[Miscellaneous Android Development] Loony555:
[Guide][7.1.2][Install AIM OS v2.5 on Lenovo A7600-F [MT6582] without messing up inte

At first I thought I should make a new thread here in the forum, but then I thought, I rather stay in this thread. Thats why the text still looks like a new forum thread, but I thought I will just leave it this way.

After two days of testing and flashing and going back and forth, I finally have my good old Lenovo A7600-F running perfectly on AIM OS 2.5 / Android 7.1.

I also had the problem of the messed up internal storage, and thus a pretty useless Tablet. And no solution to be found. But I finally did it.

Thank you all here.

[Guide][7.1.2][Install AIM OS v2.5 on Lenovo A7600-F [MT6582] without messing up internal storage

First:

The original thread for the AIM OS can be found here.

https://xdaforums.com/android/development/rom-aim-os-v2-5-lenovo-a7600-f-t3713308

Thank you so much man!

Second:

I have taken a lot of knowledge and parts of this guide from thel2dab`s CM13 Thread.

https://xdaforums.com/android/development/lenovo-a7600f-original-cm13-port-t3515459

Thank you man!

Third:

- I hope you understand that all of these operations can and will render your device unusable, if you don't know what you are doing. So backup all your data beforehand, and be aware that anything can happen anytime.

- I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE THAT IS CAUSED BY ANYTHING STATED IN THIS GUIDE.

- It is REALLY important to use EXACTLY the files stated here in my guide (NOT ALL THE FILES FROM THE OP ARE WORKING FOR MY GUIDE!) and closely follow every step given. Especially when told to remove or insert SD Card, i really mean it, so do it please.

Preparations:

You need the following files, it is best to place them all on a suitable micro SD.

Download the ROM Here:

Android Version: AIM OS v2.5 (Android 7.1.2)

Security Patch Version: November 6, 2017

Kernel Version: 3.4.67 (kk)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EjVkf-_w5_N46uMj-5y1bvHDs0pmQPDA/view?usp=sharing

Thanks to Sabership!

https://xdaforums.com/android/development/rom-aim-os-v2-5-lenovo-a7600-f-t3713308

Download TWRP here:

A7600F TWRP 3.0.2.0

https://goo.gl/77toHX

Extract the recovery.img to your SD card, as flashify can't handle compressed archives!

As a short remark: it is very important to use 3.0.2, as the TWRP v3.1.0 from OP always rendered my internal storage completely useless, which was not fixable. This TWRP comes from thel2dab`s CM13 Thread, see link on top).

Download the Google basic Apps here:

(Choose ARM - 7.1 - nano)

http://opengapps.org/

Download "Emulated Storage fix" boot-image by SaberShip here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DMcMmDXlXlQHkZlxFrMzoQoLmoAHYWAe/view

Download Kingroot App

http://beste-apps.chip.de/android/app/kingroot-apk-android-app,cxo.94586052/

(apk, for obvious reasons not to be found on Google Play)

Download Flashify App

https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/chris...-release/flashify-1-9-2-android-apk-download/

(apk, just for convenience later, you can also download it from google play)

Preparations 2:

You need to have stock Lenovo android 4.2.2. or 4.4.2 installed.

If you have previously messed up your internal storage (=not showing up in android at all), there is no way to restore it, except flashing said stock Lenovo android 4.2.2. or 4.4.2 .

(Instructions and files: http://www.thecicc.com/video/Nt3RQgmQeRY.html)

So thats the basic we will need here. Let's begin.

1. Rooting The A7600F

From 4.4.2 and 4.2.2 this can be done easily with the KingRoot app.

Simply download Kingroot App wherever available, let it run, inside look for the menu button to make it do the root process. This will take some minutes! (There are other methods to gain root access, but this is by far the easiest, so I will not go into further details here)

2. Installation Of Custom Recovery

You must have a custom recovery installed. I have only tried this ROM with TWRP. This is the version I have been using: A7600F TWRP 3.0.2.0 by thel2dab

2.1 Install Flashify App on your Tablet, start it and flash the TWRP 3.0.2 recovery.img as recovery image.

2.2 Shutdown the tablet.

3. Installation Of Custom OS / Rom

3.1 Press and hold "Volume up" button and simultaneously press and hold Power-button, wait for the small menu to appear. With "volume up" key, choose "recovery", with "volume down" key confirm. Now the Tablet boots into the TRWP recovery System.

3.2 Now VERY important: TWRP will ask you, if it should leave the internal storage locked or if it should open it up.

----- MOST IMPORTANT STEP: TELL TWRP TO LEAVE THE STORAGE LOCKED AND UNTOUCHED!

3.3 Then go to wipe. Go to advanced wipe. Select and wipe only the following and nothing else:

Dalvik/ART Cache

Data

Cache

System

3.4 Return to the main menu. Go to install.

Select the ZIP file: AIM OS v2.5 N_7.1.2 A7600F Revision 2

Add additional zip open_gapps-arm-7.1-nano-20180115.zip

Install the whole load. This can take a while.

3.5 Once finished hit wipe Dalvik/Cache

3.6 REMOVE YOUR SD CARD FROM THE TABLET

3.7 Hit reboot. Hopefully it boots past the original Lenovo screen. When you see the swirling colourful dots, the system is booting fine. The 1st boot can take a up to 10 minutes!

Now despite what all the images and people say, your internal storage (as the Android sees it) will appear to be messed up unusable at this point (meaning no internal storage showing up in android, and file manager crashing right upon starting it).

Well, dont fear, the storage is fully intact, but the OS can't handle it this way, as Lenovo handles the internal storage a bit differently than most other manufacturers.

So: just one more step and we are done, we only need to install the fix for that, so the OS can handle an emulated internal storage.

3.8 Shutdown the tablet.

4. Install Emulated Internal Storage Fix:

4.1 INSERT YOUR SD CARD AGAIN (for it should contain the Emulated storage fix boot_emulated_storage.img by Sabership)

4.2 Boot into recovery mode again.

[[Press and hold "Volume up" button and simultaneously press and hold Power-button, wait for the small menu to appear. With "volume up" key, choose "recovery", confirm with "volume down" key. Now the Tablet boots into the TRWP recovery System.]]

4.3 Go to install, on the bottom right button change to "install image" and choose boot_emulated_storage.img to flash to "boot" sector.

Should only take a few seconds.

4.4 When done, REMOVE YOUR SD-CARD AGAIN FROM THE TABLET.

4.5 Reboot the tablet.

4.6 Open file manager to check if everything worked out fine.

If it opens up and shows something like "Lenovo A7600-F" with about 9,3 GB space left, everything went perfect, and your "brand new" Lenovo Tab is good to go with its flashy new Android 7.1 system.

If no internal storage is shown, or if the file manager immediately crashes upon opening, something went wrong, and there is really nothing that can fix this. I tried for hours. Then you need to start from the very beginning by flashing stock Lenovo Android using SP Tools.