[Galaxy Tab S Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] pierrotee:
Hi Everyone,

I am a new owner of a soft-bricked SM-T700. I am feeling very down and need some advice. I will be as thorough as I possibly can and I would truly, truly appreciate some help and advice from you kind folks. This is the first time I have had a bricked device out of my many Android devices.

My PLAN:

-Root

-Custom Recovery

-Nandroid Backup

-Backup EFS

-Flash stock western country firmware

What HAPPENED

Today I bought a wifi T700. I bought it in my hometown, which is China. Whenever I buy a new Android device in China my first action is to ensure it doesn't have any hardware/warranty issues. I then go about reflashing a western firmware so I can use Google services.

1) First I rooted using CF-Auto Root. That worked fine. I confirmed that I had root using an app called root checker.

2) I then attempted to flash TWRP recovery by following the instructions here: http://teamw.in/project/twrp2/238

- First I tried flashing the .tar file using Odin. As soon as I hit 'Start' Odin froze and I got the Windows error saying "Odin Downloader Has Stopped Working", asking to close the program. I close the program. I tried this several times then rebooted. It seemed as though the phone booted fine.

- I then tried using their own software, TWRP manager, here: http://jmzsoftware.com/twrp-manager-4. This app just crashed every time I booted it. I submitted an error log.

- I then tried using 'Flashify' as suggested by someone here on XDA. Once I did that it said flashed successfully and would I like to reboot. I said yes. This is when my troubles started.

3) Upon reboot it immediately booted into a sparse looking 'Download Mode' screen, all in English (the normal one on mine has some Chinese too) without the volume button options to reboot or continue. It just went straight into this screen.

After trying to reboot the phone using several power button holds and key combinations, it appears I am stuck in this screen, so I thought I had no chance of doing a NADROID backup as originally planned, so I decided to try my luck and flash the western firmware.

I tried to flash the version of the firmware provided here: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2798835

http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23501681358556680

It got all the way through the install until it hit the hidden.img and then failed. I've attached a screen capture.

A few notes;

I have tried using two different USB cables (the one that came with it, and the one that came with my HTC One). I have tried several USB plugs, including the one in the back of my PC. I allowed Odin to do it's MD5 check and it said the file checks out.

I have tried using the Kies emergency Firmware recovery. Pffft! As it that was going to work. Damn Kies.

I sound like I've still got my sense of humor, but actually I am really cut up about this. It is so much money for a tablet and now it is useless unless I can get s firmware that will flash.

I don't have my stock Chinese firmware. That is T700ZCU1ANF4/T700CHN1ANF4/T700ZCU1ANF4/T700ZCU1ANF4 (CHN).

Questions:

Does anyone know where I could find the stock Chinese firmware to try flashing back to that?

Does anyone have the .PIT file and instructions on how to flash that, because I have read in other threads that it solves the hidden.img problem.

Does anyone know why this may have happened and have any alternative suggestions?

Could it have been the TWRP that actually caused this? The thread here indicates others aren't having trouble. Why would it have frozen for me?

I will try anything at this point. I am desperate.

Thanks so much in advance. Please come through XDA! Please come through Galaxy Tab S owners!!!!!!

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CLOSURE EDIT: I managed to flash Australian firmware, after reinstalling Kies, uninstalling and reinstalled the device drivers. I also made sure all Kies processes were killed before flashing with Odin.

For people in a similar situation I would urge them to have patience and keep trying to flash stock firmware.