Many Issues with my Star a5000

[Frisco]

Have you had a chance to test charging functionality with a spare cable, and/or on another machine?

I'm wondering if it's a hardware issue, connectors, etc.

 

[jerofld]

Clear flash sounds rather detrimental. I have a similar feature in the equipment at work (which is Linux based, as well). If I clear flash on them, it deletes the operating system, bootloader, everything. It becomes a very expensive brick until I can re flash a bootloader and OS on it.

So try Frisco's suggestion of another computer/cable. If that fails, I think I have one last suggestion:

The problem could be your phone's ROM. In layman's terms, the customized build (version) of Android that is on the phone. It would explain why it's in developer mode even if you try toggling it on and off. It might also explain why it fails to receive calls after it's asleep for a few mins.

I'm going to be blunt: I think your phone is a lost cause. The details on it online are sketchy, at best. I'm used to using custom recoveries like Clockwork Mod, but your phone doesn't seem to have a version of CWM working for it (which isn't all that surprising). However, I did find a replacement ROM linked from XDA:

http://www.pandawillforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=3590

I have no idea how to install it. It's certainly an 'at your own risk' endeavor. If that fails, I would really recommend getting a different device. Once you start messing with custom settings with root access, things can get messy very quickly. And without the proper instructions or any documentation...it can be very hard to dig yourself out.

 

[damian5000]

yes, i've tried different cables and AC adapters... i think it may of initially been the connector on the phone... it was causing all those weird glitchy screen ghost touches when plugged in...wonder if there was some bleed or some such that fried something in there.....only other option i can think of:

is it possible to copy the rom from the 2nd phone onto the first one? i think when i "cleared flash" it may of had some manufacturer specific info on it...? just a guess..i read in the manual about resetting the phone and there were no warning at all about it... so i'm assuming that's not what caused the issue, which leaves either hardware problem or "clear flash" took out some manufacturer specific instructions...

my semantics maybe off, but you get the drift... so can i copy the rom from the 2nd phone and flash it to the first? is that possible? do i need to root either one or both of the phones to do that?

...or...when i do a factory reset, does that reset the ROM too and copying the rom from the 2nd one would just be wasted energy/time...?

thanks much...

EDIT: just saw on a few sites i need some special cable to flash the ROM on a5000..? the standard cable they send with it won't do it...

 

[jerofld]

It does work, as I've done that with a tablet before. I made a NANDroid backup of one tablet, returned it to the store because of a physical defect, got a replacement and restored the NANDroid from the SD card.

But without Clockwork Mod, I'd imagine you would have to do that all through ADB. And I don't know ADB all that well to do that.

 

[damian5000]

i've actually already done the "clear flash" a while back... but if it didn't restore itself, would the phone even boot? it's still booting fine and everything works great except for receiving calls in sleep and some strange charging issues...

the only thing i can guess is the factory reset doesn't reset it to exact specifics for this model...but that doesn't really make sense either, why would there be a factory reset that did that...?

the kernal/baseband/and build all read the exact same on the "untouched" 2nd phone as the first...just a best guess, but that means it's got to be a hardware issue...?

 

[jerofld]

Factory reset only clears out user settings. It assumes that the ROM is not compromised, because users can't modify system files without rooting. If your ROM is compromised, factory reset won't fix that. Only flashing a working ROM over the bad one will fix a compromised ROM.

The build version being the same could mean that it is just a modified version of stock or the ROM developer just chose not to change that info. And who knows what may have been messed up with the clear flash command.

But yes, it could be hardware. I just wouldn't rule out the firmware without trying to flash a replacement ROM over it. But that would probably be difficult for an inexperienced user and a complicated flash process.

 

[damian5000]

hmm...

i'm at a loss.. it's under warranty...but i'd have to send it back to china and repay customs again in thailand when it comes back... as well as having to wait for it ...... i want to cuss and swear... what a pain in the butt this has been...

so i've still got the 2nd phone... these phones were QC'd 9/11, so i would like to use the ROM off the 2nd phone as opposed to a downloaded internet one posted back in 4/11...

i guess i'll have to read more up on it... any idea what the first step would be to get the ROM off the first one? probably have to root it...yes? crap...

 

[damian5000]

oh wow... the 2nd untouched phone is the exact same... doesn't receive calls when sleeping!!

guess that solves some of the dilemma anyways...guess i should of checked that long ago, but was so sure i'd fragged it or it was a hardware issue...

crap...

 

[jerofld]

That's a major design defect if it doesn't receive calls while sleeping. It certainly is not an android thing, as my previous android device and my current one receive calls while sleeping.

I blame the chinese for cheap tech.

 

[damian5000]

That's a major design defect if it doesn't receive calls while sleeping. It certainly is not an android thing, as my previous android device and my current one receive calls while sleeping.

I blame the chinese for cheap tech.

it's crazy... the phone actually looks good and feels solid...brushed aluminum bezel and battery case... LCD is super bright and clear...everything else runs perfect...if a little slow sometimes because of the processor speed... 1 year warranty....


i'm going to give this one more go with a new SIM i just now went and bought...different company and new number... then will talk to the company i bought them from again and see what we can work out if this new number doesn't work.

cheers

 

[damian5000]

turns out it was only the one sim network giving me the problem during sleep... the other 2 major sim networks work fine...

in addition, as soon as i took a single step outside my room the problem network works fine too... !! would call the phone 5 times and it would continuously not wake the phone...took a single step outside the room with it and it worked fine... the room is pretty well surrounded on all sides and above... so maybe that's the problem, but the signal seems fine... -81dbm 16asu..? 4-5 bars (full)...

regarding charging, it seems that if the battery is at 90% and the charges is plugged in, it doesn't charge further....if already plugged in when it hits 90% it will continue to charge, but the red charging light goes off... some sort of battery saving function i suppose similar to windows 7 where it will only charge the battery if it drops below 95%... both phones do the same thing... not sure if an android function or phone function...

the startup is now fine too after doing the factory reset...

sorry if i wasted anyone's time here... everything is AOK....

factory reset is fine too despite reports on the web of it not being okay to do... at least with the newer capacative versions...perhaps it's an issue with older versions.

still haven't tried to root... will report if i decide to do that


cheers

EDIT: found this new thread all about the star phones...hope it's okay to post... excellent thread with file links for star utility packs. and tons of info. ended up rooting my a5000 just fine with z4.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1285573

 

[star 5000]

I had the same issue with my Star A5000 phone.Lost the IMEI when I flash reset or whatever it was.Data cable arrived this morning and there I was thinking it was the end of my troubles...(I didn't use it)...I made a new MP0B_001 file this afternoon after finding the IMEI numbers under the battery.Even flash reset it again.Managed to get to the directory and was baffled to see MP0B_001 already in the correct place.(I didn't click what the date meant at the time (17 Jan 2012) probably when I did the flash reset.I got the new file and copied over the old file and now the phone works like a phone and not like a tablet.(if a tablet is a thing which can not make phone calls)...Can't believe it was so easy.

 

[mikedt]

That's a major design defect if it doesn't receive calls while sleeping. It certainly is not an android thing, as my previous android device and my current one receive calls while sleeping.

I blame the chinese for cheap tech.

Yeh so do I....so often these things are hurriedly thrown together with little actual testing or QA.

 

[mikedt]

it's crazy... the phone actually looks good and feels solid...brushed aluminum bezel and battery case... LCD is super bright and clear...everything else runs perfect...if a little slow sometimes because of the processor speed... 1 year warranty....

Yeh it's called turd polishing, Shenzhen have it off to a fine art.

 

[star 5000]

Well I am happy with the phone,it being the first android I had bought,then I bought a Samsung Galaxy W and now a Samsung Galaxy S2,so now I use the star as an internet radio.