Root Computer can't find phone to start root process?

[UnplugMe]

I got bait-and-switched on ebay--bought a phone that was supposedly rooted but at the last minute the seller claims he thought better of it and reset to factory.
So I get the phone and there's not only no S-off, it's gingerbread, 2.3.4.

(I managed to root my old incredible with help I got here, but it was froyo. That phone's charging port quit working so this was to replace it, I missed my incredible.)

I read the sticky topic on how to gain s-off and followed the instructions, downloaded and placed the files at C: on my PC's hard drive, went to command prompt, etc. but it can't find the phone's serial number.

I wondered if I could just copy down the MEID and type it in.
So I went to HTC and downloaded/installed HTC Sync manager as I'd had no luck with the linked alternate drivers. I did the necessary rebooting, etc. in between installing/uninstalling nonworking drivers, reinstalling new drivers.
HTC sync still can't find the phone, and the phone can't find HTC sync. So I can't get through the unlock process from HTC's website.

Does anyone have any ideas? I've tried all manner of settings changes as it wasn't clear to me whether the phone should be mounted as a disc drive, htc sync, or charge-only, so I've done it all ways with debugging turned on and off.

I'm very frustrated and hate to ask for help but if anyone has a clue for something I could try, I'm all ears and would really appreciate it.
Keep in mind I'm middle-aged and most of this is really over my head, but I'm persistent if nothing else and did manage to root my old incredible so I'm still hoping.
Thanks.

p.s. the purpose for rooting is to get rid of low on space, otherwise I wouldn't care.
Wouldn't the world be a wonderful place if HTC just fixed the phones for us when they made a manufacturing error? Yes, I'm a dreamer.

 

[UnplugMe]

p.s. I don't know if it matters but my pc's OS is Vista.

*sigh...*

 

[sdrawkcab25]

Are you attempting to follow the directions that scotty85 wrote here?

You may just need to try different USB cords...not all cords are created equal.

 

[UnplugMe]

Yes, I'm following the stickied instructions in this thread by Scotty85:
http://androidforums.com/incredible...ow-unlock-downgrade-achieve-s-off-htcdev.html

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried another OEM HTC cable and that didn't work either. From the command prompt, I got the message
"adb server is out of date. killing...
* daemon started successfully *
List of devices attached
[blank]
c:\miniadb_inc>"

I can see the phone's SD card through Windows Explorer. Maybe I should try a different computer.

 

[sdrawkcab25]

Yes, I'm following the stickied instructions in this thread by Scotty85:
http://androidforums.com/incredible...ow-unlock-downgrade-achieve-s-off-htcdev.html

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried another OEM HTC cable and that didn't work either. From the command prompt, I got the message
"adb server is out of date. killing...
* daemon started successfully *
List of devices attached
[blank]
c:\miniadb_inc>"

I can see the phone's SD card through Windows Explorer. Maybe I should try a different computer.

Yeah... getting the device seen can sometimes be finicky....one wrong program/driver on your computer can fowl things up... if you can, try another PC, or you'll just have to start removing programs that might have the ability to interact with the phone.

PS...the phone should be in charge only mode with USB debugging turned on.

 

[scotty85]

sorry your haveing driver issues. ive used the recomended drivers on windows xp,but unfortunately have no experience with vista.

as sdraw said,try different cables and usb ports. i actually had a usb cable that would cause windows explorer to crash if i attempted to use it for data transfer sometimes a reboot of the pc will help. sometime just a simple unplug and replug,and reselect charge only mode.

also make 100% sure that you have disabled ANY program capable of communicating with the phone. this means htc sync,pda net,easy tether,and even itunes have been known to cause issues.

last and not least,nake sure youre not using usb 3.0,as its not compatible. its a good idea also to be directly plgged in to a usb 2.0 port,and not into some sort of hub.

failing all the above,open device manager and plug the phone in usb debug on,choose charge only and watch for the phone to pop up. does it show up in device manager?

just make sure were on the same page,the issue is you type 'adb devices' and the list of adb devices is blank... i.e.,you are not getting errors,your just not getting a response.

 

[UnplugMe]

Thank you both so much.

I discovered the phone was in fastboot and was preventing me from entering hboot. The phone does have s-off afterall, however when I try to go into recovery it locks up. It also says ***LOCKED*** at the top of the screen, I'm not sure what that means.

I had the lock-up problem once before (when rooting my old phone) and it was because I didn't have clockworkmod recovery.

I think the phone has s-off but isn't rooted? I don't really know, but I have no superuser app and can't install it because of not getting into recovery.
So I think I should install the clockworkmod recovery and then attempt adding superuser? I'm trying to get to the point where I can fix low-on-space.

Thanks!



The world is so complicated, acckkk.

 

[UnplugMe]

Bleary eyed, tried for many hours to regain root. Have installed Clockworkmod half a dozen times or more, but it doesn't take.
I even tried getting it through google play right on the phone. But when I try adding superuser through hboot, it goes to the red triangle exclamation point over the black phone screen and locks up.

I think this means I still don't have a working version of clockworkmod recovery.

I do have s-off. I read other threads on this, how to regain root, etc. but keep hitting that wall and having to remove the battery to clear it.

If anyone has another idea please let me know. Thanks.

