I unbrick m8s HOW TO included - now i need firmware ROM M8S model: KCA-003

[RavenII]

I'll start this post by saying that if you're not careful...there's a HUGE potential to hard brick...(not that bootloader detected bullshit, I mean actual brick) your device....

I got an M8s (Ap6330, not BCM4335) from Amazon and I can't for the life of me find a good rom for it, but to help everyone else, there's a trick I ended up finding out...

Put the attached u-boot.bin and this file that you'll rename to recovery.img on a freshly FAT32 formatted card...no need for that useless "Bootcardburner" or whatever the hell it's called. Now, this'll let you boot to TWRP...the issue is that it only lets you flash roms intended for an n200...not n200c which is what the ROMs that I have are for...so you have to edit -ROM.ZIP-/META-INF/com/google/android/updater-script and change any instance of n200c to n200 and you should be fine.

That last part is where you need to be careful...because you really don't want to flash a rom for another device onto the wrong device...use caution. You've been warned. And no...I will not help under any circumstances.

The biggest benefit is that you can alter your zips without having to resign them.

[hipisxbit]

@hipsixbit, thanks for your help.
I didn't know anything about .img firmwares. (i always used factory_update_param.aml and recovery.img + firmware.zip files so far)

i will try with last bootloader.img as u-boot.bin and your autorom


Ok, i tried exactly as you said, used the bootloader.img as u-boot.bin from my last working firmware and your autorom from a earlier post.
But i had NO Update screen and no reaction at all.

So i tried it a few times (it's quite hard to get the right pins connected everytime) and suddenly the device booted completely normal.


But as i want to make my own firmware without so much bloatware - how can i prevent this to happen again? I mean this device is useless for me if i cannot flash it as often as i want without having this kind of "bricked" state again?

How can I make sure this wont happen again?

I'm not sure what you wrote . Because I know English poorly . I will support a google translator . But it is meant that the device works? I do not understand parts at the end. Do you want to make your own firmware ? That I do not know how . If you want to prevent a repeat of brick , just do not flash its work good. There are programs in google play , to uninstall the default firmware programs.

[RavenII]

I'm not sure what you wrote . Because I know English poorly . I will support a google translator . But it is meant that the device works? I do not understand parts at the end. Do you want to make your own firmware ? That I do not know how . If you want to prevent a repeat of brick , just do not flash its work good. There are programs in google play , to uninstall the default firmware programs.

No, that was for the people that are having issues with booting their device. What I typed up should help.

[orlie]

Here is u-boot.bin files , and boot card maker.
Try to create bootcard with this files.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8u...ew?usp=sharing

Thanks a lot, friend! With this collecition of u-boot files you helped me a lot to unbrick my box. The files that I used are in the link below. But later will explain in details.

https://mega.nz/#F!whtS0aoJ!nuJI3INKLH0A3W0qtKKTJw

[hipisxbit]

I have a new experience after another brick, I will explain tomorrow

[orlie]

I have a new experience after another brick, I will explain tomorrow

I have also new experience.
The remote control was not working, the ethernet turned off itself frequently, the box was "N200C".Some instability of Kodi. I tried many firmwares (zip and img, but without making bootcard, just normal formated sd) and all of them - no remote control and loaded until launcher - black screen with some small picture in the left up corner. Until it bricked again - not even the working firmware and bootloader worked again. And something else - interesting - when the box could be flashed the led was blue until loaded bootloader then got red, but only when the sd card was in! It didn't boot loaded without the sd card!

[hipisxbit]

I have also new experience.
The remote control was not working, the ethernet turned off itself frequently, the box was "N200C".Some instability of Kodi. I tried many firmwares (zip and img, but without making bootcard, just normal formated sd) and all of them - no remote control and loaded until launcher - black screen with some small picture in the left up corner. Until it bricked again - not even the working firmware and bootloader worked again. And something else - interesting - when the box could be flashed the led was blue until loaded bootloader then got red, but only when the sd card was in! It didn't boot loaded without the sd card!

Tak photo your remonte control, in this forum find patches update for pilot. I help you with this. ( take photo pilot and device PCB and show me in megaupload or google drive )
I upload now files to google drive, maybe help you.

Download it , and unpack it.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8u54GZaj2hESUQxYjNicHE3eVk/view?usp=sharing

Try this : format sd card fat 32 and copy files from forder recovery - u-boot ( recovery and u-boot ) to sd card, put into device, click av button, and power on, then unlick av pin in 2-4 seconds.
This is TWRP for n200.
If works tel me, I'll tell what to do later . You can swap between u-boot.bin , write that work.( With u-boot.bin ) ( dont use bootcard maker )

Unfortunately, u-boot.bin it is very important if you have previously install the inadequate rom include wrong u-boot.bon you have the Brick. From my experience it is that you can simply starts the same u-boot.bin from improper rom using bootcard maker . However, you have to go back to the old u-boot.bin , because the card you need to upload suitable. It's hard to explain , the language barrier : /

[orlie]

Tak photo your remonte control, in this forum find patches update for pilot. I help you with this. ( take photo pilot and device PCB and show me in megaupload or google drive )
I upload now files to google drive, maybe help you.

Download it , and unpack it.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8u...ew?usp=sharing

Try this : format sd card fat 32 and copy files from forder recovery - u-boot ( recovery and u-boot ) to sd card, put into device, click av button, and power on, then unlick av pin in 2-4 seconds.
This is TWRP for n200.
If works tel me, I'll tell what to do later . You can swap between u-boot.bin , write that work.( With u-boot.bin ) ( dont use bootcard maker )

Unfortunately, u-boot.bin it is very important if you have previously install the inadequate rom include wrong u-boot.bon you have the Brick. From my experience it is that you can simply starts the same u-boot.bin from improper rom using bootcard maker . However, you have to go back to the old u-boot.bin , because the card you need to upload suitable. It's hard to explain , the language barrier : /

https://mega.nz/#!8111GY4Q!7Amq58ObD...ywrOlWlCKjBsdA Here is the remote control, but it is not the issue right now. I am again in the same situation, it cannot boot from the sd card even with the same bootlaoder it started before. It started also with other bootloaders without problem, until new brick. I have the feeling that it cannot see the sd card by some reason. The contacts seem clean.
TWRP not working with my board for some reason. But other recoveries loaded before.

I could again boot the box, recovery is back. But instead of any launcher to load it is a black screen only with bootloop at launcher with some pic in the left upside corner. Just like before. Red LEd instead of Blue. No remote. Not bootable without sd card. After the load from the sd the box create a folder .LOST.DIR on the card. In order to boot at the first time, I had to format with special tool and erase boot partition then create again a boot card and used the same u-boot, that saved me first time.

[orlie]

Now it is strange, but the box start booting only from the SD card, the bootloader is in the special partition of the bootcard only. The LED is first blue and when boot from the card is red. I think that the NAND is full with some scrap and cannot partion properely, so the firmware when load cannot fully load but until the launcher - black screen, only the mouse working and the upper bar patly appear. Any explanation and how to solve this? Thanks a lot!

[hipisxbit]

Now it is strange, but the box start booting only from the SD card, the bootloader is in the special partition of the bootcard only. The LED is first blue and when boot from the card is red. I think that the NAND is full with some scrap and cannot partion properely, so the firmware when load cannot fully load but until the launcher - black screen, only the mouse working and the upper bar patly appear. Any explanation and how to solve this? Thanks a lot!

I think ist firmware its wrong. This is good is you can boot from sd card .Try TWRP for M8N in this forum, rename it recovery.img .

[orlie]

I think ist firmware its wrong. This is good is you can boot from sd card .Try TWRP for M8N in this forum, rename it recovery.img .

I am not sure. I think that there is something wrong with the fact that the first firmware that successfully was loaded after the brick was for 8MN - generally it was working as N200C but it was for gigabit ethernet and it turned off on every 10-15 min. How I can know if my hardware support gigabit ethernet?
I tried many times, but TWRP is not working with my board.

[hipisxbit]

I am not sure. I think that there is something wrong with the fact that the first firmware that successfully was loaded after the brick was for 8MN - generally it was working as N200C but it was for gigabit ethernet and it turned off on every 10-15 min. How I can know if my hardware support gigabit ethernet?
I tried many times, but TWRP is not working with my board.

If you have gigabit...you have m8s+ clone ? Meybe you find vezn , blellink , tronsmart rom witch s812 witch gigabit lan , and try it ?
"How I can know if my hardware support gigabit ethernet?" - nope- only new/antoher firmware flash.
"I tried many times, but TWRP is not working with my board" - strange..i use TWRP MXIIi, and M8n - works.
Unfortunately , then you must risk it and look for rom that works.... this is rom for bellink mxiii plus if you want try it : https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8u...ew?usp=sharing

[orlie]

If you have gigabit...you have m8s+ clone ? Meybe you find vezn , blellink , tronsmart rom witch s812 witch gigabit lan , and try it ?
"How I can know if my hardware support gigabit ethernet?" - nope- only new/antoher firmware flash.
"I tried many times, but TWRP is not working with my board" - strange..i use TWRP MXIIi, and M8n - works.
Unfortunately , then you must risk it and look for rom that works.... this is rom for bellink mxiii plus if you want try it : https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8u...ew?usp=sharing

Finally TWRP worked, but this one http://4pda.ru/forum/dl/post/6004545...5.0_signed.zip

[orlie]

Finally TWRP worked, but this one http://4pda.ru/forum/dl/post/6004545...5.0_signed.zip

Actually, this TWRP is for K200! But I could install again the same strange firmware 200c (M8+) ( http://chinagadgetsreviews.blogspot....at-442_23.html ) It would not be a problem but:
- I cannot restore the bootloader partition and it only boots from the sd card's boot partition (bootcard). Is there some easy way to fix it, since I am not so good in linux?
- This firmware is buggy - kodi not working good -crash too much.Ethernet and wifi disable after some minutes and have to enable them again and again (most probably the firmware is not matching exactly the hardware, but so far only this works)
- The remote control is not working
- The led is blue until booting and then it is red (probably because boot from sd)
I am considering to remove the radiator and check if the CPU is really S812, it seems to be S802, but H265 decoding is working good. Obviously the TWRP for K200 is working only! Or probably only the type of the ROM chip is NAND (S802) instead of eMMC(S812).

[hipisxbit]

Actually, this TWRP is for K200! But I could install again the same strange firmware 200c (M8+) ( http://chinagadgetsreviews.blogspot....at-442_23.html ) It would not be a problem but:
- I cannot restore the bootloader partition and it only boots from the sd card's boot partition (bootcard). Is there some easy way to fix it, since I am not so good in linux?
- This firmware is buggy - kodi not working good -crash too much.Ethernet and wifi disable after some minutes and have to enable them again and again (most probably the firmware is not matching exactly the hardware, but so far only this works)
- The remote control is not working
- The led is blue until booting and then it is red (probably because boot from sd)
I am considering to remove the radiator and check if the CPU is really S812, it seems to be S802, but H265 decoding is working good. Obviously the TWRP for K200 is working only! Or probably only the type of the ROM chip is NAND (S802) instead of eMMC(S812).

I backup rom for twrp from the new device name M8S n200c ( TWRP create folder k200/n200c). Restored this firmware on My old device works, but still no wifi and bluetoth. If you device works firmware n200c , try it if you want.
Enyway for 2 days, i sent on back to my supiller old tv box, and new TV Box stay with me. I only have a problem because there is no root: /

Use yor twrp wipe cache, and restore form this backup ( all , system, data , boot etc. ). Maybe works for you.

here is : https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8u...ew?usp=sharing