boot cycle stuck - think my phone is bricked, any help?

[crux]

DO NOT FACTORY RESET THROUGH SYSTEM SETTINGS! this is what BRICKED my phone! always make a nandroid backup and reset through recovery!!

Consider this thread closed until there is a fix available (highly unlikely)

Edit:thanks for the help so far. I think my best chance is flashing the stock rom (if I can find it) or waiting until there is a custom rom out like CM7


Basically, my slider is stuck in recovery and will not boot to android. i had installed the clockworkmod recovery i found in this section for the slider. after installing i did a nandroid backup. i was messing around with my slider for quite a bit, decided to just erase everything and start fresh.

i erased the cache, and performed a factory reset through the recovery. after restoring my backup, my phone keeps booting into the recovery. it wont boot to android at all. it is rooted too.

i don't understand, what happened? is there a solution that can fix this? any help is definitely appreciated. it's gonna suck to find out i may have just wasted $200..

 

[jmar4life]

i had the same problem on my intercept because i decided it was smart to restore an image backup after installing a rom. what i did was clear both caches and fresh installed any rom for the phone. good luck finding a rom for this phone though. what you could try doing is look around to see if someone posted an img backup and run from there.

 

[csrow]

A factory reset is a big problem for phones with a custom recovery. DO NOT DO A FACTORY RESET.

Try the method below. It's from a user with OV phone but might work for you.

"I had a similar issue months back. I just couldn't get it to go into recovery mode. What I did: Pull the battery. Hold Vol Down+Home+Power. Insert battery while holding these keys down (get a friend if you're not dexterous enough to pull off this maneuver). It should power on immediately, show the LG screen, and while you keep holding down this button combo, enter Recovery Mode. Best of luck."

 

[crux]

A factory reset is a big problem for phones with a custom recovery. DO NOT DO A FACTORY RESET.

Try the method below. It's from a user with OV phone but might work for you.

"I had a similar issue months back. I just couldn't get it to go into recovery mode. What I did: Pull the battery. Hold Vol Down+Home+Power. Insert battery while holding these keys down (get a friend if you're not dexterous enough to pull off this maneuver). It should power on immediately, show the LG screen, and while you keep holding down this button combo, enter Recovery Mode. Best of luck."

Yeah found out the factory reset the hard way. And thanks too. Its not that I can't get into recovery, my phone is STUCK in the recovery. When I turn it on it automatically enters recovery. I think my best bet is getting a copy of the stock rom and trying to flash that. Lucky I still have my OV to fall back on in the meantimemeantime

 

[one80oneday]

You can try wiping everything again (factory reset, wipe partition, wipe eveything in advanced section...) and then try restoring your backup. If that doesn't work you'll need to download a stock ROM. If nothing else than return the phone to the store you bought it from and get another. I've been in your situation before but there was always a stock ROM for me to download. Good luck.

 

[crux]

You can try wiping everything again (factory reset, wipe partition, wipe eveything in advanced section...) and then try restoring your backup. If that doesn't work you'll need to download a stock ROM. If nothing else than return the phone to the store you bought it from and get another. I've been in your situation before but there was always a stock ROM for me to download. Good luck.

I have tried the factory reset through the recovery and that hasn't worked either. I wiped everything. All caches, data, partitions. I'm not so sure flashing the stock ROM will work because I have a custom recovery installed. I have 3 options right now: flash stock recovery then stock rom, wait for a custom rom to debut, or send it in. I'm not so keen on sending it in for repair however because my slider was rooted, and combine that with the custom recovery and I'm not certain I will be eligible to receive a new phone.

 

[one80oneday]

I have tried the factory reset through the recovery and that hasn't worked either. I wiped everything. All caches, data, partitions. I'm not so sure flashing the stock ROM will work because I have a custom recovery installed. I have 3 options right now: flash stock recovery then stock rom, wait for a custom rom to debut, or send it in. I'm not so keen on sending it in for repair however because my slider was rooted, and combine that with the custom recovery and I'm not certain I will be eligible to receive a new phone.

