Unbrick Fire TV Stick 4K. Help!

[Sus_i]

yep , id second that .....its the only thing else that i can see stopping your 4K booting up as everything else seems bang on.

Yeah, could be a power issue, can even mess up rom installs with TWRP.

To make sure, I would short again, do the kamakiri stuff and as soon it boots into TWRP, use TWRP commandline in order to install a rom and magisk, wipe cache, dalvik and data (with the orig. cable).

 

[rpmuploads]

@rpmuploads

Just curious, have you tried to boot the stick without the otg stuff? Powered via the orig. usb cable/power supply?

I've just tried it now - still the same.

This all started when I did a twrp restore from backed-up partitions (system image, vendor image, data, and boot) from another stick (exact same model, i.e. Model E9L29Y). It seems that the restore has overwritten specific information for the stick, which is not able to be recovered by any means. I've also tried to launch Android Studio while the stick is stuck at the logo to see if I could see any error messages in the logcat, but at this stage the stick is still not connecting through adb.

I did a restore from another stick trying to fix a minor issue:
When I used to access menu Settings > Fire TV > About, instead of displaying the information (Serial number, version installed, etc) I was kicked out to the main settings menu again. The error in the logcat was related with some java virtual function not existing - getPictureQuality. This was only happening with a rooted rom, if I reverted back to the stock then the "About" option was working correctly. The other stick from which I was trying to clone was also rooted but didn't had this issue.

 

[Sus_i]

This all started when I did a twrp restore from backed-up partitions (system image, vendor image, data, and boot) from another stick (exact same model, i.e. Model E9L29Y). It seems that the restore has overwritten specific information for the stick, which is not able to be recovered by any means.

System, vendor and boot gets replaced during a rom install. Data and internal storage should be ok, as you wiped/formatted it already. So its nothing special left from your TWRP restore.

All the device unique stuff (like the serial no, mac address, etc) stored in boot1 area should be ok, a data loss is really rare, but who knows. You can do a quick check if you like with TWRP, mount system and then run the 'idme print' command in adb shell. In the printout should be the serial of the stick, BT and Wifi mac_addr, board_id, bootcount, the header of KB and DKB partition and so on. If you do this, don't post your unique data here.

Edit: Have you tried the sideload option described in the posting here?

Unbrick Fire TV Stick 4K. Help!

Hello! I was trying to clone one Fire TV Stick 4K to another. I've backup with TWRP from one FireTV Stick 4K next partitions: System, System Image, Vendor, Vendor Image, Data, Boot. Then was trying to restore all of them on another stick with...

forum.xda-developers.com

 

[rpmuploads]

System, vendor and boot gets replaced during a rom install. Data and internal storage should be ok, as you wiped/formatted it already. So its nothing special left from your TWRP restore.

All the device unique stuff (like the serial no, mac address, etc) stored in boot1 area should be ok, a data loss is really rare, but who knows. You can do a quick check if you like with TWRP, mount system and then run the 'idme print' command in adb shell. In the printout should be the serial of the stick, BT and Wifi mac_addr, board_id, bootcount, the header of KB and DKB partition and so on. If you do this, don't post your unique data here.

Edit: Have you tried the sideload option described in the posting here?

Unbrick Fire TV Stick 4K. Help!

Hello! I was trying to clone one Fire TV Stick 4K to another. I've backup with TWRP from one FireTV Stick 4K next partitions: System, System Image, Vendor, Vendor Image, Data, Boot. Then was trying to restore all of them on another stick with...

forum.xda-developers.com

Thanks @Sus_i.
I've executed the 'idme print' command and the output seems ok.
I've also tried sideloading a stock rom as the thread you've indicated suggests. Still stuck at black and white boot.

 

[0815hoffi]

Have you tried

# fastboot erase userdata

 

[0815hoffi]

Or

Wipe /system in twrp and than flash firmware.zip

 

[Bertonumber1]

This is really weird I had the same thing happen on one of my mantis, but as soon as I flashed stock and locked bl then done the short process again.

It worked but only after I unplugged otg and made sure I was using the actual amazon cable and plug.

There must be a Corrupt boot partition or something @rpmuploads

 

[rpmuploads]

Hi @0815hoffi and @Bertonumber1
I tried the # fastboot erase userdata and wipe /system and flash firmware, but still the same.
Many thanks for your help anyway
I think I'll call it a day.

For everyone else reading this, please be reminded that trying to clone a 4k stick to another using twrp backup/restore is very likely to brick your device for good (although I'm still curious to know why/how).

