[Q] Stuck in bootloop after attempted upgrade

[jggrnaut]

I just recently got my TF701T. I unlocked the boot loader with the Asus unlock tool and then attempted to upgrade to version 11.4.1.17 so that I could install Cromi-X 7 on it. I placed the file UL-K00C-US-11.4.1.17-user.zip on the root of the tablet and rebooted. Once the OS booted back up I was alerted that an update file had been found and I clicked it to begin installing.

The tablet rebooted and appeared to be upgrading but now all I see is a robot on his back with a red exclamation point. After a while the tablet will reboot and again show the Asus splash screen and then the upgrading robot then immediately go to the robot on its back.

I can get to fastboot by pressing power and volume down. I see "the device is unlocked" at the top of the Asus splash screen then I see a screen with the following. Android macallan-user bootloader (1.00 e) released by "US_epad-10.14.1.47-20131022" Choosing RCK, Android or Wipe Data do nothing to help the situation.

I thought I had found a solution in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=47933481&postcount=1 but the link for drgravy's recovery.img is not working.

I would appreciate any help recovering this tablet. Thank you.

 

[berndblb]

I just recently got my TF701T. I unlocked the boot loader with the Asus unlock tool and then attempted to upgrade to version 11.4.1.17 so that I could install Cromi-X 7 on it. I placed the file UL-K00C-US-11.4.1.17-user.zip on the root of the tablet and rebooted. Once the OS booted back up I was alerted that an update file had been found and I clicked it to begin installing.

The tablet rebooted and appeared to be upgrading but now all I see is a robot on his back with a red exclamation point. After a while the tablet will reboot and again show the Asus splash screen and then the upgrading robot then immediately go to the robot on its back.

I can get to fastboot by pressing power and volume down. I see "the device is unlocked" at the top of the Asus splash screen then I see a screen with the following. Android macallan-user bootloader (1.00 e) released by "US_epad-10.14.1.47-20131022" Choosing RCK, Android or Wipe Data do nothing to help the situation.

I thought I had found a solution in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=47933481&postcount=1 but the link for drgravy's recovery.img is not working.

I would appreciate any help recovering this tablet. Thank you.

Do you have the Asus drivers and adb/fastboot installed on your PC?
If you have fastboot access, it would be as easy as:
Download CWM 6.0.4.7 from here http://droidbasement.com/db-blog/?p=3207
I know it says you have to be on 10.26.1.18 for this, but since you will use it only to flash the latest bootloader, you should be fine.
Put the recovery.img into your fastboot folder and flash it (if you need help here, let me know).
Then fastboot reboot
Your tablet should boot up normally now

Part 2:
Head here http://forum.xda-developers.com/transformer-tf701/development/rom-nov-24-t2951032 and grab the 11.4.1.27 bootloader/CWM 6.0.5.1 package
Flash it in your existing CWM
Reboot

Part 3:
Boot to recovery
Make a nandroid of your stock rom
Go back to home
Wipe data, cache and Dalvik
Flash the rom (which you have loaded onto your microSD)

All done.
Don't forget to delete the (probably corrupted) firmware file

EDIT: BTW, when you reboot to system from CWM you will always get the question if you want to fix root. Choose NO - it's a bug....

 

[jggrnaut]

Do you have the Asus drivers and adb/fastboot installed on your PC?
If you have fastboot access, it would be as easy as:
Download CWM 6.0.4.7 from here http://droidbasement.com/db-blog/?p=3207
I know it says you have to be on 10.26.1.18 for this, but since you will use it only to flash the latest bootloader, you should be fine.
Put the recovery.img into your fastboot folder and flash it (if you need help here, let me know).
Then fastboot reboot
Your tablet should boot up normally now

Part 2:
Head here http://forum.xda-developers.com/transformer-tf701/development/rom-nov-24-t2951032 and grab the 11.4.1.27 bootloader/CWM 6.0.5.1 package
Flash it in your existing CWM
Reboot

Part 3:
Boot to recovery
Make a nandroid of your stock rom
Go back to home
Wipe data, cache and Dalvik
Flash the rom (which you have loaded onto your microSD)

All done.
Don't forget to delete the (probably corrupted) firmware file

EDIT: BTW, when you reboot to system from CWM you will always get the question if you want to fix root. Choose NO - it's a bug....

Thanks for the reply. I do have the drivers and adb/fastboot setup on PC.

After I could not find anywhere to download the version of CWM that was supposed to be for my firmware version I was afraid to proceed.

When I get home I will try the steps you have listed above and report back how it turned out.

One question, In part one after I flash recovery CWM 6.0.4.7 do I reboot to recovery or let the tablet reboot to the OS?

 

[berndblb]

Thanks for the reply. I do have the drivers and adb/fastboot setup on PC.

After I could not find anywhere to download the version of CWM that was supposed to be for my firmware version I was afraid to proceed.

When I get home I will try the steps you have listed above and report back how it turned out.

One question, In part one after I flash recovery CWM 6.0.4.7 do I reboot to recovery or let the tablet reboot to the OS?

Shouldn't matter. When you flash recovery or bootloader, you flash it to the staging partition. The actual installation happens during the next boot - you'll see a brief blue progress bar under the Asus logo.
Booting a recovery for the first time I always reboot to system after the flash, then power down and enter the new recovery from the bootloader. Probably booting straight to recovery or bootloader is ok, but I have not tested it.

 

[jggrnaut]

Shouldn't matter. When you flash recovery or bootloader, you flash it to the staging partition. The actual installation happens during the next boot - you'll see a brief blue progress bar under the Asus logo.
Booting a recovery for the first time I always reboot to system after the flash, then power down and enter the new recovery from the bootloader. Probably booting straight to recovery or bootloader is ok, but I have not tested it.

Well it has gotten worse and I think I have lost fastboot now. I downloaded the CWM from part 1 above and flashed it in fastboot. I typed fastboot reboot and now I am stuck in a bootloop still. It says "The device is unlocked" at top of Asus splash screen for about 15 seconds, screen turns black and the goes back to Asus splash screen.

I tried holding power and volume key to get back to fastboot but no luck. Any ideas?

 

[berndblb]

Wow! You are really having some bad luck there!!
First the failed firmware update and now this.... Please post the commands you used to flash CWM.
I have no explanantion for this since you did not even boot into CWM.......

Unless..... the bad firmware flash left a command behind calling the stock recovery to do something (which in your case did not work anyway since it just looped) and now the bootloader tries to execute the command which is not "understood" by CWM. But that still does not explain why you cannot boot into the BL anymore......

Can you turn it off by long pressing power? Try every which way to get into fastboot. Without it there is not much you can do I'm afraid.
Try the restart pin hole (I believe it's on the left side of the tablet near the top) in conjunction with Volume Down, try leaving it alone for a while, try timing the button press somewhat differently - anything to get you into the BL again...

I feel very sorry for you, mate!!

 

[jggrnaut]

Thanks for helping even if it didnt turn out great.

I typed fastboot flash recovery recovery.img after I had downloaded 6.0.4.5 and put it in my fastboot folder. I got confirmation that it transferred successfully.

Then fastboot reboot The tablet rebooted but still would not boot into OS. It still boot looped but did not show the dead android icon anymore.

I got back into fastboot and selected RCK but it would not boot into recovery. Finally I got back into fastboot and selected wipe data and that is what got me to current situation. Now the only thing I get is when I long press power and volume up my PC picks up an unknown device that says apx.

 

[berndblb]

Thanks for helping even if it didnt turn out great.

I typed fastboot flash recovery recovery.img after I had downloaded 6.0.4.5 and put it in my fastboot folder. I got confirmation that it transferred successfully.

Then fastboot reboot The tablet rebooted but still would not boot into OS. It still boot looped but did not show the dead android icon anymore.

I got back into fastboot and selected RCK but it would not boot into recovery. Finally I got back into fastboot and selected wipe data and that is what got me to current situation. Now the only thing I get is when I long press power and volume up my PC picks up an unknown device that says apx.

I don't know what happened before - maybe you were doomed since the bad firmware flash - but that last step sealed the coffin.
Using Wipe Data from the bootloader with a custom recovery installed is asking for trouble. Never ever do that.... Sorry, it's a brick. [emoji24]