Related
silly me decided to install a custom battery icon. In the description for the mod on app planet it said to use with froyo but didnt say it would not work with eclair. I installed the mod without problems and I thought everything was going well, but now my phone is bricked, and wont load past the samsung i896 boot screen even after deleting all user data and wiping my cache in recovery mode. So I guess my only option now is to flash a rom using odin, but id rather prefer not to flash to a stock ATT 2.1 rom, i would like to flash back to my original stock rogers.
Is it possible to flash to an ATT rom, then do a factory reset from the privacy settings of the phone to bring me back to rogers stock rom?
ATT rom =/= Rogers rom
You'll need to search and find a Rogers rom you can stick in Odin and flash with if you want Rogers
I don't think you can easily return to Rogers stock rom using odin. Most people end up having AT&T logo on boot. However, since you're soft bricked anyways, why don't you try using Heimdall, new Open-Source Flashing Software and this dump generated from stock Rogers phone.
I haven't seen any reports of tests on Captivate yet, but it seems to work well on other Galaxies. Check Heimdall thread for more info, and if it works well for you, please report to this thread. Good luck!
thanks, i installed heimdall perfectly fine, it recognizes my device, but i cant download that PIT file from megaupload, its failed to download multiple times. Is there any other links?
I will keep trying
all good to go now,
used this rogers stock rom
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BD2EF4WF
and flashed it without any problems. Glad to have a working phone again even though i lost everything
Did you use heimdall our some other method?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I896 using XDA App
Hi! I just came across the same issue. I've been using the Cognition ROM on my Captivate for some months now and only today decided to switch to Perception 8. I downloaded the latter and rebooted through ROM Manager which, as I've done before, rebooted and backed up all my data. It then proceeded to erase all user data and cache and attempted to install Perception 8 ROM, but was unsuccessful. It provided me with a usual list of options, including 'Reboot', 'Backup' (i think) and others. I chose to Reboot thinking it would just go back to the last best ROM (i.e. Cognition latest, in my case).
Now it just reboots and refuses to go past the at&t World Phone boot screen.
I've tried the button combinations. Up-volume+down-volume+power button, up+power, up+home+power, down+home+power (!). All these seem to reboot the phone and in about 10 seconds after I press them, takes me right back to the same boot screen and not past it.
I'm fairly sure my old data is backed up somewhere inside.
I've tried to read the other forums, but nothing in particular seems to work for me. I run Ubuntu on my laptop, wanted to try Heimdall but its download page is down.
Any suggestions on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated.
1) Any other button combinations?
2) Any other tricks, including ways to using Heimdall (whose source files I can't seem to find), to get into my device?
Apologies for the detail, but I presume there's someone who knows exactly what I'm talking about.
OP, what software did you end up using on your computer to gain access to the device?
Thanks.
sshvetsov said:
Did you use heimdall our some other method?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I896 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes i used it, installed the drivers on my pc, downloaded the rom i provided in my response and flashed it, worked flawlessly without problems.
nostratispeak said:
Hi! I just came across the same issue. I've been using the Cognition ROM on my Captivate for some months now and only today decided to switch to Perception 8. I downloaded the latter and rebooted through ROM Manager which, as I've done before, rebooted and backed up all my data. It then proceeded to erase all user data and cache and attempted to install Perception 8 ROM, but was unsuccessful. It provided me with a usual list of options, including 'Reboot', 'Backup' (i think) and others. I chose to Reboot thinking it would just go back to the last best ROM (i.e. Cognition latest, in my case).
Now it just reboots and refuses to go past the at&t World Phone boot screen.
I've tried the button combinations. Up-volume+down-volume+power button, up+power, up+home+power, down+home+power (!). All these seem to reboot the phone and in about 10 seconds after I press them, takes me right back to the same boot screen and not past it.
I'm fairly sure my old data is backed up somewhere inside.
I've tried to read the other forums, but nothing in particular seems to work for me. I run Ubuntu on my laptop, wanted to try Heimdall but its download page is down.
Any suggestions on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated.
1) Any other button combinations?
2) Any other tricks, including ways to using Heimdall (whose source files I can't seem to find), to get into my device?
Apologies for the detail, but I presume there's someone who knows exactly what I'm talking about.
OP, what software did you end up using on your computer to gain access to the device?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i used heimdall, which was linked above, but I was able to get into download mode through my phone since it was soft bricked. IF you can get back into Download mode, then you are fine... Keep trying until you do, otherwise you might have to use the JIG method.
stavs said:
yes i used it, installed the drivers on my pc, downloaded the rom i provided in my response and flashed it, worked flawlessly without problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's great news! I'm sure a lot of rogers captivate users will be very happy to learn that. Just curious, where did the linked rom dump come from?
EDIT: Nevermind, found this thread describing Rogers stock restore procedure using Heimdall and the bundle you used.
@nostratispeak: if you have questions about Heimdall, you might want to check the official thread.
sshvetsov said:
@nostratispeak: if you have questions about Heimdall, you might want to check the official thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. Just did. The site is back up and working. I've the downloaded the files too. Now, to get my phone to work.
@stavs Thanks.
Just curious. What's the difference between a soft brick and hard one? My Captivate simply refuses to get past the AT&T World Phone logo white boot screen - the very first one when you normally reboot the Captivate. I'm not sure if I'm in the 'Download' mode. And, I don't have access to the material required for the JIG. So, I'm hoping to get this done the software route.
Is there a chance that anything from my last best Cognition ROM is still active in there somewhere?
I'm also afraid that if I keep my phone ON for too long, it will simply die out and refuse to recharge.
Thanks.
EDIT: I followed the instructions from this thread and I have the phone in what I believe, is the Download mode: Droid shoving dirt within a filled yellow triangle, with a message "Downloading" "Do not turn off Target". My device is connected to my laptop. I don't see anything popping up on the screen. I also have Heimdall frontend up and running in Ubuntu.
I've downloaded a few ROMs, including Cognition and some samsung stock firmware. There are conflicting information in different pages. Am not sure what to do next. Help?
nostratispeak said:
@stavs Thanks.
Just curious. What's the difference between a soft brick and hard one? My Captivate simply refuses to get past the AT&T World Phone logo white boot screen - the very first one when you normally reboot the Captivate. I'm not sure if I'm in the 'Download' mode. And, I don't have access to the material required for the JIG. So, I'm hoping to get this done the software route.
Is there a chance that anything from my last best Cognition ROM is still active in there somewhere?
I'm also afraid that if I keep my phone ON for too long, it will simply die out and refuse to recharge.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your device isn't bricked as such, it's caught in a boot-cycle. This is actually worse than a soft brick and in some ways is comparable to a "hard" brick. It's comparable to a hard brick because when you're in a boot cycle you usually can't get into download mode. Presumably the only option is to use a custom JIG, as you've mentioned.
There is no official terminology but a soft brick is generally when your phone displays the "connect phone to pc" screen. A hard brick is a bit more difficult to define, but I'd say it's fairly reasonable to assume that this is when your phone won't turn on or charge. A brick (full brick?) is when your device is absolutely not recoverable by any means.
nostratispeak said:
@stavs Thanks.
Just curious. What's the difference between a soft brick and hard one? My Captivate simply refuses to get past the AT&T World Phone logo white boot screen - the very first one when you normally reboot the Captivate. I'm not sure if I'm in the 'Download' mode. And, I don't have access to the material required for the JIG. So, I'm hoping to get this done the software route.
