Develop Bugs

Possibility of bricking & how to avoid it..

Is anyone manage to brick the phone already?
How likely/ or stupidity you need to actually bricking the phone?
What is a NO NO and how to avoid it?
That's the question.. thanks!

Main thing is read as much as you can before you do any changes, it helps to check what few sites say.
When I rooted my phone I could not get it to run the update part, tried time and time again, one site said "rename the file to update.zip and paste it" then I read on another site to just call it update as it is already a zip file.....and then it worked, small bit of detail like that stopped it working to start with so if I was you I check a few sites and get all the info you need, but also as many would say if you are that unsure dont take the risk and wait for samsung updates with Kies.

voodoochild2008 said:
if you are that unsure dont take the risk and wait for samsung updates with Kies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kies actually failed to update my phone, I have the Korean Galaxy S SHW-M100S, and it showed an update was available. So, I thought I was bricked for about 30 mins, kept trying to get it to work itself out of the problem in recovery mode, after about 4 tries (1 reboot of Windows, plus changing USB ports and 2nd try with this static new config) eventually it did, thank God.

Do not remove usb while in the middle of flashing with odin
Wanna know HOT TO BRICK YOUR PHONE? Right when ODIN start flashing, pull the battery on your phone and see what happens.
I can't even boot up!
****

amerikian said:
Wanna know HOT TO BRICK YOUR PHONE? Right when ODIN start flashing, pull the battery on your phone and see what happens.
I can't even boot up!
****
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was gonna say something along the lines of a smart ass, but I can't. That sucks.
why would you do a battery pull?

madjsp said:
I was gonna say something along the lines of a smart ass, but I can't. That sucks.
why would you do a battery pull?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been flashing all night and wanted to do it "right" this time....realized my SIM and SD card were still in there mid-flash so wanted to pull them and start clean..........................
Yeah....don't do that.
Guess I'll be that "guy" paying a visit to the local AT&T shop tomorrow....
Luckily I'm w/in my 14 days since getting it....

delete. ......

amerikian said:
Wanna know HOT TO BRICK YOUR PHONE? Right when ODIN start flashing, pull the battery on your phone and see what happens.
I can't even boot up!
****
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've removed the cable half way and rebooted, and it was fine..
You simply remove the USB cable, battery again, put the battery in, and you'll be able to get to downloader mode.
The phone seems to have a component that ODIN doesn't touch that is read-only that handles download mode. Most hardware devices tend to have safeguards. I haven't confirmed this, but I've noticed the same applies to NAS devices (which tend to have a special redboot which uses tftp).
I have still yet to have seen any evidence of anyone permanently bricking their phone, but I've seen a few cases of "oops, got it working again".
Remember, Samsung are eager to reduce their support costs, and failsafe's are cheap and easy to add.

yes, the odin doesn't touch the 'bootloader' , or the small piece of code that enable the download mode, so there's no way you can brick the phone.
I have tried to repartition the phone while flashing firmware that has nothing except the csc data (i.e. no kernel, no factory rfs, etc) and the flash procedure went succesfully but in actual fact, my phone contains a new set of partitions that contain nothing except the small csc data.
and i still able to reflash, although I must make sure that the phone is totally shutdown (i.e. take out battery, let it stay for awhile before putting back)

andrewluecke said:
I've removed the cable half way and rebooted, and it was fine..
You simply remove the USB cable, battery again, put the battery in, and you'll be able to get to downloader mode.
The phone seems to have a component that ODIN doesn't touch that is read-only that handles download mode. Most hardware devices tend to have safeguards. I haven't confirmed this, but I've noticed the same applies to NAS devices (which tend to have a special redboot which uses tftp).
I have still yet to have seen any evidence of anyone permanently bricking their phone, but I've seen a few cases of "oops, got it working again".
Remember, Samsung are eager to reduce their support costs, and failsafe's are cheap and easy to add.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought in the Big FAQ, it said... do not disconnect the usb-cable but to remove the battery if want to interrupt it...
7.The phone will be flashed and once it’s finished, it will boot up. (Do NOT disconnect the usb-cable, remove the battery or otherwise interrupt this process!)

amerikian said:
Wanna know HOT TO BRICK YOUR PHONE? Right when ODIN start flashing, pull the battery on your phone and see what happens.
I can't even boot up!
****
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Similar happened to me,although I didnt pull the battery, the phone just disconnected halfway through the flash.
Had half hour of panic,where I thought it was bricked.
Had to do a few battery pulls,restart PC a couple of times and mess around with different USB ports,but finally got it working.
Have flashed a 3 times since without a problem.

chluk2425 said:
I thought in the Big FAQ, it said... do not disconnect the usb-cable but to remove the battery if want to interrupt it...
7.The phone will be flashed and once it’s finished, it will boot up. (Do NOT disconnect the usb-cable, remove the battery or otherwise interrupt this process!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That means you shouldn't do any of those things! So don't disconnect usb, don't remove the battery and don't interrupt the process.

zenkinz said:
yes, the odin doesn't touch the 'bootloader' , or the small piece of code that enable the download mode, so there's no way you can brick the phone.
I have tried to repartition the phone while flashing firmware that has nothing except the csc data (i.e. no kernel, no factory rfs, etc) and the flash procedure went succesfully but in actual fact, my phone contains a new set of partitions that contain nothing except the small csc data.
and i still able to reflash, although I must make sure that the phone is totally shutdown (i.e. take out battery, let it stay for awhile before putting back)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure that flashing (through ODIN) in any case never touch that "Download Mode" piece of code ? Even you select all the options in ODIN ?
Can anyone confirm this ? Actually I want to play with Kernel and RFS (have some ideas to try) but afraid of full bricking. So if this download mode is always present then I can play with it without any problem.
Waiting for response.

amerikian said:
I've been flashing all night and wanted to do it "right" this time....realized my SIM and SD card were still in there mid-flash so wanted to pull them and start clean..........................
Yeah....don't do that.
Guess I'll be that "guy" paying a visit to the local AT&T shop tomorrow....
Luckily I'm w/in my 14 days since getting it....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Believe me! you can still access the download menu

The bootloader is almost always writeprotected and cannot be overwritten. You would probably have to connect a cable to some internal port like Jtag to be able to reflash the bootloader section. Atleast that is the case in 99% of all bootloaders. Im very certain that you cannot cripple the bootloader.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

jackiechan8 said:
That means you shouldn't do any of those things! So don't disconnect usb, don't remove the battery and don't interrupt the process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
gosh man, thanks correcting me but if that's the case, what should i do if it doesn't reboot by itself?

take out the battery, wait for 30 to 60 secs, put the battery in and start phone with vol down + menu + power

Don't disconnect the usb or do anything else while flashing!!!
I removed the usb cable when it started flashing (i thinked it was stuck, happens sometimes), and since it does not boot anymore. I press the power button, volUp + home + power, volDown + home + power... nothing happens.... it's dead, doesn't turn on at all...

after all i have read i think it's almost impossible to brick the sgs since you always get back into download-mode. the only case i read where i believe that it's a goner is flashing with the wrong (in this case the at&t) odin version. those guy's just got a white sreen with at&t logo at boot. they didn't get into download mode any more because the button mapping on the captivate is different ... so thats really bad luck, dont't try that at home

jodue said:
after all i have read i think it's almost impossible to brick the sgs since you always get back into download-mode. the only case i read where i believe that it's a goner is flashing with the wrong (in this case the at&t) odin version. those guy's just got a white sreen with at&t logo at boot. they didn't get into download mode any more because the button mapping on the captivate is different ... so thats really bad luck, dont't try that at home
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, mine doesn't boot at all, and i flashed (technically not, because i removed the usb cable at the very start) with the RIGHT odin version
Maybe if it fails when flashig sbl (secondary boot loader ) you can't go into download/recovery mode...

My note 2 doesn't bootup

I was updating to latest version of cyanogenmod through OTA and after that my phones battery just died I mean it showed 1 percent and even though I charged it, it still was running off the battery and no matter how long I charged it it just didn't boot up
I can load download mode\ recovery but I installed through odin a stock rom and still it boots up and says I have no battery and turns off even if it connected to the original samsung charger, and I can't just turn it on like with the power button I need to load recovery and then reboot.
please help me i'm really frustrated

borrow a battery and test it

Blackwolf10 said:
borrow a battery and test it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you think that a battery can die just like that with no reason?
I think its a software problem and not a technical one.
does anyone have another solution?

You have good reasons to believe it's a software thing, yet you also don't.
Focus on what you are able to do at the moment.
Since your phone is just a brick now, no matter what your suspicions are, you need to test it with another battery and eliminate possibilities.
Either the rom you flashed bricked your phone, or the battery just decided to call it a life. Either way, you need a battery to test whether it did actually die, or to determine whether it's a true software issue.
Beamed from Jupiter on my Galaxy Note II

GuyDroid said:
Do you think that a battery can die just like that with no reason?
I think its a software problem and not a technical one.
does anyone have another solution?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup it could happen(at least to me). My battery can last 10hours then suddenly when I woke up in a morning my phone dead. Use charger while power on only last to samsung screen. Thought it's a softbrick so tried to reflash but not working. Luckily I have a friend with the same phone so borrow his battery

so I checked with my friends battery and it still seem to have the same problem.
so does anyone have another solution maybe?

up

GuyDroid said:
up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried to clear Data/Cache? AFAIK Odin does not clear them. You can try to reset all partitions with Odin using PIT file and then without rebooting flash stock rom. Hope that helps.

mat9v said:
Have you tried to clear Data/Cache? AFAIK Odin does not clear them. You can try to reset all partitions with Odin using PIT file and then without rebooting flash stock rom. Hope that helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where can I get this PIT file?

GuyDroid said:
Where can I get this PIT file?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In post #4 in this thread.

I tried it and it didn't work
any other solution someone?

GuyDroid said:
I tried it and it didn't work
any other solution someone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You selected a pit file and checked re-partition on the left side?

Thank you all.
After all the battery was the issue.
Can you guys recommend a good ebay seller for OEM battery's?

[Q] Boot problem with my p6

Hey guys,
I was running blueandroid custom rom on my p6 and it was all working fine. suddenly my phone shut down and since that moment i can't find a way to turn it on further then the huawei logo. pressing all three buttons for the forced update doesn't work. and i can't get in recovery. It simply doesn't make it till that point. sometimes it shows a random color (the whole screen) but most of the time it just shuts down at the huawei logo... i also tried fastboot but it doesn't get recognized...
could anyone help me?
i'd really aprecciate it.

Are you able to use adb?
If yes, try to flash twrp recovery via ADB.
Instructions in forum thread. (I think 2nd post)
Sent from my P6-U06 using xda app-developers app

Larsbehrens said:
Hey guys,
I was running blueandroid custom rom on my p6 and it was all working fine. suddenly my phone shut down and since that moment i can't find a way to turn it on further then the huawei logo. pressing all three buttons for the forced update doesn't work. and i can't get in recovery. It simply doesn't make it till that point. sometimes it shows a random color (the whole screen) but most of the time it just shuts down at the huawei logo... i also tried fastboot but it doesn't get recognized...
could anyone help me?
i'd really aprecciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is your p6 low on battery? If it is, charge it up before trying to get to recovery.

bokchoi2020 said:
Is your p6 low on battery? If it is, charge it up before trying to get to recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesnt charge ( the led doesnt turn on and im pretty sure that doesnt) and i havent been able to try adb. Its also quite strange that it wont be in a stable recovery mode ( or fastboot mode) since it turn itself off after 10/20 seconds.

getting really lost
So guys,
i'm really starting to think i need to bring mine to the service center cus it's completely dead.
it won't charge, it doens't get into recovery mode, i can't flash the official firmware with the sdcart/dload/update.app way, i can't fastboot it cus it won't go in fastboot mode (the way it get stuck on the splash screen/huawei logo), and it shuts itself down after 20 seconds leaving nothing else then a black but brightened screen.....
i'm afraid i have to take full costs due my root and custom rom, if they can fix/see it at all.
it worked fine after all and shut down with no reason what makes me think this is a hardware problem.
does anyone else have any suggestions before i bring it to the service center?
thanks

Let it charge for 24 hours,see if you can turn it on after that.
HUAWEIAscendP6

HUAWEIAscendP6 said:
Let it charge for 24 hours,see if you can turn it on after that.
HUAWEIAscendP6
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has been on the charger for more than 24 hours, nothing has changed, still doesnt seem to charge.

larsbehrens1 said:
It has been on the charger for more than 24 hours, nothing has changed, still doesnt seem to charge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No led?

HUAWEIAscendP6 said:
No led?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, the only led that ive been able to see is the red one for 1/4th of a second in SOME cases when i try to boot it.

larsbehrens1 said:
Nope, the only led that ive been able to see is the red one for 1/4th of a second in SOME cases when i try to boot it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But thats's ok, this is a common android problem, but some phone must be charged for al least two days, and after that try to flash another ROM. Even if the led is not always on, let it for a long time to charge, trust me, the power will be inside your battery, not full but enough to resist/handle a new ROM flashing.

HUAWEIAscendP6 said:
But thats's ok, this is a common android problem, but some phone must be charged for al least two days, and after that try to flash another ROM. Even if the led is not always on, let it for a long time to charge, trust me, the power will be inside your battery, not full but enough to resist/handle a new ROM flashing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea i know that... But it doesnt show the led when i charge it (so the led has nothing to do with the charging state of the phone), only in some cases when i try to boot into recovery. And the battery cant actually be totally empty, it was 40% when it totally crashed so i dont think thats the problem. And if so, it should at least get to the point where it is trying to flash the original firmware

larsbehrens1 said:
Yea i know that... But it doesnt show the led when i charge it (so the led has nothing to do with the charging state of the phone), only in some cases when i try to boot into recovery. And the battery cant actually be totally empty, it was 40% when it totally crashed so i dont think thats the problem. And if so, it should at least get to the point where it is trying to flash the original firmware
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What tool are you using for flashing? Or you try to install it from sdcard?

HUAWEIAscendP6 said:
What tool are you using for flashing? Or you try to install it from sdcard?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im trying to flash it thru the sdcard with the update.app in sdcart/dload/update.app but to do that, you have to put in a certain mode (by holding vol+ and vol- and the power button) . But once again, i cant put the phone in A state, doesnt matter which state. It just wont get in a stable mode. Thats why i cant use fastboot/adb

larsbehrens1 said:
Im trying to flash it thru the sdcard with the update.app in sdcart/dload/update.app but to do that, you have to put in a certain mode (by holding vol+ and vol- and the power button) . But once again, i cant put the phone in A state, doesnt matter which state. It just wont get in a stable mode. Thats why i cant use fastboot/adb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That button combination if for internal storage dload folder. Put your ROM on the sdcard. Enter CWM or TWRP and flash it throu there.

HUAWEIAscendP6 said:
That button combination if for internal storage dload folder. Put your ROM on the sdcard. Enter CWM or TWRP and flash it throu there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish i could acces CWM cus then i wouldn't have this problem at all.... but i already said that i can't get my phone in a stable state, or any state. so i can NOT acces CMW

Larsbehrens said:
I wish i could acces CWM cus then i wouldn't have this problem at all.... but i already said that i can't get my phone in a stable state, or any state. so i can NOT acces CMW
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let it charge to your wall outlet,not through usb cable.
HUAWEIAscendP6

HUAWEIAscendP6 said:
Let it charge to your wall outlet,not through usb cable.
HUAWEIAscendP6
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Already doong that for the past 48 hours

Bringing it back
So guys,
Im going to the service center in 8 hours since my phone is completely DEAD. It doest charge and it does not even react to the power button anymore... (Probably cus the battery is completely drained), it doesnt react to anything else either (usb, power net, anything) and will nog be able to fix by connecting it thru a computer. Aka its hopeless...
Thanks for the support

Ive been to the service center, got a new phone directly, so everything is solved. For the information, my problem was a (like i expected) hardware problem, and there was NO way to fix without replacing hardware.
Sent from my HUAWEI P6-U06 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Larsbehrens said:
Ive been to the service center, got a new phone directly, so everything is solved. For the information, my problem was a (like i expected) hardware problem, and there was NO way to fix without replacing hardware.
Sent from my HUAWEI P6-U06 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good news.

(FIXED) Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 will not fully boot up.

I've had my Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 (SM-T705Y) for just over two years now and it has worked brilliantly beside the odd issue here and there, including the device freezing from time-to-time. Each time that particular freezing issue has happened, I've used the 'Power and Volume Down buttons' technique and it has successfully fixed the issue.
Now, a few days ago, I was using my tablet for normal morning things; music app playing in the background, YouTube opened on the side, using the preinstalled Browser and Google Chrome apps, etc. I am not sure if it was updating any Google or Samsung apps at the time. The screen froze up so I left it for a few minutes, seeing if it would unfreeze. When it didn't, I used the same Power and Volume Down technique, which successfully forced-restarted the tablet. There was a small mistake I made doing this; I was holding down both the Power button and Volume Up button. It took me around thirty seconds to realise why the screen wasn't turning off and switched to the Volume Down button. At the time, both my earphones and the charging cord were connected.
However, upon the loading screen, I noticed that it did not pass the Samsung logo screen with the little explosion of blue circles and just kept replaying the same animation repeatedly. The Application History and Back buttons did not light up and the device did not vibrate as it normally does when it boots up. I repeated the Power-Volume Down technique to see if that would fix the issue. Once again, the tablet rebooted normally but was stuck at the logo screen playing the animation. I tried this same force-restart again, this time without the charger plugged in. No change.
So, I left it running through the animation while doing Google searches through forums and getting into contact with Samsung as to what the issue could be. I'll list down below what my tablet can and can't do at the moment and hopefully someone will have a clue as to what is going on and how to fix it. I will point out now that it was not going through a firmware update at the time, the device is not rooted and nor do I plan on taking that path with it, and I have not made any changes to it that can void the warranty.
It can:
- Recharge (The battery icon will show up if it is force-restarted and the charger is plugged in at the time.)
- Reboot (It's not exactly stuck in a bootloop, more of just the 'explosion' animation replaying over-and-over.)
- Enter Recovery Mode
It cannot:
- Enter Safe Mode
- Be Shut Down without the charger attached (As stated above, the device will only turn off with the Power-Volume Down buttons held for about 30 seconds and that causes the device to restart, not turn off. The only way for it to completely shut down is to have the charger connected and then unplug it after the battery icon appears.)
I have tried removing the SD card and placing it back in, power-cycling it, letting it run on the animation until the battery runs out and then letting it recharge to 100% before turning it on again, connecting it to Samsung Smart Switch (which recognises that there is a Samsung device connected, but not being able to register the device itself), and wiping the Partition Cache (Also note; the Recovery Mode has the 'No Command' sign with the android laying down and the red triangle with the exclamation point above it. Clearing the Partition Cache seemed to go smoothly, however when I chose the 'reboot device now' option, the 'No Command' sign changed to 'Error!' and rebooted the device anyway.) I am now currently trying another technique written on a different website (though since I am a new user, I cannot post up URLs at the moment). So far, plugging in the earphones alone hasn't worked and the device is currently connected to my laptop - which is shut off - and still has the earphones connected, but the animation is the only thing the screen is still showing.
I have important files saved in the internal storage of my Tab S and I do not have them backed up, which is the only issue that's stopping me from just going ahead and doing a Factory Reset as I cannot lose these files.
I am unsure if my Tab S is soft-bricked or if this is another issue entirely and I just missed something that could have already fixed it.
Yes, this is a long and detailed post, but hopefully with these details, someone will be able to help with this issue. If I can restore my Tab S to its condition before the freeze, that would be amazing, but I can definitely settle with only being able to salvage my files from the internal storage and then performing a Factory Reset on it.
Thank you in advance~

It might be a corrupt partition. The way i know involve rooting or the other one might format your device to factory setting.

edan1979 said:
It might be a corrupt partition. The way i know involve rooting or the other one might format your device to factory setting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? I might look into that a bit more, thanks! With the second method you mentioned, how likely are the chances of it formatting the device to the factory settings?

AussieMouse said:
Really? I might look into that a bit more, thanks! With the second method you mentioned, how likely are the chances of it formatting the device to the factory settings?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
download the official firmware and flash it via odin. it usually fix this type of problem. but usually the files on the internal storage/sdcard will be intact. only the data apps will be gone. this will not break your warranty (its already 2 yo device... no more warranty anyway ^_^)

edan1979 said:
download the official firmware and flash it via odin. it usually fix this type of problem. but usually the files on the internal storage/sdcard will be intact. only the data apps will be gone. this will not break your warranty (its already 2 yo device... no more warranty anyway ^_^)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright, I'll try that and let you know how it goes. Is there any specific website I should download the firmware (4.4.2 KitKat) from? (Yeah, I agree with you there! Still, just to be on the safe side~)

KIT KAT? ok that's old... hahaha... why dont you try MM. I think you can search for it at fw.updato.com probably can see all related firmware there.

edan1979 said:
KIT KAT? ok that's old... hahaha... why dont you try MM. I think you can search for it at fw.updato.com probably can see all related firmware there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha Yeah, I'm not too fond of installing software updates due to past experiences~ I'll have a look around.

AussieMouse said:
Haha Yeah, I'm not too fond of installing software updates due to past experiences~ I'll have a look around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MM is ok. I dont have any problem with it.

edan1979 said:
MM is ok. I dont have any problem with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for your help! I managed to find the KitKat 4.4.2 firmware on SamMobile and flashing it restored everything~

Galaxy S20 Ultra stuck in Recovery Mode after failed Smwart Switch Update

Hi guys,
I attached my brand new Galaxy S20 Ultra to my PC and started Smart Switch today. The Software showed an update for my device so I downloaded it and started the update process. Unfortunately, Smart Switch got stuck during the update process at 68%. Nothing happened, cables and all still attached. It just didn't proceed any further for hours.
I decided to take the path of stopping the process, using the key combination shown on my device. It now said, recover your device software with Smart Switch Emergency recovery function. I started this and guess what: it also stopped at 68%.
I "rebooted" the device (volume down + power for approx. 10 seconds) and it starts again in recovery mode.
I manually filled in the recovery code and it seemed like Smart Switch was downloading the OS again. Started the recovery process and it is stuck at 68% again.
Now I am just super afraid that I bricked the device by using Samsungs original software.
Anyone her to help or have similar experiences?
Thanks for any advice on how to proceed.
Julius

What exactly were you trying to do? I mean normally you hook up old phone and use smart switch to update new phone. So why was you connected to a PC? It does sound like you bricked it.
So now you probably need to flash the ROM.

I read that smart switch is a good and valid source to check for updates. I never thought that an official Samsung software can be so bad at something so basic, resulting in bricking my phone...

Stop using smart switch to update your phone. You haven't hard bricked it because you still have recovery. It's called a soft brick. Download Odin 13.3_3B from here on xda. Do not use the 13.4 because it's suspected to have a fishy call back to a server from a dll that's in the program folder. Download the atch firmware for your model from sammobile or get it in this s20 ultra forum. You should be able to flash the new firmware.

Thanks @freebee269. Does flashing the firmware with Odin void my warranty or does this only count for rooting devices? (Sorry for stupid questions)

Julius_GER said:
Thanks @freebee269. Does flashing the firmware with Odin void my warranty or does this only count for rooting devices? (Sorry for stupid questions)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Odin uses official firmware from Samsung so no warranty voided.

Julius_GER said:
Hi guys,
I attached my brand new Galaxy S20 Ultra to my PC and started Smart Switch today. The Software showed an update for my device so I downloaded it and started the update process. Unfortunately, Smart Switch got stuck during the update process at 68%. Nothing happened, cables and all still attached. It just didn't proceed any further for hours.
I decided to take the path of stopping the process, using the key combination shown on my device. It now said, recover your device software with Smart Switch Emergency recovery function. I started this and guess what: it also stopped at 68%.
I "rebooted" the device (volume down + power for approx. 10 seconds) and it starts again in recovery mode.
I manually filled in the recovery code and it seemed like Smart Switch was downloading the OS again. Started the recovery process and it is stuck at 68% again.
Now I am just super afraid that I bricked the device by using Samsungs original software.
Anyone her to help or have similar experiences?
Thanks for any advice on how to proceed.
Julius
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What kind of USB Port did you use?
Try again using a USB 2.0 port, Samsung always had problems with it's software and USB 3.0 ports.
Use USB 2.0 and try again.

Hi guys, i have a similar problem as (xReem).
Attached my GT SM-T515/10.1 tab to smart switch where the software was unable to recognise my device!? Was advised to use the Emergency Code function but i have no code due to backing up my data to sd card! I have Magisk and TWRP installed where my device was working beforehand, but since attaching to smart switch, my device is now totally "dysfunctional"!!!
Error message as follows...
...An error as occurred while updating the software. Use the Emergency Recovery function in the Smart Switch PC software. ...
Like i sad, i have no code!!!
I am able to get to the device unlock choice screen and if i choose to restart, my device always boots to the Smart Switch Emergency Code screen?! If i choose the device unlock or download screens, both screens are accessible! Tried to flash my original firmware (BTU-T515XXU3ASK5-20191224095700) using Odin3_v3.14.1 and twrp-3.3.1-6-T515XXU3ASK5-20200215 with no joy (Fail!)
Although i'm totally @"#$%* off about this, as its a new device, i am also curious if someone has ever cracked this... 'Smart Switch No Code' problem before. Hmm...
Anyways, any help appriciated...
Oh! Cannot access recovery at all...
Any help appriciated.

klantee said:
Hi guys, i have a similar problem as (xReem).
Attached my GT SM-T515/10.1 tab to smart switch where the software was unable to recognise my device!? Was advised to use the Emergency Code function but i have no code due to backing up my data to sd card! I have Magisk and TWRP installed where my device was working beforehand, but since attaching to smart switch, my device is now totally "dysfunctional"!!!
Error message as follows...
...An error as occurred while updating the software. Use the Emergency Recovery function in the Smart Switch PC software. ...
Like i sad, i have no code!!!
I am able to get to the device unlock choice screen and if i choose to restart, my device always boots to the Smart Switch Emergency Code screen?! If i choose the device unlock or download screens, both screens are accessible! Tried to flash my original firmware (BTU-T515XXU3ASK5-20191224095700) using Odin3_v3.14.1 and twrp-3.3.1-6-T515XXU3ASK5-20200215 with no joy (Fail!)
Although i'm totally @"#$%* off about this, as its a new device, i am also curious if someone has ever cracked this... 'Smart Switch No Code' problem before. Hmm...
Anyways, any help appriciated...
Oh! Cannot access recovery at all...
Any help appriciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you ever get things working ? If not, when you flashed with Odin - did you use the PATCHED Version ? THis is necessary when flashing firmware via Odin on the S20 Ultra.....
You can download Odin 3.14.1_3b here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/patched-odin-3-13-1-t3762572
Be sure to download the PATCHED version of 3.14.1_3b (it is located as an attached file at the bottom of the first post in the OP at the link above. Hope this helps.

Geekser said:
Did you ever get things working ? If not, when you flashed with Odin - did you use the PATCHED Version ? THis is necessary when flashing firmware via Odin on the S20 Ultra.....
You can download Odin 3.14.1_3b here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/patched-odin-3-13-1-t3762572
Be sure to download the PATCHED version of 3.14.1_3b (it is located as an attached file at the bottom of the first post in the OP at the link above. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, to answer your first question, and yes used the patched version of Odin you state but with no joy.
(would another version of Odin be better for my device model?)
I just need to find a way to flash the original stock recovery. Having the TWRP installed as mentioned earlier is blocking my path, and I have now tripped knox! So no more options available to access the unlock oem screen. Now frp is off, oem is on!
Also, I was wondering if anyone had thought about a totally updated version of the old "ALL IN ONE TOOL" which was available for some earlier makes of phone devices? I think due to manufacturers security upgrades of today's phones we could all do with something like this?
I heard you can do a NAND/Reset wipe via the Odin options screen which would allow you to install a new rom???
Oh, my predicament was based on Julius's post, not xReem. Sorry for the confusion.

klantee said:
No, to answer your first question, and yes used the patched version of Odin you state but with no joy.
(would another version of Odin be better for my device model?)
I just need to find a way to flash the original stock recovery. Having the TWRP installed as mentioned earlier is blocking my path, and I have now tripped knox! So no more options available to access the unlock oem screen. Now frp is off, oem is on!
Also, I was wondering if anyone had thought about a totally updated version of the old "ALL IN ONE TOOL" which was available for some earlier makes of phone devices? I think due to manufacturers security upgrades of today's phones we could all do with something like this?
I heard you can do a NAND/Reset wipe via the Odin options screen which would allow you to install a new rom???
Oh, my predicament was based on Julius's post, not xReem. Sorry for the confusion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for your troubles - wish I could help you but you have done everything I would have tried. Maybe, if you haven't already done this - leave the phone on until the battery runs out completely. Then, recharge the phone for a while so the battery has some juice again and then get the phone back into download mode by pressing volume up and volume down at the same time - then plug in the USB - it shoul.d launch into download mode again - then try flashing again with the patched odin.
If you have already done this - then I don't know how what else to suggest.
I wish you luck and hope you are able to get things working again.

Geekser said:
Sorry for your troubles - wish I could help you but you have done everything I would have tried. Maybe, if you haven't already done this - leave the phone on until the battery runs out completely. Then, recharge the phone for a while so the battery has some juice again and then get the phone back into download mode by pressing volume up and volume down at the same time - then plug in the USB - it shoul.d launch into download mode again - then try flashing again with the patched odin.
If you have already done this - then I don't know how what else to suggest.
I wish you luck and hope you are able to get things working again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice. I'll try what you suggest and see what happens. Stay well!

Julius_GER said:
Hi guys,
I attached my brand new Galaxy S20 Ultra to my PC and started Smart Switch today. The Software showed an update for my device so I downloaded it and started the update process. Unfortunately, Smart Switch got stuck during the update process at 68%. Nothing happened, cables and all still attached. It just didn't proceed any further for hours.
I decided to take the path of stopping the process, using the key combination shown on my device. It now said, recover your device software with Smart Switch Emergency recovery function. I started this and guess what: it also stopped at 68%.
I "rebooted" the device (volume down + power for approx. 10 seconds) and it starts again in recovery mode.
I manually filled in the recovery code and it seemed like Smart Switch was downloading the OS again. Started the recovery process and it is stuck at 68% again.
Now I am just super afraid that I bricked the device by using Samsungs original software.
Anyone her to help or have similar experiences?
Thanks for any advice on how to proceed.
Julius
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Julius, did you get your phone to work. I am having the same issue.
Update:
I am good now. I was using the thunderbolt cable that came with the phone and update would get stuck at the same point everything with odin 3.13 and 3.14.
I used a USB 3 to thunderbolt cable that I had from an older phone and it work.
What I used:
Windows 10 x64 1909
USB 3 to thunderbolt cable
USB driver downloaded from Samsung support. I think it is the same driver that comes with smart switch because when I installed it, it prompted
to reinstall driver.
Odin3 v3.13.3_3B_PatcheD from here https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/patched-odin-3-13-1-t3762572. ( I think 3.14 will work too.
I really think the cable was the only problem)
Firmware downloaded with SamFirm

klantee said:
Thanks for the advice. I'll try what you suggest and see what happens. Stay well!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Open Odin as administrator and if using a stock AP file always use the HOME-CSC of the same firmware in CSC slot. Sometimes Odin plays the fool and gets stuck.

ASHLEY117 said:
Open Odin as administrator and if using a stock AP file always use the HOME-CSC of the same firmware in CSC slot. Sometimes Odin plays the fool and gets stuck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow! This nearly worked!!!
Managed to get a (((PASS))) on Odin and my tab actually rebooted into the Samsung logo!!!
Soon after this though tab immediately Boots back into download mode??? Tried the same steps but without any progress???
I feel I'm close to cracking this but need some more advice on how to build on such "progress"!?
Many thanks for your advice...

klantee said:
Wow! This nearly worked!!!
Managed to get a (((PASS))) on Odin and my tab actually rebooted into the Samsung logo!!!
Soon after this though tab immediately Boots back into download mode??? Tried the same steps but without any progress???
I feel I'm close to cracking this but need some more advice on how to build on such "progress"!?
Many thanks for your advice...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try with all slots filled but with CSC file not HOME-CSC. That may help as it flashes pit file to factory reset

ASHLEY117 said:
Try with all slots filled but with CSC file not HOME-CSC. That may help as it flashes pit file to factory reset
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried your suggestion with no joy. Will keep trying though as I feel this issue can be cracked. Many thanks...

Geekser said:
Sorry for your troubles - wish I could help you but you have done everything I would have tried. Maybe, if you haven't already done this - leave the phone on until the battery runs out completely. Then, recharge the phone for a while so the battery has some juice again and then get the phone back into download mode by pressing volume up and volume down at the same time - then plug in the USB - it shoul.d launch into download mode again - then try flashing again with the patched odin.
If you have already done this - then I don't know how what else to suggest.
I wish you luck and hope you are able to get things working again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(((SUCCESS)))!!! :laugh::laugh::laugh:
Done what you suggested by waiting until my battery ran out!
I downloaded a different software version and as soon as I plugged my tab into my PC with USB, i flashed the new software with no problems!!!
Flashed TWRP, Magisk and Multidisabler problemless the same!
The lesson learnt here...
...(ONLY FOR THOSE WHO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING)...
...is to probably only have 30% battery when flashing!!! This way you won't have to wait weeks for such a large capacity battery to run down, like I did!
I knew I'd crack it!

klantee said:
(((SUCCESS)))!!! :laugh::laugh::laugh:
Done what you suggested by waiting until my battery ran out!
I downloaded a different software version and as soon as I plugged my tab into my PC with USB, i flashed the new software with no problems!!!
Flashed TWRP, Magisk and Multidisabler problemless the same!
The lesson learnt here...
...(ONLY FOR THOSE WHO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING)...
...is to probably only have 30% battery when flashing!!! This way you won't have to wait weeks for such a large capacity battery to run down, like I did!
I knew I'd crack it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad I could hel;p- I know how frustrating it is when things seem like you can never get things to work - anyway - best of luck - and be sure to hit thanks If I helped you.

Hi Do you lose your data (vids and pics) via this method? i have had same thing happen on my s20+