[PSA] Axon 10 Pro (Non-5G) EDL Tool Causes Bootloops

bgroins

Senior Member
Oct 13, 2010
55
3
8
Los Angeles, CA
Just a fair warning, I've had to return two new Axon 10 Pros because the EDL tool caused bootloops when trying to unlock. I took every possible backup and on both phones and had OEM Unlock enabled in the Developer settings. I was unable to restore back to the original state by restoring from backup. This is not a knock on UnjustifiedDev, I'm just sharing my own personal experience, and from the look of a lot of recent posts others have the same issue. It may be an issue with the latest patch (both phones were up to date before attempting unlock). The other issue is that there's no reliable North American EDL backup that works with bricked phone restore tools like MiFlash, so you end up having to us the only known good one which is the EU G variant, which is less than ideal for NA phones. Luckily the place I bought them from had liberal return policies.
 
Last edited:

bobthenormal

Senior Member
Aug 25, 2013
50
6
28
Agree it's risky to use at the moment, but it does seem that there's a solution to a common source of the bootloop problem . It is discussed in the main tool thread, but to shorten it - if you're bootlooped and you have a stock backup, put the phone into the BL / fastboot mode and flash a/b stock bootloaders and a/b boot images.

Still, good for people to know it's not perfect... I spent a lot of time I didn't plan for figuring out how to get out of being stuck in EDL mode (which is worse than the bootloop).
 

ufo8mymunky

Senior Member
Aug 19, 2013
59
15
0
Brazoria
I've been stuck on the EU rom for months. It sucks. ? Wish there was a way to fix it. I did flash something(can't remember what it was off the top of my head) and I got my service back but I lost the fingerprint scanner.
 

bobthenormal

Senior Member
Aug 25, 2013
50
6
28
I've been stuck on the EU rom for months. It sucks. Wish there was a way to fix it. I did flash something(can't remember what it was off the top of my head) and I got my service back but I lost the fingerprint scanner.
If you have your original backups, what happens when you flashed them back on via the EDL tool?

If you feel comfortable experimenting a little, I can suggest some things to try.
 

ufo8mymunky

Senior Member
Aug 19, 2013
59
15
0
Brazoria
If you have your original backups, what happens when you flashed them back on via the EDL tool?

If you feel comfortable experimenting a little, I can suggest some things to try.
I do not have my original back ups. They did not work to fix the issue anyway. I messed up somewhere when I was originally correcting the bootloop issue and I was getting a corrupt error as soon as the phone was booted. The only thing that fixed my phone was the European rom so I've just been making it work for almost 3 months.
 

bobthenormal

Senior Member
Aug 25, 2013
50
6
28
I do not have my original back ups. They did not work to fix the issue anyway. I messed up somewhere when I was originally correcting the bootloop issue and I was getting a corrupt error as soon as the phone was booted. The only thing that fixed my phone was the European rom so I've just been making it work for almost 3 months.
Did you try @rafyvitto 's EDL backup? I haven't tried flashing the EU ROM, but

If you're running Win10 I can send you some powershell scripts I've made, they'll collect information you can paste back here and I can use to make a suggestion on fixing it.
From what I've seen the problems (for me) come from a mismatch of various pieces of the firmware., so I'd have to identify if you're working with something I can fix. The EDL backup won't have all the files but the other files shouldn't really change.
 

ufo8mymunky

Senior Member
Aug 19, 2013
59
15
0
Brazoria
Did you try @rafyvitto 's EDL backup? I haven't tried flashing the EU ROM, but

If you're running Win10 I can send you some powershell scripts I've made, they'll collect information you can paste back here and I can use to make a suggestion on fixing it.
From what I've seen the problems (for me) come from a mismatch of various pieces of the firmware., so I'd have to identify if you're working with something I can fix. The EDL backup won't have all the files but the other files shouldn't really change.
Yes I tried it. I believe it was after I had the EU rom installed. It also said that my device was corrupt on boot. I do have Windows 10. I downloaded what I had thought was someone else's (not sure of the name off the top of my head) but they had said they modified some of that rom to get their phone back up and running. I downloaded their version and visually it looked the same, so idk. I can't get miflash to work on my laptop so I can't go that route either.

