[GUIDE] Beginner's guide - first steps with a MTK phone

1. Root the phone.

For this step I choose to use Framaroot.apk, first because I don't like to install unnecessary software on my computer, and second because it supports a very large number of MTK phones. So, go to alephzain's thread and download the apk, then connect your phone to PC with USB debugging enabled, turn on USB Mass storage and copy Framaroot.apk to your sdcard root, or in internal storage if you don't have a sdcard in your phone. Eject phone's USB storages from PC, and turn off USB Mass storage from phone.


Go to apps drawer, find File Manager, open it, navigate to location where you placed Framaroot.apk touch on it and install it. After that go back in apps drawer and open the newly appeared Framaroot. In that window you have to specify which exploit to use for getting root access. If you don't know it's not a problem, you can try each one until you see the Success message (for me was Barahir). If none of them works, then you have to find a different method to root. After success patching, reboot the phone and then you will see SuperSU.apk in your apps drawer. Now you have root access!





2. Install a Root Explorer.

I prefer ESFileManager, but you can choose what you like. This can be installed free from Playstore, or if you have it downloaded in your PC, use same steps as in Framaroot case, and install it.
Then open the app and let's activate the Root Explorer in it.
But, here you can choose a different view style instead of default big icons - I like Medium Icon view.



Touch on Globe symbol from upper left corner to open Advanced Tools menu, and select Tools (last one). In the list that opens, scroll down until you see Root Explorer entry and touch "OFF" button to activate it. You will be prompted to Grant Superuser access - Grant it! Then, touch on "Root Explorer" text and in the popup window select Read/Write, and in next window select all radios from RW column.
That's it, ESFileManager is now a powerfull Root Explorer.

3. Make a backup.

This means actually make two backups, one for nvram and one for the whole stock ROM. Why to make a backup for nvram? Because it is very easy in MTK phones to mess up with it, and you may loose IMEI, mac address or to have other connectivity issues. This backup will be your insurance.

For this you need MTKDroidTools. Download it from rua1's thread (link in OP) and unzip it in a folder named "MTKDroidTools" on your primary (system) partition - this is important, and in other locations you may experience errors and malfunction.
Connect your phone in usb debugging mode to PC, then start MTKDroidTools as administrator and wait untill you see that MTKDroidTools recognize it and loads its data. The following pictures will show you how to check if you have usb debugging activated, and how MTKDroidTools looks with loaded phone data. In most of the phones, adb gets root access immediately, but in some "branded" ones that has to be achieved by click on the "ROOT" button next to "Adb Terminal" - Notice that if you don't see that ROOT button, that means you have already "root in shell". Also, if you have chainfire's SuperSU you will be prompted in the phone to grant root access to adbd, but if you have koush's Superuser, adbd gets root access by default.



Now, as I said first thing is to do a nvram backup. Click on "IMEI/NVRAM" button and next select both methods (bin and zip folder) and click on "Backup".
After that, it's time to do a stock ROM backup. This is important if you are going to try different custom ROMs and modds. This will assure you that you always have a way to start from the beginning in a clean state. Also makes easy to unbrick your phone if you have the misfortune to brick it.



Click on "root,backup,recovery" tab, and click on "Backup" button, then wait to finish. Be patient, this will take a while, and you can see progress logs in side window. At the end, a popup will prompt you to pack the backup. Now you know it is finished. I don't pack these backups, but you do what you think.



In this stage first thing I do is to generate a scatter file. You have one in that backup made before, or you can get one from stock firmware archive if the phone's manufacturer provide that, but let's see how to do it as it is, to understand the process, or to learn how to get one if we loose it or we are unsure if the one we have is good for our phone (this is important, because using a wrong scatter file it may damage your phone).
So, return to "Phone Informations" tab and click on "Blocks Map" button. A window opens with your phone partition structure. Click on "Create Scatter File" button and save it somewhere in your computer.



Mission complete for backup; you are assured now.

