Mods [Guide]How to flash a Nexus Factory Image manually.

@lorenzoVM, I don't think we mentioned that you might want to try (if you haven't already) different USB cables and/or different USB ports (with USB 2.0 being "better" than a USB 3.0 port--I and others have had issues w/fastboot using USB 3.0 in the past).

lorenzoVM said:

@lunatic59 did all that, nothing worked. Flash like 5 times now, always stuck.
@AsteroidS downloaded this version, and tried by your tutorial. Error after flashing the radio, saying something like "system.gis not founded" and then press any key to exit. You extracted twice the file? Or just once and left the .zip archive in the folder? Thanks all, I'm starting to think that maybe it's a hardware problem, bad.

Click to expand...

i extracted the file twice (i.e. extracted the contents in image-occam-lrx21t.zip), and manually ran each command:

• fastboot flash system system.img
• fastboot flash boot boot.img
• fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
• fastboot flash cache cache.img

i would suggest:
1. try it on a different PC
2. try to use the SDK Manager / platform-tools from: https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images

good luck

Dear @jhawkkw due to a lot of bad luck, I had to go back to my old Nexus 4.

After updating to Lollipop my device bootlooped, I'd like to thank you for making this "for dummies" guide! My nexus is back in action thanks to you.

Cheers!

Thanks for the guide,
can someone help me where is my problem? after flashing I get stuck on the Marshmallow animated logo.
Also noticed that after every bootloader reboot I have to manually unlock the bootloader.
Thanks


C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools\hammerhead-mmb29q>fastboot oem unlock
...
OKAY [ 6.837s]
finished. total time: 6.838s

C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools\hammerhead-mmb29q>fastboot erase boot
erasing 'boot'...
OKAY [ 0.217s]
finished. total time: 0.217s

C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools\hammerhead-mmb29q>fastboot erase cache
******** Did you mean to fastboot format this partition?
erasing 'cache'...
OKAY [ 0.216s]
finished. total time: 0.216s

C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools\hammerhead-mmb29q>fastboot erase recovery
erasing 'recovery'...
OKAY [ 0.220s]
finished. total time: 0.220s

C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools\hammerhead-mmb29q>fastboot erase system
******** Did you mean to fastboot format this partition?
erasing 'system'...
OKAY [ 0.212s]
finished. total time: 0.212s

C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools\hammerhead-mmb29q>fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-hammerhead-hhz12k.img
< waiting for any device >
target reported max download size of 1073741824 bytes
sending 'bootloader' (3120 KB)...
OKAY [ 0.296s]
writing 'bootloader'...
FAILED (remote: flash write failure)
finished. total time: 0.496s

C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools\hammerhead-mmb29q>fastboot reboot-bootloader
rebooting into bootloader...
OKAY [ 0.002s]
finished. total time: 0.003s


C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools\hammerhead-mmb29q>fastboot oem unlock
...
OKAY [ 7.949s]
finished. total time: 7.949s

C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools\hammerhead-mmb29q>fastboot -w update image-hammerhead-mmb29q.zip
target reported max download size of 1073741824 bytes
archive does not contain 'boot.sig'
archive does not contain 'recovery.sig'
archive does not contain 'system.sig'
archive does not contain 'vendor.img'
Creating filesystem with parameters:
Size: 29236371456
Block size: 4096
Blocks per group: 32768
Inodes per group: 8192
Inode size: 256
Journal blocks: 32768
Label:
Blocks: 7137786
Block groups: 218
Reserved block group size: 1024
Created filesystem with 11/1785856 inodes and 156120/7137786 blocks
Creating filesystem with parameters:
Size: 734003200
Block size: 4096
Blocks per group: 32768
Inodes per group: 7472
Inode size: 256
Journal blocks: 2800
Label:
Blocks: 179200
Block groups: 6
Reserved block group size: 47
Created filesystem with 11/44832 inodes and 5813/179200 blocks
--------------------------------------------
Bootloader Version...: HHZ12k
Baseband Version.....: M8974A-2.0.50.2.28
Serial Number........: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
--------------------------------------------
checking product...
OKAY [ 0.100s]
checking version-bootloader...
OKAY [ 0.099s]
checking version-baseband...
OKAY [ 0.099s]
sending 'boot' (9152 KB)...
OKAY [ 0.499s]
writing 'boot'...
OKAY [ 0.761s]
sending 'recovery' (10010 KB)...
OKAY [ 0.568s]
writing 'recovery'...
FAILED (remote: flash write failure)
finished. total time: 2.629s

C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools\hammerhead-mmb29q>fastboot erase userdata
******** Did you mean to fastboot format this partition?
erasing 'userdata'...
FAILED (remote: failed to erase partition)
finished. total time: 0.254s

C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools\hammerhead-mmb29q>fastboot flash userdata userdata.img
target reported max download size of 1073741824 bytes
erasing 'userdata'...
FAILED (remote: failed to erase partition)
finished. total time: 0.168s

C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools\hammerhead-mmb29q>fastboot reboot
rebooting...

finished. total time: 0.001s

C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools\hammerhead-mmb29q>

@lifeisfun, are you running the flash-all.sh (or flash-all.bat) scripts or typing the commands in yourself?

If you're running the script, you might want to try to copy / paste the commands manually with a little more time in between them (we've seen this sometimes be helpful).

Also, try making sure you've got a good cable and good connection to your USB port on each end.

One last thing, try using a USB 2.0 port instead of a USB 3.0 port which sometimes seems to be sensitive to fastboot.

Cheers!

Thanks for reply, sadly no joy, flashing manually and tried different ports but I still get those errors

^^^ Great feedback, as always, Luna! [I didn't catch the part about him having to unlock the bootloader each time...]

I don't believe there's the requirement for the N5 to enable fastboot unlocking in the Settings app...my N6 was the first device that I had to do that for (pretty sure, but I'm getting old, too ). So, perhaps this is not an N5 we're dealing with?

Also, just to follow-up to my reply from last night...I only see that @lifeisfun did the "fastboot reboot-bootloader" once in the above and I'm pretty darned sure that the flash-all.* scripts insert that in several places (presumably to "clean the pipes", etc. (technical stuff ) and insert a requisite pause in the process).

That was also the gist of my asking/encouraging you to issue the commands manually.

So, @lifeisfun, please verify for us that you are indeed trying to flash an LG Nexus 5 and then also try to make sure you follow all of the steps (i.e., especially the reboot-bootloader steps) from the flash-all.* script as the proper template (copy/paste them manually in lieu of invoking the script, though).

lunatic59 said:

Here's what jumps out at me ...



and



While the actual command to unlock the bootloader is rather quick, in order to complete the phone must completely reboot/reset following unlocking the bootloader, even if it had been previously unlocked and re-locked.

I also don't see anywhere in your log that the bootloader was re-locked, so if you have to continually run the unlock command, it says to me that you really never unlocked the bootloader in the first place, in which case the subsequent failures when attempting to flash various firmware makes perfect sense.

Since you are flashing hammerhead, I assume you have a Nexus 5, but you didn't mention which version of Android it has now. You'll have to forgive me here because I'm an old fart with a memory like a steel seive, but in one of the later versions of android (I thought it was Marshmallow, but it could have been Lollipop) you need to go into settings to allow the bootloader to be unlocked. Humor me and go to settings>developer options and see if there is an option to allow OEM unlocking and if there make sure it's enabled.

I'd also try unlocking manually rather than using a script or a toolkit. It's very simple. First enable USB debugging and plug your phone into your PC. The first time you do this you should see an RSA prompt like this.

If you saw that already and checked always allow, then you're golden, otherwise check the always allow this time and tap OK. Now power down your phone, press and hold Vol. down, up and power all at the same time until the fastboot menu appears. Then plug in your phone (or if was already plugged into your pc, just set it down).

On your PC (Windows or Linux) or Mac, open a command prompt/terminal window and navigate to where fastboot.exe resides.

Code:

CD C:\users\yourname\Desktop\mini-sdk\sdk-tools\

That's assuming windows, and you are using the mini SDK extracted to your desktop.

Type

Code:

>fastboot devices

just to make sure your phone is being seen by your PC. You will see a serial number. If it's blank then we need to work on that. Assuming you're connected type

Code:

>fastboot oem unlock

and you should see a warning pop up on your phone which you must accept to proceed. It's rather dire, but all it's going to do is factory reset and then reboot with an unlocked bootloader.

Once that completes, then you're good to flash your firmware. Let us know how you make out.

Click to expand...

Thanks for reply guys, I wish I could enable debugging, the device (N5) won't boot after google OTA update, clearing cache gives error that it can't be mounted. ( E: failed to mount /cache invalid argument) Factory reset also not working
That's why I tried this.
The first update from Lollipop to Marshmallow was fine but the one after ended in this mess.