Attach the powershell script and let me know whatcha need. Thank you for helping me with this btw.
 

bobthenormal

Senior Member
Aug 25, 2013
50
6
28
Yes I tried it. I believe it was after I had the EU rom installed. It also said that my device was corrupt on boot. I do have Windows 10. I downloaded what I had thought was someone else's (not sure of the name off the top of my head) but they had said they modified some of that rom to get their phone back up and running. I downloaded their version and visually it looked the same, so idk. I can't get miflash to work on my laptop so I can't go that route either.

Attach the powershell script and let me know whatcha need. Thank you for helping me with this btw.
Happy to try to help :good: I'll think about it a bit and post up some instructions and script tomorrow, have to make sure I think through what all I need to check.
 

ufo8mymunky

Senior Member
Aug 19, 2013
59
15
0
Brazoria
Happy to try to help :good: I'll think about it a bit and post up some instructions and script tomorrow, have to make sure I think through what all I need to check.
Awesome. No rush. It would be nice to solve this issue since there are a few of us still stuck on the European rom and we have no idea how to get back to the US rom. Thank you.
 

ufo8mymunky

Senior Member
Aug 19, 2013
59
15
0
Brazoria
So, I was messing around with the edl tool and I was finally able to unlock my bootloader. IDK if that changes anything. I would assume if I tried to install twrp and flash a rom it would still be stuck on the European variant or I'd mess everything up again and have to start off all over again. Idk
 

bobthenormal

Senior Member
Aug 25, 2013
50
6
28
So, I was messing around with the edl tool and I was finally able to unlock my bootloader. IDK if that changes anything. I would assume if I tried to install twrp and flash a rom it would still be stuck on the European variant or I'd mess everything up again and have to start off all over again. Idk
With it unlocked you might have an easier time with not bricking, but it still happens a lot even to me... I've been trying to put together a "bulletproof" EDL backup that other people can download and for sure work no matter what, I've probably had to unbrick my phone 4-5 times the last two days. Fairly straightforward process for me now, but still running into some surprises. Like today I'm bricked again... I was kinda pushing for it... long story... but I'll probably get it unbricked in a few hours. I'm just doing it very slowly to try to identify the culprit causing it.

Point being - make sure to do lots of backups when you're messing around with anything. The usefulness of the EDL tool's backup goes far beyond what you can do in the tool - it has a limited capacity to unbrick you just by applying EDL backups, even the EU version might not work anymore if you get the right conditions set up. But with good backups I could still fix it.
Well, with one caveat - you need to fix a typo in the EDL tool's "all.xml" file first, otherwise it misses a very important file. I'll get to that in the instructions I'm about to post...

---------- Post added at 09:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:47 PM ----------

Alright, first thing of course this isn't my job or anything and my knowledge is very limited, just another person figuring it out - so although I'm trying to help this is all AT YOUR OWN RISK.

First - fix the typo - go to your EDL tool directory, and in the "tools" subdirectory there is a file named "all.xml". Edit the file in notepad. Do not accidentally change ANYTHING except what I say. Find the line where it says 'label="aop_b"'. Before that it will say 'filename="aop.mbn"'. Change aop.mbn to aop_b.mbn.

EDIT: Well, I found another one just in the time since I posted this haha. It's less critical (why I didn't notice it). But there's a line with 'label="uefisecapp_b"'. Add the "_b" to the filename in front of that too!

That just fixes a small typo that whenever the ALL backup was run it would overwrite the first backup (aop_a) with the second (aop_b). A FULL backup did not have this issue, but it would only backup the aop_a and not aop_b.

As it turns out.. a bad AOP file will stop the bootloader from loading. (ie. EDL loop)

Anyway, next do these:

1) With your current, working EU ROM boot into EDL

2) Run an ALL backup in the EDL tool (with fixed all.xml)

3) Move that "ALL" backup to another folder (preferably name/dated)

4) Save this code as a powershell script file and run it in the backup directory:

Code:
# Creates a hash log of all files in this directory

$backupLocations = ,@(
    (Get-Item ".\")
    )

# Define a maximum file size to use hashing to compare (in MB)

$maxHashCheckFilesize = 1000000

# Clear variables

$hashValues = $null

$fileList = $null

### Get Hashes

foreach ($loc in $backupLocations) {

    Write-Host ("-- Hash Location: " + $loc)

    $literalLocName = ("\\?\" + $loc.FullName + "\")

