[How to] Factory Restore (or Fix a Bricked Phone)

[Robbie Doo]

Re: I need some help! Anyone!

thank you!

so i tried to root it using Odin....so i got my software and i got something else and proceeded start. Next thing you know it failed. Eight after that the phone stopped working. Now i've tried all of the ways to restore it but i can never download anything. all of the links take me somewhere else or don't properly download.

Your best solution would be to follow Paul's suggestion in post #2 and restore it back to factory default and give the phone back to your friend for him to root. Good luck!

 

[greenfairy4206]

How would I go about fixing it and what method would I use. I really am not sure what I flashed on it yesterday to make it go into this mode is ther any way to still recover it without know what is on it.

 

[greenfairy4206]

Yes it will go into download mode and I just tried to do what you told me and it did work. I really need to fix this phone other wise I have to pay for it. I know about cell phones, I just don't know about scipts. Please help me.

 

[greenfairy4206]

the reset to EC05 worked, thanks to the instructionals in the beginning

 

[greenfairy4206]

Thanks Paul your AWESOME.

 

[Paul627g]

greenfairy4206, no problem glad to help...

 

[greenfairy4206]

Hi Paul

I was going to give my Epic Super User access and was wondering if you know a good one to put on it. My friend and I tried gingerbreak nut it will not take to my epic.

 

[Paul627g]

Hi Paul

I was going to give my Epic Super User access and was wondering if you know a good one to put on it. My friend and I tried gingerbreak nut it will not take to my epic.

I would first use this thread to root and install CWM on your device.

[MOD][One Click Root]ClockworkMod 3.1.0.1[RFS & EXT4] xda-developers

Then from there its entirely up to you what you would like to place on the device as far as ROMs, themes, etc..

 

[ratsttam]

Re: I need some help! Anyone!

I don't recall if it's mentioned in the posts about using ODIN to restore the phone, but I found it works much better if you do it with the battery OUT. Not sure why that is, but I've had failed odin attempts with the battery in.

 

[thojmoto]

Re: I need some help! Anyone!

I've had a lot of trouble with the usb cable that came with the phone, i would buy a new 1 if i were you. Especially with odin, i drove myself crazy for a few days coz it kept failing. Then i decided to try a different cable that my brother had, and it worked like a charm every time.

 

[Paul627g]

Re: I need some help! Anyone!

I don't recall if it's mentioned in the posts about using ODIN to restore the phone, but I found it works much better if you do it with the battery OUT. Not sure why that is, but I've had failed odin attempts with the battery in.

Yes its listed in my troubleshoots at the top of the [How to] Factory Restore (or Fix a Bricked Phone) thread about removing the battery and running it with the battery out if trouble arises. I highly recommend this always in any of my posts/responses to problems with Odin.

 

[Paul627g]

Re: I need some help! Anyone!

I've had a lot of trouble with the usb cable that came with the phone, i would buy a new 1 if i were you. Especially with odin, i drove myself crazy for a few days coz it kept failing. Then i decided to try a different cable that my brother had, and it worked like a charm every time.

Yep stock cable gives some people major headaches, I on the other hand have been using my stock cable since day one over 8 months ago now and its still working like a charm.

One of these days I will spend the few bucks for a new cable because I know it won't last forever.

 

[jaykimdotnet]

No matter what I do every time I plug in my phone I get Device Not Recognized. I've tried everything. It used to Odin just fine. The only difference I can see is I installed a new power supply on this win7 machine. help! I've tried 3 different cables, every usb port, popping out the battery, pulling out the microsd, the phone boots normally, but won't mount in usb mode and won't recognize in Downloading mode.

 

[Paul627g]

No matter what I do every time I plug in my phone I get Device Not Recognized. I've tried everything. It used to Odin just fine. The only difference I can see is I installed a new power supply on this win7 machine. help! I've tried 3 different cables, every usb port, popping out the battery, pulling out the microsd, the phone boots normally, but won't mount in usb mode and won't recognize in Downloading mode.

It could very well be Windows 7 throwing things off or your device just isn't getting recognized. Just recently I purchased a new laptop running Windows 7 and I've had a lot of issues keeping it recognized. The drivers just don't seem to gel well with Windows 7.

Anyways if you just attempting to use Odin to reset/wipe your device and it still is functioning fine you could use the link to the thread below to do it all within ClockWorkMod if your already rooted and save yourself the headaches your having.

Just look for the section in the thread about restoring your phone to turn in for service at Sprint/Samsung. That will lead you down the right path.

[ROM][STOCK]ReRFS Format Stock ROM EC05 v1.01 w/ CWM3.1.0.1 (credit xda developers)

 

[jaykimdotnet]

So I was using Odin 1.81 and accidentally ran it with Re-Partition selected. It went through all the way to Factoryfs and then instead of just failing the screen on my Epic turned blue. I waited 10 minutes. Closed Odin and pulled the battery from my epic. Plugged it back in and nothing. Completely dark. No sign of charging, no sign of anything. It won't turn on, no response at all. This has happened before and my sprint store has given me a new one. I literally picked up the new phone 12 hours ago. Is there any hope or do I just bring this back to Sprint?

 

[ratsttam]

Re: I think I really bricked my Epic and could really use some he

Hopefully when they lost it originally while trying to flash it the first time it wasn't during two certain steps in the Odin flash. If it was flashing these two particular files then it could be a true brick.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that what the reset button on the back of the phone is for (just to the bottom left of the camera lens)? Clears everything except the low-level download mode. My understanding is that this is not a flashable area (and can't be damaged even by ODIN).

 

[Paul627g]

Re: I think I really bricked my Epic and could really use some he

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that what the reset button on the back of the phone is for (just to the bottom left of the camera lens)? Clears everything except the low-level download mode. My understanding is that this is not a flashable area (and can't be damaged even by ODIN).

I'm not so sure about that reset button on the back, I have never used it and I know it was mentioned as a optional method over at XDA but I don't think anyone has ever really proven what it does.

As far as what I was speaking about there is two particular files that are flashed during the Odin process and I can't recall them right off the top of my head at the moment but if Odin fails or the user does something silly like pulls the cable during the flashing of these two files its a 100% promise you will have a true brick. When my fellow AC adviser made our custom version of the EC05 custom Odin packages, he removed those two files from the Odin flash (they are not really required) making the Odin package safer to use over a normal Odin package. All we know is if it fails during this, you will can't even get back into download mode. Its just a complete lockout of your device doing anything.

Why these two files really exist during the Odin process I'm not sure, but he did a lot of research on them and found they are the culprit for many true bricks using Odin.

Bottom line, always follow the instructions. Have a full battery, good cable and don't ever play with your device or computer doing the Odin process so something doesn't go wrong. Actually my fellow AC adviser that did these Odin packages way back, bricked his Fascinate during an Odin flash. He was holding his Fascinate, accidentally dropped it and disconnected it during the flashing of 1 of those two files in the flash sequence and bingo he had a true brick.

Sorry for writing a book here but somethings aren't easily explained in a sentance or two.

 

[bjwest]

So I was using Odin 1.81 and accidentally ran it with Re-Partition selected. It went through all the way to Factoryfs and then instead of just failing the screen on my Epic turned blue. I waited 10 minutes. Closed Odin and pulled the battery from my epic. Plugged it back in and nothing. Completely dark. No sign of charging, no sign of anything. It won't turn on, no response at all. This has happened before and my sprint store has given me a new one. I literally picked up the new phone 12 hours ago. Is there any hope or do I just bring this back to Sprint?

That's exactly what happened to mine. It's a total goner. :-\ Make sure you erase any files & folders that show signs of rooting / custom ROM's (like clockworkmod, etc.) on your microSD card, then take it to a corporate sprint store with a repair center, NOT a best buy or radioshack. Play stupid (I said "my battery died, so I plugged it in overnight and when I woke up the next morning it was just dead"), and if you're within warranty they should replace it. If you pay for the monthly TEP they definitely will.

EDIT:

I literally picked up the new phone 12 hours ago

Damn...12 hours... do you have another sprint store in town? haha... good luck!!

 

[ZiggSVO]

Re: I think I really bricked my Epic and could really use some he

And the reset button doesnt exist. Chris over at xda bricked his epic and had it torn down at some point and says its not there

 

[flaredog842]

Re: I think I really bricked my Epic and could really use some he

I may have a true brick as well. I odined a deodexed version of eg22 with the eg22plus kernel. RFS2EXT4 and was not able to get a 3g data connection. I though maybe if a flash the modem separatly in odin it may fix the issue. Odin stated it ran successfully. After restart the phone will not boot up at all I hit the power button and do not even get a samsung screen. I can no longer boot into download mode either. Is the phone completely dead?