Help with bricked Nexus S 4g - Recovery Mode not working.

**mcbeaven** · 06-29-2011, 08:26 PM

So, i unlocked the bootloader about a month ago and was running an MIUI rom just fine, no issues what so ever, today i removed the rom, and just went back to stock android, I tried to change the system font with an app called "fontchanger", and now the phone will not boot, when i power up the phone, i never even get to the nexus loading screen, it gets stuck on the Google screen, If i hold the power up button and the power button to get into the the diagnostic menu, i get the options to reboot bootloader, reboot, recovery, and power off, when i try to go to the recovery menu, i get the triangle with and exclamation mark logo. When i plug the phone into the computer PDA net recognizes that the phone is plugged in, but if i try to interact with the phone at all the phone reads at the very bottom, Fastboot FAIL not a valid command. Can anyone please help me, i cant seem to get any response over at XDA.

**mcbeaven** · 06-29-2011, 09:11 PM

does anyone have any ideas, im dangerously close to curb stomping this thing and never looking back.

**kalex** · 07-01-2011, 02:04 PM

can u select recovery from the menu and enter it?

**Dillinger88** · 09-13-2011, 05:48 PM

I am having the same inssue I cant do anything but get into Clockwork Mod not sure if I can Fastboot dunno how to exactly.

**ZiggSeVO** · 09-13-2011, 08:16 PM

Did you try this method?

**Paul627g** · 09-13-2011, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by Dillinger88

I am having the same inssue I cant do anything but get into Clockwork Mod not sure if I can Fastboot dunno how to exactly.

Fastboot is achieved by power down/off...

Then press volume up and power.

You should be taken almost instantly to Fastboot (Android guy in the center) says Fastboot Mode in RED at the top.. Gives you the options...

Reboot Bootloader
Reboot
Recovery (boot into stock recovery/CWM)
Power Off

From Fastboot you can restore your system...

**j1what** · 11-16-2011, 09:25 PM

So, I'm in a bad spot with my Nexus S 4g. I had CWR installed on it and flashed a new rom yesterday to try it out, I had been running Deck's rom. I don't remember what the name of the rom was I flashed yesterday, but I didn't care for it so I was going to flash MIUI this morning. When i went to boot into recovery it brought me to the fastboot screen and said no boot or recovery img. From there I rebooted back to the rom I have loaded and tried to search around on the interwebs a little. I went into ROM Manager and tried to reflash the recovery, but that didn't work as upon reboot it did the same thing in returning to fastboot everytime. I did some more searching and I found info on an app called flash image that's in the app store that will flash kernels and recovery's. So I dl'd it and tried to reflash clockwork recovery from there. It gave me an error about not enough free space on the device. I went back to ROM Manager and set it to erase the current recovery before it flashed the new one in hopes that it would resolve the issue. So I reflashed the recovery again and went to boot to recovery. Now I can't get past the bootloader/fastboot screen at all. It won't boot to android, it won't boot to recovery. My pc won't recognize the phone to allow me to install the drivers for adb...I'm at a loss.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I have no idea what to do next.

Thanks in advance...

**nmoreman** · 11-17-2011, 10:37 AM

I read your request, and not sure what you have mucked up (no I'm not laughing, I have done that). Have you done a battery pull and just let it set for awhile, that sometimes fixes things by allowing all electrical charges to escape, somewhat like booting a computer.

In stickies above, there is a return to stock, I wrote it because I did it. That will put you at original, Day 1, unrooted, stock out the door Nexus. You should then be able to download to your phone, the new versions.

There are also some other threads, here and at xda, how to unbrick a phone - read and follow. When I have
issues, I take everything back to bone stock - yes, you will lose root and all of that, but once you get so many conflicts, you could have on-going issues and never resolve.

If you did make a backup, and can get to it via Rom Manager, I would go there. I know I tried the flash image, did not work for me. But you probably need to go to stock, then start over. And there are lots of instructions on that

**badhabits727** · 11-17-2011, 10:44 AM

For OP it sounds like recovery didn't stick and that is common. You can push cwm via adb and be able to enter cwm. There is a file in /etc iirc named install-recovery.sh that must be deleted to get cwm to stick.

**j1what** · 11-17-2011, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by nmoreman

I read your request, and not sure what you have mucked up (no I'm not laughing, I have done that). Have you done a battery pull and just let it set for awhile, that sometimes fixes things by allowing all electrical charges to escape, somewhat like booting a computer.

In stickies above, there is a return to stock, I wrote it because I did it. That will put you at original, Day 1, unrooted, stock out the door Nexus. You should then be able to download to your phone, the new versions.

There are also some other threads, here and at xda, how to unbrick a phone - read and follow. When I have
issues, I take everything back to bone stock - yes, you will lose root and all of that, but once you get so many conflicts, you could have on-going issues and never resolve.

If you did make a backup, and can get to it via Rom Manager, I would go there. I know I tried the flash image, did not work for me. But you probably need to go to stock, then start over. And there are lots of instructions on that

Thanks for the quick response! I am in total agreement that I need to return it to stock, but my issue is that I can't get my pc to recognize the phone to connect via adb as it won't boot past the fastboot screen. I've got a recovery image on the internal storage so I can get all my data back, I'm not worried about having to factory reset. I just need some help with how to flash a stock image on to the phone given my adb issue.

**Paul627g** · 11-17-2011, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by j1what

Thanks for the quick response! I am in total agreement that I need to return it to stock, but my issue is that I can't get my pc to recognize the phone to connect via adb as it won't boot past the fastboot screen. I've got a recovery image on the internal storage so I can get all my data back, I'm not worried about having to factory reset. I just need some help with how to flash a stock image on to the phone given my adb issue.

Have you tried installing PDAnet on your computer to help with the drivers?

Also, make sure you reboot your computer... Sometimes once something goes wrong with ADB & drivers getting recognized by your computer a simple reboot is the solution... No promises but it has worked in the past...

**NerdyNugget** · 11-18-2011, 05:46 PM

you have the stock recovery if all you get is the Android logo with the !, all you have to do is press and hold the power button and then press the volume up button and the Recovery options should pop right up

**BenjaSands** · 06-10-2012, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by Paul627g

Fastboot is achieved by power down/off...

Then press volume up and power.

You should be taken almost instantly to Fastboot (Android guy in the center) says Fastboot Mode in RED at the top.. Gives you the options...

Reboot Bootloader
Reboot
Recovery (boot into stock recovery/CWM)
Power Off

From Fastboot you can restore your system...

This is apparently all I have... "stock recovery" What Can I do? I would like to go back to a stock rom but anything I just need my damn phone working

**BenjaSands** · 06-10-2012, 09:25 PM

Seems like my options are bleak since I cant even access my USB Storage since the phone does not start up or anything

**TOOLEY** · 06-29-2012, 05:40 PM

Hope this will help for those who are having problems getting back to stock.

Create folder. ONE CLICK STOCK NEXUS S 4G. Files r in correct order

://db.tt/KKBIswps. Adb

adbwinapi

adbwonusbapi

boot

bootloader

. Fastboot

. GRJ22images

one click stock

one click stock.zip

Radio

Recovery

Run

system

Userdata

Place in same order into folder. Run the run file. Follow prompts.

Note you may have to reconnect the phone to the computer a few times to advance to next prompt. If prompts don't advance after a 2 minute window try reconnect n may advance. Hope it helps whoever may need it.

**TOOLEY** · 06-29-2012, 07:20 PM

Hope this will help for those who are having problems getting back to stock.

Create folder. ONE CLICK STOCK NEXUS S 4G. Files r in correct order

://db.tt/KKBIswps. Adb

adbwinapi

adbwonusbapi

boot

bootloader

. Fastboot

. GRJ22images

one click stock

one click stock.zip

Radio

Recovery

Run

system

Userdata

Place in same order into folder. Run the run file. Follow prompts.

Note you may have to reconnect the phone to the computer a few times to advance to next prompt. If prompts don't advance after a 2 minute window try reconnect n may advance. Hope it helps whoever may need it.

**androiddee** · 07-16-2012, 03:01 AM

Originally Posted by androidtooley

Hope this will help for those who are having problems getting back to stock.

Create folder. ONE CLICK STOCK NEXUS S 4G. Files r in correct order

://db.tt/KKBIswps. Adb

adbwinapi

adbwonusbapi

boot

bootloader

. Fastboot

. GRJ22images

one click stock

one click stock.zip

Radio

Recovery

Run

system

Userdata

Place in same order into folder. Run the run file. Follow prompts.

Note you may have to reconnect the phone to the computer a few times to advance to next prompt. If prompts don't advance after a 2 minute window try reconnect n may advance. Hope it helps whoever may need it.

For "Bootloader" and "Fastboot", you have the same files.

**TOOLEY** · 07-16-2012, 06:42 PM

. Is bootloader

. Is. Fastboot.

Sorry about file confusion in earlier posts.

Hope it helps.

**bbbbbb666** · 07-29-2012, 06:47 PM

plz help no boot img or revoery img! i erased everything by mistakee

**Paul627g** · 07-30-2012, 06:55 PM

Follow the instructions earlier in this thread to flash the images from your bootloader.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Android Central Forums

**SRISRIANDROID** · 08-11-2012, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by BenjaSands

Seems like my options are bleak since I cant even access my USB Storage since the phone does not start up or anything

Did you(System) able to recogonise and get into recovery mode by following "androidtooley" suggestion..?

**grea3682** · 08-17-2012, 01:17 AM

Have you tried wugfresh toolkit. It supports the nexus s 4g

**BigMike76** · 08-17-2012, 06:48 PM

I was trying to UN root my phone so I coulsld take it in for repair and during the file transfer my cat decides to reach up and swat at the USB cable and now I have no phone. I cannot get debugging mode on cause I can't get past the boot image. Yes it's a Nexus S 4G. This is my spare.

Someone please help if there is any.

Sent from my LS670 using Android Central Forums

**Paul627g** · 08-17-2012, 07:07 PM

Try using this little package I put together.... Sometimes it works better for people instead of the more well known One Clicks which give people troubles cuz of the built in safety checks.

[GUIDE] Restore to Stock/Unroot for the Nexus S 4g

**Big_Mike76** · 08-18-2012, 01:44 AM

Originally Posted by Paul627g

Try using this little package I put together.... Sometimes it works better for people instead of the more well known One Clicks which give people troubles cuz of the built in safety checks.

[GUIDE] Restore to Stock/Unroot for the Nexus S 4g

I have managed to get my phone back to Stock state with 2.3. Thanks again for your help. I will keep you informed once I switch my phone switched back to my NS4G. Trying now, but the Sprint's page is down for maintenance.