Database Users

Soft-Bricked S4 by Flashing Different Version Rom

Hi everyone,
Before blasting away with comments as to why I would do this, here's my story,
I live in Canada and just brought home a i9508, a China variant of the S4. It belonged to my dad and he didn't want it so I just took it. The i9508 doesn't have Play Store, and it doesn't work on Canadian 3G network.
So to me, the phone is useless right off the start (don't intend on selling it either, who wants it?) So I had 2 options:
1) Leave the phone as it is, and probably use it once every 1-2 years when I visit HK
2) Flash custom roms on it fully aware of the risk it will have so that there's a possibility I can make it more usable
So in the end I went with option 2.
I followed a guide and flashed TWRP for i9505 using Odin onto the phone, and used TWRP to install chainfire SU, and it actually worked (but SU wouldn't open because some sort of security on the phone is blocking it)
Next step, I downloaded the CM version for i9505 and flashed onto the phone, and that worked too. Only problem I've encountered was that the phone would only boot after a fresh install. If I installed CM, turned the phone off after the initial start up, the phone wouldn't boot pass the Samsung logo.
Up until this point, I didn't make a backup, because of my arrogance, cause I have available a copy of the official firmware, in case anything happens.
So I figured at this point, maybe if I restore the original firmware, and try the whole process again, the custom rom would work. So I went into Odin, flash the firmware with PDA, and failed. It just wouldn't work. After retrying it a couple of times, and downloading different updates of the firmware, nothing worked. Only thing working right now is, I can get into Download mode, and I can get into TWRP recovery (but for some reason, I can't flash the zips that I've adb pushed onto the phone, zip can't open)
For me, if it can't be fixed, then it's really SOL. But if there's a way to fix it, I'm open to testing anything people have in mind, cause afterall, this phone is paper weight either way. I'm interested in seeing if I could enable 3G by flashing a i9505 radio, despite warnings, although, I've never actually came across a thread where someone had actually tried it before.
Either way, if someone has any idea on how to fix the phone, and wouldn't mind sharing it, that'll be greatly appreciated.
Working
I can get into Download mode, but Odin is failing (if you need the error please let me know and I'll post it)
I can get into TWRP recovery, but can't flash files
I can get into adb

This isnt the correct forum for your phone. XDA don't follow clones

Unfortunately a section for i9508 doesn't exist, so I figure the closest one would be i9505.
Anyhow, if someone has an idea of how to fix it, I'm more than happy to do testing on it, like flashing other roms or radios.

[Q] Samsung Galaxy S4 REALLY unfixable

Sup guys. I have a problem with my S4. I doubt anyone will be able to help me find a fix but its worth a try. I hope someone will help.
Anyway, I flashed my GT-i9500 (Galaxy S4) from 4.2.2 to 4.3. Now it doesnt boot, It just gets stuck at the 2nd boot screen. Its not even a bootloop. It just hangs there. The S4 sound that plays gets cut like halfway.
I tried flashing a lot of different ROMS, and it still does the same thing. When I rooted it, I noticed the boot welcome sound plays full, but it still hangs after that.
I used Philz Recovery and mounted all the folders etc, but efs says invalid. So that means the EFS folder is messed. I get that, but I cannot repair the EFS if I cant boot the phone, I need the Samsung MTP **** for Samsung Tool to work. I have an N7100 (Note 2) Where I repaired the EFS with Samsung Tool, I was able to boot the phone.
I looked ALL over the net including this forum and found nothing. Right now the phone is just worth nothing. This is my last option, to ask here myself. If it cant be fixed I just cut my losses and get another phone.
I also flashed a PIT file, CSC file, Modem file during the period I was trying to get this fixed. If anybody knows this problem, It'll be very helpful.
Thanks.

you could try upgrading to 4.4, i have all the files for omega v21
heres the link for all the stuff from my google drive.
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B_trhAurRvdmb0RkNGpoTkVNU0k&usp=sharing
instal the bootloader and phone file via odin, bl = bootloader cp = goes into the phone part of odin
then fash the rom via philz recovery, worth a try !!
good luck

That wouldn't work, thats for the Snapdragon variant I think. The i9505. I have the i9500. I'll download the Omega ROM for i9500 and try it anyway.
Thanks.

Still doesnt work.

