Fastboot to overcome Bootloop/Softbrick for Redmi Note 2/Prime

Ever experience a bootloop/softbrick, your phone simply cannot go further and stuck at the Mi logo, arising a sense of panic. Bootloop or softbrick happens usually when there is a mistake when updating or flashing the system. Supposedly you want to update the ROM through Mi or TWRP Recovery, there may be errors during the update process which will lead you to a bootloop. In addition, many things that could be a factor that causes your device to bootloop. No worries, I done this too many times, save your money rather than to run to the nearest Xiaomi Service Centre.

Basically, in most cases of a bootloop the simplest way to resolve it is by flashing the ROM via fastboot mode.

NOTE: PC/Laptop is required to do a Fastboot flashing and at least a fully charged phone. (I am using Windows 10 hence it will auto-detect my Redmi Note 2/Prime automatically, without the need to download or install ADB driver). Backup your data accordingly, unlike mine is a guinea-pig unit.

1. Download MiPhone Flashing Tool

MiPhone2015731.exe

Tools-tips-tutorials-for-redmi-mote-2prime

Install the MiPhone/MiFlash tool as shown below:-

2. Download Redmi Note 2 Latest Stable Version Fastboot File Download

Hermes_global_images_V7.0.12.0.LHMMICI.tgz

NOTE: You can download any fastboot file of your choice, that ends with a “tgz” extension. Go to thread link Fastboot file to get the latest Fastboot file.


3. Extract “Hermes_global_images_V7.0.12.0.LHMMICI_20151104.0000.4_5.0_global_0e3156c914.tgz” preferably to a convenient location eg. C\:, as shown below:-

4. Turn off your device. Press the Volume (–) down key and the Power button simultaneously to enter Fastboot mode. Connect your device to the PC/Laptop via a micro USB cable, and the Fastboot MIUI mascot will appear,as shown below:-

5. Run MiFlash.exe

6. After your device is detected. Choose and click > Flash all, it will format the entire phone, including data and files in it (clean install) as shown below:-

7. Click Browse > Locate the Redmi Note 2 ROM Fastboot file which had been extracted earlier (hermes_images_V7.0.8.0.LHMCNCI_20151016.0000.3_5.0_cn) > select images > OK, as shown below:-

8. Click Flash, the flashing process will take place, immediately. Wait until the process is complete. You can see the progress bar turning green when the flash process is completed, as shown below:-

After the flash process is completed your Redmi Note 2/Prime will automatically restart itself and disconnect the USB cable.

All the best! No pain no gain.

NOTE: Should this method be unsuccessful, or perhaps if your Redmi Note 2/Prime is in status quo, there are still other method to overcome the bootloop ie. with the help of SP Flash Tool.

Flash SuperSU using TWRP recovery and Root Redmi Note 2/Prime

TWRP and CWM are non-stock custom recovery, which can be install over the stock recovery. With the custom recovery you get extra functionality which allows you to do various things that the manufacturer may not want you to do with it. Some of the common features, ability to install third-party ROMs, perform NanDroid backups, ADB functionality and friendly UI with touch capabilities.

SuperSU is a Superuser access management tool which allows for advanced management of Superuser access rights for all the apps on your device that need root.
Let's get started.

• DOWNLOAD MiPhone Flashing Tool

MiPhone20151028

• DOWNLOAD TWRP Recovery Image

TWRP Recovery Image

• DOWNLOAD BETA-SuperSU-v2.67.zip AND MOVE it to the memory of your phone.

BETA-SuperSU-v2.67

Go to About phone > tap MIUI version at least 7 times to activate the Developer options.

Go to Additional settings > Developer options > USBdebugging > Enable it.

