How To Use SP Flash Tool To Fix MTK Devices

If you are an Android geek & love to play with custom ROMs, recoveries & Kernels, one day youll encounter a hard bricked device. Now what does hard brick mean? If you cant boot up your device, cannot get into recovery mode or see boot logo this would actually leave your device in a state where it is not more than a brick. SP Flash tool is an application for Windows & linxu which you could find very useful in fixing extreme cases of a bricked MTK Android. SP Flash Tool also known as Smartphone Flash Tool provides many options like flashing custom or stock recoveries or Kernel (boot.img). As Mediatek Smartphone dont have an Official tool for any such problems, SP Flash tool is really a boon for Mediatek Smartphone users. To learn more about this tiny yet effective tool, refer our guide: SP Flash tool - Complete Guide. Now, without wasting much time, lets get started with unbricking your Smartphone. 

Requirements:

1. A PC with Windows or Linux OS. 
2. USB Cord
3. Manually install VCOM drivers on the PC
4. Your bricked Android device.
5. Original/Working Stock ROM (Do a proper research as flashing the wrong ROM would permanently brick your device)
6. Download SP Flash tool Latest version

How to Install VCOM Drivers:

1. Open Device manager from My computer. Click on any item & Goto Actions > Add legacy hadware.
2. Now, Press next & select Install drivers manually. 
3. Press next & click on Have disk.
4. From the browse option, select the VCOM drivers as per your OS.
5. Once its done. You will see a screen similar to this:

Once you are done with the Installation part, goto device manager & youll find a device similar to this:

How to Flash ROM using SP Flash Tool:

1. Remove the battery from the phone and slot it back in without booting the phone (If the battery is inbuilt then simply switch if off). Also, ensure theres no SD card in the phone (if theres an SD card slot)

2. Launch SP Flash Tool as Administrator

SP Flash Tool

3. Click on Scatter-loading option & browse to the scatter file of your Stock ROM. (You can find the scatter file with the original stock rom zip file)

SP Flash Tool Scatter file selection

This will load few names on your screen with a selected box. 

4. Now, if you want to format your phone, Click Format at the top. 

5. Once you are done with everything, click on the download button at the top of the window

Start flashing

6. Stop should now be prominent while other options should be grayed out 

7. Connect the switched off phone (with battery inside) to the PC via USB cord 

8. A progress bar should start running 

9. Disconnect the phone, remove the battery for 15 seconds (if removable), slot it back in then power up the phone.

Final words

As the procedure is bit complex for newbies. However, I have tried to make it as simple as possible. Dont worry! if you are stuck at any point, you can contact us from the below comment form.

[GUIDE] SP (Smart Phone) Flash Tool And Its Functions Explained

SP Flash Tools And its functions : Hey friends, If you are here, it just means that You have somewhere heard about SP Flash tool. SP is the Abbreviation for Smart phone. Its a Tool which can enhance the Control you have on your smart phone. In this article You will learn about what a Smart Phone Flash tool is and What are all the things you can achieve with it. 

What Is SP Flash Tool

SP Flash tool is a PC Application that gives us Total control of The phone, BY total Control we mean that It gives us the Power to control the Modify the Internal Files too. This Application is usable only on Mediatek Smart Phone. Through This Application You can Backup your whole Android System so that you can install The Backed up android System when there is any problem with your Android OS, (Its just like reinstalling Windows on your Windows PC when there is any error in the system). And This Tool also has So many other Functionalities which will be explained in brief in the Next section of this Article.

Features And Functions Of Smart Phone (SP) Flash Tool

1) Back UP Android Phone System : Through SP Flash Tools you can backup Your Whole Android System and save it on your hard drive, This backed up File is just like A windows CD. Whenever you get some errors in system you can reinstall This backup on Your Smart Phone again to get your phone working like before. 

2) You can Flash files into System : Many Android Mediatek Devices nowadays are Non Rootable , For devices like that SP Flash tool is the only way to Root. By flashing CWM or any Recovery on your Phone Through SP flash tool we can root That Anroid phone. If you dont know what Rooting is, Then you can read about Rooting and its advantages from the following link : what is Rooting?

3) Install Custom recoveries on Phone : Adding custom recovery To your phone means adding a set of option to your phone through which you can inject any script, or flash Custom roms and themes to your phone System. ClockworkMOD( CWM) is one of the most famous Custom recovery platform for Mediatek android Devices. And through this Custom recovery too you can backup your system, And do many Funcions.

4) Install Different versions of Android : Sometimes developers of phone release New version of android Update unofficially. ( These are not released by company, these are done by Any Android developer ) And to  Install these android version Updates you need SP Flash tool. 

