yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Vibrant Android Development] sasquatch_hero:
Am I waiting for something to load or is this giant yellow sign and text "download mode"...
[Vibrant Android Development] sinean:
:)

yep big yellow triangle and says download mode. Load the tar in pda and hit start
[Vibrant Android Development] sasquatch_hero:
Thanks for answering my dumb questions. Seems like the test file flashed just fine... though all my settings and seem to be gone, that's normal, right?
[Vibrant Android Development] sinean:
hmm

Not sure I didn't flash the test file.
[Vibrant Android Development] sasquatch_hero:
Oh hell yes, flashed the recovery file and now get into Recovery mode with ease! Thank you!
[Vibrant Android Development] sinean:
Awesome!!!!!!!!! Welcome to the non hardware locked!
[Vibrant Android Development] gehzumteufel:
Another success here.
[Vibrant Android Development] SamsungVibrant:
This is one of the best threads here, especially since so many people had problems with the 3 button issue. I just pray future updates don't erase this, and put it back to hardware locked mode. Hopefully this is a permanent fix.

Amazing how Samsung and T-mobile don't say a word about if a fix for this will be available, yet someone on this forum figured out how to do it. Stupid samsung and t-mobile.

Imagine all those poor people out there who are not tech savvy, and are walking around with a phone that has the 3 button problem. If samsung and t-mobile never provide a fix, these people are screwed if they ever need to do a hard reset, and they are out of their warranty period. Sucks, T-Mobile should be on top of things instead of just saying they don't know if a fix will ever be available. You would have thought JI6 would have included it, but nope.
[Vibrant Android Development] takato23:
this isn't a official fw with the fix on it?
[Vibrant Android Development] richan90:
This is just the bootloader
[Vibrant Android Development] magilladroid:
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT WORKS!!!!! No more being scared of flashing.... YES!!! thank u. :)
[Vibrant Android Development] cloudedone:
I decided to run the test file through odin on another phone before flashing and it somehow caused recovery to run on next boot and perform a factory reset. I don't know why that happened, anyone have a similar experience?

Phone was reset back to how it came out of the box; all user installed apps were deleted, etc.

The hardware unlock went without a hitch though.
[Vibrant Android Development] badazz_monkey:
Got it unlock the first try, thank you all
[Vibrant Android Development] :
It works! Thanks guys!

I have firmware JI5 + root

and download/recovery mode works now.
[Vibrant Android Development] phydoux:
Sweet, thanks for posting your reply. Read the post you linked to, re-read the OP, decided to jump in and try. I had never used Odin either.

I could never get my Vibrant to reboot into recovery using the buttons. After following the instructions, my phone rebooted into recovery on the first try. I can feel much more confident now about trying various ROMs.

Thanks to you, and thanks to the AgentFour20 for figuring this out and posting the thread with the solution.
[Vibrant Android Development] AgentFour20:
Glad to help . Just to clarify I did not create the fix . All credit goes to untermensch . All I did was make the guide and post the links so any one that can read can fix their phone .
[Vibrant Android Development] underoath586:
I had basically the same thing, it wiped my phone. I had bionix installed and it booted just fine but all my apps and data were gone, though it wasnt too bad cus 1.8 had just come out!

Thanks worked for me! Now to do it to the wifes phone.
[Vibrant Android Development] Smokeyla1:
Flashing through odin with both test file and fix file both worked or passed, but still cant get into recovery mode.

Does the usb debugging box need to be checked on the phone or is that only to make adb work?

My phone is not rooted, is that necessary first?

I updated to the new ji6 firmware via mini kies earlier as well

I installed samsung drivers

I downloaded .net

went into download mode by popping battery holding both vol. buttons, reinserting battery and then usb cable.

Yellow box on odin came up as com3 and flashed test and then actual fix file

phone rebooted on its own but its like nothing happened, powered down, held both vol. buttons then hold power on until samsung screen first disappears then let go of power but still hold vol. buttons and it just boots normal

Must you use adb for getting into download mode or anything else?

Thanks for any help
[Vibrant Android Development] AgentFour20:
This is how you get into Recovery mode .

