Hello.
My SGS2 is softbricked. It hangs during boot, but I can boot into download mode and I can boot into recovery mode.
My phone has only been flashed with OTA method and firmware. Never rooted, never flashed manually.
It starts up showing the animation with some ray of lights surrounding "Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100" logo, then it goes into the centered "SAMSUNG" logo with the corona slightly flashing and here it just continues with this slightly corona-blinking (normally it would here do that a few seconds and then show the home screen). The phone gets quite hot (but not burning hot) after a few seconds and I can turn it of by holding the power button for about 5 seconds (no need to take out the battery).
The situation started by the phone shutting down due to low battery. Then I connected usb (which I though was connected in the other end, but it was not) for charging and I powered up the phone immediately. Not noticing that the usb cable had no power I actually booted the phone with very low battery and no power in the usb cable. Shortly after the home screen showed up with a battery low-message. The phone went off (the hard way I think).
After that I of course ensured to charge the phone for a while before I booted it again, but at that time when booting it hung (as described above)
I believe Iread somewhere, that most likely the system filesystem has been corrupted, so just overwriting it (that is flashing like an OS upgrade) I could restore the device just like the phone has just been upgraded. And during normal upgrade my phone is not wiped, so that is what I am expecting would be possible.
From
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1973233
and
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1188615
it sounds like I can flash withour loosing data as long as the new ROM is same (or newer) as the one already on the phone.
So I have downloaded I9100XWLSS_I9100OXXLS9_NEE.zip for my phone it contains a I9100XWLSS_I9100OXXLS9_I9100XXMS2_HOME.tar.md5 file which contains
boot.bin
cache.img
factoryfs.img
hidden.img
modem.bin
param.lfs
Sbl.bin
zImage
From http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1456532 I get the impression that if I flash a .tar.md5 file that contains hidden.img and/or cache.img it will wipe all my data.
So I was wondering if it was possible to just create a tar file without hidden.img and cache.img and flash that, so my data is not wiped.
Any input is appreciated.
jarl-dk said:
My SGS2 is softbricked. It hangs during boot, but I can boot into download mode and I can boot into recovery mode.
From
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1973233
and
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1188615
it sounds like I can flash withour loosing data as long as the new ROM is same (or newer) as the one already on the phone.
So I have downloaded I9100XWLSS_I9100OXXLS9_NEE.zip for my phone it contains a I9100XWLSS_I9100OXXLS9_I9100XXMS2_HOME.tar.md5 file which contains
boot.bin
cache.img
factoryfs.img
hidden.img
modem.bin
param.lfs
Sbl.bin
zImage
From http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1456532 I get the impression that if I flash a .tar.md5 file that contains hidden.img and/or cache.img it will wipe all my data.
So I was wondering if it was possible to just create a tar file without hidden.img and cache.img and flash that, so my data is not wiped.
Any input is appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to see someone who has actually read something!! :good:
I suggest you avoid messing with the firmwares for now. Is your phone rooted? How did the bootloop start?
There is no way to avoid factory reset.The only way to solve bootloop is by wiping data.No other way.You can flash a new ROM/firmware,but you will still have to do a factory reset because of old bootloop and new ROM.Sorry.
GamingDj said:
There is no way to avoid factory reset.The only way to solve bootloop is by wiping data.No other way.You can flash a new ROM/firmware,but you will still have to do a factory reset because of old bootloop and new ROM.Sorry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm afraid I must agree.
@OP: But what you can do is make a nandroid backup before wiping. :good:
immortalneo said:
I'm afraid I must agree.
@OP: But what you can do is make a nandroid backup before wiping. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good idea neo...and he can extract contacts or notes from nandroid...heard that people did this
immortalneo said:
I'm afraid I must agree.
@OP: But what you can do is make a nandroid backup before wiping. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you give a short summary of how to do this (from the situation I am in),and some usefull links...
Jarl
much uirstaby
immortalneo said:
Good to see someone who has actually read something!! :good:
I suggest you avoid messing with the firmwares for now. Is your phone rooted? How did the bootloop start?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.
I must emphasize it is not a boot loop. It starts up showing the animation with some ray of lights surrounding "Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100" logo, then it goes into the centered "SAMSUNG" logo with the shadow slightly flashing and here it just continues with this slightly shadow-blinking (normally it would here do that a few seconds and then show the home screen). The phone gets quite hot after a efw seconds and I can turn it of by holding the power button for about 5 seconds (no need to take out the battery).
The situation started by the phone shutting down due to low battery. Then I connected usb (which I though was connected in the other end, but it was not) for charging and I powered up the phone immediately. Not noticing that the usb cable had no power I actually booted the phone with very low battery and no power in the usb cable. Shortly after the home screen showed up with a battery low-message. The phone went off (the hard way I think).
After that I of course ensured to charge the phone for a while before I booted it again, but at that time when booting it hung (as described above)
I believe Iread somewhere, that most likely the system filesystem has been corrupted, so just overwriting it (that is flashing like an OS upgrade) I could restore the device just like the phone has just been upgraded. And during normal upgrade my phone is not wiped, so that is what I am expecting would be possible.
Jarl
What firmware were you on? As in 4.1.2, 4.0.3, 4.0.4?
Basically what you need to do is flash a custom kernel via Odin in download mode. Let's take Siyah kernel for example (v5 for ICS. Pick which one is correct for your version, you can download them from gokhanmoral.com). If you're on JB, I suggest philz or apolo kernel. More on that in a sec.
Flash that kernel in Odin. Then, you can back up in CWM recovery. If you're on ICS, then you can factory reset and hopefully boot up. Once you've got your backup & booting, then you can extract data from the backup using titanium backup or CWM recovery.
If you're on JB, then you need to backup the /preload folder. Apolo does it automatically, in philz you need to tick the option before backing up. Same deal once you've backed up, factory reset then boot.
I hope that makes sense to you, I gave you all the info in one big hit. As you've done a lot of reading and attempted to help yourself before posting, I imagine you can make sense of that
Any issues, post up here, but for now, give that a go!
Sent from a galaxy far, far away
Hi.
Thank you for your time.
Hopper8 said:
What firmware were you on? As in 4.1.2, 4.0.3, 4.0.4?
Basically what you need to do is flash a custom kernel via Odin in download mode. Let's take Siyah kernel for example (v5 for ICS. Pick which one is correct for your version, you can download them from gokhanmoral.com). If you're on JB, I suggest philz or apolo kernel. More on that in a sec.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK. I think I need help in two steps:
take a backup
make the phone usable again.
I am not sure exactly what firmware it had reached before the softbrick. It was definitely above 4.0, maybe even 4.1.x Does it matter a lot.
Lets focus on step 1 (taking a backup). I think that is what you are guiding me towards above, right?
So what shall I do when I am not 100% sure of the current firmware version on the phone?
Jarl
jarl-dk said:
Hi.
Thank you for your time.
OK. I think I need help in two steps:
take a backup
make the phone usable again.
I am not sure exactly what firmware it had reached before the softbrick. It was definitely above 4.0, maybe even 4.1.x Does it matter a lot.
Lets focus on step 1 (taking a backup). I think that is what you are guiding me towards above, right?
So what shall I do when I am not 100% sure of the current firmware version on the phone?
Jarl
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, if you want to keep the data then you need to make a backup. Unfortunately, if you don't know which firmware you were on previously, it's not easy. What I would suggest you do is to go onto YouTube, and look at videos of i9100's (that is what you have right?). You want a video of one with 4.0.3, one of 4.0.4, and one of 4.1.2. They all do look different, although 4.0.4 and 4.0.3 are reasonably similar.
Basically, if you can tell if you were on 4.0.x or 4.1.2 then we can go somewhere Until then, I'm not comfortable to tell you to flash.
Edit: and don't stress. Making the phone useable again is not hard to keep your data as well as make it useable again will take some effort on your part though.
Hopper8 said:
Correct, if you want to keep the data then you need to make a backup. Unfortunately, if you don't know which firmware you were on previously, it's not easy. What I would suggest you do is to go onto YouTube, and look at videos of i9100's (that is what you have right?). You want a video of one with 4.0.3, one of 4.0.4, and one of 4.1.2. They all do look different, although 4.0.4 and 4.0.3 are reasonably similar.
Basically, if you can tell if you were on 4.0.x or 4.1.2 then we can go somewhere Until then, I'm not comfortable to tell you to flash.
Edit: and don't stress. Making the phone useable again is not hard to keep your data as well as make it useable again will take some effort on your part though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will take a look at YouTube... However I do understand booting an incorrect version of Android can be dangerous to my data. However if I make 100% sure that I never boot the flashed android and only boot up in recovery mode to make a nandroid backup. Then it probably doesn't matter which (most likely incorrect) version of android is installed because will not boot it, I will only boot in recovery mode. After having made a nandroid backup I will go to step 2 (make it usable again) and making sure I don't boot up the incorrect android version along the path.
Would that be possible?
Jarl
GamingDj said:
There is no way to avoid factory reset.The only way to solve bootloop is by wiping data.No other way.You can flash a new ROM/firmware,but you will still have to do a factory reset because of old bootloop and new ROM.Sorry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just made an experiement with my Samsung Galaxy S 5.0 Tablet (YP-G70):
I flashed it with zImage and factoryfs.rfs (using Heimdall and making sure that repartition is not ticked)
In this situation there was no data loss (behaved like a standard OTA update), all contacts and apps still installed.
Why would this not be possible on GT-I9100 without wipe/factory reset. By just flashing the zImage and factoryfs.img from I9100XWLSS_OXXLS9_NEE_Nordic_Android_4.1.2.zip ? Notice I am not in a boot loop situation.
jarl-dk said:
I will take a look at YouTube... However I do understand booting an incorrect version of Android can be dangerous to my data. However if I make 100% sure that I never boot the flashed android and only boot up in recovery mode to make a nandroid backup. Then it probably doesn't matter which (most likely incorrect) version of android is installed because will not boot it, I will only boot in recovery mode. After having made a nandroid backup I will go to step 2 (make it usable again) and making sure I don't boot up the incorrect android version along the path.
Would that be possible?
Jarl
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are correct in saying that if you don't boot it, but only flash the kernel & immediately flash stock then you're OK. The thing I am unsure of, is making a nandroid whilst using an incompatible kernel.. I really don't know if it will work. My guess says it won't, but I don't know for sure. Can someone come in here? @MistahBungle @andrewwright @immortalneo @gastonw @keithross39
I still think you should try to figure out which version you were on before this, just so that you can have a safe bet of which kernel to flash.
---------- Post added at 09:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:55 PM ----------
jarl-dk said:
I just made an experiemtn with my Samsungs Galaxy S 5.0 Tablet (YP-G70):
I flashed it with zImage and factoryfs.rfs (using Heimdall and making sure that repartition is not ticked)
In this situation there was no data loss (behaved like a standard OTA update), all contacts and apps still installed.
Why would this not be possible on GT-I9100 without wipe/factory reset. By just flashing the zImage and factoryfs.img from I9100XWLSS_OXXLS9_NEE_Nordic_Android_4.1.2.zip ? Notice I am not in a boot loop situation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good thinking. The thing is, on your tablet currently, it boots fine. It's not in the bootlooping scenario. Hence, doing an update which does not wipe will only update to a new version which won't be wiped, and hence will still be bootlooping. Of course you still could flash them (using Heimdall/ Odin, but I've never tried Heimdall personally) but I doubt that you'll boot up by that. It'll likely still get stuck at the boot logo.
Hopper8 said:
You are correct in saying that if you don't boot it, but only flash the kernel & immediately flash stock then you're OK. The thing I am unsure of, is making a nandroid whilst using an incompatible kernel.. I really don't know if it will work. My guess says it won't, but I don't know for sure. Can someone come in here? @MistahBungle @andrewwright @immortalneo @gastonw @keithross39
I still think you should try to figure out which version you were on before this, just so that you can have a safe bet of which kernel to flash.
---------- Post added at 09:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:55 PM ----------
Good thinking. The thing is, on your tablet currently, it boots fine. It's not in the bootlooping scenario. Hence, doing an update which does not wipe will only update to a new version which won't be wiped, and hence will still be bootlooping. Of course you still could flash them (using Heimdall/ Odin, but I've never tried Heimdall personally) but I doubt that you'll boot up by that. It'll likely still get stuck at the boot logo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, so what you are saying is that: I might just flash some of the files (all except cache.img and hidden.img) that will not wipe my phone, but as I understand you, it most likely wont solve my boot problem...
In that case can someone confirm that that flashing the files
boot.bin
factoryfs.img
modem.bin
param.lfs
Sbl.bin
zImage
without
cache.img
hidden.img
will not wipe my phone? Or are there more files that need to go down to the dangerous list?
Jarl
Hopper8 said:
The thing I am unsure of, is making a nandroid whilst using an incompatible kernel.. I really don't know if it will work. My guess says it won't, but I don't know for sure. Can someone come in here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AFAIK, the nandroid backup will go just fine. If the kernel is incompatible, the nandroid would contain the incompatible kernel and would still bootloop after restoring. But since the OP isn't planning to restore the entire nandroid backup, I guess it doesn't matter.
I still suggest flashing the correct kernel to install CWM, just to be safe. Or if he is not on 4.0.4, he could use Philz temporary CWM (which can be flashed in stock recovery). :good:
immortalneo said:
AFAIK, the nandroid backup will go just fine. If the kernel is incompatible, the nandroid would contain the incompatible kernel and would still bootloop after restoring. But since the OP isn't planning to restore the entire nandroid backup, I guess it doesn't matter.
I still suggest flashing the correct kernel to install CWM, just to be safe. Or if he is not on 4.0.4, he could use Philz temporary CWM (which can be flashed in stock recovery). :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh, the thing being that OP doesn't know what version he was previously on before all this :/
Hopper8 said:
Ahh, the thing being that OP doesn't know what version he was previously on before all this :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed that..
@OP: tried checking out some screenshots and videos and remembering how your firmware looked like?
A friend of mine gave me his S2 which was bootlooping. I showed him screenshots of the notification tray (and toggle buttons), and he was able to identify it as being GB. The tricky part was finding which version it was. He was sure it was fully stock and bought from Saudi Arabia. So what I did was to look up sammobile.com to see which version of GB was available in Saudi Arabia. And I found out it was 2.3.5! Problem solved. :good:
Hopper8 said:
Correct, if you want to keep the data then you need to make a backup. Unfortunately, if you don't know which firmware you were on previously, it's not easy. What I would suggest you do is to go onto YouTube, and look at videos of i9100's (that is what you have right?). You want a video of one with 4.0.3, one of 4.0.4, and one of 4.1.2. They all do look different, although 4.0.4 and 4.0.3 are reasonably similar.
Basically, if you can tell if you were on 4.0.x or 4.1.2 then we can go somewhere Until then, I'm not comfortable to tell you to flash.
Edit: and don't stress. Making the phone useable again is not hard to keep your data as well as make it useable again will take some effort on your part though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK. I am now pretty confident that I had/has android 4.1.2, because I remember I had features like SmartStay (which is new in 4.1 AFAIK). I also remember that I had the "Mobile Data" toggle button along the other quick state buttons like "GPS", "Sound", "WIFI", "Screen rotate". The "Mobile Data" state button was also new, but I cannot verify that is was nwe in 4.1.2 (maybe it was already in 4.0.x). Do you know of any other features that are nwe in 4.1.2 that can help me verify that is was a 4.1.2?
So from here I am going to install CWM, and reading http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/ClockworkMod_Recovery
I have several options to create a CWM for my phone:
Building according to http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1866545 and http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Build_for_i9100 I run into a dead end "Extract proprietary blobs " (http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Build_for_i9100#Extract_proprietary_blobs). I cannot do this because it requires a working phone.
Method 1A is a dead end because it requires a working phone.
Method 1B I am not 100% sure of. Where should I get this update.zip from?
Method 2 is not applicable
And finally:
For Samsung Galaxy S phones: From stock it is easiest to get CWM by flashing a kernel with CWM built-in by using Odin3 1.7 flashing utility. Only some kernels come in a Odin compatible package (.tar file).
So I need to get a kernel with CWM since I could not build one and you are suggesting SiyahKernel S2-v5.0.1 (http://www.gokhanmoral.com/?p=1536), right?
So as I understand it, I flash this kernel and then when entering recovery menu, I will get advanced options like adb shell and nandroid backup.
Correct?
jarl-dk said:
OK. I am now pretty confident that I had/has android 4.1.2, because I remember I had features like SmartStay (which is new in 4.1 AFAIK). I also remember that I had the "Mobile Data" toggle button along the other quick state buttons like "GPS", "Sound", "WIFI", "Screen rotate". The "Mobile Data" state button was also new, but I cannot verify that is was nwe in 4.1.2 (maybe it was already in 4.0.x). Do you know of any other features that are nwe in 4.1.2 that can help me verify that is was a 4.1.2?
So from here I am going to install CWM, and reading http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/ClockworkMod_Recovery
I have several options to create a CWM for my phone:
Building according to http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1866545 and http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Build_for_i777 I run into a dead end "Extract proprietary blobs " (http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Build_for_i777#Extract_proprietary_blobs). I cannot do this because it requires a working phone.
