Database Users

[Q] SGS4 i9505 Lost Some EFS Data

Hi, I have been playing around with an i9505 and thought I had made a proper backup of my EFS data. Unfortunately that was not the case and I have only backed up the EFS partition, neglecting the others.
I then later chose the *#9090# : "DM/DUN/RmNet over HSUSB " option and allowed it to wipe my EFS data, believing I had a suitable backup.
Upon restoring said backup, my base band is unrecognized and I have no IMEI. The phone also fails to receive any signal.
My question is, will it be possible to recover from this mistake or should I consider it a brick?

d3v147 said:
Hi, I have been playing around with an i9505 and thought I had made a proper backup of my EFS data. Unfortunately that was not the case and I have only backed up the EFS partition, neglecting the others.
I then later chose the *#9090# : "DM/DUN/RmNet over HSUSB " option and allowed it to wipe my EFS data, believing I had a suitable backup.
Upon restoring said backup, my base band is unrecognized and I have no IMEI. The phone also fails to receive any signal.
My question is, will it be possible to recover from this mistake or should I consider it a brick?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can try to use Kies 3 on your laptop to reload the stock firmware.Then put your phone in Download mode (with the phone completely off, press and hold the Volume Down and Power buttons) and connect it to your PC. The OS will install the necessary drivers (this may take a few minutes) and then you can select Tools -> Emergency firmware recovery in the Kies software. It'll prompt you for the model number (enter it in CAPS) and IMEI (both found under the battery) and then it'll download the correct firmware and then install it .If the problem still persist try to follow this thread and it might help you, and if still doesnt fix Go to service center for a repair. Have a nice day.

Thank you for you prompt reply. I have tried using both versions of Kies and have not been able to do an emergency recovery.
I have since managed to get the "Qualcomm NV Tools" of "EFS professional" to work and I have confirmed that my IMEI is still present on the phone.
When i try to uses the *#9090# hidden code, all I get is a blank screen. My belief is that the modem is simply not communicating with the phone anymore due to the option I chose "DM/DUN/RmNet over HSUSB". The message I saw was:
"Warning : Must read below guide All Communication between AP/CP- will be disconnected !
To return the normal mode, you must download efs12.tar file !
All NV data will be erased !
Really you want to use RmNET ?"
I'd really like to be able to undo this if anyone can help.

Dial *#1234# and tell me what appears pls :fingers-crossed:

Typing *#1234* gives:
Version
--------------
AP : I9505XXUEMK9
CSC : I9505H3GEMJ2

Apologies for the double post. I am wondering if I backup the NV data from another working i9505 with "Qualcomm NV Tools" and then write that to my phone if that will fix the problem?
I have made a backup of my existing NV and examined the resulting text file. It would appear that nearly everything is blank, except for a couple of fields, one of which I identified as IMEI (Block 00550 / 0x0226). This field is read only which explains why I still have an IMEI.
I would be extremely grateful if somebody could send me their backup, minus the 00550 (0x0226) block so I can avoid having to convince a friend to let me play with their phone.

I have been further investigating this problem and have found that the modem is not communicating with the phone. I believe this has something to do with NV items greater than 65536. This would make sense, as the usual NV backup tools do not save/restore items with a higher address.
Of particular interest to me is :
69674^"HSUSB RMNET Over HS Core"^"USB*"
But the versions of QXDM that are available do not seem to be able to read/write this value. I am hoping there is a command of some form to do this but I am unsure.

Joku1981 said:
Dial *#1234# and tell me what appears pls :fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're funny dude.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium HD app

Hi mate,
As soon as you clear EFS folder all data IMEI SIm LOck and EFS utils are gone. What u need to do just install new EFS with utils via Odin3 downloader. I have done this way many times. We call this EFS12 file for recovery, buy IMEI and CAL data will be erased. As soos as you get 0/01 IMEI you can try repaur IMEI for example Z3X BOX

exprxp said:
Hi mate,
As soon as you clear EFS folder all data IMEI SIm LOck and EFS utils are gone. What u need to do just install new EFS with utils via Odin3 downloader. I have done this way many times. We call this EFS12 file for recovery, buy IMEI and CAL data will be erased. As soos as you get 0/01 IMEI you can try repaur IMEI for example Z3X BOX
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where do I download this "EFS12" file? I have searched high and low.

