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

[cwebb]

Hey guys. Thanks for the tutorial, it's excellent.

Dunno if I'm stuck, or maybe just impatient... After completion of your steps, it's rebooting with endless balls animation.

It's a Nexus 10, trying to flash the stock factory image 5.1.1.

I was playing with installing Marshmallow using TWRP when I realized it wouldn't be completely functional, so I decided to revert to Stock 5.1.1

in fastboot, after:
writing system...Ok
erasing user data...Ok
erasing cache...Ok
rebooting....

I seem to have endless animated balls.

How long should I wait?

Is it safe to force a reboot at this point by holding the power button?

TIA

 

[Crashdamage]

I dunno exactly what would happen if you try to force a reboot at that point. But since you wsnt to go back to stock 5.1.1 why not just load a 5.1.1 RUU?

 

[cwebb]

Thanks. Is it that obvious that I'm a complete noob at this particular kind of flashing

a. Would an RUU be much easier (I'm kind of enjoying learning about ADB etc)?
b. I'm using OS-X terminal (although I do have VMware w/ Win7 inside) - The HTC RUUs are all Windows.
c. after a quick search, I don't see an RUU for Samsung Nexus 10, only HTC, do you?

 

[Crashdamage]

a. A RUU will load the factory software totally from scratch. It will be as new (except with 5.1.1 already on it).
b. A quick Google search turned up this tutorial with the commands for flashing a RUU on a Nexus 5 using a Mac. Just change filenames as necessary. You might find something more specific to your N10. It's not hard, just be careful.
http://rootnexus5.com/nexus-5-root-tutorials/how-to-unroot-nexus-5-with-stock-firmware/
c. Here's where you can get the factory software. This page also has the commands on it.
https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images?hl=en

 

[cwebb]

Thanks Crash. I guess my 'quick search' was a bit too quick. :-o

a. A RUU will load the factory software totally from scratch. It will be as new (except with 5.1.1 already on it).
b. A quick Google search turned up this tutorial with the commands for flashing a RUU on a Nexus 5 using a Mac. Just change filenames as necessary. You might find something more specific to your N10. It's not hard, just be careful.
http://rootnexus5.com/nexus-5-root-tutorials/how-to-unroot-nexus-5-with-stock-firmware/
c. Here's where you can get the factory software. This page also has the commands on it.
https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images?hl=en

 

[Crashdamage]

It was a very quick search for that tutorial. You can probably find a better example for a MAC but I thought that was at least serviceable.

 

[cwebb]

That Mac fastboot tutorial was actually the method I had used.

I was finally able to get out of the unending rotating balls by clearing the cache partition after fastboot had rebooted.

All's well, and I have a little better understanding of the whole process now...

Thanks again.

 

[canucks42]

Thank you so much for this post !!! you save my phone !!!!

THANK YOUUUUUUUUU !!!!!

 

[canucks42]

As I told you before, i found my phone with this post, but i lost storage 16Gb instead of 32Gb... I tried to find the solution at the forum the my poor english don't help me ... Any idea ?!

 

[lunatic59]

There are reports of N5 users losing storage when flashing factory images using an old version of fastboot, but I haven't experienced it first hand. You can grab the latest version of fastboot from our min-sdk found here. That is the version of fastboot I use to flash my 32GB N6 and still have 32GB. You will have to reflash your phone, but now that you've already done it, it should be easier.

 

[Brian706]

There are reports of N5 users losing storage when flashing factory images using an old version of fastboot, but I haven't experienced it first hand. You can grab the latest version of fastboot from our min-sdk found here. That is the version of fastboot I use to flash my 32GB N6 and still have 32GB. You will have to reflash your phone, but now that you've already done it, it should be easier.

It happened to me before. A factory reset after flashing the images fixes the storage issue.

@canucks42 go into settings > backup & reset > factory data reset. Should fix the problem. Or as lunatic59 suggested, you could try flashing the images again.

 

[canucks42]

It happened to me before. A factory reset after flashing the images fixes the storage issue.

Perfect !!! It worked

Thank you so much Brian706 and Lunatic59 for your help !!!

MERCI

 

[PermissionToPanic]

Hello All,

I just wanted to give you a huge thanks. First of all, the solution worked for me after I had lost all hope of ever recovering my phone. Secondly, I read through all the posts on this thread and I have to say that you mods are absolutely amazing for continuing to help people even though it's been well over two years since its creation. You are the heroes that us unworthy bootloop victims don't deserve, but the ones that we need right now.

Just two points of concern:

1) You may have noticed that several people get stuck at step 9 because they don't know what the name of their bootloader is. This was the case for me too. Maybe you can edit the step in the original post with a little note reminding users that they must extract the downloaded .tgz file twice (once to go from .tgz to .tar, then the second time from the .tar file to the actual folder with the bootloader and radio image files) to see the name. It's a small point of confusion for us noobs so I think the note should help greatly and you guys also won't have to constantly answer the same question over and over again.

2) On the https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images page, they mention in their last step that, after the flashing is complete, we should lock the bootloader back up for security. But they also state that "locking bootloader will wipe the data on some devices." So is this necessary or can we just leave it unlocked?

Thank you and please continue to do the great job you've been doing thus far! We'll question you, because you can take it. You're our silent guardians. Our watchful protectors. Our Green Knights.

 

[lunatic59]

Just two points of concern:

1) You may have noticed that several people get stuck at step 9 because they don't know what the name of their bootloader is. This was the case for me too. Maybe you can edit the step in the original post with a little note reminding users that they must extract the downloaded .tgz file twice (once to go from .tgz to .tar, then the second time from the .tar file to the actual folder with the bootloader and radio image files) to see the name. It's a small point of confusion for us noobs so I think the note should help greatly and you guys also won't have to constantly answer the same question over and over again.

While I understand the confusion, if the user opts to use the "flash-all.bat" script (and it somehow miraculously works ) then the second extraction is unnecessary. Or is that the third? These things confuse me too. However, there are more detailed instructions here.

2) On the https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images page, they mention in their last step that, after the flashing is complete, we should lock the bootloader back up for security. But they also state that "locking bootloader will wipe the data on some devices." So is this necessary or can we just leave it unlocked?.

As far as I know, re-locking the bootloader will not wipe data nor cause a factory reset, but if they say "some devices" it's probably prudent to re-lock right after flashing (if you're so inclined) when there isn't any data yet. I keep my bootloader unlocked, but it is a security risk I assume for the convenience of flashing periodically. The risk is that the phone can be flashed, reset or data accessed if someone has physical access to it. There isn't an online risk with an unlocked bootloader.

 

[PermissionToPanic]

While I understand the confusion, if the user opts to use the "flash-all.bat" script (and it somehow miraculously works ) then the second extraction is unnecessary.

Oh, I see. Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks for the link to that detailed and hilarious guide of yours. Surely a New York Times bestseller!

As far as I know, re-locking the bootloader will not wipe data nor cause a factory reset, but if they say "some devices" it's probably prudent to re-lock right after flashing (if you're so inclined) when there isn't any data yet. I keep my bootloader unlocked, but it is a security risk I assume for the convenience of flashing periodically. The risk is that the phone can be flashed, reset or data accessed if someone has physical access to it. There isn't an online risk with an unlocked bootloader.

Hmm, that relieves my concern. I didn't re-lock right after flashing and now I've already restored all my apps and stuff back so I will just leave it be. Maybe pick up some Muay Thai lessons though to prevent any unauthorized physical access of my precious... and I'm talking about my phone, in case anyone's mind is in the gutter. Thank you for the help, lunatic!

 

[lorenzoVM]

Nexus 4 here, trying to flash occam 5.1.1 LMY48T. All steps works fine (except the flash cache, but used format cache instead) but the phone is still stuck at the 4 colors animation. Any ideas? Should I flash an older version? Thanks

 

[scary alien]

Welcome to our AndroidForums, @lorenzoVM .

I'm guessing you've been waiting more than 15 minutes?

You're issues look/sound very similar to @cwebb's above...see post #26 and what they did to see if that fixes things for you, too.

Cheers!

 

[lorenzoVM]

@scary alien I tried to erase/format cache after all the steps, and between steps, still stuck. @cwebb could you detail what exactly you did? Any more ideas? Thanks, this forum has been really helpfull!

 

[lunatic59]

First thing I'd do is check the integrity of the file you downloaded. Do the MD5 signatures match? You can use WinMD5 to verify this. IF you're good there, then I'd see if you can boot into recovery (Vol. down + power) from fastboot and perform a factory reset. If all else fails, flash it again. Sometimes these things just need a second try.

 

[scary alien]

^^^ Here, here, Luna!

(I should have mentioned/thought of that...scary slinks away back to his little corner...).

 

[AsteroidS]

@lorenzoVM same here stucked at the in 4 colors animation...

 

[lunatic59]

@lorenzoVM same here stucked at the in 4 colors animation...

When you say "stuck", if the animation is playing, then let it go for a while. It can take up to 15 minutes to recompile everything. If it goes longer than that, then something isn't right and I'd try flashing again.

 

[AsteroidS]

i left it there for a day, still the same... the 4 colors animation continues until the battery is used up...

tried compiling more than 5 times using different versions of images to no avail.

somehow. my final try using SDK Manager and image 5.0 (LRX21T) worked...
followed exactly as: https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images

 

[lunatic59]

You should be able to flash LMY48T (5.1.1) without any problem.

 

[lorenzoVM]

@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.