Database Info

Random Shut Down Issue - Theory: Let's compare apps

Some of us are having problems with our Captivate randomly shutting down. AT&T technical support thinks it could be apps that we've installed. Could they be right? My replacement device didn't start shutting down again after 3-4 days of owning it. By that time, I have already installed some favorite apps. Here's my list. Let's compare and figure this out. It's just a theory. Can't hurt.
<<<< OMG! While typing this new thread to turn on my phone so I can see the list of apps I have installed, MY PHONE TURNED OFF ON ME! WHAT THE...!!! >>> Anyway...
Apps installed:
-SMS Back Up and Restore
-Yahoo! Mail for Android
-Adobe Reader
-XDA-Developers
-Market History Manager
-Speedtest.net
-Google Maps

Mine never did it until I set advanced tag killer to harsh every half hour. I watered down the harshness a little bit and it hasn't shut off since
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Theres a thread in the vibrant section that's about the same problem and it happens after 3 days could try there
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

Thanks. I just posted on an existing thread over there. I will do a hardware master reset later and observe again the next 3-4 days. Samsung gave me the directions. (Hold the volume up and down plus the power button, all 3 buttons for 15 seconds, etc.)

most are saying that its bad RAM/memory and exchanging the handset fixed all the problems

andy2na said:
most are saying that its bad RAM/memory and exchanging the handset fixed all the problems
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Click to collapse
Is there a memtest type application for android? Bad memory would make sense, but so would a number of other theories.

Ur welcome hope it helps and u get it figured out
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

RexEscape said:
Thanks. I just posted on an existing thread over there. I will do a hardware master reset later and observe again the next 3-4 days. Samsung gave me the directions. (Hold the volume up and down plus the power button, all 3 buttons for 15 seconds, etc.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that's their answer for all problems, big and small. I'm sure in some cases it's valid, but the reset is used more as a "what the hell' reply rather than a knowledge-based solution.

Jack45 said:
Yeah, that's their answer for all problems, big and small. I'm sure in some cases it's valid, but the reset is used more as a "what the hell' reply rather than a knowledge-based solution.
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Click to collapse
...which I agree to some point. Some users just end up loading crap on devices which screws things up (some of the apps mentioned above might be crap, or not, not sure, it's only a theory. Of course, a perfect device is a unit that can withstand ANY apps you feed to it. But we don't have THE perfect device (yet, or ever).
I will do the hardware master reset in a few minutes and not load anything for 3-4 days (but I will enter my Gmail account and let it sync with my Contacts, Calendar, and Email, but that's it...for now).

RexEscape said:
...which I agree to some point. Some users just end up loading crap on devices which screws things up (some of the apps mentioned above might be crap, or not, not sure, it's only a theory. Of course, a perfect device is a unit that can withstand ANY apps you feed to it. But we don't have THE perfect device (yet, or ever).
I will do the hardware master reset in a few minutes and not load anything for 3-4 days (but I will enter my Gmail account and let it sync with my Contacts, Calendar, and Email, but that's it...for now).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What steers me away from the app theory is that there have been several posts indicating that the random shutdowns have occurred with a stock device. No apps downloaded / installed.
I don't have an answer except to say that the master reset can't hurt. Realistically, though, if you go a few days without a shutdown don't sit back and smile like the Cheshire Cat. Sometimes the shutdowns occur weeks into ownership. I'm not being negative, just realistic.
I wish you well.

Jack45 said:
What steers me away from the app theory is that there have been several posts indicating that the random shutdowns have occurred with a stock device. No apps downloaded / installed.
I don't have an answer except to say that the master reset can't hurt. Realistically, though, if you go a few days without a shutdown don't sit back and smile like the Cheshire Cat. Sometimes the shutdowns occur weeks into ownership. I'm not being negative, just realistic.
I wish you well.
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Click to collapse
Agreed. Like I said, this is my second device and the shutdowns didn't start until 3-4 days after ownership on both devices. The reality (for me) is that the Captivate isn't so great after all after two devices already (sorry to say) but I'm not going to give up just yet. I have until the 31st to decide whether I will continue this 30-day early upgrade trial or take it back and continue to use my HTC Fuze and just let my contract expire (in October). If I take it back, come October, I will decide whether I will stay with AT&T and take on another (hopefully bug-free) Captivate, or move to Verizon and check out their Android phones -- HTC and Motorola devices!

