Did I Brick My Phone? What To Do Now

What To Do If Your Android Phone Gets Bricked

This tutorial has been developed keeping in mind the worst case scenario of android rooting process. There are many tutorials on web teaching you to root your android device but what happens if you accidently (and in rarest possibility) brick your phone. Let's see what can be done in such a condition.


For those new to these terms, learn more here


What Is Bricking?


First of all, I woiuld like to make it clear what bricking actually means. If you CAN NOT turn on your phone in any manner whatsoever, it is BRICKED. As the term suggests, your phone is now as useful as a brick. But, if your are able to turn it on and it is getting stuck in some process (bootloop for example), it is not bricked. See what you can do if any problem is keeping your phone from booting perfectly.


Note: Always make a backup of your stock ROM before flashing a new ROM, so that you can revert the changes you made in case some trouble arises.


Booting Directly into Recovery Mode:


Sometimes, after flashing a new ROM, your phone may reboot directly into recovery mode. Don't panic, this issue can be handled. First of all, reboot again to check if it is really a problem because some custom ROMs have inbuilt configuration to make the first reboot into recovery mode. Your phone might also boot directly into bootloader. If so, check if you can choose 'Recovery' from the menu that appears before proceeding.


If the problem continues, you will have to flash your ROM again. You may try again with the same ROM or a different one.


Rebooting Endlessly (Bootloop):


This issue generally arises when you have not wiped out your data/cache prior to flashing a new ROM. The android device in such condition is trying to boot but the previous data is confusing it and causing a reboot. This situation is called 'BootLoop'. Now, to solve this you must wipe out all your previous data/cache. do this-


-Turn off your device. Boot it into 'recovery' mode. You know you are in recovery mode when the device displays ClockWorkMod Recovery on top (in case you are using CWM recovery).


-Go to 'advanced' and choose 'Wipe Dalvik cache', then select 'Wipe cache partition' from the main screen. Finally select 'Wipe Dara/Factory Reset'.


-Reboot your phone now. Hopefully, the problem is solved.

Booting Directly Into Bootloader:

In case your android is booting directly into the bootloader, flashing the stock ROM is the best possible solution. Stock ROM is the one which your manufacturer installed on your android. Finding the stock ROM is different for different manufacturers. Here, I must remind you that flashing stock ROM will revert all the changes you made to your phone but at least this will make your phone usable once again.

-For HTC phones, stock ROM comes by name of RUU (ROM Upgrade Utility).  You will have to flash it from the bootloader mode. Firstly search for the RUU suitable for your HTC phone on google and download it. You may also try http://www.shipped-roms.com/index.php/ for finding the stock ROM of your phone. You will need to know the codename of your phone, google it. (Codename foe HTC Explorer is HTC Pico). Save the downloaded RUU to your SD card as a zip file and rename it as per the name suggested by RUU download page. Now boot the HTC phone and it will automatically flash the stock ROM from HBOOT.

-For Motorola Phones you will need RSD Lite. It is a windows program you will need to restore the original ROM on your phone. Google this name to find a versoion applicable to your device. Also google the SBF file version suitable for your android device (it is the stock ROM for Motorola phones)

-For Samsung Phones you will need a program called Odin and OPS file version for your phone. Odin will flash the original ROM on your Samsung android device and OPS file is the stock ROM for samsung phones. Google both these with your phone model, download them, run on your windows PC and hopefully you will be able to restore your device back to normal.

Other Errors:

For other errors, I suggest you use google or www.xda-developers.com for finding the solution.

Bricked Absolutely:

In case, you are unable to even turn on your phone i.e. it is officially BRICKED, you may take it to the store/workshop and just pretend to be innocent. DO NOT tell them that you were experimenting with it. Just say that it turned off abruptly and won't start again, no matter how hard you tried. I believe after some technical tryouts, you will get a replacement. I know it is morally wrong, but this is the best I can suggest.

Kindly leave your comments/suggestions/feedback

Using Titanium Backup on Android Devices

Tutorial 4: Using Titanium Backup

Hello, this is a tutorial to use this wonderful app called Titanium Backup. It requires root permission, so prior to using this app, your phone must be rooted and superuser.zip should also be installed.


For understanding the terminology used in this blogs' tutorials, read here


Functions:


-Create backup/restore of all your data- your apps, app data, system data.


-Move the apps and app data to your sd card partition and back to internal memory. Just like "app2sd" but with greater powers, it can move almost all apps to sd card partition.


-Uninstall/freeze custom apps that came pre-installed with your phone.


How to use it:


-Download this app from android market.


-Install to your phone.


Note: The phone must be rooted with busybox app and superuser.zip already installed on it. This app requires root permissions and won't work without rooting.


-Open the app. Approve the superuser permission when asked for.

-The main screen will look like this.

-Now you can carry on all the functions.


-To view each app and work on it one at a time, click on backup/restore tab. Long press over an app to open a menu. Select ' Move to SD card' to move the app to Sd card partition. Select 'Move app data to SD' to move the app data too.

-To work on many apps at same time, press settings button on your phone. Select "Batch" from the menu that appears. Now you can handle many apps at same time. Just click 'Run' against the feature you want to activate.

Note: Pay close attention while deleting system installed apps. Don't uninstall/freeze any app if you are not sure what it does. And specially don't touch apps starting with 'com.something' in their name.


Readers are requested to leave their feedback/comments/queries. This will help me in improving the blog

Rooting HTC Explorer Android : Step by Step Tutorial

Tutorial 2 Exploring HTC Explorer :Rooting Your HTC Explorer (HTC Pico)

Before beginning this step, I hope you are familiar with the term 'Rooting'. If not, click here.

Note: Rooting your HTC Explorer (Pico) will void your warranty. HTC will no longer be responsible for any dysfunction in your phone. If you wish to continue, it's your own wish. Rooting incorrectly may also brick you phone. You cannot hold me responsible for any kind of damages.

Note: Rooting process will NOT change anything in your phone, it just make root access possible, if you want overclock and ext-2/3/4 partitions possible you will have to flash (install) a custom ROM once you finish rooting with this tutorial.

Prime Requisites :

• Take Backup of your HTC Explorer phone contacts, your apps and your accounts associated with it. Also backup your sd card.
• Make sure Your Android phone is atleast 50-60 % charged so that it can’t get switched off during the rooting process.
• Download  A310e recovery.zip and  extract it in any window on your PC (ie: C:\HTC). This will work for HTC explorer, for other HTC phones, try finding the recovery.zip on xda-developers.com
• Download Superuser.zip and place it in your sd card prior to starting the rooting process.
• Disable Anti virus and other tools in your computer
• Enable USB debugging on your phone by setting >> applications >> development >> check USB debugging and Stay awake too.

Now lets begin with the rooting of your HTC Explorer.

Step 1. Install latest version of HTC Sync on your PC

I hope you have completed this step in unlocking the bootloader for HTC Explorer (Pico). You can download it from: www.htc.com/www/help/htc-explorer/#download
( it is needed so that computer recognizes commands properly)

Step 2. Unlock the phone's bootloader

- I hope you have done this one too. If not, follow the steps in my first tutorial. 

Note: HTC Explorer isn´t listed in the device list on htcdev.com but I have tested this myself and it works perfectly. Choose "all other supported models" when selecting your phone.

Step 3. Add a recovery to your phone 

(Adding recovery will prove useful later on in the case you want to install/flash custom .zip ROMs on your phone)


- I hope you have downloaded A310E Recovery.zip by now.
- extract it in any window on your PC (ie: C:\HTC)

-put the phone in fastboot mode ( after removing-inserting the battery and pressing "volume down" and "power" buttons simultaneously, select fastboot from the menu ) and connect it with your PC via usb cable.  See images below

- open the directory where you extracted the A310e recovery.zip and run the recovery.bat (on your computer) with the phone in fastboot mode and connected vis USB cable. See image below.

Done! You got the recovery installed if no errors occurs, you can now install any compatible .zip ROM or app on your phone.

Step 4. ROOT your phone

Now, disconnect your phone from the computer. power it down from the menu. Remove-insert battery, press volume down+power buttons simultaneously and select 'Recovery' from the menu.

- I hope you had placed the Superuser.zip file somewhere in the microSD card earlier.

- Now after getting into Recovery menu install Superuser.zip with the option "install .zip from sd >> choose zip from sd >> select superuser.zip" from the recovery menu. Once done, you will receive the message on screen of your phone that it has been rooted.

Congratulations, your HTC Explorer (Pico) is now ROOTED !! 

Note: after rooting do not press 'restore to factory setting' if you don´t want to end up in a bootloop.

Readers are requested to leave their feedback/comments/queries. This will help me in improving the blog

Unlocking Bootloader on HTC Explorer Android

Tutorial 1 Exploring HTC Explorer : Unlocking Your Bootloader

Hello, HTC Explorer (htc pico) users, this tutorial explains how to unlock the bootloader of your htc explorer android device prior to rooting it. Yes, you read it correctly, unlocking the bootloader is the first step if you want to root your htc explorer. I prepared this tutorial keeping in mind that you are a new user and therefore, I have explained each and every action in very simple form. I suggest you to read every instruction carefully before proceeding.

