Develop Bugs

[Q] Truly Bricked? Getting a Replacement...

Well... today has been a terrible day. Between slacking off this crapload of work I have and bricking my Epic, my life sucks.
I was trying to go from my old syndicate ROM to k0nane's new gingerbread ROM. I have flashed ROMs many times and have been using them on the Epic since I was able to get one for the phone, so no issues with procedure.
I follow the basic instructions as usual, download the files I need, and then go to town.
Anyways, the procedure was supposed to be basic, I was in Odin, phone in download mode and connected to my PC, options selected for only reboot in Odin, pit set, EC05 set in the PDA slot.
I clicked start and it got to factoryfs.rfs and got stuck there. I waited over 20 mins the first time. Then after checking out the forums and googling, I disconnected/closed Odin and did a battery pull on my phone.
I repeated the above process (waiting only at 5-10 minutes each time after it got stuck) atleast 10 times.
At one point it got stuck at boot.bin and I waited over 30 mins for it to pass. I was a dumbass but I followed the same procedure, later realizing it was the bootloader and I was going to be screwed.
I tried booting the phone with no success, but luckily download mode worked. I followed a guide in the forums on how to revive a partially bricked phone (one that didn't boot in to android, but did to download mode) and so I checked the re-partition, etc as asked to do. The phone again got stuck and boot.bin, but eventually passed... then got stuck at factoryfs.rfs, I thought all was and the boot was fixed and did a battery pull after waiting another 20 mins for the factoryfs.rfs to flash.
Tried turning it on, and failed. Tried getting into download mode, and failed. Same with recovery, etc. I tried the supposed hardware reset on the back with no success. Tried a plethora of keypresses to get it to work, battery in/out, etc. When I go to sleep, I will try leaving the phone in the charger, with the battery out.
For now, I have deemed the phone as bricked. I've been working at this for 5 hours now. Called up Sprint a while ago and managed to get myself an e-ticket, claiming the phone just turned off and doesn't turn on anymore. The person tried doing a refresh on their end and then approved the e-ticket.
Tomorrow I'm going to a sprint store and they're going to try to repair it in-store (which will fail) and then as long as I have no screen cracks/water damage (I don't, I have been careful) the tech will put in the order, and I should have the phone by Tuesday.
This is well, if everything goes as planned. I am hoping I don't end up getting billed for the phone after receiving the replacement if they somehow manage to revive the phone and find out I had a custom ROM/rooted the phone.
Any tips on confirming on the brick are welcome, any insight on replacements, bills, etc...
Thanks,
Fr3shY

There is a tiny reset button near the camera button which you need a needle like object to press.
Try that and check the size of the tar you used for odiN. sometimes you get unlucky and get a bad tar. That happened to me on my first odin
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App

gtuansdiamm said:
There is a tiny reset button near the camera button which you need a needle like object to press.
Try that and check the size of the tar you used for odiN. sometimes you get unlucky and get a bad tar. That happened to me on my first odin
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
remove the battery for a minute
place battery back in
press the reset button by the camera for 60 seconds
walk away from the phone and listen to some isac hayes with your wife for two hours.
then after about two hours do download mode.
try this pit file.... just unzip it in the same directory as your odin...

gtuansdiamm said:
There is a tiny reset button near the camera button which you need a needle like object to press.
Try that and check the size of the tar you used for odiN. sometimes you get unlucky and get a bad tar. That happened to me on my first odin
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The cake is a lie........i mean button
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

gtuansdiamm said:
There is a tiny reset button near the camera button which you need a needle like object to press.
Try that and check the size of the tar you used for odiN. sometimes you get unlucky and get a bad tar. That happened to me on my first odin
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep I tried that, and I redownloaded the TAR in case of that issue. Anyways, that button hasn't been proved to be legit.
ecartmen said:
remove the battery for a minute
place battery back in
press the reset button by the camera for 60 seconds
walk away from the phone and listen to some isac hayes with your wife for two hours.
then after about two hours do download mode.
try this pit file.... just unzip it in the same directory as your odin...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just tried it... we'll see what happens, although I am doubtful.
BWFBezerk said:
The cake is a lie........i mean button
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I've heard... how unfortunate.
Thanks everyone for posting, I appreciate the help!

Did you try connecting it to the computer with the battery out and attempt to get to download mode? How about a different cable and same procedure?

kennyglass123 said:
Did you try connecting it to the computer with the battery out and attempt to get to download mode? How about a different cable and same procedure?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had tried that last night, but I just gave it another go with 2 cables. No go

Fr3shY24 said:
I had tried that last night, but I just gave it another go with 2 cables. No go
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No response at all? No charge light? Then in the words of a famous Doctor "it's dead Jim". I am sorry for your loss. I wouldn't worry about getting a bill later for the phone, it is pretty much FUBAR'd at this point. No one who has bricked has reported an consequences and there were quite a few in the last month or two.

kennyglass123 said:
No response at all? No charge light? Then in the words of a famous Doctor "it's dead Jim". I am sorry for your loss. I wouldn't worry about getting a bill later for the phone, it is pretty much FUBAR'd at this point. No one who has bricked has reported an consequences and there were quite a few in the last month or two.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, no response, no charge light, and well this sucks. Do you think I'll be successful in getting a replacement? And is my story of having it working one moment, and then off and not turning on another alright?
Another concern is receiving a bad refurb model, because I have kept my phone is pretty pristine condition, just a small quarter inch scratch on the screen... are they usually good? (as far as you know)
Thanks for your help and quick responses!

Fr3shY24 said:
Nope, no response, no charge light, and well this sucks. Do you think I'll be successful in getting a replacement? And is my story of having it working one moment, and then off and not turning on another alright?
Another concern is receiving a bad refurb model, because I have kept my phone is pretty pristine condition, just a small quarter inch scratch on the screen... are they usually good? (as far as you know)
Thanks for your help and quick responses!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No one has had a problem yet. There was a rash of bricks a month back, and all got warranty replacements. Yes, you pulled it off of the charger and noticed it was off and would not turn on.
As far as refurbs, that is Sprint's SOP unfortunately. Since the phone has only been out for 9 months, it can't be too bad but you can always make a stink to a supervisor if it looks beat up. Most were happy with their replacements, only 1 or 2 had some glitch in software on the replacements.

kennyglass123 said:
No one has had a problem yet. There was a rash of bricks a month back, and all got warranty replacements. Yes, you pulled it off of the charger and noticed it was off and would not turn on.
As far as refurbs, that is Sprint's SOP unfortunately. Since the phone has only been out for 9 months, it can't be too bad but you can always make a stink to a supervisor if it looks beat up. Most were happy with their replacements, only 1 or 2 had some glitch in software on the replacements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great, well then I guess that is what I will do. Unfortunately, the sprint store near me doesn't have the service tech working Sundays so I have to wait unless there is another store near me that does.
Thanks again for everything!

Fr3shY24 said:
Great, well then I guess that is what I will do. Unfortunately, the sprint store near me doesn't have the service tech working Sundays so I have to wait unless there is another store near me that does.
Thanks again for everything!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck. Maybe you will be lucky and your store carries replacements. Mine never does and it takes 2 days.

I got my replacement from sprint when I bricked mine and my replacement was so much better than my original one. Refurbish ones are ok. You don't have to worry about a beat you phone or anything. Most if the time the outside of the phone is brand new. Its just a used processor and internal things. They just flash the software to it.
Sent From My Evo Killer!

You probably have a problem with ODIN, try download a different version. OR you can follow this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1027904 And you can just flash in CWM back to EC05 and RFS so you can flash the EE03 Rom, this is the method I used, it worked perfectly. Just flash this, then reboot and flash EE03.
This should fix it If you can't access CWM then download an earlier version of ODIN (I had the same problem). But it should work just fine If it helps please hit the thanks button This will save you the time it takes for a replacement!

Censura_Umbra said:
You probably have a problem with ODIN, try download a different version. OR you can follow this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1027904 And you can just flash in CWM back to EC05 and RFS so you can flash the EE03 Rom, this is the method I used, it worked perfectly. Just flash this, then reboot and flash EE03.
This should fix it If you can't access CWM then download an earlier version of ODIN (I had the same problem). But it should work just fine If it helps please hit the thanks button This will save you the time it takes for a replacement!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ummmm...I think you missed like the entire thread...his phone is DEAD. No lights, no download mode, no nothing.

I thought it said he had download mode, my bad

Censura_Umbra said:
I thought it said he had download mode, my bad
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's cool...at the completion of his Odin trip it bricked completely.

kennyglass123 said:
Good luck. Maybe you will be lucky and your store carries replacements. Mine never does and it takes 2 days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully I'll get a chance to go over tomorrow, and as far as I know they don't have any.... they said they would order one if needed.
musclehead84 said:
I got my replacement from sprint when I bricked mine and my replacement was so much better than my original one. Refurbish ones are ok. You don't have to worry about a beat you phone or anything. Most if the time the outside of the phone is brand new. Its just a used processor and internal things. They just flash the software to it.
Sent From My Evo Killer!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is great to hear!
Censura_Umbra said:
You probably have a problem with ODIN, try download a different version. OR you can follow this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1027904 And you can just flash in CWM back to EC05 and RFS so you can flash the EE03 Rom, this is the method I used, it worked perfectly. Just flash this, then reboot and flash EE03.
This should fix it If you can't access CWM then download an earlier version of ODIN (I had the same problem). But it should work just fine If it helps please hit the thanks button This will save you the time it takes for a replacement!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is possible, and yeah... I'm kinda pissed I found ReRFS AFTER my device bricked. And later I found out, I could flash my ROM directly over my existing one. I didn't need to flash back to EC05. I'll keep this in mind for the future though!
Thanks for the replies everyone!

[Q] re: getting a replacement phone for free?

ok, so i finally bricked my phone .. and i need to get a replacement phone.
the impression i always got from the forums was that i just go to the Spring store and ask for a replacement, and show'em that my phone is "broken".. today i went in and they gave me a number to call (888.211.4727) and when i called/explained it.. they said i'd have to pay "only" $100 for the replacement since i had the protection plan...
is that how it works?? is there a way to get my phone replaced for free? i guess i'm in shock bc that's how i thought it worked for several other members here.
any suggestions?

Try a different store. Sometimes other stores don't care.
Sent from my Epic 4gizzle using XDA Premium App

do you have any suggestions on what to say? called sprint and they were just saying "we can't do anything about it Asurion is who does our insurance, blah blah blah"
does anyone have a experience (victories) getting their bricks replaced for free?

Tell them you need to do a warranty replacement. Not an insurance replacement. They might refer you to samsung not sure how sprint handles that stuff these days.
cd's or tapes?

My screen stopped working when I touched it and I had a crack in the plastic around the screen. At first the Sprint tech said the screen stopped working because of the crack in the plastic whih, according to him, is the accelerometer. I didn't get pissed. I just told him that the screen stopped working before that and if he put another accelerometer on it, the screen still wouldn't work. I ended up getting everything replaced except my motherboard so I basically have a new phone with original motherboard so I know what overclock/undervolt will work. I would take it to another store and be nice and play dumb. It worked for me and I didn't pay 1 cent.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App

cache83 said:
ok, so i finally bricked my phone .. and i need to get a replacement phone.
the impression i always got from the forums was that i just go to the Spring store and ask for a replacement, and show'em that my phone is "broken".. today i went in and they gave me a number to call (888.211.4727) and when i called/explained it.. they said i'd have to pay "only" $100 for the replacement since i had the protection plan...
is that how it works?? is there a way to get my phone replaced for free? i guess i'm in shock bc that's how i thought it worked for several other members here.
any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try
1)taking battery out.
2) plug in USB
3) hold keypad "1" and "power"
(note this process has battery out of phone entire time.)

i have an interesting update...
i dug around more posts on the forum -- and learned to pull the sdcard out, AND the battery... left it out a lil bit... now it'll be back into download mode, although it seems my odin attempts have been failing so far (the screen turned all yellow almost immediately on the first attempt... now this second attempt has gone a lil further and the screen just turned all blue)..
i think this is progress?

UPDATE!!! WOW!!!
i just re-incarnated my phone. i almost want to cry. for real!!
Now I'm curious what you guys would do... do you think my phone's suffered some hardware damage from all that (and therefore should play it safe).. or do you think it's safe to root, flash srf all the way up and try to flash genocide1.1final again?
i almost feel like i don't fear bricks any longer LOL

I had almost the exact same thing happen to my phone as you. The old vision kernel bricked my phone, took it into the sprint store and they were going to replace it but it was going to take about 4 days to do so. I screwed around with it and finally got it into download mode after a while.
I don't think there is any problem with you running everything just the way you have been. I can't see how there could have been any hardware damage unless you stepped on it or dropped it a long way or something. I would say its safe to go ahead and root it and continue to have fun with it.

I had almost the exact same thing happen to my phone as you. The old vision kernel bricked my phone, took it into the sprint store and they were going to replace it but it was going to take about 4 days to do so. I screwed around with it and finally got it into download mode after a while.
I don't think there is any problem with you running everything just the way you have been. I can't see how there could have been any hardware damage unless you stepped on it or dropped it a long way or something. I would say its safe to go ahead and root it and continue to have fun with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't recall anyone bricking on Genocide or Twilight Zone. 99% of the time you can Odin back to stock. It only takes 3 min 30 seconds. I would say stay rooted and have fun. I was nervous for a bit but I can't see myself going back to stock
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App

actually, what started me down this spiral today was trying to install the Genocide1.1final kernel.. i posted a question in there but haven't gotten a response yet -- i'm going to post/copy it here and just hope that i'm not violating any rules by doing so...
cache83 said:
I read through all the posts since 6/15 and haven't seen anyone post this issue... wondering if anyone had insights?
i was running srf1.1.1 with genocide1.0...
did a backup, and wiped cache/dalvik x3 and flashed genocide1.1final. then when i rebooted it stayed on the samsung startup screen for too long... kind of reminds me of when i tried to flash cwm3.0.2.5
so i pulled battery, and 3fingered into cwm. noticed it was still orange (3.0.0.6) -- restored my nandroid, rebooted... and i'm still getting stuck on the samsung startup screen.
i hate think this but i'll probably have to Odin back to stock and build my way back up to srf1.1.1 and then restore..
any ideas what went wrong? i really want to try on this kernel but i don't want to go through that whole cycle again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

cache83 said:
actually, what started me down this spiral today was trying to install the Genocide1.1final kernel.. i posted a question in there but haven't gotten a response yet -- i'm going to post/copy it here and just hope that i'm not violating any rules by doing so...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you possibly had a bad flash of the genocide 1.1 kernel. or maybe even a bad dl. i would say re-download the .zip for the genocide 1.1 and try again. i am running srf 1.1.1 with genocide 1.1. imo one of the best rom/kernel combos out here.

puhahahaa... i'm back w srf1.1.1 and now have genocide1.1final running... for some reason when i 3finger salute i still get cwm3.0.0.6 tho -- don't know if i'm doing it wrong??

Igot my phone from Radio Shack and got their ins. Paid $100.
Up front and am covered with no deductable for a yr. I've found that insuring through them was a better way to go.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

[Q] Does anyone have any experience with TEP and faulty phones?

I've had my Epic 4G Touch for well over a year and a month ago I noticed the power button was starting to feel "spongy". It still worked but it lacked that crisp feeling when you pressed it down and released it. This afternoon however, after flashing FI27, my power button no longer works whatsoever. I doubt it was the ROM and more due to the amount of times I've held this button down for recovery access, download mode, etc.
So the power button doesn't work, phone starts automatically when I remove the battery and put it back in. Otherwise the phone is in near-perfect condition and its not rooted.
Anyone know if TEP is going to cover this for free? I've looked online at some resources for TEP and everything is vague or above my level of reading between the lines.
Thanks in advance.

I just had this happen to me last week actually. Just plug the charger in and it'll wake up the phone. Set it back to stock unrooted and bring it into Sprint. They'll either try to fix it or give you a new phone. I had a replacement phone that night for $0.
You might have to pull the battery a few times, but you still should be able to get into download mode

Sounds like the internal button is either stuck or broken, if you take it to a repair center they might be able to fix it for you. However idk what cost would be if any, I dont keep any for of "insurance" on my phone, if i break it I swap to one of the others I have til I buy a new one. I tend to keep my phones mint and don't want to pay for a refurbished one when i have a bunch laying in a drawer.
We are legion, for we are many.
Sent from the DarkSide of the GalaXy with a MEK device

Iczer said:
I just had this happen to me last week actually. Just plug the charger in and it'll wake up the phone. Set it back to stock unrooted and bring it into Sprint. They'll either try to fix it or give you a new phone. I had a replacement phone that night for $0.
You might have to pull the battery a few times, but you still should be able to get into download mode
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on FI27 w/ the newest AGAT kernel but just in case I used Chainfires' Triangle Away to get rid of the yellow triangle at boot. Outside of volume down + power button I don't know another way to get into download mode and since my power button is inop I'm kind of stuck.
Do you know of another way to get back into download mode? I have the self-extracting Odin file for EL29 just waiting to erase all evidence of root.
EDIT: Nevermind. Turns out the button is just stuck. I put the battery back in while holding volume down and it gave me download mode access. That solves one problem, lol.

If your capable, you can crack it open and clean the internal button. If its just sticky that should fix it. While you're in there you can look for actual damage which will tell you to go ahead and take it in for repair.
We are legion, for we are many.
Sent from the DarkSide of the GalaXy with a MEK device

-EViL-KoNCEPTz- said:
If your capable, you can crack it open and clean the internal button. If its just sticky that should fix it. While you're in there you can look for actual damage which will tell you to go ahead and take it in for repair.
We are legion, for we are many.
Sent from the DarkSide of the GalaXy with a MEK device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't even begin to know how to do that, though I'm sure YouTube has a couple videos detailing how-to. I'll give it a looksee and if it doesn't scare me away I'll give it a shot. If its something I can do, might as well.

Does it still work now after booting back up? Mine didn't work but for some reason if i hit volume up+power i could get into download mode. But when it was actually booted, it wouldnt work at all, nor would it work inside CWM. Weird thing is when I took it into Sprint the touchscreen started having issues too. So that's probably another reason why I just got a replacement.

Iczer said:
Does it still work now after booting back up? Mine didn't work but for some reason if i hit volume up+power i could get into download mode. But when it was actually booted, it wouldnt work at all, nor would it work inside CWM. Weird thing is when I took it into Sprint the touchscreen started having issues too. So that's probably another reason why I just got a replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It works fine outside of the power button. I have recovery and download mode access, touchscreen is operable and nothing out of the norm seems to be going on. It's disturbing to say the least.

Wtf I got this issue after flashing Fi25 rom? Maybe its a bug? It had been working days before and spontaneously stopped working.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app

This power button problem just happened to mine friday i took it to a repair store they were rude and refused to fix it told me i needed to use my insurance... so i made a call and within 15 min and only 1 transfer (shockingly) to customer care they sent me out a replacement at no cost i received this afternoon and currently trying to put a custom rom on it.. i had the same issues as you and it was hardware related a smack against a table resolved it atrandom and that phone was also stock..
I have been with sprint nearly 10 years and with several calls to customer care you can get alot done.. if one rep dont help call back and deal with another.. I have been 4 months past due with nearly an $800 bill at one point and still no restrictions i have also have a few older phones and some windows phones replaced at no charge in the past but that took a little more work then this one...Ive was even able to get them to credit my account $300 instead of using my 2 upgrades on phones... just call be polite if that dont work try again with another rep..
btw the sprint store i took it to didnt note it on my account if they tell you you must goto a store kindly refuse saying you dont have time.. if the battle seems endless ask for a supervisor twice..

Where did you call to? Was your phone cracked or physically damaged? Shiii I want a free phone too!
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app

tonyec7 said:
Where did you call to? Was your phone cracked or physically damaged? Shiii I want a free phone too!
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's things like that that make it harder for others who actually need replacements to get them.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

revamper said:
It's things like that that make it harder for others who actually need replacements to get them.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read my comment, i need a replacement as well, by lock/power button isnt working either.

I went to my local Sprint store this afternoon and apparently I don't have TEP on my phone. Last month I had an upgrade but I'm happy with my E4GT so I let my wife use it so she could get the EVO LTE. We did this through Best Buy Mobile. My wife has a friend that works there so it's where *she* does all her cellphone business. For some reason my TEP was cancelled on my E4GT upon upgrade and unbeknownst to me for the last month and a half I've had no insurance. :/
I called Sprint customer support and explained what happened and in 3-business days TEP will be reinstated on my phone, no charge, and all will be well in the world. The guy at the Sprint store also said had I had TEP this issue would be fixed via direct-exchange at no-cost to me.
I also tried fixing it myself but I got scared when the couldn't separate the screen from the case and gave up before I borked it.

Hard? Soft? brick galaxy s3 t999

Hey, I flashed I9300 rom on my T999 and after it turned off, it never turned back on again. It won't turn on/ download mod/ recovery mode or vibrate. If I take the battery out and plug it in the PC, it LED turns red for a short period of time only. I did a little research and it was no help. Will a usb jig work? Mine is Tmobile version 2 years contract and I got it in Dec 2012, is it still covered?
UPDATE: I saw one on ebay for half price, which is $30, is it reliable? Have anyone here used the service on ebay?

vietthanh1206 said:
Hey, I flashed I9300 rom on my T999 and after it turned off, it never turned back on again. It won't turn on/ download mod/ recovery mode or vibrate. If I take the battery out and plug it in the PC, it LED turns red for a short period of time only. I did a little research and it was no help. Will a usb jig work? Mine is Tmobile version 2 years contract and I got it in Dec 2012, is it still covered?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A couple options.
1.) File insurance claim with asurion if you have that
2.) Send to samsu ng but more costly
3.) Send to mobiletechvideos.com $60 and you'll have it fast and fixed.
Yes if you flashed an Intl ROM your phone is bricked. Good luck
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

monkeypaws said:
A couple options.
1.) File insurance claim with asurion if you have that
2.) Send to samsu ng but more costly
3.) Send to mobiletechvideos.com $60 and you'll have it fast and fixed.
Yes if you flashed an Intl ROM your phone is bricked. Good luck
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is mobiletechvideo reliable? I don't mind spending $60 but will they come and pick up at my door or I have to go send it?

