[Q] Ach! Doh! I did it. I bricked my N7 while going 4.4 to 4.3

I know. You guys have heard it all before...but

I was using WugFresh to re-flash back to 4.3 from 4.4 and the recovery was taking so long. After an hour of running, I was moving the device to a coffee table when the cable fell out.

Hay, why isn't a message include in WugFresh like the backup process as to approximately how long this process takes? That brings up another issue in general with these old N7s is that these micro-USB female connectors get loose after so many years of use, makes connecting and charging difficult.

But I digress.

I have read often in the XDA forums about a factory reset ‘from bricked feature’ in WugFresh, but I can not find that feature anywhere where ‘bricked’. anything is. If it is there, where is it?

Anyway, how can I recover the bootloader and everything without having to learn doing everything via a cmd line or .bat process?

These are the facts:

Nexus 7 2012, 8g, re-flashing back to 4.3 from 4.4, using Nexus Root Kit

v1.8.2, Flash Stock + Unroot (I had read in XDA Forum somewhere where it was suggested to go back to a factory vs to use this option).

The N7 is currently has one of 4 states available: Bootloader screen (with below stated status), Google initial screen (with "Start" Showing and "Booting failed" in the upper right corner), or it can Power off. Recovery Mode is an option, but does nothing but cycles to the Google initial screen.

In Fastboot mode the status says this:

FASTBOOT MODE
Product name - grouper (it got that far)
Variant - grouper
HU version - E3
LOCK STATE - UNLOCKED
Bootloader Version - N/A
Serial Number - 015d2109ab281807
SIGNING - not defined yet

Of course I can't get an MTP connection to Microsoft XP, but an "Unknown
device" error shows up under USB when I connect the cable. No drivers from WMSDK kit or any from WugFresh worked.

Oh, and by the way, the WugFresh backup didn't work for me. It saved next to nothing, but I have another type of backup that works, so no worry.

GOT ANY SUGGESTIONS?

Captain Sweatpants said:

Looks like it will be fine follow the sticky for reflashing a factory image.
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1907796

[GUIDE] Flashing a Factory Image with fastboot / return to stock
Don't use toolkits for flashing devices just learn the adb commands its much safer. The reason there is no time for completing a flash if it varies with devices.
FYI the wugfresh option you are looking for is return to stock/unroot with soft bricked checked

Programming is a race between engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

{Q} Thanks Captain, I have been following the Guide instruction, but I have some other questions before I proceed.

In your Quote above you said “follow the sticky for reflashing”, I don’t know what you mean by a “sticky” and I have looked though a lot of the pages after the "[GUIDE] Flashing a Factory Image with fastboot / return to stock" and I can not find “reflashing” mentioned yet. Did you mean to go directly to the "Flashing the Factory Image" section in the Guide and follow that?

Since I didn't know that answer, I went a head and read the whole Guide and other questions popped up: If I have to download Java SE JDK will the Version 6 I already have work? The Oracle website you directed me to won’t let me download Version 8; however, Android SDK did accept Version 6 to install.

I did re-download all the drivers as instructed and put the JWR66V bootloader into the place of the JWR66Y one and then inserted bootloader-grouper-4.23.img, image-nakasi-jwr66y.zip, flash-all.sh, and flash-base.sh all into <my sdk directory>\platform-tools as the Guide says.

Now that I think I have it all ready to go, will I still have to run the Adb cmds to install Drivers?

Now its Driver installation issues

Captain Sweatpants said:

A sticky is a thread that a mod has "stickied" meaning that it won't move down the forum but stays at the top. Yes that's what I meant.
Just follow the whole guide and take it slow if you have been relying on toolkits like wugfresh this will be a not of a learning curve

Yes you still have to install drivers you shouldn't need adb to do that just make sure windows has the correct adb and fastboot drivers installed. If you have been using wugfresh NRT the drivers should be OK.
As your device is soft bricked where the guide says use the command adb reboot bootloader you will need to manually enter the bootloader by pressing power & vol +
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

{Q} Installing the driver now seems to be the issue. I tried a couple of things:
1. I know this was not exactly appropriate, but I went into Device Manager, located the USB “Unknown Device”, tried to update
the Driver after selecting it, directed the screens to both the ‘supposed’ drivers in WugFresh and Adb subdir’s. None took.
2. Then I forced a new device though the Control Panel’s, Add New Hardware, navigated to “Add a new hardware device” and
selected “Google Nexus 7 ADB interface”, and it created the new device. The Device Manager showed and error on the
device, so I refreshed it with the Adb driver, with no different results.
3. I then added the device driver “Google Nexus Bootloader Interface” via Add New Hardware
4. I rebooted the computer. After it came back up…
5. I looked at the Device Manager with no change in the status of any of the Android or the Unknown USB Device.
6. I insured the N7 was in bootloader mode by rebooting with volume keys/on key.
7. I went ahead and ran “adb drivers” cmd after entering the “cd’ cmd. I got the following:
Bear with me as I have no screen printing capability at this time.

>Command Prompt screen:

>C:\<adb dir>\platform-tools> adb devices
>List of devices attached

>C:\<adb dir>>\platform-tools>

And as you can see, NO listing showed.

So what’s next? I have another XP computer I can try this on, but I will have to get all the Abd stuff over to it 1st. While you answer I will try that.

Captain Sweatpants said:

Your Nexus in fastboot mode is not an adb device so it won't show up. Change your command to fastboot devices and it should work.
If you are still having driver issues download USB deveiw and remove anything that looks like a Nexus bootloader interface or adb device.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

OK, I have tried what you said with no results. If you would be willing to work with my computer directly, I have a method of allowing you to see what I see. The 2nd computer I have the N7 on right now have very little personal stuff on it, and I would be willing to let you access it. I have set up a temporary e-mail address sparemull@att.net you can send an e-mail to with your e-mail address, and we can correspond directly, thus I can give you the access you need. I know you are else where in the world, so I would be willing to leave my computer up for you to see it all when you like. What do you think?

Tell me the final score of Zebre and your teem, what date it occurred, and what the sport is so I know it is you. Send the answer to the e-mail above, so I know it is you. I’ll only give you a short time to respond.

The Fat Lady Just Sang an Unhappy Song!

Hi Captain,

Thank you for all of your help and patience with me. I have read a lot more about the status of my device through looking at the XDA forum about other devices that have the kind of issue I do, and I have concluded mine is HARDbricked. I went ahead and ordered another motherboard off of eBay. My device was an 8G and I got a 32G replacement, making sure it was for my age of my N7. XDA forum and other websites say the boards are interchangeable. I was thinking about buying a new device anyway and this way I can upgrade and still have the same familiar device with no learning curve of a new one.