[guide]root/twrp/multirom On Locked Bootloader + Hardbrick Recovery

[Doom Slayer]

DO NOT FLASH HYDROGEN ROMS ON HELIUM, OR YOU GONNA HAVE A HARDBRICK.
IN CASE YOU HAVE ONE, HERE IS THE SOLUTION.
This was tested with Xiaomi Mi Max 128GB helium and localized rom from xiaomi eu.
I am not responsible for bricked devices or anything else. So at your own risk:

1. Install official MiPhone drivers
2. Download and install MiFash beta.
3. Download and unpack TWRP for miflash: 32gb or 64-128gb thanks @Abdess76.
4. Download ROM for your device, I recommend to try this one.
5. Run MiFlash with admin rights.
6. Turn off the phone, plug the cable to PC and halfway to the phone.
7. At the same time press Volume + and Volume - and plug in the cable.
8. Refresh MiFlash phone should show up. (If it didn't then make sure you did it right and u got drivers)
9. Navigate to your unpacked TWRP and flash it.
10. Now, boot ur phone with volume up. It's a bit slow. If it's stuck on miui logo, just release button and wait.
From here start to pay more attention:
11. TWRP can ask for password, press cancel and allow modifications by moving slider.
If you just need ROOT and your current rom, skip to the step 16. Also there is a recovery from boot in system folder. If you won't remove it, recovery may be replaced with stock one after reboot. Keep it that way if you want OTAs.
12. Format data.
13. Enable MTP and put modified zip in your phone.
14. Go to mounts and unmount system **
15. Flash your rom.
16. Flash latest supersu.
17. Reboot the phone.
In case u got NO OS message, then it means that u probably ignored step 15.
Also first boot may take like 15-20 minutes, since eu rom is deodexed.
Just to be sure, after installation mount system partition and navigate to the /system folder using TWRP's file manager and make sure it's not empty.

* In my case system didn't install because script could mount system partition since it was already mounted.


P.S. In order to update, you need to install OTA via TWRP. Then without rebooting flash SuperSU, and finally using TWRP's file manager navigate to system folder and delete file named recovery from boot. Doing so will keep root and recovery.

 

[lolo.fe]

Hi I've just tried to follow this guide, but after the reboot only the MII logo and black screen. When you talk about 15-20 min, what it's in the screen?

Have you something to suggest me.
Thanks.

 

[Doom Slayer]

Hi!
Which rom did you flash?
Mi logo and black screen is normal, you need to wait.
Rom is deodexed, it takes time to build cache.

 

[lolo.fe]

Hi thanks for your answer.
I flashed xiaomi.eu_multi_MIMAXPro_V7.5.6.0.MBDCNDE_v7-6.0. I wait more time but only black screen.
Fortunately I have TRWP correctly installed so I can try to flash the ROM.
But I'd like to ask you more detail about the step 12 to 16. I have some doubt to tap the right checkbox.
For example you talk about format at the 12th step. You mean "format data" under WIPE menu? clean dalvik cache and cache it not need to wipe them?
STEP 13 - it need only to put rom zip in uSD card?
STEP 14 - i don't understand what it means. I have to tap in MOUNT menù and ...... sorry but I'm not so expert.
STEP 15 - it's clear, INSTALL menù and install the ROM
STEP 16 - Is it mandatory step?

Sorry again for your time, but I'd like to be sure to avoid stupid errors.
Lorenzo

 

[lolo.fe]

Hi again.
Problem solved.
I see that the problem was copy process of ROM zip into di uSD card by TRWP recovery.
Infact I try to copy the ROM by external SD card reader and got it.
MIUI 8 rom go on.
During this time I also receive the SMS by XIAOMI with the unlock code.
I think it's quite useless.
Do you agree?
Thanks again for support.

 

[Doom Slayer]

Hi!
I am glad that you figured it out!
Root is not mandatory, it's up to you.

Locked bootloader - means that fastboot is locked and your data can be formatted from your computer remotely in case your phone gets lost or something.

With unlocked bootloader you may install CM based roms, which looks more like a clean android.
But u gonna lose all security and they have a lot of bugs, like no video recording and etc.

Again it's up to you, but if I would recommend to keep it locked until they release kernel sources.

 

[lolo.fe]

You have dissolve any doubts.
Thanks very much.

 

[fast83]

Great guide, already followed when you posted it on miui forums, but had to do a +1 here too to recognise your fantastic work.
May I suggest, like you suggested me before, to flash the official TWRP you linked me, so that we can't incur in errors (error 7 in my case) after?
I since updated TWRP with the img file and updated to the latest weekly with no problems.
Also, maybe it's a little easier to just copy the necessary files on a microsd card (4Gb is enough) so that we can skip the MTP passage...
Also like you stated, Xiaomi.eu rom already pulls the official recovery, so you don't need (in case you flash this rom, of course) to pull the recovery file manually.

 

[Doom Slayer]

Great guide, already followed when you posted it on miui forums, but had to do a +1 here too to recognise your fantastic work.
May I suggest, like you suggested me before, to flash the official TWRP you linked me, so that we can't incur in errors (error 7 in my case) after?
I since updated TWRP with the img file and updated to the latest weekly with no problems.
Also, maybe it's a little easier to just copy the necessary files on a microsd card (4Gb is enough) so that we can skip the MTP passage...
Also like you stated, Xiaomi.eu rom already pulls the official recovery, so you don't need (in case you flash this rom, of course) to pull the recovery file manually.

