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Help HTC One M8 stuck in bootloader

T

tmontney

Newbie
My phone failed an official update over the air. It won't boot past the bootloader. The phone is carrier unlocked (originally AT&T).

Recovery and Factory Default options do not work. They simply go back to bootloader. The most recent RUU does not work. It reboots my phone, and when my phone comes back the RUU says the cable was disconnected. I have no warranty. I am also concerned by the missing info, shown in the image.

I started a similar thread here: http://androidforums.com/threads/htc-one-m8-stuck-in-recovery-mode.911034/#post-6924648 I eventually gave up on the phone for a while because I had no time.
 

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I'll move this to the M8 forum, as the place you'll get the best device-specific help.

One thought: I would guess this was an ATT update, as the phone's CID would still be ATT, so you could try asking them anyway. You may not have a warranty, but if their update broke the phone you could argue that they have a moral responsibility.

Otherwise, your other thread left off with a charge level problem - is that fixed now? And by now there may be newer RUUs (Lollipop) so it may be worth trying that. There is also a trick to extract a zip from the RUU .exe which can be installed from sd via the bootloader (not recovery) if you can't get the USB connection stable, but I'd need to do a bit of research to find the magic filename needed for the M8.
 
Download -

http://androidforums.com/threads/adb-guide-updated-2014-11-11.443072/#post-5389081

The Mini-SDK.

What you need to get around with the command line -

Shift+right click on the sdk-tools folder made by unzipping the sdk-tools.zip file, choose open Command window here.

Alt+space, E for edit to get to the select/copy/paste menu.

Plug your phone in to your pc so it says FASTBOOT USB.

Say this in the command window -

fastboot getvar all

And tell us what it says back - edit out your meid and serial numbers before posting.

You've selected the right RUU for a carrier branded AT&T phone - the steps above will confirm the internals and let us know if the bootloader got very scrambled on the failed update, all of which is in your interest to have us review prior to running the RUU.
 
What's does pretty much mean?

Is your CID still CWS__001?

Is your cable intermittent?

What happens from FASTBOOT USB mode and -

fastboot oem rebootRUU
 
Don't worry, I wasn't going to leave you hanging with "pretty much".

C:\Users\Tyler\Downloads\fastboot-win>fastboot getvar all
(bootloader) version: 0.5
(bootloader) version-bootloader: 3.19.0.0000
(bootloader) version-baseband: INVALID_VER_INFO
(bootloader) version-cpld: None
(bootloader) version-microp: None
(bootloader) version-main: 3.42.502.1
(bootloader) version-misc: PVT SHIP S-ON
(bootloader) serialno: (VALID SERIAL NUMBER)
(bootloader) imei: (VALID IMEI)
(bootloader) imei2: Not Support
(bootloader) meid: 00000000000000
(bootloader) product: m8_ul_ca
(bootloader) platform: hTCBmsm8974
(bootloader) modelid: 0P6B12000
(bootloader) cidnum: CWS__001
(bootloader) battery-status: good
(bootloader) battery-voltage: 0mV
(bootloader) partition-layout: Generic
(bootloader) security: on
(bootloader) build-mode: SHIP
(bootloader) boot-mode: FASTBOOT
(bootloader) commitno-bootloader: 56f9ae32
(bootloader) hbootpreupdate: 11
(bootloader) gencheckpt: 0
all: Done!
finished. total time: 0.010s
 
rebootRUU does not go well. I was worried when I saw the output the first time. It does reboot the phone however...

Cable is fine. I don't have random disconnects. It's just when I used the RUU, it sends a reboot and when it finally comes back to the bootloader, it says disconnected.

C:\Users\Tyler\Downloads\fastboot-win>fastboot oem rebootRUU
...
(bootloader) Error: Command never completed
(bootloader) Error: Command timeout error
(bootloader) Error: Command completed with errors
(bootloader) Failed Reading block @ 786432
(bootloader) [SD_ERR] sd_read_sector: read sector failed (786432 256)
(bootloader) [ERR] partition_read_emmc(589): error -1
(bootloader) Start Verify: 3
(bootloader) Error: Command never completed
(bootloader) Error: Command timeout error
(bootloader) Error: Command completed with errors
(bootloader) Failed Writing block @ 786432
(bootloader) [SD_ERR] sd_write_sector: write sector failed (786432 256)
OKAY [ 10.047s]
finished. total time: 10.047s

I also found this tutorial on getting to the rom.zip: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2534428 but I'm unable to open the zip (cannot open as archive). I've found somewhere else that it may be encrypted.

When I put an SD card in and go to HBOOT, it looks like it's scanning the SD card for an image.
 
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Forget the rom for now - nothing is going to install until you fix the bootloader. And the partition layout. Or maybe just the partition layout but I doubt it's that simple.

If you can.

