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Help Display not working - how to back up data on internal memory?

chouwalker

Newbie
Aug 5, 2013
10
0
The screen is not working on my Droid Razr Maxx HD (black screen). Motorola will fix the phone if I send it in, but they will also wipe the internal memory. How can I backup the data in internal memory when I don't have a display? I have a pattern lock on the phone and the phone is not set to mass memory mode. The phone is alive and will ring if called. I have Verizon Backup Assistant Plus, but it is not backing up my recent data for some reason. Is there a way to remotely invoke a backup? Is there some way to get the data off my phone? Verizon and Motorola have both told me there is no way to get my data, but that can't be the answer, can it? My iPhone friends are laughing at me, please help!
 
I continue to try to solve this problem. I was able to get my phone to display on an external monitor with an HDMI cable, but the digitizer does not work, so even though I could see the screen, I could not do anything (e.g. enter the pattern to unlock the phone). I found out that I can pay $300 for somebody other than Motorola to repair the screen, and they won't wipe the data. So, my choice as of now is either 1) lose my data and get free display replacement from Motorola, or 2) pay $300 and get a new screen from somebody else and keep my data.

I tried to see if I could use a lapdock to access my phone, but I could not find a lapdock compatible with the Droid Razr Maxx HD.

Somebody help me please!!!
 
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May be stupid question - you have any apps on the phone that have built-in backup, like Lookout, or a remote access app like Airdroid?

Not a stupid question. I have My Backup Pro installed which has a remote backup capability in beta. I tried that and it did not work. Unfortunately, all my messing with the phone trying to get my data off has somehow resulted in the phone now being in airplane mode (I found this out when I used the HDMI cable to connect an external monitor). Now, if someone could tell me how to get out of airplane mode without a digitizer, I might have a solution!
 
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I found out that I can pay $300 for somebody other than Motorola to repair the screen

I've had two screens replaced (teenagers!), and they were both less than $100. One was a business called U-Break I-Fix, the other was call Cell Phone Repair (CPR). I think they're both franchises, so there may be one in your area. I know there are others as well, because a store just opened near my house (don't remember the name of it though). Each time was less than an hour.
 
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Is it possible that although you can't see what's on the screen that it still might accept input? Can you press the power key as if turning on the screen, press again to bring up the menu, guess where the airplane mode "button" would be (it is dead center btw), and see if it accepts the press?

Unfortunately, the digitizer is not working. I was able to see the display on an external monitor using the HDMI output, but I was not able to make any input with the digitizer.
 
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I've had two screens replaced (teenagers!), and they were both less than $100. One was a business called U-Break I-Fix, the other was call Cell Phone Repair (CPR).

Unfortunately the Droid Razr Maxx HD replacement screen is very expensive (must be made of diamonds). U-Break I-Fix charges $279 to fix my screen.

I found out that the reason Motorola wipes a phone for a display repair is that they don't actually send back MY phone after repairing it. They send back a different refurbished phone and then fix mine and send it to somebody else as a refurbished phone.

Cellairis charges $50 in labor to replace the screen if I provide the part. My current plan is to ask Motorola for just the part instead of the warranty repair, so that I can get the display fixed by Cellairis for $50 and they won't wipe my data.

If Motorola cares at all about its customers, they will work with me on this. I am not optimistic, but hope to be pleasantly surprised. I am more than ready for a pleasant surprise after all the other surprises.
 
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The saga continues, but my path forward is clear.

I contacted Motorola in hopes of getting just the replacement part instead of a warranty repair so that I could pay a 3rd party to install the display without wiping the internal memory. I was told "no". I escalated up two levels and was told "no" twice more. What's worse is that I have now been told that it is not a warranty repair ("I am very sorry, but the agent you spoke gave you incorrect information"). Instead, I have to pay Motorola to perform the repair and wipe my internal memory in the process.

My conclusions are as follows:
1) I will have a 3rd party repair my display without wiping the internal memory, thus resolving my original issue at the cost of $280.
2) Motorola products are fragile (the display broke in a 2-ft fall from the sofa to the hardwood floor while the phone was in an Otterbox Defender case).
3) Motorola products are expensive to repair ($280 to repair the display)
4) Motorola technical support is not very helpful or well trained. In the course of trying to solve this problem, I came up with several approaches that technical support was not aware of (e.g. using external display via HDMI cable).
5) Motorola customer support gives out incorrect warranty repair information that could end up costing customer hundreds of dollars.
6) Motorola does not care about their customers and is unwilling to do anything other than read from a script when dealing with customers.
7) I will NEVER buy another Motorola product.

Clearly, I am a very DISSATISFIED Motorola customer. I have owed 6 Motorola phones, but this one will be the last. I will be avoiding Motorola like the plague. I advise you to do the same.
 
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Was there some circumstance that caused the screen to stop working or did it happen through no action of your own?

As noted above, the display broke in a 2-ft fall from the sofa to the hardwood floor while the phone was in an Otterbox Defender case.

Motorola has a fragile product that broke when only 4 months old. They won't repair it for free, and if they do repair it they insist on wiping my internal memory when that is not necessary for the repair and the data cannot be otherwise recovered because of the broken display. The display repair will be very expensive ($288) and the part is very hard to find. I spent hours before I found a repair center with access to the part, and they wanted $400 for the repair. I finally ordered the part myself from China for $238 and will pay $50 to have it installed. Because the part is coming from China, I will have to wait a week or more for it to arrive and I am accepting risk that it will be of poor quality (you know, like the Motorola OEM part).

Motorola was deaf to my concerns and my issues, and would do nothing more than read off a script and say "I'm sorry sir, there's nothing we can do", even after I escalated the issue 2 levels. They never did a single thing to try and help me, despite that the fact that my problem was the result of their product's deficiencies.

I AM A VERY DISSATISFIED MOTOROLA CUSTOMER. I HATE MOTOROLA WITH A PASSION.

I am on a life mission to steer everyone person I know away from Motorola. They have made a mortal enemy out of me. I was a loyal customer on my 6th Motorola phone. That is over now.
 
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I do not have a case or screen protector. I have an extended coverage insurance policy ($6/mo) and it is $100 deductible. If it had happened to me at month 12 it would cost me $172 for a refurbished phone.

It was pointed out to me when I bought it that occurrences like the one you reported are not covered by the manufacturers warranty.

It seems to me that the protective case you bought was a waste of money and the place you bought the phone from did not tell you all you needed to know to make a decision.

Sorry for your loss.

... Thom
 
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So, I got the new display/digitizer I ordered from ETrade Supply (************.com) that was shipped from China. It came super fast (ordered Thurs, delivered Monday). The part seems to be of great quality (indistinguishable from OEM, maybe it is OEM). I had Cellairis install the new display/digitizer and it works perfectly.

One problem though. As noted above, when the display/digitizer first broke, the phone would ring if called. After a few days, it went into airplane mode for no apparent reason and would no longer respond to being called (this happened before Cellairus ever touched the phone, so they are not to blame). Well, with the digitizer/display working I attempted to take it out of airplane mode, and it was unable to connect with the network.

Before going any further with the network connection issue, I retrieved the data I so desperately wanted to preserve (phew!). I then had Verizon work for over an hour to get my phone to connect (new SIM card, hard factory reset, etc) to no avail.

Now what? The display/digitizer is working again, but the phone won't connect to the network. Well, Verizon agreed to give me a new phone, which is supposed to arrive tomorrow (exactly 2 weeks after my phone broke). I paid $290 to get fix my old phone so I could retrieve my data, and then had Verizon give me a new phone. What a fiasco!

I still hate Motorola for their fragile phones, their expensive/hard to find parts, and their total unwillingness to do anything to help me. My next phone will not be a Motorola.
 
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It is possible that other than the display some other trace inside the system broke as well. Good to hear all has been eventually resolved. Agreed though if Android allowed mass storage maybe things could have been easier and cheaper in the long run. Then again maybe not.

If you would have sent the phone way the same issues could have presented themselves trying to connect. It is strange though it did receive a call after the screen broke but now you can't connect with the old phone................
 
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I had this same issue, broke my screen and nothing worked. I really didn't want to lose the pics of my kids so I researched and found that the Motorola lapdock will let you transfer your files to your Sim card. I had to modify it to work with my RAZR HD since it was designed for the Atrix but it works great. Got it from a Canadian seller for under $100 to my door:thumbup:
 
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