Install on MXQ PRO 4k without reset switch

    Success story regarding MXQ box without reset button.

    I bought a MXQ PRO 4k box from ebay and planned on installing Libeelec on it.
    When I received it I booted it and it was running the standard Android from MBOX. It was already rooted with a installed SuperSu and I could access Google play store.
    It also had the app Update installed and when I followed the instructions kszaq it would not boot to either SD card or USB disk. No matter what I did it never booted from other then NAND from recovery. The recovery menu was also missing any option to select any other type of boot selection.

    I then tried with the Toothpick method and I could not find any switch inside the AV port. So I opened the box and of course the board was missing a switch behind the AV port. I even tried shortening the empty solder points on the board but it did not work (probably disabled in firmware).
    And since the reset switch was missing I could no use USB loading tool either.

    The board as a label that say : mxq905 20160420 v2.0

    So if you have a similar then you can follow this guide.


    I then installed Rashr from Google play and granted it superuser rights, and also installed TWRP APP from google play.
    After that I installed TWRP 3.0.2 using Rashr TWRP for Amlogic devices. - FreakTab.com . Be sure to select the TWRP3_T8x.img

    Now I could boot into TWRP recovery but it still would not let me boot from SD or USB.

    I then found this thread on freaktab : LibreELEC 7.0 For S905/X - FreakTab.com

    Pinguy that is the author of that thread has made a TWRP image of Kszaq's Libreelec images. I installed the image that he made : https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&confirm=CRLm&id=0B21a8VVM4QfGS3RsclVtei1veTg to NAND.
    And the box booted right into Libreelec! SUCCESS!

    But the Pinguy build was using the wrong dtb.img for my box so I had no ethernet or wifi and the remote was not working...
    I then put Ksaq's newest build 7.0.2.008 with the gxbb_p200_1G_100M.dtb (renamed to dtb.img) files on a USB stick and mounted the /.update folder from within KODI and copied the files from the USB stick to the update folder and rebooted.

    VOILA now network and Wifi worked but not the remote.

    I then tried with different remote files from Pinguy's thread but none worked so I made my own version that is included in this post.

    I did some special key assignments for the remote, Browser key opens the "O" function detailed video data, and also mapped the play/fastforward/skip etc keys to the keyboard commands. I also removed the power key assignment because if you shutdown the box it does not wake up again without power cycle. So I keep it running all the time.

    BEWARE this will install Libreelec to NAND and it will not be possible to boot Andorid after this!

    An easier way would have been to follow the "Alternative way of installing via recovery (not recommended):" step.

    Once the sd card had the 5 files you boot into Android launch the BACKUP&UPGRADE app and select any random/dummy zip file hit install. The box reboots and starts flashing LE from SD to NAND.

    Quote from JonSnow


    An easier way would have been to follow the "Alternative way of installing via recovery (not recommended):" step.

    Once the sd card had the 5 files you boot into Android launch the BACKUP&UPGRADE app and select any random/dummy zip file hit install. The box reboots and starts flashing LE from SD to NAND.

    I tried that but it did not work, it seems the box with a missing reset switch has a different bootloader and it can not boot from either usb or sd card.
    What happend when I tried that option was that when it rebooted and started the recovery option it just tried to update the random selected file and then gave an error.
    This is not the first MXQ box that I have flashed, all other previous models with reset switch has worked with the other guides, this one is different. Perhaps all new boxes later than mxq905 20160420 v2.0 will have this issue?

    Quote from Kurben

    I tried that but it did not work, it seems the box with a missing reset switch has a different bootloader and it can not boot from either usb or sd card.
    What happend when I tried that option was that when it rebooted and started the recovery option it just tried to update the random selected file and then gave an error.
    This is not the first MXQ box that I have flashed, all other previous models with reset switch has worked with the other guides, this one is different. Perhaps all new boxes later than mxq905 20160420 v2.0 will have this issue?

