[Nexus 5 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] UbinTook:
cliffs at end

Nexus 5 in boot loop.

Almost all sources point to power button being the issue.

Finally call a local place ( AZcellphones in Tempe AZ) that says: 20 dollar diagnostic, 39 total if its software, 49 if its hardware. I take it in the next day.

Two days later i call the guy and he says. its fixed, the software was bad you owe me 30 bucks. Uhm you said 39 total if software( i already knew i was going to have an issue with this guy so i didn't say anything on the phone.

( i am going to digress here for a bit) I go in the following day i stop in, and explain id like to pick up the Nexus5, he brings it out hands it to me and says 30 bucks, it wont boot. Hold on i said, i want to see it run, battery is dead. Plugs it in, i start it and it starts to boot and begins the "optimizing apps routine".

By now the owner is over at his desk and the the tech is standing behind the counter explaining to me, "its just updating, i load the oldest factory image of android and then it take a couple boots for it to update.

Ok, fine, lets watch it do just that, i happen to have an identical N5 with me that is fully updated, i check its at version M. "broken" N5 finishes boot and seems to be working fine, i check version, still not current, check for software update and it finds on and starts the download and reboots, seems legit so far.

This is where things start to get hairy... as the N5 starts the optimizing apps routine again for this update, the owner get up and comes over to the desk and start telling me, "This is normal, why are you wasting our time, its going to work, why don't you just take it home and and let it finish updating on your wifi instead." I was floored.

are you kidding dude?

Cmon man just give me the 30 bucks and get the F%&* out of here.

WHAT?

listen i say, first of all, you told me that the charge was 20 for the diagnostic, and a total of 39 if it was software, so at best i owe you 19 PLUS you didn't finish the job.

BUT to top it off i never gave the ok to repair, the receipt even say "diagnosis please"( which i show him). You are a Liar he says, i never told you 39 give me the 30 bucks and the receipt( my copy) and go away( hes holding the phone).

NO chance.

Now im pissed and i dont really give a crap and i tell him i didn't authorize the repair but i ll give you 10 extra for it.

F( you he says. you just wanted it diagnosed? He hands the phone to the tech and say "BREAK THE F&$%#* PHONE", turns to me and says, you will get it back the way you brought it in, Tech now has the phone, and i am on my phone with the non emergency police line.

I explain to them that i am at a local repair facility, the owner did some unauthorized repair on a device and he is no strong arming me for payment. They send and officer, while i wait he tells me to get out of his store its private property and im trespassing, it tell HIM to go F$#% him self. (Tech has back of phone open and is fiddling with a screw driver). I say , that thing better boot loop when i get it back or you are going to have a problem. ( i figured he just hosed it completely) He says "ill call the cops" i said, ill already did they are on the way. Silence.

So, officer arrives, i explain the situation, she explains to me that unfortunately this is civil, not a lot she can do but goes inside with me **** for brains is all nice hands me my phone back that flashes the google logo and the goes black. Tech explains to officer that he just removed the software that they installed. We go outside , i apologize for wasting her time and she says..Did you Yelp this place? Nope, you should have ( she is very nice about it)this isnt the first time ive had problems here with this guy, lesson learned i guess.( i yelped them and sure enough, loads of crappy comments)

http://www.yelp.com/biz/azcellphones-tempe-2

So back to my question: I connected this phone to my computer via usb cable and it inst recognized even when boot looping.

How did the tech get access to it and how do i get access to it or am i SOL?

Cliffs, N5 was boot looping Tech did unauthorized software( factory image flash) repair which they reversed.

To add: i posted this on reddit as well and got a lot of help first it was trying to use Wugfresh Nexus tool kit which didnt seem to work other than unlock the boot loader and i was walked through and learned on the fly how to flash from command prompt and manual flashed 5.1.1 (LMY48I) along with TWRP for this unit.

all that said , the phone will not power up when not connected to usb. when connected to usb it cycles between the google logo and a white battery indicator, i can get into bootloader but any choice i make( like boot into recovery) starts the cycle again.

From the story above, when the tech had the phone after the owner told hi to break it, i think he opened the back up and did something to it. ive looked and cant see anything obvious.

any suggestions?