Develop Bugs

Factory Restore an Encrypted Galaxy S3

Model: Samsung Galaxy S3 AT&T i747
Hi!
I was forced to encrypt my galaxy s3 in order to receive corporate emails on my phone using the stock email app. However I never imagined that encrypting the phone would literally lock the memory and options to customize the phone.
I tried to root the phone to benefit from more flexibility and also debloat the phone. However during the rooting process, I could not mount /emmc/ when using ClockWorkRecovery in the startup menu. Based on what I found on the web, I figured it was due to the encryption.
I then tried to factory reset the phone to get rid of the encryption but I simply can't hard reset the phone from the OS or the startup menu. When doing the reset from the startup menu, the errors are "Can't mount /sdcard/". The reset continues but when the phone reboots, all my applications and personal data are there and the phone is still encrypted.
I read a lot about flashing a custom recovery via flashboot or ADB but I am reluctant to do it without guidance from the experts (you guys).
I deleted my corporate email account (It is my personal phone, I am not required to install exchange on it).
I tried to use an external sd card but as soon as the phone recoginizes it, I have to encrypt the card as well as a result from the corporate policies. I ejected the card and did not encrypt it.
I am new to android (long time iPhone user) and I would really appreciate your guidance on the methods to factory reset my phone or a different technique to get rid of the encryption because I am really stuck right now.

I have never encrypted an Android phone before. But maybe your response to these questions will serve as a "bump" to this thread.
1) What method did you use to encrypt the phone? Stock or 3rd party encryption?
2) Doesn't that same method also offer you the offer to unencrypt the phone?
3) If you used a stock method of encrypting the phone, then I'd assume your provider (AT&T?) tech support should be able to help you unencrypt it.

Eddie,
Thanks for your response.
1) I used stock method for encryption
2) Decrypt the phone is not possible apparently,only way is to factory restore the phone apparently
3) I went to the AT&T store and they were unable to factory restore (using the standard methods). They offered an exchange but since I purchase over the phone at a discounted price, I have to do the exchange using that method. Before shipping back the phone, I was wondering if I could fix it myself with the help of knowledgeable people.
CZ Eddie said:
I have never encrypted an Android phone before. But maybe your response to these questions will serve as a "bump" to this thread.
1) What method did you use to encrypt the phone? Stock or 3rd party encryption?
2) Doesn't that same method also offer you the offer to unencrypt the phone?
3) If you used a stock method of encrypting the phone, then I'd assume your provider (AT&T?) tech support should be able to help you unencrypt it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I have never used the encryption but if the phone can turn on and is usable, cant you go into the encryption settings and turn encryption off? then you should be able to do anything (may be best to start with a factory restore first just so you have a fresh slate to work with)

1ofAKind said:
Model: Samsung Galaxy S3 AT&T i747
Hi!
I was forced to encrypt my galaxy s3 in order to receive corporate emails on my phone using the stock email app. However I never imagined that encrypting the phone would literally lock the memory and options to customize the phone.
I tried to root the phone to benefit from more flexibility and also debloat the phone. However during the rooting process, I could not mount /emmc/ when using ClockWorkRecovery in the startup menu. Based on what I found on the web, I figured it was due to the encryption.
I then tried to factory reset the phone to get rid of the encryption but I simply can't hard reset the phone from the OS or the startup menu. When doing the reset from the startup menu, the errors are "Can't mount /sdcard/". The reset continues but when the phone reboots, all my applications and personal data are there and the phone is still encrypted.
I read a lot about flashing a custom recovery via flashboot or ADB but I am reluctant to do it without guidance from the experts (you guys).
I deleted my corporate email account (It is my personal phone, I am not required to install exchange on it).
I tried to use an external sd card but as soon as the phone recoginizes it, I have to encrypt the card as well as a result from the corporate policies. I ejected the card and did not encrypt it.
I am new to android (long time iPhone user) and I would really appreciate your guidance on the methods to factory reset my phone or a different technique to get rid of the encryption because I am really stuck right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1ofaKind,
Had EXACTLY the same thing happen to me. Encrypted my S3 in order to access work exchange server. Tried CWM but cannot mount /emmc/ problem after booting into recovery. Have not tried to factory reset yet as I am wanting to learn more before I go that route. But basically I am in the same boat as you. The only difference is I was not required to encrypt an external SD card when I put it in my phone. Read about flashboot as well...maybe the only way to actually factory reset after encryption??
Sorry I cannot offer any solutions at the moment...but I will keep scouring the forums looking for a way.
If I learn something valuable, I will try to post it here to help ya out.
EDIT: Maybe you have read these threads, but there is some decent info in them. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1451655 & http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1392037
good luck

Look into using Odin to restore a factory image.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium

I'm in the same boat here - had to encrypt my GS3 in order to receive corporate (Exchange Server) emails. Now can't update the OS on the phone which is more important to me than receiving corporate emails on the device.
Can someone tell me how to decrypt (UN-encrypt) the phone? Everything I've read says that a factory reset won't do it.
Please help!

CZ Eddie said:
Look into using Odin to restore a factory image.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Has anyone tried this? If so, did it work?

I clicked install rom from sd card in cwm selected f/w which i had copied into internal memory. Did factory reset in recovery.

Odin it back to stock.

This might be too late to help you guys, but here's what worked for me. I odined it back to stock. Then I went into recovery (volume down, power and home button) and selected wipe data/factory reset. This does of course erase all your data, so try to copy whatever you can onto a computer or something before doing this. You should end up with an unencrypted storage.

sid9102 said:
This might be too late to help you guys, but here's what worked for me. I odined it back to stock. Then I went into recovery (volume down, power and home button) and selected wipe data/factory reset. This does of course erase all your data, so try to copy whatever you can onto a computer or something before doing this. You should end up with an unencrypted storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ODIN will not recognize my phone when it is in download mode ...

tamon77 said:
ODIN will not recognize my phone when it is in download mode ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After you hit start, unplug then replug the usb from the computer. I had some issues with it not recognizing it either to flash stock, but when i messed with the cord, it made the noise that i unplugged and it started working. Same thing with the root injected, only this time i fully unplugged it when the fiddling with it didnt work. Make sure you replace it into the same com port.
so, i seem to be having the same problem as all of you, only i encrypted to protect my data from agents. So, right now, i am *hopefully* :fingers-crossed: installing the root injected JB now. I had many issues. TWRP and CWM were no help, couldnt see phone to add new roms to it. ODIN was the only hope. I booted into recovery after going back to stock, did a new factory reset and am installing the stock with root. When i let it boot, it didnt go to encryption this time, but the first time i flashed the stock, it did. This is a mess to say the least.
EDIT: YEAH! done. No encryption and i got root. i used the image from here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1968625 DLK3 worked for me. Good luck. i hope this helps. Ill be happy to explain more if you want.

tamon77 said:
ODIN will not recognize my phone when it is in download mode ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ODIN (for me at least) wont see anything since im using Windows 8. On Windows 7, however, it works just fine.

Factory reset encrypted phone
hi,
I'm using CM11 as a rom.
I didn't want to reinstall stock rom, just to root it again later.
Installing updated version from external SD didn't work (updated the ROM but no decryption)
Tried to factory reset from recovery - didn't work, as the internal storage is encrypted it can't mount /sdcard/
however, from within settings menu, in backup&restore there's an option to do a factory reset - this is formatting internal memory altogether.
worked like a charm.

oxidase said:
After you hit start, unplug then replug the usb from the computer. I had some issues with it not recognizing it either to flash stock, but when i messed with the cord, it made the noise that i unplugged and it started working. Same thing with the root injected, only this time i fully unplugged it when the fiddling with it didnt work. Make sure you replace it into the same com port.
so, i seem to be having the same problem as all of you, only i encrypted to protect my data from agents. So, right now, i am *hopefully* :fingers-crossed: installing the root injected JB now. I had many issues. TWRP and CWM were no help, couldnt see phone to add new roms to it. ODIN was the only hope. I booted into recovery after going back to stock, did a new factory reset and am installing the stock with root. When i let it boot, it didnt go to encryption this time, but the first time i flashed the stock, it did. This is a mess to say the least.
EDIT: YEAH! done. No encryption and i got root. i used the image from here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1968625 DLK3 worked for me. Good luck. i hope this helps. Ill be happy to explain more if you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand this is very old but I am going to make a note here in case anyone else gets into this problem. When you go back to stock, do the factory reset using the STOCK recovery. Don't install TWRP or anything else until you have cleared the encryption. At least, that's what worked for me.

Help me solve a complicated case - Backup bricked 100% stock M8

Hi All,
I seem to have run into a very dire case where my 100% stock M8 is completely unusable, due to what seems to be a failed OTA update.
Phone will boot up normally, but as soon as the home screen comes up a "com.android.systemui" error comes up, preventing any type of further interaction with the os, since the screen goes black and start flashing an empty default background on and off indefinitely.
Now, I'm fairly computer literate but I never rooted or modded any phone so I spent the last 3 days on these forums looking up information and learning what rooting, bootloaders, ADB and all that fun stuff I had never heard of before meant. However, after initially being optimistic about at least getting my data back before an inevitable factory reset I have reached a dead end.
Here's what I went through so far:
- To backup without normal access to the OS, I need the ADB pull command
- To use the ADB, I need "USB debug" enabled BUT Can't access settings, so can't enable USB debug
- Searched for ways to work around enabling USB debug via bootloader/recovery
- Found out you can use ADB with a custom recovery image
- Tried flashing a custom image BUT bootloader is locked, so no dice
- Found the only way to unlock the bootloader with S-ON is via HTC dev BUT will wipe all data upon unlocking
- Found no way to set S-OFF without wiping
I can't believe a fully stock phone can be hard bricked by a simple OTA update just because I never tampered with it (cos if I did, I would have a lot more options).
I'm aware I'm going to have to factory reset eventually anyway, but I want to pull out whatever data I can first.
Please help, I'm running out of ideas.
Thank you all.

lo11o said:
I can't believe a fully stock phone can be hard bricked by a simple OTA update just because I never tampered with it (cos if I did, I would have a lot more options).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can believe it, since I've seen it happen enough times to folks on these forums. You do a major update to the OS, bootloader, and radio; and there is always a possibility of rendering the phone non-operational.
What kind of data are we talking about? Is it on internal storage, and if so, can you see internal storage on your computer when you connect the phone?
If no to any of that, you're probably stuck at a dead end. If the data is important, it should have been backed up off-phone to begin with.

Thanks for replying redpoint, and the answer to both questions unfortunately is no.
I'm mostly interested in backing up text messages and notes, everything else is either synced with google or redownloadable. Of course I'll take care to remove the SD before resetting so whatever's in there won't be affected.
I have no idea what could have caused this mess. What's more infuriating is that the system underneath the error dialog does seem to be functional, notifications pop up and it even rings if I try calling my number, but can't pick up. Even Wi-Fi is on, for the record. Everything just goes to hell as soon as that dialog goes away (yes, I've tried ignoring it and trying to get the notification bar down). It's just that the fact it's technically not in a "bootloop" situation made me hope.
I read somewhere on these forums that unless your phone doesn't charge, doesn't turn on and doesn't even get recognised by a computer, it can almost always be saved. Am I truly SOL?

lo11o said:
I read somewhere on these forums that unless your phone doesn't charge, doesn't turn on and doesn't even get recognised by a computer, it can almost always be saved. Am I truly SOL?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you can't interact with the phone to turn on Debugging, I personally can't think of any way to pull the desired data off the phone.

Bummer. I'll proceed with the factory reset then, live and learn.
Thanks for the advice, I learned a lot of very useful stuff from this community, having the patience to read and process all the wealth of information - even n00b-friendly, too. :good:

I'm an idiot and I got some crazy malware. Help please.

OK so I smashed my s5, am a UDP verizon guy and hooked on the open bootloader, so i searched far and wide for another one with the 15 chipset...which I didn't find but I found a note 4 with it.
I bought it and unlocked it and loaded on a rom I loved. (5.0.1 og5). Well...no sense lying here...I was trying to do some less than kosher things regarding my ex's Facebook account with it. In the process I wasn't smart enough to cross check MD5s (a precaution I learned all too well) and opened an app that has me baffled.
It basically hijacked admin on my device completely. No Antivirus program can touch it, though many detect it. "Unknown sources" in my security folder is stuck permanently enabled, and I can't take over as admin on my own brand new note4.
I have tried flashing twrp and titanium backups to no avail, and also tried the safe stock og5 firmware through Odin but it never completes. I am stuck. I have logcat records and all the tools I would think might help, but I can't get rid of it...it seems to have used root and embedded itself into every facet of the device.
I am willing and ready to do anything including a full unroot and stock rom, I just don't want a locked update. Can anyone help me please?

As of now, no roms break it, only the stubborn malware CM app tries to get rid of it, but only identifies it as "suspicious file". My user admin and unknown sources are both locked, and a gaggle of bizarre log events happen constantly, forcing my device into crazy lag. As soon as it happened I received a couple random number-link blank text messages, but I never opened them. I don't have the numbers saved as I've flashed the phone like 30 times since trying to rid myself of this. Aside from the lag and locked unknown sources and admin, and an inability to clear trusted credentials, the phone seems to run normally, though I am scared to use it to log on to pretty much anything. The malware didn't come from a text, but from an app that I knowingly permitted thinking it was something else and I feel like a moron for it. It doesn't seem to have a name. It installed as an untitled app and I couldn't delete it with the root system app deleter, because it put a green bar over the check box in the app. I got rid of it with titanium, but to no avail. It still lurks.
Thanks in advance, and let me know of any screens hits or logs or tests I can provide to help.

At that point, I would recommend using Samsung's Smart Switch for PC program to do an emergency firmware upgrade & initialization. This will download a full copy of the stock firmware for the device (including a few bits that you won't find in stock firmwares available for download through sites like SamMobile) and will erase everything on the device and restore your phone to stock firmware.
If you are in the US and have a Best Buy nearby, you can see if one of their Samsung reps can perform a factory recovery using their SMART tool (which will do the same thing that Smart Switch's emergency firmware initialization will). Officially, rooted devices are not supported and they may rightfully refuse to do this, but it's worth asking if you don't have a computer to use for Smart Switch or don't want to wait.
You will need to redo the developer conversion, but that's the only thing I can think of that will definitely completely restore your phone to stock and eliminate all traces of whatever you installed.

thanks. that solved my problem and got it back to stock, rid of the malware completely. unfortunately, when i tried to return to the rom i had used, everything fell apart for me :/.

lost phone how secure is the s9?

i lost my phone late Tuesday night, i called it and rang a few times tried calling it again a few minutes later and went to answer machine,
either battery went or someone turned it of, ive checked on find my phone and it was last synced about 1 yesterday so guessing it was turned on briefly then , been no activity on it since, so its looking like the likelihood someones found and keeping it, so how secure is it? it has a 5 digit pin code, finger print and face to unlock the phone and i have stuff stored in secure folder as well which includes a picture of series of words to get into my crypto wallet.

For every android security is pretty much the same,
if someone don't know your password they can enter the phone by doing hard reset via the recovery,
but if you're rooted or using custom rom, then all they need to do is full wipe from twrp, which is not included Internal Storage and flash other custom rom and they might get into your personal data on your phone's storage.
also I believe if you enable device manager as administrator before, you have an option to reset your phone on Find My Device

i never did root this phone i wanted to keep the credit card option, device manager is on and im keeping my eye on find my phone but not wiped it in the hope it might come back to me yet, ive got a year and a half of pictures on there and hoping the phones secure enough to keep people accessing the info.
on find my phone it still hasnt synced since the 29th 1.08pm so still unsure to put the wipe message on there,
I want to get a new sim card today so the sim in the old one will deactivate , do you know if this happens will find my phone still work? thanks

There are 2 possibilities for the fact that your phone still hasn't synced since the 29th.
- It could be the phone is still hasn't turned on
- Or it could be that your phone is already reset from the recovery, if this happen then you don't have any control of your phone anymore
also I remember that you can lock your phone from find my device, I don't really know what will happen to your phone is it still be able to access the recovery to reset the phone or not.

Just got the LG Wing, and i love it, however..

Just got it and been messibg with it for an hour or so(had to order from the states to Norway), unlocked, regocnized the carrier and all. However, the boatware is extensive, due to this is an AT&T phone, non delete&trashable.
This phone is OEM unlocked, so if i factory reset this baby does the ohone get locked? Asking before i do anything that might put it at risk of being locked.
Hopefully, with the tools provided by xda for the wing(ive been lurking for the past 15 days) id get this unlocked with bootloader and i can remove the bloatware.
Thank you for reading, and your help!
(First post on xda)

Before you do a factory reset remove all Google accounts from the phone!
Not sure if LG's have anything else but Google's FRP will bone you without the correct password.
Reboot and verify there are no Google accounts present. Do the factory reset then from settings as opposed to the boot menu if you have that option.
A factory reset will not remove the AT&T apps if it's an AT&T phone as they are part of the rom. They can be disable from running at boot with a adb edit or a package disabler. They won't impact phone operations at all then. These are the easiest and safest options.

Thank you for the answer. Yeah its a very neato phone for sure.
Its still stuck on An10, so i just hope it'll get An11 (As ive found out An10 is very restrictive, cant even open\extract zip files on it)