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So I bought a second hand MT4GS today, but the buttons on the face of the phone don't work - it came rooted, s-off, with some buggy ICS Rom installed. I just installed Bulletproof in the hopes that it was just the other rom causing the issue, but the buttons (home, menu, back, genius) are still non responsive. The corresponding buttons on the qwerty slider work fine.
Any ideas or suggestions? Would it help to try flashing a zip to map those front buttons? Since they don't work in 2 roms, is it something physicial?
I would appreciate any advice you could give me, whether its a certain way to try and remap the keys to force them to work, or a rom that might fix it, or maybe a kernel that would be most compatible with a quick, stable rom with full camera features? I really don't care about being on the bleeding edge or having ICS, I just want a stable, every day use rom.
Thanks much!
Almost certainly physical. The flex cable inside has 5 dangly little fingers that go down in that area for the 4 buttons and the track pad. Very easy for that to get gummed up, and not an easy thing to fix (because this phone is kind of a pain to take apart). Still, you can find some videos on YouTube that show how to disassemble the phone. You can try it. Put it back together carefully enough, and those buttons might start working again. (If you're unlucky, you might need a new flex cable.)
OK, do I need anything besides standard precision torx to open this phone up? I haven't really peeked inside, since we only got it a couple hours ago.
Also, I noticed that the home button on the physical keyboard sometimes takes me home, and sometimes selects things, depending on what I'm doing - talk about weird! Either way, it's still better than my ancient and fading G1 I've been stuck using the last couple days.
So if I open it up, do I just want to blast it with canned air, or is that a big no-no? Get a little soft brush and brush around the fingers? Tell it sweet nothings and tuck it in bed?
Edited to add:
Aaaand while I was busy typing and researching, my husband is cracking it open like a kid opening a Christmas present - wish him luck!
Bah humbug, just a note to let you know that we got to the 8 screws that hold the keyboard to the sliding part, and 2 of the phillips screws are stripped. So we're putting it back together until tomorrow night, when we will try to figure out how to get those 2 screws out.
But hey, at least we took it almost all the way apart, and got it back together, and it is working as well as it was before - if we didn't totally break it, then we're still ahead of the game!
So now I'm looking for advice on the following:
1) best way to clean out those button flex cables (air, small brush, ?)
2) ways to keep this phone clean inside - previous owner must have worked in a dust bunny factory, based on the dust I found inside the half of the phone we got disassembled. Then again, I live in a desert, it's to be expected?
3) super-stable rom/kernel combo that also gives me the camera app goodness that this phone deserves (And be honest, if I need stock to get the camera working, I'll go to stock).
rhondalicious said:
So now I'm looking for advice on the following:
1) best way to clean out those button flex cables (air, small brush, ?)
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Compressed air or a small brush should work fine... If it is just a connectivity problem caused by dust or dirt or whatever.
rhondalicious said:
2) ways to keep this phone clean inside - previous owner must have worked in a dust bunny factory, based on the dust I found inside the half of the phone we got disassembled. Then again, I live in a desert, it's to be expected?
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The only way to really keep it clean on the inside is to take it apart and use some compressed air or a small brush to get rid of all the dust... Doesn't matter where you are located you are gonna get dust inside of a phone that has no dust covers... You can see if they make any cases that have dust caps for the ports (I'm not sure if there are any for the MT4GS or not... haven't looked...)
rhondalicious said:
3) super-stable rom/kernel combo that also gives me the camera app goodness that this phone deserves (And be honest, if I need stock to get the camera working, I'll go to stock).
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For the awesome sense camera I would recommend stock or if you want ICS then one of the Virtuous roms. Either Primmadonna (ICS+ Sense 4.0) or Inquisition (desensed with sense camera). I'm sure others have other opinions, but those are the only roms I have used... Well that and CM9 which is basically fully functional although it will never have the sense camera, but the AOSP camera isn't too bad. They are all super stable as well.
Those 8 little screws are easy to strip. They are only a couple of turns each, but if they don't budge ... well, I've got a broken phone just like that that I can't fix. If you figure out a way of drilling the out or whatever, I'd be interested to hear.
The dust in these phones is a well-known problem. In particular, dust can find it's way under the glass, and it's a complete teardown to clear that out.
Were the screws stripped when you got there, or did you do it? If someone had the phone apart before, it could be that the little flex cable fingers are just not in the right position. If that's the case, you just have to do it right. (Easier said than done since it's kind of tricky to work on it and keep everything positioned while you close it up.)
Those 2 screws were stripped when we opened it - we've tried a couple things and still haven't been able to get them out, but we haven't tried the trick of dabbing superglue on a screwdriver and letting it dry in the hole yet, and we haven't tried one of those screw extractors that is like an extra sharp screwdriver. We tried cutting a new slot with my dremel, but the cutting discs I have are too soft for the screw heads, we need a diamond cutting disc, I think. We also tried one of those drill chucks that has the 2 ends for reaming a new hole and unscrewing, but my husband is afraid to drill through the phone, and the chuck doesn't fit in my dremel.
I'm pretty sure whoever had the phone before me tried to fix it and gave up, that's why we were able to buy it off him for so cheap. I don't mind fiddling around with it, since the actual phone bit works just fine.
If I ever manage to get these stripped screws out, I'll let you know what works!
Those screws are definitely short in length, as you've seen from their companions, so I am also leery of drilling a millimeter too far.
Another thing I've contemplated is carving the plastic around the screw head so that the screw no longer holds anything in place. Haven't been bold enough to try it, though. I figure after that I would be able to get a grip on it with needlenose pliers and twist them out.
((My phone with the stuck screws is a water damaged phone that I bought used. [[Seller said "I don't know what happened to it", but, uh, it's a bit obvious once you look inside or even look at the sticker.]] Screen was flaky and I was going to take it apart and stare at it til I ran into those stuck (and rusty!) screws. Luckily, after a few days delay for head-scratching, the screen started working perfectly. I like to think of it as the Universe finally giving me a break.))
Would a cell phone repair place have better ways of getting those stripped screws out? My husband said I should find out what they would charge to open it up, but if I can't get the screws out, how would they do it?
And it's nice that your soggy-phone decided to start working for you, it's a pain dealing with wet phones, sometimes. My neighbor dropped hers in a big cup of soda once and I got to have futo leaning it out to help prevent sugar/corrosion issues. I only managed to keep it working for another 3 months, but by then she had already dropped it into a toilet.
rhondalicious said:
Would a cell phone repair place have better ways of getting those stripped screws out? My husband said I should find out what they would charge to open it up, but if I can't get the screws out, how would they do it?
And it's nice that your soggy-phone decided to start working for you, it's a pain dealing with wet phones, sometimes. My neighbor dropped hers in a big cup of soda once and I got to have futo leaning it out to help prevent sugar/corrosion issues. I only managed to keep it working for another 3 months, but by then she had already dropped it into a toilet.
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For wet phone the best thing you can do is to use milliQ water (distilled will do also), put the phone in it, it basically removes any ions from previous fluids (take the battery out!), then let it dry out (24h should do), please battery in and use... Worked for me few times...
Btw. Good rom is virtuous inquisition or Primadonna, cm9 did not work for me so good, too many unfinished things...
Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using xda premium
So I jsut updated my google camera app yesterday and was eager to try any new features and test the camera, when all of a sudden I noticed that there is a dark blemish right in the middle of the screen. I am 100% sure it wasnt there when i bought it, as I did tested it extensively. At first I thought that it was actually a screen defect or that there is a smudge on the lenses.
It appears on every photo, HDR or not. It is best visible on light background. You can check the attached test photo i did.
I am not a huge photography fan, but it does bother me alot knowing that my brand new 2 months old nexus defected. Its rooted ofcourse, so there is no guarantee.
I read somewhere that this is caused by a dust particle inside the camera lenses.
So I just wanted to know whether someone else is suffering from that exact same issue. And if there is an easy way to cope with that problem, e.g. disassembling the lense or forcing air into it :silly:
So, yes, any opinions would be welcome.
Thanks guys
p.s. Also, if anyone else had experienced it, Im curious what case (if any) had they been using? lol I actually noticed the problem after removing and inserting my N5 back into my spigen neo hybrid a couple of times, which is actually quite a challenge. So Im wondering whether that hasnt something to do with it
I wouldn't advise you to open the device up yourself.. You will surely loose warranty if you mess up.
If you think it's a hardware issue then Flash the factory images from Google to return to stock
, reset the tamper flag, lock the bootloader and send it in..
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
alxg49 said:
So I jsut updated my google camera app yesterday and was eager to try any new features and test the camera, when all of a sudden I noticed that there is a dark blemish right in the middle of the screen. I am 100% sure it wasnt there when i bought it, as I did tested it extensively. At first I thought that it was actually a screen defect or that there is a smudge on the lenses.
It appears on every photo, HDR or not. It is best visible on light background. You can check the attached test photo i did.
I am not a huge photography fan, but it does bother me alot knowing that my brand new 2 months old nexus defected. Its rooted ofcourse, so there is no guarantee.
I read somewhere that this is caused by a dust particle inside the camera lenses.
So I just wanted to know whether someone else is suffering from that exact same issue. And if there is an easy way to cope with that problem, e.g. disassembling the lense or forcing air into it :silly:
So, yes, any opinions would be welcome.
Thanks guys
p.s. Also, if anyone else had experienced it, Im curious what case (if any) had they been using? lol I actually noticed the problem after removing and inserting my N5 back into my spigen neo hybrid a couple of times, which is actually quite a challenge. So Im wondering whether that hasnt something to do with it
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Yep, I can confirm the same experience as you! Only appeared yesterday! I have the Rev11 Hardware.
A bit of googling did reveal others with the same issue...
I have tried a can of compressed air, tapping phone...No joy, it's still there...
I have also tried different camera apps to confirm. Interestingly it was post updating the google camera app too. (but i do not believe this too be the root cause, I've had many specs of dust in my DSLRs before and to appears to me to be dust on the rear of the lens or on the sensor!) I would expect these to be sealed on our phones!
RMA, warranty...are looming...any other ideas peeps?
Cheers
Win$t said:
Yep, I can confirm the same experience as you! Only appeared yesterday! I have the Rev11 Hardware.
A bit of googling did reveal others with the same issue...
I have tried a can of compressed air, tapping phone...No joy, it's still there...
I have also tried different camera apps to confirm. Interestingly it was post updating the google camera app too. (but i do not believe this too be the root cause, I've had many specs of dust in my DSLRs before and to appears to me to be dust on the rear of the lens or on the sensor!) I would expect these to be sealed on our phones!
RMA, warranty...are looming...any other ideas peeps?
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried the tapping trick too - did not work for me either
I'm still contemplating over the idea of reverting to stock, locking the bootloader and sending in my faulty unit. It would probably take a couple of weeks and I don't want to part ways with my N5 for so long. But living with that nasty blemish on my camera is equally frustrating
I'm going to try this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vioySXQv5Gs&index=141&list=WL
I had this issue a few months back; the image you posted looks identical to the issue I had.
Google covered it under warranty and sent me a new device. They asked me to do a full factory reset to confirm it wasn't software related. The process was pretty smooth: if they do send you a new device, you just send your N5 back once it comes so you're not stuck without a phone for a while or anything. They do put a hold on your credit card for the price of the phone until they get your phone, though.
I had it rooted and everything prior to sending it in, but I unrooted/reset the tamper flag before sending it in (and did a factory reset obviously).
I have the same problem but with Nexus 5x. Not 100% sure was the dark spot in the middle at the beginning or not. Now the device is about a week old.
