Android 4.3 SGH-T999 imei null/null - T-Mobile, Samsung Galaxy SIII

Hey guys a friend of mine brought an Android 4.3 SGH-T999 with the imei null/null. I looked online and I can't access the qualcom menu it's blank or use QPST or NV-reader writer. Is there anyway to fix this? Tried an octopus box but it didn't work. can anyone give me other solutions. Even *#1234# doesn't work. Thanks.

next4nextel said:
Hey guys a friend of mine brought an Android 4.3 SGH-T999 with the imei null/null. I looked online and I can't access the qualcom menu it's blank or use QPST or NV-reader writer. Is there anyway to fix this? Tried an octopus box but it didn't work. can anyone give me other solutions. Even *#1234# doesn't work. Thanks.
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Click to collapse
I'm sure someone else will chime in here too. But if he purchased it that way there's a problem. Did your friend buy it from an individual, or an authorized retailer? Because the way I understand it, if your imei got corrupted like that, then you're pretty much out of luck unless you have a backup. Take the phone back and see if you can get a replacement.

As requested in all other lost imei threads, if you need help with this, PM me specific details about the device and problem.
No guarantees though if you guys have no idea how it happened. The imei should always be the very first thing you check when purchasing a used device.
I do agree with Drashnar above though. If he bought it like that unknowingly you should first see if it can be returned.

DocHoliday77 said:
As requested in all other lost imei threads, if you need help with this, PM me specific details about the device and problem.
No guarantees though if you guys have no idea how it happened. The imei should always be the very first thing you check when purchasing a used device.
I do agree with Drashnar above though. If he bought it like that unknowingly you should first see if it can be returned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick replies, but I meant he brought it to me to check it out. I used to be a PC technician and sometimes I dabble with mobiles too, so he left it with me to fix. He originally got it in the US and used it on T-mobile for awhile and brought it to my country then the imei null/null happened. He had taken it to a mobile shop first where they stupidly upgraded the phone I believe from 4.1 .2 to 4.3. This imei null/null is becoming a huge problem in my country as I've seen several S3 and S4 both international and US variants having this issue in the past several weeks alone.
Is there a way of fixing this without a box? I have a an octopus box available to me if someone can walk me through the steps.

Sorry, misread brought as bought!
The information you are requesting is against the policies of just about every forum on the net. Its not allowed to be posted publicly which is why you cant find it anywhere.

My apologies, I mis-read as well.

Related

Returning SG3 to stock settings

Hi,
I recently purchased a Sprint SG3 on craigslist, but was unable to activate it through Sprint. They told me that the serial number in the phone was different from the serial number behind the battery which meant the phone was probably flashed to another carrier.
I have never rooted my android phones before, therefore am at a lost. The sales rep told actually told me about this website. So my question is, how do I go about restoring the phone to factory settings.. like if it was just out the box. Please help! >.<
Run this.(I'd go with the wipes data version).When it boots up it will attempt activation. If it still isn't working, open the dialer and hit ##72786#. Best of luck
billard412 said:
Run this.(I'd go with the wipes data version).When it boots up it will attempt activation. If it still isn't working, open the dialer and hit ##72786#. Best of luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the phone have to be rooted to do this?
xraawrr said:
Does the phone have to be rooted to do this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, it roots it and reverts to stock at the same time
xraawrr said:
Hi,
I recently purchased a Sprint SG3 on craigslist, but was unable to activate it through Sprint. They told me that the serial number in the phone was different from the serial number behind the battery which meant the phone was probably flashed to another carrier.
I have never rooted my android phones before, therefore am at a lost. The sales rep told actually told me about this website. So my question is, how do I go about restoring the phone to factory settings.. like if it was just out the box. Please help! >.<
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
None of what has been posted is going to help you. All the "reset" advice will not change the serial (MEID/ESN) back to what it originally was (behind the battery/back of phone).
What happened is whoever had the phone previous to you "wrote" a different serial (MEID) using software, either for the purpose of using it on a different carrier or what-have-you.
Since you're obviously new to this, the fix is to find someone who "knows" about these things to write the correct serial back to the phone (frowned upon here on XDA) because they have to physically connect the phone to a computer and use software to do this. Or you can just take the loss and sell the phone back on Craigslist and list is as a BAD ESN.
If you were local to NYC, i could help you out, but alas...

IMEI of the Software VS IMEI on the back of the phone

Hi,
I've bought a samsung galaxy S3 Red version on kijiji (Canada) and realized that the IMEI of the software is different from the IMEI on the back of the phone.
I've checked the IMEI blacklist to see if any of those IMEI is blacklisted, but seems like both are fine.
I've tried using EFS Pro method without a luck.
I also tried doing NVreader-Writer to change it manually with no luck.
I was wondering if one of you guys can give me some help regards to this.
Let me know guys.
Thanks alot in advance!
Personally, i dont think you should be doing anything to the IMEI at this point. Obviously someone changed something along the way. Since both IMEI's appear to be good, theres a good chance someone replaced the motherboard at some point. If this is the case, write the IMEI down! TWICE! Keep it safe where you will not lose it.
If it was a motherboard replacement, DO NOT try to change or otherwise mess with the IMEI! Replacing it with anything but what belongs to that board is asking for problems.
If the mobo is original and the IMEI was changed for some reason, it might be a good idea to change back....maybe! But this doesnt make any sense if the original is still good. If you do somehow verify it was changed, i would wait before doing anything. Someone could wait another month or two and report it lost or stolen. It happens all the time! And then the IMEI would get blacklisted.
I think you should contact the seller and find out what is really going on. But regardless of the answers you may or may not get, do not change anything yet.
If its working fine right now, just leave it as it is. Messing with the NV Data is not to be taken lightly. Its not simple stuff like flashing roms. Make a mistake and it could cause irreparable harm to the device.
---------- Post added at 03:50 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:47 AM ----------
Oh, and there are several blacklists out there. Just because it isnt on one, doesnt mean it cant be on another. Check on swappa, but definately call the carrier the device originally came from. Ask if it is able to be activated on any network including theirs.
Hey, Thank you for your reply!
I just wanted to add in some story.
I've bought this about 1.5 months ago, and IMEI of the phone is fine(*) according to swappa, imei.info, and protectyourdata.ca.
Also, The software IMEI of the phone (according to imei.info) belongs to a samsung WAVE II and the original IMEI on the back of the phone belongs to the samsung galaxy s3.
I've contacted the seller when I first got it, this guy was fishy as ever and sounded like he was making sh1t up.
P.S swappa IMEI check came clean and my carrier does not support the IMEI.
What do you mean they dont support the imei? If its an I747, youd have to ask ATT about it.
The thing that bugs me is why would they have changed the imei in the first place if the original was still good? Makes me very suspicious tbh. I wouldnt try changing it for a while, if ever. As i said before, they could be planning to wait a few weeks and then report it lost or stolen.
DocHoliday77 said:
What do you mean they dont support the imei? If its an I747, youd have to ask ATT about it.
The thing that bugs me is why would they have changed the imei in the first place if the original was still good? Makes me very suspicious tbh. I wouldnt try changing it for a while, if ever. As i said before, they could be planning to wait a few weeks and then report it lost or stolen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No idea as why the seller would do so, but IMEI of the phone, Samsung galaxy wave II does not work with the Virginmobile Canada that I'm currently using. Should I get it fixed by a people who changes IMEI of the phone?
Just to be on the sure side, how do i check if the phone (sgs3 i747M) is carrier unlocked?
Thanks DocHoliday!
If its locked it will ask for an unlock code when you put a different carriers SIM in. I don't know how the different imei would affect this though because any unlock codes would be created using the imei.
I can try to help you change it back to the original if you like. But I make no guarantees. If it ends up being blacklisted you'll be out of luck. Changing from the original imei is called cloning and 99% of the time is highly illegal. It is the reason it is so hard to find out how to do and why we are not allowed to discuss it in public forums. Its also one reason why I will be unable to help you change it back. Also, The software and the device will reject the change unless done with special equipment I'm told.
So if you decide you still want to go through with that, you can PM me. Itll at least save you a lot of money for this part. Please include the details and a link to this thread so I don't have to come back and search for it again though. I fix tons of lost imei problems and it can get confusing without having the background included in the PM.

[Q] SM-N900T, IMEI Cert Fail help

To make a long story short, I bought a T-Mobile unlocked Note 3 off of Swappa, and after three tries I finally got one that didn't have mismatching IMEI numbers, or one that got blacklisted like 5 days after I activated it. Anyway. This newest one was activated and fine until I got home and I did the OTA updates. Now it is saying that my "IMEI Cert: FAIL, -4" when I hit the *#0011# code; resulting in my loss of service. I have been looking all over the internet for a fix for this, and I can't find anything except for other people with this issue, and websites with poor English saying to pay them to fix it. Does anyone have any real info?
A quick Google suggests that using Odin to flash a stock ROM might fix it. I would do a full factory reset first as well. Get things back to base stock, as much as possible.
I seem to recall that some issues with EFS backup/restore in custom recoveries early on were fixed by wiping the EFS partition and rebooting. Apparently the modem firmware has a way to rebuild it on N3. For details, search the general forum and/or development forum. I don't recall details, just some talk about it working as a way to fix devices that got messed up. Don't even ask here about changing IMEI or other illegal options. They are not allowed on XDA, if they are even possible.
I can't believe you went through 3 bad phones. One would have been enough for me. I simply don't buy used phones online anymore. It's not worth the bother to me. I buy direct from TMO as I can make them fix it if they give me a bad one. Sucks, but since they can blacklist any time, and leave you hanging, I want to be sure I have a reputable place to go to get it replaced if that happens. I hope you get yours working again.
Drixnya said:
To make a long story short, I bought a T-Mobile unlocked Note 3 off of Swappa, and after three tries I finally got one that didn't have mismatching IMEI numbers, or one that got blacklisted like 5 days after I activated it. Anyway. This newest one was activated and fine until I got home and I did the OTA updates. Now it is saying that my "IMEI Cert: FAIL, -4" when I hit the *#0011# code; resulting in my loss of service. I have been looking all over the internet for a fix for this, and I can't find anything except for other people with this issue, and websites with poor English saying to pay them to fix it. Does anyone have any real info?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This may be a little bit late, but I just discovered that I could fix mine with the exact same issue by flashing a Jelly Bean modem for my model.
Under any firmware on KK or LP, it would Certi: Fail, as soon as I flashed a JB modem, it worked again and passed.

[Q] IMEI 0 but Network is Live

Hey Guys!
Yesterday I bought an LG G3 D855 32/3 from second hand.
It's already running a Custom Rom I don't ask to restore it couse I'll bump the bl right after the buy.
Today I check some thing and I see my IMEI is 0.
But I have a network conenction. Gsm, 2G, 3G and 4G too.
What does this imei 0 means for me?
This is for the custom rom?
Can I backup this efs ?
Can I loss my network If I switch rom?
Regards!
This happened to me on my d851. Unfortunately the IMEI is corrupt, but I was able to recover. After that, I made sure to back up my EFS. If you google "lost imei lg g3" you can find info on the recovery process with a little reading. Anyway I'd make sure you have the original IMEI still under the battery before proceeding. You also might want to check the IMEI to verify it is clean.
Do note, though, methods of writing the IMEI or supporting such are allowed on xda, though.
To answer your question on ROMs. When I had a 0 imei, I was able to connect to providers (att / tmobile) on multiple roms including stock. So in my case, it was just a nagging knowing it was 0. No ill effects. Your experience might be different, though.
theFume said:
This happened to me on my d851. Unfortunately the IMEI is corrupt, but I was able to recover. After that, I made sure to back up my EFS. If you google "lost imei lg g3" you can find info on the recovery process with a little reading. Anyway I'd make sure you have the original IMEI still under the battery before proceeding. You also might want to check the IMEI to verify it is clean.
Do note, though, methods of writing the IMEI or supporting such are allowed on xda, though.
To answer your question on ROMs. When I had a 0 imei, I was able to connect to providers (att / tmobile) on multiple roms including stock. So in my case, it was just a nagging knowing it was 0. No ill effects. Your experience might be different, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same problem with my d851, IMEI shows 0 but i am able to make calls, text, browse,2g,3g(Havent tried LTE yet). How do i get my imei to display.
Its not a problem tho as i am able to connect to network but it will be nice if it displayed.
mickeyasamoah said:
I have the same problem with my d851, IMEI shows 0 but i am able to make calls, text, browse,2g,3g(Havent tried LTE yet). How do i get my imei to display.
Its not a problem tho as i am able to connect to network but it will be nice if it displayed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's only a problem if you resell. You have two options.
1) Contact LG and tell them what happened was a bad flash and hope they will allow you to send it in to get fixed.
2) Do it yourself, as I did. This cannot be discussed on xda because it could be used to change an IMEI to one not assigned to your phone. I ill say it's possible and using the software required is a legal grey area, but I technically DID sign an NDA with Qualcomm during the time I fixed my phone. Work reasons, so it may not have covered it, but still. Also there seems to be one version of the stock ROM that works with the software. for D851s that is.
Edit: The problem is the EFS got corrupt. If you fix this by all means BACK UP YOUR EFS and store it 100000 places
Very good advice indeed!
Had this problem with my G2 once
theFume said:
It's only a problem if you resell. You have two options.
1) Contact LG and tell them what happened was a bad flash and hope they will allow you to send it in to get fixed.
2) Do it yourself, as I did. This cannot be discussed on xda because it could be used to change an IMEI to one not assigned to your phone. I ill say it's possible and using the software required is a legal grey area, but I technically DID sign an NDA with Qualcomm during the time I fixed my phone. Work reasons, so it may not have covered it, but still. Also there seems to be one version of the stock ROM that works with the software. for D851s that is.
Edit: The problem is the EFS got corrupt. If you fix this by all means BACK UP YOUR EFS and store it 100000 places
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
theFume said:
It's only a problem if you resell. You have two options.
1) Contact LG and tell them what happened was a bad flash and hope they will allow you to send it in to get fixed.
2) Do it yourself, as I did. This cannot be discussed on xda because it could be used to change an IMEI to one not assigned to your phone. I ill say it's possible and using the software required is a legal grey area, but I technically DID sign an NDA with Qualcomm during the time I fixed my phone. Work reasons, so it may not have covered it, but still. Also there seems to be one version of the stock ROM that works with the software. for D851s that is.
Edit: The problem is the EFS got corrupt. If you fix this by all means BACK UP YOUR EFS and store it 100000 places
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But as i have read in the past, replacing your imei with one that doesnt belong to ur device should cause a hardbrick. Also, i dont live in the US, i bought the D851 from a phone market i think it has been refurbished.
THis could mean that the imei at the back of the device might not belong to this device (I dont really know... at least, thats what friend suggested.) I checked IMEI.info for the imei at the back and it turned out with a no results. Then i checked it on the T-Mobile site and T-Mobile said the device has some bills and if the bills are not paid, it wont be able to be used with T-Mo.(I dont really care as we dont have T-Mo here. But atleast T-Mo recognizes the imei.) THen i checked the imei with one more imei database and it showed up.
Now, my problem is that i know of Qualcoms Program that allows the IMEI to get reassigned but i was wondering that was for devices that are not able to connect to network at all. With mine it seems the IMEI is there. Its just that the OS is unable to read it. Dont you u think using the Qualcomm process would be a little harsh?
Also since its able to connect to network, i think my ISP is able to read my IMEI. Could i call them and ask them to tell me my imei? So that i could compare it with what is written at the back of the g3?
EDIT: I just got off the phone and the ISP/Mobile Network agent said they are unable to see IMEIs from their end.(Not just mine but everyones). I dont know, maybe she just might not know how its done. I will still keep trying tho.
Restoring using Qualcomm software IS hard, overkill and VERY RISKY. At the moment since your provider doesn't care, I say ignore it. Also I have no idea what would happen if you tried to change an IMEI to one not meant for your device as I've not ever attempted such. You phone sounds like it has a bad IMEI, but that would only as you said blacklist it on TMO. The IMEI afaik is only used to track stolen phones and deadbeats on bills. So as the saying goes "If it ain't broke don't fix it". If I were you, I would question the person you got it from about the bill delinquency, but you don't really have to. Just seems fishy to me.