Is there a chance that anything from my last best Cognition ROM is still active in there somewhere?
I'm also afraid that if I keep my phone ON for too long, it will simply die out and refuse to recharge.
Thanks.
EDIT: I followed the instructions from this thread and I have the phone in what I believe, is the Download mode: Droid shoving dirt within a filled yellow triangle, with a message "Downloading" "Do not turn off Target". My device is connected to my laptop. I don't see anything popping up on the screen. I also have Heimdall frontend up and running in Ubuntu.
I've downloaded a few ROMs, including Cognition and some samsung stock firmware. There are conflicting information in different pages. Am not sure what to do next. Help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats great news than, now with the one of the downloaded roms you have saved on your computer, take the data (ie Factoryfs.rfs,cache.rfs, modem.bin and Zimage) and link it appropriately in the program. Then just click the start button and it will automatically install the rom within minutes. You shouldnt see anything pop up, i dont remember seeing anything, but during the installation there should be a download bar on your phone to indicate data is being transfered and downloaded to your phone. After your phone should reboot and be back to normal.
stavs said:
all good to go now,
used this rogers stock rom
and flashed it without any problems. Glad to have a working phone again even though i lost everything
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does this remove the AT&T boot logo and replace with the Rogers logo as well? Stavs, I'm assuming you went from the Rogers ROM, back to the Rogers ROM, so this probably not apply to you, but have any of you guys been able to get rid of the AT&T logo from a previous flash, and restore the Rogers logo using this method, and ROM?
stavs said:
all good to go now,
used this rogers stock rom
megaup*****com/?d=BD2EF4WF
and flashed it without any problems. Glad to have a working phone again even though i lost everything
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
used the same rom flashed it with odin but didnt load the pit file... made sure re-partitioned was UNchecked and off i went... restored my phone to 2.1 and was finally able to get kies to recognize my phone and upgrade it after 5 days in hell trying various things, flashing different "stock" ROMs... i finally did it tho... running froyo as we speak...
I am not sure if anyone suggested this already but i896 users can flash stock Rogers 2.1 using this method. No AT&T screens. Works great.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=979133
Hey folks. I'm bailing on Gingerbread because it was causing me too many problems. I'm trying to get back on Firefly 3.0 and I'm stuck at getting the phone rooted.
Whenever I try to copy the Root.zip from the AIO folder over to the phone's root folder, I get an error about the parameter being incorrect. I'm not sure what to do at this point.
Use Fugu root? Easier.... Also depending on what Gingerbread you are on there are kernels that have the root scrip baked in them.
^ you misread he's not on gingerbread, he wants to flash firefly.
You don't need root to flash a ROM. Odin a kernel that has cwm baked in. boot into recovery and flash the ROM.
Thought he was on GB trying to get on... you know what ya I missread. @OP do what Studa said xD. Wonder why people think they need root to flash roms..... I blame Rom Manager.
I know I don't need to root the phone, but in order to get certain things done on the phone, it's necessary.
I'm actually at a wall right now. I used SamsungCaptivate-SGHi897-UCKB2-Rooted-One-Click which successfully booted my phone to ATT 2.2 firmware, but I can't get any Odin to pick up on it now. I've tried five different Odins.
At this point, I think once I get the phone up and running on Firefly, I'll be walking away from flashing until I get another phone. Then I can use this for testing, etc.
On a side note, before I started this project yesterday, my modem was messed up. Now it would seem I have a successful connection to wifi, which I couldn't get.
As great as that is, I still can't get Odin to pick up my phone. Any thoughts?
Was that kb2 package heimdall?
If so you have to uninstall the heimdall driver and reinstall the Samsung driver.
Either way I would reinstall the Samsung drivers but it is a must if you used heimdall add the drivers conflict.
Alright. That's done, but I'm on I896UXJL1-stock now, and I'm pretty sure in doing that through Odin 1.85 I unrooted the phone. Correct me if I'm wrong. That's why I used the ATT stuff, because it auto-rooted the phone.
So it would seem I have some issues to work through. I can either root my phone and be stuck with ATT firmware that I don't want, or I can unroot the phone and use Rogers stock and hope for the best with Firefly.
This is by far the most confusing computer-related issue I've ever worked with. There's too many options to play with and they all work differently.
Why would you be stuck on at&t firmware? Why do you need to root before flashing firefly? Why don't you root Rogers stock?
you're confusing everyone involved lol
Okay, so maybe I'm a little in the dark on the rooting issue. Basically, I'm going back to Firefly because I thought it was amazing. Fast, responsive, and no issues I can think of on my phone.
I'm rooting the phone because it's my understanding that in order to spoof my location in order to get certain apps (Google Music), I'd need to be rooted.
I'm having a hell of a time trying to get this done, and my biggest problem, to reiterate, is that I have about fifteen different Roms, all either ATT or Rogers, three different Pit files, and so, so many Odin programs.
I'm now on 2.1 with that Toronto stock firmware, in order to work around the 3e error in recovery mode when trying to put on Clockwork. Unfortunately, now I'm getting some other error in regards to the Update.Zip file, Status 7.
I apologize for confusing people, but I promise I've read as much as I can about the tools I'm using, but I'm running in circles, flashing back and forth trying to find solutions.
you do not need to root before flashing the rom. it will be rooted after and then you can do what you need to do to get your apps working if you need to (firefly contains canadian locale cause its based off of rogers froyo firmware) changing stuff before you flash so apps can work is a waste of time as the flash will overwrite the firmware you just tweaked.
now, since your on eclair i'm attaching an update.zip that contains cwm, put it in the root folder of your sdcard boot into recovery select reinstall packages twice and it should boot into cwm where you can then flash firefly.
You're a frickin' genius, Studa. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I've got Firefly on thanks to that Update file, and I'm getting the ball rolling on everything else. If I wasn't so broke, I'd donate, but I hope my thanks is good enough. I really appreciate the help. It cut through twelve hours of stupid.
Ok so I spent an hour doing searches of various kinds related to getting Wi-Fi to work since right now it doesn't at all and never becomes enabled regardless of what I've attempted:
- two full wipes using the stock recovery
- one full wipe done from the Backup and reset menu (same results I suppose)
Stock MF3 4.2.2 I537 as far as I know, not rooted, nothing unusual done to it, just got it this morning and I'm doing the research to find out whether or not I'd prefer to stay on 4.2.2 as it is or move to 4.3.
I don't have actual cell service yet (going to redo the $30 T-Mobile plan on Wednesday) so not being able to connect to anything presently is a bit lame, figured I'd ask the question and see if anyone has suggestions or advice on what to do at this point. Bluetooth works fine, and when I put my deactivated T-Mobile SIM card in it I get the 4G LTE service almost immediately (verified in the Phone info as LTE:14) and can access my.t-mobile.com without issues so I know those two radios are working, just can't get the Wi-Fi enabled. The slider moves but nothing else happens, just hangs until I do something else to back out of it.
Since there's no Odin One-click for MF3 (after all this time there still isn't one, go figure) and the 4.3 ML2 Odin One-click link is dead presently (I just asked if someone could mirror it so I can get to it), and I'm not certain I'd want to attempt the rollback to MF1 because I don't know if that would affect being able to install ML2 if/when I get it.
