Database Users

[Q] Galaxy S4 google edition Doesnt wipe Cache partition!

Hi everyone, Pleasure to be part of this forum. Yesterday I received my Google Edition GT-i9505G. I originally came from an M919, but I liked the port of stock android on the m919 so much that I splurged for this phone!
I'm having a problem with the stock recovery not being able to wipe the Cache partition. The recovery will show the little green android on the bottom, and goes between "error" and "no command" when you start the recovery. When you try to wipe the cache, it says "error" with the dead android then reboots.
I have been back and forth with tech support today, and before i ask for a replacement and risk getting charged for another device, I want to know if anyone else has this issue with their new phone. If the .tar files for the original firmware existed, I would of tried flashing through odin.
Phone is STOCK STOCK. I like it this way thats why I paid so much upfront for It LOL.
Please anyone else with a GS4 Google Edition, try wiping cache partition from the recovery and let me know!
Mods, if this can be moved to another section better suited please do!
Many thanks!

Afternoon Bump! There's gotta be more GT-I9505G users

BURRITO_LTE said:
Afternoon Bump! There's gotta be more GT-I9505G users
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flash a non-stock Recovery, its the only way to get those capabilities. I suggest PhilZ Touch recovery here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2281367
As to the best of my understanding the I9505G is identical to the I9505 except the main system partition. But that shouldnt be an issue for Recovery.

AMDPOWERFIST said:
Flash a non-stock Recovery, its the only way to get those capabilities. I suggest PhilZ Touch recovery here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2281367
As to the best of my understanding the I9505G is identical to the I9505 except the main system partition. But that shouldnt be an issue for Recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you say that its impossible to wipe cache partition on stock recovery? I recall this was possible on my note 2, worked just fine. I tried a tmobile s4 (m919) today and it did it successfully.
I don't want to mess with the stock configuration yet until i get bored, or support is dropped one day. At this point I'm starting to regret the purchase and actually was more satisfied with a m919 and the GE 4.2.2 rom.
Thanks for your insight :good:t. If any other GT-i9505G owners want to try to wipe cache with stock recovery, please chime in!

BURRITO_LTE said:
So you say that its impossible to wipe cache partition on stock recovery? I recall this was possible on my note 2, worked just fine. I tried a tmobile s4 (m919) today and it did it successfully.
I don't want to mess with the stock configuration yet until i get bored, or support is dropped one day. At this point I'm starting to regret the purchase and actually was more satisfied with a m919 and the GE 4.2.2 rom.
Thanks for your insight :good:t. If any other GT-i9505G owners want to try to wipe cache with stock recovery, please chime in!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same thing happened to me when I restored to official firmware from custom ROM on a i9505 I've read it happening to a few other people on here and no ones been able to explain it so far

all I9505 also has this problem, problem with Samsung stock revory i think
Sent from my GT-P6800 using xda app-developers app

Must be allergic to custom recoveries, especially with them having so much more functionality and options and other useless stuff like that.

norml said:
Must be allergic to custom recoveries, especially with them having so much more functionality and options and other useless stuff like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, not really. I had TWRP on my tmobile GS4, Of course it has more functionality. The sole reason i got the i9505G is because its perfect out of the box for me. No need to tweak it. Lame i know, but i was always peeved about the small bugs on the custom roms.
Hopefully samsung and google update this baby for a while, and if not, then I just spent 650 bucks outright for no special reason.:silly: (for me anyways)
I'm just peeved that the stock recovery wont clear the cache. Kind of like buying a brand new car, then noticing that the dome light is burnt. Of course you want it fixed. Lol hope you understand.
Up till now, thank you for the responses, I have found some videos on youtube of different variants of the S4 entering stock recovery. Some do the error/no command thing, others don't. There is one video of a i9505 failing to wipe the cache too (my main concern). Google offered to replace it, but before i risk getting a replacement with the same "problem" or even worse, an iffy SAMOLED (been there done that) i just want some insight. If its all phones then i will just wait it out, If its a few phones, then I will try a replacement. Cant find the official 4.2.2 firmware yeT!
Thank you for the responses guys.:good:

So ur not going to even root it? Why buy a car, if you can't even get under the hood?

norml said:
So ur not going to even root it? Why buy a car, if you can't even get under the hood?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hahaha good one! I actually do like to get under the hood of my car. but right now this phone to me is just a reliable daily driver, why mess with it? Im happy as is.
Il keep this thread up for a day or two more then il test a replacement. If the same issue arises, then i will update and end of story.
Thanks guys for your input. Im just a relative noob in this area. I know the very basics, but im not the type that tests out different roms all the time unless the phone is orphaned by the OEM or, intense bloatware.
:good:

I rooted my i9505G (google edition) by booting into the i9505 CWM recovery (NOT flashing it just doing adb boot (recoveryfilename)
Applied supersu zip file - BUT I could not for the life of me get the external SD card or local storage to mount.
This i9505G has such a different partiton/file system vs. touch wiz variants that at some point it WILL need it's own CWM recovery version.
Suggestion is to use sideload to push any root enabling zip's (select install zip, install zip via sideload, then on pc/mac adb sideload (zipfilename)
PS: I did a fastboot oem unlock on my mac prior to doing the above; not sure if adb boot is protected without this.

