Root Messed up, bad.

[Downgraded286]

I have a ZTE Force through TextNow. I flashed a kernel that wasn't compatible, bricked it, and now I flashed a whole ROM (the droidsmith one) that doesn't even seem to connect to TextNow's Sprint network... or WiFi. Unfortunately, no, I didn't make a backup.

If anyone has a stock ROM, or a recovery, or anything of the sort for the TextNow ZTE force, I'd be forever indebted...

 

[TheFatDemon]

I have a ZTE Force through TextNow. I flashed a kernel that wasn't compatible, bricked it, and now I flashed a whole ROM (the droidsmith one) that doesn't even seem to connect to TextNow's Sprint network... or WiFi. Unfortunately, no, I didn't make a backup.

If anyone has a stock ROM, or a recovery, or anything of the sort for the TextNow ZTE force, I'd be forever indebted...

Try updating PRL and profile, That works for me because When I flashed a stock rom it defaulted to Sprint but once I updated it fixed itself.
(Just in case ya don't know how Settings>System Updates>and click update PRL and profile.)

 

[Downgraded286]

Urg, the Play Store is messed up but I can still use the browser...

Trying things, might work. Thanks!

 

[ZTE Force]

Try updating PRL and profile, That works for me because When I flashed a stock rom it defaulted to Sprint but once I updated it fixed itself.
(Just in case ya don't know how Settings>System Updates>and click update PRL and profile.)

keep the dsf 0.7 ROM ... just update Profile to reconnect your text now acct

 

[Downgraded286]

These roms aren't working out quite well. Both Droidsmith and the stock B13 ROM mentioned earlier does this:

Cannot connect to wifi. I can see my network and try to connect to it, and it saves it, but it just doesn't connect.

The Play Store keeps saying Server Error when trying to access it. (But I can surf the web with the already existing Browser app)

As soon as the display turns off, either from hitting the power button or the display going off by itself, it will not come back on. It lights up a little bit like the display tries to come on but the screen is all black.

This happens both with Droidsmith and the stock B13 rom... for the B13 rom I tried both the deodexed and the rooted versions.

If it matters, I am downloading the zip files on my computer and copying them to SD card, and putting the SD card in my phone and flashing the zip from within CWM.

I contacted Textnow support asking for a stock ROM from them but have yet to receive a reply.

 

[ZTE Force]

I have a ZTE Force through TextNow. I flashed a kernel that wasn't compatible, bricked it, and now I flashed a whole ROM (the droidsmith one) that doesn't even seem to connect to TextNow's Sprint network... or WiFi. Unfortunately, no, I didn't make a backup.

If anyone has a stock ROM, or a recovery, or anything of the sort for the TextNow ZTE force, I'd be forever indebted...

PUT Droidsmith v.7 [entire rom] on with CWM or twrp recovery whatever you have ....doesn't matter stop screwing around with the kernel

then "UPDATE Profile" to restablish your acct with textnow or whichever mvno has your ESN# ...... if your paid up...... it is all you need to do


the very first guy (TheFatDemon) who answered you was right

 

[Downgraded286]

That's what I've been doing. I download the rom, put it on sd card, and flash from sdcard with cwm. I haven't done anything with the kernel since I messed with it in the first place. Now I can't connect to wifi, the play store is messed up and the screen won't come back on as soon as it goes off for the first time (have to pull the battery and turn the phone back on to get the screen back).

 

[ZTE Force]

(Just in case ya don't know how Settings>System Updates>and click update PRL and profile.)

A>boot into CWM wipe data/factory RESET... wipe cache partition
B>load the droidsmith rom from cwm as a .zip then reboot
C>update profile ... update prl

Be sure to include the first step if you haven't it could explain your problem

 

[Downgraded286]

That's what I was doing... (actually I just did factory reset cause it wipes cache anyway) and I did that before and after, but this time I followed those instructions exactly. I did wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache partition, flashed the droidsmith rom, rebooted, updated prl and profile, rebooted again, and the phone still does the same things. Screen stays black after the screen turns off, the Play Store still says Server Error, and I still can't connect to my WiFi network. This happened not only with the Droidsmith rom but also the B13 stock rom mentioned earlier.

On a side note, even though the screen stays black, I can still accept and talk on phone calls by answering it (swiping to the right to answer on the screen where that button would be, if I could see it)...

Not sure what's going on here...

Textnow support tells me they will try to make a ROM available for download for my phone next week. They tell me they have others available for other phones, but not mine currently.