    $fileList += @{ ($loc.FullName) = (gci -Force -File -LiteralPath $literalLocName) }

    $hashValues += @{ ($loc.FullName) = $null }

    foreach ($file in ($fileList[$loc.FullName]) ) {

        if ( $file.Length -gt ($maxHashCheckFilesize*1024*1024) ) {

            Write-Host ("Skipping " + $file.Name)

            $hashValues[$loc.FullName] += @{ $file.FullName = "Skipped (file size over max)" }

        }
        
        else {

            $literalFileName = ($file.FullName)

            Write-Host ("Hashing " + $file.Name)

            $hashValues[$loc.FullName] += @{ $file.FullName = (Get-FileHash -LiteralPath $literalFileName).Hash }

        }

    }

}

Write-Host "Finished Hashing Files"

### Build Data Output


# If statement to turn XML output on and off
if ( $false ) {

    $saveXML = (".\" + $saveName + " " + (Get-Date -Format "(MM-dd-yy hhmmss)") + ".data")

    Export-Clixml -InputObject $data -Path $saveXML

    Write-Host "Finished XML Export"

}

# If statement to turn hash data output on and off
if ( $true ) {

    Set-Content -Value ( "Hashes for directory: ", ($backupLocation.FullName) ) -Path ($hashPath = (".\" + "Hash File Results- " + (Get-Date -Format "(MM-dd-yy HHmmss)") + ".txt"))

    foreach ($loc in $backupLocations) {
    
        Add-Content -Value ( "Hash Location: ", ($loc.FullName + "\") ) -Path ($hashPath)
        
        if(($fileList[$loc.FullName]).Length -eq 0 ) {

            Add-Content -Value ( "No files" ) -Path ($hashPath)

        }

        else {
        
            foreach ($file in $fileList[$loc.FullName]) {
        
                Add-Content -Value (($hashValues[$loc.FullName][$file.FullName] | % { $file.Name, (" Last Write: " + $file.LastWriteTime), $_ })) -Path ($hashPath)

            }

        }

    }

    Write-Host "Finished Hash Output"
    
}

Pause
5) Go to the A2020U backup that you are trying to apply (which you can't get to boot) and run the hash script there.

Send me those two hash lists.

If you want to try installing the backup now that you have the BL unlocked, you might be successful. The error you mentioned before about something being corrupt - that warning is because the BL was locked and detected tampering. So that should, at least, not be your problem.

I would guess is you get stuck in a loop, either boot or EDL. But you're welcome to try, it might just work. I've had success booting from the EDL backup @rafyvitto posted. There's a -chance- that doing this gets you stuck to where even trying to re-apply the EU firmware won't work. But it's less likely, and if you have your backup from above you should be able to get out.. eventually.. it just might require some number of days for me to help do that.
 
Last edited:

ufo8mymunky

Senior Member
Aug 19, 2013
59
15
0
Brazoria
With it unlocked you might have an easier time with not bricking, but it still happens a lot even to me... I've been trying to put together a "bulletproof" EDL backup that other people can download and for sure work no matter what, I've probably had to unbrick my phone 4-5 times the last two days. Fairly straightforward process for me now, but still running into some surprises. Like today I'm bricked again... I was kinda pushing for it... long story... but I'll probably get it unbricked in a few hours. I'm just doing it very slowly to try to identify the culprit causing it.

Point being - make sure to do lots of backups when you're messing around with anything. The usefulness of the EDL tool's backup goes far beyond what you can do in the tool - it has a limited capacity to unbrick you just by applying EDL backups, even the EU version might not work anymore if you get the right conditions set up. But with good backups I could still fix it.
Well, with one caveat - you need to fix a typo in the EDL tool's "all.xml" file first, otherwise it misses a very important file. I'll get to that in the instructions I'm about to post...

---------- Post added at 09:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:47 PM ----------

Alright, first thing of course this isn't my job or anything and my knowledge is very limited, just another person figuring it out - so although I'm trying to help this is all AT YOUR OWN RISK.

First - fix the typo - go to your EDL tool directory, and in the "tools" subdirectory there is a file named "all.xml". Edit the file in notepad. Do not accidentally change ANYTHING except what I say. Find the line where it says 'label="aop_b"'. Before that it will say 'filename="aop.elf"'. Change aop.elf to aop_b.elf.