Just chiming in to say mine gives me an error when I try to wipe cache with stock recovery too.

jpculp said:
Just chiming in to say mine gives me an error when I try to wipe cache with stock recovery too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here with i9505

Thank you so much for the reply guys. I guess if this is as common as i think it is, its not worth it to deal with google for a replacement phone which will most likely do the same thing. I'm just crossing my fingers official odin flasheable firmware gets leaked for these phones so I can feel more at ease flashing custom roms/recovery when they become available.
I appreciate the responses!
Thank you

have this problem on my I9500 too
when wipe cache partition the command line didn't say anything and only show image of dead android with red "X" mark and reboot
in my old phone the command line say something like "wiping" "processing" "wipe complete /succes"

NPS_CA said:
I rooted my i9505G (google edition) by booting into the i9505 CWM recovery (NOT flashing it just doing adb boot (recoveryfilename)
Applied supersu zip file - BUT I could not for the life of me get the external SD card or local storage to mount.
This i9505G has such a different partiton/file system vs. touch wiz variants that at some point it WILL need it's own CWM recovery version.
Suggestion is to use sideload to push any root enabling zip's (select install zip, install zip via sideload, then on pc/mac adb sideload (zipfilename)
PS: I did a fastboot oem unlock on my mac prior to doing the above; not sure if adb boot is protected without this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used the same method ...
fastboot oem unlock
... go through set up ...
adb reboot bootloader
fastboot boot recovery-clockwork-touch.img
After the fastboot boot command I get:
Code:
cannot load 'recovery-clockwork-touch.img': No error
My lock state is definitely "unlocked" and everything else is stock 9505G as it came.

Quick update
Well, Quick update.
I received the replacement phone, and this one did the dame thing. Error. Plus the bezel came all scuffed up. Now gotta go fight with google to keep my original one.....
Well If anyone is in doubt, most likely all/most 9505G's are like this and have a buggy stock recovery.

BURRITO_LTE said:
Well, Quick update.
I received the replacement phone, and this one did the dame thing. Error. Plus the bezel came all scuffed up. Now gotta go fight with google to keep my original one.....
Well If anyone is in doubt, most likely all/most 9505G's are like this and have a buggy stock recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an SCH 1545 and have the exact same issue running stock 4.22

Same situation here withmy stock s4 I9500 in india.my s4 also shows error and reboot aftet that during wipe cache partition.
Sent from my GT-I9500 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I called Verizon, while they acknowledged the problem was rampant, they didn't have a clue as to how to fix it.
It must be another samsung idiosyncrasy that doesn't jive with 4.22..is anyone having this issue that's running something besides 4.22?
Alan - We all stand on the shoulders of Giants, so try not to **** on them.

[Q] ROM/Module & Other Question about my GS4

Hi guys, have a few questions...
For starters, I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 / AT&T
Running Android 4.4.2 Rooted with Towel Root
Connected on Straight Talk
~NC1
SafeStrap 3.72 (TWRP v2.7.0.0) Installed.
Im new to all this ROM/Modules and Rooting stuff.
Last time i fully customized stuff was on my Motorola RZR ages ago
making my keypad/ LED light blink with calls, and replacing the Cingular Logo
with a Pirate/2 Swords Logo. hah... good times.
I mean there was jail-breaking and whatnot but...that's easy stuff.
Any who, Im a quick learner so on to the subject.
My original idea was to FULLY customize this phone and install ROMS/other OS, thats
what im all about, customization. Sadly, i realized im on a NC1 which its Boot loader is
locked if im understanding correctly preventing me from installing other? ROMS?
However if i understood correctly, we still can install certain ROMS? Whats the difference?
Is there any ROM i can install that is clean? no bloatware? but with everything I need?
Whats the best, fastest and best looking ROM i can get? or they dont look different because the
boot loader thing? Or they can only be Samsung/AT&T roms? This stuff can be confusing. lol
Module wise, why do i need them? why arent they included in the actual ROM?
Also, is there any App/or way for me to know what causes my phone to randomly crash/reboot?
A few months ago I was at the GYM and my phone randomly shut off. It didnt want to turn back on.
After a while it turned back on, then it would randomly reboot. That eventually went away.
Last night, i was with some friends in a bar and my phone just turned off again. Didnt wanna turn
on...then the same reboot thing happened again.
Today, is working fine. I thought maybe it was an overheat issue but, i wasnt doing anything on my
phone and on top of that im using a CPU tempt program installed through xPosed and according to the
readings it wasnt hot, as it was in the 50-55c (or is that too hot?) Im at home now and its reading
36c but i dont have its case on (if that makes any difference)

