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[Q] Soft Brick with MF3 - Help

With me not reading about Samsung latest OTA locked bootloader , I rooted my phone, installed TWRP and now I'm stuck at a soft brick at the flash screen.
I can boot into TWRP recovery, but after trying to flash Cyanogenmod, my phone hangs at the Samsung Galaxy S4 splash screen.
I read about a method via ODIN to 'fix' the soft boot, but how can I flash a new ROM on that will work?
Thanks for the help guys, I'm dreading telling my wife I bricked my phone.

Check out this thread. Might be of help
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2418222
Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk 2

Febby said:
Check out this thread. Might be of help
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2418222
Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but the issue is I don't currently have any OS/ROM installed. My phone is completely wiped. When I try to flash my Cyanogenmod nightly with TWRP, my phone restarts and gets stuck at the Galaxy S4 splash screen.

MattBrag said:
Thanks, but the issue is I don't currently have any OS/ROM installed. My phone is completely wiped. When I try to flash my Cyanogenmod nightly with TWRP, my phone restarts and gets stuck at the Galaxy S4 splash screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds dreadful you might have to join the others in waiting for a new kies firmware to recover the device back to stock.
Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk 2

MattBrag said:
Thanks, but the issue is I don't currently have any OS/ROM installed. My phone is completely wiped. When I try to flash my Cyanogenmod nightly with TWRP, my phone restarts and gets stuck at the Galaxy S4 splash screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should have read a little before trying to root and put on a recovery. You can't put on a recovery and flash roms with the mf3 OTA. You now have a very expensive paper weight. Congratulations! Patience and hope are your best options.

jd1639 said:
You should have read a little before trying to root and put on a recovery. You can't put on a recovery and flash roms with the mf3 OTA. You now have a very expensive paper weight. Congratulations! Patience and hope are your best options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
JD, thanks. As I said, I didn't realize there was an OTA update.
Febby, thanks for the positive response. I'll keep an eye out for a Kies update.

MattBrag said:
JD, thanks. As I said, I didn't realize there was an OTA update.
Febby, thanks for the positive response. I'll keep an eye out for a Kies update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's your best bet. Once Samsung adds MF3 or a higher firmware to kies for the i337... You'll hopefully be able to recover it via emergency mode.
Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk 2

Doesnt sound like you were on mf3...try odin
If you were on mf3 you would never be able to even boot into twrp to flash anything...
So start over with odin
Read up on loki
Either get loki doki and flash after every rom flash or grt an auto loki recovery
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 4

mg2195 said:
Doesnt sound like you were on mf3...try odin
If you were on mf3 you would never be able to even boot into twrp to flash anything...
So start over with odin
Read up on loki
Either get loki doki and flash after every rom flash or grt an auto loki recovery
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is exactly what I think. Flashing a custom recovery is impossible on MF3. Dude just forgot to loki it.

Galaxy S4 Recovery mode not working

So, first, I'm running the stock 4.2.2 rooted on the ATT SGH-I337.
I installed ROM manager shortly after the root, and recently downloaded CM 10.1.3 for the att model of my phone. However, I couldn't find it in the recovery system to flash it. So, I install goomanager and flash over to TWRP, thinking maybe TWRP's easier interface will help me to find it. I reboot into recovery, and if I attempt to enter recovery mode, it gets stuck on the "Downlaoding, do not turn off target" screen. So, I re-flash CWM back on it, and reboot to recovery, and get stuck on that same screen again. If I just boot it, it's fine, jumps right back into 4.2.2 TouchWiz rooted. However, as you probably know, I can't install a ROM without recovery mode, and stock TouchWiz is poo.
I'd like to get CM running asap, although I'm just glad my phone still RUNS for now (my experience installing CM on my S3 was a NIGHTMARE).
So yea, any reason I would be getting stuck on that screen and unable to enter recovery? Like I said, I'd like to have CM as soon as I can.
Also, if someone can link me to a guide to install through CWM w\o needing a computer, that'd be wonderful. Thanks!

I'm assuming you're running on the MF3 build version. Read up before you brick your device. Your only option for a custom recovery is safestrap. Come on people.
Cheers.

Not another one. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=46363132
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I957 using xda app-developers app

jd1639 said:
Not another one. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=46363132
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I957 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jd1639
You are a good person buddy,I only hope he reads the link you provided cause I'm thinking he didnt read past rooting.WOW!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

Well that sucks. Bit wait. Why was I able to boot into cwm At least 5 times before I flashed TWRP. And several people on YouTube are using TWRP on my same model.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

ryno9100 said:
Well that sucks. Bit wait. Why was I able to boot into cwm At least 5 times before I flashed TWRP. And several people on YouTube are using TWRP on my same model.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What firmware version do you have. Look at the last three characters of your build number

jd1639 said:
What firmware version do you have. Look at the last three characters of your build number
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's MF3

ryno9100 said:
It's MF3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You never saw twrp. You saw the stock recovery. Mf3 won't allow a custom recovery.
Edit, you did see an i337 in the you tube vids, but it had mdl or mdb firmware. You can put a custom recovery on with them. Unfortunately it's not possible to downgrade the firmware.

jball said:
Jd1639
You are a good person buddy,I only hope he reads the link you provided cause I'm thinking he didnt read past rooting.WOW!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And also, I did, in fact, read past rooting, and found several people running CWM and TWRP fine, so I figured it would work. Now maybe they didn't have MF3,and I wasn't paying extremely close attention, but I'm pretty sure there were some on the same model and firmware as I am.

jd1639 said:
You never saw twrp. You saw the stock recovery. Mf3 won't allow a custom recovery.
Edit, you did see an i337 in the you tube vids, but it had mdl or mdb firmware. You can put a custom recovery on with them. Unfortunately it's not possible to downgrade the firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, at this point, it's a waiting game for someone to find out how to put a recovery mode on an MF3 firmware, is what you're telling me?
Also, I may have been in stock. I don't remember EXACTLY what clockwork looked like. I just know it wouldn't let me select the gapps and CM files,which is why I tried TWRP. Though I did have CWM recovery flashed when I booted it into recovery those several times.

Dude you never booted CWM. That was MF3s stock recovery. MF3 does not allow any custom recovery but Safestrap.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Can't Install CWM?

I have a rooted MK2 device. I tried installing CWM through ROM Manager but my phone will not boot the CWM and when I try it comes up with an error.
It seems to be installing a Loki'd version of CWM recovery will solve the problem, but I don't how to flash loki recoveries and I've looked all over the forums for one specific to loki'd recoveries. Can someone help me out please? I'm relatively new at this so I'm totally unsure about how to proceed. Many thanks!

Sadly, no custom recoveries are currently available for MK2.

Kaze105 said:
Sadly, no custom recoveries are currently available for MK2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh no Well I have a few questions then.
1. I would like to install a 4.4 Google Edition rom. Is there any way for me to accomplish this? Also, is it a bad idea to go ahead and flash it without a recovery?
2. Should I revert the recovery back to original? How would I go about doing that?

hsu0216 said:
Oh no Well I have a few questions then.
1. I would like to install a 4.4 Google Edition rom. Is there any way for me to accomplish this? Also, is it a bad idea to go ahead and flash it without a recovery?
2. Should I revert the recovery back to original? How would I go about doing that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There isn't anything you can do so far. The only thing you could do is use an app I can't remember the name of to flash mods to your current system, but you can not flash ROMs and definitely not anything that may need a different kernel. If you want to get a working recovery then find the MJ6-MJ9 thread but only use the recovery tar file, not the rest of it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

you sir have a locked bootloader (i think)
hsu0216 said:
I have a rooted MK2 device. I tried installing CWM through ROM Manager but my phone will not boot the CWM and when I try it comes up with an error.
It seems to be installing a Loki'd version of CWM recovery will solve the problem, but I don't how to flash loki recoveries and I've looked all over the forums for one specific to loki'd recoveries. Can someone help me out please? I'm relatively new at this so I'm totally unsure about how to proceed. Many thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well.....if you were on MF3 then you could load safestrap and then get the google edition but it wont support the 4.4 only the 4.2.2 version of the GE
thats what i did. i highly doubt there will be an unlocked bootloader for MK2 im on mf3 and cant even update to 4.3 MK2.....ill ask the developer of safestrap and ask him because he was getting a MK2 galaxy s4 on att last week and he was doing some testing....or you can do some research your self but im happy to help even though my account says im a junior member i know quite a lot....
if safestrap works here is a link http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2448726
IF SAFESTRAP WORKS LOOK UP A GUIDE ON HOW TO USE IT I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE IF YOU BRICK YOUR PHONE BECAUSE I TOLD YOU ABOUT IT also dont use the stock rom slot if all this works

Dude.
Search. Read. Repeat.

Anx XDA says ni question too stupid..Well some reaponses are..Oh GOD!!!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

r1tesh said:
Anx XDA says ni question too stupid..Well some reaponses are..Oh GOD!!!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No question too stupid. But asking a question that has been answered hundreds of times and refusing to use the search button...

G2 recover and rom questions.

