Pipo M8 Pro RileyROM 2.2 KitKat

[oibo]

Flash the update

Yes. As post #1 clearly says, this is the first (and only) KitKat ROM for the M8 Pro. Previous ROM's were Jellybean. There are links to some other threads with information on how to unbrick your tablet if you did not flash the boot loader with the ROM as discussed in all of the KitKat ROM's.

Hello Riley, thanks for your great work! Why can't I flash this update "dirty" without erasing everything?
It will take me weeks to "recreate" the phone.

[rrileypm]

It should take you that long to recreate your tablet.

If you are flashing from a previous Jellybean ROM, you MUST erase IDB before flashing or you risk bricking your tablet. Jellybean and KitKat are two very different OS's with a different boot loader and partition configuration....so erasing IDB is required. If you don't flash the new boot loader (top file in the flash tool) with this KitKat version...you will brick your tablet.

If you are flashing from a previous installation of RileyROM v2.2, you could try just flashing the system.img file and uncheck everything else in the flash tool, but I have not tested that. This new update only has one small edit in the framework.jar file....everything else is identical. You wouldn't have to erase IDB. Like I say, I haven't tried it...so results may very.

What I always do is make a backup of my current tablet setup with Titanium. Under batch operations, I do a "Backup All Apps/System Data". Be sure to copy the backup to your external SD.

After flashing, the first thing I do is enter my gmail accound and go to Google Play Store and install Titanium...and the key app (I highly recommend getting the paid version to unlock all of the features). After going into preferences and setting the backup folder to the one on your external SD...I do "Restore Missing Apps with Data". Go through the list and only check the apps you really need to restore. That will restore all of your apps along with the settings for those apps.

Since I frequently flash my tablets for testing...I have the whole restore operation down to 5 minutes, max.

[owim]

Hello,

A friend gave me his Pipo M8 Pro tablet to upgrade it (your ROM), but... tablet won't boot at all (didn't do anything).
Tablet is on factory 4.1.1 ROM. When I turn it on, just splash screen shows up and hangs on there. Tried reset, tried Power+Menu, Power+Back in order to enter Recovery (if any), but no luck.

- Can I try to put this new ROM in a condition in which it is?
- If not, what can I do to try to boot it up somehow? (I am sure nobody was doing any upgrade or anything "nasty".)

I am grateful for any help.

Cheers!

[rrileypm]

Did you see this in post #1?

There are some threads in the stickies of the main Pipo section that can assist you if you brick your tablet. HERE and HERE

Check in those threads for some instructions. It sounds like you are having boot loader issues.

[owim]

^ Of course I did read your OP, but how to brick tablet if not doing anything regarding serious changing of systems settings or upgrade? None of it was done, no flashing performed, no change to boot loader, just simple use, so I didn't assume tablet was bricked. I'll do my reading now, thanks.

[rrileypm]

OK, so you are saying that you can't get the tablet to boot...and you haven't tried to flash yet? That means it isn't bricked.

Did your friend report this behavior when he gave it to you? Is this the reason he wanted an upgrade?

You can try flashing the ROM by getting into flash mode manually.

Hopefully, your friend gave you the original USB cable that came with the tablet. It's important to use it during the flashing process. If not, you will need to find a cable with a longer micro end to reach further into the tablet and make a better connection.

Download the RileyROM and unzip it on your desktop. Read the First Time User's Guide.pdf in the zip file...it will cover most of your questions...including how to install the drivers needed to run the flash tool.

The manual way to enter flash mode is to press the reset button (on the back) with a paper clip to make sure the tablet is off. Then hold the esc button while pressing power. The flash tool will see the tablet in "loader" mode. Then just follow the directions in the pdf file for flashing.

I think the main thing is to erase IDB and delete the old system...which is causing the tablet to hang during boot.

You should have a working tablet with a fresh firmware installed.

[owim]

OK, so you are saying that you can't get the tablet to boot...and you haven't tried to flash yet? That means it isn't bricked.

Exactly that!

Did your friend report this behavior when he gave it to you?

Yes. And he said he didn't do anything. (He's a total n00b.)

Is this the reason he wanted an upgrade?

He never sad "upgrade", more like "make it work, anything, even like it came from the factory". He doesn't know what KitKat is, for instance.

However, he gave it to me since we both bought same Pipo M8 Pro on the same day, so I have the same tablet and I'm a bit smaller n00b than he is, hehe. Mine still works as it came from the factory, for more than a year, but I'm gonna put KK on it very soon.

Now I'm gonna read carefully everything you wrote me and try to apply on his Pipo device. I'm a novice, so I'll need some time. Thank you very much for your input!

Cheers, Ivan

[rrileypm]

Don't worry...every mistake has already been made by someone. That's why we save every post on every thread...forever...for people to use the information.

The sticky threads in the Pipo section are very useful.

Feel free to ask, if something isn't very clear.

[owim]

Since now I have two exactly same Pimo M8 Pro tablets I was able to "experiment". Friend's tablet is the one that can not boot, mine is on Pipo factory settings (ver. 4.1.1).

I did everything as you described in PDF.

First of all, friend's tablet wouldn't do Reboot to Flash mode (from ROM Flash Tool), but mine did. His tablet also didn't Switch from Rockchip Batch Tool. Here is the pic showing everything.



His tablet was started with Esc+Power and you can see "Found RKAndroid Loader Rock USB" message. Mine was simply powered on and connected.

Having this, what should I try to do with his tablet after these messages? Regarding my tablet, Reboot to Flash was successful, and I'm ready to start the flash process. I'm more interested in his tablet since I can not erase IDB if I don't pass this point successfully.

Thanks for guiding me.

[rrileypm]

If you already have the tablet in flash mode...which you've done by doing the esc/power combination, you don't need to press switch/reboot to flash again. Flash mode is indicated by the bottom line showing "Found RK loader Rock USB".

In the RileyROM tool, try erasing IDB. If that works, then flash the ROM. I see you have all of the correct things checked...unless you want to use a different parameter file...but let's see if it will flash first.

Assuming you are flashing RileyROM 2.2 as in the title of this thread...which stock firmware do you have loaded in the RKBatchTool to the left? Are you also trying to flash a stock ROM with it?

[owim]

If you already have the tablet in flash mode...which you've done by doing the esc/power combination, you don't need to press switch/reboot to flash again. Flash mode is indicated by the bottom line showing "Found RK loader Rock USB".

Right, I see, so I did Erase IDB, which was successful and then did Flash ROM which was also successful to some point as seen on the pic:





While checking downloaded data -- an error.

I pressed reset, then tried to switch it on normally -- screen was blank. Then I reset again and did Esc+Power, I got "Found RKAndroid Loader Rock USB" message again and I started the same thing again: to delete IDB and Flash ROM.

But... this time I would hear Windows USB connect/disconnect sound all the time, and the counter would stop, then come rolling again, then stop, then rolling again. I did another reset. Now in order to have "Found RKAndroid Loader Rock USB" message I need to keep pressed power button, but now I can not even Erase IDB, it always interrupts.

Oops! What now?

Assuming you are flashing RileyROM 2.2 as in the title of this thread...which stock firmware do you have loaded in the RKBatchTool to the left? Are you also trying to flash a stock ROM with it?

Erm, now I see I was actually flashing 2.2.1 ROM. Does it make any difference?
Regarding RKBatchTool I was only doing Alternative Method to Reboot to Flash, as described in your manual. Nothing was loaded in RKBatchTool. I wasn't trying to flash stock ROM.

Just to make sure everything was ok, I'm adding these two pics:





* * *

Just to make it clear: now my USB connection resets every 15 seconds. I need to keep power button pressed all the time. ROM Flash Tool is on but idle, every 15 seconds my tablet is shortly disconnected and then connected and then again the same.

I've also tried another USB cable, as instructed. It was the same. I also tried this, but no results:

Q: The flash procedure went wrong somehow, now the tablet will not respond.
A: Connect via USB to your PC Start the
Flash app on your PC
Press and hold the ESC button for 5 seconds.
While holding the ESC button put a paperclip in the reset hole and press and hold it for 5 seconds.
While still holding the Esc button and the Reset button, press the power button and hold. You will see the flash tool recognize your device in loader mode.
Release the ESC key
Release the Reset button
Keep holding the power button with your thumb (if you let go, it will go out of loader mode and you will have to start over). Click
Erase IDB, let it finish. The number on the right should count up to the number on the left.
Click Flash ROM. Sometimes you will need to keep holding the power button until flashing is finished.

Now I can not even erase IDB nor keep it connected (while holding power). I've restarted PC, did reset Pipo again, but it's the same.

[rrileypm]

Check to make sure you are using a USB 2.0 port...not USB 3.0.

Sometimes the simple things just work.

Otherwise, I'm afraid you have a hardware issue with the tablet...the NAND chip may have failed. Especially if your other tablet flashes OK with the same setup.

You might try the unbrick procedure by taking off the back of the tablet and shorting pins 8 and 9 (I think) on the NAND chip. If there's two NAND chips, try each one to see which one works. I've had to do this before on my M8 Pro and was able to recover from a bricked state. One of those threads I posted above will give you the exact procedure...see post #2. At this point, it won't hurt to try.

[owim]

Thank for you input. Meanwhile I edited my previous post; there is more info.

Everything checks out. As you wrote in the Manual. USB 2.0. Tried few cables.

I have two identical tablets, mine is working with the same cable, same USB, it holds "Found RKAndroid Loader Rock USB" message. I didn't erase and flash mine (yet).

Regarding my friend's tablet, everything was fine. NAND was formated successfully (screenshot), Flash downloaded successfully, and then the it failed on checking. After that nothing was the same (as described above). Now it cannot hold "Found RKAndroid Loader Rock USB" message for more than 15 secs (with Power pressed), every 15 secs I hear USB connect/disconnect sound and the message changes for a second.

How to make sure if NAND chip was failed? If that's it, there is nothing that could be done, right? (Tablet is of no use.)

If bricked, then there is still a chance? Thank you a lot for this help!

p.s. Should I try version 2.2 instead of 2.2.1?

[rrileypm]

It doesn't matter which version you try...they are both based on the same firmware version.

One last thing to try is to put the tablet into Mask Mode as explained in the unbricking procedure thread.

Your tablet is acting exactly as mine did the first time I flashed a KitKat ROM to it. I was able to solve it with that procedure.

You may have to hold the power button while you flash after putting the tablet in mask mode.

[owim]

Thank you again! I just flashed my M8 Pro successfully in 2 minutes!



(First two error raws in status are from previous tablet.)

I just booted my tablet in KitKat 2.2.1 with no problems. On Xposed: you wrote it shouldn't be used with this version? Or this version already includes Xposed? Can I use GravityBox or...?

Regarding my friend's tablet I am reading your manual on how to proceed now. I'll deal with it tomorrow.

Thank you very much for your kind support,
Ivan