5) Unbrick An Android phone : Sometimes when you have root access to your phone, and you do Mess with system files, Your phone will not work anymore. It just goes into a Boot LOOP or Does not even show any sign of getting on. this is called as a Bricked Android device. In these cases you can download the official Firmware Of your Android device ( If you dont have a backup ) And install it on your phone through SP flash tools, And that is it, Everything will become perfect in your Smart Phone.

DOWNLOAD SP FLASH TOOL:

Link : SP Flash Tool Download links

Conclusion

So friends, This was all about SP Flash Tool, Hope that by now you have understood what this crazy tool does and how it can be your safe saviour some time. And Keep visiting this Blog we will also Publish articles about How to use this Tool properly for every Phone, As Many phones require some special steps to be taken, And due to which the general Tutorials available on Google wont work soJust bookmark this page and keep visiting for More on Android tricks and stuff. And if you have any doubt about SP Flash tools, just comment it down below.

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List Of SP Flash Tool Errors, Their Meanings And How To Resolve Them

Even if you follow everything step by step, you might make mistake at some time & you would never even know about it. As we are humans! SP Flash Tool has many error codes which it gives under different circumstances. If you are reading this guide, than it means you have tried installing ROM through SP Flash tool & you failed or got stuck at any step. Dont worry we got your back, we have analysed each and every SP Flash Tool error & have found solutions for almost all the problems. 


Phone still not working after flashing 

Message: Phone still stuck at Bootlogo or Bootloop

Solution: 
* Ensure theres a formatted SD card in the phone before flashing
* Give up to 5 minutes because first boot takes time
* Boot the phone into recovery mode then wipe data / factory reset
* Remove the battery for 30 seconds then slot back in
* Try a firmware upgrade . use MTK droid tools version 2.3.0 to backup usrdata & cache or copy then from the clockworkmod backup
* Try a firmware / ROM from another source

Phone shows white screen, strange colors or divided screen after flashing

Message: You can see the phone responding to buttons and making sound but all is blurred by white screen

* Solution: The ROM / Firmware you flashed is incompatible, get from another source (especially boot.img , logo.bin and uboot.bin / lk.bin )

Phone automatically disconnecting during flashing

Message: The phone makes the disconnecting sound just as flashing begins, interrupting the process

Solution: 
* Try a different USB cord, USB port & PC
* Try holding down the Volume decrease (you could try volume increase or both) while connecting the phone to PC for flashing

* Launch Device manager (Right-click My Computer > Select Manage) 
* Connect the phone to the PC via a USB cord, Device manager should refresh 
* Take note of what the phone is detected as (often as Unknown or Mediatek under Other devices) 
* Right-click whatever the phone is detect as and select Update Driver Software... 
* Select Browse my computer for driver software 
* Select Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer 
* Click Next 
* Click Have Disk 
* Proceed with the Mediatek (VCOM) driver installation steps described atSP Flash Tool and click Yes if you get an Update Driver warning

Sp Flash tool remains at 0% 

Message: Phone only shows charging sign

Meaning: Necessary drivers have not been successfully installed on the PC

Solution: 
* Follow this guide @ VCOM Drivers to manually install vcom drivers

Error 5054 

Message: BROM ERROR S_DL_GET_DRAM_SETTINGS_FAIL (5054) 

Meaning: The files youre trying to flash do not belong to or are not compatible with the phone youre trying to flash them to

Solution: 
* Ensure youre using the correct files. If youre sure they are, then try formatting before flashing again

Initialize scatter failed

Message: Error: Initialize scatter file failed. Please check the scatter file name you load is legal

Meaning: SP Flash tool doesnt accept the name format of your scatter file

Solution: 
* Ensure the scatter file wasnt renamed. If youre certain it wasnt, try a higher version of SP Flash tool

Error 8038 

Message: Error 8038! Android download pmt is ready and layout has been changed

Meaning: SP Flash tool is having trouble writing to certain partitions due to some incompatibility 

Solution: 
* Format the phone in SP flash tool (Do not format Bootloader) then try flashing the files again using Download
* If Download doesnt work then do a firmware upgrade
* If the MTK backup contains more than one scatter file, retry flashing with the other scatter file.
* If that isnt feasible, try formatting first or use firmware upgrade
* If that doesnt work, open the scatter file using Notepad++ and change __NODL_FAT to FAT by removing "__NODL_" . 


