[Galaxy Ace S5830i General] Winston Churchill:
Hiya [MENTION=6251244]ehsanotaku[/MENTION] and [MENTION=5436163]NightRaven49[/MENTION] wow you’re awesome with how much effort you put in for me. Here we go

After posting last, the situation deteriorated when after a reboot or two into recovery (still in CWM v.6 mode with MTD formatting) - I started getting a list of errors like: "Failed to mount /system (Invalid Argument)" Failed to mount /cache (Invalid Argument) and then a long list about failed mount and open /cache/recovery/ (and so on). PLUS I could no longer even access my SD card and NOTHING would mount through recovery. Plus as I said, I couldn’t even get my PC’s to recognise a connection (it was the oddest error message. I wish I wrote it down but I chucked a fit instead – something to do with the device is no longer recognised, or the device you last connected is no longer recognised).

Anyway, I woke up this morning and all of a sudden, I could connect to my PC. So, I flashed the only update available for my phone that seems to exist via ODIN. BUT, it mostly installed, and I got the “couldn’t mount /data” error before it started to boot and now my phone is just stuck in a “Samsung” boot loop. PLUS, there are still some connection oddities (see below).

I can still access download and recovery mode and can roll back to my CWM v.5 that works fine BUT I couldn’t successfully install one of my old backups again because after seeming to nearly finish restoring, I get that /data mount error, even though I assume the firmware I flashed should have undone the MTD stuff?

Phone Specs:

As requested, and for future help for others: Samsung Galaxy Ace GT-S5830V. Purchased Unlocked, nothing to do with Vodaphone (me I mean. Clearly the phone is some how evily linked to them)

O/S: Gingerbread 2.3.6

Burnt in model ID: GT-S5830OKKXSA

Customary Binary Count: 149175

Baseband Version S5830VDULJ3

Kernel Version: 2.6.35.7 dpi@DELL221 #1

Build Number: GINGERBREAD.DULJ3

(I had the foresight to write all that down before I started messing with my phone heh).

There is only one possible update up from what I have been running. I have NEVER been able to get Kies to successfully install it, and I think I know why. I have checked numerous firmware sites and all but one of the versions available (the version I am about to specify) are for Vodaphone specifically AND it seems that the only version of this update that will come down Kies is specifically for VODAPHONE (GRRRRRRR). So that explains why I’ve never been able to upgrade that way.

What I have flashed (in the past and just now to try and fix my phone):

All I can tell you is what I downloaded & after I split it (but I know it is still GB 2.3.6x) – it’s not my exact system but it’s the only thing updated from my stock version.

Zip file Name: S5830VDULK2_S5830VXSALI2_XSA.zip

tar.md5 Name: S5830VDULK_S5830VXSALI2_S5830VDULK1_Home.tar.md5

PDA: PDA_S5830V_DULK2.tar.md5

PHONE: MODEM_S5830V_DULK1.tar.md5

CSC: CSC_S5830V_XSALI2.tar.md5

NO .pit stuff, I don’t even know what that is but I tried flashing both without pit and with a cooperve one that was supplied in a neat little splitter/ODIN tool I got for S5830i (thinking we were the same).

I have “successfully” flashed this firmware a few days ago when I decided a clean, updated install might help with the CMM issue I was having. BUT it was kinda buggy – slower and lagged than the darn thing usually is and froze once when clicking on “Settings”. This at least allowed me back into CWM and I simply restored one of my working backups.

So, it might not be the EXACT firmware – but I’m kind of screwed because as I said, there ain’t no other it seems that is non-Vodaphone and I can’t find my original version (though I’ll keep looking). I’m REALLY annoyed that I got sold a phone unlocked, nothing to do with Vodaphone (I’m on Virgin Prepaid) and I’ve got all these friggin’ restrictions.

Other info:

-USB Debugging is enabled.

-A check of “adb devices” nothing is showing as connected so I dunno I can hack that way *cry* (though, I'm gonna try on another 'puter where I have better luck with Odin etc).

-I can use Odin

-Samsung Kies tries to connect, but then I get the error “No SIM Card” can’t continue with communication (or something like that). Bollocks. I tried two different SIMs

-Windows will recognise the device, in the sense that the little USB image will appear in Quick Launch, but when I go to disconnect it safely, it does not list any device, just a blank space with a few dots (….)

It seems like I need to somehow be able to mount all that stuff again, mostly /data by the looks by some hack and then I could just properly restore one of my CWM backups. Maybe that secured baseband thing has something to do with it too?

Oh and [MENTION=5436163]NightRaven49[/MENTION], cripes I can’t remember what happened yesterday, whether I could get to stock recovery or was stuck in CWM v.6… I think it was v.6 but I can’t be sure… when I did the data wipe and format system, I didn’t get any errors then. Now, after (not very) successfully flashing firmware, recovery boots to stock and I can use my old CWM through zip install and access backups. I just ran a restore. Here's the message:

Error mounting /data!

Checking MD5 sums

Restoring system

Restoring data

Error mounting /data!

Skipping format!

Can't mount /data!

That's it. Any ideas folks? THANKS AGAIN!

---------- Post added at 09:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:03 AM ----------

As an afterthought - obviously I must have flashed the wrong firmware (though it worked enough in the past to restore a backup)... because that would explain the "No SIM" error message Kies was giving me perhaps, because it was the wrong baseband? But what am I to do with a restricted baseband thing and seemingly no firmware to match my original. I downloaded the ONLY one I could find for my device, Australia that didn't have "Vodaphone" next to it.

Though, I would hope it wouldn't be an issue if I could just somehow fix this /data thing :)