Database Users

Imei deleted

Hi,
I got my phone abroad Galaxy S passport records, and I'm tired of you had your 3 months after using the version of Froyo MIUI I decided to install. I installed 3 days ago but I did not know what happened to the EFS. And now the phone's IMEI number 40000 0049990. .. this was not the original. phone line is running, but canceled. now what should I do to return the old IMEI number, or Waiting for your help Thank you in advance masters.

I have no idea what you're saying, but if you're having problems with your IMEI, then just search for "IMEI" and the first 5 or so articles might be what you're looking for.

this problem. MIUI for downloading the IMEI number has changed. What should I do now, and I have no idea

If you don't have a backup of the efs-folder you are screwed. Phone needs a new mainboard.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

flash back to a stock firmware using ODIN, and you'll get the IMEI back

Download a firmware from samfirmware.com for your phone, flash it with odin, if it doesn't work with the firmware with 3 files (pda,modem and csc) try another with one file (like "JVH_JV3_JPO.tar") and your imei should be restored.
After, install root explorer and copy efs folder to sdcard and after on your computer. Keep it safe in case you will need it later.

Reflash an official froyo firmware using ODIN and you should be up and running, had the same problem when i tried MIUI a while back and thats how i got it sorted.
Hope it works out for you

flash to base
flash to base and after that flash to the new rom and look at the RE in the odin pro

It is possible to get the IMEI back? Super.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App

I installed the original rom and has become a darky IMEI thanks a lot to address. kullanabiliyorum phone now

IINexusII said:
flash back to a stock firmware using ODIN, and you'll get the IMEI back
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This should work, it did for many others and also me.
Goodluck.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

Restore IMEI with Backup
Hello I also have a problem with my IMEI. I flashed the latest miui version but backed up my efs folder like it was described by the miui-team.
Now I want to restore my old and original IMEI but don't know how to.
Hope you can help me and I know it must be really easy for you.
Greetings from Hamburg,GER
addicted90

All I had to do was to copy the nv_data.bin and nv_data.bin.md5 files from the backup back to the /efs folder on the phone and reboot.

bodobari said:
I installed the original rom and has become a darky IMEI thanks a lot to address. kullanabiliyorum phone now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
kullanabiliyorum? WT:...

EFS Folder deleted - SGS fu** up - NO BACKUP

Hello,
i googled and searched for hours but can't find a solution for my problem. It looks like i lost my whole EFS Folder when i wanted to flash Galnet MIUI and after that CM7.1 because it failed.
So:
- CAN'T Flash ANY CWM zip (Status 7 error)
- CAN'T use mobile connection (No SMS,no Calls,no Internet etc.)
- NO Backup of the EFS folder ...
- Able to flash any ODIN/Heimdall ROM
- Up and Downgraded 100 times from FROYO to Gingerbread and so but still no EFS rapair :/
HELP,please ...
UPDATE: If anyone is wondering what i have done - i sent it to Samsung and they repaired it for free and even 4 months later it works like a charm (with ICS )

Flash any ROM using repartition. If that doesn't help, flash any modem / kernel after flashing ROM.

Already done that,no change...

Uwe303 said:
Already done that,no change...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search for Ezodin rom or something like that on forums or try flash froyo

Try this out....not sure if it will help but give it a go.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=991792
Hope it helps

galaxy89 said:
Try this out....not sure if it will help but give it a go.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=991792
Hope it helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes man thats whay i say butt i didn't remember

Try this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1261948&highlight=imei+unknow

miui creates a backup by itself in sdcard named backup
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

Check your internal SD card, it should be there.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

if you don`t have a backup of your efs folder... your imei is lost forever.... you`ll have a service imei 0040etc .Efs folder will be automatically rebuilt but this will not get your imei back... i sent my phone to a Vodafone service for another problem and didn't canceled my warranty so its no problem

Nothing what you posted works. salesale's link was good,but i dont have a backup on my sdcard so its useless ...
I was NOT able to flash MIUI/CyanogenMod so i even dont have this backup ... and all my sdcard backups are only folders like DCIM/Music/Videos but not the whole sdcard. Before i tried to flash MIUI i backuped my whole sdcard but theres no efs folder there with a backup :/
I think i cant send my phone to samsung. they will cancel my warranty because i cant call and say my IMEI / efs folder was deleted without any reason. they know i have flashed and have fu**** up my phone.
Any other suggestions? :/ can someone send me his efs folder? Maybe the phone restores the imei when i follow the tutorial from salesale's link

