TF101 stuck in boot loop

[Miro]

I have read through various threads on this or similar issues, but haven't found a solution yet. Any help appreciated.
TF101 suddenly started going black tonight, then starting the boot process without prompting. Sometimes goes black after EeePad screen, sometimes gets as far as the Asus screen before going off; then a few seconds later, tries again without prompting. I have managed to get it to switch off, by holding the power and volume UP buttons together. Starting it with any combination of power, power and vol up, power and vol down, results in the same loop. I tried power and vol down, and as soon as the small print in the top left appeared, hit vol up. Result: an Android lying on its back with its belly open and a red warning triangle. What does this mean?
Only way to switch it off again is by holding power and volume together.
Help please!

[Frederuco]

The dead droid is stock recovery. You can try flashing the stock firmware by downloading it from the Asus site. Unzip it once and put it on a microSD formatted for FAT32.

Insert in your TF and then boot to RCK and it should reflash the stock firmware.

[Miro]

OK, thanks for coming to the rescue. I'm not exactly techie, so not surfe what "stock recovery" even means. Nor am I too sure what "flashing" means, but I've been on the Asus site and found the firmware - but which one do I need? (there's 7 here: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. -Support- Drivers and Download Eee Pad Transformer TF101)
I think I can figure out what FAT32 formatting invloves - will a 4GB SD card be OK? Next: how do I "boot to RCK"? (what in fact is "RCK"?)
Sorry if I sound thick, but I don't understand the tech jargon, and there's nobody here (Spain) who I can take it to.
Really appreciate any further help - in simple English!

[Tor]

A standard 4GB card straight from the shop (i.e. not formatted with the Windows formatter) is perfect.

-Tor

[Swipe]

OK, thanks for coming to the rescue. I'm not exactly techie, so not surfe what "stock recovery" even means. Nor am I too sure what "flashing" means, but I've been on the Asus site and found the firmware - but which one do I need? (there's 7 here: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. -Support- Drivers and Download Eee Pad Transformer TF101)
I think I can figure out what FAT32 formatting invloves - will a 4GB SD card be OK? Next: how do I "boot to RCK"? (what in fact is "RCK"?)
Sorry if I sound thick, but I don't understand the tech jargon, and there's nobody here (Spain) who I can take it to.
Really appreciate any further help - in simple English!

RCK is short for Recovery and is one of the options that displays when you perform a Cold Boot. The firmware you want to download would be for your area - probably WW - check your build number by going to settings>about tablet - if there is a WW as part of that download the WW version. A 4GB Card should be fine - microsd in the tablet.

Recovery loads the firmware from the zip file into the tablet.

The Cold Boot procedure is outlined in the Master Help Guide, press up to invoke Recovery when you see RCK flashing.

[Frederuco]

As these guys have pointed out, RCK is the stock recovery. Think of it as a last ditch way to load a new (stock) OS on your tablet.

For the TF101, hold VOL DOWN and POWER for 12-15 seconds until you see the small white text at the top that says to tap VOL UP to enter RCK (you indicated you did this in the OP when you saw the dead droid). If you have the proper (assuming WW SKU of the firmware) on your microSD, it will proceed to install this firmware. You will see an Android is Upgrading and an android with gears spinning in his chest.

[janner43]

I'm just going to comment that if you visit the Master Help Guide (linked in my signature & others) then you will find several guides that directly relate to your difficulty, Miro.

I am thinking of our guides / threads on the tf101 & random reboots, the how to manually install firmware guides, the cold boot guide & the how to Factory Reset guide.

Finally, the firmware you need from Asus is the one that matches the firmware currently on your tf101

Good luck with resolving your situation

[Miro]

Thanks so much to all of you! Hopefully with your help, I can get this sorted (then I'll want to know why it happened in the first place!) One thing - Swipe said "The firmware you want to download would be for your area - probably WW - check your build number by going to settings>about tablet - if there is a WW as part of that download the WW version." Is there another way to check, because since I can't turn the thing on, I can't really check in settings>about tablet ?
So let me just check if I have understood: I have the dock, so if I insert the SD card with the firmware loaded, then attempt to boot with power + volume down, then hit vol UP, when the Android with the red triangle appears, he should get up and start cruching gears - or should the gear crunching appear before Dead Droid even appears?

[Tor]

As you are in Spain WW should be the region you should use.

-Tor

[Swipe]

You won't see a dead droid if the firmware is on the card, it will go straight to "spinning gears in his tummy" and load the firmware.