Bricked or not bricked, that is the question

Hugask

Member
Feb 14, 2019
30
0
0
Weird screen behavior, it seem to me that it isn't a hardware fault, cause when plugging in a charger the phone is able to show the MI logo, but not the charging icon
The phone is able to boot and i can hear the phone locking and unlocking, can see that the screen is on because of the backlight, but there is no image, SO FRUSTRATING!!
If you have any idea of what's going on and can give me a tip, i would thank you so much, the phone has been on this state for a long time
Don't know how to upload videos, if you think that can help diagnose it i can upload it and share a link or something
 

SubwayChamp

Senior Member
Aug 6, 2016
2,345
951
113
Weird screen behavior, it seem to me that it isn't a hardware fault, cause when plugging in a charger the phone is able to show the MI logo, but not the charging icon
The phone is able to boot and i can hear the phone locking and unlocking, can see that the screen is on because of the backlight, but there is no image, SO FRUSTRATING!!
If you have any idea of what's going on and can give me a tip, i would thank you so much, the phone has been on this state for a long time
Don't know how to upload videos, if you think that can help diagnose it i can upload it and share a link or something
What did you do before?
Did you flash something?
Is it device unlocked?
This happen also in fastboot/recovery mode?
 

Hugask

Member
Feb 14, 2019
30
0
0
What did you do before?
Did you flash something?
Is it device unlocked?
This happen also in fastboot/recovery mode?
I hadnt updated my Rom, Pixel experience, in a while, so i took the opportunity and flashed an (at the time) beta Pixel Experience Android 10, i reverted and everything was fine for about one day i think, then some artifacting wich would come and go until the display gived up completly (about an hour between the two)
Yes, it is unlocked, and when in fastboot/recovery the screen is lighted up but not showing anything
My guess is that i have a low level firmware issue, as i had problem with those before (was running a custom ROM from day 1, so i had to manually update firware to use newer versions of PE (still pie version) and almost bricked my device
 
Last edited:

SubwayChamp

Senior Member
Aug 6, 2016
2,345
951
113
I hadnt updated my Rom, Pixel experience, in a while, so i took the opportunity and flashed an (at the time) beta Pixel Experience Android 10, i reverted and everything was fine for about one day i think, then some artifacting wich would come and go until the display gived up completly (about an hour between the two)
Yes, it is unlocked, and when in fastboot/recovery the screen is lighted up but not showing anything
My guess is that i have a low level firmware issue, as i had problem with those before (was running a custom ROM from day 1, so i had to manually update firware to use newer versions of PE (still pie version) and almost bricked my device
Then try the next:
- Flash a different vendor.
- Flash a different kernel.
- Revert to stock ROM, no need to lock or nothing, just flash first the recovery ROM but if it doesn't result then flash the fastboot ROM through EDL, so that you know you can boot to EDL mode without need to open the back cover, this will restore all the original images.
 

Hugask

Member
Feb 14, 2019
30
0
0
Then try the next:
- Flash a different vendor.
- Flash a different kernel.
- Revert to stock ROM, no need to lock or nothing, just flash first the recovery ROM but if it doesn't result then flash the fastboot ROM through EDL, so that you know you can boot to EDL mode without need to open the back cover, this will restore all the original images.
Ok, so... i think i have all the files, but i'm really lost, how am i supposed to flash the vendor, firmware and stock ROM via fastboot?
Also, i put the device in fastboot, so... thats a win i guess (screen working surprisingtly)
I'm just not finding how to do this, it's been a while that i havent messed with this side of android, if you could help me it would mean the world for me
 

SubwayChamp

Senior Member
Aug 6, 2016
2,345
951
113
Ok, so... i think i have all the files, but i'm really lost, how am i supposed to flash the vendor, firmware and stock ROM via fastboot?
Also, i put the device in fastboot, so... thats a win i guess (screen working surprisingtly)
I'm just not finding how to do this, it's been a while that i havent messed with this side of android, if you could help me it would mean the world for me
You can flash some images invoking the right partition, I mean, you can flash vendor image onto the vendor partition using
Code:
fastboot flash vendor vendor.img
, and in case you need to flash all the ROM you should use MiFlash tool
 

Hugask

Member
Feb 14, 2019
30
0
0
You can flash some images invoking the right partition, I mean, you can flash vendor image onto the vendor partition using
Code:
fastboot flash vendor vendor.img
, and in case you need to flash all the ROM you should use MiFlash tool
Ok, so... i am NOT keeping up with what i need to do, i found a vendor update in a site but it is not an image, i am so confused, i don't how was i able to mess around with this i am basically a noob, i feel so dumb, this should have been so easy and here i am having trouble
If you could make a step by step instruction or send a link where i can get a vendor .img it would be perfect thanks in advance
 

SubwayChamp

Senior Member
Aug 6, 2016
2,345
951
113
Ok, so... i am NOT keeping up with what i need to do, i found a vendor update in a site but it is not an image, i am so confused, i don't how was i able to mess around with this i am basically a noob, i feel so dumb, this should have been so easy and here i am having trouble
If you could make a step by step instruction or send a link where i can get a vendor .img it would be perfect thanks in advance
Ok, update what is the current status of your device, you said screen now displaying, Did you refer only to fastboot mode? Could you see the bunny in fastboot? But booted up on system screen is displaying nothing?
 

