Develop Bugs

Samsung Galaxy S2 won't boot to main menu, and has seizures.

I'm having a huge problem with my T-Mobile Galaxy S2, and not it won't even completely boot up. The issue had already been around, but never this bad. Usually, when I would use my phone, it would just randomly reboot on it's own. Now, I can't even get to the main home screen or menu. When the battery is inserted, the phone will automatically try to turn on. I'll get the Samsung screen, then the "Samsung Galaxy SII Android 4G T-Mobile screen", then the phone will glitch for a second, black screen, and it'll almost have a seizure from then on. When I say that, pretty much what happens is that the screen will go black, and it'll pulse with vibrations. It'll vibrate, stop for two seconds, vibrate some more, etc. That's all it'll do from there on. It won't try to turn on when I hold the power button, and the vibrations won't stop until I take the battery out. There is no water damage, and there's just normal wear on the phone. I've had the phone since the drop, and for the most part, it's been great until now.
The phone is not rooted, and I have not installed anything crazy. Come to think about it, I didn't really even have too many apps installed on it to begin with. The phone is under warranty, so I had T-Mobile send me a replacement. My main issue now is that I have content on there that wasn't on my SD card, but on the internal hard drive that I find extremely important, and want to keep. When I connect the phone to my computer, nothing comes up because I didn't "connect" it to the computer as you normally would have to do from the phone, before the extra drives pop up on the computer. Without getting into the main menu and manually connecting the phone to the computer so that the drive will pop up, what can I do?
I've tried taking the battery, sim card and memory card out, letting it sit for a few hours, and plug it back in, but it does the same thing. The battery isn't bad, because it plugs into the replacement phone that was sent to me, and works just fine. I've also plugged into my additional batteries, and it does the same thing. I can't do the "hard reset" where you hold volume up & down, then the power button because what happens is the phone will restart itself before I can get to that point. I tried it when I was on the phone with T-Mobile, and the associate at one of the retail locations tried when I went to get a loaner. I've tried hooking up the phone to the Kies software, but it won't recognize the old phone. It will recognize the new one with no problems though.
I am in no way am I well versed with the process of flashing it or installing different things on the phone. I just used it casually for phone calls, texts, web, and an occasional game or app. I'm just stating this so that if there are any specific tips that anyone could recommend, please if possible, explain in a bit more depth, because after I posted my title, I found the related threads, and most of the steps that were recommended to others that had problems sound a bit foreign to me. I just really want to recover the photos and documents that I had on the phone before I send it back to T-Mobile.
These are the threads that I've somewhat referenced so far:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1948094
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1457458x
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1813866
I can't seem to find anything with the same symptoms as my phone though. If anyone could let me know, that would be great. I just really want to get the content off my old phone, it's just extremely important to me. I'll be waiting on any replies. If you need and more information about what the phone is doing, or what I should try, please mention it. I will try to update this as I get replies, since I am supposed to send the phone back pretty soon. Thank you in advance.

You have a stuck or broken power button. Stick a toothpick or something into the power button whole and take out any gunk if there is. If that doesn't help, then you have a broken power button and you have to get your phone fixed.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

So from what I understand your phone does not boot up to the home screen at all and you are trying to recover all the files from the internal storage? I've been in the same situation as you, although, with my previous android (Samsung Captivate) and I know how hectic this situation is...
If you can enter recovery mode still without the phone restarting itself and if you're willing to flash a custom rom that should help you get into the home screen to recover your files, as it shouldn't remove anything from the internal storage (just as long as you don't format the internal storage/system in recovery).
The phone 'seizure' you are experiencing may also be caused by physical damage, such as the internal memory becoming defective (hopefully not the case).
You mentioned that you can't turn on the phone with the power button and the phone only turns on when you place the battery... that's the same thing that happened with my old phone and it turned out that I had to disassemble the phone and clean/replace the power button. After that the phone turned on like normally again, however, I had to flash a new rom for it to properly boot up.
As a last resort, if you can enter 'Download Mode' via button combo or usb jig you can use Odin to flash a stock rom. However, the files you originally have in the phone will be removed, which you definitely do not want. But at least your phone will possibly work again.
At the moment, I don't think there is any way to recover the files you need from the internal memory without being able to boot up the phone to get it connected to your computer. If you do manage to boot to the home screen, but can't connect your phone to your computer. You can always do a wireless transfer to a cloud based storage such as Dropbox (you can use the android app) and just transfer your files from your phone through that.
I hope I am of some help to you, if I find any other solutions I'll let you know. Good luck!

[Q] Endless reboot loop even when trying to enter recovery

One beautiful day the phone just restarted from itself. (wasnt really shocked though) After that it entered again into a boot loop, Im saying again because it happened once before and i noticed it was the SD Card and I just had to format it. So far so good, but now it doesnt matter if I pull out the SD Card or SIM, even battery... once ive put the battery the phone starts booting from it self and restarts everytime on a different place, like samsung logo, CM logo, CWM recovery, download mode.. it just cant stay on one place so i can choose an option. Only once ive managed to do a cache and dalvik wipe, also didnt help. Keeps rebooting and rebooting. Ive tried different ways of booting, with USB cable, with the recharger adaptor and without them. Left it for a whole night without battery, didnt help. I cant even manage to flash the stock ROM again, still reboots. I thought the power button was stuck or something, tried moving it arround but also didnt help. If you ask how many time Ive flashed the device... well perhaps countless, about 40 times counting the stock firmware. (maybe this number for some other maniacs is little, but now i see it like too much, because im kinda attached to this phone, the previous HD2 suffered a lot more xD) So guys my question is, do you have any suggestions? Ive searched the internet to check if the symptoms are close to hard brick but... didnt really saw any identity.

So.....
Normal boot.....it reboots, shuts off reboots.......?
Recovery mode.....reboots, shuts off, reboots.......?
Download mode.....reboots, shuts off, reboots......?
Battery insertion.....reboots, shuts off, reboots.......?
Same sequence every time?
Irrespective of which of the above scenarios is taking place?
If you just sat and watched it without pressing any buttons, will it endlessly reboot, shut off, reboot?.....
During this cycle, does it get to the same point in the boot process before restarting?.....
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app

keithross39 said:
So.....
Normal boot.....it reboots, shuts off reboots.......?
Recovery mode.....reboots, shuts off, reboots.......?
Download mode.....reboots, shuts off, reboots......?
Battery insertion.....reboots, shuts off, reboots.......?
Same sequence every time?
Irrespective of which of the above scenarios is taking place?
If you just sat and watched it without pressing any buttons, will it endlessly reboot, shut off, reboot?.....
During this cycle, does it get to the same point in the boot process before restarting?.....
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! I thought nobody will answer. It reboots right after passing 3 to 5 seconds, sometimes on the CM Samsung splash, sometimes on the spinning CM circle(boot loading image), when i succeed entering CWM or download mode reboots again. I cant boot it normally and reach the home screen. I read something that it could be from the kernel boot code, im using CM 10 (if im not guessing wrong).

I've answered a number of threads in the XDA W forum where members were experiencing similar issues to yourself. I doubt it's software related as during access to download mode and recovery mode , the phone isn't even using the "main" system software and kernel....these modes use their own independent kernel and system (it would be HIGHLY unlikely that two separate systems and two separate kernels are suffering from the same fault).
If all of the symptoms I wrote about in my original reply apply to your phone, then it all points towards a faulty power button.
As I understand it, Samsung uses a type of button commonly referred to as "temporary push to make" which means that when you push the button, two contacts are bridged to make an electrical connection but when you release the button the contact is broken. Under normal circumstances, this "make, break" sequence will start a normal boot sequence. Under normal conditions, long pressing this button again will begin the shutdown process. Now assume for a moment that the button has become damaged....where this contact that is meant to be momentary, has in fact become permanent......the result would be a phone that will attempt to start up and shut down in an endless cycle....basically, YOUR phone........
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

Yeah, I also thought that as a reason but discarded it quickly because the button doesnt have any problems when pushing it. I mean it freely comes back when pushed and i can also freely push it without problems. Also discarded that problem because i thought the button cant stop the booting cycle while booting, but it seems like it can. Thanks for all the answering I will try fixing it and will report as soon as possible.

The plastic button is separate to the electrical part I described....so it is entirely possible for the part you normally touch to *seem* to be working as it should.....only for it to work against the faulty electrical part........
And yes, that type of fault IS caused by the permanent contact of a faulty electrical button. Anybody who has a normally booting W (as I do) can re create this fault simply by pressing and holding the power button......the phone WILL enter a boot/shut down/reboot cycle for as long as the button is held........
The same condition can be re created on my S2 in exactly the same way as well.....
Sent from my Infected KitKat bar.....

Well.. bad news.. i've managed to disassemble it, tried to see whats wrong with the button (not the plastic one), tried moving it arround, nothing seems to be damaged, still stable at one place, also tried booting the phone 3 times without any covers and the result was the same...
Perhaps i should drive it to service.

