[Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] 666.NightAngel:
Once upon a time... lol.....

Hello,

Well, very easy..lol... I never use custom rom before..so my S4 always be on stock rom.. Last update that I did I updated through Kies.. all was well.. my phone is root..and I decided to find out which app will suits me best so I did install and uninstall many apps and usually after uninstall I'll do wipe cahe and dalvik.. so I did the same as I did everytime.. the last app that I used was swapper2.. but I don't think it's the app that make my phone down..or maybe it is..I'm not sure.. all I did is I'm about to uninstall the app swapper2..but since I did re-partition my extSdCard..and use it as swap for ram I think I should unmount the extSD. first.. then reboot the phone and will come back to uninstall the app.. and that's when it happened..I didn't make any back up...the last one that I had I just delete it earlier of that day...but well, since the normal backup can't backup the efs folder...I'm still wonder what's the difference it could be...

After I unmount the extSD. from swapper2 I reboot the phone..then it stuck on Samsung logo..and go nowhere since then.. I used the swapper2 for 2 days already and the phone was fine.. so, I'm not sure if it's the app or me did something wrong.. after that the S4 stuck and can't boot up normally...

A week passed...after visit the shop that I bought the phone from and another shop..there's no one there can make my phone boot up...then they said..maybe something inside broke down..need to change..when I asked "Oh...what is broke down?" none can't tell...so, I decided to get my phone back from them..and started searching on internet.. many people have problem with efs corrupted.. then I found the article on a web call DroidView... the guy there.. Mr.Rakesh helped me out... actually on this site has threads about the code to mount efs also.. but that time my phone can't boot...there's no way to install Terminal Emulator app from Google Play...

At last...the hero appeared...^_^ The tool that I used to enter the code that Mr.Rakesh gave me was the Terminal Emulator...which I used it through the Aroma File Manager that I opened in recovery mode of PhilZ Touch Recovery... so, must give PhilZ and his friends the full credit for that...without his recovery...I can do nothing... I tried to connect my phone through adb shell but it said the status of device is off all the time...there's no way that can use any code to force the efs to mount without the PhilZ tool...

After that... the phone works just fine... except...the IMEI is lost...(well..not lost..it's the fake one...some say it's a default IMEI that your phone will use if the efs files corrput and the system can't find your IMEI data...) so I can't make any call... when I check the details of the phone it shows the firmware..it shows the baseband..it shows the kernel...it shows everything the phone must show you except the IMEI. !!! when I check the files in efs folder...the serial data there also be all zero... now I'm stuck with this phone for two weeks... eat less...sleep less... and still can't find a way to fix the IMEI... I search on many sites...some forum have members that have IMEI problem like mine also.. some decided to sent it back to Samsung Service...but even the Samsung Service can't fix the problem... they changed the motherboard instead!!! my phone is not in service...it's a phone from outside country...the csc code shows XME, means it's the phone for sell in Malaysia... so...what I can do now is keep on searching for solution... I'm not intend to give up til I find one... I never fix the phone before...in fact...I have no idea about the android phone... but if I can fix one problem of it...then I may fix another problem too... with all the help from many people who share their good details in those articles and threads...(God bless them all...)

So, that's my story... :) I hope nothing will happen to your phone... It's such a heartache for me...coz this phone is a gift from my boyfriend... he works so hard to bought it for me..just because of my curiosity...I broke my gift in less than a month!!! (stupid me!!!)

At last... just so you know...again... there's no one...and nothing...as far as I know by now that can fix the IMEI problem of the model GT-I9500 of Galaxy S4. I'm so curious again...that who's gonna be the first... but not me...for sure...the Hex Editor made me sick already...since yesterday...like my eyeballs gonna pop out from my head...lol... ^_^

Very long story huh?... just wanna make sure no one made mistake like me again... so, please after make full back up of your system and datas... just hit the button to backup the efs too!!!

Angel S.