Dear Android Forums,
I have recently come back from a long trip in which I have taken a lot of photos and videos, in addition to the already very important files I have on my Samsung Galaxy S4 (model GT-i9505). I am having the worst time ever trying desperately to transfer them to my computer, which in my opinion is not rocket science when it comes to the technology involved. However, given the inumerable quantities of people online having similar problems, apparently, it gets close. I however do not just have one problem with the phone and transferring files, but a multitude of problems that have stacked up and are rendering my phone quasi-unusable. I have tried many (MANY) solutions to no avail, and would like if at all possible to avoid sending this phone to tech-support and handing out more cash. Here 'goes:
Problem n°1: Whenever I connect my phone to a charger, if it is turned on, no charge connection is made and the phone will not charge. IF however the phone is off, it will enter into a boot cycle: vibrates, turns on for a couple seconds showing the gray loading battery sign, goes black, vibrates, loading battery sign, off, etc. This is the only way that I am able to charge my phone as, I have concluded after observation, during those couple seconds where the loading battery sign is showing, it charges. This requires however a full day of probably unhealthy turning off and on to charge...
Solutions tried: I have seen online that the most common cause for this problem is a 'stuck' power button, that is eternally pressed in. Well first off, I find that ridiculous that one tiny, faulty, sticky button can be at the root for sooooo many people's problems with this phone. Given the price range, you'd think this wouldn't be much of a worry... but it is (also that the S3 apparently has the same problem...). I tried unsticking it, pressure blowing it, taking off the back of the phone and cleaning the insides (carefully) but refused to 'tear off' the power button as some users suggested in order to continue solving the problem.
Problem n°2: I have two batteries for this phone, one of which is not that old. Sometimes I will see I have 40 to 50 % battery charge, but if I restart the phone for reasons, or even just leave it for half an hour turned on (does not do it all the time), the next I check it is at 2% charge!!! It then promptly turns off a few minutes later. I have also witnessed a low battery charge (under 10%) jump back up miraculously to above 30 % charge. WOW!!! What can be causing this?
Problem n°3 (the BIG one, with sub-problems):
My phone is unable now (I say now because a few months ago it worked perfectly) to successfully connect to my PC. When i connect it (using the Samsung Cable that came with the phone -> no use asking me if I have done that), absolutely nothing happens. So, here are the solutions I have tried:
PRE: Tried many other cables and USB Ports, and another computer running W7... nothing.
1. I went into the settings and enable developer options, and turned on USB Debugging, rebooting, and... nothing.
2. Re-installed the Samsung Drivers for my Model from the Samsung Website... nothing.
3. I tried the Dailer USB options (*#0808# to bring them up), this is where i get the very first response from my computer. The settings were already on MTP + ADB as EVERYONE suggests they should be. So while futsing around, a press the very first option, CP. My computer makes the usb connected sound. Halleluja... but no, no data transfer. I put it back to MTP, then MTP + ADB, and now the phone triggers the usb connected sound whenever I connect to my computer... which it stops doing if I reboot the phone. The simple act of changing around USB options triggers the USB recognition on my PC, but I am still unable to transfer DATA as it is not recognised as a Media Storage device.
4. I tried DLing Kies on my PC to see if IT will recognise my phone. Nope. Even when futsing around with the USB options again, Kies sees nothing.
5. So then I think maybe i need to update my Samsung firmware on the phone cus it has been a while, so I try to do that from inside the phone. Settings > More > About > Update. It DLs the 900 and some MB update (ridiculous) and starts to initialise the update. I come back to the phone, and NEW PROBLEM: the update has failed and they want me to try updating it from PC (with Kies)... THE PROBLEM IS that my PC does not RECOGNISE MY PHONE!!! You see how this goes nowhere...
I understand there are Apps like airdroid and others to transfer data via wireless or the Cloud... but I have over 10 GB of data I need to transfer, and do not want to go through the hassle of making accounts I don't want and also waiting hours upon hours for it to transfer, since also my phone will definately not last that long. Please, pleeease, give me a solution to backup my data to my computer before I try doing a full restore of my phone, or better yet, buying a new one.
Sorry for the long-winded message, but I am fed up cycling through thousands of forums and people having all sorts of problems and potential solutions, none of which have worked yet.
Many, many thanks to any responses you may provide!!
Nathan Gilbert
I have recently come back from a long trip in which I have taken a lot of photos and videos, in addition to the already very important files I have on my Samsung Galaxy S4 (model GT-i9505). I am having the worst time ever trying desperately to transfer them to my computer, which in my opinion is not rocket science when it comes to the technology involved. However, given the inumerable quantities of people online having similar problems, apparently, it gets close. I however do not just have one problem with the phone and transferring files, but a multitude of problems that have stacked up and are rendering my phone quasi-unusable. I have tried many (MANY) solutions to no avail, and would like if at all possible to avoid sending this phone to tech-support and handing out more cash. Here 'goes:
Problem n°1: Whenever I connect my phone to a charger, if it is turned on, no charge connection is made and the phone will not charge. IF however the phone is off, it will enter into a boot cycle: vibrates, turns on for a couple seconds showing the gray loading battery sign, goes black, vibrates, loading battery sign, off, etc. This is the only way that I am able to charge my phone as, I have concluded after observation, during those couple seconds where the loading battery sign is showing, it charges. This requires however a full day of probably unhealthy turning off and on to charge...
Solutions tried: I have seen online that the most common cause for this problem is a 'stuck' power button, that is eternally pressed in. Well first off, I find that ridiculous that one tiny, faulty, sticky button can be at the root for sooooo many people's problems with this phone. Given the price range, you'd think this wouldn't be much of a worry... but it is (also that the S3 apparently has the same problem...). I tried unsticking it, pressure blowing it, taking off the back of the phone and cleaning the insides (carefully) but refused to 'tear off' the power button as some users suggested in order to continue solving the problem.
Problem n°2: I have two batteries for this phone, one of which is not that old. Sometimes I will see I have 40 to 50 % battery charge, but if I restart the phone for reasons, or even just leave it for half an hour turned on (does not do it all the time), the next I check it is at 2% charge!!! It then promptly turns off a few minutes later. I have also witnessed a low battery charge (under 10%) jump back up miraculously to above 30 % charge. WOW!!! What can be causing this?
Problem n°3 (the BIG one, with sub-problems):
My phone is unable now (I say now because a few months ago it worked perfectly) to successfully connect to my PC. When i connect it (using the Samsung Cable that came with the phone -> no use asking me if I have done that), absolutely nothing happens. So, here are the solutions I have tried:
PRE: Tried many other cables and USB Ports, and another computer running W7... nothing.
1. I went into the settings and enable developer options, and turned on USB Debugging, rebooting, and... nothing.
2. Re-installed the Samsung Drivers for my Model from the Samsung Website... nothing.
3. I tried the Dailer USB options (*#0808# to bring them up), this is where i get the very first response from my computer. The settings were already on MTP + ADB as EVERYONE suggests they should be. So while futsing around, a press the very first option, CP. My computer makes the usb connected sound. Halleluja... but no, no data transfer. I put it back to MTP, then MTP + ADB, and now the phone triggers the usb connected sound whenever I connect to my computer... which it stops doing if I reboot the phone. The simple act of changing around USB options triggers the USB recognition on my PC, but I am still unable to transfer DATA as it is not recognised as a Media Storage device.
4. I tried DLing Kies on my PC to see if IT will recognise my phone. Nope. Even when futsing around with the USB options again, Kies sees nothing.
5. So then I think maybe i need to update my Samsung firmware on the phone cus it has been a while, so I try to do that from inside the phone. Settings > More > About > Update. It DLs the 900 and some MB update (ridiculous) and starts to initialise the update. I come back to the phone, and NEW PROBLEM: the update has failed and they want me to try updating it from PC (with Kies)... THE PROBLEM IS that my PC does not RECOGNISE MY PHONE!!! You see how this goes nowhere...
I understand there are Apps like airdroid and others to transfer data via wireless or the Cloud... but I have over 10 GB of data I need to transfer, and do not want to go through the hassle of making accounts I don't want and also waiting hours upon hours for it to transfer, since also my phone will definately not last that long. Please, pleeease, give me a solution to backup my data to my computer before I try doing a full restore of my phone, or better yet, buying a new one.
Sorry for the long-winded message, but I am fed up cycling through thousands of forums and people having all sorts of problems and potential solutions, none of which have worked yet.
Many, many thanks to any responses you may provide!!
Nathan Gilbert
