Help please: Titan stuck on bootloader screen

[bayhill]

I was attempting to update my phone via the "Step by step tutorial for unlocking your device and cooking your own ROM!!!" thread. (My laptop runs Windows Vista, and I was trying to install this via a USB cable.) I downloaded and installed Olipro 2.40, but when I was finished, the phone displayed the red, green and blue bootloader screen with the words:

TITA100 MFG
SPL-2.40.Olipro
CPLD-9

I've since read the "Stuck in TITAN bootloader? Read this!" thread (and several other bootloader threads on this site and others) and tried to run the titan-exitbl.exe program, but I get the error:

Cannot open USB port. Please make sure, that USB connection in ActiveSync is disabled. Also make sure, that your USB cable is properly connected.

When I connect the phone to my computer with the USB cord, the word at the bottom of the phone changes from Serial to USB, but the phone doesn't appear as a drive on my "Computer" folder. (It was Drive F when connected to my computer via USB before I started this process.)

I also tried to run the DisconnectActiveSync.exe, but it appeared to have no effect on trying to run the titan-exitbl file.

Then, I reformatted my microSD card to FAT32 and copied over a custom radio (renamed TITAIMG.nbh) to the card because I read that flashing a radio would get it out of this screen. However, after removing the battery for a minute, replacing it and turning the phone on, it simply goes back to the three-color screen and doesn't attempt to load the file on the micro SD card. And the same thing happens when I try a hard reset, as it goes to a white screen and asks if I want to erase all user data. If I answer either yes or no, it returns to the three-color screen.

So far, I've spent more than three hours on this and am getting nowhere. If someone could help (because I'm guessing it's something I'm overlooking), I'd be grateful and would be more than happy to send a $25 paypal payment your way when the phone is back in a usable state. I've fixed my big-screen TV with parts at Radio Shack, so I'm not afraid to try something new to fix this, but it's getting very frustrating.

Thanks again.

[mcw]

bayhill:

I had the same issue, in fact, I have a Titan in front of me that I just fixed due to the same issue.

It's the Olipro SPL... Replace it with the nueSPL and you'll be okay (or, you can try to reflash Olipro SPL)..

I'm sure you know the steps, but:
Copy TITAIMG.nbh to the flash card, hold down the "Power button" + "Camera button" and then use the stylus and hit reset (while holding them down). It will then show you the grey screen and being updating.

Let me know how things work out for you.

[bayhill]

MCW

Thanks for the reply; it's appreciated.

I deleted the original file I had on the MicroSD card and copied over the one you included here, and then I reset the phone with the power and camera buttons on the right side held down. However, each time the phone restarted and went straight back to the three-color screen, regardless how long I held down the buttons. I tried doing that without the USB cord connected and with the USB cord connected. Each time, it went directly back to the three-color screen, with the only difference being the word USB or Serial at the bottom of the screen.

I also just tried to reflash the Olipro 2.40 file, but after it opens, it asks:

Press any key to continue ...

So I hit one as I did earlier, but it responded after a few seconds with:

No Device Connected

Now, that's consistent with me no longer seeing the phone as an available drive on the Computer folder when I have the USB connected. Would the fact that I'm not longer getting the computer to read the phone contents as a drive be a big part in my problems, and if so, how would I go about restoring that? It's very frustrating that 1) the phone won't interact with the computer through USB now and 2) the phone won't interact with what's on the MicroSD card.

If you have any other suggestions, MCW, I'd be happy to hear them. If not, thanks for taking the time to try to help.

[mcw]

Sorry that didn't help

You shouldn't be seeing the contents of the phone while in boot loader mode (that I know of).

However, the fact that you can't flash any new image from the SD card might mean a couple things:
1 - bad SD card slot
2 - corrupted memory

Have you tried using an RUU from a different computer?

[bayhill]

Thanks for explaining about not seeing the phone contents in that mode.

I've only had the phone for two months, but I had been listening to mp3s and watching videos saved on my memory card, and it had worked until tonight. That said, maybe something has gone wrong with it.

May I ask what you mean by using an RUU from a different computer? I'm kind of new to this lingo (although I know a lot more now with my research over the past several hours than I knew before).

Thanks.

[mcw]

Ahh..

Well, I just wanted to make sure then that when you downloaded the file, you un-RAR'd it (sorry, have to ask, I remember some people would just rename the download without extracting it).
If you did unRAR it, then good.

The RUU is the ROMUpdateUtility - basically, it's the ROM upgrader that you run from Windows - it handles everything. Many ROMs are packaged with it - you simply run that from within Windows, and it will do the rest (restart phone, flash ROM, etc...).

Did you have any other non-stock ROM on your phone prior to the incident? Or was flashing OliPro your first step? If it was your first step, then let's jump ahead...
Even if you don't want this ROM, I just downloaded it and know it comes with an RUU - so download it, extract it, and run the ROMUpdateUtility.exe file you see. Make sure your phone is connected via USB (oh, have you checked to make sure the cable is good - try another if you have one). If the ROM flashes, then at least we know everything is good - report back.

Download Mattsm 21887 ROM

SORRY - BEWARE - IF YOU FLASH, YOU WILL LOSE EVERYTHING ON THE PHONE (disclaimer). If you need to try to recover what you have, then we need to try to get you out of the bootloader... Let me know what you're going to try for (reflash or recover).

[bayhill]

Some background:

I originally had the stock ROM on the phone from Sprint, and my plan was to flash an updated ROM that would let me utilize Windows 6.5. I did use the Olipro 2.40 (which is what started all of this), so would it be too late to switch back to what I originally had (Windows 6.1)? Right now, I would be content to just have the phone work the way it did originally.

And thanks for explaining about un-RARing the file. I did that before putting it on the phone, but it doesn't hurt to not assume that, because I'm guessing it's something like that that's causing the problem I'm having now.

I do have another mini-USB connector cord. Should I continue with your directions here, or would it be possible to salvage what was already on the phone? (For the record, I'd like to upgrade it, but I don't want to be greedy at this point.)

Thanks again.

[mcw]

The ROM link I posted is for a 6.5 ROM, so getting that loaded up would kill two birds... (sorry, birds).

Grab the other cable, if handy, and let's try with that first (if you know whatever you have it hooked up to works fine). Download the ROM from the link I posted, unRAR it, and run the RUU while the phone is in bootloader mode (rainbow) and hooked up to your PC.

What USB port is the phone getting hooked to your computer through (a front port, rear port - laptop?). If a tower/desktop, try a rear port. If you're using a front port, sometimes the cabling connecting the front USB port to the motherboard may not be up to standards/specs, and can cause issues. If it's a laptop, try another port.

I guess this is more a "hunt down" than anything. Your phone is still in good shape since you see the bootloader, it just sucks that you haven't been able to get out if yet. It takes time, sometimes...

[bayhill]

YOU ROCK! It worked, and everything is good to go. That interface is much cooler than I anticipated.

Thanks again. If you'd like the donation, please let me know where to send it. If not, I'll make a donation to the Red Cross Haiti fund in your name/username. (I'm planning to send a separate donation myself Tuesday afternoon.)

[mcw]

Originally Posted by bayhill

YOU ROCK! It worked, and everything is good to go. That interface is much cooler than I anticipated.

Thanks again. If you'd like the donation, please let me know where to send it. If not, I'll make a donation to the Red Cross Haiti fund in your name/username. (I'm planning to send a separate donation myself Tuesday afternoon.)

Glad it all worked out for you