M8 won't find network even after RUU - Verizon HTC One (M8)

I've been searching here and everywhere online and haven't found a solution to this problem: I have a Verizon One M8 that is S-off and was rooted until I used RUU to restore it to 4.4.4 because it simply won't find a signal at all on Verizon's network (i.e. an X over the signal bars icon in the status bar).
At this moment, I can't even find a method to bypass the Setup Wizard, so the phone is essentially useless. It endlessly hangs at the screen saying it is activating on the network.
The backstory: I purchased this M8 on Swappa in February while living abroad to replace a stolen Samsung phone, knowing I'd need a Verizon-compatible phone when I returned to the US. It's a Verizon-branded M8 that the seller coincidentally had mentioned he was using on T-mobile. I had been using it fine on a GSM network abroad. But, since returning 2 weeks ago to the US I haven't been able to activate it on Verizon. I've tried 3 different SIM chips and talked to tier-2 tech support and corporate store reps for over 4 hours trying to resolve this. First they claimed the foreign SIM changed the network profiles of the phone, but now they've deemed the phone defective. I find it hard to believe the phone is suddenly screwed since (1) the phone had worked fine on an international network, and (2) is now reset to factory stock for Verizon.
Is it possible the phone's previous owner, who is out of contact, flashed radio firmware that somehow is preventing the device from ever getting Verizon's CDMA/LTE band frequencies? Even if I've successfully RUU'd it to factory stock?
I'd be very grateful to anyone who can point me in a useful direction! I consider myself a capable but increasingly desperate M8 noob.
tl;dr: M8 won't activate on Verizon network. Even wipe from recovery and RUU hasn't solved problem. Please help!

You said that even wipe from recovery and RUU didn't fix it but did you RUU and THEN wipe from recovery to ensure that the wipe was performed by the stock recovery?
My only other suggestion would be to go look at the threads about converting Verizon m8 to t-mobile and see what things are being done to see if they can be undone. It seems unlikely but possible that they are making changes that would persist through a factory reset with stock recovery.

hardboiledjuice said:
I've been searching here and everywhere online and haven't found a solution to this problem: I have a Verizon One M8 that is S-off and was rooted until I used RUU to restore it to 4.4.4 because it simply won't find a signal at all on Verizon's network (i.e. an X over the signal bars icon in the status bar).
At this moment, I can't even find a method to bypass the Setup Wizard, so the phone is essentially useless. It endlessly hangs at the screen saying it is activating on the network.
The backstory: I purchased this M8 on Swappa in February while living abroad to replace a stolen Samsung phone, knowing I'd need a Verizon-compatible phone when I returned to the US. It's a Verizon-branded M8 that the seller coincidentally had mentioned he was using on T-mobile. I had been using it fine on a GSM network abroad. But, since returning 2 weeks ago to the US I haven't been able to activate it on Verizon. I've tried 3 different SIM chips and talked to tier-2 tech support and corporate store reps for over 4 hours trying to resolve this. First they claimed the foreign SIM changed the network profiles of the phone, but now they've deemed the phone defective. I find it hard to believe the phone is suddenly screwed since (1) the phone had worked fine on an international network, and (2) is now reset to factory stock for Verizon.
Is it possible the phone's previous owner, who is out of contact, flashed radio firmware that somehow is preventing the device from ever getting Verizon's CDMA/LTE band frequencies? Even if I've successfully RUU'd it to factory stock?
I'd be very grateful to anyone who can point me in a useful direction! I consider myself a capable but increasingly desperate M8 noob.
tl;dr: M8 won't activate on Verizon network. Even wipe from recovery and RUU hasn't solved problem. Please help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you do a factory reset with the STOCK recovery, I have seen where people use a GPE rom and go back to stock and their network settings are borked up. They do a factory reset with stock recovery correct the default radios as mentioned in the above post?

carm01 said:
Did you do a factory reset with the STOCK recovery, I have seen where people use a GPE rom and go back to stock and their network settings are borked up. They do a factory reset with stock recovery correct the default radios as mentioned in the above post?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cntryby429 said:
You said that even wipe from recovery and RUU didn't fix it but did you RUU and THEN wipe from recovery to ensure that the wipe was performed by the stock recovery?
My only other suggestion would be to go look at the threads about converting Verizon m8 to t-mobile and see what things are being done to see if they can be undone. It seems unlikely but possible that they are making changes that would persist through a factory reset with stock recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion to try a stock recovery wipe. I can't get into recovery because it is on fastboot that goes straight into Setup Wizard.
Because it's in fastboot mode, I can't do the Power button + Down Volume method either. And because it goes straight into Setup Wizard, the methods I've found for bypassing it, like tapping the 4 corners of the screen in a clockwise manner or accessing airplane mode, aren't working. Any ideas?
edit: I've never used adb, so if that's the suggestion I may need some hand-holding.

hardboiledjuice said:
Thanks for the suggestion to try a stock recovery wipe. I can't get into recovery because it is on fastboot that goes straight into Setup Wizard.
Because it's in fastboot mode, I can't do the Power button + Down Volume method either. And because it goes straight into Setup Wizard, the methods I've found for bypassing it, like tapping the 4 corners of the screen in a clockwise manner or accessing airplane mode, aren't working. Any ideas?
edit: I've never used adb, so if that's the suggestion I may need some hand-holding.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ADB reboot recovery
turn it completely off and try accessing the Bootloader
let me rephrase that lolz turn it off, then power on by holding VOL down and then power

Try taking booting the phone without the Sim in it. I could be wrong but I think that might allow you to bypass the setup or at least choose to do the setup on WiFi instead. If so, you could do that, then change the fastboot thing in settings.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

robocuff said:
Try taking booting the phone without the Sim in it. I could be wrong but I think that might allow you to bypass the setup or at least choose to do the setup on WiFi instead. If so, you could do that, then change the fastboot thing in settings.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That did it! I don't know why that extra wipe from recovery step isn't mentioned in the official RUU threads, but it seems like it should. For posterity sake and for other noob folks in this conundrum, let me review the steps I took:
1. Follow RUU process (I used "method 2": mount from zip on SD card).
2. Connect phone to PC by USB, navigate to SD card, and rename RUU zip file something else (or else recovery will always automatically load it).
3. Disconnect phone and start up without SIM chip inserted.
4. Setup Wizard will ask if you want to use wifi instead of activating SIM. Choose that option.
5. Go into Settings > Power > Fastboot and uncheck it to disable.
6. Reboot to recovery: power off, then restart holding power + volume down.
7. In Hboot, select factory reset. Let process run.
8. Turn off when it gets to Setup Wizard, insert SIM chip, turn back on.
9. Setup Wizard should now activate the line if you have set it up with Verizon by providing the IMEI, etc.
10. Joy!
Happy holidays to you guys, @carm01 and @cntryby429, and thanks again for helping out!

Glad to hear that worked for you and that you got it sorted out. Also, once you've completed the RUU, if for some reason you can't rename the file with a PC, you can just remove the SD card , boot the phone, then insert the SD card and mount it in settings/storage. Then use your file manager to rename or delete the file.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

hardboiledjuice said:
That did it! I don't know why that extra wipe from recovery step isn't mentioned in the official RUU threads, but it seems like it should. For posterity sake and for other noob folks in this conundrum, let me review the steps I took:
1. Follow RUU process (I used "method 2": mount from zip on SD card).
2. Connect phone to PC by USB, navigate to SD card, and rename RUU zip file something else (or else recovery will always automatically load it).
3. Disconnect phone and start up without SIM chip inserted.
4. Setup Wizard will ask if you want to use wifi instead of activating SIM. Choose that option.
5. Go into Settings > Power > Fastboot and uncheck it to disable.
6. Reboot to recovery: power off, then restart holding power + volume down.
7. In Hboot, select factory reset. Let process run.
8. Turn off when it gets to Setup Wizard, insert SIM chip, turn back on.
9. Setup Wizard should now activate the line if you have set it up with Verizon by providing the IMEI, etc.
10. Joy!
Happy holidays to you guys, @carm01 and @cntryby429, and thanks again for helping out!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ruu process and the wipe from stock recovery are two entirely different processes used for different reasons. I have actually posted in those threads more times than I care to count that if you are coming from cm and/or another carriers cm and are having connection problems you need to use stock recovery to reset your radios nv settings. This step is not something htc intended ruu to be used to do.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

dottat said:
The ruu process and the wipe from stock recovery are two entirely different processes used for different reasons. I have actually posted in those threads more times than I care to count that if you are coming from cm and/or another carriers cm and are having connection problems you need to use stock recovery to reset your radios nv settings. This step is not something htc intended ruu to be used to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Late response here, but...
I know this is an enduring problem for you, dottat, that you have to repeat yourself to countless people with the same problem. But believe me, I searched throughout this forum for this issue, and especially tracked your posts for answers, and couldn't find anything.

Related

[Q] Do I have a custom ROM and is it potentially causing my battery charging problem?