Method 1A is a dead end because it requires a working phone.
Method 1B I am not 100% sure of. Where should I get this update.zip from?
Method 2 is not applicable
And finally:
For Samsung Galaxy S phones: From stock it is easiest to get CWM by flashing a kernel with CWM built-in by using Odin3 1.7 flashing utility. Only some kernels come in a Odin compatible package (.tar file).
So I need to get a kernel with CWM since I could not build one and you are suggesting SiyahKernel S2-v5.0.1 (http://www.gokhanmoral.com/?p=1536), right?
So as I understand it, I flash this kernel and then when entering recovery menu, I will get advanced options like adb shell and nandroid backup.
Correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aha! Now we're getting somewhere To clarify though, you do have an i9100?? Not an i777? You posted links for i777 that's all. If you have something other than i9100 don't flash Siyah.
If you're on 4.1.2 (yes smart stay is 4.1.2, so if you had that, we should be good) then nope, you want Siyah v6.0 beta4 or beta 5, not Siyah v5. Download them from the same place. To flash it in Odin, flash it in the PDA section of Odin, don't check repartition or unplug your phone till it passes (or fails), with no exceptions! If you need more info, google, or click my signature & look at that. Or, go to Q&A and look at the stickied guide there, plenty of options
Yep, once you flash the kernel and get CWM recovery, then you want to backup (nandroid). Then you can factory reset from CWM, and hopefully boot up! Once you're booting then you can set about restoring the data from your backup.
See how you go as always, read up (good job continuing to do that) and post up if you can't find a solution to something. As my signature says, 'reading is easy, fixing is not', so read up then flash away!
Hopper8 said:
Aha! Now we're getting somewhere To clarify though, you do have an i9100?? Not an i777? You posted links for i777 that's all. If you have something other than i9100 don't flash Siyah.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for enlightening me... Yes it is a GT-I9100. I must have picked the wrong variant in the device page. Links are fixed. Thanks.
I can download a zip version of the Siyah kernel, which brings me back to another question. Regarding Method 1B:
Method 1B: you can find and download the update.zip by yourself, place it on the phone in /sdcard/ and boot into recovery using the 3 button method, choose the option "re-install package" TWO TIMES to load into CWM. Once again the update.zip needs to remain on the phone. DO NOT DELETE!
It sounds to me like I can put the Siyah kernel (update.zip) on an external SD card and boot directly from the SD card (without flashing) and then make a nandroid backup which in that case also will also include my original kernel which is currently installed.
Do I understand that method correct?
Otherwise I understand it the way that I cannot expect to get a backup of my current kernel. However I will be able to restore it during "Make the phone useable again" step which include wipe and factory reset, and several system upgrades.
Related
I have a Galaxy S 2, I777 from AT&T. I had been running UnNamed 2.0 for a while. I started messing around with different modem files trying to get my data rate a little higher. When those failed to work, I decided to go back to stock and start from scratch. This is where my trouble begins:
I flashed with ATTGalaxyS2Unroot_SGH-i777.tar using Odin 1.85. I've used that before and all was well. After this flash, I'm stuck in a boot loop. The galaxy s 2 logo just keeps recycling.
I have tried a lot of other items I've found on here in various threads about getting out of a boot loop, but have not been successful. I was able to get to the stock recovery mode, chose to wipe user data and did the "yes I'm sure" option. The phone rebooted and I have not been able to get back to it. When it tries, I get in yellow "deleting cryption meta data" and then the phone reboots.
My last attempt was flashing with i777uckh7-cl503881 full. Odin writes everything, says pass and the phone reboots. After it restarts, it quickly goes through some items:
-- Intalling package...
Finding update package...
Opening update package...
Verifying update package...
Installing update...
Successfuly installed package...
-- Copying media files...
successfully copied meida files (yes, media is misspelled on the screen)
-- Wiping cache...
Formatting /cache...
Cache wipe complete.
--Updating application...
Successfully updated application.
--Appling Multi-CSC...(again yes, applying is mispelled on the screen)
installing Multi-CSC
Can't access to '/system/csc/02U/system/'.
Successfully applied multi-CSC
Rebooting.
then I get the boot loop all over again. I am still able to get to download mode using the volume button, and my jig still boots to download mode too, so I think there's still hope, but I don't know what to do next.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
The "deleting cryption meta data" error has been a particularly difficult one to get out of. I only remember seeing one person solve the problem, and I believe that the solution was to flash the siyah kernel. But you may find more details if you search on "deleting cryption meta data xda" or possibly "deleting cryption meta data siyah" as keywords.
Creepyncrawly:
Thank you for your post. I didn't find anything searching for that, but, I downloaded and flashed siyah kernel and was able to get to a recovery mode.
I am now restoring the nandroid backup that I made (luckily I was smart enough to do that) before I started messing with modems and stuff.
We'll see how this goes
you sir are a life saver. I was able to restore the nand backup and boot into the os again.
creepyncrawly said:
The "deleting cryption meta data" error has been a particularly difficult one to get out of. I only remember seeing one person solve the problem, and I believe that the solution was to flash the siyah kernel. But you may find more details if you search on "deleting cryption meta data xda" or possibly "deleting cryption meta data siyah" as keywords.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think (but I'm not sure), but any custom kernel with CWM should be able to do this... It's only the stock kernel that has a recovery which does anything when device encryption is found.
Entropy512 said:
I think (but I'm not sure), but any custom kernel with CWM should be able to do this... It's only the stock kernel that has a recovery which does anything when device encryption is found.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not think of that, but it makes sense now. At the time, I figured I would stop and get help before I made it worse. Why I didn't restore to my backup to begin with is beyond me.
Do you think I could return to stock now, or is it more of a "once you have this problem you always have it" type thing? I'm going to leave it as is for now because it seems to be working fine. There may come a day though when I need to return to stock.
For those who are experiencing the "Deleting Cryption Meta Data" problem, creepyncrawly is correct, it is difficult to solve, but the following steps seem to solve it reliably:
Download and install the I777UCKH7-CL503881 Stock Binaries from creepyncrawly's download repository. Use heimdall or odin to load the stock binaries. You may need to load the param.lfs and/or the bootloaders. However, it may work without loading these files (and loading the bootloaders can be in the "danger zone")*.
With the stock binaries installed, the device will be in a boot loop, and entering recovery mode will either indicate that the device is installing CSC (unsuccessfully), or indicate that it is "Deleting Cryption Meta Data". In either case, you will be unable to actually access anything in the recovery.
In order to get to a working recovery, load the SGH-I777_ClockworkMod-Recovery_5.0.2.3. You'll need to untar this file to get to the zImage kernel file*.
With the CWM kernel installed, you should be able to actually enter recovery mode by holding down Volume Up + Volume Down + Power until the Samsung logo appears for a second time. Note: In this version of CWM recovery, the home button is the 'select' button and the power button acts as the back button. This is different than most versions of CWM.
Using the recovery run both clear data/factory rest and format sd card (in mounts and storage).
Finally, install the Siyah Kernel, using either heimdall* or CWM.
At this point, the phone should be restored, and you can re-flash the I777UCKH7-CL503881 stock kernel (on any other compatible kernel).
onecoolpilot said:
Do you think I could return to stock now, or is it more of a "once you have this problem you always have it" type thing? I'm going to leave it as is for now because it seems to be working fine. There may come a day though when I need to return to stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can re-flash any kernel you like.
Thanks everyone who directed me to the steps for solving this problem!
* To load these kernel files, put the phone in ODIN mode by holding down the "Volume Down" button while the phone is connected to USB. Use either the ODIN or Heimdall tool to actually flash the device. See this post for complete instructions on flashing the files.
I've followed these directions multiple times but I can't seem to get past the Rethink Possible screen.
Steps I have taken:
Flashed full binaries
Went back into download mode with no reboot and flashed CWM (listed above)
Went straight into CWM
Wiped Data
Formatted SD
Flashed Siyah via CWM
Rebooted
Saw I was stuck at Rethink Possible
Cussed
I seem to get stuck at the boot screen on ANY Gingerbread rom I flash. I can flash ICS roms and they boot successfully. However, my device has the 0x19 FW bug and I would like to not make it a paperweight.
Red_81 said:
I've followed these directions multiple times but I can't seem to get past the Rethink Possible screen.
Steps I have taken:
Flashed full binaries
Went back into download mode with no reboot and flashed CWM (listed above)
Went straight into CWM
Wiped Data
Formatted SD
Flashed Siyah via CWM
Rebooted
Saw I was stuck at Rethink Possible
Cussed
I seem to get stuck at the boot screen on ANY Gingerbread rom I flash. I can flash ICS roms and they boot successfully. However, my device has the 0x19 FW bug and I would like to not make it a paperweight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this the "Oh crap its stuck in a bootloop I'll sell it cheap on eBay" SGII that you bought on ebay for cheap, or a different phone?
Do you know the history of this phone? Knowing it can help with troubleshooting.
Did you ever see the "Deleting cryption meta data" error message?
As far as having vulnerability to the eMMC firmware bug, you are safe as long as you don't use the buggy kernel, which is pretty much out of the picture by now.
LOL, you read my other post. It is one and the same. The standard story from the seller. "I gave it to my Brother in Law and now it is like this." He stated it did boot properly before. Liquid indicator checks out (haven't pulled the back off to check the full indicator).
I don't get the "Deleting cryption meta data" but I do get the "multi-csc error". Wiping data doesn't seem to take care of that one.
It's really odd because I can flash ICS roms with no problems, but the GB ones stick at the bootscreen every time. Even CM7 stuck there.
I may have to try to rule out hardware damage at this point
OK, so you don't really know exactly what was done to the phone. I wouldn't rule out hardware damage, but I seriously doubt it, at least let's assume that there is some explanation in firmware. Really, the only things that could be wrong:
bootloaders
param.lfs
partitioning
Which stock package did you flash, the one from the return to stock guide (that doesn't have bootloaders, etc.) or the one from the Download Repository that does have bootloaders?
And where exactly is the phone right now firmware wise?
creepyncrawly said:
OK, so you don't really know exactly what was done to the phone. I wouldn't rule out hardware damage, but I seriously doubt it, at least let's assume that there is some explanation in firmware. Really, the only things that could be wrong:
bootloaders
param.lfs
partitioning
Which stock package did you flash, the one from the return to stock guide (that doesn't have bootloaders, etc.) or the one from the Download Repository that does have bootloaders?
And where exactly is the phone right now firmware wise?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The one from the repository with bootloaders. I tried the one without bootloaders first, but it did not fix it.
Currently I flashed over to ShoStock2. However, I'm getting alot of problems on that too (Com.android.phone not responding).
I can try to flash back to stock at any moment because I have no data on the phone.
I did try using the latest version of Heimdall, but it kept crashing at 42% (from what I read that is a known bug)
So the one thing you have not tried is flashing PIT? I wouldn't try that next if it was my phone, however, since it is the area I know the least about. There is not a whole lot of information available about using PIT with the I777 (as in nothing I could find).
The behavior of flashing to ICS and running OK but bootlooping on Gingerbread is new to me.
If you have a jig, does the jig boot the phone to download mode?
The phone should be recoverable. If it was mine, I would start by flashing the full stock package with bootloaders and param.lfs again. Then wipe data/factory reset from 3e recovery. Then flash the Gingerbread Siyah kernel. And then wipe data/factory reset from CWM Recovery.
Actually, I thought I typed that before.
I did flash the PIT file at one point out of desperation.
I have a jig that works beautifully (wipes the counter too) and has been a big help through this whole thing. That tells me I should at least have the correct bootloaders.
Do I need to let it attempt to boot between each flash or just go directly one to the other?
After a little Google, I think your phone has a problem with efs, corrupted or some such. Read this.
creepyncrawly said:
After a little Google, I think your phone has a problem with efs, corrupted or some such. Read this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually found and tried that a few days ago. Never got that error message before. But I flashed the repair anyway. No change.
I did manage to just let the phone run for a while and all the process error messages went away, but the dialer refuses to start. I also noticed I don't think I'm getting any sound out of the earpiece.
I think I'm going to have to take the back off to check for water damage and to make sure they didn't bleach the dot.
I'll attempt to do some more flashing later tonight if the wife lets me.
Under normal circumstances, if you get the multi csc error after flashing back to stock, a wipe data/factory reset will clear it, and it will boot successfully.
creepyncrawly said:
Under normal circumstances, if you get the multi csc error after flashing back to stock, a wipe data/factory reset will clear it, and it will boot successfully.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol. Under normal circumstances indeed. I appreciate all the help so far. I wonder if there is something borked with the chip.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA
Not sure if it helps much since you said you think the correct bootloaders are there but I had the exact same problem as you a couple months back. Like an idiot I flashed the original "one click" ATT ICS leak from Rootzwiki that updated my bootloaders. After this attempting to go back to CM7 resulted in me soft bricking the phone. The ONLY rom that would flash and work was that same ICS one click. Everything else Odin just failed on. Eventually I managed to get the complete stock GB back on it by flashing the full package in creepys guide several times. I gave up on Odin on my pc and had to remove Kies from my Mac so Heimdall would work but it flashed finally and I was saved. If you search through my posts here and find that thread maybe there's something in there that will help cause it sounds like you're having a bootloader issue like I did..
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
Thanks. I'll take a look.
On a side note.... I can't get any sound from the device. I'm thinking now that it might be hardware related.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
Hello all,
I have tried many things before asking for help, but nothing worked so far.
Here is the story:
I was on ICS 4.0.4, with default ROM coming from carrier.
I wanted to install CM9.1,
spent countless hours doing all backup and reading tutorial.
Tried finally yesterday and it was stuck doing "wiping data". Left it for 20min+ and nothing.
After restarting it, it is now stuck on the boot logo.
I couldn't enter anymore CWM or stock recovery (up+home+power), but could enter Download mode.
So I tried a couple of things I have read on the forum, like installing Siyah-s2-v5.0.1.tar through Odin 3.04 but I still cannot enter recovery mode.
I've read (too late) about the mmc brick bug (couldn't find anyone speaking about it in any tutorial until I reached this point... nothing on CM wiki or in other tuto... classic!).
I hope I'm not in this case though as I can still go to DL mode, and the phones having the brick bug are completely dead (blank screen or no DL mode), as per http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1756242
I managed to finally get CWM working only by using GT-I9100_ICS_ClockworkMod-Recovery_5.5.0.4.tar from Odin, then tried to install CM9.1 from SD card but after reboot it is stuck on the blue cyanogenmod animation boot screen and nothing happens.
Tried also to restore from CWM my nandroid backup, but during the restore it seems to hang then restart by itself, and then I'm back to Galaxy S boot logo (the animated one with the big S).
And after this I have lost again access to recovery mode.
I can't go back to stock and I can't install CM... I was not expecting such issues, it all seemed pretty basic on paper.
I'm really stressed and don't know what to do
Flash a stock rom in Odin (download mode), re-root your phone/flash a kernel with CWM, restore your backup ?
Hi,
thanks for answering,
I have tried to locate such a rom, but I'm not sure which one... is there a specific one to try ? could you point me to it please ?
so far I have tried I9100XXLPQ_I9100OXALPQ_I9100XXLPQ_HOME.tar.md5
but no luck
you also say "re-root", at the time I used this method:
[GUIDE] ROOT/UNROOT Stock ICS Firmware without flashing unsecure kernel - xda-developers
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1501719
Do I need root to install Siyah kernel from Odin ?
I'm trying one from sammobile... let's hope :/
The bad thing is I had no Yellow triangle at the beginning since I'm stuck in this boot loop or no boot to be precise.
Now that I have tried different things to fix it, it is still not working and I have my flash counter = 10.
I cannot even go back to the shop, is there a way to reset it knowing I cannot even reach the OS, I have only DL mode or CWM...
Use a stock rom for your region/carrier (or any stock rom from any region really), it doesn't really matter as I presume you'll be restoring a backup and/or going back to a custom rom anyway won't you ?
Samfirmware & AndroidFirmwares.net have lots of stock roms.
No, you don't need root to flash an Odin version of Siyah. So yes, you can flash that after you've got stock up & running to root your phone rather than re-rooting your phone by flashing a CFRoot kernel or using another root method. Just make sure the version of Siyah you're going to flash matches up with the stock rom you've got on (I.E if you flash a GB stock rom use GB Siyah, ICS stock = use ICS Siyah, etc, etc).
thank you again, I'm downloading the rom from sammobile matching my carrier,
Would you be so kind to send me a PM with your skype username or anything to "chat" with you ? I'm really worried and I spent all night already trying to fix it with no progress at all
Don't worry about the flash counter. That's the least of your problems while your phone is borked Worry about it when it's fixed. There's nothing you can do about the triangle while your phone is cactus.
When you've got it up & running again, use Triangle Away.
But first things first.
---------- Post added at 04:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:59 AM ----------
You're welcome.
Um, no. Absolutely not. Nothing personal, but if I did that for every person who's asked me for 'hands on' help since I've been here, I'd have spent my time doing nothing else. I don't do 'personal' with people from XDA (which is why I have PM's blocked except for mods).
Besides, you're going to learn much more fixing this yourself. I've given you a stack of information thus far, ball is in your court. Every answer to every question you could possibly ask is on this site. It just sometimes takes a bit of work/reading on your part to find it.
megosu said:
thank you again, I'm downloading the rom from sammobile matching my carrier,
Would you be so kind to send me a PM with your skype username or anything to "chat" with you ? I'm really worried and I spent all night already trying to fix it with no progress at all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok I understand.. it is just I have literally spent more than 8 hours on it and had not make any progress at all (even worse I cannot return it to the shop because of the yellow triangle).
I appreciate your help, it gives me a bit of hope but I'm in a very bad situation and I feel I have read and do so much already with no success at all.
I will try your option of restoring the one from Sammobile, I have tried other before without any luck, maybe this one will do... (5min left to DL it).
thanks again for your support
I know where you're coming from. The first flash I tried when I got my phone in 2011 borked because I was careless, and it took me a bit over a day to get the right info/files/etc to get it fixed. I know it's frustrating/tiring/annoying & you're wondering at the start whether you can even fix it. But as long as you've got download mode 99 times out of 100 you can save it.
And as I said, it's good experience; once you've fixed it, you'll be able to handle anything that comes up in future
Let us know how you go. I'm going to bed shortly, but I'm sure someone else will step up & help if you have any further problems.
You're welcome Happy to point you in the right direction.
I have flashed the rom, the exact same one as I had before everything happened...
if it helps, I flashed it from Odin 3.04 as PDA.
I9100BVLPH_I9100TMULPH_I9100BVLPE_HOME.tar.md5
I'm now back to the Samsung GALAXY S2 GT-I9100 logo and nothing happens.
I cannot use recovery mode,
I can use DL mode (it shows 11 counts and current binary as Samsung official.)
update:
I left the phone on the first logo for about 5min and it moved to the next Samsung Galaxy S2 logo, with the big animated S.
I'm waiting but nothing else is happening.
I'm still desperate to fix it.
One thing which can be relevant, whenever I try to wipe or format /data from CWM, my phone is restarting after a few minutes or is saying it cannot be done.
I can format /cache and /system.
Could it be the root cause ? Any way of fixing it ?
Thank you
update: I cannot mount /data from CWM, it says Error mounting /data!
is it the brick bug ? :|
Easy now....your device is still good.
Those animations should take like 1-2 mins when you flash a rom.
Now, you are completly sure that you are actually flashing the right ROM for your device model?
If so, just keep flashing stock roms until you're up and running again, so you can start from scrap.
I tried, the issue is as soon as I flash a stock rom (through Odin), then I can't get into stock recovery mode anymore, I have to flash GT-I9100_ICS_ClockworkMod-Recovery_5.5.0.4.tar to get back the recovery mode.
I tried to flash several times, I think it is down to the fact I cannot mount or format /data.
Which is why I'm wondering if it is the famous brick bug.
My device is GT-I9100 and I took the stock rom from sammobile:
I9100BVLPH_I9100TMULPH_I9100BVLPE_HOME.tar.md5 which is ICS 4.0.4 (that I had before trying to move to CM9.1 and having all this mess in my hands.)
flash this:
http://www.sammobile.com/2012/11/15/i9100xxlsj-%E2%80%93-galaxy-s-ii-android-4-1-2-jelly-bean-test-firmware/.
you are on siyah kernel right?
what you wanna do know is to get to whatever rom your flashing, forget about cmw for now.
this also might help:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1457458
So it is not lost yet ? Not the brick bug ?
just to be sure:
you want me to install through Odin: Siyah-s2-v5.0.1-CWM.zip
then going back to DL mode
I flash through Odin: I9100XXLSJ_I9100OXXLS1_OXX.zip (coming from your link).
anything I'm missing (even if it seems obvious, please let me know as I'm maybe missing something important)
?
I still cannot do Factory reset... is it a problem ?
I dunno what kernel you are using, If stock 4.0.4 kernel you should flash siyah first (safe kernel, no brick bug), and then countinue flashing the ROM. Check out the brick bug thread in general SII forum for directions if you want.
BTW, Odin recognizes your phone right? Check it out, you'll get a huge long breath.
BTW 2: you don't have any kies applications running in your pc.....am I right? if so, CLOSE THEM ALL!
I did had stock 4.0.4 kernel when I first tried to follow CM9.1 wiki, and I did a factory reset through CWM... which is why I think I might have bricked it...
I have checked the brick bug thread (too late it seems...) but so far I can't be sure if I'm in this case or not as they say they can't even reach DL mode, and I can.
Odin recognizes my phone, yes, but anything I flash is stuck on the animated logo.
I do not have Kies installed, just installed the drivers.
Current setup - stock - 4.0.4 - I have not made any modifications to this phone so far other than upgrading it from GB OTA. It is the standard unlocked SIM free UK/Irelend edition.
PDA: I9100XWLPT
PHONE: I9100XXLQ6
CSC: I9100XEULPA
I am interested in trying the stock leaked version of 4.1.2 - actually I'm fed up with waiting for the official release which always seems to be "coming in the very near future" but never arrives.
I have read around extensively on this site and others about how to do this, but still have some questions that I would be grateful if someone could answer.
1. Brick bug - I have run eMMC check and it reports that it reports: NO. Sane chip. Does this mean that I have nothing to fear regarding factory resets/data wiping on 4.0.4?
2. Some mention that USB debugging should be checked - others make not mention of it at all. Should USB debugging be checked in this case when going up to 4.1.2 or back down to 4.0.4?
3. Should the SIM card be removed before flashing with odin or is it alright to leave it in?
4. When the phone reboots after flashing 4.1.2 with odin, some tutorials do nothing and let the phone reboot - others suggest removing the battery as it begins to reboot and then booting into stock recovery mode and doing a factory reset, wipe cache. Some even say also wipe dalvik cache. Is this battery removal step necessary? Or should the phone be left to attempt to boot and if the process hangs enter recovery and reset/wipe cache?
5. I have read in a couple of cases that the SIM lock has been activated after this flashing procedure on a previously unlocked phone. I have found an unlock apk on this forum that can resolve this issue. But why does it happen? How common is this problem?
6. In my 4.1.2 download from Sammobile there are 2 files that are not mentioned in the articles I have read. emmc_EXT4_16GB.pit and emmc_EXT4_32GB.pit - what are these for? Are they needed for this procedure?
7. How long should the reboot process take after the flashing is complete? - or after how long should I start to get worried if it seems to be stuck?
8. If I wish to return to stock 4.0.4 (here the brick bug is the problem yes?)- is the procedure the same as flashing 4.1.2? And if I do go back to 4.0.4 stock will the phone work with KIES again?
9. I have odin 3.07 - is this version appropriate for this procedure?
dimbo33 said:
Current setup - stock - 4.0.4 - I have not made any modifications to this phone so far other than upgrading it from GB OTA. It is the standard unlocked SIM free UK/Irelend edition.
PDA: I9100XWLPT
PHONE: I9100XXLQ6
CSC: I9100XEULPA
I am interested in trying the stock leaked version of 4.1.2 - actually I'm fed up with waiting for the official release which always seems to be "coming in the very near future" but never arrives.
I have read around extensively on this site and others about how to do this, but still have some questions that I would be grateful if someone could answer.
1. Brick bug - I have run eMMC check and it reports that it reports: NO. Sane chip. Does this mean that I have nothing to fear regarding factory resets/data wiping on 4.0.4?
Yes. If you have the sane/safe chip no need to worry.
2. Some mention that USB debugging should be checked - others make not mention of it at all. Should USB debugging be checked in this case when going up to 4.1.2 or back down to 4.0.4?
Doesn't matter whether it is on or off. It's just for debugging. I usually keep it on since you don't know when it might be useful. There is no harm in keeping it ticked.
3. Should the SIM card be removed before flashing with odin or is it alright to leave it in?
No need to remove sim card.
4. When the phone reboots after flashing 4.1.2 with odin, some tutorials do nothing and let the phone reboot - others suggest removing the battery as it begins to reboot and then booting into stock recovery mode and doing a factory reset, wipe cache. Some even say also wipe dalvik cache. Is this battery removal step necessary? Or should the phone be left to attempt to boot and if the process hangs enter recovery and reset/wipe cache?
After flashing, your phone will restart. If it doesn't go past the samsung logo, you'll need to pull out the battery, reinsert it, boot into recovery and perform a factory reset. Wiping cache and dalvik isn't necessary. However, if you do boot into recovery (which most certainly you'll have to, to do the data wipe), it takes less than 15 seconds to wipe the cache and dalvik.
5. I have read in a couple of cases that the SIM lock has been activated after this flashing procedure on a previously unlocked phone. I have found an unlock apk on this forum that can resolve this issue. But why does it happen? How common is this problem?
I believe it's designed to be that way. However, I am not sure about this one. Sorry.
6. In my 4.1.2 download from Sammobile there are 2 files that are not mentioned in the articles I have read. emmc_EXT4_16GB.pit and emmc_EXT4_32GB.pit - what are these for? Are they needed for this procedure?
No need for the .pit files. Better avoid them at all costs.
7. How long should the reboot process take after the flashing is complete? - or after how long should I start to get worried if it seems to be stuck?
Don't worry. You'll know when to worry ... Taking upto 5 minutes is perhaps normal. After that, update here if you think there is a problem.
8. If I wish to return to stock 4.0.4 (here the brick bug is the problem yes?)- is the procedure the same as flashing 4.1.2? And if I do go back to 4.0.4 stock will the phone work with KIES again?
Yes, and yes.
9. I have odin 3.07 - is this version appropriate for this procedure?
Better use v1.83 or v1.85. I've read a complaint against the latest one. Old is gold in some cases
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've replied under every question. Didn't want to quote the whole thing then write my answers, or scroll up and down continuously. Good luck and don't worry
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Spiralzz said:
I've replied under every question. Didn't want to quote the whole thing then write my answers, or scroll up and down continuously. Good luck and don't worry
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your answers. I appreciate it. I've done this kind of thing loads of times on other types of device, but I'm always nervous as hell when it's the first time and don't want any holes in my understanding of the process.
dimbo33 said:
Current setup - stock - 4.0.4 - I have not made any modifications to this phone so far other than upgrading it from GB OTA. It is the standard unlocked SIM free UK/Irelend edition.
PDA: I9100XWLPT
PHONE: I9100XXLQ6
CSC: I9100XEULPA
I am interested in trying the stock leaked version of 4.1.2 - actually I'm fed up with waiting for the official release which always seems to be "coming in the very near future" but never arrives.
I have read around extensively on this site and others about how to do this, but still have some questions that I would be grateful if someone could answer.
1. Brick bug - I have run eMMC check and it reports that it reports: NO. Sane chip. Does this mean that I have nothing to fear regarding factory resets/data wiping on 4.0.4?
2. Some mention that USB debugging should be checked - others make not mention of it at all. Should USB debugging be checked in this case when going up to 4.1.2 or back down to 4.0.4?
3. Should the SIM card be removed before flashing with odin or is it alright to leave it in?
4. When the phone reboots after flashing 4.1.2 with odin, some tutorials do nothing and let the phone reboot - others suggest removing the battery as it begins to reboot and then booting into stock recovery mode and doing a factory reset, wipe cache. Some even say also wipe dalvik cache. Is this battery removal step necessary? Or should the phone be left to attempt to boot and if the process hangs enter recovery and reset/wipe cache?
5. I have read in a couple of cases that the SIM lock has been activated after this flashing procedure on a previously unlocked phone. I have found an unlock apk on this forum that can resolve this issue. But why does it happen? How common is this problem?
6. In my 4.1.2 download from Sammobile there are 2 files that are not mentioned in the articles I have read. emmc_EXT4_16GB.pit and emmc_EXT4_32GB.pit - what are these for? Are they needed for this procedure?
7. How long should the reboot process take after the flashing is complete? - or after how long should I start to get worried if it seems to be stuck?
8. If I wish to return to stock 4.0.4 (here the brick bug is the problem yes?)- is the procedure the same as flashing 4.1.2? And if I do go back to 4.0.4 stock will the phone work with KIES again?
9. I have odin 3.07 - is this version appropriate for this procedure?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firstly,
Idk exactly about USB debugging but what i do know is that...
"USB Debugging is intended for development purposes only. It can be used to copy data between your computer and your device, install applications on your device without notification, and read log data." A few apps use it, like the aforementioned PdaNet app. USB Debugging can also be used with ADB when issuing commands from a command line on your computer to your Android handset or tablet. One-Click root apps often require USB Debugging to be enabled to deliver the exploit that roots your device.
SIM card wouldn't affect anything, so it doesn't matter if you leave it in the phone..
After Flashing the JB, first check whether the phone goes into boot loop or anything like that....if you experience any problems then do the factory reset, wipe cache...though its usually recommended to factory reset anyways..
I don't think we need to flash the "emmc_EXT4_16GB.pit" or the other pit file..
The reboot process shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes max..
Well i have gone from custom ROM 4.1.2 XXLSJ back to the stock 4.0.4 using the usual flashing steps of ODIN....I didn't experience any problems..
If its anything above Odin3v1.85 it shouldn't be a problem...
Press thanx if i helped..
Is there any need to do any factory reset/cache wiping from recovery before flashing 4.1.2?
I guess that when I flashed jb leak I had all those questions, and maybe a couple of more.
Then I read about Mobile Odin, flashed & rooted my device in half a smoke (3 mins). All I had to do was select the 3 tar files.
The flash did network lock my device. Galaxysim Unlock solved it for me.
good luck and happy flashing.
dimbo33 said:
Is there any need to do any factory reset/cache wiping from recovery before flashing 4.1.2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only once. Either before flashing the ROM, or after. Order doesn't matter.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Spiralzz said:
Only once. Either before flashing the ROM, or after. Order doesn't matter.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would imagine then it's better to do it whilst on 4.0.4 prior to flashing (since I have the sane chip) so that you don't get the possible failed boot after flashing 4.1.2 with odin.
So after doing the wipes in recovery prior to flashing, is the phone turned off by a long press of the power button?
dimbo33 said:
I would imagine then it's better to do it prior to flashing so that you don't get the possible failed boot after flashing 4.1.2 with odin.
So after doing the wipes in recovery prior to flashing, is the phone turned off by a long press of the power button?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I don't think so. Come to think of it, I've never tried that A battery pull works though
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Spiralzz said:
No, I don't think so. Come to think of it, I've never tried that A battery pull works though
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mean it's not better to factory reset before flashing or the long press doesn't turn off the phone from recovery (in which case best to pull the battery out)?
dimbo33 said:
I would imagine then it's better to do it whilst on 4.0.4 prior to flashing (since I have the sane chip) so that you don't get the possible failed boot after flashing 4.1.2 with odin.
So after doing the wipes in recovery prior to flashing, is the phone turned off by a long press of the power button?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well since your flashing 4.0.4 its pretty much a must to also install custom kernel to avoid possible silly bricks by wiping data.
So simply flash rom via odin and then do same for custom kernel like Siyah and then reboot into kernel and wipe data/factory reset and you're off
TheATHEiST said:
Well since your flashing 4.0.4 its pretty much a must to also install custom kernel to avoid possible silly bricks by wiping data.
So simply flash rom via odin and then do same for custom kernel like Siyah and then reboot into kernel and wipe data/factory reset and you're off
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sane chip, he's already off.
gastonw said:
Sane chip, he's already off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah didnt notice OP was on sane chip. Was speaking more in general though anyway.
TheATHEiST said:
Yeah didnt notice OP was on sane chip. Was speaking more in general though anyway.
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Sometimes I dream my phone is bricked or scracthed. This Q&A thing might be messing with my head.
gastonw said:
Sometimes I dream my phone is bricked or scracthed. This Q&A thing might be messing with my head.
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:laugh:
gastonw said:
Sometimes I dream my phone is bricked or scracthed. This Q&A thing might be messing with my head.
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Click to collapse
I know what you mean. I haven't even done this procedure yet and I'm dreaming of bricked phones/ corrupted IMEIs etc.
Probably a bit melodramatic I know.
It did occur to me that instead of flashing stock 4.1.2 from stock 4.0.4, it may be better to flash the Siyah kernel to my current 4.0.4. This way I can back up efs, do a nandroid and titanium - before embarking on fully fledged ROM flashing etc.
What do you think?
dimbo33 said:
I know what you mean. I haven't even done this procedure yet and I'm dreaming of bricked phones/ corrupted IMEIs etc.
Probably a bit melodramatic I know.
It did occur to me that instead of flashing stock 4.1.2 from stock 4.0.4, it may be better to flash the Siyah kernel to my current 4.0.4. This way I can back up efs, do a nandroid and titanium - before embarking on fully fledged ROM flashing etc.
What do you think?
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Click to collapse
Well...the beauty of flashing is that you can do both Stock & Custom. You can also Dual Boot if you want.
My advice is this:
1) Always Back up EFS folder (HC-ktool is a good app for that).
2) Get Titanium Back up Pro.
3) Flash CMW or Flash siyah, it can't never hurt (well, if you go JB leak, might wanna try usin stock kernel first and the flash a custom kernel)
4) Get mobile odin Pro (so you can flash as many stock ROMs as you like, with the chance of getting bricked or soft bricked close to none + you'll always be rooted)
5) Read about ROMs features. You are the only person in the world that knows what ROM will fit your needs.
6) Start flashing.
7) If you are scared about bricks, read the bricked device's threads. That way you will know what NOT to do.
In my experience, I went jb and never came back.
Now, you really dream about IMEI, lol, that's something
I haven't flashed 4.1.2 yet. I was going to do it last night but realised I had forgotten my GPS active and the battery went flat. I took this as an omen and aborted the mission.
I've been reading around the subject for days. There seem to be so many people that encounter problems that it is difficult to have any perspective. The myriad of users that flash stuff via odin without any trouble obviously don't post that it went well - so you read 10 problem posts and never see the other thousand flashes that went without a hitch.
I also have read on xda that the leaked JB 4.1.2 is somewhat buggy. I'm not sure how buggy, but the lock screen freeze would be annoying in practice.
Again the carrot of official jb has been dangled before us - supposedly in February now.......Given that this will probably be the last official release for the S2 I might hang on and wait for it - then embark on the routing/custom ROM journey.
dimbo33 said:
I haven't flashed 4.1.2 yet. I was going to do it last night but realised I had forgotten my GPS active and the battery went flat. I took this as an omen and aborted the mission.
I've been reading around the subject for days. There seem to be so many people that encounter problems that it is difficult to have any perspective. The myriad of users that flash stuff via odin without any trouble obviously don't post that it went well - so you read 10 problem posts and never see the other thousand flashes that went without a hitch.
I also have read on xda that the leaked JB 4.1.2 is somewhat buggy. I'm not sure how buggy, but the lock screen freeze would be annoying in practice.
Again the carrot of official jb has been dangled before us - supposedly in February now.......Given that this will probably be the last official release for the S2 I might hang on and wait for it - then embark on the routing/custom ROM journey.
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Well, you read 10 problems while flashing, right now we got 50.000 users going thru these threads, here, at XDA.
Jb is buggy, it's a leak, but too buggy? don't think so.
As for the bugs, we got plenty of people coming up with work arounds & fixes every day. In my case, I only have the lockscreen issue (let's face it, it doesn't always happens, like maybe 1 time a day and it's only for 3 seconds till the capacitive buttons light up. If you lock the screen and re unlock it with the power button, you're off. For me, it's not even an issue). I don't even remember when was the last time I had this issue, maybe 3 days ago now that I think about it.
Where's flashing, there's risk. TRUE. That's why I layed the Mobile Odin Pro option for you, that could be the best way to lose you flashing's fright.
BTW: we are getting the lime pie update, SII Plus was released just now
gastonw said:
Where's flashing, there's risk. TRUE. That's why I layed the Mobile Odin Pro option for you, that could be the best way to lose you flashing's fright.
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I have had a look at mobile Odin Pro and I like the look of it. Thanks for the tip. To use it I need to root the S2.
I have seen this guide http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1501719 - this seems simple. I could also flash the Siyah kernel via Odin. Which root method would you recommend? The first method seems to avoid the triangle issue - although this is not a big deal.
With a routed device I can backup efs etc before flashing anything else. Does the efs folder contain the simlock status?
Also, as you know I have been looking at the leaked jb, but perhaps it might be worth looking at neatrom 4.1.2 (or similar) instead?
I seem to get the impression that mobile Odin Pro is a safe method. Is it safer than using PC Odin?
New here. (also apologies for probable duplicate topic)
I've rooted a phone in the past with no problem. This time round was with an S2, and I flashed an insecure kernel on it, got a green pass on Odin however it's now stuck on the boot screen with the yellow triangle.
I can access recovery mode and download mode but it will never boot properly, always stuck on the yellow triangle. What's the best course of action from here?
Need a lot of help with this guys as I'd rather not have a bricked phone ><
ikradex said:
New here. (also apologies for probable duplicate topic)
I've rooted a phone in the past with no problem. This time round was with an S2, and I flashed an insecure kernel on it, got a green pass on Odin however it's now stuck on the boot screen with the yellow triangle.
I can access recovery mode and download mode but it will never boot properly, always stuck on the yellow triangle. What's the best course of action from here?
Need a lot of help with this guys as I'd rather not have a bricked phone ><
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Click to collapse
Seriously dude? Use some common sense please and give relevant information on what you have. What model/variant do you have, rom are you on, what kernel have you flashed?
How do you expect anybody to be able to help you if you dont give such basic info???
Are you sure the kernel supports the rom/version you have installed?
ikradex said:
New here. (also apologies for probable duplicate topic)
I've rooted a phone in the past with no problem. This time round was with an S2, and I flashed an insecure kernel on it, got a green pass on Odin however it's now stuck on the boot screen with the yellow triangle.
I can access recovery mode and download mode but it will never boot properly, always stuck on the yellow triangle. What's the best course of action from here?
Need a lot of help with this guys as I'd rather not have a bricked phone ><
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Click to collapse
Maybe because you wiped all data....so...there's no ROM to boot up to.
Try flashing one via Odin
gastonw said:
Maybe because you wiped all data....so...there's no ROM to boot up to.
Try flashing one via Odin
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Click to collapse
Wiping data doesnt wipe rom , It just wipes appdata, ie settings etc. All that happens is a factory reset so when you next boot its back to default. For example you would need to re-enter google account and re-install apss either manually or from a backup.
You can only wipe rom by formatting system partition.
TheATHEiST said:
Wiping data doesnt wipe rom , It just wipes appdata, ie settings etc. All that happens is a factory reset so when you next boot its back to default. For example you would need to re-enter google account and re-install apss either manually or from a backup.
You can only wipe rom by formatting system partition.
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Thought you had me in ignore.
So there's no way you can wipe your OS via recovery? Good to know that, it's like ROM over ROM then. The new one clears the old one.
gastonw said:
Thought you had me in ignore.
So there's no way you can wipe your OS via recovery? Good to know that, it's like ROM over ROM then. The new one clears the old one.
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I did have you on ignore but I still see little boxes saying this comment has been ignored etc which was actually more annoying so I removed ignore.
Yes you can wipe OS via recovery but only by formatting system/deleting partition etc. All the "wipe" options do is remove files that have been created by rom like app settings/cache etc.
Your confusion was probably also the reason why you made a big thing in a previous topic about you trying to avoid wiping data, because you thought it wiped rom? :silly:
Wiping data/factory reset in cwm is one of the best ways to get rid of system issues, Its basically like doing a clean install of Windows on a PC. After you have wiped you can simply restore your needed apps from a backup using Titanium Backup. Other things like sms/mms etc can be also backed up easily and contacts will be synced via Google account.
TheATHEiST said:
I did have you on ignore but I still see little boxes saying this comment has been ignored etc which was actually more annoying so I removed ignore.
Yes you can wipe OS via recovery but only by formatting system/deleting partition etc. All the "wipe" options do is remove files that have been created by rom like app settings/cache etc.
Your confusion was probably also the reason why you made a big thing in a previous topic about you trying to avoid wiping data, because you thought it wiped rom? :silly:
Wiping data/factory reset in cwm is one of the best ways to get rid of system issues, Its basically like doing a clean install of Windows on a PC. After you have wiped you can simply restore your needed apps from a backup using Titanium Backup. Other things like sms/mms etc can be also backed up easily and contacts will be synced via Google account.
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hum...okay.
I actually know what Factory Reset does, I mean..."factory"..."reset", kinda......gives it away.
And yes, it made sense to me that you could wipe the ROM you are on before installing a new one, just like the format c:/s days in win98.
You learn something every day, speaking of which, how come no one recommends noobs to root their device with exynos abuse? It's because they're noobs and wouldn't be able to handle/understand the exploit?
I still don't do factory resets because I don't need to, and I avoid needing to perform it.
TheATHEiST said:
Seriously dude? Use some common sense please and give relevant information on what you have. What model/variant do you have, rom are you on, what kernel have you flashed?
How do you expect anybody to be able to help you if you dont give such basic info???
Are you sure the kernel supports the rom/version you have installed?
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply Figured if someone was willing to help me I'd give them the information they wanted.
Have Samsung Galaxy S II (GT-I9100) (couldn't tell you what "variant" it is). I was following this guide. It told me to get an insecure kernel from here. The guide said it didn't really matter which kernel I picked so I picked the first one (GT-I9100_BGKF5_insecure) and used Odin to flash it. Got a green pass and the phone began reboot but it's now stuck on the yellow triangle (the warning message that you've flashed an insecure kernel).
I couldn't tell whether there would be compatibility issues as the thread just seems to be one big list of kernels and nothing else. AFAIK the phone was running ICS.
Looking at the replies, I keep seeing factory reset. Is that a liable option to restore my phone back to its original state. I don't care as long the phone works again. If not can someone run through how to fix my predicament I heard if I can access download and recovery mode I should be able to fix it.
ikradex said:
Thanks for the reply Figured if someone was willing to help me I'd give them the information they wanted.
Have Samsung Galaxy S II (GT-I9100) (couldn't tell you what "variant" it is). I was following this guide. It told me to get an insecure kernel from here. The guide said it didn't really matter which kernel I picked so I picked the first one (GT-I9100_BGKF5_insecure) and used Odin to flash it. Got a green pass and the phone began reboot but it's now stuck on the yellow triangle (the warning message that you've flashed an insecure kernel).
I couldn't tell whether there would be compatibility issues as the thread just seems to be one big list of kernels and nothing else. AFAIK the phone was running ICS.
Looking at the replies, I keep seeing factory reset. Is that a liable option to restore my phone back to its original state. I don't care as long the phone works again. If not can someone run through how to fix my predicament I heard if I can access download and recovery mode I should be able to fix it.
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Click to collapse
Of course, you're not bricked yet.
Before trying your back up, why don't you flash a stock ROM via odin and take a long breath?
This is JB leak.
These are ICS, look for 4.0.3 unbranded.
gastonw said:
Of course, you're not bricked yet.
Before trying your back up, why don't you flash a stock ROM via odin and take a long breath?
This is JB leak.
These are ICS, look for 4.0.3 unbranded.
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I know this is leading onto another thread but my phone now is having trouble connecting to my computer. Keep getting "USB not recognized" error. Installed/Uninstalled kies & drivers then installed drivers again alone and still won't recognize it
Tried another usb port? another pc/laptop? sure kies is not running in background? reinstalled kies?
Don't worry, your pc WILL see your device.
Sent from the little guy
I'm in a bit of a tight situation over here. My mom's phone was having issues, so she wanted me to fix it before I left to visit my grandparents. I found a stock ROM for the phone (GT-i9100 International) and flashed it, but the phone always got stuck on the "Samsung Galaxy SII GT-I9100" boot screen (occasionally it would show the "O2" screen, as it was a ROM for Ireland). I tried a different ROM (can't remember what country it was), and I'm still stuck with the same problem. This time no O2 screen though. I've downloaded my ROMs through sammobile.com and I'm using ODIN v1.83.
The label under the battery reads:
Model: GT-I9100
SSN: -I9100GSMH
What ROM should I use and where can I get it? I found this thread with a link to the ROM for the international version, but Hotfile has been shut down, so I can't download it.
Sorry if I could've found the answer with a few more hours of searching, but I've got less than 24 hours to find a fix and I was hoping that someone else could help me. Thanks a lot!
EDIT: I'm in the U.S., if that matters.
Try AndroidFirmwares.net or Samsung-Updates.com. If it were me in that situation (I.E not my phone), I'd be putting whatever the latest firmware is for the carrier/country.
Any region?
MistahBungle said:
Try AndroidFirmwares.net or Samsung-Updates.com. If it were me in that situation (I.E not my phone), I'd be putting whatever the latest firmware is for the carrier/country.
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Should any region work to get the phone up and running? I just need to get it back up so that I can root it and flash CM10. Thanks.
Yep absolutely. If your end result is to root the phone & put a custom rom on, use any stock rom you can get your hands on. Though I'd be avoiding 4.0.4, anything other than that should be fine.
MistahBungle said:
Yep absolutely. If your end result is to root the phone & put a custom rom on, use any stock rom you can get your hands on. Though I'd be avoiding 4.0.4, anything other than that should be fine.
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Is 4.1.2 OK, or should I go for 4.0.3 or below?
Doesn't matter, take your pick.
More info on problem
I tried installing two other ROMs (from androidfirmwares.net), one 4.1.2 and one 2.3.6. The 4.1.2 didn't get me anywhere, but after I flashed 2.3.6 the phone said the assert check failed. GT-i9100 is on the list of what it checked for. (I've never had any luck with the assert checks on any of my Samsung phones: GS Captivate, GSII Skyrocket, or AT&T GSIII. I've always had to remove the check in my update script.) I attached a picture.
EDIT: Since the attachment doesn't seem to be working, here's a Dropbox link.
Pic won't load for me, but it mentions 'recovery error', what exactly are you doing/what's the problem ?
MistahBungle said:
Pic won't load for me, but it mentions 'recovery error', what exactly are you doing/what's the problem ?
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Click to collapse
My process:
Open ODIN v3.09
Plug in the phone, already in download mode.
Click the AP button and load my .tar.md5.
Click Start.
Wait for it to finish, leaving the phone untouched on the table.
I just tried another USB cable, but to no avail. I've also tried unplugging the phone right after it reboots and ODIN says "PASS!", but no luck there either. I just tried another ROM that just finished downloading and it's giving me a similar getprop() error. At the bottom of the output in red it says:
E:Error in /cache/recovery/sec_csc.zip
(Status 7)
Installation aborted.
I don't think there's any way for me to edit the update script, as the tar contains a bunch of filesystem images. Even if it was easy to edit it would ruin the checksum verification.
Check out the picture on Dropbox here.
What are you trying to do in Android recovery ? Given what your stated aim is - get a stock rom on the phone, re-root it, put custom rom on, you shouldn't be using Android (I.E stock) recovery at any stage.
The process should be:-
*Flash stock rom with Odin in download mode (I.E phone off - home/vol down/power, not home/vol up/power)
*Root phone with whatever method
*Flash custom rom with CWRecovery, which you'll get once you root the phone
So....You need to go step by step. Start with flashing the stock rom with Odin, and try to boot the phone normally/make sure that was successful before doing the next two steps. Look for Hopper8's 'Odin troubleshooting' guide if you're having trouble getting a successful Odin flash.
Once you've done that, root the phone & make sure you have CWRecovery working, then flash the custom rom.
The phone boots to the recovery screen after it finishes flashing with ODIN. I put it into download mode, run ODIN, and then it that error screen comes up on the next reboot.
Try flashing the three part firmware linked to in Hopper's thread first (this will wipe the phone). I can't help but think we're missing some info re: what's been done to the phone previously here if the phone is booting into recovery mode after being Odin flashed. It shouldn't do that. After an Odin flash/pass the phone should boot normally, assuming it's not a case of the NAND being corrupted (it probably wouldn't boot into recovery if that was the case/you'd be left with constant bootloop)
I know you've mentioned what's on the sticker on the phone chassis under the battery but are you absolutely 100% sure it's an I9100 ?
MistahBungle said:
I know you've mentioned what's on the sticker on the phone chassis under the battery but are you absolutely 100% sure it's an I9100 ?
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Click to collapse
At the top of the download mode screen it says "PRODUCT NAME: GT-i9100". I don't know any other way to tell besides this and the sticker on the back. There are no carrier markings anywhere, and this phone was purchased because it had an FM radio, which only the international version had.
And assuming by "Hopper's thread" you mean this one, I can't because the files are no longer available.
In that case, you're stuck with the other suggestions to try in his thread & continuing to flash stock roms until you get a properly successful flash I.E phone boots/works normally. There might be something really obvious here being missed, but because we're not there with you/don't have the phone in front of us it might be difficult to work out.
It's working!
Yay, I got it to work! I flashed a custom kernel (jeboo), which allowed me to get into CWM. From there I sideloaded CM10 and now it's up and running! Only I still have a problem with internal storage... (That was the problem I was trying to fix originally.) Would the next thing to try to fix that be flashing a PIT file? If so, any tips for doing that?
I'm going to put off trying to fix that problem and do it when I get back. For now it works as a phone, and that's what's most important to her anyway. Thanks for your help MistahBungle.
Solved!
For anyone else who comes across this thread, I was able to solve my problem permanently by flashing a new PIT file. I found the correct PIT files for the GT-i9100 in this XDA thread. It seemed my partitions had become messed up long ago, as the phone had been showing a 2GB /data partition and only a 2GB internal SD card partition (which should've been closer to 12GB) for some time.
I choose a 4GB data partition (since I was running low on /data space last time). Oddly enough, booting the stock ROM after flashing the PIT only showed a 2GB data partition. Once I flashed CM10 it showed as 4GB though.