Database Users

Won' t turn on! Tried all suggestions

Yes I have read all posts regarding "Screen Of Death" issue and i have tried all the suggestions. But still, my 10.1 won' t turn on. I have left it drain the bat for 2 days now.
Even if i plug it to the charger there is no sign of battery charging. Hence just blank black screen. any other idea before I have to go to the Service Center. Thanks. Any help would be appreciated.....

Connect the USB to a Windows computer and press Power + Volume Up for 30seconds. Do you hear a Windows "new hardware found" sound?

Thanks... Tried... Still fail. My PC only signaling found new hardware but fail the installation process. I guess because the tab is still not ON. Help....
It seems my PC recognizes the tab but can't find the driver. I can also feel "warm" near the power button area when i connect it to any electricity but still no TURN ON or BATTERY CHARGING INDICATION.

Have you tried to charge it with the wall charger for at least 2hrs and then unplug it and hold powerbutton 10 sec?
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

AndreBrian said:
Thanks... Tried... Still fail. My PC only signaling found new hardware but fail the installation process. I guess because the tab is still not ON. Help....
It seems my PC recognizes the tab but can't find the driver. I can also feel "warm" near the power button area when i connect it to any electricity but still no TURN ON or BATTERY CHARGING INDICATION.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, that is what I was expecting as result.
The Power + Volume Up enables the nvflash APX mode, the screen remains totally black. I simply wanted to know if the tablet works and the culprit is just the screen. From what you say, we get the expected results... Windows detects the new hardware so the tablet works.
Now try the opposite: Power + Volume Down, hold it for 30seconds.
If you don't see nothing on the screen, it is probably a screen contact that got lose... you need to service it by Samsung.

yes done that. Still not ON. When I plug it I can feel it is working since I can feel "the warm" but screen still is blank

Then you already know what to do.
No biggie, Samsung will send you a replacement for sure.

yqed said:
Actually, that is what I was expecting as result.
The Power + Volume Up enables the nvflash APX mode, the screen remains totally black. I simply wanted to know if the tablet works and the culprit is just the screen. From what you say, we get the expected results... Windows detects the new hardware so the tablet works.
Now try the opposite: Power + Volume Down, hold it for 30seconds.
If you don't see nothing on the screen, it is probably a screen contact that got lose... you need to service it by Samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes. In fact now the APX is still working trying to find " a new hardware ". Should I cancel it and try the POWER+VOL DOWN now?

Yes, go ahead.

DONE the Power + Volume Down still not ON. BTW the APX Could not find any driver? Is it normal. Before this happens in fact i can transfer any file with my PC through MTP. Thanks again for your help. Hopefully you still know any other solution.... Keep waiting

The APX driver is included into nvflash package, it does not matter if you install it or not at this point. The advantage of this test is that the APX mode keeps the screen off in purpose, while allowing you to flash the tablet through a CMD window (only if you have an unlocked bootloader). We used this trick to determine if the core of your tablet works... we wanted to isolate the problem related to your screen.
I recommend you to contact Samsung and have the tablet serviced. Some screens lose a contact point when you drop the tablet by accident or if a soldering point is weak... The heat generated inside is enough sometimes to sever a lose circuit connection. Either ways, you do NOT want to keep this tablet.
I hope you did not flashed the tablet with some custom ROM, or else Samsung might void your warranty.

OK. Then the only thing i can do is go to SC.......Hmmmmm I am still using stock rom but unfortunately i did root the tab already. Is it bad judgement??? Thanks anyway.
I really hope it is only the screen connection lose issue. But just for curiousity. If only the screen keeps OFF, does it mean I actually can still check that my gtalk on the tab still connects? How this thing works??? since i just check with my phone my gtalk on tab is off.

You ordered the tablet online from Samsung or you bought it from a retailer like Best Buy?

I bought it from retailer. BTW is there any kind of USB JIG for the tab similar to SGSII? I just thought maybe this can help solve the screen of death issue. Ha ha ha ....

Perfect, just go see the store and explain to them nicely the issue. I'm sure they will exchange it for you.
Forget about the JIG or anything else, your screen is gone wacko... What you do now is try to force a blind guy drive a car... Just go exchange the tablet.

Ok I' ll do that. Thanks for your info and help. Hopefully problem will be solved soon.

I had the same issue but I couldn't return to the store so I went through support. They don't have parts yet so they just send you a different unit. In total it took 2.5 weeks for me and I ended up with an unlocked unit
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk

x-ravin said:
I had the same issue but I couldn't return to the store so I went through support. They don't have parts yet so they just send you a different unit. In total it took 2.5 weeks for me and I ended up with an unlocked unit
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn, it took 2.5 weeks to get a new unit?

The good news is, it's recoverable. The bad news is, it's going to take a long time.
Keep it off the charger.
Hold down the power button to get it cycling through APX mode while plugged into your PC (can hear the USB connection sound in Windows).
Tape the power switch down, verify it's still going into APX mode after taped, then unplug it.
Leave the tablet alone for a few days. Think about puppies, chocolate, bouncing breasts, whatever makes you happy, and forget about the Tab.
Come back, plug it back into the PC, see if you still hear it connect. If so, walk away again, come back the next day.
When it finally stops going into APX mode, plug it into a wall charger and leave it alone for about an hour, it should start charging normally, and once it's got charge showing, it'll power up normally.
Rule of thumb is it'll take about a full day for every 10% of charge that was on the battery when it went down, if you keep the power button taped down.

[Solved] Shield Bricked Itself After Update

I'm usually good at recovering my devices since I've had various Android devices since 2010. I'm stuck with how to recover my Shield since it doesn't have a physical buttons. How can I boot directly into the bootloader or recovery? I've done it a few times by accident by rubbing my finger across the power button but can't figure out how to do now. ADB or Fastboot won't detect it at all, I just get a black screen and my TV says "no output".
I had rooted my Shield but kept the stock OS and had TWRP installed but saw no use for root. The 1.4 OS update had been sitting on my homescreen for weeks so I finally decided to revert back to stock and upgrade. I flashed the stock bootloader via fastboot and then flashed the system image but didn't touch userdata. After booting up some things would be goofy (Netflix would get to either 25% or 99% and the audio would play but the video would be stuck on the loading screen, Grid streaming would load the game but would display a green screen but the audio would play in the background) but I didn't want to wipe it yet because I didn't backup Kodi yet.
I saw that there was a 2.0 OS update available and I knew it should work now since I had the stock recovery so I downloaded it and applied it, it verified the image and then rebooted to the stock recovery and proceeded to flash the image. It got about 99% (or maybe 100% done, I wasn't paying attention) and then next thing I notice I just saw a black screen. I thought maybe it was upgrading something or reinitializing something so I waited about 5 minutes and still nothing. Rebooted and got the same thing.
Anyone know if this is recoverable or should I just RMA it?

I'm in the same boat. I was running pure stock from day one (only bought this thing two weeks ago).
After installing 2.0 update last night, the device powers on (green light) but no signal from HDMI. Tried another TV and bypassed receiver (as per forum suggestion).
Computer does not detect when connected with USB. Tried to do HW boot into recovery, does not seem to work.
I have started the RMA process but I'm still trying to get this thing to boot into recovery.

Seems like this has happened to a few other users also over at the geforce forums.

try to reflash it with nvidia images.
if you cant boot to fastboot try this.
HW method:
- Disconnect power cable
- Insert USB OTG cable and make sure to connect other end to a host PC
- Connect power cable to SHIELD
- Quickly start pressing power button for ~3 seconds
- Do not hold the button and connect power supply afterwards
- HDMI TV should be always connected to SHIELD
Alternative method:
- Perform software shutdown on SHIELD by holding Power button for 10 seconds
- Connect USB OTG cable to SHIELD
- Start pressing power button for 3 seconds
- HDMI TV should be always connected to SHIELD

brando56894 said:
Seems like this has happened to a few other users also over at the geforce forums.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did the RMA, only took a few days. The new unit came and auto-updated to 2.0. It worked fine.
I spoke with support today regarding the update, they had this to say;
[12:51:41 PM] : Only few devices, which already had some issues, got bricked with 2.0 update. This was already predicted by NVIDIA, just to get those devices replaced for the customers.
[12:52:45 PM] : Few devices had some hardware issues, but they were working fine. To make that issue prominent and get them detected and to replace them, NVIDIA has released 2.0 update.
[12:53:34 PM] : For other devices, 2.0 update will add many new features and will boost the performance. But for those lot, it will brick them
[12:55:38 PM] : It was a strategy from NVIDIA to provide perfect devices to our customers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take that with a grain of salt of course.
Defective is defective I guess... the RMA was fast at least.

So they bricked the defective ones on purpose just to get them out of use?
I'm in the process of RMAing mine now, they want a lot of information hahaha

God this from support since mine have black screen, it did not help me and my are sent for rma but i might help other.
As part of troubleshooting steps, please try the below mentioned steps and see if that fixes the issue.
-> Unplug all the cables and keep the device off for good 2-3 minutes.
-> Plug the Power cable, controller through USB (Wired) and Ethernet cable to the ATV. Do not connect HDMI cable.
-> The device will power on. Keep it idle for about 5 minutes and keep tapping A button on the controller. Continue tapping for about a few seconds.
-> Now leave the device is this state without the HDMI cable for good 15 to 20 minutes and plug the HDMI cable.
-> See if the ATV displays any output.

