yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Nexus 7 Original Development] lilstevie:
I'm one of the only androidroot members who doesn't own an N7 so I will have to defer to one of the others for where to go, but I do believe one of them has ended up in a similar situation but managed to get out of it.

IDA would be the best place to start
[Nexus 7 Original Development] lkspooky:
I know how to install the 4.23 bootloader...

Step 1: Get into fastboot by... Well if you don't know how to get into fastboot then why did you do this???

Step 2: Get the unmodified 4.13 bootloader (attached as 413bl.img ) and flash it by using" fastboot flash bootloader 413bl.IMG"

Step 3: Reboot into bootloader using volume keys

Step 4: Flash the 4.23 bootloader (attached as bootloader-grouper-4.23.img )

Step 5: Reboot

Step 6: ???

Step 7: Profit
[Nexus 7 Original Development] lkspooky:
Remove the battery and try again...

Pop off the back cover using a guitar pick or fingernails and remove the battery cable and try to get into NVflash. If you don't know how to unplug the battery go onto ifixit and search for N7 disassembly
[Nexus 7 Original Development] lilstevie:
18:10 <@RaYmAn> you have to hold down uhm, all buttons or something for like 10 seconds, while it's plugged in
18:10 <@RaYmAn> and then you have to let go of power and voldown at *just* the right time

but make sure you charge the battery for a bit first with the charger in case the battery is starting to run low
[Nexus 7 Original Development] wildestpixel:
Is this after you have generated blobs with the modified bootloader ?

i.e. after you have generated your blobs with the androidroot.mobi bootloader you flash standard 4.13 b/l and then afterwards 4.23 ?
[Nexus 7 Original Development] lkspooky:
Post blob generation

This is after you generate blobs
[Nexus 7 Original Development] PlayerBoy:
Any way to exit APX mode?

Hello, my Nexus 7 3G (2012) just shut down and won't turn back on, it is now stuck in APX mode. Unfortunately, I don't have nvflash blob files; in fact, have just found out about it now when trying to fix the damned thing. Is there any way to get out of APX mode and return to fastboot? Maybe totally draining the battery and unplugging the cable? Any feedback is appreciated, thank you.
[Nexus 7 Original Development] AndDiSa:
1.) If your batteries are still fine (and you didn't brick your device): press power button for about 15-20 seconds, then restart.

2.) If your batteries are empty (and you didn't brick your device): put it on a changer, let it there for at least some hours continue with 1.)
[Nexus 7 Original Development] Ammar_Hamdan:
Hi I decided to make a backup of blobs files in case anything goes wrong in the future and pulled these files via adb..

but I didn't manage to complete the instructions in the guide, when i go to APX mode my laptop doesn't recognize my tablet

I enter this code:

$ wheelie --blob blob.bin

and it gives this text:

'$' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

so are these files enough to save my N7 life?
[Nexus 7 Original Development] AndDiSa:
You do not need to type the '$' sign ...
[Nexus 7 Original Development] Ammar_Hamdan:
still same..

'wheelie' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
[Nexus 7 Original Development] AndDiSa:
Where do you have installed wheelie? Probably you need to add it to your PATH variable or launch it with the full path to the executable ...
[Nexus 7 Original Development] Ammar_Hamdan:
:good: :good: :good:

Problem solved.. I extracted nvflash-tools-win32.zip, put blob.bin in the same folder and everything worked great!

now I have the following files:

bricksafe.img

eks.img

factory-config.img

mda.img

thanks a lot. :highfive:
[Nexus 7 Original Development] akutagawa:
can someone upload the blob bin files cause i really need it
[Nexus 7 Original Development] AndDiSa:
[MENTION=8200996]akutagawa[/MENTION] you need special blob files for *your* device, if you don't have them nobody will be able to provide them to you.
[Nexus 7 Original Development] zi.ko:
Hello.

My nexus gruper fell and I had to replace the motherboard. I would like to protect myself for the future and make a copy of the blob files, however, the site

https://www.androidroot.mobi/pages/guides/tegra3-guide-nvflash-jellybean

is no longer active. Please help me how to generate the necessary files.
[Nexus 7 Original Development] informaticien28:
Please send me or share blob.bin here........
[Nexus 7 Original Development] enderzip:
They are device specific and WILL NOT WORK on other devices. Even if i give you my blob.bin, wheelie will just gonna give you "Incorrect blob selected". If you want to recover your device, follow my guide :)
[Nexus 7 Original Development] Telek:
Where is your guide?
[Nexus 7 Original Development] enderzip:
See my profile
[Nexus 7 Original Development] nonyhaha:
What is up with your profile?