There are 3 kind of "ROM"s :
1- Official ones. made by samsung. flashable via odin exclusively. not rooted
2- A bit modified (maybe more than a bit) Official ones, modified by people, flashable via odin or recovery (1), usually already rooted
3- Completely rewritten ROMS, almost made from scratch (Cyanogenmod, MIUI for exemple...), installable via recovery. already rooted
Now, your phone can be in two states : Rooted or not rooted.
From factory, your phone is not rooted (you can compare it to jailbreak)
with root, you become a "super user", which means you have rights on almost every single aspect of your phone, and you give authorisations to apps so they can act on system files (for exemple, they can get hidden informations, they can automatically install apps etc... infinite possibilites there are.)
As for the best rom there is, is like asking what is the best music ever, it depends on the user, you have to try by yourself to find the one that satisfies you the most.
For random reboots, i personally think that it is comparable to windows Blue Screen of Deaths. you maybe messed up something while installing something. your phone can't handle the bug, so it restart or shut down itself. so the safest way to get rid of this problem is to factory reset your phone (via the recovery)
if you are looking for stableness, don't opt for completely remade ROMS, they are usually experimental. but personally i use MIUI and i didn't have any problem and i love this ROM.
Hope i answered every question.

Thanks a lot for the reply.
I understand a bit better now...
That MIUI looks interesting... Reminded me of DreamPassport for my Sega Dreamcast, hah...
I'm guessing I cant install that one huh? Lol

well since you already have a custom recovery you can... just download a miui rom (one for your phone version (be carefull about the model) ) then put it on the root of your sd card, go to the custom recovery and flash zip from sdcard and choose it... but i advice you to factory reset your phone first in order to fix your reboot problem.
also, make sure you have installed the right android version before installing the equivalent miui version (for exemple if you want to install miui that requires 4.2, install an official 4.2 rom first) via odin.

Gotcha. Thanks.
One last question....
If I want my phone with the original OS it came with. But with all the bloatware removed...
which rom would be the best? , since I want the stock experience but no bloatware.
Also...
I noticed when you click to see how much ram is being used, it says
800/1.77GB
Isnt my phone suppose to have 2GB? Can I do something to get that back? is it cause the bloatware?
I appreciate the help.

Raging Tiger said:
Gotcha. Thanks.
One last question....
If I want my phone with the original OS it came with. But with all the bloatware removed...
which rom would be the best? , since I want the stock experience but no bloatware.
Also...
I noticed when you click to see how much ram is being used, it says
800/1.77GB
Isnt my phone suppose to have 2GB? Can I do something to get that back? is it cause the bloatware?
I appreciate the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think the above information is correct.
From what I know the AT&T has a locked bootloader. So you can run custom roms, just not all of them. I think only custom roms that match the version you are using.
You could better read in the section for the AT&T (this section is for a different model).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4-att

[Noob friendly] Basics about the G2 (bootloader, rom, etc.)

Some basics - About bootloader, kernel, recovery, rom, /system and some other partitions.
There are many noobs out there and sometimes even I am one. Two days ago @Closed Force asked me, where I know my stuff from and why things are like they are... So I finally decided to write this little guide about how Android devices basically work and what are the special things about our G2.
If you find wrong facts or any other mistakes (grammatical, language, contentwise), please bear with me. That's how I read it in the forums. And of course not everything written on XDA is correct. So please tell me by PM, or by posting in this thread if you have additions, corrections or any other concerns about this OP.
Where I got to know all this stuff? Reading, reading, reading. I first started modding my old HTC desire like 4 years ago. Since then and even before I'm reading. Mainly here on XDA but also on some german forums and wikis. It might have taken me easily 200 hours or more. So the only way to learn for a newbie (and everyone else too) is reading.
Personally I own a D802 variant. I know about some things that were different in details for the US variants, but things should be right as they are.
Finally thanks to
@d00lz for some extra research/additions and a quick read through.
@Art Vanderlay for some additions.
So let's get started:
When you press the power button, your device will load the Bootloader. The Bootloader afterwards wil load either the Recovery Image (recovery.img), the Kernel (boot.img) or the Download Mode Bootloader (laf.img), depending on the keys you press. At the moment there are three different bootloaders; The Jellybean one, the KitKat one, and the new Lollipop one. Not one of these Bootloaders can be unlocked yet, so there are workarounds which allow us to boot custom ROMs (specifically Kernels, but more about that later) and custom Recoverys. At the beginning there was the Jellybean Bootloader. The Developers (sorry, I don't know which ones) found out how to get around the locked Bootloader pretty early. They called this workaround Loki. It's intergrated into nearly every ROM except the ones which require the KitKat Bootloader (but that's usually not the reason they don't support the JellyBean one). Anyways, soon the KitKat update came and so did the new KitKat Bootloader. Sadly, LG patched the Loki exploit with this new update. However, the Developers found a new way to get the Bootloader booting files which weren't signed by LG. They called this workaround Bump. Bump basically imitates the LG signature so the bootloader thinks this file was really signed by LG. Obviously this workaround works with the JellyBean Bootloader too. In the Lollipop Bootloader this exploit has been closed and no one knows how to get around the new Bootloader, yet. In conclusion to Bootloaders, as long you have a working Bootloader, your device is not dead. You can usually recover it in some way.
The G2 has about 30 partitions (for a more detailed explanation, look here, thanks @d00lz). Each partition has its own purpose. One of them is the Recovery partition. Imagine: A Recovery partiton and a working Bootloader are everything you need to keep your phone working. It's kind of an Operating System in itself, completely independent from Android or anything else stored on your Mobile. The great thing about the Recovery partition is that it's so small that it can be run directly in the RAM. This means it's capable of modifing EVERY goddamn partition on your Mobile, including the Bootloader and the Recovery partition itself (means you can flash a new recovery.zip in your current recovery). Attention: if you are using the Recovery with a 4.4 KitKat Bootloader, it needs to be a Bumped Recovery. If it isn't bumped the Bootloader realizes that the Recovery is not genuine and generates a "Secure Boot Error".
Same thing goes for the Kernel. The Kernel is located in your /boot partition (found gzipped inside your boot.img) and is loaded by the Bootloader when you only press the Power Button and you let your Mobile boot normally. This is the reason why your Kernel also needs to be Bumped if you want to get your system booting on a KitKat Bootloader. When 4.4 KitKat came out, most Developers switched over to using LG's 4.4 KitKat sources for their projects. After a while it was realized that 4.2 JellyBean sources were a lot more reliable for AOSP baed ROMs. This is why most AOSP ROMs use the 4.2 JellyBean Bootloader and the 4.2 JellyBean Kernel sources while Stock based ROMs use the 4.4 KiKat Bootloader and 4.4 KitKat Kernel. There are different Kernels for AOSP ROMs and for Stock based ROMs. This is because Stock Kernels support some ROM functionalities that AOSP ROMs don't have, for example; Knock Code. (Note: Knock Code isn't open source, which is also another big reason why it isn't available for AOSP ROMs.) So there are huge differences between Stock and AOSP based ROMs/Kernels. The Kernel (without factoring in the AOSP and Stock issue) can be switch at anytime you want.
Now about the /data partition... All your personal stuff, including Apps, System Settings, App Data and so on will be stored there. The reason why you should clear it every time you change the ROM is that there are many variables set by the ROM you are coming from. Your current ROM may have some tweaks the new one doesn't have which means the new ROM doesn't know how to handle them which leads to crashes and instability.
Now let's get to the ROM... Having a 4.2 JellyBean Bootloader and a 4.2 JellyBean Kernel doesn't mean the top layer has to be 4.2 too. Most of the AOSP based ROMs are based on Googles KitKat or Lollipop sources. And this is true KitKat or Lollipop, with all its functionalities. Those huge version differences cause some problems in development. No wonder some things do not work properly today, but it's still the best working combination at the moment. It's kind of a wonder how it works as it is, but let's be happy with it. I'm very curious how AOSP ROMs with Lollipop Kernel sources will work. Your ROM and your entire existing Operating System is found in the /system partition. This is why it's the main partition which is modified while flashing. Which partitions will be modified and (how) is written in the updater-script file of the file you're going to flash. Theoretically, running a updater-script of a ROM which changes the Bootloader (/aboot partition) can brick your device. That's also the reason why you should only flash stuff made for your device only!
As already said an updaterscript can modify every partition through the recovery. All ROMs bring their own kernel, so you basically don't have to care about it, except you want to use a non-bumped ROM (with kernel) together with the KitKat bootloader.
Finally something about the baseband/modem (these terms are interchangeable). I noticed that the Developers or rather the Original Posters sometimes don't know which baseband the user should use with the ROM. In earlier days the wrong baseband could make the ROM bootloop. Today most ROMs work with most basebands. It's obviously best if you stay on the one you currently are on and just flash another one if something doesn't work (auto-rotation for example). The baseband can be flashed at any time and is on it's own partition.
Okay Download Mode time. It's part of the laf partition (laf.img). This partition is used by LG and it's PC software to recover the phone and bring it back to Stock. It's a partition in itself, but not completely independent of the Bootloader. It's because of this that you can of course have a fully working Bootloader, but a dead Download Mode. This means you will not be able to flash a .KDZ/.TOT file the next time you are in big trouble! ^^
Okay to wrap up I should mention the EFS partition. The EFS partition stores your device's IMEI (and the serial number as far as I know) of your device. NEVER wipe it. With a empty EFS partition you can use your mobile as a brick, ok maybe you can use it as a media tablet, but that's it (WiFi still works, @Art Vanderlay tested; see below).
Again: if you got questions/additions/correction or see a mistake, post below, or PM me, I'll edit this post...

reserved

Great post. A thread like this should be the first thread you read as soon as you enter the LGG2 sub forum.
Expect a private message soon.
Also, reserved for possible future additions .

d00lz said:
Great post. A thread like this should be the first thread you read as soon as you enter the LGG2 sub forum.
Expect a private message soon.
Also, reserved for possible future additions .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And you could modify your signature now^^

Sunandroid said:
And you could modify your signature now^^
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice write up Sunny. You can credit Dan Rosenburg for creating loki. I can also confirm that wifi still works without modemst1 and modemst2 aka efs. My phone suffers for this thread.

