Database Users

How to Unbrick SGS4

I bricked it. I had TWRP installed, and running a debloated Odexed version of Stock. I attempted to flash Slim Bean 6.5 Weekly with Aroma addons. The Aroma ended up borking my recovery. It bootloops pre-recovery mode. I can get into Download mode and Odin'd back to Stock, but it's still won't go into recovery and vibrate loops with a black screen.
Anyone know how to fix this? Damn locked bootloader!!!

Did you try and reflash recovery ? Does the phone boot up once you restore via Odin ?

Have you tried flashing twrp via Odin?

I have not tried flashing TWRP with Odin... is there a Odin version of TWRP?
It did not boot after flashing stock. I'd like to Odin TWRP if it's available.
I found an Odin TWRP.tar for SGS3, but nothing for S4, yet. Need a little more help.

Did you try rooting and flashing twrp via goomanager? I had something similar happen to me on my skyrocket and that's how I fixed it.

Aroma does not work on the GS4 yet. At least that is what I have been reading.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

TheAxman said:
Aroma does not work on the GS4 yet. At least that is what I have been reading.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This version of CWM claims to work with Aroma on the S4...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2322682

scott14719 said:
This version of CWM claims to work with Aroma on the S4...
well lets take a look see...shall we. thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

came across this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2281287
it converts an img to an odin-flashable tar.
i went ahead and converted the latest twrp img for the at&t S4 and have attached it. i have not tested it as i am not near my device at the moment. if you decide to try it, unzip the tar.md5 and flash at your own risk as i have not tested this method by @cabloomi.

False aroma works fine with twrp on a gs4.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

This happened to me. Use odin to put TWRP back on. You'll be fine.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

Yeah I had this a couple different times trying to get rid of the custom/lock icon boot up. Flash fresh stock rom, root it and install recovery with "Root and Recovery for ATT-TMO GS4-CASUAL-R527b" --> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2297900 then flash the recovery you want etc, and restore Nandroid of backed up rom. Worked for me!

Everyone keeps saying to Odin TWRP like it's a common thing. I have yet to find a Odin version of TWRP that's loki'd for the S4. If you have done this, and it worked, please supply a link to the correct file. In this case an Odin version of TWRP. Thank you

JJ5150 said:
I bricked it. I had TWRP installed, and running a debloated Odexed version of Stock. I attempted to flash Slim Bean 6.5 Weekly with Aroma addons. The Aroma ended up borking my recovery. It bootloops pre-recovery mode. I can get into Download mode and Odin'd back to Stock, but it's still won't go into recovery and vibrate loops with a black screen.
Anyone know how to fix this? Damn locked bootloader!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a similar issue. When you hold the key combination to boot into recovery, do it for more than one cycle. Sometime for some reason it doesn't take the first time so keep holding the buttons. After getting into android recovery, clear cache and reset the phone.

JJ5150 said:
Everyone keeps saying to Odin TWRP like it's a common thing. I have yet to find a Odin version of TWRP that's loki'd for the S4. If you have done this, and it worked, please supply a link to the correct file. In this case an Odin version of TWRP. Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I had the problem is sounds like your having I Odined the Stock image back to the phone and then cleared the dalvik and cache with the stock recovery menu, then I was able to boot, I then rooted and used the debloater program found here on the forums and then just downloaded goomanager and installed TWRP, the one it pushes is LOKIed for you.
This is also the only .img file I can find for the our version of TWRP. IIRC you can use Odin to flash it
EDIT: Like trublu said, you may have to do it several times (clearing the caches in the stock recovery after ODIN)

JJ5150 said:
Everyone keeps saying to Odin TWRP like it's a common thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are correct in that twrp has not posted tars on their website yet for download. they have, however, posted imgs. find a way or find someone to convert that img to an odin-flashable tar and you'll be all set.
JJ5150 said:
I have yet to find a Odin version of TWRP that's loki'd for the S4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i believe that all s4 recoveries are "loki'd", if you will.

xBeerdroiDx said:
you are correct in that twrp has not posted tars on their website yet for download. they have, however, posted imgs. find a way or find someone to convert that img to an odin-flashable tar and you'll be all set.
i believe that all s4 recoveries are "loki'd", if you will.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Tmo and Sprint variants do not require Loki'd recoveries, as their bootloaders are not locked.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

After trying many options available to me such as, Flashing Stock with Odin and trying to access recovery via the three finger method, and trying to convert a TWRP.img file to a .tar file... which I managed to successfully flash, but to no avail. I'm stuck at the vibrating boot loop dead screen, soft brick scenario.
I found these guys in a similar thread http://mobiletechvideos.com/
I called them and they were really nice and professional. I shipped out my phone for Brick Repair today. I believe I'll be happy with the results from these guys from they way they conduct themselves in their videos.
I'll report back when I have my fixed, unbricked S4 back in my hands

JJ5150 said:
After trying many options available to me such as, Flashing Stock with Odin and trying to access recovery via the three finger method, and trying to convert a TWRP.img file to a .tar file... which I managed to successfully flash, but to no avail. I'm stuck at the vibrating boot loop dead screen, soft brick scenario.
I found these guys in a similar thread http://mobiletechvideos.com/
I called them and they were really nice and professional. I shipped out my phone for Brick Repair today. I believe I'll be happy with the results from these guys from they way they conduct themselves in their videos.
I'll report back when I have my fixed, unbricked S4 back in my hands
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They do great work..used them 2 years ago. With a mytouch..ouch..
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

JJ5150 said:
After trying many options available to me such as, Flashing Stock with Odin and trying to access recovery via the three finger method, and trying to convert a TWRP.img file to a .tar file... which I managed to successfully flash, but to no avail. I'm stuck at the vibrating boot loop dead screen, soft brick scenario.
I found these guys in a similar thread http://mobiletechvideos.com/
I called them and they were really nice and professional. I shipped out my phone for Brick Repair today. I believe I'll be happy with the results from these guys from they way they conduct themselves in their videos.
I'll report back when I have my fixed, unbricked S4 back in my hands
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's called Jtag repair. And the guys you mentioned have saved many a ass with it. I've seen several good results. Unless something else is found, it is the only way I know of to fix a truly bricked phone. Some people (those who flash a lot and Dev a lot) have their own Jtag boxes.
BTW, which tool / method did you use to convert the .img to a TAR? I've seen a couple of methods and a tool or two but I was wondering if you used something I don't know about? TIA.

Flashed MH8 firmware and now I'm in trouble

So I downloaded the latest UK firmware (MH8) from Sammobile and flashed using Odin, all went well and Odin passed and phone rebooted.
However now it just sits on Samsung logo FOREVER! I have reflashed firmware 3 times (every time it passes in Odin but still wont boot up)
I tried to reflash older firmware but that fails in Odin on bootloader section.
So I thought, all good I'll just flash Philz and restore my backup but now philz cant unmount System and I can't restore anything or even wipe system.
I'm pretty stuck it seems.
Does anyone have any ideas to help please

Flash mh8 in odin. Then boot into the stock recovery and do a factory reset.

I tried that 3 times but just tried it again and for some reason the 4th time it worked!!!
Still cant restore my old back up in Philz recovery for some reason.
Keeps failing on mounting system. Damn.
looks like I'm stuck on a stock ROM for the time being

Obagleyfreer said:
I tried that 3 times but just tried it again and for some reason the 4th time it worked!!!
Still cant restore my old back up in Philz recovery for some reason.
Keeps failing on mounting system. Damn.
looks like I'm stuck on a stock ROM for the time being
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, that's the theory at the moment but if you go here - https://plus.google.com/+Chainfire/posts/5ggu7naWtaW
you should be able to re-root the phone.. Not sure if I'd try to flash a new rom just yet but at least you should get back root...
All reports are you can't flash an older version through ODIN because of the new bootloader...
Thanks again Chainfire...

ultramag69 said:
Yep, that's the theory at the moment but if you go here - https://plus.google.com/+Chainfire/posts/5ggu7naWtaW
you should be able to re-root the phone.. Not sure if I'd try to flash a new rom just yet but at least you should get back root...
All reports are you can't flash an older version through ODIN because of the new bootloader...
Thanks again Chainfire...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah at least we can root it now.
Still keeping my fingers crossed that someone will find a way to unlock the System partition.
I wish I'd never updated now, Samsung should of warned us that if we do this we pretty much lock down our phone

Look here.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=45312896
Tapatalked.

[Q] HELP! Stuck in soft brick!

