[UNBRICK] HTC Unbricking Project

dexter93 · Apr 30, 2012

We are proud to announce that the Evo 3D is now UNbrickable. Users with the QHSUSB_DLOAD issue can now fully recover their phones and get them fully functional.

Note: This will fix only devices which were bricked by turning S ON. And bricks caused by a damaged hboot via interrupted OTA update/RUU flash on a S-ON device. Any devices bricked with other ways are currently *not* supported. We are working on it

The "core" of the unbricking project dev team:
MOVZX
RussianBear
Fuses
Dexter93
Testing stuff and irc support:
globatron
Deceptivechaos
dburgd84
Snake_skw
Other stuff:
dmcb123
xIndirect
Hawke84

Thanks to trevE, xHausx and the rest of the evo3d team that gave us the basic info to work on and made us curious to see if we could get something out of it. Also thanks to ief and his team @revolutionary for helping us understand the bootloaders better. We should also not forget to thank cxb01 of malshenzu.com and xda members arthurire and untrueparadox who helped in translation.

dexter93 · May 4, 2012

Prerequisites

a linux box/live cd with automount disabled and without unity
the appropriate package for the device
the latest RUU for your device
a device bricked by writing security flag 3 with an unsigned hboot, or caused by a damaged hboot via interrupted OTA update/RUU flash on a S-ON device
a usb cable
some basic linux experience
patience

DISCLAIMER: We do NOT guarantee that this method will work for you, or that it is flawless. We are also not responsible if your phone is completely dead after the procedure, or your house burns down because your phone exploded. You are doing this in YOUR OWN RISK.

Instructions

NEW: Detailed video on the process. Its displaying the process on a Sensation, but its pretty much the same thing. Thanks to kgs1992

Boot the linux box and download the appropriate package for the device.
WARNING: IT IS DEVICE SPECIFIC. DO NOT USE THE GSM VERSION ON A CDMA EVO AND VICE VERSA. SAME GOES FOR THE INSTRUCTIONS
Extract the package in the home directory
Open up a terminal
Remove SIM, microSD card and battery and connect the device using the USB cable. This procedure must be done without battery
Detect the device using the script provided. Type this in the terminal
Code:
```
./brickdetect.sh
```
You should get something like sdX. We are interested on that "X"
Unplug the usb cable from the device
Backup the hboot currently in the phone by using this command. Plug the device in ONLY when asked to
Code:
```
sudo ./emmc_recover --backup b_hboot.img --device /dev/sdX12
```
Replace the "X" with the letter the script gave you
Follow the on-screen instructions from emmc_recover

Hexdump the b_hboot to check the hboot version

Code:

hexdump -C b_hboot.img |less

The output should be like this:

Code:

00000000  05 00 00 00 03 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 10 40  |...............@|
00000010  d8 fc 0f 00 d8 fb 0f 00  d8 fb 1f 40 00 01 00 00  |...........@....|
00000020  d8 fc 1f 40 00 00 00 00  12 00 00 ea 31 2e 34 39  |...@........1.49|
00000030  2e 31 31 30 37 00 00 00  38 32 36 30 20 53 50 4c  |.1107...8260 SPL|
00000040  00 00 00 00 00 f0 20 e3  53 48 49 50 00 00 00 00  |...... .SHIP....|
00000050  00 f0 20 e3 00 f0 20 e3  48 42 4f 4f 54 2d 38 32  |.. ... .HBOOT-82|
00000060  36 30 00 00 00 f0 20 e3  65 64 62 61 38 31 32 66  |60.... .edba812f|

This is the typical hex of a hboot. We are interested to check if that is the hboot partition and if it is, to get to know the version. In this case it is 1.49

If in the above step you failed to identify the hboot, unplug all devices connected to that pc, reboot and try again
Unplug the device
Check again it is the right version, because if you do a mistake here, you won't be able to go back
You can only flash the same version as the one in the device.

!!!!!DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FLASH ANOTHER VERSION OR DOWNGRADE!!!IT HAS BEEN PROVEN FATAL!!!!
Flash the hboot on the device. Replace "V.VV" with hboot version (eg. 1.49) and "X" with the one you got from the detect script. Plug the device in ONLY when asked to
Code:
```
sudo ./emmc_recover --flash shotrUV.VV.nb0 --device /dev/sdX12 --backupafter hboot_f.nb0
```
Follow the on-screen instructions from emmc_recover. A successful flash should have this output:
Code:
```
511+1 records in
511+1 records out
1047808 bytes(1.0 MB) copied
```
Unplug the device, put SIM, microSD card and battery in and power on
Congratulations, the device is unbricked.
FLASH THE RUU IMMEDIATELY AFTER RECOVERING!! The device will be unstable after the recovery if you don't flash it.

