SOLVED Lenovo X605F - Unable to unlock bootloader

muskist

Not sure if this issue is X605 related or fastboot related. I have a X605F device.

I refer to the "Install" section at https://gitlab.com/ubports/community-ports/android9/lenovo-tab-m10-fhd/lenovo-x605.

When executing fastboot flashing unlock I get this:

xxx@av:~/Programme/TWRP$ fastboot flashing unlock
...
FAILED (remote: unknown command)
finished. total time: 0.020s

Earlier I have activated OEM unlock and USB debugging on Android (and set screen lock to "None" as recommended on www).

Then rebooted to bootloader with Power+Volume-Down (same result with adb reboot bootloader).

fastboot devices shows the device.

If I execute fastboot flashing unlock now I get the above error.

(I have created an issue on GitLab.)

Luksus

@muskist hi,

please try this commands:

      fastboot oem unlock-go
      fastboot reboot

Maybe I added the wrong commands to the readme.

muskist

@luksus Thanks for your reply.

I've tried these variations of fastboot:

fastboot flashing unlock
fastboot flashing unlock-go
fastboot oem unlock
fastboot oem unlock-go

None of them works. I always get the same error. Same with fastboot reboot bootloader.

fastboot devices does work and so does fastboot getvar all.

How did you do it?

MrT10001

Try using the latest version of Android tools, and open the terminal in the platform-tools folder (with Windows). I have had issues with older versions of fastboot and adb.

Also try

fastboot flashing unlock_critical

Luksus

@muskist said in Lenovo X605F - Unable to unlock bootloader:

How did you do it?

I don't remember to be honest.
But like MrT10001 said: Please use the latest fastboot version available, and please tell us, which OS you are using.

Thanks.

muskist

@mrt10001 Thanks for your reply.

Downloaded latest version of android tools, tried everything again - including your suggestion - but same result.

muskist

@luksus

Tried everything using latest android tools with both MX Linux 19.3 (Debian based multimedia distro) and Mint 20.

The X605F is running Android 8.1.0.

MrT10001

@muskist According to install instructions you must be running Android 9.0 for it to work.

muskist

@mrt10001 True. Therefore the install instructions include flashing Android 9 stock firmware. But in order to do so I have to unlock the bootloader before.

MrT10001

@muskist Ok, you need to take a step back.
Have you tried another USB cable? (I have a Samsung s3Neo+ that will fastboot fine with some USB cables, but when I tried to install Ubuntu Touch, it failed until I used an original Samsung cable???).
Have you double checked USB debugging is on and not set to MTP? (if MTP is set it will usually show up on the PC as an external storage device/tablet)
Have you double checked OEM unlock is on?
Has the tablet ever had a custom ROM, or been rooted in the past?
Are you running Fastboot from the Android Studio folder?
Have you tried another operating system? (if it won't play with windows, I use Ubuntu and vice-versa).
Have you read this?

muskist

@mrt10001 Thanks for your efforts!

Have you tried another USB cable?

Yes I have.

Have you double checked USB debugging is on

Checking it every time before I try.

and not set to MTP? (if MTP is set it will usually show up on the PC as an external storage device/tablet)

This is new to me. Instructions I found on www say it must be set to MTP. What do you recommend? I just tried "Wird aufgeladen" (~ charging only) - didn't work out.

Have you double checked OEM unlock is on?

Checking it every time before I try.

Has the tablet ever had a custom ROM, or been rooted in the past?

No idea.

Are you running Fastboot from the Android Studio folder?

Yes.
./adb ... and ./fastboot ... (./<command> on Linux)

Have you tried another operating system? (if it won't play with windows, I use Ubuntu and vice-versa).

MX Linux and Mint Linux. I have no windows machine around.

Have you read this?

Yes. I guess I've read every single instruction on how to avoid the (remote: unknown command) error.

MrT10001

@muskist Usually the advice is to ensure USB is set to charging only and not MTP, may be different for this tablet.
Run fastboot from the platform-tools folder found in the Android Studio folder. Here is a tutorial.
The other thing to do is if you can beg/borrow a windows 10 machine. I would also try it on an Ubuntu machine first as you can run it from a flash drive.
(I also assume you have tried different USB ports on the PC).

muskist

@luksus @MrT10001

Surprise! I found this on https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/guide-unlock-root-lenovo-smart-tab-p10-tb-x705f-by-chaser42.3956198/ :

NOTE THAT THIS GUIDE IS ONLY APPLICABLE IF YOUR DEVICE IS RUNNING ANDROID 9.0 (PIE). If your device shipped with Android 8.0 (Oreo), you must upgrade because the Oreo bootloader does not allow a permanent unlock.

And literally simultaneously a new Android system update popped up on the device (there had been two since thursday when I got the device). And this time it updated to Android 9.

So I tried and I got

xxx@MintXfce:~/Programme/Android platform tools/platform-tools$ ./fastboot flashing unlock
FAILED (remote: 'Need wipe userdata. Do 'fastboot oem unlock-go'')
fastboot: error: Command failed

Then of course I did what I was told and got

xxx@MintXfce:~/Programme/Android platform tools/platform-tools$ ./fastboot oem unlock-go
OKAY [  0.044s]
Finished. Total time: 0.044s

@ luksus You will have to update that part of the install instructions I guess. I will keep going and give a report after success (hopefully).

@MrT10001 Thanks again.

muskist

@luksus Will I still have to flash Android 9 stock firmware or may I skip that and go straight to flashing UT?

Keneda

@muskist
Didn't you just installed it like described in your previous post ?

@muskist said in Lenovo X605F - Unable to unlock bootloader:

And this time it updated to Android 9.

Luksus

@muskist skip it and give it a try.
There maybe specific android 9 versions that work and others, that do not, but we don't know yet.

muskist

@keneda Yes, but this time I tried it on Android 9. The same command failed on Android 8 before. But meanwhile the device was updatet.

muskist

@Luksus
UT just booted! Great job!

The fastboot -w command does not work. I got

xxx@MintXfce:~/Programme/UBPorts/Lenovo X605F$ fastboot -w
wiping userdata...
Invalid erase-block-size 512: must be a power of 2 and at least 4096.
Invalid logical-block-size 512: must be a power of 2 and at least 4096.
mke2fs 1.45.5 (07-Jan-2020)
/tmp/TemporaryFile-kpVmgi: Nicht implementierte Ext2-Bibliotheksfunktion beim Erstellen des Superblocks
/usr/lib/android-sdk/platform-tools/mke2fs failed with status 1
mke2fs failed: 1
error: Cannot generate image for userdata

Had to use twrp.

Luksus

@muskist nice.
Ok, the fastboot -w command did definitely work for me... but who knows.
There is another command fastboot format:ext4 userdata which should also work, but I have had the impression, that the -w command made my device boot more reliable...

Perhaps "-w" does work only after formatting with ext4?

Anyway, nice that it is working now.