# My Charge Went to Hell...



## Porkweasel

Well, for the first time EVER, and I've had a lot of Android phones, I have killed my phone. It started today, when randomly, my data connection disappeared. I was running GummyCharged FE 2.0, and I flashed the EP1W radios over the top. Worked great for a few days until today of course.

So first, I decided to re install the radio, with no luck. Data still non-existent. From there I decided to ODIN a clean copy of GummyCharged FE 1.9. Still no data. Went to find my EE4 stock ODIN, attempted to ODIN and got the "MD5 hash value is invalid". So, I tried to remove the .md5 extension, as I read, so I was just flashing the .tar file...and then...

Dead.

Won't turn on, can't access download, NOTHING. Time to go to VZ tomorrow and see what I can get my hands on. Hopefully I'll grab a new Charge. I feel like an addict without my fix.

Just thought I would share my horror story...:erm (1):


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## ElecTech1

I lost my 3g about a month ago, and problem was sim card went bad. If you can get your phone working again, maybe a sim would fix your 3g issue.


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## Porkweasel

I thought the SIM was the issue, but I can't even get the phone into download mode SO...no dice. :/


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## trparky

Try this...

Remove the battery
Open Odin on your computer
Now while holding the "Down" volume rocker, plug your phone into the computer (with Odin open) and keep holding it until a little yellow triangle pops up.

Sometimes you can't get into Emergency Download Mode without doing those steps.


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## HemiDroid03

My phone just froze on me today, I was running stock EE4 with the EP1W radios and ADW Launcher, battery drained out completely and so I go to plug it in to charge and it froze, try turning it on, stuck on the SAMSUNG logo, fortunately for me I was able to re-flash back to ED1 and get my phone back up and running. I think the EP1W radio doesn't play nice with FROYO unlike the EP1Q radio which was a great match.


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## skatastic

Porkweasel said:


> Went to find my EE4 stock ODIN, attempted to ODIN and got the "MD5 hash value is invalid". So, I tried to remove the .md5 extension, as I read, so I was just flashing the .tar file...and then...
> 
> Dead.
> (1):


try this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=819551
or this
http://mobiletechvideos.mybigcommerce.com/samsung-galaxy-s-download-mode-jig/
or if nothing else....
http://mobiletechvideos.mybigcommerce.com/samsung-droid-charge-jtag-brick-repair/

I started a thread asking if anyone had first hand knowledge of that mobiletechvideos and no one did but they're on youtube with lots of comments of praise on their youtube videos. If you were going to throw your phone out anyway then its probably worth the $8 for the jig and even the $40 for the debricking service if all else fails just to see if it is legit.


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## Porkweasel

I can't access download mode at all...unfortunately...no matter what i try. I just have the hard keys light up when i press power but no screen and no sign the phone can work. :/



trparky said:


> Try this...
> 
> Remove the battery
> Open Odin on your computer
> Now while holding the "Down" volume rocker, plug your phone into the computer (with Odin open) and keep holding it until a little yellow triangle pops up.
> 
> Sometimes you can't get into Emergency Download Mode without doing those steps.


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## trparky

Not even the Samsung logo shows when you power it on? I think you may have hard-bricked it, as hard as that is to do, you may have done just that. Ordinarily that's very *very* hard to do since the Download Mode is hard-embedded into the phone's internal SoC (System on a Chip). There could very well be hardware issues too with the phone as well because ordinarily what just happened *shouldn't* happen.


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## trparky

Although, removing the MD5 extension may have been your first mistake, that should have been a dead-giveaway that the ROM file you were trying to flash was corrupted in some way. By flashing that corrupted ROM file you may have managed to overwrite key areas of the phone's firmware that ordinarily shouldn't be touched at all.


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## Raife

if all else fails look for the unbrickable mod over on xda. It's a hardware hack that comes with software to unbrick the phone. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1245391 here is link for the mod.


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## anoninja118

"Porkweasel said:


> Well, for the first time EVER, and I've had a lot of Android phones, I have killed my phone. It started today, when randomly, my data connection disappeared. I was running GummyCharged FE 2.0, and I flashed the EP1W radios over the top. Worked great for a few days until today of course.
> 
> So first, I decided to re install the radio, with no luck. Data still non-existent. From there I decided to ODIN a clean copy of GummyCharged FE 1.9. Still no data. Went to find my EE4 stock ODIN, attempted to ODIN and got the "MD5 hash value is invalid". So, I tried to remove the .md5 extension, as I read, so I was just flashing the .tar file...and then...
> 
> Dead.
> 
> Won't turn on, can't access download, NOTHING. Time to go to VZ tomorrow and see what I can get my hands on. Hopefully I'll grab a new Charge. I feel like an addict without my fix.
> 
> Just thought I would share my horror story...:erm (1):


NEVER remove the .md5 tag from a file like that unless you're sure its a good file or you're willing to take the risk of a brick (which you just did sad to say)... if it won't pass md5 check or has a bad md5 sum it means the file is bad/incomplete/corrupted and will brick your phone if flashed

Sent from my 4G Droid Charge using RootzWiki Forums


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## Rythmyc

skatastic said:


> try this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=819551
> or this
> http://mobiletechvideos.mybigcommerce.com/samsung-galaxy-s-download-mode-jig/
> or if nothing else....
> http://mobiletechvideos.mybigcommerce.com/samsung-droid-charge-jtag-brick-repair/
> 
> I started a thread asking if anyone had first hand knowledge of that mobiletechvideos and no one did but they're on youtube with lots of comments of praise on their youtube videos. If you were going to throw your phone out anyway then its probably worth the $8 for the jig and even the $40 for the debricking service if all else fails just to see if it is legit.