/me is a bit confuzzled but it'll work itself out as time passes...
br0adband said:
Ok so I spent an hour doing searches of various kinds related to getting Wi-Fi to work since right now it doesn't at all and never becomes enabled regardless of what I've attempted:
- two full wipes using the stock recovery
- one full wipe done from the Backup and reset menu (same results I suppose)
Stock MF3 4.2.2 I537 as far as I know, not rooted, nothing unusual done to it, just got it this morning and I'm doing the research to find out whether or not I'd prefer to stay on 4.2.2 as it is or move to 4.3.
I don't have actual cell service yet (going to redo the $30 T-Mobile plan on Wednesday) so not being able to connect to anything presently is a bit lame, figured I'd ask the question and see if anyone has suggestions or advice on what to do at this point. Bluetooth works fine, and when I put my deactivated T-Mobile SIM card in it I get the 4G LTE service almost immediately (verified in the Phone info as LTE:14) and can access my.t-mobile.com without issues so I know those two radios are working, just can't get the Wi-Fi enabled. The slider moves but nothing else happens, just hangs until I do something else to back out of it.
Since there's no Odin One-click for MF3 (after all this time there still isn't one, go figure) and the 4.3 ML2 Odin One-click link is dead presently (I just asked if someone could mirror it so I can get to it), and I'm not certain I'd want to attempt the rollback to MF1 because I don't know if that would affect being able to install ML2 if/when I get it.
/me is a bit confuzzled but it'll work itself out as time passes...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's nice to have you back, I haven't seen you here in awhile.
Have you tried flashing just the MF1 radios to see if that helps? There's a thread on it here. Also, I have the ML2 Odin package, if you need it I can PM you a link. Did you try the other ML2 download link in the Firmware thread?
Devo7v said:
It's nice to have you back, I haven't seen you here in awhile.
Have you tried flashing just the MF1 radios to see if that helps? There's a thread on it here. Also, I have the ML2 Odin package, if you need it I can PM you a link. Did you try the other ML2 download link in the Firmware thread?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, had been hoping to get another GS4A for a long time, found one for a somewhat decent price last night on craigslist, did some fast talking and got the person down from their somewhat high original asking price because of the condition (it's cosmetic damage, nothing more) and checked it out. The Wi-Fi wouldn't enable there where we met but I figured it could be something I'd "fix" when I got it back home as everything else worked fine, it was already unlocked as well so when my T-Mobile SIM slid in it picked up the 4G LTE without skipping a beat.
I didn't notice the other mirror link (skipped over that page I suppose), wasn't sure what to do at this moment and still not: do I stick with 4.2.2 and root/etc or go ahead and bump over to 4.3, still reading opinions and reports of the issues with 4.3 people are noting.
Will go ahead and grab it while I can, however, keep the file for safe keeping (assuming my wireless holds up, I had to start the MF1 download like 5 times wasting nearly 5GB in the process (wouldn't start over from where it broke).
Guess the first thing would be trying the MF1 radio(s) and go from there, haven't been in the flashing game for a while - last phones I had were Motorola models so now I have to acclimate myself back to using Odin with Samsung hardware.
Back and forth, back and forth...
EDIT:
So much for that idea:
Code:
<ID:0/004> Added!!
<ID:0/004> Odin v.3 engine (ID:4)..
<ID:0/004> File analysis..
<ID:0/004> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/004> Initialzation..
<ID:0/004> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/004> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/004> modem.bin
<ID:0/004> NAND Write Start!!
<ID:0/004> Transmission Complete..
<ID:0/004> Now Writing.. Please wait about 2 minutes
<ID:0/004> Receive Response from boot-loader
<ID:0/004> FAIL! (Auth)
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)
and the display on the GS4A shows:
Code:
[COLOR="Red"]ODIN MODE[/COLOR]
PRODUCT NAME: SGH-I537
CURRENT BINARY: Samsung Official
SYSTEM STATUS: Official
CSB-CONFIG-LSB: 0x30
[COLOR="DimGray"]WRITE PROTECTION: Enable[/COLOR]
[COLOR="Red"]START [224,1440]
SECURE CHECK FAIL: mdm[/COLOR]
Bleh, seems like there's a bit more going on here than I had originally anticipated. Also, when I do the stock recovery, I can't wipe the cache separately; if I attempt it the process fails with "Error!" and an insta-reboot.
More research... more research...
Ok, no sense editing once again...
Decided to just install the MF1 One-click and that was that, Wi-Fi and everything else is working just fine. Apparently there was some kind of glitch with the cache partition for whatever reason: I noted that last night when I got the GS4A home and did a factory reset on it (Vol+Home+Power method) that whenever I looked at the Apps on the device it was missing several of them immediately after a clean wipe: Play Music, WatchOn (that one particularly because I was going to do the remote control thing), and several others.
After noting that those apps were "missing" I realized the cache partition might be pooched hence me deciding a short time ago to start fresh even if I'm going to be stuck with MF1 for a while. Still on the fence about installing ML2 at the moment, most likely I will eventually go there now that a working root method has been discovered (luckily just last week it seems or close enough to make me realize that buying another Active was the right decision).
Anyway, thanks for the info, Devo7v, let's hope this time out I keep the GS4A and not dump it and get yet another phone.
br0adband said:
Ok, no sense editing once again...
Decided to just install the MF1 One-click and that was that, Wi-Fi and everything else is working just fine. Apparently there was some kind of glitch with the cache partition for whatever reason: I noted that last night when I got the GS4A home and did a factory reset on it (Vol+Home+Power method) that whenever I looked at the Apps on the device it was missing several of them immediately after a clean wipe: Play Music, WatchOn (that one particularly because I was going to do the remote control thing), and several others.
After noting that those apps were "missing" I realized the cache partition might be pooched hence me deciding a short time ago to start fresh even if I'm going to be stuck with MF1 for a while. Still on the fence about installing ML2 at the moment, most likely I will eventually go there now that a working root method has been discovered (luckily just last week it seems or close enough to make me realize that buying another Active was the right decision).
Anyway, thanks for the info, Devo7v, let's hope this time out I keep the GS4A and not dump it and get yet another phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One thing to take note of is that if you flash the ML2 bootloader you cannot downgrade back to MF1 or MI2. Just keep that in mind if you decide to upgrade to ML2. Based on other people's posts you do NOT need the ML2 bootloader for ML2 to function properly. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Was just searching for that very info about the ML2 bootloader.
So I have this correctly:
If I flash ML2 completely (all 4 files which would include the new ML2 bootloader) that will leave me "stuck" on ML2 with no way to fall back or flash any other firmware whatsoever, correct?
If I flash the 3 files and not include the new ML2 bootloader (leaving the current MF1 bootloader in place because I just flashed MF1) then it should function correctly even so and I could do a One-click back to MF1 complete if I chose to do so, correct?
I found a thread that shows the "ML2 fix" is just flashing the MF1 modem if I have issues with Wi-Fi/GPS after installing MF2... correct?
Seems pretty logical to me, just waiting for a confirmation then I'll most likely slap ML2 on here without the bootloader and see how it works.
Bleh, took a chance on it anyway and flashed the 3 ML2 files and not the ML2 bootloader - soon as it reboots it kicks out the "System software not authorized by AT&T..." crap with the SECURE FAIL: kernel error and no ability to get into stock recovery soooo... I flashed back to MF1 once more till I can figure out what's going on.
Guess I've taken this thread far enough off-course from the Wi-Fi issue, will make posts in the relevant threads related to ML2 if needed.
Hmm...
br0adband said:
Bleh, took a chance on it anyway and flashed the 3 ML2 files and not the ML2 bootloader - soon as it reboots it kicks out the "System software not authorized by AT&T..." crap with the SECURE FAIL: kernel error and no ability to get into stock recovery soooo... I flashed back to MF1 once more till I can figure out what's going on.
Guess I've taken this thread far enough off-course from the Wi-Fi issue, will make posts in the relevant threads related to ML2 if needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm 99% certain I can help repair this issue for you...the thing is, you will have to take that chance and upgrade to 4.3 if you haven't.
From 4.2.2 I don't believe it will work...
I'm so busy with my work but I honestly have the "cure" for this ailment...best to do it via Team Viewer of course.
Sat or Sun might be best, contact me later.
I appreciate the offer but I don't use TeamViewer (yes, I'm well aware of what it is and what it does - I was doing "remote support" 20 years ago with tools that worked better, believe it or not).
I went back to MF1 and it's working just fine for the time being. I need to do more research and see how people are feeling about ML2 aka 4.3. I know the recently discovered root for makes it doable without issues from the reports I've read, just not 100% certain I want to move there myself. Mind you as noted above I only flashed 3 of the 4 possible files for ML2 - I didn't flash the bootloader in the hopes of retaining the ability to fall back to MF1 or even MF3 if I made that trip to Best Buy again like I did last year (not interested in that again but at least it was finally done properly).
I probably will, however, as most people seem to like it and 4.2.2 had its time in the sun I suppose.
Why Samsung is taking this long to get KitKat done for this device is beyond me but then again the 4.4.2 for the regular GS4 apparently is crawling with bugs, not to mention crappy battery life, go figure.
same problem
have the same problem with upgrade 4.2.2 to 4.3 in telcel mexcio kies upgrade thw wi fi is disable
GUYS
THIS IS THE FIX:
GO TO DATA/MISC/WIFI AND DELETE THE LAST FILE (WIFI_SUPP....)
Then turn on WiFi.
Do this every boot. This is what I do.
Bought an "unlocked" off-contract SGH-i537 that when installing a SIM of an AT&T MVNO, was discovered to be, in fact, still locked. Rather than buying an unlock code, my eager son showed me via Youtube how to use the *#9090# to get into a service menu, and when selecting the first menu option, the phone rebooted and now has a null EMEI and will not recognize any SIMs. The service menus are now blank. The OS is stock 4.4.2 Kitkat. I can't tell you what the modem version was because it now says the baseband module "UNKNOWN."
The phone is as yet unrooted and unhacked in any other way. No personal information is on it, so I can lose all the data. The EMEI is good.
I'm an electrical engineer and embedded firmware developer, so I have some natural curiosity about phone architecture and such. I also downloaded Odin 3.09 from Android Geeks although I haven't tried anything with it yet. I've read similar threads here of those who met their fate using the *#9090# service menu, but all involve earlier versions of the OS, and I got the feeling that I never was able to piece together the full picture of procedures to reflash the modem, and perhaps even the full ROM, although I understand most of the pieces themselves. The stock ROMs and stock modem firmware for 4.4.2 has evaded me as well--the older threads point to 4.2 OS stuff and images.
Other phone forums point to the use of the z3x box to fix this problem. I'm not opposed to purchasing one, and it seems like that and some nearly trashed phones would provide some interesting educational projects. But, more immediately, because this phone is immaculate, I want to get it up and working.
If I can get some quick professional help, I'd be happy to send token remuneration.
Any pointers, lists, or tutorials on how to get this phone back to its original, post-*#9090# state? I'll leave the unlocking to another thread, or just buy a code, once i get to the original state.
dtmguy said:
Bought an "unlocked" off-contract SGH-i537 that when installing a SIM of an AT&T MVNO, was discovered to be, in fact, still locked. Rather than buying an unlock code, my eager son showed me via Youtube how to use the *#9090# to get into a service menu, and when selecting the first menu option, the phone rebooted and now has a null EMEI and will not recognize any SIMs. The service menus are now blank. The OS is stock 4.4.2 Kitkat. I can't tell you what the modem version was because it now says the baseband module "UNKNOWN."
The phone is as yet unrooted and unhacked in any other way. No personal information is on it, so I can lose all the data. The EMEI is good.
I'm an electrical engineer and embedded firmware developer, so I have some natural curiosity about phone architecture and such. I also downloaded Odin 3.09 from Android Geeks although I haven't tried anything with it yet. I've read similar threads here of those who met their fate using the *#9090# service menu, but all involve earlier versions of the OS, and I got the feeling that I never was able to piece together the full picture of procedures to reflash the modem, and perhaps even the full ROM, although I understand most of the pieces themselves. The stock ROMs and stock modem firmware for 4.4.2 has evaded me as well--the older threads point to 4.2 OS stuff and images.
Other phone forums point to the use of the z3x box to fix this problem. I'm not opposed to purchasing one, and it seems like that and some nearly trashed phones would provide some interesting educational projects. But, more immediately, because this phone is immaculate, I want to get it up and working.
If I can get some quick professional help, I'd be happy to send token remuneration.
Any pointers, lists, or tutorials on how to get this phone back to its original, post-*#9090# state? I'll leave the unlocking to another thread, or just buy a code, once i get to the original state.
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Click to collapse
This thread solves your exact problem without wiping your data. Since you said you have a new phone and don't care about the data, I suggest reflashing your stock ROM, it should fix your problem as well.
Good luck.
Devo7v said:
This thread solves your exact problem without wiping your data. Since you said you have a new phone and don't care about the data, I suggest reflashing your stock ROM, it should fix your problem as well.
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll try the stock ROM reflash, but in other threads on this forum and others, it seems like you also need to flash baseband (modem) as well, and that the version of the modem that works depends on the ROM version installed. I've seen all sorts of mention of ML2 and ML1 baseband, but not the baseband for the 4.4.2 kernel family (I don't have the phone in front of me as I write, but I believe it ends in an N-something-9 ). I noticed in the thread you pointed me to that you were making an appeal for one of the later baseband modules. Did anyone ever come up with one in the meantime? In other threads with my exact problem, albeit v4.2 and v4.3, the reflash of the ROM didn't fix the problem, but flash of the modem did. I don't have a problem with doing both, but I just want to understand the process and make sure I have my files in a row and version-matching. My guess is the ROM security is looking for a specific modem checksum and will only work with a checksum that matches what it expects. I'll root this evening to get prepared for the system ROM flas, but finding the correct Baseband would also be appreciated! Thanks!
dtmguy said:
I'll try the stock ROM reflash, but in other threads on this forum and others, it seems like you also need to flash baseband (modem) as well, and that the version of the modem that works depends on the ROM version installed. I've seen all sorts of mention of ML2 and ML1 baseband, but not the baseband for the 4.4.2 kernel family (I don't have the phone in front of me as I write, but I believe it ends in an N-something-9 ). I noticed in the thread you pointed me to that you were making an appeal for one of the later baseband modules. Did anyone ever come up with one in the meantime? In other threads with my exact problem, albeit v4.2 and v4.3, the reflash of the ROM didn't fix the problem, but flash of the modem did. I don't have a problem with doing both, but I just want to understand the process and make sure I have my files in a row and version-matching. My guess is the ROM security is looking for a specific modem checksum and will only work with a checksum that matches what it expects. I'll root this evening to get prepared for the system ROM flas, but finding the correct Baseband would also be appreciated! Thanks!
