[How To] Recover From a Hard Brick (SM-900A Only)

[designgears]

I take no credit for this method, I felt it needed to be re-posted here. I snagged it from Shabbypenguins post over on Phandroid. It was originally for the Boost Mobile SGS3, but works for the Note 3 and several other devices.

What do I mean by hard brick?
Your phone doesn't power up, visibly charge, reach a boot-screen of any kind or go into download mode. Basically, it acts like it won't power on at all. Hard bricked. Even if you nuke the aboot, sbl1, boot, etc... like I did, this method will revive your phone!

This is a great safety net for those who want to test bootloader exploits!

What do you need?
Bricked Galaxy Note 3 (SM-900A)
microSD card (all data will be erased from this sdcard)
microSD card reader
Linux / OS X (can be running in vmware/virtual box on windows)
Unbrick Image (MI9)
Stock Odin Files

Unbricking Instructions

1. Boot Linux / OS X / VMware / Virtual Box
2. Download the unbrick image listed in the item's needed list
3. Open terminal on your OS
4. Insert your microSD card into the reader
5. Plug your microSD card reader into your computer
6. Run
   

   dmesg | tail

   you should see something that mentions where it is mounted via /sdX

7. sudo dd if=/<path_to_debrick.img> of=/dev/sdX

   again where X is the microSD card ignoring the partition numbers as they should be overwritten
   I had to do this a couple times for the image to actually take

8. sudo fdisk -l /dev/sdX

   should show approximately 29 partitions (I just unplugged and replugged the usb, lots of windows popped up from the partitions)
9. remove the microSD card from the reader
10. remove the battery and sim from your device
11. insert your unbrick microSD into your phone
12. insert the battery and press the power button, it should boot
13. reboot into Download mode either via adb or Volume Down + Home + Power
14. use stock odin files to restore your phone

Thanks to the following:
Shabbypenguin for pointing me to this!
gTan64 for finding the fix while repairing their friend's phone.
KAsp3rd for showing Shabbypenguin this and assisting him throughout it

 

[chrisrotolo]

Thanks so much, you guys rock!

 

[mircury]

This is the good stuff!

 

[mircury]

It was originally for the Boost Mobile SGS3, but works for the Note 3 and several other devices.

We have several people with unrecoverable boot looped devices over in the 900T forum because of failed nandroid restores. They can get to download mode but flashing via odin to stock does not fix it. They are stuck in boot loops even after flashing via odin. In your opinion, would the unbrick image adapted to the 900T help them?

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=46313784#post46313784

 

[Bladerunner1825us]

We have several people with unrecoverable boot looped devices over in the 900T forum because of failed nandroid restores. They can get to download mode but flashing via odin to stock does not fix it. They are stuck in boot loops even after flashing via odin. In your opinion, would the unbrick image adapted to the 900T help them?

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=46313784#post46313784

I remember on the note 1 sometimes even after restoring stick via odin you would get a bootloop. In that case you had to do a factory reset after flashing stock and it got everything working again. Hopefully yur problems are something that easy to fix.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

 

[shabbypenguin]

this is for people who really brick, you overwrite your aboot/sbl's. on the SGS3 this was done by flashing an international rom as their kernel was on MMCBLK0p5 while us SGS3 that was our aboot (bootloader). whats particularly good about this is it means that designgears can nuke his bootloader trying to find exploits/unlock etc and still end up working device by the end of the night (like was done last night). to cut any questions on it, dont bother with trying to sdcard boot the tmobile bootloaders

this is more of a in case things go bad kind of scenario where you cant get to download mode, and if this guide is too confusing etc there is always a jtag (mobiletechvideos is one of the big ones on xda i believe).

 

[mwazeer]

this is for people who really brick, you overwrite your aboot/sbl's. on the SGS3 this was done by flashing an international rom as their kernel was on MMCBLK0p5 while us SGS3 that was our aboot (bootloader). whats particularly good about this is it means that designgears can nuke his bootloader trying to find exploits/unlock etc and still end up working device by the end of the night (like was done last night). to cut any questions on it, dont bother with trying to sdcard boot the tmobile bootloaders

this is more of a in case things go bad kind of scenario where you cant get to download mode, and if this guide is too confusing etc there is always a jtag (mobiletechvideos is one of the big ones on xda i believe).

Sir in note 3 case original bootloader is there even custom recovery is there but stock rom flashed by odin still you are not able to come out of bootloop even you make full wipe after. This is strange as odin or kies emaegeny recovery firmware not come to save you this time. My phone in service center and still not hear from them anything..

Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium

 

[shabbypenguin]

Sir in note 3 case original bootloader is there even custom recovery is there but stock rom flashed by odin still you are not able to come out of bootloop even you make full wipe after. This is strange as odin or kies emaegeny recovery firmware not come to save you this time. My phone in service center and still not hear from them anything..

Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium

the "download mode" with red text? if thats what it is you need to pull battery, put it back in. power on as if you were going to download mode and the red text will be missing, flash stock rom and then wipe in stock recovery and youll be all set

 

[mwazeer]

the "download mode" with red text? if thats what it is you need to pull battery, put it back in. power on as if you were going to download mode and the red text will be missing, flash stock rom and then wipe in stock recovery and youll be all set

Sir there is no red text and its normal download mode with knox counter 0x1.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium

 

[designgears]

Sir there is no red text and its normal download mode with knox counter 0x1.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium

Are you using the stock odin files? It should boot into recovery after flashing and wipe the device and install a few more files.

 

[shabbypenguin]

Sir there is no red text and its normal download mode with knox counter 0x1.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium

odd, im truly sorry but ive no idea then. :/ i know the recovery guys are working hard but its very confusing etc.

 

[mwazeer]

Are you using the stock odin files? It should boot into recovery after flashing and wipe the device and install a few more files.

Yes we used all type of odin 3.04. To 3.09 and flash pure stock rom and then wipe everything in stock recovery and still get bootloop and missing baseband version so no network and no imei number. This problem come after nadroid backup restore not for me but many xda members of internional note and t mobile. All are crying. Some get replacement some of there phone in service center and no body report about result from service center.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium

 

[jtl999]

Looks interesting. Getting my Note 3 soon for app/ROM development. One question. Will this work on Telus Note 3? It's Canadian. If not is there a method smiler to this? Really value my devices and don't want to hardbrick them.

 

[daddioj]

could this be used as a way to exploit a 9005 rom to flash and unbrand our device :silly:

 

[natboy]

This should really be stickied!

 

[KingDavid63]

God we gotta get this thing unlocked

Sent from my Note 3

 

[kitkit201]

I have an issue where I tried to follow http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2474422 to Root with knox 0x0 but it dies prematurely on the flash and now I get a "firmware error" screen saying i should go back to kies and reflash. Would this solve my problem and would it increase the counter to 1?

 

[HookedOnDroids]

Samsung Galaxy NOTE 3 UnRoot-Bricked-Fixed

Sir in note 3 case original bootloader is there even custom recovery is there but stock rom flashed by odin still you are not able to come out of bootloop even you make full wipe after. This is strange as odin or kies emaegeny recovery firmware not come to save you this time. My phone in service center and still not hear from them anything..

Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium

SOLVED!!!!

Had the same issue and its cuz the USB debugging was turned off in the Developer apps to my luck I had it on, but turned it off 1 week prior to my ph crashing... :crying: lol I tried EVERYTHING for 3 days and I'm tech savy lol What I ended up doing was using my fiance's note 3 to back up all her files via the SD card on her phone and then loaded it into mine and it worked like a charm. It's even a free app from the play store called "Root Browser" and NO you do not have to root their phone to copy their files... Copy the files, on the broken phone do the recovery mode (Volume Up + Home Key + Power Button) then load from external source. Be sure to wipe your data and all that before installing on the broken ph.... and bada-bing bada-bang! FIXED! :angel:

I suggest downloading that in the future and keeping that spare SD card in the GUN SAFE!!! just in case you happen to re-root your phone later lol

Hope this helps out since I about threw my Note 3 at the wall from all the looping frustration...lol Tried Odin, Kies3 and nothing... even the ABD cmd and no luck.... Idk why I didn't think about doing that in the past lol GOOD LUCK!:fingers-crossed:

---------- Post added at 01:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:14 AM ----------

We have several people with unrecoverable boot looped devices over in the 900T forum because of failed nandroid restores. They can get to download mode but flashing via odin to stock does not fix it. They are stuck in boot loops even after flashing via odin. In your opinion, would the unbrick image adapted to the 900T help them?

