How to root Samsung Galaxy S4 without PC? - Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

My device's USB port is not responding. Can't charge the phone or connect to PC. And all backup/restore apps for app data backup requires the device to be rooted. So I'm trying to root the device, get a data backup of some of my apps and move the data to a new device and restore it there.
Here are some details of my device:
Model: GT-I9505
Android version: 4.4.2
Baseband: I9505ZHUFNL1
Kernel: 3.4.0-3501301
Can anyone give me some help on either:
How to root the device without a PC? or How to backup app data and restore it on another device?
I've tried these apps for rooting already: towelroot, KingRoot, Poot, and iRoot. All failed...
Thanks,
K

Other than Towelroot, which you already tried, all rooting methods require a USB connection. But, you're really making things more difficult than they need be. The replacement board for the bottom of the S4 with the MicroUSB connector should be relatively inexpensive. Buy one and repair the phone with it, rather than wasting battery power trying to root and backup data.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
Other than Towelroot, which you already tried, all rooting methods require a USB connection. But, you're really making things more difficult than they need be. The replacement board for the bottom of the S4 with the MicroUSB connector should be relatively inexpensive. Buy one and repair the phone with it, rather than wasting battery power trying to root and backup data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone was dropped into saltwater, and couldn't even turn it on. Just got it "fixed" recently where I could turn it on and see all my data., but no USB and it also seems like the wifi connection is also weak. Cost me $300, and I told the specialist that "fixed" it and he told me it would cost another $50 to fix the USB. However, he says that he doesn't guarantee that the phone will turn on the next time he "operates" on it since most of the interior is damaged badly. And that the phone would die pretty soon...
Any suggestions on this? Would it also be feasible to move the internal memory of the damaged s4 into another s4?
Thanks,
K

kakenx said:
The phone was dropped into saltwater, and couldn't even turn it on. Just got it "fixed" recently where I could turn it on and see all my data., but no USB and it also seems like the wifi connection is also weak. Cost me $300, and I told the specialist that "fixed" it and he told me it would cost another $50 to fix the USB. However, he says that he doesn't guarantee that the phone will turn on the next time he "operates" on it since most of the interior is damaged badly. And that the phone would die pretty soon...
Any suggestions on this? Would it also be feasible to move the internal memory of the damaged s4 into another s4?
Thanks,
K
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think for 300$ you could've bought a broken S4 and use it for parts (like the motherboard). Or you could've just bought a second-hand one. Heck, you could've bought even a new one. I saw an S4 on Amazon for 289.99$ (Unlocked Internationat version) + Free Shipping. 300$ seems too much for something that isn't even fixed right.

@OP: By now I'm sure you realize that you were ripped off. You asked for suggestions? Get another device, but forget about moving the flash memory.

GDReaper said:
I think for 300$ you could've bought a broken S4 and use it for parts (like the motherboard). Or you could've just bought a second-hand one. Heck, you could've bought even a new one. I saw an S4 on Amazon for 289.99$ (Unlocked Internationat version) + Free Shipping. 300$ seems too much for something that isn't even fixed right.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, guess I was just a bit desperate on getting the data. Now I can see the app data but not restore it on a new phone....

kakenx said:
Yep, guess I was just a bit desperate on getting the data. Now I can see the app data but not restore it on a new phone....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You require the connection to a PC, no matter how you turn it. Helium is an app that allows you to backup data without root. But requires a PC. Most root methods require a PC.
Installing a custom recovery requires either a pc, or root.
I wonder if Mobile Odin would help you in any way.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
@OP: By now I'm sure you realize that you were ripped off. You asked for suggestions? Get another device, but forget about moving the flash memory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is moving the flash memory a bad idea? I need to get some app data moved to a new device somehow and restore the app with the original data.

GDReaper said:
You require the connection to a PC, no matter how you turn it. Helium is an app that allows you to backup data without root. But requires a PC. Most root methods require a PC.
Installing a custom recovery requires either a pc, or root. Rooting requires a PC.
I wonder if Mobile Odin would help you in any way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I read somewhere that Mobile Odin required the device to be rooted in order to be able to use it.

Moving the flash memory chip to a new board is about as expensive as buying a new motherboard. If you're looking to save the data however, purchase a USB board, which should be inexpensive, and replace the board yourself. That board is separate from the rest of the electronics, and until that board is replaced nothing can be done. As previously mentioned, a connection to the PC is required.

Backup first, then root
First, if you still failed in rooting your phone with those apps, please try to use iRoot for PC version since it has higher success rate.
Then, the backup issue. There is no "complete" backup of Android if you have not rooted it. However, you can find ways to get the utmost backup before rooting.
1. Copy and Transfer Data to PC
2. Use Google to Backup Your Android Device Data
3. Apply Google+ App to Backup Photos
4. Use SMS Backup
In sum, get the backup before rooting first. And then move to try iRoot for PC version for rooting.

@Fishinthesea: You didn't read the thread. The OP's entire problem stems from the fact he cannot connect the S4 to the PC because the MicroUSB port on the bottom is broken. While your advice is useful, the OP would need to replace the broken port first before being able to do anything. Also, it has been six months since the OP posted this thread, and it's likely he already purchased a new unit, after getting ripped off on a repair.

Related

Vibrant USB Connection Issue

Hello XDA Community!
I made a post about this issue before, but have more details so hopefully someone can help me figure out this issue.
My phone even when unplugged from my PC continuously says USB Connected/ USB Debugging in the notification menu.
Also, when I try and reboot the phone, instead of booting even to the Vibrant logo screen, the loading circle continuously blinks on and off, without actually booting.
As I type this, I am not holding down the power button, and the loading circle is blinking on and off by itself....
I used to be able to turn the phone on into recovery mode in the past, but now when I try to reboot into recovery I get a big yellow picture that says "Downloading"
The only way the phone will turn on is if it is plugged in.
I am fairly certain that this reboot issue and the USB issue are correlated in some way.
Did anyone else have this issue with their phones? And if so, how did you solve it?
Another thing I have just discovered...
When the phone is on and idle, the USB Connection notification will constantly blink on and off, which is why I think the phone would do the same when trying to power on!
Is this a hardware issue or a software issue?
I have not flashed anything in a very long time before this issue started happening so I believe a restore is unnecessary .
Someone please help me! This is very annoying, not only do I have NO notification bar because of the constant USB Connection notification turning on and off, I cannot turn on my phone at all unless it is plugged in!
ACK!
Take it back
I carry the insurance, so personally if this was happening to me I would not even mess with it. It sounds like you have a genuine problem with the phone and it needs to be replaced.
If it is possible to do try a nandroid backup of your phone to make getting back to where you are on your new device easier. Then take your phone back to stock with the recovery image here -->
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=734475 (Thank you justanothercrowd)
One you have a stock device see if you are still having the issue. If you are take it back as defective. Even if you don't have the insurance, that sounds like a factory defect and should be covered by the factory warranty. The insurance just makes the process easier and makes sure they just give you a swap out at the store rather than having to wait for repairs. It also covers things the warranty does not, such as screen breakage - which is the specific reason I carry the insurance.
Ah crap wish I had insurance.... Do I have to do that whole odin procedure or is there a one click un root procedure as well?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Nevermind i just read through that link you posted. So when i go to a t mobile store do i have to unroot or can i just hide my root applications until i get a new phone?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
I actually have not had reason to go back to stock, or even use odin yet at this point. My only roms were .zip files that I flashed via clockwork recovery.
I would say that your best best it to just follow the instructions on justanothercrowd's thread very carefully and deliberately. You are already having issues with reboots and your USB port, so this is not the time to deviate into experiments.
So to cut you off and just answer you next three questions:
Q) Can I just . . .
A) No! Just follow the directions exactly.
Q) But can I . . .
A) No! Just follow the directions exactly.
Q) Do I have to . . .
A) Hey look, Just follow the damn directions exactly!
Sorry, I can't help much beyond that. You chose to modify your phone and risk that you would not have issues, just like the rest of us here. In your case you did have issues. Now you have to get it back to stock so they don't have any reason to claim you caused this or that your warranty is void. I hope all goes well and it works out for you. Let as know and keep us posted. Good luck.
Lo N Slo said:
Nevermind i just read through that link you posted. So when i go to a t mobile store do i have to unroot or can i just hide my root applications until i get a new phone?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We must have been typing at the same time LOL.
There is a thread on unrooting, and basically it is just deleting a few things. After doing this you should not have any non-stock applications on the phone and there would be no reason to think it was rooted unless they went digging on the file system. Personally, I would delete those telltale files just in case, it looks a little suspicious to bring in a phone that looks like it has not been used since you bought it, but they have no proof you did anything and you can claim that you first did a factory reset to see if it would fix the problem.
Just want to keep this thread going, as I am having the exact same issue as the OP as of today. It happened out of the blue, and I haven't flashed anything new to my phone since JI6 was released, other than that, it's just a stock, rooted phone.
Hoping someone has an idea, but I will likely get it replaced under warranty, since the GPS has never worked either.
damnit damnit damnit I really wish I had warranty.
Random question about clockword mod recoveries.
If I were to do a backup right now, and save that file to my computer, could I restore that file later on a different phone after I root my replacement?
I don't have that many mods flashed, and I know all of the apps can be synced, but still it would be sooo convenient .
I believe that is how it works, so yes. It should be no different then when you clone a hard drive to put the image on multiple computers for easy distribution.
It is (just like the cloning metaphor) hardware specific. Just like I could not purchase a upgrade computer and expect a cloned image to work, don't expect to create a Vibrant backup and restore it on a Captivate.
That said, you should be able to restore your backup to new (identical) hardware.
By the way, what is the warranty on these? I thought it was a year for defects. I didn't think the Vibrant had been around long enough yet for anyone to be off warranty.
it should be a year, but there was also the option for a purchased warranty. I did not purchase a warranty, so I should be good on just my manufacturer's defect warranty
Being discussed here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=817643