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Click to collapse
The first thread I linked to has modems that work with any version on the i537.
I'm not positive, but I'm almost certain that all the i537 firmware packages will reflash your modem. If not, I have most of them extracted so that they can be flashed independently of the ROM. I just need some free time at work to get a proper thread put together.
EDIT: I also just wanted to thank you for doing some research before posting. A lot of people will just post on here asking for a step by step without even searching. It's nice to be able to help somebody who's interested learning.
Devo7v said:
The first thread I linked to has modems that work with any version on the i537.
I'm not positive, but I'm almost certain that all the i537 firmware packages will reflash your modem. If not, I have most of them extracted so that they can be flashed independently of the ROM. I just need some free time at work to get a proper thread put together.
EDIT: I also just wanted to thank you for doing some research before posting. A lot of people will just post on here asking for a step by step without even searching. It's nice to be able to help somebody who's interested learning.
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Click to collapse
I am very interested in learning the architecture and ins and outs of the phone and Android for that matter, and toolkits. My current firmware is KOT49h.i537UCUCNE3. Can't tell about Baseband as the phone now says UNKNOWN. I've downloaded the full ROM from your previous linked threads, and extracted the files within. I'm busy reading all the instructions for Odin and the like, so I understand how to use it and the steps to put my phone in the correct mode and permissions (rooting?) for downloading. I just became an Androider three days ago, so it will take some time to catch up on basics and terminology that most of you know already. As you might guess, putting this all together from thread snippets can be a but confusing for the uninitiated.
Thanks!
dtmguy said:
I am very interested in learning the architecture and ins and outs of the phone and Android for that matter, and toolkits. My current firmware is KOT49h.i537UCUCNE3. Can't tell about Baseband as the phone now says UNKNOWN. I've downloaded the full ROM from your previous linked threads, and extracted the files within. I'm busy reading all the instructions for Odin and the like, so I understand how to use it and the steps to put my phone in the correct mode and permissions (rooting?) for downloading. I just became an Androider three days ago, so it will take some time to catch up on basics and terminology that most of you know already. As you might guess, putting this all together from thread snippets can be a but confusing for the uninitiated.
Thanks!
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Click to collapse
You're doing fine. Just make sure you read about Odin and watch a couple videos because flashing files is one of the few ways you can permanently brick your phone if you do something wrong. Just make sure you understand what you're doing and you'll be fine.
I know it can be confusing, that's why I put the guides together, to make everything as clear as possible since there a lot of information scattered all over site. Just read, read, and read some more and you'll find all the answers you're looking for.
Devo7v said:
You're doing fine. Just make sure you read about Odin and watch a couple videos because flashing files is one of the few ways you can permanently brick your phone if you do something wrong. Just make sure you understand what you're doing and you'll be fine.
I know it can be confusing, that's why I put the guides together, to make everything as clear as possible since there a lot of information scattered all over site. Just read, read, and read some more and you'll find all the answers you're looking for.
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Click to collapse
I'm very curious what the *#9090# command does to soft brick the phone. Did AT&T poison this menu because it was used by consumers to unlock their phones? Someone has to have hacked all the dial code options at some point and reverse assembled the code...
I'll read some more and give stuff a try. The videos out there are somewhat confusing for the uninitiated, as many have poor quality screen grabs, go too fast, don't explain what they're doing and why, and videographers who assume the watcher knows more than they might in terms of terminology and the like. I've done linux and Unix development, but there are unique terms to the phone industry that sometimes need clear definition.
Devo7v said:
You're doing fine. Just make sure you read about Odin and watch a couple videos because flashing files is one of the few ways you can permanently brick your phone if you do something wrong. Just make sure you understand what you're doing and you'll be fine.
I know it can be confusing, that's why I put the guides together, to make everything as clear as possible since there a lot of information scattered all over site. Just read, read, and read some more and you'll find all the answers you're looking for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One additional question: The firmware download link you gave me has 4 files in it when unzipped:
AP_I537UCUCNE3_987011_REV06_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5
BL_I537UCUCNE3_987011_REV06_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5
CP_I537UCUCNE3_987011_REV06_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5
CSC_ATT_I537ATTCNE3_987011_REV06_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5
I assume the "AP" file is the main ROM, as it is nearly 2 gig and the rest of the files are 50 meg or smaller, but can you give me some insight what the purpose of the remainder of the files are? I've watched several Odin tutorials and am getting ready to give it a try. I don't understand what the remaining 3 files are for. I figure, by the way, that I'll stick with NE3, which is what is in the phone at the moment, as it appears this is the last version that is rootable at this point, correct?
Thanks for your help. If this works for me, I may do a vid specificallly aimed at people with *#9090# bricks like mine is. I know I'm not the only one!
dtmguy said:
One additional question: The firmware download link you gave me has 4 files in it when unzipped:
AP_I537UCUCNE3_987011_REV06_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5
BL_I537UCUCNE3_987011_REV06_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5
CP_I537UCUCNE3_987011_REV06_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5
CSC_ATT_I537ATTCNE3_987011_REV06_user_low_ship_MULTI_CERT.tar.md5
I assume the "AP" file is the main ROM, as it is nearly 2 gig and the rest of the files are 50 meg or smaller, but can you give me some insight what the purpose of the remainder of the files are? I've watched several Odin tutorials and am getting ready to give it a try. I don't understand what the remaining 3 files are for. I figure, by the way, that I'll stick with NE3, which is what is in the phone at the moment, as it appears this is the last version that is rootable at this point, correct?
Thanks for your help. If this works for me, I may do a vid specificallly aimed at people with *#9090# bricks like mine is. I know I'm not the only one!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely, again, thanks for doing a little research first. If you're really curious about exactly what files are in there you can open them with 7-zip and browse around.
AP - this contains most of the OS files, kernel, and firmware. Most importantly it contains the phone's recovery. The recovery makes it possible to flash files directly on the phone and loads up just after the bootloader and TrustZone. The nearest thing I can equate the recovery menu to would be a computer's bios menu.
BL - this is you bootloader. Generally this is required for everything to work properly. With the i537, AT&T has made it impossible to downgrade to a pervious version of the bootloader. It also contains some SELinux stuff in there that is over my head, but the way I understand it these files all you to encrypt you phone. If Odin fails when flashing this file you will most likely end up with a permanently bricked phone.
CP - this contains you modem and LTE modem files. Similar to a computer, without a modem you will not have any communication. This includes 2G/3G/4G, LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS.
CSC - these are country specific files. This basically tells your modem how to communicate with your network, in this case it is AT&T/T-Mobile. For this firmware it will have the AT&T APN settings, if you need T-Mobile you'll have to enter them manually. IMPORTANT: it also contains a .pit file which is the partition file. If Odin fails while flashing the .pit file you could brick your phone, but it is still possible to recover it.