After you downloaded the files, Install MiPhone Flashing Tool, and it will installed the required drivers (ADB & Fastboot) that you need. As shown below:-

Browse to C:\Program Files(x86)\Xiaomi\MiPhone\Google\Android as shown below:-

Press the SHIFT key and Right Click your mouse and Open command window here, as shown below:-

To check whether that the Adb driver is installed properly, just TYPE “ADB version, it should return the version of the ADB, as shown below:-

Turn off your device. Then press the Volume (–) DOWN key and the Power button simultaneously to enter Fastboot mode. Connect your device to the PC/Laptop via a micro USB cable, and the Fastboot MIUI mascot will appear, as shown below:-

Move the “twrp287.img” into the Android window/folder and rename it "recovery.img", as shown below:-

Enter the commands on ADB prompt, to install TWRP, in the following sequence, one after another as follows:-


TYPE fastboot devices PRESS ENTER

TYPE fastboot flash recovery recovery.img PRESS ENTER

TYPE fastboot reboot PRESS ENTER


Your Redmi Note 2/Prime will reboot accordingly, once the screen turned off, QUICKLY HOLD THE VOLUME UP BUTTON to enter TWRP recovery.

Sequences of the commands being entered, as shown below:-

NEXT, install the UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.46.zip accordingly in the TWRP UI to start the rooting process on your phone.

Now you done rooting the phone.

Note: For those who still getting into Mi Recovery mode. After your phone rebooted into android, after flashing, use any file explorer eg. ASTRO File Manager to delete “recovery-from-boot.p” from the system folder at the root of your phone. As shown below:-

Download Root Checker from Google Play Root Checker and run the Root Checker to verify Root access. You should get a picture as shown below:-

For some reason should you decided, you want to reverse the situation and Unroot your device, you need to do the following:-

Run SuperSu app on your device.

Go to settings > Full Unroot > Continue, as shown below:-

Now you back to your old phone.


Apps source:- twrp.me & chainfire.eu


Disclaimer: Flashing can potentially boot loop or softbrick your device. DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Google Apps package for Redmi Note 2/Prime for intermediate

Ever since, I got my Redmi Note 3 which comes installed witha China ROM, hence there is no Google Play Store pre-installed. I decided to install Open GApps instead of Google Installer.apk which kinda of outdated.

About Open GApps:-

Open GApps is a Google Apps package developed Open GApps Team, which allow for the automated creation of new up-to-date packages automatically. They offer several variations from a Google Aroma Package (with original Google Nexus file system structure) to Pico (minimum apps with Google Play functionality) to suit your requirement.

Prerequisites:-

Device is ROOTED. No root access, just read my thread to flash TWRP and get rooted, as such:-

Flash SuperSU using TWRP recovery and Root Redmi Note2/Prime

Preferably, use TWRP recovery which is an alternative to CWM to do installation of the GApps, rather than the latter which is not as friendly to get a perfect result.

Download Open GApps on your device and click the link below:-

Open GApps

Then, Choose Platform: ARM64, Android: 5.0, Variant: Choose the package you need. I personally chose aroma, because I could choose which Google app I want to install from the installation menu, as shown below:-

Option One:

Next switch off your device, then press the volume up button and power button simultaneously into the TWRP recovery mode.

Choose, Install > Select Zip File/sdcard/Download/open_gapps-arm64-5.0-aroma-20151208.zip.


After a few minute it will be installed accordingly, go back to the TWRP main menu and choose Wipe/Advanced Wipe/ choose Wipe, Dalvik cache & cache. Finally, Reboot to System.

Now, you have successfully installed the Google Apps and functionality.

Option Two: (with Flashify app installed, it is just a breeze to flash Open GApps) To know more, click the link:-

Flash, Recovery, Backup & Restore Root Redmi Note 2/Prime with Flashify

Open Flashify app, goto Flash/Zip file/choose a file/File explorer/Internal storage/Download/open_gapps-arm64-5.0-aroma-20151208.zip, as shown below:-

In the pop-up menu, tick TWRP or Philz option, then tick, Wipe Cache, Wipe Dalvik & Wipe Data and click "YUP!", as shown below:-

TWRP recovery will flash it accordingly, as you could actually see the process of flashing, and you got an option to save log and continue with the reboot. After it boots up again, it will finish off with installation.


Now, you have successfully installed the Google Apps and functionality.

App Source: http://opengapps.org/