Please help: "Insert SIM Card" error on SPRINT network

**aleksb6** · 09-26-2012, 03:04 PM

Yes, I'm aware that Sprint doesn't use SIM cards...

Started happening after the latest system update. Phone was NOT rooted at the time, though I had a bunch of stuff on my SD card from the old S1. Now, it will not attach to the mobile network, although wifi works perfectly fine. When I click on "Mobile Data Services" I get the following message:

"Insert SIM card"
"Insert SIM card to access network services"

I've done everything I can from flashing to factory reset to even rooting. Nothing works, and the Sprint techs are scratching their heads (just being polite here.) Not sure where to go from here, so please help!

Regards,

A

**Skunkape60** · 09-26-2012, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by aleksb6

Yes, I'm aware that Sprint doesn't use SIM cards...

Started happening after the latest system update. Phone was NOT rooted at the time, though I had a bunch of stuff on my SD card from the old S1. Now, it will not attach to the mobile network, although wifi works perfectly fine. When I click on "Mobile Data Services" I get the following message:

"Insert SIM card"
"Insert SIM card to access network services"

I've done everything I can from flashing to factory reset to even rooting. Nothing works, and the Sprint techs are scratching their heads (just being polite here.) Not sure where to go from here, so please help!

Regards,

A

Return the phone.

**aleksb6** · 09-28-2012, 08:57 AM

Update -

Sprint wasn't helpful about phone return, so I had to trouble shoot the darn thing myself. Looks like the update process tried to boot with clockwork mod, while the binary protection was still on. So here's the fix in two "easy" steps:

1. Factory reset the phone from menus
2. Drain the battery and recharge.
3. Root the phone with this guide . Make sure to toggle the binary protection to off per instructions in the guide.

The phone works quite well now.

A

**responsbility** · 11-01-2012, 08:22 PM

It looks like OP has gotten his phone working again, however if another person were to have this issue:
Also, for users who have modded their msl, it is important that you change settings in msl back to stock before reverting or else you will experience a "no sim card" error.
Thankfully Skunkape and I were able to find that if you accept all of the OTA updates, your cdma "sim card" will eventually be re-identified and you can configure the msl settings correctly.

**dad2noah** · 11-01-2012, 09:07 PM

I got a notification "No Sim card inserted", with a red x over the signal strength bars.
It corrected itself right away. Just happened about an hour ago.

**captalaskan** · 11-02-2012, 05:40 AM

I haven't been able to figure this thing out... I tried reflashing/rerooting my phone to no avail, I even tried the guide mentioned above... anyone have a fix?

**Bradley Uffner** · 12-16-2012, 03:06 PM

I'm having the same problem. I followed the rooting guide exactly (multiple times now), but I don't see anything about how to "Turn off binary protection" that step 3 mentioned. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

**Skunkape60** · 12-17-2012, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by Bradley Uffner

I'm having the same problem. I followed the rooting guide exactly (multiple times now), but I don't see anything about how to "Turn off binary protection" that step 3 mentioned. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

What guide are you using? None of my guides say anything about turning off binary protection.

**Bradley Uffner** · 12-17-2012, 03:15 PM

Sorry, I was referring to aleksb6's post, where in step 3 he says "Root the phone with this guide . Make sure to toggle the binary protection to off per instructions in the guide." Which links to this guide [GUIDE] UPDATED: How to Root Your Sprint Galaxy S3

I'm confused about what "Binary Protection" aleksb6 is talking about as I don't see it mentioned in your guide anywhere.

**Skunkape60** · 12-17-2012, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by Bradley Uffner

Sorry, I was referring to aleksb6's post, where in step 3 he says "Root the phone with this guide . Make sure to toggle the binary protection to off per instructions in the guide." Which links to this guide [GUIDE] UPDATED: How to Root Your Sprint Galaxy S3

I'm confused about what "Binary Protection" aleksb6 is talking about as I don't see it mentioned in your guide anywhere.

Are you still having an issue with your phone? And did you return to ICS stock? The only time I've seen this issue is when you return to stock after changing your msl.

**Bradley Uffner** · 12-17-2012, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by Skunkape60

Are you still having an issue with your phone? And did you return to ICS stock? The only time I've seen this issue is when you return to stock after changing your msl.

I've never touched the MSL that I'm aware of. Though when my number was ported over the tech who helped me gave me the MSL code and said I would need to it reset my profile. I had to flash back to the stock Sprint rom to enter the ##72786# code he gave me. I was never prompted for the MSL though. My operator is Ting, and MVNO under Sprint. Is it possible that the MSL is different than the stock Sprint rom is expecting because they are an MVNO?

**Skunkape60** · 12-17-2012, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by Bradley Uffner

I've never touched the MSL that I'm aware of. Though when my number was ported over the tech who helped me gave me the MSL code and said I would need to it reset my profile. I had to flash back to the stock Sprint rom to enter the ##72786# code he gave me. I was never prompted for the MSL though. My operator is Ting, and MVNO under Sprint. Is it possible that the MSL is different than the stock Sprint rom is expecting because they are an MVNO?

Did you return to stock ICS or stock jelly bean? Did you buy the phone used? I am trying to figure out why your phone was touted before it was ported.

**Bradley Uffner** · 12-17-2012, 04:59 PM

ICS. I think I managed to fix the problem. Stock now no longer yells about the sim. I just re-rooted and installed cyanogen mod again and it's sticking!
I had missed the post that talked about restoring to stock and letting it do all of it's updates before rerooting. Following those instructions is what seems to have fixed the problem.
I appreciate the help.

**Skunkape60** · 12-17-2012, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by Bradley Uffner

ICS. I think I managed to fix the problem. Stock now no longer yells about the sim. I just re-rooted and installed cyanogen mod again and it's sticking!
I had missed the post that talked about restoring to stock and letting it do all of it's updates before rerooting. Following those instructions is what seems to have fixed the problem.
I appreciate the help.

Well I think this issue will be fixed in the future. I removed the return to stock ICS link. This only happens when going back to ICS.

**Thadd Valeika** · 12-31-2012, 04:40 PM

Im having the same problem with the SIM card error thing and im on sprint. Is there any way possible that you can post step by step instructions on how to get this to go away.I have tried restoring many stock Rom and it stil had the SIM card error that pops up.this happened after I tried flashing the Free gs3 Rom from team sonic.that was a total fail.in the process of trying to flash the Rom it asked me on aroma installer about a modem or something like that and I picked the LG8 option which is what I think I did wrong. So if I re-root my phone will this SIM card error go away? I'm sorry I'm not making sense but I'm kinda panicking right now because of this.

**Skunkape60** · 12-31-2012, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by Thadd Valeika

Im having the same problem with the SIM card error thing and im on sprint. Is there any way possible that you can post step by step instructions on how to get this to go away.I have tried restoring many stock Rom and it stil had the SIM card error that pops up.this happened after I tried flashing the Free gs3 Rom from team sonic.that was a total fail.in the process of trying to flash the Rom it asked me on aroma installer about a modem or something like that and I picked the LG8 option which is what I think I did wrong. So if I re-root my phone will this SIM card error go away? I'm sorry I'm not making sense but I'm kinda panicking right now because of this.

Try returning to stock with the method posted yesterday.... Then you can reroot....

**Bradley Uffner** · 12-31-2012, 04:45 PM

Flash the stock Sprint rom back to the device via Odin. Reboot it and let it sit for a while. It will tell you that a software update is ready to install. Let it install and reboot. This will happen about 6 times. When it's all done with those updates it will stop yelling about the sim card. You can then re-root the phone and put whatever custom firmware on you want without the sim card error.

**Thadd Valeika** · 12-31-2012, 05:26 PM

So is there a way where i take the root off of my phone or can i do this with the phone still rooted and it be fine and not get messed up?

**Bradley Uffner** · 12-31-2012, 05:58 PM

Flashing the stock image will remove root and put the phone back in the state it was when you bought it.

**Thadd Valeika** · 12-31-2012, 06:15 PM

Ok so im going to go into odin and flash the clockworkmod tar file right? im so sorry about this. im confused and i have never done this before

**Bradley Uffner** · 12-31-2012, 06:28 PM

No, the clockworkmod tar file won'r restore you to stock, it just gives you root. You want to download the stock Sprint image from
and use Odin to flash it.

**Skunkape60** · 12-31-2012, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by Thadd Valeika

Ok so im going to go into odin and flash the clockworkmod tar file right? im so sorry about this. im confused and i have never done this before

If you are trying to stock you will not be flashing cwm.

**Skunkape60** · 12-31-2012, 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by Bradley Uffner

No, the clockworkmod tar file won'r restore you to stock, it just gives you root. You want to download the stock Sprint image from
and use Odin to flash it.

I wouldn't use that. The updated return to stock releases by Samsung for our phone is in the return to stock guide.

**Skunkape60** · 12-31-2012, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by Bradley Uffner

No, the clockworkmod tar file won'r restore you to stock, it just gives you root. You want to download the stock Sprint image from
and use Odin to flash it.

The clockwork mod tar doesn't give you root. It just loads clockwork mod. The team epic root from recovery gives you root.

There is a return to stock guide stickied in this section. It has the updated tar from Samsung that will return you to stock jellybean. I just updated yesterday.