How to Extract or convert .flag system img

[Please help] How to Extract or convert .flag system img

Migueldvp
Junior Member

25

22-08-2024, 09:01 PM

#1

Well, short story, i do a backup using SPD Reseach Tool of all the firmware of a device that i dont have the exactly same firmware, but i have a very similar one. (its a chinese watch and its IMPOSSIBLE to get the real pac firmware i want)

The firmware backup looks like its sucesfully made, i can flash that similar firmware and works great. the problem is that firmware that i have in a .pac file, its outdated.

im trying to restore my backed up system partition because its updated, but im having this error "INIT BMFiles" in SPD Research Tool.

Looking the backed fimware its a System.img.flag file.

if i try to extract the content with winrar i get a error message, changing the extension to .img its the same, error. i tried to convert to ext4 with a conversor that i used before with .img files and get me error too.

i read that making the backup with a older version of the SPD Research tool before v21 will do the correct .img file. but the thing is that i flashed the outdated pac already and that updated system its deleted. so i cant do a new backup i only have that flag file.

for me if i can extract the system as usual or convert to a real .img file, its okay.. any way to do it? or its all lost.

I opened the file with a hex editor and it shows that there are real information inside.

its a Spreadtrum device.

This post was last modified: 22-08-2024, 09:02 PM by Migueldvp.

maxpayne
Intern

4,115

28-08-2024, 11:20 AM

#2

(22-08-2024, 09:01 PM)Migueldvp ..
I opened the file with a hex editor and it shows that there are real information inside.

its a Spreadtrum device.

In summary:
1. You have an old pac file
2. You used the old pac file to backup your smartwatch's firmware
3. The backup gave you a system.img.flag
4. You decided to flash the old pac file
5. Now you wish to restore your backup

1. You need to clarify if this system.img.flag was the product of the pac file being extracted by the tool or from an actual backup you made... also which other files are available in the backup
2. Which version of research download tool was used to backup
3. What version of research downlaod tool was used to flash the old pac file
4. Describe the process you followed to backup and a screnshot of files in your backup folder

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Migueldvp
Junior Member

25

28-08-2024, 05:47 PM

#3

(28-08-2024, 11:20 AM)maxpayne
(22-08-2024, 09:01 PM)Migueldvp ..
I opened the file with a hex editor and it shows that there are real information inside.

its a Spreadtrum device.

In summary:
1. You have an old pac file
2. You used the old pac file to backup your smartwatch's firmware
3. The backup gave you a system.img.flag
4. You decided to flash the old pac file
5. Now you wish to restore your backup

Exactly thats is what i do! Now because i flashed the old .pac file, i cant do a new backup to get rid of flag files i can only try to recover those.

Quote:[quote pid="244182" dateline="1724840457"]
1. You need to clarify if this system.img.flag was the product of the pac file being extracted by the tool or from an actual backup you made... also which other files are available in the backup
2. Which version of research download tool was used to backup
3. What version of research downlaod tool was used to flash the old pac file
4. Describe the process you followed to backup and a screnshot of files in your backup folder

[/quote]

1. The system.img.flag is the result of the file extracted directly from the watch by the spd tool, and i do a fulll backup of all the firmware, but there are some files that are .flag not only the system.
2. I used the version "SPD Research Tool R23.0.0001"
3. I Used the same version to flash the old firmware "SPD Research Tool R23.0.0001"
4.The process was the described in the guide that Hovatek do about backup firmware with pac files: in my case, Connect the watch and send a command with ADB "Adb reboot autodload" now in donwload mode open SPD tool then select the firmware, and uncheck all except for FDL1 and FDL2 go to "flash operation tab" select active read flash, and select the desired partitions, in my case i selected all (the only i dont backup was userdata) and thats is, start flash and i get the files in the output folder. This is the tutorial

This are the files in my output folder:

[Image: Captura-de-pantalla-2024-08-28-124329.png]

maxpayne
Intern

4,115

01-09-2024, 03:04 PM

#4

(28-08-2024, 05:47 PM)Migueldvp ...
This are the files in my output folder:

Since you used R23.0.0001 for both backup and flash, load the old pac file in R23.0.0001.
You'll find a folder where it extracts the pac after loaded in the tool.
Take a screenshot and share its contents.

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Migueldvp
Junior Member

25

01-09-2024, 03:17 PM

#5

(01-09-2024, 03:04 PM)maxpayne
(28-08-2024, 05:47 PM)Migueldvp ...
This are the files in my output folder:

Since you used R23.0.0001 for both backup and flash, load the old pac file in R23.0.0001.
You'll find a folder where it extracts the pac after loaded in the tool.
Take a screenshot and share its contents.

This is:

[Image: Captura-de-pantalla-2024-09-01-101109.png]

System and vendor are flag files, they appear as 0mb files but they works fine, i just dont know where the real ones files or how this works but yes, in the SPDR Tool everyting is ready for flash and works, this is the outdated one firmware i flashed.

maxpayne
Intern

4,115

07-09-2024, 12:43 PM

#6

(01-09-2024, 03:17 PM)Migueldvp System and vendor are flag files, they appear as 0mb files but they works fine, i just dont know where the real ones files or how this works but yes, in the SPDR Tool everyting is ready for flash and works, this is the outdated one firmware i flashed.

Copy the .flag files from your dump and paste them (replace) in the folder in your screenshot above then try flash.
BTW, drop a link to the old pac file

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Migueldvp
Junior Member

25

07-09-2024, 05:33 PM

#7

(07-09-2024, 12:43 PM)maxpayne
(01-09-2024, 03:17 PM)Migueldvp System and vendor are flag files, they appear as 0mb files but they works fine, i just dont know where the real ones files or how this works but yes, in the SPDR Tool everyting is ready for flash and works, this is the outdated one firmware i flashed.

Copy the .flag files from your dump and paste them (replace) in the folder in your screenshot above then try flash.
BTW, drop a link to the old pac file

Sadly that doesnt works i mean, replacing the flag files in the extracted firmware from the old pac.... i tried and the flash its sucessfully made but at the end finish flashing the old firmware, ignores completely the file i replaced. Its weid because those two files, system and vendor are first hidden, and second they re 0mb and system its really the bigger file of all the firmware, looks like the .flag are a redirection to the original one file but where.... probably inside the original pac, but inside the pac they will be a system.img file not a .flag so just unpack and replace the system and repack will not work because my updated file its a .flag and not a real .img (but the size of my updated .flag its the real size of system).

this is the old firmware [ Login to download]

and this is the system .flag that i recovered from my watch (this is the updated one i want to flash) : [ Login to download]

and this is the other file i backed up that has .flag extension, vendor file: [ Login to download]

This post was last modified: 07-09-2024, 05:34 PM by Migueldvp.

maxpayne
Intern

4,115

12-09-2024, 08:42 PM

#8

(07-09-2024, 05:33 PM)Migueldvp ..

The flag files appear to be ext4. In theory, if you can convert them to sparse then you could manually load them in R27.23.1902 and flash.

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