[Android General] Viva La Android R.I.P.:
Onn Surf 7 (1st Gen)

Model No. 100005206

7" WiFi Android Tablet

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Unbricking & Factory

Firmware Restoration Guide
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OVERVIEW:

The 1st Gen Onn Surf 7 is a 7" budget Android tablet manufactured by the Walmart owned electronics brand Onn (styled onn.). It ships with the MediaTek MT8167B chipset, which integrates an energy efficient quad-core Cortex-A35 CPU clocking at 1.3 GHz max, the Imagination PowerVR Rogue GE8300 GPU, paired with 1 GB RAM. The CPU cores are built on the 28 nm process standard. The tablet ships with Android 9 Pie (Go Edition), compiled using the armv7l (32-bit) architecture. The 7" IPS display has a resolution of 1024 x 600 @ 160 dpi (mdpi), and a 17:10 aspect ratio. This device has 16 GB internal storage (12.2 GB useable). The /userdata partition employs the f2fs file system standard, which allows for faster transfer speeds than the traditional ext4 standard. There is also a micro SD card slot for up to 1 TB additional external storage space. The Li-Ion 2100 mAh battery provides around four (4) hours of power at heavy usage, and up to seven (7) hours of juice with light to moderate usage. The main camera shoots images up to 5 MP, while the front selfie cam shoots at 2 MP.

This guide outlines detailed instructions on restoring and/or upgrading the 1st Gen Onn Surf 7 (Model No. 100005206) tablet's stock firmware. This procedure can be used to fix a tablet which is bricked, stuck in a boot loop or is otherwise unable to boot into the Android OS. This guide can likewise be used by device owners who are experiencing issues attributed to firmware corruption, those who simply wish to revert to a full stock and unmodified Android OS, or those who wish to upgrade from an older firmware build. This process will remove any system level mods, root binaries, custom kernels, recoveries, etc., reverting the Android OS and corresponding firmware to an unmodified stock state.

FIRMWARE INFO:

• OS/Version: Android 9 (Go Edition)

• Build No. PPR1.180610.011

• Build Date: September 19, 2020

• Security Patch Level: August 5, 2019

• Build Type: User

• Build Tag: release-keys

• Kernel version: Linux 4.4.146

• Custom Build: alps.mp.p0.mp6-V1.134

• API Level: 28

• Partition Scheme: GPT Legacy

PREREQUISITES: ​

A PC or laptop running on Windows 7/8.1/10/11;​

The SP Flash Tool firmware flashing software (link provided below);​

A factory firmware package for the Onn Surf 7 tablet (link provided below);​

The vCom MediaTek USB drivers installed on your Windows computer (link provided below);​

The factory supplied or a quality equivalent micro USB to USB-A data syncing cable.​

MEDIATEK vCOM USB DRIVERS:

The most common obstacle many members encounter when using the SP Flash Tool is related to device recognition. The SP Flash Tool software flashes firmware directly to the NAND/eMMC whilst the mobile device is in BROM flash mode. In other words, the flash tool is interacting directly with the MediaTek chipset during the flashing process. The user merely needs to connect the powered off mobile device to the PC or laptop using an adequate USB data syncing cable. SP Flash Tool, in turn, will initiate BROM flash mode on the mobile device and commence with the firmware restoration process. In order for your device to be properly recognized in this regard, it is crucial that the MediaTek vCom USB drivers are properly installed and configured on your Windows computer. While I will not be outlining step-by-step instructions here on installing these drivers, I have provided a link in the downloads section below for a comprehensive guide on properly installing and configuring the vCom USB drivers on your Windows machine. Once you have completed this crucial task, you may proceed with this guide. Be sure and thank the OP of that guide, @skeleton1911, if you use his work.

DISCLAIMER

This guide involves flashing the eMMC internal storage device of your tablet with a factory firmware package, thus fully restoring your tablet to its stock factory condition. The procedure outlined below is inherently risky to the overall integrity and operability of your tablet. Failure to follow the instructions properly can, for instance, render your device completely inoperable. By proceeding further, you are assuming sole responsibility for the integrity and operability of your tablet. I have fully tested this procedure on my own device. Follow the instructions carefully, employ patience, and things should go smoothly. I am not responsible if you brick or otherwise damage your tablet. Moreover, it should be emphasized that this guide is for Model 100005206 (1st Gen) only. The factory firmware package for this model is not compatible with newer generation models of the Onn Surf 7 tablet.
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INSTRUCTIONS

This section presumes that you have properly installed & configured the latest MediaTek vCom USB drivers on your Windows PC or laptop. Again, I have linked a guide for installing these drivers in the downloads section below. Your bootloader does not need to be in an unlocked state. However, this procedure may relock your bootloader if it is presently in an unlocked state.

WARNING: This procedure will erase all saved user data from your device. Before proceeding, make a backup of any files, media or data that you wish to preserve.​

Download the Onn Surf 7 factory firmware package from the link below and extract the contents of the archive to a folder on your computer desktop, or to a folder in another convenient directory;​

Download SP Flash Tool v5.1924 from the link below and extract the archive to your desktop, or to another easily accessible directory;​

Ensure that your tablet is powered off and is not connected to your PC or laptop;. Likewise, ensure that there are no other mobile devices or USB storage devices connected to your computer;​

Open the SP Flash Tool folder that you extracted in Step 2. Click on flash_tool.exe, then right click and choose to Run as Administrator;​

Ensure that the pull-down menu, located near the mid-left region of the interface, is set to Download only. Next, click on the Choose folder icon, located to the right of the Scatter-loading file heading.​

A file explorer will be launched. Navigate to the saved location of the firmware you extracted in the first step. In the firmware directory, select MT8167_Android_scatter.txt, and then click Open;​

The SP Flash Tool will now load the factory firmware package. A violet-colored progress bar near the bottom of the interface will reflect the completion status.​

Once the firmware has been loaded, connect the USB-A end of the data syncing cable to your PC or laptop. Click the Download box located near the upper-left region of the interface;​

Now, connect the micro USB end of the data sync cable to your tablet. If the vCom drivers are properly installed and configured on your PC or laptop, SP Flash Tool will recognize your device and initiate firmware installation via BROM flash mode. A yellow progress bar located near the bottom of the interface will reflect the percentage of completion. Once completed, you will receive a notification that the procedure was successful.​

Disconnect your tablet and use the power key to boot the device. Your Onn Surf 7 should be fully restored to it's stock factory state and running on the most recent firmware build available.​

DOWNLOADS:​

SP Flash Tool v5.1924​

Factory Firmware for Onn Surf 7​

vCOM Drivers Installation Guide​

THANKS & MENTIONS:

I would like to take a moment to thank @skeleton1911 for his comprehensive tutorial on properly installing MediaTek vCom USB drivers on Windows 10 & 11. I would ask any members who use that tutorial to give the OP thanks.​