Restoring a Chinese tablet. Restoring Android from a “bricked” state: detailed visual instructions

In a world where high technology is rapidly developing, a huge number of people have become owners of tablets. These compact and powerful devices are excellent assistants on long journeys, away from home. A modern tablet can cope with almost any task; many now cannot imagine their life without a tablet, and they get lost if it happens that the tablet suddenly refuses to start. So, what should you do if the tablet does not work? Why does it happen that these devices break down?

Possible causes of failure

Why doesn't the device work? The device may refuse to start due to “software” problems, as well as due to hardware problems.

Problem type	Causes of the problem	Ways to fix the problem
"Software" problem	Occurs due to unsuccessful firmware update; due to the installed new program, which turned out to be problematic and does not allow Android to start normally	Do a Hard Reset; if it doesn’t help, start flashing the device
"Iron" problem	Occurs due to a serious physical malfunction, in particular: damage to the board, microcircuit, wire, battery failure	Try connecting the tablet to the network and charging it (the device may be completely discharged and will not turn on); if that doesn't help, you'll need to resolder the chip

The simplest ways to solve the problem

These methods do not always help, but you should always start with this. So, try turning on the tablet and just wait 2-10 minutes. Your device may be completely dead, but it is still working. Sometimes it happens that the battery is 100% discharged, and nothing works even when connected to the 220 network for a short time. Just connect the tablet to the network and do not touch it for ~10 minutes. If this does not help, then you will have to take a more complicated route and resolder the SPI memory.

Please note that if you do not have sufficient experience in resoldering microcircuits, it is better to return the non-working device to a service center; You perform all actions at your own peril and risk!

If in your case the boot freezes, perform a Hard Reset. Instructions for performing a Hard Reset:

Remove SIM and microSD;
Press “Volume+” and Power, release only after 10 seconds;
Once you hear vibration, press Settings using the Volume +/- buttons to scroll. Then click “Format System” => “Reset Android”. All data will be deleted and settings will be reset.

Restoring a tablet after unsuccessful firmware

First of all, it is necessary to understand why such failures happen, what the reasons may be; what possible consequences of unsuccessful firmware may occur. Possible reasons for failure: a user with no experience tried to install unofficial firmware on his own. Possible consequences:

The sensor stopped responding to touch;
Wi-Fi stopped working;
The image appears upside down on the display (like in a mirror);
The device freezes while loading.

If you have one of the above problems, do not rush to take your tablet to the landfill! You can still try to fix everything.

There are also more severe cases when the tablet does not work at all, does not start, or its display turns on only for a couple of seconds. Although this is a more serious problem, you can also try to fix it yourself. True, this may require a little more experience and some technical equipment.

The tablet stopped functioning normally

You have unsuccessfully flashed the device, and you have one of the four problems described above. In this case, you will need to re-flash the tablet, but only now to “zero” firmware. If you do everything correctly, the device will restore its functionality again. There are thousands of tablet models in the world, and dozens of manufacturers; each device is flashed differently and requires different firmware files and firmware programs. However, there is a general principle of flashing that applies to most models, in particular: via Odin (applicable only to Samsung tablets).

First, download the “zero” firmware from the website of the manufacturer of your tablet. Since there are so many manufacturers, it is not possible to list all their websites.

Please note that the battery must be 100% charged before starting the process!

You will need drivers (the disk comes with your device). When installing drivers, be sure to run the files as administrator!

Please pay special attention that this program is only suitable for Samsung gadgets; If you try to flash other devices with it, your device will be irrevocably damaged!

Deactivate the antivirus on your PC, turn off the Internet. Copy the contents of the firmware archive to any folder, give it a name in English letters. Open Odin, and then follow one of two paths. If the firmware for your tablet consists of one single archive, click “PDA” in the program, and then specify the file storage location. If the archive includes 3 files, then indicate PDA, PHONE, CSC, then selecting the files you have.

Selecting the required files

Turn off the tablet, wait a while, then press “Volume +” and Power (for some tablet models you need to press “Volume minus”). Keep the keys pressed until the menu is displayed. To confirm, as a rule, you need to press “Volume minus”. After confirmation, synchronize your PC and tablet.

Use only the original cable; do not use cheap homemade cables from the radio market; check if the contacts are moving away during synchronization; if the contact comes off during the process, your tablet will now completely and irrevocably turn into a “brick”!

Odin will now begin to determine the COM port; if successful, a green square will appear. Click Start and you will see the program begin the process. Through a sound notification, Odin informs the user that the process was completed successfully. PASS will also appear. Only now can you disconnect the cable.

Inscription PASS,

The tablet won't turn on anymore

The device does not start, the screen does not turn on (or turns on for 2-3 seconds and goes out), the PC does not detect the tablet. Why did this happen? Perhaps it was an unsuccessful flashing, a power surge, a faulty charger, or unstable voltage in the network. There are other reasons. This is a more serious problem, which in most cases is associated with a damaged bootloader. Procedure for self-resoldering SPI memory:

Disassemble the tablet;
Unsolder the SPI memory;
Connect this chip to the programmer;
Flash using the factory bootloader;
Solder the chip back;
Assemble the device;
Flash with “zero” firmware (according to the instructions in the previous section).

Chip that needs to be desoldered

Tablet won't turn on

Unbrick is the restoration of a tablet after unsuccessful firmware, or, as they also say, the restoration of a tablet from a brick state. What do you mean by "failed" firmware? There is a high probability that the service center employee you contacted simply used unofficial (stock) firmware, which is why you are now having problems.

If, after returning the tablet to your hands, its display displays the image in a mirrored position, the tablet does not respond to touches of the sensor, Wi-Fi does not function correctly, or the tablet computer generally “hangs” on the Android inscription - all these are signs of a crashed firmware. But there’s nothing wrong with that - there are many ways to restore the tablet’s bootloader.

Restoring the tablet bootloader

So, the tablet shows no signs of life. The first thing an experienced technician should check is the main feeders on the board. If everything is fine with them, it means the bootloader has failed.

What is needed to solve the problem:

experience and “hands from the right place”;
archive with the necessary software;
Micro-Usb cable, MicroSD card.

Step-by-step instruction

You need to prepare a MicroSD card for flashing the tablet after bootloader recovery is complete. Select the standard cluster size, FAT32 format;
Next - reset the tablet (repairing Chinese tablets has its own characteristics, in this case the button may not be installed, so you will have to disassemble the tablet and use tweezers). In this case, you need to hold down the "Power" and "Volume" keys until a message appears about the detection of a new device. We install drivers on it. As a result, we get a new device;
If the specialist performs all operations correctly, but does not detect the device, it is necessary to hold down “Power” again and “short-circuit” the memory “legs” numbered 5 and 6, next to the speaker connector;
The device should now be detected. Next, we take a pre-prepared archive with software, which must be unpacked to the root of the disk (for example, C:\\). Drivers are installed on the new device from the "drivers" folder;
Now you need to disconnect the tablet from the computer and run C:\Android\AMLflash\ImageBurnTool.exe (under administrator rights), AmLogic Burning Tool;
Next, you need to specify the correct path to the firmware file. A message may pop up stating that the configuration file is missing, and it is added in the same way. like the firmware file itself;
In the flasher, click "Start" and the process starts. We are waiting for a message asking you to turn off the device, which is what we do. Now you need to remove the USB cable from the computer (you cannot turn off the reset button or button). Next, click OK in the window that appears, then STOP, select the Config-Reset Port Match Info option in the flasher. Now it’s time to connect the tablet to the computer and click “Start” " - the firmware process starts again;
We wait until progress stops at 80% and gives an error. In a minute maximum, the TWRP recovery menu will appear on the tablet’s display - close AML;
TWRP recovery starts and a new device appears in the device manager. The driver is manually installed (folder "drivers";
Once the installation is complete, go to the Android/adb folder;
Insert a memory card into the tablet;
Next, run the file TEST_adb_hero.bat, after which we press any button, the recovery process should start;
Once copying is complete, launch the tablet via TWRP recovery;
Disconnect the cable;
Let's launch the tablet using the Power key, the familiar Android robot will appear;
We carry out all three WIPEs.;
Click install from SD-card, there is a ZIP file there, you need to select it;
After flashing the firmware, you need to reboot the device - the tablet has the firmware installed. You can update to something fresh if necessary.

Note: As you can see, the process is very tedious, and for a beginner it may turn out to be an impossible task. But a specialist who has done this more than once will cope with the task quickly enough - and he has the necessary software prepared and is responsible for the result. At the service center "SMART-Service", tablet repair in Odessa includes this frightening procedure. We also offer you - be it replacement of the display or complex repair of tablet motherboards. Like any other large center, we provide repairs for tablets from Asus, Prestigio, Assistant, Apple, Goclever, HP, Wexler, Samsung, Acer, Ainol and other brands.

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Loss of Android functionality on a smartphone or tablet, or so-called bricking, occurs for a variety of reasons. Most often, this is facilitated by incorrect firmware, which can turn an advanced phone into a useless brick. The question of whether it is possible to restore a gadget yourself interests many users.

How to eliminate the consequences of unsuccessful firmware

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If after the logo appears when you turn it on, the system does not start for several minutes or the boot constantly resets, then this is not a “brick” and not all is lost. To get started, you need to go to the Recovery menu from your smartphone and do a new flashing.

To do this you need to follow these steps:

If the gadget is turned on, you need to turn it off. Press and hold the volume down key and the power key. The Recovery menu opens, which offers 2 methods:

restore the backup (this is the main requirement for the firmware; if the phone was flashed, then the backup was also restored). The backup starts running in the “Backupand Restore” section when you select the previous system location.
flashing - carried out by selecting the “Install zip fromsdcard” section, in which you need to specify the required operating system component. This option corrects errors of incomplete recovery, which can occur, for example, due to the phone being turned off while the files are being written.

Another situation may arise: when starting the firmware, you cannot enter Recovery. This can be easily resolved: returning the console to fix the system is carried out using special applications TWRP Manager, ROM Manager or Installer. These applications are created to determine the gadget model and independently download all the necessary components to launch a suitable Recovery.

If none of the above-mentioned programs corrected the error, you can find instructions for downloading the recovery console for a specific brand of smartphone or tablet.

Read also: How to reflash Android if the phone does not turn on

How to restore a real Android brick

We looked at what can be done in case of partial loss of smartphone functionality. Now it’s time to talk about how to restore a completely “dead” Android when nothing starts. It is not at all necessary to immediately go to a workshop; you can try to start the system at home using simple steps.

Let's look at what to do step by step:

Install the latest Samsung USB drivers on your computer.
Download and install the latest version of the Odin application.
Download licensed firmware that is suitable for a specific model and country.
Turn off the brick, then press the volume down key and the Home key. After a few seconds, a warning will appear on the screen.
By pressing the button on the phone that increases the sound, switch it to Odin mode.
Connect the gadget to the computer.
Launch Odin, press PDA, in it indicate the file tar.md5 in the directory with the firmware.
Press the “Start” key, start the recovery, wait until the end of the operation.
Hurray, the “brick” is working!

How to reflash a smartphone with Flashtool

This option is 100% applicable to Sony phones, however, devices from other brands can be restored in the same way.

What do you need:

“brick” Android;
licensed firmware in FTF format;
Flashtool program installed on the computer, firmware drivers for it;
disabled antivirus, firewall, which can react to Flashtool as a viral component;
It is enough to charge the phone well so that it does not turn off during recovery.

Step-by-step recovery instructions via Flashtool

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To begin with, let’s try to figure out what should be considered “failed firmware”. Most likely, you used stock (unofficial) firmware, which is why all the fuss. If after this the screen displays everything in a mirror position, or the sensor does not respond to touches, or wi-fi does not work correctly, etc., or the tablet freezes on the silver ANDROID inscription - all this can be fixed. You will learn what to do in this case and how to save your precious tablet.

We will also talk about a more serious case, when after flashing the firmware your tablet no longer turns on, or the screen lights up for a few moments and immediately goes off. Such a tablet is usually called a “brick”.

First option

Main symptoms:

1. When turned on, it hangs on the ANDROID logo - loading continues “forever”
2. Mirror screen (image flipped the other way)
3. The touch does not work. You see an image in front of you, but the display does not respond to touch at all
4. Any other significant problems in the operation of the device or software that you did not encounter before updating the firmware
5. Please note: in all this, the computer will recognize the tablet as a connected device

Solution

1. Find the factory, standard firmware for your tablet (this type of firmware is also called “zero”. You need to look in two places: first on the device manufacturer’s website. Each manufacturer has its own official website, usually listed on the box or in the instructions. Search through the search Google if you don't find the firmware you need.

2. Found the required firmware? Well, thank God. Flash it with it, just make sure that the battery is charged to 100. I won’t write how to flash it for the hundredth or five hundredth time if you don’t know or don’t remember how to do it.

Second option. Brick symptoms:

1. The tablet does not turn on at all after flashing the firmware.
2. The screen turns on for a few seconds and immediately turns off.
3. The computer cannot find and identify the tablet as a connected device. There is no audio or visual response from the PC to the USB connection.

If in the first case we got by with a blood transfusion, this time we will have to resort to surgical intervention. The above “symptoms” clearly indicate that the bootloader, which is responsible for making the OS start, is damaged. This is a built-in firmware, without which not a single tablet will work (it’s somewhat similar to the BIOS in a computer, if you know what I’m talking about).

Solution

There is only one solution here - restore the SPI bootloader. You will need to disassemble the tablet, an LPT programmer, a soldering iron, and 4 resistors. And this is not a joke at all! You will need to find and remove the SPI memory from the disassembled tablet, then connect the chip to the programmer and flash it with the factory bootloader. Then the whole thing is to solder it back, put everything back together and flash it to the same zero, i.e. factory firmware. That's all there is to it, just think.

If you don’t want to do all this, just take the brick to a service center or a hacker friend, they will help you. Only at the service center you will have to pay - no one will do this to you under warranty. But you don’t have to pay your hacker friend.

If, nevertheless, you decide to try your luck and try to do everything yourself, I can only wish you good luck and provide a link to detailed instructions for restoring the SPI bootloader.