I’m having some major issues with my VZW OG Droid… I’m hoping someone can give me some advice or help toward getting back to some sort of steady state. I’m not a total moron, but I’m not very technically advanced. I know very little about Linux and terminal commands.
Let’s start at the beginning. I had a lot of apps (mostly unnecessary) on my Droid when it was stock FRK83G. it was really slowing down all operations on my phone..
I downloaded SDK from and put it in a subfolder of my Windows XP my documents.. (since I only needed to use it once to get the root done, right?) I rooted using superoneclick -I got the idea from Lifehacker and youtube, (translation – I don’t know how to use SDK)
I got TiBu and force moved some apps to SD.. and all was right with the world…
Then – I kept getting the annoying OTA update notification once FRK76 was pushed by VZW to my phone. I didn’t want to accept the OTA update and lose my Superuser access, etc..
I did some reading and found Peter Alfonso’s link to the rooted version of the update. I downloaded the update, and performed the update. I was able to restore the apps one by one using TiBU – but there were some things I didn’t like… so I figured what the heck, lets look into a Custom ROM… I downloaded Clockworkmod ROM Manager.. and Downloaded GPA19… installed all my stuff.. but restoring my apps was restoring many of them to the internal storage.. so I found “move 2 SD enabler”. I installed it, and it was making my phone do some funky stuff… so I uninstalled, re-flashed GPA19 and moved on(determined to only install important things – and if necessary force move to SD manually using TiBU)…
The next day, I was using my iSyncr app to move a few GB worth of music to SD (have to mount the SD card for that to happen) card so I could get back to using my phone and enjoying it… the app stopped during the process – the SD card un mounted.
Since then, everything has gone downhill…
I’ve wiped, re-wiped, tried to restore backups. I get MD5 mismatch error… I can’t see the files on the SD card when I try to mount it using PC (both through the phone, and through a card reader).. I can’t delete the nandroid file using terminal emulator (link removed b/c I'm new here) – and I get an error.. it doesn’t work
Everything hangs when I try to format or erase SD through the phone.
But If I boot into ROM Manager Recovery, I can see the files are there… in desperation, I wiped through the Recovery tool… so now I don’t have TiBu or ROM Manager, or terminal emulator.
..and I get a FC everytime I try to open the Market. So I can’t get any apps.
I have no idea what to do now. I’m well-beyond caring about keeping my app lists, etc..
I have a few weeks old TiBU folder on my desktop anyway, so no worries if I ever get the phone to work again
To make matters worse, my wife is pissed off at me for spending so much time on the phone – and she’s not about to let me get a new phone right now…
Right now, the phone works as a phone, TXT, internet, and email tool… but other stuff is not possible.
I read something about .SBF and RSD lite, but is this going to solve my problems with the phone and the microSD card?
Any ideas for me. (please use small words and speak slowly..)
Sounds like you should flash the sbf file with RSDlite and just start over. Flash the SBF file and then reroot the phone using whatever you like to root(superoneclick) in your case.
After you root download rom manager app and flash the clockwork recovery so you have a custom recovery and can make backups or flash roms.
If I was you I would use the phone (clockwork will do this) and reformat the sd card. You WILL lose anything on it so move anything you want to a computer first as reformating will wipe the sd card.
Now if you want to flash a custom rom. Put the Custom rom on sd card (that has been reformated) and reboot into clockwork recovery. FIRST use clockwork recovery(that you already have installed by now) and make a backup. Then do a wipe data/cache BEFORE flashing a custom rom but don't exit clockwork. In other words, wipe data and cache and then flash the custom rom you have on the sd card before rebooting the phone.
You should be fine from this point but just remember before you do ANY serious modifying on the phone make a backup and save it to your computer as well as sd card so you can always go back to right before you messed up. Also when you finally get the phone where you want it make a backup.
You can find directions to using RSDlite and a copy of the stock sbf file with an easy google search or on these forums.
Let me know if you get stuck and myself or someone here will be happy to help.
I would try to fix the phone as it is now but honestly you have done a lot of stuff to try and fix what might have been simple at the time so a clean slate is probably best.
Best of luck and don't worry because this phone is almost impossible to brick. Believe me I have tried.
Last edited by istolvampire; December 2nd, 2011 at 10:38 PM.