@Sunandroid
Perfect! This was all I was looking for. Now I finnaly understand how my G2 works and I'll most likely not need to ask more "noob questions" in this matter.
But I would like to ask some questions because I've left with doubts after reading the OP.
As long as I have /recovery/ and /aboot/ working, I can recover my device exclusively with software. Is this right?
I've concluded that you need /aboot/ to be able to enter in /recovery/ and with recovery you can mess up with any other partition.´
How can I tell if /modem/ found here is compatible with my device? Are all /modem/ partitions the same in the same models? For example, I'm from Portugal so I have a Portuguese D802 LG G2 (if I type its IMEI in a site, it recognizes it as portuguese). If I flash a German D802 modem or English or even American, considering that they are all from D802 would they work flawlessly with my device?
Why does /modem/ cause auto-rotation to work? What exactly is /modem/?
I have a backup of all the partitions in my laptop (made via TWRP). But what happens if I accidentaly lose my /efs/ partition? Can I flash another phone's /efs/?

Rayaxe said:
@Sunandroid
Perfect! This was all I was looking for. Now I finnaly understand how my G2 works and I'll most likely not need to ask more "noob questions" in this matter.
But I would like to ask some questions because I've left with doubts after reading the OP.
As long as I have /recovery/ and /aboot/ working, I can recover my device exclusively with software. Is this right?
I've concluded that you need /aboot/ to be able to enter in /recovery/ and with recovery you can mess up with any other partition.´
How can I tell if /modem/ found here is compatible with my device? Are all /modem/ partitions the same in the same models? For example, I'm from Portugal so I have a Portuguese D802 LG G2 (if I type its IMEI in a site, it recognizes it as portuguese). If I flash a German D802 modem or English or even American, considering that they are all from D802 would they work flawlessly with my device?
Why does /modem/ cause auto-rotation to work? What exactly is /modem/?
I have a backup of all the partitions in my laptop (made via TWRP). But what happens if I accidentaly lose my /efs/ partition? Can I flash another phone's /efs/?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad I could help you this way...
about /aboot and /recovery: yes you are right. It is even better, if you have an intact laf too. That's the download mode. But as long the other two work, you can fix the laf partition easily. But if you get into the situation, that only those two are working, better don't flash a bootloader (=/aboot). If it's the wrong one your device is bricked.
Aboot is the key to your device. Everything else is fixable. At least with a little bit of knowledge and time. But better don't try it out.
No, the modems are not all the same. There are (sometimes depending on the branding) extremely small differences between the basebands/modems. I personally never had the problem, that I couldn't get any connection at all. But that's not fatal. Just flash another one and try again if it works. Btw: I once made a test in some german forums with different KK basebands. I'm not sure anymore, but the differences were minimal and I think killed my connection totally.
If you loose your efs stuff, your device is a brick with extended functionalities. The IMEI and some other data stored in the efs partition is worldwide unique. So you can't just pick the one of another phone (except the other G2 is bricked or whatever). You need the IMEI for general network connection. So it will still boot up, but you won't be able to text or call anyone with this phone.

Okay ^^
So this is a full backup of all the needed partitions right? http://prntscr.com/76edu4
Should I convert these files to something like .img to be able to flash in the phone just in case I get something that disables my TWRP access?

Rayaxe said:
Okay ^^
So this is a full backup of all the needed partitions right? http://prntscr.com/76edu4
Should I convert these files to something like .img to be able to flash in the phone just in case I get something that disables my TWRP access?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I guess so. As long as you ticked everything when you backed up (with blastagators TWRP!; the official one doesn't allow to backup the efs stuff), this should be fine.
Well you could. But tbh I have no idea how to convert those files into .img files. But it isn't necessary anyways: It's unlikely that you loose the efs data on your phone unless you brick it somehow. If the phone stays recoverable, The first thing you are going to do is: flashing bootloader, laf and boot.img. Then you will go back to stock through the download mode. Once you've done this it's an easy one to install twrp again and restore the efs backup. No one is gonna flash ~32 partitions by hand. There are "easier" and more usefull ways to recover the device.
Oh and btw: no backup contains the bootloader, laf and boot (recovery developer don't implement this for some reasons). But this doesn't matter. The only thing you really need is the efs backup (which partitions exactly you can see here). Everything else isn't unique and can be extracted out of kdz files and restored this way.
Edit: the two partitions mentioned here are

Sunandroid said:
Okay Download Mode time. It's part of the laf partition (laf.img). This partition is used by LG and it's PC software to recover the phone and bring it back to Stock. It's a partition in itself, but not completely independent of the Bootloader. It's because of this that you can of course have a fully working Bootloader, but a dead Download Mode. This means you will not be able to flash a .KDZ/.TOT file the next time you are in big trouble! ^^
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My PC doesn't install any driver when my phone is on download mode,
On recovery mode (twrp) i have MTP access but on download mode i'm not having any access,
does that mean my download mode is dead?

