Quest 3 512GB permanently bricked, bootloop, after update (v71)

[user8754]

After regular delivered update to v71 (probably not the general issue for all), exact same issue as described and troubleshooted in https://communityforums.atmeta.com/t5/Get-Help/Quest-3-stuck-in-an-update-boot-loop/td-p/1151433 . Screen tearing with video errors, critical error. Headset was vanilla state, 512GB. Additional attempted solutions after researching solutions:

*Wipe data/Factory reset
*Adb sideload flash same, older and newer firmware:

q3_49698210068300510.zip 07-Oct-2023 01:12 1G
q3_50352750021400510.zip 01-Oct-2024 18:10 1G
q3_50352750085100510.zip 07-Nov-2024 17:50 1G
q3_50352750092000510.zip 07-Nov-2024 17:50 1G
q3_50352750100800510.zip 15-Nov-2024 19:06 1G
q3_50352750108500510.zip 20-Nov-2024 13:55 1G
q3_50473320084200510.zip 20-Nov-2024 13:55 1G
q3_50473320089300510.zip 22-Nov-2024 00:53 1G

Nothing helped, 8 hours wasted, lost all data. Absolute dumpster fire. I Have all kinds of Android systems, including ADAS, nothing EVER bricked that hard. For NO apparent reason or verbosity.

Reddit, Youtube, the internet is flooded with this issue, and Meta doesn't have any insights in the knowledge base articles to reply?

[oculusness]

@user8754  this is not a guaranteed fix, but disconnecting the internal battery from the PCB can unbrick a headset with the bootloop issue. Plenty of teardown videos online showing you how to do it. And yes, you shouldn't have to be doing this to get it working.

[user8754]

very interesting, thank you for mentioning it. that indicates that there might be something like a ramdisk/CMOS somewhere that is even active when you shutdown from recovery mode.

i found none of the videos fixing bootloop, found a bunch for teardown, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liVll-GVF3Q

50 screws, broken parts, about 4 hours for the process. not exactly a solution but certainly a last resort project.

Any feedback from Meta on this issue, other than "return it and we sell you a refurbished one"?

[oculusness]

@user8754  there are better teardown tutorials such as the 'fix my oculus ' ones. Once you get to the battery connector, disconnect it, press the start button to discharge and capacitors and leave it a while.  Reconnect the battery and reassemble. You're correct in the fact that it's never fully powered off, as when you turn off the wifi, and turn off the headset, the headset still shows the correct time and date when you turn it back on. 

Unsurprisingly, you're not going to get any meaningful response from the meta bots, who don't even acknowledge it as being a common fault. 

[user8754]

replacement unit has the exact same issue.

i returned my unit.

it updated to v71 on deployment, installed thrill of the fight 2. literally nothing else. i played for 2 days. right now it did not want to come out of standby, game still audible open in the background, display illuminated but dark (yes I know about the garbage proximity sensor and it's issue degrees, thoroughly checked). needed to do hard reset with power button. update logo, NO updates where allowed since deployment, all automatic options turned off.

this only happens on the 512GB device twice, the 128GB variant is running great so far, same setup. but also no need for a hard reset, that might be a critical step for the brick.

i will NOT tear down this much to disconnect the battery and risk warranty void. i think i have to return for refund, i don't trust this at all.

after device shutdown in recovery menu -> power on -> static meta logo -> update process -> meta logo fading black infinitely -> boot loop. what the f is going on, meta?

[user8754]

@oculusnessdefinetly cannot reccomend this process as it does not help unfortunately

[oculusness]

@user8754  thanks for the update. Wow, it looks like V71 is a proper headset killer. I'm doubtful I'll be able to get a post in here what with metaquestsupport being all over this thread.

#tumbleweed

[user8754]

@oculusnessnot sure if it was from this explicit v71 update, but from the process of updating itself. since i read so many threads by now, at least 100+ people visibly affected over the time of quest 3.

meta did some invasive shenanigans with the bootloader/bios (this behavior will never get AR/VR become mainstream, let alone on meta hardware). there is no other possibility since i now flashed the image with legacy recovery.

it does admit now that the image is not loading (see first picture attached), that rules out all this presense sensor / start again / drain it - myths. it is bricked from over the air update. my guess is it happens if hard reset after update, without proper power cycle after update. something gets flagged as faulty and tries to recover, i don't have insights why that fails then, also fails with data wipe/factory reset before and after adb sideload the image / using the meta website tool (same effect). much fail. this does not happen if Android is properly configured, there are many safety nets like Dynamic System Updates.

ill attach a logdump if someone at meta with understanding might want to check. it does not seem verbose as why the bootloop happens, since all reads vanilla state.

[user8754]

actually the alert does not rule out any sensor software issues, since it comes up after manually hard resetting the boot loop.

i am sure the fact that this is my second device affected, this bug is not a hardware fluke, and no user error.