Totally bricked eMax Mini, stuck in download mode - now what??

TechBrain

My eMax mini was rooted, with TWRP installed, all working fine. Then last night SuperSU asked to update binaries either 'normal' method or 'CWM/TWRP' method required for some phones.

I opted to update via 'normal' method. After a while a message said the update failed, and requested reboot. I reboot and... it gets stuck at the 'android' text screen. I try restarts, but it never gets any further than this.

So, I try everything I can think of in TWRP recovery, starting with installing SuperSU from ZIP file. I'm limited in what I can do because it won't mount /data - it wouldn't even let me do factory reset, it'd just fail and complain about not beiong able to mount /data or whatever.

Eventually I tried to restore a backup I made a while back. That seemed to complete okay, but when I rebooted... nothing. No matter what I do with button combinations and plugging into my PC, I get nothing on screen and no vibrations either.

I've tried various software suggested in this forum and elsewhere to no avail. I can't get far with QPST because it reports that the phone is 'downloading' - and it keeps cycling, disconnecting and reconnecting with Windows, but never getting beyond 'downloading'.

I guess this is what people call a 'hard brick'? Is there anything I can do to recover this phone or is it permanently broken?

[I'm going to be very annoyed if I have to buy another phone - and if I do I'm going to look at alternatives given that UMI hasn't lived up to its promises for this phone (I like the hardware combination, but the software issues suck even though I managed a workable compromise before this bricking incident).]

bencebacsi

Have you tried to recover your phone with flashtool?
http://community.umidigi.com/for ... peid%26typeid%3D104
If your phone is completely dead or in boot loop, try to follow the emergency instructions that work in such cases. Don't forget to install the proper drivers from the flashtool and keep your eyes on the COM port list in your Windows device manager. This method is able to resurrect a hard bricked eMAX mini. I tested it many times.

TechBrain

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Hi bencebacsi.

Yes, I tried that. It always gets stuck at 2% progress with status "switching to download mode" and eventually fails with timeout after a few minutes "Search Disk over time! Please check the handset or driver! (Error code = 40011)".

I've tried both the 6FA6-ZP1-P5002-Flashtool and the 6FA4-ZP0-P5002-Flashtool.

I've tried installing the drivers with each flash tool, and those in the emax_mini_twrp_driver_install.exe that you posted. I've tried uninstalling them, rebooting PC, reinstalling them, rebooting PC, and trying the flash tool again.

I've tried to follow the instructions for putting the phone 'into downloader mode for flashing', but I can't because it is unresponsive - nothing on screen, no vibrations. I haven't found any combination of pressing/holding/releasing buttons that does anything other than temporarily disconnect the phone from the COM port. (It shows up in Windows Device Manager as 'Android HS-USB Diagnostics 9006' - which I note is different to what your post says it should be)

Edited by bencebacsi for better readibility only. No content has been changed.

bencebacsi

1.
When you see the Android HS-USB Diagnostics 9006 in your device manager, remove it and its driver by choosing that option in the right click menu, then search for new hardware and install the drivers manually, choosing HS-USB QDLoader 9008.
2. Maybe you fails at the timing of pressing the buttons. After connecting your phone to USB, immediately press and keep pressed the three side buttons in the following order: vol up - down - power.

TechBrain

1. I tried that yesterday after I posted. I loaded the driver successfully and HS-USB QDLoader 9008 did show up in Device Manager when I plugged in the handset.
2. I tried various combinations and timings, but all that ever happened was that sometimes the phone would disconnect from Windows (HS-USB QDLoader 9008 disappeared) and then immediately reconnect (HS-USB QDLoader 9008 reappeared).

I've just tried to connect the phone to Windows to try again today, and it was completely dead for a while - there was no 'connection' sound from Windows, and it didn't show in Device Manager, even after 'scan for hardware changes'. However, I guess it was completely flat and needed a little charge - it has just now connected as I was typing this paragraph. But now I can't be bothered to go through all the same motions again to try to revive it against the odds.

Thanks for trying to help, but I think I'm going to give up on this piece of crap phone. I've lost far too much time already. Pity - I liked the balance of the hardware specs. But I've experienced far too many difficulties with this phone. Never again.

bencebacsi

You should try with another USB cable/port or computer. I tested these solutions many times with always success. My wife is a user of a such phone, she operates it all day for long months already and it works pretty well without any issues.

gauntlet

Hi i got the driver installed correctly, but the tool keeps on 2% downloading MPRG and does not move from there!

anything i can do to revive my phone?