[Q] Noob needs help Galaxy S2 corrupt EFS fix? - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

So I have tried many of the fixes on most of the threads here and not had any luck.
I got a Galaxy S2 with ICS from Buymobilephones.com, about a month later the signal went, no network and no data connection (I had not messed around with anything and had not rooted the phone), I handed it to T-mobile as they were my network provider and the sent it off, screened it and sorted it. Then when I reinstalled my previous backup it lost the signal and had the same problem. So I tried to sort it myself rather than waiting for t-mobile to sort it again as I couldn't wait any longer without a phone, had no luck so handed it in to t-mobile and it turned out they realised I had rooted it and installed custom roms so now they won't touch it.
Also there is no Imei/baseband etc.
Since getting it back I have tried to fix it but to no avail. Could anyone help me or failing that fix it/recommend someone who could fix it me at cost?
Would samsung be able to do this?
Thanks, sorry for being a noob, thank you for any help.
Ask and I will supply any information needed.
P.S I'm based in the UK.
EDIT:
Today I turned the phone on after leaving it for a couple of days and it had the baseband and imei back, which surprised me, I also managed to make one call then the imei and baseband disappeared again after a few moments. I've not read about this happening on any of the threads... the plot thickens.

The Imei and baseband seem to reappear after removing the battery for a day but only for a shot time, it also seems as though the imei is the original one on the phone so maybe my EFS isn't corrupted, anyone have any idea why the imei and baseband would dissapear?

I had that yesterday.Was chamging my modem from nelp3 to ki4 and both mines disappeared.Tried efs restore and that nade no difference.
Restored my nand backup and everythings ok.

So the imei and baseband have stopped coming back now for some reason. I think I may send this back to samsung or send it to MobileTechVideos to get it sorted, do you think my warranty will still be valid with samsung even though Tmobile found out I voided it if I return to stock then used triangleaway to remove the custom count and stuff?
Also can anyone say whether MTV has helped with a lost imei before, the only service states that he can fix a default imei not an unknown one?

You're only going to know if you'll get warranty service or not if you send it in. Despite what many people on here might tell you, there are never any guarantees. Going back to stock & resetting the flash counters make it more likely you will get warranty service, however.
Email him and ask. Or would you like us to do that for you as well ?
grandnoise said:
So the imei and baseband have stopped coming back now for some reason. I think I may send this back to samsung or send it to MobileTechVideos to get it sorted, do you think my warranty will still be valid with samsung even though Tmobile found out I voided it if I return to stock then used triangleaway to remove the custom count and stuff?
Also can anyone say whether MTV has helped with a lost imei before, the only service states that he can fix a default imei not an unknown one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

MistahBungle said:
You're only going to know if you'll get warranty service or not if you send it in. Despite what many people on here might tell you, there are never any guarantees. Going back to stock & resetting the flash counters make it more likely you will get warranty service, however.
Email him and ask. Or would you like us to do that for you as well ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did email a few days ago but I've sent another one today, I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with this problem and MTVs work, thanks anyway though.

Related

[Q]Mobile Network not available

Hey I've been looking through all the other threads for the past few days and nothing has helped. My normal network is orange but a few days ago i believe it was after i flashed neat ROM i couldn't connect to my network i tried a few different sim cards in there but some worked and some didn't, now today i flashed Miui android and the sim cards that used to work don't now.. I've contacted orange and they are sending me a new sim card. I've tried flashing stock ics and gingerbread also stock orange firmware, IMEI is the same as under the battery.
Is it..
Blacklisted?
Hardware?
EFS?
Thanks in advance
Did you try this already?
Yeah, sorry should have said, this was the first thing i tried
Before contacting Orange, Did you try your sim in another phone or try reinstalling Original Orange firmware.
Going from one custom rom to another custom rom because of the problems you were getting, will more than likely create more problems.
From recovery, data/factory reset. advanced wipe delvik cache. Mounts and Storage format system and data.
Use Odin to reinstall latest firmware or the original firmware that came with your phone.
Then make a nandroid backup. Plus backup your EFS.
Once its all working.. Then and only then.. try a custom rom.
Thanks for helping, but that has not worked, i also got my new sim in the post just now and that has not worked either.. :/
cashisback said:
Thanks for helping, but that has not worked, i also got my new sim in the post just now and that has not worked either.. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to hear that. If you have already tried original firmware and your imei is correct then it looks like it may have to go in for service.
Dont forget to use triangle away if your still on ICS to remove any binary counts or use USB jig with old bootloader. Then flash your original firmware back to your phone before sending it in though.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
bored_stupid said:
Sorry to hear that. If you have already tried original firmware and your imei is correct then it looks like it may have to go in for service.
Dont forget to use triangle away if your still on ICS to remove any binary counts or use USB jig with old bootloader. Then flash your original firmware back to your phone before sending it in though.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will not surrender yet! :L yeah i phoned orange again and they said my IMEI is blacklisted then said to phone t mobile and they said the same but to phone the place i bought it. thanks for your help though guys. hopefully they will unblock the IMEI or i reckon a refund is at hand!
cashisback said:
Hey I've been looking through all the other threads for the past few days and nothing has helped. My normal network is orange but a few days ago i believe it was after i flashed neat ROM i couldn't connect to my network i tried a few different sim cards in there but some worked and some didn't, now today i flashed Miui android and the sim cards that used to work don't now.. I've contacted orange and they are sending me a new sim card. I've tried flashing stock ics and gingerbread also stock orange firmware, IMEI is the same as under the battery.
Is it..
Blacklisted?
Hardware?
EFS?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Blacklisted surely Orange would have told you .
EFA unlikely if you have correct IMEI you can always restore your backed up EFS folder .
Hardware possible but as you have messed with roms my guess would be you have wrong CSC and not entered network settings manually .
jje
cashisback said:
yeah i phoned orange again and they said my IMEI is blacklisted then said to phone t mobile and they said the same but to phone the place i bought it. thanks for your help though guys. hopefully they will unblock the IMEI or i reckon a refund is at hand!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you already had an idea that the IMEI was blocked from your first post. Sugesting that you have a fair idea that it was stolen. If not, I hope you get your money back. If on the other hand you knew!!, I and I imagine all the other members of this site wil help you no further. And I hope you get what you deserve!!!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
If it was stolen it wasn't my fault it was CEX's fault for selling it to me, i reckon someone sold it to CEX either to claim insurance or it was stolen and then sold to CEX then me. I would rather get the IMEI unblocked instead of a refund do you know if they have the power to do that?
cashisback said:
If it was stolen it wasn't my fault it was CEX's fault for selling it to me, i reckon someone sold it to CEX either to claim insurance or it was stolen and then sold to CEX then me. I would rather get the IMEI unblocked instead of a refund do you know if they have the power to do that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No they will not have the power to do that," that would make it a criminal offence, if it already is'nt ". Take your receipt back to the shop along with the phone and demand your money back.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
bored_stupid said:
No they will not have the power to do that," that would make it a criminal offence, if it already is'nt ". Take your receipt back to the shop along with the phone and demand your money back.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, thank you, will do, if i get money i may just have to invest in the GS3 in a couple of days. thank you for your help

IMEI gone with no backup

So, a sad and dumb tale. I rooted my phone and through the process have erased my nv_data.bin and subsequent files from the efs folder. I was dumb enough to have not created a backup of the folder before losing these files. My IMEI is now a 0/1. Now I've searched all over for a solution but there apparently have been some people claiming it can be solved but noone has ever posted a guide to how to do this. Skeptical over a fix existing for this problem, i have called in to my carrier and claimed i would like to exchange phones citing that my current S3 is getting very slow. As my device is within the return time, it was accepted. However, if a fix is possible i would like to cancel the work order and keep my current one.
So, my 2 questions are basically this;
can anyone tell me if this problem is fixable, and if so, tell me how .
secondly, i have heard of people with the same problem returning their devices for new ones. I would like to know what was the carriers return policy and if they ever called back when they found your phone had no IMEI.
Unfortunately it doesn't look like there's currently a fix, did you only root it or did you root then flash stuff as well? as far as I've heard just rooting shouldn't have made you lose the IMEI, but I'm no expert.
---------- Post added at 09:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:09 PM ----------
you could try this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1308546
or search hc ktool in play store to see if either of those methods work, but since it's already corrupt it probably wont....hope it works!
As far as for returning, is your flash counter 0? if not and you un-root the phone theres really no way for them to know you messed with it and they won't care about anything and will replace it.
i didnt flash anything i dont think. i installed supersu using cwm...
so does anyone have any stories about returning their phones with broken IMEI's?
xalinhoe said:
So, a sad and dumb tale. I rooted my phone and through the process have erased my nv_data.bin and subsequent files from the efs folder. I was dumb enough to have not created a backup of the folder before losing these files. My IMEI is now a 0/1. Now I've searched all over for a solution but there apparently have been some people claiming it can be solved but noone has ever posted a guide to how to do this. Skeptical over a fix existing for this problem, i have called in to my carrier and claimed i would like to exchange phones citing that my current S3 is getting very slow. As my device is within the return time, it was accepted. However, if a fix is possible i would like to cancel the work order and keep my current one.
So, my 2 questions are basically this;
can anyone tell me if this problem is fixable, and if so, tell me how .
secondly, i have heard of people with the same problem returning their devices for new ones. I would like to know what was the carriers return policy and if they ever called back when they found your phone had no IMEI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read about someone who did this on the AOKP thread over on rootzwiki. He said he unrroted & returned it for another no problem, he had T mobile.
My dumb ass question for the day is this. What does it effect when your IMEI is erased? Does the phone still work or is it not reading the sim? I'm very gun shy to flash anything else until someone can figure out what is causing this issue...
im with a canadian carrier. virgin mobile. a subsidiary under bell mobile. so hopefully its similar case.
the imei is the number that the carriers recognize in order for them to allow u into their services. without a confirmed imei number on their network, u cannot call, text, or anything related to the mobile network. the phone still functions fine.
xalinhoe said:
im with a canadian carrier. virgin mobile. a subsidiary under bell mobile. so hopefully its similar case.
the imei is the number that the carriers recognize in order for them to allow u into their services. without a confirmed imei number on their network, u cannot call, text, or anything related to the mobile network. the phone still functions fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ouch... That's pretty much what I figured :-( I just backed mine up to my external sd card.
androholic said:
Ouch... That's pretty much what I figured :-( I just backed mine up to my external sd card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its an ongoing issue so far happening with att and tmobile sgs 3s( http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=28710945. backing up the /efs folder wont be of any help either if you do lose your imei as the lte sgs 3s are missing nv_data.bin in the /efs partition which contains the imei number.
something really weird happened today. I bring my IMEI broken phone around with me jus for music. but today randomly i got a bunch of texts, voicemail, and missed calls since the time my IMEI broke down. that must mean i regained access back to the mobile network somehow. when i rechecked in an hour. i did not have mobile network connectivity and my IMEI was set a 0/01 again.
maybe someone knows wth that was?
Out of curiosity, what partition does the efs folder live on? A factory reset or downloading the firmware from samsung-updates.com and flashing through Odin won't work. Forgive the ignorance. I just want to know if this applies to all S3's.
Sent from my DROIDX using xda app-developers app
oddly enough. even though i have my imei is 0/01, i randomly get connectivity to the mobiles network on occasions. this has happened a couple of times now. i received a bunch of texts and calls, and then service is gone again.
any possible explanations?
The imei number isn't in the normal efs folder. I believe some very bright devs are looking into finding it, but for now there is no way to backup the imei.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
xalinhoe said:
oddly enough. even though i have my imei is 0/01, i randomly get connectivity to the mobiles network on occasions. this has happened a couple of times now. i received a bunch of texts and calls, and then service is gone again.
any possible explanations?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i get data only edge and ran make and recieve text and calls
Believe it or not you can return it and play dumb and it will probably work
sent from my GSlll iphone killer
deeznutz1977 said:
i get data only edge and ran make and recieve text and calls
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This happend to me too. My IMEI read 0 /02. Good thing I was still within the 14 day return policy. I'm not doing any modding til this IMEI mess is resolved.
Yes, this did happen to me. My IMEI = 0 and my IMEISV= 02. All works fine except data and I'm stuck on Edge. I visited two T-Mobile stores today and they were baffled, but strangely neither bothered to look at the IMEI nor for the tripped counter. I purchased my phone on 6.21.12 and will be receiving my new phone tomorrow. I'm really wanting to get back to CM9/10, but think I will now wait until there is a backup/restore for the IMEI...or, I will not use Odin and trip my counter...that is what I'm most worried about.
I have yet to see any Verizon customers with this issue, nor do I seem to have an nv_data.bin file in /efs. I did have an IMEI folder, however.
Which recovery did you guys use that lost imei. If cwm...which one?
cwalker0906 said:
Which recovery did you guys use that lost imei. If cwm...which one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not recoverable at this point. :banghead:
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
google'd all over, guess there's no solution yet =(
djricekcn said:
google'd all over, guess there's no solution yet =(
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not yet, but being worked on...I'll bet a fix will be out soon!
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

[Q] no service after samsung s3 firmware update

Hi, I have a stock samsung galaxy s3 phone and i heard google now is an amazing feature so i was tempted to upgrade to jelly bean and i used odin to flash my s3 with jelly bean available on sammobile but it came up without network service.
i then tried to flash it to stock firmware but after repeated attemps i could not get network service. tired and without sleep i finally handed it to samsung service centre. Now, i would like to know why this happened and will it get fixed or have i permanently broken something??
It may be modem related. I think you maybe rushed things sending it back to Samsung.
Did you happen to lose your IMEI in the process? An EFS corruption is another possibility, next time make sure to have a proper backup for it.
Anyway, generally speaking, if the phone is able to boot into download mode (and you made the proper backups) you are not totally screwed.
VulguM said:
It may be modem related. I think you maybe rushed things sending it back to Samsung.
Did you happen to lose your IMEI in the process? An EFS corruption is another possibility, next time make sure to have a proper backup for it.
Anyway, generally speaking, if the phone is able to boot into download mode (and you made the proper backups) you are not totally screwed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Phew, thank you thank you thank you for your reply. i heard someone say to me it might be an EFS corruption. probably i did rush into sending it to samsung but i was so nervous and stupid and tired...hoping to get back my phone soon. they take ages to fix anything and service is so bad. nobody picks the phone. no timelines...nothing. Oh by the way i did not make any backups. I just want the phone working again and i dont mind installing all things all over. so is it screwed without a backup?
seedheart said:
Phew, thank you thank you thank you for your reply. i heard someone say to me it might be an EFS corruption. probably i did rush into sending it to samsung but i was so nervous and stupid and tired...hoping to get back my phone soon. they take ages to fix anything and service is so bad. nobody picks the phone. no timelines...nothing. Oh by the way i did not make any backups. I just want the phone working again and i dont mind installing all things all over. so is it screwed without a backup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they just called that the phone is ready. i will go now and see what they have done with it.
Ops always ask xda users first before you take another step which you think is impossible.
Sent from my GT-I9300
hero000 said:
Ops always ask xda users first before you take another step which you think is impossible.
Sent from my GT-I9300
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, i will do that next time. will post soon what they have done with my phone
seedheart said:
Yes, i will do that next time. will post soon what they have done with my phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just wondering was the phone rooted and did they cover warranty or did you have to pay for the repair? Just wondering exactly where service centers actually stand (not what the book says)
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
delsus said:
I'm just wondering was the phone rooted and did they cover warranty or did you have to pay for the repair? Just wondering exactly where service centers actually stand (not what the book says)
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I paid $45 for the repair. got the phone back but its not doing voice calls on network. just data. Need to go back to samsung but what do you think has happened?
IMEI blocked
seedheart said:
I paid $45 for the repair. got the phone back but its not doing voice calls on network. just data. Need to go back to samsung but what do you think has happened?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My phone is now blocked by vodafone. IMEI blocked. They wont tell why. Now what do i do?
Check if the imei (dial *#06#) is the same one as on the box or under the battery.
If not and it's not 49.... then the repair shop transplanted a imei from another device which is illegal and can bring both of you in lots of trouble. If it's 49... then the imei is a default one and it's not repaired.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
d4fseeker said:
Check if the imei (dial *#06#) is the same one as on the box or under the battery.
If not and it's not 49.... then the repair shop transplanted a imei from another device which is illegal and can bring both of you in lots of trouble. If it's 49... then the imei is a default one and it's not repaired.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They said there was a problem with mainboard and they replaced it. Then the GT-I9300 became a GT-I9300 T.
Help!! Anyone...someone...
If it became a i9300T then they have replaced it with an incorrect MB - probably not a biggie as it is the Telstra variant.
I would take it back to them. Tell them they have used the wrong MB AND it isn't working. Handing you back a phone which will not connect requires a pretty good explanation as to why they consider it fixed.
Did you check the IMEI as d4fseeker mentioned? What do you have in there? If Voda have blocked you it is likely they have used an incorrect IMEI when 'fixing' your phone so when you go in act all scared about possible legal problems and if they get sticky tell them you will have to go to the police to let them know because you don't want to get arrested for stealing your own phone.
I'm no expert here, but from what I have read so far I think they have placed you in a very good position - were you to get nasty they'd be in serious trouble, with the law as well as Samsung (if they are an authorised repairer.
Download Lyriquidperfection's EFS Pro and make an EFS backup so you have the evidence, maybe make a nandroid backup as well, then go back, indignation firmly in hand and tell them they didn't fix your phone, and, also, they seem to have used an ilegal IMEI etc.
Of course, if your IMEI is still the same, maybe they've done something else. I'm not sure how they'd do it but maybe if they replaced the MB then somehow put your original IMEI back I'm pretty sure that would show at Voda as being an incorrect IMEI.
Hope that helps...
seedheart said:
Help!! Anyone...someone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I'm reading is driving me mad.... this happened to me... I have the S3 GT-i9300 and while updraging I had the very same problem. Im on the 3network and when the install was done after 3 times with no network I got worried all I did to rectifie this was to start from scratch wipe cash and wipe the dalvik cash you will now lose evrything unless you did a backup using TB and backing up your desktops. Start from the begining and donot deviate... I used this how to link put the http: before address.. site wont let me do this yet. //galaxys3root.com/galaxy-s3-roms/how-to-install-custom-rom-on-rooted-galaxy-s3/ and it all came up and with my network too... yeah PHEW!!! was my thoughts... but if yours has now been to shop for so called repairs.. and now blocked.. freekin heck.. not sure what they have done.. is it not just your sim thats blocked?
What have you now got to lose... try it..
Loz.
Loz1 said:
What I'm reading is driving me mad.... this happened to me... I have the S3 GT-i9300 and while updraging I had the very same problem. Im on the 3network and when the install was done after 3 times with no network I got worried all I did to rectifie this was to start from scratch wipe cash and wipe the dalvik cash you will now lose evrything unless you did a backup using TB and backing up your desktops. Start from the begining and donot deviate... I used this how to link put the http: before address.. site wont let me do this yet. //galaxys3root.com/galaxy-s3-roms/how-to-install-custom-rom-on-rooted-galaxy-s3/ and it all came up and with my network too... yeah PHEW!!! was my thoughts... but if yours has now been to shop for so called repairs.. and now blocked.. freekin heck.. not sure what they have done.. is it not just your sim thats blocked?
What have you now got to lose... try it..
Loz.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In all this process I have successfully gone mad. The IMEI on the box and my phone is different and they told me they replaced the main board for FREE!!. Mainboard costs a lot so i dont understand why would anyone do anything for free. I contacted them and they asked me to talk to the head office. they said its standard process and they cant do anything...Not sure if the police will do anything either. They have lots of other serious issues to handle than a freakin firmware upgrade!! Damn!
seedheart said:
In all this process I have successfully gone mad. The IMEI on the box and my phone is different and they told me they replaced the main board for FREE!!. Mainboard costs a lot so i dont understand why would anyone do anything for free. I contacted them and they asked me to talk to the head office. they said its standard process and they cant do anything...Not sure if the police will do anything either. They have lots of other serious issues to handle than a freakin firmware upgrade!! Damn!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any chance of sending it back to have the original board put back? Or the fact is if they have changed the board it's there duty to hand it back working or the phone back how they got it with little or no charge for labour. This really sounds like a scam deal you got here.
Loz
The only legit way I can think of to replace a MB free is to do a warranty replacement - in which case you should not have been charged the $45 either.
Police aren't the only option, but they are the most serious. It probably doesn't even matter if the cops action your complaint or not, the threat should get some action, but you should save it up till you have had no response on the other alternatives. And if they try to tell you the cops will not be interested, politely explain the cops might be VERY interested in criminal activity that the perpetrators think is incidental.
After all, even Interpol gets interested in phone scams of this nature. The potential for terrorists to use such altered phones to avoid scrutiny is enough to kick security into high gear, and if your local cops don't think of it you can always say, in a rather timid manner , I'm just worried they may be producing untraceable phones for criminals - I'm betting the cops would be knocking on the service guys door before you got to the front door of the cop shop.
But, before that you can talk to Voda or a Samsung centre and mention you got your IMEI changed and now your service provider has cut you off. I'd imagine they would be most interested in the details of the service people.
And you do't even have to threaten the service guy, just say, when you get no helpful fix, 'I guess I will have to talk to Vodafone or Samsung to get things restored - who should I tell them to talk to here to get things cleared up?'
Another question is whether the service place is where you got the phone. If not, talk to the vendor and explain that the service has done strange things to your phone and charged you extra for a warranty job (if that's the case) - they may want to change who they use for servicing.
I've got almost no experience in the phone side but after 25 years doing Desktop Support for PC's I can tell you that you are in a solid position - one way or another, these guys have done a shoofty and that leaves you holding the cards. Just stay calm and don't make threats, just comment about what you will have to do next.
For example, with the service guy, you could say, 'So I guess the next step is to talk to the cops - whoever got you the MB could be getting them illegally seeing the IMEI doesn't work. Do the police talk to you or do you have someone else who does the ordering?'
Your case Is similar like me but I am getting no service......no calls no texts after flashing UK Rom
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Journyman16 said:
The only legit way I can think of to replace a MB free is to do a warranty replacement - in which case you should not have been charged the $45 either.
Police aren't the only option, but they are the most serious. It probably doesn't even matter if the cops action your complaint or not, the threat should get some action, but you should save it up till you have had no response on the other alternatives. And if they try to tell you the cops will not be interested, politely explain the cops might be VERY interested in criminal activity that the perpetrators think is incidental.
After all, even Interpol gets interested in phone scams of this nature. The potential for terrorists to use such altered phones to avoid scrutiny is enough to kick security into high gear, and if your local cops don't think of it you can always say, in a rather timid manner , I'm just worried they may be producing untraceable phones for criminals - I'm betting the cops would be knocking on the service guys door before you got to the front door of the cop shop.
But, before that you can talk to Voda or a Samsung centre and mention you got your IMEI changed and now your service provider has cut you off. I'd imagine they would be most interested in the details of the service people.
And you do't even have to threaten the service guy, just say, when you get no helpful fix, 'I guess I will have to talk to Vodafone or Samsung to get things restored - who should I tell them to talk to here to get things cleared up?'
Another question is whether the service place is where you got the phone. If not, talk to the vendor and explain that the service has done strange things to your phone and charged you extra for a warranty job (if that's the case) - they may want to change who they use for servicing.
I've got almost no experience in the phone side but after 25 years doing Desktop Support for PC's I can tell you that you are in a solid position - one way or another, these guys have done a shoofty and that leaves you holding the cards. Just stay calm and don't make threats, just comment about what you will have to do next.
For example, with the service guy, you could say, 'So I guess the next step is to talk to the cops - whoever got you the MB could be getting them illegally seeing the IMEI doesn't work. Do the police talk to you or do you have someone else who does the ordering?'
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what does a "/03" at the end of the IMEI number indicate??
Please see the following thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1918601

[Q] Emergency Calls only

Alright, so I've looked up at least 20 solutions to my error and it seems to be a common one but none of the solutions have worked for me so far.
My phone doesn't have any bars and says emergency calls only. Before, when I booted up the phone it would have the signal for 2-3 seconds before disappearing so I could receive text messages through that, but it doesn't even do that anymore.
Things I've tried:
Wiping Dalvik Cache
Factory Reset, wiping cache, dalvik cache
Restoring the /efs folder (This just resulted in getting a generic IMEI and replacing my old one, so I think my backup is messed up but I don't have any other backups to use. Yes, I renamed nv_data.bak to nv_data.bin and same with the md5 files.)
Using someone else's efs.img to restore my own via kTool, to no avail. The IMEI is still generic.
Flashing Jellybean 4.1.2 (I'm currently on CM10.1) with SLIGHT chance. When I used 4.1.2, I could see the bars of signal (3-4) but I still could only make emergency calls, and I couldn't connect to the network.
Using this method to restore my nv_data.bin: Link
Using GSII_Repair
Using this method: I was able to complete it successfully, but I still am seeing "emergency calls only": Link
Using this method: Link
I can't find CSC since I can't dial anything except to find IMEI, but the baseband version is LS8, but in the IMEI folder the mps_code.dat file reads as XEU. Should those be matching?
Also I believe my backup EFS isn't working because the dates of nv_data.bin and nv_data.bak are the same, both dated from 2011. I didn't do all these steps in that order, but I'm not sure what to do since I don't have any other backups.
I have NOT tried wiping /system manually but I'm not sure what this would achieve and I don't know what I would flash if I did.
Please help, I'm desperate and in no financial condition to buy a new phone. Thanks to all in advance.
Flash stock rom,i tried this many times.
Sent from my GT-I9100G using xda app-developers app
arvin07143 said:
Flash stock rom,i tried this many times.
Sent from my GT-I9100G using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I forgot to state that I already tried this too. Didn't help, and I wiped /system this time.
Alright, so the phone has gone back to letting the signal appear for a second. I'm thinking the problem is that the generic IMEI is just blocked by my carrier (I'm on T-Mobile in the USA) because I was able to test my SIM in another phone today and it was fine.
Obviously I don't expect anyone to tell me how to change my IMEI since that's illegal, but are there any more miraculous efs-restoring methods? I'm willing to do anything at this point, besides visit a service center or pitch my phone.
This will probably be my last update, sorry for bumping but I'm really hoping someone will see this and either give me a miraculous solution or tell me to give up.
I've heard from a few posts that flashing Gingerbread fixed the IMEI somehow, sadly this did not work for me. What I'm wondering now is if I take it to a service center how much it will cost, because they don't sell i9100's in the US, I bought this as an unlocked phone and it has already been rooted. Will they even attempt to fix it, and can it be done? I don't see any other option.
Someone please reply, I at least need to know if I should give up or not and if this can be fixed at all.
I'm fairly certain you're in the wrong forum. What model number from the sticker on the phone chassis under the battery ?
MistahBungle said:
I'm fairly certain you're in the wrong forum. What model number from the sticker on the phone chassis under the battery ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's definitely a Samsung Galaxy SII i9100 and this is the i9100 forum. My problem here is that yes, this is an i9100, which is the International version of the SII. I bought this off of eBay, used, from overseas. They don't really use this version in America (where I currently reside), we have the SGH models. Should I take this to my service provider (T-Mobile) or a Samsung service center, and will they even fix it after it's been rooted, the IMEI changed, and the fact that it's not an American phone?
They'll probably fix it but charge you an arm & a leg for it. Better off finding a local mobile repair shop with a RIFF box, will likely be much cheaper.
MistahBungle said:
They'll probably fix it but charge you an arm & a leg for it. Better off finding a local mobile repair shop with a RIFF box, will likely be much cheaper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice! So I'm guessing there aren't any miraculous fixes or any other methods I can try then?
There are unfortunately no miracles in technology. If you've tried all the things in OP (good job persevering) then I'm afraid it's local mobile shop as MistahBungle said.
Sent from a galaxy far, far away
About £ 20 in uk so its not that expensive really. Once you have done this bk up your efs. Good luck. :thumbup:

No IMEI after i took my phone to a repair shop...

Hi all,
I had an issue with my phone where it wouldn't load up (got stuck on the samsung loading screen) i took it to a phone shop where the guy managed to sort it out. Now the phone does work normally, however, theres no IMEI number on my phone and i can't make or recieve calls and texts. Wifi and such do work but i dont get any network coverage and cant make calls at all, even if i try calling 150 (tmobile number to top up and such) the call is ended straight away without ringing. i tried looking up the IMEI number but its blank.
I know that there are other forums regarding this but i have a different question. The guy installed new firmware onto my phone to get it working but i dont know if thats what caused this new problem. Did he remove the imei number in the process of fixing my phone?
I did take the phone back to the shop and told the guy that i cant make or recieve calls he got frustrated and said that the phone is possibly blocked and that he cant confirm whether the phone is mine or not so he isnt taking responsibility for it. The phone was working perfectly fine prior to my boot up problem. He said that i came to fix a software problem but what im talking about could be a hardware problem. Now im no tech wiz thats why im here asking the tech wiz's
Did he cause the probem, theres no IMEI number on my phone after he installed the firmware to fix my boot up problem. Now i cant make or recieve calls and texts. If it was his doing then i will take a copy of your replies and shove it in his face and make him fix it!
Thanks in advance!
just flash the phone using ODIN and hopefully that function should be restored
One word...
Mac.
@WayfaringMan
The IMEI number is contained in a file called EFS in the root directory of the device........
It is NOT part of the hardware.
It is applied as a software 'patch' during manufacture.......
The ONLY time it gets messed up or erased is if the device software is changed or altered or in any way modified.
If you can be sure you didn't change anything (and as you use a Mac you wouldn't have been able to anyway) then the blame for the situation lies squarely with the person/business who re flashed the device. And from what you said about his reply to you, it looks to me like he's aware he caused the problem, and is trying to come up with any reason to avoid repairing the device properly.
There are lists of blacklisted devices available, I'd be surprised if yours was on one.
Tell him to repair it properly, or you'll take him to small claims court with a near certainty of winning the case......
http://i.imgur.com/rVnFwJM.jpg

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