[Galaxy Note II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Arkaig_357:
Ultimate question: Is my data erased, so that I can securely sell my phone for parts without fear of data theft?

I suspect my AT&T SGH-I317 Galaxy Note II has dead/corrupted/broken emmc. It will ONLY go into download mode. No recovery mode and no bootup. Just sits on the Galaxy Note II logo screen forever. If that is the case, I need a new phone as I do not have the patience/skillset to replace the motherboard and/or emmc.

I have searched the vastness of the internet but I can't find a working answer. Anyway, let me tell you how it all began. This is a long post, so put on your reading glasses and grab a soda pop.

My AT&T SGH-I317 Galaxy Note II phone had never been tampered with. It was legit stock. I updated my phone through the phone's "check for software updates" under the device info menu. After that, I began to have problems. Let me describe those to you:

Problem #1: The phone would not come on when pushing the power button, after falling asleep. This happened randomly and not all the time. The only way to "wake it up" was to take the battery out, put it back in, and turn the phone on. I had to do this several times a day.

Problem #2: The phone would try and "reboot" randomly. The LED notification light would fade in and out for hours, but the phone would not come on. Eventually, it would boot up. This would happen several times a day.

I read up on the subject and I found that the updated files might have been corrupted, so I did a factory reset. That did NOT work.

Steps I tried:

#1: Factory reset

#2: Wipe cache

#3: Factory reset AND wipe cache.

#4: Changing the battery

These steps did not work. SOOOO, I downloaded Odin and tried to reinstall stock ROM. I kept getting an "Invalid magic string."

Downloaded the PIT file and the first version of software, which was KitKat or something and that WORKED! MY PHONE LIVED.

Then I tried to update my phone via AT&T again. Oops?

When you push the power button, the phone LED flashed red BRIEFLY (nanoseconds) and will not go past the black screen that just says "Samsung Galaxy Note II". I tried Odin again with the stock software, but this did not work. :(

Volume Up + Home + Power button DOES NOT WORK. Will NOT go past Note II logo screen.

Volume Down + Home + Power DOES work and tried to reinstall with and without the PIT file, but it will not go past the Galaxy Note II screen.

Steps I tried:

#1: Factory reset

#2: Wipe cache

#3: Factory reset AND wipe cache.

#4: Changing the battery

#5: Odin

KIES_HOME_I317UCAMA4_I317ATTAMA4_578342_REV04_user_low_ship.tar.md5 -> INVALID MAGIC STRING

#6: Odin Again

KIES_HOME_I317UCALJ2_I317ATTALJ2_215287_REV04_user_low_ship.tar -> INVALID MAGIC STRING

#7: Odin Again

KIES_HOME_I317UCALJ2_I317ATTALJ2_215287_REV04_user_low_ship.tar -> WITH PIT FILE -> SUCCESS

#8: AT&T Update -> Phone will not get passed the Galaxy Note II logo, will not go into recovery mode, but will go into download mode.

#9: Odin Again

KIES_HOME_I317UCALJ2_I317ATTALJ2_215287_REV04_user_low_ship.tar -> Passed, but will not work, same issues as before.

#9: Odin Again

KIES_HOME_I317UCALJ2_I317ATTALJ2_215287_REV04_user_low_ship.tar -> WITH PIT FILE -> Passed, but will not work, same issues as before.

#10: Odin Again

cwm6-recovery-i317.tar.md5 -> Passed, but will not work, same issues as before.