I will be trading my iphone 5 on Monday for a Verizon G2 On the 12B build. I have been out of the android thing for a year now. I know how to root the phone but the Loki and recovery stuff is very new to me.
Main questions are how do I install a recovery that bypasses the boot loader and allows full flashing. TWRP is preferable but if CWM is better on this phone that's fine. What is Loki exactly and once I install a a Loki recovery can I install any kernels/ ROMs that I want? Please provide me with a step by step and links to stuff you think I need to know. I really appreciate your help.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Last android I had was a Razr Maxx so I am used to safe strap. This seems very different.
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SimsDelt said:
Last android I had was a Razr Maxx so I am used to safe strap. This seems very different.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can flash custom roms and recovery without thinking about the bootloader. It's supposedly locked, but nothing to worry about.
Just root, flash custom recovery and flash custom rom. Any recovery will do, and TWRP is my favourite as well
If you decide you want to root and put a custom recovery on it there are two things to consider.
1. NEVER accept an OTA update. Not even if it promises you two tickets to the land of the unicorns. Don't!
2. Back up everything. And your EFS partition. And save it. Not on your device. Heck, make 5 copies and put one copy on an USB-dongle, another on your computer, the third under your bed, the fourth in your wallet and make a bank account in Switzerland for the fifth. The EFS partition contains crucial informations about your device. If you by accident delete it when flashing a custom rom, you turned your phone into a 5.2 inch tablet. And there's no way of getting it back. You might never need it, but if you do, you will thank yourself for having made that backup!

Thanks for the info. What way do you recommend to flash recovery? GooManager or other app. Or some other method? and also do you use your recovery to backup the efs partition or something else?
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SimsDelt said:
Thanks for the info. What way do you recommend to flash recovery? GooManager or other app. Or some other method? and also do you use your recovery to backup the efs partition or something else?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally haven't rooted this G2 yet, but TWRP offers the ability to back up your EFS.
Have a look here for backing up EFS: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2451390
You can use flashify to install TWRP, should be pretty easy and straightforward

Great. Is there a thread here on using flashify? I'm unfamiliar with that.
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SimsDelt said:
Great. Is there a thread here on using flashify? I'm unfamiliar with that.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There might be. Check this out though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTJI9ThY0mk

Ok. Thanks. I googled it too and found a thread elsewhere with a step by step
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SimsDelt said:
Ok. Thanks. I googled it too and found a thread elsewhere with a step by step
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess if you flash a custom rom then that will cure the OTA issue

Hi All,
I just rooted my verizon G2 using ioroot19 and the instructions from the dev thread. When I then used clockwork rom manager to flash the vs980 verson of clockworkmod recovery. The flash said it worked but when I tried to get in I got the android with the red! I then followed the instructions here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2449670 both methods 1 and 2, but now all I get when I try to get into recovery is a black screen. The phone still boots fine, but nothing seems to work for the recovery.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Don't use rom manager. It doesn't work on our phones. Use flashify or freegee to install a recovery
Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk

tdevaughn said:
Don't use rom manager. It doesn't work on our phones. Use flashify or freegee to install a recovery
Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I flash TWRP with Freegee. Will my phone still be able to boot into my stock ROM or will I only boot into recovery and need to flash a ROM?
Do you prefer Freegee or Flashify?

You can boot into your stock rom
Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk

Do I need to Backup my EFS before flashing TWRP or after?

Zarek1 said:
Do I need to Backup my EFS before flashing TWRP or after?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After mate, you can do it from TWRP
Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

SimsDelt said:
I will be trading my iphone 5 on Monday for a Verizon G2 On the 12B build. I have been out of the android thing for a year now. I know how to root the phone but the Loki and recovery stuff is very new to me.
Main questions are how do I install a recovery that bypasses the boot loader and allows full flashing. TWRP is preferable but if CWM is better on this phone that's fine. What is Loki exactly and once I install a a Loki recovery can I install any kernels/ ROMs that I want? Please provide me with a step by step and links to stuff you think I need to know. I really appreciate your help.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use freegee. it will do the trick on a rooted phone. It is made by Shelnutt2. You can use the free or paid version but the paid version is cheap and you will support future development.
It is one of the best ways of installing TWRP/CWM on the LG G2.
Paid version (use this one)
Free version

Freegee worked great. Thanks!

