I have a TP-Link Archer C20 v5. I installed OpenWRT, and after using it for some time, I wanted to switch back to the original TP-Link firmware. I found a file on GitHub for my router to switch back to the original firmware.I used TFTP to install that firmware file. After installing the BIN file, my router restarted but didn’t turn on. There was no sign of it being alive, and no matter how many times I pressed the reset button or tried TFTP, it gave no response. I took it to my local computer repair shop, where the technician removed the 8MB memory chip from the router and scanned it with a connector similar to a BIOS chip. He downloaded the original firmware for my router from the TP-Link website and flashed it directly onto that chip. However, it still did not give any response when we tried to write another update.The bin file keeps saying it's non-writable, as if it has gone into read-only mode. Could anyone please help me recover my router? It's pretty expensive here. I also copied the content of that memory chip before flashing directly into it.
You flashed a random file to your router, then a 3rd party did some random stuff to the flash mem....
What exactly would you like us to do ?
I sent it to TP-Link for repair, but they didn’t fix it and just wasted my shipment money. After that, my only option was to get it done locally. I still have a full backup of the chip’s contents before flashing the new firmware.
Is there any way to unlock the flash memory or recover the router? Any help or guidance would be really appreciated."
Assuming bootloader isn't b0rked, try accessing it using serial.