Database Users

Too many pattern attempts!

Hey my samsung vibrant that I just bought off of craigslist says Too many pattern attempts! and it says to unlock, sign in with your google account. I didn't steal this phone but I was wondering how I would get rid of this message.
Thanks
nikmash232

you can't unless you know the google account currently tied to that phone, if all else fails you can always flash it but its gonna be kind of hard

How can I flash it? Thats the only option i have now anyways just wondering how because I can't exactly access anything on the phone. Is there anyway I can access the internal memory so I can put a Update.zip in there

never really tried to flash a secured-screen locked phone but im sure its possible

You would have to flash it using Odin, thats assuming you can get into download mode using the volume keys. Do a search to find Odin images and instructions. If your phone is hardware locked out of download and recovery mode you're SOL.

yeah i can get into recovery mode but havent tried download mode yet...i just saw the tutorial for odin and im downloading hte stuff for it now..university connection sucks.

nikmash232 said:
yeah i can get into recovery mode but havent tried download mode yet...i just saw the tutorial for odin and im downloading hte stuff for it now..university connection sucks.
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Click to collapse
well if you can get to recovery just choose the delete data option or whichever it is and reboot and there should be no more lock, but if there is then you would have to use odin...

I would say tether your phone since it would be faster most likely, but you cant lol.

Genesis1791 said:
I would say tether your phone since it would be faster most likely, but you cant lol.
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lol i just really laughed at this

skater4690 said:
well if you can get to recovery just choose the delete data option or whichever it is and reboot and there should be no more lock, but if there is then you would have to use odin...
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Click to collapse
yeah i tried the delete data option didnt work out..i guess odin is my last option i hope it works or there goes $240 down the drain

nikmash232 said:
yeah i tried the delete data option didnt work out..i guess odin is my last option i hope it works or there goes $240 down the drain
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It works, I walked someone through the process before and it worked perfectly fine for him so don't worry and this phones practically impossible to brick so don't worry if Odin messes up on you the first time (happens often).

nikmash232 said:
yeah i tried the delete data option didnt work out..i guess odin is my last option i hope it works or there goes $240 down the drain
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Click to collapse
ok i have one question... why would you spend $240 on a phone with a password? did you not play with it to see if it worked before you bought it? and odin should work theres no lock on dl mode and heres a tip turn the phone off have the usb plugged into the computer hold the volume buttons then plug the phone in and it should put you strait into dl mode. idk if its volume down or both volume buttons but that should work for you perfectly it does for me everytime

although i only just got my phone 2 days ago myself, i can say, if you flash via odin, it'll fix everything lol
i had a problem with a pink keyboard mod i couldn't get rid of without flashing, it was annoyingly bright
and man, if you're getting this phone for $240, i wouldn't care if it has the password on it, that's a damm good deal, i paid 350 for mine x-x
anyway, on topic, I couldn't find the original OEM firmware to flash, but i saw there was a leaked firmware on the vibrant forums, and I can say that it works perfectly fine, just use the thread that has the download link to the "All in one" package, that includes odin and the instructions are on the thread.
really simple, and takes 5mins, and congratz on a sexy new phone

I have the same problem with my Samsung Vibrant. Were you able to fix it?

Great... another thread helping both those who steal and those who buy stolen Vibrants.

skater4690 said:
well if you can get to recovery just choose the delete data option or whichever it is and reboot and there should be no more lock, but if there is then you would have to use odin...
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Click to collapse
Yea, this thread is pretty stupid.
Locks are only an issue for hardware locked devices, and hardly any exist anymore...
Just factory reset the damn thing from the recovery menu and enjoy you phone.
The person you got the phone from probably stole it or found it, anyways, and that's probably why it was sold.

Chalup said:
Great... another thread helping both those who steal and those who buy stolen Vibrants.
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Unless you can prove it, keep your mouth shut.
If he brought the phone, even if it was stolen, he deserves to use it - IMO.

N8ter said:
Unless you can prove it, keep your mouth shut.
If he brought the phone, even if it was stolen, he deserves to use it - IMO.
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I will have to say that the first thought that crossed my mind is that the legitimate owner would not be selling a pattern locked phone. And the law typically doesn't support the view that you deserve to keep stolen goods if you purchased them unknowingly.
I'm not making accusations and not trying to pick a fight. Just putting in my 2 cents on the situational ethics here...