 

[sawbones999]

There is a warning on the DSF site that it is designed for boost only. I think that the rooted stock ROMs are made primarily for boost as well.

You might possibly do some things like change settings to get it working, but not definitely.

Sometimes things like Wi-Fi not working or such can be caused by flashing a different kernel. Did you flash a different one? You probably said already and I missed it.

Cheers
-SB

 

[sawbones999]

Try flashing the generic ZTE ROM that is available on their website. That might fix it.

Cheers
-SB

 

[sawbones999]

But, first before you flash anything run the factory reset wipe in cwm, then go under advanced and wipe dalvik cache.

You should do this before any flash so you get a clean install. might also be a good idea to wipe /system under the mounts sub heading in cwm, also. Not doing this can cause problems similar to the ones you have listed here.

Good luck,
-SB

 

[sawbones999]

If you are flashing a different kernel, matrix say, then you should only wipe cache and dalvik cache, but only after you get a stable ROM running.

Cheers
-SB

 

[Downgraded286]

There is a warning on the DSF site that it is designed for boost only. I think that the rooted stock ROMs are made primarily for boost as well.

You might possibly do some things like change settings to get it working, but not definitely.

Sometimes things like Wi-Fi not working or such can be caused by flashing a different kernel. Did you flash a different one? You probably said already and I missed it.

Cheers
-SB

Well, that was my first wrong turn flashing the Matrix kernel, which wasn't right for my phone/version of Android. After that I tried flashing other entire ROMs like the Droidsmith one and got these issues. My phone I believe is a Sprint phone... Textnow piggybacks Sprint's network.

Try flashing the generic ZTE ROM that is available on their website. That might fix it.

Cheers
-SB

Where? If I look my phone up I don't really see anything on ZTE's site.

But, first before you flash anything run the factory reset wipe in cwm, then go under advanced and wipe dalvik cache.

You should do this before any flash so you get a clean install. might also be a good idea to wipe /system under the mounts sub heading in cwm, also. Not doing this can cause problems similar to the ones you have listed here.

Good luck,
-SB

Might be worth a try, even with what I have now, can't hurt. (wiping system I mean, I do normally do a factory reset/wipe)

If you are flashing a different kernel, matrix say, then you should only wipe cache and dalvik cache, but only after you get a stable ROM running.

Cheers
-SB

Don't think there's really any kernels out for my phone. I don't think I'll be messing much with kernels...

-ed Tried wiping System partition, no luck. The phone still acts all wonky.
I have ordered another phone just like mine for somebody else, so one way or another I will have my stock ROM for this phone, it will just take time... when/if Textnow makes the download available or the phone gets here whichever comes first. I can use that phone to make a backup then take the backup to fix my phone. Hopefully...

-ed Should I receive a download link of the ROM from Textnow, or make a backup from the second phone which is on the way, should I post it up here? Where would be the best place to upload it to? I believe this is a 4.1.2 Jellybean ROM (at least that's what I think I saw in my phone before I messed it up, android version 4.1.2). I don't know which 'carrier' ROM it would be. I know that upon very first receiving the phone there was no standard messaging app (the Textnow app instead replaced it) and after the green android logo, there was a Textnow splash screen (in place of the green ANDROID logo that appeared before the home screen loaded). I think maybe it is a Sprint ROM customized by the Textnow team to work with their service.

-ed How do I make a backup - WITHOUT ROOTING? I am fully aware I can root the phone, install CWM, and make a full backup from there. The phone I am getting which I plan to make a backup from is for someone else and I do not want to root it or install CWM or anything to it. I just want to get my hands on it for a few minutes just to pull a backup from it. I want a full flashable backup... I can root if I absolutely have to but if there's a non root method that's absolutely preferable.

 

[sawbones999]

If you are correct and your phone was indeed one that came with a Jellybean ROM then that could explain the problems you have been having.

First, you flashed the matrix kernel (which is 3.0.8 and JB is 3.4 kernel). That would cause issues for sure.

About getting a download link for the ROM from Textnow, if it is 4.1.2 JB we desperately need that ROM! Even if you get the other phone and it does have the JB ROM, the Force 4G community has been waiting for this for sooo long for this and you could seriously contribute to helping us get it going!

About making a full backup, I don't know of any method that won't require root, but there is an app in the play store called "Online Nandroid Backup." This app can be used to create a cwm style backup while the system is booted and without installing cwm.

Not only that, but Online Nandroid Backup backs up partitions not normally covered by running backup from within cwm, such as /modem on this device (the radio firmware), and on the htc evo 4g /wimax, etc.