On a side note, any other way to track the original instructions? I would like to revive this tablet to make it a home assistant remote.
[Nexus 7 Original Development] AndDiSa:
@nonyhaha You can find the instructions and some tools on AndroidRoot Github-Repo or here a collection of tools and instructions
[Nexus 7 Original Development] sgt. meow:
I can't do this on 4.23 right?
[Nexus 7 Original Development] lkspooky:
You must Downgrade

You must downgrade 4.13
[Nexus 7 Original Development] lilstevie:
you may need to unpack the bootloader image if you grabbed it from an update.zip, if it is from a factory image though it should be fine
[Nexus 7 Original Development] wildestpixel:
Do you have a link to where you have read this ?

I've flashed this on grouper and tilapia on numerous occasions whilst writing scripts to flash things and had no issue across about a dozen N7's.
[Nexus 7 Original Development] wildestpixel:
Gotcha - kinda scares me a little but more the reason for blobbing with wheelie.
[Nexus 7 Original Development] lkspooky:
I got myself in the same dilemma and cant get out of it :(

I cannot boot into apx mode. The button combo is doing nothing and its been plugged in for 5 hours now :crying:

Nervermind :) I just counted way too fast....
[Nexus 7 Original Development] lkspooky:
How to restore your corrupted/deleted bootloader (w/ pics)

Step 1: Boot into APX mode by holding both volumes+power key for ten seconds then let go of power and vol down (Hold Vol Up until you hear the driver recongition sound) *If it doesnt work the count ten Mississippi. This may sound silly but its the only way i got it to work :)

Step 2: Navigate to NVFlash folder and open command prompt/terminal and type in "wheelie --blob blob.bin" (W/O quotes) *If you get an error try again from step uno.

Step 3: Type in "nvflash -r --download 4 413bl.img" (Or any 4.13 bootloader. You can try others but do it at your own risk) *413bl.img refers to an attached 4.13 bootloader in one of my previous posts.

Step 4: After it completes you should see an arrow labeled start. Use the volume keys to get to restart bootloader.

Step 5: Apply factory images, TWRP, CWM or whatever you choose as the bootloader is the only thing on the tablet right now :)
[Nexus 7 Original Development] lkspooky:
Does NVFlash+Otterbox+Common Sense= Indestructible Nexus?

Or is there still a way we can royally f**k up the nexus softwarewise?
[Nexus 7 Original Development] lilstevie:
Software wise, generally no. Once you have generated your nvflash blobs the only way to truly destroy your n7 is by doing something that breaks hardware, this can be done by software though if for instance you ignore thermal monitoring and overclock it to the point where the CPU hits thermal runaway, but that is a common sense thing to watch out for when overclocking. As long as no physical hardware damage is done though (and I'm talking on a component level here) it is virtually unbrickable as long as you have wheelie blobs generated with flatline.
[Nexus 7 Original Development] sambistt:
Hello!!!!

please, make blob.bin for nexus 7 3g!!!
[Nexus 7 Original Development] wildestpixel:
You have to make your own.
[Nexus 7 Original Development] sambistt:
i can not !!!

i have not access to fastboot!!! i have not acces to bootloader!!!

please, share blob.bin for nexus 7 3g for hard bricked users!

i can only enter to APX mode
[Nexus 7 Original Development] android1999:
Sorry dude but now its too late for you.

If you read the first page then you'll understand that the blobs are device specific that is you can't use someone else's blobs. Best thing for you is to send an RMA request.
[Nexus 7 Original Development] lkspooky:
So I have been trying to make a Custom splash screen with no avail so far. The nexus 7 doesn't have a splash partition so fastboot flash splash splash.bin doesn't work :mad: The splash screen is stored somewhere on /Dev/block/ but I haven't been able to pin point is location. If anyone wants to help it world be appreciated :p
[Nexus 7 Original Development] q3trung:
If the blobs is same for all device model...it's so amazing.
[Nexus 7 Original Development] lilstevie:
it is in the bootloader binary
[Nexus 7 Original Development] lilstevie:
If it were possible we would have done it sorry.

It would have been more beneficial for us to have just released a blob and not have to reveal our method of generation to asus/google but as they are unique per device we have no choice, your best bet is to call asus/google and set up an RMA
[Nexus 7 Original Development] InMyBedNow:
nvflash --resume --go

The above command does not work for me, but every other step worked fine. Can i just reboot by long pressing the power? Please respond quickly. Thanks!

EDIT: So I just held power for ~15 seconds and the tablet rebooted normally with no errors, so I'm guessing I'm fine, but I would still like someone to confirm please :). I also received all the NVFLASH blobs and .img files.
[Nexus 7 Original Development] lkspooky:
Same thing happened to me and it is perfectly fine. :) Nothing will happen if you reset by power button
[Nexus 7 Original Development] ctap001:
Two questions:

1. Is the flatline found in https://www.androidroot.mobi/pages/guides/tegra3-guide-nvflash-jellybean/ applicable to Tilapia? It says grouper.

2. Is the bootloader found in http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=45898967&postcount=25 applicable to Tilapia as well?

Going to make a blob after the RMA.

Three questions:

3. After flashing the proper flatline image, "xxx process has completed you will need to reboot your device into recovery. It is important that you reboot completely rather than directly enter recovery xxx" means "fastboot reboot," yes?
[Nexus 7 Original Development] chejo:
Before I begin I need to ask something. I am on bootloader 4.32.

First I need to downgrade the bootloader to 4.13 then

then flash flatline recovery

then flash flatline bootloader

then generate the blobs

then flash the 4.13 bootloader

and finally flash the 4.32 bootloader

Then everything will be back to normal?
[Nexus 7 Original Development] bigsee:
Just found Your topic, it's fantastic, I had to send back to RMA two times mine n7 because of the APX mode. I made all of the backup steps and my question is: the size of the files are OK?
[Nexus 7 Original Development] d0ge01:
Little question:

There's way to obtain device-specific key (SBK) after hard brick? like site with algorithm used in key generation, or something like that?
[Nexus 7 Original Development] rayman:
If it was possible, wheelie would have done just that automatically. Unfortunately, the algorithm isn't known.
[Nexus 7 Original Development] vorcers:
I don't know how I did it, but I can't get into apx mode. No button combination works - not even by pressing all buttons 10 seconds long. It just isn't recognized by my PC. I wanted to flash back to 1.23 after I made the blobs.

Can anyone help me, or do I need to do an RMA?

Edit: I think it is not completly dead, because my wall charger uses ~4W. But the tablet is just not recognized by my PC...
[Nexus 7 Original Development] Upo_hu:
Can not download anything.

" Android Download Service

File Not Found "
[Nexus 7 Original Development] Cusciolino:
but... is really impossible to use nvflash without blob? I don't understand of this things but.. if you only flash a bootloader why you must use whelee before using nvflash?

and.. is it impossible to create blob in apx mode?

---------- Post added at 02:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:42 AM ----------

but... is really impossible to use nvflash without blob? I don't understand of this things but.. if you only flash a bootloader why you must use whelee before using nvflash?

and.. is it impossible to create blob in apx mode?
[Nexus 7 Original Development] zamboniman87:
I have a bricked Nexus 7 that can only load APX mode. I accidently tried flashing a system image of the 4G/LTE Nexus 7 on my Wifi Nexus 7. Unfortunately, I don't have backups of my .blob files. Any progress or anything at all you can suggest I try doing to restore the bootloader?

fwiw I have access to an identical Nexus 7.. I'm willing to try anything because it's out of warranty and currently a paperweight.

Thanks in advance.
[Nexus 7 Original Development] Xcandescent:
A few comments:

At a minimum, the proper instructions for getting into APX mode (the 10-second button combo sequence) and for flashing a new bootloader should be on your Web site. As it is, there are instructions for saving various partitions, without ever explaining why the data is important, or how to restore it.

There should also be a warning that flashing the bootloader with nvflash prevents it from ever being flashed with fastboot again. I found that out the hard way. I suspect there's a way to get that working again (i.e. flashing in secure boot mode), but you would need to post instructions for doing that.