ZX3ZX4 said:
I will have to say that the first thought that crossed my mind is that the legitimate owner would not be selling a pattern locked phone. And the law typically doesn't support the view that you deserve to keep stolen goods if you purchased them unknowingly.
I'm not making accusations and not trying to pick a fight. Just putting in my 2 cents on the situational ethics here...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Custom ROM developers violate Copyrights and IP laws all the time here, and people like you have no issues with it. So much for ethics.
No sane person will throw a phone away just because they mistakenly purchased a stolen device.
People who don't their stolen phones to be usable can do themselves a favor and go to a CDMA carrier.
The community is here to help, not judge, and the pattern lock bug can happen to any legit owner, so the information garnered from this thread can help those people as well. Don't pollute it.
/end

N8ter said:
Unless you can prove it, keep your mouth shut.
If he brought the phone, even if it was stolen, he deserves to use it - IMO.
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Click to collapse
"keep your mouth shut"? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Wow this forum really is becoming a cesspool of vermin. Idiots. Thieves. And idiots defending the thieves.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Do you guys like pattern.locks?

I think this just shows how easy it is to get into.android.phones. Thank god we have software like whispercore. What do you.guys think?
http://www.whispersys.com/whispercore.html

I don't use a screen lock. It's disabled with Nolock, because it's completely unnecessary.

I'm confused..
The site you linked says nothing at all about breaking pattern locks?
Anyhow to answer your question, I do not lock my phone but if I did it would be with a number or word combo.

nebenezer said:
I'm confused..
The site you linked says nothing at all about breaking pattern locks?
Anyhow to answer your question, I do not lock my phone but if I did it would be with a number or word combo.
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Click to collapse
http://www.whispersys.com/screenlock.html
There you go.

Oh my. Someone just needs to wipe their phone off every once in a while. Either that, or wash their hands.
As an alternative, how about actually using the phone once you've turned it on? I mean if you do anything (text, e-mail, browse, launch an app, change screens) your "grease trail" will likely be altered.

I know I should be using one, but I'm just too lazy to deal with it. I know, sad.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

mevensen said:
Oh my. Someone just needs to wipe their phone off every once in a while. Either that, or wash their hands.
As an alternative, how about actually using the phone once you've turned it on? I mean if you do anything (text, e-mail, browse, launch an app, change screens) your "grease trail" will likely be altered.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LoL... agree with you 100% on both points!!!!
Sent From The Tree House Out Back!

Let's see, spend two months (more or less) writing code that will make it increasingly difficult to unlock your phone, or wipe the phone on your shirt/pants before you put it down.......I'll go with the latter.

Require Password to Shut Off Nexus 4....

It their anyway to force the phone to require a password in order to shut down the phone? This is a HUGE flaw that nobody seems to be focusing on. What's the point of having a security app on your smartphone if they can just shut it off and your done? Anybody feel the same way? It's like having a security system in your house and allowing anybody to simply shut it off without breaking a sweat. Are you okay with that? I messaged Lookout Mobile Security and Sent a Request which you can do so here once signing in https://www.lookout.com/help. Just click on Send a Request. Hopefully they can implement this vital feature in their security app. If theirs any smart people out their who can make this feature on their own I applaud you. Your phone will let you know where its at even if its off using Lookout online, but without out the phone screaming (a feature within Lookout that makes your phone emit a really loud sound) it's like looking for a needle in a hay stack. Click on the link and let them know you want this feature. It just makes security apps on ANY phone totally useless without this feature.

What is a thief going to do with a phone they can never turn on? Sure you can't use the security features with it off but they have to turn it back on eventually.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

What kind of logic is that? You swear a person will wait years for the thieve to turn it back on? REALLY?

joshnichols189 said:
What is a thief going to do with a phone they can never turn on? Sure you can't use the security features with it off but they have to turn it back on eventually.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
What kind of logic is that? You swear somebody will wait for years for the thieve to turn their phone back on? Really?

its written in its hardware to shutdown after holding the power button for 10 seconds, you protect your information with encryption, locks so the thief won't bother, that's all, not much you can do once they install clockworkmod, no offense
if the mobile provider does block the imei, you can just use it in another country.
google needs a database to centralize all licensed androids/imei with gmail account to lock it of its stolen or un-authorized and report it.

Well it could be used for other purposes too.
For me for instance. I drove home yesterday from work while suddenly I felt a small vibration from my pocket. Looked and it was from the phone turning off... I must have sat wrong. I'd love a "lock" to not have this happen again.
HOWEVER... there are apps known for freezing your screen (i.e. TouchControl atm).
If you get a freeze you're .... ****ed! so not sure if I'd like that, but it would be a nice feature if you feel safe that you won't get freezes.

Password to turn off phone? It's useless lol.
Take out battery?
ADB reboot?
Anyways, no matter what they're gonna have to turn the phone back on. If not, why would they steal the phone?

123456789fg said:
What kind of logic is that? You swear a person will wait years for the thieve to turn it back on? REALLY?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand your issue but all you have to do to turn a phone off is long press power for around 10 seconds and it automatically shuts down. By that logic removable batteries and SD cards are incredibly dangerous as well. If a thief gets your phone and knows what they're doing, there's not much you can do to get your phone back. The reason most people have passwords on their phones is really just to stop friends messing around with things, since it's fairly unlikely someone will steal your phone if you look after it properly.

Nigeldg said:
I understand your issue but all you have to do to turn a phone off is long press power for around 10 seconds and it automatically shuts down. By that logic removable batteries and SD cards are incredibly dangerous as well. If a thief gets your phone and knows what they're doing, there's not much you can do to get your phone back. The reason most people have passwords on their phones is really just to stop friends messing around with things, since it's fairly unlikely someone will steal your phone if you look after it properly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most thieves DON"T know how to do this. Either way this shouldn't stop the feature from being their. Just because somebody can means we shouldn't?

lol this is comical.
The only thing they would have to do is let the phone die within a day by the battery running out. Then they could charge it with the phone off, and proceed to thievery as normal.
If they were to implement this, I can just see the 1st thread after this 'feature' is enabled
"Help! My Phone froze and now I need an RMA"

ingenious247 said:
lol this is comical.
The only thing they would have to do is let the phone die within a day by the battery running out. Then they could charge it with the phone off, and proceed to thievery as normal.
If they were to implement this, I can just see the 1st thread after this 'feature' is enabled
"Help! My Phone froze and now I need an RMA"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A day is more than enough to find your phone when stolen if it hasn't been "TURNED OFF" manually.
I'll tell you what's comical, the responses I hear lol
:laugh:

Really? lol I could put it in a shoebox in my closet. Good luck getting a GPS read on it, and even if you did it's only accurate to 30 meters and I live in apt. complex.
So there goes that theory

ingenious247 said:
Really? lol I could put it in a shoebox in my closet. Good luck getting a GPS read on it, and even if you did it's only accurate to 30 meters and I live in apt. complex.
So there goes that theory
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What kind of shoe box we talking about? Most thieves aren't smart enough to know these things. The first thing they will do after taking it is turning it off. If it requires a password how will that be possible? I know this solution will not end world hunger or war, but what it will do is provide a bigger window in finding your phone and that's all we need. Is time not relevant to you?

#1 I treat my phone like my wallet (since it is w/ Google Wallet) which means I don't pull it out and set it on a table at a restaurant/bar, I don't hand it to people I don't know who say "hey bro can I use your phone real quick", I don't set it down at a party/friends house/anywhere. It's always in my pocket. You'd have to beat me down to get it, so slim chance of that (good luck..)
#2 Everything I do is password protected (i.e. lockscreen, Google Wallet, Play Store purchases) and I can disable Wallet remotely and change my PW to my Google account remotely.. all my pics/music are in the cloud so there's nothing to lose/steal from my phone
#3 *IF* someone was lucky enough to get their hands on my phone somehow, the last thing I would worry about is if they were able to flash/reset it quickly because chances are the amount of time you're talking about would be ~6-8 hours at best on average unless you were at 100% charge when they stole it
#4 It would cause more problems than it would solve as phones tend to freeze here and there, I guarantee *YOU* would be the only one suffering any consequence of the implementation not some theoretical thief.