For understanding the terminology used in this blogs' tutorials, read here

This article applies to HTC phones only. I tried it on my htc explorer (codename pico). This is the first process to root your phone. 

Note: Rooting your phone will void your warranty. HTC will no longer be responsible for any dysfunction in your phone. Rooting your phone incorrectly may also brick your htc explorer. If you wish to continue, it's                       your own wish. You cannot hold me responsible for any kind of damages.

To root your htc explorer, you will first need to unlock the bootloader. Bootloader is the basic programme that loads the custom, HTC provided operating software in your phone. Unlocking the bootloader will give you the ability to root your phone and install ROMs other than the stock OS thereby increasing the capabilities of your phone.

Required resources prior to unlocking- You will need the following software packages so as to unlock the bootloader.

Please make sure all these items are installed and updated.

.

Google Android SDK zip:

http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html

install the latest version provided as installer_r18-windows.exe (when this blog entry was written). Then open the SDK manager from the directory where you installed the exe file. (It might be C://program files/android-sdk/) Check against Android SDK tools, Android SDK platform tools, google USB driver and click on install packages. It will be needed later.

Java Runtime Environment:

http://java.com

you can get the java package from the java site for offline installation if you are unable to get an online installation from http://java.com/en/download/manual.jsp  Click on windows offline link in the table given to download the package and install it later.

HTC Sync (Windows Only):

www.htc.com/www/help/htc-explorer/#download

Get the latest version of htc sync by selecting your phone from the menu.

Now you are ready to unlock your bootloader. 

Go to www.htcdev.com/bootloader and register yourself. Then select your phone from the drop down list. If your phone is not listed, then select 'All other supported phones'. After this follow the onscreen instructions. 

Note: when it asks you to copy the code from terminal window to htcdev site, it is written there that to copy, you need to right click >> mark>>select that area>> right click>> copy. But on right clicking again, the marked area will get unmarked, so after selecting the area, simply press Enter and it will be copied.


Readers are requested to leave their feedback/comments/queries. This will help me in improving the blog

Rooting, Custom ROM and Other Terms

Understanding Rooting and Custom ROMs

This is the basic tutorial and explains each term related to android funplay. I suggest that if you are a new user, you should go through these terms for better understanding.

What's Rooting?

Getting root or rooting your phone is the process of modifying the operating system that shipped with your device to grant you complete control over it.

This means you can overcome limitations that the carriers and manufacturers put on your phone, extend system functionality, and even upgrade it to a custom flavor of Android.

The name root comes from the Linux operating system world, where the most privileged user on the system (otherwise known as Administrator on Windows) is called root.

Rooting does NOT mean installing a custom ROM (a ROM is a modified, "aftermarket" android OS).

Installing a ROM may require rooting first, but just rooting can be usually done in only a few minutes, keeping your stock OS (original one) otherwise completely intact.

Now an obligatory warning: rooting your phone does run the risk of potentially bricking it (i.e. your phone could become nonfunctional) – so do your homework before attempting anything.

Rooting essentially means giving yourself root permissions on your phone. It's the equivalent of running programs as administrators in Windows, or running a command with "sudo" in Linux. There are a number of great reasons to root your Android phone, highest among them being speed (through custom ROMs and through overclocking), tethering, and installing apps and widgets from other builds. Once rooted, you can make your phone run faster, tether it to your computer, tweak hidden settings to your liking, and more.

What's a ROM?

One of the best things about the openness of the Android platform is that if you're unhappy with the stock OS, you can install one of many modified versions of Android (called ROMs) on your device. There are various developers who have made custom OS from android source code. These operating system are free from manufacturers restrictions and increase the functionality and boost your phone's capabilities.

You can install a custom ROM after rooting your phone. Custom ROMs for your phone can be found on sites like www.xda-developers.com

What's bootloader?

Bootloader is the basic programme that loads the manufacturer provided operating software in your phone. Unlocking the bootloader will give you the ability to root your phone and install ROMs other than the stock OS.

What's Bricking?

Bricking your phone is failure to flash any ROM into it. The phone will not start by any means and will become as useful as a brick. Rooting and applying custom ROM runs the risk of bricking the phone. But this is a rare event, so you dont' need to panic.

What's flashing?

Flashing a ROM means installing it from the sd card.