I just did a hardware master reset. It isn't exactly a hardware master reset like the tech guy described it. He gave me the directions to "delete user data". It deleted the apps that I have downloaded from the Market, and other things. I don't know what else. However, when it booted up again, I noticed my settings and widgets are still there. My homescreen was still customized the way I had it. So, it's not a total master reset. The software Factory Reset isn't also a total (software) reset. I did that and found some folders left in my internal memory (not my external MicroSD) from the previous working session. Hmm..

my captivate started to shutdown about five days ago. it's been doing it once a day, always in the morning. i wonder if it has something to do with the power management. the phone is always charged overnight and the shutdowns always seem to happen about an hour or so after i unplug it from the charger.
the one day it didn't shut down, i noticed that the lock screen was unresponsive (ie i couldn't unlock the phone) and i ended up having to power down the phone anyway.

vksf01 said:
my captivate started to shutdown about five days ago. it's been doing it once a day, always in the morning. i wonder if it has something to do with the power management. the phone is always charged overnight and the shutdowns always seem to happen about an hour or so after i unplug it from the charger.
the one day it didn't shut down, i noticed that the lock screen was unresponsive (ie i couldn't unlock the phone) and i ended up having to power down the phone anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exactly how it happens on mine.

i'll see what happens over the rest of the week and then try the master reset. if it still happens, i'm going to return this for another one. unfortunately, i've had it for over 30 days.

vksf01 said:
i'll see what happens over the rest of the week and then try the master reset. if it still happens, i'm going to return this for another one. unfortunately, i've had it for over 30 days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even after 30 days, you will still be able to return it (maybe to Samsung) for repair or a replacement. Good luck.

vksf01 said:
my captivate started to shutdown about five days ago. it's been doing it once a day, always in the morning. i wonder if it has something to do with the power management. the phone is always charged overnight and the shutdowns always seem to happen about an hour or so after i unplug it from the charger.
the one day it didn't shut down, i noticed that the lock screen was unresponsive (ie i couldn't unlock the phone) and i ended up having to power down the phone anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine has shut down twice, and I've only had it for 12 days. As you described, it happened both times in the morning, following a recharge.
I had to remove and replace the battery to get it to turn back on, is that the same thing that happened to you? I mean to say, did you have to remove and replace the battery to get it to work again?

The two Captivates I've owned (and returned due to a combination of GPS and Random Shut Downs) have shut down on me even in the middle of the day (not only in the morning after recharging for the night). It shut down on me while getting my afternoon coffee. I was showing the phone to the Barista, set the phone down on the counter to pay, picked it up, walked back to my office and just when I'm about to wake it up, it does the bootup. It also shut down on me at night while walking in the dark. I noticed my pocket lit up. I pulled out my phone and I saw the Shut Down screen as if you had pressed and held the power button (but nothing else was in my pocket that could have pressed the button!).
Random, I tell ya. Random.

pmpntl said:
exactly how it happens on mine.
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Click to collapse
Larry202br said:
Mine has shut down twice, and I've only had it for 12 days. As you described, it happened both times in the morning, following a recharge.
I had to remove and replace the battery to get it to turn back on, is that the same thing that happened to you? I mean to say, did you have to remove and replace the battery to get it to work again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no, i just turned it back on using the power button.

I just wanted to chime in to say that I am having the same problem. Random shutdowns, not necessarily related to charging. Often they are in the morning however. For me it has been happening a few times a day. Likewise, it seems to have not happened at first, but began a few days ago (I have owned the phone about 2 weeks.)
Are you guys rooted? I have tried unrooting to see if that matters. I don't know why it would, but perhaps...

People with Refurbished Phones

For those who have used their warrantee to get a refurbished phone, is it working better than the new one you had? OR are you still experiencing problems? If so, what kind of problems are you experiencing (random shutdowns, reboots, no 3 button recovery, etc)? Chime in!

I have been using a "refurbished " phone now for over 20 days and dont have any issues.. The only problem I was having was with the batteries overheating and that was solved when att kindly sent me a new battery free of charge.
I also dont think the phone is really refurbished.. How can they refurbish something so quickly??

I have a warranty swap also. There is just no way this thing was a refurb I completely agree. No marks on any part of it and screen is perfect covered in original plastic. Refurbs will take a few more months to show up I think. My warranty swap doesn't freeze on me anymore but gps can't really lock still..

three button works fine btw

thanks for the replies guys. this eases my mind. my phone has randomly shut off on me. i dont want to risk setting an alarm for work/school and not being able to wake up because the phone turned off.

anyone else w/ refurbished phones?

Should have mine Tuesday, Wednesday at the latest. My current one shuts down every time I power it on and let it idle for a few minutes. I didn't even bother turning the phone on today but like 3 times. My first Captivate was perfectly fine, but somehow it got a scratch on the screen, so I decided to swap it for a new one. Now this one has the shut downs non stop all day.

88EVGAFTW said:
Should have mine Tuesday, Wednesday at the latest. My current one shuts down every time I power it on and let it idle for a few minutes. I didn't even bother turning the phone on today but like 3 times. My first Captivate was perfectly fine, but somehow it got a scratch on the screen, so I decided to swap it for a new one. Now this one has the shut downs non stop all day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
please chime back in and let us know how the new phone is. let me know if it looks brand new

bump......

WTF is wrong with this phone?

Hey guys.. So I've had my inspire for about 2 or 3 months now, and this thing is driving me apeshhh. Here is why...
For a few weeks now, the phone would randomly restart in the middle of doing something, always random. Sometimes while writing a msg in the stock facebook app. Sometimes when browsing market, sometimes when browsing using the web browser. Today I wanted to download Astro to see if the music I put on the phone went to external or internal SD. As soon as the download finished, the phone restarted. After it booted back up I looked through apps, and it never installed. I went back to market and searched it, pulled it up, and it shows installing.... let it sit for 5 minutes... nothing. Restarted, same thing. Pulled the battery... same thing... I can't cancel it, or try again. It will now no longer install anything else.
I figured maybe it needs to download something that it just doesn't have the network speed to use, and trying turning on wifi. IT WONT EVEN TURN ON. Under the settings menu to turn it on, it says error. When i tap on it, the error msg just goes off then comes back right away.
Anybody else experience this? I really wish SOMEBODY would come out with a decent f**king phone on the AT&T network.... I guess I can now add HTC to the list of people that can't build a decent phone. Just below Samsung... (What a POS line of phones they have released).
Anyway, phone is stock, not rooted, nothing turned off, completely stock.
How does the warrenty work now? I bought the phone outright, cash, $500... for this....
Thanks for any help.

Could be your phone mate. I've had this phone maybe about three months and haven't experienced those issues. Just might be a lemon you have. Where did you purchase the phone?
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA Premium App

I bought the phone at an authorized AT&T retailer store. The kind you find in common shopping strips.

