Help Data Recovery from possibly bricked LG Optimus Elite

[robotsneedhugs2]

1. Manufacturer - LG
2. Model - Optimus Elite (LGVM696) - Virgin Mobile
3. Software version - Gingerbread?
4. Possibly bricked
5. Not rooted


I've got an old VirginMobile LG Optimus Elite (LGVM696) phone that won't boot, and I'm wondering if any data recovery is possible. The device itself isn't important, but I want to find out if I can recover photos.

When I plug the phone into a Windows PC, it shows up in the device manager as Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 (COM3). ADB or fastboot don't recognize the device, on Windows or Ubuntu (not sure if I got everything installed correctly on Ubuntu, though).

If it's recognized as this QDLoader 9008, does that just mean it's toast, or is there some way to load a recovery image or something? Would that erase the internal storage?

I've found a lot of threads on here and XDA about this, but I don't know enough about Android to really figure it out. Not sure what everything means, like the difference between recovery and a custom recovery, download mode, fastboot, etc. I don't think I've found much for this particular phone, either.

I'm also seeing a lot of mentions of .dll, .tot, .kdz files. What are all those in regards to Android or LG specifically? I've found a .cab file that is supposedly the stock firmware for this phone.

 

[Hadron]

When a dll is a dynamic link library, which is purely a Windows thing. kdz is LG-specific I believe. I've never hear of .tot. As I've never owned an LG I can't really help with flashing firmware.

However, with most phones flashing firmware, even if successful, will erase the phone as well. So as a data recovery strategy that may not be helpful. I would check that carefully before proceeding.

The important thing is what you've not told us. You say it "won't boot", but Windows recognises it as something so it's clearly powered-up to some extent. So what exactly does happen when you try to boot it? Knowing what state it is in might allow someone to work out whether there is a solution or not.

 

[robotsneedhugs2]

The important thing is what you've not told us. You say it "won't boot", but Windows recognises it as something so it's clearly powered-up to some extent. So what exactly does happen when you try to boot it? Knowing what state it is in might allow someone to work out whether there is a solution or not.

The screen doesn't work, and I'm unsure if the buttons work. I'm also not sure if the battery actually holds a charge.

Windows recognizes it as the 9008 thing whether or not the battery is in it, and whether or not I press the power button.

Additionally, I've tried holding vol up/down while plugging it in to the PC. I don't know if doing that has made any difference, as far as how it's detected or anything like that.

 

[svim]

...I'm also seeing a lot of mentions of .dll, .tot, .kdz files. What are all those in regards to Android or LG specifically? I've found a .cab file that is supposedly the stock firmware for this phone.

Doubtful that what you're viewing is actually your LG phone but perhaps a microSD card, and only if you've previously been using it as a transfer media between your PC and your phone. Those file types are Windows-relative only and don't pertain to Android. Something like a .cab file is a Windows-only Cabinet file so it would only be there if you yourself had copied it there.

 

[mikedt]

The screen doesn't work, and I'm unsure if the buttons work. I'm also not sure if the battery actually holds a charge.

Windows recognizes it as the 9008 thing whether or not the battery is in it, and whether or not I press the power button.

That sounds like "Qualcomm 9008 mode", which is not good at all. It basically means that Windows is only seeing the phone's processor and the phone's firmware is completely hosed, i.e. it's truly bricked. I know with Samsung Snapdragon phones in this state, and probably LG as well, you need a JTAG rig, which is something the manufacturer uses during production to initially flash the firmware directly onto the logic-board.