Can someone please help me get out of this soft brick because I am really stuck. Currently I am getting the error message that "Firmware upgrade encountered an issue. Please select recovery mode in Kies & try again." but I have done that and it has failed on both mac and windows 7. I have also tried flashing stock build UCUAMDL 4.2.2 firmware via odin 1.7, 1.85 and 3.07 and I have also used the PIT files along with re-partitioning and F. Reset Time. Every single time in odin it has gotten to system.img.ext4 and then failed immediately following. A couple of times I have been able to get into stock recovery mode and it stated an error that the /system partition could not be accessed and I wiped cache/system/data and then tried rebooting and it stayed in the big white galaxy s4 letters and didn't even go to the boot logo. Based on this can anyone help me please???? If there's an existing thread can you please let me know? Thanks!

Which model do you have? What firmware are you on?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

sounds like you wiped your phone when you wiped system/data, why did you do that
you have nothing to boot
kies don't work with iMac
yeah give all the phone info you have, model, build, etc. build may be on your box
i think you can now only flash stock firmware thru Odin to recover, but if you were mf3, you may need to go to bestbuy and see samsung reps to flash phone. don't have any experience at that or using odin
stay on windows pc to do this
may be tomorrow till you get some help from others
good luck

RAID Xero said:
Which model do you have? What firmware are you on?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I forgot to mention that it's a SGH-I337 as well and I was running the jamal 4.3 AOSP ROM

well then you are with what custom recovery?
and you are not mf3
sounds like the mf3 update was trying to flash. did you not delete the update files with Titanium so the Update would not run
can you boot into recovery and restore a nandroid
---------- Post added 2nd October 2013 at 12:00 AM ---------- Previous post was 1st October 2013 at 11:54 PM ----------
i gotta call it a nite. maybe some west coasters can help since they are 3 hours behind us
but, please don't say you don't have a nandroid--
i think this is fixable--:good:

restoring a nandroid backup could solve your problem, did you try flashing with fastboot instead? When you installed AOSP ROM were you using a toolkit? If so did you flash a temp recovery?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

Kelevra_96 said:
restoring a nandroid backup could solve your problem, did you try flashing with fastboot instead? When you installed AOSP ROM were you using a toolkit? If so did you flash a temp recovery?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have an i337. We don't have fastboot. Our bootloader is locked.
Sent From My SGH-I337 Using Tapatalk 4

What custom recovery are you using?
Sent from my SGH-I337 using XDA Premium HD app

Br4nd3n said:
What custom recovery are you using?
Sent from my SGH-I337 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have one, although do you think that I can flash a custom recovery with a PIT file because that seems to be the only thing that works. Also I do not have a nandroid backup. Is there somewhere that I can download someone's already made?

adambombz said:
I don't have one, although do you think that I can flash a custom recovery with a PIT file because that seems to be the only thing that works. Also I do not have a nandroid backup. Is there somewhere that I can download someone's already made?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's been asked a couple of times, but do you know what firmware your phone was on? It's important to know to be able to help you.

jd1639 said:
It's been asked a couple of times, but do you know what firmware your phone was on? It's important to know to be able to help you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was running a custom ROM AOSP 4.3 that's all I know sorry

adambombz said:
I was running a custom ROM AOSP 4.3 that's all I know sorry
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's close enough. That means you aren't on mf3.
Edit, have you tried to odin the stock firmware? Never mind I see you have
I would download the stock firmware from sammobile.com and try Odin again on a pc. Either version of odin is ok, 1.85 or 3.07.
When you use Odin only have auto-reboot checked, Don't check re-partition.

also, if you are running a custom rom you have a custom recovery
cwm or twrp?

jd1639 said:
That's close enough. That means you aren't on mf3.
Edit, have you tried to odin the stock firmware? Never mind I see you have
I would download the stock firmware from sammobile.com and try Odin again on a pc. Either version of odin is ok, 1.85 or 3.07.
When you use Odin only have auto-reboot checked, Don't check re-partition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tried doing this many, many times and each time it gets to the system.img.ext14 and then fails.

rugmankc said:
also, if you are running a custom rom you have a custom recovery
cwm or twrp?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They key word here is that I WAS running a custom recovery when all of this started. It was actually the recovery that started all of this. What happened specifically was I tried to update TWRP via goo manager and whenever I tried to go into recovery it gave me the error that at&t has detected unauthorized software on my phone which I thought was weird because I believe that goo manager auto-lokis. Anyway I tried using other apps to add a custom recovery like ROM manager by clockworkmodz and nothing worked. I then tried to flash TWRP 2.6.3.0 via odin and that's what sent my phone into the state that it's in now. Something that confuses me even more is is that whenever I plug in my phone a battery logo comes up that I don't recognize and then freezes.

adambombz said:
I have tried doing this many, many times and each time it gets to the system.img.ext14 and then fails.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you re-downloaded the firmware? It could be a bad download. Are you using the .tar.md5 file

When you get it sorted use twrp 2.5.0.2. I think I posted a zip for you.

jd1639 said:
Have you re-downloaded the firmware? It could be a bad download. Are you using the .tar.md5 file
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I have tried multiple files and builds and I am using .tar.md5

adambombz said:
Yes I have tried multiple files and builds and I am using .tar.md5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you flashed twrp with odin are you sure it was for your device? I think you might have borked your partitions.

jd1639 said:
When you flashed twrp with odin are you sure it was for your device? I think you might have borked your partitions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is possible, I know what is causing this has something to do with the partitions being messed up since I can't access /system in the stock recovery mode

[Q] So many issues... (Kies, Recovery, Firmware)

Hello.First post here.
I currently have been using CM11 for a few months now but miss some features on stock. (multiwindow, air view) so I installed Sacs ROM.
Everything was working great today except a known problem is wifi will not work due to radio opbstructions (i believe). So i attempted to change the baseband to MF9.
At first, Odin started then immidately it failed. The error read 'Fused 4 Binary 1'
So i assumed it was a connection error. I loaded back into download mode and tried again. Failed.
At this point i thought screw it, and took the battery out. tried to reboot and stuck at the soft brick "Firmware upgrade encountered and issue. Please select recovery mode in Kies and try again"
I installed Kies. Plugged in my phone. Drivers installed but Kies will not connect. Try to do 'Firmware Upgrade and Initialization'
However Kies will NOT accpet my S/N number. i tried everything. writing it all out or with a space every 3 numbers or with 'DEC' at the front. nothing worked.
I even called sprint to double check S/N (ESN/DEC)
so basically I'm soft bricked and Kies is screwing me over. Any ideas?

Have you tried to odin back to stock?
Sent from my SPH-L720 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

ROMANTiC KiD said:
Have you tried to odin back to stock?
Sent from my SPH-L720 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats the one thing i want to avoid.
by reverting to stock wont i lose root access? i have a backup of my old CM ROM from before i flashed sacs. should i revert to stock then restore to CM then reinstall Sacs?

whatthe_fuzz said:
thats the one thing i want to avoid.
by reverting to stock wont i lose root access? i have a backup of my old CM ROM from before i flashed sacs. should i revert to stock then restore to CM then reinstall Sacs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but it takes all but about 30 seconds to root again
You could go straight to sacs after rooting.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

daniel4653 said:
Yes but it takes all but about 30 seconds to root again
You could go straight to sacs after rooting.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok that might leave me with a cleaner install also.
wheres the stock file i can flash on Odin?
also how should i update the radio if it didnt work the first time?
Thank you for the help

whatthe_fuzz said:
ok that might leave me with a cleaner install also.
wheres the stock file i can flash on Odin?
also how should i update the radio if it didnt work the first time?
Thank you for the help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you flash a full stock tar you won't have to flash radio.
Do a search please for the tar.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

leaderbuilder said:
If you flash a full stock tar you won't have to flash radio.
Do a search please for the tar.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i searched around and eventually found a working .md5 file. its apparently is stock. got my phone to start booting but it got stuck at the yellow sprint screen. im going to try to boot into safe mode. any ideas how to access my recovery file? i have one form CWM and one from Ti Backup

which tar did you flash through Odin? MF9, MK2 or NAE?
IF you were on MF9 and flashed the full MF9 tar you can try and flash again. Just power off phone completely, go to download mode, attach and run Odin. (same for MK2 or NAE) BUT if you tried flashing MJA/MK2 or NAE you cannot go back to MF9. Things you should have read about already.
If it hangs on boot after flashing, power off completely, boot to stock recovery and do a factory reset and then let it restart first reboot can take 5 to 10 earth minutes.
You can then root via CF-Autoroot or Saferoot, install goomanager to grab a custom recovery (CWM or TWRP) OR Odin said recoveries (Philz, TWRP etc.)

