Hi all, I've seen that there are a few threads in this and other forums that are saying that using a particular other persist will help restore IMEI, Volte, or other lost functionality after installing a custom Rom and reverting back to stock nougat. As this sort of suggestion has resulted in many devices being permanently broken, I'm sharing a thread I made in potter.
Fix Persist, resolve IMEI=0, Explanation, Requirements
Now, the most important thing here is to NEVER EVER flash another device's persist. Your persist contains key files that have your IMEI data (in encrypted form), and it will not work with another device (or vice versa). In the thread above, I explain what has been happening, how to detect it, what can be done to fix (note - this may differ from device to device - I recommend not applying the fix until after other who have 'fully working devices' can confirm key details, such as the "rfs" user), and why other persist files gave the appearance of working (but were actually causing permanent damage).
Also note that the fix is for stock nougat. I have already seen in the cedric devices that the upcoming Oreo may apply the same type of fix on boot (i.e. changing ownership of key folders and files).
Happy to answer any questions if people ask. Please keep questions for this device in this thread.
Is there any hope to fix IMEI 0?
Himanshu.Shukla said:
Is there any hope to fix IMEI 0?
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Click to collapse
It all depends on what you have or haven't done. If you flashed another persist, you're out of luck. If you haven't flashed another persist, back it up now and save it to the cloud so you never lose it. Then the principles in the guide may help. You can see if you are affected or not by following the section 1), as long as you are on a stock nougat rom.
NZedPred said:
Hi all, I've seen that there are a few threads in this and other forums that are saying that using a particular other persist will help restore IMEI, Volte, or other lost functionality after installing a custom Rom and reverting back to stock nougat. As this sort of suggestion has resulted in many devices being permanently broken, I'm sharing a thread I made in potter.
Fix Persist, resolve IMEI=0, Explanation, Requirements
Now, the most important thing here is to NEVER EVER flash another device's persist. Your persist contains key files that have your IMEI data (in encrypted form), and it will not work with another device (or vice versa). In the thread above, I explain what has been happening, how to detect it, what can be done to fix (note - this may differ from device to device - I recommend not applying the fix until after other who have 'fully working devices' can confirm key details, such as the "rfs" user), and why other persist files gave the appearance of working (but were actually causing permanent damage).
Also note that the fix is for stock nougat. I have already seen in the cedric devices that the upcoming Oreo may apply the same type of fix on boot (i.e. changing ownership of key folders and files).
Happy to answer any questions if people ask. Please keep questions for this device in this thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude , thank you so much for that thread and Info. Finally someone is starting to explain the root cause of this IMEI/4G/Volte mess in our devices. Unfortunately I got my phone second hand and the dude had flashed a lineage ROM on it. He had mentioned radio problems but has said he had flashed the wrong modem and fixed it. The phone was 100% operational with the Lineage ROM he had on it so I didn't think much of and I figured since I've been rooting/flashing my phones since the day I got my first android, I could deal with it anyway. In any case, I soon went to flash an 8.1 ROM and discovered my IMEI gone. Eventually I found a few 8.1 ROMs that worked and I'm completely happy with AEX 5.2 which I'm on now. I have the EFS and Persist backups as of the moment I acquired the phone. I wondering though if there is a way to tell if my persist is the one that is supposed to be there or if the owner flashed a different persist? Also when I input the terminal command from your post it returns a list of folder within persist but no ownership tags as shown in your post.
jesslegentil said:
Dude , thank you so much for that thread and Info. Finally someone is starting to explain the root cause of this IMEI/4G/Volte mess in our devices. Unfortunately I got my phone second hand and the dude had flashed a lineage ROM on it. He had mentioned radio problems but has said he had flashed the wrong modem and fixed it. The phone was 100% operational with the Lineage ROM he had on it so I didn't think much of and I figured since I've been rooting/flashing my phones since the day I got my first android, I could deal with it anyway. In any case, I soon went to flash an 8.1 ROM and discovered my IMEI gone. Eventually I found a few 8.1 ROMs that worked and I'm completely happy with AEX 5.2 which I'm on now. I have the EFS and Persist backups as of the moment I acquired the phone. I wondering though if there is a way to tell if my persist is the one that is supposed to be there or if the owner flashed a different persist? Also when I input the terminal command from your post it returns a list of folder within persist but no ownership tags as shown in your post.
