[GUIDE] [E980] Fix soft bricks. Flash back to stock using LGFLashTools

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madmack

Senior Member
I realized there aren't any guides [in English] around here to help rooted folks that soft bricked their LG PRO to restore it back to factory settings. This should be useful if you got your phone stuck on the AT&T or the LG logo. Especially now that we don't have an unlocked bootloader or a recovery to reocver our soft brick.

Anyway, to start, a little disclaimer: I hold no responsibility if this method renders your phone completely useless, or burns and makes some nice fireworks. I'm simply writing this to document the process that worked for me. Use at your own discretion.

Dislcimaer 2: this method will wipe out your internal sdcard, apps data, everything! It'll restore the phone back to the way you got it from AT&T. Might even lose your cell unlock status (not verified). so keep these unlock codes handy just in case.

Note to linux users :cool: like myself: get your a** on windows or run it from a VM. VirtualBox with Win7 works fine.


Steps:

Download
1. LGFlashTools v1.5. Anything less won't work. Mirror: HERE
2. DLL file for LGE980
3. Drivers
4. The stock image file
Thanks to IOMonster for hosting these biga** files.

Install
1. Install the LG drivers downloaded above.
2. Install LGFlashTools v1.5 (but don't run it)
3. Extract the DLL and the TOT files from above and put them in a nice tidy directory

Drivers initialization
1. Put the phone into download mode. (Turn off device, keep pressing volume down while plugging in the micro usb cable. If this doesn't work, try holding both volume keys instead)
2. Let the phone initialize and install the drivers. Once done, in Device manager, you should see the LG phone listed under COM ports (something along these lines).
3. Find that LG entry in Device Manager, click on Properties, Advanced and then change the COM port to COM41 and close/save.
4. Unplug your phone! Important step.

LGFlashTools
To get this tool to work, you'll need to do a few tricks.
1. Set the computer's date to some time in July 2012 or before.
2. Disconnect the internet
3. Find a serial number or register key from somewhere on the web (a google search for lgflashtools serial will yield some results). Can't help you here and please don't share any keys in this thread or get us in trouble.
4. Execute the LGFlashTools. It should ask you for a key, put it in. Now you should see a dialog where you can load the DLL file and the TOT files that you extracted earlier. Put them both in here. Click ok

Flashing
5. There is a yellow arrow on the top left. Click on it to initialize the process. Once done, it should say "ready/finished" or whatever.
6. Put the phone in download mode again, and plug it into the USB port. LG FLash Tools should start flashing it automatically. When it's done, it'll automatically reboot into your stock AT&T rom and all of your data and internal sdcard files are gone.

Profit
 
Last edited:

MrNa5ty

Senior Member
Feb 13, 2013
140
90
Welp, just bricked the phone again but was able to flash the tot... very simple and quick lol ur the man mac
 

scott0

Senior Member
Dec 9, 2011
761
89
this worked perfectly fine for me. i 1st tried it on w8 but after plugging in the e980 and letting the drivers and such install, it did not show up under com in the device manager. in fact, there was no com section. it did show up under devices and printers and i tried and could not find a com setting there. i went ahead and tried to flash but since i could not change to the proper port, the flash tool never found my e980.

so instead i just did it all on a w7 box, the device was listed under com, and i went along with the flashing.

thank you.
 

jprosek

Senior Member
May 11, 2013
140
39
ocoee
Think this will fix the bricks that are happening when they try to mess around with the bootloader?

Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
 

rob219

Senior Member
Jul 11, 2010
716
123
here and there
Google Pixel 7a
My friend just bricked his and the wi9ed the system. I can get ir into download mode for him but thats it. I tried recovery mode but trying to do that or boot regularly it just shows lg the an android with the spinning symbol on it the lg again then lg 2 more times and just stays there. Can this be fixed with only download mode? Again I plugged it in and im not sure its being seen by the computer.
 

madmack

Senior Member
My friend just bricked his and the wi9ed the system. I can get ir into download mode for him but thats it. I tried recovery mode but trying to do that or boot regularly it just shows lg the an android with the spinning symbol on it the lg again then lg 2 more times and just stays there. Can this be fixed with only download mode? Again I plugged it in and im not sure its being seen by the computer.

it doesn't hurt to try. I'll bet it will because I was left with something similar and this method got me back on stock.
 

smaybe

Senior Member
Aug 8, 2012
186
121
www.feedup.me
Download lg pc suite it have lg flash tool in it
Then you search a little in menus for firmware urgence recovery something like that and if it don't work try update in the same menu

And if all of that didn't work I'll find you a link to flash a kdz
 
Last edited:
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turilo

Senior Member
Jun 17, 2007
3,534
1,565
Hamilton,Ont
I seem to have an issue with my E980, i cant get data my apn directory is empty and cant seem to add an apn it will just not save! anyone else have this issue or know what i can do? thanks!
 

apascual89

Inactive Recognized Contributor
Jan 17, 2011
5,558
13,306
Atlanta, GA
Reboots to recovery only

Ok, I flashed the recovery in this post using the dd method http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=43460298&postcount=208

The value pack was trying to download on my phone and instead of cancel, I pressed install. Now the phone only boots into that recovery. I have everything from the op downloaded, but instead of download mode it only boots into the recovery, any ideas?

When it boots up, It says the following for a couple of seconds:

Code:
Secure booting error
Cause: Device Unlock, so boot success!!

Edit: Got it into download mode by holding down both volume keys and plugging into usb. Thanks!!
 
Last edited:

madmack

Senior Member
Ok, I flashed the recovery in this post using the dd method http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=43460298&postcount=208

The value pack was trying to download on my phone and instead of cancel, I pressed install. Now the phone only boots into that recovery. I have everything from the op downloaded, but instead of download mode it only boots into the recovery, any ideas?

When it boots up, It says the following for a couple of seconds:

Code:
Secure booting error
Cause: Device Unlock, so boot success!!

Edit: Got it into download mode by holding down both volume keys and plugging into usb. Thanks!!

I'm glad you got it resolved! I just edited the OP with this information.
 
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  • 105
    I realized there aren't any guides [in English] around here to help rooted folks that soft bricked their LG PRO to restore it back to factory settings. This should be useful if you got your phone stuck on the AT&T or the LG logo. Especially now that we don't have an unlocked bootloader or a recovery to reocver our soft brick.

    Anyway, to start, a little disclaimer: I hold no responsibility if this method renders your phone completely useless, or burns and makes some nice fireworks. I'm simply writing this to document the process that worked for me. Use at your own discretion.

    Dislcimaer 2: this method will wipe out your internal sdcard, apps data, everything! It'll restore the phone back to the way you got it from AT&T. Might even lose your cell unlock status (not verified). so keep these unlock codes handy just in case.

    Note to linux users :cool: like myself: get your a** on windows or run it from a VM. VirtualBox with Win7 works fine.


    Steps:

    Download
    1. LGFlashTools v1.5. Anything less won't work. Mirror: HERE
    2. DLL file for LGE980
    3. Drivers
    4. The stock image file
    Thanks to IOMonster for hosting these biga** files.

    Install
    1. Install the LG drivers downloaded above.
    2. Install LGFlashTools v1.5 (but don't run it)
    3. Extract the DLL and the TOT files from above and put them in a nice tidy directory

    Drivers initialization
    1. Put the phone into download mode. (Turn off device, keep pressing volume down while plugging in the micro usb cable. If this doesn't work, try holding both volume keys instead)
    2. Let the phone initialize and install the drivers. Once done, in Device manager, you should see the LG phone listed under COM ports (something along these lines).
    3. Find that LG entry in Device Manager, click on Properties, Advanced and then change the COM port to COM41 and close/save.
    4. Unplug your phone! Important step.

    LGFlashTools
    To get this tool to work, you'll need to do a few tricks.
    1. Set the computer's date to some time in July 2012 or before.
    2. Disconnect the internet
    3. Find a serial number or register key from somewhere on the web (a google search for lgflashtools serial will yield some results). Can't help you here and please don't share any keys in this thread or get us in trouble.
    4. Execute the LGFlashTools. It should ask you for a key, put it in. Now you should see a dialog where you can load the DLL file and the TOT files that you extracted earlier. Put them both in here. Click ok

    Flashing
    5. There is a yellow arrow on the top left. Click on it to initialize the process. Once done, it should say "ready/finished" or whatever.
    6. Put the phone in download mode again, and plug it into the USB port. LG FLash Tools should start flashing it automatically. When it's done, it'll automatically reboot into your stock AT&T rom and all of your data and internal sdcard files are gone.

    Profit
    3
    @kmn5

    StorageCow is not dead. I`m having server issues and have had an hetic serveral days trying to get things back up. If you keep checking I`m slowly adding things back :)
    3
    This needs to be stickied!!!

    Sent from my LG-E980 using xda app-developers app
    2

    sure thing :) I'm probably going to refer to it myself someday.
    2
    if you warn folks


    The music is just not OK IMHO and folks need to be warn it might not be enjoyable...over riders the instructions plus four letter words and such...just a heads-up would have been nice...