[Android General] Viva La Android R.I.P.:
Lenovo Tab3 8​

Model No. TB3-850F/M

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Factory Firmware

Restoration Guide

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OVERVIEW

There are a number of methods that can be used to restore the factory firmware on the Lenovo Tab3 8. The method used in this guide is undoubtedly the simplest, quickest and most efficient. We will be using the Lenovo-Moto Rescue & Smart Assistant (RSA). The RSA is a Windows-based proprietary software suite and factory firmware restoration solution, developed and released by the Lenovo/Motorola Mobility conglomerate. This PC client software can be used to restore virtually any smartphone, tablet or smart device manufactured by Lenovo or Motorola over the past several years. The RSA installs and configures the latest USB device drivers on your PC or laptop, matches your device with the most current official firmware available, downloads the firmware package, and then uses a chipset-based flashing protocol to install the firmware. An invaluable feature of RSA is its ability to flash the Tab3 8 from a powered-off state (BROM mode) on tablets that are bricked and thus incapable of booting into the Android OS, fastboot mode, or recovery mode.

COMPATIBILITY & REQUIREMENTS

The RSA software will run on Windows 7, 8.1, 10 or 11 (64-bit). Lenovo lists a minimum CPU speed of 2 GHz and a minimum of 2 GB RAM to ensure RSA compatibility on your PC or laptop.

You will need a reliable internet connection to use RSA, an active Lenovo user account (free & quick to set up), and the factory supplied or a quality equivalent USB-A to micro USB syncing/charging cable.

This guide can be used for firmware restoration of either the WiFi-only model (TB3-850F) or the 4G-LTE supported model (TB3-850M) of the Lenovo Tab3 8. ​

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RSA INSTALLATION & SETUP

Download the RSA software client from the link provided below onto your Windows PC or laptop. Double click the .exe installer and follow all prompts to install the RSA software. During the installation, the RSA software will also install the latest USB device drivers on your computer. Upon the initial launch of the RSA client, you will first be be prompted to agree with the terms of use and the privacy policy. Check the appropriate box and click Continue. Next, you will be prompted to sign in to your Lenovo account. Go ahead and create a new account if you do not already have one. It's completely free and only takes a moment to create.
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INSTRUCTIONS

Once signed in to your Lenovo account, the RSA software will open to the main screen. Click on the Rescue tab located in the upper-left of the interface​

Next, click the Tablet option. You will now be prompted to submit your tablet serial number so that the client can locate the correct firmware for your model. To skip this, click the option titled How to find SN?, then click the arrow on the far right titled More​

Next, click the option titled Manual Selection located in the lower-right of the window​

Now you will be prompted to Select the name & model of your device. In the upper box, use the pulldown menu and select Lenovo Tab3 8 from the list of devices​

In the lower box, use the pulldown menu and select either TB3-850F (if you have the WiFi-only model) or TB3-850M (if you have the 4G-LTE supported model)​

The RSA will now list the most current firmware build available from Lenovo's software support servers. This will be listed as the Target Firmware​

After ensuring that the target firmware listed matches your device model, click the orange Download tab​

The RSA software will now download the firmware package and sone additional software components needed to flash your device. Ensure that your tablet is in a powered off state​

Once the files are downloaded, click the Start Rescue tab. Follow the on-screen prompts for instructions on connecting/disconnecting the tablet to/from your computer​

The restoration process generally takes just over five minutes to compete. Once the RSA client provides a restoration complete notification, simply power up your tablet like normal​

That's it. Your Lenovo Tab3 8 should now be reverted to its unmodified stock state and running on the most current factory firmware build. ​

DOWNLOADS

• Rescue & Smart Assistant v6.5.2.22

• Official Lenovo RSA Software Releases

• RSA User & Info Guide (English, PDF)​