yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] hajkan:
Hi

I have couple questions for the exprerienced users of this tablet.

I am on Kitkat.

- Does anyone know if there is any other root beside Kingroot that works on this tablet? I tried Kingroot but that app is like a wiretrapping app. It constantly makes bunch of connections regularly even after rooting (not during rooting, after it). And it somehow bypasses the firewall so I highly recommend that you do not use it if you care about you privacy.

'

I tried kingosoft one, that works but just for the currentsession, I loose the root after a restart :( So I am looking for an app or a way to root this without compromising my privacy.

- Has anyone tried direct imaging the custom recovery files to partitions using dd? If so which files and partitions you dealt with?

- Has anyone tried rooting Lollipop update?

thanks
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] pjadec:
I have done clean flash to KK. Then updated 22 version. Then i flash with SP-Flash-Tool only custom recovery to KK, Then root with recovery, then flash supersu. Then all ready to use and install apps. Links i found in this thread.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Old faithful:
Right - Load the Carliv Recovery from SPFlash then load the SuperSU ZIP from there and you're good to go.

You can also check the summary thread, it's got most of the information you are seeking.

Yes, there are plusses and minuses. Main minus is sluggishness and poorer WIFi, main plus is access to the external SD Card for backup purposes not accessible in KitKat recovery. Check the summary thread for a crash course ;)
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] hajkan:
Hi

I cant get the Spflash to work on my win7 desktop. It keeps saying that it is the wrong scatter file. I tired this both when the tablet was off and on (while connected).

Btw I kept saying kingsoft root, I meant Kingroot.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] suhridkhan:
Is it possible that the scatter file you are loading is a bad download? Are you trying to update to lollipop or install a custom recovery? Which scatter file are you using? A screen shot of the error would help understand the situation.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Old faithful:
Besides what suhridkahn said, make sure you have:

- The proper version of the VCOM drivers installed (SP_Drivers_v2.0)

- The proper version of SP Flash (SP_Flash_Tool_v5.1532)

- The right USB cable and USB port (hub not recommended)

- Cleaned the USB ports from failed driver installs using USB Deview if you experience communication errors in SP Flash

- Try on another computer, preferably one with a fresh or recent install, making sure your USB power management is OFF.

In any case...

- Before doing any Android OS update, I recommend you first unroot and get rid of Kingsoft and only then load the proper version of carliv recovery for the OS you have through SP Flash.

- Right after you have the carliv recovery flashed, make sure you reboot into recovery right away (vol up and power for about 10 seconds, until you see the small type on the black screen, then push vol up to select "Recovery" and then vol down for OK) and once you see carliv recovery on the screen, select reboot. Your custom recovery if from now on installed.

- Once you're back into your system, go download the latest SuperSU ZIP package, save it onto the root of the internal SD Card (KitKat) or either the root of the internal SD Card or external SD Card (Lollipop), then shut the tablet off, go back into carliv recovery (as explained before), select install from ZIP.

After that, you should have the cleanest OS install with cleanest possible root.

- If you are running KitKat and want to use an SD Card, you will still have to hack into system/etc/permissions and add a line of code into platform.xml, or use SD Fix if you feel more comfortable going this way, to gain write access to your SD Card.

- For those who have problems with their WiFi due to the upgrade (or not), or have poor signal strength/dropping connection, I suggest you try WiFi Signal Booster, it worked wonders for me.

HTH.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] clsA:
Well i guess it's official the last update totally fixed the WiFi issue I was having on Lollipop. Two nights in a row and not a single wifi problem.

