Ramos i9s Pro

[Billcnz]

Two "stupid" questions, from powered off:
How do you start in recovery mode?
How do you start in safe mode?

sent from my G900F using tapatalk

You can get into BIOS by plugging an external keyboard and pressing the middle of the volume button (both + and - together) while pressing power on. ESC on keyboard should also work. Once in BIOS go to the boot override section on the Save and Exit page. When in boot override select the EFI shell option and some more options should pop up.

Sent from my Ramos i9s pro using Tapatalk

[Billcnz]

There's a great new app on play store that can backup all partitions:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ma.wanam.partitions

I backed up the system partition on my i9sPro to a raw image and copied it to my PC and loop mounted to check it. You can covert from raw to sparse ext4 with make_ext4fs to put back into a ROM or flash with fastboot. The app itself does have a restore function but it's not recommended for large mounted partitions but would be great for small partitions that are only used at boot time.

Sent from my Ramos i9s pro using Tapatalk

[SyreetaW]

Got it the way I finally wanted it. Have about 55GB storage space and Windows only (English/United Kingdom language and locale and my own user name) with all the drivers installed. Yay! Only one thing bugs me... I wish it would the tablet would show a charging meter when off but plugged in, so I can see when its fully charged. I can't remember if it had this when I first used it, but I don't think it did. Does anyone else's do this? Ramos should've at least put a little colour-changing LED or something on the bezel. It's big enough! I can't seem to flash the BIOS like the instructions say to in case they add the charging meter feature. The UEFI shell shows something quickly then it restarts and goes straight to Windows. No fastboot mode or anything for the next step with the batch file that keeps being mentioned (the part where you connect the tablet to your PC and run that "stage 2" batch file) . Maybe it only applies to Android? I dunno. Anyway, I'm content for now.

[bossew]

You can get into BIOS by plugging an external keyboard and pressing the middle of the volume button (both + and - together) while pressing power on. ESC on keyboard should also work. Once in BIOS go to the boot override section on the Save and Exit page. When in boot override select the EFI shell option and some more options should pop up.

Sent from my Ramos i9s pro using Tapatalk

What I'm really want to know is:
From powered off.
Starting Android into recovery mode.
And from powered off:
Starting Android into safe mode.
I'm not looking for any low level BIOS right now or any need for OTG USB keyboard, etc. I just want to understand, is it possible to start in Android recovery and in safe mode by using buttons in a certain combination. Like you get into dual boot by pushing volum +.
Also I would be really interested if any of you are using XPOSED network on the rooted i9s Pro, it should work I hope?

[Billcnz]

@SyreetaW
Glad to hear that's worked out well for you.

The powered off battery indicator is an interesting one. I know I have seen the large battery pop up on the display when it's been powered down and I've done a short press of the power button but right now I can't reproduce it. Maybe it only shows after a period of time charging.

I've tested a large capacity micro-SD and found it works well. I know the specs only say up to 32Gb but I found some 128Gb going cheap online and they were good quality SanDisk Ultra class 10, so I bought a couple to try and they work well in both Windows and Android. The only downside is the tablet only supports fat32 for microSD in Android which has a file size limit of 4Gb so need to be careful about copying large files at risk of corrupting the file system.

Sent from my Ramos i9s pro using Tapatalk

[SyreetaW]

@Billcnz

Good to know it supports larger capacity Micro SD cards. I had ended up buying a 64 GB USB flash drive because I was worried about the storage capacity (especially with Windows and all its updates!). Would you mind sharing where you bought the 128 GB ones or at least what version of SanDisk they are so I can get one too? I think I'll send Ramos another email, but I don't know if they'll be able to help with the battery indicator issue. What you saw certainly sounds familiar...

How I sorted my tablet out was to install the i9s Windows firmware. It really is the same as the i9s Pro, but without the dual boot. It's worth it for some that want just a single OS, as it will boot directly into it with everything set up. The only other issue I have is that even though I installed using English/UK as my locale/language, I still get some Chinese text dotted here and there (volume mixer for example, where "Speakers" is in Chinese). That's a Windows thing I'll have to sort out someday. Just the battery indicator is bothering me now.

@bossew

I know that holding down volume up while pressing the power button gives you this thing called "DMX mode" (I think), which I think is for flashing. Have you tried holding down volume down while pressing the power button? You have to hold them for a while until the large Chinese text that usually appears disappears, if you get what I mean. It's similar to smartphones in a way.

[Billcnz]

@SyreetaW
The cards are Sandisk Ultra microSDHC UHS-1, 128 GB, speed up to 48 MB/s.
I got them on AliEx but I see seller has withdrawn listing but you should find similar. Mine were US $16.80 and included a free USB card reader as well as full size SD adapter. It's still hard to believe so much data can fit in something the size of a finger nail!

Sent from my Ramos i9s pro using Tapatalk

[bossew]

Hi all
Have any of you experience of or a link to TWRP or CWR recovey and even a guide. I found this "Download CWM & TWRP Recovery for Ramos W13Pro 8GB" but the links are suspicus to me. I think and I'm not keen to make unsecure stuff to be able to download TWRP.RAR. This is the page: http://cwm-twrp-recovery.com/downloa...-8gb/4664.html
I like to info on experience installing TWRP.

[Billcnz]

Hi all
Have any of you experience of or a link to TWRP or CWR recovey and even a guide. I found this "Download CWM & TWRP Recovery for Ramos W13Pro 8GB" but the links are suspicus to me. I think and I'm not keen to make unsecure stuff to be able to download TWRP.RAR. This is the page: http://cwm-twrp-recovery.com/downloa...-8gb/4664.html
I like to info on experience installing TWRP.

It would be nice to get a custom recovery for i9sPro but I don't think the W13Pro will help as that's using a different SoC and the partition layout would also be different. It would have to be built specifically for i9sPro and use it's kernel or boot image and partitioning info.

Sent from my Ramos i9s pro using Tapatalk

[SyreetaW]

Still having a bit of trouble. I have discovered that not only have I lost the battery charging indicator, my tablet is also not recognised as a mass storage device by my PC! I have tried everything to reflash the BIOS but nothing works. I can't understand why my PC can't see the tablet, so there must be a driver of some sort I'm missing. I installed the Intel Android Drivers on both to see if that would help, but nothing. What could I be missing? The Windows 8.1 firmware I used is from Ramos, so I thought I wouldn't have any problems as everything necessary would be installed. I can't go back to the PRO version as that would mess up the nice storage setup I already have with Windows only.

I am still new to tablets as a whole, so I'm wondering if anyone knows anything about the USB drivers necessary to sort my problem out? Ramos still haven't replied to me and they may never will again.

EDIT: I finally figure out how to flash the thing (edit the startup.nsh file in wordpad to reflect the .bin file used), my PC briefly recognised the ADB connection and now... nothing. I just don't get this tablet at all!

[bossew]

Guys,
I have managed to get some real good feedback and support from the people at Ramos. I like to share the latest English OTA upgrade file for the i9s Pro with you.
It works just fine as a local upgrade and the Google Play Services is back and running great. No need to reinstall and factory reset. You will have to re-root though but I suggest you use the KingoRoot (see earlier post from me). I did it myself today. You just select Root Again and you are set. Not even a need for reinstalling the SuperSU, only that you'll have to update the binary.
I have put the OTA and instructions on my ge.tt storage. You can download from here: http://ge.tt/4VeF3rG2?c
Enjoy and please let me know how it worked out.
One more thing, does any of you use XPOSED FRAMEWORK on the i9s Pro? Please let me know how it works.

[Billcnz]

Still having a bit of trouble. I have discovered that not only have I lost the battery charging indicator, my tablet is also not recognised as a mass storage device by my PC! I have tried everything to reflash the BIOS but nothing works. I can't understand why my PC can't see the tablet, so there must be a driver of some sort I'm missing. I installed the Intel Android Drivers on both to see if that would help, but nothing. What could I be missing? The Windows 8.1 firmware I used is from Ramos, so I thought I wouldn't have any problems as everything necessary would be installed. I can't go back to the PRO version as that would mess up the nice storage setup I already have with Windows only.

I am still new to tablets as a whole, so I'm wondering if anyone knows anything about the USB drivers necessary to sort my problem out? Ramos still haven't replied to me and they may never will again.

EDIT: I finally figure out how to flash the thing, my PC briefly recognised the ADB connection and now... nothing. I just don't get this tablet at all!

I'm away from home at the moment so can't verify but I'm pretty sure the mounting of internal and external storage on a Windows connected PC only works when the tablet in Android not Windows. I'm not sure how other Windows tablets handle this.

Sent from my Ramos i9s pro using Tapatalk

[SyreetaW]

I'm away from home at the moment so can't verify but I'm pretty sure the mounting of internal and external storage on a Windows connected PC only works when the tablet in Android not Windows. I'm not sure how other Windows tablets handle this.

Sent from my Ramos i9s pro using Tapatalk

Ah, I see. I've never had a Windows tablet until now, so I thought it would be recognised similarly to an Android smartphone. Perhaps when I get a large capacity micro SD card and install it, my PC might see that instead (I came across a seller with the micro SD card and adapters similar to what you purchased). I really REALLY want the latest i9s Windows firmware Ramos has on their website, but they've put it on Baidu which I can't sign up for! I still haven't heard from them, but I was thinking that using that update would cure all my problems and turn my tablet into an up-to-date Win 8 i9s instead of a semi-fixed Win 8 i9s Pro. I just want the battery charging indicator back...

EDIT: Right managed to sign up to Baidu and am currently downloading that firmware I wanted. Hope it works.

[Billcnz]

Guys,
I have managed to get some real good feedback and support from the people at Ramos. I like to share the latest English OTA upgrade file for the i9s Pro with you.
It works just fine as a local upgrade and the Google Play Services is back and running great. No need to reinstall and factory reset. You will have to re-root though but I suggest you use the KingoRoot (see earlier post from me). I did it myself today. You just select Root Again and you are set. Not even a need for reinstalling the SuperSU, only that you'll have to update the binary.
I have put the OTA and instructions on my ge.tt storage. You can download from here: http://ge.tt/4VeF3rG2?c
Enjoy and please let me know how it worked out.
One more thing, does any of you use XPOSED FRAMEWORK on the i9s Pro? Please let me know how it works.

That sounds good, it will certainly be easier than the manual fix I did. Have you checked if Google apps like Hangouts, Music, Movies and YouTube etc are working? I'm traveling at the moment so won't be able to download a large file till back on my home WiFi in about a week.

I'm thinking of getting another Ramos tablet so I can experiment with the firmware on one without messing up my daily use one. I see they have an i11 Pro now with almost the same specs but a bigger 10.6 inch screen.

Sent from my Ramos i9s pro using Tapatalk

[bossew]

I can confirm that all Google apps that didn't work because off missing the latest Play Services is working. Like Gmail, YouTube, positioning in Maps, sync. All is fine in the OTA from my link.