need help with this damn phone - G4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I'll just put this simply. I've got a splitting headache and I've been staring at various web pages for hours trying to (unsuccessfully) unlock the bootloader on my g4 so I can install twrp and root the thing. I'm about ready to kill someone. don't know who, nobody is around.
anyway.. I need a guide on how to transform my LG G4 US99120c US Cellular mobile device running Android 6.0 Marshmallow from a battery-draining eyeball-paining bright white piece of techno-trash into a rooted device with custom recovery that I can use on a regular basis without experiencing severe migraines because I can't delete stuff off the SD card due to carriers being pricks about released phones.
yes, I've tried google. Yes, I've tried searching the forums. If I hadn't done that already I wouldn't be posting here. please don't waste my time with "try the search feature".. I'm here because this is my last viable option for getting the damn thing working right. Please don't just link me to some random instruction manual either. I have bad luck with links.
If anyone does write me with help, write it for an idiot. Normally I'm pretty good at picking things up quickly but I seem to have come down with something the past couple days so I'm also a bit under the weather.. right around the idiot quotient.
I don't want to downgrade, I don't want to install half a dozen things or flash my whatchamacallit (got arrested last time I did that). I want to root the device, and possibly install xposed so I can change everything thats sharp white to a dull black. I do not want to do anything else at all but make calls, text, watch vids, listen to music and play the occasional game.
Thank you very much for your time, and a colossal chunk of gratitude for anyone who wants to take up this task.
FTR: I'm a former samsung user, so if you need to make comparisons I suggest using those. I'll understand 'em.

Jofreidr said:
I'll just put this simply. I've got a splitting headache and I've been staring at various web pages for hours trying to (unsuccessfully) unlock the bootloader on my g4 so I can install twrp and root the thing. I'm about ready to kill someone. don't know who, nobody is around.
anyway.. I need a guide on how to transform my LG G4 US99120c US Cellular mobile device running Android 6.0 Marshmallow from a battery-draining eyeball-paining bright white piece of techno-trash into a rooted device with custom recovery that I can use on a regular basis without experiencing severe migraines because I can't delete stuff off the SD card due to carriers being pricks about released phones.
yes, I've tried google. Yes, I've tried searching the forums. If I hadn't done that already I wouldn't be posting here. please don't waste my time with "try the search feature".. I'm here because this is my last viable option for getting the damn thing working right. Please don't just link me to some random instruction manual either. I have bad luck with links.
If anyone does write me with help, write it for an idiot. Normally I'm pretty good at picking things up quickly but I seem to have come down with something the past couple days so I'm also a bit under the weather.. right around the idiot quotient.
I don't want to downgrade, I don't want to install half a dozen things or flash my whatchamacallit (got arrested last time I did that). I want to root the device, and possibly install xposed so I can change everything thats sharp white to a dull black. I do not want to do anything else at all but make calls, text, watch vids, listen to music and play the occasional game.
Thank you very much for your time, and a colossal chunk of gratitude for anyone who wants to take up this task.
FTR: I'm a former samsung user, so if you need to make comparisons I suggest using those. I'll understand 'em.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ill lay it on wasy for you......... you cant unlock bootloader. you cant install twrp and you cant root MM. not unless bootloader unlocked. wich your phone cant be unlocked..
root only on locked bootloader on LP.
there isnt a way and there will never be one.. to bypass and be able to install twrp..

well that explains why fastboot refuses to acknowledge the existence of the phone. I guess.
never say never tho m8, geohot should be proof enough of that for you. looks like I can't downgrade either.
guess I'll have to stick with my s5.

Jofreidr said:
well that explains why fastboot refuses to acknowledge the existence of the phone. I guess.
never say never tho m8, geohot should be proof enough of that for you. looks like I can't downgrade either.
guess I'll have to stick with my s5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there was a bounty of like 3000 dollars to whoever unlock it.. no one did it.. i said i might never be one.. thats waht everyone says samething.

Related

[Q] Clarifications on R800x Rooting Status

I know all of this has been covered but when searching all the threads I found were from last year at some point so I figured I would see if there was any new news that I just wasn't finding with my search terms. I apologize in advance if I put this thread in the wrong place or didn't follow the forum format in some way.
Basically, is the Verizon version of the Xperia Play, R800x with 2.3.3 still locked and there is no way to root this phone now? Maybe I misunderstood, but I thought the Supreme Court or something had ruled that we were legally able to do what we wanted with devices we owned? Does that not apply here or am I crazy? Let me guess, I inadvertently signed all my rights away by clicking something that automatically means I agree with whatever restrictions they wish to put on me, am I getting warm? Lol.
I knew I should have done this earlier but I honestly wanted to give my phone a good run stock before tinkering with it. Now that I am having to delete just about every app I have downloaded on my phone, including games I paid good money for, just so I don't get continuous memory warnings mostly due to updates for the preinstalled software that I never use that Verizon saw fit to saddle me with, I decided to look into rooting it only to find that this is no longer an option. Honestly, I am fed up with this phone, Verizon, the whole nine yards. Excuse me while I rant a bit but I wish I have never upgraded to a "smart" phone and I am seriously considering dropping back to a normal plan without all the data and use my old, reliable Samsung Flipshot. It was a phone and a camera and it did both very well. My Play is supposed to do all sorts of things but it does nothing well and even when I am inclined to surf the 'Net or play a typical game or even txt I am constantly bombarded with the popup that the app has stopped responding and do I want to Wait or Force Close. It honestly smacks of the Windows 95 and 98 days when nothing seemed to work right and the BSOD was a common, everyday thing. Ok, rant over, I apologize.
