Saturday, January 30, 2016

NANDROID BACKUP for Redmi Note 3 [ROOTED]


 

Android phone has always been a geek’s joy, very convenient to customize with custom recoveries, custom ROMs and launchers. All seem too easy and fun, yet there are, times you might panic when you get a boot loop or a soft-brick while flashing or doing a simple update. There are many reasons behind it, eg. Checksum does not match, corrupted file or ROM, interruption of transmission between your device and the computer and etc. That’s where Nandroid comes into play, to restore your backup file as it was before, in working order.

NANDROID BACKUP FEATURES:
Nandroid backup is the process of backing up your Redmi Note 3 like :-
  • Boot
  • Nvram – Stores WiFi, Bluetooth MAC address, Baseband version, IMEI/MEID number and other information.
  • System
  • User Data – Messages, Call logs, media and app data.

IMPORTANCES OF NANDROID BACKUP:

  • Revived your bricked device
  • Recover the important information stored in the NVRAM
  • Recover your personal data

REQUIREMENTS:

  • ROOTED – At least a Native ROOT
  • TWRP - Custom Recovery

HELPFUL LINKS TO FLASH:
REBOOT TO RECOVERY MODE:

Go into Recovery mode, press & hold, the vol up + power button and release when see the Mi Logo. Or just goto Updater app > 3 dots on the upper right corner > Reboot to Recovery mode > Reboot now, as shown below:-



CREATING THE BACKUP:
Check that you have sufficient storage on your phone for the backup, as shown below:-


From the TWRP main menu, tap Backup.
In the backup menu, tick Boot, Nvram, System and Data.
Swipe to the right, to start the backup process, which might take a minute or two depending on the size of your backup, as shown below:-


Once the Backup is Successful, go back to the main menu and Reboot to System, as shown below:-



STORING THE BACKUP: 

Now that you have made a Nandroid Backup for yourself, you need to store it separately from your device to a computer or OTG flash drive for your convenience and to recover the much needed space on your phone.


Use your Explorer app, goto Internal storage > TWRP > Backup, touch & hold and choose cut, and move to your OTG flash drive and choose paste, or if you decide to save it in your computer just cut the Backup file into a pre-created folder TWRP on your computer, as in the following imagery:-


Only when you need it due to the untoward circumstance, then transfer it back to your phone from your computer or OTG flash drive.


REVIVING & RESTORING YOUR DEVICE:

Should you run into a bricked, a bootloop or you lose your Nvram informations, all you need to do is to restore from the backup you have made earlier.
Now, copy the Backup from where you saved it, be it in your computer or OTG flash drive and just copy the Backup file to your device’s TWRP folder.
Then Reboot to Recovery from your device, and choose Backup from the TWRP main menu, and tap Restore, choose the Backup file, as shown below:-


NOTE: Remember to untick "Only mount system read-only" when you are Restoring back from the Backup. The following images will determine whether it is SUCCESSFUL or FAILED:-

SUCCESSFUL

FAILED

Having done the restoration, go back to the TWRP main menu, tap Reboot and tap System, as shown below:-


Now you should be back to where you are before the bootloop or bricked.

CREDIT TO: TWRP 2.8.7.0 by Cloud

DISCLAIMER: Always perform a NANDROID Backup before you endeavor into flashing or updating your ROM. Flashing can potentially cause a brick or a bootloop. DO IT ON YOUR OWN RISK.

“Solving with Simplicity”

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Google Play Store for Redmi Note 3/Pro

Preloaded software that came with it

Redmi Note 3 is a great phone, when we could install all the apps we wanted and getting rid of the one we do not use. Since Redmi Note 3 is launched in mainland China, and its their regulation not to included Google Play Store but only offering Mi Store or other apps which we are not familiar with.


As my unit came with a vendor installed MIUI 7.1 Stable 7.1.1.1 (LHNCNCJ) ROM, which did come with Google Play Store but the biggest problem was the bloatware, malware and adsware, which is annoying and resource consuming. I moved on to "Hands-on flashing Stock ROM using SP Flash Tool on Redmi Note 3" to the Official MIUI 7 Stable ROM V7.0.22.0.LHNCNCJ. This does not come with a Google Play Store, so here we are going to install one.

IMPORTANT: Before even going any further, please make sure you enable your settings for installing a 3rd party APK files. READ my tutorial on installing APK at this link: Installing APK file on your Redmi Note 2 for noobies

Features:
  • Updated V2 of the popular Google Installer by Eric Xiang.
  • Supports Kitkat, Lollipop & Marshmallow
  • Easy installation.
  • Google Play Services.
  • Google Play Store.
  • Google Services Framework.
  • Google Calendar Sync.
  • Google Contacts Sync.
FROM YOUR DEVICE:
Just SCAN using your QR scanner.

FROM YOUR PC/COMPUTER:
1. Click the flashing Google Installer Icon to download the “Google Installer_2.0”.



2. Unzipped and transfer the Google Installer, latest Google Play Store and Google Play Services to the internal memory of your Redmi Note 3 via USB connection.

3. Just follow thru’ the sequence like the illustrations below. Goto File Explorer > APKs > "Google Installer_2.0.apk”



4. Launch the Google Installer icon. Once it open you will see the blue circle and click Blue Circle to start the installation and follow the sequence as shown below:-
Note: Just click OK and Install, do not click launch at anytime during the installation of the apps.


5. Towards the end of the installation, just follow the illustration to click the RED CIRCLE. and accept the terms, click Allow Google to read SMS, finally go thru the setup of Google sign-in, as follows:-


6. As you can see your phone is busy syncing the contact and other Google Apps, as shown below:-


7. Next we are going to install the latest apk for Google Play Store and Google Play Services, to avoid any compatibility error and sluggishness. To install just go to your Explorer > APKs and install both of the APKs, as shown below:-


8. After you are all done with the installation, reboot your device. After it is back on, you could now check Google > Settings > scroll up, that it is installed with a Build version 6.2.10.A-all [0] 2590673, as shown below:-


These are the apps or bloatware, that I gotten rid of, to regain some storage space, as shown below:-



CREDIT: Eric Xiang for the useful Google Installer_2.0.

Disclaimers:-
I will not be responsible for any harm, damage, that may occur to your device through the use of this tutorial. Please do not post, mirror, or take credit for this tutorial or any related work without explicit permission.

"Solving with Simplicity"

© 2016 Felix Senada. All rights reserved.

Friday, January 22, 2016

Restore & Change WLAN MAC address for Redmi Note 3




DISCLAIMER: This is solely for those who have lost and intend to restore their WLAN MAC address after a bad flashing of their ROM, otherwise it will be deemed illegal.

It is recommended you make a NVRAM backup..

1. Switch off your WLAN connection.

2. Launch the Dialer and key-in *#*#3646633#*#* and you will enter the Engineering Mode, as shown below:-


3. Swipe to Connectivity Tab from the image below:-


4. Click WLAN > NVRAM;

5. Enter the “Byte String Access:” values, as shown below:-


6. Click Read, a 12 digits value will appear in “value(h):” field which is your current WLAN mac address. Please jot it down for future reference. As shown below:-


7. Delete the value(h) field and now enter a new 12 digit mac address, and click Write.

8. Press your home button and switch On your WLAN connection.

9. Goto About phone > Status > WLAN MAC address, check accordingly.


"Solving with simplicity"

Monday, January 11, 2016

Latest Unlock millet phone / Mi Flash Unlock Tool

Lately, it seem the new owners of Redmi Note 3 are getting lost and eventually frustrated without a proper guidance to how to unlock their bootloader. Hopefully, this guide will make the situation more transparent and give a better understanding on how to go about doing it.

NOTICE: This works for both Stable and Developer ROM.

First, register a Mi Account on your device or using your PC / Lappie, I would recommend, that you register using your phone number which will be quicker, but you could also register by email. As shown below:-


Next, download the Millet Tool or Mi Flash Unlock Tool and launch it accordingly.

One of these situations may happen:-

SCENARIO 1. Either you are accepted on your first trial run, and able to complete the progress of unlocking or;

SCENARIO 2. You just need to make an application and wait for a confirmation / permission to unlock via SMS.

You will encounter, as shown on the illustrations below:-


While validating your account for unlock support, you might encounter as shown below, but be sure to retry once or twice (the validity server might be congested):-


You will then see one of two screens to decide, whether you are going forward with the unlocking of the bootloader or to make an application for permission to Unlock the Bootloader, as the following:-

SCENARIO 1. When you see the following screen, you can go ahead to unlock the bootloader. As shown below:-



For Unlocking the bootloader, go to this thread:-



SCENARIO 2. Should you see the following screen, don’t be alarm or discouraged but to positively, click “Go” and follow the instructions and fill out the necessary application, as shown below:-


To apply use this link: To Apply for Unlocking Permission


In the following illustration, you have to READ CAREFULLY, the Unlocking Risk on the right side of the page, before embarking to accept the “Millet Phone Unlock Agreement” which may result in your warranty to be "Null & Void”, make a wise decision. Here, you need to fill your name in the first column box, followed with your phone number / email, and finally you have to “State the reason of unlocking” in the big column box, I recommend you to copas (copy & paste) the following Chinese character to avoid any rejections,
我明白解锁的设置 给我的介绍是 重新设置我的原本语言 谢谢

(which means, “I understand the risk of unlock bootloader. It is required for me to flash custom recovery for my native language. Thank you.”), as shown below:-


In the following screen, is an example of my OTP SMS, which you will receive almost immediately, after “Accepting the Agreement” on the previous screen, and follow thru, as shown below:-


Key-in the OTP code from the SMS, and hit enter, as shown below:-


You will get the following imagery, which informs you that your application is successfully done and you need to wait for a week or so, and if you do not get any notification, file in a Complaint accordingly, as follows:-


FOLLOW-UP: Normally the waiting period is within 2 weeks.

Should you be waiting longer than the stipulated waiting period, please make a Complaint with the Service support accordingly, as shown below:-

For those who have waited more than 12 days, please reply to the following thread with your Xiaomi account number:-
http://en.miui.com/thread-202290-1-1.html

If you have received SMS to unlock but the bootloader is still having problems to unlock due to the following errors:-
  • Couldn't verify device" error when trying to unlock
  • Unlocking process stuck at 50%, "
  • Current account is different from the account info on the device

Please report it on the following link:-
Report Your Unlocking Error Here ! (Updated on 15/3/2016)

Once you have received the permission via SMS or email, go thru’ the steps from the beginning once again, to double check that everything is ready and the image below will give you an indication to proceed with the actual Unlocking the bootloader, as shown below:-


Quick link, to Unlocking your bootloader:-


That should answer or at least give you’re the awarenessof the process.

Happy MIUI-ing.



DISCLAIMER: DO IT AT YOUR RISK. Tampering and flashingcan potentially bricked or bootloop your device.


“Solving with simplicity”