Hugask

Member
Feb 14, 2019
30
0
0
Ok, update what is the current status of your device, you said screen now displaying, Did you refer only to fastboot mode? Could you see the bunny in fastboot? But booted up on system screen is displaying nothing?
Yes, that is correct, i can see the fastboot screen 100%, no artifacts, just plain working, still no recovery (if i remember right i have orange fox) or ROM screen
 

SubwayChamp

Senior Member
Aug 6, 2016
2,345
951
113
I actually want to check that, i took the phone to a tecnitician and he may have locked the bootloader
I think the next step would be flashing the vendor, firmwares and stock rom again, right?
if your bootloader is locked, you can't flash through fastboot mode either vendor or stock ROM, you should need to use EDL method or you can re-unlock bootloader and this way will work. Anyway i don't understand what actually your issue is.
 

Hugask

Member
Feb 14, 2019
30
0
0
if your bootloader is locked, you can't flash through fastboot mode either vendor or stock ROM, you should need to use EDL method or you can re-unlock bootloader and this way will work. Anyway i don't understand what actually your issue is.
The issue is the display not working, and it's gotta be a firmware issue as it's on my desk right now showing a bunny, also i am not used to fastboot flash anything, i just was used to recoveries and what not
Just runned some code and it's locked, this is getting better and better oh boy
How am i gonna unlock this if i can't even unlock the phone? last time with screen working it was already a nightmare, having to wait for miui account, do i have any method of doing this without using EDL?
 

Attachments

SubwayChamp

Senior Member
Aug 6, 2016
2,345
951
113
The issue is the display not working, and it's gotta be a firmware issue as it's on my desk right now showing a bunny, also i am not used to fastboot flash anything, i just was used to recoveries and what not
Just runned some code and it's locked, this is getting better and better oh boy
How am i gonna unlock this if i can't even unlock the phone? last time with screen working it was already a nightmare, having to wait for miui account, do i have any method of doing this without using EDL?
Well, this make sense although it's not clear if you did unlock it previously and after that at some time you did lock it again.

If you didn't unlock it previously you would need to bind your Mi account to the device and enable USB debugging and OEM unlock options but if you didn't before without a screen working you have a more difficult way, confirm me if that is the case.

Anyway I got happily surprised when I bought this device some months ago at the first attempt I could unlock it without have to wait time, try it and see what happen.
 

Hugask

Member
Feb 14, 2019
30
0
0
Well, this make sense although it's not clear if you did unlock it previously and after that at some time you did lock it again.

If you didn't unlock it previously you would need to bind your Mi account to the device and enable USB debugging and OEM unlock options but if you didn't before without a screen working you have a more difficult way, confirm me if that is the case.

Anyway I got happily surprised when I bought this device some months ago at the first attempt I could unlock it without have to wait time, try it and see what happen.
It was unloked and i locked again, don't know if this helps my case or if i am royally screwed up
And yeah, Xioami does make difficult to do the process of unlocking but only to recently released devices, aparently to stop re-sellers to buy the cheaper chinese rom and put the global version on them, i think that when a device doenst get made anymore makes sense that they would make it more easy (i bought the device 2 weeks after launch)
 

SubwayChamp

Senior Member
Aug 6, 2016
2,345
951
113
It was unloked and i locked again, don't know if this helps my case or if i am royally screwed up
And yeah, Xioami does make difficult to do the process of unlocking but only to recently released devices, aparently to stop re-sellers to buy the cheaper chinese rom and put the global version on them, i think that when a device doenst get made anymore makes sense that they would make it more easy (i bought the device 2 weeks after launch)
Ok, of course this makes a huge difference, if you did unlock it previously then you couldn't receive any wait time, I wonder why you didn't try it if you didn 't. Check if MiUnlock tool unlock your device instantly.
 

Hugask

Member
Feb 14, 2019
30
0
0
Hmm, OK, now you have your way sorted out, you can try with a custom ROM (all of them contain a vendor) or in case a custom ROM doesn't solve it you have to try a stock ROM through Mi Flash tool.
Ok, but how am i gonna flash a rom with fastboot? Is that a thing?
Also, i don't think the vendor is gonna be my only problem, but also the firmware, is there a way to flash firmware without the recovery and trough fastboot?
 

SubwayChamp

Senior Member
Aug 6, 2016
2,345
951
113
Ok, but how am i gonna flash a rom with fastboot? Is that a thing?
Also, i don't think the vendor is gonna be my only problem, but also the firmware, is there a way to flash firmware without the recovery and trough fastboot?
You can't be sure of that, sometimes the vendor correct the issue, sometimes the firmware.

Firmware it is in the stock ROM that can be flashed either through fastboot or EDL mode (be careful to not relock bootloader or you couldn't enable this time OEM unlock option). Now that you have the way more clear just do a search "how to flash stock ROM on Xiaomi devices either through fastboot or EDL mode", just keep in mind that you don't need to open the back cover of the device, usually from a device off (only on unlocked ones) you could send it to EDL by pressing both volume buttons at same time that it is connected to PC, I gave you the main tips, for the rest you will find a lot of tutorials.