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How to unbrick the soft bricked Captivate

NOTE:
So far this has been the only sure fire method I've found to 100% get around any brick situation regardless of firmware, etc. This only works for the captivate, not any other galaxy s variant.
Situations: phone-!-Computer / no download mode
Black Screen / RST_STATUS 0x0
Procedure:
1. Remove the battery, external SD card and SIM card.
2. Wait 10 seconds.
3. Open odin3
4. Connect usb cable.
5. Hold volume up + volume down + Power.
6. Insert battery.
7. Release POWER BUTTON ONLY.
You should now be in immediate download mode.
Please forgive me if this is duplicate some where, but I tried every procedure I could find on google to no avail, then accidentally found this method just before I was going to box it back up and see if my buddy at AT&T would make me eat it or not.
My situation was: Launched Odin3 to flash H3 firmware, died twice in the middle, and on the third time locked up half ways just at the beginning of factoryfs.rfs -- Then the phone did nothing. Blackscreen is all. Interestingly enough, while in the state if you hold volume up + power, it will give a hw diagnostic screen. Beyond that I could get no where. Just a black screen, no acknowledgement when connected to PC, no charging indicator, nothing.
If this is a dupe Im sorry but this method I could not find and hope to make it readily available to people who may think their phones bricked.
Update 12/22/2010:
How to BRICK the phone / WARNING!!!
If for whatever reason you decide to use Odin to flash a stock GTI9000 ROM and manually add the kernels and modems using a "pure" 2.2.1 sammy rom. BEWARE.
Researching a lot, it seems the consensus is that the sbl in the 2.2.1 versions of the GTI9000 has *hard* download mode crippled.. Meaning if there is a software screw up YOU CANNOT USE A USB JIG OR ANY OTHER METHOD OF GETTING THE PHONE IN DOWNLOAD MODE!!! To fix it you'll need a new one or JTAG to replace the bootloader.
As far as I can tell, beyond getting completely rid of the AT&T logo, there is no need to flash boot/sbl to get the "purity" of the 2.2.1 sammy roms.
Extract all files from the tar EXCEPT boot/sbl and re-tar and flash just those to avoid overwriting the stock captivate boot loader.
Also, it does not appear the boot/sbl from the captivate 2.2 leak suffers this same problem.
For any one iffy on bricking their phones, stay away from roms that remove COMPLETELY the AT&T logo on boot. This generally means the boot loader has been messed with any you may be screwed if you soft brick the phone. Most CWM roms dont overwrite the boot/sbl, but some can and do. Watch yourself.. if it the AT&T logo goes away COMPLETELY, I recommend flashing JF6 with One click while the roms alive using adb reboot download and try another rom.

thanks!
worked...took a few tries but some trick with this captivate to get it into download mode.. i was totally bricked too, diag screen with PC/Phone icons and exclamation mark. for me 1.) plug usb, 2.) hold power and vol up/down and connect battery (it fell out) and i was in download mode

I guess a similar procedure was on the odin3 one click thread, but there is something different in your procedure, it's not my case but it would be nice if some people confirms this as this may be useful and if it really works it should be included in odin thread

What worked for me was: Pull the battery, sim and micro sd card. Open odin on the PC. Insert the battery. Hold vol up and down then with the buttons held connect the usb cable. Just remember to plug in the usb cable with the vol up and down held in and odin must be open on the computer.
I also ran into the vol up plus power red text screen. Interesting to note that one of the fields will change depending if the usb cable is connected or not.

mine is dead
mi samsung captivate was working great but, suddenly it go black and only the touch bottom have light, when i plug it in the a/c it show is charging. i'm mac user and a read that i ned to use odin3 but it not work on mac. how i can unbrick the phone???
is rooted with one click lag
the dbdata was modif to
thats all
HEEEEELLLLLPPPPPP

Odin will not open on the mac?
Cant you use a virtual machine and use Odin on a Mac that way?
Or else take the odin 3 single click for JF6 and use on a friends Windows Computer.

Please help - unable to flash back with Odin3
I have pretty much tried it all at this point and am trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong.
I followed the directions just in case get to the big yellow triangle with the droid shoveling and the screen stays at "downloading, do not turn off target..."
Of course I had Odin3 open already but its not seeing my phone, USB drives are installed am using Odin3 ver. 1.30.
Any help would be appreciated, TIA!

TechNut* said:
I have pretty much tried it all at this point and am trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong.
I followed the directions just in case get to the big yellow triangle with the droid shoveling and the screen stays at "downloading, do not turn off target..."
Of course I had Odin3 open already but its not seeing my phone, USB drives are installed am using Odin3 ver. 1.30.
Any help would be appreciated, TIA!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best way to get download mode is use adb and type adb reboot download.
Or follow the volume up/down held with odin open on the computer, then you plug in the usb cable to the computer.

askpcguy said:
What worked for me was: Pull the battery, sim and micro sd card. Open odin on the PC. Insert the battery. Hold vol up and down then with the buttons held connect the usb cable. Just remember to plug in the usb cable with the vol up and down held in and odin must be open on the computer.
I also ran into the vol up plus power red text screen. Interesting to note that one of the fields will change depending if the usb cable is connected or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you thank you thank you. i had a totally dead no boot or anything and this worked, i was going through the whole returning the phone senerio in my head

mattbeau said:
Thank you thank you thank you. i had a totally dead no boot or anything and this worked, i was going through the whole returning the phone senerio in my head
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just sharing the info! Makes you think twice about trying something else don't it?

does not seem to work because as soon as my battery touches the contacts it goes to the diag screen. do I have to release the power button in super human speed times there?
looked at all threads here, looked elsewhere -- there are some that are not fixable. Wanted to add that in case others come here and think that they might be the only ones that can't get it to work.
Ended up sending mine off to Samsung to reset today. :/

I love you! I called AT&T to send me documentation to sign and it was going to cost me 125 dollars to get it replaced even with warranty. And you fixed it !

i have tried just about every single method detailed in these forums, and nothing works.
Trying what OP suggested just sends me to the battery charging animation screen.
Anybody have any ideas ?

file analysis
I keep can get to the download screen and I hit start and it does the same thing everytime it just does File analysis i cant figure what i am doing wrong here somebody please help me

I think the issue was it had something to do with 64 bit windows 7 i just re did the stock rom one click solution and it worked fine

thekurrgan said:
NOTE:
5. Hold volume up + volume down + Power.
6. Insert battery.
7. Release POWER BUTTON ONLY.
You should now be in immediate download mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for sharing your experience.
I don't have a Captivate yet but am doing research on it and hopeful of getting one. I am confused about one thing.
Every where that I have read about how to enter Recovery mode or Download mode on the Captivate using the 3 button method, it says holding down both Volume UP + Volume Down (plus Power button) will enter Recovery mode. But you say it enters Download mode which is confusing to me. As I recall, to enter Download mode you must press the Vol Down only (plus Power button). Could it be because the phone won't go into Recovery mode, it goes into Download mode instead? Am I missing something?
Thank you!

Download mode is for updating the phone's firmware.
Remove battery, plug in the usb cable to the phone, open ODIN on the computer (need usb drivers installed before hand) on the phone hold volume up and down then plug the phone into the computer. Your phone will say DOWNLOADING. This method works even if you run into problems and the phone refuses to boot properly.
Recovery mode is for installing Update.zip. The method is tricky but involves holding volume up/down and power, the phone will show ATT then go black. It will repeat that but after the second time it goes black let go of power.
If that doesnt work, android debug tools ADB reboot recovery will work even better.
Or root the phone and use Clockwork Rom manager to boot into recovery, just press the menu item.

askpcguy said:
Download mode is for updating the phone's firmware.
Remove battery, plug in the usb cable to the phone, open ODIN on the computer (need usb drivers installed before hand) on the phone hold volume up and down then plug the phone into the computer. Your phone will say DOWNLOADING. This method works even if you run into problems and the phone refuses to boot properly.
Recovery mode is for installing Update.zip. The method is tricky but involves holding volume up/down and power, the phone will show ATT then go black. It will repeat that but after the second time it goes black let go of power.
If that doesn't work, android debug tools ADB reboot recovery will work even better.
Or root the phone and use Clockwork Rom manager to boot into recovery, just press the menu item.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you askpcguy! I understand the difference between Download and Recovery modes.
So the procedural difference here is having the battery in + Power button, versus battery not in (use USB cable instead) and no Power button. Can the phone get power from the PC via the USB cable? This seems to differ from what the original poster said about download mode. Perhaps OP could edit his original post for clarification? Or am I still missing something? Thanks to all

The phone does get power from the USB cable.
The difference is one procedure uses the USB cable (download mode) and the other does not (Recovery mode).
The volume up+down method does not use the power button, the phone is powered on into download mode once you plug in the USB cable.
We say pull the battery to get the phone powered off. If a firmware flash stalled or doesn't complete, pull the battery and try again!

I now understand the precedural difference.
Thank you askpcguy!

Cell phone ! PC-- HELP!!! trying to install 2.2

ok so i went to AT&T webiste to install 2.2. well not my phone is stuck on a black screen with the cell phone ! PC picture.. I have tried to hold teh volume keys and power etc.. nothing all i get is that picture.. What can i do to fix this tonite??

Buy a jig. You would have come to that conclusion already if you had bothered searching the forums.

Pull battery, sim, external sd. Put battery back in. hold just volume up and down, plug in usb. Do you get to an android guy with s shovel? If so you will likely recovery tonight. If not you will need a usb jig

mcord11758 said:
Pull battery, sim, external sd. Put battery back in. hold just volume up and down, plug in usb. Do you get to an android guy with s shovel? If so you will likely recovery tonight. If not you will need a usb jig
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^ This. People don't always need a jig. (most cases they won't). Try that first then if every way imaginable of doing that fails. Build a jig (if you know how, there's a thread around here somewhere) or buy one.

well now if anything was CLEAR on the steps to fix this i wouldn't be asking..
I get the android with the shovel sometimes, but when i started the mini keis the install fails.. wants me to do emergency recovery which i do then that fails. that is when i get the cell ! pc screen..
sorry if i am asking.. just new to this and this was my first post..

Forget kies for now, that is not going to help you now, you can get to that screen though correct?
Pull your battery, on the left side on the white sticker is your build number. Something like 1008. What is yours

This should help in many cases.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=944418
Flash stock software.

It might just be that you need a new usb cable because I had the same problem where it seem to get stuck when I tried to flash the new firmware and I got the same screen you got but I tried a different usb cable and it worked.

Come on mods do some modding

i think the build # is 1083
I just changed the usb cord. followed these steps:
This only works for the captivate, not any other galaxy s variant.
Situations: phone-!-Computer / no download mode
Black Screen / RST_STATUS 0x0
Procedure:
1. Remove the battery, external SD card and SIM card.
2. Wait 10 seconds.
3. Open odin3
4. Connect usb cable.
5. Hold volume up + volume down + Power.
6. Insert battery.
7. Release POWER BUTTON ONLY.
You should now be in immediate download mode.
Get the android guy with shovel.. downloading etc..
I looked at the odin screen and it shows:
0:[COM7} in the ID:com
But feels like nothing is happening..

sorry sticker says CE1068!

Redjules8 said:
sorry sticker says CE1068!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there is no model 1068 or 1083

Redjules8 said:
ok so i went to AT&T webiste to install 2.2. well not my phone is stuck on a black screen with the cell phone ! PC picture.. I have tried to hold teh volume keys and power etc.. nothing all i get is that picture.. What can i do to fix this tonite??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're trying to upgrade to 2.2 from AT&T then you don't need to enter download mode or recovery mode. First make sure that USB debugging is unchecked.
Go to Menu>Settings>Applications>Development
Go back to Applications>USB Settings
(Recommended) Check ask on connection
Assuming you already have the drivers installed, open Kies mini as this is how to install the update. Plug in the USB cord, check the Kies (firmware update) button on the phone and wait for Kies mini to find your phone.
If it finds your phone it will do the rest. Just be patient. Good Luck!

bornjamerican said:
If you're trying to upgrade to 2.2 from AT&T then you don't need to enter download mode or recovery mode. First make sure that USB debugging is unchecked.
Go to Menu>Settings>Applications>Development
Go back to Applications>USB Settings
(Recommended) Check ask on connection
Assuming you already have the drivers installed, open Kies mini as this is how to install the update. Plug in the USB cord, check the Kies (firmware update) button on the phone and wait for Kies mini to find your phone.
If it finds your phone it will do the rest. Just be patient. Good Luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good one.. I like how you just gave him a bunch of advice he can't really use in a soft-brick situation, even after quoting him saying that he's soft bricked

I do this regularly (switching between roms and kernals). The easiest way I fix it is to use Odin3_v1.0 and just load some random pda/kernal/modem files in there and run it. When it gets into the OS, just turn it off and use Odin3 to put I897UCJF6-final-OCD-REV0 back on it. Works every time.

[Q] Possible Soft-Bricked VZW Galaxy SIII

Wife was running CleanRom 2.1 for a week or so. Yesterday she goes to wake the screen and the phone wouldn't wake by pushing any buttons. She pulled the battery and tried to boot the phone with no success. At this point we are stuck with the attached (IMG_01.jpg) image when plugging the phone into a USB port. Plug it into the wall charger and you get the same image however leaving it on this charge for a while brings IMG_02.jpg. Unplugging the phone from the cable results in no power at all to the device. This means no Download/Recovery Mode from battery only.
On to plugging into the computer. By quickly inserting the cable and pressing the keys to enter Download mode i can successfully enter Odin mode and flash files. From here i have flashed full stock images and still no full boot success.
So, next I can boot into recovery (sometimes, again only plugged in) I was able to wipe following stock odin flash. After rebooting from recovery i can see the samsung and galaxy sIII boot logos then the stock VZW 4GLTE boot animation(with sound). once i get to the language select screen and move to activation the phone shuts off and goes back to the empty battery with a circle in the center (IMG_01.jpg).
So far I have tried:
1. Different USB ports/cables - Incl. OEM (connection appears to be fine to the system either way though)
2. Flashing full stock images in odin with PASS results.
3. Ive tried to unbrick using the methods found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1840030
Im looking for any help or suggestions on moving forward here. Overall there is no power to the device without plugging in the cable. I have tried another battery still with no power. I have thought about flashing the insecure bootloader however i have not found a way to do this in Odin if it is possible at all.
ODIN MODE (Reads as follows)
PRODUCT NAME: SCH-I535
CUSTOM BINARY DOWNLOAD: No
CURRENT BINARY: Samsung Official
SYSTEM STATUS: Custom
QUALCOMM SECUREBOOT: ENABLED
Thanks in advance for any help at all. If you share a similar problem please post as well, may help narrow down the cause and eventual fix.
With my ability to access ODIN MODE and boot to the setup screen, does this mean i have a good chance at recovery?

Looks like you might have a bad battery.

I tried another battery and that's not working.
This morning I had a green LED (charged) light. I woke the screen to the lock screen and it seemed to stay on. I couldnt get past the activation since the sim is no good. ( I had to deactivate it with vzw to activate a temp phone.) I eventually pulled the plug to see if it would hold charge but it just shut off and I wasn't able to boot up again.

The same thing happened to my first s3. You will need to get a replacement.

Please tell me i didnt kill my phone!!!

Ok so my fiancé pointed out that her phone got an update and I liked how it looked so I wanted to update mine. but I couldn't because of root. and so since I never use my root I went into super su and hit the unroot button and then my phone reset I have been in bootloop ever since. before someone suggests NO I cannot use ODIN because it wont register my phone being plugged in. YES I have the proper driver installed I triple checked and no my computer does not register the phone either. is there anything that I can do?

You didnt kill your phone!!!
The reason of bootloop is that when you press unroot in superSU it also restores unpatched stock boot.img which doesn't boot with custom recovery.
Hold power + home + volume up + volume down for 7 seconds to hard reboot your phone and enter download mode confirmation page. Press volume down to exit downloading mode and immediately hold volume up + power + home until you enter recovery. Do a factory reset.
Enter download mode confirmation page again by same method and press volume up, connect phone to your PC. Now if Odin doesn't recognize your phone then that 100% Driver or USB Cable problem. Flash latest official firmware and you should be good to go.

Aria.A97 said:
You didnt kill your phone!!!
The reason of bootloop is that when you press unroot in superSU it also restores unpatched stock boot.img which doesn't boot with custom recovery.
Hold power + home + volume up + volume down for 7 seconds to hard reboot your phone and enter download mode confirmation page. Press volume down to exit downloading mode and immediately hold volume up + power + home until you enter recovery. Do a factory reset.
Enter download mode confirmation page again by same method and press volume up, connect phone to your PC. Now if Odin doesn't recognize your phone then that 100% Driver or USB Cable problem. Flash latest official firmware and you should be good to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice tut! Anyway, if he still can't get recognized by PC, i suggest to try different PC, i had the same problem a while ago, my pc wouldn't recognize my phone in odin no matter what. Then i checked on my friends PC and it worked like a charm. It must be USB ports problems.

if your pc does see your phone but the odin still fails you can just use smartswitch and do emergency recovery tyoe your model number and imei in and sit back and relax and you are done

Thank YOU!!!!!!
Aria.A97 said:
You didnt kill your phone!!!
The reason of bootloop is that when you press unroot in superSU it also restores unpatched stock boot.img which doesn't boot with custom recovery.
Hold power + home + volume up + volume down for 7 seconds to hard reboot your phone and enter download mode confirmation page. Press volume down to exit downloading mode and immediately hold volume up + power + home until you enter recovery. Do a factory reset.
Enter download mode confirmation page again by same method and press volume up, connect phone to your PC. Now if Odin doesn't recognize your phone then that 100% Driver or USB Cable problem. Flash latest official firmware and you should be good to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are a genius It was my cable that I was using... I was sitting here reading your post and I'm thinking to my self "yeah like I haven't tried that already thanks for nothing." then I saw the part about my cable and said its worth a shot. thank you so much I was so scared and frustrated about possible being without a phone... Thank you again