Updating from MDL

I tried to figure this out and I'm lost. I've not been keeping up with development on this phone for a while. I'm currently on stock rooted MDL, stock recovery. I'm looking to move to rooted current stock rom. How do I go about this. As simple as just putting a new recovery on and flashing the new one? Or do I need to be careful of anything?
Feels weird to be out of touch with how everything works now.

cegna09 said:
I tried to figure this out and I'm lost. I've not been keeping up with development on this phone for a while. I'm currently on stock rooted MDL, stock recovery. I'm looking to move to rooted current stock rom. How do I go about this. As simple as just putting a new recovery on and flashing the new one? Or do I need to be careful of anything?
Feels weird to be out of touch with how everything works now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to put a custom recovery on. Then flash the ROM in the recovery. Since you're rooted you could use goo manager to put twrp on
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using XDA Free mobile app

jd1639 said:
You need to put a custom recovery on. Then flash the ROM in the recovery. Since you're rooted you could use goo manager to put twrp on
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that's it awesome. Reading about the latest stock roms I was just confusing myself and thinking there was some new BS to deal with.

cegna09 said:
If that's it awesome. Reading about the latest stock roms I was just confusing myself and thinking there was some new BS to deal with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just FYI, if on i337, get familiar with loki-doki and when you need to flash it--:good:

I am in the same boat. Have tried goomanager and rom manager but both failed to load recoveries. It seems they have moved on to 4.4.2 kitkat and no longer work with 4.2.2 MDL. Have also tried to find .tar files for older recoveries and flash with ODIN but no luck. Afraid to OTA update from AT&T and get MK2. Any help would GREATLY be appreciated.

capti2 said:
I am in the same boat. Have tried goomanager and rom manager but both failed to load recoveries. It seems they have moved on to 4.4.2 kitkat and no longer work with 4.2.2 MDL. Have also tried to find .tar files for older recoveries and flash with ODIN but no luck. Afraid to OTA update from AT&T and get MK2. Any help would GREATLY be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure but can you unroot and reroot with Adam's Motochopper. It installs twrp. Maybe JD can confirm that.
Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk

rugmankc said:
Not sure but can you unroot and reroot with Adam's Motochopper. It installs twrp. Maybe JD can confirm that.
Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirm from the short time i was on MDL that CASUAL does install TWRP.

DeadlySin9 said:
I can confirm from the short time i was on MDL that CASUAL does install TWRP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the advice . It worked like a charm.

capti2 said:
Thank you for the advice . It worked like a charm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad you got it--you can now flash custom recoveries from recovery. I like twrp 2.5.0.2
Don't try goomanager anymore--not needed
There are a couple files to delete so you don't get auto updated. Some have Update in name and one has FOTA. I don't have them in front of me atm
Get a nandroid asap and put copy on pc too
Plus backup efs

Just one last check before I try and mess with things tonight. Since I'm on MDL still, to install a new current ROM (like this one http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2280556), all I need to do is:
- install a custom recovery (TWRP 2.5.0.2 looks like the most recent)
- backup
- full wipe
- flash new ROM
I shouldn't have to mess with any of the safestrap stuff correct?
Just trying to be cautious.

cegna09 said:
Just one last check before I try and mess with things tonight. Since I'm on MDL still, to install a new current ROM (like this one http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2280556), all I need to do is:
- install a custom recovery (TWRP 2.5.0.2 looks like the most recent)
- backup
- full wipe
- flash new ROM
I shouldn't have to mess with any of the safestrap stuff correct?
Just trying to be cautious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No SafeStrap. Backup should include System. Make sure to read OP and last few pages of thread for any new info. Make sure ROM doesn't need loki-doki. Most in att forum don't. What recovery are you on now?
Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk

rugmankc said:
No SafeStrap. Backup should include System. Make sure to read OP and last few pages of thread for any new info. Make sure ROM doesn't need loki-doki. Most in att forum don't. What recovery are you on now?
Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you.
I thought I was on stock recovery, but checking just now apparently I put OUDhs CWM Touch Recovery v1.0.3.4 on sometime in the past year. I'll either go to the latest version of CWM or TWRP before doing anything.

cegna09 said:
Thank you.
I thought I was on stock recovery, but checking just now apparently I put OUDhs CWM Touch Recovery v1.0.3.4 on sometime in the past year. I'll either go to the latest version of CWM or TWRP before doing anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are on a custom recovery, you "should" be able to flash this thru recovery--if you want it--:good:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yhrq0tia8512rj9/AAB_scBnDHWPcg_w2UXw3V5ha/TWRP_Flashable-2.5.0.2.zip

rugmankc said:
If you are on a custom recovery, you "should" be able to flash this thru recovery--if you want it--:good:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yhrq0tia8512rj9/AAB_scBnDHWPcg_w2UXw3V5ha/TWRP_Flashable-2.5.0.2.zip
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
awesome. Again thank you.
I'll play with things tonight and see how it goes.

cegna09 said:
awesome. Again thank you.
I'll play with things tonight and see how it goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did everything go? Im on MDL rooted custom rom and really want to get back to stock rooted. I know I dont need to do the same process as you but I was curious how things went.