How To Do A Clean Install Of, Well, Everything?

[Babak Fakhamzadeh]

All I need is one process that results in a clean install of my phone. Any solution is fine for me. Here's where I'm at.

Also, this being my first post, I can not create links. *sigh*


I have a Redmi Note 3. It has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory. I understand there are several versions of this phone 'out there', but it is not clear to me how to determine which version I have.

I want to do a 'clean install' of the software on my device. My device was shipped from Asia, to Europe, and it seems there are several apps that I can not delete which are generating popups, even after a 'Factory data reset'.

I have applied for unlocking my device at miui's unlock page. Though I never received confirmation on my unlocking request, now, when I click on the "Unlock Now" button on that page, I get to a page which lets me "Download Mi Unlock". Installing this, connecting my phone in 'Fastboot' and running 'Mi Unlock' on my computer, results in the process finishing at 50% with, from try to try, different error messages.

Question 1: How to get 'Mi Unlock' to unlock my phone?


Here on Xiaomi.eu, there is the guide at thread */7-1-5.37262/*. There, the instructions start with "Install TWRP via Fastboot mode". Over at the TWRP website for my device, the TWRP website seems to suggest to just download TWRP from the Android store. Doing this, and following the instructions on the same page, TWRP tells me my current device is 'kenzo'. After selecting my device from their device list and selecting an .img file for download, the file is downloaded to my phone. But, then, the instruction to "Browse to and select the file. Tap on Flash to Recovery." fails for me. Selecting this file in my file explorer allows me to select an app to open the file with, but this does not include TWRP.

Question 2: How to proceed at this step?


But, the guide at thread */7-1-5.37262/* starts with "Install TWRP via Fastboot mode, then install our ROM".

Question 3: How to install TWRP via Fastboot?
Question 4: How then to install 'our ROM'?

 

[dogiex]

All I need is one process that results in a clean install of my phone. Any solution is fine for me. Here's where I'm at.

Also, this being my first post, I can not create links. *sigh*


I have a Redmi Note 3. It has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory. I understand there are several versions of this phone 'out there', but it is not clear to me how to determine which version I have.

I want to do a 'clean install' of the software on my device. My device was shipped from Asia, to Europe, and it seems there are several apps that I can not delete which are generating popups, even after a 'Factory data reset'.

I have applied for unlocking my device at miui's unlock page. Though I never received confirmation on my unlocking request, now, when I click on the "Unlock Now" button on that page, I get to a page which lets me "Download Mi Unlock". Installing this, connecting my phone in 'Fastboot' and running 'Mi Unlock' on my computer, results in the process finishing at 50% with, from try to try, different error messages.

Question 1: How to get 'Mi Unlock' to unlock my phone?


Here on Xiaomi.eu, there is the guide at thread */7-1-5.37262/*. There, the instructions start with "Install TWRP via Fastboot mode". Over at the TWRP website for my device, the TWRP website seems to suggest to just download TWRP from the Android store. Doing this, and following the instructions on the same page, TWRP tells me my current device is 'kenzo'. After selecting my device from their device list and selecting an .img file for download, the file is downloaded to my phone. But, then, the instruction to "Browse to and select the file. Tap on Flash to Recovery." fails for me. Selecting this file in my file explorer allows me to select an app to open the file with, but this does not include TWRP.

Question 2: How to proceed at this step?


But, the guide at thread */7-1-5.37262/* starts with "Install TWRP via Fastboot mode, then install our ROM".

Question 3: How to install TWRP via Fastboot?
Question 4: How then to install 'our ROM'?

First let's check what device you have by installing Hardware Info from playstore and what rom do you have installed.
Like this:

And about phone:

In here tap the MIUI version as many times so you are a developer. Then go to developer settings: Settings > Advanced settings > Developer settings and tap OEM Unlock on as shown:

After this, reboot to fastboot mode and try to unlock your bootloader again using the Mi Unlock file from xiaomi site. It should get pass the 50% mark now.
After that you have unlocked your device so you can install other roms, twrp recovery etc...

 

[Babak Fakhamzadeh]

[This forum is complaining about me adding links to my post, which I haven't. So, I'll try to add this in bits.]

Thanks a bunch. Much appreciated.

Hardware Info tells me my device is 'Kenzo'. and runs Android 5.1.1.

The 'About' of my phone tells me it runs 'MIUI Global 7.4 | Stable 7.4.9.0(LHOCNDD).

I had already tapped the MIUI version to unlock the developer options. Here, 'Enable OEM unlock' is turned on. Incidentally, I also have 'USB debugging' turned on. Also, 'Verify apps over USB' is turned on.

Now running Mi Unlock (which for me is at version 1.1) with my phone in Fastboot results in "Couldn't verify device No need to unlock this device", after the counter reaches 50%.
(Earlier, running the same procedure repeatedly, would give me this error messages, as well as, sometimes, a few others.)