You don't have to flash these files all at once, you can flash them individually or mix and match them with files from other versions of the firmware. If you mix and match odds are you will end up with bugs, so it's not recommended unless you know what you're doing. If you are just restoring your NE3 firmware, just flash all the files and you'll be back to the way you started.
I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any other questions.
Devo7v said:
Absolutely, again, thanks for doing a little research first. If you're really curious about exactly what files are in there you can open them with 7-zip and browse around.
AP - this contains most of the OS files, kernel, and firmware. Most importantly it contains the phone's recovery. The recovery makes it possible to flash files directly on the phone and loads up just after the bootloader and TrustZone. The nearest thing I can equate the recovery menu to would be a computer's bios menu.
BL - this is you bootloader. Generally this is required for everything to work properly. With the i537, AT&T has made it impossible to downgrade to a pervious version of the bootloader. It also contains some SELinux stuff in there that is over my head, but the way I understand it these files all you to encrypt you phone. If Odin fails when flashing this file you will most likely end up with a permanently bricked phone.
CP - this contains you modem and LTE modem files. Similar to a computer, without a modem you will not have any communication. This includes 2G/3G/4G, LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS.
CSC - these are country specific files. This basically tells your modem how to communicate with your network, in this case it is AT&T/T-Mobile. For this firmware it will have the AT&T APN settings, if you need T-Mobile you'll have to enter them manually. IMPORTANT: it also contains a .pit file which is the partition file. If Odin fails while flashing the .pit file you could brick your phone, but it is still possible to recover it.
You don't have to flash these files all at once, you can flash them individually or mix and match them with files from other versions of the firmware. If you mix and match odds are you will end up with bugs, so it's not recommended unless you know what you're doing. If you are just restoring your NE3 firmware, just flash all the files and you'll be back to the way you started.
I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any other questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks--I'm a bit embarrassed that I found, after following 3 links this morning, your instructions for an NE3 to NE3 load via Odin. I just logged in to say "I got it!" and you'd just posted this... I'll try flashing tonight, and see if it restores the EMEI and baseband that was lost when I went to the *#9090# menu. I appreciated an explanation of the files by themselves, though, rather than just Odin loading instructions. I've got stock NE3 on the phone now, so I could just try the modem alone (which I assume is referred to as "baseband" in the phone), but I've got no personal data on the phone, so it doesn't hurt me to start from scratch. From reading other forums, some people in my situation have been brought back up by a full flash or a modem flash, and several others needed to use an x3d or Octopus box to recover via a baseband repair to complete repair.
Devo7v said:
Absolutely, again, thanks for doing a little research first. If you're really curious about exactly what files are in there you can open them with 7-zip and browse around.
AP - this contains most of the OS files, kernel, and firmware. Most importantly it contains the phone's recovery. The recovery makes it possible to flash files directly on the phone and loads up just after the bootloader and TrustZone. The nearest thing I can equate the recovery menu to would be a computer's bios menu.
BL - this is you bootloader. Generally this is required for everything to work properly. With the i537, AT&T has made it impossible to downgrade to a pervious version of the bootloader. It also contains some SELinux stuff in there that is over my head, but the way I understand it these files all you to encrypt you phone. If Odin fails when flashing this file you will most likely end up with a permanently bricked phone.
CP - this contains you modem and LTE modem files. Similar to a computer, without a modem you will not have any communication. This includes 2G/3G/4G, LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS.
CSC - these are country specific files. This basically tells your modem how to communicate with your network, in this case it is AT&T/T-Mobile. For this firmware it will have the AT&T APN settings, if you need T-Mobile you'll have to enter them manually. IMPORTANT: it also contains a .pit file which is the partition file. If Odin fails while flashing the .pit file you could brick your phone, but it is still possible to recover it.
You don't have to flash these files all at once, you can flash them individually or mix and match them with files from other versions of the firmware. If you mix and match odds are you will end up with bugs, so it's not recommended unless you know what you're doing. If you are just restoring your NE3 firmware, just flash all the files and you'll be back to the way you started.
I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any other questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the ODIN flash went just fine--flashed all the files with a success status. I was chagrined to find, however, that the phone still reports Baseband "Version Unknown" which is indicative of the *#9090# corruption problem. The IMEI is still NULL/NULL and the Service Menu is still blank. It won't find any SIM. My WiFi does work--don't know about GPS as I haven't tried that.
Any ideas? I've heard the advice to flash a couple of times, but in the threads I've followed on different forums, that doesn't work. It is weird that some people can flash the modem alone and things go back to being fine. but any examples of that are with older modem code (ML1 or ML2). I saw the modem.bin for this ROM getting flashed by Odin, so modem flashing did happen. Just no luck. I wish I could find a resource who'd hacked the phone to the point they could identify what was corrupted during the *#9090# adventure, or what that corrupt menu modified so it could be restored. I know operators of the z3x "box" have reported doing a baseband repair and that fixes the problem. I wish I knew someone who had one of these gadgets, as I may need to plunk $160 to get one if I take that route, and I'm unlikely to use it a lot afterwards.
dtmguy said:
Well, the ODIN flash went just fine--flashed all the files with a success status. I was chagrined to find, however, that the phone still reports Baseband "Version Unknown" which is indicative of the *#9090# corruption problem. The IMEI is still NULL/NULL and the Service Menu is still blank. It won't find any SIM. My WiFi does work--don't know about GPS as I haven't tried that.
Any ideas? I've heard the advice to flash a couple of times, but in the threads I've followed on different forums, that doesn't work. It is weird that some people can flash the modem alone and things go back to being fine. but any examples of that are with older modem code (ML1 or ML2). I saw the modem.bin for this ROM getting flashed by Odin, so modem flashing did happen. Just no luck. I wish I could find a resource who'd hacked the phone to the point they could identify what was corrupted during the *#9090# adventure, or what that corrupt menu modified so it could be restored. I know operators of the z3x "box" have reported doing a baseband repair and that fixes the problem. I wish I knew someone who had one of these gadgets, as I may need to plunk $160 to get one if I take that route, and I'm unlikely to use it a lot afterwards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried flashing the modems that I sent you in the very first link? Many people have had success using that method.
Devo7v said:
Have you tried flashing the modems that I sent you in the very first link? Many people have had success using that method.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will try that this evening. From reading many other forums, it appears at this time that somehow the *#9090# menu corrupts the /efs file for the phone, which I'm just learning from what little documentation there is on this file. The /efs is supposedly not touched through ROM update. I plan to back it up (what remains of it), then move on with trying older modem flashing and also an online-based /efs repair. I did order a z3x box just for grins, so have the option of a baseband repair attempt, which has worked for others. That's not to say I'm not taking all your advice as well. With the z3x, I also have the option of unlocking my and others' phones which I find attractive.
While I'm in for magic solutions, I'm also in this for the knowledge gained.
Thanks!
Devo7v said:
Have you tried flashing the modems that I sent you in the very first link? Many people have had success using that method.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, so far I've tried all the suggestions here, and gained more insight in other forums but which do not come with any solution (but may explain the problem). I've tried numerous tools (SA Manager, EFS Professional, and a few online services that purport to perform baseband repair) all to no luck. Some threads say my problem lies in a corrupted /efs folder, while some say it is an NV corruption. Still others say that the *#9090# menu may have locked the phone in field debug mode although how to reverse this situation is not known, and the command menu that is supposed to turn the feature off is blank, so if this is the true problem, I can't turn field debug off. ARRGH!
