yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[G1 Android Development] faylix:
Warning:

- This will void your warranty.

(But if you're doing this, you probably don't have a warranty anyway.)

- You need to be smarter than the average bear.

(I'm not responsible if this doesn't work, you pick a bad donor phone, you get stabbed while buying said phone, you somehow burn your house down while attempting these directions, you somehow manage to injure your cat when you open your phone, look its not my fault)

First:

Make sure you have a real brick. If you can get to anything other than a white G1 screen you DON'T have a real brick.

Please try:

1. Home + Power

2. Back + Power

3. Camera + Power

If you get anything other than a Tmobile G1 screen you don't have a real brick and DON'T need this guide.

What you need:

1. A donor G1.

Look for a G1 that got smashed up, scratched, broken screen, whatever. Just make sure it didn't go for a swim. I recommend craigslist. Make sure it starts at least. You can remove the back panel and check the void stickers to see if it changed color to check for water damage.

The point is that true hard bricks are caused by a major failure of the SPL. No one has figured out how to come back from this yet by software, but everyone that has seen an HTC repair bill knows you can fix it by replacing the mother board. New motherboards direct from HTC are prohibitively expensive though. Thats where the donor G1 comes in. I expect a lot more of them to be turning up for cheap now that there are some new android phones on the market.

I paid about $50 bucks for one without a working back light and a few scratches.

2. http://www.portatronics.com/guide/T-Mobile-Smartphone-Repair-Guide/

The second guide (first from the bottom). Its not that hard, just be careful. The point is that you have to slip the donor motherboard into your phone. It took me about 35 minutes and I lack fine motor skills.

Once you have it all buttoned up again:

1. format an SD card to FAT32

2. Put http://g1upgrade.com/DREAMIMG-RC29.zip in the root directory

3. Insert SD card in phone

4. Start with Camera+power and flash the same way you probably rooted your phone the first time.

I feel like this was known in the upper echelons of the community before, but I had never seen it explicitly spelled out in its own thread. Unfortunately I bricked a professors phone last Friday night and had to make it right using the minimum amount of cash possible by next Monday morning.

Wouldn't you know, its running kingklicks 2.0 right now.

- Faylix / Local

If you liked this,

Donate to Local's Broke Law school fund
[G1 Android Development] brandenk:
Its so funny you post this because I actually have a white G1 with a cracked screen and heavily scratched face and a black G1 thats perfect but has the Haykuro brick. Maybe I will throw the nice stuff on the working phone once I go buy some tools. lol
[G1 Android Development] faylix:
It works. Just be gentile with the connections when removing the motherboard, and a little scotch tape goes a long way to holding the connections in when you re-attach them to the donor board.

Taking the G1 apart is surprisingly easy. Do yourself a favor though, take the motherboard from the white one and stick it in the black one. Much easier than transferring the screen.

Go fix that brick.

- faylix
[G1 Android Development] senaia:
this is hardly a fix, essentially a new motherboard is a new phone, it just has your old case on it, so there's no actul fix apart from replacement. my opinion while it's great use of imagination, it's not by any means a fix. for all you know, the phone you're buying may be a blacklisted phone and will not work, it could even have the spl brick itself, so this is neither a true fix, or reliable

sorry :(
[G1 Android Development] faylix:
Call it what you will I guess.

On Friday I had a bricked G1, $50 bucks and 35 minutes later I have a working G1.

There should be lots of used G1's turning up on craigslist right now with the CLIQ / DEXT out, and even more as the other new phones drop.

I recommend you make sure the phone you buy at least turns on, but selecting an appropriate donor / making sure you aren't buying a stolen black listed phone is up to you.

Your Mileage May Vary.
[G1 Android Development] lbcoder:
The title of this thread is *extremely* misleading.

This does not in any way unbrick a phone. It is simple replacement.

Let me guess... are you an automotive mechanic in your day job? Seems like that's all they do these days... replace parts until it works.

What you need to understand is that the part that you are replacing is basically the brain of the thing.

To put this into perspective... if you got brain cancer and the doctors said they could cure you by a brain transplant, would the resulting "person" be you? Or would it be someone else?

