Develop Bugs

How to get to recovery if i can't see the screen?

Can you help me, i've made a mistake attempting to downgrade and root an HTC Desire on Voda UK from hboot 0.93. Downgrade seemed to be successful, but the device was stuck in bootloader mode. Since then i have managed to lose my goldcard and flash an uncompatible RUU. And now the screen is dead but if i pop out the battery and put it back in i can hear the start up animation sounds. What can i do to recover my screen? Your advise would be appreciated. Mat

Old versions do not support SLCD (Your Display) hence it turn black (i had hard time, believe me), i personally installed newest official RUU and everithing went OK. But there other solutions, read here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=748498
wish You luck

Wish i could help you but i don't remember. Been pre-occupied with trying to find a fix and move forward. Can't guarantee that i wouldn't make the same mistake again either. Currently flying blind withthe 'SLCD BRICK FIX Method1' without success.

download ADB to your computer
open up a command prompt/terminal window
cd to your adb/tools directory and type:
adb reboot recovery

Thanks for your reply. I downloaded adb sdk etc but my lack of skill in the command promt is holding me back, not to mention that the Device screen is still black and it isn't recognised by my pc when i plug it in. Don't know what to try next..

With goldcard inserted, started phone in fastboot mode (back key and power button). Flashed back to stock htc rom. Screen is back on and i'm up and running.
Thought i had tried this before but it worked this time (so happy!). Thanks for reading and helping.

Woulda been easier following this guide - as should everyone else currently:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=768256

]SK[ said:
Can I ask which method you were using? I see your on Vodafone the same as me. I got my Desire yesterday and want to use OpenDesire however I fear that I will make a mistake and end up in the same situation as yourself.
I was going to follow this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=768256 guide although I can't as I don't have a SD caddy to plug it into my PC.
*Mods*
Can a mod please fix it so I can post URL's please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
URL privileges will be working soon.
And if I come across any new members URL issues I put them in for them.

Bricked!fastboot works in cmd, no adb, recovery/bootloader menus

Would appreciate your help on the following issue (amoled display):
- phone doesnt boot up, it is stuck to a screen showing htc in the middle and 4 small triangles in the corners; if I unplug the pc cable it goes to a RUU menu
- no access to recovery or bootloader menus (by holding power + vol down/back)
- installing stock RUUs dont work; there is a 110 error saying that the RUU is not complete (tried 5-6 RUUs, both 2.1 and 2.2). there is a progress bar on the phone's screen that is normally green, but turns red when the radio is being written (as per the install wizard on the pc) and there is another triangle showing up at the end of the progress bar
- fastboot oem boot restarts the phone, but then it gets stuck to the white screen having htc in the middle (like when you start up the phone and after this quietly brilliant shows under htc, for me it doesnt go beyond this initial point)
- fastboot reboot-bootloader restarts the phone into the same 4triangles screen with htc in the middle
- adb doesnt work as it doesnt show my device
- any power + vol down/back combination brings the phone to the 4triangles screen
- if I run the stock RUU after fastboot oem boot (white screen with htc in the middle) there is a menu showing up on top of the white screen showing up the progress (1-bootloader, 2-radio_v2, 3-radio, then system, recovery, user data, etc.); bootloader is updated ok but then it gets stuck when updating radio_v2 and doesnt move further from that point)
- after the RUU install fails, I plug out the pc cable and see the RUU menu; depending on the RUU that I try to flash the hboot version changes up and even goes down after, but the firmware (what the RUU installer "sees" on the phone) and radio (seen on the RUU menu) remains the same: 1.21.405.1 and 4.06xx; the date on the RUU menu also changes depending on the RUU that I try to flash
Any suggestions to get my desire unbricked?
Bit of a background to the problem:
- rooted (unlockr) and was having Paul's r3 rom (2.1)
- updated the radio to 5.10xx
- got into silly restarts when using gps and thought to reflash a new rom and went for Paul's r8
- restarts were there also when using the phone normally
- thought to re-do all the rooting, wiping out everything from the phone, etc; so having r8 as the rom (pre-baked version) I started the rooting process with creating again the goldcard, etc etc
- error message at some point saying partition update fail (following the steps from theunlockr as I did the first time when rooting) and then the phone got to this triangles screen with htc in the middle
- strange though that this screen is different than the one when I first rooted when there was just one big triangle in the middle
Thanks a ton guys!

I've seen a few posts about this screen with the 4 triangles, but never seen the result of any potential fixes, or if it was ever actually fixed.
Just an idea, but it was maybe a bad radio flash if you are saying it started playing up after that? Unfortunately a bad radio flash is fairly terminal so I hope that's not your problem.
Good luck with this one and if you get it fixed then post the result here if you don't mind!

Will definitely post the solution when found; so far though nobody has any thoughts around what might be the reason behind this problem and how to get around it. I dropped a few PMs to the people that had this problem in the past and contacted Paul at Modaco, but so far no replies...

You can fix this with an RUU, I've had the same issue when I unplugged too early after flashing, but you are asking for help in the wrong section.

thought that the dev's section is where the best knowledge exists...
about the RUU process, I am trying to flash stock RUU.exe files, but there is a problem when the radio is being written and then I get a 110 error from the RUU install wizard saying that the RUU is incomplete.
for you the RUU install worked smoothly?

If you get a write error during an RUU flash (i.e. while the flashing is taking place, not before) it probably means there's a hardware fault.

Could be hardware, but I find it hard to believe as the phone is new and it is network locked, hence I didnt even use it for real, apart from some wifi and gps activities. Besides, the phone worked very well when I first rooted with Paul's r3 and the whole mess with restarts when using gps started after I upgraded the radio to 5.10xx having a 2.1 OS.
I feel that the problem started when I tried to root the phone being on Paul's r8 2.2 OS (tried to root with a 2.1 system and then it got messed up in the process).
I am not saying that it is not hardware as it is a possibility, but still think that it might be a messy software aspect, as if the radio is messed up from a hardware perspective, then at least the system should boot up and then wifi, gps, gsm and the things that are controlled by the radio shouldnt work...but somehow the OS should start-up.
Basically I dont get a write error, it's just that the error comes up when the radio is being written, hence I think that there is something wrong with the radio set-up that I have now on the phone...
Maybe somebody knows how to flash the system from scratch using only fastboot in cmd (having the right zip or img files properly signed), or maybe just the radio to start with.

This is not a Development question and thus should not be posted in the Development forum.
Thread reported.

have a look here. i do not know if it helps though. and i know it is not a Desire
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/htc-hero/118035-error-110-ruu.html
i also found this. sounds familiar? not for desire but might do the trick http://forum.androidcentral.com/htc-hero-roms-hacks/13171-110-error-ruu-1-56-fix-100-unroot-too.html
sorry if i wasted your time.

acolwill said:
This is not a Development question and thus should not be posted in the Development forum.
Thread reported.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I thought that as various solutions to root the phone, to get past different restrictions in the OS, etc. were discussed here, it might be a good thing to develop a way to bring back to life a OS being in this situation like mine...come on...

mariosraptor said:
have a look here. i do not know if it helps though. and i know it is not a Desire
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/htc-hero/118035-error-110-ruu.html
i also found this. sounds familiar? not for desire but might do the trick http://forum.androidcentral.com/htc-hero-roms-hacks/13171-110-error-ruu-1-56-fix-100-unroot-too.html
sorry if i wasted your time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks anyways man, I looked at that already, but cant get it done as I dont have adb commands available in cmd, only fastboot. Dont worry about waisting my time, I really want that these days

I had the same problem. Passed the device in service center. Changed the motherboard under warranty. It took one month's time.

but to get adb you need to download and install android sdk. look here http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html system dependands download.
install it here are instructions on how to use if you aren't familiar with.
http://www.londatiga.net/it/how-to-use-android-adb-command-line-tool/
for anything else just use google.
i'm pretty sure that your device is fixable and you can fix it without any service center. cheers and post what ever happens.
popepope said:
Thanks anyways man, I looked at that already, but cant get it done as I dont have adb commands available in cmd, only fastboot. Dont worry about waisting my time, I really want that these days
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I know how to use adb commands...pretty new to android and everything, but lately I roamed a lot through various things about it and learned a lot.
The problem is that adb doesnt list my phone when I run adb devices, it shows only when I run fastboot devices, I am sure you know what I mean...hence I cannot push any files to the phone, etc., at least not using adb in cmd.
That's actually the problem, that I cannot get adb to work, I only have fastboot commands. At least the way I see it now the question is how can I work with the phone to fix it just by having fastboot access in cmd.
I searched quite a lot various forums, etc, but I never came across a solution that will get things going just by having fastboot in cmd (without adb working). Maybe somebody here will come up with some magic trick...

Nerten said:
I had the same problem. Passed the device in service center. Changed the motherboard under warranty. It took one month's time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you end up having this problem, just like that or after some update, flash, etc?
Thanks!

have a look here mate http://forum.androidcentral.com/htc...9-bricked-my-evo-but-there-away-un-brick.html

same story unfortunately, doesnt apply to my problem. in the link they use a terminal emulator, but I cant use that as it doesnt work...it's basically an alternative to using adb directly in cmd, and this doesnt work for me.
if I am to get adb functionality back, then I'm done with the problem in 5 mins probably...
thanks anyways, keeping the hope alive!

sorry idf i don't underdstand, but if you have fastboot working in your device and sdcard also then you should be able to push files to device via fastboot making as clean installs as possible.so if your device is picked up by command line type fastboot to see command list. i'am a bit comfused. pretty sure you should fix it through fastboot though.
popepope said:
same story unfortunately, doesnt apply to my problem. in the link they use a terminal emulator, but I cant use that as it doesnt work...it's basically an alternative to using adb directly in cmd, and this doesnt work for me.
if I am to get adb functionality back, then I'm done with the problem in 5 mins probably...
thanks anyways, keeping the hope alive!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

right, I can run 2 things with fastboot in cmd: (name of the files just an example)
1. fastboot update update.zip
here I get that the archive doesnt contain android-info.txt or android-product.txt
2. fastboot flash update.img
here i get signature verify fail
for example, fastboot erase radio says FAILED, remote: not allowed
there are some fastboot commands related to the kernel and some others, but dont know how to make use of them for my problem.
sd card is accesible for sure and it is a goldcard.
I saw some linux/ubuntu methods to simulate adb usage in cmd, but I dont think it will work...will try to find an ubuntu image and mount it under windows, but dont have time now...
anyways, thanks to everybody for the suggestions and interest, maybe we'll crack it some day

You need to use an official RUU zip image - i.e. a PB99IMG.zip. Not an update.zip.

[Guide] How to fix a hard bricked Galaxy Nexus

I am writing this because I couldn't seem to find a guide to solve my issue of my Galaxy Nexus being completely bricked. It was literally dead, or so I thought. The first part of this guide will tell you how to recover from the following situation:
Before we begin, here are the names of the programs and files used:
Odin3
Android ADK
CF-Root-GGN_YAKJU_ICL53F-v5.1
Stock Galaxy Nexus ROM
OMAP
Situation 1:
The first situation is where your screen has gone completely black. You can't boot into anything and nothing is displayed on the screen. Your computer no longer recognises the device. It is literally a brick. If you are in this situation, please follow the solution 1 and 2 else skip to situation 2.
Solution to situation 1:
I was googling everywhere for a solution to this and it appeared that it was not a common problem and those who did face the problem simply returned their phone on warranty. It is now an old phone but I still like it (will be upgrading to nexus 5 in the next few weeks). I didn't want to waste such a good phone and just have it sit there so I researched.
My solution to this problem is omap. I would post a link but unfortunately I do not have the permissions (for the download link I will be uploading later).
Please note that I do not take any credit for any program used in this guide and I am simply putting together several other guides so that future users who have this problem can access them all in one place.
Here is the step by step guide:
1) Open OMAPFlash. Navigate to usb_drv_windows. *Right click on omap_winusb.inf and click install*.
2) Navigate to usb_drv_android. *Right click on android_winusb.inf and click install*.
*Note: On Windows 8 (8.1), you will have to allow all certificates to be installed.
3) Double click on the omap4460_tuna_hs_pro.bat and run it accordingly. You will have to disconnect the device and remove battery. Connect the device and then count to 5. Re-insert the battery.
4)Omap will now start doing its thing and you will be given situation 2.
Situation 2:
This situation is where you have a phone connected to a yellow exclamation mark which is connected to a computer. Mind my ASCII Art, but here is what it looks like: [] - - /_\ - - [ ]. You can't do anything with this either but ODIN (google it) will pick it up. This is a good thing. You won't be able to boot into recovery mode or download mode which makes it hard to flash a ROM to it or fastboot it. You will need CF-Root-GGN_YAKJU_ICL53F-v5.1 (Google it). Here is the step by step guide:
Solution To Situation 2
1) Open ODIN3. Select the CF-Root-GGN_YAKJU_ICL53F-v5.1 as the PDA file. If your phone is not being recognised (should say added! in the log), simply disconnect device, remove battery, reconnect device and then place battery back in and hold down the power + vol up + vol down buttons.
2) Press start. The log will start filling up and it should say DONE! You now have bootloader.
3) Now you will need to find the stock ROM for the galaxy nexus (google it). Now you will need to extract that the contents into your adb file (from the android sdk installation which hopefully you have,
4) Put your device into bootloader mode. Run the fastboot flash-all batch file that should be included with the custom ROM.
5) Your phone will now start doing stuff and constantly rebooting in and out of bootloader mode.
6) You should now have the stock ROM installed.
Again, I am sorry that I cannot post links but I do not have permissions due to lack of posts. I know this is an old phone but this guide may still be useful to someone. Also, feel free to ask any questions or point out any mistakes I have made.

no need that android adk. setup correctly adb & fastboot just enough. i think this type of threads already here..
* yeah.. but no sticky guide. maybe good to go. better make ' how to prevent gnex from bricks'
omap flash.exe ~
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-nexus/general/bricked-gnex-brought-to-life-t1760787
odin ~
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-nexus/general/guide-restore-to-stock-unbrick-galaxy-t2065470

I probably already know the answer to this but I want to make sure: can this procedure be applied to the Verizon Toro?
Update: Phone isn't responding to this fix... It was a long shot maybe in a week or two it'll turn on...
I'll write up a tutorial for us Toro kids... Thank you guys!
Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

HTC One M9 stuck on phone decrypt screen - factory reset doesn't work.

Edited to add data I found in recovery mode:
"HTC/htc_himauhl/htc_himauhl
6.0/MRA58K/buildteam10121728"
And there are a bunch of error messages ending in:
"E: failed to mount /cache (Invalid argument).. try emmc mount)
E: Can't find device node for mount point /cache"
Can anybody point me to a good resource explaining how I can attempt to apply an image from the sd card?
Or how to check if usb debugging is switched on?
Original post:
When I unplugged my HTC M9 this morning it was on a screen saying the phone is encrypted and prompts to enter the screen lock password. I enter what I think is the correct code (I've been using pattern unlock but put in the code i used to use) and it tells me its correct but the data is corrupted and it needs to do a factory reset.
There is no other option apart from accepting the factory reset.
When I accept the factory reset it just says 'rebooting...' and then never does (I waited an hour).
I've tried the obvious holding down volume up and power off.
I can get to the options screen to choose reboot, download mode, recovery etc. I tried reboot (obviously) but it only boots back to the decrypt screen. I also tried recovery mode and I got a picture of a phone with a red warning triangle containing an exclamation mark and nothing else happened. I tried pressing power and volume up and it just rebooted back to the decrypt screen.
It says it is:
***Software status: Official ***
*** LOCKED ***
*** S-ON ***
It's a carrier-free version, bought from Amazon UK. I haven't done anything to it (I used to root and flash custom roms but not for 2-3 years - I have a nearly 2-year old - so my knowledge is mostly forgotten and out of date).
I have no reason to think that usb debugging is on so I'm worried that there is nothing I can do.
Edit: Maybe I can install something from the sd card. I'm going to try that.
Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

srjones said:
Edited to add data I found in recovery mode:
"HTC/htc_himauhl/htc_himauhl
6.0/MRA58K/buildteam10121728"
And there are a bunch of error messages ending in:
"E: failed to mount /cache (Invalid argument).. try emmc mount)
E: Can't find device node for mount point /cache"
Can anybody point me to a good resource explaining how I can attempt to apply an image from the sd card?
Or how to check if usb debugging is switched on?
Original post:
When I unplugged my HTC M8 this morning it was on a screen saying the phone is encrypted and prompts to enter the screen lock password. I enter what I think is the correct code (I've been using pattern unlock but put in the code i used to use) and it tells me its correct but the data is corrupted and it needs to do a factory reset.
There is no other option apart from accepting the factory reset.
When I accept the factory reset it just says 'rebooting...' and then never does (I waited an hour).
I've tried the obvious holding down volume up and power off.
I can get to the options screen to choose reboot, download mode, recovery etc. I tried reboot (obviously) but it only boots back to the decrypt screen. I also tried recovery mode and I got a picture of a phone with a red warning triangle containing an exclamation mark and nothing else happened. I tried pressing power and volume up and it just rebooted back to the decrypt screen.
It says it is:
***Software status: Official ***
*** LOCKED ***
*** S-ON ***
It's a carrier-free version, bought from Amazon UK. I haven't done anything to it (I used to root and flash custom roms but not for 2-3 years - I have a nearly 2-year old - so my knowledge is mostly forgotten and out of date).
I have no reason to think that usb debugging is on so I'm worried that there is nothing I can do.
Edit: Maybe I can install something from the sd card. I'm going to try that.
Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the M9 forum, so the advice we have here is for that device. Head over to the M8 forum for help specifically tailored to your phone.

Typo!
computerslayer said:
This is the M9 forum, so the advice we have here is for that device. Head over to the M8 forum for help specifically tailored to your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, sorry, it is an M9. I initially thought it was an M8 and had to google the difference so I must have been thinking of that. Have edited the post now

srjones said:
Thanks, sorry, it is an M9. I initially thought it was an M8 and had to google the difference so I must have been thinking of that. Have edited the post now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In that case, check out the readme thread at the top of this forum. It has all you'll need to find the correct RUU and apply it properly.

computerslayer said:
In that case, check out the readme thread at the top of this forum. It has all you'll need to find the correct RUU and apply it properly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply, but are you sure? As I said in my post, the device is locked, S-ON and usb debugging is not switched on and I cant get into the phone to turn it on. The normal instructions seem to assume that I can turn usb debugging on.
Thanks again for your time

srjones said:
Thanks for your reply, but are you sure? As I said in my post, the device is locked, S-ON and usb debugging is not switched on and I cant get into the phone to turn it on. The normal instructions seem to assume that I can turn usb debugging on.
Thanks again for your time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sure ...and the readme thread explains this too. Take some time to read through it, especially the post about RUUs.
You mention not getting the phone to turn on....do you mean that it won't power on at all or that it won't boot? If it does turn on, what do you see?
[EDIT] Re-reading your original post, you say that you can get into download mode. If this is still the case, then you should be able to apply the appropriate RUU. Again, the readme thread has all you need to get that going[/EDIT]

Thank you, you've been incredibly patient. I'd got a bit discouraged at the scale of the problem. It makes it much easier to know that a fix should be possible at the end of the process.

srjones said:
Thank you, you've been incredibly patient. I'd got a bit discouraged at the scale of the problem. It makes it much easier to know that a fix should be possible at the end of the process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first time going through this kind of thing is always a bit intimidating. After going through it a few times it becomes familiar.
Read through the RUU section in the readme thread. As it'll describe, you'll need your OS version to determine your SKU which will lead you to the right RUU and so on. Post here if you've got questions along the way.

computerslayer said:
The first time going through this kind of thing is always a bit intimidating. After going through it a few times it becomes familiar.
Read through the RUU section in the readme thread. As it'll describe, you'll need your OS version to determine your SKU which will lead you to the right RUU and so on. Post here if you've got questions along the way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I've been reading post #3 in the reader (all seems very straightforward, I feel foolish for not persisting in the first place). I still need to get a card reader to get a ruu onto the card from my pc but im trying to get the right ruu ready now.
In download mode I have a line that says OS-3.35.401.32
I think this means that I look in the SKU 401 section but then there isn't a file for my exact number, the closest ends in .12 rather than .32
Does this mean that I need to look in other places to get one that matches exactly?
Thanks again

srjones said:
Hi, I've been reading post #3 in the reader (all seems very straightforward, I feel foolish for not persisting in the first place). I still need to get a card reader to get a ruu onto the card from my pc but im trying to get the right ruu ready now.
In download mode I have a line that says OS-3.35.401.32
I think this means that I look in the SKU 401 section but then there isn't a file for my exact number, the closest ends in .12 rather than .32
Does this mean that I need to look in other places to get one that matches exactly?
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you've read it well! Don't be too hard on yourself - there is a lot to take in. From your OS version your SKU is indeed 401.
You're good to use the RUU 3.35.401.12 even though your current version ends in .32 (from the readme: "In other words the part marked with y of x.xx.xxx.yy is allowed to differ whereas x needs to be the same for your current firmware version and the RUU").

computerslayer said:
Sounds like you've read it well! Don't be too hard on yourself - there is a lot to take in. From your OS version your SKU is indeed 401.
You're good to use the RUU 3.35.401.12 even though your current version ends in .32 (from the readme: "In other words the part marked with y of x.xx.xxx.yy is allowed to differ whereas x needs to be the same for your current firmware version and the RUU").
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aah, thanks. Amazing what I can miss even after I think I've read it "thoroughly".

computerslayer said:
The first time going through this kind of thing is always a bit intimidating. After going through it a few times it becomes familiar.
Read through the RUU section in the readme thread. As it'll describe, you'll need your OS version to determine your SKU which will lead you to the right RUU and so on. Post here if you've got questions along the way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I'm following the Instructions for the SD card method from post #3 of the readme. I've just done step 5: "You will be asked whether you want to flash the file. Confirm with the volume up button"
The phone is now vibrating regularly every (approx) 3 seconds and flashing a silver HTC logo on the screen. I'm pretty sure this isn't normal. This isn't normal, right?
It's been doing it for several minutes.
Do you have any suggestions? Maybe leave it for a good long while and then try holding down power and volume up?

srjones said:
Hi, I'm following the Instructions for the SD card method from post #3 of the readme. I've just done step 5: "You will be asked whether you want to flash the file. Confirm with the volume up button"
The phone is now vibrating regularly every (approx) 3 seconds and flashing a silver HTC logo on the screen. I'm pretty sure this isn't normal. This isn't normal, right?
It's been doing it for several minutes.
Do you have any suggestions? Maybe leave it for a good long while and then try holding down power and volume up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't seem normal, I must admit. I think I'd let it go for about 30 minutes to see if it is rebooting as part of the RUU installation. After that, I'd force it to power off and re-try the attempt - though I might re-download the RUU matching my SKU and use that instead. It could be that your download got corrupted.
There is a way to check the MD5 sum of your download to confirm the integrity of your file. I haven't done that in a while, but I recall that there are plenty of tools easily available (Google will help you here).

computerslayer said:
It doesn't seem normal, I must admit. I think I'd let it go for about 30 minutes to see if it is rebooting as part of the RUU installation. After that, I'd force it to power off and re-try the attempt - though I might re-download the RUU matching my SKU and use that instead. It could be that your download got corrupted.
There is a way to check the MD5 sum of your download to confirm the integrity of your file. I haven't done that in a while, but I recall that there are plenty of tools easily available (Google will help you here).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, the MD5 sum is fine (managed to take in that bit of the read me).
I tried to use the ruu again just to be sure but there's no difference.
I think it's not able to apply the ruu at all. It takes no time at all before it does the buzzing/ flashing thing and when i force a restart I still have the exact same error message in recovery mode. Like maybe it started by trying to wipe the cache, couldn't find it, tried to format and mount again, but couldn't find the device node (not totally sure there) and then gave up.
I used to use Linux a long time ago (was never an expert) and if I saw this sort of thing with a pc, I'd be repartitioning the hard drive while googling the price of a new one. I just don't know enough about Android (i know nothing about Android) to work it out though.
I took a photo of the error message using another phone, is it worth trying to post it? I don't know how to do that and will have to spend time finding out which is why I'm asking rather than just posting out.

srjones said:
Thanks, the MD5 sum is fine (managed to take in that bit of the read me).
I tried to use the ruu again just to be sure but there's no difference.
I think it's not able to apply the ruu at all. It takes no time at all before it does the buzzing/ flashing thing and when i force a restart I still have the exact same error message in recovery mode. Like maybe it started by trying to wipe the cache, couldn't find it, tried to format and mount again, but couldn't find the device node (not totally sure there) and then gave up.
I used to use Linux a long time ago (was never an expert) and if I saw this sort of thing with a pc, I'd be repartitioning the hard drive while googling the price of a new one. I just don't know enough about Android (i know nothing about Android) to work it out though.
I took a photo of the error message using another phone, is it worth trying to post it? I don't know how to do that and will have to spend time finding out which is why I'm asking rather than just posting out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's certainly better than nothing - and I'm interested to hear more about an error message. I haven't applied a RUU in a while, but I don't recall the phone ever booting into recovery.

Try formatting data in TWRP recovery. It will wipe your internal memory though. This fixes the issue on the 10.

computerslayer said:
It's certainly better than nothing - and I'm interested to hear more about an error message. I haven't applied a RUU in a while, but I don't recall the phone ever booting into recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Ok, it doesn't boot into recovery mode straight away, it just dies a bootloop. I then hold down various buttons to get to the boot loader. Hopefully I've added the picture correctly.
Edit: I can't see the photo. I don't know why it's not working. It is here https://imgur.com/gallery/vkP5Z
Did I do something stupid? Is imgur not the right thing to use?

side_flip15 said:
Try formatting data in TWRP recovery. It will wipe your internal memory though. This fixes the issue on the 10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I'm not sure what 'Formatting data in TWRP recovery' means. Posts #4 and #5 of the readme mention TWRP. Do i need to download one of the linked backups and use it to restore?

srjones said:
Thanks, I'm not sure what 'Formatting data in TWRP recovery' means. Posts #4 and #5 of the readme mention TWRP. Do i need to download one of the linked backups and use it to restore?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let's back up a step - do you have TWRP installed? Unless you received the phone from someone who installed it themselves, you'd have to have done this yourself (by unlocking the bootloader & flashing TWRP via ADB) - so if you don't know, you probably don't.
If you did receive the phone from someone else and want to check:
boot into download mode (PWR-VOLDWN)
use the volume keys to highlight 'boot into bootloader' and the power key to select that option once it is highlighted
use the volume keys to highlight 'boot into recovery' & the power key to select that option once it's highlighted
If you have TWRP installed, you'll see the blue TWRP logo and name. Otherwise you'll be loaded into the stock Android recovery. You can back out by using the volume keys to navigate and the power button to select the option to get out.

computerslayer said:
Let's back up a step - do you have TWRP installed? Unless you received the phone from someone who installed it themselves, you'd have to have done this yourself (by unlocking the bootloader & flashing TWRP via ADB) - so if you don't know, you probably don't.
If you did receive the phone from someone else and want to check:
boot into download mode (PWR-VOLDWN)
use the volume keys to highlight 'boot into bootloader' and the power key to select that option once it is highlighted
use the volume keys to highlight 'boot into recovery' & the power key to select that option once it's highlighted
If you have TWRP installed, you'll see the blue TWRP logo and name. Otherwise you'll be loaded into the stock Android recovery. You can back out by using the volume keys to navigate and the power button to select the option to get out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, right, no, nothing non-standard installed. So that's not an option. Thanks

n910v, unrooted, usb debugging disabled, black screen, recover sms log over ADB?

I have hit dead end after dead end, after many hours, just want to get copy of text messages off this phone somehow, and then erase all data. I have spent many hours on this, my level of experience with all this is beginner/intermediate, as I'm sure you will be able to tell by the ramble below. Skip to the last paragraph **** with the asterisks to get to the important part of my inquiry. if you don't want to read about what I have tried already.
Before you suggest the obvious, replace lcd, let me say that the motherboard lcd connector is damaged beyond repair. water damage, but the phone boots normally and seems to run fine. phone calls ring and other sounds indicate the phone is able to function but no display or touch function obviously. the usb port works. Also there is no samsung account on the phone so that option to bypass screen lock does not help. Kies, smart switch, etc don't help due to the "screen lock"
ie... There is a basic swipe to unlock "lock" on the phone, so otg cable options also hit a dead end. There are workarounds to bypass other lockscreens, but no way to do the swipe over otg that I can find. And even if/once I am able to swipe to unlock over otg, there are other obstacles to get around that may not be possible (click ok, navigate to enable usb debugging). If I am wrong here and there is an obvious solution I am missing, let me know (explain in detail if you can) and I will get the hub & cable back out and try again!
Dr.phone android recovery (data recovery/damaged device option) looks like the most promising, and here I have also run into trouble. Dr phone will put the phone into download mode but then always seems to fail "flash recovery package failed" at some percentage. dr.phone downloads the recovery package (I am selecting the correct model n910v) successfully, but the percentage before flash recovery package fails changes. It hasn't made it past 85%. the dr.phone log files don't reveal anything to my untrained eye.
Before running dr.phone, adb "permission denied"...after using dr phone, however, while the phone is still powered on and in download mode, once I close dr phone, I am able to start to get somewhere with adb! adb devices shows the phone as an emulated device, and (some) adb commands start to work! I think if I just am able to find the exact location of the stock messaging log, I will be very close.
If anyone can suggest some commands to try in adb to grab just the sms log I would be very grateful!
I can run "adb backup", and have tried a few other adb commands, but none of the standard backup commands actually contain a sms log.
***Anyway, I think the best option might be to flash a custom recovery after getting the phone in download mode & adb working successfully (showing as an emulated device) with dr.phone as described above... However I have no way to tell what firmware version the phone is running (don't want to brick it or loose data), and I am really looking for specific directions on which clockworkmod or twrp recovery file to try for n910v, that will allow me to get a sms backup, and/or a recovery that will have usb debugging enabled.
Thanks for the input! sorry for the rambling post, I hope it's possible to make sense of it.. ANY help greatly appreciated!