Question A52S/sm a526b/ds successfully rooted with camera working+ demo unit baseband 0000 imei question problem.

I purchased this phone unknowingly that it was a demo version.
I removed the demo version from it via the code, reset and then flash and update.
The dual imei numbers are both 0000 when I typed some code ( cant remember it showed that the imei is ok)
I wanted to get it repair via some of those remote box services. I dealt with very rude unpleasant person who was impolite, told me to install quite old xsg rom which is different csc compared to my original rom. When I flashed under imei there is UAE csc and new lines added under: TRA ID :
and TA : , and these two were not there before, device also shows just as a52 instead as a52s as previously. The person suggested the rom based on the build number that I sent him.
Afterwards he was asking for pictures and then blocked me.
Im wondering If I can fix this unit to usable cellular state with working real imeis
I thought xposed modules would help, but it seems they only help with apps and only change imei on them.
I highly doubt that this device has banned imei.
I would be happy to help you to root it and I would appreciate if someone can help me.
I searched many threads without success, I know the efs/qcb is probably corrupted
What route I should go to fix this device?
If it is a demo version and has no IMEI this tells you that this legally is no mobile device that is approved to use with operators. Inserting a new IMEI can not be legal in normal countries. IMEI is a device identifier sent with all phone traffic to ensure that the device is a legitimate one and is not stolen and black (do not work at all) or grey (works but flagged to be traced) listed.
Go back to the seller and demand your money back!
I hoped that someone with more experience with this would chime in, on these new galaxy devices the imeis still seems to suppose to be there, in galaxy 8 or older galaxy version there was no 4g module and antenna removed, I think this is what you are talking about right ? and it was purchased on ad.
Im wondering if these services like chimera can fix it.
I thought it's unrootable. How did you do it?
gerhard_wa said:
If it is a demo version and has no IMEI this tells you that this legally is no mobile device that is approved to use with operators. Inserting a new IMEI can not be legal in normal countries. IMEI is a device identifier sent with all phone traffic to ensure that the device is a legitimate one and is not stolen and black (do not work at all) or grey (works but flagged to be traced) listed.
Go back to the seller and demand your money back!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought it off an add, impossible, so Im trying to at least fix it, one person here popped in my messages, trying to help... I think he recovered my damaged imei partition and stole it and sold it. Xda what a wonderful place of helpful people.
lucas_54 said:
I thought it's unrootable. How did you do it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats bs, my firmware is older but cam is working,The method described in a52 thread, patching file through odin.
ftaqh said:
I bought it off an add, impossible, so Im trying to at least fix it, one person here popped in my messages, trying to help... I think he recovered my damaged imei partition and stole it and sold it. Xda what a wonderful place of helpful people.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must be joking; demo phones have no imei. They are not phones they are dummies. Throwing around inane accusations will do you no god around here.

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