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=46313784#post46313784

SOLVED!!!!

Had the same issue and its cuz the USB debugging was turned off in the Developer apps to my luck I had it on, but turned it off 1 week prior to my ph crashing... lol I tried EVERYTHING for 3 days and I'm tech savy lol What I ended up doing was using my fiance's note 3 to back up all her files via the SD card on her phone and then loaded it into mine and it worked like a charm. It's even a free app from the play store called "Root Browser" and NO you do not have to root their phone to copy their files... Copy the files, on the broken phone do the recovery mode (Volume Up + Home Key + Power Button) then load from external source. Be sure to wipe your data and all that before installing on the broken ph.... and bada-bing bada-bang! FIXED!

I suggest downloading that in the future and keeping that spare SD card in the GUN SAFE!!! just in case you happen to re-root your phone later lol

Hope this helps out since I about threw my Note 3 at the wall from all the looping frustration...lol Tried Odin, Kies3 and nothing... even the ABD cmd and no luck.... Idk why I didn't think about doing that in the past lol GOOD LUCK!

 

[desiboston]

I am confused and holding on to buying the note 3 yet due to these issues. Is sm 900A different than 9005A? Does att sell 2 different versions?

 

[rockinandroid]

SOLVED!!!!

Had the same issue and its cuz the USB debugging was turned off in the Developer apps to my luck I had it on, but turned it off 1 week prior to my ph crashing... :crying: lol I tried EVERYTHING for 3 days and I'm tech savy lol What I ended up doing was using my fiance's note 3 to back up all her files via the SD card on her phone and then loaded it into mine and it worked like a charm. It's even a free app from the play store called "Root Browser" and NO you do not have to root their phone to copy their files... Copy the files, on the broken phone do the recovery mode (Volume Up + Home Key + Power Button) then load from external source. Be sure to wipe your data and all that before installing on the broken ph.... and bada-bing bada-bang! FIXED! :angel:

I suggest downloading that in the future and keeping that spare SD card in the GUN SAFE!!! just in case you happen to re-root your phone later lol

Hope this helps out since I about threw my Note 3 at the wall from all the looping frustration...lol Tried Odin, Kies3 and nothing... even the ABD cmd and no luck.... Idk why I didn't think about doing that in the past lol GOOD LUCK!:fingers-crossed:

---------- Post added at 01:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:14 AM ----------



SOLVED!!!!

Had the same issue and its cuz the USB debugging was turned off in the Developer apps to my luck I had it on, but turned it off 1 week prior to my ph crashing... lol I tried EVERYTHING for 3 days and I'm tech savy lol What I ended up doing was using my fiance's note 3 to back up all her files via the SD card on her phone and then loaded it into mine and it worked like a charm. It's even a free app from the play store called "Root Browser" and NO you do not have to root their phone to copy their files... Copy the files, on the broken phone do the recovery mode (Volume Up + Home Key + Power Button) then load from external source. Be sure to wipe your data and all that before installing on the broken ph.... and bada-bing bada-bang! FIXED!

I suggest downloading that in the future and keeping that spare SD card in the GUN SAFE!!! just in case you happen to re-root your phone later lol

Hope this helps out since I about threw my Note 3 at the wall from all the looping frustration...lol Tried Odin, Kies3 and nothing... even the ABD cmd and no luck.... Idk why I didn't think about doing that in the past lol GOOD LUCK!

what files did you download off your wife phone onto sd card....using rom toolbox with root explorer....sorry for newb question...any help appreciated....