Help Help! Can`t access to my Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini

[lanz80]

Hi guys!,

Tough day,

After having rooted my mobile successfully, I have put myself to erase some Samsung software, in order to have more free space and speed. But I have acted clumsily and I have erased some critical app fo the mobile ( drivers,..) and when I have restarted the mobile, I couldn` t reach to the pass screen. I could only reach to the Samsung icon blinking. Fortunately, I had a the contacts and some more stuff backed up .

My mobile is a Sansumg Galaxy S3 Mini GT-I8200.

Trying to repair, I have reached to the hard reset console, so now I have a brick mobile. If I haven`t misunderstood I couldn`t restore any data before making the hard reset. Because I erase the drivers and cannot reach to the mobile, neither connect the mobile to PC via USB.

So, the next step is to install, some ROM, that is tested to be realiable (stable), and fast (lightwave), in which I have the possible to be the root from the beginning.

Which do you recommend and how can I install it? . I would prefer if it is in Spanish, because is my mother tongue.

Thanks in advance

Regards

 

[lunatic59]

Considering you've already compromised the phone's system and we can't be sure of exactly what you did, I would highly recommend first flashing it back to stock. It looks like 4.2.2 was the last official ROM from Samsung.

Check out https://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/GT-I8200/

There you can download the proper firmware for your region, but you should also be sure that this is your exact model.

There are also L, N, and Q variants (most probably for specific carriers). If you flash the wrong firmware most likely is you will have connectivity issues because radio bands and network identifiers will be wrong for your specific location. As far as I know, almost all of the ROMS support Spanish, so that really shouldn't be an issue.

 

[lanz80]

Hello,


I did the following:

Press and hold, with the phone off, the keys "volume up" + "central button" + "power button", and in a few seconds appeared the recovery mode window. After then moved to wipe / hard reset , and pressed over it.

 

[lunatic59]

But, since you rooted and began removing system files, a factory reset won't restore them, You are going to have to flash the original firmware.

 

[svim]

As @lunatic59 wrote out, you need to reflash the original firmware onto your phone. A Factory Reset only wipes out the general user partition (where your data and things get stored), it does nothing to the protected system partitions (where the operating system resides). So go ahead and download the specific ROM for your GT-I8200 from the sammobile site, the firmwares there are from Samsung so it's safer to get them from there than from some random site. It's going to be a slow download even if you have fast bandwidth on your end (it's set up that way on the server side) so be patient.

You mentioned deleting drivers on your phone and can no longer mount your phone to your computer but the drivers needed are for your computer to detect your phone, not the other way around. You didn't mention what operating system your computer is running but if it's running Windows take a look here:
http://www.android.gs/download-samsung-usb-drivers-for-android/
otherwise look through Samsung's site here:
http://www.samsung.com/us/support/downloads
Once the appropriate driver is installed on your computer your S3 Mini should mount up again. Now go ahead and reflash the newly downloaded ROM to your phone. At this point since your phone has been through so much it won't matter to wipe it completely. Once your phone is running again boot up into its Recovery Mode, do a Factory Reset and just for the sake of posterity wipe the system cache partition.

At this point your phone should be running in a clean, 'new' state. Note that the OEM ROM is the official Samsung ROM so all the cruft will be there, the same as it was originally. If you want to root it again, you didn't mention previously how you did it before. Hopefully it wasn't using one of those dodgy one-click apps but if so, use the safer Odin utility instead. Odin is a Windows only utility, if you're running a Linux or Mac computer take a look at the Open Source alternative, Heimdall (available for Linux, Mac, and Windows).

Here's a nice article detailing what steps to take to root a S3 Mini (includes option to switch page to Spanish):
http://www.beritahuaja.com/2015/02/cara-root-samsung-galaxy-mini-s3-gt.html?en-us
In the 'Preparation' section there's a list of items to download, the links are mostly out of date (understandable as the S3 is a pretty dated model) so here's more current ones:
Odin -- use the version indicated for KitKat, 3.09, as newer versions tend to be problematic for older hardware.
http://www.droidviews.com/download-odin-tool-for-samsung-galaxy-devices-all-versions/
or if you're using Hemdall (use current version supplied)
http://glassechidna.com.au/heimdall/
TWRP
https://twrp.me/devices/samsunggalaxys3mini.html
SuperSU can be found on Google Play or direct download from its developer, Chainfire
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.supersu&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.supersu.pro&hl=en
https://download.chainfire.eu/1019/SuperSU/SR2-SuperSU-v2.79-SR2-20170103215521.zip

With your S3 Mini rooted you can go ahead and start trying to optimize it again but instead of just deleting things, I'd strongly recommend you install and use the Titanium Backup app instead:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.keramidas.TitaniumBackupPro&hl=en
Not only can TB do backups, it also includes a feature to freeze/defrost apps and background services. (The freeze and defrost terms being the equivalent to enable and disable). If you freeze an app, that essentially turns it completely off. If you find that you need or want to use that app later, you just defrost it. It's a much safer way to kill some system app as you can freeze an app and later, when you find by disabling it doesn't affect anything else, you can either just leave it 'frozen' or uninstall it to remove it completely.

 

[lanz80]

Wow, awesome svim!!

But this is my first time, I fear to mess following the procedure, mainly because, comparing the procedure http://www.beritahuaja.com/2015/02/cara-root-samsung-galaxy-mini-s3-gt.html?en-us with other other links I have been reviewing, things change a lot of. Several ways to do the things in a different way

My OS is W7 64 bits. // The ODIN version I installed is the Odin3 v3.11 - the newest version is the v4.44 -

At the point where I am:
1.- I installed the Kies and installed the drivers, but I Cant put the cell in USB mode, due to the fact I explained in the before posts ( I can`t reach to the log on screen), - so by the moment is not useful -
2.- When I connect the cell to the USB via PC, ODIN recognises and put the ID:COM square in blue . That`s the good new.

3.- The bad news are that, according some tutorial I reviewed, when I do "volume up" + "central button" + "power button" ---> It appears me the legend: "Downloading ... Do not turn off target!!!" . But also appears to me the following info:
ODIN MODE
PRODUCT NAME: GT-I8200
CURRENT BINARY: Samsung Official
System Status: Official
H/W Version: 0.3

This info appeared always I do "volume up" + "central button" nevermind if the mobile is connected to via USB to the PC, or not. Some tutorials, say that it is fundamental in order to a proper flashing ONLY to appear "Downloading ... Do not turn off target!!!" But NOT the additional info....

In the link @lunatic59 passed me to download the I only download only tar.md5 file that corresponds to a full ROM ( to be allocated its path in the PHONE -NOT in the PDA/AP because this is for TABLETS- square in ODIN), but some sources say that in order to make a full Installation of the ROM I will need PIT and CSC files because I will need to check :

• Auto Reboot Check
• F. Reset Time Check
• Re-Partition Check

So that`s the step I am stucked, because I fear to get the things worsen...

Regards

 

[svim]

Your phone needs to be in Download Mode when you're connecting it to your PC so you can transfer the new ROM onto it. Also do NOT use check the 'Re-partition' box, you don't want to do that, if you already did that you need to find a valid PIT (Partition Information Table) file and go through the process again to get your phone working again.

Be very judicious about mixing instructions from different sites. Follow just one of them, and be sure not to take any shortcuts or skip steps out of convenience. In fact, if you have a site you prefer, ignore what I wrote out previously, it was pretty much based on that initial link.

 

[lanz80]

Hello,

Finally I did succesfully.

Thank you very much.

You are awesome!!!