[Q] bootlooping - any way to recover without wipe/reset?

Would appreciate any advice, please.

My daughter's Nexus 7 Wifi (grouper/nakasi) is bootlooping.

[Yesterday, an app wouldn't install from Play Store (error code -24); went to go to Settings, to clear Play Store cache, but Settings wouldn't open. Rebooted, now it's bootlooping]

The device is still locked, so I'm obviously very limited in what I can do. Is there any way at all I can recover things, without having to do a wipe?

Failing that, I'd like to at least save her app data, and SD contents, before a wipe.

I've tried clearing /cache from (stock) Recovery, no change.

I can connect with adb, but only when in Recovery sideload. I can't connect with adb when it's bootlooping.

I can't flash a factory image, with wipe disabled, since it's still locked.

I tried to sideload an update, but the update fails, since they're all from->to, and it is already on the latest 4.4.2.

I tried mtpfs, but it won't mount.

Anything else I can try, please, before resorting to wiping, and losing all her app data and any pics she may have taken?

So, I did a wipe/reset from Recovery, which re-formatted /data & /cache.

And it still won't boot... I wonder what is wrong?

What is the recommended procedure now? Would that be to oem unlock then flash a factory image, and oem lock?

Just to follow-up - it was just less than 1 year old, so I rang Google, who did an RMA over the phone, and are sending me a replacement.

They no longer have stock of wifi-only, so are sending a 3G model. Not that I need that. I have heard that this model uses more battery even when there's no SIM in it. Hope not.

Can't fault the service.