Boot issue - Can anyone help me with my MK809III please?

[Blandroid]

Hi,

My dongle won't boot into android - it keeps booting into recovery then gets stuck in a bootloop. I only got it a couple of days ago and although it worked okay, the wifi was iffy so I tried to flash Neomode's custom rom. Thinking that I'd read and understood all the instructions properly, I went ahead and flashed the stick and the flash was successful - but then it would't boot up and got stuck on the 4 penguins thing.

STUPIDLY, I didn't do a backup although I did try to install the ArcTools CWM (before doing anything else) so I could back everything up but it wouldn't work.

What I now know is that these sticks are often either originals, clones or cloned clones so there's no real way of knowing which rom is compatible with which stick etc. After flashing about 20 (all the flash procedures went fine - none failed) none of them worked and it still wouldn't boot.

The furthest I got was with one that seemed to boot up fine and everything was installed okay (gapps, XMBC etc) but there was a page that kept flashing with an android logo in the top left corner which is something to do with android provisions. Couldn't get rid of it and couldn't get to the home screen.

So, I asked the seller for the original firmware and they very kindly provided me with a copy today, which I flashed (again successfully) but the bloody thing STILL won't boot up!!

I really don't know what else to do??

I'm tempted to smash it to **** with a hammer tbh - it's so frustrating!

Can anyone offer any help please?

Thanks

[budgetgeek]

It looks like it is flashing, but the recovery error your getting looks like it is missing its memory, which is why it can't format the partitions. After you get to that point, are you able to disconnect and reconnect the power and see if it boots normally? Try it with the stock firmware.

If that fails, you may have a faulty memory. You can return it for a refund/replacement if the seller permits, or you can short the pins and flash again...

To do that, short the memory pins on 7-8 or 8-9, there should be a dot where to do it. Then, while holding the pin and the reset button, plug into pc, and you should be able to flash again.

[Blandroid]

It looks like it is flashing, but the recovery error your getting looks like it is missing its memory, which is why it can't format the partitions. After you get to that point, are you able to disconnect and reconnect the power and see if it boots normally? Try it with the stock firmware.

If that fails, you may have a faulty memory. You can return it for a refund/replacement if the seller permits, or you can short the pins and flash again...

To do that, short the memory pins on 7-8 or 8-9, there should be a dot where to do it. Then, while holding the pin and the reset button, plug into pc, and you should be able to flash again.

Thanks for replying.

Yes, I've tried plugging it out then back in again but it does the same thing..........just as you see in the pics.

I've flashed it about 20 times now and have never had any problems getting it into flash mode.

Will shorting the pins correct the memory issue?

Sorry if that's a really stupid question but this thing is new to me - give me an MTK SoC any day!

[budgetgeek]

Yes, shorting the pins should reset the memory chip, and if that is the problem then that should solve the problem. Based on my experience, when you get the recovery errors you are getting, that was the problem.

[Blandroid]

Yes, shorting the pins should reset the memory chip, and if that is the problem then that should solve the problem. Based on my experience, when you get the recovery errors you are getting, that was the problem.

Ah, I'll give that a go then

I've got nothing to lose - it can't get more busted than it is right now

Thanks so much for helping me - I really appreciate it.

[davidlaz]

I have the same stick and I ask for the firmware another post. You say you ask the seller for a copy of original firmware and you have it. Can you send me the copy of the original firmware for this stick or tell me where can I found it, please? Thank you.

[Blandroid]

I have the same stick and I ask for the firmware another post. You say you ask the seller for a copy of original firmware and you have it. Can you send me the copy of the original firmware for this stick or tell me where can I found it, please? Thank you.

http://www.mediafire.com/download/3z..._2015.0610.zip

I still couldn't get mine to work so good luck - hope it fixes yours

[davidlaz]

http://www.mediafire.com/download/3z..._2015.0610.zip

I still couldn't get mine to work so good luck - hope it fixes yours

I flash it and i get the same error scanning partitions. Then get 4 pinguins, then android logo, back to 4 pinguins and then android logo again. After that, unpacking apps and finally android desktop. But, like others firmwares that i try, wifi and bt don´t work.
i disconnect and reconnect it, and boots normally, but wifi and bt don´t work (it´s impossible).
It´s not the original firmware.

[Blandroid]

I flash it and i get the same error scanning partitions. Then get 4 pinguins, then android logo, back to 4 pinguins and then android logo again. After that, unpacking apps and finally android desktop. But, like others firmwares that i try, wifi and bt don´t work.
i disconnect and reconnect it, and boots normally, but wifi and bt don´t work (it´s impossible).
It´s not the original firmware.

From what I've read on here, the problem is that although a dongle might look the same as yours and have the same name etc, it could be a clone and therefore have different firmware.

Also, for our model (MK809III) there's one version that has an MTK wifi chip inside it - maybe that's the one you've got?

I checked my wifi chip and it's Realtec so that could be why this rom is incompatible with your device.

[davidlaz]

From what I've read on here, the problem is that although a dongle might look the same as yours and have the same name etc, it could be a clone and therefore have different firmware.

Also, for our model (MK809III) there's one version that has an MTK wifi chip inside it - maybe that's the one you've got?

I checked my wifi chip and it's Realtec so that could be why this rom is incompatible with your device.

It's the same stick. Take a look.

[Blandroid]

It's the same stick. Take a look.

Yes but 'looks the same' doesn't mean ARE the same. I help out on an android forum where we get loads of people who have problems with clone phones.

They flash a rom for a phone that looks identical to theirs and are then shocked and upset when their phone bricks.

I'm not surprised it didn't work for your dongle because it's the firmware for mine.

Why don't you get the firmware for yours from wherever you bought it from?

[budgetgeek]

Actually, from the look of it, it is the same, Realtek wifi and all.

There are a number of Realtek RTL8723BS firmwares out there for MK809III and not all will work for just any old stick with the same chip. There are different configurations of the same stick, your MK809III with the same wifi chip as mine, looks totally different from mine.

[Blandroid]

Actually, from the look of it, it is the same, Realtek wifi and all.

There are a number of Realtek RTL8723BS firmwares out there for MK809III and not all will work for just any old stick with the same chip. There are different configurations of the same stick, your MK809III with the same wifi chip as mine, looks totally different from mine.

Which one of us were you referring to?

I was just going by what I've read on this forum - that if wifi and BT don't work then the f/w you flashed is for a dongle with a different wifi/bt chip.

Tbh, this little thing has caused me enough grief now so I think I'm just going to wait patiently for the replacement.

I had no idea that something so small was the subject of all this cloning and bullshine - I thought it was bad enough that they do it with phones.

Reading everywhere that Rockchip chips are unbrickable doesn't help much either when you've managed it without even doing anything too silly

[budgetgeek]

To be fair, it's probably the memory that failed, not the processor. The two sticks look the same, the firmware should work for both, but if it doesn't work for one, it may not work for the other, so if you get the memory back working or a replacement, be on lookout for RTL8723BS MK809III rom. I don't think anyone has done a custom rom for this configuration, but for mine, the best rom was here from ugoos.

[Blandroid]

To be fair, it's probably the memory that failed, not the processor.

Well if that's the case I'm stuffed then because no amount of me trying to short pins 6/7 or 8/9 has made one blind bit of difference so far

The two sticks look the same,

I agree that they do but my experience of cloning has taught me that very subtle differences in the making of these things leads to tiny differences in f/w and it is those differences that determine whether your device will boot or brick.

As punters who only buy the things and have no involvement in their manufacture, of course they look very much the same to us. Being here for the last few days and reading all that I have made me realise pretty quickly that there is a huge number of roms for these things and we're talking about a mere handful of what we'd consider to be different models.

the firmware should work for both, but if it doesn't work for one, it may not work for the other, so if you get the memory back working or a replacement, be on lookout for RTL8723BS MK809III rom. I don't think anyone has done a custom rom for this configuration, but for mine, the best rom was here from ugoos.

I won't be flashing anything on the new one. I intend to get CWM installed, back it up and leave it as it is.

I cba with all this........I don't mind doing it with phones and tablets but this is too much effort for something so small - for me anyway.

Thanks for your help though and for the link which I'll check out in a bit.

I'll post my backup here when (if) I manage to get it done in case anyone else gets stuck and needs a bit of help in future.


EDIT - I've just checked and I tried that rom on Wednesday, I found it linked in here somewhere. Interestingly, it's the one I mentioned in my OP and got the furthest with but I couldn't get to the home screen - had some horrible flashing page crap going on. I'd never seen or experienced anything like it before and couldn't find a thing about it on Google either so I bailed.