leaderbuilder said:
which tar did you flash through Odin? MF9, MK2 or NAE?
IF you were on MF9 and flashed the full MF9 tar you can try and flash again. Just power off phone completely, go to download mode, attach and run Odin. (same for MK2 or NAE) BUT if you tried flashing MJA/MK2 or NAE you cannot go back to MF9. Things you should have read about already.
If it hangs on boot after flashing, power off completely, boot to stock recovery and do a factory reset and then let it restart first reboot can take 5 to 10 earth minutes.
You can then root via CF-Autoroot or Saferoot, install goomanager to grab a custom recovery (CWM or TWRP) OR Odin said recoveries (Philz, TWRP etc.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think i fixed it.
Problems resolved.
The issue was i had Sacs v4 which didnt support wifi and i read that it needed MF9 firmware.
i had a lapse in judgement and without thinking tried to go back from MJA. didnt catch it until now.
I eventually found the correct stock file. eventually got into the phone. rerooted and in the process of install the proper sacs ROM (v5.6)
this was a simple error that i shouldve caught thanks guys!
hopefully this ROM will work with wifi...
BTW, all my backups were wiped

Your backups weren't on your external sd? Ooo, that sucks. Glad you got it.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

problems with booting up

So, I'm having a big problem with my S4 at the moment. After having some problems with several apps, being that I couldn't properly open, restore, or uninstall them (I think it has to do with Foldermount), I decided to format my external SD card, and perform a factory reset. Everything seemed like it was working well, and when it rebooted and asked if I wanted to repair root access, I said 'yes' (not sure if that has anything to do with the issue). Then, after some time, it went on with the boot up. However, it was stuck at the samsung logo. So, I tried to go into download mode, like people were suggesting. I held down UP volume, and the power button, but all this does for me is turn off the device. I can't seem to get into recovery mode to perform another reset, and I can't even get into download mode. Also, when I try to turn off my phone using the power button, while it's in the seemingly infinite boot up, it instantly turns back on. The only way I can turn it off is by removing the battery. So, any help would be greatly appreciated, I have no idea what to do. Thanks in advance

To get into download mode hold vol down, power, and home buttons. You might have to flash the stock firmware in Odin at this point. What recovery are you using?
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

Huh, well, download mode works. Could've sworn I'd already tried that combination. I guess I'll try using Odin. Sorry, what do you mean by 'what recovery'?

Update: Just tried the flash recovery with Odin. I think I did it right. I then went into recovery mode (turns out was doing it wrong), and cleared the caches, did another factory reset, then did the recovery reboot. Even after that, I still can't get past the infinite boot up load screen. Any suggestions? Thanks

lordcrunch said:
Update: Just tried the flash recovery with Odin. I think I did it right. I then went into recovery mode (turns out was doing it wrong), and cleared the caches, did another factory reset, then did the recovery reboot. Even after that, I still can't get past the infinite boot up load screen. Any suggestions? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What recovery are you trying to flash in Odin? And do you know what firmware version your device is on? my guess is that you're on a firmware version that you can't use a custom recovery other than safestrap. You're most likely going to have to flash the stock firmware in Odin to get your device to work.
Sent from my Nexus 9 using XDA Free mobile app

jd1639 said:
What recovery are you trying to flash in Odin? And do you know what firmware version your device is on? my guess is that you're on a firmware version that you can't use a custom recovery other than safestrap. You're most likely going to have to flash the stock firmware in Odin to get your device to work.
Sent from my Nexus 9 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm currently trying to find a proper download link for the stock firmware for my phone. My version is 4.4.2 by default. I was trying to flash the wrong recovery at first, and then I tried a clockworkmod touch recovery, which hasn't helped. Unfortunately, I can't find a legit download for the stock firmware. I337MVLUFNI2 – TLS, it's the name of the stock version of my phone, while using the latest 4.4.2

lordcrunch said:
I'm currently trying to find a proper download link for the stock firmware for my phone. My version is 4.4.2 by default. I was trying to flash the wrong recovery at first, and then I tried a clockworkmod touch recovery, which hasn't helped. Unfortunately, I can't find a legit download for the stock firmware. I337MVLUFNI2 – TLS, it's the name of the stock version of my phone, while using the latest 4.4.2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have an i337m. Go to sammobile.com for the stock firmware.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

Your not using the right stock firmware do as above said.