Help! Soft Bricked

[Markctco]

Ok so here's the situation. Upgraded to the Galaxy S3 and proceeded to root with the stock rom. I have some experience with rooting, so not my first time and felt comfortable. Followed directions and got root, even with locked bootloader and everyting that goes along with it, That was new to me, so I was feeling pretty good about myself. However...when I installed Titanium Backup it came up showing no backups, even though I backed up everything on my old phone. So after some research and realizing happens sometimes for reasons I didn't understand, I just went ahead and manualy installed all my old apps, set all my preferences, etc, then backed up to TB. Keep in mind that I did all this so that I could freeze all the bloatware and data suckers. So I set about doing a batch freeze, and then.....BLACK SCREEN! As the panic set in I realized that after rooting I failed to do a backup in CWM. So I shut the phone down, pulled the battery, and when I turned the phone on it just went to download mode. As of this moment the phone is still in download mode, and this is after trying some of the methods found in various places. The current problem I'm stuck on is that I can't figure how to extract the tar file I need from the stock.vzw_root66.7z.rar file I got from another file that came as a Torrent? Figured out how to get it to a rar file but I'm lost after that. Trying to follow a process that involves flashing a VRALEC bootchain file, then a VRALF2 file, then the stock firmware I can't unzip. Also tried a different process that used just one combination md5 file but that didn't work either.
So I'm not only am I stuck but I'm confused, frustrated, and afraid to try anything else. But I'ts my understanding that as long as I can get into download mode there's hope.
So, if anybody knows what I should do next (and please don't tell me to enjoy my new $600 paperweight please feel free to chime in. I know this was long, but believe me, you got the short version. Thanks in advance,

M

 

[Golfdriver97]

Ok so here's the situation. Upgraded to the Galaxy S3 and proceeded to root with the stock rom. I have some experience with rooting, so not my first time and felt comfortable. Followed directions and got root, even with locked bootloader and everyting that goes along with it, That was new to me, so I was feeling pretty good about myself. However...when I installed Titanium Backup it came up showing no backups, even though I backed up everything on my old phone. So after some research and realizing happens sometimes for reasons I didn't understand, I just went ahead and manualy installed all my old apps, set all my preferences, etc, then backed up to TB. Keep in mind that I did all this so that I could freeze all the bloatware and data suckers. So I set about doing a batch freeze, and then.....BLACK SCREEN! As the panic set in I realized that after rooting I failed to do a backup in CWM. So I shut the phone down, pulled the battery, and when I turned the phone on it just went to download mode. As of this moment the phone is still in download mode, and this is after trying some of the methods found in various places. The current problem I'm stuck on is that I can't figure how to extract the tar file I need from the stock.vzw_root66.7z.rar file I got from another file that came as a Torrent? Figured out how to get it to a rar file but I'm lost after that. Trying to follow a process that involves flashing a VRALEC bootchain file, then a VRALF2 file, then the stock firmware I can't unzip. Also tried a different process that used just one combination md5 file but that didn't work either.
So I'm not only am I stuck but I'm confused, frustrated, and afraid to try anything else. But I'ts my understanding that as long as I can get into download mode there's hope.
So, if anybody knows what I should do next (and please don't tell me to enjoy my new $600 paperweight please feel free to chime in. I know this was long, but believe me, you got the short version. Thanks in advance,

M

Try Samsung Updates .com
They have stock ROM files. Find you exact device model number, and download the file you need. Download will probably take a while I have 20 MB/s and it took an hour, I think they throttle it. Extract, and pull the tar file to ODIN. Get in download mode, plug in and click start.

 

[GSDer]

Or just use the Kies software on your PC to reload the stock firmware.
All of that just so you could freeze a few hundred megabytes of bloatware?

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

 

[Golfdriver97]

Here is how to freeze apps without root: http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...ng-apps-galaxy-s3-tab-2-no-root-required.html

From a SlimROM S3

 

[Markctco]

I'm not sure how to use the Kies software as you suggest, Could you give me some instruction? Plus couldn't help but notice you identify your phone as debloated, so yes, all that to remove bloatware, but more importantly battery draining, data sucking services that are prevelant on the I535 Verizon edition of this phone. It was important for you, and it's important for me also. Only difference is that I screwed up somewhere and you didn't...yet. I already feel sick enough about what I did, so please be gentle, huh? You'd probably appreciate a little sympothy if you were in my position. With that being said, any dirrection you can give me as to what you are refering to would definately be appreciated.

 

[Markctco]

Thanks! I'll be using that if I can ever get my phone back to a working state

 

[GSDer]

Plus couldn't help but notice you identify your phone as debloated

Do a Google search for Sinclair ZX-80 - you'll see how funny your statement is.

My Galaxy S3 is rooted, but I haven't bothered with removing bloat - I just haven't found it to be problematic, and I rooted for other reasons.

Using the Kies software is pretty simple:
- install the software
- run it once to update it to the latest version
- put your phone in Download mode and connect it so that your computer installs the correct drivers
- in Kies, choose Tools -> Emergency firmware recovery
- enter your model number (in CAPS) and IMEI (both found under the battery)

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

 

[Markctco]

OK that got me One hell of a phone you've got there! Made me laugh at myself as well as your "description". Anyway thanks for the instructions. Gonna give it a go


Sent from my SoftBricked Samsung Galaxy S3 I535, rooted, running Custom Stuck In Download Mode ROM 0-000?

 

[Markctco]

SOLVED!!! Finally found the process to bring my phone back from near death. This link did it!
Tech Geek • Restore your Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 to Stock
Some of the steps didn't quite work as described, like running ODEN in administrator mode and getting a pass at the end of the process, but still brought me back to stock. File took quite a while to download as well as populate in ODEN but give it time. After the phone was back I had to sit through several OTAs but well worth it.
Hope this helps anyone with the same problem that seems to happen to plenty of others. Thanks to all who tried help also!

 

[GSDer]

Most of those steps looked correct, although step 10 was redundant. And they have you load the LF2 firmware - holy crap, that's really old!

But good that it worked and you received the OTAs (hopefully to MF1). You probably want to boot into Recovery mode and clear the cache and perform a Factory Reset after all is said and done. Then it'll be ready to use.

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM 10.2 using Tapatalk 4

 

[GSDer]

Strange that Kies didn't work for you - I've used it several times just to verify its reliability and never had a problem.

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM 10.2 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Markctco]

Yeah I was surprised that nothing, including kies would even recognize my phone. Even sent it, in desperation to Samsung after calling them and explaining the situation to which they responded with assurment that they could reflash my phone with the stock firmware. And that was with me explaining what I had done to the phone. They told me it was no problem and it wouldn't cost a thing. The customer service rep told me it was one of the ways Samsung tries to keep their customers happy and loyal. 10 days later I got my phone back with a letter stating that my phone was "beyond repair". I was really bummed, but kept on searching until I found that link. When my phone finally rebooted I couldn't have been happier...that was until I realized that the phone now had, and still has, problems holding 4g in areas where I had rock solid signal with my previous phone. So back to more research which indicates 2 possible explanations. The first is that one of the updates I took is problematic and effects the radios. Which makes sense since the phone came withVRMBF1 and after the "incident" I had to go through all those ota's possibly picking up the problem along the way. Some language about 4.3 addressing the issue but I don't have much faith in that. The second theory is that depending on where you purchased your phone you either got the "good" version made in Korea, or the "bad" version made in China. Phones sold at Walmart for example are made in China. Something to do with a faulty batch of SIM card slots/holders used in the Chineses built phones? So first and last time I'll do that! So for now I'm temporarily pleased just to have a working phone. I'm still in search of a fix for the 4g issue so if anyone has any info please pass it along. Wish I knew if it was indeed an ota issue and which one it was so that I could try to Odin back.
Needless to say this Android thing is really something else and I'd like to think I'm learning a lot, even if it is the hard way. Really need to be more careful I quess.