I just got my replacement unit, so I'm good. I have two shield controllers now

brando56894 said:
I just got my replacement unit, so I'm good. I have two shield controllers now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my SM-G925K using XDA Free mobile app

bunny0007 said:
God this from support since mine have black screen, it did not help me and my are sent for rma but i might help other.
As part of troubleshooting steps, please try the below mentioned steps and see if that fixes the issue.
-> Unplug all the cables and keep the device off for good 2-3 minutes.
-> Plug the Power cable, controller through USB (Wired) and Ethernet cable to the ATV. Do not connect HDMI cable.
-> The device will power on. Keep it idle for about 5 minutes and keep tapping A button on the controller. Continue tapping for about a few seconds.
-> Now leave the device is this state without the HDMI cable for good 15 to 20 minutes and plug the HDMI cable.
-> See if the ATV displays any output.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where or from which sources you get this tutorial information?
Sent from my SM-G925K using XDA Free mobile app

visitor29 said:
Where or from which sources you get this tutorial information?
Sent from my SM-G925K using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nvidia tech chat support, before they made a rma on my box.
But just got my replacement box today

How hard was it to get a replacement? I am afraid to do anything to mine. Asked nvidia if unlocking the bootloader or rooting the device voids the warranty since they show you how on their website. Their response was that doing either allows them to reject your return under warranty. Just looking for anyones input on their encounter with doing a rma if something should happen.

You may have screwed yourself over by telling them that you did that. I had mine rooted and unlocked also, except mine was unrooted when it bricked itself but the bootloader was still unlocked. I made not mention of rooting/unlocking and it was extremely simple to get a replacement.

No mine is still stock. Just received a replacement from amazon since it bricked itself doing the 2.1 update. Was just wondering what they had to say about the situation. Was consindering flashing the 2.1 full rom, but was worried what would happen if it bricked and had to do a rma. Would not say anything to them about unlocking the bootloader or flashing it. Was wondering if they could detect if anything was modified on it since I see everyone gets a black screen and can't access the console with fastboot. Do they have some way of accessing the system or are they also locked out like we are? Just want to be sure I can get a rma if something happens. A $300 Pro model is a lot to screw up. Support was great to work with, but didnt get as far as a rma since it was still in amazon's 30 day return window. Got a new one in 2 days since I have prime. I just asked what there policy was and not mentioned anything about a bad console.
---------- Post added at 06:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:07 PM ----------
Its just a shame that they offer the tools for developers, but turn around and say that it voids the consoles warranty.

I'm sure they are able to use a UART bridge (serial console) to get into it but I doubt they care enough, like I said mine had an unlocked bootloader but I haven't heard anything back from them yet regarding it.

OMG I fell to their trick to brick my device.... I just did my RMA today, they asked me to do alot things; speed test, model number, turn off, unplug power and hdmi, hold power for 30 sec, plug in power for 2-3 mins, plug in hdmi, then found out no signal on my screen...I assumed it's brick now. i attempted to revive the unit but it doesn't seem to work... Then they had me filled out form, provide snapshot of p/n and s/n numbers... and send them my invoice of purchase.

every time it gets new firmware it loses netflix 4k and this is the fix for it
bunny0007 said:
God this from support since mine have black screen, it did not help me and my are sent for rma but i might help other.
As part of troubleshooting steps, please try the below mentioned steps and see if that fixes the issue.
-> Unplug all the cables and keep the device off for good 2-3 minutes.
-> Plug the Power cable, controller through USB (Wired) and Ethernet cable to the ATV. Do not connect HDMI cable.
-> The device will power on. Keep it idle for about 5 minutes and keep tapping A button on the controller. Continue tapping for about a few seconds.
-> Now leave the device is this state without the HDMI cable for good 15 to 20 minutes and plug the HDMI cable.
-> See if the ATV displays any output.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

No video output while in fastboot mode

I've been trying to get my Nvidia Shield TV rooted for the last hour and a half or so, and after finally figuring out how to get the Shield recognized with the proper drivers, I get the thing into the bootloader and nothing I plug into it will display the bootloader screen. My projector and both TVs I own show nothing. If I hold the power button down for a while, I'm eventually get some pixelated text that says "Continue to boot" and then the Shield will go into its normal boot routine, but I get nothing else. Apparently to unlock the bootloader I need to be able to interact with the Shield, but I can't do that if there's no screen. I can't find any info on this issue either. Is it possible it has something to do with incorrect drivers?

I had the same problem, none of my display were able to show the bootloader menu.
In short, I could not manage this display problem, theretheless I was able to unlock and root my device by handle blindly.
Have a look at following YouTube video at 14:10 the bootlader menu is shown:
youtube . com / watch?v=p_qQJMuOAQQ&t=850

I had ended up doing the same thing, Basti. Glad to hear I'm not the only one with the problem though. It's a silly nuisance and the only thing I can think of is that maybe I need a 4K TV or somehow it operates in some mode only PC monitors recognize. The lack of complaints of this issue is surprising.

gabrahamsandwich said:
I had ended up doing the same thing, Basti. Glad to hear I'm not the only one with the problem though. It's a silly nuisance and the only thing I can think of is that maybe I need a 4K TV or somehow it operates in some mode only PC monitors recognize. The lack of complaints of this issue is surprising.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have Samsung f8000 smart full hd tv, and kind of no problems. Don't have chance to check on other sources for report this is more likely on all units kind of bug or just some units like yours or Basti. Anyway I'm ok - fastboot screen shown on Samsung f8000
Sent from my Nokia 3310 using free xda app

Bricked?? Nvidia Shield Would Not Update! Can I Solder/JTAG?

Hello,
I have tried the search feature to no avail in regards to following the appropriate troubleshooting steps to ensure that I can at least boot to fastboot, however I cannot boot into the fastboot menu.
These are the steps I have tried so far:
With only the Power, HDMI, and MicroUSB to USB connected
1) Disconnect the Power
2) Hold Nvidia Button Down
3) Reconnect the Power
4) Release Nvidia Button (~2 seconds)
5) Press and Hold Nvidia Button (~5 seconds)
again, I am still at a black screen with no output whatsoever.
I have also tried allowing a full power cycle (where the Nvidia TV is left alone for approximately 15 minutes)
I also tried the Nvidia chat support who suggested that I try plugging in the controller and pressing the A and B buttons simultaneously, etc. to no avail.
Is there anyway to force a fastboot interaction via console? I would just like to reflash to stock. Even if this method requires altering the hardware via soldering.

You need to connect (Depending on your Model), either a MicroUSB, (2015, 16Gb, Pro / 2017 Pro), or a Male Type "A" to Male Type "A" (2017, 16Gb) between the Shield TV, and some Computer. I prefer to use a Netbook running Win7. But, This should be equally valid for Linux, and Mac.
So with you PC / Netbook turned on, and connected to the Shield TV via USB. Leave the USB style plug in the Shield and if possible yank the Brick (Wall Wort), instead.
Start a Two beat count.... 1... 2... 1... 2... (It would work better if you had a Clock that had a Second Hand.) But once you have this 'beat' drop in the Wall Wort on count Two. And THEN tap the Power Button, hold this for Three counts, than release (Pro Uses might note the SSHD will start to wake at this very moment), and immediately re tap, and hold the Power Button till you enter the Recovery Mode.
This is a very time sensitive attack, and 2/3s of the time will land you at the nVIDIA Logo. (Where available), and your only option here will be to start over again. Or boot completely into Android, and use
$ adb reboot recovery
To force the Device to reboot into recovery mode.

Ichijoe said:
You need to connect (Depending on your Model), either a MicroUSB, (2015, 16Gb, Pro / 2017 Pro), or a Male Type "A" to Male Type "A" (2017, 16Gb) between the Shield TV, and some Computer. I prefer to use a Netbook running Win7. But, This should be equally valid for Linux, and Mac.
So with you PC / Netbook turned on, and connected to the Shield TV via USB. Leave the USB style plug in the Shield and if possible yank the Brick (Wall Wort), instead.
Start a Two beat count.... 1... 2... 1... 2... (It would work better if you had a Clock that had a Second Hand.) But once you have this 'beat' drop in the Wall Wort on count Two. And THEN tap the Power Button, hold this for Three counts, than release (Pro Uses might note the SSHD will start to wake at this very moment), and immediately re tap, and hold the Power Button till you enter the Recovery Mode.
This is a very time sensitive attack, and 2/3s of the time will land you at the nVIDIA Logo. (Where available), and your only option here will be to start over again. Or boot completely into Android, and use
$ adb reboot recovery
To force the Device to reboot into recovery mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate your reply but again I am not getting any output what so ever after attempting to apply an update to the Nvidia Shield TV. Is there any procedure to force the device to flash even over hardware?

Depends on if you have a 16Gb or not...
Let's put it this way, if you have a 16Gb it's pretty a wrap. If you have a Pro then you have a few options. Like ripping the SSHD out of it, and attaching it inside a PC running Linux. Or at the least a PC running a live install of Linux.
Which is critical to maintain your private keys. Everything else can be discarded. But, not those DRM Keys. Not if you plan on ever using anything that will need Widevine L1.*
Now that is wholy your choice to make. Either way you will probably want to down that Torrent, which is a backup of someone else's Shield TV. It WILL reserect your Device. But, if you haven't managed to recover your own Keys you will not be able to rewrite them back later on. And, the upshot of that will be the loss of all Widevine L1 Services. e.g. Amazon, Netflix etc...**
*https://forum.xda-developers.com/shield-tv/general/guide-migrate-to-ssd-hdd-size-satv-pro-t3440195
**https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=67426622&postcount=23

Ichijoe said:
Depends on if you have a 16Gb or not...
Let's put it this way, if you have a 16Gb it's pretty a wrap. If you have a Pro then you have a few options. Like ripping the SSHD out of it, and attaching it inside a PC running Linux. Or at the least a PC running a live install of Linux.
Which is critical to maintain your private keys. Everything else can be discarded. But, not those DRM Keys. Not if you plan on ever using anything that will need Widevine L1.*
Now that is wholy your choice to make. Either way you will probably want to down that Torrent, which is a backup of someone else's Shield TV. It WILL reserect your Device. But, if you haven't managed to recover your own Keys you will not be able to rewrite them back later on. And, the upshot of that will be the loss of all Widevine L1 Services. e.g. Amazon, Netflix etc...**
*https://forum.xda-developers.com/shield-tv/general/guide-migrate-to-ssd-hdd-size-satv-pro-t3440195
**https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=67426622&postcount=23
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the 16GB model and I am not sure what would be the best way of resurrecting my device upon a bootloader that is corrupt.

I think your forked... The only way it could possibly be done would be to pull the ROM Chip, and clone this in a not so dissimilar fashion, and then flash a working 'Image' back onto it. Before resoldering said Chip back onto the Mainboard.
Again, Not something just anyone could do.
Look I have no idea how old your Shield is, or if you still have, or have ever had any Warranty Rights to begin with. Assuming that you still had any of these 'Rights'. I would recommend playing dumb, and attempt an RMA, and pray that it works out.
If that also fails, then I guess you are what is termed as being SoL...

Ichijoe said:
I think your forked... The only way it could possibly be done would be to pull the ROM Chip, and clone this in a not so dissimilar fashion, and then flash a working 'Image' back onto it. Before resoldering said Chip back onto the Mainboard.
Again, Not something just anyone could do.
Look I have no idea how old your Shield is, or if you still have, or have ever had any Warranty Rights to begin with. Assuming that you still had any of these 'Rights'. I would recommend playing dumb, and attempt an RMA, and pray that it works out.
If that also fails, then I guess you are what is termed as being SoL...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Ichijoe I tried to also to boot into recovery using alt + print screen + i (on an external keyboard) in order to restore the device however this did not work.
I wanted to pull the ROM chip but I don't know of any software available to allow such a feat. Does anyone have any information on utilizing J1D1 or J1D2?

pandorarob0t said:
Thanks Ichijoe I tried to also to boot into recovery using alt + print screen + i (on an external keyboard) in order to restore the device however this did not work.
I wanted to pull the ROM chip but I don't know of any software available to allow such a feat. Does anyone have any information on utilizing J1D1 or J1D2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is getting oh so over my head now. So take it for what it's worth. But, as I understand it One would need an EEPROM Programer, and the "Software" would just be written as a RAW Data. Again not entirely, not unlike taking a certain 'Raw' backup that someone tossed up to the Net as a Torrent File. For bricked Pro users.
Pulling the ROM Chip off the Board is not something just anyone can do without destroying the Chip, the Mainboard, or both. The EEPROM Programmer is also an additional cost, of which I would have no clue. Needless to say, in the long run it's just unfortunate as it is, to just get a new Shield.

pandorarob0t said:
Hello,
I have tried the search feature to no avail in regards to following the appropriate troubleshooting steps to ensure that I can at least boot to fastboot, however I cannot boot into the fastboot menu.
These are the steps I have tried so far:
With only the Power, HDMI, and MicroUSB to USB connected
1) Disconnect the Power
2) Hold Nvidia Button Down
3) Reconnect the Power
4) Release Nvidia Button (~2 seconds)
5) Press and Hold Nvidia Button (~5 seconds)
again, I am still at a black screen with no output whatsoever.
I have also tried allowing a full power cycle (where the Nvidia TV is left alone for approximately 15 minutes)
I also tried the Nvidia chat support who suggested that I try plugging in the controller and pressing the A and B buttons simultaneously, etc. to no avail.
Is there anyway to force a fastboot interaction via console? I would just like to reflash to stock. Even if this method requires altering the hardware via soldering.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
let's try this way :
unplug your power cable of the shield tv
plug your lan cable on your shield tv ( be sure DHCP on your local network is turning on)
plug your new shield controller on the usb port of the shield
plug the power cable and DON'T TOUCH THE CONTROLLER for 1 minute
now hold down home button and left button ( on the X) for 3 seconds
normally you can see the blue signal of the controller 3 times. this mean the procedure working good ( if not retry till it work)
now let your shield working around 2 hours ( depend of your download speed)
afetr this time, normally the shield finish downloading the update and restart... now you normally can see the screen

Z5C will not charge at all

In my persistent attempts to put a custom rom on this device, the following sequence occurred:
- Phone suddenly not recognized by PC in any mode: normal, recovery, or fastboot. It would not even charge from the USB port, no reaction at all from the phone or PC that the connection is made. Other devices using the same port and cable work correctly.
- Phone unresponsive to a wall charger while it is powered on. Similar to the above description, the phone does not recognize that it is pulled into a charger at all while it is powered on. However, at this point the
- Phone is responsive to a wall charger after turning it off. The screen shows the charging icon on screen and the LED is red, meaning the phone recognizes the micro-USB connection when it is powered off, but only via the wall charger, still sees nothing when connected to the PC.
With the above criteria I decide to let the device completely discharge its battery, hoping that a full empty to full charge will reset whatever is happening. It takes about 3 days to go completely dead ... moving from screen need-charging image, to only the red LED, to absolutely no response when pressing the power button.
Now I have a phone that is completely unresponsive to any button press, as expected since the battery is completely drained. Unfortunately, it no longer responds to the wall outlet at all. Meaning it won't charge in any way. Used multiple chargers, multiple wall sockets, multiple cables, gave it compliments, etc.
At this point the phone is totally and completely dead and unresponsive to any charging. Any thoughts or help?

apsommer said:
In my persistent attempts to put a custom rom on this device, the following sequence occurred:
- Phone suddenly not recognized by PC in any mode: normal, recovery, or fastboot. It would not even charge from the USB port, no reaction at all from the phone or PC that the connection is made. Other devices using the same port and cable work correctly.
- Phone unresponsive to a wall charger while it is powered on. Similar to the above description, the phone does not recognize that it is pulled into a charger at all while it is powered on. However, at this point the
- Phone is responsive to a wall charger after turning it off. The screen shows the charging icon on screen and the LED is red, meaning the phone recognizes the micro-USB connection when it is powered off, but only via the wall charger, still sees nothing when connected to the PC.
With the above criteria I decide to let the device completely discharge its battery, hoping that a full empty to full charge will reset whatever is happening. It takes about 3 days to go completely dead ... moving from screen need-charging image, to only the red LED, to absolutely no response when pressing the power button.
Now I have a phone that is completely unresponsive to any button press, as expected since the battery is completely drained. Unfortunately, it no longer responds to the wall outlet at all. Meaning it won't charge in any way. Used multiple chargers, multiple wall sockets, multiple cables, gave it compliments, etc.
At this point the phone is totally and completely dead and unresponsive to any charging. Any thoughts or help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had this issue when trying to flash GreenKernel. Turned out I messed up on a step and flashed it the wrong way. Check my posts in that topic.

Wenro said:
I had this issue when trying to flash GreenKernel. Turned out I messed up on a step and flashed it the wrong way. Check my posts in that topic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the response, I was about to throw the phone away. Can you be a little more specific? I see your post here regarding a rebooting loop with red light flashing. However, I don't have any response from the phone whatsoever ... nothing on the screen, or led in top right. It does not accept a charge from 1A or 2A source, it is literally a paper weight right now. I need to "jump start it" or something of this nature. It won't charge at all.

apsommer said:
Thank you for the response, I was about to throw the phone away. Can you be a little more specific? I see your post here regarding a rebooting loop with red light flashing. However, I don't have any response from the phone whatsoever ... nothing on the screen, or led in top right. It does not accept a charge from 1A or 2A source, it is literally a paper weight right now. I need to "jump start it" or something of this nature. It won't charge at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably the phone looks dead but does get charge - it's just not showing it with the LED.
I believe Snapdragons are close to impossible to hard-brick - the chip itself has a ROM with EDL burned into it and that can always be used to bring it back from zombieland, if you have the right tools. But if you are lucky enough, then service mode would still be available even without hunting for the EDL stuff.
First, power the phone off for real with the hidden button near the SIM tray - and leave it off.
Then, install Flashtool and use it to flash a stock ROM, as described for instance here. When flashing, choose flashmode instead of fastboot and follow the instructions.
HTH,
Antonio

antonio.galea said:
Probably the phone looks dead but does get charge - it's just not showing it with the LED.
I believe Snapdragons are close to impossible to hard-brick - the chip itself has a ROM with EDL burned into it and that can always be used to bring it back from zombieland, if you have the right tools. But if you are lucky enough, then service mode would still be available even without hunting for the EDL stuff.
First, power the phone off for real with the hidden button near the SIM tray - and leave it off.
Then, install Flashtool and use it to flash a stock ROM, as described for instance here. When flashing, choose flashmode instead of fastboot and follow the instructions.
HTH,
Antonio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the response. I pressed the hidden button in the SIM tray for 10 seconds, 3 times in a row. Downloaded the latest "Emma" Sony Flashtool ... and nothing happens. The software does not recognize any Sony device plugged into the computer. Checked the USB cable, it's good. The computer, and the Sony flash software, do not recognize the device at all. It will not turn on in any way, and it does not appear (based on the screen and LED) to accept a charge at all. It truly seems bricked at this point. Any thoughts?

apsommer said:
Thank you for the response. I pressed the hidden button in the SIM tray for 10 seconds, 3 times in a row. Downloaded the latest "Emma" Sony Flashtool ... and nothing happens. The software does not recognize any Sony device plugged into the computer. Checked the USB cable, it's good. The computer, and the Sony flash software, do not recognize the device at all. It will not turn on in any way, and it does not appear (based on the screen and LED) to accept a charge at all. It truly seems bricked at this point. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know what method is used by Sony Emma, sorry. But simply connecting the phone won't surely be enough if there is no software on it that answers to USB requests from your PC.
How about trying with the tool I suggested you? Let the phone off, download a stock firmware and start the flashing in flashmode instead of the standard fastboot mode (just follow the on screen instructions).
If that does not work, the only thing that's left is EDL mode. I've found no documentation for Z5 Compact, unluckily - but any decent repair shop should be able to resurrect it.
Antonio

antonio.galea said:
I don't know what method is used by Sony Emma, sorry. But simply connecting the phone won't surely be enough if there is no software on it that answers to USB requests from your PC.
How about trying with the tool I suggested you? Let the phone off, download a stock firmware and start the flashing in flashmode instead of the standard fastboot mode (just follow the on screen instructions).
If that does not work, the only thing that's left is EDL mode. I've found no documentation for Z5 Compact, unluckily - but any decent repair shop should be able to resurrect it.
Antonio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I downloaded the flashtool you linked, and also the XperiFerm and latest Z5C drivers as mentioned in the tutorial. The drivers do not have an exe. I can not manually install the drivers because the device is not recognized by the PC at all, it does not show in the Device Manager. Moving forward ... downloaded and installed the Sony Xperia Companion software, it also does not recognize the device at all. The flashtool you linked also does not see the device at all.
23/016/2019 00:16:53 - INFO - Device disconnected
There is no flashmode or fastboot mode possible, the device does not respond to any buttons, any charge, or mean glances. Any last thoughts before I cut my losses and throw it away for a XZ1 compact?

