Confused attempting to restore HTC M8

[GT3guy]

Hi all,

my (SIM unlocked, Vodaphone branded) HTC M8 was purchased secondhand via eBay and worked fine with a Virgin Mobile SIM and 128GB microSD card for many months. Unfortunately its USB socket eventually became very iffy, making it extremely difficult to recharge reliably and/or connect to a Windows laptop. It had been OTA update to Marshmallow during my time of usage. I bought an HTC 10 intending to give the M8 to my brother, but after a period of lack of use the M8 failed normal boot, recovery etc., ending up with:
*** Software status: Modifiied ***
*** LOCKED ***
M8_UL PVT SHIP S-ON
HBOOT-3.19.0.0000
RADIO-1.29.214500021.12G
OpenDSP-v51.2.2-00593-M8974_F0.1015
OS-6.12.161.4
eMMC-boot 2048MB
Dec 1 2015,16:56:09.0

I have attempted to follow (as best I could) the thread
https://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-one-m8/help/htc-m8-stuck-boot-t3342079
but seem to only have unlocked the bootloader successfully.
(i.e. *** UNLOCKED ***, now)

fastboot getvar all
currently returns:
version-microp: None
version-main: 6.12.161.4
version-misc: PVT SHIP S-ON
serialno: ************
imei: ***************
imei2: Not Support
meid: 00000000000000
product: m8_ul
platform: hTCBmsm8974
modelid: 0P6B10000
cidnum: VODAP001
battery-status: good
battery-voltage: 0mV
partition-layout: Generic
security: on
build-mode: SHIP
boot-mode: FASTBOOT
commitno-bootloader: 76df2b54
hbootpreupdate: 11
gencheckpt: 0

I had downloaded recovery_6.12.161.4.img from:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-one-m8/help/tutorial-how-to-stock-stock-twrp-t3086860
but having successfully executed a:
fastboot flash recovery recovery_6.12.1614.img
this does not seem to have installed TWRP, so that:
5. Boot to TWRP recovery and make a backup of boot only, this is to see where the backup goes on your device.
will boot into TWRP.
fails to boot into TWRP. What have I done wrong here, please?

P.S. I'm an old-school mainframe (Network) Sysprog and long-term PC hobbyist, but Android and Linux-like OSes and terminology really confuse me, as do the somewhat opaque "how-tos" that I've tried to read and understand.

Thanks in advance.

 

[GT3guy]

A quick follow-up correction:
fastboot flash recovery twrp-3.0.0-0-m8.img
was what I should have downloaded and done. TWRP now bootable as the recovery image.

Copying the TWRP-6.12.161.4 extracted directory over to the M8's internal storage TWRP\... directory now. Sorry guys.

 

[ChristopherXI]

Try a nougat rom. Sees if it will boot up

 

[GT3guy]

Try a nougat rom. Sees if it will boot up

Nougat? That's Android v7, no? I don't think I'll be able to get the OTA update yet. I'll need to get the Vodaphone SIM unlock sorted first.

 

[jahanzaiblohani]

Nougat? That's Android v7, no? I don't think I'll be able to get the OTA update yet. I'll need to get the Vodaphone SIM unlock sorted first.

it will boot . just unlock your bootloader flash twrp recovery then flash any rom and check . if you cant do it then pm me i will do it for you on team viewer

 

[GT3guy]

it will boot . just unlock your bootloader flash twrp recovery then flash any rom and check . if you cant do it then pm me i will do it for you on team viewer

Well, thanks, but I'm trying to get it back to "factory state" to send it to HTC for repair of that annoyingly problematic USB socket. That makes it almost unusable.

 

[redpoint73]

I had downloaded recovery_6.12.161.4.img from:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-one-m8/help/tutorial-how-to-stock-stock-twrp-t3086860
but having successfully executed a:
fastboot flash recovery recovery_6.12.1614.img
this does not seem to have installed TWRP

You are misunderstanding the linked thread. What you tried to do, is to flash stock HTC recovery (recovery_6.12.1614.img).

You need to flash custom recovery TWRP, in order to restore a stock TWRP backup from ckpv5's thread.

---------- Post added at 09:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:04 AM ----------

Nougat? That's Android v7, no? I don't think I'll be able to get the OTA update yet. I'll need to get the Vodaphone SIM unlock sorted first.

