[Q] Softbrick & connection problem

[Yippee38]

I tried searching, but it appears to be broken most of the day today. I did try searching page by page, but didn't get any results.

My brand-new S4 is softbricked apparently. From stock, two night ago, I rooted the phone based on this guide.

I then installed GooManager and installed the TWRP 2.3.6.1 recovery manager. All seemed fine. I was going to install a custom ROM, but decided to back up the phone first. So I booted to recovery and made a backup. I rebooted and all was fine. Then I rebooted to recovery to wipe the phone. I went into the wipe menu and selected Delvik Cache, and a couple more options but I can't remember which. I know I did have USB-OTS (or whatever it is) and that didn't work, so I undid that. I did not have SD Card selected.

The backup appeared to work fine. I rebooted and the phone gets to the "Samsung" screen with the small lock that says, "Custom" under it. That's as far as it gets.

I found this thread to restore the stock. However, when I tried to connect the phone in Odin mode, it will not recognize the phone. The PC recognizes the phone (it makes the noise) and Kies sees the phone, but won't do anything with it. It detects that a phone is connected and tries to identify the device, but can't.

The PC detects my wife's S4 just fine. I'm using the same cable.

BTW, if I try to boot to recovery mode, I get the Samsung lock screen (the same one it hangs up on), then a black screen for a few seconds. Then it goes back to the Samsung lock screen and just sits there. Oh. BTW, the phone does appear to go into download mode just fine. Hitting the Vol Dn button to cancel, does reboot the phone.

So I'm looking for help trying to get Odin to detect the phone. Any suggestions?

 

[Yippee38]

BTW, the phone will enter download mode just fine and the Vol Dn button does work to reboot the phone (though it still locks up during the boot sequence).

 

[Misterjunky]

re: kies

I tried searching, but it appears to be broken most of the day today. I did try searching page by page, but didn't get any results.

My brand-new S4 is softbricked apparently. From stock, two night ago, I rooted the phone based on this guide.

I then installed GooManager and installed the TWRP 2.3.6.1 recovery manager. All seemed fine. I was going to install a custom ROM, but decided to back up the phone first. So I booted to recovery and made a backup. I rebooted and all was fine. Then I rebooted to recovery to wipe the phone. I went into the wipe menu and selected Delvik Cache, and a couple more options but I can't remember which. I know I did have USB-OTS (or whatever it is) and that didn't work, so I undid that. I did not have SD Card selected.

The backup appeared to work fine. I rebooted and the phone gets to the "Samsung" screen with the small lock that says, "Custom" under it. That's as far as it gets.

I found this thread to restore the stock. However, when I tried to connect the phone in Odin mode, it will not recognize the phone. The PC recognizes the phone (it makes the noise) and Kies sees the phone, but won't do anything with it. It detects that a phone is connected and tries to identify the device, but can't.

The PC detects my wife's S4 just fine. I'm using the same cable.

BTW, if I try to boot to recovery mode, I get the Samsung lock screen (the same one it hangs up on), then a black screen for a few seconds. Then it goes back to the Samsung lock screen and just sits there. Oh. BTW, the phone does appear to go into download mode just fine. Hitting the Vol Dn button to cancel, does reboot the phone.

So I'm looking for help trying to get Odin to detect the phone. Any suggestions?

Try opening taskmanager in windows ( run >taskmgr ) and before you plug the phone into
usb on your computer end the KIES process in task manager, Kies should not be running
when you plug the usb from phone to computer.

What I have done a long time ago is to uninstall KIES as well as all the samsung usb drivers,
then I downloaded and installed the official Samsung usb drivers from here: http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/c...ng_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones_v1.5.14.0.exe
after doing that I have never had any more issues with Odin flashing.

Good luck!

 

[Yippee38]

Try opening taskmanager in windows ( run >taskmgr ) and before you plug the phone into
usb on your computer end the KIES process in task manager, Kies should not be running
when you plug the usb from phone to computer.

What I have done a long time ago is to uninstall KIES as well as all the samsung usb drivers,
then I downloaded and installed the official Samsung usb drivers from here: http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/c...ng_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones_v1.5.14.0.exe
after doing that I have never had any more issues with Odin flashing.

Good luck!

Kies is not running in the background. I couldn't get either phone to be recognized by Win7 originally. However, once I uninstalled the driver and Kies, rebooted and re-installed both, I could get Kies and Windows to see the phones. BTW, Linux always sees both phones.

So I'll try your suggestion, and let you know.

 

[Yippee38]

I followed your suggestions. I uninstalled the drivers and Kies. Reboot and install drivers. I connected my phone and Odin didn't see it. I connected my wife's phone and windows did the "new hardware found" thing and installed the drivers. As soon as that was done, Odin recognized her phone. I unplugged her phone and plugged mine in and it doesn't see it.

It's almost like the phone doesn't get far enough into the boot process for the computer to recognize anything. It hasn't booted far enough, or something like that.

 

[Br4nd3n]

What firmwire is it on?

Sent from my SGH-I337 using XDA Premium HD app

 

[Yippee38]

MDL firmware as installed when I bought it (I got lucky).

My Odin is 3 v1.85.

USB drivers are SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones_v1.5.25.0-retail

 

[Br4nd3n]

MDL firmware as installed when I bought it (I got lucky).

My Odin is 3 v1.85.

USB drivers are SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones_v1.5.25.0-retail

And you are sure it didn't self update on it's own to mf3? Your Odin and drivers seem right, however kies/Odin don't support mf3.

Sent from my SGH-I337 using XDA Premium HD app

---------- Post added at 10:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:23 PM ----------

If you're still on MDL and can get into recovery, Mount to usb and throw a ROM onto your internal; or use a sdcard and put it in your phone and flash a new system. Possibility your nandroid is broken, it can happen.

Sent from my SGH-I337 using XDA Premium HD app

 

[Yippee38]

I don't think so. Every time the update message came up, I just hit the home screen button to go away from it. I don't see how it could have.

I was under the impression that it wouldn't update if the phone was rooted, but maybe I'm wrong about that.

I guess, if it did update, I'm completely screwed, right?

 

[Yippee38]

And is there anyway I can find out if it did update?

 

[Venom0642]

I don't think so. Every time the update message came up, I just hit the home screen button to go away from it. I don't see how it could have.

I was under the impression that it wouldn't update if the phone was rooted, but maybe I'm wrong about that.

I guess, if it did update, I'm completely screwed, right?

Only way it won't update to MF3 If you already had a custom rom on it , but if you rooted it while on MDL and didn't flash a custom rom then update will go in automatically!

 

[Yippee38]

Damnit. That sucks.

I guess I'll try the BB restore method. Hopefully, it will work. Thanks for the help all.

 

[Yippee38]

Well, good news and bad news.

The good news is that I've got the phone back to stock MDL!!!! <whew!> The bad news is that I'm an idiot.

Where I screwed up was that when I connected the phone, I had only done the VolDn, Home and Power button into download mode. What I didn't do was hit the VolUp from that screen to actually get into download mode. As soon as I did that, Odin recognized it. I was then able to use this method to reflash it with stock MDL. Now I'm back to stock and with MDL.

Hopefully, this if somebody else forgets this important step, this thread will help them.

Thanks to everybody for the help though! It got my mind thinking the right way to find the solution.

 

[Br4nd3n]

I don't think so. Every time the update message came up, I just hit the home screen button to go away from it. I don't see how it could have.

I was under the impression that it wouldn't update if the phone was rooted, but maybe I'm wrong about that.

I guess, if it did update, I'm completely screwed, right?

You can only stop the update temporarily, in fact just pressing the home screen doesn't stop the process and it'll eventually force update even with the screen off at idle. Just a root won't stop the updating, unless you froze the necessary processes or flashed a different ROM and framework it'll find a way to update.

Sent from my SGH-I337 using XDA Premium HD app

---------- Post added at 12:34 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:32 AM ----------

Good job at getting it back and up! Note make sure it won't update on you.

Sent from my SGH-I337 using XDA Premium HD app

 

[Yippee38]

You can only stop the update temporarily, in fact just pressing the home screen doesn't stop the process and it'll eventually force update even with the screen off at idle. Just a root won't stop the updating, unless you froze the necessary processes or flashed a different ROM and framework it'll find a way to update.

Sent from my SGH-I337 using XDA Premium HD app

I'm very worried about that now. I rooted my wife's phone. She doesn't want a custom ROM. I told her not to update it, but once it does, I have problems. I have to figure out which processes to freeze to prevent the update apparently before it tries to do it itself. At least she knows not to manually update it.

 

[Yippee38]

I found the stuff I needed to do to block the update on my wife's phone. All is good.