Xeodia said:
You are a genius It was my cable that I was using... I was sitting here reading your post and I'm thinking to my self "yeah like I haven't tried that already thanks for nothing." then I saw the part about my cable and said its worth a shot. thank you so much I was so scared and frustrated about possible being without a phone... Thank you again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey guys since my s6 SM-G920F is with tripped knox status 0x1 i can't use smartswitch for emergency recovery it stucks on 94% always with hours,what is the main reason of that i tried on other pc it is the same,my cable is ok because it charges s6 without any singl problem!sorry for interuppt in this thread like idiot but what is about smartswitch stucks always on 94%?!!!
anyone help me:crying:

vlatkonexus4 said:
Hey guys since my s6 SM-G920F is with tripped knox status 0x1 i can't use smartswitch for emergency recovery it stucks on 94% always with hours,what is the main reason of that i tried on other pc it is the same,my cable is ok because it charges s6 without any singl problem!sorry for interuppt in this thread like idiot but what is about smartswitch stucks always on 94%?!!!
anyone help me:crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just use odin to flash firmware.

vlatkonexus4 said:
Hey guys since my s6 SM-G920F is with tripped knox status 0x1 i can't use smartswitch for emergency recovery it stucks on 94% always with hours,what is the main reason of that i tried on other pc it is the same,my cable is ok because it charges s6 without any singl problem!sorry for interuppt in this thread like idiot but what is about smartswitch stucks always on 94%?!!!
anyone help me:crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nonsense.... I used it when I trashed my EFS / Modem
Smart Switch does work, check your USB drivers and internet connection.
At the end of the process smart switch does verify a lot of thing, when your CPU from your computer is slow it will hang a long time on 94%

i can try via teamviewer to help you

Weird Bootloop (not actually a bootloop)

Phone: J4+ (SM-J415F)
I wanted flash the stock ROM via Odin on pc and something went wrong (i don't know what) and now the phone shows "An error has occured while updating the device software. Use the emergency function in the Smart Switch PC software." I tried to go in the download mode but the phone "restarts" every 2 seconds when i connect it to the pc or the charger.The recovery didn't work either.
Note: The phone doesn't start even if it is not connected to the PC or to a charger.

I'm also stuck in this weird .non. bootloop

Hey, I had this problem before. The Battery maybe depleted during flashing. You have to find a way to charge it.
Try to boot into Odin warning screen or the IMEI screen, it's where the device won't reboot while your connected to a charger, then give it some time to charge until you have enough time to flash your stock ROM.
Its what I did xd, just watch out for overheating. Using a GN variant.

I solved it by holding all 3 buttons and plugging into USB, it did the whole rebooting thing as usual but I kept the buttons held for about 15/20 reboots and then it FINALLY went into download and I could flash stock rom. If important or not, I'd left it charging all night but showed no sign of life whilst it 'charged'

Something to Try!
The issue seems to be with the HOME CSC is corrupted on the latest version - Probably something by Samsung to outdo the Combo files being produced.
PLUG-IN THE PHONE to PC (NOT WALL), Press and hold POWER + VOL UP + VOL DOWN to BOOT the phone to the ODIN message screen (with the warning), not the Download Screen itself > in this Screen release all the buttons at the same time, if you do this right you should still be on that same screen. Then simply press the POWER once. This should show a Barcode IMEI Serial, etc (Then leave for 5-15 mins on USB Charge then quickly swap with a wall charger).
Then leave it to charge for normally phone charging time. Later PUT INTO ODIN MODE and retry.
I have done this 3 times on this device to make sure this is the correct way.
You might get away booting it to ODIN and trying to swap the power but unsure about that.
After this Go to GOOGLE Search on your laptop/pc > search for SAMFIRM > Put in the model and Download the Combination for J415FXXU5ASK1 and then in SAMFIRM software click Download ROM > Tick the Binary Nature box and then Flash the Combination file in the AP button of ODIN then the on that ROM go to Orange Calculator (IME) type in *#0808# on the next screen select the option with ADB and RM & DMT (normally the bottom) then select PDA on the next and then SAVE and RESET then flash the SAMSUNG ROM with the CSC, not the HOME!<< Just a NOTE! Not Responsible for bricked devices if you do this wrong! Advice only! :good: