Hi all,
Hoping a kind tech wiz will be able to help me out here, having had a Z3 for a couple of weeks I dropped it- back down - from a couple of feet and the front glass completely shattered leaving the screen unresponsive.
Having received a quote in the region of £200 I figure I may as well sell it for spares and buy a new device. However, for peace of mind, I'd like to wipe the phone completely before selling it on. Is this possible to do without being able to use the screen?
Thanks
Dan
There are several ways you can factory reset your phone with broken screen. The first one that comes to mind is with PC Companion repair option. Make sure your battery level is above 80%.
Follow this tutorial and you're all set.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFUEQV6ob_4
fijasko said:
There are several ways you can factory reset your phone with broken screen. The first one that comes to mind is with PC Companion repair option. Make sure your battery level is above 80%.
Follow this tutorial and you're all set.
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Click to collapse
I've tried this but I can't get very far because my phone had a pin lock on before it broke and the companion app doesn't work if the screen is locked. I know what the pin is but obviously can't input it, any other ideas that could help?
Hi all and thx in advance for your time.
In different situation I found myself dealing with non-responding phones. Sometimes completely black, other repeating the brand logo animation screen on and on...
I dont know is at this stage it would make much of a difference if you are dealing with a Nokia or a Samsung, so with Windows O.S. or Andriod one. In case you'd tell me...
My basic question is: which are the rule of thumb for a standard functionality check-up.
What I mean is...which are the basic steps you'd follow through to try and understand what the issue could be, before you actually open the phone itself and take a look inside. I'd like to know from the outside point of view, step by step, what procedures is it correct and complete to follow before having to look into the phone, and therefore deducting that it's some sort of hardware issue.
And...are there any timings? Few times I heard of devices which were completely dead and after a couple of days, just trying to put it on for fun...it finally worked! I mean...do these devices have some sort of timing management or not?
I'm sorry...I know it's noob and maybe it's not the right place, in case mods please kindly move it...but I find that many...too many nowadays, when the phone freezes with black non responding screen...the owner seems to freeze as well! Or they panic and go mad about loosing their contacts or their mail or appointments...
Mobile phones are so diffused today that everyone should know the few, basic steps to follow when and if they face a soft brick or a hard brick of their mobile phone.
Hey people of XDA! I found my Sensation and said to myself: "That would be a great webcam for my 3D printer if I can get it to run again." Long story short: Sensation was first smartphone broke glass, tried to replace digitizer myself, fail, got a whole display assembly, worked for a while.
Then the display sometimes didn't work. But then, as far as I can remember, I screwed around with a new ROM and now it's stuck in a bootloop vibrating every time it starts booting but without any display output.
FFW 5 Years:
Now my question: Is there a way of finding out if it is totally bricked, just in a bootloop or the display just gave up? I would buy a new display assembly if I knew it would fix the phone. Can I maybe look at the boot process via ADB?
I'm sorry I forgot all the details but I am confident I had ROOT and some custom ROM and KERNEL for overclocking. I will go through some ROMS now and see if anything looks familiar.
Remembering...: Probably S-OFF because I remember flashing RADIOS, also probably SUPER-CID if I remember correctly to get rid of T-Moblie bloatware. This is a german device bought full price "unlocked".
I think I'm probably totally hosed here, but for lack of any other immediate solutions to my problem I'm hoping someone might be able to give me a hand. This is my first post on this forum and I'm a total noob when it comes to any kind of software development so please excuse any misuse of terms or complete lack of knowledge. And yes, I've checked the noob thread and sadly wasn't able to find an answer. This may be a bit long-winded for background, my apologies.
I bought a Pixel 3 about two weeks ago, from a Verizon store (which I understand may be source of my problems as the Verizon ones are not unlockable), and a day or two ago the power button became stuck down, causing the device to restart over and over again, and eventually, it seems it wiped the OS. All that's showing is a message saying "Can't find valid operating sytem. Device will not start."
I stupidly tried to pry the power button out, which I did, and broke it (the plastic bit on the button, though what's underneath can still be pressed and used), and when I contacted Google they said I'd have to repair the phone at one of their authorized retailers for them to honor the warranty and send me a refurbished one (with a working OS). Sadly that would mean spending about 300 dollars to repair the screen, though it isn't broken, but I guess the button comes with the screen. I don't have the money for that at the moment, it would probably be a month before I do (and being without a phone for a month isn't really an option right now with my job), and I don't think they'd honor the warranty otherwise. I'm in a pretty tough situation. So I'm trying to re-install the OS, but I'm not sure if that's possible.
All buttons are use-able, and I am able to get to the Fastboot Mode screen. I've tried putting it in recovery mode, restarting bootloader, and every other option on that screen accessible by the volume up-down key, and nothing different is happening.
I've downloaded the Android SDK Tools and tried to begin the process of re-installing using these three guides:
android.gadgethacks (dot) com/how-to/complete-guide-flashing-factory-images-android-using-fastboot-0175277
android.gadgethacks (dot) com/how-to/android-basics-install-adb-fastboot-mac-linux-windows-0164225
android.gadgethacks (dot) com/how-to/open-adb-fastboot-command-window-right-directory-0195269
(Sorry the links are unclickable - new users can't post links to avoid spam apparently)
I've made it to Step 5 in the first guide - the phone is in fastboot mode, it's communicating with my computer (running Windows 10) but when I try to use the command "fastboot flashing unlock" and "fastboot flashing unlock_critical", I get error messages saying "FAILED (remote: 'flashing unlock is not allowed')", and "FAILED (remote: 'Invalid argument unlock_critical')", respectively. I think it's important to note that I did not have USB debugging enabled on the device when it stopped working. And once again, I bought it from a Verizon store, meaning it's their version, and from what I've been reading on these forums that means it's locked and cannot be unlocked.
Am I totally screwed? Is there any way at all to unlock the Verizon version? Is there a way to flash the factory image without unlocking it? Do you think someone in a repair shop would be able to re-install the OS without it costing upwards of $150? I'm terribly disappointed, I just got the phone and was absolutely loving it. I'm sad that Google won't honor the warranty despite the fact that I didn't do anything to cause the original issue, it wasn't dropped or damaged by water, but I do feel pretty stupid now for messing with it after the fact and removing the button. You live and you learn I guess.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and offer help. I'll be checking this regularly and if any other information is needed to find a solution please let me know.
Fastboot will be pretty much useless to you since you have the Verizon version and as you said, it's locked and can't be unlocked. The factory image cannot be flashed.
Try downloading the full OTA here https://developers.google.com/android/ota and get your phone into recovery mode and select sideload OTA. Follow the instructions on the screen and sideload the OTA via ADB on your PC. That would be my first step before looking at getting the power button repaired.
As for the power button cost you'd probably need to contact uBreakiFix for that to see what they would charge. If the button did only come in a kit with a screen, they might only charge you for the button since they can keep the screen and use for a different repair, but I'm not sure how they are packaged or how they bill for it.
I have had extremely bad luck and all sorts of dramas including frying the mainboard of my T-865 while attempting to flash TWRP on my way to get it rooted. I will get my tablet back a few days later after paying 550 bucks for the repair on top of the purchase price of the tablet itself 10 days ago (of course of out warranty since I unlocked the bootloader and tried to install "unauthorized software" according to their warranty terms)
My simple question now is, is there is a way to get the T-865 rooted without having to install a custom recovery (which under no circumstances I will attempt again)? All I need is root, nothing else.
Thanks for the advice
@VeEuzUKY may I ask how your motherboard got fried?
Did you follow the steps mentioned in this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-s6/development/recovery-twrp-3-3-1-t3975587?
Usually if something goes wrong while attempting root, Odin flashing stock rom will bring back the device to working condition..
jaidev.s said:
@VeEuzUKY may I ask how your motherboard got fried?
Did you follow the steps mentioned in this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-s6/development/recovery-twrp-3-3-1-t3975587?
Usually if something goes wrong while attempting root, Odin flashing stock rom will bring back the device to working condition..
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Click to collapse
Dearest jaidev.s.. it's quite of a long story (and a surprising one at that) as I have been flashing, testing and even helping build several custom ROMs for Samsung deviced in the past 12 years without ever getting stuck in a truly unforeseen situation.
To make a very long story short, after doing all my homework through all the available threads and feedback I could find on the matter, I ventured to unlock the bootloader, install TWRP custom recovery, required custom kernel and magisc root files for my T865. And yes, I followed precisely the available guides on it from our community. Things all went pretty much as planned and I eventually booted into a successful fully rooted session on my tablet. I tested all of the tablet's native apps and functionality, installed Root Explorer and a few other apps that I had backed-up APKs for. My session was about 30 minutes long, I never connect to any data in stayed always offline, after which I decided to reboot the tablet. And then, meltdown.
The tablet immediately refused to restart again, completely bypassing the initial standard Samsung splash screen, and going directly into a warning screen that it had been locked due to the "installation of unauthorised software". From that point on any attempt to get the tablet from that state or to simply flash the stock firmware, failed completely. With the help of some other developers we all ventured together if my firmware was actually from another region, all of which I tried without any success. Eventually the tablet got stuck in a state that would not even turn off anymore even if I forced it via the volume down and power button commands. I eventually just waited out until the battery exhausted itself and then that was that.
Upon taking it to Samsung for repair where within seconds they realised that I had unlocked the bootloader and had tried to install a custom recovery, they came back about half an hour later explaining me that the hardware itself would not read or write any data any more despite their efforts, for which they would have to replace the mainboard.
I am yet to try and understand how the the tablet stopped functioning upon a reboot when up to that point everything had been flashed correctly and I had managed to do a session with everything properly configured. This said, I'm facing a $550 repair to what was an $800 tablet purchased just 10 days ago. I will obviously now not venture to try to install custom recovery again. I believe my tablet might have been a one-off with some sort of a preexisting hardware glitch that got ignited by the custom flashing that I did.. I really don't know and it really doesn't matter. At this point as I am about to collect the repaired tablet in a couple of days, the only thing I am interested in doing (a must for me on any device) is to achieve root and let it be. I don't want custom recoveries, kernel overrides or anything else other than having root. Thus my search on what will be be the best venue I have how to get the tablet safely rooted without messing with TWRP again or trying to mod the bootloader. And that's pretty much it..
And let me state, I have received nothing other than truly overwhelming support and help from lots of members of the community on my particular case for which I am extremely thankful and appreciative.
PS - I also have a Note 10 plus, recently purchased to finally replace my daily driver Note 8 that I've had for almost 3 years. Needless to say that I am absolutely dreading about the thought of installing a custom recovery on it as well and achieving root, and having again any kind of bad luck to get myself stuck in another nightmare again. I will first deal with the tablet, and if that eventually goes well, I will try to gain the necessary courage to get myself to flash TWRP and root on it without destroying it next. More than 12 years doing these things with nothing but success on dozens of devices, and suddenly here I am.
Part of me is wondering if Knox's eFuse tripping could have been the reason the board got fired? Perhaps a fault in that. Can't see any other reason reason why modifying software would cause a catastrophic hardware failure.
Anyway, as far as I'm aware the only other way to achieve root is to patch your stock OS in Magisk, then flash the modified file as detailed in this thread...
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-note-10+/how-to/guide-how-to-root-note-10-t3960031
Which is originally linked from This Thread
I've not tried it myself and it's a process from before TWRP was developed for the Tab S6 - So, you should do further research on it before jumping in to ensure nothing has changed.
Precisely why I am not installing twrp. The threads pages are having so many varied info and people getting bricks following steps, i feel discouraged to try root.
Tab s6 gonna be my first phone in 10 years that m gonna not root. I am using android since éclair and rooting.
