[Q] Help! Stuck in HBOOT, can't run recovery

I've got a friend's HTC One M8 that's stuck in HBOOT. I can't flash a new recovery, I've tried both TWRP and CWM. Either time I get an error message "FAILED (remote: image update error)"

I'm at the end of my thread here with things I can try to fix it. I've searched almost all topics to no avail.

Here's the getvar dump:

C:\Users\Adrian>fastboot getvar all
(bootloader) version: 0.5
(bootloader) version-bootloader: 3.16.0.0000
(bootloader) version-baseband: N/A
(bootloader) version-cpld: None
(bootloader) version-microp: None
(bootloader) version-main:
(bootloader) version-misc: PVT SHIP S-ON
(bootloader) imei2: Not Support
(bootloader) meid: 00000000000000
(bootloader) product: m8_ul_ca
(bootloader) platform: hTCBmsm8974
(bootloader) modelid: 0P6B12000
(bootloader) cidnum: CWS__001
(bootloader) battery-status: good
(bootloader) battery-voltage: 0mV
(bootloader) partition-layout: Generic
(bootloader) security: on
(bootloader) build-mode: SHIP
(bootloader) boot-mode: FASTBOOT
(bootloader) commitno-bootloader: 0a41237a
(bootloader) hbootpreupdate: 11
(bootloader) gencheckpt: 0
all: Done!

--

Device says *** UNLOCKED *** on screen, doesn't say TAMPERED (not sure what this is).

Anything fastboot commands usually result in a failed message but the device is recognized if I type "fastboot devices".

Here's a sample when trying to use Squabbi's toolkit:

target reported max download size of 1830727680 bytes
sending 'recovery' (24576 KB)...
OKAY [ 1.607s]
writing 'recovery'...
FAILED (remote: image update error)
finished. total time: 1.678s

I've tried using an ATT RUU, various recovery files, etc. The phone boots straight into HBOOT. Any other commands apart from fastboot on the device result in a quick flash of another screen and returns to the fastboot USB screen.

What can I do to get this device back up and running? For some reason I just can't get the recovery file to flash so I can move forward already. Am I missing something? I just got the device from a friend. He mentioned he was watching YT when all of a sudden the device went into this boot loop.

Thanks in advance!

jcbjoe said:

Hello

I'm no expert but it sounds like a radio issue

Have you tried a new RUU

Also what is your (bootloader) version-main:

Thanks

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Admittedly, I've got an iOS device myself so I'm going to have to defer to your expertise. I believe I've tried a new RUU (an ATT .exe file? It was a full blown installer, told me what version i was on, what version it would be updating to.. does this sound right?).

How can I get you the bootloader version?

jcbjoe said:

C:\Users\Adrian>fastboot getvar all

(bootloader) version: 0.5
(bootloader) version-bootloader: 3.16.0.0000
(bootloader) version-baseband: N/A
(bootloader) version-cpld: None
(bootloader) version-microp: None
(bootloader) version-main: < --

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Click to collapse

That was a straight copy paste from my command line. So.. I guess if there's nothing there.. ??

jcbjoe said:

You can try this


1.58.502.1 full RUU

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Click to collapse

Unfortunately, it seems with any of these RUU installers I get a USB connection error. I have to think it has something to do with me being unable to enable the USB Debugging mode of the phone.

Any other ideas?

jcbjoe said:

Can you get into fastboot mode ?

IF you can get into fastboot mode we are fine .. we don't need adb

Think of fastboot as the bios and adb as the software

IF your usb is jacked you need to try another computer

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Click to collapse

I'm able to get into fastboot USB mode but any of the critical commands I've tried running (fastboot flash recovery image.img) all throw errors.

Like this --

sending 'recovery' (12846 KB)...
OKAY [ 1.272s]
writing 'recovery'...
FAILED (remote: image update error)
finished. total time: 1.341s

---
edit:

Here's the error I get when trying to erase the cache:

erasing 'cache'...
FAILED (remote: erasing error!)
finished. total time: 0.006s

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Click to collapse

jcbjoe said:

Did you flash the firmware file from the link i provided ?

Firmware < -- Flash this first .. don't flash anything individually .. you need to update the firmware don't unpack it

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How do I flash this file?

jcbjoe said:

Download it

.. once you download it you will see it says firmware.zip

Then you put it on your desktop or your Downloads folder


Then

1. fastboot erase cache

2. fastboot oem rebootRUU

3. fastboot flash zip firmware.zip < -- if it fails you might have to do this 2x (remember you flash it to where its at .. so if its in windows on your desktop it would be fastboot flash zip ~/Desktop/firmware.zip or in Downloads it would be fastboot flash zip ~/Downloads/firmware.zip

4. fastboot reboot-bootloader

5. Tell us what you see after words

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Here's the problem when I try to attempt the first command

C:\Users\Adrian>fastboot erase cache
erasing 'cache'...
FAILED (remote: erasing error!)
finished. total time: 0.006s

jcbjoe said:

Can you rename the firmware.zip to 0p6bimg.zip

Once you do that put the file onto the root of your sdcard (meaning not in a folder)


Credits for the Below Method (an0ther Post# 1)

2. Simply move the "0p6bimg.zip" to the ROOT of your EXT micro sd card.

3. Boot to your boot loader. There are many ways to get to your boot loader. A lot of custom roms have it built into the restart menu. If you have usb debugging enabled its just "adb reboot bootloader" If you can't get there with one of these methods, simply make sure phone is on, hold vol up and power for 11 seconds until screen shuts off, let go and hold vol down and power until boot loader comes up. "about 4 seconds"

4. Click HBOOT in your boot loader. Your phone will automatically scan the file and ask if you want to update. Hit vol up for yes or vol down for no.

5. Phone will begin RUU restore. You can watch what it does on the screen as it will go through a list and bypasses are normal. It will reboot boot loader and you can watch progress bars in the top right corner. It goes through a TON of them so do NOT turn off phone for any reason and let it finish. The process takes about 15 minutes give or take. Once it is done, it will say complete, press power to reboot. Again do not power off phone or even touch it for that matter during this process.

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Got a wrong zipped image while it was loading the zip file.

jcbjoe said:

Try any of the links in the Thread

You have to rename it to 0p6bimg.zip

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Click to collapse

Yep, I renamed it to the 0P6BIMG.zip and when it began to load the file it agave me that error. I'll try that thread now.

--

Still getting the "Wrong Zipped Image!" error. I did this previously with a different firmware and it got through some of the process but bombed out after something and put me back in HBOOT. Couldn't launch recovery, couldn't launch anything. Fastboot USB shows up fine.

jcbjoe said:

You Possibly have a bricked device

You can try chatting on freenode via irc

irc.freenode.net #sunshine-support or #htc-dev or #venomroms .. all these channels have htc devices m7 or m8

Thanks

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Click to collapse

I was coming to that conclusion quickly.

Thanks for your help though. I appreciate it.