No such thing as a Nougat stock ROM for the M8. The previous post is referring to custom AOSP ROMs, which is the only type of ROM that has Nougat for the M8.

But I don't necessarily see this as a good suggestion. The stock TWRP backup should restore and boot fine, if you follow the instructions properly, and can get the files onto the phone (may be difficult with a broken USB port).

---------- Post added at 09:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:07 AM ----------

Well, thanks, but I'm trying to get it back to "factory state" to send it to HTC for repair of that annoyingly problematic USB socket.

Since sending to HTC for repair is the intention, I think you are wasting your time. I highly doubt this phone has any warranty any longer, due to it's age (most warranties are only 1 year from original purchase) and also the fact that is was purchased 2nd hand.

HTC will repair the port for a fee, and in the process restore stock ROM.

 

[GT3guy]

You are misunderstanding the linked thread. What you tried to do, is to flash stock HTC recovery (recovery_6.12.1614.img).

You need to flash custom recovery TWRP, in order to restore a stock TWRP backup from ckpv5's thread.

---------- Post added at 09:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:04 AM ----------



No such thing as a Nougat stock ROM for the M8. The previous post is referring to custom AOSP ROMs, which is the only type of ROM that has Nougat for the M8.

But I don't necessarily see this as a good suggestion. The stock TWRP backup should restore and boot fine, if you follow the instructions properly, and can get the files onto the phone (may be difficult with a broken USB port).

---------- Post added at 09:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:07 AM ----------



Since sending to HTC for repair is the intention, I think you are wasting your time. I highly doubt this phone has any warranty any longer, due to it's age (most warranties are only 1 year from original purchase) and also the fact that is was purchased 2nd hand.

HTC will repair the port for a fee, and in the process restore stock ROM.

1) Yes, I subsequently realised that I hadn't flashed the correct recovery image, as per post #2. I successfully flashed the TWRP recovery, then successfully restored the TWRP 6.12.161.4 backup., and then flashed the 6.12.161.4 recovery image. All was mostly OK (apart from the lengthy "optimizing nn of 164 applications", re-entering data etc.), but it would occasionally crash subsequently and reboot, and seems to get stuck after the initial Vodafone and then HTC active displays (GIFs?) with just a white screen and the green HTC text.

2) I was less interested in the latest Nougat (v7) firmware, but I did vaguely understand that it might not be available as an OTA update or as a "stock" (HTC?) package.

3) Do you have any ballpark figure for the HTC repair fees? And would you happen to know how/where I would send it? I had a really good conversation with a HTC support guy about what to do beforehand (remove SIM and MicroSD holders, factory reset to clear personal data), but he omitted the "to where" information. The M8 went rogue before I could get around to enquiring again.

Thanks for your succinct reply.

 

[redpoint73]

3) Do you have any ballpark figure for the HTC repair fees? And would you happen to know how/where I would send it?

I haven't seen a $ figure for a USB port repair specifically. I think I've seen around $150-300 US (no idea where you are located) for some repairs. Higher end being full motherboard replacement, which they may tell you is needed, anyway. No idea if they dink around with just replacing the USB port.

Obviously, at the higher end of that repair fee, you practically may as well just buy something like a brand new OnePlus 5.

You may investigate getting the port repaired by a local shop. Probably be a lot cheaper (less than $100) although with less certainty of a working phone afterward. You might be coming back here, and getting help from us to restore the software once the USB port is repaired (HTC will return the phone fully working - but at a price).

As for where to send (if you decide on HTC service) you should contact HTC again. The service address will vary by your location, and they will probably need to collect your details, address, give you an RMA number, etc. I don't suspect you can just throw it in a box, and send it to them. Not following the process will probably delay getting it back, at a minimum; or even (at worst) cause it to get lost forever.

 

[GT3guy]

To round out this thread, HTC wanted the price of a new 'phone, so I bought an HTC 10 and forgot about trying to get my old 'phone back (it was a cheap eBay purchase).

 

[xunholyx]

To round out this thread, HTC wanted the price of a new 'phone, so I bought an HTC 10 and forgot about trying to get my old 'phone back (it was a cheap eBay purchase).

The 10 is a great device. You've made a wise choice. The audio quality on it is outstanding!