I believe that it's a strong possibility that the reason why we can't get the Sprint JB ROM to work with the 3.4 kernel may be an update on /modem or somewhere else that is not there in what we currently have to work with (an incomplete dump).

If I am correct about that part, then when you flashed to a lower Ice Cream Sandwich firmware (DSF, Boost Stock Rooted, etc.) you would probably see the types of issues that you are having bc a normal custom ROM for the Force won't flash /modem at all so you will still be using the correct parts for the newer 3.4 kernel and that wouldn't jive with the 3.0.8 kernel in those other ROMs.

You may still have the key we need to fix JB on the Force, even though you have flashed lower firmware, it's possible that whatever we need to fix the 3.4 kernel Sprint JB ROM is still on your phone!

Could you possibly run a full backup of your phone with online nandroid backup and then share it to us via something free and easy like dropbox?

As I said, it's possible that the missing piece is there and can be added to the current JB ROM we are working with.

Definitely it would be most awesome of you if you get the other phone and can share a basically untouched firmware with us, even better if they give you a download link or otherwise send you a copy of the ROM.

I WOULD LOVE TO GET MY HANDS ON A VIRGIN ZIP OF THE JB ROM bc that would definitely contain any hardware firmware updates for individual pieces of the phone. I am reading through the updater script of the ZTE Boost firmware available on the site and can see the syntax for how the different firmwares are unpacked individually and where they are placed.

Speaking of the stock ZTE Boost firmware, it is available here http://www.zteusa.com/media/wysiwyg/boost-force/update.zip

Warning!! Unlike most custom ROMs, the ZTE firmware I linked above will overwrite /modem and probably some other locations that we will not want overwritten if we were going to try and use your current setup to try to reconstruct the missing pieces for the 3.4 kernel included in the Sprint JB ROM. If however, you wanted to try and go down to ICS 4.0.4 (Say to use DSF or whatever) and see if you can get it working with textnow then you should flash that update.zip via CWM.

If you did have a newer firmware, flashing the rom linked above should reflash it with the older modem/wifi/bluetooth firmware versions and allow it to work with the 3.0.8 kernel. Dunno if it will update profile for textnow, and it will have boost bloatware instead of textnow bloatware. Also, you may need to change some settings for MMS, 4g, not sure what.

How long before you are expecting the other phone to arrive? Did textnow actually say that they would provide you an installable ROM? That would probably be even better.

Cheers and thanks for renewing my hope for a fully functional JB ROM!
-SB

 

[sawbones999]

If you do get the other phone first and online nandroid backup doesn't get you everything you need (or everything we need to get our ICS Force's up to JB), then there is a script that will make a total and complete backup of any android firmware providing that you have root.

That would be romdump_v82b.zip (latest version I've found) and that may be the right step for fixing JB for the rest of us. I wish that shinru had used that to make his original backup while he had the phone and not just a regular cwm backup. Still he got us started in the right direction.

I have not used this script personally but would be glad to help you through it if you are willing

I just checked the TextNow site about the Force and they still list it as ICS 4.0.4 but that doesn't mean that there aren't 4.1.2 phones out there. Sprint has them and hasn't updated any of their literature about it.

Also, from what I can gather about textnow, a rom that will profile update and prl update for sprint should work with textnow, you will just need to install the textnow app for calling/messaging, similar to freedompop.

I dunno where that puts you on using the boost fw off the ZTE site. I do know that the sprint JB ROM for the force will activate a boost phone but dunno if a boost fw will activate sprint.

Cheers again,
-SB

 

[Downgraded286]

I did try that link you posted earlier... it was one of the things I found searching around on my own. CWM won't even flash it for me.

I will root the phone if I HAVE to, I'd just rather not. But I do need a 100% complete backup, not just for you guys but for myself as well (cause I want to make sure I have a 100% complete copy to fix my own phone with).

No response from TextNow yet about the ROM, or about the order (I got an invoice, no tracking number yet). I'll probably get a tracking number on Monday. The phone will probably get here later on in the week, Wednesday or Thursday (probably Thursday). No idea about the ROM from them, they said they were going to try to make it available for download next week so it's kind of a maybe/maybe not thing.

It's a good thing you mentioned a CWM backup wouldn't be a 100% thing cause that's what I was going to do originally. How can I make a 100% backup, flashable preferred... it doesn't matter that much if I have to root or not, I'd just rather not if I don't have to.

