[Q] Softbrick, bootloop, TWRP Password

X04D · May 7, 2014

My girlfriends S3 (Bell, I747M, d2can) is currently boot looping. It had a custom ROM on it, but I'll be damned if I could tell you which one. It was working, then it wasn't. No updates, no flash/wipe/etc.

Now I turn on her phone, and it gets to the ROM's boot screen, and just as it's about to complete, it restarts again. I can enter TWRP (2.6.3.1) but it requires a password (which is a bug, afaik). I can press "cancel" and try to reset/wipe, but it won't mount or reset the cache partition, so it fails.

I used Odin (3.07, 3.09) to try and flash TWRP 2.6.3.0 and 2.7.0.0, and both failed. The result was Odin would reboot the phone, then it would enter the same bootloop, and the recovery would still be TWRP 2.6.3.1.

I tried downloading a stock S3 firmware and flashing it with Odin. Same problem.

I've tried new drivers. New cable. New USB port. I've tried using a different computer. Always the same result.

So a summary of what I can/can't do:
Can't use TWRP to reset/wipe
Can't use ADB Sideload
Can't modify device via ADB

CAN see the device via ADB
CAN enter download mode

Any help?

I pulled DMESG at some point during all this. Maybe it can help shed some light: http://pastebin.com/4c2uL3Qq

theramsey3 · May 7, 2014

Dont know how much help it is but I quit using TWRP because of that bug, now I use CWM the philz touch version and haven't seen that again. When you are flashing the rcovery with ODIN you must absolutely uncheck the box for auto reboot. when you get the message that says the flash was successful you should then unplug the USB cable and do a battery pull, reinsert the battery, press the volume up key and the home key, press the power button until it vibrates then release the power button only, once the phone boots into recovery you may release the volume up and home buttons.

If you are trying to flash Stock roms be darn sure you have the right stuff IE AT&T phone using 4.3 you find here on XDA the correct odin flashable tar or for any other use www.sammobile.com if you have a canadian I747M go to www.sammobile.com and find the right one for the bootloaders currently on the phone. If you flash a phone that has 4.3 bootloaders on it with older bootloaders you will have an instant Hard Brick. Use Extreme Caution with bootloaders and ODIN tars. you could also use custom recovery to flash some stock or custom roms too those are alot safer and less likely to hard brick.

I think you are on the right track to trying to fix your ahem her phone, a little patience and reading go a long way IIRC the recovery thread instructions outline the need to uncheck the auto reboot box, with that being said you aren't the first one to over look it I have done it myself a few months ago. I wish you the best of luck and hope that a cache wipe will fix what you have going on if not try a factory reset, Good Luck.

X04D · May 7, 2014

theramsey3 said:
Dont know how much help it is but I quit using TWRP because of that bug, now I use CWM the philz touch version and haven't seen that again. When you are flashing the rcovery with ODIN you must absolutely uncheck the box for auto reboot. when you get the message that says the flash was successful you should then unplug the USB cable and do a battery pull, reinsert the battery, press the volume up key and the home key, press the power button until it vibrates then release the power button only, once the phone boots into recovery you may release the volume up and home buttons.

If you are trying to flash Stock roms be darn sure you have the right stuff IE AT&T phone using 4.3 you find here on XDA the correct odin flashable tar or for any other use www.sammobile.com if you have a canadian I747M go to www.sammobile.com and find the right one for the bootloaders currently on the phone. If you flash a phone that has 4.3 bootloaders on it with older bootloaders you will have an instant Hard Brick. Use Extreme Caution with bootloaders and ODIN tars. you could also use custom recovery to flash some stock or custom roms too those are alot safer and less likely to hard brick.

I think you are on the right track to trying to fix your ahem her phone, a little patience and reading go a long way IIRC the recovery thread instructions outline the need to uncheck the auto reboot box, with that being said you aren't the first one to over look it I have done it myself a few months ago. I wish you the best of luck and hope that a cache wipe will fix what you have going on if not try a factory reset, Good Luck.

