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[Q] Nexus S - lost my bootloader img - help needed

Like a complete prat, I have lost my boot and recovery img!!!
I was trying to get clockwork recovery as the recovery img and then accidentally did:
fastboot flash boot recovery.img
instead of
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
I have found an unlocked bootloader from here (third one down) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=9869067&postcount=38
I have saved this to the AndroidSDK\tools file as bootloader.img and tried the below whilst in fastboot mode:
fastboot flash boot bootloader.img
but the phone only reboots to the fastboot screen.
I now have no phone and I need it for work, can anyone help me, im desperate?
Thank you

Why not just flash cwm recovery then flash a ROM?
There's a sticky in this forum section with almost all full ROMs (stock Android, no need to flash cwm recovery for the signed ones, can use stock recovery) or head over to dev forums and look for a custom ROM you like (need cwm recovery).
Be sure to pick the right ROM for your device.

you don't need a bootloader! you need a boot.img! a kernel with ramdisk! ^^
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

If the following command was executed successfully:
Code:
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
Next step is to download a ROM of your choice and flash it via ClockWorkMod recovery and you're good.
FYI, the command
Code:
fastboot flash boot ...
does not flash your "bootloader". It is used to flash the kernel, which will already be included in the ROM you downloaded.

meso100 said:
...instead of
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
I have saved this to the AndroidSDK\tools file as bootloader.img and tried the below whilst in fastboot mode:
...but the phone only reboots to the fastboot screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. Flash your recovery using the correct command (above).
If you have access to fastboot, use your volume keys as up and down, and navigate to the "Recovery" option. When your phone boots into recovery, you can mount your USB and copy a ROM to your device.
Then go back, do a factory/data wipe, and flash the zip you copied. This should restore your phone.
Recovery images:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=988686
ROMS:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=13556812&postcount=2

Thank you all for your replies and help and apologies for the late delay.
I have been away for a few days and with your help and a bit of playing about I managed to sort out the problem. I was probably a bit hasty to ask for help but actually felt that I had bricked my phone!
This happened because I was following two different fastboot flash guides on the net...lesson being just keep to one!
Also, when I lost cwm I didnt know how to get it back...but again you can only learn from your mistakes and I did.
I managed to get cmw reinstalled and cm7 flashed.
Now I am running the latest MIUI and it is pretty good.
Thanks all for your help, see you the next time I panic!

meso100 said:
Thank you all for your replies and help and apologies for the late delay.
I have been away for a few days and with your help and a bit of playing about I managed to sort out the problem. I was probably a bit hasty to ask for help but actually felt that I had bricked my phone!
This happened because I was following two different fastboot flash guides on the net...lesson being just keep to one!
Also, when I lost cwm I didnt know how to get it back...but again you can only learn from your mistakes and I did.
I managed to get cmw reinstalled and cm7 flashed.
Now I am running the latest MIUI and it is pretty good.
Thanks all for your help, see you the next time I panic!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for using your brain and figuring it out. Congrats on getting it up and running.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

Weird Soft-Brick, Need Help!!!

Hi all,
I started out on TWRP version 2.7.1.0, and I wanted to flash the latest TWRP recovery (2.8.7.0), so I used the app that was linked by the TWRP site (TWRP Manager). So I tried to flash the latest update, and then a message pops up telling me to check if this was the right partition. I was careless and I didn't check it, and went ahead and installed it. It said it failed, but next thing I know, every time I tried to reboot(into the system/OS) I just boot right into TWRP (version 2.8.7.0). Then from TWRP (2.8.7.0) I tried to reboot into recovery, and it rebooted into TWRP, except that it was version 2.7.1.0, where I started.
So, when I hit boot into system, I got TWRP (2.8.7.0), and when I hit boot into recovery, I got TWRP 2.7.1.0. I was completely confused, so I wiped the OS, and then booted into fastboot to fastboot flash TWRP(2.8.7.0) in my recovery (It worked). Right now, I'm soft-bricked so I don't have an OS, but I have TWRP(2.8.7.0) as my recovery. Except now, I still get TWRP when I try to boot into system, and fastboot flashing, adb sideloading, and regular TWRP flashing is not working...
Any help is very appreciated, I need my phone to just be working!!! Except, if anyone can help me update it to 5.1 while they're at it, that would be awesome!

akn4497 said:
Hi all,
I started out on TWRP version 2.7.1.0, and I wanted to flash the latest TWRP recovery (2.8.7.0), so I used the app that was linked by the TWRP site (TWRP Manager). So I tried to flash the latest update, and then a message pops up telling me to check if this was the right partition. I was careless and I didn't check it, and went ahead and installed it. It said it failed, but next thing I know, every time I tried to reboot(into the system/OS) I just boot right into TWRP (version 2.8.7.0). Then from TWRP (2.8.7.0) I tried to reboot into recovery, and it rebooted into TWRP, except that it was version 2.7.1.0, where I started.
So, when I hit boot into system, I got TWRP (2.8.7.0), and when I hit boot into recovery, I got TWRP 2.7.1.0. I was completely confused, so I wiped the OS, and then booted into fastboot to fastboot flash TWRP(2.8.7.0) in my recovery (It worked). Right now, I'm soft-bricked so I don't have an OS, but I have TWRP(2.8.7.0) as my recovery. Except now, I still get TWRP when I try to boot into system, and fastboot flashing, adb sideloading, and regular TWRP flashing is not working...
Any help is very appreciated, I need my phone to just be working!!! Except, if anyone can help me update it to 5.1 while they're at it, that would be awesome!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would flash the new RUU.

andybones said:
I would flash the new RUU.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply!
I have already tried to flash the RUU for 4.4.4 but the recovery flash method gave me an error, and the fastboot flash method gave me
FAILED...(remote: not allowed)
I will try again in the morning and let you know how it goes, but I have a feeling it will end the same way.

akn4497 said:
Thanks for the reply!
I have already tried to flash the RUU for 4.4.4 but the recovery flash method gave me an error, and the fastboot flash method gave me
FAILED...(remote: not allowed)
I will try again in the morning and let you know how it goes, but I have a feeling it will end the same way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why not use the new 5.0.1 RUU?

andybones said:
I would flash the new RUU.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
andybones said:
Why not use the new 5.0.1 RUU?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup that's what I meant I'll try 5.0.1 in the morning. Just wondering, will I need the firmware for it? Because I am coming from 4.4.4

akn4497 said:
Yup that's what I meant I'll try 5.0.1 in the morning. Just wondering, will I need the firmware for it? Because I am coming from 4.4.4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The firmware is apart of the RUU, did you use cmd
fastboot oem rebootRUU
Then flash RUU? Fastboot flash zip nameofRUU.zip

andybones said:
The firmware is apart of the RUU, did you use cmd
fastboot oem rebootRUU
Then flash RUU?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh shoot, I feel dumb. I'll let you know, thanks!

The RUU worked! I used the exe and I'm up and running. Thanks!!

akn4497 said:
The RUU worked! I used the exe and I'm up and running. Thanks!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you go to flash your custom recovery, use fastboot rather than twrp manager. If you MUST use such a shortcut, I might recommend flashify.

cntryby429 said:
When you go to flash your custom recovery, use fastboot rather than twrp manager. If you MUST use such a shortcut, I might recommend flashify.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I think I'll just stick with fastboot flashing recoveries from now on! Thanks

akn4497 said:
Yeah I think I'll just stick with fastboot flashing recoveries from now on! Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear you're up and running my friend.

Fastboot boot not working

I'm trying to boot into TWRP to install it from there ("fastboot flash recovery" doesn't work), but "fastboot boot" just makes my phone boot normally. Anyone know what's going on?
Edit: I'm just dumb and had the wrong image. I extracted the image from the installation zip rather than the separate .img download for fastboot.

Darkscan said:
I'm trying to boot into TWRP to install it from there ("fastboot flash recovery" doesn't work), but "fastboot boot" just makes my phone boot normally. Anyone know what's going on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Issue with TWRP. What are you running?

Blue1k said:
Issue with TWRP. What are you running?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Latest versions of stock Android, EDB, and TWRP.

This happened to me, I redownloaded the twrp image, rebooted my phone, tried again and it booted to twrp.

I'm just an idiot. I hadn't done this in a long time, so for some reason I extracted the .img from the .zip, rather than downloading the image labeled fastboot.
On a related note though, do OTAs work with systemless root? Last I checked it was up in the air, but there's been some time now -- could someone link me, perhaps?

Darkscan said:
I'm just an idiot. I hadn't done this in a long time, so for some reason I extracted the .img from the .zip, rather than downloading the image labeled fastboot.
On a related note though, do OTAs work with systemless root? Last I checked it was up in the air, but there's been some time now -- could someone link me, perhaps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it's supposed to work and I don't see why it wouldn't. (I never tried personally) but you will need to have the stock recovery for the OTA to flash.

Installed TWRP to Boot, want to boot myself in the a**.

Own the OPP6; Rooted, on OxygenOS 5.18.
Went to install the newest TWRP (was going to install XXX no limits), when asked where to install it to, accidentally, without thinking, hit install to Boot.
Problems.
I can get into fastboot, the PC sees the phone in fastboot.
Have tried to flash a recovery image and similar, got an error saying: FAILED (remote: (recovery_b) No such partition).
Just want to get the phone booting again, wipe the whole thing start over, from fastboot.
Any help appreciated.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-6/how-to/tool-msmdownloadtool-v4-0-international-t3798892

Thank you, the tool worked like a charm.
BTW: I did search and find other "methods" but none of them worked

noncomjd said:
Own the OPP6; Rooted, on OxygenOS 5.18.
Went to install the newest TWRP (was going to install XXX no limits), when asked where to install it to, accidentally, without thinking, hit install to Boot.
Problems.
I can get into fastboot, the PC sees the phone in fastboot.
Have tried to flash a recovery image and similar, got an error saying: FAILED (remote: (recovery_b) No such partition).
Just want to get the phone booting again, wipe the whole thing start over, from fastboot.
Any help appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you should have done was fastboot boot twrp.img. which would start twrp, then you could have used the installer in to install twrp on phone. After that you would have to installed stock or custom kernel.

MrSteelX said:
What you should have done was fastboot boot twrp.img. which would start twrp, then you could have used the installer in to install twrp on phone. After that you would have to installed stock or custom kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is exactly what I wanted to do.
I could get into TWRP, but I couldn't see the phone on the PC and couldn't move files (ROM) to the phone (although fastboot was working and I could see the device using adb) but I couldn't figure out how to have TWRP look for or find the ROM on the PC.

There's no recovery partition on A/B phones remember.

RusherDude said:
There's no recovery partition on A/B phones remember.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that. and that explains a few things and explains why when I installed TWRP, I didn't see the recovery option. Doesn't pardon my hitting install to Boot.
Just thought of another Q, if there is no recovery partition, where is the OEM recovery stored? (I figured the lack of a recovery partition is why TWRP gets overwritten if installed without a custom ROM)
I did a quick read on that, it seems really interesting and may be of some use as soon as I learn more.
I've got so much to learn about this. I keep meaning to take time to begin, but stuff comes up and boom more changes.
I've got to do more reading to take advantage of that.
@MrSteelX mentioned that I could have used TWRP to install a ROM from the PC.
Is this what is referred to as "sideloading". I've been looking for some info on this and haven't really come across much that is any good.
Are there any available guides that anyone can point to so I can learn about using TWRP that way?

noncomjd said:
Thanks for that. and that explains a few things and explains why when I installed TWRP, I didn't see the recovery option. Doesn't pardon my hitting install to Boot.
Just thought of another Q, if there is no recovery partition, where is the OEM recovery stored? (I figured the lack of a recovery partition is why TWRP gets overwritten if installed without a custom ROM)
I did a quick read on that, it seems really interesting and may be of some use as soon as I learn more.
I've got so much to learn about this. I keep meaning to take time to begin, but stuff comes up and boom more changes.
I've got to do more reading to take advantage of that.
@MrSteelX mentioned that I could have used TWRP to install a ROM from the PC.
Is this what is referred to as "sideloading". I've been looking for some info on this and haven't really come across much that is any good.
Are there any available guides that anyone can point to so I can learn about using TWRP that way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In twrp, you go to advance/sideload. Twrp then waits for adb sideload to push file to phone then auto flashes file.
In your case, you would sideload rom to flash and have been go to go.

noncomjd said:
Own the OPP6; Rooted, on OxygenOS 5.18.
Went to install the newest TWRP (was going to install XXX no limits), when asked where to install it to, accidentally, without thinking, hit install to Boot.
Problems.
I can get into fastboot, the PC sees the phone in fastboot.
Have tried to flash a recovery image and similar, got an error saying: FAILED (remote: (recovery_b) No such partition).
Just want to get the phone booting again, wipe the whole thing start over, from fastboot.
Any help appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have working fastboot mode and getting detected via fastboot then
fastboot flashable stock rom via fastboot mode.
U don't have to do anything just downloaded zip file unzip it any folder u want. Connect u r phone to. Computer in fastboot mode
Then go to that folder and just click flash all bat waut for 10to 15 min and then phone boots in working oos.
(all data will be get wipes after this)
Link
https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/foru...m-stock-fastboot-roms-oneplus-6-t3796665/amp/

MrSteelX said:
In twrp, you go to advance/sideload. Twrp then waits for adb sideload to push file to phone then auto flashes file.
In your case, you would sideload rom to flash and have been go to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.
I will give this a try. After I learn a little more about the A/B partitions & recovery on this phone, I want to try one on the custom ROMs.

pankspoo said:
If you have working fastboot mode and getting detected via fastboot then
fastboot flashable stock rom via fastboot mode.
U don't have to do anything just downloaded zip file unzip it any folder u want. Connect u r phone to. Computer in fastboot mode
Then go to that folder and just click flash all bat waut for 10to 15 min and then phone boots in working oos.
(all data will be get wipes after this)
Link
https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/foru...m-stock-fastboot-roms-oneplus-6-t3796665/amp/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the link/guide. I had been trying an iteration of this (and the guide) but after reading your link, it too explains some things. I was trying to restore a Stock ROM from fastboot according to your link:
Things are changing with the advent of project treble. OnePlus will no longer release ROMs flashable via recovery (either stock or twrp) because is no more needed. The updates will be done on the slot not used for example if you are using slot a the update will be installed on slot b and the slot b will be set as default. If you brick and you are in bootloop how you can restore the rom? You can't with Stock ROM you have, because the zip can be only installed via Update Engine, so what can you do? Flash a stock rom via fastboot. I have extracted all images from the stock zip and i have made a new zip with the Fastboot ROM with a flash-all.bat included. This will work only if your bootloader is unlcoked. This will erase all your data and will wipe
I download and was trying to use the stock ROMs, I didn't see any bats, and now I know why.
Lots more reading to do. I love doing playing with this stuff, but trying to learn & keep up with things burns time, which most days I don't have.
This is the longest I've ever been on a stock OS (6 weeks? got the phone right after its release) although it's rooted (can never leave things completely alone).

noncomjd said:
Thanks for the link/guide. I had been trying an iteration of this (and the guide) but after reading your link, it too explains some things. I was trying to restore a Stock ROM from fastboot according to your link:
Things are changing with the advent of project treble. OnePlus will no longer release ROMs flashable via recovery (either stock or twrp) because is no more needed. The updates will be done on the slot not used for example if you are using slot a the update will be installed on slot b and the slot b will be set as default. If you brick and you are in bootloop how you can restore the rom? You can't with Stock ROM you have, because the zip can be only installed via Update Engine, so what can you do? Flash a stock rom via fastboot. I have extracted all images from the stock zip and i have made a new zip with the Fastboot ROM with a flash-all.bat included. This will work only if your bootloader is unlcoked. This will erase all your data and will wipe
I download and was trying to use the stock ROMs, I didn't see any bats, and now I know why.
Lots more reading to do. I love doing playing with this stuff, but trying to learn & keep up with things burns time, which most days I don't have.
This is the longest I've ever been on a stock OS (6 weeks? got the phone right after its release) although it's rooted (can never leave things completely alone).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to unzip the downloaded fastboot ROM at any folder on computer and open that folder u will see named [flash all bat]
Now connect phone in fastboot mode to computer and just click [flash all bat] file

noncomjd said:
Thanks for that. and that explains a few things and explains why when I installed TWRP, I didn't see the recovery option. Doesn't pardon my hitting install to Boot.
Just thought of another Q, if there is no recovery partition, where is the OEM recovery stored? (I figured the lack of a recovery partition is why TWRP gets overwritten if installed without a custom ROM)
I did a quick read on that, it seems really interesting and may be of some use as soon as I learn more.
I've got so much to learn about this. I keep meaning to take time to begin, but stuff comes up and boom more changes.
I've got to do more reading to take advantage of that.
@MrSteelX mentioned that I could have used TWRP to install a ROM from the PC.
Is this what is referred to as "sideloading". I've been looking for some info on this and haven't really come across much that is any good.
Are there any available guides that anyone can point to so I can learn about using TWRP that way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"recovery" (what's left of it... wipe and mostly nothing else) is inside the boot partition. TWRP on those devices is installed into the boot partition (NOT overwriting the boot partition, but into the "ramdisk", a part of the kernel where OEM recovery resides and where TWRP, Magisk, Xposed and all the mods do their stuff on the kernel. On a phone with A/B partitions, you have to fastboot BOOT twrp, and then you have to flash the installer zip, you should never ever flash the image to any partition since there isn't any.

RusherDude said:
"recovery" (what's left of it... wipe and mostly nothing else) is inside the boot partition. TWRP on those devices is installed into the boot partition (NOT overwriting the boot partition, but into the "ramdisk", a part of the kernel where OEM recovery resides and where TWRP, Magisk, Xposed and all the mods do their stuff on the kernel. On a phone with A/B partitions, you have to fastboot BOOT twrp, and then you have to flash the installer zip, you should never ever flash the image to any partition since there isn't any.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the information.
and this is what I did, originally I thought I had accidentally selected the wrong partition, but it seems since there is no recovery partition, I did it wrong from the start.
Q: I'm guessing this is why when you do load TWRP (the correct way, which I did once, following a guide) without a custom ROM (still using Oxygen OS) that the OEM recovery overwrites TWRP or the OEM recovery is called up at the next reboot into recovery?
Q: I understand, at least in theory the benefit of the A/B partitions, what is the benefit of eliminating the recovery partition other than giving more control of the phone to the OEM and OS? Is this setup limited to the stock kernel or mandated to be copied by any potential replacement kernels (this information is new to me, I haven't yet read up on kernels).

Pixel TWRP boot loop

So I did the following steps
- Unlocked bootloader
- Booted in TWRP
- Installed TWRP zip from the recovery
- Installed magisk.zip
Everything seemed to work fine, but now it takes forever to boot, an only boots into TWRP, asking for my password.
I cannot seem to boot normally.
Please help, thanks for your time

I think most of the time if you flash the boot.img from whatever stock firmware you are on it should boot right up,,,atleast thats what i did in the past

Daped16 said:
So I did the following steps
- Unlocked bootloader
- Booted in TWRP
- Installed TWRP zip from the recovery
- Installed magisk.zip
Everything seemed to work fine, but now it takes forever to boot, an only boots into TWRP, asking for my password.
I cannot seem to boot normally.
Please help, thanks for your time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Archangel said:
I think most of the time if you flash the boot.img from whatever stock firmware you are on it should boot right up,,,atleast thats what i did in the past
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're running a stock ROM, you have to have the full factory image downloaded, and extract the boot.img file. Then, put your phone in bootloader mode and run the following command from your PC: fastboot flash boot boot.img
You will lose TWRP & root, but you will be able to boot. When you go through the process again, reboot after each flash, so you know whether it has worked.

Isnt that basically what I said? Just making sure because you included me on your post?
post-mortem said:
If you're running a stock ROM, you have to have the full factory image downloaded, and extract the boot.img file. Then, put your phone in bootloader mode and run the following command from your PC: fastboot flash boot boot.img
You will lose TWRP & root, but you will be able to boot. When you go through the process again, reboot after each flash, so you know whether it has worked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse