MXQ Brick Help

[shooter42]

Ive tried with 3 different firmwares this evening and followed your procedure,including holding in the reset.Im going to try another before calling it a night.
Thanks again Joe for your help and advice.I know I get it fixed eventually.

[shooter42]

Ichijoe,you mentioned I might have an incorrect wps file,can you provide a link to another?
Many thanks.(The beer is on me next time you're in Ireland)

[Ichijoe]

I'd have to actually find that for myself as well... That's why I just used the One that came with the BootcardMaker.exe Which seemed to work fine on my MXIII.
AFAIK you should have pretty much everything you need to make the Boot Card. Even the correct u-boot.bin.

Did you remember to start BootCardMaker.exe with Admin Privileges? I think you must do this under Windows 7, and most definitely under Windows 8 for it to work.

[shooter42]

Yes,I ran as admin on windows 7.Will try some different firmwares and keep you posted.So far still nothing but black screen on any of the tvs ive tried.

[Compos]

I wouldn't worry about the WPS file. I think it's just user instructions in a document format used by Kingsoft Office. Give this firmware a try: https://mega.co.nz/#!M9kgkAhR!HJt-ERvb4Et-ReGcS1SVjzy7OPkh28Yn2W0kis8DA0s

[shooter42]

Thanks for reply Compos.Will give it a go.

[shooter42]

No joy.
So far ive tried with different laptops,tvs, usb cables,sd cards and every firmware I could find.Im beginning to loose hope in my TV box.

[Compos]

Try un-ticking 'Erase Bootloader' in the USB Burning Tool.

[Ichijoe]

One thing about using the USB Burning Tool.... IGNORE THE USB-HUB-n (Connected) Status... ITS BOGUS!
Even assuming you are NOT on Windows 8 where you have to say the right incantation to re-enable the use of unsigned Drivers. (Apparently its less of an issue on Win7).
You STILL HAVE TO PRESS AND HOLD THE RESET SWITCH UPWARDS OF 90s AFTER HITTING THE POWER BUTTON!
Until Windows itself makes the "New USB Device Connected" ~Handshake~... Thankfully as a rule this only need to happen once generally. BUT IT MUST HAPPEN ONCE before you can expect it to ever get past say 1~3%. Otherwise the Driver will never get loaded into RAM, and as a logical consequence can never work!

Again... This also assumes that you still have a functioning Bootloader Partition on your Device. If you lost that, then the Device is essentially for these intents & Purposes brain-dead (i.e. BRICKED!)
Thats when you have to use the BootcardMaker.exe with the Device specific u-boot.bin ON A MICRO SD CARD!! So as you can hopefully use that to get into the recovery, long enough to then flash an update.zip

FYI: Unless your weren't aware these Update Zip's are in themselves ziped. So you have to unpack the first Zip File which should then net you the following...

• factory_update_param.aml
• k200-OTA-<DATESTAMP>.zip <- Example File Name Your MXQ might use a different naming stucture. However THIS IS YOUR FIRMWARE FILE When you want to install a Zip Update on the 3e Revoery / TWRP Recovery? Its this Zip File that you'll need to use!
• recovery.img <- Stock 3e Recovery

Also it is worth pointing out that you can NOT flash Zip Files via the Amlogic USB Burning Tool, as it only works on *.img Files

[shooter42]

I think you could be right about the device being braindead Ichijoe,I've tried everything you and Compos suggested but Im getting nowhere with the Burning tool.Still failing at 2%.
The bootcard maker method is still giving me a black screen.(Im using a 4gb micro sd).Am I possibly using the wrong U-boot as you suggested?

[Ichijoe]

I think you could be right about the device being braindead Ichijoe,I've tried everything you and Compos suggested but Im getting nowhere with the Burning tool.Still failing at 2%.
The bootcard maker method is still giving me a black screen.(Im using a 4gb micro sd).Am I possibly using the wrong U-boot as you suggested?

I'm not sure where the u-boot.bin from the "bootcardmaker" by proxy the one from the USB Burner Tools same from.
The u-boot I uploaded to my Google Drive was supposed to be exclusive to the MXQ (Amlogic S805 SoC), Device. So again you have to right click the BootcardMaker.exe -> Run as Administrator

Then point to your MicorSD Card, check the "To Partition and Format" Box use the u-boot.bin ~ca. 355~356 KB, and then press make.
After a brief moment you'll be asked to format your MicroSD card again, which you must do!

Then you'll need to copy the Three Files from an update.zip. Which you'll need to find on your own! Ditto on any *img File you may need for the USB Burning Tool...
Plus the u-boot.bin from my S805 recovery.zip possibly along with the aml_autoscript & unlock_autoscript Files...

This should give you the Boot Card with a working temp bootloader... Enough to get you to the 3e Recovery where it should then install the actual firmware.zip <- An an example! I don't know how MXQ Files are named! Which in turn should reinstall that Firmware automagically. Assuming you can get that right you'll never need to even touch the Amlogic USB Burning Tool. As it only flashes *img Files, that you can't flash any other way! Again as the mileage of thes Boxes vary greatly... On the off chance that with that MicroSD in place, before you power up.... You might have to tap the Reset Switch as you otherwise would as if you were wanting to enter the Recovery Mode.

As I understand it the usb刷机工具说明.wps File is the bit that talks to the USB Host... So perhaps it is a universal File? (I just don't know...), Some people have mentioned in passing having had more luck with this by renaming it as usb______.wps. The way I understand it with this, along with the correct u-boot.bin File. It should hopefully instigate the Handshake on Windows to then get the WorldCup Driver loaded into RAM. So as not to crap over itself ~3% of the way in. And the trick there apparently is to keep nailing it, till it get past 4 to 5% where it should have at least then managed to reinstall the lowest lever stuff like the Bootloader. After which it should then be only slightly less annoying.

I wish I could recall exactly how I managed to recover my MXIII form that bricked state, but that happened sooo long ago now. The joke their being I never actually used it then as I had only just took it outta the Box, and wanted to install a TRWP that was meant for the S82/S89, and not the M82. Which left me with a blue light of death. Wiping everything turned that into a red light of death! I think...That is I seem to recall having to use the Bootcardmaker to actually recover... Though I used a Linux howto to partition, and then format that MicroSD by hand.

But, the best tip I ever got from the Web was to make sure that the Device was forced to wait for Windows to make that Handshake with the Device. Since after that... USB Burning Tool has never failed me since.

[shooter42]

Will try when I get home.Thanks for your patience and for spelling it out for me.I'll do it exactly as you describe when I get a chance and let you know how it goes.

[Compos]

The WPS file is definitely a Chinese instructions document. It doesn't need to be on the card. Here it is opened with Kingsoft Office Writer:

[shooter42]

Ive done everything as recommended,with numerous different firmwares and recovery images but to no avail.Going to leave it for tonight so my head doesn't explode.
Thanks again chaps.

[Ichijoe]

The WPS file is definitely a Chinese instructions document. It doesn't need to be on the card. Here it is opened with Kingsoft Office Writer:

+10 Pts to Gryffindor... Confirmed its a Document of some fashion, I too was able to fire it up with LibreOffice. So it probably is more tasteless then a Chocolate Tee Pot.