Fix for hardware locked Vibrants!

[sano614]

Was just browsing XDA and saw that there was a fix available for hardware locked Vibrants! Flashed my wifes Vibrant that was hardware locked, and it's not no more!

Here's the thread:

[MOD] Fix for hardware locked phones / cant access recovery without adb. - xda-developers

You need ODIN. Use adb to reboot into download mode, load the vibrant_recovery_fix.tar into the PDA field, and off you go!

 

[howetechnical]

Was just browsing XDA and saw that there was a fix available for hardware locked Vibrants! Flashed my wifes Vibrant that was hardware locked, and it's not no more!

Here's the thread:

[MOD] Fix for hardware locked phones / cant access recovery without adb. - xda-developers

You need ODIN. Use adb to reboot into download mode, load the vibrant_recovery_fix.tar into the PDA field, and off you go!

Seems kind of ironic that you need adb to remove the need for adb. I'm fine with rebooting into recovery through adb. Thanks for the info, though.

 

[sano614]

Well, you only need to use adb once just to get into download mode to flash the file. After that you're able to use the buttons without adb.

After having to use adb on my locked Vibrants, I prefer adb as well, but, I like having the option now of being able to get in through the buttons just in case I can't get into recovery or download via adb. =]

 

[southplatte]

Seems kind of ironic that you need adb to remove the need for adb. I'm fine with rebooting into recovery through adb. Thanks for the info, though.

I was fine rebooting into recovery too until I ended at the phone-!-pc screen. Without the hardware lock fix, at that point the phone is bricked as adb no longer works due to the portion of the kernel that loads usb on the device isn't even accessed. Thus the PC can't see the phone and no more adb access and zero fall back to fix.

Especially important if flashing FW with Odin given all the variables that can cause a bad flash.

 

[Night.Hawk]

I was fine rebooting into recovery too until I ended at the phone-!-pc screen. Without the hardware lock fix, at that point the phone is bricked as adb no longer works due to the portion of the kernel that loads usb on the device isn't even accessed. Thus the PC can't see the phone and no more adb access and zero fall back to fix.

Especially important if flashing FW with Odin given all the variables that can cause a bad flash.

this happened to me...good thing tmobile is sending me a new one haha

 

[HadouGhost]

I was fine rebooting into recovery too until I ended at the phone-!-pc screen. Without the hardware lock fix, at that point the phone is bricked as adb no longer works due to the portion of the kernel that loads usb on the device isn't even accessed. Thus the PC can't see the phone and no more adb access and zero fall back to fix.

Especially important if flashing FW with Odin given all the variables that can cause a bad flash.

there IS a way to get you back in to download mode, let me post if for you.

i got to that phone exclamation point computer screen when i botched my odin flash to JI6. fear not.

"1. Take out battery, put it back in. (to turn the phone fully off)
2. Don't turn it the phone on!
3. Plug the phone into your PC, do not hit the power button!
4. See if the phone shows anything on the screen (anything, even the phone exclamationpoint computer screen)

IF the phone screen does 'turn on' after being plugged in without you hitting the power button, so far so good.

5. Now while it's on like this, hold the volume up and volume down buttons.
6. Hold the power button as well as the volume buttons until the screen goes black.
7. As soon as the screen goes black, let go of the power button! But DON'T let go of the volume buttons!

you should then be back in to download mode. ODIN AND ENJOY! "

this worked for me. and im back and running!

 

[southplatte]

there IS a way to get you back in to download mode, let me post if for you.

i got to that phone exclamation point computer screen when i botched my odin flash to JI6. fear not.

"1. Take out battery, put it back in. (to turn the phone fully off)
2. Don't turn it the phone on!
3. Plug the phone into your PC, do not hit the power button!
4. See if the phone shows anything on the screen (anything, even the phone exclamationpoint computer screen)

IF the phone screen does 'turn on' after being plugged in without you hitting the power button, so far so good.

5. Now while it's on like this, hold the volume up and volume down buttons.
6. Hold the power button as well as the volume buttons until the screen goes black.
7. As soon as the screen goes black, let go of the power button! But DON'T let go of the volume buttons!

you should then be back in to download mode. ODIN AND ENJOY! "

this worked for me. and im back and running!

Unfortunately I seen this over in the XDA thread and tried it for nearly 2 hours straight.

When it's a true HW lock from the bug, this still does not work as ALL volume key presses are simply ignored due to the SBL not loading the required listeners/responses/kernel (or whatever) etc from what I can tell of all the threads I have read. That's why the hw lock fix changes the SBL and Boot.bin files - so at first init the keys are responsive. See [MOD] Fix for hardware locked phones / cant access recovery without adb. - xda-developers

I willing to make a video of the process and show that on some of the phones, like mine, they are simply dead to all button combinations in this state.

I wish there was a definitive thread somewhere that explained the few "true" methods that actually work instead of a bunch of threads that have "hey, stand on your tippy toes, let the wind blow just right, hold one button a split second longer than the other button (but not too long): type of items on how to achieve download mode (and no I am not saying your method does NOT work or making fun or trying to be rude. I am glad it worked for you, and I am sure there are other Vibrants it will work on as well, as I believe there are many inconsistencies from phone to phone. Poor QA from Samsung and Tmo that have led to what could be called the "101+ Most Crazy Ways to Get Your Vibrant into Download Mode").

I know this much - the prescribed ways for Tmo reps to get into download mode, which are probably the manufacturer supplied preferred method, do not work on mine. I had 5 Tmo reps try for several hours to get mine into download mode. No go. If the manufacturer supplied methods do not work, I say it's a bug/defect that needs fixed. There is a fix (albeit not from Tmo or Samsung on the Vibrant). Unfortunately mine bricked before I knew of the fix. Fortunately Tmo is replacing free of charge. Why? Samsung release an update to Canadian customers for the "3-button Issue" - meaning they don't work right and as such are defective.

Personally I have seen the following most frequently and firmly believe anything other than this on a pure stock, non-rooted, non-flashed OEM Tmo Vibrant is a bug:

1. Power off phone
2. Hold vol+ and vol-
3. Plug USB in
4. Instant download mode

Recovery method I have most seen

1. Power off phone
2. Hold vol+ and vol-
3. Press and hold power until Samsung/Vibrant boot screen appears and release
4. Instant recovery mode

 

[w_bovine]

there IS a way to get you back in to download mode, let me post if for you.

i got to that phone exclamation point computer screen when i botched my odin flash to JI6. fear not.

"1. Take out battery, put it back in. (to turn the phone fully off)
2. Don't turn it the phone on!
3. Plug the phone into your PC, do not hit the power button!
4. See if the phone shows anything on the screen (anything, even the phone exclamationpoint computer screen)

IF the phone screen does 'turn on' after being plugged in without you hitting the power button, so far so good.

5. Now while it's on like this, hold the volume up and volume down buttons.
6. Hold the power button as well as the volume buttons until the screen goes black.
7. As soon as the screen goes black, let go of the power button! But DON'T let go of the volume buttons!

you should then be back in to download mode. ODIN AND ENJOY! "

this worked for me. and im back and running!

Ah, so you've used Odin now too. Still rooted?

 

[w_bovine]

.....
Personally I have seen the following most frequently and firmly believe anything other than this on a pure stock, non-rooted, non-flashed OEM Tmo Vibrant is a bug:

1. Power off phone
2. Hold vol+ and vol-
3. Plug USB in
4. Instant download mode

........

This method has worked for me every time, without fail.

 

[southplatte]

This method has worked for me every time, without fail.

I should mention that I purchased two Vibrants on the same day, one for me and one for my step-son. The same method works without fail on his, but not a single one of the other methods I have seen posted on various threads have ever worked on his.

As I said, poor QA and bugs

On the buggy ones, it may be all the various timing, key presses, power cycles work, but which of those will work on a particular phone is mind numbing and painstaking to try and figure out....5 days in and I haven't figured my magic combo yet, and very well may not before the replacement gets here

 

[w_bovine]

I should mention that I purchased two Vibrants on the same day, one for me and one for my step-son. The same method works without fail on his, but not a single one of the other methods I have seen posted on various threads have ever worked on his.

As I said, poor QA and bugs

On the buggy ones, it may be all the various timing, key presses, power cycles work, but which of those will work on a particular phone is mind numbing and painstaking to try and figure out....5 days in and I haven't figured my magic combo yet, and very well may not before the replacement gets here

So, if it works the way it should, that is the way it works for me, that means my phone is not hardware locked? I've never had the need to actually check. Or I'm just lazy. Probably I'm just lazy.

 

[HadouGhost]

Ah, so you've used Odin now too. Still rooted?

Yeah i've Odin'd now. I undid the root before i did the odin to JI6. Just wanted to play it safe. I havent one click rooted again but i will.

Yeah..you've converted me to the dark side...

...and it feels good.

 

[w_bovine]

Yeah i've Odin'd now. I undid the root before i did the odin to JI6. Just wanted to play it safe. I havent one click rooted again but i will.

Yeah..you've converted me to the dark side...

...and it feels good.

Glad to hear it! Now, can I interest you in Bionix? Just kidding!

 

[HadouGhost]

Glad to hear it! Now, can I interest you in Bionix? Just kidding!

tell me about bionix.

 

[w_bovine]

tell me about bionix.

Ah, glad to. It's a custom ROM of course, developed by sombionix over at xda. It's been optimized for speed as you might expect and does away with a good amount of the bloatware Samsung was so good to bless us with.

I could hardly expect you to read the whole forum thread...it's over 8000 posts now! There's a fair amount of nonsense on there, but also a good amount of useful information if you can wade through it all.

The theme of Bionix is "black goodness," though there is a download to return to the stock look after flashing the ROM.

It comes already rooted and is installed via ROM Manager, or more specifically ClockwordMod.

Installing the ROM will wipe out all your apps so you need Titanium Backup to back everything up prior to flashing.

There are a few different options for kernels...the stock kernel, JAC's kernel and Kingklick's kernel. The latter two are capable of overclocking the CPU and are also configured to undervolt the CPU, theoretically increasing battery life. I've not noticed a great difference in battery life, but I certainly have seen a huge increase in speed using JAC's kernel in conjunction with a lagfix called Voodoo. Voodoo can be a pain, but it's worth it to me.

You'd likely do well the Bionix 1.8 and Kingklick's kernel. You don't have to overclock if you don't want to. SetCPU, the overclocking app, is available to xda members for free.

There are some bugs, but by and large the dev has done a pretty amazing job of getting things to work. Personally, I've yet to have any problems. Most of the time the ones who do have problems don't read carefully enough or simply fail to reboot their phones first to see if things clear up.

It's not something to leap into blindly, but I'm confident you're not the type to do such a thing. Some research is in order, but if you pay attention and can follow directions, it's not all that hard. Again, I expect you're fully capable of that.

You already have experience with Odin, and this is very good knowledge to have. Unless something truly catastrophic occurs, you can always use Odin to get back to stock.

[ROM] Bionix 1.8 - Complete JI6 Build - Can't believe it's not butter *10/12/10* - xda-developers

Take a look. If you find yourself interested, let me know and I'll help as much as I can. It really is a lot of fun to play with these things. And I guarantee that my Vibrant can make your Vibrant cry!

 

[SamsungVibrant]

JI6 is suppose to fix the 3 button issue, i.e. hardware locked. Technically it was never hardware locked, but whatever that's what people called it. Should have been called SBL software locked.