[Q] power supply broken: data backup possible? - Nexus 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Dear Community,
My wife's nexus does not turn in anymore. It just dos not respond to any USB cable. As the battery cannot be changed and it only has an internal storage, we are wondering whether there is a way to backup the existing data, especially photos and videos.
ADB requires a turned-on phone, right? Another idea was the cloud backup, so i logged into her Google account on a PC. But no photos or videos. I assume, they are stored in Picasa, right? So, if there is nothing, the pictures are not cloud-synced? Or is there any other place to search than Picasa?
Any ideas are highly appreciated, as we preferably would not send in the device to Google, because probably she will either get back a new device or a repaired one, with data loss in either way.
I also thought of opening the device and replacing the battery by a loaded one, but this will probably void the warranty, which we would like to avoid...
Thanks and best regards,
Thomas.

Related

Dead wiz-200 need pimbackup help

Hey guys,
i have a dead i-mate k-jam/wiz 200.
Until about 6 months ago i didn't know i could have soo much fun modding my phone, then a friend forwarded me here. within 20 minutes i had my spl unlocked and was modding away, best thing i ever did with a phone.
Now, my wizard is dead and i had to purchase (god forsake it a nokia 6121 classic), yes you have full permission to shoot me for a fairly un moddable phone however, it lights up and makes phone calls while i drool at the HTC diamond...
my main question is i have everything backed up on mini-sd from the wizard and would like to know is there a dedicated PC only program (like pimbackup) that i can use to retrieve the data, i have almost 200 contacts i can't retrieve plus some sms messages i DO need and hope their is a PC based software that does the same as PIM backup does for the phone?
does anyone know of a dedicated PC software that can handle the work?
Well lemme ask you this, how is your Wizard dead? Does it not boot? Not charge? Not turn on etc..? And what did you do to get it to the way that it is...it may be reversable with the proper steps.
If you can't connect it to something (be it GPRS, WiFi, or ActiveSync), you can't retrieve data from it, that's pretty much going to be the end of that story, unless someone can point out a test bed you could plug an unpowered phone into and retrieve data with.
This is why you should always:
Back up important contact numbers to your SIM card, so you can switch phones on the fly without losing contact info
Sync your phone and duplicate your contact lists with Outlook (or you can try Thunderbird/Finchsync), so you can recover after a critical failure
try not to brick your phone
Still confused...
ashasaur said:
Well lemme ask you this, how is your Wizard dead? Does it not boot? Not charge? Not turn on etc..? And what did you do to get it to the way that it is...it may be reversable with the proper steps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be exact for about 4 days it would power on but after around 1-2 minutes it would fade to white on the screen, i somewhat suspect water damage, but i have been careful with the device.
Never modded something i was at least unsure of. now even if i try charging it doesn't work, even with a replacement battery i tried. It shouldn't be the rom cos i haven't had problems other than the usual you get with a few weeks use.
hasn't been overclocked (although i have been extremely curious about O/C'ing a phone )
Miss my k-jam
Myrddin Wyllt said:
If you can't connect it to something (be it GPRS, WiFi, or ActiveSync), you can't retrieve data from it, that's pretty much going to be the end of that story, unless someone can point out a test bed you could plug an unpowered phone into and retrieve data with.
This is why you should always:
Back up important contact numbers to your SIM card, so you can switch phones on the fly without losing contact info
Sync your phone and duplicate your contact lists with Outlook (or you can try Thunderbird/Finchsync), so you can recover after a critical failure
try not to brick your phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sadly i only have a mini usb cord to use as charger so it narrows possible fault finding options down
i still have the data on mini-sd but now-days nowhere has SD capability and i backed up to PIM backup regurlaly.
Always synched it (with the company i was working for, since then they've deleted the profile for reserve space )
would push the boundaries but nothing that *should* brick the phone itself..
for a while it would power on, get to the windows 6.1 splash screen, boot then just randomly fade to white..
only thing i can put it down to is weather damage..but even then?!
any way i can retrieve the data from a pim backup file?? (that's on the SD card itself?)
2 years later...
Well I fixed the unit finally.
Seems that the battery went completely flat and wouldn't charge which i resolved by splicing a USB cable and attaching to the battery itself.
Now that the phone charges i can't connect to PC in Win 7 x64, XP etc. i think my soldering job on the mini USB port is to blame.
The rom i previously had loaded crashes (fade to white then restart) whenever i open the text messages menu regardless of how many messages may be stored etc.
What i'm hoping to do is flash an old official rom, trial for a few days then re flash a new rom, is it possible to flash directly from an SD card?
The information i've found so far is rather vague and from what i could find says you need to run mtty and winhex but that's where it ended.
Anyone else attempted the SD card method?
Device info:
Rom's a TNT based one WM 6.1.0.0 (don't have original RUU anymore so don't remember specifics)
G3 Wizard
IPL - 3.08
SPL - 3.08
GSM - 02.19.11

[q] need serious help quick with data recovery

my s4 lcd cracked on its own, no dropping, no misuse, and i didnt have a chance to back up my files/contacts. I recently switched to android after five years with iphone. With the iphone i could simply plug into my pc and transfer files to itunes with no real knowledge. I figured in this day and age and with the level of tech on the galaxy s4 I could do the same.
my problem is i have 8 years of contacts and a few months of photos, videos, etc. I do not wish to lose. If I had to prioritize, the contacts are definitely paramount as I have them no other place. I know, i know, stupid for assuming recovery would be as simple as plugging into my pc.
My problem lies in that I had a lockcode on my phone, did NOT enable developers options prior to it crashing, and have ZERO experience with "crm flashing, and mounting, etc, etc" and really have no clue what they even are. I can follow instructions and learn pretty quickly, but cant write code or anything like that if that is what is required.
Can anyone provide me with any help or suggestions? I am even willing to take it somewhere to have it recovered if thats an option. I really am desperate for help here and would appreciate anything. Thanks. YOu can message me here or email at [email protected].
Thank you all.
BTw, i downloaded an app called drfone which came up in a google search under "recover dead/broken s4 data:". Well, i dont know who actually took the time to write that post out but it has detailed instructions on how to recover the data from a dead or broken phone, but contradicts itself at every turn since you need access to the touchscreen on the phone itself. That poster must of left their logic button unchecked that day.
pissedoffs4user said:
my s4 lcd cracked on its own, no dropping, no misuse, and i didnt have a chance to back up my files/contacts. I recently switched to android after five years with iphone. With the iphone i could simply plug into my pc and transfer files to itunes with no real knowledge. I figured in this day and age and with the level of tech on the galaxy s4 I could do the same.
my problem is i have 8 years of contacts and a few months of photos, videos, etc. I do not wish to lose. If I had to prioritize, the contacts are definitely paramount as I have them no other place. I know, i know, stupid for assuming recovery would be as simple as plugging into my pc.
My problem lies in that I had a lockcode on my phone, did NOT enable developers options prior to it crashing, and have ZERO experience with "crm flashing, and mounting, etc, etc" and really have no clue what they even are. I can follow instructions and learn pretty quickly, but cant write code or anything like that if that is what is required.
Can anyone provide me with any help or suggestions? I am even willing to take it somewhere to have it recovered if thats an option. I really am desperate for help here and would appreciate anything. Thanks. YOu can message me here or email at [email protected].
Thank you all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have samsung kies installed on your pc?? Also can your phone be switched on? I mean does it power up?? If so I think you can backup your contacts n stuff....get kies on your pc

