anyone know how to flash a new bootloader?

[h_2_o]

I've been working with my phone for a while now and have recently had a friend who is pretty good with linux take a look at it. after some discussion he believes that i may have a partially corrupt boot loader. does anyone know how to either reflash or load a fresh bootloader on an a780?


thanks much

[CheshireCat]

If the bootloader does not function, you're going to have a rough time flashing it. Flashkit could conceivably flash the bootloader, if you modify rwflash.c to make the bootloader portion of flash writable, but the phone needs to boot. If a proper firmware file could be created from an image of somebody elses' bootloader, you could flash it with PST, but the phone would need to start in bootloader mode, at least.

What exactly is wrong, and why do you think it's the bootloader?

[h_2_o]

to make this as short as i can, because it is long this is the cliffs version.

phone crashed and can only get into bootloader mode.
I tried flashing it every different way i could with monster and transition files and every variant i could think of with no success.
i was without success.
fOxOr was nice enough to offer to attempt to repair it.
the results were the same as mine.
both of us were got "usb enumeration failures" on flashing
the phone was sent back to me, still able to get into boot mode but failed flashing correctly.

ok after all that i thought to go a different route and talk with a few friends who are big linux guys. after explaining all that is going on, looking at the phone and looking into how the phone is setup, they believe that that most logical conclusion is that i have a partially corrupt bootloader where some of the USB stuff somehow got fubared. they suggested next to re-flash the bootloader if it is possible to see if that fixes the usb ennumeration failure and go from there.

and that's the short version. any help would be appreciated. thanks

[CheshireCat]

If it won't flash when started in bootloader mode, and you're sure you've installed all of the drivers (I doubt both you and f0x0r missed one), then that is a possible explanation. I don't know any way to flash it if it won't flash from bootloader mode, though.

This page suggests that it may be possible to flash the phone via JTAG, but it doesn't sound like anybody's tried to yet. Your phone might make a good guinea pig, since it's already dead.

[h_2_o]

hehe, now who sould i contact that wants to try and flash via JTAG?

[CheshireCat]

I'd try searching the forums for jtag, and politely asking people who seem to have a JTAG adaptor. You could also ask in the ShoutBlock, or wait and see if anybody who can help posts in this topic. Another option would be to obtain one yourself.

[h_2_o]

very neat, anyone know who harald is that is being referenced in that wiki post? if so i would like to know how to contact them as a phone to test this theory out on may be mine, that way a phone might not get zapped badly and if it is an already disabled phone nobody is really out.

[h_2_o]

bump, and it has been a while, but i thought i might as well see if anyone is trying to flash via jtag yet and wants to try a 780? anyway let me know if you are flashing via jtag and want to try.


thanks

[swifty]

have you tried to contact harald?

[h_2_o]

yup tried contacting him, my guess is that he is pretty much overwhelmed with either e-mail's or people who just dont know what is going on. in that respect heck i might even qualify for that category :P anyway i'm game to try flashing via jtag on mine if someone want's to send some guidance my way. I really dont think it can become any more of a paperweight