[sva50233]

Hello folks, this is my 1st full a) post and b) month without my s3 phone (been borrowing my friend's s5 active in the meanwhile). One day the phone started a boot loop, so I did some searching on this forum.

I tried the following:

1. The Old Remove & Install Battery Trick: took the battery out for a minute or so, then put it back in - the phone did not turns on by itself. I thought about ruling out a stuck power button. But I sent it in for repair anyway.

1.1 Tap the Power Switch With the Battery Trick: I did this, and didn't see any change. Still boot loop.

2. Replace Power Switch: removed the logic board, and sent it in to a service to have a new power button soldered on. The logic board was put back into the phone, but still a boot loop.

3. New Battery: purchased a new gorillagadgets battery, thinking it was a battery situation. After the battery was full charged (the screen stayed on during the entire re-charge process, FWIW), I removed the SIM and micro SD card, still get a boot loop.

4. Safe Mode: with new battery and new power switch, I tried pressing home button and volume down in order to boot into safe mode. When I do this, more times than not, I was able to use the phone in safe mode for a minute (without my SIM and memory card installed) as opposed to not in safe mode I'd get a reboot shortly after my screen unlock screen showed up, but it *usually* rebooted itself immediately in safe mode as well.

5. Recovery Mode with Cache Clearing: with new battery in, but sim and memory card removed, I successfully booted into recovery mode. I chose the option to clear the cache. And then I rebooted the phone. I still get a boot loop.

I am wondering if I should try to rule out everything *but* the logic board. I'm thinking of buying a used s3, and putting my logic board with the soldered-on new power switch. If it works, then something about the rest of my phone was broken. The assumption with this is that I can take out my logic board and just swap it into another phone. I could be wrong, and if so please correct me.

Another option I'm thinking about is to completely remove the power button, and go with a program called button savior j. I am not sure if this option would even work, because I might remove the power button and all the soldering, but then get a loop again, well before even the option of getting into google play and downloading button savior is possible.

[itguyjax8430]

Hello folks, this is my 1st full a) post and b) month without my s3 phone (been borrowing my friend's s5 active in the meanwhile). One day the phone started a boot loop, so I did some searching on this forum.

I tried the following:

1. The Old Remove & Install Battery Trick: took the battery out for a minute or so, then put it back in - the phone did not turns on by itself. I thought about ruling out a stuck power button. But I sent it in for repair anyway.

1.1 Tap the Power Switch With the Battery Trick: I did this, and didn't see any change. Still boot loop.

2. Replace Power Switch: removed the logic board, and sent it in to a service to have a new power button soldered on. The logic board was put back into the phone, but still a boot loop.

3. New Battery: purchased a new gorillagadgets battery, thinking it was a battery situation. After the battery was full charged (the screen stayed on during the entire re-charge process, FWIW), I removed the SIM and micro SD card, still get a boot loop.

4. Safe Mode: with new battery and new power switch, I tried pressing home button and volume down in order to boot into safe mode. When I do this, more times than not, I was able to use the phone in safe mode for a minute (without my SIM and memory card installed) as opposed to not in safe mode I'd get a reboot shortly after my screen unlock screen showed up, but it *usually* rebooted itself immediately in safe mode as well.

5. Recovery Mode with Cache Clearing: with new battery in, but sim and memory card removed, I successfully booted into recovery mode. I chose the option to clear the cache. And then I rebooted the phone. I still get a boot loop.

I am wondering if I should try to rule out everything *but* the logic board. I'm thinking of buying a used s3, and putting my logic board with the soldered-on new power switch. If it works, then something about the rest of my phone was broken. The assumption with this is that I can take out my logic board and just swap it into another phone. I could be wrong, and if so please correct me.

Another option I'm thinking about is to completely remove the power button, and go with a program called button savior j. I am not sure if this option would even work, because I might remove the power button and all the soldering, but then get a loop again, well before even the option of getting into google play and downloading button savior is possible.

Welcome to Android Central!

Have you thought about just buying a new phone? Or are you just determined to fix this one?

[sva50233]

Welcome to Android Central!

Have you thought about just buying a new phone? Or are you just determined to fix this one?

I am determined at the very least to get all my information off the phone. Is there at least a way to do that in safe mode? I noticed in that mode, none of my apps that I'd downloaded were present. I suspect that my files are also not visible in safe mode?

However, if it is possible to fix the phone, that is the preferable option to upgrading at this time, for me

So for that reason I'd greatly appreciate any help anyone out there can provide

[itguyjax8430]

I am determined at the very least to get all my information off the phone. Is there at least a way to do that in safe mode? I noticed in that mode, none of my apps that I'd downloaded were present. I suspect that my files are also not visible in safe mode?

However, if it is possible to fix the phone, that is the preferable option to upgrading at this time, for me

So for that reason I'd greatly appreciate any help anyone out there can provide

You can try finding a factory imagine tar file and try flashing a stock image over the current image you have on there. That should preserve your data and just replace any corrupted files that may be causing the phone not to boot up properly.

Check out this thread for the factory firmware and the ODIN tool.

[Firmware/OTA's] [root66] SGH-T999(All Varia… | T-Mobile, Wind, Mobilicity, Videotron Samsung Galaxy S III | XDA Forums

[cklaborde]

Do you know if this process would work for the Verizon Galaxy SIII Model SCH-i535?