Is factory resetting galaxy s6 to recover data viable?

[23scurtu]

Have a galaxy s6 that wont go past first boot screen. I've tried everything including flashing new firmware and new recovery, but cant access recovery and still has same problem. I'm at the point where the only possible fix is resetting the phone.

I'm mainly concerned with recovering my photos and video on the data partition. I heard that factory resetting doesn't actually overwrite the data and I can use software (such as jihosoft) afterwards to recover the photos. But I've also seen reviews on their sites where some claim jihosoft doesn't even connect right to their phone. Does anyone have any experience with this? Should I consider this a reliable method to retrieve my data?

 

[Hadron]

I would not trust software like that to recover data. As a Hail Mary if you are forced to reset, sure, but not as a strategy.

The question is why you can't get into recovery? But if you say you've flashed a recovery I assume you know how to use fastboot, so you could use that to wipe the cache partition ("fastboot erase cache ") and see whether that helps.

 

[23scurtu]

I don't know why I can't enter recovery, the button code doesn't work. I cant use fastboot, my phone can't be recognized unless in download mode by my computer, in which case adb and other software don't recognize my device. I whipped cache through other methods, but that did not work.

My only option left is either to dish out the 490 dollars for cellphone data extraction with cellebrite or gamble the reset.

 

[James L]

There isn't fastboot mode on a S6.
Open Odin, uncheck auto reboot, flash Twrp.

Then hold volume down and power, once it starts to reboot switch to home, volume up and power. This should get you into Twrp.

From there make a backup and save it to your PC.

Flash stock firmware, if it boots then re flash the recovery and a SU zip.
Then restore the backup in Twrp.

 

[Hadron]

A TWRP backup won't save photos and videos, but if you can get TWRP working you should be able to use ADB to copy those off for safety. Though if you do the reset through TWRP it shouldn't erase those unless you tell it to (i.e. the default wipe shouldn't do that, but you can if you go into advanced wipe and tick the wrong box).

 

[23scurtu]

I've tried that method for getting recovery to work multiple times, it does not work. I also tried to flash stock firmware, but I still have the same problem where it gets stuck booting and recover still doesn't work :/