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I have installed Phone drivers (I have BV5500Plus & BV9500, same chipset MT67xx, same driver). For both phones, VCOM drivers are seen in Win10 if I connect turned OFF phone onto USB with Vol-DN pressed. BV5500 bootloader is UNLOCKED via fastboot.

The method I use for connecting the phone is: (phone off): Vol-DN + onto usb. Keep Vol-DN pressed until the phone enters Factory Mode menu. Release Vol button.

The instructions for downloading custom TWRP recovery to phone is to get SPFT setup for download BEFORE phone is connected to PC =

  • select DA file (in SPFT files)
  • select scatter file (from stock rom files)
  • select only 'recovery' partition to download & recovery.img file for TWRP
  • press Download button

The problem seems to be how SPFT needs phone to be connected when turned OFF (from what instructions I read). VCOM driver for these phones is only visible in SPFT once driver is visible in Win10 (which is obvious to me). However that doesn't fit with the instructions.

Before phone has an active VCOM connection, there is only COM1 visible (the printer). Therefore VCOM connection cannot even be selected in SPFT settings.

If I configure SPFT only when phones VCOM is visible in Win10 (so setting SPFT COM port to COM9 [shown in Device Manager but also only other option in SPFT] for example), this does not help. Even when correct COM port chosen in SPFT, Download/connection still does not take place. Zero activity shown.

I could try flashing the BV5500 from fastboot, but I tend to trust SPFT better, since its working with the scatter settings for partition locations. Also, SPFT seems to be the supported method of flashing stock rom if anything goes wrong, so I'm REALLY HOPING to get SPFT working.

What am I doing wrong here? Should the progress indicator in SPFT show something immediately, or take some time to connect & transfer? I'm not waiting long until I hit Stop button, & the program does recover/respond after maybe a minute/30 secs of pressing Stop. Phone continues to work after these failed attempts.

There ARE SPFT logs. I've looked at them, cannot understand them. Maybe solution lies there? Any help understanding the logs? I can post some log contents here....

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  • just switch order - 1 start flashing, 2 connect phone (like you descripted)
    – alecxs
    Commented Dec 8, 2020 at 14:25
  • I've tried BOTH. Start Flashing 1st. Try connecting phone 1st. SPFT totally ignores both attempts. You do realise that if I "start flashing" BEFORE phone is connected, SPFT has no proper COM port to flash to? Its set for COM1 (something else) by default. I have to manually switch it to COM9 (phone). But I'm only able to do that when I've connected phone 1st AND manually switched COM ports in SPFT.
    – Rupert
    Commented Dec 8, 2020 at 20:57
  • @alecxs All the instructions for SPFT talk about VCOM drivers. I do know that there's multiple types of drivers for the phone. AFAIK I have preloader driver installed. What I have NOT done is setup SPFT for USB mode, its on COM port mode. Will try that. I am so irritated with bad/old instructions on the internet. That is why some people end up here....
    – Rupert
    Commented Dec 8, 2020 at 22:02
  • Is fastboot safer? Like I said in OP, Blackviews default supported method of flashing stock rom is via SPFT. Their stock roms provide the scatter.txt file for the partition mapping, so that part is guaranteed in SPFT. OK, I was doing a couple things wrong previously. Was not able to "ReadBack" bc of addressing problems. I realised the problem was the Scatter file gives Start & End addresses. ReadBack needs Start & Length addresses. I got BV5500 Length address using "fastboot getvar all". After using USB, and correct SPFT Hex addresses, I WAS ABLE to readback "immediately".
    – Rupert
    Commented Dec 8, 2020 at 22:34
  • blog.hovatek.com/…
    – alecxs
    Commented Dec 8, 2020 at 22:36

1 Answer 1

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@alecsx explained to me that I should be using SP Flast Tool with USB connection, not VCOM connection, even though SPFT instructions were to install VCOM drivers (so I assume VCOM was needed). I already had drivers installed, so set up SPFT with DA file from within SPFT files, and scatter.txt from stock rom files. Then =

  • turn phone off

  • Press Vol-Dn + connect usb

  • SPFT sprang into life & immediately initiated action (be action Readback or Download)

Seems the only part I needed to learn was using USB connection.

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  • 1
    Ah, so VCOM preloader drivers are used, not normal Win VCOM (as in visible in Device Manager).
    – Rupert
    Commented Dec 10, 2020 at 15:55

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