 

[sawbones999]

I could probably produce a cwm flashable zip from that ZTE ROM if you needed, but probably best to return to the stock recovery to use that update.zip if you decide later on to go that route.

I also created a support ticket with textnow. I made an account and then said that I had a phone that someone else messed up by flashing a custom firmware and requested access to their ROM so that I could supposedly fix the phone and activate it on one of their plans.

Waiting on response.

Do you have your phone working to the point that you could try running online nandroid backup and then share it to us via dropbox or similar?

I'd like to see how your partition images compare with stock ICS ones.

Cheers and thanks,
-SB

 

[Downgraded286]

My phone is crippled and barely works at all. I can't access the Play Store. I would need an .apk installer of this online nandroid backup in order to be able to do anything.

If this online nandroid backup uploads the backup file from my phone, then I can't really do it. I imagine the backup would be quite large and eat up a big chuck of my data (WiFi does not work). I only get 500MB for a month... and I have already used 278MB data in the numerous (mostly) failed attempts to revive my phone. If, however, it can store the backup files on my SDcard or somesuch where I can upload it from my computer, that's a-okay. But I'm not sure why you want a backup of a crippled phone. The things you would see in it may be misleading...

I am not sure which rom I have now (must be a stock one) but I'm going to have to install Droidsmith I think, because I have no apk manager or file explorer or nothing. I cannot install .apk files right now. I can't use ADB to do it either because I do not have the correct drivers for the phone to get my PC to work with it well enough to use ADB.

Scratch that, it appears I already had Droidforce, I need to go and find the stock B13 ROM again and load that one up, that one must be the one that had the stuff I need to install APK files...

 

[Downgraded286]

Well, here we go. This is a Nandroid backup of my phone the way it is currently, with the Stock B13 rom installed (I cannot make a backup of the Droidsmith one due to lack of a way to install APKs and broken Play Store). I'm not sure if it's a 100% complete backup or not, though.

Not sure what you'll get out of all this, though. One thing to note I simply packed up the backup it spit out into a .7z archive, I did nothing to make this a flashable package. I'm not even sure how to. But I guess you'll get the stuff you want to look at.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/dh572c

 

[sawbones999]

Awesome! This is what I was hoping for.

Your modem.img has a different md5 hash than any of the ROMs that I have. Probably, if you are right and you had a jellybean ROM then this is still the correct modem.img which the jellybean rom requires.

This is possibly one reason why the JB ROM dump which we got will not work with it's own kernel, but works with the older kernel. because we did not get the modem.img in that JB dump.

I don't have time to cook it into a test ROM and try it tonight to see if we can get the JB ROM to work with it's intended kernel (3.4). This might fix our JB ROM!

Cheers and thanks, I have hope again for the JB ROM.
-SB

 

[sawbones999]

If I'm right then this is also why all of the ice cream sandwich ROMs and kernels you tried did not work properly, bc none of them would overwrite your modem.img (expecting that you already had the correct modem image bc at the time there is only one?)

If you wanted, I could give you a modem image to flash that might fix all these ROMs for you but it might break the JB ROM from textnow.

Another possibility is that the modem image you have is specific to textnow. Sorry I'm rambling

Sleepy. Goodnight

 

[TheFatDemon]

If I'm right then this is also why all of the ice cream sandwich ROMs and kernels you tried did not work properly, bc none of them would overwrite your modem.img (expecting that you already had the correct modem image bc at the time there is only one?)

If you wanted, I could give you a modem image to flash that might fix all these ROMs for you but it might break the JB ROM from textnow.

Another possibility is that the modem image you have is specific to textnow. Sorry I'm rambling

Sleepy. Goodnight

From what I know, Textnow doesn't even use the native calling feature, you have to use their app in order for you to be able to text, Textnow runs off of sprint in a similar way to boost mobile so I don't see where issues would arrive off of using boost/sprint modem.img's n stuff.

 

[Downgraded286]

Gentlemen.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/k3ccby

The other phone arrived today. I wound up rooting it and installing CWM and making a CWM backup. I backed up to external SD card. I swapped the SD card to my broken phone, did factory reset, wiped cache, and dalvik cache, and system. I restored the recovery. Again I did factory reset, and wiped cache and dalvik cache. I then created another backup. This is that backup. It's a .7z highly doubt the zip itself is flashable in any way...

My phone works flawlessly now.

 

[TheFatDemon]

I see 4.1.2 JB, Ima try and flash this then try and update PRL n stuffs to try and see if I can get a working JB.