Firmware Issues

[basilsquire]

Howdy!

I am in the UK on Vodafone, and was running CM7. This was installed over the UK Froyo update supplied via the Motorola Update tool.

All was well, until my phone randomly went off. When I turned it on there was nothing but fleeting glimpses of the CM7 loading screen (as if the screen was flickering on and off).

The only way that I could get the phone working again was to follow this procedure found in Zephyrot's Defy Beginner's Guide:

Installed full Gingerbread SBF and can’t go back to another rom: aha! We have a issue here!, latest Stock Gingerbread full SBFs comes with a Version 5 of the CG, meaning until not long ago you were pretty much screwed. But wait, there is hope! A one kind Éclair has been found in China Defys that comes with Version 5 CG!.
How to fix it:
Download this SBF and Flash it
Root your Phone
Download 2nd Init and Install ClockworkMod Recovery
Download and install this Nandroid Backup
Enter Recovery, Wipe Data/Cache
After wiping, turn off your phone
Turn it on and get immediately into Bootloader mode
Flash this Fixed SBF
Delete Data/Cache again and reboot.
You WONT be able to install full SBFs of any Éclair or Froyo since these Androids have lower CG Versions.


This leaves me with a working version of Froyo. I did not install a full Gingerbread.sbf previously, and the backup that I made before installing CM7 leaves me without anything happening also.


What I would like to know is how to get back on to CM7 if possible? If I try and flash any .sbf the phone goes dead and I have to start again with the process above. If I install 2nd Init/clockworkmod on the Froyo that I can get to work as a result of the above process the phone goes into a boot loop and I can't get into stock recovery or anything, so end up having to go back through the process again. Does anyone have any ideas, or am I stuck forever now?

Edit - just finished restoring it for the 50th time and wanted to add that the version that I can get to work is
Moto_Version34.179.2.MB525.Retail.en.CEE
Firmware Version: 2.2.2
Build Number JOREM_U3_3.4.2_179-2

 

[labsin]

You need to go into stock recovery (power + down I think) next press both volume keys. Wipe cache and data. Next reboot into motorola flash tools and install a fixed sbf of a froyo ROM. Next install CM7 if you want. You can find/make the fixed sbf in the beginners guide.
If you install CM first wipe everything in custom recovery.

Sent from my MB525

 

[basilsquire]

I've done that and no luck, sometimes the phone has booted up and frozen on the red M, other times it has been totally unresponsive. The only Froyo ROM that I can get to respond is the fixed one linked in the guide, which won't let me install custom recovery. I'll try again with some different fixed ROMS tonight. Thanks

 

[labsin]

when does this happen? When you install froyo or CM7

Sent from my MB525

 

[labsin]

It seems like you can't downgrade that easy. The fixed sbf removes the system files. You need to install a nand backup first. But you can't install cwm to install a nand without root access. Check the page of the ginger you installed. I think it can by now. Also check CM7 page as a member seemed to can use stock recovery.

Sentrestore from my MB525

 

[basilsquire]

I'll do some more searching when I get to my laptop with everything on. Essentially the only version of Froyo that I can install won't let me run CWM (it installs with no problems, I can root the phone without any issues). It just gets stuck in a boot loop as soon as I try to restart the phone. I can't get into stock or custom recovery at this point to wipe data/cache.

I tried with a nand backup and fixed sbf, but will try some different combinations. I still have my initial nand backup from before I started flashing anything. I'll do some more rooting around later on. I suppose I have a working phone for now, just not how I would like it!

Thanks