Try to see if they will give you a replacement
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA Premium App

GTIVRon said:
Hey guys.. So I've had my inspire for about 2 or 3 months now, and this thing is driving me apeshhh. Here is why...
For a few weeks now, the phone would randomly restart in the middle of doing something, always random. Sometimes while writing a msg in the stock facebook app. Sometimes when browsing market, sometimes when browsing using the web browser. Today I wanted to download Astro to see if the music I put on the phone went to external or internal SD. As soon as the download finished, the phone restarted. After it booted back up I looked through apps, and it never installed. I went back to market and searched it, pulled it up, and it shows installing.... let it sit for 5 minutes... nothing. Restarted, same thing. Pulled the battery... same thing... I can't cancel it, or try again. It will now no longer install anything else.
I figured maybe it needs to download something that it just doesn't have the network speed to use, and trying turning on wifi. IT WONT EVEN TURN ON. Under the settings menu to turn it on, it says error. When i tap on it, the error msg just goes off then comes back right away.
Anybody else experience this? I really wish SOMEBODY would come out with a decent f**king phone on the AT&T network.... I guess I can now add HTC to the list of people that can't build a decent phone. Just below Samsung... (What a POS line of phones they have released).
Anyway, phone is stock, not rooted, nothing turned off, completely stock.
How does the warrenty work now? I bought the phone outright, cash, $500... for this....
Thanks for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Back up your stuff and factory reset. If that doesn't work then either Root it and try a different ROM or get a replacement phone.

You might want to look at the thread in here about random shutdowns. It looks like the batteries on these phones can be the culprit. My phone randomly shutdown, sometimes restarted. I thought it was a ROM I had loaded at first. The problem got progressively worse no matter what ROM I used. It would do it maybe once a day & then within less than 3 weeks I have to keep it plugged in all the time. It happened when I opened a power-intensive app like navigation or a game. The battery is covered under warranty.

This issue seems to be rather uncommon, but it does exist.
Nothing compared to what Captivate owners went through.
Lemons do happen, but as suggested, I'd try another battery first. If that doesn't solve the problem, there shouldn't be any issue with getting a warranty replacement.
And that warranty replacement will, with near certainty, be a good one. Again, unlike the Captivate.

I've had mine for about 3 months with none of these issues. HTC phones for me have been great. Even their customer service and support if their products. And I have had Samsung,motorolla, and LG none at the same level of build quality. If you continue having problems get in touch with the HTC support they will help if not let u know if you can get a replacement.
Sent from my Inspire 4g running ClearDroid 1.1.2

I am a former captivate owner. That phone was so bad that it destroyed it's own internal memory. Every app continously force close, every process, upon startup one day. Restored a backup, got nothing, reflashed, got nothing, mounted it and formated it then ran a memory checking utility on my computer with it, and it showed like 46% of the sectors being bad, after then 2nd test somewhere in the high 50s. I promtly punched in the screen and folded the phone in half, and tore it into 2 pieces... So i think that may be why I'm relatively patient with this phone.. (that was also my 3rd captivate replacement). (Debating using a picture of the phone as-is in a DIY to fixing captivates and post it in that forum... get all your frustration out and buy a new phone.. ha ha.)
I will call HTC and see talk to a rep, maybe they know more about the problem and will be able to determine whether the phone or the battery is at fault.
Also, factory reset did not fix the wifi problem. Instead of immediately going back to error under it's status, and spent about 10 seconds trying to connect, then came up with error. This leads me to believe it's hardware related.
I will most likely push for a replacement phone then. I do have a concern with that though... My phone has never gotten wet, and only has a small indication of falling out of my pocket while sitting in a stadium chair (maybe a 12 inch drop onto concrete). Will this void my warrenty? The scar left behind is hardly noticeable, but if they looked for it, it will be seen. Another thing is, when I pull my battery cover off, there are 2 screws along the side, one is covered by a sticker that reads VOID, black sticker with white text. Is that some kind of indicator of water damage? I'm more familiar with white stickers turning red or pink from water damage... and as said, this phones never been wet.
Thanks again for the help.

At&t is usually good about replacing defective phones and will be faster than dealing with htc. You obviously have experience with at&t warranty having owned a captivate.

GTIVRon said:
I am a former captivate owner. That phone was so bad that it destroyed it's own internal memory. Every app continously force close, every process, upon startup one day. Restored a backup, got nothing, reflashed, got nothing, mounted it and formated it then ran a memory checking utility on my computer with it, and it showed like 46% of the sectors being bad, after then 2nd test somewhere in the high 50s. I promtly punched in the screen and folded the phone in half, and tore it into 2 pieces... So i think that may be why I'm relatively patient with this phone.. (that was also my 3rd captivate replacement). (Debating using a picture of the phone as-is in a DIY to fixing captivates and post it in that forum... get all your frustration out and buy a new phone.. ha ha.)
I will call HTC and see talk to a rep, maybe they know more about the problem and will be able to determine whether the phone or the battery is at fault.
Also, factory reset did not fix the wifi problem. Instead of immediately going back to error under it's status, and spent about 10 seconds trying to connect, then came up with error. This leads me to believe it's hardware related.
I will most likely push for a replacement phone then. I do have a concern with that though... My phone has never gotten wet, and only has a small indication of falling out of my pocket while sitting in a stadium chair (maybe a 12 inch drop onto concrete). Will this void my warrenty? The scar left behind is hardly noticeable, but if they looked for it, it will be seen. Another thing is, when I pull my battery cover off, there are 2 screws along the side, one is covered by a sticker that reads VOID, black sticker with white text. Is that some kind of indicator of water damage? I'm more familiar with white stickers turning red or pink from water damage... and as said, this phones never been wet.
Thanks again for the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those stickers are intact right? As long as their intact and not "punched in," which would indicate a screwdriver has penetrated in order to get the phone open, you should be good, as far as that's concerned.

Uhh well bad luck for you... I dont think this is a common problem...
Im guessing the iphone is on top of your list xD
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA Premium App

[Q] Sensation Resetting Constantly?

Ive had this sensation since day one it came out and ever since it was doing light resets showing the HTC splash and going back to the main home screen but now its become much more intense. it does a full restart and everything. I get all the splashes, the TMO one and the HTC one. And it takes forever for it to restart too! It happened to me once while i was on the phone randomly. and other times just when it was chillin in my pocket.
I put ADW Launcher on there but i hope that isnt the reason why it is doing this. My guess is that im killing the memory forcing it to restart but that shouldnt be the case if it is just in my pocket.
Let me know if you guys have had the same issue too.
I will be taking my phone back to my store whilist fighting the 50$ BS restocking fee. Ive had this thing for 4 days and its giving me problems just like the G2x! Ive had so many phones this past 3 months and its become a pain.

Exact the same issue here, and seeing other posts on this forum, we are not the only one... Shop where I bought the phone YESTERDAY (in Holland), does not wan to replace it or return my money, guy just wants to repair it? OK, that's a dodgy side of the shop, but I believe that HTC should do something about this. I think that since yesterday, I have sent about 30 'Abnormal reset' reports. The phone prompted me to send this to HTC and I did.
I hope that you can resolve your issue. Maybe an idea - I have Lebara prepaid card - and it happens every 2 minutes that the phone resets itself. Maybe if you try another card - you might get better luck - but that should not be the point - we just want to use our own sim-cards, right?
If you manage to get the solution - please let me know. Cheers and good luck!!!!

Mine seems to reboot the ui constantly as well. At first it seemed like it was only when I installed large batches of apps. Now I've seen it when closing the browser, closing angry birds, after leaving the settings menu... It seems completely random. Very sad, it looks like I'm returning yet another device and waiting for the next. This is just one of Many issues I've had after only one week of use.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA App

I literally took mine off the charger and it was ON...Got on my Xoom for a second and something told me to grab my phone...So as I hit the power/unlock button nothing happens....i hold it down...nothing...i try the volume and all the others...nothing...
So i finally took the battery off..put it back in and it starts up once i pushed the button...
Thats what i get as far as my issue..basically the phone turns off randomly on its own...I miss all kinds of calls and stuff.
I pray this is addressed in an OTA..cause my 1st unit had 0 issues other than the 1 dead pixel that i should have just dealt with.