The problem occurred the minute I tried the first option of *#9090# to unlock. I didn't rebuild nv or anything. Just chose the first menu option which was supposed to bring me to the UMTS configuration menu but instead rebooted the phone to Baseband Unknown.
Clearly flashing the stock ROM doesn't do the deed. Nor does flashing older modem code.
What I haven't tried is backing up my /efs and then gratuitously reinstalling via EFS Professional or Odin.
I feel like I'm a newbie in a room full of blindfolded people trying to describe an elephant to each other by feeling it.
Devo7v said:
Have you tried flashing the modems that I sent you in the very first link? Many people have had success using that method.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Halle-gol-dang-lujah!
I was trying a bunch of different Odin versions and modem versions, and viola, MF1 modem code and Odin 3.09 appeared to do the trick. I see baseband again! Now, to see if I can flash back NE3 in its entirety and have things work properly! Then, to back up my NV and /efs using EFS professional ASAP... I think I'm going to puke... I still wish I understood what the mechanism behind this whole fiasco was. I'll post a couple more times on the thread if new info comes along, in the interest of helping others in my same situation.
Devo7v said:
This thread solves your exact problem without wiping your data. Since you said you have a new phone and don't care about the data, I suggest reflashing your stock ROM, it should fix your problem as well.
Good luck.
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Click to collapse
Here's the latest update. I started with NE3 as my main SW and everything was working when I encountered the *#9090# menu debacle. If I flash MF1 modem, everything works again--EMEI is back, the service menu is back, etc. If I then try flashing the whole NE3 stock ROM on top of that, the baseband goes back to UNKNOWN and the EMEI back to null. I wish someone would explain how that works to me and the underlying problem. Although the phone is working, I'd sure like to get the modem up to the same baseband version that was intended to go with the whole ROM.
Did you say that you'd isolated the modem.bin from NE3? Is that wrapped up in one of the tarballs? I'd like to try just flashing this file back and forth to see if modem.bin alone will keep from exciting whatever the problem is. I wish I had more time to deduce what files were being affected so I could advise others on a 100 percent solution that cured the issue at its root.
dtmguy said:
Here's the latest update. I started with NE3 as my main SW and everything was working when I encountered the *#9090# menu debacle. If I flash MF1 modem, everything works again--EMEI is back, the service menu is back, etc. If I then try flashing the whole NE3 stock ROM on top of that, the baseband goes back to UNKNOWN and the EMEI back to null. I wish someone would explain how that works to me and the underlying problem. Although the phone is working, I'd sure like to get the modem up to the same baseband version that was intended to go with the whole ROM.
Did you say that you'd isolated the modem.bin from NE3? Is that wrapped up in one of the tarballs? I'd like to try just flashing this file back and forth to see if modem.bin alone will keep from exciting whatever the problem is. I wish I had more time to deduce what files were being affected so I could advise others on a 100 percent solution that cured the issue at its root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like I said, the first link I posted works like magic. If you want to know subtle how it works I would PM the OP.
I do have the NE3 Odin files, but so do you. They are in the CP file and you can extract them using 7-zip. One extracted you need to flash both modem.bin and NON-HLOS.bin twice through Odin without restarting the phone. I would try NON-HLOS.bin first since that is your 4G/LTE modem and may work without changing your baseband.
If you do find out how/why the MF1 modem works, please post back here, I'm interested to know.
Devo7v said:
Like I said, the first link I posted works like magic. If you want to know subtle how it works I would PM the OP.
I do have the NE3 Odin files, but so do you. They are in the CP file and you can extract them using 7-zip. One extracted you need to flash both modem.bin and NON-HLOS.bin twice through Odin without restarting the phone. I would try NON-HLOS.bin first since that is your 4G/LTE modem and may work without changing your baseband.
If you do find out how/why the MF1 modem works, please post back here, I'm interested to know.
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Click to collapse
Problem now considered completely solved. This is what happened, and what I had to do, in case it is of use for other people in the same situation, who followed the Youtube video for unlocking using the *#9090# service menu. I'm running the NE3 stock ROM, BTW.
When you follow the video, the author goes into the *#9090# menu, and instructs people to take the top choice to get into the UMTS Service Menu. This top choice is named "DM/DUN over HS-USB[]". Selecting it will make it the default, marked by an asterisk thereafter, reboot your phone, and your baseband will be gone from what appears to be an interruption in the communications path between the main processor and the modem. This setup you changed will NOT go away with reflashing the stock ROM or the modem.bin that matches your stock ROM version. And, until you can get the *#9090# menu back, you can't correct the setting! However, you can flash the MF1 (old) modem, and this will bring Baseband and the *#9090# service menu back. When you get that back, go back into the *#9090# menu and select the SECOND choice from the top named "DM/DUN over HSIC", which was the old default. The phone will now reboot. You can now flash either the current modem.bin, or reflash your stock ROM and everything will work again.
I'm not really sure what the communication selections do that are changed in the *#9090# menu, but I surmise they are for debug only, and anything else poisons the Baseband module in newer modem code. Anyhow, the steps above worked for me to completely recover the problem, and I hope they help others in a panic.
dtmguy said:
Here's the latest update. I started with NE3 as my main SW and everything was working when I encountered the *#9090# menu debacle. If I flash MF1 modem, everything works again--EMEI is back, the service menu is back, etc. If I then try flashing the whole NE3 stock ROM on top of that, the baseband goes back to UNKNOWN and the EMEI back to null. I wish someone would explain how that works to me and the underlying problem. Although the phone is working, I'd sure like to get the modem up to the same baseband version that was intended to go with the whole ROM.
Did you say that you'd isolated the modem.bin from NE3? Is that wrapped up in one of the tarballs? I'd like to try just flashing this file back and forth to see if modem.bin alone will keep from exciting whatever the problem is. I wish I had more time to deduce what files were being affected so I could advise others on a 100 percent solution that cured the issue at its root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi! ive been reading this thread and followed all the instruction but sad to say nothing works for my samsung active, we have same problem baseband is unknown and imei is unknown, and i have the exact version of firmware that u have... any suggestion pls. i have been researching and working on it for about 3 months already, but i have no luck... need help badly
toffermaramba said:
hi! ive been reading this thread and followed all the instruction but sad to say nothing works for my samsung active, we have same problem baseband is unknown and imei is unknown, and i have the exact version of firmware that u have... any suggestion pls. i have been researching and working on it for about 3 months already, but i have no luck... need help badly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a newbie here, so I will help where I can. How did your phone get into the situation of baseband and IMEI unknown, or what happened to put it there? Did you try the *#9090# to unlock your phone like I did, then choosing the first menu option? Did you do anything else to try to solve the problem other than what I did? Do you have Odin downloaded? What version of Odin? What version of ROM do you have downloaded? What version of the modem firmware do you have? Can you go through the steps, in detail, that you followed so far? Detail at this point helps. As I said, I am rather new to the board, but will try to pass along what I did to regain my phone, which I'm using since, with no problems.
