I figured this out after a struggle, so I figured I would pass along the info in case it helps anyone else.
I'm running CyanogenMod 11 (Android 4.4.4 Kit Kat AOSP based) on my T-Mobile Galaxy S III. I'm on vacation in Mexico, and I had planned to use my Verizon HTC Rezound (aka HTC Vigor) as a phone with a local Mexican SIM card from Telcel. Once I was in Mexico I discovered that the Rezound does not support the GSM/HSPA bands commonly used in North America. It should work fine in Europe, but I could only get Edge service. I decided to try to unlock my T-Mobile Galaxy S III to see if it worked any better.
The free unlock methods I found seemed to require the stock Service Mode applications - so I needed to install a stock rom. I tried to flash a rooted stock 4.3 ROM but the instructions didn't seem to work. The baseband I was running seemed to be too new for the unlock method, which was noted as working with 4.1.1. I tried to downgrade the baseband. It still did not work. I tried flashing a stock rooted 4.1.1 image, and it still did not work. At some point while trying things I realized that no baseband was getting reported in the about screen and no IMEI number was being reported. The phone wasn't even trying to connect to the network. Googling around made me think I hosed my EFS partition. I didn't have a backup.
I hoped that if the EFS partition was corrupted, it might get rebuilt. I used 'dd if=/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/efs of=/storage/extSdCard/efs.img' to make a copy of the current state of the efs, then I deleted all the files. I restarted the phone. So data got written to efs, but still I couldn't connect to the network. I didn't have a windows computer with Odin on my trip, by I tried used heimdall with my Mac to write a stock 4.1.1 rom. Still no luck. Not only was the network not working, but the touch screen and buttons were erratic and it would spontaneously reboot. Also, it would generate no sound at all. I figured I practically had a brick. I tossed it in my suitcase and left it until I got home.
When I got home I used ODIN to write the most recent (Android 4.3) root66 stock rooted image. On reboot I got sound back. That was promising. I used dd again to restore the contents of my EFS partition. I was able to connect to the network again. I installed the latest snapshot build of CyanogenMod 11 and everything seems to be working.
I finally put the pieces together. The EFS partition in older roms is formatted with a FAT filesystem, and in new roms it is formatted with an ext4 filesystem. At some point as the phone is upgraded, the EFS partition gets updated to the newer filesystem. Older basebands can not read the data from the ext4 filesystem. If you do not have a backup of the FAT version of your EFS partition, you can't downgrade to the older baseband.
I don't know the precise transition point, but the baseband that comes with 4.3 can read the ext4 partition fine, but the basebands with 4.1 need the FAT partition.
If you open a terminal shell on your phone or with adb shell, then type 'mount', you'll see a list of mounted volumes. The entry for the EFS partition will look like this...
Code:
/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/efs /efs ext4 rw,seclabel,nosuid,nodev,noatime,user_xattr,barrier=1,journal_async_commit,data=ordered,noauto_da_alloc,discard 0 0
The first field is the location of the partition. The second field - in this case '/efs' is the mount point. The third field is the filesystem type. Here you see 'ext4'. On your phone, look for the line where the second entry is '/efs'. If the third entry is 'vfat' you can downgrade to older basebands. If it is 'ext4' you can't go to very old basebands unless you have a backup of the old version of your EFS partition and you know how change the filesystem format. Anyone with decent Unix/Linux experience should be able to do that - it isn't hard - but I don't have the old EFS backup to try it out, so I won't try to give any instructions here.
I hope this saves you some trouble.
I think I understand the theory behind what you are trying to explain here, but I dont think this will make a difference.
First though, how did you come to the conclusion that older builds format that partition differently, or more specifically, as vFAT? And that older modems can only read this format?
The reason I dont believe this will make any difference is because much of the data everyone seems to think is located on the EFS partition is not there on the Qualcomm model S3's. For example, the IMEI. On older devices, and maybe some newer ones (dont know for sure), it was moved. If I remember correctly, some of the NV Data is stored on modemst1, some on modemst2, some on param, and some one hidden boot partitions, (and possibly elsewhere). (Dont quote me on those, its been a while since ive looked at all of this so im going by memory and may be slightly off.) But the EFS partition, as best as I can remember, mostly contains data related to DRM, factory mode, carrier info, s/n, and a few other things. I believe there is some important data there related to the modem and network, but not all of it.
The other reason I dont think this would make a difference is I dont see how the system could read and write to other partitions that are vFAT or ext4, but not EFS. It should be able to do so (and is able to do so for the data that is there) regardless of which format it is using. Both formats have been used on this device since day 1.
I am also not certain about the EFS having been re-formatted to a different filesystem at some point. To my knowledge, Odin does not touch that partition, and I've never seen any indication that it has ever formatted anything unexpected in the past. Besides, wouldnt this change its size on disk and thus require the re-formatting of other partitions to compensate? (Im not saying i am right or you are wrong about this, just there are things that aren't making sense to me here.)
I also dont know how comfortable I would be re-formatting ANY partition to a different filesystem. Let alone one that probably cannot be repaired with Odin. For the $5-6 that you might save, it just doesnt seem to be worth the risk to me. (Risk vs reward)
I do apologize if any of this has come off as too argumentative. If your theory does prove to be correct, thats awesome, but I just want to make sure all points are covered before telling anyone something like this is safe to attempt.
Thanks for the post either way though. I do find it interesting!
DocHoliday77 said:
how did you come to the conclusion that older builds format that partition differently, or more specifically, as vFAT? And that older modems can only read this format?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm trying to retrace my google searches to find the exact reference. It was not a post focused on the SGH-T999, but another similar device. When I find it I'll update to point there.
DocHoliday77 said:
The other reason I dont think this would make a difference is I dont see how the system could read and write to other partitions that are vFAT or ext4, but not EFS. It should be able to do so (and is able to do so for the data that is there) regardless of which format it is using. Both formats have been used on this device since day 1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is my impression, and please correct me if I am wrong, that the baseband software does not run inside the linux kernel that primarily operates the phone. The low level radio functions have their own system with their own CPU functions and such. There are several reasons this makes sense.
First, interaction with the mobile radio infrastructure is very timing dependent. The software that operates the radios needs to be "real time" - meaning that every task that the system performs must complete in a predictable, determinable amount of time. General purpose, multitasking operating systems like Linux, virtually all Unix systems, and Windows don't do this well. If a general purpose system has specific subsystems that require real time operation, the common solution is put those operations onto a small purpose built hardware with its own processor and software. Even in your standard PC, the ethernet adapters and disk drives have their own processors and firmware.
Second, if the interaction with the radio network was happening in-kernel, then the GPL would require that the software to run this would be open source. The source code for the baseband is not freely available. That suggests that the baseband is separate. It is possible that the code to run the radios could be in a userland process, not in-kernel, and so sidestep the GPL issue. That is unlikely, however, since it would make the timing issues even more difficult.