Flash the latest official firmware for your country and Just go to the service center and tell them that your phone doesn't work after update with KIES.
That's all! You don't know why this happened
Since there is no need to open the phone, your IMEI needs only to be rewritten. If the service center's staff is OK, they will easily recreate your IMEI without much efforts.

celeronix said:
Flash the latest official firmware for your country and Just go to the service center and tell them that your phone doesn't work after update with KIES.
That's all! You don't know why this happened
Since there is no need to open the phone, your IMEI needs only to be rewritten. If the service center's staff is OK, they will easily recreate your IMEI without much efforts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes play stupid.. it will work

I remember reading a thread where someone had a programme that i think he made, to restore a lost efs folder with the correct imei, Ill have another quick search but its out there, you just need to find it...

Can't find it,sorry ...

Right well i've just been searching since i posted and found these.....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=842775&highlight=restore+imei
http://darkyrom.com/community/index...40000-instead-of-unique-original-number.1876/
http://forum.samdroid.net/f28/complete-imei-restore-how-1817/
http://forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/archive/t-1206374.html
I realise the samdoird link is not for the i9000 but im sure they will be able to do the same for your phone...
OMG 30 mins searching and reading!!

salesale said:
Try this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1261948&highlight=imei+unknow
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check user nokia8260's method in the link from salesale.
He does some edit on /efs/imei/mps_code.dat to match CSC.
Not sure if you need to flash a stock ROM + 512.pit + rooted kernel to establish a basic filesystem.
Warning: Have not tried this myself, please read and decide.
Sent from my GT-I9000

Uwe303 said:
Nothing what you posted works. salesale's link was good,but i dont have a backup on my sdcard so its useless ...
I was NOT able to flash MIUI/CyanogenMod so i even dont have this backup ... and all my sdcard backups are only folders like DCIM/Music/Videos but not the whole sdcard. Before i tried to flash MIUI i backuped my whole sdcard but theres no efs folder there with a backup :/
I think i cant send my phone to samsung. they will cancel my warranty because i cant call and say my IMEI / efs folder was deleted without any reason. they know i have flashed and have fu**** up my phone.
Any other suggestions? :/ can someone send me his efs folder? Maybe the phone restores the imei when i follow the tutorial from salesale's link
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just restore your phone to official firmware and call Samsung, tell them your phone doesn't recognize your similar card anymore and can't make or receive calls or text, thats what I did when i messed up my efs on my galaxy s 4g and i got it back within 2 weeks.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

Uwe303 said:
Nothing what you posted works. salesale's link was good,but i dont have a backup on my sdcard so its useless ...
I was NOT able to flash MIUI/CyanogenMod so i even dont have this backup ... and all my sdcard backups are only folders like DCIM/Music/Videos but not the whole sdcard. Before i tried to flash MIUI i backuped my whole sdcard but theres no efs folder there with a backup :/
I think i cant send my phone to samsung. they will cancel my warranty because i cant call and say my IMEI / efs folder was deleted without any reason. they know i have flashed and have fu**** up my phone.
Any other suggestions? :/ can someone send me his efs folder? Maybe the phone restores the imei when i follow the tutorial from salesale's link
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EFS backup not required. Do you have EFS folder? I lost my imei. With these instructions I have recovered imei and network, signal. Good luck

I have a efs folder but its completly empty! So how can i edit these things,when its empty? Can i somehow restore them? I dont even have a developer IMEI (0049 ...)

[Info] EFS/Lost IMEI - Must to read for every Newbies.

What is EFS
This part of the device contains some important and some basic info related to our device identity like Bluetooth MAC address, wireless devices MAC addresses, product code (also in the nv_data.bin) and the very main IMEI address (nv_data.bin), programming parameters for the device such as your account information (phone number, etc), data provisioning parameters, and a whole bunch of other things. So you can guess it's will be different for each device and one can't use others.
How it can corrupt :
- Any bad flashing, mishandling system modification can cause this.
- Also It can be corrupted by downgrading stock ROM. If you flash any old ROM (older to first ME6) on newer ROM (ME6 or any other rom released after ME6) it can corrupt EFS. Basically newer ROM believed to have new kernel that changes EFS data which older Modems can't read and results to fail in reading IMEI.
Impact on device/How I know I have corrupted EFS
When there is EFS partition is corrupted, device loses IMEI and due to this device can't gets connected to network. Baseband info also sometimes shows unknown.
-Check your IMEI in setting / by dialling *#06# if it is null OR if it starts with 0049** then IMEI is generic and corrupted. In Normal case IMEI which you can see in device setting or dialing *#06# is exactly same you can see on bill/box/sticker under battery compartment
-If you are unable to connect to network in spite of correct IMEI, chance are
A. Your device is Locked to specific Network OR
B. Your device is banned due to tempered IMEI
-If your AP,CP,CSC all are correct and even you are getting error (unknown CSC XXX) on kies update, it may be due to corrupt Product code in EFS. Read This for detail.
What care should i take
Before flashing anything, first thing you should do is to make EFS backup. Every person who have rooted device should make EFS backup earliest and place it to safer place on PC and /Cloud.
If you are on older ROM, make EFS backup on older ROM as well make another after upgrading ROM too.
If you have already updated to newer ROM, make backup on current ROM.
Here is different common methods for EFS Backup/Restore [There are hundreds of tools available on play store and don't use blindly, as unsupported tool can cause EFS partition failed to mount and to recover it need to use adb shell and more. Better use one of the below mentioned time tested tools]
You must have device rooted. Read post #2 of this thread, how to root Note2
you can use any of method said below.
1.With Aroma installer - No need to have PC, need CWM/TWRP installed. Here is Other Tool I recommend to must have for Newbies, Which also have many other options.
2.From Device itself - No need of PC, just requires installing application from play store.
3.Philz recovery - Also you can find this option on other CWM/TWRP, but i have tested only this.
4.EFS Backup/Restore Tool - you needs to use PC to work this.
How to recover lost IMEI that happens with downgrading ROM
If you have lost IMEI just by downgrading (as said by above by flashing older ROM), still you can recover IMEI without having EFS backup.
-Again upgrade ROM will restore IMEI OR
-Flash latest Modem. You can find it here.. You can download MG1 modem and flash using PC Odin with 'Phone' tab instead of PDA.
Remember above said works only if IMEI is corrupted by downgrading ROM only, if it was corrupted by other things, this won't be helpful.
Also Read This, if you have issue restoring EFS OR device stuck to factory mod.
Hope this will find helpful to all newbies regarding question about EFS and IMEI problem. I have posted this to general section so newbie can post to it if they have any queries.

Informative
Very informative and helpful thread Brother :good::good::good::good:

:good: great guide ketan :good:

you are one of the best things to happen to Note 1 and Note 2 as well..!!
god bless ya bro..! :good::good:

Very informative in precise words!
Thanks, +1:good:

There is already a post about this.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Zionator said:
There is already a post about this.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you link to it? I have not found in general section where newbies can post. Though you can report it to moderator if double post.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

The EFS image backup has proved to be immensely helpful all the way with the Terminal emulator!:good:
Please confirm: can the EFS backup image be flashed with Philz Recovery as an alternative to the Terminal emulator?

Provided you put it to correct place.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

Thank you for info and helpful Pro ^_^
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

You can easily make efs backup and restore with this app Andromizer(free version) with one click
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.j.y.daddy.customizer
These models of note 2 supported
GT-N7100,GT-N7102,GT-N7105,SHV-E250S,SHV-E250K,SHV-E250L
SPH-L900,SGH-T889,SGH-T889V,SGH-L317,SGH-I317M,SCH-I605,SCH-R950

dr.ketan said:
Can you link to it? I have not found in general section where newbies can post. Though you can report it to moderator if double post.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Finally you have listened my request.
Dr.Ketan, he may be talking about this thread.
This guide is very helpfull. :thumbup:
May helps and warn all mates before flashing different roms.
Please make this thread sticky.
sent from my GT-N7100. Press thanks if I helped..

It's already been added to sticky roll up (list of thread worth to stick)
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

