[Question] downgrade Lollipop to Kitkat

[wertz-2014]

hi need inputs from this great community regarding my issue. my mobile device, which is in Android 5.1, but earlier releases of the same model was on Android 4.4. i compared both scatter files from kitkat version and L and scatter on Android L has extra FRP and EBR2 partition. i wanted to downgrade to Kitkat so im wondering if i can flash the stock rom from kitkat to my lollipop device. and since they dont have the same scatterfile or partition, i will maintain my device,which is in Lollipop, use its scatterfile but will use images from the kitkat-rom, assuming both devices have the same hardware and same drivers used, will this method work? will it overwrite or overlap partitions not normally seen when using sp-flash-tool? im excluding the preloader.bin since for some reasons i can't seem to make backup of it.

[J.Naw]

Teeeeechnically you should be alright.. To downgrade though you will need to do a "format and download" which requires having the preloader.. What you can do is.. Look for the lollipop ROM and get the preloader.bin. then flash it with the KITKAT stuff. If it was truly made for your phone you should be alright. You can try using the lollipop scatter file. But wouldn't recommend it.

Before you do any of this do a nandroid backup with twrp or something in case you lose your files.. Well of course it's gonna wipe it but. You get the idea.

So in summary. You should be fine using the KITKAT scatter file.. If not, reflash lollipop and try again! I have yet to brick my Umi Emax, even with all the flashing I've done.. I've been close.. But never done it.

Hopefully this helps.

[wertz-2014]

thanks for the reply. the problem is, for some reasons i cannot make a copy of my preloader.bin. making a readback of rom with spflashtools, and then processing it with mtkdroidtools "process ROM_" (something) creates all the other partitions BUT, skips creating preloader.bin. even with proper root, using mtkdroidtools BACKUP function gives zero file error making preloader_and_dsp and skips entirely making the rom images. so basically i don't have a copy of my preloader.bin

another question, if i forego with flashing the kitkat rom, will it be a risk of erasing or overwriting the other partitions(like nvram.bin etc)?

thanks.

(attached are scatterfiles from kitkat and lollipop rom)