Develop Bugs

[Q] T-Mobile Note 3 Update/Rom problems

I just bought myself a galaxy note 3. The first thing I did was allow an update from Samsung which I learned was a huge mistake. Something about Samsung using a new bootloader that blocks custom recoveries and roms from being flashed. I have achieved root and unfortunately tripped Knox. If anyone knows how I can get back to 0x0 unmodified i would really appreciate it. I tried flashing clockwork mod recovery using Odin with no luck. Someone found a version of Team Win Recovery that works but won't mount USB storage to be able to install a custom rom like cm12. Since I'm now banned from official updates due to my device being modified I'd really like a way to flash my own roms. Any help would be appreciated!

To my knowledge there is not a way to get back to 0x0you can follow the first few parts of effortless, that will take you back to stock. Then immediately run kies, I actually made a huge mistake not too long ago and tried to update through a custom recovery by accidentally clicking on wipe internal storage add well as dalvik data and cache. ..I was able to get kies to work where Odin would not see the phone at all, I couldn't even get to download or recovery.
I'm now on DomPop, and my phone runs better, stays cooler, is less flaky, more stable, and has better battery life overall than it ever did stock. The stock t mobile rom, with software like the bloomberg, stock prices, Amazon mp3 etc... that should in no way affect your phone to operate at all, and can't be removed by the end user or phone owner, to my thinking is worse than any amount of piracy, it holds us hostage. As much as buying a car, only to find that your wife or girlfriend can't sit next to you because there is a Ronald Mcdonald statue welded to the passenger seat, and you don't like fast food at all. .. or put in the form of a question? Why would Samsung think a phone that may be given to a 12 year old would need to have stock ticker software installed?there are multiple markets to get it if needed or wanted, leave the fluff as things that can be easily removed. ..

Note3 has 2 separate flags: Knox flag is used with Knox secure environment and it can't be reset, yet anyway. That flag only affects Knox software.
Another flag tells if you're running official or custom firmware. This flag can be reset and this is the flag that will stop OTA updates. If you reload stock firmware, you should be able to get flag back to official. As a matter of fact I was rooted and still showing official, don't remember how, but after latest, nk3 update, I can't get it back to official anymore without loosing root. Triangle away could reset that flag as well, but not the latest one.
Also Wanam has something to fool system into official mode, but then I would think you need to disable updates, because OTA update on custom phone could at least make you loose root, or even brick the phone

Sent My Note 3 into Samsung Repair- with KNOX tripped
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2637718

Soft bricked SPH-L710- Possible to recover data or repair without wiping?

I was using Chrome when the phone froze. I restarted it, and now the phone just hangs at the Samsung logo.
I have a completely stock unrooted Sprint SPH-L710. I'm moderately sure the phone is on MD4 since I didn't want Knox. It would be nice if there were a way to double check, though, since I don't remember why it stopped pestering me to upgrade. The phone doesn't boot far enough to get into safe mode, but it will enter recovery and download mode. Clearing the cache in recovery had no effect.
My PC and Kies don't see it when I connect it.
My contacts and photos are mostly backed up, so I'm more worried about salvaging other things, like Chrome bookmarks. My bookmarks aren't synchronized with Google. Apparently root is required to access them, so I never got around to it. It would be nice to recover text messages and gamesaves too. I haven't tried a factory reset yet since that would wipe everything.
What should I do from here? Is it possible to install a custom recovery at this point and use that to backup files?
Or should I try to flash a stock rom from the SD card or Odin? Or will that wipe everything or cause other problems?
I don't have USB debugging activated, so is there anything useful I'd be be able to do with ADB?
Or should I just shrug and go for the factory reset?
Thanks guys.

It's been an educational experience.
Without root or USB debugging enabled, it's apparently impossible to install custom firmware from soft bricked status.
ADB was never even able to see my phone. Not even in recovery or download modes.
Odin is a surprisingly temperamental program. It would see my phone, but not successfully flash until I uninstalled Kies. Rwilco's ROM's and one click flashes were all entirely unsuccessful. It's difficult to find older GS3 ROM's since link rot has claimed nearly all of them. There's about a million skeychy Samsung firmware/update sites, and most of them are worthless.
Heimdall is a little disappointing. You can't just point it at a ROM. You have to track down a Heimdall specific package. I couldn't find a suitable one.
Eventually, I found a sketchy Samsung firmware site that had the MD4 ROM, and it actually flashed in Odin. Then Odin stopped seeing my phone entirely.
So, I ordered a Tmobile Note 4 to use on Ting. It's cheaper, and I like the removable battery and microSD. Just for kicks, I factory reset the S3. To my surprise, the factory reset worked. I guess I should have tried that before I ordered a new phone
In the meantime, I guess I will still try to recover files, demote the S3 to media player/backup phone status, and use the incoming Note 4 as my daily driver.
From here on, I guess it means rooting and monthly backups.
Thanks guys.

When you boot into download mode you'll see your Knox flag if the phone has been upgraded to a Knoxed up firmware. I'm too lazy to check but it looks something like Knox: 0x0 or 0x1.

Sprint Galaxy Note 4 Android 6.0.1 problems

I'll try this again (this website crashed when first posting this)
Leased phone (January 2017) use for my business. Has had (3) OTA updates since April. Started having issues after 3rd update mid-June (freezes / reboots). Most times have to pull the battery to get it to boot. Have wiped & restore several times, from Settings and Recovery boot menu. Cleared App cache and partition cache. Had the local Sprint Store 'supposedly' flash the OS from a PC but nothing improved. Described these issues below but was only met with a blank stare and an offer to open my wallet to replace with a refurbished phone without knowing what is causing the issue.
On some occasions when the device is not responding it heats up. Messages of Apps that stop responding include System UI, Package Access Helper, Touchwiz and Gmail, among others.
When going to Boot recovery menu to try clearing the partition cache the Android Icon shows up with the message 'Installing system update', which it's clearly not doing. Sometimes that's followed by the icon laying down and the message 'No command'. Does this mean the update didn't properly install? Another message I've noticed once the menu comes up is 'dm-verity verification failed . . . '
Further trying to diagnose, Sprint Zone / Device Diagnostics / Flagged / System Updates - always states 'Update now', but Settings / System Update / Software update message reads 'The latest updates have already been installed (N910PVPS4DPE2 / N910PSPT4DPE2 / N910PVPS4DPE2).
Investigated alternatives with Samsung (they replied the same day, Sprint Community message July 20th still hasn't replied) I can take it to a service center to have the hardware checked for a fee but it is not nearby and I'd like to first understand what the issue is.
From what I've described does anyone know what could be causing these issues? I have read where some updates were causing problems but I've tried most of those remedies and nothing has helped yet. Perhaps the Sprint Store, in an effort to extract more money (this is how it seemed) did not or was not able to flash the OS?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

best thing to do is odin back to an older version and retake the update if you wanna go thru that again
but id recommend reverting back to OG5 and then flashing a rom you will have less reboots....as least on my end i did

JLFitzpatrick said:
...When going to Boot recovery menu to try clearing the partition cache the Android Icon shows up with the message 'Installing system update', which it's clearly not doing. Sometimes that's followed by the icon laying down and the message 'No command'. Does this mean the update didn't properly install? Another message I've noticed once the menu comes up is 'dm-verity verification failed . . . '...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The stock recovery you describe, it's normal for the Android guy to fall down and display the red x or whatever you saw when there's no update to apply but the dm-verity failure isn't normal. It could indicate bad repair or maybe it was rooted at some point? Wiping and Odin flash doesn't always rid the phone of that but Knox trip remains always until Samsung repairs a rooted phone. Dunno the cause of your dm-verity failure but maybe, if it was stock un-rooted all along, it may a read only partition failed or corrupted?
As suggested above, you may fix the dm-verity by taking a couple of OTA updates after Odin flashing an older one. Don't go back any older than OG5 though.
I think the problem may also stem from old data from Lollipop not getting wiped. I'd recommend disabling the reactivation lock on Settings/Security, remove your accounts from phone, a factory reset within Settings, boot to recovery and factory reset and wipe dalvik and cache in stock recovery and power off. Reboot to download mode and flash an older stock tar and let it OTA a couple of times.
That may solve some issues but it could be hardware failure or a corrupt partition. If the dm-verity goes away, see if your problems are resolved. If you didn't root and have a warranty, make whoever warrants it replace it; the failure is legit.
Sprint Zone and ItsOn is garbage IMO. Bloat that kills the experience that Samsung intended. Albeit, Samsung isn't so innocent with bloat ruining the experience either. Just my opinion on the bloat. By the time users add their own bloat, there's but enough RAM and with all the services running, battery takes a hit and phone lags. Run package disabler (search in Google Play) or root to manage it is what I'd suggest. FWIW, I have no random reboots or phone heating up while in standby running Marshmallow. My phone sleeps like a baby.
If no warranty applies and root is an option, you could try rooting with Chainfire Auto Root for Note 4 and then full un-root. The developer removes the dm-verity flag if it's there for modified read only partition reasons. But of coarse that also trips Knox warranty bit, so be aware. Dm-verity can prevent OTA's from updating but that's an alternative with root and Knox trip risks. No warranty should mean less risk unless the phone belongs to your employer.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

Thank you for your replies.
I had pointed out the 'dm-verity verification failure' text to the goof-offs at the Sprint Store, you'd think I was speaking in a foreign tongue. Phone is leased on our personal family plan and used for my business. I've never rooted it myself, not sure what the Sprint people did at the store but that text was there before they supposedly flashed the OS.
I apologize but am in over my head with the suggested repairs. Although having upgraded PC's am familiar with the process; revert to previous clean OS and upgrade over that. I'll take your suggestions and just have to study a little more to understand the correct procedure.
Yesterday afternoon I tried the folks at Samsung again since their support team had replied the same day before (still waiting for a support response from Sprint since July 20th) and went to a live support chat. The woman was very helpful but unfortunately, I had to jump off for a meeting. Before I jumped off she had me put the phone into Safe Mode. I had tried to get there before but the instructions I was given were incorrect (not found in recovery boot). It has since been in that mode and has been much more stable, still freezes occasionally but doesn't reboot itself and runs zippy as hell except for momentary freezes. I have the Chat ID # and will try again today to see what they can do before trying other suggestions. I gave them the HEX DEC numbers and it sounded like they could access the phone with those, this morning their Chat was full so I'll have to try later.
samep, if you don't mind can you give me some clarification on your suggestion:
"I think the problem may also stem from old data from Lollipop not getting wiped. I'd recommend disabling the reactivation lock on Settings/Security, remove your accounts from phone, a factory reset within Settings, boot to recovery and factory reset and wipe dalvik and cache in stock recovery and power off. Reboot to download mode and flash an older stock tar and let it OTA a couple of times."​
My interpretation:
Settings / Security / disable reactivation lock
Remove accounts (first back up phone log & sms to samsung account, back up wifi passwords to google account)
Settings / Backup and reset / Factory data reset
Boot to recovery menu / factory reset again (partition and dalvik cache evidently get cleared through reset)
Boot to recovery menu / 'flash an older tar' ? (Is this 'Apply update from ADB (Odin)' or SD card? This is where things get fuzzy. Can I load the stock tar (OS?) to a formatted sd card and apply the update from there or do I have to install Odin on a PC? Where is the best place to get a 'stock tar' (or Odin) from and which version(s) should I use for a Note 4, or is that explained on a particular website. There are many sources of information on Odin and firmware but I'm not sure which to trust if I need to do this would prefer to do this just once.)
Thank you again for your help, and I apologize for my ignorance on this subject.
But the best thing about ignorance is that it can be overcome with a little effort and knowledge.

To answer the question, boot into download mode from powered down state by holding volume down, menu and power. Yes, you use Odin installed on PC for that. But first you need the Samsung USB driver and Odin installed, plus the stock tar.
This thread will get you going with resources and brief instructions.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=63868221&postcount=1
I'd suggest PC1 stock tar, then let it OTA.
(Your interpretation was mostly right up to the question about how to flash the tar after the factory reset and power down.)
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

Thank you samep,
Understanding the tar file versions are listed alpha-numeric the oldest version is PD1 so I will start with that version.
Have downloaded Odin and all three tar files (in case of any issues with PD1). Samsung Chat referred me to bring the phone in, after reviewing information on using Odin will try your suggested method first and then check for dm-verity failure.
Another tar file resource found is updato-dot-com (as a newbie unable to post link):

JLFitzpatrick said:
Thank you samep,
Understanding the tar file versions are listed alpha-numeric the oldest version is PD1 so I will start with that version.
Have downloaded Odin and all three tar files (in case of any issues with PD1). Samsung Chat referred me to bring the phone in, after reviewing information on using Odin will try your suggested method first and then check for dm-verity failure.
Another tar file resource found is updato-dot-com (as a newbie unable to post link):
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're feeling overwhelmed, you could bring it in. There's a chance it is hardware and the steps may prove redundant.
Up to you. At least you have something to point to as an issue.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

So I've gone through all the steps, phone is wiped, reinstalled Samsung USB Driver, have Odin open as Administrator and the phone in 'Android Recovery', Phone does not show up in Odin.
Have seen a couple versions of setting a connection (Odin open first, phone connected first); tried all of those and tried Odin open not as administrator. There is no connection. Tried other instructions to put into Developer Mode and enable USB bugging. Nothing, disabled USB bugging and booted back to recovery. Still nothing.
In Recovery mode it does not state 'Odin mode'. Tried the Recovery menu option 'Apply update from ADB' message reads 'Update from external storage diabled'. Tried 'Reboot to bootloader' (WTH), that does show Odin Mode at top of screen but phone still does not show up in Odin on PC. Then have to pull battery to reboot to Recovery mode. What steps am I missing here?
When phone is booted up normally it connects to PC without issue.

Finally got Odin to recognize the phone. Through a few searches I tried one remedy that suggested manually updating the samsung usb drivers in device manager which did the trick. Realized earlier that from recovery mode you do need to select boot to bootloader to get into Odin mode (listed on top).
Installed 6.0.1 - PD1 currently phone is installing OTA updates, hopefully this does the trick. Thanks again for your help.

On Tuesday the phone updated OTA from PD1 (April 27, 2016) installed via Odin to PE1 (June 1, 2016) then PE2 (June 29, 2016). Recovery Mode screen no longer shows dm-verity failure message so that's fixed. Phone is mostly stable, however still not as stable as it was on PE1 from what I recall by the release dates. Phone still freezes although it usually does not crash if I leave it alone but still does crash at least once a day. Safe Mode does not help, as the worst culprits are system Apps (Gmail, Drive are the worst).
It seldom overheats now but did yesterday. 3rd Party CPU cooler found Package Access Helper, Context Service and System UI as causing an issue. Cleared App Cache for all three but problems persist. Clearing App Cache in Settings / Storage takes at least three tries to clear all but 4.00 KB. I have been clearing Partition Cache every morning just to get through most of the day otherwise it will freeze when I first start to use it. Battery is also draining faster than before.
Any suggestions? OTA updates were at work on a stable WiFi signal. I'm thinking of Odin flashing back to PE1 (or PD1) and stopping further OTA updates. Anybody tried this? Will be traveling for a couple of weeks and need a stable phone, like I used to have. Thank you.

Samsung has been having memory management issues. IMO, this is the reason they keep increasing RAM in recent phones and getting help from Google. But 3 gigs of RAM should be sufficient.
A custom ROM may resolve that but you could try a package disabler from Google Play to freeze some unneeded bloat.
I couldn't say which stock version is best because I've ran all of them without random reboots and lag is minimum. The custom ROMs have been daily driver stable for me. I use them when traveling too.
Sending PM to OP as well with additional info.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

Note 4 bootloop... hardware failure?

Hi,
I plugged my note 4 into the OEM charger and all of a sudden it just goes into a bootloop continuously.
Occasionally it will reach the home screen and reboot again, but more often than not.. it reboot before the Sprint logo comes up.
Was fine before i plugged it in and was trouble free prior to that.
My phone is stock, not rooted.
The fact that it will reboot even at the Note 4 welcome sign is leading me to believe this could be a hardware issue...
Any ideas?
Anybody had the same situation and had luck troubleshooting or fixing this?
Any and all help i much appreciated...
Regards,
asmd.

Can you boot into recovery?
First thing I'd try is to pull battery, boot into stock recovery and wipe cache and try to boot.
If not booting, try wiping cache and dalvik.
You have the option to just take it in for evaluation but you should determine if you have reactivation lock enabled before doing anything else.
Still not booting? Factory reset. But if you have reactivation lock enabled that is not a good idea. It would be better if one of the two above booted the phone.
If reactivation lock is enabled, you need to install the same update the phone is on to prevent factory reset protection from activating. Don't factory reset yet; Odin or taking in for service may be your only option. If it boots, you should be able to open with same unlock method as before.
If you have reactivation lock disabled, you're free to try factory reset or update to latest through KIES. I've heard Samsung Switch may work too. You could also factory reset and update or emergency recover with one of those.
If still not booting, if it just updated, I'd mention that and not the charger you mentioned. It could be corrupt memory due to battery failing or bad update. The eMMC may be failing too.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

samep said:
Can you boot into recovery?
First thing I'd try is to pull battery, boot into stock recovery and wipe cache and try to boot.
If not booting, try wiping cache and dalvik.
You have the option to just take it in for evaluation but you should determine if you have reactivation lock enabled before doing anything else.
Still not booting? Factory reset. But if you have reactivation lock enabled that is not a good idea. It would be better if one of the two above booted the phone.
If reactivation lock is enabled, you need to install the same update the phone is on to prevent factory reset protection from activating. Don't factory reset yet; Odin or taking in for service may be your only option. If it boots, you should be able to open with same unlock method as before.
If you have reactivation lock disabled, you're free to try factory reset or update to latest through KIES. I've heard Samsung Switch may work too. You could also factory reset and update or emergency recover with one of those.
If still not booting, if it just updated, I'd mention that and not the charger you mentioned. It could be corrupt memory due to battery failing or bad update. The eMMC may be failing too.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply...
Ive been messing with it all morning... and if i leave it a lone and it cools, it will last a little longer than when it becomes warm, rebooting quicker and quicker.
i managed to get into recover and did a factory reset and cleared cache.
it has made no difference.
The longest time its gone before rebooting is the lock screen.... and the it reboots again.
as it warms, it eventually wont even get past the Note 4 welcome screen before rebooting.. and then finally freezing and will require a battery pull.
Makes no difference if its on charge or off.
i have a sinking feeling about this.....

Could be terminal but you haven't tried to flash firmware on partitions with Smart Switch, KIES or Odin yet. Right? You can check the phone status while in download mode to verify reactivation lock is disabled.
Try one of those on PC or take it to Sprint to have it flashed again.
If you purchased at Best Buy and they have a Samsung Experience kiosk, they can do that too. Dunno, maybe it doesn't matter if you purchased there or not but they've flashed my phone a couple of times.
I've tried to guide you down the path of least effort to restore your, if possible. There's still some hope of recovery.
Edit: Your battery could be suspect. Let it cool and plug in to make sure it's at least 60% or higher. If the battery is near a year old, I'd suggest fully charging but get a replacement if you frequently discharge it to 15% or lower. Especially if you use fast charging.
But you've most likely discharged it with all that reboot activity and heating up. Kudos to you if you're managing all that and keep a healthy battery. Otherwise, the battery may be contributing to or causing your issues.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

thank you for the help..
reactivation lock is off.
i can't get it to reliably not reboot anywhere in any screen.. only screen that will stay on for any period of time is recovery... but the phone stays cool.
Its not the battery, i have two, and both do the same thing.. the battery does not get warm, area that gets warm is neft to the battery below the sd card slot. (sd card removed).
Frequency of hang/reboot seems to be related to how warm that area gets.
The most i have managed to do is get into my phone past the lockscreen and it will shortly freeze and reboot as it warms up.. it will reboot at the note 4 welcome screen or sprint logo... and repeat... eventually to hang.
Both batteries are charged fully using the external charger. (samsung oem)
Shame, not a scratch on her....
Oh well, on to Ebay for parts/AS IS and time to move on...

Even if doubtful, I'd still take it back to Sprint or place of purchase.
The Note 4 has a bit of history with eMMC failure. It's even happened with updates and Samsung and Sprint is apparently aware of it. A while back I saw that listed as an ongoing carryover of known issues that needed resolution.
I don't have true stats on exchanges but several users here have repeatedly gotten deals on replacement phones, paying a small percentage when they failed- similar to yours.
OTA updates have also been suspect to cause eMMC failure. But honestly, l don't know what causes this: bad hardware or updates? Maybe it's just bad hardware not taking updates well? Nonetheless, I don't know if I've just been lucky or my hardware is stable. Still going strong here with no hint of failure.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

can i still take it back even though its out of warranty?
nearing 2 years now....

asmd6230 said:
can i still take it back even though its out of warranty?
nearing 2 years now....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No promises. Couldn't hurt. If you don't like the answer you get from first Sprint store, try another.
I would mention that bit of history with the updates.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

asmd6230 said:
Hi,
I plugged my note 4 into the OEM charger and all of a sudden it just goes into a bootloop continuously.
Occasionally it will reach the home screen and reboot again, but more often than not.. it reboot before the Sprint logo comes up.
Was fine before i plugged it in and was trouble free prior to that.
My phone is stock, not rooted.
The fact that it will reboot even at the Note 4 welcome sign is leading me to believe this could be a hardware issue...
Any ideas?
Anybody had the same situation and had luck troubleshooting or fixing this?
Any and all help i much appreciated...
Regards,
asmd.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the exact same issue going on with my wives phone. Just started yesterday out of no where rebooting over and over. Never really getting past the Samsung splash screen. She got an update like a week ago, but other than downloading a new app several hours earlier nothing sticks out to why its happening. I was able to once get into safemode, but the phone rebooted a minute into it and typically doesn't even get to the sprint splash screen when I've tried to do it since. It's totally stock and has not been unlocked or rooted. I thought it could be the battery since so many of these boot issues on the Note4 deal with that when googling, but my battery from my working Note4 in her phone does the same thing and her battery in my phone works just fine. I can get into the recovery options menu (volume up + home + power) and I can get into the download area (volume down + home + power) for loading bootloaders and such for long periods of time with no issues. I've cleared the cache with no luck. Haven't tried factory reset yet because I want to try to recover the photos and stuff first. Searching for the issue on google I came across this software (android-recovery.net/android-recovery-mode.html#two) where I was able to use the download area and connect the phone with this app which used its own bootup and it was able to show me all the files on the phone for recovery so we could retrieve them. It wanted $50 to complete the process though and, knowing the advances that everyone here has made on their phones I decided to decline that and search these forums for a way to just access the file directory of my the phone and retrieve my wives stuff prior to factory resetting it. I believe something is wrong with the bootloader of the phone and that is why it cannot get to the android OS to start up, but I could be wrong. Reading various articles made me to believe that if I just were to unlock the phone for rooting that possibly that could fix this issue with the bootloader or at least be able to recover her photos and stuff. I do have insurance on the phone and could get it fixed or replaced, but that would be a $200 deductible I believe and first thing they're going to try is factory resetting the phone which will lose her data we're trying to save.
It almost seems as if I were to get TWRP installed that I'd be able to access the files without the need of loading any ROMs. But I'm not sure if that will work in my case or erase data when I do it. The threads I'm reading aren't clear on that part. I would really be grateful if anyone could help me out with figuring out the easiest way to recover her stuff or get it working. Its been a long time since I've unlocked any phones and they were all iPhones back in the day when they were only on AT&T and I had T-mobile and wanted to it work.

@dsm_gsx97
I would suggest you try Odin and install the same update, if possible. That may be the most likely to retain your data if it's not corrupted.
Unfortunately, I don't think TWRP recovery works for Note 4 to copy data to PC. But if you go with that, know that it will trip Knox and void factory warranty. But if that's not an issue, you could copy data from internal memory to extSdCard to salvage it if it's not corrupt or private.
I know KIES has an emergency firmware recovery mode that may offer to reprogram it. But you may lose your data. Not sure but I think your phone has to booted into system to backup with KIES or Smart Switch?
This thread has the recent available stock tars, Odin and general instructions to get you started.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=63868221
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

samep said:
@dsm_gsx97
I would suggest you try Odin and install the same update, if possible. That may be the most likely to retain your data if it's not corrupted.
Unfortunately, I don't think TWRP recovery works for Note 4 to copy data to PC. But if you go with that, know that it will trip Knox and void factory warranty. But if that's not an issue, you could copy data from internal memory to extSdCard to salvage it if it's not corrupt or private.
I know KIES has an emergency firmware recovery mode that may offer to reprogram it. But you may lose your data. Not sure but I think your phone has to booted into system to backup with KIES or Smart Switch?
This thread has the recent available stock tars, Odin and general instructions to get you started.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=63868221
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for the quick response. I would rather not void my factory warranty in case I have to use the insurance to replace it so it sounds like TWRP is out which is why I didn't use it yet because I was worried about that. I did try KIES and it said that firmware upgrade and initialization would erase all data. So I ruled out using that too. I did notice while in the recovery menu of her phone that it says she's on N910PVPU1ANIE ...so I put my phone in recovery menu and I'm on N910PVPU4DPH4. Googling her version it looks like hers is very old and mine is fairly new which makes sense because I did the update a few days ago also. I wonder if hers is so old because that's what the other software program put it on to be able to bootload it to recover the files.
Anyways looking at your link I think I'll try oden with one of the more recent TARs after getting her stuff off with that program. Yes I'll just pay the $50 for peace of mind. I really appreciate your advice. Its not easy gathering all the answers without really being involved on this forum so thank you for that thread. None of the TARs listed is the update I have, but that shouldn't matter should it? As long as its a newer one than what it says she has?

dsm_gsx97 said:
Thank you very much for the quick response. I would rather not void my factory warranty in case I have to use the insurance to replace it so it sounds like TWRP is out which is why I didn't use it yet because I was worried about that. I did try KIES and it said that firmware upgrade and initialization would erase all data. So I ruled out using that too. I did notice while in the recovery menu of her phone that it says she's on N910PVPU1ANIE ...so I put my phone in recovery menu and I'm on N910PVPU4DPH4. Googling her version it looks like hers is very old and mine is fairly new which makes sense because I did the update a few days ago also. I wonder if hers is so old because that's what the other software program put it on to be able to bootload it to recover the files.
Anyways looking at your link I think I'll try oden with one of the more recent TARs after getting her stuff off with that program. Yes I'll just pay the $50 for peace of mind. I really appreciate your advice. Its not easy gathering all the answers without really being involved on this forum so thank you for that thread. None of the TARs listed is the update I have, but that shouldn't matter should it? As long as its a newer one than what it says she has?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was it only the OTA update that updated that phone?
NIE is the original-initial release of the Note 4. If OTA tried to update it, it must have failed?
Nonetheless, you should know the history of that phone. I wouldn't install one of those recent updates until you've backed up your data. You may lose your data jumping to a much newer update.
The phone doesn't boot at all? If it does boot, you could run Phone Info for Samsung from Google Play to see what the partitions are actually at. That would help to recover that data if possible to do so. But also KIES could backup data if it boots.
The NIE stock tar is in post #2 of this thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=56853325&postcount=1
If it boots after Odin, your data may be OK. If not, may be corrupted data or partition.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

samep said:
Was it only the OTA update that updated that phone?
NIE is the original-initial release of the Note 4. If OTA tried to update it, it must have failed?
Nonetheless, you should know the history of that phone. I wouldn't install one of those recent updates until you've backed up your data. You may lose your data jumping to a much newer update.
The phone doesn't boot at all? If it does boot, you could run Phone Info for Samsung from Google Play to see what the partitions are actually at. That would help to recover that data if possible to do so. But also KIES could backup data if it boots.
The NIE stock tar is in post #2 of this thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=56853325&postcount=1
If it boots after Odin, your data may be OK. If not, may be corrupted data or partition.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
She's done plenty of updates over the last few years since we got the phoens. In fact she did that last update a few days before I did. That's why I was confused when I noticed what it said at the top of the bootloader screen for her update version. The phone does not boot at all. Only to the the Samsung splash screen and never gets to the sprint splash screen. It initially would get further, but now doesn't at all. I went ahead and paid for that software and have now backed up all her stuff. Was hoping to fix it without factory resetting the phone. At this point at least I have a backup, but ideally it would save her from losing all her texts and other crap.

dsm_gsx97 said:
She's done plenty of updates over the last few years since we got the phoens. In fact she did that last update a few days before I did. That's why I was confused when I noticed what it said at the top of the bootloader screen for her update version. The phone does not boot at all. Only to the the Samsung splash screen and never gets to the sprint splash screen. It initially would get further, but now doesn't at all. I went ahead and paid for that software and have now backed up all her stuff. Was hoping to fix it without factory resetting the phone. At this point at least I have a backup, but ideally it would save her from losing all her texts and other crap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In that case, try the most recent stock tar in the first thread you were about to try.
Something seems off but trying to flash the original stock tar would be problematic if it was updated beyond Android 5.0
If it doesn't boot, you'll most likely have to factory reset it.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

Note 4 bootloop
just heat main ic little bit with past and check there is no heatup board on boot.and set is ok.tested

restore stock without removing root

OK, time to pass my Note 10.1 on. It currently has CM12 on it (which has a problem in that every restart goes through the whole optimising apps process). Not really a problem.
I've tried reflashing stock, which simply isn't happening. Next best choice is to leave TWRP installed (and so rooted), but stick the stock Samsung OS on it. Anyone know where I can find it?

Only option is odin to stock and re root im afraid

I've tried Odin and Heimdall, and neither will re-flash.
I know the guy that's buying it (and I've offered it to him on a "see how you get on with it" basis), so I eventually went down the road of re-flashing CM13 and gapps, which seems to have cured the recurring "Optimizing apps" problem. I'll see how he gets on with it. If he's happy, then we are both happy.