I9515 won't recognize external SD card - Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello community!
I have the following problem with my S4 VE: It just won't accept my SD card anymore. My desktop PC reads it well, and so do other phones (tried it on a Galaxy S5). To be sure, i formatted the card again, no change. So I started to look for other issues, starting with software. I wiped my device and even flashed a new ROM, with no effect.
So I bought another card reader and installed it. But it just won't recognize it!
What other components could be involved? Keep in mind that only the SD card doesn't work, SIM does, although it occasionally gets "removed".
My next step would be to bathe the entire mainboard in isopropyl so it gets cleaned thoroughly. If that doesn't help, I'll have to buy a phone with a broken display and use its parts.

The SIM card removing itself is a classic indicator of a motherboard failure, so I wouldn't even bother with the isopropyl bath and head straight to buying the phone with the broken display and using its parts.
Just be sure the broken phone is the same model number as your failing device.

Thanks! Seemed like it. Is this a typical issue of the Galaxy S4?
I went for a I9505 instead of the 9515 so I could have decent customization options, starting with Custom ROMs as the display and touchscreen module (not controller) are the same. Works like a charm!

Smart move going with an I9505.
That problem isn't all that common compared to the other SIM card issue, where the SIM card tray itself fails and not the motherboard (characterized by the SIM card not being recognized when you next reboot rather than a spontaneous removal of the card), but it does happen more than it should.

Related

[Q] Broken MicroSD slot?

Is this a common issue with the Note 3? I was given an SM-N900 a while back and bought a 64gb microSD. One day I took it out, transferred some files onto it from my computer, and replaced it. The phone didn't detect it. I tried an old 2gb card. The phone detected it, said it needs to be formatted, I formatted it, and it says the same thing. I've tried a wide range of formats on both cards (fat32, exfat, ext2,3,and 4, ntfs) and it's always the same thing. Both cards work normally in my computers and in an Xperia Z. They won't mount in recovery either, so I'm thinking the reader must be damaged, maybe a contact bent or broken off. Has anyone else experienced this?
maybe the slot is dirty inside and contacts are not working well. you can clean the slot with toothbrush it may help
Thanks, I'll give that a try.

[Q] S4 unlocked: reads original SIM but suddenly No Sim Card Error on new SIM

Hi all, I have strange problem with my S4 GT I9505. I read various forums and searched but couldn't find a similar case to this strange problem. I am quite new to android and hope that maybe somebody of you would be able to help me or point me in the right direction to solve the issue below.
Issue
I had the phone unlocked from my provider O2 in UK and moved outside of Europe. My S4 accepted the new SIM card for the first 2 to 3 month. At this time my S4 was unrooted. Out of the blue it started with no sim card error, please reboot when using the new Sim Card.
Here is a list of all changes I done but it didn't help
- unrooted: Factory reset Kitkat, updated to Lollipop
- Rooted the phone as above didn't help, installed various custom ROMS, stock Lollipop, Google play edition. After I flashed the ROM I have for a short time network with the new SIM card but then it starts again with the No Sim Card Error. However, I have no problem with my original O2 SIM card.
- Changed SIM card, checked my new SIM card with other phones and it worked, so it not a fault on the SIM card
- Checked with my provider O2 in UK: phone is unlocked,
- Tried to open Service Menu but none of the codes worked, went to EFS folder/carrier/hidden menu and changed OFF to ON, still could open Service Menu to check if the phone was still blocked etc.
Any guidance how to solve this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Frank
Hardware failure. Replace the sim slot. No messing with software is going to fix that.
Lennyz1988 said:
Hardware failure. Replace the sim slot. No messing with software is going to fix that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I will try this next, hopefully this will fit it!
No reason it shouldn't, and it's arguably the easiest hardware fix you can do since the SIM tray isn't soldered to the mainboard. Just keep in mind the following: when you purchase a replacement tray, don't throw out the old one until you peel the foam pad off the top of the connector and attach it to the new tray. That pad prevents the connector from popping off the socket it sits in.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
No reason it shouldn't, and it's arguably the easiest hardware fix you can do since the SIM tray isn't soldered to the mainboard. Just keep in mind the following: when you purchase a replacement tray, don't throw out the old one until you peel the foam pad off the top of the connector and attach it to the new tray. That pad prevents the connector from popping off the socket it sits in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I changed the SIM/SD card holder today, however, I am afraid it didn't take long for the no sim card error to return. Only difference today, it connects to the mobile network again after reboot.
The strange thing is, I don't get the SIM card error when inserting the original 02 Sim card, only when inserting a none 02 card (phone is unlocked)
Would this mean that the motherboard is defect?
Most likely, yes.

S4 sim card related functions malfunction

Hi,
My galaxy s4's(european i9505) sim card related functions (calling, 3/4G data etc.) have stopped recently.
It's 3 years old but that doesn't neccesarily mean i should throw it in the trash can right?
When i reboot it, it sometimes detects the sim, but most of the times not. Sometimes it doesn't accept the pin code.
When i get lucky and it does detect the sim, it still doesn't function though.
i.e., i type in the sim's pin, but i get the following:
-no signal bars in the statusbar
-it does say it has signal strength in Phone > Status
-network unknown
-CM regularly pops up a prompt to restart in order to be able to use the mobile network, as if i just put in a new sim card.
I'm on CM11 at the moment, but the stock rom, and CM13 gave the exact same problems.
Could it be a faulty sim card module or antenna, or wouldn't it have any effect when i replace these?
The sd card reader does still work, and i have tried to push the two (reset?)pins on the back.
It only prompts again to put in the sim's pin but it doesn't have any further effect.
The slot seems to be clean, and the sim card isn't faulty, it works in my other phone.
Booting the phone in Safe Mode doesn't have any effect.
It'd be great if i you guys could advice me on this, cheers.
Do you have access to another phone to try your SIM in? If that works fine then you can rule out the SIM card being at fault.
Then I'd replace the SIM card holder, it's a simple job to do and the part is really cheap as well.
Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk
dave106 said:
Do you have access to another phone to try your SIM in? If that works fine then you can rule out the SIM card being at fault.
Then I'd replace the SIM card holder, it's a simple job to do and the part is really cheap as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, as i said in my 3rd last sentence, the sim card works fine in another device. The thing is that many people with an s4 have problems that are similar to mine, but they report that replacing the sim reader doesn't fix the problem, or only for a just few days. (some even said replacing the entire motherboard didn't fix it)
So that's why i'm hesitating to try replacing either one of these. If it's the only way i think i will try it though, it indeed isn't a costly part like you already said.
beertjen said:
Yes, as i said in my 3rd last sentence, the sim card works fine in another device. The thing is that many people with an s4 have problems that are similar to mine, but they report that replacing the sim reader doesn't fix the problem, or only for a just few days. (some even said replacing the entire motherboard didn't fix it)
So that's why i'm hesitating to try replacing either one of these. If it's the only way i think i will try it though, it indeed isn't a costly part like you already said.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do doubt it is a software problem.
Generally speaking, if it happens on various roms then it's probably related to hardware, or something that isn't affected by rom changes (like the modem, in this case)
Do other sims work on your phone?

Sim Card Not Recognized

Hello
A couple of days ago I took out my sim card, then tried to put back in, but couldn't because there was some resistance, so I applied a little bit of force and put the card back. The force was not that much, I don't think I broke any of the sim pins but seems like I did, because no matter what I do sim is not recognized.
How can I make sure there's a hardware problem without opening the phone?
Same problem here. It appears to be something rellated to the IMEI and now I'm trying to recover it using QPST.

SD Card - Can't Get Any to Work Anymore

V20 H918 10j (still on Nougat)
Here's when it happened:
We were going on a road trip so I shut the phone off, took out the SD card (64 gig Sandisk), then the sim card, put the SD card back in and closed up the phone. I did not turn the phone back on. Then put the sim card in my tablet so it would have data. That worked fine.
The next day, I want the sim card back in my phone, so I do the reverse. Boot up the phone and it does not see the SD card at all. I put the SD card in the tablet and the tablet sees it just fine. Back in the phone - no go. I try a couple reboots and nothing. Boot to TWRP, it doesn't see it.
I get home and dirty flash the rom (Ovrdrive). Still doesn't see the card. I try a couple other cards (32 and 64 gig sandisk) which work just fine in other devices and the computer and the phone either doesn't see the cards or it says they are corrupt. So I format a 32 gig card (I did it a couple times in both xfat and fat32), put it in the phone and the phone says it is corrupt and needs to be formatted. So I select format. The format box is immediately at 20% and then it crashes.
I tried using ES File Explorer on the phone to format it but still a no go. I re-flashed the kernel that I have been using for the last year, that didn't help either. I used contact cleaner spray and then even used a soft small paint brush to try and clean the contacts. Nothing.
I had not put any new apps or made any changes to the phone in over a month before this happened. So.... I think somehow the pins for the card somehow got damaged or just old and something just got bent or broken or tweeked. I have another V20 that got water damaged and I looked closely at the SD card pins and compared to the current phone. I can't see any difference.
I'm posting this in case anyone else has had this problem and 1. was able to resolve it or 2. replaced the sim reader and that fixed it. Sim readers on ebay are cheap, but they have to be soldered in. Something that small is beyond my skill level.
There is a thread for the G6 that talks about this same problem. No solution. Speculation about having the card reader replaced. One person did a complete factory reset twice and that didn't work. So I'm left to believe this is a hardware issue.
Cheers.

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