Appreciate all the help! I've tried pretty much every combination.

I've turned off auto-reboot, flashed, but Odin stops at:

<ID:0/005> Odin v.3 engine (ID:5)..
<ID:0/005> File analysis..
<ID:0/005> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/005> Initialzation..
<ID:0/005> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/005> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/005> SingleDownload.
<ID:0/005> recovery.img
<ID:0/005> NAND Write Start!!
<ID:0/005> RQT_CLOSE !!
<ID:0/005> RES OK !!

I assume that's where it's supposed to be. Then I enter recovery and it's still the same TWRP 2.6.3.1. Very strange.

I don't think her phone is using 4.3 bootloaders, as I don't remember them being available when I flashed this phone. I'm a Nexus guy, so maybe I'm doing something wrong this time.

EDIT: I also seem to recall on my phones that when I flashed something in Download/Fastboot mode, there was a progress bar of sorts on the phone itself indicating it was receiving something. On this phone it doesn't display anything to imply something's happening.

audit13 · May 9, 2014

Boot into download and let us know what it says on the download screen. If you have the 4.3 bootloader, try flashing a pre-rooted 4.3 Bell ROM using Odin 3.07. If you have a lower version bootloader, try flashing a pre-rooted 4.1.1 or 4.1.2 ROM.

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php...mctr=(not provided)&__utmv=-&__utmk=139036464

In Odin, don't check auto reboot. When you see reset in the status windows, disconnect the USB cable and pull the battery. Boot into recovery and wipe cache, data, and reboot.

X04D · May 9, 2014

Thanks for the reply! I'm 99% sure it's a pre-4.3 bootloader. Here's what it shows in DL mode:

ODIN MODE
PRODUCT NAME: SHG-I747M
CUSTOM BINARY DOWNLOAD: Yes (2 counts)
CURRENT BINARY: Custom
SYSTEM STATUS: Custom
DUALCOMM SECUREBOOT: ENABLE

If I recall correctly, a 4.3 bootloader would show two more lines at the bottom.

X04D · May 9, 2014

Tried installing a 4.1.1 ROM (root66_BMC_I747MVLDLK4)

<ID:0/005> Added!!
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> root66_BMC_I747MVLDLK4.tar.md5 is valid.
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/005> Odin v.3 engine (ID:5)..
<ID:0/005> File analysis..
<ID:0/005> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/005> Initialzation..
<ID:0/005> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/005> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/005> sbl2.mbn
<ID:0/005> NAND Write Start!!
<ID:0/005> FAIL!
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

4.1.2 (root66_BMC_I747MVLDMF1.7z)

<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> root66_BMC_I747MVLDMF1.tar.md5 is valid.
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/005> Added!!
<ID:0/005> Odin v.3 engine (ID:5)..
<ID:0/005> File analysis..
<ID:0/005> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/005> Complete(Write) operation failed.
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

X04D · May 9, 2014

I feel it's worth mentioning again: At no point, while using Odin, does the phone display a transfer bar of any sort.

audit13 · May 10, 2014

Try installing Philz Touch recovery via Odin and see if you can boot into recovery. Copy a custom ROM on an external SD card and see if you can flash that ROM from recovery.

X04D · May 12, 2014

audit13 said:
Try installing Philz Touch recovery via Odin and see if you can boot into recovery. Copy a custom ROM on an external SD card and see if you can flash that ROM from recovery.

Tried Philz and Odin still doesn't seem to have flashed it.

I'll try with an SD card.

audit13 · May 12, 2014

X04D said:
Tried Philz and Odin still doesn't seem to have flashed it.

I'll try with an SD card.

Try this: when you flash with Odin, uncheck auto reboot, start the flash process. When you see the word reset in the status window, remove the USB cable, pull the battery, and boot into recovery.

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[Q] Softbrick, bootloop, TWRP Password

X04D

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theramsey3

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X04D

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audit13

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X04D

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X04D

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X04D

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audit13

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X04D

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audit13

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