123456789fg said:
It their anyway to force the phone to require a password in order to shut down the phone? This is a HUGE flaw that nobody seems to be focusing on. What's the point of having a security app on your smartphone if they can just shut it off and your done? Anybody feel the same way? It's like having a security system in your house and allowing anybody to simply shut it off without breaking a sweat. Are you okay with that? I messaged Lookout Mobile Security and Sent a Request which you can do so here once signing in https://www.lookout.com/help. Just click on Send a Request. Hopefully they can implement this vital feature in their security app. If theirs any smart people out their who can make this feature on their own I applaud you. Your phone will let you know where its at even if its off using Lookout online, but without out the phone screaming (a feature within Lookout that makes your phone emit a really loud sound) it's like looking for a needle in a hay stack. Click on the link and let them know you want this feature. It just makes security apps on ANY phone totally useless without this feature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great username, explains a lot.

123456789fg said:
What kind of shoe box we talking about? Most thieves aren't smart enough to know these things. The first thing they will do after taking it is turning it off. If it requires a password how will that be possible? I know this solution will not end world hunger or war, but what it will do is provide a bigger window in finding your phone and that's all we need. Is time not relevant to you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live in an apartment, good luck getting info on which unit I'm living in.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

exb0 said:
I live in an apartment, good luck getting info on which unit I'm living in.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I'll just repost this again once the smart people come back from spring break. Addios.

123456789fg said:
I think I'll just repost this again once the smart people come back from spring break. Addios.
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good luck :3

exb0 said:
good luck :3
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Click to collapse
Don't need it.

123456789fg said:
A day is more than enough to find your phone when stolen if it hasn't been "TURNED OFF" manually.
I'll tell you what's comical, the responses I hear lol
:laugh:
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Click to collapse
How dumb are you? If the phone dies there is no finding it. You don't have to turn it off manually for it to die.
123456789fg said:
I think I'll just repost this again once the smart people come back from spring break. Addios.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, are you thirteen? Spring break was last month.
123456789fg said:
Don't need it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You really do need a lot of luck at this rate.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Wont boot up after ODIN T-Flash

So I need help. I tried un rooting my s7 edge by flashing the stock files in ODIN, I selected T-Flash in ODIN options because that's what I remembered selecting in the past. Little did I know I forgot to select Re-Partition too. Now my phone shows a black screen, I cant boot into recovery or download mode, but it would seem like the phone isn't shutting off because when I connect it to my PC its immediately recognized and no matter how many button combinations I try it just is disconnected from the PC for about half a second and then re connects. I don't get any response from the phone though. The screen is pitch black and i cant get it to do anything. After flashing I noticed it wasn't booting up at all it was in download mode and when it finished the screen turned black and never came back on. When connected to my PC it is recognized as Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 (COM5) in my device manager ODIN Does not recognize it and neither does any other application. Can I please get some help here?

Try pressing and holding the power button until the device shuts off. It could take up to a minute of holding the button down continuously.
Sent from my SM-G935V using XDA-Developers mobile app

ChadH42 said:
Try pressing and holding the power button until the device shuts off. It could take up to a minute of holding the button down continuously.
Sent from my SM-G935V using XDA-Developers mobile app[/URL]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that does nothing. I'm still stuck on the black screen and nothing is happening. I'm about to just sit in a corner and cry. No matter what I try nothing comes on no LED no display no vibrations, all I get is the connection sound on my computer when I connect it that is it it does nothing else.

S7EDGEBRICKED said:
Yeah that does nothing. I'm still stuck on the black screen and nothing is happening. I'm about to just sit in a corner and cry. No matter what I try nothing comes on no LED no display no vibrations, all I get is the connection sound on my computer when I connect it that is it it does nothing else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try recovery mode:
Hold Vol+, Home, and then Power
From there you should be able to wipe or boot to download mode. Hopefully...

Outbreak444 said:
Try recovery mode:
Hold Vol+, Home, and then Power
From there you should be able to wipe or boot to download mode. Hopefully...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope.. nothing.. still a completely black screen and no lights.

S7EDGEBRICKED said:
Nope.. nothing.. still a completely black screen and no lights.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure of the legitimacy of this or not but you don't have much to lose...
http://www.restore-iphone-data.com/fix-samsung-stuck-in-download-mode.html

Outbreak444 said:
Not sure of the legitimacy of this or not but you don't have much to lose...
http://www.restore-iphone-data.com/fix-samsung-stuck-in-download-mode.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It wont detect my phone

S7EDGEBRICKED said:
It wont detect my phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really hate giving links to outside sources when I don't know anything about it but this seems to be your only hope unless you can bring it to a store and have them swap it out with a new one.
http://www.leakite.com/2016/06/revised-how-to-unbrick-qualcomm-android.html?m=1

Outbreak444 said:
I really hate giving links to outside sources when I don't know anything about it but this seems to be your only hope unless you can bring it to a store and have them swap it out with a new one.
http://www.leakite.com/2016/06/revised-how-to-unbrick-qualcomm-android.html?m=1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you by any chance understand this guide?

S7EDGEBRICKED said:
Do you by any chance understand this guide?
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Click to collapse
I read through it some, looks complicated. You don't have to follow the guide. The easiest thing you could do is bring it to where you purchased it and then get it swapped for a new one.

Outbreak444 said:
I read through it some, looks complicated. You don't have to follow the guide. The easiest thing you could do is bring it to where you purchased it and then get it swapped for a new one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No luck there, I don't have any insurance or returns. Nothing else we can try?

S7EDGEBRICKED said:
No luck there, I don't have any insurance or returns. Nothing else we can try?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well like I said before, I don't like giving out directions like I did if I don't recognize the steps to complete it or if others have not supported the validity of it. I don't want to stray you in the wrong direction. The only thing I think you should do, my opinion of course, is attempt to return it under or try to get it repaired under warranty as you don't need insurance as long as you didn't trip Knox, which I don't believe you did.

Outbreak444 said:
Well like I said before, I don't like giving out directions like I did if I don't recognize the steps to complete it or if others have not supported the validity of it. I don't want to stray you in the wrong direction. The only thing I think you should do, my opinion of course, is attempt to return it under or try to get it repaired under warranty as you don't need insurance as long as you didn't trip Knox, which I don't believe you did.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay so i called Samsung and they let me send it in for repair, I'm shipping it out tomorrow. All they asked for was a email my address name and they gave me this code or whatever. I thought I would need like a receipt or something but I guess not. I bought the phone used from Swappa so I thought i'd be screwed. I just hope Knox inst messed up which it shouldn't be because it never was and it failed when I was trying to flash stock firmware. Oh and its free of charge since it hasn't been a year of the phones release yet.

S7EDGEBRICKED said:
Okay so i called Samsung and they let me send it in for repair, I'm shipping it out tomorrow. All they asked for was a email my address name and they gave me this code or whatever. I thought I would need like a receipt or something but I guess not. I bought the phone used from Swappa so I thought i'd be screwed. I just hope Knox inst messed up which it shouldn't be because it never was and it failed when I was trying to flash stock firmware. Oh and its free of charge since it hasn't been a year of the phones release yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad you could get it sorted out. Sucks that it will take a little longer but it's better than attempting to follow complicated tutorials that may not even work and may make the problem worse. Hope they send you a new one, just be careful next time you flash anything. Read the instructions, make sure you understand them and ask about what you don't, then read through again to double check and you shouldn't have any problems.

Outbreak444 said:
Glad you could get it sorted out. Sucks that it will take a little longer but it's better than attempting to follow complicated tutorials that may not even work and may make the problem worse. Hope they send you a new one, just be careful next time you flash anything. Read the instructions, make sure you understand them and ask about what you don't, then read through again to double check and you shouldn't have any problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only thing I'm worried about is if they call me saying they won't repair it because I have no proof of purchase since I bought it used. I'm so anxious to get my phone back really hoping everything is smooth. It's apparently covered by the 1yr warranty every phone comes with but why would they not ask for a receipt but whatever I just want everything to go smooth.

S7EDGEBRICKED said:
The only thing I'm worried about is if they call me saying they won't repair it because I have no proof of purchase since I bought it used. I'm so anxious to get my phone back really hoping everything is smooth. It's apparently covered by the 1yr warranty every phone comes with but why would they not ask for a receipt but whatever I just want everything to go smooth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Samsung S7's came out in March of this year, so regardless of when you have bought it at this time it's obviously still within the warranty period.

Outbreak444 said:
The Samsung S7's came out in March of this year, so regardless of when you have bought it at this time it's obviously still within the warranty period.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh okay. And what about not having a proof of purchase. Does it even matter for this kind of warranty?

S7EDGEBRICKED said:
Oh okay. And what about not having a proof of purchase. Does it even matter for this kind of warranty?
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Click to collapse
Once the phone has been out over a year where it's not a guarantee that you must have purchased it within the last 12 months then yes, they most likely would ask for a receipt. You're just lucky like that. Lol

Outbreak444 said:
Once the phone has been out over a year where it's not a guarantee that you must have purchased it within the last 12 months then yes, they most likely would ask for a receipt. You're just lucky like that. Lol
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Click to collapse
Oh wow so its basically just lucky timing, nice. I'm never rooting the phone again all i wanted were better emojis and the note 7 UX and I couldn't even get the Note 7 UX so its not worth it. It's an amazing phone on it's own. I won't ever try and root another Verizon phone there's always little support cause of the bootloader and I always run into something. Glad I dont have to worry much just takes time.

Stock firmware with root access - Warranty Claim being denied... :(

Hey guys.
So, the worst case scenario seems to be playing out with my phone, and Samsung & the retailer are turning into villains. I've had my phone maybe 8 months, I flashed root to it in the first week. This is the stock firmware, just with root access so I could run Titanium Backup. The phone was working fine, had recently started to become a little bit chuggy due to lots of apps & data, though yesterday I opened a link from a friend which looks like it's killed my phone. I was in the middle of doing my Japanese lessons with Duolingo... received a Whatsapp message from a friend with a link to a sale ( I could post the link, but spam filters might block it)- the moment I opened the link in Chrome my phone had a heart attack. Froze, rebooted... but worse, the boot animation also froze. I tried the power reset (volume down + power button), and managed to get as far as the lock screen. Upon entering my PIN, the phone went black and it has been a brick ever since. I took my phone to the shop I bought it from this morning and regret being honest about having root access. I cannot possibly fathom how having full access to MY DEVICE could possibly kill any hardware or disable the device to this degree, and as such think this warranty voiding angle is a giant scam.
This post is seeking a few things... 1) sympathy (lots please).... 2) advice about warranty (are they within their rights to deny my warranty? I'm in Australia, imported phone) ... 3) How could this happen?!?!?!
Please, thanks, and woe is me....
:-/

loudboy77 said:
Hey guys.
So, the worst case scenario seems to be playing out with my phone, and Samsung & the retailer are turning into villains. I've had my phone maybe 8 months, I flashed root to it in the first week. This is the stock firmware, just with root access so I could run Titanium Backup. The phone was working fine, had recently started to become a little bit chuggy due to lots of apps & data, though yesterday I opened a link from a friend which looks like it's killed my phone. I was in the middle of doing my Japanese lessons with Duolingo... received a Whatsapp message from a friend with a link to a sale ( I could post the link, but spam filters might block it)- the moment I opened the link in Chrome my phone had a heart attack. Froze, rebooted... but worse, the boot animation also froze. I tried the power reset (volume down + power button), and managed to get as far as the lock screen. Upon entering my PIN, the phone went black and it has been a brick ever since. I took my phone to the shop I bought it from this morning and regret being honest about having root access. I cannot possibly fathom how having full access to MY DEVICE could possibly kill any hardware or disable the device to this degree, and as such think this warranty voiding angle is a giant scam.
This post is seeking a few things... 1) sympathy (lots please).... 2) advice about warranty (are they within their rights to deny my warranty? I'm in Australia, imported phone) ... 3) How could this happen?!?!?!
Please, thanks, and woe is me....
:-/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on how you rooted but guessing as you rooted when you first got the device it probably tripped knox and voided your warranty... either way by the sounds of things you can fix this yourself by flashing official firmware with odin do you know how to do this?
In fact can you get into recovery mode?
while the phone is off try holding power button + home button + volume upfor around 10 seconds (this does not require the boot animation to load)
If you can do that use the volume keys to navigate down to "wipe data and factory rest" then navigate to yes and after that reboot your phone (might take 10 mins to boot) but should fix your problem

EasyAndroidPro said:
It depends on how you rooted but guessing as you rooted when you first got the device it probably tripped knox and voided your warranty... either way by the sounds of things you can fix this yourself by flashing official firmware with odin do you know how to do this?
In fact can you get into recovery mode?
while the phone is off try holding power button + home button + volume upfor around 10 seconds (this does not require the boot animation to load)
If you can do that use the volume keys to navigate down to "wipe data and factory rest" then navigate to yes and after that reboot your phone (might take 10 mins to boot) but should fix your problem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For a moment I was excited to get a reply, and then I read yours. Please read my post before replying. If I could flash anything or get any kind of response do you think I would have taken my phone in for repairs??! It's DEAD. They changed the battery, the display (so they tell me) and they like to refer to the remainder as "the motherboard" but they mean the whole damn phone... Can anyone report if this has happened to them? Seems so thoroughly weird.... and to blame it on the fact I have root access.... the same as thousands of others.... it's really dodgy.

loudboy77 said:
For a moment I was excited to get a reply, and then I read yours. Please read my post before replying. If I could flash anything or get any kind of response do you think I would have taken my phone in for repairs??! It's DEAD. They changed the battery, the display (so they tell me) and they like to refer to the remainder as "the motherboard" but they mean the whole damn phone... Can anyone report if this has happened to them? Seems so thoroughly weird.... and to blame it on the fact I have root access.... the same as thousands of others.... it's really dodgy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow good look getting help with an attitude like that :good: i was offering beginner advice because from your post you sounded like an newbie. Good luck i won't be helping further.

EasyAndroidPro said:
Wow good look getting help with an attitude like that :good: i was offering beginner advice because from your post you sounded like an newbie. Good luck i won't be helping further.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh no... you're going to keep that awesome advice to yourself? Maybe someone else can suggest I try turning it off and on again?
Seriously- it's frustrating enough being put through the wringer of losing a device like this, and even moreso being held over a barrel by Samsung & the retailer. I'm doing my best to be clear and spell out my situation, in the interests of not only myself, but the whole Samsung community. When you're locked out of a device by design, and all you can do is press buttons in certain combinations, please assume that I meant it when I said I already tried pressing the buttons.
More frustrated. Thanks. =)

loudboy77 said:
Oh no... you're going to keep that awesome advice to yourself? Maybe someone else can suggest I try turning it off and on again?
Seriously- it's frustrating enough being put through the wringer of losing a device like this, and even moreso being held over a barrel by Samsung & the retailer. I'm doing my best to be clear and spell out my situation, in the interests of not only myself, but the whole Samsung community. When you're locked out of a device by design, and all you can do is press buttons in certain combinations, please assume that I meant it when I said I already tried pressing the buttons.
More frustrated. Thanks. =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Come on, dude. I/we know the frustration of things like this but that's completely uncalled for. He offered genuine advice from the information given in your post.
I hope you get it sorted but I doubt you'll get much in the way of helpful responses if you are this rude.

It is completely within their rights to deny you warranty. You rooted the thing. The very act of rooting voids warranty. And yes, complete access to the device can do that to your phone because any rogue app can delete system files/programs that are essential to running the phone, or even turning it on. As it is, suck it up and accept you lost warranty and pay for the repair or get a new phone.
Sent from my SM-T231 using Tapatalk

what whatsapp message could do that much harm and has that done any harm to your friends (rooted) phone?
I think that after the freeze the phone has become damaged in software
Could be that it happens with any application that filled the memory.
If nothing can be saved with any trick and you have done everything I'm afraid there is nothing more possible than all the "tricks" here on XDA that are available after a good search.
Succes

loudboy77 said:
Hey guys.
So, the worst case scenario seems to be playing out with my phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If u cant get into Download mode, then the people at service centre also cant
Go to a different service centre and play dumb. Just say that 'The phone stopped working when I was travelling. I dont know what happened. The phone just died'
Dont give anymore info than this. If u do then they might pin it on you
Just play dumb and deny everything lol
They cannot prove that the phone is rooted just by looking.
In your case the motherboard might be fried (IDK maybe) and if they replace motherboard then ur knox flag will be reset.
Visit another Service centre. Dont go to the same place again.

