Related
Hello, sorry if this has already been answered but I did look around at similar scenarios and it seems to me that using odin to flash the stock kernel should fix it but on my device, however, it doesn't fix my problem. I beleive what I did was select update firmware from .zip in clockwork on accident. Idk if this is what you consider a "boot loop" because it doesnt restart it just sits there at the black galaxy s2 screen. Any insight would be great. I hate to have to buy a new one as it is quite alot of money. Like I said, sorry if this is already answered but after looking around for hours I still hve had no luck. Thanks in advance, Alex
Can you get into recovery (volume up+home+power) or download mode (volume down+home+power)?
I can get in to download and recovery mode both
The outlook is promising then. Without knowing what you've flashed, it's impossible to say what damage you've done, but if you don't mind losing your data, you can certainly get back to a working state by following [READ THIS] Got a Boot Loop? Don't post a New Thread!.
Before going down that route though, if you do want to keep your data, let us know what you flashed as it might be recoverable (maybe you just flashed the wrong kernel).
I can't say for sure what i flashed but I can say that i either flashed with an update or updated with a kernel??? sound right??? idk. the data isnt near as important to me as the 680 dollars my carrier will charge me for a new s2. Right now im using a junk alcatel tribe and im going through galaxy withdrawls.
Well before flashing anything else, make sure you definitely have an I9100, not some other variant (I notice you mentioned dollars). If you have a different model, you're in the wrong forums and might make things worse by following advice for the I9100.
I was pretty sure that it is the I9100 but i took the battery out and double checked. it IS the I9100
also for what it's worth when going into recovery(stock version) right after the text reading updating application it gives me an error in red. (E:install_application_for_customer:Can't unmount /preload copy application failed) and after the (Appling [yes it really spells it appling] Multi-CSC) it says Can't access to '/system/csc/TTT/system/'. However, the line after it says that it says Successfully applied multi-CSC
My first attempt to get back to a working phone without losing data would be to flash a stock kernel then, have you tried that?
Ok.. done.. but it still sits at the galaxy screen except now it has the triange due to the custom firmware
If that hasn't got you up and running then it's probably time to bite the bullet and follow the instructions from the boot loop thread linked above (which will also remove the triangle).
Maybe you can answer another question for me. When in recovery mode it says apply update from sdcard... why does it say that when it doesnt actually read from the sdcard? i have checked with the sdcard both in and out and the file directory in the recovery mode doesnt change. is it calling the usb storage an sd card?
ok when flashing a stock rom do i use the phone option in odin or the pda still
If you're flashing a stock rom from [ROM+Guide]Official i9100 Firmwares KG, KH1/2/3/4, KI1/2/3/4/8, KJ1/2 Download, then just follow the instructions from there (but usually PDA).
:'( Still wont boot.
What does happen, did any steps fail, any error messages?
Everything went smooth with no errors. No steps failed. Sitting at the boot screen is all it does though
Did you definitely wipe user data? (step 3). The final step of that thread is to try flashing a ROM which wipes, such as (non-stock) VillainROM 1.1.
well... yes i definitely wiped the user data and it was successfull when doing so. I didnt try the villian rom just because I thought that it was an optional thing but i will def. try it now that you bring it up. and hey, i really appreciate the help no matter what the outcome
(VillainROM 1.1 - XWKE7 base) I'm a UHKG7..... is this going to be a problem? just something i noticed and thought I would ask before going ahead
A friend of mine sent me his SGS2 which has some strange issue that happened after trying to root and/or simunlock. (not sure what caused this issue).
The phone has stock rom (Telcel Mexico) and is rooted, has CWM and boots properly, but two issues happen:
* Each time your reboot it kind of "factory resets", deleting wifi networks, apps, settings, etc.
* If you flash anything, it succeeds apparently but after rebooting it's still on the same ROM/kernel versions it was before flashing. NO ERRORS. This applies for Odin, with CWM, I have tried installing CM7 and CM9 roms (downloaded 2-3 times) and all say "Can't open /sdcard............./....zip (bad)"
I was hoping that following this thread would help:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1457458
However, even flashing the bootloader makes no difference. The count on download mode is stuck on 2 no matter if I install ROMs, kernels, bootloader, etc.
Edit: what's even wirder, I put my microSD card in the phone and it formatted it and replaced my content with my friend's last snapshot. How can such a thing happen? It's as if the phone was locked into some strange "restore" mode...
What can I do with this? I feel kind of stuck with this situation... Have not found any information so far...
Regards
there was similar thread some time ago, it seemedvthat I think the whole system was read only, I'll try to search a bit for that
EDIT: I could't find it but try to mount system and data and stuff in cwm and then tey to flash aome rom, then unmount (I'm not pro but this is what I would try)
Sent from my sgs2 running cm9
Well,
I think the FS mounting issue would work with cwm installable roms, but if I have reinstalled everything from odin, even the bootloader, isn't it strange in that way? I also don't understand why rebooting the phone even rewrites an SD card.
Even the counter on the download mode is stuck on 2, no matter how many times I flash a kernel, rom, bootloader. Odin always reports a successfull upload...
Yep, thag sd card thingy is pretty weird and I have no ide what's causing that.
Sent from my sgs2 running cm9
Well,
I have researched a bit more and found this for the Nexus S:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=993403
This phone has exactly the same symptoms, but as the yellow triangle is on and it always boots into a rooted version, I would like to see if I can do anything so the phone can be sent back for warranty...
Any thoughts?
If you can .
Clean Slate for those that balls up the firmware .Or need to return to service or decide if its hardware/firmware problem .
Backup data first if phone is working .
Boot CWM recovery
Mounts and Storage
Format cache data system sd card .
Remove battery
Boot to download mode
Open Odin
Install correct stock firmware .
Still problems use usb jig to set rom counter to zero .
Return to service centre .
Well,
Have tried everything, but no success. This is really weird, it's as if the whole phone had a backup and restores to this point on every reboot including sd card. Every odin flash comes out as "succeed", but nothing changes.
Will try to build a usb jig and test if it at least gets rid of the yellow triangle. I also can't flash anything via CWM as somehow the memory is "locked"... An external SD card is overwritten if inserted...
Regards
Hello all,
I have tried many things before asking for help, but nothing worked so far.
Here is the story:
I was on ICS 4.0.4, with default ROM coming from carrier.
I wanted to install CM9.1,
spent countless hours doing all backup and reading tutorial.
Tried finally yesterday and it was stuck doing "wiping data". Left it for 20min+ and nothing.
After restarting it, it is now stuck on the boot logo.
I couldn't enter anymore CWM or stock recovery (up+home+power), but could enter Download mode.
So I tried a couple of things I have read on the forum, like installing Siyah-s2-v5.0.1.tar through Odin 3.04 but I still cannot enter recovery mode.
I've read (too late) about the mmc brick bug (couldn't find anyone speaking about it in any tutorial until I reached this point... nothing on CM wiki or in other tuto... classic!).
I hope I'm not in this case though as I can still go to DL mode, and the phones having the brick bug are completely dead (blank screen or no DL mode), as per http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1756242
I managed to finally get CWM working only by using GT-I9100_ICS_ClockworkMod-Recovery_5.5.0.4.tar from Odin, then tried to install CM9.1 from SD card but after reboot it is stuck on the blue cyanogenmod animation boot screen and nothing happens.
Tried also to restore from CWM my nandroid backup, but during the restore it seems to hang then restart by itself, and then I'm back to Galaxy S boot logo (the animated one with the big S).
And after this I have lost again access to recovery mode.
I can't go back to stock and I can't install CM... I was not expecting such issues, it all seemed pretty basic on paper.
I'm really stressed and don't know what to do
Flash a stock rom in Odin (download mode), re-root your phone/flash a kernel with CWM, restore your backup ?
Hi,
thanks for answering,
I have tried to locate such a rom, but I'm not sure which one... is there a specific one to try ? could you point me to it please ?
so far I have tried I9100XXLPQ_I9100OXALPQ_I9100XXLPQ_HOME.tar.md5
but no luck
you also say "re-root", at the time I used this method:
[GUIDE] ROOT/UNROOT Stock ICS Firmware without flashing unsecure kernel - xda-developers
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1501719
Do I need root to install Siyah kernel from Odin ?
I'm trying one from sammobile... let's hope :/
The bad thing is I had no Yellow triangle at the beginning since I'm stuck in this boot loop or no boot to be precise.
Now that I have tried different things to fix it, it is still not working and I have my flash counter = 10.
I cannot even go back to the shop, is there a way to reset it knowing I cannot even reach the OS, I have only DL mode or CWM...
Use a stock rom for your region/carrier (or any stock rom from any region really), it doesn't really matter as I presume you'll be restoring a backup and/or going back to a custom rom anyway won't you ?
Samfirmware & AndroidFirmwares.net have lots of stock roms.
No, you don't need root to flash an Odin version of Siyah. So yes, you can flash that after you've got stock up & running to root your phone rather than re-rooting your phone by flashing a CFRoot kernel or using another root method. Just make sure the version of Siyah you're going to flash matches up with the stock rom you've got on (I.E if you flash a GB stock rom use GB Siyah, ICS stock = use ICS Siyah, etc, etc).
thank you again, I'm downloading the rom from sammobile matching my carrier,
Would you be so kind to send me a PM with your skype username or anything to "chat" with you ? I'm really worried and I spent all night already trying to fix it with no progress at all
Don't worry about the flash counter. That's the least of your problems while your phone is borked Worry about it when it's fixed. There's nothing you can do about the triangle while your phone is cactus.
When you've got it up & running again, use Triangle Away.
But first things first.
---------- Post added at 04:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:59 AM ----------
You're welcome.
Um, no. Absolutely not. Nothing personal, but if I did that for every person who's asked me for 'hands on' help since I've been here, I'd have spent my time doing nothing else. I don't do 'personal' with people from XDA (which is why I have PM's blocked except for mods).
Besides, you're going to learn much more fixing this yourself. I've given you a stack of information thus far, ball is in your court. Every answer to every question you could possibly ask is on this site. It just sometimes takes a bit of work/reading on your part to find it.
megosu said:
thank you again, I'm downloading the rom from sammobile matching my carrier,
Would you be so kind to send me a PM with your skype username or anything to "chat" with you ? I'm really worried and I spent all night already trying to fix it with no progress at all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok I understand.. it is just I have literally spent more than 8 hours on it and had not make any progress at all (even worse I cannot return it to the shop because of the yellow triangle).
I appreciate your help, it gives me a bit of hope but I'm in a very bad situation and I feel I have read and do so much already with no success at all.
I will try your option of restoring the one from Sammobile, I have tried other before without any luck, maybe this one will do... (5min left to DL it).
thanks again for your support
I know where you're coming from. The first flash I tried when I got my phone in 2011 borked because I was careless, and it took me a bit over a day to get the right info/files/etc to get it fixed. I know it's frustrating/tiring/annoying & you're wondering at the start whether you can even fix it. But as long as you've got download mode 99 times out of 100 you can save it.
And as I said, it's good experience; once you've fixed it, you'll be able to handle anything that comes up in future
Let us know how you go. I'm going to bed shortly, but I'm sure someone else will step up & help if you have any further problems.
You're welcome Happy to point you in the right direction.
I have flashed the rom, the exact same one as I had before everything happened...
if it helps, I flashed it from Odin 3.04 as PDA.
I9100BVLPH_I9100TMULPH_I9100BVLPE_HOME.tar.md5
I'm now back to the Samsung GALAXY S2 GT-I9100 logo and nothing happens.
I cannot use recovery mode,
I can use DL mode (it shows 11 counts and current binary as Samsung official.)
update:
I left the phone on the first logo for about 5min and it moved to the next Samsung Galaxy S2 logo, with the big animated S.
I'm waiting but nothing else is happening.
I'm still desperate to fix it.
One thing which can be relevant, whenever I try to wipe or format /data from CWM, my phone is restarting after a few minutes or is saying it cannot be done.
I can format /cache and /system.
Could it be the root cause ? Any way of fixing it ?
Thank you
update: I cannot mount /data from CWM, it says Error mounting /data!
is it the brick bug ? :|
Easy now....your device is still good.
Those animations should take like 1-2 mins when you flash a rom.
Now, you are completly sure that you are actually flashing the right ROM for your device model?
If so, just keep flashing stock roms until you're up and running again, so you can start from scrap.
I tried, the issue is as soon as I flash a stock rom (through Odin), then I can't get into stock recovery mode anymore, I have to flash GT-I9100_ICS_ClockworkMod-Recovery_5.5.0.4.tar to get back the recovery mode.
I tried to flash several times, I think it is down to the fact I cannot mount or format /data.
Which is why I'm wondering if it is the famous brick bug.
My device is GT-I9100 and I took the stock rom from sammobile:
I9100BVLPH_I9100TMULPH_I9100BVLPE_HOME.tar.md5 which is ICS 4.0.4 (that I had before trying to move to CM9.1 and having all this mess in my hands.)
flash this:
http://www.sammobile.com/2012/11/15/i9100xxlsj-%E2%80%93-galaxy-s-ii-android-4-1-2-jelly-bean-test-firmware/.
you are on siyah kernel right?
what you wanna do know is to get to whatever rom your flashing, forget about cmw for now.
this also might help:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1457458
So it is not lost yet ? Not the brick bug ?
just to be sure:
you want me to install through Odin: Siyah-s2-v5.0.1-CWM.zip
then going back to DL mode
I flash through Odin: I9100XXLSJ_I9100OXXLS1_OXX.zip (coming from your link).
anything I'm missing (even if it seems obvious, please let me know as I'm maybe missing something important)
?
I still cannot do Factory reset... is it a problem ?
I dunno what kernel you are using, If stock 4.0.4 kernel you should flash siyah first (safe kernel, no brick bug), and then countinue flashing the ROM. Check out the brick bug thread in general SII forum for directions if you want.
BTW, Odin recognizes your phone right? Check it out, you'll get a huge long breath.
BTW 2: you don't have any kies applications running in your pc.....am I right? if so, CLOSE THEM ALL!
I did had stock 4.0.4 kernel when I first tried to follow CM9.1 wiki, and I did a factory reset through CWM... which is why I think I might have bricked it...
I have checked the brick bug thread (too late it seems...) but so far I can't be sure if I'm in this case or not as they say they can't even reach DL mode, and I can.
Odin recognizes my phone, yes, but anything I flash is stuck on the animated logo.
I do not have Kies installed, just installed the drivers.
New here. (also apologies for probable duplicate topic)
I've rooted a phone in the past with no problem. This time round was with an S2, and I flashed an insecure kernel on it, got a green pass on Odin however it's now stuck on the boot screen with the yellow triangle.
I can access recovery mode and download mode but it will never boot properly, always stuck on the yellow triangle. What's the best course of action from here?
Need a lot of help with this guys as I'd rather not have a bricked phone ><
ikradex said:
New here. (also apologies for probable duplicate topic)
I've rooted a phone in the past with no problem. This time round was with an S2, and I flashed an insecure kernel on it, got a green pass on Odin however it's now stuck on the boot screen with the yellow triangle.
I can access recovery mode and download mode but it will never boot properly, always stuck on the yellow triangle. What's the best course of action from here?
Need a lot of help with this guys as I'd rather not have a bricked phone ><
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously dude? Use some common sense please and give relevant information on what you have. What model/variant do you have, rom are you on, what kernel have you flashed?
How do you expect anybody to be able to help you if you dont give such basic info???
Are you sure the kernel supports the rom/version you have installed?
ikradex said:
New here. (also apologies for probable duplicate topic)
I've rooted a phone in the past with no problem. This time round was with an S2, and I flashed an insecure kernel on it, got a green pass on Odin however it's now stuck on the boot screen with the yellow triangle.
I can access recovery mode and download mode but it will never boot properly, always stuck on the yellow triangle. What's the best course of action from here?
Need a lot of help with this guys as I'd rather not have a bricked phone ><
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe because you wiped all data....so...there's no ROM to boot up to.
Try flashing one via Odin
gastonw said:
Maybe because you wiped all data....so...there's no ROM to boot up to.
Try flashing one via Odin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wiping data doesnt wipe rom , It just wipes appdata, ie settings etc. All that happens is a factory reset so when you next boot its back to default. For example you would need to re-enter google account and re-install apss either manually or from a backup.
You can only wipe rom by formatting system partition.
TheATHEiST said:
Wiping data doesnt wipe rom , It just wipes appdata, ie settings etc. All that happens is a factory reset so when you next boot its back to default. For example you would need to re-enter google account and re-install apss either manually or from a backup.
You can only wipe rom by formatting system partition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thought you had me in ignore.
So there's no way you can wipe your OS via recovery? Good to know that, it's like ROM over ROM then. The new one clears the old one.
gastonw said:
Thought you had me in ignore.
So there's no way you can wipe your OS via recovery? Good to know that, it's like ROM over ROM then. The new one clears the old one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did have you on ignore but I still see little boxes saying this comment has been ignored etc which was actually more annoying so I removed ignore.
Yes you can wipe OS via recovery but only by formatting system/deleting partition etc. All the "wipe" options do is remove files that have been created by rom like app settings/cache etc.
Your confusion was probably also the reason why you made a big thing in a previous topic about you trying to avoid wiping data, because you thought it wiped rom? :silly:
Wiping data/factory reset in cwm is one of the best ways to get rid of system issues, Its basically like doing a clean install of Windows on a PC. After you have wiped you can simply restore your needed apps from a backup using Titanium Backup. Other things like sms/mms etc can be also backed up easily and contacts will be synced via Google account.
TheATHEiST said:
I did have you on ignore but I still see little boxes saying this comment has been ignored etc which was actually more annoying so I removed ignore.
Yes you can wipe OS via recovery but only by formatting system/deleting partition etc. All the "wipe" options do is remove files that have been created by rom like app settings/cache etc.
Your confusion was probably also the reason why you made a big thing in a previous topic about you trying to avoid wiping data, because you thought it wiped rom? :silly:
Wiping data/factory reset in cwm is one of the best ways to get rid of system issues, Its basically like doing a clean install of Windows on a PC. After you have wiped you can simply restore your needed apps from a backup using Titanium Backup. Other things like sms/mms etc can be also backed up easily and contacts will be synced via Google account.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hum...okay.
I actually know what Factory Reset does, I mean..."factory"..."reset", kinda......gives it away.
And yes, it made sense to me that you could wipe the ROM you are on before installing a new one, just like the format c:/s days in win98.
You learn something every day, speaking of which, how come no one recommends noobs to root their device with exynos abuse? It's because they're noobs and wouldn't be able to handle/understand the exploit?
I still don't do factory resets because I don't need to, and I avoid needing to perform it.
TheATHEiST said:
Seriously dude? Use some common sense please and give relevant information on what you have. What model/variant do you have, rom are you on, what kernel have you flashed?
How do you expect anybody to be able to help you if you dont give such basic info???
Are you sure the kernel supports the rom/version you have installed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply Figured if someone was willing to help me I'd give them the information they wanted.
Have Samsung Galaxy S II (GT-I9100) (couldn't tell you what "variant" it is). I was following this guide. It told me to get an insecure kernel from here. The guide said it didn't really matter which kernel I picked so I picked the first one (GT-I9100_BGKF5_insecure) and used Odin to flash it. Got a green pass and the phone began reboot but it's now stuck on the yellow triangle (the warning message that you've flashed an insecure kernel).
I couldn't tell whether there would be compatibility issues as the thread just seems to be one big list of kernels and nothing else. AFAIK the phone was running ICS.
Looking at the replies, I keep seeing factory reset. Is that a liable option to restore my phone back to its original state. I don't care as long the phone works again. If not can someone run through how to fix my predicament I heard if I can access download and recovery mode I should be able to fix it.
ikradex said:
Thanks for the reply Figured if someone was willing to help me I'd give them the information they wanted.
Have Samsung Galaxy S II (GT-I9100) (couldn't tell you what "variant" it is). I was following this guide. It told me to get an insecure kernel from here. The guide said it didn't really matter which kernel I picked so I picked the first one (GT-I9100_BGKF5_insecure) and used Odin to flash it. Got a green pass and the phone began reboot but it's now stuck on the yellow triangle (the warning message that you've flashed an insecure kernel).
I couldn't tell whether there would be compatibility issues as the thread just seems to be one big list of kernels and nothing else. AFAIK the phone was running ICS.
Looking at the replies, I keep seeing factory reset. Is that a liable option to restore my phone back to its original state. I don't care as long the phone works again. If not can someone run through how to fix my predicament I heard if I can access download and recovery mode I should be able to fix it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course, you're not bricked yet.
Before trying your back up, why don't you flash a stock ROM via odin and take a long breath?
This is JB leak.
These are ICS, look for 4.0.3 unbranded.
gastonw said:
Of course, you're not bricked yet.
Before trying your back up, why don't you flash a stock ROM via odin and take a long breath?
This is JB leak.
These are ICS, look for 4.0.3 unbranded.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know this is leading onto another thread but my phone now is having trouble connecting to my computer. Keep getting "USB not recognized" error. Installed/Uninstalled kies & drivers then installed drivers again alone and still won't recognize it
Tried another usb port? another pc/laptop? sure kies is not running in background? reinstalled kies?
Don't worry, your pc WILL see your device.
Sent from the little guy
[Q][GT-I9100M Virgin/Bell] Can't Unbrick, always "Complete(Write) operation failed"
Hey everyone, thanks for taking the time to look at this and potentially help me with this issue. I'm pretty new to all of this, so I'm hoping for a little guidance in my moment of need!
First off, I'd like to say that I have tried just about every solution offered on this wonderful site and all to no avail... I currently own a SOFT-bricked (CAN open download mode, CAN'T open recovery mode) Samsung Galaxy S II (model number GT-I9100M) and have had no success in unbricking it. From what I gather (please correct me if any of this is incorrect) I need to flash the stock kernel for my phone, which should be the UGKG2 version that I have already downloaded and tried to flash. The issue I am having right now is that every time I try to flash using Odin3 v1.85 (KIES doesn't recognize my phone at this stage) I get the error "Complete(Write) operation failed." It doesn't matter what I attempt to flash, I always get this error and am told that the flash has FAILED.
The custom binary counter on my phone is up to 7 attempts now, and still no working kernel or even a working recovery mode.
A little backlog on how I ended up here, in tldr format:
1. Friend gave me the software-unlocked Virgin Mobile phone. He unlocked it so I could use it with my provider, Telus.
2. I received the JB update and allowed it to patch (unbeknown to me that it would re-lock my phone.)
3. Phone became locked and I didn't have a SIM-Unlock code (nor did I want to buy one...)
4. I attempted to re-root my phone and, long story short, something went wrong (wrong file perhaps). I can't remember what I did at this point, but the end result was that the phone would no longer load. I could only (and still can only) access download mode.
5. After several attempts of correcting my firmware and all that via searching threads, I decided to finally MAKE one so that I might get some direct help.
So now I'm here. As I've said, I have tried basically every solution that I have read about: changing my USB port, reinstalling KIES for my phone drivers, I have removed my SIM-card and Micro-SD, I have researched the firmware I need and am sure that I have the correct one, but ODIN still will not write. I have NOT done anything related to the bootloader or re-partition as I hear that tinkering there could REALLY put me in hot water, though if someone can tell me exactly what needs to be done to them (if anything) then I welcome the information.
Once again, thanks for reading and if you require ANY additional information or screenshots, please reply here and I will respond ASAP!
Do you have Kies installed on the computer you're trying to flash with? If so, ensure it's not running (kill via Task Manager) and try again perhaps... I had that happen to me when I was in the exact same situation as you and it worked for me ...
If not, try rebooting, kill Kies again, and try again. I've also had that work for me (oddly enough)..
@Porkchops: Thanks for the reply! I have tried re-installing KIES (for the Samsung drivers) and restarted my computer to allow for the drivers to finish the installation. After my computer restarts, I place the USB into a different port on the back of my computer and plug my phone into the cord. At this point windows identifies the device and its port, then I kill KIES through task manager (I have tried both killing KIES before and after plugging my phone into the computer, there doesn't seem to be a difference) and then proceed to open Odin. After Odin is open I then make sure only AUTO-REBOOT and F. RESET TIME are checked before proceeding to place the "Kernel_I9100MUGKG2.tar" (which I got from the forums here, cannot remember the link but I will post it when I find it, and yes my phone model is SPECIFICALLY GT-I9100M from Virgin Mobile).
UPDATE:
After Flashing this kernel, I get as far as I have yet (this is the ONLY KERNEL I HAVE FOUND that will PASS in odin, after doing all of these preparations for the flash) and my phone will load to the boot screen with the /!\ yellow triangle. From here, the phone will still not load however and sits at the Boot logo. After waiting over 20 minutes to see if it does anything else, I attempt to enter Recovery mode (Volume Up + Home + Power) and my phone screen changes to a Battery Charging screen with a frozen loading circle on the battery. This is where I am stuck at currently, however I am attempting to charge my phone as I type this to make sure that I am not getting this screen due to an empty battery!
Will post update if anything happens,
Cheers
IVT
Unplug your phone then try to get into recovery mode and do a factory reset. Also worth noting if you get a factory recovery mode or CWM... The S2 is nothing but a pain in the ass when the phone is plugged in and you're trying to turn it on
---------- Post added at 08:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:38 PM ----------
Even if you can only get to recovery (And provided it's not stock recovery) you could always load a ROM onto your SD card (provided you have a micro SD card reader or something available) and install it from CWM/custom recovery ...
Porkchops said:
Unplug your phone then try to get into recovery mode and do a factory reset. Also worth noting if you get a factory recovery mode or CWM... The S2 is nothing but a pain in the ass when the phone is plugged in and you're trying to turn it on
---------- Post added at 08:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:38 PM ----------
Even if you can only get to recovery (And provided it's not stock recovery) you could always load a ROM onto your SD card (provided you have a micro SD card reader or something available) and install it from CWM/custom recovery ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried unplugging my phone and entering Recovery Mode though it still only loads to the Samsung Galaxy S II GT-I9100 boot screen with the yellow /!\ triangle. All attempts to enter recovery mode return me to this screen after the phone resets. I have a SD reader, though seeing as I cannot enter Recovery mode at this point, that wont help me yet (though you have a good point about putting the new ROM on it and installing it on the phone that way.) Any idea on how to re-obtain Recovery mode when I can only load as far as the Boot screen?
Thanks for the replies by they way, I appreciate them all.
EDIT: I've found that when trying to restart the phone while connected to a power source (either a wall socket or my computer's USB port) the phone will NOT load the boot logo, and instead loads the image of the empty battery with the frozen loading circle. Not sure if this information is important, but figure'd I would supply as much info as possible.
IVT
I think your issue might be that your phone is trying to run with a gingerbread kernel and a jelly bean firmware... If the GB kernel was flashed successfully, I would say try flashing a gingerbread firmware and see if you can get that to go.. If that won't work, perhaps try flashing a JB ROM that has a kernel included (the hard part will be finding one that can flash without CWM...
I think at the moment your best bet is to try the mgugk2 firmware though, since you already got the kernel flashed for it, then flash a Cf mgugk2 kernel to get CWM, do a nandroid backup and flash whatever you want through CWM from there
Porkchops said:
I think your issue might be that your phone is trying to run with a gingerbread kernel and a jelly bean firmware... If the GB kernel was flashed successfully, I would say try flashing a gingerbread firmware and see if you can get that to go.. If that won't work, perhaps try flashing a JB ROM that has a kernel included (the hard part will be finding one that can flash without CWM...
I think at the moment your best bet is to try the mgugk2 firmware though, since you already got the kernel flashed for it, then flash a Cf mgugk2 kernel to get CWM, do a nandroid backup and flash whatever you want through CWM from there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion! Right now I have the firmware downloaded, however when I try to flash it through ODIN (I'm going to assume I still need to PDA flash it?) Odin FAILS to write, leaving me in the 100% soft-bricked state once again, not even loading to the boot screen until I re-flash the kernel. Suggestions or maybe links to somewhere here that would have the firmware I can use? Or possibly a link to somewhere that has the Kernel+Firmware AIO?
Thanks again,
IVT
UPDATE: I have successfully flashed CF-Root-SGS2_XX_OXA_KG6-v4.1-CWM4.tar in an effort to get CWM working. Im going to assume that the CF-root doesn't have the firmware packaged with it, as even with this flash I still reach the boot logo (though it DOES flash through Odin successfully.) Which firmware should I flash / How should I flash it, as I must be doing SOMETHING wrong to make every firmware flash fail when done through PDA.
Thanks
That's messed up that it will let you flash kernels without an issue but won't let you flash firmwares... Maybe try re downloading your firmware or run it against the MD5 hash as its possible it may have been corrupted during download. As for firmware, the exact version shouldn't matter as long and you match GB firmware with GB kernel and so on....
Flash siyah v5 and/or v6 from gokhanmoral.com and see if you can get to recovery.
You might wanna flash another ROM, maybe an I9100 JB ROM.
Thanks for the responses.
@Porkchops: Yea tell me about it, I have a feeling its this inability to flash firmware that's giving me the most grief. I have 3 versions of the firmware I need right now, though none of them work. I have tried ICS and JB stock wares, neither to any avail. As of yet the only non-stock / modified software ive been able to flash has been the KG6 CF-Root Kernel, though still no success with ROMs or stock Firmware. Thanks for all of your responses, what would you reccomend I do at this point? Would it be worth looking for an old version of a kernel and an older firmware? (ie should I maybe try to get a GB kernel and firmware running if I cant find a working match of ICS or JB?) Thanks again!
@gastonw: Hey thanks for responding,I dont have a vast knowledge of all this yet so bare with me. Would the Siyah kernel leave me rooted (like the CF-Root Kernels) or would I need to root it after flashing? This wouldnt affect me using it, I just like to know what I'm getting into. Also what ROM would you reccomend pairing with this kernel? Would I simply PDA flash Siyah and PDA flash the ROM after the phone auto-restarts? Thanks again,
Cheers to both of you,
IVT
How long are you pressing the buttons for entering recovery?
Keep volume up + home button + power button pressed for as long as it takes. Mines restarts about three times before entering recovery. If you flashed CF-root succesfully, then you should be able to enter recovery mode.
If that doesn't work, try restoring your phone with plain old Kies. I'm not sure if it works, but give it a shot. Here is the how-to.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1984717
@Lennyz1988: Thanks for the reply. So far I have only tried entering recovery up to two restarts (restarting once with Vol. Up + Home + Power, then doing it again once it restarts) though I have not tried three times like you said worked for you. I will try this when I get home today though and I'll post an update when I test it. As for KIES im a little out of luck using it, as my phone isn't recognized by KIES in its current state (even though I have all of the proper drivers, I guess not having a working firmware is blocking KIES from interaction with the device? Thanks for the suggestion, do you have any idea of being able to recover my phone enough so that KIES will recognize it again? I have tried something similar to the guide you linked but after I selected my device and enter my serial, KIES gives me some error stating that no firmware could be linked to the device I entered? I could have entered it wrong, though I tried about 2 or 3 times with no luck. I will try the exact way the guide explains when I get home today, so thank you for the link and suggestion. Also, thanks for the reply by the way!
Re: [Q][GT-I9100M Virgin/Bell] Can't Unbrick, always "Complete(Write) operation faile
Siyah will get you rooted and will install CWM recovery.
Sent from the little guy
UPDATE: Ok, so my current status today is as follows.
1. I have tried the suggestion of multiple restarts to get into Recovery Mode while the CF-Root kernel is flashed, however the situation did not change and I still only get the boot logo screen with the yellow /!\ triangle. I have tried holding for a total of 5 minutes and nothing happened, same goes for holding the buttons until it restarts, releaseing the buttons, and repressing them to restart again. No change after 10 restarts, but thanks for the suggestions! Any other ideas to share?
2. I have attempted to follow the link provided for recovering through KIES, however when I enter my model and s/n KIES gives me the message "GT-I9100 does not support initalising." I have also tried using my exact model, which is the GT-I9100M and still got the same message, except that it said "GT-I9100M does not support initalising." Not sure if I entered something incorrectly? I make sure that the model number is all capitalized as GT-I9100 and GT-I9100M, and I enter all 11 characters from my S/N (serial number). Have I done this wrong or is there some reason that KIES doesn't support my phone?
3. Currently about to try flashing Siyah and going to see how that works, I will post an update once I get the results.
UPDATE: Ok I have been able to flash Siyah, however I still cannot enter recovery mode. Any suggestions on a ROM to try and flash? As I've said, im using a Samsung Galaxy S II, model GT-I9100M from Virgin Mobile in Canada. Do I need a kernel with UGKG2 support, as that's apparently the proper firmware version that I need for this device?
Once again, many thanks to all of you for your time.
Cheers,
IVT
UPDATE (02/25 4:50pm EST): Still having immense troubles getting recovery mode to boot... I have tried using the following:
KERNEL: CF-Root ; FLASH: Successful ; RECOVERY MODE: Unable to access
KERNEL: Siyah ; FLASH: Successful ; RECOVERY MODE: Unable to access
KERNEL: CWM Recovery ; FLASH: Successful ; RECOVERY MODE: Unable to access (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1118693&highlight=kg2)
Could the issue with flashing ROMs and being unable to enter Recovery Mode both be caused by my phone not being wiped? If so, is there any way to hard-wipe the device without using a recovery manager?
Thanks,
IVT
Alright.
1. Uninstall kies completely.
2. Download the latest version of kies.
3. Install kies and make sure the drivers are selected during the install process.
4. Disable virusscanners
5. Put the device in download mode.
6. Plug the device in a backport usb (not the front). Also try different usb cables. Some work and some don't.
7. Kill all kies processes in the task manager.
8. Download the latest version of Odin. Also keep the 1.85 so you can try both. Make sure you run Odin as an Administrator!
9. Try to flash now.
If it fails, try a different cable. Then try the same procedure on a different pc. If it keeps failing report back.
Btw, I9100M is the same as I9100.
Here is a thread with stock firmwares:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1544487
First try the latest. DONT use .pit or re-partition yet. If that one does not work try this version:
I9100XWLP3
And if that doesn't work, try only flashing CWM recovery. Try first the JB version and if it fails the ICS.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1118693
Re: [Q][GT-I9100M Virgin/Bell] Can't Unbrick, always "Complete(Write) operation faile
Amen to the above.
I, on the other hand, would like you to flash this: http://www.sammobile.com/2012/11/15/i9100xxlsj-–-galaxy-s-ii-android-4-1-2-jelly-bean-test-firmware/
Only CODE, MODEM and CSC.
If the flash is successful, you should be able to pass the boot animation.
Sent from the little guy
Can you post the complete logs from Odin after trying the above? Please use something like http://pastebin.com so the topic won't get filled.
If the above fails then we will try flashing a bootloader and after that we could try using .pit and re-partition.
Re: [Q][GT-I9100M Virgin/Bell] Can't Unbrick, always "Complete(Write) operation faile
I think odin flashes are successful all the time in this case.
Sent from the little guy
Alright guys, thanks for the in depth and excellent suggestions! Currently downloading I9100XXLSJ (I9100XXLSJ_I9100OXXLS1_OXX) from gastonw's suggestion and will post what Odin does in this case. Once its finished downloading I will grab the newest version of firmware from your suggestion Lennyz1988 (have to wait between downloads, both HF mirrors) and will also post what happens when/ if I flash that (in the case that the JB Test firmware fails.)
Before flashing either I will uninstall KIES, reinstall it with drivers, disable all anti-spyware and anti-virus software, use a backport USB, and attempt using both v1.85 and v3.04 of ODIN3. I will also attempt to use all 3 windows-based machines in my house to attempt to flash, as well as trying all 4 of the cables available to me. I'm hoping that by using all of these precautions I will have success eventually.
Also, after I reinstall KIES windows update tries to re-find drivers for my phone too upon connection to my usb port. Should I let windows find the drivers or cancel it? Worst case scenario I could always try with both, letting it finish installing the drivers it finds and rejecting its installation, though I guess the safest bet is to just reject WU from downloading its own.
Well, I apparently have a heap of work ahead of me, with all of these variations to try.
(3 computers) * (4 cables) * (2 odin versions) * (11 total USB ports) = 264 variations to try, not including different firmware attempts! Seems insane, so I'm hoping I don't need to wait until the 263rd (or more) for success. I will post a pastebin of my ODIN logs as I go, so expect regular updates.
Once again, thanks for all of the help everyone. I seriously appreciate your time and input!
Cheers,
IVT
EDIT: I just want to clear up some murky understanding here, but when I flash a kernel do I need to then find a corresponding firmware and flash that afterwards? Or should I be able to get into Recovery Mode with just the kernel? Also when I do flash firmware, do I need the kernel installed BEFORE I flash firmware / ROMs or does it matter what order I do it in (I'm assuming that you need a kernel already flashed before the firmware will even flash at all?) And lastly, do I need a working stock firmware present before I can flash a modified ROM? If anyone has a good link for me to read/ watch an explanation on how modded kernels interact with modded ROMs I would appreciate the extra information (I'm trying to understand if maybe I'm not using compatible kernels and ROMs.)
Thanks everyone!
UPDATES: The following were done in order from top to bottom, meaning that CWM v5 was done first, followed by flashing CWM v5, etc etc... All flashes (unless stated otherwise) were flashed with ONLY [F. Reset Time] and [Auto Reboot] checked!
Kernel: CWM Recovery [ICS - 5.5.0.4]
Odin Version: v3.04
Flash: SUCCESSFUL
Recovery Mode: NO
Download Source: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1118693
Pastebin: http://pastebin.com/MR97fJLz
Kernel: CWM Recovery [JB - 6.0.2.7]
Odin Version: v3.04
Flash: SUCCESSFUL
Recovery Mode: NO
Download Source: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1118693
Pastebin: http://pastebin.com/vGWmdjkc
*NOTE: Upon reset and testing for Recovery access, I have found that after removing/ reinserting my battery and holding Vol.Up + Home + Power the phone will reset and still give me the boot logo with the yellow /!\ triangle, however if I keep the buttons held the screen will flash to black for a second before again returning to the boot logo screen. This will only happen once, and the device will not flash to black again if I keep the buttons held for any extra time. not sure if this is useful, though I am trying to provide any information I can.
Firmware: I9100XXLSJ + CSC + MODEM (provided by gastonw's link)
Odin Version: v.3.04
Flash: FAILED
Recovery Mode: NO
Download Source: http://www.sammobile.com/2012/11/15/i9100xxlsj-–-galaxy-s-ii-android-4-1-2-jelly-bean-test-firmware/
Pastebin: http://pastebin.com/VqTu5GyS
*NOTE: I place CODE_I9100XXLSJ.tar in [PDA], MODEM_I9100XXLS6.tar in [PHONE], and CSC_HOME_OXX_I9100OXXLS1.tar in [CSC].
*NOTE: This was flashed after the CWM Recovery JB version (v6). Not sure if the CWM kernel would affect the flashing of this firmware? Im going to try flashing the beta JB Siyah v6.0b5 (which I know will flash) and then the firmware again to see if there is any change...
UPDATE: After trying to flash the Siyah kernel and then reflash the test firmware above, ODIN still fails.
Here is the pastebin: http://pastebin.com/e4hDW9F7
SEMI-UPDATE: Also, I've noticed that occasionally Odin will lag before failing (sometimes the program stops responding for a moment, but it comes back. Other times it just a looooong time to do anything and then fails.) Sometimes Odin just completely hangs, doesn't stop responding but stays at the "Firmware update start" step.
Besides this little problem, I also notice that I have yet to find a .md5 that will successfully flash. Not sure if its connected to the format or just my usual flashing problem though.
Lastly, the error log for writing .md5 files is as follows (this was I9100XWLP3_I9100O2ULP4_I9100XXLPR_HOME.tar.md5 that was recommended):
Pastebin: http://pastebin.com/AYhxSywi
invalidtarget said:
Alright guys, thanks for the in depth and excellent suggestions! Currently downloading I9100XXLSJ (I9100XXLSJ_I9100OXXLS1_OXX) from gastonw's suggestion and will post what Odin does in this case. Once its finished downloading I will grab the newest version of firmware from your suggestion Lennyz1988 (have to wait between downloads, both HF mirrors) and will also post what happens when/ if I flash that (in the case that the JB Test firmware fails.)
Before flashing either I will uninstall KIES, reinstall it with drivers, disable all anti-spyware and anti-virus software, use a backport USB, and attempt using both v1.85 and v3.04 of ODIN3. I will also attempt to use all 3 windows-based machines in my house to attempt to flash, as well as trying all 4 of the cables available to me. I'm hoping that by using all of these precautions I will have success eventually.
Also, after I reinstall KIES windows update tries to re-find drivers for my phone too upon connection to my usb port. Should I let windows find the drivers or cancel it? Worst case scenario I could always try with both, letting it finish installing the drivers it finds and rejecting its installation, though I guess the safest bet is to just reject WU from downloading its own.
Well, I apparently have a heap of work ahead of me, with all of these variations to try.
(3 computers) * (4 cables) * (2 odin versions) * (11 total USB ports) = 264 variations to try, not including different firmware attempts! Seems insane, so I'm hoping I don't need to wait until the 263rd (or more) for success. I will post a pastebin of my ODIN logs as I go, so expect regular updates.
Once again, thanks for all of the help everyone. I seriously appreciate your time and input!
Cheers,
IVT
EDIT: I just want to clear up some murky understanding here, but when I flash a kernel do I need to then find a corresponding firmware and flash that afterwards? Or should I be able to get into Recovery Mode with just the kernel? Also when I do flash firmware, do I need the kernel installed BEFORE I flash firmware / ROMs or does it matter what order I do it in (I'm assuming that you need a kernel already flashed before the firmware will even flash at all?) And lastly, do I need a working stock firmware present before I can flash a modified ROM? If anyone has a good link for me to read/ watch an explanation on how modded kernels interact with modded ROMs I would appreciate the extra information (I'm trying to understand if maybe I'm not using compatible kernels and ROMs.)
Thanks everyone!
UPDATES: The following were done in order from top to bottom, meaning that CWM v5 was done first, followed by flashing CWM v5, etc etc... All flashes (unless stated otherwise) were flashed with ONLY [F. Reset Time] and [Auto Reboot] checked!
Kernel: CWM Recovery [ICS - 5.5.0.4]
Odin Version: v3.04
Flash: SUCCESSFUL
Recovery Mode: NO
Download Source: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1118693
Pastebin: http://pastebin.com/MR97fJLz
Kernel: CWM Recovery [JB - 6.0.2.7]
Odin Version: v3.04
Flash: SUCCESSFUL
Recovery Mode: NO
Download Source: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1118693
Pastebin: http://pastebin.com/vGWmdjkc
*NOTE: Upon reset and testing for Recovery access, I have found that after removing/ reinserting my battery and holding Vol.Up + Home + Power the phone will reset and still give me the boot logo with the yellow /!\ triangle, however if I keep the buttons held the screen will flash to black for a second before again returning to the boot logo screen. This will only happen once, and the device will not flash to black again if I keep the buttons held for any extra time. not sure if this is useful, though I am trying to provide any information I can.
Firmware: I9100XXLSJ + CSC + MODEM (provided by gastonw's link)
Odin Version: v.3.04
Flash: FAILED
Recovery Mode: NO
Download Source: http://www.sammobile.com/2012/11/15/i9100xxlsj-–-galaxy-s-ii-android-4-1-2-jelly-bean-test-firmware/
Pastebin: http://pastebin.com/VqTu5GyS
*NOTE: I place CODE_I9100XXLSJ.tar in [PDA], MODEM_I9100XXLS6.tar in [PHONE], and CSC_HOME_OXX_I9100OXXLS1.tar in [CSC].
*NOTE: This was flashed after the CWM Recovery JB version (v6). Not sure if the CWM kernel would affect the flashing of this firmware? Im going to try flashing the beta JB Siyah v6.0b5 (which I know will flash) and then the firmware again to see if there is any change...
UPDATE: After trying to flash the Siyah kernel and then reflash the test firmware above, ODIN still fails.
Here is the pastebin: http://pastebin.com/e4hDW9F7
SEMI-UPDATE: Also, I've noticed that occasionally Odin will lag before failing (sometimes the program stops responding for a moment, but it comes back. Other times it just a looooong time to do anything and then fails.) Sometimes Odin just completely hangs, doesn't stop responding but stays at the "Firmware update start" step.
Besides this little problem, I also notice that I have yet to find a .md5 that will successfully flash. Not sure if its connected to the format or just my usual flashing problem though.
Lastly, the error log for writing .md5 files is as follows (this was I9100XWLP3_I9100O2ULP4_I9100XXLPR_HOME.tar.md5 that was recommended):
Pastebin: http://pastebin.com/AYhxSywi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EDIT: I have noticed that basically all firmware and md5s fail at NAND Write. I hear this can be fixed through reinstalling the proper USB Drivers (will attempt to do this, AGAIN...) but can also mean that my NAND Memory is corrupted (a little pessimistic to think down this line, because I'm pretty sure that means my phone is finished...) I doubt its corrupted since I can flash kernels still, but I'm no expert. Any observations, insight, or opinions are welcome.
Thanks,
IVT
Edit: Was just looking around and kind of thought of something. If my NAND Writing is the problem, wouldn't repartitioning my phone offer a potential fix? Could the problem I have with accessing my Recovery be because of the messed up partitions?
Someone give me some feedback on this idea, and if you agree how would I go about doing something? I've heard to generally stay away from PIT and Bootloaders, as they are a little less forgiving than firmware and kernel flashing.