So if the baseband is software running on a separate CPU, it doesn't matter that the kernel has the modules to read both vfat and ext4. The baseband would need the modules to read that. If certain baseband revisions did not include the modules to read ext4, then the baseband process could not read that data.
DocHoliday77 said:
I am also not certain about the EFS having been re-formatted to a different filesystem at some point. To my knowledge, Odin does not touch that partition, and I've never seen any indication that it has ever formatted anything unexpected in the past. Besides, wouldnt this change its size on disk and thus require the re-formatting of other partitions to compensate? (Im not saying i am right or you are wrong about this, just there are things that aren't making sense to me here.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Other partitions would need to be changed if the size of the EFS partition was increased, but if the size of the EFS partition was not increases, the format could be changed. That process doesn't have to happen in Odin. It could be done at first boot with a particular software revision. The system would need to backup the data on the EFS partition that needs to be saved, reformat the partition using the equivalent of the mkfs command, adjust the partition table and/or the fstab so that the system could mount it properly, remount it, and write back the EFS data - possibly in a new format. All this could be done by any process that had root privs on the system. The baseband could do this itself, even, before the Linux kernel was loaded.
DocHoliday77 said:
I also dont know how comfortable I would be re-formatting ANY partition to a different filesystem. Let alone one that probably cannot be repaired with Odin. For the $5-6 that you might save, it just doesnt seem to be worth the risk to me. (Risk vs reward) ...t I just want to make sure all points are covered before telling anyone something like this is safe to attempt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I definitely don't suggest that anyone tries this unless they are really really really comfortable with this kind of hacking.
BTW - some additional reading in a different T999 thread mentioned that once you go to the NC2 baseband-firmware it is not possible to go back. Makes me think that NC2 is the dividing line if I'm correct about this.
Afaik, you are correct on how the modem operates independently from the rest of the system. That was a good point I didn't take into account, so I will agree that what you stated about the filesystem format being changed is possible. In helping people around here I do periodically run into folks who have never updated beyond 4.1.1 or 4.1.2, so ill try to remember to ask them to check what format the efs partition uses next time. That would probably be the best way to confirm whether or not it was changed somewhere along the way.
As for the sizing of the partition, I do see what you are saying. I was thinking in terms of keeping the usable space the same, which if I am not mistaken would require more space on disk for vFAT.
One other reason I dont think it was changed btw, is I have compared the partition tables of older vs newer builds in the past. It has been a while though, and I wasn't focusing on the efs at the time so I may have overlooked something, but I didnt notice anything different. I was doing this while helping with our debricking process, so it is possible I just didnt see the change, but I kind of feel like I would have had it been there. But, as I just said, it is possible I overlooked it since I wasnt specifically looking for that kind of change.
The inability to downgrade firmware began with our first 4.3 update (MJC). This was done to help prevent tampering and attempts to break into the Knox secure containers.
Something else that just came to mind, is that while you cannot use an older baseband for that reason (Knox), you can use the 4.3 baseband on pre-knox builds (4.1.2 and earlier). So if you were running 4.1.1, for example, you could use the 4.3 baseband. So if your theory is correct wouldnt it mean the 4.3 baseband is capable of reading both formats? And if that is the case, it would mean its something different blocking the SIM unlock in the menu, right?
We do not have 4.4.2 yet, but I have been very active in AT&T's forums lately and can say it is almost the same. You still cannot use older modems as they just wont function, but you can use the 4.4.2 modem on a 4.1.2 or earlier build. The difference, is that while trying the 4.3 baseband on 4.4.2 firmware just doesnt work, if you put a 4.4.2 modem on 4.3 firmware you get an irrecoverable hard brick. Not even jtag will fix it. (right now the only fix is to replace the motherboard). I know that last bit doesn't have much bearing on the topic at hand, but thought I'd throw it in there since on the subject.
So anyway, if the newer basebands will function on older firmware, and the formatting of the efs had been changed, that means the new modems are capable of reading both formats. If all of that is true, the changing from vFAT to ext4 really wouldn't make a difference.
I hope I explained all of that well enough!
Related
So i am here with a new idea. A rescue.zip which can be used to rescue any android device which have a recovery like the famous cwm.
So here is it..
Some times we people screw up our android os like hell, and to reboot the device we usualy do a recovery flash of a new os, flash back our nandroid backup ( both on worst conditions) or even do permission fix, clean cache or dalvic cache( those in 'not that worse' conditions) . So thats are all the options we got. Rit?
Although flashing recovery backups, new roms can fix all, it will also eatup our apps, current setups, contacts, msgs, etc( in case we dont have backups) and will probably screw us. All we can do is say " WTF..WTF..WTF.."
SO here is my idea,
Find out the causes of what causes a reboot, non-boot, hang,fc etc.
And keep a zip that can be flashed through recovery, that has a solution for our problem. They may be including..
1) fix permission of system, data, and user data.
2) zipalign the apps
3) fix the default clock speed of processor
4) defragment memory
5) flash a new copy of su and busy box
6)wipe data or system or ext or cache or dalvic cache
7) flash a new copy of framework.res, system-ui.apk, settings.apk with default permissions( those files are kept in separate "custom" folder on the zip, so that end user can put their own files to that "custom" folder for flashing., the reason behind it is known to all, yap. Not all devices have them in common, every device have its own files)
These are all i got for now, pls post ur ideas and knowledge for any possible cure about any problem u faced/ cured. So that we can make it an ultimate rescue.zip that have a cure for 99% problems android os have. The rest 1% will go with a clean flash.( well we cant avoid that if we did something that bad).
So my plan is to use aroma installer( now on hard learning to find how it works). Throw in some scripts, files etc. Into the zip.
And since its not a device specific .zip file, i want to know how and why any problems are caused in any device( there are many common problems, but that is not what i ask for. I ask for device/os specific problems, and not for a problem that we can cure after booting, but for a problem that can make the device un-bootable) . So u people may help me to find those problems and cures for it. For my knowledge i have experience with wildfire and hd2.
Well i will keep this thread for a week or two, so that u can post ur knowledge, and info. after that i will release the file for u.
To the admin. Of the forum, pls keep this thread as announcement so that all can take a look.
HYPERDROID EXTREEM EDITION-THE NEW BENCHMARK ROM FOR HD2.
If you plan to do this available to any android device, the file size will be so big that it will become useless. Every phone has different apk, and not only that, but those apk are different in different version of os. For example, CM9 framework should not work on google release. Worst, older CM9 framework might not work on newer CM9 and newer framework might not work on older. Also, one of the cause of bootloop that i have been experiencing since i have my GNexus is data corruption of apps. The only way i had was to wipe data. I dont think there is a way to know if your app are corrupted with script. I also seen a lot of strange problem on SGS II like the kernel being erased. Well, in this case this package would be useless. So i guess that having this package would be awesome, but wont happen. My best advice is that you could create a universal guide on how to recover from bootloop/fc/hang with the minimum of impact on the phone. This is just my opinion tho.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
You could add using flags in the updates filename, see some roms or themes for the lg optimus 2x for more information. It uses sed. For example, "update-wc-wd.zip" would wipe /data and /cache.
You could also merge these features in a customized clockwork mod recovery, the up side would be that you could automatically make a backup of the last flashed full ROM's systemui etc. this would also allow usage of the touch screen/volume keys to choose an repair option. You could even allow users to backup specific applications along with their data, and let users restore it later on after a fresh flash. I have some basic knowledge in modifying the recovery so I might help you out a little if you're interested.
chadouming said:
If you plan to do this available to any android device, the file size will be so big that it will become useless. Every phone has different apk, and not only that, but those apk are different in different version of os. For example, CM9 framework should not work on google release. Worst, older CM9 framework might not work on newer CM9 and newer framework might not work on older. Also, one of the cause of bootloop that i have been experiencing since i have my GNexus is data corruption of apps. The only way i had was to wipe data. I dont think there is a way to know if your app are corrupted with script. I also seen a lot of strange problem on SGS II like the kernel being erased. Well, in this case this package would be useless. So i guess that having this package would be awesome, but wont happen. My best advice is that you could create a universal guide on how to recover from bootloop/fc/hang with the minimum of impact on the phone. This is just my opinion tho.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I told it already, the "custom" folder is not filled. It will be kept empty. The user can put a file, which ofcourse is the file of the device he/she have or want to get repaired. All he has to do is copy and paste the file from the working zip( zip file of his currently installed rom, that encounter the problem) of his rom to the custom folder inside the rescue.zip.
And the things that are common will be scripts, but those too will contains device specific mound points, paths, etc. I think that will be common( ie, the working of script, once the mound is done). Am i right?
So all i have to figure out is mount points, paths etc.. i got a couple of them, about 15 or so. And pls help me to find the rest.
HYPERDROID EXTREEM EDITION-THE NEW BENCHMARK ROM FOR HD2.
a good idea to add is a file system chech like windows systems has. By installing a rom the installer should first check for bad sectors and mem blocks before installing the rom. After all blocks and sectors are scanned and the bad ones marked as "bad or corrupt" it should run something like defrag and place the bad blocks at the end of the file table. When all is done .. then the true rom install should start.
This will prevent heaps of problems since the curent installs just write over a bad block or sector creating the most weird problems. A fault checker/repair will take away a lot of strange forced closes and othere software/hardware failures.
Most phones wont last that long so that bad blocks or sectors can occure. But for the flashing junkies among us its a serious problem what can occure. I guess after 1000 or more installs bad sectors or blocks will occure and not all are being able to be repaired
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Mikevhl said:
You could add using flags in the updates filename, see some roms or themes for the lg optimus 2x for more information. It uses sed. For example, "update-wc-wd.zip" would wipe /data and /cache.
You could also merge these features in a customized clockwork mod recovery, the up side would be that you could automatically make a backup of the last flashed full ROM's systemui etc. this would also allow usage of the touch screen/volume keys to choose an repair option. You could even allow users to backup specific applications along with their data, and let users restore it later on after a fresh flash. I have some basic knowledge in modifying the recovery so I might help you out a little if you're interested.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am totaly newbee to lg. I have experience with htc, few samsung, etc. So can u pm me the details? Also is it usable to create recovery? I think a zip file with selectable options is more friendly. The thing is building a recovery wont make it universal( or atleast common for a couple of devices) and we will have to port them for each and every device. Thats the problem.
But any way i want ur help in building it. Can u pm me an example for mounding script in lg devices? And any thing that may become useful. Thank you.
HYPERDROID EXTREEM EDITION-THE NEW BENCHMARK ROM FOR HD2.
wilwilwel said:
a good idea to add is a file system chech like windows systems has. By installing a rom the installer should first check for bad sectors and mem blocks before installing the rom. After all blocks and sectors are scanned and the bad ones marked as "bad or corrupt" it should run something like defrag and place the bad blocks at the end of the file table. When all is done .. then the true rom install should start.
This will prevent heaps of problems since the curent installs just write over a bad block or sector creating the most weird problems. A fault checker/repair will take away a lot of strange forced closes and othere software/hardware failures.
Most phones wont last that long so that bad blocks or sectors can occure. But for the flashing junkies among us its a serious problem what can occure. I guess after 1000 or more installs bad sectors or blocks will occure and not all are being able to be repaired
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pls pm me the idea how to make the checking script. Or links that have info in this. Thank u in figuring out such a prob. I am unaware of that.
HYPERDROID EXTREEM EDITION-THE NEW BENCHMARK ROM FOR HD2.
showlyshah said:
I am totaly newbee to lg. I have experience with htc, few samsung, etc. So can u pm me the details? Also is it usable to create recovery? I think a zip file with selectable options is more friendly. The thing is building a recovery wont make it universal( or atleast common for a couple of devices) and we will have to port them for each and every device. Thats the problem.
But any way i want ur help in building it. Can u pm me an example for mounding script in lg devices? And any thing that may become useful. Thank you.
HYPERDROID EXTREEM EDITION-THE NEW BENCHMARK ROM FOR HD2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll send this as a PM as well, but people might learn from this. I am not talking about any specific mount points for LG phones, I just pointed out that there are some roms which use sed to check the filename of its update.zip and do tasks according to that, you need to have one line in your updater script to run the script which detects what to do. That way a user of a Galaxy Nexus would rename it to update-maguro.zip and it would know to use mount points for the maguro, while if the exact same update.zip was to be named update-p990.zip, it would know to use the mount points for the LG optimus 2x. This way you could easily keep the zip up to date for any device, because they all use the same update.zip
About the recovery, you would need to build it for every phone once, but you could make one change to the recovery source and easily compile the recovery for all phones which are capable of running CWM. I believe this method to be more user friendly, as a recovery image has support for actually choosing what you want to do, instead of having to rename the file. A recovery image also has a better way of communicating with the user. Where a update.zip can only say "Hey, I had an error and I'm quitting now, I won't give you any details what the problem was because that's just how update.zips roll", a recovery image would be able to give more advanced outputs, like "An error occurred when trying to mount /data." And then give you the option to either try again, manually fix it by using a computer with adb, or quitting.
But that's just my personal opinion. The recovery would be way harder to make, but I was the original porter of CM6, CM7 and HTC Sense to the xperia mini pro and mini back in the days. I also made a custom recovery and roms for the HTC desire Z, maintain a CWM port for the HTC Chacha which I don't even own and have used the LG optimus 2x before. (currently a maguro owner) but I'm trying to say that I've been experimenting a lot with different phones and know what the possibilities of Android are. you could even make a live Android build, tailored for recovering your phone, which is ran by an update.zip! How cool is that? That would be VERY device specific though..
let me know what you think is the best way to do this. I was thinking of making a mobile time machine app for some time so it's good I saw this thread.
