Note 10+ N975U wrong Firmware??

[xeonight]

phone is SM-N975U

Bought a phone from 3rd party (Technically "used") got it home, did first setup, noticed it was running a bit slow, so while trying to figure out why, i found that the 512gb storage is almost HALF FULL and all I've done so far is log into Google, and install Firefox and Hangouts.... later learned that the storage is slowing growing as the phone is on, and none of the user accessible storage has any files, so my suspicion is that there's an error log being SPAMMED.

So I decided that i'll just wipe it all and install factory stock everything...

So I downloaded Odin 3.13.1, and the latest U1 firmware from Frija (read that U1 is free of bloatware and is interchangeable to this phone)
Edit: also tried Odin 3.13.3-3b to see if it would get any kind of response, but nothing...
Odin won't see the phone no matter what USB drivers i install, reboot PC, uninstall, reboot, different drivers, reboot etc etc.

on the phone:
Having issues getting into "download mode", or any other mode that resembles other people's screenshots!

If I power off, hold volume UP while plugging in USB, I get the screenshot that let's you choose between recovery, Fastboot, or normal.
1. If I choose recovery, I get the "no command" screen shot below and the phone reboots normally from here after about 60 or 90 seconds (maybe less)
2. If I choose "fastboot" (only tried once) the phone says something like "loading Fastboot" or something like that below the choices, BUT IS COMPLETELY LOCKED UP AT THIS SCREEN, it doesn't respond to ANYTHING, not even holding the power button in for 5 MINUTES will force a reboot! The only way to exit this is to let the phone run out of battery (which took all night!)

If I hold volume down and plug in USB from no power, I get something that's ALL in Korean (screenshot), but has a sizeable menu that I can move down through (but not up) and select if I want... I usually just hold the power button to power off again.

So i went back to the system that DOES boot (slowly eats storage space) and looked at the build number again (screenshot) and saw that it looks like it's a N975O build, not U or U1, so i'm thinking that someone tried to flash the wrong one, or was trying to root, etc. i just don't know.

So the question is this: how can i get it back to stock "download mode", stock android (either 9 or 10 i don't care at this point), and just get the phone back to normal?? I'm used to flashing Google Phones where you just flash the bootloader, radio, etc etc. but here i'm assuming that Odin does all of that.

In my Device Manager, under "Portable Devices" it shows as "SM-N975O" when the phone is booted to system, which is the wrong model for the phone (sticker on back says N975U)
Edit2: with phone booted into System, 'ADB devices' shows the serial number as 0123456789ABCDEF same as phone settings (see screenshot)

 

[butchieboy]

Looks like you got the Hong Kong firmware.

My SM-N950U Still Rooted Note 8

---------- Post added at 08:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:12 AM ----------

Make sure device is powered off. Plug cable into computer, HOLD volume up and down at same time you connect phone to cable, should get you to download.

My SM-N950U Still Rooted Note 8

 

[xeonight]

Looks like you got the Hong Kong firmware.

My SM-N950U Still Rooted Note 8

---------- Post added at 08:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:12 AM ----------

Make sure device is powered off. Plug cable into computer, HOLD volume up and down at same time you connect phone to cable, should get you to download.

My SM-N950U Still Rooted Note 8

When i do that, it still went to the Korean/Chinese menu

 

[butchieboy]

After it goes to that screen press volume up then connect to Odin see if it recognizes your device.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[xeonight]

After it does press volume up

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

ok first THANK YOU for your help!!

so volume up on the Chinese(?) does nothing, it seems that the power button chooses the current selection, and the top one seems to cause it to do a bunch of hardware checks (still not done actually)

 

[butchieboy]

Hmmmm?

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

---------- Post added at 09:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:04 AM ----------

Actually that screen looks like Recovery. If its same as US version then bottom should be power off

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[xeonight]

Hmmmm?

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

i chose the first line on the Chinese menu that i can't read, and it is doing either Diagnostic hardware checks, or it's raw live data from some of the sensors... i don't know

ok so yes, bottom line was either reboot, or power off (went too fast to see)

 

[butchieboy]

Try the bottom to power off then try the download mode again

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

---------- Post added at 09:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:06 AM ----------

If you can use ADB try these commands:
adb reboot recovery
Or
adb reboot bootloader

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[xeonight]

Try the bottom to power off then try the download mode again

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

---------- Post added at 09:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:06 AM ----------

If you can use ADB try these commands:
adb reboot recovery
Or
adb reboot bootloader

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

ok tried the vol+down and vol+up again, went back to the same menu (also if i JUST use Vol+down it goes to that menu also) will try adb commands after booting system

Edit: previously i've tried adb to recovery, it gave me the "dead android" screenshot above, so this time i tried the ADB reboot bootloader......
we're done testing for tonight because the phone is on the dreaded "=> FASTBOOT mode...." where not even the power button being held for 5 minutes can force the phone to reboot, and it's not responsive at all...... any fastboot commands in CMD are hung at "< waiting for device >"

so now i have to wait until the battery FULLY drains (all night) before i can try anything else.

 

[xeonight]

tomorrow i'm going to take the phone to a "UBREAKIFIX' or whatever it's called that Samsung uses for official repairs, so hopefully they can either flash it proper, or just replace it.

 

[willhemmens]

I would have taken it to Samsung straight away, the handset is still very much in warranty so they should sort this out, instead of risking making it worse yourself. It looks like someone screwed this device up pretty good.

I noticed some other weird things from your photos, the phone doesn't look like a Note10+, the screen corner curves are way bigger than on my Note10+ and also it is still on a March 2019 build, I assume that would have been the initial release software.

In the 3rd photo it really looks like the screen is showing through the camera hole, have you tested the front camera? Kinda looks like the device is a fake.

@xeonight Infact looking at fake Note10+ makes me pretty certain this is a fake device, not an actual Note10+. RIP man.

Here is a photo of a fake (right) next to a legit Note10+:

 

[xeonight]

I would have taken it to Samsung straight away, the handset is still very much in warranty so they should sort this out, instead of risking making it worse yourself. It looks like someone screwed this device up pretty good.

I noticed some other weird things from your photos, the phone doesn't look like a Note10+, the screen corner curves are way bigger than on my Note10+ and also it is still on a March 2019 build, I assume that would have been the initial release software.

In the 3rd photo it really looks like the screen is showing through the display, have you tested the front camera? Kinda looks like the device is a fake.

@xeonight Infact looking at fake Note10+ makes me pretty certain this is a fake device, not an actual Note10+. RIP man.

Here is a photo of a fake (right) next to a legit Note10+:

Thank you for pointing this out to me, my rage is building as this phone was not for me, my dad saved up because his Nexus 6p has been heavily malfunctioning for at least a year now.

Right now it's all I can do not to track down the one who sold this to me, and I fully have the ability (my dad lives out of town, he found it online, asked me to pick it up for when he came to town, he doesn't have much money for this crap... )

 

[willhemmens]

Sorry for your loss, I miss my Nexus 6P, great phone just a bit outdated now.

 

[butchieboy]

I was curious about the camera also and the rounded screen

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[willhemmens]

@xeonight you should probably make sure any accounts you signed into on that thing are secure as who knows who wrote that firmware, it wasn't Samsung.

 

[butchieboy]

It even looks like the camera placement is wrong. Looks to low

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[meowone]

To be honest, based on your screenshots of the menu and settings, it seems like you got a Note 10+ clone instead of a real Note 10+.

1. Note 10 shouldn't have a firmware that have March 2019 security patch.

2. Bezel to screen ratio is off.

3. Chinese recovery menu should not show up when you try to launch Download Mode.

Edit: oops, it looks like someone point this out earlier. Hope you get compensated for your loss.

 

[duracool]

As soon as he said something about the foreign language popping up I knew it was possibly a fake. MF got me on a Note 4 that did the exact same thing. If it's a fake I know exactly how he's feeling.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[manee]

Well. 2 thing i picked up quickly is "Moly" is Mediatek modem and Recovery style is typically Chinese fake ones. I hope you do get a quick refund

 

[sweetboy02125]

My first thought after reading your post is you got a fake Note 10+. And yes others ppl confirmed. Too bad. For cellphones, when it real cheap, it's something wrong (or at least 5 years old phones)