[Tutorial] Build your own CWM recovery

[yulypis]

The procedure in short is:
A. Read the ROM
B. Process the ROM and generate the recovery (should be automatic)
C. Flash the generated recovery

In a bit more details:
A. Read the ROM which includes these sub steps:
1. Create a scatter file for your phone with MTKDroidTools and leave MTKDroidTools open
2. Open SP Flash Tools and load the scatter file you just created
3. Go to ReadBack Tab and Add a new entry - name it as you wish but leave the ROM_0 prefix - double tap the new entry and choose the length of ROM you want to read - to create the recovery it is enough to put the number of the partition right after the recovery (you can take that number from the scatter file you created) - Keep in mind the number must be in Hex - so when you copy it from the scatter file - make sure it's with the 0x prefix - something like 0x03d80000 for example.
4. Hit the Readback and disconnect your phone from the computer, shut it down, pull out the battery for a few seconds and then put the battery back - don't turn the phone on - just connect it to the usb - it should start the readback and eventually should finish with a green circle - if everything went good

B. Process the ROM and generate the recovery (should be automatic):
1. Go back to your MTKDroidTools - which should still be open from before - and hit "Process ROM" and choose the one you just read from the SP Flash Tools.
2. If the reading was successful - you should see the partitions you read being copied - and you would be asked if to create CWM recovery automatically - answer YES
3. After this process has ended successfully - go into the backups folder inside the mtkdroidtools folder - and you should see the ROM partitions you read - including the original boot.img and recovery.img as well as the newly created patched_recovery.img and patched_boot.img

C. Flash the generated recovery:
1. Create a new folder and copy your original scatter file you created in step A1 and your patched_recovery.img into this new folder.
2. In the new folder you created, rename the patched_recovery.img to just recovery.img
3. Open SP Flash Tools, choose the scatter file you copied in the new folder and you should see that it also adds automatically the recovery (make sure it's the correct folder) - Make sure that ONLY recovery section is selected !!!!!!
- hit Download and disconnect your phone from the computer, shut it down, pull out the battery for a few seconds and then put the battery back - don't turn the phone on - just connect it to the usb - it should start the flashing of the recovery and upon successful flash - you will see the green circle ;)

As always, I did it on my own device and it worked - but I can't guarantee for any others - so use this method at your own risk !!!

[GizBeat]

Thanks for taking the time to write out this tutorial Yulypis. Excellent breakdown.

[phnx55]

Thanks for the guide! This one is very easy to follow. Are there any good guides/reading that you guys could recommend for a beginner to read to learn android development?

[GizBeat]

[mailis]

I tried to follow the steps, but at B2 I recieve the following message:

Code:

In system already available:  Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.31
--- Unknown ROM structure, backup NOT possible!
--- ATTENTION!  Recovery doesn't suit this phone!
--- Unknown ROM structure, backup NOT possible!

--- The preservation folder on the computer: D:\MTK_Droid_Tools_2.4.4\backups\M6589_130402_ForFlashtoolFromReadBack_130428-023324\

--- scatter is write to the file:
D:\MTK_Droid_Tools_2.4.4\backups\M6589_130402_ForFlashtoolFromReadBack_130428-023324\MT6589_Android_scatter_emmc.txtcopying is complete

[color=#FF0000]ATTENTION! [/color] File /system/recovery-from-boot.p which restore factory recovery in case of phone switching on in a normal mode Is Found!
After CWM Downloading in FlashTool, turn on phone only in the recovery mode! Press and retain volume-up with the Power button. The cable shall is connected to PC!

--- task is complete  ---
--- task is complete  ---
--- Unknown ROM structure, backup NOT possible!
--- ATTENTION!  Recovery doesn't suit this phone!
--- Unknown ROM structure, backup NOT possible!

This happens when I connect my phone both as normal as in recovery mode. Any thoughts?

[RickyGoldsmith]

I'm stuck at A4 because my Windows 7 box does not understand the CDC Serial USB Driver.

[TrungTran10]

Thanks very much for the guide

[imos900]

can you help me for the number of the partition right after the recovery?

here is my scatter file :

PRELOADER 0x0
{
}
DSP_BL 0x40000
{
}
__NODL_NVRAM 0x100000
{
}
__NODL_SECCNFG 0x400000
{
}
UBOOT 0x420000
{
}
BOOTIMG 0x480000
{
}
RECOVERY 0xa80000
{
}
SEC_RO 0x1080000
{
}
__NODL_MISC 0x11a0000
{
}
LOGO 0x1200000
{
}
__NODL_EXPDB 0x1500000
{
}
ANDROID 0x15a0000
{
}
CACHE 0xc180000
{
}
USRDATA 0xfd80000
{
}
__NODL_BMTPOOL 0xFFFF0050
{
}


so in read method what im choose? and start address, Length

thanks

---

i'm put in Legtth : 0x1080000
and get his erors

so what i must to do?

thanks

[PAPAFRITA]

I tried to follow the steps, but at B2 I recieve the following message:

Code:

In system already available:  Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.31
--- Unknown ROM structure, backup NOT possible!
--- ATTENTION!  Recovery doesn't suit this phone!
--- Unknown ROM structure, backup NOT possible!

--- The preservation folder on the computer: D:\MTK_Droid_Tools_2.4.4\backups\M6589_130402_ForFlashtoolFromReadBack_130428-023324\

--- scatter is write to the file:
D:\MTK_Droid_Tools_2.4.4\backups\M6589_130402_ForFlashtoolFromReadBack_130428-023324\MT6589_Android_scatter_emmc.txtcopying is complete

[color=#FF0000]ATTENTION! [/color] File /system/recovery-from-boot.p which restore factory recovery in case of phone switching on in a normal mode Is Found!
After CWM Downloading in FlashTool, turn on phone only in the recovery mode! Press and retain volume-up with the Power button. The cable shall is connected to PC!

--- task is complete  ---
--- task is complete  ---
--- Unknown ROM structure, backup NOT possible!
--- ATTENTION!  Recovery doesn't suit this phone!
--- Unknown ROM structure, backup NOT possible!

This happens when I connect my phone both as normal as in recovery mode. Any thoughts?

Hi mailis,as I see you´re trying to get a backup of cubot m6589,right?
Could you please,link it in some way when you are successul?
Some of us got ours totally bricked!

[selg]

Hi Everyone,
Is there a way to do automatic rom recovery for
HDC Galaxy S4 H9500 MTK MT6589
Thanks