I suggest that you find some way of renaming this thread (as a moderator to help you if needed) to something like "get a working phone again by changing the mainboard". At least that won't trick people into reading through it just to find that you are talking about something completely uninteresting.
[G1 Android Development] palosjr:
agreed... i thought this post was going to have actual flashing method of curing a brick, not some replacement part way.

PS- I really liked that brain transplant metaphor lol
[G1 Android Development] BinaryDroid:
Hehe Thought someone actually beat those of us working in the unbrick thread to the method. this is simply a replacement, cant call this an ubrick thread, should be titled "how to replace G1 motherboard"
[G1 Android Development] faylix:
To be fair, the title states it requires a donor.

After the task is preformed your phone is no longer a brick.

Actually I'm a law student that builds motorcycles in his off time.

If a part is broken, it can be obtained cheaper than a whole new unit, than the best "fix" in my mind is to just replace the part no?

Existential questions aside... if your phone is bricked, you can pay $400 for a new off contract phone, $200 and sign up for another 2 years, or $50 bucks and have a working phone using most of your own hardware. I know what I'd choose.

Wow. You're a hostile one.

I'm very sorry I wasted 5 minutes of your day in reading about the best, cheapest, way *so far* to fix a bricked a phone.

I'm also very sorry you lack basic reading skills, don't seem to understand what (requires a donor) means, and seem to have a dislike of mechanics. I suggest you re-read the top of the thread, realize since you are clearly dumber than rocks, this thread is not for you :p

Anyway, lets try and keep this on topic.

I was in a bad position, figured out the best fix I could given the current state of affairs, and thought it might help some other users on this board.

Mods, Please delete, change, do as you will.

If you have real questions about this process I'll answer them, I'm done with the back and forth.
[G1 Android Development] JackD3ath:
Great thread, I agree, the time these guys have wasted trying to resurrect bricked fones, the fix seems easy enough. Always better to follow the path of least resistance. Good thinking.
[G1 Android Development] lbcoder:
"requires a donor" could mean anything.

-SOFTWARE donor.

-it could mean that you are temporarily hijacking one to run the second.

I'm sorry that you don't see HOW MANY people got tricked by your misleading title into thinking that this thread was about something that it WAS NOT.

And motorcycle mechanic.... same thing. Just how did I guess?

And law student? I guess you must have taken too much from "how to mislead 101". Bloody (wannabe) lawyers...
[G1 Android Development] JackD3ath:
Great thread, I agree, the time these guys have wasted trying to resurrect bricked fones, the fix seems easy enough. Always better to follow the path of least resistance. Good thinking.

And there is a big difference between fixing a device and a human.

When the cpu on my computer dies, i replace it, not the whole computer.

Or if the ECU goes out in my car, I replace it, not the whole car.
[G1 Android Development] bubonik:
Dont listen to these punks, the fix you provided is indeed a fix for bricked phones. It may not be a software fix, but it is a fix.

The automotive comment made shows just how ignorant some people are. In fact, people do the same thing with vegetables at a store. Pick 1 up, its not satisfactory, pick up another, still not good, pick up another, this one is good! No difference.
[G1 Android Development] random_username_:
i aggree... give the guy a break the title may have been a little misleading but has anyone got any better ideas that work? i thought so...
[G1 Android Development] lbcoder:
This isn't about a fried CPU. The CPU is fine. It is about a BIOS FLASH gone bad (quite common). When you do a bad bios flash, do you replace the mainboard? No. You yank the BIOS FLASH chip out and "hotflash" it in another mainboard to resurrect it! http://www.overclock.net/faqs/102206-how-hotflash-your-bios-chip.html
[G1 Android Development] bubonik:
So what do you do when there isnt another motherboard available to fix the flashing? (G1 Software fix)

You replace the motherboard.
[G1 Android Development] JackD3ath:
Yeah ok so why dont you just do that then. I dont see your solution realized in the other thread.

Your the one comparing apples and oranges. I mean brain surgery.
[G1 Android Development] lbcoder:
Actually, you've just shown YOUR ignorance with your vegetable nonsense. Picking through a bunch of the SAME KIND of vegetable is not the same as replacing parts until something works.

Fact is this;

When you bring your car in to be "serviced", all they do is *replace parts*. Even if they don't know what part is giving you problems... they just keep on replacing parts until the problem goes away and stick them all on your bill. And this is despite the fact that things can usually be *repaired*. The correct way to repair things is to find what isn't working (done -- it doesn't boot), figure out why (IPL and SPL are incompatible), and correct the problem (rewrite IPL and SPL). Instead, you take the "automotive approach" and just replace parts until something works... except that in this case, you are not actually repairing the "bricked" phone, you are repairing the "smashed" phone and giving up entirely on the bricked one since it is the mainboard that defines what phone is what.
[G1 Android Development] lbcoder:
No? So instead of waiting a few more days to see if the jtag solution comes through, you're going to go out and spend $xxx on a new *broken-and-possibly-useless* phone in the off-chance that you might be able to repair it with parts from your phone, which is actually perfectly fine and is simply in need of reprogramming?

Your choice.

And I'm not telling you not to.

My only complaint is in the misleading nature of the TITLE of this thread, which suggests a solution to reprogramming the phone.
[G1 Android Development] bubonik:
Where exactly did you learn that mechanics replace parts until its right? I am a trained technician, yes certified, and 95% of mechanics I know do not do this.

I never said it was the same kind of vegetable. That was your assumption.
[G1 Android Development] shiftdsme:
...cause attempting to fix your G1 with that method is totally easier than replacing the MoBo!

Seriously though this thread presents swapping a MoBo as an option for unbricking, which some people might not realize is possible. Those people also might not realize exactly how it can be done, step by step. They might also not know how much time and money this might cost them.

So, ~$50 and ~1 hour of work, to get a phone working. Seems to me like its the most cost/time effective solution unless you can get a fully functioning G1 for < $50.

There is absolutely nothing in the title that suggests reprogramming.

A fix is a fix. Hardware or software. Doesn't matter, problem solved.
[G1 Android Development] Amdathlonuk:
LOL..............

seriously guys.
[G1 Android Development] phantom574:
Fix or not I have a question if I swap out a motherboard from my rooted g1 into a bricked g1 will I have to re-root or anything?
[G1 Android Development] Kazan22:
The MoBo is not the HDD so unless you swap the HDD as well then yes.
[G1 Android Development] faylix:
Finally, a real question.

The first time I booted the phone with the new mobo, it went directly to the bootloader screen. I loaded the dreaming.nbh file and started from scratch.

I believe its a safe assumption to say you should do the same to ensure everything works together
[G1 Android Development] senaia:
Ok so we've established replacing the mobo (and ultimately the phone, think about it, IMEI included) is a viable solution for a tech savvy person trigger happy with a screwdriver. A real fix without replacing parts would probably involve the seemingly pointless blue LED mode and a serial cable (just an idea, I actually have no clue)

So hardware fix, possible, but then it's not "your" phone, its somebody elses in your chassis

Software fix... coming soon?
[G1 Android Development] aerok:
Good god people, be nice already. It's not like he is charging you guys to provide this info. A fix is a fix, software or hardware, if a non-working device works after, it means that it go FIXED.

If you feel offended or it really angers you to lose 2 minutes reading this thread then go see the counselor because I fear worse things will have crazy repercussions.
[G1 Android Development] kassy_ok:
wow... thank you

-1
[G1 Android Development] faylix:
Time to get that G1 out of its coma Kassy :cool:
[G1 Android Development] joe v:
People have been waiting for almost 1/2 a year now for a a way to fix a brick!! Here it is,, bro. don't listen to those dudes there just butt hurt that it took you one weekend to figure out another way, way to go for the mechanic... lol...
[G1 Android Development] jaaronmoody:
darn, quoted before able to edit. should've said.... funny, but does anyone have insurance anymore?

i love that this is a viable option, but, can you IMAGINE the ppl thinking they have a brick and trying this? please make the first post simple and specific, or merge with another spl or brick thread to avoid the crap.
[G1 Android Development] faylix:
Thank you all of you, for a second I had started to think I did something wrong.

I can't even take credit for this, I culled all the knowledge I needed from prior threads. The only thing I did was put it together in one place and put a title on it.

I hope I've given back a small amount to the community that makes my phone so awesome.

- Faylix / Local
[G1 Android Development] faylix:
Done. :)

Any other suggestions welcome.
[G1 Android Development] brandenk:
Can you list the tools needed so I make sure I buy the right things. Probably a small torq driver (size?) and a prying device of some type?
[G1 Android Development] bkmo:
Yeah don't post this repair job in the developers forum the next time. WTF
[G1 Android Development] Chinpokomon:
I can't believe what I'm seeing here... lbcoder, how many times were you duped into re-reading this thread? Apparently quite a few times since you needed to reply so often.

Maybe this isn't the fix you wanted to see, but when you realized that did you really need to keep reading further? Did you need to respond? Someone took two broken devices and made one working one out of the process and you want to complain? It was easy enough calling out lbcoder on this, but there are lots of folks in this discussion that should have just looked the other way.

If a topic isn't of interest to you, for Pete's sake, don't tell us, just go read something else. What isn't interesting to you may be useful information to someone else; quit stifling discussions that maybe you already feel like you know the answers to or that don't seem germane to you. We don't need everyone throwing their opinions around and muddying the waters further. Unless you are willing to answer all the noobs questions, keep your mouth shut.

My only gripe, and I believe it is valid, is that this should be posted in General, not Development since this really doesn't have anything to do with development. That said, thank you for sharing your tale with us.
[G1 Android Development] Anartic:
Or we could always just stop this attack on this guy. He thought of a way to help us out, how about we just take that help and thank him? Who knows, he could have just helped out a future android developer with a bricked phone and $50 laying around.

The only real drawback I can think of this is that if you had an unlocked phone, you would probably be replacing a MoBo that is carrier locked and even then, it wouldn't be a real problem.
[G1 Android Development] jaaronmoody:
yeah, aren't there more than one mobo type being used on the g1
[G1 Android Development] Jorgitosms:
Despite some people don't like this thread (don't know why) this is a way. JTAG cable could be more expensive and difficult to use than a crashed G1.

Good solution. Let me say THANKS
[G1 Android Development] jaaronmoody:
had to check this out. http://www.xilinx.com/itp/3_1i/pdf/docs/jtg/jtg.pdf

hmmmm....
[G1 Android Development] AustinKnight45:
O no this is just terrible a cheap and affordable way to fix a bricked G1 DAM all those threads and this was the answer!lol!THx for the info this could come in handy sometime.:D
[G1 Android Development] jussuh:
any body who brick their G1 you can send it back to TMobile just tell them its not working and they will send you a new phone or send you to the nearest store to pick up a new 1 your phone is still under warantee as long as the seal is not broken and the time has not expired. PLS do not say you were trying to JAILBREAK the PHONE to the rep. Just say it just stopped working.

I did it b4
[G1 Android Development] Vlad83:
Faylix good job and thanks for your contribution. Don't listen to the idiots. This is the only way to fix a brick besides buying a new one. Thanks for the info.
[G1 Android Development] sturmeh:
Anyone here heard of the soul paradox? *cough* *cough*
[G1 Android Development] raptoro07:
Anyone who knows anything about these phones knows that all HTC does to unbrick it replace the motherboard. I have to agree with others. this is not really a fix, and is not anything new.
[G1 Android Development] Jorgitosms:
Good manual.

I have a 2005 Xilinx Spartan delevelopement Kit, a Xilinx CPLD Kit and other similar crap. But this is because I'm Electronical Engineer. There is a lot of people that has difficulties on this world. It's easier to change a PCB than try to find the correct pin in a PCB...

I only wanted to thank our friend about his solution. At the end it is a solution.
[G1 Android Development] brios86:
i think is helpfull for those who wish so, thankz
[G1 Android Development] str4vag:
@Faylix,

i would consider your solution to be a fix. because that is exactly what HTC did for me.

