Bricked after debranding [FIXED]

[AndroidRulez]

[UPDATE] Fixed using method 2 in the link in post #4. Thanks a lot!!

Hi everyone, new to the forum and in need of some help please

I have a new Desire from T-Mobile UK. Branded and I assume locked, not rooted.

I attempted to debrand my phone by doing the following.

1. I already had Android SDK and HTC Sync.
2. I made a GoldCard following the unlockr instructions "how-to-create-a-goldcard" (not allowed to post link as am new forum user).
3. I ran an RRU from the pinned ROMS topic in this forum, which was RUU_Bravo_HTC_WWE_1.21.405.2_Radio_32.36.00.28U_4.06.00.02_2_release_126984_signed.exe

The flash completed with no errors.

Afterwards, the phone appears to boot up but the screen remains completely black at all times. I have tried everything I can think of, and have seen absolutely nothing on the screen at all since flashing. Pure black not even backlight.

What I have observed is:
1. On power-up, the vibration and welcome sound.
2. The hardware buttons illuminate. They time out and go off, and they illuminate again when pressed.
3. On inserting a freshly formatted SD card and turning on, waiting ages, turning off (remove battery), removing card, then viewing in a card reader, Android has added some folders to the card (.footprints, LOST.DIR, rssreader) so obviously it is booting up to some degree.
4. On attempting to flash another ROM, the tool reports the "From image version" to be 1.21.405.2 which is the one I flashed earlier, not the phone's original version.
5. Phone no longer shows up in "adb devices" when connected, although this may be simply because USB debugging isn't enabled, or because the phone will be at its start-up introduction screens.
6. There is network activity after a while, indicated by the interference on my PC's speakers.

What I have tried to do to fix:
1. Numerous reboots removing battery, SD, SIM etc.
2. Flashed the WWE 1.21 ROM again, which succeeded, but didn't fix the problem.
3. Attempted to flash the WWE 1.15 ROM RUU_Bravo_HTC_WWE_1.15.405.4_Radio_32.30.00.28U_4.05.00.11_release_122704.exe which failed with "ERROR [140]: BOOTLOADER VERSION ERROR. The ROM Update Utility cannot update your Android phone. Please get the correct ROM Update Utility and try again."
4. Attempted to flash the T-Mobile 1.5 ROM RUU_Bravo_TMO_UK_1.15.110.11_Radio_32.30.00.28U_4.05.00.11_release_122755.exe which failed with the same error.
5. Flashed the T-mobile 1.21 ROM, which succeeded, but didn't fix the problem, and has made it slightly worse in that I don't get the welcome sound at power-on any more. I still get the vibration, the lights, the network activity, and the black screen.
6. Tried with another SD card, no difference.

Before I started debranding at all, I took a photo of the software versions screen as supplied by t-mobile, which showed as follows.

Firmware version: 2.1-update1
Baseband version: 32.41.00.32U_4.08.00.09
Kernel version
2.6.29-3cb3dfbf
htc-kernel{at}and18-2 #1
Build number 1.15.110.11 CL155070 release-keys
Software number: 1.15.110.11
Browser version: WebKit 3.1

(replace {at} with the email at symbol, new forum members aren't allowed to post these)

So in summary, I probably have the WWE 1.21 ROM working on my phone, but the screen doesn't work so I can't see it, and re-flashing doesn't work so I can't try a different ROM.

I'm a noob to debranding but am a programmer and Android app developer so feel free to get a little bit technical

Any help you can give is greatly appreciated! Hopefully I won't have to explain this to the T-Mobile support people!

Thanks!

 

[hamhacker]

Hi. Sorry to hear you having trouble, I'm not too sure. But sounds to me like its a display issue? You may have a Desire with the new cheaper display, not a amoled.screen? Think I remember reading in the forums blank screens and issues with roms. (please check other treads)

The good news is I think its recoverable. Sorry. I can't be of mote help.

Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

 

[AndroidRulez]

Thanks for the reply,

I had a better search around and found showthread.php?t=747393 which describes apparently the same problem, although I haven't messed with bootloaders. It was fixed by installing the OTA update blind by pressing buttons in the right order.

It is indeed possible I have a different screen type, or perhaps a different model of AMOLED, does anyone know how to tell the difference? I do notice the screen is more reflective than my G1, which I think is associated with AMOLEDs, but that might just be down to 2 yrs of wear and tear.

Anyway, I will try it now let you know how I get on!

Thanks!

 

[dickenz]

As above you have a Desire with an SLCD screen.

You will have a HBOOT of 0.83 or 0.92 - You need a rooting and/or debranding guide for those HBOOTs. The current guides only work for HBOOT 0.80 and lower.

Here is your fix for your current problem: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=748498&highlight=brick+fix+SLCD

 

[AndroidRulez]

I couldn't get the pressing buttons blindly method to work, but method 2 from dickenz's link worked a treat.

It gave me WWE Android 2.1, and I immediately got the OTA update to Froyo, WOOHOO!

Can I suggest we create a section in the pinned ROM topic listing RRUs and OTAs compatible with the new screens? That'll make it more obvious to new visitors.

Thanks for your help both of you, I'll stay around the forums!