SAVED BY SP FLASHER. THANK YOU SP flasher!!

(Contributed to SP flasher)
Dear Readers,

I have not been able to update my blogs and posts as I got my phone bricked.

I will explain so that you can be aware. My mtk 6577 chipset note 2 clone started having issues. The apps kept getting stuck and phone was very unstable. Battery drain was high. I decided to factory data reset! I bought the phone from a retailer at factory state. Unboxing was done by myself.

I am not sooo dumb..because I did have a backup of rom (ROLL BACK ROM) taken when I installed CWM using SP flasher as instructed on my blog. So I thought if anything bad happened...and chances were low, I would find a workaround to reflash that backup.

However, after factory reset, I opened my phone using HW key.. it boot with a fake animation which wasn't there before.. then the android swipe lock screen appeared and when I swipe, it says "HellowAndroid" not responding and I get a black screen. I kept like that hoping the booting was slow but got no where.

Then I started working.. browsing the internet to find a compatible rom.
I was very interested to see this post 
about android 4.2 rom and among the details i found a comment or post which says "compatible with most mediatek chipset devices"

I downloaded the files in both 4.2.2 version and the 4.2.1 version. After factory reset, I noticed that I still had CWM. I checked by pressing volume down+power button and luckily I was in CWM recovery. After flashing both as the instructions given, my phone booted up, flashed the logo but everything was upside down.. and phone swiches off after boot animation. I gave a clear explanation to xda developer here and yet to get a reply from the famous SuperDragonPT @ xda forum.

Meanwhile apart from the discussion at XDA, I went on a frenzy of finding a rom.
I downloaded few roms from needrom.com but none of them worked either.

There are many tutorials on how to compile a flashable zip using a ready-made zip. I had to substitute the files in my 'readbackrom' file to compile it but that also did not work.

So I short and smart words, if u have a mediatek chipset phone, don't count on zip flashing if u don't have a backup of your own rom.

Lastly, I couldn't find any tutorial to use the readback rom to reflash.. there were some infos on how it could be done. So I used the knowledge I had and here is how I did it.

1. Install latest version of SP flasher
2. Make sure USB VCOM drivers are installed. If you have previous driver installations on your PC, delete them and install vcom drivers for your device.
3. Make sure the phone is fully charged. Keep it off
4. After install of driver, open phone battery cover, remove battery, wait 1 minute, put back in and connect you phone using usb cable with computer
5. Check to see if driver was properly installed. Remove usb and restart ur computer
6. Open SP flasher. Click 'Scatter file' and select the readbackrom folder. This instruction is only on how to use the readback backup rom to reflash..or if you have a rom with files. Not zip format. There will be a scatter file.click and it will show you the file system. Now press F9 and connect phone using usb cable. It will show connecting.
7. If it doesn't, then it means drivers not properly installed. Flashing will take few minutes. And when you are done, reboot.

I will try to help anyone who has romm issues as I have done quite a bit of reading past few days. Please leave a comment if you need more info.

INSTALLING CLOCKWORKMOD (CWM) RECOVERY ON CLONE MEDIATEK NOTE 2

Dear Readers, 

Though I have been wanting to write more about the new findings, I just cant make enough time to sit back and have few moments to myself. 

Few days ago, I was fiddling with the stock recovery on my phone because the stock "3e recovery" was not letting me flash custom ROMS due to Signature issues. All of a sudden, i could no longer boot into the recovery. I downloaded the ROM Manager app from Google play. Goo Manager as well but both did not fix anything... the 3 button configuration didnt work. Then i started browsing for a solution.

I must have read over hundred articles, mainly from XDA forum (my favrit) but it gave no solution untill i came across THIS BLOG.

Because I am a tad bit familiar with the Android system, I put together the missing pieces and got myself a working CWM!!!! so below are the instructions. Again, Thanks to INTERPRETER site for the easiest and noobiest guide...to follow..:-) All credit goes to INTERPRETER website.

The following instructions have been checked by me.. on SAMSUNG NOTE 2 CLONE (MEDIATEK DEVICE). 

Before starting..
1. Make sure you have the drivers installed.. There should be 3 installations (Mass storage, ADB & Preloader). This whole process depends on it!! 

The two driver installations that worked for me are 
1. MTK USB VCOM DRIVER (RAR FILE)
2. PDAnet DRIVERS (EXE)

Install either one. if you have earlier tried to install drivers and failed or you are not sure about them, then just head over to: USB DEVIEW app. This is an amazing app which will show the current installed USB drivers on your computer.. You can remove all MEDIATEK/SAMSUNG/PRELOADER/ADB drivers and close it. Realy simple and brilliant app!

Tip: after installing the USB drivers, connect your phone to computer.. it will also show the windows pop up message to install new drivers.. just click yes, yes, and yes.. Once done, restart comp.

NOW for the Geeky part.

You will need below softwares on your windows to start with this process.

1. SP FLASH TOOL V 3.1224
2. MTKDroid Tools V2.4.8

 First- Download the MTK droit Tools and and click open. Extract to a place of your choice on your comp. Then download SP flash tool and extract it also to anywhere you prefer on your comp.

STEP 1

>>Enable USB DEBUGGING on your devise.
>>Connect to computer via USB cable
>>Open MTK DROID root tools.exe and it will show your device settings

STEP 2

>> Click on "Blocks Map" which should show something like below;

 STEP 3

>> Click "Create Scatter File" and save it. Do not change name or anything. By default, the MTK droid Tools will go to save inside the extracted MTKdroid folder. Thats fine.

STEP 4

>>Open SP flasher
>> Click "scatter-loading" and select the scatter file you saved in step 3

After selecting....

 STEP 5

>> click "Read Back" tab on SP Flasher

 STEP 6

>>click "Add" button

 
A new entry will appear (see below)

 

STEP 7

>>Double Click "N/A" entry
This will save the your current ROM file. Choose a location to save...
TIP: "ROM_" should be in start of the name.. Eg: ROM_myrom"

 After you click save, below box will open. choose"Hex" as below..and keep the window open

 STEP 8

>> Open the Scatter file you created in STEP 3. You can use any text editor. Search for the term "CACHE" in the document; which will have a numbering to it like 0x227e800. Copy this number from your scatter file

PASTE the number into the window for "Length" entry and click OK.

STEP 9 (BE SERIOUS NOW!!)

>> Disconnect your devise from the computer
>> Switch the device off.
>> Click "Read Back" on the SP flasher window (see below) 
>> Quickly connect the switched off device to computer via USB cable NOW!

 TIP: This will start reading your ROM and might take some time. So be patient. When process is complete, remove your phone from the computer and turn it on with USB debugging enabled. All the while, keep SP Flasher Window open as it was (DO NOT CLOSE).

STEP 10

>> Open MTK Droid Root & tools app and choose "root, Backup, recovery" TAB as below

 >> Click on "To process file ROM_from flash tool" button and it will open your directory..

>> Choose the "ROM_......" file you saved in STEP 7 >> Click open.

 This will start processing the ROM file for installing clockworkMOD. A notice will flash asking to make CWM recovery.. Click Yes!

 You will see messages popping up in the right side pannel of MTK Droid Root & tools app. The process will take around 5 minutes to finish. Wait until finish. Keep as it is. 

IMPORTANT: This will save the "Scatter-Loading" & Custom recovery File you will need in STEP 12 & 14 It will be in Droid Root & Tools folder/Backup.

STEP 11

>> GO back to SP Flasher window
>> Click "Download" TAB

STEP 12

>> Click "Scatter-Loading" and select the Scatter file created by MTK Droid Root & Tools in Step 10. (should be in Droid Root & Tools/Backup folder) Do not use the scatter file made in Step 1)

STEP 13

 >> Deselect ALL checkboxes, except for the RECOVERY one, double click the RECOVERY entry

 STEP 14

>> Select the recovery image
>> Click "open".
Note: This is the file saved from Step 10.

 Now everything is set up for flashing...

STEP 15

>> Disconnect devise from Computer
>> Switch off device
>> Click on "Download" TAB in SP flasher. (this will start searching for device to flash)
>> Connect your devise switched off!

 Warning like below will be seen. But you are flashing only the recovery... (good thing is you also got a back up of your rom!!)

 ENJOY!
 Please say thanks if you liked my post..
Please comment if you think my tutorial is easy to follow!

TIP: If you have ROM Manager installed, open it and click "go recovery mode" and it will take you to CWM recovery... I suggest so because some of the MEDIATEK devices have different hardware key combinations to go into recovery.. and some times its a head ache!

HINT: Power+Volume up will take you to Boot Menu. Power+Volume down+Home button takes most devices to recovery. May vary vastly!