Seriously though, is there anything I can do to stop the slow, inevitable death of my phone? I have uninstalled the largest of the updates for most of the programs I don't use like the Kindle app, some sort of "office" app and a few other updates that were over the 10mb mark but is this a viable solution? Are these apps just going to update again later or harass me with notifications to update? What the hell happened to the 250mb of extra space I had before and why can't I get it back by deleting the apps I downloaded myself? When my phone was new I had all kinds of room to do stuff and had many apps installed that I rarely used but were very handy when I needed them, now I find that I have to delete anything non-essential just to get my phone to operate on a somewhat normal level. Is there anything I can do to fight this and get back enough memory to make my phone fun and somewhat useful again? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I guess I am just very disappointed with my first foray into the "smartphone" world. I honestly feel they are pushing the technology too far to fast since it seems almost like your phone is only something cool when it's new sitting on a shelf, then when you get it home and use it, it turns to crap in you hand. I suppose I am just angry over the whole situation and I feel sort of cheated. Maybe I misunderstood something somewhere but I thought these cool little gadgets were supposed to make life better and actually be useful. Then again, maybe I am just getting old.
So is there any hope or am I stuck with this for the time being or as long as I am stuck with Verizon in my rather remote area?
Read my sticky thread on "R800x Users: You've got Custom ROM questions? I've got answers." It still applies, at least until May 1st when you get an update.
In short: you can root your phone. There is something else called a bootloader that remains locked that controls whether you can use certain custom ROMs and kernels. There is a paid way to unlock it which gives you more access. There are quite a few custom ROMs you can use with a locked bootloader that will improve your phone's performance, and even more if you unlock the bootloader.
About the locked bootloader thing, Verizon can do that because they subsidize the cost of the phone in your contract. So, technically, they "own" the phone for the contract period and can dictate what you can do to said hardware.
You need to do a bit more digging. You can do a LOT more than stock.
Sent from my R800x using xda premium
Thanks for the info. I skimmed through the thread but I wondered if it still applied, good to know that it does so I'll go back and read it in detail. I guess I understand the Verizon thing. This is the real cost of buying my phone for a penny off Amazon, lol. Again, thanks for the info and I will definitely check out the info on rooting my phone, even if it's not totally unlocked. As long as I can get rid of most of the bloatware, I will be satisfied with that. Not really looking to make my phone do anything more than it does now, but improving it's performance and storage is definitely my motivation so hopefully something along those lines is still possible. Thanks again!
netizenmt said:
About the locked bootloader thing, Verizon can do that because they subsidize the cost of the phone in your contract. So, technically, they "own" the phone for the contract period and can dictate what you can do to said hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I paid the unsubsidized price for my Play (~$500 if I recall) so I wouldn't have to sign a contract, and they still won't let me unlock it, not that that stopped me...
Mogul345 said:
Well, I paid the unsubsidized price for my Play (~$500 if I recall) so I wouldn't have to sign a contract, and they still won't let me unlock it, not that that stopped me...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Technically you pay for the device but Sony holds the rights to what is contained within. You don't own EVERYTHING in the phone. Just the right to use it. Sure its in the Terms and Conditions
Sent from my R800i using xda premium
Well even with Verizon's meddling I was able to root my phone even without unlocking the boot loader. I got Titanium Backup installed and was able to remove a lot of the bloatware on my phone and free up a lot of memory. I wasn't able to delete all that I wanted but I was able to get back about 100mb of phone memory with just the things I did delete and that is good enough for me. The phone is acting normal so I guess I did everything right and didn't do any damage and I got the space I needed so I am pleased. Maybe down the road I will want to do more to the phone and workarounds will exist then but for now I am happy with what I have achieved.
Thanks again to Netizenmt and all the people who posted the information listed in your sticky. It was a great help once I calmed down, dug below the surface and did some more research.

ROOTING & UNLOCKING - why so much trouble?SOLVED

Backstory: I have just switched over to Sprint from ATT, due to a growing need to save money on my family plan. As such, I had to sell my Nexus 4 and get an Optimus G (HTC One was sold out ) Picked this phone for it's extreme similarity to the N4, which I liked quite a bit. Brought home my new device and immediately set about rooting and unlocking it. I have been around this particular block many times since my first rooting and ROMing experience with the HD2 back in '10. I am relatively adept at this and don't typically get put off by it being more or less difficult than the last time. For example, I had an HTC Rezound that required a length or wire to touch two contact points together during a script run to unlock the bootloader. That was fun! Point is, this ain't my first rodeo. I researched the threads pretty thoroughly, and although I wanted to use shadow's AIO root/unlock, it sounded from the posts that it was outdated due to recent updates that hadn't been implemented. Sooooo, I went with engine's root/unlock. I followed the instructions carefully, installed and utilized Freegee(after running the rooting script, which was successful), got to the 'YAY' screen, and went about the reboot to recovery process, and poof! - brick city. What sucks is that I see all over where people have had seemingly the same problem (no boot past the LG splash screen). The thing is, everyone else seems to be able to get a download mode or fastboot or both, thereby making some form of 'recovery' possible, even without an actual recovery program being in place. I cannot. I was unable to do anything with the device, and after many hours of trying, I took the damn thing to Sprint and got another(always root and ROM on the first day, that way you can blame the crappy product instead of your crappy ability to follow directions ). Now, I have never been too proud to admit when I screw up, but I was very careful about reading and following the instructions and took my time. This isn't to say it couldn't still be user error; it almost always is. But, the fact that my problem was so similar to so many others, but no one else had documented a problem like mine really bugged me. Anyway, I got a new one and have been researching LGNPST and teenybins way of rooting/unlocking. I have already installed all the drivers and software and am ready to go. But, I gotta be honest, I am leery. I don't care about taking another phone back to Sprint, but just don't want the hassle. I am nervous because it seems that these devices are very finicky and there are many posts in all of the root/unlock threads with people who can't seem to get theirs handled. This is compounded by the fact that my friggin device refuses to go into either download mode or fastboot mode. I have followed the instructions for this as well (vol down and pwr for download - all three and plug at the same time for fastboot) I can't accomplish either task with this device. WTF. I have no problem doing the noobie dance if I am somehow screwing this process up, but I can't see how. I have some experience at this; I have owned an HD2, a Sensation 4G, a Rezound, a G2X, a GSII Skyrocket, a Nexus 4, and this. All have been rooted and unlocked successfully, except one of the LGs, see below. I have had issues getting this done before, but never like this. I also have some experience compiling builds, so I am not a pro by any means, but I have a pretty good idea how to go about these things when I change devices. What I would like is some factual and specific tips, steps, and/or advice. I have read all of the threads about these, so simply mirroring the current steps listed is not much help right now. I also have some questions, regardless of whether or not some of the 'purists' will troll my possibly noobie style thoughts :
Why the hell can't I get into download or fastboot? If this is something that is actually happening and not just my user error, it would definitely be a reason for unlock failure and potential bricking, right?
Is it absolutely neccesary to unlock after root? I know that the two almost always go hand-in-hand, but nevertheless I think it is a legitimate question.
Is this just a problem with LG devices? I had a G2X for about a week, and went through 3 of them trying to get the damn thing rooted and unlocked. I literally could not do it, and after the third one even TMobile was tired of it. The gave me a Sensation that I had rooted and ROMed in about an hour. I had no issues with my N4, and to be honest I was nervous as hell getting that badboy set up. smooth sailing....
I know that most eveyone swears by the LGNPST method, but there have been reported failures through this method as well. Can I get anything more than just opinion about the best way to accomplish this with a minimum of bloodshed?
I would appreciate as much advice and discussion as possible, because I can't be the only one and we have to be able to figure this out once and for all.........
One other question: Why the hell am I having so much trouble extracting the .bin files on my laptop? I have 7zip, archive manager, and winzip. All three have the settings refecting .bin files being formatted with each file manager, and none will recognize the .bin files. I have an HP DV7 dual-core, running W7 Ultimate. SOLVED: Desktop at work showed these files properly as .bin. Don't know why my laptop won't........
UPDATE: I was able to get into download mode by pressing both vol buttons while plugged in. I was also able to gain root using fiddy619s Universal root and held it after reboot. For all the good it does... can't use font installer. hmph. Can alter root files though, so progress is being made
UPDATE: I am able to get OEM system recovery by holding dn and pwr until 'buttons' light up, then releasing pwr but not dn until recovery shows. Still can't get anything from holding up and pwr. Tried unplugged and plugged in; no love. From what I have read, you HAVE to be able to access fastboot to be able to complete this process, sooooo........
BMP7777 said:
Backstory: I have just switched over to Sprint from ATT, due to a growing need to save money on my family plan. As such, I had to sell my Nexus 4 and get an Optimus G (HTC One was sold out ) Picked this phone for it's extreme similarity to the N4, which I liked quite a bit. Brought home my new device and immediately set about rooting and unlocking it. I have been around this particular block many times since my first rooting and ROMing experience with the HD2 back in '10. I am relatively adept at this and don't typically get put off by it being more or less difficult than the last time. For example, I had an HTC Rezound that required a length or wire to touch two contact points together during a script run to unlock the bootloader. That was fun! Point is, this ain't my first rodeo. I researched the threads pretty thoroughly, and although I wanted to use shadow's AIO root/unlock, it sounded from the posts that it was outdated due to recent updates that hadn't been implemented. Sooooo, I went with engine's root/unlock. I followed the instructions carefully, installed and utilized Freegee(after running the rooting script, which was successful), got to the 'YAY' screen, and went about the reboot to recovery process, and poof! - brick city. What sucks is that I see all over where people have had seemingly the same problem (no boot past the LG splash screen). The thing is, everyone else seems to be able to get a download mode or fastboot or both, thereby making some form of 'recovery' possible, even without an actual recovery program being in place. I cannot. I was unable to do anything with the device, and after many hours of trying, I took the damn thing to Sprint and got another(always root and ROM on the first day, that way you can blame the crappy product instead of your crappy ability to follow directions ). Now, I have never been too proud to admit when I screw up, but I was very careful about reading and following the instructions and took my time. This isn't to say it couldn't still be user error; it almost always is. But, the fact that my problem was so similar to so many others, but no one else had documented a problem like mine really bugged me. Anyway, I got a new one and have been researching LGNPST and teenybins way of rooting/unlocking. I have already installed all the drivers and software and am ready to go. But, I gotta be honest, I am leery. I don't care about taking another phone back to Sprint, but just don't want the hassle. I am nervous because it seems that these devices are very finicky and there are many posts in all of the root/unlock threads with people who can't seem to get theirs handled. This is compounded by the fact that my friggin device refuses to go into either download mode or fastboot mode. I have followed the instructions for this as well (vol down and pwr for download - all three and plug at the same time for fastboot) I can't accomplish either task with this device. WTF. I have no problem doing the noobie dance if I am somehow screwing this process up, but I can't see how. I have some experience at this; I have owned an HD2, a Sensation 4G, a Rezound, a G2X, a GSII Skyrocket, a Nexus 4, and this. All have been rooted and unlocked successfully, except one of the LGs, see below. I have had issues getting this done before, but never like this. I also have some experience compiling builds, so I am not a pro by any means, but I have a pretty good idea how to go about these things when I change devices. What I would like is some factual and specific tips, steps, and/or advice. I have read all of the threads about these, so simply mirroring the current steps listed is not much help right now. I also have some questions, regardless of whether or not some of the 'purists' will troll my possibly noobie style thoughts :
Why the hell can't I get into download or fastboot? If this is something that is actually happening and not just my user error, it would definitely be a reason for unlock failure and potential bricking, right?
Is it absolutely neccesary to unlock after root? I know that the two almost always go hand-in-hand, but nevertheless I think it is a legitimate question.
Is this just a problem with LG devices? I had a G2X for about a week, and went through 3 of them trying to get the damn thing rooted and unlocked. I literally could not do it, and after the third one even TMobile was tired of it. The gave me a Sensation that I had rooted and ROMed in about an hour. I had no issues with my N4, and to be honest I was nervous as hell getting that badboy set up. smooth sailing....
I know that most eveyone swears by the LGNPST method, but there have been reported failures through this method as well. Can I get anything more than just opinion about the best way to accomplish this with a minimum of bloodshed?
I would appreciate as much advice and discussion as possible, because I can't be the only one and we have to be able to figure this out once and for all.........
One other question: Why the hell am I having so much trouble extracting the .bin files on my laptop? I have 7zip, archive manager, and winzip. All three have the settings refecting .bin files being formatted with each file manager, and none will recognize the .bin files. I have an HP DV7 dual-core, running W7 Ultimate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to the Optimus G. It sounds like you got a phone that needs the "Special Unlock". This is not a method available to the general public. You will need to go to IRC and ask Shelnutt2 for it. Good luck!