I bricked my Magic and sent it for repairs (luckily i still had warranty on it). they replace the mobo free.

good job man
[G1 Android Development] Noonski:
Well,... taking devices apart and using soldering is part of the long and old XDA history as seen on these old pages:

http://web.archive.org/web/20030202121312/http://www.xda-developers.com/

The focus has indeed shifted more into the software side of things over the years.

But as there is no real good place where instructions like these would get the appreciation and attention it deserves, having it here over at Development.

As we will not be adding a Subforum just for the dismantling of the devices. And most dismantling threads have mostly (for other device forums) been posted to the Rom development threads.

Now please quit sharing your opinions on what you think of the solution.

Either use it or not, or maybe add your experience. But keep it to the point.

This isn't Oprah.

Try to keep the Dev Forum's as informational as possible.

And move opinions to the General's like:http://xdaforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=447
[G1 Android Development] dipeshb:
Ha Ha, I couldnt have put it better myself!!! Nicely said.

Would I rather have this thread as a reference? Hell Yeah, one day a brick may happen to me, I always take a risk with this phone.. Glad to see someone cares enough to post their experiences.. rather than keep schtum, thats what this forum, and the internet is about!
[G1 Android Development] edgargeminis620:
wow i should have written this a long time ago! ive been doing this for like the past 9 months or so! rather a piece of cake its not really as difficult as they make it seem with the guide. but maybe i say that because ive done this a million times before.....

and im sure youll help someone out. this method also works for those g1's that got wet and dont turn on anymore or the ones that got dropped and the motherboards got fried.
[G1 Android Development] norman505:
Touch screen is not working

I replaced the main board, now the touch screen is not working, only a few keyboards work, does anyone know why?

Thanks,
[G1 Android Development] edgargeminis620:
maybe you forgot to connect the connection right from the pcb keyboard to the mother board. remember there are two....
[G1 Android Development] tjhart85:
Also, the replacement mobo could have been faulty as well.

Thanks for the guide, I consider it be a solution (if its what the manufacturer does, it's a solution)!
[G1 Android Development] prophetjinn:
Don't pay those people any mind. What you found and what you gave is VERY informative. I used it because i too have had this problem because of my SPL.

I'm guessing they aren't comfortable with opening up a device, somehow that's more complicated than flashing a rom.

Thanks for the nice tute and great link! helped a bunch!
[G1 Android Development] prophetjinn:
You might not have reconnected one of the leads. check them. maybe you connected the ribbon cable backwards?
[G1 Android Development] CrazyEye:
If you do everything right, this WILL work for sure. So long as the donor g1 actually isn't water damaged or bricked itself.

This reminds me of my PSP days, man so long ago rofl.

anyways good job, basic logic, awesome help.
[G1 Android Development] cb7tuner93:
Bro to connect the camera back took me an hour but everything is working good. Thanks
[G1 Android Development] Chahk:
I found it hilarious that lbcoder accused faylix of providing a mechanic's way of fixin' things. This reminded me of a joke...

Just how much time and resources was put into the "software" solution, when a simple main board swap would fix the bricked G1? I wouldn't say that they "wasted" their time because in the process these guys are learning a lot. But the bottom line is that after so many months and countless man-hours, they have yet to resurrect a single G1, when the OP did so within half-hour and $50.

To keep the bad analogy going, I'd rather have my mechanic replace a bad part for $50, than be stuck without a car for 3 months while they search for an elegant way to repair it.
[G1 Android Development] faylix:
I kind of stopped coming around here because of all the crazy responses I was getting here....

I mean I was really just trying to help people.

to keep with the car analogy.. if your block breaks - do you buy a new block, or try and weld it back together.. is it still "your car" if you drop a new motor in? Hell yeah.

It really pissed me off....

but I'm glad to see people are still being helped by this thread.

Chahk man, thanks for the kind words, and thanks for pointing out my score is still waaaaaaay ahead of theirs ;)

- faylix / local
[G1 Android Development] da_jojo:
taking there attention away with this nonsense wont help anyone of us but you with a good laugh..

somehow this sounds like you dont have a life.. pardon me saying.. i can tell as i dont have one :cool: