Help Stuck in bootloop without USB debugging enabled

[Daniel Shimon]

I have a galaxy s4 i9500, but It was already with superSU when I bought it from eBay, and then it started to turn into Japanese and into safe mode all the time, so I wanted to flash it back to stock Rom.
But I forgot to turn on USB debugging, and tried flashing stock Kitkat 4.3 via Odin (Bootloader, PDA CSC and Modem).
So now my phone won't turn on after boot logo, it can't go into recovery mode (it writes "system update failed", and when i go into download mode and try flashing CMW or the stock Rom it fails.
What can I do??

 

[ironass]

I have a galaxy s4 i9500, but It was already with superSU when I bought it from eBay, and then it started to turn into Japanese and into safe mode all the time, so I wanted to flash it back to stock Rom.
But I forgot to turn on USB debugging, and tried flashing stock Kitkat 4.3 via Odin (Bootloader, PDA CSC and Modem).
So now my phone won't turn on after boot logo, it can't go into recovery mode (it writes "system update failed", and when i go into download mode and try flashing CMW or the stock Rom it fails.
What can I do??

Hello and welcome to Android Forums Daniel Shimon!

Yours is a tricky problem as you do not know the provenance of the phone. It is almost certainly not Japanese in origin as the non 4G/LTE, i9500, is not marketed there. It could be either an i9500 for, say, Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, etc: Alternatively, it could be one of the Chinese, non 4G/LTE, variants, i9508 or i959 or i9502, that has had a global firmware flashed to it in an attempt to gain access to Google Play Services which are not available in China.

For more information on how to find out your phone details, see post #1 of 29 Galaxy S4 models - know yours?

You say you want to get back to stock firmware but depending on your actual phone model, it will be one of the one's mentioned above. However, if you are absolutely 100% certain that your device is definitely the i9500.... you could do a Factory Data Reset in Recovery Mode, see the 2nd option in this video. You could then download one of the few European firmwares for the i9500. This is for Germany but contains the English language pack. You could then flash this to your phone via Odin by following the instructions and video in #1.5 of 29 Galaxy S4 models - know yours?

Model: GT-I9500

Model name: GALAXY S4

Country: Germany

Version: Android 4.4.2

Changelist: 2548731

Build date: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 10:06:19 +0000

Product Code: MBC

PDA: I9500XXUGNH4

CSC: I9500MBCGNG1

MODEM: I9500XXUGNF6

Flashing the above stock Samsung firmware will unroot you and you may wish to re-root by following the instructions in the Rooting Galaxy S4 - Dummies Guide

 

[Daniel Shimon]

thanks for the quick reply!
The problem is that i cant get into recovery mode, only download mode, and everything fails in Odin except for CWM that doesnt work anyway..
Any suggestions?

 

[ironass]

Just a thought... are you sure that you have a genuine Samsung Galaxy S4, i9500, and not a fake, clone, version?

Samsung galaxy S4 Phone clone Chinese version S4 i9500 Phone Real 1:1 Quad Core Android 5 Inches

Samsung galaxy S5 Phone clone Chinese version S4 i9500 Phone Real 1:1 Android 5 Inches HDC Legend

Fake, clone, not genuine, Galaxy S4 phones

 

[Daniel Shimon]

Just a thought... are you sure that you have a genuine Samsung Galaxy S4, i9500, and not a fake, clone, version?

Samsung galaxy S4 Phone clone Chinese version S4 i9500 Phone Real 1:1 Quad Core Android 5 Inches

Samsung galaxy S5 Phone clone Chinese version S4 i9500 Phone Real 1:1 Android 5 Inches HDC Legend

Fake, clone, not genuine, Galaxy S4 phones

Not sure at all, bought it from eBay as I said.. Mmm had could I check anyway?
And why does it matter?

 

[mikedt]

Not sure at all, bought it from eBay as I said.. Mmm had could I check anyway?
And why does it matter?

Because a fake isn't actually a Samsung. And if you tried to use Samsung specific tools like Kies and Odin, they won't work.

"then it started to turn into Japanese and into safe mode all the time,"

Sure it isn't Chinese? Although they can look similar, and Samsung is Korean. With Chinese copies, Chinese is often the default language.

As you bought it via Ebay, best bet would be to take it up with the vendor or Ebay.

 

[Daniel Shimon]

Because a fake isn't actually a Samsung. And if you tried to use Samsung specific tools like Kies and Odin, they won't work.



Sure it isn't Chinese? Although they can look similar, and Samsung is Korean. With Chinese copies, Chinese is often the default language.

As you bought it via Ebay, best bet would be to take it up with the vendor or Ebay.

It could be, I really couldn't tell.
What other tool like Odin is there for non Samsung copies that I can try?

 

[ironass]

It could be, I really couldn't tell.
What other tool like Odin is there for non Samsung copies that I can try?

There are, I am afraid, a great number of clone/fake phone manufacturers out there. They all use different chipsets, motherboards, firmwares, etc: Unless you know, precisely, which model you have, you could end up frying the motherboard. I am sorry, but you just cannot try flashing things in the hope that something will work. Do as mikedt suggests and take it up with the vendor. After all, for all you know... your phone may be a genuine Samsung Galaxy S4, i9500!