A painful experience - see below - taught me that a NANDROID backup isn't enough.
I had to find a PIT file, a bootloader and a modem.
What else does one need to be able to get back to an earlier version, and is there some software to do that
automatically?
I've tried an Android-5.0 for which I had to flash the boot loader and the modem, as well.
The Android-5.0 system booted well but it turnt out that I got insurmountable difficulties with WLAN
authentication. Therefore I wanted to go back to Kitkat (4.4.2) which I had backed up by TWRP.
I could restore the system but got a boot loop - no wiping helped.
Then I tried to install a stock 4.4.2 system but ODIN-3.09 has stalled for more than an hour such that I had
to kill it. Now my device was broken. Luckily I did find a suitable PIT file, boot loader and modem.
Even then ODIN didn't succeed. With the help of Philz-Touch-Recover I could reformat some partitions.
Only after that ODIN succeeded - together with the PIT file - to flash the bootloader and the modem,
Only now, I could boot into the old version.
Many thanks for a hint,
Helmut.
Related
Only bootloader and downloader work, the rest seems to be deleted.
When I am trying to install a new ROM from a MicroSD cars, the loader reports that /cache and other folders cannot be mounted.
The folders themselves exist on the disk but are empty.
How can I restore the system?
Did you flash by recovery or odin? Try download stock rom and flash by odin.
Hello again!
Thanks for charry comments here and in the thread regarding Google Edition firmware,
nevertheless I managed to restore the phone: it turned out quite an easy thing.
I downloaded an official firmware for my phone from http://samsung-updates.com/ and loaded it via ODIN 3.09 (version does not matter much IMHO),
process ended sucessfully, but the phone did not revive. Then it turned out that original boot-loader had been installed with the ROM and in its menu I managed to return correct forlder structure on phone's disk (via wipe funtion that failed in an alternative boot loader) and the phone returned to its original state. Then I tried to install the new ROM via original boot loader and failed because it checks digital signature and rejects flashinf of custom ROMs, and then I againg installed the alternative boot loader but did nothing but installing (logs say that this procedure provides for necessary wiping), then the phone appeared as dead again but after 1-2 minute pause it opened the first dialog of Android 4.3.
Hi All,
I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this as I'm relatively new to posting on XDA. My girlfriend has a Galaxy S4 (I337) that I quickly and easily installed Cyanogenmod on. It's awesome and significantly better than TouchWiz. So, I bought an S4 off Ebay assuming it would be similar enough. It turns out this new S4 is an I9500 and before shipping it was updated to 4.3, which appears to lock the bootloader and prevent downgrading. I've tried Odin, Heimdall, ADB, Philz, Chainfire, Cofface, stock ROMs, etc with no luck. Today I did manage to root the phone and confirm root with TowelRoot. I'm wondering/hoping someone might have some resources to get CM on this thing. While I'd prefer not to brick it I am willing to take risks as I have a Razr (soft-bricked and unbricked) running CM and am relatively comfortable with computers/Linux.
I've been Googling and trying things for a month now and can't even find that much information on the locked bootloader. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
--
SL
The I9500 doesn't have a locked bootloader. You just can't downgrade from 4.3 to 4.2.2 with official roms. Same applies when you are running 4.4, then you also can't downgrade officially.
Just flash a custom recovery true Odin and flash away.
Why would you even want to downgrade? Are you sure you are picking the right files? You cant flash the files for the I337 on the I9500. So just go to the section for the I9500 roms and flash away.
Hi Lennyz1988,
Thanks for the quick reply. I don't specifically want to downgrade but that's the last option I've tried. Ultimately the goal is to put Cyanogenmod on the phone. When I attempt to upload any file via Odin I get "secure magiccode check fail : boot" (or fail : recovery) depending on what I'm flashing. All the reading I've done says that when these phones are updated to 4.3 a fix has been applied that stops Odin from working. Thus, I my last resort is/was to try and downgrade. As I said, I've been Googling for the last month and while few people have posted about this I have not found any solutions.
