HTC One Mini, boot loop, recovery wont work - help

[Buzz84]

Hi, first post here and its a plea for help, most probably the same way quite a few people find their way onto here!

My wife has a HTC one mini and it will power on and go straight to the "Fastboot" screen, it does this constantly. if you select restart it ends up in exactly the same place, same with the power button.

The phone had been unlocked with TWRP recovery about 6 months ago. it was flashed with a stock ROM

This has happened before a couple of times but after a couple of restart attempts it fired up normally and went into normal operation, after a little research we started to believe that it had a sticking volume down button, but now no amount of squeezing and resetting will get it to power up this time

If i select to go into recovery the screen goes blank for a split second and comes right back onto the "Fastboot" screen.

When I connect the phone to a computer the phone goes into "Fastboot USB" and the computer beeps to say something has been connected, HTC sync fires up but says no phone is connected.

With the phone plugged into the computer I can use fastboot to see it is connected but adb does not see it:

C:\adb>fastboot devices
SH3ACWA******    fastboot

C:\adb>adb devices
List of devices attached


C:\adb>

I have tried to reflash the recovery, I have tried CWM TWRP and the Stock recovery but all do this:

C:\adb>fastboot flash recovery twrp.img
target reported max download size of 800227328 bytes
sending 'recovery' (8572 KB)...
OKAY [  1.065s]
writing 'recovery'...
FAILED (remote: image update error)
finished. total time: 1.218s

C:\adb

I have used the command "fastboot oem boot" and this makes the phone show a white screen with the scateboarding androinds in the centre and gives:

C:\adb>fastboot oem boot
...
(bootloader) [ERR] Cmd18 polling status timed out, MCI_STATUS: 0x4C2000
(bootloader) [ERR] sdcc_command: sdcc_poll_status error, rc: 2
(bootloader) [SD_HW_ERR] read data fail in CMD18
(bootloader) CMD18: cmd failed
(bootloader) [SD_HW_ERR] SD: Read data fail..
(bootloader) [ERR] partition_read_emmc(876): error 2
(bootloader) [DISPLAY_ERR] read sp1 partition fail!!!
(bootloader) [ERR] Cmd17 polling status timed out, MCI_STATUS: 0x4C2000
(bootloader) [ERR] sdcc_command: sdcc_poll_status error, rc: 2
(bootloader) [SD_HW_ERR] read data fail in CMD17
(bootloader) CMD17: cmd failed
(bootloader) [SD_HW_ERR] SD: Read data fail..
(bootloader) [ERR] partition_read_emmc(876): error 2
(bootloader) [ERR] Cmd17 polling status timed out, MCI_STATUS: 0x4C2000
(bootloader) [ERR] sdcc_command: sdcc_poll_status error, rc: 2
(bootloader) [SD_HW_ERR] read data fail in CMD17
(bootloader) CMD17: cmd failed
(bootloader) [SD_HW_ERR] SD: Read data fail..
(bootloader) [ERR] partition_read_emmc(876): error 2
(bootloader) [ERR] Boot/Recovery image does not exist!!!
OKAY [  0.407s]
finished. total time: 0.409s

C:\adb>

In case this is of any help:

C:\adb>fastboot getvar all
(bootloader) version: 0.5
(bootloader) version-bootloader: 2.21.0000
(bootloader) version-baseband: N/A
(bootloader) version-cpld: None
(bootloader) version-microp: None
(bootloader) version-main: 2.12.401.1
(bootloader) version-misc: PVT SHIP S-ON
(bootloader) serialno: SH3ACWA*****
(bootloader) imei: 355866056******
(bootloader) meid:
(bootloader) product: m4_ul
(bootloader) platform: HBOOT-8930
(bootloader) modelid: PO5820000
(bootloader) cidnum: HTC__001
(bootloader) battery-status: good
(bootloader) battery-voltage: 4274mV
(bootloader) partition-layout: Generic
(bootloader) security: on
(bootloader) build-mode: SHIP
(bootloader) boot-mode: FASTBOOT
(bootloader) commitno-bootloader: dirty-871d213f
(bootloader) hbootpreupdate: 11
(bootloader) gencheckpt: 0
all: Done!
finished. total time: 0.230s

I have also tried to fastboot flash a new ROM onto the phone (one that will not wipe the SDcard and all data), this also fails:

C:\adb>fastboot flash rom mini.zip
target reported max download size of 800227328 bytes
sending 'rom' (36992 KB)...
OKAY [  2.731s]
writing 'rom'...
(bootloader) signature checking...
FAILED (remote: signature verify fail)
finished. total time: 8.164s

The rom was from the thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2659109 - I have renamed the zip out of lazyness so there is less to type in CMD prompt!

I have loaded up a FUU and this seems to work, it will recognise and bring up the software number of the phone and bring up the option to update it - I haven't gone through with this as it will wipe all of the SDcard data and this against what I am trying to achieve.

I would like to get access to the phone to extract the data, whether that be by mounting it and getting the data via comuter or getting it working via another method. We have a new Mini 2 as an upgrade for this phone so it does not neccesarily need to work completely.

Any help anyone can give will be greatly appreciated,

 

[absinthesummer]

It may be a silly idea but have you tried flashing the file without the spaces in the file name? Ie fastboot flash rom_mini.zip (you'd have to change the file name to reflect that obviously), but I've had it happen on my nexus before a recovery just wouldn't flash because of the spaces in the zip's file name. It's worth a shot. If it still fails then I'd look into that signature verification error you're getting.

 

[XclusionNL]

Have you managed to solve the issue? I in exactly the same situation as you are/were.

 

[imapanther]

I'm having similar issues with a One Mini I got off of Craigslist for $40. For me the biggest issue (as far as I can tell) is that the security is still enabled (S-ON) and it appears you have a similar issue ("security: on" result from your "getvar" command). From what I've found on the forums here flashing the original ROM should bring it back to life (which you tried) but it didn't work for me either. I should mention, HTC drivers installed (of course ), fastboot will recognize it but adb won't.

The bootloader screen for me.

*** LOCKED ***
M4_UL PVT SHIP S-ON RL
HBOOT—2.22.0000
OS—4.09.631.2
eMMC—boot 1024MB
Jun 23 2014, 13:57:59.0

FASTBOOT USB

etc etc...

C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot>fastboot getvar all
(bootloader) version: 0.5
(bootloader) version-bootloader: 2.22.0000
(bootloader) version-baseband: N/A
(bootloader) version-cpld: None
(bootloader) version-microp: None
(bootloader) version-main: 4.09.631.2
(bootloader) version-misc: PVT SHIP S-ON
(bootloader) serialno: HT3B1WA*****
(bootloader) imei: 3564820507*****
(bootloader) meid:
(bootloader) product: m4_ul
(bootloader) platform: HBOOT-8930
(bootloader) modelid: PO5822000
(bootloader) cidnum: ROGER001
(bootloader) battery-status: good
(bootloader) battery-voltage: 3850mV
(bootloader) partition-layout: Generic
(bootloader) security: on
(bootloader) build-mode: SHIP
(bootloader) boot-mode: FASTBOOT
(bootloader) commitno-bootloader: dirty-0e1af350
(bootloader) hbootpreupdate: 11
(bootloader) gencheckpt: 0
all: Done!
finished. total time: 0.553s

 

[imapanther]

A bit of an update with a couple things I've tried. I was thinking that being unable to find my device with adb could be messed up drivers, and found someone else on the forums that had a post precisely about this [http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=60834905&postcount=7]. Using Ubuntu is apparently an option, and as I dual-boot Ubuntu 14.04 LTS and Win7 x64 I figured I would give it a shot. Followed 'jollywhitefoot's' instructions on installing the necessary repositories, and then fastboot and adb. I could detect the device using 'sudo fastboot devices' but adb still wouldn't recognize it ('sudo adb devices'), returning a blank list. I also attempted to install the latest TWRP, to no avail. Perhaps the person who messed up the phone in the first place never enabled USB debugging.

If anyone out there has an idea of what I'm missing here, I would appreciate a little help. If not, I'll keep plugging away and see what else I can find to try. Thanks!

[email protected]********:~$ sudo fastboot flash recovery /usr/bin/twrp.img
target reported max download size of 800227328 bytes
sending 'recovery' (11460 KB)...
OKAY [  1.636s]
writing 'recovery'...
(bootloader) signature checking...
FAILED (remote: signature verify fail)
finished. total time: 2.777s

-- EDIT 1 --

I should add a few details. I've attempted to unlock the phone using HTCdev from both Windows and now Ubuntu and I supposedly get a valid unlock but never do see the bootloader screen change to reflect that (always stays at '*** LOCKED ***'). I'll post one of the sample outputs below.

[email protected]********:~/Downloads$ sudo fastboot flash unlocktoken Unlock_code.bin
target reported max download size of 800227328 bytes
sending 'unlocktoken' (0 KB)...
OKAY [  0.155s]
writing 'unlocktoken'...
(bootloader) unlock token check successfully
OKAY [  0.006s]
finished. total time: 0.161s

-- EDIT 2 --

I've tried to flash a few different recoveries, in the hope that one would work. Unfortunately I couldn't find the stock recovery anywhere, I'm guessing that would have the highest chance of working. The three I tried were from here [http://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-one-mini/development/mega-index-roms-recoveries-mods-kernels-t2835180]. I also grapped a dmesg dump, it appears that something with the "SD card" (I know the Mini doesn't have one, but that's what it reports it's storage as) is causing problems, though I'm not sure if this is due to a lack of a formatted partition, or rather super-aggressive writes and thus failing memory.

(bootloader) [6:9:29.394207] fastboot_command:[erase:cache]
(bootloader) [6:9:29.403677]
(bootloader) eMMC Manufacturer ID: 15
(bootloader) [6:9:29.415209] [ERR] Cmd35 polling status timed out, MCI_ST
(bootloader) ATUS: 0x4C0000
(bootloader) [6:9:29.419677] [ERR] sdcc_command: sdcc_poll_status error,
(bootloader) rc: 2
(bootloader) [6:9:29.421825] sdcc_erase, CMD35 fail
(bootloader) [6:9:29.425520] emmc_erase(2704): sd_erase_sector failed!

Buzz84, I think it's apparent now that my problem could be quite different than yours, I shouldn't have opened up your thread again but I originally thought we had very identical problems!

 

[bluesk1d]

Anyone made any headway here? My One Mini was sitting in a drawer for months and now that my primary phone got stolen, I need it. Same problem as the others. It just goes right to fastboot and refuses to do anything else. Here's my info:

(bootloader) version: 0.5
(bootloader) version-bootloader: 2.22.0000
(bootloader) version-baseband: N/A
(bootloader) version-cpld: None
(bootloader) version-microp: None
(bootloader) version-main: 4.09.111.3
(bootloader) version-misc: PVT SHIP S-ON
(bootloader) serialno: HT37G*****
(bootloader) imei: ********
(bootloader) meid:
(bootloader) product: m4_ul
(bootloader) platform: HBOOT-8930
(bootloader) modelid: PO5820000
(bootloader) cidnum: T-MOB101
(bootloader) battery-status: good
(bootloader) battery-voltage: 4306mV
(bootloader) partition-layout: Generic
(bootloader) security: on
(bootloader) build-mode: SHIP
(bootloader) boot-mode: FASTBOOT
(bootloader) commitno-bootloader: dirty-0e1af350
(bootloader) hbootpreupdate: 11
(bootloader) gencheckpt: 0

Side note: Does anyone know how to unlock the bootloader without access to the OS? The HTC unlock token requires access to the OS to confirm via pop up.

 

[frankyjuang]

Solution found

In case anyone still encounter this problem, here's a solution.

everybody has the same cure which is put the phone into constant boot loop so that in between loops the battery takes a little bit of a charge until eventually it has enough, i sorted mine out by plugging in the phone then wrapping a strong elastic band around the bottom of phone and the power button which will keep the power button pressed and the phone will keep looping until it gets enough charge, once you see the htc logo release the band before it goes into another loop.

 

[goran0230]

htc mini loop

Hi to all,i just waste 10 hours looking for solution so for now i dont have no luck. Try it all all for one tool,windroid tool,i try from fast boot to just make small step but NO..... htc mini is stuk in fastboot mode,pc see htc as other device tru cmd -powershell everything i try had eror or remote eror. With windroid and htcdev page i got unlock-bin file and after doing steps when they say that my bootlader is unlock it is not. tru cmd the same with unlock bin file. I dont have idea how to bypass that signature chek. if someone have idea Imglad to hear it.