HELP: Fastboot Flash Failure ... AP Fastboot mode every time on startup!

[_base2]

I'm a bionic owner ... was running stock, unrooted 5.5.893, then used P3Droid's root method and rooted and didn't really do much with it... installed the 43V3R root hack from p3 and dhacker, etc. and just sorta left it there as well...

NOW I need to return my phone to Verizon because of the incessant data drops. I'm stock, rooted running 5.5.893 via the official Verizon OTA. The problem is this... instead of being content just re-flashing a non-rooted system like I should have, I jumped right to RSDLite and tried to flash the file here (which I now realize might be only for 5.5.886): Droid Bionic Receives Fastboot Recovery Files - BriefMobile

And I got a Flash Failure ("FAIL") ... so NOW every time I start my phone up, it boots directly into AP Fastboot Mode and reads:

AP Fastboot Flash Mode (S) (Flash Failure)
0A.61

Battery OK
OK to Program
Connect USB
Data Cable

How do I resolve this? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated! I need to send this phone back TOMORROW!!

I can boot normally by holding down pwr + up vol + down vol and selecting "Normal powerup" and I can manually enter AP Fastboot Flash Mode and it doesn't read "flash failure" but it does every single time I boot up now... I obviously can't send it back to Verizon like that...

THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!

 

[_base2]

Wow.

OK... I'm OK now... (deep breaths...calming down now...)

I used 43V3R Root / R3L3AS3D root tool for mac (i have a mac and windows) and selected option 4. Even though I was thinking that the issue was with my boot.img itself and that I needed to reflash a completely FRESH boot img, I believe it must've just been related to a singular failed flash that was retained in the boot "memory". So it seems that all I needed to do to fix this error message on my fastboot screen was to successfully flash a new system.img ... sooooo now my phone boots NORMALLY.
[FONT=Roboto, Helvetica, arial, sans-serif]
[/FONT]I have NO idea why the error makes it seem like a MUCH more dire boot.img issue (for which I would've been royally screwed if that were the case...) when really all you gotta do is reflash a new system.img... all that stress for nothing...

 

[justadrvr]

Hi i have the same problem but i cant seem to regain root ive tried all the apps in the forums ive done favtory reset and still get the same error can you help lease thanks

 

[_base2]

Hi i have the same problem but i cant seem to regain root ive tried all the apps in the forums ive done favtory reset and still get the same error can you help lease thanks

You have to flash something successfully, but it doesn't really matter what. Use the 43v3r root tool on rootzwiki for Bionic. Power off your phone and boot into AP Fastboot mode manually. Choose option #4. This will flash a new system (version 5.5.886).

From there you can accept the OTA and update kernel and radio. Then use p3droid's tool on MyDroidWorld to re-root. I'm on my phone now... I'll get you some links when I get back to my computer.

[ sent from _base2 ]

 

[justadrvr]

ive got the ota update of 5.5.893 and now i cant regain root

 

[_base2]

ive got the ota update of 5.5.893 and now i cant regain root

http://www.mydroidworld.com/forums/...-your-phone-back-upgrade-path.html#post106072

Its post #2. You need a mdw acct. P3droid's one-click tool at the end of the 2nd post will root 5.5.893. Then run 43v3r root to install the forever root hack to mount_ext3.sh

Ill get a link for 43v3r root now... on my phone still lol

[ sent from _base2 ]

 

[_base2]

43v3r root tool from dhacker, droidth3ory, p3droid and a few other awesome peeps.

http://rootzwiki.com/topic/5484-r3l3as3droot-and-43v3r-root-for-the-bionic-v21/

Use the option to install the forever root hack on an already rooted bionic AFTER you use p3droid's root tool in my previous post otherwise you will get a fail for trying to write to mount_ext3.sh without root.

Let us know how it all goes. Happy rooting with your new kernel and radio!

[ sent from _base2 ]

 

[justadrvr]

I need adb i think but dont know how to get it back on my bionic

 

[_base2]

I need adb i think but dont know how to get it back on my bionic

adb should be prepacked in the p3 method.... did you properly unpack / extract the files? Any specific error messages?

If, however, you're talking about USB debugging, then that's under settings > applications > development

The more info you can give us, the more we can help to diagnose your issue

[ sent from _base2 ]

 

[ChuckDz3]

You have to flash something successfully, but it doesn't really matter what. Use the 43v3r root tool on rootzwiki for Bionic. Power off your phone and boot into AP Fastboot mode manually. Choose option #4. This will flash a new system (version 5.5.886).

From there you can accept the OTA and update kernel and radio. Then use p3droid's tool on MyDroidWorld to re-root. I'm on my phone now... I'll get you some links when I get back to my computer.

[ sent from _base2 ]

I am having the same problem as you were. I read through your suggestions but I am still unclear. Basically I am trying to return to stock just as you would be getting it from Verizon (I am selling my phone, no need for root access) When I used the RSD Lite method I failed at the same step you did and now I have the failure flash boot message when I power on my phone. If I reboot into recovery and boot normally I can by pass this message, but I want to be able to turn the phone on normally and boot up.

Now to my questions -
When you said flash something successfully, what do u mean? what is there to flash? Also when I get to AP Fastboot mode manually and choose option #4 do you mean 'BP SBF Flash' is that option 4? or something else.

Side note-
Do I need root access to use the RSD lite method?

Basically were you successful in using the RSD lite method to return to stock?

Any suggestions would be great, thanks in advance.

 

[_base2]

I am having the same problem as you were. I read through your suggestions but I am still unclear. Basically I am trying to return to stock just as you would be getting it from Verizon (I am selling my phone, no need for root access) When I used the RSD Lite method I failed at the same step you did and now I have the failure flash boot message when I power on my phone. If I reboot into recovery and boot normally I can by pass this message, but I want to be able to turn the phone on normally and boot up.

Now to my questions -
When you said flash something successfully, what do u mean? what is there to flash? Also when I get to AP Fastboot mode manually and choose option #4 do you mean 'BP SBF Flash' is that option 4? or something else.

Side note-
Do I need root access to use the RSD lite method?

Basically were you successful in using the RSD lite method to return to stock?

Any suggestions would be great, thanks in advance.

As soon as I get back to my computer in about an hour I'll be able to answer your questions... sit tight until I or someone else can answer your questions

[ sent from _base2 ]

 

[ChuckDz3]

As soon as I get back to my computer in about an hour I'll be able to answer your questions... sit tight until I or someone else can answer your questions

[ sent from _base2 ]

Thanks I would really appreciate it. I have been doing some more research about what to flash. Learned that you could flash the preinstall.img through fastboot and the command prompt. I think I got the folders set up correctly but when I tried to moto-fastboot.exe a command it came up as unrecognized as in internal or external command.

Still researching though...

 

[_base2]

I am having the same problem as you were. I read through your suggestions but I am still unclear. Basically I am trying to return to stock just as you would be getting it from Verizon (I am selling my phone, no need for root access) When I used the RSD Lite method I failed at the same step you did and now I have the failure flash boot message when I power on my phone. If I reboot into recovery and boot normally I can by pass this message, but I want to be able to turn the phone on normally and boot up.

Now to my questions -
When you said flash something successfully, what do u mean? what is there to flash? Also when I get to AP Fastboot mode manually and choose option #4 do you mean 'BP SBF Flash' is that option 4? or something else.

Side note-
Do I need root access to use the RSD lite method?

Basically were you successful in using the RSD lite method to return to stock?

Any suggestions would be great, thanks in advance.

To answer these questions completely, I also need to ask a few questions...

1) What is your current SYSTEM version? (Settings > About Phone > "System Version"
2) Have you accepted the official 5.5.893 OTA? (In other words, are your kernel / radio updated via the official OTA?)
3) Have you used the cheesecake method to flash unofficial updates?

So to answer your other questions:

1) By "flash something successfully" ... this is what I mean: If you try to flash something via the bootloader that FAILS, the bootloader will read "flash failure" (we know this now...) and boot into the bootloader on every boot with the error message at the top. I believe this is both a safety protocol for Moto and also a tamper evidence measure. BUT, all that needs to happen to successfully fix the "flash failure" error and have your phone boot normally is to flash ANTHING successfully via the bootloader. A SUCCESS (as opposed to a fail) fixes the error (protection). Since I updated via OTA, I could NOT use RSDLite to return to stock since there are NO FXZ files for 5.5.893 out yet. So I flashed a stock 5.5.886 system.img instead using the tool on RootzWiki (you can flash a 886 system.img even on the updated kernel, and still accept the OTA to make all the system / radio / kernel numbers updated and consistent), and it fixed my issue. My phone now boots normally.

2) By "option 4" I mean option #4 on the 43V3R root SCRIPT /APP on RootzWiki. The option looks like this for windows:
(click to enlarge img)
This option flashes a stock 886 system.img, and successfully returns your phone to stock, unroots it, AND clears out the bootloader error message so your phone will boot as normal. You will see instructions in the app to boot into the appropriate flash mode (AP Fastboot Mode, actually #3 in the list on your PHONE if you boot by holding up vol + down vol + pwr)

- So, the steps to successfully unroot and return to full, current stock is as follows:
1) Download the 43V3R root tool from RootzWiki (my home away from home)
2) Boot into the initial recovery options screen, choose option #3 (AP Fastboot Mode)
3) Plug in USB cable
4) Open 43V3R root app and run option #4 to flash a stock 5.5.886 system.img file
5) Reboot (should boot normally, no bootloader flash failure nonsense) after system flash and accept OTA to update kernel, radio and system to 5.5.893
6) DONE!

And your question #3 ... NO you do NOT need to be rooted to use RSDLite, but you do have to have compatible files and systems. For instance, you can't use a FXZ file for a 5.5.886 system version when any part of your phone is anything but perfectly stock 5.5.886 (meaning radio, kernel and system, not necessarily apps / ROMS and whatnot). So we have ONE FXZ file for Bionic... and that only works with stock 5.5.886 radio, kernel and system. Anything else will cause a FAIL, and then send you into the fun time accompanied by booting first into fastboot mode with "flash failure" at the top... pretty sweet, I know.

So if you're on ANYTHING other than stock 5.5.886 and you have NOT updated your kernel, radio or system, you CANNOT use RSDLite. So root or no root... doesn't really matter. You'll get a fail because we don't have FXZ files that are compatible with any other system other than 5.5.886.

That's why I flashed a 5.5.886 system.img to successfully remove the "flash failure" bit and then accepted the OTA to make sure that system, kernel and radio all matched. That put me back at 100% updated stock.

** If you're on Linux or Mac (Unix) DON'T EVEN THINK about using Option #5 in 43v3r Root to "Restore Bionic to Factory" using sbf / fxz ... it will turn your phone into a $650 paperweight!! **

I hope this helps... let me know if you have any additional questions!

 

[_base2]

Thanks I would really appreciate it. I have been doing some more research about what to flash. Learned that you could flash the preinstall.img through fastboot and the command prompt. I think I got the folders set up correctly but when I tried to moto-fastboot.exe a command it came up as unrecognized as in internal or external command.

Still researching though...

preinstall.img would work to fix the flash failure error, but I just used the 43v3R root tool over at rootzwiki because I was also trying to update to the official 5.5.893 ota and go back to stock, so it sorta killed two (or fix actually... got me back on the upgrade path, unrooted my phone, fixed my "flash failure" weirdness, returned me to a stock system so I could accept the OTA, and got my phone booting normally again) birds with one stone.

Also, the automated method with the 43v3r root tool really minimizes the risk of messing something up using moto-fastboot.exe via command prompt. Obviously, none of this is without SOME degree of risk.

 

[ChuckDz3]

Perfect. This has made my hours of research all worth it in a matter of about 45 seconds after reading this, haha thank you.

Okay... Well my situation is this-

Got the offical OTA last week to .893 lost root (never used the forever root method)
Got the Galaxy Nexus Deactivated the Bionic through VZW
Sold my phone via eBay (Have to send it out tomorrow)
Tried the RSD Lite method (Failed as you can see)
Did a factory reset through regular recovery (not through cwm)
Now I am at .886
Getting the Fastboot error on a normal boot

And now I am getting ready to dive into your suggestion

Seeing my circumstances it sounds like this should work just fine. My only concern/question is will if I will get the OTA after I choose option #4? Not that I am that concerned considering I am just selling my phone as is and want the customer to get a phone completely clean and ready to activate.

Well here goes nothing, I'll let you know how it goes.

THANKS again though, REALLY appreciate it.