Unauthorized factory reset Samsung Galaxy Tab s8+

[StephD1968]

Hi. I am new and I apologize if I've erres here by postíng this. I looked through the threads and couldn't fina one that fit my situation, sorry. I sent ny tablet to NY from GA for repairsand got it back yesterday. However, when I turned it on it is setup mode but it's not letting me past the Wifi page. It keeps showing the unauthorized factory reset has been performed message, which makes no sense as they had my information if they needed it.I have tried booting into the commands lines and chose factory reset, but it changed nothing. I saw other command lines but was afraid to click them. Please, can anyone advise me? I am disabled and my tablet is vital to my mental health. Thank you. .

 

[VidJunky]

Welcome to Android Central forums. This is the general Ask a Question area and just as good as any other for posting this question, so no worries.

What was the initial repair to be performed?

A quick Google search returned this result which includes some steps you can try to correct this error. Let us know how it goes and if you have any other questions.

A "Galaxy S8 tablet unauthorized reset error" means that your device is preventing a factory reset because it detects an attempt to reset the device without proper authorization, likely due to security measures tied to your Google account or Samsung account, which requires you to enter the correct login credentials before a full reset can be performed. [1, 2]
Why this happens: [1]

• Google Device Protection: If you have a Google account signed in on your tablet, Google's security feature automatically blocks unauthorized factory resets and asks for your Google account credentials to proceed. [1]
• Samsung Account Security: Samsung also has its own security measures that may require verification through your Samsung account before allowing a full reset. [1, 2, 3]

How to fix it: [1]

• Enter correct credentials: When you try to perform a factory reset, your device will likely prompt you to enter the username and password for the Google account that is primarily associated with the tablet. [1]
• Check for account issues: [1]
  
  • Verify your Google account: Make sure you are entering the correct Google account details. [1]
  • Check Samsung account: If prompted, double-check your Samsung account login information. [2, 3]
• Contact support if you can't access your accounts: If you cannot access your Google or Samsung account due to forgotten passwords, you may need to reach out to respective customer support to recover access and perform the reset. [1, 3]

Important considerations: [1, 2]

• Data backup: Before attempting a factory reset, always ensure you have a recent backup of your important data as the reset will erase all personal information on the device.
• Lost or stolen device: If you suspect your tablet has been lost or stolen, the unauthorized reset feature can help prevent someone else from easily resetting the device and accessing your data. [1, 2]

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! When you see the message about the unauthorized factory reset, what other options are there? Is there an option to enter your correct Google account and password?

Can you take a picture of the screen with another device and show it here?

 

[StephD1968]

Welcome to Android Central forums. This is the general Ask a Question area and just as good as any other for posting this question, so no worries.

What was the initial repair to be performed?

A quick Google search returned this result which includes some steps you can try to correct this error. Let us know how it goes and if you have any other questions.

A "Galaxy S8 tablet unauthorized reset error" means that your device is preventing a factory reset because it detects an attempt to reset the device without proper authorization, likely due to security measures tied to your Google account or Samsung account, which requires you to enter the correct login credentials before a full reset can be performed. [1, 2]
Why this happens: [1]

• Google Device Protection: If you have a Google account signed in on your tablet, Google's security feature automatically blocks unauthorized factory resets and asks for your Google account credentials to proceed. [1]
• Samsung Account Security: Samsung also has its own security measures that may require verification through your Samsung account before allowing a full reset. [1, 2, 3]

How to fix it: [1]

• Enter correct credentials: When you try to perform a factory reset, your device will likely prompt you to enter the username and password for the Google account that is primarily associated with the tablet. [1]
• Check for account issues: [1]
  
  • Verify your Google account: Make sure you are entering the correct Google account details. [1]
  • Check Samsung account: If prompted, double-check your Samsung account login information. [2, 3]
• Contact support if you can't access your accounts: If you cannot access your Google or Samsung account due to forgotten passwords, you may need to reach out to respective customer support to recover access and perform the reset. [1, 3]

Important considerations: [1, 2]

• Data backup: Before attempting a factory reset, always ensure you have a recent backup of your important data as the reset will erase all personal information on the device.
• Lost or stolen device: If you suspect your tablet has been lost or stolen, the unauthorized reset feature can help prevent someone else from easily resetting the device and accessing your data. [1, 2]

Thank you for pasting all that info but I'd already spent several hours searching for the solution to my particular situation before seeking help here but I do appreciate the effort you've made here.

 

[StephD1968]

My device had gotten knocked off the table and the screen cracked then it no longer worked. My warranty company required that I send it from where I live in GA to NY. When I got it back yesterday and turned it on it was already in setup mode and it wasn't possible for me to sign in to Google or any of the other things suggested above. Apparently the repair shop must not have been able to save a backup before resetting it is my guess. So, now when I try to perform the initial setup steps I get no further than the Wifi page. Does this make sense? Thank you, VidJunky, for your reply.

 

[VidJunky]

Well isn't that just dandy...Two things I guess. First would be to try a simulated battery pull and then attempt to boot into bootloader and performing a hardware factory reset. The same method you've likely been trying holding the Vol button when powering the device on. Usually holding the other Vol button + the power button acts as a simulated battery pull. This video will provide more information.

Battery pulls can help fully reboot a device when powering down the device doesn't get the desired result. It can be a bug fix and not going beyond the WiFi set-up sounds a bit like a bug.

If this doesn't help and you find yourself still getting stuck in the same place, the next step would be escalation. First with the repair center and if they are not being cooperative, with your insurance company.

Let us know how it turns out, best wishes.

 

[Mooncatt]

I can't really offer any additional help, but maybe I can help you understand better what is going on.

When sending in for a warranty/insurance claim, two things are most likely to happen. If they do an actual repair and send your device back to you, it's standard practice for them to reset the device. It's also common that they send you a different device of the same model, which would also likely be another used device that was reset. Either way, you would have been instructed to backup any data you want to keep prior to sending it in for exactly this reason. They do not backup anything at those mass repair centers (a local independent shop may be different).

And in either case, it sounds like the reset was botched, leaving you with this problem. I would actually reach out to whoever you made the claim with and let them know of the problem. They will probably have you try some troubleshooting steps. If that doesn't work, then you may have to send that one off and get another one sent back to you. There may be a time limit on reporting this to get a resolution from the company, so the sooner you report it, the better.

 

[Laura Knotek]

I can't really offer any additional help, but maybe I can help you understand better what is going on.

When sending in for a warranty/insurance claim, two things are most likely to happen. If they do an actual repair and send your device back to you, it's standard practice for them to reset the device. It's also common that they send you a different device of the same model, which would also likely be another used device that was reset. Either way, you would have been instructed to backup any data you want to keep prior to sending it in for exactly this reason. They do not backup anything at those mass repair centers (a local independent shop may be different).

And in either case, it sounds like the reset was botched, leaving you with this problem. I would actually reach out to whoever you made the claim with and let them know of the problem. They will probably have you try some troubleshooting steps. If that doesn't work, then you may have to send that one off and get another one sent back to you. There may be a time limit on reporting this to get a resolution from the company, so the sooner you report it, the better.

That happened to me when I sent in my Moto X Pure Edition for repair. They sent me back a refurbished device that they forgot to remove the factory reset protection. I had to send the refurbished replacement back to Lenovo. Then I finally received a device that I was able to use.

 

[mustang7757]

You would need to flash the stock firmware with Odin and Frija tool

 

[mustang7757]

Moved this to Tab 8 Forum

 

[StephD1968]

Well isn't that just dandy...Two things I guess. First would be to try a simulated battery pull and then attempt to boot into bootloader and performing a hardware factory reset. The same method you've likely been trying holding the Vol button when powering the device on. Usually holding the other Vol button + the power button acts as a simulated battery pull. This video will provide more information.

Battery pulls can help fully reboot a device when powering down the device doesn't get the desired result. It can be a bug fix and not going beyond the WiFi set-up sounds a bit like a bug.

If this doesn't help and you find yourself still getting stuck in the same place, the next step would be escalation. First with the repair center and if they are not being cooperative, with your insurance company.

Let us know how it turns out, best wishes.

Thank you for your reply. Well, I tried the loading into bootloader (is this the correct term?) and clickd factory reset but no joy, I'm sorry to report. So, I reached out to Asurion and they suggested that I take it to their store UbreakitIfixit, and luckily, my RT has agreed to do this for me else it'd have been another week before it was possible to get it fixed. I want to thank everyone who offered ther advice and tried to help me. You guys rock. )

 

[StephD1968]

I can't really offer any additional help, but maybe I can help you understand better what is going on.

When sending in for a warranty/insurance claim, two things are most likely to happen. If they do an actual repair and send your device back to you, it's standard practice for them to reset the device. It's also common that they send you a different device of the same model, which would also likely be another used device that was reset. Either way, you would have been instructed to backup any data you want to keep prior to sending it in for exactly this reason. They do not backup anything at those mass repair centers (a local independent shop may be different).

And in either case, it sounds like the reset was botched, leaving you with this problem. I would actually reach out to whoever you made the claim with and let them know of the problem. They will probably have you try some troubleshooting steps. If that doesn't work, then you may have to send that one off and get another one sent back to you. There may be a time limit on reporting this to get a resolution from the company, so the sooner you report it, the better.

Thank you so much for the educational information! I couldn't understand how this could've happened as I sent them the info on how to get into my tablet, but if this ISN'T mine then this situation makes more sense. Luckily, I had purchased another tablet and I was able to download the settings of my old one from the Samsung Cloud. I love Samsung they are literally the best electronics company I have ever bought from - lol, sorry for the sudden commercials ad there. ;o) Anyways, I will keep you all posted!

 

[mustang7757]

Take a look at this Thread

My S10 has been flashed with an unauthorized software and is locked

I saw that my S10 had an update, so I started updating my phone and a few moments later, I get this message with a green screen stating that my phone has been flashed with an unauthorized software and is locked, please contact my carrier. I had no idea what was going on, so I called Samsung and...

forums.androidcentral.com

 

[StephD1968]

Yay! I got my tablet back last night and it is once again in working order! Thank you to everyone who posted in my thread. I learned a lot from your advice and tips.