Hello all,
I would like to share a method that solved this tricky issue with my S4 GT-I9500. While flashing with some new ROMs, I ended up with a generic IMEI on my S4. I read everything I could find here in XDA foruns, and no method worked for me. This one below, from fellow colleage douglasgalves at brasildroid foruns saved my phone. Here the link to the original post (portuguese only, sorry)
http://brasildroid.com.br/discussoe...efs-resolver-esse-problema-11.html#post299796
The method is quite simple, and althogh it does not make complete sense (why Trinida Tobago for example) it worked for me! Here it is.
1. You have a I9500 with a generic IMEI.
2. Install a official stock ROM with ODIN. Not any Stock ROM, but specifically Trinida & Tobago April 2013 ROM. You can browse it on Sammobile, or also get it from this link on XDA -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2257645
The ROM I used is:
Build Date: 24.04.2013
Region: TTT (Trinidad and Tobago)
PDA: I9500UBUAMDK
Changelist: 534999 Android: 4.2
3. Once installation is finished, disconnect the cable;
4. Reboot to recovery and wipe data and cache;
5. Install KIES on your PC and let it update to its latest version.
6. Once KIES is updated, connect your S4 to the PC, no need for USB Debug, etc, just connect it.
7. KIES will detect it and say a new version of firmware is available. Perform the update. It takes a long time.
8. Once the update is finished, you get a dialog in KIES asking you to disconnect and connect the cable again, with a confirm button "Confirm". This is the moment it fixes your IMEI. One more reboot and voilà, your IMEI should be back.
I have no idea how/why this worked, if someone more experienced can explain, I would like to understand.
Also, no idea if this would work on other models, with a different ROM, or on a Mac instead of a PC, or with steps on different order. All I know is that, by doing exactly this, I gave life back to my beloved S4.
Now, off to make some 5 backups of the /efs folder before flashing ROMs again.
Good luck there with your generic-IMEIed S4s!
Did some more tweaking to try to understand what happened. Hope some guru can jump in and help me.
1. After I recovered my IMEI, I installed Philz Touch 5.11.2. It went well, I rebooted in CWM recovery, then chose Reboot->Root. It rebooted the phone. Then I went to make a backup of the /efs folder with Root Explorer, and discovered that despite it looking as rooting went well, the phone was not rooted.
Question 1: Why does Philz did not get to root the device? At that stage the firmware version was MG9 for region TTT (Trinidad & Tobago). Is that firmware somehow imcompatible for Philz to root?
Then ...
2. I flashed Firmware for Colombia with ODIN (my phone was bought in Colombia) from April, version UBUAMDE. Got Generic IMEI again. Then followed the same procedure from post 1, and got my IMEI back with KIES. The strange thing is that on KIES, my phone still shows as TTT (Trinidad) after that.
Question 2: It looks like more than the ROMs, it is the last step on KIES that recovers the IMEI. Is it so tha ODIN may be screwing up the IMEI?
Question 3: why I keep with my phone showing as TTT? Is that a problem?
3. Then I flashed the ChainFire recovery. Strangely, this went well and rooted my phone, so it may be something with Philz. I again flashed Philz and it installed well.
Question 4: may I get any problems by using Philz but having rooted with Chainfire?
Thanks a lot for any clarification you gurus out there can give me!
Thanks
You've given a considerable amount of hope to those that are stuck on the genereic imei. Thank you for providing this solution.
However, I am stuck:
After using ODIN 3.07; clicking nothing other than PDA for selecting the firmware you said to download: Hotfile:GT-I9500-TTT-I9500UBUAMDK-1366814146.zip The firmware was successfully installed.
Then before the boot completed, I went into recovery and wiped data and cache. The phone restarted and it booted up, Kies was already updated to the latest version. So once the phone booted up, I connected the phone to the computer and kies displayed this message:
Your device's current firmware version is not supported to update firmware via Kies.
Current firmware version: PDA:MDK / PHONE:MDK / CSC:MDK (XXX)
How can I go about resolving this issue?
As I said in the second post, I also got successful using the ROM for Colombia from April.
I would sugesst you to go to sammobile's firmware database. Download any older ROM which supports firmware via KIES (there is an icon showing that over there) and do the same procedure. It looks like what really solves it is the final step in KIES.
Sent from my GT-I9500 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I think this is due to flashing Previous Version of Modem (Its Including in Stock Firmware). When You flash Previous Version of Modem, Somehow IMEI retains. Here are some facts:
1) When we try to Flash any MOD of any dev then its depend on which Modem (i.e country's Firmware) the dev is using.
2) After flashing the MOD, Our IMEI becomes Fake.
3) Flashing Previous Version of Modem take back the IMEI.
In your above method you did the same. You flashed the Whole stock firmware but too old by date. After flashing, it retains.
BTW, have you checked your IMEI after flashing the Firmware using ODIN.? It was there.? was it Generic.?
Notice that I never refer to mod ROMs. I got a fake IMEI by flashing stock ROMs with ODIN.
Even during the recovery process, when I flashed the old stock ROM, the IMEI is not back. It only gets back at the last step with KIES.
When checking the IMEI after flashing with ODIN I get always the generic 499 IMEI.
Looks to me like something not going well with ODIN and 9500.
Sent from my GT-I9500 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
partimers said:
Notice that I never refer to mod ROMs. I got a fake IMEI by flashing stock ROMs with ODIN.
Even during the recovery process, when I flashed the old stock ROM, the IMEI is not back. It only gets back at the last step with KIES.
When checking the IMEI after flashing with ODIN I get always the generic 499 IMEI.
Looks to me like something not going well with ODIN and 9500.
Sent from my GT-I9500 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashing ROM from ODIN given you Fake IMEI.? This is something strange. We all flashed from ODIN & never got that. BTW, If its like that, I would recommend above ^ ^ your steps but wait...... Did you flashed any other country's firmware.?
Disturbed™ said:
Flashing ROM from ODIN given you Fake IMEI.? This is something strange. We all flashed from ODIN & never got that. BTW, If its like that, I would recommend above ^ ^ your steps but wait...... Did you flashed any other country's firmware.?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is indeed strange Disturbed, but I can reproduce it. I flash for example, April ROMs (happened with all countries that I tested, Trinidad, Colombia and Brazil), the IMEI gets generic. It is not that the /efs folder is deleted. It is there, it is just that somehow, the IMEI does not get correctly read from the files that are there.
It only gets fixed after KIES updates the ROM for the latest one, and only at the very last stage where KIES ask to disconnect/reconnect the cable.
I first get into trouble when after flashing CWM Philz, I tried to restore stock ROM.
I live in Brazil, but travel very often on business to Colombia, and bought the phone on a good sale. That is why I am trying different countries, but the problem first happened when re-installing Stock ROM for the first time, and at that time I was just using the ROM for Colombia.
Only when things got bad (generic IMEI) I tried other countries ROMs, modems, etc, and finally got to this method that fixed it for me.
[/QUOTE]
Hi have you taken a backup of the EFS and saved?
U are a lucky guy u hv it all this working
As per what i know possibly there will be 1 more folder in the system root other then efs main which has imei details etc which must be corrupted and takes place while flashing so u have fake imei
Also check do u have any lockscreen issue???
I m telling this coz I was mad solving imei issue for 2 days with note 2 just a week ago
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
exclaimed said:
I connected the phone to the computer and kies displayed this message:
Your device's current firmware version is not supported to update firmware via Kies.
Current firmware version: PDA:MDK / PHONE:MDK / CSC:MDK (XXX)
How can I go about resolving this issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*FIX*
I had the same problem, so I did the following to fix the problem:
Root the device,
Install CSC Changer,
Select the CSC which matches the firmware you are trying to update,
Then start the guide above again from the beginning (including reinstalling the firmware through Odin, even if you are currently using it - to remove the root...)
and now Kies is updating my device!
*UPDATE*
IMEI is not fixed...
Thank you for your suggestion.
I've tired CSC Changer, but to no avail. After changing my CSC to TTT, the phone is restarted, and I put it in download mode; follow all the steps above, but I still see XXX on KIES.
I even tried changing my CSC by opening Preconfig via android terminal emulator, but I still see XXX on KIES.
exclaimed said:
Thank you for your suggestion.
I've tired CSC Changer, but to no avail. After changing my CSC to TTT, the phone is restarted, and I put it in download mode; follow all the steps above, but I still see XXX on KIES.
I even tried changing my CSC by opening Preconfig via android terminal emulator, but I still see XXX on KIES.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please note that KIES does not require Download mode, just connect the phone to the PC running KIES. Maybe it is that, I don`t know.
Hi have you taken a backup of the EFS and saved?
U are a lucky guy u hv it all this working
As per what i know possibly there will be 1 more folder in the system root other then efs main which has imei details etc which must be corrupted and takes place while flashing so u have fake imei
Also check do u have any lockscreen issue???
I m telling this coz I was mad solving imei issue for 2 days with note 2 just a week ago
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app[/QUOTE]
Hey 123hiten, I had no lockscreen issues, only Generic IMEI. Solve it with KIES.
