[Android General] -=Q=-:
My Journey to Redemption

This is my story and I am putting it here because it might help some one, some day.

I own a BLU studio Energy D810U.

About two weeks ago the system offered me to upgrade to Android Lollipop and I agreed. The system has downloaded and upgraded itself, the process was smooth however after the upgrade I was not happy.

I had the following issues -

1. The app tray where all the apps normally are, was gone. All the apps now appeared on the "desktop". I've solved that issue by using Nova Launcher. However that was the most minor issue.

2. I have used Cloud Magic for my work Emails. After the upgrade each time that I would reboot the phone I would loose my settings. However, Could Magic was not alone, I would also loose my login name/password for Skype and MyProfiles would not auto-start. I have solved the issue with Cloud Magic by using the inbuilt E-mail client. However I still had issues with Skype and MyProfiles.

3. I am using Google Calendar for my time management. BLU Studio Energy has its own inbuilt calendar with limit capabilities. Normally it is not big deal, I just disable the notification from that app and it is as good as gone. However now after each reboot the inbuilt calendar would loose its settings too and I would get double notifications, after a while disabling it again and again was becoming more and more bothersome.

4. Even though I would install all the apps on my SD-card and I moved all existing apps to SD-card I was still out of space and could not install all the apps I would like to have.

5. For me the main advantage in Lollipop is the ability to completely remove or at least permanently disable pre-inmstalled crap-ware that comes with the phone. Unfortunately, the boys at BLU made sure to castrate the android operating system in such way that it won't do that on this device.

All of these problem were a constant reminder of the better days and I've decided to down grade back to the Kit Kat where everything was satisfactory.

I have never had to do anything like that before, to do that now I've found two sources of information.

1. BLU developers -->> factory-images-recovery

2. This thread

If you are looking to flash Kit Kat on your BLU Studio Energy than from BLU developers (sorry but I can not post links yet).

This is what you need (FIRST READ THE WHOLE POST!) -

1. Click on "BLU Factory Images" (MEGA REPOSITORY), find the folder for Studio Energy and in that folder download BLU_D810u_V09_GENERIC_T5432.zip, if you use D810L than download BLU_D810I_V07_GENERIC_2014-12-19_03-30.zip. After downloading the file unzip it.

2. Download SP Flash Tools (Flash Factory Images) from the same webpage and unzip that too.

3. Finally, download the BLU USB and MTK Drivers (again same page) and unzip that too.

4. Install the MTK drivers. If you do not knwo how googles "how to install mtk drivers" and use the first link.

Keep in mind that you need to install only one driver, this one - MediaTek DA USB VCOM Port.

5.Run the SP Flash Tools. You don't need to install it, you simply run it via "flash_tool.exe".

6. When running it, you should be in the Download tab. If not than choose the download tab (on top). In there click on Scatter-Loading.

for D810U open the folder you've unzipped BLU_D810u_V09_GENERIC_T5432 to and choose "MT6582_Android_scatter.txt"

for D810L open the folder you've unzipped BLU_D810I_V07_GENERIC_2014-12-19_03-30 to and choose "MT6582_Android_scatter.txt"

7. After loading the scatter file you can uncheck two of the following - CACHE, USRDATA. However DO NOT UNCHECK ANYTHING ELSE. I've done that and it nearly bricked my phone.

I have D810U, but I've accidentally flashed it with BLU_D810I_V07_GENERIC_2014-12-19_03-30, when I did that I've unchecked CACHE and USRDATA. Later I have realized that I have made a mistake because I had no connectivity to Wind (or Mobilicity) so I had to flash the phone again using BLU_D810u_V09_GENERIC_T5432 and that time I've kept the check mark on both CACHE and USRDATA. After I've flashed the right rom I have regained connection to Wind (or Mobilicity).

8. Click on the Download button (the STOP button should become green). However, nothing else should be happening.

9. Turn off your phone.

10. Connect your phone to the computer, it should recognize the phone and the download should start. After the download is done SP Flash Tools will show a big 'green V".

11. Turn on your phone. You should have operational Kit Kat.

I strongly recommend that before you do anything like that you should back up your phone. I had not enough sense to do that and I nearly bricked mine in the process (because I did not have this tutorial and I've done something stupid - specifically I've flashed my phone the first time when only the RECOVERY and the ANDROID images were checked). I recommend using CM Backup to backup your contacts, images, SMS contacts and other personal info. Worst case scenario you will be able to use this app to restore your personal stuff to other phone. I can not recommend how to make a backup of the whole android system because I do not know how, sorry.

Good luck.

P.S.

A special thanks to qaddafiduck for his posts.