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[Q] Tried to install Beatmod ICS, stuck on "screensaver" usb and recovery won't work
Hi guys,
I've watched the n00b video and been googling for the last few hours as well as reading through various pages on the XDA forum. I've found a lot of problems that are kinda similar and tried various solutions but don't seem to be quite getting there.
Basically I had Virtuous Affinity as the OS and clockworkmod installed (should be the most up to date versions of both, they were put on no more than a week ago) as well. I also had a backup of current OS and so on on the SD card, as well as the original zip of the rom.
I decide I want to give ICS a go and so I downloaded the betamod ICS and then loaded it. It asked me if I wanted to do a dalvik cache wipe, a dalvik cache + data wipe and a third option I don't recall. I went with the dalvik cache wipe (at the time I was under the impression that was the correct course of action) then put it back in my pocket while ICS installed.
I get my phone out of my pocket later and it's kinda stuck on what looks like (but logically isn't, I'm guessing it was meant to be a splash screen type thing while ICS installed or some such) a screensaver which just loops endlessly. The only thing you can really do is take the battery out and turn her on again, in which case you once again end up in the endless screensaver loop.
I've tried booting to recovery using volume - and the power button and unfortunately it just boots straight into the looping screensaver again.
Getting a bit worried and feeling adventurous I tried seeing what I could do with ADB, however the computer seemed unable to recognise that any device was connected with ADB devices not listing anything.
I've read up a lot and I'm at a loss as to what to do - there's a rom on the SD card and there also should have been a backup but I just can't get it into recovery.
I do have the ability to view the SD card on another device and interact with it, so if there's a potential SD fix, that's certainly not out the window.
But yeah, I'm clueless how to proceed here and very green at the whole rom business. Can anyone advise what I might try to do from here? I don't care what state I end up going back to, or if I lose my data, I can get all that back, I just want the phone in some semblance of basic operation.
I'll be keeping an eye on the thread, if I've left out any pertinent data ask away and thanks in advance for anyone with a clue how I can fix this mess .
EDIT: Post may be better off in ICS thread above and I do apologise if so, I would move it but I seem unable to delete it.
Remove battery for 5 seconds and then try again to boot into recovery using volume -and power button.
ik222 said:
Remove battery for 5 seconds and then try again to boot into recovery using volume -and power button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have, it doesn't work. I've left the battery out for a fairly long period. Volume - + power still just brings it back to the "screensaver" loop.
Thanks for the suggestion though.
Turn the phone off completely; pull the battery out for a bit then replace it and don't touch anything. Don't try to turn it on. Plug the phone by usb to your pc (still turned off). At the command prompt in the folder containing adb.exe type "adb reboot recovery" - the phone should power on and go to recovery where you can wipe properly and reflash whatever you want.
You should be able to boot to recovery using the volume down + power button combo (hold the volume-down key, then press and hold the power button and keep both held until you get to the bootloader menu); the only thing that's wrong with your phone is that you've flashed one ROM over another without wiping it first, so the ROM can't load but this shouldn't affect your bootloader or recovery.
Worst case you can flash a RUU which will restore it to the official firmware; you'll then need to re-root and re-install a recovery image to be able to flash custom ROMs again.
Very helpful post, thanks! I'll try all that and see how I go, I'll post if I still have trouble.
Yeah I dunno why I can't boot to recovery it's weird. The volume button wasn't working, so I removed it and am pressing in the volume down portion of the volume button with a pen while holding down the power button. It's possible perhaps I'm not successfully depressing volume down, but I'm 99% sure I am and that that's not it. I am however doing it as you and other guides advise, depress volume down, hold it and then depress power and hold both for about three seconds, no joy!
Anyway, as said, I'll try what you're recommending and see how I go. Thanks!
hopscotchjunkie said:
At the command prompt in the folder containing adb.exe type "adb reboot recovery"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Curious what you mean by this? Cause there's no command prompt in the folder ADB is in. Do you mean in command prompt, be in the folder, i.e. c:\abd kinda thing? I tried just loading command prompt and typing abd reboot recovery, no device detected - no joy.
Ethicistabdiel said:
Curious what you mean by this? Cause there's no command prompt in the folder ADB is in. Do you mean in command prompt, be in the folder, i.e. c:\abd kinda thing? I tried just loading command prompt and typing abd reboot recovery, no device detected - no joy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that was what I meant; I've got a feeling that that only works when the phone is powered off if you had USB debugging activated on the phone beforehand, so if that's not working that might be why.
c:\adb
results in error: device not found.
ADB app itself is in C:\adb\platform-tools but when I try that it goes The System cannot find the path specified. I've tried cd/adb and I can get that far but I can't get to adb/platform-tools.
EDIT:
Okay, I managed to get to c:\adb\platform-tools but adb reboot recovery is still advising error: device not found. Guessing perhaps I didn't have usb debugging enabled. Are you able to suggest another work around at all? I'm happy to flash it to whatever, I don't mind losing data, just want to get it in working order again. I don't see how I can though when I seemingly don't have access to recovery or USB...hrmm, must be some way around.
Accidental double post, sorry.
You need to try get into recovery mode, where you can do a full wipe and see if that fixes anything.
Firstly, remove your battery then re-install it, your phone should still be turned off at this stage. Press and hold the volume down button, then additionally press and hold the power butter, until something appears on the screen. If the bootloader appears, you can then boot into recovery from there.
If the above fails to work, report back with your results and hopefully something else will be suggested.
Ethicistabdiel said:
c:\adb
results in error: device not found.
ADB app itself is in C:\adb\platform-tools but when I try that it goes The System cannot find the path specified. I've tried cd/adb and I can get that far but I can't get to adb/platform-tools.
EDIT:
Okay, I managed to get to c:\adb\platform-tools but adb reboot recovery is still advising error: device not found. Guessing perhaps I didn't have usb debugging enabled. Are you able to suggest another work around at all? I'm happy to flash it to whatever, I don't mind losing data, just want to get it in working order again. I don't see how I can though when I seemingly don't have access to recovery or USB...hrmm, must be some way around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your only other option to get into recovery is the volume-down/power-on combination. Like I said, I can't think why that's not working unless it's related to your missing volume button (maybe it's not maintaining a constant pressure on the button when you're using whatever to press through the hole).
If you still can't get that to work, I would suggest finding a stock RUU and flashing that. It's an .exe file that runs from your PC and will return your ROM, bootloader and radio back to stock. Obviously that means you'll lose root and your custom recovery so you'll need to do all that again from scratch. There's a sticky in the dev section with a link to a thread with various RUUs (it's named something along the lines of "shipped & test ROMs" - I'll check that and link to it once I've dragged myself out of bed to the computer). You'll lose all your data, but if you took a backup beforehand you can restore that once you're back up and running.
//sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk; all errors entirely intentional.
Yeah I'm starting to think perhaps the down button is just broken.
What state should the phone be for the RUU, turned off with usb plugged in or turned on? Bearing in mind, that when on, all it will do is the "screensaver". Will it work in either of those states?
Thanks, will deffo research more when I get home. Appreciate the help immensely.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=824357&page=5
Guessing you mean that as far as the ruu thread. Am downloading a stock rom atm, with shaped internet till tomorrow, meh! Will see how I go. Have a feeling phone was probably Vodafone branded at stock though, so that could make for extra fiddling but yeah, fingers crossed.
If you are able too install a stock-rom you can work from their than install 4EXT recovery
touch than you doen't need the volume buttons.
I downloaded the most recent stock rom on the link above. When I try to install it though, phone off or on, it advises a USB connection error. Is this likely to be because I originally had vodafone stock and need to make a gold card, or should it still at least be recognising it? It does advise not to run any programs on the phone or anything when while installing the update, but of course, as long as my phones turned on it's stuck on the damned screensaver loop.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-841890.html
Gonna give that a go, fingers crossed!
D'oh, just found out my mobile was Three at stock and not Vodafone, the search continues .
Gah, I'm about tearing my hair out here, I want my damned phone back . Stuck using a $79 Huwawei Vodafone thing at the moment and it's so so so awful.
Anyway. I was under the impression that making a goldcard would mean I could RUU a non-Three stock rom on the phone. I made a goldcard following these instructions; http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/how-to-make-gold-card-for-htc-desire-hd/
Then I turned the phone on as the RUU advises, (meaning it's scrolling through the feckin' "screensaver") and start the process and once again get a USB connection error.
What's the better process at this stage, try and take it back to Three stock? I don't see how I can at the moment, the only Three stock I can find seems to be rom, not RUU, meaning I'd need to load from the phone, which I can't due to no recovery. Or should I keep trying to get the goldcard thing to work, maybe try some different RUU's or something?
I'm open to any other suggestions as well. Had a bit more of a fiddle around with my volume down button, no matter what I do though, I can't get recovery mode. Always boots first to the white HTC screen and then starts the infernal "screensaver" loop.
Ethicistabdiel said:
Yeah I'm starting to think perhaps the down button is just broken.
What state should the phone be for the RUU, turned off with usb plugged in or turned on? Bearing in mind, that when on, all it will do is the "screensaver". Will it work in either of those states?
Thanks, will deffo research more when I get home. Appreciate the help immensely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How come the volume down button be broken. When you were using Affinity Rom weren't you able to use your volume button for music. Remove SD card from phone then press "First - Volume down gently for 2 sec" & press-hold power button when it goes into bootload place your sd card back select option "REBOOT RECOVERY". I think your panicking too much just be patient nothing is wrong, i think your just hurrying it up...
The volume button didn't work before either. I had to manually adjust volume from settings. I thought it was just because of the dodgy plastic button on top, but using a pen to depress the button underneath doesn't work either.
Believe me, I've been trying to fix this for days now, every different way of depressing volume down in order to get to recovery has not worked. Short of taking the phone apart and seeing if I can see what's wrong with the button (doubtful with my level of expertise) then it ain't happening via that method.
Got a little bit hopeful with this;
http://www.htcdev.com/bootloader/ruu-downloads
But that too requires my phone to be in usb debugging mode, which of course, it isn't.
Is there anyway to force the phone into usb debugging mode using some form of hack or some such? The thing is, it is powered and everything, I can turn it on, the screen works and all that jazz and indeed the phone will charge from USB and the computer makes a noise when I plug or unplug it, the phone itself however won't do anything other than the "screensaver" ICS installation loop. I guess I'm thinking where there's life there's hope and perhaps there's some way in that state I can get it to switch debugging on, though I think I'm reaching at this point .
Ethicistabdiel said:
The volume button didn't work before either. I had to manually adjust volume from settings. I thought it was just because of the dodgy plastic button on top, but using a pen to depress the button underneath doesn't work either.
Believe me, I've been trying to fix this for days now, every different way of depressing volume down in order to get to recovery has not worked. Short of taking the phone apart and seeing if I can see what's wrong with the button (doubtful with my level of expertise) then it ain't happening via that method.
Got a little bit hopeful with this;
http://www.htcdev.com/bootloader/ruu-downloads
But that too requires my phone to be in usb debugging mode, which of course, it isn't.
Is there anyway to force the phone into usb debugging mode using some form of hack or some such? The thing is, it is powered and everything, I can turn it on, the screen works and all that jazz and indeed the phone will charge from USB and the computer makes a noise when I plug or unplug it, the phone itself however won't do anything other than the "screensaver" ICS installation loop. I guess I'm thinking where there's life there's hope and perhaps there's some way in that state I can get it to switch debugging on, though I think I'm reaching at this point .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only option i can think of is "Fix your volume button from your nearest Service centre". Without that you cant do anything. I am Sorry....
Need a bit of help here..
I have been playing a bit with my Ouya, installed SuperSU etc, everything worked fine, until I decided to reboot it.
Now it won't boot anymore. When I start it, my TV stays black. I only see some white dots and occasional a greenish flash..
What could I do now?
Dropshots said:
Need a bit of help here..
I have been playing a bit with my Ouya, installed SuperSU etc, everything worked fine, until I decided to reboot it.
Now it won't boot anymore. When I start it, my TV stays black. I only see some white dots and occasional a greenish flash..
What could I do now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here any help?
Dropshots said:
Need a bit of help here..
I have been playing a bit with my Ouya, installed SuperSU etc, everything worked fine, until I decided to reboot it.
Now it won't boot anymore. When I start it, my TV stays black. I only see some white dots and occasional a greenish flash..
What could I do now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If adb still connects and assuming you have installed CWM and have a backup, just run:
adb reboot recovery
then flash your backup.
deathknight842 said:
If adb still connects and assuming you have installed CWM and have a backup, just run:
adb reboot recovery
then flash your backup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
adb does still connects, but did not yet install CWM..
Dropshots said:
adb does still connects, but did not yet install CWM..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found a fix.. http://forums.ouya.tv/discussion/1380/recovery-mode
This is a hack, an unintended sequence of events that results in recovery mode; what you need to do is crash the startup using sysrq.
For this you'll need a usb keyboard with the sysrq key, this is usually the printscreen button if your keyboard isn't labeled. As the OUYA starts to boot, hold down the alt-sysrq keys and press i, wait a few seconds and then repeat. This key combination is kill-all-tasks; thanks to whoever left this enabled in the kernel. Each time you kill the tasks the init process will restart them, after about 5 or 6 times init will print a warning on the console that one of the processes marked critical has been restarted too many times -- this then triggers an automatic reboot into recovery mode.
Unfortunately it's not always obvious when the ouya is in recovery mode. You might get screen with the ouya logo and a large red exclamation mark, or the screen might be entirely black; usually I got a black screen. Press the home button on the keyboard to bring up the recovery menu; it's actually a toggle so feel free to press the home button repeatedly until you see the menu since the timing isn't otherwise obvious.
Once you get to the recovery menu, the select the second option to update from adb. Download the OTA update from the link at the end of this post, and run the command "adb sideload RC-OUYA-1.0.193-r1_ota.zip" this will reformat the system partition and reinstall the ouya software. You might also want to do a factory reset before rebooting.
Links to download the OTA updates can be found on this xda thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2266629
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same here... i posted this -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2318169
but the recovery mode from the post above does not work
when i run adb shell it says error: device not found.. so i guess i am F**KED
Maybe a factorycable can get the Ouya into fastboot like the Kindle fire hd?
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
Dogie52 said:
Same here any help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
when you turn it on, with a usb cable plugged in, will it still pop up as a drive?
When I installed SU/busybox/CWM yesterday I noticed that both fastboot and recovery turn up as different devices in windows from the usual ADB one. I forced windows to install the ADB driver for them and it worked fine then.
This thread is three weeks old, I'm sure they figured something out.
Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
muppetterror said:
same here... i posted this -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2318169
but the recovery mode from the post above does not work
when i run adb shell it says error: device not found.. so i guess i am F**KED
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try to sideload the newest update. When you are in original recovery there is no way to get a web shell. Had the problem to.
I did the web wireless setup and got stuck on black screen after reboot. The I did the sideload and installed the update and everything works fine again.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
is this still happening or is it fixed now?
Dogie52 said:
I found a fix.. http://forums.ouya.tv/discussion/1380/recovery-mode
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This method worked for me. I had some issues with the key sequence at first, but tried it a few times and I was able to get into stock recovery. Once there I had an issue with adb seeing my Ouya, the trick was reinstalling the Google usb drivers using the "I have disk" method in Windows device manager.
I was able to fully flash the latest ota update through adb sideload and got it working.
Now, onto rooting and cwm.
Best of luck!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
So not paying attention I formatted system and didn't flash new ROM before rebooting. Now I can't get into recovery, even trying alt+sysrq+i, and turning on the system just shows a black screen. The Ouya is being detected as MTP device and no adb/fastboot functions work. Is there any hope in getting this one back in working order?
So this morning I finally got it fixed with the keyboard shortcuts. There are plenty of posts talking about this method but none give any hints as to the timing, so here goes.
Turn system on.
Hold down alt+sysrq+i for five seconds then release for about a half second. Repeat up to six times.
Screen will flash and begin booting into recovery.
Some have mentioned that they get a black screen in recovery and that pressing the Home key repeatedly will bring up the screen.
Flash new ROM and enjoy your Ouya.
I wasn't able to find any general timings so I thought this would be a good place to share my findings. If this helped you please hit thanks!
BUS DR1V3R said:
So this morning I finally got it fixed with the keyboard shortcuts. There are plenty of posts talking about this method but none give any hints as to the timing, so here goes.
Turn system on.
Hold down alt+sysrq+i for five seconds then release for about a half second. Repeat up to six times.
Screen will flash and begin booting into recovery.
Some have mentioned that they get a black screen in recovery and that pressing the Home key repeatedly will bring up the screen.
Flash new ROM and enjoy your Ouya.
I wasn't able to find any general timings so I thought this would be a good place to share my findings. If this helped you please hit thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What if that exact timing doesn't work? I've been able to use that method before, but I think I've fully bricked the system.
trevorftard said:
What if that exact timing doesn't work? I've been able to use that method before, but I think I've fully bricked the system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What did you do to the system?
Exactly same prob here, but the keyboard trick doesn't work for me
I messed up after flashing CWM Recovery and perform a full wipe.
Any chance to get it back ?
ElMeteK said:
Exactly same prob here, but the keyboard trick doesn't work for me
I messed up after flashing CWM Recovery and perform a full wipe.
Any chance to get it back ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have ADB access? I might not be the best person to field these questions, but I'll give 'em a try.:good:
BUS DR1V3R said:
Do you have ADB access? I might not be the best person to field these questions, but I'll give 'em a try.:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nop, no adb access.
Only showned as MTP device.
ElMeteK said:
Nop, no adb access.
Only showned as MTP device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, I looked high and low for answers for this all day yesterday and must have tried the keyboard trick at least 100 times before I found a timing that worked for me. My only advice would be to keep trying slightly different timings. You may have to use the alt+sysrq+i key combo more times than I did. Try doing it about 10 or 15 times. Just remember to hold the keys for a few seconds, release, and hold again.
My screen eventually flashed green and the system rebooted straight into recovery.
BUS DR1V3R said:
Ah, I looked high and low for answers for this all day yesterday and must have tried the keyboard trick at least 100 times before I found a timing that worked for me. My only advice would be to keep trying slightly different timings. You may have to use the alt+sysrq+i key combo more times than I did. Try doing it about 10 or 15 times. Just remember to hold the keys for a few seconds, release, and hold again.
My screen eventually flashed green and the system rebooted straight into recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not working for me
I've tried for about an hour unsuccessfully (
ElMeteK said:
It's not working for me
I've tried for about an hour unsuccessfully (
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, it worked for me but I was at it for at least 4 or 5 hours before I finally got it to work. All I can tell you is either keep trying or run out and get a new system. :fingers-crossed:
We need a hardware mod to add a recovery button to existing units. As soon as one is available I may offer a cheap service to install any mods needed. Until then we are reliant on a somewhat flakey keyboard shortcut.
BUS DR1V3R said:
So this morning I finally got it fixed with the keyboard shortcuts. There are plenty of posts talking about this method but none give any hints as to the timing, so here goes.
Turn system on.
Hold down alt+sysrq+i for five seconds then release for about a half second. Repeat up to six times.
Screen will flash and begin booting into recovery.
Some have mentioned that they get a black screen in recovery and that pressing the Home key repeatedly will bring up the screen.
Flash new ROM and enjoy your Ouya.
I wasn't able to find any general timings so I thought this would be a good place to share my findings. If this helped you please hit thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rather then booting into recovery mine just goes to a black screen with OUYA and a red "!"
am i doing something wrong or do i just have to keep trying? or is it toast?
glitchhawk said:
rather then booting into recovery mine just goes to a black screen with OUYA and a red "!"
am i doing something wrong or do i just have to keep trying? or is it toast?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try pressing the Home key on the keyboard. It may take multiple presses.
BUS DR1V3R said:
Try pressing the Home key on the keyboard. It may take multiple presses.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh man thanks! first time i got into ! screen the menu opened. wow lol. WOOT!! there is still hope!!
glitchhawk said:
oh man thanks! first time i got into ! screen the menu opened. wow lol. WOOT!! there is still hope!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good stuff, glad you got it going!
I was able to get my Ouya into recovery mode one time after trying off and on for hours, but I had it plugged into my computer monitor and when I changed the monitor source back to DVI (my PC) to see which option in the recovery menu to choose and switched back, the HDMI source showed "no signal". I haven't been able to get it back to that screen since and I wasn't really paying attention to the timing (of course). It's odd to me that since I can see device in ADB while it's booted to black, but "adb reboot recovery" does nothing.
Can someone who has discovered the correct timing and can get into recovery consistently help with these questions? It might help with some other cues to know if you're doing it right rather than just "restart it over and over and try different timings".
1.) Does the power LED on the top of the Ouya stay on when it's in recovery mode?
Occasionally, my power LED will turn off but the device still says it's connected in ADB.2.) If you have the Ouya plugged in via micro-usb when you turn it on, do you hear the USB connect sound?
I'm using Win 7 and depending on my timing I either DO or DO NOT hear the USB connect sound from my speakers as it's connecting as a ADB Composite Interface / MTP Device.3.) Does your Ouya lose HDMI signal in the "boot to recovery" process?
I know not all TV's/monitors timeout at the same interval, but If I leave my Ouya alone it boots to a black screen, messing with the key combo sometimes make its turn blue and show "No Signal"4.) If your USB keyboard has LED's on it to show when caps/num/scroll lock are pressed, do they illuminate when plugged into your Ouya?
I found some documentation on sysrq magic keys in the Android kernel docs, maybe one of the other key combos will have better results?
https://android.googlesource.com/kernel/common/+/experimental/android-3.8/Documentation/sysrq.txt
I finally stumbled upon the right key combo timing again through sheer dumb luck. I took my Ouya out of my office and back into the living room, connected it to my TV with a USB keyboard and gave it one last try before giving up - glad I tried one last time.
For anyone else that is having trouble still, here's some things that might help as well as answers to my questions from above. Some of it is just speculation, but maybe it'll help someone:
Timing: As SOON as I tapped the power button on the Ouya I immediately held down ALT on the keyboard and every few seconds also pressed SYSRQ+i (never letting go of ALT). I believe I did it a total of five times and I stopped as soon as I saw the LED on the top of the Ouya turn off. I didn't really hold down the keys and count a few seconds like I've heard others mention, I just tapped SYSRQ+i around five times while holding down ALT. Menu popped up after the power led turned back on.
Driver: Make sure you followed the guide from the Ouya docs and have the right version of the Google USB driver installed (here's the Windows guide https://devs.ouya.tv/developers/docs/setup#toc_61). When my Ouya was booting to black it was showing up as an Android ADB Interface and a MTP usb device that it couldn't find a driver for. The correct identification should be Android ADB Composite Interface
ADB Make sure you're running the lastest version of ADB (1.0.31 currently). When I ran adb devices on the black screen it would return my device serial number and the string "device" which refers to the state it was in (occasionally this value would "offline" when I'd tried a key-combo that failed to get into recovery mode).
Once I got recovery mode up and selected the adb sideload option adb devices would show my Ouya serial number and say that it was in the "host" state. When I tried the adb sideload otafirmwarefile.zip command, it would fail because adb sideload wasn't a valid command in the older version of adb I was running. Running the google SDK manager from the ADT bundle, removing/re-installing android platform tools and logging out / in to Windows fixed this for me next time I opened a command prompt. Now with the right ADB version running adb devices on my micro-usb connected PC showed my device serial number and "sideload" as it's state.
Answers to my previous questions:
1.) Does the power LED on the top of the Ouya stay on when it's in recovery mode?
Yes and No. The light turned on when I powered it on, after alt+sysrq+i presses the light TURNED OFF momentarily and then turned back on just as the recovery mode screen came up
2.) If you have the Ouya plugged in via micro-usb when you turn it on, do you hear the USB connect sound?
Not sure, when I got into recovery mode I had my micro-usb cable disconnected. I reconnected it once I selected the second option in the recovery menu (adb sideload)
3.) Does your Ouya lose HDMI signal in the "boot to recovery" process?
Yes, at least mine did. I had black screen at boot, then it went to "no signal" at the same time the LED at the top went out, then the screen came back on when the recovery mode screen came up
4.) If your USB keyboard has LED's on it to show when caps/num/scroll lock are pressed, do they illuminate when plugged into your Ouya?
No, the LEDs on my USB keyboard never lit up, but the keyboard was working.
How can I force my Ouya into Recovery? I have no ADB access.
I have this problem here...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=43989508&postcount=145
I tried the sysrq key combination but it just locks the ouya up.
That is one of the main drawbacks of ouya - you just can't.
If you bricked it it stays bricked, at least to the moment when ouya releases sbk.
Even if they release firmware update with recovery you have no way of applying it so nvflash seems to be the only option for you.
Sorry about your ouya. You can of course try contacting support and ask for help, but as you said sysrq is not working so it might be difficult.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - now Free
i wonder if it is possible to connect your device as usb-storage-device.
maybe you are able to push the ota to your device and make it update on first boot. but i guess we're unable to push a file via mtp into /cache where the update.zip is supposed to be found
you don't have any possibility to get into settings e.g.?
i still refuse to believe that threre is simply no way of fixing it you it hangs on updater.
atm i'm at work for at least 6 hours from now on but as soon as i get home i will try to "softbrick" my ouya (keeping safe recovery as backup) and try to get to the point where you are. from there on it's trial and error for me
i'll tell you if i find some way to get to recovery or fixing this problem without using sysrq
What do you mean it locks it up?
I have had it take a few tries to get it to work. I also had to hit the home key to get the menu to show up.
One way that seems to work often is powering up cold (after pulling the power) with the USB kb plugged in and hitting the alt sys-req I as the first ouya boot animation starts to come on the screen.
HT123 said:
I also had to hit the home key to get the menu to show up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
VERY important to remember, VERY easy to forget.
I purchased a used Fire TV 2nd gen online but when I boot it up, it goes into some kind of kiosk slideshow for 1st gen Amazon Echo devices that I can't exit.
It boots normally at first with the Fire TV logo an all but there's no config screen or anything. It boots to a white AMAZON ECHO screen with pics of the original Echo device then goes into a slide show showing all the various features of Amazon echo. The remote doesn't sync and the device will only show up on the Fire TV remote app for a few seconds before disappearing after boot. I can plug in a physical keyboard and if I press the ESC key, the screen will go black for a second before re-starting the slide show from the beginning. So far I've not been able to find any other keyboard functions that react, only the ESC key so far.
If I had to guess, I'd say it probably has a much older version of the OS on it as the slide show is for the older generations of Echo.
I'm assuming this used to be some kind of demo device, maybe from Best Buy or something but does anyone know how to get out of this slide show so it can be used as a normal device or is this thing just useless? Suggestions?
Hannover2k said:
I purchased a used Fire TV 2nd gen form ebay but when I boot it up, it goes into some kind of kiosk slideshow for Amazon Echo that I can't exit.
It boots normally at first with the Fire TV logo an all but there's no config screen or anything. It boots to a white AMAZON ECHO screen with pics of the original Echo device then goes into a slide show showing all the various features of Amazon echo. The remote doesn't sync and the device will only show up on the Fire TV remote app for a few seconds before disappearing after boot. I can plug in a physical keyboard and if I press the ESC key, the screen will go black for a second before re-starting the slide show from the beginning. So far I've not been able to find any other keyboard functions that react, only the ESC key so far.
If I had to guess, I'd say it probably has a much older version of the OS on it as the slide show is for the older generations of Echo.
I'm assuming this used to be some kind of demo device, maybe from Best Buy or something but does anyone know how to get out of this slide show so it can be used as a normal device or is this thing just useless? Suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just as an update, I found that if I plug in a USB keyboard, pressing ALT+ESC will pop up a menu telling me to press the home button if I wish to return to the home screen. No remote works with it yet so that doesn't help much. Pressing ALT+Space will bring up what appears to be the FireTV search keyboard but typing doesn't bring up anything, it just echos what I type and there's no 'ENTER' key to submit anything.
If I do this immediately after the slideshow comes up, it will prompt that there's no network connection and take me to the network settings menu. I tried plugging in a LAN cable but the device doesn't seem to pull up an IP address. I manually entered an IP but was unable to find it on the network. Even tried using the APPS2FIRE app to see if it could see it in the search but it doesn't. I connected it to wifi successfully but same issue, it doesn't seem to actually pull an IP address as I can't see it on my network when I scan for it. The network settings know when the LAN is plugged in and removed though.
Plugging in USB A-A doesn't seem to do anything. I tried running the Unbrick batch file from one of the other posts but it's intended to work on non-rooted devices with the jumper trick, I think, and while it does kick off the script, it stops at 0% and never does anything. I'm sure this is an older OS that can still be rooted but I just don't know how to get to anything in it since I can't get into ADB.
Any suggestions would be appreciated though!
Hannover2k said:
I'm sure this is an older OS that can still be rooted but I just don't know how to get to anything in it since I can't get into ADB.
Any suggestions would be appreciated though!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you can't get device to show up on adb devices via terminal/command prompt or access settings menu I don't think there's much you can do.
1.Try doing a scan with Fing Network Tools and see if IP shows.
2. Try downloading and installing FireTV remote App on your phone and connecting if it finds stick.
Without adb being activated on the stick, and settings menu unavailable to enable adb there is not much else for it m8, these ebay sticks are dodgy to say the least I've been stung a few times. Even bought one and opened it to find the heat shield casing missing and clk broke lol
Bertonumber1 said:
If you can't get device to show up on adb devices via terminal/command prompt or access settings menu I don't think there's much you can do.
1.Try doing a scan with Fing Network Tools and see if IP shows.
2. Try downloading and installing FireTV remote App on your phone and connecting if it finds stick.
Without adb being activated on the stick, and settings menu unavailable to enable adb there is not much else for it m8, these ebay sticks are dodgy to say the least I've been stung a few times. Even bought one and opened it to find the heat shield casing missing and clk broke lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll give those a shot. I tried the jumper technique from the Unbrick Fire TV 2 post and was able to get partway through that process and to the prompt where it tells me to remove the jumper and press enter but it gets an error after copying the files, just before it should boot to twrp. something about the source path being empty. I can post a pic if that's helpful. I think may have forgotten to run the disable modemmanager command so I'll give that another try later. I didn't realize you had to run that every time you reboot linux. I know just enough to be dangerous with it.
Hannover2k said:
I'll give those a shot. I tried the jumper technique from the Unbrick Fire TV 2 post and was able to get partway through that process and to the prompt where it tells me to remove the jumper and press enter but it gets an error after copying the files, just before it should boot to twrp. something about the source path being empty. I can post a pic if that's helpful. I think may have forgotten to run the disable modemmanager command so I'll give that another try later. I didn't realize you had to run that every time you reboot linux. I know just enough to be dangerous with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah great have a look here too
https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1zYtqmf4RfLOkrPyPjf1C0CjAZf_0E1JohIlTyVY5kGs/mobilebasic
Files here
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/mobile/folders/1GbMTBHuFhwT_uyZaJs0ApsG_RQ5Wg_7F
Should work :good:
Bertonumber1 said:
Yeah great have a look here too
https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1zYtqmf4RfLOkrPyPjf1C0CjAZf_0E1JohIlTyVY5kGs/mobilebasic
Files here
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/mobile/folders/1GbMTBHuFhwT_uyZaJs0ApsG_RQ5Wg_7F
Should work :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately I can't use those methods. While I can get into the network settings, I can't get into any other settings. I never I never left it connected to wifi so I've been using a LAN cable to test. Booting without the LAN causes it to get an error and takes me to the network settings but I can't get to anything else from there.
Been messing with the jumper method from https://forum.xda-developers.com/fire-tv/development/unbrick-fire-tv-stick-2-anti-rollback-t3986303 but not having any luck yet as per the attached pic. Also tried the unbrick method which gets stuck at 000000200: 0% every time. Just for the heck of it, I shorted DAT0 and ran it and it popped up an error saying it can't locate a 'system' partition. The unit still boots up with the fire tv logo and goes into that demo mode so I'm sure there's a partition present. This is really a challenge! Running out of things to try though.
Hannover2k said:
Unfortunately I can't use those methods. While I can get into the network settings, I can't get into any other settings. I never I never left it connected to wifi so I've been using a LAN cable to test. Booting without the LAN causes it to get an error and takes me to the network settings but I can't get to anything else from there.
Been messing with the jumper method from https://forum.xda-developers.com/fire-tv/development/unbrick-fire-tv-stick-2-anti-rollback-t3986303 but not having any luck yet as per the attached pic. Also tried the unbrick method which gets stuck at 000000200: 0% every time. Just for the heck of it, I shorted DAT0 and ran it and it popped up an error saying it can't locate a 'system' partition. The unit still boots up with the fire tv logo and goes into that demo mode so I'm sure there's a partition present. This is really a challenge! Running out of things to try though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may have a stick that cannot be rooted/modified via amonet, one with dl mode disabled. These devices around December 2019 started to appear on the market and there's no way round them.
Bertonumber1 said:
You may have a stick that cannot be rooted/modified via amonet, one with dl mode disabled. These devices around December 2019 started to appear on the market and there's no way round them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The device is a Fire TV 2nd gen Sloane so I would expect it to work like others I've rooted, but that kiosk os might do just what you said and disabled DL mode. I'll still play with it a bit but not sure what else can be done. Maybe some new method will come along in the future so I'll just hold on to it.
Thanks for all the input though. Greatly appreciated.
Hannover2k said:
The device is a Fire TV 2nd gen Sloane so I would expect it to work like others I've rooted, but that kiosk os might do just what you said and disabled DL mode. I'll still play with it a bit but not sure what else can be done. Maybe some new method will come along in the future so I'll just hold on to it.
Thanks for all the input though. Greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry mate my bad I thought it was a stick you had I was helping some other guy in firestick tank forum and got mixed up.
Try the short method again only when you get the error :
Leave dc power on (plugged into box)
Remove USB a to USB a cable
Close terminal
Open new terminal up in amonet once again
Run the boot-rom step again BUT hit enter TWICE
Then plug USB cable back in
Pull the dc power and plug it in again
The script should go through
I followed this from another member and it always works for me, has worked on numerous Sloanes. Give it a go, worth a shot mate
Bertonumber1 said:
Sorry mate my bad I thought it was a stick you had I was helping some other guy in firestick tank forum and got mixed up.
Try the short method again only when you get the error :
Leave dc power on (plugged into box)
Remove USB a to USB a cable
Close terminal
Open new terminal up in amonet once again
Run the boot-rom step again BUT hit enter TWICE
Then plug USB cable back in
Pull the dc power and plug it in again
The script should go through
I followed this from another member and it always works for me, has worked on numerous Sloanes. Give it a go, worth a shot mate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info, it's worth a try. Just to clarify, when you say to press enter twice, do you mean to press it twice at the prompt where it tells you to remove the short and press enter?
Hannover2k said:
Thanks for the info, it's worth a try. Just to clarify, when you say to press enter twice, do you mean to press it twice at the prompt where it tells you to remove the short and press enter?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey @Hannover2k, yeah the Sloane is stubborn to root, just keep at it, once you see ***remove short and hit enter** and get an error try leaving it switched on but remove USB, then run the script again and hit enter again after you hit it once, disconnect/reconnect the dc power and plug USB in without the short (if displaying remove short) . Should go through
Another thing...
This what happened to me the other day. If your preloader is gone (it's displaying remove short when there is no short). Disconnect power, disconnect USB, run the the script and connect power and wait 50-70 seconds then plug USB back in.
As I said these Sloanes are tough but you should get it, using the short "jumper" method m8
Bertonumber1 said:
Hey @Hannover2k, yeah the Sloane is stubborn to root, just keep at it, once you see ***remove short and hit enter** and get an error try leaving it switched on but remove USB, then run the script again and hit enter again after you hit it once, diconnect/reconnect the dc power. Should go through
Another thing...
