2016-09-01, 06:52
How to resurrect a phone with Mediatek SoC "almost" or "completely" lifeless
Phone "completely dead" means that no longer gives any sign of life (even the "power button").
Phone "almost dead" means the reaction to the pressure on the "power" button (stuck at the logo or bootloop).
Reasons of brick
Usually the brick is caused by an interruption during the flash process of a firmware (stock or custom).
The 2 main reasons are the lack of battery power, or the USB cable slack/disconnection.
Another cause is the attempt to flash a firmware not compatible.
In that case, the attempt to flash a non-compliant firmware will corrupt the "preloader.bin".
The "preloader.bin", very simply said, is vital to the booting process of the phone.
Classical symptoms
The typical symptoms of a bricked phone are the next,
in sequence, from the most serious to the most bland :
1) The phone does not turn on even pressing several buttons combinations (volume and power).
2) The phone turn on and turn off with an almost infinite loop, called "bootloop".
3) The phone turn on, but it is stuck in the logo image.
4) You can not restart your phone into "Recovery" mode.
5) You can not perform a "hard reset".
The common error that often is committed by many people, is to "shot in the dark" to unbrick their phones.
"Shot in the dark" means following wrong procedures, or worse flashing incompatible firmwares.
And in doing so, the only result is make the situation worse.
Any further "random" attempt, make the restoring increasingly difficult.
When pressing the "power" button, you do not have any reaction by the phone,
it probably means that the "preloader.bin" is corrupted.
In order to restore a bricked phone, the following tools are needed :
1) SP Flash Tool (possibly the latest version available).
You can download it at the following link:
2) An USB cable not too much used, otherwise it could compromise the flash process.
3) The VCOM drivers. You can find at the next link:
4) And of course a PC. If you have a desktop PC, I recommend you to use the USB back ports.
PROCEDURE - MULTIPLE SOLUTIONS
First solution :
1) Open SP Flash Tool. Click on "flash_tool.exe",
possibly as Admin (right click on exe and then click on "Run as administrator").
2) If the "power button" phone does not work,
I suggest you just flash the "preloader.bin".
3) Take care, I only use the "preoloader.bin" of the stock firmware.
Do not try "strange experiments" with "preloader.bin" extrapolated from strangers firmwares.
4) Load scatter files and select the only "preloader.bin", deselecting all other files.
5) Click on "Download".
6) After the flash of "preloader.bin" (yellow progress bar to 100%),
the "power" button should at least vibrate to the pressure.
7) Now proceed with the flash of the other files,
by ticking every single square of the remaining sections, and unticking the "preloader.bin".
8) If everything will be fine after the flash of the remaining sections, the phone should be restored.
In the event that your phone, in the "Device Manager" (Windows),
displayed as the device "MTK USB PORT", perform the following steps :
1) Flash only the "preloader.bin".
In SP Flash Tool select "Firmware Upgrade" (also try the "Download Only").
2) Click on "Download" to start the flash process.
3) If, unfortunately, nothing has changed in the "Device Manager",
then install the VCOM drivers (the link is a few lines above).
Second solution :
If your phone bricked due to sudden interruption of the flash process, perform the following steps :
1) Remove the battery and connect your phone to a power outlet using the charger.
2) Reinsert the battery (leaving your phone connected to the charger).
3) Let the phone connected to the power outlet at least an hour.
4) While the smartphone is charging,
at regular intervals stimolate it by pressing the "power" and "volume up" buttons.
5) After the charging time, try to turn on the phone.
6) If it will does not turn on, try to flash the stock firmware anyway.
7) If SP Flash Tool will does not start,
try to remove the battery and wait 30 seconds before to reinsert it.
8) Click on "Download" before to connect your phone to the PC with the USB cable; then, plug the USB.
9) Try to change the USB port (preferably the back ports, if you have a desktop pc).
10) Make sure you have properly installed the VCOM drivers. If not, please follow the step 11.
11) Uninstall VCOM, ADB, Preloader and MTK drivers by the following software :
To better understand how to uninstall the drivers by USB Deview,
please watch carefully the next video :
12) After that you have uninstalled these drivers,
reinstall the VCOM drivers. You can find it at the next link:
13) Open SP Flash Tool by clicking on "flash_tool.exe",
possibly as Admin (right click on exe and then click on "Run as administrator").
14) Load scatter files and click "Download".
15) If the flash does not start, remove the battery,
connect your phone to your PC without battery,
click "Download" and reinsert the battery.
Third solution :
If the second solution did not produce any results,
then I propose to proceed with the following steps:
1) Open SP Flash Tool by clicking on "flash_tool.exe",
possibly as Admin (right click on exe and then click on "Run as administrator").
2) Load scatter files and click "Download".
3) While connect your phone to the PC with USB cable,
and press the "Volume Down" button.
4) If SP Flash Tool does not start, repeat the same procedure,
but this time press simultaneously "volume down" + "power" buttons.
5) If still SP Flash Tool does not start, repeat the same procedure,
but now press only the "volume up" button.
6) If still SP Flash Tool does not start, repeat the same procedure,
but now press simultaneously "volume up" + "power" buttons.
That's all
Phone "completely dead" means that no longer gives any sign of life (even the "power button").
Phone "almost dead" means the reaction to the pressure on the "power" button (stuck at the logo or bootloop).
Reasons of brick
Usually the brick is caused by an interruption during the flash process of a firmware (stock or custom).
The 2 main reasons are the lack of battery power, or the USB cable slack/disconnection.
Another cause is the attempt to flash a firmware not compatible.
In that case, the attempt to flash a non-compliant firmware will corrupt the "preloader.bin".
The "preloader.bin", very simply said, is vital to the booting process of the phone.
Classical symptoms
The typical symptoms of a bricked phone are the next,
in sequence, from the most serious to the most bland :
1) The phone does not turn on even pressing several buttons combinations (volume and power).
2) The phone turn on and turn off with an almost infinite loop, called "bootloop".
3) The phone turn on, but it is stuck in the logo image.
4) You can not restart your phone into "Recovery" mode.
5) You can not perform a "hard reset".
The common error that often is committed by many people, is to "shot in the dark" to unbrick their phones.
"Shot in the dark" means following wrong procedures, or worse flashing incompatible firmwares.
And in doing so, the only result is make the situation worse.
Any further "random" attempt, make the restoring increasingly difficult.
When pressing the "power" button, you do not have any reaction by the phone,
it probably means that the "preloader.bin" is corrupted.
In order to restore a bricked phone, the following tools are needed :
1) SP Flash Tool (possibly the latest version available).
You can download it at the following link:
2) An USB cable not too much used, otherwise it could compromise the flash process.
3) The VCOM drivers. You can find at the next link:
4) And of course a PC. If you have a desktop PC, I recommend you to use the USB back ports.
PROCEDURE - MULTIPLE SOLUTIONS
First solution :
1) Open SP Flash Tool. Click on "flash_tool.exe",
possibly as Admin (right click on exe and then click on "Run as administrator").
2) If the "power button" phone does not work,
I suggest you just flash the "preloader.bin".
3) Take care, I only use the "preoloader.bin" of the stock firmware.
Do not try "strange experiments" with "preloader.bin" extrapolated from strangers firmwares.
4) Load scatter files and select the only "preloader.bin", deselecting all other files.
5) Click on "Download".
6) After the flash of "preloader.bin" (yellow progress bar to 100%),
the "power" button should at least vibrate to the pressure.
7) Now proceed with the flash of the other files,
by ticking every single square of the remaining sections, and unticking the "preloader.bin".
8) If everything will be fine after the flash of the remaining sections, the phone should be restored.
In the event that your phone, in the "Device Manager" (Windows),
displayed as the device "MTK USB PORT", perform the following steps :
1) Flash only the "preloader.bin".
In SP Flash Tool select "Firmware Upgrade" (also try the "Download Only").
2) Click on "Download" to start the flash process.
3) If, unfortunately, nothing has changed in the "Device Manager",
then install the VCOM drivers (the link is a few lines above).
Second solution :
If your phone bricked due to sudden interruption of the flash process, perform the following steps :
1) Remove the battery and connect your phone to a power outlet using the charger.
2) Reinsert the battery (leaving your phone connected to the charger).
3) Let the phone connected to the power outlet at least an hour.
4) While the smartphone is charging,
at regular intervals stimolate it by pressing the "power" and "volume up" buttons.
5) After the charging time, try to turn on the phone.
6) If it will does not turn on, try to flash the stock firmware anyway.
7) If SP Flash Tool will does not start,
try to remove the battery and wait 30 seconds before to reinsert it.
8) Click on "Download" before to connect your phone to the PC with the USB cable; then, plug the USB.
9) Try to change the USB port (preferably the back ports, if you have a desktop pc).
10) Make sure you have properly installed the VCOM drivers. If not, please follow the step 11.
11) Uninstall VCOM, ADB, Preloader and MTK drivers by the following software :
To better understand how to uninstall the drivers by USB Deview,
please watch carefully the next video :
12) After that you have uninstalled these drivers,
reinstall the VCOM drivers. You can find it at the next link:
13) Open SP Flash Tool by clicking on "flash_tool.exe",
possibly as Admin (right click on exe and then click on "Run as administrator").
14) Load scatter files and click "Download".
15) If the flash does not start, remove the battery,
connect your phone to your PC without battery,
click "Download" and reinsert the battery.
Third solution :
If the second solution did not produce any results,
then I propose to proceed with the following steps:
1) Open SP Flash Tool by clicking on "flash_tool.exe",
possibly as Admin (right click on exe and then click on "Run as administrator").
2) Load scatter files and click "Download".
3) While connect your phone to the PC with USB cable,
and press the "Volume Down" button.
4) If SP Flash Tool does not start, repeat the same procedure,
but this time press simultaneously "volume down" + "power" buttons.
5) If still SP Flash Tool does not start, repeat the same procedure,
but now press only the "volume up" button.
6) If still SP Flash Tool does not start, repeat the same procedure,
but now press simultaneously "volume up" + "power" buttons.
That's all