FP2 keeps rebooting after update. Can't rely on it for productive use. Need (downgrade) advice

Irina_Spitznagel 2016-06-28 11:14:56 UTC #42

I would really like to help, but I dont have TWRP installed. Is there any other possibility to copy that firmware (my FP2 is rooted)?

Spielmops 2016-06-28 11:53:06 UTC #43

Just testd it: copies with Amaze to sd-card = 0Byte
copies with TotalCommander = OK

Irina_Spitznagel 2016-06-28 12:01:36 UTC #44

Ok, I just installed TotalCommander. Which is exactly the directory that I need to copy?

Spielmops 2016-06-28 12:17:31 UTC #45

/firmware/image

Spielmops

Irina_Spitznagel 2016-06-28 12:34:12 UTC #46

Here's my firmware (you need to unzip it)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bhr54qlhbq6twps/imagefirmware.zip?dl=0

FP2 random reboots - see first post for workarounds

gewuerzketchup 2016-06-28 22:37:48 UTC #47

Thanks Irina and Spielmops,

I am back with the old baseband firmware now. Never really thought it would be possible, good to be wrong in this case.

Unfortunately, my phone just rebooted again. I'll report back in a day or two how stable my phone turns out to be now.

Anyway, thanks so far.

ungutknut 2016-06-29 19:23:18 UTC #48

Same problem here. Although not only since the last update and "just" about once every two days (which still is incredibly annoying if you rely on your phone as an alarm clock). I'm using the fairphone osos btw.

gewuerzketchup 2016-06-29 19:56:29 UTC #49

With Fairphone OSOS you probably never updated your Modem/Baseband firmware ... so, in your case, it might even help to install the 1.4.2 update (or find a way to extract the Modem/Baseband firmware part and only install that).

Puh, I shivered while typing that, as for me this update basically bricked my phone, at least for now.

Irina_Spitznagel 2016-06-29 20:13:07 UTC #50

Sounds like the transplantation of my old firmware didn't help you ...

gewuerzketchup 2016-06-29 20:25:37 UTC #51

Unfortunately no, it did not help.

However, right now I am mixing the old baseband firmware version (.DI.4.0.1-00161-M8974AAAAANAZM-1) with the new operating system version (1.4.2). So what I am going to try next is to downgrade the OS again and see if this helps. (Actually I try first to switch to switch to Fairphone Open 16.06 which includes latest security fixes and should be compatible with the original baseband firmware as well.)

Alas, I am not very optimistic these days

Moritz 2016-06-30 06:13:52 UTC #52

Hmm, reading this Im rather happy I also still run 1.1.7. I just never updated because I had twrp installed and didn't find the time to do a full backup manually flash the images, as the updater didn't work... But reading through the topic, it seams to be a bit of a gamble, whether a specific version of the os is running fine or not...
So maybe installing the very same version again might change something. Or going along the same upgrade path as the first time, I.e. starting out with 1.1.7 then upgrading to 1.3.6 and doing the same thing again, if it doesn't work the first time...
So far I didn't read anything that convinced me on what exactly the problem was, so this might be worth a try...

paulkreuzer 2016-06-30 12:45:49 UTC #53

Random reboots, even if they started happening or increased after an update are most likely not caused by the OS version. If you have random reboots please continue in this topic:

Downgrading is not recommended as updates bring more stability and security. If however you are absolutely sure you want to downgrade please contact support and let them talk you through it. (And don't share the method.)

I'm setting this topic to auto-close.

gewuerzketchup 2016-06-30 18:46:19 UTC #54

Progress report:

I installed FP Open 16.06 -> phone did not boot and started to heat up (recovery and fastbot was working, though)

So, I installed 1.3.6 -> still, it did not boot

Factory reset -> now it was booting (factory reset probably would have helped to boot the open os as well ... however ...)

So, I am now with the 1.3.6 OS and Irina's .DI.4.0.1-00161-M8974AAAAANAZM-1 Baseband firmware (at least this is what "About Phone" is showing). I have no SIM card and no SDcard installed. Still the phone is rebooting. -> Fuck.

Oh, by the way. regarding "Contact support": My ticket is open since sunday, no reply yet. And as I have to work during the day, finding a timeslot to call support directly is not easy, especially if I need my PC (fastboot, adb, etc) for the procedure.

I do not see, why it is so important not to share the method for downgrading. It is the only thing that seems to have helped at least one user.

rainer_zufall 2016-06-30 19:49:40 UTC #55

Could you elaborate on on the reasons behind your statement? Would be really interested in your thoughts. Thanks!

paulkreuzer 2016-06-30 20:47:49 UTC #56

We get this after every update. Topics like "since update X my phone has problem Y" where Y is not a new problem.
It almost never turns out that the problem had something to do with the OS version.

Something can always go wrong during installing any OS version, no matter if you update, reinstall or downgrade. If this happens it makes more sense to reinstall the latest OS to try and get rid of the problems.

Exactly. One user. Sure there are probably more, but if you post a guide on how to downgrade many people will do it because they think they have an issue that started with the latest OS version.
Then after downgrading the issue will probably really be resolved as this time the installation went well.
It usually does. So now they feel affirmed that the issue was caused by the OS version and may never update again until an update's changelog states "Fixes issue Y".

sky 2016-07-01 17:39:44 UTC #57

Are you shure that this is also the fact for 1.4.2 with it's firmware update in there?

As we see, the reboot problems are connected with the SIM cards and i.e. 4G, this is close connected with the radio, this is very close connected with the firmware, isn't it?

gewuerzketchup 2016-07-01 22:22:23 UTC #58

I understand your point of view and your approach of pointing us towards a systematic investigation procedure. However, I did that already and none of the listed items helped me and I have the feeling I am not the only one in this very situation.

From my perspective it is rather unpleasant to have:
- a broken phone
- reports from several other users with the same story
- a lot of hints that all do not work for me (Take out all cards/disable 4g/hard reset/re-install firmwware)
- a yeah, and support that does not reply to open tickets for days
- a last potential solution that supposely did work for one of our fellow sufferers ... but hey, it's top secret

HonestJay 2016-07-01 23:15:02 UTC #59

As far as I know, there is no secret solution.

If you made sure, that the update causes these problems and none of the steps above could help you:
Just call (!!!) the FP2 support and agree with them on further steps. It's annoying, but that's the way to go.

paulkreuzer 2016-07-02 06:41:38 UTC #60

Yes, it's very unpleasant to have a phone that keeps rebooting. But just because the workarounds we gathered in the first post of the random reboots topic don't help you doesn't mean it's a different issue. The workarounds didn't help many people before the update either.
In that case it's best to contact support and - since waiting for a reply takes very long and it's a serious issue - post your request number in this thread to get an answer soon.
Mention everything you already tried in your request (like hard reset and cleaning the phone's insides) to speed up the process even more.
You'll probably receive a new phone if none of the workarounds help, but in very rare cases (I don't know how the support team determines whether this may help you) they will guide you through downgrading.

Anyways, let's continue this in the correct topic:

paulkreuzer 2016-07-02 06:41:50 UTC #61