Hello, I'm a new owner of the AT&T HTC One X(L), purchased just yesterday from a previous owner. I'll try and make this thorough.
The problem is, I'm having a really hard time charging the device today after I let the battery drain all the way down from yesterday from when I purchased it. I've tried charging via USB to my laptop, directly to the wall, while its shut down, sleeping/idle, etc.. and nothing seems to get it charging quick at all. I'm using the stock HTC charger it came with, the previous owner had everything in the box and it's in great cosmetic condition.
The phone does charge some, but it was literally struggling to get between 20% and 35% for most of the day, and then later increased to 50% only to then drop back down again. And I haven't been using it at all, it's just sitting there trying to charge. How long should it reasonably take to charge this phone using the wall adapter?
Is there any chance the installed Android software (is there a custom ROM on the phone perhaps?) is causing this problem? The battery usage report says that 72% has been due to Android.. is that abnormally high by chance?
I've disabled all syncing, WiFi, screen brightness is on low, airplane mode, etc. In fact, the phone isn't even activated yet on my carrier. I've only used it thus far for WiFi at home, the browsing speed of which I'm happy with.
Some other stuff...
Recovery/bootloader reads:
*** TAMPERED ***
*** UNLOCKED ***
EVITA PVT SHP S-ON RL
HBOOT-2.14.0000
RADIO-0.24p.32.09.06
OpenDSP-v34.1.0.45.1219
eMMC-boot
Nov 26,2012
On the prior screen it also says "This build is for development purposes only, do not distribute outside of HTC, etc.." and then there's this little flashing "T" logo on the next white screen which shows up briefly before the phone boots up.
Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks for your time and patience.
You mentioned the "T" logo showing up during the boot process which leads me to believe it's running the T-Mobile Germany 4.2.2 stock ROM, which is technically a custom ROM in this context. The device should take about 3-4 hours to charge from zero to full. I personally think you've got a dodgy device. Have you contacted the seller regarding the issues you're having? Whoever had it previously didn't know what they were doing, it has a mismatched radio/firmware version for the ROM that's installed.
Sent from my Evita
timmaaa said:
You mentioned the "T" logo showing up during the boot process which leads me to believe it's running the T-Mobile Germany 4.2.2 stock ROM, which is technically a custom ROM in this context. The device should take about 3-4 hours to charge from zero to full. I personally think you've got a dodgy device. Have you contacted the seller regarding the issues you're having? Whoever had it previously didn't know what they were doing, it has a mismatched radio/firmware version for the ROM that's installed.
Sent from my Evita
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. 3-4 hours from 0 to full is somewhat reassuring to hear, I assumed it wouldn't take more than an hour for some reason.
It's not the T-Mo "T" logo, it's a really different looking "T" that has a circle under it and the T flashes different colors. The T almost looks the same as the T in HTC. It only appears for a second or two and then the phone boots up. I need to take a picture of it with another device since it didn't work when I tried screen capturing that boot screen from the phone.
Is there anything else you can confirm one way or another from the info I've provided?
- So this isn't a different 3rd party custom ROM, just possibly one from T-Mo eventhough it's a branded ATT phone?
- Is this bootloader "unlocked" and is that why it says that and "tampered"? From what I've read, that's the standard msg it gives when that's the case, but isn't necessarily a red flag. Am I mistaken in my understanding though?
- Is 72% battery usage allocated to Android too high? If so, what should it be?
- Should I just try factory resetting it from the recovery screen?
droydr said:
Thanks for the reply. 3-4 hours from 0 to full is somewhat reassuring to hear, I assumed it wouldn't take more than an hour for some reason.
It's not the T-Mo "T" logo, it's a really different looking "T" that has a circle under it and the T flashes different colors. The T almost looks the same as the T in HTC. It only appears for a second or two and then the phone boots up. I need to take a picture of it with another device since it didn't work when I tried screen capturing that boot screen from the phone.
Is there anything else you can confirm one way or another from the info I've provided?
- So this isn't a different 3rd party custom ROM, just possibly one from T-Mo eventhough it's a branded ATT phone?
- Is this bootloader "unlocked" and is that why it says that and "tampered"? From what I've read, that's the standard msg it gives when that's the case, but isn't necessarily a red flag. Am I mistaken in my understanding though?
- Is 72% battery usage allocated to Android too high? If so, what should it be?
- Should I just try factory resetting it from the recovery screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, I'm so dumb. I failed to look at your screenshots properly. The ROM that is installed is the Kickdroid ROM, which is a fully custom ROM that's based on the official Telstra release. The flashing T is the Telstra boot splash.
-Yes, if you see "unlocked" and "tampered" in your bootloader screen it means your bootloader is unlocked and you have root privileges. That's totally normal for a modified device.
-Under normal circumstances that amount of usage attributed to Android System world be considered high, but it all depends on how the phone is being used. If it's only been charging and nothing else has been active then I wouldn't worry very much.
-Under no circumstances should you ever perform a factory reset from the bootloader, it will corrupt your sd card. A factory reset should only be performed from within TWRP recovery, you can check if this is installed by selecting the recovery option from your bootloader. At this stage I don't think you should perform a factory reset until we've determined what you want from the device.
What would you like to get out of this device? Are you wanting to use custom ROMs or do you want to return it to stock?
Sent from my Evita
timmaaa said:
Oh, I'm so dumb. I failed to look at your screenshots properly. The ROM that is installed is the Kickdroid ROM, which is a fully custom ROM that's based on the official Telstra release. The flashing T is the Telstra boot splash.
-Yes, if you see "unlocked" and "tampered" in your bootloader screen it means your bootloader is unlocked and you have root privileges. That's totally normal for a modified device.
-Under normal circumstances that amount of usage attributed to Android System world be considered high, but it all depends on how the phone is being used. If it's only been charging and nothing else has been active then I wouldn't worry very much.
-Under no circumstances should you ever perform a factory reset from the bootloader, it will corrupt your sd card. A factory reset should only be performed from within TWRP recovery, you can check if this is installed by selecting the recovery option from your bootloader. At this stage I don't think you should perform a factory reset until we've determined what you want from the device.
What would you like to get out of this device? Are you wanting to use custom ROMs or do you want to return it to stock?
Sent from my Evita
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply.
- Ok cool. I searched online for the Telstra logo and their T logo is for sure the one that I'm seeing. I'm assuming you don't suspect this to be the cause of the charging issue.
- So the device is unlocked and rooted, sounds fine as long as it isn't the source of the problem.
- I know this is a dumb question, but is there an ideal way for the phone to be charged? Does it need to be shut down completely for it to charge the fastest or even fully? Or can it be sleeping/idling and charge at the same rate? I've read about a variety of battery draining issues with respect to the HOX, but most are centered around WiFi and LTE uses where people were getting connected and disconnected which then caused a massive drain and bad overheating. I've yet to read something specifically about incredibly slow charging however.
My goals with this device:
- Just for it to function well and do the basics, I'm a very simple user.. calls, texts, and mild data use. I want to be able to charge it nightly within that 3-4 hour estimate and don't want any major battery issues and overheating. Today is literally my first full day with it and the first thing I needed to do was charge it, so I feel stuck at the beginning until this is resolved.
- I want to activate it on a wireless plan so it can really become my new phone, but I don't want to start this process if there's a permanent hardware or software issue with the device.
- I don't need to be on any custom ROM or on kitkat. I'm not a developer or anywhere close to being an Android wizard. I read that 4.2.2 is the last official update the HOX will receive, so I'd be absolutely fine with that. Sure, running kitkat or later Android versions might be nice down the road, but if it becomes clear that any custom ROM (now or in the future) is doing more damage than good, then I'd just want to be able to get it back to the 4.2.2 version HTC has released. I want to have that safety measure at bare minimum.
Under no circumstances should you ever perform a factory reset from the bootloader, it will corrupt your sd card. A factory reset should only be performed from within TWRP recovery, you can check if this is installed by selecting the recovery option from your bootloader. At this stage I don't think you should perform a factory reset until we've determined what you want from the device.
Ok thanks, I won't select the factory reset option from bootloader. However, I don't have an SD card in the phone and I don't think there's an SD slot on it unless I'm totally missing something?
I need to read about what TWRP recovery is and see if it's installed on my phone. Will need to get back to you on that once the phone has had more time to charge - I just want to let it sit undisturbed for 3-4 hours in shut down mode and see if it can increase past a 50% charge rate.
I only inquired about a factory reset thinking that it might be the safest way for me to start trying to troubleshoot the charging problem. It was just a random question I threw out there. I'm willing to do anything that could potentially improve my charging situation.
Whoever had it previously didn't know what they were doing, it has a mismatched radio/firmware version for the ROM that's installed.
- After reviewing my screenshots again, do you feel this is still the case? Is there mismatched software and radios afterall? And if so, would the factory reset via TWRP be one of your first suggestions to try and fix it?
- Do you think such mismatching software could potentially be the cause of its slow battery charging?
- Finally, is there any way for me to check to see if the battery itself is in good shape or faulty? Is there an app you could recommend I download where it can give me a detailed performance report which I could then share the results?
Thank you so much for your time, help, and continued patience.. it means a lot!
droydr said:
Thanks for the reply.
- Ok cool. I searched online for the Telstra logo and their T logo is for sure the one that I'm seeing. I'm assuming you don't suspect this to be the cause of the charging issue.
- So the device is unlocked and rooted, sounds fine as long as it isn't the source of the problem.
- I know this is a dumb question, but is there an ideal way for the phone to be charged? Does it need to be shut down completely for it to charge the fastest or even fully? Or can it be sleeping/idling and charge at the same rate? I've read about a variety of battery draining issues with respect to the HOX, but most are centered around WiFi and LTE uses where people were getting connected and disconnected which then caused a massive drain and bad overheating. I've yet to read something specifically about incredibly slow charging however.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone should charge fine while powered on, in fact I probably would recommend that because that way you can periodically check the progress. The slow charging could be due to a faulty battery or charger, not usually by a ROM though. The fact that it's unlocked should have absolutely nothing to do with it.