Make a folder inside sdk-tools, call it ruu

Copy and paste all of the files from the temp folder made by the RUU while it's running into sdk-tools/ruu.

Open a window into sdk-tools/ruu and say -

dir

Copy and paste all here.

I'd do it myself, but I don't have Windows.
 
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Directory of C:\Users\Tyler\Downloads\sdk-tools\sdk-tools\ruu

05/05/2015 09:02 PM <DIR> .
05/05/2015 09:02 PM <DIR> ..
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 821,600 adb.exe
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 102,760 AdbWinApi.dll
03/20/2015 03:17 AM 103 android-info.txt
02/27/2014 03:01 PM 88,576 ARUGlobal.dll
12/11/2014 07:43 PM 1,195,008 ARUWizard.exe
12/12/2014 02:36 PM 4,104 ARUWizard.ini
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 25,896 ARUWizard_BrPt.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 25,384 ARUWizard_Cze.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 22,146 ARUWizard_Dan.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 23,338 ARUWizard_Dut.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 10,642 ARUWizard_Eng.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 24,396 ARUWizard_EuPt.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 26,264 ARUWizard_EuSpa.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 23,804 ARUWizard_FIN.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 26,504 ARUWizard_Fra.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 27,232 ARUWizard_Ger.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 27,014 ARUWizard_Grk.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 24,766 ARUWizard_Ita.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 13,000 ARUWizard_Jap.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 21,908 ARUWizard_Nor.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 26,664 ARUWizard_Pol.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 23,386 ARUWizard_Rus.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 11,358 ARUWizard_SC.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 22,946 ARUWizard_Svk.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 10,240 ARUWizard_TC.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 21,686 ARUWizard_Thai.lng
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 24,358 ARUWizard_TRK.lng
03/06/2006 11:55 PM 1,168 default.pal
03/20/2015 03:31 AM 84 DIFxData.ini
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 131 DMData00.DAT
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 131 DMData01.DAT
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 131 DMData02.DAT
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 131 DMData03.DAT
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 131 DMData04.DAT
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 131 DMData05.DAT
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 131 DMData06.DAT
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 131 DMData07.DAT
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 131 DMData08.DAT
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 131 DMData09.DAT
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 95,552 DOL_RECOVERY02_01.bmp
03/20/2015 03:31 AM 37 FontData.ini
11/24/2014 02:21 PM 89,865 htc_fastboot.exe
08/22/2011 01:04 AM 267,128 isrt.dll
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 12,288 MonitorConsole.exe
12/12/2013 12:24 PM 213,864 PHONE.bmp
01/14/2014 01:29 PM 14,253 Qualcomm_click-through license agreement.
txt
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 165,888 ReadMe_BrPt.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 179,200 ReadMe_Cze.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 173,056 ReadMe_Dan.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 165,888 ReadMe_Dut.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 170,496 ReadMe_Eng.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 166,400 ReadMe_EuPt.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 174,080 ReadMe_EuSpa.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 168,448 ReadMe_FIN.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 176,640 ReadMe_Fra.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 185,856 ReadMe_Ger.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 185,344 ReadMe_Grk.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 166,400 ReadMe_Ita.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 179,712 ReadMe_Jap.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 166,400 ReadMe_Nor.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 194,560 ReadMe_Pol.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 177,152 ReadMe_Rus.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 147,456 ReadMe_SC.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 182,272 ReadMe_Svk.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 159,232 ReadMe_TC.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 182,784 ReadMe_Thai.doc
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 178,688 ReadMe_TRK.doc
03/20/2015 03:23 AM 1,610,807,646 rom.zip
03/20/2015 03:31 AM 236,033 setup.inx
03/20/2015 03:31 AM 2,412 StringTable_0x0409.ips
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 93,554 UPD_RECOVERY00_01.bmp
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 141,366 UPD_RECOVERY01_01.bmp
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 95,552 UPD_RECOVERY02_01.bmp
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 93,554 UPD_RECOVERY03_01.bmp
12/12/2013 12:27 PM 94,520 UPD_RECOVERY04_01.bmp
08/22/2011 12:37 AM 389,120 _isres_0x0409.dll
76 File(s) 1,618,970,341 bytes
2 Dir(s) 26,562,207,744 bytes free
 
OK, at some point the RUU ought to expose IMG files for boot, firmware and hboot unless they're packing things differently these days. I sincerely doubt it, the rom.zip you have is 1.6 GB, the /system image on a running M8 Lollipop is just over 2 GB.

Somewhere I've read how to combine the android-info.txt + rom.zip into a zip payload (probably using 7zip), a 0P6BIMG.zip file - that's what the bootloader is looking to auto install from the sd card.

EDIT - here's one - http://lazydroid.com/2011/03/howto-repack-and-sign-rom-image-update-zip-files/ Ignore what it says about not needing hboot or recovery, you need everything.

