[Q] Never Rooted - Soft Bricked

[DirtTrash]

Looking back I cant recall ever updating this phone's OS or Baseband. But yet I read all over the place that Samsung and Sprint like to automatically update at random.

A few months back when 4.4.2 came out I noticed that my phone decided to automatically update itself and the moment it rebooted all hell broke loose. All the phone would do is boot showing the "Samsung" logo than the "Galaxy S3" logo right after. The phone would reboot itself right away than it would boot the exact same way, this time locking up on the "Galaxy S3" logo. The whole time also vibrating.

I am unable to boot into recovery mode, volume up + home button + power button. At the top left corner of the "Samsung" screen it shows "booting recovery" then immediately goes right to the "Galaxy S3" screen and reboots again.

I am able to boot to download mode, volume down + home button + power.

So far I have tried using ODIN's v3.09/3.07 to load stock firmware's for the original 4.0.4, 4.3, and just in case it actually updated 4.4.2. Every time I try to load them through ODIN I get...

<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/008> Odin v.3 engine (ID:8)..
<ID:0/008> File analysis..
<ID:0/008> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/008> Initialzation..
<ID:0/008> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/008> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/008> SingleDownload.
<ID:0/008> sbl2.mbn
<ID:0/008> NAND Write Start!!
<ID:0/008> FAIL! (Write)
<ID:0/008>
<ID:0/008> Complete(Write) operation failed.
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

This is where I'm stuck and at a loss. From what I have been reading all over XDA, as long as I can still boot to download mode I still have a chance. I am really crossing my fingers here because being a Disabled Veteran I can't afford the money to get a new phone outside of my current contract time. And there is no way the wife and I can share the Note 3, lol.


-Semper Fi

 

[bilgerryan]

Try a different cable or port... Those are usually the biggest causes of Odin failures.

My ROM: WICKED X

 

[bilgerryan]

Try a different cable or port... Those are usually the biggest causes of Odin failures.

My ROM: WICKED X

AND DON'T TRY TO ODIN ANYTHING BUT 4.4.2!!!! YOU WILL BRICK YOUR PHONE COMPLETELY.

My ROM: WICKED X

 

[Spark91]

Does the phone hard reset when in download mode too? If it does, your power button may be stuck D:

 

[Ainz_Ooal_Gown]

So far I have tried using ODIN's v3.09/3.07 to load stock firmware's for the original 4.0.4, 4.3, and just in case it actually updated 4.4.2.
This is where I'm stuck and at a loss. From what I have been reading all over XDA, as long as I can still boot to download mode I still have a chance. I am really crossing my fingers here because being a Disabled Veteran I can't afford the money to get a new phone outside of my current contract time. And there is no way the wife and I can share the Note 3, lol.


-Semper Fi

@bilgerryan thank you for saying it lol he got really lucky that it didn't go through, if you can tell by what i quoted from this guy...he already tried to Odining lower than 4.4.2....he said he read all over XDA so he should have come across us saying don't flash below 4.4.2.....

 

[DirtTrash]

No, the power button isn't stuck. And remember me stating that the phone had NEVER been rooted. And from what Samsung told me the phone hadn't been updated to 4.4.2 yet so that's why previous versions were attempted. They came to that conclusion from me telling them what the Download Mode screen showed.

ODIN MODE
PRODUCT NAME: SPH-L710
CUSTOM BINARY DOWNLOAD: NO
CURRENT BINARY: SAMSUNG OFFICIAL
SYSTEM STATUS: OFFICIAL
QUALCOMM SECUREBOOT: ENABLE

And that's all that shows. Nothing about KNOX or any counters that they said would have appeared if the phone had been updated with, I think they said, 4.3 or 4.4.2. So, from the information I gathered from them is the phone supposedly has an older version still installed.

And thank you very much for chiming in bilgerryan . Your thoughts and concerns have been noted and are appreciated. And 6th_Hokage...if I had the links to where I read the many posts stating to try the other versions I'd post them here for you. The posts did reiterate what Samsung had stated regarding being able to attempt flashing multiple versions. BTW, these are all stock Samsung packages I'm using to flash via ODIN.

So, I was able to successfully install 4.1.2 last night and the phone booted up without any issues. The phone was back to the original state at which it was purchased, aside from not being 4.0.4. Then the strangest thing happened, I installed a few applications from the Play Store and the phone started acting up again. It rebooted twice on its own then went back to the home screen...odd. Then I noticed the phone tried automatically updating again, just like what originally happened last time. And now its back to the EXACT state it was. And again, attempts at reinstalling 4.1.2 were unsuccessful. Note, I am still able to success download mode.

Anything at all out there??

And please, save the thread a post if you're just going to reiterate something someone else already stated. And still, from what I'm reading here throughout XDA is that I'm now S.O.L. because I can still boot to Download Mode. Thanks in advance.

 

[g_money]

And 6th_Hokage...if I had the links to where I read the many posts stating to try the other versions I'd post them here for you. The posts did reiterate what Samsung had stated regarding being able to attempt flashing multiple versions. BTW, these are all stock Samsung packages I'm using to flash via ODIN.

U do have the posts. On 11/29/13 jdelano reaponded to a very similar post fro u, with this advice...


"You'd only be taking a risk trying to ODIN 4.1.2 (MD4) to your phone at this point. If the 4.3 bootloader made it on, then trying that will totally brick your phone to the point that they have to replace it."

Doesn't matter if they're stock. Flash an older version over a newer version and u might be looking at a paperweight.

Are u running odin as admin?
Did u try different usb ports/cables like bilgerryan said? Personally i only use usb ports off the back of my pc (cause they're hard-wired to the mb).
Did u make sure that the drivers are all installed correctly? Did u try to update them or reinstall them?
Do u have kies on ur pc?
Did u check the md5 if ur download?

Understand ur frustration,but don't be dissing 6th_hokage. Ever. Goes out of his way to help people in the forums...


Sent from my SPH-L710, using Tapatalk 2 Cyan. ND8. Rooted and rom'd with WICKED-X (HELLS YA!)

 

[DirtTrash]

No "dissing",, and thx for your post. Odd how like minds seem to think the same thing.

Yes, running ODIN as Admin
Tried every USB port after I read bilgerryan's post
All drivers are installed correctly on my system
I have tried it with and without KIES on my system
MD5 was checked and verified

Nothing wrong with my computer. Modified ASUS G75VW. And it helps that I'm a Computer/Network Engineer, so all my systems are always in pristine condition and up-to-date.