Fix for bricked Glow2, 3, 4

[dmkbox]

Hi. I'm bricked my Glowlight plus 2015.
I'm install twrp. After that I wipe all partition, forgot to uncheck system. Than I flashed custom firmware.
Now I have NOOK logo. i'm able to do factory reset. But if can't help. Windows cannot identify device
What should I do? I can open my Nookand connect via UART. But what's next?

 

[Renate]

Windows cannot identify device

Presumably you now have a Glow2 with no installed Home app and the ADB turned off?
You can look in (Windows) Device Manager and see what it's presenting over USB.
Or download imxlink.exe (in sig) and see which "LEDs" light up.

C:\>imxlink.exe

If you can do factory reset, I'd try that.
I don't know what you flashed this with.
If you can fix this without opening it would be easier.

 

[dmkbox]

Or download imxlink.exe (in sig) and see which "LEDs" light up.

My nook glowlight plus. My mistake, I format system partition from TWRP.
When I start imxlink.exe and connect device only MTP light on.

 

[Renate]

When I start imxlink.exe and connect device only MTP light on.

Which means that the stock Nook is running, without the ADB enabled and somehow you have no Home app.
What the heck did you put on this?

You can try doing 8+ times letting it boot up halfway and hit a long reset and see if you can get it to go to recovery.
Recovery is only useful if you can get there.
That's why total failure is good, it will try something else.
Halfway success is bad, it won't try other things.

 

[dmkbox]

Nothing works.
I'm ready to open book. But what`s next?

 

[Renate]

Just to be sure...
You had ADB working before on the desktop?
Just double check:

C:\>adb kill-server
C:\>imxlink.exe

You have a 3.3 V UART, like Adafruit FTDI Friend or something?

It's (in worse case) like this thread: https://xdaforums.com/t/fixing-a-dead-glow-glow2-brnv510.4229851/

But in your case, all you really need to do is install a launcher.

# settings put global adb_enabled 1
# setprop sys.usb.config adb
# setprop persist.sys.usb.config adb
# getprop sys.usb.state
[sys.usb.state]: [adb]

(This is complete overkill, but hey.)

C:\>adb install whatever.apk
C:\>adb reboot

 

[dmkbox]

Just to be sure...
You had ADB working before on the desktop?

Yes. I'm used adb to boot to TWRP.

C:\>adb kill-server

C:\>imxlink.exe

Sure, not work.

You have a 3.3 V UART, like Adafruit FTDI Friend or something?

In next few days I will get all this stuff.
I will post my results. Thanks.

 

[Renate]

@nmyshkin had some secret finger swipe to get to recovery without that 8 times boot failure.
I can't seem to find it on search (or anything else, actually).

 

[nmyshkin]

@nmyshkin had some secret finger swipe to get to recovery without that 8 times boot failure.
I can't seem to find it on search (or anything else, actually).

I wish. I don't think it actually goes to recovery but rather is a shortcut to wiping user data or effectively deregistering without being online. Still, here is what "works" for the NST:

• Turning the Nook off completely
• Turning it on
• As soon as you see the screen flash begin holding the bottom page turn buttons until the screen flashes with a message asking if you would like to do a reset
• Press the 'n' key twice to start the reset

In NookManager the actual return to factory script is:

mount -t vfat /dev/block/mmcblk1p1 /sdcard
mount -t vfat -o remount,rw,sync,noatime,nodiratime,uid=1000,gid=1000,fmask=117,dmask=007 /dev/block/mmcblk0p2 /rom

cp /sdcard/files/rom/devconf/BootCnt /rom/devconf/BootCnt
sync

mount -t vfat -o remount,ro,sync,noatime,nodiratime,uid=1000,gid=1000,fmask=117,dmask=007 /dev/block/mmcblk0p2 /rom
umount /sdcard

and this is the content of /sdcard/files/rom/devconf/BootCnt on the NookManager sdcard reads in Notepad++ as "BSNUL" (two white-on-black characters with no space between), probably a binary file with the value "8". But you could probably guess that.

Using that or similar without NookManager would require functioning ADB.

 

[dmkbox]

Just to be sure...
You had ADB working before on the desktop?
Just double check:

C:\>adb kill-server
C:\>imxlink.exe

You have a 3.3 V UART, like Adafruit FTDI Friend or something?

It's (in worse case) like this thread: https://xdaforums.com/t/fixing-a-dead-glow-glow2-brnv510.4229851/

But in your case, all you really need to do is install a launcher.

# settings put global adb_enabled 1
# setprop sys.usb.config adb
# setprop persist.sys.usb.config adb
# getprop sys.usb.state
[sys.usb.state]: [adb]

(This is complete overkill, but hey.)

C:\>adb install whatever.apk
C:\>adb reboot

HI!
I`m successfully connect to console and get
U-Boot 2009.08-00728-ga4ff22e-dirty (Apr 09 2017 - 22:25:18)

CPU: Freescale i.MX6 family TO0.0 at 792 MHz
Thermal sensor with ratio = 180
Temperature: 43 C, calibration data 0x5754f75f
mx6q pll1: 792MHz
mx6q pll2: 528MHz
mx6q pll3: 480MHz
mx6q pll8: 50MHz
ipg clock : 66000000Hz
ipg per clock : 66000000Hz
uart clock : 80000000Hz
cspi clock : 60000000Hz
ahb clock : 132000000Hz
axi clock : 198000000Hz
emi_slow clock: 99000000Hz
ddr clock : 396000000Hz
usdhc1 clock : 198000000Hz
usdhc2 clock : 198000000Hz
usdhc3 clock : 198000000Hz
usdhc4 clock : 198000000Hz
Board: MX6SoloLite-NTX:[ POR ]
Boot Device: MMC
I2C: ready
DRAM: 512 MB
MMC: ram p=80000000,size=536870912
mmc0(part 0) is current device

MMC read: dev # 0, block # 1023, count 1 ... 1 blocks read: OK

MMC read: dev # 0, block # 1024, count 1 ... 1 blocks read: OK
FSL_USDHC: 0,FSL_USDHC: 1,FSL_USDHC: 2
hw_anadig_reg_core=7c3e1f

MMC read: dev # 0, block # 34815, count 1 ... 1 blocks read: OK

MMC read: dev # 0, block # 34816, count 1516 ... 1516 blocks read: OK
*** Warning - bad CRC or MMC, using default environment

In: serial
Out: serial
Err: serial
ntx_hw_late_init()
ntx_config_fastboot_layout():7 binaries partition added
ntx_config_fastboot_layout():7 mbr partition added
Detecting Magic keys for recovery ...0 0
Checking for recovery command file...
mmc0(part 0) is current device

Partition Map for UNKNOWN device 0 -- Partition Type: DOS

Partition Start Sector Num Sectors Type
1 2048 12224 83
2 38912 65536 83
3 104448 1605569 5 Extd
4 1710017 5990459 83
5 106496 786416 83
6 894960 786416 b
7 1683424 16368 83
8 1701840 8176 83
Writing recovery BCB to misc partition...
mmc read 0x875ffd40 0x19f7d0 0x1

MMC read: dev # 0, block # 1701840, count 1 ... 1 blocks read: OK
Recovery BCB found, skip count!
Net: No ethernet found.
Detecting Magic keys for fastboot ...0 0
Hit any key to stop autoboot: 0
eBR-1A #


What's next? Your commands not recognized by console. I can execute fastboot command but got
fastboot initialized
USB_RESET
USB_SUSPEND

 

[Renate]

Your commands not recognized by console.

No, they wouldn't be. That's the u-boot console. The commands I quoted were for the Linux console.

Did you hit a key to stop the regular boot?
If so, just let it boot and try my Linux commands.
If not, then try the u-boot "boot" command.

If nothing works, you have to get fastboot working.
There may be a problem with the drivers on your desktop.
Use imxlink or usbview to see what your Glow is presenting when you have told u-boot to fastboot.

 

[dmkbox]

I'm stop regular boot. Than start fastboot.
Got
fastboot is in init......flash target is MMC:0
USB Mini b cable Connected!
fastboot initialized
USB_RESET
USB_SUSPEND

Imx link shows yellow but crashes.
Adb cannot show any devices
Also got ADB interface in device manager.
If I try normal boot I've got this

mtp_bind_config
mtp_bind_config
binder: 2012:2012 transaction failed 29189, size 0-0
arch/arm/mach-mx6/mx6_mmdc.c(282) update_ddr_freq(24000000)
binder: 2012:2012 transaction failed 29189, size 0-0
binder: 2012:2012 transaction failed 29189, size 0-0
binder: 2012:2012 transaction failed 29189, size 0-0
binder: 2012:2012 transaction failed 29189, size 0-0
binder: 2012:2012 transaction failed 29189, size 0-0
binder: 2012:2012 transaction failed 29189, size 0-0
binder: 2012:2012 transaction failed 29189, size 0-0
binder: 2012:2012 transaction failed 29189, size 0-0
binder: 2012:2012 transaction failed 29189, size 0-0
binder: 2012:2012 transaction failed 29189, size 0-0
binder: 2012:2012 transaction failed 29189, size 0-0
binder: 2012:2012 transaction failed 29189, size 0-0
binder: 2012:2012 transaction failed 29189, size 0-0
binder: 2012:2012 transaction failed 29189, size 0-0


continuously

 

[dmkbox]

del

 

[Renate]

binder: 2022:2022 transaction failed 29189, size 0-0

Binder failures are simply a sign of Android having a major headache.

Don't flash, simply fastboot boot.
You can try the NeoNoogie (in the sig) as a reality check.

C:\>fastboot boot nnglow?.img

 

[dmkbox]

After few attempts I successfully load whatever.apk , thеn TWRP thеn I reflashed custom image.

Renate NST​

Thanks for help!

 

[curtisk]

I had to disable (by grounding a test point) the eMMC to allow the ROM bootloader to run.
I've got to wiggle out and see if the boot options actually have their own test points.

Happen to remember which test point disabled the eMMC? (for the glow3)
And any luck with changing the boot options via the GPIOs? (Though I'm guessing that the fuses are burned and the boot config registers are stuck).

I'm thinking of playing around with NXP's newer uboot/kernel/android sources but I'd like to know that I can recover from the "not quite dead enough" state before diving in.

 

[Renate]

Happen to remember which test point disabled the eMMC? (for the glow3)

No, it was pretty much hit/miss.
I'd try the two small gold test points on the far corner of the Samsung chip.
Just use a resistor, a few hundred ohms to ground.
That will be high enough that if you hit power or something nothing will be harmed, but low enough to screw up data communications.
The number of occasions you'd have to do this is pretty rare.

As you can see from that other thread, the Onyx Boox Poke3 is comparatively a piece of cake.
https://xdaforums.com/t/has-the-nook-had-its-last-gasp.4141735/page-5#post-85025339
Having the Qualcomm EDL bootloader available under any circumstances is helpful.
Moreover, you need no long pushes! It seems that I've spent half my life holding reset buttons for 10-30 seconds.

 

[robonxt]

I've recently pulled out my Glowlight Plus, and flashed TWRP. I was installing a custom ROM when I forgot to unmount the system according to the instructions, and now the nook is perma stuck at the nook logo. I read this thread as it seems like my best bet to get back to recovery, but no dice for fastboot or adb mode. dmkbox mentioned that they ran into the same problem, and they resolved it using a UART, I have something similar already, but how would I wire it up to the nook?

 

[Renate]

The first thing to check is if you still have ADB. The display not going to your launcher is no exact indication of what's going on. If you have ADB, obviously you just reboot recovery (or bootloader).
You can try resetting a whole bunch of times and see if it exceeds boot count and goes to recovery.

Yes, you can hook up a 3.3V UART at 115200-8-n-1 to see what's going on.
There are two problems with this: Unless you have new special Tesa film to put back on and the time and patience to redo it, opening and closing the Glow2 will not leave it quite the same. Also, watch out, the touch panel flex printed circuit is too short and it will pull out of the connector if you aren't careful.

 

[robonxt]

Thank you @Renate !
After following your wiring and playing around with console + adb combos, I got it back to twrp and reflashed the rom. I ended up having to use adb sideload to flash in twrp, as twrp install continued to have issues even with unmounted /system.

Note to future self when stuck at boot screen:
1. use FTDI 3.3v to connect to left side pins, console speeds set at 115200 8n1
2. spam fastboot in console at reboot
3. type fastboot boot <recovery_maybe_is_twrp>.img in adb terminal.
4. while in recovery mode, install rom to heart's desire using recovery built-in installer or adb sideload <new_rom>.zip from computer terminal
5. profit