Google knows I'm rooted....

I have a rooted Nexus 7 running JDQ39. It is no longer recognized by my laptop or desktop, regardless of the cable I use. I have used the same laptop/desktop for months without issue. I think it's a hardware failure but I'm open to suggestion.
Anyway, I bought it through the Playstore so I called them for support and they said they could see that I "may be using a rooted device" and told me that I would have to contact the manufacturer or carrier but if unroot and still encounter the issue they will be glad to "take a look". They followed the conversation with the email below.
So it's interesting (but not surprising) that they can tell remotely.
Anyway, any suggestions on how to get back to stock/unrooted without a PC connection?
Thanks
[email protected]
X:XX PM (7 minutes ago)
to me
Hey there Xxx,
Thanks for contacting Google Play! According to our records, it appears you may be using a rooted device. Unfortunately, our ability to troubleshoot issues with rooted devices is limited. They may have altered functionality depending on how the device has been modified and we're not able to see what's happening with the device. For assistance with rooted devices, we recommend contacting your device manufacturer or carrier. However, if you unroot your device and still encounter this issue, please let me know and I will be happy to take a look.
If your device isn't rooted, please let me know, and I'm happy to see what I can do to assist you further. Thank you for your understanding.
Thanks,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont know about "calling in". But if you downloaded any app requiring root from the play store to that device, it would be a dead giveaway. Titanium backup, super su, rom manager............and the list goes on. That is most likely the reason the last line says "If you're not rooted". They are not "calling in", but simply looking at thier records (app history).
To the main problem, have you tried an alternate cable? I see you have tried multiple pc's, so the cable is the next step. That possibility needs to be eliminated before you can move on to a hardware and/or software failure.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
junksecret said:
I have a rooted Nexus 7 running JDQ39. It is no longer recognized by my laptop or desktop, regardless of the cable I use. I have used the same laptop/desktop for months without issue. I think it's a hardware failure but I'm open to suggestion.
Anyway, I bought it through the Playstore so I called them for support and they said they could see that I "may be using a rooted device" and told me that I would have to contact the manufacturer or carrier but if unroot and still encounter the issue they will be glad to "take a look". They followed the conversation with the email below.
So it's interesting (but not surprising) that they can tell remotely.
Anyway, any suggestions on how to get back to stock/unrooted without a PC connection?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd agree with the person above: they likely flagged some root-requiring apps you have on your device and went by that. Google's policy on roots is pretty forgiving, though, to say the least.
In any event, there are some on-device methods you could pursue, but we need to know more about your setup on that side as well. In a similar vein as to what previous poster asked (namely about testing computers and cables), could you link us the method you used to root your device and also post what recovery you're using (stock, TWRP, CWM, etc.) and if you have your bootloader unlocked?
Rirere said:
I'd agree with the person above: they likely flagged some root-requiring apps you have on your device and went by that. Google's policy on roots is pretty forgiving, though, to say the least.
In any event, there are some on-device methods you could pursue, but we need to know more about your setup on that side as well. In a similar vein as to what previous poster asked (namely about testing computers and cables), could you link us the method you used to root your device and also post what recovery you're using (stock, TWRP, CWM, etc.) and if you have your bootloader unlocked?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply, I think I've exhausted the cable and usb port/pc/drivers as the cause. I actually now remember I hooked it up to my stereo and plugged into a cheap charger and got a pretty good spark at the micro usb and the tablet shut off. I left it plugged in and powered back up and thought all was fine. I now think that may have fried something in the micrco usb although it does charge thru it.
I think I rooted using wugfresh's rootkit, this is my 3rd N7 so not positive. I do have the bootloader unlocked and am running CWM Touch recovery.
Any links to a no-pc back to stock would be great!
Thanks
junksecret said:
Thanks for the reply, I think I've exhausted the cable and usb port/pc/drivers as the cause. I actually now remember I hooked it up to my stereo and plugged into a cheap charger and got a pretty good spark at the micro usb and the tablet shut off. I left it plugged in and powered back up and thought all was fine. I now think that may have fried something in the micrco usb although it does charge thru it.
I think I rooted using wugfresh's rootkit, this is my 3rd N7 so not positive. I do have the bootloader unlocked and am running CWM Touch recovery.
Any links to a no-pc back to stock would be great!
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Now we are getting somewhere. It seems you may have shorted a data pin when you plugged it in. I personally never use cheapo chargers. You could try replacing the USB port. If i am not mistaken, it is not soldered to the motherboard, but instead is soldered to its own harness and connected to the mobo via flex cable.

