Hi! I need some help!
I know I probably screwed up already. I am okay with losing my phone at this point. But maybe I can still save it, because it it still stuck in bootloader mode. So bear with me. I hope there’s someone out there that wants to help me. Can I undo all that I’ve done, and start over?
- I started with the e.foundation Easy installer for my Fairphone 4.
My phone was not detected in the Chrome browser, so I installed a new driver.
After doing this, I could continue with the installer. Connecting in bootloader mode went well. Then I had to re-install the phone. I think /e/OS was installed correctly, because it looked different. I connected to WiFi successfully. Then it asks if I want to copy apps&data, I clicked ‘don’t copy’ because I want to get rid of Google (which is the main reason I wanted to install /e/OS).
And then the phone asks to Verify PIN (‘your phone was reset to factory settings. To use this phone, enter your previous PIN’). However, he does not accept my previous PIN. I have used this phone for the last few years, and I know the PIN, but it doesn’t recognize it. It also gives the option ‘use my Google account instead’, however I don’t want to use Google anymore on my phone, so that is why I didnt choose that option.
I asked Claude what to do. I tried to do another factory reset. But it keeps asking a PIN. Claude tells me to go back to the Easy Installer to flash /e/OS again (step 8/9/10 Bootloader connection). But the Easy Installer wants to connect with the device already in step 7 (Device detection/allow USB debugging). And there, the browser does not detect my device. So this is not possible. And I cannot continue to the Bootloader connection step to try that again.
I need to add that I cannot look up what the security patch of the phone is anymore, since I cannot get to the phone settings. However, I did add it into the fairphone website and got a code to unlock the bootloader. So that’s something.
- Where it went wrong.
With the “help” of Claude, I tried to install it without the Easy Installer but with the Administrator Command Prompt. However, as to be expected, Claude was not actually helping me, because I am a noob and they didnt have all the information needed (apparently).
Now the phone is stuck in bootloader mode, and I installed some new stuff which was probably very wrong. See my prompt log below.
My phone had android 15. I downloaded the /e/OS community build A15. I did all the stuff above BEFORE reading this page: Install /e/OS on a Fairphone FP4 - “FP4”
→ what to do?
I can send my phone off for 175 euro to some service that installs /e/OS on it. But I am worried that I’ll lose the money since there’s a possibility that I already ruined it?
This is my log:
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.26200.8655]
(c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Windows\System32>cd C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools
C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools>fastboot devices
134a5263 fastboot
C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools>fastboot flash boot C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools\boot.img
fastboot: error: cannot load ‘C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools\boot.img’: No such file or directory
C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools>fastboot flash boot C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\boot.img
Sending ‘boot_a’ (98304 KB) OKAY [ 3.253s]
Writing ‘boot_a’ OKAY [ 0.432s]
Finished. Total time: 3.713s
C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools>fastboot flash system C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\super.img
Warning: skip copying system image avb footer due to sparse image.
Sending sparse ‘system’ 1/5 (780254 KB) OKAY [ 25.980s]
Writing ‘system’ FAILED (remote: ‘Partition not found’)
fastboot: error: Command failed
C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools>fastboot flash super C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\super.img
Warning: skip copying super image avb footer due to sparse image.
