Root [GUIDE] Unbrick/Upgrade Optimus V [EASY] [KDZ]

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AndyOpie150 said:

You might have a ZV9 baseband V. The ZV5.kdz file will not work if that's the case. Let me see if I can find the ZV9 firmware and convert it over to a .kdz from a .cab (can't just rename the file, I have to convert with a special utility program).

See if you can figure out a way to get it into E-mode the way I explained. It could be your battery is already drained.

You need to figure out how to get it into E-mode while I look for the ZV9 firmware. Okie Dokie?

Click to expand...

As far as I know Zv9 firmware has never been released as a cab or kdz file. Only an update.zip

Yep. Was hoping someone had made a .cab from the update.zip.
Seems the OP has a ZV5 phone though, he said he had used the KDZ unbrick guide before and it had worked.

I guess I'm going to have to figure out if there is a way to convert the update.zip into a .cab for future ZV9 members who brick their phones.

I have made an updated version of the instructions to help clarify.


Unbrick directions:

00. Download and install LG USB Drivers for the LG VM670
01. Install MSXML 4.0 SP3 Parser (msxml.msi)
02. Your computer needs to be connected to the internet.
03. Connect phone in emergency mode (Phone off> Volume Down + Back key + plug in USB)
04. Run KDZ_FW_UPD.exe
05. In type, choose 3GQCT
06. In Phonemode, choose EMERGENCY
07. Choose the ZV5.kdz
08. Click Launch software update
09. Wait for the error to come up (this might happen a few times in a row just keep repeating steps
10, 11, and 12)
10. Press OK
11. Unplug phone, pull battery, press power button
12. Click Launch software update
When everything is working correctly you should get a readout that pops up that shows a
scrolling text that eventually will display:
wParam:7, IParam=00
then:
wParam:7, IParam=01
and so on and so on until you get to
wParam:7, IParam=100
(in the middle of all this you will ocasionally get a dll message error, this is normal), then
you will get:
wParam:8, IParam=00
It should now go into battery charge mode, or recovery mode, or boot into the phone.
13. Enjoy


Notes:

01. If it hangs in the bootanimation, and you have no recovery, get into the fastboot screen (same
way you get into the recovery, but with no recovery it should automatically go to the fastboot
screen).

To correct it you will need the Android SDK and the Java jdk6_u45 installed and setup properly.

Plug the phone into the computer and open a terminal in the SDK/platform-tools folder (or wherever the fastboot.exe is located) that you
should already have on your C: drive (If no SDK folder let me know, I have one you can download).
Then type in this code:
Note: If the recovery partition is messed up you will need to use adb to get into the fastboot screen.
Open up a terminal in the same folder that the adb.exe is in and type in:
Now open up a terminal in the same folder that the fastboot.exe is in and type in the fastboot commands

Pull battery, get into the E-mode and start the KDZ utility over.
02. If it boots into the recovery just select the "wipe data/factory reset" option, unplug the phone
from the computer and then select the "reboot system now" option.
03. If it goes to battery charge mode just unplug from computer and push the power button.
04. On the first boot up it might takes as long as 10 minutes to fully boot into the lockscreen.


Upgrade/Downgrade/Return to stock directions:

00. Install Drivers, Reboot
01. Install MSXML 4.0 SP3 Parser (msxml.msi)
02. Connect phone in recovery mode (Phone off> Volume Down + Home key)(This will not work with
certain recoveries so try the Xionia or the VM670NH recovery's first)
03. Run KDZ_FW_UPD.exe
04. Select the ZV5.kdz
05. In type, choose 3GQCT
06. In Phonemode, choose DIAG
07. Click Launch software update
08. Enjoy

Made by Sammyz: Updated by AndyOpie150 on Wed/02/October/2013

After step 12.. It is neither going in recovery nor battery charging mode.
Stuck on lg logo..
Device is dead until a external power is given by usb or charger.. then its on lg logo only. nothing else..
not showing in adb.

OK.
Let me ask you some questions.
When did you buy the phone. I really, really, really need to determine what baseband it is. This is very, very, very important.

Also:
How far into step 12 did the phone get. Be very specific.

I always need the most detailed info you can possible give, making sure not to leave out anything. This will help me help you.

Do you have the Android SDK setup properly, with the tools and platform tools folder inside and the path to the adb.exe in your environmental variables?

Do you have the Java jdk6u45 installed and the path to the java.exe put in you CLASSPATH?

Do you have the Xionia recovery in it's zipped form?

Do you have the LG USB drivers for the V installed properly (installed without phone plugged in until after reboot of computer)?

What version of Windows do you have. Do you know how to open up a terminal in a specific folder?

I have an LG VM670 running 2.2.2 and am low on memory. I've moved all the apps I can to my SD card and have cleared as much data and cache as possible. I'm not a power user, and have downloaded less than 30 apps. I have my email saved on my SD card.

It looks like Android is gobbling up storage by updating apps I never use but can't remove, especially UberSocial, Scvngr, Poynt, and Where. I tried uninstalling updates, but Android just downloaded them again. I need your expert advice -- what's the best way to free up some memory?