-XCN-
[Nexus 7 Original Development] TheDj408:
Prevents from flashing... Would you like to explain a little bit?
[Nexus 7 Original Development] vorcers:
[MENTION=5566657]Xcandescent[/MENTION] ; [MENTION=5504720]TheDj408[/MENTION] ; (@ All)

I also needed to find out this... my nexus 7 broke complete (nothing, really nothing happend, not even apx!) as I wanted to reflash an original bootloader. I got an "signature mismatch" on fastboot. And fastboot was dead. But apx worked! (And I had the blobs!) So I tried to flash the 1.23 via apx. But this also did not work... I can't remember the details. After that, my device was dead... (see also my post earlier in this thread)

I think the fastboot-bootloader is so rock-stable that this scary procedure described in this thread isn't necessary. Well, all guys shouldn't always reflash the bootloader like it is described all over the forum. If you have e.g. 1.23, there is no need to reflash 1.23 again! I don't know why is this everwhere mentioned? The people should check the bootloader-version they have and if there is a newer one, then flash a newer! Or, more better: Only do bootloader-flashes if they come over ota! Because sometimes google releases some fail-bootloader in the factory images. If you get them over ota, you are more save. If the OTA fails, because you modified your system rom, erase the boot (NOT bootloader), system and recovery partition and then flash the factory versions of these (system,recovery,boot) (don't reflash the bootloader!). Leave the bootloader alone a long as you have your device, more better: Don't even think about doing this "fastboot flash bootloader <file>" command! Just don't do it!

So, my recommendation is, DO NOT use this "flatline" thing, and leave your bootloader forever all alone! Only let the bootloader flash being done over OTA! Also, I think the creators are not active anymore (maybe they only wanted to collect the blobs which saved now on their server?) and they did not even released the sources for their recovery, bootloader and wheelie. A shame!

And if you are not an complete idiot and try to flash an boot or recovery or system image from an other device (e.g. nexus 5 images on a nexus 7) you will never need this "flatline" thing.

Sorry for this angry post...

And use never toolkits (for using fastboot for example). Learn it on your own. You never now what they do. They always reflash the bootloader.... It is crystal clear that sooner or later an device hard bricks if everyone flashes an bootloader 3 times a day... :silly:
[Nexus 7 Original Development] TheDj408:
I said little bit and you explaind a lot... This cleared so many doubts I had even my friends too... So you suggest to use "" adb"" to flash stock roms? And why flashing bootloader multiple times will brick nexus? How did you get your nexus working after hard brick? And in this thread it flashes bootloader v4.13...
[Nexus 7 Original Development] vorcers:
I was a little angry <.<

No, you still need to flash your images with fastboot. I just wanted to say, that you shouldn't flash the bootloader if you don't need to.

Well, the bootloader is very important - if it breaks, your device is dead! And during a flash always can break something - these are electronics!

I work so long with computers that I know, that always something "unpredictable" can happen and breaks everything (space radioation or, ... I don't know :silly:).

This can also happen if you normal use your tablet and you write some file on it. It is unlikely, but possible that the file can be broken, because an 1 got to an 0 during write! If you write the boot, system or recovery partition, and they break, you can always re-flash it, because fastboot is working. But what do you do if it this happen during the write of the bootloader (which contains fastboot) ? It flashes... you maybe don't even notice something. You reboot. And then? Right! Nothing! It is dead! Because of that I recommend to flash the bootloader as few as possible. The best is, only over ota. Because it can always happen everything. Even if it is unlikely.

And you shouldn't flash things which are not made for your device. Then the issue sits indeed in front of the Monitor. Or the tablet.

I indeed flashed first the 4.13 (1.13? I don't know) and made the blobs. After that, I wanted to go back to 4.23. In fact, I did the same mistake as BrianXP7. (http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=45896380&postcount=14) But for me, pressing all buttons 10 seconds long, didn't work.
[Nexus 7 Original Development] TheDj408:
OK... Thanks a lot for the useful information... :) One last question... What should I do and avoid to prevent my tab from a hard brick? (I just use multirom.. Flash n number of roms and rarely flash stock.. Coz sometimes when it's stuck in bootloop I flash recovery and flash a room instead of stock coz stock doesn't work for me) and I followed the instructions above a long time back but wasn't able to get the blobs file... And I flashed a room then using the same recovery then flashed stock today so that bl went to 4.23.. Do I need this blobs files? And I guess answers of these questions will help everyone..
[Nexus 7 Original Development] vorcers:
Hardbrick prevention on nexus Devices 1x1:

Flash the bootloader as less as possible.

Don't flash anything that isn't made for your device. (flash-images and .zip!)

[MOD] Hope that the creator of an mod tested the mod with your device-type.

Don't use toolkits. You don't know what they do. Do it manually. There is an manual for almost every case in the internet. Just Read, Read, Read.

!!!! If you use bootloader from the nexus-factory-images, please check, if the bootloader which is packed in the image, it is a valid (this also applies to bootloaders, loaded from anywhere out of the internet...) -

please read

this thread. Be very careful!

And check your actions three times before you press enter.

