Database Users

[Q] Lost EFS potentially

So after flashing a few things, something went wrong big time. Phone barely makes it to the lock screen and when it does, it says System is not responding and then automatically reboots. In that brief time I see the dreaded no signal icon.
Have tried restoring stock firmware via Odin and it still leads to the same lock screen issue every time (used this very same file to restore to stock before without any issues). To add salt to the wound, my SD card got corrupted (stupid SanDisk I should have learned from past experiences) which is where I kept my EFS backup. This is on a N900W8, with Knox tripped 0x1 so no chance of warranty.
Do I have quite the expensive paperweight on my hands here now? It seems so but hopefully there is a light at the end of the tunnel for me

VinceThePrince said:
So after flashing a few things, something went wrong big time. Phone barely makes it to the lock screen and when it does, it says System is not responding and then automatically reboots. In that brief time I see the dreaded no signal icon.
Have tried restoring stock firmware via Odin and it still leads to the same lock screen issue every time (used this very same file to restore to stock before without any issues). To add salt to the wound, my SD card got corrupted (stupid SanDisk I should have learned from past experiences) which is where I kept my EFS backup. This is on a N900W8, with Knox tripped 0x1 so no chance of warranty.
Do I have quite the expensive paperweight on my hands here now? It seems so but hopefully there is a light at the end of the tunnel for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Out of curiosity, did you have the new bootloader or the old and did you try to dowgrade the firmware?
If you did it might be part of the problem...
Reflash MJ7 in ODIN and that should fix it but you will now have new bootloader that will trip Knox counter when rooted.

ultramag69 said:
Out of curiosity, did you have the new bootloader or the old and did you try to dowgrade the firmware?
If you did it might be part of the problem...
Reflash MJ7 in ODIN and that should fix it but you will now have new bootloader that will trip Knox counter when rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I have not tried downgrading, the Odin firmware I use was always the latest MJ4

Since you've tripped KNOX try this link it'll fix your efs issues.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=47014662
It does work, bailed me out and many others. You'll have to go with a custom recovery though to be able to use it. Just boot into download, install custom recovery then flash the zip fix and you're sorted.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

[Q] Soft brick? Hard brick? Sort of firm'ish brick really

I've made a bit of a mess and I need help please. My s4 is softbricked, but as softbricks go, it's rather hard.
I have an early S4 i9505 bought from Carphone Warehouse (UK, unlocked, pre knox). I rooted it, installed TBackup, greenify and got it how I wanted it. Then I downloaded a stock firmware from Sammobile and tested to see if I could get it back to 'warranty' condition, which was a success.
Confident that I could obtain warranty if I needed it, I re-rooted it, installed TB and greenify, and it ran sweetly for months from that point onwards.
I read about the arrival of updates (and knox) and concluded I didn't need them. It was working, leave it alone.
Then out of the blue, my nice stable machine broke. I didn't change anything I was aware of to cause it.
No normal boot.
No recovery.
Download only.
Using Odin, I tried allsorts, eventually getting the same Sammobile firmware to run.
2 days later, it broke again, same as before, but worse!?
Then I tried all sorts of stuff downloading no end of things trying to get it to boot or even go into recovery. The most promising approach was to reload the firmware along with a .pit file, but still no joy. I've lost track of the other things I tried, but I've been doing it for a week, so a lot has been done. In desperation, I even tried downloading the latest firmware, so I now have signs of knox of the odin page.
I now have the following symptoms:
Booting into recovery brings up the blue 'booting recovery' message then just blackness.
Normal boot is exactly the same as above.
Unpowered conection to my laptop gives a 5 second boot loop featuring the buzz only.
I can reliably boot into download and download stuff with Odin and change the little Odin page status messages. After (foolishly) trying the latest firmware, these messages say
ODIN MODE
PRODUCT NAME GT-I9505
CURRENT BINARY Samsung Official
SYSTEM STATUS Official
KNOX KERNEL LOCK 0x0
KNOX WARRANTY VOID 0x0
CSB-CONFIG-LSB 0x30
WRITE PROTECTION: enable
eMMC BURST MODE enabled
Please can anyone give me some advice on what else I could try?
Thanks
Steve

Wrinklespots said:
ODIN MODE
PRODUCT NAME GT-I9505
CURRENT BINARY Samsung Official
SYSTEM STATUS Official
KNOX KERNEL LOCK 0x0
KNOX WARRANTY VOID 0x0
CSB-CONFIG-LSB 0x30
WRITE PROTECTION: enable
eMMC BURST MODE enabled
Please can anyone give me some advice on what else I could try?
Thanks
Steve
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If anything else is not working (especially, if you're unable to go to recovery) I'd call sammy service center. Your download mode says that you did not rooted your phone, and knox is untouched either.

spamtrash said:
If anything else is not working (especially, if you're unable to go to recovery) I'd call sammy service center. Your download mode says that you did not rooted your phone, and knox is untouched either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for looking spamtrash.
I was wondering if I could get away with that. It does look good from the Odin display, but the flash counter must have a pretty high number in it by now! Won't that show up somewhere?
Do you think it does actually have a fault on it, rather than just some software that's messed up and needs tweaking?
Thanks
Steve

Wrinklespots said:
Thanks for looking spamtrash.
I was wondering if I could get away with that. It does look good from the Odin display, but the flash counter must have a pretty high number in it by now! Won't that show up somewhere?
Do you think it does actually have a fault on it, rather than just some software that's messed up and needs tweaking?
Thanks
Steve
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Are you able to go to recovery mode?
2. Assuming that your previous communicates were taken from the screen in download mode - you're clean.
If answer for 1 is: NO, and assuming 2: do not bother the flash counter. Flash counter does not means you messed with custom ROMs, it just means amount of the ROM update tries. As they are unable to prove that the counter was not increased by failed KIES updates, you're safe.
To go deeper, service will have to flash and wipe your phone.
One thing: remove your sd card prior to giving/sending it out.

Try a different usb cable.I was in same boat as you (after stupidly thinking mobile odin pro liked modems).
Luckily I had an unused cable off my tab 3.

[Q] Odin fail, knox tripped, now can't do anything on the phone. help!

SOLVED:
Finally got Odin to work! Tried it on an actual PC laptop and not my vmware macbook. It failed at 99% the first time so tried another USB port and it went up and passed! this is on 4.4.2. I guess the main reason why the other firmwares would fail was because I originally tried to flash odin 4.4.2 but at this point I had no idea about knox and that you cannot go back in firmwares. So my last attempt was to push 4.4.2 after looking into the phones info saying it was on I337MVLUFNC1 bootloader. I was starting to think I had bricked this phone! sound works and calls working fine! whoop!
some history on the device:
- S4 was on Beanstalk 4.4.2, rooted.
- phone was starting to freeze up on this ROM so
- decided to go back to stalk Rogers rom via ODIN
- tried Odin v 3.09/v3.07/3.04 all failed
- tried different cables and two different computers. failed
- So then I decided to load TWRP back in from ODIN = Pass!, I get into recovery and load up a backup. This works but had NO sound or video playback and calls wont go through/freeze phone in call app.
- more tinkering, thinking it was maybe the Kernel/Modem. I download different Kernel/modm for the phone and sound still didnt work.
- Tried Firnware I337MVLUEMK6_I337MOYAEMK6_RWC, as well as the current I337MVLUAMG1_I337MOYAAMG1_RWC both were downloaded from sammobile.com
- tried kies and it cant connect to phone or does anything.
Phone errors:
-top corner of display shows:
Odin mode
product name: sgh-I337M
Current Binary: Samsung official
System status: Custom
Knox Kernel Lock: 0x0
Knox Warranty Void: 0x1
CBS - Config - LSB: 0x30
Write Protection: Enabled
eMMC Burst mode enabled
Currently:
- I can load TWRP anytime.
- I can also reload backups, install roms but sound, video, phone calls, mic dont work. some roms are super laggy as well.
- so phone is still useless atm.
ill try Odin again and copy the fail script.
it fails immediatly after system write.
iv searched knox trip, and some people have gotten stock firmware back on their device. but i have no way of doing so since odin fails horribly.. To my understanding if Knox has been tripped then you cannot downgrade firmware. but iv been trying to get 4.3 or even 4.4.2 on it and it fails.
actually i shouldnt say i tried to get 4.3 on it, because it seems i did get it on the phone at one point but then it had absolutly no signal. It would have signal for maybe 3 minutes then it drops it completely. tried APN settings and still wouldnt kick it. only thing I didnt try on that attempt was load up a different modem. which i should have.. but now cant even get that rom back on here as my sister deleted it..
any help would be appreciated.

Alright so im back on a backup from my other S4, running ok. signal is fine and wifi works. only thing is upon boot up i get:
- Unfortunately, Google Dialer has stopped.
- unfortunately, the process android.process.acore has stopped.
-unfortunately, the process android.process.meida has stopped.
i can hit ok many times but it keeps popping up.
so im still unable to do anything. i can still navigate through the phone but the pop ups come often.
UPDATE:
- Did a factory data reset within the phone and I dont get the pop ups anymore. but the Sound is still not working
one thing that's weird is when I use the app Phone Info the Sales Code (aka Region Code) is: ATT, but my working s4 with the same ROM says VMC under Region code? is this making my sisters phone not function properly? or maybe this is why I cannot flash stock rogers through odin because the phone is thinking its an ATT device and not a Rogers one?

Just wondering, since Knox is tripped am I able to still use Odin to flash to stock? Just want to clarify that before I waste more time with odin .
Iv tried rogers 4.2.2, 4.3 and pretty sure iv tried 4.4.2. But I'm going to download it and try that one again.
Phone was previously on 4.3 without signal. So I'm guessing that's the very least I can load up since Knox is tripped correct? I shouldn't have issues flashing Odin 4.4 stock rogers?
Just wondering why it fails once its writing to system..

[Q] Quick help is appreciated!