Stories like this make me not want to root/unlock.
I know the basics, but I dont know much beyond that. I would feel pretty stranded if some sort of soft-brick, etc occurred.
Rooting my OG EVO was simple as simple could get.
Mindspin_311 said:
Stories like this make me not want to root/unlock.
I know the basics, but I dont know much beyond that. I would feel pretty stranded if some sort of soft-brick, etc occurred.
Rooting my OG EVO was simple as simple could get.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just as nervous, but I'm not gonna let this damn thing get the best of me. Already made some progress. As I figure it out, I plan to offer another listing for how to accomplish this goal. I don't think we need YET ANOTHER thread about it though. Probably ask one of the others to add whatever makes mine work to their existing OP. I think part of the problem is too many different ways to do this that are only verified as working by a few; or many up until a recent time. Maybe the latest LG update is part of it as well.....
I know this feel all too well. On my third LGOG and I was able to properly rot/unlock. I'm more of a visual learner so learning using text only was a pain in my ass(weird right?) But I am way to skeptical to flash a new ROM and the ROM I want to use(Paranoid Android) was just recently ported so I'll stick with Stock rooted for now.
KUmike said:
Welcome to the Optimus G. It sounds like you got a phone that needs the "Special Unlock". This is not a method available to the general public. You will need to go to IRC and ask Shelnutt2 for it. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually not anymore, since I rewrote the freegee app, it's built into it. On the main screen press menu -> sbl unlock. Follow the directions, read everything, then after you enter the code, unlock like normal. This method is guarnteeed to always work, however there is some additional risks involved and only a small subset of optimusg owners need it, that is why it is not the default method.
BMP777 said:
vol down and pwr for download - all three and plug at the same time for fastboot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is wrong, it's vol up + vol down + have the usb plugged in + power and they will get you to download mode. Fastboot mode is only avaliable when unlocked and that is vol down + power .
Tried the Freegee again but the softbrick was the result. I didn't find the sbl unlock, it must be in the paid version. Waiting for a new bank card to come in the mail is the only reason I haven't coughed up the buck. Was able to get into download mode easily and restore using LGNPST. No fastboot or recovery access though......back to the drawing board. Makes me wonder if the last one was really broken or I was too dumb to figure it out.
BMP7777 said:
Tried the Freegee again but the softbrick was the result. I didn't find the sbl unlock, it must be in the paid version. Waiting for a new bank card to come in the mail is the only reason I haven't coughed up the buck. Was able to get into download mode easily and restore using LGNPST. No fastboot or recovery access though......back to the drawing board. Makes me wonder if the last one was really broken or I was too dumb to figure it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the SBL unlock method in the freegee app is there, you just have to hit the menu button (I think).
Ran LGNPST again and acheived unlock. Good to go.
BMP7777 said:
Ran LGNPST again and acheived unlock. Good to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear it, and fyi as in the description on the play store, the free and paid versions are 100% the same minus the name change.
I was considering trading my Note 2 for two OG's but reading this scares me a lil. Is it really that bad to root this thing?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
RayTrue04 said:
I was considering trading my Note 2 for two OG's but reading this scares me a lil. Is it really that bad to root this thing?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope not at all. Rooting and unlocking is pretty easy for 99% of the phones out there.
Shelnutt2 said:
Nope not at all. Rooting and unlocking is pretty easy for 99% of the phones out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you ever owned an Evo? Rooting and unlocking is not always easy lol
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
RayTrue04 said:
Have you ever owned an Evo? Rooting and unlocking is not always easy lol
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By phones I was meaning optimus g's
Sent from my LG-LS970 using xda app-developers app
Rooting this device is easy. Unlocking was a bit more detailed but in the end, just as easy. Still not certain if my issues were genuine or user error, but I will assume it was me. Make sure you read the instructions over and over before you begin. I have been doing this for a long time so I may have gotten caught up in thinking I knew all there was to know and not paying close enough attention to the details. Thanks to fiddy619, engine95, and especially Shellnutt2 for making these tools and taking time to offer assistance. Use fiddys tool for rooting, then buy and install Freegee for unlocking. If you have issues with Freegee, use the two-button plug method of accessing download mode(press and hold both volume buttons while plugging in the USB), and then use the LGNPST tool with teenybins for unlocking and/or repairs. These are the steps that worked for me without hassle; your experience may vary......

[Q] HELP - child wiped out phone (brick?) and mom needs help...

hi everyone! I am seeking your expertise as I came upon this forum trying to help my son fix his phone. He's only 11 years old- but as we call him at home our "tech guy". He got a brand new HTC One M8 (carrier is ATT) yesterday and 3 hours later - the phone was "bricked" as I have been told. Apparently, (these are his words) he "unlocked the bootloader using HTCdev, then flashed twrp, then flashed supersu.zip.
I have no idea what any of that means but apparently he did something wrong because his phone is not working and we don't know how to fix it. If you have any compassion for a frustrated Mom who's trying not to be angry with her son -- I would appreciate any advice you can give on how to fix this.
I have attached a picture of what the phone looks like when we turn it on. I also posted this under the ATT forum too.
Thanks in advance for your help!
You bought your 11 year old son an M8?
Do you adopt?
Bchgirl19 said:
hi everyone! I am seeking your expertise as I came upon this forum trying to help my son fix his phone. He's only 11 years old- but as we call him at home our "tech guy". He got a brand new HTC One M8 (carrier is ATT) yesterday and 3 hours later - the phone was "bricked" as I have been told. Apparently, (these are his words) he "unlocked the bootloader using HTCdev, then flashed twrp, then flashed supersu.zip.
I have no idea what any of that means but apparently he did something wrong because his phone is not working and we don't know how to fix it. If you have any compassion for a frustrated Mom who's trying not to be angry with her son -- I would appreciate any advice you can give on how to fix this.