But the best prevention of hard bricks, is:

Just don't root! Don't do "fastboot oem unlock" leave your device stock from the day on you get it. If then something crashes (example during ota) it is Googles/Manufactures fault. Not yours.

I know it is hard NOT to root. I did myself root all my devices. Damn, I would still have Gingerbread on my Phone if I didn't rooted my device! (I would have a Nexus 4, I think, but so I have Android 4.3, soon Kitkat and I am Happy. Thanks ADC-Team! :highfive: </end-off-topic>)

But it is the truth. Sorry guys. If you want to reduce the probability for an hardbrick to nearly zero (not equal zero, this is just not possible), just leave your device stock, from the day on you get it. And if you want again to be stock, flash the factory image and do "fastboot oem lock". This is important, if you do an rma in the future.

And to the flatline mod: These mod is so prone to errors, that I wouldn't do this (again). If you follow the points I written you shouldn't break your device. Well, you (or the creators of the zips) also shouldn't mess with low-level /dev/... devices. I don't even know if there are any on the nexus 7. For example, on my phone, the i9001, there are some partitions, marked as "/dev/block/mmcblk0p<Number>, (see link) if I would mess with partitions lower then Number = 8, I will break my phone.

So long....
[Nexus 7 Original Development] TheDj408:
So many thanks for the reply... And not rooting is never an option for me :P I guess I never had to worry about my Sony xperia Sola about a hard brick...
[Nexus 7 Original Development] Partitionator:
First for all who have trouble entering the APX-Mode, start holding power a little bit earlier than the vol+.

And I think i found a way to brick it even with blobs. :D I worte zeros to mmcblk0boot0 and now i can´t bootstrap it with wheelie :(

Wheelie 0.1 - Preflight for nvflash.
Copyright (c) 2011-2012 androidroot.mobi
========================================

Waiting for device in APX mode...
[=] Chip UID: 0x15d2bc285340e0f
[=] RCM Version: 0x30001

[=] CPU Model: Tegra 3
[+] Sending bootloader...
[-] Error 3 sending command

And yes my blob is ok, I used it many times before, on diffrent PCs. But now on all PCs Windows/Linux the same problem...

EDIT: does anyone sell a N7 2012 Mainboard?

EDIT2: If I try the unbrick option in wheelie it stucks at Sending BCT:

./wheelie --blob blob.bin --unbrick /home/jan/APX/bricksafe.img
Wheelie 0.1 - Preflight for nvflash.
Copyright (c) 2011-2012 androidroot.mobi
========================================

Waiting for device in APX mode...
[=] Chip UID: 0x15d2bc285340e0f
[=] RCM Version: 0x30001

[=] CPU Model: Tegra 3
[+] Sending BCT

Ok got it booting back again, after houres of awful trying out: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2564615&page=2

But I think wheelie has a bug... But i love this flatline thing :)
[Nexus 7 Original Development] Partitionator:
If you couldn't revive your device with that blobs you didn't tryed it hard enougth. I broke almost every part of the software on my nexus 7 and was always able to recover it, but it took me many houres to figure out how...

Look at the link I posted before...

I think OTA Updates are more risky than updating the bootloader with fastboot. OTA updates just flash the bootloader without any checks direct to the block device. Fastboot makes a signature check to be sure that the image is ok. I wasn' t able to flash a broken bootloader via fastboot...
[Nexus 7 Original Development] Partitionator:
Yes I know that the update.zips have to be singed. But as we see on the factory Images, somtimes the bootloaders that google delivers are corrupt, and if the bootloader file was corrouptet before google singed the zip noone would notice until the brick...

And because auf this staged thing... The bootoader ist copyed a few times after its extracted from the zip, and no checks. What if there gets one bit corrupted while extracting? Noone would notice that until the reboot...
[Nexus 7 Original Development] bftb0:
deleted
[Nexus 7 Original Development] Partitionator:
Bootloader image from 4.4.2 (KOT49H) too... I will test the OTA Bootloaders in the holydays.
[Nexus 7 Original Development] Cusciolino:
Sorry but I had troubles with OTA update two times with My stock N7:

1) when I updated by OTA to 4.3 because OTA broke my radio and I could not use 3g functions anymore

2) when I tryed to update to 4.4.. OTA update couldn't flash radio module and bricked N7

both case solved sending N7 to asus with rma. (Changed mobo)

So.. Now I afraid to make OTA update to 4.4

Inviato dal mio Nexus 7 con Tapatalk 2