One of the most popular hardware platforms today, on which modern smartphones and tablet PCs are built, is a solution created and developed by Mediatek. MTK-devices, especially the budget segment, literally flooded the whole world thanks to the efforts of a huge number of manufacturers from China. Such a variety of different devices has led to the emergence of a large number of a wide variety of software solutions that appear in smartphones and tablets based on the MTK as a result of the so-called firmware, i.e. transferring files to device memory sections using special programs.
Firmware Methods
Of course, for such a complex procedure as installing the Android operating system in smartphones and tablets, it is necessary to use specialized software tools - flashing utilities. Despite the fact that there are flashing methods that do not involve the use of Windows applications, but work with memory almost directly (for example, ADB and Fastboot) or perform manipulations directly from Android, without connecting the device to a PC, the most popular method of conductingfirmware for MTK devices is a proprietary application created by Mediatek programmers - SP Flash Tool. This wonderful program will be discussed below. Let's take a closer look at FlashTool's mistakes, which can prevent the user from achieving the desired result, that is, a flawlessly working smartphone or tablet.
SP Flash Tool
The popularity of the application is due to its high efficiency, as well as the relative ease of implementing the management of the firmware process. Indeed, after the SP Flash Tool became available for download by any owner of an MTK device, many users began to flash their own phones. Despite the ascetic interface of the application, it should be noted that the utility is a very powerful solution and is capable of performing a large number of operations. Almost all possible procedures involving manipulations with the memory of "Android" devices, which are based on the Mediatek hardware platform, are feasible using the SP Flash Tool. There are times when Flashtool errors occur, which makes it impossible to install the OS on a smartphone or tablet. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that most errors can be eliminated quite easily.
Features
Like any other software tool, SP Flash Tool cannot be called a 100% effective tool for flashing "Android" devices on an MTK processor. In view of the hugevariety of smartphones and tablets, it is probably impossible to create a universal version that will work with absolutely all devices without problems. Flashtool errors that the program can generate in the process of transferring files to the device’s memory or during other manipulations with the hardware often cause irritation and dissatisfaction among users and complaints about the imperfection of the solution of Mediatek programmers. At the same time, it should be taken into account that stopping the process can be a kind of triggering of the protection built into the program. In other words, the program protects the paired device from damaging the hardware.
General recommendations
Before proceeding to the process of flashing a smartphone or tablet through the SP Flash Tool, you should carefully study the instructions, as well as the features of working with the program when manipulating a specific model of an Android device. In this matter, thematic resources on firmware, which are popular on the Global Network, will provide invaluable assistance. A balanced approach will avoid many of the problems and errors of FlashTool, and will also make the process of installing various software on a smartphone simple, understandable and efficient. We should also not forget about a thoughtful approach when searching for and downloading the necessary files. Packages intended for installation using the SP Flash Tool must be obtained from trusted sources, ideally from the official website of the manufacturer that released the device.
Common mistakes
There isa fairly large number of problems that may arise in the process of working with the program in question. Common Flashtool errors and recommendations for overcoming them will be discussed below. In general, it should be noted that in most cases it is not the program that is to blame for the appearance of failures. Before proceeding to cardinal actions, you need to check the reliability of the firmware files used, the quality of the USB cable connection, the applicability of the version of the SP Flash Tool used to a specific model of the device, and the correct installation of the drivers. What to do if everything is checked, and "Flashtool" gives an error again and again? You will have to deal with each specific application failure using the error number shown to the user in the message box when it occurs.
Error 3149
Let's start looking at specific crashes with a bug that can be resolved by doing one of the many things. Flashtool error 3149 is quite common and is characterized by a wide list of ways to fix it. So, if error 3149 occurs, you should try:
- Use a different version of SP Flash Tool. That is, if an error occurs in the third version of the program, you need to use the fifth, and vice versa.
- Perform the firmware process in Format all + Download mode.
- Reinstall the device drivers in order to get a situation where the smartphone being flashed is displayed as MTK USB PORT in the Device Manager.
- Record separatelyPRELOADER section in Download mode.
- Pre-format the device's memory using the capabilities of the Format section in the program, then flash only the PRELOADER section and only then (if the PRELOADER write is successful) write all other sections.
Error 8417
Also a very common but easy to fix error. In the event that the "Flashtool" error 8417 interferes with the process of installing "Android" into the device, you just need to check the path to the files with the program and firmware. A failure occurs if one of these paths contains Russian letters. To fix the error, you should rename the folders without using Cyrillic, restart the SP Flash Tool and repeat the process from the beginning. In general, the absence of Cyrillic characters, as well as spaces in the names of directories along the path to the program and firmware files, is one of the first and main requirements for ensuring the smooth operation of the application when manipulating the memory sections of Android devices.
Error 4001
Flashtool error 4001, like many other errors, does not have an unambiguous interpretation, which means it can be solved by one of several methods. When an error 4001 occurs, you must perform the actions presented:
- Changing the USB port (you should connect the device for firmware only to the back panel of the PC motherboard!).
- Moving the program files to the root of the system partition (drive C:).
Among other things, the error in question may indicate a lack ofinformation about the processor and / or flash memory in the DA file. In this case, you need to try using a more recent version of FlashTool.
Also, if error 4001 occurs, you should not exclude the presence of hardware problems with the paired device. This error often occurs if the device's flash memory has failed.
Error 1013
A defective USB cable can very often lead to malfunctions. Flashtool error 1013 is usually solved precisely as a result of changing the cable used to a better one. Also, when looking for a way to fix error 1013, check:
- App version. The error practically does not occur in the fifth version of the SP Flash Tool, but when using the third version it is quite common.
- PC BIOS for disabled COM ports.
- Faulty USB port (need to use a different connector).
Among other things, you can try to run "Flashtool" as Administrator.
Error 5069
Unfortunately, when working with the SP Flash Tool, there are problems that are solved by serious efforts or not solved at all. An example of such troubles is the appearance of the "Flashtool" error 5069.
This error appears as a result of the inability of the application to interact with the device's flash memory, which has certain hardware features. This state of affairs is due to the wide distribution of types and types of memory chips usedwhen creating various "Android" devices. Not all chip manufacturers can ensure that their solutions fully comply with generally accepted standards. If error 5069 occurs during flashing, it is likely that you will have to abandon the use of the SP Flash Tool and resort to using other methods and software tools.
Conclusion
Of course, the list of errors described above does not pretend to be complete. In the process of working with "Android" devices, the user may encounter many other problems. At the same time, the approach in the solution remains the same: initially, you should check the serviceability of all hardware components of both the computer and the Android device, as well as the compliance of the versions used when flashing the device model files. In most cases, the problem lies on the surface and is solved quite simply.