I have attached a picture of what the phone looks like when we turn it on. I also posted this under the ATT forum too.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Going by the pic, the bootloader has been relocked. So that's a problem. The bootloader will need to be unlocked again. I would suggest heading over to Youtube, as I have found video tutorials the most helpful when I was learning this stuff. There are plenty of videos that are even specific to the M8.
Edit: I should also point out that a phone can almost always be saved/restored if it still powers on. So don't panic. It would probably be in your best interest though to find someone experienced to fix it. Trying to explain the process to fix it here is not going to be helpful to someone who doesn't know what they're doing. If you can't find someone experienced, then my best suggestion, as stated above, would be to watch some Youtube tutorials on unlocking/rooting the M8.
Okay. In all seriousness.
When was this screen grab taken? In other words, is this your current position with the phone?
Relocked... etc etc
Are you in the US on AT&T?
Your tech son needs to restore ATT backup.. Hopefully someone in that forum has it
sent from my mobile device
UPDATE on my son
Thank you all so much for your responses! It is much appreciated. Believe it or not - this kid fixed it all by himself. Basically (remember I am not technical) he unlocked the boot loader then flashed a ROM onto an SD card and was able to load. Don't think I worded correctly - but I think you know what I am talking about -- it's fixed and working fine. WHEW!!
I guess he "retraced" the steps he did last night and was able to get it. Actually it's strange the first ROM he put on wasn't allowing him to find or pick up wifi. He found another and got it. This kid is good!
I will certainly keep the info to this forum handy because something tells me that I will be visiting again with this child..................
Have a great evening!!
p.s. I typed the wrong key -- he's 12 not 11 And - sure I'd adopt! But he did save up his own money to get this phone and only wanted it to do these "cool" things as he says to it.....rest of my family - we are simple and use Iphones -- sorry.
All I can say to this is Wow!!
Bchgirl19 said:
Thank you all so much for your responses! It is much appreciated. Believe it or not - this kid fixed it all by himself. Basically (remember I am not technical) he unlocked the boot loader then flashed a ROM onto an SD card and was able to load. Don't think I worded correctly - but I think you know what I am talking about -- it's fixed and working fine. WHEW!!
I guess he "retraced" the steps he did last night and was able to get it. Actually it's strange the first ROM he put on wasn't allowing him to find or pick up wifi. He found another and got it. This kid is good!
I will certainly keep the info to this forum handy because something tells me that I will be visiting again with this child..................
Have a great evening!!
p.s. I typed the wrong key -- he's 12 not 11 And - sure I'd adopt! But he did save up his own money to get this phone and only wanted it to do these "cool" things as he says to it.....rest of my family - we are simple and use Iphones -- sorry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad to hear everything worked out for you and your son.
It's great to know that you're letting your kid tinker around as he is. I know these are quite expensive devices, but we often do learn from our mistakes, and that is even more true when it comes to technology. I'm sure that I have a bit of a bias being a software developer, but tech is such a huge part of life now, and that is only going to become more so with time. So getting an early start as he is, your son is going to have a leg-up in the world, even if he doesn't choose this type of field as a career path.
MindfulSheep said:
I'm glad to hear everything worked out for you and your son.
It's great to know that you're letting your kid tinker around as he is. I know these are quite expensive devices, but we often do learn from our mistakes, and that is even more true when it comes to technology. I'm sure that I have a bit of a bias being a software developer, but tech is such a huge part of life now, and that is only going to become more so with time. So getting an early start as he is, your son is going to have a leg-up in the world, even if he doesn't choose this type of field as a career path.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree! But keep an eye on him, so that he sleeps from time to time. And hide your car keys!
Please don't create multiple threads asking the same question.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2750594
MindfulSheep said:
I'm glad to hear everything worked out for you and your son.
It's great to know that you're letting your kid tinker around as he is. I know these are quite expensive devices, but we often do learn from our mistakes, and that is even more true when it comes to technology. I'm sure that I have a bit of a bias being a software developer, but tech is such a huge part of life now, and that is only going to become more so with time. So getting an early start as he is, your son is going to have a leg-up in the world, even if he doesn't choose this type of field as a career path.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!! He's very into all of this stuff and always has been from a very young age -- started with Legos at 2. He doesn't play sports and this is his "thing". He really LOVES all this stuff. He's actually really good and understands most things. As you can see - we certainly have issues now and then but overall we certainly let him "tinker". I really should write stuff down so we can laugh about it in about 10 years. We tried to limit his Internet time a couple of years ago and added a password on his computer that we had to input on his computer to gain access. Little **** put a keystroke logger on the computer to get the password. Then he somehow modified the main password screen to say PENIS when we logged on. The stories go on and on....... We will let him continue his technology building and hopefully he really have a bright future in technology!
Thanks for all of the input and support from this forum!
Bchgirl19 said:
Thanks!! He's very into all of this stuff and always has been from a very young age -- started with Legos at 2. He doesn't play sports and this is his "thing". He really LOVES all this stuff. He's actually really good and understands most things. As you can see - we certainly have issues now and then but overall we certainly let him "tinker". I really should write stuff down so we can laugh about it in about 10 years. We tried to limit his Internet time a couple of years ago and added a password on his computer that we had to input on his computer to gain access. Little **** put a keystroke logger on the computer to get the password. Then he somehow modified the main password screen to say PENIS when we logged on. The stories go on and on....... We will let him continue his technology building and hopefully he really have a bright future in technology!
Thanks for all of the input and support from this forum!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was the same from an early age and always have been. I have taken apart or modified more household items than I can think of. I broke a lot of stuff messing as a kid, but now I have a lot of knowledge and can fix almost any thing properly.
It seems you are not so bad yourself with the technical stuff as most moms wouldn't have a clue or even be able to repeat what you have explained here.

Why did I get another Android phone?

I was so excited to get a different phone. I had been contending with the insufferable Galaxy Note 2 for 9 months. I really believed that getting the LG Optimus G Pro would be great.
Now I come to find out that there is this locked bootloader? yes before you even start typing: I already know about Freegee. I put it on my phone, it did its work. I have CWM on my phone. I cannot install a different rom. It aborts every time.
And nobody here can help. Its not like you don't see my posts. You see them. You just see them and decide to go on to something more interesting figuring that someone else will help the poor guy.
Hey guess what. I took programming in college. Only one course in VB but I did take it. And I've put up several websites back in the day. ("back in the day is a United States colloquialism")
My point is, even though I have a bit of experience with computers (linux distros, html, visual basic) I still can't figure out the quagmire that is Android.
Once the iPhone 6 comes out, I really have no reason to stick with Android anymore. I mean, if rooting and rom-ing the phone is more boringly laborious than jailbreaking, then what is the point of Android?
For example, lets say I do clear the hurdle and then flash a rom so I can get decent sound? THEN my wifi won't work. Or Some other crucial functionality will be fubar-ed. Okay okay... you say you have a fix for that? Well when its all said and done, the time/energy costs just aren't worth it, now is it?
0 #!*! Given ?
That's interesting because I never took any classes and have never had a problem rooting or doing Roms on any android phone. Sorry your experience has been bad but my questions have always been answered by somebody in the related thread. I would try asking again in the ROM's thread to see what is happening.
Sent from my LG-E980 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
G pro is the note 2 killer...... Just follow instructions of any op to the T and you should be fine.... It's simple lol
2SHAYNEZ
I agree. I don't post often but I really do hate Apple. Android kicks Apple's you know what many times over. Talk about being locked down.... If I've ever had a problem with a Rom someone has always helped me figure it out. Sorry about your problems though.
sent from my lgog pro. I just had to go bigger.
@Perry2547,
If CWM doesn't work then try TWRP, even i had problems with CWM.either install it from freegee or install this
copy this to sd card and then flash it in CWM and reboot.
I believe the OP just wanted to start a thread...
So you all may ignore him
Thanks @sukesh.
I tried the twrp you linked to and now my phone will let me flash.
Unfortunately, Camera has stopped.
Close thread please.
2SHAYNEZ
I don't even remember how I rooted this phone... I know I found a thread that had comprehensive instructions, links, etc and believe it was as simple as downloading/extracting an executable file on my PC and plugging the phone into USB at the right moment. I've flashed CM, stock 4.4, Slim and always find my way back to stock 4.1.2, modded to my liking. If you can't flash something in a custom recovery, it's likely your phone is protecting you from failure to completely read/follow a prior mod or a prerequisite to the ROM/Mod you wish to flash.
Sent from my LG E980 via Tapatalk Pro (and stupid-fast LTE)
But seriously y'all, I'm just glad I have another two hours if battery life left. That means I will vhave to recharge this phone only 3 more times today.
Unfortunately, Camera has stopped.
I too just got new lg ogp phone. Been trying to customize it to my liking for the past 3 days and night. All I can say about android is it is not for everybody. Sure, you can use it as it is when you first get it as a stock device, and it will work as advertise. But there is a reason that you try modifing it regardless of breaking the manufacturer's warranty (yes, once you start rooting it, you violate the agreement.) You have personality of the kind that thinks you can fix anything by yourself. Nothing wrong with that, I'm in same personality group too, many Android owners are. After all, what is the point if you can't modify the phone to your liking? Might as well get an Iphone right? Sadly though, it seems the new android trend is just heading the way of iphone, where users have to be protected from harming themselves. I noticed all the difficulties when I tried to root this LG phone, as compared to the phone I had two years ago. But android users are a persistent lot, more securities mean inventing more ways to break them. If you have problem installing ROM, try cm11 nightly build, it works for me. Post the specific problems and situations. We should be able to help each other. After all, android owners are together in a special community where we can relate to each other because of ideas we have for our phones. My advice to you is make sure you have the newest recovery and you are properly rooted. I can't use the script method where you run a msdos batch file. Since atnt suppose locked the boot.img file or something. Had to use a program called root master.
Sent from my LG-E980 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Nobody gives a damn, get life!
Antigen said:
Nobody gives a damn, get life!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha
2SHAYNEZ
hawkwind212 said:
I too just got new lg ogp phone. Been trying to customize it to my liking for the past 3 days and night. All I can say about android is it is not for everybody. Sure, you can use it as it is when you first get it as a stock device, and it will work as advertise. But there is a reason that you try modifing it regardless of breaking the manufacturer's warranty (yes, once you start rooting it, you violate the agreement.) You have personality of the kind that thinks you can fix anything by yourself. Nothing wrong with that, I'm in same personality group too, many Android owners are. After all, what is the point if you can't modify the phone to your liking? Might as well get an Iphone right? Sadly though, it seems the new android trend is just heading the way of iphone, where users have to be protected from harming themselves. I noticed all the difficulties when I tried to root this LG phone, as compared to the phone I had two years ago. But android users are a persistent lot, more securities mean inventing more ways to break them. If you have problem installing ROM, try cm11 nightly build, it works for me. Post the specific problems and situations. We should be able to help each other. After all, android owners are together in a special community where we can relate to each other because of ideas we have for our phones. My advice to you is make sure you have the newest recovery and you are properly rooted. I can't use the script method where you run a msdos batch file. Since atnt suppose locked the boot.img file or something. Had to use a program called root master.
Sent from my LG-E980 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly.
If android is going to be locked down, what is the point? With iPhone bringing in 3rd party keyboards and phablet size phones, might as well go with them instead of utilitarian design devices made by dictator led countries where creativity is frowned upon.
Unfortunately, Camera has stopped.
Perry2547 said:
Exactly.
If android is going to be locked down, what is the point? With iPhone bringing in 3rd party keyboards and phablet size phones, might as well go with them instead of utilitarian design devices made by dictator led countries where creativity is frowned upon.
Unfortunately, Camera has stopped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh lawdy... Then go to iPhone buddy .. Lol see ya
2SHAYNEZ
But Apple has been implicated in planned obsolescence as well.
Does that matter to you?
To me, it makes me a bit upset that I could work on my vehicle twenty years ago, but now it's not possible. Planned obsolescence.
Make everything sweepstakes m disposable. Lock it down too. Keep every one buying the upgrades.
Unfortunately, Camera has stopped.
Are you still having problem installing the ROM? You have never tell us what kind of problems you ran into specifically. You just ventted your frustration here, nobody wants to hear that. If you want people to help, describe the issue. Go to this site and download the program vroot.
http://www.mobilepoint.us/2013/10/android-root-master-one-click-vroot.html#.U9XRXYfwJGo
The program is in Chinese, so you may want to watch youtube videos on the master root program first. Do a factory reset, clean wipe, run master root program, and hopefully you should be able to install the recovery. Once the recovery is properly installed, you can install the custom rom. Since there aren't many, I suggest you try cyanogenmod.
Sent from my LG-E980 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
hawkwind212 said:
Are you still having problem installing the ROM? You have never tell us what kind of problems you ran into specifically. You just ventted your frustration here, nobody wants to hear that. If you want people to help, describe the issue. Go to this site and download the program vroot.
http://www.mobilepoint.us/2013/10/android-root-master-one-click-vroot.html#.U9XRXYfwJGo
The program is in Chinese, so you may want to watch youtube videos on the master root program first. Do a factory reset, clean wipe, run master root program, and hopefully you should be able to install the recovery. Once the recovery is properly installed, you can install the custom rom. Since there aren't many, I suggest you try cyanogenmod.
Sent from my LG-E980 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got a ROM to install. I indicated so in the thread. It was the E988 rom on the E980 thread.
I do a lot of whining and complaining but its for the best.
I hope that the complaining I did about Samsung's crappy products has saved a few people from buying...that is the only way that company will learn their lesson. Why pay $800 for a device only to get screen burn in.
But I never ever never ever BRICKED my Note 2.
I've bricked this OGP more times than I can count.
We should have the options to remove the locked boot loader. I would gladly sign an agreement acknowledging the risks.
We're going backwards. We're not making progress.
Same things is happening in desktop/laptop computers. I had to do something unusual to remove the UEFI on a Windows machine I bought last year just to install Lubuntu.
Speaking of Lubuntu, I had an ASUS Netbook with Windows 7 and an Atom processor. Needless to say, it ran slow. So I installed Lubuntu. Then , wow, the device ran so fast and smooth, and the already good battery life got three times better.
Why can't we have an option like that for our smartphones? I want to run the equivalent of Lubuntu on my OGP.
And another thing: Why are some custom roms dimming the display? Is it to make it appear as if the rom is giving better battery life?
Peace out bro.. but yeah, I'm not stopping my rants. If you don't like what I've got to say, simply don't read it.
This phone is not much more difficult to root than any Samsung phone I used. Also why didn't you do research before buying the phone? It was stated clearly that the boot loader was locked. However since day one of purchase I was able to follow a thread and have my phone rooted in ten minutes. It is really not that hard. Now there are a bunch of one click roots. This phone installs custom Roms every time with ease for me. I am no expert but I can read instructions. If you follow them, 99% of the time things will work. I love android for the fact that I have options. I am running a rooted stock ROM now but I love knowing that in ten minutes time I can have a new ROM flashed. This community has been so helpful and responsive.
Sent from my LG-E980 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Worried about rooting. Should I do it?

I used to have an iPod touch before finally getting the One M8. I played around with jailbreaking the iPod and what not because I never really used the iPod. Now that I got the One (M8), I've been having a mental battle on whether I should root my phone or not. This is the only phone I have and I don't have any money to get a replacement in case something goes wrong. I have RUINED i mean RUINED devices because of something stupid I've done and I don't want that to happen to my phone. I use my phone for everything, texting, media consumption, social media, communication etc. so losing the phone isn't an option. Also how can I make a complete backup of my phone so I can restore data if I root.
QUESTION TIME: Should I root or not? What are the advantages? What are the pitfalls? I really want to root but at the same time I don't want to root because I'm afraid I'll ruin it.
PHONE: HTC One (M8) on AT&T running 5.0.1 Lollipop with the latest stagefright update.
EDIT: I also want to put Cyanogen Mod on it? How do I go about doing that?
I have rooted all my HTC phones and have never had any problems. I Unlock and Root cos i want 100% control.
I used this guide when i rooted my M8.
jkolner said:
I have rooted all my HTC phones and have never had any problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here; I've modded 2 Samsung tablets, 4 HTC Android devices (3 phones, 1 tablet) , and 2 HTC (old school) Windows Phones before that. Never had a major problem (such as a brick) on any of them.
That being said, anybody willing to mod these devices should at least be aware of the risks (as you well seem to be) and willing to live with the consequences, however unlikely.
But honestly, spend the proper amount of time (a couple hours, at least) to read the guides, forum threads, and understand the processes, before you try to do anything. Do the proper research/learning and follow instructions precisely, and the risk is very low.
Also, be sure to backup your personal data as much as possible, every step along the way; to prevent the disappointment of data loss, or facilitate reverting the mods (is needed).
Don't proceed without a good understanding of what you are doing. And do not try things recklessly or "experiment" if you get stuck and panic (a common mistake). If you get stuck, look on here for the answer; or just post your issue and somebody will help.
Remember that everyone here at one time had to start from scratch, just like you. But as long as you are patient, and good at following instructions, you should be fine. Especially if the goal is to just put custom recovery on the phone, root, and flash a custom ROM; the risk of permanent damage is very low. At the worst, you may get stuck in a bootloop or otherwise not able to boot the phone due to a mistake on your part, so simply some random occurrence. But this is most often an easily recoverable condition.
Only you can know if the advantages to rooting outweigh the disadvantages. I personally wouldn't own a device that I didn't have at least root control over, but that's just me. On the other hand, I've put off installing the stagefright update because even unrooting isn't enough to make taking OTAs safe - that's a huge con.
You really have to consider that you will be the system administrator of a small computer, and a computer which the manufacturer didn't trust you to administrate. However, pretty much everything you would be doing are known, documented tasks at this point. If you are willing to put in the effort to read everything you can, and plan before you act, you can turn your device into the perfect (for you) machine. Or, you can step back from the challenge and just use it as it came. The HTC One M8 is actually a perfectly fine device right out of the gate, so there is no shame in leaving it as it is.
There are worthwhile reasons to root. I personally can't live without being able to configure the firewall (iptables), AdAway, Titanium Backup, AppOps, GSAM battery monitor, wakelock detectors, etc. However, my wife, who isn't techie at all, is happy as a clam with her 100% bone stock Samsung Galaxy Mega. She just uses the thing and doesn't worry about all of that stuff.
v1n0dhn said:
I used to have an iPod touch before finally getting the One M8. I played around with jailbreaking the iPod and what not because I never really used the iPod. Now that I got the One (M8), I've been having a mental battle on whether I should root my phone or not. This is the only phone I have and I don't have any money to get a replacement in case something goes wrong. I have RUINED i mean RUINED devices because of something stupid I've done and I don't want that to happen to my phone. I use my phone for everything, texting, media consumption, social media, communication etc. so losing the phone isn't an option.
QUESTION TIME: Should I root or not? What are the advantages? What are the pitfalls? I really want to root but at the same time I don't want to root because I'm afraid I'll ruin it.
PHONE: HTC One (M8) on AT&T running 5.0.1 Lollipop with the latest stagefright update.
EDIT: I also want to put Cyanogen Mod on it? How do I go about doing that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, v1n0dhn...
I suspect you've sort of answered your own question here...
v1n0dhn said:
...This is the only phone I have and I don't have any money to get a replacement in case something goes wrong. I have RUINED i mean RUINED devices because of something stupid I've done and I don't want that to happen to my phone. I use my phone for everything, texting, media consumption, social media, communication etc. so losing the phone isn't an option...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...and I sort of wonder if you're looking for somebody to talk you out of rooting it... Hoping that somebody might say... "DON'T ROOT!!! It's not worth it... It's a bloody horrible nightmare of bricked phones and melted aluminium and blue smoke... ARGHH."
Obviously, this isn't the case... Rooting the M8 is reasonably straightforward, and my own M8 continued to perform normally and perfectly fine as it did before I rooted it.
-----
Of course, once rooted, you won't easily be able take OTAs to upgrade from whatever version of Android you're currently running to the next version of version of Android (and with Android 6, Marshmallow waiting in the wings sometime over the next few months, this is worth bearing in mind) and the recent OTA that addresses the Stagefright vulnerability. These Over-The-Air updates, and others in the future, will fail, and cause your M8 to become softbricked, if your M8 is rooted.
There are ways around these problems, but may require you to restore non-rooted Nandroid backups specifically for your device/carrier, and some solutions may require you to run a ROM Update Utility (RUU) in order to restore back to pure unrooted stock in order for take future OTAs.
And possibly, ultimately, you **may** need to acquire S-OFF, in order to do this. This will cost you $25 for the use of Sunshine.
-----
I come from a Nexus tablet background, and rooting and flashing stuff on those devices is a piece of cake. And you can ALWAYS and EASILY revert back to the original factory stock ROM. And unroot just as easily.
With the HTC One M8, things are not so straightforward.
-----
Here are some (slightly) rhetorical points for you to consider?
** What are the benefits of rooting? What functionality do I gain by rooting? Can these benefits be acquired by other (non-rooted) means?
** How easy (or difficult) is to revert my phone back to the state it was in when I first took it out of the box? Can I do this, once I've rooted it? And is it difficult?
** Despite what you may have read, from guys who've had years of Android experience... modding, rooting, flashing customs ROMs, kernels etc... I don't think that any of this should be considered routine and akin to just installing the latest Angry Birds . These is RISK involved... albeit low risk if you're just rooting, but risk nonetheless. You are, after all, messing with the underlying Android operating system.
-----
If your phone is THIS important and critical to your life...
v1n0dhn said:
...This is the only phone I have and I don't have any money to get a replacement in case something goes wrong. I have RUINED i mean RUINED devices because of something stupid I've done and I don't want that to happen to my phone. I use my phone for everything, texting, media consumption, social media, communication etc. so losing the phone isn't an option...
QUESTION TIME: Should I root or not? What are the advantages? What are the pitfalls? I really want to root but at the same time I don't want to root because I'm afraid I'll ruin it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...then my honest answer, and my sincere advice is DO NOT ROOT... (I'm not saying not ever, just not now - but perhaps maybe in the future).
You need the knowledge and confidence to know what to do when you're faced with a bootlooping device, or if TWRP won't fastboot flash... or anything else that might go wrong... And sometimes they occasionally do.
----
Read everything you can about root, what it is, what benefits it confers, what are the pitfalls, and what are the risks.
Regarding the M8 specifically... read about RUUs, CIDs and MIDs, Sunshine S-ON/OFF, bootloader unlocking and sundry other topics.
Read, Read, Read, Read, Read... And more Read.
XDA is a veritable fountain of such technical knowledge. Avail yourself of it... before you even think about rooting. Acquaint yourself with the benefits and the consequences.
----
There's an old carpentry aphorism...
"Measure Twice, Cut Once."
This is as true for Android as it is for putting up a fence.
Good luck in whatever you decide.
Rgrds,
Ged.
Good answer Sir. Wish most of the folks on here did this already. I remember when I first started out when the HTC Hero and Evo first came out, there was never this many people screwing up their phones like you see now.
@v1n0dhn, just read and teach yourself how to do things before jumping in with 2 feet. Then determine for yourself if this is for you.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
I've started the process.
So, I've convinced myself to root my phone. I'm right now waiting for my adb backup to finish. I read up on rooting a little more and have gained a little more confidence. I backed up my sms to gmail using an app and copied my important photos and app data to my pc. I'll make another reply when this is done and I when I unlock the bootloader.
There's pretty much all the detail you need above but I must stress the importance of backups. Back up (like you are doing) SMS, Photos, Bookmarks all that stuff, but also once rooted make a nandroid backup, and pretty much every time you do anything (install a ROM, recovery etc.), nandroid that sh**. It will save you at some point. Just read all the posts asking for help because they wiped everything while installing a ROM but didn't have a back up when it went wrong.
3484jacks said:
Back up (like you are doing) SMS, Photos, Bookmarks all that stuff, but also once rooted make a nandroid backup, and pretty much every time you do anything (install a ROM, recovery etc.), nandroid that sh**. It will save you at some point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've started the root process and i agree that backups are important. All i have to do now is flash a recovery and them cm and gapps.

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