yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Nexus S Android Development] kirdroid:
Called samsung support and told them my IMEI is screwed up. They were like if the imei is changed it is out of warranty. I finally had to speak to couple of people and escalate to the next level of support to get this repaired.

They e-mailed me the shipping label, i just restored everything to stock and sent my phone. I estimate it will take 2 - 3 weeks until i get back my phone.

Anyway through out the call i acted as if I don't how this happened :D .. so hopefully i will get back my phone in the original condition.
[Nexus S Android Development] fabrizioo2007:
can we do something usefull with a backup of efs folder of a working i9020 device?Maybe I can obtain this

And where should be written the Imei code?in which file?
[Nexus S Android Development] apreichner:
I contacted many devs. Two of which posted on here. Chiledog from the galaxysense team posted and he is contacting other devs. Pulsed_g2 posted a few pages back and he is the head of the developer committee.

I had no idea this could happen and remember guys I am in the exact same boat as you right now. I used this rom also and now I have a wrong imei. I am trying my best to help fix this. From this point forward I will not create any further roms to be released. I appreciate the support i have been tiven throughout this rom and even through the problems you have understood and tried to support me. I will focus all of my effort on possible fixes. And right here I will tell you everything I know:

On galaxy s devices and other Samsung devices the efs gets backed up before flashing of a lot of roms which is why the galaxysense has the same script in their rom. The script was only included in 0.3 because this was the first full port from another galaxy device, the previous two releases were from my own port. I have heard many reports that devices who flashed 0.2 have experienced no issues.

I did however hear of devices which had the same imei without flashing 0.3 this leads me to believe there is another dev on here who has made a similar mistake or possibly they were purchased this way.
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
i have already gone through that. the main difference i found is :

on our screwed device we get something like this

line 00187ffa we have

Rev Not active......GT-i9020 EUR ....2010-10-14......xxxxxi9020TEST ....0000....0000....(a long number)....KB100DOWN( I9000 )

on the original its something like:

Rev 1.4 g-i9020FSTTMB xxxxxxxxxxxxx(a lot of codes ) GT-i9020 EUR ....2010-10-14......xxxxxi9020TEST ....0000....0000....(the same long number)....KB100DOWN( I9000 )
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
Till now you have done an amazing work and i dont think this should prevent you from continuing this work. **** happens man and i strongly believe that everybody of us flashing roms knows the consequences and should bear the responsibility. This is the risks we taking flashing roms, overclocking kernels.....

As i said **** happens but you should in no way feel guilty or responsible for what had happenned. i hope you change your mind and i pray for a fix.

cheers/
[Nexus S Android Development] foxehkins:
I spoke with a dev earlier and he said that he has no idea how to fix this. He's been working on Samsung phones for a bit and he said the first the he does when he gets one is backs up the efs. He said other than warranty replacement we're sol.
[Nexus S Android Development] treUse:
Guess all I can do is hope that my carrier won't blacklist the corrupt IMEI...
[Nexus S Android Development] Zehlek:
In the original with all the xxx is that your imei or a different number that is one your box?
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
they are different. i cannot even figure out where the imei is. i have read on the i9000 forums that samsung have encrypted the imei and nobody knows where.

mine is totally scrwed. the original one was taken from my gf's nexus s. i just wanted to compare.

anyway , it was just a small comparison.

On our phone it is totally blank (on hexeditor) till that line(0188....) but on the original one, there are plenty of undistinguishable codes from the beginning itself.
[Nexus S Android Development] Zehlek:
I wonder if you try copying hers overtop of yours, it may fix it
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
well i didnt try that. what i did try is to change only the part (rev not active), and i replaced the whole segment from the other one. but on log , it was marked as corrupt and the default still got created. i have come to the conclusion that the bin file is digitally signed and that tampering with it might not help i guess.

edit: i'll try it and let u know right away if i get the other phone's imei or not.
[Nexus S Android Development] Zehlek:
That would be good if you get hers, then that means we will be closer to a solution
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
well replacing the bin file didnt change anything. in fact, this time i couldnt even get an imei. *#06# was just empty and it didnt even connect to a network. :confused::confused::confused:
[Nexus S Android Development] bigmizz79:
Has anyone's phone got shut down.???
[Nexus S Android Development] Zehlek:
Not yet. Rogers still thinks I have an iPhone :p
[Nexus S Android Development] xanos01:
I respect that decision as always Thank you bro for your hardworking effort on this rom thanks! Good luck on finding a solution.
[Nexus S Android Development] derekwilkinson:
dude... wtf???
[Nexus S Android Development] window7:
Hey guys, calm down a bit. I suggested we should start to contact any dev that we could. And at the same time, try to contact dev from other forum. I'm trying my best now to help you all. I have sign up at different forum. Hope we all can get this work together. I never flash sense cause I dun like sense at all. No offense, but I think we should help each other.

Since I have some time,I willing to help out as we're all nexus s brotherhood :p
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
You are right!
[Nexus S Android Development] marsrogers:
Yeah, I totally agree with you. I copied the efs folder from my friend's nexus s and modified a bit such as the bt Mac things, but turned out to be same. So things are not easy I guess...
[Nexus S Android Development] thegod2012:
In the event if we do get black listed can't we revert back to stock 2.3.4 stock recovery and ask the

The carrier what's going on with our phones tell them alittle white lie and have them put the imei number cause we have the number on the back of are phone
[Nexus S Android Development] x4-FAo:
What???
[Nexus S Android Development] deogunsurya:
@ OP - Its not your fault anyways, so NO need to stop the development. Keep helping the community like you do. It's just some bad luck...

Its not your fault, its a complete human error which can happen with any dev/member/ROM maker etc. No need to feel bad about it. Also its written everywhere and in BIG WORDS as well..that the dev will not be responsible for any bricked devices. Its upto the person who wants to take the risk or not. Cheers mate.

And keep developing for xda. No regrets.

:)
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
Uhh, I hope they will find a way.........................
[Nexus S Android Development] thegod2012:
I second this we all know full well of the consequences of flashing custom roms I went through 2 moments and 3 heroes cooking or trying to cook its like the movie "meet the Robinsons" say, Keep moving forward

I couldnt load .2 or. 1 but when I flashed 3 it made me jizz myself of how well the rom ran and the lock screen was the ****s I got your back keep the good work going thanks to you we now know to back up are efs
[Nexus S Android Development] chiledog:
I third this.

Yeah, at least now everyone will know to backup the /efs.
[Nexus S Android Development] bloodhawk:
So in short we cant do anything but to send over the phone to Samsung?
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
Hehe Samsung will get shocked the moment they realise that 100 people complain on messed up IMEI at the same time and that the new IMEI of all of em is the same.
[Nexus S Android Development] thegod2012:
I smell a 2.3.5 update courtesy of xda lol
[Nexus S Android Development] bloodhawk:
Well sad i just lost a 400$ device, with no way to get it repaired.

Back to the Nokia 6630 :)
[Nexus S Android Development] croques:
There is an opportunity here for someone to negotiate with Samsung for the software repair of, say 100 phones as a job lot. (Or as many as people sign up for the repair). You'll all pay a fee but that would be better than owning a bricked Nexus S.
[Nexus S Android Development] dario3040:
Can I forth this?
[Nexus S Android Development] Byte_76:
@Apreichner, please don't quit. I have lost my IMEI as well but I would still flash updated versions of your Sense ROM while my phone continues to work.

I knew the risks of ROM flashing and I did it anyway.

Not reaching the point of a fully working ROM after all of this would be very sad.

Not sure if this has been posted already but maybe getting info from a working nv_data file and following the procedure this guy posted will help:

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=881162
[Nexus S Android Development] bloodhawk:
Agree~! Totally Agree!!!

And im totally willing to pay the shipping + Handling + whatever service charges!

So much better than a Black scratch less show piece.
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
For anybody playing and changing the nv_data.bin file, you actually should remove everything in the efs folder, put only the modified bin file in, then perform a hardreset/or wipe everything an install a rom.

Just replacing the file don't help with only a reset.
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
Which line did you find these parameters?
[Nexus S Android Development] bloodhawk:
Just jump to address 0188008 (Or something around the same lines) and you find what your looking for :)

Though its nearly impossible for normal users to figure out what to change and where. Only a high level Developer could figure things out.
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
I heard about ways to restore data that was deleted and overwritten a few times on hard disks and flash storages, maybe we can restore the original .bin files using this method?
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
we do not have 0188008. i do not think that there are in fact info there. i posted before my findings through comparison around these lines. mainly because on the default_nv, there is no info around these lines and the real mac adress and real bluetooth adress still get assisgned. i have been making a comparison like i said bet a working one and mine.

there are just many codes absent in ours from line 0100000 onwards.

one thing also, (maybe silly) but ours start with a T..B( on the first line) but the working one with a B direstly so i guessed that T must be for the testing.
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
i think even a high level Developer would fail here. Samsung has encripted most of the things here. No wonder the i9000 havent been able to resolve the imei issue till now.
[Nexus S Android Development] bloodhawk:
The 0188008 was just to get around the region where the info is :P

About the rest i definitely agree with you. Ill be fiddling it next week maybe to see if anything can be done.
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
line 188010 - is for the product code. on ours we have 'rev not active' but it should be ' rev1.4 GI9020 FSTTMBxxxxxxxx)

also through some reading i figured out the imei might be between the lines 017ffee and 0180046

more precisely between SSNV and } >1 % P } Q. on the working bin file, there are lots of codes between the lines i've just said. impossible to make out. i guess someone could have a look at that but you would need a working nv_data.bin file from another phone cause ours is empty in that area.
[Nexus S Android Development] bloodhawk:
Yea i have a stock UK nv_data.bin as well as a US nv_data.bin.

Will be comparing the 2 with mine in the evening. Now what im not able to figure is which one of the codes am i supposed to use? Because both files have different data depending on the regions.
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
What about this method?
[Nexus S Android Development] treUse:
Anyone know a way to mount the /efs as usb storage?
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
That's one of the main questions for the method I offered.
[Nexus S Android Development] treUse:
Sure is...
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
I am afraid the method I offered won't work because the file was overwritten and it's impossible to restore overwritten files from flash storage, only from hard disks (a special method that works on investigation of the magnetic fields on the hard disc and restoring the file depending on them which is quite hard and not very accurate)
[Nexus S Android Development] NexusCrazy:
Are we any closer to fixing this? Im stuck with a very expensive ipod and am not a happy chap.
[Nexus S Android Development] treUse:
I feel you, hoping for a fix as well, luckily my phone still works though...
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
I don't think we are closer even a micrometer to the solution, sad.

You know that your nexus isn't a phone anymore, my still is but I live in fear it will stop working......
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
guys , could you open you efs folder. those who dont have it empty. there should be a .nv_data.bak file. rename it to nv_data.bin and open with a hex editor. compare it with the actualt nv_data.bin and post. i am interested in the lines around 0018800 and 0018100
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
Ill try

If you want I can upload my whole efs folder so you do it.(Coz I don understand anything in this)
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
edit : removed
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
So what to do? (My efs is corrupted so nothing personal in there)
[Nexus S Android Development] bloodhawk:
Well there isnt anything we can do anymore. I tried every possible restore.

: OEM LOCK/UNLOCK

: Restore through ODIN

: Restores through CWM (Rooted and Non Rooted)

: Along with this fiddling with the nv_data.bin files. Our files have been corrupted a little too much, there is too much data missing.

Only people who can help us here are Google or Samsung.

Which i doubt they even remotely will.
[Nexus S Android Development] Erkan75:
Mine is OK ... I did a compare between nv_data.bin and nv_data.bak with ultra compare in hex-format:

total size 2.097.152 Bytes

matching 1.515.210 Bytes

different 581.942 Bytes

So I don't think you can manually correct the file :(
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
will you agree to mess up your device even more and change the nv_data.bak to nv_data.bin then delete the whole efs folder and leave only the new nv_data.bin , then flash other rom and see what happens? ( the other guy said that if you want differences you need to do what i just said to get some changes (about changing the bak one to bin one and replacing them was my idea and i dont know what will happen: its just an experiment that you dont know what you are doing, hehe))
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
I dont have nv_data.bak, and the other one has it, why?
[Nexus S Android Development] Erkan75:
Sorry ... I don't wanna join your club ;) Before we don't know how to fix that problem, I will not delete or modify anything in folder /efs
[Nexus S Android Development] Erkan75:
The script do a backup of existing nv_data.bin calling .bak. But the script also delteed all the files .. so no .bin, also no .bak
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
wait, is your device still correct or not?
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
Stupid script!
[Nexus S Android Development] Erkan75:
As I said ...my device is correct. Never flashed Sense
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
erkan,

on your nv_data.bak file, at offset 00180000 ( around there) after SSNV, do you have a bunch of encrypted datas? or is it empty and then u get 2 lines of data?
[Nexus S Android Development] ilnanny:
This is great, awesome work getting this thing to boot on our boring NxS!
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
If you just tried to flash this than welcome to the brotherhood.

we now all have same IMEIs , fake ones, you may never have calls anymore..... (because of IMEIs)
[Nexus S Android Development] Erkan75:
Take a look by yourself ....
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
hey , is your eds folder corrupt ? lol

if yes, could you try something.

with root explorer, back up your efs folder. then delete everything except .nv_data.bak and .nv_data.bak.md5

after u delete all the files, rename .nv_data.bak to nv_data.bin and .nv_data.bak.md5 to .nv_data.bin.md5 ( attention the the point in front of nv bak files)

i am asking you to do that because i do not have the bak files and u seem to have preserved your encrypted imei in ur file

afetr that install from stratch a new rom ( wipe everything)
[Nexus S Android Development] Erkan75:
for the third time ... no, my device is ok and so I will not try anything with /efs :) sorry, I love my phone :D
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
what do you understand from this? and what is so special about line 180000 ?
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
yes, it would have been too good to be true. anyways, thanks man, and back up ur efs folder. u never know when it can come handy
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
if you look at the file at offset 180000 u would see SSNV and then an empty space in our damaged file. look at the picture above you. a correct one would have crypted data after the SSNV.

i talked to a guy from repairs department , he actually told me that somestimes, even though the device loads default nv_data , it somestimes creates a backup with some correct values( not always from what i understood)

you can thus rename the bak file to bin and perform a fullwipe and flash.
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
the problem is that i dont habe bak file, only bin one.

the bak file of the other guy seems to be corrupted: same as our bin file.

from this i may think that the script deleted the bin files and renamed the bak one to bin, thats why we dont have bak one anymore.
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
so the only way to fix it is to send it to samsung?
[Nexus S Android Development] Erkan75:
Maybe it can help you. Today at 02:33 pm (CET+2) I flashed the new rom zulumod 1.1.4

Now, when I take a look to my /efs folder, all .bak files are still 02/19/2011, but nv_data.bin and nv_data.bin.md5 now have timestamp today 02:33 pm. So after flashing a new rom something happens to that file ... but not a backup, because the .bak's stay old

/edit

I was wrong! Just rebooted my phone and now the timestamp is newer again. So on every reboot the two files are modified!? Are they created out of the .bak's ?!?
[Nexus S Android Development] Zehlek:
Can you please share the us one?
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
Does anyone know if the efs folder is a part of the same storage chip as the one where the sdcard folder placed?
[Nexus S Android Development] treUse:
Seems we're SOL after all...
[Nexus S Android Development] chiledog:
That's a downer.

This isn't directed at you treUse, but to everyone.

almost all devs on these forums do this stuff for free.

You can't expect everything to be 100% sure 100% of the time.

We all knew the risks of flashing Roms and if you didn't well you should have read the stickys.

Hell, I've bricked my share of phones in the past and I always taken responsibility for it.

**** happens, that's why some people get the insurance and some people just stay stock. Those of us that decide to venture into the world of rom flashing should expect to totally fuk up our **** now and then. If you'll pardon the expression.

Look on the bright side. Now the /efs will be widely understood as being very volatile and should be backed up before thinking about flashing anything.

And, come on there must be a thousand and one ways to get your phone fixed/replaced.

Did anyone get an estimate yet on how much it would cost to send it back to Sammy?
[Nexus S Android Development] NexusCrazy:
With all due respect, this has happened through sloppy coding, a script being left behind and not just any script. There is no reason to go anywhere near the IMEI number when Cooking/flashing a ROM, it was simply a school boy error.

I've flashed hundreds of ROM's and take much care when I do/have. Fortunately I have insurance but there's other members on here that are left with £400 paper weights.

Lets hope the op or a very talented Dev can sort a fix out for this, otherwise theres going to be an awful lot of very pissed of members

And it sounds to me like your Nexus is just fine, otherwise you'd have a completely different opinion. Correct me if I'm wrong tho.

My 2 cents worth
[Nexus S Android Development] NexusCrazy:
When I do get my phone fixed tho I will be backing up my /efs that's for sure, and this whole episode will have a whole lot more people doing the same.

But I'll also be very cautious of what ROM's I'll be flashing in the future. I'll be sticking with the ones in ROM Manager and probably with Cyanogen.

I've owned every iPhone and an Ipad, I've Jailbroke all of them on many occasions, I've had a nexus one, a Nexus S and also have a Desire S and this is a first, so don't play it down like this is the norm please.

For one it will almost kill NexusSence unless a fix is found, you'd have to be brave or stupid to flash it if this sorry mess doesn't get sorted.

End of my gripe, just feeling a bit peeved of at the moment as surely you'll understand.
[Nexus S Android Development] deeren:
If you really mean what you said, i'm sorry to say that you are a disgrace to xda. I am in the category of people left with a paper weight ( more than the amount u mentioned cause i bought it at launch imported from us and thus without warranty) but i accept the consequences!!!! **** happens all the time!

many people had problems in the past with rom flashing - go in the o2x and see how many ppl had problems at first because they all thought it was an identical device to the g2x until the mods had to make seperate forums. many ppl , i included had usb+sd card bricks with the htc desire...

Rom flashing is not like something u r purchasing. everything is free here and nobody is forcing to flash them. so if you took the decision to flash them and something happens, you have the right to be angry or frustrated but mind your words and dont start calling ppl school boy.

The Op was the only dev who took the initiative to make a sense port, everybody was pestering him for updates and now that there has been a problem, you start talking ill against him- that's what i call schoolboy mentality!

A lot of ppl don't know what efs mean,and by lot of people , i can tell you even the devs here on this nexus s forum. this is why we never had advice to tell us to back it up, not even in the guides or anything. i can bet even koush didnt think of that even when making the recovery for backups. ( i9000 have recoveries whioch backup the efs) . this is something which affects mainly samsung lines. so leaving that script there may well have been something some other dev would have done too!!
[Nexus S Android Development] chris6278:
I absolutely agree. Calling the OP a school boy is pretty ****ty. I think hes a dam genius for all the work hes done. Has anyone else had the balls to bring us a sense rom to our nexus phones? I think not!
[Nexus S Android Development] LoveisPeace2012:
+1 out of errors new knowledge is gathered, now future generations of flashers will understand efs
[Nexus S Android Development] RisinT96:
I hope apreichner has a friend who has a friend who has a friend who has a friend who is a developer from Google or Samsung that knows how to fix this and agrees to help.
[Nexus S Android Development] mak213:
LMFAO yes id have to agree