"Samsung splash screen, and going directly into a warning screen that it had been locked due to the "installation of unauthorised software". From that point on any attempt to get the tablet from that state or to simply flash the stock firmware, failed completely. "
I had the same experience. I installed everything and rebooted to see this. Was only annoyed that oem unlock won't be an available instantly but it was. I went to download mode flashed stock, installed twrp again and it was fine. If you couldn't go to download mode (with cable inserted into pc! I assume you must know it because you flahed it, thie was another new idiotic introductement by gnus, i thought i have broken tablet because i couldn't get into download mode, when i found out cable must be in not mentioned anywhere in the instructions, just like we must know it, when it never in the universe been the case) then it's weird bug. Because what you are describing sound like standard behavior for these tablets, but why you couldn't get out of it right away i don't kno, because i could. Moreover i had the same on s9 snap. On s9 i also has issues when oem unlock will never appear, until i run some command checking it status and it got instantly unlocked. I shared it tp developer but he only laughed. When i knio there is nothing to laugh, sung's firmware has millions of such unexplainelable behaviors, a lot of people are faced with it. If you had another tablet and got the same result then just pick up non tgy one and it will be good, i promise. Also who knows why you want note 10 and t s6
Extreemator said:
"Samsung splash screen, and going directly into a warning screen that it had been locked due to the "installation of unauthorised software". From that point on any attempt to get the tablet from that state or to simply flash the stock firmware, failed completely. "
I had the same experience. I installed everything and rebooted to see this. Was only annoyed that oem unlock won't be an available instantly but it was. I went to download mode flashed stock, installed twrp again and it was fine. If you couldn't go to download mode (with cable inserted into pc! I assume you must know it because you flahed it, thie was another new idiotic introductement by gnus, i thought i have broken tablet because i couldn't get into download mode, when i found out cable must be in not mentioned anywhere in the instructions, just like we must know it, when it never in the universe been the case) then it's weird bug. Because what you are describing sound like standard behavior for these tablets, but why you couldn't get out of it right away i don't kno, because i could. Moreover i had the same on s9 snap. On s9 i also has issues when oem unlock will never appear, until i run some command checking it status and it got instantly unlocked. I shared it tp developer but he only laughed. When i knio there is nothing to laugh, sung's firmware has millions of such unexplainelable behaviors, a lot of people are faced with it. If you had another tablet and got the same result then just pick up non tgy one and it will be good, i promise. Also who knows why you want note 10 and t s6
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Click to collapse
Thanks for all the info. The Note 10+ is my girlfriend's phone. I use sometimes as well when I don't feel like holding the tablet. The Galaxy A 8" with S-Pen is the perfect device.. not too small, not too big and has the pen. Unfortunately stupid Samsung decided to make it ridiculously low-end with atrocious specs, can't use it for any productivity.
VeEuzUKY said:
Thanks for all the info. The Note 10+ is my girlfriend's phone. I use sometimes as well when I don't feel like holding the tablet. The Galaxy A 8" with S-Pen is the perfect device.. not too small, not too big and has the pen. Unfortunately stupid Samsung decided to make it ridiculously low-end with atrocious specs, can't use it for any productivity.
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and now Samsung has 11 and 12 inch tablet versions for the s7...lol (next thing will be maybe a 14 inch or 17 inch 'tablet') 8 to 8.9 is the right size for a tablet. Anything bigger is basically looking at an old-school tv screen from the '70s or '80s just 6 inches or so away from your eyes with your entire face lit up by the screen lol
mac231us said:
and now Samsung has 11 and 12 inch tablet versions for the s7...lol (next thing will be maybe a 14 inch or 17 inch 'tablet') 8 to 8.9 is the right size for a tablet. Anything bigger is basically looking at an old-school tv screen from the '70s or '80s just 6 inches or so away from your eyes with your entire face lit up by the screen lol
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Haha, I absolutely agree with you
I'd love a 17" Tablet. Lol. Personally, I don't like any Tablet less than 10" - If I want something small, I'll use my phone.
@VeEuzUKY did you get your Tab rooted?