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Help Unable to boot, transfer files using TWRP recovery

H

Hadiqa Javaid

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(Long thread warning - But please read and help)

I am using a OnePlus One since a year now and I bought this phone in used condition and asked the dealer to install a custom rom in the device, as the device was old. I think there was Lineage OS system installed with the Android 9.0 version (not sure if what build of 9.0 was I using). The original OS is Cyanogen. The phone worked perfectly fine for a year. There were minute glitches in the OS like camera app sometimes didn't save clicked photos and the system crashed when camera or some other apps were used. Also, the google play store's region settings were also changed and I could not install all apps on the phone. This was the history.

I was using an android charger and cable to charge and it worked all fine with the phone. Unless, my sister who used Huawei phone, used my charger to charge her phone and I observed that my phone charged really slowly. But I ignored it and thought that I will buy the OnePlus One original charger in a few days.

So yesterday, I was using my phone for taking some photos, my phone's brightness was full and I was using the app called B612. I was out in the sun and these days are really hot here (around 45 degree Celsius, Don't know if it is related to my phone's problem or not). My phone was at 52% then. Suddenly, my phone turned off. I tried turning it on again, but it won't start. it starts and shows the OnePlus screen and turns off again and again turns on itself and does the same thing over and over again in a loop. My phone was hot. I tried to turn it off and keep it off, let it rest. I plug it in the charger, it charges normally. But the OS system won't turn on. My data wasn't backed up so I tried to back it up using TWRP recovery 3.3.0 already installed in it. Turned on the recovery mode using the volume down and power button, attached a USB with the phone to transfer my backup, but as soon as I hit the backup button on the recovery mode, the backup process starts and phone shuts down again and starts doing the same loop. I tried cooling it down, again turned it on the next day, but no help. Fastboot mode turns on fine. But when the next day, I tried turning on the recovery mode, the phone won't even turn that on. I don' even know, what to do. Somehow, the recovery started, I wiped the entire phone. Now there's nothing on the phone, no OS. I am planning to install a new custom ROM, but can't even seem to transfer the ROM files using USB, because on attaching USB, no folder appears on the computer although I have MTP mode activated through the recovery. How am I supposed to install a new ROM, when I can't even turn on the recovery, when the recovery shuts down whenever some major process starts. I don't understand what do I do? Please help. I am also uploading some short videos of the phone.
 

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Hi @hadiqa Javai, welcome to Android Forums, I hope you stay with us and enjoy your time here :).

You say the phone was 'old' when you purchased it, do you know how old?

I ask because my first thought is that your problem could well be due to a failing/failed battery.

I would give it another long charge and see if it responds.

You also mentioned getting the OE charger, did you get it?

If not, it might be worthwhile the small expense which just might have a chance of getting the battery charged. I assume it is not a removable battery.
 
tommo47 said:
Hi @hadiqa Javai, welcome to Android Forums, I hope you stay with us and enjoy your time here :).

You say the phone was 'old' when you purchased it, do you know how old?

I ask because my first thought is that your problem could well be due to a failing/failed battery.

I would give it another long charge and see if it responds.

You also mentioned getting the OE charger, did you get it?

If not, it might be worthwhile the small expense which just might have a chance of getting the battery charged. I assume it is not a removable battery.
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Thank you @tommo47 for replying. The phone was almost new when I bought it. It was probably used just for a month when I bought it. About the battery thing, My phone used to be good at battery power even when I charged it with the unoriginal charger. Though it took a long time to charge, probably 3-4 hours for a full charge. I also tried charging it fully when this problem started. I charged it to almost 90% and the phone did turn on with the OS for a while (prob. 15 minutes) as soon as I turned on wifi and apps, it again turned off and never turned on to the point of OS. I still have not got the original charger of the phone. I was about to buy it, but even before that this started happening. Also, when sometimes, I was able to turn on the TWRP recovery mode (a total o two-three times after this problem started appearing), the CPU temperature showed a higher value than before (46 degree celsius) the last time I saw. Also the battery is UNDETACHABLE.
 
That model is six years old so unless the battery was replaced at some point by the previous owner there's a good chance the battery has just failed. Smartphone batteries will fail after a certain point just from aging, and using a phone in extreme heat (45 C???, yikes) will only shorten a battery's longevity even quicker than usual.
https://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_one-6327.php

If you're comfortable with tearing down your phone, and have the proper tools, the iFixit site has a nice step-by-step guide on replacing the battery:
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/OnePlus+One+Battery+Replacement/30417
It's not definitive that the battery is the cause of your problems but there are indicators in your description that it is, so replacing the battery might be worth the time and effort if you think this phone is worth keeping.
 
@svim Thank you for replying. I'll definitely buy a new battery and an original charger. @svim and @tommo47 Don't you guys think, before buying the battery, I should first install a rom in the phone? As I mentioned earlier, I wiped the entire phone when I was able to turn on the recovery, now basically there's nothing on the phone. Should I install a Rom using fastboot mode and ADB first and then install the new battery? If you guys know, can I install a new recovery software using fastboot mode? if you guys have any links to OnePlus One toolkit, please share. I found a link but it was broken, so can't download it.
 
