Flashing a Lenovo IdeaPhone A328 smartphone

Has your Lenovo IdeaPhone A328 started to slow down over time, drain quickly, or are you annoyed by the pre-installed software? Maybe you just want to try something new. In that case, flashing, or replacing the standard operating system with another one, may help.

This process, also known as reflashing, allows you to completely update your device's interface, improve its performance, and get rid of unnecessary factory applications. However, it is important to understand that this is an unsafe procedure. Inexperienced actions can result in the phone becoming a “brick” — it will no longer turn on.

In this article, we will explain in simple terms what you need to know before starting the flashing process, what the main methods are, and how to prepare your smartphone for this important step. Our goal is to give you a general understanding of the process so that you can make an informed decision.

Preparation

E

Drivers

The most effective tool for manipulating the memory areas of the Lenovo IdeaPhone A328 is a PC equipped with specialized software, which will be discussed below. Interaction between a computer and a smartphone at the lowest level is impossible without drivers, so the first thing to do before reinstalling Android is to install the components listed below.

1. ADB drivers will be needed in situations where you need to obtain root rights on the device, create a backup copy of the system using separate methods, and in some other cases. To equip Windows with these components, it is easiest to use the auto-installer “LenovoUSBDriver” from the smartphone manufacturer. The installation procedure itself consists of the following steps:
2. Download the package from the link below and unzip the file.

   Download ADB drivers with auto-installation for the Lenovo IdeaPhone A328 smartphone

3. Disable the Windows built-in driver digital signature verification feature.

   More details: Disabling digital signature verification in Windows

4. On the Lenovo IdeaPhone A328 running Android, activate “USB debugging” and connect the device to the computer.

   Reporting the number of errors found. A little lower down is a progress bar that shows what percentage of the drive has been checked and how much is left. Depending on the size of the device and the number of errors on it, the duration of the check and repair will vary, in special cases taking several hours.

5. 
6. Run the executable file “LenovoUSBDriver_1.1.34.exe”.
7. Click the button “Next” in the first and subsequent windows of the installer.
8. Wait for the installer to finish, then click “Done” in the final window.
9. Check that the driver is installed correctly. To do this, open “Device Manager” and make sure that the item “Lenovo Composite ADB Interface” in the list of devices displayed.
10. MTK Preloader driver. This component is required to interact with the phone through specialized programs, including when restoring devices that are inoperable due to software issues. To install the component, as in the case of the ADB drivers described above, it is advisable to use the auto-installer.

Obtaining root privileges

In general, Superuser privileges are not required for a successful Android reinstallation on the Lenovo A328, but root privileges may be necessary to perform a backup of important system partitions or the entire OS, as well as for a number of other operations that involve significant interference with the device's software.

You can obtain privileges on the device in question using various methods and tools, the simplest of which is the application Kingo Root.

1. Download the latest version of the tool and install Kingo Root for Windows.

2. Download Kingo Root

3. Launch the application, connect your phone to the computer with USB debugging enabled.
4. Once the A328 is detected by the program, click “ROOT”.
5. Wait for the procedure to complete, watching the progress indicator in the application window.
6. Once the privileges have been obtained, close the application, disconnect the smartphone from the PC, and restart it.

Backup

“Optimize”

From the list of available devices. In the source properties, set the desired resolution and frame rate according to the capabilities of your version of Camo.

To archive user information from the smartphone's storage, but only if you do not plan to switch to custom firmware, it is most expedient to use the manufacturer's proprietary utility – Click on the button labeled. The distribution kit for this tool can be downloaded from the technical support page of the official Lenovo website:

Download the Smart Assistant app to work with the Lenovo IdeaPhone A328

In addition to user data, it is highly desirable to back up the system partition “NVRAM”, containing information about IMEI identifiers and wireless network settings. A dump of this area can be taken using various methods. Let's take a closer look at one of the most effective ones – using the tool Option 1: Using software.

Download MTK Droid Tools

1. Obtain Superuser privileges on the device and activate USB debugging.
2. Download and unzip the archive with MTK Droid Tools, run the application as Administrator.
3. Connect the A328 to your PC.
4. Once the MTK DroidTools window displays the device information, click the button Indicating the type of device.. Next, confirm the request to obtain root shel through the SU available on your phone.
5. If the application successfully obtains root access, the indicator at the bottom left of the window will turn green. Click Next, a menu will appear for selecting an application or service through which you can send a link to a music broadcast. Here you need to find the icon.
6. In the window that appears, press Located in the block.
7. Almost instantly, a dump of the most important area will be saved in the folder “BackupNVRAM” mTK Droid Tools catalog, as evidenced by notifications in the program window log field.
8. Depending on the operating system used to access Viber, users take different approaches to organizing the process of sending music compositions to their contacts. Let's take a look at what you can do to achieve this from Android, iOS, and Windows environments.

If you need to restore IMEI identifiers, follow the same steps as when creating a backup If you see an arrow next to the name (Disk and number) of the drive on the left, right-click on the name and check if the “Initialize disk” option is available., only in the window from step 6 of the instructions above, select ‘Restore’

and then specify the path to the previously saved backup file.