I searched the internet to find a solution , i was unable to find a solution that was directly linked to my problem or concern i would say. To get on with it i have a n900(Yeah i know dev support suks). I am completely stock and knox warranty is also valid(=0). I recently wanted to flash custom roms and kernels. I have about 2 months of warranty left on this phone, so what do you guys suggest?. The system status will certainly change to 'custom'. Is there a way to restore it back to official , like can u find official recovery of the n900. I just want that if i ever want to sell it, everything except for knox is reset back to normal. Thanks!

No. You can't. I suggest you to wait.
If you want root use towelroot.
If you want a custom recovery use safestrap
Both app don't alterate knox.
I will flash a custom kernel when cm12 will be out for our phone

Once you trip KNOX, it's done and can't be changed. If I recall correctly, there have been experimental tests done for Exynos version of Note 3 in order to reset KNOX flag, but I can't remember the result (may be wrong).
As for System Status and Current Binary, these can be reset to Official via Triangle Away, if you got stock kernel and recovery. You can flash stock firmware via ODIN to get these.

Someguyfromhell said:
Once you trip KNOX, it's done and can't be changed. If I recall correctly, there have been experimental tests done for Exynos version of Note 3 in order to reset KNOX flag, but I can't remember the result (may be wrong).
As for System Status and Current Binary, these can be reset to Official via Triangle Away, if you got stock kernel and recovery. You can flash stock firmware via ODIN to get these.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On n900 exynos you can reset knox flashing a particular kernel. (I don't know if it works now)

bolt890 said:
I searched the internet to find a solution , i was unable to find a solution that was directly linked to my problem or concern i would say. To get on with it i have a n900(Yeah i know dev support suks). I am completely stock and knox warranty is also valid(=0). I recently wanted to flash custom roms and kernels. I have about 2 months of warranty left on this phone, so what do you guys suggest?. The system status will certainly change to 'custom'. Is there a way to restore it back to official , like can u find official recovery of the n900. I just want that if i ever want to sell it, everything except for knox is reset back to normal. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- Flashing custom rom/kernel will trip the Knox.
- The Knox can be reset on N900 (I don't remember where is the instruction).
- Flashing the stock firmware will restore the system status to official.

[GT-I9506] Need help resetting my device software status

So, a few months ago I decided to root my phone with towelroot to give a try on a few root applications, as i was curious, but after that, I decided to remove through supersu it as, even with supersu, was more of a vunerability since I wasn't really using it.
Fast foward a month, I attempted to update my software and was denied with the reason that my device was custom.
Some important info:
- I'm running Android Jelly Bean 4.3, that has never been updated.
- I've attempted a factory reset through the phones recovery mode and made no difference.
- My KNOX waranty value is 0x0, and I would like to keep it that way if possible.
- Phone is factory unlocked.
Also, I've though of using Odin to flash the firmware back, but then I read that there is a possible that KNOX warranty gets triggered, even with a samsung official rom, is this true or am I safe to use it?
My objective is to have my phone back to factory settings (this means wannan xposed is out of the question), in order to be able to update my phone and keep using it, and while there is a lot of similar threads around, most of them reffer to GT-I9505 and GT-I9500 and mine is GT-I9506, which leaves me in somewhat of a doubt wether I should follow those or not.
Thank you for your time.

Diaz_ said:
So, a few months ago I decided to root my phone with towelroot to give a try on a few root applications, as i was curious, but after that, I decided to remove through supersu it as, even with supersu, was more of a vunerability since I wasn't really using it.
Fast foward a month, I attempted to update my software and was denied with the reason that my device was custom.
Some important info:
- I'm running Android Jelly Bean 4.3, that has never been updated.
- I've attempted a factory reset through the phones recovery mode and made no difference.
- My KNOX waranty value is 0x0, and I would like to keep it that way if possible.
- Phone is factory unlocked.
Also, I've though of using Odin to flash the firmware back, but then I read that there is a possible that KNOX warranty gets triggered, even with a samsung official rom, is this true or am I safe to use it?
My objective is to have my phone back to factory settings (this means wannan xposed is out of the question), in order to be able to update my phone and keep using it, and while there is a lot of similar threads around, most of them reffer to GT-I9505 and GT-I9500 and mine is GT-I9506, which leaves me in somewhat of a doubt wether I should follow those or not.
Thank you for your time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashing a stock rom trough Odin will NOT trip Knox. So just go ahead and flash the firmware you want.

Lennyz1988 said:
Flashing a stock rom trough Odin will NOT trip Knox. So just go ahead and flash the firmware you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright, I assume the proccess is about the same as on the other versions.
Also, should I flash 4.4.2 instead of 5.0.1? The reason I ask is due to this thread.

Update: I flashed 4.4.2 with Odin3 3.10, and it went smooth and knox is still safe, however, for some reason, so thank you Lennyz1988 for the reassurance .
However, I'm not able to update to 5.0.1 Lolipop through OTA, as attempting to update states that im fully up to date.
My phone is running as NL (T-Mobile), factory unlocked and due to my quick research, seems that there is no official OTA update for it. Is it correct or am I looking in the wrong place to update my phone?