Check your date of purchase.....Samsung phones have a two year warranty.......
Sent from my Infected KitKat bar.....

Well bad luck here also, i got it almost brand new from England and I'm not from England. I bought it over online shop sold as a second hand long time ago, it was just a matter of time to damage him. Thanks anyway for all the help, I'll see what i can do with the service.

Bad luck mate.....word of caution though.....as you've found out, the button is soldered directly to the motherboard, Samsung's "modus operandi" seems to be rather than attempt to repair the button, simply replace the entire MB........for a phone that is outside warranty, this will have (erm) "cost implications" lol......basically they like to charge as much as they can in situations like these.....eg/ board replacement when button repair would be enough.....
Sent from my Infected KitKat bar.....

keithross39 said:
Bad luck mate.....word of caution though.....as you've found out, the button is soldered directly to the motherboard, Samsung's "modus operandi" seems to be rather than attempt to repair the button, simply replace the entire MB........for a phone that is outside warranty, this will have (erm) "cost implications" lol......basically they like to charge as much as they can in situations like these.....eg/ board replacement when button repair would be enough.....
Sent from my Infected KitKat bar.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, my phone suffered the Power Off Loop as you may know from my previous thread. I decided to send my phone to a couple of repair shops and they said that the phone "cnt be repaired". i thought they knew about the change of MB but no. So rite now, my Galaxy W is in the grave ...
Sent from my GT-S6500 using xda app-developers app

i had encountered this issue with my galaxy wonder today and would like to seek for solutions over the internet. regardless that i also checked the button by disassembling the covers and separated the plastic button with the one on the board and tried to boot it but it still the same.
as most of you guys experienced this issue, what would you guys suggest me to do with my phone? i wish to save this phone for sentimental reason. would change the button DIY-ly is worth it? is it available for me to get the parts?
or did you guys manage to get a better solution?
thanks!

Power Button makes volume go up instead of tablet sleep

So whenever I push the power button on my Nexus 7 the volume goes up instead of the screen turning off. I have never had any issues, until the last two days, with my power button. I have tried two different ROMs with the same result...I suppose that means it is a hardware issue
Anyone else have this problem?

GatorsUF said:
So whenever I push the power button on my Nexus 7 the volume goes up instead of the screen turning off. I have never had any issues, until the last two days, with my power button. I have tried two different ROMs with the same result...I suppose that means it is a hardware issue
Anyone else have this problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you wipe your internal sd card when you installed the different roms? I've had it happen to me where data got corrupted, and installing a different rom produced the same problem. I've never heard of software causing the hardware to confuse the buttons, but if you're able to turn the tab on from power-off, it would indicate that the hardware is functioning properly where no software is running.
Hardware-wise, the only connection point is between the power cable and the connector on the motherboard. You might disconnect, inspect both, and reseat the cable. On the cable, the power and the volume clickers are so far apart, I don't they can be shorted. But just to be thorough, the only part that might split is on the back side of the cable - which means you have to scrape it off the bezel to inspect. And here, you need to be very careful, as you might cut and damage it.

graphdarnell said:
Did you wipe your internal sd card when you installed the different roms? I've had it happen to me where data got corrupted, and installing a different rom produced the same problem. I've never heard of software causing the hardware to confuse the buttons, but if you're able to turn the tab on from power-off, it would indicate that the hardware is functioning properly where no software is running.
Hardware-wise, the only connection point is between the power cable and the connector on the motherboard. You might disconnect, inspect both, and reseat the cable. On the cable, the power and the volume clickers are so far apart, I don't they can be shorted. But just to be thorough, the only part that might split is on the back side of the cable - which means you have to scrape it off the bezel to inspect. And here, you need to be very careful, as you might cut and damage it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip, never tried opening my tablet before...
I am able to power on my device, however everytime I do so it boots into Recovery first (which is better than the alternative of not powering on at all)
I am also able to power off the device, however I can only do this through 3rd party reboot apps or by holding the power button down for 10 seconds (it shows the volume panel the whole time I am holding it down)
I am guessing this must be a hardware issue, but I am hesitant to open the tablet up without some very specific instructions. I am a firefighter and I am apt to breaking things

GatorsUF said:
Thanks for the tip, never tried opening my tablet before...
I am able to power on my device, however everytime I do so it boots into Recovery first (which is better than the alternative of not powering on at all)
I am also able to power off the device, however I can only do this through 3rd party reboot apps or by holding the power button down for 10 seconds (it shows the volume panel the whole time I am holding it down)
I am guessing this must be a hardware issue, but I am hesitant to open the tablet up without some very specific instructions. I am a firefighter and I am apt to breaking things
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Forget the sledge hammer. You're not on duty with this. Be a kid instead. With a bit more information, I'd say it's software. There's no reason a hardware malfunction would cause the tablet to go to recovery first. Further, if you can shut it down by holding the button for 10 seconds, it's working properly.
I'd suggest you backup all your apps through Titanium Backup, or backup the whole tab to a flash drive (if you're on a custom recovery). Then format your internal SD with TWRP twice (you also have that option with Philz Touch, where it asks you if you intend to install a new rom), and reinstall a rom from scratch. Power it on like that. If it ain't misbehavin', you'll know.
Past it, restore your data, either from TWRP or Titanium. with the latter, restore the apps one by one to check which one was causing the anomaly. It's a pain, I know, but all troubleshooting procedures are. Try it first. That failing, you can think about opening the thing. Actually, it's very easy. I can guide you if need be.

Have you tried using some app to change the purpose of hardware buttons?
Press Thanks If I Helped You!
Sent from my dead Nexus 7 2013 LTE! ???

Any fix?
Did anyone manage to fix this issue? I'm facing this exact problem with my nexus 7now. Power button changes volume up.

Bricked Nexus 7 [Solution?]

Hi folks,
first post but an important one. Important enough to join and hopefully get some answers.
My LTE Nexus 7 (running 5.0.2) bricked last night. It got stuck on the Google screen and I had no way to unlock the bootloader to flash a different version of the OS. SO this morning thinking I had nothing to lose I removed the back panel with the intention of tearing the thing down. Then it hit me. The common theory seems to be that it's the way the bootloader is not mounting the storage. So as the device never completely powers off what would happen if I cut the power manually. Hopefully a hard reset. So I detached the battery cable from the board and left it alone for a few moments. After popping the kettle on I returned, replaced the cable and tried turning on my Nexus. Lo and behold it works!
I have an unbricked device.
Which is great an all, but I have the proper tools and knowhow to delve into the hardware. More importantly though I'm trying to find out why that might have worked.
Any thoughts?
Has anyone else tried this as a solution to unbrick their device? Did it work?

There is a way easier solution, in case you didn´t know before Push the power button for a few seconds ( >5 seconds ) and it will shut down the device, the same way you are used to shut down a PC by holding the power button

Gorgtech said:
There is a way easier solution, in case you didn´t know before Push the power button for a few seconds ( >5 seconds ) and it will shut down the device, the same way you are used to shut down a PC by holding the power button
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But surely that's not the same as disconnecting the battery?
Trev

It´s not the same but once you´re in a "boot loop", you have no chance of eg. entering the recovery. This is why you need a way to shut down the device first.
But in case even this "forced shut down" doesn´t help and you´re out of warranty, maybe it´s not the worst idea to open the device anyway since you´ve got nothing else to lose

Stuck on lock screen

Wondering if someone can help. My boys nexus 7, screen is unresponsive and is stuck on the lockscreen.... It seems the problem happened after a system update downloaded(shown in the image)
Anybody any idea how to fix this

Photo

Try resetting the device by holding the power button.
You could also try to safe mode, by holding the volume down button while booting (safe mode text should appear upon bootup in the bottom left corner).

memphisuklf said:
Wondering if someone can help. My boys nexus 7, screen is unresponsive and is stuck on the lockscreen.... It seems the problem happened after a system update downloaded(shown in the image)
Anybody any idea how to fix this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are at least 3 possibilities.
1. On some, the touch responsiveness decreases with the battery being drained. In other words, the lower the battery percentage, the more unresponsive the touch becomes. Reaching a certain low level of battery would kill touch completely. But this usually occurs with a tab that has had responsiveness issue all along. If it's something new that takes place only at the downloading of the update, then it might not be. Just to make sure, turn it off completely, charge it fully, then turn it on again.
2. The touch problem just occurs out of the blue. You want to make sure the hardware is not at fault. The only way to do this is to remove the back cover and reseat the two-pronged amber cable from the digitizer, and the white/silver cable connecting the daughter card to the main board. If there's a problem of this kind, no amount of software workaround will cure it.
3. The update is the culprit. If this is the case, the only thing to do would be to flash another rom (preferably a custom one that has more or less been sanitized by a known dev.
If you have a lot of data you're not willing to part with, then you can try an OTG USB mouse to navigate and allow the update to install to see if the tab would return to normal after. I wouldn't advise this route since I've heard and read a lot about people bricking the tab from taking automatic updates. Stay away from anything official if you can help it.