EDIT: Well, I found another one just in the time since I posted this haha. It's less critical (why I didn't notice it). But there's a line with 'label="uefisecapp_b"'. Add the "_b" to the filename in front of that too!

That just fixes a small typo that whenever the ALL backup was run it would overwrite the first backup (aop_a) with the second (aop_b). A FULL backup did not have this issue, but it would only backup the aop_a and not aop_b.

As it turns out.. a bad AOP file will stop the bootloader from loading. (ie. EDL loop)

Anyway, next do these:

1) With your current, working EU ROM boot into EDL

2) Run an ALL backup in the EDL tool (with fixed all.xml)

3) Move that "ALL" backup to another folder (preferably name/dated)

4) Save this code as a powershell script file and run it in the backup directory:

Code:
# Creates a hash log of all files in this directory

$backupLocations = ,@(
    (Get-Item ".\")
    )

# Define a maximum file size to use hashing to compare (in MB)

$maxHashCheckFilesize = 1000000

# Clear variables

$hashValues = $null

$fileList = $null

### Get Hashes

foreach ($loc in $backupLocations) {

    Write-Host ("-- Hash Location: " + $loc)

    $literalLocName = ("\\?\" + $loc.FullName + "\")

    $fileList += @{ ($loc.FullName) = (gci -Force -File -LiteralPath $literalLocName) }

    $hashValues += @{ ($loc.FullName) = $null }

    foreach ($file in ($fileList[$loc.FullName]) ) {

        if ( $file.Length -gt ($maxHashCheckFilesize*1024*1024) ) {

            Write-Host ("Skipping " + $file.Name)

            $hashValues[$loc.FullName] += @{ $file.FullName = "Skipped (file size over max)" }

        }
        
        else {

            $literalFileName = ($file.FullName)

            Write-Host ("Hashing " + $file.Name)

            $hashValues[$loc.FullName] += @{ $file.FullName = (Get-FileHash -LiteralPath $literalFileName).Hash }

        }

    }

}

Write-Host "Finished Hashing Files"

### Build Data Output


# If statement to turn XML output on and off
if ( $false ) {

    $saveXML = (".\" + $saveName + " " + (Get-Date -Format "(MM-dd-yy hhmmss)") + ".data")

    Export-Clixml -InputObject $data -Path $saveXML

    Write-Host "Finished XML Export"

}

# If statement to turn hash data output on and off
if ( $true ) {

    Set-Content -Value ( "Hashes for directory: ", ($backupLocation.FullName) ) -Path ($hashPath = (".\" + "Hash File Results- " + (Get-Date -Format "(MM-dd-yy HHmmss)") + ".txt"))

    foreach ($loc in $backupLocations) {
    
        Add-Content -Value ( "Hash Location: ", ($loc.FullName + "\") ) -Path ($hashPath)
        
        if(($fileList[$loc.FullName]).Length -eq 0 ) {

            Add-Content -Value ( "No files" ) -Path ($hashPath)

        }

        else {
        
            foreach ($file in $fileList[$loc.FullName]) {
        
                Add-Content -Value (($hashValues[$loc.FullName][$file.FullName] | % { $file.Name, (" Last Write: " + $file.LastWriteTime), $_ })) -Path ($hashPath)

            }

        }

    }

    Write-Host "Finished Hash Output"
    
}

Pause
5) Go to the A2020U backup that you are trying to apply (which you can't get to boot) and run the hash script there.

Send me those two hash lists.

If you want to try installing the backup now that you have the BL unlocked, you might be successful. The error you mentioned before about something being corrupt - that warning is because the BL was locked and detected tampering. So that should, at least, not be your problem.

I would guess is you get stuck in a loop, either boot or EDL. But you're welcome to try, it might just work. I've had success booting from the EDL backup @rafyvitto posted. There's a -chance- that doing this gets you stuck to where even trying to re-apply the EU firmware won't work. But it's less likely, and if you have your backup from above you should be able to get out.. eventually.. it just might require some number of days for me to help do that.

I will work on that in a few hours. It's currently 6:30am here and I need to wake up a bit more. Yesterday, after unlocking the bootloader, I was able to install TWRP. It didn't go so well because I ended up getting excited and I tried to flash lineage but that resulted in boot loops. I tried flashing the EU rom and it boot looped also. I had to flash the same rom like three times to get it to work. IDK why. My backups never restore with the tool and that may be because of the typos. Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this because I really miss my fingerprint scanner. Lol
 

bobthenormal

Senior Member
Aug 25, 2013
50
6
28
I will work on that in a few hours. It's currently 6:30am here and I need to wake up a bit more. Yesterday, after unlocking the bootloader, I was able to install TWRP. It didn't go so well because I ended up getting excited and I tried to flash lineage but that resulted in boot loops. I tried flashing the EU rom and it boot looped also. I had to flash the same rom like three times to get it to work. IDK why. My backups never restore with the tool and that may be because of the typos. Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this because I really miss my fingerprint scanner. Lol
TBH Don't even try with the LOS builds yet! lol.. I'll let you know if I figure out how to successfully flash them... they are definitely a lot more difficult to get up and running versus a stock TWRP/magisk build... ultimately LOS is my goal too, or a GSI like Havok... I hate stock ****. Just trying to get to a place where my installing it and getting it working isn't like balancing a house of cards.

I think maybe the LOS install must assume/rely on a certain conditions that I haven't yet hit upon. Once I have a set of backups that I know I can *for sure* flash to get myself to any specific firmware build#, I'll try going through each one and installing until it works. In the mean time flashing LOS seems like just an absolutely guaranteed way to brick my phone...
 

eKeith

Senior Member
Jun 24, 2008
277
49
58
...
First - fix the typo - go to your EDL tool directory, and in the "tools" subdirectory there is a file named "all.xml". Edit the file in notepad. Do not accidentally change ANYTHING except what I say. Find the line where it says 'label="aop_b"'. Before that it will say 'filename="aop.elf"'. Change aop.elf to aop_b.elf.

EDIT: Well, I found another one just in the time since I posted this haha. It's less critical (why I didn't notice it). But there's a line with 'label="uefisecapp_b"'. Add the "_b" to the filename in front of that too!

That just fixes a small typo that whenever the ALL backup was run it would overwrite the first backup (aop_a) with the second (aop_b). A FULL backup did not have this issue, but it would only backup the aop_a and not aop_b.

As it turns out.. a bad AOP file will stop the bootloader from loading. (ie. EDL loop)
...
Thanks for your write-up. However, for both "aop" and "uefisecapp", did you mean the ".mbn" rather than ".elf"?

Also, during my search I noted what seems to be the same issue with "abl". Should we also update the "abl.elf" to "abl_b.elf" in the line with "label="abl_b"?

Thanks
 

ufo8mymunky

Senior Member
Aug 19, 2013
59
15
0
Brazoria
I have attached those hash files. I actually fixed my phone while messing around again. I used a payload dumper to extract the images from the SD installable rom on ZTE's site and I copied and pasted them into the european 1.6 full edl file. I made sure to grab the non_hlos.bin file from the B12 full and then I flashed away. I am now back to normal functionality. I think the issue was that I tried to unlock my bootloader and all that nonsense when I was on android 10. I'm not sure why the european rom worked because it was android 9 but every time I flashed anything other than the A2020G 1.6, it would bootloop. Either way, I'm back on A2020U and I don't even care if I'm stuck with Android 10 because at least all my stuff works again.
 

ufo8mymunky

Senior Member
Aug 19, 2013
59
15
0
Brazoria
Thanks for your write-up. However, for both "aop" and "uefisecapp", did you mean the ".mbn" rather than ".elf"?

Also, during my search I noted what seems to be the same issue with "abl". Should we also update the "abl.elf" to "abl_b.elf" in the line with "label="abl_b"?

Thanks
I assumed he meant .mbn. I'm not sure if it worked properly or not.

---------- Post added at 12:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:49 PM ----------

TBH Don't even try with the LOS builds yet! lol.. I'll let you know if I figure out how to successfully flash them... they are definitely a lot more difficult to get up and running versus a stock TWRP/magisk build... ultimately LOS is my goal too, or a GSI like Havok... I hate stock ****. Just trying to get to a place where my installing it and getting it working isn't like balancing a house of cards.

I think maybe the LOS install must assume/rely on a certain conditions that I haven't yet hit upon. Once I have a set of backups that I know I can *for sure* flash to get myself to any specific firmware build#, I'll try going through each one and installing until it works. In the mean time flashing LOS seems like just an absolutely guaranteed way to brick my phone...
Oh I just now saw this. Im back on Android 10 but I attached those hash files to my other message. I tried flashing lineage before fixing my phone but it always ended in boot loops. I'm so glad its working again though
 

bobthenormal

Senior Member
Aug 25, 2013
50
6
28
Thanks for your write-up. However, for both "aop" and "uefisecapp", did you mean the ".mbn" rather than ".elf"?