My goals with this device:
- Just for it to function well and do the basics, I'm a very simple user.. calls, texts, and mild data use. I want to be able to charge it nightly within that 3-4 hour estimate and don't want any major battery issues and overheating. Today is literally my first full day with it and the first thing I needed to do was charge it, so I feel stuck at the beginning until this is resolved.
- I want to activate it on a wireless plan so it can really become my new phone, but I don't want to start this process if there's a permanent hardware or software issue with the device.
- I don't need to be on any custom ROM or on kitkat. I'm not a developer or anywhere close to being an Android wizard. I read that 4.2.2 is the last official update the HOX will receive, so I'd be absolutely fine with that. Sure, running kitkat or later Android versions might be nice down the road, but if it becomes clear that any custom ROM (now or in the future) is doing more damage than good, then I'd just want to be able to get it back to the 4.2.2 version HTC has released. I want to have that safety measure at bare minimum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can leave Kickdroid on the phone, it will serve your needs and then some. However, you do need to do a little work to get the firmware up to date. You'll need to get s-off, which can be done pretty easily using the Rumrunner method. Then you need to flash the 2.15 firmware found in the beginning of this thread. You will need adb/fastboot installed on your PC, the easiest way is to Google search "minimal adb and fastboot", the first result will be the thread you're looking for. In order for adb/fastboot to work you need HTC drivers installed on your PC too, you can get those by installing HTC Sync Manager.
Under no circumstances should you ever perform a factory reset from the bootloader, it will corrupt your sd card. A factory reset should only be performed from within TWRP recovery, you can check if this is installed by selecting the recovery option from your bootloader. At this stage I don't think you should perform a factory reset until we've determined what you want from the device.
Ok thanks, I won't select the factory reset option from bootloader. However, I don't have an SD card in the phone and I don't think there's an SD slot on it unless I'm totally missing something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no physical sd card slot. When people refer to the sd card we mean the virtual sd card (or internal storage).
I need to read about what TWRP recovery is and see if it's installed on my phone. Will need to get back to you on that once the phone has had more time to charge - I just want to let it sit undisturbed for 3-4 hours in shut down mode and see if it can increase past a 50% charge rate.
I only inquired about a factory reset thinking that it might be the safest way for me to start trying to troubleshoot the charging problem. It was just a random question I threw out there. I'm willing to do anything that could potentially improve my charging situation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TWRP is a custom recovery that can be used for various tasks. You can make a full backup of your current system, you can restore a backup you've made. You can wipe the entire system (a task that takes place prior to flashing a ROM), or just parts. You can install a ROM, kernel, radio, or various other things.
Whoever had it previously didn't know what they were doing, it has a mismatched radio/firmware version for the ROM that's installed.
- After reviewing my screenshots again, do you feel this is still the case? Is there mismatched software and radios afterall? And if so, would the factory reset via TWRP be one of your first suggestions to try and fix it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A factory reset won't help that issue, a factory reset basically removes all user data from the device. The mismatch is happening at a much lower level and can only be remedied by flashing the 2.15 firmware I mentioned above.
- Do you think such mismatching software could potentially be the cause of its slow battery charging?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I don't believe that is the case. Have you tried using a different charger and/or cable? It might be the charger that's the issue. You should only charge from an AC outlet as charging via usb from a PC or the like takes longer due to restrictions on the output.
- Finally, is there any way for me to check to see if the battery itself is in good shape or faulty? Is there an app you could recommend I download where it can give me a detailed performance report which I could then share the results?
Thank you so much for your time, help, and continued patience.. it means a lot!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not familiar with any apps myself but I know there are many that claim to be able to report the health of the battery.
Sent from my Evita
timmaaa said:
You can leave Kickdroid on the phone, it will serve your needs and then some. However, you do need to do a little work to get the firmware up to date. You'll need to get s-off, which can be done pretty easily using the Rumrunner method. Then you need to flash the 2.15 firmware found in the beginning of this thread. You will need adb/fastboot installed on your PC, the easiest way is to Google search "minimal adb and fastboot", the first result will be the thread you're looking for. In order for adb/fastboot to work you need HTC drivers installed on your PC too, you can get those by installing HTC Sync Manager.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again for the reply and all the detail. This section appears to be my 'to do' list but I've been going around in circles with it for a few hours now with no results. The first problem is that Sync Manager on my computer won't recognize my device, it says no phone is plugged in yet my computer makes that alert sound when something new is connected via USB. I'm on a new Windows 8.1 laptop and can't figure it out for the life of me. Apparently this is an issue for others, as I've found out by cross reading HTC and Android forums about it. I don't know if there's some setting on the HOX itself I'm missing in order to start the sync process with my laptop or if it's a Windows issue, but I'm not getting anywhere.
I've read and followed the other pages you listed as well to do the S-off, ADB and fastboot, and ultimately the 2.15 firmware update, but even the 2nd step (S-off) fails because I can't get the darn Sync Mgr to work.
At this point, I would just like to get it back to how it was when the device was opened for the first time with Android 4.0.3. This is an AT&T branded phone for the USA, I don't want it to have anything to do with Telstra or Australian regions. I don't want any kind of custom ROM, radios, kernels, etc.
If I'm understanding you correctly, I can't factory reboot this to the way it originally came out of the box. By it being unlocked and rooted with technically a custom ROM, apparently it's past the point of no return.. I either get it to work via custom ROM or it'll be stuck as is.
I just want it to be true stock. And then once I'm comfortable with that and it's hopefully functioning better, I can then update it to the next Android releases that come directly from ATT. It's crazy how impossible that seems to achieve at this point.
droydr said:
Thanks again for the reply and all the detail. This section appears to be my 'to do' list but I've been going around in circles with it for a few hours now with no results. The first problem is that Sync Manager on my computer won't recognize my device, it says no phone is plugged in yet my computer makes that alert sound when something new is connected via USB. I'm on a new Windows 8.1 laptop and can't figure it out for the life of me. Apparently this is an issue for others, as I've found out by cross reading HTC and Android forums about it. I don't know if there's some setting on the HOX itself I'm missing in order to start the sync process with my laptop or if it's a Windows issue, but I'm not getting anywhere.
I've read and followed the other pages you listed as well to do the S-off, ADB and fastboot, and ultimately the 2.15 firmware update, but even the 2nd step (S-off) fails because I can't get the darn Sync Mgr to work.
At this point, I would just like to get it back to how it was when the device was opened for the first time with Android 4.0.3. This is an AT&T branded phone for the USA, I don't want it to have anything to do with Telstra or Australian regions. I don't want any kind of custom ROM, radios, kernels, etc.
If I'm understanding you correctly, I can't factory reboot this to the way it originally came out of the box. By it being unlocked and rooted with technically a custom ROM, apparently it's past the point of no return.. I either get it to work via custom ROM or it'll be stuck as is.
I just want it to be true stock. And then once I'm comfortable with that and it's hopefully functioning better, I can then update it to the next Android releases that come directly from ATT. It's crazy how impossible that seems to achieve at this point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I should have been more clear, you don't actually want Sync Manager to work, you only wanted to install that to get the drivers. Your main obstacle is actually Windows 8.1, it isn't compatible with fastboot drivers. If you can get access to a PC with a lower version of Windows you should be fine. Then getting s-off should be pretty easy.
Kickdroid doesn't really have anything to do with the Australian region or Telstra as such. The dev merely used a Telstra ROM as a base to build Kickdroid onto.
Are you sure you actually want an at&t release? You may not be aware but at&t releases actually have features that are missing and deliberately broken. That's the only difference between running an at&t ROM and a non at&t ROM, you'll be missing features.
You can easily flash a ROM that is an earlier Android version without having to update the firmware on the device. You don't have to go back to ICS, anything that's from 4.0 up to and including 4.1 will be perfectly fine without any further modification. Have a look through our Android Development section and find one you think will suit you. There are plenty of ROMs in our development section that range from completely stock to customised. That's about as close to stock as you can get without getting s-off first.
Sent from my Evita
timmaaa said:
A factory reset should only be performed from within TWRP recovery, you can check if this is installed by selecting the recovery option from your bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I forgot to mention that I checked on this. When I selected Recovery from the bootloader screen, it took me to ClockworkMod Recovery v6.0.4.6 which I imagine you're familiar with in one way or another. It has 7 different options from its menu.. "reboot system now, install zip, wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache partition, backup and restore, mounts and storage, advanced". After researching it, I know it's a different app than TWRP so I didn't do anything with it per your advice.
You can use CWM if you want to, TWRP is better but it's entirely up to you. You can easily change by using this app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.mkrtchyan.recoverytools
Sent from my Evita
timmaaa said:
Kickdroid doesn't really have anything to do with the Australian region or Telstra as such. The dev merely used a Telstra ROM as a base to build Kickdroid onto.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for clearing that up. So it makes no difference if I have a Telstra or ATT logo on boot up. It just threw me for a loop is all because when you asked about it initially, I started thinking.. "yeah, why doesn't it have the ATT logo and does that have anything to do with my charging problem?"