chanchan05 said:
It is completely within their rights to deny you warranty. You rooted the thing. The very act of rooting voids warranty. And yes, complete access to the device can do that to your phone because any rogue app can delete system files/programs that are essential to running the phone, or even turning it on. As it is, suck it up and accept you lost warranty and pay for the repair or get a new phone.
Sent from my SM-T231 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There was recently a ruling in the States that returned some rights to consumers to unlock their devices while keeping warranty. In Australia we have some pretty decent consumer protection laws. http://ausdroid.net/2012/10/22/warranties-and-bootloaders-what-you-should-know/
You're not showing an awful lot of compassion to the community of developers who spend their time trying to root phones... too bad if your phone dies? nice.

I suggest you read this.
http://www.samsung.com/au/support/warranty/
From the read of it. You have already violated 2 things.
1.Your phone was imported.
2.Modification(in this case root)
Also, if you think software can not kill hardware then you are wrong. Some hardware are also being controled by software. Of course something like the glue holding the display together come off is definite not caused by software but something like fried mainboard/electronic is possible.
Of course, this seem very unlikely in this case but still not impossible. If you still want warranty, you must prove yourself innocent enough for them to accept your claim which seem nearly impossible.
Also being honest about rooting when claiming your warranty will instantly have your warranty rejected, no question asked.
Well, you can still try using the customer right law or something like that to help you, if you don't mind wasting time.
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

loudboy77 said:
There was recently a ruling in the States that returned some rights to consumers to unlock their devices while keeping warranty. In Australia we have some pretty decent consumer protection laws. http://ausdroid.net/2012/10/22/warranties-and-bootloaders-what-you-should-know/
You're not showing an awful lot of compassion to the community of developers who spend their time trying to root phones... too bad if your phone dies? nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlocking and rooting are two different things. Compassion? What are you talking about? Just accept that rooting voids warranty. Rooting opens the phone to exploits which may or may not cause problems. The manufacturer has every right to deny you service because they cannot prove if it is a fault on their part or yours. If you a friend bought an unrooted phone from you and roots it and bricks it, would you take back the phone and give him a new one free of charge? Or would you shoulder repair fees for your friend? No. Same thing. If you accidentally drop your chicken on the floor, KFC won't take it back.
There is consumer protection, and there is abuse.
And I appreciate the rooting community, but understand and accept the fact that doing so voids my warranty.
If my phones dies? I pay for the repairs. Simple.
Sent from my SM-T231 using Tapatalk

EasyAndroidPro said:
It depends on how you rooted but guessing as you rooted when you first got the device it probably tripped knox and voided your warranty... either way by the sounds of things you can fix this yourself by flashing official firmware with odin do you know how to do this?
In fact can you get into recovery mode?
while the phone is off try holding power button + home button + volume upfor around 10 seconds (this does not require the boot animation to load)
If you can do that use the volume keys to navigate down to "wipe data and factory rest" then navigate to yes and after that reboot your phone (might take 10 mins to boot) but should fix your problem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I take it that there's a way around knox to root the phone without tripping it? I've got the Exynos variant of this phone, would you mind putting me in the right direction on rooting it? I've looked everywhere but never found a way that does not trip knox.

Alaa Joseph said:
So I take it that there's a way around knox to root the phone without tripping it? I've got the Exynos variant of this phone, would you mind putting me in the right direction on rooting it? I've looked everywhere but never found a way that does not trip knox.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've not tried it myself nor have I looked into it myself I rooted the normal way as I don't care about Knox related apps I just remember seeing the reports around.
Here is a related thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...ot-method-via-engkernel-t3423438/post68204186