Help Is my Nexus 5 dead?

[Flodub]

Hi everybody,

Before selling it for parts I wanted to have your thoughts about my issue.

My phone crashed (reboot for no reason) a few times those past two days.
Suddenly, it went in a boot loop: turning on, Google text, turning off, turning on, Google text, turning off...

I managed to fix this by playing with the power button, but now, it gets stuck on the Android loading screen (flying colors).
I waited a full night, still stuck.

So I started doing research. What I went through so far:

- Recovery mode: impossible to wipe anyhting, get "failed to mount '/data' (invalid argument)", "failed to mount '/cache' (invalid argument)", "failed to mount '/persist' (invalid argument).
- Fastboot: using "fastboot oem unlock" seems to work. But seems only as if I reboot in bootloader mode, the device is back locked which, for what I've read, is not a good sign at all regarding the eMMC chip.
- TWRP: Nothing I've tried works. Same error messages as recovery + unable to mount storage. When I check, my storage is 0mb...

Well so far, I've tried recovery, fastboot, adp and the Nexus Root Toolkit without success.

So tell me, is there anything else I can try? It's been two days I'm on it trying different things, with no luck.

It's pretty hard to follow a step by step tutorial since there is hundred of different ways accross the web but for what I've tried, nothing can be overwritten, nothing can be swiped.

Thank you all!

 

[lunatic59]

What version of Android did you have prior to this happening? If it was 6, then there is an "allow OEM unlock" setting in developer options which might be getting in the way of a permanent OEM unlock.

What you describe *could* be a memory failure, but based on the description, I'd be more inclined to think it was a battery failure. And possibly during an update which corrupted your file system. You said you tried Wug's NRT. Did you try flashing stock using the softbrick/boot loop option? This will wipe all data, but it might be able to bring your phone back.

 

[Deleted User]

battery worth checking

 

[Flodub]

Yes I was on the latest 6 version.
Yes I tried this, but everytime I'm trying something (flash command) I get an error message (remote: flash write failure)

Regarding the battery, it has been changed few months ago. Since I kept the old one, I tried changing it but the issue is the same: it gets stuck on the flying colors loading screen.

In TWRP, I can access the file manager but all folders look empty.

 

[lunatic59]

Hmmm, if you have TWRP, that means you should have an unlocked bootloader, unless you re-locked it after you flashed TWRP.

I know this might sound silly, but try a different USB cable and use a different port on your PC. You'd be surprised how much a flaky port or cable can interfere.

 

[Flodub]

No luck with another cable and USB port.

I can flash (kind of...) but have to restart bootloader and unlock it again everytime.
Here is what I got with all the different .img I have:

fastboot flash boot c:\flash\new\boot.img
target reported max download size of 1073741824 bytes
sending 'boot' (9154 KB)...
OKAY [ 0.483s]
writing 'boot'...
OKAY [ 0.762s]
finished. total time: 1.248s

fastboot flash cache c:\flash\new\cache.img
target reported max download size of 1073741824 bytes
erasing 'cache'...
OKAY [ 0.200s]
sending 'cache' (13348 KB)...
OKAY [ 0.630s]
writing 'cache'...
FAILED (remote: flash write failure)
finished. total time: 1.015s

fastboot flash recovery c:\flash\new\recovery.img
target reported max download size of 1073741824 bytes
sending 'recovery' (10012 KB)...
OKAY [ 0.508s]
writing 'recovery'...
OKAY [ 0.816s]
finished. total time: 1.328s

fastboot flash system c:\flash\new\system.img
target reported max download size of 1073741824 bytes
erasing 'system'...
OKAY [ 0.114s]
sending 'system' (1020665 KB)...
OKAY [ 32.211s]
writing 'system'...
FAILED (remote: flash write failure)
finished. total time: 32.510s

fastboot flash userdata c:\flash\new\userdata.img
target reported max download size of 1073741824 bytes
erasing 'userdata'...
OKAY [ 0.385s]
sending 'userdata' (137318 KB)...
OKAY [ 4.509s]
writing 'userdata'...
FAILED (remote: flash write failure)
finished. total time: 5.078s


I don't have an explanation on why I can flash recovery and boot but not system, userdata and cache but it matches the error messages (failed to mount xxxx (invalid argument)).

 

[lunatic59]

Okay, I am assuming you are flashing these files individually rather than using the flash-all.bat file? Do you flash the bootloader partition as well? Do you restart the bootloader after flashing that? You should.

 fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-[build version].img
fastboot reboot-bootloader

I'd also try moving your image files into the same folder as fastboot and make sure there aren't any spaces in the path.

That way you can simply do the following:

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

Instead of having to include the full path. Granted I'm just guessing here because theoretically, none of that should matter. Sometimes it does, though.

 

[Flodub]

OK I moved the files but as you said it didn't change anything.
Yes I'm doing every command one by one since I have to unlock the bootloader everytime it reboots, the batch file won't work.

Unfortunately, bootloader and radio also give me an error.

fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-hammerhead-hhz20h.img
target reported max download size of 1073741824 bytes
sending 'bootloader' (3124 KB)...
OKAY [ 0.301s]
writing 'bootloader'...
FAILED (remote: flash write failure)
finished. total time: 0.505s

fastboot flash radio radio-hammerhead-m8974a-2.0.50.2.30.img
target reported max download size of 1073741824 bytes
sending 'radio' (45489 KB)...
OKAY [ 1.546s]
writing 'radio'...
FAILED (remote: flash write failure)
finished. total time: 2.774s

 

[lunatic59]

I'm running out of ideas here.

What happens if you try and wipe the system cache or perform a factory reset from TWRP? I've seen other users with similar problems (seems to come up with the N5 more than the N4 or the N6) and some get thier phones back while others give up. I don't really know what the difference is. Sorry.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Factory reset fixes a lot of things. It has been known to fix boatloads but it does wipe all user data.

 

[Flodub]

Factory reset through TWRP:

Could not mount /data and unable to find crypto footer.
Failed to mount '/data' (invalid argument)
Unable to recreate /data/media folder
Updating partition details...
Failed to mount '/data' (invalid argument)
Failed to mount '/cache' (invalid argument)
Failed to mount '/persist' (invalid argument)
...done
Unable to mount storage
Failed to mount '/data' (invalid argument)
Failed to mount '/cache' (invalid argument)
Full SELinux support is present.
Failed to mount '/cache' (invalid argument)
Failed to mount '/cache' (invalid argument)
Unable to mount /data/media/TWRP/.twrps
MTP Enabled
Failed to mount '/data' (invalid argument)
Formatting Cache using make_ext4fs...
Failed to mount '/cache' (invalid argument)
Updating partition details...
Failed to mount '/data' (invalid argument)
Failed to mount '/cache' (invalid argument)
Failed to mount '/persist' (invalid argument)
...done
Unable to mount storage

I'm also running out of options here. That's a lot of fails...

The Title reads:
Factory Reset Complete
Failed

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Yeah. I'm out.

 

[lvt]

How about selling it for parts and get another phone?

 

[Flodub]

I already ordered a new phone. I planned to do this but as I said in my first message, I wanted to make sure it was dead.
First because if I could save it, it would have been great, second because I'm afraid that if someone manage to save it, he could access my data.

Talking about this, is there a way to see if it has been wiped data wise? For example, in TWRP, I've access to a file manager and all folders look empty. Is it a good sign? They really ALL look empty which is weird imo. I mean, there must be some files somewhere, no? Is it reliable?

 

[lunatic59]

I would say at this point your file system is completely borked. Unless someone uses advanced data recovery at the sector level, whatever you had on there is gone. I wouldn't be worried about selling it for parts. Of course you could always pull the thing apart and sell the parts separately and tap dance in golf shoes over the motherboard.

Sorry we couldn't breath some life into your phone.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

The Title reads:
Factory Reset Complete
Failed

No it doesn't. Am I in a Monty Python thread?

What he said.

 

[Flodub]

It was doing this and I fixed this issue but then it would stay stuck in the loading colors animation. Right before Android is supposed to appear.
I'm gonna sell it for parts, I guess I tried everything I could.

Thank you all!

 

[aniket akre]

It was doing this and I fixed this issue but then it would stay stuck in the loading colors animation. Right before Android is supposed to appear.
I'm gonna sell it for parts, I guess I tried everything I could.

Thank you all!

can u please give the procedure the way u fixed it... pls

 

[lunatic59]

Actually, the OP didn't fix the phone. He decided to sell it for parts.

 

[Gamerdude96835]

Factory reset through TWRP:

Could not mount /data and unable to find crypto footer.
Failed to mount '/data' (invalid argument)
Unable to recreate /data/media folder
Updating partition details...
Failed to mount '/data' (invalid argument)
Failed to mount '/cache' (invalid argument)
Failed to mount '/persist' (invalid argument)
...done
Unable to mount storage
Failed to mount '/data' (invalid argument)
Failed to mount '/cache' (invalid argument)
Full SELinux support is present.
Failed to mount '/cache' (invalid argument)
Failed to mount '/cache' (invalid argument)
Unable to mount /data/media/TWRP/.twrps
MTP Enabled
Failed to mount '/data' (invalid argument)
Formatting Cache using make_ext4fs...
Failed to mount '/cache' (invalid argument)
Updating partition details...
Failed to mount '/data' (invalid argument)
Failed to mount '/cache' (invalid argument)
Failed to mount '/persist' (invalid argument)
...done
Unable to mount storage

I'm also running out of options here. That's a lot of fails...

The Title reads:
Factory Reset Complete
Failed

This happen to me before but I fixed it make sure you have a unlocked bootloader than reboot to the bootloader flash the stock recovery reboot the phone after it reboots reboot to the bootloader then flash twrp

 

[Gamerdude96835]

Did you sell it for parts yet