But... I found this list of steps at ********, here appended for what I actually had to do:

1. Booted my phone to Fastboot Mode (holding the volume-down button and the power button, when the phone is off).
2. Connected my phone via USB to my computer
3. I managed to find a twrp image [sorry, this line was much longer, but some text triggered this forum's spam warning].
4. I searched Google for "Fastboot and ADB Tools" and found one that was at version 1.4. I installed this software on my computer.
5. I opened a command prompt on my computer and browsed to the folder that had "Fastboot and ADB Tools" installed.
6. In this folder, I entered "fastboot devices", which returned a short hex code and 'fastboot'. This apparently means my phone was connected.
7. I typed "fastboot flash recovery twrp 3 0 2 2 kenzo . img".
8. I turned my phone off and booted to Recovery Mode (holding the volume-up button and the power button).
9. I was shown a screen that started with 'Unmodified System Partition'.

Also from mi globe, I was able to download a ROM for the Note 3 with codename 'Kenzo'. I downloaded this from my phone into 'downloads', and was able, from 'Recovery Mode' to select this ROM to be installed on my phone.
This worked but, when restarting, with my phone still requiring the same pattern to unlock, after each unlock, the device would lock immediately, again.
I went through recovery mode, again, and now installed a ROM from an SD card after wiping everything I could find to wipe. This worked, but now, when restarting, the setup process required me to 'Sign in to your Mi account', which resulted in "Couldn't check Find device status", making it impossible to continue with setup, where I would be returned to the privacy agreement page.

This was a ROM with MIUI8. I tried this again with a ROM with MIUI7. Here, I get "Couldn't check device security info". I'm not returned to a previous page but trying to skip this step by pressing 'Skip' also results in "Couldn't check device security info".

I turned off 'Find my phone' and removed my phone from my list of devices in my Mi Cloud. I then(?) was able to somehow move through the set up process, though now I was getting continuous Android errors which were related to something not being able to downgrade a SQLlite database.

Wiping again and trying to reinstall the same zipped ROMs then resulted in 'Updater process ended with ERROR: 7...' for any ROM I threw at it.
Turning off the device and trying again, finally allowed me to install a ROM, but I was stuck again at "Couldn't check Find device status". Until that application crashed. Consequently, I got into the phone, though 'Settings' now keeps on crashing.

What's the best way forward?

 

[dogiex]

Well all I have heard that could fix it is to remove your device from Mi cloud device list. Fo a factory reset and install rom again and it won't get to the device security check thing.

And before installing eu rom, install the latest official rom first.

 

[Babak Fakhamzadeh]

Thanks. I figured that removing my device from the Mi device list would make sense. I did that, but, when installing a ROM, it still was complaining the device was connected to my account.

Where would I get the latest official ROM?

As an aside, installing an AOKP ROM went without a hitch, but that doesn't come with the Google Play store, which is another PITA.

 

[dogiex]

Thanks. I figured that removing my device from the Mi device list would make sense. I did that, but, when installing a ROM, it still was complaining the device was connected to my account.

Where would I get the latest official ROM?

As an aside, installing an AOKP ROM went without a hitch, but that doesn't come with the Google Play store, which is another PITA.

en.miui.com would be the place to download the official rom first. Get the fastboot version. After that unlock bootloader because it gets it locked again, then install twrp again as it gets replaced by original after that just factory reset and install xiaomi.eu rom.
Also remember to wipe cache and dalvik after installation and reboot.

 

[Babak Fakhamzadeh]

Over at the English MIUI site, I can only see 'Stable ROM' and 'Developer ROM', no mention of a 'Fastboot version'?

 

[dogiex]

Over at the English MIUI site, I can only see 'Stable ROM' and 'Developer ROM', no mention of a 'Fastboot version'?

Here you go:
http://en.miui.com/a-234.html

Look at the left side of the site.

 

[Babak Fakhamzadeh]

Thanks yet again.

There are eight ROMs in that list that could apply, four that are not 'China', which I presume I would not want. That leaves two that are 'Developer', which I doubt I'm interested in, and two more, one of which is 'Qualcomm', one of which is 'Special edition'. What's the difference between these two?

 

[dogiex]

Thanks yet again.

There are eight ROMs in that list that could apply, four that are not 'China', which I presume I would not want. That leaves two that are 'Developer', which I doubt I'm interested in, and two more, one of which is 'Qualcomm', one of which is 'Special edition'. What's the difference between these two?

Qualcom is yours Kenzo and special edition is kate.

 

[Babak Fakhamzadeh]

Thanks!

 

[dogiex]

Thanks!

Did you manage to get it working?

 

[Babak Fakhamzadeh]

Actually, as I mentioned, I managed to get the AOKP ROM to install without a hitch. I then had a brainfart that 'GApps', as mentioned on the AOKP website, simply referred to 'Google Apps', which I downloaded from opengapps and 'flashed' in the same way I did the AOKP rom. This resulted in a my phone having full functionality, with the Google Play store installed on Android 6.
No MIUI 8, but working nonetheless.

Specifically, the part where you said "Get the fastboot version. After that unlock bootloader because it gets it locked again, then install twrp again as it gets replaced by original after that just factory reset and install xiaomi.eu rom." worries me a bit for the number of steps in which something could go wrong, again, notwithstanding the possibility that I'll still have to deal with Mi thinking that my phone is tied to my Mi account.

So, now running AOKP with all functionalities up and running as well, is good enough, for now.
I will probably at some point try this again, attempting to run a Xiami ROM with MIUI 8, as MIUI 8 is certainly nicer than what AOKP offers, but, given the time spent, I'm quite ok with having something that works.

Still, you got me on the right path

 

[mnikolce]

[This forum is complaining about me adding links to my post, which I haven't. So, I'll try to add this in bits.]

Thanks a bunch. Much appreciated.

Hardware Info tells me my device is 'Kenzo'. and runs Android 5.1.1.

The 'About' of my phone tells me it runs 'MIUI Global 7.4 | Stable 7.4.9.0(LHOCNDD).

I had already tapped the MIUI version to unlock the developer options. Here, 'Enable OEM unlock' is turned on. Incidentally, I also have 'USB debugging' turned on. Also, 'Verify apps over USB' is turned on.

Now running Mi Unlock (which for me is at version 1.1) with my phone in Fastboot results in "Couldn't verify device No need to unlock this device", after the counter reaches 50%.
(Earlier, running the same procedure repeatedly, would give me this error messages, as well as, sometimes, a few others.)

But... I found this list of steps at ********, here appended for what I actually had to do:

1. Booted my phone to Fastboot Mode (holding the volume-down button and the power button, when the phone is off).
2. Connected my phone via USB to my computer
3. I managed to find a twrp image [sorry, this line was much longer, but some text triggered this forum's spam warning].
4. I searched Google for "Fastboot and ADB Tools" and found one that was at version 1.4. I installed this software on my computer.
5. I opened a command prompt on my computer and browsed to the folder that had "Fastboot and ADB Tools" installed.
6. In this folder, I entered "fastboot devices", which returned a short hex code and 'fastboot'. This apparently means my phone was connected.
7. I typed "fastboot flash recovery twrp 3 0 2 2 kenzo . img".
8. I turned my phone off and booted to Recovery Mode (holding the volume-up button and the power button).
9. I was shown a screen that started with 'Unmodified System Partition'.

Also from mi globe, I was able to download a ROM for the Note 3 with codename 'Kenzo'. I downloaded this from my phone into 'downloads', and was able, from 'Recovery Mode' to select this ROM to be installed on my phone.
This worked but, when restarting, with my phone still requiring the same pattern to unlock, after each unlock, the device would lock immediately, again.
I went through recovery mode, again, and now installed a ROM from an SD card after wiping everything I could find to wipe. This worked, but now, when restarting, the setup process required me to 'Sign in to your Mi account', which resulted in "Couldn't check Find device status", making it impossible to continue with setup, where I would be returned to the privacy agreement page.

This was a ROM with MIUI8. I tried this again with a ROM with MIUI7. Here, I get "Couldn't check device security info". I'm not returned to a previous page but trying to skip this step by pressing 'Skip' also results in "Couldn't check device security info".

I turned off 'Find my phone' and removed my phone from my list of devices in my Mi Cloud. I then(?) was able to somehow move through the set up process, though now I was getting continuous Android errors which were related to something not being able to downgrade a SQLlite database.

Wiping again and trying to reinstall the same zipped ROMs then resulted in 'Updater process ended with ERROR: 7...' for any ROM I threw at it.
Turning off the device and trying again, finally allowed me to install a ROM, but I was stuck again at "Couldn't check Find device status". Until that application crashed. Consequently, I got into the phone, though 'Settings' now keeps on crashing.

What's the best way forward?

First from Global Stable you should make update from updater app to Global Developer ROM http://en.miui.com/download-301.html#438 after that you should start the unlock process... After succesfull unlock you will manage to install TWRP, and then install xiaomi.eu rom...

 

[Babak Fakhamzadeh]

First from Global Stable you should make update from updater app to Global Developer ROM http://en.miui.com/download-301.html#438 after that you should start the unlock process... After succesfull unlock you will manage to install TWRP, and then install xiaomi.eu rom...

Thanks. Though, that doesn't seem like the whole process, as I first would have to get to 'Global stable', which, it seemed, was not what my phone was shipped with.

 

[mnikolce]

Thanks. Though, that doesn't seem like the whole process, as I first would have to get to 'Global stable', which, it seemed, was not what my phone was shipped with.

Try to flash global developer or china developer directly on whatever rom you have, then unlock process...

Sent from my MI 4W using Tapatalk

 

[Babak Fakhamzadeh]

Thanks.