I'm sure plenty of you have had the dreaded "Sim card removed" error (as shown in the attached image) on your S4. I started getting this message mere months after purchasing my secondhand AT&T S4 (no warranty). But fear not, with about 20 minutes of your time and less than a dollar worth of parts, you can fix it!
(1st attached pic)
Why Does This Happen?
This error is usually due to a faulty connection between the motherboard and the SIM / MicroSD card tray. Likely it is due to a bad solder job on that connector.
Does a new SIM Tray fix it?
Extremely unlikely. Purchasing a new SIM tray will likely be wasted money. (EDIT: A new motherboard may fix the issue, and several people have had success with a new SIM tray)
How do I fix it already??
This is what you'll need:
Your S4
A micro Philips-head screwdriver
Scissors
A foam earplug (or something of similar texture)
Step 1: Disassemble your phone. Pull off the back cover, remove the battery and cards, then unscrew all 9 of the micro Philips screws. Then, take your fingernail and pry off the bezel from the rest of the phone, and slowly work your nail around the bezel until it pops off. (Don't force it!)
(Attached images 2, 3, and 4)
Step 2: Use your scissors or a razor blade to cut a section off of the foam earplug which is about the width of two dimes. I also cut a 1/4 segment out of mine so you don't see it sticking out when you put the bezel back together, but you don't absolutely need to do that.
(Attached images 5 & 6)
Step 3: Press down on the connector for the SIM / SD Card Tray until it "clicks" into place. (It may not click if it is still somewhat in place) This is the connector which has a bad connection.
(Attached image 7)
Step 4: Place your piece of foam on top of the connector in a way that it is right beside but not overlapping the camera (as pictured)
(Attached image 8)
Step 5: Replace your back cover, making sure not to move the foam you just installed, press down on it in multiple locations until it pops back together all around, and screw it back down. Note: if the bezel appears to be bulging out, your foam is too thick! This won't cause any problems, but it will be a noticeable bulge on your phone.
(Attached images 9 & 10)
Step 6: Replace your back cover and enjoy! Note that if you continue to receive the error, you may need either a thicker piece of foam, or you may need to reposition the foam, or even just press down on the connector a bit more before installing the foam.
Thanks to the folks over at Android Central in the thread entitled: Galaxy S4: Major problem - SIM card not detected for info on how to fix!
After applying this fix (took me three times to get it right) I have not seen the SIM card removed error in almost two months!
Post your success stories!
EDIT: A year after I posted this, and people are still using this thread to iron out their issues. I'm glad I could start up a conversation about this problem, with many good suggestions as to possible fixes. I don't use my S4 anymore, but it makes for a great backup phone!
Anyway, I just wanted to let anybody who is looking for the answer to this problem know that my fix may or may not work for you. It worked in my case, but several commenters have noted that the problem has remained in their situation. I would like to point out a few helpful comments and possible fixes right here so you guys don't have to go searching through pages of comments to find different solutions.
Best solution by far is by @Gonemad to re-flow the solder to that connector and to the NFC chip using a heat gun. See post #98 on page 10 and Post 114 on page 12, with a guide on post 122, page 13.
A replacement motherboard may fix the issue as well, but that's assuming you're getting a new one and not a used one. With used, the replacement board may do the same thing!
many of us have shimmed the connector 1000 different ways and still get the error. oddly enough, for me the only thing that has reduced errors was removing my sd card.
iateshaggy said:
many of us have shimmed the connector 1000 different ways and still get the error. oddly enough, for me the only thing that has reduced errors was removing my sd card.
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That's interesting, and a shame. There's not enough room on my phone for all my stuff, I need that extra 32gb!
"Does a new SIM Tray fix it?
Extremely unlikely. Purchasing a new SIM tray or even a new motherboard will be wasted money."
It did in my case. I got a sim/sd card tray from a Verizon S4, put it in my AT&T S4 and it worked great!
This problem is extremely annoying. Purchased a new tray too, and for a couple of days thought the problem is fixed. Nope. 5 days later same stupid message. I had already tried putting more support on the connector which did not fix the problem. They could at least make a cancel button on it instead of just "reboot". Will try without sd card. Apparently this happens on ALL high-end samsung phones. I am adding crapsung to the "never again" list (in addition to LG now).
If removing sd card doesn't fix it then it will either be new mainboard (they go for around $100 CAD shipped) or a new phone if I have the money. Nexus 6 looks good now. Don't buy crappy Korean brands. Even Chinese brands seem more reliable.
Question: Since you say that you've already replaced the sd/sim tray and the problem returned, did you try putting another sim card in there to make sure that it's not the sim card that's the issue?
Yes, new sim did not solve it. Now i am actually trying earplug thing. So far so good (2 days), but as with any other method the message is expected to pop up again. I am thinking i did try to add support before, but only for the connector part. Earplug will press on all the components around the connector and the connector itself. Will see. I did cut out a thicker piece than in the OP, and made a cut on the camera side instead of oppoate (like in OP).
Buyimg new mainboard seems like a waste of money now too. Since so many devices have this problem chances are another mainboard will be the same.
Edit: with or without sd card - same thing.
It's known that the IMEI numbers with the last 6 digits in this range: 000000 - 560000 have been known to have this issue. Mine was in that range and had the issue. I think the mainboards outside this range are fine.
Mine is not in that range.
Thanks a lot
It took me quite a few tries with the earplug foam to get it right. Finding the correct thickness and shape was the biggest thing. Eventually I got it right and I haven't had the issue return even once since. I'm glad some of you were able to get your phones to work by just swapping the SIM tray, that's pretty easy to do. I don't think I would even consider swapping the motherboard on a 2 year old phone, might as well just get a new phone at that point.
Sean89us said:
It took me quite a few tries with the earplug foam to get it right. Finding the correct thickness and shape was the biggest thing. Eventually I got it right and I haven't had the issue return even once since. I'm glad some of you were able to get your phones to work by just swapping the SIM tray, that's pretty easy to do. I don't think I would even consider swapping the motherboard on a 2 year old phone, might as well just get a new phone at that point.
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Good to hear that this is working for some users. I just went with the M9 about a week ago and am going to give my mother my S4. She wouldn't have any idea how to handle any sim errors so when I get some time, I'll be buying an earplug or two.
It has been 9 days and the error hasn't returned. Today i put in a thiner peice to get rid of the bulge on the back. Will see how that holds up, but so far so good. Thanks to the O.P.
As for the mainboard - I never loxk myself into a contract with a discounted phone, not that Wind Mobile Canada has an option for it. So i paid almost 600 CAD for this puppy and expected it to last. For me $100 is not bad for a fix compared to at least $600 for a new phone. Only if it was for sure, but is seems like a gamble to buy a new board. BTW my phone was locked to rogers so I had to unlock it and enable AWS band.
I would get(have tried other phones) but for all its bad the S4 is hands down the most durable and usable phone I have ever owned. I like my nexus 5, but it is a very fragile unit, and on its second screen replacement due to minor drops that the S4 takes with aplomb. I like the phone so much I have bought a used one off ebay just in case this one ever fails. MHO
fargonaz said:
I would get(have tried other phones) but for all its bad the S4 is hands down the most durable and usable phone I have ever owned. I like my nexus 5, but it is a very fragile unit, and on its second screen replacement due to minor drops that the S4 takes with aplomb. I like the phone so much I have bought a used one off ebay just in case this one ever fails. MHO
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I'm right there with you. I still love my S4, despite the SIM error and somewhat slow updates from Samsung / ATT. It's getting older but my phone is still very fast, has a beautiful 1080P AMOLED screen, takes awesome pictures, and now it's even running Lollipop! The only thing that might convince me to switch phones anytime soon is if the 2015 Nexus 5 refresh has a 5" - 5.2" screen (5.5"+ is just too big!), USB Type-C and the specs blow me away. Since that probably won't happen, it looks like I'll be using my S4 for a few more years.
I don't have these earplugs foams at home.. Which other material can I use for that?
I can't say anything else will be the same material. Just buy earplugs at a dollar store or something. They are cheap.
Mine had gotten really bad, to where it was giving the "sim error" message a good six or eight times a day. Did the earplug thing...didn`t fix squat. I took a narrow strip of a business card and "shimmed" the sim card in it`s slot (like many others have), but I made my shim extra long and folded it over a few times on top of the sim card receptacle as well. Been two days and so far so good. We`ll see how it holds up.
I had actually contacted Samsung about the problem and they claimed they had no knowledge of it`s occurrence. I emailed back and they said "we really have no idea what`s causing it. Sorry." I would call it a design flaw as every single person I know personally with an S4 has the problem, and there are hundreds upon hundreds of tales on the ol` internet about it, and even Samsung can`t fix it.
I've used this solution after my s4 gave the "sim card removed" error 5 times this morning. I used a piece of power sponge i.s.o. an earplug. Since then no error. If error occurs i'll respond again.
Thanx Sean.
I was having this problem. I did this fix but just used some folded up plastic wrap. Hasn't happened again yet.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Free mobile app
I just want to start off by saying , YES i know there are multiple threads about the G5 and having the main camera not focus. I found that if i shook my phone, that eventually it would focus. Most people seem to fix this problem by replacing the camera. So i went ahead and bought one from ifixit, and when it arrived, the camera was DOA. They sent me another and after 1 day, the same thing happened. The phone refused to focus. So they sent me another replacement and the same thing. It wouldn't focus. They agreed to refund me. I then bought one from ebay and after installing it today, IT DOES NOT FOCUS. I have checked/cleaned the lens area , so no there are no smudges. There is 1 scratch but it does not cover the lens itself. The secondary camera has about 3-4 scratches that cover the lens, but that camera has no problem focusing. Does anyone have any ideas? I have had this phone for over a year, and apart from this issue it has been bullet proof(ignoring the screen retention problem that seem to also affect phones like the s7). I love it so much. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Not going to help much but I'm in the same boat. I can hear the camera rattling when I shake it, and with my original camera, the focus mechanism trying to to its thing. Tried a few ebay ones labeled as "New" and got ones that are pulled from old phones and won't even try to focus or simply not work at all. I would think that ifixit you wouldv'e had the best luck with and thats pretty disappointing to hear because I was hoping pony up and just go with them next. All I've heard is that you just have to keep trying until you get one that works, then be super careful with it. Kinda sucks, at least we have the wide angle though and thats what I use most of the time for actual pictures but most apps only go through the regular camera.
I am at a lost on what to do. Its so frustrating. The wide angle camera is nice, but not as a main camera. I have to zoom and crop quite a bit since I use Fb messenger(which kills quality) and the wide angle is such a hassle. I literally gave up. I'm tired of "trying" other ones. I really don't know what to do. I guess I either live with it or, sell it for cheap, then buy a s7.
Hi everyone,
Hope you are all safe and well.
A dark spot appareared in the main rear camera of my S10e (photo attached) about a month ago. I tried all different tips (shaking the phone, dropping it, etc ,etc). It clearly seems the particle is within or above the sensor, as I cleaned the lens several times. Only solution they gave me at Samsung is to replace the camera module. Only problem is that I bought this from a HK retailer and they won´t do it here, unless I send the phone over there to repair (I am currently in Spain!). So my question is: does anyone know if the camera module is specific for the SM-G9700, or modules from other S10e models should work as well?. My plan (and I think only alternative to fix this) is to buy the main camera module online and ask a local repair shop to replace the module. Any suggestions, tips, help will be really aprreciated. Thanks
Looks almost like a little bit of debris fallen from somewhere else inside the phone after manaufacture. Samsung seal up their phones pretty well. Glue together job. Pity you can't just send the phone back....