dr.ketan said:
What is EFS
This part of the device contains some important and some basic info related to our device identity like Bluetooth MAC address, wireless devices MAC addresses, product code (also in the nv_data.bin) and the very main IMEI address (nv_data.bin), programming parameters for the device such as your account information (phone number, etc), data provisioning parameters, and a whole bunch of other things. So you can guess it's will be different for each device and one can't use others.
How it can corrupt :
- Any bad flashing, mishandling system modification can cause this.
- Also It can be corrupted by downgrading stock ROM. If you flash any old ROM (older to first ME6) on newer ROM (ME6 or any other rom released after ME6) it can corrupt EFS. Basically newer ROM believed to have new kernel that changes EFS data which older Modems can't read and results to fail in reading IMEI.
Impact on device/How I know I have corrupted EFS
When there is EFS partition is corrupted, device loses IMEI and due to this device can't gets connected to network. Baseband info also sometimes shows unknown.
-Check your IMEI in setting / by dialling *#06# if it is null OR if it starts with 0049** then IMEI is generic and corrupted. In Normal case IMEI which you can see in device setting or dialing *#06# is exactly same you can see on bill/box/sticker under battery compartment
-If you are unable to connect to network in spite of correct IMEI, chance are
A. Your device is Locked to specific Network OR
B. Your device is banned due to tempered IMEI
-If your AP,CP,CSC all are correct and even you are getting error (unknown CSC XXX) on kies update, it may be due to corrupt Product code in EFS. Read This for detail.
What care should i take
Before flashing anything, first thing you should do is to make EFS backup. Every person who have rooted device should make EFS backup earliest and place it to safer place on PC and /Cloud.
If you are on older ROM, make EFS backup on older ROM as well make another after upgrading ROM too.
If you have already updated to newer ROM, make backup on current ROM.
Here is different common methods for EFS Backup/Restore
You must have device rooted. Read post #2 of this thread, how to root Note2
you can use any of method said below.
1.From Device itself - No need of PC, just requires installing application from play store.
2.Philz recovery - Also you can find this option on other CWM/TWRP, but i have tested only this.
3.EFS Backup/Restore Tool - you needs to use PC to work this.
How to recover lost IMEI that happens with downgrading ROM
If you have lost IMEI just by downgrading (as said by above by flashing older ROM), still you can recover IMEI without having EFS backup.
-Again upgrade ROM will restore IMEI OR
-Flash latest Modem. You can find it here.. You can download MG1 modem and flash using PC Odin with 'Phone' tab instead of PDA.
Remember above said works only if IMEI is corrupted by downgrading ROM only, if it was corrupted by other things, this won't be helpful.
Also Read This, if you have issue restoring EFS OR device stuck to factory mod.
Hope this will find helpful to all newbies regarding question about EFS and IMEI problem. I have posted this to general section so newbie can post to it if they have any queries.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dr. Ketan,
Kem chho bhai!!
I am facing problem with EFS , i read your post and come to know that my IMEI is corrupt. It is starting with 0049*** and not matching with phone sticker. Following procedure mentioned in your post but no success!! STill am not able to connect network how should i proceed now??
Already flashed kernel, recovery, modem from pc odin also tried to switch to stock rom. i.e. UAE i guess now downloading Saudi Arabia and will gong to try all.
Please help!!!

You need to mention how does it happen in Details.
How does happend it, i mean what did you flashed? And what rom you had when you flash it.
Do you have efs backup?
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

Hi Dr. Ketan,
No I don;t have EFS backup and till today flashed many times but not faced any problem like this.
I recently flashed PRobam rom which works on 4.3 android and later return back to my region flashing CWM recovery. Later i tried toolkit for note 2 and tried mod for camera HD.But later come to know that toolkit has no support for my rom.
I think i lost my IMEI while flashing Probam but using wrong baseband trough toolkit can also be problem.No so sure.
Tried to go back on regional rom by different methods but no success.
Thanks!!

Basically it happens if you flash older kernel (it may happened by wrong selection in toolkit)
Reflash latest modem and try.

Just want to get this straight into my head here before I go diving into flashing a ROM sorry for being silly I just like to get it clear lol
Ok my phone is on DME6 so that means I can't flash any samsung based custom ROM that is using a version lower than that yes? but AOSP ROM's don't matter as they don't use the modem so won't corrupt the EFS correct? I am aware that for the SIII there was a flashable zip you can use to make the modem the newer one for flashing older firmware custom ROMS is there one for this? I want to flash this ROM or the HD revolution ROM (HD rev showing an older version in the title) mainly want a custom stock ROM that gets rid of that pesky SMS conversion thing
Thanks for your time

You have already flashed ME6 so you will have latest modem so yes flashiung older ROM you will lose IMEI. regarding AOSP ROM i am not sure, i have never used any AOSP ROM and not following so not familiar with that.
1.Make EFS backup Use one of the tool mentioned in OP)
2.Flash desired ROM, if you select older ROM and lose IMEI, you can find latest modem from my All in one thread (look signature) post #7. simply extract and use modem.tar.md5 to flash with 'Phone' tab (Not PDA) of Odin.

yeah I made a backup of the EFS (on the ME6 version not the older as this is how i got the phone) so I can use any stock based ROM as long as i flash that modem? think i'll probably stay with a ROM labeled as ME6 anyway to keep it easier on myself