Cheers,
Rui

 

[Bertonumber1]

Hi @0815hoffi and @Bertonumber1
I tried the # fastboot erase userdata and wipe /system and flash firmware, but still the same.
Many thanks for your help anyway
I think I'll call it a day.

For everyone else reading this, please be reminded that trying to clone a 4k stick to another using twrp backup/restore is very likely to brick your device for good (although I'm still curious to know why/how).

Cheers,
Rui

Maybe leave it a week and go back to it.
These amazon devices are good for miraculously coming back to life.

 

[Pachacouti]

Mine went to black screen too, however... it seem's to be connecting via wifi, and doing things,adb is fine, but no main page... It might have something to do with the fact I deleted my amazon account after rooting it, worked flawless, then again, perhaps they've updated the 4k, perhaps they've changed the server addy for firestick auth, but I reckon I should still be able to at least view the menu, aargh....

 

[Bertonumber1]

Mine went to black screen too, however... it seem's to be connecting via wifi, and doing things,adb is fine, but no main page... It might have something to do with the fact I deleted my amazon account after rooting it, worked flawless, then again, perhaps they've updated the 4k, perhaps they've changed the server addy for firestick auth, but I reckon I should still be able to at least view the menu, aargh....

You could try a shell command

adb shell
su
pm enable com.amazon.tv.launcher
pm enable com.amazon.firehomestarter

Failing that you could always use easyfiretools to install a custom launcher and use that to navigate

 

[Pachacouti]

well, woke up this morning and thought I'd try reflashing mantis-6.2.7.1-rooted_r1, which is what I had on it since last posting regarding this, done the fireiso, wiped dalvik and cache, rebooted hoping for a fresh start, nada, went past fire logo to black screen. Before I did this, I got past this screen to the android logo of mantis-6.2.7.1-rooted_r1, which then went to black screen....

So I decided maybe it's time to upgrade since it's blackscreening, so I fireiso the mantis-6.2.7.7-rooted_r1, and i got the same result, black screen after fire logo, and I cant quite use adb shell, because I cannot start the firestick to enable debug in order to adb shell/su...

perhaps I've missed a beat between mantis-6.2.7.1-rooted_r1 and mantis-6.2.7.7-rooted_r1?

Any help at all would be appreciated, my head hurts straining the eyes to see whats left of the short pads lol...

Edit: I also noticed since flashing mantis-6.2.7.7-rooted_r1, I cannot reflash the first mantis-6.2.7.1-rooted_r1 which worked so well for so long...

 

[Sus_i]

Edit: I also noticed since flashing mantis-6.2.7.7-rooted_r1, I cannot reflash the first mantis-6.2.7.1-rooted_r1 which worked so well for so long...

That should still be possible. Maybe re-push the 6271 zip and magisk to /sdcard.

In case you run a 'format' data (Button in wipe section) and then a rom flash + magisk, the stick should just work as a new one. If not, check the power supply/cable. Besides that, make sure that the thermal paste/pad and the heatshield is in place ( if there was one^^ ) .

 

[Pachacouti]

Hmm.. dont have an otg splitter to use twrp buttons, cant swipe, this is what I did:

./bootrom-step.sh
./fastboot-step.sh
adb push mantis-6.2.7.7-rooted_r1.zip /sdcard/
adb shell
twrp install mantis-6.2.7.7-rooted_r1.zip
twrp wipe cache
twrp wipe dalvik
reboot -p

My power is a 2.5 mA powerbank, runs perfect, it's not power, all is flashing a-ok, I've tried direct into pc too, in order to flash, it flash's fine, power is not the prob, my prob is getting past the black screen, cant get to amazon login, it's just a black screen after fire logo, before I flashed this lates 7.7, I at least saw the android logo of the old 7.1 version.

All I did was unplug it for the night, next day, blackscreen, most likely its had a micro update or sumat blocking it getting to start screen?

 

[Bertonumber1]

Hmm.. dont have an otg splitter to use twrp buttons, cant swipe, this is what I did:

./bootrom-step.sh
./fastboot-step.sh
adb push mantis-6.2.7.7-rooted_r1.zip /sdcard/
adb shell
twrp install mantis-6.2.7.7-rooted_r1.zip
twrp wipe cache
twrp wipe dalvik
reboot -p

My power is a 2.5 mA powerbank, runs perfect, it's not power, all is flashing a-ok, I've tried direct into pc too, in order to flash, it flash's fine, power is not the prob, my prob is getting past the black screen, cant get to amazon login, it's just a black screen after fire logo, before I flashed this lates 7.7, I at least saw the android logo of the old 7.1 version.

All I did was unplug it for the night, next day, blackscreen, most likely its had a micro update or sumat blocking it getting to start screen?

I understand what youre saying about power supply , as @Sus_i says also. Power shouldnt be ruled out here with regard to booting into fireos...if you could try with proper amazon adapter and cable plugged into the wall, not usb ports on pcs etcetera, these sticks are known for being fussy , even low batteries can cause to not boot to fireos in some rare reported cases

If power is then ruled out try formating data and if all else fails short it again from scratch .

 

[Pachacouti]

Ok, used origional as new previously unused Amazon power supply for this stick, just fireiso'd again, it will NOT downgrade to the 7.1 version that crashed, this only happened after I tried the 7.7 version, so something is preventing a downgrade, prob magisk, as I think I flashed latest magisk zip, which makes sense, twrp is fine, just cant downgrade, so its flashed with the latest here, and I cant get passed fire logo

edit: I flashed Magisk 20.4.zip and it flashed fine, no errors in fireiso except not being able to find 7.1 after sending it to sdcard... but 7.7 was found?

 

[Bertonumber1]

Ok, used origional as new previously unused Amazon power supply for this stick, just fireiso'd again, it will NOT downgrade to the 7.1 version that crashed, this only happened after I tried the 7.7 version, so something is preventing a downgrade, prob magisk, as I think I flashed latest magisk zip, which makes sense, twrp is fine, just cant downgrade, so its flashed with the latest here, and I cant get passed fire logo

edit: I flashed Magisk 20.4.zip and it flashed fine, no errors in fireiso except not being able to find 7.1 after sending it to sdcard... but 7.7 was found?

Wierd ! So are you booting up to the fireos on 7.7??Not meaning to sound daft but did you rename 7.1 from bin to zip when you adb pushed , i would try doing the whole thing over again tbh ...i had similar experience when i flashed a magisk addon and couldnt get to boot or even get to recovery .

 

[Pachacouti]

I didn't rename anything, I flashed the zip as it came... I have done this before, so it's not like I f'd up somewhere, it's like after th fire logo, 30 seconds of dark before it fades to black screen where it would normally start into connect to wifi, after showing the android logo present in the 7.1 version. I just plugged it in last night expecting to watch a movie, got past the fire logo to the android logo, after android logo, it blackscreened where I would expect to see leanback launcher, which is what I used, all worked fine until this point. When I resorted to flashing, I simply used fireiso I have on a dedicated 16 gig sd card, booted it up, flashed 7.7, then magisk, flashed dalvik and cache, rebooted hoping to have fixed it, but only got passed fire logo, android logo no longer shows, duno if it's still that or another, cause it blackscreens before I can start to input wifi details

 

[Pachacouti]

Hmm.. what else I remember, was that after I rant the boot script, the firestick rebooted before I could do the 2nd command, but it did boot back into twrp, did 2nd command, then flashed the rom, followed by magisk, 20.4, but no joy, I've repeated the same, and expect it to do same, so I'm downloading the stock 7.1 just now, I'll grab the 7.7 stock too, then get at it till I figure it, I do however think it's been forced some update, as I seem to remember a kind of short freeze happening once or twice while watching using modbro, just put that down to lag/buffering as it was raining at the time, I'll post back with logs when I get them...

 

[Bertonumber1]

Hmm.. what else I remember, was that after I rant the boot script, the firestick rebooted before I could do the 2nd command, but it did boot back into twrp, did 2nd command, then flashed the rom, followed by magisk, 20.4, but no joy, I've repeated the same, and expect it to do same, so I'm downloading the stock 7.1 just now, I'll grab the 7.7 stock too, then get at it till I figure it, I do however think it's been forced some update, as I seem to remember a kind of short freeze happening once or twice while watching using modbro, just put that down to lag/buffering as it was raining at the time, I'll post back with logs when I get them...

Your best bet is to start over my friend , i know you have done this before and i dont mean to sound undermining , its hard to portray in writing what is meant sometimes , be careful with version 7.7 as it breaking a lot of things such as audio passthrough in kodi for some members .

Amazon devs seem to be hell bent on breaking things just now by pushing sinister ota bins through so be cautious incase there are any unknown hidden nasties that could prevent certain things f4om working by flash etc.....

I would try to format data
Wipe everything
Resend your zips (if using usb flash , try direct push and install from sdcard itself )
even try patching boot.img in magisk manager beforehand , rebooting to hacked bl and using pc fastboot flashing the img to bootx .
If that fails short the mofo again and go back to 6.2.7.3 or your last working rom