The Following User Says Thank You to istolvampire For This Useful Post:
OK. I flashed the SBF using RSD lite and re-activated my phone.
The good news: the phone works! ( but, I have not re-rooted yet)
The bad - the Droid is telling me that the SD card is damaged. When I try to format it using the phone, it doesn't work.
I tried to read the card via USB card reader, but I keep seeing "Please insert a disk into drive E:".
Any other suggestions on how to fix the card? or should I just buy a new one?
Thanks again for your help!
That is most definitely not good. I was actually going to reply that you just try formatting the SDCard first, as it sounds like that was the issue, and now I wish I had.
You could try one of those data recovery tools like Recuva or Pandora, but I'm betting they will not work since the OS does not even recognize that the card is inserted.
Hmmm. Have you tried cleaning the physical contact points on hte SDCard with a cotton swap and some rubbing alcohol (iso-propanol)?
Might try the sd card on another computer. Some sd cards can be picky about the device the get inserted to. I have had this happen more than once. Also check disk manager to see it the card is able to be seen from there.
Maybe I'm confused.. The Droid now recognizes the card - it just tells me that it is damaged.
A few days ago (before re-flashing the SBF) I tried to read the SD card directly using a card reader on both my home PC and my work laptop - no dice either time.
The PCs "recognize" it - in the sense that I get a pop-up to the effect of "mass storage device detected"; but when I click the drive under MyComputer - I get: "Insert a disk into drive E:".
There's nothing really important on the card that I'm aware of. So starting from scratch wouldn't be the worst thing - I was just hoping that I wouldn't need to fork over the $30 for a new card.
I'll give disk manager a shot tomorrow ( and the cleaning with iso-propanol tip)... in the meantime, I'm just keeping my apps to a minimum.
I didn't think these cards could get fried? I'm still not completely sure what happened..
You might go ahead and try the rest of John's suggestion, i.e. remove the card, clean the contacts and try again. But when I read that your iSyncr app just stopped tells my gut that either the stopping of the app in the middle fried your sd card, or it dies and that's why the app stopped. How big is your sd card? I've read that even though the A855 will handle a 32gig card, once it starts getting a bit full, things go wonky. Perhaps even so on a 16gig.
The SD card is the original 16 GB that came with the phone when I bought it.
I don't think I ever pushed it past 12 GB as far as spaced that I actually used. I tried Disk Manager, no help. I just moved - so I haven't unpacked the rubbing alcohol box yet... but it sounds like that is my final chance or the card is indeed fried.
OK, well after determining that the SD card was shot, I convinced the manufacturer to send me a new SD card, and I reflashed to FRG83G using RSDlite. It wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought is was going to be. Somehow the OTA update to FRK76 was downloaded (probably my fault, but I don't recall accepting it..), I digress.
So now, I'm waiting for my new SD card to come in the mail; and I have unrooted, stock FRK76. I tried rooting using SuperOneClick 1.7 Rageagainstthecage (saw that idea on this forum) and it didn't work. I think I'm having trouble getting the ADB set up...
So, is there anyway to get rooted again? I saw an .SBF for clockworkmod Recovery, but does that wipe the OS (not a huge loss..)? I'm sorry for being such a novice, but I don't really understand. Appreciate the help if someone can jump in with a tip. Thanks!
I believe the method for rooting you tried was for the latest update (2.2.3) not what you are running. Try a different version of superoneclick. I might be wrong as I do not know which thread you were reading. Also some said they did have luck with the other option in superoneclick (not rageagainstthemachine) but can't remember what it is called but it is the default option, or was.
If all fails you can flash the very old 2.1 sbf and I can send you an app that will root you in a click but it only works with 2.1 sbf.
Sorry I am not much help as it has been a long time since I rooted this phone.
May as well wait until you get your new sdcard, but two things. One, you do not have to flash back to 2.1, though it will work, it's the long way around the barn. Two, I always prefer rooting the 'manual' way, as the superoneclicks in the world are nothing but a script the runs all the manual commands for you; one slight change and it breaks.
I have some guides to root the manual way, link in my sig.
I wasn't referring to superoneclick. I have an older app that only works with 2.1 that is like super but not. Though I agree the manual way is always best.
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am I completely SOL?