GoPogoOreo! said:
My PC doesn't install any driver when my phone is on download mode,
On recovery mode (twrp) i have MTP access but on download mode i'm not having any access,
does that mean my download mode is dead?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has nothing to do with this thread here. The issue is different. But I have no clue what it might be... If I can elaborate a maybe working answer I'm gonna answer you in the noob thread.

Sunandroid said:
This has nothing to do with this thread here. The issue is different. But I have no clue what it might be... If I can elaborate a maybe working answer I'm gonna answer you in the noob thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh btw i tried your (noob friendly) no download mode, no recovery mode ..... using slax,
when i typed ls /dev/sd* it's only showed my PC (only one sda) and there is no sdb, not even one
Weirdly i can access TWRP, but i can't make any custom rom boot,
Man this is frustating

I have a phone, G2 D802 Int., which probably has a corrupt EFS partition. I guess the owner broke it flashing incompatible things into it. As a result of the corruption, ESN/IMEI is lost. It shows null. But very interestingly, the EFS partition mustn't have been wiped because by chance of a boot among a hundred, it shows up the ESN. If by chance you come across to ESN, everything operates normally. And if you reboot the phone, ESN is gone again..
I managed to make recovery work again, by upgrading the phone to lollipop. (It was another time I came across ESN.) But no download mode, USB is never identified (unkonwn usb device), USB modes cannot be changed, unless by chance you come across, USB debugging is no more either.
I was thinking to backup some necessary partitions from a working phone of the same variant, but since it's "unknown device", I cannot query it as a disk. Neither it works in Ubuntu. ls /dev/sd* doesn't show the phone. It even doesn't show the working phone.
Any idea about how I can fix the corrupted EFS partition?

pisisler said:
I have a phone, G2 D802 Int., which probably has a corrupt EFS partition. I guess the owner broke it flashing incompatible things into it. As a result of the corruption, ESN/IMEI is lost. It shows null. But very interestingly, the EFS partition mustn't have been wiped because by chance of a boot among a hundred, it shows up the ESN. If by chance you come across to ESN, everything operates normally. And if you reboot the phone, ESN is gone again..
I managed to make recovery work again, by upgrading the phone to lollipop. (It was another time I came across ESN.) But no download mode, USB is never identified (unkonwn usb device), USB modes cannot be changed, unless by chance you come across, USB debugging is no more either.
I was thinking to backup some necessary partitions from a working phone of the same variant, but since it's "unknown device", I cannot query it as a disk. Neither it works in Ubuntu. ls /dev/sd* doesn't show the phone. It even doesn't show the working phone.
Any idea about how I can fix the corrupted EFS partition?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I luckily never had to try it, but scroll down a bit over here: http://www.droidviews.com/how-to-backup-and-restore-lost-imei-on-lg-g2/
I wish you luck!

Sunandroid said:
I luckily never had to try it, but scroll down a bit over here: http://www.droidviews.com/how-to-backup-and-restore-lost-imei-on-lg-g2/
I wish you luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I know that, but since I cannot take the device to USB debugging mode, it's not the first step I could take. "USB device descriptor is failed", this is what I get when I plug the phone.

pisisler said:
Yes I know that, but since I cannot take the device to USB debugging mode, it's not the first step I could take. "USB device descriptor is failed", this is what I get when I plug the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So what is the current state of your phone? You have twrp installed. Can you push stuff through adb when you are in the recovery (this is pretty important, since we maybe can fix the download mode this way)? Does it boot into android?

@Sunandroid, device operates normally except the voice call & data, since these depend on IMEI. The phone boots normally, and everything is working, only the IMEI shows as "null". Additionaly, cannot enter to download mode, no recovery installed, original recovery is working, which is used to do a factory reset only. No USB debugging, it says "USB device descriptor failed". Thus no adb.

pisisler said:
@Sunandroid, device operates normally except the voice call & data, since these depend on IMEI. The phone boots normally, and everything is working, only the IMEI shows as "null". Additionaly, cannot enter to download mode, no recovery installed, original recovery is working, which is used to do a factory reset only. No USB debugging, it says "USB device descriptor failed". Thus no adb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I've read about this issue (device descriptor...) just now, it is not software but hardware related.

