Hacking Bricked OLED Vita

[Rockman GFF]

First off I know I'm a moron because I used 1.0 of the Enso Henkaku. I upgraded to 3.68 because I lost the ability to activate my system on 3.65 Enso Henkaku, then used the Downgrader when that released to revert back to 3.60, then tried to do reinstall Enso Henkaku. I used the 1.0 version of it because my PS Vita TV wouldn't allow me to do it with 1.1 and I succeeded and everything was fine and made it back to 3.65. I should have used 1.1 on the normal Vita, but now it's bricked.

There isn't anything I can do now besides replace the motherboard? It's a shame because the system is the Blue version and it's so nice. Debating what to do. I barely wanted to touch the OLED screen and use this Vita too often. Was thinking about either buying version 2 Vita, or just waiting way down the road and getting another OLED version.

Thanks.

 

[kaymynd]

First off I know I'm a moron because I used 1.0 of the Enso Henkaku. I upgraded to 3.68 because I lost the ability to activate my system on 3.65 Enso Henkaku, then used the Downgrader when that released to revert back to 3.60, then tried to do reinstall Enso Henkaku. I used the 1.0 version of it because my PS Vita TV wouldn't allow me to do it with 1.1 and I succeeded and everything was fine and made it back to 3.65. I should have used 1.1 on the normal Vita, but now it's bricked.

There isn't anything I can do now besides replace the motherboard? It's a shame because the system is the Blue version and it's so nice. Debating what to do. I barely wanted to touch the OLED screen and use this Vita too often. Was thinking about either buying version 2 Vita, or just waiting way down the road and getting another OLED version.

Thanks.

If you can still get into recovery you can reinstall firmware, just hold down power button for like 20 sec.

 

[Rockman GFF]

If you can still get into recovery you can reinstall firmware, just hold down power button for like 20 sec.

Tried that, and the recovery presses. Nothing.

 

[kaymynd]

Tried that, and the recovery presses. Nothing.

Dang sorry to hear that, firmware reinstall from recovery is your last chance to unbrick that i know of. Motherboard swap would work, but maybe it's a plugin issue? When you boot up the vita is it all black? Or can you see the enso logo? If so hold L while booting up and it should load with plugins disabled until next reboot.

 

[Rockman GFF]

Dang sorry to hear that, firmware reinstall from recovery is your last chance to unbrick that i know of. Motherboard swap would work, but maybe it's a plugin issue? When you boot up the vita is it all black? Or can you see the enso logo? If so hold L while booting up and it should load with plugins disabled until next reboot.

I never had any plugins enabled unless the Ensō tool installed them and were enabled since before the downgrade to 3.60.

I’ll have to try when I come home. About the motherboard swap though. Would that be my final option if nothing else would work? Qmca I don’t think would work if I can’t access the recovery menu right?

Thank you.

 

[kaymynd]

I never had any plugins enabled unless the Ensō tool installed them and were enabled since before the downgrade to 3.60.

I’ll have to try when I come home. About the motherboard swap though. Would that be my final option if nothing else would work? Qmca I don’t think would work if I can’t access the recovery menu right?

Thank you.

I see, in that case it shouldn't be any plugin issues then, and yes final option would be the motherboard swap but you would have to start fresh that way. And I'm not 100% sure but i think the old mobo would still be considered activated if you didn't deactivate prior to this as well. Yes qcma will not work without access to recovery. When attempting to power on the vita do you see anything on the screen at all?

 

[Rockman GFF]

I see, in that case it shouldn't be any plugin issues then, and yes final option would be the motherboard swap but you would have to start fresh that way. And I'm not 100% sure but i think the old mobo would still be considered activated if you didn't deactivate prior to this as well. Yes qcma will not work without access to recovery. When attempting to power on the vita do you see anything on the screen at all?

Nothing but a black screen the last time I tried. Orange PS light. Last thing I did was uninstall Ensō and that was the last thing.

 

[susi91]

Last thing I did was uninstall Ensō and that was the last thing.

Yep, if you reinstall, upgrade or downgrade the firmware, you can´t use the enso uninstall (this writes back an old firmware blocks backup to your new firmware and cause a brick). Also not needed, with a reinstall/upgrade/downgrade enso is uninstalled too.

Long Press at the enso app and delete, install enso 1.1 is the way to go.

Only thing is to buy a new mainboard.

---------

Maybe someone could/should? add a step to the vita hacks guide, delete the old blocks backup from storage with vitashell after downgrade/upgrade/reinstall, in order to prevent the uninstall brick with the enso 1.0.

 

[kaymynd]

Nothing but a black screen the last time I tried. Orange PS light. Last thing I did was uninstall Ensō and that was the last thing.

Yea it's just like susi91 says, this bug was the whole reason they even updated enso to 1.1 in the first place. Sorry to say mobo swap is the only way to bring your vita back to life as of right now, or until when/if someone manages to make a tool to unbrick, like pandora battery and magic mem stick for psp.

Someone else with a similar issue have recieved these answers from sony support.

First solution was: Hold POWER, PS BUTTON, and RIGHT TRIGGER at same time for five seconds. That did nothing.

Second solution was: Hold POWER for exactly 30 seconds, let go, and hold it again for five seconds. That worked.


They claim it fixed their brick but idk if it will work for you since their brick was caused by power off during firmware install.

 

[CTR640]

If nothing works, then a motherboard swap is indeed the best fix. Vita Slim looks retarded IMHO.
If you watch many YT videos on how to tear down the Vita like opening the back cover, replacing the joysticks, buttons or just be curious, it will be eventually easy. I've done that to replace the joysticks and also was damn curious and it's getting easier.

The only one thing is: how to detach and re-connect the display to the motherboard.
If you do motherboard swap, make sure to get the right tools to open it.

I don't know where you live but as for only motherboard only, search to a trashed, scratched and dirty stinking Vita to get it cheap. You want that motherboard after all, right?? lol. The other parts you can sell it for scrap or keep them as collectors items haha

 

[Rockman GFF]

Regarding PS Vita motherboards. Is there a particular place you guys would recommend? Mine is a JPN model. Hopefully region does not matter.

I’m gonna try painters tape for the sides. I hope I don’t scratch anything prying the back off.

Thank you.

 

[CTR640]

Regarding PS Vita motherboards. Is there a particular place you guys would recommend? Mine is a JPN model. Hopefully region does not matter.

I’m gonna try painters tape for the sides. I hope I don’t scratch anything prying the back off.

Thank you.

About the regions... I have no idea to be honest but all the software is handled by the single part and that's the motherboard.
Make sure to match the version, the wifi version or 3G+wifi version as the 3G version has another hardware connected to the motherboard.

And sicne you got a JON model, are the X and O swapped?

And as for pryer tools. Never ever use metal pryer tools! They can easily make scratches.
Use the plastic tools like this:
https://www.dhresource.com/0x0s/f2-.../thicker-blue-plastic-trilateral-pick-pry.jpg

 

[Rockman GFF]

I just got home and tried the button combos. No go.

There was an iFixIt guide just for the mobo portion with the same tool. So I could use that with the painters tape. I also still have access to the Vita TV which is HENkaku Enso 3.65, so I can still use a Vita. I wouldn’t have used the OLED too often to keep the screen healthy, but it bothers me that it doesn’t work and will probably want to give it a shot.

You guys don’t recommend eBay for a mobo? Most of the auctions are from Hong Kong...

Thank you.

 

[kaymynd]

I just got home and tried the button combos. No go.

There was an iFixIt guide just for the mobo portion with the same tool. So I could use that with the painters tape. I also still have access to the Vita TV which is HENkaku Enso 3.65, so I can still use a Vita. I wouldn’t have used the OLED too often to keep the screen healthy, but it bothers me that it doesn’t work and will probably want to give it a shot.

You guys don’t recommend eBay for a mobo? Most of the auctions are from Hong Kong...

Thank you.

It's not too bad, you don't even need a tool, once the screws are out, just push down and away first on the bottom left and right of the vita, where it has that curve, and then right behind L and R buttons also on the curve it should pop right open, just be sure to be careful with the back touchpad ribbon cable.

Yeah sure ebay is fine I've bought loads of mobos on there ( it's been from the same seller though )and have always recieved them on time. When i bought them they were pretty pricey though not sure how they're priced today now with downgrades being possible with modoru.

 

[Rockman GFF]

It's not too bad, you don't even need a tool, once the screws are out, just push down and away first on the bottom left and right of the vita, where it has that curve, and then right behind L and R buttons also on the curve it should pop right open, just be sure to be careful with the back touchpad ribbon cable.

Yeah sure ebay is fine I've bought loads of mobos on there ( it's been from the same seller though )and have always recieved them on time. When i bought them they were pretty pricey though not sure how they're priced today now with downgrades being possible with modoru.

Thank you for that information. I have some kind of hope that I won't scratch anything. I think this is not a bad deal to get it fixed and not spending another $300+.

The only problem would be system activation again on my account, unless the theory you have is true where I wouldn't need to reactivate the console to use my console again. I'll wait until some kind of future exploit happens if that's the case and not deactivate everything. My main Vita console is the Vita TV, it's just more of a sense of having my precious OLED Vita working again which would be nice.

I'll post here again if I've been proved successful. Thank you and everybody else for the info.

 

[kaymynd]

Thank you for that information. I have some kind of hope that I won't scratch anything. I think this is not a bad deal to get it fixed and not spending another $300+.

The only problem would be system activation again on my account, unless the theory you have is true where I wouldn't need to reactivate the console to use my console again. I'll wait until some kind of future exploit happens if that's the case and not deactivate everything. My main Vita console is the Vita TV, it's just more of a sense of having my precious OLED Vita working again which would be nice.

I'll post here again if I've been proved successful. Thank you and everybody else for the info.

You will still need to activate new mobo but old mobo will still count as activated vita. You can have up to 3 activated vitas i think so it shouldn't be a problem, but if you ever wish to deactivate it you will have to do do using Sony's website and it only allows this every so often.

To activate new mobo just sign in during set up, install henkaku or h-encore and if needed enso as well.
Then just make sure spoofing is on and set to 3.70 and go into psn settings and activate for game and video/music if you want as well.

 

[Rockman GFF]

You will still need to activate new mobo but old mobo will still count as activated vita. You can have up to 3 activated vitas i think so it shouldn't be a problem, but if you ever wish to deactivate it you will have to do do using Sony's website and it only allows this every so often.

To activate new mobo just sign in during set up, install henkaku or h-encore and if needed enso as well.
Then just make sure spoofing is on and set to 3.70 and go into psn settings and activate for game and video/music if you want as well.

I wish the spoofing would work. But I think Sony long disabled it for activation. This is why I needed to use a Downgrader in the first place, because I had to do that once before and had to go to 3.68. Losing 3.65 Enso (spoofing didn’t make the activation work for me.) Then when the Downgrader came out everything became like this and screwed up. The Vita TV I'm lucky didn't screw up with the v1.0. Because the v1.1 refused to work. I was being a typical know at all thinking everything that I did before would be successful not thinking that they probably focus on the Vita mainly and not Vita TV. The Vita TV my main Vita, so things are good there. Then I could just wait until an exploit comes out for 3.69 and 3.70 comes out for downgrading then eventually just loop back to 3.65 Enso if all successful.

I hope the activation bit I said is wrong or this changed some how. I ordered the motherboard and it's for the Wi-Fi version only and all the tools, so we're good there. We'll see what happens. The main goal originally was to have 3.65 Enso on both devices. I technically had 2 Vitas, and 2 PS3s on my DRM. I understand there is a file that holds the activation so maybe I could back that up and restore it if I ever did have to come to that option with the Vita TV. We'll see.

Thank you.

 

[kaymynd]

I wish the spoofing would work. But I think Sony long disabled it for activation. This is why I needed to use a Downgrader in the first place, because I had to do that once before and had to go to 3.68. Losing 3.65 Enso (spoofing didn’t make the activation work for me.) Then when the Downgrader came out everything became like this and screwed up. The Vita TV I'm lucky didn't screw up with the v1.0. Because the v1.1 refused to work. I was being a typical know at all thinking everything that I did before would be successful not thinking that they probably focus on the Vita mainly and not Vita TV. The Vita TV my main Vita, so things are good there. Then I could just wait until an exploit comes out for 3.69 and 3.70 comes out for downgrading then eventually just loop back to 3.65 Enso if all successful.

I hope the activation bit I said is wrong or this changed some how. I ordered the motherboard and it's for the Wi-Fi version only and all the tools, so we're good there. We'll see what happens. The main goal originally was to have 3.65 Enso on both devices. I technically had 2 Vitas, and 2 PS3s on my DRM. I understand there is a file that holds the activation so maybe I could back that up and restore it if I ever did have to come to that option with the Vita TV. We'll see.

Thank you.

Really? I've had no problems activating vitas? But you have to restore the vita and sign in at setup in the beginning first though or it won't work then just spoof to 3.70 and sign in and activate for games, I've done this many times successfully, and always test by going into psn store and it usually connects no problem then i just download a demo, launch it, and it usually plays no problem as well.