Samsung S4 (GT-I9505) - Stuck on boot screen

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kiwiharry

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#228675 17-Jan-2018 07:52

Hi. Looking for any further guidance to help me resurrect my wife's Samsung S4 (GT-I9505).

Yesterday she was watching a video and suddenly the phone switched off and went into a reboot cycle. The phone powers up and shows this boot logo.

After 15 seconds the screen goes blank and after a further 45 seconds it reboots into the same cycle again.

The phone has never been rooted or had and customs ROM's installed.

I am unable to get the phone into recovery mode. Although it shows the words "Recovery Mode" in the top left of the screen, it doesn't progress past the boot logo and eventually reboots itself again.

I am unable to get the phone to boot into safe mode either.

I was able to get it into download mode so used Odin to reflash the stock Vodafone firmware. Again it still goes straight back into the reboot cycle. Flashed it again another 2 more times but no joy.

To me it would appear to be unrecoverable and time to get a new phone, but before we do that is there anything else that I should try apart from throwing it at the wall?

Thanks

Harry

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tripp

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#1941254 17-Jan-2018 07:55

If after a flash with ODIN and it's still not working then I would say its stuffed partition or a hardware fault. Time for a new phone :P

tripp

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#1941256 17-Jan-2018 07:57

You could also try to flash lineageOS just to confirm, there should be one out for the S4, don't know how old it would be however

kiwiharry

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#1941493 17-Jan-2018 13:02

tripp:

You could also try to flash lineageOS just to confirm, there should be one out for the S4, don't know how old it would be however

OK Thanks. Had a quick Google of that. Will investigate that option further tonight.

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mentalinc

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#1941520 17-Jan-2018 13:40

Have you done a battery pull?

Take the battery out for a minute or so and then try to turn it on again..

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kiwiharry

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#1941526 17-Jan-2018 13:46

mentalinc:

Have you done a battery pull?

Take the battery out for a minute or so and then try to turn it on again..

Yes, as that has been the only way to turn it off once it enters the reboot cycle. Have left the battery out for periods ranging from between 30 seconds to 2 hours.

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Coil

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#1941527 17-Jan-2018 13:49

Try installing a stripped out version of android some call them google play editions. Might work, Who knows..
Find a ROM on XDA

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robjg63

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#1941529 17-Jan-2018 13:52

YOu have nothing to loose by having a go at installing lineage.

If you can get it going with that you could then try using ODIN and reflash the Samsung software again if you wanted.

This article has a few thing syou could try:

https://thedroidguy.com/2016/12/fix-samsung-galaxy-s4-keeps-rebooting-stuck-boot-loop-83102

They mention a 'safe' mode that is worth a look

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kiwiharry

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#1941532 17-Jan-2018 14:12

Coil:

Try installing a stripped out version of android some call them google play editions. Might work, Who knows..
Find a ROM on XDA

Thanks. Will look into this option too.

robjg63:

YOu have nothing to loose by having a go at installing lineage.

If you can get it going with that you could then try using ODIN and reflash the Samsung software again if you wanted.

This article has a few thing syou could try:

https://thedroidguy.com/2016/12/fix-samsung-galaxy-s4-keeps-rebooting-stuck-boot-loop-83102

They mention a 'safe' mode that is worth a look

Yeah my thoughts exactly about nothing to lose. Use it to learn some stuff along the way too.

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kiwiharry

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#1942000 18-Jan-2018 13:25

Looks like we going to get another phone.

Anybody able to recommend the best bang for buck phone for any of the phones available in the Vodafone Shop in the price range of $400 to $800? Looking at either Samsung A3, A5, J5 Pro, or Huawei P9 or P10

Prefer it to be from Vodafone as I can get a subsidy.

Will still attempt flashing the S4 with Lineage OS, but I couldn't find a spare micro SD card last night to use with the phone. Instructions from https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/jfltexx/install also says to enable USB debugging before starting. Bit hard to do on a phone that won't boot up. In saying that I haven't tested if adb is working.

Cheers

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kiwiharry

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#1943482 19-Jan-2018 12:53

Just an update.

I did try to install Lineage OS as @tripp suggested. Unfortunately it didn't work. Although I was able to install TWRP, the phone automatically reboots itself during the installation of Lineage and goes back into the boot loop cycle. I did make sure that the automatic reboot option was deselected before the install commenced.

So pretty much a dead phone

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tripp

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#1943487 19-Jan-2018 13:00

kiwiharry:

Looks like we going to get another phone.

Anybody able to recommend the best bang for buck phone for any of the phones available in the Vodafone Shop in the price range of $400 to $800? Looking at either Samsung A3, A5, J5 Pro, or Huawei P9 or P10

Prefer it to be from Vodafone as I can get a subsidy.

Will still attempt flashing the S4 with Lineage OS, but I couldn't find a spare micro SD card last night to use with the phone. Instructions from https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/jfltexx/install also says to enable USB debugging before starting. Bit hard to do on a phone that won't boot up. In saying that I haven't tested if adb is working.

Cheers

From vodafone your best bet is the A5 in your price range.

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tripp

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#1943489 19-Jan-2018 13:02

kiwiharry:

Just an update.

I did try to install Lineage OS as @tripp suggested. Unfortunately it didn't work. Although I was able to install TWRP, the phone automatically reboots itself during the installation of Lineage and goes back into the boot loop cycle. I did make sure that the automatic reboot option was deselected before the install commenced.

So pretty much a dead phone

I would say it's the hardware that has gone on it then. For an s4 you have had a good run out of it :)

You don't have a SD card in it do you? If so take that out and try again (i know it's random to say that but many years ago i had an issue with another phone and it was the SD card).

kiwiharry

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#1943497 19-Jan-2018 13:15

tripp:

kiwiharry:

Just an update.

I did try to install Lineage OS as @tripp suggested. Unfortunately it didn't work. Although I was able to install TWRP, the phone automatically reboots itself during the installation of Lineage and goes back into the boot loop cycle. I did make sure that the automatic reboot option was deselected before the install commenced.

So pretty much a dead phone

I would say it's the hardware that has gone on it then. For an s4 you have had a good run out of it :)

You don't have a SD card in it do you? If so take that out and try again (i know it's random to say that but many years ago i had an issue with another phone and it was the SD card).

I put the SD card in it last night purely to install the custom recovery and rom files. SD card was brand new, purchased yesterday too.

Phone did fall out onto concrete in our garage when exiting from the car back in November and that caused a black jagged spec on photo's taken from the front camera. Wife says not dropped again since then. So will replace the phone even if I do get it working.

If you can't laugh at yourself then you probably shouldn't laugh at others.