[Q] Breaking into a locked device

Hello all,
This is a strange request but desperate times call for desperate measures. My father recently got himself a new Samsung Galaxy S5 here in Australia, unfortunately a tragic motorcycle accident on the 1st of this month led to my father no longer being with us. This was heartbreaking for my family and I, I now have in my possession his phone, It is still operational from what I can gather, it still rings, still vibrates when hooking up to my laptop and it detects it. The screen is completely smashed and doesn't work and the phone is locked. I want to be able to access the phone to recover any photos etc he has on the phone itself, I am unaware of what type of screenlock is on it.
So far I tried Samsung Kies but due to the phone being locked I can't use that,. Nothing shows up on the phone in windows explorer. I've downloaded [email protected] and android studio and have tried to get that to show up so I can see whats on the screen and attempt to use android control to unlock the phone but so far I've had no such luck. I need usb debugging enabled but I'm going to have to assume its disabled and thus proving my attempts so far to be fruitless.
If anyone can give me any ideas or things to try I'm all ears, I'm ok with computers so should be able to figure out most things but this is my first exposure to these types of applications.
Kind regards,
Eric.
trekster83 said:
Hello all,
This is a strange request but desperate times call for desperate measures. My father recently got himself a new Samsung Galaxy S5 here in Australia, unfortunately a tragic motorcycle accident on the 1st of this month led to my father no longer being with us. This was heartbreaking for my family and I, I now have in my possession his phone, It is still operational from what I can gather, it still rings, still vibrates when hooking up to my laptop and it detects it. The screen is completely smashed and doesn't work and the phone is locked. I want to be able to access the phone to recover any photos etc he has on the phone itself, I am unaware of what type of screenlock is on it.
So far I tried Samsung Kies but due to the phone being locked I can't use that,. Nothing shows up on the phone in windows explorer. I've downloaded [email protected] and android studio and have tried to get that to show up so I can see whats on the screen and attempt to use android control to unlock the phone but so far I've had no such luck. I need usb debugging enabled but I'm going to have to assume its disabled and thus proving my attempts so far to be fruitless.
If anyone can give me any ideas or things to try I'm all ears, I'm ok with computers so should be able to figure out most things but this is my first exposure to these types of applications.
Kind regards,
Eric.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all, I'm really sorry for your loss..
If he had a microSD card in his phone, it's likely that his pictures (and other documents) are on the card.
If that's the case, unless he encrypted the content, you should be able to just remove the microSD card and read it on your computer with a card reader.
Eric, do you have a MHL adaptor & HDMI tv?
You can view the screen on this via tv.
If I understand well he is able to see the screen but cannot pass the security lock. If that's the case try to connect the phone to your PC and copy all the internal SD card, I think you will be able to access the content. Also not sure if a factory reset will deactivate the screen lock but you can try it in an ultimate attempt.
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Free mobile app
mikka06 said:
If I understand well he is able to see the screen but cannot pass the security lock. If that's the case try to connect the phone to your PC and copy all the internal SD card, I think you will be able to access the content. Also not sure if a factory reset will deactivate the screen lock but you can try it in an ultimate attempt.
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on the type of security lock.
If it's swipe, then he can see the content by connecting the phone to the PC, but not if it's a password, fingerprint, pin, ...
He would have to unlock the screen before the files are available.
Sorry to hear of your loss, especially at this time of year.
The idea of copying the SD card is the first step. If I read you're message right you can't see the screen at all?? I would take the device to a repair shop and get the screen replaced - tell them very clearly NOT to wipe / reset the device. Then you should be able to see the screen and might be able to figure out the screen lock. If the fingerprint reader was used there will always be an alternative password, you might be able to reset this to the gmail account used on the phone (assuming you have access to this?).
Hope you get it sorted.
Mithrandir007 said:
First of all, I'm really sorry for your loss..
If he had a microSD card in his phone, it's likely that his pictures (and other documents) are on the card.
If that's the case, unless he encrypted the content, you should be able to just remove the microSD card and read it on your computer with a card reader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I copied all of the sd card and as it was copying it died, so I have most of the data off that.
DeanonZL said:
Eric, do you have a MHL adaptor & HDMI tv?
You can view the screen on this via tv.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I don't have the adaptor but I do have a HDMI tv, so I will investigate this, thank you.
mikka06 said:
If I understand well he is able to see the screen but cannot pass the security lock. If that's the case try to connect the phone to your PC and copy all the internal SD card, I think you will be able to access the content. Also not sure if a factory reset will deactivate the screen lock but you can try it in an ultimate attempt.
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cannot see the screen, and when I connect it to pc to check if there is anything on the phone itself, It won't let me as the phone is keypad/swipe/fingerprint locked.
Mithrandir007 said:
It depends on the type of security lock.
If it's swipe, then he can see the content by connecting the phone to the PC, but not if it's a password, fingerprint, pin, ...
He would have to unlock the screen before the files are available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is what I am trying to find out what lock is on the phone.
MadMic said:
Sorry to hear of your loss, especially at this time of year.
The idea of copying the SD card is the first step. If I read you're message right you can't see the screen at all?? I would take the device to a repair shop and get the screen replaced - tell them very clearly NOT to wipe / reset the device. Then you should be able to see the screen and might be able to figure out the screen lock. If the fingerprint reader was used there will always be an alternative password, you might be able to reset this to the gmail account used on the phone (assuming you have access to this?).
Hope you get it sorted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I took it to a repair shop, its a catch 22 situation, They want $150 to pull the data off the phone, and if there is no data of use then thats a waste of money, They wants $240 to replace the screen, the phone has a very slight bend in it so if I replace the screen the phone still may not be able to be used properly so again would be a waste of money.
This is the main reason why I am trying to at least view the screen to ascertain what lock is used, I do have his gmail credentials so I can reset from there, from what I understand resetting the phone also loses any data (messages, pictures, etc) that is on the actual phone.
Last but not least thank you to everyone so far for your replies, I really appreciate you all taking the time to reply and try to help!
Regards,
Eric.
trekster83 said:
I copied all of the sd card and as it was copying it died, so I have most of the data off that.
No I don't have the adaptor but I do have a HDMI tv, so I will investigate this, thank you.
Cannot see the screen, and when I connect it to pc to check if there is anything on the phone itself, It won't let me as the phone is keypad/swipe/fingerprint locked.
This is what I am trying to find out what lock is on the phone.
I took it to a repair shop, its a catch 22 situation, They want $150 to pull the data off the phone, and if there is no data of use then thats a waste of money, They wants $240 to replace the screen, the phone has a very slight bend in it so if I replace the screen the phone still may not be able to be used properly so again would be a waste of money.
This is the main reason why I am trying to at least view the screen to ascertain what lock is used, I do have his gmail credentials so I can reset from there, from what I understand resetting the phone also loses any data (messages, pictures, etc) that is on the actual phone.
Last but not least thank you to everyone so far for your replies, I really appreciate you all taking the time to reply and try to help!
Regards,
Eric.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries.
Do you know if he was using Cerberus or Theftspy or another anti theft tool?
If he did and you can find out his credentials, you should also be able to unlock the phone with a command (at least Cerberus does that) or even transfer all the data to a cloud (dropbox, google drive,...).
Could he not physically open the phone and get to the actual sd card that the phone comes with that the OS and all that is on? Or is that locked down?
Sent from my SM-G900A using Tapatalk
I had a idea for the lock screen but it will not help with seeing which you would have to deal with first. Any chance he left Gmail loged on any computer you have access to. You could try installing a app to bypass the lock screen.
I have never tried this one it was just the first I found that fit my theory of a workaround, although you could look around for a free one that may be better then you wouldn't have to worry about passwords to do the purchase.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.thomascannon.screenlockbypass.pro
shadowofdarkness said:
I had a idea for the lock screen but it will not help with seeing which you would have to deal with first. Any chance he left Gmail loged on any computer you have access to. You could try installing a app to bypass the lock screen.
I have never tried this one it was just the first I found that fit my theory of a workaround, although you could look around for a free one that may be better then you wouldn't have to worry about passwords to do the purchase.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.thomascannon.screenlockbypass.pro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you know his samsung account information, you can login to their web service and remove the lockscreen passcode. From there, you should be able to USB the files off of it.

