Anyone willing to "repair" an Onyx Note 2?

tatteredscroll · 09-10-2025, 02:56 PM

Anyone willing to "repair" an Onyx Note 2? I have some old posts scattered around MobileRead forums with attempts by me to fix what I think was me smashing the loader part of the system during a factory reset.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=354304

I've connected a USB to TTL Serial Converter to the bits on the board and watch the world scroll by over and over. Have tried power and front panel button combos, etc.

If there's not a reasonable way to fix this (or at least check if it's actually fixable), I'll chalk it up as a loss. But if someone with more skills and experience than me could look at it, restore it to the original (or newest supported firmware, wiped is fine) somehow, I'd like to entertain shipping it to you for repair.

Not sure if @Renate does this, but would trust you with the device. Anyone else?

Renate · 09-10-2025, 03:48 PM

Mmm, I could probably fix it quicker if it were in my hot little hands, but that may not be practical.
I do have all the equipment here that makes it easier.

But of course we can try it the old way in cyberspace.

tatteredscroll · 09-10-2025, 04:57 PM

Renate, I'm in the US, I didn't realize you were not "local".

I'm basically back to where I was in the thread linked in my post. USB TTL Serial connected, saving logs in Putty.

I've tried going from powered off state to power on, see blue power light, press and hold Backspace in my Putty session (I see the orange light TX on my converter go orange) and it just loops and reboots.

Rinse and repeat from off state to on and trying different keyboard keys.

Renate · Yesterday, 12:00 AM

Run abltest.exe then reset with a long power press.

tatteredscroll · Yesterday, 11:18 AM

Can't get to EDL with adb reboot edl. Plugging into windows desktop, it never seems to get recognized by the OS.

ADB never sees anything plugged in. I've tried different ports/cables on the desktop. This is with a standard USB cable to USB port, not with my USB serial plug.

tatteredscroll · Yesterday, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

Run abltest.exe then reset with a long power press.

abltest output looks a lot like the output I get with my putty session. Should I be looking for something or do we just want to see if it talks?

tatteredscroll · Yesterday, 11:53 AM

link to screenshot upload

https://ibb.co/3nd2hgn

I've taken a lot of screenshots of the scrolling if items like hardware info or bootup info might help, but I never see it go into EDL mode as referenced here. It's pretty much the same as my putty.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...48&postcount=9

Renate · Yesterday, 01:19 PM

If you run it without the /v it doesn't say the Putty-like stuff, only what you linked.
The screenshot you posted shows that you started abltest too late.
Start abltest, then reset.

Your problem is probably that you just don't have the Windows driver for EDL mode loaded.
Use Zadig or Device Manager and "Show all devices".

tatteredscroll · Yesterday, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

If you run it without the /v it doesn't say the Putty-like stuff, only what you linked.
The screenshot you posted shows that you started abltest too late.
Start abltest, then reset.

I thought I tried this. I've gone from powered off state, start abltest, then power on. I've also tried with the light on and scrolling just pressing and holding the button for a looong time. Light goes off, but it just stays off. I'm probably not getting the sequence or timing right.

Quote:

Your problem is probably that you just don't have the Windows driver for EDL mode loaded.
Use Zadig or Device Manager and "Show all devices".

I installed a driver after plugging in the usb-serial device. Device Manager showed a yellow triangle on the device. So I ran Windows Update, asked to search for driver, it found a driver and installed it at COM3 and appears to be in a normal state.

But what you're saying is a driver that supports EDL mode?? Let me check details on the driver.

FT232R USB UART with the FTDIBUS (v2.12.36.4) that Zadig downloaded and replaced my previous driver.

tatteredscroll · Yesterday, 05:55 PM

I was able to trigger what looked like a boot to recovery, but other messages say no recovery available--

Quote:

[920] ========> Power Key Down
[6530] ========> Power Key Up
[8430] ========> seg[0] Power Key Down
[8730] ========> seg[0] Power Key Up
[8830] ========> seg[1] Power Key Down
[8930] ========> seg[1] Power Key Up
[9140] ========> seg[2] Power Key Down
[9240] ========> seg[2] Power Key Up
[9340] ========> seg[3] Power Key Down
[9440] ========> seg[3] Power Key Up
[9550] ========> seg[4] Power Key Down
[9950] ========> seg[4] Power Key Up
[9950] ========> boot_into_recovery detected!!!
[9960] Device is unlocked! Skipping verification...

.
.

Quote:

[ 1.726264] i2c i2c-5: No recover_bus() found, not using recovery

tatteredscroll · Yesterday, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

Run abltest.exe then reset with a long power press.

from the other thread you said

Quote:

Fortunately the timing can be detected by the logging coming from the abl.

What is it looking for? What is it detecting? Maybe I could just grab a bunch of output and search for that to even see if it will actually detect.

Renate · Yesterday, 10:31 PM

1) How are you sure that "adb reboot edl" doesn't work? Does it just boot normally? What happens.

2) I still haven't seen a log from abltest when you started it before reset.

3) The Windows driver for the FTDI is for the USB UART, not the Onyx.

tatteredscroll · Yesterday, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

1) How are you sure that "adb reboot edl" doesn't work? Does it just boot normally? What happens.

adb devices -l never shows anything connected, no devices for it to send the command to. adb reboot edl comes back with no devices/emulators found. the tablet just loops over and over with the output in the pastebin below.

Quote:

2) I still haven't seen a log from abltest when you started it before reset.

I'm not certain what/how to perform the reset you mention. If I hold the button down too long, it powers off. If I hold it less than too long the bootloop just continues, it doesn't seem to do anything.

With abltest running, I've started the device from power off state multiple times. I've also disconnected the battery and plugged it back in which I think would be a cold boot and not a warm boot. All whild abltest is running/listening.

Does abltest prefer a warm or cold boot?

Pastebin of two boot cycles at http://pastebin.com/3Ege96wa

Quote:

3) The Windows driver for the FTDI is for the USB UART, not the Onyx.

I understand. The FTDI usb to serial driver is for the internal connection on the Note 2 where I've captured putty and abltest logs.

The USB connection from my PC to the USB-C port on the Note 2 doesn't register a connection to the device...the PC, adb never recognize the device being plugged in, never sees it.

I plug an old samsung tablet running android 9 into the PC and windows does it ding-dong with a pop-up. Never installed samsung specific drivers (or any android drivers for that matter, just the android developer kit so I could get adb) and windows saw it right away. For adb to see it I had to enable USB debugging in developer options. After that it sees it in adb devices -l , no problem. I have an old android phone I'm going to test once it charges up, but I have a feeling it might work just like the samsung.

Renate · Today, 12:21 AM

1) Ok, you mean that you never get ADB. Did you have ADB enabled previously? Was the ADB Windows driver (Google "extras") ever installed?

I don't see any early stuff out of those logs. You showed before "Power button on". That's the kind of stuff we're looking for, not "[0.0000]".

Powering off is good. Then another press should waken it.

09-10-2025, 02:56 PM	#1
tatteredscroll Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 510 Join Date: Sep 2012 Device: Kindle Paperwhite Kids 2022 11th Gen (PW5)	Anyone willing to "repair" an Onyx Note 2? Anyone willing to "repair" an Onyx Note 2? I have some old posts scattered around MobileRead forums with attempts by me to fix what I think was me smashing the loader part of the system during a factory reset. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=354304 I've connected a USB to TTL Serial Converter to the bits on the board and watch the world scroll by over and over. Have tried power and front panel button combos, etc. If there's not a reasonable way to fix this (or at least check if it's actually fixable), I'll chalk it up as a loss. But if someone with more skills and experience than me could look at it, restore it to the original (or newest supported firmware, wiped is fine) somehow, I'd like to entertain shipping it to you for repair. Not sure if @Renate does this, but would trust you with the device. Anyone else?

09-10-2025, 04:57 PM	#3
tatteredscroll Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 510 Join Date: Sep 2012 Device: Kindle Paperwhite Kids 2022 11th Gen (PW5)	Renate, I'm in the US, I didn't realize you were not "local". I'm basically back to where I was in the thread linked in my post. USB TTL Serial connected, saving logs in Putty. I've tried going from powered off state to power on, see blue power light, press and hold Backspace in my Putty session (I see the orange light TX on my converter go orange) and it just loops and reboots. Rinse and repeat from off state to on and trying different keyboard keys. Last edited by tatteredscroll; 09-10-2025 at 05:16 PM.

Yesterday, 11:18 AM	#5
tatteredscroll Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 510 Join Date: Sep 2012 Device: Kindle Paperwhite Kids 2022 11th Gen (PW5)	Can't get to EDL with adb reboot edl. Plugging into windows desktop, it never seems to get recognized by the OS. ADB never sees anything plugged in. I've tried different ports/cables on the desktop. This is with a standard USB cable to USB port, not with my USB serial plug. Last edited by tatteredscroll; Yesterday at 11:23 AM.

Yesterday, 11:53 AM	#7
tatteredscroll Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 510 Join Date: Sep 2012 Device: Kindle Paperwhite Kids 2022 11th Gen (PW5)	link to screenshot upload https://ibb.co/3nd2hgn I've taken a lot of screenshots of the scrolling if items like hardware info or bootup info might help, but I never see it go into EDL mode as referenced here. It's pretty much the same as my putty. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...48&postcount=9 Last edited by tatteredscroll; Yesterday at 12:34 PM.

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09-10-2025, 03:48 PM	#2
Renate Onyx-maniac Posts: 4,033 Karma: 18026955 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5, Go6	Mmm, I could probably fix it quicker if it were in my hot little hands, but that may not be practical. I do have all the equipment here that makes it easier. But of course we can try it the old way in cyberspace.

Yesterday, 12:00 AM	#4
Renate Onyx-maniac Posts: 4,033 Karma: 18026955 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5, Go6	Run abltest.exe then reset with a long power press.

Yesterday, 01:19 PM	#8
Renate Onyx-maniac Posts: 4,033 Karma: 18026955 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5, Go6	If you run it without the /v it doesn't say the Putty-like stuff, only what you linked. The screenshot you posted shows that you started abltest too late. Start abltest, then reset. Your problem is probably that you just don't have the Windows driver for EDL mode loaded. Use Zadig or Device Manager and "Show all devices".

Yesterday, 10:31 PM	#12
Renate Onyx-maniac Posts: 4,033 Karma: 18026955 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5, Go6	1) How are you sure that "adb reboot edl" doesn't work? Does it just boot normally? What happens. 2) I still haven't seen a log from abltest when you started it before reset. 3) The Windows driver for the FTDI is for the USB UART, not the Onyx.

Today, 12:21 AM	#14
Renate Onyx-maniac Posts: 4,033 Karma: 18026955 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5, Go6	1) Ok, you mean that you never get ADB. Did you have ADB enabled previously? Was the ADB Windows driver (Google "extras") ever installed? I don't see any early stuff out of those logs. You showed before "Power button on". That's the kind of stuff we're looking for, not "[0.0000]". Powering off is good. Then another press should waken it.

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