a500 stuck on booting kernel

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first thanks to all
friend gave me a a500 to unbrick- have no history on it.
been reading and searching for days with no luck.
the only thing i can get done is loading boot loaders in apx mode, but recovery's never get on(maby they do).
i can change the boot loader to anyone i try.
the device will not boot past the acer screen.

when trying to boot or boot into recovery from skrilax_cz bootloader it gets stuck at "booting recovery kernel image" and their she stays.

i am assuming that the kernel is toast. i have tried to search to replace the kernel but have no idea what rom is on, or a guide to help me thru in apx mode.

in apx mode i have watch it successfully watch it write all the images in root-3.2.1-V4.7z

now i am just confused! lol

anyways anyone got some ideas for me?
and thanks again

If you have no issue getting the bootloader to load, and you are on ver 3 or 4, or higher, have you tried "Fastboot" to load a recovery image?

Holding Vol+ and PWR should put you into fastboot mode.

The you can start fastboot from the SDK. Should be able to do it that way to flash a recovery image.

If you install a recovery, and you reboot, and then find the recovery is not there, it's probably because you didn't delete the boot-recovery file from the stock rom after installing. Every time you boot, your recovery gets replaced by a stock acer recovery, which is useless.

Originally Posted by Moscow Desire

If you have no issue getting the bootloader to load, and you are on ver 3 or 4, or higher, have you tried "Fastboot" to load a recovery image?

Holding Vol+ and PWR should put you into fastboot mode.

The you can start fastboot from the SDK. Should be able to do it that way to flash a recovery image.

If you install a recovery, and you reboot, and then find the recovery is not there, it's probably because you didn't delete the boot-recovery file from the stock rom after installing. Every time you boot, your recovery gets replaced by a stock acer recovery, which is useless.

the tab while booting gets stuck at "booting primary kernel image" never goes further on normal boot.
i can change the bootloader but it gets stuck on the acer loader never goes.

if i run nvflash on root-3.2.1 this is the output:



C:\Users\larry\Downloads\root-3.2.1\Image>nvflash --bct flash.bct --setbct --odm
data 0x100c0105 --configfile flash.cfg --create --bl bootloader.bin --sbk 0x2F4
26E00 0xEB3DF106 0xAB771504 0x9EE32003 --go
Nvflash started
rcm version 0X20001
System Information:
chip name: t20
chip id: 0x20 major: 1 minor: 3
chip sku: 0x8
chip uid: 0x0380700140ffd397
macrovision: disabled
hdcp: enabled
sbk burned: true
dk burned: true
boot device: emmc
operating mode: 4
device config strap: 0
device config fuse: 0
sdram config strap: 0

sending file: flash.bct
- 4080/4080 bytes sent
flash.bct sent successfully
odm data: 0x100c0105
downloading bootloader -- load address: 0x108000 entry point: 0x108000
sending file: bootloader.bin
| 714385/714385 bytes sent
bootloader.bin sent successfully
waiting for bootloader to initialize
bootloader downloaded successfully
setting device: 2 3
creating partition: BCT
creating partition: PT
creating partition: EBT
creating partition: GP1
creating partition: SOS
creating partition: LNX
creating partition: APP
creating partition: CAC
creating partition: MSC
creating partition: FLX
creating partition: AKB
creating partition: UDA
creating partition: GPT
Formatting partition 2 BCT please wait.. done!
Formatting partition 3 PT please wait.. done!
Formatting partition 4 EBT please wait.. done!
Formatting partition 5 GP1 please wait.. done!
Formatting partition 6 SOS please wait.. done!
Formatting partition 7 LNX please wait.. done!
Formatting partition 8 APP please wait.. done!
Formatting partition 9 CAC please wait.. done!
Formatting partition 10 MSC please wait.. done!
Formatting partition 11 FLX please wait.. done!
Formatting partition 12 AKB please wait.. done!
Formatting partition 13 UDA please wait.. done!
Formatting partition 14 GPT please wait.. done!
done!
sending file: bootloader.bin
| 714385/714385 bytes sent
bootloader.bin sent successfully
sending file: recovery.img
| 5171200/5171200 bytes sent
recovery.img sent successfully
sending file: boot.img
/ 3125248/3125248 bytes sent
boot.img sent successfully
sending file: system.img
/ 629145600/629145600 bytes sent
system.img sent successfully
sending file: flexrom.img
/ 104857600/104857600 bytes sent
flexrom.img sent successfully
sending file: checksum.img
/ 10485760/10485760 bytes sent
checksum.img sent successfully

everything said successful, but then it sits on the acer screen 4ever.
is that not everything that needs to be flashed?

also i put a freshly formatted sdcard in it(didnt have one) is their any files that should be on it?<<<(sorry for the newbie question)

i glad i can get in apx mode and sill talk to it, the xooms dont have that option if **** goes bad, but no problems their
thanks again for the help.

ok i have been able to get into recovery after fixing some partions ( found a thread.
i have skrilax bootload v8 on.
in recovery i tried installing these 3 roms:
Lightspeed_4.8.zip
Acer_AV041_A500_1.054.00_WW_GEN1-DEODEXED-FULLROOT.zip
and a jelly bean rom.

i still get stuck at "booting primary kernel image.

anyone have any thoughts for me?

pleading for some direction

which recovery did you push

thanks for responding
cwm recovery v5.5.0.x(thor2002ro/digetx rev1.7.3 icconia a500x

Originally Posted by liftman-

thanks for responding
cwm recovery v5.5.0.x(thor2002ro/digetx rev1.7.3 icconia a500x

That's the good one. My "gut" says that you may have an issue with the ICS bootloader. If it were me, I'd start over and ensure that you have the correct SBK...make double sure. Flash the recovery again in fastboot. Test that you can get into recovery through fastboot or the Power+voldown method. Once in recovery, format/wipe everything...except the sdcard of course. Flash a rom that will work with the unlocked ics bootloader.

Another thing to try is to flash twrp 2.0. as your recovery. But I've read that recovery is causing some issues with some folks. Still worth a shot though.

If you still can get it to boot. Start the process over again with a honeycomb bootloader.

Good luck.

i double check my sbk and it was ok, tried a few recoverys all went on fine except the touch screen versions.
does wm recovery v5.5.0.x(thor2002ro/digetx rev1.7.3 icconia a500x touch buttons supposed to work? this might be the reason if the touch screen is fooked. when it starts the kernel on boot i see a quick screen flick then it gets stuck, same reactions on touch screen versions of the recoverys.

little different learning curve then my xoom, bit still enjoying learning a diffent device.

Yes, the buttons in the lower right should work. You can also use swipe gesture...swipe up and down in the menu, swipe right to "enter".

Have you tried going back to a HC BL yet? Maybe the repartitioning of the ICS BL just didn't take.