Sending sparse ‘super’ 1/5 (780254 KB) OKAY [ 25.066s]
Writing ‘super’ OKAY [ 0.001s]
Sending sparse ‘super’ 2/5 (784873 KB) OKAY [ 26.698s]
Writing ‘super’ OKAY [ 0.001s]
Sending sparse ‘super’ 3/5 (785969 KB) OKAY [ 26.061s]
Writing ‘super’ OKAY [ 0.001s]
Sending sparse ‘super’ 4/5 (764871 KB) OKAY [ 25.059s]
Writing ‘super’ OKAY [ 0.001s]
Sending sparse ‘super’ 5/5 (481152 KB) OKAY [ 15.808s]
Writing ‘super’ OKAY [ 0.001s]
Finished. Total time: 119.758s
C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools>fastboot flash vendor C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\vendor.img
fastboot: error: cannot load ‘C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\vendor.img’: No such file or directory
C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools>fastboot -w
Erasing ‘userdata’ OKAY [ 0.240s]
F2FS-tools: mkfs.f2fs Ver: 1.16.0 (2023-04-11)
Info: Debug level = 1
Info: Trim is disabled
Info: Set conf for android
Info: Enable Project quota
Info: Segments per section = 1
Info: Sections per zone = 1
Info: sector size = 512
Info: total sectors = 215595376 (105271 MB)
Info: block size = 4096
Info: zone aligned segment0 blkaddr: 512
Info: add quota type = 0 => 4
Info: add quota type = 1 => 5
Info: add quota type = 2 => 6
Info: format version with
“”
[f2fs_init_sit_area: 752] Filling sit area at offset 0x00600000
[f2fs_init_nat_area: 786] Filling nat area at offset 0x00e00000
[f2fs_add_default_dentry_root:1402] Writing default dentry root, at offset 0x1ca00
[f2fs_write_root_inode:1448] Writing root inode (hot node), offset 0x1c400
[f2fs_write_default_quota:1540] Writing quota data, at offset 0001ca01 (1/2)
[f2fs_write_default_quota:1540] Writing quota data, at offset 0001ca02 (2/2)
[f2fs_write_qf_inode:1591] Writing quota inode (hot node), offset 0x1c401
[f2fs_write_default_quota:1540] Writing quota data, at offset 0001ca03 (1/2)
[f2fs_write_default_quota:1540] Writing quota data, at offset 0001ca04 (2/2)
[f2fs_write_qf_inode:1591] Writing quota inode (hot node), offset 0x1c402
[f2fs_write_default_quota:1540] Writing quota data, at offset 0001ca05 (1/2)
[f2fs_write_default_quota:1540] Writing quota data, at offset 0001ca06 (2/2)
[f2fs_write_qf_inode:1591] Writing quota inode (hot node), offset 0x1c403
[f2fs_update_nat_default:1629] Writing nat root, at offset 0x00000e00
Info: Overprovision ratio = 0.440%
Info: Overprovision segments = 240 (GC reserved = 234)
[f2fs_write_check_point_pack: 978] Writing main segments, cp at offset 0x00000200
[f2fs_write_check_point_pack:1065] Writing Segment summary for HOT/WARM/COLD_DATA, at offset 0x00000201
[f2fs_write_check_point_pack:1079] Writing Segment summary for HOT_NODE, at offset 0x00000202
[f2fs_write_check_point_pack:1091] Writing Segment summary for WARM_NODE, at offset 0x00000203
[f2fs_write_check_point_pack:1105] Writing Segment summary for COLD_NODE, at offset 0x00000204
[f2fs_write_check_point_pack:1113] Writing cp page2, at offset 0x00000205
[f2fs_write_check_point_pack:1155] Writing cp page 1 of checkpoint pack 2, at offset 0x00000400
[f2fs_write_check_point_pack:1174] Writing cp page 2 of checkpoint pack 2, at offset 0x00000405
[f2fs_write_super_block:1207] Writing super block, at offset 0x00000000
Info: format successful
Warning: skip copying userdata image avb footer due to sparse image.
Sending ‘userdata’ (89 KB) OKAY [ 0.006s]
Writing ‘userdata’ OKAY [ 0.002s]
wipe task partition not found: cache
Erasing ‘metadata’ OKAY [ 0.007s]
mke2fs 1.47.2 (1-Jan-2025)
128-byte inodes cannot handle dates beyond 2038 and are deprecated
Creating filesystem with 7648 4k blocks and 7648 inodes
Allocating group tables: done
Writing inode tables: done
Creating journal (1024 blocks): done
Writing superblocks and filesystem accounting information: done
Warning: skip copying metadata image avb footer due to sparse image.
Sending ‘metadata’ (44 KB) OKAY [ 0.011s]
Writing ‘metadata’ OKAY [ 0.003s]
Finished. Total time: 8.830s
C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools>fastboot reboot
Rebooting OKAY [ 0.001s]
Finished. Total time: 0.002s
C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools>fastboot reboot
Rebooting OKAY [ 0.001s]
Finished. Total time: 0.003s
C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools>fastboot flash recovery C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\recovery.img
Sending ‘recovery’ (98304 KB) OKAY [ 3.278s]
Writing ‘recovery’ OKAY [ 0.566s]
Finished. Total time: 3.866s
C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools>fastboot -w
Erasing ‘userdata’ OKAY [ 0.176s]
F2FS-tools: mkfs.f2fs Ver: 1.16.0 (2023-04-11)
Info: Debug level = 1
Info: Trim is disabled
Info: Set conf for android
Info: Enable Project quota
Info: Segments per section = 1
Info: Sections per zone = 1
Info: sector size = 512
Info: total sectors = 215595376 (105271 MB)
Info: block size = 4096
Info: zone aligned segment0 blkaddr: 512
Info: add quota type = 0 => 4
Info: add quota type = 1 => 5
Info: add quota type = 2 => 6
Info: format version with
“”
[f2fs_init_sit_area: 752] Filling sit area at offset 0x00600000
[f2fs_init_nat_area: 786] Filling nat area at offset 0x00e00000
[f2fs_add_default_dentry_root:1402] Writing default dentry root, at offset 0x1ca00
[f2fs_write_root_inode:1448] Writing root inode (hot node), offset 0x1c400
[f2fs_write_default_quota:1540] Writing quota data, at offset 0001ca01 (1/2)
[f2fs_write_default_quota:1540] Writing quota data, at offset 0001ca02 (2/2)
[f2fs_write_qf_inode:1591] Writing quota inode (hot node), offset 0x1c401
[f2fs_write_default_quota:1540] Writing quota data, at offset 0001ca03 (1/2)
[f2fs_write_default_quota:1540] Writing quota data, at offset 0001ca04 (2/2)
[f2fs_write_qf_inode:1591] Writing quota inode (hot node), offset 0x1c402
[f2fs_write_default_quota:1540] Writing quota data, at offset 0001ca05 (1/2)
[f2fs_write_default_quota:1540] Writing quota data, at offset 0001ca06 (2/2)
[f2fs_write_qf_inode:1591] Writing quota inode (hot node), offset 0x1c403
[f2fs_update_nat_default:1629] Writing nat root, at offset 0x00000e00
Info: Overprovision ratio = 0.440%
Info: Overprovision segments = 240 (GC reserved = 234)
[f2fs_write_check_point_pack: 978] Writing main segments, cp at offset 0x00000200
[f2fs_write_check_point_pack:1065] Writing Segment summary for HOT/WARM/COLD_DATA, at offset 0x00000201
[f2fs_write_check_point_pack:1079] Writing Segment summary for HOT_NODE, at offset 0x00000202
[f2fs_write_check_point_pack:1091] Writing Segment summary for WARM_NODE, at offset 0x00000203
[f2fs_write_check_point_pack:1105] Writing Segment summary for COLD_NODE, at offset 0x00000204
[f2fs_write_check_point_pack:1113] Writing cp page2, at offset 0x00000205
[f2fs_write_check_point_pack:1155] Writing cp page 1 of checkpoint pack 2, at offset 0x00000400
[f2fs_write_check_point_pack:1174] Writing cp page 2 of checkpoint pack 2, at offset 0x00000405
[f2fs_write_super_block:1207] Writing super block, at offset 0x00000000
Info: format successful
Warning: skip copying userdata image avb footer due to sparse image.
Sending ‘userdata’ (89 KB) OKAY [ 0.012s]
Writing ‘userdata’ OKAY [ 0.002s]
wipe task partition not found: cache
Erasing ‘metadata’ OKAY [ 0.005s]
mke2fs 1.47.2 (1-Jan-2025)
128-byte inodes cannot handle dates beyond 2038 and are deprecated
Creating filesystem with 7648 4k blocks and 7648 inodes
Allocating group tables: done
Writing inode tables: done
Creating journal (1024 blocks): done
Writing superblocks and filesystem accounting information: done
Warning: skip copying metadata image avb footer due to sparse image.
Sending ‘metadata’ (44 KB) OKAY [ 0.010s]
Writing ‘metadata’ OKAY [ 0.003s]
Finished. Total time: 8.538s
C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools>fastboot reboot
Rebooting OKAY [ 0.001s]
Finished. Total time: 0.002s
C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools>fastboot flash dtbo C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\dtbo.img
Sending ‘dtbo’ (24576 KB) OKAY [ 0.821s]
Writing ‘dtbo’ OKAY [ 0.118s]
Finished. Total time: 0.960s
C:\Users\wimjk\Desktop\platform-tools>fastboot reboot
Rebooting OKAY [ 0.001s]
Finished. Total time: 0.003s
Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance.