Galaxy S3 keeps freezing. help!

[GSDer]

I ran Lookout for several months with no issues but you never can tell. You can try something like:
Helium: http://market.android.com/details?id=com.koushikdutta.backup
or
MyBackup Pro: http://market.android.com/details?id=com.rerware.android.MyBackupPro
to make a backup important information and then perform a Factory Reset; don't remember offhand if you can tell it to format the internal storage while you're at it.

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk 4

 

[MuchNo]

@meyerweb @GSDer many thanks for the speedy replies. Before doing a factory reset I thought I'd start removing many of the apps I seldom use. Performance picked up noticeably and the phone was freezing much less often than previously. This morning I woke up (we're GMT +3 here) and the phone wasn't frozen (that hasn't happened in a while).

My wife and brother both run Lookout, so I don't think that's the problem. I'll backup and do the factory reset as you've both suggested and observe the crash frequency (if at all) before I unroot and revert to stock Samsung.

I really hope it's a conflict between apps which is what it appears to be - in this part of the world, I've heard that the warranty is simply a nice piece of paper. I was going to claim insurance as that was a better bet at getting the cash for a new phone than the warranty. I'll keep you up to date on progress after I've done the reset.

PS - I was feeling bold and re-installed one of the nifty apps that I liked - truecaller. As I was setting it up, the phone froze - the only time in the last 12-hours. Hopefully, this is the only app that is conflicting with others. I'll keep you up to date.

 

[MuchNo]

@meyerweb, I've got an unrelated problem (regarding the SIM toolkit) and I would be most grateful if you would weigh in. I started a new thread here and I would be very grateful for your input if you can assist.

- - - Updated - - -

@GSDer, I've got an unrelated problem (regarding the SIM toolkit) and I would be most grateful if you would weigh in. I started a new thread here and I would be very grateful for your input if you can assist.

 

[MuchNo]

Phone is still freezing... Installed the dummy file creator and ran it and then deleted the dummy files. There's definitely less freezing since but it's still doing it. Went into a meeting and put the phone on mute and then I lost all sound. After a few reboots, the sound came back. Does this sound like a software problem or hardware woes?

 

[GSDer]

I must've missed the suggestion/reason for running "the dummy file creator" but oh well.
Are you back to running the stock Samsung firmware?
Have you pulled any SDCard just in case?
You could have a phone problem, in which case all of this is moot, but if you're going to try to get a replacement you'll need to get it back to stock & Factory Reset anyway. If you can find the full wipe download that would be ideal.
Otherwise, I'm fresh out of ideas - sorry.
(BTW, didn't have any comment on your SIM Toolkit issue since there's nothing there on a Verizon phone.)

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk 4

 

[matt wallace]

my phone will turn on but when it goes past rethink possible it freezes at Samsung for my Gs3 what do i do?

 

[GSDer]

Matt,
You haven't said anything about what you might have been doing before the problem occurred - attempting to root? Load a different ROM? This doesn't usually happen out of the blue.
What model/carrier/firmware do you have?
Can you get into Recovery mode or Download mode?


Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Galaxy Boy S3]

Basically my S3 started freezing, then i noticed the rebooting. When it freezes i just leave it alone for a while and it comes back by it self, sometimes i'm just sitting with it and it reboots. i've tried the factory reset and removing all apps but i still have the issue, i've also tried the dummy file generator and it worked well for a few days and then it was back to playing the fool again. plz help!!!

 

[GSDer]

Galaxy Boy,
As I noted in post #47, this doesn't usually happen out of the blue, and we also need more information:
- are you running the stock ROM?
- rooted or not?
- when did the problem start?
- do you have an SDCard?
- model/carrier/firmware version?
- after the Factory Reset did you use it for awhile without adding any apps; if so, was the problem still occurring then?

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Laura Lee Isme]

Help is here and it came from the Samsung Online Chat help, not five minutes ago. Here is the transcript of the solution step by step and unedited. LOL My camera and phone works great! No issues whatsoever and as you get to the end he does day to do this once a month. Nice to know!

Laura (aka Visitor)


Chat Information Please wait for a Samsung Agent to respond.

Chat Information You are now chatting with 'Ashton'. There will be a brief survey at the end of our chat to share feedback on my performance today.

Chat Information Your Issue ID for this chat is LTK111790389644X

Ashton: Hi, thank you for contacting Samsung Technical Support. How may I help you today?

Visitor: I have a Galaxy S3 SCH1535, I got it in December.

Ashton: Okay.

Visitor: I have had no problems whatso ever until today

Visitor: When I turned on my camera, it shut my phone down! I had to do a battery pull to restart it.

Visitor: My name is Laura...sorry about that.

Visitor: I did remove some apps today in app manager but they were things that I did not use.

Ashton: I understand that you are unable to use Camera when ever you try to use Camera app It keeps shutting down?

Visitor: Yep.

Ashton: Not to worry, Laura. I will try my level best to fix the issue.

Visitor: I do not know what All Share/ Dongle is but it keeps trying to update and I deleted it twice. IS that possible some stock app that needs to be there ?

Visitor: Thanks heaps Ashton

Ashton: All Share is an app where you can pull up your device display onto TV.

Ashton: Let us go ahead and perform a few steps to fix the issue.

Visitor: Shoot

Ashton: Power the device off (remove and re-insert the battery).

Ashton: Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key, then press and hold the Power key.

Ashton: When the device vibrates; release only the Power key.

Ashton: When the Android system recovery menu displays; release the Volume Up and the Home key.

Visitor: whoa hold on a sec....lol

Ashton: No problem.

Visitor: alright battery out and in...

Ashton: Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key, then press and hold the Power key.

Visitor: ok...first attempt...fail.

Visitor: trying again

Ashton: Sure.

Visitor: ok dead android

Visitor: robot screen...holycow lemme get my glasses~!

Ashton: Navigate with the Volume keys to the wipe cache partition option and press the Power key to select.

Visitor: ok...

Visitor: im there

Ashton: Press the Power key to reboot system now.

Visitor: its just highlighted...

Visitor: do I have to tap on it or something?

Ashton: Please press power key.

Visitor: oh...I see

Visitor: it sent me to the screen with the commage reboot system highlighted

Visitor: command

Visitor: ok its rebooting.

Visitor: yay

Ashton: Okay.

Ashton: Once the device has booted into home screen please check if you are able to access camera.

Visitor: shall I assume that you want me to test the camera now? lol

Visitor: AWESOME!!

Ashton: Yes.

Visitor: So how often should I do that?'

Ashton: Let me know the result.

Visitor: Its worked....

Visitor: Great Job!!!

Visitor: So should I do that every couple of months or something

Ashton: Once a month will do.

Ashton: I am glad to know that the issue is resolved.

Visitor: Wowsers! Thank you soooo much!! I love my phone and so this is great!

Ashton: Please let me know if you have any further queries.

Visitor: I don't...again thanks heaps Ashton!!!

 

[Kcxx2011]

Well mine just freezes randomly it started in about a week I have my phone since November and it never happened before please help me I don't know what to do the only way I can restart it is taking the battery out because it doesn't let me do nothing not even block it

 

[Kcxx2011]

Well mine freezes randomly in started about 4 days ago it and it never happened before and I don't know what to do I use wifi and cellular data I have my phone since November and to restart it I need to take the battery out because it doesn't even let me block it it just freezes completely I really need help

 

[GSDer]

Kcxx2011,
A single post is sufficient.
You could try the suggestion in post #50 (basically, wiping the cache while in Recovery mode).
If that doesn't help then it's time for a Factory Reset - there are just too many other variables to try to narrow down your problem, unless you can be more specific about what happened 4 days ago when the problem started.

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk 4

 

[meyerweb#CB]

There are a number of suggestions in this thread. Have you tried any of them? If not, that's where to start.

 

[Hopeless One]

So.. where to start.
I bought my SGS3 in september. It's an international version (GT-I9300 ..XXEMA2). Phone never dropped, never had contact with water, used and handled with care. It used to work just perfect untill i think February, when if first time freezed.
I was playing some kind of game (not a heavy one) and it jsut competely stopped responding to anything, so my only option was to remove the battery and restart. After that it work quite a long time without any flaws. In late May, I guess (I can't quite remember exactly) it started to just freeze like once in a week or so. By the end of June is started to freeze like 5-10 times a day, then it got even worse, after reebot I had like 3-5 minutes before it will freeze again. It doesn't really matter how I use the phone. I can play games and it will freeze, browse, text, or just put it in my pocket and when I need it it's frozen. So I've read alot (and I mean ALOT) of stuff aboit it including this thread.
Tried everything. First I wiped out the cache, didn't help whatsoever, then I swithced to basic TouchWiz (from Nova) just in case, didn't help either. I tried removing all widgets (thought maybe RAM was overused) that didn't help too. Erased the Facebook app, cause somebody told that it may cause the problem, still freezing. Then my only option was to Factory reset. Didn't back up anything (except for pictures, that I didn't even put back on the phone anyway) and reseted it. For first day it was working nice and clean. The other day it started freezing again and I even didn't dowload anytning. So I skipped the part "reinstall one-by-one.." cause it's still freezing, so there's no point of that. But it surely reduced the amount of freezes..
So my only hope was rooting. Yesterday I've rooted it to CyanogenMod 10.1 (which is android 4.2) thought updating to later version will help me, but sadly no. Phone is working nice and smooth (when not freezing) but it have frozen for like 3 times already and you can't rely on it. When I pick it up it's like a dice game will it respond or not.

As long as anything from these tips didn't help should I consider unrooting it and take it to service?

Thank you for your time and have a nice day.

P.S. I would also like to know (just out of curiosity) whenever i have to remove the battery or do hard reset it drains like 5-20% of a battery. Even if I restart immediately after freezing today it jumped all the way from 29 straight to 10. I wonder what's that about..

 

[GSDer]

Unrooting (relocking the bootloader if necessary) and reloading the correct firmware, then taking it in for service sound like your best bet.
After the Factory Reset did the Google Play Store automatically install your previous apps? (I thought that was the default behavior.) If so, you still may have a problem app/service.
P.S. Disregard the weird battery stats - with your phone freezing like that all bets are off on the accuracy of that data - it's probably being corrupted.

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Hopeless One]

Well, play store tried to install them back, but I stopped it. Actually, just for giggles I've factory reseted the rooted firmware and it actually works for like 5 hours without any mistakes or freezing whatsoever (yea I know it sounds kinda cheesy but it's actually an accomplishment for my phone). I think, I'll stick with this one and will try to monitor stuff. If I'll stumble across the possible issue, I'll mos def will post it here, so maybe it would be help full..

P.S. Is it possible that programs which used to work just perfect before, could now be an issue?

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Hopeless One]

Update Aug. 1 2013 13:44
So I've started installing apps one by one and it seems like whichever app I install it freezes. It doesn't really matter which one. And even without the apps its still freezing. Like once in 3-5 hours but is still freezing. The phone is now at least somewhat useful, but not a whole lot.. So I guess my only option now is to unroot and take it to the service.. It's gotta be the hardware failure.. If anyone ever sent their phones to the service, could you please tell me approximately time it took to get your phone back?

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Hopeless One]

Well here comes the conclusion.. If you were unlucky enough to get your sgs3 freezing and you're still under warranty period (no matter root or not), I'd suggest you to take the phone to the service. Trust me on that one. I tried to fix it on my own being a smart kid, but as a result I've lost couple of days trying to figure it out, rooting/unrooting, factory reset, being scared of bricking and stuff.

Posted via Android Central App from Samsung Galaxy S3

 

[meyerweb#CB]

Do you have an SD card installed? If so, try removing it and see what happens.