Why does my screen say System Software not authorized?

[kbarry2323]

I cannot turn on my phone, the only screen I can get says: "System Software not authorized by Verizon Wireless has been found on your phone. Please turn off your phone and go to the nearest Verizon Wireless store for help." I went to the store and they didn't have any clue. I've read a few things online in these forums but they were really technical and I wasn't sure what to make of them. I'm just trying to not lose everything that is on my phone, I have all of my honeymoon pictures from last week on there and my wife is really upset. Any and all help would be HUGELY appreciated, again I am absolutely clueless as to the technical workings of smart phones. Thanks so much.

 

[Rukbat]

If you're really "absolutely clueless as to the technical workings of smart phones" you probably haven't flashed a ROM (or even a custom recovery) to the phone, so we have two paths here:

1) The phone has been doing this since you got it. Go back to Verizon and tell them that you'd like a phone that works - IOW, replace your phone with a new one. It's their responsibility.

2) You installed some app and the trouble started. Power the phone up in safe mode:

1. With the device powered off, press and hold the Power button (located on the right edge) until the Samsung Galaxy S5 logo appears then release.
2. With the Samsung Galaxy S5 logo on the screen, press and hold the Volume Down button (located on the left edge).
3. Continue to hold the Volume Down button until Safe mode appears in the lower left of the screen then release.
   
   
   This may take up to 45 seconds.

This should give you a working phone with none of the apps you installed running. Run them one at a time until the problem occurs. Restart in safe mode and uninstall that app. That should fix it.

BTW, you went to the tech people at Verizon, right, not the sales associates? The sales associates don't know any more about cellphones than you do. I'd be surprised if their tech people (usually in a separate section at the rear of the store) couldn't have fixed this in 5 minutes. (BTW, the above instructions are from Verizon's site for the S5.)