Bootloader HHZ12k
6.0.1/MMB29K/2419427 shows in recovery

lunatic59 said:

Okay ... AFTER the first update, you might have needed to enable the allow oem unlock if you relocked the bootloader. In any case, right now I'd give WUG's toolkit a try using the soft-brick option to restore to stock.

Click to expand...

Wugs was my first choice, without debugging enabled no go
BTW the device was never altered, no oem unlocked or rooted before.

Brian706 said:

@lifeisfun can you do me a favor and boot into your bootloader and run the command: fastboot getvar all
and copy/paste the results here for me? I'd like to check a few things out in those results and see where we can go from there.

Click to expand...

C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools>fastboot getvar all
(bootloader) max-download-size: 0x40000000
(bootloader) version-hardware: rev_11
(bootloader) version-baseband: M8974A-2.0.50.2.28
(bootloader) version-bootloader: HHZ12k
(bootloader) version-cdma: N/A
(bootloader) variant: hammerhead D820(H) 32GB
(bootloader) serialno: 070a9ce500cac136
(bootloader) carrier: None
(bootloader) secure-boot: yes
(bootloader) unlocked: no
(bootloader) product: hammerhead
(bootloader) partition-size:aboot: 80000
(bootloader) partition-type:aboot: emmc
(bootloader) partition-size:boot: 1600000
(bootloader) partition-type:boot: emmc
(bootloader) partition-size:recovery: 1600000
(bootloader) partition-type:recovery: emmc
(bootloader) partition-size:system: 40000000
(bootloader) partition-type:system: ext4
(bootloader) partition-size:userdata: 6ce9fa800
(bootloader) partition-type:userdata: ext4
(bootloader) partition-size:cache: 2bc00000
(bootloader) partition-type:cache: ext4
(bootloader) partition-sizeersist: 1000000
(bootloader) partition-typeersist: ext4
all:
finished. total time: 0.052s

BTW you are doing me a favor Brian, and I'll appreciate that!

I did try all this

"It still sounds like you haven't tried manually flashing the images though. Rather than running: fastboot -w update "name of zip file" have you tried extracting the contents of that zip file and manually flashing each image?
fastboot flash system system.img
fastboot flash boot boot.img
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
fastboot flash cache cache.img"

Click to expand...

but without success since the bootloader always shows locked again after reboot

Will try the LG tool


THANKS!

Stuck again
I can't get the LG drivers going, tried on two laptops one of them didn't have any android device ever connected but the phone is still detected as MTP Android device. (Followed the instructions, holding volume up key while connecting to USB port All I get is battery charging icon)

Looks like I same problem as this guy:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=64976158&postcount=161

Brian706 said:

Grrrrr... Can anything go right?!

Can you open up device manager on your computer and see if your device shows up as anything there?


Also, to be sure, you are attempting to enter download mode from a powered off state? Then holding volume+ and connecting the usb cable to your device?

Also, what version of Windows are you running? Are you using a usb 2.0 port? Have you tried using a different usb cable?

Click to expand...

Yeah, tried all that, followed exactly the guide posted, in device manager only MTP Android device. Tried USB2 and USB3 ports, no difference. If I hold volume up I get only Battery charging symbol and then blank screen. All on windows 10.

Brian706 said:

Any chance you can access a windows 7 machine to test on?

Click to expand...

Sadly no but even the guy who did the youtube tutorial is using W8
I think the problem could be that the phone is not switching to the proper mode pushing volume up. Perhaps it was changed in the firmware after OS updates.

Brian706 said:

You are correct. After looking through the thread some more, I see that LG removed download mode in the bootloader version your phone is on. I'm running out of ideas here.

Can you still access recovery mode? It's probably a long shot, but about the only thing I can think to try at this point is to attempt a factory reset from recovery mode and hope that the device will boot up.

Click to expand...

Tried that, it will delete everything fine but then it gets stuck on the cache error again.
Makes me wonder why they removed it.

Hi!
This has been a huge help... lots of system image trouble with an unlocked T-mobile phone. You saved me.
I did have one hiccup... I couldn't get the command prompt to tell me I had successfully installed the radio image (Step 10). It seems to be working fine now, but thought it might be the old 5.1.1 radio image it was working off of. I then loaded up the four scripts independently...
fastboot flash system system.img
fastboot flash boot boot.img
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
fastboot flash cache cache.img
Is there something I'm missing? Just feeling like this is going too well and that I must have missed a step.
Thanks!