Help with galaxy S3 soft brick. Bootchain files hanging with odin.

[kuliksco]

I have a Verizon S3 SCH-i535. I unlocked the bootloader a while back when I was running cyanogen, but restored back to factory with clockworkmod and can't remember if I relocked the bootloader (or if reverting back auto locked it again).

Anyway, I have been trying to following the guide here [HOW-TO] Unbrick your soft bricked Galaxy S3 (+ bootloader brick) - xda-developers

and anytime I try to flash VRALEC or VRALEF it hangs on the step below. I left it up when I went to bed and it was still stuck in the same spot about 6 hours later.

<ID:0/004> Added!!
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> VRALEC.bootchain.tar.md5 is valid.
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/004> Odin v.3 engine (ID:4)..
<ID:0/004> File analysis..
<ID:0/004> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/004> Initialzation..
<ID:0/004> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/004> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/004> aboot.mbn
<ID:0/004> NAND Write Start!!
<ID:0/004> rpm.mbn
<ID:0/004> sbl1.mbn
<ID:0/004> sbl2.mbn

I have tried different cables, different PC's, and different USB ports with no luck.

The reason I am doing this is because my phone was randomly rebooting and wouldn't stay on for more than a minute. I wanted to take it in to verizon, but I still had the custom unlock logo on the startup screen, so I was trying to flash a stock image to make it look normal so I could possibly get a warranty replacement. Well, the phones only have 1 year and I'm a little out of that range and whatever PDA files I tried to flash with odin only made it worse. My phone hangs on the samsung Galaxy S3 logo and I can't boot into recovery mode, only download mode.

Anyone have any advice? Are there any steps I might need to perform before trying to flash the bootchains?

I also tried flashing stock.vzw_root66.tar with the following error even with a PIT file:

<ID:0/004> Removed!!
<ID:0/004> Added!!
<ID:0/004> Odin v.3 engine (ID:4)..
<ID:0/004> File analysis..
<ID:0/004> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/004> Initialzation..
<ID:0/004> Erase...
<ID:0/004> Set PIT file..
<ID:0/004> DO NOT TURN OFF TARGET!!
<ID:0/004> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/004>
<ID:0/004> There is no PIT partition.
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

I'm guessing that is because I was not able to successfully flash the first two.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Try redownloading the file.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[kuliksco]

Try redownloading the file.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

I tried a few different copies with the same results. All of them passed the md5 check so I think they are valid.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Its a rooted ROM?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[xceeder]

Sorry to hear you've soft bricked but why on earth does everyone use that Odin app its not stable enough in my opinion , if you've got a PC/laptop then use that using the adb commands its not that hard honestly if a newbie like me can do it then anyone can.....

sent from my Nexus 7 using tapatalk pro..

 

[kuliksco]

I tried multiple downloads from different sites for the bootchains, but they have all passed the MD5 which I think means they should be fine.

Its a rooted ROM?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

I don't think I have much of any rom left on my device. I got errors about last time I was able to try a factory reset about deleting and creating parititons before I tried reflashing a full blown stock ROM. I was able to run one of the CF autoroot packages which did complete successfully, but my phone is not even able to boot into recovery mode, only download mode. When I try to boot in recovery mode, I get an error about how I should use kies to recover the system. I did try Kies at it sits at 0% after it finishes downloading the firmware.

From what I'm reading, as long as I can get into download mode my phone should be recoverable. Although, now I'm starting to think there might be some legitimate hardware issue.

I'm a UNIX admin by day, so if there was a method using ADB to try and recover, I should be able to follow.

 

[Golfdriver97]

I tried multiple downloads from different sites for the bootchains, but they have all passed the MD5 which I think means they should be fine.



I don't think I have much of any rom left on my device. I got errors about last time I was able to try a factory reset about deleting and creating parititons before I tried reflashing a full blown stock ROM. I was able to run one of the CF autoroot packages which did complete successfully, but my phone is not even able to boot into recovery mode, only download mode. When I try to boot in recovery mode, I get an error about how I should use kies to recover the system. I did try Kies at it sits at 0% after it finishes downloading the firmware.

From what I'm reading, as long as I can get into download mode my phone should be recoverable. Although, now I'm starting to think there might be some legitimate hardware issue.

I'm a UNIX admin by day, so if there was a method using ADB to try and recover, I should be able to follow.

Finding a stock ROM might be hard to come by for the time being. Many of the sites that I know of that have ROM libraries, used Hotfile, which voluntarily shut down about a month ago. ADB may be possible, but I think you need it to have USB Debugging on.

 

[kuliksco]

No matter what I try to flash, it always hangs on sbl2.mbn. bootchain, kernel, and ROM image.

<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> VRALEC.bootchain.tar.md5 is valid.
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/003> Added!!
<ID:0/003> Odin v.3 engine (ID:3)..
<ID:0/003> File analysis..
<ID:0/003> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/003> Initialzation..
<ID:0/003> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/003> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/003> SingleDownload.
<ID:0/003> aboot.mbn
<ID:0/003> NAND Write Start!!
<ID:0/003> rpm.mbn
<ID:0/003> sbl1.mbn
<ID:0/003> sbl2.mbn

 

[Golfdriver97]

No matter what I try to flash, it always hangs on sbl2.mbn. bootchain, kernel, and ROM image.

<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> VRALEC.bootchain.tar.md5 is valid.
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/003> Added!!
<ID:0/003> Odin v.3 engine (ID:3)..
<ID:0/003> File analysis..
<ID:0/003> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/003> Initialzation..
<ID:0/003> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/003> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/003> SingleDownload.
<ID:0/003> aboot.mbn
<ID:0/003> NAND Write Start!!
<ID:0/003> rpm.mbn
<ID:0/003> sbl1.mbn
<ID:0/003> sbl2.mbn

I am going to be honest, I have no idea what to suggest.

From a Sprint Moto X using AC Forums app

 

[Luisin76]

So, i was trying to Root my SGH-I747 when Odin closed unexpectedly, this is the first time I attempt a root and it freaking fails. So I thought to myself "no worries, just restart the phone, it will be alright, yea well, it wasn't. My damn phone ended up getting soft-bricked. I tried all the threads I could find to attempt to get the stock FW back to no avail. Then I attempted to follow this tut and the damn thing failed on step 1. I was really sad and damn near had a heart attack. Then the weirdest thing happened. I attempted to put the phone back in recovery mode and the SAMSUNG screen came up, I let it continue the boot and voila, the damn thing was un-bricked and none of my data was lost. I didn't even have to re-flash the stock ROM. I am so glad I ran into your TUT. Thanks. I will re-try to root my phone but I will make sure I have a backup phone first....just in case!!!

 

[Golfdriver97]

So, i was trying to Root my SGH-I747 when Odin closed unexpectedly, this is the first time I attempt a root and it freaking fails. So I thought to myself "no worries, just restart the phone, it will be alright, yea well, it wasn't. My damn phone ended up getting soft-bricked. I tried all the threads I could find to attempt to get the stock FW back to no avail. Then I attempted to follow this tut and the damn thing failed on step 1. I was really sad and damn near had a heart attack. Then the weirdest thing happened. I attempted to put the phone back in recovery mode and the SAMSUNG screen came up, I let it continue the boot and voila, the damn thing was un-bricked and none of my data was lost. I didn't even have to re-flash the stock ROM. I am so glad I ran into your TUT. Thanks. I will re-try to root my phone but I will make sure I have a backup phone first....just in case!!!

Welcome to the forums.
Glad everything sorted itself out. I would double check the root procedure, redownload files, and try again. Let us know how it works out.