I need help! Flashing problem (WebInstaller), my phone isn't working anymore

bartenderstoneware

I had trouble flashing my Pixel 6a. I used the Web Installer through a stock huawai android phone. After unlocking the bootloader and downloding the image the huawai got to 0% battery and shot down two times during the flashibg process.

I had trouble flashing my Pixel 6a. I used the Web Installer through a stock huawai android phone. After unlocking the bootloader and downloading the image the huawai got to 0% battery and shot down two times during the flashing process.

I couldn't retry flashing it a third time (bc the owner of the phone needed it back). I tried any other possible options then: flashing it (1) through another Pixel 6a running the latest version of GOS in a remote location, (2) through a laptop running the latest version of Pop!OS with the latest version of Chromium browser and (3) through commandline.
But none of the options did work. In option 1 and 2, the device didn't recognize my Pixel and in option 3 it did recognize it but the flashing process broke up (or finished?) almost immediatly and I also didn't get any error message. I also noticed that I coudn't lock the bootloader either.
Something I also realised (after the first two times of flashing didn' work) is when I start the phone it says "This device is corrupt. ..." and that data could be leaked etc.
After that I had again the possibility to try flashing it trough the huawai. Luckiliy the huawai recognized it and I could start the flashing process bc bootloader was already unlocked and the image was still downloaded. At first it looked that everything was going to work but then I had trouble after "Writing vendor_boot...". When this part is completed the device should restart. My Pixel restarted but not as usual directly into bootloader mode, it restarted and showed "This device is corrupt. ..." again. Bc of some intention I tried to start into bootloader mode again and it worked.
Then I tapped "Restarting" at the Web installer, the phone restarted (showing the white "Google" screen) into flashboot. The flashing process went on until "Writing system" then broke up and showed and error saying something like "the process couldn't be continued. It may be bc of a permission problem as acess to a file was aquired". I don't know the exact error anymore bc I had to give the huawai back to the owner again.
After that I couldn't do anything. Now I'm stuck in flashboot and I didn't powered off the phone or did anything other because I'm scared that if I do that, the phone will be finally broken.

Can anyone help me?

mythodical

bartenderstoneware For real-time support, you should join the Matrix chat room (#GrapheneOS channel). There are a lot of knowledgeable folks who hang out there and can often assist with these types of issues.

MetropleX

mythodical bartenderstoneware For real-time support, you should join the Matrix chat room (#GrapheneOS channel). There are a lot of knowledgeable folks who hang out there and can often assist with these types of issues.

This is the best course of action however if you cannot do so please start with the following...

bartenderstoneware while your post is indeed informative and detailed the first question before trying to rectify the current state would be, can you after ensuring sufficient charge on the device to be flashed, hold down POWER + VOLUME DOWN together and get into the Bootloader?

If you have since visited our live support on [Matrix] and have resolved the problem please let me know so I can mark the issue solved. Fingers crossed, good luck and look forward to hearing from you.

bartenderstoneware

MetropleX

MetropleX can you after ensuring sufficient charge on the device to be flashed, hold down POWER + VOLUME DOWN together and get into the Bootloader?

No, I couldn't get into Bootloader. But there's the option to click "Reboot into bootloader". Should I try that?

bartenderstoneware

MetropleX If you have since visited our live support on [Matrix] and have resolved the problem please let me know so I can mark the issue solved.

Hi, so I managed to flash GOS and boot it. But I don't exactly know how I solved the problem so I'll just tell everything I did:

After I rebooted into the Bootloader I charged the device until I thought the battery would be full. Then I powered off over the volume buttons and the phone lay two or three days untouched in its case.
After that time I started it and tried to flash it over the web installer through the huawai (which afaik was the only device with recognized mine) again. I checked if the huawai had more than 32GB free space - it had. This time, the Download of the image wasn't downloaded anymore. So, I downloaded a new one. That worked really well. Then I started the flashing process. Everything went fine and I didn't have to do anything analog (like bringing the device back into Bootloader after "Writing vendor_boot"). The flashing process finished. Then I unlocked the bootloader and booted into GOS.
Everything went on perfectly then.

But there are still questions that aren't answered:

Why wasn't my phone recognized by other devices than the huawai?
Why did I get the error message? Because the huawai had enough space all the time.

MetropleX

bartenderstoneware Yes don't forget you need to ensure your cable is a full spec standard compliant cable, use stock if flashing phone to phone, if not ensure you use an A-C cable from a reputable brand such as Anker, Belkin or Aukey.

You will be defeating yourself before you start if not, do not use the Huawei cable use the Pixel one if doing C-C.

bartenderstoneware

MetropleX It worked

bartenderstoneware

MetropleX Okay, so I'm a bit confused.

I used the stock cable for charging and also for flashing as I connected it with the huawai.

MetropleX You will be defeating yourself before you start if not, do not use the Huawei cable use the Pixel one if doing C-C

But what do you mean with this?

MetropleX

bartenderstoneware But what do you mean with this?

I mean if using the USB C to USB C method to flash between two phones, use the cable that came with the Pixel as opposed to any Huawei ones to guarantee full spec compliance for fastbootd level communication.

However I note your post above

bartenderstoneware MetropleX It worked

Are you successfully installed? Up and running?

bartenderstoneware

MetropleX Are you successfully installed? Up and running?

Uhm, no, it worked to get back into bootloader. Next time I can have the huawai is ca. in 22 h or so. Then I will try again.

But, honestly, I think it won't work... it was almost exactly like that the last time, so why would it be otherweise now?

MetropleX

bartenderstoneware agreed appears the Huawei doesn't have the battery capacity, flashing is quite intensive.

Better to use a desktop/laptop in your case if possible, is this not an option? What device are you using for the forum?

bartenderstoneware

If it won't work next time, I'll have to search for help in the Matrix chat room, right?

bartenderstoneware

MetropleX
The Huawai has the battery capacity. I just didn't realise how low the battery was the first two times. So I'll try with it. Also, because I think it's the only device my Pixel is working with now...

MetropleX

bartenderstoneware PopOS has issues with claiming USB interfaces. A lot of the time something else in the background claims it and numerous people have done weird and wonderful things, some get it to work, others don't, could be udev rules or something else. This covers both web install and CLI (Command Line).

Either way there is a reason PopOS isn't listed as a supported OS to flash from. ALL instructions are there for a reason.

When you say a Pixel 6a couldn't flash it from a 'remote location' what do you mean by remote?