Repairing 'destroyed recovery' on a xiaomi mi a2 lite

[alistairrc]

Several weeks ago I tried to install TWRP after permitting an OTA update to install V10.0.2.0.PDLMIFJ.
The TWRP installation failed and resulted in the "Destroyed Recovery".
The phone does boot and operate normally, except that it will not boot into recovery, and the OTA update to v10.0.3.0.PDLMIXM fails.

Is there a way to flash the recovery partition for the current version, or update to v10.0.3.0 and repair the partition without deleteing my data?

I tried using the 10.0.2.0 boot.img file from the thread "xda-developers Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite Guides, News, & Discussion [GUIDE] Install Magisk with proper support for OTA updates by BubuXP" and the commands in the thread "xda-developers Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other Development [Official] [Recovery] TWRP for daisy by d1ngh, post #299".

This results in the following:-
a2-lite$ fastboot flash aboot_a boot.img
target reported max download size of 534773760 bytes
sending 'aboot_a' (27219 KB)...
OKAY [ 0.798s]
writing 'aboot_a'...
FAILED (remote: size too large)
finished. total time: 0.816s

I read mention of an 'aboot.img' but cannot find one for v10.0.2.0. How are these created or extracted from the released firmware?
Also mentioned is a 'flash.bat' script, but I cannot find the source of that file.
I use kubuntu LTS, but do have access to windows 8.1.

 

[thorin0815]

Just download V10.0.3.0 here: https://en.miui.com/download-354.html

Extract it and use the included batch file "flash_all_except_storage.sh" for Linux. This will preserve your data.

If you want to root your device afterwards, check this guide:

https://forum.xda-developers.com/mi-a2-lite/how-to/guide-install-magisk-proper-support-ota-t3836952

I suggest to create your own patched_boot.img with Magisk Manager 7.0 for Magisk 18.1.

Edit: As always, make a backup of your important data before and please don't use TWRP for our device, it's a piece of crap.

 

[cd492]

The fixed twrp version with SD card support is actually pretty good.

Sent from my Phh-Treble vanilla using Tapatalk

 

[alistairrc]

thorin0815,
Thanks for the advice. I tried to reflash using the then current installed 10.0.2.0 version but this resulted in a bootloop.
I then tried reflashing with 10.0.3.0 but this did not succeed either. So I used the xiaomi tool from windows to to reflash 10.0.2.0.
That worked with no apparent data loss and the phone has now updated OTA to 10.0.3.0.

 

[thorin0815]

Strange that it doesn't worked with 10.0.3.0, but your device works and in the end that's what counts.