[Vibrant Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] singulest:
[Final take-aways]

After a two days of trial and error, I finally have CM7. I guess these are the main take-aways of my experiment.

1. Even if you start clean with stock 2.1 system and you try to install CM7, you will ALWAYS get into a bootloop. The guide here http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/wiki/Samsung_Vibrant:_Full_Update_Guide failed to mention this important fact.

2. If you get into bootloop, pull battery and get back to recovery mode again. However, it will be the "powder blue CM7 recovery mode". Flashing CM7 again in that mode will not fall into bootloop and flash without failure.

3. The folks here at XDA is awesome at helping people out

[Update 2]

20. Turns out I am not the only one with that "bricked" screen.

21. I check this post http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=751210 and I was able to get my "bricked" phone back to download mode.

22. I then followed this guide http://rootzwiki.com/topic/605-guid...swype-tricks-ninja-apps-everything/#post11409 and Odin my phone back to stock 2.1

23. Follow the steps in the guide, I got my phone rooted and then I tried re-installing CM7.

24. Unsurprisingly, the installation fell in to a bootloop again. However, big thanks to Sugartibbs for point out that installing CM7 will always need to follow this weird bootloop process (ie, install CM7 will always bootloop)

25. So I let it loop a bit and then I took the battery out

26. Put the battery back in, 3 button combo(volumn down/up+power) back into recovery mode. However, I notice that this recovery mode is a "powder blue CM7 recovery mode". Basically it has blue text instead of the yellow text in clockworkMod recovery mode

27. In the "powder blue CM7 recovery mode", I re-install/re-flash CM7. And this time, there was no bootloop

28. After it is done, reboot and I have CM7

[Update 1]

19. I tried the method here http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=848737

However, after I loaded everything and clicked on start, there was no progress bar...I waited a bit and decided to unplugged the USB line. I then tried to reboot again because the phone was stuck at "download do not turn off target" screen. The phone turn off and when it starts again...it is now permanent showing this screen.

I tried the 3 button combo and it doesn't work. So yeah, I think I just bricked my samsung vibrant....gonna find a place to cry now :'(

[original post]

Hello,

I used to think I know about rooting/flashing and all that...I guess now I am a noob as well :(

So today, my Samsung Vibrant phone was running fine with Team Whiskey's Nero 5(or 8? it is an old rom, the latest one is Bionix-V) rom, and I decided to checkout the newest CM7. It turns out to be a bad idea...now my phone is kind of in a state where I am not sure what to do. Let me describe the steps that I took

So here are the steps that I took

0. I did a backup of my current rom first.

1. Following the instructions in (http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/wiki/Samsung_Vibrant:_Full_Update_Guide), I skipped directly to the "Flashing CyanogenMod" section since I already have my phone rooted and have ClockworkMod Recovery

2. I downloaded and copied both "update-cm-7.1.0.1-Vibrant-signed.zip"(CM7 rom) and "gapps-gb-20110828-signed.zip"(Google apps) in the root folder

3. Boot into the ClockworkMod Recovery

4. Wipe data/factory reset.

5. Wipe cache partition.

6. Select "Install zip from sdcard"

7. Select "Choose zip from sdcard"

8. Select "update-cm-7.1.0.1-Vibrant-signed.zip"

9. It seems to be installing. Then suddenly, the phone restarts and goes back to Recovery mode. Before I can see what's happening in the Recovery mode, it restarts again...yes, my phone fell into a dreaded bootloop

10. I waited a bit and seems like it is not going to end soon. So I forced closed the phone(holding power button) and restarted. Still in the bootloop

11. I took out the battery, put it back, and the phone is still in the bootloop.

12. Now I started to worry a bit. I thought maybe it is because I skipped the "Installing the ClockworkMod Recovery" section. So I went back to the update guide and restart from the "Installing the ClockworkMod Recovery" section

13. I first got my phone into download mod

14. I downloaded and install Heimdall Suite

15. I downloaded the Cmenard's Overstock kernel, followed the steps described in the guide and successfully transfer the Overstock kernel to my phone.

16. I reboot the phone. Good, there are no more bootloops. But the phone is now stuck on the Overstock logo

17. Ok...then I tried go into recovery mode again, install the CM7 zip as described above, still bootloop..

18. Hmm...I started to panic a bit. Well, maybe I should restore my old rom first. I tried restored my backup rom.

And here is what happened:

Also, I am not sure why, but when I tried again to install CM7, it gave an assertion error

So this is about time I give up and ask the almighty XDA folks: What can I do now to have my phone back to a functioning state?(either install CM7 or restored into my backup rom)

Sorry for the long description and thanks for any suggestions