Error 4032 

Message: BROM ERROR : S_FT_ENABLE_DRAM_FAIL (4032) [EMI] Enable DRAM fail 

Meaning: SP Flash tool is unable to enable DRAM / communicate effectively with the device

Solution: 
* Ensure that the file(s) youre trying to flash are actually for your exact phone model
* Ensure you tick the boxes for only the files present in the ROM youre about to flash
* Probably have the wrong driver installed. Uninstall vcom, preloader and MTK drivers using usb deview then manually re-install using SP Flash Tool VCOM Driver
* Delete the sp flash tool folder then re-extract 
* Ensure the phone is switched off (with battery still inside) before connecting to PC for flashing. 
* If that doesnt work, keep holding down the volume decrease button just before connecting the phone to PC for flashing (you could try volume increase , power + volume decrease or power + volume increase).
* Consider using the latest version of Sp Flash tool
* Format the phone before trying to flash the file(s) again


Error 5056 

Message: BROM ERROR : S_DL_PMT_ERR_NO_SPACE (5069) 

Meaning: The size of a file is larger than the available / possible partition size

Solution: 
* Ensure that the file(s) youre trying to flash are actually for your exact phone model
* Try another stock ROM

Error 4001


Message: S_FT_DA_NO_RESPONSE or 

Meaning: SP flash tool is having difficulty communicating with the device

Solution: 
* Change the USB-port 
* Run SP flash tool as Admin
* Ensure to install the correct drivers (see SP Flash Tool VCOM Drivers )
* Try another PC and USB cord
* Ensure the phone is switched off with a charged battery inside when connecting to the PC for flashing

Sp flash tool was successful but phones calibration doesnt work

Message: Soft keys and touch screen dont work / respond

Solution:
* Edit the scatter file using Notepad++ and remove NODL__ (or set is_download: false to is_download: true ) in front of the items you have in the backup folder but arent listed when you load the scatter file in SP flash tool. This way, these items will become listed when next you load the scatter file (after saving of course) and therefore flashable

Error 4008 

Message: BROM ERROR : S_FT_DOWNLOAD_FAIL (4008) 

Meaning: SP Flash tool encountered an error while attempting to flash files

Solution: 

* Ensure the battery is in the phone and the phone is switched off before connecting for flashing
* Try using a higher version of SP flash tool
* Change the USB cord and port or PC
* Use the format option then download in SP flash tool

Error 3149 

Message: BROM ERROR : S_DA_SDMMC_WRITE_FAILED (3149)

Meaning: SP Flash tool was unable to flash files to the phone

Solution:

* Ensure to run the latest version of SP flash tool as Administrator
* Format first then Download
* Dont tick a box with an unspecified / empty file path
* Ensure the phone is switched off (with a well charged battery in it ) before connecting to PC for flashing
* Try a different PC
* Try a different ROM
* Try a different USB cord
* Try formatting the phone first before flashing files to it

Error 3168 

Message: BROM ERROR: S_CHIP_TYRE_NOT_MATCH(3168)

Meaning: Sp flash tool believes theres a mismatch between the information provided in the scatter file and the phones info.

Solution:

* Ensure youre using the ROM for the exact phone model
* Try a higher version of SP flash tool
* Ensure to install the correct drivers for the phone on the PC

Error 2004 

Message: BROM ERROR : S_FT_DOWNLOAD_FAIL (2004)

Meaning: There was an interruption in the communication between SP flash tool and the device

Solution:

* Right-click flash_tool.exe > Select Properties > Select Compatibility > Set to Windows XP Service Pack 3 > Click Apply > Click OK > Run SP flash tool as Administrator
* Try a different USB cord
* Try a different port on the PC or another PC
* Ensure the battery is well changed and inside the switched off phone before connecting to PC for flashing

USB device not recognized

Message: USB device not recognized prompt at system tray after connecting the phone to PC

Meaning: The PC is having problems communicating with the phone (often due to interruption, hardware or driver problems)

Solution:
* Follow the guide @ SP Flash Tool VCOM Drivers
* Try a different USB cord, PC port or PC

Error 1013 

Message: BROM ERROR:S_COM_PORT_OPEN Fail(1013)

Meaning: SP flash tool encountered an error while attempting to communicate with the phone via the target port

Solution:
* Try using a different port on the PC
* Install VCOM drivers using SP Flash Tool VCOM Drivers
* Ensure the phone is switched off with battery inside before connecting to the PC for flashing
* Try using a different PC
* Try changing the USB cord
* Ensure the phones USB port isnt damaged


Error 2020 

Message: BROM ERROR : S_BROM_CHKSUM16_MEM_RESULT_DIFF (2020)

Meaning: SP flash tool encountered a problem moving the files to be flashed into the phones internal SRAM

Solution:

* Use the latest version of SP flash tool
* In SP flash tool, navigate to Options > Option > Connection > Battery. Set it to "with battery". 
* Use the Format all + Download option
* Hold both volume bu

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