So now I have tried this solution in many different ways,
even though kies does update the FW, it doesn't restore the IMEI,
So on several occasions after updating and not see'ing the IMEI being restored
I put the old Columbian FW back on and restarted the process following every last detail exactly as stated but to no avail....
So I can only conclude that this solution must not work for the I9500 (Exynos S4)....
SmilerOnline said:
So now I have tried this solution in many different ways,
even though kies does update the FW, it doesn't restore the IMEI,
So on several occasions after updating and not see'ing the IMEI being restored
I put the old Columbian FW back on and restarted the process following every last detail exactly as stated but to no avail....
So I can only conclude that this solution must not work for the I9500 (Exynos S4)....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is really frustrating when a solution works in some cases and not on others. Sorry to hear it did not fix it for you. But for my I-9500 it fixed it perfectly. I do not know why :/
One thing I may remark: the IMEI only came back on the very last stage, when after finishing the upgrade to latest firmware in KIES, I rebooted the phone, disconnect the cable, connected it again and pressed "Confirm" on KIES. At that exact point it fixed it. I did not have to do anything with CSC.
partimers said:
It is really frustrating when a solution works in some cases and not on others. Sorry to hear it did not fix it for you. But for my I-9500 it fixed it perfectly. I do not know why :/
One thing I may remark: the IMEI only came back on the very last stage, when after finishing the upgrade to latest firmware in KIES, I rebooted the phone, disconnect the cable, connected it again and pressed "Confirm" on KIES. At that exact point it fixed it. I did not have to do anything with CSC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did exactly as you said but the Kies button said "OK" not "Confirm"...
and the only reason the CSC change was required for me was to allow my device to be updated by kies (if your device was from Columbia & you updated it with that fw that may be why you didn't need to change the csc... as the csc was already the Columbia csc)
Device is from Colombia but somehow it let me update via KIES using the TTT rom
Sent from my GT-I9500 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
partimers said:
Device is from Colombia but somehow it let me update via KIES using the TTT rom
Sent from my GT-I9500 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@partimer, I am curious, what app or program did you use to backup your IMEI after restoring it to its original form or did you just copy the efs folder.
Thanks.
Copy the efs folder using root Explorer to the Sd card. From there I created a tarball and backed it up to my file server and cloud.
Sent from my GT-I9500 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
From my time on the S2 I had efs problems too. It was established that the IMEI number is individual to each device and is not included on any firmware be it stock or custom. Several roms now automatically create backups when being flashed so it's worth exploring your system to find any backups.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Hey guys. Ive had a note 3 before in the past and have used the Root DelaVega to root successfully. This was early in the year. I sold my old note 3 for an HTC One. Well today i traded my HTC One back for a note 3 as i missed the Note 3. As soon as i came home i attempted to use the Root DelaVega method to foot (just like i did before) and immediately it failed.
I have been stuck on a screen saying "firmware update encountered an issue - select recovery in Kies" so i tried Kies 3.2 however it says my device is not compatible. Come to find out after doing research (talking to the original owner i traded my HTC One for) the Note 3 i have is on the latest version of KitKat 4.4.2 that is not compatible with the Root DelaVega method or any root method - so i screwed that up. I can successfully boot in and out of download mode. Ive tried to flash N900XXUDNA6 4.4.2 in Odin several times, it begins then fails almost immediately and the bar on the phone itself (in download mode) begins then freezes shortly after beginning. Ive also tried to flash N900XXUDNC1 JellyBean thru odin and get the same results - almost immediately fail and the blue status bar on the phone freezes when it barley begins. What else can i do??? am i totally screwed? Ive been researching and trying to fix this for 6 straight hours now! My gf is about to kill me for being online so long Is there anything i can do at this point? Am i stuck.
Do you know what Region the phone was originally? I had a similar issue and I had to get the Hong Kong (in my case) version of a stock ROM and flash that to get things working again. Not all partitions are the same - you might need a PIT file to match your original region and then flash the ROM.
What info do you get in DL mode?
Journyman16 said:
Do you know what Region the phone was originally? I had a similar issue and I had to get the Hong Kong (in my case) version of a stock ROM and flash that to get things working again. Not all partitions are the same - you might need a PIT file to match your original region and then flash the ROM.
What info do you get in DL mode?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the phone is for AT&T so it's US. When I go into DL mode Knox counter is still 0x0. Is there a certain firmware I need then to match with the AT&T model? Or a pit?
jthornton71707 said:
Yes the phone is for AT&T so it's US. When I go into DL mode Knox counter is still 0x0. Is there a certain firmware I need then to match with the AT&T model? Or a pit?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to Sammobile and see if you can find the version you had, sounds like an older JB if kingo app didn't trip Knox. Reflash that using ODIN.
I don't know if there was a problem with American bootloader, see if there's an AT&T Note 3 forum. Might find answers there...
jthornton71707 said:
Hey guys. Ive had a note 3 before in the past and have used the Root DelaVega to root successfully. This was early in the year. I sold my old note 3 for an HTC One. Well today i traded my HTC One back for a note 3 as i missed the Note 3. As soon as i came home i attempted to use the Root DelaVega method to foot (just like i did before) and immediately it failed.
I have been stuck on a screen saying "firmware update encountered an issue - select recovery in Kies" so i tried Kies 3.2 however it says my device is not compatible. Come to find out after doing research (talking to the original owner i traded my HTC One for) the Note 3 i have is on the latest version of KitKat 4.4.2 that is not compatible with the Root DelaVega method or any root method - so i screwed that up. I can successfully boot in and out of download mode. Ive tried to flash N900XXUDNA6 4.4.2 in Odin several times, it begins then fails almost immediately and the bar on the phone itself (in download mode) begins then freezes shortly after beginning. Ive also tried to flash N900XXUDNC1 JellyBean thru odin and get the same results - almost immediately fail and the blue status bar on the phone freezes when it barley begins. What else can i do??? am i totally screwed? Ive been researching and trying to fix this for 6 straight hours now! My gf is about to kill me for being online so long Is there anything i can do at this point? Am i stuck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi mate,
if you are stuck, maybe you can try this.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=2701062
it's a way to unbrick your software.
and if the older owner of your N3 said it's on the latest firmware of kitkat.
maybe your problem is the firmware in the sammobile were before the firmware you have install on your device via OTA update.
Yours firmware came throw out via OTA update and with some reason you can't see any latest firmware USA N900A in sammobile.
try the method in the link and reply if you have been successful.
cumps
Ik Knox is 0×0,then u can try samsung service centre ?
Sent from my SM-N900 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Hi guys,
I've wrote another thread with no response. Lemme ask like this:
i9505 with 4.3, want to flash to 4.4.2. Problem:
I can't flash any firmware, not by KIES 3 or ODIN. Both give me errors, KIES 3 saying S4 is disconnected and ODIN failing everytime, with and without pit file. Switched USB ports, KNOX is 0x0, System Status CUSTOM? Never touched it (branded).
Phone is working fine in the meantime.
Any help?
Anybody? At least tell me I can reflash the phone again...
slit said:
Hi guys,
I've wrote another thread with no response. Lemme ask like this:
i9505 with 4.3, want to flash to 4.4.2. Problem:
I can't flash any firmware, not by KIES 3 or ODIN. Both give me errors, KIES 3 saying S4 is disconnected and ODIN failing everytime, with and without pit file. Switched USB ports, KNOX is 0x0, System Status CUSTOM? Never touched it (branded).
Phone is working fine in the meantime.
Any help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which firmware was the latest on your phone and which one did you try to flash?
Your phone has got an branding, right? Do you want to debrand it or just to update it? Did you want to update with a branded firmware?
What does Odin exactly day in the log?
More information please, then we can help you better.
Gesendet von meinem GT-I9505 mit Tapatalk
DarkerTimes said:
More information please, then we can help you better.
Gesendet von meinem GT-I9505 mit Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks DarkerTimes,
My firmware is i9505XXUEMK9 ver 4.3 Vodafone Spain branded.
I just want to update it to official Vodafone Spain 4.4.2 KitKat , OTA doesn't work anymore because it says my device is modified (which it isn't, at least by me?)
I can't use ODIN anymore because the phone doesn't enter download mode when I press down+menu then power, it used to a few days back tho. This is weird. So I can't tell you what ODIN says, although I remember saying something about bad partition thus I've tried flashing it when download mode worked with and without pit file without results. ODIN always told me FAIL!
Also, SDcard or system file is getting weird these days, it rescans whole library of music and Winamp crashes everytime. Reinstalled it and now it seems to work... storage chips going south?
slit said:
Thanks DarkerTimes,
My firmware is i9505XXUEMK9 ver 4.3 Vodafone Spain branded.
I just want to update it to official Vodafone Spain 4.4.2 KitKat , OTA doesn't work anymore because it says my device is modified (which it isn't, at least by me?)
I can't use ODIN anymore because the phone doesn't enter download mode when I press down+menu then power, it used to a few days back tho. This is weird. So I can't tell you what ODIN says, although I remember saying something about bad partition thus I've tried flashing it when download mode worked with and without pit file without results. ODIN always told me FAIL!
Also, SDcard or system file is getting weird these days, it rescans whole library of music and Winamp crashes everytime. Reinstalled it and now it seems to work... storage chips going south?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi ,
step by step
Download mode , you said I press down+menu then powe I do it the 3 of them at the same time
Before using Odin kill all kies processes ( task manager), make sure no one is running in the background....
Odin troubleshooting: If Odin accidentally gives you "fail" try the following:
- Repeat procedure.
- Make sure that all actions of Kies are disabled from task manager.
- Change usb port.
- Try another usb cable (make sure it is the original).
- Try another Odin version.
- Uninstall and re-install driver.
- Use pit file.
- Try another computer.
from this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2265477
try with a different tar file , try for example the PHE unbranded version of firmware for Spain
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/1/?model=GT-I9505&pcode=PHE#firmware
Regarding your sdcard ...maybe so much flashing left orphan files all over a good flashing should clear that problem
Hi MAX 404
thanks for your reply
I don't have KIES installed now, I've removed it after a couple fails last week... I've tried everything the guide says beforehand, I've flashed a previously owned S2 a lot of times before. Cable is samsung original, tried different USB ports and my laptop with no success.
Also, how can do a good flashing to clear that SD behaviour? Lost here.
SOLVED! It seems I have a ton of USB ports wrecked EXCEPT one. This worked so far so good.
Hello guys,
I tried to root my SM-N900 this morning. I've root my Note 2 before and i thought it would just be the same. Unfortunately as i am starting to root with Odin, i've waited for hours but Odin is still not done with the phone and the download bar progression thing didnt move an inch. So with regret i turned off the phone and now it is stuck on "firmware upgrade encountered an issue" screen. I tried to download firmwares from sammobile but failed at 99% with a message of Unknown Network Error. So with that, are there any other solution possible? I've also tried Kies, but it wouldnt recognize my phone..
@bluws just download any stock firmware for your phone and flash it later with Odin. Use Odin 3.04 or 3.07 if 3.09 failed.
tetakpatalked from Nexus 7 flo
Make sure you are using correct Ver of root, make sure kies not running in bag round when you flash threw Odin, take care of antivirus
Sent from my SM-N9005
bluws said:
Hello guys,
I tried to root my SM-N900 this morning. I've root my Note 2 before and i thought it would just be the same. Unfortunately as i am starting to root with Odin, i've waited for hours but Odin is still not done with the phone and the download bar progression thing didnt move an inch. So with regret i turned off the phone and now it is stuck on "firmware upgrade encountered an issue" screen. I tried to download firmwares from sammobile but failed at 99% with a message of Unknown Network Error. So with that, are there any other solution possible? I've also tried Kies, but it wouldnt recognize my phone..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try to connect your phone from the KIES program in a mode of emergency restoration of firmware by Model phone type and Serial Number of the phone. This may take several hours. To do this, you need a good internet.
bluws said:
Hello guys,
I tried to root my SM-N900 this morning. I've root my Note 2 before and i thought it would just be the same. Unfortunately as i am starting to root with Odin, i've waited for hours but Odin is still not done with the phone and the download bar progression thing didnt move an inch. So with regret i turned off the phone and now it is stuck on "firmware upgrade encountered an issue" screen. I tried to download firmwares from sammobile but failed at 99% with a message of Unknown Network Error. So with that, are there any other solution possible? I've also tried Kies, but it wouldnt recognize my phone..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you previously disable Knox? If you didn't, that can cause random problems, read about it in the newest Chainfire's thread in recent post:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=55325329
What kind of root process did you use Odin for?
tetakpatalked from Nexus 7 flo
Ty guys i got it working just by flashing a new stock rom. Tho now i am unable to call (no mobile services). Apparently it says that there are no sim card or something like that, does the region of the firmware i downloaded have something to do with it. Im living in indonesia (xse) but downloaded the russian stock i think.
bluws said:
Ty guys i got it working just by flashing a new stock rom. Tho now i am unable to call (no mobile services). Apparently it says that there are no sim card or something like that, does the region of the firmware i downloaded have something to do with it. Im living in indonesia (xse) but downloaded the russian stock i think.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good it works again now!
Maybe it is just a baseband problem? I'm sure you will find an asian baseband only and be able to flash it.
Is your IMEI number still there? If yes, make sure to create backup of it now.
tetakpatalked from Nexus 7 flo