+1 to this. If you bricked your phone, spending $40 on getting it unbricked sounds like a decent solution to me. It saves those of us which like the open bootloaders Samsung continues to release, and gives developers like the ones which found out how to make certain phones unbrickable a reason to continue their work.


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## MobileTechVideos.COM

As mentioned we hold the current world's only key to getting a hard bricked charge repaired. Adam will most likely have UnBrickableMOD up and running on it soon he just needs to track down firmware. We talk off and on every other night on the phone about repair methods and what not. If you need a fix for a bricked Charge just shoot me a PM or an email via the site. I'm glad I joined up here, it's actually a pretty nice forum!


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## mgsparro

I had the exact same thing happen where I flashed a file that didn't work unless I took off the md5 extension. Big mistake. After trying absolutely everything, including surfing the internet for a day, spending almost $20 to get 2 day delivery for a USB Jig that did absolutely nothing, I sent my phone to mobiletechvideos.com. Josh brought it back from the dead; don't know how, but it was the best $40 I ever spent! I think there aren't any reviews because there haven't been enough newbies like me who just can't wait for Gingerbread and bricked their Samsung Charge. Putting my review there tonight...should be first one. The reviews from all the other phones he has unbricked convinced me to try and I'm glad I did.


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## Cruiserdude

I'm real glad there are services that can repair these phones no matter what, it's gonna be quite useful for those unlucky enough to get a hard brick. But let this serve as a warning to the new people. NEVER bypass a hash check when flashing a full system odin. There a certain circumstances where it won't hurt, but the md5 extension is there for a reason. If the software tells you the file is corrupt, don't bypass the check, because it very likely is corrupt and could ruin your phone. Download the file again, or get it from a different source.


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## bmather9

Porkweasel said:


> Well, for the first time EVER, and I've had a lot of Android phones, I have killed my phone. It started today, when randomly, my data connection disappeared. I was running GummyCharged FE 2.0, and I flashed the EP1W radios over the top. Worked great for a few days until today of course.
> 
> So first, I decided to re install the radio, with no luck. Data still non-existent. From there I decided to ODIN a clean copy of GummyCharged FE 1.9. Still no data. Went to find my EE4 stock ODIN, attempted to ODIN and got the "MD5 hash value is invalid". So, I tried to remove the .md5 extension, as I read, so I was just flashing the .tar file...and then...
> 
> Dead.
> 
> Won't turn on, can't access download, NOTHING. Time to go to VZ tomorrow and see what I can get my hands on. Hopefully I'll grab a new Charge. I feel like an addict without my fix.
> 
> Just thought I would share my horror story...


I just did the exact same to my sister's Charge (boy is she upset!). Anyway, I know it was idiotic to remove the .md5 extension, but I did it because Odin wouldn't flash my EE4 file. It kept saying bad md5 checksum, but when I used a separate program to verify the checksums of the files I downloaded they matched perfectly. I even re-downloaded the files with the same result (md5 checksums match, but odin refused to flash saying bad md5). What gives? I downloaded these files: http://www.mydroidworld.com/forums/droid-charge-discussions/8448-droid-charge-ee4-full-factory-odin-return-stock.html

I was trying to return to stock from Humble 5.0 RC2 and had been using voodoo lagfix with ext4. I didn't know anything about the pit file at that time; is that why odin was saying the checksum was bad? I think Odin will still say the checksum is bad even if the pit file is there. Can someone direct me to the proper way to return to stock using Odin, because the stuff I have read doesn't work.


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## kermur

Mobiletechvideos.com unbricked my charge a few weeks ago. Their service was phenomenal. I highly recommend. $40 had my phone back in less than a week. I bricked mine when a friend stupidly flashed a ROM that was intended for a Fascinate!

Kerry


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## JihadSquad

bmather9 said:


> I just did the exact same to my sister's Charge (boy is she upset!). Anyway, I know it was idiotic to remove the .md5 extension, but I did it because Odin wouldn't flash my EE4 file. It kept saying bad md5 checksum, but when I used a separate program to verify the checksums of the files I downloaded they matched perfectly. I even re-downloaded the files with the same result (md5 checksums match, but odin refused to flash saying bad md5). What gives? I downloaded these files: http://www.mydroidworld.com/forums/droid-charge-discussions/8448-droid-charge-ee4-full-factory-odin-return-stock.html
> 
> I was trying to return to stock from Humble 5.0 RC2 and had been using voodoo lagfix with ext4. I didn't know anything about the pit file at that time; is that why odin was saying the checksum was bad? I think Odin will still say the checksum is bad even if the pit file is there. Can someone direct me to the proper way to return to stock using Odin, because the stuff I have read doesn't work.


I am pretty sure that the ee4 file you guys are downloading to brick your phones is corrupt. In fact i remember trying to use it about a month ago and it was corrupt so i used the ed2 file and got the ota.


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