Bricked My Galaxy S2, Any Shops In Bangkok You Know That Can Fix This?

[bombis]

Flashed custom ROMS to my Galaxy S2 several times already...unfortunately finally bricked my phone during a flash progress that didn't work properly. I cant even boot to recovery mode anymore (but still bootable into download mode). So its bricked for sure.

Now I am about to go to MBK center to look for a shop that might be able to bring my phone back to life but I was wondering if any of you has experience with specific shop or knows a place that specializes in flashing firmwares for Android?

[lomatopo]

If you can boot into download mode then your phone is not bricked, unless bricking means something different to you?

I might locate and download an official release for the phone, download ODIN, boot into download mode (home, power, volume down), use ODIN to flash the new firmware, reboot.

Afterwards maybe clean up the mess you made by booting into recovery mode,wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache, wipe dalvik, reflash, recovery, wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache, wipe dalvik, reboot. Then do a backup.

Edited August 15, 2012 by lomatopo

[bombis]

Thats why I have still some hope. I can still enter download mode and Odin correctly recognizes the phone still BUT nothing can be flashed in Odin anymore. I have a stock ROM and tried to flash it back but for this ROM and all others it always stops half way through. No flash is completed.

Before this whole mess I could flash just fine with Odin.

So this is why now I cant enter recovery and also I cannot flash with Odin as every flash process hangs shortly after starting. Is there anything I could do?

[tw25rw]

I did the same thing with mine only it is completely dead. Sent it away to be JTAGged, but they said the CPU was dead. Got an S3 to replace it, but I hope Samsung can revive my S2.

[lomatopo]

as every flash process hangs shortly after starting. Is there anything I could do?

Maybe just grind through the relevant XDA threads? USB/driver issues? KiES still running? Try another PC. Or maybe just walk around MBK and ask for help? Clearly the phone is not in need of JTAG.

[bombis]

thanks for the tips guys. I heard of JTAG but was never sure if that is a scam or for real.

But if you say being able to enter download mode still, then I also think I will go to MBK first and see if they can fix it. If they cant, then nobody cant.

Ill report back once i have been there tomorrow.

[stoutfella]

And I bricked my GPad and now I ca't put the f f f f f fautly thing back together!!!

[stoutfella]

And I bricked my GPad and now I ca't put the f f f f f fautly thing back together!!!

Perhaps I should have rooted it first and then it may have been in a more amenable mood!

[bombis]

So here is what I ended up doing:

First I went to MBK. As download mode still worked they all said it can be fixed...... I was happy. then after they brought it to the repair shop all of a sudden they said its not possible. This is what I guessed anyway as I tried at home already and it cannot be flashed anymore. Then they brought it to some kind of specialty shop for a last try but that shop said its broken and the main board needs to be replaced as it is totally bricked.

dam_n I thought, now I have a custom ROM on there which means no warranty anymore. Brought it to Samsung anyways to ask how much it will be. Strangely enough they didn't care about what ROM is on there...they replaced the mainboard without any questions for free under warranty.

Everything is working again now. I have to say this is really great customer service. They do not have to do this under warranty but they did without making a fuss.

[lomatopo]

So here is what I ended up doing:

First I went to MBK. As download mode still worked they all said it can be fixed...... I was happy. then after they brought it to the repair shop all of a sudden they said its not possible. This is what I guessed anyway as I tried at home already and it cannot be flashed anymore. Then they brought it to some kind of specialty shop for a last try but that shop said its broken and the main board needs to be replaced as it is totally bricked.

dam_n I thought, now I have a custom ROM on there which means no warranty anymore. Brought it to Samsung anyways to ask how much it will be. Strangely enough they didn't care about what ROM is on there...they replaced the mainboard without any questions for free under warranty.

Everything is working again now. I have to say this is really great customer service. They do not have to do this under warranty but they did without making a fuss.

I can only assume that since they could not start your phone there was no way for them to determine that you had modified it, hence they provided warranty repair.

Based on what little I've heard/read about SGS2 mainboard-associated failures I do not believe your failure was necessarily caused by your flashing of ROMs. I know several people personally, and have read about a few, who have had maniboard failures - not sure exactly which component(s) as there are many- and all were running stock ROMs.

Thanks for following up, very interesting that a phone which could boot into recovery could not be recovered.

[bendejo]

Maybe they see the problem a lot, and maybe it happens for reasons other than people trying to update ROMs. They may be getting a few a day. On the other hand maybe rather than expend energy on finding an excuse to send you away the guy at the counter just added it to the technician's pile so he could get back to more important things, like texting and twittering his friends about their latest bowl of noodles.

[westd]

@bombis congrats on fixing your problem! I just have a question though. When you went to MBK Samsung, how did they know that your phone was under warranty still? did you have to go through your carrier at home or anything? (I'm just guessing that you're from North America too)

I have a similar issue. I'm here in Bangkok (from Canada) and hard bricked my S3 - yes I am sure it's hard bricked. I tried to go to Zeer Rangsit to have it fixed, but Samsung wanted 6000 baht (approx 200USD) to fix it via replacement of the motherboard. I went to a little shop that did phone repairs, and they thought that they could do it, but after trying for 3 days, they gave up and didn't succeed. I'm guessing that this is because bricking phones isn't typically a problem in this part of the world in combination of my phone not being the international version (it's a i747m from Telus). Anyways, I am still confronted of the issue of still having a bricked phone. I will try to go to MBK later this week and see what the people there will do, hopefully I can get it fixed. Any advice for specific shops? Or how did you go about getting the repair for free from Samsung?

Thanks!

[lomatopo]

I suspect bombis purchased the SGS2 here in Thailand.

I doubt Samsung Thailand will offer free warranty repair on a Canadian phone. You should review your warranty card but I suspect you will be directed to Telus or Samsung Canada for warranty repair. I'm not even sure I'd try to get that variant repaired here as I seriously doubt anyone has a compatible mainboard or spares. FWIW, the International version of the SGS3 is I9300 which is sold here (along with the i9300T), you have a Canadian variant, SGH-i747m. An SGH model number typically denotes a carrier-specific model.

[Somtamnication]

I have bricked mine many times. Not difficult to get it back up, unless it is a hardware issue. As a last resort you can send it to me. I am in Phuket.