timmaaa said:
Are you sure you actually want an at&t release? You may not be aware but at&t releases actually have features that are missing and deliberately broken. That's the only difference between running an at&t ROM and a non at&t ROM, you'll be missing features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I'm not sure at all, that's why this is such a guessing game for me at this point. I'm just thinking that if I can just get things back to 'stock' first, then later I can move on and get involved in the custom ROM stuff if it sounds promising.
Ideally, I want to have freedom with my device and not be at the mercy of any carrier.. that's what interests me about Android to begin with, but right now I'm a little weary of what may be going on with my 'new' HOXL.
timmaaa said:
You can easily flash a ROM that is an earlier Android version without having to update the firmware on the device. You don't have to go back to ICS, anything that's from 4.0 up to and including 4.1 will be perfectly fine without any further modification. Have a look through our Android Development section and find one you think will suit you. There are plenty of ROMs in our development section that range from completely stock to customised. That's about as close to stock as you can get without getting s-off first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I will look at that section next. I like the idea that I can potentially get back to something earlier right now even with my current situation. I've been focused on trying to do all the steps you outlined yesterday to fix what I have currently. Of course I would like to be on the 'latest' ROM that makes the HOXL run most efficiently, but perhaps baby steps to start off with would be best.
My goal right now is to simply make sure all my software, firmware, radios, kernels match up. What you said in the beginning about my phone currently being mis-matched really stood out to me and I badly want to fix that. Logically, I absolutely must have a stable, synchronized OS at bare minimum.
droydr said:
Thanks for clearing that up. So it makes no difference if I have a Telstra or ATT logo on boot up. It just threw me for a loop is all because when you asked about it initially, I started thinking.. "yeah, why doesn't it have the ATT logo and does that have anything to do with my charging problem?"
No, I'm not sure at all, that's why this is such a guessing game for me at this point. I'm just thinking that if I can just get things back to 'stock' first, then later I can move on and get involved in the custom ROM stuff if it sounds promising.
Ideally, I want to have freedom with my device and not be at the mercy of any carrier.. that's what interests me about Android to begin with, but right now I'm a little weary of what may be going on with my 'new' HOXL.
Thanks, I will look at that section next. I like the idea that I can potentially get back to something earlier right now even with my current situation. I've been focused on trying to do all the steps you outlined yesterday to fix what I have currently. Of course I would like to be on the 'latest' ROM that makes the HOXL run most efficiently, but perhaps baby steps to start off with would be best.
My goal right now is to simply make sure all my software, firmware, radios, kernels match up. What you said in the beginning about my phone currently being mis-matched really stood out to me and I badly want to fix that. Logically, I absolutely must have a stable, synchronized OS at bare minimum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The mismatch I mentioned earlier exists only for 4.2.2 ROMs, basically any 4.2.2 ROM requires a certain set of firmware to be installed otherwise the phone will suffer signal losses and random reboots.
As another easier option you could just install the Beastmode Reloaded kernel, which is also a workaround for those problems. That way you can keep the ROM that's already installed and be up to date.
Sent from my Evita
timmaaa said:
The mismatch I mentioned earlier exists only for 4.2.2 ROMs, basically any 4.2.2 ROM requires a certain set of firmware to be installed otherwise the phone will suffer signal losses and random reboots.
As another easier option you could just install the Beastmode Reloaded kernel, which is also a workaround for those problems. That way you can keep the ROM that's already installed and be up to date.
Sent from my Evita
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found this thread, I assume this is what you're talking about?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2165880
I see on page 73 the link for the 3.5 version. Now I need to figure out how to install this. Do I first DL something onto my computer and then send it to the phone somehow with the USB cable, or am I suppose to do this directly on the HOXL? I've never flashed or installed anything like this before. I'll I've done thus far is install some apps from Google Play.
Yes that's the right one. You can download it directly to the phone, or download it to the PC and transfer it to the phone.
If downloading it to your PC and using TWRP recovery, you can connect your phone to the PC using a usb cable, select mount from the TWRP main menu, then select mount usb storage and your phone will show up as a removable drive on your PC. Copy the file across, eject the removable drive, unmount usb storage from the phone screen and then you can install.
Go back to the TWRP home screen and select install, navigate to the file and select it, swipe to install (at this point an aroma installer will commence, select the options you would like, don't let it reboot system at the end), select wipe cache/dalvik, swipe to wipe, hit back, hit reboot system. Now the phone will reboot into the OS again and that's it.
Sent from my Evita
timmaaa said:
Yes that's the right one. You can download it directly to the phone, or download it to the PC and transfer it to the phone.
If downloading it to your PC and using TWRP recovery, you can connect your phone to the PC using a usb cable, select mount from the TWRP main menu, then select mount usb storage and your phone will show up as a removable drive on your PC. Copy the file across, eject the removable drive, unmount usb storage from the phone screen and then you can install.
Go back to the TWRP home screen and select install, navigate to the file and select it, swipe to install (at this point an aroma installer will commence, select the options you would like, don't let it reboot system at the end), select wipe cache/dalvik, swipe to wipe, hit back, hit reboot system. Now the phone will reboot into the OS again and that's it.
Sent from my Evita
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I downloaded the 3.5 zip file from page 73 directly to my phone.
And then I followed your install instructions exactly and now my phone keeps turning on and off without being able to boot all the way. It starts on the white "T" logo Telstra screen and then goes to the white HTC screen and then turns off again. It's been doing this nonstop for the last 20 minutes or so now. I'm assuming I have a big problem? The device is unusable at this point, it just keeps turning on and off and is getting very warm all over.
droydr said:
I downloaded the 3.5 zip file from page 73 directly to my phone.
And then I followed your install instructions exactly and now my phone keeps turning on and off without being able to boot all the way. It starts on the white "T" logo Telstra screen and then goes to the white HTC screen and then turns off again. It's been doing this nonstop for the last 10 minutes or so. I'm assuming I have a problem? The device is unusable at this point, it just keeps turning on and off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a small number of devices for which Beastmode isn't compatible, it looks like you've lucked out and have one of those devices. Out of interest, which settings did you choose during the installer?
You can get out of the boot loop by just continuing to hold the volume down button, the next time the loop starts it should enter the bootloader.
At this point you have no choice but to flash another ROM, so I'd head to the development section I linked you to earlier and find a 4.1 ROM that you think you might like and flash that.
PS. I noticed you posted the same thing in the Beastmode thread too, duplicate posts are against the rules here on XDA.
Sent from my Evita
---------- Post added at 03:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:24 AM ----------
Because you're s-on you are going to need to get access to a PC that runs a lower version of Windows, you need to have a working adb/fastboot environment. Flashing a ROM is going to require you to also flash the boot.img from the ROM zip using fastboot, this is a limitation on s-on devices with a hboot later than 1.14.
Sent from my Evita
timmaaa said:
There are a small number of devices for which Beastmode isn't compatible, it looks like you've lucked out and have one of those devices. Out of interest, which settings did you choose during the installer?
You can get out of the boot loop by just continuing to hold the volume down button, the next time the loop starts it should enter the bootloader.
At this point you have no choice but to flash another ROM, so I'd head to the development section I linked you to earlier and find a 4.1 ROM that you think you might like and flash that.
PS. I noticed you posted the same thing in the Beastmode thread too, duplicate posts are against the rules here on XDA.
Sent from my Evita
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. I wasn't sure you were going to see this anytime soon, so I wanted to post it in that kernel thread as well just in case anyone was reading over there. I apologize for that.
I chose the default settings during installation.
Anyway, I've been holding down the volume button now for the last few minutes and it's not entering bootloader. The loop continues.
There's no other way to get to the bootloader apart from holding volume down or trying the volume down + power combination. I also added a little to my previous post which you'll need to read.
Sent from my Evita
timmaaa said:
There's no other way to get to the bootloader apart from holding volume down or trying the volume down + power combination. I also added a little to my previous post which you'll need to read.
Sent from my Evita
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I saw the added parts, thanks. Problem is, this forum isn't allowing me to post or edit my previous posts until 5 mins have past, so it's a struggle trying to communicate.
I've also edited my post in the beastmode thread.
Anyway, I finally got into bootloader with the volume + power combo. Feels good to at least achieve that.
FYI, my bootloader screen looks the same as when I first got the phone a few days ago. Just wanted to include this info here.
*** TAMPERED ***
*** UNLOCKED ***
EVITA PVT SHP S-ON RL
HBOOT-2.14.0000
RADIO-0.24p.32.09.06
OpenDSP-v34.1.0.45.1219
eMMC-boot
Nov 26,2012
Just curious, now that I'm in bootloader, would it do me any good if I selected Recovery so it can then take me to Clockwork? And from there I could try rebooting? Or one of the other menu options?
At this point you have no choice but to flash another ROM, so I'd head to the development section I linked you to earlier and find a 4.1 ROM that you think you might like and flash that.
Because you're s-on you are going to need to get access to a PC that runs a lower version of Windows, you need to have a working adb/fastboot environment. Flashing a ROM is going to require you to also flash the boot.img from the ROM zip using fastboot, this is a limitation on s-on devices with a hboot later than 1.14.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've found this ROM which looks fine. I'm not picky. I'd be happy with anything as long as it can get my device to function again.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2244445
If there's a better 4.1 ROM you'd like to suggest, please feel free to do so.

