Hey,
A friend gave me his Galaxy S after another friend of him got it into this following state (I'm not sure what exactly he did or tried to do):
The phone is stuck in a boot loop, sometimes it shows the first frame of the boot animation for a second before booting again. When I start it in recovery mode (Android System Recovery (3e)) I get this error messages:
Code:
-- Copying media files...
E:failed to mount /sdcard (File exists)
E:copy_dbdata_media:can't mount /sdcard
your storage not prepared yet. please use UI menu
for format and reboot actions
The phone does not have an SD card in it.
After reflashing with the same firmware as original, I get these errors:
Code:
-- Copying media files...
E:failed to mount /sdcard (File exists)
E:copy_dbdata_media:can't mount /sdcard
your storage not prepared yet. please use UI menu
for format and reboot actions
meida files copy failed.
-- Wiping data...
Formatting /data...
E:format_volume: rfs format failed on /dev/block/mmcblk0p2
Formatting /dbdata...
Formatting /cache...
Deleting Meta Data
Data wipe failed.
I've tried flashing different firmwares too, including rooted ones, and the results were the same except for a case where the first error was about not being about to mount mmcblk0p1 instead of sdcard, and another case where another firmware cause the phone to appear to boot, but after a minute or too it got stuck on a black screen and stopped responding.
I followed many different guides on how to fix similar problems, but none of them actually worked.
Please help, thanks a loooot in advance.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1134975
Maybe it will help?
Thanks for the reply. Solutions 1-3 are irrelevant, as I can get into download mode, but even after flashing, any version, the problem is still there. I tried solution 4 (dbdata flash), but it doesn't solve anything. Are there any other partitions I can flash and might be able to solve this?
Ok, next thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1069867
Maybe here is solution?
Tried flashing the files there and no luck, still the same error. =/
I sent Faria, who said he has tools for solving this problem in that topic a PM, hopefully he'll share his tools with the community.
Meanwhile, I don't mind trying different solutions.
I also noticed something – if I keep the phone in the boot loop for a long time, it will eventually get to either a loop of the carrier boot animation (Which normally doesn't loop), or actually boot for one time. (When it booted I tried to power it off and see if it would boot again normally, and it didn't =/)
i have this kind of error few months ago, what i do was, flash pit file only with repartition, then flash pda, phone & csc.... agn flash this dbdata.rfs file, should fix the issue.
Just tried it, no luck, exactly the same error as before. =/
ops... sorry to heard that, at least it work for me but too bad not for u.....
I have the exact same error message and problem . Really hope someone can find a fix for this because I've spent hours and hours
Yep, EXACTLY same problem as OP and NO fixes for me yet. Tried everything from this thread and other threads. Let's see who's the real king of knowledge who can fix this.
any luck with this issue?
In my case it was solved by Click, but as in thread: for some people it works with repartition, while for some - without.
Or, try it Here I'd pay attention to page 2, Darky's resurrection... maybe looking for newer version at Darkyrom.
spamtrash said:
In my case it was solved by Click, but as in thread: for some people it works with repartition, while for some - without.
Or, try it Here I'd pay attention to page 2, Darky's resurrection... maybe looking for newer version at Darkyrom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you spamtrash.
i tried all this various methods. i was able to boot into android but after reboot, it never got into android anymore. stuck in boot loops. ill try Darky's resurrection now, its the last option i havent tried yet. i cant believe there are no scripts or smth to fix and rebuild file system in such cases.
ambrozic said:
thank you spamtrash.
i tried all this various methods. i was able to boot into android but after reboot, it never got into android anymore. stuck in boot loops. ill try Darky's resurrection now, its the last option i havent tried yet. i cant believe there are no scripts or smth to fix and rebuild file system in such cases.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any Luck????????
I'd be interested with results as well. As last hope, you can try http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1330491 this one, but it requires hardware mod...
Sent from tam-tam drum
any update or fix?
Someone found any fix for this?
Yep!
Hi guys!
Yep - probably I found the solution. One month ago I have bought i9000 with this problem (as broken). Finally I managed to start that SGS and even install ICS on it. The problem is (as I suppose) that internal flash memory is broken and You have to move /data partition to external SD card. So some flashes, some changes in files and repartitioning of SD card does the thing.
Currenty I am in the middle of preparing a tutorial to be pushed on YT to show how I managed to solve the problem. Stay tuned
Best regards
this is a hope.. =)=)=) please send me a tutorial. thanks
Ready
So.
Finally I had some time to add voice recording to my movie and volia - is ready.
I hope it will help at least somehow.
I am not sure if this manual will help in Your case(s), but it might be at least a hint
Best regards
Fteller.
^ So, umm, where's the link for your YT video? Thanks.
I had experiencing a problem with my SGS I9000 wherein I could not completely delete anything that had been installed on my phones internal memory... be it applications \ videos \ images \ etc ... I say completely because it did used to tell me that the contents have been deleted when done in KIES and when I had done a factory reset \ formatted my storage... But the contents kept reappearing everytime my phone started up again... Tired of this I decided to flash my phone using Odin3.
My Phone's specs at that time were (had updated to Gingerbread fro Froyo through Kies):
PDA: I9000DDJV6
Phone: I9000DDJV4
CSC: I9000ODDJV6
Now, I've tried flashing using multiple firmware versions... started with the stock DDJV6 version I found here... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=846913 ... and followed all instructions on how to use Odin while flashing using PIT 512...
This sent my phone first into a continual boot cycle... I was able to get into the Download Mode again after a few attempts and then, I tried flashing again with the Gingerbread firmware 2.3.3 given here
http://androidadvices.com/update-samsung-galaxy-s-gt-i9000-stable-gingerbread-xxjvk/ ...
and when that failed too... I also tried Gingerbread version 2.3.5 .. which was given here...
http://androidadvices.com/update-samsung-galaxy-gt-i9000-xxjvs-gingerbread-235-firmware/3/
Now, I problem I face is... though am able to flash the rom, I keep getting a whole bunch of Force Close error messages when the phones boots up...
(I've attached some images of the error message I am getting...)
I read somewhere that should be getting the standard setup options such as the Google registration page and language options once the flashing is completed... but I don't get that page at all... I just keep getting error messages as the phone reboots!
I've also restarted the phone in Recovery mode (Vol Up + Home + Power) to delete cache files and stuff... but that doesn't help either... I can't seem to understand what step am I missing... I must have tried flashing my phone like a dozen times since yesterday but the problem persists...
I would appreciate if you all could help me out of this problem.
Regards,
Vishal
and if it helps, all data including the Apps and other stuff continute to stay on my phone and haven't been deleted... I had checked 'Re-Partition' in Odin3 hoping it would reformat the storage.
I have the same issue! Stuffed if i can find the solution anywhere... Ill keep an eye and ear out though and if i find a fix elsewhere ill let u know here.
Maybe a silly idea but have you tried another a version above odin 1.3? there is 1.7 and 1.8...
Also another silly thing.. You say you can flash the rom's, does that mean you have custom recovery and tried wipe from there as well...
Go into recovery and do a factory reset.. if u haven't already
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
Factory reset from recovery menu didn't work for me. Appears to say/do all the right things in the yellow text, but end result is exactly the same as it was. Will try higher Odin versions tonight.
Re:
Thanks for your response everyone.
The Reset option doesn't work for me either... Tried this through the 'Privacy' menu ... as well as getting into the Recovery Mode using the Vol Up + Menu + Start button combination... Please let me know if I've missed any other way to factory reset\wipe the data...
Odin versions... I've used the older version (1.3?) as well as 1.7 ... have also tried using pit 803... but to no avail...
The fact that I can't delete any content on the internal storage drive may mean that it might have got corrupted and may need a replacement?
I am new to this and hence might sound like a noob but I appreciate your patience...
Everyone starts as a noob or beginner, so there are no silly questions.
To totally reset your phone and clear everything off of it you can use the dialer code *2767*3855# : this will delete everything that has been added from your side, including all of your files!
BUT : you should be aware that the formatting starts immediately after you type in the last '#' without getting asked if you really want to wipe everything, so be careful.
Same here; Odin 1.7 didn't alter result. Nor does entering reset code in dialler...
Re:
The other day, I tried to flash the stock rom using the PDA file only... The procedure I followed was... Opened Odin, added PIT 512 and checked Re-Partition, added the DDJV6 PDA file... Hit Start... The process completed and as my phone rebooted again, it went into Recovery and threw up the following error messages:
E: copy_dbdata_media: Can't mount /cache your storage not prepared yet.