StickyBomb said:
Still doesnt work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you tried complete of phone, than power and vol up, at the buzz lose vol up and at loge lose power button.
and then flash with odin bl. and modem
etc.

I've flashed with Odin & Recovery.
I flashed another bootloader, XXUEMK8 & Odexed Knox Free Stock ROM XXEUMK8 & it still does the same. I dont know whats wrong with it.
Another thing I forgot to mention is if I root it using Odin, the welcome sound plays full and it hangs, and if I reboot it, the welcome sound goes back to cutting off again.
This phone probably cant be fixed. I dont know wtf's wrong with this phone. This is WORSE than hard bricked.
oh & as I mentioned before, I have a Galaxy Note 2 & had an EFS problem with it. I fixed it, the difference was this Note 2 actually booted properly with any ROM installed. I used a Z3X Box & Samsung Tool to fix up the EFS. Maybe this problem is only with i9500 or with i9500 & newer models.

Eeeer don't mean to point out the obvious here but you did do a factory reset in stock recovery after flashing stock 4.3 in Odin? That's all you needed to do at the start.
When I went from 4.2 to 4.3 I couldn't get it to boot at all unless I performed factory reset after flash.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium HD app

I came from a rooted Samsung org. rom 4.3 to omega v21.1 Android 4.4.2
After this i tried slimkat, and had from first start the same issue, no booting.
Nothing works
only starting with power and vol. up as descried above, I could flash XXUFNA5 bootloader & modems.
After this twrp.
And at last I flashed S4 Google Edition - 4.4.2, a ROM for the Samsung Galaxy S 4

Thanks for the help people.
I gave up on trying. I tried everything even factory reset after flashing, different ROMS, different Android versions. 4.1.2, 4.2.2 & 4.3. Today I ended up selling the phone's LCD. Atleast I didnt everything. lol. Wouldn't be buying another Samsung EVER. I was thinking I need another box and stuff, like NSPRO but I dont have that.

[Q] Soft Bricked handset

Hello,
I've got (had) an SM-G900W8 running the XtreStoLite v2.0 LP BETA5 ROM on the XXU1BOA3 kernel. I installed TWRP 2.7 via Odin, and left the latest modem and bootloader updates I got through KIES3.
At which point I got the chance to sell the handset on Kijiji, provided I could get the stock ROM back on.
I downloaded the latest Odin (3.09) and the correct Firmware for my handset from sam mobile, and factory reset the device. I pulled the battery, let it sit, and tried to flash once I got it back up in download mode, and it wouldn't work.
This isn't too much of a surprise to me, because since I flashed TWRP, Odin hasn't ever worked for me. Regardless of how many times I've tried to flash the modem and/or BL that XtreStoLite asked me to use in their how to thread, it wouldn't work. I was willing to ignore it b/c the ROM worked with the modem and BL it was running.
My problem is that once I tried to reboot, the system hung at the BL animation. I went back into recovery, and tried to move my backups off my external storage (I had 2 back ups that were about 2 or 3 gigs each, too much for the local storage) to the local card and restore (b/c TWRP won't restore from the external card) and the back ups failed.
Now I've got the BL screen, but it won't advance to the animation, and it won't boot to TWRP either.
I tried to restore from KEIS, but it says my device isn't supported by KIES 3 (it is). I could really use a hand here. Every time I try something this gets worse. I'm no pro, but I've had no problem figuring this out on my old HTC handsets.

Noobs phone won't start - can't find the answer. Feeling dumb as my brick phone.

I've rooted and replaced the ROM on 3 other Android devices. I've spent two or three nights on this. Googling and reading page after page to try to get this right. I know I'm seriously lacking in knowledge, but I just can't stand the bloatware and lack of control over an OEM ROM. I knew I was taking a risk, but I did my best to be diligent without spending an excessive amount of time. All that said, I appreciate, in advance any help anyone can offer me. Whether that's direct advice or directing me to proper resources that I can't seem to find.
Samsung S5 SM-G900P (kltespr)
I had rooted it. I replaced the Sprint stock ROM (5.0.1 I think) with CM12.1 (which just got an OTA). I had TWRP 2.8.7 on it.
Unfortunately, I needed my research suggested I needed a Touchwiz ROM in order to activate phone service on the cell provider I'd chosen (Ting).
So I selected MOAR v7 and started following the directions here:
at galaxys5root.com/sprint-galaxy-s5-custom-roms/moar-lollipop-rom-for-sprint-galaxy-s5-w-2-8ghz-oc
I made a backup. I wiped the system/cache/davlik/etc.
I installed the Android 5.0 Bootloader TAR (G900P NDK Lollipop) per the instructions via Odin and using the Bootloader option. The flash failed. I can repeat the failure (ran Odin as admin, tried multiple USB ports, restarted the computer etc). I've since tried to send several recovery ROMS or OS ROMS (pardon if I'm using the wrong terminology here) to the device, but all I can get is download mode or a screen that says Samsung Galaxy S5 powered by Android (with Kernel is not Seandroid enforcing at the top). Sending TWRP via Odin has worked with a PASS, but still can't startup the device.
I can provide more detailed logs or information about where I'm stuck and how, but on the off chance that this is an obvious thing I'm going to stop here unless more detail would be useful.
Again, I'm grateful in advance for any help.
Moshker

Follow up and how I fixed my brick
This post is intended as a follow up in case anyone runs into a similiar problem and stumbles onto my post.
After trying several different bootloaders, including the stock ones from Samsung (multiple download attempts, very slow speeds, some didn't pass md5 check), and full ROM efforts via Odin 3.10.7 I was finally able to get one ROM to take.
G900PVPU3BOG1_G900PSPT3BOG1_SPR from androidfilehost.com/?fid=24052804347794921
After getting the phone activated on Ting I used Odin to push Chainfire Auto Root (408). I verified root after restart. Used Nandroid to make a new backup. I used Flashify to install TWRP 2.8.7. I restarted to recovery and DID NOT use TWRP to wipe the system/data/etc and instead loaded the MOAR7.0.OA6 ROM. During the ROM install process it asked if I'd like to wipe system/cache/davlik/etc. I did. The ROM installed successfully. I ran a Nandroid restore to bring back my apps and data. Most restored properly.
I still don't really understand what went wrong, why my efforts to fix it failed, and why the last thing I tried worked.
Really loving MOAR. I'm using the Numix theme and it's just incredibly clean and fast. CM12.1 had intermittent micro-freezes/lags that were driving me a little nuts and MOAR is really smooth and quite fast. I was pretty disappointed in CM as I had it a long time ago on an original DInc (7.2!).
Anyway, if you're phone is bricked, keep on fighting the good fight.

Problems flashing last stock rom

Hello world, I have a problem with my phone, I'm gonna try to explain it exactly.
I had the 4.4 android version for almost two years, until yesterday (yep, I've been so lazy that I didn't touch my phone for that time). I was tired of being unupdated, so I took my phone and I connected it to the PC via USB. I downloaded the last spanish available version 'Spain (PHE) PDA. G900FXXU1CPEM CSC. G900FPHE1CPE3' because I'm from there, I did the essential wipes and I flashed it via Odin, and that was all. After that the phone wasn't working good (I don't remember exactly what happened after that) so I reflashed it again then I flashed both files: BL_G900FXXU1CPF3.tar.md5 & CP_G900FXXU1CPE8.tar.md5 because I thought I had to upload too the modem and the bootloader. After that the phone wasn't working well neither. I think I reflashed the last stock rom then a combo modem/bootloader I downloaded from the Phoenix ROM, then I flashed Chainfire's autoroot and last TWRP. When I restarted everything looked fine except the yellow message on top at the intro "SET WARRANTY BIT: KERNEL". I read about and the phone run every time, so I thought I had to be used to it, that's all. When I started to clean bloatware I deleted some apps (nothing special, just bloatware) and I removed every KNOX app, because I don't care about it, first day I got the phone I set KNOX to 1 because I didn't know about it and now I don't have any warranty anymore plus everytime I have a problem I solve it myself or with your help.
Now the phone is stuck at the boot, with the SET WARRANTY BIT: KERNEL" and it doesn't go further. Can you please help me to flash the last rom, the one I told you, with its proper bootloader, modem, etc? I just want a clean PHE 6.0.1 stock rom for the moment (rooted and with TWRP too, of course). Thank you.

Try flash rom with odin first(ap),after bl and cp(bootloader and modem (latest from the alexndr 's thread where he upload the latest one )after that when it finish if you stuck at samsung boot animation for long time try boot in recovery and do a factory reset and format cache.