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Click to collapse
I think the only way to tell if the persist is definitely the one for the phone is to revert to stock nougat, follow the guide (I did find that one of the posters in the thread tried it on their sanders device and it worked for them - fortunately there is enough consistency so that the guide applies to many phones) to fix the folder ownership, then erase EFS and reboot. If your IMEI comes back, you're in luck. If it doesn't, hold onto your EFS backup for the rest of your phone's life!
(Also note that reverting to stock nougat should be done carefully. Don't downgrade the bootloader, otherwise you'll run into other problems..)
Also, just to emphasize, the output from the commands that list ownership is taken from nougat. Oreo has changed things, so it's not surprising if you get different things. E.g. Cedric's Oreo appears to not have an rfs user, instead it is using something like oem_2903.
Just wanted to chime in and say that this has fixed my phone! I've had iffy VoLTE and other issues since going back to stock and couldn't even use custom ROMs since it wouldn't allow me to search for a network. This seems to have cleared it all up. Thanks!
thanks a lot. I've had no lte data since the day I got the phone, but thanks to this it is fixed.
edit: for verizon peoples who only had 3g, I can confirm that lte still works after flashing at least msm xtended so probably other roms too.
any solution to this problem, i installed this rom and now baseband is not found and imei zero
sanders-twrp-flashable-OPS28.49-2.zip
jakson7474 said:
any solution to this problem, i installed this rom and now baseband is not found and imei zero
sanders-twrp-flashable-OPS28.49-2.zip
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Click to collapse
Folks, the rom above was a test version of the Oreo soak test that I made. Unfortunately it seems the is an issue on the build. I have pulled it for now. Hoping that a downgrade to stock nougat will help fix it. Goodness knows I'm trying to help with the IMEI issue, not contribute to it *facepalm*
Edit: user got everything back by flashing a nougat twrp flashable build. So issue was definitely just in that particular Oreo build
Can anyone confirm if this should work on the g5s plus with those commands? It doesnt seem to for me
Nyvia said:
Can anyone confirm if this should work on the g5s plus with those commands? It doesnt seem to for me
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Click to collapse
I can confirm it worked on my xt1806.
Back up the EFS, run these commands, then run the fastboot commands to wipe your modem. It will rebuild and you should have imei back
Nyvia said:
Can anyone confirm if this should work on the g5s plus with those commands? It doesnt seem to for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you check if you have a file dhob.bin.bak after running the find command in the post? Many people who don't have success with the guide are missing that file.
I have successfully executed this procedure and I got a hd calling option or an hd calling icon..is that correct??. Then I backed up the efs and again i got to custom ROM then and flashed the efs partition but no sign of volte or can't make call from Jio...
The question is can I use the efs partition which I recovered through this on a custom ROM?
subinsrk said:
I have successfully executed this procedure and I got a hd calling option or an hd calling icon..is that correct??. Then I backed up the efs and again i got to custom ROM then and flashed the efs partition but no sign of volte or can't make call from Jio...
The question is can I use the efs partition which I recovered through this on a custom ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Answer as per the other thread:
Yes, I get an H+ icon on my phone, so that would be what you'd want if the procedure worked. If Volte doesn't work on the custom rom, then it's a custom rom issue.
my volte worked without restoring the efs... just fixed permissions from stock, flashed rom, everything worked.
xtasquee said:
my volte worked without restoring the efs... just fixed permissions from stock, flashed rom, everything worked.
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Click to collapse
Bro how you can fix the volte can you tell me?
just flashed stock and fixed the permissions like op said. when i rebooted everything was fixed and still works with at least gzosp-based roms and probably others too. no tricks needed.
Thank you bro...it's worked backuped the efs and persist partion on the stock ROM and again flashed pe ROM and reflashed the efs and persist volte is now working fine thanks....
is there a way to get this post pinnedor something?
Hi guys. Reported success earlier in the thread but my issues came back. IMEI is there, everything functions properly in stock, but in non-stock I get an "error searching for network" that I didn't get before I flashed a broken gapps file that edited my persist file.
I know my persist partition is currently stock, and I'd like a copy of a working persist file from an xt1806 that I can copy my known good persist data to. Thanks!