This what happened to me the other day. If your preloader is gone (it's displaying remove short when there is no short). Disconnect power, disconnect USB, run the the script and connect power and wait 50-70 seconds then plug USB back in.
As I said these Sloanes are tough but you should get it, using the short "jumper" method m8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry is I'm missing something here. I've been trying to do your method and while I've been getting different error messages and results, I'm still not quite sure I'm doing it right.
After I get the first error after removing the short, you mention above to remove the USB then run the script again, etc. At what point do I plug the USB cable back in? Do I plug the USB back in after removing the power? When I do remove the power, do i need to reconnect the Jumper before plugging it back in?
Sorry if I'm lame, I've just done this jumper thing 100 times and can get many different results but not the one we're looking for! lol
UPDATE: Holy cow, I got it to work the very next time after posting the message! Here's what I did:
1) Ran the script, connected jumper and powered on the device.
2) Got error message.
3) Unplugged USB then re-ran script, pressing enter again after running the command.
4) Plugged USB back in.
I did not reconnect the jumper. When the USB cable was re-connected it did display a message to remove the jumper and press enter, however I did not have to do that. All kinds of stuff started flying all over the screen, then it got to;
Clearing Preloader Header
Flashing Tee
Flashing Bootloader
Flashing Unbrick Image
Flashing Boot
Booting to TWRP
I'm literally grinning ear to ear right now! Thanks for all your help with this! Even if it doesn't work at this point, I'm very happy to have gotten this far!
I can get these kiosk devices for $20 each. Box only, no power or remote. Does anyone think it would be worth it to buy a few of them and try to sell them off with refreshed imaged on them? There's a lot available so just wondering.
Hannover2k said:
Sorry is I'm missing something here. I've been trying to do your method and while I've been getting different error messages and results, I'm still not quite sure I'm doing it right.
After I get the first error after removing the short, you mention above to remove the USB then run the script again, etc. At what point do I plug the USB cable back in? Do I plug the USB back in after removing the power? When I do remove the power, do i need to reconnect the Jumper before plugging it back in?
Sorry if I'm lame, I've just done this jumper thing 100 times and can get many different results but not the one we're looking for! lol
UPDATE: Holy cow, I got it to work the very next time after posting the message! Here's what I did:
1) Ran the script, connected jumper and powered on the device.
2) Got error message.
3) Unplugged USB then re-ran script, pressing enter again after running the command.
4) Plugged USB back in.
I did not reconnect the jumper. When the USB cable was re-connected it did display a message to remove the jumper and press enter, however I did not have to do that. All kinds of stuff started flying all over the screen, then it got to;
Clearing Preloader Header
Flashing Tee
Flashing Bootloader
Flashing Unbrick Image
Flashing Boot
Booting to TWRP
I'm literally grinning ear to ear right now! Thanks for all your help with this! Even if it doesn't work at this point, I'm very happy to have gotten this far!
I can get these kiosk devices for $20 each. Box only, no power or remote. Does anyone think it would be worth it to buy a few of them and try to sell them off with refreshed imaged on them? There's a lot available so just wondering.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@Hannover2k Yeah that's you got it sorted then, I tried to explain that method but didn't do a very good job of it lol, make sure you push pre-rooted rom and supersu 2.82 zip to /sdcard, and flash.
Please Remember and note that you cannot flash unsigned zips such as magisk to the Sloane as you're bootloader remains incarcerated , if you're device has cleared preloader and you've entered into twrp it should work
Ps. if you can get a Sloane for that price pm me and we'll sort something, doesn't matter about power cables, remotes etc
Bertonumber1 said:
@Hannover2k Yeah that's you got it sorted then, I tried to explain that method but didn't do a very good job of it lol, make sure you push pre-rooted rom and supersu 2.82 zip to /sdcard, and flash.
Please Remember and note that you cannot flash unsigned zips such as magisk to the Sloane as you're bootloader remains incarcerated , if you're device has cleared preloader and you've entered into twrp it should work
Ps. if you can get a Sloane for that price pm me and we'll sort something, doesn't matter about power cables, remotes etc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After flashing the pre-rooted image the first time, everything seemed to work except whenever I restarted via the settings menu, it would show the TWRP pre boot screen but allowing it to continue to boot normally would result in a boot loop. Performing a power cycle would cause the device to skip over the TWRP menu and boot right into the device.
Tried clearing the SD partition and dalvik to free up space as it was only showing about 1.2gb free after the flash. Got the free space back but still the same boot issue after flash, though it did work after a power cycle as opposed to restarting, which I rarely do anyways.
Remembering the Kiosk was for the original echo devices, I got to thinking about it having an older OS again and maybe not liking being flashed directly to the latest version so I re-flashed it to v5.2.6.7_r1. It would boot loop after the TWRP pre login screen but after the first loop it would boot properly. Went ahead and flashed it back to 5.2.7.3_r1 and everything seems to be working perfectly now. Restarts properly and all functionality seems to be present.
I really appreciate your assistance with this. I had them send me another one so I can try this method once more and if it works again, I'll definitely let you know and we'll work something out.
-Han
Hannover2k said:
After flashing the pre-rooted image the first time, everything seemed to work except whenever I restarted via the settings menu, it would show the TWRP pre boot screen but allowing it to continue to boot normally would result in a boot loop. Performing a power cycle would cause the device to skip over the TWRP menu and boot right into the device.
Tried clearing the SD partition and dalvik to free up space as it was only showing about 1.2gb free after the flash. Got the free space back but still the same boot issue after flash, though it did work after a power cycle as opposed to restarting, which I rarely do anyways.
Remembering the Kiosk was for the original echo devices, I got to thinking about it having an older OS again and maybe not liking being flashed directly to the latest version so I re-flashed it to v5.2.6.7_r1. It would boot loop after the TWRP pre login screen but after the first loop it would boot properly. Went ahead and flashed it back to 5.2.7.3_r1 and everything seems to be working perfectly now. Restarts properly and all functionality seems to be present.