Small request from [MENTION=5919159]Tzul[/MENTION] ...If you get time could you create the sdtools install with the last update installed

or can you post the 10 "Start Address" and "Length" I need to do the readback and create it myself. I know that sounds lazy but I really can't get a handle on doing this step.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Old faithful:
Great to know - I was just thinking flashing to Lollipop tomorrow, so this post hits the spot right on - But the question is, is this last update kernel compatible with the Lollipop carliv recovery?
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] clsA:
Yes the carliv recovery still works just fine (it's still Lollipop). In general updates to the OS almost never break a custom recovery ( have never had it happen )

the only reason you would need a different recovery is for more features in recovery. Recovery is it's own operating system and works completely separate from the OS on the device. The fact that their are 2 separate recovery's for kitkat and lollipop is odd. normally the kitkat recovery should have worked on any version of android but something else in the tablets firmware must have changed to need a different recovery.

With the HP Touchpad you could use the same recovery with Android and WebOS. And boot to the one you choose.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Tzul:
I have the same issue, I prefer backlights that can be turned very low, for better reading in the evenings.

Does that actually affect the backlight, or does it just implement a translucent overlay on the screen?

GravityBox (the Xposed module) has a setting for actually reducing the minimum value of the backlight. It works on my phone, but not on this tablet (and the tablet has the annoying habit of dynamically adjusting the backlight anyway, even if you've set it to a fixed value).

I haven't tested this Lux app yet, but a few similar ones, like Twilight. What they usually do is just put an overlay on top of the screen contents to change the coloration. The big disadvantage with this is that it is slow and ugly. It actually makes some things brighter instead of darker - e.g. a fully black background should stay fully black, but with a red overlay it becomes dark red!

The only app that I know of which does better is CF.lumen by Chainfire (same guy who made SuperSU; xda thread here). It supports the (lame) overlay mode, but also a driver that adjust the colors properly (black stays black; requires root, I think). Anyway, this better mode works fine on this tablet. But a way to reduce the actual backlight brightness, or at least disable its auto adjustments, would still be great.

Currently working on it. Flashing my original A10-70F_S000120_150907_ROW firmware, then going to install this new update, then make a new complete backup. All without ever booting Android, hopefully.

I already explained the addresses. They're just the "linear_start_addr", "partition_size", and "region" values from the scatter file. And like I said before, I don't enter them individually, I just make a single readback from address 0x0 with length 0xD9400000, then split that into the individual files with a little program I made. I guess I could release it, but it wasn't intended for publication, it uses hardcoded values for the partition sizes / split points.

Yes, the recovery has its own copy of the kernel, which can differ from the kernel that Android uses. But it's nevertheless a good idea to keep them in sync, because the entire point of the recovery is to modify files that the main OS (Android) uses, and different kernels could have subtle incompatibilities with file access etc.

I explained on a previous page why the recoveries for Android 4.4 and 5 aren't compatible on this tablet: their compression format changed, as did the bootloader (LK) that runs them.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] suhridkhan:
Lux is also an overlay based app. Very unpleasant to the eyes. It's okay for reading, but for anything else totally worthless. I like the color of CF.lumen, but as you already pointed out, it doesn't do anything to the lcd brightness, so no good for reading. My understanding is that it would require very deep level modification in the kernel or hardware driver. Given the development level of this tablet, it's only possible if Lenovo does it themselves.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] SCWells72:
Sounds like the new Lollipop update fixes the wifi issues. Does anyone know if it fixes the issue with the screen turning off as if a proximity sensor had kicked in? Those were the two primary issues I was having that forced me back to KitKat.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Tzul:
[MENTION=3652037]SCWells72[/MENTION], I haven't experienced this problem in either firmware. The tablet doesn't have a proximity sensor, but it does have a magnetic cover/lid sensor. It's in the bezel, right at the spot where the volume keys are. Cases can use it to automatically wake the tablet or put it to sleep when the cover is opened/closed. Maybe that sensor is the cause for what you're seeing?
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] SCWells72:
It's the issue described in the second post here:

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo...lollipop-issues-report-everybody/td-p/2134960

I had the issue under Lollipop prior to the latest update and did not have it under KitKat after moving back. This morning I pulled the trigger and updated to the new Lollipop build, so we'll see over the next few days if the problem is still present.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Old faithful:
(Nevermind, got the answer to my question while reading further.)
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] clsA:
couple of questions, when I create my readback for preloader_hq8752_tb_b2b_l.bin the file size does not match yours (mine is 256 kb and your's is 137 kb ) and SPFlash gives an error when trying to add the scatter.txt back to the download window. I can use the preloader_hq8752_tb_b2b_l.bin from your lollipop files and everything seems to go alright but first boot hangs and I have to go into recovery and clear cache for the rom to load.