I use SpaceSniffer on Windows to understand what's taking up the most space; is there something similar for Android? I browsed using X-plore but didn't see anything stick out other than Android specific apps (Google Play services, Google Play Store) and the ones mentioned above.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Best thing you can do is root your phone. All the information you could ever need is in the stickies at the top of the page, for instance : ...
http://androidforums.com/optimus-v-all-things-root/453389-optimus-v-all-things-root-guide-updated-03-11-13-a.html
If you decide to root, this is the very best guide to follow if you want to put a custom recovery and rom on your phone. :
http://androidforums.com/optimus-v-all-things-root/697813-how-install-flash_image-flash-recovery-rom-theme.html
If you follow this guide to the letter, you should have no problems, i would advise reading it a few times to familiarize yourself with it, then read it again. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask before doing anything.

Right now the MiRaGe Rom is the best most stable rom for our phone.
If you think your not ready for a custom rom, you should at least install a custom recovery to make a nandroid backup of your stock rom in case you make a mistake, believe me we all have.
Without a custom rom you can still get rid of all the "bloatware " that comes with the phone.

But i think your best route would be to root, custom recovery and custom rom! You will have more room on your phone than you'll know what to do with. Plus the speed and smoothness is so much better.
Sorry for ramblin on, hope i didn't confuse ya.

badblue1 said:

Best thing you can do is root your phone....

Click to expand...

Thanks for the help. I'm ready to try rooting and installing MiRaGe. But if it doesn't suit me for whatever reason, is it possible to go back to the factory installation?

Andy's guide starts with "you need to have a rooted phone." Shouldn't you backup or image your current instance prior to rooting? How do you go about that if the backup program (Titanium Backup) requires the phone to be rooted?

The "All Things Root Guide" shows several processes as not working with the ZV9 update. How do I know if that applies to me?

Is it better to root using a computer or directly from the phone, or is this just a personal preference thing?

The only way to backup your current ROM is with a custom recovery. The only way to install the custom flash_image which will allow you to install the custom recovery to the recovery partition is to be rooted.

With that being said: If you really mess something up, there is always the ZV9 update that is flashed through the recovery, or you can use the KDZ updater or the KP500 (both require you to be in Emergency mode when flashing the stock firmware).

Use the first guide in the All Things Root Guide sticky to root your phone.
Then follow my guide to get the flash_image and recovery installed (I would stick with the BobZohme modified ClockworkMod recovery (VM670NH_recovery.img) to start with. The camera button is the select button.

Then try out the MiRaGe ROM.

When you feel like experimenting and have good backups made of the stock ROM and the MiRaGe ROM then I would try the SlimRom or the Bean_Whiz (requires you to have at least an 8GB sd card with a 1GB ext.4 formatted partition on the SD card)

To find out your baseband, go to settings >about phone >baseband version, should say zv4 or zv5 or zv9, once you find your baseband follow Andy 's directions.

Guys, thanks again. I have the ZV5 version.

I would stay away from any Froyo ROM that's for the 2.2.1 Android OS version.
All the other ROM's listed in the All Things Root Guide sticky,from the Gingerbread up to Jellybean are fine with the ZV5.

Don't forget to make a backup of your Stock ROM in the custom recovery once you have it installed.

I got the phone rooted and installed Titanium Backup and AppTyrant. The next step is to "backup your apks, apps and app data". Many of my apps were downloaded onto my SD card, which is a different card than I used when rooting my phone. Is it okay to backup to the same card my apps are on?

The only apk I've knowingly used was GingerBreak. Are there other apks I should be backing up? If so, which ones?

Thanks.

Yes.

If you used Titanium Backup and App Tyrant properly and the folders are on the other SD card then your good to go.

Time to move on to getting a custom recovery installed.

Hi, I've done the return to stock directions and everything seemed to go like it was stated in the directions.

However, now it boots up and does the LG and the Virgin Mobile splash screens, but gets stuck in a loop at the following screen:
EDIT: It won't let me post the image as my first post, so I'm going to have to doublepost to give you the image. It will be in the next post.

So here's the attachment (I've spoliared it for size):

Anyway, I was wondering how to get past this point.

Ichigo69 said:

Hi, I've done the return to stock directions and everything seemed to go like it was stated in the directions.

However, now it boots up and does the LG and the Virgin Mobile splash screens, but gets stuck in a loop at the following screen:
EDIT: It won't let me post the image as my first post, so I'm going to have to doublepost to give you the image. It will be in the next post.

Click to expand...

You will have to factory reset from recovery, from powered off state, hold down home, volume down and power buttons all at the same time, release when phone comes on. Now use camera key to select (up and down) select factory reset, reboot phone.

badblue1 said:

You will have to factory reset from recovery, from powered off state, hold down home, volume down and power buttons all at the same time, release when phone comes on. Now use camera key to select (up and down) select factory reset, reboot phone.

Click to expand...

YES! That worked! Cheers, mate!

＼(^o^)／

Happy that you got er fixed up!

A big "Thank You" to sammyz for this guide!!

After a great deal of searching and prior effort I was able to follow these instructions, which kindly included a download link for all of the pieces needed, to unbrick an old LG Optimus V that had somehow bricked itself. I'd been using it as a music player for several years and one day, out of the blue, it would boot only as far as the Virgin Mobile splash screen that comes up just before the Android load screen.

It will go back to being a music player, but I'm happy I was finally able to find a method to allow me to unbrick this thing just because I wanted to.

Brian