vietthanh1206 said:
Is mobiletechvideo reliable? I don't mind spending $60 but will they come and pick up at my door or I have to go send it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
a USB jig will not work in this case.
Yes they are reliable. You will have to send them your phone, on their website they have instructions on how to send them the phone.
|When Emotion Goes Up, Logic Goes Down|
|Even If You Fall Face First You're Still Moving Forward|

send it in for jtag repair but next time you flash read around more so you dont run into trouble. good luck :good:

vietthanh1206 said:
Is mobiletechvideo reliable? I don't mind spending $60 but will they come and pick up at my door or I have to go send it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do chickens lay eggs? dont worry, we wouldnt let you use a shady phone service man

yeah man, just send it to mobiletech videos. They have a few youtube videos too to show you how they'll do it. I did the same to my s3 a while back sent it to them and got back a week for date I shipped it to them. I did get the express overnight return shipping for extra $20.00. I recommend you get it too if you can or get the $15.00 rush processing where they fix on first or second day, otherwise can take as many as 4 days to fix if they have a lot if business. Mines was done in 3 days. Anyway hope that helped, I guarantee you have nothing to fear sending it to them if you decide to.
Sent from a galaxy far away using xda premium

KingKostas said:
send it in for jtag repair but next time you flash read around more so you dont run into trouble. good luck :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ziggy46 said:
do chickens lay eggs? dont worry, we wouldnt let you use a shady phone service man
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cyphers23 said:
yeah man, just send it to mobiletech videos. They have a few youtube videos too to show you how they'll do it. I did the same to my s3 a while back sent it to them and got back a week for date I shipped it to them. I did get the express overnight return shipping for extra $20.00. I recommend you get it too if you can or get the $15.00 rush processing where they fix on first or second day, otherwise can take as many as 4 days to fix if they have a lot if business. Mines was done in 3 days. Anyway hope that helped, I guarantee you have nothing to fear sending it to them if you decide to.
Sent from a galaxy far away using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I'll reach for help from my older sister because I got no credit card and no car to go to the post office lol.

Hello,
last night i ran into this same problem with my sgh-t999. The phone will power up to the Samsung Galaxy s3 screen. I can also get into download mode and cwm. I am hoping this means that phone has been soft bricked.
As far as why my phone did this...I booted into cwm and i did a restore through the menu options. I'm not sure if i hit the wrong one, or what exactly happened at this point. Whatever it was loaded and i was unable to get past the gs3 screen.
I tried loading that .Tar file from the link provided by "Theexcel". However, in the tutorial, it says to make sure that the flash counter is set back at zero. How can i do this when my phone won't power on. I am not aware of how to reset the counter without getting an app from Playstore.
As you can see, i am new to the forum. I posted here because this seems to be a similar topic. Please let me know if you have any ideas. I tried to address what i think my be wrong with the phone and some of the steps i have done to try and repair it already. I will gladly provide answers to more specific questions.

nickcross88 said:
Hello,
last night i ran into this same problem with my sgh-t999. The phone will power up to the Samsung Galaxy s3 screen. I can also get into download mode and cwm. I am hoping this means that phone has been soft bricked.
As far as why my phone did this...I booted into cwm and i did a restore through the menu options. I'm not sure if i hit the wrong one, or what exactly happened at this point. Whatever it was loaded and i was unable to get past the gs3 screen.
I tried loading that .Tar file from the link provided by "Theexcel". However, in the tutorial, it says to make sure that the flash counter is set back at zero. How can i do this when my phone won't power on. I am not aware of how to reset the counter without getting an app from Playstore.
As you can see, i am new to the forum. I posted here because this seems to be a similar topic. Please let me know if you have any ideas. I tried to address what i think my be wrong with the phone and some of the steps i have done to try and repair it already. I will gladly provide answers to more specific questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got hard brick which means it cannot get into download mode or anything, the screen won't even turn on. Lucky you just got soft brick. I need to spend $80 bucks for jtag fix and fast shipping.

Cyphers23 said:
yeah man, just send it to mobiletech videos. They have a few youtube videos too to show you how they'll do it. I did the same to my s3 a while back sent it to them and got back a week for date I shipped it to them. I did get the express overnight return shipping for extra $20.00. I recommend you get it too if you can or get the $15.00 rush processing where they fix on first or second day, otherwise can take as many as 4 days to fix if they have a lot if business. Mines was done in 3 days. Anyway hope that helped, I guarantee you have nothing to fear sending it to them if you decide to.
Sent from a galaxy far away using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I send my phone in, will it cause any problems if I remove my sim card to use in another phone? I need my phone for work. Does anybody see this cause potential problems?

nickcross88 said:
Hello,
last night i ran into this same problem with my sgh-t999. The phone will power up to the Samsung Galaxy s3 screen. I can also get into download mode and cwm. I am hoping this means that phone has been soft bricked.
As far as why my phone did this...I booted into cwm and i did a restore through the menu options. I'm not sure if i hit the wrong one, or what exactly happened at this point. Whatever it was loaded and i was unable to get past the gs3 screen.
I tried loading that .Tar file from the link provided by "Theexcel". However, in the tutorial, it says to make sure that the flash counter is set back at zero. How can i do this when my phone won't power on. I am not aware of how to reset the counter without getting an app from Playstore.
As you can see, i am new to the forum. I posted here because this seems to be a similar topic. Please let me know if you have any ideas. I tried to address what i think my be wrong with the phone and some of the steps i have done to try and repair it already. I will gladly provide answers to more specific questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Following these instructions below will get you back to a stock rooted phone which works perfectly.
The very best advise is to do the following, doing anything else will most likely prolong
the problems you are having or making them even more difficult to resolve.
First thing you need to do is to install the stock Tmobile T999 rooted firmware.
Here are the exact step by step instructions with the download link for the firmware.
After you have followed these instructions your phone will be working properly and if
you like you will be able to flash any custom roms made for the Tmobile T999 phone
or restore any backups unless the the backup is corrupted in some way or another.
Here is the link to the Tmobile Stock & Rooted firmware you need:
http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=9390169635556426451
After downloading it make a folder on your desktop and unzip the file
using Winzip or 7zip so the .TAR file is in the new folder you just made.
Here is a link for ODIN which is required for flashing the stock rooted firmware
(a windows app) http://d-h.st/Q14
Download and extract Odin into the same folder you made containing the TAR file.
Here is a step by step guide for you.
Download the firmware of your choosing (use the root66 version if you want root)
Run Odin by double clicking the Odin.exe within the folder you extracted
Turn off your phone and boot into DOWNLOAD MODE (Volume Down + Home + Power Hold until phone powers up, then release and press Volume Up to enter Download Mode)
Once in Download Mode, connect the USB/Charger cable to the phone and plug into the USB port on your computer.
You should now see a COM** port listed toward the top-left of Odin (under ID:COM)
Click on the PDA button in the middle-right area of Odin.
Browse to and select the FW you downloaded (TAR file)
Make sure Auto-Reboot and F. Reset Time are the only options checked and that PDA is the only other thing checked.
TRIPLE CHECK your settings and that you have selected the correct firmware for your model phone and are using the correct options.
If you are using a laptop, make absolutely sure you are plugged in, or if on battery, that it is charged enough and will not go into sleep mode during flash.
Click Start to begin the flash. This will take a while, so be patient!
Once complete, in the top-left box in Odin, it will say PASS and the phone should have automatically rebooted.
You may unplug the phone and close Odin if you wish.
Wait at least 5-10 minutes for the system to boot the first time and then build its cache! (It may seem to hang during boot, this is normal and you must be patient!!!)
Good Luck!

nickcross88 said:
If I send my phone in, will it cause any problems if I remove my sim card to use in another phone? I need my phone for work. Does anybody see this cause potential problems?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No actually, when you send it in they ask you to only send in your bare phone, no battery, sim/sd card just the phone itself. So yeah you can switch out to another phone while waiting.

Try searching craigslist for JTAG repair.
My buddy found a local repair shop for $60. He picked it up the next day.
A USB jig will get your phone into download mode if soft bricked and costs $3.
transmitted from my SGH-T999.

phantomthuggie said:
Try searching craigslist for JTAG repair.
My buddy found a local repair shop for $60. He picked it up the next day.
A USB jig will get your phone into download mode if soft bricked and costs $3.
transmitted from my SGH-T999.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know any local so I asked my older sister to sent it to the mobilevideo guy. Not sure when they'll send it back. Hopefully next friday or the following Monday :good:

Hey guys, I just want to let you guys know that I got my phone fully working in the mail box today. Thanks Mobiletechvideo :laugh:
Definitely recommend to anyone who got hard bricked.

vietthanh1206 said:
Hey guys, I just want to let you guys know that I got my phone fully working in the mail box today. Thanks Mobiletechvideo :laugh:
Definitely recommend to anyone who got hard bricked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a witness lol
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

After a week of using, seems to work perfectly.

vietthanh1206 said:
After a week of using, seems to work perfectly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, their work is professionally done. That's why they are so highly recommended by everyone. Myself included.
Sent from a Galaxy far away using xda premium

hey guys quick info thing. my phone had sudden death. nothing would work. had a disc with axeman who informed me of MT for jtag. long story short i found this dude named Joe on ebay. from seattle to Mich, repaired at half the price.. this dude rocks and is pleasent to deal with. like i said you ship it to him 1 or 2 day, i went with 2 small sups box, just the phone and back, wuld have gotten it in four had it not been sunday
search Unbrick Samsung Galaxy S .. mipick22..29.00$ .. just a heads up . ink

Screen is not working

My phone screen is not working, sometimes it displays pink color, sometimes black, nothing works.
I am sending it back to ATT for warranty replacement. How can I reset it to stock? how i will know, whether there is a water damage?
TIA

After search, I found that water damage, can be found on the battery or white strip under the battery.
How to get back to stock? I am unable to go into download mode, as I cannot see anything on screen.

atrix4nag said:
After search, I found that water damage, can be found on the battery or white strip under the battery.
How to get back to stock? I am unable to go into download mode, as I cannot see anything on screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try using Kies to install the stock ROM, i believe it will reboot the phone to download mode automatically from the normal power on state. This will not change your flash counter however, if it has been tripped.

I recently had to get a note 2 with a broken screen into download mode. It takes a bit of patience, but try holding power, volume down and home for around 5 seconds and then press volume up and plug it in. It took me a few tries to get right, but it's possible.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

Try this
It's up to you...
I had a water damage issue once with a phone, about 5-6 months ago. A friend told me to go to best buy and get their insurance for $12 per month, NO DEDUCTIBLE. I waited almost two weeks and went into a different Best Buy and said my son accidentally tipped my drink and spilled water on my phone and now it doesn't work. I got a new one, no questions asked without paying ANYTHING, except the first months payment when I signed up. Hell its worth a shot of you have nothing else to fall back on.
-Semper Fi

dntesinfrno said:
Try using Kies to install the stock ROM, i believe it will reboot the phone to download mode automatically from the normal power on state. This will not change your flash counter however, if it has been tripped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can you guide me how can I go back to stock ROM using kies, Thanks in advance.
after that is there a way to reset the counter/?

Greycloak42 said:
I recently had to get a note 2 with a broken screen into download mode. It takes a bit of patience, but try holding power, volume down and home for around 5 seconds and then press volume up and plug it in. It took me a few tries to get right, but it's possible.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2 days back, when I used it, nothing displaying on screen, so I dont know, whether I am in download mode or normal mode. Now its in side the rice. I will check your method, once my phone starts showing something on screen.

DirtTrash said:
It's up to you...
I had a water damage issue once with a phone, about 5-6 months ago. A friend told me to go to best buy and get their insurance for $12 per month, NO DEDUCTIBLE. I waited almost two weeks and went into a different Best Buy and said my son accidentally tipped my drink and spilled water on my phone and now it doesn't work. I got a new one, no questions asked without paying ANYTHING, except the first months payment when I signed up. Hell its worth a shot of you have nothing else to fall back on.
-Semper Fi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am already getting warranty replacement. So I just want to get phone back to stock, before returning it.

atrix4nag said:
can you guide me how can I go back to stock ROM using kies, Thanks in advance.
after that is there a way to reset the counter/?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never used it so someone can correct me if im wrong, but from what i understand all you need is to download kies, plug the phone in and it will recognize the device, then just tell it to update the firmware. I (think) it will download the latest full package, reboot the phone into download mode and install it. As far as reseting the flash counter the only way i know of is the triangleaway app which would be pretty hard to do with no display. Not really sure if something could possibly be done from an ADB shell.

dntesinfrno said:
I've never used it so someone can correct me if im wrong, but from what i understand all you need is to download kies, plug the phone in and it will recognize the device, then just tell it to update the firmware. I (think) it will download the latest full package, reboot the phone into download mode and install it. As far as reseting the flash counter the only way i know of is the triangleaway app which would be pretty hard to do with no display. Not really sure if something could possibly be done from an ADB shell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for late response.
After 2 days of keeping it inside rice, screen started working with some random colors and menu and back button not working. So i used tirangleaway app to reset the counter, and then installed stock rom, using ODIN.
Already sent it for warranty exchange, Lets wait for couple of weeks, if I didnt hear anything, then its all good.
No news is always a good news

If the flash counter is 0 and the rom is unmodified and unrooted then you are fine on that end, water damage is another story .