[GUIDE] How to restore EFS on I9300

It started when I was trying Swapper 2 from the Play Store. Will, I guess I should read the comment, but I didn't. And yes, it corrupted my EFS and my phone was stuck at the Samsung boot logo. I have tried many method I can search over XDA, but non works. (I'm not sure about this one, which I only find while writing this guide.)
This is by far the easiest method for me, and it doesn't involve Linux, which was a pain since I haven't use Linux in years. I had to VM one for some of the XDA method, which didn't work at end of the day.
1. Flash the firmware with ODIN (original firmware) with original version that you had before. Not the custom ROM, but the original firmware version.
2. Recover with EFS with the EFS image attached in the thread. I used kTool as it faster and easier than any other tool. (Yes, I tried them all...)
3. Download Chimera Tool and buy their cheapest license (or whatever you want) which is €12.90.
That it. Yes you pay, but it the easiest, and most time saving. I spent a week Googling, trying all this various method over ADB, and no, non works. And for Samsung to repair, which they refuse and simply want to change a board and charge me US$ 200 for it, I rather pay €12.90 and do it myself. If you still have problem connection to the network after restoring IMEI, please read post 3.

FAQ
If you need the ODIN, you can find theme over here. Myself I've always used version 3.07. And as always under options you only need the 'Auto Reboot' and 'F. Reset Time' checked. Whether it a modem or stock ROM, click on 'PDA' choose the correct file and than click on start.
Q: Won't flash the EFS image I provide means I'm getting your IMEI?
A: I've wondered this as well. If it were so simple, there wouldn't be so many thread on recovering and so may people cry for help... (I'm included). As my last resort before I buy Chimera Tool's license, I flashed over my bro's S3 EFS, which I didn't want to, as I said it was a last resort. And as it turned out, I didn't get his IMEI. Instead I got his phones' Update S3 product code and serial number. And that was it. IMEI has changed from my previous 'NULL' to the infamous generic 004999010640000.
Q: Why do I still need to do EFS recovery if Chimera Tool can restore it.
A: I've experiment this myself, as I also absolutely did not want my bro's EFS. But unfortunately Chimera can only restore the IMEI and serial number, not rest of the missing files in the EFS folder. If I repartition the EFS folder and using Chimera to restore my IMEI, it would show the correct IMEI but still refuse to connect to the network. And it will have the annoy overly showing my CSC and other bunch of info on my homescreen, as if my EFS is still corrupt.
Q: Does Chimera need some special box?
A: No, a normal USB cable will work. That pretty much means standard ADB command would work, but unfortunately I can't find any info on that. I wish I did, so I don't need to get the Chimera Tool but there was no other way for me. I was also sceptical at first, as I read over many forums and they say it impossible with some sort of service box/tool. I gambled, and luckily it worked out.
Q: Where does the EFS image go for kTool?
A: Sorry, don't remember. Google it, or use the backup option first than overwrite the EFS.IMG file. That what I did.
Q: Now that I got my IMEI back, how do I back it up?
A. Use kTool again? Personally I use TWRP, as I think it the easiest. Since you can do it at a recovery level. No trying of ODIN the OS for corrupt OS before restoring the EFS. In any case, Chimera would still be function for the next couple of month and you can still mess around until than.
Q: Why the need of ODIN the original firmware?
A: I was on a custom TW ROM and Chimera didn't work. Maybe CM and other custom ROM will will work, you can give it a try. But this is how I did it and I know it works.

