Four Ways to Fix GPS Problems in Froyo

[dilbert33]

If you could test for "accuracy", it would help me decide. Again, im not really interested in what the various programs say your accuracy is (ie.. X meters), however, I am interested in how "real life" the crosshairs or marker is on the satellite view of the map. Right now for example, I can stand in my driveway and get several satellite fixes, but the crosshairs show me standing across the road in my neighbors backyard. (again, when I first got the phone (unrooted on Eclair), it was always right on the money). Thanks.

 

[Paul627g]

@bojackson, yes unfortunately that is the price you have to pay to try and get your GPS working if the other methods have failed.

 

[kedzzoo]

gps fix...complications?

i tred the last procedure. I should have backed up my settings. I lost a few things that came with the ROM. is spare parts important? should i do a factory reset and start from scratch to make sure all goes well in the long run. more importantly, did the reset lose any important data that can mess up the rom?I just don't want to jump the gun yet on a reset, but I might. I've got time to spare, for now.

 

[Paul627g]

Since you are back at zero, if you want to try things again.. Odin back to stock.. Get a lock and see what your getting, if you feel its not what your would like then try that Procedure #4. Best I always got on Eclair at home was 30 meters. I moved to stock Froyo and got 10 meters. Custom ROMs, I pull in the 3-5 meter range. Good enough for me .

Then get another lock and move up the chain, install Froyo, get another GPS lock, then install your CWM3.0.0.5 and ROM of choice and GPS lock.. Hopefully you will be in good shape. No promises as GPS issues are completely random.

 

[JonnyB]

just odin to 2.2 and couldn't get a lock. I used Procedure 4 and worked perfect up to 7ft using GPS Test app and 10 meters in Google Maps

 

[zetterwing]

Used procedure #4 and got the gps to lock quickly. Special note DO NOT use this procedure if you are connecting through an Airave. The handsfree activation will fail. I could also not get a manual configuration and activation to work. Had to run down the road first thing this morning to a place that had an actual Sprint signal to reset and restore my rom. Gps works great now.

 

[bojackson]

so i think im finally gonna try procedure 1. what i want out of this is a gps lock better than 50 meters im currently getting (sometimes as much as 2800 meters) froyo, and rooted to truly epic. But the steps are a little vague, to me at least. correct me im wrong about any of this. i will:

1) factory restore to stock eclair using odin
a) get gps lock
2) odin to the dk28 modem
b) boot up
3) install clockwork
4)flash dk28 rom

this seems to be the steps i need to take. however, i need some clarification.

1) why do you odin the dk28 modem instead of dk28?

2) by flash dk28 rom, does this mean the rom i want to use, in my case trulyepic?

 

[Paul627g]

so i think im finally gonna try procedure 1. what i want out of this is a gps lock better than 50 meters im currently getting (sometimes as much as 2800 meters) froyo, and rooted to truly epic. But the steps are a little vague, to me at least. correct me im wrong about any of this. i will:

1) factory restore to stock eclair using odin
a) get gps lock
2) odin to the dk28 modem
b) boot up
3) install clockwork
4)flash dk28 rom

this seems to be the steps i need to take. however, i need some clarification.

1) why do you odin the dk28 modem instead of dk28?

2) by flash dk28 rom, does this mean the rom i want to use, in my case trulyepic?

1) Not sure why, just do as it says. Odin the DK28 modem.

2) At the time this was written it was before CWM3 and the newer filesystems, etc.

You would of had to use OneClickRoot v2.5.5 to root/install CWM v2.x.x.x. Then you could flash a NON EXT4 ROM. Example older Bonsai, midNIGHT, original Truly Epic.

Then you could see if this fixed your GPS signal. If so then you could continue onward and do the CWM3 upgrade.

Note: Remember you have to be on DK28 Froyo to use the CWM3 installation, so you can't follow this GPS Procedure #1 to the letter because you can't go directly from Eclair to CWM3, because DK28 Froyo is needed on your phone to complete the installation and switchover to EXT4/CWM3.

 

[Paul627g]

Excellent!

 

[bojackson]

im gonna switch to frankenstein rom when i get home. if that doesnt help my gps woes, maybe ill give #4 a shot

 

[JonnyB]

Well I have had dk28 for two days now and I have to say this GPS is much better. Again I odin 2.2 and after that I did not have a lock. I used #4 and it worked perfect.

With 2.1 on google maps it would range from 20-40 meters. Now with 2.2 on google maps I got a 1 meter lock!

 

[ShIzNiTs]

Okay so #4 worked for me and did NOT "reset" the phone as everyone is afraid of.... at least not so bad. See below for more details

Basically I started fresh today, and upgraded to the TrulyEpic Rom. I initially had stock Sprint with 2.1, used Odin, changed the file structure to EXT4, then used ClockwordMod to install the TrulyEpic Rebirth v1.2. I installed 4 apps from the app store, including the GPS application to try #3 (This obviously did not work for me). I also installed 1 APK program.

After I entered my MSL code, it asked me to reset, which I said yes to... Phone rebooted, went through the familiar load screen, like the other person said the initial image was the Android bot coming out of a box. The normal boot cycle ensued. It took a while on the Galaxy S screen requiring quite a few cycles of the "S" destructing/creating itself.

Eventually it booted into the OS, it stated something crashed, I forced closed. It had the initial set-up screen, it checked for some updates, did some network stuff, and then voila it worked. I never removed the microSD card or anything, it just worked.

What did I lose from doing step 4?

The Froyo 2.2 based TrulyEpic Rebirth v1.2 ROM appears unscathed. I lost my "Google" login which I had to put back in, my contacts, text messages, etc. The contacts are obviously easy if you use Google Sync for this...

The "FREE" apps from the marketplace that I had previously installed from 2.2 were automatically redownloaded* (this included the GPS applications). (* I believe 2.1 Eclair will not automatically download former "FREE" applications, but would do "PAID" applications based on a post earlier, however 2.2 did the "FREE" ones automatically).

My APK program had to be reinstalled

The STOCK Sprint applications which I had installed previously using CWM were still there.



But for those of you worried about doing #4 because you think it will go back to Eclair 2.1 with Sprint Stock should not have anything to worry about, I actually didn't expect this to happen based on my previous flashes with WM6.5 stuff, since it just doesn't really make any sense that it would do that.

Anyway, I ran the GPS app and it shows accuracy to within 9 feet next to a window in my house... Thank you to everyone who helps, its too numerous to count at this point, but you know who you are.

 

[narddawg314]

option #4 completely screwed me. If I had known it was going to reset my device completely, I would have not done it. This is ridiculous..my phone isn't even activated now. AND my GPS isn't any better than it was..thanks!

I followed the instructions to the letter....I checked ES file explorer and can see titanium backup files still there, so at least my data is safe, but I can't restore any of it!! my phone isn't activated and I can't access the market to download TB app again to run it!! WTF!!?!?!?! I'm sticking with XDA forums from now on.

 

[Paul627g]

option #4 completely screwed me. If I had known it was going to reset my device completely, I would have not done it. This is ridiculous..my phone isn't even activated now. AND my GPS isn't any better than it was..thanks!

I followed the instructions to the letter....I checked ES file explorer and can see titanium backup files still there, so at least my data is safe, but I can't restore any of it!! my phone isn't activated and I can't access the market to download TB app again to run it!! WTF!!?!?!?! I'm sticking with XDA forums from now on.

Note that this does not guarantee that your GPS will work even after you perform one or all these procedures, but it is something to try if you really need GPS working.

This was posted by our forum moderator in the first paragraph of this thread.

Procedure 4 - newest and possibly easiest method
By NYCSUBWAYRAT, taken from this post:

Fixing the GPS no fix issue on the Samsung Epic 4g requires you to do a manufacturer's reset by obtaining the MSL code from Sprint (see below for alternative method to obtain your MSL code). Once you get the MSL Code, remove the SD Card and Enter ##786# on the dialer keypad. You will see two options: View and Reset. Tap on the Reset option and you will get a prompt to enter the MSL code. At this point you will be asked if you want to do a manufacter's reset, enter yes. The phone will shut down and reset itself after a few seconds.

I think that more than says without doubt that the phone will go threw a manufactures reset.

Brandon4EK has a solution if your phone won't activate and has tons of force closes after attempting Procedure 4:
Pop your SD card in, wait for EVERYTHING to restore properly, then turn off and on your phone. Activation went through after that (as opposed to a reset without the SD card and gmail sync)

Try this solution at the end of Procedure #4 to reactivate your phone.


All quotes were taken directly from the posting you read to perform the procedure. Sorry that you see things differently.

 

[brust93]

#4 worked for me. I backed up before starting the process though. So after the reset I did an advanced restore in CWM, then just restored Data. my GPS works great and my phone is back to how it was, apps and all. AWESOME.

 

[dilbert33]

I'll add this to the mix. I was having some issues with GPS accuracy on Truly Epic Rebirth 1.2, then I switched to Bonsai4all 2.0 and it was all better, and had the best accuracy so far. Then I installed the Mysterious Beast 1.1 theme on top of Bonsai, and the accuracy went back to very poor. I removed the theme (ie.. restored a backup I made prior to installing the theme), and the accuracy went back to perfect. I dont really know how a theme effects gps accuracy, but it did.

By accuracy, I am referring to the actual location of the "dot" on the map in terms of where I really am. Not the "accuracy" number on the screen. All the different roms always give me a relatively small number, but the "real life" accuracy is way off on some of them.

(on a unrelated note, Ive noticed great battery life with Bonsai4all 2.0). I can do two full days of light use before I need a charge.

 

[Redguardian]

Everything did reset for me to factory, but i followed the instructions from post #95. GPS IS fixed for me now too.

 

[Paul627g]

@Redguardian, brust93. Smart thinking. Always make a backup in CWM before you perform any system altering changes. 5 minutes it takes to backup can save you an hours of headaches.

 

[NYCSUBWAYRAT]

option #4 completely screwed me. If I had known it was going to reset my device completely, I would have not done it. This is ridiculous..my phone isn't even activated now. AND my GPS isn't any better than it was..thanks!

I followed the instructions to the letter....I checked ES file explorer and can see titanium backup files still there, so at least my data is safe, but I can't restore any of it!! my phone isn't activated and I can't access the market to download TB app again to run it!! WTF!!?!?!?! I'm sticking with XDA forums from now on.

You probably screwed around with your phone so much to the point where no procedure would help you.

 

[cadams1]

I used procedure #4 and reset my phone, then used #3 to clear my GPS data. It worked like a charm! Thanks for the post.