    Hi,

    I also bought a OTT MXQ Pro 4k, my board says mxq_s905_v2_2 20160428 (green pcb), I using this ROM "905_MXQpro_aml_upgrade_package-20160530.rar" and the recovery button no longer works (as expected) after I flashed this upgrade using Amlogic Tools, it worked OK with the stock rom... I tried other similar ROMs and no luck, I never found the correct stock ROM for this model, and never found a way to fix the recovery button, to make it work as expected...the method of the zip file also don't work...I read in another forum that a guy suggested that the bootloader needs to be already patched inside the installation file to enable USB/SD boot, and that all other methods don't work with this box... In another forum they suggested this method, but didnt test it:

    "Install TWRP-Recovery and flash OE or LE via TWRP.
    SD-Flash-Images usually contain a secondary .zip file, extract it. You will only need the secondary .zip file. (It must contain Meta-INF, System Folder,...etc. in root.)
    Go to google play and get "RASHR ROOT FLASH TOOL".
    Get TWRP-Recovery image for your device and flash it via RASHR TOOL.
    Now Boot into Recovery, wipe system, data, dalvik, cache partition and then install rom .zip from external USB."

    Best regards,

    Quote from JonSnow


    An easier way would have been to follow the "Alternative way of installing via recovery (not recommended):" step.

    Once the sd card had the 5 files you boot into Android launch the BACKUP&UPGRADE app and select any random/dummy zip file hit install. The box reboots and starts flashing LE from SD to NAND.

    Heh, this is more or less what I did with my MXQ PRO 4k, follow official img install instructions to flash a USB stick with kszaq's LE, shove any random .zip file on there, boot to android and go to backup/upgrade, select the .zip, hit install/upgrade. Now my box boots to LE from the USB stick (in port 4) with NAND seemingly intact.

    Edit: Which is actually really good as while mine has a reset switch it seems it doesn't work even with stock firmware, I've seen similar reports from others.

    Edited once, last by decr (October 25, 2016 at 3:23 AM).

    Hello Kurben
    I have the same MXQ PRO 4k (green cepcb) without reset button
    rom update does not work wifi and remote control
    I find stock rom
    you know where to find it?
    Thank you

    I was able to get it into boot mode by placing a jumper across the two solder points directly behind the empty connection holes and the plugging in the power

    Quote from ericsename


    I was able to get it into boot mode by placing a jumper across the two solder points directly behind the empty connection holes and the plugging in the power

    Hey, that's awesome! Would you please describe which solder points exactly?

    I have the same PCB but it did not come with a correctly flashed NAND, so I have to go through the recovery mode to get it working. It's pretty silly that this doesn't come with a recovery button...

    Sorry for the double-post, but I believe this would be better as a separate post altogether compared to an edit.

    I just got my shipment of jumper cables so I could finally play around with this board, and have successfully got it into recovery mode without the reset switch just like ericsename has figured out. Here are some detailed instructions.

    Firstly, you must identify the solder points that need to be shorted to mimic pressing the reset switch. You'll want to take the PCB out of its enclosure so you have access to its internals, and then identify where the reset switch is supposed to be located, which is right behind the AV input. You'll see two holes surrounded by four solder points on the board. In order to boot the device into recovery mode (or whatever it's called, I'm new to Amlogic stuff) you need to short the two solder points that are closest together. These are the solder points that are below the holes if you orient the board with the AV input on the top.

    Next, let's actually put the board into recovery mode, which can be done as follows:

    • Optionally, connect the board to your computer using a male-to-male USB cable, or a USB to USB-C cable if your PC supports the connection.
    • Using a male-to-male jumper cable, touch each end to one of the solder points.
    • Without removing the jumper cable, plug in the power supply to the PCB. (This is the hardest part!)
    • Wait until you're sure the board is in recovery mode. Some boards will show the Android-recovery-droid-thing. You can also wait until 5 seconds after USB Burner Tool detects the board.


    That's it! I hope this helps you guys.

    P.S.: I'm new to this forum, and I don't know if this is worth posting as a separate thread. If so, please let me know! Thanks. :)

    Update:
    If, for whatever reason, you're using USB Burning Tool to flash an image to NAND, you don't even need your reset button! Again, I'm new to this so maybe you all already knew this, but if you follow these directions you can flash your firmware image without touching the reset switch:

    • Plug USB-to-USB in to the box and PC.
    • Start up USB Burning Tool, load the image you want to flash, and press the Start button.
    • Plug in the power supply for your box. USB Burning Tool *should* automatically start flashing the image to your box.

    Edited once, last by melozh (May 15, 2017 at 6:37 AM).