Sensation woes - stuck in bootloader (no Android boot, no Recovery)

[jezash]

Hi,
Like, it seems, plenty of others, I messed up my phone by trying a custom ROM and then screwing up the "return-to-stock".

I have a T-Mo UK Sensation which was running GB 2.3.4 until I put Android Revolution HD 6.5.5 XE on it.

Basically I fell into the S-ON trap, and bricked the device. Wouldn't power on at all.

With help from Dexter from the unbrick project, I have managed to get the phone to load into Bootloader, but it won't load the Android OS, nor will it go into recovery.

I think the usual next step is to use latest RUU to flash a new ROM. Thing is, my phone is now S-ON and thinks it's a T-Mo UK phone again (CID T-MOB005, I think). And T-Mo UK's last released upgrade is ancient (RUU_Pyramid_TMO_UK_1.34.110.1). So there isn't a ROM that is new enough AND compatible with my CID number. I asked Football and he suggested he could get RUU_Pyramid_TMO_UK_1.50.110.2, but even that sounds like it'll be too old (I'm guessing it probably doesn't have HBOOT 1.27)

Could anyone advise if there's a way I can get my phone back?

Bootloader text as folows:

*** LOCKED ***
*** Security Warning ***
Pyramid PVT SHIP S-ON RL
HBOOT-1.27.0000
RADIO-11.22.3504.07_M
OpenADSP-v02.6.0.2226.00.0131
eMMC-boot
Jan 13 2012, 17.33.34

Then the usual Vol Up, Vol Down instructions, and
BOOTLOADER
REBOOT
REBOOT BOOTLOADER
POWER DOWN

If I go into Bootloader these options change to:
FASTBOOT
RECOVERY
FACTORY RESET
SIMLOCK
IMAGE CRC

But if I choose Recovery, it just reboots to Bootloader.

Would be really grateful if anyone can help me. I'm not v popular at home having spent hours trying to fix this mess (and getting pretty stressed about it!)

 

[malybru]

Hi,
Like, it seems, plenty of others, I messed up my phone by trying a custom ROM and then screwing up the "return-to-stock".

I have a T-Mo UK Sensation which was running GB 2.3.4 until I put Android Revolution HD 6.5.5 XE on it.

Basically I fell into the S-ON trap, and bricked the device. Wouldn't power on at all.

With help from Dexter from the unbrick project, I have managed to get the phone to load into Bootloader, but it won't load the Android OS, nor will it go into recovery.

I think the usual next step is to use latest RUU to flash a new ROM. Thing is, my phone is now S-ON and thinks it's a T-Mo UK phone again (CID T-MOB005, I think). And T-Mo UK's last released upgrade is ancient (RUU_Pyramid_TMO_UK_1.34.110.1). So there isn't a ROM that is new enough AND compatible with my CID number. I asked Football and he suggested he could get RUU_Pyramid_TMO_UK_1.50.110.2, but even that sounds like it'll be too old (I'm guessing it probably doesn't have HBOOT 1.27)

Could anyone advise if there's a way I can get my phone back?

Bootloader text as folows:

*** LOCKED ***
*** Security Warning ***
Pyramid PVT SHIP S-ON RL
HBOOT-1.27.0000
RADIO-11.22.3504.07_M
OpenADSP-v02.6.0.2226.00.0131
eMMC-boot
Jan 13 2012, 17.33.34

Then the usual Vol Up, Vol Down instructions, and
BOOTLOADER
REBOOT
REBOOT BOOTLOADER
POWER DOWN

If I go into Bootloader these options change to:
FASTBOOT
RECOVERY
FACTORY RESET
SIMLOCK
IMAGE CRC

But if I choose Recovery, it just reboots to Bootloader.

Would be really grateful if anyone can help me. I'm not v popular at home having spent hours trying to fix this mess (and getting pretty stressed about it!)

Hi,

I am not sure where exactly you want to end up.
But if you wanted to get an ICS ROM on your phone,try THIS THREAD

 

[jezash]

thanks for the suggestion. At the moment I just want a working phone. Don't really mind if it's ICS or not.

Just gone through the HTC Dev procedure. Was sceptical as adb devices didn't return any connected devices. But it got the code and I was able to get the token via email.

I sent the command fastboot flash unlocktoken Unlock_code.bin and it appeared to succeed. However, I didn't see the message in Step 13. The phone still shows bootloader and it still says ***Locked***.

The Step 13 message looks like an android OS thing - I wonder if I can't see it unless I can boot to Android?

Anyway, I pressed onto the section about flashing a recovery. Again, no device shows up in adb devices.

When I tried to flash the 4EXT recovery, I got an error message:

sending 'recovery' (6116 KB)... OKAY [ 1.507s]
writing 'recovery'... INFOsignature checking...
FAILED (remote: signature verify fail)
finished. total time: 2.298s

Does this mean that the unlock hasn't actually worked then?

 

[malybru]

thanks for the suggestion. At the moment I just want a working phone. Don't really mind if it's ICS or not.

Just gone through the HTC Dev procedure. Was sceptical as adb devices didn't return any connected devices. But it got the code and I was able to get the token via email.

I sent the command fastboot flash unlocktoken Unlock_code.bin and it appeared to succeed. However, I didn't see the message in Step 13. The phone still shows bootloader and it still says ***Locked***.

The Step 13 message looks like an android OS thing - I wonder if I can't see it unless I can boot to Android?

Anyway, I pressed onto the section about flashing a recovery. Again, no device shows up in adb devices.

When I tried to flash the 4EXT recovery, I got an error message:

sending 'recovery' (6116 KB)... OKAY [ 1.507s]
writing 'recovery'... INFOsignature checking...
FAILED (remote: signature verify fail)
finished. total time: 2.298s

Does this mean that the unlock hasn't actually worked then?

Hi,

Have you got the necessary drivers installed to use ADB.
Try using THIS TOOLKIT
It has the drivers,and an unlock section.

 

[ganeshp]

first of all confirm your CID

fastboot getvar cid command will give you cid

if its supercid (unlikely) or any other which has ICS ROM for it ..then you are lucky

other wise try the HTCdev method again...no need to get the unlock_code again
just use the one you got previously ...then reboot and see..hopefully it works

 

[jezash]

hi, thanks for various suggestions.

have tried the HTCDEV method a couple of times without success. I never see the Confirmation Screen shown in step 13 on the HTCDEV bootloader unlock procedure.

Definitely have the HTC drivers installed, have previously used adb successfully from this PC. Plugged in my old HD2 (running Android) and adb devices finds it ok.

Checked my CID as suggested, it's T-MOB005.

Tried downloading the toolkit suggested by malybru and didn't get any further - I think it just does the same thing (runs the HTCDEV unlock process).

One thing that's odd. I tried flashing 4EXT Recovery from command prompt. A "loading" bar showed up on the right side of the screen of the phone like it was working, but then I get the "signature verify fail" shown above.

I guess I can't use Revolutionary S-OFF as I can't boot to Android.

What can I do? Should I try this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1469296 - Edit - actually it seems like that still needs the HTC DEV unlock to work ... which seems to be my problem :-(

 

[jezash]

have tried the HTCDEV unlock method quite a few times now. In the command prompt it appears to work successfully, but I never get the Android-like confirmation screen (I think this must be because my phone will not currently boot to Android).

As I think I need to unlock before I can flash anything else, I am stuck. :-(

Does anyone have a suggestion for another way to unlock it?

 

[jezash]

Given that T-Mobile UK have not given any date for releasing ICS, I have no notion of when I can fix my phone. Hence considering sending for repair - presumably replacing CPU or something would fix it? Any idea how much this would cost? (Using my old HD2 running a somewhat unstable version of Android is starting to drive me crazy).

 

[ganeshp]

Given that T-Mobile UK have not given any date for releasing ICS, I have no notion of when I can fix my phone. Hence considering sending for repair - presumably replacing CPU or something would fix it? Any idea how much this would cost? (Using my old HD2 running a somewhat unstable version of Android is starting to drive me crazy).

Can you pop in the irc? We can do some last tries before you send it for repairs

Sent from my pyramid.. Through blazing fast sonic waves

 

[jezash]

hi ganesh - am in the IRC now. only for the next 15 minutes or so. if you think there is something remaining that is worth trying i can come back tomorrow.
thanks for your reply.

 

[ganeshp]

hi ganesh - am in the IRC now. only for the next 15 minutes or so. if you think there is something remaining that is worth trying i can come back tomorrow.
thanks for your reply.

EDIT:based on these values ..seems like something can be done..remember ..this is all to avoid extra money to get it repaired

can you post some more details?
fastboot getvar all (except IMEI and SERIAL NO )

 

[jezash]

Hi Ganesh,
Thanks for your reply. Here are the details from my phone:

C:\adb>fastboot getvar all
INFOversion: 0.5
INFOversion-bootloader: 1.27.0000
INFOversion-baseband: 11.22.3504.07_M
INFOversion-cpld: None
INFOversion-microp: None
INFOversion-main: 1.34.206.1
INFOserialno:
INFOimei:
INFOproduct: pyramid
INFOplatform: HBOOT-8260
INFOmodelid: PG5813000
INFOcidnum: T-MOB005
INFObattery-status: good
INFObattery-voltage: 4032mV
INFOpartition-layout: Generic
INFOsecurity: on
INFObuild-mode: SHIP
INFOboot-mode: FASTBOOT
INFOcommitno-bootloader: 617f0a98
INFOhbootpreupdate: 11
INFOgencheckpt: 0
all: Done!
finished. total time: 0.480s

Cheers

 

[ganeshp]

now that we know that the stock rom flashed .(before brick)

get the 1.50 RUU and try to RUN it

how you do that
phone in fastboot ...connect it to pc and run the RUU.exe

if it still dint worked
then extract the rom.zip form RUU
http://www.htcsensationforum.com/htc-sensation-rooting/how-to-extract-rom-zip-from-ruu/

then keep the rom.zip in adb folder and flash it manually

manual flash steps
1.fastboot erase cache (if its failing ...ignore it)
2.fastboot oem rebootRUU (black screen with silver HTC)
3.fastboot flash zip rom.zip (pastebin the output if failed)
4.fastboot reboot-bootloader (check the bootloader there ..changed or not )

 

[jezash]

hi ganesh,
latest rom available that i can find (for t-mo uk) is 1.34. That ok?
cheers

EDIT: ok, so trying to run the RUU, it looks like it's going ok, starts sending the ROM to the phone, and then aborts with a ERROR [155]: UNKNOWN ERROR.

Will try the manual steps you gave.

 

[ganeshp]

hi ganesh,
latest rom available that i can find (for t-mo uk) is 1.34. That ok?
cheers

yes try that first if it fails (both ways )

get the updated RUU

I asked Football and he suggested he could get RUU_Pyramid_TMO_UK_1.50.110.2

from football ^

and use that and repeat the rom flash again

 

[jezash]

hi ganesh,
ok, here's what came back when i tried to flash manually.

C:\adb>fastboot flash zip rom.zip
sending 'zip' (381007 KB)... OKAY [ 51.085s]
writing 'zip'... INFOadopting the signature contained in this image...
INFOsignature checking...
INFOzip header checking...
INFOzip info parsing...
INFOchecking model ID...
INFOchecking custom ID...
INFOchecking main version...
INFOchecking hboot version...
FAILED (remote: 44 hboot version check fail)
finished. total time: 103.934s

EDIT:
when I disconnected USB from phone, it also displayed error message: Hboot version is older / Update fail!

will contact football again as you suggested.

2nd EDIT:
my bootloader displays HBOOT-1.27.0000 ... isn't the problem still that even 1.50 has an older HBOOT than this, and hence the rom flash fails?

 

[ganeshp]

hi ganesh,
ok, here's what came back when i tried to flash manually.

C:\adb>fastboot flash zip rom.zip
sending 'zip' (381007 KB)... OKAY [ 51.085s]
writing 'zip'... INFOadopting the signature contained in this image...
INFOsignature checking...
INFOzip header checking...
INFOzip info parsing...
INFOchecking model ID...
INFOchecking custom ID...
INFOchecking main version...
INFOchecking hboot version...
FAILED (remote: 44 hboot version check fail)
finished. total time: 103.934s

EDIT:
when I disconnected USB from phone, it also displayed error message: Hboot version is older / Update fail!

will contact football again as you suggested.

yeah thats expected ...can you try one more thing ..can you just remove the hboot.nb0 file from the rom.zip (have a copy of it somewhere safe ..so that you can add later when required)

EDIT: also you need to edit the android-info.txt file ..change the HBOOT inside with te one you have i.e. 1.27.0000 then make the zip again then try flashing it sorry my bad there wont be HBOOT in the android-info.txt ..just cidnum ,modelid etc etc

then do the flash of rom.zip again

 

[jezash]

weird. I couldn't find that file in the rom.

the contents are as shown here

EDIT - oh, duh, the longer file name that ends as you said. sorry. will try now.

 

[jezash]

ok, tried this. unzipped, removed the hboot_Pyramid_8x60_1.17.0011_20110602_signedbyaa.nb0 file, rezipped. followed the four manual flash steps that you suggested, and got the following message in cmd:

C:\adb>fastboot flash zip rom.zip
sending 'zip' (375099 KB)... OKAY [ 50.217s]
writing 'zip'... INFOsignature checking...
FAILED (remote: 12 signature verify fail)
finished. total time: 100.357s

 

[jezash]

Football can get me a TMO-UK RUU 1.50. There is a cost, apparently. Hence wondering if there's a reason why 1.50 should work when 1.34 doesn't, give - if i understand correctly - that neither is HBOOT 1.27.