SOFTWARE UPDATE FAIL
June 11, 2013 3:40 PM Subscribe
I grew frustrated of my adventures in installing CyanogenMod, turned off my Samsung Galaxy S when it was in "Downloading, do not turn off target!" mode, and now all my phone says is "Software update fail." What do I do? Can I do something?
I was trying to install CyanogenMod and grew frustrated at how vague and unclear the directions were. I got stuck at the step where, after installing Heimdall, you need to run a command on Command Prompt, as my laptop just wasn't recognizing my phone (Samsung Galaxy S) at all. At the time my phone was in "Downloading, do not turn off target!" mode, but from the little bit of googling I did I thought that turning off the phone was fine.
A few hours later and all my phone does now is say "Software update fail." I turn it off, I take out the battery, but whenever it turns on all it shows is that message. I googled a fair bit, and most things I found were either about the Droid or were about people who hadn't tried to root their phones.
Is it possible to fix my phone?
I just want my old phone back! No more dabbling in things I don't understand!
I was trying to install CyanogenMod and grew frustrated at how vague and unclear the directions were. I got stuck at the step where, after installing Heimdall, you need to run a command on Command Prompt, as my laptop just wasn't recognizing my phone (Samsung Galaxy S) at all. At the time my phone was in "Downloading, do not turn off target!" mode, but from the little bit of googling I did I thought that turning off the phone was fine.
A few hours later and all my phone does now is say "Software update fail." I turn it off, I take out the battery, but whenever it turns on all it shows is that message. I googled a fair bit, and most things I found were either about the Droid or were about people who hadn't tried to root their phones.
Is it possible to fix my phone?
I just want my old phone back! No more dabbling in things I don't understand!
Step 1: Find a stock image for your phone.
Step 2: If you can, go into recovery mode as directed above.
Step 2b: If recovery mode fails (as I suspect it might), hold Volume Down and Power, then at the prompt hit Volume Up. That should boot you into ODIN mode.
Step 3: Either use Kies, Samsung's tool for recovering things (Not necessarily recommended), or use whichever tool you were using to flash the new image onto it.
This looks like it should be a full walkthrough: AndroidGalaxy Link
(If you don't have Windows, then I think that would mean you'd need to use Heimdall rather than ODIN. They're supposed to be equivalent.)
posted by CrystalDave at 4:07 PM on June 11, 2013
Step 2: If you can, go into recovery mode as directed above.
Step 2b: If recovery mode fails (as I suspect it might), hold Volume Down and Power, then at the prompt hit Volume Up. That should boot you into ODIN mode.
Step 3: Either use Kies, Samsung's tool for recovering things (Not necessarily recommended), or use whichever tool you were using to flash the new image onto it.
This looks like it should be a full walkthrough: AndroidGalaxy Link
(If you don't have Windows, then I think that would mean you'd need to use Heimdall rather than ODIN. They're supposed to be equivalent.)
posted by CrystalDave at 4:07 PM on June 11, 2013
I've had a few dodgy flashes but not on your specific device (a Galaxy 3 and a Galaxy S3).
It sounds like it should be recoverable. Taking out the battery etc won't fix it though. What you'll need to do is reflash using Heimdall. Personally I find Odin to be a trifle more reliable, but Heimdall should be fine.
From off, I would be next to your computer, have Odin open, have the USB cable nearby. Then I would hold volume up, home, then press power as you insert the USB cable. (That requires some hand ju-jitsu).
Then reflash like you did before.
Don't turn it off when it tells you not to turn it off
Should be fine.
On preview, what CrystalDave said.
posted by ElliotH at 4:09 PM on June 11, 2013
It sounds like it should be recoverable. Taking out the battery etc won't fix it though. What you'll need to do is reflash using Heimdall. Personally I find Odin to be a trifle more reliable, but Heimdall should be fine.
From off, I would be next to your computer, have Odin open, have the USB cable nearby. Then I would hold volume up, home, then press power as you insert the USB cable. (That requires some hand ju-jitsu).
Then reflash like you did before.
Don't turn it off when it tells you not to turn it off
Should be fine.
On preview, what CrystalDave said.
posted by ElliotH at 4:09 PM on June 11, 2013
I love AskMe, but if you're looking for additional help, XDA-Developers is the place to go. Here's a FAQ for the Galaxy S and here are the forums for it.
posted by cnc at 5:14 PM on June 11, 2013
posted by cnc at 5:14 PM on June 11, 2013
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posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 3:47 PM on June 11, 2013