1) hold vol up + down + power

2) hold until vibrant pops up twice then let go of power only

Sounds like your letting go on the first vibrant screen instead of the second .
[Vibrant Android Development] Smokeyla1:
damn, worked thanks, wondering now if it was even hardware locked to begin with, learning experience anyway:D
[Vibrant Android Development] AgentFour20:
:D dude thats too funny
[Vibrant Android Development] newkirk:
GRRRRR :(

I just flashed test.tar via ODIN, and it rebooted to a completely factory-wiped Vibrant. All my apps are gone, all my settings, all my phone contacts, etc.

It started me in a never-before-seen "press the android to begin" sequence of crap that wanted to set up google accounts etc, and now has a "Sweep screen to unlock" that I've never seen before either.

Earlier today it was telling me there was an OTA update ready to download, I postponed. Now it's not showing any update available either.

j

edit: Previously I could get into download mode but not recovery mode via buttons (insert USB with vols held & get download mode) - that no longer works now, after flashing test.tar...
[Vibrant Android Development] newkirk:
On the bright side, thanks to Untermensch I can now get into download and recovery modes via buttons... :)

j
[Vibrant Android Development] AgentFour20:
If odin didnt error out on you and it completed then it worked . Now flash the fix .

Alway , always , alway make backups and alway save you backups two place . For instance your computer .
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
the test file is the cache.rfs from JI6 and just installs the CSC files and then

wipes the cache partition and should not touch the data partition.

I found bmlunlock

http://github.com/CyanogenMod/android_device_samsung_bmlunlock/blob/master/bmlunlock.c

and modified it for bml4 so I have a update.zip that is ready for testing just waiting

for the replacement phone to test it on.

I also did further reading and it appears that odin wont flash boot.bin. and a file

compare with the fixed vibrant sbl.bin and the fixed sbl.bin for the I9000 shows that they are exactly the same.

and a big thanks to AgentFour20 for the support, work has me pretty busy atm and I just don't have a lot of time for phone hacking.
[Vibrant Android Development] chui101:
Thanks for this! I could use the battery pull method to get into download mode, but if you're less lucky and have no other way to get into download mode I would advise to get the phone exchanged.

I guess there are different levels of hardware lock out there? Some hardware locked phones can get into download mode, and some can't.
[Vibrant Android Development] qtilt112:
thanks a ton! now to root and lag fix...
[Vibrant Android Development] newkirk:
Well unfortunately I can attest that test.tar led to a factory reset. Filesystem intact, data files remain (ebooks, etc) but apps and their settings are all gone, as are all contact that were stored on phone instead of SIM.

Could the fact that this was from JI6 explain why after flashing it my phone no longer offers the JI6 OTA update it was pestering me to accept earlier today?

j
[Vibrant Android Development] takato23:
but what is this, a firmware or just a fix-file? like.. if i install this i will be capable to install another firmware?
[Vibrant Android Development] petebliss:
I tried this last nigh with my hardware locked phone and I can confirm that it worked like a charm.
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
if your apps and settings are gone then the data partition got formated/corrupted

if you had received the JI6 update then it was stored in /data/fota which would have

been lost also.

unless build.prop and/or default.prop got changed you should receive the update

again, if this happened to me I would just flash to the stock UVJFD firmware

just to be on the safe side.
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
it flashes the second bootloader partition with a bootloader found in a leaked firmware. unless t-mobile/samsung officially fixes the 3-button issue that bootloader

partition will never get written to again.
[Vibrant Android Development] takato23:
:O thats great.. because i'm very lost in all of this haha, too many kernel (i don't even know what this does), firmwares, customizations... too many things for my head hehe
[Vibrant Android Development] hahahaclneo:
Just wanna say becareful flashing this guys, although it has worked for some it completely bricked the replacement phone I got from tmobile. Don't know why since it worked for others but it bricked my phone so after another call to tmobile they will be sending me another replacement phone. I think my rom flashing days are over unless of course they send me one that isn't hardware locked :P
[Vibrant Android Development] AgentFour20:
Did you flash the test file first ?
[Vibrant Android Development] fritzthevan:
Another thanks - it worked as advertised!

Like others reported, the test download reset my phone. Lost installed apps and user settings, but it left the phone network unlocked and rooted. Then I nervously (no safety net) applied the fix with Odin3 v1.3 and the phone rebooted normally within a few seconds. I was completely hardware locked before, but now it responds to the buttons. A gigantic relief!

Phone: T-Mobile Vibrant purchased new in September 2010, then unlocked and rooted.

Cheers...
[Vibrant Android Development] hahahaclneo:
Yea test file worked fine so I have no idea what caused the problem
[Vibrant Android Development] phydoux:
Oh, right... I thought I looked at the OP to get the name right but I must have looked at the wrong post. Did not intend to detract at all from untermensch. So much thanks to untermensch for posting the information.

Just to clarify, I did not flash the test file first. I had meant to but I guess in my excitement I didn't do it first. Just crossed my fingers and was surprised at how easy and quick it was. All of my apps and settings stayed as they were (which is what I expected.)
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
I changed the test file to do nothing, the sole purpose of the test file is to test if the pc to phone connection is stable enough to flash the new bootloader. If you

cant get into download mode without adb and the test file fails to flash then your as good as bricked anyway.

my phone is bricked so I cant test the new test file so use your own judgment
[Vibrant Android Development] southplatte:
For The Record

Just got my replacement Vibrant today! :):):):)

Hardware locked like the first one :mad::mad::mad::mad:

First thing, before I did ANYTHING else was:

Follow the OP - flashed test.tar file :):):):)

Flashed the fix file :):):):):):):):)

100% Hardware Unlocked, can access recover with vol+/vol- and pwr key, release pwr when samsung screen appears and can access download via power off, hold vol+/vol- and plug USB in.

:):D:p:D:)
[Vibrant Android Development] TimFr:
Has anyone been brave enough to try the redbend_ua method? I'm 100% hardware locked and would rather not rely on Odin. I'd rather the phone flash itself.
[Vibrant Android Development] takato23:
having a phone with download mode working it's like you'll never get a phone bricked upgrading firmwares or kernels?
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
I bricked my phone flashing boot.bin from the tar file so don't flash it!!!

I think it is the bootloader for a dev phone, the files in the redbend_ua zip are from my vibrant

after I installed the fix and recovery and download was easy to get into.

I would like to start collecting the bootloaders to find out how many revisions are

out in the wild and to determine if the bootloader is specific to hardware revision.

so if you could run some commands and post the dumped files along with the date

under the battery and if the phone is fully locked cant access recovery or download

or can get into download mode using the method in the youtube video

commands to dump bootloaders:

dd if=/dev/block/bml1 of=/sdcard/bml1
dd if=/dev/block/bml4 of=/sdcard/bml4

also do a file compare on the dumped bml1 and boot.bin if they are different

dont flash anything.

thanks
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
No, if odin stalls while flashing boot.bin, Sbl.bin or zImage your phone will have

to goto a service center to get flashed through the JTAG. but if odin stalls flashing

any of the other files then you can get back into download mode and try again.
[Vibrant Android Development] masterotaku:
Here's mine....July 10 manufacture date. My phone is not hardware locked..
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
Thanks!

bml1 is the same as the from my 8-10-2010 vibrant but bml4 is very different from the fixed one

assuming the 3-button issue was caused by a hardware change, then that would point to the same

bml1 on different hw revisions and only bml4 needs changing.
[Vibrant Android Development] Dragoth12:
I was fortunate enough to get a Vibrant that was not hardware locked. My wife however, got her phone at the exact same time and her's was hardware locked. I flashed the file provided in the OP via ODIN3 V1.3 and I can get into download mode using the same method as I do on my Vibrant! Great find! Now I can flash a custom ROM on her phone without fear of a brick!
[Vibrant Android Development] masterotaku:
As an aside, I know definitely that my phone was in the first batch that arrived in the United States. I got mine Fedex'd directly from T-Mobile's corporate HQ and received it two days before the official launch.

So this is as old a phone as your going to find. :)
[Vibrant Android Development] takato23:
boot.bin is that we flash here? 1 time to fix hw lock and no more right?
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
dont flash boot.bin just now. I dont think it is needed.
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
don't panic I'm getting ready to post the update.zip that will install the fix

without the need for odin.
[Vibrant Android Development] TheSneakerWhore:
Flashable through Clockwork?
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
I'm using the stock updater.
[Vibrant Android Development] AgentFour20:
That would be awsome .
[Vibrant Android Development] TimFr:
Well it's brick city for me. Odin gave me a failed flash even though everything seemed to be in order. Should have trusted my initial instinct to not use Odin.

As an aside, I've been tracking another thread about jtag (search for jtag and uart) and someone has suggested that you can force a 3-button disabled i9000 to enter download mode by putting a resistor across pins 1 and 2 on the USB port. Seems easy enough and you don't have to open up the phone. Should hopefully apply to the Vibrant as well. Going to buy some stuff on the weekend and give it a try.
[Vibrant Android Development] richan90:
Any kind of resistor?

Sent from my SGH-T959
[Vibrant Android Development] AgentFour20:
That makes no sense at all .
[Vibrant Android Development] TimFr:
They didn't say, but I suppose a little trial and error wouldn't hurt. As for whether it works, I don't know.

It came out of the following supposed samsung document which appears to indicate you can force a 3-button disabled i9000 to enter download mode by using a special USB jig. The implication being that all the jig really does is insert a resistor across pins 1 and 2. The guy that came up with the idea sells a working jtag solution for the i9000 so supposedly he knows what he's talking about.
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
that sucks I got a bricked Vibrant also, went and bought a new one today

there is hope that this will work as I am seeing two partitions the same size

for the PBL and the SBL they could be backups.
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
bmlunlock and dd seemed unreliable so I finished hacking redbend_ua

to remove the reboots and the software install splash screens now it's

a real phone hacking tool.

funny thing I found when I dumped the PBL on the new phone the last 7 bytes say

e-fused while none of the other PBL's I have seen have this.

also the new Vibrant date is 9-10-2010 and WAS fully locked no download or recovery
[Vibrant Android Development] TimFr:
There's a thread over in the GT-i9000 forums that suggest a phone with e-fused listed should not have its SBL flashed. I don't know why and some people have done it anyways with success. Just a warning.
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
I have been flashing the SBL on that phone about every 15-30 minutes since I got it at about AM 11:00 today, but it kinda explains why odin wont flash the PBL but will flash the SBL.
[Vibrant Android Development] bigtom624:
I never tried doing anything like this at all to my phone before but I gave it a try and it F**KING WORKED. Thanks for this man. All it took was a little common sense on my part to figure out how to get ADB and Odin to work. I finally know what my phone looks like in download mode. thanks again.
[Vibrant Android Development] takato23:
so you will make this thing work like a normal update.zip and fix hw lock for ever? that would be awesome
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
yes I'm using redbend_ua to install the fix, kinda like an OTA update. I have flashed

my phone about 30 times with no brick so far.

see:

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=8544434&postcount=1
[Vibrant Android Development] TheSneakerWhore:
Kind of a stupid question---but here it goes.

Can I uninstall the OG update.zip that I used to root the phone before putting this one on? And once on the SD, just select re-install packages from boot correct? This should flash over and not mess with any rom-work correct?
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
yes, that should be fine
[Vibrant Android Development] takato23:
why this can brick the phone???
[Vibrant Android Development] TheSneakerWhore:
The only reason I am hesitant to do it...still pondering.
[Vibrant Android Development] ward360:
Could this be installed with rom manager, name it fixmybootloader.zip(or whatever), and use the "apply any zip from sd card" option?

And, should I turn off lagfix (oclf)? I can't see how it would matter... But I am not an expert by any means.

Also, how are peoples results with this? if you have done this, so far results look good, just a little scared... Like usual.

I am sick of the hardware lock.
[Vibrant Android Development] takato23:
i don't get it hehe, what do you mean?
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
no clockwork will not install this.
[Vibrant Android Development] richan90:
I was part of the first few users who flashed this through ODIN and it worked perfectly. Again, it doesn't affect any of your ROMs. I was hesitant because I could get into download mode occasionally (1 out of 10 times) and I didn't want to mess that up. After flashing this, I can access both recovery and download mode every single time. I don't even have to time it right either, just hold the keys and it pops right into either mode.
[Vibrant Android Development] takato23:
but you can get to clockwork recovery and using it get to normal recovery, don't you?
[Vibrant Android Development] renocivik:
received my 3rd vibrant today... finally... its unlocked...
[Vibrant Android Development] DiscombobulatedBoobalator:
I am officially unlocked! Did the update.zip on the phones root and ADB reboot recovery/reinstall packages route and it worked perfectly. Took literally 2 minutes, Thank you for this!
[Vibrant Android Development] fritzthevan:
Looking towards the future, I wanna make sure I understand this...

I fixed my phone successfully through Odin and the tarball posted a few days ago. That tar file, which replaced the pbl and sbl in the phone, is now removed.

It seems the update.zip recovery method uses the same sbl (bml4) replacement as before in the Odin method, and leaves the pbl alone.

Should I conclude that when I used the Odin method, that I replaced the pbl (bml1) with the exact same code, or virtually the same? Thus, for people like me, this update.zip method is the same thing?

Maybe it doesn't matter, but I'm hoping against future trouble. I didn't back up bml1, so I can't look back at what I did.

cheers...

phone: tmo vibrant purchased new in Sept 2010
[Vibrant Android Development] untermensch:
after some more research and some testing I concluded that odin wont flash

the PBL, I also collected PBL's from sample Vibrants 7-2010, 8-2010 and 9-2010

and found that they are all the same hardware locked or not, in fact even the

SBL's were the same.

replacing the SBL is all that is needed to unlock the phone.
[Vibrant Android Development] richan90:
If everythings the same then what is the cause of the hardware lock? :confused:
[Vibrant Android Development] TheSneakerWhore:
And to be sure--no flashing through Rom Manager?

(On a Mac...yea, I know :( )
[Vibrant Android Development] AgentFour20:
Use the stock recovery like it says in the instructions . I believe someone already asked and untermensch confirmed to use stock and that Clockworkmod would not work .
[Vibrant Android Development] niraviry:
Hi,

Can see ADB and ipdate.zip on OP#1 but can't see the latest test.zip.

Please post a new link.

Thanks
[Vibrant Android Development] Bendezium:
I've tried everything and this is the only fix that has worked for me. I can now get into recovery using volume keys. Thanks so much!

Plus it forced me to finally learn about sdk and adb.
[Vibrant Android Development] TheSneakerWhore:
So...I can use Clockwork to get to boot screen, then install packages?

Just confirming--this is my 2nd hardware locked phone, and not being a rom, I want to make sure I do it right the first time.
[Vibrant Android Development] airbillion:
Works with captivate?

Will this work for the att captivate? I cant get to recovery with 3 button press.
[Vibrant Android Development] AgentFour20:
I have a guide its the 9th post . The link is still good
[Vibrant Android Development] AgentFour20:
Just use adb . If you use clockwork to get into the recovery then reinstall packages itll just start clockwork intead of this update.zip
[Vibrant Android Development] hourst2:
Something to note--I realize this has been mentioned, but I want to confirm--my sister's phone, which was hard locked, can now access recovery via three buttons after the JI6 update.

Sent by my Android.
[Vibrant Android Development] TheSneakerWhore:
There is the problem...I'm on an older Macbook. Need a phone-only method.
[Vibrant Android Development] AgentFour20:
Ok well if you have Clockwork you must have RomManager which means you are probly rooted . If you are rooted then get a terminal emulator from the market and type "su" then type "reboot recovery" . Remember to remove any previous update.zip files you could use astro file manager to move previous update.zip out of the root /sdcard .
[Vibrant Android Development] TheSneakerWhore:
GOt to that screen....Didn't work.

Tried for 20 minutes with all the crazy and simple button techniques...no fix. :(
[Vibrant Android Development] AgentFour20:
Be more specific . What screen . Did you fullow the steps ?
[Vibrant Android Development] TheSneakerWhore:
All steps followed... Re-installed packages from boot screen using ONLY new update.zip (the fix). No 20-30 sec. hang time. Rebooted itself, and powered down to try it. NADA. No vol+ vol- pwr/etc. action.
[Vibrant Android Development] Master™:
This is the vibrant section, Try it at your own risk
[Vibrant Android Development] AgentFour20:
So you couldn't use the volume buttons to select reinstall packages?
[Vibrant Android Development] TheSneakerWhore:
Just re-downloaded/etc.

Still no dice...no boot menu for me it seems.