Help S4 mini Boot Loop

[SanFran]

Hi,
My son's s4 has gone 'loopy'. He said one minute it was fine, then not, and nothing happened as far as knows.. He assures me he hasn't got it wet, though he has been out riding in the rain with friends a couple of times lately..
Anyway, these are the symptoms:
- Reluctant to turn off
- Will not boot beyond the 'Samsung Galaxy S4 mini GT-19195' logo screen (the first, plain, b&w one, not the later 'touchscreen' one..), hence:
- No touchscreen abilities at all, as it doesn't get that far
- Gets stuck on aforementioned Samsung splash screen, vibrating every couple of seconds or so..
- Cannot be 'read' by PC, using a good, working lead
- Only thing I can get to is recovery screen (attached): it has been sitting quietly displaying that for over an hour

Battery charges up fine: tried another one (just by holding in place as it was from a Fame.. ) with same results.
Phone was bought used about a year ago (O2 network. UK: we use giffgaff) and has worked flawlessly, which is quite impressive considering today's young (and rough!) 'power users'!

'wipe cache partition' reportedly succeeded, but no difference..
My next step is to try the 'apply update from ADB' but since phone and PC won't 'speak to each other'...

Having done a little research, I'm thinking the next step should be to open it up and check the power button.. kinda hoping someone will come along with some things to try so I don't need to do that..
(Have tried the 'slapping' method, repeatedly pressing the power button, etc..)

Hopefully there's enough info. in the attached pic., as I don't think I can provide more.. I assumed it was stock ROM but typed the 'KOT49H.....' # into google, and am thinking maybe it was rooted...?

Anyway, hoping someone can help.
Apologies if the answer is already here somewhere... I have looked, but I've got so many tabs/windows open from different sources that I'm getting brain fog......

 

[SanFran]

Guess I'll just do what 'normal' people do and pay someone else to do it. Enough on my plate. Don't need something else to have to sort out.

 

[James L]

Guess I'll just do what 'normal' people do and pay someone else to do it. Enough on my plate. Don't need something else to have to sort out.

Have you tried download mode? power off, volume down, home and power at the same time?

 

[Jfalls63]

This should be the stock firmware
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/65347/I9195XXUCOL3_I9195O2UCOL1_O2U/

 

[SanFran]

Have you tried download mode? power off, volume down, home and power at the same time?

Yes, but since it won't connect to PC it gets stuck.

This should be the stock firmware
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/65347/I9195XXUCOL3_I9195O2UCOL1_O2U/

Thank you. Don't really want to pay someone maybe as much as the phone cost me: would rather try/learn myself..
Thought I may as well try something like CM, since it's broken anyway (hopefully not permanently..). It was bought used ~1 yr ago, and I'd be extremely unlikely to send to Samsung anyway, so Knox 0x1 shouldn't matter.. Would you recommend that..? or better trying stock..? I need to start with the simplest way really..

I've ordered a Transcend UBS 3.0 card reader hoping that I can use an SD card for this whilst phone/PC won't communicate..

 

[SanFran]

I've just noticed.. I can get it into recovery mode without pressing the power button.. i.e. just up+home...

Does that mean the power button is faulty? It won't do it when the phone's off (when I can get it to turn off..) but during its 'buzzing' phase.. Power button works in the menus, but I suppose it's performing a different role there, so doesn't count?

I did open it up to see if the button seemed 'sticky'.. Both buttons seem okay (to my untrained eyes/fingers). Wiped around it with a 70% alcohol wipe and put it back together..

It's off and plugged into wall, displaying the battery charging atm: the 'proper' bright green one; not the dull, greyish-green, empty one it sometimes shows.

 

[Jfalls63]

Do you have the proper Samsung USB drivers installed on your pc?
A good place to get them would be to install Kies3 on your pc. Will come with all drivers
http://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/app/kies

 

[SanFran]

Installed Kies 3 but no difference

Is there a diagnostics program I can put on an SD card?

 

[Jfalls63]

At the bottom of the download page for the firmware in my first link is a link to download Odin 3.11
Once you install Odin in your PC, open it and connect your phone with it in download mode.
The pic you posted is download mode.
If Odin will connect to your phone you will get a blue box with a active Com port number.

Odin is the flash tool for Samsung devices used to install the stock firmware or custom recovery. Usually works best with the stock OEM Samsung USB cable that came with the device. Connect straight to PC and not a USB hub.
If connection is possible, download the stock firmware in the link and follow the instructions for flashing.
Nothing you can do with a SD card with stock recovery or download mode.

 

[SanFran]

Thanks for all your help Jfalls. I'm working on it.
It did something different when I first plugged it in with Odin, but I restarted it to go through the steps correctly, and nothing's really happening atm.. but some more fiddling is in order

 

[Jfalls63]

Free account at Sammobile the downloads are slow.
Should be faster here
http://updato.com/firmware-archive-select-model?record=B006ABFF1DFB11E6949E0CC47A44B7B2

 

[SanFran]

PC makes the 'up' 'beep-beep' sound when phone is plugged into it via USB and enters download mode. Odin does nothing. Kies spends some time 'connecting' then fails.

There must be a hardware problem..? Power button, something to do with how the phone is taking power from the battery,...?

If I plug it into PC via USB without the battery, the PC just repeatedly makes the up and down/connected and disconnected 'beep-beep' sounds, over and over.. Is that normal? Isn't it like just inserting an SD card if there's no battery in the phone?

 

[Jfalls63]

The phone operates on the battery and under ideal conditions, will charge faster than normal operation can discharge it.
Is the USB cable connector loose in the phone socket or a tight fit?

 

[SanFran]

It's nice and snug

I looked at the instructions on the links you gave and went back through this thread. I hadn't installed the firmware or the USB drivers
It passed the Odin test, but re-commenced it's buzzing upon reboot (which I had to select as it didn't do it automatically upon 'getting the green light').
I've come across a post which suggests wiping cache/data. I've done cache, but just before I factory reset, what are the chances of user data still being on the phone..? Already told son phone data will be gone, and had probably gone before I started doing my noob-DIY on it: i.e. when the phone malfunctioned... He's not impressed. Told him it's a good lesson to learn i.e. backup. He can recover most from SD, internet, etc. but he'll've lost a few photos, etc.

 

[Jfalls63]

Ok, you got it to connect to Odin and was able to flash the stock firmware successfully? You got a green box in the upper left with "Pass"?
Phone did not automatically reboot after flash and still in download mode or did it reboot and still stuck on Samsung splash screen?

 

[SanFran]

Yep, was successful green box, yep. 'Pass' yep
(Did it fairly quickly: I assume 04:59 under 'Pass' in Odin is how long it took)

No it didn't auto-boot. I selected reboot and it started dancing to its favourite Beach Boys track... (good vibrations)

Used buttons to get to recovery mode. Wiped cache (again). Currently paused on factory reset screen, finger poised..

Hmm...

 

[Jfalls63]

Flashing the firmware with Odin would have wiped the data so a factory reset would be the next step. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[SanFran]

buzz..
buzz...
Samsung Galaxy S4mini GT-19195..

pause...

rinse and repeat...

 

[Jfalls63]

Try flashing the firmware again with Odin but this time uncheck Auto reboot in Options.
Once the flash is complete and you get the green Pass, unplug the cable and remove the battery. Wait a few seconds and replace the battery and use the button combination to boot into recovery. Do a factory reset in recovery and reboot. First reboot can take 10 or min for it to sort itself out.

 

[SanFran]

Just waiting on Kies atm.. it's trying to connect..

PC can 'see' the phone which feels like progress.. It 'knows' it's a SAMSUNG_Android, and 'think's it's working properly...

Nope. Kies failed.
I had the phone in ADB mode.. was getting hopeful...

Will go through your steps now.. Keep your fingers crossed

 

[SanFran]

Still the same
It just did something odd.. It was doing its normal buzzing routine then the splash screen had an 'asteroid' background.. black with little coloured dots all over.. then one buzz and nothing. I thought it was really bricked, but it's just back to 'normal' now (bad normal, not normal normal..... )

PC is identifying it as a modem now 'MSM8960'
Driver Management concluded the process to install driver ssudbus.inf_amd64_8bea6eee2abc027d\ssudbus.inf for Device Instance ID USB\VID_04E8&PID_685D\5&2BF451F8&0&1 with the following status: 0x0.

 

[SanFran]

Gotta pop out for a bit. Leaving it trying Odin again. Maybe I'm not giving it enough time... it goes into 'buzz' mode and I assume it's failed.

Don't suppose custom ROM would be worth trying..? This is the safer option..?

 

[Jfalls63]

I'll have a look and see what is available but if it won't boot up the stock firmware, chances of a custom rom and recovery booting are slim.

 

[SanFran]

Tried again using the 'faster' firmware link you posted. Obviously same file, but clutching at straws here..

Left phone plugged into PC. It keeps trying to start up on its own: bzz bzz, Samsung logo, pause.. repeat.. Connected to PC sound, d/c sound.. repeat.. Sometimes 'starry' background..

I think he's got it wet, and something's shorting inside..

Holding down just home+up puts it into recovery mode...

It's trying to reboot itself but it just can't do it.

 

[SanFran]

Kies is helpful........

[Solution 3] Upgrading after reinstalling the device driver

1. Disconnect the cable from the mobile phone, and then remove and reinsert the battery.
2. Press the power button.
3. Make sure that the mobile phone has turned on completely.
4. In the upper menu bar, select Tools > Reinstall device driver.

Where does it say when to reconnect phone to PC.........

EDIT: It tells you after you select reinstall driver.. That's what I did.. but since phone won't turn on/stay on unless I put it in recovery or d/l modes... Guess I'll try some combinations of those next then..

Hardware.. must be.......