E: failed to mount /cache (Invalid Argument)
E: Can't mount /cache/recovery/recovery_kernel_log
E: copy_kernel_file :: Can't open /cache/recovery/recovery_kernel_log
Upon clicking 'wipe data/factory reset'
E: format_volume: rfs format failed on /dev/block/stl11
Does this indicate something?
And, I do keep getting the force close error messages as well... and some of them are for applications like Titanium Backup and Read It Later... which have already been uninstalled .. but they still seem to exist in the phone's memory...
No idea if this will work but I was recently guided to this thread and it maybe of help to you because it says that it brings you back to a proper base... read the last 5 pages as this is usually recommended in long threads and obviously the whole of the first page. The thread I mean is the one where it says efs recovery below
Re:
Thanks Talon, I will surely try this out!
There's a guy who had a similar problem as mine and he seemed to have solved it by flashing EZBase-4.0.7z ... so perhaps it might help me as well... currently on download... will let you know how it went!
Re:
Flashing with EZBase hasn't got rid of the Force Close error messages... I get tonnes of them... for almost everything from android.phone to even applications which I had uninstalled several times but they just mysteriously come back .... everytime I flash...
Do I need to get root access before I can perform a clean flash... as in, with no force close messages?
vish123 said:
The other day, I tried to flash the stock rom using the PDA file only... The procedure I followed was... Opened Odin, added PIT 512 and checked Re-Partition, added the DDJV6 PDA file... Hit Start... The process completed and as my phone rebooted again, it went into Recovery and threw up the following error messages:
E: copy_dbdata_media: Can't mount /cache your storage not prepared yet.
E: failed to mount /cache (Invalid Argument)
E: Can't mount /cache/recovery/recovery_kernel_log
E: copy_kernel_file :: Can't open /cache/recovery/recovery_kernel_log
Upon clicking 'wipe data/factory reset'
E: format_volume: rfs format failed on /dev/block/stl11
Does this indicate something?
And, I do keep getting the force close error messages as well... and some of them are for applications like Titanium Backup and Read It Later... which have already been uninstalled .. but they still seem to exist in the phone's memory...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THAT (above) could be sorted out with: Click
vish123 said:
Flashing with EZBase hasn't got rid of the Force Close error messages... I get tonnes of them... for almost everything from android.phone to even applications which I had uninstalled several times but they just mysteriously come back .... everytime I flash...
Do I need to get root access before I can perform a clean flash... as in, with no force close messages?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try flashing a froyo rom... might help... then after that if you get no force closes flash gingerbread
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
Re:
Okay, will download the EzBase froyo version and try flashing that...
As an aside, would you please list the reasons why these force close messages usually pop up? May be I will be able to link my problem to any one of them and then perhaps spot what the root problem could be?
To quote my original problem... To I am unable to fully uninstall the applications which I had installed on my USB storage card... They come back... but most are not functional... I get force close error messages when I try to open them...
And now, am getting force close every time I flash ...
Thanks spamtrash! I will try doing that first... and then perhaps try flashing with EZBase Froyo...
Re:
Okay, so I tried flashing this time using EZBase 2.0 (Froyo version)... and though there were no errors in the Recovery Mode... the force close error messages did come up when the setup wizard is supposed to open... (
Is that some drivers on my phone have not been installed properly which causes these messages to pop up?
I once got an error message saying "Samsung Android" had failed to install ... but when I checked my Device Manager (Win 7)... the ADB Interface was green and installed properly... ??
vish123 said:
The other day, I tried to flash the stock rom using the PDA file only... The procedure I followed was... Opened Odin, added PIT 512 and checked Re-Partition, added the DDJV6 PDA file... Hit Start... The process completed and as my phone rebooted again, it went into Recovery and threw up the following error messages:
E: copy_dbdata_media: Can't mount /cache your storage not prepared yet.
E: failed to mount /cache (Invalid Argument)
E: Can't mount /cache/recovery/recovery_kernel_log
E: copy_kernel_file :: Can't open /cache/recovery/recovery_kernel_log
Upon clicking 'wipe data/factory reset'
E: format_volume: rfs format failed on /dev/block/stl11
Does this indicate something?
And, I do keep getting the force close error messages as well... and some of them are for applications like Titanium Backup and Read It Later... which have already been uninstalled .. but they still seem to exist in the phone's memory...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If u r flashing only the pda file then do one thing first... Open the tar file and see whether it has boot.bin and sbl.bin... If it has then do a full reset by *2767*3855#... And then flash without pit and repartition... Only pda... Do nt tick mart repartition... This wud do ur job...
Sent from my GT-I9000 using xda premium
And if u ve any lagfixes or partition changes then remove that first...
Sent from my GT-I9000 using xda premium
This is a rundown of restoring your IMEI and /efs partition. A lot of people lose their IMEI and have no problem restoring it a variety of ways. But if your restored IMEI disappears on next reboot, your problem is something else. I had this, and I believe it was a corrupted /efs partition.
solution, short answer: flash a good efs.rfs file. I did it in Heimdall; I assume it'll also work in Odin. The one I found online (see attachment) restored my efs to the dummy IMEI of 004999010640000. Where I live and on my provider, this gives me network access. From there I could restore my backup nv_data.bin file to /efs. And then my proper IMEI sticks across reboots.
also: kitch posts another way to fix this, here and here.
NOTE: Messing with IMEI has potential legal problems. The attached file restores IMEI to a fairly common dummy number, so I assume it's not a problem. (mods, please delete if this is a problem). The dummy IMEI could work in your area, but that still could pose legal problems. Check in your area, and see the next paragraph.
WARNING/DISCLAIMER: I found this file on Rapidshare. I don't know who made it, put it there, where it might have been linked from, or what exactly is in it. All I had was a filename and I googled it. And all I know about it is that if you have the problems described above and below, then this may work for you. It did for me. If anyone can "see" inside the file to check that it doesn't contain anything malicious, please comment. All I can say is that ClamXav found nothing wrong with BML3_RESTORE.tar.md5 or the efs.rfs contained within it. And that I'm not responsible for what you do to your own phone.
More ways to check if this is your problem:
- You have no signal. In System Settings > About phone, Baseband says Unknown, even if you know you have a modem in there. Also, them going to Status, your IMEI and IMEI SV also say "Unknown". Other people posting about lost IMEI say they have either all zeroes there, or the dummy IMEI 004999010640000.
The rest of this is what I did in GB. I assume if you have this problem, you tried other solutions that got you here too.
- Flashing stock Samsung ROM with repartition doesn't restore IMEI (at least in Heimdall; I can't check Odin). Flashing EZbase Recovery in Heimdall doesn't do it either. They flash, but afterward boots to recovery mode and shows errors about not being able to apply Multi-CSC.
- in Terminal Emulator or adb, running 'mount /efs' returns: 'mount: can't read 'etc/fstab/': no such file or directory'.
- From here, you can still flash a rooted kernel and flash GB ROMs in CWM recovery mode. After each flash, recovery mode shows errors about not being able to mount /efs and/or /dbdata, and not being able to apply CSC.
- From here, if you try flashing to CM7 or CM9, installation aborts. Onscreen error message shows problems with /tmp/updater.sh.
- If you tried to flash a recent kernel with Heimdall, you can get in its recovery mode. I did this trying to get to a known working JB nandroid. I flashed the JB rom again, and it completes. Rebooting sent me back to recovery mode. Repeat rebooting until fed up. Restoring nandroid completes. Rebooting sent me back to recovery mode. Repeat rebooting until fed up.
solution, long answer:
For me, this was from GB.
- Flash the attached file. For Heimdall, untar it (in command line, run 'tar -xvf /path/to/BML3_RESTORE.tar' without quotes, and replacing /path/to/ with the proper filesystem path. If you don't know what this is, try dragging and dropping the file into your terminal window on your computer.)
Then run: 'heimdall flash --efs /path/to/efs.rfs' (without quotes, again replacing path, or drag-and-drop the file into your terminal window)
On first attempt (second was other human error), I did not flash a whole package with PIT file, or repartition. I did later, and that worked fine, too.
- It automatically reboots (unless you told Heimdall not to). You may go to recovery mode and see a bunch of errors about mounting, but applying Multi-CSC is a success. Reboot, and the phone starts normally. You may momentarily see the circle-and-slash no-signal icon in the upper left corner, but soon after it should show signal bars. Your homescreen may show your network somewhere.
- Check IMEI. It should be the dummy number. You can do this with the phone's number keypad (typing *#06#). I prefer to go to System Settings > About phone > Status. This way you can see the dummy IMEI, and IMEI SV should now also show a number. Go back up one level and also check Baseband; that should now show your modem.
- Restore actual IMEI. This requires that you previously backed up your /efs folder. Restoring this is documented better and more thoroughly elsewhere. I went into my /efs backup folder and copied nv_data.bin to /efs. This is easy with Root Explorer. Press the filename, select copy, navigate back up and to /efs. At the top of the screen, click Mount R/W. Delete everything in there (menu, multi-select, select all, delete). Paste the file. Long press the file, change permissions. Make it 644 (Owner is Read+Write, others are Read), save. Long press again, scroll toward bottom of menu and Change Ownership. Make it Radio (1001) and Radio (1001), save. Click to Mount R/O and exit.
- Check it. Go back and check your IMEI and it should be your real one. IMEI SV should probably change, too. (For me, it was 01 in GB, but now it's 03 in ICS). Reboot, and it should remain. Baseband is also filled in.
From here you can flash up to ICS, or whatever, and your IMEI should remain.
note on attachment: The original filename I searched for and found on Rapidshare was BML3_RESTORE.tar.md5. I've changed the extension to be *.tar, so it can upload to XDA. I think Odin users need to add the .md5 extension.
md5 checksum for BML3_RESTORE.tar: f5ab4c90ed60105c8b50e4e9b112e50b
Credit: XDA user magarto is the one whose post led me to this file and fix, from his post here.
errata: This was originally a [Q]-tagged Question thread. I overwrote the OP with this guide and changed the thread title. Hence, the next several posts may seem out of context.
Still unsolved huh? Khmers do have limited access, due to what happened in their country, anyway you can get a better idea here http://forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/f258/ how efs problems are solved by various box. Just search this forum about efs or post, many Filipinos there .
Having said that, the version of Galaxy S I am using is Korean (has DMB TV, so hardware differences), and to solve this in our version , we simply flash the beginning ROM (with MOVI Files) Its like the Installation Files of Windows, which does a complete setup . This is the last resort for the Korean Galaxy S, solves any and every problems, always wondered why the Galaxy S, does not have this compilation or its only with samsung service centers. anyway
If you have an efs backup, you should try using Root explorer to overwrite (copy paste) the the current efs folder, fix chmod 644 and EXIT using the menu of root explorer and reboot phone to see if it sticks.
thanks for the forum link. yeah, the phone shop nerd was stuck, too. and they did have a box, several that sounded like the octopus box you said.
i've been doing some looking, too, and wondering if it's corrupted file system. i saw several posts about corrupted internal SD, and I don't know if that could be related. my internal SD mounts fine when I boot up, and all my files are there and working. nonetheless, this post seemed interesting, about reformatting in adb with parted:
http://forum.cyanogenmod.com/topic/6433-solved-messed-up-partitions-on-internal-storage/page__st__20
but i still have yet to find out if it's related. flashing anything in recovery, i see this:
E:failed to mount /efs /dbdata your storage not prepared yet please use UI menu for format and reboot actions
ehhh... i'd put off learning more about adb on the backburner. looks like i'm diving in.
Two different issues, internal SD get corrupted when one fails to UNDO lag fix, since samsung uses rfs and lag fixing changes it to ext 4, internal SD will fail to be recognized and needs to be formated to rfs by any Rom using rfs ( mostly stock Roms (to solve that flashing a speedmod kernel, does the trick) But your problem is efs folder
and i came across one person, who had both because he had made a onenand mode lagfix and failed to undo before flashing and was pretty impossible to get over
xsenman said:
and i came across one person, who had both because he had made a onenand mode lagfix and failed to undo before flashing and was pretty impossible to get over
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ugh ... that does not sound promising.
and i'm not even fully aware yet what lagfix is or does. it had never been an option on any kernel i used since i started flashing roms, only early this year from stock to CM7 and soon after to CM9 and other ICSes. Well, until yesterday, when i tried flashing a supercurio kernel on a GB rom, and that failed. But I did see lagfix options under recovery>advanced. at any rate, i hope i'm not in the same boat.
is there any way in adb to find out if i am?
groksteady said:
ugh ... that does not sound promising.
and i'm not even fully aware yet what lagfix is or does. it had never been an option on any kernel i used since i started flashing roms, only early this year from stock to CM7 and soon after to CM9 and other ICSes. Well, until yesterday, when i tried flashing a supercurio kernel on a GB rom, and that failed. But I did see lagfix options under recovery>advanced. at any rate, i hope i'm not in the same boat.
is there any way in adb to find out if i am?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what I am saying is that, you do not have this problem, cause If you had, your internal SD will become unavailable and cannot be used and cannot be formated either ...so just solve the efs problem , thats what you need to concentrate on.
xsenman said:
what I am saying is that, you do not have this problem, cause If you had, your internal SD will become unavailable and cannot be used and cannot be formated either ...so just solve the efs problem , thats what you need to concentrate on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks, man. i just did try this, simply taking a Camera photo and opening it in Gallery. also, ran mount in terminal to see, and yeah, saw rfs not ext.
when i try to mount /efs, i get an error:
moutn: can't read '/etc/fstab/': no such file or directory. there's a vold.fstab in there, with paths for mounting the internal and external sdcards. ehhhh... still learning what all this is about.
groksteady said:
thanks, man. i just did try this, simply taking a Camera photo and opening it in Gallery. also, ran mount in terminal to see, and yeah, saw rfs not ext.
when i try to mount /efs, i get an error:
moutn: can't read '/etc/fstab/': no such file or directory. there's a vold.fstab in there, with paths for mounting the internal and external sdcards. ehhhh... still learning what all this is about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
efs folder has read only permission, so you cannot do anything you like...don't mess with vold.fstab...you will have problems with your SD cards .
The only thing I can suggest is to go back to th earliest eclair or froyo to recover.
you may need to unarchive the downloaded file and then unarchive the resulting TAR files too
Hence in heimdall you should have
PIT file (s1_odin_20100512.pit), CHECK repartition
IBL+PBL = boot.bin
SBL = Sbl.bin
MODEM = modem.bin
PARAM = param.lfs
CACHE = cache.rfs
DBDATAFS = dbdata.rfs
FACTORYFS = factoryfs.rfs
KERNEL = zImage
But First, try to delete the EFS Folder (using root explorer) shut down, Go into recovery and wipe everything than battery pull to shut down and go onto download mode after that Flash
just a suggestion
xsenman said:
Hence in heimdall you should have
PIT file (s1_odin_20100512.pit), CHECK repartition
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks ... this is where I get hung up. Anytime I check repartition, I get libusb End of Pit errors. It runs fine without repartition. This is Heimdall 1.3.1 and 1.3.2 on a Mac 10.5.8.
I'm going to make an Ubuntu Live CD and see if I can get it that way. I used to have an old Lubuntu laptop, and I remember Heimdall working to flash a kernel when the Mac didn't. It'd be great if the repartitioning is what's holding me back.
aargh. didn't work. Heimdall on Linux does let me repartition, but on the reboot I still get errors that /efs can't be mounted, multi-CSC can't be applied, etc. I tried ezbase recovery and the full stock setup for the original provider from sammobile. I tried deleting /efs, full wiping and pulling the battery like you suggested. I tried separately flashing a dbdata.rfs in heimdall, which was suggested for someone else with mount problems. but, it seems like all the other mount problems people have are with sdcard, and not /efs.
If I restore /efs, is it supposed to write data to /dev/block/stl3? because that file is always 0kb. But I could try the dd command to restore that way... maybe later tonight. it's been a long afternoon working through this.
I also don't know what is the deal with not being able to find /etc/fstab. I saw in some other places that Android doesn't use it, so I don't know what's calling it, and why. Or if that's tied to why I can't flash anything beyond a GB rom; I get errors about /tmp/updater.sh.
EDIT: OK, so at some point with ezbase recovery and manually restoring nv_data.bin to /efs, after a little while I saw that my /sys/block/stl3 (and so /dev/block/stl3) were looking normal. I successfully restored the file, plus the IMEI folder, which has bluetooth info. I did this with flight mode on, toggled it off and connected to my network. About Phone was showing my real IMEI, plus BT and wifi MAC addresses. And I had /sys/block/stl3 looking normal. So I ran the dd if=/sys/block/stl3 of=/sdcard/efs.rfs, and used that efs.rfs file to flash full roms in heimdall, repartitioned. I used ezbase recovery and the stock firmware from sammobile.com for the original mobile provider. Neither worked. On first boot both times, I got errors about not being able to mount /efs or apply multi-CSC. My IMEI on reboot is always "unknown", not even all zeroes, until I fix it. And CWM won't flash any CM7 or CM9 zips, giving status 7 errors that it couldn't mount. I also tried flashing the efs.rfs file alone in heimdall command line, and that didn't work. Ezbase is 2.3.3 and my stock is 2.3.5, and serial number info indicates it was made in 2011 or really late 2010 (i'm loathe to pull the battery off these days), so I wouldn't think Froyo could help out. I've reached out to a few people here who had the same problem, but never posted about a fix, or finally giving up. I'm almost at my wit's end. There must be a solution, some way to reformat or push back /efs data to /stl3.
BTW, can anyone post the filenames of what is in /sys/data/stl3 for their i9000? I'd like to know if I'm missing something in there, at least when it does fill up. Right now, I'm thinking it's gotta be a bad partition.
weird..just can't help wondering why it seems so difficult, I assume you are always practicing standard requirements before and after flashing like
1. Using CWM, make sure to wipe data/factory reset,
2. Then wipe cache, and then go into advanced, and wipe the dalvik cache too.
3. From there, flash the ROM
4. Afterwards, repeat the wipe step as in step #1
5. Continuing on, go into advanced and fix permissions.
6. Finally, reboot the device.
In my version its even more stricter, take a look this is required for an uncomplicated Flash
Hm, I've always done 1-3, as that's what's prescribed in most installation instructions, and still Dalvik even if it's not specified. I've only ever wiped post-flash a couple times, and only because it was mentioned in some threads, plus a whole re-flash of the rom. And I'd never heard of fixing permissions after flashing until HellyBean, but I always did with that.
This problem came up coming off of HellyBean with the test idle2 kernel, to AOKP JB, which apparently boots after a status 7 error and abort, but I only knew that later and didn't try that. I then flashed Semaphore to get to the working CWM 6 backups, and ended up in a loop of recovery modes. In hindsight I should have flashed a whole rom -- I went from a datadata rom to one without that I never booted, then to a kernel without datadata just to get the recovery and nandroid.
Rats, I didn't even think about that.until just now typing this out.
sent from a telephonic device
IMEI BACK.
There was a link in a post here that got me there -- basically, someone uploaded an efs.rfs file. Mods, flag me if this is illegal/against rules, but I'd guess it's not because the file gives you the 0049 IMEI.
But for me that didn't matter -- my partition or the linking was screwed up somehow, and I needed a proper one to flash in Heimdall. I couldn't simply correct my nv_data.bin backup and then export bml3.
The Spanish forum link goes to a dead upload, but I was able to find the file BML3_RESTORE.tar.md5 on Rapidshare. If you need this, it was a rollercoaster. At this point I didn't expect anything to work, and I'm still suspicious of finding a file on the web and flashing it without at least some community I can "talk" to about it.
What happened with the file: I flashed it in heimdall, onto a pretty overloaded and laggy JW5. Rebooted, and immediately saw the circle-and-slash no signal logo, so thought it didn't work -- then it pops up to four bars. I swipe to unlock the screen and it completely freezes. So I went back to ezbase recovery kit and flashed the whole thing (with the CF-root kernel, not stock) plus the efs.rfs file. I didn't repartition because I'm on a Mac, and that doesn't work for some reason, and the linux live CD is painfully slow. It flashes, and after completion, I still get a bunch of errors about mounting, but i get a success message about applying multi-CSC. I reboot, and About Phone shows the fake IMEI, but the homescreen is showing my provider. Also, the file explorer showed my internal and external sdcards.
I reinstalled Root Explorer with Titanium Backup, deleted all in /efs and dropped in my backed up nv_data.bin, changed perms and ownership to radio and radio. Exited folder and reopened, and it was all repopulated. Then I dropped in my backup of the /efs/IMEI folder, only because that has a file with BT info and that didn't regenerate. Rebooted, and all was still there! Finally getting out of this weeklong rabbit hole, and able to come back up to ICS with my real IMEI.
