How to get FP2 from TWRP back to running mode

/e/OS Devices Fairphone
1

This morning my well working FP2 started with the TWRP screen (3.3.1-1). Since I do not want to spend too much time fiddling around: I would be very happy if someone could help me to determine the condition of the smartphone and get it working again.

Edit: Output:
E: Unable to decrypt FBE device
Updating partition details…
…done
RescueParty
Full SELinux support is present.
MTP enabled

Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/ the unGoogled mobile OS and online servicesphone

2

If you try to reboot system from TWRP it always returns to TWRP?
You might try to reinstall /e/ system (e.g. following the /e/ installation guide).
The output “E: Unable to decrypt FBE device” show that your data partion (internal SD card) is encrypted.

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3

Thank you for your advice.
Yes, as soon as I try to reboot system from TWRP it always returns to TWRP.

Follwing the installation guide gives:

C:\Users\marbi> adb reboot bootloader
error: no devices/emulators found

Thank you for further good ideas.
Marbitt

4

What happens when you go into TWRP’s Reboot menu and choose Bootloader?

5

When I go go TWRP’s Reboot menu and choose Bootloader, in FP2 the blue ligth glows and the display is black…
Finally I installed everything without external SD card.

6

The blue light blinking is normal with recent firmware, it’s an indicator the phone really rebooted into Fastboot Mode (aka bootloader) and does not just hang while booting.
The display should display the Fairphone logo then, though.

Well, all’s well that ends well, I guess.

7

Well, to be precise: When I go to TWRP’s Reboot menu and choose Bootloader, FP2 vibrates once and later three times. Later the fairphone logo appears and the blue light blinks. Well, but how to boot into system?!
Press start bottom? TWRP. Press start bottom for 12 seconds? TWRP. Remove battery for minutes and restart? TWRP.
So: Which way may I go back to normal working mode?
Really thankfull for advices.

8

Ok, this is Fastboot Mode in all its glory. At least something to work with.

Did you check whether the Vol + button could be stuck?
(You could try to boot with the case off to check that.)

Else …

You might want to do step 4 of this guide to wipe the phone including formatting the data partition to really start with a clean slate, and then do the /e/ install again.

9

Thank you. I booted with the case off. I did step 4 of the mentioned guide and did the /e/ install again.
What bothers me is the following: I install the system according to the instructions. As soon as I push the volume up when starting, i get into a (recovery ?) mode that I can’t get out of.
(This has been my question from the beginning…)
Isn’t there at least one setting that prevents unintentional calling of the recovery mode?

10

Let’s note for safety’s sake that your phone is not in a normal state.
Recovery mode would be coming up in general

  • either because the user wants it to … Vol + button pressed while starting or rebooting the phone, or deliberately booted into it by other means.
  • or because something’s wrong … Vol + button stuck, or OS can’t be booted in some way or other.

Since Fastboot Mode seems to work, you could
fastboot erase recovery
… which would delete TWRP, so the phone couldn’t boot into it anymore.

In case you need TWRP you can still use fastboot to boot a signed TWRP image (that’s not the one you can download from twrp.me) without having to flash TWRP to the phone again, see details here … How to use TWRP without flashing it (e.g. for Backup).

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