Reset to factory settings

It should be noted that many Android device users consider flashing to be a panacea for all the problems that may arise during the operation of the system software. Meanwhile, many issues can be resolved without resorting to reinstalling the OS, but by resetting the device to its factory settings.

This procedure will allow you to forget about system clutter with files and programs, interface slowdowns when executing user commands, and even, in most cases, the consequences of phone virus infections. On the Lenovo A328, the most radical and effective method of restoring the software to its original, “out of the box” state is to use the factory recovery environment (recovery).

Most often, the culprit is a device driver. It could be an outdated, damaged, or simply conflicting driver for a video card, sound card, or antivirus software. Less commonly, the problem lies in faulty hardware, such as RAM.

1. We load into the smartphone's “native” recovery mode. This requires some skill:
2. We perform a reset of the settings and a memory wipe of the device:

Despite the scary name, this error can usually be fixed on your own. Let's figure out where to start troubleshooting and what steps will help get your computer back to normal.

Firmware

“Automatic driver search”

Flashing the Lenovo IdeaPhone A328 smartphone may be necessary if the device has started to slow down, freeze, or has stopped turning on, for example, due to a system failure. This is the process of replacing the operating system on your phone, which allows you to update the firmware to a more stable version or bring the device back to life if it is not working. The main thing is to do this carefully, use only the appropriate firmware, and strictly follow the instructions, otherwise you may “lock” your phone.

Method 1: Update via Wi-Fi

The developers of the operating system for the model in question officially provide the only opportunity to intervene in the system software – updating the Android build. To do this, use the application integrated into the smartphone “System Update”.

1. Charge your smartphone battery, preferably completely, and connect to a Wi-Fi network.
2. Open ‘Settings’, go to the tab “All settings” and scroll down to the bottom of the list of options. Next, go to the section “About phone”.
3. Scroll down the list of items again and tap “System Update”. As a result, an automatic check will be performed to see if there is a newer version of Android on Lenovo's servers than the one installed on your device. If the system version can be updated, a corresponding notification will appear on the screen.
4. Tap the button “Download” and wait for the update package to finish downloading. It should be noted that the download process is quite slow, so you can minimize the application and continue using your smartphone, while the download will continue in the background.
5. Once the update package has been downloaded, a screen will appear allowing you to select the time for the OS update procedure. Move the switch to the “Update now” and tap the button “OK”. The A328 will automatically turn off, then display an image of an Android with a process and notification inside it. “Install system update…”. Wait for the procedure to finish, watching the progress indicator.
6. Once the update is installed, the device will automatically reboot, then optimize the applications, and as a result, the smartphone will start up running the updated version of the official Android.
7. User data remains intact when performing the above steps, so after downloading the OS desktop, you can immediately start using your smartphone to its full potential.

Method 2: SP Flash Tool application

The SP Flash Tool software used in the instructions below is considered the best and most functional solution for working with the system software of devices built on the MediaTek hardware platform.

Download SP Flash Tool

With this program, you can not only reinstall Android, but also back up all areas of the device's memory, and then restore important sections if necessary; completely format the device and much more.

Reinstalling, updating, downgrading Android

Let's look at the safest method of flashing the Lenovo A328 using Flash Tool, which allows you to reinstall or update the official Android, as well as restore an earlier version of the operating system to your phone. In the example below, we get the latest system software build released for the model by the manufacturer on the device — ROW_S329_150708. You can download the package with OS images of the specified version at the link:

Download the latest official firmware for the Lenovo IdeaPhone A328 smartphone

1. Download and unzip the archives with the program

   and OS images.

   

2. Launch FlashTool. Click the button “choose”, located near the field “Scatter-loading File”.
3. In the file selection window that appears, specify the path to the folder with the unpacked firmware and open it " MT6582_Android_scatter.txt".
4. Uncheck the box next to “PRELOADER” in the area with the list of device memory sections and paths to the image files recorded in them.
5. Click “Download”, this will put the program into device connection standby mode.
6. Connect the micro-USB connector of your smartphone and the USB port of your PC with a cable.
7. After a few seconds, which are required for the device to be recognized by the system, the rewriting of its memory sections will automatically begin, accompanied by the filling of the status bar at the bottom of the Flash Tool window.
8. When the application has finished, a window confirming the success of the operations will appear “Download OK”. Disconnect from the PC and start the device by holding down the ‘Power’ a little longer than usual.
9. Wait for the reinstalled Android to load.
10. At this point, the firmware is considered complete. Before further use of the device, you need to select the OS settings (for example, switch the interface language to “Settings” and restore user data from the backup if necessary.

“Unbricking”

If the device does not start in Android, freezes on boot, reboots cyclically, etc., i.e., it has turned into a beautiful but non-functional plastic “brick,” you can try to restore its software using FlashTool according to the instructions above.

If the memory area rewriting procedure without “PRELOADER” using the program does not work or ends with an error, try transferring data from the images to all sections without exception, after first clearing the latter. Follow all the above steps for a normal Android reinstallation, but in step 4, leave the checkbox untouched. “PRELOADER” and select the FlashTool mode “Firmware Upgrade”.

In a situation where the procedure for rewriting partitions via SP FlashTool does not start, and/or the device is detected in, “Device Manager” as “MediaTek DA USB VCOM” (possibly also “MTK USB PORT” after completion. Before pairing with the application waiting for the device to connect, you must remove the battery from the Lenovo A328 and press the key. “Volume -”). While holding down the button, connect the cable connected to the PC to the phone's MicroUSB port. Release “Volume -” can be done after the status bar starts filling up in the Flash Tool window.

If the above approach (writing partitions in “Firmware Upgrade”mode) does not work, we use the program in “Format All + Download”. Keep in mind that this solution will require restoring the “NVRAM”, we use full formatting only as a last resort!

Method 3: Infinix FlashTool application

Based on the SP FlashTool application, a compact and convenient utility has been created: Infinix FlashTool, which is successfully used for flashing the Lenovo A328. The tool allows you to overwrite the device's memory partitions in a single mode – “Firmware Upgrade”, that is, with preliminary formatting of areas. During installation, you can use the same packages from the official OS for the model as for the flasher discussed in the description of the previous method.

Download Infinix Flash Tool for flashing the Lenovo A328 smartphone

The example below shows the installation of a modified system based on the official Android build. S322 for Lenovo A328, but additionally equipped with the TWRP recovery environment and the ability to quickly obtain root rights on the device without using third-party applications. Installing the proposed solution can serve as the first effective step towards further transitioning to unofficial Android builds, which will be discussed below.

Download the modified firmware with root privileges and TWRP for Lenovo Idea Phone A328

1. Download the archives with the Infinix FlashTool utility and firmware, and unpack them into separate directories.
2. Launch the utility by opening the file flash_tool.exe.
3. Download the scatter file to Infinix Flash Tool by clicking the button “Browser”

   and then specifying the path to the component in the Explorer window that opens.

4. Press Once you have finished creating your graphic message, click on the round button with the image of a paper airplane – this action will instantly send the animation to the recipient. At this stage, the tournament table can be considered complete, but we will look at some more features of the Canva online service — they may help you improve the quality of your project..
5. With the Lenovo A328 completely turned off, connect it to the USB port of your computer.
6. If the driver MTK Preloader installed correctly,

   formatting and then rewriting the A328 memory partitions will start automatically.

7. To monitor the OS installation process on the device, the application is equipped with a progress indicator.
   

   Under no circumstances should you interrupt the process of deploying file images to the device's internal memory!

8. Wait for the operating system to finish installing on your phone – a notification window will appear “Download Ok”.
9. Disconnect the device from the PC and start it by pressing and holding the button Power. The first launch will take longer than usual, and eventually the Android desktop will load.
10. In general, the flashing of the Lenovo A328 model via Infinix FlashTool is complete. You can now configure the system settings (select the interface language, time, etc.) and then use the installed OS as intended.

If you need root rights:

1. Turn off the phone and boot into TWRP. Custom recovery is launched in the same way as the “native” recovery environment – a short (2-3 seconds) press of the “Power”, then both buttons “Volume”). When the logo appears “Lenovo” release the buttons – after a couple of seconds, the TVRP welcome screen will appear.
2. Slide the element “Swipe to Allow Modifications” to the right, press the button “Reboot” in the main recovery menu. Next, tap “System”.
3. Tap the “Do Not Install” on the screen with the installation prompt “TWRP App” (this tool is useless for the model in question). Next, we receive a system request: “Install Super SU Now?”. Activate the switch “Swipe to Install”.
4. As a result, the A328 will reboot. Find the “SuperSU Installer” key and launch this tool. Tap the button “Play”, which will open the SuperSU root rights manager page in the Google Play Market. Tap UPDATE.
5. Wait for the update package to finish downloading and then for the installation to complete. Tap the button “OPEN” element on the SuperSU app page in the Google Play Store.
6. On the first screen of the rights manager that opens, tap “Start”. When the notification about the need to update the binary file appears, press “Continue”. Next, select “Normal”.
7. The process of downloading and installing the components necessary to obtain Super User privileges is completed by a notification that the device needs to be restarted – click “Restart”. After restarting, you will have a device with root privileges and the latest version of SuperSU installed.
8. 

Flashing the firmware on your Lenovo IdeaPhone A328 is a serious step that can breathe new life into your device. You can update an outdated system, get rid of unnecessary pre-installed software, and even try alternative versions of Android, which can make the interface faster and more modern.

In this case, the free USBOblivion utility can help, which removes all information about previously connected flash drives and external hard drives (USB drive mount points) from the Windows registry. Before using the program,

Ultimately, if your A328 is running slowly and is not officially updated, flashing the firmware may be an excellent solution. But if you are generally satisfied with your phone, it is better to think carefully about whether it is worth the effort. In any case, do not forget to back up all important data before starting the process.