Backup w/ Broken Screen? (TWRP Installed)

Hey guys, I recently broke the LCD on my Note 3 running stock KitKat ( :crying: ) and realized I hadn't done a nandroid backup in quite some time...
I tried the obvious adb pull, but for some reason I couldn't even get into adb shell or see my device in the device list like I had previously.
I'm all out of ideas now...
Could somebody please throw some help my way?
Does your phone even boot up? Do you get sound, vibration, anything to indicate it's still working internally beside blank screen?
Are you going to try to fix it? buy new one? upgrade to Note 4? Me and my wife used to own GS3 and when she broke her screen, I swapped motherboard with mine to copy pictures mostly and some other stuff, but we werent going to fix it, since I decided to get her GS5.
pete4k said:
Does your phone even boot up? Do you get sound, vibration, anything to indicate it's still working internally beside blank screen?
Are you going to try to fix it? buy new one? upgrade to Note 4? Me and my wife used to own GS3 and when she broke her screen, I swapped motherboard with mine to copy pictures mostly and some other stuff, but we werent going to fix it, since I decided to get her GS5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm getting a replacement through the phone insurance. It does turn on and function perfectly normal, the screen just has a tiny, tiny fracture point with a crack spanning across the screen horizontally, rendering the bottom half unusable. The top half is functioning though.
I cannot unlock my phone or make a backup with the bottom half not working.
Try using a bluetooth mouse or wired mouse with otg cable
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk 2
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2786395
Could help, made for exactly your problem. If you manage to get it working download Nandroid Offline backup, which allows you to make a Nandroid backup from Android itself, rather than CWM/TWRP.
EDIT -- Just checked and it works an absolute treat. Providing you had USB Debugging enabled before your phone got broke, it should work fine. It even has the option to swipe to unlock or disable a pattern unlock if you had one enabled.
Pagnell said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2786395
Could help, made for exactly your problem. If you manage to get it working download Nandroid Offline backup, which allows you to make a Nandroid backup from Android itself, rather than CWM/TWRP.
EDIT -- Just checked and it works an absolute treat. Providing you had USB Debugging enabled before your phone got broke, it should work fine. It even has the option to swipe to unlock or disable a pattern unlock if you had one enabled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the link - it looks like it would be a great solution, but unfortunately I cannot enable USB debugging with the code given :\. I may be out of luck
Well, if nothing else works and data on the phone is that important, then you need to convince the insurance company to send you new Note 3 first and swap the MB as I suggested to retrieve the data, then put everything back to original. I have not done this on Note 3, but GS3 was probably one of easier electronics repairs I've done, just follow one of many youtube videos, to make sure you don't break some wire, before disconnecting. Possibly a shop could do that for you.
Well, freakin sweet deal. After being on the phone with the insurance company and US Cellular for two and a half hours and having them tell me everybody was out of Note 3's and they would only give me $400 bucks for my old phone minus my $175 deductible, I received another call from management at the insurance company apologizing and letting me know that they'd offer me $725.
It just so happens the new Note 4 is $770, so thank the Lord I'm in a good spot!

Verizon S5 - ClockworkMod Recovery? (Broken screen, need to enable USB debugging)

A very good friend of mine (whom I would like to earn a box of brownie points with) cracked the LCD on her G900V. The phone still works, alerts go off when she gets Facebook messages, etc, so that is good.
Initially I was going to use the MHL cable in conjunction with a USB OTG cable to gain access to it so we can get her photos off of it, as well as backup her SMS's and other things she didn't have backed up (read: everything). Unfortunately, for whatever reason, her phone will not display with the Samsung MHL adapter. It works on my Note 3, S4 and a busted LCD S4, but not on her S5. I think something else may have happened that caused the LCD to not work. It has been cracked for a while, but usable. Then one afternoon it just went black.
What I need to do is get USB debugging enabled so I can use ADB or AndroidControl to get the data / pictures off. After reading and reading, I came across a thread where it says CWM has debugging enabled by default. GREAT! I'm able to get the phone into download mode (ODIN recognizes it), but I can't seem to find an appropriate recovery to load on it.
Any help?
I'm 99% certain unless it was a developer device it has a locked bootloader, so not possible, sorry man.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
I had the same problem with my S4. The screen broke and I could not veto the HML cable to work. I used it before to watch movies with the S4 so it must have been something to do with the broken screen. I didn't want to sell or give away my phone (or turn it in for warranty) with all of my personal data on it. My final solution was to swap the motherboard to another S4 and recover my data. While I was at it I wiped all of my data and encrypted the phone so nothing could be recovered from it.
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk
REHolt218 said:
I had the same problem with my S4. The screen broke and I could not veto the HML cable to work. I used it before to watch movies with the S4 so it must have been something to do with the broken screen. I didn't want to sell or give away my phone (or turn it in for warranty) with all of my personal data on it. My final solution was to swap the motherboard to another S4 and recover my data. While I was at it I wiped all of my data and encrypted the phone so nothing could be recovered from it.
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Another possible variation on this is if youre already taking it apart, maybe just take out the internal sd card, im not sure how it works on this phone but on my old windows phone you just undid some screws and moved some foil stuff and the sd slot with the card was there, just dont confuse this with the already exposed one.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Backup broken GS5

I dropped my phone and the screen shattered and fell off. I assumed it was dead, but when I replaced the battery and held the power button, it came to life!? I have my wife's old GS5 that I'd like to restore mine to. Anyone have a link or guide that I could follow that doesn't require changing things on the phone which require the screen?
My photos are safe as they were saved on SD, but I'd like to recover settings for apps (contacts, app settings, save games, etc). It wouldn't be the end of the world if I lost that stuff, but I'd rather have it!
bkenobi69 said:
I dropped my phone and the screen shattered and fell off. I assumed it was dead, but when I replaced the battery and held the power button, it came to life!? I have my wife's old GS5 that I'd like to restore mine to. Anyone have a link or guide that I could follow that doesn't require changing things on the phone which require the screen?
My photos are safe as they were saved on SD, but I'd like to recover settings for apps (contacts, app settings, save games, etc). It wouldn't be the end of the world if I lost that stuff, but I'd rather have it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The following link is what I had used to replace the Daughterboard (Micro-USB Port) on one of my Galaxy S5 devices.
https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Samsung_Galaxy_S5
The process for the Digitizer Display is almost the same...
For the Digitizer Display, the guide (within the above link) is probably the best one you'll be able to locate (that also has very helpful images for each step too).
Take your time and be very careful! There's really no alternative shortcuts to perform this process and (to add) I will agree that Samsung didn't make this device very "repair friendly" for the Digitizer Display either.
I do wish you the best of luck! :thumbup:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UNLESS asked to do so, PLEASE don't PM me regarding support. Sent using The ClaRetoX Forum App on my Enigma Machine {aenigma = Latin for "Riddle"}.
Are you suggesting that the only way to recover the data is to replace the screen/digitizer? I already have a replacement phone in working condition. I was hoping I could transfer the data over to the new one. I have now confirmed that the phone can connect to the computer in download mode but Kies and Smart Switch both complain that it's not a supported device (neither is the new identical phone). I think if I were able to connect the new phone successfully to a PC software in download mode, I'd be able to use the same approach to connect the old one and recover the files.
I tried Smart Switch but it wouldn't connect to the phone. I updated the drivers from the menu and it connected to the new one. I switched and it updated drivers automatically but is now connected and backing up!
Since I didn't find a ready made solution, I came up with my own.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=78883506&postcount=4

Categories

Resources