d3v147 said:
Where do I download this "EFS12" file? I have searched high and low.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2567133
NOTE 3 - Fix soft bricked.rar must be downloaded and extracted Then You have FULL EFS12 + ZEROED NVDATA

exprxp said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2567133
NOTE 3 - Fix soft bricked.rar must be downloaded and extracted Then You have FULL EFS12 + ZEROED NVDATA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I imaged all the block devices on the phone with the ones in the rar file you suggested and still: "Baseband unknown".

d3v147 said:
I imaged all the block devices on the phone with the ones in the rar file you suggested and still: "Baseband unknown".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I kept backups of all the images replaced and restored them as I had trouble loading recovery. I doubt images from another (different) phone were a great idea.
Recovery is working again but some image said there was not enough space on device to restore !?!

d3v147 said:
I kept backups of all the images replaced and restored them as I had trouble loading recovery. I doubt images from another (different) phone were a great idea.
Recovery is working again but some image said there was not enough space on device to restore !?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
You can try this way for GT-I9505 imei repair.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=51156577

[Q] SGS4 i9505 Lost Some EFS Dats
I did the same with SGS3 GT-I9305. *#9090# corrupted my S3 efs, imei and baseband.
How did you resolve your issue?
Please help!!!
Thanks

Lost my IMEI, IMEI 0000000000 and i did not backup EFS folder. GS4 SHV-E300K Korean

okay so i tried to install xposed framework via recovery since it gave me an error during normal install, the device rebooted the got stuck in a bootloop, i flashed the latest rom for the shv-e300k from sammobile, everything worked great and the device booted into touchwiz, but there was 'No service' and the phone didnt connect to mobile network, when i dial *#06# i get IMEI 0000000000000.
i tried flashing different stock and custom roms, but nothing worked.. i tried a method to restore imei by copying EFS folder and using the .nvdata file, problem is there is not .nvdata in my EFS folder, I even tried installing cyanogenmod 13 and installing xposed framework on it together with the IMEI changer module, I typed my IMEI there but still no service..
PLEASE HELP!!!!!

The NV Data no longer lives in the EFS folder but is located in a hidden partition you cannot access. Wanam Partition Backup could have backed up and restored that partition for you if you had used it, but since you didn't, you'll have to take the phone to a service center and have the service center restore the IMEI.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
The NV Data no longer lives in the EFS folder but is located in a hidden partition you cannot access. Wanam Partition Backup could have backed up and restored that partition for you if you had used it, but since you didn't, you'll have to take the phone to a service center and have the service center restore the IMEI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can you please tell me how to get to that partition using wanam partition backup ? and what is the partiton called ?

All the app does is back up and restore that partition. It doesn't let you access that partition, and besides, it's too late anyway. Your IMEI is gone, and using the app now would only back up what you currently have.
This device needs to be taken to the service center.

same problem here
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
The NV Data no longer lives in the EFS folder but is located in a hidden partition you cannot access. Wanam Partition Backup could have backed up and restored that partition for you if you had used it, but since you didn't, you'll have to take the phone to a service center and have the service center restore the IMEI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
respected dev. i have the same problem. i flash a different firmware and now my phone baseband is unknown and imei is null. after a few days of checking its still not working. i have recovered its last working condition details as you can see in the photo attached

If restoring stock firmware does not restore the imei, you will probably have to have it fixed by jtag service or repaired using a programming box like an octopus box: http://octopusbox.com

Or have the phone serviced by Samsung, as discussing tools to rewrite IMEI I don't think is permitted on XDA.

I think discussions about restoring the original imei to the original motherboard/phone is okay but discussion about changing imei or serial number to something other than the original is not permitted.

Could you please check this.
audit13 said:
I think discussions about restoring the original imei to the original motherboard/phone is okay but discussion about changing imei or serial number to something other than the original is not permitted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vivek.imeichanger
check this but before this i want to ask that can i flash other firmware so that i can get baseband back. if i get baseband then i will use the above software to install the New Imei on the Phone. Tomorrow i will try every possible method to get back the phone to life and then if i fail, i will take it to the service center but if there is any possible way that you can help us so please assist and we will appreciate your assistance. thanks Regard Muhammad Ismail

That Xposed module won't work as what it does is spoof the IMEI for apps that have reading or sending the IMEI in their permissions. It does not change the existing IMEI and cannot be used to restore a lost IMEI. It requires the Xposed framework to function in the first place, which should give you a really big clue that this won't work.
If you want to waste the time and try it I'm not going to stop you, but the resolution to the problem requires tools only Samsung has. Android can't rewrite the IMEI as the IMEI is part of the phone's low-level firmware that Android cannot touch.

check your phone box if you have lost the imei

Restoring IMEI after generic IMEI 0049...

Hello.
I'll first describe the secuence of events and then tell which solutions I've tried. Bear with me. I'll be brief.
I've bought a second hand Samsung Galaxy S4 (i9500) sold through a local carrier. By law the carrier can only give the unlock code to the original buyer of the phone, and the person from who I bought it from wasn't him/her.
I tried to unlock it by my means (basically this, trying lots of variants until "186" code dead-end), which resulted in rooting, flashing diferent modems and trying a CM based custom ROM (GearCM). Before going on any of this, I made an EFS, cdma-radio, radio, m9kefs1/2/3 backup.
As I couldn't do it, I took the phone to a repair shop, where they unlocked it with a box. Then they told me that the SIM tray was broken, and after trying a different one, they concluded that it was a software problem (I suggested it) and flashed a stock ROM from the carrier, which still didn't recognized any SIM.
This is when I took back the phone.
I've restored the EFS and flashed the correct modem (In fact I've found two which work: I9500UBUHPB2-CP and I9500UBUHOI1), but even if the SIM card is recognized, I can't connect to the network, I think, because the IMEI which displays the phone is different from the factory IMEI. In fact, is the infamous generic IMEI 0049... with IMEISV 01.
I've since tried this methods:
- Changing permissions of the EFS folder
- Flashing the stock ROM after completly wiping out the phone
- Manually deleting the EFS contents and restoring
And combinations of the above with RegionLockAway and with both working modem drivers.
I still have to try rooting an older stock ROM, maybe 4.4.2, but I wanted to ask more wise people if there is a logical, correct order to any of the above steps, or if you think I'm missing something here.
The only other answer that comes to me is that it's something done by the repair shop with the box, but still I've no conclusive proofs of that. I wanted to exhaust options.
Thanks in advance. Any answer will do good.

Restoring the EFS does nothing, as the IMEI is no longer stored in it. Thus none of the things you tried will help. You'll have to take the device back to the place who fixed it for you.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
Restoring the EFS does nothing, as the IMEI is no longer stored in it. Thus none of the things you tried will help. You'll have to take the device back to the place who fixed it for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would have thought that it was stored on it. Do you infer that from my failed attemps? Where should it be "stored"?

I don't "infer" anything. It's a fact. IMEI was stored in a file named nv_data.bin in EFS, but for some time now it's no longer been located there. It's been moved to three hidden partitions that a nandroid backup does not touch. You'd have to use Wanam Partition Backup and Restore to see the partitions in order to be able to back them up as well as restore them. Thus, your IMEI is gone, and the repair shop is going to have to fix it.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
I don't "infer" anything. It's a fact. IMEI was stored in a file named nv_data.bin in EFS, but for some time now it's no longer been located there. It's been moved to three hidden partitions that a nandroid backup does not touch, m9kefs1, m9kefs2, and m9kefs3. You'd have to use Wanam Partition Backup and Restore to see the partitions in order to be able to back them up as well as restore them. Thus, your IMEI is gone, and the repair shop is going to have to fix it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But I have a backup of those partitions, made with Wanam Partition Backup. I've restored them in this order: cdma-radio, EFS, radio, m9kefs1, m9kefs2, m9kefs3. Somehow, its not working.
That's why I think maybe it has to do with the order of the steps I'm taking, maybe even before restoring the partitions.

