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Removing Windows and replacing with Nougat

Paulyd0051

Paulyd0051

Newbie
In short form I am able to remove and run Nougat on my WT8-A Toshiba Encore. It works mostly perfectly, but looks like I will need to develop some drivers from scratch (ie GPS and Bluetooth for instance). There's a lot to learn.

Firstly I can get everything important to run, eg WiFi and most programs seem to load effortlessly. What I can not do however is reboot the tablet.


This is the "boot screen" on the Toshiba https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5nf-g1bXqluandnN2s3bW83Nk0

To enter this you need a USB keyboard and a USB Hub (if you want the USB flash drive to be attached as well). When you switch the tablet on repeatedly push F12 to get that screen to boot from USB. Some tablets it may be F2 or F10 if F12 does not work. Because the USB keyboard does not operate instantaneously you need to have a powered hub or you need to start the tablet first with the keyboard and hub attached, attempt to enter the boot area and if this fails, switch tablet off and back on again quickly as residual power to the keyboard will allow F12 to be recognised.

The next screen you get is where you can install Android (if you have downloaded a correct working image of Android). This is what it looks like for me:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5nf-g1bXqluMWc3SDZoVGM0S1k/view?usp=sharing

At this point you need to choose the drive you want Android on. In this case, I have done this several times already so the drives are already formatted to ext4.

The issue is the other partitions. This bit scares me a little because removing them, which clearly is essential, could brick the tablet. So here are my choices:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5nf-g1bXqluUGpYMmwzRFZCcmM

I need to delete/format all but the largest partition (the 32GB eMMC).

Ok, this is where I need some windows expertise please:

Deleting the partitions with the Windows RE on it - will that allow me to boot to Android? Will it still allow me to enter the bootloader screen (posted first) so if I need to install another version of Android or any other reason, that I can do this by still pushing F12?

This is the screen I currently get when I boot with Android fully loaded and working on the tablet. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5nf-g1bXqluSXJpRGRDOHh0RjA

So I have two options, one to get rid of the two Windows RE sections and perhaps the Free Space too? Remove the Windows EFI section(?). Remove the Microsoft Reserved section(?). And then install Android completely.

Or two... build a clumsy workaround where I boot from USB to Android locally. However, the latter may not be possible.

Thanks in advance for your advice.
 
Update: Well, still no success. I have removed EFI (Windows), removed Windows RE (two entries) and removed the free space that remained. But the BIOS of the tablet still looks for the same portion it always did. And that part of the tablet is definitely embedded in the chip.

So my next thought is to re-install (already done).... and then what? At this point I think I need to create a USB device that I can boot to Android installed.

I am really hoping someone knows how to do this as a bypass.
 
As far as compatibility is concerned, you're going to have trouble with that Atom CPU. The new 4.12 Linux kernel may help with that somewhat. It's a waiting game though. Have you tried Bliss?
 
Bg260 said:
As far as compatibility is concerned, you're going to have trouble with that Atom CPU. The new 4.12 Linux kernel may help with that somewhat. It's a waiting game though. Have you tried Bliss?
Click to expand...

No, I have not tried Bliss. I am trying Remix now, and am following an online guide. Link for Bliss?
 
Bg260 said:
https://androidforums.com/threads/official-bliss-x86-6-0-and-7-1-1.1113524/

Electrikjesus is very helpful and he is a friend.
Click to expand...
Thanks!

Trying it now. Though I do not think the problem is the installation (that always goes smooth), the problem is the inbuilt ROM(?) on the chip. The chip is set to look for a Windows boot sector and that Windows boot sector is not there. Therefore nothing will boot.

I can see there are a multitude of tools and apps with Bliss, so I am guessing there is something among there. I will install the Bliss ISO and see how that runs, will keep the tablet running (assuming it works) and then try to see how to over ride the initial boot instructions from the chip.
 
So the latest - I can get to the install, everything goes, but then Android doesn't load, just remains on the screen in its wave like blinking fashion. And that is it.

I'll try leaving for a lot longer this time to see what happens - but I left it for well over 45 minutes and nothing occurred. Previously I'd have a full install within 15 minutes max (just without being able to reboot).

Any suggestions why the install is not going further now despite it used to go to completion?
 
Well, I used gparted and shrunk the partition by 18MB. I ran the drive modify/check application in the x86 install and verified. It checked and found an issue, seemed to repair it. Tried to reinstall Nougat.... failed.

I did however get a live version of Marshmallow to work (and I could probably get a live version of Nougat to work too). So, from this live version can I do anything? Can I install the bliss app? Can I fix the hard drive issue? Can I do anything at all?

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5nf-g1bXqluR1IydmlnakpxaGM
 
Paulyd0051 said:
Well, I used gparted and shrunk the partition by 18MB. I ran the drive modify/check application in the x86 install and verified. It checked and found an issue, seemed to repair it. Tried to reinstall Nougat.... failed.

I did however get a live version of Marshmallow to work (and I could probably get a live version of Nougat to work too). So, from this live version can I do anything? Can I install the bliss app? Can I fix the hard drive issue? Can I do anything at all?

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5nf-g1bXqluR1IydmlnakpxaGM
Click to expand...

I don't know if you saw it but a beta Bliss is out with the 4.12 kernel. Just 5 days ago. Check this post.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=73078047&postcount=605
 
Bg260 said:
I don't know if you saw it but a beta Bliss is out with the 4.12 kernel. Just 5 days ago. Check this post.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=73078047&postcount=605
Click to expand...

Yeah, that was the one I tried earlier and it failed to get past the Bliss loading screen. But I have had a little play with gparted now and made the primary drive bootable.

What is the m17 versions (sorry for not reading it).

I have used the Bliss-v7.2-android_x86_64-OFFICIAL-20170705-1012_k4.12-sp3_01 version. I am just not confident though. I haven't been able to get previously working installs to fully install either.

I really don't know what else I changed to prevent loading.
 
I only have a laptop with an Nvidia graphics card so I am will be testing the new Bliss release myself. Also I only use the 32 bit legacy boot version. I don't have a whole lot of knowledge with UEFI Android x86. I'm working on buying a new machine.
 
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