SGS will not boot up

[dog-man]

A friend has an SGS and he was in the process of updating an app, and the phone just crashed.
Since then it will not fully boot up. It gets as far as the pulsating S and then goes blank.

I am guessing it can probably be saved by flashing new firmware via odin, but is there any other way of saving it without losing the contents?



dog-man

[RichH]

Factory reset from recovery mode will delete all the apps but should retain the photos and videos taken with the camera.

[dog-man]

I am not convinced it actually has recovery mode as it has very old T-mobile firmware on it.
He never updated it from the original firmware.


dog-man

[dog-man]

Just confirmed with him that it does not have recovery mode.
It is a very old firmware.
I don't think it has download mode either

dog-man


***EDIT***

Is it possible a usb jig could put it into download mode even if it doesn't have it by normal means?

I have one.


dog-man

[greenman]

Don't see why the USB jig shouldn't work.
But never come across a Galaxy S without Recovery or Download mode.
It's not the steam driven version is it?

[dog-man]

I think the firmware version is 2.1 if I recall correctly.
It's a T-mobile firmware and it is out of guarantee.

dog-man

[RichH]

Must have a method of getting into download mode somehow, surely....?

[dog-man]

No, some of the early models did not come with recovery or download mode built into the firmware.

His is one of those.

If my usb jig can overcome that, then I can flash new firmware but he lives some distance from me so I want to be sure it will work before I undertake the journey.



dog-man

[dog-man]

He never updated the firmware because his computer was not powerful enough to run Kies.


dog-man

[RichH]

Couldn't say if the jig will work or not. If he's a long way away could you not post it to him to try first?