Flashing the rom.zip that way will only tell you if the bootloader isn't corrupted enough to perform an install. And even that you may not be able to trust.

It will *not* give you a working phone, not by a long shot.

As for making 0P6BIMG.zip files out of the IMG files if you could find them, I could look at what @CapThrowback has done for s-off phones and put something together. Maybe. That's going to take a lot of time for me with no guarantees. Time I'm not sure I have.

Without s-off I'd be surprised if you can get any further even if you could get the IMG files.

I could be wrong.

Anyway - there are your hints.

Not sure I can help further or not.
 
And none of that addresses fixing the partition layout, yours is shot and that's a big problem.

No idea if getting the hboot image to flash is going to fix that.

From what trying to boot into RUU mode said, I kinda doubt it.

@Hadron?

Anyone?

Otherwise - you have a paperweight, contact HTC, AT&T as Hadron suggested or both.

Rattle some cages. See if HTC will fix it for a reasonable price if it's not something they'll cover under warranty.
 
What's a good RUU you could suggest that doesn't have an encrypted rom.zip? Asking because I'm new to this, and I have a pretty slow connection (takes a couple hours to get a RUU). The one I was using is encrypted, and cannot get RUUVEAL to work (despite being properly installed, and in the same directory, it claims "command not found" when I run ruuveal).

Never mind, I'm going for v5.0.1 Lollipop
 
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At the top of your bootloader screen it says s-on, in the getvar output it says security: on. Same thing.

Various partitions on the stock phone have encrypted signature security enabled - s-on - and there's absolutely no way to flash anything to those parts unless the payload contains the proper encrypted signature.

Decrypting the rom.zip is the least of your worries and a waste of time.

Trying a different Lollipop - also a waste of time.

If the payloads don't match your CID and MID, and have the matching firmware or later, it's not going to install with s-on no matter what, end of discussion, that's how the security works.

The AT&T RUU you have is almost certainly the only package that fits the bill.

Your existing firmware is too damaged to accept it.

The rom.zip is the least of your worries - the bootloader identifies the existing system - so that part may be OK as it is.

In other words - the /system is probably not damaged.

Everything else I've suggested is to try to outsmart HTC's approach to the RUU - and they invented it.

Hopefully this explains my pessimism. :(
 
I understand now. I thought it was up for decision which I picked. Honestly, I don't care what I flash. I just hope it works, lol.

So I should rename the rom file, and put it on my SD card? Your previous post mentions a method that would require s-off, and the rom to not be encrypted (because I cannot unpack this AT&T RUU as is).
 
You can't get s-off in your present state.

And I'm not doing a good job explaining about the rom.

I imagine that you have a pc and know that 1) it has a bios on the motherboard, 2) a boot sector on the hard drive, and 3) Windows OS in the C:\Windows\system32 folder.

Imagine that your pc won't boot up as combination of the bootloader (2) being scrambled and part of the bios (1) damaged - nothing else wrong.

Which areas would you focus the emergency effort on? It wouldn't be (3), the system32 folder.

If that all made sense, then the rom is equivalent to the C:\Windows\system32 folder.

And your problems are presenting in the areas equivalent to (1) and (2).
 
If the BIOS was shot, then there would be no hope. Unless you could solder on a new one (which I've never explored).

Well, perhaps it is a paper weight. Failed at step 1.

Partition update fail!
Update Fail!
Device halted due to Large Image update fail!

Perhaps the download was corrupted (that's a long shot). I can get the md5 of the rom.zip but I can't find the md5 on HTC's side, to compare.
 
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It's rare but the download could have been corrupted. Or you could have had a single event upset (electrical thing ok) in RAM just at the right point that didn't recover, or a power systems issue during the update.

It's pretty hard (actually very rare) to get that corrupted but it's not impossible, you've got proof.

So is the guy I was helping elsewhere this week.

I doubt it helps but thought I'd say, you're not alone.

Sorry it happened to you.

But someone has a reputation to protect. I'd call both as suggested and scream no fair until someone listened.

It couldn't hurt to try.
 
tmontney said:
If the BIOS was shot, then there would be no hope. Unless you could solder on a new one (which I've never explored).

Well, perhaps it is a paper weight. Failed at step 1.

Partition update fail!
Update Fail!
Device halted due to Large Image update fail!

Perhaps the download was corrupted (that's a long shot). I can get the md5 of the rom.zip but I can't find the md5 on HTC's side, to compare.
Click to expand...
Or were you saying that came next after the HTC Sync attempt?
 
I guess it didn't see my phone. It's just when HBOOT was loading the zip, Sync Manager opened (as it's supposed to when a phone is detected). After that, I started the update and then came the fail message.

Confirmed it. HTC Sync can see my phone when it's in Fastboot USB mode (which makes sense).

I'm surprised there's no way to revive even a phone in this status. Like a way to fix the bootloader.
 

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