[Nook Color General] escabar:
Boot Loop Even After Factory Resets

Hopefully my experience will help some other frustrated or novice users that may encounter their NC doing a random factory reset.

The B&N reset happened to me this past Fri. I was on firmware 1.0.0 with 900MHz kernel flash, Zeam, and many market and sideloaded apps. I was not in any B&N apps. I had been using this configuration for 3+ days with no issues (no reboot or reset issues prior to this and had my NC since late Dec 2010). All of a sudden a message stating that the Nook encountered a problem and that the NC would be reset to its original state??? message flashed. Since I had Clockwork installed, the NC simply booted into Clockwork. I had not done a Clockwork backup (read about an incomplete backup). I tried cycle powering, but the NC simply stalled after the black NC screen (the screen after "loading..."). I tried to flash the 1.0.1 kernel that was posted, but still stalled at the same screen. Since Clockwork was installed, I could not figure how to do a two/three finger salute to initiate a factory restore. I tried everything to get out of the boot loop or even perform a factory reset.

I followed NookDev instructions here http://nookdevs.com/NookColor_Fix_Boot_Loops

which for some reason invoked the factory reset (I still had adb functionality at that point). I performed the factory reset, but the process reached the end and indicated that it failed. Upon restart, I had lost Clockwork (probably because the orig boot image was restored) and the NC stalled at the same blank screen again. I did the two finger salute (power button + N button) which started the factory reset process (since I did not have Clockwork anymore). This time the factory reset indicated it completed successfully. However, upon restarting, the NC still stalled at the same screen. I tried several more time to factory reset my NC (from then on indicating successful factory reset), but still stalled at the same screen. Since I had lost Clockwork, I tried to boot of the SD card (flashed with Nook Froyo) thinking that I could adb the boot files onto the NC. Nookie Froyo hung at the "A N D R O I D" msg at the bottom even though adb devices showed 1122334455?? Thinking I had nothing further to lose, but to possibly return a bricked NC, I kept attempting performing factory resets. After the third or fifth (lost count) factory reset, the factory reset that time was different. It read "Performing ??? upgrade." Upon completing and restarting, I finally got past the blank screen I was stalled at. I tested the factory state several times by performing several reboots and several shut downs and boot ups. In device info, it read I was on firmware 1.0.0 which made sense since I had not upgraded to 1.0.1 (1.0.0 should still be the image in ROM). I rooted with Autonooter then installed all my previous apps and flashed the 900MHz kernel. I performed most/all the mods posted including disabling octcerts against upgrades. Yes, I ran a few Clockwork backups!!!

In short, if you encounter the dreaded NC factory reset for no reason, restore with Clockwork/Titanium. If you are stuck in a boot loop as I was (even after factory resets), keep at it. Unless there is something ridiculously wrong with the ROM/NC (hard to brick as other devs have noted), your NC has to restore from the image in ROM. You may have to manually interrupt/boot loop 8 times ??? like I did (24-40+ times???), but keep at it...it should restore.