WW-15.0410.1807.75
  
• Bootloader is Locked
  
• Recovery : Stock Recovery
  
• USB debugging : Disabled
  
• Android device encryption is ON
  
• Device boots in Fastboot Mode and Recovery Mode.
  

• It even boots to the Sideload Mode via recovery and running "adb devices" command shows it attached with it's serial number and sideload but other commands don't work.
  
• Device is being shown /listed in Fastboot Mode.
  
• I am unable to use adb as USB debugging is disabled.Running "adb devices " command shows device’s serial number and "recovery" written next to it ,in the command prompt.
  

I successfully flashed Stock ROM both via using ADB Sideload and SD card in the recovery but I am still stuck on the same "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 " screen.

Update : I finally managed to create an EDL cable and take a backup of all the eMMC partitions using QFIL but I don't know how to retrieve my data.

Thank you! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[kelvinchinedu]

Since u have taken full backup and u are sure userdata is ok , u can just boot to TWRP and connect to PC , and make sure mtp is tick and also update the device in device manager, with that u can open your internal storage and view all content

[hovatek]

Hello guys,I was uninstalling some apps and accidently Asus launcher,Google Play and Play services etc got selected as well.While apps were getting uninstalled and/or downgraded,phone restarted somehow and everything is screwed up now.I am stuck on a screen telling “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” with 2 options underneath, 1.Try again and 2.Factory data reset.

When I select “Try again” it shows “ Dead android robot on his back and red triangle” for a split second and then goes to Asus logo screen for 5 seconds and then ask for encryption key, when I enter the key it goes to ASUS logo screen again for 30-40 seconds and again back to Error screen.

Here is the video of the problem ? (Keep reloading if it doesn't load in first attempt)

[video=metacafe]https://streamable.com/8ggsgq[/video]

• Asus ZenFone 3 ZE552KL
  
• ROM : Stock Oreo Version WW-15.0410.1807.75
  
• Bootloader is Locked
  
• Recovery : Stock Recovery
  
• USB debugging : Disabled
  
• Android device encryption is ON
  
• Device boots in Fastboot Mode and Recovery Mode.
  

• It even boots to the Sideload Mode via recovery and running "adb devices" command shows it attached with it's serial number and sideload but other commands don't work.
  
• Device is being shown /listed in Fastboot Mode.
  
• I am unable to use adb as USB debugging is disabled.Running "adb devices " command shows device’s serial number and "recovery" written next to it ,in the command prompt.
  

I successfully flashed Stock ROM both via using ADB Sideload and SD card in the recovery but I am still stuck on the same "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 " screen.

Update : I finally managed to create an EDL cable and take a backup of all the eMMC partitions using QFIL but I don't know how to retrieve my data.

Thank you! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

You need to flash the full factory firmware via EDL to get around that 'To start Android, enter your password' screen.
As for recovering your data:
1. If your model doesn't have an encrypted userdata, you could mount the userdata.img in Linux and see what you can salvage
2. If you can get a firmware of exact build number as your original then you can just flash the system.img. The 'but' there is I don't know if the firmware you just flashed was of same build number or different. If different then that probably reduced the chances of this approach working

[Hovatimusodd]

Here is the video of the problem. ( Kindly keep reloading if it doesn't load in first attempt ) 

https://streamable.com/8ggsgq

[hovatek]

Here is the video of the problem. ( Kindly keep reloading if it doesn't load in first attempt ) 
..

Have you tried my recommendations?

[Hovatimusodd]

Hello guys,I was uninstalling some apps and accidently Asus launcher,Google Play and Play services etc got selected as well.While apps were getting uninstalled and/or downgraded,phone restarted somehow and everything is screwed up now.I am stuck on a screen telling “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” with 2 options underneath, 1.Try again and 2.Factory data reset.

When I select “Try again” it shows “ Dead android robot on his back and red triangle” for a split second and then goes to Asus logo screen for 5 seconds and then ask for encryption key, when I enter the key it goes to ASUS logo screen again for 30-40 seconds and again back to Error screen.

Here is the video of the problem ? (Keep reloading if it doesn't load in first attempt)

[video=metacafe]https://streamable.com/8ggsgq[/video]

• Asus ZenFone 3 ZE552KL
  
• ROM : Stock Oreo Version WW-15.0410.1807.75
  
• Bootloader is Locked
  
• Recovery : Stock Recovery
  
• USB debugging : Disabled
  
• Android device encryption is ON
  
• Device boots in Fastboot Mode and Recovery Mode.
  

• It even boots to the Sideload Mode via recovery and running "adb devices" command shows it attached with it's serial number and sideload but other commands don't work.
  
• Device is being shown /listed in Fastboot Mode.
  
• I am unable to use adb as USB debugging is disabled.Running "adb devices " command shows device’s serial number and "recovery" written next to it ,in the command prompt.
  

I successfully flashed Stock ROM both via using ADB Sideload and SD card in the recovery but I am still stuck on the same "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 " screen.

Update : I finally managed to create an EDL cable and take a backup of all the eMMC partitions using QFIL but I don't know how to retrieve my data.

Thank you! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

You need to flash the full factory firmware via EDL to get around that 'To start Android, enter your password' screen.
As for recovering your data:
1. If your model doesn't have an encrypted userdata, you could mount the userdata.img in Linux and see what you can salvage
2. If you can get a firmware of exact build number as your original then you can just flash the system.img. The 'but' there is I don't know if the firmware you just flashed was of same build number or different. If different then that probably reduced the chances of this approach working

Hello, getting around that "To start Android, enter your password' screen @00.35 is not an issue.That's pre-boot Encryption PIN screen and I know the PIN.Device owner info/text also get displayed on that screen (I have hidden that in the video).

1.Whole device is Encrypted and it used to ask Encryption PIN before taking you to lock screen before this problem started.Now after entering encryption pin it boots into ""Can’t load Android System your data may be corrupt" screen.

2.Firmware flashed was WW-15.0410.1807.75 which was final stable build for Asus Zenfone 3.I downloaded it from official Asus support page.Don't know whether it's called "Fulll Factory Firmware" or not.If it's not full factory firmware,how can I get one ? Thank you!

https://ufile.io/70manoog

[Hovatimusodd]

Since u have taken full backup and u are sure userdata is ok , u can just boot to TWRP and connect to PC , and make sure mtp is tick and also update the device in device manager, with that u can open your internal storage and view all content

Thank you but the device is encrypted.I know the encryption PIN though.

[hovatek]

...

The idea is to do a complete flash and wipe of the phone (especially userdata partition). If that was successful then it shouldn't be asking for that PIN
Did you try doing a factory reset after flashing in recovery mode?

[Hovatimusodd]

...

The idea is to do a complete flash and wipe of the phone (especially userdata partition). If that was successful then it shouldn't be asking for that PIN
Did you try doing a factory reset after flashing in recovery mode?

Nope, I didn't do "Wipe data / factory reset" after flashing in recovery mode coz I am worried about losing my data and my entire focus is on preserving and retrieving my data even if I have to destroy by device for that.

"Wipe data / factory reset"will wipe everything which includes app data and user data.I am sorry but may I ask why device asking PIN is an issue here when we know the PIN ? And what is our end goal ? what are we intending to achieve when "Wipe data / factory reset" gonna wipe everything ? 

Thirdly,is device encryption playing a role here ? Thank you!

[hovatek]

Nope, I didn't do "Wipe data / factory reset" after flashing in recovery mode coz I am worried about losing my data and my entire focus is on preserving and retrieving my data even if I have to destroy by device for that.

"Wipe data / factory reset"will wipe everything which includes app data and user data.I am sorry but may I ask why device asking PIN is an issue here when we know the PIN ? And what is our end goal ? what are we intending to achieve when "Wipe data / factory reset" gonna wipe everything ? 

Thirdly,is device encryption playing a role here ? Thank you!

Here's the thing.
Once you flash a firmware of a different build number, metadata, userdata and cache are no longer in sync with the new rom. That's why you're getting 'Your data may be corrupt'. Unfortunately, knowing the PIN is of little help in this case.
If you flash back the original build number's firmware excluding those 3 partitions then maybe (just maybe) it will stop insisting on a factory reset. And yes, this is userdata encryption at play
something like @ https://www.hovatek.com/forum/thread-23839.html