Notes on the procedure:

If the device doesn't power on, get a copy of the hboot_f.nb0 and b_hboot.img (should be located in the home directory) and contact us
The connection between the device and the pc will be unstable, and will time out. You have to be quick when doing the above, specially while flashing. If the connection times out don't panic, just unplug and replug the device
Unity and automount are known to cause issues in ubuntu 11.04 and 11.10. We recommend getting rid of both, or use a 12.04, or 10.04/.10 liveCD
USB3 ports do not work properly. Please plug the device in a USB2 port

How to disable automount on ubuntu

Code:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.media-handling automount false

Downloads

For EVO 3D GSM( ShooterU):
32bit version MD5: 4fa6ddf99acc33f069e3192ee8417aa0
64bit version MD5: 8acfdfc391de99e864bfd7e6ca34e9b3

Don't have a linux distro installed on your pc? We highly recommend this livecd

kjames2001 · May 5, 2012

1st! Finally.

Sent from my HTC EVO 3D X515m using Tapatalk 2

s_superman · May 5, 2012

Second !!

and thanks in advance

scariola · May 5, 2012

I thanked without even knowing what this is, but again thanks, this development is gonna skyrocket with this ICS leak now.

Can I ask what are we in store for?

Google + pertinent info = results

jcsy · May 5, 2012

first of all, the major project is to NOT BRICK YOUR phone, to get into this thread

because if you do , i guess LOL

Grea09 · May 5, 2012

Too late for me.
My phone is bricked with following instructions.
I tried to install the official ICS update and just after flashing the PG86IMG.zip my phone was bricked.
No reaction at all of power button, power button + any other buttons, charge, USB. No led no connection (lsusb) nothing.
I will try to return it and hope they accept it.
It's just the worse moment to brick it because I have an Android App to devellop, and now I must use the laggy emultor.

plug and pray.

Funkyasshit · May 5, 2012

Grea09 said:
Too late for me.
My phone is bricked with following instructions.
I tried to install the official ICS update and just after flashing the PG86IMG.zip my phone was bricked.
No reaction at all of power button, power button + any other buttons, charge, USB. No led no connection (lsusb) nothing.
I will try to return it and hope they accept it.
It's just the worse moment to brick it because I have an Android App to devellop, and now I must use the laggy emultor.

plug and pray.

If you have the newest CWM your phone doesn't charges when turned off. A lot guys had this problem even on regular ROM. The battery was empty til 0%. They thought it's bricked. No led etc. You just need to leave it for 2-3hours for charging and after that just get in fastboot and flash old cwm and after that get 4EXT. I had smth similar. Thank God everything is fine. That's why I always leave 4EXT but when I need cwm I use fastboot boot cwmrecovery.img (The latest touch). I feel more safe doing like this.

Grea09 · May 5, 2012

Funkyas**** said:
If you have the newest CWM your phone doesn't charges when turned off. A lot guys had this problem even on regular ROM. The battery was empty til 0%. They thought it's bricked. No led etc. You just need to leave it for 2-3hours for charging and after that just get in fastboot and flash old cwm and after that get 4EXT. I had smth similar. Thank God everything is fine. That's why I always leave 4EXT but when I need cwm I use fastboot boot cwmrecovery.img (The latest touch). I feel more safe doing like this.

I had charged it during the night anyway, it doesn't works.
I'll try to do that but I knew already this issue and it never goes this way.

dexter93 · May 5, 2012

Grea09 said:
Too late for me.
My phone is bricked with following instructions.
I tried to install the official ICS update and just after flashing the PG86IMG.zip my phone was bricked.
No reaction at all of power button, power button + any other buttons, charge, USB. No led no connection (lsusb) nothing.
I will try to return it and hope they accept it.
It's just the worse moment to brick it because I have an Android App to devellop, and now I must use the laggy emultor.

plug and pray.

There is a 80% chance that this method will work for you

gav83collins · May 5, 2012

Funkyas**** said:
If you have the newest CWM your phone doesn't charges when turned off. A lot guys had this problem even on regular ROM. The battery was empty til 0%. They thought it's bricked. No led etc. You just need to leave it for 2-3hours for charging and after that just get in fastboot and flash old cwm and after that get 4EXT. I had smth similar. Thank God everything is fine. That's why I always leave 4EXT but when I need cwm I use fastboot boot cwmrecovery.img (The latest touch). I feel more safe doing like this.

a simple fix to this is to plug your charger in for 5 mins, then hold volume up and down, and camera button, then press and hold the power button, then get into fastboot and then flash 4ext recovery, then start the ics flashing again

Grea09 · May 5, 2012

gav-collins1983 said:
a simple fix to this is to plug your charger in for 5 mins, then hold volume up and down, and camera button, then press and hold the power button, then get into fastboot and then flash 4ext recovery, then start the ics flashing again

Thanks, I tried this and doesn't works. Will try again in 5 minutes.

If my phone does anything I will propably know what to do, but I can't get it to even charge.
And I got the CWM issue before, I know it and it is just not the same symptoms at all. Whith CWM issue the LED faitly blink then Blink bright orange then blink each time you try to start it. I know how to deal with it, I've done this a lot before.

Here it don't even slightly blink at all.

---------- Post added at 03:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:50 PM ----------

dexter93 said:
There is a 80% chance that this method will work for you

Thanks a lot for your time on this.