 

[scotty85]

sounds like you are making things un-neccissarily hard on yourself

if you are s off,you can reroot without pc connectivity. all you need to do is place superuser on the sd card,then place a PB31IMG containing the recovery you want to use on the sd card,and let hboot install it. afterward,remove PB31IMG,then boot to recovery and flash superuser. alternately,you can flash a custom rom if you dont want to run rooted stock.

more specific directions here: http://androidforums.com/incredible...egain-root-s-off-htc-unlocked-bootloader.html

the "lockup" youre describing,if youre refering to the red ! and triangle,are the stock recovery. you can hold vol up and power,and get a menu,wich you can use to reboot.

the locked banner is simply part of the newer,htcdev compatible hboots.

hope that helps

 

[UnplugMe]

That's what I've been doing, placed the PBS21IMG and superuser on the sd card, got into hboot, installed it, removed the first file from the card, boot into recovery. But when I get to the part where I flash superuser it locks up on the black screen, I don't get a menu. I will try again.

 

[UnplugMe]

Thanks, I'm making it hard on myself because I don't really understand what I'm doing.
I don't remember reading about up+power to get out of red triangle screen but am doing that now.

Typing all this out for clarification and maybe it can help another noob or God forbid ME if I ever have to do this again, (this is why I bought a "rooted" phone, so I wouldn't have to).

In clockwork it says:
E: can't open /cache/recovery/command

Had option to install update.zip from sdcard, reboot, something else. Rebooted.

Tried again.
This time in hboot I chose clear storage, because of the word cache I thought maybe that would help?
It went to a green symbol instead of the red for a minute, then rebooted.
I had to reprogram (activate) the phone, it called Verizon, I hope that's normal. Went through setup again, readded contacts, I guess it wiped phone. Still don't have superuser...

Did it again, this time in clockwork I chose wipe cache partition.
When it was complete I chose reboot.

Still don't have superuser...

Went into hboot again and chose recovery, when red triangle appears vol up and power.

Getting same error message, E: Can't open /cache/recovery/command

I will try removing and replacing the superuser file.

Okay, am in clockwork and and have the option to apply update.zip, but still have the error E: Can't open /cache/recovery/command

It tries but there's no update. zip (that's not what superuser is called), and it doesn't list superuser.

E:Can't mount /dev/block/mmcblk1p1 (or /dev/block/mmcblk1p1
(no such file or directory)
Installation aborted.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks for your patience.

 

[UnplugMe]

I should edit the above but I don't know where to do so. I think I was in stock recovery, not clockworkmod recovery.

I don't understand why these fiiles are not taking.

 

[sdrawkcab25]

That's what I've been doing, placed the PBS21IMG and superuser on the sd card, got into hboot, installed it, removed the first file from the card, boot into recovery. But when I get to the part where I flash superuser it locks up on the black screen, I don't get a menu. I will try again.

What do you mean it locks up on the screen? Do you mean you just have a picture of a "hat" ? When in clockwork, you would choose "install zip from sd card...then locate your superuser zip file


You aren't sure the files are taking in hboot?... Do you see the files being loaded? you should be prompted whether to install the file...

 

[UnplugMe]

What do you mean it locks up on the screen? Do you mean you just have a picture of a "hat" ? When in clockwork, you would choose "install zip from sd card...then locate your superuser zip file


You aren't sure the files are taking in hboot?... Do you see the files being loaded? you should be prompted whether to install the file...

I've gone through the installation of clockworkmod many times, but I don't think it's installed. I don't have the hat. I think what's happening is, I'm in stock recovery and can't get clockwork to install. I get to hboot, choose to install, it says it's doing it, but when reboot to install the superuser, I choose recovery it's just the regular version and doesn't see superuser. I've tried to get the clockworkmod recovery on there many times and different ways, the most recent downloaded directly from google play, but so far no method has worked. The SD card was fat32, but I just reformatted in case that was a problem. I'll start over and try again.

 

[UnplugMe]

Glory Halelujah that worked.

I'm not sure if it was the card needing reformatting, or downloading the files directly to the SD card (instead of transferring from download to card) that did it.

I now have superuser, thanks for your time. Hopefully I can apply the low-on-space fix now and quit bothering you all!


By the way, I wasn't sure if the file that needs to be renamed is supposed to have the .zip file extension, so I downloaded it twice to the card, one with the .zip and one without. You might clarify that for noobs like me.

edit: Update, I was able to apply the fix for Low On Space and am all better now.

One other thing I might've done wrong is I forgot to "unmount" the sd card when swapping it out to transfer files. I did power off the phone first, but I mention in case it could help anyone else.

Sdrawcab25 and Scotty85, Thank you so much for all your patience, help and time.

 

[sdrawkcab25]

Glory Halelujah that worked.

I'm not sure if it was the card needing reformatting, or downloading the files directly to the SD card (instead of transferring from download to card) that did it.

I now have superuser, thanks for your time. Hopefully I can apply the low-on-space fix now and quit bothering you all!


By the way, I wasn't sure if the file that needs to be renamed is supposed to have the .zip file extension, so I downloaded it twice to the card, one with the .zip and one without. You might clarify that for noobs like me.

edit: Update, I was able to apply the fix for Low On Space and am all better now.

One other thing I might've done wrong is I forgot to "unmount" the sd card when swapping it out to transfer files. I did power off the phone first, but I mention in case it could help anyone else.

Sdrawcab25 and Scotty85, Thank you so much for all your patience, help and time.

Glad you got it working

 

[scotty85]

glad you got it working also! :smokingsomb:

sorry for the late response,but as youve figured out your sd card needs to be formated FAT32. anythig else and PB31IMG is invisible. the name is also important- due to the way windows adds and hides file extension,it is usually correct to name "PB31IMG" when using windows.

welcome back to the world of root