You're backup is probably corrupt somehow and thus it's not working. Flashing a stock ROM and/or restore a stock nand backup would work. If you flash stock recovery back than you cannot flash any ROMs nor backups so that wouldn't help you (only custom recovery can flash ROMs). If you PM BobZHome he may have a stock nand backup and/or a stock ROM you can flash (I think someone sent him their to help with a custom rom).

Another way to get a different phone is to buy another and return your broken one with the new packaging. Also with the holidays coming up you mostlikely don't even need your receipt, just say it was an early Xmas gift.

 

[crux]

You're backup is probably corrupt somehow and thus it's not working. Flashing a stock ROM and/or restore a stock nand backup would work. If you flash stock recovery back than you cannot flash any ROMs nor backups so that wouldn't help you (only custom recovery can flash ROMs). If you PM BobZHome he may have a stock nand backup and/or a stock ROM you can flash (I think someone sent him their to help with a custom rom).

Another way to get a different phone is to buy another and return your broken one with the new packaging. Also with the holidays coming up you mostlikely don't even need your receipt, just say it was an early Xmas gift.

I have PMed bob and he's been helping me too. So wait, a backup made using a custom recovery can't be restored with the stock recovery? I don't have the packaging from my slider anymore as well hmmm maybe I could try anyways

 

[one80oneday]

I have PMed bob and he's been helping me too. So wait, a backup made using a custom recovery can't be restored with the stock recovery? I don't have the packaging from my slider anymore as well hmmm maybe I could try anyways

You can't really do anything with stock recovery, maybe something with ADB but I try not to use that. Honestly I think either the custom recovery doesn't work correctly when backing up/restore or your backup somehow got corrupt. You could try to flash back to stock recovery and go back to custom recovery and then try your backup again.

It seems like BobZ's custom ROM isn't working and it will probably be awhile until another Dev tries to make a ROM. Sorry I can't help you more, maybe someone here can provide another stock ROM/backup

 

[BobZhome]

In recovery, go into "advanced" then click "report error". It will create a recovery.log in /sdcard/clockworkmod/
Can you grab that recovery.log off your SDcard and post it here?

 

[crux]

here is the error log:


Starting recovery on Sun Jan 6 00:00:04 1980
framebuffer: fd 4 (320 x 480)
CWM-based Recovery v5.0.2.6
recovery filesystem table
=========================
0 /tmp ramdisk (null) (null)
1 /boot mtd boot (null)
2 /cache yaffs2 cache (null)
3 /data yaffs2 userdata (null)
4 /misc mtd misc (null)
5 /recovery mtd recovery (null)
6 /sdcard vfat /dev/block/mmcblk0p1 /dev/block/mmcblk0
7 /system yaffs2 system (null)
8 /sd-ext ext4 /dev/block/mmcblk0p2 (null)

I:Completed outputting fstab.
Irocessing arguments.
I:Boot command: boot-recovery
I:Boot status: wipe_data
E:Bad boot message
"recovery
"
mtd: successfully wrote block at c7de400000000
I:Set boot command "boot-recovery"
I:Checking arguments.
I:device_recovery_start()
Command: "/sbin/recovery"

ro.secure=0
ro.allow.mock.location=1
ro.debuggable=1
persist.service.adb.enable=1
ro.build.id=GINGERBREAD
ro.build.display.id=full_VS700-eng 2.3.7 GINGERBREAD eng.bobzhome.20111024.195653 test-keys
ro.build.version.incremental=eng.bobzhome.20111024.195653
ro.build.version.sdk=10
ro.build.version.codename=REL
ro.build.version.release=2.3.7
ro.build.date=Mon Oct 24 19:57:13 EDT 2011
ro.build.date.utc=0
ro.build.type=eng
ro.build.user=bobzhome
ro.build.host=ubuntu
ro.build.tags=test-keys
ro.product.model=Full Android on Emulator
ro.product.brand=Android
ro.product.name=full_VS700
ro.product.device=VS700
ro.product.board=VS700
ro.product.cpu.abi=armeabi
ro.product.manufacturer=unknown
ro.product.locale.language=en
ro.product.locale.region=US
ro.wifi.channels=
ro.board.platform=unknown
ro.build.product=VS700
ro.build.description=full_VS700-eng 2.3.7 GINGERBREAD eng.bobzhome.20111024.195653 test-keys
ro.build.fingerprint=Android/full_VS700/VS700:2.3.7/GINGERBREAD/eng.bobzhome.20111024.195653:eng/test-keys
keyguard.no_require_sim=true
ro.ril.hsxpa=1
ro.ril.gprsclass=10
ro.kernel.android.checkjni=1
ro.setupwizard.mode=OPTIONAL
net.bt.name=Android
net.change=net.bt.name
dalvik.vm.stack-trace-file=/data/anr/traces.txt
ro.factorytest=0
ro.serialno=
ro.bootmode=normal
ro.baseband=msm
ro.carrier=VirginMobile
ro.bootloader=6170
ro.hardware=gelato
ro.revision=0
init.svc.recovery=running
init.svc.adbd=running

I:Checking for extendedcommand...
I:Skipping execution of extendedcommand, file not found...
mtd: successfully wrote block at c7de400000000
I:Set boot command ""

 

[n.audeh]

Good luck

 

[crux]

Good luck

thanks. i think all my luck has ran out though. even flashing the hydro rom isn't working.

 

[KSmithInNY]

Want to make sure I understand what happened because if it's what i think it is, you're phone isn't bricked.

You said "I decided to wipe everything and start fresh" ..... by that do you mean you decided to go to menu > Settings > Privacy > Factory reset?

 

[n.audeh]

Want to make sure I understand what happened because if it's what i think it is, you're phone isn't bricked.

You said "I decided to wipe everything and start fresh" ..... by that do you mean you decided to go to menu > Settings > Privacy > Factory reset?

Hey KSmithlnNY the same thing happened to me. I did a factory reset through menu > Settings > Privacy > Factory reset and after that every time I try to boot up my phone it just boots up into the recovery. The phone won't boot at all. I tried installing one of my Nandroid backups and installing your gelato rom but nothing is allowing it to boot up. Any ideas on what I can do?

 

[KSmithInNY]

Hmm ok well lesson learned
1) When you apply a custom recovery you should never wipe the phone through menu>settings>privacy>factory reset

Resets should now be done through the custom recovery.


Theres a way out of this (i hope) let me type it up but i'm also doing stuff around the house so it might not be as timely as someone with a broken phone might like.

 

[KSmithInNY]

You made a nandroid backup on your SD card, tell me the name of the of the backup, heres an example ....

/sdcard/clockworkmod/backup/1980-01-06.00.00.10

 

[n.audeh]

You made a nandroid backup on your SD card, tell me the name of the of the backup, heres an example ....

/sdcard/clockworkmod/backup/1980-01-06.00.00.10

Here it is.

/sdcard/clockworkmod/backup/1980-01-06.00.00.19

I hope that you can help out.

 

[KSmithInNY]

You need to have the SDK installed so you have access to adb. Try the following.

Plug your phone into your PC
1) Restore your backup through CWM
2) While the phone is still in recovery, In android debug bridge do the following
adb shell [press enter]
mount /sdcard [press enter] (if this throws an error about "device or resource busy", just ignore it)
/sdcard/clockworkmod/backup/1980-01-06.00.00.19 [press enter]
flash_image recovery recovery.img [press enter]
reboot [press enter]

 

[n.audeh]

You need to have the SDK installed so you have access to adb. Try the following.

Plug your phone into your PC
1) Restore your backup through CWM
2) While the phone is still in recovery, In android debug bridge do the following
adb shell [press enter]
mount /sdcard [press enter] (if this throws an error about "device or resource busy", just ignore it)
/sdcard/clockworkmod/backup/1980-01-06.00.00.19 [press enter]
flash_image recovery recovery.img [press enter]
reboot [press enter]

Ok I am going to try that right now. What exactly does it do by the way? I also found this, it's supposed to fix the same issue. Should I try this too? Is this an accurate fix?

adb shell strings /dev/mtd/mtd8
adb shell flash_eraseall /dev/mtd/mtd8