I am planning to do some rom development.
Something with optional Gaaps, (I don't use them due to battery drain and privacy issues)
Maybe, for Z Ultra lowers I'll try to port some apps from Sony rom.

 

[fast83]

I am planning to do some rom development.
Something with optional Gaaps, (I don't use them due to battery drain and privacy issues)
Maybe, for Z Ultra lowers I'll try to port some apps from Sony rom.

The only things I miss from Sony rom are the clock (I always loved it) and the widget with the latest calls made/received. I still have to find a widget that gives me those things in a manner Sony delivered instantly.
On the other hand, I rely on Google apps so much (even if I don't use them for work or for sensible things) that having a rom without those would be a terrible experience, one I maybe can live with just if I use the device at home, like a tablet or something like that.
Battery drain issues are unfortunately present even in the latest weekly, I can do 1.5 to 2 days with moderate use, but that shouldn't be right, I should be able to do more than 10 hours of Screen, where yesterday had 5 and the day before had 6... Android System sucks all the battery life, sometimes helped by Google Services...

 

[Latinumking]

Hi there,

I did steps 1 to 2 successfully

However I'm somehow stuck even in the beginning, I downloaded the twrp 64, as mentioned in step 3, in the meantime there is also a twrp-3.0.2-0 helium img file.

I want to flash with miflash either of the above img files, unfortunately miflash wont let me, it seems that mi-flash is not accepting img files, I see my mimax on com10 have been directed to the appropriate folder.

do I have to unpack the twrp img file? ***update, take only doomslayers twrp file, not above mentioned file!!!

***Update: Hi guys, problem solved, I did exactly what Doomslayer write, put his twrp 64-128gb in miflash and did install the latest miui 8 stable for the mimax pro. The update took me about 10 Minutes, then MIUI8 came up. Thank you again for your great manual that works, if you go on, step by step and don't try to mix up thinks (rookie-style).

Cheers, Lati

 

[fast83]

I am planning to do some rom development.
Something with optional Gaaps, (I don't use them due to battery drain and privacy issues)
Maybe, for Z Ultra lowers I'll try to port some apps from Sony rom.

Hey man, I updated several times with weekly roms, and everytime I flash the rom zip, it reaches the 100% and reboots (without asking me to do so).
The first time it did, I let it, and it actually did flash the rom, but its inconvenient (for me) because I'm used to flash the rom, SuperSU, Xposed AND THEN clean dalvik and cache and reboot, it takes me half the time to flash all files at once.
From then on, I simply re-enter TWRP when it reboots, reflash the rom and the second time it doesn't reboot automatically, so I can flash the other files.
What goes on here?? I'm sure it's not normal behaviour...

 

[PassieWaterm]

Hi
Unfortunately i had to use this tutorial because i hard bricked....afther 2 tries it worked....thanks Doom Slayer !!!!!
One question....are there other kernels but stock ? I want to change governor but the stock kernel won't let me.

 

[sjaaktrekhaak]

Doesnt seem to work for my 64gb mi max. Twrp installs fine, then put xiaomi.eu_multi_MIMAXPro_V8.0.3.0.MBDCNDG_v8-6.0.zip on different SD cards but no luck up to now. After the install it shows the MI logo, goes black and doesnt do anything after that no matter how long i waited (last time 45 minutes) Is it possible that with the last OTA update i got on my official china rom they disabled something?

And.. Whats the best way to return to stock rom? Bootloader is still locked..

 

[jjrojoc]

Doesnt seem to work for my 64gb mi max. Twrp installs fine, then put xiaomi.eu_multi_MIMAXPro_V8.0.3.0.MBDCNDG_v8-6.0.zip on different SD cards but no luck up to now. After the install it shows the MI logo, goes black and doesnt do anything after that no matter how long i waited (last time 45 minutes) Is it possible that with the last OTA update i got on my official china rom they disabled something?

And.. Whats the best way to return to stock rom? Bootloader is still locked..

Edl mode, search for It

 

[sjaaktrekhaak]

Edl mode, search for It

Done, back to stock now. Gonna give it 1 last try and see if another pc makes a difference.

 

[trashcan]

Thanks for this.

 

[sjaaktrekhaak]

Finally i decided to unlock my bootloader and try it again. It works! Seems that with a locked bootloader you need a specific type of rom for it to get past the bootscreen.

And for those like me that gave it several tries and left the phone on the mi logo in hopes of waiting for a succesfull first boot; once the android logo beneath the MI logo pops up you know your flash went succesfull. If that logo isnt there in 3 minutes something went Wrong. Much thanks to the OP!

Edit; i got a Mi max pro 64gb.

 

[endlesscrescendo21]

Here is log, it flashes first file good but recovery does not flashing. Used both 2015 and 2016 + beta miflash. (it continues [6,39 COM4]:WriteFile position 0, size 0 like that i dont have any idea why it does that though) anyone can help? Iam on Global ROM v8.2.1.0 Mi MAX Prime 3/64.

 

[Mirsei87]

Why this guide do not work with the new Miui 9 on hydrogen? I get always the message "can not mount system"...