I really appreciate your assistance with this. I had them send me another one so I can try this method once more and if it works again, I'll definitely let you know and we'll work something out.
-Han
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The recovery partition maybe corrupted.
You may try updating twrp to the latest 3.0.05 from Sloane Twrp recovery page.
There you can download the file from here :
https://www.mediafire.com/file/brae6r8lu1np5jm/firetv2_recovery_v6.zip/file
,push it to Sloane /sdcard and run command
from pc
adb shell
Then run:
sh /sdcard/firetv2_recovery_v6.zip
Reboot
That should fix it.
As soon as you update TWRP
Reboot and flash the pre-rooted firmware and supersu 2.82.zip
Then wipe cache, dalvik
Let it boot up and then factory reset (data, dalvik, cache)
Reboot and it should be okay
Bertonumber1 said:
The recovery partition maybe corrupted.
You may try updating twrp to the latest 3.0.05 from Sloane Twrp recovery page.
There you can download the file from here :
https://www.mediafire.com/file/brae6r8lu1np5jm/firetv2_recovery_v6.zip/file
,push it to Sloane /sdcard and run command
from pc
adb shell
Then run:
sh /sdcard/firetv2_recovery_v6.zip
Reboot
That should fix it.
As soon as you update TWRP
Reboot and flash the pre-rooted firmware and supersu 2.82.zip
Then wipe cache, dalvik
Let it boot up and then factory reset (data, dalvik, cache)
Reboot and it should be okay
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. The image I installed already had that version of TWRP installed on it but like I said in my last comment, flashing to an older rom then re-flashing back to the latest one seems to have resolved the issue.
No more Kiosk mode, though I wish I could have gotten a look at those files just to see what was going on there.
Anyways, all good now and I have another one of those kiosk units I'm going to try the process again on and if it works, I have access to a lot of these devices so I may refresh them and sell them cheap.
Thanks again for everyones input! Still surprised I got it working normal again.
Bertonumber1 said:
@Hannover2k Yeah that's you got it sorted then, I tried to explain that method but didn't do a very good job of it lol, make sure you push pre-rooted rom and supersu 2.82 zip to /sdcard, and flash.
Please Remember and note that you cannot flash unsigned zips such as magisk to the Sloane as you're bootloader remains incarcerated , if you're device has cleared preloader and you've entered into twrp it should work
Ps. if you can get a Sloane for that price pm me and we'll sort something, doesn't matter about power cables, remotes etc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good news!
I was given a 2nd unit with the same 'issue' and was able to get it to start taking the image within a couple mins. The guy who has them can't do anything with them and has lowered his price per unit so are these worth anything to anyone?
Again, it's the box only, no power cords or remote but I don't expect that to be an issue for someone looking to replace one.
I hope I'm not breaking any rules by asking that but I'm open to any thoughts on this.
-Han
Hannover2k said:
Good news!
I was given a 2nd unit with the same 'issue' and was able to get it to start taking the image within a couple mins. The guy who has them can't do anything with them and has lowered his price per unit so are these worth anything to anyone?
Again, it's the box only, no power cords or remote but I don't expect that to be an issue for someone looking to replace one.
I hope I'm not breaking any rules by asking that but I'm open to any thoughts on this.
-Han
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@Bertonumber1
Sus_i said:
@Bertonumber1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I've already replied via pm to @Hannover2k I've already bought one with power brick and remote for Roger @Sus_i hannover2k only has the Sloane itself AFAIK I got the full shebang for £27 so it's all good perhaps @Hannover2k can provide a spare and that's us got a couple to got to work on in the name of furthering development
Bertonumber1 said:
Yeah I've already replied via pm to @Hannover2k I've already bought one with power brick and remote for Roger @Sus_i hannover2k only has the Sloane itself AFAIK I got the full shebang for £27 so it's all good perhaps @Hannover2k can provide a spare and that's us got a couple to got to work on in the name of furthering development
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hannover2k said:
Sorry is I'm missing something here. I've been trying to do your method and while I've been getting different error messages and results, I'm still not quite sure I'm doing it right.
After I get the first error after removing the short, you mention above to remove the USB then run the script again, etc. At what point do I plug the USB cable back in? Do I plug the USB back in after removing the power? When I do remove the power, do i need to reconnect the Jumper before plugging it back in?
Sorry if I'm lame, I've just done this jumper thing 100 times and can get many different results but not the one we're looking for! lol
UPDATE: Holy cow, I got it to work the very next time after posting the message! Here's what I did:
1) Ran the script, connected jumper and powered on the device.
2) Got error message.
3) Unplugged USB then re-ran script, pressing enter again after running the command.
4) Plugged USB back in.
I did not reconnect the jumper. When the USB cable was re-connected it did display a message to remove the jumper and press enter, however I did not have to do that. All kinds of stuff started flying all over the screen, then it got to;
Clearing Preloader Header
Flashing Tee
Flashing Bootloader
Flashing Unbrick Image
Flashing Boot
Booting to TWRP
I'm literally grinning ear to ear right now! Thanks for all your help with this! Even if it doesn't work at this point, I'm very happy to have gotten this far!
I can get these kiosk devices for $20 each. Box only, no power or remote. Does anyone think it would be worth it to buy a few of them and try to sell them off with refreshed imaged on them? There's a lot available so just wondering.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wanted to add my Order of Operations to this post. I also bought one of these "Kiosk" boxes without remote or power supply for $13 off of eBay. Great deal, I thought, if I can get it to root. It appears that the order in which you perform the steps is unique to your setup. After trying all the above suggestions with no success (similar errors as listed above), here's what worked for me:
1. Plug in male-to-male USB cable between FTV2 and Linux box
2. Short DAT0 pin on FTV2 board
3. Connect FTV2 AC power
4. Run script
5. Remove short, press enter once when prompted
After TWRP installed (and I figured out how to use it), I was successful in having a usable FTV2 with all of the perks this process brings. Thanks to all who contributed to make this possible, and an extra big thanks to @Hannover2k for being the first to try this on these specifically-challenged boxes. It was a huge help!