beefriendly said:
I have hit dead end after dead end, after many hours, just want to get copy of text messages off this phone somehow, and then erase all data. I have spent many hours on this, my level of experience with all this is beginner/intermediate, as I'm sure you will be able to tell by the ramble below. Skip to the last paragraph **** with the asterisks to get to the important part of my inquiry. if you don't want to read about what I have tried already.
Before you suggest the obvious, replace lcd, let me say that the motherboard lcd connector is damaged beyond repair. water damage, but the phone boots normally and seems to run fine. phone calls ring and other sounds indicate the phone is able to function but no display or touch function obviously. the usb port works. Also there is no samsung account on the phone so that option to bypass screen lock does not help. Kies, smart switch, etc don't help due to the "screen lock"
ie... There is a basic swipe to unlock "lock" on the phone, so otg cable options also hit a dead end. There are workarounds to bypass other lockscreens, but no way to do the swipe over otg that I can find. And even if/once I am able to swipe to unlock over otg, there are other obstacles to get around that may not be possible (click ok, navigate to enable usb debugging). If I am wrong here and there is an obvious solution I am missing, let me know (explain in detail if you can) and I will get the hub & cable back out and try again!
Dr.phone android recovery (data recovery/damaged device option) looks like the most promising, and here I have also run into trouble. Dr phone will put the phone into download mode but then always seems to fail "flash recovery package failed" at some percentage. dr.phone downloads the recovery package (I am selecting the correct model n910v) successfully, but the percentage before flash recovery package fails changes. It hasn't made it past 85%. the dr.phone log files don't reveal anything to my untrained eye.
Before running dr.phone, adb "permission denied"...after using dr phone, however, while the phone is still powered on and in download mode, once I close dr phone, I am able to start to get somewhere with adb! adb devices shows the phone as an emulated device, and (some) adb commands start to work! I think if I just am able to find the exact location of the stock messaging log, I will be very close.
If anyone can suggest some commands to try in adb to grab just the sms log I would be very grateful!
I can run "adb backup", and have tried a few other adb commands, but none of the standard backup commands actually contain a sms log.
***Anyway, I think the best option might be to flash a custom recovery after getting the phone in download mode & adb working successfully (showing as an emulated device) with dr.phone as described above... However I have no way to tell what firmware version the phone is running (don't want to brick it or loose data), and I am really looking for specific directions on which clockworkmod or twrp recovery file to try for n910v, that will allow me to get a sms backup, and/or a recovery that will have usb debugging enabled.
Thanks for the input! sorry for the rambling post, I hope it's possible to make sense of it.. ANY help greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This tool might work for you. Ive never used it myself but it looks promising. It supposed to be able to control your phone on your pc.
For the custom recovery, it should tell you what model you have when you boot into download mode but the TWRP for the note 4 has been unified so it should work either way. This link is for the most recent version. Get the .tar file if you're looking to use ODIN to install it.

Thanks for the reply! The tool you inked to requires USB debugging switched on. I was looking at it previously but didn't consider it because of this. I have USB debugging off, and the process I described with the dr phone windows application /download mode, doesn't turn usb debugging on.
Is there a way that I can flash a recovery for the note 4 that has USB debugging enabled from the start? If anyone knows please describe the process or post the link.
I think I need step by step instructions or screen shots for what to do with the Note 4 twrp recovery. I am trying to acquire a second phone so I can view the screen and know what buttons to press, but so far it is not looking like I have enough information to do sms backup from the twrp menus..on the device when I can't see the screen.
I see reference to being able to use adb commands to control the twrp recovery / backup process, but so far I haven't found anything that will help for my particular situation. If anyone knows what adb commands to use to pull the note 4 sms files , or a backup that includes them, PLEASE let me know.
thanks again