Hi guys,
I feel as I've done something really stupid in flashing my UK Samsung S3 and I don't understand what or how the hell happened....
Two days ago, I successfully rooted my i9300, installed some root apps, applied triangle away and all seemed well.
Yesterday, without taking heed of the warning in Chainsaw 3D, I (very stupidly) installed the drivers for Chainsaw 3D and promptly bricked my phone
After a little research on YouTube, I found a site that seemed good to unbrick my S3 (http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/4...ndroid412-xxemd3-jellybean-update-install.htm). I followed all the steps there, downloaded the firmware from the link there, flashed my phone with Odin 3 and my S3 seemed to be successfully unbricked and good to go.,,,,,,but not so.
After flashing the Jellybean 4.1.2 ROM from the link on the above site, I rooted the phone again, and that seemed to go successfully again, but
now, when I turn it on, and after the Samsung logo has finished swirling, every time it says Android is updating and after that, the home screen appears but it says 'Emergency calls only" (I have tried a couple of different SIMS, and the phone recognizes each SIM card, but it can't seem to connect to any network, such as Vodaphone or O2.
I have tried fixing it with KIES but KIES states that my phone firmware is no compatible with KIES upgrades (???); but the thing that worries me most is that it appears my S3's IMEI number has totally changed with WAY too many zeros in it (how is this so???? I'm completely baffled)
If any of you guys can help with these problems, I'd be eternally grateful, especially the IMEI problem, thanks. Is there a way to fix these problems without wiping all my data? The S3 still has a month's warranty left on it, but I'm kinda worried this time, Samsung will say I've voided my warranty somehow.
NB. My S3 has never been locked to any network.
Did you back up your efs folder before you broke it? If not then you can only try flashing the latest stock rom from sammobile, this might enable the efs folder to be read, but if it's corrupt then you'll pay for a new motherboard.
boomboomer said:
Did you back up your efs folder before you broke it? If not then you can only try flashing the latest stock rom from sammobile, this might enable the efs folder to be read, but if it's corrupt then you'll pay for a new motherboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, no, as I had no idea I needed to back up the efs folder first. Could you please point me in the direction of the latest stock ROM that I'd need?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1646610
Good idea to read the stickies over in general forum before flashing anything.
boomboomer said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1646610
Good idea to read the stickies over in general forum before flashing anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, my bad and you're totally right, I'm just not having a good day, Thanks for the link (it's the one I thought I'd need).
Right now, my S3 thinks it's an Iphone with this IMEI....weird!
As an afterthought, may I ask you if fixing my IMEI back to its original would be simpler, safer and quicker if I used 'Universalbox Extended v1.08'?
The last time I bricked my 'rooted' S3 6 months ago, Samsung fixed it under warranty here in the UK with absolutely no quibbles at all, even sent me a new USB cable.....nice of 'em
No.
1) MG4 Baseband doesn't break your imei. It simply changes the format of efs to a new format that older basebands cant read. Its stick with mg4 baseband or restore efs backup from previous
2) altering your imei is illegal so discussion if this is not allowed here.
Please read the imei thread in general > sticky roll-up thread
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4
No idea, discussion of such devices is banned on xda -attempting to amend the imei number carries a 5 year prison sentence in the UK.
boomboomer said:
No idea, discussion of such devices is banned on xda -attempting to amend the imei number carries a 5 year prison sentence in the UK.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, didn't know, I read all about that on another legitimate forum, where no mention of it being illegal was mentioned. All I'm trying to do is fix my phone, not try British prison food.
To use kies, without your phone connected, try going to emergency firmware recovery and typing in your serial number, follow the instructions after that.
I believe the laws regarding IMEI is that you cannot change it from the original. I am not sure if restoring would be illegal, but I am no legal expert. I know here in China it is also illegal to change your IMEI, but if I had an issue I could get it back to original at a shop for about 10-20 pounds (or just restore my EFS backup ).
Typing in my serial number or IMEI in Kies? Yes, I could understand if someone was asking about modifying or changing an IMEI for dodgy or illegal purposes, such as with a stolen phone, but to think of there being the threat of a 5 years stretch in jail for trying to legitimately try to fix ones own phone seems a bit far-fetched by my reckoning, but if discussing such matters here are forbidden then rules are rules and who am I to say any different?
I've already downloaded the official firmware mentioned in the above post and will try flashing with that later today, and see how it goes.
Also, it seems pretty unbelievable to me that one corrupt folder would require me forking out for a new mobo.....just seems like scaremongering.
Thanks again for all the help and advice.
It is the upgrade and initialization option and it asks for serial.
I don't believe it's an offence to reinstate the original imei, but the same equipment and process can be used to change imei on stolen handsets -hence why discussion is banned. Even possessing the equipment to modify the number is an offense in the UK:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/31/section/2
Samsung make their handsets with a very open format, great for modding but also very easy to destroy in the process. This is why all the guides here have 'backup your efs folder' as the first instruction.
boomboomer said:
I don't believe it's an offence to reinstate the original imei, but the same equipment and process can be used to change imei on stolen handsets -hence why discussion is banned. Even possessing the equipment to modify the number is an offense in the UK:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/31/section/2
Samsung make their handsets with a very open format, great for modding but also very easy to destroy in the process. This is why all the guides here have 'backup your efs folder' as the first instruction.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what happens when I jump in feet first <g> Must make a note to read important instructions in the future.
Thanks for making it clear Boom2. Ignorance is bliss until it becomes illegal
"Even possessing the equipment to modify the number is an offense in the UK:" I didn't even realise specific hardware was needed......I was under the impression it could all be done with the program I asked about earlier (?) (although I have no intention of using that now).
boomboomer said:
I don't believe it's an offence to reinstate the original imei, but the same equipment and process can be used to change imei on stolen handsets -hence why discussion is banned. Even possessing the equipment to modify the number is an offense in the UK:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/31/section/2
Samsung make their handsets with a very open format, great for modding but also very easy to destroy in the process. This is why all the guides here have 'backup your efs folder' as the first instruction.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hadn't read the actual legislation and have to say it's likely (only in my opinion) that recovering the original IMEI is probably not an offence in the UK....based upon.....
2 Possession or supply of anything for re-programming purposes
(1)A person commits an offence if—
(a)he has in his custody or under his control anything which may be used for the purpose of changing or interfering with the operation of a unique device identifier, and
(b)he intends to use the thing unlawfully for that purpose or to allow it to be used unlawfully for that purpose.
(2)A person commits an offence if—
(a)he supplies anything which may be used for the purpose of changing or interfering with the operation of a unique device identifier, and
(b)he knows or believes that the person to whom the thing is supplied intends to use it unlawfully for that purpose or to allow it to be used unlawfully for that purpose.
(3)A person commits an offence if—
(a)he offers to supply anything which may be used for the purpose of changing or interfering with the operation of a unique device identifier, and
(b)he knows or believes that the person to whom the thing is offered intends if it is supplied to him to use it unlawfully for that purpose or to allow it to be used unlawfully for that purpose.
(4)A unique device identifier is an electronic equipment identifier which is unique to a mobile wireless communications device.
(5)A thing is used by a person unlawfully for a purpose if in using it for that purpose he commits an offence under section 1.
(6)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—
(a)on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to both, or
(b)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to a fine or to both.
**********************************************
1(b) states "....Unlawfully....", I'm sure a good brief would argue, probably successfully, that recovering the original IMEI was not an unlawful act but instead an attempt to recover the unit to it's original and correct identifier.
For the avoidance of doubt i'm not proposing or advocating doing it, just discussing legal semantics.
pinsb said:
(1)A person commits an offence if—
(a)he has in his custody or under his control anything which may be used for the purpose of changing or interfering with the operation of a unique device identifier, and
(b)he intends to use the thing unlawfully for that purpose or to allow it to be used unlawfully for that purpose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its a tricky one... to me this defines "changing or interfering" as separate actions. If interfering doesn't mean changing, it would be my assumption that rewriting the original IMEI would be classed as interfering. It would be much clearer if it said:
he has in his custody or under his control anything which may be used for the purpose of changing, interfering or tinkering
pinsb said:
1(b) states "....Unlawfully....", I'm sure a good brief would argue, probably successfully, that recovering the original IMEI was not an unlawful act but instead an attempt to recover the unit to it's original and correct identifier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, it basically says...
You are breaking the law if you
a) have a device that can change or interfer with an IMEI
AND
b) you plan to use it
The word "unlawfully" can actually be dropped completely from that statement. So if all falls back on the definition of interfering. See:
(5)A thing is used by a person unlawfully for a purpose if in using it for that purpose he commits an offence under section 1.
My personal belief after reading this is it is illegal to modify anything regarding the IMEI and being in possession of equipment with the intention of doing this is an offence
rootSU said:
Its a tricky one... to me this defines "changing or interfering" as separate actions. If interfering doesn't mean changing, it would be my assumption that rewriting the original IMEI would be classed as interfering. It would be much clearer if it said:
he has in his custody or under his control anything which may be used for the purpose of changing, interfering or tinkering
Nah, it basically says...
You are breaking the law if you
a) have a device that can change or interfer with an IMEI
AND
b) you plan to use it
The word "unlawfully" can actually be dropped completely from that statement. So if all falls back on the definition of interfering.
My personal belief after reading this is it is illegal to modify anything regarding the IMEI and being in possession of equipment with the intention of doing this is an offence
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know we could too and fro on this, but....
The wording is specific.....
(b)he intends to use the thing unlawfully for that purpose or to allow it to be used unlawfully for that purpose.
I stand by my original view that a good brief would argue restoration is not unlawful, he may not win but I'd be interested to see a judge not allow the argument.....my guess is the CPS wouldn't want to test it in court unless someone was doing it on a commercial scale anyway.
As I've found in the past, ask two lawyers the same question and you'll get three opinions, plus yours making four!!
---------- Post added at 04:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:45 PM ----------
RootSU
On an unrelated matter I thought you'd get a kick out of this regarding your sig.
In 2003, lecturers and students from the University of Plymouth MediaLab Arts course used a £2,000 grant from the Arts Council to study the literary output of real monkeys. They left a computer keyboard in the enclosure of six Celebes Crested Macaques in Paignton Zoo in Devon in England for a month, with a radio link to broadcast the results on a website.
Not only did the monkeys produce nothing but five pages consisting largely of the letter S, the lead male began by bashing the keyboard with a stone, and the monkeys continued by urinating and defecating on it. Phillips said that the artist-funded project was primarily performance art, and they had learned "an awful lot" from it. He concluded that monkeys "are not random generators. They're more complex than that. ... They were quite interested in the screen, and they saw that when they typed a letter, something happened. There was a level of intention there."
Hmmmmm......good to know!
I thought it was an infinite number of Monkeys anyway?
pinsb said:
I know we could too and fro on this, but....
The wording is specific.....
(b)he intends to use the thing unlawfully for that purpose or to allow it to be used unlawfully for that purpose.
I stand by my original view that a good brief would argue restoration is not unlawful, he may not win but I'd be interested to see a judge not allow the argument.....my guess is the CPS wouldn't want to test it in court unless someone was doing it on a commercial scale anyway.
As I've found in the past, ask two lawyers the same question and you'll get three opinions, plus yours making four!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes we could to and fro, but just one last point to clarify what I mean.
(1)A person commits an offence if—
(a)he has in his custody or under his control anything which may be used for the purpose of changing or interfering with the operation of a unique device identifier, and
(b)he intends to use the thing unlawfully for that purpose or to allow it to be used unlawfully for that purpose.
(5)A thing is used by a person unlawfully for a purpose if in using it for that purpose he commits an offence under section 1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The word unlawfully is superfluous as per (5) which defines the word unlawfully as using it for a purpose that is unlawful. ...and as per 1a, changing or interfering with an IMEI is unlawful, so using the equipment to interfere with an IMEI, even if its restoring the original, is unlawful.
If a lawyer needs to argue any point, its not 1B, rather it's 1A. They must prove that restoring the original IMEI is not interfering. If they prove that, then B is irrelevant because the purpose is no longer unlawful.
---------- Post added at 04:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:56 PM ----------
pinsb said:
On an unrelated matter I thought you'd get a kick out of this regarding your sig.
In 2003, lecturers and students from the University of Plymouth MediaLab Arts course used a £2,000 grant from the Arts Council to study the literary output of real monkeys. They left a computer keyboard in the enclosure of six Celebes Crested Macaques in Paignton Zoo in Devon in England for a month, with a radio link to broadcast the results on a website.
Not only did the monkeys produce nothing but five pages consisting largely of the letter S, the lead male began by bashing the keyboard with a stone, and the monkeys continued by urinating and defecating on it. Phillips said that the artist-funded project was primarily performance art, and they had learned "an awful lot" from it. He concluded that monkeys "are not random generators. They're more complex than that. ... They were quite interested in the screen, and they saw that when they typed a letter, something happened. There was a level of intention there."
Hmmmmm......good to know!
I thought it was an infinite number of Monkeys anyway?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha brilliant.
Yes it was an infinite number of monkeys originally...
Hmm, you guys are discussing changing imei numbers - Moderator!
Also, what's the fee for advice to the OP?
boomboomer said:
Hmm, you guys are discussing changing imei numbers - Moderator!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point. Whether it's illegal or not in the UK, it is in other countries so discussion is banned.
Related
i don't how to using the iwizard_979.zip to change it.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=274860&highlight=IMEI
If you read that message...it says you need to be superCID before using it.
Also that tool doesnt work on the Hermes..
...thirdly its probably illegal to change your IMEI
It's never illegal to change it... Only to use it once changed...
aha touche!!
HAHAHAHA had to be a one poster noobie asking for this kind of help. Thats just funny stuff.
mrvanx said:
If you read that message...it says you need to be superCID before using it.
Also that tool doesnt work on the Hermes..
...thirdly its probably illegal to change your IMEI
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got superCID, if doesnt work on the Hermes. how do change?
Because i change the new motherboard, the IMEI no match the PDA phone, so i thing to change it.
benny0603 said:
I got superCID, if doesnt work on the Hermes. how do change?
Because i change the new motherboard, the IMEI no match the PDA phone, so i thing to change it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its a very BAD idea. Changing the IMEI of your device IS illegal....quit asking please!!
benny, pease post your address, phone number and ocal police jurisdiction and I am sure some one can come by and help out.
After al, I hear that Chinese prisons are lovey this time of year.
Oh, and Internet privacy non-existent (i.e. tracing IP address back to their users and such).
Anywy, have fun.
mrvanx said:
Its a very BAD idea. Changing the IMEI of your device IS illegal....quit asking please!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK,I'm quit.
As the matter of fact it is not. It is in UK (and propably in seweral other countries) but in many, many countries (including mine) U can change imei as many times as U want. Please dont think that UR country is a center of the world
PS. I cannot imagine any legal reason to change imei...
robertnik said:
As the matter of fact it is not. It is in UK (and propably in seweral other countries) but in many, many countries (including mine) U can change imei as many times as U want. Please dont think that UR country is a center of the world
PS. I cannot imagine any legal reason to change imei...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
he a CIA agent and dont want n e one to tap in to his convo over the phone....lol
stop flaming the IMEI posts
I don't understand why you gentleman get your panties all in a bunch whenever anyone even mentions IMEI changing. I've read the ridiculously long post by vijay regarding the (assumed) illegality of changing one's IMEI number. But this is a DEVELOPERS forum. Not some sort of cell co customer support forum. The whole point here is for DEVELOPERS to be able to talk about all the nitty gritty details of how we can void our warranties in interesting, novel ways. The forum even has an indisputable history of encouraging IMEI experimentation just as much as ROM cooking (which seems to be the only focus of xda-developers any more.) So let's not restrict our discussions based on this bogus "legality" argument. Ultimately, the users are responsible for what they do with their devices. Let's not play Big Brother and try and impose arbitrary restrictions on what people can learn.
As a side issue, I'd like to suggest that a separate forum be added for ROM cooking. The signal-to-noise ratio has continuously gone south with more and more users posting their own "custom" ROMs (which are little more than the exact same OS with different software taken out or left in). The registry tweaks are all documented (or can be). These releases are just the same old thing with the creator's theme, splash screens, and name added to it. Which isn't to say that people shouldn't create, just that it'd be a vast improvement if we could keep these discussions in there own forum.
::donning asbestos overalls::
fluxist
I have just updated to the new rom and noticed that the registry key we normally delete in order to prevent sprint from tracking tethering has changed.
The key name is the same (HKLM\comm\InternetSharing\Extension... However, rather than pointing to a Dll the key has a hex value.
Does anyone know if this is still a valid way to prevent tracking of tethering with Internet Sharing?
-Matt
I'm interested in this as well...once I figure out how to tether haha
Sure wish I had known about the tracking bfore I started using wmwifirouter.....
I am sure someone skilled will help with this inquiry.
I've read a lot of threads and I think I've only seen a couple of people who were charged. I think WMwifirouter might be pretty safe. The real problem is probably with the built in version. Hopefully we'll figure this one out to make sure.
I updated to DCD 3.0.0 last night and can no longer use WMWifiRouter. It worked in the previous versions but now every time I try it says the remote connection has been disconnected.
i customized sprint 3.5 yesterday for telus. The keys that we used to delete were still there. ( including the one tha point to rilphone.dll )
armstrom are you running stock sprint rom or something else?
pjsockett said:
I updated to DCD 3.0.0 last night and can no longer use WMWifiRouter. It worked in the previous versions but now every time I try it says the remote connection has been disconnected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What version of wifirouter are you using?
use a reg editor and search rilphone first entry that comes up will be a dll delete that. next search multinai and change value to 0 in that same internetsharing key you will also see two keys one is check profile and the other is something that obviously bad i cant remember cause i already deleted them all otherwise i would have given exact locations if anyone has problems i will reflash so that i can give exact paths. This is what i did because i had one long data session then the new rom would no longer let me tehter sprint had blocked me so it turned out rilphone and multi nai were culprit but checkprofile also allows phone to check if you have pam on your acount so safer to delete it dont want any red flags sorry for any typos was in hurry
pjsockett said:
I updated to DCD 3.0.0 last night and can no longer use WMWifiRouter. It worked in the previous versions but now every time I try it says the remote connection has been disconnected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my post above will fix that but one thing id if you were already disabled look right around the rilphone and multinai key and their will be addition key that says disable internet sharing change to 0 and then in the winmodem i beleive you have to change internet sharing to 1 cause these are added when you try to tether without reg hacks also only delete the one rilphone.dll in winmodem do not i repeat do not delete any others.
Let me get this straight, we're not allowed to post links to warez, but we can post directions to steal tethering???
Should we also prevent people from posting custom ROMs and kitchens or custom unlocking tools? A vast majority of the posts on this entire forum relate to modifying our phones to perform in a way other than the manufacturer/OEM intended. Do you think it's moral to load an unofficial WM6 rom on a phone that came with WM5? I can guarantee you that your provider probably would rather have you buy a new phone with WM6 than upgrade the old one you have. The posting of "warez" links is a much more cut and dry issue.
armstrom said:
Should we also prevent people from posting custom ROMs and kitchens or custom unlocking tools? A vast majority of the posts on this entire forum relate to modifying our phones to perform in a way other than the manufacturer/OEM intended. Do you think it's moral to load an unofficial WM6 rom on a phone that came with WM5? I can guarantee you that your provider probably would rather have you buy a new phone with WM6 than upgrade the old one you have. The posting of "warez" links is a much more cut and dry issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One causes a direct monetary loss to the provider, one does not. That should be a cut and dry enough to understand.
I don't want to take this too far off topic because the precident is clearly set as numerous posts have been made on this topic without so much as a peep from the moderators. However, I take exception to your last statement. Do you honestly think that the Windows Mobile OS is free? Any time you install a version of OS that did not ship with your phone or that was not provided through your phone manufacturer you are stealing that OS. Period.
Secondly... lets say sprint had chosen to cripple the recently unlocked GPS functionality such that only the sprint navigation software would work with it (for a fee). Lets also assume someone in this community had found a way to modify the GPS driver in such a way as to make it usable by any nav. software. Would you honestly NOT install such a modification because you're avoiding paying the provider for the inflated navigation "fee"?
Either way, I would rather keep this on topic and let the moderators do their job... If they see a problem with this post I will be more than happy to refrain from asking any further questions.
armstrom said:
I don't want to take this too far off topic because the precident is clearly set as numerous posts have been made on this topic without so much as a peep from the moderators. However, I take exception to your last statement. Do you honestly think that the Windows Mobile OS is free? Any time you install a version of OS that did not ship with your phone or that was not provided through your phone manufacturer you are stealing that OS. Period.
Secondly... lets say sprint had chosen to cripple the recently unlocked GPS functionality such that only the sprint navigation software would work with it (for a fee). Lets also assume someone in this community had found a way to modify the GPS driver in such a way as to make it usable by any nav. software. Would you honestly NOT install such a modification because you're avoiding paying the provider for the inflated navigation "fee"?
Either way, I would rather keep this on topic and let the moderators do their job... If they see a problem with this post I will be more than happy to refrain from asking any further questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Being an IT admin, I am fully aware of licensing re: the OS and my responses are:
1) When I purchased the phone I purchased a license of WM6
2) When MS released WM 6.1 they offered it as an upgrade free of charge
Certain manipulation and reverse engineering does violate the license. Redistribution violates the license. But it still remains that I did at least pay for a copy of WM6 and while I may be crossing some line where the licensing is concerned, I have at least paid for it.
Sprint has not crippled the GPS functionality, so that argument is moot.
Geckotek said:
Let me get this straight, we're not allowed to post links to warez, but we can post directions to steal tethering???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, this is just something I realized lately. All these forums have these strict rules about posting warez, etc...but they don't do anything about the theft of tethering (a pay service) from the carriers.
Manipulation and upgrading our OS does not directly cause the carrier to loose money in any way....(except for returns of bricked phones.)
Geckotek said:
Honestly, this is just something I realized lately. All these forums have these strict rules about posting warez, etc...but they don't do anything about the theft of tethering (a pay service) from the carriers.
Manipulation and upgrading our OS does not directly cause the carrier to loose money in any way....(except for returns of bricked phones.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
simply because their is no copyright infringement of intellectual property simply a guide thats it and it is also arguable that we are paying for unlimited data and some phones tether out of the box now lastly someone who tethers on regular basis large amounts should only expect their provider to catch on and also they can limit our traffic with caps but to tell us what we can do is another thing but that just gets into a whole other argument.
Geckotek said:
Honestly, this is just something I realized lately. All these forums have these strict rules about posting warez, etc...but they don't do anything about the theft of tethering (a pay service) from the carriers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what about commercial apps like PDANet which can tether on a sprint phone with no modifications at all, other than installing and using the app? if carriers felt this was a big monetary hit they would probably be suing over it
I kinda want to know the answer to the OPs question...
Internet sharing seems to work (with ICS) and I remember someone saying a while ago that tethering cant be detected by sprint on a mogul, period.
I am just curious to know how sprint would release a rom with ICS that works WITHOUT any mods or additional programs to tether undetected when you dont have a phone as modem plan.
I was trying out this method here:
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=11146&highlight=Wireless+Modem+Mogul
But after finding out my gps wouldn't work I went back to the original settings.
stealing tether? what are you talking about? it's not like you're stealing bandwith, stealing it would be using data without paying for it. if i tether its because i know i have and pay for unlimited bandwidth.
With the right "box" it's possible to repair your IMEI within seconds: Myth or Truth?
Hello guys!
So, I screwed up big time and now I got a i9100 with unknown baseband and no IMEI... practically a media player.
Reading around the net it seems that with the right hardware (called "boxes" I think) it's possible to fix the problem within seconds.
Do you think a Samsung Service Centre, I mean the small ones that you may find in a city, could do it easily? If so what would you think would be a fair price?
As you might have guessed at this point I am indeed a total newbie and I thought such a thread might be useful to others with the same level of "newbiness".
I will report on what they tell me and the price they ask me.
Wish me luck,
f
You may be thinking of a jtag? not sure...
Anyway, this could help:
Recover IMEI in 9 steps
Or...Contact a member on here called Odia by PM. He may be able to recover it for you (for a small donation).
Hi i have the same problem with mi sgs I lost my original imei after a reboot and I've tried all recovery methods with no result I always get a generic imei I even tried to copy and rfs folder of a friend who lives in another country and uses another carrier and still the same
Can a box fix this our anyone here knows how to repair my nv_data.bin file? No matther the donation!
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA
service center will do the job or a repair shop cause they keep diff jtag,box wiv them....goood luck
The legality of IMEI "repair" is tricky and varies from jurisdiction, so I remind you of XDA's rule to "don't get us in trouble".
Thanks
rocky23 said:
service center will do the job or a repair shop cause they keep diff jtag,box wiv them....goood luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been reading about riff box and all I could find is phone unbricking in the case of a i9000 nothing about imei recovery any thoughts about that ?
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA
crachel said:
The legality of IMEI "repair" is tricky and varies from jurisdiction, so I remind you of XDA's rule to "don't get us in trouble".
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the info never the less I think the is a huge difference in imei recovery and imei change ... Imei change is illegal
We are taking about recovering what many of us lost when we didn't know the importance of an efs backup and now we are stuck with a very nice media player and a quarter of a tablet instead of a very nice smart phone hehe
Many of us need a solution even if it cost a donation
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA
magnumve said:
thanks for the info never the less I think the is a huge difference in imei recovery and imei change ... Imei change is illegal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone posted a video clearly demonstrating IMEI change, not "repair", which I reported and crachel deleted, hence the message.
Thank you for your answers guys.
First of all, as for the update: I called my Samsung Service Centre and they told me that Samsung considers a phone with no IMEI as "stolen" ... I protested that I have the original box + proof of purchase + the code is printed under the battery, to which they replied that they just collect the phones for Samsung to repair and that repairing the phone would be "very expensive".
I believe the "expensive part", not so much the "stolen" part of the story he told me, but hey... I didn't buy it phone in this country anyway so... why argue?
I'm very sorry if I posted something that may have got you in trouble, it wasn't my intention. I thought freedom of speech in the US covered also things that *may* be used for illegal purposes (such as weapons)... nonetheless, again, I'm sorry.
I guess what I wanted to ask, really, was: Can an official Samsung Service Centre RESTORE a phone's IMEI? I read in this very forum that some people's efs folder was completely wiped out: what about that case? Would they still be able to "create" (?) a new efs folder?
After speaking with a Samsung Service Centre it seems that the answer is no.
So... can I ask -and I'm not being ironic- if a cellphone repair shop can do it or would it be against the rules?
Thank you again.
Cheers,
f
PS
Just as an anecdote, an authorized HTC centre changed my old Elf's IMEI -without even asking me... or even telling me!- when I had some (motherboard?) problems.
Whether a cellphone repair shop can do it or not is irrelevant so far as 'the rules' are concerned. Because the only way you're going to find out is to contact a local cellphone repair shop I.E. how would anyone on here know if a cellphone shop near you can/will repair it for you ?
Thank you for your answer,
MistahBungle said:
how would anyone on here know if a cellphone shop near you can/will repair it for you ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My question was:
Can I ask if a cellphone repair shop can do it or would it be against the rules?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't read the word "near", do you?
If it can't be done, it can't be done and there would be no point in contacting anyone in the first place.
Also I don't understand how 'the rules' are irrelevant *because* I'll only find out contacting a local repair shop.
I was talking about something perfectly legal in the US in each and every post of mine in this thread, even the one that got deleted, hence the question (perfectly legal i.e. The imei-changing-machine-thingie per se isn't against the law but it might be used against the law. Exactly like a gun.)
Cheers,
f
I made the distinction 'near' because whether a cellphone repair shop can fix it may depend on whether they have the same gear Samsung would use to fix it (I.E. are they also a Samsung authorised repairer - will they do a non-Samsung authorised repair).
And the only way you're going to know is by contacting cellphone repair shops near you. You're wasting your time here & clutching at straws.
Frenko said:
I don't read the word "near", do you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you again,
I've already decided to send my phone back to Samsung (I think I wrote that in the post that got erased), I was just asking if it was possible in part out of curiosity in part because if hadn't the option of sending it back under warranty I would like to find a thread like this.
it may depend on whether they have the same gear Samsung would use to fix it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As per thread's title there are many many imei-changing-machine-thingie around, if they work it's extremely probable that a specialized repair shop have them.
I'm not demanding that you (or anybody else) know if they are common and they work, but maybe somebody does know!
Anyway maybe you're right: I'm wasting my time
Cheers,
f
So finally I when out to find some shop that pointed me in the right direction and today I found a solution
I live in colombia so thought that a box that was ckmpatible with a sgs was mission impossible hehehehe
I found a shop that had a box and anfer 5 minutes and 20 USD my sgs was up and runing with my original imei!!!!!!!
I guess this is the only solution when you loose your efs and have no backup or nv_data.bak
I dont know if it is alowed to publish the name of box and procedure so if you want more info PM
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA
magnumve said:
I found a shop that had a box and anfer 5 minutes and 20 USD my sgs was up and runing with my original imei!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you,
I wasn't wasting my time after all
I hope this thread helped you a little
Cheers,
f
Hi there peeps,before you say it ive exhausted the search button (so no wise guys)
I have 3 SGS2's I9100,
1. Has no service (from ebay somebody didnt pay the bill)
2. Has a busted screen (again from ebay)thought you could just replace the top screen ! Doh!
3. Has no wifi or bluetooth (been told it needs a new mobo)
i want 2 working phones from the 3 i have.
My question is can i transfer the efs/imei from No3 to the mobo of No1 and the mobo from No2 to No3.I can do the physical from 2 to 3.I am just not certain about 3 to 1.
If you can, how can it be done,what would i need to do it myself?
Thanks in advance
No, you can't transfer an IMEI from one device to another. Illegal in every jurisdiction in the world that follows the rule of law.
MistahBungle said:
No, you can't transfer an IMEI from one device to another. Illegal in every jurisdiction in the world that follows the rule of law.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So lets say i had a new mobo,and i wanted to transfer my old efs/imei on it then would that be illegal?Just like they do in the shop when you pay for a new mobo.
So because i have and old mobo,then thats a grey area,and your instantly bannished to the depths of hell for even thinking it or asking it.The point of the question was to see if its possible.Not to be quoted the letter of the law,as if i didnt or wouldnt know it.
But thanks for stating the obvious
That's not transferring the IMEI, that's transferring your existing phone number (or putting an existing SIM card in) to a new phone. The IMEI is a unique identifier that every mobile device has, it's attached to that particular piece of hardware.
I didn't state the obvious, if it were that obvious you wouldn't have made this thread, would you ?
Mikeechoalpha said:
So lets say i had a new mobo,and i wanted to transfer my old efs/imei on it then would that be illegal?Just like they do in the shop when you pay for a new mobo.
So because i have and old mobo,then thats a grey area,and your instantly bannished to the depths of hell for even thinking it or asking it.The point of the question was to see if its possible.Not to be quoted the letter of the law,as if i didnt or wouldnt know it.
But thanks for stating the obvious
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MistahBungle said:
That's not transferring the IMEI, that's transferring your existing phone number (or putting an existing SIM card in) to a new phone. The IMEI is a unique identifier that every mobile device has, it's attached to that particular piece of hardware.
I didn't state the obvious, if it were that obvious you wouldn't have made this thread, would you ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The obvious to me is about the legal stuff and jurisdiction etc ,i'm not asking about anything being legal,neither did i mention anything about a sim card or a phone number.
I know what an IMEI is too.(International Mobile Equipment Identity)
I did ask if i had used mobo can i transfer from another mobo the imei,I assumed it to be a no.So then i asked if i had a new mobo how would the imei from lets say a damaged mobo be transfered to a new mobo.
I didn't come on here to get trolled or preached some laws,if you cant answer what i asked,then whats the point in you replying to something you clearly don't have the answer to.
I said what I said because one of the rules here is "Don't do anything that could get us (XDA) into trouble".
Every single thread like this I've seen here over the past 12 months has been closed for this reason.
Yours will be next.
Mikeechoalpha said:
The obvious to me is about the legal stuff and jurisdiction etc ,i'm not asking about anything being legal,neither did i mention anything about a sim card or a phone number.
I know what an IMEI is too.(International Mobile Equipment Identity)
I did ask if i had used mobo can i transfer from another mobo the imei,I assumed it to be a no.So then i asked if i had a new mobo how would the imei from lets say a damaged mobo be transfered to a new mobo.
I didn't come on here to get trolled or preached some laws,if you cant answer what i asked,then whats the point in you replying to something you clearly don't have the answer to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mikeechoalpha said:
The obvious to me is about the legal stuff and jurisdiction etc ,i'm not asking about anything being legal,neither did i mention anything about a sim card or a phone number.
I know what an IMEI is too.(International Mobile Equipment Identity)
I did ask if i had used mobo can i transfer from another mobo the imei,I assumed it to be a no.So then i asked if i had a new mobo how would the imei from lets say a damaged mobo be transfered to a new mobo.
I didn't come on here to get trolled or preached some laws,if you cant answer what i asked,then whats the point in you replying to something you clearly don't have the answer to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
check the link below ma8
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1961010
PS- also there is no need to be sarcastic, as people are free to post there views regarding a question
MistahBungle said:
I said what I said because one of the rules here is "Don't do anything that could get us (XDA) into trouble".
Every single thread like this I've seen here over the past 12 months has been closed for this reason.
Yours will be next.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahhh ok fair point understood.
But if i had posted that i had a new mobo and i wanted to transfer the old efs /imei data etc ,then this would have been treated or looked upon a different way?
Because then i would be asking something that is legal,and infact is done everyday in repair shops around the world.
Sun90 said:
check the link below ma8
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1961010
PS- also there is no need to be sarcastic, as people are free to post there views regarding a question
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sarcastic ?
Lol ok understood (noob here , don't burn me yet)
Try wiping efs after backing it up on phone 1
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Thread Closed
Thanks
The-Hulk
Abstract
When dumping memory with adb, a device got hard-bricked by just reading it's content. Followup questions on the incident.
Best practice of dumping devices and Knox related issues concerning that process.
Inquiry of the availability of technical documentation. Advice on purchace of correct JTAG.
Some (probably already known) information regarding the disproportional illegal actions caused by Samsung. A hello to Steve!
Hello,
My friend had a problem when Samsung pushed an update she didn't ask for, she got panic, pulled the battery, which of course resulted in a
bad flash.
I tried to save her data, first by installing a different rescue partitions, but it failed so I guessed that the partition info was gone as well.
Since she had important material on her phone, I saw no other alternative then to try to dump the whole phone and try it from there.
The phone still answered on adb so I started to dump the phone.I usually always do a 2>&1 and when I got back the prompt quite quickly and the
file was small so I thought that I probably missed something in the command and rechecked it but it was good and should have produced a full dump.
It didn't spit out any error. Like when you dump a broken drive that shows I/O and you use the noerror flag.
Here I made an error since I should by now know how sinister SS is to it's consumers and I also blame the insane high quantities of morphine I'm
forced to take each day, together with excellent company that took my attention away from a normal dumping of a phone, done before Knox and
on my former devices that always been HTC. (Since the "real" work would be trying to restore the fs, spitting, hexedit etc).
So I restarted it without giving a though of the "rubbish" and it got overwritten. This time by with the size of zero.
Further checking showed no contact with the phone. And the phone had turned itself off and was not in the "Flashing error" (guess bootloader).
The phone was dead. Didn't react to the power button. The usual "battery reset". It was dead. Hard-bricked,
So I missed the size of where it stopped and I should chastise myself by learning all the options of tar and find or something.
So by a READ of a phone I managed to brick it. This has never happened to me. Ever. From dumping memory, FPGA, EPROMS etc.
Is this something that is known? Has anyone experienced this or heard about this? It was a READ. So I don't know if this is a flux or some
Knox related. In their confused post, where they talk about "e-fuse data" (Interesting that a flag needs a data-area).
Dumping a device
What is the practice of dumping a device? I know many does it using the block-devices but the raw-dumping of the phone?
I guess most use a JTAG? Can anyone, please, give me some advice on what JTAG to buy? There are gazillions of them.
Does the board even have pins or do I have to weld? Will the use of a JTAG trip Knox?
I want to take the next step towards the unenviable demise of Knox in one way or another, and here I want to raw-dump 2 phones, but if this
is common and a possible second E-fuse it feels a bit risky, and I don't want the block-devices, I want a full dump since I want (of course) to
re-partition my I9506 that has a too small /system (true). And I need to compare them not by the partitioning, but the full EEPROMS.
Samsung's "VIP-treatment" of it's consumers
We know that the "flag" is so much more. Besides the active intentional (and illegal) destruction of hardware (There are much more but most
notably is the WIFI that either stops to work totally or as for me reminds me of a US Robotics 56K modem) they also run malicious code with the
sole intent of sabotaging the OS to a unusable state and to make it work you need to reflash/reroot it to get to some kind if "normality".
SS is on deep water here.
Samsung's great transparency and cooperation
I've tried to get an address-range to avoid this "e-fuse data" but I get the prefab-answer that we all get on inquiries, from "Steve" @ "Fort Knox".
"I am sorry but we cannot divulge that information". That is on anything. Even the question that I think that needs to be answered, asked
repeatedly, from more then me, "What damage is done to my phone?". That will be asked by many next year when we claim hardware failure.
I got as far as "heavy damage" before "the crazy Swede" got to >/dev/null but I'll give Steve the holidays to gather strength because he will need it
next year that will bring SS interesting times indeed,
Documentation
I also looking for technical info. I tried at Samsung (HA!), but even Qualcomm doesn't have it available at their dev-site?
I find this so strange, since all that I done so far always had 250 pages of documentation from the timing of the stepping with the oscillator to the
intricate details about the thermal expansion so you can cad the marginals right.
Here I find none. Does anyone have something? Anything? Please?
I can't even find the info about the bootstrapping process, the bootloader, if the kernel is baked into it, since all companies have different
methods. I find the lack of information from the biggest mobile company, at the moment, very frustrating,
HI Steve!
Since "Steve" reads this about the same time as you, and if you don't want him to read a reply with a pointer, help that I really need right now,
I would be very grateful and happy for a PM as well. I have some ideas how to make it harder for Steve to read but that is better left our here
Thank you for any input I can get in those matters
/Abs
Mods, please don't move this post to "General" or "Q&A". This is a highly technical post and reading the rules of this board it belongs here,
where the wizards sits, read and can, if they wish, enlighten and help me moving forward in my project.
If not here then please PM me and point me to an another technical section where it "fits" better, please
First confirm its hard bricked (no led , doesnt boot in any fashion, if it "vibrates" or shows anything at any point on the screen then its not bricked) and is currently in Emerg. Host D/L mode. You can do that either using lsusb or dmesg | grep usb in linux or check what Windows reports for the COM port. In both instances you should see QDL download mode. I'm pretty sure no one has figured out how to activate the "Boot from SD mode" or found what to short in order for the T-Flash method to work. Though they do both exist for our device, confirmed by the strings found by querying the output of using an invalid signature.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Surge1223 said:
First confirm its hard bricked (no led , doesnt boot in any fashion, if it "vibrates" or shows anything at any point on the screen then its not bricked) and is currently in Emerg. Host D/L mode. You can do that either using lsusb or dmesg | grep usb in linux or check what Windows reports for the COM port. In both instances you should see QDL download mode. I'm pretty sure no one has figured out how to activate the "Boot from SD mode" or found what to short in order for the T-Flash method to work. Though they do both exist for our device, confirmed by the strings found by querying the output of using an invalid signature.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's actually gone to the shop now (and then the graveyard that Samsung soon need to widen).
But the answer was no, nothing. Didn't react to anything, It was totally black. Like it would be turned off without a battery.
The serial port was blank. Not a single bit back. It was a brick.
There I would need a JTAG, but what to buy?
I hope they can save some of her info. Sent an note with her with what I wanted back from them (A dump if possible). But my guess is that they
just connect it. Dead? Ok. Return to Samsung. Give her a new. But she rather have a Ericsson SH688 (I must find it. It's somewhere...) and her
data back.
Oh poor Samsung, besides this "nobody, clueless and crazy Swede" (I'm adding each "deep analysis of me", to my designation. Clueless was today's ) they got on their neck, they don't know who they angered. They should check where people work before they pull stunts like this.
I thought that was the intent and purpose of the "unique certificate"? Now they just confuse me.
/Abs
/Abs