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Root Broken Digitizer Nexus 4

pyrodood

Lurker
Jan 9, 2014
4
0
Is there anyway to recover the data from a Nexus 4 that has not been rooted and does not have USB debugging on?
I like many others have a cracked glass completely disabling the digitizer so no input other than power and volume rocker.
Too bad nexus 4 doesn't support OTG USB. I also didn't have any bluetooth input devices paired with it.

Secondly if there is no way to get the data off, is there any way to flash a different rom that would have usb debugging enabled on first boot?
I would like to use the device as a tv media center with xbmc and if I was able to use usb debugging I might be able to pair a bluetooth mouse and/or keyboard to get xbmc setup and running, then use my new phone with XBMC remote app.

It is a bummer that even over the usb computer connection you can't authenticate it or control it somehow. Android Device manager lets you lock ring locate or wipe your device why no option for recovering data or enabling usb debugging?
 
Is there anyway to recover the data from a Nexus 4 that has not been rooted and does not have USB debugging on?
Depends on what data. If your contacts were entered as Account (not Phone or SIM) contacts, they're at Google Contacts

Too bad nexus 4 doesn't support OTG USB.
I don't know what good that would do. You still need the screen to copy the data to whatever device you plug in.

Secondly if there is no way to get the data off, is there any way to flash a different rom that would have usb debugging enabled on first boot?
Possibly, through Odin. Oh, USB debugging is disabled, so no, you still need to be able to see the screen.

I would like to use the device as a tv media center with xbmc and if I was able to use usb debugging I might be able to pair a bluetooth mouse and/or keyboard to get xbmc setup and running, then use my new phone with XBMC remote app.
You'd need at least a temporary screen.

It is a bummer that even over the usb computer connection you can't authenticate it or control it somehow. Android Device manager lets you lock ring locate or wipe your device why no option for recovering data or enabling usb debugging?
Again, it depends on which data you're talking about. You can copy files off the phone by plugging it into your computer. If you have your contacts set up correctly, they're on the cloud, as are your emails and texts. What other data are you looking to recover? (Put that gmail account on any phone and it'll sync any Google data this one synced.)

BTW, this is a good advertisement for "any data you don't have backed up to at least two different destination devices is data you don't need". Back it up. And when you're done verifying the backup, back THAT up to the cloud.
 
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Depends on what data. If your contacts were entered as Account (not Phone or SIM) contacts, they're at Google Contacts

I don't know what good that would do. You still need the screen to copy the data to whatever device you plug in.

Possibly, through Odin. Oh, USB debugging is disabled, so no, you still need to be able to see the screen.

You'd need at least a temporary screen.

Again, it depends on which data you're talking about. You can copy files off the phone by plugging it into your computer. If you have your contacts set up correctly, they're on the cloud, as are your emails and texts. What other data are you looking to recover? (Put that gmail account on any phone and it'll sync any Google data this one synced.)

BTW, this is a good advertisement for "any data you don't have backed up to at least two different destination devices is data you don't need". Back it up. And when you're done verifying the backup, back THAT up to the cloud.
Yes contacts calendar and Google music all showed up on my new phone as soon as I entered my Google account. Data as I meant was mostly photos and videos taken with the phone. Luckily I had saved the best pictures I had for printing photos around Christmas time. I was sure I had sync with picasa web ticked.
OTG support would allow me to connect a USB mouse or other HID and be able to unlock the screen and turn on USB debugging among other things. Digitizer is broken. Display currently working fine.
I plugged the phone into my computer and it mounted or attempted to but no file s visible. I think you need to approve the connection using the touch screen before viewing for our at the last be past the lock screen not sure as I have never done it.
Yes the age old problem of backing up files. Of course you should but you don't really think about doing anything about it until something like this happens. Better more seamless tools for backing up data to a local computer could help. As well as to the cloud without having to buy into an across services social network.
 
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Is it possible the screen doesn't display but the touch sensor still works? If so you could plug into a compatable tv via slimport and manage the phone from there.

LCD is not broken. It displays the images fine. The touch input doesn't work.

I read somewhere that you could unlock the boot loader and flash cwm recovery before rebooting the device and that would keep your data.

I was able to attempt that even without USB debugging on. You boot the device up into the boot loader by holding power button and volume down. On that screen you can use fastboot utility to issue OEM unlock command. However when I did this it immediately wiped the data. I flashed CWM recovery onto the device using fastboot.
Then you can boot into CWM recovery by selecting the recovery option at the boot loader screen.
Once in CWM you can clear cache and install a new ROM.
CWM recovery can use adb without authorization.
Since many custom ROM s enable udb debugging by default you can almost boot up and USB debugging. However it still needs the RSA key for authorization. What I did was make the key file with the key in the ADK and used adb to push the file to the correct location on the device in CWM recovery. After that the device showed up and wasn't offline anymore once I booted it back up. Then you can issue the adb shell input key event 82 command and get past the side to unlock screen. Then its a matter of using various input commands to navigate the device to start configure and install software or whatever you want to do.

I was able to get xbmc on there and running with hardware acceleration and network control.
The only caveat was that I connected the slimport adapter to my TV and no picture showed up. It may be the HDMI cable or the TV itself. If you Google it many people have issues with the slimport working either from cables or certain TV manufacturers. Samsung and LG plasmas seem to give the most fails. My TV happens to be a LG plasma. I intend to test it on other TVs to make sure it's that though. Apparently the competing mhl works more often thanks again Google. Also just found out that my replacement phone I bought the moto x doesn't have slimport or mhl only wireless screen casting. These phones from Google are lacking. The Galaxy line I believe has sdcard slot, Mhl and USB OTG. At least the MX had USB OTG but the N4 didn't and would've been useful. Oh well I guess. They are both great phones though you can always find something to complain about in anything.
 
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