[Q] Nexus has been unusable since 5.0 OTA

As a preface, I keep my Nexus (16GB) stock/unrooted because having it down while flashing ROMs is not an option anymore. I need to the phone to work all the time, period. The irony is ridiculous.
Received the OTA from Sprint a couple of weeks ago, immediately noticed the (often-mentioned) dismal battery life and GPS hasn't been able to connect since that day. As I use GPS daily and need my phone to last for longer than 6 hours--these present full stop problems. This is in addition to the (often mentioned) stuttering/lag/freezing issues which are beyond frustrating as a heavy user. Really Google?!
Over the last week I've:
-Cleared caches multiple times
-Wiped/Factory Data Reset (3 times as it would not allow me to sign into my Google Account or sync apps)
-Spoke with Nexus Support for three hours today, which ended with 'Sorry, you'll have to call Sprint or LG'
-Tried GPS location 'fix' on XDA (didn't work)
-Been unable to send/receive SMS messages for two days
I'm beyond frustrated with this process and with Google for their lack of response in fixing widely-known 5.0 issues...on their own device. This phone is useless at the moment. What are my options? Root and roll back to KitKat? Throw this phone out of the window and go get a G3? I don't want to use a custom ROM/Recovery unless there are no other options.
Thanks for any advice-
993 said:
Over the last week I've:
-Cleared caches multiple times
-Wiped/Factory Data Reset (3 times as it would not allow me to sign into my Google Account or sync apps)
-Spoke with Nexus Support for three hours today, which ended with 'Sorry, you'll have to call Sprint or LG'
-Tried GPS location 'fix' on XDA (didn't work)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the problems you're describing, you really haven't done much to solve it.
Unlock the bootloader, flash a factory image, relock the bootloader.
Why would you speak to Nexus support for 3 hours for? Waste of time
Frankly, I wanted to see if they would even acknowledge any of the issues that appear to be quite common recently with 5.0. They clearly did not, and it was relatively little effort wasted as it was through Hangouts (on a desktop though, phone forgot how to Hangout).
I have not tried to flash the bootloader, as I said I want to keep this phone as OEM as possible. Since that doesn't appear to be an option I will update when it's complete.
993 said:
I have not tried to flash the bootloader, as I said I want to keep this phone as OEM as possible. Since that doesn't appear to be an option I will update when it's complete.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please read the stickies and take advantage of the knowledge base. My suggestion keeps the phone absolutely stock. It's telling that you couldn't recognize that.
I agree, just flash the stock image from fastboot.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Wakamatsu said:
Please read the stickies and take advantage of the knowledge base. My suggestion keeps the phone absolutely stock. It's telling that you couldn't recognize that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That isn't what the Nexus rep said (reps have been known to be misinformed). I have read the relevant stickies and am aware of how to use this site. You didn't read my question. As I said, I would rather not flash if there are other viable options. IF this is the only workable solution thus far for people experiencing the above listed issues then OK. Thanks for your suggestion.
993 said:
That isn't what the Nexus rep said (reps have been known to be misinformed). I have read the relevant stickies and am aware of how to use this site. It is telling you didn't read my question. As I said, I would rather not flash if there are other viable options. IF this is the only workable solution thus far for people experiencing the above listed issues then OK. Thanks for your suggestion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flash the factory image. OTAs sometimes fail to implement properly. What you are describing is almost certainly that. You've already tried everything you can to fix the issues short of flashing. So flash.
You either have bad hardware, or the upgrade didn't install correctly. As others have mentioned, flashing the factory image should work.
993 said:
You didn't read my question. As I said, I would rather not flash if there are other viable options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You said that you don't want to flash a custom rom. A factory image is what is installed on the Nexus by Google. Again, you're betraying a lack of knowledge on this subject.
If you wanted stablity you should of stayed on kitkat, hence why i never updated, you a os i can rely on and thats currently 4.4, as usual android builds at the start have minor issues and we wait for google to fix them.
I usually dont update till the devs can get a functioning build thats suitable for the community.
as above,
Fastboot oem unlock, flash 4.4 or 5.0 google image, relock bootloader
If he doesnt want to flash a custom rom then he should know how to flash a stock rom.
https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images
I don't even speak to my own family for 3 hours, let alone a complete stranger lol wow
Wakamatsu said:
You said that you don't want to flash a custom rom. A factory image is what is installed on the Nexus by Google. Again, you're betraying a lack of knowledge on this subject.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's what's been done so far several times over:
Unlocked Bootloader
Installed SDK kit from Google using their walk though
Attempted ADB sideload of Google Factory images (5.0 then 4.4) from appropriate modes on CWM and TW
Attempted Fastboot (works only with CWM, no push/pull)
Multiple Full Wipes in both recoveries
Attempted ADB commands through terminal (W7 Pro - Admin)
Uninstalled, Reinstalled all recommended device driver packages, only recognizes in device manager as 'Google Nexus ADB Device' not Explorer Shell (read relevant FAQs) regardless of driver.
Used multiple USB ports/cables, rebooted PC each change in configuration
Root Toolkit 1.9.9 does not recognize through ADB
As of current, only Bootloader (unlocked) and Recovery mode work. I cannot access the SD card of the device through any means I've tried. The last that the OS booted I ensured that USB debugging was on in Settings. ADB mode in either recovery does not change device recognition on PC, nor does file system appear. System will not boot to ensure debugging setting has remained. Same issues with a laptop with no known prior driver issues.
993 said:
Attempted ADB sideload of Google Factory images (5.0 then 4.4) from appropriate modes on CWM and TW
Attempted Fastboot (works only with CWM, no push/pull)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't sideload a factory image. Fastboot commands are executed in bootloader, not recovery.
That should read that 'fastboot only responds to commands while CWM is the recovery'.
I can flash recoveries by this method from CMD but anything else (ROMS, etc) show progress but end before completion.
993 said:
That should read that 'fastboot only responds to commands while CWM is the recovery'.
I can flash recoveries by this method from CMD but anything else (ROMS, etc) show progress but end before completion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, you really need to read and understand the stickies before you do something bad to your phone. You are just flailing right now.
And really, all you needed to read was the install instructions on the Google factory image page.
1) Unlock bootloader
2) Unzip the factory image zip
3) Reboot in to bootloader
4) Run the flash-all script in the factory image folder.
This was the first method I tried. I have downloaded the factory image from Google several times and I get an 'unexpected end of data' message in 7zip when extracting my copies. Downloading from Google has been hit or miss with 'unknown network error' that halts the download, not sure what that could be.
I am trying to pinpoint the cause of these issues, as flashing back to factory without good images won't be possible. I understand how straightforward a factory flash should be especially with OEM tools but in my case I keep running into roadblocks.
Disable your antivirus and firewall during the download, that may help.
gee2012 said:
Disable your antivirus and firewall during the download, that may help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your suggestion. I disabled MSE + Firewall on the W7 machine and attempted to download [hammerhead-lrx21o-factory-01315e08.tgz] again from Google with the same error result, halting the download before completion.
My main machine, a Chromebook, will download the file completely however the zip cannot be moved without losing file size (downloads the entire 556.3MB, however once moved it magically becomes 417.2MB).
Further, I went to the Sprint Store today (I know) to see what the techs could do about pushing the factory image on the device. After about 30 minutes, they came back with "You should call Google". Brilliant. Now all I need is someone to suggest I call LG and the trifecta will be complete.
993 said:
Thanks for your suggestion. I disabled MSE + Firewall on the W7 machine and attempted to download [hammerhead-lrx21o-factory-01315e08.tgz] again from Google with the same error result, halting the download before completion.
My main machine, a Chromebook, will download the file completely however the zip cannot be moved without losing file size (downloads the entire 556.3MB, however once moved it magically becomes 417.2MB).
Further, I went to the Sprint Store today (I know) to see what the techs could do about pushing the factory image on the device. After about 30 minutes, they came back with "You should call Google". Brilliant. Now all I need is someone to suggest I call LG and the trifecta will be complete.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try LG to see if they will help. Haha had to.
Can you not download on your phone? I'm not familiar with sending MMS but does it work forcing your phone to 1x? I'm trying to think of ideas. What all apps do you have installed?
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

Need help with screen lock or removing data from screen locked i535

I'm sure it's been beaten like a dead horse... Yes I have searched all over XDA and other resources. It seems every time I think I find something... I'm one setting short or one model away from what would work.
Been working on this way too long and now I ask for your help.
I have a client who lost her daughter. (She drown). She has her phone (S3 I535 verizon) but no idea what the lock pin would be and has tried a couple but none work. Unfortunately she's on attempt 8/10 so two more tries and the phone factory resets and all is lost.
She really wants to recover her daughter's pictures and if possible remove the screen lock without losing data (either works for her if it can be done).
I've tried everything I can find.
While she has her gmail and password, when we logged in device manager listed no active devices. (was able to recover some pictures from a backup, but it appears gmail didn't back up more than a couple from a couple years ago.)
Logged into samsung to remote unlock it, but again, no devices on account.
ADB is a no-go because USB debugging is OFF
Tried to put TWRP on it but odin failed
(Found a thread here that seems to be quality but can't load the program in stock recovery and cant get CWM or TWRP on it without debugging.)
Any ideas?
I do not know the android version, but I suspect it is the newest. I used my old S3 to replicate it so I could try these things without damaging her phone and losing the data, and it's running 4.4.2
If you couldn't flash a recovery using Odin then you're probably right about it being on one of the newer versions(your phone), the boot loader got locked up tight and the only recovery we have available is Safestrap. This is a tough one. I'm no expert by far, take what I'm saying with a grain of salt and do your own researching before taking any action after reading this! I see two ways of recovering some or all data if the bootloader is locked(and the device storage isn't encrypted)
1. If you don't have equipment to directly read/write to the internal storage then point her somewhere that specializes in data recovery on smart phones.
2. Factory reset the device, try to recover "deleted" data.
If the bootloader wasn't/isn't locked down then you could probably flash a rom that didn't have the lock screen pin/pattern ect implemented. I don't have the i535 but I know that the prepaid version checks the system partition when flashing via Odin so this probably wouldn't work if it's locked but I can't confirm wether or not this is checked on the i535
Can you enter the stock recovery on the daughters phone just to verify if its updated or not. Should be a string near the top. If it ends with ne1 its on 4.4.2 and I don't recall the one for 4.3. If you're unable to enter the recovery because you have to enter the pin before there's an actual lock screen(with the clock, status bar, wallpaper ect) then it's likely encrypted and there's nothing that you can do about that.
OpenSourcererSweg said:
If you couldn't flash a recovery using Odin then you're probably right about it being on one of the newer versions(your phone), the boot loader got locked up tight and the only recovery we have available is Safestrap. This is a tough one. I'm no expert by far, take what I'm saying with a grain of salt and do your own researching before taking any action after reading this! I see two ways of recovering some or all data if the bootloader is locked(and the device storage isn't encrypted)
1. If you don't have equipment to directly read/write to the internal storage then point her somewhere that specializes in data recovery on smart phones.
2. Factory reset the device, try to recover "deleted" data.
If the bootloader wasn't/isn't locked down then you could probably flash a rom that didn't have the lock screen pin/pattern ect implemented. I don't have the i535 but I know that the prepaid version checks the system partition when flashing via Odin so this probably wouldn't work if it's locked but I can't confirm wether or not this is checked on the i535
Can you enter the stock recovery on the daughters phone just to verify if its updated or not. Should be a string near the top. If it ends with ne1 its on 4.4.2 and I don't recall the one for 4.3. If you're unable to enter the recovery because you have to enter the pin before there's an actual lock screen(with the clock, status bar, wallpaper ect) then it's likely encrypted and there's nothing that you can do about that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can enter recovery mode and I do believe it is 4.4.2.
because of the delicate nature of her phone (being her passed on daughter's and she used 9 of 10 attempts to guess her pin) I pulled my S3 out of the drawer (coincidentally I stopped using it about 2 weeks after she passed) and everything is identical down to the recovery string at the top. I know it's running the same software and I have all kinds of old pictures and texts on it like she would have and I am logged into gmail on it like she is. I locked the screen on MINE and I know the PIN on MINE. I also saved a backup of my stuff so I'm using my phone as the tester since I was able to put in in the identical situation
I have room to play because of that. Once I have success on mine, I'll try what worked on mine on hers.
So far I've tried...
play.google unlock... While I have now been able to get her device to appear on device manager on google's site, they changed it so that when I remote lock it the screen lock pin does NOT change.
I called Google, Samsung, and VERIZON. None have the ability to change or remove lock screen pin.
I tried ADB, but it doesn't detect any devices when I ADB shell or ADB device.
USB DEBUGGING IS OFF (or we wouldn't be having this convo)
It has stock recovery and not CWM or TWRP (again if I could get one of those on there, we wouldn't be having this convo) (tried ODIN flashing TWRP on, but fails)
---------------------------
Every direction I head I hit a brick wall.
I've never heard of being able to recover data from internal SDcard after reset. Didn't think that was possible.
FYI. recovery mode string is...
ANDROID system recovery <3e>
KOT49H.I535VRUDNE1
Wking46 said:
I can enter recovery mode and I do believe it is 4.4.2.
because of the delicate nature of her phone (being her passed on daughter's and she used 9 of 10 attempts to guess her pin) I pulled my S3 out of the drawer (coincidentally I stopped using it about 2 weeks after she passed) and everything is identical down to the recovery string at the top. I know it's running the same software and I have all kinds of old pictures and texts on it like she would have and I am logged into gmail on it like she is. I locked the screen on MINE and I know the PIN on MINE. I also saved a backup of my stuff so I'm using my phone as the tester since I was able to put in in the identical situation
I have room to play because of that. Once I have success on mine, I'll try what worked on mine on hers.
So far I've tried...
play.google unlock... While I have now been able to get her device to appear on device manager on google's site, they changed it so that when I remote lock it the screen lock pin does NOT change.
I called Google, Samsung, and VERIZON. None have the ability to change or remove lock screen pin.
I tried ADB, but it doesn't detect any devices when I ADB shell or ADB device.
USB DEBUGGING IS OFF (or we wouldn't be having this convo)
It has stock recovery and not CWM or TWRP (again if I could get one of those on there, we wouldn't be having this convo) (tried ODIN flashing TWRP on, but fails)
---------------------------
Every direction I head I hit a brick wall.
I've never heard of being able to recover data from internal SDcard after reset. Didn't think that was possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With HDDs I know it's possible as I have done it before. The only issue is not overwriting the data when reinstalling a operating system ect. Flash is abit dififfrent but still doesnt overwrite deleted data as soon as its deleted. If you're willing to try it on your gs3 first then go for it. Since the data is very important, I would have her take it to someone who specializes in data recovery instead of trying to wipe it and get the data off it just in case.
Are you able to remotely install applications though the Google Play site or by other means? Might be able to get a shell from one of the ssh server apps if they run the server on startup. If you can get a shell you should be able to work from there.
OpenSourcererSweg said:
With HDDs I know it's possible as I have done it before. The only issue is not overwriting the data when reinstalling a operating system ect. Flash is abit dififfrent but still doesnt overwrite deleted data as soon as its deleted. If you're willing to try it on your gs3 first then go for it. Since the data is very important, I would have her take it to someone who specializes in data recovery instead of trying to wipe it and get the data off it just in case.
Are you able to remotely install applications though the Google Play site or by other means? Might be able to get a shell from one of the ssh server apps if they run the server on startup. If you can get a shell you should be able to work from there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can remotely install apps via google play site. If I could find a shell that works on startup... please let me know what that does for me?
Wking46 said:
I can remotely install apps via google play site. If I could find a shell that works on startup... please let me know what that does for me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SSH access may let you transfer some files on the device to another machine. (Assuming that it will connect to known wifi networks while locked)
OpenSourcererSweg said:
SSH access may let you transfer some files on the device to another machine. (Assuming that it will connect to known wifi networks while locked)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No such luck. Looks like all of them would need me to log in to set them up, which defeats the purpose.
I may have to wait and see if tech changes over time and keep trying until it does.
Wking46 said:
No such luck. Looks like all of them would need me to log in to set them up, which defeats the purpose.
I may have to wait and see if tech changes over time and keep trying until it does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take a look at this, https://www.nowsecure.com/blog/2015/06/16/remote-code-execution-as-system-user-on-samsung-phones/ may be able to remove the pin. Sorry if discussion about this isn't allowed or frowned upon. Seems like a pain and it may not work for the s3
OpenSourcererSweg said:
Take a look at this, https://www.nowsecure.com/blog/2015/06/16/remote-code-execution-as-system-user-on-samsung-phones/ may be able to remove the pin. Sorry if discussion about this isn't allowed or frowned upon. Seems like a pain and it may not work for the s3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't effect S3 vzw. only S4 and up
Wking46 said:
Doesn't effect S3 vzw. only S4 and up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah I read "swift" as Swype and my Prepaid Verizon GS3 came with Swype preinstalled.
I have an idea, perhaps try the Verizon repair software "repair" the device to back up data while in Odin mode? I don't recall if it will require a password or anything.I don't believe it required USB debugging to be enabled, don't know if it works while in Odin mode. I don't know if the backups are encrypted or not. You can try using sandboxie to see where it keeps the backed up data. I don't know if it will backup data while you're in Odin mode though. Worth trying I suppose. Don't have time try my The self or I would. Sorry for the rushed message, I'll be home in about an hour though.

Looking for ROMs for LG VS890/FX3

Hi, folks,
After many, many attempts, I finally was able to root my Verizon LG Enact/VS890/FX3, using NewKingrootV4.50_C120_B220_xda_release_2015_07_22_105243.apk, which I got from this forum about a week ago... for which I heartily thank Zero Sparks. Finally able to uninstall a lot of the crapware I didn't want, and to install several root-only apps which I did want.
The thing I'm having trouble with now, is finding custom ROMs for the phone. It's running KitKat, so it's not ancient, and if I can't use anything but the stock ROM, so be it. But I'm dying to try flashing Lollipop or even Marshmallow. It has to be a very specific ROM for that phone, because of the slide-out QWERTY keyboard... the wrong firmware wouldn't function properly. And there are a lot of bogus sites out there which want you to "complete a survey" or "sign up for one of these offers", but they never give you the download, it's just an endless circle of phishing sites... with lots of malware for my system, I'm sure. I'd much rather trust you folks on here, if you have anything.
I'm in the same boat, would love to upgrade off of 4.1.2 but can't find anything to use.
Additionally, a previous owner (bought off ebay) apparently unlocked the bootloader and replaced the stock recovery with something I don't recognize. When holding down power and vol down I see this:
Rooted
*********************************************
FACTORY HARD RESET
*********************************************
Permanently Erase User Data & Reset Settings?
Press Power key to confirm, and Volume Down or Up key to cancel
So not only can't I find a ROM to use, I can't even upgrade the stock ROM due to it not passing the root check. And I can't use stock recovery since it was replaced by the above. Anyone see this before?
I wish there was better support for the VS890 around, but I can't even find the original recovery / ROM image to flash.
UsualNoise said:
I'm in the same boat, would love to upgrade off of 4.1.2 but can't find anything to use.
Additionally, a previous owner (bought off ebay) apparently unlocked the bootloader and replaced the stock recovery with something I don't recognize. When holding down power and vol down I see this:
Rooted
*********************************************
FACTORY HARD RESET
*********************************************
Permanently Erase User Data & Reset Settings?
Press Power key to confirm, and Volume Down or Up key to cancel
So not only can't I find a ROM to use, I can't even upgrade the stock ROM due to it not passing the root check. And I can't use stock recovery since it was replaced by the above. Anyone see this before?
I wish there was better support for the VS890 around, but I can't even find the original recovery / ROM image to flash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my research, I could have sworn I came across a site that had the original "stock" LG software for download, but I can't find it now. The closest I come is this LG link that will give you the firmware -- and the VS890 is on their list: http://www.mylgphones.com/latest-lg-phones-firmware-update-model-version-date
I don't know if that might restore your stock recovery, at least. But have you tried doing the "factory reset" they offer, in this recovery app? Typically, this often restores the phone to whatever it was shipped with... which in your case, is just what you want. And there might be a method out there to un-root, I've seen that option in some of the better apps, like the "LG One-Click Root" found here. Then (if you're on Verizon, anyway), you could snag the OTA upgrade to 4.4.2, like I have... and root it again with the method I found.
ADDED LATER: Look in SuperSU, you should find an option for Permanent UnRoot.
Mr2nSmith said:
But have you tried doing the "factory reset" they offer, in this recovery app? Typically, this often restores the phone to whatever it was shipped with... which in your case, is just what you want. And there might be a method out there to un-root, I've seen that option in some of the better apps, like the "LG One-Click Root" found here. Then (if you're on Verizon, anyway), you could snag the OTA upgrade to 4.4.2, like I have... and root it again with the method I found.
ADDED LATER: Look in SuperSU, you should find an option for Permanent UnRoot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for responding. Unfortunately my issue isn't the rooting of the OS (which I can undo, and have), it's the fact that the bootloader was unlocked and original recovery was replaced with that custom one I listed above. And yes, I did the 'factory reset', which reset everything to the original state of 4.1.2 ... but it didn't remove the custom recovery. Because of that, I can't ever upgrade via normal means (get the 0x13 error when I try).
Same deal with SuperSU, unrooting simply removes root access in the 4.1.2 OS, doesn't affect recovery. And, since there is no CMW / TWRP custom recovery option for VS890 I can't even attempt replacing the existing recovery. I'm stuck at this point unless someone figures out 1) where the stock recovery and firmware are located, and 2) a method to safely flash it to the phone. It sucks, I like this phone but it has some severe limitations. It also won't work with my Pebble watch, which is what prompted this whole endeavor in the first place (trying to upgrade to KitKat).
UsualNoise said:
Thanks for responding. Unfortunately my issue isn't the rooting of the OS (which I can undo, and have), it's the fact that the bootloader was unlocked and original recovery was replaced with that custom one I listed above. And yes, I did the 'factory reset', which reset everything to the original state of 4.1.2 ... but it didn't remove the custom recovery. Because of that, I can't ever upgrade via normal means (get the 0x13 error when I try).
Same deal with SuperSU, unrooting simply removes root access in the 4.1.2 OS, doesn't affect recovery. And, since there is no CMW / TWRP custom recovery option for VS890 I can't even attempt replacing the existing recovery. I'm stuck at this point unless someone figures out 1) where the stock recovery and firmware are located, and 2) a method to safely flash it to the phone. It sucks, I like this phone but it has some severe limitations. It also won't work with my Pebble watch, which is what prompted this whole endeavor in the first place (trying to upgrade to KitKat).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried simply finding and uninstalling the custom recovery? I know you said it was unfamiliar to you, but it has to be in there somewhere, under some name. And once it's removed, the phone would revert to its stock recovery. This is a great little phone, even if you can only get it to KitKat, don't give up.
Mr2nSmith said:
Have you tried simply finding and uninstalling the custom recovery? I know you said it was unfamiliar to you, but it has to be in there somewhere, under some name. And once it's removed, the phone would revert to its stock recovery. This is a great little phone, even if you can only get it to KitKat, don't give up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bad news: I would have no idea how to 'find' the custom recovery unfortunately.
The good news: I solved my problem! Although I couldn't update the OS via normal means (network) or via PC connection, I was able to manually flash KitKat (4.4.2) myself successfully. Here's what I did:
1) I downloaded the drivers for the phone from LG's site and installed them.
2) Connected the phone, it went into 'install' mode first where a drive appeared in my computer that contained the Verizon Upgrade Assistant.
3) Ran the upgrade assistant, it found the phone and downloaded the new firmware (.cab file). The upgrade assistant would not apply the update, unfortunately. I don't know if it was because of my bootloader issue or not, but I was at a dead end. Temporarily.
4) Tried following the procedure here but it didn't work with the current LG tools available. However it did point me in the right direction for
5) I found the LGFlashTool. I followed the instructions on that site. First went into download mode (powered off, removed battery, inserted battery, held vol up and down while plugging in the USB cable - *make sure it's a good cable!!*), then in the flash tool dialog itself I entered the .cab file name, selected [ CDMA, Diag, 33000 ], left what was auto-filled in version (but deleted the .cab extension) and hit the CSE Flash button. Next dialog I tried reading phone info, but it crashed (didn't fill me with confidence). Restarted, got back to that dialog, hit START. Next dialog, selected my country and language, hit OK. Then it popped up a new LG update window that actually did the update / flash.
Shockingly, it successfully worked. I was preparing myself for a bricked phone, but it worked ... AND fixed my bluetooth connection issue with my Pebble watch.
I have no idea if this procedure would work for custom ROMs or not (and I'm not going to press my luck and try), so I can't recommend it for non-stock stuff, but at least it's a way to flash a known working ROM for the LG Enact. Hopefully this helps someone else down the road. This was the first firmware flashing endeavor I've undertaken where I didn't already know someone else did it successfully first. Thus, my trepidation.
UsualNoise said:
The bad news: I would have no idea how to 'find' the custom recovery unfortunately.
The good news: I solved my problem! Although I couldn't update the OS via normal means (network) or via PC connection, I was able to manually flash KitKat (4.4.2) myself successfully. Here's what I did:
1) I downloaded the drivers for the phone from LG's site and installed them.
2) Connected the phone, it went into 'install' mode first where a drive appeared in my computer that contained the Verizon Upgrade Assistant.
3) Ran the upgrade assistant, it found the phone and downloaded the new firmware (.cab file). The upgrade assistant would not apply the update, unfortunately. I don't know if it was because of my bootloader issue or not, but I was at a dead end. Temporarily.
4) Tried following the procedure here but it didn't work with the current LG tools available. However it did point me in the right direction for
5) I found the LGFlashTool. I followed the instructions on that site. First went into download mode (powered off, removed battery, inserted battery, held vol up and down while plugging in the USB cable - *make sure it's a good cable!!*), then in the flash tool dialog itself I entered the .cab file name, selected [ CDMA, Diag, 33000 ], left what was auto-filled in version (but deleted the .cab extension) and hit the CSE Flash button. Next dialog I tried reading phone info, but it crashed (didn't fill me with confidence). Restarted, got back to that dialog, hit START. Next dialog, selected my country and language, hit OK. Then it popped up a new LG update window that actually did the update / flash.
Shockingly, it successfully worked. I was preparing myself for a bricked phone, but it worked ... AND fixed my bluetooth connection issue with my Pebble watch.
I have no idea if this procedure would work for custom ROMs or not (and I'm not going to press my luck and try), so I can't recommend it for non-stock stuff, but at least it's a way to flash a known working ROM for the LG Enact. Hopefully this helps someone else down the road. This was the first firmware flashing endeavor I've undertaken where I didn't already know someone else did it successfully first. Thus, my trepidation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good for you! See, you don't give up, and you get a happy ending.
It's a shame no roms for ours enact, its a cute qwerty android phone...please Can someone tell me how to enter recovery mode ? I bought this phone 2 day's ago but i haven't signal i want to do a wipe cache.. .sorry for my English.. .
Androide3 said:
It's a shame no roms for ours enact, its a cute qwerty android phone...please Can someone tell me how to enter recovery mode ? I bought this phone 2 day's ago but i haven't signal i want to do a wipe cache.. .sorry for my English.. .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wish I could help you, but I never could do that on mine... had to use a sideload tool to do it from my PC. BUT -- I have two suggestions for you. First, download and install the KingRoot tool, to root the phone... it's called NewKingrootV4.50_C120_B220_xda_release_2015_07_22_105243.apk, and I think there is a link earlier in this thread which you can use to find and download it. You'll have to install it manually, then run it. (Don't bother with the "Purify" portion, you don't need that for now.) Your phone will now be rooted, by the only method that ever worked for me. Next, go to the Play Store, and download an app called "Quick Reboot", from Phong IT. This is a root-only app (hence the need to root, first) which includes a "Recovery" option. Try that out, and see what happens.
UsualNoise said:
The bad news: I would have no idea how to 'find' the custom recovery unfortunately.
The good news: I solved my problem! Although I couldn't update the OS via normal means (network) or via PC connection, I was able to manually flash KitKat (4.4.2) myself successfully. Here's what I did:
1) I downloaded the drivers for the phone from LG's site and installed them.
2) Connected the phone, it went into 'install' mode first where a drive appeared in my computer that contained the Verizon Upgrade Assistant.
3) Ran the upgrade assistant, it found the phone and downloaded the new firmware (.cab file). The upgrade assistant would not apply the update, unfortunately. I don't know if it was because of my bootloader issue or not, but I was at a dead end. Temporarily.
4) Tried following the procedure here but it didn't work with the current LG tools available. However it did point me in the right direction for
5) I found the LGFlashTool. I followed the instructions on that site. First went into download mode (powered off, removed battery, inserted battery, held vol up and down while plugging in the USB cable - *make sure it's a good cable!!*), then in the flash tool dialog itself I entered the .cab file name, selected [ CDMA, Diag, 33000 ], left what was auto-filled in version (but deleted the .cab extension) and hit the CSE Flash button. Next dialog I tried reading phone info, but it crashed (didn't fill me with confidence). Restarted, got back to that dialog, hit START. Next dialog, selected my country and language, hit OK. Then it popped up a new LG update window that actually did the update / flash.
Shockingly, it successfully worked. I was preparing myself for a bricked phone, but it worked ... AND fixed my bluetooth connection issue with my Pebble watch.
I have no idea if this procedure would work for custom ROMs or not (and I'm not going to press my luck and try), so I can't recommend it for non-stock stuff, but at least it's a way to flash a known working ROM for the LG Enact. Hopefully this helps someone else down the road. This was the first firmware flashing endeavor I've undertaken where I didn't already know someone else did it successfully first. Thus, my trepidation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did as you said, but I'm still on 4.1.2:crying:

I bought a Pixel 2 directly from Google, is it possible Verizon locked my phone?

I bought the original Pixel from Verizon and that was a complete waste. Then the Pixel2 was released, and I bought it online (directly from Google). I've had it for a long while.
The first thing I did was oem unlock and flash twrp, Magisk, and Elemental X. I was running the stock rom and just let all of the updates slip past (updating the kernel of course) and had a few issues so I thought I'd factory reset and update the phone.
But I didn't take the sim card out...
When the phone rebooted it behaved *exactly* like the original Pixel if you had the sim card in. It specifically sets up according to what Verizon wants on the phone.
Now, when I go into the developer settings, the oem unlock is greyed out!!!
Does Verizon lock Pixel phones regardless of its origin?
I'm not completely stupid, this just doesn't make sense... Anyone else have this issue?
Honestly, I didn't think something like that was possible. Can anyone here confirm the hardware is the exact same? Is it possible Verizon signing keys can overwrite default/official Google keys?
Or will the phone behave as normal if I reset without the sim in?
Gonna try it and report back after work (gotta wait another 8 hours or so as of writing this).
Exactly how did you update it, and I mean every step you took?
The steps, specifically as possible:
downloaded the original image from Google (https://developers.google.com/android/images)
I grabbed [8.1.0 (OPM1.171019.013, Jan 2018] as that was the version I was running
Extracted zip, extracted the zip inside the zip (to get boot.img)
flashed stock recovery to boot_a and boot_b (using instructions found at https://www.androidexplained.com/pixel-2-restore-stock-recovery/
Reboot
Checked phone to see if it worked fine
Rebooted to [stock] recovery to see if it would load
This is where things get a little sketchy, as I could only confirm the stock recovery was in place. I only saw dead Andy with "No Command"
Reboot to system- everything looks okay so far...
Let phone automagically download and install any/all updates through the System Settings.
Make sure I want to- and then actually, factory reset phone (I did *not* remove the sim card)
Went through the initial setup
wait for it...
At this point, all Verizon default apps were installed on phone during the initial setup (not at user request/Google Play Store):
MyVerizon, Messages+, etc.
Raised an eyebrow, went to settings, enabled Developer Options, checked OEM unlock...
As of this point I have not been able to check if I can [fastboot oem unlock]
Another thing is that the flash-all.sh script refused to work properly, even with a root shell. I made sure to double check usb debug was enabled, udev rules in place, and checked, double checked cables and ports.
I can, however, confirm that I am on OPM2.171026.006.C1
I haven't memorized the list at the Google Images (*.img type) link above, but I'm pretty sure this one is listed as the generic Pixel 2 and not the Verizon variant. I will still attempt to unlock using the fastboot method... let's hope it still works...
Anywho, I work nights so, I won't be able to test anything out until after work, waffle house, and a nap. But I will indeed be back to keep this updated.
allcaps33 said:
The steps, specifically as possible:
downloaded the original image from Google (https://developers.google.com/android/images)
I grabbed [8.1.0 (OPM1.171019.013, Jan 2018] as that was the version I was running
Extracted zip, extracted the zip inside the zip (to get boot.img)
flashed stock recovery to boot_a and boot_b (using instructions found at https://www.androidexplained.com/pixel-2-restore-stock-recovery/
Reboot
Checked phone to see if it worked fine
Rebooted to [stock] recovery to see if it would load
This is where things get a little sketchy, as I could only confirm the stock recovery was in place. I only saw dead Andy with "No Command"
Reboot to system- everything looks okay so far...
Let phone automagically download and install any/all updates through the System Settings.
Make sure I want to- and then actually, factory reset phone (I did *not* remove the sim card)
Went through the initial setup
wait for it...
At this point, all Verizon default apps were installed on phone during the initial setup (not at user request/Google Play Store):
MyVerizon, Messages+, etc.
Raised an eyebrow, went to settings, enabled Developer Options, checked OEM unlock...
As of this point I have not been able to check if I can [fastboot oem unlock]
Another thing is that the flash-all.sh script refused to work properly, even with a root shell. I made sure to double check usb debug was enabled, udev rules in place, and checked, double checked cables and ports.
I can, however, confirm that I am on OPM2.171026.006.C1
I haven't memorized the list at the Google Images (*.img type) link above, but I'm pretty sure this one is listed as the generic Pixel 2 and not the Verizon variant. I will still attempt to unlock using the fastboot method... let's hope it still works...
Anywho, I work nights so, I won't be able to test anything out until after work, waffle house, and a nap. But I will indeed be back to keep this updated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
USB debugging is only for ADB, and has nothing to do with fastboot commands. When you attempted to run the flash-all script, were you in ADB or bootloader? In ADB it will fail, because it doesn't recognize fastboot commands. However, in the bootloader, if it's not recognizing fastboot commands, that's a whole different animal. OTAs, when it comes to VZW are dangerous, so it's always best to just sideload them via stock recovery. They should come straight from Google, but I'm afraid that something that you did in the entire process broke that.
In all honesty, all you really needed to do was unzip the latest factory image, run the flash-all script while you were still unlocked, and be done with it. The -w in the script would have taken care of the factory reset for you, as it's a full wipe.
Let us know if what you tried worked, and best of luck ?
I was in the bootloader, I realize adb and fastboot are 2 different entities.... thus far, I'm still locked out... working it now...
An update to this mess:
Still working with known exploits to try and get back to where I was. Looks like I'm gonna have to pull from CVE or ExDB.
Any suggestions from the pros?
allcaps33 said:
I was in the bootloader, I realize adb and fastboot are 2 different entities.... thus far, I'm still locked out... working it now...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do apologize for underestimating your knowledge. That being said, an OTA can't re-lock the bootloader without permission, as that would completely wipe userdata. And, neither can the presence of a SIM card. I fear that, with everything that you did, as far as getting your phone as clean as possible, you may have put the device in limbo, so to speak, and the OTAs, combined with vzw's penchant for locking bootloaders, may have made it susceptible to becoming a Verizon device. Just a thought.
I totally agree with you.
I'm just completely confused how this happened...
As you said, with an unlocked bootloader, it *might* have been possible that through some kind of bug it may have taken something VZW specific... But... The OTA packages don't actually contain the entire ROM do they?
From what I noticed, they're almost all under 80 MB, while the actual ROM packages are (on average) 1.5 GB.
At what point could this crossover happen?
(The reason I bring up package sizes is that would be the most likely reason for an overwrite... I think...)
Can I probe you for more theories? Out of the box solutions never work, perhaps you might trigger ideas within the community.
Thank you very much @DuckRuckus for your help!
Still to this point attempting anything within fastboot seems to just not work...
I can get "fastboot devices" and "fastboot reboot bootloader" to work. But that's about it. No other commands issued get so as a response.

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