Also, during my search I noted what seems to be the same issue with "abl". Should we also update the "abl.elf" to "abl_b.elf" in the line with "label="abl_b"?

Thanks
Oh thanks! I'll edit my post regarding the ".elf" / ".mbn" stuff....

I've mostly lost track of the extension names. They don't really matter for anymore (for me) because as long as I use the same XML to restore/backup it's fine. As long as none of the files are named the same (= overwriting).

EDIT: Be careful here - I did go back and check, in my version of the EDL Tool (3.2.5) there were no more typos than the two - the abl and abl_b filenames are correct. Make SURE if you're fixing it it's actually the on the line with label="abl_b". Maybe an older version of the tool had a problem with that?

As for yours having the abl_b overwrite - YES fix that. I'm a little surprised? Mine for sure didn't have that because my first backups definitely have abl and abl_b... Maybe I'll go unzip the EDL tool again and make sure I look at the true original.

Make absolutely sure the label on the line you're correcting is in fact abl_b though!

---------- Post added at 09:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:40 PM ----------

I have attached those hash files. I actually fixed my phone while messing around again. I used a payload dumper to extract the images from the SD installable rom on ZTE's site and I copied and pasted them into the european 1.6 full edl file. I made sure to grab the non_hlos.bin file from the B12 full and then I flashed away. I am now back to normal functionality. I think the issue was that I tried to unlock my bootloader and all that nonsense when I was on android 10. I'm not sure why the european rom worked because it was android 9 but every time I flashed anything other than the A2020G 1.6, it would bootloop. Either way, I'm back on A2020U and I don't even care if I'm stuck with Android 10 because at least all my stuff works again.
Nice! Glad to hear you're happy with things. After a few reboots do an "all" backup! I've noticed that there's an issue that the B-Partition can be absolutely unbootable junk and just sitting in the background waiting to screw things up when you try to do anything like custom ROMs or TWRP/Magisk. If anything goes wrong with the flashing on A there isn't really a fallback, unless you have your backup.

As for making sense of your situation - were you using the EDL tool to restore the EU ROM? Because if you were using another tool like MiFlash or QPST, those do a few extra things that the EDL tool doesn't when flashing that might have made the difference. (I haven't tried the EU ROM)

You make it sounds like after you flashed the EU ROM you were still on A10 btw? Maybe just reading that wrong... any of the "all" A9 ROMs should have reverted you to A9. The reason they bootlooped wasn't to do with A10->A9 if they were full ROMs. Could be a number of other issues.. one of which could be if they were from an unlocked bootloader and therefore incompatible with your locked state. The EU ROM being official would definitely work with a locked AND unlocked state - hence why everyone seems to fall back on it.

That's why I'm trying to put together a "locked" state ROM from my own stuff, it would be a safe fallback I could use anytime anything goes wrong. And of course then anyone here could use it too, to get back to A2020U. It is proving extremely difficult! Well... I guess I do have one but I'm still poking at it because I still don't understand why my original stock image doesn't work as a fallback, that bugs me.
 
Last edited:

eKeith

Senior Member
Jun 24, 2008
277
49
58
Oh thanks! I'll edit my post regarding the ".elf" / ".mbn" stuff....



I've mostly lost track of the extension names. They don't really matter for anymore (for me) because as long as I use the same XML to restore/backup it's fine. As long as none of the files are named the same (= overwriting).



EDIT: Be careful here - I did go back and check, in my version of the EDL Tool (3.2.5) there were no more typos than the two - the abl and abl_b filenames are correct. Make SURE if you're fixing it it's actually the on the line with label="abl_b". Maybe an older version of the tool had a problem with that?



As for yours having the abl_b overwrite - YES fix that. I'm a little surprised? Mine for sure didn't have that because my first backups definitely have abl and abl_b... Maybe I'll go unzip the EDL tool again and make sure I look at the true original.



Make absolutely sure the label on the line you're correcting is in fact abl_b though!