But I need to know if the method will be avaible in a matter of days or a matter of week, because if I need to wait some weeks then, I will try to resend it in the while.

fahadj2003 · May 6, 2012

Grea09 said:
Thanks, I tried this and doesn't works. Will try again in 5 minutes.

If my phone does anything I will propably know what to do, but I can't get it to even charge.
And I got the CWM issue before, I know it and it is just not the same symptoms at all. Whith CWM issue the LED faitly blink then Blink bright orange then blink each time you try to start it. I know how to deal with it, I've done this a lot before.

Here it don't even slightly blink at all.

---------- Post added at 03:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:50 PM ----------

Thanks a lot for your time on this.

But I need to know if the method will be avaible in a matter of days or a matter of week, because if I need to wait some weeks then, I will try to resend it in the while.

are u s-off?
otherwise, it'll work..

harvin23 · May 6, 2012

I like dexter picture... It's a cute pic...

Sent from my HTC EVO 3D X515m using xda premium

Grea09 · May 6, 2012

fahadj2003 said:
are u s-off?
otherwise, it'll work..

I'm S-off, and my distributor (C-discount) has decided to have a waranty of only 3 months.
The last chance is to pray HTC.

I don't know what happened, everybody, even noobs haven't this problem when flashing the same zip, and I've done that a lot of time, I know what I'm doing and sudenly the phone is magically bricked. I think seriously that it has a hardware failure on some point.

nemesis2012 · May 6, 2012

same issue here

i have the same issue, just brought a bricked Evo 3d GSM from a friend (very cheap).it died in his pocket and all liquid tabs inside are fine.

phone is dead and not charging (no button combination is helping ether)

the person i brought it off states no ROMS have been installed aside from the issued FOTA ICS.

when plugged in to the PC (win 7 32bit) it installs as a
Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 device (once i downloaded the driver).

this is what i have done so far
aside from charging and pressing camera, volume up/down etc
i tried to force a hardware change in device manager using both the Android driver and the HTC Sync driver but windows is not allowing it . but it does allow me to change it to the HTCDiag Driver (on com 3).

installed the Android Dev software and opened up the ADB software to try the reboot command and also force it to talk to the USB devices but it states no device is connected.

on a side note i have been reading a lot about the CDMA version and connecting it to a Linux machine and running commands from there so i may do that later to see how that goes (just to see if it can talk to the phone)

other than that, i shall play around with it for a week then get in to the HTC repair centre if not...and see how that goes.

best regards all

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Owned so far.
Qtek 9100, HTC Metor TYTN II, HTC Magic, Nexus one, Evo 3D

jcsy · May 6, 2012

i thought all our EVO's has official HTC warranty, minimum 1 year extended to 2 years?

or was i wrong, and its up to distributor to decide

perhaps you should try registering it on the HTC website for warranty?

panki_86 · May 6, 2012

dexter93 said:
There is a 80% chance that this method will work for you

Worked for me 1 month ago

dexter93 thanks again!

nemesis2012 · May 6, 2012

quite right

a store can give a warranty for a min of six months (Orange UK do that) , but HTC has a two year warranty (at least here in the UK (Norway has even longer if i remember right). so give HTC a call if you need to book in for repairs etc.
They just cant do refunds etc as the cash is handled at the store (point of sale) and not HTC so HTC cant refund a phone.

Grea09 · May 6, 2012

nemesis2012 said:
i have the same issue, just brought a bricked Evo 3d GSM from a friend (very cheap).it died in his pocket and all liquid tabs inside are fine.

phone is dead and not charging (no button combination is helping ether)

the person i brought it off states no ROMS have been installed aside from the issued FOTA ICS.

when plugged in to the PC (win 7 32bit) it installs as a
Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 device (once i downloaded the driver).

this is what i have done so far
aside from charging and pressing camera, volume up/down etc
i tried to force a hardware change in device manager using both the Android driver and the HTC Sync driver but windows is not allowing it . but it does allow me to change it to the HTCDiag Driver (on com 3).

installed the Android Dev software and opened up the ADB software to try the reboot command and also force it to talk to the USB devices but it states no device is connected.

on a side note i have been reading a lot about the CDMA version and connecting it to a Linux machine and running commands from there so i may do that later to see how that goes (just to see if it can talk to the phone)

other than that, i shall play around with it for a week then get in to the HTC repair centre if not...and see how that goes.

best regards all

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Owned so far.
Qtek 9100, HTC Metor TYTN II, HTC Magic, Nexus one, Evo 3D

I am on linux and the system don't see it at all

---------- Post added at 09:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:55 PM ----------

nemesis2012 said:
a store can give a warranty for a min of six months (Orange UK do that) , but HTC has a two year warranty (at least here in the UK (Norway has even longer if i remember right). so give HTC a call if you need to book in for repairs etc.
They just cant do refunds etc as the cash is handled at the store (point of sale) and not HTC so HTC cant refund a phone.

The people at Cdiscount bought the phone to HTC so they have the money.
Anyway I will call them tomorow and just explain a noob like explication

[UNBRICK] HTC Unbricking Project

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