Long story shorter. Phone stolen. Phone had nandroid stored on my computer. Phone replaced by another Note 4 (PS, thief go pound sand). Didn't mess around, stock rom to Note 4 (ANK). Root. Recovery. Old image from lost phone used as recovery. (Yeah I didn't make a backup of original from new phone). Flashed over. Everything works fine. Now ready to put finger prints in. Error page pops up saying fingerprint scanner error. 72 hours of scouring this forum, internet, MULTIPLE stock rom flashes from the oldest to NJK to ANK and COG6. Clean flash, dirty flash NOTHING works. Makes no difference what I do, cannot get the fingerprint scanner to perform. Common problem, complaints all over the internet about it but NO SOLUTIONS. I have tried everything down to deleting directories and I cannot get the damn thing to work. Seriously doubt hardware issue. *#0*# sensor heading shows finger print scanner as Null and 0.0.0.0. Deleted cache. Deleted data from TIBU and now after three days I give up. Seems everyone has the problem but nobody knows why and when they do you get a half assed or worse answer as to how to fix it. Does anybody know how to get this thing working again. Do I need to flash an apk. Where can I find it. Do I need to rebuild. ? Can anyone flash that section fingerprint free and send it to me. I am just guessing. I know crap about how stuff works, I just know how to follow directions but this one has got me stumped.
Any help would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!
Regards,
Freddie did not get fingered but he needs it.
You need to flash stock firmware and verify that all is stock, sometimes after returning to stock you may have a miss matching error like bootloader or modem.
After running stock run smartswitch.
Pp.
PanchoPlanet said:
You need to flash stock firmware and verify that all is stock, sometimes after returning to stock you may have a miss matching error like bootloader or modem.
After running stock run smartswitch.
Pp.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok forgive me for my ignorance but if I run a stock firmware straight from Sammy shouldn't the bootloader and modem be part of the rom? It seems to me that doing a wipe should be like reinstalling windows, you format the drive and install the OS. There is nothing left and a complete rebuild of the file system occurs. Is this not what happens when you do a wipe in the recovery and then Odin the stock firmware? How can I be sure that when I install a stock rom everything is wiped and there is no hangers and the OS on the phone is rebuilt completely? When you say smartswitch I assume you mean the Sammy program.
jackler1 said:
Ok forgive me for my ignorance but if I run a stock firmware straight from Sammy shouldn't the bootloader and modem be part of the rom? It seems to me that doing a wipe should be like reinstalling windows, you format the drive and install the OS. There is nothing left and a complete rebuild of the file system occurs. Is this not what happens when you do a wipe in the recovery and then Odin the stock firmware? How can I be sure that when I install a stock rom everything is wiped and there is no hangers and the OS on the phone is rebuilt completely? When you say smartswitch I assume you mean the Sammy program.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, I think I have found it but now I need to know how to fix it. Currently I have as follows in the about device screen:
Model SN-N910T
AHHA ------!!!!! - ANDROID VERSION 5.0
Baseband - N910TU1ANK4
Kernal version - 3.10.0-2796035 [email protected] #1 Thu Nov 13 18:01:07 KST 2014
Build number - KTU84P.N910TUVU1ANK4
So it seems the android version is wrong. Again forgive my stupidity but what exactly IS the android version. Meaning is that the baseband, the modem, what part of the stock rom is flashed wrong and where do I find that part to flash it correctly. I think I am making some progress just need input. Thanks Pp for getting me on track, now I just need a little shove to get this train rolling and maybe learn something in the process. If I fix it I then intend to write a proper write up for those lost souls out there who don't have to spend days....
So why does it say my android version is 5.0 when it should say 4.4.4?
Thank,
Freddy is getting nervous
First verify what version of the note 4 you have, Sm-N910T or Sm-N910T3 and flash proper firmware. Look under your battery.
Once you root you jumble up the phones ability to install firmware properly, and flashing stock firmware once with odin does not always secure components thus leaving you with unofficial status, "custom" and you think you went back to stock with no root but not official yet.
You need to make sure everything flashes and sticks, Model nunber, Android version, Basedand version, Kernel version, Build number.
Any of the modified components can stick and not be overwritten by stock odin flash.
Sometimes multiple flashes, or individual component flashes are required to go back to "official" stock form.
At this point you can verify that your fingerprint scanner works properly and leave it alone or proceed cautiously if root is really required ??? .
I only run stock and save myself all the headaches, I used to root back when Samsung phones where simple and less complicated without kernel security from Samsung.
I suggest latest 5.1.1 lollipop update, kitkat is primitive and outdated, you will be amazed at how well your note will run with latest firmware (with junk apps disabled).
Pp.
Here's a sample of my stock Note 4 running latest update.
Pp.
PanchoPlanet said:
Here's a sample of my stock Note 4 running latest update.
Pp.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, I have wiped this phone a million times, reinstalled factory rom over the top of itself a dozen times, installed the baseband and bootloader separately after that and NOTHING changes it still will not work. I have read the complete internet from front to back and it seems nobody knows but the shadow.....Thanks for taking the time for trying to help me out though...
When you say wipe, do you mean factory reset?
Several resets in a row should wipe it clean. Something is stuck, could be the kernel, that will prevent a clean install.
You need to find a way to wipe partitions individually using ADB on the PC, that should allow for a clean install.
Pp.
jackler1 said:
Long story shorter. Phone stolen. Phone had nandroid stored on my computer. Phone replaced by another Note 4 (PS, thief go pound sand). Didn't mess around, stock rom to Note 4 (ANK). Root. Recovery. Old image from lost phone used as recovery. (Yeah I didn't make a backup of original from new phone). Flashed over. Everything works fine. Now ready to put finger prints in. Error page pops up saying fingerprint scanner error. 72 hours of scouring this forum, internet, MULTIPLE stock rom flashes from the oldest to NJK to ANK and COG6. Clean flash, dirty flash NOTHING works. Makes no difference what I do, cannot get the fingerprint scanner to perform. Common problem, complaints all over the internet about it but NO SOLUTIONS. I have tried everything down to deleting directories and I cannot get the damn thing to work. Seriously doubt hardware issue. *#0*# sensor heading shows finger print scanner as Null and 0.0.0.0. Deleted cache. Deleted data from TIBU and now after three days I give up. Seems everyone has the problem but nobody knows why and when they do you get a half assed or worse answer as to how to fix it. Does anybody know how to get this thing working again. Do I need to flash an apk. Where can I find it. Do I need to rebuild. ? Can anyone flash that section fingerprint free and send it to me. I am just guessing. I know crap about how stuff works, I just know how to follow directions but this one has got me stumped.
Any help would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!
Regards,
Freddie did not get fingered but he needs it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try doing this...
1st - run chainfire triangle away v3.26
2nd - boot into recovery and wipe everything 3 times except external sdcard.. especially data...
3rd - boot in download mode and ODIN whatever firmware u wanna use... 2 times...
happened to me when the note 4 first came out... I had to exchange to a new note 4...
also whenever u do a nandroid.. U MUST REMOVE ANY SAVED FINGERPRINTS... so u can use that backup again..
if u restore a nandroid with a saved frintprints, it won't work, u must delete data and start fresh..
I don't know if u messed it up by restoring a nandroid from a previous phone and with saved fingerprints stored...
will do thanks for the advice will advise
Nope, nothing I do including stock or otherwise works. When you hit +#0*# it says null and 0.0.0.0 unless someone knows something I don't, it's borked. The thing is even if I used a nandroid and it overwrote my fingerprints where the ones in the nandroid so you would think it would work. Chalk it up to who knows....thanks anyway. Still looking if anyone finds solution....