4. Generate a custom recovery.

This is mandatory if you want to use an easy way to backup, restore, flash or wipe ROMs and modds. Fortunately, rua1 has included in his tool all you need to generate one for your phone. This method is successfull for almost every MTK phone, but not for all. There isn't an universal method for anything.
So, enter again in "root, backup, recovery", select the radio "To choose the boot.img file" - by default is selected "Install already prepared files" - and click on "Recovery and Boot" button.



When prompted, select the boot.img from previous backup folder and click Yes to make CWM recovery automatically. First you will be prompted to flash a patched boot.img in your phone - click Yes to get an unsecured boot, then next message will ask you to install the new created recovery in your phone. Click Yes and Yes to reload the phone in recovery mode.



The phone will shut down and reboot in recovery. Now you can see your custom recovery in place.

GOOD TO KNOW: you can't generate a recovery everytime you want to flash one, to use MTKDroidTools for flashing, and the adb method may not work for many MTK phones.
The most known method to flash a new recovery is by using SPFlashTools or MTKFlashTools, and an alternative method is with MobileUncle application from phone, but I will show detailed the FlashTools method. One thing though: if you want to use MobileUncle application, you have to use it from /system/app folder, not from /data/app. Many users say that the MobileUncle doesn't work to flash recovery: it show success, but rebooting to recovery reveal the old one. The reason? They installed MobileUncle from market, and that place the app in /data/app as a user app. In custom ROMs where the app is placed in system by ROM developer, the problem won't manifest. So, if you want to use MobileUncle, make it a system app not user app.



In order to do that, grab a copy of any of these tools from DR_MOOSAVI's thread (link in OP), unzip it in a folder "MTK_Flash_tool" in your primary(system) partition (C in my case), and notice the name have to not contain any spaces or special characters. In that folder create a new folder "Resources" or ROM or whatever name you want, also without spaces or special characters, and place in it your scatter file and recovery img you want to flash. Open Flash_Tool executable as administrator.
IMPORTANT: Your phone is not connected to the PC now. Swtich it off and wait, you will connect it later.

Continue in next post.

In Flash_Tools program window click on load scatter file, navigate to that folder you created and select your scatter. Now you can see your phone's partition structure. If the recovery you want to flash is named "recovery.img" it will be selected automatically, if not you have to click on recovery row in Location column and select your recovery from that folder.



Then click on "Download" button.
Now connect your phone to PC, just like that in power off. Some models enter automatically in download mode and the flashing process begins, but others don't. For some it is necessary to connect them without battery (battery removed), other need to press briefly Power and Vol Down button at same time and release them immediately. That you have to find for your phone from forums, other users, or by trying. When the phone enter in download mode you will see a red bar down in Flash_Tool window, followed by a yellow or other color one (that means the flashing process is taking place).



At the end a popup with a green circle or green checkmark will let you know that the flash was a success. Deconnect the cable and reboot the phone, or reboot it in recovery to see if the wanted recovery is installed. The most common method to boot in recovery from power off is to press Power and Vol UP at same time, and keep them pressed untill you see the logo, then release Power but keep pressing Vol Up untill the recovery UI appears. If Power and Vol Up doesn't work for you, start the phone normaly and connect the phone to PC, then open a command prompt window, and type " adb reboot recovery", then hit Enter during bootanimation. The phone will stop loading and will boot in recovery.

5. How to port a custom recovery.

Check my new guide.

Check my new guide.

Awesome Tutorial!!! U did it again....

Thanks!!!

Thank you sir I will try to port cwm to my mtk mobile

Sent From MTK-MT6572

---------- Post added at 03:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:01 PM ----------

Sir now my mobile with ext4
Now in your thread about porting carliv cwm.. there is only custpack and ubifs ...!! Where is for ext4

Sent From MTK-MT6572

carliv grt work hope u add this post too http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...php?p=49081376

Thanks, but that is not something for begginers. Maybe meteos method with his app will be, but I'm not sure. Though, if someone want to procede to do that, you can edit your post and give more details, for people to know what is about, and to follow your link if they are interested.