Chrome OS Recovery - Does not detect image

[Andrew P]

Hi folks,

This is a continuation of the thread: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!mydiscussions/chromebook-central/DlG4-S-URZo over on the Google OS forums.  The support agents booted me over here since there was a mod to the chromebook system.

======

I'm trying to recover an ASUS C200 CHROMEBOOK (SQUAWKS D7A-D2G-A5Z) that had its linux partition erased (partition 1) after an unsuccessful Chrubuntu install.

PROBLEM: Booting into recovery mode (Esc + Refresh + Power) works but recovery OS is not detected so no recovery can be attempted.  (If booting into normal mode, Chromebook hangs at "your system is being repaired" screen)

I think this points to a problem creating the recovery media, but it could also be a problem with the Chromebook reading the media.... I'm not sure how to diagnose...

Here are the different methods tried to create recovery media:

ON LINUX:

- Downloaded Linux recovery script (https://dl.google.com/dl/edgedl/chromeos/recovery/linux_recovery.sh)

- Ran with root privileges on a SanDisk SD Card.  Script gets stuck and says that there is no USB detected (ok, maybe it doesn't support SD)

- Ran root on a SanDisk USB stick.  Script runs successfully but ChromeOS doesn't do anything at the recovery screen when usb inserted

- Learned that SanDisk doesn't play nice.  Ok, switching brands...

- Ran with root on Lexar Platinum SD card.  Script gets stuck and says no USB detected.   Ok...switching OS

ON WINDOWS (Chrome v37):

- Installed Chromebook Recovery Utility App

- Flashed SanDisk USB again...flash successful, Chrome OS doesn't detect anything

- Tried flashing Lexar Platinum SD Card, Recovery Utility sees a 0.0 GB drive and will not continue the flashing

- Switched to Kingston USB stick.  Flashing completed successfully but Chromebook says "media does not contain Chrome OS" when inserted"

- Switched to Lexar USB stick.  Same result.

WINDOWS VIA 3rd PARTY IMAGE WRITE:

- Downloaded linux recovery script: https://dl.google.com/dl/edgedl/chromeos/recovery/linux_recovery.sh

- Parsed script for the conf file (https://dl.google.com/dl/edgedl/chromeos/recovery/recovery.conf)

- Downloaded the conf file and grabbed the d/l url for my SQUAWKS image: https://dl.google.com/dl/edgedl/chromeos/recovery/chromeos_5841.98.0_squawks_recovery_stable-channel_mp.bin.zip

- Converted bin image to .img file and wrote to every sd card and usb stick I have (using Win32DiskImager)

- When inserting recovery usb sticks into chromebook, screen says "do not contain chrome os". When inserting sd cards into chromebook, nothing happens at all.

Now I'm stuck. I'm pretty confident that this isn't a media problem but is a problem with the Chromebook device reading the hardware.... Where do I go form here?

Cheers,

Andrew

[Richard Barnette]

OK. There are some things needed to get some clarity.
Here's what recovery is supposed to look like:
1) You write a recovery image onto a USB stick using
the provided tool.
2) You power on the device in recovery mode by pressing
Esc+Refresh (F3)+Power.
3) At this point, you should see the "Chrome OS is missing
or damaged" screen.
4) Insert the USB recovery stick into your Chromebook.
5) At this point you should see a screen with the message
"You are about to recover your computer", and a progress
bar for media verification.

If you get all the way to step 5), then anything that happens
after that will be written to a log on the USB stick. You
can get that log with this procedure:
1) Power off the Chromebook.
2) Remove the USB stick, and plug it into a handy Linux system.
3) Mount partition 1 from the USB stick.
4) From the mounted directory, look for the file log/recovery.log.

> <https://dl.google.com/dl/edgedl/chromeos/recovery/recovery.conf>)

> - Downloaded the conf file and grabbed the d/l url for my SQUAWKS image:
> https://dl.google.com/dl/edgedl/chromeos/recovery/chromeos_5841.98.0_squawks_recovery_stable-channel_mp.bin.zip
> <https://dl.google.com/dl/edgedl/chromeos/recovery/chromeos_5841.98.0_squawks_recovery_stable-channel_mp.bin.zip>
> - Converted bin image to .img file and wrote to every sd card and usb
> stick I have (using Win32DiskImager)
> - When inserting recovery usb sticks into chromebook, screen says "do
> not contain chrome os". When inserting sd cards into chromebook, nothing
> happens at all.
>
> Now I'm stuck. I'm pretty confident that this isn't a media problem but
> is a problem with the Chromebook device reading the hardware.... Where
> do I go form here?
>
> Cheers,
> Andrew
>

> --
> --
> Chromium OS discuss mailing list: chromium-...@chromium.org
> View archives, change email options, or unsubscribe:
> http://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/group/chromium-os-discuss?hl=en
>

--
--jrb

[Andrew P]

jrb,

I get to step and then the media verification fails.  I'm not with the device right now but will check the log files to see if there are any clues there.

Andrew

[Danny Chan]

At the recovery screen can you hit the tab key and send us the info.  

When you said 'unsuccessful Chrubuntu install', can you share more detail here, what were you trying to do ?

thanks

[Richard Barnette]

On 9/12/14, 10:58 AM, Danny Chan wrote:
> At the recovery screen can you hit the tab key and send us the info.
>

This needs some clarification. Here's the procedure:

1) Power on the device in recovery mode by pressing
Esc+Refresh (F3)+Power.
2) Don't insert a USB stick.
3) At the "Chrome OS is missing or damaged" screen,
press the Tab key.

That will put the text on the screen that you want to report.

> <https://dl.google.com/dl/edgedl/chromeos/recovery/linux_recovery.sh>)

> <http://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/group/chromium-os-discuss?hl=en>
>
> >
>
> --
> --jrb

[Andrew P]

Thanks everyone who contributed suggestions.  The device has since been returned to the store and they will reimage it.

Andrew