Backup broken GS5

I dropped my phone and the screen shattered and fell off. I assumed it was dead, but when I replaced the battery and held the power button, it came to life!? I have my wife's old GS5 that I'd like to restore mine to. Anyone have a link or guide that I could follow that doesn't require changing things on the phone which require the screen?
My photos are safe as they were saved on SD, but I'd like to recover settings for apps (contacts, app settings, save games, etc). It wouldn't be the end of the world if I lost that stuff, but I'd rather have it!
bkenobi69 said:
I dropped my phone and the screen shattered and fell off. I assumed it was dead, but when I replaced the battery and held the power button, it came to life!? I have my wife's old GS5 that I'd like to restore mine to. Anyone have a link or guide that I could follow that doesn't require changing things on the phone which require the screen?
My photos are safe as they were saved on SD, but I'd like to recover settings for apps (contacts, app settings, save games, etc). It wouldn't be the end of the world if I lost that stuff, but I'd rather have it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The following link is what I had used to replace the Daughterboard (Micro-USB Port) on one of my Galaxy S5 devices.
https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Samsung_Galaxy_S5
The process for the Digitizer Display is almost the same...
For the Digitizer Display, the guide (within the above link) is probably the best one you'll be able to locate (that also has very helpful images for each step too).
Take your time and be very careful! There's really no alternative shortcuts to perform this process and (to add) I will agree that Samsung didn't make this device very "repair friendly" for the Digitizer Display either.
I do wish you the best of luck! :thumbup:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UNLESS asked to do so, PLEASE don't PM me regarding support. Sent using The ClaRetoX Forum App on my Enigma Machine {aenigma = Latin for "Riddle"}.
Are you suggesting that the only way to recover the data is to replace the screen/digitizer? I already have a replacement phone in working condition. I was hoping I could transfer the data over to the new one. I have now confirmed that the phone can connect to the computer in download mode but Kies and Smart Switch both complain that it's not a supported device (neither is the new identical phone). I think if I were able to connect the new phone successfully to a PC software in download mode, I'd be able to use the same approach to connect the old one and recover the files.
I tried Smart Switch but it wouldn't connect to the phone. I updated the drivers from the menu and it connected to the new one. I switched and it updated drivers automatically but is now connected and backing up!
Since I didn't find a ready made solution, I came up with my own.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=78883506&postcount=4

Broken Phone HELP PLZ ?*♂️

Hi, so I recently smashed the H*** out of my Essential Phone. I put my sim in my wife's old Nexus to try and get back into the Gmail account I've had for 10+ years, and they've forced 2 step verification onto my account and will not let me use my number for recovery. The ONLY way to complete this verification is to use my Broken Essential Phone to accept screen prompt. So here's my question... I was rooted, with TWRP and Custom rom but do have Full Back ups on my computer, so if I were able to get another essential phone and root it, would I be able to then restore the factory image and back ups I had created for this old essential phone onto the new device and gain access to my Gmail account that way, or am I totally out of luck unless I fix my smashed phone enuf to get to the screen on to accept screen prompt to verify my identity....? Any insight here is greatly appreciated. I have 1000's of $$ invested in that Gmail and have been unable to access it for a week now. Google has been zero help. Sorry if. This is posted in the wrong space, I haven't been here in a while.
Kushmin05h said:
Hi, so I recently smashed the H*** out of my Essential Phone. I put my sim in my wife's old Nexus to try and get back into the Gmail account I've had for 10+ years, and they've forced 2 step verification onto my account and will not let me use my number for recovery. The ONLY way to complete this verification is to use my Broken Essential Phone to accept screen prompt. So here's my question... I was rooted, with TWRP and Custom rom but do have Full Back ups on my computer, so if I were able to get another essential phone and root it, would I be able to then restore the factory image and back ups I had created for this old essential phone onto the new device and gain access to my Gmail account that way, or am I totally out of luck unless I fix my smashed phone enuf to get to the screen on to accept screen prompt to verify my identity....? Any insight here is greatly appreciated. I have 1000's of $$ invested in that Gmail and have been unable to access it for a week now. Google has been zero help. Sorry if. This is posted in the wrong space, I haven't been here in a while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A few years back you used to be able to get a new phone install TWRP create a backup on new phone and then copy the files from the old phones backup into the new backup folder (with the new unique file number). But think I read this doesn't work anymore on new version (but not sure you'll have to check yourself or hopefully someone here knows)
Even if that works what type of 2FA is it? Authenticator or SMS?
https://support.google.com/accounts/troubleshooter/4430955?hl=en
without a backup code it may not work anyhow
if you can see your screen but touch is not working just plug a mouse into the usb & click away! If screen is blacked out but rest of hardware good easiest to buy a replacement screen as cheap or use usb-hdmi hub to mirror screen (not sure if Essential phone requires any input to set up as haven't tried with this phone)
If other hardware damage it will depend, but as rooted you are in with a chance. Is usb debugging on?
Thanks for your response, Google has been zero help and I've definitely considered ordering a screen to see if I can get the old device to work, but the og screen is detached from the chip board, as far as I can tell it will power on with some serious prompting, but idk if it's actually trying to boot up or in some kind of safe mode detecting the screen is missing, or just wrecked completely...? Lol the notification Light stays red until the battery dies. I've considered maybe trying to clone the esn of my old essential phone to another phone to try to trick their servers that way but idk if they recognize the device via that (The ESN) or tokens generated locally on the device, and the more I think about it, the more I think the latter sounds more logical considering the nature of the beast I'm fighting here... Seems It would b wildly irresponsible of them to rely solely on esn to identify a "Trusted" device. Idk what to do, lol except cry... I'm basically at a loss at this point, so I will order a screen and go from there I guess, if the screen option doesn't work. You'd think with the money they have, they'd have some type of account recovery team, or a way to recover in the event something like this happens, or someone to speak to at the very least, the can verify my account in seconds over the phone, but do literally nothing for me, nor let me speak with or point me towards anyone who can.... And this is a pretty common issue it seems after lookin at their "Community help section" it's literally top to bottom ppl complaining about what I'm looking to "get help" with. There is zero reason they should be forcing 2fv on my account it's shut off in my account settings, I can get far enuf to c them, just doesn't let me change anything with out "Signing in" and verifying. Nor does it give me the option to use my only ACTUAL set up recovery option on the account, a code via text. It's almost like theyre protecting all my own s***, from me. The owner. Makes zero sense to me.
It sounds like when you setup the essential, you configured your Google account to use the *device* (via the Google app) for verification. I've done this also, but I have an old device also configured to authenticate. So the pop-up screen appears on both.
If you use a computer to log into your Google account (not gmail) on the screen that is waiting for verification, there should be a link to try a different method. Hopefully you setup a secondary email address in addition to the gmail account one.
Edit: start here https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/7682439?hl=en
OT: I realize you are frustrated, but it would be easier to pick out the relevant information in your posts if they were not one long paragraph.

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