---------- Post added at 09:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:40 PM ----------







Nice! Glad to hear you're happy with things. After a few reboots do an "all" backup! I've noticed that there's an issue that the B-Partition can be absolutely unbootable junk and just sitting in the background waiting to screw things up when you try to do anything like custom ROMs or TWRP/Magisk. If anything goes wrong with the flashing on A there isn't really a fallback, unless you have your backup.



As for making sense of your situation - were you using the EDL tool to restore the EU ROM? Because if you were using another tool like MiFlash or QPST, those do a few extra things that the EDL tool doesn't when flashing that might have made the difference. (I haven't tried the EU ROM)



You make it sounds like after you flashed the EU ROM you were still on A10 btw? Maybe just reading that wrong... any of the "all" A9 ROMs should have reverted you to A9. The reason they bootlooped wasn't to do with A10->A9 if they were full ROMs. Could be a number of other issues.. one of which could be if they were from an unlocked bootloader and therefore incompatible with your locked state. The EU ROM being official would definitely work with a locked AND unlocked state - hence why everyone seems to fall back on it.



That's why I'm trying to put together a "locked" state ROM from my own stuff, it would be a safe fallback I could use anytime anything goes wrong. And of course then anyone here could use it too, to get back to A2020U. It is proving extremely difficult! Well... I guess I do have one but I'm still poking at it because I still don't understand why my original stock image doesn't work as a fallback, that bugs me.
Thanks for your comprehensive response! Unfortunately it seems that I sent you too far down the rabbit hole...

I am on stock A10 and unrooted. My current goal is to make the best possible backups before I go further.

I reinstalled the Tool on another device and did not see the "able" typo! I must have confused myself! I did correct the other two.

I successfully unlocked the bootloader and made all backups capable with the tool.

My next goal is to root. I took the boot.img backed up by the tool, transferred it to my device and patched with Magisk. I have transferred the patched boot image back to my PC. But don't know how to get to fastboot. I understand that I can flash the patched image with the tool but prefer to understand by executing via CLI. I know this is off-topic for this thread, but can you direct me to information on getting the device into fastboot mode?

Thanks!

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---------- Post added at 01:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:57 AM ----------

I have attached those hash files. I actually fixed my phone while messing around again. I used a payload dumper to extract the images from the SD installable rom on ZTE's site and I copied and pasted them into the european 1.6 full edl file. I made sure to grab the non_hlos.bin file from the B12 full and then I flashed away. I am now back to normal functionality. I think the issue was that I tried to unlock my bootloader and all that nonsense when I was on android 10. I'm not sure why the european rom worked because it was android 9 but every time I flashed anything other than the A2020G 1.6, it would bootloop. Either way, I'm back on A2020U and I don't even care if I'm stuck with Android 10 because at least all my stuff works again.
Can you direct me to info on that "payload dumper"?

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bobthenormal

Senior Member
Aug 25, 2013
50
6
28
Thanks for your comprehensive response! Unfortunately it seems that I sent you too far down the rabbit hole...

I am on stock A10 and unrooted. My current goal is to make the best possible backups before I go further.

I reinstalled the Tool on another device and did not see the "able" typo! I must have confused myself! I did correct the other two.

I successfully unlocked the bootloader and made all backups capable with the tool.

My next goal is to root. I took the boot.img backed up by the tool, transferred it to my device and patched with Magisk. I have transferred the patched boot image back to my PC. But don't know how to get to fastboot. I understand that I can flash the patched image with the tool but prefer to understand by executing via CLI. I know this is off-topic for this thread, but can you direct me to information on getting the device into fastboot mode?

Thanks!

Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk


If you used the EDL tool to unlock the bootloader it will have installed a bootloader with fastboot enabled. Unplug the phone and restart while holding vol+/-, once the bootloader menu is up plug the phone back in and use fastboot.
 

eKeith

Senior Member
Jun 24, 2008
277
49
58
If you used the EDL tool to unlock the bootloader it will have installed a bootloader with fastboot enabled. Unplug the phone and restart while holding vol+/-, once the bootloader menu is up plug the phone back in and use fastboot.
Oh. I unlocked when on A9. Then OTA failed although I was still stock. I subsequently did the official A10 update via SD card. So now I have what appears to be a stock recovery.

Is there a temp bootloader that I can use with fastboot enabled? Or should I just redo the BL unlock via the toot although the BL is unlocked. Will that reinstall a custom recovery?

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