Got my Note 2 in today .. any ROM's known working with this hardware ? I'd read there might be issues with so many different versions of this device.
Thanks !
Sorry, but the i317 doesn't have any ROM. Not a single byte of it.
Perhaps you were asking about firmware?
garyd9 said:
Sorry, but the i317 doesn't have any ROM. Not a single byte of it.
Perhaps you were asking about firmware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting point. What are the firmwares stored in inside these modern devices? Are they not EEPROMs or some variant that are being flashed?
Non-volatile random-access memory.
All the memory in the device is one big pool similar to an SSD drive (even if its partitioned and mounted to appear otherwise.)
EEPROM would be WAY too slow (and wouldn't have the endurance.) Also, with EEPROM, you'd have to effectively erase and reformat all the device memory every time you got a new email message, logged a phone call, etc. (No random access with EEPROM.)
Yeah, I'm old.
Understanding the firmware... imagine shoving an SSD drive into a machine and making 2 partitions. The first you call "C" and install windows on. Then you create another partition ("D") to use as a data drive. You hack windows so that all writes are redirected to D. Now only mount the C drive as ro and mount D as rw.
This is easier with linux... first logical contains /usr, /etc, /home. /home contains mount points for the second logical that's mounted rw. Any time the firmware changes, the first drive is remounted as rw, changes made, and remounted as ro again.
ohRonaldo said:
Interesting point. What are the firmwares stored in inside these modern devices? Are they not EEPROMs or some variant that are being flashed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think his point of the question is that ROM usually would be a new aftermarket offing, say CM10 etc. And the Firmware refers to the Sammy official stock load or image (TAR?) that is flashed in ODIN or perhaps Keis.
I don't think that was a discussion on hardware.
ZedZardoz said:
I think his point of the question is that ROM usually would be a new aftermarket offing, say CM10 etc. And the Firmware refers to the Sammy official stock load or image (TAR?) that is flashed in ODIN or perhaps Keis.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How are they different? Either mount as /system and perform the same function. They are both firmware.
ROM means "read only memory." If it was actually ROM, it couldn't be modified.
If it'd help, I'd be happy to recompile CM10 for the i9300 and wrap it up in an ODIN compatible tarball.
garyd9 said:
How are they different? Either mount as /system and perform the same function. They are both firmware.
ROM means "read only memory." If it was actually ROM, it couldn't be modified.
If it'd help, I'd be happy to recompile CM10 for the i9300 and wrap it up in an ODIN compatible tarball.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Just bits programmed to a memory.
garyd9 said:
Sorry, but the i317 doesn't have any ROM. Not a single byte of it.
Perhaps you were asking about firmware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that I re-read your post, I see that it was a discussion of hardware. But aren't you just quibbling on symatics?
Off-topic> Is there a way to dump the TAR off my new phone prior to root? I guess some day the official firmware will become available.
ZedZardoz said:
Is there a way to dump the TAR off my knew phone prior to root? I guess some day the official firmware will become available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not all at once. The stock kernel and stock recovery images are already extracted. What I'd suggest is this:
After you get your phone, use ODIN to install the root kernel referenced in this post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=33846420&postcount=163
Then adb shell into the phone, but when you do the dd thing, instead of pulling the recovery partition, you can pull the system partition. The commandline would be:
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p13 of=system.img bs=4096
That will result in a huge (but completely stock) system partition image. That, combined with the recovery.img and boot.img (kernel) we already have can be used to get a system completely stock.
PS: I hope the community gets you a Note2 soon!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why? I just sold an international note2 and am using an AT&T note2. If the community were to try to donate one to me, I'd tell them to take their money and donate it to some children that need food, clothes, etc.
garyd9 said:
Not all at once. The stock kernel and stock recovery images are already extracted. What I'd suggest is this:
After you get your phone, use ODIN to install the root kernel referenced in this post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=33846420&postcount=163
Then adb shell into the phone, but when you do the dd thing, instead of pulling the recovery partition, you can pull the system partition. The commandline would be:
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p13 of=system.img bs=4096
That will result in a huge (but completely stock) system partition image. That, combined with the recovery.img and boot.img (kernel) we already have can be used to get a system completely stock.
Why? I just sold an international note2 and am using an AT&T note2. If the community were to try to donate one to me, I'd tell them to take their money and donate it to some children that need food, clothes, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response.
Sorry the PS was ment for another thread... Damn all this time waiting on my delivery and too much thread watching / posting.
It *is* a variant of EEPROM. It is also a type of "non-volatile RAM" which is also a form of erasable ROM. It's much further from RAM than it is from EEPROM. RAM needs constant power to refresh it to prevent data loss and reading it is destructive, it degrades the contents and requires recharging time before being accessed again.
I thought I'd try to point it out in question form. The guy asked an innocent question using older but correct terminology -- I completely understand being in that position because I'm an old man, a traveling man, trying to figure this new stuff out too.
ohRonaldo said:
It *is* a variant of EEPROM. It is also a type of "non-volatile RAM" which is also a form of erasable ROM. It's much further from RAM than it is from EEPROM. RAM needs constant power to refresh it to prevent data loss and reading it is destructive, it degrades the contents and requires recharging time before being accessed again.
I thought I'd try to point it out in question form. The guy asked an innocent question using older but correct terminology -- I completely understand being in that position because I'm an old man, a traveling man, trying to figure this new stuff out too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, please stop referencing your age in every single post. We get it. You're old. You might actually be surprised to learn that quite a few other people here are old as well.
As for EEPROM or not, I actually still use EEPROM with some of my ham radio gear, and NVRAM is nothing like it in general use. In order to rewrite any portion of EEPROM, the entire chip has to be erased. (I made reference to that above.) Same issue with EPROM (but for a slightly different reason.) I agree it might be similar electrically, but from a usage point of view, "ROM" is nothing like "NVRAM."
Oh, and I'm old too. How old? Let's just say that I wrote my first computer programs, I was terrified of dropping the deck and getting the cards out of order.
Take care
Gary
That's why you draw a line across the top of the deck, Gary. HI HI
73
ohRonaldo said:
That's why you draw a line across the top of the deck, Gary. HI HI
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep. okay, I'll kill stop harassing everyone.
dit dit
Hi,
I just rooted my Galaxy Note 2, build nzo54k.n7100xxdmc3.
I rooted using this guide: http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=2143479, method number 2. Now I cant use networking. There is a cross over where the network bars use to be. Everything else seem to be working fine. It rebooted a couple of times tho. Can anyone help me with this problem, how I can fix this. If I press "mobile networks" it tells me that I have to insert a simcard. I have the simcard in and tried to restart the phone several times.
I would appreciate any help that you guys can give me. Thank you!
mvattoy said:
Hi,
I just rooted my Galaxy Note 2, build nzo54k.n7100xxdmc3.
I rooted using this guide: http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=2143479, method number 2. Now I cant use networking. There is a cross over where the network bars use to be. Everything else seem to be working fine. It rebooted a couple of times tho. Can anyone help me with this problem, how I can fix this. If I press "mobile networks" it tells me that I have to insert a simcard. I have the simcard in and tried to restart the phone several times.
I would appreciate any help that you guys can give me. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Link you've attached is broken ,
Strange , Could you check if your device shows IMIE number or it shows null ?
aukhan said:
Link you've attached is broken ,
Strange , Could you check if your device shows IMIE number or it shows null ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It says IMEI: unkown. I can check under battery if you need me to? Can it have something to do with my service provider? Im from Norway
mvattoy said:
It says IMEI: unkown. I can check under battery if you need me to? Can it have something to do with my service provider? Im from Norway
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems you've corrupted your EFS folder buddy, Have you rooted your phone ? After Root did you backup your phone EFS folder ??? Or any kind Of NAND backup
aukhan said:
It seems you've corrupted your EFS folder buddy, Have you rooted your phone ? After Root did you backup your phone EFS folder ??? Or any kind Of NAND backup
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know what a EFS folder is. I have rooted my phone using this guide, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2143479
I used method number two. I just rooted my phone so haven't done anything yet. I think I have rooted my phone, I got a "Superu" app but haven't tried doing anything yet.
mvattoy said:
I don't know what a EFS folder is. I have rooted my phone using this guide, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2143479
I used method number two. I just rooted my phone so haven't done anything yet. I think I have rooted my phone, I got a "Superu" app but haven't tried doing anything yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EFS file is where your Imei , Mac address and few more important files are stored as you phone doesnt have an IMIE it shows as unknown so that is the reason your unable to make calls or the Sim is not getting registered, What you could try is to Flash a Stock Firmware and check if the IMIE shows up or else will have to take it to Samsung Service Center and will have to Pay for the Service.
The Guide which you've Followed dont say that you will have to backup the EFS Folder i've informed to update it on OP any ways not your mistake .
Always remember 1step after Root is to backup EFS File
Getting to know your EFS folder on Samsung Devices
Common Files We Back up
I am sure you have heard of critical things you need to do when you mess with an Android device right? One of the things that always come up is to back up your devices.
Backing up data usually involves making sure those contacts, calendar entries, memos, messages and special media that you may have kept within the internal memory are kept safe. The general rule when flashing and rooting is that often times, you may have to end up wiping all your internal memory data.
Some people tend to take this further and back up the internal data of apps, which is only possible if you have root access on your device. This is especially useful for those who like to play games as well as flash custom ROMs.
There are those who would also recommend that you back up the entire image of your current ROM state by making a Nandroid backup so that you can get back that exact state of your ROM if you mess up with flashing a whole new one or if you didn’t like the new ROM you tried and wanted to get back.
For Samsung devices, there is one other thing you may want to secure in a back-up chest – your device’s EFS data.
What is an “EFS”?
EFS refer to a folder location called /EFS in Samsung’s Android devices. It is a very sensitive folder hidden within the deepest core of your smartphone’s internal file system and is very essential to the functions of our smartphones.
One of the very sensitive information you can find in this folder is the information regarding your phone’s unique IMEI number. As you may have guessed by now, it also contains other unique identifying numbers for your smartphone including the MAC address for your smartphone’s radios, as well as the MEID, ESN, as wells as the registered phone number for locked smartphones.
The Danger to EFS
Normally, the EFS folder is highly protected. Rooting and flashing ROMs normally do not touch this part of the device. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a controlled environment where everything goes according to plan in the real world. Sometimes, a process hits the EFS folder, or ends up corrupting the data within.
The EFS is also likely to be corrupted by users who like to unlock smartphones since it usually involves editing the data within the EFS folder. Once the data is corrupted, the only way to get it back to working order is to restore the data as is.
The loss of the EFS folder may cause your phone to no longer be recognized by your carrier or some of your radios may no longer work. This breaks the device as a whole no matter how many times you reinstall a ROM.
Even if you are not planning to modify the EFS folder itself, you can still accidentally corrupt that data. That is why even if the process of rooting and flashing ROMs does not require you to do so, it would be prudent to back up the folder. This would be a classic case of being “better safe than sorry”.
Why Modify the EFS
Messing with the EFS is what you would call some “high level stuff”. People normally don’t mess with this folder due to the high risk of making the smartphone unusable. The most common use of editing the EFS folder is to unlock the smartphone so it can be used on other carriers.
Most users usually steer clear of this folder. If you really want to mess with it, look for us tomorrow as we show you how to back-up your EFS folder.
aukhan said:
EFS file is where your Imei , Mac address and few more important files are stored as you phone doesnt have an IMIE it shows as unknown so that is the reason your unable to make calls or the Sim is not getting registered, What you could try is to Flash a Stock Firmware and check if the IMIE shows up or else will have to take it to Samsung Service Center and will have to Pay for the Service.
The Guide which you've Followed dont say that you will have to backup the EFS Folder i've informed to update it on OP any ways not your mistake .
Always remember 1step after Root is to backup EFS File
Getting to know your EFS folder on Samsung Devices
Common Files We Back up
I am sure you have heard of critical things you need to do when you mess with an Android device right? One of the things that always come up is to back up your devices.
Backing up data usually involves making sure those contacts, calendar entries, memos, messages and special media that you may have kept within the internal memory are kept safe. The general rule when flashing and rooting is that often times, you may have to end up wiping all your internal memory data.
Some people tend to take this further and back up the internal data of apps, which is only possible if you have root access on your device. This is especially useful for those who like to play games as well as flash custom ROMs.
There are those who would also recommend that you back up the entire image of your current ROM state by making a Nandroid backup so that you can get back that exact state of your ROM if you mess up with flashing a whole new one or if you didn’t like the new ROM you tried and wanted to get back.
For Samsung devices, there is one other thing you may want to secure in a back-up chest – your device’s EFS data.
What is an “EFS”?
EFS refer to a folder location called /EFS in Samsung’s Android devices. It is a very sensitive folder hidden within the deepest core of your smartphone’s internal file system and is very essential to the functions of our smartphones.
One of the very sensitive information you can find in this folder is the information regarding your phone’s unique IMEI number. As you may have guessed by now, it also contains other unique identifying numbers for your smartphone including the MAC address for your smartphone’s radios, as well as the MEID, ESN, as wells as the registered phone number for locked smartphones.
The Danger to EFS
Normally, the EFS folder is highly protected. Rooting and flashing ROMs normally do not touch this part of the device. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a controlled environment where everything goes according to plan in the real world. Sometimes, a process hits the EFS folder, or ends up corrupting the data within.
The EFS is also likely to be corrupted by users who like to unlock smartphones since it usually involves editing the data within the EFS folder. Once the data is corrupted, the only way to get it back to working order is to restore the data as is.
The loss of the EFS folder may cause your phone to no longer be recognized by your carrier or some of your radios may no longer work. This breaks the device as a whole no matter how many times you reinstall a ROM.
Even if you are not planning to modify the EFS folder itself, you can still accidentally corrupt that data. That is why even if the process of rooting and flashing ROMs does not require you to do so, it would be prudent to back up the folder. This would be a classic case of being “better safe than sorry”.
Why Modify the EFS
Messing with the EFS is what you would call some “high level stuff”. People normally don’t mess with this folder due to the high risk of making the smartphone unusable. The most common use of editing the EFS folder is to unlock the smartphone so it can be used on other carriers.
Most users usually steer clear of this folder. If you really want to mess with it, look for us tomorrow as we show you how to back-up your EFS folder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your help.
I knew I could lose everything on my internal memory but diden't bother me. Can you link me to how I flash with custom rom?
mvattoy said:
Thanks for your help.
I knew I could lose everything on my internal memory but diden't bother me. Can you link me to how I flash with custom rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
first recommend you to flash stock and try see if you've got you IMIE .
mvattoy said:
Hi,
I just rooted my Galaxy Note 2, build nzo54k.n7100xxdmc3.
I rooted using this guide: http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=2143479, method number 2. Now I cant use networking. There is a cross over where the network bars use to be. Everything else seem to be working fine. It rebooted a couple of times tho. Can anyone help me with this problem, how I can fix this. If I press "mobile networks" it tells me that I have to insert a simcard. I have the simcard in and tried to restart the phone several times.
I would appreciate any help that you guys can give me. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1st flash a stock rom and see whether u get imei and baseband back or not.. if it didnt get recovered then service centers can only help you as u didnt make a backup of efs..
There is a slim chance its not his efs,
I did pretty much the same as he to get root thru the toolkit, and had no network, I found I had no APN configured
Perhaps check this.
Settings... more settings .. mobile networks... acess point names.
Make sure you have something here.
if not you will need to search for the settings for whoever your provider is.
good luck
A|c
Hello,
New XDA poster, here... I've watched the intro video, and I've read the forum rules.
I'm not completely new to custom roms; I've previously flashed CM images on 2 other occasions, (on this same device, and 1 other.)
My question is: if I've lost my maguro's IMEI number (presumably by wiping /factory via CWM,) how screwed am I? I do not have a backup of /factory.
Here's how I got myself into this mess:
(Started from CM-10.1.2 or CM-10.1.3, can't remember.)
1. Updated recovery to clockwork-6.0.4.3-maguro
2. Factory reset (from inside recovery)
3. Formatted /system, /cache, /factory (immediately after starting that last one, I had a feeling it wasn't a good idea.)
4. Installed "cm-10.2-20131030-NIGHTLY-maguro.zip"
5. Installed "gapps-jb-20130813-signed.zip"
6. Rebooted
Everything worked peachy, except now my mobile service is permanently unavailable. Confirmed that I now have a generic IMEI number under Settings -> About phone -> Status.
This was a Play Store purchase; I am the original owner.
</ryan>
I have the same issue.
Did the /factory wipe on my phone from cwm. Among other wipes from the mounts menu.
Installed cm-10.2 ... Nightly
Here are the problems which I am facing.
1. The network signal indicator is blank & the phone reports emergency calls only. On my Vodafone's sim. ( also on tata DoCoMo & Idea sim cards).
2. Although the network signal indicator is blank 2g gsm mobile data is still working I.e. I can access websites, sync my phone with Google etc. Its just the call functionality is not working.
3. Tried another SIM from BSNL ( a local service provider in India). This sim works fine all the functionality ie call, sms , data is working on the BSNL sim.
If anyone has any suggestion how to fix this issue please help.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
I haven't done this with the Gnex, but this did happen with the i9000 and i9100 back then when moving from CM6 > CM7 and formatting from RFS over to EXT2 partitions destroyed my EFS folder. What I ended up doing was using Odin to flash back to stock from bootloader: the TAR images. I hope that if you flash to stock using Odin that you can achieve similar results. Remember that factory-images for Play Store models are "takju". Outside the US is "yakju".
OK let me try ODIN flashing.
Using the method & files from the following post
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2065470
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
alpha-niner64 said:
I hope that if you flash to stock using Odin that you can achieve similar results. Remember that factory-images for Play Store models are "takju". Outside the US is "yakju".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course I'm willing to try anything that stands some chance of success, but I wonder: how could flashing Google's stock takju image-- that is the same for everybody-- restore an IMEI number that is different for everybody?
Solution...
Well kinda.
The issue is with Generic IMEI 004999010640000 most network providers have blocked this IMEI no. on their network, which is why the network registration fails & thus we get no network.
Their is a file nv_data.bin in 2 places on the device one is in /factory/nv_data.bin & the other is in /data/radio/nv_data.bin
The file in /data/radio/nv_data.bin determines the phones imei no. & the one in /factory/nv_data.bin is the backup.
In case the phone gets wiped or factory reset the system copies the file from /factory/nv_data.bin to /data/radio/nv_data.bin in order to determine the handsets IMEI no.
When you & I wiped the /factory/ in CWM it removed this backup file, thus on installation of any subsequent roms the phone was getting a generic imei resulting in network error.
If you have a NANDROID backup of the phone in an earlier state when the network was working correctly then restore from that backup & your network should be fine. I did & it restored my network.
Also if you are successful in getting your network & IMEI back I suggest backing up /data/radio/nv_data.bin & /data/radio/nv_data.bin.md5 to your PC because since the nandroid backup does not restore these files in /factory/ I am guessing any future wipe / rom upgrades will reset the radio to generic IMEI.
If you dont have a nandroid backup of a earlier good state of your phone I have no idea how to recreate the files.
in case you need it You can find your handsets IMEI no. in at the back of the phone below the battery.
The following links may help
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1570342
http://blog.falcondai.com/2013/10/fixing-galaxy-nexuss-imei-number.html
Brilliant post, gaurav1984.
Nope, no remaining backups at all. It seems odd to watch myself type those words, as I'm usually pretty zealous about backups generally. But I'm relatively new to CM, and in this instance my thinking was I wanted a completely fresh wipe; there was nothing I desired to save... or so I thought.
Since the consequences of wiping /factory are so dire, I think it would be a good idea if the CWM developers guard that particular action with a prominent red warning message.
... I might possibly have a Titanium Backup, from almost 2 years ago, somewhere. I wonder if that included nv_data.bin. Hmm...
</ryan>
Ryan,
take a look at the last paragraph on this page:
http://www.droidviews.com/backup-and-restore-lost-imei-on-samsung-galaxy-devices-without-root/
Sounds like might be a viable option for you.
ryanvbissell said:
Brilliant post, gaurav1984.
Nope, no remaining backups at all. It seems odd to watch myself type those words, as I'm usually pretty zealous about backups generally. But I'm relatively new to CM, and in this instance my thinking was I wanted a completely fresh wipe; there was nothing I desired to save... or so I thought.
Since the consequences of wiping /factory are so dire, I think it would be a good idea if the CWM developers guard that particular action with a prominent red warning message.
... I might possibly have a Titanium Backup, from almost 2 years ago, somewhere. I wonder if that included nv_data.bin. Hmm...
</ryan>
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Update...
@ryanvbissell any nandroid backup (no matter how old or whichever rom ) will do even if it is not CM.
You may try the procedure on the link above, but from what I have read Galaxy Nexus NV_data uses salted md5 checksums so that method might not work.
Also if you have the nv_data.bin & nv_data.bin.md5 files you can push it into /factory so that whenever you flash a new rom or do a factory wipe the system picks up these files from /factory & restores correct IMEI data.
You will need ADB & Samsung USB Drivers(only on windows) for this procedure to work, Please Google how to installing ADB
& If you are on windows installing Samsung USB Drivers for Galaxy Nexus. drivers for Galaxy Nexus™ (Verizon) Android Smartphone, work for the GSM variant as well.
On MAC you don't need the USB drivers, just install ADB.
Here is how
1. From CWM recovery -> mounts and storage -> mount /factory.
2. From your PC -> adb push nv_data.bin /factory
3. From your PC -> adb push nv_data.bin.md5 /factory
4. From Your PC -> adb shell
5. From Your PC -> # cd factory/
6. From Your PC -> /factory # chmod 700 nv_data.bin
7. From Your PC -> /factory # chmod 700 nv_data.bin.md5
8. From Your PC -> /factory # chown radio.radio nv_data.bin
9. From Your PC -> /factory # chown radio.radio nv_data.bin.md5
10. From Your PC -> exit
After this install a new ROM or do a factory wipe & your IMEI should be back & networks should work.
now any future wipe / rom upgrades will NOT reset the radio to generic IMEI.
I have done the same on my phone with successful results.
ryanvbissell said:
3. Formatted /system, /cache, /factory (immediately after starting that last one, I had a feeling it wasn't a good idea.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did the exact same thing, felt the exact same way, and on the same day too. And I had also purged all my backups at one point and decided to start over when this happened. Freaky.
@gaurav1984 - That was my solution as well. Luckily, it turned out I had an old lingering backup I made months ago on a network drive from the last time I backed up my desktop to reinstall Windows. Completely forgot about it until just a little while ago, and found out that a regular data backup (at least with TWRP) includes /data/radio, so it contained a good set of nv_data.bin and nv_data.bin.md5. I wound up doing exactly what you did but also pushed them to /data/radio/ and set the same permissions/ownerships there -- more of a spray-and-pray tactic since I hadn't seen your post at the time. Crossed my fingers, rebooted, and it worked! What a nerve-racking 24 hours.
Needless to say, those files are now backed up in several locations. Having /factory in the format list seems odd... should have to go out of your way to format something that important.
From what I found before I discovered my old backup, you'd have to buy a $200 magic box (which I think would just end up being an overpriced UART cable for this particular phone) and possibly some software to do an "IMEI Repair." I found some cheaper options from SRS Services through SamMobile (~$15US UART cable from China plus ~$35US to run a repair once), but it wasn't 100% clear if it could fix a formatted /factory partition with no backup whatsoever. I'm guessing it could since it requires a UART cable and the demo videos showed assigning an IMEI. Rebuilding these files is probably hard to come by since the same process can be used to clone another IMEI or change your IMEI to something other than what it's supposed to be, which is illegal in some countries.
mrbo said:
Ryan,
take a look at the last paragraph on this page:
http://www.droidviews.com/backup-and-restore-lost-imei-on-samsung-galaxy-devices-without-root/
Sounds like might be a viable option for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ran across a few of these guides for Samsung Galaxy phones as well, but I don't think they apply to the Galaxy Nexus... at least I couldn't figure out how to get it to work with our devices unless I was missing something important. I noticed they all mention Qualcomm and the I9250 doesn't have any Qualcomm stuff as far as I know.
I made the same mistake, but I do not think I have any backups. Do you have any idea if I can restore my IMEI? I know the value for sure.
Thanks for any help you can give.
---------- Post added 3rd November 2013 at 12:14 AM ---------- Previous post was 2nd November 2013 at 11:51 PM ----------
I made the same mistake, but I do not think I have any backups. Do you have any idea if I can restore my IMEI? I know the value for sure.
Thanks for any help you can give.
rburrow said:
I did the exact same thing, felt the exact same way, and on the same day too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Misery loves company.
rburrow said:
I did the exact same thing, felt the exact same way, and on the same day too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ran across a few of these guides for Samsung Galaxy phones as well, but I don't think they apply to the Galaxy Nexus... at least I couldn't figure out how to get it to work with our devices unless I was missing something important. I noticed they all mention Qualcomm and the I9250 doesn't have any Qualcomm stuff as far as I know.[/QUOTE]
Agreed. My only surviving backup is a Titanium Backup, and it only includes APKs. So, I think my solution will be to buy a Nexus 5.
... And until it arrives, my email .sig will read: "-- SENT FROM MY ANDROID TOUCH", because obvious.
</ryan>
ryanvbissell said:
rburrow said:
I ran across a few of these guides for Samsung Galaxy phones as well, but I don't think they apply to the Galaxy Nexus... at least I couldn't figure out how to get it to work with our devices unless I was missing something important. I noticed they all mention Qualcomm and the I9250 doesn't have any Qualcomm stuff as far as I know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. My only surviving backup is a Titanium Backup, and it only includes APKs. So, I think my solution will be to buy a Nexus 5.
... And until it arrives, my email .sig will read: "-- SENT FROM MY ANDROID TOUCH", because obvious.
</ryan>
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hah. I finally decided to order a Nexus 5 like an hour or two before I managed to wipe all the nv_data files simultaneously. My friend told me that I had a tiny tablet now when I figured out what I had done.
cardboardhome said:
I made the same mistake, but I do not think I have any backups. Do you have any idea if I can restore my IMEI? I know the value for sure.
Thanks for any help you can give.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you really don't have a backup anywhere, I think your only solution is to send it in somewhere to have the IMEI repaired (either someone that says they can fix it, or to Samsung). Unfortunately it's more than likely going to cost money. The cheapest potential solution I could find was from SRS Services / SamMobile, where you have to buy a UART cable and pay to do an IMEI repair using their software. I have never used them so I have no idea how all that works out.
I searched quite a bit (albeit only for a like a day) for a free DIY way to regenerate or create a new nv_data.bin file, but I just couldn't find anything. The only thing I didn't try was an OMAP flash because I couldn't install the driver that came with the zip in Windows 8.1 64-bit, but I was already giving up at that point so I didn't go any further.
@ryan
I was just wondering about the ODIN method as posted on post no. 2 & 3.
When you flash your phone using ODIN it wipes the whole internal memory & recreates the partitions.
Thus we can assume all files gets wiped including those in the /factory.
So I was thinking if Odin recreates the whole filesystem as new maybe there might be some file or script or program .... In there which recreates the IMEI files as well.
Ryan if you feel up to it could you please do a Odin flash of your device ( since their is nothing more to loose ) & check if that somehow restores the imei.
If it does that might be really helpful to someone in the same situation as u in the future & you WD be able to resell your Gnex fully working.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
gaurav1984 said:
Ryan if you feel up to it could you please do a Odin flash of your device ( since their is nothing more to loose ) & check if that somehow restores the imei.
If it does that might be really helpful to someone in the same situation as u in the future & you WD be able to resell your Gnex fully working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point. I originally passed up on the Odin angle because on a page that listed versions of Odin for specific phones, there was no suggested version for the i9250. But you have a good point; I really have nothing to lose. So I will try it, but it may take me a few days before I have time.
Meanwhile, I took my GN to a local 'CPR' cellphone repair shop, and explained my predicament. Their tech just shook his head sadly and said 'Only Samsung has the proprietary software to fix this.' I found that surprising because I think I've seen references online to some $200+ kit called SPT ("Samsung Phone Tools") which I thought was geared towards professional phone repair businesses. Oh well.
Sent from my ANDROID TOUCH... sigh.
</ryan>
IMEI
Odin flashing doesn't work
struggled today
dkkerry said:
Odin flashing doesn't work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did the same mistake of formatting factory today, it took me a day to find out my old backup dated back june 2013 made via cwm and finally phone is back to normal. Seems without backup restoring is impossible...maybe time to get nexus 5 for u
pvkiniyan95 said:
did the same mistake of formatting factory today, it took me a day to find out my old backup dated back june 2013 made via cwm and finally phone is back to normal. Seems without backup restoring is impossible...maybe time to get nexus 5 for u
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same happend with me today, and I dont even have a nandroid backup, as we both are from India you know its hard to get solved from a samsung service centre, can you please upload you CWM backup files??? so that I will try to restore those on my gnex
file too big
my backup file is around 2.1gb which will take me weeks to upload with the internet connection i have, may be if i backup the efs with some tools and send that img to u will that be useful...its really difficult to upload the whole backup
Utkarsh-ezzo said:
Same happend with me today, and I dont even have a nandroid backup, as we both are from India you know its hard to get solved from a samsung service centre, can you please upload you CWM backup files??? so that I will try to restore those on my gnex
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pvkiniyan95 said:
my backup file is around 2.1gb which will take me weeks to upload with the internet connection i have, may be if i backup the efs with some tools and send that img to u will that be useful...its really difficult to upload the whole backup
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ya i can understand that,
i think we domt have efs partition on gnex its located at /factory , so if you could share the file from /factory it would be great for me,
nv_data.bin, nv_data.bin.md5 , .nv_data.bak and .nv_data.bak.md5
these files from /factory would help me out..
you will need to use root browser or root explorer or adb shell....
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
I heard talk of the partitions in these pixel phones being different than the Nexus phones were. Like how the Nexus phones had bootloader, radio, system, recovery, boot, userdata, and cache. What do they mean when they speculate "dual partitions"? And for that matter, how are they going to update older Nexus devices if the partitions are different than the Pixel? A lot of questions I know, but hell, figured why not ask away.
I want to know how much space the 32GB variants have left after the dual partitions are accounted for.
LLStarks said:
I want to know how much space the 32GB variants have left after the dual partitions are accounted for.
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I think I saw a video that showed 29GB
Edit: formatted to 29 but 24.3 available
H4X0R46 said:
I heard talk of the partitions in these pixel phones being different than the Nexus phones were. Like how the Nexus phones had bootloader, radio, system, recovery, boot, userdata, and cache. What do they mean when they speculate "dual partitions"? And for that matter, how are they going to update older Nexus devices if the partitions are different than the Pixel? A lot of questions I know, but hell, figured why not ask away.
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Click to collapse
Current devices have a single "system" partition, containing the OS and included apps, which gets patched when an OTA update is released. You can't use the phone when the OS is being patched and it's a slow process.
With the new feature, the new phones will have two system partitions (let's call them A and B). The phone can run the OS from one of these partitions (A), while the other partition is upgraded by an OTA update in the background (B). When the upgrade has been downloaded and applied to partition B, the phone can quickly reboot into the OS on partition B, making the upgrade much faster from a user point of view.
The next time the phone installs an update, it can apply it to partition A in the background.
All existing devices will simply continue to use the existing partition structure and patching process.
Daveoc64 said:
Current devices have a single "system" partition, containing the OS and included apps, which gets patched when an OTA update is released. You can't use the phone when the OS is being patched and it's a slow process.
With the new feature, the new phones will have two system partitions (let's call them A and B). The phone can run the OS from one of these partitions (A), while the other partition is upgraded by an OTA update in the background (B). When the upgrade has been downloaded and applied to partition B, the phone can quickly reboot into the OS on partition B, making the upgrade much faster from a user point of view.
The next time the phone installs an update, it can apply it to partition A in the background.
All existing devices will simply continue to use the existing partition structure and patching process.
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Click to collapse
So basically, Android OS would be installed on both partitions? That's too weird. That will take some getting used to!
It's more than just 2 system partitions, as those aren't the only potential partitions affected by an update. llabtoofer posted the exact duplicate partitions a while ago on Twitter.
I want to the size of each partitions.
Please show below via adb shell.
cat /proc/partitions
ls -l /dev/block/platform/soc/7824900.sdhci/by-name
*7824900.sdhci is diffrent name folder.
Milly7 said:
It's more than just 2 system partitions, as those aren't the only potential partitions affected by an update. llabtoofer posted the exact duplicate partitions a while ago on Twitter.
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Hey I know this post is a little old but do you happen to know where I can find that post ?
aholeinthewor1d said:
Hey I know this post is a little old but do you happen to know where I can find that post ?
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Very old post lol. You should search XDA for a user named llabtoofer. He knows a lot about HTC phones. I'm quite sure he will answer. You can also search for him on Twitter which is where he originally posted it prior to the phones release date.