apsommer said:
There is no flashmode or fastboot mode possible, the device does not respond to any buttons, any charge, or mean glances. Any last thoughts before I cut my losses and throw it away for a XZ1 compact?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't throw the phone away!
I fear I was not explicit enough:
1. keep the phone off and disconnected
2. click on the Flash icon, choose the firmware
3. choose flashmode
4. press volume down and only then connect it to the PC
If even this alternative service mode has been wiped, then the only possibility left is EDL. For that, I'd go to a repair shop.
Antonio

apsommer said:
I downloaded the flashtool you linked, and also the XperiFerm and latest Z5C drivers as mentioned in the tutorial. The drivers do not have an exe. I can not manually install the drivers because the device is not recognized by the PC at all, it does not show in the Device Manager. Moving forward ... downloaded and installed the Sony Xperia Companion software, it also does not recognize the device at all. The flashtool you linked also does not see the device at all.
23/016/2019 00:16:53 - INFO - Device disconnected
There is no flashmode or fastboot mode possible, the device does not respond to any buttons, any charge, or mean glances. Any last thoughts before I cut my losses and throw it away for a XZ1 compact?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Power off the phone : press volume up and power button. Wait 3 vibrations (if not, the phone is powered off).
Press first the volume up and plug the phone with the usb cable into your computer. If you see the blue light you can use Flashtool, if not... it's dead (for me)...
How to use Flashtool is another thing, blue led is essential.
You'd rather throw it away for a Xz2 compact and install Omnirom. You can find some used ones for good prices.

antonio.galea said:
Don't throw the phone away!
I fear I was not explicit enough:
1. keep the phone off and disconnected
2. click on the Flash icon, choose the firmware
3. choose flashmode
4. press volume down and only then connect it to the PC
If even this alternative service mode has been wiped, then the only possibility left is EDL. For that, I'd go to a repair shop.
Antonio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, Antonio. Step #4 causes no reaction in the phone, or the Flashtool. The software does not recognize the device and the phone remains unresponsive. It truly seems hard bricked to me. I live in Mexico ... this device is rare even in the US, the guys will have never seen it, and their approach to EDL is as good as mine. I'm pretty frustrated with this dead phone, I think it's time for a new one and to mark this as a lesson learned.

Raphos said:
Hi,
Power off the phone : press volume up and power button. Wait 3 vibrations (if not, the phone is powered off).
Press first the volume up and plug the phone with the usb cable into your computer. If you see the blue light you can use Flashtool, if not... it's dead (for me)...
How to use Flashtool is another thing, blue led is essential.
You'd rather throw it away for a Xz2 compact and install Omnirom. You can find some used ones for good prices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. No blue light under any button combination, charging cable, outlet, software, mean glances, etc. My next one is XZ1 or XZ2 ... I'll take your advice into consideration, the XZ2 has better specs but of course its +$100. I like to think of myself as a capable engineer, but destroying this Z5C has made me pretty hesitant to attempt the same process on a new phone. Everyone seems to agree that hard bricking this device is near impossible, however I beg to differ as look at this dead one on my desk.

apsommer said:
Thanks, Antonio. Step #4 causes no reaction in the phone, or the Flashtool. The software does not recognize the device and the phone remains unresponsive. It truly seems hard bricked to me. I live in Mexico ... this device is rare even in the US, the guys will have never seen it, and their approach to EDL is as good as mine. I'm pretty frustrated with this dead phone, I think it's time for a new one and to mark this as a lesson learned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ouch - a real pity.
It really seems you succeded in wiping out all possible accesses for the Sony bootloader. Do you mind me asking how you managed that? I'd like to avoid doing the same mistake.
Qualcomm EDL mode is surely there, but you will need to open the phone and the software for that approach is not freely available (or at least I was not able to find it).
Antonio

antonio.galea said:
Ouch - a real pity.
It really seems you succeded in wiping out all possible accesses for the Sony bootloader. Do you mind me asking how you managed that? I'd like to avoid doing the same mistake.
Qualcomm EDL mode is surely there, but you will need to open the phone and the software for that approach is not freely available (or at least I was not able to find it).
Antonio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't remember the exact sequence, but "fastboot erase" was used on the "bootloader" and "recovery" partitions, then the phone was unplugged. This left the system with no start sequence ... when I depleted all the battery charge it simply wouldn't respond to anything and has since been lifeless. I'll pry it open and take a look at the internals just for fun and to get one last squeeze of value from it. I also plan to bash it with a hammer which will be particularly satisfying.

apsommer said:
I don't remember the exact sequence, but "fastboot erase" was used on the "bootloader" and "recovery" partitions, then the phone was unplugged.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can safely overwrite boot, but never ever touch the bootloader. The bootloader is responsible for starting all the various programming modes, as well as passing on execution onto the kernel start during normal boot.
BTW, I don't think there is any reason at all for erasing partitions - when you overwrite them with your own data they will end up being clean anyway.
I also plan to bash it with a hammer which will be particularly satisfying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I can understand your frustration, that would be quite silly. Even if it has no value to you, it's still recoverable for anyone with the skills and tools - try to sell it instead, if anything it could be used for spare parts.
Antonio

antonio.galea said:
You can safely overwrite boot, but never ever touch the bootloader. The bootloader is responsible for starting all the various programming modes, as well as passing on execution onto the kernel start during normal boot.
BTW, I don't think there is any reason at all for erasing partitions - when you overwrite them with your own data they will end up being clean anyway.
While I can understand your frustration, that would be quite silly. Even if it has no value to you, it's still recoverable for anyone with the skills and tools - try to sell it instead, if anything it could be used for spare parts.
Antonio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I learned my lesson with "fastboot erase bootloader". I'd be happy to sell it for parts, what website would you recommend for listing it?

apsommer said:
Yes, I learned my lesson with "fastboot erase bootloader". I'd be happy to sell it for parts, what website would you recommend for listing it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm trying to find out more information about the emergency recovery mode for Z5C - I might be able to find out a way to recover your phone. If I'm successful (be warned, it's a big if - so please don't count on it), you could sell it as a working phone instead of as a brick.
First problem, I don't know how to enter EDL mode on the Z5C: but I hope an EDL cable could work. I've ordered one for testing, since it's an useful tool for recovering a lot of other phones too - it will take a while to deliver, so don't hold your breath. You could also join me in my experiments (after all, you have nothing to lose) by ordering one yourself (you can find cables for as low as 3$).
Second problem, the software tools. Given the ubiquity of Qualcomm chips, apparently there are quite a few available. In the opensource arena, I've found those:
https://github.com/96boards/documentation/blob/master/consumer/guides/qdl.md
https://github.com/openpst/sahara
https://github.com/bkerler/edl
Third problem, finding the signed binaries you have erased from your phone. I guess they can be extracted from my own device quite easily - they are on eMMC after all.
For an in-depth discussion of EDL mode, geared towards its (in)security, I've been reading Aleph Security articles here.
Antonio

apsommer said:
Thank you for the response, I was about to throw the phone away. Can you be a little more specific? I see your post here regarding a rebooting loop with red light flashing. However, I don't have any response from the phone whatsoever ... nothing on the screen, or led in top right. It does not accept a charge from 1A or 2A source, it is literally a paper weight right now. I need to "jump start it" or something of this nature. It won't charge at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey again, sorry for late reply. Work...
My issue seems totally unrelated to yours. My problem was that I was doing the flashing wrong, instead of just flashing the entire .zip I flashed boot file etc and this is what started the issues with not taking charge, BT wasn't working, wifi etc. But I had more juice in the phone since you want to have quite a bit before doing flashing, but I read your post about discharging it.
If you can't revive it, don't fear rooting and flashing, just make sure to read and to take all steps necessary. I kinda messed up my Z1C and I didn't do any changes to my Z5C until recently. Well, maybe a year now, just because of that occurrence.

antonio.galea said:
I'm trying to find out more information about the emergency recovery mode for Z5C - I might be able to find out a way to recover your phone. If I'm successful (be warned, it's a big if - so please don't count on it), you could sell it as a working phone instead of as a brick.
First problem, I don't know how to enter EDL mode on the Z5C: but I hope an EDL cable could work. I've ordered one for testing, since it's an useful tool for recovering a lot of other phones too - it will take a while to deliver, so don't hold your breath. You could also join me in my experiments (after all, you have nothing to lose) by ordering one yourself (you can find cables for as low as 3$).
Second problem, the software tools. Given the ubiquity of Qualcomm chips, apparently there are quite a few available. In the opensource arena, I've found those:
https://github.com/96boards/documentation/blob/master/consumer/guides/qdl.md
https://github.com/openpst/sahara
https://github.com/bkerler/edl
Third problem, finding the signed binaries you have erased from your phone. I guess they can be extracted from my own device quite easily - they are on eMMC after all.
For an in-depth discussion of EDL mode, geared towards its (in)security, I've been reading Aleph Security articles here.
Antonio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, you're a true engineer, never give up! Consider my phone part of your testing devices. Please confirm this is the correct EDL cable to purchase for the Z5C: EDL cable for all Qualcomm phones ... It will take a few weeks to get in my hands.

apsommer said:
Wow, you're a true engineer, never give up!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, got my cable - but I've not been able to make it work so far. It could be because I need Windows and specific drivers, I'll look into some more. But yes, when it's fun I never give up
Antonio