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How to Backup MediaTek Firmware using SP Flash Tool [2021]

In this guide, we will show you the steps to backup your MediaTek firmware using SP Flash Tool. One of the biggest perks of having an MTK device is the plentitude of tools that it beholds. And without a shadow of a doubt, Smart Phone Flash Tool is right there at the top. Incorporating a plentitude of useful functionalities, this tool has always been the go-to choice for tech enthusiasts and general users alike.

More often than not, it is used to flash stock firmware so as to fix bootloop or soft brick issues. However, there are some technical aspects of this tool, which in spite of being quite useful, doesn’t usually get the appreciation that it deserves. One among them is the ability to take a complete backup of the installed firmware on your device. But why would you need to do so?

Well, upon successfully carrying out this task, you will get all the required partition files. So if any device partition gets corrupted, you could pick it up from the backup firmware and flash it via the tool or Fastboot Commands. Along the same lines, you may also use the boot.img from the backed up firmware, patch it via Magisk and flash it via Fastboot to obtain root. Well, the advantages stand aplenty. So without any further delay, let’s start off with the guide to backup your MediaTek firmware using SP Flash Tool.



How to Backup MediaTek Firmware using SP Flash Tool [2021]

How to Backup MediaTek Firmware using SP Flash Tool

Before starting with the instructions, make sure to take a complete device backup beforehand, just to be on the safer side. Droidwin and its members wouldn’t be held responsible in case of a thermonuclear war, your alarm doesn’t wake you up, or if anything happens to your device and data by performing the below steps. 

  1. To begin with, download and install the MTK Droid Tool on your PC. Then open the tool via its EXE file.
  2. After that, connect your device to the PC via USB cable.
  3. As soon as your device is detected, you should see the Blocks Map button at the bottom right, click on it.
    Backup MediaTek Firmware using SP Flash Tool
  4. It will open up the Block Info page with details related to various device partitions.
    Backup MediaTek Firmware using SP Flash Tool
  5. Click on the Create Scatter File button situated at the bottom left and save the file to any convenient location on your PC.
  6. Now download and install the SP Flash Tool on your PC.
  7. Launch it and click on the Choose button next to the Scatter-loading file.
  8. Navigate to the scatter file that you have just created via MTK Droid Tool and select it.
    Backup MediaTek Firmware using SP Flash Tool
  9. It will now be loaded to the tool, populating all the necessary details.
  10. Go to the Read Back section of the tool and click Add. A new entry will be created (make sure it’s check-marked).
    Backup MediaTek Firmware using SP Flash Tool
  11. Double click on this entry and save it as the required partition IMG file, as for this guide, let’s proceed with the boot.img.
    Backup MediaTek Firmware using SP Flash Tool
  12. As soon as you save the file, it shall bring up the Read Back Block Start Address dialog box.
  13. Select Hex as Type. Then you need to provide the Start Address and Length values. So head over to MTK Droid Tool and refer to the section corresponding to your partition. In our case, we will be looking at bootimg under the Name section.
    Backup MediaTek Firmware using SP Flash Tool
  14. Now, for the Start Address, refer to the Scatter section. In the case of bootimg, it is 0002980000 which transforms to 0x2980000
  15. Likewise, for Length, check out the Size section. It comes out to be 0000600000, which translates to 0x600000.
  16. So how we did this conversion? Well, you need to replace all the zeroes before the first non-zero character with 0x. Say, for example, if the value is 0000345000, it would convert to 0x345000.
  17. Anyways, once you have got hold of the HEX values, enter them in the SP Flash Tool’s Reed Back dialog box and click OK.
  18. Now hit the Readback button. After that, power off your device and connect it to the PC via a USB cable.
    Backup MediaTek Firmware using SP Flash Tool
  19. As soon as your device is detected, the ReadBack process will start. Once done, you shall be notified of the same.

How to Create Backup of the Entire MediaTek ROM

Using the above instructions, you were able to create a backup of a single partition. If you want to take a backup of all the partitions, then here’s what needs to be done.

  1. Head over to the Read Back section of SP Flash Tool and click Add.
  2. You will now see another entry being added. Uncheck the previous entry (which we had earlier created for boot.img) and make sure that only the current one remains enabled.
  3. Now double click on this new entry, name it as ROM_1, and hit Save.
    Backup MediaTek Firmware using SP Flash Tool
  4. It will bring up the Readback Block Start Address. Set the Type as Hex, leave the Start Address in its Default Value (it would be something like 0x00000….).
  5. As far as Length goes, head over to the MTK Droid Tool and refer to the Scatter Column for FAT or User data. In our case, the value for FAT is 0097140000, which translates to 0x97140000. So type in both these values and click OK.
    Backup MediaTek Firmware using SP Flash Tool
  6. Now click on the Read Back button and connect your device to the PC via USB cable. The Read Back process will start and once done, you shall be notified of the same.
    Backup MediaTek Firmware using SP Flash Tool
  7. Now switch over to the MTK Droid Tool and go to the Root, Backup, Recovery section.
  8. Within that, click on the ‘To process file ROM_ from Flash Tool’ button.
    Backup MediaTek Firmware using SP Flash Tool
  9. Navigate to the ROM_1 file that we had created and select it.
  10. The process will now begin and once done, head over to the folder where you have placed the ROM_1 file. There you should see the backup folder, go inside that, and all your files will be present there.
    backup mtk firmware via sp flash tool

So with this, we round off the guide on how you could backup your MediaTek firmware using SP Flash Tool. We have shared the details for both- a single partition file as well as the entire firmware. If you have any queries relating to the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments section below. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.

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  • This tutorial is also suitable for xiaomi f21 pro?
    Because the mtk droid software does not recognize my phone
    Thank you