My backup with SPFlash of the rooted system showed the same symptoms. It would hang on the first Lenovo screen until I wipe the cache in recovery. then the tablet boots like a fresh install and my apps are all missing. All I have is stock Rooted system.

Any idea whats happening and how I can solve it ?

Yeah I reread what you wrote earlier I understand the need for the 2 different recovery's although that's not the norm when it comes to custom recovery.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] pjcons:
Am I the only one using team win TWRP custom recovery?
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Old faithful:
Why don't you spell out the advantages versus the carliv recovery? ;)
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] pjcons:
I wouldn't know, just was trying to install anything custom and twrp seemed to be the only simple solution.

I'm sure u guys know something I don't about carliv which makes it better.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Old faithful:
Same here. I waited 1/2 an hour and finally decided to go back into recovery and wipe the cache. Furthermore, upon restarting, it seemed to lock up again for a few minutes. At some point I lost patience and pressed the power button and only then did I hear the chme and animated logo and it got going. Was that also your experience?

I don't think it's meant as an update to an existing install. I reset my tablet to Factory KitKat (unroot, then load Recovery and System though SP Flash, then wipe cache and reset to factory), and it still locked up as explained before.

As for your loss of internal SD Card data, if you had userdata selected in SPFlash, I would surmise that it would have wiped everything.

It stands to reason that this method is only meant for clean installs, contrarily to OTA updates and that the cache MUST BE WIPED after each flash for it to reload the system properly for first boot.

Maybe Tzul will be able to explain why it happens this way. Can't wait to see his custom app for extracting SPFlash compatible factory ROMs ;)

I'm off now to update to 5.06, load Carliv Lollipop Recovery and finally SuperSU.

---------- Post added at 03:38 ---------- Previous post was at 02:59 ----------

OK, so I tried to load the 5.06 update, A10-70F_S000120_150907_ROW_TO_A10-70F_S000121_151222_ROW_lenovoota.zip, from the recovery, and upon reboot I still get 5.01 in the about screen. So I guess this wasn't the 5.06 update, so what's different?
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Old faithful:
OK, so with the update the tablet definitely feels more sluggish, takes significantly more time to boot up, and I haven't even loaded ghalf the stuff I use yet. There are also more annoyances, such as having lost the battery percentage (can't be enabled by a software hack). Also, it takes at least 20 seconds to connect onto WiFi, it seems like the on-off slider has an interminable delay, definitely not as snappy as on KitKat. We'll see if connections are any better.

If it wasn't for the ability to backup the device from recovery directly onto the SD Card, I wouldn't have bothered. Not too impressed so far.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] pjcons:
I've been on 5.1 for months and it's really laggy. Really not worth it in this tablet... Need marshmallow! Haha...
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Papanik:
Guys I can't root using Kingroot with the latest Lollipop update. Is this a known "issue"?
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] clsA:
I would try it if you post a link to it ..thanks

---------- Post added at 07:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:44 AM ----------

Yes, well sort of. the first time I boot after wipe cache it does not hang on the lenovo screen but after I flashed Carliv recovery it did hang again until I powered off and back on.

What I did was create the readback of the 10 partitions plus the Preloader and made a backup.

I then loaded Tzul backup of 5.01 booted up the tablet / rebooted to recovery / installed the OTA / booted up again / then powered off and created another backup (readback) of the pure system.

This is where I found out my Preloader dumps were bad and do not match those that Tzul has in his backup. (file sizes are different and SPFlash does not load them)

Were you able to readback a working preloader_hq8752_tb_b2b_l.bin ?

Yes it's still 5.01 but the wifi does no loose connection anymore. Again I can't compare to kitkat, I never had it on this tablet.

---------- Post added at 08:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:59 AM ----------

don't use the Kingroot method !

flash the correct Carliv Recovery and then load SuperSU 2.49 and you have root

---------- Post added at 08:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:03 AM ----------

I use Gsam battery monitor if you need a battery percentage, plus its just a good app
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Papanik:
OK thanks man, however, I tried this but when I try to install through Carliv recovery it says installation aborted.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] clsA:
what file are you trying to flash

this one ? >> https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=24345424848487429

try again, you simply copy that zip to your storage and choose to install it from recovery. never fails here
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Papanik:
Thanks again, this is the one I'm using, I even re-downloaded the file and tried again, "installation aborted". It's driving me crazy.

Nevermind, I'm glad I didn't just brick my new Lenovo. Noobish thing, I hadn't installed Carliv recovery as I should. :good:
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Tzul:
The partition size, and therefore the maximum size, of the preloader is 256 KB (0x40000). I simply trimmed mine to its actual size (which is at offset 0x20 in the preloader's header). I would therefore expect that the files are identical, except for the unimportant padding at the end. If not, let me know. It's possible that you do have a different version.

What error do you get in the SPFT exactly?

And are you sure the tablet hangs and doesn't just take a long time for the first boot?

I haven't experienced any hanging after a flash yet, but when I do change firmwares, I always do a full flash, including cache. I don't think it's easily possible to migrate from Android 4.4 to 5 (or vice versa) while keeping your apps. You could try to flash everything but the "userdata" partition, maybe that'll work.

This tablet uses the "data/media" layout. Meaning there aren't separate partitions for /data (the place where apps and their settings go) and /sdcard (the rest of the internal flash storage, where your userfiles can go). Instead, there's only one partition and /data and /sdcard share the available storage space dynamically. This is great, because your space for apps isn't restricted to some arbitrary value (my phone for example only provided 0.9 GB for /data, which is way too little; so I repartitioned it and bumped it up to 2.5 GB, at the expense of /sdcard). The downside is that /sdcard (internal storage) is no longer accessible to a PC when connecting the tablet in USB mass storage mode. Only MTP.

The userdata partition as specified in the scatter file is 0x49C00000 in size, that's 1180 MB. But that's actually just a portion of it, it can grow to fill the remaining free space on the tablet's flash, which would be 0x313580000 (12597 MB) for the 16 GB version (I don't know the exact value for the 32 GB version). So, if you really want to back up all of /data and /sdcard (=/data/media), you'll have to use that size value rather than the one given in the scatter file. That doesn't apply to factory fresh partitions, though, as they haven't grown beyond that size yet (it would bloat up complete firmware packages too much).

Long story short: if you change firmwares via SPFT and want to keep your user data, do not flash ther userdata partition (or flash it completely, which requires a full backup and scatter.txt modified to the full size). Might not work between Android 4 and 5, though.

I use Titanium Backup to save all apps and their settings to my external SD-card, and a file manager to backup the important stuff in the internal storage (/sdcard, i.e. /data/media).

There's a working TWRP for this tablet? Link, please! I was thinking about trying to port it myself, but if I don't have to, all the better.

TWRP is great. Touchscreen controls (no awkward navigation with the volume and power keys), integrated basic file manager (Carliv can use the Aroma file manager, but that has to be installed separately), MTP support (access the tablet's files from your PC, even when /sdcard is mapped to /data/media), theming support...
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] clsA:
Mine were indeed 256kb and SPFT error was something like BROM ERROR:S_DL_GET_DRAM_SETTING_FAIL and the download window would not load the file locations until I corrected it with your preloader file.

Edit: after some file compare in a hex editor My file had allot of extra junk in it

altering the Start Address to 0x0000000000000800 cleaned up the beginning of the file but the Length is still off

your file ends at Offset 22067 in the editor. It still eludes me how to get the Length to end at a certain Offset. I have gotten it closer but never exact, it always needs trimmed in the hex editor to get it perfect

yes it was definatly hung on the first black Lenovo powered by Android screen for well over 25 min. wiping the cache fixed it each time. (stock recovery or Carliv)

I was never migrating from 4.4.4 to 5.01 .. my tablet shipped with 5.01

This sort of explains why my backup didn't work, even though the userdata.img file it created was 1.15 GB - its the same size as the fresh install userdata.img

yeah it's much easier to restore the tablet with carliv recovery Nandroid

I also want this file ...love TWRP on my HTC Phones

agree 100%

Looking forward to your full stock backup of A10-70F_S000121_151222_ROW
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] pjcons:
The TWRP custom recovery I found somewhere but can now only find the link to the img file... It's a Russian site, Russian software.

https://yadi.sk/d/xv4TEgAbjD4cm

That's all I know apart from it flashes backs up and restores!
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Old faithful:
I didn't do anything of the sort - simply backed up the few docs I had, most of the stuff was on the external SD Card anyway. My computers are set up the same way: one partition for programs and system, another for data and the backed up tweaks and settings I'm able to extract from the programs I run. I wouldn't do it any other way if I could.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] suhridkhan:
How did you flash this img? via fastboot, flashify, or sth else?
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] pjcons:
Rashr
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] hajkan:
Hi

Do you guys have strange things happening with rooted Lollipop? For example, strange things like installed apps disappearing or Supersu not remembering root permissions at a new session?

I installed Kernel Adiutor via F-droid. Next time I restarted the sytem, it cant find the KA. It shows the icon but when I click on the icon it says no such app exists. I reinstalled it, and still it cant find the app. Quite bizarre.

One other issue is that there are a lot of "strange" services running. Things like "Engineer Mode", "EM SIM ME Lock", "BSPTelephonyDevTool"

Btw Carliv cant mount ext sdcard on my system. Does anyone else have the same issue?

I wish that there was a true custom rom for this great device.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] suhridkhan:
I haven't been able to boot to recovery using this img. Are you in Kitkat or Lollipop. I am on latest lollipop update and it's not working on my device.

---------- Post added at 12:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:34 AM ----------

No, I am not facing any of these Issues. Do you think Kernel Adiutor might be responsible for this?

You are right about those strange processes. This stock rom needs quite a bit debloating. There are a lot of strange system apps. I guess we need to try freezing them in titaniumbackup, and see what happens.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] pjcons:
I'm on the 5.0 lollipop OTA.

Can't seem to get into TWRP from switched off tablet but can get there using RASHR (or ROM Manager) - reboot to recovery.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Old faithful:
Yep, sound like quite a few other people here are having issues with Lollipop. I haven't given up on it yet, but with only 1/10th of my apps loaded, I am struggling with it like you guys, just too much stuff isn't working as it should and honestly, I'm getting tired fighting Google's insanity incessantly after every OS 'upgrade'.

I haven't given up on Lollipop yet because of the much better color rendering, but if I can't get my stuff to work right, it's going back to KitKat. As for the graphics engine itlsef, I did manage to find the Miravision APK during my investigations and may try to install it on Kitkat to see if that helps, but I'm not sure how it fits into the graphic engine itslef. If anyone has any clue, I'd love to hear about it.

---------- Post added at 00:58 ---------- Previous post was at 00:57 ----------

Whats the difference with 5.01?

---------- Post added at 01:17 ---------- Previous post was at 00:58 ----------

Another quick question - it's really not working well at all, going into Carliv Recovery there is the option to do a 'Wipe Data - Factory Reset'. I'm just wondering if it's safe to do, considering the tablet was originally in KitKat. Am I correct to assume it will simply reload Lollipop form its flashed ROM? I guess I'll have to reload the OTA update after through ZIP as before?

Also, what does Wipe All - Preflash do? Will it also erase the NVRAM?

TIA for your help.