I've heard of people solving that issue but I couldn't manage to do. Gave the phone to my customer back after 4 days. Importer service put the phone out of warranty and offered him a motherboard replacement for 75 $ and it's pretty fair I think. After all it comes funny when he says he's gonna file a case about returning the phone and take his money back. Well, it's up to him to end up with nothing in hands after months of waiting for a case.
Shortly, this file has been closed without a reasonable solution.
Thanks for your effort @Sunandroid.

pisisler said:
I've heard of people solving that issue but I couldn't manage to do. Gave the phone to my customer back after 4 days. Importer service put the phone out of warranty and offered him a motherboard replacement for 75 $ and it's pretty fair I think. After all it comes funny when he says he's gonna file a case about returning the phone and take his money back. Well, it's up to him to end up with nothing in hands after months of waiting for a case.
Shortly, this file has been closed without a reasonable solution.
Thanks for your effort @Sunandroid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear that. Hitting the thanks button doesn't hurt.

LAF NUKER flashable zip

LAF NUKER wipes your Download mode and let you use Fastboot instead.:
Do this on your own responsibility, if you bricked your phone in some weird way then don't look at me.
But with this simple thing you can't brick your phone only if you flashed the wrong zip which wasn't from me.
This is more meant for developers/testers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was getting irritated that my Fastboot mode dissapeared everytime when I flashed some lollipop stock based rom as those all included bootloader files, so I had to first attempt to get into the rom itself or recovery to wipe it again over and over. So I thought by myself why won't I make something easy and flashable?
This lightweight flashable zip from 2-4KB is tested by me multiple times so after you flashed it I HIGHLYsuggest that you need to test or you can enter download mode and see if it shows now fastboot. If so then everything succeeded like it should, it has an succes rate of 100% as nothing could actually go wrong with this.
This script/method should also work for the G3 and some other LG devices which have this partition:
Code:
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/laf
For the one's who care the shell script is located in the update-binary, updater-script is just dummy.
If you want to revert back, just flash the jb/kk/lp bootloader files.
Download:
https://docs.google.com/uc?authuser=0&id=0B1u3mnq0nstfZVN1eVQ3bEw5ODQ&export=download
Mirror:
https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23991606952610950
Credits:
Jackpotclavin for the method to get into fastboot mode
Chainfire for the shell updater-script method
osm0sis for the guide about the shell updater-script

wulsic said:
LAF NUKER wipes your Download mode and let you use Fastboot instead.:
I was getting irritated that my Fastboot mode disapeared everytime when I flashed some lollipop stock based rom as those all included bootloader files . . . .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My question is somewhat off-topic but I'm having a hard time understanding how bootloaders and ROMs work with the G3.
When I had a G2 I learned about the difference between Kitkat and Lollipop bootloaders the hard way when I tried to restore a Kitkat nandroid backup over stock lollipop and hard bricked the phone. My impression was that since the KK backup did not include a compatible bootloader I needed to flash one or restore to stock KK.
Now you are suggesting that ROMs for the G3 *include* bootloaders, which is news to me. Does this mean I can go back and forth between Kitkat and Lollipop ROMs without worrying about bootloaders? Or restore nandroid backups without the same concern? I don't want to have to downgrade to Kitkat every time I want to try a new ROM or restore a backup.
Thanks.

No most roms don't include bootloaders but some stock roms do, especially in the g2 community as I made this first for G2 but I also found out that it would also work on the G3. I guess g3 is the same as the G2 in terms of flashing. Lollipop stock roms need lollipop bootloader related files to properly boot but the bootloader is from kitkat with the g3 because else bump and flashing doesnt work. Only on the g3 tmobile version as that version has an unlocked bootloader. Just read the op's from the threads good and you will know what you need to flash here in the g3 community. But download mode might not always properly work as solution I have this laf nuker so you can flash the good kernel and or recovery if you softbricked your phone. If you hardbrick your G3 you can still fix it as far as I know so don't worry.

wulsic said:
. . . Only on the g3 tmobile version as that version has an unlocked bootloader. Just read the op's from the threads good and you will know what you need to flash here in the g3 community. But download mode might not always properly work as solution I have this laf nuker so you can flash the good kernel and or recovery if you softbricked your phone. If you hardbrick your G3 you can still fix it as far as I know so don't worry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the T-Mobile version of the G3. How does that make things different?
It cost me $45 to fix a hard brick on a G2 which I later found out was still under financing with T-Mobile so I returned it. It was an expensive little device.

channeledbymodem said:
I have the T-Mobile version of the G3. How does that make things different?
It cost me $45 to fix a hard brick on a G2 which I later found out was still under financing with T-Mobile so I returned it. It was an expensive little device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well as far as I know the t mobile version has an unlocked bootloader so more freedom for flashers. I also hard bricked my G2 but before I hard bricked it there was a shortening method guide on how to hard unbrick your g2. Could also work on the g3 perhaps. Well that sucks that you needed to pay $45 lets just hope for you that it won't happen again.
If you want 100% clarification about the bootloader and different roms then you might want to ask it in the Q&A or a rom thread as I am a G2 user. But short story as far as I know. Lollipop bootloader related files for lollipop stock roms. And kitkat bootloader related files for custom aosp roms like euphoria cyanogenmod etc.

I don't know if the guy I paid (who fixed it the day he got it so it couldn't have been so hard for him) had to open it to short the pins but after watching a video showing it done I wasn't going to chance it. It was like repairing a watch. Plus I tried the sw method of viewing the borked partitions in Linux and then replacing them but I couldn't see them to replace so I paid for the repair. And I only had the damn phone for a month before I discovered the problem with T-Mobile and sent it back.
I must say the G2 was a *very* finicky device compared to the Optimus G Pro I had before. And that phone never worked properly with any AOSP ROM. I don't know why I'm so loyal to LG. Must be because the phones are cheaper and I really don't like Samsung any more.
Of course the Verizon Motorola Droid Ultra I bought for my wife used is even worse. It's completely locked down. You can't root Lollipop on it and you can't downgrade to Kitkat once you've taken the OTA update.
Until somebody can explain switching ROMs on the G3 to me like I'm five I think I'm just going to always go back to stock Kitkat, re-root and re-install TWRP. Seems the safest thing to do.

Simple way?

Hi everyone,
So couple of year ago I worked at a start-up company that had an Android project. So I'm not new to flashing images (ROM, Recovery, radio...), and I know most basic tools like ADB (and I'm technical person in my daily life). That being said - I remember the pain when the Radio image doesn't fit the firmware, and you have to play around with stuff to make reception work again. or the Recovery image won't fit the ROM etc etc. I'm not sure if any of this probably still happen TODAY, but back then when I got my LG-G2 - I decided not to touch it. I don't need anything besides the basic options (making calls, taking pictures).
I'm still using Stock with 4.4.2 - and the phone is getting lagy each passing day to the point it's time to root it and install a custom rom.
As I mentioned above, I want it to be quick and painless. Sadly, I don't have the time to do insane amount of research right now, mainly because I have a 3 weeks old born at home - and I prefer to use my free time hanging with it that Q&N issues with my phone
So here's what I need your help with:
1. A recommendation for a tool to save all phone settings. Mostly - App settings, and OS settings (even though I probably not going to go for Stock again, but it doesn't hurt to back it up).
2. An instruction how to flash D802 (there' so many options this days...). My Kernel version is 3.4.0.
3. Recommended ROM to use. Here's what I need from a ROM.
a. I probably want to upgrade to more safe rooted Android version (I can't for example handle permissions on 4.4.2).
b. With that, I don't want to install the latest Android only to figure it's running slowly on LG G2, I want the interface to be snappy (the Stock was snappy for a while).
c. I prefer Minimal ROM if possible with Google Apps installed. If I'll need something, I can install it myself.
d. One of the reason I didn't root up until now, was because people mentioned camera quality is meh with non stock roms. If possible, I will like to have a decent Camera quality.
e. I use my phone as a music player often. So good sound quality is important to me (and maybe even build in Parametrized EQ?).
Thank you!

Reading around the forum would have taken just about the same amount of time than writing your post. A post, mind you, that will get you the same as what you can already find with ease.
You managed to write with your kid around. Last time I checked, browsing takes less effort.
Rant out.

Instead of a rant, here's an actual help for people who might find it useful in the future and lack the time to do some proper research (as it took more than the 5 minutes it took me to write the original post). Please note that I won't take any responsibility for possible damages you may do to your system. Please use at your own risk. Also, note that I only tried it on LG G2 802 with Stock Kit Kat (4.2.2) and other version/OS version might not work.
I wasn't clear to me if 'One Click Root' work with Kit Kat bootloader, so I used 'ioroot'. When your done rooting your phone, you will need to flash a TWRP recovery. The easiest way to do it is by using AutoRec. However, the TWRP recovery installed with AutoRec doesn't have Thermal protection, and is dangerous to use according to the forums. So the next thing will be flashing a new TWRP version from the recovery. Blastgater have tweaked TWRP Recovery for LG devices. You can download the latest version here. It's basically a zip file you flash from within your old TWRP.
Regarding ROM, after doing some research - it looks like Lineage will be the best 'all-around' rom to use. Liveage 15/16 were too slow for my liking, so I went with 14.1 (Android 7.1) which was enough for me and snappy to use. However, the tricky part if your plan on using Lineage, is to flash a bootstack as the one coming with Stock won't work. It's just another zip to flash directly from the recovery and can be found here.
So this is just the high-level process, and I highly suggest checking the specific on the links I sent. It also helps if you know how to handle 'adb' and know the basic stuff like what bootloader and recovery are
Good luck.