tablet looping Google screen

[Loopy Joe]

My wife has a HTC Nexus 9. She has had it a few years and it suddenly has a problem. She has not done any updates or rooting or anything, and the last thing she remembers installing was a Nonagram-type puzzle game. When she switches it on it gets to the Google logo, then resets and loops.

I have gone into recovery mode and tried "wipe cache partition" and a few other things but it makes no difference. At the Hboot menu it says "Device State - LOCKED". When I connect it to my pc it isn't detected. It seems to charge okay.

It looks like the only option left is factory reset, but my wife doesn't want to lose her family photos and videos. She does not have a backup.

My first question is: Is there anything I can try before resorting to factory reset?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Unfortunately, it's either corrupt firmware or a failing motherboard. It is, after all, an 8 year old device, so it would not be surprising if the hardware failed.

Since nothing happens with the cache partition wipe, I'm afraid the tablet is done. Not much I can suggest about the photos and videos -- the time to preserve them would've been before this, which is why it's always a good idea to keep important data backed up or synced somewhere on a regular basis. Never use a mobile device or SD card as the sole storage location for important data.

Just to be sure, go to photos.google.com on your computer browser while logged into her Google account. Nothing there?

Please register on this forum, which will allow you to engage in discussion more easily, as well as post images. https://forums.androidcentral.com/ask-question/409154-join-android-central-community.html

 

[B. Diddy]

Duplicate threads merged.

I should also mention that there are data recovery services that can attempt to retrieve data on dead devices, but that can cost hundreds of dollars. If the photos and videos are priceless, then it may be worth looking into.

 

[Loopy Joe]

Thank you, B. Diddy. I found a measly 22 photos on Google Photos - I've no idea why these were backed up and nothing else, but it's better than nothing.

Am I right in thinking that at this stage there's no reason not to do a factory reset?

 

[B. Diddy]

You already tried booting into Safe Mode? https://safemodewiki.com/guides/how-to-boot-into-safe-mode-on-htc-nexus-9-tablet/

 

[Loopy Joe]

I hadn't tried Safe Mode before, but now I have. I couldn't do it. I never see a HTC logo or "powered by android", I only see the Google logo (unless I go into the recovery menus). I tried following all the suggested steps anyway, and got nothing but the Google loop.

 

[B. Diddy]

Sorry, but I don't think there's anything else you can do besides bringing it to a data recovery specialist. Trying to reflash the firmware would require wiping the device, so that's off the table as well.

 

[Mr Bojangles1]

Turn It off and then hold power until does that little vibration start up and then let go of power and immediately hold volume down until it boots up. You only want to hold the power until the second it turns on. Then release and do volume down. Can't hold both buttons at the same time though.

And your computer isn't picking it up because either USB debugging isn't enabled In developer options or the correct drivers aren't installed on your computer if you know USB debugging is enabled.

 

[Loopy Joe]

Mr Bojangles1: I tried what you suggested and it made no difference.

I don't know if USB debugging is enabled, I haven't done it, and my wife certainly wouldn't have. She got her tablet from her brother, who probably wouldn't remember if he'd done it. He goes through devices like I change my socks.

Drivers may be the issue. I'd assumed that I'd connected this tablet to my pc before, but as I can't find any backup of it, it's possible I had never done so. In Device Manager, I see Android Device > Android Bootlader Interface

Device status says "This device is working properly", but the following items are listed under Events:

Device install requested
Device not migrated
Device configured (oem30.inf)
Device started (Win USB)

...and under Information:

Device USB/VID_18D1&PID_4EE0\HT4AXJT03048 requires further installation.

I found an update for "LeMobile - Other hardware - Android Bootloader Interface" in Windows Update under "Optional updates". I installed it and restarted everything and the tablet still doesn't appear in Explorer. Three more very similar Events have been added to the list, and it still says "requires further installation".

Do you think I should try another driver from somewhere else, and if so, where from? I've tried google but I don't know what sites can be trusted.