Database Users

Not Registered on Network

Hi guys,
I recently picked up a used S4 on Craigslist for cheap because the guy "screwed up" using Odin and flashed something that caused his phone to not register on any networks. I figured, what the hell, it's cheap enough and I might be able to restore it. So far I've restored the Rogers firmware over Odin and tried installing a custom rom/recovery too. I'm still getting this problem unfortunately. The IMEI reported with *#06# and in the status screen does match the sticker on the inside of the phone.
So I'm sure everyone's going to suggest that the phone was stolen and the IMEI has been blacklisted. My provider (Fido/Rogers) apparently doesn't care if the IMEI is blacklisted, they'll let it run anyway. I called up Fido anyway (since I'm a Fido customer) and asked them about the IMEI of this phone and they say they don't have any record of anyone calling in reporting it stolen and they don't have an IMEI database so she didn't have much to say about it.
Does anyone have any other suggestions? I've also flashed just the kernel, and I will flash a modem onto it too. I know my SIM card works, and both my SIM card and the last owners SIM cards don't work. I know the radio works because it picks up the emergency signal fine, and the SIM tray isn't damaged because when I put in my Fido SIM the Fido APN's automatically come up, as well as the lock screen goes from "No SIM inserted" to "unregistered SIM." Could my EFS partition be borked? Wifi works and IMEI shows up correctly.
The buyer said he would take the phone back if I can't fix it, but I want to try a bit more before I give up. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, that would be great. Thanks a lot in advance XDA!
Summary:
-Used S4
-Owner flashed something wrong in Odin
-Gets "Not registered to network" error, unregistered SIM error
-Tried restoring
-Tried new ROM/Recovery
-Carrier says IMEI is fine, also tried directly registering the IMEI to my account
-IMEI is correct in settings/sticker on back of phone
-Wifi/everything else all works

Sounds like it's SIM locked to a different network. Try the the guide here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2285431

MatinatorX said:
Sounds like it's SIM locked to a different network. Try the the guide here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2285431
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My girlfriend has a Bell sim, which when we insert, gives us the "Please enter unlock code" screen.
My sim does not do that. I know this device is for my carrier, but I figure the easiest way to get this going is to just unlock it and see if the problem persists on other networks.
I've tried that unlock tutorial before. The first time I tried it, when I just got the phone from the previous owner, it said "Golden-backup does not exist" so I couldn't do the restore step of that guide. After Odin-flashing everything and starting over, I can't even get into the UMTS menu anymore! I'll try another restore and give it another go though.
Edit: Another problem. I did a restore again using Odin and notices that it never properly wipes the phone. When I finish flashing, my Wifi still autoconnects on first boot, and every few seconds, a process crashes causing the phone to freeze. Has anyone heard of this kind of problem before?

Quick update:
Managed to Odin-flash it to the earliest firmware I could find for the phone without any crashing or freezing problems. Trying to do the network unlock method mentioned online. It does not work, even though I'm following the instructions to a T. Could it be that my EFS partition is borked and that the NV rebuild can't happen, meaning my radio configuration would also be borked?
Edit: Oh and when I booted up my phone for the first time, the phone was actually ON Fido! But within a few seconds, it went back to "Emergency calls only."

Hmm, that is some odd behavior, and definitely not a carrier lock. Shame it's never that simple to fix.
Not quite the same as your issue, but I lost my ability to make and receive calls after flashing a newer modem on an AOSP firmware. Flashing custom kernels, older modems, the latest stock rom and kernel were no help at all. I tried everything I could think of short of groveling. In the end the only way I got everything working again was to flash the original factory firmware my phone shipped with, factory wipe it from stock recovery, then flash it again. If you've already tried that (and I'm guessing you have), consider contacting Samsung regarding warranty. They've been really good to me in the past, even with second-hand phones.
I can confirm that Odin doesn't clean everything out. In my trials I also noticed that flashing via ODIN without a factory reset presented no setup wizard, caused lots of FC's and left some previous files hanging around.

Sounds like a bad sim tray.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

make sim fit tighter
graydiggy said:
Sounds like a bad sim tray.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had trouble with my handset after it got run over in the street, making it's otterbox earn it's money. The only bad symptom after that episode was Emergency calls only kept recurring.
I cut a tiny square of transparent scotch tape, avoided touching the sticky side, and placed it squarely on the SIM chip's backside, to make it fit the sim slot more snugly. It sounds like you should try stacking two or three layers on your chip as it sounds to be more loose than mine is.

Hi everybody! Thanks for all the help trying to fix it! It ended up being that the guys the previous owner had unlock it used the debug-menu unlock method and my phone was one of the ones that doesn't accept it. Lots of other people complained about similar problems as me in the free unlock method thread. In the end, I paid for the FastGSM USB Unlock method and it fixed the problem.

OH MY GOSH YOU JUST SAVED ME from buying another phone!! THANKS so much.. I added 3 layers of tape on the back of my sim and it works!!! weird.. cause I have the Dual Sim.. and it was the first sim that would not work. the second sim was fine.. anyways.. THANKS SO MUCH!!

(HELP)Galaxy S4 I-9500 NO SIM

Hello, I am using galaxy s4-I9500 non rooted. I was on vacation when I came back and switched on my phone it shows "Insert SIM card to access network services"...I tried checking my sim card on other phone and it works well I tried inserting different sim cards but none worked. After googling lot I checked my imei it is "NULL" and baseband is "unavailable" .. Kindly suggest me what should I do. I never rooted my phone before.
I tried factory reset
Inserting different sim
Draining battery charging it back and using.
Flashing with factory ROM through ODIN.
Prompt reply is highly appreciated.

ankitdashora said:
Hello, I am using galaxy s4-I9500 non rooted. I was on vacation when I came back and switched on my phone it shows "Insert SIM card to access network services"...I tried checking my sim card on other phone and it works well I tried inserting different sim cards but none worked. After googling lot I checked my imei it is "NULL" and baseband is "unavailable" .. Kindly suggest me what should I do. I never rooted my phone before.
I tried factory reset
Inserting different sim
Draining battery charging it back and using.
Flashing with factory ROM through ODIN.
Prompt reply is highly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
You must to go to your provider or the shop when you baught your S4 and change the sim reader

reply
64Daniel said:
Hi
You must to go to your provider or the shop when you baught your S4 and change the sim reader
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought that earlier but what hardware has to do with IMEI and baseband unavailable?
2nd my phone is factory unlocked..

ankitdashora said:
I thought that earlier but what hardware has to do with IMEI and baseband unavailable?
2nd my phone is factory unlocked..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what is your current firmware?? dial *#1234#

64Daniel said:
Hi
You must to go to your provider or the shop when you baught your S4 and change the sim reader
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
samersh72 said:
what is your current firmware?? dial *#1234#
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It shows
AP:I9500XXUEMK9
CSC: I9500ODDEMK9

ankitdashora said:
It shows
AP:I9500XXUEMK9
CSC: I9500ODDEMK9
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What was the source of it? OTA/official update? If so, and if you did not rooted your phone - go to provider/service.
Most likely, your efs partition is screwed up. If you do not have backup - poor chances for restoring it.

spamtrash said:
What was the source of it? OTA/official update? If so, and if you did not rooted your phone - go to provider/service.
Most likely, your efs partition is screwed up. If you do not have backup - poor chances for restoring it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, what do you mean source of it? I usually update my phone over the air by official samsung updated.. All i read is efs partition is screwed only if you root but i never tried to root my phone..

ankitdashora said:
Sorry, what do you mean source of it? I usually update my phone over the air by official samsung updated.. All i read is efs partition is screwed only if you root but i never tried to root my phone..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OTA = off the air, so you have the official ROM. In rare cases, efs can be damaged by that. Call nearest Sammy Service Center.

No solution so far !! Need help guys

[Q] Help - No sim card error

Hello,
i have got a S4 which has been rooted and flashed. It worked fine for a while but now every now and then i get a error message saying there is no sim card in it. When i reboot the phone it works normal again, without touching the sim or opening it.
I have cleaned sim card and contacts but that did not help.
Any ideas what else to try?
TIA

dosada said:
Hello,
i have got a S4 which has been rooted and flashed. It worked fine for a while but now every now and then i get a error message saying there is no sim card in it. When i reboot the phone it works normal again, without touching the sim or opening it.
I have cleaned sim card and contacts but that did not help.
Any ideas what else to try?
TIA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi ,
SIM card problems if they are not hardware related , they are usually caused by IMEI ( efs folder) or wrong modem if you have and efs folder backup , restore it.
What S4 you have , what rom do you have , what modem do you have??
When it fails to recognize the sim card check your IMEI dial *#06#

Hello,
i have tried everything i can think of without any success. It is a Samsung Gt-I9505.
The problem with checking IMEI when it does not recognize the SIM card is that i can't do anything but restart it. There is a error message with restart as the only option.
Now it is doing it as soon as it starts up. I never have to remove the SIM card so the phone recognizes it, just a simple restart without touching the SIM is enough.
I am on the last official Australian ROM. Baseband I9505XXUGNH6, Hernel 3.4.0-2309103 Build number KOT49H.I9505XXUGNH6
I have tried it with another SIM and same thing happens so it is not because of the SIM card.
Any ideas what else to try? I do not have any back ups of anything.
MAX 404 said:
Hi ,
SIM card problems if they are not hardware related , they are usually caused by IMEI ( efs folder) or wrong modem if you have and efs folder backup , restore it.
What S4 you have , what rom do you have , what modem do you have??
When it fails to recognize the sim card check your IMEI dial *#06#
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

dosada said:
Hello,
i have tried everything i can think of without any success. It is a Samsung Gt-I9505.
The problem with checking IMEI when it does not recognize the SIM card is that i can't do anything but restart it. There is a error message with restart as the only option.
Now it is doing it as soon as it starts up. I never have to remove the SIM card so the phone recognizes it, just a simple restart without touching the SIM is enough.
I am on the last official Australian ROM. Baseband I9505XXUGNH6, Hernel 3.4.0-2309103 Build number KOT49H.I9505XXUGNH6
I have tried it with another SIM and same thing happens so it is not because of the SIM card.
Any ideas what else to try? I do not have any back ups of anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi mate,
Your case is not clear , it does not look like firmware but i would not discard that possibility , do you have stock or custom rom? try to reflash
Also there is a chance for what you tell me that the sim caddy may be defective

MAX 404 said:
Hi mate,
Your case is not clear , it does not look like firmware but i would not discard that possibility , do you have stock or custom rom? try to reflash
Also there is a chance for what you tell me that the sim caddy may be defective
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am on official ROM, flashed over ODIN. You recommended to check the IMEI when this happens but i can't because the only option is to restart the phone.

dosada said:
I am on official ROM, flashed over ODIN. You recommended to check the IMEI when this happens but i can't because the only option is to restart the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please more details
When you have the no sim errors it does not allow you to dial *#06# ? why does the phone freeze ?

MAX 404 said:
Please more details
When you have the no sim errors it does not allow you to dial *#06# ? why does the phone freeze ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it does not freeze but a pop up shows with only one option "restart". I tried to touch the screen, home or return button but nothing works but touching the restart button.

dosada said:
No, it does not freeze but a pop up shows with only one option "restart". I tried to touch the screen, home or return button but nothing works but touching the restart button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see, is strange if you said that whith a reboot works fine it make me think more in a hardware issue...maybe the sim caddy..

This phone is driving me crazy. The replacement SIM reader arrived today and i replaced it. Now it does not find any SIM, just getting NO SIM error as soon as it starts up. I tried putting back in the old reader but the same happens.
Anyone any idea what to do or just recycle the damn phone?

Come on guys there must be someone with an idea

Android Oreo unknown IMEI

I've ran Oreo before with no issues but now it's saying that I don't have a SIM card inserted and that I have no IMEI or anything.. don't know what to do

You need to restore your EFS partition backup mate... I hope you have it somewhere.

turboedm said:
I've ran Oreo before with no issues but now it's saying that I don't have a SIM card inserted and that I have no IMEI or anything.. don't know what to do
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you had your SIM out lately? No SIM detected is different from No Service. It may be your SIM slot is dirty or loose. Try another SIM to be sure. Some people with loose SIMs have put stuck a piece of paper or tape to the back of the SIM to press the gold contacts better against the contacts in the phone. If possible, try a SIM from a different carrier just for a few minutes to see if that SIM is detected. If you are getting a good connection you should see No Service, not SIM not detected. Lastly, if you have EVER made a backup from TWRP and still have it, you may have backed up a copy of your EFS partition. That or maybe you know someone else with a N6P that did. You can use that backup to restore the EFS partition.

v12xke said:
Have you had your SIM out lately? No SIM detected is different from No Service. It may be your SIM slot is dirty or loose. Try another SIM to be sure. Some people with loose SIMs have put stuck a piece of paper or tape to the back of the SIM to press the gold contacts better against the contacts in the phone. If possible, try a SIM from a different carrier just for a few minutes to see if that SIM is detected. If you are getting a good connection you should see No Service, not SIM not detected. Lastly, if you have EVER made a backup from TWRP and still have it, you may have backed up a copy of your EFS partition. That or maybe you know someone else with a N6P that did. You can use that backup to restore the EFS partition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey!
It works on Nougat. I just did a full reset with Oreo factory images and I have bars! EFS partition is fully intact. Thank you though, I am definitely going to backup my EFS and keep it in a safe place.

Update: I did a system wipe and installed a custom Oreo ROM and.. it.. went back to the same thing. Now I don't think it's the ROM, because I went to a stock FOTA package and it did the same thing. Guess I won't be using Oreo on this phone anytime soon.
Edit: I've made a logcat and I seem to have found the issue, but I don't know why that's happening..

Cannot update my baseband

Hi everyone.
I have a problem with a Samsung S4 GT-I9505 which I bought as used. The phone came with stock rom, and with baseband I9505XXUHOJ2.
Then I updated it to the latest stock rom for my country, which is I9505XXUHPK2-ITV, with Odin. After reboot and factory wipe everything, the phone info shows build LRX22C.I9505XXUHPK2, but baseband is still I9505XXUHOJ2, which according to letter coding, should be previous.
This phone does not register SIM, nor see the SDCARD. Thinking it was damaged, I even changed the sdcard+sim slot with a new one, without success. I suppose the baseband may be the cause of missed SIM registration to the network.
What do you think is preventing the baseband to be updated? I'm out of clues

Never mind. I finally updated baseband reiterating Combined Modem+NON_HLOS flashing. However I did not solve the problem with SDCARD and SIM

micchese said:
Never mind. I finally updated baseband reiterating Combined Modem+NON_HLOS flashing. However I did not solve the problem with SDCARD and SIM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
Check my S4 Unified Collection & Guides and follow the steps of the Guide Clean Install Official Stock ROM.

Sir, I followed your guide step by step. Now I have Stock-rom XXUHQK1, and the same for the baseband.
Unfortunately, the SIM and SDCard is not detected. I think it's an hardware issue. I have other S4 I9505 phones and they behave differently than this one.

micchese said:
Sir, I followed your guide step by step. Now I have Stock-rom XXUHQK1, and the same for the baseband.
Unfortunately, the SIM and SDCard is not detected. I think it's an hardware issue. I have other S4 I9505 phones and they behave differently than this one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that is the case, it's relatively easy to replace the SIM card tray, provided the part is still available for purchase from Amazon or similar sites.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
If that is the case, it's relatively easy to replace the SIM card tray, provided the part is still available for purchase from Amazon or similar sites.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said in the first message, thinking it was damaged, I even changed the sdcard+sim card tray with a new one, without success. So the problem is not the card tray afaik.

When you swapped out the tray did you transfer to the new part the foam pad that sits atop the connection to the motherboard? If you didn't do that, you will have problems, especially the SIM not being recognized.
However, the foam doesn't result in an immediate disconnect but a gradual one. So, we have a few different possibilities here.
1. The SIM itself is damaged.
2. The device was unlocked by its previous owner using a service menu exploit, and when you restored the firmware you wiped the exploit.
3. The EFS partition is corrupted or lost.
The first can be easily tested.
The second? I ran into this exact issue myself: at the same time my SIM tray failed, which made resolving things challenging. It can be remedied by downgrading to an Android 4.2.2 ROM and running RegionLock Away by Chainfire.
The third? That one only Samsung can help with, as the EFS partition stores the IMEI and NV RAM of the S4, and unless you ran Wanam Partition Backup beforehand, there's no way to restore it.

With the premise that my problem is not limited to the SIM, but involves also the SD Card which is not detected when inserted, let me reply to your points:
1) The SIM is good and valid, as it registers to the network in another S4 I9505 which is fully operational
3) Before upgrading, I installed TWRP and made a backup of EFS partition. After checking the new EFS partition with the old, there are no differences beside a few bytes here and there, however nothing which reminds me an IMEI (they seem more like file date updates in filesystem)
2) Can you be more specific here, I never heard of this before. The previous owner, once contacted said he used this phone as daily driver until 2018. He live in my same country, and the stock firmware should have nothing locked or needing an exploit. Again, provided this would prevent SIM from registering, do you think this could also influence SD Card too?
I'm more and more concerned that the problem is hardware related. Pressing the SDCard slot connector to the mainboard, like other users have reported successfully, didn't change anything. Maybe the mainboard isn't giving the SDCard slot the correct powerage. I have seen on eBay other mainboards sold as not working with this very same defect, wifi working and SIM not registering.