This happened to me two of three times today. It seems as if the quality of the software is deteriorating the longer I have had it.

Posted in another thread. Had the phone 5 days and until this afternoon no problems at all. Today it was sitting on my desk, screen dark and spontaneously the boot screen came on and it was booting. Wasn't running anything.
Just using stock Sense, no launchers or even widgets running.
So far just one reboot. Will keep monitoring.

Mine just restarted twice today while I was speaking!
And the gsm signal is really, really bad compared with other phones.

This is just the way that Android works. Launchers (and other apps not currently being used) get pushed out of memory when the memory is needed, such as when browsing with lots of windows open or playing a memory intensive game. When going back to the launcher, it therefore needs to reload.
It's not an error or a bug.
You'd basically be taking you're phone back saying "The OS on my phone is working how it was designed. Please can I have a refund."

[Q] Did I actually manage to kill my phone, or is there still hope?

The issues started about 4 weeks ago when I fell in a lake with my MyTouch 4g in my pocket. The issue was that I hadn't realized that it had gotten drenched until about an hour later as I was trying to chase my daughters runaway puppy through the neighborhood at the time and she wouldn't stop for anything.
Needless to say, by the time I got home and realized what happened, my phone wouldn't unlock and the camera flash on the LED was in a permanent on state. I immediately pulled the battery, SIM card and SD card and put the phone and battery in a bag of rice (a trick I had read about here). I waited for a week and attempted to power the phone back on, but again the flash led came on and the phone did nothing.
Thinking it a lost cause I switched back to my oldest phone (an old Motorola Cliq XT) and rooted it so I at least had CM 7.2 on it, though it is so slow that I am yearning for my MyTouch back again so I can actually do things like use Reddit and surf the net on my phone again (I was without my actual computer for months at one point so I got in the habit of using my phone for about 90% of my surfing and whatnot).
The other day, however, I had a bright idea while bored at work. When I got home I attempted to turn my MyTouch back on, and to my surprise, it came to life! I quickly switched out the SIM and SD cards and flashed CM 7 onto it and tried to boot it up. To my joy it seemed to work, at first, however as soon as it went to sleep, the screen would not turn back on. It lights up, but there is no image, the touch screen works and the OS seems to be working since I can feel the tactile feedback when I unlock the phone. I was hoping that someone could tell me if I had actually killed my phone dead enough that it is beyond hope or not? If I have actually killed it I was wondering if anyone had advice for me on where I could pick up a replacement for cheap?
I already tried asking /r/android the other night and the only suggestion they had was to make the dog pay for a new phone. Amusing as that may be, she doesn't currently hold a job and thus has no way to compensate me for the damage.
Any and all advice is appreciated, thanks!

If you stalk Ebay you might find one with a cracked screen that still functions for cheap or something like that ,that will allow you to use a part from your phone to make it whole.. providing you know how to replace the screen or basic repairs,that is what i have done 4 times over the past 2 years..
Good Luck!!If you look long enough and bid right you can get one for a fair price ,I bought my last one for 20 dollars and replaced the screen after dropping it in my foyer and worked like a charm you just need to be careful opening it.I hope this helps as far as providing a potential solution to ur problem.again Good Luck!!

Sorry, you probably did. Phones can barely take a couple minutes of water, yours took a swim. Usually the rice is the only way to get it dry, if that didn't work....

Your screen could be damaged though. Your best bet would be to order a good phone at a pretty reasonable price off contract on sites like ebay or swappa, or if you're eligible for an upgrade, go for it.

Motorola Cliq XT? That was my first smart phone, can't say I miss it much lol. Of money is super tight I say get an optimus T and sell that pos. The optimus actually ran cm7 pottery l pretty well for having a 600 mghtz processor
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium