Thread: Please help, I think I bricked my Vitality

I cannot seem to find the right "image file" for Odin to repair it. Can anyone help me???

"Odin is used primarily for bootloaders, kernels, and modems. Once you have the proper bootloaders,etc..., then you can flash a ROM thru CWM(recovery mode). Try entering recovery with the button combo and try flashing the ROM you want and see if you can get past the boot logo."

looks like you possibly wiped your phone and just need to flash a backup or custom "rom"
maybe these links can help.

[Q] ROMs flashable through ODIN? - xda-developers




How to Use ODIN on Android | Small Business - Chron.com

Originally Posted by indica

"Odin is used primarily for bootloaders, kernels, and modems. Once you have the proper bootloaders,etc..., then you can flash a ROM thru CWM(recovery mode). Try entering recovery with the button combo and try flashing the ROM you want and see if you can get past the boot logo."

looks like you possibly wiped your phone and just need to flash a backup or custom "rom"
maybe these links can help.

[Q] ROMs flashable through ODIN? - xda-developers




How to Use ODIN on Android | Small Business - Chron.com

Thanks so much for replying!!!! I haven't had much luck with Odin, it can't seem to connect with my phone. Even after I install the drivers, it still shows up as a random generic device in the device manager. I have tried literally every installer and side loader out there. I have three good recovery files of different types, but don't know what kind of tool to use them. I can't boot from recovery due to the "unverified signature on update.zip." I have worked literally for a like two weeks on it and am slowly starting to get some function back. At first it was ONLY the boot loop, Odin recovery mode, and download mode. Now I have my text messaging back and voice recognition. I still have no screen, other than the status bar at the top, and no other programs that I know of. I am using Flashtool for Xperia to enable USB debugging every time I work on it. Is there a better way of enabling it? I am still afraid to do much in ADB, and I am a newbie. If you know of any ROM tools or flashers, or anything else that will help, please let me know and I will keep everyone update on how I get it unbricked. So far, I have had the best luck with the sideloader to get some of my APKs back on there, but I don't even know if it has a file system. When I plug it into the computer it says please insert disk. I always click "Open as a portable device", which opens another window for it that is much more stable than the phone installation itself. I have tried copying the files to the phone via USB, but I get the please insert disk error. I don't get that when I try to copy them to the "portable device" version, but I have no way of knowing if they are actually getting there. Any help anyone can give me would be SOOOO appreciated. I have been two weeks without my Android now and it is killing me. I literally use it for EVERYTHING LOL. Thank you!! I will check out those links now and see what I can do with them

---------- Post added at 09:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:18 PM ----------

OH and just for anyone who may need to know in the future, the Vitality three button boot ups are a little different.

Recovery Mode-Hold home+Volume DOWN+Power button until phone reboots or starts uip from off.

Download Mode- Turn your phone off and make sure it is not plugged in to the USB cable. Hold the MUVE Music button and Volume down button down (don't touch the power button) and plug the USB cable into the phonel. Let go of the volume down button within about two seconds of plugging in the USB cable, but I always hold the Muve button until the triangle and warning pop up. Push volume up to go into download mode or volume down to boot normally. You do NOT have to take your battery out for download mode

I bricked my phone (Samsung Vitality / Cricket) and I've spent the past six hours reading up on how to fix it. Apparently Sandy is about the only person I've run into who also bricked her Vitality.

When I pull up Android system recover <3e> on my phone using the button combination, I've tried "wipe cache partition" which says "Formatting Cache:... Cache wipe complete. And my other option (which I thought would work) "wipe data/factory reset" says "Formatting DATA:... Formatting CACHE:... Data wipe complete. E:File is written: install_corrupt

Not a good sign, right. And then reboot and the phone goes back to looping the Samsung logo endlessly.

I tried the Cyanogen mod offered here by renaming it to "update.zip" and putting it on the sdcard which I then put in the phone. I tried the final option on Adnroid system recovery: "apply sdcard:update.zip". This resulted in another failure: Finding update package... Opening update package... Verifying update package.. E:failed to open /sdcard/update.zip (No such file or directory) E:signature verification failed Installation aborted."



Did you have any luck Sandy? Do I need Odin or CWM? Please don't think I'm dumb guys, I'm not, it just all seems like a foreign language to me. I really need some help here.

You're not going to get anywhere trying to use Odin.. Do you guys have a custom recovery installed?

You *CANT* rename a rom and expect it to work. You *CANT* flash a custom ROM using stock recovery.

Sent from my M886 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by salas

You *CANT* rename a rom and expect it to work. You *CANT* flash a custom ROM using stock recovery.

I understand now. The only way they to restore the phone would be flash_image? or have a corporate store/ flashing service do a re-flash?

Originally Posted by indica

I understand now. The only way they to restore the phone would be flash_image? or have a corporate store/ flashing service do a re-flash?

If they can boot into fastboot and flash a valid system.img, boot.img and recovery.img it should work..

Or if they have a custom recovery and do a nand restore with someones working backup it might work.

If they can't do either I'm afraid they have a brick on their hands for now.

No, I never did have any luck. I played with it for weeks, switched to a T-Mobile plan and had that phone bricked in a week. LOL... I bricked a Razr last night. I think I am giving up on the modding. LOL

Originally Posted by SandyeC77

No, I never did have any luck. I played with it for weeks, switched to a T-Mobile plan and had that phone bricked in a week. LOL... I bricked a Razr last night. I think I am giving up on the modding. LOL

LMAO, yeah might be a good idea if you keep bricking expensive devices!!

You could at least sell them for parts.

My heart really goes out to you Sandy!!!

Yeah, I think my husband would appreciate that LOL. I bought a Galaxy Mini and literally in less than a week it was bricked and in about ten pieces on my nightstand. I wanted to take it apart LOL. Before that it was the Vitality, and I waited about three weeks to get a new phone. I am pretty sure the Vitality is fixable. I will get around to it one of these days. LOL.. at least this time the phone was free. It was an old razr someone gave me

Just to give you guys an update: I left my Vitality with the cell phone fix-it shop for a week and a half, and... NO LUCK!!

I will probably order a Huawei Mercury in the meantime, but just so you know, the ante has been raised for anyone who can figure out how to unbrick a Vitality! Our local experts in Murfreesboro, TN were unable to fix it!

---------- Post added at 03:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:51 PM ----------

Hm.. if I had another Vitality, could I somehow export it's ROM or factory settings to my computer and then flash it onto the bricked one? This just occurred to me to be a possible solution. Maybe even could return the "rented" unit so I won't have to pay full price..

Originally Posted by jotty

Just to give you guys an update: I left my Vitality with the cell phone fix-it shop for a week and a half, and... NO LUCK!!

I will probably order a Huawei Mercury in the meantime, but just so you know, the ante has been raised for anyone who can figure out how to unbrick a Vitality! Our local experts in Murfreesboro, TN were unable to fix it!

---------- Post added at 03:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:51 PM ----------

Hm.. if I had another Vitality, could I somehow export it's ROM or factory settings to my computer and then flash it onto the bricked one? This just occurred to me to be a possible solution. Maybe even could return the "rented" unit so I won't have to pay full price..

Nope not possible the only way is tryig to get the update file or leaked update fill and try flashing it thru the recovery or thru the computer

I got it fixed.. completely!!!
[ACS] THE ODIN THREAD: Return to stock - Page 2 - Android Forums


Use this download and the links at the start of the thread.


[ACS] THE ODIN THREAD: Return to stock


This thread may be useful to you too!!! If anyone needs help recovering their Samsung Vitality, feel free to PM me and I will be more than happy to help !!