Word of caution, though, if going back up from there to one of the latest ICSes. There's people saying to take the latest CM9 nightly -- if you do that, you're flashing up to CWM 6. If you want to go from there to any of several other ICS roms, you might run into a problem because they might be CWM 5.*. After I had CM9 booted, I went into recovery to flash AOKP M6, lost recovery and ended up having to go *back again* to heimdall. Then onto Team Hacksung's CM9 build 16, then finally to AOKP. Done. And I think at this point I'll lay off the Jellybeans for a little while.
groksteady said:
IMEI BACK.
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This is great, Now in order to get others who may get into this situation, out of this mess, can you post a step by step guide ( simplified as much as possible)
such that I can link your post to my EFS problems and solutions post, already downloaded Bml3 and will upload to another , so a step by step guide to resolve this will be helpful to others.
xsenman said:
This is great, Now in order to get others who may get into this situation, out of this mess, can you post a step by step guide ( simplified as much as possible)
such that I can link your post to my EFS problems and solutions post, already downloaded Bml3 and will upload to another , so a step by step guide to resolve this will be helpful to others.
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Click to collapse
Sure thing... I'll amend the OP later today. So glad to be out of this mess. I seriously thought I'd be manually restoring my imei on every reboot until I get a new phone.
sent from a telephonic device
xsenman, I changed the OP to a guide, hopefully the symptoms and instructions are clear enough. and thanks for talking me through this; I was losing my mind, and so close to throwing my phone in the river.
for anyone else: xsenman was helping me in another thread too. There, I mention how the official Samsung Service Center here said I had a memory board problem, can't recover IMEI without replacing that, for US$150. I went to one of the many phone seller shops with decent hackers/tinkerers, and they couldn't do it either, and they had Octopus Boxes, or at least a box for Samsung.
anyway. HTH others.
and a tinfoil-hat request: anyone who is able to look at the file attached in the OP, can you see if there's anything troubling or 'weird' in it. I just found the damn thing and tried it. It wasn't the most security-conscious step, but I was in a pinch.
so i had this same problem flashing hellybean 20120820 and used one of the guides here to return to stock then copied my good efs off to my computer flashed all the way back then restored the efs folder but it wouldnt stick. I tried several times fixing permissions and a few other suggestions on this forum but nothing worked. Finally i read somewhere that the cache would restore the efs folder if it wasnt cleared, so i restored my efs thru root explorer to the good one from gingerbread rebooted to recovery, wiped cache, and rebooted. Voila it finally stuck, i dont know exactly why it worked or where i heard clear the cache but it did. Maybe it will work for oyu
Psykologikal said:
Finally i read somewhere that the cache would restore the efs folder if it wasnt cleared, so i restored my efs thru root explorer to the good one from gingerbread rebooted to recovery, wiped cache, and rebooted. Voila it finally stuck, i dont know exactly why it worked or where i heard clear the cache but it did. Maybe it will work for oyu
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Huh, that's cool. I hadn't read that anywhere before. I'm not in that jam anymore, but its good to know.
I do wonder if I all the other 'normal' methods never worked for me because I was using Heimdall. It shouldn't make a difference, but I did run into basic common problems, like repartitioning not working on Macs.
Thanks for the tip. I hope I won't need to try it.
sent from a telephonic device
I have SC-01C docom tab. during unlocking its imei became null and baseband became unknow. I try this tutorial and result in imei 0000946xxxxx.
But when I restart tab. Imei again null.
Note: there is no option of 644 in Permission.
Please help me to solve this.
nsnobel2 said:
I have SC-01C docom tab. during unlocking its imei became null and baseband became unknow. I try this tutorial and result in imei 0000946xxxxx.
But when I restart tab. Imei again null.
Note: there is no option of 644 in Permission.
Please help me to solve this.
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Click to collapse
Sorry to get to this reply so late. And, that I'm not sure I can help you -- I don't know anything about this tablet. This guide helped me with a Samsung Galaxy S i9000. From a quick search online, the PIT file you'd use is different. I don't know for sure, but I would guess it's possible that your EFS partition is different from the i9000, and this method would not work for you.
For permissions, you should be able to change them by long-pressing a file in Root Explorer, Root Browser or similar apps; it's not an option you choose, you manually toggle r/w, r and r for owner, group and others, respectively. Or you can use the chmod command in Terminal to set to 644, same thing.