Hoping someone might have a solution or anything new to try that I haven't tried already, thanks again,
--
SL
Download the latest TWRP recovery:
http://techerrata.com/browse/twrp2/i9500
Fire it up in Odin under PDA. You need the .tar (DON'T EXTRACT IT).
If it fails:
- Different usb port
- Different cable
- Different pc
- Reinstall drivers
- Make sure Kies is not running the background.
Or you can use heimdall to flash it. Use the command line though:
heimdall flash --recovery nameoftherecovery.img (you need the .img instead of the .tar)
No luck there, Odin still fails with the same message. I have tried Heimdall on 2 different computers (4 different usb cables) and always get the libusb 12 error.
Since I have root access I figured I might be able to wipe the recovery partition from a terminal emulator. I copied recovery.img from the I9500 CWM to the internal sd card. I then went to /dev/block/msm_sdcc.1/by-name to figure out what partition is recovery, turns out its 21. I then did “dd if=/sdcard/recovery.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p21”. I then booted into recovery and it just hung up. I had previously found a stock recovery partition so I flashed that via Odin (the only file I have found that works flashing via Odin). I could then boot back into the normal recovery. I then tried flashing both recovery and cache with the CF Auto files (cache is partition 18). Same result, it just hangs when trying to boot into recovery. At one point I did manage to flash a recovery that then came up with a warning about “software installed that is not supported by AT&T” and I couldn’t get past that so had to flash the stock recovery again.
On a side note, I accidentally wiped the EFS partition in this process (if found a tutorial that shows the S3 had recovery in partition 10, which is EFS on the S4). As a result 1.) the menu didn’t pop up when I hit the power button and 2.) wifi didn’t work. So, I made an .img of the EFS partition on my GT-I337 and moved it to the I9500 and that worked restoring both. In case anyone makes the same mistake.
I have now also used CWM ROM Manager and GooManger and tried installing recovery that way with no luck.
Just check if the internal memory partitioning is correct ( number, size and format) (use fdisk or parsed).
ODIN will install according to the PIT file and if drivers and cables are OK it is no other explanation than that.
PS: do not trust heimdall data because it just read the PIT file and do not give the true info from the memory part.!
Uhm on the TWRP website they say that the I9500 has it on partition 10.....
This would be the proper partition based on their website:
mmcblk0p10
Are you absolutely sure you have an i9500? Because my guess is that you don't.....
Boot into download mode. What does it say your model is?
Because on the AT&T it's partition 21.... So my guess is that you are messing up....
Thanks everyone for the input/feedback,
Something I think I had forgotten to mention previously, when the initial root/recovery attempts didn't work I downloaded an app to verify it is a genuine Samsung as I have heard of very good knock-offs. It is genuine according to the app.
Good point/catch regarding the location of the recovery partition. Under About Phone it shows as an I9500 and always has. When in download mode it currently shows as I337 but I wasn't sure if that was simply a result of all my attempts so I figured best to go with the one I am certain has been the same since I bought the phone. I had been hesitant to try wiping the recovery with for the I337 as that is how I soft-bricked my RazrHD (ultimately un-bricked it).
Tonight I will try the I337 files and see if Odin is successful. Thanks again.
Damn! Turns out my phone is an I337. The hardward (under the battery) says I9500 and when I plug it into a computer it shows up as I9500. On the weekend I thought I read that there is now the ability to flash recovery and install CyanogenMod on I337 if its updated to 4.4.2. So, I donwloaded the firmware and flashed with Odin. It flashed successfully but now I realize I am mistaken and 1.) cannot flash recovery, and 2.) cannot downgrade. For the time being I have installed Nova Launcher and removed as much of TouchWiz as possible. It's not perfect but at least usable. I'd like to start researching what it would take to flash recovery on this phone but I suspect I'm too busy at this moment.
Thanks everyone for the help,
I was running CM 11 until it decided not to work, so then genius me, I went in to TWRP recovery and decided to wipe EVERYTHING. I have nothing left besides download and TWRP recovery mode. I am using JOdin on my mac, but that has only ended in failure as I can neither retrieve a pit file or use one that I have downloaded as it continuously comes up as corrupt. Does anyone know how I can get a non corrupt PIT file?
Everything was fine until I flashed CM13 unofficial.
Now, my bootloader is updated to 6.0 (COJ5 something or COH4), I can't revert to something prior to that: odin fails at sboot.bin NAND write start fail.
-While this issue has occured to many others than me, I'm the only one who can't even boot into CM13 or AOSP based ROMs, even after pushing different variants of ROMs several times through ADB, bootloops are still persistent.
-Any other 5.1.1 Official ROM that's not COJ5 or COH4 fails to flash at odin. COJ5/COH4 ROMS flash succesfully, but the phone doesn't boot past the samsung text.
-I have tried flashing various COH4 ROMS along with their AP,BL,CSC etc, everything flashes succesfully apart from the bootloader file, and after that it's the same samsung text brick. I couldn't find the PIT files (bootloader csc n such) for COJ5..
Is there a place I can find a backed up EFS partion ?file? and restore it myself? Would this get me out of the****hole i'm currently in?
What can I do about this...
Nortabun said:
Everything was fine until I flashed CM13 unofficial.
Now, my bootloader is updated to 6.0 (COJ5 something or COH4), I can't revert to something prior to that: odin fails at sboot.bin NAND write start fail.
-While this issue has occured to many others than me, I'm the only one who can't even boot into CM13 or AOSP based ROMs, even after pushing different variants of ROMs several times through ADB, bootloops are still persistent.
-Any other 5.1.1 Official ROM that's not COJ5 or COH4 fails to flash at odin. COJ5/COH4 ROMS flash succesfully, but the phone doesn't boot past the samsung text.
-I have tried flashing various COH4 ROMS along with their AP,BL,CSC etc, everything flashes succesfully apart from the bootloader file, and after that it's the same samsung text brick. I couldn't find the PIT files (bootloader csc n such) for COJ5..
Is there a place I can find a backed up EFS partion ?file? and restore it myself? Would this get me out of the****hole i'm currently in?
What can I do about this...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, this may help you http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4/help/fix-note4-exynos-n910c-bootloop-problem-t3312161
mangui said:
Hi, this may help you http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4/help/fix-note4-exynos-n910c-bootloop-problem-t3312161
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea i came across this, but there was one tiny problem
how on earth am i supposed to root, get busybox, and apply usb debugging on my phone while it has no functional ROM?
and how on earth am i supposed to transfer a backup from my ROMless phone?
Do you have a pit file for repartition
If so, access twrp , wipe everything including your internal storage. Then boot into download mode.
In the computer, load the pit file and your stock coj5 into Odin 3.10 , tick "repartition" and "Nand Erase All"then click start.
Back to your phone - which now should be boot looping - access the stock recovery and wipe. Root - try using a different root method like chainfire's Odin autoroot - then twrp ur phone. Flash cm13 then start running the steps I threaded ( [fix] note 4 exynos bootloop problem ...... )
PM me for what you get
Sent from my HTC Desire 820s dual sim using Tapatalk
Hi all,
I bricked my phone installing nougat and after i formatted all. Now my phone can start in download mode only or loops on Boot logo.
Ca anyone help me to fix it? How can I find the right OEM firmware?
Thanks.
Hi. What do you mean by formatted all? If you formatted system your os is gone and phone won't boot.
Check updato for firmware fownload and flash with Odin.
Skickat från min Honor5X
From Recovery i clicked on all wipe functions. My phone is empty now. I flashed a PIT file and a bootloader but I got error flashing CSC and other.
Can you help me to find a full backup to restart my phone?
Originally it was brand tim but It'n not important for me.
creativesound said:
From Recovery i clicked on all wipe functions. My phone is empty now. I flashed a PIT file and a bootloader but I got error flashing CSC and other.
Can you help me to find a full backup to restart my phone?
Originally it was brand tim but It'n not important for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You got twrp recovery? If you do, you probably wiped system partition too.
You don't need to flash pit, bootloader etc. You can just flash any custom rom to get it booted again.
Otherwise you'll have to download firmware to flash in odin. You probably need one starting with FXXU3 if you was updated to latest MM version, or N.
I wiped all. Can you guide me to download right file?