Related
I know there is another thread on this but none of the tips resolved the issue. so today i flashed cm10 with devilkernel and the modem got wiped. so naturally i flashed a new one. It said it flashed but didnt work. so i wiped it and tried another. this process repeated for 3 hours and my friend rhine, who is highly skilled with this, and i together could not get anything to work. there is no lock out message but once it said safe mode although that went away. thanks in advance.
rhvk37 said:
I know there is another thread on this but none of the tips resolved the issue. so today i flashed cm10 with devilkernel and the modem got wiped. so naturally i flashed a new one. It said it flashed but didnt work. so i wiped it and tried another. this process repeated for 3 hours and my friend rhine, who is highly skilled with this, and i together could not get anything to work. there is no lock out message but once it said safe mode although that went away. thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you checked to see if your IMEI is correct? I haven't heard much about it recently but when Jelly Bean first came out people would randomly have their EFS folder wiped when flashing to JB. Compare the IMEI listed on your phone under the battery to the one listed in the settings menu.
If they don't match then your best course of action is to use a one-click and take your phone back to stock which should restore your EFS folder. I would suggest then making a backup of that folder and then move forward with flashing as you've done before.
Some people say that removing your sim card during the flashing process will help prevent any issues but I've personally never had this problem.
m1batt1 said:
Have you checked to see if your IMEI is correct? I haven't heard much about it recently but when Jelly Bean first came out people would randomly have their EFS folder wiped when flashing to JB. Compare the IMEI listed on your phone under the battery to the one listed in the settings menu.
If they don't match then your best course of action is to use a one-click and take your phone back to stock which should restore your EFS folder. I would suggest then making a backup of that folder and then move forward with flashing as you've done before.
Some people say that removing your sim card during the flashing process will help prevent any issues but I've personally never had this problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Removing the sim fixed and reflashing the modem worked for me. thanks!
Hello everyone,
i flashed CM10.2 from the FreeXperia Project on my Z1 and it worked fine,
but the camera was very blurry and didn't take pictures at all.
So i decided to flash CM11 (also from FXP), the camera worked damn fine,
but now the IMEI is set to 0 (and IMEISV to 26, if thats a matter).
Without the IMEI my provider is blocking my access to UMTS and mobile
connection, so the phone is pretty much useless.
So my question is - is there a way to set the IMEI or flash it in from previous backups?
Thanks in advance
Ps: Sorry, forgot to mark it as a question and can't do it from editing.
Ok, i got the settings back by doing a full wipe and reflashing the stock rom.
Now i try to find a tool, that makes a backup of my efs-partition and is able
to restore it on cm11, if the IMEI is getting killed again.
The only tools i find for this are for other phones (though not safe for z1) or
not from reliable sources. Does somebody know a tool like that?
Thanks in advance
Nath.Schwarz said:
Ok, i got the settings back by doing a full wipe and reflashing the stock rom.
Now i try to find a tool, that makes a backup of my efs-partition and is able
to restore it on cm11, if the IMEI is getting killed again.
The only tools i find for this are for other phones (though not safe for z1) or
not from reliable sources. Does somebody know a tool like that?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I heard not heard of such a tool for the Z1. I remember reading about IMEI 0 some time ago, but don't remember many details. Search more, it's been mentioned before. You may have to go back to a stock FTF to fix it.
hello guys this is my first post here but i am follower of xda since 2014
--Now if you flashed custom rom in moto g5s plus and want to go back with stock rom the biggest issue you face is IMEI and Volte
--and for that i have permanent solution for you guys .
--first follow this to recover your imei.
--install your last custom rom you used or try this post instructions https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g5s-plus/how-to/guide-workaround-network-imei-0-t3745474
--after that you will find network in your mobile
--now install twrp and backup your efs folder
--now download the file i am providing you here
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KbO03nTGEpii1kS4Odx0j8agY-UlvsoC?usp=sharing this is presist file.
anfter downloading it ---
--install your stock rom and then after first boot restart the device in bootloader mode and then --
-- install latest twrp and restore your efs backup and install the presist file that i provided above ( or download it below the post) and restart .
now you will get your networks of both sim and volte .
its been tested by me several times . i am not developer .
All credit goes to XDA community and Amazing Developers.:fingers-crossed:
You may wish to give credit to this post as well - https://forum.xda-developers.com/g5-plus/how-to/fix-persist-resolve-imei0-explanation-t3825147 The persist zip fix you've attached is very similar to the persist from that post, just the script has been adapted for sanders rather than potter. Also, you may wish to clarify that this is not a persist file, it's a permissions fix.
echo92 said:
You may wish to give credit to this post as well - https://forum.xda-developers.com/g5-plus/how-to/fix-persist-resolve-imei0-explanation-t3825147 The persist zip fix you've attached is very similar to the persist from that post, just the script has been adapted for sanders rather than potter. Also, you may wish to clarify that this is not a persist file, it's a permissions fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i cant give xda credit for presist file because its provided by some totally diffrent source. and all the information and files provided by xda i already mentioned that. and majority of people knows it as presist file . for die heart coders it may be permission fix.
I'm the one who originally found the solution in the Potter world that @echo92 has kindly acknowledged. I also did the adapted script for sanders which has obviously been copied, and even made a post in the sanders guides forum - PSA - Never flash another device's persist, IMEI loss understood
I'd really prefer that people stop posting the fix over and over as something new, and just link to the thread I created. The thread explains everything - what happened, how to tell if you're affected, how to fix, and provided the original TWRP zip for potter. Posts like this one where people just say "hey follow this and it will work" are the reason we had issues with people permanently breaking their phones in the first place by flashing someone else's persist...
NZedPred said:
I'm the one who originally found the solution in the Potter world that @echo92 has kindly acknowledged. I also did the adapted script for sanders which has obviously been copied, and even made a post in the sanders guides forum - PSA - Never flash another device's persist, IMEI loss understood
I'd really prefer that people stop posting the fix over and over as something new, and just link to the thread I created. The thread explains everything - what happened, how to tell if you're affected, how to fix, and provided the original TWRP zip for potter. Posts like this one where people just say "hey follow this and it will work" are the reason we had issues with people permanently breaking their phones in the first place by flashing someone else's persist...
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Click to collapse
I dont have any issues with the imei, or LTE
aha, thx for the advice, I have just flashed the bootleggers custom rom, and now i'm searching a solution to get back my volte , i have saved my old rom inclued the EFS files, how to restore my volte now, that is the question ?
stormrider57 said:
I dont have any issues with the imei, or LTE
aha, thx for the advice, I have just flashed the bootleggers custom rom, and now i'm searching a solution to get back my volte , i have saved my old rom inclued the EFS files, how to restore my volte now, that is the question ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-- install latest twrp and restore your efs backup and install the presist file that i provided above and restart .
now you will get your networks of both sim and volte .
a fix for this just came out this month. a lot of peoples phones are essentially bricked following similar guides to this one. please do not give bad advice that will break people's data, possibly forever.
link to actual fix: https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g5s-plus/how-to/psa-flash-devices-persist-imei-loss-t3828575
masnish kunwar said:
-- install latest twrp and restore your efs backup and install the presist file that i provided above and restart .
now you will get your networks of both sim and volte .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
okay thx , but i have my network, no problems, with that just want my volte back.
can some one here help me please
stormrider57 said:
okay thx , but i have my network, no problems, with that just want my volte back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want help post all the details that I ask for in the thread here (in section asking for help):
https://forum.xda-developers.com/g5-plus/how-to/fix-persist-resolve-imei0-explanation-t3825147
Note that you must be on a stock nougat rom for the guide to work.
Edit: as it is in the g5+ forums, the links in the post are for g5+, but the essence of the guide is the same. That is, the commands still work for g5s+.
xtasquee said:
a fix for this just came out this month. a lot of peoples phones are essentially bricked following similar guides to this one. please do not give bad advice that will break people's data, possibly forever.
link to actual fix: https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g5s-plus/how-to/psa-flash-devices-persist-imei-loss-t3828575
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my wasnt bricked
masnish kunwar said:
my wasnt bricked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't say for certain since I didn't flash a persist, but from what I understand it only works temporarily, with loss of data functions after flashing a different rom.
*edit - my bad. i thought you were offering a persist to flash but its a script. either way, fix is 2 weeks old so why rip it off?
I have a G5S plus (xt1806) on sprint. Every rom I flash results in me not having LTE, and 3G cuts in and out unreliably. I have checked and my imei is still there. I have flashed the modems, and I have restored my efs backup to no avail. This has happened on every rom, no matter if I clean flash, dirty flash, I end up with the same result. Does anyone have any insight on this?
L4ndon said:
I have a G5S plus (xt1806) on sprint. Every rom I flash results in me not having LTE, and 3G cuts in and out unreliably. I have checked and my imei is still there. I have flashed the modems, and I have restored my efs backup to no avail. This has happened on every rom, no matter if I clean flash, dirty flash, I end up with the same result. Does anyone have any insight on this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a similar issue on Verizon. When I got the phone I never inserted my new sim card & connected to the network before I unlocked the bl, flashed TWRP, custom ROM, etc. Every ROM I flashed had the same issue as you describe in your post.
Solution: I backed everything up to a pc & fastboot flashed back to stock & started over. Everything has been fine ever since.
***Keep that efs backup you made too - just in case you lose IMEI on your return to stock; efs restore should fix it.
Bob nesta said:
I had a similar issue on Verizon. When I got the phone I never inserted my new sim card & connected to the network before I unlocked the bl, flashed TWRP, custom ROM, etc. Every ROM I flashed had the same issue as you describe in your post.
Solution: I backed everything up to a pc & fastboot flashed back to stock & started over. Everything has been fine ever since.
***Keep that efs backup you made too - just in case you lose IMEI on your return to stock; efs restore should fix it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, I've tried reverting back to stock. I get back my service after restoring efs partition, but whenever I do it again, service is broken. I am at a loss.
L4ndon said:
Yea, I've tried reverting back to stock. I get back my service after restoring efs partition, but whenever I do it again, service is broken. I am at a loss.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fwiw - I worked with another Sprint user a while back who could only get reliable service with the original firmware - that which came with the phone when purchased. Fortunately he had a bu of that and it was the only thing that worked. There is a thread about checking/fixing permissions on your persist partition that may help. Check it out - ya never know.
Phazmos said:
Fwiw - I worked with another Sprint user a while back who could only get reliable service with the original firmware - that which came with the phone when purchased. Fortunately he had a bu of that and it was the only thing that worked. There is a thread about checking/fixing permissions on your persist partition that may help. Check it out - ya never know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really dislike how sprint deals with unlocked phones, they never play nice, I have had carrier specific issues with them in the past. If it wasn't for my grandfathered truly unlimited plan I would switch in a heartbeat.
And yea, I'll be sure to check that thread out, thanks!
L4ndon said:
I have a G5S plus (xt1806) on sprint. Every rom I flash results in me not having LTE, and 3G cuts in and out unreliably. I have checked and my imei is still there. I have flashed the modems, and I have restored my efs backup to no avail. This has happened on every rom, no matter if I clean flash, dirty flash, I end up with the same result. Does anyone have any insight on this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same problem. I made a thread about it and somebody gave the solution. See if it works for you. https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g5s-plus/help/4g-to-t3829195
L4ndon said:
I really dislike how sprint deals with unlocked phones, they never play nice, I have had carrier specific issues with them in the past. If it wasn't for my grandfathered truly unlimited plan I would switch in a heartbeat.
And yea, I'll be sure to check that thread out, thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had initially had this in my previous reply - Sprint has always been special - but I deleted it, should have left it in. I've heard many bad stories from Sprint users in the past, going back years. Just glad I always stayed away from them (they have no coverage in my neck of the woods anyway).
Good luck!
PS - the link in the above post has the instructions to set correct permissions on affected files in persist partition - they came from the thread I mentioned.
Join telegram group. You got help from G5s+ community for sure if you still not the member of Moto G5s Plus telegram group community.
Link: https://t.me/g5splus
Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Tapatalk
I am a compulsive ROM flasher and I have abused my poor Nexus 6 since launch. Unfortunately, it's also a daily driver. But hey, I have several other devices I play with and have back up in case.
I have no clue when this happened, but recently I saw my IMEI completely disappeared.
I tried restoring from several different backups that I know still had my IMEI information, but no matter stock or other ROM, IMEI is 0.
The only thing I can remember that might of started it was flashing a Pie ROM to play with and then back to Oreo because no wifi calling on Pie.
l337lasers said:
I am a compulsive ROM flasher and I have abused my poor Nexus 6 since launch. Unfortunately, it's also a daily driver. But hey, I have several other devices I play with and have back up in case.
I have no clue when this happened, but recently I saw my IMEI completely disappeared.
I tried restoring from several different backups that I know still had my IMEI information, but no matter stock or other ROM, IMEI is 0.
The only thing I can remember that might of started it was flashing a Pie ROM to play with and then back to Oreo because no wifi calling on Pie.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did you make a backup of efs partition using twrp !
AmirHRC said:
did you make a backup of efs partition using twrp !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did, but none of the backups seem to restore the original imei.
Have you tried Fastboot flashing the last stock release, clearing data and cache?