Develop Bugs

Encryption issue

I recently just wipe did a factory reset on a encrypted (factory encryption) Galaxy S3, after rebooting it i have found that i am unable to get past the initial password prompt screen. I have tried to flash stock ROM, multiple times, to no avail as after each reboot i get the same password prompt screen. i have tried to flash custom ROM, multiple times, this to to no avail as it will not even go onto the device through push in Samsung toolkit v7 or slideloader. i have wiped the ROM to the point of nothing being on the phone and re-installed the factory ROM again this to with not avail as it still has the password screen. Now before i go back to t-mobile and see if they will help me, i decided to get community input to see if there is anything that can be done outside of the Factory as i have void warranty using Samsung Galaxy S3 Toolkit v7.
******UPDATE******* for those with similar problem, i just fixed this. Issue is as follows with possible fix action:
Issue was that encrypting the Samsung Galaxy S3 with the factory encryption and then wiping the system will cause the password file to be deleted but the encryption to stay on the phone. My fix action was that download original ROM from the provider, delete existing ROM on phone till it is basically a brick with USB debugging on and re install the original providers ROM. After it is re install you have to go in and wipe the phone's data one more time. This resulted in the password prompt screen disappearing and the basic start setup being initiated as if you just bought the phone from the store. Although this is my fix and other fixes for future reference would be much appreciated to. *********UPDATE************

zidale said:
I recently just wipe did a factory reset on a encrypted (factory encryption) Galaxy S3, after rebooting it i have found that i am unable to get past the initial password prompt screen. I have tried to flash stock ROM, multiple times, to no avail as after each reboot i get the same password prompt screen. i have tried to flash custom ROM, multiple times, this to to no avail as it will not even go onto the device through push in Samsung toolkit v7 or slideloader. i have wiped the ROM to the point of nothing being on the phone and re-installed the factory ROM again this to with not avail as it still has the password screen. Now before i go back to t-mobile and see if they will help me, i decided to get community input to see if there is anything that can be done outside of the Factory as i have void warranty using Samsung Galaxy S3 Toolkit v7.
******UPDATE******* for those with similar problem, i just fixed this. Issue is as follows with possible fix action:
Issue was that encrypting the Samsung Galaxy S3 with the factory encryption and then wiping the system will cause the password file to be deleted but the encryption to stay on the phone. My fix action was that download original ROM from the provider, delete existing ROM on phone till it is basically a brick with USB debugging on and re install the original providers ROM. After it is re install you have to go in and wipe the phone's data one more time. This resulted in the password prompt screen disappearing and the basic start setup being initiated as if you just bought the phone from the store. Although this is my fix and other fixes for future reference would be much appreciated to. *********UPDATE************
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you say you reinstalled the original provider's ROM, I'm not sure if you mean you used ODIN. I believe ODIN install is the only way to recover from this as it reformats the partitions.

An ODIN flash back to OTA did not help my issue.
My company now requires the encrypt device policy for exchange, so I went ahead encrypted the device while running CM10. The encryption succeeded, but every time the screen timed out, it would turn off the device instead of just turn off the screen (CM10 bug?) - didn't want to have to deal with having to cold boot the device every time I want to do something, not to mention the phone being off :/
So I did a nandroid restore to my last known state and now I get prompted for the unencrypt password. However, the password doesn't work. Probably because the password file was deleted, but the system and data partitions are still encrypted.
I've tried doing a full wipe in TWRP and flashing multiple ROMs. I've also tried ODIN flashing root66 and OTA JB 4.1.1 with no success. It still asks for the unencrypt password. I suspect the only way to fix this is to completely re-create the system and data partitions.
If anyone knows how to accomplish this, I'd be grateful because I have a soft brick right now (i.e. can't get past unencrypt password prompt with any ROM)

OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS. I was in the same exact situation you were in and thank god for this thread. I thought my phone was pretty much done for.

fix
BTT8 said:
OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS. I was in the same exact situation you were in and thank god for this thread. I thought my phone was pretty much done for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
flash ur rom. then flash CF-Auto-Root, boot to recovery, factory restore, done

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

Please help me recover my S9 data

Hello, I have an unrooted galaxy s9 (G960U1) stuck in a bootloop. An app had froze which required me to shut off my device. I have not been able to access it since. Around 1 in 4 bootloops I will have access for no more then 5 seconds. If I open bixby or camera I see the errors "process system isn't responding" as well as "system UI isn't responding" appear. Also worth mention, when I enter recovery mode, I receive a screen that says "installing system update" which seems to fail, followed by a brief flash of the slanted android logo with a yellow exclamation point with the words "no command". Also if I choose the option "run graphics test" in recovery mode, I will get the same screen which says "installing system update" followed by "error" and "no command" with the slanted android/exclamation point present. It will then say "erasing" with a progress bar which will reach 100%, followed by another progress bar with the slanted android/exclamation present which will fill 1/5th and then fill out fully before returning to the recovery mode screen.
The data on this phone is extremely valuable to me and a factory reset is simply not an option I can consider. I am dealing with some severe health issues which have kept me bedridden for 4 years. I had been meaning to create a backup but never had any sense of urgency as I felt the risk of my device being broken, lost, etc was extremely low given my circumstances. Much of this data pertains to my condition
Im very new to these sorts of things and my brain does not work very well anymore but I will do everything I can. I see options in recovery mode listed "install update from adb" as well as "install update from sd card". I can also access download mode. Would these options be of any use to me?
I have also heard things about TWRP. Would this be an option or must bootloader be unlocked?
I am running on 8.0 oreo. Is there a way to update and would this be helpful?
Is remote control via team viewer or others possible or worth a try?
Can the flash memory be removed and extracted or placed in a new s9? - (Someone looks to have attempted this with another device and succeeded. There also seem to be a few other viable methods mentioned? https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2154652&page=1).
Mobile data recovery service? (this seems the most promising)
Some of these proposals may sound dumb as I'm still very new to this but I am willing to try anything. Thank you very much

Flash the latest U1 firmware with ODIN 3.13.1 and use HOME_CSC not CSC to retain data

*Detection* said:
Flash the latest U1 firmware with ODIN 3.13.1 and use HOME_CSC not CSC to retain data
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow don't know how I missed this. I came across odin previously but quickly dismissed it as the impression I got was that data loss was inevitable flashing firmware. Apparently not
Ive looked through multiple guides and see many of them look to be leaving out certain files. Is there any added risk in using HOME_CSC, BL, and CP than just AP alone? Is using AP alone even an option for me?
Also, I remember my internal storage being nearly brimmed before the bootlooping begun. The firmware file looks to be about 4gb which I know I don't have. Is this a problem?
Thanks

NewguyS9 said:
Wow don't know how I missed this. I came across odin previously but quickly dismissed it as the impression I got was that data loss was inevitable flashing firmware. Apparently not
Ive looked through multiple guides and see many of them look to be leaving out certain files. Is there any added risk in using HOME_CSC, BL, and CP than just AP alone? Is using AP alone even an option for me?
Also, I remember my internal storage being nearly brimmed before the bootlooping begun. The firmware file looks to be about 4gb which I know I don't have. Is this a problem?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Leave Odin on default settings, (Dont change anything), flash AP, BL, CP and HOME_CSC together
The firmware will just replace the broken one already installed, no extra storage needed

*Detection* said:
Leave Odin on default settings, (Dont change anything), flash AP, BL, CP and HOME_CSC together
The firmware will just replace the broken one already installed, no extra storage needed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I managed to successfully flash the latest firmware but unfortunately my device is still bootlooping. The nature of the bootlooping although is very different. Now it will remain on the samsung logo wirh the blue light much longer than previously. Eventually the blue light will disappear and I will see a "phone is starting" box pop up and will begin optimizing my apps. Afterwards the screen will just go black. If don't interfere I'll later get a recovery mode screen with the message "Your phone could not start normally. Some configuration data may be corrupt. Follow the instructions below" which will then give me the option to retry, erase app data, or suggest taking my device to a service provider if I do not wish to erase data. Unfortunately the majority of my valuable data is app data
Im still able to access download mode and the weird errors I was getting before in recovery mode seem to have gone away. I've messed with a few things in recovery mode as well as cleared cache to no avail. Is there anything I can do from here?

NewguyS9 said:
I managed to successfully flash the latest firmware but unfortunately my device is still bootlooping. The nature of the bootlooping although is very different. Now it will remain on the samsung logo wirh the blue light much longer than previously. Eventually the blue light will disappear and I will see a "phone is starting" box pop up and will begin optimizing my apps. Afterwards the screen will just go black. If don't interfere I'll later get a recovery mode screen with the message "Your phone could not start normally. Some configuration data may be corrupt. Follow the instructions below" which will then give me the option to retry, erase app data, or suggest taking my device to a service provider if I do not wish to erase data. Unfortunately the majority of my valuable data is app data
Im still able to access download mode and the weird errors I was getting before in recovery mode seem to have gone away. I've messed with a few things in recovery mode as well as cleared cache to no avail. Is there anything I can do from here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try making a backup with Samsung Smart switch, then reset the phone, once it is booting and working properly, try restoring the backup, but chances are if it's telling you the problem is app data, it's corrupted anyway and you've already lost it
Important data such as media can be copied manually via USB > PC first
Which "app data" is important?
Texts and such will backup with Smart Switch

*Detection* said:
Try making a backup with Samsung Smart switch, then reset the phone, once it is booting and working properly, try restoring the backup, but chances are if it's telling you the problem is app data, it's corrupted anyway and you've already lost it
Important data such as media can be copied manually via USB > PC first
Which "app data" is important?
Texts and such will backup with Smart Switch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The exact message regarding the app data is this
"2. Erase app data
Deleting app configuration data may allow your phone to start in safe mode. Safe mode allows access to basic functions, so you can back up any important data stored on your phone. After backing up your data, a factory reset may be needed to get your phone to start normally"
I have many concerns but the app data i'm most concerned with are my notes and book writing progress which I have stored in non system apps
As for media being copied you mean this in the context of a successful smartswitch backup correct? Or in the current state of my device?
Is flashing again worth a try? Heres some additional info I left out that may be helpful. I used Samfirm v0.3.6 to download latest 9.0 firmware for SM-G960U1, with CSC code XAA. Also used Odin 3.13.1. Maybe try downloading the firmware from a different source or try different versions?
I found this link (https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/help/stuck-bootloop-flashing-aqg5-fix-t3636857) which looks to have resolved a post-odin bootlooping problem with the S8. Would I be able to do something similar?
I also found this (https://www.google.com/amp/s/forum....id/software/patched-odin-3-13-1-t3762572/amp/) updated patched odin which looks to replicate the popular prince comsy version. Would this be useful?
Thanks

NewguyS9 said:
The exact message regarding the app data is this
"2. Erase app data
Deleting app configuration data may allow your phone to start in safe mode. Safe mode allows access to basic functions, so you can back up any important data stored on your phone. After backing up your data, a factory reset may be needed to get your phone to start normally"
I have many concerns but the app data i'm most concerned with are my notes and book writing progress which I have stored in non system apps
As for media being copied you mean this in the context of a successful smartswitch backup correct? Or in the current state of my device?
Is flashing again worth a try? Heres some additional info I left out that may be helpful. I used Samfirm v0.3.6 to download latest 9.0 firmware for SM-G960U1, with CSC code XAA. Also used Odin 3.13.1. Maybe try downloading the firmware from a different source or try different versions?
I found this link (https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/help/stuck-bootloop-flashing-aqg5-fix-t3636857) which looks to have resolved a post-odin bootlooping problem with the S8. Would I be able to do something similar?
I also found this (https://www.google.com/amp/s/forum....id/software/patched-odin-3-13-1-t3762572/amp/) updated patched odin which looks to replicate the popular prince comsy version. Would this be useful?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you not tried safemode yet to remove the faulty app(s)?
To boot your S9 or S9+ into Safe mode, start by pressing and holding the power button until the power menu appears on your screen. From there, long press the "Power Off" button until it turns into a "Safe Mode" button. Simply tap on "Safe Mode" once it appears and your device will automatically reboot to safe mode.

*Detection* said:
Have you not tried safemode yet to remove the faulty app(s)?
To boot your S9 or S9+ into Safe mode, start by pressing and holding the power button until the power menu appears on your screen. From there, long press the "Power Off" button until it turns into a "Safe Mode" button. Simply tap on "Safe Mode" once it appears and your device will automatically reboot to safe mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tried this but unfortunately it seems i'm unable to access my device to the degree where that would be possible. The screen that pops up with the app data message is in the recovery mode interface. Meaning volume up/down to move, power to select, etc. Ive tried accessing safe mode with the power/volume down method as well with no success
I was able to use the method you're describing before flashing firmware however, also with no luck

Sounds to me like the partition is corrupted which will require re-flashing with Odin but using CSC to force the partitions to be re-written and phone reset
Without being able to get back into Android your options are limited
Try flashing with HOME_CSC as many times as you like, unlikely to help but try older firmware (But make sure it's still Pie or Oreo, you cannot downgrade from Pie to Oreo without resetting and expect the phone to work properly)
Other than that, remember to make regular backups next time and reset the phone

*Detection* said:
Sounds to me like the partition is corrupted which will require re-flashing with Odin but using CSC to force the partitions to be re-written and phone reset
Without being able to get back into Android your options are limited
Try flashing with HOME_CSC as many times as you like, unlikely to help but try older firmware (But make sure it's still Pie or Oreo, you cannot downgrade from Pie to Oreo without resetting and expect the phone to work properly)
Other than that, remember to make regular backups next time and reset the phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh man this doesn't sound good
For this should I just focus on flashing HOME_CSC or should I mess around with the others as well? Also, if i'm downloading the same firmware with the same product code and everything does it necessarily matter where I'm getting it from or is it all the same?
Do you think I should prioritize trying the same firmware with different product codes or older firmware as you mentioned(but still pie/oreo)?
As for the functionality problems downgrading to Oreo, will the amount of function I receive(If I'm lucky enough for this to work) be enough to back up?
Thanks

NewguyS9 said:
Oh man this doesn't sound good
For this should I just focus on flashing HOME_CSC or should I mess around with the others as well? Also, if i'm downloading the same firmware with the same product code and everything does it necessarily matter where I'm getting it from or is it all the same?
Do you think I should prioritize trying the same firmware with different product codes or older firmware as you mentioned(but still pie/oreo)?
As for the functionality problems downgrading to Oreo, will the amount of function I receive(If I'm lucky enough for this to work) be enough to back up?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you flash from Pie to Oreo without resetting, the phone will crash more than it already is, if it boots at all, the apps are not backwards compatible, you could end up worse off
Different product/region codes will make no difference
Don't just flash HOME_CSC, always flash all 4 sections at once, I meant you can keep flashing the firmware as many times as you like using HOME_CSC rather than CSC
All firmwares will be the same regardless of where you obtain them, only the build number / date of firmware makes any difference, and even then most of them are just different security updates
The problem is not with the firmware from the sounds of it, it is from your DATA partiton, which does not get touched when you flash unless you flash with CSC, so every flash will likely result in the exact same outcome
Firmware is fine - data partition is corrupted, only likely solution is factory reset I'm afraid, and if that doesn't fix it, there could be a hardware problem with the NAND (storage chip)
AP - System partition
CP - Modem partition
BL - Bootloader partition
CSC - Country Specific Code with repartition
HOME_CSC - Country Specific Code without repartition
DATA partition is not part of the flashing process unless you flash with CSC in which case it will be erased as part of the repartitioning process
Your problem appears to be the DATA partition, so you can see your issue now with the above firmware information

@*Detection* @NewguyS9 I'm very uneducated in all the stuff said in this thread but I have the exact same issue going on, and don't want to factory reset my phone as I have pictures and videos I don't want deleted. Was there ever a fix? If so, what can I do to fix it?

[HELP REQUEST] WILL PAY TO WHOEVER HELPS ME GET THROUGH THIS SOFTBRICK

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rodagola said:
Hello everyone on xda, please bare with me. Here's my story
I own a Redmi Note 8 pro, chinese rom model. It was running miui 11.0.3 over android 9 If I recall correctly.
Ok so... I was tired of some of the china apps pushing their notifications over and over and auto installing stuff, so I looked up how to apply adb commands to remove such bloatware, which was a fairly simple process. I copied and pasted a list of safe stuff to delete I found around some forums.
then... there were some other packages I checked out using an app called "app inspector", which directly tells you which app is under which package (totally useful for this purpose).
I tried to be careful not go overboard since I don't have any root access, or custom recovery, and wasn't really planning to have these, just wanted to keep this as my simple daily driver cellphone, but also perform this little maneuver to get rid of some bloatware.
little did I know, I was about to somehow softbrick it. More info: I did not use a screen lock method other than the "swipe up".
Ok, so I uninstalled some packages I cannot remember exactly how they went, but they had the terms "xman" and "yman" on them I think, I wasn't so sure about them because I looked them up on the web yet they didn't appear anywhere. I think they went something among the lines of "com.android.miui.xman". I also uninstalled 2 or 3 more, but after googling, they seemed unsuspecting.
Anyways, I'm aware there's a command to reinstall the packages because they're still on the phone's ROM image. That is in case I had to restore anything back to normal. Turns out I later rebooted the phone and when it launches the lock screen, I keep swiping up but it won't take me over to the actual MIUI launcher. The screen is frozen on the lock screen.
I'm not freaking out at this time because I still tried to connect the device to the pc, and it still shows as connected, I then go to the adb console and type "adb devices", it is still recognized, however, it says next to it that it is unauthorized... damn it. So now I might not be able to run the commands that allow me to reinstall the exact packages that are rendering the phone softbricked (I guess), plus I'm not really sure which package caused this.
After about a minute or two on the lock screen, the phone takes me to the "redmi-recovery 3.0",
which displays 3 options:
Reboot to system: which basically forms a loop
Wipe date: godforbid... really don't want to do it since I likely had many files not backedup
Contact miassistant: not sure what to do with this, says "pcsuite.mi.com" at the bottom
on the miassistant option you can apparently sideload stuff, idk how to go about this, maybe it allows me to install a slightly upgraded ROM, which in turn will work the same as if it was an OTA update (so it will keep my data as it was instead of wipe)? Because the point is not to erase my user data!!
I'm not sure how to feel or what to do without losing my pictures, notes and documents
I have hopes this situation can be turned around back to normal, and like the title implies... I'm WILLING to PAY you through paypal or something to WHOEVER offers to guide me through in the best way possible. Please if you have the knowledge/experience don't hesitate I'll also be grateful timelessly.
I'm not an expert at these scenarios so I might as well ask on xda where most are really skilled! Thanks in advance to those amazing souls
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tldr;
If you can boot into fastboot mode you can just flash a official MIUI fastboot ROM:
Xiaomi Firmware Updater (where you can download official MIUI ROMS): https://xiaomifirmwareupdater.com/
This is the current hard unbrick method: https://telegra.ph/Installing-Redmi-Note-8-Pro-firmware-via-SP-Flash-Tool-01-21
It should also work in your case and there's even a video guide.
This is another video guide for fixing a hard brick:
Both methods above will format your phone though (afaik all data will be lost).
Compass.

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rodagola said:
are these the kind of roms that you unzip and have the BL, AP, CP, CSC files? I could try that, but I've heard installing home_csc will not override/wipe my personal data. If this is what you meant, can you confirm? Or do you reckon these linked video tutorials would not wipe the data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, it doesn't.
If you can boot into Fastboot, flash the ROM using Mi Flash, otherwise, use this tutorial:

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Compass Linux and juliusjr have told you the method, so I will just add supplemential infos.
In your case, I think simple upgrade will do the trick, dirty flash is applicable both via fastboot flash (mi flash) and recovery flash (the mi assistant method). If you want to stop the ads, I will recommend you to unlock your bootloader, move to global, root, and use an adblocker (a bare minimum config, in trade of some bangking apps being blocked).
I don't know the corresponding version for miui china rom, but in global rom, prior 12.0.0.7 (the one with the early 2021 security update), you can dirty flash back and forth while keeping your data.

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rodagola said:
Hi, thanks for your info, I would like to try the mi flash tool as I've been told before the stock recovery thing has less chances of working. However, I had dev options turned on before but didn't manage to turn on the "OEM unlock" option, will flashing original ROMs work this way? or did I need that option toogled on? That's my last doubt, and thanks a lot. Btw, the China ROM this Redmi N8P had never ever showed me any ads, but thanks a lot as well for such input
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You still have a locked bootloader? (How do I know? You will see "Unloked" on the bottom of the screen everytime your device reboots and showing mi logo if your device is unlocked)
Hmm, mechanically it work like normal ota update. Full recovery update will ony erase nessesary partitions (system, boot, and some other things) while keeping your data intact. So doing this to your phone technically safe. You can do this with MiFlashPro, do a recovery update using a recovery rom (the 2 gigs one) greater than your current MIUI version. But please bear in mind that I have never done this before to a locked phone. A same distribution version IS A MUST (i.e. global with global).
Oh and it will need you to log in to your xiaomi account. My guess is you need the flash permission open for your account (if you have unlocked your phone you shouldn't have a problem). I have never flashed with an account that never have been used to unlock a bootloader, so I might be wrong.
If your phone is bootloader unlocked, Mi Flash is the least demanding and it can retain your data with "save user data" in the bottom right corner option on, regardless your miui version (but I think there will be some problem with installed apps if you downgrade from A10 to A9).
Hope this help.