45 celsius ambient temperature means that the phone does not have to generate very much heat at all before a shutdown will be triggered in order to protect the battery. So running some ap with the phone at full brightness (which will be a major heat source itself) and I'm not at all surprised it shut down. But if that were all I'd expect it to run normally in a cooler environment (e.g. in the evening).

46 degree cpu temperature is not an issue: the SoC can handle higher than that. It's the battery temperature that's key. Usually it's the battery temperature that a phone reports, but of course with a rooted phone you could look at a lot more. But if that is the cpu temp you are looking at, what is the battery temp?

I'm afraid I agree with @svim though: if that phone was made in 2014 even if it was unused and unopened when you bought it it has a 6 year old battery, which if unused would have self-discharged completely several years ago (which is not good). Lightly used would actually be better than unused, but frankly because the phone is used you have no idea how the battery has been used in the last half a decade. So yeah, I think it's quite likely you have battery problems.

As for ROMs, I've never attempted to use MTP mode with TWRP. I have used a USB OTG adapter and a flash drive instead, which worked fine. Maybe give that a go. And yes, I'd expect that you would just be able to fastboot flash a new recovery: just make sure it is built for that model, no other. I'm afraid I've never modified a OnePlus so know nothing about any OnePlus-specific tools: I've always just used fastboot or TWRP as appropriate when modding phones.
 
@Hadron Thanks, but I also tried using a USB-OTG and a flash drive to backup my data and to transfer rom files into the phone so that I could install a new one. But as soon as I would plug in the flash drive into the phone and start a process (let's say backup), the phone would again turn off and turn on again and again in a loop (check the video random turning off and on). So, using a flash drive, USb-OTG didn't help too. I can't check the battery temperature now as I can't access the recovery mode in the phone.
 
bootlooping is not a good sign. especially if you are also having battery issues. i would take this one step at a time. first get the new battery installed and then you can deal with getting the phone operational again.
 
Just a thought @Hadiqa Javaid, when you try to reboot do you still have the charger connected or do you remove the charger.

I ask because I had two HTC devices, an M7 followed by an M9 both of which suffered from battery failure with similar symptoms to what you are experiencing. In the case of the M7 I bought a case with integral battery which the device plugged into so it was possible to keep it charging all the time and this gave it at least 6 months extra life. As long as it was above about 60% charge it behaved itself. I did a similar thing with the M9 but using a standard external battery pack, not as convenient as the case but never the less it gave a good six months extra life.

So if you do disconnect the charger before firing up give it a good charge and leave the charger connected when you power up.
 
ocnbrze said:
bootlooping is not a good sign. especially if you are also having battery issues. i would take this one step at a time. first get the new battery installed and then you can deal with getting the phone operational again.
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But How would I know if the battery issue is fixed if there is no OS installed in the phone?
 
tommo47 said:
Just a thought @Hadiqa Javaid, when you try to reboot do you still have the charger connected or do you remove the charger.

I ask because I had two HTC devices, an M7 followed by an M9 both of which suffered from battery failure with similar symptoms to what you are experiencing. In the case of the M7 I bought a case with integral battery which the device plugged into so it was possible to keep it charging all the time and this gave it at least 6 months extra life. As long as it was above about 60% charge it behaved itself. I did a similar thing with the M9 but using a standard external battery pack, not as convenient as the case but never the less it gave a good six months extra life.

So if you do disconnect the charger before firing up give it a good charge and leave the charger connected when you power up.
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No I plug out the charger. But I'll try to turn it on using the charger still plugged in and let you know.
 
UPDATE (May 26, 2020):

I tried installing a stock bacon rom on the phone using fastboot mood. I downloaded the stock rom from the OnePlus website and used a Wug bacon toolkit. The toolkit displayed that the phone is on bootloop. The stock rom installed fine with every element loaded. The phone turned on displayed the starting one plus screen and then showed the android icon installing stuff. But after that, the same thing happened. Bootloop again started. Is this still an indication of a failed battery rather than a software problem?
 
I have a rooted Galaxy Note 4 that is approximately the same age as yours. I can assure you from experience that the other members are 100% correct about the battery. Now if your asking, is that the only reason your bootlooping and you phone constantly reboots? It may or may not but without a good battery to power you handset its just hard to tell. I also would not flash another rom or official firmware until you have a new battery and at least 80% charged. Unfortunately, youll have to risk the purchase cost before you know if the phone has other issues. :)
 
MrJavi said:
I have a rooted Galaxy Note 4 that is approximately the same age as yours. I can assure you from experience that the other members are 100% correct about the battery. Now if your asking, is that the only reason your bootlooping and you phone constantly reboots? It may or may not but without a good battery to power you handset its just hard to tell. I also would not flash another rom or official firmware until you have a new battery and at least 80% charged. Unfortunately, youll have to risk the purchase cost before you know if the phone has other issues. :)
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Thank you!! I am planning to buy a battery for the phone. I will update the here after I get the battery. Thank you all!
 
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