[Teclast X98 Air 3G] tecknight:
Flash a custom Android image (ROM) to your X98 Air device

TTT TecKnight's Teclast Tutorials series

Flash a custom Android image (ROM) to your X98 Air device

Special Note: This procedure uses MFT to flash an android image to an X98 Air Device.

MFT is the only software capable of imaging an X98 Air device that is missing some or all of its critical partitions,

such as the Android or Windows EFI boot partitions or the droidboot or recovery partitions.

The reason MFT is still able to image a device without a droidboot partition is a special provisioning mode called DnX mode that is built into the BIOS in Intel Bay Trail devices. MFT is able to send the X98 the droidboot image over USB using DnX protocol. Then the running droidboot process can restore the physical droidboot partition on the device.

Procedure: Flash a custom Android image (ROM) to your X98 Air device

Required:

1. A Windows Host PC with the Manufacturing Flash Tool (MFT) installed and configured.

If you have a Windows PC, but need to install and configure the MFT, Try This Tutorial first.

2. Teclast X98 Air device with at least 50% battery charge

3. USB A to Micro USB cable

4. A downloaded Android ROM image that you intend to flash to your device. I would recommend downloading one of Mirek190's fine ROMs from here:

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=62032369&postcount=10626​

Step by Step instructions:

1. Extract the ROM you will be installing to a folder on your Windows Host PC. I have selected Mirek's V3 Lollipop image.

2. Launch the MFT using the desktop shortcut that looks like this:

The MFT Application looks like this:

3 Within the MFT, select the File menu, then Open. This brings up the XML selector dialog, which looks like this:

4. Using the MFT's XML selector dialog, browse to the folder containing your extracted ROM.

You should see the following options (wording will vary depending on the ROM):

flash-full_with_partitioning

flash-system_only_and_format (or wipe) data

flash-system_only_no_data_formatting (or keep data)
​

If you select flash-full_with_partitioning, MFT will delete all existing partitions and then re-create all partitions from scratch before flashing the android partitions. This will destroy any existing Windows installation, so it is normally only used when the device is missing critical partitions or will not boot properly.

The other 2 options load the requested android image into the existing partitions--the format or wipe data option wipes the user data partition, so it will remove all user downloaded applications and settings. This is usually advised when flashing a new android version (such as when flashing a Lollipop ROM to a device with KitKat installed). Keep data will preserve your existing user apps and settings.

Select the .xml file corresponding to the options desired.

MFT is now ready to flash. The flash will be triggered by the detection of a Baytrail device in DnX mode on the Host PC's USB bus.

5. Connect the USB cable to the Host PC, but not to the tablet just yet.

6. Power up your X98 Air device by holding down the power button, volume+ and volume- until your device enters DnX mode. If you do it right, you will see:

Entering DnX mode

Waiting for Fastboot command​

in small letters in the center of the display. DnX mode is a special provisioning mode, unique to Intel SoCs. The only software designed to communicate with a device in DnX mode is the Intel MFT.

7. Find a stable place to set down your X98 Air device, then connect the MicroUSB end of the USB cable to your device.

8. MFT should now detect your X98 Air device and immediately begin the flashing process. MFT will first send the tablet to droidboot mode, then it will flash the device using fastboot, displaying a progress bar indicating the percentage completed, like this:

The progress bar might seem to hang at about 80%, but give it some time and it will complete.

9. Once the MFT indicates flashing is complete:

disconnect the USB cable from the tablet and Host PC.

10. Power up your tablet and boot into your new Android ROM !!

_________

Change Log:

8/17/2015 Changed title of procedure to make procedure more generic (ie: include options that don't preserve Windows). Reworded XML selector dialog step to include partition options. Added special note detailing how MFT is able to flash a tablet with no droidboot or EFI partitions.

7/21/2015 Added clarifications about DnX mode, reworded a few passages.

7/14/2015 Created initial procedure.