S3 Crashing. Need some help :)

[nerys71]

I have a Sprint S3. it would not boot. would say samsung then boot logo then music then nothing

I use a one click LJ7 rooted rom from sxtape and odin'd it over.

it boots up now but 2-3 seconds after reaching the main desktop screen it "freezes" solid. it makes noise when I tap the soft keys but won't do anything (its fully functional for the 2-3 seconds before it locks up) after a bit it "reboots" itself.

suggestions?

 

[jdelano]

I have a Sprint S3. it would not boot. would say samsung then boot logo then music then nothing

I use a one click LJ7 rooted rom from sxtape and odin'd it over.

it boots up now but 2-3 seconds after reaching the main desktop screen it "freezes" solid. it makes noise when I tap the soft keys but won't do anything (its fully functional for the 2-3 seconds before it locks up) after a bit it "reboots" itself.

suggestions?

If you can still get into recovery, then try downloading this zip and flashing. (stock md4 return to stock)

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1904099

 

[nerys71]

Downloading now. I can flash this with stock recovery? the phone does not have CWM or TWRP installed....

Recovery starts to do something and said authentication fails or something to that effect and aborts.

so. do I need a custom recovery for this to work?

 

[csmasn]

Downloading now. I can flash this with stock recovery? the phone does not have CWM or TWRP installed....

Recovery starts to do something and said authentication fails or something to that effect and aborts.

so. do I need a custom recovery for this to work?

Yes.

Sent from my SPH-L710

 

[nerys71]

ok how do I get a custom recovery I can odin in download mode since I can't boot the phone "long enough" to do anything meaningful ?

I tried installed twrp but it says same thing. signature verification failed.

suggestions?

I found the tar's trying it now.... I am twrp'd installing the rom you suggested now. will report back what happens.

Intriguing. at first it did not work. it booted. did upgrading I got into the UI swiped and it froze BUT then it changed.

a crash came up. factory test stopped responding! I hit ok and I was active again then it froze again did the same thing. factory test not responding and I hit ok and I was active again and "so far" it has not done it again.

its also strange. it appears to have no lock screen. its on and enabled in settings but when I turn it off then on its at the desktop ui with no lock screen to go through??

very strange.

even stranger I installed an app and play store closed but it installed the app ??

I went to reboot and just pressing and holding the power button shuts down the phone. no menu or anything just shuts down (normal shut down not abrupt except that no menu appeared)

STRANGER still!! I turned it back on and it "froze" twice again with factor test has stopped both times but this time on the second freeze for a split second a box appears. it was dark grey with writing I could not read faster enough but in RED LETTERS at the top of this box it said something about "factory mode"

any ideas?

what is factory mode?

I wonder if this was some sort of odd ball internal test model or something? I am actually surprised the ESN comes back as clean (I bought it to use as a timelapse camera so that don't matter to me)

but because of its non boot and lack of labeling under the battery (no serial/esn label under the battery not ripped just not their)

stranger and stranger. any suggestions on what this factory mode thing might be and how to turn it off or make it function normally ?

 

[nerys71]

Ok I have not fixed the factory mode thing yet.

I found these instructions on another android site.

root. install terminal and run this

su
rm /efs/FactoryApp/keystr
rm /efs/FactoryApp/factorymode
echo -n ON >> /efs/FactoryApp/keystr
echo -n ON >> /efs/FactoryApp/factorymode
chown 1000.1000 /efs/FactoryApp/keystr
chown 1000.1000 /efs/FactoryApp/factorymode
chmod 0744 /efs/FactoryApp/keystr
chmod 0744 /efs/FactoryApp/factorymode
reboot

problem is all those commands say no such file or directory.

so its probably what I need but the wrong file names or whatnot ???

suggestions? something about an "EFS Corruption" and that is why its stuck in factory mode?

OK found more instructions. Still not fixed but getting closer to why at least.

the EFS folder is empty. apparently there is supposed to be something in their? I am guessing the PO tried something hinky and seriously borked it

anyway to restore this or copy it from another phone or something. I understand this has something to do with the phones ability to make calls and use data. I could really care less about that. its going to be a timelapse camera for me not a phone.

I just want out of factory mode