EFS / Baseband(modem)
It easy to criticize a member and simply tell him use the 'search function', but without realize sometimes the article will help you the most, simply just doesn't come up. Murphy's law. I was on stock 4.1.2 and after restore IMEI and EFS, the phone indicate it register on the network, but I couldn't make calls or connect to the net. This is a vary good article regarding EFS, and sadly it didn't come up easily on my search result. I came across it after I fixed the issue with tones of Googling and was searching for a different topic. But I understand people that desperate need to solve the problem quick (like I was) simply spent hour reading over hundreds of post under that article is just testing a persons sanity. So I'm going to summarised some of the stuff along with my experience. First thing you need to know:
- EFS v2 Basebands (modem) was introduced at Android 4.3 and can read EFS partition v2 and EFS v1
- EFS v1 Basebands (modem) CANNOT read EFS v2, ONLY EFS v1
If you phone is still under warranty and cannot connect to network, the best way is to stay on stock firmware and use TriangleAway to reset the flash counter and sent back to Samsung. With your IMEI number correctly showing, Samsung has absolutely no excuse on not fixing it. If you are no longer warranty, read on.
Q: My IMEI is now showing correctly but I still cannot make calls!
A: This is where the Ariza Patch kicks in. If you are on stock fimware 4.1.2, you need the Ariza Patch to fix the baseband. But after long reading over plenty post, it seems once this patch has been done, it irreversible. So beware. Before you try this patch, you may want to try update to the stock 4.3 firmware and see if it solves the problem before applying the patch.
Q: I'm on stock 4.3, now what?
A: If you still have problem connecting to the network, you need a patched modem (baseband) file. You can find them here. I think this is from the original author who did it. Instead of searching over the forums and files scatter all over the place, I'm pretty sure I dug the link out of XDA while reading through. Someone please tell me if it isn't and provide the the proper link. I'll fix it.
Q: I was on stock 4.1.2 and went to a custom 4.3 ROM, what fix shall I apply?
A: This was my scenario. And I was kind of desperate as well since I just fix my IMEI and was expect the phone to work. I wish I could come across the article on top earlier. I would've tried stock 4.3 first instead of applying the Ariza patch. Any ways, I was on stock 4.1.2 and it didn't work, so I tried a modified 4.3 TW ROM. I wish the OP would mention the EFS thing, which he didn't. I'm not blaming him or anything, but seriously not everyone keep in track of what happening with Android. The OP should mention about the EFS thing or simply post a link such as the topic above and just let people know instead of wasting hours on figuring out why it wasn't working. What I did was, after using the mod 4.3 TW ROM, the IMEI went crazy. So I thought it was corrupt again, so I ODIN back the stock 4.1.2 TW. Than I applied the Ariza patch, wolla, I could call and browse again. So I decide to give the mod 4.3 TW ROM another try. To my surprise, the IMEI still went crazy. So after more Googling only I found out because I wasn't on stock 4.3, my baseband would still 4.1.x. I tried the modem (baseband) patch which for some reason still did not work for me. So I decide to keep the stock 4.1.2 baseband and simply use a custom kernel that could read EFS v1 and v2 - Boeffla Kernel. Remember to download the 4.3 kernel not the 4.1.x! That it, you should now have a working phone.

I just use SA manager .It will backup EFS & MODEM .store it in Ext SD .If EFS corrrrupted just install SA mgr back & restore .
Most important is backup and its very simple process

u need HKCtool to backup efs both img and tar files first of all.
if this is not possible u need a stock rom and odin .after installing stock rom the efs will be repaired.

nainaabd said:
I just use SA manager .It will backup EFS & MODEM .store it in Ext SD .If EFS corrrrupted just install SA mgr back & restore .
Most important is backup and its very simple process
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't try SA manager as I was in a rush and looking specifically for Samsung phones only. But it definately somehting I want to try if I get a Sony phone. Though I still prefer at a recover level. It just so simple.

keenimo said:
u need HKCtool to backup efs both img and tar files first of all.
if this is not possible u need a stock rom and odin .after installing stock rom the efs will be repaired.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TAR file is just a compressed version of IMG file.

im in nairobi kenya, unfortunately i can not buy the chimera tool because we dont have the necessary paying methods. anyone who can lend me theirs please? my S3 has the generic imei, repair would cost 15k here, which is too much. anybody that can help will be highly appreciated.

TNCS said:
It started when I was trying Swapper 2 from the Play Store. Will, I guess I should read the comment, but I didn't. And yes, it corrupted my EFS and my phone was stuck at the Samsung boot logo. I have tried many method I can search over XDA, but non works. (I'm not sure about this one, which I only find while writing this guide.)
This is by far the easiest method for me, and it doesn't involve Linux, which was a pain since I haven't use Linux in years. I had to VM one for some of the XDA method, which didn't work at end of the day.
1. Flash the firmware with ODIN (original firmware) with original version that you had before. Not the custom ROM, but the original firmware version.
2. Recover with EFS with the EFS image attached in the thread. I used kTool as it faster and easier than any other tool. (Yes, I tried them all...)
3. Download Chimera Tool and buy their cheapest license (or whatever you want) which is €12.90.
That it. Yes you pay, but it the easiest, and most time saving. I spent a week Googling, trying all this various method over ADB, and no, non works. And for Samsung to repair, which they refuse and simply want to change a board and charge me US$ 200 for it, I rather pay €12.90 and do it myself. If you still have problem connection to the network after restoring IMEI, please read post 3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can also downgrade to 4.0.4 and do flash i9300 efs.tar via odin 3.07 but first backup your EFS with helroz's app from here https://market.android.com/details?id=com.boiteoutilssgshelroz&feature=search_result or use any other efs backup maker
But YOU NEVER NEED TO RESTORE EFS after a flash or whenever, just in case you have an issue with it.
if u have 0049xxxx or 00xxxx imei just flash I9300XXUNA7 or any latest android 4.3 and that's it you have your unknown baseband and null imei fixed aka efs corrupt issue.
Warning!!!!
i am not responsible if you get any damage to your device as per my experience i have fixed many i9300's efs and didn't get any problem .
Good luck!
(CHANGE THE ATTACHED FILE'S EXTENSION TO .md5)

Xubair91 said:
you can also downgrade to 4.0.4 and do flash i9300 efs.tar via odin 3.07 but first backup your EFS with helroz's app from here https://market.android.com/details?id=com.boiteoutilssgshelroz&feature=search_result or use any other efs backup maker
But YOU NEVER NEED TO RESTORE EFS after a flash or whenever, just in case you have an issue with it.
if u have 0049xxxx or 00xxxx imei just flash I9300XXUNA7 or any latest android 4.3 and that's it you have your unknown baseband and null imei fixed aka efs corrupt issue.
Warning!!!!
i am not responsible if you get any damage to your device as per my experience i have fixed many i9300's efs and didn't get any problem .
Good luck!
(CHANGE THE ATTACHED FILE'S EXTENSION TO .md5)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I understand, that still under the condition of prior having an EFS back-up first, right? My guide is for people who doesn't. Like in my situation, where the app screwed up the EFS partition and I had no back-ups.
If you really want in details - Swapper 2 moved the EFS partation on to my ext SD card and format the EFS partition. I was in a flat panic with the soft-brick froze at the Samsung boot logo, assume the SWAP was on the ext SD and screwed it up than format the ext SD. Well, boom, without expectation the app would do something like that and had no prior experience with EFS - no back-ups of EFS at all. And no, full nandroid back-up from CWM does not contain EFS, I've tried that. This isn't some normal scenario of incompatibility between kernel/ROM and EFS/Modem. This is recovery guild for corruption of EFS with NO back-ups.

trying ....

mezo_mmm said:
trying ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And how did it go? The suspense it killing me .

[Q] Problems on N9005 after installing multiple OS

So, my Note 3 N9005 worked fine, then i tried to install CM 12 The phone kept locking so i tried to install CM 12.1 instead. It did the same thing. Then i tried to install CM11. Phone got stuck to a bootloop. Then i tried to install the stock firmware. It launched but the phone lags like hell, apps don't open at all. Waking up the phone takes a lot of time. And the phone doesn't recognize the sim-card anymore. I used CWM to install all the custom roms, and i wiped cache, dalvik cache and did a factory reset every time before i installed a new rom. I used Odin v. 3.04 to flash the stock firmware.
So my question is this, how do i get my phone back up and running smoothly again, like it was fresh out the box? I'll appreciate all the help i can get because i am starting to get very desperate, i really wouldn't like to tell my mom i need a new phone. Note 3 cost like hell after all.
I am from Finland so i used the N9005XXUEND5 version of the stock firmware, KitKat 4.4.2.
The only thing i can think of that can cause this problem is that if the OS's i installed didn't get deleted fully, so there would be multiple OS's on my phone running at the same time. This may be a bit far fetched.
Please help as fast as possible. And i'm not that good at these things so i would appreciate if you could walk me through this step by step and explaining each step as specifically as you can.

Judging from your post, you didn't even bother to read the install instructions of the roms you were flashing.
And this is the result you get.

In CWM recovery mounts and storage format sdcard system cache data preload .
Reboot to download mode and flash stock rom .

The last time i flashed the stock ROM I formatted everything, including the firmwares and such. Now i flashed AOKP ROM and the phone is working fine, except it doesn't recognize the sim card. Any idea how to fix that. Thanks for all the help so far

Basics check you have correct IMEI and correct modem change sim card .

I'm sorry, i have no idea what IMEI and correct modem change sim card. :/

If you don't understand the very basics of flashing and firmware then i suggest you take your phone to a repair shop .Its not a game you are going to end up with a dead phone with no chance of a fix .

I think i understand the very basics of flashing, considering i have done it before twice and on both times it has worked. My sim card worked on my moms Lumia, so is it possible that the sim card reader broke. Can flashing a rom or formatting system do that? Are there a kernel i should flash? I heard it might fix problems like these. And when i go to settings there are no options for IMEI or modem change, that's why i'm confused.
**********************************************
I do have my backup still, but when i try to restore it with CWM, it says something about md5 sums, any idea how to deal with that, because i think that would help if i could use that backup. The stock rom that i downloaded wasn't from any known page. Mostly because SamMobile doesn't have my version anymore for some reason. And i tried to download it from samsung-updates.com but it said that the download would take about 9 hours. I think that the download time would only keep growing and growing so eventually it would be a waste of time.

I think i understand the very basics of flashing,
No you don't and that's your problem this post only makes it more obvious and makes it nearly impossible to give guidance .
MD5 and cwm basics turn off MD5 check in recovery .
You cannot go flashing kernels for no reason .
Modem change is not settings neither is IMEI .
Broken sim reader yes its possible but highly unlikely from a firmware bad flash .
Its entirely possible that you have downloaded a bad firmware .
You also have a non Samsung rom flashed now (aokp)
suggest you read up on that for problems .Though i cannot see any 9005 AOKP roms here .
But first you need to check you have the correct IMEI if your IMEI does not match then you restore the EFS folder you backed up before you started flashing .

I said that i would appreciate that if you would guide me through this step by step. How can i check IMEI? I'm sorry i'm making this so hard for you. The only thing i care about now is that i get my phone back stock and running smooth.
*****************************************************
That is also true that i might have downloaded a bad firmware. Are there any other place to get a stock firmware other than samsung-updates.com?

Download from sammobile.com. It is advised to flash the newest 5.0 firmware on your N9005 (N9005XXUGBOB6) with Odin 3.09 or later.
Check your IMEI from Settings/About device/Status/IMEI. If it starts with 0049, your phone has lost its IMEI. Try flashing to the newest 5.0 firmware to fix it.

WhateverMan said:
Download from sammobile.com. It is advised to flash the newest 5.0 firmware on your N9005 (N9005XXUGBOB6) with Odin 3.09 or later.
Check your IMEI from Settings/About device/Status/IMEI. If it starts with 0049, your phone has lost its IMEI. Try flashing to the newest 5.0 firmware to fix it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I checked and it sais my IMEI is unknown. But i will try to flash that software you suggested

Restore the EFS folder you backed up .

JJEgan said:
Restore the EFS folder you backed up .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think i already said something about it not working because of incorrect md5 sums.

You said backup that's not your EFS backup .
Solution given for MD5 .

JJEgan said:
You said backup that's not your EFS backup .
Solution given for MD5 .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry that i have to make this hard for you again, but can you tell what EFS backup means and what i'm supposed to do with it?

The EFS folder contains your phones unique identification code or IMEI . Without correct IMEI your phone cannot connect . That is why the EFS folder is backed up before anything is ever flashed . No backup and wrong IMEI then you probably need a service centre repair . EFS/ IMEI can be damaged during flashing that is why rule one is backup your EFS folder first .

Nansus said:
I'm sorry that i have to make this hard for you again, but can you tell what EFS backup means and what i'm supposed to do with it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude you are like 12 years old. Why do you even have such a phone? Your attitude toward the dude that was helping you was very rude.
If you don't know what EFS is, it is highly likely that you don't have a back-up. In that case you can try to flash the stock firmware suggested previously. But I really doubt that it will actually magically "cure" your IMEI. I would really go to a service center before you do anymore damage. It could be a little expensive, but at least they do know what they are doing.
That being said, I'm not sure even a service center could help you.

You can restore your backed up EFS folder .
CWM backup restore does not include EFS .
You can flash lollipop .
You can flash a matching modem .
All these may restore IMEI or make the situation worse that is why a service repair is recommended .

phonexpert_alex said:
Dude you are like 12 years old. Why do you even have such a phone? Your attitude toward the dude that was helping you was very rude.
If you don't know what EFS is, it is highly likely that you don't have a back-up. In that case you can try to flash the stock firmware suggested previously. But I really doubt that it will actually magically "cure" your IMEI. I would really go to a service center before you do anymore damage. It could be a little expensive, but at least they do know what they are doing.
That being said, I'm not sure even a service center could help you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry if i sounded rude towards to anybody, that is totally not what i'm trying to be. I know you guys are trying to help so i really don't see why i would be rude towards to anyone. I guess my english is still so bad that i'm sounding rude.
I think the best option now is to take the phone to a service repair. Especially if flashing anything can make the situation worse.
I thank everyone that has tried to help. It seems like that i have to accept the fact that i ****ed up my phone. At least this will serve as an example to anyone who's trying to flash custom roms and don't know what they are doing.
Oh, and the reason i have this phone because i'm a student i high school. I just started doing flashing and trying custom roms and i guess i thought it would be really simple. Clearly it wasn't.