I edited my post while you were making yours.
My backup consists of much more than those three partitions. I have in addition to those efs.img, fsg.img, modemst1.img, and modemst2.img. The IMEI is in one of those partitions, NOT EFS.

Well then... I hope they can repair the IMEI then. It would be a damn shame if not... Thanks for your time.

Restoring EFS from another phone

I tried to see what happens if I restore EFS from X820 into X829. I expected both phones would have same IMEI. But instead IMEI, ESN etc. seemed to be empty in X829 after restore. Restoring own EFS from X829 to X829 restores everything.
Can anybody explain why this is happening?

yurtesen said:
I tried to see what happens if I restore EFS from X820 into X829. I expected both phones would have same IMEI. But instead IMEI, ESN etc. seemed to be empty in X829 after restore. Restoring own EFS from X829 to X829 restores everything.
Can anybody explain why this is happening?
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Click to collapse
you cannot simply do that, the NV memory of the MSM8996 is not part of the EMMC. The EFS that you restored in twrp is the partition that resides in the EMMC ( Internal memory).
To restore the NV memory of a phone from another phone, I don't know how it works for the MSM8996, but for other phones (older qualcomm based ones) you need to have a connection to the phone COM port (USB diag mode) and tools like NV backup ... (I don't remember the exact name). But even with that, there are some hardware differences that cannot be changed with the NV restore (read-only memory)

@leptdre but I see new NV items using NV Explorer which didn't exist before, after restoring EFS. Also the OS is not able to read IMEI but I am able to set it again using QPST.
It is strange..There must be a way to completely clone the phone I think, we must be missing some info... Anyway, thanks for the response...

Actually you could do it if you have a EFS recovery. You can restore the EFS within TWRP restore. However, it would of course need to be from the identical phone. If its from a different rom, it may or may not work depending if the EFS was written to be cross rom/generation compatible. For example I know that this does not work with attempting to restore EUI 5.8.21s to a EUI 5.8.28s build. ( I tried it it)

Axon 7 mini B2017G Australian firmware request

Hi,
I have Axon 7 mini B2017G and I have lost network signal.
This initially happened after updating firmware to EU (to get 7.1.1) I noticed sound not working. So I tried to root phone for TWRP and Lineage but that resulted in IMEI 0 for both IMEI's.
I have since restored both original IMEI but still cannot get signal for more than 30seconds after a full factory reset. Regardless of firmware, rooted or not rooted etc etc.
Seems I have lost important NV data while messing with Modems and restoring IMEI etc.
Can someone please do a full EDL backup with "Axon7_Mini_EDL_Tool" of All partitions (including modemst1, modemst2 fsg) so I can restore baseband configuration, modem partitions etc???
If that isn't an option for someone with the same phone as me, then can you please backup NV items as QCN file so I can try repair my network issue??
The idea i have is to restore ALL partitions from exact same model/version and then restore my original IMEI's in the hopes that I can once again register GSM network and use the phone.
Thank you

Sorted.

sixcherries said:
Hi,
I have Axon 7 mini B2017G and I have lost network signal.
This initially happened after updating firmware to EU (to get 7.1.1) I noticed sound not working. So I tried to root phone for TWRP and Lineage but that resulted in IMEI 0 for both IMEI's.
I have since restored both original IMEI but still cannot get signal for more than 30seconds after a full factory reset. Regardless of firmware, rooted or not rooted etc etc.
Seems I have lost important NV data while messing with Modems and restoring IMEI etc.
Can someone please do a full EDL backup with "Axon7_Mini_EDL_Tool" of All partitions (including modemst1, modemst2 fsg) so I can restore baseband configuration, modem partitions etc???
If that isn't an option for someone with the same phone as me, then can you please backup NV items as QCN file so I can try repair my network issue??
The idea i have is to restore ALL partitions from exact same model/version and then restore my original IMEI's in the hopes that I can once again register GSM network and use the phone.
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same happened to me after messing with network setting, SIM 1 now stuck on LTE mode only which has limited coverage in some areas. SIM 2 is working fine.
I read somewhere that if you downgrade to Marshmallow, it might solve your problem.
I don't know what to do :crying::crying::crying: